Author's Note: Not one of my best chapters, since I'm better at writing the Libras than the Capricorns.
More Important Author's Note: The next four chapters will be based off of the television show Hannibal, which is really disturbing and gory because it's about the infamous cannibal Hannibal Lecter. I am going to try my hardest to keep the next four chapters tame, but if cannibalism and mild body horror are no-nos for you, skip the next four chapters (this chapter, chapter 36, chapter 37, and chapter 38).
If you are going to skip these chapters, I will say one minor spoiler so you won't get confused when you begin reading again at chapter 39 - The Virgos get another crew member in this arc. No, it is not going to be the guy based off of Hannibal Lecter.
Anyway, let's begin the chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. If I did, the Island of Eternal Day and Island of Eternal Night would exist.
Begin Act III: Forbidden Islands of Alabasta
Resistance [ri-zis-tuhns] – Noun
1. The act or power of resisting, opposing, or withstanding.
2. The opposition offered by one thing, force, etc., to another.
3. Psychiatry - Opposition to an attempt to bring repressed thoughts or feelings into consciousness.
4. An underground organization composed of groups of private individuals working as an opposition force in a conquered country to overthrow the occupying power, usually by acts of sabotage, guerrilla warfare, etc.
"Madison, please show our guests in."
A girl with black hair in a hime cut looked from up from her work. Currently, she was making a batch of donuts, all in varying sizes and colors. As it was always nighttime on the island, it seemed like there was nothing to do, since nobody went out on this island. This was Madison Rukumoto, daughter of the royal family's new head chef.
Folding up her apron that was covering her sweater and jeans, Madison went into the main hall, where a blue-haired girl in a long dress made up of blue feathers and a green-haired man clutching what appeared to be a bottle of whiskey in a paper bag were waiting for her.
"Welcome back to the royal palace of the Island of Eternal Night. My name is Madison, and I am the daughter of your new, head chef, Lecter Rukumoto," Madison introduced herself. "Princess Akari Shimura, I presume?"
Akari lifted up the skirt of her dress and took a bow.
"Pleasure to meet you," Akari said. "This is Thierry, my bodyguard."
"Pleased to meet you, your highness," Madison responded. "Can I get you anything?"
"More booze!" Thierry yelled, holding up his now-empty bottle of whiskey. Akari sighed.
"Ignore him. Thierry has had a drinking problem for as long as I can remember. Please excuse him," Akari explained.
"You must be Princess Akari of the Island of Eternal Day and Island of Eternal Night. I am honored to cook for you."
A man with graying hair in a combover approached the three. He wore a white, collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, a black waistcoat, a red tie, black dress pants, and black dress shoes.
"Lecter Rukumoto, it is a pleasure to meet you," Akari said, once again picking up her skirt so she could curtsy. Lecter smiled.
"Madison, you are free to go. I will talk with our guests in private over their expectations and payment," Lecter explained to his daughter.
"Yes, father," Madison said before she went back into the kitchen and resumed her work. About two minutes later, a loud, blood curling scream reverberated through the walls of the palace. With a shaking hand, Madison reached over for the closest knife she could find – A bread knife with serrated edges. As Madison tried to steady her breath, her father came into the room.
"Our guests have just gotten word of a personal emergency, so they had to leave earlier than expected," Lecter explained. "Shall we have dinner, Madison? I'll cook tonight."
"What happened to Princess Akari and Thierry?" Madison asked.
"Don't worry about them, Madison. They had some personal business to take care of," Lecter explained.
On the Hyperion…
"Guys, weren't Akari and Thierry supposed to be back by now?" Yuki-Rin asked everyone as they sat down to dinner.
"I would not risk it. There's been a bunch of unexplained murders on this island recently," Wolfgang explained. "If anything, they shouldn't murder us."
The DenDen Mushi then rang. As the Capricorns chuckled at Wolfgang's comment, Yuki-Rin got up and answered the DenDen Mushi.
"Hello?" Yuki-Rin asked.
"Do you know Princess Akari Shimura of the Island of Eternal Day and Island of Eternal Night and her bodyguard, Thierry Brighton?"
"Yeah… Why?" Yuki-Rin asked slowly.
"We have found two heads belonging to Akari and Thierry, and the rest of their bodies are missing. We think it may be the Ko no Mono serial killer, based on the pattern of how he beheads his victims and takes the rest of his corpses for his own use."
Before the person could continue talking, Yuki-Rin screamed loudly in fear and horror.
"Ma'am, is everything okay?"
"Can we please see them?! Or what's left of them?!" Yuki-Rin screamed into the phone. As soon as they heard the screams, the Capricorns stopped what they were doing and quieted down to listen to Yuki-Rin.
"I'm very sorry, but you can't see Akari or Thierry. Their body parts are considered evidence in this case, so I'm afraid you can't claim their remains for a while."
"Listen, I have about 5,000 Beri with me right now. If I pay you, will you let me see them?!" Yuki-Rin screamed.
"I'm afraid that is not possible. We cannot accept bribes of any type, miss. I'm afraid you will have to wait until the case is closed to claim the remains of the deceased. Until then, I hope everything will be okay for you."
Yuki-Rin screamed in anguish as she slammed the DenDen Mushi hard onto the receiver.
"Yuki-Rin! What happened?!" Kazuma yelled placing his hand on Yuki-Rin's shoulder.
"A-Akari and Thierry… They're both dead," Yuki-Rin answered, stumbling over her words.
"What the fuck happened?!" Wolfgang cried. Yuki-Rin remained silent. "Yuki-Rin, answer me! Answer me right now!"
"Someone found them… They were both beheaded…" Yuki-Rin answered slowly, tears falling out of her eyes. Many of the Capricorns gasped in horror.
"Can we at least claim their bodies?" Kartik asked.
"We can't," Yuki-Rin answered. "One, because they're being used as evidence. Two, they think it may be the work of the infamous Ko no Mono serial killer. Three…"
Yuki-Rin took a deep breath, bracing for her crew's reactions.
"They found only their heads. The rest of their bodies are missing."
The rest of the Capricorns screamed bloody murder.
"We are getting out of here now!" Hana yelled to everyone.
"But, we need to claim their bodies – Or, what's left of them!" Yuki-Rin cried.
"Yuki-Rin, we can't! If we stay here, we could be the next victims of the Ko no Mono!" Kartik yelled.
"What about their bodies?!" Yuki-Rin screamed back.
"We can't claim them! It's evidence!" Kartik yelled. "The most we can do for them is have a private memorial service! It's respectful to the both of them!"
Yuki-Rin sighed in annoyance and sadness. Two of her "friends" just died, and one of them was a princess, no less. She felt that they deserved better due to their status and their connections. Although it didn't seem so at the moment, this was the moment when the dynamics of the Capricorn Pirates began to unravel and backfire on themselves.
No, just because I killed off two of the Capricorns doesn't mean that they will change and become allies.
Anyway, the Virgos and Eagle Islanders will be back next chapter.