The Dark Knight of GLU

Chapter 23
Attack! Counterattack!

Guns were drawn and both gangs began firing up towards the rafters. Zoro and Frank split up and headed for the ladders on opposite sides, hoping to buy Ace as much time as he needed to secure the doors. Sadly, with gunshots, they knew that odds had just shifted in favor of the other side. There was no way the men outside wouldn’t hear that ruckus. Giving up on the stairs, Zoro jumped off the catwalk and landed on a crate of ammunition. The wood broke under him and sent the magazines skittering across the floor. Zoro grunted at the force of the poorly executed landing and rolled off to the floor, dodging behind another stack of goods when he was spotted. The men who had come after Zoro included those belonging to the sickly looking man with the tonfa. He had no desire to incur the wrath of another gang so he decided to avoid them as much as possible, only incapacitating them if necessary.

Knowing it was probably a bad plan, Frank copied his son’s idea and leaped over the side to land heavily on the floor. The fighter pilot was thankful that he had been keeping up with his SEAL friends and doing HALO jumps once a month, otherwise that impact would have shattered his knees. As it was, he immediately went into a roll and sprang back up onto his feet, ready to go. He slipped between several boxes and prayed his son had made it through his descent all right.

From the other side, just beyond the circle of light, a low sinister laugh began. As it increased in volume, it began to play off the acoustics of the building, making it seem to come from everywhere at once. Cabaji kept his hand on his sword, but hurried over to greet the newest guest. A large figure ambled into the meeting area with several more men and a huge white dog. His hair was mostly hidden under a green bandanna with white dots but it appeared to be a strange blue. His eyes were circled by thick green eyeliner, two large dots to the sides of each eye. A matching shade of lipstick that extended way outside the lines of his lips and an oversized, sunburned-red nose completed the clown-like effect. He wore a red and white striped shirt with pale blue jeans, tucked into a silly pair of brown boots.

“Well isn’t this a flashy entrance? I have to admit you caught me off guard there for a minute, Roronoa. Sadly, you seem to have missed the fact that my men are surrounding this building at this very moment and you have no hope for a flashy escape.” The man began to laugh again and was soon joined by the others. “Besides, what do you have to return to? Cabaji here made sure that your dojo is ruined, your friends hate you for lying to them, and your lover...”

“Keep your hands off him, fucker.” Zoro growled out. He almost lost his handhold on the pallet he was trying to scale. If he could make it up there, he could jump down on top of the idiot and end this in one move.

“Oh, really? Tough words from a man hiding in the dark,” Buggy taunted. “What if you’re too late?”

“I warned your men last time, fuck with Sanji and I’ll kill you.” Zoro stood up and walked into the light, the rage at thinking something had happened to his precious person taking over his rational thought. Immediately a dozen guns were pointed at him, the red lights of laser sights dotting his chest.

“Sanji? You mean Sanji Black, the blonde reporter?” Gin took his eyes off the hooded figure for a moment to study the painted man. When Buggy turned his head and refused to answer, Gin looked back to the Knight. “What does he have to do with all of this?”

“Next to me, he’s this clown’s primary target. They’ve robbed, beaten, kidnapped, and even attempted to murder him.” Zoro’s thumb kicked his sword out an inch, readying it in case this nosey man made any sudden movements.

“And this concerns you why?” Gin didn’t like where this was leading. His gut told him that the relationship between Knight and reporter was intimate since Buggy had used the term lover, but his heart refused to accept.

Zoro tightened his grip on Yubashiri and narrowed his eyes. “He’s mine.”

“You mean he was yours. I heard you two had a bit of a disagreement.” Mohji jeered.

Before Zoro could answer, Frank appeared at his side. He mirrored his son’s wide stance and drawn weapon, making them appear as twin imposing figures in the dim light. Only one kama was held so that he could keep himself ready to pull Zoro back should the fool try to rush in without anymore thought.

“There’s two of them.”

“What the fuck?”

“Holy shit, we’re screwed.”

“Who the hell are they?”

These and similar thoughts were whispered amongst both sides, Gin’s handful of followers looking to their leader for guidance. Gin raised his hand for them to hold their ground for the moment, unsure himself exactly what was going on. One of the older men in the room paled considerably and kept repeating a single word: demon. The man’s body shook and he dropped his weapon in utter fear as the one in the mask caught Gin’s curious stare. Gin’s sunken eyes met with piercing black and he knew this man was deadly. Though he couldn’t see the face of the other, he had a feeling that he should expect nothing less of him as well. What had Buggy gotten him tangled in?

“YOU! How did you get in here?!” Buggy’s jaw had dropped open.

“The exact same way I did last time. I’m pretty sure that window was broken then too. Seriously though Dôke , did you have to use the exact same warehouse?” Frank lectured the gaping man as he would a small child. “You realize that I’m here to stop you, right?”

All the men on the floor were shifting their feet nervously, darting their aim back and forth between the two men as their boss fumed and sputtered for a response.

“KILL HIM! Kill them both!” he screamed.

In almost synchronized movements, the heroes jumped over the edge of the stack of merchandise, aiming for the small clear circle where previously arguing men had just been. Everything happened in slow motion, from the first step to the actual descent. When they finally hit the floor, both men lessened the impact by dropping into a crouch making the visual effect perfect. Frank’s head was bent down, his left arm out to his side, slightly parallel to the ground holding a gleaming kama, and the other braced on the floor in front of him, aiding in balance. To his right, Zoro bowed over his left leg with the right knee on the ground, both hands on his swords, and his head held high as he glared at the enemy from under his hood.

It was just enough to gain them the seconds they needed to close in and begin knocking guns away. Cabaji and Mohji stepped back to flank Buggy and keep him guarded, the white canine standing by his master, growling for effect. Gin however thought that it was time to put an end to the charade. ‘He’s mine’ kept repeating in his mind, making it feel as if he had a knife thrust into his heart. He and Sanji broke up a long time ago, but that didn’t mean he didn’t still have feelings for the reporter/cook. Gin knew that it was his own actions that had caused the end of their relationship, and there was no hope of salvaging anything. Still, he tried to keep an eye out for the blonde whenever he could. Ever since he started working for Don Krieg, he had little time to do that. Now, Sanji’s life was in danger, from not only Buggy but possibly from this Knight character as well, and Gin was in the perfect position to do something about it. He snaked his way through the attacking men and charged Zoro head on, bringing his tonfa down in a deadly blow to the hooded man’s neck.

Zoro sliced the barrel off another gun and spun to face the next man. The broken weapon was now used as a club and aimed at his head while his back was turned. Zoro brought his arms up and used both swords to block the blow, then sent his elbow into the man’s gut. A quick glance at his father showed the older man to be holding his own just fine. A slight smile on Frank’s face made him look like he was seriously enjoying the battle. Zoro felt the shift in the atmosphere and reached out with his senses to find where the dark aura was coming from. He blocked another attacker from the right before bringing his second sword up to stop the metal rod coming at him from above.

The man named Gin, the one who had been asking about Sanji, was bearing down on him with full force and fury. The strengths behind the attacks and the vital spots at which they were aimed made the swordsman think that possibly this was a little more personal than he had first believed. Zoro ducked and parried, impressed with the skill of the basic weapon being used against his swords. The metal rods spun with ease in the sallow looking man’s grip and it took every bit of Zoro’s own strength to stop the vicious strikes. The man’s flexibility was almost as amazing as Sanji’s. Was this man’s anger because he knew the blonde and was enraged by the thought of him being hurt?

A swing made it past his defense and he was knocked into a pile of empty crates, the wood splintering beneath his weight. His sleeve caught on a jagged edge and Zoro had to yank hard to release himself, tearing the sleeve in the process. In quick movements, he placed the sword between his teeth and continued to fight as he awkwardly removed the dangling fabric from his arm. Zoro could feel the slight trickle of blood running down his back. He probably had ripped his jacket back there too. See, he should have just requested that Luffy let him have his old one instead. Fortunately, though, the pants did the trick. His ass and thighs remained unscathed thanks to the durability of the aged leather.

“I’ll take you apart piece by piece if I have to,” Gin threatened.

Zoro only growled in response and sent his blade flying up across the shocked man’s face to cut away the headband covering his forehead. The striped fabric fell away and deep scowl lines were revealed.

“What piece would you like first? Yubashiri or Sandai Kitetsu?”

Zoro grinned and began to see how much more damage he could dish out while trying to disarm his opponent. Two slices across the army green shirt was all he managed to inflict before his cocky attitude cost him and a tonfa met with his chest, sending him sailing across the room again. This time Gin caught up to him and grabbed him by his hood before he could recover, ripping the fabric around the collar and revealing his face to the room.

“What the fuck?” Gin’s eyes went wide pulled the hood back further, choking Zoro with the neckline.

Zoro brought his swords up behind him and sliced through the black cotton, releasing himself and causing Gin to stumble back a step. He got to his feet and faced Gin once more. Now that his hood was gone, his fierce features stood out clearly in the semi-lit room. Most of the men fighting against Frank had been taken out, but of the few that remained, half stopped to gawk at the green hair that had just been exposed.

“What is the reason for asking about the shitty-cook? What concern is he of yours?” Zoro brought up his swords and charged, abandoning all defense, needing to take this crook down as soon as possible so he could deal with Buggy and the others.

“It’s personal. Just tell me the extent of your relationship with him.” Gin was obviously not going to give anything away without something in return. His tonfa worked with his body like extended appendages, resulting in almost flawless defense. Almost.

“Just like you said, it’s personal. Just know that even if he was yours once, he’s mine now so stay the fuck away from him. I won’t hesitate to kill you just like I plan to kill any of the other fuckers who lay a hand on him.” Zoro almost cheered in victory when his blade made contact with bare skin and sliced through Gin’s forearm. The metal rod clattered to the floor and Gin’s scream of pain caused a pause again in the fighting around Frank. Zoro kept his distance from the fallen man and eyed him carefully. “I will protect him.”

Gin searched Zoro’s face for any deception and found only strength and conviction. All he wanted was for Sanji to be happy and safe. If this man could do it, then he would gladly step aside. But should this Knight fail, he wouldn’t hesitate to extract his revenge. Gin held his wounded arm to his chest and let the second tonfa fall from his hand to the floor.

“See that you do. Make sure that you succeed where I have failed.” Gin dropped to his knees and let the tears fall down his face. “I can’t help but love him still, even after everything I put him through. He deserves better. Swear to me that you will love him as I have and you will love him with your very soul.”

“I swear.” The words were out of his mouth before he even realized he said them. Zoro shifted both swords to one hand and reached out to help the wounded man up.

“All of this sappiness is making me sick. Mohji, destroy the Knight.” Buggy’s voice was low and barely audible, but his assistant heard him just fine. Unfortunately for them, so did Frank.

DK*DK*DK*DK

Ace spun around at the sound of the guns and listened carefully, torn between doing his job and running to back up his new friend. There were several doors around the building and he had only secured a handful of them. Fortunately, he hadn’t seen anyone come in yet, but then again he was at the back of the building and they were closer to the front. Hearing the curses and shouts of frustration from the gangs, Ace knew that those two were doing just fine and continued on to the next door. On his way, he passed a partially open crate and paused to investigate. He needed to pick up a few things anyway, so what was the harm?

His eyes went wide at the sight of the Demolition charge 183 . This was some heavy shit to be left around in a warehouse unguarded. This could take out the entire building, but he’d sure as hell have to get everyone out first. It wouldn’t just collapse the building, but it would incinerate the entire thing. There were only ten block charges, and two priming assemblies. Most of the detonating cord was gone from this case as well. Ace slipped the incomplete Satchel Charge over his shoulder and picked up another to begin placing around the perimeter.

There on a table, lying in the open were several bundles of dynamite, which Ace quickly snatched up and slipped into the half-empty bag. The sounds of battle were escalating and Ace knew he needed to hurry. He began to place the blocks of explosives on support beams running through the middle of the warehouse. If he set it off here, it would help minimize the damage to surrounding buildings. OK, so who was he kidding? This was gonna blow the whole damn dock to oblivion. He didn’t even need the miniscule sticks of TNT, but he wanted them. Maybe he could find something else to play with while he was here.

Ace came across the broken crate that Zoro had fallen on earlier and tiptoed around the scattered magazines trying to not make a sound. The fighting had stopped and he couldn’t make out what was going on, but he knew he needed to hurry. He grabbed the barrel of the SMAW and hefted it over the other shoulder. Yes, he did need it, he just didn’t know why yet. Heavily laden, he crept around to get a better view of the action.

DK*DK*DK*DK

The older Roronoa had finally dispatched the last of the men actually fighting him. He vowed to Yuu that he would not kill unless it was the only option, so he attempted to knockout everyone instead. The men proved to be tougher than he had imagined and it took a bit longer than anticipated to accomplish the task. The ones remaining were distracted by the touching scene between the unknown negotiator and his son. Frank knew that he should be paying attention to what was being said, but he saw the opportunity to go after Buggy and took it.

When he heard Buggy’s order, he turned to see Zoro’s back facing the crime boss.

“ZORO!” he screamed. Frank lunged for Buggy, murder clear in his eyes. The showy swordsman stepped in, barely in time, and blocked Frank’s path locking their weapons.

Zoro turned to see the white haired man aiming a gun at him and his father sprinting across the room to intercept. His body was suddenly yanked to the side and Zoro looked up to see the saddened face of the man he had just been fighting. Zoro’s own father had carried the same empty look for the last eighteen years. The gun went off and blood splattered across his face as the bullet tore through Gin’s chest. Zoro caught him as he fell, awkwardly keeping both swords in one hand. Their eyes met and Zoro watched the life drain out of Gin. There were no sorrowful last minute words, no pleas for anyone to avenge him, just instant death due to an evil madman. Zoro’s hands shook as he laid Gin carefully on the ground. Hatred filled him as he glared at the crime boss, wishing he could take the man’s life a hundred times over.

“You fool! You killed the wrong one! You idiot! What will we tell Krieg now?” Buggy grabbed his head and began tugging on the dotted bandanna. “This is your fault, Dark Knight, or should I say Zoro Roronoa.”

Zoro locked eyes with his father, a silent message passing to tell him he was ok. “The fault is yours, Buggy the Clown. You should have left the blonde alone.”

“Oh, I don’t think that will be a problem anymore. I believe everyone will be leaving him in peace.” Buggy began laughing hysterically and tossed a small square object to Zoro. “As you can see, no one can bother him where he is now.”

Zoro caught the camera with one hand and eyed it questioningly. A quick look to his father showed that he had stepped back from the other swordsman and was ready to attack at any moment. Wearily, Zoro turned the camera on, ready to drop it and return a sword to each hand if necessary. He debated if he should just return them to his side or not. Knowing that the brief seconds it would take to retrieve them might make all the difference, he kept the two blades in one hand and selected the playback mode on the device.

The first image was of Sanji’s car followed by a picture of himself getting into Kureha’s Bronco. Next was a poor shot of the car again with someone in the driver’s seat. Zoro couldn’t be sure if it was Sanji or not, but it was close enough that he almost dropped the camera at the next shot. It was right at the peak of the explosion where the car was rotating in the air and a person was engulfed in flames inside, both car doors hanging in mid-air after being blown off. Not wanting to see any more, but unable to stop himself, Zoro pushed the button to look at the next picture. Johnny and Yosaku were running for the burning car, screaming and crying. The next was Usopp holding onto a distraught Luffy. Finally, there was a picture of the upside down car, a charred body hanging out of the driver’s side as firefighters fought to put out the flames.

“I hope you at least kissed him goodbye before you left.” Buggy drew a knife from the back of his belt and threw it at Frank’s distracted form.

In a blur of action, everyone acted at once. Ace grabbed Frank and spun him out of the way of the incoming projectile before jumping on the first available man that was still standing, his newly procured weapons apparently stashed somewhere for safe keeping. Zoro was torn between killing the white haired freak and Buggy, not knowing which of them was responsible for his lover’s death. When he was done with them, he still needed to teach the swordsman a lesson for the dojo and his treatment of Johnny. Frank helped him make his decision.

“Take the kids, boy. I’ve got the old man.” Frank used the momentum from Ace’s pull to rocket himself towards his old nemesis.

Buggy pulled out a strange brass knuckle contraption with four blades attached and slipped it over the fingers of his damaged hand. Though much of the muscle was damaged, the maniac still managed to use the weapon and blocked the first attack from the masked man. He was in much better shape now than he’d been before, and smirked arrogantly as he dodged the razor sharp blades efficiently. He aimed his fist at Frank’s face but managed to only graze his chin. With Frank’s sight directed up at the ceiling, Buggy brought the man to his knees by kicking him square between the legs. Buggy’s new weapon was stopped less than an inch from Frank’s cheek before the multiple blades were knocked away.

Zoro sneered at the two men, unable to decide which one to tear apart first. The camera shattered in his grip and he tossed aside the broken pieces so that he could return a sword to each hand. The dark haired one made the first move and Zoro remained still, letting the overly confident man close the distance. Any memory of what he had come here to accomplish was pushed out of his mind. Every bit of logic left him with each breath he took. All that was left was the image of a burning black car and a man he was willing to die for. The men before him were responsible and Zoro would make sure they paid.

Zoro poured every ounce of anger into his blades as Cabaji flew at him from every angle, alternating between striking with his blade and his feet. When a foot connected with his stomach, cushioned by the new haramaki, he didn’t even flinch. The air around him was filled with electricity, sparking every time their blades met. A thick sheen of sweat began to appear on Cabaji’s brow when a solid kick to Zoro’s jaw did little more than turn the man’s head to the side for a brief second.

Mohji stayed back with Richie, watching in awe and waiting until just the right moment. In the blink of an eye, he sent the white beast to latch onto Zoro’s arm. The swordsman cried out as sharp teeth dug into his flesh before losing their grip and tearing away a piece of his other sleeve. Zoro spun with the next swing of his opponent’s blade and caused the arrogant man to lose balance, thrusting the tip of his sword into his partner’s dog. Cabaji jumped back and sneered down at the injured animal before kicking it out of the way.

“Richie!” Mohji shrieked and came running.

Fed up with being hindered by the extra material, Zoro plunged his swords into the leg of a fallen man, ignoring the scream of pain that erupted from the already bleeding body. Using the man’s thigh as a resting place for his blades, Zoro ripped away the shredded hoodie and shirt showing off his bloody and muscularly defined body to the men. He untied the bandanna from his arm and wrapped it over his green hair, low on his forehead. When he finished tying the knot at the back, he raised his head to narrow his demonic eyes at the two men. Waves of dark energy flowed off him as he firmly placed the revered white sword between his teeth, then removed the empty sheaths from his hip and set them to the side. Slowly, he withdrew his other blades from their post with a nauseating slurping/sucking sound, making several of the men’s faces turn green. It was then that buggy pulled out a radio and called for help.

“NOW! Get your asses in here now!” Buggy continued to screech into the mic when nothing happened.

DK*DK*DK*DK

Sanji continued to haul ass for the small business, praying that he remembered how to get there. The tires squalled as he took another corner too sharp. ‘There went that other strange squealing sound again,’ he thought. It happened every time he took a corner fast, hit the gas or… Sanji slammed on the brakes and turned to see Luffy, Johnny and Yosaku slam into the back window of the cab of the truck. Luffy opened one eye and grinned huge while he waved to the driver. Usopp uncurled himself from the floor to look over the back of the seat.

“Hi Usopp! This is soooo cool! I can’t wait to tell Ace when we see him.” Luffy laughed and slapped the banged up men beside him on the back.

“Luffy, are you insane?! We’re going to die! If Sanji doesn’t kill us with his driving, your brother’s boyfriend surely will for stealing his truck!” Usopp waved his hands around in a panic, unaware that he had further angered the man beside him. Sanji hit the gas, sending the long nose idiot over into the backseat. “AAAHHHH! Help me!”

The circus ride continued for the next few blocks until Sanji ended it in front of the dojo. The truck was barely thrown into park before he jumped out and ran to the entrance. The front door was unlocked and he walked right in, not waiting for the others to follow. The strong smell of fresh paint still lingered in the air reminding the blonde that the place had been vandalized over the weekend. He could hear voices speaking softly in one of the back rooms and headed in that direction.

“Do you think they’re OK? Do you think that they will need us there with them instead? What if he gets shot again? He could bleed to death before they got him here!” The frantic person sounded little more than a child.

“Calm down, Chopper. Those boys are tougher than you think. If they get themselves killed it’s their own fault.” The woman’s voice was weary and annoyed.

“They’ll be fine. They’re both too damn stubborn to die.”

There was a familiar person, but why was he here? Sanji slid open the door and glared at the three startled occupants in the room.

“Sanji! You’re covered in black stuff. What happened?” Chopper ran over to inspect the streaks of ash still on the blonde’s hands and face.

“What are you doing here, eggplant?” Zeff scowled at his son from his position on the floor.

“I could ask you the same thing, Dad.” Sanji fisted his hands at his sides, both angry and ashamed to find out that he had called Zoro a liar for saying Zeff was involved. “You knew all along who he was, didn’t you? When I was ranting about him that first time, you knew exactly who I was talking about! I can’t believe my own shitty father lied to me.”

Usopp, Johnny and Yosaku held back in fear of their lives, but Luffy had no problems with barging in and sticking his nose where it didn’t belong.

“Hey old man! Are Zoro and his dad done fighting yet? Gramps isn’t supposed to be back anytime soon, is he? Do you have anything to eat? Oh, hey Chopper!”

“Luffy! What are you guys doing here too? Did something happen?” The little doctor began tugging on Sanji, trying to get him to come into the room so he could be checked.

Sanji and Zeff continued to glare at each other as the blonde stumbled over to the low table. In afterthought, he kicked off his shoes before sitting down. Usopp and the others peaked around the corner to see if it was safe to enter. They were caught by Kureha and knew there was no hope for escape. Johnny and Yosaku tried to act brave and held their heads high as they took a seat, though poor Usopp did his best to hide behind them until he was within reach of Luffy.

“Luffy, what happened to Sanji?” Chopper asked again.

“Huh? Oh! You should have been there! It was so cool! His car blew up and ended upside down with no doors!” Luffy began making explosion sounds and gesturing with his hands wildly.

“You didn’t think it was that cool when we thought Zoro was in the car,” Usopp mumbled.

“WHAT!” Chopper, Kureha and Zeff all shouted at once. The older cook broke away from his staring contest with Sanji at the shocking news. Chopper’s bottom lip began quivering and tears formed in his eyes. Even Kureha appeared to be at least a little concerned.

“He wasn’t,” Sanji reassured Chopper and finally gave in to being checked over… again. “I need to know where those shitty-bastards went. If these fuckers realize they didn’t kill him, they might try again.”

“Sanji, we were all left behind to make sure you were safe. There’s a reason he didn’t want you to go with him.” Yosaku tried to reason with the reporter.

“Damn it, I don’t even know what the fuck is going on! Someone needs to tell me something right now, or I’m just going to get into that truck and keep driving around until I find them.” Sanji slammed his hand down on the table, making the cups jump and teeter on their plates.

“They’re trying to keep you from getting killed. Apparently, those stories you’ve been writing have affected the business for a certain crime boss. He wants you dead.” Zeff crossed his arms and shifted in his seat, trying to alleviate the tingling in his good leg where it had gone to sleep.

“Dead? But how does this include the Dark Knight? Luffy, you said that Frank was the original Knight, right? Is that why Frank went to help Zoro out, because he had experience in fighting?” Sanji’s head began to pound as he tried to wrap his mind around everything.

“Nope! A long time ago, this guy attacked Uncle Shanks and Frank saved him. He’s the same guy who runs the gang now that wants to kill you. Frank loves Uncle Shanks; Zoro loves you. It’s simple.” Luffy tried to snatch a cookie off the plate on the table only to have his hand smacked harshly by the doctorine.

“Wait… Shanks and Frank? You mean Frank is gay? Shanks is gay? But he’s married.” Sanji’s headache continued to grow.

“Just stay out of it. He’ll get himself killed for sure if he knows you’re there. There’s already a good chance that not all of them will be returning.” Zeff turned to the side and stretched his legs out, still trying to get the feeling back.

“We’re staying here to patch everyone up when the bloodbath is done. One way or another, this is where that brat will end up when it’s over. Just stay put.” Kureha slammed a bottle down on Luffy’s hand as it tried to sneak across for the cookies again.

“You’re mean, you old hag!”

Luffy received the bottle in his face and fell over shouting, nursing a bloody nose.

“I’m going to find him, and that’s final.” Sanji finished buttoning up his shirt now that Chopper was satisfied that he was uninjured. He stood up and slipped his feet into the old shoes, wondering if they would be able to handle one more fight. Without looking back, he left the room and headed for the truck. “It’s my turn to save his ass anyway.”

Sanji stopped on the curb and patted down his shirt and pants looking for a cigarette, coming up empty. Great. Just one more thing to fuck up his already shitty night. When he thought that Zoro had been killed in his car, Sanji thought his own heart had stopped as well. The cold knife of regret and shame plunged through his chest when he realized what his last words to the green-haired man had been. Would Zoro take that to heart and fight recklessly without concern for his own wellbeing? Would he do something stupid because he thought that Sanji no longer cared? If Zoro died, would it be his fault or the swordsman’s?

Sanji heard the door open behind him and was surprised to see his father step up beside him. Zeff took out a pack of cigarettes and offered one to him. With practiced ease, the older chef lit his own smoke before offering the flame from his Zippo to his son. Sanji, puzzled but pleased with gift, leaned in and sighed softly as the nicotine filled his lungs once more.

“Until a today, I hadn’t lit one of these for almost eighteen years.” Zeff sighed heavily as he stared at the cigarette. “Frank is like a son to me. He made my life hell there for a couple years, but he always found a way to keep his promises.”

“Why did you never speak of him?”

“He left. He ran away from his problems rather than face them. Call it stubbornness if you want, but it pissed me off.” Zeff tossed the still burning stick out into the street and tucked his arms across his chest.

“I said some pretty shitty things to him before he left. What if he doesn’t come back? I don’t know if I can live with that guilt.” Sanji ran a hand through his hair, completely at a loss as to what he should do.

“Take the idiots over there with you and go make sure you can kick his ass when this is over.” Zeff handed him a small screen with a blinking dot in the middle of a map. It was a tracking device of some sort. “Yuu’s carrying the transmitter. Find him and you’ll find that boyfriend of yours.”

Sanji’s grip tightened on the electronic device and he turned to see Johnny and Yosaku carrying swords and Luffy grinning broadly. Usopp’s brown coveralls could be seen between the gaps in the other’s legs to show him hiding as usual. Chopper called out to them as he came running out the door, old-fashioned black doctor’s bag in hand.

“I’m going too. If things are that bad, then you might need me. I might not be as strong as you guys but I can fight too.”

Sanji put his hand on the small shoulder and thought hard. His logic said to make the kid stay, but gut told him that the boy was right. If something did go wrong, having a doctor right there could make all the difference. Nodding reluctantly, he gave his consent.

“I get shotgun!” Luffy cried and ran for the truck.

“Come on tanuki, you can sit in the back with us.” Johnny and Yosaku squashed Chopper in a sideways hug between them as they walked together for Logan’s personal vehicle.

“Don’t make me go! I have a very serious disease. It- it- it’s called ‘I-can't-get-in-the-truck-ositus’.” Usopp began coughing and holding his stomach.

Sanji smacked him across the back of the head and shoved him towards the truck, waving off the concerned Chopper at the same time. He forced the long nosed hypochondriac between him and Luffy and instructed Usopp to start the truck again. Zeff motioned to him to roll his window down and walked over to the driver’s side.

“Take these damn things. They’re making me sick.” Zeff tossed the remaining pack of cigarettes and the lighter into the cab. He began tugging on his moustache as he grumbled to himself. “The two of you suit each other… both idiots.”

Sanji watched his father’s back as the respected man hobbled back into dojo. Setting his face into a determined scowl, he pulled away from the curb and began driving towards the blinking red dot on the screen. Seconds after they rounded the corner a patrol car came barreling down the road, screeching to a halt in the space the truck had just been. Logan stepped out of the passenger side and stormed into the dojo.

“Where the fuck is that piece of shit reporter!” Smoker began throwing open doors to every room. He hissed in pain when someone suddenly yanked him by the shell of his ear and began pulling him back towards the entrance.

“If you’re not quiet you’ll wake everyone in the neighborhood,” Kureha scolded. “Besides, he’s not here.”

Logan finally shook out of her hold and fought to keep from strangling her. By the end of the night, he was going to break and snap someone’s neck if people continued to talk to him dismissively. He’d had enough of being talked down to by Hina; he didn’t need this old bat to do the same.

“He stole my truck.”

“If Portgas had been in trouble, wouldn’t you have done the same thing?” Zeff appeared with two cups of coffee and handed one over to his old friend, nodding politely when she thanked him. “I’m sure he would have taken his own car had it not been destroyed. Speaking of that, have you identified the body from it yet?”

The detective was silent; Zeff’s words hitting him hard as he grudgingly admitted the master chef was probably right. One thing was wrong though… How did he know about the car?

“They were here, weren’t they?” Smoker looked out the window to see the curb empty. Damn, now how was he supposed to run after them?

“They took Chopper out for some air.” Kureha sipped her hot drink lazily.

“They?” The more he thought about it, the more he realized that when Sanji had run off with his truck, the others had disappeared as well, including Luffy. “Shit. I’m gonna kill every last one of them, my career be damned!”

DK*DK*DK*DK

Sanji used a little more caution this time in driving, but only a little. Now, instead of being pissed because he didn’t know what was going on, he was pissed and worried because he did. Usopp and Luffy’s ludicrous ideas of what was going on were doing nothing to help alleviate the sinking feeling that had settled in his chest. The shitty-bastard would have the nerve to try and sacrifice himself to save someone’s life. If he did, Sanji swore that he would never forgive the swordsman and vowed to haunt him in the next life. Up ahead, they could see two vehicles parked next to a rundown building. A redheaded man stepped out into their path and Sanji slammed on the breaks.

“Shanks?”

Sanji didn’t realize he had spoken out loud until Luffy whooped and rolled down his window, leaning half his body outside the car.

“Hey! Did they already leave for the battle? Aw man, I wanted to go with them.” The disappointed young man flopped heavily against the side of the truck.

“Luffy? Sanji! Oh, this is really bad. Shit, they’re gonna kill us. Now what do we do?” Shanks looked over to Yuu who was just waking up from his nap in the BMW.

“Did you listen to Frank-kun?” Yuu mirrored Shanks’ grin as the redhead shook his head. “Then what do we do indeed? The others will be here any second and I’m sure that the poor boys will be blocked in. I guess you’ll just have to take them with you to keep them out of trouble.”

Yuu’s fake act of defeat was amusing and Shanks burst out laughing. He clapped the old man hard on the back and ambled over to meet up with the young crew. He shook hands with both Johnny and Yosaku, ruffled up Chopper’s hair and told Luffy to grow up before coming to stand directly in front of Sanji.

“It’s been a while.” Sanji shook the hand offered to him firmly, still trying to get a grasp on the fact that the man before him was gay. “I only wish it were under different circumstances.”

“As do I.” The sound of several vehicles approaching helped return the happy smile to Shanks’ face. “But for now, let’s have some fun, shall we?”

Lights blinded them as 4X4 trucks, muscle cars, and one sleek Lexus pulled up behind Logan’s truck. Men of all shapes and sizes began to file out of the vehicles and the sound of guns being loaded and primed rang out into the night. Johnny and Yosaku pulled their swords and made show of stepping in front of Sanji in an attempt to protect him. Luffy perked up and scrambled out of the truck quickly to join them. Usopp continued to hide behind the dashboard until the figures came close enough to identify.

“Dad?” The long-nosed scaredy-cat scrambled out of the truck to catch up with one of the men. “Hold on, what are you doing here?”

“Usopp? Well, well, my little boy has finally grown up and became a man.” Yasopp pulled the confused guy into a crushing hug. “I see you’re following in your father’s footsteps.”

“Footsteps? I work at the crime lab; you’re a gunsmith. How is that following you?” Usopp stumbled when he was released from the tight grip. “How do you know these people?”

“They’re family, well in a way.” Yasopp slung his arm around his son’s shoulder and pulled him over to where his boss was waiting.

Sanji’s jaw dropped when the tallest man in the group clasped forearms with Shanks. “Professor Beckman?”

“Sanji Black. I had you in European History last semester, didn’t I?” The grey-haired man held his hand out, shrugging dismissively when it wasn’t taken and turned back to his leader. “All the men are ready, just give us the word.”

“Let’s go check on the boys, shall we?” Shanks hopped up on the hood of his wife’s BMW and called out to those gathered. When he had their attention, he began. “Buggy is holding up a few buildings down from here. We let him get away with destroying the Jolly Roger many years ago, but now he’s gone and attacked something very important to us. Our friends. Things can be replaced; people cannot. It’s time to remind him of that.”

An uproar of cheering resounded among Shanks’ men along with the Tweedle-twins, Luffy, and surprisingly Usopp who looked oddly confident standing beside his father. Shanks jumped down and studied Sanji for a moment, a thoughtful look settling on his face.

“You know he’s going to be pissed when you show up, right?”

“I’m already pissed.” Sanji took a final drag off his smoke and tossed the spent cigarette into the dark. “I guess that’ll make us even. “

Shanks laughed heartily and turned to let his second in command adjust the gun belt to his hips. It was completely surreal how everyone was gearing up for the fight like it was as common as scuba diving. A few of the men joked around, play fighting over who would get the bigger gun, each pouting as said gun was taken from them by Ben. Luffy was wrestling with a man named Lucky Roux over a lunchbox filled with meat, and doing a pretty good job of holding his own. Johnny and Yosaku were waiting excitedly as yet another of Shanks’ men sharpened their swords. Yasopp was arguing with Usopp about the guns his son had picked out, insisting that the newer model was much better than the old peashooter the boy was holding. Yuu was acting like a child in a toy store as some of the other men showed him different pieces of their arsenal. Everyone was laughing, confident, and proud.

It amazed Sanji how fast the atmosphere had changed. He felt the tension in his shoulders easing up and the adrenaline starting to flow again in anticipation of kicking someone’s ass.