Oh my god, I am so sorry guys. Wow. So, if the writing is drastically different, it's because it's been seven months.

This fic is rated M.

I do not own One Piece.

Just as his nakama were facing their foes, Zoro was staring down an enemy of his own. All of the Iron Fist pirates were brutal, ruthless, and cruel. Each of the Straw Hats had a grueling battle ahead of them, but for Zoro it was different. He knew the bald pirate that now stood before him, his lips curled into a cocky sneer. He had met the Iron Fist first mate before, been outmatched by his quick wit. But losing a bounty in the past wasn't what bothered Zoro about his opponent. Rather, it was what he knew the man was capable of.

The memory of what Saul the Mechanic had done to those women back in East Blue was permanently etched into the swordsman's mind. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw them; eyes wide and glassy, mouths stretched in a silenced scream, bodies split open and mutilated beyond recognition. And now Saul's victims had a new addition in his darkest nightmares. Zoro could barely sleep for the visions of the cook laid out on that metal table, bloodied and broken.

Seeing the table beside him empty but so thoroughly stained had rattled Zoro, even if he wouldn't ever admit it out loud. That was the blood of his rival and brother-in-arms, and there was so much of it. How could Sanji have possibly survived? He had lost too many members of his crew already; one of them drifting in pieces along the bottom of the Grand Line and the other lying lifeless at his hip. He couldn't bear the thought of losing a living and breathing crewmate, even if that crewmate was the shitty, foul-mouthed Ero-Cook. Sanji was as vital to the crew as any of the others, even if the two of them rarely got along. How many times would they have been doomed had it not been for the cook's quick thinking? They couldn't lose Sanji, not this way.

"Are you just going to stand there all day?" asked Saul, his voice low and dangerous. "Are you hoping that I'll surrender? Because I can tell you right now that that isn't happening."

Zoro only narrowed his eyes in response, his grip around Wado and Kitetsu tightening. His jaw ached for the presence of a third sword. It wasn't that he couldn't fight without it, but something at his core told him that he needed it.

"What's the matter with your other sword?" Saul's concern was so faked that it was menacing. "I had so hoped to face your Three Sword Style again. I've learned some new tricks, you see."

"I don't need three swords to kill you," bluffed Zoro, raising his black and white blades defensively as he scanned the room. As of yet, the Mechanic was still unarmed and it made the swordsman nervous.

Saul studied his opponent in amused silence, dangerous intelligence glinting in his dark eyes. Zoro's entire body tensed when the Mechanic casually slipped his hands into his pockets. Just what was he planning? The sick bastard was even harder to read now than he had been in the East Blue. Worse yet, Zoro's lack of sleep and poor diet over the last two weeks were wearing on him. He felt so much heavier than he usually did. His feet seemed to be encased in stone and it took more strength to hold his swords than it should have. On top of that, the reeking stench of Saul's underground torture chamber burned at his lungs, making Zoro lightheaded. Fog was beginning to cloud the edges of his vision, prompting him to shake his head several times in an attempt to clear it. Zoro furrowed his brow and Saul grinned widely.

"Is something the matter, Roronoa?" asked the Mechanic. "You've been standing there an awfully long time. Tell me, are you feeling…tired?"

Zoro scowled at him. That had sounded too menacing to be a simple observation. Was Saul hinting at something? Zoro wanted to scream. This kind of riddle bullshit was the cook's domain, not his. He shook his head again to clear the ever persistent fog. He needed to concentrate, dammit. He knew from experience that he couldn't just blindly charge Saul. That was how he'd gotten away the last time. Zoro inhaled deeply, hoping that he could ignore the heavy smell of Sanji's suffering in the air and clear his mind. Instead he choked on it, coughing as the acrid stench overwhelmed him and the world seemed to tip dangerously to one side. This time, the fog wouldn't dissipate no matter how hard Zoro shook his head. He gagged on each breath, bent nearly double as he fought for oxygen. There was something wrong here, something beyond the horrible smell of blood and sweat and the implements for torture that hung from the walls. It was an underlying threat; a plan that Saul had enacted as soon as Zoro stepped into the basement that would take his life if he didn't act fast. Finally, the true nature of his predicament dawned on him and his eyes widened.

Saul laughed. "Finally figuring it out, Roronoa? I can tell you right now that it's too late. God, I'd forgotten how slow you were."

Zoro didn't answer, couldn't answer. He leaned heavily against the table, trying his best to ignore the way Sanji's dried blood flaked off of the metal, each breath coming in a shallow, ragged gasp. Now that he knew what was happening, he couldn't believe that he'd missed it. His head spun, nausea creeping up in his stomach as he remembered the subtle toxic smell that underlay the other more potent odors in the stale basement. The same scent had clung to the insides of his nostrils the morning that he and the others had awoken to find Nami beaten and the cook gone. Chopper had deduced that it was a knock out gas made from some sort of naturally occurring toxin.

"There it is," purred Saul, still stationed beside his forge. "Do you like my newest invention? Well, not all mine. I only get half the credit."

A fresh wave of dizziness washed over Zoro and he had to rest his hand, still firmly grasping Kitetsu, on the table. The black blade hummed as it came so near to the bloodcaked surface, the sensation sending static jolts up its master's arm. Zoro coughed and blinked. The fog was still clouding his vision, but Kitetsu's excitement had chased some of it away.

"It's funny," the Mechanic continued to monologue, his words going almost completely ignored as Zoro struggled to stay conscious. "I always thought I preferred being alone, but this crew really is useful." He threw his arms wide, indicating the large display of remains behind him. "I've never had so much work in my life! And I've made the most genius devices. That gas you're breathing for instance. The good doctor mixed the chemicals, but I'm the one who figured out how to disperse it. It was also me that discovered that intense heat lessens its effects."

By now, Zoro could feel his black blade's excitement coursing up his arm and throughout his body as he continued to hold it so agonizingly close to the dried blood. He had only half listened to anything Saul had said as he concentrated on keeping his eyes open, using Kitetsu's bloodlust as a vehicle to do so. He had heard that last part, however. His eyes flicked to the burning forge several feet away and then to the sneering Mechanic's face.

"Impressed, Roronoa?" asked Saul with a mocking tone. "It really is amazing. Though in the end, those idiots are nothing more than cannon fodder. They can all be replaced."

"There's your first mistake," growled Zoro, his voice low and rough from coughing.

Saul gave him a slightly confused look, his raised arms lowering as he appraised his opponent. But before he could open his mouth to speak again, Zoro finally found traction in his own personal fog and charged him. Wado and Kitetsu flashed dangerously under the harsh lights hanging from the basement's ceiling, their cutting edges illuminated sharply as he closed the gap between the table and forge in a few quick, albeit wobbly bounds. He let out an angry yell as he neared Saul, intent upon cutting him down on the spot.

"So, you still have some fight in you," sneered Saul, reaching behind him toward the forge. At the last moment before Zoro struck, he raised his weapon to block. "I would expect no less."

Sparks flew as steel met iron, the force of Zoro's charge pushing the Iron Fist pirate back a step. Sure enough, the air was clearer by the heat of the forge and Zoro breathed deeply, feeling some of his drug-induced heaviness lifting. His determined glare met Saul's, the fog in his vision reduced to a manageable level. The Mechanic looked stunned for a moment and then began to push back.

"You're cleverer than you were before," complimented Saul, his voice strained as he fought to hold off the swordsman. "Unfortunately for you, that won't be enough. The Grand Line has made me better too, you see."

The Mechanic gave an extra hard lunge, momentarily pushing his and Zoro's weapons closer to the swordsman. Something glowed a violent yellow-orange out of the corner of his eye, intense heat catching him in the shoulder before he could react. Zoro hissed and backed up a step, pulling away from the burning metal. He had to resist the urge to look. Even though the heated iron had barely grazed him, he could still smell the burning cotton and skin. Zoro rolled his shoulder, gritting his teeth as pain lanced through the affected area. That was going to leave one hell of a mark.

"Do you like it?" asked Saul, waving his weapon in front of him as he leered at the swordsman. The Mechanic held it out so Zoro could get a look at its burning end, the heat radiating from the metal and making the air ripple around it. A brand. "This one was Standish's idea."—Saul cocked an eyebrow and grinned.—"He likes to mark what's his."

The sound of Sanji's scream through the Transponder Snail rang in Zoro's ears as he stared at the glowing Iron Fist symbol. They had marked him. The bastards had marked that poor stupid cook for the rest of his life. The thought made Zoro's blood boil.

"What's the matter, Roronoa? Are you scared?"

"Like hell I am." Zoro was still finding it difficult to breathe, his voice coming out rough and dry. "I was just thinking how good it's going to feel to cut you open."

Saul's sneer left his face as Zoro lunged at him again. This time he managed to push the Iron Fist pirate back, both of their feet scrambling against the pressed dirt floor as they fought for control. Zoro knew that he outclassed Saul in both physical power and skill, but by now his head was spinning from the knock out gas. He was fighting two battles, one with the pirate bearing down on him and one with his own consciousness, and losing either one wasn't an option. He had to finish this soon. Zoro had no idea how to stop the noxious gas from leaking into the room, so the only option was to kill Saul and escape as soon as possible. First, though, he needed to level the playing field. If he could get the Mechanic away from his forge and into the invisible cloud of gas, then they would both be under its effects.

The Mechanic managed to land a sucker punch to Zoro's gut and then grazed him with the brand again, this time burning the top of his thigh. Zoro grunted as the blows landed and swung Kitetsu at his enemy's head, only to meet smoky air. He wanted to curse himself. The damned gas was making him think too much and too slowly.

Having moved closer to the forge, he took a deep breath to clear his senses, aiming another swing of his black blade at Saul as he did so. Zoro could almost taste the smoke of the intensely hot wood fire burning in the stove, a plan finally taking shape as Kitetsu found its prey. Electric excitement hummed up the length of Zoro's sword as it bit into the flesh over Saul's collarbone, leaving a deep gash several inches long. Saul reeled backwards from the pain and surprise of the blow, but Zoro wasn't paying him any attention. Using the brief opening, the swordsman spun on his heel, delivering an arching blow to the forge's chimney hidden behind the wall with a powerful swing of Wado.

Shelves of preserved remains tumbled to the floor as the mud brick crumbled under the force of the strike. Zoro and Saul jumped back just in time to avoid the small avalanche of bricks, wood, and body parts, the two of them watching with respective determination and horror as the entire display was destroyed. The falling debris hit the floor with a muffled boom that vibrated the metal table behind them. The sheer volume of it buried the forge, extinguishing the fire and filling the underground space with smoke and dust.

Zoro only watched the destruction for a moment before moving to attack his adversary once again. He had hoped that something like this would happen and had held onto that last deep breath before he had cut down the forge's chimney. Saul was red-faced with rage as he turned to meet the swordsman's attack, wildly swinging the still heated brand at Zoro's head. Zoro easily knocked the burning weapon aside, parrying it with Kitetsu as he gave Wado a chance at tasting enemy blood. The white blade swung true and Saul howled in pain and rage as it cut through the muscle and tendons of his forearm. The Mechanic dropped the brand as he stumbled backwards, clutching at his newest wound.

"You fucking bastard!" Saul screamed, his eyes watering from the smoke and the pain, his composure long gone. "You've destroyed it! You ruined my arm!" He pulled a long and bloodied serrated knife from a rolling tray nearby and sprang at Zoro like a rabid animal. "How will I do my work without my arm?!"

The Pirate Hunter wordlessly sidestepped Saul's sloppy lunge, bringing Kitetsu down to bite into the Mechanic's shoulder. Zoro's ears were ringing and his head throbbed as he continued to fend off his looming unconsciousness. Even as he turned and landed another precisely calculated blow to Saul's back, the swordsman's lungs burned for want of another breath, no matter how toxic it would be.

The smoke in the confined space had become so thick that Zoro couldn't see more than a foot in front of him, his sight further encumbered by the fact that the destruction of the wall had knocked out many of the lights in the ceiling. But he knew that Saul was behind him, wheezing loudly as he fought against the same aerosolized enemy. The swordsman closed smoke-reddened eyes, focusing on the sounds of his foe behind him. The Mechanic that he had met in the East Blue would have run away by now, but Saul had grown arrogant in his experience on the Grand Line. The ringing in Zoro's ears had evolved into a roar that was akin to rushing water when he sensed the other man make his move.

"Well?! What do you have to say for yourself, you bastard?!" shrieked the Iron Fist first mate as he lunged at Zoro's exposed back. "I'll make you pay for taking my arm from me!"

"That's funny," Zoro finally spoke, his voice cold and even despite the smoke and gas invading his lungs.

At the last moment before Saul struck, Zoro spun Kitetsu in his hand, pointing the cursed blade into the smoke-filled space behind him. The blackened steel hummed happily as the Mechanic impaled himself on it, his momentum carrying him forward until the hilt met his ribcage. He sputtered and gasped as Zoro turned to look at him through the haze, clawing at the hand that held Kitetsu with his damaged one as he swung the knife wildly with the other. Zoro let the serrated edge cut into his flesh without so much as a flinch, each of the wounds over his torso and arms just barely deep enough to draw blood. Wild and terrified recognition dawned in Saul's eyes as the swordsman raised Wado for the finishing blow.

"I remember you laughing when your captain broke our cook's hand."

Some outside force shook the entire island as Wado descended upon the neck of the cruel pirate that had taken so many lives, Saul's final scream dying in his throat as he was cleanly beheaded. Zoro watched the Mechanic's head tumble to the floor with cool detachment until it rolled under the table. Using what little strength remained, he pulled Kitetsu from Saul's twitching body and sheathed both blades. It took all of his self control to not take deep breaths of the toxic air.

"Well that's over," the swordsman muttered to the empty room, his voice rattling in his chest.

Then the fog closed in around his vision and Zoro dropped to his knees. He cursed at himself, his head swimming as he battled against the deadly combination of smoke and knock out gas. He knew that if he didn't leave now, he would die. Chopper had once explained to him how smoke could be more deadly than the fire. He needed to get out of that room. But he was so tired.

He gave his head a violent shake in a vain attempt to clear it. There was no way he was going to let a little smoke get in his way. Moving on his hands and knees, Zoro began to look for the stairs, but the going was slow. He thought that he knew which direction they were in, however every direction only yielded another wall. The floor was rough and strewn with debris. Sharp shadowy objects cut into Zoro's hands and knees as he searched for the exit. He didn't even want to think about what those things were used for or if those wet spots were Saul's blood or Sanji's.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, his fingers found the first stair step. Looking up, he could see a faint glow of light through the smoke and haze, though the distance to it seemed more akin to climbing a mountain than a flight of stairs. Zoro steeled himself and began his ascent, trying his best to ignore the way his lungs burned and seized around every breath and how heavy his eyelids and limbs felt. The air grew moderately clearer as he went, with most of the dust and gas trapped in the basement and the smoke travelling along the ceiling of the stairwell. He could hear voices as he continued his agonizing journey, his battle honed senses screaming for him to concentrate and prepare for another fight. As he neared the final few steps, the words became more audible. It was then that Zoro realized that he recognized them. His legs found new strength and he finally managed to stand, stumbling up the remaining steps and pushing through the door into the hall.

Hot, humid air hit him like a wall, pushing the air from his lungs, but Zoro staggered on, following the echoing sounds of the arguing voices. Just as he reached the end of the hall, someone turned the corner, too focused on debating where they were going to pay attention to their surroundings. Zoro tried to say something, but the words stuck in his throat and the three of them collided, tumbling to the dirt floor.

"Dammit, Usopp!" snapped Nami, rubbing at her head. "You distracted me and—Zoro!"

Zoro locked his two bickering crewmates with a half-hearted glare, his head spinning from the force of the fall. Further behind them, he could hear the others reacting to Nami's outburst, most of all Chopper, who seemed beside himself with worry.

"Zoro?!" cried the reindeer upon hearing Nami. He rounded the corner, his pace considerably slowed by Franky, whose arm was draped over his broad shoulders. The doctor's mouth dropped open as he took in his friend's appearance. "Zoro! Are you okay? What happened? Was it Saul? Did he get away? How do you feel? Is that a burn?!"

Zoro opened his mouth to respond, only to feel his throat close as he fell into a fit of painful coughing. He briefly saw Nami's eyes widen before he had to close his own, tears leaking out from behind his eyelids as his body fought to rid itself of the foreign toxins. His head still felt like it was in a vice and his chest even more so. He coughed for several more minutes as his crewmates watched powerless to help until the fit passed with a final deep-chested hack that brought more blood, dust, and soot to his mouth. Zoro spit the disgusting mixture to the side, wiping at his lips with the back of his hand as he looked back up at the other Straw Hats' concerned faces.

Nami and Usopp were watching him closely, the navigator looking pale and drawn while the sniper seemed like he was about to be sick. Chopper had left Franky to lean on Robin, who was shouldering his weight with grim determination as the doctor knelt to examine his newest patient. Zoro couldn't help but to notice how worn all of them looked, his stomach doing a guilty backflip when he saw how much blood stained Chopper's fur.

"You okay, Chopper?" he asked, the words threatening to catch in his throat and start another fit. The human-reindeer gave him a confused look before he seemed to realize how he looked. He frowned, clearly upset by whatever had happened.

"It's not my blood," Chopper explained, his tone grim. "Now, sit up for me so I can listen to your breathing."

Normally, Zoro would have protested, but he was too tired and Chopper too concerned, so he obliged. Once he'd managed to sit up, folding his legs so he was crosslegged, the doctor transformed into his Brain Point and pressed a furry ear to his back. Zoro took breaths as he was directed, sweating as his lungs labored for oxygen in the intense heat. After having him repeat the exercise several times, Chopper sat back, his entire body relaxing as he came to his diagnosis.

"It's smoke inhalation," he said. "You should be fine with some rest."

"I could have…told you that," grumbled Zoro between halting breaths. His head still hurt from Saul's knock out gas, but at least he wasn't dizzy anymore.

Chopper ignored him, pulling at his torn shirt to get a better look at the shallow knife wounds underneath. "Now, I just need to treat these other injuries and—"

"Don't—" Zoro coughed hard enough to taste blood again. This time, he swallowed it. "Save whatever supplies you have left for the cook. I don't need them."

"So, I take it you didn't find him then," said Nami sullenly.

Zoro scowled and shook his head. He still couldn't decide if it would have been better if he had.

"And this Saul the Mechanic?" asked Robin.

The swordsman cleared his throat. "Dead."

Nami looked away from Zoro's face and over his shoulder to the basement door that still stood open, smoke slowly leaking into the hall. Her expression was serious for a moment until some thought seemed to occur to her and she turned back to him, eyes wide. "Was he—?"

"Don't ask," Zoro interrupted, already well aware of where the navigator was going with her question. The image of the bloodstained metal table and the burning brand flashed through his mind once again. He gave his head another shake to dispel the memory. "Trust me; you don't want what's down there in your head."

"Do you think…" Usopp paused mid-sentence, his brow furrowing as he fought off his emotions. "Do you think Sanji's still alive?"

Zoro glowered at the sharpshooter. He wanted to say "yes", wanted to tell them that the damned Ero-Cook was too stubborn to let these bastards kill him, but couldn't find the words. He wished that he could believe it, himself, but being confronted with Saul's torture chamber and all of that blood had planted doubt in his mind. And if the heavy, saddened silence that permeated the hall was anything to go by, his nakama felt the same.

"WHERE'S SANJI?!"

Luffy had lost count of how many times he had asked that question in the last two weeks, but this time was different. This time, the man that knew the answer was standing before him, grinning maliciously from ear to ear. There was about one hundred feet separating them. The Iron Fists' mess hall was huge and Standish had stationed himself at the other end, his back nearly against the wall as he faced the door. Luffy had barely been in the room for more than a minute, the shattered remains of the table he had run into scattered at his feet, but he was already shaking with rage.

"I'll ask you again," said the Straw Hat captain, his voice unsteady with suppressed anger. "What have you done with Sanji?"

Standish chuckled, cracking his massive knuckles as his grin widened. "You mean you haven't figured it out yet? I thought that it was pretty obvious."

What little patience Luffy had ran out. "THEN I'LL JUST BEAT THE ANSWER OUT OF YOU!"

"We'll see about that," growled Iron Fist, raising his namesake weapons in a battle ready stance.

In a burst of speed and power, Luffy swung is right fist back, stretching it behind him, through the battered down doors and into the hallway as he sprinted toward his enemy. He let his knuckles graze the mud brick on the other end of the hall before allowing it to snap back in a powerful version of his Gum Gum Pistol, the name of the attack leaving his mouth in an angry yell. Standish, however, didn't move an inch, waiting with the same cruel grin on his face as Luffy ran toward him. Then, when the Straw Hat captain was within a few feet of him, he neatly lunged to the side, opening the path for Luffy to smash his fist into the wall. Only, the wall wasn't empty.

At first glance, Luffy thought that the thing hanging from chains bolted into the brick, formerly hidden by Standish's hulking form, was some sort of animal, skinned and ready to be cooked. But just as he drew close enough to strike, realization dawned on him in a flash of golden hair turned brassy from blood.

Sanji!

Luffy ground his feet into the floor in an attempt to slow himself, straining his shoulder painfully as he tried to divert his punch from hitting his captive crewmate. By some miracle, he barely managed, his fist smashing into the wall beside Sanji's still form, shattering the brick upon impact. But even as the debris rained down around them, Sanji didn't move.

Luffy's heart felt like it had stopped. His rubberized arm had only just snapped back into its normal shape when he grabbed at his friend's shoulders, trying to shake him awake.

"Sanji! Sanji, can you hear me?!"

Sanji made no response, not even a whimper. When Luffy looked down, he could see how he had initially mistaken his friend for an animal's carcass. Sanji hadn't been skinned, but he was so caked in dirt and blood that he was barely recognizable as human. It even took Luffy a moment to realize that the blond was naked, left completely exposed as he hung from chains around his bruised wrists.

When his attempts to rouse his nakama didn't work, Luffy's hands left Sanji's shoulders to cup his face, lifting it to see him better. The blond's remained lifeless in his grasp, his mouth hanging slightly open and his eyes obscured by a veil of sweaty hair.

"Sanji!" Several different emotions waged war within Luffy's heart as he took in his friend's condition. He wiped at Sanji's cheek with his thumb, smearing blood and dirt over the dried tear tracks that ran over his skin. He was still warm, but Luffy couldn't tell if he was breathing. "Sanji! Please wake up! Please don't be dead!"

Still no response. Luffy began to shake and behind him, Standish only laughed.

I'm going to try to update more regularly again. I am so sorry. I was stuck on this chapter for a long time. I plan on cycling through updates. So, it'll go CMD, Gifted, The Golden Spiral, and then back to CMD. I'm also running another book project, so...anyway, I'm so sorry for the delay.

You can find me and bother me on Tumblr, if you like. I'm kumiko-sama-chan.