1:15 am
Robin POV:
I can't stop the laugh that bubbles from my lips as I run through the short stretch of forest to the island's edge, a large burlap sack of gold propelled beside me by my own helping hands. Nami, Sanji, and Luffy are not far behind me, each carrying their own sack of gold as they maneuver through the tangled jungle. Other than a short shriek from Sanji and Nami at another large beetle, we make it to the cliffs with no issues. Behind us and still at the foot of the mountain, I can hear Franky letting out maniacal cackles and Usopp yelling his different sniper attacks as they throw volley after volley of explosions towards the jungle covered mountain surface and the Berri mint sitting on top.
"Okay everyone, pile the gold here then go back and grab the guns to help with back up!" I order, quickly rolling my own sack of gold off the edge as I sprout hands to catch it falling down the cliff. Peeking over the edge, I can just barely make out the Sunny down below, mostly hidden by an incoming fog. Brook and Chopper better be ready to catch! I hope they weren't eaten by a sea king, or I wonder if they had a sudden stroke and died? That would be a tragic ending for both of them. But no, I'm sure they're fine.
"COME AT ME YA LOUSY MARINES! TASTE MY FURY! How was that for a Zoro impression, eh Sanji?" Luffy's 'mission voice' sails across the tree tops, and I can't help but roll my eyes.
"Baka! Don't give them hints about our identity!" the cook's whispered complaint is, unfortunately, just as loud. Dear goodness how have we survived this long? Even louder than the boys' yells, the TAT! TAT! TAT! of returning fire fills the night.
"oooohhhh riiiiight! Sokka, Sokka! NOTHING SPECIAL HERE YOU STUPID NAVY SAILORS! Wait why can't they know our identity?"
"Because if Zoro's inside, and we're out here robbing them clean, they'll definitely figure out that Tashigi is up to something! C'mon Luffy- don't you remember any of operation Rieno Royal Rumble Rendezvous?" Usopp's voice (still equally as loud) explains the situation, sounding quite done with the lack of memory from our captain.
KAPOW!
Flames burst forth in brilliant orange near the crew's voices, the explosion filling our existence for a moment before they all continue right on with their conversation.
"Usopp, you're the only one who calls it that." Nami's voice joins the fray.
"Yeah Usopp. That's a stupid name. Like I could remember that!" Luffy yells, indignant.
I'm tempted to let out a very long, exasperated sigh, but end up chuckling instead. No point in expecting them to act any different than they normally do. Several more explosions rain down, while Franky and Usopp certainly make their own marks of damage on the mountain and money making factory. So far I haven't seem Luffy swinging around, and with the ship out of sight...
I pause for a moment, uncrossing my arms to wipe some sweat from my temple, looking towards the center of the island. Well, navy lady, despite their lack of filter, I think we'll still be able to buy you enough time. All those archive rooms... I should have demanded I go instead of Zoro.
Although if my original plan had worked, I would have had no complaints about missing the archive rooms. Alas, neither Zoro nor Tashigi were willing to use my kiss-kiss fruit idea. hmph! I shake my head in dismay as I start sending down the third sack of gold. And I had so many good variations too! the Frenchie, tantalizing tonguer, pecks on pecks...
Tashigi had shoved a pillow in my face before I could state any more back on the boat. Coward.
"OOIIII ROBIN! A few more minutes then we'll be ready for a SUUUUUUUPER escape!" Franky's shout rises over the chaotic battle noises, and I start the fourth and fifth gold bags going down. At least I can afford to buy some more self help romance books to send with the two oblivious swordsmen!
Floor 20
Third Person POV:
"Commander Eiji sir!"
"Spit it out Lieutenant!" Eiji barks the order as he strides along the corridor, managing 5-10 messengers and new reports as he walks.
"Well, sir, ah-"
"No, don't use the island sinker cannons. What do you mean the warships haven't deployed yet?! Tell Captain Shorizo I want all ships deployed- regardless of unfinished repairs. These pirates-"
"Roronoa Zoro escaped!"
"WHAT?!" Eiji abruptly turns his full attention on the lieutenant, his normally smug face the picture of insanity at the news. "How! Where is he?"
"He is currently in the north staircase, sir. He wiped out all our units on a few of the sub levels, but since then has stayed in the stairs."
Commander Eiji freezes for a moment at the news, feeling absolutely useless. His base, recognition, comfort... no- no! Eiji shakes his head to rid himself of doubt. Now, more than ever, he must prove why he was trusted with this post. He's fighting three different fronts all of varying complexity. Pirate attackers, which require multiple moving parts to apprehend, an escaped prisoner inflicting heavy damage, and a personal enemy that should have been tonight's priority. The Commander sneers at the thought. What despicable timing. Timing... did she...?
"Sir! The tunnels to the mint- they've collapsed!"
Oh, the day is definitely testing him. Big problems first.
"Get the men to suit up in the poison protection uniforms and send them through the forest. Tell Officer Lien at the mint to split her men between raining hell on these attackers and going and checking on the gold reserves. Somehow these bastards knew that the mountain was hollow. Captain Shorizo will lose his head if all our ships aren't deployed in the next three minutes. They won't have a chance to escape. Tell all our units to not go down the north stairs, but set up groups of ten on each floor at the stair entry to keep us posted on Roronoa's where abouts."
Commander Eiji glances over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing as he thinks about his third problem.
"Lieutenant Smith, send a unit to guard the harbor. I don't want anyone but the warships coming or leaving this island."
Captain Tashigi would have to wait.
Zoro POV:
Bloodlust thrums through my veins as I swing Kitetsu to the left, slashing through a marine's entire arm as I spin and fling Enma up to catch a blow and side step to avoid a thrusting blade from behind me that instead gut punctures the marine I just disarmed.
My sadistic grin stretches from ear to ear while I duck and parry, spin and weave through the throbbing mass of marines I'm fighting around the landing of Floor 32- never losing my balance as I maneuver up and down the stairs.
"Form a solid line he can't break!"
"Someone take the wounded!"
"Jerry! Jerry stay with me!"
"Shut up Carl! It's just an arm wound! I'm not going anywhere!"
Heh. Ta-Navy Brat better be happy I'm not killing every damn marine in this place. I pause as a lull in battle reaches the landing where I stand for a moment, my chest rising and falling just a bit faster than normal, a few sweat beads gathering on my temple. Man! Placing a handicap on myself was a good idea. Those first few groups I took out back in the sublevels were way too easy.
I mean yeah it was satisfying in the moment to send 40 men flying into the air with an air strike and then run under and slice off all their legs- and it did help release some of that pent up rage I had at being a fricking puppet for an hour- d o n ' r-
TOO- Tashigi's earthy irises are wide, her soft lips parted in panic, "You look sexy in green" one hand rests on her right hip that's jutted to the side, the tight tank top accenting her slim waist and curving around perfect- LATE
Heat rushes to my cheeks before I shove the image away as the battle lull ends and suddenly 10 marines close in at once, their blades swinging from all different angles. I bend backwards to dodge the high attacks as I throw Enma up on my right to block and swing Kitetsu out to slice through my attackers arms on the left.
Following my backward momentum I jump off the ground and flip backwards- my heels rise to kick two attackers under the jaw while Kitetsu slashes through someone's bicep and I plant my right hand on the ground to catch my weight for a moment before I bend my arm and push myself back into the air. Kitetsu and Enma fling out to slash the tendons in several men's triceps as I sail over their heads, my two blades constantly engaged with attacking slices and thrusts while they deliver their own deadly medicine.
For a split-second in the air I look around to make a guess at how many marines were left. After getting free in the basement, I realized that marine units going down the stairs were probably heading for that underground tunnel to the mint I heard the crew talking about a few days ago, which meant the more of them I took out the less the crew would have to deal with. And- I'd get to set an example for what happens to those who mock me. I do have a reputation to maintain here.
I land in a crouch and immideately swipe my leg out to trip a few incoming men before jumping to the right and falling into a new battle rhythm, Kitetsu and Enma true extensions of my arms as they slice and jab, cutting through flesh and air in hypnotic waves as they follow their own momentum and curves in a strange dance of death.
Except not death because my self placed handicap is that I can't use Haki and I'm only allowed to aim for muscle tendon in my opponents arms. The challenge comes in not slicing anything else when you're in the middle of a melee battle.
I lean my head to the left to avoid a front attack, my eyes constantly taking in every detail of the situations around me- the size of every opponent along with their current and future momentum as I ensure my blades always hit their mark, totally lost in the battle.
Tashigi POV:
Okay, okay... where is it where is it where is it! My fingers thumb through the archive indexes in the middle of the room, my shoulders tense as I lean over the large books and narrow my eyes to see in the dim lighting. Is it really necessary to keep these obnoxious red flashing lights going?!
"K... Ka... Kaj... how many entries do they have?!" I whisper the question outloud, before huffing in surrender. These archives do hold the Navy records for the past 800 years. I suppose it only makes sense they would have so many entries. My heart beats in my throat as I keep searching for my family's last name paired with my grandmother's first name and naval rank.
But why are there so many entries from Kajiyas?! and why do they all have to do with swords? I mean I get it, its also the name of one of the 4 best swordsmith clans in the world, but if the Navy has any weapons made by them they should be in the hands of capable marine officers, NOT stored in an archive room.
"Grandma, are we related to-"
"No, Tashigi, you do not have legendary swordsmith blood running through your veins."
"But, mom and dad were-"
"Pah, you have an overactive imagination. It's mere coincidence, that's all." Grandma had grumped, then paused for a moment, her eyes thoughtful, twinkling with a secret. But I could tell her next words were not a lie. "No, your parents were definitely not Kajiya clan members."
I never doubted the matter since. I tended to do that when my grandmother gave me orders... obey blindly. It was easier than fighting the stubborn woman, and besides, my grandmother gave good advice. Protect justice, practice the basics every day, always respect the authorities. The same things Dad said when..
"Gah, focus Tashigi!" I pull myself from the spiraling thoughts, back to the pages in front of me. Admiral Akari Kajiya, where did you store her donations! I have the right room, right? is it in-
"AHA!" I yell, before clamping a hand over my mouth, wincing at my lack of tact. n, be stealthy...
WEEEBOOOOWEEEEBOOOOEEEEEOOOOWWEEEE
Okay well maybe silence isn't so important since the sirens are still going off. ANYWAYS!
My finger rests on her name written at the top of a page, my eyes quickly scanning how the paper is divided in columns. "Name, Occupation, Date Acquired, Artifact Name, Description, Monetary Value..." A quick glance shows me that the next few pages are all donations made by her. She sure did give a lot of stuff to the marines, but I guess it makes sense since she was an admiral for almost 40 years. The crazy old coot. I slide my finger to the "Artifact name" column and start skimming for what I'm looking for.
...
"What would it be called? Legend with magical medicine as reward? Oooh Mayor Flannigan why couldn't you have been more specific?!" I keep muttering to myself out loud as I read each entry and it's description, desperate for anything that would help at this point. After a page or two, I reach for the letter I stuffed in my back pocket before we left the boat, unfolding the now tattered paper and rereading it for the hundredth time.
Dear Tashigi,
I hope this letter finds you well. Haomzen Island is, quite unwell. A pandemic has swept through the whole island, killing 10 people already. Some of the sick have recovered, but even among those people most of them come down with the sickness again. All this has happened so fast, in less than two weeks. Medicine can help relieve symptoms, but hopes for a cure seem far away. While this is all very hard, that's not why I'm writing you. A few days ago a doctor showed up claiming he was recognized by the world government as one of the best, and offered his services for free. The townspeople are enamored with him but, Tashigi, I doubt his intentions. I did some research on the man, and found he has a most unsavory criminal record. Doctor Poinen. He specializes in chemical research. And the sickness... I call it a pandemic but really every individual seems to have different symptoms. Like they're each a unique experiment. Everyone, from children to the elderly. No one is safe, and I believe our enemy is not natural. I believe we are tests, and I do not want to think about what will happen when he perfects whatever he is testing on us. Tashigi, I fear the worst, and believe that no medicine can save us now.
In these dark days, I remember a legend, passed down for generations in this now dying town. An elixir, all healing, that only the greatest can find. Your grandmother claimed she found the first clue to the legend, but she handed it over to the navy once she joined their ranks. She thought that surely the marines would find people in need of such a power. Oh, if only she had known those people would be us one day! I dare not even hope the thing still exists. Even if it did, there are no great people here. Only sick fools under the spell of a wretched Doctor.
But, you are great. I know it's been several years since you have come home, but we've all kept up with your accomplishments. You have made this town proud, though we never did anything extraordinary for you. Nevertheless, if you could humor an old man... I would love for you to prove me wrong. To tell me that this town's tragedy and erasure from history was not something that could be prevented.
Lastly, please don't come back unless you confirm my suspicions. If this town is destined to die, then let us be the only ones, and let our killer die with us.
With affection,
Mayor Flannigan
I stare at the words, the adrenaline rushing through me slowing down. Lethargic. heavy... They could all already be dead. I bite my lip at the thought, and swallow the burning lump in my throat as I reach back and let the tips of my finger graze the newspaper article. She's already gone.
But who is to say that there's not people still fighting? Even if it's just one person left! They deserve to be fought for, they deserve to hope for a chance! And they deserve for that hope to be brought to reality. I will bring their hopes to reality. No matter what it takes, I will fight for them. I lift my arm to my eyes, wiping a few tears away before folding the letter and looking back at the index. Oh my goodness Tashigi! You don't have time to cry!
'Get a grip! Get- The Greatest Challenge. The greatest..." My words stutter and trip over each other as I stare at the entry, my eyes slowly going wide as I read the description.
"A log pose with poetic inscriptions describing a challenge that rewards winners with powerful medicine."
I place my finger on the entry, sliding it over to the column that describes it's location. K level, room 2, shelf 34, item 78. I look up at the column that the index tables surround, the giant K printed on its white, circular surface, underneath it the number 4. I stare at the letter and number for a second, everything clicking as I slowly grin.
It's real.
I waste no time in turning and sprinting to one of the openings in the side walls of the square room, my eyes quickly finding another column in the next room, "K" and "5" written on it. Not this way! I turn and race back to the other wall with an openings, grinning as I see the next room over has "K" and "3" on the column.
The sirens continue to blast as I rush through room 3, which looks identical to room 4 with its red carpet and wooden book shelves, although this one also has several open metal shelves with assorted bulky items sitting on them. The sirens still going must mean that the base is distracted by the Straw Hats. All that's left is to grab the artifa- log pose! it's a log pose oh thank God it will be so easy to carry!
I skid through the opening to room 2, stopping in front of one of the bookshelves to see a "24" etched into an identification plaque. Right? left? RIGHT! I move swiftly down the rows of shelves, counting the entire time.
"29, 30, 31, 32...34!" I practically shout the number as I swing into the aisle between two of the open metal shelves- item 14,15... it ascends the farther down the shelf it goes. My shoes sink into the carpet as I stride down the shelf aisle, counting items, counting-
"76,77! 79- 79?" I freeze, staring at the shelf, nothing but dust where item 78 should be.
((Author Interlude: I would like to note that I came up with the poisoned village idea LONG before COVID-19 became a global pandemic. I am in no way trying to glorify or romanticize the hardships and tragedy that this novel coronavirus has brought. I am also not insinuating conspiracy theories about COVID-19 and it's origins. The fact that poison disguised as sickness is the main tool used by the antagonists of this story has NOTHING TO DO WITH COVID-19. With that clarified, my thoughts and prayers do go out to those who have been affected by the very real virus in our world right now, and I hope that whoever reads this stays safe and healthy. Please, please follow whatever recommendations are being made by your government and practice excellent hygiene and common sense to protect not just yourself but everyone around you. We can and we will get through this pandemic together:) Thank you!))
