The Blind Brawler [ Roronoa Zoro X OC]

Chapter 42: Mr. Prince

I watched as the water level started to slowly rise. Smoker lifted his leg out of the water's reach and sat cross-legged on the bench. His face was still contorted in rage.

My crewmates all had similar looks of anger. However, Nami and Usopp's expressions were mixed with panic as they looked from the rising water to the unconscious Vivi lying behind the enormous banana-gator.

Kaori let out a growl before she began feeling around the bars of the cage. My brow furrowed as I watched her for a moment before glancing back at the reptile looming above us.

The water splashed against the blue-haired woman and she stirred. Luffy saw the princess moving and shouted to her, "Vivi!"

She slowly pushed herself up onto her feet just as the banana-gator spotted her and turned to lunge. Moving quickly, the princess slashed her bladed whip towards the creature's snout. It reeled back, startled but uninjured. Vivi took the chance to jump up onto a piece of the crushed staircase and clamber onto the alligator's back. As the beast turned to try and snap at her, she vaulted herself off of his back and up onto the intact portion of the staircase.

Nami let out a triumphant cry, "Alright! She got away!"

However, the navigator may have spoken too soon and jinxed our friend. As Vivi caught her footing and began to dash up the last of the steps, the banana-gator leapt up to devour both her and the stairs. The princess screamed as the beast shattered the steps under her feet.

The monster threw itself with so much force that its tail ended up careening to the side. It smashed into the glass wall of the aquarium. The tempered wall was not built to take blunt force like that and a hole shattered from the pressure of the water against the crack. I grimaced as I watched a small wave of water pour into the room, instantly raising the water up to my calves and climbing faster.

Nami yelped as the cold water splashed against her, "Things have just gone from bad to worse!"

Usopp joined her in her panic, "At the rate it's flowing we don't even have an hour left! We'll be lucky if we have twenty minutes!"

"Vivi, are you okay?!" Luffy called out. I tried to look for the blue-haired woman either on the ground or at the top of the stairs, but could not see her past the stupid lizard.

"I'm fine!" The princess answered, "I'm going to get help, so just hold on! I will get you out of there. I'm not going to abandon any of you. I promise! I'll be right back with help, okay?!" I smiled at her determined declaration as Luffy and Usopp cheered. I finally spotted her near the top of the stairs as she ran down the hallway.

With Vivi gone, all we could do was wait. I crossed my arms and stared at the exit to watch for the princess to return with the chef. Luffy and Usopp began panicking and shouting. Nami was looking around frantically as if trying to search for another way out.

Kaori continued to pull at the bars, shuffling along the wall with a determined scowl. Nami gave her an incredulous frown, "Hey, uh, Kaori? What are you doin'?"

The blind woman did not answer her as I glanced her way. She grasped the door to the prison and rattled it, "Here!" She felt along the sides and grasped at the hinges and the lock before taking a step back and nodding. Her knees bent a little as she shifted her weight onto her left leg. Her fists curled loosely in front of her face before she suddenly pivoted and spun around. Her right leg shot out and she bashed at the lock of the door with her heel causing a reverberating clang.

Usopp shouted at her as she brought her foot back down, "Are you nuts?! At least give us some warning!"

The white-haired woman only clicked her tongue, "Damnit. That lock is sturdy."