The Heart is triumphant
Luffy was astounded when the vivre card, which was already halfway burnt through, led him to a figure wearing a bird skull mask on the side of his head and two wings emerging from thier back, feathers crumpled and hanging low, as if conveying the unspoken pain he was in. One shone a dull crimson while the other was flared out slightly. His hands and feet had morphed into something that resembled a cross between a bird and armor, but Luffy knew that this was Kruz and he was dying. "Kruz! Oi!" Luffy ran towards the male, who's head was resting against the bark of the tree and half-lidded gaze tracing over to the pirate far too slowly. "Lu...ffy...?" I breathed out, far too tired to realize that his rubbery hands were clasped onto my wrists, the exclamation of, "You're so cold!" reaching my ears. "Yeah... people are like that when they're dying" I mumbled, closing my eyes as the rubberman's warmth seemed to caress my skin like a blanket. "Don't say that! And keep your eyes open, you hear me?! Keep talking, even if you feel like sleeping!" He had slung me over his back, piggyback style, since there was no other way to carry me without my wings getting in the way. I rested my head against the crook of his neck, almost crooning at the much accepted warmth as I asked quietly, "What should... I talk ... about then?"
"Anything!"
The beat of his sandals against earth matched the pulse of his heart, a nostalgic feeling of when Mine used to hold me to his chest when I was heaving for breath through violent, wet coughs. His heartbeat always calmed me, much like Strawhat's. "That's a bit... broad... for a topic..."
"I'll listen. I'll listen to every word, so just don't sleep, okay?" His voice was calm and I felt a sting of pain in my heart. It was painful, constantly being reminded of what I could never be. I wanted to just spread my wings and fly as close as I could to the sea my mother and I loved so much, abandon all my worries and live a life full of adventure. Right now was a crucial moment for the Gale Regiment though, years of planning and executing led up to this day, when Mine, the last connection to the underground Tenryuubito network in this part of the New World was killed, we could now operate freely and gain access to said network. If I leave now, then what would happen to Reimbrad and all the Jeagars under his command? Reimbrad would have difficulty finding a new vice-commander and I was going to do everything I could to remain capable to him. I've finally become strong enough to stand by his side and I knew I had proven it with Mine's defeat. I've already written down all the important tidbits I gathered while shuffling through his mind, planning to relay them to the boss as soon as I could via Den-Den mushi. With this information, we would gain the upper hand and no doubt would the Revolutionary Army soon be scrambling about to make use of the stuff as well. I smiled.
I wouldn't die. Not like this.