Chapter 11: Break Out
[One Piece Strong World- Nami kara no dengon ~ Okoreru Luffy~]
Consciousness was slowly seeping back into her body.
Her head hurt, as if a giant rock had been repeatedly smashed against the front of her skull without even a hint of mercy. In the distance she could barely make out the sound of footsteps walking down a hallway. The sound was blurry at first, but seemed to grow louder and echo even more with each step taken, signaling that whoever was walking was coming closer. Slowly, she opened her eyes, her body vibrating with a shudder at the unwanted contact of cold stone against bare skin. Inwardly fighting to not curl up into a ball for warmth, she forced herself to sit up and take a look at her surroundings.
Gray walls of unforgiving stone surrounded her on three sides, with the fourth side being a barred entrance of black iron bars. She was sitting on a stone bed that was held up only by rusting black chains nailed into the wall behind her. There weren't any blankets or pillows to be found, and she noticed with horror that in the corner opposite of her was a small wooden bucket that she could only assume was to be used as a toilet.
With a groan Nami closed her eyes and rubbed her aching temples as recent events replayed in her mind. The last thing she remembered after taking a shower was opening the bathroom door and seeing about four large men before she'd been yanked forward and had her arms painfully pinned behind her back. Then she'd felt something placed in front of her nose and mouth, leaving her no choice but to inhale the foreign substance before she'd lost consciousness.
She suddenly stopped massaging her head as she remembered that before she'd passed out she'd seen a Marine uniform.
"Shit," she hissed out as she jumped off the poor excuse for a bed and bolted towards the bars. There was hardly any space, meaning that even a slim woman like her wouldn't be able to squeeze past the iron poles. She pressed her forehead against the cold bars and cursed. She was trapped in a Marine prison, and there wasn't anybody around who could possibly help her.
"Ah, so you've woken up, hmm?"
Startled, Nami looked up and saw a Marine officer standing only a few feet away from her cell's entrance. He was a rather large man who had to be at least seven feet tall, and had definitive muscles that could be seen even through his uniform. His puffy, light orange beard fell down to the bottom of his neck, and behind his head were wisps of hair the same color.
Feeling rather angry at having been captured, she gripped the bars tightly and glared murderously at her captor, for his voice was the same as the man who had ordered her capture in the hotel room. "And why do you care? Do you feel like a big man now that you've captured a weak and helpless girl like me?" she spat out in rage. "You're lucky Luffy isn't around, or your ass would've been handed to you by now."
Much to her irritation, the man merely laughed and dismissed her angry words with a wave of his hand. "Oh, don't get me wrong; I don't care one bit. In fact, the only reason I'm checking up on you now is because I thought I would try and ask nicely where your companion Sogeking is. We received a tip that he might be on this island with you."
For a moment, a flicker of hope pounded in Nami's heart. "Usopp is still out there, and these idiots probably don't know they're the same person!" Fighting to not break out into a grin, she continued to glare. "He isn't with me, and honestly, I could care less where he is. I only put up with that bastard because of Luffy's orders." Inwardly, it killed her to talk about Usopp in such a matter, but she had to lie her way through for his safety.
Unfortunately, the Marine didn't seem to buy her story, as he shook his head and sighed. "I did try to ask nicely, but it seems you would much rather play games. We have other methods to get information, which you'll end up discovering tomorrow. You have until then to think, and I would think very carefully if I were you, little thief." Without another word, he walked away from the cell, hands placed behind his back and shoes clicking along the floor.
She staggered backwards, her heart pounding in her throat and fear prickling her skin. She should have known that she'd be able to only get a glimpse of freedom before it was taken away from her again! They were going to torture her, and probably in more severe ways than even Arlong had. Nami was by no means a weak woman, as she had endured far more in her childhood than most people did in a life time. As she collapsed onto the floor against the back wall though, she began to feel panicky. Tears pricked her eyes and the way her stomach turned made her feel nauseous. Life seemed to enjoy being cruel to her.
She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her forehead at the top of them as her body began to shake. She was so terrified of not seeing her crew again, especially Usopp. With a deep breath she looked up at the ceiling and bit her lip, tears sliding down her face. As she focused on the stones above her head, she thought about the way he'd held her and wiped her tears away, reminding her that he was there for her so she would never have to feel alone again.
Nami blinked. Her lips parted.
"That's right. He won't leave me alone."
Feeling a new sense of determination, she hastily wiped away her tears and took a deep breath to calm her racing heart. She needed to have faith in him, just as he always had in her. He may not be as physically strong as the other Straw Hats, but he was intelligent and creative. She trusted him with her life, and hoped that he would come through for her just as he always had.
Because right now, she needed him more than ever.
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The sun was finally beginning to set, signaling the end of another day. The streets were starting to empty out a little bit, and side walk lights were turning on to help any evening walkers make their way through the city.
He watched this happen from his seat at the top of a particularly large tree in the forest. He had his eye pieces lowered, his lips pressed together tightly in concentration. On the outside he appeared to be calm, but his insides felt like they were squirming around in anxiety. He had rerun the plan in his head multiple times, trying to tell himself over and over that he was really going to do this.
This time, he would be the hero.
Making sure that his weapon was equipped, he stood up and looked over at Biri, who had also been quietly watching the town alongside his companion. The giant bird expectantly lowered himself so his friend could climb onto his back easier, and then raised his beak up.
Usopp took a deep breath, and then pulled his mask over his face. "Let's go get her back."
[One Piece Strong World- Hangeki no noroshi ~ Mugiwara kaizokudan oukyuu ni arawaru]
With a battle cry, Biri took off at full speed from their hidden tree branch, mightily flapping his wings to propel them ahead. The warrior on his back pulled out his Kabuto and firmly grasped it in his right hand.
It wasn't long before the duo was sighted not only by the people in town, but by the Marines standing watch behind the base's mighty gates. The city's citizens either watched in awe or ran around in a panic, while the Marines themselves hastily yanked out their guns and fired rapidly at the masked man. With ease, Biri twisted and turned to avoid all flying bullets as his rider pulled the bands on his weapon back and fired with deadly aim.
"Fire Bird Star!"
A giant bird made of fire swooped down and consumed the startled men below; many cried out in pain and fear as their clothes and skin felt the heated licks of burning flames. In the distance a bell began to loudly ring, signaling all other Marines of the surprise attack.
"Sogeking!" the bell ringer bellowed. "Sogeking is here!"
The wanted masked sharpshooter hadn't been seen since the events of Enies Lobby, but the tales of how he'd burned the World Government's flag had struck a chord of fear and anger in many of the Marines' hearts. Revenge swelled amongst the officers for seeing what they believed in burned to a crisp, and they weren't going to hesitate to unleash their rage and hurt pride at the mysterious warrior.
Unfortunately for them, their aim and skill was no match for Sogeking, who repeatedly dodged their attacks and continually fired his own. Biri circled around the building so his ally could take out as many of the guards as possible before they finally flew through the front doors.
Thanks to the warning bell, a swarm of Marines waited in the halls with the barrels of their guns aimed right at the entrance. As soon as they saw the bird's shadow they fired without mercy. Usopp clenched his teeth beneath the mask; he had no patience for this. He was going to get Nami and get her the hell out of there, but if he ran out of ammo too quickly they would be done for!
Deciding to not waste any more time, he quickly loaded a pellet into his Kabuto's bands and fired. "Special Attack: Super Smoke Star!" A cloud of smoke covered his attackers and sent them into coughing fits, allowing him to take advantage of their temporary blindness and fly right over their heads.
Biri twisted and turned his way down the hallways until he felt Usopp clench the back feathers on his neck. "Over there," his friend directed, pointing to two large open doors at the end of a wide hallway. Crying out in confirmation, the duck bird swooped through the corridor and into a large room full of video cameras. Sitting in front of all the screens was a thin man wearing a uniform that was at least two sizes too big, and whose eyes were nearly bulging out of his head.
"Where's Nami?" the warrior demanded as Biri backed the man up against the control panel directly behind him. Beads of sweat coated the man's forehead.
"I…I don't-"
"I said, where's Nami?!" Usopp repeated, this time in a much louder tone and with his weapon aimed right at the terrified man's face.
With a whimper, the man lifted his arms up and covered his face in a meager way of protection. "She-she's on the next fl-floor; fourth cell on the le-left!"
Without wasting a second, the bird and sharpshooter flew out of the room, leaving the man to collapse on his knees in relief.
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Angry screams and yells caused her to jerk her head up in confusion, as the place had been deathly silent only moments before. Gunshot after gunshot rang painfully through the air, egging on the headache she'd been trying to get rid of since she'd regained consciousness. Feeling curious as to what was causing the commotion, she quickly stood up and ran towards the bars, only to step back just as fast when she saw men and waves of heat shoot past her. The gunshots had grown even louder, making her head throb with each vibration of sound. She fell onto the ground and attempted to cover her ears in hopes of dulling the waves of pain shooting through her skull.
"Nami, get as far back as possible!"
Blinking in confusion at the orders the somewhat familiar voice had given her, she decided to not take any chances and pressed herself against the back right corner of her cell, curling up in protection. Bright flames danced in front of her eyes, causing her to wince and squeeze her eyelids shut. Perspiration gathered on her face and arms as her cell grew to an almost unbearable high temperature, making the air slightly difficult to breathe. At last, the bright light in front of her eyelids faded, and she was once again able to inhale cool air. She opened one eye and saw a helpless Marine flying backwards against the wall, crumpling into a limp heap right beside her. Wisps of smoke flooded the entrance to her prison for a moment before it thinned and she was able to see properly.
Her mouth gaped open and tears sprang to her eyes as she suddenly saw him.
Sogeking stood below the new arched entrance of her cell, with leftover smoke flowing around the bottoms of his legs and his cape swishing behind him. As he stood there with his arm stretched outward and the Kabuto in his hand, Nami felt an overwhelming sense of pride.
Her best friend looked like a super hero.
"Usopp!" she cried out as tears of relief flowed down her face. She sprang forward and into his arms, fastening her arms around the back of his neck and laying her chin on his shoulder.
In the past he would've been caught off guard if she did such a thing, but he didn't care anymore. He didn't even bother taking his mask off as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed her as tightly against him as he could. He rubbed the back of her head soothingly, his eyes growing misty.
He'd been so worried that things would go wrong, that he would be too late. He didn't know what he would do if he lost her, but miraculously he was able to get her back.
She smiled against his shoulder as the tears fell, feeling unashamed or embarrassed.
"I knew you would come," she whispered, nuzzling against him. She felt safer at that moment than ever before, even during the countless times she'd been rescued by Zoro, Luffy or Sanji. She chuckled at the little gasp of surprise that escaped his throat from the compliment.
He was more than just her hero, crew mate, or best friend.
She closed her eyes and relaxed in his tightening arms.
He was her freedom.
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