This story idea has been in my head for months so I figured, I shall post it and see how everyone likes it I suppose
How it is planned is that the odd chapters will be the current events while the even chapters will reflect the past
Please enjoy everyone!
I do not own One Piece - That is property of Eiichiro Oda
Chapter 1 – Current: Reunion
Let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love. – Mother Theresa
The marine admiral shook his bemused head as he launched the attack towards the pirates too rude to justify him with an answer to his very simple query of where his subordinate was. They did not even wait for a description before promptly wetting themselves and attempted to flee. It simply was not his fault if the mangrove tree toppled due to having the misfortune of being behind the retreating pirates. "They simply should have responded to me instead of running, hmm?" the admiral drawled to himself, causing a few of his subordinates to give the man odd looks. You never got completely used to how Admiral Kizaru functioned after all.
They had all heard the stories about the fanciful admiral's past. Some said he was often like a joker, even more than he was now, and loved to play pranks on his fellow soldiers. Others told of a solemn side he had reserved for his close friends and even fewer spoke of the relationship he once held with a very special woman. Those few would become tightlipped anytime someone tried to inquire more information about this mysterious lady friend that the infamous light logia had been rumored that he was courting. Or rather, had been courting.
Certain, inquisitive marines with little sense of life preservation could be found digging away at military records and information. Many of the higher up marine officers also placed bets on who would discover the tightly held information about a certain woman. The months leading up to now, Admiral Kizaru staring down the downed mangrove and the destroyed buildings around it, had taught the recruits nothing until one of them spotted movement ahead.
As if on cue, a woman stumbled out of a building, covered in dust as part of her building collapsed. "Sir?" one of the marines inquired before pointing ahead towards the movement. "She looks familiar. Similar almost to the photographs I have seen of marines reported MIA." The admiral sent a slight bit of Observation Haki towards the woman as an ordinary person should not have been able to move around so quickly after a building collapsed around and on them.
"What would prompt you to look into that, hmm?" the logia almost scowled before rolling his shoulders briefly. "I suppose I should investigate."
A quick beam of light that the admiral turned himself into sent him right next to the stirring woman. Sure enough, Admiral Kizaru recognized, barely but still, the woman scrambling out of the debris. "Wow my head… Never knew how fast those memories rush back. Always thought that was some cliché bullshit." The woman was very tall, her height only becoming even more obvious as she fully stood. The blonde hair, in a pixie cut, framed her face but her intense green eyes held all the marines' attention. The summer dress she wore was tailor made by the looks of it, going to her midthigh in a deep green color. The halter of the top part of the dress showed her shoulder muscles as rather bulky for a civilian however. Then the long legs exposed were toned from more than casual walking. She noticed the tall admiral coming towards her and her jaw dropped almost comically as she recognized someone she had not seen in years. "Borsalino-kun?" she gasped weakly in disbelief before a wide, uncertain smile erupted. Tears leaked out of her eyes as she tackled the logia, causing him to grunt with effort so he would not topple over to the ground.
The marines and the pirates around find it a bit incredible considering the man had several bullets go through his body with no ill effect and that this 'civilian' has a firm, tangible hold over him. "Sere-chan?" he asked in disbelief but the confirming nod from the blonde woman causes a smile to radiate from him. "It really is you, my Serenity." He looked her over and was about to frown at something he noticed. She looks exactly the same as when I last saw her. But that was so long ago. How did you not age?
The woman began to weep into the admiral's suit, uncaring about everyone else around. "I missed you so much! I tried so hard to get back to Marineford…" She sniffed before she felt the cold barrel of a gun against the back of her head. Instead of freaking out or wailing, she merely halted her statement. "This is rather unpleasant," she commented offhandedly as she attempted to glance towards the pirate but he only pressed the weapon more firmly against her skull. The admiral and marines noticed that the relaxed and relieved expression she had a few seconds ago evaporated into a firm and unyielding stature.
"If we can't kill Admiral Kizaru, you're good enough for now." The pirate became annoyed however when the woman he was threatening leaned away from the gun just to look at the admiral with pride.
"You really are an admiral," Serenity smirked as she pecked him affectionately on the cheek. "So this nice suit of yours isn't just for show, eh Kizaru-kun?"
She's addressing him so informally, a few of the marines thought with shock but the pirate was becoming more hostile as the pair began to ignore him still.
"Only an admiral is worthy of your attentions, Serenity-chan. I waited for you for a long time," he purred before glancing at the pirate. "Can you go away now, mmm? You're ruining the atmosphere."
The pirate's jaw drop out of sheer disbelief and even a few of the nearby marines groaned. "Atmosphere?!" In retaliation he was about to hit the woman in the head with the butt of the gun but she quickly elbowed his nose. "Gah!" he sputtered, immediately dropping the gun to touch his face gingerly. She crouched quickly to sweep his legs with a quick kick, causing him to tumble on the ground. He stared up at her as she stuck a foot on his chest, the spiky heel of the boot digging in quite powerfully.
"Welcome back… Vice Admiral Serenity the Immediate," Kizaru purred as he wrapped his arms around the woman. Her glinting emerald eyes softened for a moment as she turned to him, a soft smile on her face. "Your reactions are a bit slower than before it seems."
"I'm sorry dear. The memories of how to fight are still returning to me and this body isn't as toned as I remember it to be." The pirate gulped as he saw blood drip off her boot as she finally wretched her heel free from his chest. The green depths of her eyes started to scare the pirate as she looked at her boots and sighed. "And now I have filthy pirate blood on my boot. That's just unacceptable. Almost as unacceptable as being able to get back to headquarters after becoming free of captivity."
"Just don't go overboard in punishing yourself," the admiral drawled as the heel of the female's boot crashed onto the pirate's skull, instantly cracking it open and killing him. "And don't you think that was a bit extreme?"
Serenity smirked as they walked away from the dead pirate. "He was a pirate that admitted his failures in killing you. I have no reason to spare him at all," she huffed with her arms crossed. "But enough of worrying over that," she hissed as if discussing the very nature of piracy was venomous. "I've missed you so much."
"What did happen anyway?" he inquired as he motioned over to some marines to clean up the mess. "After that mission, you vanished." He paused for a moment as the pain in his heart was practically tangible in his voice. "You vanished after making me swear that stupid promise."
"I know," she whispered softly as she reached for his hand. Despite his emotional state, he did allow her to hold it and in fact, gripped her hand tightly as if it was his lifeline. "Please tell me, Borsalino-kun. My men, did they get a proper burial service when their ship was discovered?"
"Your ship was in shambles," he told her gently, prompting a few tears from the woman who so easily killed a pirate in cold blood. "Only a part of it was intact. The deck in fact and it was piled with the bodies of your crew." The flinch he felt made it feel even more heartbreaking as he pulled her close, whispering softly. "Your navigator was alive enough to get the bodies onto the deck but himself, he was a wreck."
"Taka," she whispered softly as she trembled. "What happened to Taka?"
"After telling us your ship encountered the Whitebeard Pirates, what they said to you and after they took you, he resigned his position in the marines and took his life for failing to protect his comrades and his superior."
"He was a good man," she said softly. While not a fighter, the navigator had embedded himself quite firmly within the very short list of friends that Serenity had for herself.
"So what happened exactly?" the admiral pushed as the passed a group of pirates, gawking at the admiral and the female with relative surprise until Kizaru kicked into the air, causing a beam of light to crash into a few of them. A few pirates tried what the first one had and approached Serenity instead but she drew a dagger from her dress sleeve and easily slit the throats of the approaching thugs without even blinking an eye.
"Not meaning to be rude, but we've only heard of the infamous Vice Admiral Serenity the Immediate through stories." The woman turned to see the admiral's subordinates look up at her with wonder and curiosity.
"The story can only be properly told if we start at the beginning. That's the only way to understand and I suppose myself, I don't get it either."
"Long story short, Serenity-chan was a snob from Pucci and we eventually got together when her ship was destroyed on her first official mission after being promoted to vice admiral."
The summary given however displeased the female marine, causing her to glare at the jovial admiral. "That's a poor tale. Where's the detail? The angst? The romance? All those damn times you tried to one up me in training?"
A smirk was shot back at her however. The marines around them noticed the relaxed manner was even more pronounced than normal. The admiral was truly at ease now. "Tried? If you recall, I triumphed over you in training. Sakazuki is an eyewitness to that."
"If you remember what sensei said…" she was about to protest before sighing in resignation. "You're trying to rile me up again. Damn you," she chuckled before closing her eyes as he gave her a brief kiss on the forehead. "The story. We should tell your subordinates since they apparently are curious. After all, if I'm going to return back to service, it's best if people know who I am."
