I am so so sorry for the long wait for the update. To express my regrets I give you a very long chapter to show my appreciation for remembering me :)
Again, if there is a scene you'd like to see illustrated, I am also an artist (Zinfer, on ) and all you need to do is request it in your review. The latest was of Luke finding Luffy in the hollowed tree, requested by HexTheVixen on DA.
On to the plot!
So Far:
The SH crew picks up a blue-monkey humanoid who tells them of the monster salamanders terrorizing his people at the bottom level of a giant tree-island that just so happens to be upside down.
They split up, Zoro, Usopp, and Chopper go to the top of the tree to find the Pale monkeys who can help them, Robin is checking out the library to quench her curiosity, Sanji, Nami and Luffy went to get a quick look at the lower level of the tree but Luffy, upon seeing a child being attacked by a salamander breaks out in an attempt to save her. Sanji and Nami, on the other hand, after a long night of playing cat and mouse, are caught by the salamander riders.
Luffy saves the child (Pan) but is poisoned and after breaking through the fence dividing the two nations, he is arrested and Pan is tossed to the waiting salamanders below.
He is cured but soon taken to a trial in the middle of the night and sentenced to death. He succeeds at getting the Pale monkey's to inform Zoro, Usopp and Chopper, who immediately plan to go rescue their captain. Before they get a chance to they were attacked by a posse of Salamander Riders.
They get separated, but Chopper follows Usopp's scent after noting the smell of both his and Zoro's blood.
Chex, the corrupt judge injected Luffy with poison and tossed him into the heart of the salamander den below where he battles them and receives serious injuries in the process. With the last bit of energy he had left he managed to crawl into a hollow nook in a tree before passing out. He is later found by Luke, a Blue monkey, who decides to attempt a rescue of the injured human.
This is where we left off.
Battle in the Sky
- Usopp -
When first hearing Chopper's voice, the sharp shooter had been swelling with relief, only to have it be instantly replaced with the horrible idea that his friend would be taking his place. Immediately after the salamander and rider had sped off, he was chasing after the very monsters that had been pursuing him seconds before. Still weak from blood loss, he shakily straightened up before shooting off his grappling rope towards the upper layer. In the distance he could hear Chopper shout in alarm, but was touched to hear the reindeer calling for him.
"Gyaaaa! Usopp! Where are you!?"
Usopp made it to the surface and dragged himself over the rounded trail, glancing around to see where the animals had run off to. He was dismayed to discover that they were out of sight, lost in the thick cloud surrounding them. Being back on the upper canopy, he felt exposed to potential threats again, knowing that there would be more riders out and about. His voice caught in his throat when he tried to shout back to his crew mate, but he gave it a few more tries and found his courage.
"I'm ok Chopper! Just run!"
He wanted to help, but he wouldn't be catching up to them on his scrawny two legs, and his injury wouldn't be of any help. Still, he had to do something. He would not let his little friend take his place on the chopping block. If he could be sure that taunting would lead the monster back in his direction he would have done so, but he doubted it would be so easy to get the bad guys off of his nakama's back. Still, he didn't want them to get out of his reach. He didn't want Chopper out there on his own.
"Chopper! Head in this direction!"
Hoping that his friend had heard him, he then set his mind to work figuring out how he could get the two of them out of this alive.
Digging through his bag, he frowned. There was hardly anything left to use.
"Where are you?!" Chopper screeched, clearly flustered but sounding closer than before.
"Over here!" he shouted back, though now he shaking in his boots with his lack of options. Still, he pulled out his reject dial and began prepping it for an efficient strike. This involved slamming it with a hammer as many times as he could, trying not to think about how the impact would feel on his arm if he chose to use the little shell. Still, if he could find a way to hit the salamander with one of those blasts, perhaps he and Chopper together could handle the ape riding it.
"Usopp!" the doctor screeched, having picked up Usopp's scent and barely managing to keep out of the range of the salamander's jaws in the process.
Spotting the silhouette of the deer through the fog, the marksman was relieved to see his friend still in one piece, but the momentary joy was immediately swept away by the terror of seeing the massive shadow directly behind him.
"Oh gosh oh gosh oh gosh" he whimpered to himself as his legs quivered beneath him.
There was no surprise when he saw how spazzed out the reindeer was once Chopper came close enough for his features to be visible. Tears were bursting from bulging eyes and snot exploding from his nose as he scurried towards his friend who he was clearly his only hope for salvation at this point.
Usopp felt a twinge of guilt knowing that if the doctor hadn't come looking for him he wouldn't have been in this mess. Well, he just had to make sure the little guy made it out of this ok by whatever means necessary.
"Ok buddy! Just keep heading this way! I've got a plan!"
As he said this he scurried out of view and decided that he would wait till the lizard and rider came directly overhead and then jump out and use the impact dial. Hopefully this would be enough to take the beast down. He'd forgotten what all he'd used the reject dial with up to that point but he knew that it had more punch in it than just the hammer strikes he'd accumulated just then.
Chopper sped by, not having seen his buddy, though noting that Usopp's scent cut off after a few more feet. After bounding several more yards before skidding to a halt, he glancing around frantically, wondering where he was supposed to be going now.
"Usopp! Where did you go?"
The second his little friend noted his absence, Usopp realized he'd forgotten an important calculation in order for his surprise to be a success.
"Shhhhh" he sputtered out, trying to get Chopper's attention.
"Usopp?"
"Shhhhh" he hushed again, this time waving his hands to be more noticeable.
Chopper turned his head and noted his crewmate attempting to hide in the root system.
"What are you doing down there Usopp?" the deer asked, frantic for his friend's safety but ignorant to the fact that he was placing him in even more danger.
"For Pete's sake Chopper" he sighed before hushing up at the sound of the great salamander's mass coming closer.
He gripped the reject dial tightly in his hand with anticipation of the coming attack he was about to perform.
His chance never came, for the monster and rider came to a halt a few feet before it reached them. Usopp stayed still, waiting to see what his enemy was going to do next.
Still, the duo hesitated.
"I see you hiding there, human" the rider announced harshly "and my salamander could smell your blood."
Crap.
Chopper was shocked. Why had those monsters stopped when they'd seen Usopp? Were they afraid of him?"
"What? Usopp?"
"I'm not def boy" the rider spoke up "when you tell your little friend that you have a plan, I'm not just going to come dancing into your trap."
Usopp didn't know what his next move should be. At least at the moment they were not being attacked. Perhaps he could go back to his original bluff.
Scurrying back up to the top of the root, Usopp switched into exaggeration mode.
"Blast! You've figured me out! Well no matter, you're still going to have to deal with my dial if you want to get at me."
He held up the little shell again and stood in a heroic stance, being sure that his little crewmate was behind him.
The ape frowned, scoffing at him, and by doing so making the marksman very uneasy and doubtful of his own deceptiveness.
"I think we can handle it" the rider said coldly.
"Wha?" Usopp stepped back.
"I've seen what that little one can do" the man continued "I'm just wondering why you didn't decide to use the larger dial again."
Sweating, the marksman glanced down and realized that he was indeed holding a different dial than what he had initially threatened with. This was because his bluff dial, though visually more intimidating, was useless for combat. Smaller though it was, the reject dial was much more dangerous. At the moment, however, he would have been better off with the larger shell.
His legs started wobbling as he tried to come up with a back up fib, but none came.
The rider snapped the reins and, to Usopp's horror, the salamander exploded forward, jaws spread wide. Still, the pirate swung his hands up, prepping his dial for the attack and praying that he could pull it off.
Seconds before the monster reached him, Usopp suddenly found himself being swept away on a furry magic carpet, stunned to realize that his little crewmate had caught him up on his back and was making a break for it.
The thunderous footsteps of the salamander behind them motivated the screams in their chests to make themselves known, the two nakama united in screeching as they fled.
"Faster Chopper, faster!" Usopp howled, his eyes bulging at the petrifying closeness of the row of fangs snapping at them inches away.
They were moving at incredible speed and Usopp knew that he'd never be able to travel this fast on his own. It wasn't often he rode on the reindeers back, and for some unspeakable reason he found himself making a note to ask his friend for rides more often… after they survived this of course. Every second this seemed more and more unlikely. Still, he was amazed at how well they were maneuvering on such unusual terrain.
All of these thoughts passed through his mind as he continued to screech, as his fears had not been consoled as they continued to lose ground from the beasts pursuing them.
Keeping his legs wrapped around Chopper's torso, the marksman turned and fired what was left of his ammunition at the salamander, hoping it would slow it down. It didn't do much good aside from ticking it off.
Crap.
Chopper had stopped screaming, Usopp noted. Instead he was gasping for breath, clearly beat from carrying the extra weight.
The beast was right upon them. Any second they would become salamander food.
"Chopper! You've gotta go faster! Faster!"
"I-" *pant pant* "I-can't" the reindeer gasped out between heaving breaths.
Usopp knew their luck had run out. Perhaps Chopper could have evaded the monster chasing them when he was on his own, but having to carry both of their weights was proving to be too much. The next course of action was clear.
"Keep going Chopper. I've got this" he spoke in mid roll as he tumbled off of his friend.
This was the last thing Chopper expected, his head turning back in horror at what his crewmate had just done.
The moment seemed to slow down as Chopper's momentum kept him moving forward despite him calling out his friends name as he watched the marksman fall into the path of the massive carnivore.
Usopp lifted his impact dial but there was no where he could land an attack since all he could see were two rows of razor sharp fangs.
"Reject-"
Powerful jaws snapped shut around their small victim. Usopp coughed up blood and gasped in pain as the salamander's teeth dug into his torso, his legs completely hidden in the beast's huge mouth.
"Usopp!" Chopper screamed, digging his hooves into the ground.
The moment he turned to look back at his friend, he saw Usopp slam the reject dial onto the top of the salamander's skull, sending off an explosive impact that left a massive cavity in the monster's head. Stunned by the sudden blow, the beast's jaws opened, dropping its prey in the process.
Usopp landed on the root below like a rag doll, his arm rippling from the consequences of the reject dial. Aside from that he laid still.
In front of him the salamander had dropped as well, coiling in agony. The attack hadn't crushed its brain but it had thoroughly broken its skull. The ape was shocked; gaping at his injured ride like he couldn't comprehend what had just taken place.
"Usopp!" Chopper screamed again as he rushed back to his friend; the threat he was nearing forgotten.
The tearful reindeer skidded to his crewmate's side and wasted no time in assessing his wounds, noting the additional stab wound in his side. Still, faint breaths could be heard coming from his friend's mouth indicating that he was still with him.
"Hang on Usopp! Just don't die!" he pleaded through tears as he began pressing down on the wounds with the fabric he could get a hold of, working first to slow the bleeding and leaving the cleaning and dressing of the gashes till they were out of harm's way.
A second later the rider snapped out of his shocked state, entering instead into one of rage and embarrassment for receiving such a handicapping blow.
"How-" he began through clenched teeth "how dare you."
The ape took up his spear and made his way off of his steed, a murderous look in his eyes.
Chopper squeaked in alarm as the enemy drew closer, quickly putting himself between Usopp and the threat.
"S-stay away" the reindeer ordered in the most commanding tone he could muster, snatching up the reject dial and aiming it threateningly at his opponent, though he shook as he held it.
"I won't let you get that thing near me" the ape growled "I can still kill you and your friend, you little raccoon."
"I'm a reindeer! And just you try" he replied as his eyes narrowed.
The rider smirked and then became a blur as he dashed into action, surprising Chopper by charging head on. The reindeer shoved the dial towards his attacker but the ape cut his lunge surprisingly short by slamming its spear into the ground, transforming it into a makeshift vaulting pole that it used to propel itself over Chopper's head. To the pirate's alarm it landed right beside his unconscious crew mate, spear in hand and poised to kill. Luckily for Usopp, the ape seemed to want to get the threat out of the way first, striking out at the doctor with the lance in its hands.
What he hadn't been expecting was the amount of experience the little reindeer had in combat, Chopper popped a rumble ball into his mouth as he dodged the blade. The rider drew the spear back quickly, then poised for a horizontal swipe to finish off his opponent. Transforming into jumping point, Chopper was quicker than the monkey had anticipated as he bounded over Usopp and slammed his head onto the ape's stomach.
It gasped as it was sent flying back, stunned at the transformation he'd just witnessed. These two weaklings were proving to be full of surprises.
Chopper didn't wait for his opponent to stop skidding before launching another attack, jumping again once he found his footing, then transforming into his strong point as he followed the unfortunate ape who had yet to lose momentum from the last attack. Raising his weapon to block, the rider attempted to prevent himself from being taking another hit.
This proved to be ineffective as the protective deer sent a powerful hoof slamming through the spear and into the man's chest. The impact stopped his horizontal momentum and smashed him into the ground leaving a crater in the root where he landed.
This time the ape coughed up blood as his eyes rolled up into his skull, the swiftness and efficiency of Chopper's attacks being his downfall.
The pirate wasted no time, remembering that he still had 3 minutes till the rumble ball lost its efficiency. Quickly he snatched up his injured nakama and fled, noting how the salamander was making its way back to its feet, though struggling to do so.
"Hang on Usopp" he pleaded with concern, switching to heavy point in order to carry the marksman with more care. Ordering his heart to calm down, he began to run back towards the base, following his nose and making a point to not think about the ever present scent of Zoro's blood in the air.
Usopp moaned in discomfort despite the efforts of his friend to be as gentle as possible. Slowly he regained consciousness, gazing through half-lidded eyes with unenthusiastic curiosity as to how he had gotten into his current situation.
It wasn't until Chopper had gotten almost a hundred yards from their enemies that he heard the angry yell of the ape behind him as it awoke from its pain-induced sleep. He was clearly enraged and not as down for the count as Chopper had hoped he'd been. It wasn't in Chopper's nature to hit a man while he was down, but now he regretted leaving without making sure the rider would be down for a good while.
"Get back here" the ape yelled, his voice wet and crazed. His pride had been seriously damaged and all that was left was a serious temper tantrum to keep him going.
"Like heck" Chopper thought, hoping that the fog would be thick enough that their distance would make them harder to spot.
It was only a few rushed steps later that the reindeer heard the familiar sound of heavy thuds on the root trail behind him, and felt the vibrations of the monstrous salamander feet as they plowed forward on their march.
Somehow that salamander was up and running again, and again he regretted not taking care of them while they were still down.
Despite his guilt over what discomfort Usopp would be in for his actions, Chopper began to sprint, the sounds of pursuit behind him spurring him on. It was horrible to run with just two legs and with such a heavy body, but he didn't know how he would be able to carry Usopp on his back in his more speedy forms without strapping him on.
The sound of the huge amphibian behind them was drawing closer and closer with each second.
"C-Chopper"
The doctor looked down to see that it was Usopp who had spoken his name. His long-nosed friend was panting through his pain but looked very serious about staying conscious despite the fact.
"You've gotta switch to a faster form if- if-" he coughed up blood with a frustrated look on his face like he was angry at his body for interrupting him "if you want to get away from that thing."
"But I can't. I need to be able to carry you efficiently. I could drop you otherwise. Can you hold on if I change?" the deer countered quickly.
"T-there's no time" Usopp answered after struggling through a few more breaths "just drop me off and get back to the others. You've gotta take care of Luffy before he gets himself killed again."
Memories of the seastone island they had just come from filled Choppers mind and sent chills across his body. He quickly snapped back to the present, piecing together what Usopp was suggesting.
"What! Leave you?"
"It's either me or both of us" the marksman countered quickly, the sound of the salamander's angry hiss a few feet away backing up his argument.
Suddenly Chopper slowed and came to a complete stop, gently laying his friend on the ground.
"Good" Usopp coughed with a smile "now run."
The doctor's eyes were shaded by his hat and he didn't move from his spot, his face showing no emotion.
"Oi, Chopper! Get going!"
The deer clenched his teeth and lifted his head, his expression filled with anger.
"How dare you!" he yelled down at his injured crewmate before turning and running, but not in the direction Usopp was expecting.
Instead of away from the oncoming enemy, Chopper was charging right for it, now in regular deer form.
"Chopper! What are you doing! Run! The other way! The other way!"
If the reindeer heard him he didn't show it, for he didn't falter in his sprint. Desperate, Usopp fumbled around for some kind of long range weapon he could use but none were nearby and his pouch was missing. Chopper must have left it, not wanting to worry about extra baggage to slow them down.
"Crap" the marksman growled, looking up again in fear for his little friend. Before him he saw the salamander was now right upon the kamikaze reindeer and even if the furry pirate decided to turn back now it would be too late.
"Brain Point!" Chopper yelled, right as the salamander's jaws opened before him.
The swift size change took the monster by surprise, causing it to miss its prey by several inches while the little deer fell under him.
Immediately after he had hit the ground and the salamander began to pass over him, Chopper transformed again, this time to a bit more dangerous form than the former.
"Horn Point" he shouted, bracing himself for impact.
Rumble ball still in effect, the reindeer's stunning rack of pointed antlers came bursting forth from his head and right into the exposed belly of the still-running salamander overhead.
Gripping the ground below, Chopper did not waver under the impact, letting the monster's own momentum lengthen the wound his natural weapons were forming. As this occurred, blood began to spatter from the open injury being formed, spraying the pirate with its crimson designs.
The agonizing screech that came from the lizard's mouth made the doctor cringe but informed him that his attack had been a success. When the momentum of the salamander was lost, the beast collapsed, this time not attempting to rise from where it had fallen.
Chopper transformed back into heavy point and heaved himself out from under the huge mass that had landed on top of him. Out of breath from his nearly suicidal attack and from the panic it had placed on his heart, he plopped back to the ground to regain his bearings.
"Chopper! Look out" he heard Usopp calling out weakly in the distance.
That was when he remembered the rider who he was sure wouldn't be too happy with him for killing his steed.
"Wha-?"
Suddenly a sharp pain surged up his shoulder causing him to cry out and twist his head around to see that a spear was lodged in his shoulder, thrown from a very angry ape who has crawling off of his saddle and down his dead beast to finish the job.
"No! Get away from him" Usopp shouted as he attempted to crawl to his friend's aid, longing for his slingshot more than anything he'd ever wanted. His wish was not granted and his blood loss was proving to be an insurmountable handicap.
"How dare you!" the rider roared as he came at the reindeer with just his bare hands.
Chopper was not one to be taken lightly though, howling out with a yell that sounded like a mix between pain and anger as he shoved himself up off the ground, lifting a free hand back to dislodge the lance in his shoulder.
Everything happened so quickly, the two animals desperate to take the other one out by being the first to strike. The rider was on Chopper before he could use the spear to his advantage, the two of them tumbling into a roll on the thick root trail way.
Being the larger creature, the reindeer still had an advantage over the ape despite the injury he had received. He managed to control the roll and end up on top, keeping his weight heavy on his opponent.
Though the ape was pumped full of adrenaline and giving it everything he had to gain the upper hand, he had his own injuries he was still sporting from their earlier tussle, and he just wasn't strong enough to lift the three hundred and fifty pound mass of fur and muscle off of his chest and face.
The battle was not spectacular or violent, yet it was over in seconds. One can only last so long without oxygen and soon the ape was unconscious and Chopper the victor, giving both the humanoid and its salamander the final blow.
Flopping over, Chopper returned to brain point and allowed himself a moment to rest before returning to his feet shakily, making his way back up to the main trail where the salamander still laid, its blood drizzling down along the rounded side of the root it sat upon.
Exhausted, the little pirate stumbled back up the root highway, looking up to see a very relieved Usopp who had collapsed but was smiling at him in tears he must have shed in fear for his friend.
"Thank God you're ok" the marksman wheezed out, struggling to push himself up to a sitting position and wincing as he did so.
Chopper didn't respond as he stumbled over, blood spatter painting his hat and antlers.
"Oi, Chopper, are you alright? Are you injured?"
The angry scowl he received in response told him that the issue wasn't a physical one.
"What?"
"How could you even think I would leave you behind!" the reindeer yelled, breaking his own silence.
"Wha-?"
"Don't play dumb! You asked me to leave you behind and save myself!"
"But I just-"
"WE'RE NAKAMA!"
Usopp bit s lower lip. He'd only wanted to keep Chopper safe, but had insulted his friend's character by assuming he would leave him behind.
"Chopper… I-"
His apology was interrupted by a hair-rising hiss emanating from the fog behind them. Both of their faces fell into shock, their jaws dropping as they watched another monstrous shadow take shape and grow as it neared them.
"What do we have here?" a deep voice spoke from the mist. "Some stragglers?"
The two pirates continued to gape, not believing their ill luck.
"Chopper" Usopp whispered "run… and be sure to take me with you."
"That's not going to make up for earlier!" the little deer shouted back.
"Two scrawny ones aye?" the rider noted with dull interest, clearly not aware of his dead comrades nearby.
"S-stay back!" Chopper squeaked, again putting himself between the threat and his injured nakama.
"Or what? You'll talk me to death raccoon?"
"I'm a reinde-!"
The angry doctor was cut short by the faint sound of a horn in the distance and was surprised to see the monkey perk up in alarm then scowl in annoyance.
"Seems you guys get off luck today" he grunted, pulling the reins of his salamander to the side to turn it away from them.
Giving a halfhearted salute, he bid them farewell with a goodbye of "duty calls" and was gone as swiftly as he had come.
Chopper collapsed on to Usopp, moreso from relief than weariness. The frail marksman howled in pain as his wounds were shifted, collapsing back in a dramatic heap, making the two of them look like forgotten toys that had been left out.
"That was… that was too close" Chopper squeaked, his eyes watering as he became more frightened over their situation.
Noting his little crewmate's tears, Usopp fought back his own pain and panic, managing to push himself into a sitting position and wrap his arms around his friend. He doubted his puny limbs would give any feelings of safety to the reindeer, but perhaps they could comfort at least.
"What if they got Zoro?" Chopper cried.
"Him? Are you kidding?" the marksman replied in a tone of confidence "If we can take out two salamanders on our own, imagine how many he's taken out by now? Heck, I bet that horn was a call for backup because they were running scared."
The deer looked up at him and nodded, clearly trusting in the words of the ship's liar.
Suddenly he popped up and squealed, remembering how terribly hurt Usopp had been in that last confrontation and that he needed immediate medical attention.
"Gyaaa! I've gotta get you patched up! Hold on Usopp, hold on!"
"Oi, I am dummy" the dark skinned crewmate replied as Chopper took him into his arms once again and they made their way back to base, unaware of the accuracy of Usopp's earlier assumptions.
- Somewhere in the upper level-
Honey gave a final blow to his horn before lowering it and sitting down to wait for the rest of his comrades to arrive. He couldn't believe how much trouble that blasted swordsman had given him and Deet. They were the strongest in the garrison; how could one human take them both down? Granted, there had been some unexpected complications, but they had been the result of that man's actions as well.
Whatever the case, that pirate couldn't be allowed to roam the tree freely. He would be too great a threat to the rest of the garrison, so they would have to take him out now by any means necessary.
It only took a few seconds for the first of the riders to arrive. Seeing that their leader was without his steed, Deet, there were many questions needing to be answered. He held back on explanations until the rest of his comrades arrived, one of them being the pair that had stumbled upon Usopp and Chopper. Within just a few minutes the whole pack had made their way to his side, having heard the call of his bugle.
Soon he had laid out the troublesome circumstances and had explained their next plan of action as to how to deal with them. He hopped on to a fellow-rider's salamander and the pack headed out, anxious to pursue their new target.
"Remember guys" Honey shouted before the group got out of hearing range "Salamander Hunting formation!"
- Zoro-
With a flick of his sword, Zoro removed the blood of his latest victim from his weapon. The beheaded salamander he'd just taken down had been much smaller than the last one, and a much easier opponent to eliminate. The rider and salamander were much less in sync than the other two and not as strong, but against an average person they would have been very formidable.
After the dicing the swordsman had given them though, they looked like mere novices, the ape screeching in horror at the brutal decapitation of his steed before fleeing the scene.
"Tsk" Zoro scowled, he was growing anxious to return to base after leaving his comrades there, and his efforts to get there had proved to be unsuccessful.
Biting his lip, he took off again, not bothering with the cowardly monkey that had abandoned his dead salamander.
It was only a few minutes later that he detected a presence behind him and slowed to a walk, glancing around suspiciously and putting his hand on one of the hilts by his side. The sound of feet scurrying over the large roots echoed around him, but no attack was made.
He stopped, drawing his other sword and frowning in disapproval.
"If you want a fight just come on out. I'm kind of in a hurry."
No one responded, but the sound of scurrying feet continued.
"Tsk, fine" the swordsman grunted as he proceeded to continue on his way. If they wanted to play games with him they'd have to do it at his pace.
He'd only run a few yards when a thin salamander came zipping by him from behind, catching him completely off guard despite his wariness. He could have sworn that the sounds had been in front of him just a moment before, but what had really surprised him was that the salamander that had come from behind hadn't attacked him. Almost as quickly as it had come it was gone again, running ahead on the trail in front of him.
It didn't return.
"What the heck?" Zoro sighed, rubbing his head.
A few more seconds of silence passed before the swordsman let out another sigh and continued on his way.
The second surprise happened almost immediately after he took two steps, this time the rider on the salamander swinging a blade at him, which he barely ducked under in time. Then it was gone again.
Growling, Zoro ran after them but it was too late.
"Coward! Get back here and fight me like a man!"
Again there was no response.
"Friggin annoying" he mumbled with a scowl that would make many people run in fear.
Suddenly another attack came from behind, but now the pirate was itching for battle and blocked it, the ape's spear creating sparks as it skidded across Zoro's blade.
Despite it being a block, the swordsman's deflection bounced off of the other weapon and sent a slash careening towards the rider's face. Since it was just a deflection it only left a cut up the ape's cheek, but it definitely hadn't been expected and the rider shouted in alarm.
Still, his salamander continued and he zipped by before Zoro could attempt a counter strike.
The former pirate hunter was not to be taken lightly however and sped after them, blasting a long-range attack at the two hindrances. Hearing the howl of the salamander was sign enough that he'd landed a hit, but despite this the two vanished again, sending him into a fit of swearing.
This was cut short by the wizzing sounds of a projectile flying towards his back. Instinct led him to dodge more so than conscious thought, twisting to the side as a dart zipped past his left shoulder. Then another came from his right, this one being blocked by his sword.
Realizing he was being attack from multiple angles, the swordsman dashed forward and rolled as a five more shots were sent his way.
"Cowards!" he shouted into the mist.
Frustrated that he was being pursued in such a spineless way, he didn't beat around the bush, sending several powerful slashes into the thick fog and smiling when he heard an exclamation of pain in one of his chosen directions.
Charging forward towards the sound, he dodged another dart and scowling in annoyance at their persistence. It wasn't until a few seconds later that things became more intense for the green-haired pirate.
This time, from all angles, they came and many more, forcing Zoro to block at a frantic rate. He hated that they were needles which meant getting hit by one would mean serious trouble like poisoning or paralyzation. He'd have preferred them being bullets.
There was a pattern from which the shots were coming from and soon he was able to follow it and deflect their darts with more ease, and was soon contemplating how to go about a counter attack.
It wasn't long after he began to deliberate this that he received an attack he had not been prepared for. Instead of a dart or salamander, what penetrated his defensive strategy was a larger projectile that looked like a small harpoon with a thin cable attached to its hilt.
Due to Zoro's acclimation to the first few patterns of attack, this new method coming from a different angle caught him off guard and he was unable to react fast enough to deflect it.
The weapon lodged into Zoro's side and stuck there, causing him to shout in surprise and pain. Thinking quickly, he grabbed the rope attached to the harpoon to keep whoever was on the other end from causing him more damage and rolled to avoid being hit by more of the darts. He would have simply cut the cable, but he wanted to get closer to his opponents so the instant he grounded himself after the roll he yanked the cable towards himself, pleased to feel the tug of a heavy mass at the other end.
There was a shout of alarm before the forms of both rider and salamander came flying towards him. Apparently cable was attached to the saddle and was not easily released. This proved to be quite the misfortune for the swordsman's opponents as they sped towards their doom.
Wasting no time, Zoro sent two slashes across both the ape and his steed, the wounds forming an X where the victim's blood spat out.
The two animals collapsed in a heap, not to cause him any more trouble. Taking advantage of their size, the first mate leapt over the bodies of his defeated opponents, placing them between himself and the enemies firing at him from the other side.
He then hastened to slice the wire attached to the harpoon still lodged in his side. Frowning, he looked down at the injury, wondering if he'd be better off leaving it in or if it would just get in the way of his movements. The idea of the blasted thing staying lodged in him did not appeal to him, but the thought of removing it sounded even less tasteful. He decided to leave it in and wait for his friend with more experience in the matter.
Another harpoon came blasting through the fog ahead of him. Someone must have made their way around to the vantage point and immediately after he dodged the first attack, it was followed by another flood of darts, which he was forced to block as he fled from the vulnerable area.
To his frustration, he felt one of the tiny projectiles hit his leg, having been shot from below him, too late in realizing that his attackers could maneuver underneath the trail. Immediately he yanked out the dart quickly, hoping to lessen the amount of poison that would enter his body, if it was even poison at all. The tingling it made in his leg did not make him happy but distracting himself with worry would do him no good so he continued on as if nothing had happened. This was harder to do with his multiple injuries from his battle with Honey and Deet, as well as the harpoon in his side.
Despite this, he managed to block the rest of the darts shot at him from below, as well as another cabled harpoon. Stumbling as a wave of dizziness came over him, the swordsman felt another two pricks on his arm and shoulder, dreading what they meant for him. He was so frustrated that his opponents were keeping out of sight like the cowards they were. There was no guessing how many were out there and how many he had to take out before he could rest and deal with the damage already done to his body.
A harpoon came from his left, but the shooter must not have lead the shot because he was easily able to leap ahead of it as it zipped behind his back. He twisted around to grab it and pull its shooter to his hungry blades but was hindered when he barely managed to evade another shot from the opposite side of the trail, this one coming from the right, forcing him to lean back to keep it from lodging into his shoulder.
His desire to hasten his opponents' demise, he dared to grab both of the cables and yank with all of his might after arming himself with a sword in his mouth. To his dismay, however, instead of two panicked rider-salamander duo's flying towards him, the cables held as if they were nailed down at the other end. His second tug proved to be just as fruitless and he grew alarmed that they had played a different card and he smelled a trap.
Just as this suspicion entered his mind, the two cables he had been attempting to pull wrapped around him, their maneuvering coming from the ends where the harpoons were attached. He saw the phantom silhouette of a small salamander and rider sprinting across the root ahead of him. One of the cables that had entrapped him followed the shadow into the haze, the monster duo clearly having a hold on the other end.
Not to be caught so easily, Zoro heaved on the ropes binding him, pleased when his strength proved greater than that of his attackers as they were dragged into his sights.
Suddenly, from behind him he heard the sound of another oncoming salamander, trying to think fast as to how to avoid it or kill it. He still had the katana in his mouth so perhaps he could kill it if he managed to maneuver correctly.
To his surprise the beast leapt over him instead of attacking him, the distance too high for him to get a good slice at. Confused, he hauled again at the cables restraining his arms, realizing that having them free was key to his survival from that point on.
Two shadows formed on the ground before him and he scowled as he interpreted what they meant before looking up to see the two apes who had apparently leapt from the salamander that had just crossed his path.
They weren't aiming for him however (and if they had they would have been killed, for their opponent was still very dangerous with just one sword), instead they also crossed over him and seemed to fall to their deaths as they missed the root trail he was standing on and fell to opposite sides.
When the cables the two of them had been wielding slammed into both of his shoulder blades after knocking his sword out of his mouth, he had no choice but to go down with them. The combined weight of the two apes, along with the force of their built up speed during the fall was too much for him, and avoiding the thick ropes was practically impossible while he was still being restrained by the other two opponents.
The air was knocked out of him as the mighty swordsman landed hard on the thick root below him, now trapped and bleeding under four separate cables strapping him to the tree. Panicking upon the realization that he was restrained and vulnerable, the pirate immediately began to haul at the ropes holding him down, trying to grab his swords but the odd way he had been entrapped made it impossible to unsheathe them. The areas of his body that had been hit by the smaller darts were growing increasingly uncomfortable and, despite his exceptional efforts to free himself, he only succeeded in wearing his skin raw under the twisted restraints as they got tighter and tighter as their wielders gained confidence in their catch.
His capture was made complete when another set of four apes added their own wire to the batch, swinging under the huge root the swordsman was lying on and coming up back on top, efficiently strapping him to the tree.
Panting from exhaustion and pain, Zoro continued to struggle though he realized he wouldn't be escaping with his strength alone. He swore in frustration, ticked off that he'd been taken down in such a shameful way.
His body had begun throbbing from the poison and he doubted the numbness in his limbs was caused by the binds on him. Just breathing was a struggle due to the excessive amount of pressure put on his chest. His situation was not looking good at all.
"Gotcha you freak" came a chillingly familiar voice as the large ape he'd been fighting earlier came into his field of vision.
"I'm not the one riding around on lizards" Zoro responded in a sarcastic tone that didn't betray how much anxiety he was feeling. Still, he couldn't help but sweat at the prospect of being the captive of the man he'd so cruelly defeated just minutes before
"You've caused us a lot of trouble" Honey continued, scowling at Zoro as he limped forward "almost as much as your foolish captain."
Zoro stiffened.
"But we took care of him, and soon you'll be out of the way as well."
As he spoke he raised a spear over the swordsman's head, having clearly claimed the killing blow as his own before the attack, for none of the other riders seemed surprised that he would be the executioner.
"So you got your friends to do all of the work, and you, after being defeated by me will still claim the kill as your own?" Zoro scoffed, hoping this would save him time to think up some miraculous escape.
"This is vengeance" Honey retaliated angrily "for Deet."
"You didn't seem too worried about him when you abandoned him back there" Zoro countered, hoping to prolong their argument. "He's probably still alive back there so you don't really have a right to call dibs at the moment. You're just a sore loser who hides behind his buddies when he gets his butt kicked."
"Honey is one of our strongest warriors" another ape interjected, defending his leader "I'm sure if you defeated him it must have been through some form of treachery."
"And who gets the bounty on my head?" Zoro persisted, happy to have another member in the debate group "or the honor of telling your douchebag leader that he took me down?"
"Bounty?" the other ape questioned.
"Enough!" Honey shouted, cutting the conversation short "Orders are orders. If anyone wishes to take this man's head in my place come forward and do so."
Zoro scowled. The delay had been cut off right when it was getting good.
No one came forward so the situation was right back to where it had started, except now his whole body was burning from the poison and his attempts to free himself we becoming much less fruitful than before. In fact, the more he struggled, it seemed the less forceful he was becoming.
"This must be the result of that opposite poison Dalma warned us about. I guess the coating doesn't work when it's injected directly into your bloodstream."
"Now die human" Honey exclaimed with a cruel grin as he raised his spear, once again, over Zoro's heart. Bending back for momentum, the ape put his whole body into the strike, the weapon becoming a blur as it shot downward at its hapless victim.
"Crap, crap, crap, crap"
What happened next, no one could have foreseen and it happened so quickly that no one could react accordingly. A flash of red and white came slamming into the midst of the whole scene and in an instant the whole scenario had transformed. The spear that had been bearing down upon its victim had been shattered and the vindictive cocky expressions that had been on his attackers' faces had transformed into ones of shock and dismay.
Zoro felt a sharp prick in his side and glanced down to see that a needle had been injected there, the one responsible being a blood covered pale ape now hovering over him in a defensive position. His hand still held the needle he had slammed, not gently, into the pirate's side and already Zoro could feel whatever had been in it being injected into his bloodstream and prayed it was something that would help and not harm him further. So far he felt it was the latter, the liquid immediately began to burn like fire through his veins and he let out a shout of pain.
"Bear with it Zoro" came the familiar voice of their new acquaintance Seag "I know it hurts but it's saving your life."
A quick glance at the Pale monkey's appearance would send shivers down an average person's spine, and at the moment he was just glad the ape was on his side. Seag's jacket was in shreds and his pale fur was coated with blood that reeked of its copper pungency and matted his fur to the point that Zoro couldn't remember what it looked like when it was smooth and clean. He wondered how much of the crimson covering the warrior's coat was his own and how much was that of his victims.
"Seag! Thank God, get these things off of me" Zoro responded. As tough as Seag must be, he would not stand a chance against such numerous and powerful opponents.
Even as he spoke the ape was already taking action to do just that, apparently aware off his disadvantage. Wielding the blade Zoro had seen him use earlier, the humanoid swung it around and began sawing at the thick cable binding the swordsman's arms. As he did so he began letting out loud, echoing barks as if he was setting off an alarm to be heard across the entire upper level.
Their enemies were not about to let their catch go free so soon after they had obtained him. Both Honey and the ape who had been arguing earlier took first action, Honey going after Seag and the other ape went to strike the killing blow against their captive. Zoro tensed for the blow but was stunned when Seag exploded into action, snagging Honey's swinging arm and turning into him, grabbing him around the waste before flopping the surprised Golden ape over his back and right into the other attacker. These movements all happened within a few seconds and caught everyone by surprise. The two apes were sent tumbling overhead, scrambling to make sure they didn't fall off of the rounded trail.
Alarmed, three of the surrounding riders leapt into action, wielding a variety of weapons and angry. Seag was poised over Zoro like a wolf defending his pups, his stained fur raising all over his body and his tail twitching with anticipation as he attempted to finish his job on the cable holding down his comrade but it proved to be too thick to split quickly and he was forced to go into defense mode, pulling the blade up and screeching an animalistic screech as a threat at his opponents.
What happened next was a flurry of blood and fur as the opposing forces clashed on top of the helpless swordsman. The movements were so frantic and violent that Zoro couldn't tell who was dominating the battle and who wasn't. The sound of blades tearing at flesh could be heard and blood was spattering in every direction but the restrained pirate found his eyes locked onto another target of importance. The salamanders were not waiting patiently for their masters to have all of the fun and were charging their way.
Suddenly Zoro felt the tip of a spear lodge into his stomach, only to be yanked out before any real damage was done. This brought him back to the blur of gold and red fur over top of him; from what he could tell there were two less trying to kill him than before, but the other two were still at it, though one of them was being maneuvered by Seag as a shield between himself and the other. Zoro had already been stepped on multiple times, but a second later Seag was tackled by a crazed Honey, bringing all four of them sprawling all over him in a heap. Having been struggling to take each breath for the last few minutes, the additional weight on his stomach and chest did not help and the harpoon in his side was shifted agonizingly as the bodies of the battling apes over him tumbled and rolled.
The Golden monkeys were clearly superior in strength, but Seag had managed to outmaneuver them up to that point with what the swordsman recognize as some form of martial arts, but he could hardly deduce what kind. Now that Honey had gotten the tackle though, maneuvering strategies were limited to the smaller ape. Still, he twisted and lashed out like a crazed serpent, as if Zoro was his own blood and the pirate was stunned at how protective the humanoid was.
Dalma had also been protective, but he'd assumed that was due to his gratitude to Luffy for saving his life and his canine attributes. So what had he done to deserve such protection to the point that Seag would more than likely die if he continued on as he was.
"Seag" he called to his battling friend "if you can't cut the ropes then get the heck out of here! You can't keep this up and aren't any good to anyone dead."
As much as he appreciated not being impaled on some God-forsaken tree root, surviving and knowing that someone had died in his place due to his inability to defeat his opponents sounded even worse at the moment.
"NO!" Seag shouted, the swordsman's words apparently sparking some untapped strength in the Pale ape as he flung his opponents off of him by rolling backwards and kicking them off with his feet. He continued his backwards somersault to where his butt almost landed on Zoro's face. Fortunately for the swordsman he halted himself quickly and swiped out at any of the others who dared to come at him.
The crowd of animals seemed to have come to a mutual agreement to take a pause and catch their breath, though the looks in the Golden apes' eyes were predatorial and cold, the only hint of humanity being that of embarrassment that they had failed to take down such a puny opponent.
Seag was beyond exhausted and now Zoro could see some distinguishable injuries that were definitely his. The humanoid gasped and heaved as if the air was made of leather, still crouched defensively over Zoro with that blade of his, his muscles quivering as they tried to do their job.
Apparently the salamanders had held their peace while their masters were in the fury of battle, revealing that they must have been trained not to attack their "own."
Two of the Golden riders were lying dead nearby and a blood trail of another curved over the side of the huge root, indicating that the poor beast had slid off after taking a serious blow from Seag's dagger.
Without breaking eye contact with his enemies, Seag brought the weapon down once more over the cable binding Zoro's arms. He returned to his desperate sawing at the thick rope, his life depending on whether he succeeded in splitting it before his opponents got to him or not.
Instead of the golden apes lashing out, the salamanders were the first to strike, having practically coiled up in tension while waiting their turn at the blood covered prey before them, the smell waifing into their narrow nostrils and beckoning them to the kill.
"RUN!" Zoro shouted as he saw the closest lizard shoot forward. Still, the Pale humanoid only hastened his effort on the thick cable, his moves growing desperate.
"Not without yo- AAUGGH!" Seag screamed in retaliation only to be cut off as he was dragged away by the salamander Zoro had warned him of. Somehow the ape had managed to evade the huge set of fangs that had come down to swallow him whole, but his leg had not been so fortunate and he was caught.
Still, he clung to the stubborn rope for just long enough to finish his work, the cable finally surrendering to his blade and releasing its captive.
Zoro was motion. So quickly had he snagged his swords and sliced the rest of the ropes, that none of the observers could have told which one he had struck first. What they could discern, however, was that the demon was free and vengeful.
The first victim of the swordsman's blades was the salamander holding Seag in his jaws, the monster's head being removed from its body in an instant and the only sign of Zoro's passing being a faint trail of steam where the blades had traveled and vanished almost as quickly as the attack had been made.
As much as he wanted to kill everything in his sight as soon as possible, Zoro's first priority was his brave friend who had yet to pull himself out of the bear-trap like jaws of the now dead salamander. The pirate immediately pulled the fangs apart and helped free the injured humanoid's leg from its grasp.
Seag was still having a hard time breathing, each inhale a desperate heave and every exhale a quick release before immediately gasping for more air.
"You ok?" Zoro asked worriedly as he helped the ape up.
"Just kick their butts" the pale humanoid wheezed out, brushing off the pirate's supporting hands.
Having been given permission, Zoro did not hesitate to do just as his friend had instructed, charging towards Honey first, seeing as this one seemed to be the ring leader and partially because the guy had ticked him off so much.
Honey looked angry but fearful, lunging back to escape the swing of the pirate's blades, now weaponless after Seag had broken his spear upon his attempt to assassinate the captured first mate. There was no escape, before he could turn and make a run for it, Zoro had already unsheathed his other two swords and used them liberally across his chest.
The additional injuries were too much for the mighty Golden monkey and he fell, not to rise from the mossy root trail below.
Next came the charging salamanders, two without their riders and two more carrying armed humanoids. Zoro didn't know how he was going to handle them all, but grinned maniacally as he accepted the challenge.
These new opponents proved to be weaker than Honey and Deet, but they were still impressive enemies, working as a team as they split up and circled their enemy, one with his dart gun out and the other wielding a spear. Their method was interrupted by the other two salamanders however; now without riders, their movements weren't organized and they managed to get in the way as they both scrambled to get the first bite into the small human before them.
The pirate had sent out two phoenix attacks that hit the oncoming salamanders before they reached him. These blows were not powerful enough to take down his opponents, but they did leave painful gashes on the salamander's head and on the chest of the other. The two beasts screeched in frustration, one of them continuing on while the other reared back, only to be leapt over by one of the riders on his own steed.
Zoro had no choice but to block the closest salamander, forced to ignore the duo coming from his other side to keep from being bitten in half. He would just have to take the attack on the other side and find it in himself to take them out afterwards.
The attack from behind did not reach him, but instead he heard the sound of frustrated yell and a screech from the salamander that should have had him in its clutches. Turning his head, he saw that somehow Seag had found his legs and had pounced on the Golden ape, then grabbed the reigns and rolled off on the other side, yanking the two leather straps down with him causing them to drag the hooks in the salamander's jaw heavily to the left and successfully redirecting the monster's path. The salamander howled as its head was twisted at an unnatural angle as the mass of frenzied animals toppled to the side.
Shoving his own salamander off and using the space between them to build up the momentum of his blades, Zoro did an efficient job at taking it down, slicing off a large hunk of its face. Immediately he turned back to the scene behind him, worried about his injured companion and rightly so. Had the salamander not been the size that it was it would have fallen into the abyss below, but its thick body saved the beast, as well as the two apes on its back who were in a tangle of saddle straps and knotted reins, kicking and biting at each other as if they didn't realize how close they were to falling to their deaths. Seag was clearly on the losing end; now seeming to be on the defensive as he struggled to make distance between himself and the enraged Golden monkey biting and clawing at him. There was blood everywhere and the urgency of his needed aid was becoming more and more obvious, causing Zoro to find a third wind and reach the mass of violence below.
The salamander was thrilled to see that its prey was coming willingly to its striking range, snapping excitedly at the oncoming swordsman who had read its movements ahead of time and easily avoided the monsters jaws. Skidding around to the lizards right side, Zoro grabbed hold of one of the saddle straps and hauled himself up to where the two apes were battling, dodging several more snaps of the salamander as it enhanced its efforts to annihilate him.
There was no hesitation in the first mate as he ripped the Golden monkey from his friend and kicked him violently away, sending him flying into the air. He then wasted no time in finishing off the salamander by lodging his katana into the back of its skull. It dropped with no attempts to rise again.
Seag also had fallen, having nothing left to give after his final go. He didn't fall far however, for it took but an instant for the strong arms of the pirate beside him to gently halt his decent. There wasn't time to assess the extent of his friend's injuries. Zoro kept his right arm free, glancing around for the other rider and loose salamander who were surely not waiting around for their turn to the one who had murdered so many of their comrades.
To his surprise, however, the other attackers didn't come. Instead, they were dealing with a surprisingly large pack of Pale and Golden apes that had just emerged from the hazy abyss. Of the group, Zoro managed to recognize Snow and confirmed the obvious: these were allies, and there were enough of them to take the attention off of the exhausted pair atop the dead salamander.
The swordsman let out a heavy sigh as the events of the last few minutes hit him physically and mentally. He knew he should stay alert in case the rest of the friendlies couldn't handle their opponents, but the harpoon was still lodged in his side and had been shifted multiple times since it first landed there and the poison was still battling with the antidote in his system. He was beyond exhausted and didn't want to make any extra movements unless he had to.
Seag must have had the same idea because he had passed out at some point and, upon glancing over his physical state, Zoro could see why. The ape was covered in bite marks, mostly smaller ones from the Golden apes he'd had close combat with, but they had long canines and the punctures were deep. One of his legs, the one that had been snagged by the salamander, was broken and torn open, but that wasn't what worried the swordsman the most. What held his gaze was the huge gash that stretched from Seag's chest down below his stomach. Zoro felt his own scar across his chest begin to ache as he remembered getting a similar injury, but seeing the wound on the ape's weaker body filled him with dread. He must have received it before he even arrived at the scene for there were already patches of dried blood surrounding it, but now it appeared to have recently been torn open again, revealing far too much of the Pale ape's interior than should ever have been seen.
"Sheash man" Zoro stated in a somber tone as he carefully lifted his new friend into his arms, removing his shirt (which proved to be very difficult with his own injuries in the way) and shoving it into the wound in an attempt to slow the bleeding, though it seemed pointless considering that if the blood wanted out it had plenty of other places to escape from. Still, the pressure aroused the unconscious ape as he let out a weak yell of pain and attempted to lift his head to see what had had the audacity to wake him from his peaceful bliss. He failed to get a good look as his head lagged back to be caught by Zoro's free hand.
"What-" Seage began, his eyes rolling as he struggled with consciousness "what happened?"
"We survived" the swordsman replied, praying the Chopper would suddenly appear from the mist, for he had no idea where to begin in dealing with the vast variety of what looked like fatal injuries.
"Am- I dying?" the ape asked with a twinge of fear in his voice, coughing up blood as he spoke as if answering his own question.
"I don't know" Zoro answered honestly. He wasn't a doctor, but he'd seen enough dying men to know the symptoms. He found himself agitated as his emotions began eating away at his well honed steadiness that distinguished him from the rest of his crew. Seag had practically taken the blade meant for him and now was dying in his place.
"Did you really think you could beat those guys and rescue me back there? How could you care so little for your life? Why, for me, would you risk everything?" He questioned angrily, finding more pride in his anger than if he had embraced his guilt or sadness.
"Crap" Seag coughed up a weak chuckle "I must really be dying if you're talking like that." His words were so strained it only fueled the anger stirring in Zoro.
"You'd better not" he growled, wondering if threats were a valid form of medical treatment.
"I couldn't let you get yourself killed" Seag continued through weak pants and gasps "we finally received a symbol of hope, and for you to die would crush their spirits."
Zoro didn't speak as the bloody ape caught his breath "You can do what we've only dreamed. You can beat the fence… so you must live."
"Why do you care so much?" the swordsman asked, glancing up to check for additional threats.
A few seconds passed without any words from Seag, causing Zoro to look down frantically, terrified that the light would leave those lidded eyes at any moment. Gripping the humanoid's bloody hand, he pulled it up and gave it a tight squeeze as if holding the soul of his friend in place.
Rewarding the pirate's efforts, Seag found his voice again to respond to the question.
"I wanted-" he began, tears forming in his eyes "I wanted to see him again."
Zoro frowned, his eyebrows creasing as he wondered what the ape meant. The man was clearly not all there, but if he kept talking it didn't matter what he said at this point.
"Who?"
"I wanted him to know that I didn't betray him. That I haven't given up on him…" he choked back a sob and gasped as if each breath was burning him. "He needs to know that- that we are brothers."
These statements would have surprised Zoro moreso if the humanoid hadn't loosened his grip on his hand and let his eyelids slowly hide those watery green orbs underneath.
"Oi, OI, HEY! Don't you friggin die on me! You can't go saying crap like that and then just quit!"
He gently shook his broken friend but received no response, making his insides go numb.
To make matters worse, Snow had finally reached them, the remaining salamander riders having run off now that they were outnumbered and without a leader.
"SEAG!" the smaller ape called with such raw fear and concern that it clearly re-emphasized how very human these beings were.
"No, no, no, no, no."
The words tumbled out of the white humanoid's mouth in a rapid unconscious procession as Snow scrambled up the dead salamander's side and saw the gruesome scene before him.
"Please, please don't go. Not now."
Zoro hung his head. He'd seen how much the younger ape had looked up to Seag. If they'd been a pirate crew, he'd have pinned the "First Mate" title on the little guy. It was nothing like his and Luffy's relationship, but there was no doubting that Snow had been Seag's right hand man and after seeing the apes in action, he had no doubt that Snow would have taken a bullet for his mentor.
"ZORO!" Came the shout of a familiar voice that might have well been a song of angels for the relief it brought him. There was no doubt that that was the young voice of the Straw Hat crew's doctor.
"Chopper!" He shouted back, his voice breaking a bit with desperation.
Snow, whose face was coated in tears and snot followed suit.
"Chopper! Please! Seag needs your help!" he cried, as if begging for mercy.
The reindeer was there in seconds, looking far worse for wear than Zoro approved of, but that would have to wait. Another pale monkey had reached the scene as well and quickly helped the deer up to their fallen leader.
Chopper looked horrified at what greeted him. If Zoro had been there alone he would have broken into a frenzy at how badly his crewmate was injured, but the carnage that had once been their new friend Seag was of obvious precedence at the moment.
A few more of their companions had shown up, all of which kept silent as the small pirate checked over their leader. If he'd have guessed from outward appearance, he would have said the ape was gone from them, but, checking the pulse, he managed to find a faint and feathery beat as Seag's heart struggled to pump what little blood had decided to stay on the inside of his body.
"He's alive, but just barely."
The sigh of unbridled relief found its way across the entire group, even Zoro.
"We need to get him more blood ASAP and to a location I can better care for him. Does anyone know his blood type?"
One of the pale monkeys were able to answer the question to his relief.
"Ok, good. You-" the little reindeer began giving orders as if the rest of the group were his team of nurses "go round up as man apes as you can who share that blood type; and you, go clear a place where I can operate on him back at base. You" he pointed to his third "nurse," "get him back to the medical room as quickly as you can, and you" to the fourth ape in his sights "I need you to carry me because I won't be able to keep up otherwise, and Seag doesn't have that time. And finally you" he pointed to another "you carry Zoro with us."
With each order, the apes rushed off and did as they were instructed, happy to have someone tell them what to do when their leader was in such a dire state. Within seconds the area was clear, the scars of the battle a testament to what had taken place there as streams of crimson coiled over bodies and around the large roots to drop into the immense void below.
- Luke and Luffy -
Perspiration coated the strong Blue humanoid as he heaved himself up over another canopy of branches. Two salamanders passed underneath, fighting each other to get at the double-catch that smelled so sweetly of blood. Still, their prey had proven to be frustratingly elusive and, after losing so many of their pack to the pest hanging limp on the back of the fleeing ape, they were much more enthusiastic in their pursuits.
Of all of the Blue monkeys, Luke was one of best at maneuvering the lower levels, and even with the additional weight on his shoulders he still traversed the branches quicker than most.
If there had been a time to do as he had planned and ditch the kid, it had long since passed. He growled as he submitted to the fact that some of his coldheartedness was in his head, but when it came to his actual heart it proved to be warmer than expected. Even now, as the dead weight on his back brought him closer and closer to his demise, he couldn't help but worry about the kid as he struggled for each breath, in ignorant bliss of the peril his savior was in.
"That's right kid, in and out. Keep it up."
A massive salamander descended upon them having leapt from above, forcing Luke to roll out of the way and lose his precious cargo in the process. Luffy tumbled a few feet before losing momentum and stilling, face first, on the mossy branch beneath him.
"Crap" Luke spat out, looking for a weapon but finding none. At the moment, the attacking salamander was closer to the injured human than he was and was already on its way to claim its prize.
"Stay back!" he shouted, charging forward and wondering what exactly his plan of action was going to be when he reached his destination.
His question was answered when both he and the salamander were caught completely off guard by a small blue and silver blur that slammed into the beast's neck, forcing a gurgled screech from the huge animal but not killing it. Skidding to a halt once he reached Luffy's side, Luke looked up to see that the other ape had stabbed the salamander in the throat with a makeshift spear and had let go to scramble out of the way as the huge lizard tried to crush him.
The silver fur and dog spots that speckled its coat told him immediately who the comrade was.
"Dalma! You're friggin alive you little punk!?" he shouted, letting annoyance at the smaller ape for making him worry take the place of his relief that his friend hadn't died in his escape attempts.
The other blue monkey didn't have time to give him a warm response as he ran from the angry lizard, screeching in fear as he did. His yelps of fear clarifying that it was indeed Dalma before him.
"OI! Get away from my friend" Luke shouted, not about to let his buddy, now returned from the grave, die right before his eyes.
Dragging Luffy to a small crevice in one of the branches, he prayed that the bleeding human could remain undetected for a few moments as he went to help his other friend.
"No!" Dalma shouted as he ducked under another salamander coming from his right, using the new attacker as a blockade against the one on his tail. The two lizards collided and fell down through a few layers of foliage but the dog-type humanoid didn't slow, making his way around till he was above Luke and his dying cargo.
"Get Luffy to Bierrack!" Dalma shouted, the worry in his tone not slight. They way he looked at the injured human made Luke wonder if the kid was blaming himself for the state Luffy was in. What was his connection with this hopeless cause?
There was no time to ask, for the two salamanders were already recovering from their fall and were on their way up to the three companions.
"I said go!" Dalma screamed one last time as he took what looked to be a suicide jump straight towards to two oncoming predators.
"DALMA!" Luke called out, not ready to leave his friend behind.
Right before the Dalmatian ape fell into the huge jaws of the closest salamander he snagged a hidden vine and just barely eluded the snapping fangs, then dropped down, hooking one of his hands into the top of the beast's mouth and dragging it down with him into the other salamander following behind. Again the two monsters crashed together, hindering their pursuits.
It had been a while since Luke had seen his younger friend take on any salamander. The skinny humanoid was particularly gifted in fleeing from danger, which was partially why he had taken on the challenge of escaping on his own, but only on rare occasions had the little guy joined in combat. Now, however, the crazy ape was inviting their attackers towards him and challenging them head on; a brave move, but he wouldn't be able to keep it up for long.
As the two salamanders crashed through another set of branches, Dalma managed to snag a thick batch of leaves and keep to the upper levels. Another salamander was on its way already.
"Run Dalma! You can't keep this up! Get out of here!"
The Dalmatian humanoid shot a look up at him that made his words catch in his throat. Tears were rolling down Dalma's cheeks but his eyes were angry and determined.
"Luffy comes first! I owe him my life! If he dies, mine is forfeit!"
Luke noted the bandages on Dalma's body and put two and two together. He didn't want to think about the fact that this Luffy kid was practically dead already and that it was probably even now too late to be optimistic. Still, he had to try. Already more salamanders were in view and though it pained him to abandon his little friend, there was little else he could do at this point.
"Stay alive moron!" he shouted back as he snatched Luffy up again and took off.
Behind him he could hear the clicking hisses of the salamanders and the enraged, dangerous growls of his companion. As brave and as self-sacrificing Dalma was, Luke knew he wasn't safe, not by a long shot. There is only so much one small ape can do against a pack of salamanders.
Ok, so maybe the brat on his back had taken on a whole nest by himself, but what good is defeating so many if he's dead?
Luke knew a trail through the next few layers that, if he reached it soon enough, would keep him out of reach from the salamanders until he made it Bierack's home.
He just needed to get there without being eaten in the process; a task that was looking less and less surmountable every second.
Luffy was silent, dead weight slowing him down, but he dare not ditch him now. Not even if the boy had already passed.
TBC…
Soooo, I was mistaken to suggest that I would have this update out a week after the last and I apologize for my error.
For those still keeping up, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'd love to hear how you feel about where the story is going. Don't worry! Thinks will come together! Eventually _'
Thank you for the wonderful reviews! I've decided to go back to responding to them directly on the chapter because I am apparently atrocious at responding at a reasonable time via messaging.
So without further ado!
FlightWulf - dawwww, thank you ^_^ I'm so glad you've liked my work so far. I feel absolutely dreadful for breaking my promise for the quick update. Sorry sorry sorry sorry. I really appreciate your encouragement and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story :)
Darkness34 - Yaayy! I love hearing such fun feedback XD lol, I see you're following along with all of the action rather well. I will have more plot in there eventually, but there's just a lot of battles to get out of the way before the story can move forward _' I hope you enjoy the rest of the story and I really hope you stick around. I've really loved and appreciated all of your support over these past few years. Thanks
FrostTigress - awesome! Thank you so much for telling me that :D I really love to hear that my little fic makes your life a bit more enjoyable. I hope you enjoy the rest of the tale as it progresses :)
Deadly In Pink - HEY! it's always so wonderful to hear from you ^_^ thank you for the encouragement and I look forward to writing the rest of the story knowing you'll be following along :)
EALM528 - lol, XD i love your feedback. Yes, I really keep Luffy in peril in my fics. Not much of him in this chapter but he'll be back into the big picture soon C: Also, yeaaashhhh, maybe not all of the Gold monkeys are bad :D guess we'll have to see ^_^ thank you so much for the support over these last few years! I hope you'll get to see this fic come to its close as well
Skipper917 - Thank you! ^_^ I revealed a bit more about Chopper's situation than Luffy's this chapter, but no worries, our captain will return to center stage soon ;)
epifonia - daww ^_^ thank you! My fav thing about One Piece is the complex storytelling so I'm attempting to reflect that in my fic. I hope you stick around to see the conclusion despite my slow updating T_T
LuffyLover- here! here! an update! *throws it frantically* thank you for the review ^_^ I'm sorry Luffy wasn't in much of this chapter but he will be back in the spotlight soon, don't worry. And Luke will have some revelations of his own soon as well :D thanks for giving him the time of day as well.
For all of my wonderful readers! I love sharing my story with you guys and appreciate your support C: