Rewritten!

AN: Happy New Year everyone, and welcome to year 2018!

Ten, no thirty long roses to Kitty(monkeydefartsalot) for returning back, and this time helping me with beta-reading this story! Jessica (Cloud-Ima) who helped me before, got too many things in school to do, and I don't want to stress her too much… I felt completely lost for a moment, but when I then dared to ask Kitty, she said 'Yes'…

Thank you so much, Kitty-chan!

-hugs you-

I owe you big ^o^

Taste of bittersweet Disaster

-A One Piece fan fiction

By Crystal Blue Fox

This feeling inside of me

Don't want to stop growing.

I'm hungry…

Hungry for blood…

Hungry for kill!

19. Chapter

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Black Omen

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Usopp woke with a start, feeling quite fuzzy as to why on earth he was sleeping out here in the open. Then it hit him, the impact of realisation making him jump to his feet and scan the ship area. The sun was already up, from the look of it, midday, meaning that the rest of the crew must already have woken and fully at work with their daily cores.

But the man in the cloak, where was he?

His eyes soon fell upon the unmoving body of Anna. Scrambling towards her, it was already clear that something was horrible off. Shaking her didn't help. Listening for her heartbeat, it at least told him that she still was alive, thank goodness. But why's she this unresponsive?

"GUYS! GUYS! SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH ANNA! CHOPPER?" He called, looking frightened around.

No reaction. He called again, higher, but no, not even an annoyed groan was to be heard, and, thinking about it, for being in the middle of the day, there was awfully quiet. Luffy would normally be rampaging somewhere at the ship, annoying someone who'd yell at him or even kick him out of the kitchen, even Nicki had adapted that habit from Sanji.

But no, the silence was so vibrant, that you even could hear the creaking hull and the sigh of the ocean, even the sea was behaving today. Had he ended in some kind of a waking nightmare? Would zombies suddenly jump forth and kill him? Monster? Or maybe vampires? No, vampires kept to the night-time, not out into the blasting sunlight.

His braveness already took a leap to the bottom of his stomach, as he searched the upper deck; no one there. But an island was approaching them rather quickly, or more so, they were approaching the island rather quickly, if soon nothing was done, they'd crash right into its shores. Usopp hurried to release the anchor, with this distance and speed, might hit the coast in less than half an hour, that'll mean that it shouldn't be too deep either to toss the anchor.

Making sure that they wouldn't draft anywhere further, he ran off again, calling for anyone to response him. Crossing the deck, it creeped him out to be alone in the open, that he almost flew up the stairs to in hide quick. The doors to the kitchen burst open, but no one was there either, there wasn't even the familiar scent of food, that normally hang in the air long after food had been prepared.

Slamming the door open into the infirmary though, an immediate horrible stink violated his nose, scratching the inside of his nostrils like bleached sandpaper. Coughing, it almost provoked last night's dinner up, but even so he forced it down and scanned the small room, hand covering his mouth. A thick purple candle burned slowly at the table, something he hadn't seen before, sickening smoke raised from it. Sheets were pulled from the bed and onto the floor, things had been torn down from the shelves and laid spread all around Zoro's bleeding body.

Usopp almost recoiled at the sight, making second thoughts before calling the man's name. What the heck had happened here?!

Coughing, he took one last deep breath, before entering the room, blew the candle, jumped over the swordsman's still body and kicked the door open out to fresh air, making sure that none of the doors would smack close on him.

Grabbing the older teen's arms, he pulled him out of the room, almost gagging at the gas-like-smoke produced by the candle, feeling the rather dazed. What was it? Some kind of strong sleeping-gas? He shook his head and pulled the teen further away from the infirmary.

"Hey, Zoro? Zoro! You hear me?" He shook him rather roughly, but only reserved an annoyed grunt.

"What is going on, Usopp?" The sharpshooter turned to face a rather tired-looking brunette coming towards him. She raised a brow. "What happened with him?"

"Anna! You're awake!" he said rather enthusiastic and almost cried of happiness to see her waking form. "I don't know, but I guess that someone has gassed him with some kind of a sleeping gas, coming from this kind of weird-looking purple candle. But from that, no idea. Guess he in a fight. Can you fix him?"

Anna kneeled beside the unconscious swordsman, who was actually drenched in sweat, only now visible in the daylight. Also his breathing was rather rigid, no wonder, if going out from how much the shirt was drenched in blood. Honestly, it was a wonder how the man still could be alive, all those times he'd lost so much blood. She touched his temple and ripped the shirt fully apart, before quickly closing it again, before Usopp could get a look. "I can't heal the wound when looking like this."

"Is it that bad?" Usopp asked, wrenching his hands in concern. Anna didn't answer, but the grim look alone answered enough. Was that why she didn't want him to see?

"How long have we been out? It must've been days, since the wound is this infected, and causing such a high fever."

"Days? Are you sure? But we didn't inhale that candle smoke."

"No, that'd be impossible, since we both were outside, that's why, whomever did this, used this." She said, showing him two small darts. "I think it's some strong sedative, since we've been knocked out for so long. Anyway, we need Chopper. I'm a healer, a nurse assistant, not a doctor."

"Is it really that bad?" He asked again, and regretted the question immediately, since Anna nodded, and opened the torn shirt for him to see. Oh man, that was really bad! The wound was larger than expected, the infection thick with yellowish inflammation, and at the corners the flesh was already rotting, judging from the smell alone. How could he still be breathing, looking like this?

"He needs the proper medicine and treatment. Usopp, would you-"

"…ji…"

"Hm?"

Usopp stopped, already about to set off to get Chopper, as the name was repeated. Eyebrows furrowed and lips slowly moved, as the swordsman tried to form more words. Suddenly Anna's arm was grabbed hard, pulling her down towards him, causing her to yelp. Zoro opened his eyes and glared up at her. "He got… Sanji… and the others…"

"Who? Who got him 'and the others'? Zoro?" Even Usopp could see the grasp around her arm was growing weaker. This wasn't good, this wasn't good at all. Zoro swallowed thickly, forcing himself to stay awake.

"That… weird-looking… De - Demon Hunter," Anna slapped his face, as the swordsman almost drifted off.

"What. Happened?" she demanded. Zoro groaned.

"Fight… Curlbrow went hysterical, kicked his shitty ass, but didn't work. M'jumped in, to finish the work –shit!" He shut his eyes close and wrenched his body in pain again. "Fucking… wound!"

"What else happened?" she hurried him to say. The first mate looked tired up at her.

"Fuck-head used poison, that weakling. Sanji fell to the ground, u-unmoving, before my eyes, when I was down. Shut something at me… then at shi-coo… Damn ith…! Too worh…" Zoro closed his eyes and lost consciousness.

"Demon Hunter…?" She asked and looked at Usopp, shaking her head, eyes widened. "Oh god no, someone knows! Usopp-?"

"Got it!" he interrupted, sprinting as fast as he could to find their doctor, and the rest of the crew, of whomever still was left.

-TOBD- TOBD- TOBD—

Usopp took a deep breath as he stood before the door, knowing that if a sleeping-candle was used in the infirmary, it possible had been used in the men's quarters as well. And he was right. As soon as he opened the door, he was met by a thick, almost dark purple cloud that slammed right in his face almost causing him to stumble. Looking inside, he found the rest of the crew fast asleep in their hammocks. Luffy lying halfway on the floor, wasn't snoring as usual, that alone raised the alarm clocks. Finding the candle he almost tipped it over as he killed the flame, and soon after found the small doctor, fast asleep, crouched over some paperwork. Grabbing the small reindeer, he hurried out, feeling his oxygen close to slipping up.

As soon they were outside, he tried shaking the small doctor awake.

"Chopper? Hey, Chopper wake up! We need you!" No response. He furrowed his brows and slapped his face. "Damn it, Chopper! No time for sleeping now! Zoro's hurt! Hey!" The reindeer mumbled something in his sleep, before sinking his teeth into his hand. Usopp wailed, screeching at him to let go, using even his feet to push the reindeer off of him. Almost stumbling into a bucket of dirty old soap water, used to wash the deck days before, he got hold of the handle and emptied it over the growling reindeer, who immediately woke up, and released him. Flapping panicky with his arms, as though believing he was drowning, Chopper eventually got hold of his senses and looked blurry eyed up at Usopp, whom was inspecting his hand for any critic damage, luckily none found.

"Usopp?" He asked, yawning, and then looked up at the sky above them "It's already in the middle of the day? Whah!? I've overslept this long?!"

"Longer than that, and you're not the only one, we've slept for days." Usopp informed him, Chopper blinked at him, not believing his words.

"Days?"

"Yeah," Usopp answered, waving his hand in dismiss "But that's unimportant. Zoro's hurt pretty bad! He's been in a fight and the wound is disgustingly infected, I mean, seriously bad infected. I've never seen anything like that before."

"So that's him I can smell the rotting infected flesh from? Oh no, this isn't good. Where is he?" Usopp pointed off in the direction, still flexing his other hand to make sure that nothing fatal had happened to it. Chopper jumped to his hooves, and soon was at the man's side, before Usopp even could get halfway there. "We need to get him to the infirmary, quickly!" he ordered, already checked the man up for all the signs, knowing what to do, but Anna shock her head.

"We can't, the infirmary is still affected from the gas, if we inhale too much, we'll end of snoring our only opportunity to safe him, because who knows when we'll wake up again!" Anna informed, as the small doctor already was up on his hooves again.

"I know, I can smell it, but I have to get the equipment! Anna, please help me?" Nodding, Chopper instead referred to the sharpshooter. "Usopp, get the others out, I don't know how much that sedative can hurt our systems," Nodding, Usopp jumped back down, registering that the air wasn't as heavy as before, and grabbed hold of the nearest person, pulling him out. Brook was the lightest, so it was no big deal. Franky being the heaviest, he needed the captain's help to get him out, but getting the captain out, was a whole other level of a problem. Damn rubberman kept holding his feet around the table legs and exclaiming that it was his meat, and no one else's! Honestly. Did that person think of anything else but food?

He had to beat him awake after throwing water in their faces. Brook woke up rather quickly, looking bewildered around, and as Usopp threw the next bucket onto their captain, he ordered the skeleton to go get the girls out of their rooms, fast, and oh, don't inhale the smoke from the candle, unlit it. Not knowing what was going on, Brook did so without further questioning. At the second bucket, the captain finally awoke, looking rather displeased at being woken in the middle of a banquet of free food.

"Why did you do that? I was sleeping so good~!" the captain whined and pouted.

"Damn it, Luffy! There's no time for sleep right now! Zoro is-" Usopp was interrupted by a loud scream, emitting from the infirmary, no doubt about of whom it belonged to. Luffy was already on his feet, darting towards the source of the screams.

"Luffy, wait!" But it was of no help. Luffy was already on top of the stairs and froze at once. As Usopp came up to him, he knew why.

Before them lay their first mate, with a wide-open wound in his chest, crossing right over his older scar. Infection was already eating at his body. Luffy almost stumbled as he reached for him, but thought better of it and let his arm fall back down, he knew it would do no one good if they interrupted Chopper's and Anna's work of cleaning the horrible reeking wound.

"Zoro…?" Luffy blinked in disbelieve, as Chopper began to cut off the rotten flesh, which made the swordsman clench his teeth together in pain, as he needed to cut into the fresh flesh. As he was done, Chopper nodded to Anna, who then clapped her hands and rubbed them to get a friction. Concentrating hard. They could see the inhuman warmth emitting from her palms, as she opened them, and turned them over towards the open wound. The light got stronger, and then it finally started to close up the wound. Zoro was screaming again, even though he tried his best not to, but even he had limits. He tried even to move away from the burning heat, fingers clenching in the sheets until knuckle white, therefore, in his human form, Chopper had to hold him still.

"What happened here?" the captain asked, none answering, too busy with their jobs "What happened here?" he asked again, growing ever so impatient, and was now looking at Usopp with a heated stare. Usopp didn't know what to say, fully taken aback by the captain's features, and seriously thought that he would loose it, as he this time yelled angrily: "What happened here?! ANSWER ME!"

Chopper froze and looked terrified back at his captain, still not used to this side of him, none of them where, but who would blame him, from all what had happened lately?

Zoro groaned, apparently feeling the responsibility to answer. "I, I failed –hngh-, captain!" Luffy's eyes flickered down to his swordsman, who looked tiredly back at him. "Fuck, woman! It hurts!"

"I know, but please bear over with it a little bit longer," She apologized, chewing her lip in concentration.

"What do you mean?" Luffy asked, realizing as well that someone else was missing, as Robin woke up on the deck, being pulled out from the girls' room by the skeleton, and now was tumbling the heavy shipwright out of the boys' bunkroom, using the power of her hana hana no mi. Where was...? "Zoro…" Luffy asked again, waiting until the swordsman looked at him again, Usopp took a step back, as the rising anger practically emanated from the raven, along a growing fear, those two mixed together never bode well. "Where's Nami and Sanji?"

-TOBD- TOBD- TOBD—

"LET THE DAMN HELL GO OF ME, YOU FUCKING BRAIN LOOSE MOTHER FUCKING IDIOT!" Sanji roared and kicked wildly around, as he tried to get free from his ropes. Damn things were bound too tight around his wrists.

A black-haired man snickered before him, and tapped his fingers on one of the bars to the cell he was held in. "You should be glad that I want to keep you, Mr. Black Leg Sanji," He said in his disgusting sweet voice. Sanji grumbled at him. "There's a big prize on your head, but when I'm selling your friends, then I can move out from this shit-hole, and then I need a cook to serve me."

Sanji spat at him, hitting him right in between his eyes. "Like hell I would serve a creep like you!" he sneered. "You must have lost your brain or something, if you think something like that."

"Gheshesheshe! Now, you didn't think that I was asking you, didyou?" the man said and wiped the spit away. He looked at it in his hand and then dried it off in his pants. "I was ordering you! Aaand, if you won't listen to what I say, I might hurt your wonderful little girlfriend over there." He looked over at the red-haired hiding in the corner of the cell, and licked his lips. "It would be rather funny."

The blond ran towards the bars, but was stopped by the chains bolted to the stonewall behind them, restraining his kick from barely touching the bars, there shock lightly.

"You dare not to touch Nami-swan, you filthy little insect, or I'll freaking hell gonna brake that neck of yours!" He roared up. The bastard even dared snickering at his threat, bony hand hurried to grab his foot and pull it out between the bars. Sanji stumbled, but the chains held him from falling completely on the dirty floor.

"Sanji?!" Nami said horrified as the man pointed a gun at his ankle. The teen gritted his teeth.

'Shit!'

"You know what will happen if I pull the trigger?" The man said warningly. "You'll never be able to walk again, because your foot will be so damaged that amputation will be the only solution. Second; I could just throw you in with your two other friends… they must be pretty hungry by now. Gheshesheshe!"

"The hell you've done to them?" Sanji demanded, the shithead only snickering as he tossed his foot aside. "FUCKING ANSWER ME!" A gunshot rang past his ear, just as Nami squealed in fear. Sanji turned immediately, horrified, but the shot hit nothing but the stonewall, though pretty close to her head. Tears fell from her eyes, she was trembling in fear. The man with the gun smiled triumphantly at them.

"Looks like she was lucky, if she hadn't moved her head fast enough,"

"You're sick!"

"Ah-ah-ah! Watch it, Black Leg, I might hit her the next time." Sanji gritted his teeth, cursing this bastard far away. Damn shitty situations he kept stumbling into; Hunter, then the ex-marines and now this, apparent slave trader. Stepping in front of Nami-san, he glared at the man in front of them.

"I will never serve you, you damn fuck-head!"

"Now now, you can't protect her forever, now can you?"

"I will protect her, even if it should cost me my life!"

"No, Sanji! Stop it!" she begged him, as the gun now pointed at him. He didn't flinch, only deepening his glare. Not even as a bullet tore through his shoulder, did he do nothing but grit his teeth, though it hurt like hell. The offender only smiled satisfied.

"Seems like you mean it. What a shame, actually. Then I just have to - huh?" The stunned look, as Sanji managed to get a good kick in, crumbling the wall behind him, was priceless. As the chains fell, bolted into the crumbling wall, and the bars went as next, he could almost have laughed at the pig's fading colours. He couldn't even hit him, even standing this close, but as he pulled another smaller gun, it did hit though. Damn it! Hopefully not too fatal. Luckily, he wore all black today. Nami didn't have to know, not now though.

Nami came up beside him, just as he managed to get the pig in the dirt, and growled at him "Don't ever threaten a woman like that, before me again, or I'll fucking going to kill you, you damn shit-head! Got that?!" The man nodded hysterically and, it shouldn't wonder him, if he'd just pissed his pants. Weakling.

"Way to go, Sanji-kun!" Nami phrased, but her eager joy quickly faded, as she watched him closer. Something wasn't quite… right. Something was, felt… wrong. He felt dizzy for a moment and almost stumbled. "Sanji-kun, where did he hit you?" she now asked, sounding more than concerned.

"No-nowhere, Nami-san… nowhere important." he lied, as she began untying his arms. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breathe, and tried ignoring the growing dizziness. "Let's go before more rats shows up." He could see that she wasn't buying it, but said nothing and only followed him silently. Those beautiful calculating eyes never leaving him.

Clever lady, as always, though somehow it was starting to get the better of him, those searching eyes, that growing pain from the shot wounds, as they ran down the corridors, the constant dizziness, that persistent thrumming inside of his head, and then her constant annoying babbling about how she didn't like all of this, and that something was wrong and – wait, why was he thinking like that?

"Sanji-kun! Please stop, I'm scared! Sanji!" She grabbed his arm, and then something clicked, something… broke.

"Don't fucking touch me!" He spat, tearing his arm out of her hold, before Nami even could make to pull her hand away, staring horrified at him, as had he just smacked her over her face. Sanji groaned and grabbed his head as he swayed a little. "Oh god, I'm sorry, Nami-san. I don't know what went into me…" The redhead nodded in hesitant understanding.

"Sanji-kun, the bullet from back then, where did it -?"

"Come, let's hurry," he cut her off, grabbing her hand.

"Sanji-kun, where are we going?" she asked. "The others are in the opposite direction!" Sanji halted once more. Were they? Then why was something telling him to go this way? Why was everything inside of him itching, desperately needing to smell -

"Blood,"

"What?" Nami asked, just as baffled as he felt, "Sanji-kun, are you even listening to what I say?" Did she say anything else? He hadn't even noticed. He tried to shake the pressure growing inside of his skull. His nails scratching frustratingly in the fabric of his shirt. That feeling, that growing urge – what the heck was wrong with him? "Sanji, please, speak to me. Your silence scares me. Tell me what's on your mind."

"You don't wanna know." He almost choked out. He didn't wanna word them, it'll only make it all more –

"Test me!"

"No,"

"Sanji-kun, something's clearly off with you. I saw he pulled that other gun at you, what - "

"Please, Nami-san."

"Tell me!" So damn persistent. No, stop thinking like that about Nami-san.

"Blood," he repeated quietly, feeling it choking up inside of him. Without realising it, his hold of her hand tightened and their speed faltered. "I need… I have this strong urge for… blood… a need to…" he shook his head, tightening his grip in the fabric of his shirt, from where the need bloomed "to tear something apart." He could feel her stiffen. That pounding wouldn't stop."I need blood… to see it spill… tear something apart… I want… to… kill!"

"Sanji, Sanji stop it! It hurts! You're holding too tight." she cried, apparently tried to pull free, but he didn't register it, he didn't register much else but that skull breaking headache, that howling white noise, the growing need, the rising want to hurt, to tear something apart, or someone, to kill, to taste, to -

"SANJI-KUN!"

The sting from the slap to his face, pulled him immediately out of whatever trance he was about to fall into, the sound of the assault still echoing in the corridors. Sanji blinked surprised at her, hand already touching the glowing chin, with no doubt with a print of all of Nami-san's five fingers, her hand still looming threatening in the air, ready to strike him again.

What had he just, been thinking?

"Put yourself together, Sanji-kun! It's not like you to give in that easily!" she scolded him. "And if one hit isn't enough, I'll gladly hit you again to snap you out of it!" Sanji only blinked, before closing his eyes, looking away, ashamed.

"I'm sorry." he sighed. A hard pounding in his head almost made him tumble over in pain, that feeling almost choking him, swelling up in his throat. Shit! This wasn't good! This wasn't good at all!

"Look Sa-"

"Nami-san," he choked out, grabbing his hair now with both hands, it hurt, it hurt so freaking much to resist. He tried to breathe calmly, it only helped a minimum, but enough "as soon as you get the opportunity, run. Run as fast as you can."

"Sanji…?"

"I… I can't control it much longer… that need… these… horrible feelings!" His voice was cracking, he took a deep breath and ran his hands down his neck.

Deep breath, try resist.

Deep breath, stay calm.

Deep breath, kill the need.

Kill… kill to feel. Kill for need.

No, no, this wasn't good.

She was still standing there, still watching him with a worried look, he could sense it, almost, feel it.

His eyes were burning. Both of them, even the blind one. Tears welled up, only giving a temporary coolness to the burning heat in them.

Kill. Kill for need. Need the smell, the taste, the sight, the feel of it.

Of blood.

"Sanji-kun!" she said perplexed, stepping back, gasping. "Your eye, your eyes are turning red!"

And then that growing headache and howling noise. Need. Need to. No matter what, no matter who. No matter… who… eyes glancing in her direction. She looked so small, so fragile, so… easy to – no!

"Nami-san!" he gasped, almost getting drowned in his own words. "Run!" He couldn't hold it back any longer. "Run!"

Crying, shaking her head, holding to the wrist he undoubtedly had hurt, debating for a moment if she really should listen, before she turned on her heel, and, finally, ran.

Sanji let out a shivering breath he didn't even knew he had been holding, as he watched her, until she turned a corner and was finally gone. Gone from him and those growing maddening thoughts. He had spoken harsh to her, hurt her, even wanted to hurt her more… to kill her. Hands clenching, biting lips, he crouched down, sniffling, as he felt every bit of his person shatter, crumbling and disappear out of his mind's grasp.

'God, if you really are out there… somewhere, then please protect her!'

And then, he was gone.

-TOBD- TOBD- TOBD—

Nicki moved nervously in his cell, groaning irritably. Oliver watched him from his own cell, opposite his. Something was off with him, something was ticking the blond off, big time. "What is it, Nicki?" he asked worried. The blond wrenched his nose in disgust.

"Blood," he explained, "and it's nearing us fast."

"You think he…?"

"Yes he did," Oliver whimpered by the look in the blonds' eye, who's pupil suddenly turned big and dark… like a wolfs. "He gave him the Black Omen… as 'promised'… that bastard!" He clenched his hands harder around the bars and gritted his teeth.

"Nicki, you okay?" What a stupid question, obviously he wasn't. Nicki shook his head, his panting had increased, as if he'd been running at the same spot for hours.

"I can't, control it much longer. The smell… that smell, it makes me… want it! Damn it!" Oliver had seen it, before the man's own hands reached up into his hair, where his normal human ears had turned into some more animalistic furry ones. Wolf ears. Nicki grabbed tight hold of it, looking far from pleased by it. He hated it, he'd said so, especially when he couldn't control it, he'd said, and that often came when he became nervous. And that 'medicine' that demon hunter had given him, didn't make it any better.

And then, it wasn't to be stopped. Oliver gnawed nervously on his lip as he watched his friend slowly transform before him. Blond hair turning to fur, a bulge grew in the others pants, before the texture tore and a long beautiful, fluffy tail grew out. Nails turned into claws, brown eye turning darker than normal, canines began growing in his mouth. Nicki whimpered under the slow transformation, tears fell from his eye and his lip quivered in angst.

It hurt, it was clear as day that it hurt him, it always did, but in this agonizing slow process, it was torture, and it was a torture to watch. Whatever that medicine had been, it urged it to happen, and at the same time slowed down the process… Nicki didn't deserve this! Hadn't he endured enough torture in his life?

A choked sound erupted from the blond, whom slid to the floor, wheezing, as the next step in the process began. Blood heating up, as he'd told him once before, bones cracking agonizingly slow, that he could almost hear it from where he stood, changing forms, changing positions, popping out of their sockets, rearrange the whole skeleton.

Nicki screamed, as he undoubtedly tried to stop the process, with no success. Oliver cried. Normally such a transformation went fast, almost painless. When you got used to it, it felt almost as cracking joints in your whole body.

The doors opened, and three men entered their corridor. Locking the doors for safety, they all made their way to Nicki's cell, looking ever so pleased at the man, who was kneeling on the floor, holding onto the bars for dear life. He only spared them a short glance, before growling threateningly at them. But the men didn't seem to care, as the one of them unlocked the door, as the two others stood ready with their long Y-formed sticks, that they immediately, shot towards the blonds' neck, the second the door was opened, forcing the still transforming man against the wall.

"NICKI!?" Oliver roared and began shaking the bars, but was hit hard over his fingers by the key-man.

"Hush, demon," he said and gave him that too familiar disgusting look, a look they all got, he almost growled at him, apparently the man caught the sound of it, and already reached for his jacket"Or else I have to give you something to calm you down with." Now the animalistic growl was unstoppable, as he glared hateful at him. Would they all just perish in the flames of hell. how dare they think they were much better than them, just because they had been cursed by that place. The place of the returning nightmares, the place the government said to be hostelling criminals, low classed scums, changed to serve the people, to serve the country in wars and the kinds.

Liars. All liars.

They even kidnapped kids from the street to try out new formulas, new creations. Innocent people, innocent kids. Some, was even born at that place.

How dare those scums to treat them like this?

He hadn't even realised his own transformation, before nails turned to claws and shook the bars, as a growl came out, instead of harsh words. The man was already readying a gun with a needle inside of it.

"Come on!" one of the other men called, pressing the stick further against the blonds' throat. Damn. Had it just been some normal sticks, Nicki could easily had escaped that, but of course they used Silvary, some kind of metal silver they knew none-humanly 'creatures'couldn't break and weakened them. "We have to get it out before it changes fully. You know they want to see the midway transformation!"

It. They said it again. Nicki was a person, not an it! The blond was forced to stand, and follow with them. He threw a sad look at him, a look that made Oliver stop his sneering, and feel the human side of him return, none the less, he didn't stop trying to get the hell out from there.

He knew. They both knew what was going to happen now.

"Move it, you piece of shit!" the man to Nicki's left said, as he almost stumbled.

Oliver called, panicked. Called for him to keep control, to not let them get the better of him. To not let them get what they want.

The best way to sell someone like them, was to show their strength in an arena.

Oh God, poor Sanji!

-TOBD- TOBD- TOBD—

Nami was almost falling over her own feet as she ran towards the coast in search for the Thousand Sunny. To her luck she found it anchored a bit further down the beach, about twenty metres out on the sea, she quickened her pace and began calling to them, waving her arms and crying out loud. But there was no response. She slowed down and walked instead, looking longingly after the ship that was her home. With tears filling her eyes she roared out to the sea as loud as possible, calling each of their names.

If just… if just not something bad had happened to them.

Still, there was nothing but silence.

She took a deep breath, and tried again. "EVERYONE! SANJI'S IN TROUBLE! HE NEEDS HELP! PLEASE, HEAR ME! HE NEEDS HELP!"

Were they all…? Had anything bad happened to them, since no one answered?

Sniffling, she dried those constant tears away, and glanced around, trying to find something there could get her back onto the Sunny, when her eyes fell on the Mini Going Merry number two, pulled up on the coast. So they had entered land? Or at least one of them had, since there were only one set of footprints in the sand, but no one was around to be seen. With a last glance out on the Thousand Sunny, she started pushing it out in the waters. She had to know, she had to make sure what had happened out there.

Suddenly a hand was on her shoulder, Nami nearly jumped, and screamed. As she saw who it was, she could have embraced that man and kissed that messed haystack of black hair. She threw her arms around her captain and cried in relief and despair. Luffy laid his arms around her, patting her back in comfort. "What happened Nami?" he asked sternly. He pulled away to look at her, and then looked at her wrist, taking it in his hand, a dark frown was visible. "Who did this?"

"I-it's nothing, Luffy, don't worry about it." she lied, pulling her hand behind her back, as a grumbling sharpshooter at the same time came out of the woods, mumbling about making new policy about Luffy's catapulting. Leaf and small branches still sticking out of his tousled hair, even though he tried to get it all out. Luffy only snickered of Usopp's misfortune.

Then something hit her.

"Wait! If you catapulted over here from the ship, then who took the Mini Merry Go?"

The humour soon whisked away from the boyish captain, and was replaced with a frown.

"Zoro's gone." He said, gravely.

"What you mean about gone? Wait he went to this island, alone?!" As if they hadn't enough troubles already. "Why didn't you stop him?"

"He sneaked out," Usopp explained, finally managing to locate that last stubbles of branches and leaves. "I don't know if it's either impressive or insane that he could still walk after such a big wound, even though Anna managed to heal it, he's still running a high fever."

"He what?!"

"Nami." Luffy suddenly interrupted, looking serious at her, eyes darkening in the cast of the shadow from the strawhat. "Where's Sanji and the others?"

Oh god, how should she explain this?

-TOBD- TOBD- TOBD—

The announcing of the fighters "for sale" rung from the speakers as he was forced into the open arena, where another blond man already stood waiting. As his eye got accustomed to the blinding sharp lights, whispers and gasps running through the audience as they saw his half transformation, he finally could see more than the outline of the other person.

It was Sanji, the chef of the ship Thousand Sunny.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Look'a here, look'a here! Tonight we got a special sale running, tonight, you'll see one of demons from ORANGE," it was announced through the speakers"a breed from the wolf-line; Part human, part wolf, can go from fully to half transformation, as you can see here. Ladies and Gentlemen, let us introduce you for case 100915, named; NICKIIII BLAAAACK!"

"M'not, a demon," Nicki groaned, not at all pleased that even here, in this world, they were called demons. The Audience went berserk, more than excited to see what this case could show, going up against a Strawhat, a member from a pirate crew there were quite known in this world.

But Sanji himself, didn't seem to hear them, didn't even register them, nothing but… him. That eye, fully fixed at him with and ominous stare, it had turned red, far from its vibrant blue colour.

Just as he'd thought, the smell was heavy; he'd been injected by the black omen, those bastards.

A humorous low chuckle caught the attention of his sensitive sharp ears, as he was pushed forward by the guards, the sticks disappeared, just as the doors slammed shut behind him. He looked up at the man supposed to be his opponent. A butt from a cigarette was thrown to the side. Delicate hands moved into a chest pocket to pull out a small packet, only to get a new cigarette out, lightening it with expert ease. Thin lips sucked deeply on the burning stick, lungs breathing in the toxic, only to slowly breathe it lazily out.

Nicki's fingers itched, claws scratching at the inside of his furry palm, sharp teeth biting at the inside of his mouth. He could smell it, that sweet smell of blood. He gulped, his throat already felt dry, a growl was already forming in the pit of his guts, the hunger craving for him to act, that wolf instinct for hunting prey, kicking in hard. Damn it! He couldn't even stop himself from sniffing the air, sucking in that sweet smell into his lungs: the smell, like a cigarette for a chainsmoker on hold.

Blond strands were moved behind an ear, the rest left hanging, covering the left side of the face. The cigarette plucked out, as a tongue licked wet those dry lips. A pleased smile appearing on the pale.

"Sweet-and-Spicy Chicken Stir-Fry," the other said. Nicki raised a brow at him "Cookand stir the chicken in hot oil in large skillet on a high heat for 3 minutes. Then add somevegetables; red bell peppers, green bell peppers, baby carrots… and then garlic; cook and stir 5 to 6 minutes or until the chicken is lightly browned." The cigarette returned to the lips "Stir in the remaining ingredients;" he was moving, agonizing slow towards him, Nicki kept himself in ready for any sudden attack. "Add mushrooms, snow peas, a quart cup of dressing, two spoons of hoisin sauce and a quart teaspoon of crushed red pepper. Cook an additional 2 minutes or until the chicken is cooked thoroughly, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stirring occasionally. Tastes good served over hot cooked rice." The chef stopped and chuckled darkly as he removed the cigarette to blow out a large cloud of smoke again. He wasn't standing more than ten feet away from him. "I wonder how it would taste like with wolf meat? I heard it should be a delicate dish."

Nicki stood his ground, glaring back at the blond, tongue unconsciously dipping out to wet his lips. "Tell me," he asked, "have you always been this psychotic, or did you just hit your head really hard…Sanji?"

Sanji pulled a wicked smile around his burning cigarette, a smile that even sent chills down Nicki's back. "Guess you'll have to find out then. Now… dinner is served!"

To be continued

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AN: And after almost five weeks of waiting, I'll give you this, eh? Shishishi! Don't worry; the big fight will start in the next chapter. Take care everyone, and thanks for your patience! Love ya all! Until next time! ~^o^~

Owari