Ok, So I needed to do a little Sanji and Zoro bonding.
It seems Sanji hasn't quite gotten over what has happened to him and Zoro is pissed off at his attitude.
(Naww he does care!)

Updated Chapter Three: Ok so I had these pointers form a few readers, but never amended this chapter to make it fit with the later chapters. Anyway, this pretty much fills the gaps, ties up loose ends and gives more background information.

And also fixes any contradictions...

The Little One That Follows Me

Chapter Three: Nakama

Zoro

The Cook was acting weird.
Okay, weirder.

And okay, maybe Zoro was acting a little weird as well, but hey, why shouldn't he?
He had to witness long, agonising weeks of his Nakama, whom he saw as his equal, writhing in pain, weak and defenceless against his body's natural healing process.
But Sanji had recovered. He was walking around, swinging his hips for the ladies, prancing about like a ballerina and to top it off, had already started to introduce his body back to his training regime, although it wasn't as taxing as it usually was. So it was a slow introduction.

So why was it, after four whole days of sailing from the last island (name forgotten – it wasn't important enough anyway) that Sanji was still to take the jabs and insults. Even when Zoro laid the bait out like fish on the sand, Sanji still didn't engage in their normal, and greatly missed, sparring matches.

And it wasn't just the physical fights.

Sanji was lacking energy, even when it came to their verbal arguments. They happened, sure, but they were fought half-heartedly on the Blonde's behalf. Half the time he'd back down with his arms raised, other times he would just stop talking halfway through and stare at the floor, waiting for the Marimo to simply walk away. Zoro wasn't rubbing it in or anything, but he was definitely irritated about it.

The cook was still acting meek and wimpy, his tail between his legs as he tiptoed around the crew. It was as if he was still worried he wasn't allowed to stay, that if he did one thing wrong, he'd be forced off the ship…

Zoro had noticed.

The man was becoming more and more affectionate towards the girls, although once he'd finished waiting on them, he slip back into the kitchen. There was no excessive love hearts nor declarations of love, admiration of beauty or overloaded nosebleeds.
Sanji made extra effort to be lenient of Usopp, Chopper and Luffy's games even going so far as to join in most days when he wasn't busy cooking for the Captain. The snacks were more adventurous, the portions (mainly for the Captain) were larger, but still offered a balanced diet, as the Cook had explained when Chopper picked up on this.
When Sanji wasn't in the kitchen, doting on the women or playing 'tag' with the crew's youngest, he took refuge with Brook, either in the aquarium bar, the library or the observation tower. It seemed the pair grew quite close in the week that Sanji first began walking again, with Brook even going as far as to lend Sanji his cane.

Sanji had even offered Franky some of the cola reserved for drinking, which was extremely odd because Sanji was picky about letting Usopp nick food for his experiments, although now that he thought about it, Sanji was letting Usopp have supplies too….

Zoro tried again, for the remainder of the day, insulting Sanji about small things like his flouncy-ness, his lady-chasing games and just general things the two usually fought over.
But each time, the Marimo got a sighed "whatever" in reply before the Cook moved on. No insult back, no kick to the shins. Not even a fucking glance.

And Zoro was getting pissed off.
The crew, at least, had picked up on his bad attitude. They were all sat around the table, digging into another of Sanji's over-the-top meals, a little further away from the swordsman than usual. Most of them were too busy laughing and fending off Luffy who had already finished his double portion.

Sanji was laughing with Robin, flirting away and happily talking about some nonsense that was of unimportance. Zoro watched him, his hands still pulling the sleeves of his top down, hiding the bruises, his dinner jacket done right to the top button to hide the marks that still tattooed his neck. Even his hair was pulled down to cover more of his face as not to show off some of the scars that were still yet to fade.

He was still thinking about it, still acting weak….

Yeah, Zoro would be angry if he had lost, after all he had vowed to Luffy that he would never lose again.
But Sanji hadn't lost any fight. He was ambushed. And he was still alive.

But he wasn't fighting anymore.
Had he actually gone soft?

Was he…. weak?
Had he lost the will to fight?

Zoro clenched his Sake bottle tightly – something the Blonde was giving him more often now with less complaints. It made Zoro even angrier.

Sanji was his rival. He needed someone with the same strength as him to fight beside him. Who else could he trust? Robin, maybe, but she wasn't as strong… Like Sanji was.
Nami, Usopp and Chopper relied on the strength of the other crew. Franky? He was too unrefined to fight beside. He was strong, granted, but he didn't have that unspoken connection with Zoro. Like Sanji did.
Brook? No.

It can only be Sanji.

But Sanji had given up fighting.
Had he?

If he was, did that mean he was also giving up cooking? Was he going to leave the crew? What about All-Blue? What about his and Zeff's dream of seeing the ocean?

Zoro lost control of his anger. He didn't know what he was doing until he had done it, his fingers letting go of the porcelain plate, watching as it sailed through the air, discarding the food, smashing into the cupboard beneath the sink.

Silence filled the room.

"I'm not eating this shit," Zoro said without thinking. Hey, hey! What the hell am I– No… This should work.
If Zoro insulted Sanji's very pride as a sea cook, then maybe he could force some life into the Blonde and helpfully get him over whatever problems he had going on in his head. At least wasting the scraps off the Marimo's plate should get a kick from–

Sanji had his head down. He wasn't even looking at the swordsman.

"Did you hear me cook?" Zoro growled, his anger spiking again, his Sake bottle still in one hand. "If you're going to plate something up and call it food, at least make it edible."
Kick me. Kick me you bastard. Get angry, feel something DO something…

"Sorry," the blonde smiled, standing from the table as he moved to the shards of shattered plate, keeping his eyes from Zoro. Everyone else was silent, frozen still in their seats unsure as to what they were seeing. Brook and Robin looked angry, Franky, confused.
Only Luffy looked calm. Sad, but calm…

"If you want I can make you something different. Maybe some rice or-"
Zoro threw the Sake bottle, watching it smash on the cupboard door, just above the Cook's head. He was showered in sweet rum, only a few specks of glass glittering amongst the Blonde locks. Sanji flinched, scrunching his eyes tight.
Zoro stood from his chair, knocking off the platter in front of him. Salad and fruit slices littered the ground as the swordsman stormed over to the Blonde. Sanji cowered for a split second, not even blocking when Zoro slapped him across the face.

"I DON'T WANT YOU'RE FUCKING FOOD!" the swordsman shouted, grabbing the Cook by the scruff of the neck and pulling him from the kitchen.

Suddenly, everyone started shouting, but Zoro ignored them, dragging Sanji from the kitchen. He threw him over the rail and down onto the grass deck. "WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM," he roared at the blonde, who had simply landed where he was thrown, letting his body lay limp like a rag doll.
Zoro dropped down himself, feeling his anger continue to grow as he approached the Blonde, still laid where he fell, refusing to stand back up.

"I w-will not fight you,' Sanji coughed, remaining motionless, his eyes tightly shut as the swordsman bared down on him, his weapons still sheathed.

"THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!"

Zoro punched Sanji in the gut, flinching himself as the cook cried out. He never…

"FIGHT BACK!" Zoro punched again, hitting Sanji across the chest.
"FIGHT BACK!"

A hit to the ribs.

"FIGHT BACK!"

Another to his shoulder.

"Fight back you bastard," Zoro growled, his eyes tearing. He was hurting Sanji, he could see that, so why wasn't the Cook defending himself?
Why was he just letting Zoro use him as a punching bag? He wasn't even trying to pretend that he wasn't hurt. He wasn't making up excuses, begging Zoro to stop…

He was just letting Zoro abuse him….

Why?

The swordsman grabbed the Blonde around the throat, lifting his body as if it was weightless, pinning him up against the mast so that his toes were barely toughing the ground. Sanji was trying to stand – an instinct, not his own will trying to break Zoro off. He grabbed hold of Zoro's hand around his throat, lifting himself up so that he could breathe, his eyes bugged from the sudden loss of air.

"Luffy stop them," Nami begged from near the kitchen, but there was no order from the Captain.

"Why?" Zoro asked, his voice only a fraction of its earlier ferocity. He could hear his own sadness, his own thoughts of betrayals in the simple, quiet words that carried themselves across the deck with the cool night breeze. He let his head slump forward onto Sanji's chest, lowering the man back down onto the grass.

Zoro closed his eyes, and asked again. "Why won't you fight me?"

"Because I don't want to lose."

The Marimo's head snapped up at Sanji's words. His eyes were sad, there were tears prickling amongst his eye lashes. "If I fight you and I lose, then it will prove that I really am weak," he whispered, his eyes fearful as he glanced to the waiting crew. It was as if Sanji didn't want them to hear. But he'll allow Zoro to know his darkest fear…

"It'll prove I'm not as strong as you, and I'll only have to be protected, again and again. Over and over, every time that we fight someone new because I'm not strong enough. It means that I lost the right to be a part of this-"
"You're still going on about-"

"IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME!" Sanji shouted, unconsciously shoving the Marimo away. "I NEED TO FEEL LIKE I BELONG HERE OTHERWISE HOW CAN I KEEP STAYING HERE? I lost the right to fight beside you when I was captured, when I was unable to protect Usopp. I lost the right to protect the rest of the crew because I CAN'T! I'M NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO FIGHT-"
"SHUT UP!' Zoro bellowed, his fist hitting the wood next to Sanji's face.

Sanji flinched, turning his head away.
"If you didn't belong here, do you think that Luffy would let you stay? Do you think that I would actually pay attention to someone weak, enough to notice that he wasn't the same as his normal shitty self; so much that he was worrying me enough because I thought he would have to leave the crew? No. I wouldn't be bothered with anyone else."
Zoro couldn't help but spit the words out, staring into Sanji's one blue eye. His voice grew soft. "But it's not just anyone. It's you."

Zoro unclenched his fist from the wood, letting his fingers twist into Sanji's golden locks. "You're not weak, you're strong. Strong enough to hold your own against whatever throws itself at you and all of us." Sanji turned away, biting his lip. He still didn't believe….

"You fought the wolf guy back in Enies Lobby didn't you? You beat Absalom and those damn zombies on Thriller Bark right?"

Sanji didn't turn to Zoro. A tear ran down the side of his face.

Zoro could feel his anger spiking once more. What will it take for him to believe me?
"You are strong, SO BUCK UP AND FIGHT BACK!"

Zoro pulled his fist back, ready to punch the cook again.

Then what? the voice in his head asked him.
Beat him, like those bastards did? Beat him till he can't fight back, till he can't walk or cook, till he's broken enough that he can't be a part of this crew?

Because that was all Zoro could do. Hit him, try and get a rise out of him. And he would continue until Sanji was broken.
And that was something he never wanted to see again.

Because Zoro couldn't force Sanji to fight. If he wanted to give up, then Sanji would give up. And Zoro would have to allow him that retreat…

Sanji took the blow, straight to his chest.
He didn't even try to dodge it.

Zoro stepped back, letting Sanji crumple to the floor, gasping for breath.
"Maybe you can't," he said softly, quiet enough so that the rest of the crew didn't hear.

"I'm a bit disappointed really," Zoro murmured, glaring at his hands, the grass, the mast, trying to understand why everything was blurry, why his cheeks felt wet… "I never would've thought that you would quit. And after all this time, after how far we've come… Maybe it is best," the Marimo thought out loud. "You can just give up and go home. Go back to Zeff and apologise that you had to give up, that you couldn't find the All-Blue either… It was a stupid dream anyway."
What was Zoro saying? That it was stupid? That is was for the best? That Sanji should leave?

Nonsense.

Sanji was the cook. No one could replace him. And if he was going to stop fighting, then that meant Zoro would have to pick up the slack. He would have to train harder, longer than he had before. He had Sanji to protect now, and no one to watch his back…

Slowly, the man began to walk away. He looked up, feeling angry glares directed at him. The crew. They were all angry, all appalled.
Except for Luffy. He just seemed… sad.

Zoro felt sad.
And angry, betrayed, upset, disappointed, exhausted–

There was a sound behind him. The rustling of clothes, the sound of deep breathing, muscles creaking, bones grinding…
Zoro looked out the corner of his eye. Sanji was on his feet, his head down, his fists clenched…

What was he…?

Zoro smiled.

Sanji had one leg raised, his foot smoking, clothes smouldering, his skin glowing…
The Cook was finally getting ready to fight.

"What did you say, you Marimo bastard?"
"I said you were right," the swordsman answered, turning back to face the man, his hand dropping to the hilt of his trusted swords. "You said you're weak and pitiful and I finally agreed."

Come on Sanji, keep fighting.
"Don't bother fighting me now," he continued, taking a step further away from the blonde.
Come on, get angry, get violent. Prove me wrong.

"You've already given up. You've already lost."
Show me you're still in there. Show me that you can still fight.

Sanji was shaking. "How dare you insult my dream," he hissed, his quiet words sweeping across the ship like a ghostly breeze. It sent a ripple of energy down Zoro's spine. He forced himself to remain relaxed, to not rise to the challenge too early. He shifted his foot, poising himself ready to launch into an attack.
"My dream is what gives me reason to live. Only I can decide if it is stupid. Only I can decide whether or not it is worthless. Only I can decide when to give up."

"Then prove it."

Sanji launched himself across the deck with lightning speed, his Diable Jambe aimed straight at Zoro's chest. The swordsman couldn't hide his grin, withdrawing his swords in a heartbeat, bringing the blades up to block Sanji.

No. Not yet.

Zoro tensed his muscles, slowing their movements, allowing Sanji the time to land his hit, pushing the Marimo to the ground, his back against the steps, the edges raw against his tender skin. Someone screamed from above as Sanji stamped his other foot where Zoro's face was.
Don't dodge it!

The man turned his head, letting the cook crush his heel into Zoro's jaw. It was painful, there was no way Zoro would deny that, but he didn't care.

Because this is what he wanted.

This fight here.
The first fight since Sanji's taking.
Their first fight since the left that atrocious island.

This moment when Sanji actually felt like Sanji again.
When Sanji actually seemed like he was alive.
When Zoro could relax and breathe in the sweat and the adrenaline.

He had missed this. These moments when Sanji's eyes lit up in a burning rage. When Sanji went all out, going so far as to even try and kill him. If that was what it took for the man to realise that he is strong enough, the Zoro didn't mind.
He didn't mind…

Sanji moved his foot and Zoro laughed. "Well. I think I struck a nerve."
Sanji screamed in anger, lifting his foot again but Zoro pulled at his swords, pushing Sanji back and away before he could strike again. As soon as he was back on his feet, Zoro pulled both swords across in an arc whilst running forward. Sanji dodged but was already returning for a combo. "Collier, Épaule, Côtelette, Selle, Poitrine, Gigot, Mouton Shot."
A kick to the neck, one to the shoulder, a kick to the ribs which was deflected. Zoro stumbled back slightly as Sanji continued with his attacks, his leg still burning. One to the back, the chest, two to each of Zoro's legs. The cook jumped high in the air, flipping over for a little bit of extra height.

Zoro knew what was coming. Sanji would aim for either his chest or head, and head being more vulnerable, it was likely that Sanji would aim there…

"ONI GIRI!" Zoro moved first, before Sanji could complete his combo. He twisted his body, spinning quickly to defend himself as he slipped Wado into his mouth, clamping down on her hilt firmly. Sanji was beginning to fall, gaining speed, his flaming foot pulled back for extra power. Zoro slashed his swords upwards and across, creating a wind slice, aimed straight for the quickly descending Blonde.
Sanji twisted mid-fall to avoid the two attacks, but left himself open for the third, as the wind slash caught his left leg.

"SANJI!" Chopper cried out when he saw the wound, the blood that seeped from the cut, but did nothing to interrupt the fight. Maybe someone stopped him. Maybe the little Doctor knew better than to interrupt the two. Maybe he understood that the wound was not bad as it seemed…

Zoro focused his mind. He ran closer, jumping up the mast to give him height as he met Sanji in the air. "YAKI ONI GIRI," he shouted, catching Sanji's still-flaming leg with the tip of the sword, letting the fire race across his body, dousing him in flames. "Flaming Demon Slash!"

The cook didn't have time to dodge. He didn't have anywhere to go either. Nothing to kick off of, nothing to kick into the blades to redirect the attack. Instead Sanji tried to deflect the blades with his own foot, kicking out to block. He caught the swords with his feet. But with no power behind him, he knew it would do nothing. "I thought you were proving to me you could stay on this ship," Zoro hissed into the man's ear. He felt the man tense on front of him, felt the extra weight on his swords…
Sanji had a foot hold now. Something to stand on. Sanji used the swords like a springboard and shot back up to the sails, pushing Zoro back down to deck. "BROCHETTE!" The blonde aimed his leg at Zoro, using the other to spin himself around, his face still twisted into an angry snarl.
"SHUT YOUR FACE YOU SHIITTY FUCKING SWORDSMAN!"

The Marimo smiled.

Sanji was back.
The same angry glare when they fought, the same strength to fight on par, the same damn insults he missed…

Zoro couldn't help but grin. He laughed to himself, standing up on the deck drawing his swords around his body once more to defend his body.
And he… …dropped them.
His swords clattered as they hit the deck, laying like fragments of shattered mirror among the sharp blades of grass.

He laughed again.
Louder.

He smiled to Sanji, his arms open wide, his laughter rising above the deck, the sails, the skies…

The Blonde looked shocked, confused, trying to pull his attack, to slow the spinning as he plummeted for the deck, the sole of his foot aimed for where Zoro was stood with wide open arms.
Waiting.

There was nothing to be done.

Zoro just smiled as Sanji's leg slammed into his chest, the searing pain coursing across his skin like poison.

Sanji was back.

Since the fight, Zoro had been put on night watch for a week straight. The man didn't seem to mind, even when Nami specifically stated that it was punishment for putting Sanji through more pain.
But it seemed that the Sea-Witch was the only one who was angry at the swordsman for his actions. Yes, at first they disagreed with the man's methods, but afterwards, with many discussions on the subject and explanations for Luffy, Robin and Brook, everyone else was able to see that it was the only way anyone could've pulled Sanji out of his depression.

Zoro had reminded the Cook why he was on the ship in the first place. His dream. That one constant inside everyone that sailed aboard the Thousand Sunny. Their dreams.
And Sanji had remembered his. With Zoro's help, he had come back.

Now, he was just as flamboyant as he had ever been, with his cooking and love professions to the girls. He got drunk at the countless feasts he held, he fought with Zoro on a regular basis and they were actually properly fighting now. Verbally and physically. It was as if Sanji's torture had never happened.

But the crew could only be so lucky. They couldn't forget.

Usopp couldn't.
And neither could Sanji…

The nightmares had returned, now more vivid than ever.

Everyone knew. Everyone would wake up in the dead of night or early dawn, shuddering as they heard the man screaming, pleading for the phantom pain of torture to leave him, to haunt him no longer…
Countless times, someone had shaken Sanji from his sleeping state. They couldn't feel the man's pain, share it or stop it. But they felt their own pain, their own shame at being unable to do anymore, shamed at the constant reminder they had been too late…

They all knew that Sanji was embarrassed of his nightmares, a weakness he could do nothing about. Sleeping pills weren't working.

Medicine wasn't working.

Nothing was working.

No one said anything though. Not when the blonde would fall from his bunk and flee the men's bunk to throw up over the side of the deck. Not when some nights he would sit awake and read his books to avoid sleeping. Not when he would eagerly volunteered for watch duty either.
No one said anything…

It was late, sometime in the twilight hours of the morning. The stars were out, the sky glowing red in the East. But it wasn't sunrise yet.
The swordsman had been relieved of his night watch duties by the Archaeologist. He descended the ladder quietly, hoping to sleep till noon, when a noise disturbed him. It was… the Cook.

Zoro pushed open the bunk door to find everyone, except the blonde, already awake. He was having another nightmare. It was the third night in a row. He still had shadows under his eyes from where he was having restless sleeps, his face pained as he endured another memory of torture. He was tossing and turning, his pained expression beaded with sweat, his lips firmly clamped together as if his unconscious mind didn't want anyone else to know he was suffering.

But everyone knew.

Luffy wanted to wake him up, but was worried for the Blonde's reaction. He didn't want him to hide back in his shell like he always would at being discovered of having another nightmare. Chopper was worried Sanji would kick out, thinking that the crew were just embodiments of his inner demons, trying to take him again, to hurt him, torture him…
Franky still offered, saying that he could take Sanji's kicks.

"That's not what I mean idiot," Chopper hissed, tears in his eyes. "I don't want to scare Sanji anymore than what he is now."

Usopp was trying not to look at Sanji whilst Brook remained quiet in the corner, his expression thoughtful, mulling things over. Zoro watched, silently thinking he'd rather wake the love-cook than have him suffer with these painful memories.

Suddenly Sanji moaned out. "… Please… just let it end…"

Zoro glanced to the Captain, his eyes hovering over Usopp for a second longer. He'd heard these words before.

"Please… help me…" the Cook sobbed into his pillow.

Before anyone could do, or say anything, Zoro marched over to the Blonde's side. He grabbed his shoulder quickly, startling the man out of sleep. Sanji's eyes shot open, staring up the marimo's.
He had been crying. His eyes were puffy red, snivelling. He looked like a child.

An child caught in the clutches of a brutal world, his mind entangled with monsters that hid under the bed.

He was scared. But hopeful.
A flicker, no more than a dying light of a candle, but enough for Zoro to send his heart out to him.

Without warning, Sanji flung his arms around the moss-head's chest and pulled him closer. "Don't go," he said in a panicked voice repeating the phrase over and over whilst the others watched on with sympathetic, confused and relieved looks. Relief that Sanji had finally woken up. That the nightmares had gone.
For now.

"Oi shit-cook," Zoro grunted, trying not to feel uncomfortable at the sudden closeness. He hadn't been prepared. He hadn't seen it coming…. "You still asleep?"
That shocked the man enough for him to pull away. He looked up, still wide-eyed, blinking. Hope, fear, pain, longing, terror, agony, desire, panic, torment…

A few seconds passed before he feigned anger and pushed the swordsman away. "What do you want moss-head," he hissed. He rolled over, pulling the blanket over his head to hide his blush. "I want to sleep," Zoro retaliated, equally embarrassed. "But someone was trying to use me as a body
pillow."

"Fuck off," came the muttered reply.

The marimo grunted again, turning to his own bunk. The rest of the crew were smiling to themselves, obviously entertained, but happy that Sanji wasn't suffering from a nightmare anymore.
Zoro glared at them, forcing them to also turn over and sleep, without a word to tease him.

It took a while, but eventually everyone drifted off back to sleep, identified by their gentle snores and mutters of dreamland peace.
Zoro was the last. He was struggling to relax, having weird thoughts in his head. Usually, if Sanji ever came into at least, a twelve inch radius, his guard was up and he'd immediately fend him off with glares or his swords. But, this time… he hadn't.

Zoro had let the man hug him.
Zoro had let the man hug him.

The swordsman tried to convince himself it was only because Sanji had been dealing with the nightmares, and everything that had happened to him, but Zoro wasn't so easily fooled, even by his own thoughts. He knew it was something else.
Because when Sanji had hugged him he had felt the urge to hug him back. That's what he got embarrassed about. Not that the cook was hugging him, the closeness, the sudden sense that Sanji trusted Zoro completely, that he needed Zoro… That was comforting but–
WAIT!

Did Zoro just think that he liked hugging Sanji?

The man rolled over in his bunk, trying to avoid that train of thought. But he couldn't really. After all he was still worried about Sanji. The Cook seemed alright in the daytime. Either that, or he had learnt how to hide his pain pretty well. Zoro hadn't been able to notice times when the man seemed to be suffering. Not anymore.

Before his fight with the man, he could see the moments when Sanji would shy away from the others. Flinching at loud noises, the way his fingers would pull at the hem of his clothes, the constant searching eyes. The way Sani would watch over his shoulder. Where he would pull his hands close to his body to protect them, when surprised or shocked.
Zoro still watched the man of course, following his movements, keeping an eye out for a stumble, a grimace or a moment where Sanji wasn't focused…

But it was at night when Sanji showed his true colours. Night, and sleep, when he was unable to fend off the nightmares that plagues him. When they took hold of his body and continued to torture him.
As if he hadn't endured enough.

But Sanji was getting better. He wasn't having the nightmares as frequent anymore. They took longer to take hold of his body. They weren't as long, nor as vivid. Sanji wasn't waking in the middle of the night like he used to. He wasn't shouting or screaming anymore. It seemed that time was healing Sanji. That's all he needed.
Time…

"Sanji?"

Zoro opened his eyes at the sound of the gentle voice, spoken soft enough to be the echo of a gentle breeze.
But Zoro knew better. He stared at the wall in front of him, trying to keep his body perfectly relaxed as rope tightened behind him. The wood creaked as weight was pushed onto floorboards, from where someone was climbing down from their bunk. Who was it? Was it Sanji, or…?

"Are you still awake?"

Brook's voice was barely a whisper. It was he, who had approached the Cook's bunk, obviously worried for the younger man, still nestled amongst his blankets, cocooning himself in a protective shell.
Zoro rolled over, allowing the motion to look like he was still sleep. He mumbled for good measure, pulling his blanket further up his body.

An eye, half an eyelash open allowed him to see Brook, stood in front of him, one hand on Sanji's bunk, the other hung loosely at his side. No. He was holding something between his fingers….

Brook was facing the swordsman, the hollowness in his skull focused on Zoro's seemingly sleeping form.

A moment.
Two moments.

They passed, before the musician let out a low sigh, eventually showing his back to the Zoro once more.

"Sanji?"
"Yes, I'm awake," came the quiet reply. The blonde sniffed, slowly pushing the blanket back down to his chest. He rolled over to lay on his stomach, pushing himself so that he was leaning on his elbows, his head was level with Brook's. His eyes looked tired, his mouth a thin line where he couldn't bother to keep up pretences. It looked as if he hadn't fallen asleep at all… which Zoro guessed might've been the case. He was trying to avoid the nightmares…

"Was it the same nightmare?"

There was a few seconds of silence, before, "no." The Cook lay his head back down, sighing. "It's changed," he admitted quietly.

Zoro felt his forehead crease. Sanji hadn't discussed his dreams with any of the crew, not even Luffy. Whenever the subject came up, Sanji would just hide in his shell and clam up.
Everyone had tried, but everyone got the same response. So they had given up trying. But here was Brook, talking as if he knew…

Why would Sanji confide in Brook?

"What was different?"

The swordsman heard the shudder in the Cook's voice as he spoke. "They… took something..." he whispered, fear in every word. Zoro felt his chest tighten.
"They were taking about giving me something. Not him. Others." Sanji's breathing sped up a little. "There was another. They kept talking about another test that failed on the others. They said it killed them all."

There was long pause before Brook spoke. "But Luffy and Zoro saved you before they could."

A long, drawing silence closed in. Zoro tensed, waiting for the answer, hoping for the answer to be yes.

"No," Sanji whispered.
"They didn't get there in time."

The air grew cold. Slowly, Zoro opened his eyes wider. Sanji was shaking in his bunk. Brook had one hand on his shoulder, the other still clenched tightly around the something in his hand.
"I think that's why they want me so bad," Sanji whispered. "I survived, when no one else did." The man pulled his head from amongst the blanket folds, staring at Brook with tears in his eyes. "They won't stop looking. They gave me something and they want it back."

More silence.
Long and endless it seemed, as it filled the men's quarters, suffocating everything.

"Here," Brook said, offering what was in his hands. Zoro couldn't tell what it was, except that it seemed to be a glass bottle. "Take them now or you will be exhausted in the morning. You haven't slept for three nights. You need to at least rest until the morning."
A shaking hand appeared from under the blanket, taking the bottle from Brook. Sanji muttered his thanks, pulling the blanket up around his neck. He thanked the skeleton again as the man moved back to his own bunk, settling down to sleep.

Zoro let his body relax, his mind even more cramped with thoughts and confusing things.
Was Sanji's nightmare true? Had those monsters done something to him that could potentially kill him, or was it just a nightmare…

No. It was only a nightmare. If it wasn't, Chopper would've found something by now. Someone would've noticed something by now.

It was only Sanji's nightmare.

That was what Zoro believed.
Or, at least tried to convince himself…

Zoro didn't sleep that night. He spent the remaining twilight hours just trying to convince himself that everything was fine now. Sanji would get over the nightmares. The marines wouldn't chase them this far. Everything would return to how they were.
All they had to worry about now was stopping Luffy from eating the supplies and Usopp blowing holes in the ships with his inventions. Possibly the odd sea king and pirate ship, but nothing more.
Training and pushing boundaries. Nami's mood-swings and marine flags on the horizon. Brook's jokes and cannon fire…

That was all Zoro had to worry about.
So why was it that his eyes started to follow Sanji wherever he went?

It was as if he could tell that something wasn't right with the Cook. Nothing solid. No definite evidence, but enough for Zoro to watch him nonetheless.
Sanji's food was normal. The portion sizes had reverted back to normal, the sweet and treats lessened. Sanji was still overly doting on 'Nami-swan,' and 'Robin-chwan,' confessing his love a billion times a day. He was even sparring with the swordsman frequently enough to fool everyone else into thinking the Blonde was back to normal.

Everyone except Zoro.
Who noticed things the others didn't.

Like how Sanji was sitting down a lot more. Rather than lean against the railing of the ship, he would lounge on the stairs or on the grass. In the kitchen, preparing food whilst sat at the table, or on a bar stool. When he couldn't sit, he would lean on something, taking the majority of his weight in his hands.
That could be tied down to the fact that Sanji had both legs dislocated. But his kicks were strong and he walked fine. Maybe it was because he wasn't sleeping well. But he didn't act tired. Or remotely phased by his knew quirk. It seemed unconsciously done. But why…?

Sanji smoked less. He wasn't the one initiating a fight between himself and the Marimo.
And he was going to the infirmary a lot more than Zoro thought necessary. Even sneaking off. Distracting the crew with sweets and snacks before converging with Chopper in the medical room, where the young Doctor would run quick tests. Temperature, blood pressure. Questions about Sanji's health. Mostly answered in lies.

Chopper didn't seemed worried. He hadn't confided in the Captain. Brook wasn't overly worried either, and he seemed to be in on everything. Sanji didn't really talk to the man much.
In fact, it was almost as if he was avoiding him, shutting himself in the kitchen under the pretence of lunch preparations, when the crew was still helping themselves to the fruit kebabs Sanji had brought out to appease them for a while.

Zoro decided, whilst eating, that he should confront the man.
If Sanji wouldn't talk about his nightmares, maybe Brook would. Maybe he had even already told Luffy… With his mind made up, Zoro headed over to the front deck, where Brook was amusing Usopp and Chopper with skull-jokes.

"Hey Brook," Zoro called, climbing the steps. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"
But as was the way of the world, Zoro didn't get a second with Brook. He had barely finished his sentence, before Luffy dropped form the sails, trying to talk with his mouthful. He was jumping up and down, shouting something unintelligible, pointing to the back of the ship. Usopp and Chopper began laughing, imitating the dancing Strawhat Captain.

"Luffy. Have you been in the supplies again?" Zoro growled over the noise, noticing the meat in the boys hands. That wasn't part of the snack menu…
"Hey," Usopp protested, trying to grab a bit, "give us some!" Chopper laughed louder as Usopp began to chase the Captain, who was still trying to jump up and down and point out the ships that were fast approaching, whilst managing to evade the long nose.
Ships approaching….

"MARINES!" Zoro roared, running up to the back deck, hands already on his swords. The ships had somehow crept up on the crew, following the same riptide they had. With a strong wind behind them, and a lighter vessel that the Thousand Sunny, they would be able to catch up in no time.
"What is that?" Nami yelled, peering at something no one else could see. She looked around, checking the waters, the sea currents and the sky. "They're travelling too fast," she shouted, confused by whatever she could see, and the others could not.

"Prepare for battle," came the Captain's cry, slinging himself up to where Zoro, Nami, Robin and Brook had already gathered. Usopp and Chopper joined them, as Franky appeared from his workshop with grease on his face and his hair a little deflated.

Zoro, however, was itching for a fight.
Just as much as his Captain. "Let's go," he yelled. "Wait," Nami cried, but it was already too late, as the rubber man had stretched his arms as far out as they would go, somehow managing to hook his fingers on the wooden railing of the forward facing ship. "They have Devil-Fruit users," she warned him, watching as Luffy shot himself across the water expanse, to the three ship's fast approaching.

"How can you tell, Navigator-san?" Robin asked, turning to the girl.
"The wind," Nami explained, pointing to the sails of the enemy ship. "It's unnatural. It must be the work of a Devil-fruit user!"

Sure enough, there were Devil-fruit users. Even by the time that the three ships had pulled up close to the Thousand Sunny, Luffy had still been unable to defeat them. More so because he was having too much fun beating up the grunts.

Zoro joined his Captain on the Marine's ship, his eyes glancing to Sanji when he could.
But he knew he had to focus on fighting.
He couldn't always keep an eye out for the Blonde….

There were about a three hundred marines to each ship, not including the Vice Admirals, all with their own Devil Fruit Power.
One was able to control storm clouds, who had been creating a fake wind to help speed up the ships. She seemed to be a tough enemy, but Nami was able to put her out of commission with quick wit and her extensive knowledge on the weather.
Another was able to teleport 10 steps from her original position in any direction, but Robin was able to force her to where she wanted and Franky took the final blow knocking her unconscious. The others dealt with the remaining grunts; with Brook and Usopp defending the Sunny from any boarders.

The last, by the name of Vice-Admiral Tehran, was fighting with Luffy. It seemed that he turned himself into a mirror, catching his opponent's image. It seemed a really useless ability until Luffy did a gum-gum rocket to his doppelganger's chest and was flung back himself. It seemed whatever blow was landed on the "mirror man" (as Luffy so helpfully named him) was reflected onto the original, causing the Mirror man to play the same attack.
That also meant he somehow had the ability to stretch his arms really far.

This didn't really sink into Luffy's head until he launched a gum-gum bazooka into mirror-Luffy's chest and was rebounded off into the sea. For some reason Chopper and Brook thought that they'd retrieve him meaning Sanji, Franky and Nami had to dive in Robin was left to handle any remaining marine dogs.

Zoro was left to face off against himself. "Finally," he laughed, sidestepping, whilst watching his counter-part mirror him, who had copied the word when Zoro spoke, continuing the phrase in unison. "A worthy opponent."

Mirror-Zoro smiled at the original, pointing the fake Kitetsu at the real Zoro.
"I was going to say the same."

Zoro charged.
Mirror-Zoro charged as well.

Zoro lifted both of his swords out wide, their blades facing forwards with Wado pointing ever so slightly down. He could bring them all round, blocking off the counters and move Wado in for an attack whilst dodging the mirrored white sword. That was the theory at least.
Because Zoro assumed that the man was simply copying his image and attack. However, what the Marimo neglected to remember was that a mirror is a reflection. And this was a mirror-man.

Meaning, Mirror-Zoro moved at the exact same time as the Marimo, and not a split second later as Zoro had expected. That was why Zoro did managed to block Mirror-Kitetsu and Mirror-Shusei. Wado swung out as he moved his head, turning his eye just slightly too much to realise that Mirror-Wado was a centimetre from his chest…

"ZORO!"

The other's had climbed back onto the Sunny's deck, staring at the duo in their midst, still fighting. In their battle, the two Marimo's had sunk the ship they had originally began their fight on, and had escaped to the deck of the Sunny, who had been sailing close by.
Both were pretty badly injured. One Zoro has a gash running along the top of his chest, from one shoulder to the other. The other Zoro held two wounds on his thighs in diagonal lines, as if he had been slashed with two swords, unable to block them.

Robin joined the rest of the crew, brining with her Usopp, who had helped fight off the remaining numbers. "They're still fighting," the archaeologist commented, scowling at the blood that painted the grass and the deck. Whose it was, was hard to tell.
"Which one is the real Zoro?" Nami asked from the deck, pulling off her wet top to obviously flirt her curving body, wringing out the material in her hands. Sanji swooned, his love heart shaped eyes all too obvious, although his antics were ignored by the others.

"I am not sure which one is the original Mr Bushido," Robin said. "It seems I did not keep an eye on the pair whilst taking out the trash, so am of no use to know who the real swordsman is."
"So which one are we allowed to hit?" Luffy asked, slightly less enthusiastically than usual, considering his quick dunk in the sea. He still seemed pumped enough to beat up whatever Marines may remain.

"Either of them," Sanji answered, having rescued a single dry cigarette from his dinner jacket. He lit it and placed the stick between his lips as Usopp turned on him. "You can hate Zoro but attacking him-"
"It won't make a difference," the cook interrupted calmly. "Even if we hit the Mirror version, the real Zoro will feel it as well, as demonstrated by Luffy's fight with the man earlier. The only thing that Zoro has against his counterpart, is his inhuman ability to push himself past his limits. If we injure either Zoro enough, the mirror man should be the one to fall first."
"That is if the mirror man didn't adapt those abilities as well," Brook calmly added.

Zoro hadn't really paid attention to his crew. He was aware they had joined him on the ship, and that Sanji was among them, unharmed, but other than that, he had blocked them from his thoughts. He was concentrating on why the son-of-a-bitch in front of him was still standing and why he knew how to counter almost every move Zoro threw at him, even being able to replicate some attacks after only watching them once.
"If this is all you've got," Mirror Zoro taunted, "then you won't be able to protect him for long." The swordsman glanced at Sanji and the sudden flicker of fear on his face.
This man…

"Kaine wants him back. He will have him back."
"Over my dead body," Zoro growled.

"I can live with that."

The dance began again, each with renewed energy. Zoro could feel his hatred growing with every second. It seemed he still hadn't forgiven the Marines for their torture of the Cook. He regretted every swift blow he had dealt to the grunts, every hit with the back of his blade. Every quick death granted.
Zoro wished to begin the fight again, and draw out as much pain and agony as possible.

"Just die already!" Zoro shouted at the other, both moving in harmony for another attack.

Zoro pulled his sword left, watching the mirrored version slice into his own ribcage as his blade did the same thing.
"We will take him back," the other growled with a smile, taunting Zoro. Both were struggling. They were panting heavily, still standing but their legs were shaking and their arms were slowly lowering as if the swords were becoming too heavy. "I won't lose!" they shouted at the same time, charging to cross blades once more. All six swords drew blood, from the thigh, the chest and the face.

This was going nowhere fast.
If that bastard wanted to copy, then so be it…

Everyone watched with baited breath as the swordsmen sheathed Kitetsu and Shusei. They both held Wado out at point.
"You can't have him!" Zoro shouted, pulling the blade back, readying himself. "I won't let you!"

"Don't" tell me…" Nami began but before she could finish her sentence the men charged. The blades dove into the skin simultaneously as both swordsmen yelled from the discomfort.

"ZORO!" Chopper watched in horror as the men sank to their knees, both Wado's coming from their wounds like kebab sticks. One of Zoro's form shifted to that of the Vice-Admiral. He spat out a mouthful of blood, stumbling back, pulling himself off of Wado.
The Marimo was too exhausted to kill him, his arm limp at his side as he watched the man flee. Now matter how much he wanted to, he just couldn't force himself up….
In panic, Vice-Admiral Tehran threw himself off the ship, into the open sea.
A death sentence for any Devil Fruit User.

Zoro was still on his knees, on the deck.
The Wado in his chest evaporated into mist, but everything else was a bit of a blur as he keeled forward, letting his head crack against the bloody deck of the Thousand Sunny.

I fixed the chapter! Now I just have to fix the rest...