-Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Two-
"You might as well give up" Zoro cockily grinned.
"Those just look like regular goggles" the Guerrilla pointed out, not seeing anything special about the goggles the swordsman now wore. "Not a big fan of my Flash Guns, are you? Being a swordsman, you need close-quarters to fight which I won't give you!" he grinned as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't understand your reason for being here and I don't care, but I will say that your mere presence defines you as an enemy to the Shandorians—now I'm telling you, surrender or die! Which might happen sooner if we keep standing here, that leg of yours isn't getting any better!" he sneered as he made reference to the wound Zoro had acquired on his leg at some point during their fight.
"Shandorians?" I questioned, the word quick to catch my attention as it was the first time I had ever heard it. I couldn't help but wonder if that's what they naturally referred to themselves as...or was there another group of people living on this island different from the Guerrillas and the Priests?
"Doesn't hurt too bad—barely made a dent" Zoro scoffed, quick in brushing off the man's jab at his injured leg. "Alright, I guess I found the perfect situation to test that technique again—let's give it a try" he grinned as the Guerrilla started to shoot at him once more, causing him to dodge.
"Ah!" I gasped the second I heard him suddenly cry out in pain as he landed on his bad leg. "That looks really bad, are you sure you don't need help?" I worriedly frowned as I was now able to properly see the damage that had been done to his leg. His pants did somewhat of a good job of concealing it as the blood blended right in with the dark fabric, but it was still quite obvious that something was wrong with his leg.
"I'm fine!" he gritted through clenched teeth, shaking his head and turning down my offer to join in and take over so that he could rest.
"But..." I mumbled, fingers twitching as I settled my hand on the handles of my swords. Despite how stubborn he can be, surely he could see that a wound like that shouldn't be agitated any longer.
"Like I said, this is my fight, so stay out of it!" and with that, he pushed onward. Ignoring the pain in his wounded leg as he quickly dodged out of the way of another onslaught of bullets. I stared after him before silently huffing as I ran my fingers through my hair, I don't know why I would expect someone as stubborn as him to be reasonable.
"Think you can run away?" the Guerrilla mockingly asked.
"Sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and thought—these six roots ground us all by good, evil, and peace" Zoro sighed as he skidded to a halt and now started to get into position, ready to finally put that attack of his into action.
"What are you talking about?" the man irritably frowned, not quite following what the swordsman was getting at with his sudden rambling.
"And, of course, each of these can either be pure or impure—these are the thirty-six earthly desires" Zoro continued, now piquing my interest as I curiously watched him—he looked as if he was ready to finally bring an end to this fight. "Listen up! I have the barrel of a cannon aimed directly at your head and all you have is a couple of pistols, in both distance and power, my weapons are superior!" he proclaimed. "You've done very well, but you're still going to die!"
"What, kid? You're out of your mind!" the Guerrilla scoffed as he pressed down on the apex of another Milky Dial, dropping it so it left a trail of clouds that he could skate down and right toward Zoro. "All I see are three swords" he sneered.
"How can you see anything with your hat over your eyes?" I muttered with the roll of my eyes before taking a moment to ponder just how the man had been able to clearly see anything throughout this entire fight when the hat he wore was pulled down over his eyes.
"Have you ever seen a Flying Blade Attack?" Zoro asked.
"Attack this!" the Guerrilla snarled as he lunged forward and right toward the swordsman
"Single Sword Style," Zoro patiently waited for the man to draw closer, "36 Caliber Phoenix!" as he slashed his swords, he sustained only one injury which was caused by a last-minute gunshot that had sent a bullet flying right past his cheek—grazing it as it flew by. "That looks uncomfortable" he mockingly remarked as I handed him his bag back after he put his swords away.
"I'm sure it is" I nodded, barely even bothering to cast a glance down at the defeated Guerrilla who had been knocked flat on his back and now lay unconscious—he clearly wasn't dead seeing how his chest was still moving, yet there was no doubt that he was probably suffering.
"Nothing personal, you know, being enemies and all that—but you're in the dirt because I hate being told what to do, no other reason" Zoro scoffed as he looked his knocked-out opponent over in slight distaste.
"Hold on" I said, stopping him before he could fully turn around and leave. "You got something on your cheek..." I muttered, resting the palm of my hand against his cheek as I gently ran my thumb over the cut he had gotten. I didn't care how the blood stained my thumb nor how it streaked across his flesh as I leaned up and pecked the small wound as if that would help it in healing quicker. "You did it..." I couldn't help but softly smile at the blush that now overtook his face as he quickly averted his gaze elsewhere as if too embarrassed to really look at me.
"Of course, I'll survive—just watch..." he muttered to himself, causing my smile to grow.
"I know you will" I hummed, carefully taking his hand and intertwining our fingers. "I wouldn't expect any less from someone so strong."
-Later-
"Feels like we've been walking forever" Zoro irritably groaned, slowly growing annoyed with our lack of progress in getting anywhere.
"Geez, I wonder why—it's not like we're lost or something" I deadpanned. "No, that can't be it at all" I shook my head.
"Don't take that tone with me" Zoro frowned. "You're such a brat sometimes, you know that" he snorted when I childishly stuck my tongue out at him.
"What? Me?" I dramatically gasped, feigning offense as I grabbed my chest. "Why, I never heard such slander" I grinned, giggling as I heard him give another snort with the shake of his head.
"Whatever, let's just stop and have lunch for now—I'm getting hungry" he said, already plopping right down on the ground and motioning for me to do the same as he patted the spot right next to him.
"Yeah, alright" I agreed, plopping down right next to him as we dug out the lunches Sanji had prepared for us in advance. "I'm getting pretty hungry as well, felt like it's been forever since we last ate" I admitted, already shifting in discomfort as I finally became aware of just how empty my stomach has gotten since that morning's short breakfast. I could already hear it starting to growl as I pulled out my lunchbox and caught a whiff of the food inside.
"What a shocker..." Zoro muttered, grinning as I lightly shoved him with my shoulder in response.
"Like you're one to talk" I grinned right back as I removed the lid to my lunchbox and started to eat. "Classic Sanji" I chuckled, sighing as I held up one of the heart-shaped vegetables he added to my meal—admiring just how cutesy it looked. Though I found his obsession with women to be odd and perhaps even a little creepy from time to time, I couldn't help but be impressed by his efforts to impress when it came to the ladies. Zoro only rolled his eyes at the sight before suddenly leaning over and eating the vegetable before I could. "Hey now! You have your own food—back off, this is my cutesy lunch!" I laughed, shoving him away.
"This stuff ain't too shabby" Zoro suddenly admitted as he continued to eat, speaking such pleasant things about Sanji's cooking that I knew he'd probably never willingly admit to the blonde's face.
"Well, of course, it is Sanji's cooking" I rolled my eyes, smiling as I continued to eat as well. Despite trying my best to take my time to really appreciate just how good the food was, I couldn't stop the way my shoulders tensed as I leaned forward and pulled my lunchbox close as if worried someone might take it. In all my years of living, I don't think I've ever tasted anything as good as Sanji's cooking.
"Who's there?" Zoro glared, quick to react the second he heard the sound of rustling leaves nearby
"Birdy!" I widely smiled, tilting my head back as I stared up at the giant South Bird that now towered over and curiously peered down at us—or, more importantly, curiously peered down at the food we were eating.
"Sorry, fella, but I don't speak bird" Zoro said, quick to turn back to his meal the minute the animal opened its beak and began cawing at us as if trying to tell us something.
"Aw, I think he's hungry" I chuckled as I watched how the giant avian opened his beak as if he was waiting for one of us to give in and just hand over our food to him.
"If it's my food he's after—hey!" Zoro snapped, quick in moving his food away from the bird the second he got too close for his liking. "You're not getting it!" he growled as he continued stuffing his face while the bird opened his mouth wider as if waiting for him to toss his food inside.
"Just give him some of your food, perhaps he'll leave then" I said, softly smiling as I watched how the swordsman hurriedly stuffed his face. Sure, I would have willingly handed over my food, but it was clear to see that the bird was more interested in having whatever Zoro had...
Also, there was just something funny about watching the swordsman stuff his cheeks full like a chipmunk as he quickly ate his food in an attempt to avoid letting the bird have any.
"No way! Stop staring at me!" Zoro angrily snapped as he hurriedly finished the rest of his meal with me soon following suit.
"Aw, you made him sad—poor baby" I sweetly cooed while soothingly patting the bird's beak in an attempt to comfort him as he stared down at Zoro with tearful eyes. I chuckled as I watched how the swordsman only huffed in response as he put his empty container away before standing.
"Let's just go..." he grumbled, grabbing my hand as he started to walk away, quick in dragging me along behind him with the South Bird quick to follow after. "Would you quit following us?!" he angrily snapped when he realized the avian was following us before quickening his pace as I stared up at the bird. Watching with a deadpanned expression how his head seemed to just constantly face the other way and away from wherever we were currently heading...
Oh.
"Listen, feather brain, I just ate all my food and I don't have anymore—okay? Besides, I wouldn't give you any even if I had some, so get lost before I lose my temper!" Zoro growled as I continued to stare at the bird before slowly looking back at the swordsman, silently wondering to myself when he would put two and two together...
Probably never.
"What is your problem anyhow? Walking all weird with your big fat melon head facing the wrong direction!" Zoro angrily huffed, acknowledging that the South Bird was looking the other way, but not really realizing what that exactly meant.
"Why do you do this?" I couldn't help but groan as I pinched the bridge of my nose, my blood pressure feeling as if it was slowly beginning to rise just a little as I had to wonder if it really was possible for someone to be this dense.
"I don't want to fight you, bird, but I will—got it!" Zoro sneered back at the animal that continued to follow us. I'll admit, it was slightly amusing watching the moss-haired man constantly change directions in an attempt to lose the bird which in return revealed to me just how lost we were quickly becoming. "Quit following us!" he finally roared in frustration when he saw that he still hadn't shaken the bird.
"Perhaps he's lonely" I jokingly chuckled, innocently smiling the minute I received an annoyed grumble in response. But it wasn't long before my happy demeanor died down as I stared at where we now were—my amusement now becoming replaced with irritation.
"We've been here, it looks familiar...or have we?" Zoro asked as he looked around. "Maybe...eh, maybe not" he shrugged after a moment's thought.
"We're back at the altar, you idiot!" I snapped.
"You sure?" he asked not really believing me as he gave another look around as if to confirm what I had said. I only slapped my hand against my face and tiredly dragged it downward as if attempting to wipe away my feelings of tiredness and frustration.
"Of course, I am!" I frowned before perking up when I suddenly heard the South Bird start to laugh as if he was amused by our current predicament.
"Are you laughing at me, huh?!" Zoro scowled as he angrily threw his bag at the bird in an attempt to shut him up. This seemed to frustrate the avian as he now began to caw up a storm as if he was trying to curse the swordsman out. "What are you so worked up for anyways? The only reason you came along was to get some food—my bad sense of direction shouldn't matter, you dummy!" the swordsman snapped.
"Did you just admit to having a bad sense of direction?" I gaped, shocked that such an admittance would come from someone like him.
"Not now!" he snapped before halting all movements the minute he caught sight of the look on the bird's face as he now drooled over the swordsman's bag. Snatching it up, Zoro was quick to jump for it and tightly clutch onto it as if to show the bird that he wasn't just going to willingly let him take it from him. Quickly, I jumped up and grabbed onto his legs the minute he was lifted off of the ground, not really wanting to be left behind. "Hey! Let go of that bird brain—jerk!
"There's no more food in there! Hey!" Zoro growled, now dangling there in the air as the bird simply ignored us and continued on with his attempt in trying to steal the swordsman's bag.
"Too high..." I tensed, tightening my grip around Zoro's legs as I screwed my eyes shut in an attempt to not look down.
"Where are you taking us?!" Zoro shouted.
-Later-
"Um...hey, what's the idea?" Zoro hesitantly asked as we were still being carried by the bird, now probably hundreds of feet off the ground.
"I feel sick..." I weakly moaned, my head now spinning after accidentally catching a glimpse of the ground below.
"Are you even listening to me? I'm going to pluck you and cook you up in a stew!" Zoro angrily growled, now frustrated with the bird as he only cawed in response. His head soon pointed downward which forced both Zoro and me to curiously peer down as well.
"Oh no..." I paled at the sight of the giant snake below that now seemed to be following us from the ground. "Oh shit!" I yelped when the snake suddenly leaped upward, its jaw unhinging as it opened its mouth wide.
"Hey, fly higher—come on! I don't want to be giant snake food!" Zoro frantically shouted as the bird did his best to dodge the snake and attempted to fly higher...though it was clear he was struggling due to the added weight Zoro and I most likely added to him. "Can't you fly any faster, you dumb bird? It's still coming after us—something must have really pissed it off!" the swordsman frowned.
"Z-Zoro..." I shakily said as I looked up at the bird, quick in catching sight of the gleam in his eyes.
"What?" he asked.
"I-I don't think this b-bird plans on keeping us around much longer..." I thickly swallowed.
"What?! Why you...?!" Zoro clenched his jaw in frustration before screaming as we were suddenly let go. My heart practically stopped as my arms slipped away from Zoro's legs and began flailing around as I now screamed at the top of my lungs.
"Too high! Too high! Too high!" I babbled, tears welling up in my eyes as I painfully felt my heart start back up and start thundering away inside my chest until all I could hear was it and the roaring of my blood. I felt my breath eventually catch in my throat, cutting my unintelligible cries off as I now stared in utter horror at the fast-approaching ground. All I could manage to do at that moment is scream—that's all I knew how to do, that's all I could really do up until my body finally slammed into the ground with my back taking most of the impact as I landed with a sickening smack that made me amazed that I was even still alive.
"Ow...that was painful..." I weakly groaned, just barely finding the energy to shakily push myself up into a sitting position as I watched the swordsman stand up not that far from where I had landed. Easily did he push away the debris and rubble that surrounded him as I placed my hands onto my back, stretching as far back as I could until I heard my spine give a satisfying pop.
"Two of Straw Hat's friends?" a Guerrilla from nearby questioned.
"Oh, ow!" Zoro hissed as he rubbed the back of his neck. "That bird's going to pay—you alright?" he asked as he turned to me.
"I think so, although my back's killing me..." I groaned with a nod, slowly standing and twisting my body around until I heard another loud and satisfying pop come from my spine. "God, I hope nothing's broken..." I muttered.
"It's you two..." Gan Fall mumbled, looking rather surprised to see us both.
"Where are we?" Zoro asked as he now took a look around. "More ruins? These guys all look pretty tough" he remarked the minute he spotted all the other people that we had landed in the middle of. I perked up a little when I suddenly heard a roar nearby. "Oh well, hand over the gold" the swordsman grinned, already looking ready for another fight despite having just fallen out of the sky.
"Look what we have here—if it isn't more greedy infidels seeking salvation" a bald-headed man wearing shades snickered.
"Enough! Get out of my way or I'll destroy every one of you!" the Guerrilla snarled.
"The time has come, Ohm, tell me where Eneru and the Divine Squad are!" Gan Fall demanded as he directed his attention toward the bald-headed man.