Ooh, this chapter will be a shock I think. Not a big one, but, well, just go and read and find out. I don't have to write it for ya... well, actually I do, but, that's not the point! Just read.

-Toddles off to stare at pictures of One Piece - Which, by the way, I do NOT own. I only own the giant chickens that tell me I'm insane. Ha Ha! Yeah, I had sugar, is that really a surprise? Didn't think so. I'm gonna shut up now.

Chapter 6

Zolo was asleep by the wall when he felt something warm being pressed against him. He jumped, startled from his sleep and then looked down to see twin eyes looking up at him. It could only be one person.

"Luffy…" Zolo sighed. There was a short giggle and then the warmth left him. Zolo looked up to see Luffy looking down at him, his small form silhouetted in the darkness. There was a crack and Zolo looked over to see three people standing in the doorway, hands clasped around flaming torches. Zolo stood slowly.

"They found us Zolo." Luffy whispered. Zolo looked around and suddenly the whole room was alight. Nothing was left to the imagination and Zolo thought the sun must have come up quick for that to happen. He could see the villagers now, and they were faceless. He tilted his head and then saw the pitchfork aimed for Luffy and he growled.

"No." he said and then pulled his swords from their sheaths and jumped towards the attackers.

"Zolo."

He drew his swords back.

"Zolo!"

And began to swing them back down.

"ZOLO!" and the swordsman woke up and swung his sword around. There was the rip of fabric and Zolo paused, the darkness still clouding his vision.

"…Zo…" and then there was a thump. Zolo's eyes finally adjusted and he looked over to see a horrifying sight. Luffy was lying on the floor of the room, the front of his shirt ripped open and blood seeping from a fairly deep wound across his chest. Zolo's face paled and he crawled over to Luffy, who seemed to be in shock.

"Lu-Lu…" he just couldn't seem to get his throat to work. He didn't know what to do! He couldn't think of what to do! There was a crash, and then light entered the room. Zolo looked up in a daze to see Nami, Usopp and Sanji standing there.

"What happened?" Nami snapped. Zolo blinked for a moment and then he looked back down at Luffy.

"I-I…" nope, throat still wasn't gonna work.

"Oh my god…" Sanji said and then ran into the room and knelt down by the bleeding Luffy. The boy's eyes were wide and they shifted to Sanji's face as the cook leant over him. Usopp was next into the room but Nami had run off to find a doctor.

"Go get some bandages and hurry the fuck up!" Sanji yelled at the storyteller. Usopp jumped and then ran from the room at top speed. Luffy blinked. It was amazing that he was still conscious. Zolo was still in shock as well and his face kept twitching.

The prince's eyes shifted to Zolo's face and the swordsman couldn't bear to look down at the wounded boy. It had been his fault. As if Luffy had read his mind, he spoke,

"It… wasn't your… fault…" he croaked. Sanji looked up at Zolo, and saw the words hadn't gotten through the Marimo's head.

"Hey!" Sanji snapped. Zolo looked up, his eyes haunted. "The prince just said it wasn't your fault. Answer him!" Zolo blinked and managed to make himself look down at Luffy.

"…" he still couldn't speak. There was nothing to say.

"WHERE THE HELL ARE THOSE BANDAGES USOPP!" Sanji yelled as loudly as he could. It was a good thing Chef Zeff had gone home for the night, otherwise he would have been up there quicker than a snake.

Usopp ran into the room, puffing and panting and carrying an armful of the thickest bandages he could find. Sanji grabbed them from Usopp and rolled them around his hand and pressed them down over the wound. There was a the quick tap tap tap of someone's feet on the stairs and then a man ran in, a leather bag clutched tightly in his hand.

"What happened?" the doctor asked as he hurried over and knelt down by Luffy, whose eyes had begun to droop. He was finally beginning to lose consciousness.

"He was wounded by a blade." Sanji replied. He could have glanced at Zolo, but the swordsman seemed to be about to break down, so he kept his eyes on Luffy instead. The doctor gently lifted Sanji's hand and then winced.

"It's deep, but not untreatable." and he opened up his bag. Nami walked in and kneeled down beside Zolo, who had gone from twitching to just staring, his face blank. He had never hurt someone he had cared about before and it was tearing him up.

Nami hesitated a moment and then began to put her arm slowly over Zolo's shoulder. The swordsman gasped, twitched and then stood before walking out. Nami blinked and then sighed. She should have known better, but at least the swordsman was out of his stupor. The doctor sighed.

"I'll need one of you to assist, but, if you don't want to see this then I suggest you leave." the doctor said quickly as he pulled a needle from his case. Nami's eyes widened and then grabbing Usopp's arm, she walked quickly out the door and then shut it behind her. Sanji stayed to assist.

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Zolo stood in the cold wind, arms by his side and fists clenched so tight that it was a wonder blood hadn't begun running down his hand yet. There was a soft thud, and then he heard someone walk up beside him.

Usopp. Not the most likely of people to have around to comfort you, but, Zolo didn't care. As long as the liar didn't try and talk to him, he would be okay. He wouldn't cry that way.

"What are they doing?" Zolo asked, surprising himself. Usopp started at the sound and then blinked.

"They're sewing him up." the long nose responded. Zolo paused and then turned to look up at the moon. His shoulders shook and his arms came up to wrap around his own chest. He hadn't cried since his childhood friend Kuina had died. Usopp turned his head away.

There was nothing he could do, nothing he could say. All he was able to do was…lie. What good was that to anyone? He was useless, worthless and a pain in the butt to anyone he associated with. But, he could try. He would always try, because to not try, was something Usopp refused to do.

"He'll be fine. Up in a week." Usopp said cheerfully. Zolo ignored him and Usopp's smile faded. "Come on Zolo, it's not that bad. You didn't mean to do it I'm sure." there was a paused and Zolo turned to face him, eyes shadowed.

"Not that bad? I sliced his chest open Usopp! Or were you playing hooky up there?" Zolo snarled. Usopp was taken aback. He had never seen the guard get this angry before.

"I was there, and I saw." the long nose responded. He wasn't really phased by the swordsman's anger. He knew Zolo wouldn't hurt anyone he considered a friend intentionally.

"…I did that." he muttered and looked back to the forest on the hill above them. Usopp sighed.

"I don't know why you're insisting on punishing yourself Zolo, but, I think you should stop before you hurt Luffy even more." He said, looking at the road that wound past them. Zolo paused.

"…what?" he asked. Usopp turned back to the swordsman with a ferocity that was not often seen in the boy.

"There's something special between you and him. I can tell. I'm not stupid. While I was talking to him up there, all he ever did was say 'And then Zolo did this, and Zolo did that.' you were all he talked about."

"…"

"Don't stand there like a dummy, think about it." Usopp said and then there was silence as Zolo did think, and he thought hard. "Still can't figure it out? Then you're truly an idiot if you can't realise what's in front of you." and then the man walked back into the Baratie again. Usopp stopped on the other side of the door and paused a moment to take a few deep breaths and steady his heavily beating heart.

He had never said anything like that before to anyone. It felt… good. It felt… really good! He had helped… or at least, he thought he had. No, he was sure he had. How could that not have helped? Usopp smiled. He had helped.

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It was early morning, too early for the sun to even be up and Zolo was still standing outside the door of the Baratie. He had realised a long time ago what Usopp had been talking about and why hadn't he seen it before? But, Luffy didn't feel the same way.

There was no way a Prince could feel that way towards a… guard. That was just… weird. Zolo sighed. At least he had been able to take his mind off of what had happened, for a little while. Once again, there was the thud of the door, and then the sound of a lighter being clicked was heard.

"He's asleep." Sanji said and walked forward to stand beside the swordsman before puffing out a breath of smoke. Zolo didn't answer. He just stayed still and continued staring at nothing.

"Hey, Marimo? Did you hear me?"

"Yeah yeah Dartboard. I heard ya." Zolo responded and then looked towards the blonde cook. Sanji peered at him with a calculating eye.

"Is he alright?" he asked more softly. Sanji shrugged.

"The doc says if…" but he stopped there, instead of saying what the doctor had actually said which was that Luffy was a very lucky boy, he continued on a different track "if… he gets enough rest he'll be fine. But this means he's not going to be able to leave here for at least a week." the chef replied. Zolo nodded.

"That's alright. I can go on ahead and-" but he was cut off as Sanji swung a leg up and knocked him backwards. "What the hell?"

"You idiot." Sanji said before walking over to where Zolo was now lying next to the wall. "Go on ahead and leave him here by himself with people he doesn't even properly know? That would be the cruellest thing you could do to the poor kid. Fine, go on and leave him here. He's probably better off without you! At least you won't be able to cut him open again!" Sanji yelled.

That was bellow the belt, and Zolo was not about to take comments like that from a prissy looking bastard with a swirly fucking eyebrow!

"Back off! That was an accident!" Zolo snapped back as he stood. Sanji sneered.

"I'm sure it was, so maybe you should go. Maybe then there won't be any more… 'accidents'." the chef responded. Zolo's eyes flashed and without even grabbing his sword, he belted his fist into Sanji's face.

"Shut up." he snarled. "Just shut. Up."

"Why? Am I beginning to penetrate that thick head of yours?" Sanji replied, sweeping a leg up and around. Zolo dodged underneath it and then brought his fist up but Sanji flipped backwards, bringing his knee up and driving it into Zolo's chin.

The swordsman rubbed at the spot before jumping forward and trying to hit Sanji again but the chef simply spun on his hands and knocked Zolo away again. The swordsman grunted as he hit the ground and then sharp eyes watched as Sanji righted himself again and pulled the cigarette from his mouth.

"Luffy's resting upstairs. I suggest you go and see him if you are going to leave." and then Sanji walked away, back into the restaurant. Zolo watched with narrowed eyes. Bastard… he was right.

Ha, I am going to end this chapter here. Aren't I evil? XD Dramatic chappie that. Wow, I think this story may go a bit longer than I anticipated... as I have mentioned. -shrugs-

Reviews smell of random hams, so send a review and make the random Luffy's come for the random hams, because at random Luffy's are our speciality. XP