It was raining ...no that was an understatement. It was like the ocean itself was falling from the sky ...as the rain pelted his unprotected body. His golden hair plastered tightly against his head ...as the rain soaked it so heavily that the coloration had turn brown. His clothing ...so heavy and wet with rain that it was practically see through at that point as he lay there shivering in a pool of his own suffering. Any fool would get out of this rain, but, he couldn't. His hands tied behind his back with chains and his legs ...was done in the same way, but the chain for them ended at a hook embedded into a large rock.

It was almost funny ...one would think the military would use a firing squad instead of dropping him into the ocean like pirates. It seemed kind of a ironic way to die.

He was going to die.

Sanji almost chuckled at the thought, but it turned midway into a racking cough as he felt blood at the back of his throat. His entire body starting to seize up at the force of the cough that rack him. They had done their job well in softening him up ...he was sure they had loosen a few of his teeth, and the agonizing ache in his chest had him convince he had some broken ribs. Though those wounds were nothing next to the icy needles of cold that stabbed at him. It had him wishing for the numbness of cold to simply spread faster ...he could no longer feel his legs at that point.

He was so stupid.

The sounds of footsteps would rouse him back to the land of the living. Sanji would open one eye, because, the other one he was sure was swollen shut, and look at the boots of the one who had had this done to him. The man, an up and coming admiral would squat down as one of his minions kept the umbrella open over his head so that he remain free of the rain. One gloved hand would reach out to trace Sanji's face as he touches each and every bruise with a tenderness that made the man even beaten and cold twist his face as far away as humanly possible in his position. Each touch was as if he has been scalded.

"What a waste. You are a talented chef, a prize-fighter, but, you have no loyalty to the Marines. You chose to save a pirate scum, and look at you now. You are going to die the death of a dog ...no one caring about your fate. No one cares what happens to you at all, and you will simply vanish as if you never was."

The smell of smoke on the admiral's breath made Sanji's stomach turn, but he didn't look away ...he couldn't ...as the man's saw his efforts to escape and counter them by grabbing his hair by the roots with his free hand. The wanna be admiral was making sure that Sanji heard every one of his rancid filled words. Though the chef would smile through them as his anger was only seen in the curly eyebrow that would twitch with each word. It was torture to speak, but he couldn't stop himself.

"Shit ...cough ..cough ...your ...breath stinks."

The words were a struggle to say as his chest seems to catch on fire with the effort, but it was worth it ...as the wanna be admiral's eyes would widen. He would release his hand all at once as Sanji's head would bounce against the wood of the pier. He knew he didn't have the strength to keep up his head, and he didn't care. His face smacking so hard, that he was surprise that his nose hadn't started to bleed again. His face ...he was glad no ladies were about. His face was a mess, two blacken eyes, one swollen shut, blood mixed with rain water dribble over his lips and down the side of his face as the rain seemed to be trying to clean him up a bit before his execution. The sea ... the water from the sky, Sanji was glad that the skies efforts hadn't been wasted by that one move as he lay there ... breathing hard.

He was starting to lose his center.

His eye became un-focus as he saw something in the distance. A silhouettes in the darkness and he smiled despite himself as the wanna be Admiral back up. Sanji never heard that first shout. He was unaware of confusion as he blacked out and something started to happen. His concentrated scattered into the distances. Words bubble up from the darkness of his mind ...images ...that he couldn't see, but he understood them.

Family.

The Marines were not family.

Nakama.

The Marines are not Nakama.

He didn't belong here.

He needed to be free ...and the world would dissolve into darkness and then color as pain flared from his stomach. Sanji were brought back to the real world as he double in on himself despite the fact that he was bound. The wanna be admiral had kicked him ...in the stomach..., but something wasn't right. Sanji's eye was wide open as he took note ...that the wanna be's umbrella was missing as the rain sleek the man's black hair against his face. The rain running in pools down his long nose as he looked for all extents and purpose like a drown rat.

What had happen?

The man's face were contorted into anger and rage as he glares downwards at the bound man. He was cursing him, Sanji was sure. Yet, the words ...words were coming from his lips, but Sanji couldn't catch it. He could not understand anything as the pain blocked out everything.

Shitty body ...let him hear.

The wanna be admiral looked over his shoulder then, and fear cross his face. He would ran pass him then to where the rock he were tied to rested...near the edge of the pier. There was no ceremony, no taunting, more punishment, but a desperation to his movement. A craze that spoke of someone who saw defeat coming, but wouldn't go down without taking something or someone else with him.

Was someone trying to rescue him?

Sanji couldn't figure out who had spoken up for him ...no one would. No one would risk their lives and their career for him, and yet ...here was the chaos ...as the man would make his move. He would shove the rock off into the sea as Sanji felt the chain attached to his legs go taut.

This was it...and he prepared himself to hit the water hard.

He took a deep breathe despite the fact that he knew it was hopeless as he felt himself leaving the pier after the rock, and then lost it all ...the air he had tried to trap in his lungs. He would gasp at the hand that would burst through the rain ... a hand that was attached seemingly at first to nothing, but, as it changed direction to try to grab him ...he saw that long arm that were extended far into the distances.

Someone was ...reaching for him.

Why? Who? What in the hell?

It was his last thoughts as the finger tips would touch his collar. Then the cold of the water would greet him. The hand was too late ...and he didn't even have a breath in his lungs to sustain him. His eyes looking upwards at the silhouette ...that would seem over where he had fallen. It was a shadow with a strawhat.

Strawhat ...Good bye ... Thank you.

The darkness and the cold of the water would soon take all of his concentration as the pain in his chest bloom as water took the place of air. As he felt himself sink and drift at the same time. His eyes still open, but the edges of his vision would darken ...until there was nothing left, and his heart that had been beating frantically with his body's struggles grew quiet.

It was over ...

His body limp.

Blood continued towards the surface ... even though the bubbles stop.

His blond hair floating upwards was the only other thing still reaching towards the surface ...as something ...mixed with the sea water would touch his still cheek. Something that had sunk with him despite it's actual make up. An impossibility for all but one sort of creature, a devil fruit user.

A tear.

It was all too much then ...Sanji woke with a thrashing of legs and sheets. His heart rate speeding up as though to make up for the stillness of his dream one.

Just a dream...it was all just a dream.

Yet, there was still a pain in his chest ...as he grip his shirt tight in one hand.

I don't belong here.

The thought floated up from out of no where.

Sanji went still with that thought as he look around at the sleeping form of his comrades.

No, he would crush the thought.

There was no other place for him in the world, and with that confirmation he would snuggle deeper into the covers.

He never knew that his entire episode hadn't been completely private as a man with jet black hair would glare at him.

Stupid chef.

Stupid arrogant chef ...he would bring about his downfall.

Desolation ...chapter 1 ...complete.

(I am back, and I know, this is probably confusing as hell. Though, I couldn't think of a better way of starting this ...and beside I saw something on deviant art that just beg me to write it this way. I have no clue on the artist or anything, but I love the art piece enough to add it in someway to my story.)