Spitfire [A One-Piece Fan-fic]

Chapter Six: Mysterious Cloaks, Pissed Pirates

If he survived this, Kyou would never drink something he hadn't poured himself. That, he solemnly swore to himself as he watched Kana groggily shake her head. He'd been watching her for some time in hopes that perhaps she would be able to muscle their way out of this situation. Unfortunately, if the way she'd yet to say a coherent word since her consciousness had returned, the drugs she'd been given must have been far stronger than what they'd dosed his juice with.

"Kana," he hissed under his breath. "Kana, look at me, dammit!"

Something about his tone must have gotten through her foggy mind because the blonde stared at him, her expression as blank as could be. He cursed. Great. Without Kana, he was screwed. His hands had long since been secured above his head, which was currently resting against a stake in the ground. He might have tried to pull and see if he could get free, but his legs were similarly secured by a rope twisted about his feet. No, between the binds and his scrawny frame, he wasn't getting anywhere.

There was no calling for help, either. He'd long since realized that whatever warehouse they'd been stashed in (Kyou'd assumed the building based on the dirt flooring) must have been outside of the township. The damp, dark building was empty beyond the stake behind his back and the occasional wooden support. He'd heard only a handful of people walking outside the door, something which would have been unheard of in the bustling streets they'd walked since leaving the ship.

He should have stayed in the damn submarine.

"Kana, did they take your weapon?"

She blinked, confusion flickering across her face. Oh, he was so getting revenge on her when this was all over. He'd... hide her tools or something. Maybe set up a few embarrassing pranks.

"Your wea-pon," he said, stretching out the world as if he was talking to a total imbecile. Which, he supposed, he was. "You know, the oversized stick you can use to beat people. Your. Weapon."

"My..."

Kana stared at her bound wrists. They hadn't bothered to tie her up as securely as Kyou, apparently the villagers weren't afraid she'd get anything done in the shape she'd been left in. Kyou held just about as much hope.

"Weapon. Your weapon!"

The slight raise in his voice must have been audible through the door because he suddenly heard the sound of something hitting the door. He tensed, watching it with narrowed eyes. Within seconds the door slid open. Unfortunately for him, he'd been in the dark long enough that the sudden flood of light from a torch in the man's hand momentarily blinded him.

"Shut up," a stranger ordered. "It won't be much longer, alright? So, just sit tight, lad."

Kyou had a mouthful of colorful responses about where the guy could stick his words, but he was left simply staring at the door given that the guy shut it within seconds of speaking. He instead cursed under his breath and dropped his chin to his chest. Unreasonably, his eyes burned.

Dammit, he was a man, wasn't he?

Still, this looked bad. He knew better than anyone what sort of trouble getting drugged and tied up could lead to. He had the half-brand on the back of his shoulder to prove it. If he closed his eyes, he could still see the terrified looks on his friends face when he'd returned to them with that particular battle wound. At best, this was the same situation. After all, he'd gotten it from one of the street kid's worst boogeyman.

That had to be it, right? The villagers probably saw them and thought of what a pretty price they could get selling the two strangers to slavers. They were probably just waiting for the ship to arrive.