One Piece belongs Eiichiro Oda and all of his characters portrayed in this story are his and I do not claim any rights to their names and/or their personalities. This story however is an original story that uses Oda's characters and some original characters that were created based on information from and understanding of the world of One Piece. Please make sure to support Oda's work and read the original One Piece story if you haven't already!
Chapter 5
Zoro and Usopp came around the corner just as Sanji was bounding away from the rest of the crew, moving without difficulty it appeared from a distance so Usopp calmed a little. Zoro however stopped in place the color draining from his face. "Zoro…are you okay…is something wrong?"
Zoro stood motionless for the moment before the flashback started, taking form for him to watch once more. He watched as he fought with himself the first time, tried to keep the sword from reaching Sanji and saw how he failed as the blade slid into Sanji, pain written on his face.
Zoro shook his head, willing the images to disappear forever and looked to Usopp for help. "What happened to the cook?"
Usopp unsure of how to answer faltered before he could respond, "It-t wasn't you Zoro, you tried to fight whoever it was that decided to attack us but…he…got Sanji too."
Zoro could now see in-between the images of the past cook, and the cook in front of him now; bleeding from numerous wounds, the labored breathing that showed the cook was suffering still as well as the blood collecting on the ground gave way to the rest of the flashbacks. How the Cook had fought him trying to keep him from going after the others as well as to protect him too. Zoro knew that Sanji had given it his all, especially when his body went to attack him through Chopper…he was going to go through Chopper but the Cook had reacted quickly saving him. Then he saw the Puppet Master taking over Sanji after he had broken the attachment and he saw Sanji's lips move. Zoro frowned and tried to concentrate, what had the Cook said to him just before he lost himself to the darkness? He shook his head, frustration getting the better of him, anger reaching a boiling point as he stood once more and drew his swords. Zoro dashed towards the rest of the crew leaving Usopp behind and confused.
"Hey dartbrow, maybe you should stop fighting the ladies and face a real challenge!"
Sanji's body turned and stared. Zoro swore he saw the Cook somewhere in those eyes, pleading with him to make sure to keep the others safe, but they were also eyes of someone who had already given in.
Sword met foot and the battle between the two began once more. The distraction was enough for Robin to quietly pull Brook as well as Usopp to the sidelines and away from the battle. The fight raged on as Luffy watched a faint but worried look on his face.
XXX
"Robin exactly where are we going?" Usopp asked as the rounded a corner further up the street.
"I'm hoping that Swordsman-san and Cook-san can keep the Puppet Master busy long enough so that we may find him and stop him," Robin stated as if that had clearly been the plan all along.
"Right then, perhaps you could show me your panties before we move on, possibly to our deaths?"
Brook was suddenly laying on the ground, a pair of arms holding him in place as Robin looked back at him "I'm sure we don't have time for such a thing right now."
Usopp nodded, agreeing just to be safe. "Any ideas where to look Robin?"
"I'm sure we were almost exactly in the same spot as him, his power seems to be a bit stronger the closer we are, perhaps one of the buildings on this street then? I wonder if there are back entrances to all of the buildings," Robin continued to question herself while she answered aloud for all to hear.
Usopp looked down the backs of the buildings until a puppet store caught his attention. "Robin you don't think this would be that easy now do you?"
"Anything is worth a shot, Longnose-kun."
XXX
"That the best you got ero-cook?!"
Sanji's body swung into another kick aiming for Zoro's head but was blocked by his swords. Silence fell between the two as the Puppet Master refused to speak but watched each movement Zoro made carefully.
The two fighters were at each other blow for blow. Zoro knew just as well as Sanji did what they were most likely to attack with next, which move the other was most likely going to counter with. Zoro was surprised that the Puppet Maser seemed to be able to use these muscle memories and fight equally with Zoro. He had yet to draw all three blades, leaving Wado in its stealth for the time being as he blocked and counter with a horizontal sweep of both of his swords. Sanji's body was ready though and dodged to the left, aiming a kick at Zoro's stomach that he easily moved to block.
Zoro decided to change tactics a bit and went in for the attack himself, feinting an attack at Sanji's head to instead head for his knees, hoping to knock the idiot off balance for just a moment. Sanji's body was able to see the feint and quickly jumped over the swords aimed to topple him. With a grunt Zoro blocked yet another kicked aimed to readjust his spine.
"Don't have anything to say idiot?!" Zoro aimed to knock Sanji over but was met again with a foot blocking his pathway. "You're stronger than this cook, fight him!"
A well-aimed kick hit Zoro in the stomach sending him harshly to his knees. "…Sanji…"
Sanji's body stilled, staring at Zoro as he stood back up. "Shithead actually knows my name…"
The gathered Straw Hats watched as the fighting duo stopped and faced each other, neither one moving to attack again. "Thanks…for keeping me…away from the others…Zoro." Sanji's knees buckled sending him rushing to the ground below, Zoro catching him just before he hit. "Shithead…let me go…he's…still here…" Sanji managed to say before falling completely limp in Zoro's arms.
"Chopper!"
Chopper rushed closer and began to tend to Sanji as fast as he could, slowing the bleeding down as much as possible. Zoro held Sanji's head in his lap, something he would never allow normally but he was afraid to move the cook too much…there was just so much damage done to his body.
"Chopper, is he going to be okay?" Luffy asked calmly.
"I-I-I'm doing the best that I can right now. Without being aboard the Sunny I only have what I usually carry with me and some of these wounds are really deep. We need to move him but I'm worried that if we don't defeat the Puppet Master first it won't matter at all."
Sanji's blue eyes snapped open, clouded and emotionless he reached out wrapped his hands around Zoro's throat. Zoro's eyes pleaded with the deep empty blue in front of him to fight back but he knew that Sanji had strained himself too much, that the cook was doing all that he could but it was just physically too much at once. Chopper stunned at the sudden motion stood terrified at the scene before him, frozen in shock.
Sanji began to cry "What is this? How can you still be fighting back! I don't understand!" The voice that escaped the cook didn't match what Zoro was seeing. The pain was clear in so many different levels as Zoro watched the man in front of him fight himself and the tears that were falling. The hold on Zoro's throat tightened quickly and he gasped as the last of his pathway was completely blocked but only for a moment.
Sanji's hands quickly dropped from Zoro's throat and reached for the swords nearby placing a blade quickly across his throat. "I'm sorry, but…but…I can't cause anyone else any more pain," Sanji said this so calmly, so matter-of-factly that it chilled Zoro to the bone.
Reaching out in reflex Zoro stopped Sanji from moving, "this isn't the way cook, we can beat him."
A loud bang followed by shattering window panes meet the Straw Hat crew. Sanji glowed blue for a second before the light was pulled away from him in the direction of the sounds. His expression was one of contentment as he once more passed out.
I don't recall having done something like this at the end, but this author would just like to say sorry for not posting faster as well as I hope you find the characters done justice here still (I feel that sometimes Sanji is a bit out of character when I write for him) but honestly I feel that he would do something stupid like think the only way to save the others would be to try and take himself out. This whole crew is so self-sacrificing! Oh wells, hope anyone reading enjoyed!
-Oreoishida