Partners
Prologue:
Detective Smoker, aka 'The White Hunter', stood with his back pressed to the wall. As he tried to catch his breath, he listened to the chaos that was happening not even three feet away. Gunshots, yells, and pained screams filled the air. It was gang versus law, and so far, gang was winning.
'Damnit. I need a plan.' Smoker thought, frowning as he surveyed the scene. He saw men down on the ground, dead and wounded. Smoker saw a ball roll through the battle field.
"What the-"Smoker began, but stopped his sentence dead when a little boy ran across the crossfire, trying to get his ball. A bullet grazed his cheek, making the boy cry out in pain.
"Hold your fire!" the commander called. The shooting never stopped.
A young woman ran out into the chaos, and grabbed the boy. Bullets rained upon her, but she tried to shield him. Not even seconds later, a black-haired man ran out into the chaos. Smoker instantly recognized him as Gol D. Roger, a.k.a. 'Gold Roger'.
"Cease fire!" the gang members began shouting. No one listened. The man grabbed both the woman and the boy, and held them tight. The bullets rained upon him, but mainly from Smoker's side.
Smoker went to stop the shooting, in hopes that he could save those poor people, when he saw another boy. He was older than the fist by a few years. He ha short, messy black hair, brown eyes, and freckles decorating his cheeks. He stood on the opposite side of the crossfire, staring wide-eyed at the three people caught in it.
Smoker, without a second thought, moved quickly through the crossfire with ease. Amazingly, no bullets hit him. When he finished crossing, Smoker grabbed the boy around his waist, dragging him away from the carnage. As he dragged the boy away, a red-haired man ran into the crossfire. Smoker instantly recognized him as Gold Roger's second-in-command, Shanks LeRoux.
Smoker froze and watched as Shanks' left arm got shot up. Shanks grit his teeth in pain, but he kept going. He snagged the young boy AND his ball out of the small pile, and ran back to the same side Smoker was on.
"Nissan!" the boy cried, running to the older boy that Smoker was holding.
"Luffy!" the older boy cried in return. "Put me down!"
Smoker dropped the boy, and watched as the two hugged. Shanks frowned, holding his injured arm while staring over his shoulder at the chaos.
"Boss…Makino-san…" he whispered sadly. Shanks suddenly frowned harder. "Is that girl crazy?"
"Huh?" Smoker looked back at the carnage, and saw his partner, Tashigi, running through the crossfire. She stopped in the middle and began to yell.
"STOP SHOOTING! It's all just a big misunderst-"Tashigi cried, but was cut off as a bullet hit her chest.
"TASHIGI!" Smoker cried. He ran to her and caught her before she hit the ground.
"Smoker…" Tashigi whispered weakly. Blood was trailing down her chin and covered her blouse. "It's all a mistake…this is the wrong…gang…It's Roger-san's group…"
And with those final, pain-filled words, Tashigi died in his arms.
&1 month later&
Smoker stared at the shiny oak coffin as it was lowered into its hole. His partner, Tashigi, lay inside, her favorite sword resting in her hands. He remembered how much she loved that sword, and how tenderly she handled it.
"Tashigi…." Smoker whispered sadly, unwanted tears welling up in his eyes.
Tashigi had been almost like a daughter to him, and it tore him up inside to have to bury her.
After the grave was covered, Smoker walked away. He stopped to survey the funeral of Gold Roger and his wife, Makino. The two boys from last month, who were obviously Roger's sons, stood there crying. The one who had gotten shot had a scar on his left cheek.
Shanks was there as well, his left arm no longer there. He probably had it amputated. After all, after getting shot up to hell and back, Shanks' arm had become nothing but a red ruin. He wore a black cloak, and he had an old straw hat pressed to his chest. Silent tears slid down Shanks' face, but he remained hard as a stone as he watched the two coffins be lowered. Without a word, Shanks place his hat on the younger boy's head. They exchanged words, and Shanks crouched down to hug the boy. His older brother joined a few seconds later, the boys now wailing their lungs out and Shanks holding them both.
Smoker walked away, unable to watch any longer. Because of a simple misunderstanding, five officers, Gol D. Roger, Roger's wife, and Tashigi were dead. Tashigi's death had affected him the most. He had had to partners before her that died as well. He had been close to those two idiots as well. He just couldn't afford to have it happen again. So form that point on, Smoker vowed to never have another partner again. Smoker lit a cigar, and used it to light a second one, sealing the deal.