I want to thank those who enjoyed my story in just three days! Usually when I published my stories at wattpad, it'd take a month or so to finally get some readers. While it just took an hour or two here to get readers. I apologize for future reference though since I might not update so quickly after a few more chapters. There's the fact that I'm still working on some chapter's story plots and waiting for the updates of the One Piece manga to know more about Wano. Plus, I'm an exam student this year so I'll be busier. Hope you guys who are reading this will continue to stay tune to my updates!
Chapter 3
The fight with the marines soldiers was a long and dragging one. From what Chie could see, there were an unlimited number of marines charging at them. At first, they aimed mainly at the three pirate captains in sight, but now that they got a taste of their freakish abilities, they were going for the only normal one within the group, the samurai albeit wearing a fox mask over her face. But who says normal means safer?
Chie slashed at another soldier then connected it to the next slash towards more of the incoming enemies. Although they deemed the samurai normal since she's not using any strange powers like the three bounty captains behind her, her swordmanship is still one to fear.
"Tch, there's no stop to them...!" Chie let out a mutter through her concealed face. It didn't matter though, even if she was to contort her face in any way, nobody will notice anyway.
It seemed that they decided to go with long-distance offence against the samurai as she the katana she wields is a close distance weapon. Because of that, Chie could only block and deflect the incoming bullets towards herself. Though, despite the troublesome situation she was facing, the samurai couldn't help but snap at the Heart captain. "How long are you gonna play with that head?!"
Trafalgar Law smirked but ignored the samurai's yell and finally threw the head towards the marine soldiers. Evidently, they were appalled at the talking severed head. He used the chance to surround them in his blue sphere as he called out 'Room'. The samurai girl had to jump away to avoid getting caught up in the Surgeon of Death's scheme. With a swing from his nodachi, the marines' body parts were all severed and all flying around.
"Just relax. It'll all be over soon."
*That really isn't so convincing...* But before Chie could finish her thoughts, she felt a force trying to pull her katana out of her hands, which just caused her to tightened her grip around the hilt. Strangely though, the other katana tied to her waist remained intact, not moving at all. Chie looked towards where all the weapons around her were flying to only to find them all attaching to another giant pile of weapons. It slowly formed a giant hand made out of weapons. The Kidd captain swung down the giant metal hand, paired up with another giant arm from the rubber captain at the soldiers and swept them away.
When she looked back at the blue sphere, the soldiers all had their body parts jumbled up with more incomplete ones. Somehow... the sight looked kind of disturbing to the samurai. By the time she knew it, most of the soldiers were now a pile of remnants of an after battle. The other members of each crew were coming out from the auction house. The moment of peace was soon destroyed as more troops of soldiers charged straight at them. Chie scowled at the sight. Can't a person just escape peacefully? She wasn't a pirate or a criminal (well, towards the world government yet anyway), after all. Maybe she should just sneak away now...
The samurai was too caught up in her train of thoughts that she didn't notice a soldier swinging down a sword behind her. A kick from the polar bear she met earlier saved her from the trouble and snapped her back to reality. She blinked at him as if didn't understand what happened.
"Are you okay?" The bear asked.
"Ahh, thanks, I'm fine." Chie replied awkwardly.
"Bepo," Chie flinched at the sharp voice of the Heart pirate captain that came from behind her. "We're leaving."
"Aye, Captain." The bear looked oddly docile despite the nature of a bear. The two other members of the Heart pirates showed up behind the bear.
Chie turned around. The Heart pirate captain now had another oversized man behind him. Her magenta gaze was caught by the smirking man in front of her but she couldn't tell his thoughts since his upper part of the face is pretty much shadowed by his white spotted hat. However, she ignored that and tried to walk away. Note, tried.
"Where do you think you're going, Samurai-ya?" Trafalgar questioned her.
The said samurai pushed up the fox mask to the side of her head and looked back at him. "If it isn't obvious enough, then I hereby declare that I take my leave." She gave the group of man a slight bow out of the habit due to the tradition of the country of Wano. But before she could take another step further, her body was lifted by a pair of large arms. She was slightly thrown off but her eyes darted to the largest man among the group. He hoisted the samurai up on his shoulder, carrying her like a sack of potatoes.
"Wha-"
"If I remember correctly, you're supposed to be part of my crew now, Samurai-ya." Trafalgar Law didn't turn around to look at her, but that didn't stop the samurai sending him glare daggers. *And if I remember correctly, I don't remember agreeing to that!* Chie wanted to escape but she didn't want to hurt the larger man since he was just expressing his gratitude to the pirate captain for releasing him from the cruel fate of a slave. So she didn't struggle with him. She'd figure that she could escape later once they're out of this battle crazed zone. Plus, they were giving her a time out from running so she can't really complain about that.
"Captain, look at that!" One of the man in white boiler suits pointed at the cloud of smoke in front of them.
Chie could make out a few silhouettes within it. Then by it was clear to her that it was the Kidd captain from before who was fighting the unfamiliar person before them. *No... Rather than saying a person, is that thing even human?* She thought as her eyes narrowed at the tall figure.
"What's one of the Shichibukai doing in a place like this?!" Trafalgar muttered under his breath.
*Shichibukai?* Even though Chie is still quite much slow on the uptakes concerning the world, she'd at least heard of the title of Shichibukai a few times now. They're pirates who joined the world government forces in exchange of free roam from the Navy army. But even so, pirates are still human beings, right? However, the length of haki she's sensing from this man is quite weird. It's like he's human but at the same time he's not.
But nevertheless of the situation, it doesn't seem like there's an escape option in their list anymore. Not with this obstacle called Shichibukai standing in their way. She was let down by the former slave as he prepared his battle stance. Chie sighed, then she too, unsheathed her katana reluctantly and put the fox mask on her face as she faced the... enemy in front of them.
※※※
Time stood still between two sides. But it seemed like patience ran out on the Kidd pirates side as one of their members went in for the kill, the another followed his rhythm and attacked the Shichibukai by breathing fire. It didn't as much as faze the larger enemy though. So the Heart pirates side decided it was their turn.
Bepo and the other two white boiler suits wearing pirates attacked the Shichibukai continuously by using martial arts. Somehow, they managed to at least push the enemy back a few steps but as Bepo delivered a last kick towards the Shichibukai's right leg, the polar bear's leg throbbed in pain instead of the enemy's.
"Room"
Trafalgar Law called out his blur sphere as the Shichibukai was about to plunge his fist at the polar bear by his feet. This time Chie had no choice but to remain inside his room. But she decided it's alright since she's not the enemy right now. He raised his fingers.
"Shambles"
Before she knew it, the polar bear was switched with Jean Bart who was supposed to be beside her. The samurai looked towards the former slave who was now engaging in battle with the larger Shichibukai. Jean Bart grabbed hold of the enemy. "Got you!"
"You're next, Samurai-ya!" Before Chie had time to procces what he just said, she appeared behind the enemy. His back was wide open since his front is currently occupied. She decided that it's not the time for questions so the samurai narrowed her magenta gaze at the open back and took her stance.
Kettouryu: Rasetsugiri (Fury slash)
She pierced and slashed at the figure before her as much as possible before the enemy was able to react to her attacks. Each slash with more strength and an ounce of haki as she made contact with the object of her slashes. At first it didn't seemed like it worked, but a scratch was finally made when she poured more haki into her blade. Chie narrowed her magenta eyes. *Could it be... Busoshoku haki? No, this is...* However, the samurai had to jump away before making a critical wound as a pair of giant pile of scrap metal formed hands crushed to enemy, almost with them along with it.
She landed back beside the Heart captain and scowled at him behind her mask. "Oy, Trafalgar Law! Next time, warn me before you do that!"
The latter wanted to reprimand the samurai for ordering him around but held it back and let out a mocking smile. "So there's gonna be a next time," he taunts as he emphasizes the words she used.
Chie realized the words that she just use depicted that she'll be around them more. She hardened her expression and looked away from his smug look. She looked at the enemy that was 'crushed' on the ground. But the moment of peace never last long, that's what she learned these past three years of traveling. And as expected, the enemy in the ground twitched a little.
"It's not over yet, Eustass-ya," warned Trafalgar to the leaving figure of the Kidd pirate captain. The pirate captain prepared to intercept with the Shichibukai again, but something's tugging on the samurai's mind about the Shichibukai.
Normally, with all those injuries inflicted on one's body, you'd be on the verge of your deathbed, even for a giant. But this particular enemy is kind of weird, in many ways. Like the haki he's emitting, or is that even haki? Chie is able to see the flow of haki due to the exposure to immeasurable amount of haki as a child, which slowly affected her senses. Ever since then, her special ability of able to see the amount of haki emitted by those around her became a secret known only to herself and that person. Then as if an answer to her suspicions, the Shichibukai took off his gloves and aimed his palms at the Kidd captain. A hole that looks naturally imbedded in his palms glowed, then out came a beam shot at them. *This person... this thing is not even human!* The samurai noticed a small ripped part of his body, but instead of blood and flesh, there were only scrapped metals and some wires that produced some electrical shock. No one else seemed to notice it though.
Chie stabbed her katana into the the ground and held close to it. The impact of the shockwave is immense but she was able to hold on to her grounds due to her early preparation for it, though her mask was unfortunately blown away. Though, she didn't realize that her mask is not the only blown away. Her exposed face grimaced at the gash on her arm she received from a flying pebble due to the explosion. Ignoring it, she looked around for the other men that were within shooting range. She found them safe and sound due to their quick reflexes and instincts. They didn't have much time to relax as the Shichibukai... lookalike shot out another beam, this time from his mouth.
Trafalgar jumped to the cliff behind the enemy. He tried creating his room but got interrupted by another beam shot out from the Shichibukai imposter's hand. He scowled as he jumped away again.
The faint noises of running footsteps made their way to Chie's ears as she sensed a troop of marine soldiers closing in on them. Her Kenbushoku haki scanning around the area like crazy. Probably because they were pressured by the new arrival of the enemies, the pirated once again joined together to tackle the Shichibukai imposter in front of them. Visible sparks surrounded its body for awhile as some of his screws flew loose. Once again, Chie felt the slight tug from her katana, still stabbed into the ground. She pulled it out only to have it attracted to the direction of the flying weapons with the Kidd captain as the center. He used the giant scrap metal hand to block the incoming laser beam shot at him. Seemingly that his defence was effective, he sent a part of the scrap hand at the tall enemy.
"Is he really that Shichibukai, Bartholomew Kuma?" Trafalgar Law muttered under his breath. Chie who stood nearby him heard his suspicion towards the enemy.
"A little too late for that question, isn't it?" Her statement caused Trafalgar to look at her momentarily. Seeing that he's waiting for her explanation, the samurai sighed but answered anyway. "The haki around that thing is unnatural, like it was inserted by someone else. That's why I didn't feel any ounce of life force from it. That's just an empty shell!"
