Title:Of Dreams and Desires
Pairings: Smoker x Ace, Sanji x Zoro, and other side pairings
Ratings: T - NC-17
Chapter: 57 of ?
Summary: The road to One Piece is a dangerous one and each individual begins at different times and places. Some paths cross for a fleeting moment but the encounter could be so great that it can alter the initial direction. Every meeting is important and is planned by the souls long before the bodies see each other. Follow everyone's story and see what path they take.
Disclaimer: I do not make any profit from this story; all props go to Eiichiro Oda.
Author Note: I apologize for the long delay. I hope you all enjoy!
Shout Outs: Thank you Em-em-chan for following and favoring the story. I appreciate it.
Beta Reader: descriptionsalive21, thank you so much!
Roronoa Zoro
Ugh…
Zoro slowly opened his eyes as he tried to will himself to move, but his body wouldn't allow it. Exhaustion kept him pinned to the ground, although it didn't stop him from grabbing at the rubble around him in a strained effort to stand. The sound of shuffling near him caught his attention, persuading him to lift his head. Blurred eyes watched as the Shichibukai walked over the multiple bodies littering the ground, not far off from where he lay.
Kuma looked around at the defeated pirates, eyes searching for one member in particular among them. Upon finding him, the warlord perambulated over to Monkey D. Luffy. Finally, he found himself towering over the still-slumbering teen, staring down at his peaceful face. The captain's loud snoring pulled old memories of his time with Dragon to the front of his mind.
Everything I do, I do for him.
Tossing away the large boulder that was pressing up against the boy, Kuma reached down and grabbed Luffy by the front of his shirt. But just before he could raise him from the rubble, a rush of wind blew pass them and a moment later he felt pain blossom on his shoulder. Halting his movements, the Shichibukai glanced down at the fresh wound; the robotics that were usually carefully hidden under his clothes were now revealed. Dropping Luffy, he turned around in search of the threat, his eyes narrowing when he caught sight of the battered form of the Straw Hats' swordsman.
Zoro rapidly unsheathed two of his swords, sending slashes of energy barreling towards Kuma, "Lion's Song!" he yelled as he re-sheathed his swords, mentally patting himself on the back when the blows landed on target.
Blood gushed from Kuma's shoulder and he stumbled back a few steps. Zoro watched the giant regain his footing with labored breaths and when electricity spurted from his wound, the teen's eyes widened. The torn shirt drooped off Kuma's shoulder, causing more metal and wires to peek out. At the sight, the swordsman spat out some of the blood that had begun to pool in his mouth before he shouted, "What are you?!"
When Kuma moved his arm, it hissed in protest, making him grunt. He turned towards the swordsman as he continued to talk, "So you're a cyborg just like Franky, huh?" The Shichibukai flexed his fingers and Zoro shook his head, "No. You're stronger than just steel."
Anger filled Kuma. How could I have let my guard down?!
His right eye began to glow red and his mouth opened wide, spilling forth a yellow light that had generated from the back of his throat. Zoro shouted "Oh shit" before a beam came shooting out of the warlord's mouth. With much effort and a few pained grunts, the swordsman leapt out of the way, skidding on the ground as he tried to stop himself. The ray exploded where Zoro once was and the aftershock threw him into a broken wall, causing it to crumble upon impact.
His breaths came out in short puffs as he lay in the dirt trying to recover from the blow his body had taken. Slowly, he climbed to his knees, silently commanding his body to keep moving; but his legs were completely depleted of energy. Using the remainder of his upper body strength, he flung his body around so he could face the Shichibukai. Kuma pulled up his shirt so that it covered the exposed metal of his arm, "A cyborg… that is indeed what I am; but I am quite different from 'Cyborg Franky'."
Newly open wounds on Zoro's face dripped blood into his eyes—not that it mattered, his vision had been going in and out since he'd stood to his feet a while ago. His efforts to remain conscious began to fail him and his body leaned forward, forcing him to catch himself with Wado.
How is he still able to move? Nikyu questioned.
Kuma observed the swaying man, "I am what is called a Pacifista. Part of a yet-to-be-completed project of the World Government—a human weapon."
Zoro spewed bile, gaging a little before he questioned, "A Pacifista?"
Deciding to humor the conversation, Kuma responded, "I was created by the government's genius scientist Doctor Vegapunk. The man with the greatest intellect on the planet," he shrugged his wounded shoulder, testing its mobility, "It is said that his scientific knowledge has already reached the level humanity is likely to reach in five hundred years' time."
The swordsman collapsed onto his butt, crossing his worn-out legs as he listened to the man. A body like that… What's more he's an ability user. It's like there's just no chance at beating him. Zoro tested his limbs, but they would barely budge, drawing a snort from deep within the man. Just as I thought, my body won't even obey me anymore. Half-lidded eyes followed the Shichibukai, "You're still going to take Luffy's head, aren't you."
No remorse was held on Kuma's face when he answered, "That's as far as I'm willing to compromise."
Zoro took deep breaths to slow his racing heart and calm his buzzing nerves, "I understand. I'll let you have one head." Still seated, he shakily placed his hands in front of him, bowing at the waist, "In exchange for Luffy's life, please take mine. I'm begging you!" The warlord's eye ridge furrowed as he continued, "I might not be that famous yet, but this is the head of the man who would've eventually become the world's greatest swordsman. Surely, that should be enough."
Kuma took his time to reply, weighing the suggestion in his mind, "Despite your remarkable ambition, you wish to take this man's place and go to your death?"
Still bowed, Roronoa gave a half-hearted shrug, "I don't see any other way to save my crew. If you can't even protect your captain, then your ambition is pointless."
A faint yell registered in Sanji's head and his body twitched before he flipped over onto his back. He'd woken back up when a shock wave had ripped through the air, but it wasn't until now that he was able to move and get some fresh oxygen into his lungs. The cook tilted his head back, observing the now upside-down talking men, watching them stare each other down. Dragging himself to his feet, he muttered curses under his breath as pain racked through his body. His legs were shattered and too numb to use; however, none of that stopped the cook from righting himself and dusting off his tattered suit before yelling, "Wait a damn minute, you bastard."
Zoro's head shot up and his eyes widened at the sight of his lover's staggered gait as he walked towards them. He opened his mouth but the words caught in his throat, causing Sanji to shake his head, "What good is dying gonna do you?"
Already knowing what the cook was going to do, he weakly slammed his fist down on the ground, croaking out, "No."
Ignoring him, Sanji reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a smoke, "Rather than take this moss-head of a swordsman, take my life instead." His body shook with exertion as he stared at the Shichibukai while he reached for a match out and lit the disfigured smoke between his lips, "The navy might not consider me a threat yet, but in the end, the one in this crew who will cause the most trouble is me, Black Leg Sanji!"
The paw man didn't respond to the declaration, dragging a growl from the cook, "Now do it! Rather than this guy, I'll let you have my life. I am perfectly ready to lay down my life here if I must." He tried to take a few drags but the smoke was so bent that he couldn't pull in any nicotine from it. Fuck it! He threw away the cigarette, "Let's make this a glorious death!"
As those words left his mouth, the wind blew and he nearly lost his balance. Zoro rolled his eyes at the display while Sanji set himself on solid footing and sad blue eyes looked over his shoulder at the man he'd come to love, "Hey, tell everyone to have a good journey and I'm sorry, I guess you'll have to find a new cook."
Zoro's heart bashed against his chest and, taking ahold of the sudden rush of adrenalin in his veins, he dashed over to the cook. Using the butt of Wado, he jabbed Sanji in his lower back, effectively paralyzing the blond. Blinded by pain, Noir wildly reach out in a failed attempt to grab at anything to keep him from falling to the ground. His hand fell on the swordsman's shoulder and he clutched at the ripped shirt under his dirty fingers, "Why… you…"
A tear slipped from Sanji's eyes when his love shook his head before they rolled to the back of his head. Seeing only the white of his eyes, Zoro gently pushed the cook backwards, causing his body to fall to the ground. Taking a deep breath, Roronoa removed the swords from his haramaki, "You will take my head alone back to your superiors. That is my final request," he threw the katanas at the feet of his soon-to-be-killer and they clanked against the ground; when the warlord looked up, resolved eyes glared at him.
Kuma sighed, "If I were to lay a hand on Straw Hat's head after all this, I would be the one to bear shame."
Zoro swayed slightly and his voice broke, "I am in your debt."
Green eyes cautiously watched the man walk over to Luffy and place his hand over his small body. Seeing the swordsman tense, Kuma addressed him, "You may trust me. I will keep my promise," he picked Luffy up with one hand, "But in exchange, I will show you what hell is like."
Laying his other palm to the unconscious teen's chest, he called upon Nikyu and a red paw-bubble began to expand out from the boy's back. Zoro's eyes widened as the bubble continued to grow until it was the size of the bomb that had previously exploded. Kuma pushed it over to the swordsman and laid Luffy back on the rock, "What I just deflected from his body was all his pain and his fatigue. This is every bit of damage that was inflicted on him during his battle with Moriah and Oars. If you wish to take his place, then naturally you would have to take in all of this," motioning towards the bubble, he continued, "However, if someone who was as close to death as you were to take all of this, it would be impossible for you to survive. You'll die…" he paused to let the words sink in, "Have a try."
Using the padding on his palm, Kuma swiped a small portion of the radiating energy away from the bubble. Zoro warily eyed the tiny orb floating towards him. The closer the sphere got to his chest, the more he could feel the heat emanating off of it and he forced himself to relax as it disappeared into his body. Not only a moment later, his skin began to crawl and his insides felt like fire. The pain was more than he'd expected and a gasp escaped his lips. He'd been hit by Nami's electric bolt multiple times, but this… this was different… this was ten times worse. No longer could he see or hear, all his senses were lost to him and tremors shook his body as he fought to stay on his feet. Finally, the shocks passed and Zoro's legs buckled underneath him, forcing his face to meet the ground. He gripped at the dirt as he tried to force himself to breathe. Quickly figuring out he couldn't on his stomach, he rolled over onto his side, gulping in cooling breaths.
Watching him struggle to regain his composure, Kuma innocently questioned, "How was that?"
The thudding of his heart pumping blood through his veins pounded his already abused skull, making it hard to hear the Shichibukai's soft voice. Balling his hands into fists, Zoro struggled to his feet, "Just–" his voice broke and he coughed up more bile before trying again, "Just let me go to another spot."
Together, the executioner and the condemned traveled a ways away from the others, who still lay passed out amongst the rubble. Kuma guided the deadly bubble over to a clearing and waited for the swordsman to catch up. The chosen area was on the edge of the castle property, near the forest. Having finally caught up with the warlord, Zoro took a deep breath. This was it. He wouldn't be able to say bye to anyone—but that was ok. He wouldn't have been able stand the looks on their faces anyway.
Perfect.
With no fear and few regrets, Zoro took his position before the energy bubble, making the hairs on his skin stand on end. He'd faced death before and he knew the god always wore different faces—this time it was a fucking bubble with spurts of electricity bouncing around inside of it. He swayed forward towards the red sphere as if he were a moth attracted to a flame and as fatigue overtook him, but before he could pass out, he thrusted himself into the paw orb. A bright light was the last thing the swordsman saw.
Standing his ground, Kuma pushed his shades further up on the bridge of his nose to shield his eyes from the explosion. When the erratic winds calmed, he left the soon-to-be-dead man where he stood and Nikyu nudged her partner. I'm amazed he's still standing.
Using his super speed, Kuma dashed to Thriller Bark's edge to watch the sun break over the sea line. I am too.He watched until it reached the highest point in the sky, adding, He has a good crew.A small grin tugged at his lips. Just what I'd expect from your son, Dragon.
R.Z
Oooouu!
Pale fingers twitched.
My body feels great! How?!
Long eyelashes fluttered against grimy cheeks as they struggled to open.
Luffy… there's just no way.
Bruised lungs expanded twice their size, gathering in much needed air.
Do you think he took so much damage it went full circle and put him on a high?
A groan escaped his cracked lips.
Robin, that's impossible.
Sanji jerked awake, heart thumping against his ribs as he gulped down deep breaths. Slowly, the cook rose to his feet, mentally assessing his body for any possible life-threatening wounds. Blue eyes darted to his left, observing his crew gathered around their captain, and relief instantly filled him upon seeing them mostly unharmed—even the afro skeleton. He tapped his fingers against his thigh as he performed a head count. A lump formed in his throat when he came up one short.I thought it was a dream. Pivoting on his heels, Sanji searched for any signs of his marimo. Spotting three swords lying just a few feet from him, Noir scrambled towards them, ignoring the pain he felt in his back and legs. He picked up the sheaths, squeezing them tightly in his grasp as he frantically looked around for their owner, "Zoro?!"
Setting down the katanas, Sanji continued to call out for the swordsman; his gut churned when silence was his only reply. He glanced over his shoulder at the weapons as the darkest of thoughts filled his mind. Unable to handle the deadly scenarios running through his brain, the cook darted straight ahead, hoping to find the first mate. He ran until the stones surrounding him turned to rubble and the forest came into view. Panic filled him as the smell of iron flooded his nose, urging his legs to move quicker. His blood pumped faster through his body, propelling him across the ground. The dirt became moist and the next step he took almost snagged his feet out from under him. After regaining his balance, he came to a stop and some colorful curses left his damaged lips upon noticing drying blood splattering the broken pieces of stone below.
Where is all this blood coming from?
"Where the fuck are you?" Sanji whispered as he continued his search. He was just about to shout for the marimo again when a figure out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. Hurried footsteps slowed to a tentative walk, "Zoro?"
The body shape was his, but there was so much blood covering the man that Sanji couldn't tell for sure. When he got closer, the torn clothes clarified who'd he'd feared it was—Zoro. A sort of relief filled him but the shredded body of his lover took all words from his mouth. Gashes littered the man's body and fresh blood leaked out of each one, enough to form a sizeable puddle around him. His once green hair was now stained a dark red and plastered against his skull. Sanji walked around him, assessing all his wounds, stopping only when he came face-to-face with the swordsman, "How are you still alive? What the hell happened?!"
A gurgling noise filled the air and blood spilled from Zoro's mouth. All the veins in his eyes had burst, leaving him with an uncomfortable grainy feeling when he blinked, "Nothing… happened."
Sanji reached out but pulled his hand back quickly, afraid that if he touched the swordsman he would cause him further harm. Zoro's arms fell from their crossed position and he swayed slightly before falling forward. Quick reflexes allowed the cook to catch his marimo before he could collide with the ground, "Oi! Zoro!"
A small sigh passed busted lips and Zoro submitted to the darkness that had been sweetly calling out to him. One last breath left him before he stilled and Sanji dropped to his knees, holding his lover's limp body close to his chest. He tried to lift Zoro but every movement opened the already life-threatening wounds, stretching them and spilling what little blood he had left. Not knowing what else to do, Sanji did the only thing he could, "CHOPPER!"
R.Z
"Luffy, let me examine you! You had so many broken bones last I checked!"
Said man placed a hand on his hip and rubbed the underside of his nose, "There's no need, Chopper! I feel great!"
Lola and those of her crew who were conscious had begun to move everyone away from the battle field and into the damaged ballroom to treat their wounds. She elbowed Franky as she was passing, "You sure that boy's human?"
The cyborg shrugged, "I've been wondering that myself."
Robin chuckled, "Our captain's just very resilient."
"Guys! We should help move the injured inside!"
Agreeing with the skeleton, the Straw Hats followed Brook's lead and began helping those wounded into the castle. Luffy stood to his feet and stretched, "Alright! How can I help?"
Franky shook his head, "No way, little dude. You need to chill."
Usopp helped a man to his feet before throwing the pirate's arm around his shoulders to help him walk, "Yeah, man. You might be freakishly strong, but you're still human."
"Right, you need to–"
"CHOPPER!"
Brown ears twitched.
"You ok, Chopper?" Robin inquired.
"Yeah, I just thought I heard someone calling my name."
"CHOPPER!"
The doctor looked towards the forest curiously, "I'm going to check something out. Finish moving everyone inside and start treating their wounds."
Short legs hopped over a boulder before running off. That desperate cry pierced through the air again and Chopper altered his direction. It was a pain-filled scream that was filled with so much sorrow that it lured the reindeer towards it like a siren's song. As he got closer to the call, the strong smell of blood slowly began to grow more apparent to his nose. Zoro!Chopper transformed to his four-legged form, galloping as fast as he could across the castle grounds.
Hito brushed against her partner. Little one, that sounds like the cook.
Chopper let out a whine when he noticed the gray stones around him stained red the nearer he came to the edge of the woodlands. Soft mumbles reached his alerted ears before he heard his name ring through the air again.
"I'm here, Sanji!" Chopper yelled as he jumped over a rock, switching to his hybrid form mid-air before landing in front of the blond. It took him a moment due to all of the blood, but he was finally able to distinguish that it was Zoro he was holding in his arms. "What happened?!"
Fear. Helplessness.
That's what Chopper saw in the cook's watery eyes when he looked up at him. The kind that reached to even the strongest of men's cores and griped them tight, rattling them to their bones. It was a look that he'd never seen on Sanji before. The man incoherently stuttered out something before shouting, "HE'S DEAD!"
The reindeer shook his head in disbelief, "Lay him down." Tiny hooves pressed against the side of Zoro's neck as he hovered his ear over the ripped chest. Chopper closed his eyes and listened hard for any sign of life. A weak thumping filled his ear and the doctor smiled softly before he frowned. He quickly yanked open Zoro's eyelids, observing the ruptured blood vessels. Chopper closed the lids before opening again, watching for the reaction in the pupil. The doctor shook his head when nothing happened, "He might have brain trauma." There was a squishing sound as he pressed his ear harder to Zoro's chest, running his hooves up and down the ribs closest to him. A shallow noise came from his patient, causing him to shoot up, "He can't breathe." Chopper mimicked the actions he performed on Zoro's right to his left before looking around, "He's got six broken ribs and both of his lungs are punctured."
Sanji wiped the snot running down his nose, smudging blood across his face, "What do we do?!"
"We've gotta drain the fluid," the man-deer franticly looked around, "We can't move him like this or he'll die."
"What do you need?"
"My supplies are on the ship. I need a tube or something!"
Rocks and sticks. That was all that surrounded the two. Sanji patted himself down and when he came across something hard in his pocket, he pulled it out: a straw. He chuckled madly, thrusting it to the doctor, "Would this work?"
"Yes!" He eyed Sanji, "Give me your tie."
The cook quickly slipped off the necktie and tossed it and the straw to Chopper. The doctor tore off the swordsman's blood-soaked shirt, using it to wipe his torso down the best he could so he could better see his wounds. "Sanji, come here."
The gravel crunched under his black shoes as said man moved next to the doctor, "I need you to pay attention. I can't do this because of my hooves also I won't be able to use the rumble balls for the next few minutes and Zoro doesn't have that kind of time," he grabbed Sanji's hand, "You need to puncture in between his ribs past the innermost lining of his chest cavity."
Sanji gaped at him, "I've never done this before, Chopper! What if I kill him?!"
"You won't if you follow exactly what I say. You feel this?" he placed thin fingers precisely where he needed to puncture, "Insert the straw right here. Do you have another one?"
"What, a straw?! No! It was by luck that one was even in my pocket."
Chopper spoke calmly, "That's fine, Sanji. We'll just clear one of his lungs. Actually… he's already been cut deep enough, all you have to do is put the straw in." He jumped over Zoro's prone body and moved down to his right leg, "Hurry, Sanji. He won't last much longer. Thrust it in at an upward angle."
Heart pounding, Sanji did as instructed and shoved the straw into the swordsman. The plastic hung lamely from the entry point, pulling a whine from Sanji, "I don't think I did it right, Chopper! Nothing's happening!"
"Swap places with me. He's bleeding badly from his leg. An artery was punctured." As they maneuvered around each other, Chopper listed off more instructions, "Tightly knot the tie around his thigh."
While Sanji took care of the lower half, Chopper worked on the makeshift chest tube—sliding the straw out slightly before thrusting it back in. Zoro took a shallow breath as blood poured from the end of the straw. "This is as stabilized as we can get him without the proper materials. We've gotta move him." Brown eyes scanned the area, "We'll use one of those slabs of rock to carry him. How's your strength?"
"I'm alright. What do you need me to do?"
"Stay here with Zoro. I'll be right back."
Chopper shifted into his heavy form as he ran off into the distance. Sanji watched him until he could no longer see the reindeer, then a gurgling sound came from Zoro and Noir switched his attention unto him. When pale fingers ran through the swordsman's locks, thick globs of blood soaked his hand, "It's ok, baby," Sanji whispered, leaning down and kissing his forehead, "We've got you now. It's gonna be ok."
Picking up the longest smooth-surfaced rock he could find, Chopper hastened back to his nakama. "We have to be careful when he lift him. I don't want to cause any further harm to him. Grab his ankles and I'll grab his shoulders. Move him slowly."
Sanji nodded as they positioned themselves over the first mate. As gently as they could, the pair lifted the severely injured man and set him down on the rock. After, they proceeded on back towards the castle, careful of every step so as not to jostle him. As they approached what was once Moriah's citadel, Chopper shouted for those around them to move out the way—they were carrying precious cargo they couldn't afford to drop.
Once inside the ballroom, they carried Zoro to a corner and set him down. "What now?!"
Chopper looked around for the remainder of the crew and when he found no one, he screamed, "GUYS!"
As if on cue, the Straw Hats appeared. "What's wro–"
Their inquiries were cut short at the sight of their swordsman. Luffy pushed his way to the front of the group, "Chopper, what happened?!"
Ignoring the questions being fired at him, Chopper began working on Zoro while giving orders, "Luffy, Franky, go to the ship and get all my medical supplies and my backpack. Usopp, find me a needle and thread. No, a lot of needles and a lot of thread. Nami, get me towels and gauze."
Those with orders ran off to complete them. That left Robin, Brook, and a blood-covered Sanji behind. Impatient, the cook asked, "What can I do?"
"Boil me some water. A lot of it."
Brook kneeled next to Chopper, "When our doctor passed on my ship, I took over some of his medical duties. What do you need help with?"
"You and Robin start cleaning his wounds. Pick any and all debris out. When Usopp gets back, you guys can start sewing him closed. Use the hot water to sterilize everything as you go."
Lola came over, dropping bandages at her feet, "Here are some of the leftover supplies from my ship. It's not much, but–"
"Thank you."
The captain nodded to the doctor before walking away. After a while, Sanji came back, placing a cauldron of steaming water in between Robin and Brook before slowly stepping back. He knew there was nothing else he could do. Pivoting on his heels, Sanji made a beeline towards the Sunny. He would do what he knew how to best during times like this—cook.
R.Z
Not even chatter filled the ballroom. The only sounds were moans of pain from the wounded and the clanking the pots made as Sanji prepped for dinner. After retrieving all his cookware from the ship and changing tops, the chef set a gruesome cooking pace while he waited for an update.
Chopper pinched together Zoro's ripped skin, pushing the needle through. He, Brook, and Robin were almost through with sewing up the swordsman after four hours of intensive surgery. Idle chatter filled the air as the doctor and his assistants worked. Chopper's ears twitched and his movements stilled; putting aside the sewing utensils, the doctor lowered his head, pressing his ear against Zoro's chest.
"Doctor?"
He held up his hove, silencing Brook. A moment passed before Chopper straightened and popped a rumble ball. Switching into his heavy point form, he said "Robin, hold his nose and breathe into his mouth when I stop." Tony placed his hands over Zoro's sternum and began compressing his chest. When he stopped, the archeologist did as instructed until he told her to stop. The doctor leaned down, listening hard before clicking his tongue, "Again, Robin."
Closest to the group, Franky and Usopp ran over, "What's going on!?" Usopp questioned.
Seeing the commotion, Nami patted Sanji's shoulder when she rushed past him, yelling back over her shoulder, "Somethings going on."
Alarmed, Sanji raced over to the doctor and his patient, "Chopper?!"
Brook abruptly stood as they were surrounded by the now-alerted crew. He held out his arms, blocking the pair from the rest of the crew while Chopper and Robin continued their ministrations, "Give them some space to work."
Chopper growled, pounding his fist against Zoro's chest, "Come on! Come on!" he started the compressions once more. Robin breathed for the man and Chopper checked his heart, straining his ears to hear a beat. A low thumping noise sounded and Tony let out a sigh, "Everything's ok. We got him."
With the threat looming over the swordsman no longer there, the Straw Hats all breathed hefty sighs before going back to their individual tasks. That was the second time they had lost Zoro today and the toll of worry consumed Sanji. He went back to his make-shift kitchen, chain-smoking while stirring the stew when he overheard a few of Lola's pirates talking.
"Did you see what happened to that shichibukai guy?"
"Nah, man. I heard he got blown up too."
"By his own attack, dummy?"
"Yeah, yeah."
"Well, I saw that guy they're working on over there fighting with the warlord."
Sanji ground the unlit cigarette between his teeth, "Oi."
While the other pirates were smart enough not to face the cook, the Risky Brothers' heads shot up and they chuckled nervously at the look on the blond's face, "Yeah?"
"Come talk to me."
The trio left the prying ears of those in the ballroom by traversing outdoors to where the battlefield once was. Feeling like they were far enough, Sanji lit his smoke before asking, "What did you see?"
"That swordsman and the big dude were talking. The warlord told him he was going to kill your captain, then the swordsman–"
"His name is Zoro."
The bucktoothed brother stuttered, "Right. Zoro told the shichibukai that he would take his place instead. Then that big guy took something from your captain."
"Took something?" Sanji questioned.
"Like, a big red bubble came from him and Kuma said something about it being all the pain and damage your captain took, then they walked off. That was the last we saw of him until you and the talking raccoon carried him back."
Sanji glared at the brown-haired brother, "He's a reindeer." That explains Luffy's energy.
"Whatever, man. We should tell everyone what happened. What Zoro did was amazing!"
"No," Sanji flicked his cigarette away, "he didn't do it for the praise and Luffy would be devastated if he ever found out. Keep this to yourselves, you hear?"
The men wanted to argue, but Sanji's death glare silenced all their words and they watched him shove his hands into the hoodie he wore as he walked back to the ballroom. He passed by Usopp who patted him on the back with a smile. The long nose knew Sanji was going through hell. Until Zoro woke up, the blond's mood would be shit.
Scratching his head, Usopp sighed. He wanted off the island before anything else could happen, but Zoro's condition wouldn't allow it. Speaking of condition, another one of their nakama wasn't faring too well. The navigator had been keeping to herself since all the commotion had calmed down. Nami wasn't making eye contact with anyone she spoke with, and that bothered the sharpshooter. She sat in the corner of the room, away from everyone but close enough to hear updates regarding Zoro.
Usopp approached the woman cautiously, not wanting to startle her, "Nami?"
Her head shot up, and despite the dead look in her eyes, she gave him a small grin, "Hey, Usopp."
He sat down beside her, "How are you holding up?"
"Once we make sure Zoro is stable, we can set sail again and get away from this creepy island," she replied.
"I didn't ask about Zoro."
Nami looked at him sadly, "I'm ok."
"You don't act like it." Usopp leaned in, "Did he do something to you?"
A very unladylike snort came from the navigator, "You mean that Absalom asshole?" Usopp nodded and she shook her head, "Aside from violating my privacy and trying to force me to marry him, no."
Usopp stared at her, humming lightly, "Right, well that's good. You've just been… distant lately."
She turned more towards him, "The whole incident brought back some uncomfortable memories."
He waited for her to continue, but when she didn't, Usopp cleared his throat, "Well, if you ever want to talk about it, you know you can come to me."
"Yeah, I know. Thanks, Usopp." He let out a shaky breath and wiped his palms on his pant legs and she raised her eyebrow at his anxious movements, "You say I've been weird, but you've been the odd acting one. What's going on?"
Black eyes widened and he quickly looked away, "Uh, nothing."
"Usopp..."
Her tone left no room for debate. She wanted an answer. Usopp sighed loudly and looked anywhere but at her. Might as well tell her. Who knows if someone is gonna try to kill us or something else is gonna happen before we leave this place. "I'm in love with you, Nami." A small gasp left her lips and his shoulders drooped slightly, "Don't worry though, I know there's no way in hell you'd fall for a guy like me, so I'm totally ok with just being nakama."
"Oi, Usopp! Come here!"
Said man looked over his shoulder at their captain and nodded. Turning his attention back to Nami, he smiled, "We can talk more later."
She whispered "Wait" as she watched him run off, confusion etched across her face.
When he approached Luffy, the teen was lying on his back humming some song the sharpshooter was sure was made up. Usopp kicked the sandaled foot before he lay down next to him, "What's up, Cap?"
"How's everyone holding up?"
"Good enough, all things considered. How about you?"
"Great actually. I can't explain it. I have so much energy."
Usopp snorted, "Glad you got some. I'm beat, man." The silence built between them before the sharpshooter questioned, "You think Zoro's gonna be ok?"
"Zoro's strong. He'll be fine."
Just as Usopp poised his lips to reply, Chopper shouted, "Guys!"
Every Straw Hat shot to their feet and raced over to their doctor. Sanji shoved past Franky and dropped to his knees beside Chopper, "What's wrong?"
"I think he's waking up."
All eyes turned towards the prone body and everyone held their breaths as they waited. Zoro's crusted eyelids twitched before they finally parted. His groan pulled a sigh of relief from everyone, and Sanji touched his cheek, "Zoro?"
Chopper stood and began shooing the crew away, "Give them a moment, guys."
Green eyes lazily looked over at Sanji and Zoro croaked out, "Hey, curly-cue."
Sanji snorted a chuckle before leaning down and pressing light kisses against Zoro's lips. His body shook as he battled back the tears running down his face. Zoro slowly raised his hand and cupped the back of Sanji's head, pressing them closer together. Their lips danced languidly against each other until Zoro's hand dropped onto his chest and his head turned away. Alarmed, Sanji patted his lovers bandaged cheek until a hoof on his hand halted his movements, "It's ok, he's just sleeping."
The cook stood, rubbing his eyes, "Right." Leaning over, he kissed the swordsman's forehead and made his way back to his cooking station. He's going to live.
R.Z
Three days.
That's how long it took for Zoro to wake up and start moving around again. As soon as he awoke, the man loudly declared that he wanted to get the fuck off the island. After a few laughs from the crew, everyone agreed and began packing with haste.
"Luffy, you know you can help, right?"
The teen puffed out his chest, placing his hands high on his hips, "Nope! Remember? You guys kept saying, 'Rest, Luffy. You've been through so much, Luffy–' I'm doing just what you all told me to do."
Nami punched him in the back of the head, making him stumble forward, "That was three days ago. Get your ass in gear and help us move the rest of my treasure onto the ship."
"You mean our treasure?" Franky tried to correct.
Zoro snorted, "That harpy meant exactly what she said."
The navigator grinned, "Aren't you supposed to be lying on your death bed somewhere?"
Brook cackled, "What a horrible joke, Nami."
Laughter filled the air, followed by an indignant shriek, "Zoro! Where are your bandages?!"
"They restrict my movement, so I took them off."
Chopper growled, "That's the WHOLE point!" With a roll of gauze in between his hooves, the doctor whirled around Zoro like a Tasmanian devil, covering him in bandages. When he was done, he taped down the loose ends and slapped Zoro upside the head, "And keep them on this time!"
Huffing, Zoro plopped down on the grass, waiting to be told they could set sail. A shadow was cast over him and the swordsman cracked an eye open, looking up at Lola. Her and her crew had decided it would be best to depart as well and the port was bustling with her men fulfilling their orders to load the boat. "Sup?"
"Where's your captain?" she asked.
Zoro pointed behind her and she turned just in time to see Luffy climb up onto the deck. She walked over to him, smiling, "Luffy, we're almost ready to go. I just wanted to thank you again for saving me and my crew. Hell, the lives of everyone who'd been affected by that Moriah creep."
She held out her hand and he shook it, "No problem!"
The wind blew and Lola sniffed the air, "Does something smell like it's burning to you?"
Feeling a fiery sensation on the back of his head, Luffy quickly took off his hat and flipped it over; inside was the vivre card Nami had loosely sewn into the straw. He snatched the burning paper from the hat, confusion on his face, "The hell?"
Lola hummed, "Do you know what that means?"
"What?"
"The vivre card," she pointed.
"The what?" he repeated.
Lola rolled her eyes and huffed before rephrasing her question slowly, "Do you know what the piece of paper your holding in your hand is?"
"No? It's just something my brother gave to me."
She huffed and Robin patted her back, "You see what we deal with now."
Luffy whined a "Hey!" and Lola chuckled, "Well, it's called a vivre card. It's made from a person's fingernail, and is a way to show you their life force. If their life is in danger, it'll burn. When they get out of danger, the paper will stop burning and restore itself back to normal."
The teen ran his thumb over the fleshy paper, "So, Ace could be in danger?"
"Perhaps."
Luffy was silent for a while before he shrugged, "I'm sure he's fine. Ace is strong!"
The Rolling Pirates yelled to their captain from their ship, "Captain! We're ready to set sail!"
Lola waved to her men before turning back to Luffy, "You keep that card safe. You can only get those in the New World." With one last attempted marriage proposal to Franky, Lola left the Straw Hats and reunited with her crew.
After making sure they were fully set to sail, the Straw Hats shoved off. They sat at the stern deck, watching the island fade into the distance. "Well, I don't know about you guys…" all eyes turned to Franky as he stood, "but I'm sure as hell happy we're gone. I'm going to pass out. Wake me only if we're under attack. Night."
Robin chuckled at the cyborg and closed the book she'd been reading, "I second that notion." She walked over to Zoro and patted his head before walking away, "Good to have you still alive, Zoro."
The swordsman grunted, leaning into Sanji as the cook wrapped his arms tightly around him. Noir really hadn't let the man out of his sight since he'd woken up. Zoro kicked at Usopp's shoe, drowsiness lacing his voice, "Take my watch tonight?"
Before he could answer, Brook replied, "If you all don't mind. I would like to keep first watch. I know every one of you must be exhausted." The skeleton stood and dusted off his suit before making his way to the crow's nest.
Usopp shrugged, "Guess I'm clear for tonight. I'm going to get a little bit of work done before going to bed. See ya."
Nami quickly stood and grabbed Usopp's wrist to stop him from getting too far away. She hugged him, pecking his cheek softly, "We still have to talk, ok?"
She left him standing dumbfounded next to the seated Chopper. The doctor and Luffy made mocking kissing noises, snapping Usopp out of his stupor. With colorful language, the sharpshooter bid his goodnight to the remainder of the crew before he made his exit.
Chopper checked on the now sleeping Zoro once more, giving Sanji explicit instructions to come get him if anything happened during the night before leaving the monster trio to themselves. Luffy looked over at Sanji, grinning, "Everything worked out in the end."
Sanji rubbed his hands up and down his marimo's arms, "Yeah. I was scared for a moment, though."
"Yeah."
The men sat in silence until Zoro's snores broke the peace. Deciding it would be best, Sanji lifted Zoro bridal-style and stood. He looked back to Luffy, "Don't stay up too late, Captain."
He nodded, waving the blond off as he walked towards the cabins. Alone at last, Luffy pulled out the white vivre card and watched the paper slowly burn. It wasn't the first time he'd seen the paper lit, he just hadn't known what it meant until now. A gnawing feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. Ace was his brother… his stronger older brother. Nothing could take him out… right?
Call him if you're that worried.
Nodding his head at Gomu's words, Luffy stood and walked to mid-deck. The wet grass tickled his bare feet as he went to the mushi connected to the main mast. Waking the snail, he dialed Ace's number and waited. The purple creature rang, but no one picked up the other line. Sighing, Luffy hung up, disappointed, "I'll try again tomorrow." Pressing the button to call up to the crow's nest, he bid Brook goodnight before retiring to the men's quarters, an unsettled feeling still heavy in his gut and Ace on his mind.
Dear sweet baby Jesus! We're finally off Thriller Bark! Thanks for sticking with me thus far. Please stay turn for the next chapter:Smoker Tensa- Huredhiel