onepiece_300 | (no subject)

title: captain's orders
rating: PG13
characters: zoro, luffy.
word count: 266
prompt: mind control

"Get out of here."

Luffy grins up at them through the bars of the seastone cage, shifts slowly, lethargically against his seastone shackles. Brook breathes a quiet Yohohoho... but we can get you out, Luffy-san.

Nami pulls at Zoro's sleeve, tells him to cut the bars so Luffy can get out, and then they can go back to the Sunny, and they'll kick all the marine ass they need to on the way back; they can do it, as long as Luffy is with them and...

And Zoro knows it's hopeless. He can't cut seastone, and there are no guards, no keys.

Luffy's gaze is steady, unwavering. "They'll let you go. As soon as I leave, they'll Buster Call the whole island. They'll let you go if I'm still here. No loopholes this time."

Nami whispers, We've already survived one Buster Call, we can survive another.

The rest of the crew is still searching for keys. They won't find them.

"Zoro. Take care of everyone."

Zoro sees a man who believes, As long as they're all okay, it's fine if I die and he thinks it's honorable. Noble, even.

But unacceptable.

The weight of Luffy's haki crushes the air out of his lungs before he can protest, and Luffy's eyes bore into his.

Captain's orders.

Zoro thinks that it's not fucking fair. He shoves Nami gently down the hall, towards Sanji and Chopper and Usopp. Brook heads the other way to round up Robin and Franky.

Zoro looks down into Luffy's face and feels as if he's staring into the ocean. "Are you satisfied?"

"Not if you all stop here. Go."

He does.