Nami and the others hand quickly rushed down the hill as they carried Luffy's slackened form. His skin had turned a sickish green that had quickly over taken his normal tan. It worried her now, more than ever, that Zoro could be in the same situation. That woman didn't seem willing to let Zoro go alive, though died seemed even less likely. Tears quickly started to swim around her eyes before dripping down as she yelled at Sanji to hurry up. If they waited too long then they couldn't save Luffy.
"Idiot!" she choked out before seeing the village. There was a few people watching them as they came, all smirking some even sneering at them as they passed to get to their ship. Slowly the overcoming urge to hurt them, do anything to them, started to creep upon her as she saw them showing their blatant disgust with the group as they moved through the town.
It was obvious that soon they would have to leave. Soon their welcome would become brutal and that whatever they were going to do had to be done soon.
"Nami." Nami looked over to see Robin pointing out to her that they had arrived at the boat before Robin shifted several books in her arms that Nami hadn't noticed tell now.
"Robin what are you carrying?" she asked, watching the older woman and trying to make sure Sanji didn't drop Luffy as he climbed up the ladder to the ship.
"Ah, I found these at the house we visited after I went back in. It would seem that whatever our captain drank was quickly taken away with that woman." Nami clenched her fist as her spin tingled. She hated that woman. How dare she say she couldn't save her friend; to give up on her Nakama!
"That doesn't answer me what they are!" Nami said with a jagged tone. Robin sighed before nodding her head. Although she hasn't been a part of them for long she understood their bond.
Nakama never failed another. "They are Anthology books, Nami." Nami was quickly taken back as she looked at the books in the others hands before she was handed one. "Read the first page please." Nami nodded before opening the book to read it.
To think that I lost you in this dark hole that enveloped my soul turns the fear in my heart to that of an unbearable beast. I beg you then to forgo any love that you believe you must give me. I fear that love and wish to protect you from the monster that I am. So, my love, live and never love me for if I were to love you I know your death would not be as kind as that of a honorable warrior that you are. Love me not but to kill me. ~ Kuina, age 25, 990 AD.
Nami's eyes widened before she looked up to the mountain, her eyes catching a man… a man identical to Zoro… Standing a little way from the docks and smirking almost barring his teeth at them before running his thumb across his neck.
Zoro opened his eyes to smell potpourri in the air. A smell that he had missed in his years of absence to this island for only this island could make such a smell that was enticing and so vulgar.
Wild jasmine mixed with bones and blood, set to boil for a year before to dry. His stomach turned telling him it was disgusting but this was the smell that was sent threw the village to soothe and for warn of the battle that might or have already begun.
"Daddy?" Lia's voice rang out to him making him groan as he forced his eyes open to look into the big eyes not two inches from his face before he almost screamed if Lia didn't jump on his chest making him choke as he bit his tongue to shout of a curse before she tumbled off the bed and started crying.
Taking a few deep breaths to replenish the ones that she had forced from his chest before he rolled over to look at her. "Oi!" he said as calmly as he could, though it didn't quell her tears. "Hey!" he tried again only to have her stop her crying to gasp in shock before jumping to her feet and clutching to his chest.
"I didn't mean to wake you! I'm sorry!" Lia whispered before burying her face into his shirt.
Sighing Zoro wrapped his arms around her shoulders before picking her up and carrying her out of the room. The smell was strong here but so was the sound of a flute playing a song he hadn't heard in ages. 'Into the halls of the mountain king.' A classic that made his blood run and his tempo faster with its pace as it gradually rose and quickened… it was perfect to wake up to something normal.
"Daddy…" Lia said before snuggling up to him. "I always wanted to know you." He noticed her yawn before he felt guilt rising inside. He had left them, all of them, when he gave up his immortality. Yet to this day he had not done what he planned… Kuina's last wish. He shifted Lia in his arms as the girl started to drift off to sleep before he tried to open the door. It was a mistake to open the door.
Enio stood there with the village as he came out into the sun. He was holding Kitetsu. A chill ran down Zoro's spine as he felt Kitetsu's obvious anger and its pleasure at knowing what would soon happen.
The sword was in ecstasy as the thought of a soon to be battle. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING ENIO!" he yelled, nearly dropping Lia as he grabbed his sword from his grip before noticing that he was missing wado and Shuusui were gone from his waist.
"Where are they!" he frantically asked, jumbling Lia as she watched in confusion and slight fear from his shoulder that he purched her on as he slid Kitetsu at his waist.
"I do not understand father." Enio said, looking at him as if he had grown a second head. "Kitetsu is the only sword you posses since Wado was stolen and Shuusui was given to the gods to restore your immortality." Zoro looked confused before his face turned towards the harbor.
What he didn't see made his heart stop and his mind freeze. His crew, Nakama, and ship weren't there.
"Where's Luffy?" he asked feeling light headed before something caught his eye and his jaw dropped.
Kuina stood in front of him now holding Luk in her arms as he stood there watching her.
Nami and the crew worked furiously to get to the next island as they saw it upon the horizon. It had been difficult for them all, only a few hours ago, to leave their friend and first mate. Then Chopper had nearly lost it when he figured out what type of poison Luffy had digested.
Kui ta. A poison from a bug that only one plant could cure. And that woman who had been watching them after their captain had returned from inside… her eyes dull and deadly though barely seen. Her lips in a small sad smile before she looked out over the people.
Sanji had whispered something, a name she believed, before he and the crew had rushed off to save the idiotic captain. "Kuina."
Luffy kept muttering strange nonsense over and over. He had almost confused Sanji of being an enemy twice using his gomu gomu no rocket on the cook. Chopper was forced after that time to sedate their captain with heavy tears on his face before Luffy had nearly screamed, "I'm a moody person. Look at me switch from joy to misery." Then he simply exploded into tears as he shouted Zoro's name trying to get the man to visit him.
It was hard for the rest of the crew as they struggled to save him and knowing that with this they were losing a good friend.
"I can't stand this." They had to hurry in order to return to the island that held their precious Nakama.
Zoro wanted to scream in frustration as he looked down at Kitetsu. How was it possible that Luffy and the others just abandoned him here. Wasn't he their friend?! He felt so worthless as he looked down at the docks expecting to see his friends waiting for him. He didn't see anything. Two days. Two days they left him with out a goodbye or explanation why.
"I'm like a new toy; I lose my novelty quickly." he cried out slightly, feeling betrayed. After all this time together they just... "Bastards!" he screamed out, gripping his only sword left before plunging it into one of the nearby trees slicing it in half. "IS this all I am to you LUFFY! Something that you can kick to the corner if I don't do what you like! IF I'M NOT AT THE BOAT WHEN I CAN'T-"
"Zoro." Kuina's voice broke threw his scattered thoughts and vicious speaking. "I don't want to see you like this." Zoro felt his temper vanish as he saw her looking overly concerned.
"I am sorry, Kuina. I just..." his throat stopped anymore sound from escaping his voice before Kuina came behind him hugging him close to her.
"I know my husband. Betrayal is not something I respect in your friends." Kuina looked over towards the water with a smile on her face as she wondered what else they were going to do. She -as any loving wife would do- would stop those tyrants from taking the one person death would try to steal again. "But you have me, your children, and the village... we, my love, will not betray you."
Zoro thought of this for a moment before he relaxed a little. She was right, but still... Nakama, he believed that had mean more then life it self to Luffy.
It had taken her longer then she would have liked to have Zoro return to the house to eat and rest. She looked in the direction that the ship should be at the moment before taking a deep shivering breath. How was it possible that even now with his memories returned that he would yearn for them. She had seen how they acted, responded to him in the sea mothers eyes. They treated him as if he was scum! That man, Sanji, seemed to hate him for treating those 'women' -if you could call those things women- as if they were ... she couldn't form the words for it!
Then he dares to show worry when Zoro's memories fully return and he becomes ill from return. How dare he. How dare they all! And to storm and destroy the burial site, the house of the fallen... To take the only scroll of this islands GOD!
"May they succumb to the sea mothers fury and let my love rest from such disgusting vermin." she spat out as she rose her hand into the air, almost as if she was praying. "Monkey D. Luffy." she tasted the name on her tongue as a flash of a man appeared in her eyes mind.
The man... This boy and that man looked far to similar not to be related by blood. The man who declared war and sought Zoro's blood. The santoryuu god had tried to negotiate with that blood thirsty beast of man in clothing. That man denied it. Killing those children as he left the Island!
"Zoro..." she felt her body collapse as she remembered the look on his face as he fell screaming in anger as he held the broken bodies to his chest. It was horrendous. It was the start of the war that had destroyed the life of her husband.
It was Monkey D. Luffy's ancestor, she was positive, that had killed her and her husband upon the bloody mountain. "I'm really not a cheapskate. I just don't like sharing." she uttered his words as she saw her death again. It was hard at that time to learn the truth of the mans intentions. The truth behind those childrens' death. Her loves fury. Why that man stayed upon their island after...
In the sea, the mother created his image after Zoro had killed him. In the sea, the mother written his words down as he looked up at Zoro with a look of... of something she could not think.
"You are mine, Roronoa Zoro. You will never escape that." in the sea that stained glass image stood threw time to remind her and the gods that Zoro was cursed to meet that man again.
"Could it be that you, Monkey D. Luffy, are him?" she said softly before feeling the tears fall down her face.
Luffy mumbled something sporadically again, his attitude changing with each word. He would call Zoro's name and then he would call the name of a woman in disgust. Chopper had blamed the fever but everyone felt it. Luffy wasn't the same.
"KUINA!" he shouted once again before laughing coldly. "You have about five seconds to impress me." they all had avoided seeing him as much as possible when he started threatening them. "KUINA!" A couple of times he had used his devil fruit powers to escape the bonds that they placed him in. Sometimes getting a few gum gum rockets off before being knocked out again.
The only good news in the two days was that they had reached the island. They reached the one place that held the cure-as chopper said- before they went to fetch Luffy to drag to the main land.
Only, what they didn't expect was Luffy sitting up in bed looking at them as he sipped water. The glint in his fevered eyes making them step back before he sneered. "Why is it that I can never find coffee in this place?" his tone said it all, Luffy wasn't Luffy any more. The fever had finally changed him.
