((Author's Notes: THESE ARE NOT PREVALENT TO STORY FEEL FREE TO SKIP!:)
Me: *watches episode 610, notices that when Sanji tells Tashigi to lead her men, he adds "Don't go the wrong way"* Me, nodding solemnly: "it happened. Zoro's sense of direction has permanently penetrated his crew mates. They now assume that all swordsmen are bad with directions."
and writer rant- I had a hard time writing this chapter, which seems strange because it's a chapter I've wanted to write for a long time! I think it's hitting me that I've literally spent 20 chapters trying to set [in my mind] this foundation for a relationship and them realistically liking each other, and now I'm ready to write some romance and!- That requires writing actual romance. AAAAHHHH! Guys, intertwining plot and character development into actual action i D! You gotta remember what you actually wrote, what's just in your head, the motive/purpose achieved in every scene, there's just a lot.
Nevertheless, I do have a ton planned for these lovable idiots, and I shall persist! As proof, the fact that even though it took two weeks- I FINISHED THE CHAPTER. So! let the story continue!))
Third Person POV:
The commander stares up at the ceiling, blood still trickling from his lips.
"Eiji, you have to stop fighting those other boys! Their father is very powerful, he could make sure you end up in prison!"
The commander sighs, the sound hollow in the empty room. How.. how had it all gone to hell so quickly.
"Commander sir, we identified the attacking party, sir."
"Well, don't stand there wasting time. Who?!"
"Straw Hats sir, its the Straw Hats."
Eiji had stood there, frozen, brain wracking for an explanation. Why would they attack the gold houses? Wouldn't they have wanted to get Roronoa back?
"Sir, our defenses are failing and, and-"
"Spit. it. out."
"The gold is... significantly depleted. Although since we discovered them they have made no new efforts of thievery."
"Have we taken any of them down?"
"No, sir."
Commander Eiji had glanced at his wrist watch at the admission, noting the time of 1:22. "Have they made any moves to make an escape?"
"No, si-"
"Any maneuvers to actually take the base?"
"Just cosmetic damage sir. Although its impossible to read the-"
"Minds of the enemy? Please, private, you disgrace the marines. Anyone's mind can be read so long as you can speak their language. This plan smells of simplicity."
Eiji's man had watched in shock as the commander spun on his heel and started sprinting away, yelling a few final commands over his shoulder. "Continue your attacks, don't let the pirates out of sight! If they go to sea, don't let the boat stay too close to the cliffs!"
"Why would they-?" the lieutenant's voice followed the commander, before the man decided to shut his mouth. No point in embarrassing himself with stupid questions again. Better to follow orders.
Barely 10 minutes later, and Eiji is lying on the ground, woozy and dull.
"Eiji, please. Join. I don't want you to live like this forever, live feeling powerless."
His fingers grasp at carpet fibers, scraping, then balling into a fist as cold fury burns in his wounds. That pathetic b****... if she had just followed orders.
"Live until one day, nobody can tell you no."
A shadow falls over Eiji's limp body. The commander blinks his eyes, trying to focus on the shift of light. Eyes sunk in hollow cheeks stare back at him.
The shadow man 'tsks' his tongue in disapproval, shaking his head.
"If anyone can get out of this hell hole, it's you."
"You know, the doctor paid attention to you while you rose through the ranks. Desperate, a chip in your shoulder and something to prove. You never fought for justice." the shadow man kneels down, and Eiji's eyes follow him, narrowing.
"Mother died when you were 10, from a disease that could have been cured. If you had the money. Best friend still in prison for stealing rubies, all to pay for dinner for those equally ratty 10 siblings of his. Your first lover- her turn to prostitution never did sit well with you, hmm? Probably why you let her die in that hell hole when you finally got that first big promotion."
Eiji's jaw snaps shut, teeth bared.
"The doctor does his research. Power. Different people feel empowered in different ways. Some hide their drunken thirst for it in justice, others don't even hide. Forget about good and evil, right and wrong. We're all just intoxicated with that feeling of control."
"GAH!" Eiji gasps, choking, as the shadow man's hand suddenly shoots down and slams into his throat, fingers wrapping, kneading skin, stealing oxygen. stealing power.
"You thought you finally had it, hmm? The money, the control. Your poor past seemed like it was from another life. Too bad that sword slut is one of those idiots who doesn't get it. God, I hate people like them."
The shadow man laughs, cackles, growls.
"People who don't care about wielding power. They're the ones who end up taking it from the people who do care! like- stop taking stuff you don't want!"
Eiji's hands lift to grab at the force against his throat, his bleeding wounds now paling in comparison to the lack of oxygen.
"She's a smart one too. Leaving you alive for testimony later. I mean, if I had found out someone was murdering my home village-" shadow man stops and starts to giggle, a hysterical, mad sound. Off balance. off key. the entire man missing just, something. "oh!ohhohoho! I would have stripped your insides and made you eat them."
Shadow man leans down farther, his face just a few inches from Eiji, both their eyes wide- one with fear one with gleeful anticipation.
"Unfortunately the little b**** is getting away, so I won't have time to do her the honors. I am pleasantly surprised she actually found my little gift for her. Imagine having everything you've ever wanted- power, money, no more 'no's. Then imagine having it RIPPED FROM YOUR GRASP!"
Eiji stares up at his asophogas, blood dripping down into his eyes as he tries to gasp for air and realizes, he no longer can.
His mouth opens, closes, a single word left unsaid on his lips.
"no.."
Glassy eyes stare up at the shadow man as he drops the still bleeding throat organ onto the dead man's face.
"Oops. Sorry, Captain Tashigi. My, my. Won't the papers have fun writing your story. 'Marine officer befriends pirates and murders base commander!' Oh, I just love a good drama!"
The shadow man rises to his feet, wiping bloody hands on black, loose clothes. The man looks down with a smirk, when suddenly a transponder snail rings in his pocket.
Click!
"Phantom Jack?" the doctor's voice sounds impatient through the spotty snail connection.
"The one an only."
"What happened?"
"I'm afraid I killed your navy dog. Don't worry, I'm sure the admiral will find a nice replacement."
"The larger the dog, the shorter its life span. A base commander was never meant to last long. And that captain?"
"Oh, her death grows sweeter and more imminent by the moment."
"Don't forget to actually kill the wench in the midst of your pleasure."
"Oh doctor, you flatter me. Fear not, her torture shall be brutal but quick."
"Good. Do you need the most recent death toll to make your methods more effective?"
Phantom Jack places a hand over his heart as he lets out a grateful sigh. "No one has a kinder and more thoughtful boss than I. Death toll numbers would be great."
Phantom Jack walks down the main path of the room to a wall opening in the left, going on to the next room as the doctor shares facts and data. The shadow man pauses to glance at a giant hole in the ceiling and smirks.
The green one had been unexpected.
Phantom Jack had thought for a moment, back when he had been watching Eiji and Tashigi's fight from a hidden corner, how much of a shame it was that he would have to kill a man with physical torture alone and no mental pain to add to the bliss.
That was until he watched the green-haired swordsman watching her.
Zoro POV:
The large blade looses from the ceiling, swinging down too fast
Why isn't she moving?
My palm rests on Kitetsu, fingers grasp the hilt, ready-
The blade drops
4 feet
grasp tightens, then-
Draw your blade
3 feet
Damn, Tash-
MOVE.
2 fe
fingers loosen
Cmon.
I trust you.
"Zoro!"
Tashigi's voice snaps me out of my head, and I quickly shove the memory and its stupid implications away- blinking as I realize I'm staring right into the navy captain's irked brown irises.
"WHAT!" I shout- gaahhh stop thinking about it! or her!- glaring at the woman who just yelled at me. Tashigi's looking at me over her shoulder as we both sprint through another archive room- book shelves, filing cabinets, and orange tinted, cheap wood study desks flying by as we move. She rolls her eyes before turning to look straight ahead again and letting out a sigh.
"You- er, just- never mind!" She stutters, barely loud enough for me to catch the words. I glare at the back of her head, eyes narrow as I audibly growl. Stupid freaking...
"Stop yelling at me if you don't got nothin to say!" I throw back, letting out an annoyed "hmph", as my gaze lowers to the slowly expanding dark spot on her tank top from the slash wound.
"You should wrap that." I comment, sincere.
"I don't have time. Stop talking, it wastes energy." She throws back, and I give her a withering death glare. You just tried to start a conversation. Gosh, women are impossible to understand. I roll my eyes, then my gaze is pulled to the drawstring bag hanging from her shoulders. I can see the log pose she shoved in it earlier bouncing against other items in the bag with each step. I didn't get the best look at the strangely mounted compass, since I stayed near the wall opening where I initially saw her and that commander's altercation, a few of those storage shelves in between me and them. How's a log pose supposed to help her village?
"Roronoa, not that aisle." Tashigi shouts from behind me, and a hand grabs the back of my shirt, dragging me backwards out of a row of filing cabinets with a dead end. I blink, and a vision of her running towards a giant white door with 'EXIT' in large yellow letters dissolves when I blink. I lift a hand to my neck, rubbing at the bandage for a moment, before I shake her grasp off and turn back around to see we're back in the middle of the room and she's already running.
Right, hallucinations.
Maybe I hallucinated that whole fight I saw too. That would be nice. If all these memories were cause some stupid wasp stung me.
"Just had to watch.." I mutter under my breath as I sprint after her again, eyes lifting from the drawstring bag up to her shoulders. I frown. Wasp stings can't explain why ever since seein' her in that bar over a week ago, I knew she was carrying something heavy. And the second I saw her staring down the commander after jumping down my dragon twister hole, I knew she'd found her fight. Or at least, an important part of it. Important enough that if I'd drawn my sword to help, I'd have discredited her sacrifices up to the point. She'd made a lot. Enough to convince my sword hand to trust her dedication.
I blanch at the thought, quickly moving away from the idea that I trust this woman. Trust or not though, I don't envy her circumstances.
Biological warfare experimentation... A whole damn village? Her village?
A smirk pulls at my lips. Like she wouldn't do this same exact thing for any other village. She'd topple hell if a stranger asked her to, as long as the motive was right.
She's just so- good.
"Zoro this is the third time in the same room! STOP TURNING INTO DEAD-END AISLES!"
I take it back. She's horrible. An absolute witch. I sigh and glare at the filing cabinet that a moment before had looked like a submarine door with purple words "HELP ME!" painted messily on its surface. "Not my fault everything in this place looks the same!" I shout before turning and heading in the direction her voice came from.
"I WILL put a leash on you, you, you blind minnow! We've got to get back to the boat and we're still on floor 32!"
I growl at the insult as I rush back to the center path and chase after her, while a strange mix of guilt and pride stabs through me as I acknowledge her urgency has deeper reason than just getting out of this base alive. I never get upset when enemies call me names cause honestly? They're usually right. Scummy pirate, murderer- her personal favorite 'selfish bastard' was spot on. I could care less about some random village's pathetic circumstances. I mean yeah, it sucks. It ain't right. But it's not my problem. I'm not here to fix the world. I'm here to become the greatest. But, around her...
It's not about why I want to be the greatest.
It's what I plan to do with the title.
Tch. I bore holes into the back of her head. Why can't I just be pissed at you for all the humiliating embarrassment of the slap-slap fruit? Why do you make me think about stuff I KNOW I don't care about!
And why do I feel guilty for not caring enough, and proud that in some sense, I did help. I got her into this base so she could get that log pose thing and who knows- maybe that village place'll actually have a shot at making it.
No, nononono. See this is how people go soft and lose focus of their dreams! They spend too much time with NICE people.
"You are very dangerous." I mutter under my breath again, our feet still pounding against the carpet as we turn into the next room, my eyes lowering again to her bare shoulders. Shivers from adrenaline pump through her lithe muscles, tendons bunching together then flowing apart as she sprints.
"Nothing more creative to call me?"
Her blade twisting, spinning, muscles stretching and vibrating, every movement fully extended with power, her jaw clenched with determination sparking in pretty, focused eyes.
I smile, heart twisting at the crystal clear memories. She's the most confusing thing in my life right now but,
Damn, she can dance with a blade.
"Crap, they know we're on this floor. Roronoa-"
Tashigi's voice slaps me from my thoughts. I blink, realizing I'm staring at her lovely, curved shoulders-
lovely curved shoulders?
"What the-" I whisper, ripping my eyes from her smooth skin as heat rushes through my face and I look up and crap she's staring back and WAIT NOT SPRINTING ANYMORE stop avoid don't touch BOOKSHELF
!CRASH!
I blink up at the ceiling as an antique life vest floats down and covers my face, finishing the pile of books, flashlights, tribal cookware, and yes, life vests that I'm buried in.
I have never thought something was lovely in my entire life.
"I hate this place."
The life vest on my face moves, replaced with Tashigi's knitted eyebrows and furious eyes. My face feels like its burning at a thousand degrees and I stare back at her with venom.
That decides it. I will not be thinking thoughts until I get out of this woman's presence.
[two rooms later]
We turn the corner into the next room, and an actual closed, pressurized door juts out from the wall in front of us (I hope), compared to the simple openings in the walls we've been rushing through between the other rooms. We come to a stop in front of the door, Tashigi breathing heavy as she reaches into her pocket to pull out an ID access card, much like the one I saw earlier.
I cross my arms as I wait, glancing down to the dark spot on her tank top, the slash in her side still dripping blood as she stands still.
The first few droplets fall to the carpet, beading on the surface for a moment before soaking into already red fibers. A few seconds pass, and the droplets are splashing into a small puddle of blood.
"Seriously, you should wrap th-"
"ALRIGHT MEN, THIS WAY!"
A shout of excited approval rings after a marine leader's command- the sounds echoing through vents. We both look up, then back to each other and Tashigi takes a moment to give me her own withering death glare.
"If SOMEONE hadn't made a giant HOLE in the floor that told everyone in the base EXACTLY where we were, then maybe I would have had the time!" She seethes before turning back to the door, her eyes glowing as she uses observation Haki. "Now just shut up while I find the best way out of here."
"You-! Don't tell me- GAAH!" I throw my hands in the air and turn around to face palm. She's so-! nope, not thinking thoughts.
I turn back to her, scowling at her noticeably paler skin, then reach my hands down to grab the bottom of my t-shirt and pull it over my head, ripping the fabric into strips that I start wrapping around her waist.
"What are you-!?" Tashigi shrieks, and my eyes flit up for a moment to see her face looks much less pale than it did a moment ago.
"Infuriating. You're the most infuriating," I look back down, pulling one of the bandages across her back, under the bag,
"obnoxious" I reach my left hand in front of her to grab it from my right hand, then pull it taught across her stomach
"woman I've ever met" I ball up the remainder of the wrapped piece and press it into the actual wound with so much force she steps to the side. My right hand grabs her opposite waist and applies counter pressure so she won't fall-
"So you shut up and find that fastest path out, while I make sure you don't keel over and faint like the last time we were trying to escape someplace on a time crunch." I command, continuing to wrap as I test the right levels of tightness to make sure there's actual pressure on the wound.
"Wha-yo-! thi— r-r-right." She stutters out, her skin shivering then flinching every time I touch her. Actively ignoring fire that rushes through me when she does that.
We both fall silent as I finish wrapping, and I can see her fists clenched as she thinks through our options. Vibrations start in the floor as the marines chasing us in these rooms get closer and closer. Done bandaging her, I turn towards where they'll emerge soon and draw my swords, ready for anything.
"How much of the fight did you-" Tashigi starts suddenly, splitting the silence.
"All of it." I cut her off, still staring straight ahead.
"All of the sword fight? or-"
"All of it."
A beat of silence passes
"Right."
The door depressurizes behind me, and I turn around to see she's already half out into the hallway. She pauses and looks over her shoulder at me, determination and- gratitude, shining in her eyes.
"We're going to get to the elevator shaft on this floor, cut the suspension and drop to the first floor. I'm assuming that since your original plan was to jump off the roof, you're fine with this." A wry smirk splashes across her face for a moment before she turns and we're both sprinting into the hall.
Tashigi POV:
Holy Mother of cheese cows my life is going to crap.
Standing in front of closed elevator doors at the corner of two halls, I frantically slam my palm against the down button over and over, hunched over with desperation. I don't have to look over my shoulder to sense the mobs of marine soldiers coming from both directions. Why won't it open! Frick I just wanna get out of here.
"Are you pressing it hard enough?" Zoro asks, standing next to me. I start a bit at his voice, heart skipping a beat at the reminder of his presence.
A vein pulses above my eyebrow
"Of course I am-!" I turn to glare at hiiiiiiiiii holy mother of pecks why is he like 5 inches away?! I jump to the side with a squeak, his whole sculpted torso the only thing filling my vision for a moment before I snap my eyes up to glare at him, cheeks flushed. Great! Cause I needed to add irregular heart activity to the rage, betrayal, and pain already coursing through me!
"Let me try." he pulls his hand back as if to punch the stubborn button, and I give my head a small shake to clear it as I realize his solution to our current predicament.
"What no!" I grab his arm [oh Lord its rock hard] and push him back away from the button panel, letting out a huff as I restart pressing the button again, trying to shove distracting thoughts out of mind. No more abs or picturing horrible ways for innocent people to die if I fail! Only focusing on escape!
"Cmon, cmon!- OPEN!"
The vibrations in the floor grow more intense, and I glance over my shoulder to see over a hundred marine soldiers running down both halls, quickly closing distance as they let out shouts of victory.
"GET 'EM BOYS!"
"THIS IS FOR CARL!"
"YOU RUINED MY HYDRANGEAS!"
"THAT'S THE COMMANDER'S ELEVATOR ONLY, PIRATE TRAITOR! ONLY HIS ACCESS CARD OPENS IT!"
Both of us look down at the Level 3 ID card in my hand, and simultaneously let out a string of expletives before turning all the way around to face our numerous enemies. Why can't anything just be simple?! My jaw clenches, and I quickly draw Shigure as I scramble for other options- how else can we get down? There's-
"Here stand back. I'll slice a hole." Zoro's offer stops my thoughts short, and I look over to see him walking away from the doors. Okay, unexpected- but better than duking it out with a hundred marines! I tilt my head and raise an eyebrow in jealous impressment- because of course he's strong enough to just cut a whole in the door! My fingers tighten on Shigure, and I shove anxious nerves back down...
"The Greatest Challenge- Sword"
Will I be strong enough when it counts? Great enough?
I blink, blushing again as his chiseled back comes into focus first, and quickly step to the side and then stride up next to where he stopped 10 feet away from the elevator doors. His hand goes to Kitetsu's hilt, focus radiating off of him, while I turn all my attention to the Marine mob now just 50 feet away, ready to cover. Focus, focus..
-I mean who cares that the a marine officer has willingly let innocent people get experimented on?! Who cares that Zoro actually remembered and then bothered to use the transponder snail to check in?
My stance widens as a few men start to break ahead of the mob that's only 30 feet away, 20, 10-
-Who cares that I have my grandmother's Captain Log?! My heart constricts- the chance to hear from her in a sense, she would approve right? I mean I fought a commanding officer! Who cares about that hint of impressment I caught in Zoro's eyes after beating said commander?
"TRAITOR!"
The screamed insult feels like a stabbing, twisting knife- and then they're all there, attacking at once. My blade clashes with 5 other blades,
- who cares that my world is upside down and in order to save innocent lives I'm here breaking every law by fighting law enforcement?! and who cares about the silent acknowledgement of my struggles HE's given after saying he saw the whole fight?
my force overpowers the soldiers and I shove them back in time to meet another group-
"HyDrAnGeAs!"
A man in the lab coat leads the next charge, shrieking about flowers and vengeance the entire time I swing Shigure in wide desperate arcs, mowing down attackers with every sweep- too many enemies to pay attention to hitting vital spots. Tears drip down my cheeks, teeth grit as men cough blood and collapse.
"Pirate scum!"
"..act of treason is enough to condemn any hometown."
Shigure's fatal motions speed up as I retreat to the elevator doors, senses overwhelmed by numbers and shock.
-Who cares that I'm killing comrades, men who don't know their orders are tainted.
"For Carl! You traitor PIRATE!"
I slice the man's chest open while staring him in the eye.
Who cares that I don't know what I am, but it sure as hell ain't a navy captain any more?
I swallow
I think, I still care..
Three other men jump- someone grabs my wrist and suddenly the chaos disappears as I'm pulled through a small triangle hole into an ornate elevator interior.
Zoro slams me against the wall, pushing both of us into the corner as bullets fly and richocet into the small space- he turns and pulls Kitetsu to send a slash of air through the gold crown molded ceiling, metal creaks and something snaps.
for a few seconds everything floats
I stare at Roronoa's back, until he turns around and looks down at me.
Who cares that this whole night- despite the constant name calling and his crap sense of direction- we've been running on the same wavelength, a simple glance at each others eyes enough to confirm our next action-?
I feel my feet lifting from the floor as the elevator free falls
Zoro's steel grey eyes measure me, and after a moment they light up with understanding.
He grins.
"Hey Pirate."
I glare back, cheeks red and a thousand emotions swirling at the title forced on me.
"What did you do to that poor man's Hydrangeas?" I bite, heart clutched in strange excitement. Grey eyes glint at the joke, before Zoro turns back to the main cabin.
Kitetsu still drawn, the green-haired swordsman sends 4 more slices through the ceiling, cutting a square so when he jumps and shoves against the whole golden tinted surface it crashes up and sideways, leaving room for both of us to sky walk out and then descend at a slower pace while the elevator body slams and crashes below.
I land in a crouch in all the rubble, and look up in time to see Zoro slice another triangle opening, letting light spill into the dark shaft. I stand and rush out into the open, what's the fastest way out? Activating Observation Haki, I run through my escape checklist. We're on the first floor, so if we can find the main base entrance, that should lead to the plastic tunnel that connects base and village. Break that, it's a two mile trek through toxic jungle to the rendezvous jump point aaaaaand
oh!
"This way, cmon!" I grab Roronoa's wrist and start us sprinting down a hall that leads directly to the main lobby, letting go after a few seconds once I'm sure he's following so we can move faster. And to reduce blood pressure. Seriously what is wrong with me?! "Do you think they're still at the rendezvous spot?" I ask over my shoulder.
"Of course they are. If they said they'd be there, they'll be there." He throws back, obviously offended at my lack of faith.
"Okay, okay!" I say, voice high as we sprint through the cement hall, the grey cool tones sobering and modern compared to the white-wash in the rest of the base. "I just- we're so close and, and that's when things always go wrong and"
"You'll save them, alright?" He tries to sound bored, but I catch the simple belief in the statement. It's the first time he's audibly acknowledged my home, my people.
I grin, and even let out a tiny laugh as my heart flutters. Not sure why,
probably from hope:)
"Yeah, alright." I say, reaching my hand to stick in my back pocket, just fingering the letter and news article enough to increase my speed. The drawstring bag holds a log pose and books that together, should lead me to a medical miracle. And miraculously, I've still got the Straw Hat's first mate in custody so they won't hate me. All that's left is to actually get off the island, and then convince them to drop me at the nearest island. Shouldn't be hard! They hate the Navy so I'm sure they'll be glad to be rid of me!
The hallway opens up into the main lobby area that we came through almost an hour ago, the same grey cement rising up almost three stories as a simple, metal plated chandelier hangs from the tall ceiling. I turn around and jog backwards to make sure Zoro's following me to the front entrance, smiling-
!shchloop!
The sound's thick, organic, sucking.
The sound came from me.
I look down to see a 3 inch diameter iron whiplash protruding from my stomach, the metal rusted red and broken into segments, taught. I follow the lash as I realize it runs from my stomach all the way to a wall in front of me, the taughtness of the line caused from it being embedded in the wall with intricate spikes.
I blink,
eyelashes slow to block vision,
my head turning to stare at an identical wire coming out of Zoro's lower torso.
The world stands still,
no,
just slow.
"Oh dear, you didn't actually think you'd escape Rieno with your life and those precious artifacts, did you?"