A/N: Well, curses from the mouths of the babes. I've been hooked upon One Piece. This is a Zoro/Sanji story. Zoro is the leader of the Irish mob, and Sanji is a…well, you'll see. Anyway. You read and review, now. I'm not a happy panda if you don't, and that's never a good thing.

Okay! So, I don't own One Piece. Sad day, woe is me, all that junk. READ.

Chapter 1: Please, I'll Do Anything

I ran, skidding around the corner and wincing as my broken ribs throbbed achingly.
My ankle was twisted.
I was bleeding from various cuts scattered over my body.
By now, I was numb.

"Don't run Sanji. It just makes me angrier."

I ignored my pursuer, shaking and wiping my tears roughly from my eyes.

Now was not the time to cry.
Now was the time to save my goddamn skin.
I sprinted across a busy street, trying desperately to avoid cars.

"That's not going to save you, Sanji. No one is waiting for you on the other side."

I made it to the other side, looking desperately around for someone, anyone.
Please.
He's right behind me.

His quiet laughter sounded, and I was hit in the back of the head with a crowbar.
I fell.

"Stupid, stupid boy. Did you think you could run from me?" Luffy said, hitting me again.

And again.
And again.

I cried out in agony, cringing into the pavement.
No, no, please.
It hurts.

Suddenly, the beating stops, and I look up slowly.

"Yer no' supposed ta cross tha' street, Luffy. Yer in ma territory now."

A tall figure blocked out the sun.
I exhaled.

"I was just retrieving property, Zoro." Luffy said, pulling me up by my hair.

I squeaked in pain, trying to pull away.

"Yer retrievin' nothin'. This is ma' territory. Tha' boy is now MA property."

Luffy let loose his hold on my hair, and I scooted away from him, getting a better look at my saving grace.
He had green, spiky hair, with golden eyes and beringed ears.
Three swords hung from his waist, giving him an all-powerful menacing air.
You took one look at this man, and you knew that he wouldn't give a second thought to killing your smart ass.

"You realize that this means war, Roronoa Zoro." Luffy growled.

"It was war when ye crossed tha' line. Now, go gather up yer pussy mob. I dare ye."

The dark haired man huffed, and crossed the street again.
I turned to smile up at Zoro, but found him walking away.

"W-wait, please!" I said, scrambling up achingly.

The man with the golden eyes stopped to look at me.
Well, down at me would put it in better terms.
Wow, he was tall.

"Yer gon' be fine jest as long as you stay on this side of th' border. Go find yerself some help, and breathe easier knowin' Monkey D. Luffy ain't breathin' down yer neck no more." He began walking away again.

"Please stop!" I sobbed breathlessly, staggering shakily after him.

I wobbled a little before falling to my knees in front of him.

"Please, please help me. I…I don't know where I am. And I really don't f-feel good. I'll cook for you. I clean for you." I buried my face in my hands.

"Why should I help ye, boy? Ye've cause nothin' but grief fer me."

My mind was going fuzzier, and I was shaking uncontrollably.

"I'm a really good cook." I babbled, looking widely up at Zoro. "Really good. I'm no trouble at all. I know how to clean really well, too." I coughed wretchedly, and hacked blood onto the pavement.

He knelt, and I curled tighter into my little ball.

" Please." I whispered. "I was in Italy, you know? My Mama was helping in the kitchen when they came. That man, Luffy. He shot her, and then beat her to death. I woke up in a crate. He let me out, and told me I was his new…pet. I tried to run, and he started to hurt me." I looked up at Zoro though my eyelashes. "And then...I finally found an exit….but he just kept hurting me and hurting me….." I trailed off, dipping forward onto the concrete.

My body, it seemed, had finally decided that it was high time for me to pass out.
Rough hands caught me before my skull took a knock against the ground.

"Well." Zoro whispered softly. "I'm sold."

-Zoro's POV-

"Well, Roronoa? Did ye happen ta think abou' buying food while ye were out saving th' homeless?"

I rolled my eyes at Thomas, my second.

"I'll get it later. Don' be an arse." I set the blonde boy carefully on the table in the infirmary.

He looked tired, and sad, even while he slept.
My guess was that he was about seventeen.
Too young to have been through such things.
I brushed a golden lock of his hair gently out of his well-abused face.

Thomas wasn't particularly thrilled.

"Don' be an arse? I'm fuckin' hungry, Zoro!" He bustled around in the medicine cabinets.

I grunted, and stripped the boy of his shirt so I could get at some of the nastier wounds.

"Ye'll live. Yer gettin' podgy anyways."

Thomas threw a roll of gauze at me. "I am no' gettin' podgy!"

I caught the bandaging, and began to mop up the drizzling blood.

"Jesus Christ. Ye' had ta pick up a dyin' one to boot." He murmured, bringing the emergency box over to the table.

I pulled out the stitching materials, and threaded the hook before sewing up a huge slit in the boy's side.
I wasn't too worried about anesthetics.
Not until after, anyway.
He was out cold.

"He's no' gonna die." I said quietly, moving around to stitch a cut above one of the boy's fair eyebrows.

"He's gonna sing in th' angel choir fer a little while until we get him patched up. What's he been into, anyhow?" Thomas said, bandaging and disinfecting.

"Luffy."

Thomas gave an unhealthy snort of the whiskey he was alternately drinking and cleaning wounds with.

"Wha' th' name of bloody Christ was Luffy doin' on our ground?" He roared.

"Shut th' fuck up. Ye'll wake him." I prodded at the boys ribs. Definitely broken.

Thomas ran a hand through his bright red hair. "I'm no' worried about wakin' him! This shit means fuckin' war, ye know tha'!"

I gave a soft warning growl. "Ye think I don' know tha', Tommy?"

Hm. Sprained ankle.
I proceeded to wrap the strained joint in an Ace bandage.

"Zoro, have ye tol' anybody else?" Thomas said, putting all the med stuff up.

"Yer th' only one I've seen since I got back ta th' base." I said, unbuckling my sword belt and letting it rest against the wall.

He sighed, giving me an exasperated look before disappearing from the room.
I picked the boy up gently, slinging the sword belt over my shoulder.
I carried him to my room, my bed, and lay him back into the pillows.

"Hey." I said, shaking him awake gingerly.

His intense blue eyes fluttered worriedly. "W-where am i?"

"Yer safe. Can ye tell me yer name?"

"S-Sanji. Are you gonna hurt me?" He whimpered softly.

I chuckled, shaking my head.

"No. Like I said, yer safe now. Rest fer now, and don' worry."

Sanji chewed his bottom lip softly, like he was debating whether or not to believe me.

"Remember me? I'm Zoro. I'll make sure nobody hurts ye. Swear."

His fingers reached hesitantly up to trace under my eyes, and his forehead wrinkled in thought.

"O-okay." He murmured, and I let him stroke the underside of my eyes.

It felt rather pleasant, actually.

I pulled the blankets over him. "Just go ta sleep. Ye'll feel better when ye wake."

I waited until Sanji's eyes closed, and then turned off the light.
Almost immediately after I shut the door, Thomas bombarded me.

"Ye've gotta come to th' meetin' place. We've go' a serious problem."

A/N: Well, I know it isn't MUCH of a cliff hanger, but I'm trying with the limited time that I have. Zoro is twenty, and Sanji is seventeen. Kudos for a sexy Irish swordsman and a batshit Luffy? I BELIEVE SO. So now. Read and review, my dears. I'll have the next chapter up soon.