Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or any of the books or shows mentioned in this fan fiction. If I did, that would mean I have published work, which I don't. Hence the reason I'm here.
~ Chapter 7 ~
I stood out in the open sun for a moment. Who was the other person? The same Power, that too forty years ago? I realized I didn't know how Devil's Powers worked when the Devil's Fruit user died. I was thinking about looking for a library when I remembered my initial destination: the execution platform. So I headed in the direction of the second elevation again.
Now that I had money, I tasted all the local delicacies. And, holy crap, were they delicious! Some of them just melted in my mouth! I also brought a straw visor as well from one of the street stalls because it was kinda getting really hot and sunny. I went to an ice cream shop in the end and brought an ice-stick and was licking that when I reached the stairs.
I sighed and climbed the inevitable ascent. As I climbed halfway up, I noticed a crowd of about twenty people also making their way to the bottom of the stairs, one among them particularly tall and completely cloaked. 'Doesn't he feel hot?' I wondered.
I made my way to the top and big surprise: it wasn't a park, it was a damn graveyard. "Holy crap!" I suddenly realized that maybe the crowd at my back was a funeral procession. A quick scan confirmed that they didn't have a body in tow, thank God! In hindsight, I may have made an assumption too soon.
I didn't want the people coming up to see me in case they were there for a less-than-happy reason. So, I took up a seat beside one of the gravestones at near the stairs hoping they wouldn't notice me as they passed. Throwing away the finished ice stick, I sat down there and looked down at my two books, one that Hikari had gifted me and the other I'd grabbed on impulse from home. Noland, the Liar and Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix. "It'll be of help for any fights, I guess", I thought idly as I remembered about the Battle of The Department of Mysteries.
The group had reached the top of the stairs by then and I tried not to move and catch attention. The procession was certainly a slightly jolly one. The group was chattering excitedly. There were more people running and coming up from below. I heard snatches from their conversations; I wasn't exactly that far away.
"This had better be good!"
"It's a due!l"
"What kind of an idiot would challenge Daddy? Is he a retard?"
My head snapped at the last voice so hard I hurt my neck. By the time I'd gotten over the pain I couldn't see the owner anymore. Then another fact hit me… Daddy? Duel?
No way!
I'm kinda embarrassed to admit that I could not move! You know the obvious conclusion I had made from these events but dude, if that conclusion was true, that meant that two of my favorite people in the world were right in front of me. And might I add, they were people who I'd believed would remain fictional. As I sat there, trying to decide if I wanted to stand or not, I heard what you could barely call positive support from the crowds: "Don't worry if you die!" "We'll bury you well."
"Thanks for giving the guy a vote of confidence…" I murmured, slightly pissed.
I heard the high pitch voice of a young girl yelling the countdown, "One… Two… Three…"
'Well, you'll know in a few seconds if it's the guy challenging Daddy is the same one in your head or not.'
I listened to the countdown in silence with my eyes trained on the crowd. "Seven… Eight…"
Two things happened at once: smoke rose from the middle of the crowd and the bang of a lone gunshot echoed through the graveyard. "That confirms it, I guess." I said quietly, a grin plastered on my face.
"That's it?" "What a disappointment!" The crowd complained and headed back down the stairs. A few of them threw curious glances at the girl with her smiling face half hidden under a visor with books in her hand, but thankfully no one came up to me.
All who were left in the graveyard was the completely cloaked tall man in a cowboy hat, a girl with curly blond hair in a very frilly dress, a man in brownish clothes and a bandana on his head lying on the pavement and an orange headed girl in a short skirt and blue top who was standing between him and the gun in the hand of the cowboy-hat-guy. Now that the crowd had gone, I could hear their words pretty clearly.
"Oh! If it's money you want, she'll give you as much as you want! So just let me go!" Usopp declared, his head snapping up, and Nami was gave him one hell of a bitchface.
"Hiding behind a woman…" Usopp bristled at this accusation from Daddy and stood up, pushing Nami aside a bit roughly. "Forget what I said. She has nothing to do with this. If you're gonna kill me, please don't get her involved." I caught the slightly scared and respectful expression that came on Nami's face.
Holy… I mean seriously! Who the hell would have thought I'd come across these two bastards while I was here. I know you did but I sure as hell didn't! I still couldn't wipe the smile off my face as I sat there while Daddy recounted his tale of being defeated by Yasopp, Usopp's father and a member of the Red Hair Pirates. Then things got a little weird with me.
It wasn't exactly an illusion because I could sense that it was only happening in my head. They weren't clear images but I could somehow access Daddy's memories as he recounted his tale, making me a lot more affected by the emotions coursing through him as he narrated his encounter, the shame at having lost, yet his gratitude towards the pirate for giving him a new chance with his daughter and also his attempt at trying to encourage Usopp, which was successful.
'I guess narration of stories also affect me, huh?' I thought as Usopp challenged Daddy to a second round, and this time he was ready to put his life on the line. I saw him pull out his slingshot just as Daddy aimed a gun right at his head. I knew how this was gonna end, but still was hyper tensed, my eyes glued to the scene unfolding in front of me.
"Show me you can hit that weather vane with your weapon of choice," Daddy said pointing at the said weather vane which was at a considerable distance. I squinted to spot the target which was swinging in the wind.
"If you cannot…" he pulled back the hammer of his double-action revolver, effectively conveying the rest of his condition for the duel.
Usopp nodded and took aim at the weather vane that was in the shape of a whale with a jeweled crown. I could barely see it and Usopp was already taking aim at it. I got up to get a better view and berated myself for not buying the telescope I'd taken a fancy for down at the street stalls. Usopp had stretched the slingshot as far as he could as he took aim. I fancy he was sweating a lot from the pressure. Nami and Daddy's kid looked tense and worried; Daddy himself was expressionless.
For a while, Usopp's whole body language was tense. I saw him take his time and calculate how to hit his target with precision. I held my breath as he let his out and relaxed his body; I knew that he was gonna take the shot any second.
His pellet left the slingshot, speeding towards its target.
There were a few moments of breathless silence, a question hanging in the air, "Did he miss?" The girl suddenly jumped in front of her father, begging him not to shoot Usopp.
"How can I," Daddy said, "when he's right on target?"
"Oh my god!" Nami cried as she looked through her telescope, "You hit it! You hit the eye of the whale!"
I grinned widely from beneath my visor as Usopp sank to the ground, his knees no longer able to support him. "As expected from Yasopp's son. Work on your courage and I know you can become a great man like your father, maybe even a better one."
Daddy turned around as Nami cheered and congratulated Usopp and came in my direction, to the stairs behind me. Now, I had a few words for this guy. It might not have been a smart move, considering his cloak was hiding about 30 flintlocks, but I've never been 'smart'.
The kid had turned back and was talking to Usopp. As Daddy neared me, I took half a step to my right so that I was partly blocking his way, my hands in my jeans pocket and my gaze on the trio behind him. He looked at me questioningly, and I could feel his intimidating glare. But like I said, I had a few words.
"Intimidation is wrong, right? Your daughter obviously has a good heart," I said nodding towards her giving up the goggles to Usopp. "Teach her to be a bit better mannered." I said, remembering how much like a brat she had acted before coming here. She'd honestly pissed me off back home.
Daddy narrowed his eyes on me, clearly not taking criticism about his daughter very well. But when I raised my head from beneath the visor and looked up at the looming guy, I think he understood my intentions were pure even if they weren't to his liking. He nodded tightly and I stepped out of the way as the girl came bounding back to her father.
"Carol, it's not good to be mean. Intimidating is bad, no?" Daddy was speaking in a very cutesy manner.
"I'm sorry, Papa. As Papa's daughter I want to become a beautiful lady with good manners so forgive me please!"
Surprised, I thought, 'Wow, I didn't think my advice wouldn't even be needed.'
"No, no, my Carol doesn't need to be forgiven. You're beautiful as you are now!"
I think I sweat-dropped as I thought I should have told him to control his own behavior.
I looked back at the duo behind me. Nami was helping Usopp get up, who was nervously giggling as he said "I wasn't scared at all." Nami snorted, "Tell a more believable lie, will ya?"
I smiled and went back down.
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A\N: *current chant gaining momentum* Usopp! Nami! Usopp! Nami! Usopp! Nami! Usopp! Nami! LYRA WALKED AWAY?! HOW DARE SHE!
The Straw Hat Pirates have finally made an appearance! Granted it's partial, but at least they did! I was so looking forward to this chapter! Watchu guyz think?! Thoughts are to be posted on the Review Board!
The below mentioned books (listed in the order they were mentioned or paraphrased) are mentioned in this fan fiction and does not belong to me but to their rightful owners.
Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix - J. K. Rowling
