"Choppeeeerrr! Chopppeeeerrr! Chopper-kun! Where are you?" Nami called out a she and Robin searched a section of the forest for the little doctor, but alas—found not a single trace of him. "Hhh, where could he have gone?"
Robin opened her eyes and let her arms fall back to her sides. Even she couldn't find the poor boy.
"I don't see him anywhere up ahead," she said making Nami sigh and slump her shoulders.
"Great," she said with a sigh. "This forest is huge and with a lost little boy like Chopper, he can be ANYWHERE!"
"Perhaps the others are having better luck than we are," Robin suggested, trying to higher Nami's hopes.
"Yeah—maybe," Nami said with a sad sigh as the two continued on.
"Kuso!" Sanji cursed as he pulled his foot out of the thorn bush he had managed to get himself stuck to.
With a hard yank Sanji was free. Luckily nothing happened to his pant leg. With a relieved sigh he looked around his sector of the forest he was supposed to search. He let out a gruff sigh just thinking he didn't have the search alone—no, he could be searching with the ladies but noooo that stupid marmino insisted he scout this area—alone.
"Why do I have to search all by myself?" Sanji muttered to himself as his eye scanned the area for any traces of their poor little doctor friend. "I could have searched with Nami-swan and Robin-chwan, but no! That stupid marmino said I was strong enough to search alone. Tch, who made him leader anyways?"
And so Sanji continued on searching throughout his sector of the forest he had been appointed, but with no luck or clue relating to the young doctor.
"Chopper-kuuuuun, Chopper-kuuuuun! Chopppeeeeerrr!" Usopp and Luffy called out as they scoured the forest for their dear friend, with Zoro making sure the two didn't hurt themselves.
"Choppa!" Luffy called out as he and his best friend searched high and low for him, literally.
Usopp looked under every rock, every, and Luffy looked above every tree—every. Zoro admired by how much and wholeheartedly the two searched but it was getting rather ridiculous once Usopp began looking under pebbles—pebbles. In the midst of their shouting though Luffy began coughing up a storm.
"Huh, Luffy-kun?" Usopp noticed his friend had stopped beside a tree to cling onto it for balance as he rode out his coughing fit. "A-Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Luffy lied, looking at his friend with a forced smile.
Luffy then let out a hiss as he slowly sank to the ground and leant against the tree. His breathing now seemed labored which confused Usopp, all they ever did was call out for their friend. Was his body strained that much?
"Can we—can we take a little break?" Luffy asked trying to sound as unstrained as possible but failing miserably at it.
"We can," Zoro came up to the two to stand guard over them, knowing Demons were lurking around and usually like to prey on the weak.
"Huh, are you sure Zoro-san?" Usopp asked, looking up at the swordsman.
"There are Demons up ahead," Zoro nodded towards the direction before them. "If we go any further right now we'll run into them."
"Neeehhh! Really? Usopp gasped, his eyes becoming as wide as saucers. "Then I agree with Zoro!"
"But Chopper-kun's still out there," Luffy protested towards his friend's decision. "What if he's run into Demons?"
"I'm sure the Demon who took him won't let anything happen to him," Zoro commented.
"Are you sure?" Luffy and Usopp looked suspiciously at the swordsman.
"When Demons take something they are very greedy about it," Zoro noted. "Chopper will be fine—for now . . . from other Demons of course. I'm not sure about the Demon who took him."
"Why do you think it took Chopper?" Usopp asked.
"Demons have many different reasons—one of them could be the lure us there—which is working," Zoro said.
"So it's an ambush?" Usopp gulped down hard.
"Could be, but could not be," Zoro said. "If the Demon was acting alone then no, if he wasn't—yes."
"Ambush or not," Luffy's voice suddenly spoke up, holding a seriousness to it. "We're going to get Chopper back!"
"Uh, right!" Usopp said with a nod.
"Well then, let's get going," Zoro said as he started to walk off.
"U-Uh matte Zoro!" Usopp called out to him. "Didn't you say there are Demons up ahead? Are they gone now?"
"No," Zoro answered as he turned to the trembling boy.
"Then why are you continuing?" Usopp asked. "Shouldn't we wait until they leave?"
"There's no harm in asking them about the Demon who took Chopper now is there?" Zoro said with a small smirk making Usopp wonder how bold this man was around Demons.
"Uuuuhhhh, what happened, where am I?" Chopper asked himself as he shook the daze from his vision.
Once Chopper's vision began to come back to normal was when he noticed he was inside a building. A dark and strange looking building. With a groan he tried moving his body but found suddenly most of his limbs to be quite heavy. It almost seemed like he was still in a state of sleep where your body still is partially succumbed to paralysis.
Chopper froze from his struggles to move once voices came to his awakened ears. His eyes widened now realizing he wasn't the only one in the room, wherever he was. Slowly, cautiously, he turned his head towards the voices and found himself staring at two backs from far across the room.
The sounds were quiet since he was so far away from them, but still he could hear them saying 'something'. There seemed to be a tall one and then a shorter one—his vision still being blurred to see from that distance even though it be not too far away in truth.
"It's still not right!" the tall one complained. "Did you see what catastrophe it caused the other day?"
"But it did manage to blow the humans away," the shorter one spoke that suddenly struck something inside Chopper . . . that was his voice!
"I don't care!" the other spat. "This thing's a failure! Get rid of it!"
With a silent gasp Chopper managed to raise his head from the table he lay on and take a clearer look at the shorter one. With another disbelieving gasp Chopper realized that it was true! That WAS him! But how could this be?
Chopper began to panic as millions upon millions of thoughts flooded his brain, threatening to overload if not careful. Chopper then looked down at himself and horror struck his being like nothing on earth.
AH! He cried inwardly upon glancing down at his body that was, in fact, not his own!
Chopper covered his mouth to keep himself from screaming out loud and alerting the others, but as he did so he gasped seeing his hand was now nothing but a hoof! Chopper wanted to cry, he wanted to cry so bad but he was afraid—he was afraid of what ever those people did to him—that they could do worse if they caught him.
So slowly Chopper eased himself off the table he was on and slowly backed away to the exit he saw behind him. As soon as he was out the door and made it his mission to find his way out of that place and try to find the others—he needed there help so bad right now.
"Hhhuh," Usopp let out a strained sigh as he took a seat on a fallen log. "It's well past noon, should we continue looking even in the dark? What about the others? Shouldn't we meet up with them again?"
"Probably," Zoro said. "They may have found something."
Luffy though looked quite upset that they hadn't found any such clue as to where Chopper had gone. Usopp and Zoro could see the disappointment he had with himself clearly written all over his face. His brow was knit together and lips sucked in trying to hold back the inner scolds he had for himself for losing such a dear friend.
With a small groan Luffy stood up and looked around. Usopp looked at his best friend closely wondering just what the boy was going to do.
"Let's continue searching!" he said with a firm nod as he looked at his two friends.
"Are you sure you're up to it Luffy?" Usopp asked. "Your back has been acting up lately."
"I don't care!" Luffy said as he shook his head. "We need to find Chopper-kun NOW!"
"I know that," Usopp said. "But what about the others? Don't you think we should go back and ask them if they found anything?"
"If they had then they'd have come and found us already," Luffy said, the seriousness in his face never leaving.
Usopp blinked a few times. He's never really seen Luffy so serious in his life—or all the years he had known him. Friends meant a lot to Luffy and losing one, well . . . it made Luffy feel like a failure in not being able to protect them—yes, he always felt the need to do so to any friend of his no matter if they be stronger than him or not . . . it was . . . Luffy.
"Let's go!" Luffy said as he turned and readied to take the lead.
Usopp looked at Zoro with confusion wondering what he would do, but it didn't help. Zoro looked transparent about the whole situation. He just closed his eyes and followed Luffy like there was no problem with it.
Usopp let out a sigh as he got up and followed the two. There was really no stopping Luffy when he had his mind set on something. Though Usopp wanted to regroup there was no way he was returning to their rendezvous spot all alone—what with all those Demons lurking around.
As they treaded through more thick vegetation the only result was a tired Usopp. Seriously, his arms were slugged before him and his tongue was sticking out from weariness. They had been walking and searching for HOURS! He was tired he was, but when he looked over towards Luffy and Zoro he saw how fit they looked and especially . . . unwearied.
It just wasn't fair! Here Usopp was, more healthy than Luffy at the moment, sweating up a wearied storm when Luffy—the injured and weak one at the moment was standing up straight with determination to find his lost friend even if it took him forever! He was using his determination to stomp out his tiredness and ache.
Usopp was somewhat jealous of Luffy's strength, though not too much. Usopp was still glad to know he was human—unlike Luffy there who seemed to possess such an inhuman strength it was almost like he was something else. He didn't know what was up with the boy but at least he wasn't as strange as Luffy. He was surprised no one else has noticed it yet, Luffy's oddness.
"C-Can we take a break now?" Usopp panted out. "It's been over an hour since we last took a break. Please!"
"Uh!" Luffy gasped, halting in his tracks to peer at what he saw before them more clearly.
"Huh, what is it?" Usopp asked as he came to stand next to the two who were staring in front of them like they were staring at something famili—Chopper? "WAH! It's Chopper!"
"Ha, ha! Chopper! Chopper!" Luffy called as he waved at the boy who seemed focused on something else at the moment.
The boy instantly took notice of the ones calling to him. He turned and upon seeing them jumped in surprise.
"Oi, Chopper it's us!" Luffy called out to him as he started to run to him.
"Ah!" the boy yelped as he turned past a tree and darted off in a run.
"Huh? Choppa?" Luffy question in confusion as he stopped for a moment to watch the boy run off, but quickly came to his senses and started to run off after him. "Matte Chopper!"
But Luffy hadn't gotten far when he suddenly stumbled over and fell.
"Luffy!" Usopp cried as he and Zoro ran up to him to see if he was alright.
"I'm alright," Luffy said as he pushed himself off the leaf covered forest floor. "I just tripped over somethi—WAHHA!"
Once Luffy's eyes met what he happened to trip over he was immediately drowned in admiration. Under him lay a being unlike anything they had seen. The being was strange to Usopp and even Zoro, but Luffy found it to be the coolest thing in the word.
"SUGEI!" Luffy shouted, his eyes sparkling at the 'man' under him.
Luffy immediately got off him and moved to his side to try and wake him up. He placed a hand on his shoulder and began to shake him.
"Oi, oi, Sugei-san," Luffy shook to wake him up but nothing seemed to be working. "Hrrrrmm, is he dead?"
"Are you sure 'he' was even alive to begin with?" Usopp asked, trembling behind Zoro.
With a disappointed sigh Luffy sat back and pondered on what to do. He was sure this guy worked, but how? He looked around to where Chopper had ran off and then noticed something different.
"Hm?" he said as he got up and trotted over towards another interesting object. "What are these?"
At that Luffy picked up three separate glass bottles of some sort that were filled with a strange looking brown liquid. As Luffy scanned them over he let off a shrug before taking a drink of one.
"OI, DON'T DO THAT!" Usopp cried out knowing it was commonsense that Luffy seemed to lack.
Zoro said nothing but was about ready to come over to the lad and take the thing away from him before he fell over dead. Who drank strange liquid they just saw anyways? This boy did lack much.
"Hm," Luffy said as he halted his drinking and decided on whether or not it was good. "Tastes funny."
"That's because it's probably not drinkable baka!" Usopp came over to the boy to smack him upside the head and take the 'drinks' away from him.
"Naaah, I didn't say it tasted bad though," Luffy pouted.
"What are these anyways?" Usopp asked, looking at them and shaking the liquid up some to see it bubble—that couldn't be good.
"I don't know," Luffy said with a smile as he pointed to them and then towards the place where he found them. "But Chopper-kun dropped them."
"Why don't you try putting them in him," Zoro commented from where he crouched next to the strange man, holding his chest open.
"AAAHHH!" Luffy and Usopp cried with wide eyes seeing the man's chest open. "ZORO! HOW COULD YOU?"
"He's not human," Zoro said. "He has many different compartments like this on his body, but this one looks like to be his main power outlet—and it looks like 'those' go here."
"Really?" Luffy asked. "Okay."
At that he took the bottles from Usopp and came over to the man and placed them inside him. It was a little strange to do but if it got him working then there was nothing wrong with it. Once done Zoro shut the man's abdomen and stood up to step back from him.
All watched in amazement as the man's unnatural blue hair sprang to life, it sprouting up like weeds. Some strange smoke came from the man and soon he jumped up, startling Usopp, Luffy only looking on in amazement. They all watched as the man stretched his bulky arms and clamped them together above him soon shouting out—
"SUUUUUUPAAAAA!"
"W-What the—?" Usopp blinked in confusion, never really seeing anything like it before.
"Hee, hee, SUGEI!" Luffy cheered in sheer happiness that this man was so awesome.
"Nah? Who are you three?" the man asked, looking at them suspiciously.
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy!" Luffy came up to the tall and large man like a happy child would its parent when they presented them with a new puppy. "And this is Usopp-kun and Zoro-kun."
"Humans huh?" the man asked raising a brow as he scanned them all over—well, most looked human, he was unsure about that swordsman and so just checked him off as human. "What are you doing out here?"
"Looking for a friend!" Luffy said with a smiley nod.
"You are?" the man asked.
"So who are you—or what are you?" Usopp asked looking over the strange man.
"The name's Franky owh!" the strange man said with a strange little dance. "I'm a half Demon. My father was a Demon."
"Yeah but . . . do Demons turn into . . . this?" Usopp asked gesturing to his odd body.
"Oh? This?" Franky asked, raising his arms. "I suppose I have to call myself a Cyborg now."
"Cyborg?" Luffy and Usopp blinked in confusion.
"Part machine," Zoro nodded in acknowledgement. "I know a Demon similar to you."
"You do?" Luffy gasped wondering what they looked like. "Who?"
Zoro only waved the boy off as the half Demon Cyborg known as Franky spoke again.
"Actually, how I came to be like this was I was taken from my home—for many years I was experimented on by a scientist Demon who tried to make me into a weapon—hm, I guess it didn't work."
"How so?" Usopp asked, tilting his head.
"I seem to have been abandoned," Franky said as he scratched the back of his head and looked around. "I guess after many years of failed experiments someone gets tired."
"Why suddenly throw you out though?" Luffy asked.
"I think my Coup De Burst was weak," Franky said as he looked at his arms.
"Your what?" Usopp asked.
"It's an attack that's supposed to blow away my enemies with a powerful pressure built up in my arms with the power of my energy," Franky answered.
"So it was you who blew us away yesterday," Zoro nodded as he crossed his arms.
"Hm? I did? Well—sorry about that," Franky said.
"Yeah! Because of you we lost our friend Chopper!" Usopp pointed accusingly at the man.
"I didn't mean to," Franky waved them off. "I'll tell you what! How 'bout I help you find him again!"
"Really?" Luffy gasped with a wide grin. "You'd do that?"
"Sure," Franky said with a nod. "You saved my life—without my cola I could have died."
"Cola?" Luffy and Usopp said in unison with equal confusion.
"This," Franky said as he opened up his chest to show the three bottles.
"Yeah, but what happens when you run out of it," Usopp questioned.
"I'll die," Franky said with an easy shrug.
"NANI?" Usopp gasped with wide eyes. "And you're not the least bit concerned?"
"It's alright," Franky waved him off. "I know the formula, I can make more—just need the ingredients and luckily I know where to find them."
"Oh—well that's good," Usopp said with a sigh as he sighed a sigh of relief.
"Oi," came another voice making the group turn to see the blonde chef come treading over to them.
"Sanji!" Luffy said with a grin, happy to see the man.
"Whoa! Who's this?" Sanji gasped upon noticing the large man before him and instantly getting his footing balanced just in case he needed to swing a kick at him.
"Relax!" Luffy said. "He's a friend!"
"What are you?" Sanji question as he eyed him up and down suspiciously.
"The name's Franky!" he said smacking his arms together above his head. "I'm a half Demon Cyborg owh!"
"A what?" Sanji asked finding this man just . . . different.
"He's part machine—whatever that is," Luffy said with a giggle.
"Oh, I didn't know that could happen," Sanji said with a blink.
"So why are you here Sanji?" Usopp asked. "Did you find anything?"
"No," Sanji said shaking his head. "I waited in our meeting spot but no one showed up so I went off to find you guys. Did run into a couple of Demons on my way here, but I took care of them. Did you run into the same group?"
"Yeah," Usopp said with a nod. "Zoro just had a talk with them and we went on our way without any trouble. I swear Zoro puts the fear of man back into them!"
"You guys find anything besides . . . him?" Sanji asked, pointing towards Franky.
"Yeah, we actually saw Chopper!" Luffy said with a bright optimistic face.
"You did?" Sanji gasped, his eye growing. "Then why didn't you get him?"
"He ran off!" Luffy protested. "And then I tripped over Franky."
"Why would Chopper—run off?" Sanji asked knowing it was not in the young boy's nature to run away from his friends in a scary Demon-filled forest, but to run to them.
"I don't know," Luffy said with a roll of his shoulders. "But he ran that way."
"Who ran that way?" suddenly the two females of the group came out of the vegetation—it seems Sanji wasn't the only one looking for them.
"Hm? Nami, Robin?" Luffy said as he noticed them.
"Oh! My darlings!" Sanji sang as he danced over to them and got down on one knee before them. "Are you weary my sweet swans? Would you like some refreshments?"
"Not now," Nami said ignoring him and turning to the other three. "Where have you guys been? You said to—wait—who's that?"
"His name is Franky!" Luffy said with a grin as he motioned to him. "He's a half Demon Cyborg!"
"Huh, another half Demon?" Nami asked with a blink as she turned to Robin who was just as surprised as she to see another—half Demons are quite rare to run across. "What's a Cyborg?"
"Means I'm part machine sis," he said with a thumbs up and sparkling grin.
"Huh, strange," Nami said. "Anyways! Back to the matter at hand! You tell us to meet at the rendezvous spot and when we get there and wait—for HOURS no one shows up! You're lucky I have Robin with me or else I would have NEVER found you!"
"But Nami-chan, we saw Chopper," Luffy defended their actions.
"You did?" Nami gasped. "Where?"
"Over there, but he ran off," Luffy said pointing in the direction they last saw the boy.
"Why would Chopper run off?" Nami asked, looking at Luffy like he was insane.
"I don't know," Luffy said. "But he did! I'm not lying!"
"I know, I know!" Nami let out a frustrated sigh. "You're the worst of this group to lie, but what do we do?"
"Find him," Luffy said with a sure nod.
"It's not that easy!" Nami snapped at him. "Hhh, it's almost been a whole day and when you guys actually find Chopper he runs off."
"Maybe he'll come to us when he's ready," Luffy said with a good nod. "But right now—I'm hungry. Sanji-kun—foooood."
"Alright, alright, we're all famished. I'll go find us something to eat," he said as he rolled up his sleeves and trotted off.
"I'll help you!" Franky said with a grin as he left with Sanji.
When the two returned Franky had caught the largest elk they ever saw. Sanji was impressed just like everyone else and said he should go hunting with him more often—he also added Franky was better company than Zoro any day. Zoro only rolled his eyes wishing the blonde idiot would keep his remarks to himself.
Once Sanji had started cooking the meal the smell had carried over to a more sensitive nose and instantly he responded to it.
"Huh? That smells nice," Chopper spoke, weary from walking and famished for food, suddenly his sense reminded him on what the smell reminded him off. "Gasp! It smells like Sanji's food! It's Sanji!"
At that the boy darted off with a huge grin. He ran as fast as his little legs could carry him until he pushed a bush aside and found everyone camped around a fire that cooked the meat the smell had emitted off from. With a happy and relieved sigh Chopper smiled and said—
"GUYS!"
Everyone froze at the sight of him. Even Luffy who was in the middle of eating his meat. No one really knew what to do at the moment—a Demon had just walked into their encampment and they were at a loss for words—it's really the first time it's happened.
"AAAHHHH!" Usopp and Nami screamed. "IT'S A DEMON!"
"A Demon?" Chopper blinked and then realized it was true, he was in the body of a Demon . . . and his friends were about ready to attack him! "Huh? No! Wait!"
"Get the he-- away from Nami-swan!" Sanji growled coming up to kick the poor boy a good league away.
"No! Wait!" Chopper cried.
"MATTE!" Zoro suddenly spoke up, all halting their movement to turn and look at his standing form.
"What the he-- baka swordsman?" Sanji let out a growl as he turned to look at the Swordsman who was now walking towards the Demon. "You want it to attack us?"
Zoro said no word as he passed by the ready-to-kick-Sanji who glared heatedly at him. Sanji knew the swordsman was strange but just what was his deal with Demons anyways? Sanji put his leg down and watched closely to what the swordsman was doing.
Zoro knelt down on one knee and scanned the young, what looked to be, reindeer Demon. The boy was trembling and crying up a silent storm. Zoro reached out and took the small hoof in his own hand to make the boy look at him through watery eyes.
"Chopper?" Zoro asked, making the young Demon gasp as well as everyone else.
"Chopper?" everyone whispered to one another wondering just what the swordsman was talking about.
"Sniff! YEHES!" Chopper cried as he flung himself onto Zoro and wrapped his small arms around the swordsman's thick neck.
"It's alright Chopper, we're here," Zoro said as he rubbed the trembling boy on the back knowing he was so scared and confused right now that all he needed was comfort.
"CHOPPER?" Luffy gasped with wide eyes as he got up and came to the boy. "What happened to you? Since when did you become a Demon?"
"I don't knowho!" Chopper cried as he tossed his head upwards and cried. "I just woke up like this eh heh!"
"Wait!" Usopp gasped. "Then that means—who we saw . . . wasn't Chopper?"
"What?" Nami gasped. "How did that happen?"
"I'll bet it was Vegapunk," Franky said as he rubbed his 'chins'.
"Who?" Everyone asked in unison.
"The Demon scientist who created me," Franky said with a nod. "He's the only one I can think of that can do something like . . . this." at that he gestured towards the still crying Chopper who was now rubbing his eyes with his hooves.
"Don't worry Chopper!" Luffy declared his promise before the crying doctor. "We'll get your body back!"
"Really-y-y? Sniff," Chopper cried, trying his best to wipe away all his tears.
"Hai!" Luffy said with a sure nod, Luffy then turned to Franky. "Oi, Cyborg-san if we get Chopper's body and go to that weird scientist to force him to change back Chopper do you think he can do it?"
"If he changed your little buddy then he can probably change him back," Franky said with a nod.
"Yosha!" Luffy said as he smacked fists together. "Then let's go get Chopper's body back!"
Of course though the moment was ruined once the grumble in Luffy's tummy was heard. All stared at him wondering what his next move would be. The look on the boy's face looked conflicted with the thoughts of going to save Chopper's body and that of finishing his needed meal.
"Right after dinner," he said with a nod as he quickly sat back down to pick up his plate of meat.
"Hhh, Luffy," everyone sighed and shook their heads.
"Hhhuh!" the Demon sighed as he stopped for a small rest. "I can't believe I ran into that human's friend. Who knows what would have happened if they caught me. Heh! There's no way I'm going to change back!"
At that the Demon snickered and patted his human chest before turning to walk off, but something blocked his way. He ran into it hard enough to tumble backwards falling on his butt. With a 'thud!' and an 'ugh!' he looked up to see what he had ran into.
"What no—?" the boy groaned before looking up and with eyes growing ever wider stared into one of the coldest faces ever known to humanity—or even Demons.
"A child?" the pale man said as he raised a dark curved brow.
"Oi," came another that was behind him to bend and kneel next to the Demon in disguise. "Isn't this Tony Tony Chopper? The Princess' personal doctor? Wasn't he traveling with them?"
"Was he now?" the tall pale man looked down at the trembling boy with pale cold eyes.
"We could use him to lure the others to us," a woman appeared then.
"Yeah, I'm sure they'd come running chapapa," one said, this one being rounder than most.
"Yoi, yoi, then let's do it!" another said, this one being quite larger than most.
"W-Wait!" the boy said, waving his arms. "I'm not what you think I am!"
"Really?" the one with the square nose asked as he tilted his head. "Then what are you? Heh, heh."
"I took this body!" the boy defended himself. "I was a Demon wanting to be human and so took this body to be one!"
"So you're a Demon?" the long nosed man asked.
"Hai!" the boy said, hoping they'd leave him alone now.
He then noticed a strange mood appearing on all of them. Their faces seemed darker than before and the silence was unbearable and frightening. He gulped loudly and then looked to the leader of the group raising his hand and bending his fingers. It was then his cold gaze was upon him.
"Hm, what a shame then," he said soon bringing out his hidden claws to be rid of the disgusting creature that God should have never let live in the first place.
There was a loud scream that echoed through the whole forest. A deathly horror-filled scream like someone had been massacred. Everything in the forest heard it, Demons and animals alike—even Luffy's group.
"Gasp! What was that?" everyone gasped as they shot up from their seats and peered out into the darkness.
"That sounded like Chopper," Sanji said. "Do you think something happened to the person who took his body?"
"No!" Chopper cried. "If something did then how am I supposed to return back to normal?"
"Chopper's right!" Luffy said as he jumped up. "We have to go find out what happened!"
"Y-Yeah but whatever might have caused that is still out there!" Usopp trembled.
"You're just going to have to deal with it!" Sanji grumbled.
"We'd better hurry," Zoro spoke up. "Once a body falls lifeless on this floor the Demons will come out and eat it."
"W-What?" everyone gasped with wide eyes.
"He's right," Franky said with a nod. "We'd better hurry."
"Yosh! Let's go!" Luffy said as he started off to lead everyone in the direction they heard the scream, but suddenly Luffy fell to the ground.
"Luffy!" everyone gasped as they all came to his side.
"Gaha!" Luffy cried as his hands went to crumble near the mark on his back. "It hurts now!"
"It's acting up again?" Nami gasped wondering just why it was doing such a thing.
With a hard sniff Chopper nodded as he turned to go look for his medical pack.
"I'll get your medicine!"
As he turned though he stopped in his tracks. His jaw dropped and eyes bulged from his head.
"Chopper what is i—?" Sanji started but too froze, his jaw dropping in disbelief.
Everyone turned to see what the matter was and upon sight Zoro instantly stepped in front of the group with swords drawn. He knew they were close, but not this close.
"Hm? He's injured?" came one of the coldest voice anyone had ever heard.
"Cipher Pol 9!" Nami gasped as she covered her mouth, she had forgotten the Royal Army had sent out that assassination squad.
"I thought I told you I'd kill you if I caught you anywhere near us!" Zoro let out a growl knowing these humans were some of the strongest to ever exist—and he knew why.
"Sorry Zoro-kun," Kaku came out with a shrug as if he was apologizing. "It's our job. But, my, might I say your group has grown—funny, I never thought you were a people person Zoro-kun."
"Shut the he-- up!" Zoro nearly growled out knowing he wasn't going to be able to protect them all if they all attacked at once, he had to figure out a way to help everyone escape this danger, but how?
Zoro watched as the leader of the group's eyes fell down to Luffy who was still aching on the forest floor. He knew that if he saw him in this kind of a weakened state he'd never let up his attack on him, besides . . . Rob Lucci liked getting the job done as quick as possible.
"He's been Demon Branded I see," Lucci said with a somewhat pleased smile. "This way—he can't fight back like what he did to Blueno."
"Blueno?" Zoro blinked, so Luffy wasn't exaggerating when he said he had beaten someone—he had probably used his Priestly powers to take him down, that was good, but now . . . there was no way in heaven or hell that he was going to be able to activate it.
"That's right Roronoa," Lucci said as he stood up straight with his arms behind his back. "That criminal there took out one of the finest assassins the Royal Army had—that is punishable upon death."
"I swore I'd protect him," Zoro said as he backed up slightly and held out his swords to separate them from the assassins.
"Ah, as I recall you swore to protect him until you took him to his brother," Kaku spoke up—how long had they been spying on them? "You don't have to anymore. As I see it you can redeem yourself as a Royal Army assassin if you just come stand with us."
All looked at Zoro. He wasn't saying a word, which worried them some. Would Zoro really just stop protecting them—Luffy? Just to redeem his position on the Royal Army?
Zoro gazed at the squad for a moment before the sounds of Luffy's labored breathing took his attention. If he would not protect him who would? Who could?
"As I have said before and will say again—I will not harm the innocent, neither will I let you," Zoro said firmly, glaring heatedly at every member with his blazing emerald eyes.
"Then you are our enemy," Lucci stated. "As is all who will it to protect a criminal."
"Gomen," Kaku said with another apologetic shrug.
"Everyone," Zoro said, catching alls attention. "I want you to get Luffy out of here and escape."
"What?" Sanji growled as he stood up and glared at the swordsman. "You're not going to take all the glory and fight them off!"
"Do as I say!" Zoro growled looking quite annoyed at the blonde, the word 'human' almost slipping out of his mouth at how perturbed he was of the stupid cook.
Zoro said it with such command Sanji was at loss for words. With a grumble Sanji turned and picked up the aching boy. He turned back to Zoro and asked—
"Then what's going to happen to you?"
"I'll hold them off as long as I can," Zoro said as he turned to them.
"No!" Chopper cried as he ran up to hug his leg. "Don't die!"
"I won't," Zoro said with a faint smile as he patted the boy whom he had strangely grown attached to—just like every member here. "I can't die—not yet."
"Then you'd better come back in one piece," Sanji said as he turned with the others and darted off into the dark night forest.
"Awww, they ran off again," Kaku all but pouted. "Oh well, I like chases."
"I won't allow you to go after them," Zoro said as he took out another sword and placed it in his mouth. "There was a reason why I never had a squad . . . I never needed one."
"We'll see about that Roronoa," Lucci said. "As you can see—we're not ordinary humans."
"Hm, neither am I," Zoro said with his own confident smirk—they were NOT getting past him.
Hot Shot's girl: Sorry I didn't update this for a while but someone on Youtube wanted me to make another parody, which I did (took me three days, taking up the days I usually type :/), you guys can watch it if you want :D It's called One Piece Parody Vid 2 (Duh) lol, but yeah now I'm trying to update my other stories this week. I'll probably update The Test tomorrow, but I don't know :) Until next chp guys ;D