This is a detailed writing of what happened at Thriller Bark with the Shichibukai Bartholomew Kuma and the Straw Hats. I will say NOW that One Piece does NOT belong to me, but to Eiichiro Oda, and the dialogue was taken directly from the episode video. The episode was provided by .com. Episode Number 377-378. Enjoy!

"Ursus Shock."

Bartholomew Kuma stood on the broken slabs of concrete in the middle of the clearing the Straw Hats were scattered in, trademark Bible cradled in his left arm. He hulked over Luffy, reaching down to pick up the seemingly sleeping man.

"Shishi Sonson!" A shadow flicked in the air and katana sliced through Kuma's clothes, revealing his cyborg metal body. "Bastard."

Kuma slowly turned to face Zoro, who was crouched on the rippled concrete, hands on the tsuka of his katana. Then, Kuma's eye blinked red, and he opened his mouth. Zoro managed to duck and get blown away into a wall by the laser blast-beam, and lay panting heavily on the shattered, scraping concrete. He slowly forced his body to move and get off the ground.

"Dammit." My body isn't responding anymore! "Why must you take Luffy's head?!"

"That is as far as I am willing to compromise." Kuma replied flatly.

"Fine. I'll let you have one head. However, in exchange!... Take my life for his! My head may not be worth much at the moment, but this is the head of the man who will be the greatest swordsman in the world! Surely that should be enough!" Zoro stated, like it was the easiest thing in the world, but his obvious determination for the exchange of his life.

"Despite your great ambition… you wish to take that man's place… and approach death?" Kuma asked calmly.

"Aside from that, I see no other way to save the crew… If you can't even protect your captain, your own ambition is worthless! Luffy is the man who will become the Pirate King!"

Kuma's deep frown remained on his face, and Zoro blinked to rid his eye of dripping blood, but Zoro's gaze stayed determined and unchangeably strong.

"Now hold on just a minute, you damn bastards!" Sanji showed up limping slowly out of nowhere, and Zoro looked on, surprised. "Oi, big guy! Instead of this moss-headed swordsman… Take my life instead!" Sanji moved in front of Zoro.

"Why, you…" Silence ensued.

Zoro jabbed Shuusui into Sanji's belly, causing him to turn and tightly grasp Zoro's shoulder, rattling the three golden earrings. "Bastard…!" Sanji fell to his knees, then gave in to the ground, barely rasping his breath in. Zoro stood over him without remorse, and his eyes returned to Kuma.

Zoro pulled Wado Ichimonji and Sandai Kitetsu from the loop in his haramaki, and tossed all three swords towards Kuma, and they landed crossed on a slab of the shattered grey concrete. "This is my final request."

"You can trust me… I will keep my promise. But, before I claim your sacrifice," Kuma once again bent and picked up Luffy by his vest, "I will make you experience Hell." He said, flatly.

~~~X~~~

Zoro stood in a clearing in the nearby forest, close to where his crewmates were littered on the concrete. The pinkish clear stress-damage bubble floated calmly in front of him. He paused, then gathered up his courage and plunged his hands into the bubble.

~~~X~~~

The Straw Hats each, one by one, picked themselves up off the broken, crushed concrete. Sanji slowly woke, and snapped awake when he remembered what happened with Zoro and the Shichibukai, getting up and running past Zoro's swords, and into the clearing in the forest nearby. "Dammit… Where is that idiot?" Then he stopped. "Found him!" He slid down a slab of concrete and approached Zoro. "What happened? Where did the Shichibukai go?" Then he got close enough to scrutinize the proud swordsman.

Zoro was barely on his feet, pouring blood like a bomb had been set off inside his body. "OI! What happened here?!" Sanji demanded.

"Absolutely…nothing."