Beta read by: Markofthemoros and Kagero-assassin (Tumblr)

"...The hell is that?" Sanji asked, breathlessly. His heart hammered in his chest as he gazed at what could only be described as a wall...a fortress of towering water. It spun dangerously, even from where he stood, he could feel the wind whipping from the swirling pillar, ruffling his hair. It was a struggle just to stay on his feet. If it weren't for Robin's blossoming hands, Chopper would have been blown overboard moments earlier.

They could barely make out Nami's voice over the roaring storm. "Everyone, hold on to something!"

None of them had to be told twice. They all grabbed onto a part of the ship that didn't appear to be at risk of being torn away. Which didn't leave them with many options. To be honest, they were all praying she'd be able to make it through this ordeal. Sanji wrapped his arms around the mast, reaching as far around as he could. And just in time. Not a second after he latched on, the ship lurched to the right, almost knocking him off instantly. Somehow, by some miracle, he managed to stay latched on.

Damn, his hands were slipping and the winds were only intensifying with every passing second. At this rate… Sanji grit his teeth and risked a glance around. Luckily Robin had herself secure thanks to her powers, and she did well keeping Chopper safe as well. Same with Luffy who had his other arm around Nami. Even Ussop was doing fairly well on his own. The only person he couldn't spot was…

He ducked just as a body came barreling towards him. Out of instincts, he released one arm from his purchase in order to catch the swordsman before he could go flying past.

"Dammit, you dumb-" Sanji grit between teeth, insult catching in his throat at the sight of blood. A thin trail ran down the side of Zoro's face. He was unconscious. "You damn idiot," he muttered, practically burying his fingers into the wood. But, despite his efforts, he could still feel his grasp slipping. Even with his losing battle, the idea of letting go of the other man never popped up in his mind as so much as a consideration.

He just had to hold o-

The ship jerked again, the wind prying it from the waves before it was slammed back down. This time with enough force to tear the chef away from the mast. He felt himself flying back before he could process things completely. Panicking, he reached out for anything he could latch on to. But, something scraped by his side. It was with enough force to cause him to retract his hand and wrap it around his abdomen.

His teeth bared, he reached out again, only for his fingertips to barely glance over the wooden surface of the rail. His eyes widened in realization...he was going overboard. There was nothing more to grab onto.

"Sanji! Zoro!" he heard the shrill cries of their navigator, growing farther away until they were completely drowned out by waves crashing over the both of them.

He was being pulled under, spun and tossed around. In only a few seconds he didn't know which way was up anymore. Yet, through all this, he could still feel the weight of Zoro in his arm. The blond held his breath for as long as he could, quickly growing light-headed. Desperately, he wrapped his other arm around the swordsman and pulled him in close, as tightly as he could until he feared he might break something.

The blond kicked his legs, praying he was at least going in the right direction, but it was impossible to tell. He could still feel himself being dragged in every direction, disorienting him more by the second.

Dammit, he was getting nowhere, and he knew it. He was starting to lose consciousness, his lungs burned and his limbs were growing heavier. Despite his efforts, Zoro was slowly slipping from his hold as his arms were giving out. Giving everything he had, Sanji forced his grasp to tighten, convinced he was using the last of his energy to do so. The moment the swordsman was pulled back in, he just knew that was all that was left of his strength. That was it, his muscles were drained and his consciousness was escaping him.

The last thing he remembered before passing out was being tugged away by the currents and the distant, muffled cries from his crewmates.

Everything was throbbing, pulsing in time with his thrumming headache. Sanji coughed, spluttering as he rolled to his side. He winced as his throat constricted. Ears ringing, the blond lied there, eyes closed as the worst of the aches ebbed away. It took a moment for his other senses to reach his brain. The main thing he noticed was the grainy texture beneath him, then the calm crashing of the waves.

Alarmed now, his eyes shot open and he pushed himself to all fours, instantly regretting it when stinging coursed through his side. Hissing, he reached for the area, hand coming away with a couple specks of blood. From the looks of it, it didn't appear to be anything serious, but the sand that found its way to the wound wasn't helping.

Shaking it off, Sanji shakily got to his feet, stumbling slightly. His balance was a little off, his head still swimming. The cook placed a hand to the side of his head as he took a look around. It was just as he suspected...washed up on some shore.

"Great," he sighed.

Then his eyes widened as he remembered...he didn't go over by himself. He whipped his head around, damp locks swishing with the movement. Where the hell was Zoro? The fact that the man had a head wound before going over wasn't leaving a pleasant taste in his mouth. His chest tightened as he saw no sight of the swordsman.

'Dammit,' he swore under his breath. He brushed a few stray hairs from his face and carefully began to scan the area, only to still come up with nothing. Already, his heart was racing. Perhaps he washed up farther along the shore. That was one possibility; another was maybe the crew managed to at least get him back on the ship. ...The third, Sanji shook his head. No, it had to be one of the first two. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and began walking, slowly and vigilantly. Every two steps, he was searching, leaving no inch of the beach without a look.

Thirty minutes went by, then an hour. Still nothing. The heavy weight in his core growing heavier as his pace gradually picked up. Before he knew it, he was running, calling Zoro's name in all directions. Breaths coming out in pants, Sanji finally slowed down to catch it. He leaned down, hands on his knees as he waited for his burning lungs to calm down.

He took one more deep breath and straightened back up, preparing for another sprint. He was determined to keep this up until he either found the man, or until he ended up where he started. Shakily, he took another stop, only to stop in his tracks. His gaze locked onto something in the distance, something unmoving and in the unmistakable shape of a body. Sanji swallowed thickly, recognizing the form even from this distance.

'Shit,' he mouthed, nearly stumbling in his haste. By the time he reached Zoro, he was completely winded, borderline light-headed. He seriously needed to take a few moments to compose himself. But that would have to wait until he got both of them farther inland and made sure the swordsman was alright.

'Or alive'. He thought to himself, breath catching.

Without hesitation, the blond dropped his head, placing his ear against the other's chest. He held his breath in wait until, finally, the faint sound of a heartbeat caused him to sigh slowly. Sanji closed his eyes and just listened for a few seconds more, making sure it was real, that he really heard it and it wasn't just his imagination. He couldn't help the light chuckle of relief as he lifted his head away.

Not wasting any time, the cook pulled one of Zoro's arms over his shoulders with a grunt. Lifting the man usually wasn't any issue, but his body had clearly taken a beating before washing up. Everything ached. He ignored his body's pleas for a break and pushed on, practically dragging the other along. All he had to do was get them a few more yards inland, then he could allow himself to rest.

Adrenaline waning, his feet were struggling more and more to get through the sand, nearly tripping him multiple times. Every time, though, he willed himself to stay upright. Somehow he managed, or he did until he finally deemed them far enough away to be safe enough. The moment he reached that spot, his legs decided on their own that it was time for a break. This time, he didn't fight it, he craved it. The blond fell, dragging Zoro down with him. Luckily for the latter, he was oblivious to it all, stil out cold.

Sanji exhaled heavily and closed his eyes. On one hand, he wanted to fight unconsciousness, knowing there were more important things that demanded his attention. On one hand, he still didn't look the other man over, he didn't know the extent of his head injury. On the other hand, he was exhausted, he could barely move and his side still stung.

He groaned before forcing his hands to move beneath him and shakily push him up to his hands and knees. There was a rush of nausea when his stomach disagreed with the movement. Stifling a gag, the cook sat the rest of the way up, eyes still closed. He feared opening them now and risking overwhelming his senses when they were already freaking out enough as it were. He had to keep in mind what his priority was. And until Zoro was conscious and lucid, he wouldn't allow himself to give in.

First thing was, he had to get off the ground. He had to get himself busy. One glance up at the sky, and it was clear what needed his attention first. The last thing he wanted was for them to be stuck, in their condition, in unfamiliar territory. There was no telling what was lurking around even in daylight.

Working his way to trembling legs, he cast a glance towards the swordsman. "Don't move," he rasped, arm instinctively wrapping around his side.

He despised how difficult it was for him to do such a simple task as walking. But was proving to be challenging when he had to pause every few steps and depend on the nearest tree for support. Sanji knew this feeling wouldn't last forever, thankfully. He just had to bear with it for the time being.

It was a slow process, but the cook eventually managed to gather up a few logs lying around. Three pieces tucked under his arm, he made his way back to see Zoro was exactly where he had left him. "Lazy ass," he muttered, tossing the wood down with a hiss. For a few seconds, he eyed them, as if they would magically stack and light themselves. Dropping heavily to his knees, he quickly set up the logs and got a fire started. As soon as it crackled to life, he could feel the heat sapping some of the moisture from him, revitalizing him a small amount.

Already, the sun was growing close to the horizon. There was no telling how long either of them were unconscious for. Clapping his hands together and turning his attention back to Zoro, Sanji rose back up and crossed the few feet. He was still breathing and his pulse was steady, that was enough to lift some of the worry from his chest.

Gently, he brushed a few green hairs out of the way, finally being able to get a proper look at the sizable cut along the swordsman's hairline. He had no idea how exactly it happened, but whenever it was had to have hit rather hard. Sanji carefully prodded the area and lightly jumped when his touch elicited a soft groan. The blond paused, unsure if he had really heard it. So, he gingerly brushed it again, and this time the swordsman's features scrunched in discomfort.

Tension finally fleeing from his muscles, Sanji tapped his face lightly. "Hey," he whispered, "can you hear me?" Another groan. Then, thankfully, Zoro's eyes cracked open. They were bleary, confused as they slowly located the blond.

Clearing his throat, the larger man went to sit up, but Sanji was quick to stop him. "Hold up, don't move yet," he ordered, one hand on Zoro's chest, the other on the side of his head.

The swordsman breathed out heavily and cleared his throat. "Where're we?" he asked, voice hoarse. His brows were knit, and the chef could only assume it was due to a headache the man no doubt had. Surprisingly, it didn't take much to get the brute of a man to comply. He simply leaned back with a soft groan.

"We washed up somewhere," Sanji answered lowly, continuing his inspection. Luckily the gash wasn't deep. Still, he took the edge of his sleeve and dabbed gently at the wound. Zoro hissed with the contact, but other than that, there was no movement or other sounds. "But I have no idea where," he shrugged. Seeing as there was nothing better he could do, he got back to his feet and walked a couple feet away before sitting back down with a sigh.

Sanji pulled out his pack of cigarettes only to toss them aside a second later with a swear. Completely ruined.

Carefully, Zoro sat up, one hand on his head. He cast a wary gaze at the blond, eyes scanning him up and down, but there was no obvious sign of injury. "What about you?" he asked, almost inaudibly. "You alright?" The concern lacing his words felt weird, foreign to him. Especially considering who they were directed at. Still, the question slipped out of its own accord.

"Yeah," the blond muttered, leaning back on his elbows. "Just a couple bruises and scrapes, what you'd expect." He suppressed a wince when the motion pulled uncomfortably at his side. Then he remembered that he never actually took a look at it, only that there was a minor amount of bleeding.

All he really cared about now was the fact that he was exhausted and just wanted to sleep all this off. With a heavy yawn, he pulled himself far enough to lean against one of the trees, still close enough to feel the heat of the fire. Looking to Zoro to make sure he was still conscious, he allowed himself to finally relax. The idiot was alive and lucid. "You're not gonna die now, are you?" he asked, stifling another yawn.

The swordsman waved a dismissive hand. "Takes a lot more than that," he grunted, folding his arms. "You can go to sleep if you want, I'm pretty sure I can hand-" He snapped his mouth shut. That had to have been a record for how fast the man was out. But, looking over and seeing the dark circles under his eyes, it was no wonder. Zoro's head was still throbbing, ears still ringing, but he figures it was nothing he couldn't deal with. He reached up to feel the cut; the slightest touch had him flinching.

As minutes turned into an hour, he kept his head low, trying to wrack his brain of the previous night. But, all he remembered was the storm...screaming...and vaguely something striking his head. After that, he was in and out of consciousness. He remembered rushing water, darkness, more screaming and...something else. He closed his eyes. Zoro was sure he remembered something holding on to him, or… The swordsman looked over to Sanji as it all came together. Did that idiot actually go overboard because of him?

He didn't know what to feel about that? Appreciation? Frustration?

His eyes never left the blond as he peacefully slept, barely even stirring. He, quite literally, had the appearance of a man that just washed up on the shore. And, based on how he felt, Zoro doubted he was faring much better. His muscles were sore and his lungs had this residual burning sensation to them.

The longer he sat there, the longer he realized he could go for a nap himself. But, he figured at least one of them had to stay awake and keep watch. That in mind, he steeled himself for a long night. Went out a couple of times to gather some more wood for the fire and ignored the dizziness that tried to claim him more than once. Somehow, he was able to fight off unconsciousness both times it reared its head. The thought of waking Sanji so he could take over had crossed his mind a couple times, but he refused to resort to that.

He was sure they were both just as tired as the other. And so, he let the other sleep, never once bothering him until morning began to show itself and he finally showed some sort of sign of waking. Sanji shifted lightly, a soft gasp escaping when he turned a certain way.

"Finally awake?" Zoro asked, hating how his voice echoed in his head painfully.

Sanji coughed lightly and pulled himself to sit straighter. He offered the other what could be described as an annoyed glare. "Like you're one to talk." The blond shifted again, this time hissing and biting his lower lip. He glanced over again, making sure this wasn't noticed. Luckily, Zoro had his eyes closed, palm of his hand against his forehead.

The blond didn't realize until he went to get up just how hot it was out there. He could feel a couple of beads of sweat roll down the back of his neck. He glanced at the fire, surprised it was still going strong. Well, that explained the heat.

Coughing again, the chef unsteadily got to his feet. Unfortunately, everything was still rather sore. That long sleep seemed to barely help anything aside from him being just a little less tired. "I'm going to go look for some animals or something," he muttered. "You stay here, still look like you're ready to pass out again." That last part was under his breath, but still loud enough for the other man to catch no problem.

Zoro scoffed. "How do you think the fire stayed lit? Logs didn't magically appear on it."

Sanji rolled his eyes, making sure the gesture was seen. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'd still prefer it if you stayed here. On the off chance you do faint, I don't wanna have to haul you around again. You're too damn heavy for all that."

"Fine by me," the swordsman mumbled to himself, crossing his hands behind his head.

The cook watched as he stepped away, making sure he was actually staying put. Once he was sure of it, he picked up his pace, getting a good distance before pausing for breath. Leaning his back against another tree, he swiped the back of his hand over his forehead...it was completely drenched.

"Damn…" he muttered.

Slowly, he sank to the forest floor, one hand on his side as it burned. Something was definitely wrong. The wound was stinging and burning with every slight movement he made, which made no sense with how little blood there was.

Holding his breath, Sanji began unbuttoning his jacket, then his shirt and carefully pulled baoth layers away. Even the light brushing of material had him reeling. After a few, agonizing seconds, his side was finally revealed and he was biting his lip as he took it all in. It was just as he thought: just a minor wound, nothing more than a scrape. He prodded the area and instantly his teeth sank into his bottom lip as fire erupted over the spot. It moved in waves. Looking at it, there was a slight redness, but it still didn't look terrible. Either way, even as unknowledgeable as he was in the medical field, he knew what the beginnings of an infection looked like.

Breathing out heavily, he swiftly buttoned everything back up. There was no use worrying about it now, there was nothing they could do about it here. The best they could hope for was to hold out and wait for the others to find them. Right now, he had other things to worry about. And there was no point in mentioning it to Zoro, all it would do was cause unnecessary tension, which they really didn't need.

Sanji got back to his feet, hand clutching his side, and trudged on. He just hoped they'd be off this island before it had the chance to get too much worse.