Hey everybody!

Thank you all for your lovely support and your kind words^^ I read all of them and they gave me this odd warm and squishy feeling, so thank you for that!
I have not much more to say, except that I hope you will enjoy this chapter (and even though I hope you guys are aware that the OP-Universe works a little bit different, please kids don't try this at home and listen to your doctors^^')
Have a great week and see you next weekend ;-)

Sharry

Chapter 10

-Zoro-

Some days it was just smarter to stay in bed. Some days one should definitely avoid getting up. On such days it was best to bury the head beneath the pillow and continue to sleep.

But today was not such a day!

Above him, the foggy air burned of gunfire and cannon smoke. Three Marine ships had surrounded them and fired at them incessantly, while several soldiers were already flooding the Sunny.

Somewhere far away he could hear Usopp screaming something and the next moment the right ship caught fire. Luffy's loud laughter echoed across the ship, although he was nowhere to be seen, and the sound of metal clashing against metal sounded like music in his ears.

Zoro was back!

He still didn't know all the skills this wheelchair had – mainly because he hadn't listened to Usopp for a second during his explanation - but that wouldn't stop him now.

With the right hand he opened the control system and with his left hand he pulled Shuusui out behind his back. The next moment he pressed the forward button and raced down the slide. He ran over two soldiers, taking care of the third and the fourth with his sword.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Nami yelled at him from somewhere close to the steering wheel.

"Why didn't you notice the Marines earlier?" He yelled back, pressing the reverse button to run over number two a second time, who was about to get up.

But Zoro knew why. The fog of the morning had condensed into an almost solid wall by now and except for the three huge shadows of the Marine ships he could hardly see anything.

He could neither see Luffy and Chopper, nor Usopp and Franky; he suspected that they were with those ships. But this meant that only Robin, Brook, and Nami were defending the Sunny and given how many soldiers were flooding the small meadow, they desperately needed some help with that.

An ambush in the fog, not a bad idea at all, but it also meant that the Marines had a hard time noticing them as well.

"Cook, what's taking you so long?!" He shouted up to the galley as he attacked again.

Yes, there were quite a lot of soldiers on deck, more than he had expected at first. Most were stopped by Brook, who was destroying the several boards they used to cross, while Robin fended off approaching cannons, but there were still so many of them left, way too many for Nami to deal on her own with, and honestly maybe even too many for Zoro to deal with the way he was now.

Some of them seemed stunned as Zoro rushed towards them – the green turbo button had its advantages – but not everyone was surprised by it.

He knew he could hardly fight properly in his condition. He had only one hand to attack and who knew how long the cola energy Franky had equipped his vehicle with would last, not even talking about his general lack in mobility. All he had was the moment of surprise and that little second those soldiers stared at him in confusion.

But most of the time, that was enough. Within the next breaths, he knocked over several more of their enemies with his wheelchair and used his sword for the rest, but the steady stream of soldiers just didn't want to stop. How many of these idiots could fit on one single warship? Well, okay, they were fighting three warships, but still…

Suddenly he felt a hard grip on his shoulder.

"This is it, meals on wheels!" Some very hairy soldier growled and raised his sword.

"Think so?" Zoro doubted, unimpressed.

The next moment, the soldier crashed against the mast.

"Tze, meals on wheels. That's all he came up with?" The cook grumbled, lighting a cigarette.

"What took you so long, dartboard brow?"

"You're welcome, Marimo."

"You seem to be having a great time." Brook jumped over them.

"Listen, Zoro." Suddenly Sanji looked down at him, again with this annoying, anxious expression on his face. It was obvious that he wanted to resume the conversation from the galley. But Zoro didn't really want to waste a single thought on that and he really didn't enjoy having to look up at him.

"Cook, turn around and go away." Confused, the stupid dartboard brow moved upwards. "I'm just having way too much fun right now to deal with your problems."

He pressed the green button and raced away, a broad grin on his lips. Something about this wheelchair was fun, of course he didn't want to behave like Luffy and of course he wanted to fight by himself, but it had something entertaining to chase the screaming soldiers, racing after them with his risen sword.

He didn't want Sanji's blue googly eyes to dampen his mood, he didn't want to give up the high spirits that had finally reached him. He finally felt useful again and enjoyed the feeling of fighting.

Right now he was racing towards the stairs of the front, following some freaking fast roadkill, when he recalled this one blue button Usopp had mentioned. He pressed it, the next moment the wheelchair jumped up almost vertically into the air. Once again Zoro pressed the green button and he flew through the air, crashing on top of the soldier he had been chasing right next to the steering wheel.

Nice!

If he had paid attention to how that stupid thing actually worked before, he could have saved himself a lot of help from the others during the last few days, on the other hand it had been good that he had not wasted the valuable fuel.

"What are you doing here?" Nami shouted as Zoro grabbed a soldier by the belt and threw her overboard, noticing the bandage around her head.

"What does it look like?" He replied with a grin, taking care of the last soldier up there.

From the corners of his eyes, he could see that the cook was looking after the last soldiers on the meadow, while the one ship, that had previously caught fire, slowly fled back into the fog. Some commander in the distance called for the retreat. The straw hats had won.

But Nami looked at him seriously.

"You shouldn't fight, Zoro. I know you..."

"Don't lecture me, okay? Not right now!"

"But you're injured. Your legs..."

"Shit!"

He ignored the navigator and rolled towards the railing.

Chopper and Luffy just swung back onto the Sunny as the second ship also turned away from them. Robin threw already defeated soldiers overboard, where hopefully some comrades would pick them up. Franky, meanwhile, was already checking whether Sunny had been damaged while complaining loudly about the Navy.

They had won. Even the ambush hadn't helped their enemy.

But Zoro's gaze was on the last ship that still blocked their way. From up here he could see it much better than from the meadow. This ship, too, seemed to slowly move away, disappearing into the fog, but that was not his problem.

"Usopp!"

The commander, who had just called for retreat, stared at him from the railing, a smug grin on his lips, behind him a bunch of soldiers had just overpowered the sniper.

So, who was the real winner?

"Why was he part of the offensive," Zoro growled under his breath. But he knew the answer, had known it before he had even opened his mouth. Guilt crept up his conscience.

Usopp had wanted to replace him, Usopp had wanted to defend the ship and the crew in Zoro's place. Usopp had wanted to protect him. Usopp had overcome his fear once again, for him!

"You idiot!" With both hands he clutched the railing tightly, wanted to help, but could not, he was powerless.

"Oh no!" Nami as well realized what was going on.

The distance between the two ships was not yet so far. He knew he could have easily jumped over. But he couldn't.

"Luffy!" He yelled over his shoulder. "Cook!"

He could hear both of them answering.

"Come on! They have Usopp!"

The next moment, a rubbery arm swung past him to the figurehead and Luffy swept over him towards the Marines. Just a heartbeat later, Sanji jumped up the steps and bridged the growing abyss with ease.

Zoro on the other hand sat there helplessly and could only watch the spectacle while those two freed their crew member. He clenched his shaking fists and heard how the others came up the stairs.

"Do they still need help?" Brook asked, apparently ready to follow at any time.

"No," he replied toneless, "one of them would have been enough."

He would have been enough! He could have saved Usopp before the others had even come back on board. He could have...

The next moment, all three jumped back more or less stress-free, leaving behind a half-destroyed ship with desperate Marines and a commander, who just didn't look that happy anymore, not that Zoro cared.

Usopp was out of breath, sweat dripping down his forehead, while Luffy was just laughing. Sanji stood next to him, lighting a cigarette.

"And they're gone," Brook laughed, almost a little disappointed, waving the ships goodbye, before they completely disappeared within the fog.

"Wonder where they came from so suddenly," Franky grumbled, scratching his head, "they weren't very strong, a few of them were already wounded."

"I suspect they met us rather by chance on their journey back home," Robin replied with her arms crossed, "the fog really affects the view a lot."

"It's almost as bad as it was in the Florian Triangle." Chopper sounded slightly frightened.

"But a total and complete victory," grinned the captain, patting the still heavily breathing Usopp joyfully on the shoulder. "Sanji, I'm hungry, let's eat something!"

"Pipe down. Breakfast wasn't even two hours ago."

Nevertheless, the chef sighed and walked towards the galley, accompanied by the others who happily chatted as if they had not just been attacked, but had enjoyed the view.

Zoro looked after them before turning back to the sea. He didn't plan on following them, he wasn't in the mood for happy banter over coffee and cake.

Their voices behind his back became quieter and quieter and eventually he could hear the galley door slamming shut. Now everything was silent, only the calm whisper of the wind and the sound of the waves beneath him could be heard.

It should be a good day. He had felt the tension of a fight again for the first time in days, he was recovering. They had survived an unexpected Marine attack unscathed and were able to beat the enemy instead of fleeing. The fog was still dense, but now it served more as a shield. Everything had gone well. Actually, everything was good, actually...

"Don't you want to come along and eat something?"

"Just leave, cook." He sighed heavily. "You're really the last person I wanna talk to right now."

But the steps came closer. Zoro continued to stare at the sea, he didn't want to see the other, didn't want to look at the healthy cook, with his pleading eyes, with his guilt, acting all miserably, while Zoro was the one tied to this freaking wheelchair.

"Zoro." The other sounded seriously concerned. "Can't we at least talk about what I..."

"Just go!"

Without even looking at the blond, Zoro hit his chest. The wheelchair tilted slightly to the side and would probably have fallen over if it had not been for the railing next to it. Sanji, meanwhile, slipped several feet backwards and almost down the stairs, making him almost lose his balance and stumble to the ground.

Zoro could hear him huffing loudly and then he left, which was for the better. Zoro couldn't deal with the cook and his ridiculous guilt, his ridiculous misery, at least not right now.

He should not fall down this turmoil of self-doubt and hopelessness again. He knew full well that he couldn't change anything, that he had to accept it, and actually he was good at that. Actually, he was always able to adapt well to new situations. So why? Why was he still wrestling with his fate?

Chopper had told him that everything would end up fine. He would be able to walk again, at some point. At some point, he would be able to control his legs again. He would eventually be able to pursue his dream and at some point help his friends make their own come true. Everything would be the same again, at some point.

But he couldn't wait until some point!

Today he should have fought, today he should have been in the offensive, rushing in to help Usopp!

Angry, he grabbed his flesh, felt the sweet pain. If he could feel, why was it impossible for him to move those muscles?

Chopper had told him that he could gradually regain control because his nerves were already reacting to stimulation or something like that. He had told him that it would now be up to him, so Zoro constantly tried to move his muscles.

For days he had tried to use his legs again, but nothing happened. Why? What was he doing wrong? He used all the strength, all the willpower he had, there was nothing he could do more, so why wasn't it enough? Why did his will seem too weak?

"You're too stubborn."

Surprised, he lifted his head. The cook was back. Zoro hadn't noticed him, hadn't even noticed that the other had come back. Sanji leaned against the bench behind the wheel and took a draw of his cigarette.

"You try too hard, that's why it doesn't work."

"Just shut the fuck up, cook! What do you want? I told you to leave me alone!"

And then he saw the chef bending down and lifting up a bottle. Sake, the really good one, the one he could never take without the other trying to kill him.

"What do you want with that? I'm not allowed to drink anything and you can't handle that," Zoro grumbled, but Sanji shrugged and reached for two small cups.

"You know what Chopper said, he forbade me to drink any booze. This is like poison for your nerves!" He imitated the annoying voice of his favorite doctor.

Sanji did not react to his words at all but filled the little cups.

"I promised him that I wouldn't drink."

The chef pushed himself off the bench and offered him a mug, an unknown cold look in those blue eyes.

"Are you even listening to me? I promised Chopper."

But he took the small ceramic cup, felt the coolness of the Sake through the porcelain; it was cooled down to just the right temperature. Sanji only lifted his stupid eyebrow and then drank the booze in one go.

Zoro could see the other pulling a face. He just couldn't handle strong alcohol, but this Sake wasn't even that strong.

Shaking his head, Zoro looked at the clear liquid.

Chopper had warned him that even a small amount of alcohol was sufficient enough to damage his injured, sensitive nerves. On the other hand, Chopper had also said that his current condition was already a miracle and that his nerves were supposed to be fine.

Luffy said Zoro was healthy, and Luffy said he would be himself again. That he could do it all as long as he didn't stop fighting.

From the corners of his eyes, he could see the cook pouring himself a new coup.

"Oi, don't drink everything on your own," he murmured, and then he decided.

He hadn't enjoyed a drop of alcohol for an eternity, and he couldn't remember booze ever tasting this good. Slowly he closed his eyes and leaned back.

"Chopper will kill me," he muttered, holding his empty mug towards the other.

A dirty little grin crept on the cook's face as he refilled.

"What's wrong with you? Out of words for once?" Zoro asked, after the other still made no attempt to talk.

Sanji shrugged.

"I feel like everything I say comes across wrong, so I better just shut up."

"Oh, the first time I have to agree with you."

"Asshole."

The chef sipped on his drink.

Zoro, however, remained calm.

"Did it come across wrong as well, what you just told me in the galley?"

Just seemed like an eternity ago, but it was not even noon.

"I wish it did," Sanji muttered seriously and dropped down on the bench. "But I'm afraid I'm actually to blame..."

"Stop it right there."

Sanji's eyes widened and he actually looked kind of scared, a sight Zoro wasn't sure he enjoyed. Zoro sighed again, but this time he had to laugh quietly.

"That's not funny, Zoro." The cook sounded sad.

"Oh yes, it's ridiculous." He took another sip of the cool drink, enjoying the slight burning sensation he had missed for far too long. "And I think it's kind of funny that you think you'd be strong enough to push me down a freaking cliff."

"But I..."

"Cook." Now he looked directly at Sanji and turned the wheelchair away from the sea and towards the other. "The ground gave in and I just slipped. Believe me, your baby paws there would not even be able to seriously hurt me, even if you wanted to."

Now Sanji looked away again.

"I could hurt you if I wanted to," he said, almost smoldering.

"Yeah, sure, princess."

"Asshole! But that is not the point. Even if it wasn't my fault, I had these thoughts, I wanted to hurt you!".

"So what?" Zoro shrugged.

"So what what? Is that all you have to say about that?"

Zoro laughed softly, the other took it all too seriously.

"What are you expecting, cook? Are you really such a goodie-goodie that you have never wished anyone ill in your life?"

Confused, the cook shook his head.

He stared at the other in disbelief. "You can't be serious. Not even this invisible guy from Thriller Bark or what about the CP9-dudes? What about Arlong?"

Now the blond shrugged slightly his shoulders. "Maybe. But actually I just wanted to defeat them and stop them from inflicting suffering on the ladies. But that thing with you..."

Shaking his head, Zoro emptied his cup and held it to the chef again.

"I don't know what to do with so much naivety and good-naturedness."

Sanji refilled.

"So cook, this once I will explain it to you very plainly, so that even you understand it. It's perfectly normal to hate someone for a few seconds. Some women hate their best friend for half their friendship and the other half of the time they love each other like sisters in arms. I couldn't list how many times I wanted to kill you."

"What?" The other seemed really shocked.

"Of course. I think I wanted to kill everyone of this crew at least once, not surprising given what a bunch of morons this whole crew is. But I didn't, cook. That is the difference. This little hatred is normal and not bad as long as the other stuff is stronger."

"The other stuff?"

Sanji held his cup tight; he seemed fascinated as if he were hearing about such human feelings for the first time.

"Friendship, loyalty, trust, love. All this cheesy stuff Franky always sings in his songs about."

Both were quiet for a moment.

"So you're not angry with me?"

He rolled his eyes over this childish, desperate question that he would have expected from Chopper but certainly not from this stupid love-cook.

"Oh, constantly every other minute, mostly when you open your mouth. You have something incredibly irritating about you."

Now the other looked at him a little bit more annoyed.

"But I would never have thought of blaming you for what happened, so don't blame yourself, okay?"

Sanji nodded slightly.

Slowly, the fog around them seemed to lighten.

For a few minutes they enjoyed the booze in silence and were occupied with their own thoughts. Zoro wondered when he had also become responsible for the cook's struggles. On the other hand, he just owed the chef the cup in his hand, so he didn't want to complain this once. After all, there was no better peacemaker than Sake, at least in his eyes.

At one point, Sanji looked at him.

"Chopper will definitely kill you."

"You brought the booze."

"Could have said no."

"Could have thrown you overboard."

Sanji grinned. Slowly he got up and leaned against the back of the bench, another cup of Sake in his hand.

"I think I've never heard you talk as much as today. Haven't you used up your share of words for the next few weeks, Marimo?"

"Oh don't worry, dartboard brow, I still have my friends, the left and the right fist. But they speak a completely different language."

"I'd love to talk to them, but I don't think we're on an equal footing."

"Well, I'm pretty sure that Sake will sooner or later get you back down to earth."

"At least, I have both feet firmly on the ground."

Now they grinned openly at each other.

"Ouch, what a foul. A real knee-slapper."

"Nah, don't tell me that..."

"Say, Cook," he interrupted the other, who almost automatically put on a more serious face, and ended the playful argument, "what did you mean by the fact that I was too stubborn?"

Now Sanji sighed and took out a new cigarette.

"Isn't that obvious? You expect far too much from you. You put yourself under too much pressure, of course nothing will happen."

"Well, thanks for the enlightenment. What else should I do? Borrow Nami's sun lounger and let you serve me cocktails while tanning?"

Sanji grinned.

"Actually, yes, maybe that would help you, you should just relax. If you're stressing all the time trying to move your legs, your nerves can't even relax enough to react."

"I don't think the nervous system works like this."

"But it's true! Chopper said that your reflexes have come back a long time ago."

"Yes, so? Didn't change a thing."

Sanji shrugged.

"Personally, I think you'd be back on your feet long ago if you would just worry less."

"What? What nonsense are you talking about?"

"Do you want to try it?"

"Huh?"

The next moment, the cook suddenly leaned forward and pressed the red button of the wheelchair. Before Zoro even knew what had happened, he was already flying through the air.

Fucking stupid cook!