DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ONE PIECE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS

Hi, I literally just posted the third chapter so I'm writing chapter 4 in advance...I'm bored, what can I say?

I'm still tweaking the plot here and there so I'm still not sure what does gonna happen in the end. :S That's really bad organisation. Hahaha – I hope you don't mind but I think this chapter is gonna be shorter than the others. Sozry – (courtesy of JAM)

Enjoy!

*****

The silence was still flooding the room extremely quickly before Robin's sharp eyes spotted something on the picture of Sanji.

'Look, right there! It's a shop sign!' She said, pointing a long finger to the window. The name Skiller was written on a light blue board. The light reflecting off it almost made it impossible to read.

'You're right! Do you reckon someone in town might know which island it might be on?' Nami said, her eyes lighting up in hope.

'Yosh! Let's go!' Luffy said, determined to get his nakama back. 'You coming, Zoro?'

'Yeah, just a second Luffy.'

Zoro was still looking at the picture of Sanji covered in blood. He didn't know what to think anymore. Sanji must still be setting this up to make the man feel guilty. That must be the reason for all this!

'Oi, Chopper! Look after the ship!'

'You're going to help Sanji?'

'My legs need a stretch, that's all.' Zoro replied, trying really hard to convince himself.

As the crew walked up the hill, Zoro lagged behind. He was still fighting. Part of him wanted to stubbornly think that Sanji was being difficult but deep down; he wanted to worry over the blonde man as much as Luffy was. He wanted Sanji to somehow know that he was coming for him and that everything was going to be ok. But he just couldn't. He wasn't ready to face that kind of reality yet. This was a hurdle that Sanji had to help him over.

Luffy got to the first house and knocked on it eagerly. The door opened and a middle-aged man peeked out. As soon as he saw the pirates, he attempted to close the door. Zoro got pissed off by his attitude and jammed his sword in the door.

'Please! We just need some information!' Luffy said, desperately.

'Ok, ok! Just don't hurt me!'

'Stop being a shitty wuss and get out here!' Zoro said yanking him out by the arm.

The short man stood in front of them, his hands quivering slightly. It reminded the swordsman of his missing nakama so he grabbed the sweaty hands and squeezed them till the owner yelped. The attempt to ease the pain worked.

'Oi, Zoro! What was that for?' Usopp said, sticking his nose in.

'Be a man and stop shaking your hands, damnit!'

The crew was silent as they knew the reason behind Zoro's anger.

'Do you know where the shop Skiller is?' Luffy said, getting angrier by the minute.

'Yes, yes! I mean, no...I do but.'

'Spit it out old man! Which is it!?' the swordsman said, laying his hand on his sword. He, too, was starting to get desperate.

'It's not here! It's on Untitled Island!' The man said, before taking another step back.

'Untitled?' Luffy asked.

'It doesn't actually have a name. An evil man goes there sometimes. People who go there never come back.'

'BULLSHIT!'

'No, it's true Mr. Strawhat...Luffy...Sir! The man, Viper, often takes people from this island or the other neighbouring islands for slaves and stuff! They always die. He doesn't spare anyone!'

Zoro winced at the thought of Sanji's dead body lying in Luffy's arms while the swordsman stood back, not able to do a thing.

'What kind of people does he usually take? Strong?' The rubber boy demanded.

'Mainly men with high bounties on their heads. He's a bounty hunter. All the times this has happened, the person's nakama never try to get him back. Never heard of such thing! Anyway, the men lower down in the hierarchy are allowed to torture him whenever they want and sometimes a week later, the body drifts ashore. Bones broken and everything. Seen it myse-'

But no one was listening anymore.

Sanji was going to die within a week.

The crew had no chance of getting him back.

They were going to try, yes. But it was a fight to die with their nakama, not to win.

Zoro, looking at the gravel floor, clenched his fists till they were bone-white and shaking. He couldn't let this happen to his nakama – especially when it was his fault to begin with.

Luffy suddenly swung his arm back and slung it in the man's face.

'GIVE SANJI BACK GOD DAMNIT!'

Franky grabbed him from behind to calm him down and Luffy stopped his outburst.

Robin managed to get directions to the island from the man so they could get back to the ship and not punch anyone else.

Sanji heard the metal bolt slide once more today but was surprised to see dinner in the man's hand. He accepted it gratefully and ate it all even though it was only soggy, mashed up bread. Any cooking was to be respected, even if it was his enemy.

Zoro sat in the kitchen, really really wanting to rip Vipers head off and shred his body into tiny bite-sized pieces! His thoughts started to turn violent as he imagined the blood splattering everywhere and his guts spilling out on the floor.

He sighed and laid back on the same row of chairs where he slept that night with Sanji. The same night where he was encouraging the chef and helping him jump over the hurdle that was just too high for him.

Zoro couldn't even think of sleeping at this moment in time. His nakama, his friend was somewhere out there hurting and it was his entire fault.

Sanji rolled onto his back and stared at the black ceiling. His eyes refused to close as his distrust in this organisation-place had grown to such an extent that he couldn't turn his back on anything for one second.

He sighed. That wasn't the only reason. There were many if he really thought about it. One – if he fell asleep, morning would come way too quickly and so the pain and humiliation would start over again and two – he didn't like thinking that the marimo-bastard was probably out there blaming himself for this. It truly was Sanji's fault for trying to extract too much meaning from one night of civilising.

'Zoro...I can't...I'm...'

'Sanji...please don't...I'm really...'

'Sorry...'

*****

I hope you enjoyed it.

Here is this chapter's riddle:

Two words

1 – Something you go on

2 – Something you get addicted to

CLUE: my life revolves around it :P

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