[Most of the crew may not have noticed, but Zoro has been silently keeping track of the growth of the two hairless cats Bepo rescued from Legends of the Hidden Island on his birthday. Making sure they're learning to hunt, able to take care of themselves, not becoming too dependent on the people on the ship. He doesn't even know what Bepo named the little pink-skinned female, she's just "Blue's sister" to him. Blue has always been imprinted on him, though, so it's his duty as kitty-daddy to make sure it isn't a detriment to their development.
As of late, he's known that the cats are wild, deep down. As cute as they are (in the eye of the beholder), there's a wild streak to them that won't be tamed. Blue has taken to shredding paper if he can get his claws on it, to the point that journals have to be kept away from him. He is more socialized than his sister, but it's clear that he won't grow up to be a gentle pet who sits in laps and wants to be scritched - he likes to climb and prowl and play with anyone who looks prey-like. It's been six months since they were found, they're big enough and adult enough to take care of themselves, so it's time.
Zoro waits until after the crew has had their fill of dorking around on the island, exploring ruins, and so on, before undertaking this important task. He can't risk the cats coming back to the ship, so it has to be done right before they actually set sail. He only lets Luffy and Sanji know where he's going and what he's doing, in case they want to come along - Luffy, because he sees the cats as crew and has had to come to grips with leaving them for a while, now, and Sanji, because he's also grown attached to Blue and gave Zoro enough guff about setting them free. So the two of them will be allowed to accompany him into the jungle if they wish, but he'd prefer if the rest of the crew didn't. He'd go alone if those two didn't have such a connection with the cats.
Since arriving at the island, he's noticed the cats being keenly interested in the jungle, sniffing the air and watching the birds and the trees. He can tell they're excited, they recognize it. They seem to want to get off the ship. So when it's time, he lets them come with him, letting Blue ride his shoulder while his sister prowls timidly along behind him.]
5/3, closed to Luffy and Sanji
As of late, he's known that the cats are wild, deep down. As cute as they are (in the eye of the beholder), there's a wild streak to them that won't be tamed. Blue has taken to shredding paper if he can get his claws on it, to the point that journals have to be kept away from him. He is more socialized than his sister, but it's clear that he won't grow up to be a gentle pet who sits in laps and wants to be scritched - he likes to climb and prowl and play with anyone who looks prey-like. It's been six months since they were found, they're big enough and adult enough to take care of themselves, so it's time.
Zoro waits until after the crew has had their fill of dorking around on the island, exploring ruins, and so on, before undertaking this important task. He can't risk the cats coming back to the ship, so it has to be done right before they actually set sail. He only lets Luffy and Sanji know where he's going and what he's doing, in case they want to come along - Luffy, because he sees the cats as crew and has had to come to grips with leaving them for a while, now, and Sanji, because he's also grown attached to Blue and gave Zoro enough guff about setting them free. So the two of them will be allowed to accompany him into the jungle if they wish, but he'd prefer if the rest of the crew didn't. He'd go alone if those two didn't have such a connection with the cats.
Since arriving at the island, he's noticed the cats being keenly interested in the jungle, sniffing the air and watching the birds and the trees. He can tell they're excited, they recognize it. They seem to want to get off the ship. So when it's time, he lets them come with him, letting Blue ride his shoulder while his sister prowls timidly along behind him.]
...c'mon, guys. Let's do this.