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RUMBLE!	By : TreeStar Category: +M to R > One Piece Views: 7990 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 19
- 20
- 21
RUMBLE !

20

If a Tree Falls in the Jungle�

A loud bird cawed overhead, making Luffy flinch. There were lots of insects buzzing and chirruping around them as the duo made their way further into the woods. It was making his head fuzzy. There were crunching sounds echoing from between the trees. Vines hung down from high and low branches that occasionally sported snakes, monkeys, and lizards and butterflies and mosquitoes the size of burritos were flitting around. It was a lot of sound to have thrown at him all at once, and Luffy found himself tucking deeper into Zoro�s haramaki so that he would be able to burrow under it if the volume started to increase.

He was doing okay so far, but he knew that Zoro was watching him more carefully than he was the path they were walking down, and he was under obligation to tell when he didn�t feel well. Chopper had said staying calm was the key, so he would stay calm. Who was more calm than him? He was a model of calmness, and if anyone claimed otherwise, he�d sock �em good!

The flora was so thick, what with waist-deep ferns and tropical flowers and palm fronds making up everything around them, that Zoro could only occasionally see the dirt of the ground he was walking on. He was stumbling frequently and using one of his swords to hack his way through the greenery.

It�s so pretty! Luffy thought as he tried to see everything at once through tiny eyes. Everything was just enormous to him; a visual spectrum of color and shapes.

Again, he hadn�t expected the sounds. He was having a hard time getting past them because he couldn�t just ignore them. Luffy hated being helpless. These sounds wouldn�t have been making him jump so much if he were just big enough to know that he could beat up anything that might be making them.

It wasn�t that he was regretting coming onto the island. It had become warm once they�d gotten behind the protection of the trees, and a thick mist drifted over the earth.

Zoro beat his way past one last clump of shrubbery before the pair broke through the outer ring of growth and were able to move forward without a sword leading the way.

Zoro sheathed his blade. �How ya doin�, Luffy?�

�Alright,� Luffy answered, turning his face up to give Zoro a smile. �It�s pretty here.�

�Yeah,� Zoro answered sarcastically, �beautiful.� But behind his tone he was surprised to realize that despite the difficulty it was giving him, the island really was beautiful. In fact, the whole world seemed just a little more beautiful to him these past few days. It was odd, but he had no problem letting little things go. His mood had been getting better with each day that passed that week. Wasn�t that strange? Zoro wondered what had changed inside of him that had made everything seem just a little bit better.

Luffy smiled at his answer regardless of its tone.

Since the way was clear now, Zoro had to pay more attention to their surroundings so that nothing took them by surprise while he was fiddling with the little sprite in his haramaki, no matter how cute and distracting it was.

�Hey, Zoro?� the sprite in question asked from his mid drift. �Can you climb up a tree?�

�What? What for?�

Luffy was tilting his head curiously. �So that we can see everything from up high!�

Zoro shook his head. �I can see everything fine down here. I don�t want to climb a tree.�

Luffy was already distracted by something else. �Look, Zoro! Look at that yellow snake! It looks so funny. Its face looks like a monkey�s,� he laughed and pointed.

Zoro snorted at the irony in that.

�Ooo! Look at that! That stick just walked! Zoro! That stick is climbing that tree!�

�Yeah, how about that?� Zoro humored.

�How can it do that?�

�Because it�s a walking stick.�

�I can see that, but how?�

�It�s a bug. It�s not really a stick, it�s only camouflaged to look like a stick so that birds don�t grab it and eat it.� Zoro answered, unable to withhold a grin. Luffy was more energetic than he had been in days. It was great. A happy Luffy made everything a little brighter around he world.

�Then it�s edible?�

�No,� Zoro answered patiently, �not to us.�

�Oh�� Luffy looked up at Zoro to see that his swordsman was looking at everything around them, but not at him.

�Zoro, what are you looking for?�

�Predators. I don�t want to be ambushed.�

�Oh,� Luffy said again. The continued on for a little longer, not saying anything, before the sound began to become a little too prominent for Luffy, and he twisted around in Zoro�s haramaki to play with his best friend�s bellybutton, because it was right there.

Zoro stiffened as Luffy began to fiddle around with his bellybutton. He could NOT let Luffy know he was ticklish, really he couldn�t, because Luffy would have a field day, and Zoro wouldn�t be able to let himself stop him out of fear that he might accidentally squish the boy in his desperation.

Luffy�s play lasted no more than a few seconds, however, before he became distracted by something else. Before relief could set in, however, Zoro realized what it was Luffy had become aware of.

�Zoro, when did you get hurt?�

His alligator injury. The gash he�d received in killing that huge nasty thing the night before.

�It�s nothing. The gator last night clipped me is all. I forgot about it as soon as the fight was over. How do you even know it�s there?�

�I can smell it,� Luffy admitted.

Of course, Zoro thought. He couldn�t be who he was and not know what injuries smell like. The blood and pus and the inflamed skin that usually all surround an inflicted wound have a distinct scent.

�I�ve had much worse. I�ve gotten worse by arguing with Nami. I�ll probably get worse when we get home tonight.�

Luffy reluctantly had to agree. �Yeah� probably.�

The wound really was a small flesh wound for Zoro, and since Zoro wasn�t sick, he wouldn�t appreciate the concern. He�d earned more respect than that.

�I�m glad you�re okay,� Luffy smiled at him.

�Just exercise before breakfast,� Zoro played off.

All the same, the swordsman noticed that Luffy didn�t go back to fiddling with his bellybutton. Instead, Luffy twisted back around to look curiously into the jungle again.

�Hey, Zoro?�

�Yeah?� Zoro asked again.

�Can you smell that?�

�What?�

Luffy didn�t answer, and when Zoro looked down at him again he found that he was surrounded by mist. They�d stepped down into a hollow of mist at some point and the warm humid cloud hovered just above his knees. Where had they come to?

�What the hell�? It smells like��

�Sulfur,� Luffy finished for him. �Do you think it�s safe to walk through here? I can�t see the forest floor.� Luffy held his sleeve over his nose and mouth.

With the mist steadily rising, Zoro wanted to get away from the source and back up to the higher ground they had been on before. But now that he had walked into it, he didn�t know how to get back out again, and any trail that Luffy might possibly have remembered had been shrouded in the rising mist. Maybe they would end up climbing a tree after all�

�Zoro?� Luffy coughed.

Zoro started taking steps toward that big tree over there so he could pull them into it.

�Not that way,� Luffy choked, his chest starting to heave.

The mist had come to Zoro�s hips and he lifted Luffy out of the Haramaki and cupped him to his chest before it could reach his waist. �Do you know how to get out of here, Luffy?�

Luffy registered the question in his spinning head and pointed to where the scent was weaker. There had to be a steam outlet of some sort that was venting this warm mist; Luffy could hear bubbling coming from the right and was willing to bet that a boiling hot spring was the source. If he could get Zoro to head away from it, maybe they would get out of this pit.

Zoro began to walk in the direction Luffy was pointing as best he could with all the foliage in the way. The steamy mist got deeper before it got shallower, and Luffy�s skin became damp and pale as they continued to make their way through it. The air was hot and thin and hard to breathe, and consciousness slipped further away from him by the moment, but even after he forgot why he was pointing away from the spring, the instinct that told him it was just something he had to do kept him holding their course true.

He could hear Zoro calling to him at first, reminding him that he wasn�t alone, but sound slowly drifted away from him as the heat made the world twirl in circles and the air got too thin to take in and stay awake.

-------------

��fy? �Luffy?�

Luffy groaned and rolled his head to one side. Where�?

�Luffy? You with me now?�

Zoro.

Luffy opened his eyes and gave Zoro a lazy smile. �Hi Zoro. I feel better,� he added, before Zoro could ask. �Not hurting anywhere.�

Zoro�s question died on his lips, and he sighed. He was never going to get used to this.

Luffy�s gaze drifted around. �Where are we?�

�We�re out of the pit. What happened to you?�

�What?�

�Was it heat, or�?�

Luffy sighed and nodded. �It was weird. It was hot and sticky and the air tasted funny, and then it felt like I was falling �and I just sorta fell asleep. It actually wasn�t so bad,� he reassured, petting Zoro�s hand and then laughing at the irked expression it caused. �Haha! How long was I out?�

�Not long. A couple minutes.�

Luffy closed his eyes again with a sigh. �That�s not bad. I�m still tired, though.�

Zoro frowned slightly. �You should rest, then. You know the game by now.�

Luffy giggled and grabbed Zoro�s thumb as if tucking himself in to bed.

�So� I would say the island is volcanic�� he murmured, mostly to himself.

�Aa. I�d agree,� Luffy seconded anyway.

�Should we find the others? I don�t remember seeing a peak from the boat, so I don�t know where the lava would come from.�

Luffy watched the leaves drift overhead from where he laid on his back for a few moments before answering. �Zoro, remember Little Garden? These trees look like those� Do you think there�re dinosaurs here?�

�If there are, then I�ll bring back a huge one to show Sanji.�

Luffy didn�t get where the sudden animosity came from, but smiled anyway. �Okay.� But still his concern was there. �What�s bothering me more is that Little Garden had mountainous volcanoes. If this island doesn�t have those, wouldn�t that mean that the highest point of the volcano is the whole island itself?�

Zoro slowed. �Are you saying that we�re in the mouth of a volcano?�

Luffy started the answer, then pursed his lips in confusion. �I don�t know. Does it sound like I�m saying that?�

�Yes.�

�Oh,� Luffy nodded to himself. Then his eyes widened. �Zoro! We�re in the mouth of a volcano!�

�I think so, too.�

�How come it�s solid?� Luffy asked as he tried to roll over, but Zoro�s thumb pinned him.

�Because volcanoes are always solid if they�re not blowing up. All that lava hardens, time passes, and things grow, remember? The circle of life and all that,� Zoro waved it off dismissively.

Luffy let out a deep breath and relaxed again. His spirit was so excited! But his body was tired and it wasn�t changing its mind about it. It was making it hard to throw the personal parade he so wanted to toss. �Will it erupt?�

�I don�t know why it would. It hasn�t in forever; just look around us.�

Luffy glanced around, and sighed. �Oh,� he tried to say, but his �oh� turned into a yawn.

Zoro smirked. �Go to sleep, Luffy. I�ll wake you for anything interesting.�

Luffy shook his head, blinking hard. �I�m okay. I�ll just be real still. I want to see everything.�

Zoro knew it would be like this. But he was also coming to know Luffy in this condition, and was aware that certain inevitabilities -like sleep- would come no matter what, so it was easier if he didn�t fight about it and let it come to the captain naturally.

�Alright,� he said instead. �Then would you mind telling me why you ignored Chopper this morning?�

Luffy�s grip on his thumb slackened to practically nothing as the boy was caught totally off-guard, and it was quiet for almost a minute.

��Did he notice?� Luffy finally spoke.

�No,� Zoro replied.

Luffy began to trace Zoro�s thumb print. �It� it wasn�t that I wanted to, it�s just that� I wanted to stay with you today,� he repeated his earlier words.

�So you�re pretending not to hear anyone else?�

�No! No, it�s not like that. I just want you with me now!� Luffy was clearly upset that he couldn�t say what he was trying to say.

�Luffy, is it because of last night? Because I wasn�t there when things got bad?�

Luffy hugged Zoro�s thumb again. �You got it backwards,� he mumbled. �Things got bad because you weren�t there� I just want to be with you now.�

Zoro couldn�t help but smile a little. He didn�t want Luffy to think he was laughing at him, because he wasn�t, but an embarrassed Luffy was an adorable thing to see.

Said adorable thing yawned widely again, and his head flopped to one side in exhaustion.

�We should have brought some lunch,� Zoro commented idly.

�Mm,� Luffy agreed, his eyes sliding closed for a moment before he forced them open again. �Zoro? What if we run into the others? Will we have to go back to the ship early?�

Zoro shook his head as Luffy�s eyes drifted closed again. �No, I�ll keep clear of them until later on. Don�t worry. You won�t miss anything, captain.�

Luffy nodded and finally lost his struggle with consciousness as Zoro entered a very small clearing with a few tall white boulders resting on the ground. Picking out a flat looking one, Zoro sat down on it and let his back rest against the taller boulder behind him.

The only real reason he had come ashore was for Luffy. It felt sometimes like that was the only reason he did anything. So he would wait for the boy to wake -he never slept for too long after his attacks- before he continued onward. It was ideal, really. If they got attacked here, Zoro would see it coming and have time to reciprocate without concern, and Luffy would be very happy.

Satisfaction fulfilled, Zoro let himself relax and watch the sleeper in his palm who was latched onto his thumb even in dreamland. Luffy was the cutest person to watch sleep. He really was. When he wasn�t snoring, he tended to curl up and snuggle into his hammock, much how he was using Zoro�s palm now. Zoro held him very close to convey his body heat.

It would be so hard to let him go when this ended. He almost wished that Luffy could stay safe in his care forever, but such a thought was completely selfish. Wishing something like that on his captain when it was obvious how much pain he was in because of it. It was appalling! But still he wondered how things would change between the two of them when Luffy got better. Would they change at all? Did he want them to? Would Luffy want them to? If so, in what way?

They had always understood and trusted each other. They had always been close. Zoro was just doing what he had to do. What he felt was right. This whole situation was a necessary thing, right?

Except, Zoro thought to himself, I don�t want things to go back to the way they were anymore. It would be normal and comfortable, certainly. It wouldn�t be odd at all for things to go back to normal. But going from their ordinary friendship to being the one person vital to Luffy�s happiness above all others was a wonderful feeling, and when he thought about it abruptly ending, it hurt.

The feelings he got when Luffy cried out his name or clung to him like a very small chibling were ones that were surfacing all the time, and he didn�t want to stop feeling them. He was scared that he would still feel them when Luffy was big again and off playing with everyone else, leaving him to nap in the sun, undisturbed.

Something about this set up was addictive. Luffy was addictive.

Luffy twitched in his sleep, sensing Zoro�s heat nearby, and instinctively released the big thumb to fist his hands into Zoro�s shirt and snuggle closely to Zoro�s body in a way that left Zoro unable to move his hand away from his solar plexus without letting Luffy slide down his tummy and wake up. ��Blue mystery pumpkin��

Zoro smiled fondly. He closed his eyes for a moment, before opening them again with a resigned look. This would end soon. That was all there was to it. Luffy would only need him like this for a very short time, and then the great captain would again be more than strong enough to hold not only his own, but everyone else�s as well.

But even still� even knowing all that� �Sometimes I feel like I never want to put you down,� Zoro whispered.

----------------

Luffy woke up to warm surroundings and strange noises. It was comfy here�

He inhaled and smiled when he identified the scent. Rubbing his eyes, he yawned before getting his focus and looking up at where his swordsman was lying back against a white rock and relaxing. He wasn�t asleep, but he looked peaceful enough that Luffy didn�t want to bother him.

Silly Zoro, Luffy thought as he pulled Zoro�s hand over himself more and snuggled up again. At that moment it didn�t matter that they were in a strange place and he couldn�t fight. He was with Zoro, and nothing beyond that really mattered at all.

Zoro looked down when his hand was moved. �Luffy, you awake?�

Luffy smiled and rubbed his hand over Zoro�s solar plexus in answer, then let his hand twist up in the fabric again and laid still.

Zoro smiled. Just ten more minutes, huh? he thought, and settled down again. That was perfectly fine with him.

Luffy, meanwhile, was becoming all to aware that he would only be able to enjoy this for a short while longer. When the torture of the RumbleBalls left him, so would the pleasure he enjoyed from moments like these, when Zoro just held him.

Zoro was being so good to him, it was more than he deserved. And he knew that Zoro had been more worried in these past few days alone than he had in the entire time he�d known him. It had to be strenuous, yet Zoro was being so amazing about everything.

Luffy smiled and stroked his hand over Zoro�s tummy. He was so lucky. He�d really hit the jackpot. No other person in the world has a best friend as good as I have.

It was weird, but being alone with Zoro like this filled him with a powerful warmth and a desire to be tender in return. Had he always felt like this? When he first shrank, had he felt like this then, too? He was sure this was something he�d have remembered� this feeling. It made him feel more complete every time he was held, and when he was away from Zoro, he felt like a part of him became empty.

Sometimes I wish you could hold me forever.

-------------

After enough relaxing time passed like this, Luffy knew that, like it or not, they had to move. The way he figured it, if they started walking now, they would scan the entire island which would finally result in them finding the Going Merry before it got too dark.

Rolling onto his front, Luffy pushed himself to his hands and knees as Zoro watched him crawl out from under the big hand, grateful again that it wasn�t cold inland where they were.

�Feel better?� Zoro asked as Luffy clambered to his feet.

�Yeah,� the little pirate answered as he carefully began to walk up Zoro�s chest, right foot on the inhales and left foot on the exhales. �This feels funny�, he giggled.

Zoro snorted, causing the boy to swing his arms for balance, which made Zoro laugh, which made Luffy collapse to his knees, holding his middle and gasping.

�Zoro!� he squealed, holding his middle, �Hahahaha! I- Ahaha� It�s making my tummy tickle!�

Zoro only laughed harder. How cute could Luffy be?

Finally the small boy toppled off Zoro in serious giggle-mania, and Zoro, who�d been paying close attention, caught him before he could hit the rock and moved him back to his belly once he�d calmed down, himself.

Luffy was still catching his breath when something made him turn sharply and look toward something in the bushes. Chest still heaving, his gaze fixed on something, and it took Zoro a moment to realize that Luffy wasn�t looking at anything. He was listening.

�Luffy?� Zoro whispered.

Luffy had gotten to his feet again. �I thought I heard something,� he informed after a few moments.

Zoro didn�t hear anything aside from the chirruping and humming of insects in the trees and on the ground. �What kind of something?�

��Something� something�� Luffy�s voice drifted, his attention too focused on something in the direction of that taller wall of plants over there.

�An animal?� Zoro prompted after a few seconds.

��Maybe �no.�

Zoro was getting concerned at how hard he was trying to use his senses. They were amplified enough, and hard on him without him trying to make them stronger.

��Are you sure it was really anything? Because you can kind of hear everything��

Luffy looked at him, slightly hurt, and Zoro explained, �I�m not trying to discredit you. It�s just that, because you can hear everything that I� I worry about you listening too hard. There�s so much sound around us already, and if you concentrate on it and a really loud sound suddenly came��

Luffy thought for a moment and sighed. �That would hurt a lot,� he admitted quietly.

Zoro� you never used to admit when you were worried about me. Even though it was always obvious� to me, anyway. Last week you never would have opened up to me like this� not like this.

Luffy felt a slight blush and looked back at the bushes, his feet fidgeting.

Suddenly a bullfrog that had until then been silently sitting near their rocks decided to make its presence known by letting out a loud croak. Zoro jumped slightly at the interruption of their calm talk, and Luffy gasped and clapped his hands over his ears.

�Case in point,� whispered Zoro, picking up his captain and getting to his feet before choosing an arbitrary direction and leaving the clearing of large white rocks behind them.

Luffy�s hands dropped away from his ears and he heaved a sigh.

�I�m fine,� he said, beating Zoro to the punch for the second time that day.

�We�re having a good day so far, captain,� Zoro observed, jinxing the entire situation.

��Yeah,� Luffy smiled, jinxing it worse. �Yeah, I guess we are. �Except I�m hungry.�

�Aa�� Zoro was feeling that way, too. �Maybe we�ll catch something and then we can make a fire to cook it,� he thought aloud as he slipped Luffy back into his haramaki. ��But with you on special food right now��

�Hunting!� Luffy sang, choosing to hear only what he wanted to. Then he stopped and looked up. �But have you seen anything we can eat, yet? I�ve only seen monkeys and snakes, and they�re too high up.�

�I�ve noticed that, too, actually. There must be a game trail nearby; there�s plenty of prey here. So where are all the predators?�

�Makoot Kar Haktett,� Luffy relied.

Zoro looked down at him like he was nuts. �What?!�

�Makoot Kar Haktett,� Luffy repeated, pointing to something. �On that sign over there.�

Zoro followed his finger and sure enough, there was a man-made sign with words of bone nailed to it.

�Who put that there?� Zoro wondered aloud.

�It looks really old. Do you think the people who made it are still here? I mean, that thing�s barely standing anymore, it�s so decayed.�

Zoro made an uncaring sound, and continued walking. �We haven�t seen any other sign of anyone. With bones on the sign and all, they were probably tribal people with their own language that didn�t know anything of the other islands. Before the Daikaizoku Jidai, almost no one sailed on the Grand Line.

��Makoot Kar Haktett�� What do you think it means?�

�Hmmm,� Luffy frowned, making his deep-thought noise. �Maybe it�s a type of food!�

�I doubt it,� Zoro disagreed.

Luffy pouted.

Zoro continued to keep his eyes on the flora around them. There had to be big game here somewhere, and even if Luffy couldn�t eat them, it didn�t mean they couldn�t eat Luffy.

Luffy�s voice rose up again, suddenly nervous. �Then maybe it�s a warning about quicksand.�

Zoro looked down at his waist again. �Why would it be a warning abo- EEH?�

�Woah!� Luffy cried as Zoro began to try to backpedal his way out of the area of quicksand that came to mid-thigh already, hoping it wasn�t too late. But when that only made him sink faster, he began trying to stay as still as possible.

�Wh-wh-whatdawedo?!� Luffy asked as he began to tow himself up to Zoro�s shoulder with his stretched arm.

Carefully as he could, Zoro unsheathed a sword and tried to reach the other bank. But he didn�t know how far in front of him that bank was, and he couldn�t reach the bank behind him anymore. Maybe he could do a really cool move and blow himself out of the sand with a mighty swing! �Or maybe he would just end up creating a mighty hole that would swallow them both instantaneously. If only there was something he could grab hold of�

�Luffy, can you reach the bank?�

�Of course.�

�Then you need to get onto it.�

��What?�

�I can�t reach anything from here. I might be able to do a move, but I can�t with you here.�

�Am I in the way?� Luffy sounded crushed.

�No! I just won�t risk you, too.�

�Risk? There�s risk now?�

�Luffy��

�I trust you, Zoro!�

Zoro was almost in to his hips now. �I don�t want anything to happen to you.�

�I don�t want anything happen to YOU!� Luffy returned.

�I�ll be fine as long as you are, now get on the bank!�

Luffy was about to pull Zoro�s promise as his ultimate failsafe when he suddenly remembered something important.

��Fine. On one condition.�

�Name it,� Zoro said urgently. He was running out of time!

�You�re not to do any stupid moves to try and get out,� Luffy said clearly.

��What? Luffy, I need to try someth-�

�NO! You don�t. Quicksand isn�t normal. You can�t get out of it with weapons!�

�How do you know?!�

�Because I�ve been in it before! And it swallowed me up! I couldn�t breathe, and it would have killed me if help hadn�t come.�

For a moment, Zoro actually forgot that he was buried in quicksand to his solar plexus. ��When did that happen?�

Images and sensations flashed quickly through Luffy�s mind of Crocodile in the desert, of the pain of having that huge arm rip through his gut, of the hot blood that ran everywhere as the sand swallowed his body whole�

�It�s not important,� Luffy avoided the question. �The point is that you can�t get out by yourself, and we don�t have much time. I�ll think of something.�

With that, Luffy grabbed Zoro�s shoulder and pulled back into launch position before releasing without a second thought as to what happened the last time his rocket misfired. Luckily, he aimed for the grass on the side of the path where he knew it would be safe without falling short and landing in the sand, himself.

He turned to see from a side view that Zoro was in halfway up his chest and still sinking slowly.

Zoro was good at holding one position when the situation called for it. Just think of it as training, the swordsman thought to himself. It was easy to remain calm that way.

�Until Luffy looked off into the bushes and vanished from view.

�Luffy!� Protective instinct kicked up a gear higher than self-preservation instinct, and Zoro sank several inches all at once before freezing again. If he sank, Luffy would be pissed. And terrified, and alone.

I wouldn�t be in the best position, either, he reflected.

But now that Luffy was on the bank and out of sight, Zoro was sorely tempted to try a move to get out, if only to get Luffy back in his arms again. There could be tigers in low branches for all he knew.

�Luffy,� he called.

Silence.

�Luffy, answer me!�

Nothing.

�Luffy if you don�t answer me right now I swear I�ll do something you won�t like!�

Zilch.

�LUFFY!� he shouted, finally throwing caution to the wind. There was no way in hell his captain would miss that. He didn�t even regret that he�d sounded less commanding and more scared than he�d meant to, because, damn it all, he needed Luffy to answer him or he was going to seriously freak out.

But no answer came.

��are you okay?�

-----------------

Luffy could hear Zoro calling for him, but he was too busy dragging behind him the spear he�d found in the bush to answer. He�d darted toward it the moment he�d seen it without letting himself think, because he couldn�t afford to hesitate, let alone freeze up. Now he was hauling it behind him as fast as he could, which was much too slow for his taste, but there was nothing he could do. The spear was made of heavy dark wood and had a sharp stone head. It was heavy and built to last, which was both a good and bad thing. It would get Zoro out for sure, but first it had to reach Zoro.

�Why does everything have to have a catch?!� Luffy grumbled between heaves.

He heard Zoro shout a threat that he didn�t buy for an instant because he had said �no�, and when he said �no�, Zoro listened.

How deep was Zoro by now? They were both running out of time.

Stupid spear!

�LUFFY!�

At the fear in Zoro�s voice, Luffy took a deep breath and hauled with all his might, and moments later he saw Zoro, who had his shoulders under the sand. Luffy thought it was strange that for someone in such a lethal situation, Zoro sure looked relieved�

He pulled the spear to the edge of the grass and started to push it out across the sand. Zoro raised his hands over the sand and pulled it in with his fingertips until he could grasp it. Shifting it in his hands, he stuck the spear head into the grass a few feet from the captain, and started towing himself closer to the bank. His head dipped below a couple times on the journey, but once he reached the side, he grabbed chunks of the grass and used them to haul himself up and out of the sand to crawl a few feet away and flop down face-first onto the solid ground.

�Thanks,� he panted.

Luffy ran up in front of him. �You okay?�

Zoro nodded. �You?�

�Fine!� Luffy chirped. He was bouncing on the balls of his feet, a little nervous and eager to get back into Zoro�s arms. If Zoro waited for Luffy to come to him like he sometimes did, then he could restrain himself until Zoro rolled over onto his back to sit up before pouncing on him.

Zoro laughed a little and looked toward the spear still sticking out of the ground at an angle over the quicksand. �I thought you said I couldn�t get out using weapons.�

Luffy suddenly realized the same thing and laughed. �Oops,� he shrugged big.

They were both still smiling when the bird swooped down from the treetops and grabbed Luffy where he stood not two feet from Zoro.

The little captain heard his name being called before there was pain wrapped around his body and he was in the air.
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RUMBLE!