Sorry Guys, this is a little gory. I am so bad to Luffy and Zoro sad face.

The marine left only to come back with spiked gloves. Luffy stiffened, immediately flashing back to when Porchemy had beaten him at the Grey Terminal. He felt like a little kid again, waiting for the next strike.

Zoro saw the slight fear in Luffy's eyes and the nervous swallow in his throat. He was scared, it didn't take much for Zoro to figure that out. Once again, he tried to reason with the marine.

"Oi, don't you dare touch him or next time I won't leave you lucky enough to have a life."

The marine pulled on the gloves, drawing Luffy and Zoro's eyes.

"Ah, causing you this much suffering is great."

Zoro tried to reason with his captain.

"Luffy let me take these. Those things—"

"I know Zoro. I know they hurt."

Luffy heard the plea in Zoro's voice; the one that told him not to interfere, but he couldn't help it. Luffy wanted to protect, so he would. Those gloves would hurt like hell, but he had survived them when he was seven, he would survive them now. Besides, he was much stronger now, much stronger.

Zoro looked into Luffy's determined eyes and his easy smile. Zoro bowed his head. No, this couldn't be happening. Why? Why was this Marine doing this? Wasn't this supposed to be justice? What justice is there in beating up a defenseless teenager?

The marine finished pulling on the gloves and stood in front Luffy. Luffy knew the pain would come and had already prepared himself for it. It took him three seconds to get ready to keep the pain hidden from all. He could only suffer by himself. He wouldn't let Zoro or the Marine see his pain.

Zoro forced himself to watch, as his duty as the first mate. He hated it, not being able to do anything. He hated that it was his fault his captain was going to go through with this. He said softly.

"Luffy."

Please don't do this. Let me take my own pain. You know I can do it. I don't want you hurt for me. He put all of those thoughts into that one word. Luffy didn't acknowledge him outwardly, but inwardly he cringed. He didn't mean to cause Zoro pain, but he could handle it.

The marine grinned as he thudded his fist into Luffy's face.

Luffy fell back against the wall, his face stinging. Blood ran out of the puncture wounds in his cheek. Zoro winced and yelled.

"Luffy!"

Luffy took a second to get a hold of himself before standing straight again. He looked behind the marine to see even more marines standing there, watching and jeering at him. They were excited to see the 400-million beli pirate so degraded.

"This runt is 400-million? What a joke."

"He is so tiny, how could he be so powerful?"

Zoro gritted his teeth at the jeering marines. They had no right to do that to Luffy. He wished he had his swords so he could just cut them all to shreds.

The marine, encouraged by his mates, decided to truly pummel Luffy.

The beating lasted minutes; it lasted eons. Luffy was true to himself and didn't say a single thing as the spikes completely destroyed his body.

Zoro hated himself more and more at every thud that echoed throughout the cell. His captain wasn't the one to blame for this; it was the marine.

Why would he do this? Why would he attack Luffy?

After about an hour, the marine stopped, his gloves covered in Luffy's blood and breathing hard, but grinning.

"Ah, I have an idea. How about you tell Roronoa here how much you hate him for getting you into this mess?"

Luffy was also breathing hard and soaked in blood. One of his eyes was swollen shut but the one that wasn't stared at the man with the same rebellious fire that he had when the beating had started.

Luffy was confused. Why would he ever hate Zoro? Also, it was Luffy's fault that they were here, not Zoro's. This guy was insane to even think such a thing.

The marine looked a little surprised at Luffy's defiance that turned into rage.

"Why you, wipe that smug look off your face."

He punched Luffy again.

Zoro had just resigned himself to sit still. There was nothing he could do. He opened his eye at those words and looked over at the marine.

"He can't help it."

The marine had Luffy by his neck, bringing back his fist to try to punch him again he looked over at Zoro.

"What do you mean?"

Zoro looked at the strong look in Luffy's eye. It was the same look Luffy had in a fight.

"He won't give up no matter how hard you beat him."

The marine smirked at that.

"I take that as a challenge."

Zoro's eyes widened. No, that wasn't what he wanted.

The marine stepped back and Zoro breathed a sigh of relief.

Luffy slumped against the wall, trying to get the strength back in his body. He knew the marines weren't done yet, not by a long shot.

The marine opened the door to the cell, allowing more marines to crowd into the space. Then he took the key and unlocked the chains that held Luffy and Zoro. Both pirates looked at each other, confused. What was going on?

The marine yawned.

"I'm done here boys. You guys can have as much fun as you want."

He left, shutting the door behind him. Luffy and Zoro immediately were surrounded. Luffy readied his fists and immediately found Zoro's back. They stood together, facing the marines.

Zoro felt the trembling in his captain and knew that he was in pain but he didn't bring attention to it. His own wound in his side was aching badly. This was going to be tough.

The marines pounced at once, dragging the two pirates to the ground and beating them severely.

Zoro tried punching and kicking but that just wasn't his style and was immediately overwhelmed. Fists slammed like cannonballs into his body, causing dull aching pain. Many found his injured side. Several fingers poked and prodded in the wound causing him to wince, making them laugh.

Luffy wasn't going down without a fight. He was punching and kicking like crazy, trying to fight the marines, but the enclosed space, the wounds, and their numbers quickly found him on the ground with several marines on top of him. He managed to punch one in the nose. The marine clasped his nose and gritted his teeth.

"Ok Mr. tough guy. Stretch out his hand."

Luffy struggled vainly as a marine held out his hand that was covered in blood. The marine with the broken nose slammed a sword down into the slit already made, burying it all the way up to its hilt in the wood.

The pain was blinding and Luffy felt himself relaxing slightly. Another order, another thud, another shot of intense excruciating suffering.

Suddenly Luffy heard something over the yelling marines. It was a small gasp of pain that was familiar. His eyes snapped open and he yelled.

"Zoro!"

Zoro had just been stabbed through the shoulder, and he looked through the crowd of marines to see Luffy with both of his arms pinned to the floor by swords. He was writhing, yelling.

"Zoro! Zoro!"

Luffy immediately felt the fear he had felt two years ago, when he had lost Ace. He couldn't see Zoro. Zoro could be dead. Zoro could be severally hurt. He knew Zoro couldn't die, but Ace's death had changed his perspective on everything.

What the hell was Luffy doing? He was supposed to be protecting Zoro and now his first mate was getting hurt. He struggled against the swords.

"Zoro!"

Zoro thought Luffy had wanted him to save him and a flash of guilt ripped through him worse then the Marines swords. He just said.

"Luffy."

Luffy heard his name from Zoro and instantly relaxed. Zoro was ok. Then the marines stabbed his feet into the floor. He couldn't move an inch.

Zoro felt the marines beating him and tried to fight, for Luffy. He was just a couple feet away. If he freed his friend then Luffy and him would have a fighting chance.

A sword found it's way into Zoro's leg causing him to clench his fists to keep from yelling in pain. He wouldn't cause Luffy more worry then he already had.

The marines started taking bets.

"All right, fifty belis that strawhat only takes six."

"Nah, he's tougher then that. I say about ten."

"Make that seven for me."

Zoro felt something wet drip onto his face. He wiped off the spit without a second thought as a fist collided with his cheek. He looked up to see what they were doing to Luffy.

Luffy looked up at the marines standing over him, holding a sword above his shoulder.

"All right, he has four so far, let's see how many he can take."

Zoro froze. Four in him, the bets. Shit, they were talking about how many times they could stab Luffy.

Luffy watched carefully and immediately tensed as the sword went through his shoulder. The marine twisted it, causing Luffy to arch his back and grit his teeth in pain. The marines laughed, stabbing him this time in the waist.

Blood covered Luffy and it was getting harder and harder to keep the screams in. He whimpered but never begged and never lost that defiant look in his eye.

Zoro felt a sword go through his back, near his side but still causing flaming pain. He couldn't keep the groan in and the marines laughed.

Luffy heard it and immediately started looking around for Zoro.

"Zoro!"

He started squirming, letting the swords in him tear more into his skin like thorns. He screamed, immediately fearing for the worst.

"Zoro! Zoro! Zoro!"

Zoro gritted his teeth and looked up at Luffy. The marines stepped back, away from the writhing teenager on the floor.

"What the hell is wrong with him?"

Zoro was about to feel the guilt that he had before, the guilt that he couldn't save his captain, when he suddenly understood.

Luffy wasn't asking him to save him. He was asking him if he was still alive.

Luffy couldn't see him from his angle on the floor. He was checking with Zoro to make sure he was still alive. Typical of Luffy, caring about Zoro before himself. Zoro answered, putting strength into his voice to convince his captain of his well-being.

"Luffy."

Luffy froze, listening. He was sure he just heard Zoro's voice. Zoro continued.

"I am fine. Don't worry about me all right?"

Luffy relaxed. Zoro had understood, just like Zoro always understood.

The marines chuckled.

"How pathetic."

"We overestimated them."

"They are a bunch of weaklings."

Luffy and Zoro smiled simultaneously. They remembered, a long time ago, in a bar in Mocktown, these very same jeers. Yet they had won that fight without throwing a punch.

Zoro was kicked painfully into the wall and he felt his ribs snap. He couldn't help but let out a pain filled yell.

Luffy jumped, glancing around with wild eyes.

"Zoro?"

Zoro coughed.

"Fine Luffy."

Luffy suddenly felt a sword right over his stomach. He gritted his teeth, ready for the pain, but one of the marines stopped the one holding the sword.

"Wait, we need them alive. Besides we aren't done having fun yet."

Luffy glanced over. There, in the corner of his vision, was a flash of green hair. Zoro notice Luffy looking at him and scooted over a few inches so he could see him fully.

Through the legs of the marines, the captain and first mate's eyes met. They could see the relief that they were still alive, the guilt for not protecting the other, and the fierce friendship they shared mirrored in the others eyes.

They lay there for a moment, ignoring the marines, the pain, and just had a quiet moment to themselves. A moment of strength, a moment of realization that they would live through this, and a moment of determination, and a moment of promise, that they wouldn't leave the other in this hell hole.

Such is the friendship between Captain and First mate.

Such is the friendship between Monkey D. Luffy and Roronoa Zoro.

The marines each gathered in their own groups around the pair. They had enjoyed their little moment of relief, but now it was back to the hell they had tried to escape from.

"Now then, let's try this again."

"Five minutes before they will start screaming."