OP: EHSUAPE
One Piece: Everybody has Secrets Usopp Alternate Paragraph Ending
Summary: In Chapter 4, Usopp, of my Everybody has Secrets fanfic, I made the ending of one paragraph less sad. This is a more depressing take on it. Major character death, sadness!fic.
Format: Alternate paragraph ending. One-shot. Sorry. I keep killing Zoro off.
Rating: K+ for one use of strong language.
Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.
Everybody has Secrets Usopp Alternate Paragraph Ending
Darkness. Coldness. Floating. Resting. Nothingness. Zoro floated with the current. He let out a precious bubble of air, and shut his eyes.
"Thank you..." he whispered. Then he heard a swishing noise, like someone swimming. Zoro gasped when he saw Sanji, but water raged in small currents to fill his lungs. He coughed and choked, but then stopped fighting it. He exhaled his last few drops of air, before going completely still. His heart stopped soon after.
"Hm?" Sanji turned his head sluggishly in the water when he heard a commotion to his left. He saw Zoro gently floating towards the sandy ocean bottom. Bubbles escaped from his gaping mouth; then he snapped into action. He grabbed the drowning swordsman before kicking up to the surface. He dragged Zoro onto deck, before picking up a whistle dial and leaning back underwater. He took a deep breath before ducking underwater and blowing hard into the mouthpiece on the dial. A shrill whistle sound reverberated through the ocean, and soon enough Sanji could see the rest of the crew swimming towards him. He beckoned at them as he climbed aboard the ship. They all pulled themselves out of the water soon after; sopping wet and out of breath.
"What did you find, cook-san?" Robin asked politely.
"I found shitty Marimo, Robin-chwan!" Sanji called, holding him up his collar. He wasn't moving.
"Use CPR!" Chopper shrieked.
"Oh- oh, yeah," Sanji realized and began pumping Zoro's chest to get the water out. He did thirty compressions before pausing. He grimaced.
"Someone wanna do the honors?"
"I'll help." Nami stepped forwards. Sanji looked furious but nodded.
"Okay," Nami kneeled beside the unconscious swordsman. "Do thirty more compressions, then I'll breath into his lungs." Sanji nodded and began to do more compressions. Nami leaned down after thirty, and put her lips to his. He was icy cold. Nami drew back in shock; then she shook her head at Sanji and leaned over again. She pressed her mouth firmly against his, and breathed out. Nothing happened.
"Try again," Nami muttered to Sanji. He nodded swiftly, a worried expression creeping into his eyes. She waited until he had done thirty, then leaned in again.
"Come on... breath..." Nami whispered, before pressing her lips down and breathing out. Nothing happened again. She shook her head to dry the tears blurring the edge of her vision. Sanji had given up trying to hide his worry, and was clenching his fists tightly. Chopper came running out with a stethoscope. He felt for Zoro's pulse. After a few minutes, he began to cry.
"There's no pulse!"
"Now what?" Sanji asked through gritted teeth. Nami swallowed thickly; tears spilling onto her cheeks.
"I don't..."
"Hm?" Sanji moved closer.
"I don't know," Nami whispered, before forgetting all dignity and launching herself at Sanji, who caught her with ease. She sobbed into his shoulder.
"Nami-swan?!" Sanji exclaimed, shocked instead of triumphant.
"I don't... I don't know what to do!" Nami choked out with heart-wrenching sobs. Luffy stood silently, watching the sad scene.
"Nami..." Sanji's eyes misted up. A single tear ran down his face, and Brook, Usopp and Chopper started to wail their grief. Franky lowered his head, but behind his glasses Luffy could see tears.
"Mina..." Luffy whispered, a dull achy throb weighing down his heart. "Stop," Luffy commanded. His crew looked at him, surprised. "I don't know what to do either." Luffy's voice was shaky. "I don't... I never thought..." Luffy's shoulders shook slightly. "I just..." Luffy's voice trailed away. He blinked several times before running away to sit in silence on the figurehead. Nami walked over. When she saw the tears spattering the lion figurehead's brow, she looked at his face. Face screwed up and with an expression of pure depression, Luffy looked more like a small, innocent child who had donned a captain's title to seem bold. He pulled his straw hat lower, the brim shadowing his face as the tears ran freely down his face.
"Luffy..." Nami whispered. The rest of the crew sat and wailed their grief, even Sanji was clenching his teeth around a cigarette in an attempt not to shed tears. Even Robin was wiping her eyes, although a couple were already streaming down her usually expressionless face.
Nobody noticed the single tear sliding down Zoro's cheek as he heard them chorus their grief for their loss.
Nobody saw his eyes flicker as he tried to open them, to see them for one last brief moment.
Nobody saw him smile sadly as he realized that this was the end for him.
And nobody heard him whisper,
"Arigatou, mina."
And nobody saw him die.