Here is the next chapter. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited and followed. I do not own One Piece. It is owned by its creator, Eiichiro Oda. The only things I own are the right to like the show, One Piece merchandise I purchased and having Zolo as my favorite character. I make no profit on this story other than any reviews it may get and satisfaction from writing it. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Pairings are still undecided.
"Speaking aloud"
"Thoughts"
Chapter 2: Pain
Zolo slowly stirred. He groaned as he shifted. Pain traveled throughout his body. For a moment he panicked when he recalled nothing. Slowly his memories clicked back into place. When they did, the young man bolted upright. Dark green eyes snapped shut at the blinding pain the action caused.
The green eyed man focused on breathing for several agonizing moments. Once he had the pain at a manageable level, he concentrated on locating its origin. His eyes opened as he realized the pain occupied his entire body. A frown graced the swordsman's face at that fact.
The green haired man also noticed he felt dizzy, nauseous, and had blurry vision. He blinked to clear his eyes and focused on calming his nausea. Once that was achieved, he inspected himself. Through sight all he found was a bandaged torso and a tan blanket that covered his lower half.
Hands lifted to run themselves over his body. After having reached his ribs, the green eyed male realized that they were mostly bruised with one broken on his right side. Searching fingers traveled further, but discovered nothing else out of the ordinary. He had located nothing that would have caused him that much pain. Lips pulled down into a scowl at feeling worse then his wounds warranted.
"Damn it! What the hell did those guys do to me?" The swordsman thought annoyed when no answers presented themselves.
Dark eyes narrowed as they scanned the room. A confused frown replaced his scowl when all he saw were blurry shapes. He gazed down at his hands but they appeared fuzzy as well. His brows furrowed then lifted in horror as his sight suddenly went black. Hands searched his face frantically but only traced skin.
The green haired man turned his attention from his lost sight to calm the panic that welled within him. After achieving that calm, he evaluated his situation.
"I am blind. The reason has to be that injection. They must be using it to blind their potential test subjects." A grim expression graced his visage at the thought. He warily examined his other senses and was alarmed at what he found.
"I can't hear anything either," Zolo realized. Shoulders tensed at that discovery. It looked like it was going to be even tougher becoming the world's greatest swordsman.
"At least I still have my touch, taste and smell," his lips twisted into a bitter smile. He knew better. It would take a lot more than that to become the best. As things looked right now, there was no way that he could be the best. All of his techniques depended on sight and sound.
"I'll die if I don't retrain myself," Zolo thought grimly. It was going to be hell figuring out how to defend himself against his enemies. The swordsman was forced to come to terms with one important fact. He had to shelve his dream until he learned to fight without sight and sound.
"I have to go back to the basics," the green haired man acknowledged. Sightless eyes closed in resignation at that. There was no other option. It was the only solution to even having a chance at eventually reaching his goal. A tired sigh escaped him.
Zolo jumped and his eyes reopened as a hand grasped his shoulder. He jerked away and that resulted in feeling that debilitating pain again. Using breathing exercises, the newly blinded man managed to calm his panic and control his pain once more. Unfortunately, the hand had remained where it landed.
Wind ruffled his hair and brushed his face as something moved in front of him repeatedly. An irritated frown graced his lips and his hands snapped out. They closed around a large hand. The knowledge that he hadn't known that unsettled him.
Feeling vibrations in the air caused the newly deaf man to turn in that direction. When the vibrations only increased in tempo, the swordsman released the hand he held and tapped his right ear. The hand on his shoulder finally retreated.
Something invaded his ear in the next moment. Green eyes narrowed as he flinched. The green haired male calmed himself as that same hand returned to rub his shoulder reassuringly. He finally recognized the kind touch. It was Chopper, the ship's doctor.
The green eyed man relaxed a little as the doctor's hands carefully examined him. If Chopper was there then he had awakened to allies not enemies. Sharp pain traveled through him when his back was pressed on. Nausea and dizziness swamped him in equal measure seconds later. A choked gasp of pain escaped the green eyed man's lips at the horrible combination.
Large hands guided the young man's head to between his knees. His eyes closed as he worked on controlling his breathing. An unknown amount of time passed before sightless eyes opened once more.
"Something is seriously wrong," Zolo dimly deduced. His mind remained unfocused despite his best efforts to clear it. When he was shakily seated upright once more, a hand rubbed his shoulder soothingly.
Something pressed against his lips. Unsure what was offered but trusting the ship's doctor, the shaken man opened his mouth and swallowed what entered. It tasted like herbal water. Relieved at the familiar taste, he drank the rest of the concoction. Upon swallowing the last of it, drowsiness smacked him hard.
"Herbal water with a strong sedative and pain reliever mixed in," Zolo realized tiredly as his eyes closed. The pain had disappeared. He tipped backwards. An arm caught, cradled then lowered him onto the bedding beneath him.
A hand had ensured that his head came in contact with a soft surface. His body throbbed dully at the movement, but he still felt no pain. Fingers carded through his hair and he relaxed further. The young man's thoughts were too scattered to care about looking weak to anyone. Darkness dragged the unresisting swordsman under not long after and he knew no more.
