Hope restored, Nami reaches into her shirt and pulls out a bobby pin. She unlocks the chains binding Usopp, Chopper, and herself to the wall. Usopp pats her on the back, and the three brave souls make their way into the light.
"What are we planning on doing?" Chopper whispers, looking up trustfully at Nami.
"You'll see. Usopp, got your exploding stars?" Usopp nods, and the three Straw Hats step into the hallway.
"Where do you think they put Luffy?" Usopp inquires, turning to Chopper, who already has his nose out, ready to sniff.
"This way," The reindeer says, leading Nami and Usopp back toward their beloved captain.
Robin shakes Franky awake. "Franky-san! The gaurds have taken Brooke away!" Robin informs the rubbing his eyes Franky and he sits up.
"Robin, you know you can just call me Franky."
"I'll try Franky-san- I mean Franky." Robin answers, smiling up at him.
Franky blasts their chains off, "Super~!" And the two of them begin to follow the faint footsteps down a hall.
April awakes surrounded by warmth, and curls up closer to the source of the warmness. Then her eyes shot open. If she's leaning on Zoro's shoulder, and he's got his arm around her, then what's hugging her middle?!
Of course, it's twirly eyebrow creepy blonde guy- Sanji. Peeling him off, April scoots closer to Zoro, only to be stopped by the chain.
Zoro wakes up to April's movement, senses Sanji inching towards her, and Zoro jumps up, tugging the chain out of the wall.
"Z-Zoro?" April asks, frightened by his strength. Best she can, April glares at Sanji as he takes her hand. "What about Nami?!" She hisses and he drops her hand instantaneously.
"I'm going to go find my swords and cut you guys loose. Stay here and I'll be back momentarily." Zoro leaves and Sanji mutters something about trying not to get lost.
"Zoro!" April cries and he steps back into the cell. "Don't leave!"
"Why not?"
"Just, just don't..." April's eyes cast downward. Leaning to his ear, she whispers, "Sanji scares me..."
"Don't worry. The shitty cook won't hurt you- he's chained to the wall," Zoro murmurs back in undertone.
"But-"
"Alright, alright. Let me see if I can pull the chains off." Zoro grumbles.
Sanji cries out in alarm as Zoro rips the chains from the wall, and April trips over the broken chain.
"How'd you-" Sanji begins
"The chain is only as strong as the weakest link." Zoro explains, "and you only have to find it to break it off."
Sanji shrugs and the three of them make their way out. Little do they know that their little conversation was being over heard.
Eight of the ten Straw Hats meet up in an intersecting hallway, hugs go around, a little kiss between Sanji and Nami- lips to cheek. "Where's Luffy and Brooke?"
"They took Brooke-san while Franky and I were resting." Robin replies.
"This way!" Chopper calls, leading the way.
After ten steps, the crew is again surrounded by marines, more than a hundred thousand. Someone wants them. Someone wants them bad.
"Well well well. Would you look at that? Almost all of the Straw Hats and we even have the Electric Vampire here as well. This is just our luck day boys, huh?" A voice announces, and a figure steps out of the shadows. A mystery man grins. The crew groans inwardly. "Tie them to the freeze- burn rope."
The men oblige, and the crew is soon tied up with one rope, in a circle, holding each other above a flaming lava pit. "You will be turned frozen, and then when one of you cannot stand the cold anymore and loses strength, they will not be able to support anyone, and you will all fall into the pit."
"The weakest link," Zoro mumbles numbly, not believing that it was his own words that would cause him and his crew to die. After all they had been through together... and before what he and April could be- it would never be able to happen. And if they did get out of it, Sanji would kill him for almost killing the crew, and he wouldn't be able to face April.
"Yes, Roronoa Zoro, that's right. Your own words 'The chain is only as strong as its weakest link' shall be the death of you. Let's see how strong the weakest one of you is, shall we?"
"I'm the weakest guys, I'm sorry~!" April sobs, her arms beginning to weaken.
"No! It's my fault! I'm the smallest! I am in no way of comparison to Franky or especially Zoro!" Chopper reassured. Each crew mate was thinking about how strong he/ she could have been, physically or emotionally, one of them would eventually crack and they'd all die.
They all start yelling over each other, shouting apologies, each one of them beginning to cry, each one of them beginning to wish they were stronger, each one of them full of nostalgia for the good old days.
Tears streaming down her face, April apologizes. "It's not a lie and we all know it- I'm the weakest one... I don't think I can make it another ten minutes guys, I'm sorry, it's all my fault but you were the best month of my life! I'm sorry, so so sorry..."
Zoro, having been quiet for a while looks up. "Don't you dare talk like that." He growls. "You think that Luffy wanted us in his crew for no reason? Well he wanted us in his crew because he knew we were strong and he knew he could count on us. So let's give it our best, alright?"
That was the most touching thing Zoro had ever said to anyone. April's eyes well up again and she begins to cry, nodding. Zoro mentally slaps himself- why did he have to make her cry?
"It's not your fault," Robin says, reading his mind. She nods to the Marines. "It's theirs."
Luffy rips the chain out of the wall. The men fall over, and the Marine Captain takes a step back.
The Marine Captain doesn't like the fire in Luffy's eyes. It roars and crackles, figuratively, and the Marine Captain stumbles away in fear. "If you have made anyone of them loose a single tear," Luffy begins in a dangerously calm tone, "May God have mercy on your damned soul!"
Author's note
If you caught the Doctor Who reference, then I love you.
If you looked back and are laughing now, I still love you.
If you've got no idea what I'm talking about but read it anyway and review and share, I'll love you forever.
If you do all of those things, then I DEFINITELY love you a lot.