Title: Loyalties

Author: AstroKender

Pairings: nothing clean cut. You can pretty much see what you want to see.
Warnings: Blood and violence and angst abounds. Just remember minna, I'm shooting for a happy ending )
Spoilers: Not really.
Notes: Ah finally, the scene I've been waiting on. (and the reason I wrote this fic in the first place) I hope it comes out as good as the idea originally in my head.
Feedback: or use the comment bar at the bottom of the screen.
Archived: Ask and ye will probably receive.
Disclaimers: I don't own One Piece or it's affiliates. This fic is written for entertainment purposes only and is not meant for sale. Don't sue.

Chapter 4

Luffy left the bar directly after lunch for a very important reason: he was curious. Now this was not the idle curiosity that plagued the captain's attention span every five minutes of every passing day. No, this here was curiosity with a purpose.

The last time he felt a drive such as this was in Loguetown, where Gold Roger had been executed. Luffy climbed that scaffold with his eyes practically gleaming with the intensity of his inquisitiveness. He wanted—no needed—to see how the Pirate King had died and what his last view of this life had been.

His wish had come almost a little too true, as he himself faced execution at the hands of Red Nose Buggy, holding true to that saying about curiosity and cats. Luffy had looked into that crowd of upturned faces as the sword blade had came down, picking out the distraught expressions of two of his crewmates. In that second he wondered briefly if Roger's friends had to watch his death in the same way.

Fortunately Luffy had been spared an early death by a quick stroke of luck—errr, lightening. That day was forgotten quickly as the days following sped by in a blur that came to rest on Black Feather. The island's unusual terrain had sparked the flame of curiosity once again. And now Luffy had finally gotten a chance to do something about it.

The question was simple: If a hammer is dropped in a swamp, will it sink?

Quite literally this meant that Luffy wanted to know if swamp water would cause in him the same weakness that occurs when he falls—or is tossed—into the sea. Would it be exactly the same? Would he be able to wade around and perhaps swim around with those tasty lizards he had seen with all the pointy teeth? Luffy was dying to know what would happen.

Which brought up the problem, of course. Luffy wanted to know what would happen should he jump in, but didn't particularly want to stick around if the consequences turned against his favor. The captain was a bit slow on the uptake, sure, but he did posses at least a mediocre sense of self-preservation.

So after breakfast he jumped into a water barrel. Nothing much happened besides his clothes getting wet and some large man running out of a building yelling at him. Luffy was slightly disappointed, but the outcome wasn't unexpected. After all, he could splash around in a bathtub well enough, though he didn't do such a thing very often.

His next tests of a fountain, a keg of ale, and a giant sink in which to wash dishes all turned up the same results. This left a sodden Luffy drumming his heels on the ledge of a building where he was hiding from an angry mob that thought he was trying to contaminate their water (and ale). A thoughtful frown on his face, Luffy tried his best to force the gears in his head to turn.

Maybe it was only running water that sapped his strength? That is what happened in those stories of vampires that Usopp had told him. If that were the case, than a stagnate swamp should give him no more trouble than a puddle of rainwater.

But still, it was best to err on the side of caution, Luffy believed. Which is why he needed someone with him that was willing to pull him back out again should his little experiment go awry. As Zoro was most often the one diving after Luffy's waveswept form, he was obviously the logical course.

So he began looking for the elusive swordsman, who had mysteriously vanished sometime after breakfast. Of course the rubber man never thought to actually ask the others where he went. After all, it's not like Zoro would go on some adventure without him. He was probably just sleeping in some nice, shady spot in town as he waited for lunch.

As often happens with Luffy, thoughts of food soon sidetracked him from his little self-imposed mission. All thoughts of swamp diving flew from his head at the thought of a well-prepared meal. So, after another hour or so of wandering around lost, he had eventually made it back to the inn in time to see Zoro walking up the street from the other direction.

He had tried to tell Zoro about his swamp idea during lunch, but he got the feeling that the swordsman wasn't really listening to him. So Luffy decided to wait until after they ate to make Zoro come with him. Zoro wouldn't refuse; he never did. Oh, sure, he might bulk a bit at first, and of course he'd grumble a lot, but he'd do it anyway because Luffy asked him to. That's just the way things were.

But then Zoro had left. Without hearing about Luffy's idea. Without eating lunch.

Something was wrong.

Usopp had left shortly thereafter. Without eating.

Something was definitely wrong.

So Luffy had run after his swordsman friend (after he had eaten lunch of course). The captain of the Straw-Hat crew search high and low for him missing first mate. He visited all the best napping spots in town. He got thrown out of all the bars. He would have even searched the Going Merry, but he couldn't remember where they had docked it.

Frustrated (and hungry), Luffy dragged his sandals sullenly through the sand as he made his way back to the Swampwater's Brew. (The few villagers still out had kindly pointed the way) It was getting dark and he hadn't gotten to test his swamp theory yet. At this rate, they might leave the island before Luffy could find out. Sighing, the dark-haired boy consoled himself with the thought that, just maybe, there would be a swamp hiding unnoticed somewhere in the desert island of Alabasta.

Stepping through the doorway of the inn, Luffy stopped, puzzled. The place was empty of patrons. Not a single sole was relaxing with a cold beer after a hot day's work. In fact, the only person in the room was a slightly balding, somewhat overweight man standing behind the bar. Luffy quickly crossed the room and sat on a stool across from him.

"I need food."

The old man glanced up from the counter he was wiping down. "Son, ain't gonna be no food tonight, I'm afraid. The cook and waitresses all went home."

Luffy's lip poked out in a disappointed pout. "Why?" he asked, brows furrowed.

"Well, cause Mr. Uragi came an' said that there might be some kinda trouble brewin tonight an' suggested everyone keep to their homes. An' when Mr. Uragi talks, most sensible people listen."

"Trouble?" Luffy perked up in his seat. "Where?" The rubber boy tugged on his straw hat in excitement. A good bit of trouble was just what he needed to liven up what has otherwise been a dreadfully boring visit.

The barman eyed him down as if he were crazy. "Well I don't rightly know where but—hey, did you come in with some friends earlier? A bunch of mismatched, pirate-like fellows?" Luffy nodded wordlessly and the man reached under the counter.

"I was instructed to give this to ya then. Along with this letter." He pulled out a large twine wrapped parcel. And a slightly tattered looking piece of paper.

"Ah, presents!" Luffy laughed and hurriedly tore open the package. Inside lay a heavy vest made of leather and studded with small bits of metal. The vest was small, tiny even, looking as though it would fit a child. Looking at it critically, Luffy thought it might fit him, though it was awfully ugly. Who would have gotten him something like this?

"Here now, sonny, this letter's yours too." The man held out the scrap of paper.

Luffy took it and turned it around in his hand a couple of times, squinting slightly, before handing it back. "What's it say, old man?" he asked impatiently.

"Well, let me get my spectacles…" the man rummaged around in his pockets for a few moments as Luffy hopped back and forth on one foot, straining to see the paper he couldn't even read.

"Let's see here." The old man cleared his throat. "Luffy. I'm at the swamp at the south end of town. I've got the others. Put on the damn vest and get your ass down here. Zoro. PS South is that way, stupid." The old man took off his glasses. "I'm afraid that's all it says. Sound a bit urgent, wouldn't ya say?"

Luffy was already pulling the vest over his head, a remarkable feat with his hat still firmly in place. A big grin nearly split his face as his head finally popped through. "A game!" he laughed. "This should be fun!" He jogged quickly to the exit.

"Which way is south again?" he called back over his shoulder.

"Umm, that way," the man pointed. "But you really shouldn't go out there. Mr. Uragi said—" The barman's words died on his lips as he realized he was warning an empty room. The young man had already left.

OOVVVVVOO

Zoro paced the uneven ground impatiently as he awkwardly tried to avoid any sinkholes, not to mention the majority of the sludge. He had lain the others on a small mound that wasn't too damp, and close enough that he could make sure their bodies didn't become dinner for the local wildlife.

The swamp at night was creepy, he had to admit. The swamp itself looked like polished black glass in the moonlight, marred here and there by the even blacker shadows of roaming animals or floating vegetation. The heat from the day still radiated up from the ground to mingle with the cooler night air, creating a light fog that covered the landscape like gauze.

The swordsman paused as a cramp seized his stomach. They were coming more frequent now and strong enough to make him want to double over. His body was flushed with fever and every once in awhile his vision blurred making pacing rather difficult.

"Damn. Fighting in this shape is gonna be troublesome." Zoro muttered as he swatted at yet another mosquito. A darker, more fevered part of him hoped that the little bloodsuckers would get poisoned too, at least the ones he couldn't manage to squish.

Shaking his head, Zoro peered through the gloom vainly trying to catch sight of any figures coming from town. Neither Luffy nor Uragi had shown up yet. Zoro fervently wished that Luffy for once would not get lost and that he wouldn't stumble into Uragi first.

It took Zoro a long time to come up with this plan, and to be honest, it was the first time he had ever had to think things through so meticulously. Zoro's normal method was charge and slash and let the others take care of themselves. His comrades were strong, right?

But he himself had been taken down so easily and he could honestly say, without bragging, that the only crewmember who could possibly match him in strength was Luffy. The others had their talents and, together, they may have been able to come up with a plan, but it was too risky to chance. There was no reason for all of them to die. So Zoro would save who he could.

And right now his priority was his captain. And himself. If Zoro could manage to get some of Uragi's poison, Chopper could create a cure and Zoro would live to fulfill his promise. The only reason he lived was for that promise.

Zoro's hand shot out to balance himself as his vision dimmed. He could hear laughter, all around him. A girl's laughter. Her laughter. Squinting, Zoro could even make out her shape floating above the water.

"You're weak as always, Zoro."

"No!" Zoro rubbed harshly at his face. "I've got to pull it together. I still have a fight to win, but first I need to make sure that idiot is—"

"Oiy! Zoro!" A voice called out from the shadows.

Pulse racing, Zoro turned towards the voice.

OOVVVVVOO

Luffy raised his hand in greeting as he stepped forward out of the tree line. His sandals squelched with each step, showing he wasn't as careful as Zoro was in getting here. In fact, it was a miracle he made it here at all.

"So," he called out with a grin. "You decided to help me out with my idea?"

Zoro looked bewildered. Frowning, Luffy put his hands on his hips. "You know, to see if I can float in this stuff." He gestured to the murky water around them. "I told ya about it at lunch, remember? Gee, Zoro, you sure do have a bad memory."

His first mate shook his head in annoyance. "Nevermind that! Where's the vest I gave you? You're not wearing it. Didn't you get it?" He demanded as he strode forward.

"Ah, that. Yeah I got it, but it wasn't very comfortable and it was really heavy so I threw it away about halfway here." Luffy scratched his head underneath his hat. "Why did you get me a silly thing like that for, anyway?"

"You tossed it?" Zoro yelled incredulously. "You idiot!" The swordsman grabbed Luffy by his shirtfront, shaking him like a rag doll. "What where you thinking? Do you know what I had to go through to get that for you? Did you even read the note?"

Luffy's head bounced back and forth wildly. "Yeah, well actually some old man read it to me, but I remembered all the stuff it said. Swamp. South. Something about the others…where are they anyway?"

Zoro suddenly let Luffy go, his eyes growing cold. "If this is the way it has to be…" he muttered as he slowly tied the black bandanna around his head. Taking a few steps back, he placed his hand on his two remaining swords.

"So, where is everyone?" Luffy asked again as he pulled his hat back down firmly on his head.

Wordlessly, Zoro nodded to his right, where three bodies were just barely visible in the waxing moonlight. Luffy's eyes widened and he sucked in a large in-drawn breath. "Guys! Zoro, what happened?" he asked as he rushed forward.

"I happened." Zoro stated, moving to block his captain's progress. Luffy stared at him uncomprehendingly and tried to go around him, only to be stopped again, this time by the point of a sword. Luffy's eyes narrowed as he focused on the katana, it's shine dimmed here and there by rust colored trails of blood.

"What's going on here, Zoro?" Luffy asked quietly.

Zoro smiled humorlessly. "You just had to ruin the whole plan, didn't you. It wasn't easy for me to come up with, you know."

"What did you do to the others, Zoro?" Luffy demanded, louder this time.

"They were in the way." Zoro crouched down in a fighter's position. Sweat beaded slowly across his face. "Now they're not."

Luffy's hands curled slowly into fists. "You…"

Zoro rolled his shoulders to loosen them before raising his swords. "And now it looks like I have to take care of you as well."

"You…you…Traitor!" Luffy spit the word out like a curse as he pulled his arm in preparation for a disastrous punch.

Zoro smirked. There was no way he'd win this fight, that much was already apparent. His muscles twitched in protest as he held his swords aloft. His legs felt as if they would give out in any minute and he was already struggling to draw breath. All of that and the battle hadn't even started yet. He was a fool to think that his plan would work and now his foolishness might cost him everything.

Zoro's ears caught a faint sound behind him and his eyes widened. Dropping his swords, he grabbed a hold of Luffy's fist just as it rushed towards him and pulled harshly. He fell backwards; abruptly pulling Luffy down with him as a load crack was heard.

Rolling his head back, the swordsman caught sight of two figures close to the water's edge. Damn. Uragi's trap had already been sprung. Zoro was debating on just how quickly he could defeat them before reinforcements arrived when Luffy pushed off him with a growl.

Zoro frantically tried to pull his captain back down, but Luffy gave him a quick backhand that sent him reeling back into the damp grass. "Idiot! They'll shoot you!" he called past the blood pooling in his mouth.

Luffy glared down at him, totally unconcerned about the two intruders. "I'll kill you." He muttered to Zoro, once again raising his fist.

Another crack was heard and Luffy turned his head calmly towards the shot flying toward him, only to stumble back in shock as the bullet pierced his arm, creating a large hole that instantly spurted blood.

"Damn it Luffy! I tried to warn you!" Zoro leapt to his feet and raced towards the shooters, his swords suddenly back in hand. Even poisoned, his speed was too fast for the gunmen to react to. "You can't just bounce those things back!" He yelled out as he took care of the two with a few quick slashes of his katana. Breathing heavily, he slowly made his way back to where Luffy stood, stunned.

"I've been shot." He whispered incredulously. "I've never been shot before." Luffy slowly raised his hand to cup the wound. "It hurts."

"It looks bad." Zoro admitted. "I'm no Chopper, but you could easily bleed to death with a wound like that." The swordsman took off his trademark headband and wrapped it tightly around his captain's bleeding arm. "At least it went clean through."

Eyes shadowed, Luffy pushed him away. "Don't touch me." Zoro opened his mouth to protest but a new voice stepped in.

"You did your job well, Zoro."

The two pirates turned to see what seemed to be nothing but a small puddle slowly coalesce into the shape of a man. Uragi stood before them, grinning, as he idly twisted a greasy lock of hair. "Luring your captain here and killing your three crew mates. I must say, you've far exceeded my expectations. You definitely deserve half the reward."

Zoro stepped past Luffy, face expressionless, as he walked towards Uragi. "I don't care about the reward. I want the antidote."

"Yes, yes." The bounty hunter waved his hand dismissively. "A dead partner is no good to me, after all."

"And I want my sword back." Zoro stepped closer.

"Done." Uragi sighed. "Though the one I gave you was just as good of quality." The dark-haired man's brow furrowed as he counted only two sheaths at the swordsman's side. "Where is that blade, by the way?"

"I sold it. For five thousand beli."

"Five thousand?" Uragi exploded. "That sword was worth at least 10 million! How could you—" he calmed himself with some effort. "Nevermind, we have other matters to attend to." He gestured to where Luffy stood watching their exchange with a murderous look on his face.

A string of lanterns suddenly lit up above them, illuminating the small area of marsh where they all stood. At the apparent signal, five men burst out from the water, spitting out bamboo reeds as they brought their guns up to arm. Uragi gestured impatiently to Zoro.

"And now, if you would kindly move out of the way."

Wordlessly, Zoro sheathed his swords. The gunmen were too far away. He'd never cut them all down in time. Zoro heaved a large sigh as he headed slowly toward Uragi's side. The bounty hunter nodded to his men and five rifle hammers clicked back in synch.

"You may fire when ready, men."

Before the words were even out, Zoro had twisted around like a cat. He ran as fast as he had ever run before as five shots rang out. He forgot everything. The poison, the antidote, the pain, his promise….

Luffy's eyes widened as the guns went off, true fear striking him immobile for the first time. Shanks' face flashed fleetingly through his mind as he was suddenly knocked over by a giant force coming from the side. He felt the impact of five shots indirectly as they hit the solid force in front of him. Luffy's breath exploded from his body as that large and heavy something landed atop him.

Dazed, the rubber man's head tipped up only to come face to face with his first mate. Blood coursed down Zoro's arms as he laboriously pushed himself upwards a few inches. His eyes were wide and wild as he grinned down at Luffy.

"You're right…" he grunted. "Getting shot does hurt."

"Zoro…" Luffy whispered.

"My loyalties will always lie with my captain." Zoro's smile faded as his eyes rolled back and he slumped over Luffy like a puppet with its strings cut.

Luffy's eyes widened as he reached up and grabbed the swordsman's blood soaked arms, alternating trying to push him off and shake him awake. "Zoro? Zoro!"

Blood began to soak through his clothes, hot and wet. Too much blood…. Luffy's eyes turned panicked.

"Zoro! Hey, Zoro!"

The swordsman couldn't answer.

"ZORO!"