Hey you guys! I got a new chapter for you all. It's kinda dark and stuff, but don't worry, this story will have a happy ending for sure. WARNING: CHARACTER DEATH! I hope you enjoy and till the next chapter.

~Rebecca

Chapter 8, Worst Case Scenario

Sanji had been having trouble tracking the battle. The ship was overflowing with Marines and the Straw Hat Pirates were defending their Nakama with vigor. He'd heard Luffy scream a few minutes ago, watched as he swiped half of the Marines off the deck and punched a good few in the face. He was smirking then, his friends were there for him and it would be alright. Or so he hoped. Now he knew that wasn't the case.

He'd seen Shoda a few times, but the man seemed intent to ignore him for now. The Captain had gone after Zoro the moment he spotted him and Sanji could only watch from afar as they battled sword to sword. Zoro had taken out a lot of other men all the while. Their crew danced around the fight, keeping out of the way to not get killed.

"Eyes on the battle blondie!" someone yelled.

Sanji whipped his head around and brought his foot up, the Marine walking straight into the boot. The man cursed, stepped back and rubbed his red nose as he straightened. Sanji cocked his head and grinned, this was easy.

"Don't be so full of yourself," the Marine growled and raised his sword.

Sanji sidestepped his swipe and kicked him in the abdomen, making him fly off the ship and crash into the ocean a few meters away. The blonde Cook lit himself a cigarette with the new found rest he had and glanced around the battlefield. He noted that his crew was giving them a good fight and decided to watch a little as each of them displayed their strengths.

Luffy was, of course, running rampage and being angry that the wedding had been disturbed. He'd been yelling for Shoda to fight him when another strong Marine had taken the Captain's place instead. Luffy had defeated most of the Marines around him, but the other one seemed intent on taking him head on.

Nami was banging a Marine on the head, scolding him for ripping her lovely skirt. Sanji rolled his eyes as he watched this. Nami was now demanding treasure as payment and the man was cowering on the floor before her. Sanji felt a little sympathy bloom in his chest. Poor fellow.

Ussop was up in the sails netting, sniping people off the deck and on the Marine's ship. They'd taken out a lot of them like that, but Ussop still wasn't done. They caught each other's eyes and smiled. Sanji saw Ussop's eyes widen and the Cook kicked back, nailing a Marine in the family jewels and sending him to the floor. His sword clattered to the deck behind him and he smiled up at Ussop.

Chopper was fighting in kung fu point on the other ship together with Franky. They'd tried to sink the ship, but it was fortified and they had still not been able to get inside. Sanji spotted Robin using her trade mark clutch move on a few of the marines.

Then, a shout caught his attention. As well as the rest of their attention. Sanji dreaded the origin of that shout. He turned his head to look, and sure enough, Zoro was gritting his teeth as he watched Wado lying on the grassy deck of the Sunny. Blood was flowing from between his lips and he blinked rapidly. Sanji felt his breath catch. Shoda had used that punch on his again. Did the bastard have a Devil Fruit?

"That's right," Shoda said, as if he could hear Sanji think.

The man looked up at him from where he was standing on the deck and stretched out his hand, grabbing onto Zoro's sword Sandai Kitetsu. Sanji's eyes widened as he saw a shockwave travel up the sword. Zoro yelled again, this time strained, and dropped the sword with a wide eye.

"You bastard," the man gritted out. "You broke my arm."

That had Sanji's eyes widening even more. Shoda laughed, and all fighting seemed to cease. Luffy growled from the sidelines and stared at Shoda, killing intent flowing from his once boyish complex. Shoda grinned at Sanji one more time before grabbing Zoro's other sword. The Swordsman immediately tried to pull back, a grunt making it past his lips as his sword didn't budge. His eye widened and Sanji could hear the cry from the crew as Zoro suddenly flew back, smashing into the railing only to hang there and vomit blood.

"Zoro!" Chopper cried out in fear, taking off towards him, but he was blocked by several Marines.

Sanji wondered idly where all these men were coming from, but his thoughts were interrupted when a hand grabbed his wrist and twisted his arm behind his back. He yelped in surprise, turned his head to look behind him only to get a cloth pressed to his mouth.

"Sanji!" Luffy's cry tore over the deck with a blast of Conquerors Haki strong enough to fell a giant.

Several men fell, but not the one that held Sanji, nor the ones in front of Zoro. Shoda was laughing again, but Sanji's vision was fading and he knew instantly that whatever was on the cloth, was making him pass out. He struggled in the man's hold, albeit weakly in fear of breaking his wrist. Tears gathered in his eyes as his arm bent painfully and he glanced over at his crew. They looked crestfallen and worried, some turning to him, other's to Zoro.

"Don't let them get away!" Luffy ordered.

"They won't!" Robin agreed.

Shoda's laugh was a little more sinister this time and everyone stopped to look at him. He held up a remote and it was enough of a signal for the men on the ship to suddenly grab a gas mask. Robin gasped in surprise and turned to the side of the ship. Shoda pressed the button, and a weird blue gas made its way on the ship. Sanji heard the cry of surprise and the thud of a body falling to the floor.

His vision was blurred and he could only see shapes. It wasn't long before he heard a whispered cry of his name, and everything went black.

o-o-o

Sanji's eyes opened slowly and he shifted around a bit to get his bearings. With a groan, he realized he was lying in a bed, soft covers covering his suddenly female body. He could now feel that the collar transformed him partly. It wasn't complete lest he do it himself. It actually hurt to be in a halfway state of transformation. He groaned again as he sat up, looking around the room to see where he was.

The room was nicely decorated with sea blue colors and stylish furniture. Sanji rose his brow and glanced at the door. It was obviously locked, and he could feel the rocking of a ship so that mean they were still on the ocean. Sanji hated his situation, for he quickly realized where he was.

Shoda must have captured him, and Zoro too, judging by how they were keeping the crew from him. He sighed, sitting up straight and swinging his legs over the bed. It was rather frustrating to feel so weak. The collar around his neck must have been sea stone. It itched and gave him a slight burning feeling on his skin.

His legs were weak and even standing took an effort. Sanji felt like an idiot for not having checked his surroundings. This could have been avoided if he'd just sensed the man behind him. But he had been so distracted by Zoro that he hadn't. And then he'd been captured by that revolting man. Sanji shuddered and pushed himself to his feet to get across the room to a dresser.

He pulled open the cabinets and frowned at the inventory. It was full of panties, bra's and other lady things he'd need in this form. He sighed, tugged himself out of the too large dress shirt and pulled on a pair of underwear. He spotted a mirror and noted his worn out form, not like how he usually looked while he was transformed. He'd have to ask to transform, perhaps even beg if he wanted out of this painful form. He sighed and pulled his hair into a ponytail, tying it with a hairband.

He opened another cabinet and pulled out a pair of black stockings. He pulled them on, pulling them over his knees. He kind of liked them, they were comfortable. He searched further into the dresser and pulled out a few dresses, laying them on the bed. One was a maid's outfit, another a nurses and so on. He spat in disgust and walked back to the dresser, pulling out all sorts of clothes. Finally, he found a good dress.

It was a light blue dress that reached just over his knees. It was light and very comfortable. The straps over his shoulders didn't hurt and he twirled a few times in the mirror to look at himself. It was simple, but good enough to satisfy his need to get clothed. Sanji was pulled from his musing as the door to the room was unlocked and Captain Shoda walked in. Sanji glared at him, but it wasn't such a hard glare with the energy he was missing.

"You do know that my transformation isn't complete, right?" Sanji sneered.

Shoda's head shot up and he looked at the blonde with wide eyes. "So you are awake. Glad to see you again, Black Leg," he said, advancing on Sanji.

"Oh no, stay right there, pervert!" Sanji said as he took a step back, pointing at the floor.

Shoda grew a grin worthy of fearing and ignored Sanji's warning. He reached out and tapped the collar around Sanji's neck.

"I know that, but I couldn't transform you otherwise. I can make a deal with you if you want out of that painful form. So, what do you say?" Shoda asked, a glint in his eyes.

"I could easily take you down once this collar is off, why should I make a deal with you?" Sanji sneered, crossing his arms under his bosom.

Shoda grinned and took a step back, nodding his head. "You could very well, I don't doubt your ability. But I wouldn't do that if I were you," he said with a sneer. "If you want your friend to live, you won't," he added.

Sanji's eyes widened. Shoda looked more than smug and Sanji fisted his hands at his side, trying hard not to punch the bastard in his face.

"Wat did you do to Zoro?" he growled.

Instinctively, his hand reached for the necklace around his neck, thankfully still there. Shoda saw the movement and scowled.

"Not much, yet. If you don't co-operate, I'll make sure he suffers," he growled.

He grabbed onto the necklace around Sanji's neck and janked on it, intent to get it off because obviously that Swordsman had given it to him. Sanji yelped, but the necklace didn't break loose from around his neck. Shoda's eyes widened.

"You married him, didn't you?" he muttered. "I'll kill him," he snarled, turning to the door.

"NO!" Sanji's hands stopped him, a pleading look in his eyes. "I'll do anything, just don't kill him, please!" he said hastily.

Shoda looked ready to explode. Slowly, a grin formed on his face and he tapped the collar again.

"I'll let you transform fully, but if you pull anything, I'll kill him regardless of what you ask of me. I'm not a heartless monster, and certainly not towards my wife," he whispered, leaning in to peck Sanji on the cheek.

Sanji sneered in disgust, but he had no choice. "Alright, I won't run, but you have to promise not to kill him!" he demanded.

Shoda took a step back in mock surprise, hand rising to his heart. "How dare you accuse me of lying, my dear Annabeth!" he replied, sarcasm in his voice.

"Annabeth?" Sanji asked, frowning.

"Ah, yes. My wife's name was Annabeth. You don't look like her just yet, only a female version of yourself. I am going to show you a picture of her, and then you transform into her. Oh and here," Shoda said.

Sanji watched tensely as he produced a Snail monitor from his pocket and switched it on. The blonde gasped the moment he saw what was on the footage. He held his hands in front of his mouth as he watched Zoro. The Swordsman was chained with massive shackles to the floor, kneeling on the ground. His hands were wrenched behind him, he was blindfolded and gagged. The room was dark, but Sanji could see that Zoro was injured still, probably from the battle. He was taking ragged breaths, but seemed fine otherwise.

"That's what your man looks like now, he can be worse if I want," Shoda threatened.

Sanji knew that he didn't have much of a choice, if he defied this man then Zoro would absolutely die a horrible death. He wanted to protect him, his dreams and his being. Sanji gritted his teeth, he really didn't have a choice.

"I'll do it, just don't hurt him," he whispered, defeated.

Shoda smiled and ruffled Sanji's hair. He removed the collar from Sanji's neck and showed him the photograph of a beautiful blonde haired woman. Her hair was curling down her back and her eyes sparkled like the sea as she smiled at the camera. Her face was normal, like an ordinary woman's face. Her body was normal, like an ordinary woman's body. And thus Sanji transformed into her, much to the delight of one Marine Captain. The man redid the collar around his neck and Sanji felt the weakness sea stone brought. He wondered why he was weak to the stone and not the sea itself. He'd have to ask Robin when, if, they got back to the Sunny.

It had become and if, hadn't it. Not a when. He didn't know when he'd get out of here. He didn't know if he could. Zoro was trapped, probably dangerously injured, and Sanji had no way to help him. He was pulled from his thoughts as Shoda pushed him towards the bed. Sanji dreaded every damn moment he had to go along with this, but he seemed to have no other choice. And if he couldn't come up with anything, it was up to the crew to rescue him.

"I'll let you rest for now, but later, the fun will start," Shoda whispered in his ear.

Sanji's body gave an involuntary shiver, but he nodded. He gripped at his own arm, digging his nails into the flesh. He'd bruise it for sure, but he couldn't care less. Shoda stepped away from him and Sanji watched as he left. His hands flew to the necklace the moment the door clicked shut and he fell to his knees by the bed. A sob build up in his chest and he clutched the Sapphire stone in his hand, wondering if Zoro could feel his sorrows through it.

He only hoped they could get out of this mess unscathed.

o-o-o

Zoro's head lifted as he heard the door open and footsteps made their way in. His Haki told him that it was Shoda, and he had a lingering presence of Sanji around him. Zoro snarled through the gag and shifted, rattling the chains around him. There was a quiet murmur and then the door was closed.

"You're blondie has given up already, just to save your skin, Roronoa," Shoda muttered into the dark.

Zoro snarled at him, searching for his presence in the room as it had suddenly spread everywhere. A hand suddenly gripped his hair in a bruising manner and yanked his head up. He growled, but cut if off instantly as he felt the head of a gun pressed against the underside of his jaw. He swallowed. Shoda was planning something, but he didn't know what it was just yet.

"I must say that you were very clever to give him the pendant. I can't take it off, only he or you yourself can do that. I see you have one, too," Shoda murmured, fingering Zoro's necklace with the hand that had held up his hair.

Zoro growled, yanking his head out of the man's grip. Shoda pulled the gag from his mouth and Zoro coughed a bit, swallowing the overflowing saliva that had been soaking the cloth.

"You bastard, what did you do to Sanji!" he rasped, throat suddenly dry.

Zoro dreaded the answer, but judging by the hum Shoda gave, he'd done nothing yet. That was good, Sanji could still get out of this absolute nightmare with his dignity intact.

"I made a deal with him," Shoda started. "If I promised not to kill you, he would do whatever I wanted to. He was very persistent, bribing me and promising me things."

Zoro scoffed, like he'd believe that Sanji had won this man's trust or something. "Yeah, right," he snorted.

His head snapped to the side as the gun smacked him across the face. Zoro tasted blood and spit it out, hoping that he hit Shoda. Judging by the disgusted sound that came from the man's throat, he had. He smirked in victory. He was sure as hell not gonna sit here and do nothing. He'd put up a fight even if it killed him.

"But you know," the Captain continued.

There was a sinister edge to his voice that set Zoro's alarm bells ringing. He swallowed once, twice, in sudden fear. This was bad, whatever was going to happen next was not going to be good. The hand that held his pendant pulled away and gripped his jaw, forcing his mouth open. Zoro protested, but it didn't matter, somehow, Shoda was stronger than he was.

"I lied," came the whisper in his ear.

Zoro's eye widened beneath the blindfold and he struggled to get out of the man's grip. The gun was forced into his mouth and Zoro felt panic rising within him. The cold metal clacked on his teeth and he chocked as the barrel was forced deeper. He was sure he looked like some needy whore with a dick in his mouth, but in this instant, it was a gun.

"Goodbye, Roronoa."

Zoro's fears spiked, and suddenly, he felt a heartbreaking sorrow shoot through him from within the Jade around his neck. And just like that, the world slowed down, his panic rose to a high and a laugh rang out through the room.

The sound of a gunshot was the last thing Zoro heard before his thought process was abruptly cut off.