Why…
How did this happen…?
It wasn't supposed to become like this…
How…exactly did this…!
"You guys still loved me…thank you so much…!"
"AAAAH!"
"She woke up!"
"Hakuren-san!"
"W-What's wrong with her?"
"Don't just stand there! Hurry and get the old woman!"
"Hakuren stop! You're reopening your wounds!"
Why did…
"Akainu!" I heard my own voice screamed. My grip tightened on the fabric of clothe I was grasping onto, my eyes locked onto the blurred vision of someone's face.
"Where is he?" I whispered with soft, trembling voice.
"Hakuren-san, please stop! That's Commander Marco!"
"I ASKED WHERE HE IS!" I screamed off the top of my lung. Streams of warmth trickled down my cheeks before a sharp pain sliced through my ability to breathe…
The colours before my eyes faded as shadow returned.
"Hakuren! What are you guys standing around for? Hurry and get more blood packs!"
Ace…is dead.
"Ah…!" I choked at the knee that dug into my gut before icy wind sliced through my back.
I couldn't move.
Before I knew it I was lying on the ground again.
I didn't even know if I had crashed back first or face first. My entire body was numbed in pain with blood gathering into a puddle beneath where I laid. I panted heavily, finding the air almost impossible to breathe.
I glared through my blurred vision at Kizaru who was slowly and casually making his way to me. His body unharmed aside from a tiny cut across his cheek. "D…Damn it…!" I gasped as I tried to push myself up. But when I moved, I nearly screamed at the pain that was tearing my body apart.
"Hakuern-san!" I heard a voice shouted as I quickly looked up to see one of Ace's subordinate suddenly jumping into my view. "Stupid! Get a–" My eyes widened as a beam of light drilled through his body. The man's scream breached my eardrums mix of softer ones of my own as the light that pierced his body drilled through my left shoulder.
Unable to take a last glance at the fool who tried to save me, an explosion suddenly blasted against my back with dark smoke filling my sight. I dug my fingers into the soil, ignoring the blood gushing out of my wounds. With a thrust, I threw myself onto my feet and leaped up just in time to avoid most of the explosion's damage.
"Tch…! What useless death…" I cursed, wincing at the burning pain at my back while clenching onto the wound at my left shoulder. I tried to move my arm, but couldn't feel anything from it. That attack just now has severed my nerves.
"Honestly, stupid isn't he~?" A voice spoke behind my as my eyes widened.
"Hakuren! Get out of the way!" I heard Marco's voice shouted from afar just as blinding yellow light filled the corner of my eyes. I wanted to move, but my body wouldn't obey…!
Even if I could, there was no way to dodge in midair.
"Well then…" Kizaru's lazy voice spoke softly as the light glowed brighter.
I won't make it…!
Just as Kizaru was about to pierce me with his attack, he stopped. It only happened within a split second, but my eyes memorized his every move. He looked to afar as though noticed something before suddenly vanishing into particles of light.
A second later, a tower of blazing flame engulfed my sight. "T-This flame…?" I whispered, immediately recognizing this flame as the heat blasted against my skin.
"What are you doing daydreaming?" A voice snapped before I felt a pair of arms scooping me up from below. I quickly turned and looked up to see Marco who looked strangely worn out. "You…" I was about to say when I heard a strange clattering sound of metal produced from his wrist. When I looked down to his hand that was holding me, I discovered a Seastone handcuff bounding his wrist.
"…Your hand!"
"We have to get away from here." Marco said before quickly running off. "Wait! Mar-…Stop!" I gasped; finding some trouble to talk as I quickly looked over his shoulder, to the direction where the flame came from.
The battle between the pirates along with Marine came to a halt. Everyone's eyes were directed towards the execution platform that had fallen. From this distance, I could see it…that tower of orange flames.
"Ace…!" I gasped as I stared at my outstretched hand. A wince escaped my lips as my arm fell, numbed by pain. "You shouldn't move." A familiar voice spoke as I quickly turned, only to wince at the soreness in my neck.
"I told you not to move." That voice spoke again as I swallow back the pain and turned a bit more to see Marco by my side. I stared at him for a long while before turning back to the pure white ceiling. I moved my fingers slightly, feeling the sheet of the bed where I laid and the blanket that covered me.
A bed, a ceiling and Marco…?
"Where…am I?" I asked, knowing that I wasn't on a ship.
"You don't remember?" Marco questioned as I slowly turned back to him. "You suddenly woke up two days ago and went berserk before fainting again." Marco said as I stared at him, unable to understand exactly what he was talking about.
What did he meant by again?
"A…Ace…" I coughed softly at the dryness of my voice. "Where…?" I whispered softly as an image flash into my mind. Although I was far away when I saw the scene, I was strangely able to memorize every little detail.
That blood curling image of Akainu digging his filthy hand through his body…
"Where is Ace?"
The magma that melted a hole through his flesh…
"Where is he?" I screamed. With a twist of my body, I somehow managed to get up with one hand supporting my body. I thrust out my other hand and seized Marco by the collar of his shirt. At that, Marco quickly grasped my wrists and with a swift movement, he pinned me back down to the bed, immobilizing me.
"You're going to reopen your wounds again. Stop moving." He commanded, but I pushed his words aside.
"Where's Ace…?"
"What happened to him…you should know the best." Marco said, his voice came out in a soft whisper. I stared at him, wide eyed at his gaze that refused to meet mine.
"Liar…" I whispered as I tried to shake his grip loose, but couldn't find myself the power to. "The old man…let me," I choked, though this time it was from the pain that was pressing down at my lungs. "The old man…Let me see the old man." I told him, but Marco acted as though he didn't hear.
"I said let me see the old man…!" I demanded as my muscles tightened in attempt to overthrow him. But the minute I tensed, the pain at my body doubled. I gritted my teeth and quickly relaxed myself to reduce the pain.
"Both Ace and pop are gone, Hakuren. The war is over. We lost." Marco spoke in broken sentences. It was almost as though he thought that if he spoke in too complicated words, I wouldn't be able to understand.
I stopped struggling, my gaze locked against his unwavering ones. I stared at him for seconds, minutes…until his words finally sank in. "What…" My voice trailed off, almost as though I was afraid to ask. "What do you mean…gone?" I whispered softly as my gaze slowly morphed into a glare.
"What do you mean?" My voice came our hoarse, but I didn't care. "You're lying…" "Hakuren." Marco spoke sternly as I felt the muscles at my face beginning to twist.
"You're lying…!"
"Hakure–!" Marco was cut off as he quickly jumped off me just as a blast of crimson flame engulfed me.
"Commander Marco, we heard a strange sound. Is everything alright?" A different voice spoke as the door behind Marco swung open. "Don't come in!" Marco commanded the men who were gathered behind the doorway, staring with confused gaze at my direction.
Vista, Jozu, the other Whitebeard pirates and even Ace's subordinates, they were all there…
"Ace…the old man…they…" I spoke between coughs as I forced my body up. "Hakuren, calm down." Marco said as he reached a hand down to me. Upon the sight of his hand, I quickly slapped it away.
At the sudden movement, the bandages around my hand loosened.
When my eyes landed upon the flesh hidden behind these bandages, my eyes widened in pure shock. "What…what is this?" I mumbled as my eyes struggled on forcing at my hand. Reddish-brown uneven skin covered my hand. It almost looked as though I've been burned but none of my memory could cover the reason behind it.
Pushing aside the pain stressing my body, I quickly tore off the bandages that covered my other hand to discover a large scar tearing from the back of my hand up to my elbow.
Another wound that I have no recollection of.
"What is this…?" I repeated again, unable to remember any of these wounds. It wasn't any wounds Kizaru inflicted during our fight and it definitely wasn't made anywhere within that battle field.
"What's…going on?" I desperately tried to think back, back to the most recent memory I held. The blood that poured from his lips, his body that was forcefully melted through a hole in…those tears that stained his cheeks and…
His lifeless body that collapsed.
The body I couldn't reach.
"A–ah…!" I gasped, suddenly finding the hard impossible to breath as the flame around me grew brighter.
"Leave."
"Hakuren–"
"I said leave!" I screamed as my eye widened into a glare. As though obeying my words, a wave of fire sweep over the wooden flooring, pushing away anyone that tried to come close to me.
"No…it isn't…" The fire wasn't obeying me.
"Stop…" I whispered as I stared at the flame…the flame similar to the one he used. Within the curtain of flame, the images from that time resurfaced. "Stop…" I stared at Ace who leaped before Monkey D. Luffy, acting like as shield as an ominous shadow hovered over his back.
"Stop!" I gasped, not wanting to look anymore as I shut my eyes. But the flame wouldn't stop. The flickering lights beyond my eyelids wouldn't disappear.
"Hakuren, stop this!" Marco spoke in a commanding tone, but even if he says that…
"This flame…" I whispered softly as I gritted my teeth at the throbbing pain within my eyes. "This isn't…!" I whispered in shock as I stared at the fames burning vividly before my eyes.
I couldn't control it.
My illusions…
"I can't control it..." I spoke, my voice only loud enough to reach Marco, signaling for him and the others to back away as the flame grew brighter.
"What do you mean you can't control it? Isn't this your Real Illusion?" Marco said back. At his words, my eyes widened.
Real Illusion he says?
So these flames…I've been using Real Illusion?
Unable to move, I sat stilly as I feel the intense heat of the flames crawling over my skin. I felt a droplet escaped my left eye, but I knew that it wasn't tear. If it was, then the left side of my vision wouldn't have been dyed in crimson.
That fire...I'll never see again...
That laughter I'll never hear again…
Perhaps…It would be better to disappear as well…into this flame…
"Enough if enough you selfish brat! What would happen to that child of yours if anything happens to you?" A voice of an old woman's screamed before freezing cold water slammed down against my head. I released a scream and tumbled onto the wetted bed, feeling my skin being torn apart as the fire over my body was distinguished.
"Hakuern-san!"
"You old hag! What are you doing?"
"Someone get the first aids!"
The voices of angry men screamed.
I bit my lower lip to hold back my voice as I clenched onto my body that was itching with pain.
Hotaru
I quickly remembered that name as my heart skipped a beat. That's right…Hotaru. If I disappear, then…what would become of him?
At the thought of how I nearly dismissed Hotaru's existence, I couldn't help but feel the urge to slap myself.
How could I forget someone so important…?
"Hakuren, are you alright?" Marco's voice said as I slowly opened my eyes to see him already by my side. I parted my lips to speak, but what came out was nothing but a scream. I quickly snapped my head up to see showers of water raining down, extinguishing the rest of the flames that lit this room.
"Stop it! Are you trying to kill her?" One of the men screamed as I coughed out another mouthful of blood. "If we let the flame spread it will only put more stress on her body and injure her even more when we extinguish them." A calmed, deep voice spoke as a figure walked into my view, joining in with Marco.
"You look well." The man said as I stared at his crimson red hair through the good half of my vision.
"Shanks."
Why was he here, I don't know, nor did I feel the curiosity to know. All I wanted to know…the words that I couldn't trust from Marco…
"Where…?" I coughed, slowly reaching out my hand that was covered with fresh wounds in attempt to grasp his shirt. Without the necessary strength to support my arm, my hand slipped and began to fall. Before my hand hit the bed sheet, Shanks swiftly caught my hand and held it gently in his.
"Ace and old man…were are they?" As those words came through my lips, I felt Shanks's grip tightened over mine, as though to comfort me.
"I should have arrived earlier. Sorry, Hakuren." Shanks apologized as my eyes widened. Somewhere…somewhere inside, I was expecting…expecting him to laugh it off as a joke.
Just like his usual carefree self, to laugh everything off...
But he didn't.
Shanks…he was serious.
So was Marco.
"Leave…"
"Hakure–"
"Get out!" I snapped as I jerked my hand away from him. I slapped away the hands that were trying to treat my wounds – created through the side affect of my illusions.
"Just…leave me alone…!" I whispered, feeling my vision blurred. I felt something heavy over my eye, threatening fall at any moment. I held back, not wanting to shed anymore of my weakness in front of them.
"Shanks boy, you best leave. I'll look after her." The only woman's voice other than mine spoke again. I looked up. For the first time since I've woken, I saw her…the old woman with snow white hair standing before the bed I rested.
"You're that..." I whispered as my voice trailed off. I stared at the old woman.
The one from Gol D. Roger's crew who had saved and helped me delivered Hotaru.
"If there's anything you need, just call." Shanks said to me before he left with Marco and the other bystanders. As the door gently closed, the old hag made her way to me and sat by the edge of the bed.
Now that it all made sense.
This place is this woman's home.
That would explain Shanks's presence here as well.
However, it doesn't explain why I was here. I should be at the battlefield…how did I get here? What were these wounds? So many questions flooded my mind, but I couldn't find myself worrying about any of them.
Ace is gone…
The old man too…I didn't even know how he died.
Ace and the old man…both of them…
"Go away…I don't need your comfort." I snapped, couldn't hold off anymore as the old hag looked away from me. "My body is old. The bed is more comfortable for me to sit on." She obviously lied, but I didn't care anymore.
Strength leaving my neck, my head fell against the bed sheet. Unable to hold off any longer, droplets of transparent liquid flooded down my eyes. With blanket clutched in my bleeding hands, I buried my face into the bed to muffle outthe miserable sounds that were escaping my lips.
The faces I'll never see again.