NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:
I AM ALIVE! COVID and hornets and riots, oh my. To all of my lovely readers, I must say thank you for sticking with me despite not updating for 1,000 years. Also, wherever you are, I hope you are safe and well.
There has been so, so, so much going on that lately my mental health has not been where it should be. Physically, my family and I have all been very healthy, thankfully. Mentally, I have personally been suffering from some lows. I haven't been creating art and writing the way I would have liked to.
However, with my state reopening and the weather being nice, I've been able to get out and enjoy the outdoors a little. A friend of mine are collaborating on a story (featuring Rob Lucci and an original character of mine) and that has really helped get me motivated to write again. (P.S. You can find my art on Instagram AsianFighterArt :)
I read each and every one of my reviews and I must say, thank you so much for everyone who leaves a comment. That really, really helps me gather the strength to keep going on this project. The end of this story is in sight, though how many chapters that is, I don't know, since I keep coming up with ideas, haha.
Once again, wherever you are, I hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy. Thank you so much for reading this story, thank you for your patience with this update. Without further ado, here is TPKS, Chapter 28! I hope you enjoy!
Previously on The Pirate King's Son:
Ace placed one hand on the door. He half turned towards Kaiya and, in a dead voice, said, "You're really not comin', huh?"
She gripped the sheets. "No."
"...what the hell am I supposed to tell Dadan?" he asked her in monotone.
"Tell her…" Kaiya said slowly, "thank you for taking care of me for a little bit." Ace swallowed and faced the door once more. "I'll be fine here."
"Fine," he said, "whatever." Ace opened the door and cold winter air entered the cabin. He took a single step into the snow.
"Ace," she called. He glared at her. "Please… be careful."
He scowled. Without so much as a goodbye, he slammed the door… and that was that.
"...he really left," Kaiya said in a small voice. "I thought… I thought he would have stayed."
Kimimaru slowly walked to the bed and knelt down, so his face was level with the girl's.
"Well, now that he's gone," he said with a small smile, "there's something I'd like to tell you… if you'd like to hear it."
Kaiya stiffened. "What is it?"
"It's about your father," he said.
"You knew him?" Kaiya whispered.
Kimimaru nodded. "Yes. He… he's my younger brother."
Kaiya gasped.
"There were secrets he didn't tell you," Kimimaru said. "And it may come as a surprise… but I think you deserve to know."
"Okay," Kaiya nodded, "then please tell me. I want to know everything… even if it's something painful."
"Alright," Kimimaru said, "as you wish."
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The Pirate King's Son
Chapter 28: The Paper Man Pt. III
Ace was pissed. He was an idiot. A fucking idiot. He shoulda known better, damn it.
He'd sworn off trying to be the good guy, trying to go out of his way to help people. It never worked out, never, not even once. Somehow life always found a way to bite him in the ass. He was destined for it, he supposed. This was the result of being born with bad blood. It was bad karma… stemming from the no good pirate who'd planted a seed and left someone else to take care of it.
This world didn't want him. It didn't matter if he was good or not, it didn't make a damn difference. The bastard son of the most hated man there ever was, the demon Gol D. Roger. Roger was the biggest shit stain in history, and (as much as he hated to admit it) Ace was his biological son. His blood was cursed. He wasn't born to be kind or helpful. Each time he tried to be, it ended up in rejection and misery.
Why couldn't he just fucking learn?
He'd wasted an entire day and night coming to this mountain, and for what? To get dumped as soon as he stopped being useful to the spoiled princess he'd gone out of his way to help. Ace roared and hit a tree with his pipe. Snow fell from an overhead branch… right on top of his head and into his collar.
"Damn it!" His voice was loud against the dead silence. He shivered and shook his head, tried his best to scoop the flakes out of his clothing before it melted.
The sky was blue, the sun was shining, and internally his heart was a raging storm as he continued the trek down the mountain.
He had been just fine before Kaiya's grand re-entrance. The bandits had left him alone for the most part to do whatever the hell he wanted. He and Sabo had started meeting up a few times a week to rough up some unsuspecting city goons and add to their pirate ship savings. They were starting to amass a small fortune, now, and they were definitely getting stronger with their day to day training.
Why couldn't life have just continued on like that? Without a stupid, irritating girl butting back into his life and getting in the way?
Ace clenched his pipe. He should never have let it get this far. He should have hauled her ass back to that stupid little port town the second he saw her. She was nothing but trouble, he knew it, and for some reason his stupid ass kept coming back to help her.
What the hell was she thinking, anyway? Running away to live in the mountains where she didn't belong. He'd already saved her life once… twice… The Sea King, Ripper, the landslide, the Collector… Well, who cared how many times it had really been? It was too many to keep track of by now. It always ended the same, anyway.
With him alone and more miserable than before.
Sure, she hadn't exactly been in great condition after most of their mishaps… but he'd always had it worse. Time after time, Ace had brushed close to death trying to help her. He was such a dumb ass... but this was it. The last straw. He was done trying to help her.
Ace turned around. The cabin was well out of sight… and there was no smoke stack indicating where it was. Ah, who cared, anyway? Damn that Kimimaru and damn Kaiya.
Dumb bitch, she was probably just using him. All she ever did was try and find him when she needed help, when she wanted something. Not like she ever sought him out because she liked him or anything.
He scowled to himself and bitterly recounted the night of her performance. Her face had lit up instantly the minute she saw Sabo. Ace, she'd simply treated with disdain, like she was too good for him. He clenched his pipe. She was a pretender and a liar, no matter what she said. She could act nice to him, feign being "allies" when it was convenient for her, but the city Kaiya… that was who she really was, Ace just knew it. Every time he met her again he secretly hoped she'd changed. She always tricked him into letting his guard down.
Well, enough was enough.
Ace sighed angrily to himself. Mad as he was... He still kind of wanted her to come back to the bandit's hut. It wasn't like it was days worth of hiking. Hell, he even would have dragged her all the way back if she was too weak to make it. But no. Apparently his little request was too much. Who cares what he wanted, anyway? Princess didn't want to do it, so she wouldn't. She was a stubborn, prissy little girl who only wanted what she wanted. Fuck anyone else's feelings…
Ace swallowed. That Kimimaru guy… gave him the creeps. Ace always had a knack for feeling out bad energy and that guy had it. His backstory was written in blood. The intention to kill was apparent even through his wanted poster. Kaiya was too damn naive…
Sure, the guy looked like her dad. Yeah, he might have been her uncle, but so was Old Man Ryo and look what happened there. He'd kicked her to the curb after taking care of her for two years. Who knows what that psycho would…
Ace's thoughts were interrupted by a shiver running down his spine. It wasn't cold, nor was it windy. It was just an odd feeling. The boy stood still, aside from the movement of his head as he observed the area at the base of the mountain. The woods were silent… eerily so.
The sun that previously shined down on him had darkened and the clouds were dark, heavy, and full of rain though a drop had yet to fall. Shit. He'd been so pissed, so lost in his thoughts he hadn't noticed. Now he was going to be caught in it.
Thunder grumbled in a stern warning and Ace quickened his pace. He wasn't gonna make it back to Dadan's before the storm and he sure as hell wasn't gonna go back to that cabin with Kaiya. He just had to find some place to hide for a bit… a cave or a tree hollow, just something…
The sound of a primate's shrill cry in the distance sent a shiver of fear rippling through him. Last time he was on this mountain, he had almost been torn apart. In fact, he probably would have been if it hadn't been for Garp (though that geezer was the only reason Ace had retreated this far in the first place).
Still. He didn't want a repeat of that.
The sky was dark now. It flashed briefly, lightning rippling through the air, a dangerous web cutting through the clouds in the blink of an eye before disappearing from view. Ace cursed to himself as one drop fell on his head, then another.
He was running now, his one and only goal to find some kind of temporary shelter. In fact, he didn't even notice the first projectile zooming by him, nor did he notice the second or third.
"Damn kid's fast," the man in the tree muttered to himself. He readied his weapon and brought the pipe to his lips one more time. Steady… aim… After a large intake of breath, the man forcefully blew and the dart landed right in the kid's neck. "Ha, bingo!"
Ace hissed as he felt something pierce his skin. At first, he thought it was a bug until his hand touched it. The color drained from his face when he pulled the small dart out. The boy frantically looked around to see where it had come from, but there was no one in sight. Another web of lightning flashed. Another primate howled from the mountain. A different monkey (or were they chimps?) answered, and it sounded closer this time. A steady stream of curses left the boy's lips. That wasn't good. No, that wasn't good at all.
He was fucked. He was royally fucked. A rumble of thunder confirmed his suspicions moments before a man landed behind him. Ace whipped around with his pipe and caught the man off guard. It smacked him right in the face.
Instead of crying out or staggering back, the pipe was stuck… inside his face. His skin looked like mud. Ace quickly yanked his weapon back. There was brown muck crusted onto the end.
"Ouch! Yer a feisty li'l fella, ain't cha?" The man slowly laughed at Ace and gave a wide eyed grin. "But not fer long!" He lunged at Ace. Ace easily evaded his grasp. In fact, he had the thought this man wasn't incredibly strong… and he probably wasn't.
Ace's vision shifted as the world began to tilt on its side. The guy tried to grab for him one more time. Another evade, but Ace felt his movements slow. He was getting sluggish. His heart was pounding, rapidly distributing the tranquilizer through his system. He was small and the dosage was probably meant to take down a fully grown man. Fuck. Fuck!
The hunter finally managed to grab ahold of Ace's clothing. He grit his teeth and swung with his pipe but it felt like he was moving through the water. The man laughed and grabbed his weapon, yanked it right out of his hands.
"C'mere, kiddie, I ain't gonna hurtcha. Just need t'borrow ya for a bit, draw out ma real prize." The guy reached for Ace and in a desperate move, Ace opened his mouth and bit down as hard as he could on the man's outstretched arm. The man's skin dried and crumbled. Ace coughed and spat out chunks of… bark? The man laughed, unphased as chunks of his skin cracked and broke off. His other arm darkened and formed into a knotted club. Ace's eyes opened wide. He willed his legs to move but all he could do was drag his feet across the ground. The weapon slammed into Ace's side.
The snow was cold on his face. Ace lay, his body limp, as the man's bark covered limbs turned lighter, smoother, and became normal skin once more. He couldn't see much except for hazy shapes and blurred colors. The man shaped lump was moving, growing bigger. Despite every fiber of his being telling him not to, telling him it was a bitch move, Ace did the only thing he could do: he yelled.
The man laughed. His legs turned brown and knotted. Leafy roots shot out from his body and began to wrap around Ace's feet, then his legs. Fuck, fuck, fuck!
He sucked in a lungful of air and screamed as if his life depended on it. He was no church goer, but he desperately hoped and prayed, in that instant, that fortune would smile down on him and she would hear.
"KAIYAAAAA!"
It was the last thing Ace said before the mud man engulfed him completely.
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"What?!" Kaiya's voice could have been heard from outside the cabin, had there been anyone to hear the shrill exclamation. "Roger Pirates? Like The Roger Pirates? The group led by the Pirate King himself?!"
"Yes," Kimimaru said with a nod. "That's the one."
"I just… I don't…" Kaiya muttered. She used one hand to push her bangs up and away from her face. Her head shook slightly.
"...believe it?" Kimimaru finished softly. Kaiya nodded. One hand gripped the bedsheets while the other had found a loose thread. It was twirling rapidly between her thumb and forefinger. "I know it's a lot to take in," he said earnestly, "but I promise you it's true."
"He lied to me," Kaiya said quietly, looking down. "He told me he was a musician on a merchant ship."
"He was," Kimimaru told her. "But I'm afraid his career as a trader didn't last as long as he led you to believe." Kaiya was frowning as she watched the thread blur and spin between her fingers. "He had a good reason to keep it a secret," her uncle said. "Anyone associated with Roger was ordered to-"
"To be executed, I know," Kaiya deadpanned. "It's still… a lot. He had this whole life I didn't know about. He had an entirely different identity… that the whole world knew."
Kimimaru watched emotions flicker across her face. Hurt. Anger. Her fingers would still for a moment, then the little thread would blur as she spun it. Her other had tightened, black hair tight and tense as she pulled on it, as if the pain would somehow help her make sense of it all.
For a moment, Kimimaru regretted telling her anything. Kaiya held her father in such high regards and viewed pirates as scum. He hated the idea of sullying the image of his brother…
"They were supposed to be the strongest crew in the world!" Kaiya cried suddenly. Her face turned toward her uncle with tears in her eyes. "Daddy was strong, too! He never lost to anybody! If he fought alongside Roger, how could he- how could he die in a stupid fire?!"
Kimimaru's eyes were sad. "I don't know, Kaiya," he whispered.
"It seems like a dumb way to die, though, doesn't it?!" Her voice was loud, much too loud for the small cabin. She wasn't yelling at him, he knew. She was yelling at nothing, just the predicament itself. She was screaming at the bitter hand life had dealt her. "They were the only crew to conquer the New World and he…" Kaiya angrily wiped her tears away. "He was killed by some no name pirates in the East Blue!"
Kimimaru placed a large hand over hers. "You don't know that," he told her quietly. "Your father was strong…" he assured, "and he certainly wasn't stupid. There must be something we're missing."
"Like what?"
"I don't know," he admitted after a few moments. "I don't know." Kaiya was quiet. She let her uncle hold her limp hand. She let the news sink in while he mourned the belated death of his only brother. His rough thumb gently rubbed the back of her palm. Eventually, he spoke again. "There are whispers…" Kimimaru said in a low voice, "of a secret government group."
"A secret group?" Kaiya asked curiously.
Kimimaru frowned, internally debating on how much information he should divulge to someone so young. "Yes," he said. "Have you heard of Cipher Pol?"
Kaiya's eyes narrowed as she thought. "They're a part of the World Government," she said.
The man nodded. He was quietly impressed with how informed she was. "You're right. There are the 'official' groups," he said with air quotes, "and then whispers of another faction called CP9. Rumors say they were created to siphon out information that can't be attained through normal methods. Others say they were created to hunt down the remaining associates of Roger. Honestly, I don't know for a fact if they even exist… but I wouldn't put it past the government."
Kaiya could see pain cross her uncle's features as he spoke. "Pirates can be cruel but… the government does unspeakable things to people, to families," Kimimaru said. His eyes were hard. "They claim it's all in the name of justice… but if you ask me, everything they do is in the name of fear."
Kaiya felt a shiver run down her spine. "How do you know all that?" she asked him quietly.
Kimimaru's mouth became a hard line. "A friend told me," he said. "And I have reason to believe that CP9 does exist."
"Why?"
"...it's complicated," he said. "But I came to the East Blue hoping I could find someone that would know for sure."
"Your friend?"
"No," he said. A dark look crossed his face. "Not exactly."
"Well, can't you just ask him?" Kaiya inquired. "Wouldn't that be the easiest?"
"It would be easy…" Kimimaru said with a bitter smile. "If he were still alive."
"Oh," Kaiya mumbled. She dropped her eyes in shame. "I'm sorry."
Kimimaru's smile turned sad and he squeezed her hand. "It's alright," he said.
"How are you planning to find out, though?" Kaiya asked curiously. "Who are you searching for?"
Kimimaru gave an easy laugh and messed up Kaiya's bangs. "Don't you worry about my problems. You have enough of your own."
Kaiya sighed and looked out the window. It had been bright and beautiful not too long ago, but clouds obscured all traces of blue and dominated the landscape with dreary grays. Aside from a few pained noises, Kaiya slowly stood. Every step was painful, but she carefully made her way to the window. Small footprints led away from the cabin. She wondered how far Ace had made it.
"There's some leftovers from breakfast if you're hungry," Kimimaru said to her in a lighter tone.
"No, thank you," Kaiya said dully. "I'm fine."
Her uncle said nothing as he began to tidy up. Chairs scraped across the floor and bumped the table as they were pushed in. The sounds of running water and clunking dishes indicated he was hard at work. She slowly turned to observe him, tall and lean, as he carried out his domestic tasks. A small smile grazed her features. Uncle Ryo didn't really care about messes… Auntie Vi always said it was because he couldn't see them.
Uncle Maru, however, liked things tidy… just like Daddy always did. The thought reassured her somehow. Kaiya had to use the restroom. Her bladder was full and her body felt dirty from not showering the night before. She longed for a nice, long soak with hot, soapy water. It would be a welcome break from the cold she splashed over her body at Dadan's.
"I'm going to take a bath," Kaiya said.
The dishes stopped clinking. Kimimaru faced her with a frown. "You can't get those stitches wet."
"...I can't shower?" Kaiya asked, suddenly disheartened. Kimimaru sadly shook his head. Kaiya's shoulders slumped and she gave a heavy sigh.
"There are clean washcloths and towels in the bathroom," he told her with a little smile. "If you're very careful, you could take a sponge bath."
"Really?!" Kaiya asked excitedly.
Kimimaru's eyes crinkled when he smiled. "Don't wet your stitches," he told her sternly.
"I won't!" Despite her enthusiasm, the walk to the restroom was still painful. Her movements were stiff and awkward. She was slowly learning what to do and how to move without aggravating her stitches.
She closed the door and a foul smell hit her. As she looked down into the toilet (the lid hadn't been closed), she realized there was a very large pile of brown resting in the bowl.
"He didn't even flush," she whispered incredulously to herself. Honestly! Talk about poor manners! How could someone use the restroom and not even have the common decency to…
Kaiya blinked. It suddenly struck her that he was used to an outhouse, where one didn't need to worry about flushing. It was merely a hole in the ground. The only thing you had to worry about was wiping and maybe throwing some ash or wood chips into the hole to mask the smell.
For some reason, glancing down at the toilet bowl made her uncomfortable and she had a feeling it wasn't solely because of its contents. Kaiya gingerly used a finger to close the lid. She pushed down on the toilet's handle. Water swirled and any evidence of Portgas D. Ace being in the little cabin was gone.
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The two men stared at the boy hanging upside down from the vines.
"Shit," said Albero, "kid put up a fight."
"Hah! Y'mean this pipsqueak gave ya a run fer yer money?" Baum tilted his head back and laughed as he envisioned the larger man getting taken advantage of by a scrawny little kid.
"Now, wait a minute." Albero frowned and narrowed his eyes. "I din say that."
"That's what ya just said," Baum insisted, "'damn kid put up a fight!'"
"I din say it was a good one!"
"Will you two kindly shut the hell up?" Caleen rubbed a temple as she stared up at the boy. Thunder grumbled among the low clouds. Sure, she felt a little bad for using some kid as bait but Mr. Paper Man had a reputation. He'd kill anybody but kids. Ha, what a joke. But if that was the way he wanted to play it, that's what she'd do.
The two men mumbled apologies as they looked at their boss. Her eyes, cold and angry, stared back. "So, what's the plan, boss?" It was Albero who spoke.
"He's connected to that bastard somehow," she said. She'd seen the kid with the Paper Man and one other child. "All we have to do is dangle him somewhere the Paper Man can see."
They were on the right mountain, that much she knew. Now it was just a matter of drawing him out.
"Then what?"
"Then," she said with a wicked smile, "I'm going to tear Kimimaru to shreds."
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Kaiya sighed. There wasn't a lot of water in the tub, just enough to cover her legs. It was quite the struggle getting in initially, but it was so worth it.
The bathroom was hot and steamy. The scent of her aunt's homemade soap filled her nostrils and brought her back to better days. Kaiya rinsed the grime off herself before getting into the bath. It felt so good to relax. She wished she could have filled the tub and let the water engulf her sore, aching body… but she would take whatever rest she got.
She leaned against the porcelain and looked around. Her Uncle Maru had scrubbed the bathroom. It was much, much cleaner than she remembered. Kaiya almost wondered if Uncle Maru had OCD… there didn't seem to be a single thing out of place. The bathroom and the things in it were old but they were well maintained and absolutely pristine.
She closed her eyes and her mind wandered back… back to Gol D. Roger. Back to her dad. She couldn't remember what birthday it was… her fourth or fifth, maybe, when she walked into the bar and dining area.
There were usually a few sailors there, bright and early to start their day or shove off to sea. On this particular day, there was just her father and one other man she'd never seen before. A pirate with red hair and a rather silly looking straw hat.
"Good morning!" Kisuke said happily.
"Good morning, Daddy," Kaiya said after a yawn.
Kisuke had a broad grin on his face as Kaiya sheepishly approached him and the stranger. "Happy birthday, princess!"
"It's your birthday today?" the red haired pirate asked. Kaiya stopped a few feet away and nodded. He slid off the bar stool and crouched down so he was eye level with her. "What's your name?"
Her big eyes turned towards her father, who was smiling warmly from behind the bar. He gave her an encouraging nod. "It's alright, you can talk to him. He's a friend."
"Kaiya," she said quietly, avoiding his gaze.
"Kaiya," the stranger said with a grin, "do you know what else happened on this date?" he asked.
Kaiya's eyes narrowed. She was young, but she wasn't dumb. Of course she knew. She decided not to answer in hopes that he would tell her something different.
Like a magic trick, the red haired pirate produced a paper from nowhere. Just like it did every year, there was a big picture of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, grinning at her moments before his demise.
"Gol D. Roger began the Great Pirate Era!"
"I hate that man," Kaiya said loudly. The red haired man blinked. The young girl pointed an angry finger at the paper. "I always see his face on my birthday! Roger this, Roger that!"
Kisuke watched his daughter's sudden outburst with a forlorn expression. If anyone else badmouthed his captain… well, he wouldn't have hesitated to lash out and put them in their place. But his little princess doing it… well, that just broke his heart.
"I hate him!" Kaiya announced to the stranger.
He smiled. "Is that so?"
"Yeah!"
The pirate raised a hand and Kaiya's eyes widened. She tensed up and closed her eyes. The man's left hand landed on top of her head and messed up her hair.
"Hey!" Kaiya said angrily. She'd just brushed it, all by herself. It wasn't as pretty as if Mama would have done it, but she thought it still looked nice. Not anymore. Kaiya slapped the man's hand away. He laughed good naturedly.
"How can you hate somebody you don't know?" the pirate asked.
"It's easy," Kaiya told him as she crossed her arms. She held the man's gaze as long as she could. There were three scars over one eye. That's what she focused on. She blinked first. An amused smile crossed the man's face.
"Have you met Gol D. Roger?"
Kaiya frowned. That was a stupid question. "No," she said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "He died before I was born."
"Has he wronged you somehow?" The red haired pirate had his head cocked slightly as he waited for an answer.
"...no," Kaiya said eventually. "But a lotta people hate him."
The stranger simply smiled at her. She could see whiskers starting to grow on the bottom half of his face. "Well, I can't help what strangers think," he said with a sparkle in his eye. He raised one finger and bopped the tip of her nose playfully. "But how can you say you hate a man you've never met?"
FLASHBACK
"Easy," Ace said, crossing his arms. "He was a good for nothing pirate who never did anything for me."
Garp was quiet as he stared into the boy's face.
"He's scum," Ace spat.
"He's your father," Garp told him.
"He's not my father and I'm not his son," Ace insisted. Garp raised his chin slightly. There was a stern indignation in the five-year-old's eyes.
"Your name is Gol D. Ace," the vice admiral said in a steady voice. "Son of Gol D. Roger and Portgas D. Rouge."
"My name is Ace," he agreed with narrowed eyes, "but I'll never be Roger's son."
A staring contest ensued. Garp crossed his arms as he stared down at the boy. Ace had his arms crossed as well, even with a metal pipe clutched between his fingers. The boy hocked a loogie and launched it right at the old man's face. Garp simply cocked his head to the side to avoid it and he gave a heavy sigh.
Ace turned his back, indignantly plopping down onto the mossy stones as he stared out at the sea.
"I never want to hear that name again," Ace told Garp.
"You can try to wash your hands of him," Garp said, "and that's fine. It's better if the world doesn't know he had a son."
Ace's fingers clenched tight around the metal pipe. The words hit him like the old man's Fist of Love. "He's the most hated man in the world," Ace said blankly. "That's what the paper said."
Garp scratched his beard. He couldn't refute that… the paper did say that, right on the front page.
"I'll never claim to be his son," Ace told the old man, "because they'll just end up hating me, too."
Kaiya gasped as her eyes opened.
How could she have forgotten?! The Soul Gaze between her and Ace… it was unlike anything she'd experienced before. She was almost convinced it didn't happen, that it was just a dream she'd made up.
Flashbulb memories came flooding back. Hers and his, mingled together, just like it had been on that day.
Ace was the son of Gol D. Roger!
He hated the fact so much, he tried to convince himself it wasn't true… but he knew it was, and now, so did she.
Kaiya could feel emotions wash over her. The shame and bitterness Ace felt when Roger crossed his mind, the anger when the world talked down about him, she felt them, too.
Ace's thoughts rang over and over again in her head. 'I don't deserve to live.' Ace believed it with every fiber of his being and Kaiya's heart sank like a stone. It fell to the bottom of her stomach when she thought about how she'd pushed him away. Another image flashes in her mind but this one she didn't recall from the Soul Gaze. It was Ace, unconscious. Two blurry, man-sized shapes laughed as they strung him up from a tree. The vision was too bright, too white.
"He's like a piñata," one big man laughed. "Almost makes me wanna beat 'im and see if candy falls out."
"Not yet," said a suave female voice. "Not just yet."
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"Gyah!"
Kimimaru had just finished tidying up the cabin. He groaned and stretched upwards, his back arched as his fingers reached for the ceiling. Most normal homes required him to duck upon entering. Whoever built this cabin must have been tall because there was still quite a bit of clearance above him. It was quite nice. It gave the illusion that the one room cabin was much larger than it actually was.
He could sense Kaiya in the next room over, quietly relaxing in the tub. He had snuffed out the fire so a smoke stack didn't rise upwards in broad daylight. It was still quite warm in the cabin. The man sat down to do a bit of relaxing himself when he heard a shrill cry.
Without even thinking, his body dissolved into a billion tiny paper pieces, hurrying across the cabin and under the bathroom door. Kaiya was in mid-fall. With incredible speed, he grabbed a hanging towel on his way up. The paper pieces collected together in the form of a man and he managed to catch the girl before she slipped backwards into the tub. "Gotcha," he said, more to himself than her.
Kaiya's eyes were wide and her mouth was open. "U-uncle Maru." He quickly wrapped the towel around her small, shivering frame. There was a worried look on her face.
"What's wrong?" Kimimaru asked.
"It's Ace," Kaiya said quickly, "he's in trouble!"
The man blinked. "How do you know that?"
Kaiya's mouth opened and then quickly closed. Her eyes dropped down to the floor. "I just know," she mumbled.
Kimimaru shook his head. "That doesn't make any sense."
Kaiya's head shot up. "I don't care if you don't believe me!" she said. "I have to go! He needs help."
Kimimaru held up both hands. "It's okay," he said calmly. A smile crossed his bearded face. "I believe you."
"Really?"
"Really," he nodded. "But you're in no condition to go anywhere alone. Let me help."
"Okay," Kaiya said. She returned the nod and the smile. "We'll need all the help we can get."
. . . . . L ~ I ~ N ~ E ~ B ~ R ~ E ~ A ~ K . . . . .
"Heheh, lookie here," Albero said to himself. His voice was quiet but full of glee as his boss's prophecy came to pass. The paper man himself was quickly making his way down the mountain… with a young girl in tow. She was damn small, by the looks of it.
The two zoomed down the mountain on a makeshift sled. The little girl was wide eyed as she held onto the Paper Man. His body was long and thin, his knees bent as he zoomed down the mountain, riding the piece of wood like it was an oddly shaped snowboard. He swerved this way and that to avoid trees and obstacles as if he'd done it a thousand times before.
The sky rumbled above the bounty hunter, reminding him that their trump card would be here soon. The paper man may have been feared for his speed and agility… but he was nothing in the rain.
"I'll getcha this time, ya flimsy fucker," Al murmured. He was well hidden in the top of a tree. Even if the Paper Man did look up, Al was well disguised, his own skin taking on the exact same color and pattern of the bark upon which he sat.
"Ready…" Albero said to himself. He closed one eye. "Aim…"
Kaiya screamed as her uncle took a sudden swerve. The sound of a gun rang out among the trees but they didn't stop.
"Damn idiot," Baum said under his breath. "Forgot t'silence yer gun." He scowled and looked through the scope. He could clearly see their little hostage, still dangling from the trees. His seastone bullets were ready to go. All he had to do was wait for the Paper Man to come whizzing by… and boom. That would be the end of that.
Ace groaned. He blinked the sleep from his eyes. His vision was blurry. He automatically tried to stretch but his body was tightly tied. The boy struggled but it felt like someone had encased his entire torso in thick rope.
"Ahhh! Shit!" Ace's heart began to pound. He looked around and his head started swimming as he realized he was dangling from a tree branch. Curses flew from the young boy's lips as he struggled but to no avail.
Droplets began to fall from the sky, hitting his face as he hung helplessly from a thick branch above. Even if he found a way down, the fall could kill him… or at least cause some damage.
The boy looked down at his feet… which was actually up at the sky. Lightning brightly illuminated one section of cloud cover and shadows shot through the forest.
A shout. A gunshot. Though part of him thought it cowardice, he did the only thing he could think of.
"Hey!" Ace shouted. "Help! Get me down! Hey!"
"Ace," Kaiya gasped. As they hurried down the snowy mountain, the trees parted and she caught sight of the boy, struggling to get out from the thick ropes that held him. "Ace!" She may have been tiny but her voice was not. "Ace, we're coming!"
Ace stopped struggling just for a moment. His eyes narrowed as he tried to make sense of something whizzing down the mountain. "Kaiya! Old guy!" He laughed incredulously. "Hey! Get me down!"
Kimimaru's eyes went up to the trees. He could sense the three hidden figures long before he saw them. "Kaiya," he said calmly, "I'll be back." Her eyes widened but before she could protest, her uncle dissolved into tiny bits of white that zoomed up and away.
"He's going for it!" Caleen screeched from the top of a tree. Her men struggled to follow the swirl of white. It raced upwards, swirling around the boy until they heard an audible snap. "Fire!" she commanded. "Fire, damn it!"
The rope quickly came undone. Ace yelled as the ground came hurling towards him. He regained his arms and legs as the twine came undone but all he could do was flail. His mind was blank. He couldn't even think. There was only color and wind, white, white wind that cut his clothing, nicked his skin. His arms and legs finally came undone yet all he could do was flail.
Headfirst into the snow was probably how he was going to go. A sad way to leave the world. White embedded into his clothing, caught his arms and legs before a voice said, "Ha, gotcha."
Kaiya screamed nearby. She was still on a large piece of wood her uncle had used as a sled and she was gaining speed. Her path, since she could not alter it, was headed straight for a wide tree trunk.
She hadn't caught the exchange between her uncle and friend, nor did she see three shadowy figures descend from the treetops just as thunder grumbled. Ever so slowly, raindrops began to fall to the earth, creating tiny craters in the areas that still had snow. Lightning cast a sudden, harsh glow upon the landscape.
Kaiya frantically tried to pivot her body left and right. She cried out in pain as the movement tugged at her stitches. The ground was too shaky to stand on the wooden board, her body too battered to properly steer. All she could do, it seemed, was scream. Out of instinct, she hunkered down and closed her eyes, preparing for the inevitable collision to come.