Hey Guys

So I had this idea in my head and I had to write it down and well...
Things just sort of happened from there.

UPDATE: This is an Updated Chapter, slowly going through them so that the entire story makes sense.
Hope you enjoy it :D

The Little One That Follows Me
Chapter One: Experiment

Sanji

The man awoke in stages. Before his conscious could fully register who he was, where he was or why he was there, his body felt something first.
An ache, a discomfort.

Pain.

The man remembered his name.
He was Sanji. The Cook of the Strawhat pirates.
Valued crew member on board the Thousand Sunny and Nakama to Captain Luffy, Swordsman Zoro, Sharpshooter Usopp, Navigator Nami-swan, Archaeologist Robin-chan, Doctor Tony-Tony Chopper, Ship-wright Franky and Musician Brook.
A lover of women, succulent food and the finest cuisine. Someone who appreciates summer wines and a moment rocked by the gentleness of the ocean waves. Handsome and smart, strong and quick witted, first rate Cook of the sea!

Something occurred to the man whilst he was contemplating adding more titles to his inner speech. He wasn't on the Thousand Sunny. That was obvious from his still position.
Even when he wasn't asleep in his hammock and sometimes crashed on the couch or (god forbid) he slept whilst on watch in the crow's nest, Sanji was always rocked by the lull of the waves. He was always calmed by Sunny's gentle motions as she sailed the Grand Line.
But there was none of that.

No smell of the sea, no noise of sleep from his fellow nakama, not even the smell of the Sunny's aged wood or the scent of salt from the waters she sailed on.

Sanji knew he was not aboard the Sunny. He could feel his body pressed against cold, rough stone. The feeling was not overly pleasant and part of his brain was telling him to move. The other half was succumbed to a faint numbness that welcomed sleep and was trying to drag Sanji back into unconsciousness. The false sense of security of sleep…
Sanji didn't want to get up. He didn't want to move at all, but he knew he had to.

The man was disorientated. At first, he didn't even know where his body was. It was as if his head was here and his body somewhere else. No. That wasn't quite right.
The more he thought about it, the more Sanji realised he was wrong. His body was here, laid on the cold floor. His back ached from the hard ground. He could locate the pain that he felt radiating softly from both of his legs, in the area around his knees as if he had attacked something with the joints without bracing his limbs first. There was an irritating ache in his wrists and ankles and a heavy weight somewhere around his mid-section and lower stomach as if he'd swallowed a cannon ball.

Scratch that. It wasn't just his stomach that felt heavy and dulled. His entire body felt like it was being pinned down by giant heavy metal weights. The man was even struggling to breathe slightly. Everything was hurting.
Just twitching his fingers felt like he was trying to lift that damn zombie, Oars.

Something else occurred to the man whilst he laid there, his eyes shut and his arms laid uncomfortably by his side.
There was the unmistakable smell of blood, the pungent odour attacking his sense and making his eyes want to water. Old blood or new blood he could not tell, but it made him feel sick. It was in the air. He couldn't breathe…
The stench was accompanied by the droning sound of dripping, echoing a slow methodical pattern, kept at a steady rate. And there, behind it, Sanji could make out the revolting scent of rotting flesh. The thought made Sanji's stomach twist on itself.
Am I bleeding? Is that why I feel so light headed?
With his eyes still closed and his hands limp, Sanji searched his body mentally, trying to rifle through all the pain and pick one that felt like the familiar 'stab wound' he was used to. But there was none to be found. Not even a measly paper cut. So I'm not bleeding.
But whether or not it was the Cook's blood was a different matter…

With great difficulty, the Cook managed to force his eyes open. It didn't do him much good as he found that he was in a pitch black room. Not quite. A measly glimmer of light shone like filaments of gold from cracks in a space to the far right. But it did nothing to fight the dark. There was nothing to see that gave a hint to Sanji as to where he may be.
The temptation was too much and Sanji felt his eyes close once more. The heaviness inside his head faded a little, but the pain on his body was still too great to be ignored.
Arms, legs, chest, feet, wrists, neck, head, toes, knees, fingers, stomach, back.
Everything ached.

Everything hurt.

Come on Sanji. You have to get up. Sanji heard his own voice berating him from somewhere in the part of his conscious that wasn't numbed by the pain.
What if one of the others needed your help? What if your Nakama are in trouble? He certainly wouldn't let them down. Especially if it was his dearest Nami-chan or heavenly Robin-swan!

Sanji forced his eyes open again and trained to keep them that way. It was painful and his eyelids were heavy but he would have to endure it.
Slowly, after what seemed forever, the man could see some shadows hardening, some softer almost. Empty. Shapes began to form in the room, casting depth into Sanji's dark world. A shadow far above was the ceiling. Four more showed him the walls of the room he was laid in. Everything was unfamiliar. At least Sanji knew that much was true.

A groan to his left made Sanji flinch from shock. Pain rocked through his body at the subtle movement, but Sanji forced himself to ignore it. Instead, he shifted his weight to the left slightly so that his body would roll mere centimetres towards where the sound emanated from. Inches away he could see the silhouette of another body lying close to him, the unfamiliar shape bulky in places indicating that they were slumped awkwardly. That meant whoever it was, was stirring from unconsciousness. Sanji couldn't tell if it was anyone that he could recognise in this extremely dim light.

Slowly, and focusing on ignoring all the pain that he felt, Sanji pushed his body to sit up. He wanted to cry out, to swear, and to cuss, but Sanji didn't have the energy. He just bit down on his lip, his tongue tasting the metallic taste of blood as Sanji drew fresh blood. The man didn't care. He was just trying to stay upright. In the back of his mind, he could hear a voice. It sounded a lot like Chopper, telling him not to move or he'll risk further injury.
But I have to, Sanji told himself. I have to escape from this place. I have to find the others…
Sanji held his breath, the motion just causing him more pain. The searing pain in his chest was enough to indicate that he had a cracked rib or two. In order to balance himself, ready to stand, Sanji moved his left leg. He barely tensed the muscles before he cried out in sudden pain.
Worry had his hands caressing the area gently, fear causing his lungs to hold their breath. His fear was realised when he felt the jarred motion of a broken leg. Or dislocated knee, he couldn't tell. He mind was too fuzzy from the pain, his thoughts scrambled as he realised that he was in trouble.

Serious trouble.

Sanji couldn't walk. That meant he couldn't fight.
The Cook began to assess the rest of his body, trying to avoid moving his leg again, not wanting to administer more pain to his already battered body. It was only now, when he was more aware of what was happening, or what had happened, did Sanji realise the pressure on his wrists and ankles. Bandaged, wrapped tightly and securely. Chopper's handiwork?
There were bandages around Sanji's neck as well, judging from the similar pressure. This can't have been Chopper's handiwork. If it was, then he would've bandaged Sanji's leg as well and secured it was a splint and cast.
And he would definitely not let the man lie in this dark damp room with a cracking headache and painful wounds.
Sanji also felt a tightness around his chest, although there was no feeling of bandages there. This confused him the man. He was pretty sure there was no damage there, other than a slight dull ache and that weird unexplainable heaviness. Sanji ran his forefinger down the length of his body, trying to gauge some pain from the area, but when he came up blank he was still just as confused by the weird sensations.

Overall, Sanji found that his left leg was broken, his left shoulder dislocated (which he put back into pain with little difficulty although large amounts of cussing) and the damaged ribs. His nose had been broken and dried blood was sticking to his face. There was dried blood in his hair and he could feel a number of bumps under his locks which indicated some damage had been inflicted to his skull. Sanji's hands, although stiff from unknown brutal treatment, seemed to be in more than perfect condition which the Cook was thankful for.
Broken legs could recover, but he needed his hands to cook.

If he lost them…
Well there would be little point in living.

After all, he needed his hands to fulfil his dream. And if he couldn't achieve it… Well Sanji would rather die than being dead weight to the other Strawhats. That was decided on Thriller Bark. No. It was decided long before that…

Somewhere in the back of his head, behind the throbbing headache, Sanji's mind was trying to figure out what had happened to him. He remembered that the crew had recently landed on a new island, but the name escaped him. It couldn't have been that important anyway.
The island was mainly used as a Marine Base, like Navarone, only a lot smaller and there were several villages. The only problem was the marines here was a little more experienced and put up a tougher fight than the average marines they had fought against before. That had caused problems for the crew on their way in, who had decided to send Usopp and the Cook into town for supplies rather than the whole crew. Luffy, of course, had been bribed with meat and some invention Franky had cooked up just to stop the rubber idiot from jumping ship. They had wanted an 'adventure-free' stay, which had seemed to be surprisingly easy, seeing as the log pose would've only needed one day to set.

But something had gone wrong.
Something must've gone wrong.

Sanji could remember running, kicking, fighting his way through lines of Marines. He remembered wishing the others were there. He remembered hoping that they were safe, that the Marines hadn't found the Thousand Sunny. He remembered guns pointed at him, guns pointed at Usopp.
Usopp who had been laid on the floor, wounds on his bodies where he hadn't been able to outrun the Marines. Sea-stone cuffs and the base of a rifle to his head.

Sanji had blacked out. And woken up… here.
But what of Usopp?
And what of the others…?

Surely it had been longer than a day since the Marines captured them. The others would've noticed the pair's disappearance by now. Surely…

Actually Sanji didn't need to worry. Luffy's stomach would know that Sanji was yet to return. He probably only had to wait five minutes and the Captain would be charging into the prison demanding meat and pummelling anything that got in between him and his appetite.
The form to Sanji's left groaned again, louder than it had done earlier. The sudden sound ripped Sanji from his thoughts, making the poor man jolt and send another tremor of pain down his body. Sanji hissed in discomfort, making the point of assessing whoever it was next to him.
Sanji shuffled closer, making more than necessary effort to keep from jarring his left leg. It was more than sickening to listen to the painful grind of bone on an unforgiving knee that didn't want to give. The thought made him clench his teeth and try not to throw up.

As he moved closer Sanji spotted the glint of a pair of goggles that he recognised all too well. Extending one hand he brushed against the sharpshooter's shoulder, only to find the area had been dressed neatly with bandages. So he had been hurt as well. Sanji couldn't help but hope it wasn't as much as him. Usopp wasn't as strong as he was. He was easier to break… With extra reach, whilst gritting his teeth in case of leg movement and ignoring the agony of his ribcage, Sanji shook the shoulder harder as another groan escaped the man's lips. With a final effort Sanji jabbed his fingers into the flesh, earning a grunt of pain as life returned to the long-nosed man.
"Wha… who's there?" he asked in his sleepy, half-aware state. "It's me," Sanji hissed angrily, his fierce emotion boiling from the early incident and the pain that was still attacking his body. "Sanji?" Usopp groaned slightly, but stopping almost immediately as he realised it was the Cook that had awoken him.

"Sanji! Oh my god. You're… you're!" The sharpshooter sat up quickly and grabbed out to the man, pulling him into a fierce hug. Sanji felt his leg jar. He felt the motion of grinding bone, the searing pain in his body at the forced movement. Everything felt like it was on fire. Sanji resisted the howl of pain by clenching his teeth and letting a guttural noise escape instead.
Usopp froze. "I'm sorry," he cried, still whispering. "I didn't mean too. I'm just so glad that you're finally… they finally stopped," the boy said, laughing quietly. "I kept begging them to stop. I kept telling them to take me but they didn't listen. I'm so glad," Usopp breathed.
Sanji could see he had dropped his head. He could hear in his voice the tears that were streaming down his cheeks. "Usopp I don't…" Sanji didn't understand.
They stopped. Who was they? What were they doing?

"You're finally awake," Usopp repeated, lifting his head once more. "I'm glad."
There was something in his voice. Sanji had noticed the slight hesitation in those last two words as if Usopp was afraid of Sanji's reaction…

Sanji reined in his emotions, resisting the urge to cry out and kick something from anger, knowing that the action would harm him more than his target, whilst in this current state. "Yeah," was all the Cook could manage, making a bigger effort to ignore the sweat on his brow and force himself to breathe steadily. "Some bastard broke it. But I can still use the other. I'll need your help to get out of here."

With the little light, and the fact his eyes had adjusted somewhat, Sanji noticed the slight horror in Usopp's expression as he stared down at Sanji's legs. But the fear didn't seem to be new. Almost…
Sanji looked down to his legs. He already knew what Usopp feared, his own hesitation enough to reveal that he knew that both their fear was justified. The man took a deep breath before trying to straighten his right leg and found identical pain coursing through his body.
Fuck! Both of his legs were broken. Sanji breathed deeply, once again blocking out the pain. But his fear was overwhelming. He couldn't walk. He would be barely able to crawl.

How was he and Usopp supposed to escape now?
Usopp would have to do everything. He would have to take out well-trained, heavily armed Marines whilst protecting Sanji and carrying him through the base as well as trying to navigate the halls.

Sanji stared fearfully at Usopp, restraining the cry of pain to somewhere in his midsection. The man looked back at him, his expression mirrored as he watched the Cook comes to term what his predicament meant. "I'm useless," the cook muttered pitifully. "That's not true," the sharpshooter started, before his sympathetic tone took a hint of boasting and he continued the sentence. "Leave it to me, the Great Captain Usopp, for I-"
"Stop," Sanji ordered in a rush of air. "Just… not right now."

Sanji knew what was coming next. He knew, but would Usopp agree.
Probably not.
But there was no other way…

There was no way Sanji would be able to escape. He was struggling to breathe now and all of his pains seemed to be getting worse. The dull ache in his wrists and ankles had changed into a digging sensation as if something with sharp nails was scraping away at his skin and bones. The weight on his chest was not helping and he was surprised the pain in his legs had not forced him into unconsciousness.

"Please…"
Usopp turned to the blonde, confused by the sudden pain.

"You have to go first. I can't walk and you can't carry me so you'll have to escape first." Usopp looked like he wanted to argue, but Sanji kept talking. "Get to the crew. Then you can come back for me. But if it's too dangerous. If any of them get hurt, you have to leave me here," Sanji said. "I'm not important enough for everyone to risk their lives for."
"Don't say-"

"You will leave without me," Sanji said, his voice getting louder. Why was he getting angry? He was grateful for everyone's stubbornness on not wanting to give up, but he wouldn't accept it if the same thing happened to the others.
If the girls, or Chopper, was treated like this, it would break Sanji's heart.

If he was responsible for the fall of the Strawhat pirates because they tried to save him…
Sanji wouldn't be able to live with it.

"Stop!"

Usopp's voice penetrated Sanji's thoughts. The hesitation was there again and something else was laced in the layers of sounds that echoed in the stone walled room. But Sanji couldn't debate Usopp's tone as the sharpshooter ignored him, pushing his body up against the wall, his ear pressed up against the dark shadow. "Hey what's that?"
"What's what?" Sanji sighed, his pain addling his brain's ability to concentrate, irritated how Usopp was trying to change to conversation so he didn't have to talk about abandoning his Nakama. "I hear something," he replied simply. Sanji growled in frustration but Usopp did not elaborate any further.
Instead he continued to glare at the wall opposite as if his life depended on it.

Sanji hissed to himself before shuffling to the rock face, catching his leg only once on the uneven ground. He too, pressed his ear against the stone like Usopp had. There was noise, a lot of shouting and the sounds of metal hitting metal among other things. "A fight?"
"I bet it's the others," Usopp said, an obvious smile forming on his face although Sanji could not see it. The two returned to silence, listening to the sounds of the fight getting louder until they heard the unmistakable cry of their idiot but beloved Captain.

"WHERE ARE MY NAKAMA? I WANT MY NAKAMA BACK"

Usopp realised the danger long before the disorientated Sanji. His eyes widened and he stood at an alarming rate. His mind was focused elsewhere as he grabbed the man under his arms, using pure energy and adrenaline rather than muscle he didn't have, and pulled Sanji up, dragging his screaming form to the side just as the wall behind them exploded.
Stone and debris rained down, hitting the Cook, the Sharpshooter and the Captain who had launched himself into what was once a prison wall.

Sanji was dazed, having knocked his head, but he was still crying out in agony, his voice unfamiliar to his own ears. No words were apparent, just the vicious sounds of agony as Sanji lost his grip on sanity for seconds that seemed like they lasted for eternity. His vision was blank, his ears filled with white noise, his head pounding from everything that was happening.

Suddenly a rough hand grabbed his shoulder causing the man to flail his arms and twist his body, bringing more pain upon himself.
"Oi Cook! Calm down!" Zoro's voice was there in his head but he couldn't make the connection, continuing his thrashing until another vice-like grip grabbed both wrists in one moment. Sanji wrenched his eyes open as he came face to face with a blur green. Sanji felt the air escape his lungs and his vision throbbed. He was jogged almost calmly as Zoro leant in closer, his eyes scanning every mark on Sanji's body; from the sweat on his forehead to the blood under his nails, the large chain-like metal collar around his neck and the ripped clothes he was dressed in.
Not to mention the blood.

Blood… everywhere.

Zoro felt his heart thunder in his chest at the Cook's condition. His nakama.

How dare they!

Sanji was still struggling to stay conscious. They pain in his legs made him want to vomit although he had the feeling he had been throwing up a lot recently, although he didn't remember it. Zoro yanked hard on the man's shoulder's bringing the man into a more or less horizontal position before turning a pair of narrowed eyes onto the Captain who was pulling himself out of a small pile of rubble in the other side of the room.
"Luffy you moron! You never think do you?! Look at what you've done." The man reached out and hit his Captain on the side of the head amidst more cussing. Sanji couldn't stand any longer. He could feel the jarred motions. He could almost hear the grinding of his bones.

Sanji let his body fall, feeling the air rush past him as he headed to the ground. But before he could collide with the concrete, the Marimo caught him.
"Hey, stand up shitty Cook," the swordsman cursed. "He can't," came a familiar voice. "His legs are broken."
"What?" Sanji could see the confusion and anger on his Nakama's face, but it didn't mean anything to him. All he could think about was the pain.
The pain in his arms, the pain in his legs.

His back, his neck, his head.
His hands, fingers, toes. Wrists, ankles, knees, stomach.

Everything.
Everything.

Sanji's body became weightless for a second. He felt his centre of gravity shift and suddenly, it stopped. The man opened his eyes, trying to make out what had happened. Zoro's arms cradled him closer to his chest, adjusting his arms as little as possible so he didn't jog the injured Cook.
"They're going to pay," Luffy said, his voice deadly serious. "Not right now," Zoro replied, pulling Sanji closer. "We have to get Sanji back to the ship first so Chopper can had a look at him. He's in a bad shape." Zoro's voice was just as angry. The blonde wasn't sure why he was comforted by this, but it made him feel better. They did care. They all cared.

And there was heavy point Chopper, climbing into the hole, tears streaming down his face as he saw the condition of his Nakama. But the Doctor couldn't do anything there as a call was made by Marines. Zoro cursed once more as Luffy looked out of the hole he had made, Chopper delicately gathering Usopp up in his arms.
"Reinforcements. We better get going."

The swordsman shifted his body and Sanji felt himself being placed against the man's back, his head resting in the crook of Zoro's neck where his head and body joined. It allowed Sanji to see over his shoulder, and watch the direction the Marimo was facing, but at the moment he didn't care. He was in the process of crying out, his pain too much to think about how he would hate to show weakness to the moss-head of all people and how embarrassing this situation was and how Zoro would never let him live it down after this.
The Marimo set off running and the motion made him feel nauseous as well as hurting every single bone and muscles in his body. It was all Sanji could do to grit his teeth and choke back every tear that threatened to spill down his cheeks and dampen the white shirt he was resting on. Not to mention the fact that he felt like he was going to throw up again.

The Strawhats launched themselves from the prison, heading for the roof tops below. Suddenly, Sanji could hear cries of annoyance, all of which were Luffy's name. But the Cook didn't know what was happening. He couldn't focus on anything as he watched the ground loom closer. His only thought… this is going to hurt.

It did. Zoro slammed into the roof tiles, and in turn, Sanji felt his body crush against the man's who was carrying him. The pain increased and Sanji's vision went black. The man had passed out, but it wasn't long before he regained consciousness once more, to find the group navigating alley ways and city streets, flowed closely by a growing number of Marines.

"Just ignore them. We have to get back to the courtyard," Zoro called from beside him, barrelling forward with only one sword drawn. Sanji tried to focus his mind, frowning slightly as he knew what he saw wasn't right. Zoro didn't duel with one sword. He fought with three…
It was then that the Cook realised that Zoro's other hand was firmly wrapped behind his body, clamping down on Sanji's back to hold him secure. He wasn't wielding Wado in his mouth either, as he kept turning to check if Sanji was okay.
If Wado was in his mouth, Sanji knew that he would've been cut by now.

Two words of apology slipped between the man's lips in the moment of a sigh. Sanji wasn't sure if the man heard, but he suspected as much when the marimo's shoulders tensed and his steps hesitated for less than half a second.

They continued forwards until they burst out into the courtyard after what seemed like forever. Zoro must've been leading, meaning they went ways they didn't need to and probably spent three times longer getting to where they needed to go when they didn't. But it didn't matter. They had reached the courtyard.
The others were already there, battling wave after wave of Marines. Sanji watched between two tired eyes as his Nakama fought defiantly. Nami used her clima tact to electrocute a group she was facing as Robin used 'clutch' sending her opponents down as well. Franky grabbed the girls and threw them up into the air as a cannon exploded right where they had been standing, blocked by the indestructible cyborg, who retaliated with a barrage of attacks back towards the ammunition squad. "Oh my god. Sanji, Usopp!" Nami sounded close to tears when she caught sight of the Sharpshooter in the Cook. Chopper had caught her on the way back down, already checking her for injuries.
Robin was caught by Franky, who didn't see the point of putting her down for the moment. The woman didn't complain, her thoughts on Sanji, who looked horrific, almost painted head to toe in his own blood…

"Hey where's Luffy-bro?" Franky was the first to notice the apparent disappearance of the Captain. Zoro sighed, shifting his shoulders, regretting it immediately when Sanji hissed in pain. He was trying to stay strong for everyone, but the more he fought the pain, the more sleep wanted to take him.
And Sanji feared he wouldn't wake up…

"… Getting revenge," the Marimo was explaining, nodding back towards the Prison tower. "He's bound to be back any moment." Everyone sighed in annoyance as well as little amused.
Of course. That was a Luffy thing to do.

And sure enough, just as reinforcements arrived so did the Head Commander. Only, the Commander came flying from the top of the Marine base building, a few more wounds on his body than normal, followed by the Strawhats' Captain. The boy had a smug grin plastered across his face as he jumped from building to building, dropping right in front of the rest of his crew.

"Come on, let's go." The crew nodded in agreement as they followed their captain. But instead of leading them down towards the shore, Luffy ran towards the coast. He led the group north, back into the Marine base until they reached the outer wall, built upon the top of the cliff. It was a dead end, with a sheer drop of at least twenty five feet between them and the crashing waves below. The cliff was lined with sharp rocks with no obvious path to get down…
But there, ready and waiting was the Thousand Sunny, Brook at her wheel, keeping her stead in the swell of the waves. The Crew cheered at the sight of their beloved vessel, but no one called out in time as Luffy jumped right off the cliff… towards the sea below.

"LUFFY!" Franky jumped first, after Robin slipped from his arms, as the human-cyborg aimed straight for the rubber rock that was beginning to sink.
Brook spun the ship's wheel, bringing the Sunny closer, but the cliff face was making it dangerous. If he got to close, the riptide would draw her too close to the shallow waters and she would be stranded. Or worse, the choppy waters would drive her to the craggy rocks.
"Damn idiot. He never stops to think," Nami cursed, as Chopper approached the precarious ledge. "Franky!" the doctor called down. "We're jumping too. Grab Usopp for me." Before anyone realised what the little reindeer was planning, he jumped off the cliff with a screaming Nami and Usopp in tow.

Now it was only Robin, Zoro and Sanji left at the top of the cliff. The others were close to the ship now. Brook was pulling Luffy up onto the deck whilst Franky returned to the water to help Usopp whilst Nami swam with Chopper, who had returned to his small, cuddly size. Robin used her Devil Fruit to create herself a pair of wings, giving her just enough time to float towards the crow's nest, where a link of her own arms caught her, pulling her to safety. She ran to help the rest of the crew whilst Nami took the wheel. Luffy was shouting orders to ready canons as the Marines deployed ships of their own, hoping to corner the Sunny off before she left the bay.
Zoro looked down at the water before turning his back to the edge. He put himself in-between Sanji and the approaching threat of enemy Marines. He growled as they closed in on him. Sanji could almost hear the cogs in his brain grinding with one another. He didn't want to back down from a fight but he didn't want to put Sanji in any more danger. And besides if he jumped, it would be painful for Sanji again.
Besides, the situation below wasn't as good as the one at the top of the cliff. There were already Marine ships near the Sunny, trying to secure the ship with grappling lines, others trying to sink her with cannon fire. Those that had already managed to board the ship had already been thrown off by the Strawhats.

Zoro took a half step backwards, his feet dangerously teetering on the edge of crumbling stone. Everyone else was on the Sunny now but no one was aware of the swordsman's dilemma.
The first bullet was dodged but Sanji, even in his pained state, had felt the metal skim his skin. The bullet drew blood, the small trickle dribbling from Sanji's cheek, dripping down onto Zoro's white shirt. Zoro growled in rage, his stance shifting quickly into defensive. He couldn't help but glance at the man who was slouched against his shoulder.
From this light, Sanji looked worse. His skin, where it wasn't caked in grime and blood, showed blue and purple. Yellow blotches formed on his face where he had been hit. His lips was swollen and his hair had been cut to reveal both of the man's eyes, as if the act had more of a purpose to break his pride more so than anything.

"Hurry," Sanji whispered, watching the man carefully. The Cook had already seen the surge of enemy rushing forward. He could see the man who had tortured him prowling a top the wall, baring his smile as if he knew Sanji wouldn't escape.
And now he had another toy to break.

Zoro.

Zoro couldn't fight at his full capacity. He wouldn't put Sanji down so that he could draw all three of his blades. He wouldn't. He was going to be caught as well.

Sanji was useless and he knew it. And he was taking his Nakama down with him.
The pain in his stomach had been growing ever since they reached the courtyard and now he could see black spots in his vision. He had used all of his will to mentally numb the pain in his body but he could feel his strength sapping away. Slowly, and sure that he wasn't going to puke, he opened his mouth and tried to get Zoro's attention.

"Go… the Sunny… leave me… you have t-to… escape…"
Sanji felt his throat constrict he knew he was going to be sick. Just in time Sanji rolled his head and empty his mouth. His stomach flipped when he realised all the he had spat out was his own blood. The Cook noticed the pain on Zoro's face as he threw up several more times, bringing up stomach fluids and a dark purple sludge. It was like tar.
Just looking at it made Sanji want to vomit again.

Zoro dodged another attack as everyone charged, the marines cocky for thinking they had cornered the swordsman. "Shut up dam ero-Cook. Don't you dare talk about sacrificing your life! I can take care of myself."
Zoro dodged another attack, kicking back the enemy. The ground underfoot shifted, and for a second, the pair teetered on the edge.

"We came this far," the swordsman continued, picking a Marine's gun to fire at the ranks. Sanji watched silently. Zoro was doing everything he could to defend him, even going as far as to use a gun. "A swordsman with a gun," Sanji said, smiling.
"Shut up," the Marimo bit, using it as a club to beat one such rookie who got too close.

"I'm just trying to save the crew the trouble of finding a replacement for you. It'll be too much hassle. No one else knows what everyone likes, what they don't like and if we're allergic to anything. They'll probably be too scared of Brook, or they won't understand Usopp's jokes. No one else would be able to keep up Luffy's endless appetite, or swoon over Robin and that sea witch. Who else will kick Franky and Usopp when their inventions blow holes in our ship? Who will make treats for Chopper? They wouldn't remember to lock the fridge or wake up early to Cook breakfast. They would all miss you. Dumbass."

"And you?"

Zoro hesitated, recovering in time to dodge several simultaneous sword attacks. He abandoned the Marine's rifle and took up his sword once more, taking the offending opponents down with a slicing motion to their necks.

"Will you miss me?"

The swordsman attacked again, this time taking down half of the remaining opponents. He only had a moment to catch his breath as a signal went up and the rest of the Marine Base arrived at the top of the cliff.
Guns and canons trained on the Strawhats. Sword blades pointed in their direction.

And there in the centre, was the Commander. His eyes a blaze with anger, his smile spread across his face with malice. Men near him flinched from his aura alone, fearing him.

Sanji feared him. He felt his eyes grow wide, his voice hitch in his breath. He wanted to escape. This man….
Sanji's mind was clouded with memories of darkness. And fire.
Pain and agony seared his flesh, wounds scarring his skin. He could hear the man's laughter, hear his own screams echoing in the dungeon…

Zoro laughed, breaking whatever daze Sanji had been under. It was warm and familiar. Sanji couldn't help but smile, his arms tightening around the Marimo.
"Like hell I would," the man said, turning his head to smile at the Cook.

Sanji closed his eyes, picturing Zoro's cocky smile. He could feel the man's body shift beneath him as he prepared to fight…
"Damn Marimo… can't even… say goodbye… properly…"

To go on was too much of a strain for Sanji's body. He couldn't keep it up any longer, releasing his conscious to numbness. He let his head slump forward, resting comfortably against the swordsman's stiff shoulder. He was half aware of the jagged movements, the worried voice calling his name over and over. Sanji wasn't sure who was calling that singular word in such anguish, but it was painful to hear.
Sssh, its okay. I'm right here.

I'm not going anywhere.

But the cries continued, the movements becoming quicker. Sharp and sudden.

The sound of a gunshot rung out through the air, clear as glass as it shattered Sanji's understanding.

The cook felt his own body recoil, paying no mind to the pain it caused. He felt the man underneath him tense and relax over and over as he struggled half-consciously to understand what had happened. What was still happening…
Sanji felt everything slow down. His eyes opened slightly as his body became weightless, his body floating in the space between things. He was no longer on earth, nor was he in heaven. There was pain but it was numb. Where was it? Was it even his pain?
The pain vanished and Sanji continued to float, his body drifting backwards in the void his body had created.

The Cook opened his eyes, able to catch a glimpse of Zoro. The Marimo was facing him now, his face panicked, his arm outstretched as he called out for the man. His fingers brushed against Sanji's skin, unable to reach him. Sanji could see him, his mouth contorted as he screamed in rage and fear as the Cook began to slip away, out of his reach.
Sanji couldn't help but smile. Zoro should join him where he was.
It was so wonderful, so peaceful…

This floating feeling…

And then Sanji began to fall.

Sanji opened his eyes.

Darkness.
And silence. A deafening silence.
Heavy.

An emptiness.

Fear haunted the man.
Was he back there? Back… where?
Something told him he wasn't, but he didn't even know where 'there' was. Only that he feared it.

Phantom whispers clouded his mind. "More," someone was saying. "Push him to his limits." Sanji tried to focus on the voices. Or, voice.
It was only one man talking, ordering something or someone to… continue. That's what it sounded like.

Sanji looked around him. But there was no one else here. Wherever here was.

"I like this one. He shows promise." Who?
The man's voice sent shivers up his spine. Fear caught him again, but Sanji couldn't understand why. He could hear the man's voice, but he wasn't here.
Sanji was the only one here.

"Sanji."

The Blonde turned.
A familiar face. "I know you," Sanji told him.
The man smiled but said nothing. "I know your name." Sanji did know his name. He knew that. But why couldn't he remember it?

"Stop. Before you break him." The other voice. But this time Sanji felt relief.
It was over. What was over?

"Send him back to the cell. We can't do anything with him if he dies." There was heat on Sanji's arms. A harsh heat, and pressure as if invisible hands were grabbing at him, pulling him. But Sanji didn't move.
"They're broken into the base," a new voice shouted. He sounded panicked. "They're coming for their crewmates. It's okay. They won't be able to get past the defences. Continue with the experiments." Sanji listened to the voices echoing in the darkness, trying to make sense of them.

"Do you know what they're saying?" he asked the familiar man. He shook his head.
Sanji watched him. Was his name…?

Luffy?
No. Luffy was shorter. He was the man's Captain. He wore a straw hat and for some reason, his could stretch really far.

Then the man must've been Nami. Robin?
No. That was wrong as well. Nami and Robin were women. One had ginger hair, one had black.
This man did not.

Chopper?
Brook? They didn't sound right. Chopper wore a pink hat, and he was more of an animal. Brook didn't look Human.
But he was. He was…. A Skeleton. This man wasn't a skeleton. And he didn't' have a Devil Fruit.

So, was he Franky? No, Franky wasn't Human either. He was a cyborg.
Usopp? No.
Not Usopp.

So that left…

"Zoro."

Someone else spoke first. Someone else called out to the man before Sanji could.
"Zoro, you need to rest. It's already been three days. Just let me watch him."
"No," the man said, crossing his arms. Sanji stared at him, watching as the figure of a small Tanuki walked closer from the shadows. He was wearing a pink hat, and he had antlers on his head. Was he a Tanuki? No. He was a reindeer. He was Chopper. "Go eat something. Robin has made dinner."
"I'm fine here," the man said again.

"Idiot." Sanji grumbled. "You're going to starve."
"Did you see that?" Zoro took a step closer, staring at Sanji. Chopper was also. "I think so," the small Doctor murmured. "Just, let me watch him. If those Marines come back, you'll be in no condition to fight if you don't at least have a nap."
"In a little while," the swordsman said. Chopper watched him, realising that he wasn't going to get anywhere. "Suit yourself."
And with that he left.

It was just Sanji and Zoro once more. The man seemed to relax. He still had his arms folded across his chest, but he didn't seem so tense. His swords hung by his side like normal, tucked carefully into the green material of his haramaki. Zoro continued to smile, tilting his head to one side slightly; his earrings clinked together, forming a melody as they swayed to the motion.
Sanji felt no sense rivalry, or an annoying need to provoke the man. No need to prove himself worthy of being his crew mate. He just felt a peace.

Didn't he?
Yes, it was nice being here, but there was an emptiness as well. Something didn't seem quite right. As if Sanji was sleeping, teetering on the edge of a nightmare that seemed ready to swallow him whole.

"Where are the others," Sanji asked, trying to take his mind off of things that didn't need thinking about.

Zoro's smile faded. Sanji watched.
The man took a step closer. And as he did, a pain appeared in Sanji's chest. A discomfort. "Sanji?" Zoro sounded scared. He took another step closer, his hand reaching out…
The pain doubled.

"SANJI!"
And suddenly the man was falling. Zoro was falling as well, following him, his hand outstretched. In the other he held his sword, stained with blood from his recent battle with the Marines. How did Sanji know this?

"SANJI!" The pair continued to fall. Sanji felt his own arm reach up, trying to reach Zoro's. His back hit the ground. It was cold and suffocating, as the ground began to swallow him. Zoro followed, his hand outstretched, bubbles escaping from his mouth as he closed the distance, still crying out for his Nakama as the sea surrounded them. The water forced its way into Sanji's body, freezing him from the inside.
The pressure in his body grew again. He tried to scream in pain but the water stopped him. It muffled his cries, threatening to drag him down, down to the bottom, to the deep, the dark of the sea.

And there was the Marimo. His hands grabbing Sanji's pulling his body to the man's chest. He struggled against the tide, fighting to rise to the surface.
Sanji could see the light getting closer and closer until it was all he could see.

The darkness had gone.

The silence filled with the roaring of the sea, the crashing of the waves.

And the emptiness was replaced with pain.

Sanji's pain.

"…k."

Who?

"… Cook."

Was that… me?

Weight slammed down onto Sanji's chest but he didn't react. In fact, he was only vaguely aware of it. Besides, it didn't even hurt. Instead, it was more of a tingling sensation.
A pinching feeling. Something like scratch or itch. Irritating. Not painful, but still Sanji wanted it to stop. The same feeling was across his body. His forehead ached, his legs and his chest. His stomach was heavy, like he'd just eaten a full course meal, but the watering of his mouth said that Sanji was starving.

Was he? He didn't think he was. It was… weird.
Like everything was numb and the man couldn't focus.

"Cook come on! Just breathe already!" Something smashed against Sanji's face and he could feel something wet across his lips, a sweaty palm against his neck, tilting his head back. Sanji didn't fight it. He felt his chest rise as air was forced into his body then out for a moment. The motion repeated, the air leaving his lungs for the second time as the hands returned to cover his chest, his mouth becoming free once more. The compressions on his chest continued before something slightly less heavy was placed gently over his chest, just above where his heart lay.
"Come on," the voice begged.

As if on cue, Sanji gasped for breath. He didn't realise that he hadn't been breathing.
Slowly, the heaviness in his chest faded. Oh.
He could hear a collective sigh and a rumble of forced laughter as the man's senses slowly came back to him.

"Come on Sanji. Stop scaring me like that." There was weight on his chest , Sanji dragged his eyes open for a second, catching the glimpse of blurry green shape resting there. It was hard to keep his eyes open, but somehow the man managed it. He let his eyes focus on the top of Zoro's head, which was resting on the man's stomach. His eyes were closed, a smile playing across his lips.
Sanji tried to call out to him, but all that escaped his lips, was a groan, as if he had forgotten how to speak.

Zoro's head snapped up, and expectant look in his eyes as he fixed his gaze on Sanji. Zoro's smile widened. "You're awake." The man began to laugh, standing up to shout to the others. "Hey! He's awake! Everyone, Sanji's waking up!"
Sanji listened as the deep voice called out excitedly. He tried to ignore the twitches in his body and focus on things around him. His eyes rolled shut again but he could still hear. The rumbling laughter was still apparent but not forced like before, broken up as the voice spoke words that made no sense to the Cook.

Footsteps echoed against hollow wound, the slamming of doors and suddenly the room was filled with a buzzing noise. Shrill cries of relief met Sanji's ears but it was all too much. He couldn't understand. A hiss broke through the voices, ushering them to quieten to a distant hum in the background.
Sanji turned his head slightly, ignoring the ache that followed the motion. He strained his ears, numbing the hum of voices to the sounds outside. There was the sound of the sea washing over the ship as the hull carved its way through the swell. Wind flapped in the sails overhead and birds called out to one another.

Sanji was back on the Thousand Sunny.
They were back sailing, out on the Grand Line.

Sanji strained his ears again but he couldn't hear the usual sounds of the ship.
There were no cries of happiness from the Captain, the Sharpshooter and the young Doctor. There was no music from the Skeleton, no weird explosions from the Cyborg as he worked in his workshop, nor the sweet sounds of Nami-san or Robin-chan talking to each other as they relaxed out on the deck in the warm summer sun. Even the sounds of the Marimo training were amiss.

Sanji tensed as he tried to roll over again, his eyes sliding open. He was in the infirmary, laid on the cot Chopper reserved for when one of them was sick or ill or injured.
Oh. I'm sick, Sanji thought to himself.
I'm the one that's in pain. I'm the one that's been injured.
But what about Usopp? And Zoro. On top of the cliff, wasn't it him who got shot?
He took the bullet and we fell…

Suddenly Sanji's body clenched and he found himself retching harshly, his muscles tensing with so much pain but he couldn't cry out, his voice attacked by the sounds of him coughing. It hurt. His lungs burned, his throat burned.
Large hands grabbed at him, twisting his aching body onto the side so that it was easier to breathe. Sanji opened his eyes again. It was the Marimo supporting him, keeping him steady as a bout of water emptied from his mouth, into a sick bowl that had already been placed by the bedside. There was a mixture of black and purple tar that joined it, coating the side of the bowl in the sticky substance. It tasted like liquorish and burnt rubber.

"What is that?" he heard someone say in disgust, as Zoro sat him up against a pile of cushions. A hand offered him a drink to wash the taste away. "I don't know," came a quiet voice, taking the bowl from the bedside.

"Tanuki," Sanji murmured, watching the pink hat bob around on his head. "I'm not a Tanuki," the creature shouted all of a sudden. "I'm a–"
"Reindeer," Sanji finished for him.

That was right. It was Chopper.
The animal Doctor.

Behind him was a skeleton, looking more tired than usual. Usual? He was smiling, with the same relieved expression as the swordsman. Skeleton. Musician. Brook.
Sanji's eyes turned to the next crew member: Cyborg. Blue hair. Franky.
Sanji felt his eyes slide shut for a second. The Marimo offered him another drink.

"Sanji, do you know who we are," he asked, confusion in his words. Usopp, Nami, Robin. Their eyes red from crying. Luffy, perched on the end of Sanji's bed, oddly restrained as he fiddled with his famous straw hat.

The pain in Sanji's body was making it hard to concentrate. It stronger than earlier, but still weak enough to be ignored.

"S-Sanji?" Chopper's voice called, causing the Cook turn to face him. There was something off about the doctor that the man hadn't noticed before. His eyes were puffy, his fur tufted up in random places and he looked exhausted.
Now that Sanji looked, he could see that everyone was off somehow, even if it was just a little.
Usopp had bandages on his arms and shoulders and he was slumped roughly against Franky, who wasn't looking his best. His usually perky hair was dropping in places and his usual spirited smile seemed forced, bandages on his legs. Nami and Robin were as beautiful as always but the Cook could see concern and worry underneath their tired smiles. Brook too, looked ready to drop off, putting more weight than usual onto his cane. At first it seemed Luffy was the only one that looked like himself; his usual happy grin pulled wide across his face, his body itching to bounce about the room if it wouldn't risk the Cook further injury. But Sanji saw the dark emotions behind his eyes.

Sanji pushed himself to sit up more. He felt confused. Why did everyone seem so sad? And cautious. Yes they were relieved but… Why?

It was Zoro who broke the tense silence.
"Sanji. What's wrong?" Sanji looked to the man, hesitating at first, with his answer. He was shocked that the swordsman had used his name rather than the usual insults the moss-head managed to come up with. When Sanji looked at him, properly looked at him, he could see the swordsman didn't look right, just like the rest of the crew.
In fact, Zoro looked worse than anyone. His hair was unkempt, his eyes misty and unfocused with dark shadows underneath as if he hadn't been sleeping in days. Underneath the man's loose shirt, Sanji could see bandages over his right shoulder and more across his chest and back. His face looked worn and the man's spirit seemed like only a phantom etched into his features. Just like in his dream the swordsman was soft and gentle, all the raw energy of a demon swordsman seemingly to have vanished.

"Sanji, do you… know who we are?" Zoro spoke again and the man could hear the worry laced deep in those simple words.
"Of course, damn Marimo. You look like shit," Sanji said, his throat like razors when he spoke. Sanji took a deep breath as everyone sighed in relief followed by laughter from several of them. "Well you look worse," Zoro replied, grinning like an idiot, obviously relieved with the response.

It took Sanji a moment to catch his breath again, focusing on anything other than the rising pain in his chest. He gestured for the drink, taking it eagerly in his hands. He sighed as the cool liquid helped calm his throat. It was only then that he noticed the bandages on his hands.

The man froze. His hands. He had thought they were okay.
When?
He had hoped that they hadn't been touched.
Why?
If they had, then he wouldn't be able to cook. He wouldn't be able to continue on. He would have to give up…

"When?" The man whispered, lowering the drink. He stared at the white material wrapped around each appendage. The irritating itch underneath the bandages. Please… no…

"They're fine," Chopper said, sensing Sanji's rising panic. "They're just a little sore so I put medicated slave on them and wrapped them up so as to stop any blisters forming."
The Doctor smiled, taking Sanji's hands and laying them on the blanket, to deter him from prising the bandages off.

"What happened?" Sanji asked, his hand coming up to rub his throat gently. Speaking was hard, but that wouldn't stop him from trying to figure what had gone on.
It was obvious they had escaped from the Marines, but why was everyone bandaged in some way or another?

"When we were escaping from the Marines…" Luffy started, lowering his head slightly. He shuffled on the bed, mindful of Sanji. "We didn't realise you and Usopp were in trouble until it was too late." The boy fixed a hated glare on the wall opposite, but it seemed all self-blame to the Cook. "When we saved the two of you… it was bad," the boy said, the hatred growing in his voice.
"And even when we got to the ship, I left you at the top of the cliff without thinking. I left the two of you to fight the Marines–"

"And we fell," Sanji said, remembering his dream.
The iciness of the sea. The suffocating feeling of water in his lungs.

"They shot at us," the blonde murmured, trying to sort through his mind, pulling reality from dreams… "Zoro was shot. Protecting me… You couldn't fight back." Sanji looked up, focused on the Marimo. "You refused to leave me. I told you to leave me–"
"We didn't fall. The cliff did," the man said, ignoring Sanji's accusations. "They destroyed the cliff and we went down with it."

"You were unconscious in the water," Luffy continued. "Zoro was injured, you were unconscious and we didn't know about it."
Brook stepped in quickly, hearing the anger in Luffy's voice. "The Marines were trying to outflank us. We thought that Zoro-san had already got you on board."

Luffy bent his head down, hiding his face under his precious Straw hat. Everyone else looked down or ashamed as they listened to Luffy fill Sanji in. "We escaped in the end. Chopper tended to everyone's wounds." Luffy kept his head down.
Something told Sanji that wasn't all.

"The Marines… they chased us for three days. We lost them in a storm. But they were too intent on taking you back," the Captain said. "We don't know why, but we don't intend to let them take you," he said, as if declaring a challenge.

Come and get him, he was saying. You'll never win.

The Captain trailed off, his head raised slightly so Sanji could see his sad expression from under the lip of his hat.

It was one he never wanted to see again.

The man sat for a moment, his head trying to pick out the key phrase that Luffy had mentioned. "I've been out of it for three days… but why?" Sanji didn't feel rested at all. In fact it felt like it had been fifteen minutes, as if once he looked out the window, he would be able to see the accursed island in the distance…
"They did a number on you," Robin said from where she was stood. "It's been an uneasy couple of days."

Chopper stepped closer, laying a cold flannel on Sanji's brow. "Your condition was so unstable that I needed to give you a dangerously strong dose of medication. You've been in and out of unconsciousness since leaving the island." The doctor trailed off, tears rolling down his cheeks and dropping to the floor.

The Cook tried to talk but a small volley of coughs had him stopping short. He took another drink offered by the marimo and spat out the blood that was in his mouth. Exhausted, he slumped back against the pillows and breathed deeply.
He was shattered and it wasn't from being unconscious or that shitty pain in his chest that won't go away!

Suddenly, the Cook held a hand over his mouth. He felt the urge to vomit again, as if some monster was deep in his chest trying to claw out. The man gestured for help, but before he could, Sanji threw up.
Blood stained the blanket a dark crimson red. More black tar dripped from his mouth as the crew jumped back in shock.

Sanji rolled over, emptying his stomach onto the floor. He couldn't keep his balance, falling from the cot. Sanji's eyes watered and he clutched at his neck with one hand, curling inwards from the heavy feeling that was returning to the pit of his stomach.

Everything happened at once.

His body felt like it was being crushed by a thousand tonnes again and he couldn't help but whimper as pain shot from his head to his toes, igniting his entire body on fire. Sanji's body convulsed, bringing pain to his broken legs.
Screams escaped his lips as everything was in agony. His head felt like someone was kicking him repeatedly, he couldn't breathe, his chest was heavy, his body on fire.
The pain.

The agony!

Sanji's body began to shiver violently as Chopper swooped in, pushing both his Captain and the swordsman away, though they hovered silently just behind him, their faces returning to the worried expression that they had been sporting minutes earlier.
Sanji couldn't really focus what was going on. His body racked with pain, too much to notice Robin drag Nami from the infirmary door followed closely by Brook who slammed it shut.
Chopper shifted to heavy point, swooping down to scoop the man up in his arms. His face was a mask of steel as he stripped the bed with one hand, pinning the Cook to his body with the other as he began to thrash involuntarily. He forced Sanji to lie flat on his back, doing the best he could to ignore the man's frantic screams of agony. His body began to shake violently, no longer simple tremors from the growing fever. His skin glittered with sweat as the pain set his body alight again, even hotter than before.

Sanji couldn't focus. He couldn't understand. Everything was swimming, nothing making sense. Shapes blurred, colours faded and sounds were too shrill, too booming to understand.
How long had Sanji endured this pain? Hours? Days even?
His mind was clouded, he couldn't think straight. He forgot where he was… who he was…

Sanji forgot everything except the pain.

Chopper cried out for the others to help him pin the man down as he rushed for the medication. The others moved quickly, everyone silent as they forced the man to lay flat, trying to keep him from lashing out any more than what he was already doing. His throat was attacked with a series of coughs and blood splattered across his body and the hands that were grabbing at him from every angle.
Luffy grabbed Sanji's arms, Franky and Zoro grabbed the man's legs. Usopp was helping Chopper steady the man's arm as he plunged a needle into the feverish skin. He was still injured and crying as he watched his Nakama in agony. This was nothing like the situation in the prison cell.

Sanji cried out as he felt a hot poker stab his right arm which was being pinned down, gripped by unknown hands trying to crush him in their hold.

Words were exchanged but Sanji couldn't hear them.
Someone was screaming, the sound filling with agony and pain.

The pain ebbed slightly but the screams didn't stop and Sanji could feel his throat protesting. "What's happening?" he heard a voice ask as the pain began to subside a little, granting him some of his sanity. "I don't understand," Chopper cried, his voice strained. "His body temperature is burning off the medicine."
"So what," a gruff voice snapped. "Give him some more." There were more sounds of violence before a small voice replied. "I can't. It will kill him."

The sensation of the poker being driven into his body returned again, drawing out Sanji's pain. He couldn't tell what was going on, even when fingers rakes at his skin, pulling of his clothes and bandages. Sanji's pride was stripped from him as his clothes were ripped off of his body. He was left the dignity of underwear but the Cook didn't even notice. He didn't even care he was almost naked. Instead, he had begun screaming for someone to end the pain; to put the fire out.

Instantly, Sanji felt ice water run across his body.
Mere seconds granted Sanji some sanity to realise what was happening. Chopper, Usopp and Luffy were wiping Sanji's body down whilst Zoro and Franky restrained him, the Cyborg his legs and the swordsman his arms. Franky looked ready to hurl himself at the thought of putting Sanji in more pain by merely touching the damaged limbs. Everyone else had a mask of stone as they worked, trying to ignore for the Cook's pleas for the pain to end amidst the strangled screams emanating from his mouth.

Finally, Zoro had enough. Without hesitation he shoved his other hand into Sanji's open mouth. The cook clamped down on them almost immediately and the screaming became muted. No one said anything about the man's actions even though Chopper flinched when he saw fresh blood dribble out the sides of Sanji's mouth.

Everyone worked in silence until Chopper administered a fifth shot of tranquilliser and the medicine finally began to take some effect.
Sanji's body became heavy once more, his thrashes ceasing to subtle twitches. His voice became quiet and his screams softened to sobs. The men watched their nakama as his exhaustion took over his body and Sanji was unconscious once more.

So... Who hates me now? :P