The Blind Brawler [ Roronoa Zoro X OC]

Chapter 20: Flaming Strikes

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It was hopeless. The situation had only gotten worse. We were facing death and a painful one at that. My lungs screamed for air as the wax closed over my mouth and nose. My limbs ached from the weight of the greasy flakes and my eyes still burned from crying. I could no longer hear what was going on and the wax seemed to trap in my sensory vision once it completely covered me.

I could not hear or sense anything outside of myself. It was like I was trapped in a void, but this one literally suffocated me. I tried to scream in anger, but no sound came out. Panic began to grip my heart and my lungs strained from trying to hyperventilate with no air. The void seemed to consume everything; sound, air, warmth, all of it sucked away with the weight of wax.

It terrified me.

I was not sure if I wanted to cry from the colors trap still on my back or fear. Tears burned my eyes, either way, trapped under the wax. I was choking now, "I don't want to die. I don't want to die! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"

Warmth enveloped me, and I feared I may have passed on into the other world. However, the strength of the wax gave way to my desperate struggle to breathe and I coughed out the globs of melted slime. Flames licked my body and burned away my shirt, leaving me in my tank top. I gasped as the sorrow that was crushing me suddenly vanished. The colors trap had been burned away.

I leapt to my feet, filled with energy. Nami and Vivi coughed and gasped as the wax was expelled from their lungs and Zoro laughed, "Alright! We're all alive!"

"My legs! They're free!" Vivi cried out in joy.

Nami coughed, "We don't have time to celebrate! The fire will kill us if we don't get moving now!"

"Right!" We all agreed with her.

The other two girls ran off ahead of us as Zoro grabbed my wrist with a pained groan, "Let's move!" Pulling me along, he leapt off the melting platform. When we landed, I heard him choke back a cry with a hiss of anger. He let go of my wrist as he fell to one knee.

"Zoro, your legs!" I protested.

He drew his swords and shakily stood, "There's no time to worry about that now. The others need our help," I frowned but did not argue. There was no point when he got like this.

We ran forward together, pushing through the flames as quickly as possible. I managed to make out the voice of Mr. 5 over the roar of the inferno, "Damn you, stupid pirate! I refused to let you make a mockery of me! Time for a full-body explosion! There'll be nothin' left of you!"

"No, let go of me! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please let go! Help!" Usopp cried out in a panicked voice.

"Zoro, over there!" I cried out to the pirate next to me.

"Got it," He grunted. I felt a dark energy pulse off of the swordsman and shivered, "What the hell is this murderous intent? Is this why people called him a demon?" He dashed forward as if his legs were uninjured and I followed close behind him. As we burst through the flames, I felt my leather gloves catch fire.