Sanji was just about turn and help the man get into the bath -resist the shudder- when a fist came flying and connected with his jaw. Sanji took a startled step back, a hand reflexively covering the spot where he had been struck as he stared reproachfully at Zoro.

"What the hell was that for-?" He cut off when he saw the glazed over look in Zoro's eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Zoro demanded.

Strange, the swordsman seemed to be perfectly capable of speaking clearly, maybe it was just the sickness that made him look the way he did.

"What do you mean 'what am I doing here?'?" Sanji asked, slightly angry that the swordsman had hit him. "I was told, no, ordered to help you clean yourself, you jackass."

"Lies!"
Sanji rolled his eyes. "Whatever, just get in so we can get this over with." Once again, Sanji had to resist shuddering.

Zoro seemed to looking for something at his waist before he began to glance about.

"What?" Sanji blinked. "Miss your toys? Don't tell me you need your swords to take a bath-"

"Where have taken my swords, Helmeppo?"

Sanji bristled. Helmeppo? Who or what the fuck was Helmeppo? The name even sounded unattractive. Either way, it sounded like one fuck-tard of a name and he certainly would not stand being called Helmeppo.

"Oi," Sanji said. "What did you just call me?"

"Where have you put my swords, bastard??" Zoro swung another punch.

Sanji frowned as he ducked the blow. What the hell was Zoro's problem? Did he just get that aggravated when separated from his swords?

"Look, I don't have your swords, marimo," Sanji said. "They're down in the men's quarters where you left them. Okay?"

"You lie."
"Why would I lie?"

"Because you always lie, Helmeppo!"
Sanji felt a chill run down his spine, there was that name again. Helmeppo. Tired of the swordsman's games, he tricked the man into falling head first into the large tub, clothes and all, by side-stepping his next swing.

"Now you just take your bath like a good little boy so this can be done as soon as possible," Sanji said. "And so I don't have to deal with you anymore."
Sanji turned to sit by the door and wait when he felt a hand suddenly seize the back of his shirt and give a quick yank. His feet flew out from underneath him on the slippery floor and he landed flat on his back, knocking the wind from him. Now he was becoming rather livid with the man for trying to provoke a fight from him when Sanji didn't want to fight right now.

"Stupid marimo," he winced as he sat up. "What the hell is your-"

A punch to the face cut him off. Once again he was shocked that the swordsman had struck him out of nowhere. He was dazed by how hard the blow was. It didn't seem like the usual round abouts they had. This punch felt cold, like a brick to his skin. There had been more than just bone and muscle behind it. There had been actual anger and hate. Before he could recover from his stupor, he felt the man grip his bangs tightly and slam him into the ground. Automatically his hand went to the swordsman's wrist, clutching it in an attempt to make him let go. It felt like Zoro was trying to scalp him.

"If you won't tell me, then I'll make you tell me!"

"Look, I'm not this Helmeppo person you think I am!" Sanji grimaced. "So if this is some sick joke, you had better-"
Zoro pulled the blond up half way by his bangs. Sanji squeezed Zoro's wrist to the point where he couldn't feel his own fingers. There was a threatening look in the green-haired man's eyes.

Sanji gasped. "Wait, what are you-"
His sentence was cut off as the swordsman drove him back into the tile with such tremendous force that he once again became winded. His head throbbed in pain. Something wasn't right. Zoro never fought him like this before. What the hell did the man think he was doing? Why was he suddenly attacking him?

"Tell me!"
He pulled him up again and slammed him back down. Over and over again, yelling "Tell me! Tell me!" and Sanji was too dazed and breathless to resist. As his head hit the tile repeatedly he swore he heard it begin to crack. Maybe that was his skull starting to shatter.

Sanji felt his arm raise of its own accord and slam forcefully into the swordsman's side, winding the other. Zoro released him with a grunt but Sanji found himself to be hurting more than he thought he would. He forced his mind to block out the pain but his body didn't seem to want to cooperate. The lack of air in his lungs deprived his muscles of the oxygen they needed to function and to allow him to escape. It was like he had lost control over part of his body as he struggled in vain to get away. He was gasping pitifully as he fought to stand or at least crawl away. Zoro's legs suddenly appeared in front of him as he realized that the man was now standing over him.

"Thought you could get away, Helmeppo?"

Zoro grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled him up to almost eye level. Sanji couldn't feel his legs as they dangled limply, still touching the ground but unable to support him. Like a kitten in its mother's jaws. Minus the love.

The swordsman briefly made eye contact him before dealing one mother of punches to his gut, sending him flying back into the small steps of the bath. It felt as if everything inside him had been crushed and or squeezed. Every bit of air was gone, leaving him gaping like a fish. The water was still running and was beginning to pour out of the sides of the tub now.

"I wasn't going toy kill you, since you know where my swords are."
Sanji's eyes widened as he felt Zoro's fingers latch around his throat.

"But since you're refusing to tell me, I may as well just get rid of you now. You're in the way."

For the first time in a face off against the other man, Sanji felt his heart race in a way he didn't want to accept. When he usually fought with Zoro his heart beat with adrenaline and a little bit of ecstasy. Every kick or punch made his heart beat faster and faster until he thought it would suddenly stop from the exertion. But now, his heart was pounding out of fear. It was fear that coursed through his veins now at the glimmer of murderous intent in Zoro's eyes. Zoro was actually serious. His expression promised death and death was what Zoro was going to deliver. Sanji was suddenly afraid of this Zoro, whatever had suddenly possessed him to turn like this.

Next thing Sanji knew his airway was being threatened. Zoro had both hands around his throat and was choking him. Sanji struggled to get him to let go, scratching at Zoro's arms, anything to just breathe again. They knocked over whatever stood in their way and reeled this way and that. Zoro slammed him in to the walls trying to get him pinned in one place, but the tile floor was too slippery for that. Sanji finally found release when they both slipped and fell, but he cracked his head so hard on the tile he thought he was going to pass out.

"Shit..." he cursed.

Then, finally, someone knocked on the door.

A savior!

To Sanji's dismay, he found that his voice had suddenly decided not to work. He scrambled to reach the door. His efforts grew wild as a strong hand seized his leg and dragged him back. He scrabbled uselessly at the tile floor, trying to escape still, trying to shout out for help. All that managed to escape him was a dry hack. He suddenly found the swordsman looming above him once more.

"Sanji?"

As much as he would've liked the soft voice it to be Zoro's, it wasn't. It was Usopp's. Usopp had come to check on them!

Before he could gather his own voice, a single hand clutched his throat, fingers curved around it as held him firmly as he was dragged to the bath tub.

Oh, fuck a duck and screw a kangaroo.

"Say goodbye, Helmeppo."

"I'm not-!"
Then he was plunged into the water and held there. He kicked and thrashed all he could, splashing more and more water out of the tub and onto the floor.

He had nightmares like this. Being held under water by something, either seen or unseen, it didn't matter. It looked exactly as it did in his nightmares; the rippling water, the bursts of bubbles, and the eyes. Eyes that stared down at him with a cold and heartless look. It wasn't nearly as frightening in his nightmares as it was in real life, but it seemed quite familiar. The fear and panic. The only difference was that the one holding him down was a friend.

What the devil had gone wrong? Zoro is actually trying to kill me! And for what?? Because the dumb marimo head had left his swords in the men's quarters?? That's always a great reason to kill someone, especially a friend! I swear on all good food, if I make it out of this I'm shoving my foot so far up his ass he's going to taste leather.

Desperate to get Zoro to release him, he scratched as hard as he could at his hands or any sensitive part of his arms he could think of. Then again, Zoro wasn't a sensitive man, so that plan was lost from the get go. He scrabbled at his own throat in effort to pry Zoro's calloused fingers away but to no avail.

He had a single brief moment of respite as he managed to push himself up for one quick second and gave a shout with all the strength he had left.

"USOPP!!!" he shrieked.
Zoro placed his other hand over Sanji's throat now and forcefully pushed him back down. The added strength now made it impossible to get back up, he was too weak. Sanji hadn't had a chance to take a breath beforehand and the need to breathe was over taking him. Soon his mind would force him to try and draw in air, that's when the water would flood in. He would suffocate and drown at the same time. The smooth surface of the tub made it difficult to reach around to kick Zoro on any part of his body he could reach. Not to mention there was nowhere for him to grip even for a split second to use as leverage. He was doomed for. His vision was growing dim now as he tried to find Zoro.

Fuck me three ways to Sunday, he's actually going to kill me!

Now that he had finally run out of oxygen his body was automatically trying to draw in air, but he only swallowed water. His legs jerked and twitched as he could not get the element he needed to keep fighting. The world was growing dark now and he could just barely see Zoro through the rippling water. A hand reached up and grabbed the sleeve of his shirt before slowly growing lax and resting against the edge of the tub unmoving.