(A/N): Written in kind of a rush, so I apologize for any mistakes and grammar errors.
A shudder went through Nami as she suppressed a groan.
Luffy had taken the initiative and wrapped his arms around her, leaving her to rest between his legs and in his strong, rubbery hold.
A sheen of cold sweat had begun forming on her body, and she was slowly allowing herself to slip away. Her eyelids grew heavier with each passing moment, and she'd gotten so used to the excruciating pain in her shoulder, it was actually sufferable.
"I'll kill him."
Luffy's words hung heavily in the air. Nami almost didn't hear because he'd said it so quietly. And once again, it didn't sound like a threat, but statement.
She gazed at him through weary, tearful eyes, a small shaky smile making it's way to her lips.
"You'll have to get out of here first, idiot," she wheezed.
Even insulting her beloved captain had become a burden.
And all Luffy could do was remain silent, holding her even tighter.
MEANWHILE
Fast, countless amounts of gunshots elicited screams from Usopp and Chopper.
"Ahhh!"
The two quickly found shelter behind some crates, and continued their bawlings.
Zoro snarled when a bullet grazed his right bicep.
Sanji stood next to him, smoothly sidestepping all the ammunition. "They're horrible shots," he commented.
And it was true.
The shots being fired were easily evaded by Robin as well.
"Perhaps we should end this soon?" she suggested, ducking slightly and allowing a bullet to speed by her head.
"I'll take care of that," Zoro said, raising two of his swords in the air above his head.
He spun them in his hands simultaneously. Slowly at first, allowing them gain speed, like a windmill.
Shots continued to be fired, but it was useless.
The power of Zoro's spinning swords deflected every bullet, creating an almost force field-like barrier between them and the guns. His swords repelled the bullets with such great force, they were fired back at the guards.
"Ah!"
"Ow!"
"I'm hit! I'm hit!"
"Fallback! Fallback!"
Usopp and Chopper peaked over the crates at that announcement, both still trembling uncontrollably.
The guards had disappeared in a retreat.
"I-Is it over?" Chopper asked.
Robin smiled at them. "For now."
Usopp jumped from his crouched position. "Alright!" he pumped his fist into the air. "We did it!"
Robin's smile broadened. "We?"
Usopp grinned sheepishly. "Uh, Zoro did it."
Zoro placed his swords back in their respective cases. "Like I said, I'll take the shithead leader."
"We'll meet you there after we get Nami and Luffy," Sanji started to walk off.
"Hold on!" Usopp shouted, causing everyone to stop in their tracks. "Do we even know where anyone is?"
Robin crossed her arms. "I would assume we open every door. Trial-and-error."
"Sounds good to me," Zoro said, and disappeared down one of the many dark corridors.
"That cabbage top is going to get lost," Sanji mumbled.
"He usually finds his way eventually," Robin said, eyes shining. "Shall we go?"
ONEPIECE ONEPIECE ONEPIECE
Luffy wouldn't let her go. He held on to Nami incredibly tightly - so tight that he could feel every curve of her body. He could feel her shaking so well that it felt like he, himself, was shaking.
"Stay awake," he begged. "Please, please stay awake."
He received a haggard sigh from Nami in answer.
Her skin had become paler than the moon within just a few moments and the area around her wound had taken a very hot feeling.
"L-Luffy," Nami rasped. "I want to sleep."
Normally, Luffy would have consented to her wishes, but something told him if she were to close her bright brown eyes, they would never open again.
"No," he said, bringing her form closer than humanly possible. "You can't"
"Please," she solicited deliriously. "Just for a bit, Luffy. I p-promise."
He shook his head determinedly. "No."
Nami wasn't even aware of what she was saying. She just knew that she wanted to rest her eyes, and here was this boy who wouldn't let her. The way he was holding her, it was hard to fall asleep peacefully. And she so desperately ached for that sense of peace.
A sudden loud commotion to the left caused a jolted reaction from Luffy, and he nearly hit the roof in surprise.
Blinking owlishly, Luffy could only stare as one of the guards standing at their entrance to the dungeons was thrown across the room, hitting the wall.
A few seconds later, a second guard was hurled in the same direction, crashing into the wall again and falling right on top the first guard.
And again, a third time. A fourth, and a fifth.
"Filthy roaches," cursed a very familiar voice.
"Sanji!" Luffy exclaimed in pure delight.
Usopp stood beside Sanji, staring at the pile of guards with a wistful expression. "They didn't try very hard, did they?"
"Nami!" Chopper cried, running up to the bars of the prison when he saw her weak state.
Upon touching steel poles encrusted with sea stone, he immediately shied away and jumped back with an whimpering shriek.
"Stand back, Luffy," Sanji ordered.
Luffy backed into the far corner of the prison, cradling Nami in his arms bridal style.
Biting back every curse phrase in his body, Sanji stepped up to the cell and swiftly kicked the door with all his might.
The result was a few deeply bent bars.
Sanji tried to rattle the door open, but it didn't work.
He growled, turning to Usopp. "Don't you have any more of those acid marbles?"
Usopp held up a single clear ball. "Just one," he said forlornly. "I'm not sure if it'll work against the sea stone."
"Just do it, Long-Nose," Sanji said, stepping aside.
Rolling his shoulders animatedly, Usopp pulled out his trusty slingshot and took aim at the bent lock on the door.
The effect was immediate. It burst on contact and spread across the metal bars like wild fire, melting all within reach.
"It seems that the sea stones actually help," Robin commented thoughtfully.
"Hurry, hurry, hurry," Chopper chanted, bouncing on the heels of his hooves.
Sanji took hold of what was left of the bars of the prison cell and effortlessly pulled open the door.
Chopper rushed in, watery eyes inspecting every inch of Nami. Luffy crouched down to allow the doctor to do his work.
Nami's breath came in short, quick, but heavy huffs. Tugging on the collar and sleeve of her top, Chopper nearly screamed in disgust and fright at the bullet wound to her shoulder.
"Oh, no…"
"What is it?" Sanji asked urgently.
Chopper shook his little head. "We need to get her back on the ship quickly. I can't treat her without any of my supplies."
Usopp glanced nervously at Nami's frail appearance. "But she'll be okay, right?"
"She's lost a lot of blood," Chopper explained, his hoofed arm patting Nami's comfortingly. "And she has a very bad allergic reaction to the bullet. If I don't get any antibiotics in her right away, she'll die."
Sanji, Robin, and Usopp froze. "DIE?!"
Jumping a bit from the sudden outburst, Chopper could only nod his head clumsily.
"Th-Then let's go!" Usopp cried. "C'mon!"
He rushed everyone out of the prison cell.
Luffy paused on the way out, and determinedly handed Nami over to Sanji. "You guys take care of her," he said, taking off his straw hat and carefully placing atop her head. "I need to find Captain Alister."
"Luffy," Usopp sounded almost pitying. "Zoro's got him covered."
Staring at the stone floor, Luffy shook his head. "No."
His three crewmates could only gaze at their Captain desolately, knowing that he was the only one of them who was warranted to seek revenge. What had happened was entirely no fault of his own, but he still took responsibility. It was moments like these that the crew experienced a different side to Luffy; a darker one, in which all the innocence and light that radiated from him was completely diminished, and harsh reality settled in. He may have had very little sense for what was right and acceptable, but he had a very powerful sense for what was wrong. And what had happened to Nami - it was very, very wrong.
"Okay, then," Sanji said, shifting Nami in arms to make her more comfortable. "Do us all a favor, Captain."
Luffy looked up, slightly curious.
The chain-smoking cook's face was set. "Make him suffer."
He nodded, and took off.
ONEPIECE ONEPIECE ONEPIECE
Captain Alister stood calmly in the middle of his office, staring evenly at Zoro. Not an ounce of fear ran through his veins, and it was becoming clear to Zoro that this man was actually humoring him.
"I'm waiting," he scorned. "Aren't you going to slice me up, pirate hunter?"
Zoro had his arms crossed, watching the captain defiantly. "That's not my job."
"But you wished it were," he observed. "You are using every last fiber of your body to restrain from killing me, aren't you?"
Zoro remained silent.
"Took your crew for granted, didn't you?" He sounded pleased. Satisfied even. Like a point he had made was just proven. "Without the captain and the navigator, you are all lost."
Again, Zoro said not a word.
Sighing, captain Alister shook his head disappointedly. "You really do blame yourself, don't you? Well, I'll put you at ease, swordsman. I proudly take credit for what happened."
An inkling feeling coursed through Zoro at those words, but he willed his face to remain impassive.
"You should see your almighty captain and navigator," Alister gloated. "Him, completely hopeless, and her, an inch away from death. Even the godliest of men succumb to weakness. Your captain's reign will be over. And if not at my hands, then someone else's. All great things come to an end, sooner or later. And his dear navigator will walk through Hell's gates with him."
Zoro lashed out, eyes scorching with hate. He pinned Alister against the desk, a sword pressed against his sword. Light drops of blood were already collecting in a pool on his blade's sharp edge.
"You put a bullet through one of my nakama," Zoro's voice was hoarse, but unforgiving.
Alister stayed still, unmoving, knowing that if he even wavered, the sword would slice easily through his throat. "Only because you were so impatient," he replied.
Seething, Zoro pressed his blade even deeper into the soft flesh of Alister's throat. And he never knew if he would have gone through it, because Luffy chose that moment to step in, placing his hand gently atop Zoro's.
Fingers still wrapped tightly around the handle of his sword, Zoro backed off reluctantly.
"He's all yours, Luffy."
Alister straightened, surprised at seeing Luffy's figure.
He wiped away the streak of blood on his neck with the back of his hand. "You escaped faster than I expected, Monkey D. Luffy," Alister smiled wretchedly. "But then again, you had a good incentive."
Luffy's glare was the epitome of 'if-looks-could-kill.' His gaze was darker than night, itching for blood. Nothing - absolutely nothing - could have gotten in his way, and Alister saw this. And for the first time since encountering the Straw Hats, he was scared.
Alister knew he was going to die that night at the hands one of the strongest pirate captains that ever hit the Grand Line, and he willing accepted it. Embraced it, even.
"What do you want, Luffy?"
"You. Hurt. My. Navigator."
Within the blink of an eye, Luffy was across the room, his right hand fastened tightly around the neck of Captain Alister, choking him.
"I want to kill you," Luffy responded to his preceding question.
Zoro just stood back and watched, an oddly satisfying feeling filling him as a cry was emitted from Alister's lips.
"J-Just tell me one thing, Captain," Alistser wheezed, arms and legs thrashing. "Tell me I had the right plan. T-Tell me I was right. Taking down the Straw Hats is a-as simple as taking down just the captain and the navigator."
"Apparently not that simple," Zoro muttered.
Luffy didn't answer, his grip constricting harder with each passing moment. Alister struggled and gagged, and any attempt at clawing Luffy's hands away was futile.
Zoro looked away.
As much as he wanted this - the death of the man who tried to kill Nami - he couldn't bear to watch Luffy's reaction. The look on his captain's face, it was one of revenge and pure hatred. Lufffy was happy-go-lucky. Hatred was foreign to him. And Zoro was certain that though they'd encountered numerous foes along their journey, no one had come as close as Alister had to ripping out Luffy's heart. Fact of the matter was, though, the bastard did something much worst…he tried to destroy their crew. Their team; their friendship; their nakama; their family. And Nami was more than just family to Luffy. The women held a trust with him more than anyone else on the crew. He gave her a future again after defeating Arlong, and in return, she was absolutely devoted. And then Alister had to go and hurt her.
Idiot.
Luffy squeezed Alister's neck to the brink of death. That was his goal. Flashes of Nami's suffering face entered his mind, and it made him even angrier.
She could die.
He could lose her.
All because someone tried to prove a point.
And now he'd pay.
ONEPIECE ONEPIECE ONEPIECE
"Luffy!"
"Hold her down!"
"I'm trying. What do you think I'm doing?"
"Luffy!"
"Ow! She just kicked me in the nose!"
"Maybe if you weren't standing where her heels are, Usopp."
"He said hold her down, didn't he?!"
"L-Luffy!"
"Why does Nami keep calling out Luffy's name?"
"She's hysterical," Chopper explained, taking out a syringe. "Luffy was the last face she saw before passing out."
"Ouch!" Usopp screamed again, clutching his stomach. "Man, are her heels made of steel or something?"
"Her shoulder needs surgery, and she needs five different shots of antibiotics immediately," Chopper was getting anxious, sweat appearing on his deer face. "I can't do that if she doesn't stop moving."
Robin sighed. "I'll take care of it."
Multiple arms soon sprouted out from the bed on which Nami laid trouncing, wrapping around her legs, torso, and arms.
"Lu-Lu-Luffy!" Nami gasped, crying uncontrollably. "Luuuffffyyy…"
It was heartbreaking to watch, and Usopp desperately wanted to leave. But he knew he had to stay to help Chopper with the process. And he wouldn't forgive himself if something happened to Nami during the procedure that could have easily been prevented with the help of an extra set of hands. Robin couldn't take care of everything, after all. Devil Fruit powers or none, she was still just one person.
"Lucky Sanji," he murmured under his breath.
ONEPIECE ONEPIECE ONEPIECE
Having dropped off Nami, Chopper, Usopp, and Robin back at the Going Merry, he fought tooth and nail to stay by the navigator's side, but the ever wise Robin blatantly pointed out that Luffy and Zoro needed a way to get back.
So there he was, back on the Marine's base, smoking beside the row boat to pass the time as he waited for the rest of his crew.
It wasn't a long wait. He wasn't even done with his cigarette when they appeared out of the dark, through the acid burnt opened gates from previously.
Sanji eyed them both avidly. "It's done?"
Luffy's black mane covered his eyes and responded by getting in the row boat.
With small nod, Zoro helped Sanji push the boat back into the water. "It's done."
(A/N): Due to popular demand, there will be a fourth (and I swear, this time, FINAL) chapter to this story. And to think, this started off as a two-shot.
