The sun felt great on my skin, my shorts and tank top letting me soak in its rays from the deck of the sub. We'd been submerged for what seemed like an eternity and the crew was itching to get in the open air. As came out here though a bit of a problem there was a pesky seagull that wouldn't give Penguin his hat back. And the crew was having a field day over it, even Law who was leaning against Bepo in the shade was smirking. Looking away from him, I stared at the mechanic trying to get his hat back. Chasing the bird from one end of the deck to the other trying to get it.
"Maybe he has a thing against penguins." Keith chucked from his place next to me leaning his back on the railing. Matt was on my right with Marcus' next to him. Shachi was trying to help but kept on cracking lame jokes about birds and their oblivious hate for one another, to really be of much help.
"Let him land and then pounce you idiot." I called out to him. He was sweating so much that he took the top half of his boiler suite off to get the heat to reduce.
"WHAT IF HE FLIES OFF WITH IT!" The hatless man yelled to me as he resumed his chase after a few seconds of rest. Rolling my eyes, I bounced off the railing and decided to help.
"Dance." My feet were off the deck, and I moved to be above the bird. Bringing my weight down, I tried to capture it. Only for it to slip through my fingers, and me to fall on Penguin face first into his skull. As we rolled around in pain, the crew laughed at us, and Bepo woke up to our yells of pain.
"Trafalgar Law do something about that damn bird!" I turned and yelled while holding my head which was throbbing. My only response from him was a larger smirk.
"Fuck this shit! END!" Raising my hand toward the bird a flash of lighting came from the sky. Hitting it dead on. The throbbing pain in my cranium sky rocketed, and I tried to will it away as I saw the bird fall to the deck. Penguin's hat only suffering minor burns. Letting the slight healing powers I had flow into my hands the pain dulled enough to where it was just annoying.
"Ana-chan you're my hero!" Just when I had gotten to my feet Penguin tackled me back to the ground. Letting the world get a little loopy, I let out a strangled noise.
"Get off her you lug, you'll kill her!" Keith laughed, but with Marcus' help they detached him from me. Matt gave me an apologetic smile and helped me back on to my feet.
"Easy now, it'll take more than that to kill me." Everything was swaying more than it should have, but I couldn't really bring myself to care that much. Letting him wrap an arm around my shoulders, I tried to will away the nausea that came with it. I knew that the crew wouldn't think much of it, but I could feel a certain pair of eyes on me. Rolling my eyes, as I was moved over to Jacob as Matt and Penguin started to argue.
The next island we were going to dock at was literally in sight. The tiny island couldn't be more than 30 miles in diameter. I couldn't recall the island exactly, but from my island hopping, I knew that it nothing more than clubs and bars. A small little port, littered with scum and nothing else on the island. Something in my gut said not to stop there, but I couldn't pin point what it was. Detangling myself from the guys, I looked at the small dot approaching us. Resting my arms on the railings, I looked down at my hands. The visions were coming back. The normally pale fingers were now dripping with blood. The sight didn't slight me now as it did once before.
"Ana?" I didn't bother to turn and see Matt.
He was the only person that I couldn't really face now. There were times that the blood running down his face unsettled me too much. Just like some nights when I wake in Law's arms. Each night they die in my dreams, the only comfort was waking up in a safe place. Clenching my hands shut, I ignored the way the blood flowed over my fists. Turning towards Matt now, I gave him a small smile.
"Captain says to get ready and gather what you might need for our stay on the island." He made a hand gesture to the now nearly empty deck. Bepo and Law were still across from us, but the others must have gone below.
"I don't think I'll be partaking in this one this time." The words caught his attention in the wrong way as he frowned at me.
"Why not?" The rushed words came out all at once, an inhumane speed really.
"Not much for females here. I'd rather stay on board the sub." I shrugged at him, but didn't bother moving from the railing.
We were an hour or so away from where Law would have us dock. Matt might have something else to me but I didn't listen. He left and I stood there just watching the small green patch of land come closer to me. Nothing really mattered to me but this tiny little island that we were approaching. A familiar hand rested on my left shoulder but I didn't turn to look at him. There would be a questioning look that I would never look at. Even when he held me in his arms during the night. I wouldn't let him try and form the questions, but even more than that. I don't think he really cared to ask. We'd been intimate a few times after some nightmares, and I needed to know he was alive and breathing. To feel his heat and for some odd reason to feel him inside of me connected as one. The last one I couldn't.
The very realization of that made me cold on the inside. All I could think of was my only living family and how they looked at things. I never thought of how my father went through life after that night, just enough common sense to stay out of his way. D how ever was out and about doing what ever he pleased. I shuddered at the thought of the brothels left in his wake. The hand on my shoulder tightened and I finally looked at him. The smile on my face was strained and I knew he could see that. His steel eyes bore into my own and I turned back to the island. It was warm, but I stayed in my jeans, opting for a tank top to relieve the heat. Tapping my boots down on the deck of the sub, I waited until the hand left and so did Law.
I saw the crew leave and meander into town. Seeing a few acting like idiots, I smiled briefly at it. Feeling the secure weight of my blade on me, I turned to get off the sub. Walking through the sand on the beach, I turned towards the small forest near by. Settling by a large tree, I closed my eyes and listened to the hum of nature. It was all good until I heard the foot steps. I knew it wasn't an animal from the gait it had. Sighing heavily to myself, I got up, and started to scale the tree. Looking down I saw Marines combing the woods. Whispering to myself, I walked on the air currents till I wasn't in the woods any longer. Jean Bart was out on the deck scanning the beach. Our eyes locked and I nodded to him. He turned back to go into the sub.
"Hands up Man-Eater!" Sighing to myself, I turned around to see a few Marines looking at me. They had guns and swords looking at me.
"Walk away, no one gets hurt." I tried to warn them. The sword on my hip was calling to me.
"We can't do that. The Commodore wants to talk to you." The same on called.
"Walk away." I tried one last time as they advanced on me.
Sighing to myself, I drew my katana and settled into a defensive position. Propelling myself forward I slashed the first one across his chest. Using him as a shield, I missed a bullet for my own chest. Lifting a hand, I snapped my fingers and he went up in flames. The third one attempted to run my through. Lifting myself up into the air, I moved my body backwards so we were eye level. Placing a hand on his skull, I watched the lightening crash down on him. Once on my feet again, I watched the last one make a break for it down the beach. Taking off after him, I made a cut through the forest. Seeing a cliff come into view, I pushed my legs to cover more ground.
"Pulse." Placing my hand behind me, I felt the ground leave my feet.
Looking down, I made eye contact with golden eyes. I landed as gracefully as I could with the distraction. My boots skidded next to my captain. Glancing at him for a moment, I turned my attention to a Marine to close to Penguin for comfort. The ribbon tied around my wrist, I side armed it into his chest. The grateful look I got from Penguin lasted a second before I was pulled into the opposite direction.
"Distractions will get you killed." I flinched at his voice.
"Being in my presence will get you killed." I spat back, as I kept in my sights.
That ridiculous hat was there. The all white outfit was making me nearly vomit. His own blade swinging from his fingers as he took in my stance. We walked in a small circle like old times. Only we weren't wielding wooden swords, and he wasn't the only one out for blood. One quick step from him had me backing up and paring his blow. Kicking out a leg, he back peddled to avoid it.
"Still cautious when it comes to one on one?" He smugly asked.
"Not any more than you are." I smirked as I stomped a boot down. The beach shifted and hard earth came up and the terrain was now jagged and in different levels.
"Playing games now are we?" I tensed as his voice came from behind me. Jumping forward, I didn't miss the end of the blade. Hissing as the sting of my new wound, I turned around just in time for my face to connect with his fist. "How about you get real serious about this little sister?"
Stumbling backwards, I tried to pull through that feeling I always had when I was looking to kill. Digging the tip of my blade into the ground, I glared up at him. That gut retching feeling wasn't coming to me. Picking up my blade and twirling it around a few times, I saw he was doing the same. Muttering to myself, I was above him but he parried it without looking up. Following through with the strike, I landed our blades down on his right shoulder. Harder enough for him to swap hands that were gripping the blade. Being right handed he never bothered to practice left handed as a child. I hope that was still the situation here.
"Not bad, going for the strong arm." He complimented.
"A good swordsman practices with both arms to never be at a disadvantage." I shot back, then I got the feeling.
Rushing towards him, we were a flurry of strikes and parries as I inched him closer and closer to the water. Once he heard the crash of the waves though he shuffled so he was to my left. Letting his guard down I made to stab at him. Making contact with his right leg, he went down. Kicking the blade out of his hand, I saw something from the side of my vision. Matt.
"Step away from the Commodore and he doesn't get hurt." The nameless Marine spoke, but it was all slowly fading. I smirked at him.
"You won't live long enough to use that dull sword." Keeping my word, I was suddenly in front of him. Blade through his chest till the hilt. When the Marine fell forward, there was a rush of noise.
I slashed my way through them for the most part. Limbs flying as I made my way through the ranks. Soon enough they were running. Stomping one booted foot down, I watched them be boxed in from the forest to the ocean. Few brave souls turned around and looked at me. Tilting my head to the side a few let out sighed of relief. Spinning on my heel, I raised my sword to block and force away D's blade. With a flick of my blade it went up the left side of his torso. Smiling at his grunt, I took a step and relished in his step back.
"Scared?" I asked sarcastically. Then the hairs on the back of neck stood up.
"Step away from him Anastasia." The accent had me turning my head back to look at him. With his stupid hat that his son tried to mimic.
"What are you doing in Paradise?" I asked, quickly turning around and knocking my brother out with a blow to the side of his face.
"How did you obtain the katana." It wasn't a question, so I didn't answer.
"You're here to collect him aren't you." I realized as I turned back to face him, blade gripped tight in my hand.
"Put down the blade and step away from him." He warned me.
"Ana." I head Law call to me from my left.
"Then what? You finish what you two started?" I spat at him while his booted feet strode toward me. His large blade missing from his back, but I knew he had atleast three still on him.
"Step aside Anastasia." He stopped a few paces from me, and someone grabbed my arm.
"Ana, stand aside." Law hissed in my ear.
"Or are you going to put him down like you did to the rest of our family? Hu Father?" I tried to yank my arm back but Law wasn't letting up. His other hand clenched onto my other arm and dragged me back with him.
"Is that it! You're going to strike him down or save him? Cause if you can save him why couldn't you save them!?" My voice was boarder line hysterical as I felt something jab me in the neck. "You bastard."
The world went black.
"Ana?" A voice called to me, opening my eyes as I laid on the beach I took in the eyes of my younger brother. "Can I go play in the water now?"
"Yeah." I spoke softly.
Looking down, I realized I was my actual age. Not young like I was when he was alive. White bikini top and my bottoms covered by jean shorts. Glancing back up, I watched Matty play in the shallows. Never allowed to go past his knees. Sitting up and wrapping my arms around my knees, the image lasted for a few more minutes then he phased out. Standing up I looked around. Nothing was in sight, and the sun was rapidly fading. Walking back from the beach to the town, I watched in horror as it went up in flames.
Screams from the flames as they licked and ate everything they touched. Running towards the town, I made it in time to see the gallows drop. Turning my head to the side, I couldn't watch then and I couldn't do it now. I could now see myself being held by Celia as she dragged me down below and Ace worked to get the sails up and get us the hell out of there. The other ship I could see had two men in the front. I fixated on the one in the black hat. I thought he'd save them. I was wrong.
Jolting awake, I took in the med bay. Bringing a hand to my forehead, I glanced at the shackles that held both my hands. Closing my eyes, I could hear the tell-tale scratch of Law's chair wheeling its way over. Not opening them, I remembered how I blacked out. He had to of given me a sedative. Sighing heavily, I let my head hit the metal behind it a few times.
"Ana-ya." He spoke low.
"What do you want to know." I knew that's why I was here like this. The rocking o the sub let me know we were still top side, but moving.
"What is your relation to the Commodore and Hawkeye." Opening my eyes, I looked across the room. My mind conjured an image of Matty, sitting at the table swinging his little legs back and forth.
"I told you I had two non-biological brothers." I started taking a deep breath. "I grew up on a small island here on the Grand Line. You've seen it, there's nothing left of the damn thing. After the buster call, I assume Ace never really told me where we were and I was none the wiser since that island was all I ever knew. I knew my mother had seen the world and my father worked for the government. My old brother wanted to be a Marine and follow in Father's footsteps to become a world class swordsman. I picked it up from the two of them. After finding out I couldn't swim, I abandoned the thought of being a marine biologist. My younger brother…"
"Matty, and Matt could be twins. I thought they were the same person until I remembered my own brother was dead. Declan pulled the lever to the gallows. I saw my mother and brother drop, before Ace could shield my eyes. Not to long after that, we were with Pops and the rest is history." I shrugged, rambling as I knew he didn't really so much care as to what I was saying at this moment. "He arrived just a little to late to save them. The village burned practically to the ground. His wife and youngest child hanging from their nooses, his eldest the one who killed them. I was missing. I had a bounty just months after that. Word started to spread that my brother, who was a captain at the time, and my father were looking for me. Pops and Ace knew who they were and the rest were given vague instructions of what to do when questions flew about me. Father, well he was a war lord since I can remember. Declan was promoted to Commodore a week before I was dropped off with Alec. Neither of them suspected I was in Paradise since I had been wreaking havoc in the New World. So, I was hidden from them. Till Pops and Ace decided it was time for me to come out of hiding and take a stand where I needed to. Get revenge on the two men in my life that let Mother and Matty die."
There was no scribbling of information like I had expected through out my ramble. Nor did he interrupt me to ask what ever he wanted. There was just a deafening silence, once that shook me to my core. Glancing down at my hands, I touched a finger to each thumb in order from pointer finger to the pinky. Restarting a few times before the task did nothing for grabbing my attention from the noiseless world around me. A knock on the door caught my attention though.
"Captain, Bepo is ready to submerge. He needs you in the cockpit." It was Marcus.
Wordlessly Law got up and left the room. Letting out a breath I didn't even know I was holding, my body sagged against the steel slab. Giving a few tugs at my hands and feet, I found I was completely chained up. There was no way for me to get out of the sea stone, and I wasn't sure I wanted to go anywhere. Law obliviously wasn't done since he didn't ask any questions and I wasn't sure I had answers for him at the moment. Sleep didn't sound appealing so I had nothing to do right now. I let my mind wonder to where the two in question had went. D needed to be stitched up and Father was probably long gone. Closing my eyes, I sat in the silence and waited for the inevitable.
"Ana-ya." Snapping my eyes open, I turned to my right to see Law staring at me.
"Yes?" I asked rolling my arms. I must have fallen asleep after we submerged and wasn't sure how long I was out.
"Are you a danger to my crew?" The question shouldn't have phased me but it did.
It could mean that he didn't see me as crew member anymore. That I could be dropped off at the next island. Thinking of where we were, I knew it was just weeks away from Sabody. The crossing point of Paradise and the New World. After that it was a series of islands that he would need my help to get through. The sub could make it to Fisherman Island no problem, also it was under White Beard protection. That could be an exiting point for me, wait there until Vista came by for candy as usual. Blinking a few times, I realized I still hadn't answered his question.
"Not myself no." It wasn't a lie, I wouldn't hurt a single member of the Heart Pirates.
"I'm starting to realize you are." His tone was flat and cold as it was the last time I was chained to this damn slab.
Nodding to myself mostly, I turned away from him and took a look at the clock. It was reading that it was almost midnight. Stretching my arms as far as they would go, I brought my knees up and gave my stiff joints a rest. Sighing, I gave into the real situation at hand here. I wasn't going to be on board this sub for much longer. The next island was only a day or two away with how fast this thing went.
"I see." I finally gave him; my voice was as small as I was feeling.
"Fire Fist-ya has been captured by the Marines." My eyes went wide and I snapped my head towards him.
He held a paper in his hand that I noticed for the first time. Grabbing it lightly, I read the main line. Fire Fist Ace was due to be executed. The parchment was shaking in my hands as I re-read it a few more times. Tears stung at my eyes, and I jerked the cuff on my right wrist. Doing it hard enough, I bite my lip as the bones cracked. Flinching away when he made to grab the appendage, I shook my head. Shoving the paper into the outreached hand, I turned my head away. Ace was going to be executed. How the hell had he managed to get captured. My eyes flickered for a few moments as I drew some conclusions.
"D was on the island to distract me." I voiced. "He was there so I wouldn't go to Marineford and storm the place. This whole thing was in preparation."
"That's quite a theory." I ignored the sarcastic comment.
"A commodore in Paradise. They wouldn't move back here unless something big was going down. Forget the pissing match in my family for a second and look at it." I snapped at him. "I've been to the other side of Sabody. That's where they have the big wigs at. Marineford in the middle of the calm belt for a reason. War Lords combing every island they're sent to for the purpose of the World Government. Hawkeye came back here for some reason and was probably told to intercept the two of us. They don't want D dead, but they don't want me dead yet. If they could lure me to Marineford on a suicide mission they'd get two birds with one stone. On top of that, they'd get Pops and his men right where they want them."
"So, that whole thing was a ploy." A large hand came up and ran over his face as he took my words into consideration.
"The Supernova's have to make it to Sabody to get into the New World. What are the chances they're all going to be there at the same time?" I rambled on.
"It's a trap." He concluded.
"They're playing cat and mouse. We are the mice."
One day late but I posted it yaaaay! Happy New Year to all, and I'll hopefully have a new chapter out soon!