My voice speaks your name

Chapter 15- If only you knew

The creaks and clashes of the trees plummeting to the ground were the only details that were given attention. Franky's sweat dropped immensely, watching the python stiffen up, and its face froze. It was almost like the earth had stood still for that one moment.

Laying flat on the ground, Franky gazed on, observing the python's body slowly split in two. The time went by so slow. The inevitable seemed like it would take forever to come until...

'BANG!'

Finally, the large lump of mass plunged into the nearest trees with the ground crumbling to pieces from the weight. Shaking the ground around Zoro and Franky, sweat dripped off their heads as Franky looked on. Astounded by what he'd witnessed, he hoists himself back on his feet after the shaking stops.

Zoro's back was soaked with sweat and coated with dirt. His breathing became heavy as the indignant look in his eyes never faded. It wasn't anger, but impatience that drove him to finish things as quickly as he did. The fact that Sanji was suffering and he had no way of helping, made Zoro's heart throb in a way he couldn't understand. The thought of Sanji losing his life at any given moment sent Zoro nuts in a way he couldn't portray.

Of course, the others fretted for him just as much, but in Zoro's case, it's a different sensation. All he can think about is Sanji and his smiling face. His heart yearned for his well-being to the point where he'd do anything for him. So caught up in his thoughts, Zoro had become numb to his whereabouts and what he was doing. All he wanted to do was to shorten the time Sanji would have to suffer before they could give him the only thing that could save him.

"Zoro?.." Without Zoro noticing, Franky stood in front, waving his metallic hand as if to grab his attention. The worried look sat on Franky's face with how long it had taken to get Zoro to come to his senses. Zoro shook his head and then looked up to Franky. Relaxing his arms, he took a look around. The red python had been cut clean in half with the two lumps of meat sitting side by side of the pair. Catching his breath, Zoro removed the sword from his mouth and sheathed all three hastily.

"Are you okay?" Franky asked. Zoro faced his head down to the floor. Breathing deeply, he raises his head and sighs with his eye closed regretfully.

"I'm... sorry about that," Zoro apologised, rubbing the back of his head, realising he had lost control and once again surveyed the area. Franky chuckled deeply putting his big metallic hand on his shoulder. Zoro again turns to Franky.

"Next time, give me a warning when you do that again. I'm lucky enough to have my head" Franky laughed, sweat-dropping and pointing his thumb to the surrounding territory. Zoro looked over and saw that everything within the vicinity had all been cut down to a lower level. Any life that got caught within it, wouldn't have had great chances of surviving. But even though half of the trees had disappeared, the fog was still too thick to see above and beyond.

Zoro then sighed, smiling at first, then glaring in a random direction "Thankfully we're in one piece. Now, we need to find Usopp or the others." Zoro determinedly says, taking a step forward. Franky reaches his arm out to stop him.

"Let me do the navigating. You may be hella strong, but you're completely useless when it comes to finding the way back, haha" Franky giggles, walking in front to take the lead with Zoro following afterwards.

"That's not very nice, ya hunk of metal" Zoro laughed along, walking by the side of Franky. Not long into the walk, Franky coughed to break the silence as if to try and create conversation.

"Anyways, I've been meaning to ask this for a while now. I know you and Sanji don't particularly get along, but has something happened? Ever since we escaped from the navy, you two have been considerably distant. At least that's how I see it" Franky says while lifting the trees and shrubbery that blocked their oncoming path. Zoro looked to Franky as if shocked by the question.