Broken Log Pose

by tmb1112

The Straw Hat crew finds themselves with a broken Log Pose on the middle of the Grand Line. They are forced to wander until they come across a strange island with the Kingdom Hearts characters on it. Destiny Islands. Starts at the beginning of Kingdom Hearts One, and right after Alabasta for One Piece.

32. Chapter 32

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or Kingdom Hearts

BLP 32:

"It's not budging an inch!"

"Just, put your back into it, Luffy!" Usopp yelled over his shoulder. Then he spun back in front of him and rose his broadsword. The sword was knocked out of the way as the spinning shield with the face of a lion on it was slammed forward by the muscular purple Heartless' body behind it. The Defender Heartless sent him skidding backwards hard over the platform just outside of the huge front doors to Hollow Bastion's castle. "Damn it, these things are so strong." Usopp put his sword back down to his side and sprinted back at the armored beast that had taken all of his blows without being destroyed.

"On your left, Sora!" Sanji yelled ahead towards the kid who spun left in surprise as he was close to the edge of the platform already.

Two Wyverns flew up past the railing and made Sora stumble away at how close they got to him. The orange Heartless with black and red Heartless emblems on their chests swerved around in the air and dove back for the kid who called down Thunder magic on them then still had to dive away as they tanked his hits and did not even get knocked back. The Thunder did keep them focused on him though, and as they swooped down just over him because of his dive, Sanji was able to leap over Sora and kick one hard enough that it broke into pieces.

Before he could kick at the other, it flapped its wings down and shot back higher into the air, past three of the Red Nocturnes that appeared in that second. They swooped down and sent fire magic at the chef who had to leap back three times in a row to dodge the fireballs which seemed to track him around. "They're endless!"

"Chopper! Are you alright?" Nami called over to the reindeer who dug through his bag and then tossed himself a potion and shook his head around to get a grip.

"Y-Yeah. I'm fine, Nami! Just tired," Chopper responded. I already had two Rumble Balls. I can't eat a third. Never again!

"Any progress, Straw Hat?!" Smoker yelled back for the man who he was getting pushed back towards by three spinning Darkballs. The purplish-black monsters with long tails and beady yellow eyes were too fast and random for his White Blows to hit consistently enough. One of his fists connected directly, and Smoker ground his teeth in frustration as it only knocked the creature backwards for a second. Even with Haki imbued into my attacks. These Heartless are on a different level than before. "Oi kid, take a back seat!" Smoker yelled towards Sora who just batted away at a Defender for a few seconds to no effect before getting slammed hard and tumbling across the platform.

"No! I can feel myself getting stronger. I just need to keep trying!" Sora rushed back in with a quick Cure magic on himself. He slashed his wood sword back into the shielded Defender Heartless. Then when he got bounced back from it, the monster slammed its shield forward but Sora did an instant dodge-roll to the side and ran past the attack. He slashed across the front of the Heartless and did a huge combo into its body. The Defender exploded into tiny pieces of darkness and Smoker's eyes bulged as he saw it in the corner of his eyes. He calmed himself down as he saw the Beast standing there with Sora after clearly diving into the monster's back and tearing through it. Out of all of us, the Beast might be the strongest. It's doing the most work at least.

"Beast! Go try to help Luffy!" Sora called out to his fighting partner who hummed while looking at Sora but nodded despite knowing that he was helping Sora keep up his fight. "I'll be fine for a minute. Go!"

Beast nodded with a growl then sprinted towards Luffy who turned and saw the powerful creature barreling towards him. "Ah hah, ah hah- Alright!" Luffy stuck his thumb back in his mouth and bit down. "Bone Balloon! GIGANTO PISTOL!"

"ROOAA!" Beast slammed into the right side of the door. Luffy's humongous fist smashed into the left side.

The door shook but held firm. "This is ridiculous," Nami muttered while staring over towards the massive doorway that could stand against all those attacks.

"It must be protected by some sort of magic," Robin reasoned behind her friend. She crossed her arms and added, "Veinte Fleur." A Wyvern diving for Chopper's Heavy Point got its wings wrapped up in 20 arms that pinned its wings to its body and made it crash down into the ground instead near Sora who spun and cast Blizzard magic to blast it into oblivion. Robin panted a few times but glanced towards Sanji and nodded at the chef who checked on her after she attacked again. It still hurts, but I will not sit this fight out. Also, the answer to my pain lies within this castle. I am sure of that.

"There's got to be a way to open it!" Sora called out.

"Crap, look at that!" Nami exclaimed.

Luffy turned his small head that he was shaking around in annoyance by the strength of these doors. His eyes as well as Smoker and Sora's all widened at the sight of two tall muscular creatures of Heartless appearing before them. When Zoro made them appear it had been bad for Sanji and Chopper too who grimaced at the sight of them. "They appeared on their own?" Nami asked in shock though.

Sora narrowed his eyes but forced his smile up and ran towards the Invisibles anyway. The powerful sword-wielding Heartless rushed back at him, and they beat on the kid who got help from Smoker and Usopp a second later who wished Sora would just take a break already. "It took Oogie Boogie capturing the Keyhole on Halloween Town for these guys to show up."

"Or Zoro just making them," Usopp muttered. "Maybe, he's watching us. He could have just made them appear."

"Or this world's darkness is strong enough as it is," Smoker thought while swirling around his own body with the cloud of darkness that the Invisible he was fighting had turned into. They both reformed as solids at the same time and clashed into each other again. "And we're going to have to fight a lot more of this strength Heartless as we move forward."

"Gravira!" Sora yelled. The two Invisibles surrounded in a sphere of purple magic that dropped them down into the ground. "Now!" Sora called out, and Usopp spun his sword around and dropped down to impale the Invisible he had already slashed a few times. Sora ran forward and cut back and forth into it too, while Smoker punched two White Blows down with Haki imbued into the other.

Neither of the two broke apart. "This is insane-" Sanji started.

"Gum Gum Pistol!"

"RAA!"

Luffy and Beast attacked while the Invisibles were backing up to prepare their next attacks. They had already been weakened by the others, and this time they were destroyed by the two who had given up on breaking through the front doors. Lightning flashed and everyone else spun towards Nami who took down the final two Red Noctures back behind them. Sanji kicked the Darkball that Chopper just punched towards him, and he finally destroyed that one too.

The group had a moment with no Heartless around them for the first time since they arrived on the first level of the castle they were still stuck outside of. "Who would have thought a locked door would be what finally stops us?" Usopp muttered while putting his sword over his shoulder and taking some deep breaths to regain his bearings after that tough fifteen minutes straight of fighting.

"We're not stopped yet," Sora countered back at him with a grin. He knew Usopp was only joking as he said it, but Sora looked around them for another way in without slowing down, despite panting in a tired way himself. Sora took a huge breath in and relaxed, then he jogged up to the front doors and pressed his hands into them. "Rrrrg- gah. Yep, not budging. Alright." He slid his hands around on the doors, as if looking for some secret panel he could press that would open it up.

Nami had her hands down on her knees. She glanced to her side at Robin who put a hand over her chest and took much steadier breaths than her younger friend was taking despite having been struggling since they got off the Merry Go. Sanji walked towards the ladies and checked on the two of them but received nods back to show they were doing fine for now. Chopper dropped down on his butt and looked up in the sky, then shivered as he spotted a few more Wyverns higher up and swirling around the upper floors of the castle. There were some Wizard Heartless up there as well, which Sora was especially wary of himself when he glanced up because they were resistant to magic. The pink-cloaked Heartless wearing purple wizard hats were always a nuisance on their own, but with his weakness in physical attacks at the moment, they were the Heartless he wanted to go up against the least.

Usopp took another deep breath then looked closely at the door himself. "Alright," Usopp said. The others looked towards him while Usopp himself turned around and walked over to the edge of the platform. "On our way up here," he began. "Did you all see those waterways we traveled above at the base of the castle? It looked like whatever basement levels there are have those waterways running through them."

Nami nodded her head while taking heavier breaths now to try and recuperate before they started moving again. Chopper stood back up while cocking his head to the side and running towards Usopp who sounded like he knew something. "What about it?" Smoker growled, his tone interested though as he started walking over as well.

"A castle like this is run by some sort of power, and to me it looks like that's hydro power." Usopp looked down off the edge of the castle and the others all ran over and looked down with him. There were some icy boundaries to the basement level that looked to have frozen around the edges. There were also watery tunnels though leading underneath them at an angle that they could not easily see to from this edge. "I couldn't tell exactly where they were leading, but I don't think it's just a sewer system. My bet is that the water runs through all the mechanical systems. I think the controls to unlock the doors up here, are down there."

"Go down to go up?" Luffy wondered in confusion. Usopp nodded back at him though and Luffy shrugged but nodded after that because he trusted Usopp's judgement on this.

"Let's get moving then!" Sora jumped off the edge.

"WHAT?!" Nami spun towards the kid who just dropped off the edge of the castle like that was a perfectly okay thing to do.

Smoker reached his arm out and it started extending with smoke coming out of it. Before he could try to catch Sora and tell the kid they would look for another way down though, Luffy and Beast both jumped off the edge as well. Smoker dropped his bottom lip a little, then he shook his head in annoyance and turned to the group at his side. "Come on." The left side of his body broke apart into a smoke cloud that wrapped around them and lifted them off the ground. He had seen Nico Robin create wings of her own on her back before, but he grabbed her as well and helped her float down slowly after the other three who had just jumped with no care for their own safety.

Robin looked towards Smoker who had given her a sideways glance when he picked her up. She smiled after a moment and nodded at the side of the man's head even if he was no longer looking at her. Thank you for the break, Smoker-san.

They all lowered down into the shallow water or onto small ice pillars that stuck out of the surface between the lower walls of the castle's basement. It was a lot darker down there with the castle above blocking out most of the light of this world's sun. Sora had landed and instantly started fighting more Darkballs that appeared over the water's surface to attack him, Beast, and Luffy. "He needs to slow down," Nami muttered while watching Sora bash his wooden sword back and forth against the round monsters.

Usopp nodded his head but then jogged forward to go help that reckless kid out. Nami stared closer at Sora though as he spun after Usopp came to help, parrying against an attack from a different Darkball that slammed into him. Sora's right leg came off the ground at how hard he was hit, but his parry held. Sora recovered from the parry quicker than the Darkball that bounced off of him, and he bounced up into the air in a slash past the creature that he swung back at. He hit again, then jumped off the air and behind the monster in the exact position it flew over to at what she thought was a random movement that Sora had predicted the pattern of. Sora's seven hit combo finished and he pushed away with his final sword swipe, and he yelled out, "Fire!" A larger fireball than the last one he had made flew out of his wooden sword and then was followed by another of the same size that blew apart the injured Darkball.

Is he, getting stronger? Nami thought. Her head tilted back in shock at what she just saw. While we're fighting? Like, right now?! Sora landed and ran through some green health balls that acted as mini potions and allowed him to save his Cure magic so that he could keep his MP rising back up. "Ahh," Nami breathed out and shook her head in amazement. "I thought it was the Keyblade," she whispered under her breath. "But it's always just been you, Sora." She said it with a small smile but that smile dropped as she saw Sora spin around and swipe only to get knocked back and tumble away due to his swipe's lack of power without the Keyblade.

"You're being ineffective like that," Smoker growled at the kid who he flew back up to. "Just realize already that you can only use your magic here-"

"I can feel myself getting stronger," Sora countered the Marine. "I don't have the Keyblade anymore, but I'm still going to fight. You can't stop me." Sora ran forward and leapt up over the Beast's head, smacking his wooden play sword down onto the head of the Defender that looked up at him instead of following up on its last blow against the stumbling Beast.

Usopp slashed apart another Darkball then looked around him and grimaced at what he saw. "The tunnels. They all go below the water."

"Look!" Sora called out and pointed towards a translucent bubble above the surface that they were on. "I don't actually think this water is shallow at all," Sora commented while jogging towards that bubble.

Nami and Chopper were running forward together but looked down confusedly at what Sora just said. They looked under the surface which was too dark for them to initially see through. Only when they looked closer did they realize that they were walking on the water and not some shallow ground just below the surface. "Magic, Nami. Keep up!" Sora called back towards the woman who froze and threw her arms out for balance while Chopper just closed his eyes and kept running, trying to ignore the craziness.

"I'm not gonna drown. I'm fine," Chopper repeated to himself in a mantra under his breath.

Robin took a deep breath too to relax after realizing that Sora was right and the water below them was deeper than it appeared. Sora called out to the others behind him, "I bet these bubbles keep air in them while they go under the water into the tunnels. I can feel magic coming off of them."

"Everything around us seems to be full of magic," Sanji countered that Sora would specifically mention the bubble having it. He does have the strongest magic of any of us though. At least, those of us remaining. Sanji frowned deeper thinking of the duck who he did not expect to leave their group before the next time they all met up with each other. He turned to Nami who came up next to him and stared towards Sora's back herself sadly, thinking of the same thing he was.

They listened to Sora though and approached the bubble that grew wider and surrounded the group as they got near it. It dropped below the surface as another kind of transporter like the floating one they had gotten on earlier. That one carried them between the glaciers to the edge of the castle where they fought all the strongest Heartless they had ever fought before.

"This is so weird," Chopper whispered as they moved under the water into the tunnel then appeared back on the surface. Again they just stood on top of the water's surface instead of actual ground which still weirded him out to do. It was even darker inside of the tunnels in Hollow Bastion's basement, though there were some electrical light fixtures in the walls that illuminated the waterways a bit.

"After Atlantica you think you'd be used to it, but for us Devil Fruit eaters it is still strange," Robin agreed to the small furry creature who nodded back at her. They all walked forward off of a watery surface and onto solid ground that led ahead to some tall steel walls that looked possible to be moved, though not easily. There was a chest in the area too that Sora jogged over to with Luffy and opened to grab the items in it.

Nami watched Sora run around with her captain and she whispered to Sanji, "You didn't see him when Riku took his Keyblade. Riku was taunting him, and then Donald and Goofy left him too. I don't know how he's still going like this, but he has to be hurting badly." Sanji nodded with Nami. He agreed with her because he believed she knew what she was talking about, and yet he still sweatdropped as Sora spun to Luffy with a smile and handed off the mega-potion they got that he had enough of already that he thought it would be better for Luffy to hold onto it.

He sure looks broken up, Sanji thought sarcastically to himself. He knew it had to be true though just thinking about what Nami was describing.

She shook her head in confusion at Sora's carefree attitude despite the loss of his friends and his Keyblade. She walked forward and looked up at the Beast that was staring around looking for a way to keep moving forward. "Hey there… uh, Beast?" It turned to her and grunted, and Nami leaned back but then smiled again and continued to him, "This isn't your world, right? I heard some of what you and Riku were talking about when we got up there."

Sanji stepped forward up on Nami's other side and looked past her to this hairy beast that was incredibly powerful to be tearing through the Heartless like it had been. Nami continued to him, "But how is it that you got here?" We've spent so much time searching for navigation gummis to find this world because it's supposed to be insanely hard! So how?

Beast shook his head back and forth but as there was no way forward for right now he did turn to Nami to respond. "I simply believed. That's all there is to it."

"You, 'believed?'" Sanji wondered skeptically. Nami also cocked an eyebrow up at the Beast who was speaking of some power she was not sure she believed in herself.

"Hrrr," Beast growled at the skeptical voice of another person denying what he had done. "It's true. When our world fell into darkness, Belle was taken from me…" Sanji's eyes grew huge. The disbelief vanished from his expression in an instant that made Beast hesitate in a bit of confusion as to how easy it was for the man to change his mind. "I vowed that I would find her no matter what the cost. I believed I would find her. And here I am. I knew she was here. And that boy who cut me down knows where," Beast snarled.

"Riku's, being manipulated," Sora said. Beast turned and saw the smaller boy standing in front of him. "He's using the darkness too much," Sora added softer. He frowned while saying it but then told Beast, "But he's still my friend. It's Maleficent who took the princesses. Belle, Alice, Jasmine, and they have Kairi too. If we go stop her, I'm sure we'll get them all back." Sora held up a fist confidently in front of him.

"Hmm. Fine, Sora. I will trust that you know what you are talking about. But if Riku gets in the way of getting Belle back-"

"We'll stop him together," Sora agreed to his new friend.

"Such passion," Sanji whispered in awe of the two men in front of him fighting for their women.

Why, is Maleficent concerned with Kairi? Robin stopped moving and stared towards Sora with wide eyes for a second. Perhaps it is because she wanted Riku's help, so she offered to help him find her. Seven Princesses of Heart. Jasmine was one of them. They have met others on their journey. Not all 7 though. Some of them are unknown to this group. Which means there is a chance…

"Hey Beast, doesn't this gateway look pretty thin?" Sora wondered to his companion who looked to where Sora just pointed.

"Rrr," Beast growled with a nod. He stomped towards the metal bars and then slammed his right fist forward with his body twisting into it. The iron bars and the wall around them ripped off and blasted into the next tunnel over.

"Nice! Shishi," Luffy laughed at the powerful blow and then ran forward through the hole in the wall himself. He skid to a stop on the surface of the water in the next tunnel down. Luffy turned his head to the right while Sora and Beast ran through behind him.

There were other iron bar gateways near them blocking other tunnels. There were also large steel walls looking like they could be moved by gears that attached to the sides of them. A bubble floated over each end of the new tunnel they were currently in, looking the same as the kind outside that had carried them below and into these waterways. "The catacombs are a maze. I know what you're doing down here. You'll be too late though by the time you figure it out."

"Zoro," Luffy started walking while looking through iron bars and past another tunnel into a third parallel to theirs but hard to reach from where he was. It even looked like he was staring at a reflection somehow, as if the separation between the next tunnel over and the one Zoro was in had a veil of water between them. "Why are you doing this?" Luffy demanded to know from his crewmate.

"What do you have to gain from helping Maleficent, Zoro?" Sora called out for the man to hear too. "You could always start helping us?" Sora offered up while cupping his hands to his mouth.

Usopp grimaced at Sora's friendlier attitude than the rest of them had. He hasn't faced Zoro like the rest of us. He hasn't seen what Zoro's turned into.

"You can't stop us, marimo," Sanji snapped in rage towards where the swordsman was watching them move forward from. Zoro took another step but his image in the reflection started to get distorted and then disappeared.

"Over here," Sora called to his friends. They ran to a bubble and jumped inside. It dropped under the surface and lifted on the other side of a steel wall that had been in their way. "Look!" Sora exclaimed as soon as they surfaced. There was a glowing blue square in front of them on one of the pipes going along the wall. "I bet," Sora started while running up to it. He swung his sword in front of the strange glowing square, and then he spun his head while a flash of blue light illuminated in front of him.

They looked around a corner of the passageway and to a huge steel wall too thick for Beast to smash through. The steel wall turned like a door though and revealed another section of the waterways. "This way!" Sora called out.

"Is he enjoying this?" Nami whispered under her breath in confusion and some annoyance too as she was completely on edge.

Zoro's voice echoed around them as they moved into the next section. Smoker spun his head and looked behind them but did not see the man whose voice he thought he heard originating from that direction. "I warned you to leave this world-"

"Zoro! Come out and face me!" Luffy yelled. "You're being dumb!"

"Yeah, you can't really think Maleficent's on your side, right?" Sora added on.

Heartless appeared in the tunnel with them and the whole group got to bashing away at the new force of strong Heartless monsters. Zoro's voice echoed through the tunnels as they battled them, "Maleficent pulled me from the Realm of Darkness. The world I spent the first four years in. A void of nothing. Full of Heartless. Nothing more."

Chills ran down Nami's spine and she spun around looking for the man whose voice was unnerving her. Usopp lowered his gaze in a pained way to his feet. Even being alone on the Olympus Coliseum, I wasn't really alone. Not with Phil and Herc. It wasn't the same for us at all. "And you're certain you just happened to appear in that world?" Usopp asked. His voice was low but he called it out louder at Zoro, "You think, you happened to be sent to that world by chance?"

Smoker glanced towards Usopp and then bit down himself in fury at what the long-nosed man was suggesting. Not all of them got what Usopp was talking about, and some were too distracted fighting to piece it together. Zoro was silent for a few seconds after Usopp's shout. Then his voice echoed to them, "She wasn't there when I showed up-"

"Did she know you were there the whole time though?" Usopp asked, cutting off his old comrade's voice. He questioned the air and then spun and glared through nearby iron gates towards a man he caught a glimpse of over there. "Zoro, what if she was the reason we got pulled out of time? She's an evil witch! You have to realize that. And, you have to realize that it's something she would do!"

"Zoro," Luffy turned and spotted his comrade again without as much distortion between them so he could more clearly see into Zoro's eyes. His chest hurt at the uncaring unresponsive look from the man glaring back at him. Then Luffy spun with huge eyes as that pain in his heart grew stronger. "Robin!" He saw the archaeologist drop down to one knee and start coughing in a violent fit.

Zoro watched her for a few seconds then just started walking again. Did Maleficent always know I was there? She did not seem surprised to see me when she first showed up. Was she just, waiting for me to give up all that time? From the very beginning… Does, it really matter? Zoro stopped moving and shook his head back and forth once. It doesn't. It's been so long now. I wouldn't have waited ten years anyway. Whether it was part of some plan she had or not, I still made the choices I made on my own. They were mine. I'll own them.

"This, isn't a new feeling," Robin whispered when Luffy helped her back to her feet. The second he grabbed her by the arm and helped her up, she already started to feel stronger again, stronger than she did when it was Sanji who helped her up. She was too smart to not notice that distinction. Robin was unsettled but stared carefully into her captain's eyes. "I could feel this in Agrabah. It was too weak back then that I did not even notice it was there, but only now with that feeling so much stronger do I realize it's been there the whole time. Since we left."

"What's been there?" Luffy asked his nakama who was confusing and worrying him.

"Over here!" Sora called to Beast who charged and knocked down another wall that immediately led to another magical release panel for more steel doorways. The clanking noises filled the tunnels and echoed around as Sora led them towards a destination they knew existed now that Zoro had come down to stop them. "There's a platform leading to another level over here. Everyone get on!"

The Straw Hats chased after Sora and jumped onto the platform that he made rise up using another magical control panel that Sora was getting a hang of quickly. "Whatever happened in the past is in the past," Zoro announced to the group who rose to a hallway that he stood just past the end of, on the other side a line of thick steel pipes and more levers. Five Defender Heartless appeared one after the other down that hall to separate them and block those people off from getting any farther. "But Maleficent did free me. Brought me out of that Realm and taught me how to use the darkness."

"So what?!" Sora yelled while running forward and attacking without delay using his wooden sword. "You have to do whatever she says?! That's stupid!"

"That's right-" Luffy started to yell in agreement.

"How was it I became a pirate again?" Zoro countered.

Luffy froze up in an instant and leaned backwards in surprise at Zoro's question. "Do you remember that, Luffy?" He glared through the hall and past the Heartless creations into his old captain's eyes. "It hasn't been as long for you so I'll assume you do. You would only free me from my binds if I agreed to come with you on your journey."

Sora darted an anxious look back at Luffy wishing there was a better explanation that his friend had. Luffy's other comrades were staring at him in surprise too though. Most had not heard about this story before. Nami slightly recalled Zoro bringing something about it up back when she first met them. She had not heard the story either though and just backed up away from the Defenders who Smoker, Beast, and Sora kept fighting ahead of them.

"It's not the same," Luffy whispered. "Maleficent is-" Luffy stopped himself.

"What? 'Evil?'" Zoro wondered back at his captain who had cut himself off for a reason. "I told you that pirates were evil. You got me to follow you anyway. The 'Pirate Hunter,' becoming a pirate himself. To go be 'evil' as Smoker would call us." Smoker grit his teeth but could not counter Roronoa at all about this. "Yet now, because the 'evil' is also your enemy, you pretend like I have changed?"

"It's not the same thing!" Nami yelled with sharpening teeth. She glared down the hallway and screamed at Zoro, "This is like, wayyyy more evil than anything we were doing as pirates!"

"Yeah! We saved an entire country!" Chopper yelled towards Zoro too.

Smoker sweatdropped as he had just agreed mentally that pirates were evil. He recalled that too though and thought back on Alabasta and how that war had been stopped by these pirates. He froze though and turned in more surprise as Nami added still in a loud and angry voice, but one that sounded pained too, "And all of East Blue. Arlong, would have taken it all over. Zoro, you helped save… my home." Nami thought back sadder on the fight with Arlong and how he had risked his life for her sake back then.

Zoro recalled that as well when he stared down the hall and looked into Nami's pained eyes. Her face faded from in front of him though, and a different woman's face appeared in it. She had long blonde hair and her eyes were closed. He was dragging her across a bridge, and he imagined looking to the side and watching as Maleficent aimed her staff at the charging prince behind them. Pete's annoying laughter filled his head as Maleficent sent Prince Phillip flying. A dark portal opened up while cracks covered the world that Zoro was looking back at. Phillip's right hand dragging him forward on the floor lifted up after the three of them, reaching for Aurora who Zoro just lifted up in his arms and carried into the dark portal.

His eyes closed as he thought of the dark portal closing behind them and on that world. "What will happen to her world?"

"Who cares?!" Pete had shouted back at him. Then the fat anthropomorphic cat man leaned back at Zoro's glare.

"Devoured by the Heartless. It will disappear like your own. Like so many others have disappeared, are disappearing, and will disappear in the days to come…" Maleficent's voice faded out of his mind. Her evil is different. Yeah, I know that. She didn't deny it. Luffy said he didn't care what people thought. I saw first hand that he wasn't really, an evil kind of guy. He was a different kind of pirate than any I'd ever known. Maleficent was real evil though. True evil. And I followed her.

I gave my word that I would. I am a man of my word. Zoro pushed away the conflicted thoughts in his head as he reminded himself of that one simple truth.

"I… I don't get it, Zoro," Luffy said. He started quietly but got louder to make sure that Zoro could hear him down this hallway. "Is this really what you want to do?" Luffy sounded confused. Zoro had to have changed to be like this. I thought so, at least. But he doesn't sound any different! In all that time he still sounds just like Zoro! "You said you would survive. No matter what. And, you did a great job at it," Luffy said, flashing a pained smile before running forward and relieving Sora as his spiky-haired friend got knocked back by a lion-faced Defender.

Luffy slammed a powerful fist into the exposed body of that Defender and threw it all the way down the hall and into the pipes just in front of Zoro who did not flinch even as they dented in towards him. The Defender broke apart into dark particles and faded to give him a clear view straight back into Luffy's eyes. "But we're trying to save Kairi," Luffy continued towards his comrade who rose his eyebrows a little at Luffy's statement. The other Straw Hats looked at Luffy in surprise too as that had not been Luffy's primary objective coming here to this world.

Sora glanced to the back of Luffy's head and he smiled at what Luffy just said. He turned from Luffy and looked back towards Zoro himself. If Luffy's going to consider saving Kairi as important as any of his goals, then I'm going to save you too, Zoro. Whatever it takes, I'll change your mind somehow!

"And I can't let you stop us! I, want you to help us too, Zoro," Luffy added hopefully. He knew he could not let his own conflicted feelings get in the way of helping Sora. But trying to pretend like getting Zoro to join him again was not still his goal was too hard to do. "I came to find you as soon as I could," Luffy said in an apologetic tone. The path between them was clear other than the thick pipes in the way that had been dented and had some cracks between them for the group to see Zoro through, but no one thought it was a smart idea to rush the powerful swordsman who was not attacking them himself either yet.

"I told you that I would cut you down if you got in the way of my ambition," Zoro growled. "And your idiocy got me lost in space for years." Zoro gripped one of the hilts down at his waist. Calm down. Why? Because that's not his fault! The world fell anyway. Zoro ground his teeth and felt the darkness in his heart bubbling over even as he tried to calm himself. "I don't hate you, pirate. But you didn't save me. It may have been your goal, but Maleficent rescued me. The darkness kept me alive out here. Opening my heart to it, allowed me to get stronger. To survive."

"Is that why you cut me down? Told me all that creepy stuff about opening my heart to it?!" Usopp yelled towards Zoro. "Were you trying to help me? That's really crazy, you know?" Usopp yelled in anger towards him. "Opening your heart might have made you a bit stronger, Zoro. But it's also messing with your head."

"And it's messing with your heart too," Sora added. He rose his hand to his chest and told Zoro while holding it over his own heart, "If it wasn't, you'd know that what you're doing is wrong. You'd be able to see that! Maleficent's descending worlds into darkness. She's evil, Zoro. Is that what you want? To be evil?!"

"Yeah!" Luffy exclaimed. "That's what you said you didn't want to be when we met!" Luffy was thinking back on that day after Zoro had brought it up, and it bugged him more than anything because he recalled what Zoro had told him back then too that contradicted his actions now. "So you're not making any sense! Start making sense, damn it!"

He doesn't even realize it? Or does he not even care? Sanji curled his frown deeper that he would rather consider it to be the second option. Things would be a lot easier for them if that were the case. If he doesn't care and Luffy sees that then we're good. That makes him our enemy. Just kick his ass and be done with it. But if Luffy thinks it's the darkness messing with him… is it? I don't care about the damn marimo bastard, but if that's the case then- then what? What the hell are we supposed to do against the darkness, when these idiots don't even have Keyblades anymore? Sanji darted a look to his side towards Luffy and Sora who were no longer wielding some special weapons of prophecy. A pirate and a kid. Against darkness? Sounds like we're pretty screwed. So what is it that makes me think that we're not? Sanji glared back towards Zoro's face. Because it doesn't feel like this is over yet. Despite our sorry state, this doesn't feel close to being over.

"I also said," Zoro started again after just glaring back into Luffy's eyes himself for a few seconds. "That I would rather be a pirate than die there. Strapped to that post. It was the same. Anything, was worth it to survive." Zoro grabbed the top of the three hilts on his side. "And though it is not about dying anymore, it was about that once. It was the deal I made to get out of the darkness-"

"Did you ever get out though?" Robin asked. Her voice was strained but she looked towards the man who stared back her way and into the woman's pained eyes. Her own narrowed at the look in his that suggested he might know what was happening to her, but she could see something had happened to him too. "You steeped deeper and deeper. Whatever this Realm of Darkness that you were trapped in was, it infected you. Corrupted your… heart," Robin felt strange saying it, but with what she was feeling in her own chest it was impossible to ignore the strange powers of the heart in this reality.

"You say you were freed," Usopp agreed with Robin. He shook his head and snapped, "But you're serving the darkness-"

"I am not a servant of the darkness," Zoro growled back, his fist curling tighter around his sword's hilt. "It serves me." In that hallway that only had one Heartless left between Zoro and them, ten more Heartless emerged out of thin air. Smoker bit down in fury and the Beast roared at the obstacles put in their path again. Zoro's right hand on the hilt of his blade was coated in pitch blackness that wisped off of his weapons.

"A lot of people thought that!" Sora yelled. Unperturbed by the new Heartless' emergences, he just sprinted towards them and started attacking to recoup some of his lost MP. Sora slashed to his side into a Darkball and parried back off of it, and Sanji and Chopper ran forward to help him fight against it. "In all the time I've been out across the worlds, that hasn't worked out for any of them!" Sora yelled while bashing away at his enemies.

Zoro's eyes focused onto the side of that boy's head as he listened to what Sora was shouting. Past Sora, he saw a man with gray hair stop moving for a second and lower his hands down in front of his face that bowed as well. Smoker thought back on his own failure with the darkness and turned to look towards the swordsman. "I know the feeling," Smoker said in a low voice. The others continued to fight Heartless around him but Smoker talked past them to the pirate whose gaze he met, "I know that strength you talk about, and it was foul. The short time I used it, I could tell. I knew it wouldn't be long before it took over. I have only myself to blame for accepting it… but I was, lucky." Smoker did not look around at those who had helped him out of that darkness before it took hold completely.

Feels weird saying stuff like this. None of us can deny what we've seen though, Smoker thought. "You were strong, pirate. But that evil infected your… heart." Smoker scrunched his face saying the words that sounded weird even as he spoke them aloud.

"All of them," Sora continued. "They all thought they had control over it. It, made them think, that they could control it." Zoro's hand shook on his swords that his eyes lowered down to and stared at while thicker black wisps came up off of his fingers. "But the darkness has been getting stronger and stronger too. Stronger than it's ever been, right? You've been out here the longest of all of us, Zoro. You warned Chopper that it's way stronger here. And with the falling worlds, it'll be too much! Even for you!" Sora spun towards the man and yelled it, making Zoro move his hand from his blades as the kid looked scared for him when he shouted it.

He's not afraid of me, Zoro could tell from a single look into Sora's eyes. What made him flinch though and step back from the pipes in front of him, was the way that the others all around Sora looked his way after what Sora just shouted. The looks in those pirates' eyes were not afraid of him anymore. He says it like it's common sense. I'm not weak like them- all of them thought the same. But I am different. I know that. Am I using it too much though? Have I, not realized- A girl's face flashed in his mind and his hand snapped up to his forehead and gripped onto it tightly. Zoro shook his head and took another step back, ignoring Luffy's shout of his name as the darkness swirled up behind him that he stepped into.

"Zoro! Wait," Luffy reached the iron pipes and swung a stretchy arm through them and into the darkness. His fingers curled on nothing and the portal disappeared.

"I hate it when he does that," Nami grumbled in frustration, though she lowered her Clima Tact as the Heartless had just all been defeated in the hallway.

Sora walked up towards Luffy to encourage the pirate whose arm dropped down and face looked dejected at Zoro's disappearance again. As Sora opened his mouth to say something though, he spun to the right in the direction that these pipes were all heading towards. "Look!" Sora ran over and looked at the huge machine connecting to pipes and wires going out in all directions. There was another glowing panel on it like the ones that had controlled the moving steel walls on their way here. "I think," Sora started and swung his right arm in front of the machine.

The machine glowed bright blue as did Sora's hand. Clank- ch ch ch… BRRRR- Clank CLANK!

"Sounds like something's opening," Chopper mentioned hopefully.

"I bet it's the front doors," Sora said back to the doctor who nodded at him in agreement if Sora thought it was so.

Nami sweatdropped though at his optimism. "Or, it could be anything else," she muttered, though she kept her voice low as she knew they could do with a more optimistic attitude at the moment.

"Oh, well that's great," Sanji grumbled and stepped behind Nami but turned the other way.

Nami looked over her shoulder back the way they came. She groaned and stepped backwards away from the swirling dark spheres appearing all over the air in the hall and up from the floor. "Looks like the way back out is gonna be as easy as the way in," Usopp said while stepping towards their new Heartless opponents. "But I'm getting a hang of these guys."

"Their patterns are just a bit different from others before them," Sora agreed.

"The more we fight them, the easier they seem," Sanji nodded. Chopper gulped while glancing at the blond man who he did not agree with there at all.

Smoker nodded though and made Chopper's eyes widen as the others were all seemingly in agreement with this. Smoker thought to himself, The longer we fight them, the better we've gotten at figuring out their patterns. It's experience, and we'll be getting plenty of it on our way back up there. If Roronoa teleports back down here though and locks the doors… Well, if that happens, we'll find another way in. Not doing this maze again. I don't think he will though. I don't know what he's thinking, but that wasn't the last we've seen of him.

"They might be evil and strong!" Sora swung his wooden sword in front of him and dropped three flying Heartless to the ground where they flattened out under his Gravity magic. He leaned to the side and did a spin-dodge while still running forward past the lion-faced shield that could have slammed him back really hard had he not dodged it. He grinned while spinning around it though and called out, "But they're repetitive, and they aren't getting any faster since we've arrived on this world!" Sora swung his right hand out to the side as he sprinted past the Defender's open chest now that its arm was fully outstretched with the shield at the end. "FIRE! Unlike us!" Sora called out to finish, as he blew apart another of his enemies using a magical fireball that blasted the Defender in a huge flame lighting up the hallway.

"We've got this, you guys! Let's get up there fast! They're all waiting for us!"

"RAA!" Beast roared in agreement and charged forward past Sora's side.

"Most of us aren't getting stronger every second either," Sanji muttered while jogging forward towards this crazy kid who really did seem stronger than he was just thirty minutes ago.

"You should work harder then," Sora told the man jogging up to his side. Sanji dropped his jaw, then Sora spun and started laughing while running ahead with Luffy who laughed much louder at the joke.

The pirate captain threw a Gum Gum Pistol forward while running at Sora's side, calling out, "Don't fall behind, Sanji!"

Sanji glanced towards Nami though while Luffy was just joining in on Sora's relentless optimism and trying to get stronger too. He looked to the orange-haired woman who was more shocked than him as she stared towards Sora with huge eyes. I could imagine him trying to keep a brave face for us, but that's not what he's doing. He's actually smiling and joking around. I can't believe it. Nami shook his head side to side while walking forward up next to Sanji, as Chopper, Usopp, and Robin did the same while looking ahead at the others fighting the Heartless together at the moment. "I can't believe he got over his friends' betrayal so much in such a short amount of time. Not just Donald and Goofy, but Riku too. His best friend, treated him like… he treated him horribly. I actually cannot believe he's still able to fight with a smile on his face after all that."

Robin nodded her head though stayed quiet herself. Perhaps that strange nature of his is what drew the Keyblade to him. Yet, it chose Riku instead? I have not spent enough time with Riku to know why it would pick him. Nor, do I know if a weapon can really choose a master. There is so much I still have to understand. So little time to figure it out…

Back upstairs inside the main hall, Zoro stood up on a balcony overlooking the hall's lower floors. The hall was rounded and had doors on either side of the first floor. It had two staircases wrapping up around a fountain leading to the second level that also had many doors sticking off of it into various halls and rooms. He was up one more floor than that, standing between two pillars and looking over the railing down to the second floor where he spotted a boy in a yellow shirt sprinting forward and slashing back and forth with his new Keyblade.

"We need to hurry!" The duck behind him called out, before casting down Thunder magic and blowing up a few Shadows running at Riku's left side.

"Just getting used to my new Keyblade," Riku said while facing away from his new companions. "Don't worry. I've got this." Riku smirked over his shoulder at Donald and Goofy, then he slashed in front of him without even looking at the two Darkballs that flew towards him at that second. His Keyblade slashed through them like butter and destroyed them in an instant. Riku grinned and lifted his Keyblade up in front of his face. "So powerful," he admired the weapon. "And more powerful now, that it's in stronger hands." His grip tightened on the hilt then he turned and smirked towards more Heartless appearing up here that he targeted rather than control with darkness, as he was working on mastering the Keyblade right now.

"Hmm," Goofy hummed uncertainly, glancing towards Donald who grumbled himself but ran forward as the keybearer ignored him and just rushed at more Heartless to fight instead.

Zoro hummed himself while watching the new keybearer who really was strong with the weapon to be annihilating the Heartless as easily as he was. Maleficent's plan is going well, Zoro thought. He frowned deeper and then bit down that the thought had made him frown like that. Why does that bother me? The group down below is struggling to fight even regular Heartless on this world. It's taking them a long time to move forward. But, I myself, am struggling too.

With what? I am strong. But it's not my strength that bothers me. My thoughts are getting, clouded. Conflicted. Zoro glared down but not at the group of three fighting Heartless on a floor below him. His eyes shifted towards the front doors that had clanked loudly while unlocking. He had seen Riku notice it as well, but the boy only looked annoyed for a second like it was an inconvenience before getting back to his own activities. Riku saw how strong Sora was with the Keyblade. Obtaining it alone may not be enough to save the one they love. Is it fear that holds him back from going to her now? Or…

Why am I distracted by him? Why do I allow myself, to get focused on her plans? Is it because I failed her again? Or, or what? What is it that bothers me?! Why did I not cut them down in the catacombs? Is it to prove them wrong? Zoro growled under his breath at the thought of it. I steeped myself in darkness for so long. Are they right? Thinking back on that first meeting with Luffy, I did tell him about my code. A code I had once been determined to stick to. It was something I came to realize I didn't need to worry about while with Luffy. Not, 'that man,' but Luffy. I thought he wouldn't be familiar to me after all this time. But he's the same. I am the one who changed… Was it Maleficent's fault?

Zoro ground his teeth and shook his head back and forth in more frustration. I didn't break it with Luffy. But I can't pretend like I was not an evil man while following Maleficent. Yet, I stopped caring about that. Surviving was important to me. Not breaking my word, mattered. Because it mattered that I kept my promise. The promise I made her was all that mattered.

Zoro closed his eyes and thought back to that empty world. Staring out for days, and weeks, and months over absolute nothingness. When he thought back to that time, he imagined the one thing that stuck in his mind even after everything else had faded. After all other reasons to keep going had faded away. After Luffy, the crew, our world, everything… was gone. I could still see her face. The promise we made was all that echoed in my mind. I held onto the idea of keeping my promise. Staying true to my word. And then I made another promise. I swore to keep my word. To follow Maleficent.

If I break that promise, then breaking another would be easier. And that other promise was all that tethered me to this life. It was the one thing that kept me alive! If I'm not a man of my word, I may as well have perished in that realm. I swore to Maleficent my life. The deal may not have been fair, but it was a deal I made. I won't break it for, for them. These people I don't even know!

They're my enemies. Because they are Maleficent's enemies. It is that simple. I narrowed myself down to one goal. One, all-important goal. Getting stronger. Keeping my promise with Kuina. Everything else doesn't matter. Whether they consider me good, or evil. Light, and darkness. It's all the same. It's all just gray. None of it matters to me as long as I am strong. I may be more evil than I once was, but to someone like Smoker I've always been this way. Smoker…

Zoro's body tensed up. Thinking of that Marine made him imagine another. The second he imagined her face, her closed eyes, the way she floated lifelessly in the tube on the floor above him, his conviction faltered. I want to be the strongest. It's my greatest desire, and yet I don't fight with the Wado anymore. Why not? Why have I left it on her tube? If she's not even- she might be! But, that's not the reason. That's not the reason I hadn't drawn it for years before even finding that woman.

Because, Kuina would not approve of this method of gaining strength? No. That's not it. I haven't used her blade, because I stopped accepting that she was gone. That's why I found her. Why I found the copycat out in the darkness. I decided that I could find her. The power of darkness is strong enough that it surpasses life and death. Space, and time… Zoro shook his head again in an angrier way. His fists curled furiously at his sides. I can find her. I did find her! Yet she won't wake up. Her heart is missing. I only found a body. A husk. An empty shell.

And I can find the rest. I know I can. The power of darkness that I used to locate her is the same power I need to use to find her heart. Zoro's eyes opened. The swirls of darkness in the whites of his eyes faded away slowly as he glared towards the front doors of the hall that started to open inwards. I can find her. But I can't be thinking of Maleficent's plans, or my old crew appearing all over the worlds, the encroaching darkness, the princesses, the doorway that will soon be opened! It's all clutter. Filling up my mind and distracting me.

I have to push it all away. Remember. Singular focus. The darkness is stronger than ever. I am stronger than ever with it. As someone who uses the darkness, I shall steep myself even deeper within and accomplish my goal… at any cost. This time for sure, I will not fail you. The darkness isn't all evil. Riku is only using it for Kairi. I can use it for her. To save a life. It is not redemption. Just my own goals. They are wrong. I know better than anyone. Using the darkness for my own goal doesn't make me evil. Darkness, is just power. The most powerful thing in the universe. I couldn't become the most powerful without it.

And I couldn't save her without it either.

"I knew it would open," Sora stepped forward into the great hall on the first floor of Hollow Bastion.

"Rrr, be on your guard," Beast warned the kid who glanced to his side and up at his new friend. Beast growled at him, "They're nearby. Are you ready to face them?"

"…Yeah. I am," Sora responded.

Beast nodded his head. Then he froze. The doors were closing behind the group who had finally made it into the castle's main section after some long and hard fights. The Beast that had been tanking most of their enemies this whole time tensed up in front of them, right between Luffy and Sora who stood at the front of their group. Beast turned.

Sora was looking ahead and around through the hall for those who he knew Beast was talking about. The one he was looking for was observing from a level above though and smirked while lifting his left hand up with a sphere of darkness swirling above his palm. Donald and Goofy darted nervous looks towards Riku, then they both spun back and looked down with wide eyes towards an open doorway on the first floor that Beast just turned to.

"Belle?" Beast growled under his breath.

In that doorway was a beautiful woman in a yellow dress staring back towards him. She had appeared out of nowhere. Dark purple swirls shot up out of the ground and wrapped around her, and she vanished. In her place was a small Shadow that jumped up and down as if taunting the Beast that roared in fury at the sight. "Wait!" Nami yelled after the Beast that charged away.

Luffy swung an arm after the Beast. His arm extended and he grabbed onto the Beast's shoulder, then his eyes bulged and he yelped, "Ah!" Luffy flew off his feet as the Beast did not slow his sprint even a little when Luffy grabbed onto him. The pirate Rocketed after the Beast and through the doorway that closed behind them and locked the two out of the hall.

"Hey, Luffy!" Nami started running towards that door but froze and lifted her head. She looked up to the top of the door and past the second floor balcony above, up to the third floor where a man with a really dark look in his eyes was glaring down towards them. "Z-Zoro?" Nami whispered at the sight of his glare.

"I'm done messing around," Smoker snarled. "You'll give me answers! Where is my Sergeant?!" Smoker's lower half burst into a cloud of smoke.

"Wait! Take us with you!" Usopp yelled at Smoker, though he darted his gaze back in front of them and to the base of the staircases ahead in front of the fountain. He hesitated at the sight there, while Sora started walking forward as he looked back and saw Riku standing there with Donald and Goofy flanking him on his sides.

Smoker darted his gaze back down to Usopp then grit his teeth and sent a swirl of smoke over to the other pirates near him. "I've got this," Sora assured the pirates. "Help your friend," he told the group.

Usopp nodded at Sora's serious statement that really made it sound like he could handle this. I know Smoker can't do this alone. Even with all of us, it'll be close. Usopp allowed himself to get lifted up by the smoke, as did the rest of the Straw Hats who darted anxious looks towards Sora but still followed after Usopp to be brought up after Zoro before he could escape again. "Luffy! Zoro's upstairs!" Usopp yelled at the locked door in front of him that he heard pounding fists on the other side of. "See if you can find a way up from in there!"

The Straw Hats flew up to the third floor and were dropped down behind Smoker who did not slow while speeding towards the pirate who had turned and was walking away from them. "No you don't! White Blow!" A fist with a trail of smoke flying out of it shot towards the back of Zoro's head. Zoro pulled his head to the left without looking back. Observational Haki, Smoker thought darkly at the sight of how easy it was for Zoro to dodge without even seeing him. He continued to fly after the pirate though and yelled while reforming his body so he could punch his other arm with all his strength behind it, "Where is she?!"

"Quit while you still can, Sora," Riku demanded his old friend who was alone now staring back at him.

"No. Not without Kairi!" Sora swung his arm out to the side and yelled back at Riku.

Riku shook his head at Sora's arrogant shout. You have no idea how weak you are. Riku closed his eyes then snapped them open, "The darkness will destroy you!" A flash surrounded the silver-haired teen. It rose from his feet up to his shoulders. His pants got darker. The yellow on his shirt looked like it got infected with purple that spread over it. The dark armor pulled tightly to Riku's body and accentuated his muscles. At his sides dropped long white wings off the purple belt that formed there, looking like protection for his upper legs. The center of his chest had a pitch black heart shape on it with a red outline, matching the thick red guards on his forearms. The mostly purple and black armor looked strong, but it looked much darker than the apparel Riku just had on.

Chopper spun his head and looked down from the balcony before spinning back to Zoro ahead of them. "Someone should have stayed with Sora," he whispered. I'm not scared of Zoro. That's not why I'm saying it! Chopper thought that, but his fear for the swordsman that he had felt down in the waterways had returned to fear of him at the look in Zoro's eyes right now.

"You can't save her," Zoro growled at Smoker. "You'd fight me for the lifeless body of that woman. Even if you had a chance to win, you'd just obtain her husk and not know what to do with it. Only the darkness can return that woman's heart to her."

"You've gone crazy," Smoker snarled right back at the pirate. "I know well enough by now that the darkness takes hearts. It doesn't return them."

Zoro bit down harder himself and drew all three of his swords in an instant. He shoved one blade into his mouth, and around him huge wisps of darkness shot out of the floor and whipped around his body like tentacles. He glared through the haze of darkness in front of him towards the group ahead who saw the hesitation was gone from the swordsman about to face them with all his power. Rage plastered over Zoro's face. "You won't stop me," Zoro seethed through clenched teeth biting down on his sword hilt.

"You're wrong, Riku," Sora called back at his friend who just shouted that the darkness was going to destroy him. "The darkness may destroy my body, but it can't touch my heart."

Zoro himself flinched up a few stories from where he just heard Sora's voice. His hands shook on the hilts he was holding. What is that feeling? Down there- It's strong! Zoro's eyes darted to the side. The others thought it was a great moment to pounce on him, because they might never get a chance like this again. But all of them could not help themselves but look over and down towards Sora too who continued calling out to Riku without fear.

"My heart will stay with my friends. It'll never die!" Sora put his hand over his heart and yelled that with the confidence of someone who knew what they were saying without any doubt.

"Really?" Riku wondered back at him. "Well, we'll just see about that!" Riku pulled his left fist back and then stepped forward and slammed it towards Sora. His fist opened into a palm, and out of his arm wrapped in the dark sleeve of his new armor, a huge purple blast of darkness flew towards his childhood friend. The magic looked evil and like nothing the Straw Hats and Smoker had seen before. There was a bright white light in the core of the dark attack that flew towards Sora, and it seemed to resonate with the spiky-haired kid's heart as Sora was tugged towards the attack Riku shot at him.

"Ahh-" Sora gasped out in pain while leaning towards the attack he could not dodge from.

CHH! The attack burst apart and the darkness shattered into shards of light. "Sora ain't gonna go anywhere!" Goofy yelled out while standing in front of Sora with his shield raised up.

"Goofy," Nami said in relief while looking down towards the dog man who had jumped in the way of that attack.

Sora took a few deep breaths then stared at Goofy's back with a soft look and a relieved smile. "You'd betray your King?" Riku asked angrily towards his new companion who just intercepted his attack.

"Not on your life!" Goofy yelled. "But," he looked back towards Sora. "I'm not gonna betray Sora either, because he's become one of my best buddies after all we've been through together." Goofy turned back and cupped a hand to his mouth, "See ya later, Donald! Could ya tell the King I'm really sorry?"

"Hold on, Goofy!" Donald cupped his hands to his bill and shouted back. He started running right past Riku, "We'll tell him together!" Donald ran back to his friend but he kept looking towards Sora even as he reached them. He stared up into Sora's eyes hesitantly and then started, "Well, you know… All for one and one for all."

"I guess you're stuck with us, Sora." Goofy said back with a smile to their good friend whose heart was pounding in relief and joy to have the two of them with him right now.

Sora felt so relieved and yet the feeling was almost too much for him to bear. "Thanks a lot… Donald, Goofy." Sora lifted his bowed head and stared back towards Riku who continued to glare back towards him. Now… it's just you.

"How will you fight without a weapon?" Riku demanded to know. His tone was still mocking, even if Donald and Goofy had chosen to go back with Sora instead of follow him.

"I know now that I don't need the Keyblade," Sora replied. "I've got a better weapon. My heart!"

Is he serious? Smoker thought. He had accepted the power might exist, but hearing the kid shout it out that confidently down below just sounded corny to him instead. Yet even as he thought that, his eyes darted back towards Roronoa whose left foot slid back on the floor while his wide eyes stared down towards the kids below.

"'Your heart?' What good will that weak little thing do for you?" Riku mocked with a laugh.

He's wrong. It's not weak. Zoro's eyes snapped onto Sora's chest and then up at the kid's face as Sora called back at Riku without hesitation.

"Although my heart may be weak, it's not alone. It's grown with each new experience. And it's found a home with all the friends I've made." Sora looked back and forth at Donald and Goofy. Then he looked up to the third floor and the Straw Hats and Smoker up there. Then his gaze lowered past the second floor where Luffy and Beast had just come running out of a door after finding a stairwell up one floor inside the room they had been locked in. They each looked down at him as well while Sora just refaced Riku with a calm and confident look in full belief of all he was saying. His right hand lifted over his heart and he held it there while declaring, "I've become a part of their hearts just as they've become a part of mine. And if they think of me now and then, if they don't forget me, then our hearts will be one."

Sora curled the hand over his chest into a fist and swung it down. He grabbed onto his wooden sword and held it in his fighting stance as ready to fight Riku as if he still had the magical Keyblade with him. "I don't need a weapon. My friends are my power!"

Riku's eyes shook as he stared back at the confident expression covering Sora's face. Is- what is he talking about… "Huh?" Riku spun to his right hand as it tugged forward towards Sora. He had no chance of holding it back. The Keyblade burst into light and vanished from his hands. "Wha-"

Sora did not even need to look down at the wooden sword he was holding. The flash of light in the bottom of his vision told him what had happened. He could feel the difference in weight. He could feel the light coming from the weapon he was holding again in his hands. The Keyblade was his, and Riku had gone back to holding his black and red blade that was sharper but looked less dangerous than the weapon he had just been holding. Riku glared angrily towards Sora who kept his own gaze locked with Riku's and saw the fight was still on with his friend even after losing the weapon he had stolen in the first place. "Let's do this, Riku." Sora ran forward while Riku sprinted back at him.

The air around Riku darkened as their blades parried off one another. Darkness swirled around his weapon and then a sphere of it exploded against their blades and knocked Sora backwards. Donald and Goofy rushed in at Riku's sides though and attacked him long enough for Sora to cast Cure on himself then sprint back in too. Riku was fast, speeding like a blur back and forth across the three fighters down there.

On the second story, Heartless appeared all around Luffy and Beast. They looked around and readied their fists and claws. "Luffy!" A voice yelled above his head though.

"Go!" Luffy spun to Beast who motioned with a nod of his head upstairs to where Luffy's crew sounded in trouble.

Luffy nodded back in thanks at the Beast then swung an arm out and up over the railing to the next floor. He swung out over the main hall and glanced down to see Sora and Riku clashing blades back and forth, parrying one another and then dodging flying slashes that one or the other swung at their friend so strong that they scratched the walls behind each other. Sora's got this, Luffy thought. He grinned and spun his head ahead of him rather than concern himself with his strong friend who he did not feel worried could lose that fight after what he just heard Sora shout that made him feel stronger too.

Now let's see if this still works. KEYBLADE, COME ON OUT! "ZORO!" Luffy flew up over the ledge and swung his right arm out to the side. A flash of light appeared in his right hand. The white hilt and black shaft of his Keyblade extended out from his grasp while Zoro lifted his head up and looked at the pirate captain who grinned down at him. "If our friends are our power, then I must be really strong. Because I've got a friend like you!" Luffy dropped down and slammed his Keyblade down at the man who rose up one blade at first to stop it, then quickly rose up all three as he skid backwards from the amount of force that Luffy had behind his slash.

Zoro skid backwards on the third floor and then slashed all three of his blades out in front of him which knocked Luffy flying backwards. Luffy flipped himself around though and landed down on two feet, slashing his Keyblade into the floor and dragging it to slow himself down so he stopped just on Smoker's left side, the two of them in front of all the others. Luffy grinned confidently back at Zoro in a way that surprised Smoker on his side but made Zoro take a full step backwards at that look. Smoker sweatdropped at the change in tone of their fight after what Sora had just yelled out.

"Sora's right, Zoro. See?" Luffy held up the Keyblade as if showing off that the fact he had it meant that Sora had to be right.

The logic behind it did not make much sense to the others behind Luffy. Zoro stared intensely at that Keyblade though and bit down hard while darting his eyes back down towards Sora again himself. The fact that he's strong enough to take the Keyblade from Riku after saying all that… You're right, Luffy. You have no idea what you're talking about, but you're right. You're right! Zoro's eyes darted down to the floor. His blades shook in his hands. His conviction that was already wavering broke and he could feel it breaking as he stared at the swords he was holding that lost the dark glows to them. Darkness isn't the strongest power. Is it? Hearts, aren't just full of darkness.

But, Zoro's eyes hardened. His eyes flared with a pitch black color while rising up and glaring at Luffy whose smile dropped in an instant at that look from his first crewmate. It's too late. Too late to try and tap into whatever power Sora just found. I've made my bed. Riku's darkness may not be as strong as Sora's light, but mine is stronger!

I can't give up on it now. It's too late. Too late to try anything else. I can see now that the darkness isn't what I needed to make me the strongest. That goal was- it's all a lie. A lie I told myself. A lie I was convinced of! But I don't CARE! Zoro's body erupted in darkness. If that goal is gone. I still have another. One that matters more now! THE ONLY GOAL. Singular. Focus. "It's too late," Zoro said aloud. "You'll never stop her-"

"I don't care!" Smoker yelled at the swordsman through the veil of darkness that just erupted around him. He stomped forward towards Zoro and growled, "Take me to where Tashigi is. I'll find her myself, so just stop stalling and tell me where she is! Or I'll beat the information out of you, pirate."

Zoro shook his head back and forth at Smoker. By the time you arrive, she'll have her heart back. There's no point trying to explain it to you. Zoro's dark eyes narrowed at the Marine but he said nothing aloud. He always thought of me as evil. Nothing has changed. Gray area is gray area. You may never understand, but our goals are the same, Smoker.

"You're not getting away this time!" Luffy yelled out. He slashed his Keyblade down to one side and punched his other fist forward towards his crewmate he did not want to disappear into the darkness again. "After him!"

"I'm not running," Zoro reached up and grabbed Luffy by the extending wrist. He yanked towards himself and pulled Luffy straight to his body. His other hand jutted out from the sheath he had gripped onto. The hilt he grabbed pulled out of the sheath just a foot, and the hilt full of Haki jammed into Luffy's gut so the rubberman actually felt pain. Luffy gasped out in agony with his head leaning forward past Zoro's right shoulder where the swordsman had caught his wrist. "But it's time you gave up on me, Luffy. Leave this place, before it's too late." Zoro's voice was quiet so only him and his former captain heard it. Then he extended his left hand out slightly more while releasing Luffy's wrist.

The hilt he had pushed into Luffy's stomach popped slightly farther out and knocked Luffy flying backwards straight through the cloud of smoke that broke off to either side to just let Luffy fly through. "I don't think so!" Smoker shot into the darkness as it was closing around Zoro.

"Smoker!" Nami yelled after the Marine who shot into the dark portal that engulfed Zoro completely.

The darkness dropped back down into the floor and faded away. Zoro was gone, and Smoker had disappeared with him. "Luffy, are you alright?" Chopper grabbed Luffy by the shoulders and checked him out carefully. He lifted Luffy's shirt and looked at the huge bruise forming where Zoro attacked him. "You're rubber, but," Chopper stared up from Luffy's wound to his face and the pained expression his captain had.

"Doesn't mean a thing with his Haki," Usopp explained to the reindeer who was still confused about what that meant. "His darkness either. He's just, too strong."

"Think Smoker will be okay?" Sanji asked. He did not sound like he cared much, only that he was curious about it.

"I'm, not sure," Usopp replied to the other man who shook his head darkly at that response.

Then they each looked to their right side and over the railing down to the first floor of the hall. Riku stumbled backwards away from Sora. A flash surrounded him, and the dark power he had surrounded himself with faded to return him to his yellow shirt and blue pants from before. He was panting and looked exhausted after his fight, while Sora stood firm and straight up while staring back over and down at his friend. Sanji and Usopp were surprised and each smiled at the sight of Sora standing tall. Riku backed up a few more steps, then the silver-haired kid spun and ran off right before Beast dropped down onto the first floor and walked up behind Sora too.

Beast watched Riku run but he did not give chase while looking instead to Sora who turned back and faced him. I will find Belle up there. Attacking Sora's friend to find her would only hurt us. "Your heart won this battle," Beast told the boy who nodded back at him with a smile at Beast's understanding.

"Hey guys! You alright up there?!" Sora yelled up to the third floor balcony.

Usopp glanced over his shoulder and watched as Luffy got up with the bruise fading away after Chopper gave him a hi-potion. "Yeah," Usopp called back down. "Though Smoker chased Zoro through another dark portal. They're probably higher up in the castle."

"I'd bet that's where Belle and Kairi are too," Sora said with a look back at Beast who nodded with him.

"Not to mention Maleficent," Donald reminded.

"Let's get going then, right?" Goofy suggested and the others down there with him all nodded.

"No time like the present," Sanji muttered as he stared down at that group of four already making their ways to the stairs ahead of them to get on their way.

Luffy nodded though while walking up between Sanji and Usopp. "I'm worried about Zoro," Luffy said. The other two frowned while looking in at him, but Luffy shook his head at their uncertain expressions. "He saw what Sora did but it didn't pull him from the darkness. If anything, it felt like he fell deeper in."

"Realizing that he'd been fighting a losing battle might do that to a person," Sanji admitted. I just saw something insane. Insane, but amazing. I saw the way it affected Zoro though. He knows Sora's heart was stronger than Riku's darkness. That 'friends in our hearts' speech sounded ridiculous, but it got Sora his Keyblade back. So it must be true. And yet Zoro dug in his heels.

"Zoro's lost, right now," Nami whispered. "But I agree. We should save him." He saved my town. Saved my island! I can't give up on him. Sora's, right. Sora is right! He's in my heart too. He's… "He's one of the crew," she whispered.

Usopp looked back with wide eyes at Nami who stared softly back into his. Her eyes shifted down from his face and to his chest that Usopp rose up a hand and grabbed over. Usopp gripped over the sash of his toga and imagined the deep scar underneath it that he felt phantom pain from. Wait, Usopp thought while looking down at his chest and where he was grabbing. He shifted the toga to the side, but where he was grabbing was not over the wound itself. It's not the scar that hurts. It's, my heart. Usopp lifted his gaze back to Nami and nodded firmly at the woman who was surprised but then smiled brightly at him for that look.

You helped save Kaya and my village too, Usopp thought while looking up at the ceiling and imagining the man on the floors above. I can't forget about that. I can't give up on you, Zoro!

Chopper looked towards Usopp and then lifted his gaze up to the ceiling while thinking of his homeland too and the green-haired man who had helped save it. We all need to help him. Together.

"Hahhh," Usopp let out a long sigh and then rubbed the back of his head through his long curly hair. "Just wish Smoker wasn't the one to go through with him," he mentioned. The others grimaced too thinking of how the worst person possible had been the one to travel through Zoro's dark portal with him.

"He is a Marine, and we're still pirates," Sanji admitted.

"If all goes well and we return to our world together," Robin started. She took a step and wobbled on her feet, wincing in pain and bowing her head for a second. She rose it and continued despite the concerned looks her comrades gave her, "He will be gunning for us at that very moment. Our truce will be called off, and we will once again be on different sides."

"Marines fight pirates. It's part of the adventure," Luffy stepped up in between his comrades and then looked down towards Sora who waved up at him and pointed ahead where he saw a door that looked promising to get them where they needed to go. Luffy grinned and climbed up on the railing to jump over. "But for now, Smokey's still on our side. We gotta go help him find Tashigi too. After all, that sounds like what both Smokey and Zoro want to do." Luffy jumped off and down towards the rest of their group to keep moving through Hollow Bastion.

Nami hummed to herself and nodded slowly at what Luffy just said. "It has sounded like… Zoro's, trying to help her," Nami admitted while glancing to her side at Usopp who shrugged his shoulders as he had no idea what Zoro was thinking. Nami shook her head too as it was too difficult to try and theorize what Zoro was up to after he had spent so long away from them.

"I just wish he'd let us help him," Chopper whispered. "Like he helped all of us."

---

Upstairs where Zoro had emerged out of his dark portal, Captain Smoker of the Marines was down on both knees coughing and gasping for air. Two pairs of muscular black arms reached under his shoulders and lifted him back to his feet. The Invisibles flew up in the air though and lifted Smoker who they pulled backwards away from Zoro who re-sheathed all three of his blades that he had fought the Marine with. "You put up more of a fight this time. It's not enough though, Smoker."

Zoro turned from the man who lifted his gaze over Zoro's head and then opened his eyes huge at what he finally saw in this room that Zoro had brought them to. Most of their fight had gone on between places as he had attacked Zoro inside the portal and did not wait for them to reach their destination. Now, Smoker stared past Zoro and to the glass tube in the center of this room that was as large as the hall on the first floor but much darker as there were only a few artificial lights like those in the waterways installed into the side walls of this massive hall.

"What, did you do, to her?" Smoker snarled in a raspy voice down at the swordsman who just shook his head at the annoying question.

Zoro stepped up in front of the case and stared inside at the woman who floated there with her eyes closed. Her body limp. Still wearing what Smoker had last seen her in when their ship was flying up towards the dark void in the sky. "I did nothing, but locate her in the darkness," Zoro responded to the Marine who his Invisibles dragged farther back closer to the double doors behind him. They stopped moving and Zoro spoke in a lower voice that still reached the Marine, "Without her heart. She lost it when your world fell."

"'My world?' Are you-" Smoker grit his teeth that he was responding to this man. He shouted at him though, "Has it been so long that you've really forgotten that it's your world too?"

Zoro's eyes narrowed at the tube he kept glaring into, though it was hard to push out Smoker's voice. "I haven't," Zoro whispered. "But to me, my world fell… so long ago. Maleficent showed me its collapse. Years after it fell, yet years before yours did." Zoro shook his head back and forth while even Smoker behind him stared in confusion and then frustration as too much out here did not make a lick of sense to him. The way Zoro shook his head like that told the Marine that even someone who had been out here for as long as him still struggled to figure out these things sometimes. "I don't know," Zoro muttered after a few seconds.

"I didn't know anything about the universe when I found myself lost out here. What I did know was that Maleficent was stronger than me. More powerful, and with the ability to jump from world to world using the Heartless. Power, beyond strength. And I know that I do not need to be evil, just because I use the darkness." Zoro shook his head again and glared sideways back towards Smoker. "You're wrong about that. The power I use, is not evil in itself. It just feels that way. Which is why evil people tend to use it so often. Because they don't find themselves disgusted by the feeling."

"You're disgusted by the feeling of your own power?" Smoker growled at the pirate, angry at him but confused at the same time. He darted his glare past and towards Tashigi again who looked so still that she might as well be dead. His heart pounded as he stared at her, and Zoro saw where Smoker was looking and turned back to it himself. "You can't save anyone with that power," Smoker hissed.

"If that's true, then she's gone," Zoro said in simple response. "So be quiet, and allow me to save her." Smoker's eyes grew wider and snapped back to the back of Zoro's head where his medium-length messy green hair fell. "Riku's one goal is saving Kairi. Just like Sora. And although they have different methods, Riku is not weak. Sora… might be stronger at the moment. The power of Sora's heart- or, of his friends? I don't know. I truly, am surprised by what Sora just did down there. But Smoker, Riku managed to take the Keyblade from Sora, if only for a short time, despite that strength that Sora possesses."

"He managed that through using darkness. Heartless. 'Evil' powers that made Riku much stronger than the kid I once met." Zoro sounded more like he was speaking to himself and just aloud while looking back up and at Tashigi's closed eyes. "So I can do the same. Use darkness for an un-selfish desire. To save her. To save, Kuina-"

Zoro froze with his mouth open. His voice cut off and he bit down hard. Smoker was staring with wide eyes at the pirate in front of him, but he froze upon hearing that as well. Confusion plastered over Smoker's face. "What did you just say?" Smoker muttered. "Oi, pirate. That's my Sergeant. Tashigi. Hey! You hear me?!"

Smoker found his voice and it got louder as he struggled to move forward but got restrained by the powerful Heartless holding him. "Are you… Did you really go mad out here? Something's wrong with you…"

Nothing's wrong with me, Zoro countered that man's voice that started to fade from his ears. Maybe the darkness isn't the way to become the strongest. It's how I located her though. How Maleficent found Kairi's body for Riku. Using the Heartless is the best way. The only way to rescue from the darkness. It's how Maleficent found me too. And it's stronger than ever! Maybe there is some other power out there that only someone like Sora can utilize, but the darkness is growing stronger. Stronger than ever. Maybe soon it will actually be the strongest power in the universe. Like I always thought it was.

And yet, I don't care. About being the strongest? Not anymore. Not right now! This is the new goal. The goal I didn't realize I had even after finding her. Zoro lifted his right hand up while stepping directly in front of that case again. His body swirled with darkness. It covered his cloak and pulled that black cloak close to his body, just like Smoker had seen downstairs happened to Riku. The cloak seemed to merge with Zoro's body as darkness swirled closer and pulled tight to his muscular form. Zoro's skin darkened a few shades. His right hand's palm pressed against the glass and the whole room descended several notches darker too.

"Oi pirate! Can you hear me?! Roronoa- Pirate Hunter! ZORO!" Smoker screamed towards the pirate who could no longer hear him.

Lost inside his own head. Inside the darkness that surrounded Zoro and the glass tube in front of him. Zoro swirled into a void with only the glass case with him. Then the casing and all the liquid in it seemed to fade away. Leaving only him standing there in the darkness that swirled with dark orange and purple colors in all directions. Distant stars shone through the galaxies he floated through. Darkness all around him. All around him and the woman floating in front of him who his right hand pushed closer to now without the glass or restorative liquids between them.

Zoro's palm moved closer. He pressed it just below her neck at the top of her chest, right in front of where her heart should be. The empty vessel resonated with him. Reverberated through the stars. While darkness surrounded Zoro and engulfed his entire body. As darkness seeped into his chest and then pulsed out from his heart. The room outside of where Zoro just got shrouded sank into a deeper pitch black void that made Smoker shut his mouth and lean his head back inside of.

The Invisibles holding Smoker vanished. They burst into particles of darkness that shot forward into the thickest mass of darkness in front of him. I've never felt anything so evil, Smoker thought while looking into the darkness that radiated off that mass and made him raise his arms. He had to cross his arms in front of his face to protect from the dark winds pushing back into him. And yet… As evil as this feels…

Do it, Roronoa. You've been out here for a decade. Just this once, I think I need to trust that you know what you're doing. You damn pirate… Save her.

---

A/N Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Zoro witnesses Sora take back his Keyblade from Riku, but he still uses the darkness to try and save Tashigi, or Kuina's, heart. He's confused, but he's strong. Can he find her heart? Will the darkness consume him first? Find out next time, tomorrow, on Broken Log Pose!