Allen stumbled backward, landing on his rear on the cold tile with a thud. His eyes were surprised at first, then hurt as his hand went automatically to the site of the injury. It wasn't that he hadn't been hit before; his body was accustomed to experiencing pain on a fairly regular basis. But still it shook him, he knew Sanji was only trying to help and Allen was making things worse.

He shook his head from where he sat in a heap on the ground. "I don't... expect to be forgiven, but," he took a steadying breath, "I won't stop trying to protect them."