Chapter 19

Zoro didn't have a fitful night's sleep, if it was nighttime when he arrived here.

He kept thinking about the night that Luffy danced how it seemed sharp, like a shark when it strikes.

He really missed seeing the dances, and that dance was the first time he got to see it at that angle.

At that time, he hoped he got things settled, Crocodile will be locked up, and he will be able to really hold Luffy as a human being. But that was the kind of thinking Luffy would've thought up, and for that reason he was okay with, but it didn't help him in the situation he was in right now.

He didn't know when they were going to show him, or what he was supposed to do when they do. He could look threatening, so that it would be intimidating to buy him. He could swim around like a moron, but that would increase the chance of being bought. Maybe he could play the part of a human in a disguise to fool customers to think they're seeing a merman, or sharkman rather. So he was left with two options, act like a disguised human, or look too dangerous to buy. But for some reason he felt that acting like a human was going to be a huge no.

And, of course, at that moment he saw light from above him and saw a net go down on him. He tried to find a way to swim away, but found out that the net practically covered the area as a group of divers pushed it farther down on him, trapping him.

Soon a few were on top of him as another few got a hold of his tail and strapped something round his waist. He struggled and fought them off, but soon he heard a loud click and the divers were off of him. Then the net was off of him, getting some of the heavy weight off of him, and tried to swim up to get the divers or anyone who did that idea. But a tug on his waist stopped him and he looked down to see that there was some metal belt attached to a chain that went to the bottom of the tank. He tried to take the chain out of the chain out or break it, but soon found that the metal was steel and, therefore, impossible to get it out or break.

"Are you comfortable? Shark attack?"

He looked up to see that there was some underwater speaker with Crocodile's voice coming through. Of course, he didn't say anything as his response.

"It's just for precaution. We don't want you to start bashing against the walls or try to do anything funny."

He looked away from the speakers and just went down to the bottom of the tank, which the jets went on suddenly, forcing him away from the bottom of the tank.

"I'm sorry… we can't have you not visible for tonight's showing. You're the main attraction after all."

"Go rot in hell!" He shouted as the speakers were going up back towards the surface.

He hated this! He hated being here. He hated being treated like this. But what he hated the most is whether or not Luffy really is okay.

For all he knows Luffy could've died from blood going into the brain when he got hit like that. His family and friends might've been beaten to death. He hated not knowing what happened after he agreed to come with them.

He could only pull on the chains to keep his mind off of anything, only resulting to make his hands bleed from the continuous effort.

He hated being weak! This is why he was unable to protect the one he cared for! He was still no different from the child when he was found beached by the same person, who carried him to the cove without anyone noticing or being suspitious. He was still weak!

He didn't let up on his efforts, even when his hands were being strained and bruised from the effort he put in. He made himself feel numb to the obvious pain when he suddenly felt a little tired and slow.

He noticed then that the water was different and he tried to not 'breathe' anymore of it, but some of it was already was already in his system, and the labor just helped it along as he drifted off to a seditated sleep.

***

"That was close." Said a man as he watched his assistant take out a vile from a machine that was attached to the tank.

"It is." Crocodile said.

"It's not the first time some of our attractions get so reckless that they start decreasing in value. So I have come up with this idea to calm them down without them realizing until it's too late."

"It's quite a handy thing to have."

"Yes, it would be bad to have such a rare specimen like this, only to have it so damaged that it's… you know."

"Yes."

"How do you come across such a rarity?"

"I like to keep my sources to myself."

"Oh Crocodile! You cad!"

"Just make sure only the very rich come through those doors."

"Nothing less."

"Good…"

"Why are you such on edge, Sir Crocodile?"

He chuckled. "Maybe I just have a feeling that, someone would try to make sure to ruin this auction."

"Someone? As if they can possess such a rarity. Unless…" The man said before seeing the death hook near his throat.

"You better keep this to yourself, if you want to live to see tonight."

"Understood…" The man said as the hook was away from his throat and both left the tank alone, containing an unconscious sharkman.