Silmeria - Thanks for being patient everyone. Enjoy the chapter.
Disclaimer - I claim no rights to One Piece or Sentinel.
Chapter Fifteen: The Guide of the Eternal Pose: Part Four
"Are you sure about this?" Zoro murmured, drawing Luffy to the side and out of Nami's expectant gaze. "I'm not sure that I trust her, Luffy. Is it me or do you think getting into this Padoga is too easily?"
Luffy took a moment, breathing in Zoro's scent and placed a hand on his friend's arm, drawing Zoro's attention to him and not Nami who was still staring but with more of a suspicious stare that sent a shiver down Luffy's spine.
"I know." Luffy murmured, tightening his grip on Zoro's arm and clenched his jaw. "I know that it's possible that this could be a trap and that Usopp could already be in the Padoga as a hostage." Luffy swallowed the lump in his throat at the thought. How long had Usopp been in that Padoga being tortured or worse? He had brought Usopp along so that the man could find himself and the courage to protect himself, his former villagers and current crewmates, but how could he do that if he placed in trust in someone who couldn't even keep track of him? Luffy felt despair claw at his throat at the thought of finding Usopp's dead body and he bit down a wounded whimper and stepped closer to a confused Zoro as a result who was quick to catch on and wrap an arm around Luffy's waist in comfort.
"You can't give up." Zoro murmured into Luffy's ears and pulled him closer, his own throat closing up at that idiot being dead. He wouldn't allow it to be true. Not when they were just getting to know one another. Not when they were just starting to becoming Nakama.
"Is everything alright?" Nami stepped closer, her expression guarded. "We're losing daylight."
"We're fine," Luffy spoke up, his throat still tight about Usopp. "Are you familiar with Arlong's Padoga? How would be the best way to get in?"
Nami stared at him, silent as she took in his tight shoulders and pale features. He was, without a doubt, worried about Usopp and Nami swallowed against the guilt that she felt at being responsible for Luffy's worry and eventual lack of concentration, but it would be for the best, would it not?
After all, such an unnatural Guide like Luffy didn't fit into the mold of the world. Not only didn't they fit, but they wouldn't survive the harsh world or the opinion the world held towards Guides and their status on the totem pole.
It would be better if Luffy didn't suffer.
"Yes," Nami responded, calming her racing heart against the devious plot her mind formatted. It wouldn't be long before her village was free and they no longer had to deal with Arlong's tyranny. "There's a back entrance and Usopp is in the dungeons."
"Guards?" Zoro pressed, his ears twitching, listening for the slightest hint that she was lying about the entrance. "What about the rotations? Traps? People we have to worry about other than Arlong?"
"No," Nami responded, being honest. "The majority of Arlong's group are pushovers and even I could take them down with the right motivation. As for rotations, it's every five hours and traps? None that we can't take care of while we try to find Usopp."
"None that we can't take care of?" Zoro repeated, raising an eyebrow at the vague response. "That's a hell of a vague answer."
"It's a hell of a response." Nami bit back, irritated about being questioned. Who was the one who knew about the damn Padoga? "We can take care of it."
"You-"
"Zoro." Luffy murmured, drawing his friend's attention back towards him. "We can take care of it. We will take care of it."
Zoro clenched his jaw, realizing that Luffy was right. They would take care of it. They would have no choice if they were to survive Arlong and his men. Zoro closed his eyes before nodding tightly, feeling a rush of gratitude against his shields from Luffy.
"Fine." Zoro relented. "Show us the way."
Nami gave them a full-toothed grin before holding a hand towards the direction of the Padoga.
"Right. This will be easy. You can count on me."
00000
As it turned out, it wasn't easy and they couldn't count on Nami. In fact, the traps weren't something that could be taken care of. Which explained the situation that they were in now.
It had been simple, at first. They had found the entrance which was hidden behind a pile of sharp rocks just above the crashing waves. It had been simple sneaking in but the moment they stepped down the first hall, Zoro, in his infinite trouble with direction and lack of awareness had stepped into a trap.
A trap that currently had him hanging upside down and blood rushing to his head.
"We'll get you down." Luffy soothed, pulling out the knife from his belt and handing it to Nami who gave him a wary look. "I'm going to have to lift you up." Luffy's cheeks flushed at his next words. "I'm...a bit too short to reach."
"Ah." Nami smothered her laughter and took the knife with an easier smile. Lifting her foot when Luffy bent down and cupped his hands. "Don't break your neck," she warned Zoro, swiftly cutting down the rope and wincing when he fell to the ground in a heap, cursing at Nami, the world and the floor at general, drawing a small, irritated huff from Luffy who allowed her down gently and gave her a small smile of gratitude.
"No gratitude?" Nami stared down at Zoro in a huff, gently kicking him in the ribs. "What a rude Sentinel."
"I thought you said that the traps were easy!" Zoro sat up, rubbing the back of his head and shooting Nami an irritated look. "What was that?"
"That? That was you falling for a sorry ass trap." Nami snorted and looked up at the ceiling as if asking the Sea Gods for patience before lowering her gaze back to Zoro who was staring at her with a blank expression that took her off guard. Huffing, she turned and proceeded down the hall, only slowing when she heard footsteps behind her.
"So." Luffy began quietly. "Do you have any idea where Usopp could be? You said he was in the dungeons, right? Where are those?"
Nami's frown tightened at the question. "The dungeons are on the basement floors. However, it's possible that he's on the third or fourth floor. Arlong's always on the highest floor and it wouldn't take him long to have access to him."
"Do you know if he's alive?" Zoro asked boldly, drawing a sharp from Luffy's throat that both ignored. It was, after all, best to prepare oneself for all eventualities. The last thing she wanted to see was Luffy cry. She didn't know why, but she couldn't stand to see her fellow Guides cry even if it was over the most insignificant thing in the world. Seeing a Guide cry was equivalent to a heart breaking into tiny little pieces.
"He should be alive, but I can't say the same for the state of his mind." Nami murmured. "Arlong...likes playing with people and he can make it as short or long as possible. I'm warning that Arlong hasn't been in the best of moods so I can't promise he's going to be the best physical condition when we find him."
"I see." Zoro shared a look with Luffy who had grown pale and withdrawn at the information. He wasn't surprised at the look. Luffy did blame himself for Usopp getting caught which was utterly ridiculous in Zoro's eyes. Usopp was responsible for himself and the fact that he got caught by a bunch of dirty pirates was all his fault, but then again, Zoro secretly blamed himself for Usopp getting caught. The kid was capable of taking care of himself, but he was still a novice at fighting and even navigating his way around the world. So, yes, Zoro held himself responsible for Usopp's well-being as did Luffy whose nurturing nature was taking over his logical thoughts at the moment.
"We should hurry." Luffy prompted, his hands twitching at the thought of Usopp suffering in any shape or form. He urged Nami with a small smile and they continued on towards the second floor earning a frown from Nami when she noticed that the second floor was empty. Usually, there would be guards or even one of the Arlong Pirates patrolling, but no one was there.
"I'm surprised we haven't found any guards," Zoro muttered, shooting Nami a suspicious look. "Are you sure you're aren't leading us into a trap? I mean, you are under his control."
"I'm not leading you anywhere you don't want to be, Zoro," Nami stated, her own brow furrowing at the sight of the empty second floor. These fools couldn't be so stupid as to leave an entire floor empty, would they? Unless he was on this floor? This was the recreational floor after all and the pool was here specifically for him.
"If the idiots left this floor unoccupied, then we don't have the time to explore it. I know a shortcut to the third floor." Nami turned on her heel and continued down a long way before stopping at a door. "Inside."
Nami pushed the door open, allowing Luffy and Zoro inside and earning a raised eyebrow from Luffy who saw a large pool inside the room and a simple door on the opposite side.
"I suppose I should have assumed that the Fishermen would have some type of water inside their base." Luffy stepped forward, careful to keep his feet away from the edge. He didn't question why they were going this way and he knew better to explicitly trust Nami with their safety, but what choice did they have? If they wanted to find Usopp then they-
"What was that?" Zoro whispered harshly, staring into the water as it bubbled and gurgled. He looked up just in time to see a tentacle reach out of the water and wrap around Luffy's leg and drag him towards the water and before he could draw his blade, Luffy was suddenly suspended in mid-air with a Fisherman - an Octopus.
"Luffy! Luffy!" Zoro took a step forward, stopping when the man pulled Luffy away, hovering him over the water. "Let him go! Now!"
"It's not a gift?" the Octopus Fisherman grumbled, turning his eyes towards Nami. "You didn't bring this for me, Nami? You know the boss likes gifts but you bring me a gift every once in a while, don't ya?"
"What...?" Zoro turned back to Nami who said nothing, merely staring at Luffy who was giving her shocked look before it shifted into an expression of disappointment and it forced Nami's heart to twist but she did what she had to. She had no obligation to these strangers.
"You wandered into a place in which you didn't belong." Nami began, taking a step back away from the scene before her, away from the disappointment in Luffy's gaze. "You should know better than to trust a stranger. It'll get you killed, after all."
"You bitch." Zoro snarled, keeping his eyes on Luffy who was still dangling in the Fisherman's tentacles. "I bet you had something to do with Usopp's disappearance, didn't you?"
"I had no choice." Nami murmured. "It was either him or a child and I chose the child. He would have died at sea eventually. He barely knows how to navigate the damn street let alone the entire sea." Nami took another step back, finally diverting her eyes from Luffy's endless black. "Now if you'd excuse me? I'm sure that Hatchan will take care of you. I'll make sure to tell Usopp that you tried and that you cared enough to come rescue him, alright?"
"I'll forgive you." Luffy murmured as Nami's hand touched the door knob to make her way out of the room. "In time, I'll forgive you for what you're doing and what you're doing to Usopp, but now? I should've known better, right? Although I do wonder how Bell-mere would have felt about this? How disappointed she would have been if she saw what you've become - a puppet."
"I suppose that we'll never know how she felt about my actions," Nami muttered. "She's dead. Good Luck, Luffy, Zoro, Hatchan here is quite the opponent." Nami took one last look at Zoro and Luffy, watching as Zoro charged towards her comrade, his blade gleaming in what little light the room offered. It was a shame Nami thought as she closed the door to Luffy's screams that were quickly muffled by a splash of water and Zoro's yell.
They would have made decent friends.