Big thanks to LunaticV-chan for hanging on for so long and helping me with beta-reading so many chapters of this story.
Honestly! What should I ever have done without you? Thanks for making me mad back then… it was the beginning to a great friendship! *hugs you*
Disclaimer:
One Piece is owned by Eiichiro Oda-sensei. All the copyrights associated with One Piece belong to him. Only the ideas contained within this story and some of the characters are the property of the author. No profit is being earned by me, the writer, of this story.
Please enjoy! ~^o^~
Taste of bittersweet Disaster
-A One Piece fan fiction
By Pernille T. Boldemann
Alias
Crystal Blue Fox
How can you see into my eyes…
Like open doors?
How can you reach for me…
When I close my eyes for you?
Wake me up!
Hold me like never before,
I can't wake up,
So please don't give up!
Frozen inside, I see nothing
But the dark sides of myself and the life.
Safe me! Please call my name and save
Me from the nothing that I fear.
Bring me back inside,
Away from the coldness and hopelessness
That I feel.
Please hold me like never before.
I can't wake up, so please yell my name!
Scream it…!
29. Chapter
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
-Part 1-
Last Sentence before Sunrise
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Sanji's eyebrow twitched as he glared up at the man standing before him. He took a drag of a cigarette that he had got from the pack he had taken from the idiot -now lying unconscious on the floor behind him with a broken jaw- and blew out a large cloud of smoke. He almost hummed at the wonderful taste that he had missed so much; the nicotine always helped him to cool down a little. He removed his cigarette from between his lips and pointed it at the red haired man standing before him. It was the same man that he had been speaking with earlier, yesterday, the day before yesterday, hell, he didn't even know how long he had been here, but who the hell cared about that now? It was the one who he had 'chatted' with and smoked a cigarette with before he went on 'tiger-hunting', though it was the tiger that had caught him in the end.
"I'm only saying this once, shit-head, move or I'll kick your sorry ass into the next year!" by all good manners, they were still enemies… right?
The man smirked at him and pulled his shoulders. "Sorry kid, but I have to get you out of here,"
"Like hell you are, you bastard, I'm not leaving this place without the marimo! So forget it!"
"You know, this whole place will soon blow off, so you better with coming with us,"
Sanji took his cigarette back in between his teeth and smirked around it "Really? Then you just have to hurry up and move that shitty ass of yours so I can pass by, I have to get something my friend 'dropped' earlier!" the man chewed on that for a moment, and that was enough time for Sanji to jump up and send a kick his way, to his surprise, the man caught his foot with ease. "Oi! Let go of it, damn it!" he said as he tried to yank his foot back with no luck.
"Don't you think it's weird that Hunter let the door stay unlocked, and didn't even bother to either strap you down or place some guards outside your door?" The change in the man's voice made Sanji to look up into his scarred face. He thought fast and his visible eye widened at once.
"You don't think-"
"No, I 'don't think' it… I know it was a trap to get you out of there. Now, come here,"
"Like hell I will now!" The blond roared furiously. He jumped and sent him another kick, but changed his aim as he could see that the man was ready to grab that foot as well, and send it full force in between his legs instead. The man gasped and released his other foot at once and fell unconsciously to the floor; passed out at the sudden strong pain at a certain place.
Sanji left no time to check if he would come back up and go after him again –probably he wouldn't be able to walk straight the next few weeks with those smashed potatoes- and hurried back to where he had come from.
'Fuck! How come that I hadn't seen that? It was so fucking obvious that even a five-year-old could have seen that coming!' He speed up even more, ignoring the stinging pain in his arm and in his thigh where he also had a wound from where he had been shot, as he turned yet another corner. 'I have to get there! I have to get there before HE would get there!'
-TOBD- TOBD- TOBD—
Zoro didn't look up as the door opened and closed… not before he heard the lock getting turned around. 'Cook?' he thought, but then furrowed his brows 'No, it's not his steps,' He tilted his head just enough so he could see the intruder and furrowed his brows even more. Morrin stood at the door with something in his hands, smirking ever so brightly and mockingly. Zoro glared at him the best he could, but knew that the effect wasn't as strong, with him looking as weak as he did now. He was still panting, and his vision threatened to blur out at any moment.
"Tired, Zoro-kun?"
"…" Zoro didn't answer and just fought to keep his menacing glare at the psycho.
"Oh? Not in the speaking-mood, hmm? Well, and I even brought you something that I know that you would like to have." Still Zoro said nothing, but widened his eyes in surprise as he saw his three swords being tossed onto the bed, right beside him. He sat up just a little, biting the wince away as the movement hurt like a bitch, and looked down on them, not believing his eyes.
Then after a moment or two, after checking if it really was his swords and if they were all in good condition or not, he finally spoke "Why?" he asked and finally looked up at the man with a dark glare. Morrin smiled at the weak glare that was sent his way, and at the teen's pale but suspicious face. He ignored the question at first.
"Why do you keep on fighting?" he asked curiously, as he lifted his head and literally looked down at him. "There's no use, Zoro-kun!" he almost said in a whisper. Zoro watched his every step as Morrin stepped around the bed, but suddenly the man was gone. Zoro turned around as fast as his body and back allowed, hands on his newest sword and ready to pull it out for use… but the man was gone. Suddenly he froze as he felt two large strong arms sneak around his waist and a heavy head resting on his shoulder as he whispered into his ear. He felt a little stick to his neck, but didn't give it as much a thought. "No one wants a weak whore like you on their ship anymore."
"Let go of me!" wheezed the young swordsman back as he tried to get free. Hunter squeezed him just a little and Zoro gritted his teeth at the pain from the pressure on his wounded back.
"You can't even stand up and fight… you let so many things happen to your blond friend… they know it's all your fault,"
"It's not!" he tried once again to free himself, but without any use; Morrin was stronger than him in the given moment.
"You're just a burden to them,"
"I'm-"
"Really not? But… that was not what your captain told me just a moment ago… right, Monkey D. Luffy…?" Zoro stopped as he heard another pair of steps closing up on them. The weird thing was that these steps he knew all too well. He slowly looked up and was met with a dark glare from underneath a too familiar straw hat.
"L-Luffy…?"
Luffy crossed his arms and stopped about four feet away from the bed.
"Zoro,"
The spiteful voice alarmed him. Luffy never spoke to anybody in his crew like that, other than to those villains he was about to kick their asses on. He tilted his head just a bit more, and the light coming from the lamp hanging from the ceiling gave his dark eyes a dangerous gleam… a hateful look…!
-TOBD- TOBD- TOBD—
Sanji moved as fast as he could as he sprinted down the corridors. He panted as he ran, almost fell as he skidded around a corner, and then hurried off in high speed again. "Damn it, how far did I even go? Shit! I can't find it!" his heart beat faster, his pulse was high and for some weird way he was getting dizzy. "Shit shit shit shit shit!" He turned yet another corner; if he wouldn't calm down just a little he would never be able to find that damn door in his stressed state.
His heart suddenly gave one hard painful beat. Ba-BOUM! "Urgh!" he grabbed his shirt and stumbled into the nearest wall. He slid down along it and crouched down as he pressed his hands harder against his chest. He felt dizzier than before. His lungs burned as he took a sharp intake of air. His hands started to shake as he felt a prickling sensation spread around inside of him, coming from his heart. "Shit!" he cursed, his voice hoarse, and knocked his head back into the wall while panting. "Take it easy, Sanji, stop freaking out." He told himself. Yet again Chopper's warning from back when he got the pills came back to him… if he didn't take it easy –his one hand reached automatically into his pants pocket- then his heart would not… -he shook his head, biting his lips furiously at the thought. Then as his hand felt nothing in his pocket, it suddenly remembered that there was no glass with pills since it had been smashed to the floor earlier and probably been tossed out along with the pills. He clenched his fist and with a loud groan he hammered it down on the floor. Fuck! He did not need this shit right now.
He closed his eyes, tried to calm himself by taking slow breath of air, though it helped a little, it wasn't enough… but he didn't have time for that. He pushed himself off from the floor and –stumbling a little in the beginning- was about to run off again… until his eyes landed on something familiar. A statue.
"I've been this way before," he realised, and then stopped up and looked up at the number of the door he stood right in front of. "308," he looked further down the corridor, the way he had come from and frowned "I got too far." He moved slowly back from where he had come from "Damn it, but I didn't see 278 anywhere, I-" He halted as he saw the next sign where the number stood and quirked a brow "201? The hell?" He let out a frustrated loud growl as he speeded up and ran as fast as he could the way he had come from. "Fuck! When the hell did he switch the numbers out with each other? That fucker!" He knew the door he should find, damn hell he had passed it just a minute ago because there was a wrong number on it and made him doubt if it was that door or not.
A minute… a hell of shitty things could happen on one fucking minute!
-TOBD- TOBD- TOBD—
Zoro couldn't believe his eyes, he couldn't even believe his ears as he heard those words float out from his captain's mouth. He sat there, on his knees in the bed and stared dumfounded at his young captain, still trying to comprehend the words that just had been spat at him. Luffy's dark eyes never left him, never looked anywhere else, but kept that menacing stare at him, but he also could see the hurt feelings deep inside of them. Then that sad look came back to his eyes, and it almost hurt more than the hateful stare.
"I actually expected better of you, Zoro," he said, his voice low, almost a whisper by now "I honestly thought that I could trust you, and yet, here you are and let him-" he nodded his head at Doctor Morrin, who stood and smirked at them "-hurt Sanji so much. I thought that you promised me to take care of it! I thought that you said that you'd save him!" then that look came back into his eyes "But I was wrong about you, Zoro, all the time. You're nothing if this is you; letting your nakama getting hurt –didn't you say that you even loved him? Or… was it all just a lie?"
"Luffy, no, I-"
"You're nothing but a whore marimo," Zoro froze at the familiar voice and now saw the cook step out from behind Luffy, lit himself a cigarette, and then when his gaze landed on him, he felt like he was going to be frozen to death by that cold stare "To love a whore? Tch! I wouldn't even accept such a thing as my first mate!"
Zoro was speechless; why didn't he say anything? Why didn't he defend himself, why-?
"Then it's settled then, right captain?" Nami now stepped forward from behind the raven as well, stepping up to his other side, giving the swordsman that same menacing look.
Luffy sighed and finally dropped his head, "I'm afraid it is,"
"I will step forward as the new first mate," she said with an exultant smile.
"What? 'The new'-?"
"We don't need something like you, marimo. Tch! Fucker been playing with me all the time, making me believe that I was something, 'loved', making my mind getting all confused… and then this is what I get!"
"Cook, you know it's not true! I-" Sanji's cold, menacing stare stopped him –why was he suddenly shivering so much?
"As if I ever would be with a man to begin with and yet alone with you? Don't make me laugh, marimo! And all that other stuff? It was you who pushed all the time! You used me! I never wanted it to begin with, you bloody faggot!"
Zoro stopped breathing for a moment, his head hurt, his heart broke and splintered. But he was right… right? He had pushed him? Sanji didn't wanted him to begin with, but he pushed him, forced him into… this, whatever you would call it. Zoro looked down, he didn't listen to the flood of words that came now, he didn't have to listen, cause his breaking heart already understood the words which were thrown at him.
He had used Sanji…
…Sanji didn't love him to begin with…
…Sanji hated him…
Suddenly he felt lost… why didn't he fight back? He normally would do that, right? Not just sit there and take it all, but what could he answer on? What could he say? Their accusations where right… he was nothing than a dirty faggot who… did Sanji just now say something about him raping the blond? Did he really do that? Did he… oh god, he had? Hadn't he?
"Such trash as you, a faggot," the words were literally spit out of Nami's mouth like venom.
"Doesn't deserve to live!" He was surprised about to hear Luffy end that sentence, but his thoughts was such a big mess, that he didn't react on them, his mind had went all blank, and he just stared empty out before him. Until something black covered his vision. Zoro dared to look up, and met Sanji's almost pitiful look as the blond crouched down to come into eyelevel with him.
"You know how to use a sword, right?"
Zoro widened his eyes as it finally dwelled on him what nonsense they all had been speaking about. He felt his heart race as Sanji unsheathed Wado Ichimonji and placed her in his trembling hand. Zoro looked down at his sword… no, Kuina's sword…!
Sanji's smile around his cigarette widened. "You know what to do, marimo!" it wasn't a question, but more like an order. Zoro looked heartbroken at his ex-lover. Why?
"It's a captain's order…!" Said Luffy from behind the blond, arms crossed as he stared down at the swordsman with his dark eyes. Nami almost looked like she enjoyed this. And Sanji… Sanji's smirk only grew even wider, as he felt his hand act on its own. He panted, he could feel his hand trembling, and therefore grabbed the hilt with his other hand to steady the sword. He moved it up, halting for a moment as he felt the grief, the sorrow almost collecting in his throat and choking him.
What was he doing? But… they didn't need him… something like him! He couldn't stop his hands, even if he wanted to, he couldn't stop thinking on anything else, other than to pierce the blade of Kuina's white sword right through his heart.
Here would the life of the Pirate Hunter –now pirate-, Roronoa Zoro, the one who dreamed about to become the best swordsman in the world, end; in a bed, half naked and as a bloody faggot-whore; Morrin's toy!
Sanji's smile almost split his face into two as the sword was raised high enough so the tip of it only was an inch from the swordsman's heart. "Do it…!" he whispered, before he disappeared into a thin cloud of smoke, together with both Luffy and Nami, leaving a menacing laugher to ring in the swordsman's ears, as a door was slammed open, going right through them. Zoro didn't see this, he ignored it and with a deep sigh he moved the sword just a bit further up, his heart racing so much that it even hurt. He ignored the loud scream, or rather; he didn't hear it. He closed his eyes… and stabbed!
-TOBD- TOBD- TOBD—
Sanji slammed the door open as he finally had found the door, and paled in the doorway as he took in what was about to happen in the room; Zoro had raised his white precious sword and was about to let it run through his chest. His eyes were closed, his brows relaxed and his lips a thin line on his face, as he kneeled on the bed.
Hunter roared of laugher, laughed at the perplexed look on the blonds' face.
"BWAHAHA! I told you that I would let you see Roronoa die before your eyes! Heart and mind broken! BWAHA!" Oh, this was just so wonderful to look at.
"ZORO! DON'T!" the blond roared in horror as the swordsman's hands stopped right above his green head, and then, to his horror and nightmare, he stabbed.
Time felt like it went all too slow, slow for him as he wanted to move as fast as he could towards the swordsman, fast for the swordsman, as Zoro's sword seemed to have a rocket-speed as it searched down to his heart. Oh god no! He would never make it in time! As he finally reached him, what felt like ages, and his foot came up, the tip already went through the skin, and as his naked heel touched the hands holding the sword's hilt, he didn't know how far the blade actually had went into him. Then time caught up with him again and he heard the sword clang loudly as it hit the wall and then clattered as it landed on the floor beside the enraged Hunter. Sanji panted as he stood over the swordsman, watching the new bleeding wound, that stretched from the place above the heart, crossing over the old long scar and towards the swordsman's right shoulder.
"Damn it, Zoro! What were you thinking?" he was more frustrated and scared, than anything else. Zoro pulled a weak smile, but didn't look up at him as he croaked out.
"Hmph! I thought that you didn't want me to live anymore, cook,"
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting, Marimo?"
"Thought that you didn't want to have such a whore, a faggot, who forced you to love someone, who's nothing worth it… who's someone else's toy…"
"Hey hey hey! Zoro! Damn it, snap out of it!" the blond said as he grabbed the teen's shoulders and shook him. Zoro groaned by the movement, and Sanji stopped and only held tight onto his shoulders, as he tried to get in eye contact with the other. But Zoro's dull, soulless eyes kept staring down, down at the sword between them.
The swordsman leaned forward, stretching his right hand out to grab the black sword Sandai Kitetsu; it already sang with anticipation just as his fingertips brushed over it. It wanted blood! His blood, or someone else's blood, it didn't care.
Sanji saw the motion as his lover and friend, with that same empty stare, reached out for his newest sword. "Stop it!" he said and grabbed the sword before the swordsman did. The sword almost howled this time, and this time even Sanji could hear it; it was angry at him, and he let go of it as had it just burned his fingers. Kitetsu clattered as it hit the floor. But Zoro only motioned to his last sword. Gritting his teeth, Sanji pushed Zoro away so he landed on his back onto the soft cushions in the bed. "STOP IT, I said!" He was angry, he was furious and his heart ached even more as he saw the one he loved so much looking like this; lost, not caring about a shit anymore. That wasn't Zoro, this isn't Zoro god damn it!
"…but you said… and Luffy said; 'captain's orders'… you said, that I-"
"Bullshit! Where the hell do you get such kind of stupid thoughts fro-" He clenched his trembling hands, as realisation hit him hard. He furrowed his brows and glared up at Hunter, who just stood there at the other side of the room and smirked at him. "The hell you've done to him this time, you fucker?" he asked through clenched teeth.
"Nothing more than I've promised you, little Sanji," he snickered, this was apparently fun to him... sick bastard.
"Change that," he said short, as he now moved around the bed –he threw a brief look at Zoro, but he just lay there, like a soulless doll that just had been tossed to the side. He growled at this and glared even meaner at the man now standing before him.
"Hell no, kid. This is much more fun!" He laughed, drinking in the sight of the ever crumbling swordsman on the bed, and the ever boiling cook, who was taking slow, dangerous steps towards him. It was funny how this blond could suddenly change as soon as the young swordsman came into the picture. How much strength it gave him; therefore if he destroyed the source to this young man's power, Sanji would crumble into what he once were the last time he had 'the honour' of having him 'on visit'... oh~, he couldn't wait to see that fire in that blue eye to went out, to see that lost look back into it, to see it pale again, and widen whenever he made too fast a move around him... but seeing the swordsman going that way now, humoured him to no end... and it enraged the blond only even more by now.
"The fuck are you smiling at, you sick son of a bitch?" the blond wheezed around his cigarette, which was almost bit right through.
"I'm thinking at how destroyed and lost you'll look, the moment your so called boyfriend herekill himself," Sanji sneered.
"Like hell I'll ever let that happen!" And then, as the ash from the cigarette fell off and hit the floor, he attacked! "CHANGE HIM BACK!"
Hunter moved easily to the side, and even had the guts to laugh at the blond and his pathetic attacks, as feet flew furiously in the air, always almost too close to hit him. But he was faster than the blond, and stronger! He grabbed his leg and swung him across the room, making a crate in the wall as he hit it.
"Sanji," Zoro whispered weakly, as he watched the blond stood up at once and attack again.
"You're too weak, Sanji. Just forget it and give up! Roronoa is a dead man no matter what you do!" Hunter said as he dodged under another kick, and pushed the foot away. Sanji went down onto his hands, bend his arms a little and then pushed himself up into the air, to make a beautiful round-house-kick in midair, hitting once underneath the shitty freak's chin. He heard something crack and smirked just a little around his smoke.
"Like hell I will, you damn son of a bitch! Zoro won't die! And fight back you bloody freak! FIGHT!"
"Hehe! You want me to fight?" Hunter positioned himself, and from the bed Zoro could see that Morrin had found an opening from the blond.
"Sanji! WATCH OUT! Your LEFT!"
"Huh?"
"I'll give you your life's worst fight!"
"NO!" Zoro cursed his too slow brain, which just wanted to give up and lay down, to wait for whatever that was to come. 'Stop thinking like that, Roronoa!'
Hunter's left arm slammed into Sanji's ribcage, breaking at least three of them, and sent the blond flying through the wall, right into the next room... and then into the next room as well.
"SANJI! Cursed legs! MOVE!"
"Stop there, Zoro!" at the mention of his name, the swordsman looked up at once, to see Luffy stand right beside him, looking down at him with those dark eyes of his.
"Luffy?"
"What did I tell you, Zoro? You're not one of us, anymore," A black wind suddenly stormed in through the hole in the wall, past Zoro and attacked Hunter again. "You're not obeying a captain's order, now are you?"
"Sanji's in-"
"Forget him! You've hurt him enough!"
"I-"
"He doesn't want you anymore...!'
"ZORO! SNAP OUT OF IT AGAIN!" Sounded Sanji's enraged voice, as he flew through another wall, this time landing out in the corridor. "He's not there!" he couched as he stepped inside the room again. "Luffy's not there, you idiot! It's an illusion!"
"He's lying!" whispered Luffy. "Else he wouldn't be able to hear me!"
"Zoro do-OUGH!" a kick hit him right in his stomach, while a fist connected to his head. Hunter was strong, he used any opportunity to attack... but the fucker was also a cheater!
Zoro looked at the blond, who looked like he was about to lose this fight soon. Morrin caught him underneath his one foot and stamped the other one full force down on his head. But Sanji was faster and, on a inhumanly flexible way, his body bent straight over, so his legs literally touched his nose before Morrin's foot was even halfway there, and send the both of them up, kicking Morrin with full force under his jaw, making him stumble back into a wall. Sanji threw himself up again, and attacked right after, using Morrin's few seconds of hesitation to attack wildly at him.
"Zoro...!" Zoro looked back at Luffy, and then shook his head.
"No, you're not my captain... you're not him!" He said as his brain finally put the pieces together; Sanji never heard Luffy speak, he heard him speak Luffy's name, that was how he knew who he 'saw'. He nodded and waved his arm out at his so called 'captain' "You're nothing but an illusion!" With a growl, the illusion of Luffy disappeared into a cloud of dust and was gone. Zoro crawled over the bed to reach after Kitetsu, and unsheathed him. The blade sang with anticipation as he weighed the sword in his hand. "I have to do it," he murmured to himself and looked up to watch the noisy fight. 'I only got one chance… I can't ruin it…!'
Sanji got another kick in, hitting the fucker right under his jaw, then the shoulder, the chest, kidney and then right in the stomach. Hunter staggered, was close to fall, and Sanji didn't hesitate and crouched down and made a low circle-kick to sweep his feet away. He rocketed up again and bore his heel down into his face.
"Damn, fucker, stop, fucking, with, our, lives!" he said each word for each kick he served him. When Hunter laid all still Sanji paused to catch his breath. But he should never have stopped kicking him.
"Are you done now with your pathetic kicks, Sanji~?" Hunter snickered as he cracked an eye open to look up at him. Panting, Sanji gritted his teeth... and made the dirtiest trick in the world; he kicked him full force down at his balls.
Hunter made a pathetic, loud howling sound of a scream. Just hearing him actually being able to scream in pain satisfied Sanji dramatically. "Oh, sorry," he said with a smirk "I thought that was your head, but it's also hard to see the different of such a dick-head as you! Here, let me find the right spot!" He sent his right foot down towards the man's head, but the foot was caught and soon he was caught between the hard floor and Hunter looming over him, who sniggered.
"You wanna play dirty, kid?" Hunter croaked with a smirk, still holding the fighting teen's leg, and then searched his free hand down, grabbing a fistful of Sanji's dick. Sanji paled and snapped for some air "Then let's play dirty!"
"Ah-AAAARGH!" Sanji screamed and twisted in pain as Hunter squeezed his dick and balls in his large iron-fist. He panted and then screamed again as he moulded them in his hand and then dug his now tiger-nails, right through the teen's pants and pulled, making sure of that the sharp nails scraped at the blonds' warm flesh.
Sanji writhed in pain and tried to pull away as another scream erupted from his throat. Shit, it was stupid to believe that the idiot had been out cold already. Hunter's hand moulded him again and Sanji could barely take it anymore. He felt dizzy, stars even glittered around in his vision and he was aware that he was close to lose consciousness. His balls, his… they must have been all squeezed to unknowingness by now. He just as well could call himself a woman, cause there was definitely not much more 'down there', that indicated that he was something else… he was sure about it.
Hunter smirked, then snickered as the blonds' hands, that had constantly tried to pray his hand off, slowly went weak and soon stopped as they both slid down to each side of his hips. His blue eye went half open, but before he ever could give him the death-grip, he felt a sharp blade kiss his throat.
"I didn't know that you could be up so soon, Roronoa," he said, snickering, and then followed the blade with his eyes, all up to the bleeding hand holding it and up along the scarred chest to end up looking into two dark burning eyes.
"Touch him one more time, Morrin, and I'll cut your balls off!" he said, panting.
"Oh, you mean like this?" Morrin said and then gave the blond a sensual rub; Sanij moaned and writhed underneath him, and then blushed in embarrassment. Zoro held tighter around the hilt of his sword. "Or do you mean like this?" He squeezed so hard that an ear-piercing scream erupted from Sanji's raw throat; the blond was really close to pass out any moment now. The blade licking his throat now indicated on that he was pushing it. "Oh, so I can touch him gently, but not too hard, hmm?" The blade slid deeper through his skin.
"I warned you, you bloody psycho!"
"Ha! Hahaha! Look who's talking!" he humoured and then hissed as the blade came too deep; just a bit more and it would cut over his windpipe. Then suddenly the blade retreated to soon be replaced with a fist to his jaw. Morrin literally flew off the blond, who sighed in relief and tried to catch his breath, as Zoro attacked him again, slashing his sword out towards him. Morrin only avoided it by millimetres, but the blow to his face he didn't. A crack echoed in the room and Morrin looked shocked up at the young swordsman, who once again had got his famous gleam in his eyes; the gleam of a demon before it strikes to kill!
Morrin frowned.
"How can you, with so many wounds and a broken leg, still fight?"
Zoro pulled a little smile as he grabbed his second sword, Shuusui from the bed.
"Like that is ever to stop me!" and then attacked again. Morrin jumped to the side just in time, and then transformed into a tiger. They stood on each side of the room, glaring at one another, waiting for the other to make a move.
Sanji stood up, moaning as he rubbed his molested manly parts –if you even could call it manly parts anymore, his balls had more likely turned into smashed potatoes! Wincing, he looked at the two of them that both stood in an offensive position, man and tiger, swords vs. claws. 'How the hell can the marimo even stand with a leg that's broken?' then it hit him as he looked down at the swordsman's supposed to be broken leg; two sheaths were tied to his leg with some ripped white clothes –apparently the white sheet from the bed-, to stabilise it enough so he could rest on it... but he still didn't get how he could walk on it, yet alone run! He shook his head, apparently a typical marimo-thing.
Then suddenly both swordsman and tiger charged at one another. Claws hit steel, steel kissed fur and skin, teeth tasted flesh and more blood ran. Zoro was slower than normal, his footing was awkward and his stance was stiff; no wonder, a normal man would have been on the brink of death being in the state Zoro was in. Hunter's claws stroke the swordsman's arm again, but only making a superficial wound. Zoro slashed his sword out and coloured it with the tiger's blood.
Hunter growled in irritation as the young swordsman gave him that fucking smartass smile, and yet again attacked him. Zoro avoided the five deadly claws by twisting around himself and then came up with both of his swords, slashing them at the tiger, but the tiger was fast as well and avoided them with ease.
Sanji couldn't stop compare their fight with a deadly dance; the way they moved, the way their feet and paws moved together in synchronized steps, never one faster than the other. But as time dragged out, the slower Zoro got and the often the tiger got his hits and slashes in. Zoro was being driven tired, the swordsman panted and even sweated whenever he just took a step. His face paled and he looked like someone who was about to pass out at any moment. This couldn't keep on, Sanji knew this. Just a few more minutes and Zoro would literally be driven up against the wall… and killed…!
Then the danger came as Zoro's vision blurred and his consciousness slipped for only one second, enough to send him collapsing to the ground, enough for the tiger to get his finishing blow in. Fuck! He wouldn't be able to get away in time. Just as the long sharp claws was about to slash through him, something black came flying above him, and the next thing he knew, Morrin was gone as well. He blinked, gasped long deep breath of air as he saw a familiar back turned his way, standing in between him and his opponent.
"Oi, move it, cook," he said with a hoarse voice and coughed.
"Like hell, marimo," the blond chef replied and lit himself a new cigarette. "This is my fight too…" With that said, Sanji chased at the tiger, who bloody hell had the guts to smirk at him, showing all of its long sharp teeth in a long row. Hunter was getting slower, Sanji could see it; the tiger was getting tired. Good…! He kicked his toes lightly to the ground, sucked his smoke, flicking it to the side and attacked. Sanji charged at Hunter, but before he ran straight into the tiger, he jumped over the top of him; barely avoiding a large paw that slashed after him and aimed one leg directly towards the tiger. "Brochette!" Sanji dropped downwards while spinning like a drill to spear the psycho-kitten with his extended leg… just damn fucking hell that the shitty psycho-kitten was faster than him and moved away in time.
The smoke had barely lifted as the two, cook and tiger, charged at each other again. Looking from a longer distance you could see that the cook's moves was smoother than the tiger's… looking from Zoro's eyes, you knew that the cook was more than lucky to avoid the claws, though he was faster than the tired tiger.
Suddenly Zoro saw something black fly past him and crash into the wall behind him. He turned around to see Sanji stand up from the crumbles of the smouldering wall, stumbling as he did so, but Morrin didn't give him any chances to come again, and jumped at him, all sharp long claws out, ready to slash through the blond, who barely was standing straight as he came. 'Oh no you don't!' Zoro grabbed the tiger's leg, this stopped Morrin at once five feet away from the cook, who turned around to glare at the swordsman, growling warningly.
"NOW SANJI!" Zoro ordered.
Sanji didn't hesitate and with a nod he started spinning rapidly. His legs started to heat up so much that they turned red. He had never made a Diable Jampe without shoes before, but even though that his feet started to feel like they were about to burn themselves up, he kept on going until his legs got the right heated colour.
"Sanji, damn it! HURRY UP!" Zoro couldn't hold the tiger back much longer, as said creature fought to get free and used any dirty tricks it knew to kick back at him with its left free leg; scratching him over the face and chest whenever it hit. "COOK!" He had to let go, he had to stop the scratches before the claws succeeded in scratching one of his eyes out. He yanked hard in the tiger's leg, using his last powers to send it flying back through the walls behind it, on the other side of the room.
"Premier…" Hunter was angry now. Sanji knew that Zoro just had used one of his last strength to throw that giant tiger through those walls before them; therefore he had to succeed with this attack. A mistake now, would mean death for them both… he was sure that Hunter had got tired of them both, that he didn't want anything else other than their two dead bodies. "…Haché!" As Hunter charged back at them, angrier than ever, Sanji made a running jump and kicked with both legs into Hunter's stomach, just as the tiger made a jump at him as well, and then kicked in rapidly various times. First nothing special happened, then the heat took effect on the tiger as it increased his powerful kicks. Hunter roared in pain before he got the final hard kick that sent its heavy body flying through several walls of different rooms in that hotel. Sanji charged after him –he was far from done with him- jumped up in the air as he reached the room where the tiger was about to stand back up, span around in the air and served it a hard-blown Concassé.
But Hunter had made to change into his half tiger and half human-form and, unbelievable enough, grabbed his leg before it connected to his skull. Sanji growled in irritation. Hunter smirked at him and squeezed his leg. "Don't think that I'm that easy to get down,"
"Tch!" Sanji spat, and gave him an exultant smirk "Don't think that I'll," he let himself fall to the ground, landing on his hands "give up," he bend his free knee "that easily!" and kicked with full force underneath the tiger-man's jaw. Sanji didn't hesitate from the moment Hunter released his leg and attacked him again even as he was still falling, sending a burning leg into his stomach "Flanchet!" his collarbone "Tendron!" cheeks "Joue Shoot!" and then shot behind him and made a Longé, a sweeping kick to the tiger-man's back and send him flying up in the air. He jumped up after him –thankfully the ceiling in here was very high- and prepared for his final blow, now while his legs was still burning red. "Flam-"
Hunter grabbed his leg in time, looking pissedly up at him "Oh no you don't!" and then twisted it. Sanji screamed as the pain shot up through his leg and saw white colour his vision. Fuck it hurt! Hunter now smiled triumphantly at him and slashed his claws through his shirt and skin. Sanji bit his lips, took a deep breath –he couldn't lose concentration now… not now- and ripped his leg free from Hunter's hold. They were only two metres from the ground now so he had to act fast.
"Flambage…" he said through gritted teeth, angrier than ever, and kicked right in the middle of the fucker's torso "SHOT!" and send him crashing down into the ground with an explosive effect, flying through several of floors underneath them.
Sanji panted as he landed back on his feet, but collapsed as that put too much weight on his wounded leg. "Hah! F-fuck!" he cursed and grabbed the leg, growling inwardly. Fuck! How the hell would they now get out of here? And even now when there was supposed to be a-
He didn't manage to finish the thought before an explosion was heard on the south-side of the hotel, and then yet another one from the north-side, some floors underneath them. He cursed and banged his head down into the ground.
"Fuck! Have to, get out of here, damn it!" he growled to himself, panting as well and coughed, and tried to stand up again. He tested his leg a little, and surprisingly found that it wasn't broken at all, only got strongly distorted… but it still hurt like a bitch! Sanji tested it a bit more, getting a bit nauseous when leaning too long on it, but apparently he could walk, was just limping a little. "Not something to stop me," he said to himself and then went back to the room where he had left the swordsman. Just as he was about to crawl through the last hole in the wall and say something to the green-head, another explosion was heard from the room where he just had been fighting against Hunter. The pressure from the explosion was so strong that it sent him tumbling to the floor; almost send him rolling all the way to the swordsman, who looked surprised at him with surprise.
"You okay, cook?" He asked as said cook, coughing dramatically from the dusty air, got up on his hands and knees.
"No-ho –cough! Just got an air-trip from a bomb explosion, nothing spe-cough-special," he said sarcastically and then stood up, swaying a little. Zoro rolled his eyes at the answer.
"Not what I meant," He hesitated and chewed on his lips for a moment, like to chew a little on the words he wanted to say, "that scream earlier, what was –hey, you're limping…!"
"And dirty. Now stop with all those stupid questions and let's get the hell out of here! Who knows how many other explosions there'll be and where they'll be!" Sanji grabbed underneath the swordsman's arm, after collecting the marimo's three swords up, tied them together and carried them on his back, but Zoro didn't move to stand up. Sanji looked down at him. "Oi, we have to move now, ya know,"
"No," was the simple answer that he got, and only now he realised how pale and sick the swordsman looked like. His breathing was fast and unusual, and he was trembling and sweating. Automatically his hand moved to rest on the other teen's temple. It was warm and covered in cold sweat as well.
"You're having a fever," he stated, a bit worried. Then a thought of all the reasons for the fever the swordsman was getting crossed his mind. It was mostly because of those many wounds on his back, there must have gotten infected by all the filth and dirt around this place, and then all the other inner and more dangerously wounds. Zoro only shook his head, not to disagree or to get his hand away that lingered on his fevered skin a bit too long, but to clear his thoughts.
"You need- to go… I'll stay,"
"What? No!" The blond stated firmly and yanked him halfway up, this caused said swordsman to growl in pain. "Stop that, Marimo, and get your damn ass up! Now!" Zoro glared up at him now; his eyes dull, the fire inside of them weak.
"I'm serious about this. Get out of here while you have time to," another explosion was heard. Sanji looked at the direction where the sound came from and yet again the building was shaking underneath them. They did not have much more time indeed. He could hear the rumbling sound of fire somewhere in the near. If they didn't hurry up, they would either get blasted into pieces or burned into ashes. He gritted his teeth and growled at the options.
"Well, I'm damn hell serious about this as well, you-"
"Sanji…" the mention of his name being spoken with such seriousness make the blond halt in pulling the swordsman up and make him look down at him again. "I can no more," the swordsman panted "I've already pushed myself too much," Sanji looked at him, stunned, and then tried to force a smile.
"That the day should ever come where you would say such words yourself, I never had thought would be possible, marimo," at least these words brought forth a smile from the swordsman's lips and a low laughter rumbled through his too wounded chest.
"Well, hell, I didn't plan on saying that either, now-"
"But," the blond interrupted him "that doesn't mean that I'll leave one I love behind, when there's the possibility to safe us both… even if I have to carry you out through the flames!" He took a deep breath and before the swordsman could complain, the cook pulled him up into his arms and let him rest over his shoulder as he started moving slowly forward. Zoro moaned in pain, and then cursed for letting it out of his mouth. They moved slowly as Sanji ran down the corridors, mis-stepping every now and then.
-TOBD- TOBD- TOBD—
Another explosion was heard, waking Zoro from his little slumber, that he hadn't been aware of that he had dozed into. Everything was a blur. He blinked, rubbed his eyes to see clearer and then blinked again as his eyes only met red wherever he looked. The first thing he really registered was the ragged breathing coming from underneath him, and the many coughing every now and then. The next thing he registered was the vision shown before him the moment his eyes adjusted to its surroundings; fire! Wherever he looked there was either smoke or fire… fuck… the hotel was burning! Sanji coughed again, louder and more brutally this time and he finally realised that they weren't moving as fast as they had done before. He tried to move, wanting to get off… he would only slow him if the cook kept carrying him around like this.
"Sanji,"
"Just lay still," the blond said through gritted teeth as he, panting, sat another shaking foot in front of himself.
"Let go of me,"
"Like hell I will. Hnng!"
"You're wounded," the swordsman stated. Sanji ignored him "Hey!" he poked him on the back.
"So are you, shit-head, now lay still, you're heavy enough to begin with!"
"Then put me-"
"Say that again and I'll kick your ass when we get out of this place!" Sanji took a better hold around him, and tried to fasten his steps. His left knee hurt, it was already shaking even more than he liked it. 'Have to get out of here in time!' he thought, gritting his teeth. He barely could breath for all the smoke, as he stepped down the stairs, bringing them both further down into the heat where the fire was roaring. There wasn't a place that didn't burn; only the floor they walked on was clear from the fire's hungry flames. He heard Zoro cough as well, and felt another wound on the swordsman's back reopen and bleed through his fingers. Shit! If he didn't hurry up, either they would be flambéed or Zoro would die from his too many wounds. He himself didn't feel all good to begin with, but that was nothing to worry about, not compared to what Zoro must be suffering by now, no matter what a brave face he was trying to pull.
Then suddenly his racing heart gave another warning hurtful beat inside of his chest. It almost sent him to his knees, but he forced to move. 'Shit! Not now! Not now!' he cursed, angered at that his fear, that he had tried to suppress so much, finally broke through and took over all of his senses. The fear almost stopped him from moving, as the thought 'we gonna die!' kept on haunting his mind, while another thought tried to suppress it again and screamed 'Like hell we will!' He forced his tired body to move to its limits. He couldn't move much longer; his body screamed to get some rest, his mind wanting to shut down for a moment, wanting to forget everything and just rest, while his heart was dragging itself past its limits as well… it had already given him three painful warnings while he was carrying the swordsman through the burning corridors. Another drop of sweat broke from his neck, he swallowed hard… damn it was hot!
Zoro felt the jerk in the cook's body as he almost went to his knees. Something was off with him, and he didn't believe that it was the heat or the weariness there did that to him. No… something else was off. They didn't reach far as another jolt went through the blonds' body, and a scream erupted from him. "Sanji?" Zoro said panicked as he felt the blond finally collapse, dragging him with him down on top of the blond. "Oi!" He gritted his teeth as he was roughly pushed to the side by the cook, and was about to bark at him, until he saw what painful and horrified expression that washed over that else so beautiful face.
Sanji rolled over so he lay on his side and grabbed the fabric right above his heart, as he pulled his knees up to his chest. It hurt! It hurt so much, like he was being ripped apart from inside, but the worst thing was that he couldn't breathe! No matter what he did, it was like someone had grabbed around his lungs and kept them still. He gasped, inhaled the best he could… he could feel the poisoned air getting down into his lungs… but the lungs didn't want to work. Eyes wide as a soul-ripping pain went through his heart, and it just… stopped beating. There was nothing wrong with his lungs to begin with… it was his heart… his heart that suddenly stopped beating inside of his chest. It had finally reached its limits. It gave up… now, in a time like this!
He gasped, feet kicking, pushing in the ground, fingers scratching at his chest as he still gasped for air, and was attacked by countless painful cramps inside of his heart. He ripped the cloth away from his chest, buttons flying everywhere -but who the hell cared?- and scratched at his skin, like he could scratch a hole, dig into his own chest, open it up and grab his heart, push it, squeeze it, do anything to force it to beat again. He opened his mouth, but no words came out other than a choked wheezing gasp. His eyes darted up to see the swordsman looking perplexed back down at him… he was above him… when did he come above him? His ears were ringing, he tried to speak, but nothing came out. Zoro mouthed something; like he was screaming something at him, but no sounds left it… he couldn't even hear the fire roaring around them anymore. It was only now that he realised that his hands no longer clasped and scratched at his chest, but lay weakly to each side of his hips; he tried to move them, lift them up, but nothing happened. He couldn't hear anything other than that howling sound drowning his whole being, he couldn't feel anything other than that sharp pain in his heart and the burning sensation in his lungs as his body jolted to the pain… he couldn't move other than his eyes, until they just stared up at the ceiling, vision soon being full by the swordsman's grey pale eyes… soon, he didn't even feel anything, soon, he didn't even moved anymore.
Was he… was he dead…?
To be continued
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AN: Oh my god! It's the last chapter *gasps* This one took me so long, because I wanted the ending to be as good as possible. But then 12.000 words turned into 15.000 of words, and thus turned into freaking 20.000 of words! And then the whole chapter ended with 20.427 words, so, to not bother you too much (a rather to torment you a little bit more *evil snicker*) I decided to break it up into two parts, like in the chapter 27, now you'll get the first part of this chapter, and a week or so later I'll post the last part.. IF you're nice enough to shower me with lots of reviews! *lmao* Love ya all!
~Pernille
Answers on reviews from chapter twenty-eight:
HappyMe-O: Sanji may have saved Zoro from Hunter.. but who is going to save Sanji from a foe that you can't fight against? *lol* yet another cliffhanger* XD I hope that you liked this one as well *pats shoulder* now now, don't rock back and forth like that all the time... else the big bad people in white will come and get you XD But don't worry, I'll protect you against them ^p^
Pervy Otaku: *smiles* Hunter got his beating… but that doesn't mean that he's dead… right? XD man, I'm such an evil author *devilish outburst of laugher* Who knows? Perhaps a certain person will be able to get a 'taste' of him..? XD
Saminagg: Hahahahaha! Ah, I get it! I get it… no… I don't get what you mean.
Zoro: *smacks Nille's head upside down* don't already sing: long live the idiots, idiot!
Nille: Huh?
Zoro: *sighs deeply* forget it *mumbles*moron*mumbles*
Nille: Hey! I heard that!
Zoro: *smirks* Congratz! Wanna have the words copied on a big poster? XD
Nille: *mumbles grumbles*
Themarimosheep: Aaaaaargh-! *BOOMP* …sorry folks, since Nille-chan have been pushed out from a cliff, she can no longer update any stories ever more… you can all thank MarimoSheep-chan for this XDD
Yosh! Just what I intended to do; to make Hunter become a hated person… and then even one of the most hated once?. *big psychotic smile* glad that to hear that! *hugs Sheep-chan for telling that it worked*
reodavle: Haha! Glad that I made you that happy *lol* hope that you enjoyed the chapter as well ^o^
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