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Chapter 46

Scared to death

"That's not going to happen, don't touch me!"

Sanji opened his eyes and turned his head to the noise source on his right. He was sure it was Nami's voice but he couldn't see her.

"Leave me alone!"

A noise of struggle was heard as well as a man muffled cry as the blond was jumping to his feet. He then noticed he was in a concrete cell, which the bars looked onto a corridor, and he rushed there.

"Let her go, you degenerates!" he yelled, shaking the bars.

"Sanji-kun?" the navigator's hopeful voice asked on his right.

"Is everything all right, Nami-san?" the cook immediately inquired, although he didn't see her.

"No, it's not okay!" the young woman ranted. "These morons absolutely want me- Hey! No, stop! Sanji!"

"Nami?!"

The cook shook the bars of his prison with all his might but the metal didn't move between his fingers.

"Leave her alone!" he roared again.

He then tried to kick the lock but the heavy metal grating only creaked.

"Sanji, help! Stop it!"

"I'm on my way, Nami-san!"

The blond looked at the wall on his right which separated him from the navigator. He took a deep breath and rushed towards it.

"Diable jambe!"

The cook's flaming foot forcefully fell on the stone wall which cracked before shattering. Sanji then landed in Nami's cell, who took advantage of the surprise to pull away from the grip of two men. She pushed them back violently and ran to take refuge behind her friend.

"How did you manage to break the wall, you?!" one of the men asked, taken aback by the blond's presence.

"Is everything all right, Nami-san?" Sanji asked her, totally ignoring the question.

"Y-Yes, I'm fine", the young woman said, catching her breath.

"Right."

Sanji calmly stared at his two opponents and searched his pants pocket to light a cigarette before looking back at them, flames now dancing in his eyes.

"I'm gonna beat you to a pulp for having tried to hurt this woman", he warned them in a low voice, blowing out his smoke.

The two men glanced at each other before contemplating the broken wall and then the furious face of their opponent. Then, without thinking further, they dashed to the door and closed it brutally behind them.

"Come back here, you cowards!" the cook got indignant, rushing towards them to the bars.

"We'll come back with backing for tonight transfer and this time, you won't be so smart!" one of the men told him with a superior air.

"Yeah, we have to treat the goods well but nothing prevents us from knocking it out!" the other added with amusement. "When you're out, we'll do whatever we want with your chick!"

They walked away with a sneer and the blond turned to the navigator, frowning.

"Did they hurt you, Nami-san? What did they want?"

"No, they didn't do anything to me. They wanted me to put this on", she sighed, showing him an ecru dress on the floor.

Sanji grabbed the garment and examined it, puzzled.

"Do you know why?"

"Yes", she grumbled. "I think that's the official attire for slaves for sale."

"Slaves for sale?!" the cook gasped.

"Look", the young woman said, pointing to a golden emblem sewn on it. "I'm almost sure this is the sign of recognition of the Slaves House in the region. These men in black who kidnapped us must have been touts and now their friends have cooped up us here. They'll definitely try to sell us..."

"I won't let them come close to you, Nami-san, you have my word!" the blond firmly assured her, his face shining with anger.

The young woman then looked strangely at him, suddenly flabbergasted.

"Sanji-kun, your thigh!"

The cook instinctively put his hand to his wound before staring wide-eyed when he felt a bandage under his pants. The end of his jacket he had used to make a tourniquet had disappeared and he only had his slightly damaged shirt left.

"They treated me!" he exclaimed. "Why do such a thing, it doesn't make sense!"

"It's because you're probably for sale too", the navigator deduced, sighing.

"Ah. Well... I guess it's a bad thing for a good", he mumbled then.

The red-haired young woman took a few steps in her cell, anxious, while Sanji was examining himself and was noting that if his leg had been well taken care of, it wasn't really the case for his belly since he had a large purplish and painful hematoma following the blow he had gotten.

"Well, let's think about it", Nami said after a few moments. "These guys talked about a transfer tonight so we have until then to run away..."

She glanced through the small opening to the outside at the top of her cell which gave them a minimum of light.

"It's barely morning and with a little luck, Luffy and the others will find us soon. He and Zoro were slightly injured but..."

Suddenly, she looked down and Sanji bit his lips, understanding her distress. The last picture he remembered of their captain wasn't glorious, but he knew his unwavering determination and no doubt he had gotten up by now. The cook was applying exactly the same reasoning when he thought of the fencer, with the difference the latter wasn't moving at all when he had collapsed.

Chasing the anxiety that was gripping him despite himself at the idea, he turned to the young woman who was biting her lips nervously in her turn.

"These two morons aren't wimps but we're still going to have to take matters into our own hands", he decided. "Apart from Robin-chan, they can't think so we're not going to wait for them."

Nami looked up and firmly agreed, visibly comforted by his words.

"You're right, we're going to have to get moving!"

Robin accented the line of her drawing and showed it to the swordsman.

"Like this?" she asked him.

"Yeah, they were all in black. And the one the cook knocked out even had a weird hat."

The archaeologist nodded and picked up her pencil. They had settled on the deck as soon as Zoro had been able to get up at the first rays of the sun so that he described his attackers to her.

The young woman had discovered the fencer and her captain in the alley shortly after the departure of the men who had kidnapped Sanji and Nami. Ussop had picked up the navigator's Clima-Tact while Chopper had examined the wounded persons immediately. Having considered they could be moved, Franky had put Luffy in the Sunny's infirmary so that Chopper could extract the seastone bullets from his elastic skin. The task had lasted a long time and the little reindeer was now still examining him to check that fragments hadn't entered his body and organs. As for Zoro, victim of a paralyzing bullet, he had gradually regained the use of his body during the night once their doctor had removed it from his thorax.

"Another distinctive sign?" Robin inquired after a few moments of silence.

The swordsman didn't answer and she turned her head towards him. Zoro was staring at the city up above in an attitude that was both thoughtful and faraway.

"Would you have noticed anything else about these men's outfits?" she quietly repeated to get him out of his thoughts.

"Hm..."

The fencer took the time to think.

"When I got there, the cook was facing one of these men and he was dripping with blood. I couldn't see much..."

The swordsman then frowned, focusing on his memories.

"I think... I think he had something shiny on his jacket. I noticed it when he leaned towards Nami, it was like a play of light because of the street lamp."

Robin agreed before adding the detail to her facial composite. Then she grabbed the books she had brought and was about to leaf through them when she caught sight of the pensive swordsman's gaze on the city again.

"I'm sure we can find them", she claimed. "These men were all dressed similarly, they're surely known on the archipelago."

Zoro slowly nodded, his eyes still on the gray buildings that were standing out from the morning mist.

"And I'm sure our chef is fine despite his injuries", she added peacefully. "His greatest concern will be to protect our navigator and for that, he's able to overcome all obstacles."

At these words, the fencer smiled at her side.

"Yeah. That's for sure..."

Smiling in her turn, Robin submerged herself in her books and for a few minutes, only the sound of pages and the wind in the Sunny's folded sails were heard. Finally, she pointed her pencil at an image to show it to her silent crewmate.

"Their traditional outfits suggest that it is a local band although the sign on their jackets more likely indicates slave traders", she explained, referring to the emblem the fencer saw.

"Slave traders?"

Robin and Zoro turned to the voice of the captain of the crew who was coming out of the infirmary and walking towards them. Arrived in front of them, he nodded at his first mate.

"How are you feeling, Zoro?"

"It hurts like hell but that's nothing compared to what they'll feel when I get my hands on them", the latter replied with a dark air.

"Do you know where they could be, Robin?" Luffy asked then, turning to her.

"No, but I do know how to find out", the young woman replied.

"How?" her captain wanted to know with interest.

"By going back outside the tavern. It is very likely that these individuals locate their prey in transit areas and crowds and they will certainly return there."

"That's a great idea!" Luffy agreed, delighted by the anticipation of revenge.

"I'll tear them to shreds", Zoro added with a predatory smile.

The two friends exchanged a knowing look as Brook, Ussop, Chopper and Franky were joining them. They immediately told them about their discovery and their plan, which triggered general enthusiasm until Robin calmly interrupted them.

"I suggest you stay on the ship until I locate their quarters", she said, speaking to Luffy and Zoro.

"Why? No way!" the fencer protested.

"Yeah, we're gonna kick their asses!" Luffy exclaimed in his turn.

"They know your faces", the archaeologist reminded them. "You only risk making them panic if they realize that you are chasing them. Nami and Sanji are probably still alive, but the more time passes, the greater the risk that they will be sent to unscrupulous owners. And who knows what these men could do if they find out they belong to a famous pirate crew. They could hand them over to the Marine to get their bounties or worse, kill them to get rid of them."

The cold description of reality left his two friends and the rest of the crew speechless, and Luffy frowned.

"You're right", he approved after a minute. "We trust you; you'll find where they took them!"

"Are you sure, Luffy?" his first mate insisted. "If we're already there, we can save time."

"No, Robin will tell us as soon as she finds them."

The young woman in front of him nodded and Brook wanted to intervene.

"I can come with you", he offered to the archaeologist. "They never saw me, so I have nothing to fear!"

"Very well", Robin accepted. "During this time, I would need someone to research the city maps to find out the layout of their place as soon as we have located them."

"I'm taking care of it!" Ussop offered. "I can easily enter the town hall or the library to find these cadastres, you can count on me!"

"I'm gonna stock up on food and cola in the meantime", Franky decided. "If we have to skedaddle after having got them back, we should be ready."

"I come with you!" the little reindeer immediately agreed at his side. "I'll make sure all of our medical supplies are full when they get back!"

"Great, we meet there as soon as Robin gives us the signal!" the captain concluded with enthusiasm.

At these words, the gunner stuffed his slingshot into his bag, Franky and Chopper went to check the state of the reserves and Brook joined Robin who was already waiting near the ladder to come down.

"Good luck!" Luffy shouted.

His two crew mates waved to him from the harbor pontoon before heading to town and quickly disappearing from sight.

"It's much better, thank you!" Nami said with a big smile.

The guards nodded and the young woman waited until they had disappeared to turn to the blond who had returned to his cell despite the destroyed wall.

"Okay, this time I think we're good", she whispered to him. "We're on the third floor in the middle of a rather large building. We're at the back of the right wing and there are not many prisoners. The first and second floors are much fuller."

She paused to make sure the cook was listening. The navigator had used the most varied excuses all day long to be able to locate the place. She had asked to go to the bathroom twice, had simulated an asthma attack to breathe outside and finally, had asked to try on a new dress to be ready for the evening transfer and they had finally take her to the launderette in view of her incessant rejections as for the shape or color of clothing.

"Ground floor is the most dangerous place" she went on. "I saw around fifty guards and ten of these guys in black just by crossing the big main hall. In addition, they seem to be waiting for others to begin the transfer."

At these words, Nami sighed.

"We'll have to be careful, these men are dangerous, Sanji-kun. All guards don't seem to be well-trained but they're armed and the touts can prove to be formidable, we have proof... Good news is that a large park lines the front and the back of the building and we can probably use the trees to hide."

"Well done, Nami-san", the cook replied in a low voice. "With this information, we'll be able to get free by taking the least possible risks."

"Yes, we mustn't delay", the young woman confirmed, glancing at her small window. "In an hour, night will have fallen but we can't afford to wait too long. If the transfer starts, it'll be more difficult to escape them."

Sanji nodded and pulled on his cigarette.

"We'll wait a few minutes for the guards to finish their patrol of the floors and then we're out of here", he said.

He then watched the deserted and gloomy hallway beyond the gates of his prison. The hardest thing would be to get out of their cells with as little noise as possible. Which was impossible since he was going to have to smash the walls again...

Never mind. They also had planned to release the maximum number of prisoners upstairs with them because in addition to offering them a chance to run away, this would add to the confusion and increase their possibility of escape.

"We're going to get out of here, Nami-san. I promise you that."

"Look. I'm sure he's one of the men Zoro described to me."

Discreetly sheltered behind the large menu card of the tavern with the crew's musician, Robin pointed out a man dressed in black who seemed to be observing the room and she looked down so as not to be noticed. When she looked up after he had taken a few steps, a shiny glow on his jacket confirmed her impressions.

For his part, Brook pretended to stir his tea in his now empty cup since they had been there for several hours and quickly examined him.

"I think he spotted the two girls at the left table", he whispered to her.

"Yes, I think he did."

The man sat nearby the girls and ordered a beer, pretending to be waiting for someone. However, as soon as the two friends headed for the exit, he paid immediately before following in their steps.

"Let's go", the archaeologist decided, getting up in her turn. "As soon as he catches them, he'll lead us straight to his accomplices."

"There are such predators in this world", Brook shivered, dropping some berries for their drinks.

He then hastened to join the young woman who was crossing the doorstep.

Out of breath, the fencer granted himself a minute of recovery on the ship's deck during which he sat down on the fresh grass. He had rarely set himself such a rate, lifting weights, doing exercises and movements with his three swords to keep him busy. His upper body was still a little painful and numb but he got up as soon as his breathing stabilized a little, ready to continue his efforts.

"You should rest", Luffy said to him, swallowing a new apple.

"Don't worry about that."

The captain shrugged and munched another piece of fruit before sitting nearby.

"It's up to you but Chopper said the paralyzing poison is still in your blood so if you push yourself too hard, there's a risk the effects will show up again."

The swordsman winced before stopping his gestures, not wanting to take risks for the battle to come. Franky and Chopper had been back a long time ago and they had get on preparing the Sunny for a certainly imminent departure. Luffy had gone to keep them company for a few moments and for his part, the fencer had found nothing better to do than warm up. Warm up that had turned into real Olympic training without him even noticing.

Zoro finally dropped beside his captain among the green grass and slowly breathed to catch a completely regular breath. When he succeeded, he took the time to observe the sky, which appeared to be around the night.

The swordsman sighed and closed his eyes, trying to calm the whirlwind of thoughts that hadn't left him since the early afternoon. He was never letting his actions be guided by his emotions and he had long ago understood that revenge was the worst plague of a fighter worthy of the name. He had learned from an early age that it was hindering judgment and distorting decisions of those who succumbed to it. He had therefore always wisely stepped aside from it, but today he found it difficult to separate his emotions from his need for concentration for the battle he was about to give.

The insult he had suffered by being cowardly attacked was annoying and the fact he hadn't been able to parry this attack was disappointing. He had already felt this anger against others and against himself and usually, he managed to put it aside to focus on his opponent. He had a harder time doing it when his friends' lives were on the line, but he did so by focusing on the prospect of the fight that awaited him each time. Because Zoro enjoyed fighting. He enjoyed being one with his blades and facing a strong enough opponent who was forcing him to outdo himself. He enjoyed feeling the fierceness and dangerousness of his opponent's blows because the slightest careless mistake on his part was also meaning his loss. Zoro never felt as alive as when he was fighting a daunting fight.

But since last night, his anger and disappointment were mingling with another emotion he had almost forgotten: fear. Fear of weakening because he was afraid of losing the link he had created with Sanji if he didn't make it.

Fear was as treacherous as revenge and he had learned to control it when he was younger when his fights had thrown him into the arms of people far more experienced than him. And he had always managed to control it by focusing on his swords, feeling them so that they became an extension of his body and hit his enemy as such. He had never had many friends but he had always made sure to help them when needed and this bond of friendship had never paralyzed him. It just motivated him more.

That was why his fear today was irrational. Because it whispered to him that the cook might not be able to make it out alive and that Nami would then end up sold as a simple slave. Yet he knew Sanji was more than capable of protecting himself, he witnessed it every day.

Zoro didn't understand this feeling that seemed to have blossomed in him the second he had realized he couldn't do anything when Sanji and Nami had been kidnapped. The swordsman hated this emotion. It was ridiculous given the context, so it was humiliating.

Finally, he opened his eyes and watched the confident look of his captain on him.

"Don't worry. Robin and Brook will find them and then we're gonna blow their ugly mugs. They'll be sorry they have attacked the straw hat crew!"

Zoro gently nodded. Luffy's eyes were bright with determination, but his gaze was dark and shrouded in anger. The captain hated his friends being attacked. That put him in a mad rage that didn't subside until his victory over his opponent. His state of mind calmed him down a bit. He could connect with this desire to set things right using his fists. Or rather his blades.

At that moment, the Sunny's Den Den Mushi rang and Luffy quickly picked it up.

"Hello, this is the future Pirate King, who's speaking?" he happily asked.

"This is Brook!" the skeleton's voice replied. "We followed the men to the north of the island. Their headquarters is a three-storey building not far from the sea, you can't miss it. We have already asked Ussop-san to get us the plans."

"That's great, we're coming!" Luffy exclaimed, hanging up.

He then jumped up to the infirmary to warn his friends.

"All right, let's go!" he shouted. "They found them!"

"Super!" the cyborg got enthused, rushing towards the helm. "We're going for a ride, hold on!"

"Sanji! Nami! We're coming!" the little reindeer shouted, drunk with happiness.

Below, the fencer turned his gaze to the sea while checking the presence of his swords on his hip. He was feeling strangely calm now.

When the Sunny's occupants disembarked, Ussop had joined Brook and Robin who were studying the plans a few steps from the property of the slave traders, hidden by a large tree trunk by the side of the road.

"It is a fairly old building built with freestones", the archaeologist explained to the newcomers. "There is no underground passage but a garage at the back of the wooded park."

"There is a large entrance hall where most of our enemies are probably gathered", Brook added. "Floors must be reserved for prisoners. Given their configuration, I think there are cells."

"We have no choice, we have to break in ", Franky noted.

"Armed guards are watching outside at the main gate", Ussop said, removing his binoculars. "And we must expect there'll be even more in the building..."

"Be careful with their shots", Chopper warned them. "Whether we're a devil fruit user or not, they can harm us all!"

At these words, Zoro adjusted his bandana over his head before sliding his blades out of their sheaths. He then stuck Wadô between his teeth and gave a brilliant look of excitement at the gate.

"What are we waiting for then?" he asked with a determined smile.

"Here we go!" Luffy yelled in response as he was darting towards the first guards, throwing his fists forward.

Behind him, all his friends rushed after him, determined to get the two members of their crew back.

"Do you hear that?" Nami whispered to the blond.

They had taken refuge in the recess of the widest corridor on the ground floor. The mess was indescribable since they had forced the passage of the third floor and released dozens of other prisoners. Faced with this unexpected opportunity, some had run away without further ado, but others had taken over the lower floors and the guards were struggling to contain them despite their weapons. The touts were particularly devious and although it was their livelihood, they didn't hesitate to seriously injure their prey in order to put them back in a cage. They were also yelling to the guards that priority was to catch as many prisoners as possible for the transfer which would be soon. They obviously didn't want to displease their future customers.

Sanji had dragged the navigator down the stairs without too much trouble but arrived on the ground floor, there were more of them and he didn't want to take the risk to run and to wound his red-haired goddess. A huge hall converted into a battlefield was still standing between them and freedom, but the longer he was waiting, the more the place was emptying because the prisoners escaped or were knocked out. They were therefore less likely to go unnoticed as time went by.

"It looks like there's noise outside", the cook approved after listening.

"This is our chance; they'll be attracted to the outside!" Nami gloated.

Sanji nodded, hoping she was right. Not far from them, shots echoed and a body collapsed. He instinctively stepped back a little more into the shadows, protecting the navigator with his body from possible shots.

He then tried to take a look out the window but the darkness and the ambient noise didn't allow him to know what was going on.

He was weighing the pros and cons of crossing the big hall at full speed again when a tout stood before him, an unhealthy smile on his lips.

"So what, we hang low?" he noted. "You're gonna return to your cells right now!"

He brandished his gun to force them out of their hiding place and Nami hid a little more behind the blond's back, trembling with fear.

"You better lower your gun, you're scaring the lady", the cook calmly pointed out.

"I scare the lady?" he sneered. "Oh, what a shame! Maybe I'll put it away then!"

"It'd be better, indeed."

"Of cour-"

Without giving him time to finish his sentence, Sanji threw him a violent kick in the stomach which pushed his opponent to the other end of the hall, creating surprise and amazement around them. Seeing the attention he had drawn, the blond winced.

"Change in tactics, Nami-san. I'll have to run."

"You'll have to run?" the navigator panicked. "But, what about me?!"

"If that's all right with you, miss."

At these words, Sanji elegantly toppled over the young woman in his arms before rushing towards the exit without looking back. Nami clung with all her strength to his neck to keep her balance and she closed her eyes when she heard shots whistling around her.

The cook had to make several sudden turns and he would have gladly stopped to beat up these jerks if the safety of the navigator didn't take precedence above all for him. When he finally reached the main door, he preferred to fork and shattered the large canopy with a kick. In his momentum, they crossed the window and the cook softly landed among the broken glass on the park's grass, the navigator firmly secured in his arms.

While making sure they weren't wounded, the two friends soon noticed the rest of the crew had moved into the park and they were all busy fighting against the rest of their opponents. Sanji gazed at the scene and saw that all of his crewmates were focused on their task. He heard the sound of the flames that Franky was blowing, saw Ussop's balls crashing to the ground, spotted the cracking bones that Robin was twisting, the vengeful cry of Chopper, Brook's disconcerting remarks to one of his opponents but also the rustle of the fencer's blades which were cutting everything that passed within his reach as well as the sound of Luffy's fists raining down on his enemies. He then sighed in relief without being aware of it. They were all safe.

"Oh, Nami-san, Sanji-san!" the skeleton called out to them a few steps away.

"That's great, you're here!" Luffy shouted as he was throwing his huge fist at a group of men.

"How are you? Aren't you hurt?" Chopper yelled at them a little further.

"Everything is fine!" Nami replied, overjoyed.

"That's super cool!" Franky got enthused, using his submachine gun arm.

The navigator waved at Robin who was smiling at them while strangling another man at her feet. The young woman then jumped out of the cook's arms when Ussop threw her Clima-Tact and she prepared to fight in her turn.

Zoro had immediately seen the navigator and the cook when they had crossed the canopy and his heart had strangely contracted at that moment. He had also immediately noticed that the blond was heavily leaning on his wounded thigh without appearing to suffer, which was definitely reassuring. However, his sense of relief had only increased tenfold the danse macabre he had engaged in since their arrival. Bodies piling up around him were reassuring. He was still able to pulverize his enemies with a single sword stroke and he had found in this outlet a way to contain both his anger, disappointment but also his fear.

For a brief second, his eyes met the ones of the cook on him and he thought he was reading a silent question there, but the latter quickly turned to ward off an attack in his direction.

For his part, the swordsman straightened up to size up his next opponents and he had a wild grin at their approach. He launched himself in a whirling of blades and nothing could have diverted him from the pleasure he was taking in feeling the edge of his swords when they were sinking into his opponent if not the cry of horror the navigator suddenly shouted.

Suspending his moves, he suddenly raised his head and noticed she was staring at the cook's hand on her stomach. Incredulous, he then knew why the young woman seemed so frightened: Sanji's hand was dripping with blood on her ecru dress. This idiot had certainly tried to deflect a bullet intended for the young woman with his bare hands, he realized with dismay. The navigator had also understood since she was staring at him, desperate.

"Oh, no! No, Sanji-kun!"

The fencer saw the blond calmly repulse another guard who was rushing towards them and knock him out with a kick. He took the opportunity himself to repel a man in black who was trying to take advantage of his distraction then turned his attention again to the pair a little further. Nami couldn't take her eyes off the blood that was now dripping on the floor.

"S-Sanji-kun, I-I'm sorry", she stammered, trying to grab his hand.

"I'll be fine, Nami-san", he replied, pushing back a new guard with his knee.

"Of course not, look at your hand!" she got frightened. "Sanji, that's your hand!"

"Don't worry and go take shelter."

The young woman suddenly turned her back on him, her eyes filled with tears.

"Chopper, come quickly!"

Her cry for help instantly prompted the other members of the crew to turn in her direction and all shuddered when they saw the bloody hand of their cook who was still fighting relentlessly.

"Sanji!" the captain shouted. "Chopper, go on!"

He knocked out the line of men who were standing between the blond and the doctor and this one started running towards his friend.

A few steps away, Zoro was feeling the presence of his opponents again behind his back and he suddenly turned. His three swords easily tore the skin of five of them and blood spurted all around him. Bodies collapsed in a thud, adding to the others on the stained grass, and Zoro briefly wiped away the blood dripping from his blades to his hands.

The remaining guards looked at him in terror before stepping back, creating a void around the swordsman who was still coldly staring at them. Without emotion.

At first, I didn't want to cut this chapter during this scene but it was already longer than previous ones. So see you next week for this adventure's conclusion!