Ch 1: The Snake that Slithers Though Summer Snow
Birds chirped overhead as the sun shone down on the summer island of Hi-Ju. Hi-Ju was a large island covered with jungles and beaches. The white sand beaches surrounded the island like a border, stretching up to the crystal blue sea. There were only a few towns and villages that inhabited this island, however, these people were usual great navigators—having to travel through the dense jungles all day. The Sunny Go was docked on the southeastern side of the island where the gentle waves of the bay rocked the ship back and forth. A cool breeze was beginning to pick up and it tensed the sails.
Zoro yawned and stretched himself out lazily on the deck. Everything was quiet except for the few singing birds but even that was peaceful. He watched the white, fluffy clouds drifted by in the intensely blue sky. He glanced over at his swords next to him and yawned again. As he was about to drift off into sleep he heard a sudden uprising amongst the crew.
"Brook!" He heard Franky yell and then something crashed against the ground. He sighed and sat up, deciding to see what was so important to wake him up from his nap. Leaving his swords where they were he walked up to the front of the ship and climbed the small stairs. There he saw Franky and Usopp covered in what looked like soy sauce. One of the machines the two were working on was shattered into tiny pieces and an empty barrel was rolling away from their feet, the words: 'SOY SAUCE' were painted in red on the barrel's side.
Zoro leaned on the rail and sighed. "Just what is going on here?"
"Oi, Swordsman," Franky looked up from yelling at Brook who was still shaking in fear. "Finally you woke up." Zoro grumbled at the comment but didn't say anything. He just crossed his arms and watched the scene from the sidelines. Franky turned back to Brook and his angry suddenly reappeared. "Skeleton, how could you mix up the cola barrel for the soy sauce one…again?"
"I'm terribly sorry; I shall help clean this up as soon as possible." Brook reached down and scooped up some of the soy sauce and then he immediately tasted his fingers. "That tastes good…" He trailed off in thought. Franky threw the empty barrel at his skull head.
"At least stay focused." He snapped in frustration. Zoro sighed again and looked over at Usopp who only cared about cleaning his clothes. Zoro turned to his originally napping place by the main mast when he suddenly realized how quiet everything was. Where was the yelling rubber captain he was so used to hearing?
"Oi, where is everyone?" He turned back to the three.
"Ah—I forgot that you were sleeping. They all left to look for supplies on the island; it's just us four for now." Usopp answered. Zoro stared at the island.
"There're a lot of fruit on those trees." He commented.
"I would guess that the fruit is a major trading item for the people here." Brook said standing up.
"Yeah…" Zoro walked away, hardly interested. He walked back over to his swords and made himself comfortable against the main mast. "Only wake me if we're being attacked." He called sarcastically before quickly falling asleep, his snores reaching everyone's ears.
"Who made him the boss?" Franky mumbled beginning to pick up the pieces of his destroyed machine.
"Z-Zoro!" Usopp screamed in terror. Zoro moaned but didn't bother to open his eyes.
"I thought I told you only to wake me if we were being attacked." He replied, irritated.
"B-But we are!" Usopp said. Zoro's eyes shot open and he jolted up. He spun around looking for the attacker but he couldn't find anyone; the deck was empty. A sudden laugh made him jump and he quickly grabbed his katana. Where is everyone? He thought while turning towards the source of the sound. He flinched; standing there on the lion figurehead was a tall man with pale skin and long, white hair. His snow hair went down to his lower back and he had red eyes that pierced through his neat bangs. He also wore a silver robe with a blue border around the collar. The man laughed again and grinned, showing off his snake-like fangs. Zoro unsheathed Wado Ichimonji without hesitation. How did I not sense him?
"Who are you?" He demanded, jutting his blade at the stranger.
"It's common courtesy to introduce yourself first, but that won't make much sense seeing how Ialready know you…I am Aka Yuki." The man lifted his arms up from his side. Zoro growled and prepared himself. "There's no need to fear me." He assured.
"I don't fear you…" Zoro spat venomously. "Now where are my nakama?" He threatened. Yuki laughed, which was beginning to annoy Zoro. He then motioned to his feet and Zoro's gaze followed. Lying there by his feet where Usopp and Franky, frozen solid in ice; their heads being the only thing free.
"You bastard…I'm going to kill you!" Zoro put Wado away and took out Shuusui and Kitetsu.
"Please, they're not dead; besides, you couldn't even beat me if you tried."
"I can't beat you?" Zoro started to stalk Aka Yuki like an animal. "What makes you so confident; it's not like you know me?"
"Oh but I do!" He exclaimed. "I know you more than you know yourself." Yuki took out his own katana: a long, snow white blade with a crimson handle. "And I know that you're going to fight no matter what I say."
"Well then, maybe you do know me." Zoro grinned.
"Z-Zoro-san?" Brook suddenly came out from the back of the ship.
"More?" Yuki gasped almost disgusted.
"What's going on here, Zoro-san?" Brook said staring at Yuki with his hand hovering over his own sword.
"Brook, do you see them over there." Zoro said calmly, glancing at Franky and Usopp's frozen bodies.
"Hai," Brook replied confidently.
"You can break them out, right?"
"Hai Zoro-san." Brook said taking his sword. Yuki laughed some more and lifted his katana above his head. Suddenly he jumped off of the figurehead and onto the island. Zoro growled and ran after him.
"Zoro-san, I shall assist you afterwards." Brook said running after him.
"No," Zoro jumped onto the island. "He's mine!" He called over his shoulder before running into the jungle after him.
"Zoro-san…" Brook stared as he disappeared into the jungle. "I will not fail you for I too am a swordsman!" He exclaimed turning towards Usopp and Franky. Brook took a deep breath and lifted his sword up above his head. Please work… He thought before swinging his blade down with only hope guiding its way. He waited—he had seen Zoro cut things this way and it always took a few seconds for it to actually happen. Maybe it wasn't hard enough? He thought after nothing happened. He lifted his sword again when suddenly the ice shattered.
It was so sudden that he dropped his sword and fell to his knees. "Oi, are you okay?" He asked placing a bony hand on Usopp's leg. Slowly his eyes fluttered open.
"Eh—" Usopp sat up and rubbed his head. "Brook? What happened?"
"You don't remember?"
"I remember some asshole freezing us." Franky said suddenly.
"I guess I remember that…" Usopp looked around. "Where's Zoro?"
"He chased the guy onto the island." Brook said.
"Serves him right." Usopp said standing up slowly. Franky jumped up to his feet like nothing happened and he brushed off some dirt that was on his shoulder.
"Do you think that guy was a marine?" The cyborg asked after a moment. Usopp kicked a piece of ice.
"I don't understand why he didn't kill us…not that I want to be killed or anything." He stuttered.
"We do cost more if we're brought in alive." Brook said. Usopp shrugged with his hands in the pockets of his overalls.
"What I'm curious about is how he used these ice powers on us in the first place. Isn't the Ice Devil Fruit already taken by an admiral?" Franky stared down at the ice which once encased him.
"How would he have those powers if that fruit's already taken?" Brook asked picking up some of the ice and dropping it into the water, Usopp helped. Once it was all gone it looked as if nothing happened. Franky leaned up against the railing and was in thought. Brook picked up his sword and sheathed it back into its normal, cane form. He looked over at Usopp and noticed that he was starring into the jungles worryingly.
"Usopp-san, are you…"
"I'm not worried! I'm a brave warrior of the sea why would I be worried?" He said hastily.
"You shouldn't be worried; he can take care of himself." Franky spoke up and he didn't seem too happy. He crossed his arms and looked away. Usopp couldn't help but glance over his shoulder at the island again.
"Do you want to go after him?" Brook asked politely.
"It's not that I don't believe in Zoro, it's just…" He looked away, slightly embarrassed. The sound of swords clashing was suddenly heard somewhere on the island. Usopp's head whipped around and his gaze was locked onto the jungle.
"Usopp-san, I would be glad to go with you." Brook offered.
"Thanks," Usopp smiled over his shoulder. He looked back at the island. "It looks pretty big; we should prepare before we go." He ran down the stairs.
"I'm not going." Franky announced.
"You don't have to." Usopp said without looking at him. He slipped into the kitchen to grab some lunch for them. Brook came out from a room with two bags. Usopp put the food from the kitchen into the bags and the two quickly put the bags onto their back. Usopp garbed his Kabuto before heading over to the edge of the ship.
"What's the hurry; that cocky swordsman doesn't need our help." Franky said, still annoyed.
"I already told you that you don't have to come so stop complaining." Usopp said, irritated by Franky's attitude. "Geez, I never knew you took losing so hard…" He mumbled before jumping off the ship with Brook.
"Oi, Long nose!" Franky snapped, spinning around to face them but they had already disappeared into the jungle. He groaned and crossed his arms once again, tapping his bare foot on the wooden deck.
Their blades clashed and sent out a shrill scream that echoed throughout the battle field. The two swordsmen were pushed away and they held their ears as an attempt to muffle out the noise that their swords emitted. It was as if their swords screamed whenever they came in contact.
"It seems that our katanas are enjoying this fight as well." Yuki said with a weak smile.
"So it seems." Zoro said hiding the pain as well. They have been dueling for a while now; ever since Zoro caught up to him on the jungle. The two swordsmen were evenly matched and neither had a scratch on them but both were exhausted. "Why not give up already." Zoro said straightening his posture. Yuki laughed and lifted his sword into the air.
"Why don't you?" His sword started to glow. "Give up and I'll spare you these next attacks." He offered. Zoro grinned.
"I thought you said you knew me." He scowled.
"Hmph, I knew you were going to say that."
"Then why ask?" Zoro suddenly charged. Yuki's sword began to glow even more intensely and he grinned slyly.
"Reito Hozon Chi!" He yelled and the air around them suddenly grew cool. As Zoro continued to charge he saw his breath puff out in small clouds. He stared in front of him, cross-eyed and distracted by the sudden temperature change. Snow then started to drift to the ground. On a summer island? Zoro watched a small snowflake melt away on his nose; his breaths were more visible now that the temperature dropped some more.
"It seems you really don't remember…" Yuki said somberly. His enemy's voice snapped Zoro out of the trance that the white rain caused. "But that doesn't matter…I never liked you; once an animal always an animal." He glared at Zoro and his snake fangs curled back into a venomous frown. Without warning Yuki swung down his white bladed katana and a wall of ice shot out towards Zoro who was caught off balance and was barely able to dodge the ice attack.
As Zoro stumbled out of the way the wall of ice continued and ended up scrapping his left shoulder. Turning his attention away from the previous attack he regained his balance and lifted his swords into a defensive pose. He could feel a small trickle of warm blood run down his shoulder and the sound of the ice wall running over the earth was still heard off in the background. Still paying no attention to it he charged at Yuki whose stern frown grew into a sly grin.
Zoro charged the other man with a sword at each side. With a final lounge he reached Yuki and swiped his katanas horizontally through the air cutting through the white haired swordsman's torso. The feeling of victory swept over Zoro and he couldn't help but smile, however, when Yuki's image only vanished the feeling that the battle wasn't over arose. Only now did he realize that he was surrounded by a two story wall of ice, trapping him like a box. There was around twenty feet of room between each sleek wall of ice. He heard Yuki's laugh somewhere around him but he couldn't find him. The words: House of Mirrors echoed within the small box.
Up in the sky a cloud moved away from the sun and the rays of light once again shined down on the island. The light reached down to the ice box and reflected off the ice walls, gleaming harshly and temporarily blinding Zoro. A sudden headache burdened Zoro as he shielded his eyes from the light. It's was Yuki's voice which incessantly echoed in his head that caused the severe pounding. He grunted and opened one eye. He gasped and both eyes shot open. Surrounding him were ten Yuki's, each one grinned happily.
"What the hell is this?" He mumbled under his breath as he turned around in circles wondering which one to defend against. The words 'House of Mirrors' replayed in his aching head and he realized: Tch—so it's the sun that's making all of these images; reflecting off of the ice walls…Yuki was a clever snake he could give him that.
"So you do remember…that's interesting…" The Yuki's said. Zoro looked around at them and saw no flaw which could tell him were the real one was.
"I don't know what you're talking about with this 'remembering' shit but it's not that had to figure out." Zoro announced calmly.
"Interesting…" The Yuki's said before all lounging at him. Zoro jumped into the air as they all collided. The fake Yuki's vanished on contact with the others.
"This is too easy." Zoro laughed as he loomed over the Yuki's in the air. "Huh?" He gasped when all of the reflections vanished and there was no real Yuki. Suddenly he felt a cold breath on the back of his neck.
"If you truly did 'remember' then you would've known that the real me isn't down there. I guess my House of Mirrors is trickier than you thought." He laughed in a chilling voice. Quickly Zoro tried to turn around to face him. While maneuvering in the air he saw Yuki's sword flying towards him like a snake striking. Out of reflex he tried to block with Kitetsu and only succeeded in slowing down the strike. However, the sword only pierced his left shoulder instead of his heart. Zoro kicked Yuki away with his boot, also resulting in ripping the sword out.
"Oi, Zoro!" Usopp's voice was heard not too far away. "Zoro!" With the two swordsmen being above the ice walls they were able to see Usopp and Brook emerging from the jungle into their clearing of a battleground.
"Usopp!" Zoro yelled, hoping that the young sniper would return to the ship and not get involved. Zoro looked back at Yuki and saw him grinning. A thought ran into the green haired man's head that this snake was planning to hurt his friends but when Yuki suddenly vanished and didn't return that worry faded away.
Zoro continued to descend down and the ice walls once again blocked his view. He brutally hit the ground and the air was knocked out of his lungs. Kitetsu and Shuusui clattered to the ground next to him. As his breath returned in deep gasps and collapsed his head back onto the dirt. Gripping the new wound on his shoulder, the pain started to come to him.
"Oi, Zoro are you okay?" He could hear Usopp calling for him on the other side of the wall. His friend's voice sounded somewhat muffled and the swordsman didn't feel like responding. The fight was an exhausting one and though both of them were still alive Zoro knew it was his lose. He stared up at the sky, hearing only his thundering heat beats and his deep breaths. The pain in his shoulder was nothing serious, but the fact that it was dealt by the snake bastard made it worse.
"Zoro-san, I'm going to cut down this wall; stay back." Brook warned. Zoro still didn't want to reply, to have his nakama see him like this—bleeding in defeat. He clenched his fists and sat up. Defeat was not something he was used to but when it rarely did happened it only fueled his urge to kill the guy the next time. The sound of Brook's sword cleaving the ice was calming to him; however, his mind was already too muddled to be organized so easily. He turned his back to the two as the ice shattered and fell to the ground. It reminded him of the snow that stopped when Yuki left.
Where the hell did he go? That's all he could think about as Usopp ran over to him.
"Zoro, are you okay…your shoulder…" The sniper cautiously approached the man; the aura surrounding his friend at the moment was unusual even to him. "Zoro…"
"I'm fine." The swordsman got up and took his hand off of his wounded shoulder. His eyes were more cold than normal and it was all beginning to frighten the two.
"Who was that guy?" Brook asked respectively. Zoro ignored him and started to walk away into the jungle.
"Where are you going, Zoro?" Usopp charged after him.
"After that guy." He said as if it were obvious.
"But your wounded; your shoulder."
"I'm fine; this is nothing." He averted his gaze from the sniper.
"Yeah, for you, but what if he hurts you even more later?" Usopp was starting to beg for him to stay. His words stung and Zoro's body tensed as the malign aura only increased.
"I won't lose next time!" Zoro snapped, turning around the face the two who flinched, moving a few steps back "Next time I see that bastard I'm going to kill him!" Those were his final words before he stormed off into the jungle. Usopp and Brook were both too scared to move and Usopp couldn't help but wonder if he saw fangs on his friend's teeth for a moment. Quickly shaking the thought off he built up the courage to run after the swordsman with Brook at his heels. He knew something was wrong with Zoro and he didn't understand what had happened with him and the white haired guy, but he was determined to find out.
