Title: Loyalties

Author: AstroKender

Pairings: nothing clean cut. You can pretty much see what you want to see.
Warnings: A bit o language here. Sanji has a dirty mouth.

Spoilers: Not really.
Notes: No much action in this one I'm afraid. It's basically plot filler until all the characters (namely, Zoro) are up and conscious again. Bear with it and I promise some yummy fighting scenes in the next chapter!
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 7

Sanji regretfully dropped the butt of his last cigarette to the ground before pushing open the bulky door of the Swampwater's Brew. Narrow eyes darted warily across the common room as the blonde reflexively straightened his ruined suit; appearance was always a priority, even in battle. Seeing that the bar's large common room was void of life caused Sanji's lips to pull down in an annoyed frown. It wasn't that late at night that there wouldn't be some stragglers still drowning in their mugs. Long legs took a few quick strides towards the bar and the cook tossed a holler towards the rooms beyond.

"We're closed for the night," a voice called out from the left, in the direction of the kitchen. A plump form made its appearance, lugging a very large and battered trashcan. "Please come back tomo—" The man that Sanji recognized as the owner glanced up from his burden. "Oh it's you, the Cook." Puffy eyes trailed over Sanji's rumpled form. "By Roger's ears," the man cursed. "What happened to ya?"

Suppressing a sigh, Sanji dragged a hand through his hair lazily. "Dunno. I think I must have tripped." He said woodenly, as if he weren't covered in dried blood.

"Tripped through a gator's jaws maybe…" The barkeep stared at the pirate skeptically before sitting the trashcan down with a groan. "When Mr. Uragi says not to go out, ya don't go out." He wagged a pudgy finger at the boy. "Common sense, really."

Sanji's fingers trailed idly through his goatee as his hand twitched involuntarily, used to the customary roll of tobacco nestled between the first and second digit. "Hmm, must've missed that notice…" he chuckled wryly. Not waiting for an invitation he wasn't likely to receive, the blonde sat himself on a rickety stool in front of the bar.

The balding man shook his head resignedly and muttered something about kids and their brash decisions before he jerked a thumb back towards the kitchen. "Yer stuff's all back there where ya left it. Please be sure to shut the door good and hard on yer way out, the latch don't always catch." Meaty hand got a firm grip on the garbage once again.

"Thank you but, I don't suppose I could maybe have a bit of a drink before I leave?" Sanji flashed an innocent grin as he idly twirled a coaster across the bar's well-polished surface. "One last toast before shipping out?"

Beady eyes narrowed and the man was silent a long moment, judging the rumpled figure in front of him. "Fine." The barkeep heaved a weary sigh. "But I'm busy cleaning up so you'll hafta go and serve yerself. And don't think that ya won't hafta pay, neither. Sorry, but I don't run no charity."

"That's fine. Thank you for your trouble." Sanji flashed his winning smile once more and the barkeep snorted before hefting his burden up and disappearing through the back door.

Sanji made no move to leave his seat as he stared broodingly at the line of cheap liquor bottles across from him. He didn't know what he had been hoping to accomplish by returning to the bar. All he knew was that everyone was upset-- even Luffy-- and that it was all that bastard cabbage-head's fault.

Nami had stated in not so many words that the big idiot had been hurt pretty badly, which made Sanji even more angry.

"Stupid asshole…" Sanji snapped. "Who said we needed his protection?"

The blonde felt like he was being forced to watch something he didn't understand, and that pissed him off. It was much like watching Zoro's fight with that Hawk-eyes guy; a fight that took on some deeper level of meaning beyond the simple clashing of swords. It made Sanji feel stupid and, most of all, useless.

You see, Luffy may have the utmost of faith in his sword-wielding partner, blindly expecting Zoro to overcome every obstacle and skirmish, but Sanji….

Sanji knew that under all that muscle and pure stubbornness, Zoro was still human. And when your human, no matter how talented you are, there is always going to be someone—somewhere—better than you. It was a fact of life that Sanji had learned to live with, which is why his dream had never been to be the greatest chef in the world. The blonde never pushed himself to surpass his limits; he just wanted to be a chef to the best of his abilities.

So in his eyes, it was fools like Zoro who needed the most taking care of. And Sanji made sure that, on some level, that happened. He didn't mind bailing the green-haired man out in a fight, even though he would surely get yelled at for it afterwards. And if he didn't step in during the fight, a few quick insults afterwards sharply diagnosed the swordsman's condition and made a mental note of what injuries to scoff at-- and thereby inform their companions of. It was a system that worked fine…up until now.

As Sanji sat there and brooded he discreetly observed his surroundings, and became more and more tense as time ticked by. The common room seemed much less inviting with the hearths out and the room empty of patrons. A darkness seemed to hang in the very air, suffocating any light that tried to pierce it. A chill crept up the blonde spine as his eyes peered through the cloudy mirror behind the bottles, scanning the room with a watchful eye. Even though he saw nothing, the cook knew he was not alone.

"Hmm…What shall I have to drink?" Sanji spoke lightly, apparently unaware of his company.

A dusty bottle rose up from behind the counter, apparently of its own violation and Sanji's sharp eyes narrowed behind their shield of golden hair. Two wineglasses soon followed suit and the blonde gave up all pretenses and he shot to his feet.

"Shep keeps all the good bottles under the counter." A low voice intoned and Sanji felt a hot breath rush passed his ear.

VVOOOVV

Luffy wasn't the kind of person to let troubles burden him for long, being a carefree soul by nature. But neither was he the kind of person that didn't understand the value of something important to him. If fact, Luffy's principles were fairly black and white compared to that of the average individual.

To Luffy, there were things that were important to the body, like water and food and then there were things important to the soul, things like family and friends. Right now Zoro's life was at the very top of Luffy's 'important list' and the Straw-hat captain was not going to be able to relax completely until that invisible hand of worry stopped clenching tightly around his chest.

The group reached the waterfront not long after parting ways with Sanji. By now the tide had risen halfway up the sand dune surrounding this portion of the island and even now the waves lapped greedily higher. The Going Merry's silhouette floated gently nearly thirty meters from where they stood. No sign of activity was apparent on board and, looking up and down the sandy hill, the three saw no convenient way to get back to the ship.

"You would have thought that they would have left a rowboat for us." Nami muttered irritably.

"No problem!" Luffy shot her a mischievous grin. Transferring Zoro's swords to his left arm, the rubber-boy pulled his right one backwards. "Gomu Gomu no—"

"Ack, Luffy! Stop!" Nami cried desperately as she latched onto his arm. Luffy gave her a look that said 'I thought you wanted to get to the ship?' and the navigator's eye gave a mighty tic as she struggled to find a viable excuse.

"It probably wouldn't be a good idea to jar the ship, Mr. Luffy." Vivi stated as she too took a hold of the rubber-boy's arm. "What if Tony is still treating Mr. Bushido?"

Luffy lowered his arm and Nami gave a sigh of relief before shooting Vivi a grateful smile. The redhead didn't relish the idea of flying through the air like that; Luffy did it enough to the others for the navigator to get the idea that the landings hurt. Plus, Vivi had brought up a good point. Zoro was injured enough without them carelessly adding to it.

"We'll just have to swim." Vivi added cheerfully and Nami suddenly wished she had let Luffy fling them like shot puts(1).

Just then a clamor of frantic quacking turned their attention behind them, towards the main road to town. Carue had been apparently pacing the uneven surface worriedly as he waited for their return. The spot-billed duck had caught sight of them, however, and was now flapping frantically towards them.

"Carue!" Vivi embraced her companion happily before pulling back. "How are the others doing?"

Carue shook his head and Luffy felt that invisible hand tighten, until Vivi translated the bird's gesture. "He doesn't know. He stayed on the island to wait for us."

Luffy turned to stare once again at the Going Merry, impatience and dread warring within him. The dark-haired boy shook his head at the unwanted feelings. Zoro could take care of himself after all, he told himself. Still, that tightness in his chest remained.

"—will take you across." Luffy caught the tail end of Vivi's words.

"Huh?"

Nami glared at him, exasperated, as she struggled to pull off her sandals. "She said you can ride Carue across the water to the ship. We unfortunately," she gestured to the princess and herself. "Have the luxury of getting to swim."

"Oh, okay!" The rubber-boy grinned and jumped onto the duck's back. "Gitti-up!" Luffy crowed as he slammed his heels into Carue's flanks, resulting in pained squawk from the poor bird. "Eh-heh-heh, Sorry." Luffy scratched at the back of his head ruefully. Carue gave a miffed quack before gliding skillfully into the water, slicing easily through the rolling waves.

It seemed to take forever to reach the Going Merry, as Carue seemed content to keep his pace with the two swimmers wading slowly behind them. Luffy watched with wide and solemn eyes as the distance between the ship and themselves gradually disappeared. The captain tightened his grip on Zoro's swords as he wondered why Usopp wasn't waving cheerfully at them from the main deck. For all appearances, the Going Merry looked deserted.

Luffy's patience had snapped by the time that Carue reached the hull of the ship. Without waiting for the others, he shot a hand out to grasp the rail and flung himself up to land lightly on the abandoned deck. Ignoring the faint protest of the girls from the water, he looked slowly about the ship. The Going Merry was dark and ominously silent.

Sandals flapped noisily across the deck and towards the helm. Bursting through the door, Luffy looked around the empty kitchen. The lights were out. No dinner was prepared. Squaring his shoulders, the dark-haired boy darted back outside and threw open the second door, the one that led down into the ship's body.

Luffy slowly descended the stairs, the trek easy in its familiarity even in the total darkness. He slipped once however, upon entering the hall, and quickly steadied himself with a firm grip on the wall. Crouching down, Luffy reached out to touch the substance that had nearly made him fall. Bringing a finger of the sticky substance to his lips, the rubber-boy's tongue darted out.

Blood.

A deep frown imbedded itself on Luffy's face, invisible in the darkness. So this is where Chopper's seven level transformation must have given out, forcing them to drag Zoro's heavy form the rest of the way.

Glancing up ahead, Luffy could just make out a sliver of light creeping out from underneath the door on the far right and a dark smear that lead to it. Faster than the blink of an eye, the dark-haired boy was suddenly in front of that door. No sounds were audible behind the thick slab of wood so Luffy took a deep breath and quickly shoved the door open.

"Ow! Watch it—Luffy?" Usopp dragged himself up from behind the door where he had collapsed in exhaustion. Rubbing his injured nose, the sharpshooter sent his captain a harsh glare. "You shouldn't just barge in like that, you'll wake Chopper…." Usopp trailed off when he realized that the rubber-boy wasn't even listening to him.

Luffy stared critically at the figure on the table, carefully monitoring each shallow breath exhaled by the deathly-pale face.

"We got the bullets out," Usopp offered hesitantly from behind him, unwilling and unable to give anymore reassurance than that.

Luffy showed no sigh of having heard him as two quick strides brought him to Zoro's side. As if sensing his captain's presence, one tired eye twitched reluctantly open. Luffy smiled and lifted the green-haired man's katanas up for inspection.

"You left these." The rubber-boy stated simply. He carefully placed the two swords beside their owner. When Zoro didn't respond Luffy poked rudely at the man's forehead. "You alive?"

Zoro's other eye shot open. "Can't a guy sleep around here?" his words rumbled out from his chest. Luffy grinned and the swordsman flash a tiny smile in return. "I'm alive. Now leave me alone…" The two eyes shut firmly once more.

Luffy stared down at his companion for another moment before heaving a gigantic, relieved sigh and plopping down on a stool beside his friend. Grinning to himself, he finally glanced over at Usopp. Luffy eyebrows rose at the sharpshooter's disheveled appearance.

"What happened to you?"

Rolling his eyes, Usopp shoved Luffy off the bench and sat himself down with a weary sigh. "Don't ask." He muttered.

Luffy looked around from his new seat on the floor, which smelled of soap and something metallic. A pile of rags lay in a limp heap in the corner of the room, their rust-colored stains standing out in the dim lamplight.

"Chopper?" the captain suddenly asked.

"He's resting in the guy's cabin with a cold washcloth and one heck of a headache." Usopp answered groggily as he attempted to rub the dark circle out from underneath his eyes. "I'm suppose to wake him up soon. He said he wanted to talk to you and—" Usopp gave Luffy a bleary glance before shooting to his feet. "Luffy, why didn't you tell me you were freaking hurt?" the sharpshooter shouted, ignoring his early order for silence. "You're bleeding all over the place!"

Luffy looked down where the black cloth on his arm had loosened, allowing a steady flow of blood to run down his arm before pooling onto floor. He glanced back up with a shrug. "I dunno. It's not like you're a doctor or anything."

Usopp froze for a moment before walking to the other side of the room and grabbing some bandages. He kneeled next to Luffy, expression dark, as he pulled the blood-soaked cloth from his arm and began to roughly wrap the boy's arm.

"Yeah, well I—" the long-nosed boy frown and swiftly changed gears, his hands become more gentle. "Do you know how long it took me to clean this floor? Zoro was practically bleeding buckets."

"Sorry." Luffy smiled apologetically as he surreptitiously pocketed the black cloth, wanting to wait for the swordsman to wake up to return it. He was about to inquire about the extent of Zoro's condition when a large growl filled the air. Eye rolling up in his head, Luffy slumped forward weakly.

"Hungry…." He moaned. "Usopp, cook me some meat."

Usopp looked at his captain as if he were crazy. After all he had been through, the last thing Usopp wanted to do was handle a bloody piece of meat. His stomach turned at the very thought. Dropping back onto the stool, he again rubbed at his eyes. "Have Sanji do it. I don't really feel--" Usopp lowered his hands to find that Luffy was already dashing out of the room.

Nami was just tiredly dragging her soggy form across the deck when Luffy burst from the door, his expression wild. Her eyes narrowed and she quickly stalked towards her prey. "You could have at least dropped the ladder down!" she yelled, prepared to beat some sense into her captain.

But the rubber-boy ran past her without a word. Twining his arms around the ship's mast, he pulled himself backwards before releasing his grip with a snap.

Vivi looked up from helping Carue on board to see Luffy soaring overhead and back towards the island. She heard the faint call of 'meat' from the darkness before Luffy was lost from view. Behind her, Nami let out a string of curses so crude that no proper princess should even know what they mean.

But Vivi had been with these people for awhile now. This situation was not new and the words that were spit out like a cat's hiss had been heard many times before. Smiling, Vivi turned back to help Carue climb on deck.

VVOOOVV Sanji froze as a wave of what appeared to be liquid quicksilver crept up the barstool beside him and slowly coalesced into the shape of a man. The cook quickly schooled his face into an uncaring expression as he watched the form solidify through the bar's spot-covered mirror.

Black hair fell down a thin face to brush against a narrow set of shoulders. The man's clothing had a rather old-fashion style, complete with knee-high tights and a puffy tie. A white handled sword rested on his hip, the katana looking out of place with the overall costume. But what caught Sanji's attention immediately was the man's bright blue gaze that almost burnt on contact as their gazes met through the reflective surface behind the bar.

Sanji was the first to break the stare as his gaze dropped to the wineglass that slid to a stop in front of him. Now that the cook was paying attention, he noticed a thin trail of silver release the scratched vessel and retreat back to somewhere on the newcomer's form. The stranger inclined his head slightly at Sanji's gaze.

"The hog-swill on the counter wouldn't do for a man of your obvious tastes." He held the dusty bottle aloft, with his hands this time. "Sangria Vina, bottled the very day Gold Roger met his end." his eyes took on a far away look. "They say the wine has the unmistakable aftertaste of blood." he raised a slightly mocking eyebrow towards the cook. "Why don't we try some and see?"

"I make it a habit not to drink with strangers." Sanji muttered as the hackles rose on his neck. The cook could easily detect the undertone of malice in the man's tone that belayed his placid expression.

The man opened his mouth to speak just as the barkeep returned from outside, his trek much quicker thanks to his now empty trash can. The pudgy man blinked as he noticed the added patron and his eyes widened in recognition.

"Mr. Uragi!" the barman practically dropped his burden in his haste to join them. "W-what do I owe the honor?" Sanji felt a small flash of pity as the bar's owner tried desperately to cover his thick country accent.

Uragi turned in his seat, gracing the barkeep with a glassy smile. "Good evening, Shep. You look well. My new friend and I," he gestured to Sanji. "Were just about to share a drink. If you could kindly uncork the bottle for us…" The man's smile widened as the fat barkeep babbled and bowed and scrambled behind the counter. Muted crashes and cursed erupted from under the bar as the man dug around for a corkscrew.

"I told you I don't drink with strangers," Sanji spoke only loud enough for his words to travel over the din. "Unless they're beautiful ladies." The cook grinned.

The man looked unfazed. "As Shep said, my name is Uragi. And though I may seem like a stranger to you, I am quite familiar with you Sanji, former second head chef of the floating restaurant, Baratie."

Sanji's eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"

"Ah, ah, ah." Uragi tsked. "Talk of business should wait till a more private moment. For now, let us simply enjoy one another's company, as one sophisticate to another."

Sanji said nothing as the barkeep finally found the item he was looking for and, pausing only slightly at the chosen bottle, he popped the cork and poured the crimson liquid into the two wineglasses. "You have expensive tastes as always, Mr. Uragi." The pudgy man laughed nervously as he used an old rag to wipe the sweat from his brow. "That was my best bottle."

Uragi lifted the brimming glass and waved it under his nose, inhaling deeply. "And well worth the price I will pay you for it, my good sir." Raising his glass high, his inclined his head to Sanji, who could only follow suit.

"To acquaintances; old and new."

"To acquaintances…" Sanji murmured reluctantly. It seemed as though the room itself held its breath as the two men took their first sip.

"Excellent." Uragi exclaimed as he tossed a wave of dark hair over his shoulder. "Better than I imagined."

Sanji said nothing, though he didn't like the wine's taste as all. It was far too sweet for his tastes, with an odd salty aftertaste that reminded him not so much of blood, but of tears. Sanji frowned. This was not a wine you toasted to the living with.

"Speaking of ackwain—" the barkeep Shep stumbled over the unfamiliar word as he nervously fiddled with his rag, almost as though he was afraid to be punished for speaking. "--Of friends. Did your Straw-hat friend finally meet up ya? I gave him the note like I was told and he rushed out willy-nilly as if his pants were afire."

Sanji nodded his head hesitantly as his eyes darted over to his drinking companion. "Yes, we--uh- 'met up'."

Uragi cleared his throat and, as if this were an everyday routine, the barkeep hastily excused himself and disappeared up the stairs. The two remaining men were silent for long moments, each staring down at the ruby-colored liquid in their respective glasses.

"You don't exactly fit the whole 'grease guy' description I was given," Sanji was the first to break the silence as he continued to gaze at his reflection in the wine's surface. "But there is definitely something oily about you."

Uragi let out a smooth chuckle. "Yes, I suppose you could say that."

"You're the one that attacked Zoro?" The way Sanji said those words between clenched white teeth made that more of a statement than a question.

"That was a mistake." Uragi frown before tipping his glass to his lips and draining about half the contents. "I wanted a partner, not a god damn martyr." With a snarl, he threw wineglass across the floor where is shattered in a million sparkling pieces. "If I knew he was going to give up his life for that stupid Straw-Hat boy, I would have used a different approach."

Sanji felt as if he had breathed in pure ice, the way his breath froze in his lungs. Recovering, he shook his head and slammed his glass onto the bar. "What are you talking about? That idiot's not dead."

They would have told him if he were dead….

Uragi stared at him as if he were crazy. "Are you daft, boy? If for some reason he managed to survive being shot by my firing squad, he'll die by sunrise. My poison is quite reliable, after all."

"Poison?" Sanji put one hand to his head, trying to process the sudden influx of information.

No sudden feelings of violence emanated from the man beside him, who in leu of another glass simple raised the wine bottle to his lips. Sanji decided for once not to let his feet do the talking as he attempted to grasp as much of the situation as possible. Vaguely, he wondered if it was against the pirate code to ask the enemy for a smoke. God knows he needed one.

"My, my, you are uninformed." Uragi's cold blue gaze regarded him thoughtfully from above the liquor bottle. After a moment's consideration, the man seemed to come to a decision.

"Very well then. It won't hurt my situation much for you to hear the whole story. And perhaps you'll be more sensible to reason than the swordsman." Uragi took a generous swig of wine as he launched into his story.

"I was—am-- a bounty hunter. But unlike all those other poster toting riffraff, I worked directly for the marines, on a base deep in the heart of the Grand Line. I was good at what I did, and only rarely had to actually kill my target. Normally I would just use a bit of…persuasion," Uragi lingered over the word. "And they would surrender willingly."

"Undoubtedly because of your Devil's Fruit power." Sanji cut in. Thinking quickly, he mind shuffled the puzzle pieces around until they presented a clearer picture. "That stuff you turn into must be some sort of toxin and you used it on Zoro."

Uragi's face split into a toothy grin. "Ah, you are quite the smart one, aren't you? But you are putting the cart before the horse." The thin man leaned forward as he warmed up to his audience. "I do indeed possess the powers of the Doku Doku Fruit, and those powers had served me well for many years. Until one day the base admiral himself was stricken down by some sort of poison, and as you can guess I was the main suspect. The admiral didn't survive the night."

Sanji propped his elbows atop the bar in a careless, and fearless, gesture as he kicked his stool idly. "Did you do it?" he asked casually, as if he they were discussing the weather.

"I had no reason to so foolishly terminate my employment." Uragi quickly drained his bottle with a final gulp before dropping it unheedingly to the floor. "I always did enjoy the comforts of a steady living. But someone took that away from me and the Marine's packed me onto a ship to Loguetown, where that bastard Smoker was going to beat a confession out of me before having me publicly executed." The man's head dropped a bit and it almost seemed to Sanji that Uragi's eyes began to change color. The man sighed and continued his tale.

"But I was saved from such a repulsive fate by a sudden and terrible storm. The ship crashed into something during the night and when I awoke from unconsciousness, myself and a handful of the vagabonds that I had shared a cell with found ourselves on this wretched island. At the time we believed it a miracle." Uragi's eyes drooped closed and Sanji thought he had fallen asleep when the man's low voice slid out of his body like a dying man's last breath.

"Five years, I have been stuck in this backwater island. Five years without a single ship docking on these shores. It's been maddening"

Sanji mulled these facts over for a moment, before broaching the issue that was closer at hand. "That doesn't explain what you wanted with Zoro. He may have been a bounty hunter once but I know for a fact he never worked for any marine."

" No, and it didn't matter either way." Apparently restless, Uragi stood and began pacing the floor. Sanji turned carefully in his seat, determined to keep a good eye on him despite not feeling an immediate threat. "He was here and he had experience. And best of all he brought a mark with him. With your arrival came not only a way off this accursed heap of slime, but also a way to get back on my feet, possibly even get my old life back."

Sanji tilted his head slightly as he regarded his enemy. "I don't think I follow." Uragi paused long enough to glance back at him irritably.

"Oh come on, I may have been stranded here, but I do at least have access to the newspaper! I know very much about your crew and the bounty on your captain's head. It was if opportunity just dropped you all into my lap."

"You wanted Zoro to kill Luffy?" Sanji barked out a harsh mocking laugh. "You obviously didn't do all your homework."

Uragi stopped in his tracks and Sanji's laugh died in his throat. A sudden chill seized his spine as the thin man turned and pierced him with the slitted eyes of a reptile. Uragi stalked toward him with slow, menacing steps and Sanji fought not to automatically give ground. Only now did their difference in height become apparent, as the bounty hunter fairly towered over the blonde.

"Maybe I wasn't asking the right person." Uragi hissed out. "What do you say, cook? Give up your ship and your captain and I'll let the rest of your pathetic bunch of crewmates live. I'll even give you the antidote for the swordsman, if he's still alive." Uragi held up a small vial whose content gleamed like the sun shining into the clearest of waters. "Really, is one life worth more than the others?" he asked, the vial disappearing once more.

"Why didn't you just poison my wine and force me to help you?" Sanji glared up into the once again normal eyes.

"Unfortunately, my powers aren't that convenient." Uragi brushed past him to once again take his seat at the bar. Unusually long fingernails created an offbeat rhythm against the wooden counter. "And I have no desire to be digested. Besides, that threat didn't work with Roronoa, why should I believe it would work for you?"

"True enough." Sanji grinned hatefully. "You're one stupid son of a bitch if you think I give a shit about you and your little sob story." Straightening his tie, the blonde slowly rose to his feet. "You have the nerve to threaten my crewmates and think that I'll just go along with your little plan?" The cook backed up a step to get in within good kicking distance. Crouching down, his grin returned. "I'd tell you to go to hell but it'd be pretty pointless when I'm already gonna send you there."

Uragi's face showed no expression as he reached over for Sanji's nearly untouched glass of wine. Downing the warm liquid in one gulp, the wineglass flew passed the pirate's head to join its companion in pieces on the floor.

"What is it with you stubborn pirates these days?" Uragi's hand slipped into his vest and pulled out a small pistol. "Must you always resort to violence?" He pointed the barrel at Sanji and cocked the hammer back. Sanji's eyes widened as he wondered if he could dodge the shot at such close range.

"I guess I'll just have to pick you off, one by one." Uragi sighed. "How troublesome." His finger started to squeeze the trigger when the front door suddenly burst off its hinges and into the room.

"SANJI!"

A panting figure stood in the mangled doorway; his face backlit by the street lamps behind him. A straw hat slowly floated to the floor by the figure's feet.

"FEED ME!"

VVOOOVV

(1) Shot put – those white disc things that are shot into the air for target practice.