Author's Note: Hi everyone. So, after lots of planning, I am happy to announce that I know how this fic ends. It's starting to look like we'll clock in around twenty-five to thirty chapters. As of now, I'm on chapter twenty-two and there's still a lot of heartbreak and tension to come. That being said, this chapter is full of action and nakama! Nami and Vivi discuss the Zoro ordeal and Zoro truly loses his temper for the first time since he's come back. Hope you all enjoy!
Chapter Eighteen: Vivi
Vivi coughs as the rubble clears, pulling her leg from a piece of the surrounding debri. Bruises begin to form almost immediately, pain drumming against her skin as she forces herself up and looks around. Dirt clouds around her, blocking her view of the area around her. In the distance, she can hear the others shouting but she can't manage to make out the words.
Then, from behind her, Nami lets out a sharp scream. Shoving herself to her feet, Vivi spins. For the second time, the navigator has been lifted into the air by an unseen force. Absalom. Gritting her teeth, Vivi bolts after the catman. It takes mere seconds for her to appear in the direction he'd been heading and throw a leg out to catch him in the stomach again.
Nami flies off his shoulder, landing on the ground with a yelp. Absalom snarls, but doesn't reappear.
"Nami!" Chopper cries from somewhere beyond the dust cloud. "Vivi!"
Metal clinks as Nami puts her clima tact together again. "Go on ahead!" Nami calls. "We'll catch up with you."
Something hard slams into Vivi's side. She hits the wall with a scream of surprise. Cement cracks behind her, the noise echoing in her mind as she drops to her knees.
"Thunderbolt Tempo!"
Electricity rains down around them. Vivi throws both arms up in a vain attempt to protect herself. Zombies scream out around her as Nami's lightning crashes into them. Black stains the floor around them, the ground shaking. Vivi waits a beat after the electricity stops to raise her head, looking into the angry face of the navigator.
Around them, most of the zombies are groaning from the ground, though Vivi knows they won't stay down for long. In mere moments, they will be up again. She searches the ground, looking for the catman. The charge hadn't worked last time. Would it work now?
"Did you get him?" Vivi asks, slowly rising to her feet.
"I don't know," Nami replies shortly.
Vivi lets out a breath and averts her gaze. Nami hasn't looked or spoken to her since they left Sunny. Her anger lingers in the air, along with hurt and betrayal. Vivi wishes she could apologize. She wants to scream from the top of her lungs that she's sorry. Sorry for doing this. Sorry for letting Zoro hurt without doing anything to stop it.
But, she can't. She can't because part of her isn't sorry. Part of her knows that if she'd betrayed the little bit of trust that Zoro had put in her, he would be completely alone in this world.
Vivi has handled all of this wrong. Vivi knows that now.
"You have to make a choice, Vivi. And, if it's the wrong one, fix it later."
Hiding all of this was the wrong choice. Telling them once they're safely away from Thriller Bark will be the right one. If they can just hold out until then. If the crew doesn't choose to hate her before they leave this terrible place, she can tell them. She can fix this.
What Zoro wants doesn't matter anymore. She needs to make the decision that's best for him. The decision that will keep him from spiraling into panic and end with him bloody by his own hand.
"Come on." Nami turns to walk down the still intact stairs. "We need to find another way around."
"I can just-"
An animalistic snarl fills the room. Nami spins, searching for the source but it's pointless. With his Devil Fruit, Absalom is impossible to see.
"I thought Sanji-kun took care of this guy," Nami growls.
Vivi looks around the hallway desperately. The zombies begin to stir. If all of them and Absalom attack, there's no way she'll be able to keep the cat man from taking Nami again. Bolting forward, she grabs Nami's hand and pulls her down the stairs at full speed.
Her mind searches for the ballroom, trying to will her Devil Fruit to take them here, but everything hurts. She's exhausted. She's too tired to move both her and Nami anywhere right now. Feet thunder along behind them as Absalom and the zombies give chase.
Thousands of curses run through Vivi's mind as they spill into the courtyard again. She stops, pulling Nami ahead of her and unclips her peacock slasher. Her heart hammers in her chest, every muscle in her body snapping tense.
"We aren't going to outrun them," Vivi tells her.
Nami spins her clima tact. "I know."
The zombies descend with surprising speed, though thankfully, their numbers are much smaller than Vivi thought they would be. Most fall with ease as Vivi's slasher cuts into them, though they get back up minutes later. Electricity and fog fall around her as Nami cuts zombies down as well. The catman is nowhere to be seen, either invisible or lost in the sea of enemies.
"They won't stay down," Vivi says as her back hits Nami's.
"I know. And we don't have enough salt to-" She cuts herself off with a gasp. "That's it. Vivi, I've got an idea. Can you hold them off for a minute?"
"I can try."
Throwing the slasher out, Vivi slams her boot into the nearest zombie as Nami kneels to the ground with her clima tact. An arm encloses around Vivi's arm and she throws her elbow back, catching one of them in the face. Another whip of the slasher drives the closest zombies back.
"Nami-san."
"Just another minute."
A fresh wave of the creatures surge forward. Vivi isn't sure how to tell Nami that she isn't positive that they have another minute. Her slasher cuts across another zombie's face and it falls.
"Got it!" Nami cheers. "Now, Salt Rain Tempo!"
Black clouds form over their heads from the clima tact. The zombies freeze, staring up at the weather magic with open mouths of surprise. Rain pours down, soaking through Vivi's shirt and hair as it falls. Around them, the zombies begin to fall, black spilling from their mouths. Salt attacks Vivi's tongue as she bites her lip, watching in amazement as all of their enemies fall.
Nami lets out a cheer. "It worked!"
Vivi lets out a laugh of relief, smile filling her face. Thank goodness for Nami's quick thinking. Without it, they would have been in a lot of trouble.
A growl splits the air and Vivi hits the ground hard. Nami's curse fills the air.
"Get your disgusting, perverted hands off of me!" Nami screams.
Looking up, Vivi watches Absalom begin to vanish from sight and Nami disappears along with him. Her heart rockets into her throat. If he vanishes with Nami now, changes are, Vivi will never get her back.
She bolts forward, letting the wind take her behind the catman before he can vanish completely. Her arm snakes around his neck, foot slamming into the back of his knee, and pulls. Absalom chokes, gagging on his own breath as she puts all of her weight on her arm. His arm falls from around Nami, clawed hand reaching for Vivi instead. Once Nami falls away from him, Vivi throws herself up, wrapping a leg around his neck and letting her momentum and weight crash down on his shoulders.
The move had served her well at Baroque's Work, stunning her opponent or cutting off their breathing. Absalom hits the ground hard and Vivi manages to roll away from the angry being. Every inch of him is soaked from Nami's rain, his scarred body fully on display after his fight with Sanji. The cuts and burns the chef had given him stand out, fresh and raw. He stumbles a bit, far more stunned then Vivi expected him to be.
So, maybe he hasn't recovered fully from his fight with Sanji. Which means that he might be easier to take down.
"You won't take my bride," Absalom growls as he lunges at her. His claws barely brush her skin, enough for blood to spill down her shoulder.
Vivi manages to slam her boot into her face as she flips backward, spinning her slasher once she lands on her feet. He dodges it with ease and lashes out at her again. The cuts on her shoulder sting as sweat trickles down her arm. Absalom is faster than Vivi wants him to be. It seems that every time she manages to get away from him, he reappears.
Letting the ground vanish and reappear beneath her feet, Vivi manages to get some distance from the man. She blows a strand of hair from her face, legs trembling slightly as exhaustion starts to settle in. Every muscle in her body feels stretched and sore.
The catman sneers at her, his body beginning to disappear once again. "It would have been easier if you'd just let me take my bride."
"I," Nami snarls. "Am. Not. Your. Bride. Thunder Lance Tempo!"
Lightning splits through the air. Absalom screams, the electricity so bright and furious that Vivi actually sees his skeleton. By the time the lightning fades, Vivi sees only the whites of his eyes around the charred skin on his body. He falls silently.
Her legs give out and she drops to the ground, staring at the still body with wide eyes. Nami falls to the ground as well, letting out a loud breath and panting. For a moment, the air sits still around them. Everything is calm, even if it won't last. It can't last. They still have to fight Moria. Still have to get everyone's shadows back.
"We should go find Luffy-san," Vivi says, glancing at the still body laying feet from her.
Across from her, Nami pants, one arm wrapped around her ribs and shakes her head. "We're not going anywhere until we talk about this."
"What do you want me to say, Nami-san?"
"I want you to tell me the truth!" Nami's voice shakes.
It seems ridiculous, for them to be sitting in a dangerous courtyard surrounded by unconscious enemies and having this discussion. But she can't hide from this anymore. The tension building between them weighs heavily on Vivi's shoulders and she can't afford any distractions. Even if it is a distraction she can push to the back of her mind.
She needs to know that she and Nami are on good terms again. That no matter what, they'll have each other's backs.
"I can't do that," Vivi whispers.
"Why?" Tears fill Nami's eyes, spilling down her cheeks. "Vivi, he was scared. He hurt himself. He's my nakama. And I can't help him."
"Nami-san."
She wants to tell them, knows that she has to tell them. But, to explain it more than once, Vivi isn't sure she can. And, with the battle against a giant with Luffy's fighting ability around the corner, she doesn't have the time. Once this is over, once they're safely off Thriller Bark, Vivi will tell them everything.
"He's done so much for me. He saved me. I watched Arlong dangle him like a piece of meat. Watched him bleed out. I made him carry me through Alabasta when he was hurt." Nami lowers her head, hands clenching in fists on her legs. "All he ever does is try to protect us. And now he needs help and I can't help him!"
Vivi lowers her gaze as well, hugging herself as she tries to fight back tears.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Nami sobs. "How could you do this, Vivi?"
"He trusted me, Nami-san," Vivi whispers. "And, if I betrayed that trust, then he'd have no one. I never meant to hurt you all. You're my nakama. You all mean so much. But, Zoro needed someone he could trust."
"He hurt himself," Nami whispers.
"I didn't know that." Tears burn Vivi's cheeks as they fall. "I should have, but I didn't. I just thought it was panic attacks. He would sit there and shake and cry, but that was it. I would have never let him hurt himself, Nami-san."
Nami doesn't respond, just sniffles. Vivi pulls the ribbon from her hair before she can stop herself, letting her hair fall loose so she can clench it to her chest. A strange pressure settles on her shoulder, warm and comforting. Opening her eyes, Vivi sees nothing but air through her blurry vision.
Heels click across the courtyard as the pressure vanishes and Nami kneels in front of her, pulling her into a hug. "I know you wouldn't. I'm still hurt," the navigator whispers. "But I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at me. I should have seen it too."
Vivi clings to her, burying her head in Nami's shoulder.
"Don't ever do this again, okay?" Nami's voice shakes with tears. "Not to us. Not to yourself, Vivi."
This is completely ridiculous. Sitting in a dark courtyard surrounded by danger, clinging to each other and sobbing. But, they do it anyway.
The boys stand in the middle of the castle rubble, staring up at the monster with Luffy's shadow when Vivi and Nami finally make their way back. Zoro, unsurprisingly, stands at the front of the group, arm resting on his katana as he looks boredly up at the towering being before him. Sanji stands behind him, yelling about his wanted poster while Brook and Franky desperately try to calm him down.
"Nami! Vivi!" Chopper calls.
Hidden behind one of the barriers, Usopp, Chopper, and Robin wave them over. Nami lets out a relieved sigh, running to meet them. Vivi can't force her legs to move, looking up at the monstrosity they'll have to face next.
Her heart pounds in her chest, hands shaking slightly. Oars truly is at least six times the size of a normal giant. He might even be taller than the entire castle that Hogback has been living in.
"What are those morons doing?" Nami demands, slipping into the hide beside Usopp.
"Who knows?" the sniper hisses. "They've all got death wishes, I swear."
"Zoro said it looked like fun," Chopper whines.
"God, why is he such an idiot?"
"Vivi," Robin calls. "Come over here before you get spotted."
"Your wanted poster really does look like you." Oars's voice causes the ground to tremble beneath her feet.
"It looks nothing like me you damn idiot!" Sanji shouts.
Zoro laughs. Vivi wants to strangle him. Whether he knows the outcome of this or not, to be so lax in the face of danger is never a good idea. Especially with the others standing with him and with Sanji demanding to know if Oars's eyes are rotting out.
"You wanna try me?" Sanji sneers. "Bring it on!"
A crazed, blood thirsty spark lights Zoro's eyes as he grins. "That's the spirit, Cook."
"Zoro," Vivi sighs, knowing full well that the idiot swordsman can't hear her. "You idiot."
"They're going to get us all killed," Nami snaps.
With a roar of anger, Oars slams his fists down on the boys. Dust flies up, a heavy cloud that blocks them all from view. Usopp and Chopper cry out in fear and Nami's hand finds Vivi's arm in a tight grip. The ground trembles, rocks cracking and crumbling as the giant's fists hammer down.
"They're going to get crushed!" Usopp cries.
"Usopp, shut up before he hears you!" Nami shouts.
Dark shadows appear in the dirt cloud. Franky bursts out first, sprinting away from the monster with Brook thrown over his shoulder. Seconds later, both Zoro and Sanji appear well, both still with their eyes on the beast. Apart from the layers of dirt caked on their clothing and hair, the both look untouched.
"Give me a lift?" Zoro asks.
Sanji smiles. "Thought you'd never ask."
No matter how much they fight, Sanji and Zoro do make a good 's mind wanders back to the Davy Back as she watches Zoro leap onto Sanji's leg, balancing perfectly with his katana drawn.
"Armee de L'Air Power Shoot!" Sanji throws his leg forward hard, sending Zoro flying toward the monster.
"Oni Giri!"
One of Oars's sharp bottom teeth falls as Zoro lands behind the beast. Oars turns with an angry growl and surprising speed. Before Vivi manages to blink, the giant's large hand slams into Zoro's body. Zoro's grunt in pain vanishes beneath the cracking of concrete as the wall he's slammed into crumbles.
"Shit!" Sanji curses.
Their chef clips backward, dodging Oars's attempts to swat at him. As always, Sanji's speed and grace serve him well as he dodges attacks, landing on rubble for barely a moment before he vanishes again. With an enraged snarl, Oars slams a foot down. The ground rumbles again. The debri shifts and Sanji stumbles his footing lost. With more surprising speed, Oars's fist collides with the chef. Another wall crumbles as Sanji hits it, falling through the air along with the ruined bits of wall.
"Sanj!" Usopp shouts.
"How is something that big that fast?" Franky demands.
Oars takes three running steps, hand wrapping around the chef to stop his fall. Vivi's heart stops as the giant pulls Sanji up, dangling him high over his head.
"We have to do something," Vivi says.
"Vivi, if Sanji-kun and Zoro can't handle this guy, what are we-"
"Gyuki Yuzume!"
Oars yells in surprise, dropping Sanji before he can crush their chef into the ground. Sanji lands among the rubble, rolling over at a snail's pace to get himself away from Oars. Zoro dodges away from the monster as he stomps around, searching for Zoro.
"Usopp!" Zoro calls. "I could use some support about now!"
One of Oars's fists comes dangerously close to the swordsman. The resounding collision is harsh enough to send Zoro flying backwards, slamming into a large piece of the destroyed building with a groan.
The ground shakes as Oars takes two steps forward, raising his foot to crush Zoro beneath it. Vivi moves, letting the air take her to Zoro's side. She barely gives herself time to grab his shirt before she pulls them both away, slamming into the ground beside Sanji. Every inch of energy leaves her and she collapses to the ground between the two boys, muscles screaming.
Dirt, dust, and debri explode around them as Oars's foot destroys the ground.
"Vivi-chan?" There's a slight wheeze in Sanj's voice as he sits himself up to look at her.
"I'm fine," Vivi says around a pant, rolling onto her back. "Zoro."
"Yeah," the swordsman growls. "I hate this bastard."
"Right there with you, marimo."
Oars turns, looking down at his bandaged arm before back at them. "Small lady with blue hair," the giant says, almost to himself. "Sword guy with green hair. And the curly browed guy."
Fire erupts on the giant's head before he can move too far, Usopp's shout of "Special Attack Fire Bird Star" ringing in the air. Oars doesn't cry out, only blinks as the flames die down before he spins to look at the others.
"Oh, shit." Zoro pulls Vivi onto her feet with him and she stumbles as he shoves her back toward Sanji before he bolts back toward Oars.
"Vivi-chan, you should get somewhere safe," Sanji says before he takes off after Zoro.
Letting out an annoyed scoff, Vivi turns her attention to the area around them. Oars is too large for individual attacks. They need to come up with a plan, quickly. Otherwise, the giant will crush them into pieces.
"OOW!" Franky's excited shout surprises her and she jumps, spinning to see Zoro plowing into Oars again, this time knocking the giant back a few feet.
Brook has vanished and Robin has made a ladder to help the rest of the crew down to the lower level. Zoro lands on his feet beside Sanji, left leg buckling for a moment.
"Oi, oi," Sanji says.
"Keep your fucking mouth shut, Cook," Zoro snarls.
"Vivi." Nami reaches her side, pausing to look up at the enraged giant. "This looks bad."
"We need a plan," Vivi says.
"You're right. He's too fast for the boys to keep this up."
Vivi glances back to watch the boys continue to dark from place to place. Franky, Usopp, and Chopper join in, each taking turns to attack Oars when his back is turned. The giant roars in rage, pounding the ground. Everything shakes.
Another part of the tower falls to the ground.
"Robin!" Zoro yells from across the field as the angry monster turns in Usopp's direction. "I'm going to try and take out his left arm. Can you put him in a submission hold?"
Nodding, Robin crosses her arms, ready to use her power.
"Usopp, Chopper, Cook! We need to tip him on his head. If we can get his horns stuck in the ground, it'll give us an advantage. Vivi, can you get Nami up there?" He points to the remaining rooftop. "We need lightning long enough to stun him for a minute. Think you can handle that, Sea Witch?"
"Leave it to us, Mr. Bushido."
"Yosh. Franky, give me a hand!"
"Zoro has a battle strategy," Nami mutters in awe.
Vivi wraps her hand in Nami's. She bites back the retort that this isn't truly a battle strategy. It's just Zoro already knowing how this will turn out. And trying to hurry things along.
Oars doesn't notice them as they appear on the rooftop, Nami readying her clima tact. Below them, Sanji sprints around the monster in a circle, kicking large pieces of rubble as he goes. Usopp fires oil around Oars's feet and the hand he's braced on the ground. Oars slips to the side.
"Nami, now!" Zoro shouts.
"This better work," Nami mutters, spinning her clima tact in her hand. "Thunderbolt Tempo!"
A thick bolt of lightning shoots down, engulfing Oars. The giant cries out, body still and stunned even as the electricity fades.
"Oi, Eyebrows!" Two of Zoro's swords have been stuck into a large pillar and he runs towards Sanji at top speed. A small chain - most likely of Franky's design - links a second pillar to it, spinning as Zoro moves. "Give me a boost, will you?"
"While you're carrying those big ass things?" Sanji shouts back.
"What? You not man enough?"
Zoro leaps up anyway. Whatever Sanji grumbles back, Vivi doesn't catch but he sticks his leg out to catch Zoro's weight. For the second time, Sanji kicks Zoro toward the giant. Zoro slams the pillar into the beast's arm before he can regain himself and seconds later, Robin's giant hand pins the injured limb behind his back.
"Didn't he say left arm?" Vivi asks, glancing at Nami.
The navigator lets out a long suffering sigh. "Yeah, but Robin and I just always do the opposite of whatever direction he tells us. It saves a lot of time."
Franky and Chopper - in his Heavy Point - move together, the shipwright someone managing to build stairs in midair. They lunge in unison, slamming their fists into Oars's lower jaw as he begins to fall. Even from above, Vivi can see Sanji smirk.
"You look a little dizzy," he calls, breaking into a run toward the giant. "You're going down. Anti-Manner Kick Course!" His leg slams into Oars's only remaining limb. "Fall, damn you!"
Oars flips, falling head first into the ground. Cheers ring out around them as the dust clears, revealing that Oars is indeed stuck in the ground, horns suck so far in it seems impossible for him to get them out.
"I don't believe it," Nami says as their crew descend upon the pinned down monster. "Zoro's plan actually worked."
More dirt flies up as the six members of their crew take turns slamming into the beast. Oars screams with each heavy hit. Vivi furrows her brow, looking for any sign of yielding from the zombie.
"For now," she mutters. "But, I don't know, Nami-san. These zombies are relentless. Unless we can find a way to free Luffy-san's shadow, I think we'll be battling him until Luffy-san finishes with Moria."
"That's not what I wanted to hear," Nami groans.
"Cut it out!" Oars screams as he finally pulls himself loose and leaps to his feet.
Their crew flee with curses and shouts.
"Back to work then," Nami mutters. "I hope Zoro has another plan."
Their battle with Oars only seems to get more difficult. Each time they manage to knock the monster down, he gets back up with renewed vigor. Oars smashes into the last remaining rooftop with surprising speed, sending Nami and Vivi falling through the air with the rubble. Vivi barely manages to grab Nami's arm, and they fall to the ground beside Robin instead of under Oars fist.
Vivi pants, shoving herself to her hands and knees. Her limbs feel weak, muscles aching and head spinning from overusing her Devil Fruit. Nami's hand lands on her shoulder, the navigator's warmth pressed against her side.
"Vivi."
"I'm okay," she pants, lungs burning. "I'm-"
Sanji screams. Vivi's heart stops and she freezes on her knees, watching Sanji clutch his right hand to his chest. She can see the red staining his skin, fingers bent in strange angles. No question about it, Sanji's hand is broken. His worst fear, Vivi knows. Even years ago, Vivi had known that Sanji's hands are his treasures. His life. The one thing that he would die before he damaged.
"Sanji-kun!" Terror fills Nami's scream as she leaps to her feet, watching in horror as Sanji stares at his hand.
Oars moves again, moving for the shell shocked chef. Chopper screams his name, but it isn't enough to get his attention. His screams have died to pained gasp, hunched over the precious limb he clutches to his chest.
Vivi lunges forward. Chances of her being able to move Sanji with her are slim. Her body is already almost too heavy to move. But, she can at least try to tackle him out of the way. Anything to keep him from getting crushed.
Her momentum is just enough to knock both her and Sanji a few feet away from Oars's foot. Small bits of rock fly around them, sharp stone cutting into Vivi's skin. Wet blood spills down her cheek, her hands fisted in Sanji's ruined coat as the dust settles around them, stinging Vivi's eyes. Beside her, Sanji whimpers, hand clutched to his chest in a vain attempt to protect it. Above them, Oars growls.
"Sanji-san," Vivi says, trying to blink the tears out of her eyes as she pulls on his arm. "We have to move."
Sanji pants, eyes squeezed shut. Oars takes another step.
"Thunderbolt Tempo!"
"Special Attack Firebird Star!"
"Weapons' Left!"
Attacks come from three different directions, pulling Oars attention from them. But, only for a moment. The giant rips the remaining tower from the castle, throwing it at the offending Strawhats. Desperately, Vivi pulls at Sanji's arm again, only managing to get him to his knees. The rest of him seems boneless, clinging to his injured hand.
Rocks clatter across the rubble as Zoro stalks in their direction. A shiver races down Vivi's spine. The name Roronoa Zoro has been spread across the world for years. The Demon Swordsman, Pirate Hunter Zoro. The man who sliced through Marines and enemies without hesitation or fear. To Vivi, the statements have always been ridiculous. Fearful rambles from people who didn't know the truth. Zoro is protective. Loyal. Loving. Directionless. Adorable. A real dork.
But, now, for the first time in over three years of knowing him, Vivi finally understands the rumors. His gray eyes have dilated with so much rage that Vivi can't see his pupils. The snarl on his face shows every one of his teeth. Even from a distance, Vivi can feel the murderous anger wafting from him in waves.
He looks like a true demon.
Oars turns back to Vivi and Sanji but she can't find any fear of him. Only fear for him.
Never has she seen Zoro so dangerous. So angry.
He spins the white katana clenching it between his teeth as he plants his feet, standing in front of Vivi and Sanji. Every inch of him trembles.
"The nine mountains and eight seas," he growls, voice so low it sounds like the snarl of a demon. Then, he bolts toward Oars at a sprint. "Make one world. One thousand worlds make one chiliocosm. One chiliocosm to the power of three and there's nothing I can't cut! Santoryu Ogi Ichidai Sanzen Daisen Sekai!"
The spinning swords slice through Oars, ripping a hole through the giant's side. Oars screams out, staggering to the side as Zoro lands on the ground. For a moment, all is still. The cut in Oars's side grows without warning, stretching across his stomach. Vivi's hands clap over her mouth, watching as the top half of Oars slides from his legs and the two halves of the zombie collapse to the ground.
A black mass shoots from the body, shooting into the night. Zoro hits his knees and then collapses to the side. Nami and Robin rush to him. Vivi forces herself to remain beside their shell-shocked chef, watching Robin wave Chopper off when the young doctor tries to approach.
"Go take care of Sanji-kun, Chopper." Nami's voice carries on the wind.
"But, but," Chopper whines, looking between his two most injured nakama.
"Chopper." There's a heavy exhaustion in Zoro's panting voice. "Check on Sanji."
The use of Sanji's real name seems to shock the young doctor as much as it shocks Vivi. For a moment, he stands, staring at Zoro's still form. Then, he scuttles over to Vivi and Sanji, ears pressed against his head.
"Oi, little sis," Franky says softly. He and Usopp make their way over, Brook trailing behind. "We'll sit with cook-bro. Go check on him."
Vivi's jaw trembles, gaze moving from the exhausted three before her to Sanji, staring blankly at Chopper as the young doctor takes his hand.
"Franky's right, Vivi," Usopp says, kneeling beside her and putting a hand on her shoulder. "We'll take care of Sanji. Go make sure Zoro's alright."
Nodding, Vivi pushes herself to her feet. Her muscles scream, angry that she's making them move again. Bruises form on her legs, blood trickling down her arm and face. It takes most of her willpower to keep her knees from buckling, her lungs working overtime to try and tame the exhaustion.
Zoro lays on his back, Nami leaning over him while Robin runs gentle hands along his arms and legs. His eyes are closed, chest heaving as though each breath is a chore. He blinks as she kneels beside him, licking his lips as he looks up at her.
"I'm fine," he says before she can ask.
Vivi frowns at him, hands curling into fists on her lap. She's sick of the games. Sick of him lying to her without batting an eye. "If you're fine then get up."
Zoro huffs out a laugh. "Yeah. In a minute."
"Because you're not fine?"
"Because I'm tired, nosey." His eyes move up again, as though trying to search the ruins around him. "Cook?"
"In good hands," Vivi says softly.
He pulls in a deep breath. "His hand?"
"Don't worry about that," Nami tells him. "Worry about-"
"They're his treasure," Zoro replies, forcing his elbows underneath him and lifting himself up.
"Zoro," Robin snaps, her hands pressing into his ribs. "Sit down."
"I said I'm fine, Robin. Cut it out." Still panting, he bats her hands away and searches the area again. His eyes land on Oars for barely a second before he looks away, shaking his head. "Shit. I didn't mean to lose my temper like that."
"Yeah, remind me not to make you angry anymore," Nami mutters.
"What," a voice thunders from above them. "Is happening?"
"Shit." Zoro tries to get to his feet but falls to his knees almost immediately with a stifled groan. "Moria."
Zoro places himself between them and the Shichibukai. His leg seems to buckle for a moment as he does so and he stumbles but picks himself back up. Vivi glances between Zoro and Moria, heart hammering against her throat. Zoro's knuckles turn white around his katana, a growl low in his chest. From the corner of her eye, she watches Usopp and Franky leap up, blocking Chopper and his patient from Moria's view.
Vivi's body feels light, made of jelly, as she stands behind Zoro, listening to him pant as he looks up at their new opponent. He can't take another round. None of them can. Chopper needs to take care of Sanji before any permanent damage can be done. Nami leans too heavily on her clima tact. And, Zoro's beginning to tremble.
Moria leaps to the top half of Oars's body, snarling as he looks at each of them in turn. "You Strawhats have some nerve, making a mess of Thriller Bark."
Zoro growls at him, holding up his new katana, even as his knees seem to twitch under the pressure of movement.
"Oh, now isn't that cute. You can barely stand, Pirate Hunter. Do you really think any of you will be able to defeat me?
"We defeated Oars, didn't we?" Zoro sneers back.
"What are we going to do?" Nami pants. "I don't know if we're up for another round."
Vivi's fingers trail up to the red ribbon in her hair. "I don't think we have much of a choice, Nami-san."
"Chopper," Zoro calls. "Keep him out of the crossfire."
"Right!" From the corner of her eye, Vivi watches Chopper turn to Heavy Point, picking up the still shell shocked Sanji and vanishing behind the rubble.
"The rest of you, get ready," Zoro orders spine straightening.
"You'll pay for what you've done to my glorious ship!" Moria shouts.
Zoro scoffs. "You asked for it when you decided to mess with our crew."
"Zoro, don't antagonize him," Nami hisses.
"You better have a plan, Zoro-bro!"
"Yeah, I do," Zoro says, pulling out a second sword. "Stay alive until Luffy gets here."
There you have it everyone! Chapter Eighteen is complete. Vivi and Nami have come to an understanding and Zoro teaches his enemies what happens when someone hurts his nakama. God help the next idiot who even tries. Protective Zoro is best Zoro! But Moria is here, which only means one thing. I know that Santoryu Ogi Ichidai Sanzen Daisen Sekai is a Post-Timeskip move, but technically speaking this is Post-Timeskip Zoro. But, protective Zoro is the strongest Zoro. That's my reasoning and I'm sticking to it!
Next time, Luffy arrives to save the day, but he isn't the only one who shows up to the party. That's right everyone. Kuma is here and Zoro isn't as ready for the changes he's caused as he believed he would be. I hope you've all enjoyed this chapter. See you in the next. Remember to stay healthy, stay sane, and stay safe out there!