Chapter 18, Onwards

Sanji heard Zoro's loud cry of pain and he knew this was where the Swordsman was. He could feel him, his aura weakening with each moment. Sanji grew angry, he didn't want to get into this situation again. They had just come out of something similar and he didn't want Zoro to die, not again. Never again.

Sanji knew what the spider lady looked like, wondered if he could match her. And then he realized that he could do whatever the fuck he wanted, and so he did.

He burst from the cocoon. Spidery legs went everywhere and long blonde hair fell down his side. His spider-like body rose from the cocoon, much to the shock of the lady spider. Her face screwed up, and Sanji's did too when he saw what she held in her hand. Zoro was hanging limply from his arm in his grasp, blood seeping from an open wound on his leg.

It looked horrible.

"Let. Go. Of. My. Husband," Sanji snarled.

He heard his Nakama shout inside their cocoons and he maneuvered himself towards Luffy's, using his new spider body to untangle the silk around his Captain. Luffy's face popped up and he gasped in shock at seeing Sanji's new form.

"You're a spider!" he laughed loudly.

"You insolent-!" the spider lady cut herself off with a hiss at Sanji, growling at him and dropping her pray, Zoro's body falling uselessly to the floor.

Sanji heard him groan, but not much else came from him. He looked scary pale and the wound looked even worse now that he was lying down, though crumpled.

"You kidnapped my husband, and you're not getting away with it!" Sanji snarled, launching himself at the woman.

She screeched and held out her arms, catching him and clawing at his longer hair, pulling.

"You think I wanted such a useless piece of prey! He's almost completely empty, not useful for me at all!" she growled, raking her nails down Sanji's side.

Sanji reciprocated by clawing at the woman's face, giving her a hard slap. She shrieked in outrage and Sanji found himself engaged in a cat fight with a spider woman. Strangely, it didn't bother him to hit this woman at all.

Meanwhile, Luffy was on a quest to retrieve his friends from their cocoons. He freed Law first, the Surgeon hacking for air and grasping at his chest as if his lungs where full of silk. Nami was in no way pleased and Robin held her tongue as she was freed. She seemed to be establishing their position in battle.

"What do we do?" Nami asked as she detangled herself from the silk.

"We have to get Zoro-ya," Law said, motioning towards the downed Swordsman.

Luffy agreed and stretched his arms, avoiding the two fighting spiders as he retrieved Zoro's body. Law began looking him over immediately, and Nami retrieved the torch which Zoro had dropped, lighting their group up and keeping the smaller spiders away.

"Is he alright?" the Navigator asked, glancing over her shoulder at Sanji as he was clawing at the woman's hair.

"No," Law answered curtly. "Robin-ya, hold this for me," he said, motioning towards Zoro's torn pant leg.

Robin did, Luffy cringed and Nami looked away as Law pushed Zoro's Fibula back into his body. The green haired man groaned, but made no other sound. Robin made a humming sound and some of her hands sprouted to help Law with his work.

"Thank you," the younger man said softly to her.

Robin smiled at him. Luffy didn't look away as Law fixed Zoro's leg, but he did keep an eye out for Sanji. Their enemy was a strange one. He didn't remember how they had gotten caught by her, but seeing as Sanji could hold his own, it didn't matter anymore. They were fine. Sanji would defeat the strange lady and they would get out of here to help Sabo. This was just a minor inconvenience.

"You have no rights here!" the spider woman screamed out.

Luffy perked up as Sanji grunted and he watched as the blonde was thrown to the floor, spidery legs flailing. Luffy became slightly worried, but Sanji got up quickly enough and retaliated with a strong swipe of legs at the other spider.

"You have no idea who you're messing with!" the blonde yelled back.

The spider woman hissed loudly and bared her teeth. "I am the great Mother! You are just insolent prey!" she accused.

Sanji scoffed. "And we're just your average Pirates!" he replied, swiping at her again.

The silver haired woman dodged his attack, retaliated with one of her own but missed. Luffy watched them fight. It was strange to watch a fight between two half spiders half woman, but he found it to be quite funny. The other spiders in the room didn't dare attack, and Luffy would kick their asses if they tried.

"We have to move," Law said from behind him and Luffy turned.

Zoro was all bandaged up and Robin had sprouted a few arms to keep the Swordsman off the floor. Luffy nodded his head and motioned for them to go ahead. Robin sprouted a few more hands that acted as a ladder and they all began to climb out of the hole.

"Sanji! We're leaving!" Luffy shouted.

Sanji snarled in his direction, but Luffy knew he'd heard him. The Straw Hat nodded at his Cook, and disappeared into the hole.

"NO! My prey!" the silver spider shrieked.

Sanji backhanded her across the face and growled at her.

"We're getting out of here, and you're not stopping us!" he shouted, jumping backwards and changing forms, wings snapping out of his back.

He grinned at the woman, her face one of shock, then rage. Sanji waved once, and then shot up the hole with his new wings. They were light and sleek, giving him the room to maneuver. He quickly caught up with his friends and informed them that it wouldn't take the spider woman long to find them.

Luffy agreed and they quickly made their way to the surface, thanks to Law's powers. Luffy breathed the fresh air in and sighed heavily. He looked around. There was nobody here, silence and quiet, finally.

"Is he alright?" Sanji asked as he landed next to Luffy, making the Straw Hat look over his shoulder at Zoro.

The Swordsman still looked pale, but now he looked at least a little more comfortable.

"He probably got hurt when you guys fell down that hole," Law piped up.

"Dammit," Sanji muttered. "Stupid idiot."

Luffy grinned, glad his family was together again. "Let's go after the others, they might need help," he said.

Law agreed, stood and motioned for Sanji to help him lift Zoro. Sanji did, and they party moved onwards. Towards what, they did not know yet. But it would certainly be better than here, in the middle of the desert, with no shade, no water, and nobody for miles.