Zoro was swimming for a long time. He was swimming along the coast. He was trying to train in the cold and got lost. He kept near the water so he could try to find the Going Merry. He swam under a large ship. There were bubbles from lower into the water. He swam down to the source.

Sanji was tied to a chair. He was thrashing around, trying to escape. Zoro pulled him and onto the shore. Sanji puked up water, broke his bindings, and sat up. He was coughing like a madman, took out a cigarette and lighter, then attempted to light it. He tried to several times before giving up. "Damnit," he yelled, throwing them both away.

"What happened," asked Zoro. "Did they do this?" He pointed at the Kingslayer Pirates' ship.

"Yeah," said Sanji. His voice sounded like an elderly frog. He coughed. "I couldn't fight back, one of them was a woman. They sent a group to kidnap Sandra. I heard about it before through me overboard."

"Good luck with that," Zoro said with a smirk. It wasn't lost to him how Sanji was beaten. He would bring it up later.

"They might do it," Sanji explained his discovery of the pills. How they're so strong that he had no choice but to run from someone who ate only a few. That same person who was no stronger than the average man the last time they met.

"The answer's simple," said Zoro. "Just go up on the ship and dump the pills into the ocean. We can catch up to that group after."

Sanji instantly agreed. He got up and led Zoro by hand to the ship. His getting lost would break the tension.

This was a terrible plan. The pills will be scattered through the entire ocean, where sea beasts will become much stronger for a while. Best case scenario, the ecology of the Grand Line, and maybe even the entire planet, is changed forever. Sanji and Zoro didn't know this and went to carry out the plan.

Chapter 20: Dramatic Standoff! The Worst Human They've Ever Met?!

Zoro

Mr. Swirlbrows dragged me onto the ship because he thought I'd get lost if left alone. I never do, by the way. I just need to ask for directions sometimes.

We searched for those pills and almost immediately found them. They were in a large, open crate on the deck. It must have had millions of pills inside. We both positioned ourselves to push it. It took great effort, but we got it to the edge.

"Hey," yelled some stranger. He was looking out a trapdoor. He looked like a loser with a bandana. "Someone's dumping the pills. I'm getting the captain!" He got out and started running to the back of the ship.

Someone else came out of the trapdoor, an equally scrawny man with no shirt on. I could see his weakness. "Let them dump it," he yelled. "It's only good for our doom!"

"Do you want to know what the captain will do if we lose it," the first man replied. He kept going to the back of the ship and up some stairs.

I didn't move to stop the guy. It wasn't like the captain of these losers would be much stronger than them.

The Perverted Chef ran and kicked the guy into the wall. "Don't let them get to their captain," he said. "She's worse than all of them combined and then some."

A door opened. A woman with a stereotypical pirate captain outfit walked out. She said, "You know I'm not deaf, right." It was a question, but in a flat, even tone. Like acting but without any emotion. I found it unsettling especially since she looked at me with empty eyes.

The idiot Chef didn't do anything. He just fell back in fear and backed away. He almost fell down the stairs but caught himself in the last second.

The woman walked down the steps of the ship, maintaining eye contact. For some reason, she knew that Sanji wouldn't attack from behind. She only focused on me. She came up to me and put her hand into the box of pills. "Scraping wood is very loud," she said, putting a pill in her mouth and swallowing.

I wanted to go far away. Something about her made my skin crawl in such a way that I'd rather have it all ripped off than spend another moment with that woman.

"I'm willing to let the assault slide," she said with the same tone as before. "He was worthless anyway. Just leave-" she took a pill "-and don't interfere with our plans." Then another pill.

I didn't need to hear anymore. She didn't look so tough. "No-sword sty-"

She held up my earrings. They still had a bit of my ear on them. I touched it and my fingers were covered in blood. I couldn't feel it because the cold made me numb. She was so fast I had no hope of seeing the attack.

"Don't announce your attacks," she said. "That won't end well." At that moment I knew I had no way of ever beating her.

I walked away with my head low. I broke my promise to Luffy, I lost again after my fight with Mihawk. It was like my soul was ripped away from me. If I couldn't beat a random captain, then what chance did I have against the world's strongest swordsman? Would it be better if I had my swords? It was pointless because the simple act of taking my earrings proved that she could kill me at any moment. I had plenty of time to think of why she spared me as I walked away.

I met Swirlsy outside of the ship. He was sulking in a depression. I couldn't blame him, we failed our mission and didn't even get a cool fight out of it.

We walked towards the Merry in silent shame. I needed to heal my ear and get my weapons. No words were needed to show how we hated ourselves.

TO BE CONTINUED...