Chapter 9
It was coming. And soon. I could feel it in the air: a wave that would crash its way all the way to this cavern. These thin bars wouldn't stand an inkling of a chance -especially when the creepy boss lost his powers in the seawater. And I couldn't wait to see all the other goons drown with him.
"Why are you smiling?" They demanded from me.
"We're pelting rocks at her."
"She must be some kind of masochist." Someone muttered.
A rock hit me, but I still couldn't help but smile, even if my legs felt like they were going to fall off. I was starting to feel light-headed, and sick, but those feelings meant nothing. I just had to hold out a little longer. Just a little longer... Then I could be free. Even if being free meant being thrown around the cave by a forceful tide.
"Definitely a masochist."
"If I had known that, I would have beaten her from the start," One of them laughed. The others agreed, chuckling.
"First of all," A familiar voice came towards us in the darkness. There was no light behind the person, but I knew who it was without a silhouette. "She's not a masochist. Sadist, for sure. Masochist, no." Zoro stepped into the cavern's light. "Second of all, our captain will want her back now."
"It's Zoro," They whispered.
"Definitely Zoro. Look at those swords."
"Beautiful swords."
"...Not when you're at the sharp end of them..."
"What are you doing Nami?" Zoro gave me a bemused look.
"Don't worry about me," I shrugged. "I'm just roasting myself so that I can feed these guys. They haven't eaten in days, the poor things."
Zoro eyes the round belly of one of them. "I can tell."
"Now, help me," I said, gripping the bars tightly as someone else had the balls to throw another stone into the fire. Sparks flew. "A huge wave is coming."
"The bars are as hard as steel," Someone called out. They all laughed, thinking that it was impossible for him.
With a sigh he pulled out his katanas, paying no attention to all the bandits in the room. Some of them had their swords drawn, but it wouldn't be any use anyway. Zoro walked over to me and simply dragged his one blade across the rock-bars in two places, and as they fell out of place, he pulled me through the hole he had created effortlessly.
"I could've handled myself," I said, observing the cage I was now out of.
"Uh-huh," He said, not really paying attention to me. He turned to the exit, not surprised to find everyone standing in the way. "I got the rest of this. When I clear a path, you go run out to Luffy."
Luffy was here? Who was I kidding? Of course he was here. I was so naïve and stupid.
"But –"
"Leave some of the revenge for me," He told me, placing a hand on my shoulder as if to let me know that I could step down.
"But Zoro –"
"You've done enough. Half of these guys are charred."
"It's not that Zoro," I was growing frustrated with him. I hated that he was interrupting me.
"Then what is it?"
"I can hardly feel my legs, let alone run to Luffy," I told him. It wasn't a lie. To remain standing there, it took a lot of effort. My legs were shaking underneath me, ready to give out at any moment. Not to mention that I felt weak and dizzy.
"Of course this man had to come and ruin my fun," The Devil's Fruit user said loudly, still sitting on his perch.
"He can manipulate rock," I told Zoro, forcing myself to take a step towards the swordsman. I put my hand on his shoulder, and leaned into him momentarily. I didn't even want to look at my legs.
"That doesn't matter," Zoro said, kneeling down. "Get on –I can cut through rock easily."
"I know…Zoro, the wave's coming," I climbed gratefully onto his back. I wrapped my legs around his waist despite how much it hurt me. But with his two katanas in his hands, he couldn't support me there.
"I know."
"We need to get out of here."
"I know."
"So let's get going," I snapped, the rough tone making my throat ache painfully.
"I'm going, I'm going," he muttered, slipping one of his swords into his mouth. I wrapped my arms around his neck, making sure he was still able to breathe. His grip tightened on the hilts, and he bent his knees, ready to attack.
"Get him!" One man shouted.
"Hahhh!" They all gave out a loud war cry as they charged at us.
So easily, Zoro brought them down, even the rock guy, who was my worst enemy in terms of attack. Had it not been for him, I would have been just fine… As they all fell, Zoro sheathed the weapons, and then finally lent me the support I needed to rest my legs. I closed my eyes for a moment as he started running towards the exit. He skidded to a halt as water came rushing towards us.
"Too late," Zoro muttered.
"Go down the other passage," I said, pulling at his collar as if that would make him move in the direction I wanted him to. He obeyed, the water just at our feet, but it was to no avail. It was a dead-end.
"When there's no other way to go," Zoro said, bringing out his katanas once more, "Make a way."
He leapt into the air as the water came rushing into the cavern, but I hadn't been expecting it, so even as he made a hole in the ceiling for us to escape out of, I lost my hold on him, falling off his back and into the water.
"Nami!" He shouted after me, holding onto the hole's opening. As I went under, I saw him let go to come after me. But the water was strong, and as it receded back to the sea, it swept me along at a fast rate. I spun and twirled underwater, unable to fight the current with all my exhaustion. My body was slammed into the rock surrounding. As if I wasn't in enough pain already.
I hadn't even gotten enough air.
I did try to surface, but the flow of the water kept me swirling downwards. The cave walls flew by me, and Zoro was still chasing me. But even as I lost consciousness, I wondered if he'd really make it in time…
Luffy… I… to you…
Where were they?
Luffy watched as a wave crashed just outside the cave. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other, growing impatient really quickly.
"Luffy," Robin ran out of the tree line. "Zoro? Nami?"
"Eh? Robin? What are you doing here?"
"Right, deaf," Robin murmured.
"Zoro and Nami are down there," Luffy pointed to the cave below. "But the waves are getting larger. I'd be dangerous for us, and we'd end up putting them through more trouble."
Robin noticed his clenched hands by his sides. How hard this must be for him.
"Robin," Luffy grabbed her arm suddenly.
"What is it?"
"Robin… Look…"
She looked out towards the sea as he lifted his hand and extended his index finger. The water had receded far back. Luffy was suddenly reminded of the events at Water 7. Not that he had seen most of it, being stuck between two buildings, but he remembered the size of the wave from that time. Nami, at that time, had given him the strength to break free. She had saved him, in a manner of speaking, even if he himself had been their getaway.
And as the wave approached, he brought his arm back, ready to reach out and grab them the moment they appeared.
"Come on, come on," Luffy murmured, his eyes never leaving the cave's entrance. "Come on, come on, come on…"
Robin too, prepared herself. It would be dangerous for them to be caught in the cave when that wave hit. Their bodies would be slammed into the walls of the passages.
"Come on, come on, come on…"
The wave was nearly atop of them –Zoro and Nami had yet to appear.
"COME ON, COME ON," Luffy was shouting now.
The wave crashed down, the water rushing into the small opening. A second wave hit right after. Zoro and Nami hadn't made it out in time.
"Luffy, stop," Robin grabbed his arm as he looked like he was ready to leap over the edge to go get them. She admired that side of him, the willingness to sacrifice himself for others, but there was no one here that could save them if they all got swept away by the outgoing tide.
His shoulders slumped, but his eyes still didn't change course. They remained on that opening in the cliff. It almost seemed hopeless.
"There!" He exclaimed suddenly, sending his arm flying forward.
Robin didn't see it. At least not at first, but then beneath the surface she spotted Nami's orange hair, then Zoro. She sent a chain of arms out to grab her –the swordsman –and picked him up by the collar. Luffy's arm was still stretching towards Nami.
At first it appeared that he had missed grabbing her, but he stretched that little bit more, and nabbed her. Relief flooded both of their faces as Zoro and Nami were brought in. Luffy was practically in tears.
Zoro coughed up a bit of water, resting on all fours before shaking his head out and sitting up. Robin smiled at him, wanting to give him a hug, but deciding to save it for a more reasonable time.
"Nami!" Luffy shook the navigator. Then his hand fell to her wrist. He looked up frantically at Robin and Zoro. "She's not waking up. I can't –I can't feel her pulse. R-Robin…"
Robin took Nami from him, laying her down on the ground. The waves still hit below, sending water spraying up at them, but the danger that larger waves would come wasn't something to worry about at that moment.
Robin pressed down on Nami's lower abdomen, trying to pump the water that had entered her lungs. It didn't appear to be working. Luffy was at a loss of what to do. He didn't want to leave her side, but he wanted to get Chopper there. He wiped tears away frantically as he watched Robin perform CPR.
Then, finally she started coughing. Luffy didn't remember a time when he had been more relieved.
"Thank goodness," Robin rolled Nami onto her side as she continued coughing.
"Nami?" Luffy took her hand in his. He could feel her heart beating once more. "Nami?"
"Let's just get her back to the ship," Zoro said. "She's probably exhausted."
"Mm," Luffy nodded, wiping the remainder of his tears before picking her up. Without waiting for the other two, he took off running.
As he disappeared, Zoro and Robin exchanged looks, before Robin pulled him into a quick embrace. They were both still kneeling on the ground. The waves still continued to crash, though it seemed like the worst of it was over. A heavy rain started to fall from the dark clouds that had formed above the island. Robin hadn't noticed them until that moment.
"You're okay," She murmured.
"You expected less?" He hugged her in return, leaning his head against hers.
"No," She smirked, pulling away.
"Um~" Luffy was there again. "I just realized that I don't know the way back from here…"
"We're coming," Robin said, getting to her feet. She acted like nothing had happened. She started to lead the way.
"I wonder what happened," Luffy murmured as he followed her. "Her skin is really, really warm."
"Oh, she was practically getting roasted over a fire before I came in," Zoro replied.
"What?" Luffy's head turned while the rest of his body didn't, though it followed a moment later. "Here, take Nami –I'll be back."
They watched as he ran off.
"Well, his hearing is back," Zoro said, walking ahead of Robin, Nami in his arms.
"Chopper said it could be only temporary," She said. "The cannon that had exploded on impact had just shaken up his nerves after all… Now that I think about it, I wonder if Nami knew about it. Chopper had been explaining it to us while she was in the infirmary with Luffy."
"Well, she'll learn soon enough," Zoro shrugged.
"Zoro?"
"Yeah?" He turned to look at her.
"The ship is this way," She said.
"I knew that," He grumbled, retracing his steps back to her.
"Mm," She grinned. "I know you did."
A/N: I'm thinking one more chapter :) Breaking on an even 10.
Will Nami FINALLY say the words she so desperately wants to say?
Will Zoro and Robin FINALLY reveal themselves to the rest of the crew?
Find out next time in: Tongue Tied
Humor aside, I hope you enjoyed! Feel free to review :D
