DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ONE PIECE. EIICHIRO ODA DOES.
The room was dark and somber, companied by the buzzing of gadgets and equipments. Faded walls with streaks where it had been cleaned, ditto with the checked linoleum on the floor. There was plenty of room to move about, but nowhere to get comfortable. The once-called "Tyrant" lain on the rigid bed, his whole body covered with tubes intended to monitor his heart and blood rates. Half of his body was already modified into a robot's, steel and iron were inserted into his muscle tissues.
Kuma only had a day left before his 'death', as Vegapunk had stated, he will lose all of his consciousness and power over his body, and fully become a machine. A day from now, I will no longer have the freedom and power over my life. Kuma expected himself to at the least feel somehow terrified over what would become of him, because even the once feared Tyrant was still human. He always hated the thought of losing his freedom and rights, for that was the very reason that motivated him into becoming a revolutionary. But now that he only had a day left to live, he strangely didn't feel any sorrow, fear, or even regret for volunteering himself to be the World Government's cyborg. As crazy as it sounds, he was glad, glad that he could become the eyes for the Revolutionary Army; glad that he could be a help for his leader, friend, and benefactor—Dragon.
The leading scientist of the marines—Vegapunk, was constantly checking the monitors around the room. Dr. Vegapunk was an elderly man, and he always had his pair of experiment gloves and lab coat on. Almost no one had ever seen the so called world's most intelligent man, Kuma understood why. Vegapunk almost never left his laboratory, as if his skin could be scorched by the sun once he stepped out to the outside world. What really surprised him was the fact that Vegapunk knew Dragon, in fact, more than most of the revolutionaries, and there was a possibility that he actually considered him as a friend. His sense of justice was unclear, unlike the rest of the World Government, he wasn't interested in stopping the revolutionary leader. Kuma guessed that Vegapunk followed his own beliefs, he helped the World Government because they funded his research and experiments, not because he agreed with their way of enforcing justice.
The quietness of the room was destroyed by the sound of the commotion outside, and before Kuma could register what was going on, someone bursted into the room with such force that the gadgets were all knocked over.
It was Dragon.
Vegapunk squinted his eyes at him, he opened his mouth to say something, but stopped by the frantic hand signs the revolutionary leader made, indicating that he should not say anything for now.
Not long after that, a troop of marines came in. "Dr. Vegapunk, we're sorry for intruding, but did you see a person coming in—or passing through the corridor?"
Vegapunk's face stayed impassive as he answered. "No, ask the other scientists. Now can you all get out? It's busy here." He waved his hand towards the door, emphasising his point.
"R-right, we're sorry for interrupting!" The marines saluted and went out the door.
Vegapunk sighed and looked at the World's Most Dangerous Criminal. "For goodness sake Dragon, do you ever enter a room properly."
"Sorry about that." Dragon strode across the room and helped to tidy the monitors and gadgets up. He looked strangely disheveled, he didn't wear his usual outfit—green cloak, shoes, scarf. Instead, he had on a knee-length pants, a pair of sandals and a normal black shirt—which didn't cover the skull tattoo marked on his upper right arm. Others could have mistaken the tattoo for a normal funky tattoo, if Kuma didn't know any better, he would have thought so too. The tattoo was a reminder to Dragon that he was once the World Government's dog, a boy whom they trained to become a killer and enforcer of dark justice. It was the mark of a CP0 member.
Kuma took a look at his leader, his long raven black hair was ruffled, his eyes were dark, and the rings below them even darker. He did it again. Just when will his leader start to let people in, to start trusting and relying on others, to stop carrying the burden of the revolution alone? There were times in which Dragon doesn't get any bit of sleep for days because of the paperworks; There were times when he has to fight in more than couple of wars each day. And now seemed like one of those times.
"Kuma." Dragon nodded to his subordinate before flopping down to the seat beside the bed. He attempted to nod back, but his movement was strictly limited by the tubes.
"You look horrible. What's with those tubes, anyway?" He asked while poking on the monitor.
"Oh, that tube stimulates his—" Vegapunk started to explain, only to be cut short by Dragon.
"Never mind. You don't have to explain the uses and the science behind it, I would never get it."
"Hmph." The old scientist huffed out a breath and went back to his work.
Dragon reached into his pocket and brought out a newspaper, it was today's newspaper with the Strawhats on the front cover. "You really caused a scene, huh." He put the newspaper nearby Kuma so that he could see.
"I had to, so it is believable enough." Kuma shrugged while reading the article on 'THE DEATH OF THE STRAWHATS' news.
"Yeah." Dragon smirked. "Where did you send him?"
"Amazon Lily."
At this, Dragon's eyes widened—then he laughed. "Honestly, what made you think that the women there wouldn't just shoot him on the—you know, that part?"
This earned a genuine laugh from the Tyrant, though it sounded more like the contraction of machines.
"They won't, he has the power to befriend people." Kuma stopped, remembering the determination etched on the swordsman's face when he begged him to take his life instead of Luffy's. "He has really loyal nakama."
"I hope so." The leader's eyes were clouded with thoughts.
"I sent Nico Robin to Tequila Wolf." Kuma told him after a moment.
"Nico Robin—The sole survivor of Ohara?"
Kuma nodded.
Dragon's mouth slowly quirked up. "Yeah, I really wanted to ask her some questions. Thank you." He looked at his subordinate. It felt weird, to see one of the strongest people he knew lying on the bed, unable to make many movements due to the tubes inserted to his body. "So how are you feeling?"
"Fine."
"Your 'fine' ranges from 'very bad' to 'really good'." Dragon pointed. After a moment, he asked. "Vegapunk said that you only have a day left, is it true?"
"Yes." Kuma answered flatly.
The revolutionary leader's body stiffened, his gaze turned hard. Others would interpret it as him getting angry, but Kuma knew Dragon too well to still see it that way. He didn't see any dangerous intent in his gaze, but just him trying to mask his feelings—him putting on a cold facade, slipping a cold wall between himself and the world, never letting anyone see what's inside. When he first met Dragon, his feelings and thoughts reflected as clear as day on his face, he didn't try to put on any facade…just like Strawhat Luffy, there was not even a hint of mistrust in his eyes. Kuma couldn't blame him, years of being the revolutionary leader will do that to anyone.
The silence was broken by the ringing of Den Den Mushi. Dragon sighed as he looked at the device on his palm, his expression was either saying I'm going to break this thing or I'm going to strangle anyone who's calling. But he picked it up, eventually.
"Dragon-san! Where are you? We're having a meeting here!" Bunny Joe's voice was heard.
"Do I really need to be there?"
"Wha-, of course! The commanders from all the 8 countries are here!" Bunny Joe's voice turned urgent.
Dragon clenched and unclenched his jaw for a few times before answering. "I'm on my way." And he clicked the Den Den Mushi off.
"I guess that's my call." He sluggishly stood up and went for the door, but paused midway. Kuma could hear his thoughts as clear as day. Just how many more people will I lose? Dragon asked him that once. Kuma was one of the first people he considered as a friend, even before they both became revolutionaries, and now he was going to leave him too, just like most of the people did in his life.
.
.
.
Kuma couldn't stop the bleeding, he was helpless in just keeping his heartbeat from stopping. He was going to die. He could hear footsteps growing nearer and nearer by every second. The Marines. Kuma gritted his teeth. Murderers. They killed all of his nakama without a second glance, only because he stood up to the Celestial Dragons. Hatred pulsed through every core of his body, but no matter how he willed himself to move, his body was just too weak.
Around him, the land was surrounded by collapsed buildings, it was the only thing that was keeping the marines from finding him—and finishing him. The marines were stalking the field, trying to find his whereabouts. Kuma hid behind what was left of a huge roof, the only object that was big enough to cover him.
He wondered why he didn't just let go, at least death by blood loss was much more merciful than whatever way the World Government intended to kill him.
Then he saw Dragon.
He was just a silhouette at first, but became clearer and clearer with every step. Unlike the normal marines, he had on a black shirt and long pants instead of the usual uniform. He had a belt full of weapons and equipments around his waist, and a pair of hard knuckled gloves on each of his hands. He could have passed for a weapon freak instead of a marine on any day if not for the skull tattoo on his upper right arm, the mark of a CP0 member.
Dragon stopped abruptly when he saw that the Tyrant was alive. Kuma snarled, not going down without a fight. He waited for a new wave of pain to wash over him, but after a while…still nothing. The CP0 agent just stood there and looked at him impassively, his pair of hands hung loosely at his side, not making any attempt to attack.
He took a step closer. He couldn't have been older than 19. His dark hair was cropped close to his skull, with a hairline that dipped into a widow's peak, his raven black eyes were sharp and judging. His movement was careful—a trained soldier's movements, making no sound as he finishes off his opponents. Clearly a World Government's dog.
Kuma was blood-lost by then, gazing up at the sky, he couldn't tell if this was real or just a dying dream. "Make it quick." He choked.
"You really want to die that much?" Dragon glanced behind him, then back at Kuma.
"Stop with your shits, you goddamn World Government dog." Kuma wished that this would flipped him off, but no such luck, the CP0 agent's face stayed impassive. "Just kill me already. I have nothing left."
"It's dull. Being dead." Dragon's tone was light, both teasing and mocking.
"As if I care." Kuma was starting to lose his voice. "You marines killed my nakama. I'm never going to forgive you. Never."
"You talk big, but you're begging me to end your life? Pathetic." Dragon stood up and headed towards the huge boulder. He carried it on his shoulder as if it weighed as light as feather. He dropped it on the other side of Kuma, blocking the view of his left hand and leg from the marines.
Kuma stared disbelievingly at him, a CP0 agent, sparing him?"You think by doing this, you can make me forgive you marines?!"
"Who says that I'm doing this for your sake?" The CP0 agent raised a bored eyebrow at him. His expression darkened and his eyes turned cold as he stared down at his hard knuckled gloves, which was stained with dried blood. "I'm just tired of killing."
Kuma chocked back a laugh. A murderer, tired of killing?
Dragon shrugged as he looked at Kuma's dead nakama."Think whatever you want. But I say that you shouldn't ever forgive the marines for doing this." He gave one last look at Kuma before walking away. "By the way, I recommend living."
.
.
.
"Dragon." Kuma called.
Dragon paused and looked at him, already halfway through the door.
I recommend living. He still remembered how he clinged on those words throughout the years after the slaughter of his nakama, it was just a simple and straight-forward sentence, but powerful enough to keep him from ending his own life. A life that he once thought no longer had a purpose, now was filled with dreams and people who he hold dear.
He smiled—a genuine smile that he rarely ever showed anyone, to his leader. He wanted to thank him for sparing him that day, for accepting him as a subordinate as well as a friend, for giving him a purpose, a family, and a dream. He said, "Thank you, for recommending me to live."
Dragon just stood there, his gaze still locked on him. For a moment, Kuma thought he saw a flicker in his eyes, a split second crack on that cold glass—that made them looked like they're about to break, and let loose everything hidden within. But all he finally did was just a tight, pained smile and a weak nod, then he was out the door.
"That was cold, considering that's the last time he'll ever get the chance to talk to you." Vegapunk commented quietly, his eyes still glued at the gadget he's working on. Kuma gave him a little amused smirk, he knew better than anyone else.
It was just the usual Dragon, always holding back tears that he's too stubborn to cry.
Thank you for reading! I have always wanted to make a story about Kuma's last moments, and his interaction with Dragon, since they both are two of my favorite characters in the whole One Piece series.
(Sorry if they are out of character)
I decided that it would make sense the most if Dragon was once a CP0 agent, I mean, he couldn't be an admiral right?(There's a lot of theories about it) Because then everyone would have known about him.
I hope you enjoyed it :) Don't be shy, please review!