Robin POV:
Dark cliffs loom high above the Thousand Sunny, outlined against the bright night sky with clouds streaking in front of the full moon. While the pale splashing light is pretty, it's not conducive to stealth missions, and as each second ticks from the watch on my wrist, I grow more and more irritated at the otherwise romantic moon.
"Robin, relax. They'll get here. Zoro and that navy lady are a suuuuuper combo!" Franky walks up beside me, crossing his arms in confidence to punch his point home. I turn to look up at him and let out a sigh. We had easily gotten the gold we wanted, and managed to keep the base forces busy for a solid 30 minutes before everyone made it back to the boat. With the help of our new camoflouge tech, the marines quickly believed we had taken to sea. Instead, we sailed around the small island and now sit anchored at the rendezvous point, waiting.
"What if they got decapitated as soon as they landed? Or what if Zoro got lost in all those archive rooms and is repeatedly running into a corner?" I ask, lifting a hand to my chin.
"Oi Oi! Zoro's bad at directions, but he's not that stupid! He would just cut the corner up and keep coming!" Usopp suddenly comes up beside us, shaking his hand in front of his face as if to chase away my dismal predictions.
"What if he slices up a corner that's a main support and the whole building comes crashing down on both of them causing a total massacre?" I counter argue Usopp's admittedly logical point. The sniper raises a nervous eyebrow me, as if acknowledging the possibility of my deductions.
"Then he'll just slice up all the debris and keep running. Probably in the opposite direction of here, but as long as he can keep Tashigi with him they'll both be fine." Nami joins us at the side, a glass of iced tea in her hand that she sips on after the statement.
"The plan was literally for them to separate." I deadpan.
"Good! Tashigi-chan doesn't deserve to be stuck with that moss head idiot who can't tell the difference from a lady and a cactus." Sanji draws on his cigarette, an evil smirk spread from ear to ear as he joins the now crowded rail. "I personally favor the decapitation idea, except Tashigi-chan would survive because she's amazing. I'm sure she'll be here any moment."
Everyone turns to glare at the love cook, who raises his hands to shrug his shoulders. "What?"
"Shishishishishi! Sanji, your funny!"
Luffy's laugh draws all our attention as he, Brook, and Chopper join the rest of the crew. All 8 of us now stand on the starboard side of the ship, looking up the cliffs and the tips of the trees barely visible at the top.
"Zoro will get here! So will Navy lady! And if we don't see them by dawn, we'll just go and get them." Our captain crosses his arms and lets out a nod of surety, serious for a single moment before yawning and going to pick his nose.
I glance up and down the line, at everyone staring up. Some hands in pockets, others with arms crossed, a few holding their trademark accessories. Luffy lowers his finger from his nose. We stand there for a few moments, strangely silent. The New World has kept us busy and often separated on different missions and distractions. But, I'm not sure the last time that just a single Straw Hat was missing while all of the rest of us could only wait.
Usopp clears his throat loudly, and Nami sips on her tea with determined purpose. Franky starts tapping absentmindedly on the banister, and Brook starts humming lightly. I lift one foot to rub an itch in my calf, and Luffy turns around once, twice, three times- mouth open to proclaim he was going to go do some random activity before the rubber man would stop and turn back around to stare up. Up, up, and up.
"For a guy who doesn't really talk a lot... you kinda notice when he's gone, huh." Chopper comments quietly, swallowing after the fact. I smile at the words, and the mood lightens as I just feel other's grinning or silently chuckling at the sentiment.
"The lazy butt's always either sleeping or training-" Nami starts,
"But he always agrees to play games as long as they're not too stupid," Usopp interrupts her.
"He always makes me feel safe!" Chopper adds warmly, the little reindeer hugging himself a bit at the thought. I watch as Luffy tilts his head at the observations, and breaks into a wide grin as he stares back up.
"Zoro's really great!" He exclaims with a knowing chuckle and full trust. Everyone falls back into a comfortable silence for a few minutes. Then a few more.
I fully trust his ability. However...
Sanji mutters barely loud enough for the rest of us to hear-"That moss head better bring him and Tashigi-chan back here alive or I'll find and kill him myself."
A few people smile, and I laugh lightly at the cook's grating admittance that he wants them both back alive.
And so all of us Straw Hats hold the line, waiting. Confident.
But I can't shake the feeling that for once, my fatal musings have a sliver of foundation to them.
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Third Person POV:
Phantom Jack loved nothing in this world but the satisfaction of breaking victims, the taste of cold soba, and his iron whip. The weapon was a gift to himself, after his 50th paid kill. The handle was a 2 foot cylinder, with 5 strands, each 100 foot long with different diameters, coming out the top. Each strand was made of hollow iron segments pieced together like centipede scales, the metal work thinner than aluminum foil but as strong as any top-notch sword. This allowed the segments to collapse into each other and be stored in the large handle, which also sported a plethora of buttons. 5 large ones to release and control each whip strand , but then under each large button were several smaller ones that allowed Phantom Jack to access cruel tricks he laced in the individual iron segments. Poisons, hooks, shrapnel- his personal favorite was the shredding coil. Mmm, so many choices. For him, obviously. Not his victims.
The assassin grins as he leans against the back wall of Rieno's front lobby, holding his whip, three strands still stored in the handle as two extend out, anchored into the opposite cement wall with intricate spikes, a swordsman skewered on each strand. It's a simple rectangular room, 100 by 50 feet, with multiple doors on one long side that lead to hallways and staircases while the opposite wall sported Rieno's main entrance. The assassin had blocked all the doors on the back wall, preferring to tango alone with his victims.
And oh would they tango.
He runs through his plan again, salivating over each detail. How they are now, the navy captain faces away from Phantom Jack, while the notorious pirate stands just three feet past her, and if he looked straight would be staring right at Phantom Jack. They had no clue that the green haired one was pierced with Phantom Jack's 1 inch whip strand laced with a poison that puts a person's senses and Haki use on the fritz. Should pair well with that wasp sting from earlier. He wouldn't be hard to subdue. And poor Captain Tashigi... having a 2 inch hole in your stomach is never a good idea for such a slight person. Add his shredding coil segments laced with a muscle memory poison, some twisted psychological revelations and- mmmmmm.
Phantom Jack couldn't wait to string them up in the woods and let them watch each other die.
The captain from blood loss, the pirate hunter from starvation and a broken heart.
...
Okay so Phantom Jack isn't 100% positive the green one can feel love but starvation's brutal enough it will satisfy PJ's never ending bloodlust.
Oh, he is too good.
A slow, relishing grin slinks across the assassin's face as he stares at his current victims, tempted to laugh as Roronoa's eyes scrape across the whole room, searching for his enemy.
The camo-camo fruit could not be better fitted for a silent killer. The logia type devil fruit allows its holder to take on the physical make-up of whatever is behind them. Standing against a brick wall? They are brick. Flying through the air? They become oxygen. Running through a forest, Phantom Jack's left foot could be wood, his right hand moss, and his lungs fog. Whatever happened to be directly behind him in the moment.
Phantom Jack's grin lowers to an annoyed frown though when the green haired swordsman looks down the length of the whip strand running through him until he fastens steel eyes in PJ's direction. Okay so the whip's downfall is it really doesn't aid in the whole camo-camo schtick. Ah well, let the games begin!
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Zoro POV:
plip
plip
Our blood drips to the grey cement floor, the lively red losing vibrancy as the puddles just look like another dark color in a monotone room.
The whole damn room is grey. floor, ceiling, walls- no wall decor to interrupt the rough hewn rocks, smooth metal, and textured cement that makes up everything.
plip
plip
I hate how it feels- the cool metal pressing against my warm organs as it pierces straight through me, hate how I can see the blood dripping and spurting from the 2 inch iron cord taught through Tashigi's stomach.
There's this thing that happens when people get hurt. It's like time slows down, every detail comes to life, and as if the universe is mocking your pathetic attempt at existence it gives you a chance to think.
During the stillness, all I do is stare at her.
Her face wears shock that dissolves with tired desperation.
Then, tired defeat and- self loathing.
Bloody, pale, dressed in dark pants and that stupid dark green tank top.
I wish I could give her that one pink and orange shirt she likes to wear.
Would brighten the place up.
Maybe it'd help her...
A muscle twitches in her jaw
When she looks up at me, defeat is gone.
Stillness ends, and instincts kick in as my hand goes to Kitetsu's hilt while the rest of my skewered body stays still to avoid further injury till I know what action to take next. I rip my eyes away from Tash standing, convulsing a few feet in front of me. Reflection's over.
Focus.
Something sick and twisted still sinks in my gut though as my gaze rakes through the room searching for our attacker. No soldiers- both caught on iron rope that goes back to-
Eyes narrow as I spot the whip handle seemingly suspended in the air, right next to an irregularity, some disturbance in space, in the wall.
There.
I glance back to Tash whose hand rests on Shigure's hilt- wincing as something that feels like frigid liquid shoots out of the whip imbedded inside me. Our eyes meet, and she nods slightly.
Our swords sing as we unsheathe them and swing them down in powerful arcs, Kitetsu first as I cleave through the iron whip anchoring Tash to her place- and before Shigure has fully sliced through my cord I lunge forward in fury.
"Head for the door!" I shout at her, ignoring that she'll hate me for telling her to run, before rushing towards the whip handle by the wall, taking in every detail.
-is it a devils fruit?-She'll be okay- take out the enemy- we're wounded- what's the strategy?
The thoughts tumble through my head as I charge straight forward, pulling Kitetsu back to deliver a death blow, finally pushing away distraction as I glare at the whip still levitating in-
FRICK. Complete darkness overtakes me, like the world ceased to exist and only my thoughts remain. Sight, hearing, touch- Haki refuses to activate-
As quickly as darkness comes, it goes. Vision startles me and I hear myself curse as I stumble, jaw clenching as pain shoots from my wound and I look up to see the whip handle and irregularity gone from the wall.
Spinning, I start searching again for my invisible enemy, cursing as suddenly the whole room goes silent. I look back at Tash and-
There!
I start sprinting towards her, that sick sinking feeling rising and coiling as I recognize that same weird disturbance in space around her. I boost my speed, only a few feet away-
GAH PURPLE ELEPHANT-
Frick I don't have time for hallucinations!
I rub as my eyes while I keep sprinting, but when I pull back my arm everything is pitch black.
I can hear again though-
"So many lies, all from people you love and trust. Tsk. So sad you can't live long enough to even search for the truth."
Vision returns and I blink right before crashing into a cement wall
Probably should have stopped running while I couldn't see.
A growl rips from my throat as I turn around, eyes wide as I watch Shigure slip from her fingers, a hand going up to grasp at her throat-
Suddenly my vision doubles, then triples as copies of Tashigi struggling appear all around me. The room starts to spin and shrink around me as I stagger, trying to reach out with observation Haki but still failing to pick up any auras.
FRICK.
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Tashigi POV:
weak.
Zoro's gone before I can blink after Shigure cuts his bond, and I try to keep the sword at the ready as I step forward-
"AAHH-"I screech in pain as I hear the schloop sound again, gasping as cool air fills the hole made by the iron whip. I lift a hand to the wound as I stagger forward, vision blurry as tears trickle down my cheeks with every gasp for air. How am I going to save people if I have to recover from this?!
I'm so damn weak!
I hear Zoro's command and grit my teeth. Sluggish, I catch my balance and tighten my grasp on Shigure. My eyes flit to the exit. I should be able to HELP. no- NO. Just- get out of the base. That's your only goal! CMON! I stagger forward, gasping at the effort but getting used to the stabbing pain with each step.
This is how I can help Zoro. I'm not a burden! I have to-
"The captain's log was a surprise, wasn't it dear."
The words freeze me as slow thoughts collide and connect. Why was 'The Greatest Challenge' log pose in a convenient bag with so many other... I tear my focus from the doors as I spin around at the slithering voice behind me, the action sending a wave of sick, nauseating agony through my stomach.
"I mean I know gifting you with the diary of your dead grandma is a bit excessive for the first date, but it was just so juicy! I had to give you a chance to know the deets."
What the heck what the heck! I growl as my head swivels, searching for the voice's owner. The room's empty, except for Zoro standing at the back wall. I try to slow my ragged breath, and swallowing I reach out with observation Haki.
"I mean I didn't have time to find the deets." the voice continues its one-sided conversation.
There! I glare straight in front of me, right at the spot the strongly twisted aura stands. Squinting, I can barely make out a strange, presence. Suddenly, a pair of eyes appear floating in the air, and a mouth opens into an unnaturally large grin. My fingers clench Shigure as I shoot forward, slicing at the almost nothingness.
"I just know you've always been on the watchlist." The voice bounces from my left now, and I spin to keep up as the voice continues, eyes and mouth now gone, "Something about potentially dangerous lineage. The big guys at top could never quite decipher and when you ended up being such a klutz, they decided they didn't care."
My circular following pauses as the words shoot through me. What is he talking..
"Of course you always suspected something. It must hurt, knowing she never told you the truth." I wince at the accusation as the floating eyes and grin appear again, to my right. Breathing heavy as my wound aches, I stay still, saving energy for if he attacks, distracted by his words. "Your father wrote one of those technique books in your bag there. For a man who emphasized 'submission to justice' till the day he was executed, he certainly knew how to shake things up."
I freeze, arms shaking which causes Shigure to waver weakly in the air.
..Dad? He wrote..
The drawstring bag hanging suddenly grows heavy, as I realize the full weight I'm carrying. Hope for innocent people but also.. does it have answers to questions I never dared to ask?
"The law is not always right, but to go against the law is always wrong."
Dad repeated his favorite mantra to me as he ruffled my hair. 10 and tiny, I looked up. My dad was smiling, eyes sad but kind. His hair was sandy brown, muscles large and bulging as he leaned down to pick me up and rub our noses together.
"Listen to your grandma. Try to not get in trouble and..."
He had paused, thoughtful, and spoke the strangest words I ever heard him say.
"Stay safe, stay smart. And don't trade your soul for a lie. I'm sorry I can't be there to tell the truth as you get older."
I stand frozen, overwhelmed in the moment with memories long suppressed.
"So many secrets, all from people you love and trust. Tsk. So sad you can't live long enough to even search for the truth."
A hand suddenly grabs and pulls at the bag on my back, and I feel myself unraveling as I reach behind at whoever is stealing my hopes and revelations.
"Stop-!" I shout, but it reaches my ears as a whisper laced with hoarse emotions. What does he want?! I twist around, screaming in pain and fury as I swing Shigure at my invisible foe. Sweat pours down my face as I keep slashing my sword all around me, trying to activate my Haki again when
"Ack!" I gag, body flailing as what feels like cement fingers wrap around my neck, squeezing while I turn my blade and stab repeatedly at whatever's behind me. Still, the slithering voice whispers in my ear-
"You were so close." suddenly a hand materializes in front of my blurry vision, pointing at the large front entrance doors just a few feet away. Guilt sinks like a stone through me. I should have stayed focused!
"What do you want?" I croak out, vision starting to go dark, nerve endings everywhere frazzled as I stab backwards again, infusing the blade with my last reserves of Haki. The choke hold just grows tighter, and I let Shigure slip from my grasp as I lift both hands to fight for air.
"I just really love suffering. Picture it and weep. You will never save those innocent villagers. Children will DIE because you've never been strong enough. Your own grandmother and father lied about your past, but it didn't matter cause the entire fricking world government scoffed at the thought of you being a threat. Don't you just feel... miserable?"
I claw at my throat as fingers press around my windpipe, starting to crush it, my legs thrashing as I fight to escape. I have to-!
cxssx,
Pressure around my throat dissolves, letting me cough on the blood and scream gurgling in my throat. Muscles freeze, eyes wide, as what feels like a thousand knives tear through my organs and muscles, radiating from the chasm in my stomach.
Cruel laughter echos from far away, as darkness hovers at the edge of my vision,
"You know those snake things plumbers use to clean out drains? Imagine 5 of them, metal and sharp, snaking through your innards. Although, I don't think you have to imagine." the voice comes closer, until suddenly it's right next to my ear again, a hand gripping my chin as he hisses
"Wanna know about 'The Greatest Challenge'? A legendary series of challenges, whose origin dates in the lost century. Whoever invented them was smart. Its a game that only starts once it believes it's found a worthy player. Each challenge offers a prize worthy of the legendary title of 'greatest'. Those who go for the sword, can win the all-healing elixir." the voice pauses its hurried whispers, relishing in seeing my eyes go wide at the knowledge, before launching its quick info dump again.
"They're not tied to locations, but move to match the circumstances of those who take them up on the wagers. Not more than 10% of people make it past the first obstacle- these supposedly worthy players. So when they say greatest, sweetheart, they mean greatest."
The invisible attacker pauses, taking a deep breath as he grins at the spit now all over my face from how fast he talked.
"Mihawk won't face it, scared it'll steal his self-proclaimed title. These challenges know things, they learn, they match each person's individual weaknesses. So how bout it Captain Tashigi. Think you're the greatest? That you have any chance of beating that thing? I hope you weren't counting on help from bloody pirates. That green-haired bastard doesn't care about your problems or some random citizens. He doesn't even trust you to win against an unknown enemy. He'd probably steal the log pose and go at the challenge himself, save that elixir for a rainy day when he's on death's do-"
I blink as the voice suddenly ends, and turn lazily towards the sound of conflict behind me, before crashing to my knees, muscles spasaming as I watch Zoro a few feet away, blade sparking against a 2 foot whip handle.
"Pirate Hunter! Quick to handle missing senses- are you fast enough to save her?" the voice taunts, and I watch as the shimmer in the air jumps back several feet, before 5 long whips cascade out of the handle.
"SHUT UP SNAKE!" Zoro's voice is full of fury as he walks forward in deliberate slowness. My gaze follows him a moment, until my eyelids squeeze shut at a particularly torturing advancement of the metal wire in my torso. I barely register the short banter happening around me as I groan.
"Your 320 million bounty is fitting. I'm glad, you're making me work for my pleasure. It always makes victory much sweeter."
"You're just running. Working for victory means you stand and fight." Zoro growls.
"Oohh, the long games are the best games."
"Play your long games sometime else. I'm in a hurry and don't have time for pathetic scum."
I blink my eyes open again, shoulders hunched as I press my hands gingerly around my wound. I.. I gotta get them out..
Sucking in a ragged breath, I anchor my eyes on Zoro's muscled back as he stands, two swords drawn as his shoulders move up and down with every steady inhale and exhale. Steady. Steady..
I shove my fingers in the hole, scream pressing against clenched teeth as I grab something solid and pull, everything going black for a moment before I open my eyes blearily and stare at 2 small clumps of metal with a 5 inch spiked wire sticking out of each.
!WOOSH!
The unmistakable breeze of a powerful air slash blows my hair back, followed by a scream, and I barely lift my eyes in time to watch Zoro sprint to a wall, picking up a body that he slams against the wall before sending a wicked elbow smashing into the man's head.
regret and relief twist through me. Thank God, but, why did I have to rely on someone else. again.
The room starts to spin as I watch Zoro turn and sprint towards me, mind blank as he crouches in front of me, wincing at the movement before he grabs my arms.
"Tash, Oi Tash what's wrong?"
Tash.. I like that.. My lips twitch up at the nickname, before I start coughing, blanching at the taste of blood. I push my hand towards him, palm flat with the two spiked coils sitting in the middle.
"3 more..in..side.." I murmur, tilting my palm so the coils fall to the ground before I reach back to the wound.
"Wait! That's not-"
"..They're.. growing.." I grit, jaw clenched in apprehension.
Before he can argue, I cram my whole hand into my stomach, gasping for air as my other hand clutches his forearm while I dig for the intrusive coils, tears streaming down my cheeks. I swallow as I feel my fingers grasp and close around 3 hard objects, brain fizzing to white and black as I pull.
Beyond excruciating, hooks shred tissue and muscle, organs and veins, sinews and cells. Shred, and yank, and steal everything as I scream for darkness, escape. Nothing else exists, my world consumed with violent agony, until slowly, ever slowly, pressure starts smoothing the edges of my consciousness, the compression bringing solace, eventually cracking the blinding pain to let awareness rush back.
My eyes blink open, the world still dark until I tilt my head and feel the pressure start to lessen.
"Your okay" his chest vibrates against my cheek as I try to slow my ragged breathing, unsure if it was a statement or a question. I roll my face back into him as I nod in response, not letting myself think about his arms wrapped around me, pulling me into him. Instead, I soak in the steady pressure and warmth, letting him distract from the stabbing ache radiating through my entire torso.
We stay still for mere seconds before he shifts his weight and stands to his feet, easily balancing me against his chest with one arm as he squats to grab Shigure. I feel it then, the sensation of thick liquid dripping off of, everything. I glance down to see a significant puddle of blood where we were sitting moments ago.
"Let's get off this f****** island." Zoro mutters, gently sliding Shigure into its sheath before adjusting my body so my head rests against his right shoulder and his arm wraps under my knees, our torsos pressed together. "Chopper'll wrap it. We gotta move if we're gonna avoid more fights."
Almost on que, shouts of marine soldiers start echoing into the giant lobby as pounding begins on doors from the back wall. Zoro pushes against one of the double doors, stepping outside into the plastic tunnel and starting off at a jog towards the jungle on the right. He pauses just long enough to pull Kitetsu out, slashing a triangle in the plastic that he quickly kicks out and ducks under and into thick foliage.