Chapter 28
Persistent
They would have preferred to be left in bliss for the next few days. No one trying to kill them, no one attempting to kidnap Mari; just a quiet little time to relax and maybe cuddle. But no, they did not get the luxury of being left alone. The very next day, after Mari rolled away from Luffy having slept on the deck all night in each others arms she spotted ship sails. She would not have cared if they were unmarked sails like on a merchant ship or a personal ship. But they were very marked. And the markings made her blood turn cold.
"Luffy, wake up! It's Boris! We need to get out of here."
Luffy woke up slowly but when he heard the urgency in her voice he bolted up. "What?!" He looked over the rail.
"Oi oi oi! I see that fruit guys ship! Everyone get up here!" Zoro called from his look out.
"About time you noticed!" Mari cried. They were entirely too close for it to have just happened. "Everyone get up!" Mari rushed to wake them all. Luffy stood on deck and faced the enemy ship. It was a big ship, obviously dwarfing the smaller Thousand Sunny.
Mari flew down and began banging on the doors. Sanji was in the kitchen cooking and he looked over at her from the counter. "Mari? What's up?"
"Boris managed to sneak up on us in the night! We have to hurry." Mari said.
Sanji raised his single visible brow. "Don't worry. We wont be letting anyone else take you. Go get Nami and Robin. I will meet you all up there with a small breakfast." Sanji stopped chopping potatoes to go to the fridge.
Mari nodded. Sanji seemed quite calm. That was odd. She rushed off to get Nami and Robin and was shocked to find them up and getting ready slowly. What was going on? Why was everyone taking their time? Usopp was still snoring deeply but woke up fast when she punched him in the side a bit hard. Franky was tinkering this early in the morning so when he poked his head out she nearly slammed into it. He laughed and told her he would be right up. What in the name of all the stars was going on? Chopper was just waking up from a late night of playing with his chemistry set. Mari's head began to spin she was going so insane.
She hit the deck confused. Everyone seemed too calm. Laughter greeted her ears.
"Hello my little pet! I see you are confused! Don't worry, I've come to get you. Come on now, get up here." A Boris clone called from the ships deck above them.
He was insane! She shook her head, locks whipped around at her shoulders. Luffy looked up and frowned.
"You can't have her. Mari is part of my crew, leave her alone."
Um...that was said with a lot less heat than she expected from Luffy.
"Now now young man, you can't take other peoples pets, I can give you a reward for her." Boris clone waved a small bag of berries from his fat finger tips.
"Not interested! I don't need your gold." Luffy shook his head. "Mari is not leaving this ship. Go and tell your captain that he is to leave her alone. Or he will be asking for trouble." Luffy nodded. Zoro sipped down from the look out and stood a foot behind Luffy. His stance was relaxed.
Why was everyone so bloody calm? Mari's blue eyes scanned the area around them. Her eyes hit on something off. The air, it was a bit thick wasn't it? But it was clear. She finally noticed how hard it was to breathe right now. She narrowed her eyes. Another Boris trick.
"Shell Shell..." It pushed out past her body, through Sunny, past Luffy and Zoro and pushed all the air that was not natural away from them.
The air was instantly light again. Luffy and Zoro shook their heads and then looked around them for a moment.
"What?! How did they get so close!?" Luffy cried out.
"What the hell!" Zoro's blades were out and ready.
Nami and Robin hit the deck then, Clima out and eyes scanning the scene. Franky and Usopp were hot on their backs. Sanji appeared from bellow scaring Mari. She didn't know they could get up here from there. Chopper was at her side, his body large and muscular.
"Mari, you stay back. We will do this." Luffy frowned up at the ship.
"Damn, clever girl. I will need to mention this to boss. He will be most intrigued to find you are immune to his new clear mind altering powder." He looked down with a grin. "Give us the girl, or we will blow you out of the water and take her anyway."
"I don't think so."
"I have a shell up. They can't do anything to us." Mari approached Luffy. She stood at his side.
Boris clone didn't make any reaction. "Now." He stated.
Luffy thought he was still talking to him. He shook his head and took up a fighting stance. He was planning on destroying their main mast. But Mari let out a gasp and stumbled backwards. He turned to her. A dart was lodged into her chest. Her hands shaking reached up to it, but unable to touch it. Chopper rushed forward and grabbed her shoulders.
"Mari!"
"What did you do to her?!" Luffy yelled.
Nami and Robin looked up. A multicolored shell was suddenly visible. Eyes wide they watched as little patches of the shell began to break. Like rips. Boris laughed.
"Gave her a little something. That dart and the serum in it was made for her guard. Good thing she didn't use that demon form. He still can't manage to get past that. The serum will make her sick if she doesn't get this little shot in the next few minutes. So why don't you hand her over?" Boris held up a syringe.
Mari began to cough and she collapsed against Chopper. He slipped down into his smaller form and laid her down gently. Blood speckled her face as she coughed. The shell began to deteriorate rapidly. Robin looked at the Syringe and frowned. She couldn't grab it without him noticing.
"Nami, distract him. I'm going to grab the syringe." Robin moved to stand behind Sanji who stood tall and took up a relaxed stance.
Nami nodded. Sanji puffed some smoke.
"Wait just a minute you! Just how much gold are you thinking of giving us for her?" Nami asked him.
"Oh? Interested are you? I knew a woman couldn't resist." Boris Clone grinned down at Nami.
"Nami! We are not giving her to him!" Luffy yelled angrily.
Nami ignored him and put her hands on her hips. "I want a billion berries for her. She is quite a prize I think. Your boss should understand that."
The clone grinned. "I like the way you think girl. But a billion? She is kind of broken right now."
"That was your fault." Nami pointed out.
"Petal petal.." Robin whispered.
Shoop! the syringe was torn from his hand so fast he had no time to react. It traveled down on several hands and landed in Choppers cloven hand.
"What!? You tricked me!" Boris screamed. "Take aim! Shoot her again!"
Zoro was on it this time. He and Franky stood guard. Usopp was ready as well, the shooter was in his sights.
"We wont be falling for that one again." Nami laughed. She stuck out her tongue and pulled down the skin under one eye. Luffy laughed and did the same.
"Idiot!" Luffy laughed hard. "Let's get out of here!"
The Shell fell down and Luffy pulled back his arms.
"Guuuuum guuuuuum! BAZOOKA!" His arms flew forward hands together and straight through the main mast, breaking it cleanly.
Men began to shout and cry as the huge mast fell down, taking down the back half of the ship. Boris was rocked from his position and he fell, slamming his head on the railing. There was chaos everywhere as Mari was moved below deck and Sunny was on her way away from them again. Chopper gave Mari the shot and her breathing went back to normal. She had felt like her whole body was on fire. She sat up on the bed and looked at Chopper.
"Mari, you need to be more careful now. He is developing ways to stop you. I think Forte might have gotten his bullets from Boris too. Look. This dart is laced with sea stone and something else. I will study it but I don't think it will be a good thing to go out undefended against them. Stay below deck or use your demon form when they are near." Chopper showed her.
Mari nodded. He was right. Boris would stop at nothing. She stayed below deck for the rest of the day. Sanji showed her a few cooking basics and Luffy at the food the made with a gusto. They gathered in the dining area and just had fun. Talking, playing games.
xxXxx
He frowned at his unwanted guest. He didn't like this man and never had. Even now as he sat smugly before him.
"What a nice ship you have here Admiral Anzen. You sure make out quite nicely don't you?"
Anzen raised a single snowy brow. "Get on with it Suspender. I don't have all day." He didn't either. His ship had been repaired and he now could go after Mariette and the Straw Hat Pirates. Time was of the essence. They hadn't gotten far. Sources told him they had only just left Mayflower Amusement Park. He could catch up with them. This time he would take Mariette and those pirates down.
Spandam frowned and laid back more. "What if I told you Admiral; something that may change your whole outlook on life as we know it?"
"Please tell me they fired you." Anzen said with false hopefulness.
This made the lavender haired man angry. "No!" He ground his teeth. "It is about you."
"Don't tell me, you plan to help me get what I desire most? Or better yet you can help me achieve a higher position. Because fleet admiral is not high enough apparently." Anzen grinned.
"No! Stop guessing! Let me tell you."
"But this is more fun. Let me know when I get it right." Anzen chuckled. Enjoying the little man's anger.
Spandam growled and stood up angrily wincing as he did so. "This is not funny!"
"To me it is. Now, how's you can get me a beautiful woman, or maybe two or three? No? How about getting me lots of gold?" Anzen leaned back laughing.
Spandam would have banged his hand on the desk but he couldn't. Instead he shouted. "Your daughter is still alive."
That shut Anzen up immediately. A smug smile covered Spandam's face.
"My daughter is dead."
"She is alive. And everyone but you knew it."
Anzen was silent. But inside him a roil of emotion over took him. His child! His beautiful Mariette was still alive! His heart ached. So many years. Would he recognize her? Would she remember him? He kept his face straight as he looked at the man who told him.
"Tell me everything."
"Why should I?" Spandam grinned.
"Because if you don't, I wont just break your spine like Robin. I will kill you." Anzen said darkly. For his daughter, he would do anything.
Spandam gulped. He could too. Anzen was just as powerful as any of the other admirals. Even though he had no abilities and was often left to his own devices. His Haki was dangerously powerful after years of honing his skill and having no reason to stop. He was respected among the other admirals for his dedication to his work and his unshakable strength. Spandam didn't spare a detail. Though his words often dripped with lies. Anzen was too interested in finding his daughter to care what lies the little man had to give him about the other Admirals. He would deal with them shortly himself. A rage over took him the more Spandam spoke.
Chriszilla18: I had not thought about it. I was not planning to. However! I might.
Cheshirekai: Thank you. -bows- XD
Guest: I'm glad. ;D
Okay everyone since I am trying to cater to you all please let me know if you want me to do the Thriller Bark Arc. If i do it I will not implement much Mari activity. I will blow through most of it in one or two chapters and of course from there on include Brook in the story. This means if you want it I will either make Mari sick most of the time or there but more of an off set charrie. Since One Piece is not my story I do not want to push too much of my OC into it. Also, if you decide you want it I will probably also include a chapter on some of the enemies and some of what they are up to during this time. Might have some hints about what will happen next! XD
So leave a comment, let me know if you want it! Okay, you all rule and as always thank you for your continued support!
