Sanji heard the guns fire, one after another, saw the twin bursts of sulfur smoke, but he couldn't believe it, even when Zoro staggered back, even when he saw the crimson spray splatter over the stone. The idiot swordsman couldn't be so stupid as to get himself shot. Not when he had, entirely improbably, managed to break free. And certainly not twice, and certainly not as close to his heart as it looked, to tell from the red stains spreading over his white shirt.

"Zoro, you idiot!" he yelled, "Zoro, what the hell--Zoro!" There was red on the stone wall where he had slid down, and red pooling around his knees, and dammit even for Zoro that was a lot of blood. He didn't cry out when the thug kicked him, just a choked gag, and nothing at all at the second blow, slumping in an awkward, bloody heap against the wall. When the man kicked him a third time his limp body only absorbed the impact.

Someone was shouting, "Stop it!" in that same terribly enraged way Zoro had said it just a couple moments before, so ferociously threatening that the thug hesitated. It occurred to Sanji that it was his own voice, and that through gritted teeth he was explaining exactly what he would do to all three of these bastards, whether or not they stopped.

But it was the fat man's bark that got the thugs' attention. "What are you doing? Fools!" He shoved the big men away, clumsily crouched to put his fingers to Zoro's throat. Frowning, he pushed his bulk upright again, wiping his hand on his slacks.

Sanji stared, trying to read that thoughtful look. Zoro was too far away; he couldn't see if his crewmate's chest was still moving, no matter how he strained to make out some flicker of motion. His throat was dry, hoarse when he tried to speak. "Dammit, is he--if he--you sons of bitches, you're dead--"

That was a mistake, he realized too late, as the slow smile spread across those fleshy, pasty features. "And if he's still alive? What would that be worth to you?" The fat bastard crossed to Sanji, lightly put a hand to his chest. "His heart's still beating, but I can't say how much longer it will be, if he keeps bleeding like that."

Zoro coughed, a faint, choked sound. He blindly turned his head when Sanji called his name again, moved his hand a little, smearing the blood under him.

Sanji swallowed, tried to pretend that he wasn't shaking. If he was, it must be with rage. "What are you going to do?" he asked, mostly steadily, looking back at the fat man. "He can't answer any questions dead."

"But you told me yourself, neither of you can answer anyway. So why should I care?" The fat man looked around the cell, snapped his thick fingers at the goons and pointed to the opposite wall. "You, bring him to the shackles over there. Just binding his feet should be enough, in that condition." He glanced back at Sanji, then deliberately away. "Then wake him up, however you can. We might as well get what we can out of him. Some of the most honest words you'll hear are a dying man's last."

The thugs both grinned, picked up Zoro between them like a sack and roughly dragged him over to the iron shackles. Zoro coughed again, shuddering, blood in his mouth.

"Wait," said Sanji. The bruised thug didn't hesitate, just raised his hand and slapped Zoro's cheek hard enough to snap his head back.

"I said wait!" Sanji snarled. He realized his arms were aching with the effort of straining against the chains, and still they didn't budge an inch, for all he fought and pulled. Damn Zoro anyway, and the stupid swordsman's stupid monster strength. He smashed his heels against the wall, but couldn't extend his legs far enough for the kick to have any power.

The man's boot met Zoro's stomach with a sickening thud, and the swordsman groaned, and Sanji yelled, "Stop! I'll--that damn Captain Beinkusu--"

The fat man raised one hand, and the thugs paused as he asked, all calm manners, "Yes?"

"I..." Sanji's mind was blank, not white but dark crimson, but he quite clearly heard himself say, "If I tell you where to find Beinkusu, you'll stop. And bandage him up."

The fat man studied him for a moment, then gestured to one goon. "Go get the first aid supplies. Now." As the man exited, he turned back to Sanji. "Well?"

Zoro groaned again. Sanji allowed himself a quick glance at his crewmate. "Don't touch him again. I want your word. For all the shit it's worth."

"I swear I won't lay another finger on him, if you answer. Honestly. Where is Captain Beinkusu?"

"The captain." Sanji swallowed. "He. The captain..."

"Idiot," he heard Zoro mumble, quite clearly.

Well, screw him anyway. Not like he would expect gratitude from the damn swordsman.

At least he was still breathing. That went pretty far, in Sanji's book. As long as he kept doing it.

"Captain Beinkusu," Sanji said, "is...is..." and it really should have occurred to him sooner. Not like he could have counted on Zoro to have such inspiration. He licked his lips, looked the fat man directly in his piggy eyes. "You saw the ship we came in on, right? In the harbor now, with the straw-hat Jolly Roger on the sail?"

"No," Zoro groaned.

Sanji looked past the fat man. Zoro had dragged up his head, half-open eyes glittering in the lamplight. He met Sanji's gaze, and Sanji saw, beneath the haze of pain and irritation, unmistakably lucid comprehension. Then he dropped his head, panted, "You...can't," with all the expected anger. "Don't...tell him."

Sanji had to swallow back a grin, only let the anger show in his voice. "He's not worth our lives, dammit!"

"Don't," Zoro ordered, in a decent approximation of a commanding tone.

The fat man looked appropriately entertained. "Well?"

"Captain Beinkusu," Sanji said, spitting it out with, he hoped, the proper distress and regret, "is on that ship. The pirates are--allies."

"I see." The fat man nodded, looking him in the eyes with a faint smile as he said, "I'm counting on your honesty here, you know, and not just for the sake of you and your comrade here. My employer wants to be absolutely sure of success--he's bringing every man he has along on this mission. That's a force a good deal stronger than the marines garrisoned here." He touched one finger to the cuff around Sanji's wrist, a reminding tap. "If this is a trick, your brothers in arms will find the trap sprung on themselves. So don't be counting on any rescue."

"Every man he has?" Sanji repeated.

The fat man nodded. Sanji swallowed, tried to sound anxious and beaten and was a little annoyed by how easily it came to him. "No trick, I swear." He lowered his head, murmured, "Just go onboard that ship and find a man--a guy with a long nose. Tell him that you want to see the captain--tell him that you are friends of Don Krieg, and that you're making sure All Blue will never be found."

"All Blue--?"

"It's a code phrase. They'll know what it means."

"You son of a bitch," Zoro gasped, with convincing verisimilitude. "Don't believe...you told them. ...I'll see you court-martialed..!" He was, Sanji had to admit, not half-bad at this. Though Sanji would have preferred the swordsman's mortally wounded act to be a little less believable, even if it did lend credence to his desperation. The guy probably would have bought it even without that growing crimson puddle. Where the hell were those bandages, anyway?

"One more thing," Sanji said, still meeting the man's eyes steadily. "If they happen ask about us, just tell them that we're looking forward to seeing Tony again."

"Tony. Don Krieg. All Blue." The fat man counted the names off on his fingers. Sanji nodded confirmation as the door opened and the goon entered, bearing a white box. The fat man waved him over to Zoro, warning, "Carefully, now." He smiled slyly at Sanji. "I did give my word."

'Careful' was a far cry from 'considerate', much less 'medically sound' treatment, but when the man was through Zoro wasn't dripping everywhere, at least. He wasn't conscious, either, sprawled on his side with his back against the wall, and they didn't take any effort to make him comfortable, just checked that the manacles were secure around his ankles and left him there. Before he closed the door, the fat man told Sanji, with that same wicked smirk, "Thank you."

Sanji waited until the door had thudded shut and the last faint echo of footsteps died away before dropping his head, his shoulders shaking with stressed and mostly muffled laughter.

to be continued...

Short chapter, I know, but I'll try to post the next one soon...