I Will Always be by Your Side (ZoSan)

Chapter 13

Guess who's back?
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"It has to be this way!"

Sanji rounded another corner only to find yet another dead end. He groaned in frustration and bit the filter of his cigarette. The fact the place was built like a maze further proved that the Marines were morons.

"Not this way." Zoro called weakly from another hall. The cook followed his voice and found him rested up against the wall, breathing heavily. It was no time to rest, but Sanji gave it to Zoro. He had been pushing himself too hard.

While he took a break, Sanji continued to scour the halls, hoping to find something, anything, that pointed them in the right direction. The darkness didn't make it easier. Sanji found himself stumbling over his own feet at times.

A grunt and some shuffling alerted the cook to the presence of Zoro behind him. Sanji turned and found him leaning an arm on the wall as he walked.

He looked like a mess. Sweat covered his face which was pale and gaunt looking. His legs shook with each step, only worsening his already noticeable limp. Sanji frowned and walked over to him.

"Here, lean on me," he offered, taking Zoros other arm and draping it over his shoulders. The swordsman did not say anything, but he did not push away either.

The two walked together down the first hall to not lead to a dead end. Taking a few turns, Sanji felt like they were finally on the right track. Another corner, and they were at the cells.

Sanji silently cheered and picked up the pace, practically dragging Zoro along with him. He looked in each cell, all of them empty, but knew one had to have his friends inside.

There was talking in the distance, making the cook freeze in his tracks. He could feel Zoro tense next to him, indicating he could hear it too.

Sanji met his gaze. Despite how sick he looked, his eyes were sure and fierce. Sanji nodded and continued forward slowly.

As he walked he found himself pushing Zoro slightly behind him. It made sense, he was the weaker link of the two, but Sanji wasn't thinking about that. He just wanted to protect Zoro.

There was a shout that made them both stop again. It echoed off the stone walls of the dungeon. It was high in pitch. It sounded slightly whiny.

"LUFFY!" Both Sanji and Zoro shouted in unison. They broke into a run, weaving through the halls as fast as they could. Zoro even kept the pace, fueled by the need to save his crew.

When they rounded the last corner, they saw them in the very last cell.

"ZORO!! SANJI!!" Luffy yelled happily, rushing up to the bars of the cell with wide arms. When he grabbed onto them, his body went slack and he fell to the ground. The others picked him up and pulled him away.

It all made sense then. The only reason they were still stuck there was because the cell was made of seastone.

"How long have you been here?" Sanji asked, stepping up to stand just a few inches from the bars. The sight of the cell made him feel nauseous, reminding him of the torture he'd endured. It was a while ago at that point, but the memories still felt fresh, like wounds that just wouldn't heal. The cook shook himself off. He wasn't important at the moment.

"Just under a day." Nami answered. She had her back rested up against the wall of the cell. She looked calm, bored almost. Sanji couldn't imagine they had a lot to do in that cell for all those hours.

"Zoro!" A high pitched voice suddenly shouted. The swordsman behind Sanji perked up at the sound of his name and glanced into the cell.

Chopper stepped forward and frowned deeply at the sickly looking fighter. He shook his head.