Robin screamed as she was grabbed from behind. She clawed at the large, slender person holding her, screaming louder when flesh peeled off beneath her fingernails. A skeletal hand was forced over her mouth.

"Shhhhh… Miss…." Brook whispered. "You don't want to go that way…"

Robin relaxed when she realized it was Brook who had grabbed her, "I just came from the other way. D Foundation, zombies, and who the hell knows what else…"

"Where's the fancy fellow?" Brook asked lowly. Robin shook her head. Brook nodded in understanding, "That's too bad."

She licked her lips and steeled herself, "Where are the others?"

"I was with Miss Nami when they grabbed her," Brook admitted. "I ran off to warn the rest of you. They're definitely here for Luffy." There was gunfire down the hall. Brook clutched Robin's arm tightly, "We should get out of the open."

"We have to warn Luffy," Robin decided, turning and running down the hall.

"Hey! Stop!" A soldier shouted.

"I'll slow them down, Miss," Brook vowed, throwing his arms wide as if it would block her from view.

Another soldier almost rammed against her as he stepped into the hallway from another corridor. He seemed surprised to see her and wasn't prepared to catch or shoot her. Robin ignored the soldier and kept bolting down the hall. She didn't even try to stop herself from colliding with the wall. She grabbed the phone and pressed the intercom button, "Luffy! Run! The D Foundation is…"

Marco grabbed the phone from Robin, he made a face, as if he was remorseful, and then he spoke slowly into the receiver, "Hey, Luf. It's Marco."

Robin fought against the soldiers that grabbed hold of her. She twisted bravely, stomping down as hard as she could on their boots. She realized quickly that she couldn't inflict any damage through their heavy armor and she cursed, "Luffy! Zoro! If you can still hear me; GO!"

Marco looked at Robin with unblinking eyes before speaking again, "We've got some things to talk about." He paused, his large, round eyes closing, "Why don't you come downstairs and we can catch up."

Marco hung up the phone on the wall and turned around, his arms crossed over his chest. His face was expressionless and impassive. He ran a hand through his blonde undercut and sighed, "Get everyone in one place."

"What about him?" A soldier asked, hitching their thumb toward Brook.

Marco's light brows arched and he seemed genuinely surprised at the sight. He recovered quickly, looking bored as he questioned, "Does it hurt?"

Brook fidgeted slightly until he realized Marco was addressing him, "Not much anymore."

Marco nodded, "Cool. Take him too."

"Where are you taking us?" Robin demanded, resuming her struggle against the men holding her.

"A conference room," Marco answered, kicking off from the wall. "Let's not make this harder than it needs to be. You guys just behave real nice and I'll treat you good."

"Good like you treated Clay?!" Robin shot angrily. "Spare me your bullshit."

"I'm sorry about your friend," Marco said simply. "Let's move forward." He gestured with his hand and followed behind Brook and Robin as they were dragged down the hall.

It didn't take long for everyone to assemble in the conference room. Robin was hysterical once she saw Franky. She hung by her arms, her legs too weak to hold her up. She screamed his name, cursing every single D Foundation goon she could see.

"He's alive," Nami promised, moving to stand where the men had dropped Robin on the floor. She kneeled beside the older woman, her arm wrapping around her comfortingly. "He's alive, Robin."

"Where's Clay?" Usopp asked, looking around nervously. "And what about Sanji?" Usopp panicked, "Oh fuck! Sanji's not in here. We're gonna die. This is it! They're gonna kill us!"

"Relax, Long Nose," Marco sighed, perching on the table. "He'll be here in a minute. Take a seat. Someone get some bottled water. You guys thirsty? Hungry? What?"

"We could use a cup of not being murdered…" Usopp retorted.

"I'm trying to be nice," Marco replied. "Take it or leave it."

"Excuse me if I don't fall over myself at your generosity," Usopp snapped.

"Nah, don't fall over, I need you on your toes," Marco mumbled, almost too quietly to hear. Usopp almost made a smart reply but he lost his train of thought when Sanji walked in.

Sanji was shirtless again. His creamy skin was stained with dried blood. His trousers were torn and bloodied and he was missing a shoe. Sanji didn't seem to notice the others or even seem to register that he was being led into a room at gunpoint. He reached into his pant pocket with a shaky hand, searching for a cigarette.

"Sanji, oh my god," Nami gasped. "You're alive."

Sanji looked up then, looking for the source of the sound. He found Nami, his blue eyes unnaturally cloudy. He nodded and smiled, shoving a cigarette between his lips, "Good morning, beautiful."

"It's evening," Usopp replied, shaking his head.

Sanji shrugged, leaning over as a D Foundation soldier lit his cigarette for him, "Eh. She's still beautiful."

"Well, uh, agreed, but," Usopp insisted, "You don't look right and I was making sure you were aware, uh, that is was in fact not morning and these guys are not our friends…"

"Usopp, was it?" Marco murmured, pulling his cell phone from his pocket.

"Yeah, Usopp King of the-"

Marco shook his head, silencing him, "Nah. That's all I needed." Marco gestured to the others, "Names?"

"Nami."

"I'm Brook."

"I'm Chopper."

Marco made a face, "Not you asset, 12-25."

"That's Tony Chopper and I'm Robin," Robin interjected sternly, "And the half-dead guy is Franky."

Marco nodded, putting the phone up to his ear. He waited in silence a moment before speaking, "Yeah, Mr. D, it's me, Marco…" Marco stood up and began pacing. "We don't have him yet but soon. Yeah. No, really. This time for sure. I was calling because I'd like a bargaining chip…" Marco leaned against the wall. "Do I have room to make my own calls here?" Marco nodded, even if Doflamingo couldn't see him, and he breathed out, "Yeah. If I fuck up you can kill me." Marco laughed, it was a pleasant sound, "No, Mr. D, I don't think you need my permission for that…" Marco kept nodding until finally he spoke aloud again, "Thank you, Mr. D. I'll be sure to call as soon as we have LUF."

Marco ended the call and pushed his cell back into his pocket. He rolled his shoulders, popping his neck loudly before speaking, "I'm changing orders." Marco looked around at the D Foundation men, "In exchange for LUF's cooperation, I am prepared to let these guys go unharmed."

"Well I believe that," Sanji sighed, exhaling a cloud of smoke.

Marco looked Sanji up and down, "I was their keeper long before you could tie your own two shoes..." Sanji bristled but didn't have the strength to argue. Instead he sat down in one of the chairs, puffing on his cigarette like it was a lifeline. Marco sat back down on the table and closed his hooded eyes, "So safeties on. For real this time, assholes."

"Should we check on Ace and LAW?" one of the soldiers asked.

Marco opened his eyes slowly. He shrugged, "I haven't heard any screaming."

Ace and Law entered the room almost as soon as Marco finished speaking. They were both covered in blood and looked as if they'd been engaged in battle. Ace stood beside Marco his arms folded over his chest. Law resembled a starving coyote, the way he slinked into the room. He was pale and bloody, his eyes narrowed and suspicious.

"So you're Law," Robin murmured, looking the tall, thin man up and down.

Law looked at her but said nothing. He tugged on the strange metal hoop around his neck, as if it was choking him. Marco snapped loudly in his face, causing the younger man to blink unsurely. Law's mouth opened and a threatening hiss escaped.

Marco looked pissed. He grabbed a handful of Law's shirt and twisted, pulling Law and him face to face. Marco knocked his forehead against Law's, "You in there? Don't fucking space out now."

"You've got one more reset," Marco insisted, holding up his fingers as if to show Law he couldn't possibly lose it right now. "Get it together."

Law nodded, yanking free of Marco's grasp. Law straightened up and nodded again, "I'm fine."

Marco's eyes burned into Law's, "We good?"

"Good," Law said, wiping his face.

"It's taking him longer than I expected," Ace said, scratching at his head anxiously. The movement caught Usopp's eye and he realized the man was wounded, bleeding from the side of his head.

The room was silent for a moment before one of the soldiers suddenly asked, "Where is LAW's escort?"

Marco and Law exchanged looks. Marco sighed, "You noticed earlier than I thought you would."

"Noticed what?"

Law pulled out a revolver and clicked the magazine into the chamber. Before the soldiers could flip off their safeties, Marco and Ace pulled out their weapons, shooting rapidly into the huddled soldiers. The men collapsed into a pile, dead on the ground.

"That was noisy," Law pointed out, tossing Sanji his gun.

Sanji caught the gun, looking from Law to Marco to Ace in shock. Sanji struggled to form the words. Finally Law decided to be helpful, "There's no fucking way we're turning Luffy into the D Foundation."

"What's going on?" Usopp demanded, raising his rifle.

"Sounds like a rescue," Robin murmured, pulling Chopper closer to her.

"Don't get too excited," Marco said, "There are way too many fucking guns here."

"But you're not planning on killing us, right?" Nami asked hopefully.

"I am so fucking confused right now," Usopp panicked. "Dear, God, I just want to ask one small little-"

"This is Luffy," a voice cracked over the intercom system.

There was a pause before he continued, "I'm coming down to talk."

Another pause. "And when I get there," he breathed heavily, "If any of my friends are dead…"

Ace clicked his tongue and grinned, "Fuck he's gotten cocky."

"I will fucking kill all of you."