Well now, we are back again.
So as you might have guessed, this chapter will be mostly action based. I apologise for the length it took to update. Action writing in any sense is always tricky, so I like to make sure it looks good.
With that in mind, C.S. Skywalker is my main man and helped so much with this chapter.
And if anyone cares to check it out, this is the picture that inspired a good chunk of Mihawk's fight. No idea who drew it, but whoever did, you have all my thanks and credit to you. Make sure to remove the spaces and add a . after the com. Fanfiction doesn't like website addresses being put up apparently.
i. pinimg com / 736x/45 / be / f3 / 45bef302f724ba85654876ff8df08af7 . jpg
As always, please feel free to like, follow and review. Your support is beyond awesome and I love every last one.
Tamara set down a wooden crate with a loud thud and sighed with relief. Pausing to swipe her forearm across her forehead, she took a moment before starting to unpack the container, grateful she'd decided to wear shoes. The cellar was colder than she remembered. Dim light cut the gloomy room. The crate was mostly fruits and vegetables, hence the weight.
The wine cellar was dark, so she lit several candles and lanterns to be able to see properly. It was difficult to find areas to put everything. She then proceeded to lay down several tablecloths on the stone floor to protect the food, but with the numerous wooden bottle racks, space was an issue. To keep things simple, Tamara tried to keep as much as possible close to the underground hatch.
Taking out the last bundle of carrots, she picked up the crate and stood. As she started to walk towards the ladder-like staircase, Tamara heard a spitting hiss. Glancing up, she furrowed her brow as she watched his hackles raise, signaling danger.
"Virgil? What's wrong?"
At the edge of the square floor entrance, her little black cat stood with an arched back, puffed up tail and flattened ears. He was staring down the hallway and growling low in his throat. Climbing the stairs, Tamara squinted in the direction her pet was glaring.
There was laughter down the corridor and the sound of footsteps. From out of the shadows, two figures walked towards her. She heard them chortling to each other.
"How long do yah think it'll take the Captain to kill him?" the first laughed.
A barking laugh came from the other man, "You kidding me? The bastard's probably already dead."
Tamara sucked in a breath unintentionally and the sound made both men look up, spotting her. She froze as their beady eyes locked onto her. At her feet, Virgil jerked forward, hissing in aggression and swatting the air with one clawed foot. Her grip on the empty crate on her hip tightened when they paused and grinned in sick delight,
"Well, well, well. What've here? A little morsel wandering all alone," one said, a big bear of a man.
"Who're you girl? What're you doing here?"
Shifting a bit, she glared at the pair. "Who am I? Who the hell are you to dare enter my home? Leave now, before you get hurt."
Both men looked to each other and then laughed out loud.
"Hahahaha, right, like a scrawny thing like you is going do much."
"Gahahaha, oh that's rich."
The intruders looked towards her and Tamara had to force herself not to take a step back. One of them had a sabre at his waist that he placed his hand on menacingly. She moved again, shifting to a sideways stance, mind reeling. Mihawk was away, and from the sounds of these men's conversation, dealing with something else.
"What'da think? Should we keep her alive?"
"Might be fun."
Tamara felt fear and anger power though her. It sharpened her mind and tensed her muscles. With the adrenaline rush came heightened senses, filling her veins with hot ice and making her tremble. If it weren't for that, she wouldn't have caught the tautness in the first man's legs as he prepared to lung at her.
A squeal exited her lips as she leapt sideways. As the clumsy oaf flew past her, clear shock reflected in his face, Tamara swung the crate with both hands. The wooden container shattered over her attacker's head, a painful howl lighting the air. She was left holding a single plank, but the man was on the ground, groaning. There was little time to celebrate as his partner swore and drew his blade.
Tamara jerked backwards as the razor edge of the sword missed her nose by inches. He stabbed forward, and she knocked the weapon aside with the length of wood she held. It wasn't enough to completely deflect the attack as a stinging pain came from her upper arm -the sharp tip had pierced through the plank and glanced her bicep. At the same time, Virgil leapt forward with an animal's howl, locking claws and teeth around the swordsman's leg. Tamara staggered back as she watched her brave pet attack. Blood poured from the wound, and it stung, but Tamara didn't allow herself to feel the pain. That would mean her end.
The man screamed and started flailing the appendage her cat was latched onto. Virgil let go, flying through the air and twisting, landing on his feet as only a cat could do. Whispering a small thank you to the cat and making a mental note to reward him later, Tamara didn't waste the distraction. She swung the plank upward with enough force to break it, and the man dropped to the floor, bleeding and unconscious.
A pained moan and shifting of cloth made her remember the other male. He was rubbing his head and starting to climb to his feet. Dropping the scrap of wood, Tamara snatched up the discarded saber and darted forward. Without hesitation, she drove the sharp blade through his back, wincing at the death cry he let out as the weapon pierced through his front.
Silence filled the hallway as she let go of the sabre's hilt. Panting slightly, she looked down the darkened hallway. No other sounds came. Unsheathing her dagger from her back, Tamara took the moment of reprieve to slice two long slits in her skirt, turning the dress into more of a tunic and sliced a strip off to bind her arm with. She had a very strong feeling she was going to need to be able to use her legs.
Tightening the makeshift bandage with her teeth, Virgil padded over, still looking down the hall. She glanced down at her pet. He was uninjured thankfully, but still very much on guard.
"There's more, right?" She questioned the feline.
He hissed in response, growling and crouching low. Well, that answered that. Biting her lip, Tamara thought carefully. She could hide away and wait for the intruders to leave. Despite what the two men had said, she had no doubt Mihawk would be along soon. And he would not be happy. She pitied her attackers for a moment -being around him in that state was not smart.
However, this castle was her home too. These pirates, or she assumed they were pirates, didn't belong. She suddenly felt the hollowing sensation of déjà vu. She'd been unable to defend her home on Saguine -was she really going to do the same thing here? Glancing down at the two downed men, she tightened her hold on her dagger and started to move down the hall. If nothing else, surveying the situation couldn't hurt.
Virgil loyally followed closely. Tamara choose to take a set of stairs upward that led to the third level, making her way towards the front doors. At least this way, she might have the high ground for a possible fight, though she'd really rather avoid that if she could.
As she got closer to the entryway, Virgil's growling got lower and he hissed in warning. She heard voices speaking, one in particular was louder than the rest. And it was female.
"Hurry the hell up! We don't have a lot of time, find the Shichibukai's treasure stash and bag it!"
"Yes, Vice-Captain."
"Right away, Sir."
Carefully peering around the corner while pressed to the wall, Tamara saw a white-haired woman brutally commanding a few other men. She counted six peons, all whom scattered from the entrance, running through doors and up the stairs. Unfortunately, one was barreling right for her location.
She briefly saw shock cross the man's face when he swung around the bend and spotted her. She didn't give him any time to recover, leaping forward.
Tamara thrust her closed fist up, slamming it into her opponent's throat. A pained gargle was heard as he stumbled back, clutching his neck. Tamara spun on the ball of her foot and placed a strong roundhouse kick to his temple, feeling a slight pain over her heel.
Virgil joined in the fight, leaping onto the railing and launching himself at the man's face, biting and clawing, making him flail comically. The man stumbled and collided with the bannister, giving a panicked cry as he toppled over it and fell to the hard floor below.
Her talented pet nimbly leapt off and posed gracefully on the wide railing.
Naturally, the commotion had caught the attention of the intruder. The woman looked up at her with harsh eyes. Tamara saw that she was actually rather ugly in appearance, with a long-hooked witch-like nose, small eyes too close together and an overly large mouth. She didn't carry any weapons, unlike her men. Her heart sunk as she watched the woman's beady eyes flit over her face. The element of surprise was gone.
"Who the hell are you?" the woman asked harshly.
Tamara glared down at the Vice-Captain from behind the railing, faking as much bravado as she could, "Considering that you're the one trespassing, I think that question is something I should be asking."
A nasty smirk crawled across the women's face, making her look even more hideous. "You're a mouthy one. Brave too, not that it'll do you much good. I am Lucinda the Banshee, Vice-Captain of the Crimson Pirates. You must be Hawk-Eyes' little whore. Didn't think the man had that kind of appetite, rather sickening to be dragging children off to the bedroom."
Tamara felt her cheeks flare in anger. No one insulted Mihawk if front of her unscathed! Plus she didn't like the fact that she still looked like an 18 year old girl. Rising to her full 5'5'' height, she snarled darkly,
"Fuck you, hag! At least I don't look like someone hit me in the face with a shovel!"
Two of the men that had run off came back at the sound of the two females arguing.
"Vice-Captain, what's wrong?" one asked.
"Who is that?"
Lucinda ignored her men's questions and concerns, keeping her face on Tamara as it twisted into a demented look. "You wench! I was going to spare you, but now I think I'll paint these walls a lovely red!"
And with those words, the white-haired women sucked in a deep breath through her mouth. Alarms went off in Tamara's mind, both at the unusual move and the fact that the men around her suddenly cried out in fear, flinching down and covering their ears.
Without thinking, Tamara dove forwards, rolling over the floor just as Lucinda let loose a scream.
The air rippled from the sound. She heard stone splinter behind her and her ears were fiercely ringing, like she'd just stood next to a giant gong being rung. Springing back to her feet, Tamara looked to where she'd been previously standing.
A semicircular trench was dug through the stone floor, part of the railing was missing and there was a large chunk gouged out of the wall. Turning back to Lucinda, she swallowed hard.
"I see we've eaten a Devil Fruit," Tamara said.
Lucinda laughed in response. "Aren't you cute. That's right, I ate the Hemei Hemei no Mi. Now my voice is a literal weapon, able to pulverize anything. You're going to die a horrible death, little whore."
"The Scream-Scream Fruit, really? Am I supposed to be impressed by that?"
Secretly, she was. This was the first Devil Fruit user she'd ever seen in person. Yes, Mihawk talked about a number of opponents with said powers, but it was very different to see it first-hand. And a whole lot scarier. Tamara really didn't want to see what those sonic attacks would do on the human body.
Lucinda smirked wickedly, tossing her scraggly hair back and taking in another deep breath.
Tamara took off down the hallway as the scream exited her mouth, shooting circles of sonic energy towards her. Her ears felt like they were about to break, it took everything she had to keep the blurred double vision. Tamara saw that none of the house's structure had been damaged like the first attack, which was a little puzzling.
As she sprinted out of sight, Lucinda's voice howled behind her. "After her! I want her head on a spike!"
"Yes, Vice-Captain!"
"You heard Banshee! Let's go!"
Footsteps thundered up the stairs as she ran and her thoughts streamed at hyper speeds through her head. She was sure could handle the subordinates, but Lucinda was a whole other problem. Tamara skidded around the next corner just as a loud howl punched a hole in the wall where her head had been a moment ago.
Her only advantage over these people was her knowledge of the castle's structure. Tamara knew most of the layout -they didn't. A set of stairs appeared before her and she started to dash up them. There was a sharp tug on her ankle and she yelped as she was suddenly yanked off her feet, crashing to the floor.
Whipping her head around, Tamara saw one of the men behind her. He'd snagged her ankle with a long chain-like weapon. Cackling, he yanked on it, pulling her across the floor. Without thinking, she twisted and flung her dagger at the pirate.
It didn't hit exactly where she wanted, but the blade sank into the man's thigh, making him howl and drop the taut chain. Leaping back to her feet, Tamara grabbed the chain and charged the man. He wasn't expecting such an aggressive move and stumbled, giving her the chance to wind the chain around his neck. Tamara tried desperately to cut off the pirate's air supply, his thick neck bulging and turning redder and redder as she did so. She grunted heavily as he flailed -the man was bigger than she thought and grew panicked as Lucinda and her other cronies caught up.
Tamara instantly let go of her victim, remembering to snatch up her dagger at the last moment, and dove to the side as the older woman loosened a sonic scream. The man she'd been strangling received the full force of the attack, immediately passing out as blood streamed from his ears.
She didn't see this as she was already flying up the staircase. The enraged Vice-Captain yelled behind her as she climbed higher in the castle, the last echoes barely reaching her hearing. Tamara winced as her ears fiercely rung from Banshee's last yell. Touching the side of her head, her fingertips came back slightly red.
Ducking through a door, Tamara closed herself in and held her breath as feet thundered past. She'd bought herself a few minutes, perhaps long enough to pick off the other subordinate. Glancing around, she spotted an item in the room that made her grin in delight.
That was just what she needed.
Mihawk grunted softly as the vibration from the strike shook down Yoru's blade, causing him to tighten his grip on the hilt. The force of the blow had him skidding back and he had to twist his sword suddenly to block the follow up hit. Ares seemed to have no limits to his strength as Mihawk was forced to jump aside again, the opposite man slamming an enlarged, yellow, scaled arm into the ground.
Landing with bent knees, Mihawk narrowed his eyes, calculating the man's every move. Ares was a Devil Fruit user, some kind of Zoan Type. Both his arms were transformed into massive bird-like appendages which ended in long, razor claws. His attacks were powerful, and he was fast. Thus far, Ares and himself were tied for hits, neither landing a solid blow, which Mihawk commended the man for.
Tensing his muscles, he let Haki rise in his blood and dashed forward. The side slice missed as Ares leapt high into the air. Gold eyes traced the movement and Mihawk launched up in pursuit with Yoru's deadly tip aimed for his heart.
His eyes widened when large eagle wings suddenly sprouted from Ares' back.
Mid-air maneuvers were always tricky. Learning to shift one's weight and twist to gain an advantage was a skill few could achieve. Mihawk was at an obvious disadvantage -Ares had wings and he did not. As his black blade neared the captain, Ares gave a mighty beat of his wings, easily dodging the attack, leaving him vulnerable.
A victorious battle cry left the Devil Fruit user's mouth as a deadly three fingered claw slashed towards Mihawk's face. The Shichibukai gritted his teeth and threw his weight back, arching his spine awkwardly. Almost as if it were slow motion, he saw the sharp claws narrowly avoid his face and felt the wind from the strike skim by his cheek. There was a moment of suspended action, where both combatants hung in the air.
Then, Ares rolled forward, using his flight capability to increase his power and drove his foot downward as he coated his appendage in an all-black substance. Mihawk's breath whooshed from his lungs at the Haki infused kick collided with his side. Gravity yanked Mihawk towards the earth as he fell at an alarmingly fast rate. He grit his teeth together and flipped over, landing hard on his feet. The ground around him caved in and dust flew into the air.
He had little time to recover from the attack as Ares voice howled, "SKY SLICE BARRAGE!"
Mihawk was forced to run, dodging the long-range energy attack that tore great trenches into the soil.
"He's stronger than he looks," Mihawk thought. "I jumped to conclusions too fast."
Jumping forward, he twisted around and let loose a slash from Yoru. The white-green streak sailed towards Ares.
He felt a twinge of annoyance and admiration as the airborne Zoan zipped around the attack. Ares cackled as his remained above Mihawk.
"You have no chance, Shichibukai!" Ares crowed. "I'm younger, faster, and stronger! And with my Devil Fruit power, you are nothing!"
Before he could respond, battle cries from Ares's crew hit his ears. Mihawk was forced to momentarily take his eyes of the flying male to cut through one man that charged and duck under another, easily blocking the return strike before slicing through flesh.
The men, bold as they were, fell almost instantly, but their interference was enough to give Ares an edge. Mihawk grit his teeth as a pair of clawed fingers closed over his blade, temporarily immobilizing it. The Crimson Claw smirked in victory as the two braced in a fight of strength.
"You're even better than I hoped for, Hawk-Eyes," he grinned. "I haven't had a fight this good in a while."
Mihawk's remained expressionless. "You are also quite impressive, yet you will still die."
His opponent's skin shifted grotesquely. Mihawk recognized this as a Zoan transformation and he forced his body to the side minutes before Ares' head -now a feathered eagle's- snapped closed where his neck had just been. A clawed leg swung and before he could move, the flesh on his chest was sliced open. The Shichibukai swallowed a yell of pain, not allowing the younger man to know he was hurting.
Ripping Yoru out of Ares's grip and leaping backwards, Mihawk observed the monstrous sight before his eyes. Ares now had the wings and upper body of a bird with his lower body transformed into backwards bend feline legs with a twitching tufted tail.
He took a moment to assess his wound. Three scratches across the chest, shallow and only bleeding slightly, thanks to the constant flow of Armament Haki he kept under the surface of his skin. Still, it was the first injury he gotten in battle in some time.
"First blood is mine, Hawk-Eyes. Are you ready to surrender yet?"
Shifting a bit, Mihawk smirked under his goatee, "Are you attempting to amuse me, young man? If so, you're certainly succeeding."
Rage filled the bird eyes of Ares and Mihawk saw popping veins appear on his forehead before wings lifted Ares into the sky once more.
"You bastard! You still don't get it!" he yelled, starting to sound like a raging toddler. "I'm better than you! The sky is my kingdom and you are just a lowly bug waiting to be crushed!"
Ares loosened a scream that sounded little a cross between an eagle cry and a lions roar as his body shifted. Mihawk was left looking at a creature from legend. A massive beast with the head, wings and claws of a bird of prey, and the hindquarters of a carnivorous cat. His educated mind gave a name to the creature even as he fought down a wave of awe.
"Gryphon"
Ares was a man who'd eaten a Legendary Zoan Devil Fruit. It was easy to see where his confidence came from now. Mihawk dodged around the numerous aerial attacks unleashed, his regard for the man growing slightly. Ares was certainly worthy of being a pirate on the Grand Line.
The slashes from the sky forced Mihawk closer to the castle. Not what he wanted; the battle could easily level the house. And Tamara was still inside. Or at least he though she was.
Ares had an advantage. His ability to fly and swiftly maneuver through the air gave him a leg up. The man had shifted back into his Hybrid form, with a more human looking head than before, and was hovering near the estate. Loosing an attack now risked damaging his home. The Zoan user seemed to know, this as well.
"What's wrong, Hawk-Eyes?" he taunted. "if I didn't know better, I'd say you're losing your touch. Has my magnificence left you in shock?"
"Bold words for a man too cowardly to fight on the ground," Mihawk said, trying his hand at belittlement. "I can see now how you got so close to my estate with your crew. You carried them here, didn't you? Not surprising that your only truly useful as a pack mule."
It was the only logical explanation as to how Ares and his crew got so close to his home. Intelligent as the Humadrills were, they were still animals. A flying Zoan type like Ares wouldn't have drawn their attention and they were far to scared of him to dare tread close to the castle.
He braced for the counterattack. Ares was too prideful a man to allow such an insult, and his anger would be his downfall. Mihawk avoided a smile as he saw black rage filling the man's face. His clawed arms raised, and Yoru was lifted into the air by the Shichibukai. He was ready, he knew he'd win-
The sound of shattering glass made both men look up. Mihawk and Ares both watched, puzzled looks on their faces as two bodies -one of them an older woman with long white hair, and the other, very much resembling a troublesome young woman he knew- flew out of the uppermost window
"Banshee!?" Ares exclaimed and then screamed as he was suddenly dogpiled by weight he hadn't been prepared to accept. "GAAAHHH!"
A startled trio of screams mingled in the air and a flailing pile of limbs slammed into the ground.
Mihawk stared in shock as a familiar blond rolled across the ground, cursing and wrestling with the white-haired woman. Tamara was pinned under her opponent temporarily before she shoved her feet into the female's stomach and kicked off, sending her flying backwards.
Flipping up to her feet, there was a moment of pause as Tamara glared at the woman whom she had flung across the battlefield. The other female looked beyond her and he recognized fear in her eyes as she caught sight of him. She opened her mouth as if to scream.
"Am I all that frightening?" Mihawk thought to himself and then heard the woman's piercing screech. That was no normal scream.
The sonic pulses hit Mihawk and he cried out involuntarily. His eyes narrowed in pain while he fought down the urge to drop Yoru and cover his ears. He glanced at Tamara, concerned for her safety, concerned to see if she was in as much pain as himself. But his concern quickly turned to shock as he watched Tamara launch herself towards the howling woman, looking completely unaffected by the horrid sound.
She dropped a shoulder into the screamer's gut and bowled her over. The two women were once more engaged in battle, but more importantly, the ear shattering noise was now silenced.
Mihawk's mind flashed with a premonition of a giant claw cleaving his head off and had little time to consider the conundrum of Tamara's supposed immunity to the women he'd heard called Banshee.
He ducked and felt a rush of wind ruffled his hair.
Without looking up, he slashed his blade skyward. Yoru's razor edge cut through flesh. The howl of agony was sweeter than any wine he'd tasted, and battle lust rose in his blood. He inhaled deeply, scenting the metallic tang, before twisting and lashing out with one long leg. His heel collided with Ares' side, sending the younger man crashing into the ground. That was payback for earlier, vengeance was always best served cold. Before a recovery could begin, Mihawk fired the muscles in his legs, leaping high in the air.
Laser eyes locked onto his target and he let gravity drag him down, Yoru roaring in delight.
Ares rolled over and looked up with wide eyes as Mihawk shot towards him. Despite the viscous, bleeding wound across his chest, the man still managed to shove himself out of the way. As Yoru slammed into the ground, a powerful tremor shook the earth. Mihawk briefly heard twin female cries of surprise in the distance and the sound of bodies hitting the dirt.
Poised with his blade dug into the ground, his body upside down, and crackles of sword Haki energy licking the air, he looked to the gryphon man. Ares no longer looked cocky and confident. His eyes stared at Mihawk, seeming to age and wizen in an instant. He knew. The Crimson Claw knew now what power truly was.
Swinging down from his perch, his booted foot shattered the ground where Ares had been a moment ago. Twisting and yanking up his sword, Mihawk unleashed a flurry of slashes that were barely blocked and opened several small cuts over his scaled arms. A pair of clawed bird talons suddenly locked over his blade again halting the assault, leaving the two straining against each other.
Their fight was interrupted again by the women. Or more specifically, by the shrieking of Banshee. Mihawk couldn't stop the wince that crossed his face, but Ares almost doubled over in pain. Both men leapt backwards to get out of the affected area. Then, the sonic scream was cut off as suddenly as it started, and he glanced over to look at the other fight.
Pride filled his chest at the sight. Tamara was behind the older women and had her in a double locked choke hold, slowly causing the Devil Fruit user to lose consciousness even as she fought to break away. The scream had been an act of desperation, she hadn't had any control over it. It had just been sheer dumb luck that it was aimed where they'd been standing, as neither girl was paying attention to them.
The white-haired woman finally gave in and went limp against Tamara. She shoved the body off her and scrambled to her feet, bolting for the castle. Mihawk jerked his gaze back to Ares as he felt a rush of wind. The man was airborne again and fully transformed.
The gryphon's claws glowed with white energy and Mihawk was moving before the syllables from his signature attack were uttered.
Great slices of Haki ripped through the island, destroying trees, hills, rocks and anything else that was nearby. Tamara screamed as one attack flew towards her, ducking down and covering her head. Mihawk grunted as he skidded to a halt in front of her and blocked the deadly projectile, straining against it before redirecting it into the sky.
Dust and dirt surrounded the battlefield. Through the cloud, Mihawk saw the shadow of the legendary beast swoop low to the ground before sailing upwards again. Clenched in his talons was the defeated women Tamara had left behind.
As the debris settled, he sensed his charge moved behind him, watching as the fusion monster fled over the trees towards the ocean.
Yoru screamed in victory as Mihawk swung her towards the retreating warrior. A massive wave of Haki flew after Ares and hit true, slicing down his side. Even with the huge distance between them, he heard the scream of pain and watched wings crumple.
The gryphon fell through the air, crashed into the treetop and dropped out of sight, no longer king over the skies.
Behind him, Tamara gasped in shock and the terrified cries of the living men still lingering about filled the air.
"Captain!"
"Holy crap! He...he fell!"
"Oh man! Run for it! Run!"
The crewmates who were still alive, which was very few, turned and ran wildly away from him. Shifting focus, Mihawk sent a few lazy slashes towards a couple but mostly watched as they fled into the darkened forest. Soon, the only sounds heard was his own heartbeat and the slightly breathless pants of Tamara.
Finally assured that it was safe, Mihawk turned to look at the blonde behind him. She was staring off into the trees where the pirates had fled. As he looked her over, he noted numerous bruises and scrapes. There were several bleeding cuts over her limbs, and one particularly deep one over her right elbow, as well as a makeshift bandage stained red. Overall, she seemed mostly fine. Battle worn, and in need of medical attention, but still healthy.
As he assessed her, his mind recalled the auras he'd seen in the house. She'd defended the castle. Alone, against sea hardened pirates and a Devil Fruit user and survived. Not only did she survive but emerged victorious. He felt his chest clench hard and spoke without thinking,
"You never cease to amaze me, Mi Pequeña."
The endearment slipped from his mouth against his will. Mihawk sucked in a breath, eyes widening a fraction as he realized he'd just spoken his chosen name for her in his mother tongue.
He waited with a pounding heart for her reaction. A furrow creased his brow when she kept looking into the forest. Finally, she sensed his stare and looked over at him. Tamara reached up and dug at her ear for a moment. From beneath her hair, fingers came out holding a small white ball and she looked up with clear blue eyes,
"Did you say something, Mihawk-san?"
Understanding hit him suddenly as he looked at the item in her fingers. "You used candle wax to block your hearing. That's why the woman's scream didn't affect you. Clever girl."
That also meant she hadn't heard his stumbling comment. He was relived about that. It was concerning, his lapse of control. For the life of him, Mihawk couldn't fathom why he'd faltered.
Tamara flushed a bit at the compliment but recovered quickly. "I've been known to use my head from time to time. Are you going to go after them?"
Mihawk glanced were she looked, seeing the glow of Ares in the far distance. His aura was severely weakened but still clinging to life. However, the Humandrills were aware of the intruders now that they'd landed dead center in their territory. Already the apes were moving in, anger radiating from them, hungry for a fight. It was unlikly that the gryphon would survive.
"There's no need to now," Mihawk sighed. "If Ares manages to make it off the island at this point, he'll have earn his life. The same goes for his crewmates."
Tamara nodded as she pulled out the other ball of wax from her ear. Her eyes looked over him and suddenly widened, concern racing across her face. "You're hurt!"
She stepped forwards, hand reaching out to his chest. Mihawk looked down as her fingers brushed over the scratches he'd forgotten about. The heat from her skin nearly made him shiver and he gently grasped her hand in response, feeling something akin to desire rise in his blood at the innocent gesture.
He passed off the strange happening as post battle madness. It had been a while since he'd had such a good fight, he just needed to rebalance himself.
Mihawk smirked at her smugly, "This coming from a woman who fell out of a window?"
A scowl crossed her face, but her eyes danced in amusement as she took her hand back. "Technically, I was pulled out a window. I wasn't intending to be part of the ride. But I did have a soft landing."
He laughed out loud in response and sheathed Yoru on his back. She managed to grin back, nodding towards the castle as they started walking together.
"You might not be laughing once you see the inside of the house," Tamara gulped. "The Scream-Queen did a number on it."
Behind the oak carved desk, Hisao studied the man sitting across from him. He looked oddly familiar, though the elder mayor couldn't place why. In any case, the long white Navy coat and sharp blue pinstripe suit was enough to command his attention and respect.
"I really don't see how I can be of assistance to you," he said, genuinely confused. "Surely the Marines have the same information I do."
The male shifted and Hisao felt the air darken. His throat suddenly felt dry and fear ran down his back. Redemption island was an ally of the Navy, there was no danger here, he was sure of that.
"Naturally, but hearing it from a creditable source, rather than a written rumor is always preferred. You understand, I'm sure. Now," the marine paused. "When did the Shichibukai last visit?"
The voice was smooth, but had a hardened edge that left Hisao very nervous. Still, he answered truthfully. "About 2 months ago. Shichibuikai Hawk-Eyes Mihawk comes to our island infrequently, but we always make sure he is treated with the greatest of respect, as any ally is."
Hisao saw the man nod in response. "And it is appreciated, I assure you, Mayor Hisao. Tell me about the woman that accompanied him."
Confusion furrowed over the older man's face, "The girl? What interest does she have to the Navy?"
"That is not your concern, Mayor, and you would do well to answer my inquiries quickly." The sensation of danger grew and Hisao felt sweat start to build on his forehead.
"O-of course...I meant no offence. Umm, the girl...yes. She arrived with the Warlord in his ship. I believe she was meant to remain on the island, but Hawk-Eyes left with her three days later."
A pause followed this information before the man reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a photo, holding it up to Hisao. "This is the woman?"
Looking over the photo, Hisao felt his face go white. The image was of the young lady he'd seen on the docks, though it only showed her shoulders and head. Yet in this picture, her face was dirty, bruises lined her cheeks with a split lip and her blue eyes were dull, holding no life. His voice failed, but the man , replaced the picture with a satisfied look.
"I will take your response as a yes." The man stood.
As Hisao looked up at the tall Marine, the blond male smiled in a way that chilled the elder man's blood and he saw a hand reach for the coiled whip at his hip.
"Thank you, Mayor Hisao. Your services are no longer needed."
From outside the house, a strangled scream was heard, as well as a snapping CRACK and guttural hissing noise. The window pane was suddenly colored with red liquid that ran down the glass in rivulets.
The front door opened and closed, only the sound the flapping of the white Navy coat was heard. Standing vigil in the shadows, three men waited, eyes watching for witnesses. Finally, the tallest one spoke to the blond man.
"Well? Is it true?"
He gave a single nod. "Yes...she lives. And she's with the Shichibukai."
Silence followed that statement before one of the men spoke to the larger male that had addressed the Marine."Captain Winters...orders?"
Winters looked to the two others and smirked wickedly. "Wait one hour. Then burn this city to the ground."
Cruel, sadistic smiles crawled over the subordinates faces before they left. The remaining men started to walk towards the docks.
After a few moments, Winters spoke with a snide, smug undertone, "She'd out of reach now, Vice-Admiral . You can't get to her."
A dark snarl left the lips of the blond Navy officer, eyes cutting through the dark to pin a glare harsh enough to split stone at his partner.
"Don't ever presume to know what I can and cannot do, Winters!" he growled. "I have not come this far to be defeated by a minor obstacle now. This is my destiny, I will not be denied! Not when I am so close."
"A Shichibukai is not a minor obstacle, especially Hawk-Eyes Mihawk. How do you propose to get past him? She's under his care, you can't reach her without compromising your position. I didn't mind unleashing my crew on Saguine, and once you leave port, they'll run wild here too. This partnership has been highly profitable...for both of us. But if you think I'm going up against a damn Warlord, you're dead wrong."
The Vice-Admiral scowled darkly, hand ghosting over the whip on his hip. Beside him, Winters shifted, eyes hardening but fear evident in his gaze. But the Marine didn't do anything more, continuing to walk. Once the pair reached the edge of the dock, he turned to the pirate Captain,
"I don't expect you to cross blades with Hawk-Eyes. You too useful to me at this time. And we do have a deal, one that I intent to keep. We will both have what's coming to us."
He paused at that and looked out to sea, "Contact Zodiac. Tell Libra I'm calling in my favor."
Winters sucked in a sharp breath, eyes opening wide as he stared. The blue-eyed Marine didn't blink, and he shook his head before loudly muttering,
"You're playing a very dangerous game, Yorinaga. I hope you know what you're doing."
And there we have it. I hope this makes up for the cliffy in the last chapter and everyone is happy with the read.
It was asked by someone what Tamara looks like. I tried to add a little more detail into this chapter, but in case it was missed.
Tamara appears to be about 17-18 years old, quite young given that she's over 25. She gets mistakes as a near minor all the time. She also stands about 5'4''-5'5'', which is average in our world, but in Oda's verse where there are 7 foot monsters running around, I figure she's on the littler side.
Now, onto shout outs.
C.S Skywalker: I couldn't do this without you, you are just the best.
Desirae668: You make me smile so much, thank you for your wonderful words.
AllyCatt12: I hearby give you permission to throw numurouis sharp objects in my direction for every time I leave you with a cliffhanger.
Coolfire30: Always a pleasure to see your reviews, you have me giggling in delight every time.
Kmbrun: The drama is proably going to get worst. Please don't have a heart attack.
