Struggling to keep himself from wheezing as he ran, Roronoa Zoro couldn't help but feel aggravated by the endless tunnels that he now cursed within his mind. No matter where he turned, no matter where he ran, it seemed as if he was no closer to an exit than he had been when he first started. In an attempt to locate an opening, he had tried to pause and listen for the soft drafts that would occasionally flitter by, but he would simply burst into another vigorous sprint and lose his discovered direction within moments. Not only that, but he simply didn't want to take the precious time to put caution into following those breezes like he'd done the last time he'd been lost in a tunnel -- because that time he'd had Luffy at his side and nothing had been at stake like it was now.
It was also difficult to see. Thick darkness hung about him as if it were trying to suffocate his very senses. Granted, he could still hear the soft drip drip of moisture that clung desperately to the ceiling before it fell into the numerous puddles that were littered across the rough ground. He could still feel the light chill that nipped at his exposed skin, too -- a disadvantage that came with giving up one's shirt -- but he wasn't bleeding as bad as he had been before. That was always a good thing.
He just wished he could see. The fact that it was well into the night did nothing to help him locate an exit. He and Luffy had just been fortunate during their previous encounter with the complex network, when they at least had the aid of some daylight.
Luffy…
Had Raffles found him by now? And what about his captain's condition? Had the Quietus Miraculum really been a cure? Or had it simply succeeded in snuffing out what was left of his life?
Suddenly, he felt his speeding body slam into an unseen, jagged wall, and he stumbled backwards, surreal stars bursting through his very eyes. The ringing that had plagued his ears earlier came back again, sending his hands to shield his temples.
"Dead end," he managed grimly, his body briefly leaning against the cruel blockade. It only took a few moments for the ringing to subside, and he forced the stars to vanish in turn.
Realizing that he'd have to retrace his invisible tracks, anger flared up within his gut and his stomach wrenched itself into a tight knot. He had always known that his sense of direction was poor, but now it seemed like that and every other disadvantage imaginable were stacked against him. He almost kicked a nearby boulder out of overwhelming frustration, but he caught himself just in time when he heard something that was foreign and unfamiliar to those miserable tunnels.
Footsteps.
Immediately, his mind turned to the worst. It's Raffles.
Slowly, his dark, searching eyes wandered over to the way where he had come from. Indeed, there was the sound of footsteps coming towards him. At this revelation, the rest of his body went still to the point where he was hardly breathing -- an attempt to keep himself unheard. Then, stealthily, he made his way forward and made sure not to make even the slightest noise. Not even carrying an ounce of uncertainty with him, Zoro's hand slowly made its way to one of his trusty swords. A soft grin made its way onto his face, in spite of his injuries, and he knew that he had to at least try to bring down his foe.
It was then that he noticed there were two pair of footsteps. He brought a friend, maybe? The swordsman's eyebrows furrowed. Or maybe he actually has Luffy with him, and he's trying to trick him like he did me. His hand tightened upon the sword. He wasn't going to allow anything of the sort.
He could barely see the intersection that rested before him light up with the distant glow of what could have only been the light of a crude torch, and the soft crackling of a lit fire reached his ears. Knowing full and well that he couldn't allow himself to be seen by the enemy before attacking (lest the mysterious invisibility power could be used against him), he decided that he would make the first move and take his foe by surprise.
Like the current of a speeding river, he dashed out into the lit up passageway as he withdrew his swords and swiftly placed one of them within his mouth.
The last thing he expected was the shrill scream of a woman.
As such, he was momentarily thrown off guard and was greeted by something else of surprise -- a swift kick to an already injured gut that sent him hurling back into the ground and sliding for several feet. A choked noise left his constricted throat, and he could vaguely taste the metallic tang of what could have only been blood. As he swiftly moved to attack and defend himself, ignoring what he felt were broken ribs, a familiar, horrified cry shook him out of his mood for battle.
"Zoro, is that you?!"
Immediately, the green haired man's teeth clenched with light bewilderment. Squinting through the dim light of his surroundings, he felt his chest give a momentary jolt of surprise at what he found not even ten feet away.
"Ehh, Nami?" A brief pause. "Sanji?!" Upon seeing the latter, the swordsman hauled himself up from the ground. "What'd you go kick me for, idiot?! I ought to tear you to shreds--"
Suddenly stepping clearer into the limited lighting of Nami's torch, Sanji clenched his fists with visible anger. "Me?! You were the one who attacked us first! How was I supposed to know it was you?!"
Lightly leaning against the cave wall now from fatigue and physical hurt, Zoro waved a hand of dismissal at the cook. "Agh, just forget it! Arguing with you about anything isn't even worth it right now. I don't wanna waste my time or breath."
Somewhat taken aback by this new response, not aware of the circumstances surrounding the statement, Sanji was left with nothing to say. Instead, he lit his cigarette, allowing the glow of its tip to illuminate his face, and took a deep drag from it. "Whatever. It's not like it's important in comparison to the lovely Nami-san's protection."
The orange haired navigator, on the other hand, registered a faintly relieved smile upon her face. She knew that Zoro and Sanji were glad to see one another, as most comrades are after being separated for any sort of duration, even if they weren't entirely willing to show it. Suddenly, however, her eyebrows furrowed. "ZORO!" she bellowed, her own fists clenching as she resolutely began to march towards him. "You scared me half to death! Why did you come jumping out of nowhere like you were going to kill us?!"
Zoro's eyes flashed over to the girl, and his shoulders seemed to tense. "I don't feel like arguing with you, either, although I'm glad to see that you've finally found us--"
"Ew!" Gagging, Nami's hands flew to her nose. "When was the last time you bathed?! You smell awful!" Eyebrow twitching suddenly, Zoro scowled at the navigator.
"Bathing?" he asked, almost incredulously. "Bathing? Did you honestly expect me to think about something like getting a bath at a time like--"
"--please don't tell me Luffy smells like that, too--"
Upon hearing his captain's name, Zoro's eyes suddenly widened. "Luffy--" he breathed, and dashed forward, shoving Nami and Sanji out of the way. "I've gotta get out of these stupid tunnels--!"
"Wait!" shrieked Nami, confusion at the bizarre situation melding with disgust from the rancid smell. "Zoro! You're going the wrong way!" With torch in hand, she swiftly darted after him, both irritation and concern deeply lining her face.
"Ahhh, Nami-swaaan!" Sanji skipped after the girl, eager to catch up with her. "Wait for meee…!"
It was only a matter of time before their collective racket of echoes and shouts faded into the distance known as outside.
***
An exhausted sigh pierced the silent, softly lit kitchen aboard the Going Merry. "Usopp…"
Face dragging with an obvious effort, the curly haired man languidly regarded his smaller companion from in front of the helm. "Eh?"
"Tell me about the cheese again, Usopp," was the simple request. The story teller gave a heavy sigh as his eyes wandered over to one of the portholes that glowed with some of the abundant moonlight.
"I've told you about it five times, Chopper." The handyman looked over at the reindeer before giving a weary grin. "Wouldn't you rather hear about something else? Maybe about the Skunk of Doom?"
"Actually," answered Chopper as his own eyes lingered over to the door. "I wish we could go ahead and find everyone, but…"
"You're thinking you'll have to settle for the cheese story instead, eh?" Usopp was right in thinking that his latest (all 100% true) story would give a temporary distraction, but he hadn't predicted that Chopper would readily cling on to it for dear life. He was happy to oblige, though he wondered if it would be better if someone took the crow's nest. "How about steering?" he asked instead.
Nodding, Chopper hopped off from the bench and -- after slipping into his larger form -- took the helm from Usopp. "What're you going to be doing?" the reindeer curiously asked.
Grinning, Usopp made a grand gesture towards himself. "I will watch out for whatever danger shall come our way!" That was the wrong answer, the notorious liar noted belatedly and Chopper suddenly looked panicky. "I mean, ah, I'll be looking for the crew. Yeah." He gave a swift nod. "The crew."
"All right," answered Chopper, although he still looked a bit uneasy. "Be careful, okay, Usopp?" A brief, anxious pause. "I don't know what I'd do if something terrible happened to you, too."
For a moment, Usopp was at a loss for words but it wasn't long before he managed a hearty laugh for humor's sake. "Don't be silly!" He gave a light wave of his hand. "Of course I'll be fine!"
In turn, Chopper gave a half-hearted smile and he silently focused his attention upon the helm, still giving off an aura of uneasiness. Usopp regarded the reindeer with a friendly pat on the shoulder and told him that he'd check in later. With that, he turned and left the kitchen, making his way to the crow's nest.
Deep down, however, Usopp wondered when they would have to abandon the rescue plan initially created by a fire-eyed Nami. The realistic side of his mind harshly told him that it was silly to search for four people who disappeared at different times -- and into the ocean no less! It's like finding a needle in a hay stack…
On the other hand, the timidly adventurous part of his soul meekly asked: "But what would Luffy do?" Why, he'd keep on searching until he either found what he was looking for or died. And although the title had its burdens and complications, Usopp truly felt that - for now, at least - he was in the role that he had always dreamed of becoming: The Captain. He was responsible for the ship. He alone was responsible for the crew. Which meant that he was responsible for finding them.
Usopp gulped, and his shoulders suddenly felt heavy as he made his agonizingly slow climb up to the crow's nest.
***
Like a firm statue, he stood amidst the clearing, bathed with the sheer, silvery moonlight that flittered from the dark sky above. Luffy's wide, curious eyes remained fastened onto the moon as he silently played his own game of hurry up and wait. Hide and Seek, he had been told, was not to commence until the moon shifted to where it was just above the mountain's peek. It hadn't occurred to him to wander off from the cave to make preparations -- he just wanted the game to go ahead and start. And that wasn't going to happen until the moon went where it was supposed to go. So, naturally he was going to stay right where he was until that silly moon hurried up and took its seat above the mountain peek.
He wished it would hurry up.
Suddenly, however, his ears picked up a speedy rustling from the trees and he sharply looked over at the source. Had the game begun already?
He crouched as one hand firmly pressed his hat onto his head. A grin quickly spread across his face as his eyes remained glued upon the area that the frantic noise was coming from. It was so much fun when he didn't know what to expect!
Whoosh!
Large and menacing, a strong figure barreled from the trees and into the clearing, and Luffy was mildly surprised to see three gleaming swords being wielded by the newcomer. He recognized the dark bandana that was tied upon the fellow's head, and the rubber pirate's look of mild puzzlement melted into a thrilled beam.
"Yo, Zoro!" he called while standing up completely to let himself be known. "I've been waiting forever! Did you catch any food?" He blinked and frowned lightly. "Is that blood on you?"
His first mate didn't answer him right away, but continued keeping his guard up instead. Fierce eyes abruptly shot over to the captain, and a hint of surprise flickered through them before the searing look saved only for battle overtook those dark orbs once more.
It was then that Luffy knew something was wrong.
"Where is he?" the poisonous hiss left Zoro's throat, and Luffy gave the green haired man a disconcerted look.
"Where's who, Zoro?" There was a brief, confused pause before Luffy grinned. "Oh! You mean Rabbles?"
As soon as the question was spoken, Zoro seemed compelled by a driving force that urged him to take a step towards Luffy. "Raffles! He spoke to you!? What'd he say?!"
The dark haired boy, on the other hand, furrowed his eyebrows at his companion. "Zoro, it's just you and me here. There's no reason for you to have your swords out." He made fists at the man and said seriously, "Unless you wanna fight for some reason."
"No, that's not it, Luffy!" Zoro was beginning to appear more and more irritated by the moment. "Will you just tell me what he said to you?"
"Oh!" The captain's fists fell to his side and he laughed. "He wanted to play a game with me!"
To Zoro, this wasn't a laughing matter at all. "What kind of game?" he prodded.
"Ooh, it's Hide and Seek!" Luffy rubbed his chin for a moment. "Though the rules are kinda different. We both get to use our devil fruit powers."
The swordsman's eyebrows shot up and he almost lowered his swords out of surprise. "So you know he's an invisible little--?!"
Just then, two more figures burst out of the plant life that rested behind Zoro -- Luffy gave a cheery wave.
"Yo! Sanji! Nami!" he laughed, much less troubled than Zoro happened to be at that moment. "Long time no see!"
As the chef gave a casual wave, Nami scowled at the swordsman. "Zoro!" she exclaimed, quite displeased. "Will just you take a minute to explain what's going on around here?!"
"Will you shut up for a second?!" snapped Zoro, to which Sanji gave a shout of indignation.
"How dare you speak to Nami-san that way--"
Zoro growled at the blond. "Me?! I think comparing me to a pair of smelly socks is a lot more offensive than--"
"Quit putting words into my mouth!" came Nami's sharp reply.
"What? But that's exactly what you said--"
Luffy blinked as he watched the trio engage in the fierce verbal battle. Slowly, his eyes traveled up to the mountain peak -- his face lit up when he realized that the moon was hovering right above the designated place!
It had begun.
Looking over at his friends, he gave a slight, apologetic smile. "Sorry, guys, but I gotta go." All arguing ceased, and Zoro quickly looked over at his captain.
"Do you want us to come with you?" The question was simple and honest, but it wasn't forceful by any means.
"Nah, it was supposed to be just between me and him," Luffy replied. "Thanks for the offer, though."
Accepting of the younger fellow's will, Zoro managed a grin, albeit a tiny one. "All right then, Captain. What do you want us to do instead?"
Luffy thought for a moment before answering. "Whatever you want, really. Except interrupting our game. Maybe you could hunt some more?"
"Luffy, there isn't really a whole lot to hunt--"
"Okay, then! Stay here and we'll go fishing together once I win, okay?" And with that, the rubber pirate sprinted into the darkness that had invaded the forest and disappeared without a trace. Zoro silently watched him as he reluctantly put away his swords. He grimaced when he realized that Luffy had run off with his shirt, but he figured it was useless to say anything at that point.
"I still don't understand what's going on," said Nami, a tad softer this time. "Will you explain it to me now?"
The swordsman was silent for a moment before looking at both the chef and the orange haired girl. "Yeah, sure, whatever." With that, he strode back into his original cave, two expecting companions accompanying him. "I guess I should start from the beginning…"
An eerie wind blew across the island, however, as a satisfied looking man stood atop a certain mountain's edge. A sly smile crept across his stubbly face, and he calmly adjusted his monocle while surveying the lush playground that rested before him.
Let the games begin.