Never Charm a Pirate
Eustass Kid x OC
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece; it belongs to Eiichiro Oda.
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Fear – that's how he liked to manipulate people with. It made him feels superior. That's why, when something it's not in his favour, he dislike it, especially if someone – a girl no less – does not fear him to extends of even daring to stop his pleasurable fight!
He scrutinizes the figure that is sleeping peacefully by the corner of his room. She looked so petite in comparison to him. When he put her on his shoulder like a potato sack, she weight almost like nothing. For a moment, he thought she was so delicate and fragile that he could easily break her.
He frowned. Why did he kidnap her from the start? He has no idea what to do with her. It was, after all, a careless action on his part. But of course, he doesn't mind the thrill of destroying the whole town in the process. What agitated him the most is that the woman both confuses and disturbs him; She was so strong yet so weak.
Annoyed, he scowled at her sleeping figure again. With a last unpleasant glance, he turned around and left the room. His cloak fluttered behind him.
For a few hours later, Luna started to stir from her spot. Her eyes opened then closed. Dizzied, her hands shot up to massage her forehead as the throbbing pain pierced through her head. Confused, she frowns. She doesn't understand why her head hurts so much. As the headache ceased, she started to notice her surroundings. It was a simple wooden room but full of metal decors. Where is she?
Alarmed and puzzled, she stood up. Her leg wobbled slightly in the course. She took a few steps around the room, observing it. Luna let her gaze sweep across the room, as if by taking it in, she might find something about her situation. Something on the wooden table suddenly caught her interest. She walked closer and picked it up. It was a book – a journal of some sort. She took a seat and began to skim through the book.
Luna sat, so deeply absorbed in the voyage log that she did not hear the faint squeal of the door hinges or feel the rush of cool air washed over her.
"It seems like you are awake."
She jolted as she heard the voice – completely scaring her out of her wits. At that, she dropped the book. Immediately, she spins around and came face to face with a pale and muscular man.
It was the man from the bar, she realized. He picked a fight with another customer but she had interrupted their fight. Then, something clicked in her mind. She remembered as the catastrophic event yesterday overflowed back to her mind. The pit in her stomach crunched in uneasiness. Almost instantly, a strange sort of bile bubbled up in her throat. No matter how hard she tried to shallow, it never ceased.
Slowly, the muscular man strikes across the room and toward her. His black shoes contrast with the wooden floor and echoes out:
Click.
Clark.
Click.
Clark.
Each step he took resonates a powerful and fearsome danger that awaits her. She stood rooted to her spot, unable to move. Her heart thundered in her rib cage – loud and clear – by her ear and she found herself harder and harder to breathe as the moment passed by.
For a moment, Kid thought her knee might buckle. He smirked to himself – she is scared of him after all.
She stared at him but she couldn't read his facial expression at all – because it was almost disturbing. The kind of sick and cruel smirk that makes her feels powerless and to some extends, paralyzing her body and thoughts.
He stopped a few feet away from her with his figure towering over her.
"Why didn't you kill me?" Her question came surprisingly; even she didn't expect that to come out from her mouth. Death – is after all, something that everyone fears, she too, is not an exception. However, what reason is for her to live anymore? She lost everything in the crossfire yesterday. Everything was destroyed!
"You want to die?" sneered Kid, almost as if he is enjoying everything. "Ah, but what to do? I don't want to kill you."
Her eyes widened like a saucers and her mouth left slightly ajar. In the mist of confusion and dread sensation, she choked out, "Why?"
"Why? I want you to live to face the agony and regret of your stupid action to stop my fight. If you want to blame anyone for destroying the town, blame yourself. The more you want to die, the more I refuse to let you die. Now answer my question: Why did you stop the fight?"
Luna stood still as she slowly digests the things that Kid just said. Was she the reason for the event yesterday? It was her fault that she threw the whole town in chaos? And yet, she is the only one who is unharmed?
"Why did you stop the fight?" Kid demanded, with more aggression this time and slightly annoyed from her lack of response. "Answer me."
Her hand clinched into a fist and before she could stop herself, her hand worked itself and slapped right across Kid's cheek. He was wrong. It was not her fault. And suddenly, the bizarre sensation of guilt ceased, replaced by blinded rage.
He looked intently at her, betraying nothing of his thoughts, and acted like the slapped doesn't hurt him at all. However, she was sure slapped him hard – because evidently her hand still sting with redness.
Luna hadn't realized her eyes were closed. But she found them fluttering open again as a voice – powerful but held a hint of disappointment – boomed in her eardrum.
"You need to hit harder to harm me."
After he said those words, he used his left hand to grabs her collar and lift her off the ground. She tried to struggle against his grip, but it was futile.
"Now, answer my question. I will not ask the same question for the third time." For some reason, he was dreaded to hear her answer.
However, she refused to say anything. Irritated, he tossed her to the ground, creating a huge collusion.
Simultaneously, she coughed and trying to breathe properly again.
Seeing her state, Kid kicked her in the stomach twice, obviously more frustrated than anything. She coughed out some blood. She made some strange, choking sound in the back of her throat.
His expression turns sour, to something that even he himself couldn't quite depict, but his angry was still apparent.
"You should start learning your place from now on." It was not suggestion, but a command. Swiftly, he left the room.
Before he is completely out of her vision, he turned and commanded Killer, whom she didn't even realized was there the whole time, "Tell Doc to take a look at her."
Lifelessly, she lied there; clenching her wounded stomach to ease the pain and tears began to slide down from her face. What has she done? Is it wrong just to stop a single fight? She just doesn't want anyone to get hurt, and yet, she causes more causality. Life is so ironic! She laughed inwardly; she really has picked the wrong fight to interrupt. She should have known better that doing anything so rash.
"Sorry," she mumbled hoarsely. Reluctantly, she was forced into the inner abyss of slumber.
In her unconscious state, she felt someone gently lift her, placing her on something soft and warm.
By the time she woke up, she found a pirate whom she couldn't recognize sitting on a chair beside her and she was lying on a bed. She swift her gaze back to the ceiling, void of emotion.
"How do you feel?" he asked tenderly.
"Okay," she managed, avoiding his eye contact.
"You are quite lucky that the captain goes easy on you." He commented, giving her a reassuring smiled, "Don't worry, the injury will heal in two or three days."
Luna nodded. "I want to be alone."
The pirate smiled in understanding. He then grabs his medical supply and left the room silently.
After Doc left, she stared at the ceiling, thinking. She flashed a bitter smile. What is going to happen to her from now on – she could not imagine.
Outside in the deck, two figures stood, facing the sea. After a while, another figure joined them.
"Captain, she is alright, she just need some resting," informed Doc.
Kid nodded in acknowledgement, signaling him to leave. Doc then leave the two pirate standing there once again to resume their conversation as he re-enter the cabin.
After Doc is out of earshot, Killer inquired, "What the meaning of this?"
Kid eyes sharpened darkly at Killer, clearly doesn't feel the necessity to answer the question.
Killer sighed. "This is none of my business, but I hoped you know what you are doing." With his warning, he left.
Kid scowled, the whole evening had been unsatisfactory, really. But if he were honest, he would have to admit that the woman captured his attention. He completely has no idea how to deal with her; the bizarre sensations that are tucking in his chest are rather new to him. Perhaps, because he couldn't fathom what's really going on, his anger somehow got the better of him, resorting him to use violence on her.
"What am I doing?" Kid questioned himself quietly. And he realized now, more than ever, how little he understood himself.
