AN:

Hey Guys! It's me again.

School and summer stuff with the family has taken up a lot of time the past few months but I'm still trying to write when I can. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and am excited for the next one which is being worked on atm so hopefully you guys won't have to wait too long. There's not really much else to say than that.

As always thank you guys for sticking around and supporting me with your love, and criticism, of the story. It's cool to see people enjoying it as much as I like writing it. Alright, that's enough from me. I hope you like the chapter! Feel free to let me know what you think!

Chapter 54: A Day Well Spent?

"Dorry!", Brogy yelled while he desperately tried to move his exhausted limbs. He watched helplessly as a deluge of thick white liquid shot out of the grinning man's palms and covered his friend's head before he could even get a word out. "Stop!", his voice boomed with anger and, yet, he knew he could do nothing to help.

"Oh yes, Blue Ogre!", Mr. Three writhed in ecstasy, wax continuing to shoot out of his hands with no signs of stopping, "You will truly be my finest piece yet!".

The red-caped giant gnashed his teeth at the gurgles he could hear coming from the other giant's throat. In his anger, he felt some of his strength return and began to lift his hand from the ground. However, just when he went to curl it into a fist, he stopped and gently set it down, a large sigh of serenity leaving his mouth.

"Better hurry with this one, Mr. Three.", Ms. Goldenweek said through a yawn, stepping out from behind Brogy's head, "He won't be like that for very long.". She wiped the tip of her brush on her palette and quickly stepped back into the surrounding forest, "My art doesn't take very well to guys like him. Too big of a canvas, not enough paint."

"Brilliant, Ms. Goldenweek!", Mr. Three yelled in the girl's direction, "Truly brilliant!". He whipped his head toward his next victim, who was now beginning to move, and one of his hands shot out to the left.

Brogy shook his head when the calmness that'd come over him was once again taken over by panic and anger. His fingers curled into his palm but as soon as he went to lift his arm, what felt like hot wax covered the appendage almost completely.

"Don't worry, Mr. Red Ogre.", the cackling bounty hunter exclaimed, suddenly cutting off the streams of wax shooting from his palms. He pushed up his glasses smugly and crossed his arms, "You're next." He pushed on his connection with the white liquid and it began to harden at an absurdly rapid pace, eyes gleaming at the thought of the coming payday.

"What the hell's goin' on here?!".

Brogy's panicked gaze shot to where the voice had come from and he found two boys walking into the area from the surrounding forest. He squeezed his large black orbs tightly at the anger he felt for not being able to do anything before his loud words sounded into the air, "Please, small ones! I know you have no reason to do so but please help my friend!".

Luffy's vision shot over to the other giant and the sight that met him made him grit his teeth. "What the hell are you doin', weird guy?!", he yelled angrily, bending at the knee and preparing to launch himself from the ground, "I was gonna ask these guys to join my crew!".

Mr. Three was stunned at the sudden turn of events but wasted no time in covering himself in a thick sheen of wax that surrounded him like armor, his smirk returning even though he'd lost sight of the boy. He threw his arms up in a hasty block for a little added protection and waited. Surely this would be enough… Right?… He only had to wait but moments and the large crack that sounded from the center of his chest had all his prior confidence leaving him, "Uh oh.".

All of Luffy's forward momentum shot through his black palm as it sheered straight through the weird armor and he reached out with his other hand to grab the man by the wrist, "Impact!".

A shockwave shot through Mr. Three's middle and he gasped, blood flying from his lips. His eyes widened as he felt his wax armor crumble almost instantly and burst outward from his body. The only thing that kept him in place was the boy's hand wrapped tightly around his own. He desperately tried to hang on to consciousness while his figure rag-dolled wildly but the pain that was assuredly coming from the broken bones in his chest was proving to be quite a lot to bear.

The bounty hunter suddenly felt himself flip upward and he looked down to find himself facing the ground… Well… Shit.

Luffy wrenched his arm downward and slammed the strange man into what they were standing on… Which just so happened to be Dorry… Ripples shot out from the point of impact and he let go of his captive causing him to bounce high into the air like he'd been launched from a massive trampoline. He watched him sail, looking for any signs of retaliation and winced when his face slammed into the ground, cracks forming underneath him. He was probably gonna feel that in the morning…

The boy stared at the crumpled figure for a moment longer before a rumble came from beneath his feet. He looked down curiously. What the heck could that be?…

It took Luffy a moment of staring before he realized what he was standing on and his eyes widened in realization. He felt the giant begin to convulse and his gaze shot to where he knew Usopp was watching from, already beginning to sprint in his direction, "Run, Usopp! He's gonna blow!". Just when his feet hit the ground, he heard something begin cracking at his back but he didn't turn to see what it was. He already knew.

One massive crack, similar to the splitting of wood, came from behind the two as they escaped into the forest and they turned just in time to see what looked like a massive geyser erupt from Dorry's mouth. However, instead of crystal clear water, it was… Well, vomit… They both ruffled their noses and turned to travel further away… The splash zone was bound to be quite large…

"Where the hell are they?", Nami asked aloud in exasperation. The sun had begun to set and the crackling of the small fire they'd made on the beach was starting to quiet. She sighed at the non-committal grunts and shrugs that came from those around her and tiredly stood to her feet.

The day had passed rather quickly after they'd taken care of their two visitors and the navigator couldn't help but admire the tan she'd gotten from her time spent lying on the beach. They'd all settled on waiting for Luffy and Usopp to come back, so, Zoro and Sanji went out to find food for dinner while they chose to lay out on the sand and watch their prisoners. It was a little before sunset before the boys came back and they absolutely would not stop arguing about who brought back the bigger kill... It was a whole thing that she'd rather not get into...

"They're probably fine, Nami.", Sanji consoled, lifting the small pot from its place above the licking flames, "I doubt even a giant could kill Luffy.". He popped the top on the piece of kitchenware and smiled at the spicy scent that entered his nose. "Dinner is served.", he said, setting the pot down in the sand and grabbing the few bowls he'd brought from the kitchen on the Merry.

Zoro took another swig from the bottle in his hand and sat up from his prone position, stomach grumbling. "Took you long enough.", he mumbled, setting down his drink and making his way in the cook's direction.

"Just shut up and eat, Mosshead.", the blond growled, shoving a filled bowl into his hands when he stepped in front of him.

"Those two really are quite the pair.", Ms. Sun mused, laughing softly at the small interaction. The words got a grunt out of the orange-haired girl standing beside her and she turned. Her eyes landed on Nami but she couldn't help but look past her, sight settling on the two forms lying at the edge of the water… They had caused quite a fuss... They had actually been quite forthcoming with their information, surprisingly... Zoro could be quite threatening...

"My ladies.", Sanji said, offering the two filled bowls in his hands.

The black-haired woman turned back and the corners of her lips rose at the scent wafting into her nostrils. He really was a good cook. The night was quite cool on the beach and the smell was already warming her. Her eyes lifted from the bowl and she smirked at the chef, "My offer still stands, you know.".

Sanji smiled at the words, somehow managing to hide the heat rising through his body. "I'm afraid I will once again have to push that duty to Nami.", he replied, turning away before his resolve could crumble. He pointed to the two at the edge of the water, "I gotta make sure they get fed too.".

Ms. Sun sent him a teasing look before Nami sat back down, two bowls of stew held in her hands. She faced the girl when a sigh left her mouth and couldn't help but think the orangette was looking at her friend strangely. "Something the matter, Ms. Navigator?", she asked lightly.

Nami turned toward their 'captive' and huffed in faux anger at the title, taking another glance at Sanji while he filled two more bowls with stew. "He's just… I don't know.", she started softly when he stood to bring the others their food, "He's just… Different, I guess.". She shook her head and set one of the bowls at her feet, "It's weird, honestly. It's like he is but isn't at the same time. Like he's lost a certain charm but replaced it with another, more tame version.".

The black-haired woman opened her mouth when she found a spoonful of stew in front of it and had to resist letting go of the unladylike groan that wanted to leave her mouth. That Sanji could cook. "Quite the way with words you have.", she said, smiling at the perturbed eye the comment garnered. She nodded at the other girl to continue while she savored the delicious bite and patiently waited for another. It was slightly strange being spoon-fed at her age but with the food being this good, she couldn't bring herself to really care.

"He seems a little more… Mature, maybe?", the orangette said, more like a question than a statement. Her hand rose absentmindedly to give Ms. Sun another mouthful of stew, "… No… I don't think that's the right word.". She sighed, looking at the woman as if asking if she could take a few bites of her own meal, and got a small nod in return. "It's the only thing that feels close, though.", she explained through a bite of her own meal.

"Any idea what could've caused it?", Ms. Sun asked, eyes shifting to watch the chef spoon-feed her captured cohorts. She thought it strange that she actually found herself curious about the answer despite only knowing him for the length of their traveling together.

"Nope.", the orange-haired girl replied, setting her bowl down once again, "All I know is something probably happened while we were in Lougetown.". She resumed feeding the woman, thinking back to that stormy day, "He was weird when we met back up to leave.". She went to say more but stopped when a cough sounded from over her shoulder.

"Excuse me, Nami.", Vivi interjected quietly, "… I hate to ask this... But, what are the chances we find an island without letting the log pose set?". As she'd been eating her dinner with Karoo the question ate at her, because she couldn't wait there on Little Garden for a year. She didn't have that kind of time. Her country didn't have that kind of time. She knew something was brewing in Alabasta and she needed to get home to be there to stop it.

"… You're from here… Right?", Nami asked blankly, pointing out to the insane waters that were the Grand Line, "You know what it's like out there just as well as I do, Vivi.". She turned back and lifted another spoonful of stew to Ms. Sun's mouth, "So, no. Not happening.".

The blue-haired girl nodded her head in resignation, already knowing what her answer would likely be, "… Yeah. I thought so.". She turned to walk back to Karoo and grit her teeth in frustration, "Sorry for asking.".

"However.", the orangette said, lifting her own bowl once again. She gulped down another bite before looking at Vivi, a small bit of hope shining in the princess's eyes, "I might have something that can help us get out of here.". She held her hand up to stop the other girl from getting too excited, "It won't take us to Alabasta but we can at least get off Little Garden.". She reached into her shirt and pulled out what she now knew was an eternal pose. "I found this while we were on Whiskey Peak and it seemed like it might be useful, so I took it.", she explained, eyeing the word written on its front.

"Selune?", Ms. Sun asked curiously. She was fairly well versed in the islands that resided on the Grand Line but Selune wasn't one she'd heard of.

Nami shrugged her shoulders, and put the object back in her shirt, "Your guess is as good as mine.".

"Then please!", Vivi exclaimed frantically, looking out into the forest for any signs of their missing companions, "We must leave as soon as possible!". She had no idea where this Selune was but it was her only hope.

"Hold your horses, Princess.", the orange-haired girl replied, gathering the two empty bowls in her hands and standing to bring them back to the pot, "It's too dark to go looking for Luffy and Usopp. Besides, we're still eating.". She looked down at Zoro's snoring form when she passed him and nodded downward, "Plus, I'm not going out there without him and Sanji, and he's already asleep.". Her finger pointed out at their two captives, "And don't forget about your other ex-coworkers that aren't here.".

Vivi gnashed her teeth in irritation, "That's all the more reason for us to leave, Nami! Alabasta needs me! Crocodile is planning something big and I need to be there to put a stop to it! You heard them say so themselves!".

The words made Nami frown, "Listen, Vivi. I get that you want to save your country but nothing good will come out of going out there tonight.". Her eyes glanced over at Ms. Sun to see her reaction to the use of the warlord's name but she found her looking at Sanji still feeding Mr. Five and Ms. Valentine, "And from what I heard, they were only speculating.".

The princess ignored her words and turned away stomping in Karoo's direction, "Well, I'm going.". She marched up to his side and deftly hopped into his saddle, "C'mon Karoo. Let's go find Luffy and Usopp so we can get out of here.".

The orangette groaned in exasperation and tried to stop the two from going off on their own but the large duck was already on his feet. "Wait, Vivi!", she yelled just as Karoo pushed off toward the dark forest ahead. She groaned in frustration when her reply was the sound of the animal's feet smacking into the sand and looked up to the sky, clenching her eyes shut irritatedly. "… Damn it.", she groaned, emptying the bowls of stew she'd made back into the pot and turning toward Ms. Sun.

"I'm assuming you want to go after her.", the black-haired woman sighed. It was a shame she wouldn't be able to eat more…

"You assume right.", Nami answered, motioning for her to stand up, "And I'm not having you in those ropes when we do.". It took her a moment but she managed to undo the knots and the bonds came loose, already moving to wake Zoro.

"You sure you wanna do this?", Ms. Sun asked with raised eyebrows, "It's usually not very smart to let your captives walk around without shackles… Especially ones with devil fruits.".

"That's what I'm here for.", Sanji chimed in, approaching them with two empty bowls in his hands. He waved Nami away when she went to explain their situation, "I heard… You guys talk really loud.".

The woman turned to see the chef standing behind her and she smirked at him, "Think you can take me?". He seemed to pause at the words before looking her dead in the eye for merely a moment. It was honestly a shock to see him so serious for that split second. So much so, that she thought it might have been a trick of the light, the strange look gone like it'd never been there at all.

"I'd rather not know the answer to that question.", the blond replied with a steely tint to his voice. But, just like the look in his gaze, that disappeared quickly as well, "I really don't think I could do it, Ms. Sun. So, let's make sure we don't have to find out.".

It was said in a joking manner, but Ms. Sun couldn't help feeling like she heard some seriousness in his voice. She shook her head and raised her hands in surrender, "You got it, Mr. Chef. No funny business.".

Sanji smiled at the teasing use of the name, "I told you to call me, Sanji.".

"Wake up, Zoro.", Nami said, nudging the swordsman with her foot. It took a couple of tries but a groan eventually came from his mouth and his eyelids opened to reveal his tired black orbs, "Vivi ran off into the woods and we gotta go find her.".

The verdet groaned in irritation before slowly sitting up, the empty bowl at his side rolling over in the sand, "Why the hell'd she do that?".

"She went to go find Luffy and Usopp so we can leave.", the orange-haired girl answered, offering him a hand. She helped him up and turned back to the other two when he began to stretch, "Alright everyone, let's go.".

Sanji brought up the rear as the group began to move toward the forest but he paused for a moment before turning back to the water and cupping his hands around his mouth. "Levi! Nala!", he yelled in the direction of the two creatures, each of which had a groaning human tied to them by a rope, "Don't let those two out of the water… And don't eat them either!"

"You guys have been dueling for a hundred years?!", Luffy exclaimed excitedly, taking another bite out of the massive leg of dinosaur meat in front of him.

Usopp stared up at the two laughing giants in absolute awe. They were the embodiment of his dream. These two were already brave warriors of the sea. They were exactly what he wanted to become someday. The story of their duel had brought him to tears and he'd been so enraptured that he'd barely touched his dinner.

"That's right!", Brogy laughed through a mouthful of meat, "A hundred years and still no winner!". His laughs quieted and his large eyes glanced over at the unconscious man next to their two small saviors, "Although, he almost changed that.".

"Yes…", Dorry said seriously, facing the two teenagers, "If you hadn't arrived when you did… I would have become the winner…". Silence met his words and he looked up to see his old friend staring at him in bewilderment. However, the quiet lasted but a moment.

"What the hell are you talking about?!", the red-caped giant roared in outrage, "If they hadn't shown up I would have been the winner!". He pointed at the small chunks of wax caught in the man's long beard, "You were about to drown in wax!".

"I would have found a way!", Dorry bellowed angrily, eyes glaring into those of his friend.

The two held their staring match for a long moment and the tension in the air was palpable, Luffy and Usopp looking wide-eyed between the two. However, loud laughter soon burst into the air and the giants began to joyfully go to town on their dinner once again, the sigh of relief leaving the sniper's mouth overtaken by his captain's laughter.

"You guys are funny!", the straw-hatted teen exclaimed through another large bite, "You're kinda like Zoro and Sanji!". The thought of his friends made him wonder what they might be up to and he paused, taking a moment to look up to the sky… When the heck had it gotten dark?… He'd been having so much fun that it seemed like the day had passed in the blink of an eye. He turned to Usopp at his side, who was staring at the two giants now setting up to begin arm wrestling, "What do you think everyone else's doing?".

Usopp snapped out of his stupor and faced his captain, the question throwing him for a loop. He looked up and then down to the almost untouched piece of meat in his hands… When the hell had it gotten so dark?… He shook his head, "I honestly don't have a clue.". He looked toward where he thought the shore was and wondered if they should maybe head back to the Merry. It was pretty late and the thought of sleeping outside with what was surely many many predators wasn't the most appealing thing in the world…

The two crewmates looked at each other for a long moment before glancing back at the giants in the middle of their contest of strength, both of their eyes almost immediately turning to stars. They looked at each other once again… Then back… Then again… And back…

"KICK HIS ASS DORRY!".

"GIVE HIM EVERYTHING YOU GOT BROGY!".

The foursome traversed the forest grounds as carefully as they could, an eerie silence following the group. As soon as they'd passed through the tree line, they realized it was going to be harder than anticipated to find Vivi. She could have gone literally anywhere… So, they'd resorted to listening for any signs of disturbance that would alert them to her location and picked a direction.

Ms. Sun's hand rose and her steps halted, the others immediately ceasing in their movement as well. One of the ears she had out in the forest had caught something but she was pretty sure it wasn't the princess. It kind of sounded like… Laughter?… "I think I heard something in that direction.", she whispered just barely loud enough for everyone to hear. Her footsteps resumed and she didn't look to see if the others were following, still listening for any signs of the one they were looking for.

The three behind did find it slightly strange to be letting their prisoner lead them around but she seemed to know what she was doing so no one had really questioned it… They looked at each other for a moment before shrugging in unison and making to catch up with the woman.

Sanji's eyes shifted through the darkness as they slowed once again, Ms. Sun's soft footfalls combining with their own. He couldn't really see much in the darkness, the moon was helping but also hurting at the same time. The shadows surrounding them had him on edge and the soft wind making them move wasn't helping things.

The chef froze in the middle of his step when it felt like something brushed against the back of his neck and his head whipped backward. However, his sight was met with nothing but the shadows at their back dancing in the moonlight… Strange… He could have sworn he felt something…

"The hell're you doing, Cook?", Zoro whisper-yelled to the boy behind him, hand hovering over his blades, "You hear something?".

Sanji stared for another moment before shaking his head and resuming his previous pace, "I don't know…". He took one more glance over his shoulder before nodding at Mosshead to keep moving, "Just keep an eye out.".

"Don't give me orders.".

"Damn it Mosshead! Just shut the hell up and walk!".

The area quieted as the group left and when their footsteps could no longer be heard, an exhale came from a small figure practically fusing herself to the back of a large tree.

Ms. Goldenweek attempted to slow her heart rate as she slowly peeked in the direction they'd walked off in. That had been way too close… How had that guy known?… She shook her head and carefully made to follow once again, even further away than before.

The young girl had spent the day in full survival mode after Mr. Three had gotten the snot knocked out of him. They'd been on Little Garden long enough for her to know where to go and where not to go so that hadn't really been the problem. The problem had been her urge to try and rescue Mr. Three… For as creepy and strange as he looked he was really actually quite a nice man. He always humored her when she asked him to have tea and he'd only ever treated her like a good partner. Needless to say, she wouldn't feel good about abandoning him.

Ms. Goldenweek had followed the group to their camp and tried to come up with a way to help him but nothing she could think of seemed like it had any chance of working. Plus… That guy that punched Mr. Three… If he punched her like that she was sure her body would probably explode and, frankly, that scared her. So, she'd bided her time until night had fallen and continued her waiting game, hoping the darkness would help.

It didn't… The massive fire the giants used to cook their dinner made it almost impossible for the girl to use the shadows to her advantage. Thus, she decided to call it. She wasn't completely abandoning him, she would be back at first light, but she couldn't stay awake any longer and the thought of sleeping so close to the campsite wasn't very inviting. She'd gathered herself up with one last look at the jovial atmosphere she'd been watching for most of the night and began to trek back through the forest.

It was by complete chance that Ms. Goldenweek had run into another group while trying to find her way back to Mr. Three's hut. It had been quite the shock but she was small enough to be mistaken for a child and used that to her advantage to stay hidden. She'd gotten quite good at sneaking around during her time as a bounty hunter and, once she realized the group was probably where the two with the giants were from, she decided to tail them. If she could find a way to use her paint on one of them and create a commotion loud enough to attract attention, maybe she could sneak into their camp while they were gone.

With this plan in mind, the girl had picked her target, the blond boy bringing up the rear of the group. But, when she'd gone to enact her plan, he'd somehow taken notice of her. She was sure she'd made no noise whatsoever and, yet, he still almost caught her. She'd just barely managed to slink back into the safety of a shadow.

Ms. Goldenweek's footsteps slowed to a halt as the group in front of her did the same, all of them beginning to converse quietly. They were getting closer to the campsite and if they made it, her chance would be gone… She grit her teeth and looked at the group intently, eyes landing on the green-haired one. With his form illuminated by the moon slightly, she could now see that he wore three swords at his hip and she immediately knew she'd found her new target.

The bounty hunter skulked through the shadows like a ghost in the night to get herself into a better position and just when she stopped, she realized something when she looked at the tree to her right… Was that… An ear?… Her eyes widened and she stilled. Her first thought was that it had to be some sort of devil fruit power, so, she kept her gaze trained on the obviously human ear high up above and slowly began to move again, making sure she was even quieter if that was possible.

Just as the group began to break and start walking once again, Ms. Goldenweek took a deep breath. She pulled out her palette and readied her paintbrush, eyes peeled for the exact moment he would turn his back to her. She would need to paint faster than she ever had if she wanted this to work… She'd also never tried something quite like this before… She gulped internally and her knees almost buckled when the moment came. However, quiet as a mouse, her footsteps carried her behind her target, and within moments she was painting.

Zoro tensed when the tip of something soft pressed into his back and before he could turn, it felt like something was drawn there, like an entire picture was created in but moments. He watched the others' eyes widen in alarm and just when he went to whip around and draw his blade, he instead only did one of those things...

Kitetsu made a shinging sound as it was released from its sheath and its steel flashed in the light of the moon while shadows kept the one holding it shrouded in darkness. The swordsman's form stilled with his arm outstretched and he held his blade firmly, expression still hidden from those gathered around him.

Ms. Goldenweek dove away to avoid the explosion she knew was coming and, sure enough, just when she hit the ground a bestial roar ripped through the area. She turned to see the swordsman aggressively unsheathe his other two blades, one taking residence in his other hand and the second flipping upward. Another animalistic growl echoed from the verdet's throat and she watched him spring from the earth, teeth snapping the white-hilted sword out of the air.

The girl's eyes caught those of the black-haired woman and she thought she saw some sign of recognition. However, she didn't stay long enough to find out. She needed to get out of there before things got ugly… For as quick as it was, that may have been some of her best work... She sprinted her way back into the surrounding trees and smirked over her shoulder at the fight she could see beginning to unfold, "Colors Trap Combo: Red/Black Berserker.".

"Get a hold of yourself Mosshead!", Sanji yelled while he dodged through the blinding swipes of his crew mate. A growl was his only response and he grit his teeth, dropping to the ground to avoid a particularly nasty swipe at his throat. He shot up from the grass with his heels directed at the swordsman's abdomen but his eyes widened when they found the flat of a blade instead.

Zoro's form lifted into the air slightly and he growled animalistically once again, his blades already slashing downward before he even hit the ground.

Purple lit the clearing as slashes left all three of verdet's blades and Sanji barely had time to move, hands launching him from the earth and through the middle of the triangle the air blades created. "You're really pissing me off.", he grit his teeth and kicked out with his right foot as hard as he could, black boot crashing into its target with a crack.

"What the hell is going on?!", Nami screamed as smoke exploded around the two, her and Ms. Sun already sprinting their way to somewhere safer.

"I think I saw Ms. Goldenweek.", the black-haired woman replied, looking over her shoulder to see Sanji exit the cloud first, "I don't know exactly why she was here or what she was doing but I think we have her to thank for this.". She wasn't sure how she'd managed to miss her but she was sure that was who she saw before she sprinted off into the trees.

Sanji's form flipped as he fell to the ground and his voice sounded loudly into the air, "Nami! Ms. Sun! Get outta here and keep looking for Vivi! I'll take care of the shitty swordsman!". He didn't bother to try and see if they listened to his words and slammed into the ground, a small impact print forming underneath him. He looked up and cracked his neck, vision settling on to the descending form above him.

The tapping of the chef's black boot began to grow heavier, smoke pouring off his right leg in droves, and he locked eyes with the stark white of his adversary, "Hope you don't die, Mosshead.".

Zoro roared loudly and slammed Kitetsu and Kajiya downward, feet crashing into the ground the same as his swords. He ripped his blades from the earth and swiped at the smoke obscuring his vision, Kitetsu rising just in time to stop a boot from slamming into his neck.

Sanji hopped off his free foot and spun, the outside of his shoe finding the swordsman's ribs. His opponent flashed out of his vision and slammed into a tree off to the right but he would allow him no time to recover. His smoking sole cracked into the ground and he launched himself in the stunned boy's direction, body flipping forward so his outstretched leg was pointed at his target.

Zoro groaned as he pulled himself out of the cracked trunk he was buried in and rubbed the back of his head… Where the hell was he?… And why did his head hurt so bad?… It took him a moment but he suddenly realized he had his swords out… What the hell was going on?…

"Smoked Poitrine!".

The swordsman looked up and his eyes widened when the toe of a smoking shoe consumed his vision. He just barely had enough time to enhance his chest before it impacted and he shot straight through the tree he'd just pulled himself out of, body rag-dolling through the dark forest. He groaned when he came to a stop in a small clearing and slowly gathered himself up, heart beating in his ears while dust violently swirled around him.

Zoro grit his teeth to the point he thought he might bite through Wado's handle and faced the chef now walking in his direction, eyes clenched tightly. Without a word, he ripped off the green bandana he always kept tied around his arm, gripping it tightly in his hand.

"You back to being your shitty self?", Sanji asked in annoyance, smoking still pouring off his leg while he made his way in the verdet's direction.

The swordsman didn't respond, he only finished tying his bandana, eyes shrouded in darkness. Moonlight coated his figure and he began to give off an air similar to a reaper coming to claim someone's soul as he steadily held his three bloodthirsty blades outward. His black eyes flashed open and pierced into blue/grey, "You're fuckin' dead.".

The words seemed to egg the blond on more than anything and the smoke pouring off his leg drastically increased in volume, the temperature of his body rising along with his heart rate. His gaze narrowed into a steel just as strong as the one peering into him, "I'd like to see you try.".