CHAPTER 36
Zoro to the Rescue! A Sea King Emerges!
"NOOOO!" Zoro's voice echoes along the water.
Hawkeye comes to stand behind Zoro and brushes himself off. "It was nothing personal," he clarifies, "I was just following orders."
Though they are steadily getting smaller the large waves caused by Hawkeye's sword still rage. Zoro runs toward the edge of the little platform they stand on, prepared to dive in and rescue Ari when Hawkeye blocks his path. Zoro grits his teeth and clenches his fists tighter around his swords as he charges at his opponent.
"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Zoro booms at him with a reignited fury, slashing his swords in a multiple combo attacks that are so fast he can hardly keep up with which one is where himself. Blinded by rage and desperate to save her, he swings faster and faster. At this point, Hawkeye is struggling to keep up with slash after slash. He frantically keeps his sword moving to block Zoro's attacks, but Hawkeye knows he can't keep this up forever. Desperate to go on the offensive, he makes a slash in Zoro's direction, cutting him all the way down his chest and mirroring his previous scar. To Hawkeye's surprise, Zoro doesn't even flinch. In fact, this injury only pushes Zoro further as he delivers attack after attack with terrifying precision. So far, they're not fatal, but they cut Hawkeye all along his arms and legs, spraying blood as the skin breaks. Hawkeye is forced back into the defensive position and in his haste to block Zoro's attacks, he makes a mistake in his footwork, leaving an opening. Zoro takes advantage of this and stabs straight through it. Zoro's sword slices right through his heart and Hawkeye falls farther onto the blade.
He coughs up blood as he recites his last words, "It has been an honor…" he coughs, "fighting a true swordsman… and to die at your hands… I wouldn't," he coughs again, "have it… any… other way…" Hawkeye goes silent.
Zoro knows that Hawkeye is dead. As much as he wants to savor the moment of Hawkeye's defeat, there's no time. Sheathing his swords, he dives into the ocean. His strong arms cut through the waves as he speeds across the ocean surface. His muscles ache, but he doesn't feel it. The saltwater stings at his wounds, cutting deep into his chest. After what seems like forever, he finally arrives at the sliced raft, takes one last deep breath and goes under. Deeper and deeper he dives, searching for Ari. He comes across many bodies, but they're all marines. Each time he reaches one to investigate and it's not her, he's relieved that she's not dead, but worried that his search is in vain. She has to be around here somewhere! Damn it. He lets out a gasp of air and clasps a hand over his mouth. I've barely been down here for a few minutes… if I'm already running out of air then Ari… Ari… He keeps searching going around and around. The ship, the raft, everywhere. I can't give up. She's here somewhere. I can feel it. His vision blurs around the edges, but he keeps on searching. I can't… breathe… His hold over his mouth slips for a second and he accidentally inhales some of the water. He reaches out a hand in the water. Can't… give… up… Ari… I'm coming… just… a giant seaking is the last thing he sees before his vision turns to black.
Zoro gasps for air, choking up water as he does. "What the hell," he groans and coughs some more.
"Damn, well at least you're alive," Sanji sneers and wipes his mouth. Zoro is currently laying down on the deck of the Sunny surrounded by puddles that trail to the deck edge. Sanji is on his knees next to Zoro and the rest of the crew surround him in concern. Chopper rushes out of the medical room in the ship, carrying a hoard of bandages. He rushes to Zoro's side and immediately applies antiseptics and bandages to the fresh wound on his chest.
What… happened…? Zoro thinks on this for a moment and his memories come back to him. I was searching for Ari. Did I ever find her? I must have if I'm back on the ship. I wouldn't have left without her. Looking around at the crew and particularly Sanji, who is fervently wiping his mouth, he questions exactly how he got on the boat in the first place. Zoro looks down to his soaked clothes, the puddles surrounding them and then up at Sanji still wiping his mouth and spitting. He looks to the soaked clothes, puddles, Sanji, soaked clothes, puddles, and Sanji again. Then he puts it all together, realizing what just happened, he doubles over, also spitting furiously and wiping his mouth.
"I don't know what's worse," Sanji sneers, "that I had to save your sorry ass, or that I was your first kiss."
Zoro's face flares and he jumps toward Sanji, intending on finishing another fight today when Chopper interjects, "I need you to stay still and rest! This wound is very bad!"
Zoro could care less about his wounds at the moment. I can't believe that dumb cook had to save me… sorry, Ari, it looks like our first kiss has been spoiled and covered up by this dumbass. At the thought of Ari, his disgust at Sanji fades and he looks this way and that, searching for Ari. Not finding her, he pushes Chopper aside, jumping to his feet, exclaiming, "WHERE IS SHE?"
"Zoro, calm down!" Nami starts. "Who are you talking about?"
"ARI! WHERE IS SHE?" He grabs Nami by the shoulders and shakes her.
Nami turns away and bites her tongue. The rest of the crew look at their feet. No one says a word and this pushes Zoro even further into his rage. "WHY WON'T ANYONE SAY ANYTHING? I DID SAVE HER, DIDN'T I?"
Finally, Sanji speaks up, "When I dove in after you, you were alone. I didn't see anyone else." His face goes somber.
"You must not have looked hard enough!" Zoro sighs in exasperation. "Damn it, I'm going back in." He marches to the edge of the boat, getting ready to jump, when Luffy stops him. "Let. Me. Through."
Luffy shakes his head. "She's gone, Zoro."
Zoro just shakes his head in denial.
"I SAID SHE'S GONE!" Luffy shouts in his face and Zoro just shakes his head again. The tears threaten to come, but Zoro stops them, determined to not show weakness.
"Zoro," Nami says, walking up to him. She puts a gentle hand on his shoulder. "If she's been down in the water this whole time… it took Sanji five minutes just to revive you…"
Zoro bites his lip and he takes this in. It's like Kuina all over again… He looks to the sea. The ship that Ari was headed toward is still burning only a couple feet from where the Sunny rests, Ari's broken raft still in sight. No, it can't be. She can't be dead. Not just like that. I'm going to save her and no one can stop me! He brushes Luffy and Nami off of him and stomps toward the edge again when a giant sea king erupts from the surface.