CHAPTER 4: Tiny pieces of the puzzle that is Raven
Raven just stares into the pitch black darkness as Marcus cuts her with his blade again. It was the fourth time today and a smirk appears on her lips. He must be getting desperate.
Marcus snarls as he sees her smirk and pierces her left shoulder in exactly the same place as he did yesterday, reopening the wound.
"Tell me what your name is!" He growls as he pulls out the blade again.
Raven doesn't even wince as he pulls the blade out like she used to.
"You know, you should come up with better interrogating methods Duke" She says to the empty space in front of her, knowing that is where he is standing and she knows that his emerald-green eyes will be full of fury but she did not expect that he would start laughing his cruel and smug laugh though this time it is mixed with his knowing laugh from yesterday and her smirk falls.
"That is why I brought a gift for you"
She hears another pair of scuffling feet and a cry of pain from a voice she knows. Her pale red eyes narrow in rage and she doesn't even bother to hide her killing intent.
"Is that Eva?"
He doesn't respond but just pulls the younger girl's arm roughly and presses her face against the cold metal bars harshly.
The prisoners hear a sharp intake of breath from Raven and they take an involuntarily gulp of air at her look. She looks furious and if looks could kill Marcus would be killed a thousand times over and over again for years, each day.
"Was I not kind to you and gave you a warning that you so stupidly ignored yesterday?"
Eva looks at her sister's furious pale red eyes, identical to her own but she knows that her sister can't see like her own can and she feels a surge of pride run through her veins. Her older sister can still make a grown man tremble even if she is blind. Eva's pale red eyes takes a peek behind her and again she feels a surge of pride at the looks on the pirate's face, though their faces have only surprise written on them she still feels proud that her sister can get such a reaction out of these bloodthirsty and fearless criminals. Her gaze turns back to her sister and the pride she has for her sister falls to one of horror at her sister's appearance. Eva didn't notice how bad her sister looked. Her long blue almost black that Eva used to be so jealous was chopped unevenly and the glossy shine that used to be there was replaced by patches of dry crimson blood and her pale porcelain skin that used to be identical to Eva's own was now stained with blood and Eva isn't sure that even if her sister had a bath and shower the stains would go away.
Eva's eyes turn to her sister's body that is so badly marked with old and fresh cuts. A violent surge in her stomach erupts and she finds she can't handle the sight nor the smell and she desperately tries to turn her head away but the man keeps a firm grip on the back of her head, pushing her face against the metal bars. Burning tears fall from Eva's eyes as she looks at her sister struggle against her binds desperately.
"Eva!" Raven shouts desperately and continuously as she struggles to free herself from her binds "Eva!"
Marcus lets a sadistic smile slowly creep onto his lips and her screams and at the younger sister's tears.
"Marcus, Duke of North Blue" A voice speaks up from behind him and Marcus panics since he thinks he has been caught, he immediately lets go of Eva who falls the ground with a loud thud.
He allows a charming smile to plaster across his lips as he turns around.
"I assure you this isn–'' He stops halfway through his sentence and his emerald-green eyes fill up with fear, his charming smile crumbling away at the stares from every single one of the bloodthirsty pirates and criminals in Level 6 and he remembers that he is in the lowest pits of Impel Down, the level where only the worst of the underground are kept, not only pirates but also thieves, killers and even mafia members. His slowly turn to the one who spoke.
Knight of the Sea and ex Shichibukai, Jinbe.
Marcus swallows and plasters another one of his smug, overconfident smirks across his lips.
"Yes Jinbe?"
The blue whale fishman gives him a long steel hard look before softening his gaze at the sobbing younger sister and furious older sister who is still trying to get out of her binds.
"All of us here have become rather fond of our cellmate–"
Crocodile scoffs along with a few others who don't want to be treated as soft.
"Speak for yourself Jinbe. I only want to know why this idiot Duke wants this 'knowledge' from her that's all"
"–and we will not tolerate this any longer" Jinbe continues ignoring Crocodile "We may be in cells but do remember we have comrades outside of Impel Down"
"Are you threatening me?" Marcus asks, regaining his overconfident personality.
"Yes sir we are" Terry answers in a dangerous tone.
"And how do you expect to tell your comrades?"
Terry lets a dangerous smile trail across his lips "We are located in the calm belt which is in the sea correct?"
Marcus nods hesitantly, not knowing where this is going.
"We have four Fishman, one merman and one mermaid currently in level 6 and 20 more in the other levels, yes?"
Marcus looks at each person as he names them "Correct. Jinbe, a blue whale fishman, Glyndwr, a poisonous puffer-fish fishman, Quan, a stargazer fishman, Chua, a electric eel merman, Ryota, a Oyster Toadfish fishman and Aysu, a Scorpion Fish mermaid" Marcus eyes Aysu's tail cautiously.
"Exactly and what is one thing they can all do?"
Marcus frowns as he thinks but comes up with nothing and Eva being the polite young girl she is helps him out.
"They can all talk to sea creatures also Sea Kings"
Terry grins at the younger sister "You're a smart one lass"
Eva grins shyly at the compliment and Raven smiles proudly, of course she is she graduated University at age 12.
A look of understanding appears on Marcus's face "B-But–''
Aysu, the fair-haired Scorpion-Fish mermaid leans forward from her water filled cage to stare at Marcus with her abnormal silver eyes. "Did you honestly think that we wouldn't be able to speak to them just because there are walls separating us?"
Marcus look horrified at each fishman and violently drags Eva away from her sister's cage.
"Don't worry nee-chan dad will find out I'm missing soon enough"
Raven hides a smile, that smart girl.
The loud sound of high heels clacking against the hard concrete echo throughout Level 6 and the sound of The Duke's feet scurrying to keep up with her brisk pace. One of Raven's eyes open to stare blindly in the direction of the sound, she is still quite furious with him but is more intrigued with the other sound of footsteps so she chooses not to comment.
Raven turns her attention to only the sound of high heels, drowning out the sound of the other's footsteps. She hears long fabric brushing against the floor, the female is probably wearing a long dress which isn't surprising as Impel Down is quite cold though rather warm in some places. She opens her eyes and meets the same darkness she was just in but it doesn't matter to her anymore as she's used to it now, her gaze follows the sound of the footsteps until they stop at the cell opposite hers, Ace's cell.
"Leave us"
Raven frowns slightly at the voice, recognizing it as the Pirate Empress's voice though that frown quickly turns into smirk as she hears The Duke move back to her cell.
"Someone is whipped" She grins when she hears that he has stopped moving and is just leaning against the bars of her cell.
She imagines his eyes turn to her own, narrowed and full of rage as he brings out his thin blade and trails the blunt side across her cheek.
"I would rather not see you harm a fellow woman in front of me or else I may have to kill you, grandson to Sengoku"
Raven bites back another smirk as the blade is removed from her cheek and she resists the urge to burst out laughing as she imagines what he would look like right now. His eyes would probably be full of fury as he glares at the back of Boa Hancock but wouldn't dare try to harm her.
She turns her attention to Boa Hancock's and Ace's conversation, the good thing about being blind is that her hearing has improved greatly.
"Your brother is here"
Raven arches an eyebrow at the short conversation which consists of one tiny sentence.
"Let us go"
She hears the clacking of high heels against the concrete surface move towards her.
"Grandson of Sengoku you are playing a dangerous game with this young woman. You have no idea what sort of connections she has nor what ability"
"I can assure you Pirate Empress I know her ability quite well"
Raven bites down a scoff; like hell you do.
Boa Hancock arches a delicate eyebrow at the arrogant male in front of her, "Really now?" She walks away with Marcus trailing behind her, not bothering to hide the smirk trailing across her pale pink lips.
"If you did you wouldn't be alive right now Duke"
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