Silmeria - Thanks for being patient everyone. Enjoy the chapter.
Disclaimer - I claim no rights to One Piece or Sentinel.
Chapter Twenty: The Guide with Taste - Part Three
It was the wrong decision, Sanji decided, watching as Don Krieg devoured plate after plate after plate of food. It was the wrong decision to feed Gin and not toss him overboard. It was the wrong decision - but Sanji didn't regret it. For he knew of starvation and the desperate behavior that it brought. He knew what it felt like to beg and to plead and to do anything for a scrap or a morsel of food only to be denied and pushed away as if he was shit underneath someone's boot.
It was a wrong decision - but, he never ever regretted it.
Don Kreig was a massive man with a severe face dressed in muted tones of deep purple and yellow. He oozed power and Sanji inhaled and exhaled through his mouth. The man reeked and he smelled of salt which meant that he took suppressant pills to dull his senses which explained the hysterical look in his eyes as he continued to devour the food the cooks brought out. This, in turn, was a fucking disaster and it was Sanji's fault. He screwed up. How many times was he going to be allowed to screw up the good things in his life?
Kreig opened his mouth to order more food when Zeff's rough voice cut him off, stern and speaking of a man who was ready for a fight - win or lose.
"I think you and your crew have had enough." Zeff shuffled forward, placing a bag of food on the table with a solid thump. "That's enough for three weeks - we can load more on your ship. A deal is a deal, correct? We feed you and you leave."
Kreig was quiet for a moment, setting the fork and knife down with a quiet clink, and regarded Zeff with a tight smile that didn't bode well for the older man.
"That's the deal." Kreig gave a loud burp twisting Sanji's stomach before he rose from the chair signaling his crew to do the same. He turned on his heel and Sanji felt a surge of relief until Krieig waved a hand and mouthed a simple command that ran Sanji's blood cold.
"Kill everyone, but leave the Chef." Kreig turned back to Sanji, lips pulling into a wide sick grin that showed missing and yellowed teeth. "After all, what are we going to do after all that food is gone?"
Sanji's body was frozen as chaos emerged in the restaurant. Screams bounced off the walls as patrons ran towards the exit only to be blocked off and cut down as if they were lambs going to slaughter. Blood sprayed the once bright white walls and Sanji could do nothing but watch in detached horror.
"Snap out of it, Sanji." Zeff nudged him on the shoulder before dragging him away from the carnage. Above him, Sanji could see the Baratie's battle fins raising, and although his mind was acknowledging this act it still refused to see past the carnage and-
Oh, Sweet Mother of the Sea.
He was zoning out. His shields had always been lowered so that he could enjoy the emotions that his patrons and crew had when they tasted his food, but he never thought of the despair and the fear that those innocent people experienced as they were slaughtered indiscriminately. He could do nothing but watch and he felt so useless.
"Sanji." Zeff urged snapping his fingers in front of the cook's face cursing when it was met with a blank look. His boy. His poor boy. "C'mon Sanji." Zeff shook his shoulders hoping that it would jolt Sanji out of his zone out. He glanced over his shoulder and his heart dropped into his stomach. So far, his cooks had been doing a decent job pushing back Krieg's Pirates, but he didn't know how long it would last. He had good, decent men and women, but they wouldn't last against a pirate's stamina. He turned back to Sanji who was still sporting a blank stare and clenched his jaw. If he could slap Sanji out of his zone out he would, but it was dangerous to force Guides and Sentinels out of their zone out and he could risk damaging Sanji's mind for good.
For the first time in his life, Zeff was at a loss. He had a basic understanding of Guides and their fallings, but this was beyond his knowledge. There wasn't another Guide on this ship that could-
"The chore boy," Zeff murmured, Luffy's beaming face flashing before his mind. He remembered that the chore boy was a Guide - an Omega Guide, but a Guide nonetheless and he could help Sanji.
He could help them all.
The Going Merry was missing from the docks and apparently, Nami with it. The betrayal that laced through Luffy's heart would have brought him to his knees if it hadn't been for the surrounding battle around them. He didn't have a choice but to fight for a way to escape. Kreig's Pirates were desperate and the force of their emotions pressed against his shields and muffled his surroundings and if it hadn't been for Zoro and Usopp he would have been cut down.
"You have to focus," Zoro grumbled, cutting two, three, four pirates before grabbing Luffy's arm and urging him towards another set of docks. With the Going Merry gone, they had to find a ship and escape before the Baratie sank and they were having no luck. Luffy could blame himself, but he would never regret helping others and he would never regret righting his wrongs even if it led him into rather unsavory situations.
"We don't know if Nami stole the ship." Usopp tried to reason relieved. "What if she's hurt? Or kidnapped-?"
"I can't feel her." Luffy cut in a low tone that sent a small shiver down Usopp's spine. "I can't feel her," he repeated more softly. "She's long gone from here, Usopp and it's time you accepted that."
Despite the fear that rattled his heart, Usopp protested Luffy's words. "I can't believe she would betray us, not after Arlong."
"Why not?" Zoro cut in with a small grunt, shooting Usopp a scornful look. "She tried to trade you off for a kid, remember? She had no remorse doing it so why should you feel sorry for her? I'm not surprised that she left us out to dry and you shouldn't be either."
"I don't believe it." Usopp met Zoro's scornful gaze with one of his own. "I don't believe she would just abandon us like we don't mean anything to her."
"You're trying awfully hard to convince us that she didn't do it." Zoro bit out as Luffy's own expression became thoughtful. "You gotta crush on her or something? You imprinted on her?"
"No." Usopp cried out, scandalized at the very thought. Imprinting on someone was basic and primal and Usopp was a better man than that. He was a coward, but he would never impose on someone in that manner. "Did you imprint on Luffy? You two seem awfully close."
"Zoro is my First Mate," Luffy uttered, flattered, but not completely comfortable with the thought that people thought he and Zoro were in a relationship. He and Zoro were friends which was rare considering their status as Guide and Sentinel. He would never think of Zoro as more than a friend and he was sure that Zoro felt the same.
Or, at least, he hoped so.
"Luffy's heart, mind, body, and soul belong to another," Zoro stated firmly. "I consider him a friend and would never impede on his relationship with his Sentinel."
"And don't you think I feel the same about Nami?" Usopp protested. "Don't you think she needs someone like you and Zoro have each other? It isn't fair to accuse her when we don't have any proof-"
"She's gone and the ship's gone," Luffy murmured, deadpan. "It's not hard to make the connection, Usopp." Luffy shook his head, cutting off any protests that Usopp wanted to give. "We have to escape and think about how to get the Going Merry back in our hands. We don't have time to argue."
"A-alright." Usopp's shoulders slumped in defeat and Luffy's heart twisted. He didn't know how much Usopp and Nami got to know each other but he couldn't imagine how hurt Usopp was feeling about their situation. While he and Zoro felt disappointment, Usopp could be feeling a deeper betrayal especially considering how far Nami and Usopp had come as people and as friends.
"It looks like we found a boat," Zoro spoke up pointing out into the water where a Galleon-Class Ship sat among the waves. "You think it belongs to the Krieg Pirates?"
"It looks outlandish enough for it to be." Usopp narrowed his eyes, internally relieved that the ship looked empty. "If we hop on now we should be able to get away from the Baratie."
Luffy's lips thinned, looking over his shoulder at the ensuing battle. He felt like a coward leaving the Baratie to its fate, but he didn't want to expose what little crew he had to a fight that didn't involve them and they had to catch up to Nami or they would lose their ship.
"Come on," Luffy commanded his two remaining crew members before racing towards the ship and jumping aboard. "If we're lucky then we can get out of here before we attract more attention." Luffy grabbed the wheel, urging Usopp and Zoro to release the sails. He prayed he wouldn't attract too much attention.
"You have an idea on where she's headed?" Zoro called down as Luffy eased the ship out of the dock. It wouldn't easy to sail the seas without a navigator but Luffy had a decent sense of direction. He would get them where they needed to be-
"I do, but-" Luffy looked up when Zoro grew quiet and followed the man's gaze to see a ship headed in their direction and grew pale at the sight of it. If it was a civilian ship then he had to warn it away. He opened his mouth to do just that when Zoro landed next to him and pushed him away just a burst of energy emerged from the ship and sliced their current vessel clean in half. He was grateful as Zoro used his body to shield him as splinters of wood blasted across the air and fires raged thanks to the gunpowder in the lower decks.
"Get up." Zoro grunted, pulling Luffy up and out of the fire's path. He was still staring ahead and Luffy wanted to ask what or who was approaching when he felt the drenching fear pressing against his mind.
"Zoro," Luffy whispered, careful of the sounds and carnage around him. "What's going on?" Luffy looked back through smoke and tensed at the figure that was emerging from it. The figure was slim and tall, but that didn't draw Luffy's attention.
No, that would be the massive sword strapped to the man's back and the ease in which the man carried it.
"Dracule Mihawk." Zoro hissed pressing Luffy further out of the man's range and sight. Luffy wanted to protest the action but had no chance when he felt a curious press against his mind so strong that it almost brought him to his knees. He swallowed against the invasion and grasped Zoro's arm with sweaty palms unhinged at the fact that this man was able to pierce his mind with such ease that Luffy couldn't-couldn't-
For the first time in his life, Luffy wanted to run.
Yet -
His blood sang at the thought of a challenge. The thought of a Guide defeating a Sentinel of Dracule's standing was exciting and Luffy would make waves in doing so. He reached for his staff, ignoring the hiss Zoro sent in his direction. Ace would kill him for challenging a Sentinel so boldly, but something inside of Luffy screamed for him to fight and to triumph.
"I can hear it." Dracule's lilting tones echoed across the smoke and flames forcing a shiver down Luffy's spine. "The blood of a Guide. It's singing and its music to my ears."
"Luffy." Zoro sounded desperate and Luffy made no move to comfort his friend. He had to escape and if Dracule was in his path then so be it. He stepped forward, ready to charge when Zoro shoved him back and raced forward, moving along the remains of the deck as if it was sliding against the broken wood. Luffy wanted to scream, urge his friend to stop, but it was no use: Sentinels engaging in combat wasn't meant to be stopped
. One of them would die and the world would mourn for it.