(Thanks to Dthehalfdragon, dArK tIdEs, and L-R-D for your reviews! Right, last chapter of the arc (Which was surprisingly long. As I'v ementioned before, arcs will vary in length, for example the next one isn't going to be as long (I don't think)) A reminder that One Piece New Nakama – New Trust is going to be starting very soon, so keep an eye out and I hope that those who review this will review that. Right, Read on!)
"You killed her! Killed her!" A young boy called Jose said, the scar on his right cheek reopened and bleeding. "You bastard!" Jose erupted in flames, fire bursting through the small house as lightning struck from the storm outside.
"Calm down!" Gouki said, grabbing his brother and pulling him back, ignoring the burns on his hands. "Jose, calm down! Mother always taught us that if we let emotions control us, we'll be defeated! You-"
A wail cut off Gouki, and the two brothers looked to the third, a young boy with black hair over his eyes named Stuart, who would later be known as Reaper. "Mother! Mother! Why why why!"
"Hehehe..."
The three boys turned towards the murderer, the knifes flashing in his hands. The murderer was panting, a large cut running down his face.
"Poor little boys..." he said with a shaky voice. The murdered stood up, the cloak falling back to reveal a stub of an arm. "Your mother was an impressive fighter."
"We won't let you go!" Gouki snarled, and disappeared in a flash. The man grunted as a small fist was planted into his stomach. As the man hunched over, Shanshouuo through a fist of flame into his jaw, burning the man and driving him backwards.
Stuart picked the scythe up that his mother was using, his eyes widening. He sprinted towards the man and managed to swing the big scythe, cutting into the man's stomach. The man fell to his knees, groaning in pain.
"Stay off of him!"
The voice rang out hard, stopping Jose, Gouki, and Stuart in their tracks. They turned to their final sibling. His small frame was shaking hard, his eyes pure anger.
"I want him." The brother said, standing up, sparks flying off of him. "That murderer... that scum... that killer is mine!" The brother raised his arm, and a jolt of electricity shot towards the murderer. However he just managed to jump to the side, avoiding the deadly bolt. Crouching and holding his stomach, the killer laughed.
"Cute little kids. Too bad you are on a mountainside!" The man raised an steel pole from the floor and swung it was surprising strength. The first strike caught the brother, smashing him through the wall. The man twisted and connected the next strike with Stuart's jaw, before hitting the pipe in Stuart's stomach with enough ferocity to smash Stuart through the wall. The man thrust the pipe backwards, connecting with Gouki's stomach. Reaching behind him, the murdered grabbed Gouki's collar and threw him boldly out of the same hole Stuart went through.
Gouki shouted in alarm as his was in the air, watching as his mountainside home went further and further away. He saw a brief flash of fire before he turned, seeing Stuart below him and further down the other brother. The brother hit the side of the mountain hard and went tumbling into a set of stones. Gouki and Stuart landing in roughly the same place on the side of the mountain, tumbling head over heels.
"Gouki!" Stuart called out in pain before he went straight into the stormy waters. Gouki soon followed, and felt like he was being tugged apart as the current took hold. Soon he was thrust under, feeling like a heavy weight. Darkness filled his vision before... nothing...
XXX
Gouki shot up hard, before immediately regretting it as pain ran through his body. He was in a small room with only a candle lighting it.
"I remember..." Gouki muttered, holding his head. Memories long forgotten flooded his mind. Happy memories and bad memories. Arguments and laughter, screams and presents... the murderer... Then Gouki went back to the memories he had already. Being adopted by the Riosho family, eating his fruit... and then his thoughts went through the other moments of his life for no particular reason. Defeating Reaper, being found by Dragon Claw, accepted into a crew. Rejoining the Ten Kings, being imprisoned, and fighting Orvell and then...
Gouki let out a harsh moan of misery, Shanshouuo's... no, Jose's face in death invading his mind. For a few minutes Gouki stayed as his was, his eyes and cheeks wet before he heard the door open and close.
"Are you okay?"
"Fine." Gouki said, wiping his eyes and looking to Jenny who was standing awkwardly by the door. "Come in." Gouki patted the bed at his side, and Jenny sat down. "How long has it been?"
"Two days." Jenny said.
Gouki's eyes widened somewhat, before he sighed. "That long, huh." It was then Gouki noticed the bandage across his arm. He looked to his other arm and saw the same thing. Finally he looked to his chest, stomach and even legs to find they were bandaged tightly. "Why am I covered in bandages?"
"That was by your own hand." Jenny said. "It took exactly 24 hours for you to calm down enough for me to get you. By that time the island was... well..."
"Let me see." Gouki said, twisting himself off the bed and standing up with a wince.
"Your clothes are on the chair." Jenny supplied.
"Thanks." Gouki dragged on his t-shirt and green trousers, before pulling his trench-coat on with only a wince. "Lead on."
Jenny nodded and grabbed Gouki's arm, helping him walk through the silent ship, creaking the only sound that could be heard. Finally they got to top deck, where it was night, the stars twinkling in the sky and the water inky black. Gouki looked out to where the island was. What once was a mass of forest was now nothing but chunks of stone and the occasional tree. Trees floated outside the island's perimeter. Gouki stared into a pitch black crevice.
"I did that?" Gouki asked quietly.
Jenny nodded. "Yes."
"What about... what about the villagers?"
"I'm sorry, Gouki. We buried them while you were asleep." Jenny replied.
Gouki closed his eyes, taking a breath. "Orvell?"
"We didn't find his body. He has likely escaped." Jenny said even quieter.
Gouki leant on the ship's wooden railing, clenching it hard, his knuckles white. "And... And Shanshouuo?"
Jenny carefully guided Gouki to the back of the ship, and pointed to a small rowboat covered in a shroud. "We figured you'd want to be awake before we send him off on a pirate burial."
Gouki nodded, staring at the shroud. On top was the red trench coat that Shanshouuo always wore with the dragon on the back. Gouki's shoulders started shaking.
"Are you okay?" Jenny asked, concerned as she put a hand on Gouki's arms. His face was shadowed by his hair, though Jenny could see the glistening tears.
"Why does this feel so bad?" Gouki said quietly as tears dripped onto the floor at his feet. Jenny remained silent. "I've seen death. I've actually killed people. There has been no shortage of bodies on my end. But Jose... I knew him. On his death bed I found out I loved him as my brother. Someone I'd known for a long time, but didn't actually know. He was always Draco the Dragon King, always the one to crack a joke or openly admit to not liking the Kings. Jose followed his own path, and no one could stop him. Like a flame, he always said. Uncontrolable. Now? Now I've learnt that I knew him when I was a kid. He was my brother. He always... always said I was his brother, but I never believed him!" Gouki flicked his head up, looking up at the sky. "I always thought he was lying, always thought he just wanted me to be like a brother. I was such a fool to not believe him! It's so obvious now... but no... No, I just ignored the obvious and continued not knowing about my past. The Riosho family was all I knew. That was where I started."
Gouki took a deep breath and remained silent, tears still falling.
Exactly ten minutes later, Gouki stared at the sea as the small raft with Jose on it burned brightly. Next to him stood Jenny and no-one else. While they were awake, Red had instructed the others not to interrupt the personal moment.
"He would have liked this." Gouki said. "Liked to go out in flames. Always liked flames, he did. Wanted to be a logia when he was a child, did you know that? Someone beat him to it, though." Gouki let out a small laugh. "So he settled on his paramecia fruit." Gouki closed his eyes once more. "Jose... I'm sorry for your death. I hope you're happy where you are. Trust me, though. Orvell, your killer, he won't get away. I don't care about the King's mission anymore, I will find Orvell and I will kill him. After I do that, I'll continue your dream. I'll get Stuart, and Death King and Beast King will go out together to find our brother. You'll always be in our hearts, and I hope you watch my journey. I hold your dreams with love, brother."
At that Gouki turned away and slowly went back down below deck as Jose's raft disappeared into the distance with the final flicker of flame disappearing.
(I don't like writing emotional chapters, so I hope that went out okay. On that night, preview next arc time!
Next Arc on OPNN – New Dreams: Hikari finds herself confronting her own history as she makes contact with an unwanted rival. Meanwhile, Gouki and Jenny start investigating Orvell and comes up with some surprising results.
See you then! Reminder that One Piece New Nakama – New Trust starts soon!
