Chapter 24

Collection

"Mmmn." Mari moaned and put her hand to her head. She felt like she had been beat over the head with a sledge hammer and kicked at the end by a horse.

She felt light headed suddenly and when she tried to open her eyes she hissed in pain. The light made it worse. Her eyes swam with the rays of the light until they dimmed finally. Where? Where was she? The last she remembered was being on deck saying good bye to Ace when!

"Luffy!" She cried out and sat up hard. She ignored the immense pain that washed through her head and looked around her, blue eyes watering as she searched her surroundings. "Where are you?!" She cried.

The room she was in was very extravagant. The bed was plush and the pillows fluffy. Everything sparkled and shined in a multitude of pastel colors. It all came together nicely but she was not overly concerned about the looks of the room. She was alone in it. There was one little table with two chairs, the set was gold and silver. Even the tea pot was gold and silver with a design of birds and suns. This sat between her and the door. Steaming food sat on the plates as if they were waiting for someone. She narrowed her eyes and slid her body off the bed. The drugs had a dizzying effect on her. She nearly stumbled but caught herself. Her head swam with fuzziness and she tried to walk but the motion rocked her too much. She stood still trying to shake the drugs from her body. If only she had been faster. She could have avoided this. Tranqs always made her too weak, too woozy, perhaps it was because of the amount of powers she held. It took a while for all of them to get back to normal. How long had she been out?

There was a knock on the door and someone came in.

"I'm glad you are away my dear. Oh, you should sit; I had them give you enough to put out three elephants. You are quite hard to obtain, but I am very glad they managed to catch you. And the Pirate too! What a coo!" The man chuckled as he walked over to the table. "Ah! Salmon in a rich wine sauce! One of my favorites." He sat down and took up a napkin. "Colin Corke is my name." He winked before he dun in.

Mari watched him warily and didn't approach him. Enough tranq for three elephants huh? That sounds about right. She couldn't use her powers for at least another couple of hours. Or she could but they would be wildly out of control. The man before her was a little toad of a man. Literally he could have passed for a toad. A tiny bulbous body with spindly arms and glassy black eyes. He had warts all over him and he ate like a wild animal at feast. At total odds with the surroundings around him. She needed to get rid of him and find Luffy. The man looked a her amused now as he poured himself a cup of tea.

"I would not try anything were I you Mariette. On top of the fact that your powers are uncontrollable in your current state I also have something I assume you would care to protect." He motioned her vision over to a small screen she had either missed or had just appeared in the room. A visual Den Den Mushi was sitting on top. She frowned, this was not good.

The screen lit up and she let out a cry her body moving towards the screen. Luffy hung from chains set with sea stone in them. His head was down and beside him on each side stood a man with a rod of some sort. She reached out to Luffy though he was clearly not there. Her heart clenching in pain.

"Luffy." She called.

His head came up and he looked right at her. "Mari? You're okay. Good, get out of here! Don't do anything that toad man wants." He told her.

The two men beside him both poked him with those rods and he began to bellow in pain. His body arched and his head tipped back.

"Stop it! STOP IT!" Mari screamed.

They didn't stop. She turned to the toad.

"Please stop hurting him!" She screamed at him.

He gave a curt wave and the pain stopped. Luffy was panting and coughing hard. What had they done to him?

"Like it? It's a little tool that was created for me. It sends tiny little electro shocks deep into the body and wreaks havoc on the receptors that cause pain. I don't have to lash them. I can just shock them. Even with rubber on man like Monkey D. Luffy, with those cuffs on he will feel it all." He explained smugly.

"What do you want from me?" She asked him. Watching Luffy struggle to lift his head again, her heart went out to him. She wanted to ease his pain.

"Very easy. Become part of my collection. You see I am a man who likes fine things. I enjoy collecting beauty everywhere. Become a part of my collection. And I will free the boy." He nodded.

Mariette frowned. Part of his collection? Like a harem girl? Was he insane? She had powers, she could agree to do this, Luffy would be freed and then she would escape. She was not honor bound to obey this man. Corke tilted his head at her and grinned darkly. It was menacing this grin.

"I know your mind Mariette, you think you can escape. Well, you won't be able to. Once you are part of my collection you will be mine forever. You are not the first living beauty I have collected. Though you are by far the best. Come, I will show you." He stood up, his outfit clean despite the mess he made.

Mari felt the drugs still inside her but she could move. "Luffy…" she looked at him still. Her hands fisted. She didn't want Luffy to be hurt. So, she followed him. The door shut on her last vision of Luffy.

"Mari, don't do it." He huffed. The guards jabbed him again as the screen went blank.

xxXxx

This ship was very big. There were many beautiful objects all inside as well. Huge sculptures, paintings, candelabras. Beautiful pottery in glass cases and jewelry scattered between. Tapestries that looked very old hung from the high ceiling. It was all beautiful. Corke was describing in detail how he managed to gather each piece. Mari ignored him for the most part. She was trying to find a way out. So far all she could see were shiny things. Not even a single port hole.

"And now we come to my main room. This one I love the most. I've collected the most beautiful creatures, the most beautiful women and put them here."

Mari's head snapped to the room he was now walking through. He kept animals and women together? Weirdo. She thought. As she entered the room she could hear not one sound. That was odd. Her blue eyes widened in shock as she took in the sight that beheld her. He was mad! He was stark staring mad! The room was huge with lights shining brightly and beautifully maroon drapes hanging from the ceiling. But the rest of the room was covered with petrified amber human beings and animals. As if they had been frozen in their tracks in their last moments. Her eyes grew wider and wider. Animals that were rearing up, mid growl, cowering even; were all frozen in place. Women…the room was filled with lovely women whose faces were frozen with varying degrees of shock and agony. This was a room of torture…of death.

She stopped in her tracks. Her hands coming up to her mouth. He turned and smiled at her cruelly.

"You see I have a friend, a good friend, by the name of Captain Boris. Wonderful man really. He gets me all sorts of deliciously beautiful items. Women even. I love beautiful things. I want to own them all and share them with no one. So he gave me a fruit that would preserve anything I want forever as it was. He calls it the sap sap fruit. I can preserve anyone I touch in crystal amber for all eternity and they will never age, never wrinkle and never die." He grinned. "Your pedestal is up there." He pointed at the golden pedestal at the end of the room directly across from the entrance. "You will stand up there with your arm extended as if you wish to hold the one before you, you will smile lovingly and I will preserve you like that. Forever, your beauty will remain." He said passionately.

Mari stared in horror, her hands dropping to her sides. No! No! She took a step back. Disoriented and terrified.

"You are insane! There is no way the Navy would let you get away with this!" She cried.

"Oh but they don't know. You see I keep everything hush. My men benefit from keeping their mouths shut. You will be my greatest collection. Not only will I have captured and 'killed' for lack of a better word the demon of the grand line but I will gain a beautiful statue for my collection. You should be honored my dear, you will be beautiful for all eternity." He grinned at her now.

"No!" She cried out shocked.

Corke's smile became more twisted if that was even possible. "Of course if you do not do what I want, I will do the same to your Luffy, and then toss him into the ocean."

Mari's heart began to ache. No! She could not do this…but Luffy, he would kill Luffy if she didn't do what he said. Corke began to laugh when he saw her hesitation. His laughter was as hideous as his face.

"What to do what to do!? Escape and live another day free, letting someone die in your stead? Or stay, and save the person you care about? Such a hard choice. Of course the demon of the Grand Line would never care about anyone. Or would she?" He laughed.

Mariette felt tears in her eyes. She didn't want to be preserved forever. But, she didn't want Luffy to die.

"You will let Luffy go? You will let him go back to his crew?" She asked quietly.

"Of course. I have no use for a man. He can go back to his crew." Corke grinned.

Mari lost all of her will to survive then. If it meant Luffy would live, she would gladly die for that. She hung her head.

"I will do as you want. But you must let Luffy free before you do it. I have to know he will be freed. And, I want to say good bye to him." She said.

"By all means. I will have your outfit ready for you, Guards!" He called out sailing past her excitedly.

"Sir!" Two men appeared carrying rods.

"Take her to see the prisoner, then to the room to get ready. When she is back in here you may release Monkey D. Luffy on a small boat back towards his crew." He winked at them.

They nodded and flanked her sides. She walked between them. Her heart heavy with her choice. They were grinning ear to ear. She didn't care. Luffy would live. That was all that mattered. The room he was in was further below deck. She could feel the water pressure around them. Her abilities were still not functioning. She had no choice. She could not wait until they came back to save Luffy. Corke would just kill him before that happened. The door opened and she stepped inside. Luffy was there, chained to the wall. Breathing heavily.

His head came up at the sound of someone coming in. His dark eyes landed on Mari. He gave her a smile.

"Mari, you broke free." He panted.

Mari rushed to him and wrapped her arms around him. He looked shocked, her head rested on his shoulder.

"Mari?"

"I can't use my powers Luffy. The drugs are making them out of control. And…they would just hurt you more if I tried. I-I am going to give him what he wants. So that you will be free. He promised, to let you go if I did." She told him, still holding him.

"Mari no! I told you not to do what he wanted! Do you know what he plans to do? He wants to turn you into a statue! Like the number three guy with his wax. You have to escape Mari." Luffy commanded.

"I know. I will let him." She said softly.

"Why? Why would you die like that?! Why would you give up everything you had just gained?!" He yelled at her, pulling on the chains.

She pulled back and looked at him. He stilled. Her eyes, they were so sad. Like the first time they had found her. The pain reflected there tore him apart.

"I won't let him kill you Luffy. I can't let you take my place. I will protect you. Like you protected me." She clasped his face in her hands. Her thumb traced his scar gently. His heart began to ache. No. "Thank you, for everything you have done for me…" She whispered. "It's been so wonderful, to be so free. Live Luffy, become king of the pirates. I know that you can do it." She leaned up and kissed him on his cheek softly. "Good bye." She said softly. Her voice cracking with emotion. She turned and rushed away.

"Mari no! NO DON'T DO THIS! MARI!" He bellowed like a wild man, pulling hard on his restrains and making them creak and rattle. "MAAAAAARRRIIIIIIIIII!"

Two single tears slid down her pale cheeks, turning to hard ice before dropping to the deck. Remember me always…She whispered in her heart.

Oh the feels, honestly I was kind of tearing up while I wrote this. T=T

One Piece Fan: Glad you enjoyed, Ace is indeed going to be doing some serious fighting! Be prepared!

-This chapter was edited-