Two Dreams, One Adventure

Defeat and Determination

Usopp demanded to know why he didn't realize it. There was a whole chamber beneath them! "The blood was smelling really strongly," he said defensively. He looked down, and scowled. He was coated in blood all to his legs. Shorts ruined, shirt ruined. "Now all I have is this barrel. Kinda."

"Well, in different circumstances... but not right now, here, no way."

Nami smiled behind her hand. "Would somebody be embarrassed?" she teased. Zoro scowled at her, and went to sit in the corner of the cage. Luffy pressed his hands against the bars, but it made him weak. Nami saw the look on his face, a furious, unnerving and slightly crazed look suddenly, and yanked him away. Smoker was dropped inside, too, having entered without permission.

"No touching that anymore, understand?" she demanded. Luffy nodded, moping. He was losing it when he touched something that made him feel extremely vulnerable. Smoker asked why Luffy was covered in blood, but didn't seem hurt. "None of your business," Nami snapped. Smoker then hit him in the side of the head with his jitte and then pinned it on him.

Luffy's eyes widened and he managed to grab the jitte and hold on tight enough to collapse it. Zoro pulled Luffy away from it. "Damn it," Zoro hissed, seeing Luffy was exhausted already. "What the hell was that?" But Smoker looked at his jitte in shock. He glared at Luffy suspiciously.

"He's a fruit user, seastone should weaken him immediately. Looks like it has an after affect. The stone of this jitte and cage is made of seastone, a mysterious metal that emits the same energy as the water. It's still a mystery, but it keeps devil fruit users from using their power," he explained, looking at his jitte in light anger.

He sat down, glaring at Luffy. Zoro looked troubled. He looked at Nami and Usopp, who knew the gravity of Luffy being exhausted already. Both of them moved in front of Zoro and Luffy, who took Zoro's arm and drank enough that was the size of two of the mini bags. He didn't moan, he just made himself look bored, completely controlling himself. Luffy wiped his face on him.

He pulled away with a thanks. He made sure not to touch the bars anymore. He snuggled into Zoro, an action that didn't fit the situation. Smoker looked at them with narrowed eyes, clearly now knowing there was more than a crewmember relationship. "Is now the time?" he snapped. Zoro gave him the middle finger. Then they were interrupted with a deep, cold voice, teasing them about fighting amongst themselves. Luffy hadn't even smelled him. He wanted this shirt off as soon as possible.

"Crocodile," Smoker sneered.

"You really are a stray hound, aren't you, Smoker? You never thought of me as an ally from the start. Oh, that's right, I was going to have you die in an accident. I reported you fighting the Straw Hats several times. Hahaha. I don't know why you came here, but it was obviously out of your own accord," he said casually, sitting in a fancy chair. "The government believes me, they wouldn't send any marines here normally."

Zoro had his hand on his sword. "So, that's a Warlord, huh?" Luffy was glaring at him, Usopp and Nami terrified.

"Hey! You!" Luffy started angrily, but was cut off.

"You did well to come this far, Straw Hat. I never thought I'd actually meet you. But you somehow scared the Unluckies, it seems. I don't see why, you aren't frightening at all," Crocodile said mockingly. Luffy glared. "But don't worry, I'll be killing you very soon. But the guest of honor isn't here yet. I've just sent my partner to pick her up recently." He laughed.

He truly looked weird. Slicked black hair with a very nasty stitched up scar across his face. While they waited, Luffy seething, he wondered if Crocodile's head had been chopped off and then fixed. "Not possible. That scar has to be from something else," Nami said calmly.