Alright! This chapter is the start of the fun little Paati Island Advent. Don't worry, it shouldn't take more than one-two chapters, not including this one, to get through it all. But a lot happens on this island, like I said before. Only now do I realize how awkward "Paati" sounds. Just so you know, paati is the Japanese pronunciation of the english word party. I actually wanted to name this island "Oomatsuri" but it was already taken. You guys should really watch movie 6, if you haven't already. Beware though, it isn't for the faint at heart.
Keep calm and read on. (And review)
00000
A World Of Difference
Chapter 11: Fate and Memories
"Four hours." Yudai stated as Sakazuki marched over to join him at the ships bow. "That's how long until we reach Paati."
"Wonderful." Sakazuki grumbled. He clacked his teeth and crossed his arms, sighing through his nose as he shook his head at the horizn. The sunset stared back at him, dusk air and brilliant orange contrasting with periwinkle blue. Birds soared overhead, ignorant to the tension that hung heavy over the naval vessel.
It was possible he was envious.
Yudai swept his gaze over the deck. Sakazuki knew that it was empty. He'd stalked past it after storming out of the dining hall, which could be found around the corner from the captains quarters. He was also aware that their only company was the watcher in the crows nest about thirty feet in the air. He was preoccupied, trying to shield himself from the bitter cold by cowering under a stack of blankets.
"So... Shiroryuu has occupied Hayashi's room." Yudai pointed out. Sakazuki's gaze shifted to him questioningly before returning to the horizon. "My lieutenant will be bunking with you, if that's alright."
"That's... fine." Sakazuki muttered with a shrug.
Yudai hummed knowingly at him, cast another sweeping gaze over the ship, and returned his attention to his superior.
"Do you recall what happened before?" He inquired, quirking his eyebrows. "After we brought him on board?"
"Of course I do." He retorted. What was he trying to say? That he was stupid, and everyone else was Vegapunk? Ridiculous.
After Dragon stepped onto the deck, all Hell broke loose. At first, the sailors simply stared at Dragon, and Sakazuki wondered what exactly they had thought. The dark clothes and the stench of blood were a good hint towards the danger he presented, but of course his mask was a dead give away. At the sight of it, everyone shrieked like frightened little girls. Their cargo was thrown into the air, everyone running about like cockroaches.
Even though Sakazuki noticed this, he hardly cared. He kept his gaze firmly focused on Shiro. He saw everything. He saw how the boy he used to play with had grown into a man. He saw how Shiro stood above them, like he knew everything. Voices crowded his mind and the deaths of thousands reflected in his eyes. They cursed him and reached out with rotting fingers, wanting to pull him down to the depths of Hell. And he just stood there, uncaring. Without shame. Strong, confident, and possessing a will that could reduce all the pirates in all the world into a lot of sniveling infants.
Sakazuki found it... Thrilling. Exhilarating, even. And if it were just Shiro, then that would have been all the reassurance he needed. But...
There she was, lazing about in a lawn chair and spitting priceless wine overboard. His so-called "companion." She was unfazed by the chaos on deck, and when she wasn't spitting for distance she was tearing pages out of some book and folding the paper into origami cranes. Her face was oddly familiar, but she appeared to be a civilian. A stupid one, going by her disregard for rare books and fine alcohol.
A stupid civilian should not have been a threat. But the notion of CP0 agents requiring companions was blasphemous. Perhaps it was the very idea of her, but she made him uneasy. Not nearly as much as Dragon, but enough so that even with his gut telling him to keep an eye on Dragon he was unable to stop himself from glancing at her.
There was a moment where their eyes met, and Sakazuki felt like he'd lost his footing. Her eyes... even though her expression was blank, her eyes were challenging him.
He sneered as those eyes flashed through his mind, burned into his memory.
"Even as my men made a mockery of themselves," Yudai began quietly, "And I struggled to regain control, Shiroryuu just... stared on. He wasn't concerned with any of us. Or you. Or even... That woman. He just gazed off into the distance, as if he were looking backward instead of forward. And you... You were giving him such cross stares."
"What are you driving at?" Sakazuki demanded, tetchy and jittery. "Spit it out!"
"You know him." Yudai asserted practically. "Not the way we do. We've heard rumors and stories. But you... You know him personally."
Sakazuki turned on him, looking as if he were about to hit him. Yudai took his anger composedly, never faltering. In the face of a reasonable, level-headed person Sakazuki's anger burned away until he was left feeling overemotional and foolish. He straightened up, crossing his arms to grip his elbows and shaking his head, letting a little of the abashment show. Yudai softened without losing the brazen look in his eyes. He blinked quietly at Sakazuki, jaw shifting.
"I won't force you to discuss it."He assured, faintly. "But with all due respect to the Celestial Dragons and the Gorosei, their ace in the hole... He gives off bad vibes. And... I believe you feel the same, sir."
Sakazuki squinted at the horizon. Yudai seemed to be implying he was aware of Sakazuki 's suspicions. He didn't really feel compelled to discuss them with anyone, no matter the rank. But Yudai didn't seem to be the overly-dramatic sort. No matter what was said, he wouldn't lose his head and shout. There was no risk they would be overheard.
"Are you familiar with my father?" Sakazuki queried.
Yudai jolted, taken aback. He shifted uncomfortably, crossing his arms behind his back and clearing his throat. There was glowing respect in his eyes at the mere mention of the deceased vice-admiral, a sight that made Sakazuki sick to his stomach. He had to clamp his teeth together to keep from spitting in disgust.
"Everyone is." Yudai answered at last, awed even as he struggled to remain composed. "He's an inspiration to us all, even now. The unofficial right hand of the old Fleet-Admiral. Such unfathomable power, the likes of which is only seen once every century. The men he trained all rose to the rank of captain or higher. He was truly the pride of the navy in his time."
"I hated him." Sakazuki barked, jarring Yudai awake. "The proud sailor the Marines remember was just a facade. His real colors were shown only at home. In truth, he was..." Sakazuki trailed off, gnashing his teeth together, "...Quite bitter. He pushed me to study and train since the time I could crawl. If I couldn't memorize or master whatever he threw at me in the first five seconds I was... punished."
Yudai gulped, bruised heart and suppressed sympathy bleeding through. When he finally spoke, he did not mince words:
"You were beaten."
"Frequently" Sakazuki added. "And without mercy. Sometimes, he would starve me or lock me out until I learned everything properly. Of course, there were others in the house. They tried to defend me, but... they were no match for him."
Yudai nodded, still shaken by the news even as curiosity got the better of him. "With all due respect, sir, what does any of this have to do with Shiroryuu?"
Sakazuki's head dropped, and he eyed the horizon as the sound of waves hitting the ship filled his ears. He took a deep breath.
"My father was... Close with the Gorosei as well as the Donquixotes." Sakazuki paused to laugh bitterly. "They got along famously. They were so close that they would allow my father into Mariejois once every six months so they could meet. He would force me to come along, for reasons I still don't fully comprehend. It was a long trip, but I eventually became more willing to make it. Eager even."
"Why?" Yudai inquired.
Sakazuki faced him, some sadness reflecting in his otherwise stoic eyes.
"I met someone in Mariejois." He stated, recalling the incident in flashes. "On my very first trip, not five minutes after we reached the palace. My father left with one of the Gorosei and Donquixote, and I walked through the grounds. When I was passing through the inner gardens, I came across a small group of people. Two young men had ganged up on a boy about a year younger than I. They were stomping and kicking him with enough force to crack the ground. There was blood, hair and teeth everywhere, all belonging to the younger boy. He... He wasn't fighting back. He'd curled up and I knew... he was just waiting for it to end. They were too strong for him, so he was just... Waiting."
"Is that what you used to do?" Yudai uttered closely.
Sakazuki nodded firmly, eyes squuezed shut.
"Did you fight them?" Yudai inquired, almost knowingly.
He shook his head. "No. That would have been suicide. I tricked them into turning on a young slave girl, and they switched to her. Then I grabbed the boy and ran. Once we were far enough away, he tried to stand up and walk, but he just ended up on the ground. When I got too close, he jumped away from me like I was planning to kill him. Then he just broke down crying. I couldn't do anything but wait for him to calm down. Once he did, I asked him his name. Would you like to take a guess as to what he said?"
Yudai hummed thoughtfully, frowning at the deck as he ground the heel of his shoe into the wood. All too soon, he stilled, unsurprised even as realization dawned on him.
"Shiroryuu." He breathed out, looking swiftly up.
"Correct."
"What happened after that?" Yudai queried.
"We kept meeting." He replied with a shrug. "Every time I visited with my father, I would go find him. We only visited once every six months, but sometimes we would stay for days at a time. My father never came looking for me until it was time to leave, so I would bunk with Shiro. We never slept in his room. At first, I would wonder why, but after I saw the look on his face when he got too close to the door, I knew. He was terrified..."
Yudai's gaze flickered over the deck boards and he let out a long sigh.
"You keep calling him Shiro." He pointed out, surprising Sakazuki a bit. "Did he call you anything?"
Sakazuki relaxed at the memory. "...Sazu. He called me Sazu. He was only four when we met. 'Sakazuki' was too hard to say, so he shortened it. His name wasn't too difficult for me, but I wanted us to be on equal ground. So I shortened his too."
"Four-years-old..." Yudai whispered in astonishment and disgust. "How long has he been with them?"
"Forever." Sakazuki answered. "The CP0 operatives of old times found him and took him in. It wasn't a kindness, they just knew he had potential even when he was an infant. They kept him. Trained him. His lessons were worse than mine, because he had three teachers to please, and they held nothing back. There were times when I would visit, and find him in his room. I would know even before I opened the door something was horribly wrong. Then I would see him, all curled into a ball in his bed and hiding under the blanket, sobbing. The room would stink of blood so much you'd think there was a fresh corpse in it. I would panic immediately, throw the blankets off him, and then... He'd be so badly beaten I wouldn't even recognize him. I'd ask his name, just to confirm."
Yudai grimaced, finally understanding. They were both beaten into near-lifeless rag-dolls from the time they were toddlers. They both had high expectations of them, and of course there was no escaping their fate. But, Sazu had seen Shiro's situation as being worse than his own. So...
"You were very close weren't you?" He asked grievously.
"We were friends." Sakazuki admitted. "More than that, he... He was like a little brother to me. I wanted to protect him, and I might have tried harder if I didn't know the truth."
"Truth? There's more?" Yudai asked, as if rejecting the revelation.
"Much more." Sakazuki muttered, clenching his fists. "Shiro doesn't know... And if anyone asks, neither do you. I'm not supposed to know either, I just happened to hear my father talking with the Gorosei and Donquixote."
Sakazuki clutched his elbows until they cracked. That particular memory was more unwanted than the rest of them. Save for the parting of their ways...
"What did you hear, sir?" Yudai asked, evidently aware how grave the news was.
Sakazuki glowered at the horizon. The light was almost completely gone now. Light, hope, warmth. It all vanished in time.
"When Shiro was..." Sakazuki hesitated, pinching his nose bridge and dragging his hand down his face. Even now, it was hard to believe and nearly impossible to share. He took a deep breath and finished in a hurry: "When he was a baby he nearly destroyed an entire country."
Yudai recoiled in a shock, stumbling before catching himself. He felt around for his heart, patting it lightly three times before pounding on it with his fist. If he'd been lost before, he was now caught in a maze. Sakazuki ordered him to breath, and watched the younger captain's mouth open wide, inhaling the most air possible. Finally, Yudai had returned to reality. He opened and shut his mouth repeatedly, trying to find the words that anyone's common sense would tell them. Sakazuki didn't blame him. Even as a child, it had taken him weeks to come to terms with what he'd heard.
Yudai whipped his head up. "Sir, that's—!"
"Impossible." Sakazuki agreed strongly. "I know. But there's no way they were lying. They were frightened. They were terrified that some five-year-old boy who was beaten within an inch of his life on a daily basis would kill them all."
"Sir... This is...!" Yudai waved his hands about, as if trying to pull something solid out of thin air. "This is... Crazy...!"
"The whole rotten lot of them were crazy." He reminded him. "But again, they were being honest. Their fear of Dragon led them to treat him worse than all the rest. So many times, he should've died. But he survived. Still, he must have believed he would die at some point, because he attempted to escape so many times even his mentors lost count. Each time, after they found him, the punishment would get worse. Once, they broke his arm. Another time, he was submerged in seething water for minutes at a time. Sometimes the wounds were so bad they had to call Vegapunk to get him properly patched up or else he would have been bedridden for months."
Yudai looked a little sick, and Sakazuki thought he saw his legs shaking. Still, as a naval captain he was capable of keeping his wits about him in the worst of times. A quick shudder, and he was back to looking his superior in the eye.
"What did you do?" He asked, faintly and politely.
"I told him to stop running." Sakazuki confessed. "I warned him. I said he had to be there, or he would hurt someone. I told him the truth... That I was unafraid, and he... Smiled. He believed every word I said, and... He did as I asked of him. Even though he hated Mariejois, he decided to stay."
"Sir... You act as if you regret it." Yudai indicated.
Sakazuki adjusted his cap, pinching it. "Perhaps it was wrong. To force him to stay in some place he didn't want to be. Still, we must maintain the world order. However..."
"Yes?" Yudai urged.
"It is because he was in Mariejois..." Sakazuki recalled, his eyes gleaming. "That we are now at odds with each other."
00000
Dragon was lying on the floor of the Vice-Admirals bedroom with his arms and legs spread out. Haunted eyes stared up at the roof as his heart sank and rose with alternating waves of dismay and joy. Frantic fingers drummed lightly over or tapped the floor, while the rest of his body remained numb, attempting to compensate for the endless amount of worrying and predicting going on in his head.
In the daze of all this mad-thinking, Ruka's face swung down in front of his. Gleeful grin and sparkling eyes brought him to the surface of his ocean of worry, but all an outsider would have seen was an empty gaze and stoic frown with Ruka leaning over him, their noses mere centimeters apart, light laughter almost like wind chimes in his ears.
After a few moments of grinning at him and soliciting no comical response, she yielded, pouting as she propped her elbows up to rest her chin in her hands. She huffed out a hot, disappointed sigh.
"You're no fun!" She muttered.
Dragon leaned his head back, looking at her upside down. She seemed better now, after they'd both received some proper medical care. Dragon hadn't planned on allowing the doctors of any Navy ship to examine him, but with Sazu right over his shoulder watching his every move he didn't have much choice. He couldn't allow him to learn of his intentions regarding Ruka.
"Soooo..." She drawled on, and Dragon blinked expectantly at her. "How come we're a sharing room?" She then moved her hands, curling her fingers to rest her jaw on her fists and spoke again in a whisper: "I thought you said I'm supposed to keep my distance?"
He leaned his head further back so his chin jutted up and spoke in a low, monotone voice. "It's fine to talk normally. I've checked this room for any surveillance transponder snails, and there aren't any. As for your question... Well, I'm not leaving you alone with them. I've told them you're my companion, so it's alright to stay close to me. So long as you aren't too friendly."
"Define friendly." She requested, looking troubled as she leaned to rest her head more on her left hand. "That so-called friend of yours wasn't being very nice. He was glaring at you the entire time... Like you kicked his puppy or something."
"Sazu doesn't like animals." Dragon blurted out in a low voice.
Ruka's eyes widened a bit at his words. "'Sazu?'"
Dragon winced. He shouldn't have said that.
"You have a nickname for him!" Ruka exclaimed, placing her hands on the ground and leaning over him again. "Sazu, huh? Sounds too cute."
Dragon chuckled dryly, faltering before his face fell.
"Are you guys really friends?" She questioned, skeptical. "You really don't act like it."
Dragon saw her draw an invisible circle on the floor with her finger. He reached up to brush his fingers under the tips of her hair, and smiled. He was certain it was a weak, heart-wrenching thing, but all the same sincere.
"Look at you." He said, eyes zig-zagging up and down her face. "Strong and weak and kind and angry all at once. A woman, playing the part of a man her whole life. Marked for death, yet you're alive. You're none of the things you're supposed to be."
Ruka tilted her head. "What's wrong with that?"
"You're impossible." Dragon said, both elated and saddened as he let his hand fall.
Ruka hummed thoughtfully, pursing her lips as the imaginary circles she drew turned into spirals.
Dragon gripped his shirt, feeling anxiety flood his stomach like polluted water from a busted pipe. He curled his lips, squeezing his eyes shut and opening them again, gaze shifting for before focusing on Ruka. She looked back at him. Curious. Expecting. Accepting.
"I had a friend before." He whispered, wistful as he folded his forearm over his eyes. "He was... Stubborn. Blunt. A huge pain in the neck. But he was in the habit of showing up at the worst times. We ran together, and I thought those days would never end. But..."
He felt a flash of hot anger burn his insides. His expression turned angry and he was vaguely aware of Ruka jolting above him.
"Things changed." He settled, rolling onto his side to hide his face. "He changed. He became someone... I didn't recognize anymore. But.. But even now, I can still see just the smallest trace of what he used to be. Of who I used to be, when I was with him. And it scares me. But I can't let it go, because that's all I have. Our impossible, doomed friendship." He locked eyes with Ruka. "Kind of like the one I have now."
Ruka glared at him. "Don't compare me to him."
"I'm not." Dragon promised. "You and him are nothing alike. I only mean... The situation feels the same."
Ruka forgave him instantly, but her eyes lingered on him before flickering away. He caught a hint of something gleaming in her gaze. It set his teeth on edge and made his heart clench. But just as he started to ponder over it, she spoke up.
"I don't really get it." She admitted, brow knit. "But he's not really your friend, is he? I mean, he didn't even try to rescue you."
Dragon looked at her doubtfully. "You expect a lot of friends."
"What are you saying?" She demanded. "Real friends need to be willing to do at least that much."
"Then what about yours?" Dragon challenged. "Would they do that for you? If you're taken to Mariejois, will they raid the place to get you back?"
Ruka stiffened, eyes slowly widening as she paled. It was hard to tell if she were only just realizing how far they would go, or if she were just shocked Dragon would ask. She placed a hand over her heart, curling her fingers to grip her shirt.
"I... Yeah, probably." She confessed, looking so frightened he hardly recognized her.
Dragon squinted at her, blinked, sighing heavily.
"Don't worry." He said, sliding his hands back to push himself up. "They'll have transponder snails on Paati, ones that aren't being used by the world government. I might be able to use them to find out where your crew is. The navy tries to keep track of all the pirates they can. If he's been making any kind of noise, they'll have some idea of his location. I can leave a trail for him to find you."
"I won't go."
A chill blew through Dragon, like haki, only more subtle. Ruka's voice... She sounded so cold, so distant and resolute. He half-turned, feeling nauseous as soon as she came into focus. Her gaze was so sharp, fiery even. She resembled the "man" he'd first met, only it was different now. Luke Read had fought for his life. Ruka seemed to be implying the opposite.
"What are you saying?" He asked pleadingly.
She looked right at him, pushing herself back to sit on her knees.
"I won't go." She repeated, lacing her fingers together and stretching her arms out. "I said so before. I won't run unless you come with me."
Dragon's breath caught in his chest, and he held it there. She couldn't be serious. She couldn't actually be putting her life on the line for him, someone she'd known for days when her crew would turn the whole world upside down to find her. That was stupid! Not to mention selfish. She couldn't be...
And yet she was. The way she looked at him, so matter-of-factly, as if there was absolutely nothing he could say to convince her to run from him.
"No..." The word escaped him, as he shook his head. "No, Ruka. Just no."
She glared at him again. "Don't tell me what to do."
"Quit joking around!" He hissed, close to panicking.
That was the wrong thing to say. She shot him a look of such rage he thought she might attack him.
"I'm not joking." She enunciated. "Don't underestimate me. When I say I'll do something, I will."
"They will kill you." Dragon reminded her, tone full of dread. "As soon as they're done talking, you're dead."
Ruka smirked weakly. "Yeah...? Maybe. Who knows? Maybe I'll take care of them first."
Dragon shot to his feet. "That's suicide. You... You'll die. You really will die!"
"So will you." She said, locking eyes with him. She got to her feet to brush the dirt off her clothes. "As soon as I'm gone, they'll send you off to take care of somebody else, and you won't kill them either."
Dragon opened his mouth to deny it, but froze as his lurching heart seemed to agree with her. She was possibly correct. He was afraid to find out.
Ruka shook her head. "It's a gut-feeling. You've been listening to me. So I'm telling you now: I won't let you go back there. And if you do go, I'm coming with you."
Dragon looked away from her. He could feel so much anger, and fear, and protectiveness. And she could see it, but all she did was stand there, looking so prepared and so ready for the worst. Just the very thought of her dying for him, hurt so much he couldn't breath.
She gripped the hem of her shirt and smiled happily up at him.
"It'll all work out in the end!" She promised, even as her hands shook.
Dragon leaned his head back, unable to breath. He was fully aware of how CP0 treated their prisoners even if she wasn't. As for how they treated their traitors, he had only a clear idea. After all, no one had ever betrayed Cipher Pol.
00000
Some hours later, after a short "rest" of tossing and turning, Dragon's ears ran with cries of "Island ahead! Island ahead!"
He lay on his side at the edge of the large bed, head resting on his forearm. Blinking tiredly, he eyed the floor, then the desk at the other side of the room, followed by the small window directly over the desk. Water droplets bombarded the glass as the waves rocked the ship. Stars hung in the sky, silhouetting the moon, illuminating the dark indigo night.
The shouting woke the rest of the crew, as he could hear their boots climbing stairs and marching across deck. A chorus of cheers and whistles broke out, and Dragon had to wonder what they were so excited about.
Ah. He thought dully. It's me. They're hoping to get rid of me.
Of course. They were just as nervous of him being here as he was. Too bad making landfall was only a temporary solution. According to the records, this was the only navy ship visiting Paati this month. Naturally, he'd have to board again later, once they finished their business here and the ship was ready to sail again.
Yes, he'd have to ride this ship into the Grand Line with Sazu watching his every move. And Ruka would be right there, scared for herself but brave for him as she quietly moved forward on the path towards her own gruesome demise.
Dragon gripped the sheets and squeezed his eyes shut. He truly loathed the way his mind worked. So morbidly honest.
He rolled over onto his other side, stopping when he could see Ruka on the far side. She was sleeping relatively peacefully and quietly, also lying on her side as she hugged the pillow under her head. He squinted at her, noting the position in which she slept. Had she been copying him? Had she fallen asleep staring at his back, watching as he tossed and turned endlessly.
He breathed deeply, and reached out to her. Three times he hesitated, stopping and pulling back, only to reach out again. Calloused, gloved fingers ghosted over straw-colored hair. It took another deep breath for him to relax his hand, resting it over her head. When she didn't move, he let his hand slide over her ear, lightly cupping it.
Low, even breaths escaped from the small "o" formed by her lips. Her hair still felt rough, like sandpaper, but so warm. She radiated warmth.
The thought of that warmth going cold compelled him to loop his arm around her and yank her up into a tight hug. He bit the inside of his cheek until he tasted blood to keep from doing so.
There was no way he could let her die. No matter what, he wasn't taking her with him when he returned to Mariejois. Yes, the consequences would be life-threatening but he would survive it. He didn't care about himself right now, anyway. Just this once he couldn't let them have their way. There were several questions which came up when he tried to plan out a strategy for her escape. Like where would she go, and what would she be? She'd lied for so long, and now that she was being honest, could she really return to lying and deceiving others after all that had happened? Most importantly, how could she live? Once the Gorosei realized Dragon had let her escape, they'd send another CP0 operative after her while Dragon was kept preoccupied by torture. Ruka would only survive them once.
He had to make them believe she was dead without bringing her head back. He had to cut her loose, make it to where she wouldn't come after him. She wouldn't leave of her own accord even if he put Flint Rackham right in front of her. But there was still one other option...
Just as his heart filled with trepidation, there was a knock at the door.
He turned slowly, reluctantly taking his eyes off Ruka to watch the door. The knock came again, only louder.
He glared, already knowing who it was as he climbed out of bed. He ignored the third knock as he made up his side of the bed and went to the desk, silently pulling the chair out and opening the second log book halfway, leaving it there with a pen resting over the binding. In a fraction of a second he was at the door, opening it fully.
Sazu was there, looking worse for wear. Dragon vaguely noticed they were the same height now, with Sazu only appearing taller thanks to the cap and raised hood.
His arms were folded over his chest and his jaw was hard set. His eyes were bloodshot, implying he hadn't slept either, and he looked as if he couldn't have been having a worse early-start.
"Morning." He greeted in an icy tone .
Dragon nodded silently as he mentally chanted: Don't look at her. Don't look at her.
"We're near the island." Sazu told him, implying there was something more than just a random report here.
Dragon waited expectantly. Sazu continued: "Were you planning to go into town?"
Dragon blinked, looking away thoughtfully. Between protecting Ruka and watching Sazu he hadn't paid it much thought. There was no real reason for him to go, but he got the feeling Sazu was asking for a word. Or possibly a brawl. Or both.
He stepped out of the room, keeping his back to the door as he closed it. He thought he heard Ruka stir just before the door clicked shut. As he locked eyes with Sazu, a silent understanding passed between them. At least while they had company, they would play nice. But if they ended up alone, things could escalate.
"Prepare to weigh anchor!" Yudai ordered.
00000
It took another ten minutes for the ship to port, after which they dropped anchor and positioned the ramp. As soon as it was in place, Sazu and Dragon walked briskly through the crowd of men blocking the exit and began trudging down the ramp.
"Where are you two going?" Yudai questioned, an inkling of worry escaping him.
Dragon ignored him as they proceeded to disembark.
"Mind your own business, Captain." Sazu ordered dismissively as they trudged along the boardwalk, leaving the ship and crew behind them.
The port was built over a rocky shore, with some mangroves sticking out of the water. Behind the shore was a low cliff face with clay mixed in with the soil, and along its edge were the first buildings and homes a newcomer could see of the small village. Everything was constructed of some tough green oak, almost mossy in its color, with dirt and gravel roads. Outside the homes, the same sky-blue flowers hung in home window sills while the shops all had wordless signs with symbols hanging over the open doorways.
He followed Sazu out of port, into town. There were young adults and middle-aged folk running fruit and vegetable stands. Children played marbles or "Pirates and Marines" in the street, or kicked balls back and forth. Lovers walked arm and arm, holding each other. Everyone had the same silver crescent moon painted over their left cheek. Dragon wondered where they'd gotten it until he spotted a small booth set up in one of the wide alley ways, where a puny old granny with a grey bun and purple shawl was painting another silver crescent on a baby's cheek while his mother held him.
He frowned at that, thinking deeply. Sazu looked over his shoulder at him, noticing the confusion.
"Apparently its for the festival." He said, earning Dragon's begrudging attention. "Yudai and Hayashi were talking about it earlier. The crescent moon means they're having another Psychics Festival tonight. They have one at least five times a week."
Dragon made a face at that. Didn't they have anything else to do? This town wasn't known for much besides its parties, but surely there had to be a limit. What did they do about crops or fresh water? What about farming, and fishing, and tailoring? Didn't they have jobs? What kept this place alive if all anyone did was celebrate?
"They earn so much money from the Psychics," Sazu began in a cool tone, "That they hardly need to work at all. They use their funds to buy all that they need from traders. As far as ordinary villages go, this one's fairly wealthy."
Dragon arched an eyebrow at him. Did he just... Read him? Like an open book? That was problematic, he'd have to be more careful.
"Never mind that." Sazu commanded, and Dragon had half a mind to try kicking his legs out from under him. "Why aren't you wearing your mask, Shiroryuu?"
It was as if the wind had carried the name around. All around them, citizens reacted, with the young ones shuddering as their elders jolted. More than half looked about, slowly or frantically, until they reluctantly relaxed and returned to their individual tasks with a lot less cheer.
"Are you trying to avoid attracting attention to yourself?" Sazu questioned, sounding fairly confident in his accusation. "Or are you just avoiding the possibility that you might have to kill one of these people?"
Dragon looked around nonchalantly, pretending not pay the children or their parents any notice. Sazu kicked up dirt at a cat that blocked his way, and it went scampering off.
"You have to speak to me, Shiro." Sazu whispered urgently. "We may rank differently, but our strength remains the same."
"Do you want to bet on that?" Dragon challenged, hand inching towards the knife strapped to his back.
Sazu froze at the sound of his voice, half-turning. He looked... Stupefied, to say the least. Dragon came to a stop too, and for the longest moment of either of their lives they just stared at each other. Sizing the other up, trying to determine strengths and weaknesses. Dragon kept his thoughts away from Ruka, as he couldn't allow himself to resemble anything kind. As for Sazu, he seemed to be trying fairly hard to hide whatever his own weakness was.
Both could feel peoples eyes on them. They'd stalked lifelessly and silently through this town like ghosts, but now that they were standing still people noticed them. The young boys were especially fascinated by Sazu, a vice-admiral. As for Dragon, they were keeping their distance from him. As for the ones brave enough to try to come close, their parents scooped them up and carried them inside, locking the doors behind them.
Sazu watched the villagers leave before looking back at Dragon, seeming relatively conflicted.
"Not here." He whispered. Dragon nodded and looked around, spotting an empty alley just down the street.
He strode past Sazu, leading the way through festive children and falling confetti. He ducked inside the alley, as if he were one with the shadows of the world, and headed for the end. It was somewhat narrow, but he could easily escape if he had to.
It won't come to that.
Sazu followed in after him, and they held their silence until they reached the end. Dragon placed a hand on the back wall and turned fully to face him. Sazu came to a halt and looked him over, narrowing his eyes with some not-so-well-hidden rage.
"You should watch what you say around people." He warned, tone heavy and intolerant. "You attract too much attention."
"That's my line." Sazu all but snapped. "Walking around in that cloak when its ninety degrees out. You're far more suspicious than me—"
"Bite your tongue." Dragon ordered, leaving no room for argument. Sazu inhaled, keeping the breath locked inside of him. "I have an identity to protect, what's your excuse?"
"No one heard me." He argued.
"Yes. They. Did." Dragon countered, remembering the reactions. "Don't use that moniker while we're surrounded by so many villagers. If anyone here was on my hit list, you would have just given them a warning."
"None of them are, are they?" Sazu inquired, digging for info.
"Silence." Dragon slid his arm down the wall to rest his back against it.
Sazu was silent, for a good two minutes as he stared, hard and cold, at Dragon who met him eye for eye unflinchingly.
"Shiro," He said, and Dragon was surprised by the calmness that overwhelmed him at the sound of his childhood name, "What are you doing here? Who is that woman?"
"That's none of your concern." Dragon replied curtly. "I'm on orders from the Gorosei. That's all you get to know."
Sazu sighed haughtily, clamping his teeth together, gnashing them.
"You shared a bed with her." He said with much concern, as if this was the gravest offense to the World Government since Roger.
Dragon knit his brow in disbelief, looking at Sazu almost laughingly.
"You slept in the presence of another." Sazu accused, sounding ticked. "That implies trust—"
"Trust is for fools." Dragon stated, ignoring Ruka's voice in the back of his head. "I needn't fear her, as I'm already aware that she fears me."
"Then why did she share a bed with you?" Sazu questioned, knowingly. "She could have slept on the floor, or chosen to stay up. But no, she was in that bed of her own free will. From the way she was positioned, I'd say she was watching you—"
"Enough." Dragon commanded, tilting his head provokingly. "I know what you're getting at, and frankly I'm surprised. You honestly believe the Gorosei would play matchmaker?"
Sazu faltered, and Dragon knew he'd played a good hand.
"She is my current assignment." Dragon continued conversationally. "You know how we operate. I am not sharing information with you when its strictly need-to-know. Now I advise you to keep your nose out of other peoples business, or else someone might break it."
Dragon pushed off the wall with his heel and stalked swiftly past Sazu, heading back to the world of happy, ignorant people. Just as he neared the world of light, Sazu whirled, speaking again.
"Why did you cover it up?" He asked, accusingly, and Dragon stopped. "It took you four seconds to reach that door when it should only have taken you two. You made the bed, set up the desk to make it look like you'd been up all night. But you didn't try to lie when I told you I knew you'd shared a bed with her."
Dragon sighed in aggravation. He knew Sazu would be hard too fool, but to think he'd go so far...
"Interrogating a Cipher Pol operative," He began, looking over his shoulder, "Is against the law, Sazu."
"So is lying to a Vice-Admiral." He countered coolly.
"You're hopeless. If you're so curious, why don't you ask them yourself?"
He regretted the words almost instantly, but he had no choice. He needed to make Sazu believe he was just following orders, that Ruka was just an assignment, nothing more. If Sazu kept analyzing their behavior like this, and they slipped up again he'd go to the Gorosei anyway to report Dragon.
Moments passed, and Sazu appeared stumped. He didn't seem too keen on going to the Gorosei. Dragon antagonized him further by arching an eyebrow at him questioning his resolve and all suspicions. Sazu glared back.
"If you aren't suspicious enough to go to the Gorosei," Dragon turned his back to him, "Then you're wasting my time."
He headed back to the street.
"Where are you going?" He barked.
"Out. Being cramped up on Yudai's little ship drives me crazy."
That was a lie, mostly. But if he returned now, Sazu might think it would be for Ruka.
As soon as he left the alley, he turned right, proceeding forward into town. As he moved, he thought he saw something in the corner of his eye. Something hidden in plain sight between two fruit stands overshadowed by a large patio awning. A too-dark patch of night, standing there as plain as day and yet completely overlooked by everyone but Dragon. Yet when he turned to face it, it was gone, leaving nothing but empty space in its wake which was quickly filled by some young boys fighting with wooden swords.
His stomach churned at familiar old memories, and without hesitating, he turned and walked away, almost forgetting what had drawn his attention in the first place.
00000
Garp chuckled at the tiny island. Even before they left the Calm Belt, the whole crew had been able to hear the music and see the festival lights contrasting against the night sky. Now, as they were mere minutes away from pulling the ship into port, he could plainly see why they called it Paati.
It really was an endless festival here, all lit up with lanterns and kids playing in the streets. The port was nearly full, with trade ships and passenger vessels almost keeping them from dropping anchor. However, clever Bogard was able to find an open spot, and the crew moved quickly to bring ship into port.
As soon as they could, a good deal of them rushed off to explore the island, with Bogard and Kuzan staring at them in disapproval. Before anyone else could leave, Bogard stopped them and ordered them to clean the ship. A long chorus of disappointed sighs broke out and the men dragged their feet on the way to grab the supplies.
"Hahaha, you're cruel." Kuzan chuckled with a smirk.
"They can't all run off to play or this ship will come to ruin." Bogard reminded him before he turned on Garp. "And really, sir, you're the one who should be telling them this."
"Too uptight!" Garp blurted out proudly.
Bogard was embarassed on his behalf, meanwhile Kuzan simply chuckled.
"You're so cool, Garp-san." He praised, earning a cross look from Bogard.
"Don't start!" He warned, and returned his attention to Garp. "What are we even doing here, sir? We're supposed to be looking for Flint Rackham and his crew. I really doubt they're here!"
"Would you quit complaining?!" Garp bellowed, losing his temper. "I like adventures as much as the rest of the crew, but I take my job seriously. Places like this are almost always crawling with pirates. Besides, West Blue folk can be pretty superstitious. Odds are, Flint will show up here to look for whatever CP0 guy he's after. Then we catch him and the rest of his crew."
Bogard had the grace to look ashamed. "Apologies, Vice-Admiral. Where should we start?"
Garp raised his fist in excitement. "The festival! It's already happening right? Then lets goooo!"
Bogard whirled in outrage. "You are here to mess around!"
"Calm down, his plan has merit!" Kuzan said, clapping a hand on Bogard's shoulder. "Let's just go see if we can't find any news about Flint."
Bogard put his eyes in his hands, sighing in exasperation as Garp jumped off the ship and landed right on the edge of town. The people screamed at the sight of him and backed away. He ignored them, punching his palm as he eyed the little village.
"Okaaay!" He said. "Time to find some lousy pirates!"
00000
There you have it! Garp, Kuzan, Sakazuki, Dragon, and Ruka are all on the same island. But who will run into who and what will be the consequences?
I'll try to have the next chapter up ASAP.