Here is chapter 11! I hope you enjoy it! There is also a special character appearing on this one, so you'll see *nods* Anyways, thanks for all the favs, alerts and reviews received and for reading this fanfic up until now! I really hope that you enjoy this chapter too! =D
Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, Oda does. I do however own the plot of this story.
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Luffy's POV:
We arrived to the tomb of the 'Revolutionary' hunter hours after we left the tomb of the 'King of the Vampires' , and by then it was night time once again. This one was right in the middle of a very large forest of pine trees, that had a menacing atmosphere around it, and the fact that there was a very thick fog didn't help one bit in making the menacing atmosphere go away. I could sense that there were no animals in a very large surrounding area, which was strange, since this forest was know because of the enormous and very strong animals that inhabited it.
"So we finally arrived" Zoro stated, as we stopped right in front of the tomb where the 'Revolutionary hunter', the legendary hunter of all times and the old leader of the Hunter's Association, my real father, was buried. I stared at the tomb for quite a while, not knowing what to feel. I had never met my father, since he had been executed by the government very few days after I was born, according to data I had gathered. Looking at the grave made me get old memories, of the time I had lived with my human grandfather, the "Hero of the government" Garp, and also of the time that I had been sent to that orphanage with scary Dadan, where I had met Sabo and...
"Ace..." I muttered, as I continued looking at the grave.
Zoro looked at me questioningly, but guessed that I was thinking of the times when I was young and still a human, before I had met him. It happened every once in a while, when I saw something familiar, and I was suddenly invaded by a great and deep sadness, that only went away hours later. of course this happened too when I thought of ace when looking at old objects that I kept as 'memories' and important things, but it wasn't as obvious as it was when I saw something familiar to me, that I had seen in the past or reminded me of a certain event.
"There is something strange here..." Zoro muttered, as he stared at the grave.
I nodded. There indeed was something very strange and out of place with this place, but what was it exactly? "Yes" I answered him, confirming his suspicions.
After we had left the first tomb Zoro hadn't taken too much time to change back into his human form, due to feeling more secure by being able to fight with his swords. He had a great strength and agility when he was a wolf, and we both knew this, but he also was a very good fighter with his swords, and the fact that he wanted to be the best swordsman in the whole world also contributed to this fact. I hadn't seen that blonde man we had met earlier in the first tomb yet, but I could guess that we would see him again in this one, since he seemed to have the same mission as we did.
"Let's go on" I then said with a light smile on my face, wanting to complete this mission and deliver both scriptures to Shanks as soon as possible.
Zoro nodded and we both took as step forwards, getting closer to the tomb. We then examined it. It was very similar to the one of the King of the Vampires, but there were different ornaments, symbols and words drawn on it. I noticed a part of it that looked as if it had a moon faintly inscribed on the stones that composed the tomb, and also some faint words inscribed on top of it, that seemed to read "diei et noctis aeternae". I continued looking at it for some seconds, but soon lost interest on it and started looking at other parts of the tomb. There surely had to be a part of it that allowed it to be 'opened', to let us through to where the real tomb was and where the scriptures were kept. I walked around, looking at the tomb and trying to concentrate on what I was doing and on the mission, but I couldn't help but to start to remember the good old times when Ace was around. I still remembered how good it felt when I was around him, how nervous I sometimes was when he grabbed my hand, and his rare but warm smiles that always brightened my day, no matter how dark and horrible it had been. I still remembered them, and I still wanted to get them back, to go back to those times and continue living them as if nothing of what happened really happened, to continue living with Ace.
It was Zoro's voice what pulled me out of my thoughts. "I've got it" He said, as he pressed a button. Soon the loud sound of machinery was heard, and soon the tomb started moving backwards, starting to reveal a dark staircase almost equal to the one that could be seen on the other tomb that we had been in earlier. When the tomb had stopped moving and the staircase was revealed we were prepared to go into it, but something stopped us from doing so. There was a loud 'bang' heard all over the place, followed by the feeling of hot air that came from the inside of the tomb and then a massive amount of fire that suddenly came out of the staircase, that was also followed by more explosions and finally by the tomb collapsing.
I jumped to one side as I felt the hot air coming, taking Zoro down with me and effectively saving both of us from the fire that suddenly came out of the main entrance.
"What has happened?" Zoro muttered aloud as he got up from the floor, silently thanking me by looking at me.
I smiled at this. "I don't know, someone made the tomb explode and collapse" I said then, as I also got on my feet.
Zoro nodded and watched the tomb carefully, as if expecting something to appear. "I can smell someone strange coming out of it" He said, as he continued staring at the tomb and at the massive part of land behind it that had collapsed earlier.
"I can feel him too" I said, soon picking up what my friend meant.
"A vampire, but who is he?" Zoro said aloud, as he looked around us. The presence felt as if it was very close to us, but the thick fog didn't let us see a single thing, and we couldn't smell much either because of the thick smell of explosive components, fire and burnt things that was occupying all the air around us.
I blinked several times as I continued feeling that presence. It felt familiar. Very familiar. It felt as if I had met that vampire already, but I couldn't place exactly a presence like this with anyone that I had ever met. I thought for a while about who it could be, that gave me a very light headache that disappeared as quickly as it had come, and I only turned around when I heard some footsteps coming from one side, Zoro soon doing the same. I could soon distinguish the silhouette of the vampire that had surely caused all of this, and it was then when realisation hit me in the face, and when I remembered who that presence was from. It was a very familiar one after all, one that I had met precisely 810 years ago, and that had made everything happen. The one that had destroyed my perfect life.
Blackbeard!" I hissed as I looked at the face of the man, that still couldn't be seen well.
I soon heard him laugh, as if he was mocking me. "Zehahaha!" The vampire loudly laughed, causing me to grit my teeth together and Zoro to start glaring at him and to clutch his swords very hard, prepared to attack in any moment. "I didn't expect to see you again, kid" The vampire then said, with a mocking tone f voice. "It's a miracle to see you again here, a wonder to see you alive" He then added, as he came closer to us.
We soon could see him. He was exactly as I had first seen him that fateful day, with the same appearance, the same long unruly black hair and the same beard. He hadn't changed at all, but he was now wearing a long coat that was similar to those that pirates were usually depicted to wear.
"Why are you here?" I asked with a tone of voice full of hate, rage and fury. I wanted to jump at the man and kill him for everything that he had done. It was something that I had wanted to do for a very long time, since that day.
The man laughed again. "Zehahaha! Isn't it obvious?" he said, as he lifted his right arm, and revealed a very ancient looking piece of parchment.
"The scriptures" Zoro muttered, as he got into a more aggressive position, prepared to attack at any time. "What do you wish to do with them?" Zoro then asked.
"The same thing as you do" he easily replied in an insulting tone of voice. "Just understand what they say" He then added, before laughing again. "And you cannot do a thing about it kid. Not a thing" He then finished saying, as he glared at me.
I heard Zoro grit his teeth, and I did the same before finally jumping at the man with all my strength, wanting to crush him badly. I shouted with raw anger as I did this too, and blackbeard laughed again.
"No, Luffy. Wait!" I heard Zoro shout, but it was too late. As soon as I was half a metre away from the man he lifted one of his arms and without any effort at all he hit me so I was suddenly was launched backwards, and crushed against a nearby tombstone that shattered from the brutality of the impact.
"Luffy!" Zoro shouted as he looked at me, only to get into a more defensive position as he looked at the man. "Who are you?" He then asked.
"Me? Zehahaha!" The man said, not being able to contain his laughter as he looked at me several times, as I started to get up from the floor and lift myself from the rubble that I was now surrounded with. "Didn't you hear that kid? I am Blackbeard!" He shouted.
Zoro gritted his teeth again, understanding what it all meant then. "So you're the one that ruined his life?" He then said to the vampire.
Blackbeard laughed again. "Ruined? I just killed his worthless brother and turned him into something stronger, that is no ruining" He then said, with a mocking tone of voice.
This was enough to make me furious again, or rather, to make me even more furious and just increase my killing intent on the man. "Don't you dare mock Ace like that!" I shouted, angrier than ever.
The man laughed again, and blocked the punches that I aimed at him at a tremendous speed, and continued laughing as he continued blocking my attacks and avoiding some hits. "So that was the worthless brat's name then? So weak! Even for someone of his nature!" He then added, only making me to increase the strength and fury that I poured into each blow, that was unavoidably stopped easily by the vampire. Soon all of this stopped, the man quickly disarmed me from my silver gun and knife when I tried to attack him with them, punched me so I crashed into another nearby tombstone and then got hold of my gun, and quickly pointed at my stomach with it. I heard a 'click' and I saw the vampire's finger slowly press more and more the trigger.
Zoro was enraged by now, and he ran towards Blackbeard with his three swords, trying to stop him. from shooting and defeating him. Blackbeard however soon lifted a leg and delivered Zoro a hard blow, which caused him to also be launched into a nearby tombstone. He then pressed the trigger, and soon large amounts of blood were pouring onto the ground from my stomach. I groaned in pain, and tried to get up again to continue fighting the vampire. It was painful. Very painful, and it didn't let me think correctly, and instead it made me focus on the immense pain that I felt. I had been too reckless.
"Luffy!" I heard Zoro shout, as he started to get up too.
"Oh now, I've had enough of playing with you kids" Blackbeard then said, quickly pointing the gun at Zoro and shooting at his stomach at him too, with the same kind of silver bullet that had been used on me but that was even deadlier to him. Zoro fell onto the ground, hissing with pain. I could only watch helplessly as I saw all of this happening and Blackbeard then laughing loudly with his typical laugh. I tried to get up again, and after some seconds I managed to be on my feet again, with my had clutching the wound on my stomach that didn't stop bleeding or didn't heal itself, like all wounds made by a silver weapon on a vampire. While I got up I had also managed to get hold of my silver dagger, that now was being held on my other hand. It was even worse on Zoro. By when I had managed to get up Blackbeard had already turned around, and had started to walk away, still laughing.
"Don't you dare to turn away!" I shouted angrily, making him turn. "I am your opponent!" I then finished saying, with the same loud and furious voice that I had used before.
Blackbeard looked at me with surprise written all over his face. "You still have energy to get up and fight even with that silver bullet inside you?" He said aloud "Impressive, it turns out that you aren't as weak as I expected" He then continued saying. he stopped talking for several seconds, during which I stared right into his eye, transmitting like this all my anger to him. "Unluckily for you, kid, I don't want to continue playing with you. I have better things to do" he then said again, as he started turning around.
I gritted my teeth as I saw him doing this. "I am your opponent! Don't you dare turn around!" I shouted again with fury.
Blackbeard chuckled and then looked at me again. "I give you and your friend an opportunity to live and yet you say you still want to fight me? Very well" He started saying, as he started making his way towards me. "You'll get to die if that is what you want so much!" He then shouted, as he started running towards me.
I grinned with my typical elastic grin and ran towards him, while the hand that used to be clutching the wound I had was prepared to be used to punch Blackbeard, and the other still held the silver dagger I had. Blackbeard also had a silver knife on one of his hands, but he was clearly going to try and punch me. When I was in an acceptable hitting range I tried to punch him, and he immediately stopped my attack, and prepared to attack me with his other hand. I then moved my silver dagger swiftly towards his stomach and managed to wound him with it, causing more blood to drop on the floor, but this time it came from him. I grinned when I saw Blackbeard realising that I had managed to hit him, and before he had sunk his silver knife in me.
"You little-" He started saying, as he then attacked me brutally with the knife once time, causing me to have a deep wound near the wound that had previously been caused by him. I fell onto the floor, with a look of pain on my face, but with a bloodied grin still on my face, revealing my sharp fangs. Blackbeard clutched his wound and looked at me, with a look of hate on hio face.
"Now die here, kid" he then said as he turned around, leaving me and Zoro, who I could tell was already unconscious, on the cold and misty forest floor to die. I could only watch him disappear into the mist, as I felt more agonising pain in my body, that prevented me from thinking straight and from moving. I also felt a violent thirst in my throat, due to all of the blood that I was losing. I was helpless right now. I soon lost consciousness from the blood loss, but before I went to the realm of dreams I saw a figure appear through the mist, going towards us.