Heart of the Kitsune

Heart of the Kitsune

Chapter 7

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Luffy leapt from rooftop after rooftop in a frantic gait, hoping to make it to the aunction house before Sanji was placed in for bidding. "Gotta get to the auction! Gotta get to the auction!" he murmured to himself as he finally spotted a place where people gathered outside. He noted that most of the people look shady and guessed he found the place. "Yes!" he squeaked before hopping down and went to search for an entrance somewhere.

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Sanji sighed as he sat within the room, looking to the other people that looked to be forced into being in this auction as well. Some people were whispering about him, he could hear them, and sighed, ears folded down in distress. 'I need to do something but I can't allow Zoro to get hurt because of me.' he thought. Another male came in, a wide grin spread across his face as he looked to them. "Well, well! Looks like we got in quite a haul today! The crowd will be pleased." he said as he walked down the aisle, looking to his prisoners before stopping before Sanji. "Especially you, kitsune. You'll be the reason this auction house will stay in business for a good, long time!" he said before the auctioneer came into the room.

"Bellamy, care to make a few announcements before we start?" The auctioneer asked and he gave a nod before patting Sanji's cheek. "You be good for whoever gets you, fox." he said before walking out to address the crowd. Sanij sighed as he looked down. "You're in quite a pickle, huh?" An older man questioned and Sanji snorted. "Getting attached to someone was my downfall but damn it, I'm not going to relent just because of something like this." he murmured.

"Oh? And here I thought the kitsune never took mates so easily." The elder said with a soft chuckle. "Yeah...it's not easy for us unless we find the right chemistry and at the moment, mine is getting into dangerous levels but I don't care. I want this person but first I need to get out of this."

"Then what's stopping you?"

"The fact that the one I love's life is on the line if they learn I escaped."

The announcements were over, a rowdy crowd eagerly waiting for the surprise Bellamy mentioned. The first people as brought out and Sanji prayed to Inari that someone would rescue him.

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Luffy crawled in through an opening and looked around curiously. "Hmm...this should be the right place..." Luffy hummed as he scurried about. He came across a door and pouted before changing form and went to open it. He looked both ways, trying to determine which way to go before the scent of food drifted by. He sniffed the air more before grinning. "Meat!!!!" he squealed before heading in that direction, mission all but forgotten. Outside, after locating Nami and Usopp, Robin decided to come up with a plan. "Nami, you look for an entrance inside. Usopp, you cause a distraction on the stage to divert their attention from bringing out anymore prisoners and I'll get Sanji out before anything terrible happens. Luffy should be in there already so let's hope he stuck to the plan." Robin explained and they nodded as they headed off. All but Usopp who knees were already knocking at the thought of what he had to do.

"I-I can't do this....I think I just came down with the large-crowds-make-me-nauseated syndrome." he whimpered and Nami sighed. "As fast as you are, Usopp, no one will be able to catch you. Remember the reason why we're doing this? Or would you rather stay out here? In broad daylight? Where everyone can see you? Not to mention how angry Dr. Kureha will be if she notices you gone." she said with a cat-like grin and Usopp yelped before he ran inside.

"My 8,000 men and I shall sabotage this auction!" he screeched as he ran through the main doors, already causing mayhem with his entry. "Nice one, Nami."

"Hey, you just need to know the right words...and the fact that mentioning Kureha will get him moving period." Nami said with a laugh as she opened the door after using one of her claws as a lockpick before they walked inside.

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Back at home, Zoro sighed as he wiped away the sweat gathered on his brow before looking around. "Hmm, guess that fox left for today." he murmured before setting his things away and went to make himself something to eat. Although the fox was gone, he had just the slightest inkling that something was terribly wrong.

"He'll be fine." he murmured to himself. Outside, Ace only tsked. "If only you knew, dear swordsman." he murmured as he ruffled his feathers before taking off.

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With Nami and Robin inside, they looked around. "Hmm, now where would he keep the items for auction?" Nami murmured to herself as they walked. All was silent as they walked through the halls before coming across a room and heard the enthustiatic feasting of a certain monkey. She stopped and doubled back, looking inside. "Luffy! What are you doing in here?!" she hissed and he looked to her, mouth filled with food.

"Having a snack!" he said, though his words were garbed because of full mouth. Nami sighed and slapped a hand to her forehead. "We don't have time for this! Did you even look for where Sanji could be held right now?!" she screeched. Luffy shook his head and she sighed before grabbing his ear and dragged him out the room. "Ow, ow, ow! That's hurts!" he whined. "We have a mission to do and you're here stuffing your face! Sanji really needs this chance to find a mate and that won't happen if he's stuck with some lousy human that will mistreat him and his power if they know the one weakness of the kitsune race." she growled and Luffy pouted before nodding. Of course, all went straight to the pits the moment Usopp came running at them, a few people chasing after him.

"Run!!!" He screeched and they did so.

"Damn it, Usopp! Why did you come this way?" Nami shouted at the kappa. "I didn't know where else to go! I thought you would've found Sanji by now!" Usopp cried.

"Well we didn't thanks to the lovely monkey here stuffing his face instead of searching for him!"

"I didn't know!"

"At least you could've ran back out the way you came!"

"It was blocked!"

The four continued to run, trying to shake the people off their tail but it wasn't working in their favor and they didn't need to reveal any more about themselves than they already have and have people coming after them too.

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Within the room he was held him, only two people away from being sent out, Sanji heard the commotion outside. "Luffy?" he murmured softly before standing. "Luffy! Nami, Usopp, Robin! I'm in here!" he cried, hoping that they heard. 'What's going on out there? I thought they would've been discreet about my rescue...then again, if Luffy's here, nothing can be done quietly.' he thought, unaware that Bellamy came up behind him and cracked him over the back of the head. "Ah, ah, little kitsune. I'm not losing you. You will be the reason we get so much money, especially if the Teryubito outbids everyone for you, which I'm sure is a definite matter." he said as Sanji fell and growled.

"I will escape. You just watch. You don't know what powers you mess with by taking me." he hissed and Bellamy only laughed. "And who's coming to save you? Surely not those pathetic creatures running around right now! They'll be chased out of here and then we'll keep a closer eye here, making sure they have no opening to get to you." he said as he laughed and headed back out with the next person in hand. Sanji looked down. 'I look so pathetic right now. Zeff would kick me clear across the forest for such foolishness...' he thought and sighed.

'I'm sorry, Zoro. I'm so sorry...'

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"How are we gonna shake them!" Usopp exclaimed, they having exhausted every tactic to get away. "This is quite the predicament we're in. and we surely can't save cook-san now since we were found out." Robin murmured. "Oh this went horrible! I'm a cat! I should be better than this!" Nami wailed as the men closed in. But they were hindered as a few tiny glowing balls of light came in through a nearby window. The men were confused for a moment before the balls of light exploded into a massive fire wall, causing the men to step back. Ace appeared through the window and grinned. "Need some help out of here?" he questioned.

"Hi Ace!" Luffy greeted before he had his cheeks pinched by an irritable cat.

"Get going before we cause more problems here!" she hissed. Luffy nodded before they all climbed out the window and moved further away from the auction house to prevent any people from coming out and getting them when they least expect it. "Glad I had a feeling that something went awry or else you four might be next on the auction block."

"Thank so much, Ace. Sorry to have you brought out here but your empty-headed brother forgot we had a mission to do and was gorging on food and this scaredy kappa here leading a horde of people towards us before we could even find Sanji. And now that they know we were there, it won't take a smart person to know that they will have all entrances guarded so we can't make a second attempt." Nami said with a sigh. "Sanji gonna be sold off and there's nothing we can do without revealing ourselves more."

"Well, lucky for you, we still have an ace in the hole." Ace said, laughing at his own inner joke before chaging forms and took to the sky. "I'll be back with the one person that can put a screeching halt to this auction's plan." he said before taking off for the forest once more.

"Hurry, Ace! We don't know how long Sanji has before he's put up next!" Nami called before her ears folded back. "Wonder who he's going to get?" she murmured to herself.

"Well, if you really think about it, Nami-san, then you'll know." Robin said before she shifted forms and flew off as well. "Wait! What do you mean by that, Robin! Robin?" she called but only watched as the raven flew off. "Her and her cryptic messages."

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After Zoro ate, he went outside to do some training, actually liking the peace he had without the fox around. He did his usual katas before taking Wadou out and trained with that one sword for the moment. Soon, he heard a crow and looked around. "Must be imagining things." he murmured before he continued to train. "Well, I knew you were never easy to talk to but I never peg you as a thick-headed person too." A voice spoke up and he quickly turned in the direction of the voice, Wadou poised for attack. Ace chuckled softly before shaking his head.

"Now, now. No need to get defensive. I come bringing you a message." he spoke as he looked down to the swordsman from his perch.

"Oh yeah? And what would that be?"

"That your little fox friend is in danger and probably a scant couple seconds away from being sold to that nastiest group of people to ever exist." Ace said.

"He knows how to get himself out of danger." Zoro muttered as he went back to training. "Ah, but that's where you're wrong. He'll need saving this time and it would warm his heart if you came to his rescue." Ace said as he hopped down. "Well why can't you go save him? I'm sure you're some sort of mystic creature that lives here in the forest as well."

"Well, I would if I wasn't so important and my appearance there to save him would do more harm than good." he spoke with a shrug. "Now why don't you do us Beasts of the Four Direction a little favor a rescue him, huh? You wouldn't want the wrath of an old kitsune coming for you, now do you?" he questioned as he turned into his phoenix form and left Zoro standing there in shock at the legendary bird that graced his presence.

After the moment was over, he cursed as he ran into the house the grab his other two swords just in the event that things got rowdy and ran for the city, knowing of the only illegal slave ring that still operated in secrecy.

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Sanji looked up when he heard Bellamy come back in once more and smirked down to him. "Your turn." he said as he grabbed the chain and led him outside. With no sighting of anyone else coming for him, he gave up all hope that he would be rescued. The auctioneer grinned as he looked to him before looking to the awestruck crowd. "Well, I told you folks we have a treat for you today. A genuine kitsune right out of the forest. A gullible one nonetheless but a rare find. We'll start the bidding at two hundred thousand beris." The auctioneer said and soon, bids were flying left and right. Sanji looked down in silence as he listened to the count rise more and more for him.

Eventually, one stood and looked to the stage with a smirk. "Five hundred million." he spoke with a finality tone and no one else dared to challenged the Tenryubito, regardless of how much they too wanted the rare and elusive kitsune. The auctioneer smirked and nodded and without doing the customary wait to see if anyone else wanted to bid higher for the item, he pointed to the male that stood. "Sold to Saint Roswald!" he called and Sanji gasped. "Bring me my new pet!" he called and Bellamy nodded as he took the chain, dragging the kitsune behind him as the other now tried to fight for his freedom. "Give it up! No one in here to save you." Bellamy murmured. "No! Let me go! Let me go!" he growled before yelping as a bullet ripped through the sleeve of his arm, leaving a small nick there.

"Bad fox. You'll learn your place soon enough." Roswald spoke but before he could take the chain in hand, the doors burst open with a kick and the flash of a blade slicing through the iron collar that rested around Sanji's neck with ease. "Go!" Zoro called and Sanji looked to him wide eyed before nodding before taking off, changing into his fox form and race through the city and back into the forest.

"It's Roronoa Zoro!"

"He let the fox go!?"

"He's going to get in trouble with the government."

People spoked in a dulled buzz but the tension was the glare shared between the swordsman and the noble. "You fool! What gives you the right to release this hard earned creature that I captured?!" Spandam hissed before going quiet at the glare was focused on him. "Roronoa Zoro was it? I heard about you. A big swordsman that worked for the royal court of this pathetic city." Roswald murmured and smirked. "I could pay you double your salary for working for that old crow if you fetch that fox for me."

"Not likely." he replied and that burnt out the short fuse the man held.

"Then die for your insolence!" he roared as he went to shoot the swordsman with the specialty weapon he held in his hands but with tons of skill under his belt, he was able to dodge it fluently before dashing forward, Wadou pointed to the man's throat. People gasped at the blatant attack while Roswald growled. "I will have your low class tail executed." he growled.

"Yeah, you do that and this city will have your ass on a platter one way or another. They have confided in me because other cities have avoided war in fear of facing me on the battlefield. These blades have drank the blood of my enemies, wonder how it would feel to have a haughty noble next." he murmured, keeping the glare on his face. Seeing the so called demon's glare, Roswald gulped for a moment before stepping back. "You will pay for this! That fox will be mine after wasting my hard earned money to buy it!"

"Hard earned money, my ass." he growled as he sheathed Wadou and turned to the door. "I catch any of you in the forest, be prepared to have your blood painting my land." he whispered, death heavy in his tone before he was gone. The people were still whispering before Bellamy walked over to where Spandam was and lifted him by his collar. "You better find that fox or we'll be out five hundred million. And if we lost that much money, I will come after you and personally kill you myself." Bellamy growled. Spandam gulped and nodded. "Don't worry...I know where he is. The problem is Zoro. If we don't get rid of him, the fox will continue being protected by him apparently."

"The swordsman's the problem, huh? Then leave it to me. I won't harm this dumb city. I just want my fox and if that swordsman continues being a pain, I'll get the best of Mariejois down here to deal with him. I expect results within a week." Roswald spoke before he left. Bellamy shoved Spandam. "Well! Get going! We still have an auction going but you better come back here with that fox or else!" Bellamy sneered before leaving him. Spandam gulped and feared for his life, a drop of snot running from his nose before he wiped it away and ran out the auction house, trying to come up with a new plan. With Zoro back, it would make it even more harder to capture the fox.

"And I don't think my threat will work a second time. But if I can sneak up on it, I have a better idea." he said with a grin as he remembered about the kitsune's fatal weakness that hovered just on the tips of their tails.

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A white bird was perched on a branch, watching the fox closely as he came running back into the forest. Sanji shifted back and panted hard as he held his bleeding arm and growled. "Damn mortal." he growled before looking around. He felt something was much different now in the forest and he didn't like. "Are Jyabura and Lucci on the move already? Shit, and I'm not even prepared for those bastards..." he murmured as his ears twitched for any sounds. Hearing none, he decided to go to Zoro for shelter and start making plans now before his two enemies get anywhere near him.

The bird watched before following him a distance and seeing where he was hiding, the bird flew off to further in the forest where his master and acquaintance waited.

"That bird of yours is taking forever! We should go in, battle ready, and kill that stupid animal!" Jyabura grumbled.

"We have to be patient. Remember, he does have very important friends. We do even the slightest misstep and we'll have the Beasts of the Four Directions bearing down on us and we can't allow that to happen. Remember what happened to Blueno the last time you were reckless." Lucci murmured nonchalantly as he looked to the other male and Jyabura grumbled softly to himself, not wanting to be reminded of the horrible tragedy that occured when they tried to take over the area that was under Byakko's watch and met with one of his advocates. They didn't last and the only ones to escape that near massacre was Jyabura who had to report the scatter of Kumadori, Fukurou, Kaku and Kalifa and the loss of Blueno.

"I know that! Don't keep reminding me of that!" he hissed before looking up as the white bird returned, perching on Lucci's shoulder. "About time, you dumb animal!"

"You insulting yourself, Jyabura?" Lucci questioned before listening to what Hattori had to say. Jyabura was fuming but let the cat listen to what his pet had to say and once he saw the nod from him, he jumped up. "Well?"

"He saw the fox. And he's hiding in a home that belongs to some human. Since we don't want to risk being seen and giving him more of a defense, we'll have to catch him unguarded which is outside the house." Lucci spoke before standing. "Come on. It's about time we make our move. And this time, you better follow me or I'll kill you myself." Lucci whispered as he looked to Jyabura who gulped at the look in his leader's eyes and knew to never doubt what he told him. The two shifted into their animal forms before running off in the direction Hattori now flew.

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Zypher: And there. Another chapter done and we're finally getting Lucci and Jyabura into action along with Spandam now trying again to get Sanji with a new plan under his hat. So much to do for our little fox and there's still more to come. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you again with another chapter soon.