Nine Minutes
Disclaimer: I do own One Piece. I also own a great deal of medication.
Previously:
Boom.
Chapter 37: How Very Mercenary of You
The corridor was silent as Kyung slowly walked through the wide, spacious manor. The banker was twitching. His whole body was on edge. He didn't like this. Kyung was a man that preferred numbers, trade contracts and negotiation. He could still be ruthless, just ruthless in a less-bloody way.
Now, though, it was like his body was screaming at him. Over the last week he had been through the argument hundreds of times and convinced himself it was necessary, but somehow his stomach hadn't got the message. He had already been sick several times this morning, and the queasiness didn't disappear.
This is all Iceburg's fault, Kyung thought furiously. Damn him – Iceburg did this, not me.
But there was nothing that could be done now. Instead, Kyung just settled into luxurious house, locked the doors, and collapsed into a red velvet armchair, staring intently at the clock. He had had new locks installed just for this night. Every window was bolted and there were guards standing watch across the property.
Just one night, Kyung thought with a sigh. One night and it will all be over…
They always knew that this was going to be a rough night.
After a few minutes of restless fidgeting, Kyung headed into the wine cellar, picking out a bottle of his finest vintage to calm his nerves. His hands were shaking as he tried to pour a glass, splattering wine over his silk shirt. The men at his wine club would have cursed him for how quickly he went through that bottle.
Still feeling uneasy, he picked out a record from his collection and dropped into the machine, sighing in relief as the opera music filled the sitting room. Slowly, Kyung turned the music up to full volume, until it was echoing through the manor, and he dropped back into his armchair and waited.
Around twenty to six, he felt a boom so loud it caused the entire street to rock. He was on the other side of the island, but it still felt like an earthquake. Kyung's hands were white as he gripped the glass, and took another sip.
The shockwave was followed by a short moment of silence, but then the screams could be heard. The shrill screams came from the distance, along with the dull rumble of buildings falling apart.
Pretty soon afterwards, Kyung heard the distinct pops of gunfire. Lots and lots of gunfire…
Kyung sighed, and desperately stood up to see if he could turn the music up any louder.
They had all known what would happen here. Kyung had given all of conspirators the exact same instructions:
Relax, stay inside, lock your doors and keep them locked until the shooting stops.
"Grannie!" The little girl shouted loudly, clutching her grandma's hand tightly as they ran. Next to her, her pet rabbit hopped frantically by their side. "Come on, we need to run!"
"I'm running, I'm running!" The old woman wheezed, barely able to stand. Years of heavy booze and laziness had left Kokoro in no shape to run, but the old train conductor was still sprinting as fast as she could manage, even despite the blood trickling from her side.
"Come on, grannie, they're getting close!" Her granddaughter screamed, trying to drag her mother forward. "Faster!"
Kokoro blinked. The blood loss from the bullet wound in her side was getting to her. God, I feel like an old woman, she thought regretfully. "Chimney…" Kokoro panted. "…You're going to have… to… run withou–"
"Faster, grannie!" Chimney screamed, dragging her grandmother across the deserted pier. "Faster!"
Kokoro gulped, glancing upwards at the city. They had all felt the explosion and now, the skies were black from the smoke and ash. The only light came from the burning buildings. Kokoro looked behind her, only to glimpse four figures casually walking after her. One of them was still clutching a smoking gun.
"Do we really have to kill this old woman?" One of the men muttered doubtfully. He was a tall man wearing a bright red jacket, with flamboyant green curled shoes. He was fairly young, with a pointed chin and longish, shaggy blonde hair and the tattoo of a cross across his cheek. He frowned. "Or at least I think it's a woman. Anyways, seems a bit disgraceful, you know?"
"Now, now, Bobo," His colleague muttered with a broad smile. He was the one still clutching the gun that had just shot Kokoro. He was extremely old, with a plump body, no visible neck and a bald head that made him look vaguely like an egg. He wore extremely thick, circular glasses. "Let's not forget that we've got a job to do."
Bobo grunted. "Right-o, boss."
"This old woman is listed here as an Iceburg supporter," the other man muttered strictly, checking the paperwork filled with names and photos. He was a massively obese man, wearing a black sweat suit that was practicality squeezed over his body. His face was bright purple and sweating. "That means she has to die. Biyunka, do you want to do the honours?"
The final figure, a woman shook her head curtly. "No." She was tall, lean, with a flat body, wearing a simple grey dress with wooden sandals. She had short blonde hair curled back into a braid, and an emotionless expression on her face.
Kokoro was still running away. None of the mercenaries looked particularly concerned. "Biyunka!" The fat man grumbled. "You've got to take part somet–"
"No." Biyunka replied simply.
"But –"
"No."
The fat man looked ready snap. The boss pattered him on the shoulder soothingly. "Calm down, Bourin," he said with a kindly old smile. "Let's not argue."
Without another word, the old man drew up his pistol and fired. Even at this distance, the bullet hit Kokoro firmly in the back. Chimney screamed as her grandmother collapsed.
"Bobo, can you finish her off please?" The old man asked gently, completely ignoring the desperate wails of the little girl tugging at her grandmother's jacket. His voice was slow, steady and soothing.
Bobo grinned. "Right away, Gapopo!" He said with a mock salute, clutching his short sword tightly.
Kokoro was still crawling across the ground even as Bobo walked towards her. With one last gulp, Kokoro clutched Chimney and her pet rabbit tightly, twisting around until she fell straight off the harbour. The old woman landed into the dark water with barely a splash.
Back on the pier, the mercenaries blinked. "Is she dead?" Bourin demanded angrily, his chubby face turning beetroot red.
Bobo shrugged, peering over the side. There was no sign of her in the water. "Yeah, probably," he said simply, sheaving his sword again and walking away.
The four mercenaries looked at each other, and then up towards the pluming tower of smoke. They had been supplied a very long list of targets, and in the devastated city they pretty much had free reign. So many people to murder and so little time, Gapopo mused.
"Then let's finish up here. The others will need our help. We've got to ensure that no one leaves that explosion alive." Gapopo said cheerfully. His old, leathery face wrinkled as he grinned, revealing a mouth full of missing teeth. "And remember, kids – try to have fun."
Pain. Smoke. Dust. Screams. It was all so muddled that Luffy couldn't even make sense of it.
He had felt the shockwave hit him, and suddenly that was all he felt.
There was no thought. His vision was blur, his ears could hear nothing but a deaf ringing. His head was spinning like his brain had been liquefied and was still swirling around in his skull.
He couldn't move. For a while, he couldn't even remember how to move. It was like he didn't even know where his limbs were.
Luffy didn't know how long he was lying there. It could have been hours, or maybe seconds, but his head was just too muddled to even notice. It was only as slowly started to process everything again that everything came into focus.
The first thing that he felt was pain. Oh, so, so much pain.
His vision cleared next, or at least he thought it did. All he could see was lots of dust and smoke. His ears were still completely deaf, and his head spinning so badly he felt dizzy just lying face first on the ground.
His lungs were screaming in pain. His bones felt like they had been shattered. He tried to move, but he couldn't. He was a paralysed, and his skin was numb.
Seastone, Luffy realised dumbly. He could numbly feel sharp objects sticking into his back. The ship had been made out of Seastone-laced wood. There are Seastone splinters sticking into my back.
He was left lying paralysed. Every breath was a chore. He wasn't even sure if he breathing properly. Breathing had always seemed so natural before, but now it was like he had to force his lungs to go in and out.
He wondered briefly what it would feel like to die here, in the dust, after forgetting how to breathe.
There were footsteps approaching him. Luffy could feel someone shaking his shoulder and shouting something, but his ears couldn't even make out the words.
Luffy frowned, and tried to concentrate. " –ffy! Luffy!" A voice shouted desperately. He knew that voice. Luffy groaned quietly as he tried to move, but then there were strong hands pulling him off the ground.
His vision blurred out of focus, but he blinked repeatedly until he could make out the face. "…Robin?" He gasped, staring at the person dragging him upwards.
"Luffy, we need go right now," Robin said urgently, wrapping his arm around her shoulder so she could lift him up. "Quickly, we've got to hurry."
"Huh?" Luffy muttered dumbly. Just the sound of her voice was pulling everything into focus. There was so much dust everywhere, but they were standing on a blackened, stone ground. The ground was rumbling, and shaking unsteadily.
Luffy's ears recovered enough that he could hear the screams in the distance. But there was also the distinct sound of gunfire, and one by one it was like the screams were disappearing.
Robin was practically dragging him across the ground. "What's going on?" Luffy stammered. His breathing was becoming more hoarse, and panicked. "Where are the others?"
Robin didn't reply. Her eyes were dark. Her clothes and skin were stained with soot and dust. Then again, Luffy's shirt had been practically shredded. He was wearing the burned tatters of his jacket and trousers.
There were still gunshots in the distance, and they were getting closer. "He hired assassins to finish off any survivors," Robin murmured darkly, her eyes flashing in fear. "Of course he did."
Luffy gasped weakly. "We need to save the others."
Robin glanced at him, still dragging him away quickly. With the Seastone stabbing into his back, he was still paralysed. "Luffy, we can barely save ourselves," she muttered warningly.
"Doesn't matter," Luffy gasped. "We still need to save the others."
Her grip on his shoulder tightened. The smoke and dust was clearing slowly. There was rubble everywhere. The paths and bridges had been shattered, the canals overflowing. Robin reached a street that was now flooded with water, and she cursed as she looked desperately through the smog for another way out.
Luffy blinked, trying to see anything through the smoke. The only thing he could make out was…
"Robin…" he muttered slowly. "…Where did the city go?"
Zoro screamed. He screamed until his lungs ached. His arms burnt as he tried to heave the slab of stone off him. He couldn't see anything but dust and rubble. The dock was completely unrecognisable. With a final grunt, he managed to shove the huge stone debris to one side, staring at the devastated wasteland.
Half of Dock One had been turned into a crater. The other half had been scoured clean by an immense shockwave and then pulverised by tonnes of flying stone debris. The explosion had cracked the dock in half, and with most of the harbour falling into the ocean. Zoro couldn't even see the full extent of the damage, but it was bad.
"Aisa!" A voice bellowed furiously. Zoro turned to see Wiper stacking over the debris, eyes mad with panic. "AISA!"
Zoro tried to move, but he grimaced as his right leg seized up and locked. His whole body was raw and painful. He had to stagger over the uneven ground, threatening to trip at any moment. Zoro had taken some pretty powerful blows in his time, but that… that felt like a three kilometre-tall giant had stepped out of the sky and stomped straight into Water 7.
What happened to the crowd? Zoro thought weakly, before glancing down at the pile of debris they were standing on. Everyone had been buried by the rubble, it was only him and Wiper who had been strong enough to dig themselves out again…
"Oh dammit," Zoro cursed. How many people had been in the Dock? A hundred? A thousand? How many were standing too close to the blast and how many were still alive, clinging on to life as the rubble slowly crushed them?
There was a huge crack of stone splitting. Zoro turned just to see a huge chunk of the corner of the dock give way and fall into the ocean. Zoro really didn't like the way the ground was still rumbling. He was sure that whole ground seemed distinctly tilted to one side.
This whole dock could collapse at any moment, Zoro realised. No, it was more than that. Water 7 was essentially built on top of a sunken city as the waterline kept on rising, right? If an explosion like that damaged enough of the foundations, then…
"The whole city might collapse," Zoro muttered darkly.
The crew. That was his priority right now. He had to make sure they were still alive.
"AISA!" Wiper screamed, clambering through the rocks, looking for sign of his ward. There were too many places a little girl could get trapped…
Zoro took a deep breath and forced himself to concentrate. The panic threatened to consume him, but Zoro couldn't risk losing focus. He needed a clear head. Think, dammit! Zoro shouted mentally. Where had everybody been standing before the explosion?
Luffy had been next to the stage, closest to the epicentre than anyone, but he was also the most likely to survive by himself. Zoro thought he saw Nami leaving a bit early, so maybe she got out safe. Sanji had been at the banquet table, but that was on the other side of the dock. Chopper… well… Zoro had lost track of Chopper, but he suspected the doctor might have been with Carue. Robin hadn't been present. Vivi had been mingling in the crowd. Conis had definitely been playing with Aisa, and Zoro thought that maybe Tashigi had been nearby…
How the hell am I meant to find them? Zoro cursed, looking around the piles of debris. He never even knew where he was.
But maybe I don't have to…
The realisation came slowly. Zoro paused, forced the pain out his mind and tried to clear his head. Slowly, his hand dropped on to hilt of his sword, and he paused. Listen to the breathing… he thought silently.
It was the exactly the same as he did in Alabasta, only bigger. He had learnt how to listen to the flow of objects in order to cut steel, and now he had do the exact same thing again, just on a different scale.
Maybe I've approaching Haki all wrong, Zoro realised. Maybe it's not something that I have to learn, maybe it's something I just need to do…
Focus…
He cleared his mind. The pain, the worry was all immaterial. Zoro breathing was completely steady as he focused all of his concentration into an edge, and he tried to visualise swinging it towards his friends…
And suddenly he felt his mind cutting through all of the stone like a sword.
Zoro's eyes shot open. He gasped suddenly. No time to obsess over what just happened. "Over there!" He shouted loudly, pointing to a huge slab of stone stuck in the corner. "She's over there!"
Wiper turned and stared, but didn't question him. They were both charging towards the area instantly. The stone slab was absolutely huge, but together Zoro and Wiper grabbed it and hoisted it away with a single grunt. They were both clawing and digging their way through the debris, throwing boulders larger as if they were made of paper.
This was too close to the explosion, Zoro thought with sudden dread. Could they really have survived that much of an impact?
They tore through granite and steel debris, tearing what used to be a building support out of the way, until they encountered a huge, sudden wall of pink flesh.
Wiper's eyes bulged in shock. "Is that…?"
Zoro grinned. "That's a fucking elephant," he said happily, before screaming loudly. "Conis! Aisa! Tashigi!"
The elephant was a huge beast as large as a house, but must have died just about instantly from the tons of stone pulverising its body. Without hesitation, Zoro and Wiper each grabbed a stubby pink leg, and dragged the corpse out of the way with a grunt of exertion.
Just as the beast started to move, Zoro realised that someone else was pushing from the other side.
"Tashigi!" Zoro exclaimed in relief, rushing forward to drag the swordswoman out of the hole. Tashigi's eyes were dark and she was cradling her arm, but she looked alright. Next to her, Conis gasped weakly, her blond hair dark with dusk, but she was cradling a motionless Aisa in her arms.
Wiper's eyes filled with pure panic. "Aisa!"
"She's alright," Conis said quickly. "Just unconscious."
"Conis screamed in the explosion," Tashigi explained simply. "She screamed so loud she called an elephant, and that took the brunt of the blast for us."
Conis glanced mournfully at the dead, mangled body, but there was no time to pause. "Where are the others?" Conis asked urgently, glancing around the ruined dock.
"We need to find them, and quickly," Zoro explained, eyes flickering. Who was next? I'll search for Vivi next, he decided.
Same thing, Zoro forced his body to relax, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He pictured Vivi as clear as day, her face, her clothes, her smell, and then he visualised what would be like to swing his mental sword towards her. The blade cut straight towards her.
Zoro opened his eyes and blinked. Crap, he thought urgently. I should have done Vivi first.
Without a second's hesitation, Zoro turned and ran, completely ignoring the blinding pain in his leg. He sprinted straight towards the water, and dived into the overflown canal without a second thought. The others sprinted after him.
About five seconds later, he emerged from the water, clutching a still Vivi tightly. Her skin was cold and bone pale, and she wasn't moving.
"Please tell me someone here knows CPR!" Zoro shouted, charging back onto the dry ground.
"Give her here!" Tashigi shouted, as Zoro placed her back onto the ground. Quickly, Tashigi dropped down to her, applying chest compressions with a steady rhythm. For a few tense seconds, nothing happened. Then, water spluttered from her mouth and Vivi gasped for breath, eyes fluttering madly.
"It's alright, it's alright," Tashigi soothed, hugging her softly as she struggled to breathe.
They were all various states of shell-shocked. Conis looked like she was barely being held together.
"What the hell happened here?" Conis muttered, staring around the dust-filled ruins.
"The ship exploded," Zoro said darkly.
"What? Why?"
"Not a clue," Wiper snarled. He was still cradling Aisa protectively. "But somebody is sure as hell going to die when I find out!"
Zoro was quiet. He was trying to focus on Chopper, Nami and Sanji, but he couldn't. Did his Haki have a range? Does that mean the others are far away? How far? If only Aisa was awake, she's better than me at this, he thought furiously.
"Come on," Zoro said coldly. "We've got find the others and get out of here."
There were screams in the distance. Zoro didn't know how far the blast radius spread, but judging by the devastation here, it was a quite a distance. There must be thousands of people injured or dead. We need help, we need some sort of rescue operation…
The first gunshot caused them all to freeze. Suddenly, a scream disappeared. It was followed by another gunshot, and then another, and then another.
Zoro clutched his swords tighter. "We need to find the others right now," he muttered slowly. Water 7 was not a safe place anymore. Perhaps it never was.
Nami growled as she limped through the devastated streets. She had been some distance away from the explosion and covered by a large building, but the shockwave still slammed her hard against the wall, and shard of rubble cut her skin. She had blacked out briefly, but regained consciousness just in time to see the huge mushroom cloud burst over the docks.
What the hell happened? Nami gasped, struggling to move. She could feel the panic growing around her. Her eyes were still raw from crying so much. The break-up had felt devastating, but this…
Water started swirling into the alleyway. The canals had collapsed and the streets were flooding. In this distance, she saw smoke as buildings caught fire.
Nami had to waddle her way through the rising water. She was panicking by the time she reached the end of alleyway, only for her hit a huge chunk of rubble blocking her way. The water was up to her waist now.
"Damn!" Nami cursed, glaring at the rubble in her path. She really didn't like the way everything seemed to be rumbling here and collapsing. The whole alleyway seemed to be sinking. Water 7 was made up of delicate little canal streets stacked on top of each other, and Nami wondered how well they'd stand up to a brute force impact.
"Hey!" A voice shouted from the other side suddenly. "I think someone's behind here!"
Nami's eyes widened. "Hey!" She shouted loudly, over the background dim. "I'm here!"
"Don't worry, we're here to help!" The voice called. She heard the sound a man clambering over the rubble on the other side. Suddenly, a face appeared on top of the debris; dark hair, chubby cheeks, innocent eyes. He was smiling as he threw a rope down to Nami. "There you go, climb on up."
She sighed, clutching the rope tightly. "Oh, thank you," she muttered, dragging herself upwards.
"Not a problem," the man said happily. "Say, are you one of the pirates?"
"Yes," Nami nodded, as she grit her teeth and struggled to find leverage on the slick rope.
"Oh, good – we've been looking for you!" He said brightly, flashing a toothy smile.
"Really?"
"Yep." Slowly the man took out a gun and pointed it downwards. "You're worth a bonus."
Nami blinked. She was left staring straight upwards at the nozzle of a high-calibre pistol pointing at her forehead, as helpless as a fish in a barrel. The man was smiling even as she saw his fingers tightening on the trigger.
"NAMI!" A voice boomed violently, just as a figure leapt down from the rooftops, slamming straight on top of the would-be assassin. Sanji was there in an instant, crushing the man with a ferocious kick.
"More pirates!" Voices shouted from the street. There were more assassins. "Get them!"
Gunshots bounced off the walls. Sanji ducked down into the flooded alleyway, just as men on the rooftops took aim.
"You alright?" Sanji screamed, but the chef himself looked pretty tattered as well. His suit was in ruins.
Nami nodded, quickly dragging Sanji out of the way. They splashed through the water, even as the bullets bounced around them. There were lots of assassins – all of them well-armed and in position, ready and waiting on the roofs to cut down anyone fleeing the docks. This was well-prepared, she thought darkly.
"Move!" Nami shouted. She really wished that she hadn't left her Clima-Sword behind. At the time, she thought it would be impolite to go to a party carrying a huge blade. Bad decision, apparently.
Sanji grunted, his leg spinning and colliding against the wall with a shower of debris, forming an escape route into the tattered building. They dived in, listening to the shouts of assassins as they rushed to cut them off.
"They're everywhere," Sanji gasped, clutching his side tightly. He'd been injured in the explosion too.
"Somebody's trying really hard to kill us," Nami realised. "Did Galley-La set us up?"
Sanji shook his head. "I don't think so – they were shooting shipwrights as well."
"Then we've got to get out of here, quickly," Nami muttered, still breathing heavily.
"We've got the Going Merry still." Sanji sighed. "Let's find the others and get to the ship."
Nami bit her lip as doubt hit her. "There's one of us who won't be able to leave," she realised darkly.
Sanji's eyes widened. "Damn, Usopp…" He groaned. The sniper was still on life-support. Completely unconscious and vulnerable.
"They were hunting us," Nami said slowly. "What if they go to the hospital for Usopp as well?"
Or what if the hospital was damaged in the explosion as well? Nami thought grimly. What were they going to do if the hospital collapsed and Usopp was left to die in the rubble as the machines broke?
Sanji looked like he was having similar thoughts. "We need Chopper," Sanji decided firmly. "Get Chopper to the hospital, grab whatever drugs Usopp needs, and Chopper could keep him stable when we get to the Going Merry."
"Then you're going to have to go to the hospital straight away," Nami ordered. "I'll stay behind, try to find the others and find Chopper. We'll meet you there as soon as possible, but you need to be at the hospital to protect Usopp from assassins in the meantime."
Sanji shook his head. "I'm not leaving you here, there are–"
"Sanji!" Nami snapped. "Promise me you won't let anything happen to Usopp!"
His expression looked pained. "Fine, I swear it," he promised, glancing at her with worry. "But promise me you'll stay safe when I'm gone."
"Always," Nami said, forcing a bright smile. Smiling felt hard. "Now let's run!"
He nodded, glancing out into the street. There were assassins across the rooftop. They had set up barricades and they were lying in wait. Sanji wondered how long they had before the docks finally gave in and collapsed.
Nami paused. She could feel the ground rumbling and it made her uneasy. "Sanji…" She muttered slowly. "I think we have a problem…"
Sanji turned to stare. "Just the one?!"
"The Aqua Elevator," Nami muttered, pointing to the huge structure in the distance, the one connecting the upper and lower levels of Water 7. The giant sea lock was a towering structure of thousands of tons of water. "I think… I think it must have been damaged in the explosion. It doesn't look so stable anymore…"
Even as she stared, the massive stone structure seemed to almost flex under the pressure. If the bottom supports are damaged, Nami thought slowly, the foundations break down, the canals collapse and more and more strain is put on the architecture. If there was enough damage, everything starts to break down like a chain reaction.
Sanji stared. He slowly looked upwards towards the giant fountain sat atop the centre of Water 7. The enormous fountain looked distinctly… tilted.
"Um… what happens if the Aqua Elevator breaks?" He asked slowly.
Nami gulped. "Well, it's a sea lock. It maintains the different water levels. If it breaks, then all of the water on the top is going to come… well… down…"
They stared at each other, and then out over the city. A huge chunk of the city had been turned into a crater, Dock One had been obliterated, and the whole corner of the city was crumbling into dust. There were fires breaking out everywhere, the streets were flooding, armed assassins were hunting them and there was a giant ticking time-bomb counting down until a giant flood washed half of the city away.
"Let's run faster," Nami said definitely.
"Agreed."
Without hesitation, they both exploded from the building, with Sanji kicking through the wall so hard that bricks went flying straight towards the assassins. They opened fire instantly, but Nami and Sanji were already zig-zagging their way through the hail of bullets, rushing for cover. Feet pounded against the cracked pavement furiously.
The assassins were still shooting. There were lots of mercenaries, and they were all competing for the pirate's heads.
"Boss!" One of the men yelled across the rooftops. "They're getting away."
The boss slowly lit his cigar, grinning as he watched the smoke and destruction. He slowly adjusted his thick, circular glasses, eyes glinting in the darkness. He was a very old man and he had seen more than his fair share of mayhem, but this was still a good one. Gapopo had been paid very handsomely to ensure that no one on that very long list got out alive.
"Oh, that's alright, laddie," Gapopo muttered cheerfully, the grin growing across his wrinkled face. "The hunt is always more interesting when they're running."
He turned slowly towards his men. The mercenaries were all armed and waiting. "Let's get to work," Gapopo said brightly.
Wiper staggered as he clambered over the debris, staring out over the city. This close to the blast, it could hardly even be called a city. He was sure that the water level was rising. It was either that or the ground was sinking.
To his shame, he had left his bazooka behind. Nami had yelled at him when he tried to bring the gun to the party. Wiper had just known he would regret that decision.
They were all battered, and in no state to fight. They didn't even know who they were fighting. Right now, they just had to find the others and run.
"What's happening?" Zoro demanded, still limping behind slightly as he kept on trying to focus. His Haki was so inconsistent that he could barely even use it. It was like he had a broken switch in his head that was flicking on and off inconsistently.
There were still gunshots, and they were moving closer steadily. There weren't so many screams anymore, but in the smoke there was absolutely nothing they could do to help anyone. Wiper's jaw clenched; he had been on the hunt enough times himself to know this tactic.
Somebody had set up a perimeter up and they were steadily closing the net. They were being hunted.
That meant the only way out was if they fought their way through. "Everybody get ready!" Wiper bellowed. "We've got company!"
Zoro clutched his swords, staring out over the fog. Next to him, Tashigi drew hers and stepped by his side. Visibility was still terrible.
In the distance, there was a distinct thunk. Tashigi's eyes widened. She recognised that sound. The sound of something heavy being loaded.
"Everyone take cover!" Tashigi bellowed, just as a blur shot towards him. The pirates scattered, and an object flew by Zoro and crashed into the ground behind him.
The explosion took them all to their knees. There were more 'thunks' as more weapons were loaded.
"They've got grenade launchers," Zoro realised dumbly. He snarled. "Well, of course they've got bloody grenade launchers!"
"Everyone run!" Tashigi ordered, and suddenly the pirates were sprinting across the field of stone debris as the grenades and bullets launched everyone.
Ahead, Wiper bellowed furiously, kicking his Jet Skis into action as he soared straight into the centre of the crowd. Tashigi was rushing to cover while Vivi was sticking closely with Conis and Aisa. Zoro lost track of them as grenade came so close that his head started spin.
Dust and smoke went everywhere. They're trying to separate us, Zoro realised suddenly. Scatter the prey and pick them off one by one. He tried to yell, but his voice could barely be heard over the gunfire.
"Conis!" Tashigi ordered loudly. "Take Aisa and run! Get out of here! Vivi, you're with me!"
Vivi nodded, charging into the field and firing off blade of sands blindly into the fog. Conis gulped, her face still pale, but then she cupped her hands around her mouth and screamed; a low, guttural bawl vaguely like a whinny. It took Vivi a few seconds to recognise the call, just as a monstrously fat hippopotamus came out of nowhere, stomping through the battlefield on stubby legs.
"You can call a hippo?" Vivi shouted, impressed.
"I was trying to call a horse," Conis admitted weakly, but clutching Aisa tightly and clambering onto the hippo's back anyways. Before she was even ready, the hippo was charging again, barrelling out of the battlefield with unstoppable momentum.
The battle exploded. Wiper was at the front of the ground, tearing through the ranks with his bare hands, but the mercenaries had the better position and better firepower. Within seconds, Wiper was bleeding from dozens of bullet wounds and even took a grenade to the chest, but he was still charging through them. He tore a grenade launcher out of assassin's hand, using the weapon to give enough suppressing fire for Zoro and Tashigi to enter the fray.
The mercenaries were good – they handled themselves well, but the pirates were angry. Still, quickly Zoro realised that they were all trying to avoid a direct fight, instead using their numbers and keeping their distance to shoot at them from all directions. He didn't even know how many enemies there were.
Zoro grunted as he slashed down furiously with all three blades. There were screams as the flying slashes took down three mercenaries at once.
"Oh my," A pleasant voice chuckled from the smoke. "It looks like we've got some strong ones here. Everyone hold their fire."
The shooting stopped. Tashigi and Vivi were by Zoro's side as he glared furiously at the shapes in the smoke. Wiper looked absolutely feral with rage. One by one, the mercenaries in the smoke holstered their weapons.
An old man stepped towards Zoro, smiling with zero concern. He was absolutely ancient; he looked over ninety years old with a plump body, short legs, and thick, bookish glasses, but there was something in his smirk that put Zoro on edge.
"Evening, chaps," the old man greeted casually.
He was flanked by three other figures. One of them was tall and thin and flamboyantly dressed, a bright smile growing across his face. The other was a morbidly obese man with stubby limbs and very tight clothes, and the final was lean girl, flat-chested with short blonde hair and a stony expression.
"Who the hell are you working for and why are we trying to kill us?" Zoro demanded.
The flamboyant man barked loudly. "Don't take it too personally! It's just a job, you know?"
Zoro's hands clenched. The old man smiled; he looked like a sweet old grandpa, but there was something sinister underneath that smile. "Ah, where are my manners?" He mused. "Allow me to introduce ourselves. I am Gapopo Igasugamer, and may I present my companions – Bobo, Bourin, and, of course, the sweet Biyunka. We are the mercenaries that will have the pleasure of murdering you this evening."
Bobo waved and bowed theatrically, but his hand was on the short sword on his belt. Biyunka didn't even twitch. Tashigi frowned.
"…Gapopo…" Tashigi muttered. The name rang a bell. "I've heard of you. That means that this is the Lily Funeral Mercenary Band, isn't it?"
Gapopo's grin widened. "Ah, a fan. I'm honoured."
"Who are they?" Zoro demanded, not taking his eyes off the enemies.
"Killers for hire," Tashigi replied grimly. "That man, Gapopo, apparently he's been murdering and killing for over ninety years."
"Ninety years?" The old man mused. "My, how the time flies."
Zoro glanced between Tashigi, Vivi and Wiper. None of them were at their best, but they weren't out for the count either. Wiper could take the fat guy, Tashigi could handle the tall guy with the sword, Vivi would be fine for the stony girl. The leader might be old, but Zoro really didn't like his smile, so Zoro would take care of him. Four vs four. Zoro liked those odds.
Gapopo must have been having the same thought. His grin widened. "Ah, but, my son," Gapopo said cheerfully. "We're mercenaries. We don't fight fair."
He motioned at Biyunka briefly. "Go kill the girl and little kid first," Gapopo ordered coolly.
"Right away," Biyunka grunted, instantly turning to one side and running in the direction where Conis and Aisa had disappeared.
Wiper's eyes widened in shock. "Don't you dare!" He roared, kicking his Jet Skis into action as he charged after Biyunka.
In a fluid motion, Biyunka twisted around a lashed at him with a swift kick, knocking Wiper to the ground. The raider snarled, but Biyunka's feet rippled and morphed, her slender feet twisting and transforming into circular wheels that skidded across the ground.
Devil fruit, Wiper cursed, chasing after. In an instant Biyunka was already skating across the ground on her wheeled feet.
Zoro snarled and readied his blades. "Bourin," Gapopo ordered, his pleasant smile not even wavering. "Why don't you go to the hospital? Pay their injured friend a visit."
"Yes boss," Bourin muttered, turning around and stomping in the other direction.
"Usopp!" Vivi shouted in panic.
"Get back here, you bastard!" Zoro growled, charging straight at the retreating Bourin. Usopp was defenceless. Before Zoro could even get close, Bobo was there in an instant, blocking all three of Zoro's swords with his short sword. His long limbs were dancing as he grinned at Zoro.
"You want to dance, pretty boy?" Bobo taunted with a maniac smile. Zoro growled, unleashing a furious flurry of three-bladed strikes. Bobo parried or dodged every single one.
Tashigi grit her teeth, charging straight towards Gapopo. "Then you're mine!" She growled, slashing her sword downwards in a huge arc.
The old man didn't even try to dodge. She felt her blade jerk as it sliced cleanly through his waist, and Tashigi grunted in satisfaction. Still, Gapopo didn't even twitch and suddenly he was there, catching her by surprise as he knocked the sword out of her hand and grabbed her by the throat.
Tashigi gasped. For all the man was old, his grip was like iron. What was going on? Tashigi thought in shock. That slash should have cut his insides open!
"Sorry," Gapopo said with a bright smile, lifting up his other hand and pointing a pistol straight at her chin as he strangled the life out of her.
"Tashigi!" Vivi screamed, firing a swirling blade of sand straight at Gapopo. It took the old man by surprise. The blade of sand should have cleaved straight through his skull and for a second, Tashigi could have sworn that it did, but then the next second Gapopo was standing there completely unharmed.
The distraction was enough for Tashigi to break free. She barely managed to squirm out of his chokehold before Gapopo's fist embedded itself in her chest. The blow sent Tashigi dropping to the ground, gasping for breath.
"How annoying…" Gapopo mused. "All of the pretty girls are ganging up on me."
He motioned to the other mercenaries still standing in the smoke, clutching grenade launchers. "Everybody!" Gapopo ordered. "Load up your Seastone rounds and focus on the blue-haired girl over there!"
Vivi's face paled. She barely had time to dive to cover before the explosion rocked overhead. The assassins were focusing on her know, and she could barely even see where they were through all the dust. If they had Seastone ammunition… Vivi gulped with the thought.
Tashigi tried to clamber upwards. She barely even managed to stagger to her knees before suddenly Gapopo kicked her in the head so hard she blacked out. The mercenaries were crowding around Vivi, while Zoro was still trading blows with Bobo in a flurry of strikes.
"Bobo!" Gapopo called, already walking away and leaving Tashigi in the dust. "I'll leave it to you to handle this situation."
"Right-o!" Bobo laughed cheerfully. Zoro roared in anger at the casual response and slashed and hacked more furiously, but the slender man just danced backwards around every blow. "Where are you going, boss?"
Gapopo chuckled. "Well, while you kids are having fun," he said jauntily. "I figured I should go and take care of a certain Monkey D. Luffy."
Wiper's Jet Skis were out of juice, and this girl was fast. Her feet had transformed into furiously spinning disks that let her roller-skate across the ground, and Wiper couldn't keep up. He was still exhausted, and his legs were screaming as he sprinted after her.
Still, if she managed to reach Aisa first…
The thought was the only thing powering him forward.
"Stay still and fight like a man!" Wiper roared, as she leapt straight over a pile of rubble without even slowing down.
Biyunka's face didn't even twitch. "I'm not a man," she said simply, before twisting around so she was roller-skating backwards.
In smooth motion, she dropped down and lightly touched a boulder, instantly transforming the solid rock into a spinning disk that shot straight towards Wiper. The raider barely managed to duck as the spinning rock went flying over his head, but then there were suddenly dozens of spinning projectiles launching towards him.
Bloody Devil fruit powers, Wiper snarled. Everything from pebbles to boulders the size of horses twirled and transformed into spinning wheels as soon as she touched them. The pebbles were so fast he could barely see them, while the boulders crunched with slow, unstoppable momentum. Wiper could barely dodge them all in time, but it was enough for her to gain more of a lead.
If I had my bazooka, or even only my spear, Wiper thought furiously, then this would be a very different fight. As it was, he was trying to face an opponent with weird abilities, while unarmed, injured and at a disadvantage.
Still, Wiper couldn't afford to pause. In a second, he was sprinting full speed, running so fast his body burnt. In the distance, he heard the distinct grunting of a hippo bursting through the terrain, just as he saw Biyunka disappear around the corner. They had caught up.
"AISA!" Wiper screamed, desperately trying to pound forward.
Conis and Aisa were riding through the shattered remains of what used to be a warehouse. Conis jumped as she glimpsed Biyunka barrelling towards them. Aisa was awake, eyes wide and fearful. "Wiper!" Aisa shouted, even though he was still out of sight.
In an instant, Biyunka's arms transformed into a series of spinning disks, whirling ferociously like a buzz saw. Conis, to her credit, was alert in a second, with a Dial in hand as she pushed Aisa out of the way and kicked the hippo to change direction.
Biyunka's arm collided against the Axe Dial and halted, clearly shocking her. Biyunka was too fast and Conis was outmatched, yet Conis still didn't let that hold her back. Conis whistled sharply, and suddenly an owl appeared out of nowhere, blinding Biyunka and taking her by surprise.
Biyunka dropped backwards, while Conis slammed the fully-charged Axe Dial straight into her face. Wiper appeared just in time, and, for a second, wondered if maybe Conis didn't need any help at all.
"I'm sorry," Conis whispered softy, just as she triggered the Dial.
But then Biyunka's whole body twisted. In less than a second, Biyunka's body contorted unnaturally and Conis was left firing the Axe Dial and nothing but air.
She used her powers to transform her waist into a wheel, Wiper realised instantly, to twist out of the way of the Axe Dial. Conis had lost her brief advantage and she wouldn't get another one.
Biyunka's torso twisted around 360 degrees and she slashed her arm towards Conis and Aisa in a ferocious strike. Conis barely managed to push Aisa off the hippo to safely, but the blow still sent Conis flying onto the ground.
The huge hippo finally reared around and tried to charge at Biyunka. In a smooth motion, Biyunka pounded her foot on the ground and suddenly a circle appeared in the stone pavement that twisted like a turntable. The hippo's stubby legs lost their footing and its huge body collapsed to the ground.
The whole fight was over in about five seconds. Damn, she was fast.
But Wiper had a chance, enough time to clear the gap. Suddenly, he was leaping towards her with a ferocious aerial kick, firing off the last reserves of his Jet Skis for that final boost. Biyunka's eyes widened in shock, and she barely managed to raise her buzz saw blades to defend against the kick. Sparks flew as Wiper's Jet Skis collided against the buzz saws. She blocked it, but the impact still dropped her to her knees.
"I know your powers now," Wiper growled. "With the exception of your own body, you can only transform inorganic objects into wheels, right?"
"True," Biyunka muttered coldly. "Shame those shoes of yours aren't organic, hmm?"
Wiper's eyes widened in shock, but it was too late. His Jet Skis rippled and twisted, transforming into buzzing wheels still attached to his feet. Wiper grunted as he felt the wheels grind against his ankles like sandpaper.
There was no way he could balance while wearing madly spinning shoes. Wiper tripped to the ground, and instantly Biyunka was lashing out with a spinning kick. Biyunka caught the blow, but it still sent him crashing backwards.
His Jet Skis tore his fingers as he had to drag them off his feet. Wiper's eyes were red with fury. "I will tear you apart!" He roared furiously, fists clenching.
Biyunka nodded. "I believe you," she agreed. "I don't think I would have been able to beat you normally. You're too strong, too angry, and I'm out of tricks."
Wiper's blood turned cold. Biyunka suddenly grabbed Aisa off the ground, and held her buzz saw arms right next to the little girl's throat. Aisa looked absolutely terrified as the woman held her roughly by the hair, spinning blades centimetres away from her throat.
Biyunka's eyes were merciless. "But let me show you how a real mercenary fights."
Wiper's hands clenched so tightly that his fingernails drew blood. "Don't you dare," he snarled with pure, undiluted bloodlust. "If you hurt her I will hurt you more than anyone has ever, ever been hurt!"
"What happens to the little girl is entirely up to you," Biyunka said coldly. "I want you to pick up one of those spinning disks and slice your own throat open – otherwise I'm going to slice this girl's throat open instead."
There were people rushing around the streets in pure panic. Even away from the docks, the entire city could feel the ground rumbling and the houses collapsing. Debris had been scattered for miles every direction, the ash and smoke still clouded the air, and half of the city was burning.
But the hospital was the worst of it all, and that was been five miles away from Dock One. The tall, once elegant building had been hit by a boulder the size of a house, and the wards were collapsing. The building was barely standing anymore, and the courtyard had been a frenzy of people trying to evacuate any patients they could.
Of course, during any emergency, people always flocked to the hospital. The mercenaries had known that too – that's why they had a team of assassins based near the emergency entrance, just waiting.
By the time Bourin reached the devastated building, the courtyard looked like a warzone. There were bodies scattered across the street. Some had run, but the mercenaries had been ruthless.
Water 7 was facing its biggest and most horrifying disaster ever. Without any emergency response, medical facilities, or coordinated recovery, the causalities would skyrocket.
The client had paid for a massacre, Bourin thought with a mental shrug. The professional mercenaries had simply delivered.
There were more mercenaries scattered around the courtyard, all of them well-armed and tense. Bourin frowned. "What the hell are you doing out here?" The fat man demanded. "You had orders to secure the building!"
One of the mercenaries gulped. "We tried, sir, but… well…" the man stammered. "…we've got a complication…"
"Hi there!" A voice shouted coldly from the distance. "My name is 'Mr Complication'."
Bourin turned and glared. Sanji was standing squarely in their path, blocking the main entrance to the hospital. The chef angrily dropped his cigarette to the ground, glaring furiously at Bourin. A lot of the bodies in the courtyard were of mercenaries, Bourin realised. Sanji had been putting up quite a fight.
The chef was shirtless, his chest bruised and burnt, but there was absolutely no sign of retreat in his gaze. Bourin cracked his knuckles as the fat man staggered towards the main entrance. The ground shuddered as he jumped down from a piece of debris.
"Hello there, Mr Complication," Bourin muttered dryly. Around him, the remained mercenaries loaded their weapons. "Is there a reason you're standing in my men's way?"
"Yes," Sanji growled, stomping on the butt of his cigarette. "But it's complicated."
Bourin grunted. "Hardly." He took another step closer. There were perhaps a hundred feet between them. "You're a pirate aren't you? 'Black Leg' Sanji. Your name's on my list. So I'm guessing you're standing there to try and protect your poor hospitalised friend." His beady eyes narrowed and he smirked. "Why don't you come over here so we can talk about?"
Sanji didn't move. He was no fool. Right now, standing in the main entrance was the only cover he had from the mercenaries' heavy weapons. If they tried to shoot at him, he could easily take cover. If they tried to rush him, then they'd have to come into close quarters, practically single file.
I've got to hold them here, Sanji thought furiously, glaring at the remaining men, trying to count their numbers. The other entrances were blockaded. There was only way in or out of the hospital and Sanji was guarding it. If Sanji left and even one man managed to slip by him, then that man could easily make his way up to Usopp's room and shoot him while the marksman was comatose.
Many of the other patients and staff had fled, but Usopp was on life-support and couldn't be moved. There were other doctors, nurses and patients that had taken refuge in the hospital's basement, but, so far as Sanji knew, Usopp was the only one still left in the wards. Thankfully, Usopp's room had been untouched in the explosion, but the building itself was barely standing up straight.
The situation was bad. Sanji might have had a good position, but he was also trapped in that position. If the battle went on too long, Usopp could run out of medicine and die with no one around him while Sanji was stuck here trying to hold them off. Or maybe the building would finally collapse. Or maybe the sea lock would break and the whole lower city would flood…
Sanji's hands clenched. Focusing on the negatives didn't help anyone. I don't have to beat them, Sanji thought firmly. I've just got to hold them back until reinforcements arrive.
"I think I'll stay here actually," Sanji replied coolly, lighting another cigarette. "You know, you've got to respect the hospital's designated smoking zones…"
"Hm." Bourin's brow furrowed. His eyebrows looked like two fat slugs chasing each other. "Well, that put us at a bit of a conundrum, doesn't it?"
"Then why don't you come over here and try to simplify things, fatty?" Sanji taunted.
"Fatty?" Bourin snorted. "Was that supposed to be an insult, skinny legs?"
"Try me," Sanji said coldly, taking a deep breath of his cigarette. "You want to test how skinny my legs are?"
"Hmph. Is this the point where I'm supposed to walk over there and face you in an epic one on one battle, with the fate of all those innocent lives hanging in the balance?" Bourin said sarcastically. "…Yeah, I think I have a better idea."
Sanji's eyes narrowed. The fat man just smirked as he turned to one of the other mercenaries. "You there!" Bourin demanded hoarsely. "You've been to Water 7 before, right? What floor is the intensive care unit on?"
The man gulped, blinking in surprise. "Umm…" He stammered nervously. "Fourth floor, I think…"
"Then what the hell are you boys waiting for?" Bourin ordered loudly, motioning at the assembled mercenaries as he pointed at the towering hospital. "Pick up your guns, take aim, and fire at the bloody fourth floor!"
Sanji's eyes widened in shock. There was no way he could stop them from shooting at a target as large as the building. "Don't you dare!" Sanji snarled ferociously. "I'm your opponent here!"
The man snorted. "You're not my opponent, you're my annoyance. My job is to kill pirates, so let's start with the easiest one." Bourin said derisively, before glaring at the other mercenaries. "Come on, hurry it up already! You've got grenade launchers, don't you? Let's bring this building down!"
There was the sound of two dozen heavy weapons being loaded. Sanji charged out of the entrance into the courtyard, before pausing suddenly. He could feel the dread dripping over him. The hospital was barely still upright. All it would take was one good explosion and everything could come down.
Usopp… Sanji thought with panic. The mercenaries were too widely spread, and he didn't have any long-range weapons. Even if Sanji could take a couple down, the others would have a clear shot at the building. Hell, they all had a clear shot at the building. It was a huge building.
There was absolutely no way that Sanji could protect something like that from men with large guns. There was no way he could protect his friend. The very thought made Sanji's blood run cold.
Bourin's smirk was vicious. The other mercenaries all stepped forward, forming a wide arc, their guns pointing upwards. "What's the matter, tough guy? He taunted, cracking his knuckles slowly. He raised his hand. "What are you going to do now?"
Sanji couldn't reply. His eyes widened in horror as he watched Bourin's hand come down.
"FIRE!"
"Robin…" Luffy gasped weakly, still struggling through breath. His body was numb and he couldn't feel all the damage, but he knew it was there. The Seastone splinters went deep into his back, despite Robin's best attempts at pulling them out. "…Where… where are the others?"
Her lips pursued. They were hidden in the empty shell of what used to be a building. The explosion obliterated the floors, the contents and half of the walls of the building, but somehow the structure itself still stood; a small shelter of scorched stone and rubble.
"I don't know," Robin admitted quietly. As far as she could see, which wasn't far due to the ash and smoke, the city was in shambles.
She had glimpsed some more survivors, limping away pale-faced and scattered, but she had no idea how many. She had even seen a group of citizens trying to excavate the rubble, but the recovery effort was shambled and scarce.
Most people were too busy hiding from the hired killers roaming the wreckage to help any survivors.
Robin was left staring at a smoking, crumbling pile of debris and death, and, suddenly, it was like her childhood all over again.
The memory of Ohara had never been so vivid for her.
Luffy couldn't sense anyone. His head was reeling so badly he couldn't even remember what it felt like to use Haki. Vaguely, Luffy remembered how Enel had lost focus and slowly lost his Mantra the longer their fight went on, and the more the injuries started to get to him. The pain and doubt was blocking it, stopping him from sensing anything.
The loss of an ability that Luffy had gotten so accustomed to was crippling. He hadn't even realised how temperamental his Haki really was.
"…We've got to help them…" Luffy panted, struggling to stay conscious. Robin had bandaged him up and tried her best, but the shock and impact were still taking their toll. "…We've got to get to them…"
His eyes were flickering. There were still some Seastone splinters in his back, continually draining his strength. Robin was there, holding his hand tightly.
"Somethings you can't help," Robin whispered, tears swelling up her eyes.
I can't help that I'm cursed, Robin thought weakly. I can't help that everyone I love suffers for it.
I'm so sorry, Luffy; I should have tried harder not to love you.
Luffy just shook his head weakly, even as he felt himself falling into unconsciousness. "…You…" He muttered quietly. "…You always help…"
It took a few minutes for him to pass out. Robin took a deep breath, wiped her eyes and clenched her fists, and then treated his wounds. She paused quietly, before slowly bending over to kiss him on the lips. She tried to convince herself she was just checking to see if he was still breathing.
Our very first kiss, Robin recalled slowly, had been when he was unconscious and I was treating his wounds, in the ruins of a sabotaged city, when everything was covered in dust and crumbling away.
It felt weirdly right that their last kiss would be in the exact same circumstances.
Robin had to move. The government would be looking for her again, and she had to be well away from Luffy before they found her. She couldn't let him be caught up in it again.
Robin knew how Lucci worked. The man liked to give his prey a chance a running, but he would always come back. Lucci was as ruthless as a wild animal when it came to the hunt.
"I'm sorry, Luffy," Robin whispered, standing up slowly. She had breathe deeply, close her eyes and focus before gathering up the strength to walk away.
The sound of chuckling caused her blood to freeze.
A man was walking straight towards her, limping, slightly hunchbacked. It was a man so old he looked like a skeleton.
"Ah…" the old man muttered wistfully. He was very softly spoken. "Young love. How sweet."
Robin glared. The old man was bald and heavily wrinkled. He smiled softly, but his eyes were sharp and cold. His face looked like a dead mask tightened across a skull. He was short, slightly potbellied with stubby legs, and he wore a shapeless grey suit overcoat. Still, he most definitely wasn't here to help. There was no hint of worry, fear or concern as he strolled through the smoking rubble.
"Who are you?" Robin demanded, fists clenching.
"Evening, my dear," he said politely, tilting his head. "My name is Gapopo, it's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard so much about the famous Nico Robin."
"You're here to kill me," Robin said simply. It wasn't a question.
Gapopo's smile widened. "Alas, no," he admitted. "I'm afraid we do have a bit of an awkward situation here. You see, you're not on the list at all, however, you're sleeping friend over there, well, he's at the very top of the list."
Gapopo pointed to Luffy apologetically. The pirate was out-cold. Robin's face was stiff.
"So then," Gapopo said cheerfully. "If you could just move to one side, let me kill him, and then we'll both be on our merry way."
Her eyes were dark. "No," Robin growled. "I won't let you hurt him."
If they had come for her she wouldn't have protested, but not Luffy. Never Luffy.
"Shame," Gapopo mused, scratching his head. "I don't suppose we could settle this over a friendly game of dominoes, hmm?" He asked hopefully.
Robin's hands were fists. All of the emotion, all of that worry, that pain, that anguish, she could feel it pounding through her body as pure rage.
"I'll take that as a 'no', then." Gapopo sighed.
"You're not a government agent," Robin snarled. "Who do you work for?"
"Just a freelancer," Gapopo said with a shrug.
"Mercenary." She said the word like a curse. "You murdered all of those people."
Gapopo smirked. "That's kind of the job." He slowly reached into his coat pocket. Robin glimpsed the handle of a gun. "You see, I–"
There was no hesitation. As soon as she saw the gun, her hands were moving on reflux. Gapopo didn't even have time to blink as suddenly there were arms sprouting up from the ground around him, wrapping around his waist, shoulders and neck in the blink of an eye.
Robin's hands clenched. The arms suddenly snapped, yanking Gapopo backwards with bone shattering force. She didn't hear his back break, but suddenly he was twisted around backwards like a rag doll.
When she heard the voice, Robin twitched. "Damn it," Gapopo sighed despondently. "You just had to go for the back, didn't you?"
With a creak, the old man slowly pulled himself straight, wincing slightly as his hips clicked into place. Robin's eyes widened, she slowly took a step back, cautiously.
"What are you?" She demanded, glaring at the old man flexing his shoulders as if nothing had happened.
"I'm a hundred and three years old," Gapopo said with a soft smile, slowly taking off his glasses and wiping the lenses. "And there's a reason I've lived so long, kid."
Robin glared, carefully dropping into a fighting stance as she raised her arms. Gapopo slowly raised his hands above his head, palms open, innocently.
"Now hold on there," Gapopo said softly. "Let's cool things back a bit and talk about this sensibly, hmm?"
She didn't respond. Gapopo sighed. "…What we have here, I think, is a matter of simple benefit and risk. I am a great believer that before every confrontation, everyone should pause and think to themselves 'what am I actually gaining from this?'" His voice was soothing and calm. "If you then compare that to what you might lose, and, well, maybe a fight isn't always in your best interests, hmm?"
He kept his hands up the air, not even twitching. "For example…" The old man continued casually. "For me, that question is simple – I'm gaining a shitload of money for killing that kid over there." Robin's eyes narrowed. "That's my benefit. But for you? Well, forgive me for asking, but what are you actually gaining here?"
The air was quiet. Gapopo slowly motioned to the ruined city. "Look around," he said simply. "This place is already lost. The rest of your crew is being killed as we speak. We've got the docks locked down, no ship is ever going to be leaving this place, and you can sure as hell bet that the government will be here pretty damn quickly. Now, even on the off-chance that you might win this battle and stop me from killing him now, there's still no way that he's ever going to be leaving this island alive."
There was a slight twitch in Robin's gaze. Gapopo noticed it. "As soon as my employers blame what happened here on you pirates, that kid there is going straight to public enemy number one," Gapopo said, almost whispering. "There's no saving him now."
"…No…" Robin muttered slowly, hands trembling. "It was the government that did this…"
"And what will the world believe? With the choice between the wanted pirate 'The Devil' Luffy, or the World Government – the ones who rushed to the aid of Water – then who is going to get the blame? Hell, it was your ship that exploded. Yeah, I don't think anyone is going to be buying your side of the story…" Gapopo replied smoothly, a faint smile on his lips. "There's nothing for you to gain fighting here."
He paused for a moment. "On the other hand… just think of how much better your life would be if you took the opportunity here and now to run, gain a bit of head start, and maybe get away from those that you know are chasing you? I'll even say that I never saw you nor which direction you ran in, I swear that on my dear mother's grave. I've got no benefit with making trouble with you."
Robin didn't say a word. Gapopo slowly took a step forward, his hands still in the air. "Now then… with those two options in mind… there's just one question that I want to ask you to really think about…"
His voice was low. His eyes were vicious. "Are you really sure that you want to fight with me?"
Author Notes:
This chapter and the next were originally meant to be combined into one, but then the chapter ended as over twenty thousand words. Honestly, even ten thousand words is probably too much, I just couldn't post one twice that size. So I figured I had to split them up into two. I restructured it to fit, but I'm still not happy with it; it feels like this chapter is all set-up and the next is all fight.
Still, same as previously, it's pretty unfair to make you wait two weeks for content that I planned to have posted now. The next chapter will be posted in 24 hours time, just to give me enough time for some last minute changes.
Next time: 'How Very Mercenary of You, Part 2'...