Luffy had experienced great pain in his time. He'd been stabbed, he'd been burnt, he'd even been nearly poisoned to death. Pain wasn't a phenomenon to him. But this, feeling, wasn't pain. Something couldn't hurt this much. Nothing had ever hurt this much at once.
Still unbelieving he looked once more. The pain doubled as soon as he looked. Shock fully set in and his mind shut off. For all intents and purposes the crying person was now just as dead as Portgas D. Ace. Usually a person wouldn't be faulted for grieving over a family member's death, but on a battlefield? It would be safe to assume Akainu enjoyed the easy target Mugiwara had just given him.
Approaching with murder on his mind, Akainu stopped mid stride. As a magma man as well as an admiral, understandably, Sakazuki rarely ever felt cold but the steadily rising sound of what he would call "death" rapidly approached. He didn't take a step of his own will before a multiple thunderous steps approached, each faster then the last. Turning to look he was met with the back of a high heel shoe. The impact didn't force him into a puddle of magma, no instead the users foot was darkened by the familiar appearance of armament haki, and he was thrown to the side with a crack of noise louder then thunder. Intentionally or unintentionally the man had fell down a ravine caused by Whitebeards Gura Gura no Mi.
Falling down to the ground after her round house kick, Hancock fell to her knees leaning over Ace's body and pulled Luffy into her grasp with a trembling embrace. As she looked at Ace she felt a stray tear fall from her eye in remembrance of the Mera Mera eater.
"I used to ask myself all the time, did I deserve to live?" Hancock raised an eyebrow at the random statement. Jinbei merely closed his eyes and listened once more having heard this story before.
"Guess I should give some back story then, huh?" Hancock smiled as she watched Ace's expression change as he thought. "My name isn't Portgas D. Ace by birth. My real name is Gol D. Ace." Unprepared for the metaphorical bomb drop, the shichibukai's eyes shot open, astonished at the revelation. Ace nodded seriously settling any doubts she might have.
"When I was little I always wondered if I deserved to live, being the son of Gol D. Roger. Every time I asked what people would do if he had a kid, they usually had some elaborate way of killing me off, needles, burnt alive, but none ever said the opposite." Hancock's face became downcast as she saw a tear form in each eye.
"But Luffy, Sabo, and Garp...If it wasn't for them I might never have had a will to live."
Hancock's arm wrapped even tighter around Luffy as she glared at a shocked marine. Her eyes shot open as her gaze struck the marine and the man swore she spoke directly to his mind. 'KNEEL!' Before his mind could react his body already had, now sitting on his knees his mind slowly dimmed before he did in fact pass out. One by one the closest marines were put to their knees and lost consciousness. "Luffy I'm so sorry you had to go through this." Her voice was stern and utterly sincere.
"You're so caring!" At the sound of Kizaru's lazy drawl her body was running off instinct, tossing Luffy away from herself as Kizaru's foot unleashed a yellow pulse of energy into the cobblestone ground. Smoke parting away Kizaru noticed that Hancock was noticeably unharmed. Searching for an answer he was greet by the sight of her skin, once completely black, slowly returning to its normal colour. Though it would show she'd forced the technique as her body heaved with exhaustion.
"Oooh come to think of it that does make sense. I hit you earlier and you survived that too didn't you? Hmmm," His body popped with light and reappeared behind Hancock. With a grit of her teeth she kicked backwards, entire leg covered in black. With an audible 'oof!' Kizaru's arms blocked the preemptive attack, merely forcing him to slide back. Foot, and momentum, still pushing Kizaru she lashed out with her other foot aiming for Kizaru's face. With the speed of light Kizaru's left hand shot up and intercepted the offending limb, palm open. Bracing her fall with her hands she straightened her body with a handstand.
With no more then a second her body was twisting as she attacked once more, "Perfume Femur!" Rather then take the brutal attack Kizaruo burst into light and retreated from the attack. Lazily he raised a finger and unleashed a bolt of light. Still on her hands she shifted her body before his hand even began moving. Covered to the elbow in black her hand intercepted the beam and a wisp of smoke was the only evidence that Kizaru had even attacked.
With a look that showed no surprise he watched as the woman landed on her feet. An ambitious marine roared with confidence as he attacked the Shichibukai. A mere foot away his gaze caught hers and he blacked out, body tumbling across the ground as she side stepped and rushed Kizaru.
Nearly upon him he disappeared in a flash and Hancock's body stop and twisted as she back handed the air behind her. Instead of Kizaru's face she was blocked by his elbow. "Oooh, I wander how I'd fight if I could use Kenbunshoku!"
The idea to her was sickening. Body hardening with darkness Kizaru's leg snapped into her gut in a flare of yellow. Using the smoke Kizaru burst into light.
Condensing back into a solid form Kizaru stood atop Luffy, foot glowing with promised death. For the very first time in Kizaru Borsalino's career as admiral he was completely caught off card as Hancock's body plowed into his back.
"Get away from him!" With herculean strength Kizaru was dramatically lifted over her body and slammed onto his shoulders and neck.
Stepping away from Kizaru and kneeling over Luffy Hancock's face drained of armament Haki once again, body rising and falling. "Kizaru I don't care how much it takes out of me I will not let you lay a hand on Luffy!" Laying supine on the ground Kizaru slowly raised his hand and palmed his face.
"What...just happened?"
A/n Sorry it's short I know but I wanted to get something out there for you guys. Also one of you mention in a review that Hancock seemed weak towards the later half I had thought I wrote in the reason, when Kizaru attacked them her left lung collapsed this is why she seems so weak. This is also why trying to go toe to toe with an admiral is making her breath so heavily. Next chapter should be a big one like Chapter Three was, and if I get it right its the one that presents the first big WTF moment in the story as well as the most significant in the first half.
Working on this story has made me question my writing style as I feel I'm not giving you readers enough story and mostly just action. Is it fine the way it is? What do I need to add? Please let me know by leaving a review, and have a great day - Sol