Chapter 4: Hope

Hope is fragile and often comes unexpectedly.

Rain dripped down the back of his neck, his too long hair clinging to his skin, the damn collar shifting around. His pants stuck to his legs, outlining how much thinner he had become from lack of food. They hung off his hips when he moved now. Smoker tried to ignore it, but the gnawing in his belly still irked him.

It was worse on rainy days. The water made the bars of his cage slippery, the ground muddy. Made it harder to train. Made it harder to ignore the world around him. His scars ached when it was damp. He never used to get cold either, but now?

One of the other prisoners coughed. He didn't know which, if it was the ink ink fruit user, or Gregory, the fishman with the scythe scythe fruit. Or maybe it was one of the regular humans. Sickness spread like hell through them whenever someone took ill, and that was the last damn thing he needed.

Smoker had been watching the guards over the last few days. They were preparing for something, increasing the food supply, acting excited and jumpy. If they were going to bring in new prisoners…then it was likely they would be finally taking a few of them out. That meant his chance was coming.

Escape or die trying. There was no fucking way he was going to let Blackbeard get his hands on his devil fruit power.

Smoker watched the gate, eyes narrowed. It was hard to see the perimeter fence in the gloom, but they hadn't been fed yet today. That meant something was up. Another cough, long and wet. Smoker pursed his lips. He hoped whoever it was hid it from the guards. If Shiryu found out… he took medicine to a level that no doctor would ever condone.

Movement grabbed Smoker's attention.

The gate was opening, he could hear the guards shouting at each other over the rain. Gregory, a cage over perked up. "Any bets on who they got?"

"Zoan, or paramecia," he grunted, never taking his eyes off the gate.

"That's boring, spice it up a little VA," Gregory grumbled. "I hope it's a logia, maybe one of your old pals."

"With my luck, it'll be Mugiwara," Smoker muttered. Gregory looked over at him and laughed that weird laugh of his, like a door stopper twanging.

"I think they'd just kill him, but wouldn't that be something?"

He was about to respond when the guards began herding men into the enclosure. All the prisoners were watching the gate now to see who would be joining them in Hell. Which people refused to join Blackbeard's ranks, which Devil Fruits he was getting his damn hands on, which people he would sell to the highest bidders.

Smoker wiped water out of his eyes as a line of six we're hustled in. "Oi oi! Quit touchin' me!" snarled one of them with bright green hair, kicking one of the guards in the shin. He got decked in return.

"Hello ladies! We've got some new friends for you!" cackled Smoker's least favorite guard, Shithead No.1. His beady little eyes roamed over them in their cages with glee. The new prisoners were beaten all to hell. Four Smoker didn't recognize, but two he did. They somehow got their hands on Page One, one of Kaido's old crew, and–

Bartolomeo the Cannibal spat on Shithead and busted ass on him when Shithead kicked him into the mud. None of them laughed, but Smoker smirked. Crude, but he'd take any little bit of retribution these days.

"No food for you, ya little shit," Shithead snarled before deciding which cages the new prisoners would be placed in. He eyed Bartolomeo and Page One, whose eyes were swollen shut. Blood dripped down his chest from a badly sewn up slice across his clavicle. Whoever he'd fought with had done a number on him.

They tossed the zoan user into the only empty cage, behind Smoker. A former Big Mom pirate used to inhabit it until they'd yanked her out a few months ago. Sometimes Smoker recalled the dead look in her eyes and vowed not to let that become him. Page One lay where he fell, not moving and still, hands cuffed behind his back.

"Hmm…now for you…" Shithead walked up and down the cages in a display probably meant to intimidate Bartolomeo.

"Oh yeah that one Mr. Guard Sir! I'd eat her in a day!" the green haired pirate cackled when Shithead made a move to toss him in with one of the women in the back cages. Shithead slapped him upside the head but that didn't deter his comments on every cage. "Hmm, that one could be good, make a nice pillow for my back!" SMACK! "Oh! I love Fishmen, super tasty!" THWACK! "A blonde? I've got a thing for those ya know~" CRACK!

Smoker stayed hunched in his corner. As fun as it was to watch Bartolomeo's little show, if that idiot became his cellmate, Smoker's chances of escape were reduced to fucking nil. They'd be watching them like a damn hawk.

Finally Shithead reached Smoker's and Gregory's cages. "You really wanna put me with one of these guys? Cannibal ain't f' show ya know!" Bartolomeo grinned at his captor, showing off his teeth. Shithead was ignoring him for the moment, instead looking intently at Gregory who put his head down and looked away.

With a slow grin, he turned to look at Smoker. Their eyes met. The smart thing would be to do what Gregory did. Look away, act like Shithead was in charge. Don't be defiant. He could hear Hina yelling at him in the back of his head. "Play it smart! Don't challenge your superiors!"

But that wasn't his style. Had never been. He'd rather choke on his own tongue than give this piece of shit the satisfaction. He eyed him back, summoning his haki and letting it flex. It probably took more of his energy than he could spare, but seeing Shithead flinch was worth it.

"Oooh scary," Bartolomeo muttered. Whether he meant to be heard by Shithead, Smoker wasn't sure, but Smoker wished he hadn't said it. Instantly, the guard smiled evilly and gestured for his underling to unlock Smoker's cage.

"Have fun Vice Admiral!" he cackled as he kicked Smoker's new cellmate in, the idiot knocking into him, making the air whoosh out of Smoker's lungs.

The guards left a few moments later, Bartolomeo rolling off of him and watching them go, calling out taunts. "Shut the fuck up would you?!" Smoker snarled. Bartolomeo gave him the finger.

"Guess you won our bet VA," Gregory called from his cage.

"Fuck you too," Smoker spat.

Rain pelted down, rivers running under the bars of the cage. Smoker hunched his shoulders, hands tucked under his arms and against his ribs, trying to ignore the shivers that wracked his frame. Across from him, legs stretched out in either an act of defiance or stupidity, was The Idiot.

"Oi! What's the point in keepin' us like this?! If we die before you lousy fuckers get what you want, be pretty stupid!" Bartolomeo yelled towards the guard hut. A light from a window could be seen flickering indifferently. Shiryu was warm and dry inside with his men, probably enjoying his Warden duties. Fucker.

"Shut up dumbass. You don't want them to 'make it more comfortable'. Trust me brat," Gregory grumbled. Bartolomeo gave him the finger as another shiver ran down Smoker's spine. When he escaped, he would go somewhere that had the opposite of tropical weather… After eating an entire roasted chicken.

With Bartolomeo as his cellmate, he hadn't gotten food either, his stomach reminding him painfully.

Warm chocolate colored eyes looking up at him from over a cup of hot coffee flashed across his vision. "I'll get you a muffin Sir."

"Oi, matey," came The Idiot's voice. His green hair was wilted and soggy, reflecting the ever present floodlight from the guard house. It took Smoker a moment to realize that Bartolomeo was talking to him.

"I'm not your "matey"," he growled.

"Yah ya are, we're cellmates! Mateys!" he grinned, seeming to enjoy the glare Smoker shot at him. "You look familiar, where ya from? What's your name pal?"

"What's it to you?" Smoker muttered. Pain in his ass. In what felt like a lifetime ago, he recalled the cobbled streets of Loguetown and swatting a brat with green hair and an attitude away from a storefront. Maybe he wouldn't recognize him with long hair and a beard.

"...I know I know ya from somewhere!" Bartolomeo narrowed his eyes at Smoker, sticking a finger in his ear then blanching as he unintentionally gave himself a wet willy. Dumbass.

"Idiot," Smoker rolled his eyes, willing his body to quit shivering.

"Wait." Shit.

"Wait a sec-" Smoker closed his eyes.

"No fukin' way! There ain't no fuckin' way!" The Idiot's eyes went comically large. "You! You're that Navy guy! The one who went after Luffy-senpai!" He pointed hysterically at Smoker.

Luffy-senpai? For fucks sake. A fanboy was worse than Mugiwara himself. Smoker didn't answer him. Yeah, that was a different life. A different time. "Smoker-san we'll get stronger!" Her voice whispered in his ears.

"Well, just for chasin' Luffy-senpai, I won't hold ya for warmth!"

"What the- I don't want your warmth! Touch me and I'll break your neck!" Smoker barked.

Bartolomeo stuck his tongue out at him. Fucking little–! It was at that moment, a strange noise met Smoker's ears. A pittering, or a swishing, barely detectable in the rain. "Barto-land!" It was so small, a squeak. Like a balloon deflating, like a hamster. A weird little voice. If Smoker had been any farther away from Bartolomeo, he wouldn't have heard it.

The Idiot went still. "Barto-land! It's me! Leo!" came the tiny squeak again. A smile, a truly nefarious shit-eating grin ate up Bartolomeo's face.

"Leo! Knew the fleet would come fa' me!" he whispered, way too smug and way too loud. For a moment, a pang of irrational jealousy surged through Smoker's veins. No one had come for him. Not Hina, not Kuzan. And Tashigi left to fend for herself.

He shoved it away to focus. They all thought he was dead anyway dammit. He leaned closer, a river of water running past his nose.

"Umm…actually it's just me…" the tiny voice, Leo, mumbled.

"...Seriously? Not even Cabbage?!"

"...Well, uh, I'm sure they wanted to come!"

"We're all brothers under Luffy-senpai, you tell those bastards to get over here!" Bartolomeo hissed.

"I will! But, erm, it'll have to wait cause they're all going to meet up with Lucy-land so…" Smoker made out the form of the tiniest person he had ever seen peeking out from under Bartolomeo's drenched hair.

"THEY'RE WHAT?!"

"Oi! Shut up!" Smoker hissed and jerked his head at the guard's hut. The last thing they needed was a beatdown from Shiryu! The tiny person in Bartolomeo's hair startled and vanished under the green before reappearing, brandishing something that glinted in light. A big drop of rain fell on their head, making them shake like a squirrel.

"Mind yer own business, grumpy!" The Idiot squawked at him and Smoker rolled his eyes. Leo seemed to be smarter than Bartolomeo however and was regarding him like a soldier.

"You got a plan to get him outta here?" Smoker directed his question to Leo.

The little being sweat dropped. "Er… Yeah! I uh… I totally h-have a p-plan! Agh! No I don't!"

Smoker pinched the bridge of his nose. Why were all the people Mugiwara associated with idiots? Himself included.

"Leo! Don't talk to the enemy!"

"Oh no! He's the enemy?!"

"I'm not the enemy!" Smoker growled. Leo squeaked and quailed under his glare before taking a battle stance again on Bartolomeo's head. Now Bartolomeo rolled his eyes.

"You're Navy, of course you're the enemy, dummy."

Fury boiled up inside him, eating at his throat like acid.

The silver snail shrieked in his palm. Their orders were clear. All he was supposed to do was fire. Give the order. The other ships were waiting. "Vice Admiral Smoker?" came Dalmation's voice from another snail. Tashigi's fists were clenched, biting her lip so hard it bled. Tears were running down her cheeks as they watched people on the pier scatter like ants. Mothers clasping at sobbing children, terrified animals breaking loose from merchant carts.

"Not. Anymore." The words whistled through his clenched teeth. Thunder rumbled overhead. For a moment, the cold and the rain were forgotten. The two pirates gazed at him.

"Alright, Matey, ya got somethin' ya wanna share?" Bartolomeo leaned back against the bars of his cage.

This was his chance, and Smoker was damn well going to take it.

Notes:

This fic is about to start really moving.