Ch 4: The Silver amongst the Flames
Seeing Usopp there, someone he knew and could place a name gave Zoro more relief than anyone would've guessed. With the strange silver tiger gone his heart started to cease its pounding in his chest and he could breathe normally. Without knowing it Zoro had been staring at his nakama the whole time.
Uncomfortable by the complete attention the sniper fiddled with his fingers, staring at the ground as he twisted his foot around in the sandy ground. "Um—" He began, unsure of what to say. He glanced up for a moment and noticed the scratches on Zoro's side. "W-What happened...?"
"You didn't see the tiger?" He replied hastily making the marksman jump. Zoro glanced over his shoulder, not even the silver dust lingered there anymore.
"What tiger?" Usopp's head perked in curiosity, but he quickly dropped it again. "Well, anyway…I came back…"
"Yeah, you did." Zoro said, thankful. With a deep sigh his smiled fading. Remembering the reason why Usopp was torn between coming and going back to the ship—the assassins. The swordsman sighed again. With all of the weird things that have happened: the dragon, silver tiger, Usopp actually joining him in a battle against killers—Zoro lost some of his rage and desire to get revenge, it didn't seem as important at the moment. Usopp lifted his head and noticed the swordsman sulking.
"Is something wrong?"
"Huh, oh, nothing…I'm just surprised that you'd show up." Zoro averted to his cocky attitude to disperse any other worry.
"I-I can be brave too!"
"Yeah, but these are assassins; trained killers." Zoro grinned and talked slowly. He could see Usopp's legs started to shiver and knees buckle.
"Y-You don't know who you're talking to! I'm a b-brave warrior of the sea!" He cleared his throat. "Nothing frightens me; but Zoro-san," He talked in a deep voice. "I completely understand if you're afraid, seeing how one beat you and—" Usopp immediately shut himself up and cringed, waiting for Zoro's outburst. "S-Sorry, I didn't mean to…"
"It's fine…" He muttered with clenched fists down at his sides. His fire was suddenly flaming once again at the reminder of his lost to Yuki. Zoro could feel something growing inside of him. He didn't know what it was, but he welcomed it; anything that would spark his revenge and killing urge once again.
"What now Zoro?" Usopp asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"We go after them." Zoro spun around and started to storm off into the jungle, Usopp tripped after him.
"But where are they?" He asked innocently. Zoro ignored him and followed his instincts; followed the killing urge that welled up inside of him.
Uchuu's legs dangled off of the ledge as he sat in the same hallway he recently talked with Kazan in. The whole island stretched out before him and he felt like a king being above it all, but a lonely king. He rubbed his hands over the silver crystal on his neck; thinking of the significance that it held, yet the pain that it caused his heart. All of the blood and sorrow—memories, stored within the little crystal. He sighed and stared at the trees below him; then a joyful little swallow flew up and landed on the ledge next to him. It sang cheerfully while hoping around on its little feet. Uchuu smiled and took his hand off of the column so he could reach down to pet the bird. As he was about to do so another shadow loomed over the two and the bird fly away in fear. Uchuu's eyes narrowed in anger.
"My, my, you're looking quite down; what may be the matter?" Yuki asked with a sneer. Uchuu glared over his should at the taller man whose white hair was now covering his crimson, snake eyes.
"Someone of your knowledge should know exactly what's wrong." He snapped. Yuki snickered and ran his finger nails up and down the column.
"You know that wasn't my fault." He said sarcastically. "I was simply following orders." Uchuu's glare did not cease. "What—don't tell me that's what's bothering you?" The black haired man's silence told Yuki that it was a 'yes'. Yuki's eyes narrowed and a small grin grew in the corners of his mouth. His slippery tongue ran over his teeth. "Come and get me Swallow; if revenge is what you seek." Yuki leaned in and his icy breath blew against Uchuu's neck.
"You know you're nothing compared to me." Uchuu growled. Yuki laughed and stood up straight, taking a few steps back.
"Even if a snake is not poisonous, it should pretend to be venomous." He said happily, eventually walking away with a victorious gait. Uchuu clenched his fists and looked back out at the island. Soon after the snake left the same swallow returned to his side. It chirped something to him and so his smile returned too. Uchuu was then allowed to give the bird a small pat on the head.
"Oi, Skeleton, are you sure we're going the right way?" Franky asked irritated.
"I was pretty sure that this is the way we went when following Zoro…" Brook trailed off in thought as he eyed up the surrounding jungle. "Maybe it was some other way…" That caused him a slap in the skull by Franky's metal hands.
"Geez, even after leaving early to find them; they'll probably return to the ship before we do."
"You should have more faith in them." Brook lectured. He pushed some ferns out of the way before heading forward some more.
"I do have faith in them—it's you I don't believe in!" Franky snapped.
"I see something uh—no…it's just a monkey." The musician said, unmoved by being lost.
"Geez," Franky stomped his barefoot on the ground. His heel landed on a sharp rock and he jumped into the air, grasping his bleeding foot with clenched teeth. "I should've never left with you! Those two can take care of themselves; you're obviously more dangerous than any marine here!" He shouted into the air.
"Is that them? No, a bird this time…" Brook ignored every word that Franky had just said. A grumble escaped the cyborg's throat. "I'm sorry; did you say something?" He ducked under a branch and looked back at Franky.
"Geez—come save me Straw Hat!"
"Zoro, Zoro come look over here!" Usopp exclaimed. Zoro lazily walked over to him.
"What is it, Usopp?" He yawned, tired from such a long day. The sun was close to setting in the sky and the two got nowhere in gathering information on the assassins or where they were located. Zoro looked over the sniper's shoulder and for the first time in the day even the bugs quieted down in anticipation.
"Way to go, Usopp; I guess you're not so useless after all!" The swordsman smiled. And the marksman snickered victoriously. Before them was a small precipice, but below that was a small town crowded with villagers. The town was surrounded by a wall of upraised land and the dense jungle. People in the town paid no attention to the two strange onlookers and continued with their daily chores whether that be carrying goods or working at one of the shops.
"Do you think they'll have any information?" Usopp asked, looking up at the taller nakama.
"There's no way of knowing unless we check it out." Zoro gracefully slide down the Cliffside. Usopp moaned and followed him down but his gracefulness was on vacation today and he stumbled like a tumble, his face planting into the dirt at the bottom. With a sweet drop Zoro stared at his nakama as if he were a stranger, too embarrassed to be standing next to him.
"Mommy, look, look!" A small boy with chocolate brown hair pointed at the two. "Look, it's Nii-san!" He smiled warmly. His mother ran out and scooped him up like an object. She shushed him and averted his eyes. She had long, chocolate hair as well and wore a pink and red dress.
"But it's Nii-san…" The boy said confused.
"No, No it's not…" She whispered to him, tears welling up in her eyes. Even after hearing his mother's words the child stared at them reluctantly.
"Um—what's he talking about?" Usopp asked, picking himself up from the ground.
"Y-You're not part of that organization…are you?" The mother looked at them nervously as her tears finally escaped her eyes and rolled down her checks.
"Organization? Do you mean the assassins?" Zoro asked innocently.
"Shh!" Like her child she shushed the swordsman. "I guess you really aren't with them." She quickly checked both ways. "Come; follow me." The women ran off into the village with the child still in her arms. Zoro and Usopp glanced at each other before deciding to follow. The women snuck around the town as if she was a criminal, holding the child closely. Usopp and Zoro followed curiously as she slipped into a normal looking home. Usopp silently closed the door behind him and the room went black. A small match flared up and a few candles were now a glow with flames. Zoro looked around and saw that the windows were covered with dark curtains and they were in a small living room with a couch and a table; there were stairs off in the end of the house.
"I-I'm sorry about before with my son." The mother bowed her head.
"It's fine." Usopp assured, knowing that Zoro's appearance could give off the wrong signal. He smiled warmly and said, "We would never hurt you or your son." The women looked up at him.
"You see, our son also has green hair and he was taken away about two years ago by them…" She started to sob into her hands. "We haven't seen him since." She gasped between sobs.
"Have you seen Nii-san, Mr. Not Nii-san?" The little boy asked innocently while clinging to the skirt of his mom's dress. Zoro stared at the boy for a moment before looking up at the mother who finally controlled her tears.
"Was he taken by the assassins; we were looking for them." He said nonchalantly. Something sparked in the women's eyes. "They attacked our ship so we're going out to look for them and—"
"Are you going to fight them?" The little boy interrupted.
"Of course!" Usopp declared in a manly voice. "No evil deed such as that shall go unpunished." Stars appeared in the boy's eyes at the sniper's heroic personality.
"You're amazing; are you really going to fight them!" Usopp cleared his voice to speak again, but was cut off by the swordsman.
"Do you know where we might be able to find them?" He asked the mother. "We've been looking around the island all day."
"Y-You can't see it from the jungle; the trees will always block your view, but up on the highest mountain in the center of the island you'll find their base." She fumbled.
"Thank you…we'll be sure to find your son as well." Zoro turned towards the door when she stopped him.
"Don't go out now; it's almost night time. Come, stay here and rest before heading after them."
"I guess there's no harm in that." Zoro said without any thought.
On the second floor of the cordial home, Zoro and Usopp sat in their two-bed room that was given to them by the grateful mother. Zoro sat on the bed closest to the window and even with the mother's warning he opened up the curtains so the sunset light could shine through, tinting the room red and orange.
Usopp, on the other hand, was pouting like a child on the opposite bed. "I can't believe you agreed to stay here." He moaned. Zoro looked at him as he lay back against the pillow, arms crossed under his head.
"Weren't you the one who didn't want to go back to the ship?"
"Yeah, but that was a day and a half ago; don't you think everyone's worried?"
"Hmph," Zoro looked out the window.
"Why not go back to the ship; we know where their base is now. Wouldn't it be better to fight them all off as a team then just us two?" Zoro was silent. "Mmmm, in the morning maybe?" The sniper suggested sheepishly, cautious of the aura that was radiating off of the swordsman.
"Look, Usopp," He sighed deeply. "I'm not going to try and explain how my pride works to you, but going back to the ship now will hurt it."
"You're always like that; why not be a team player for once?" The sniper snapped back, despite the tense air.
"Usopp, you said that I was a lonely person before, right? Maybe that's because I never had someone I could trust one hundred percent…Prove to me that I can trust you and fight with me—my way…" The swordsman glared, which frightened the sniper to the point he couldn't move. He didn't mean to sound so mean at the moment he just wanted to show how serious he was about the subject. Either way, Usopp got the point.
Brook abruptly stopped, causing Franky to bump into him from behind. "Oi, what's up?" The shipwright snapped. Brook stood silently, staring up into the trees; even the birds were silent as they waited. "Skeleton…" Franky whispered.
"Sorry," He finally said as if snapping out of a trance. "I just thought I heard something off in the distance."
"Who would've thought that someone with no ears could hear so well—what was it exactly?"
"Maybe it's Zoro-san or one of those marines."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because it was the sound of swords that I heard." Franky almost jumped at the response.
"Where, where?"
"Follow me." Brook suddenly jumped into gears and started running off to his right; Franky followed right behind him, eager to fit some action into this boring day. Since the two of them both had long strides they were able to easily sprint through the dense jungle, and as they did the so sound of swords and fighting grew more distinct. Brook whipped out his sword from its cane scabbard and began to cut down the jungle in front of, creating a clean path for them to run on.
Franky prepared to fire any missals or bullets if necessary as the sound of swords clashing was no more than a good hundred feet in front of them. Brook swiped down another few branches of trees and suddenly a large precipice appeared in front of them.
"Watch out!" Brook skidded on his heels and held his arms out to try and stop Franky, but it was too late. Franky hit into Brook and the two of them went rolling down the Cliffside towards the small town at the bottom.
"Ah…" Franky picked himself up from Brook's back and stretched out despite the slight pain. "Can you get any more random than that?" He asked before his jaw dropped. Franky's gaze moved up to the town in front of them. Every building was burning and black smoke filled the once blue skies. People screamed and ran through the streets. One woman carried her small child; both of them had chocolate brown hair.
"They should've stayed closed!" She yelled, weaving through the burning buildings. "You shouldn't have opened them!"
"What the hell is going on here?" The cyborg gasped. Brook stood up and if he had eyes they would've been wide. His gaze was set upon the black dragon which was soaring through the air and causing the fires. With a latent smirk it opened its mouth and hissing flames poured out of its mouth, setting a rooftop in flames. From somewhere else in the town they saw blue waves of energy shoot up towards the dragon when the white-haired man with crimson eyes from before, leapt into the air and deflected them with his blades. Yuki descended back down into the town wearing a smile.
"That bastard…" Franky growled and was about to run after him when another man appeared out of thin air and blocked their path. Uchuu stared at them with blank eyes, analyzing them to see if they were of any threat. "Who are you?" Franky snapped, prepared one of his missals.
"You're one of the straw hats, right?" He asked calmly, despite the raging flames just a few feet behind him.
"Eh—" The question caught Franky off guard. "S-So what if we are; then you know what we're capable of doing and the wise choice would be to back down…" He stuttered, as the small whole opened up on his palm and he aimed through it.
Uchuu seemed unfazed by any of it and he sighed; seemingly in deep thought.
"Come on Uchuu, join the fun!" Someone else leapt from one of the burning rooftops to another. He called down to Uchuu before disappearing again. Brook's bone-fingers clenched around his sword's handle.
"So you are one of the ones who caused this fire." He glared.
"It's not like I wanted to do this…" His eyes trailed off to the ground. The image of the mother running with her child through the fire flashed through the musician's head.
"That's not a proper excuse; causing families this kind of distress." Brook lounged at him with his fencing style; sword pulled back and ready to pierce. Uchuu calmly looked up at the attacking skeleton and nonchalantly stepped out of the way when Brook's sword was thrust forward. With the small breeze of his stepping to the side the crystal around his neck fluttered in the air for a moment.
"Get out of the way Brook," Franky warned, aiming through his palm. The tip of his sword caught the string of the necklace and ripped it off of Uchuu's neck. The minute that it was no longer attacked to Uchuu's body the man tensed and his heart started to thunder in his chest. "Brook!" Franky screamed, and as if on cue, Brook jumped out of the way. The cyborg then let loose a rapid fire of bullets. Uchuu longed out of the way and fell on top of crystal while he caught it in mid-air. He fell on top of it, clutching it to his chest like the mother and her child. A few of the bullets grazed his back and small tickles of blood were streaming down the rips in his shirt. Uchuu picked himself up, still holding the silver stone for dear life, he ran off into the burning village.
"That coward thinks he can get away with doing such a thing as this…" Brook thought with rage burning within him.
"Then let's go after him." Frank followed him into the flaming streets.
"Zoro, wait for me…Zoro!" Usopp, gasping for breath, desperately tried to keep up with the swordsman. His lungs were filling with smoke and ash and his body was practically charcoaled black. After having Zoro shaking him awake forcefully and jumping out of the window of a burning building, running through burning streets was the last thing he wanted to do. He was beginning to heave and his legs were growing heavier and heavier, soon he was sluggishly dragging them through the dirt. Why did Zoro have to charging after that white-haired guy anyway…Is this his way of fighting? His thoughts suddenly froze when he saw his breath come out before him in a small, grey cloud. Huh? Before it was snowing ash, but now it was actually snowing snow. He looked up and watched it calmly drift down. It was weird seeing fire in the buildings and snow at the same time. He held out his hand, caught in the white trance he watched the flakes melt in his hand. …It's actually pretty…
Behind him the black dragon landed and it lifted its head and the back of its throat started to blaze with fire. It planted its feet and prepared to burn the sniper to a crisp when a small boy jumped up and kicked him in the jaw.
"Ow!—why the hell did you do that, Roiyaru?" The dragon moaned and held its jaw with its scaly hand. The small boy was extremely short and had spiky, forest green hair with ambitious eyes. He wore simple, brown shorts and a darker green t-shirt. Despite his size he had a long, earth-colored katana on his hip; the end of the scabbard was constantly dragging on the ground.
"You've gone way too far, Kazan!" He screamed up at the dragon.
"He ran away!" Kazan exclaimed, completely ignoring the young boy.
"Probably after he saw your face!" Roiyaru snapped.
"Why you little…" Kazan stood up straight and stretched out his wings.
It was true; Usopp had run away once he noticed the dragon's presence. He stood behind a building which had yet to catch on fire and tried to catch his breath. His chest heaved with his shoulders, and his heart twittered. "What the hell is going on here…?" He said underneath his breath. He suddenly heard more footsteps coming his way so he sprinted off towards his left where the edge of town was.
Uchuu turned the corner and slid on the ground; still holding the crystal as if it were his lifeline. He looked up and then saw Roiyaru and Kazan standing in the middle of the street he just entered. "Oi, Uchuu, where've you been?" Roiyaru called. Uchuu stood up, catching his breath. He quickly glanced around to make sure that he was no longer being followed before walking up to the rest of the group.
"I ran into some of the straw hats." He said inanimately.
"Did you now;" Kazan grinned and then noticed the silver stone in his hand. "Can I hold it for a second?" Uchuu flinched back and glared at the man-beast. Kazan's lip's curled up into a grin.
"We're going now." Uchuu ordered out of the blue. "You've done enough here." He spat venomously at the dragon.
"Tch—Fine." Kazan gave in to the higher authority. Uchuu lead the two of the away from the burning village.
"Wait…where's Yuki?" He asked abruptly.
"He went off to go find Zoro." Kazan replied nonchalantly.
"That idiot." Uchuu slid the crystal into his pocket and sprinted off towards Yuki's aura, Roiyaru and Kazan reluctantly followed behind.
Usopp panted heavily as he ran for his life. *gasp* *gasp* "Why won't they just leave me alone?" He moaned as the footsteps behind him ceased to stop. *gasp* "Please, go find my friend Zoro; he has much more of a bounty than me!" *gasp* He turned a corner of a flaming street and tripped, falling flat on his face, too exhausted to get up. *gasp* *gasp*
"Hurry up Skeleton!" Franky called back to Brook over his shoulder. "I think that bastard finally gave up on running." Franky and Brook turned a corner of a flaming street and skidded to a dead halt.
"U-Usopp-san?" Brook gasped. "W-What are you doing here?" Usopp lifted his dirt and ash covered face from the ground and looked over his shoulder. At the sight of his two familiar nakama tears welled up in his eyes.
"Franky…Brook…it was just you guys; I thought I was being chased by that black dragon…" He sighed in utter relief.
"Where's Zoro-san?" Brook asked.
"He went to chase after—" Usopp jumped up, remembering that they were still missing someone from their small group. "He went to go fight that ice-assassin."
"Assassin, what are you talking about?" Franky crossed his arms over his chest. Usopp stared at the ground as Zoro's words from before echoed in his head. "Usopp, you said that I was a lonely person before, right? Maybe that's because I never had someone I could trust one hundred percent…Prove to me that I can trust you and fight with me—my way…" Usopp clenched his fists. I can't leave him now just because I'm scared…I'll prove to you Zoro, that I too am a brave warrior!
"Oi, Long nose…" Franky snapped him out of his thoughts. "Where is Swordsman?" Usopp picked himself up from the ground and dusted himself off. He could feel the exhaustion draining out of his body with his new resolution.
"Guys, come follow me." Usopp lead them over to where Zoro had chased Yuki.
"Uchuu, are you sure Yuki is over here?" Kazan asked from the skies.
"Yeah, and Zoro?" Roiyaru added.
"I'm sure, just shut up and follow me." At the thought of the green-haired swordsman Uchuu's fists clenched around the silver crystal.
"Mama, what's going on?" The small, chocolate haired boy looked up at his mother innocently. She was sitting on the outskirts of their burning town, hiding in the foliage of the jungle.
"Shhh—baby, just a little bit longer…" She patted his head calmingly.
"Huh?" The boy gasped and then ran out of the jungle and out of his mother's grip.
"Sanzu!" The mother cried, stumbling after him.
"Nii-san!" Sanzu cried happily. He was running up to his older brother Roiyaru who had stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of his brother and mother. The mother held her hand over her gapping mouth as tears streaked her sorrow struck face. Tears also found their ways into Roiyaru's eyes, his small frame started to shake uncontrollably; the dragon and black-haired man kept running, unaware of his pause.
"Nii-san, Nii-san~" Sanzu sang.
"Roiyaru…" His mother mumbled through sobs. Tears then broke from their shells and streamed down Roiyaru's cheeks. Right when Sanzu was about to grab his hand Roiyaru took off after Kazan and Uchuu. He sprinted after them without looking back, the tears floated out from his eyes. His katana was banging against his hip, reminding him of his duty.
"Nii-san, don't leave…Don't leave again, Nii-san!" Sanzu cried desperately as the fire burned around him. He watched the form of his brother fade away; silver tears still lingered in all of their eyes.