Hi,
thank you guys for your comments and follows, it makes me feel motivated to actually do some work (including this story and school stuff, y'know the usual). Also I want to apologize for some spelling mistakes in this fanfiction. I write this story on mobile phone and well... What to say... Damn autocorrect and my bad attention. And to be perfectly honest, sometimes I don't have much time and I am perhaps rushing it. I'll try to be more careful and from time to time I'll retrace back to older chapters and correct as much mistakes as I can find. It's usually only a letter or two in the misspelled words like for example - flow x flowed - so instead of verb the autocorrect makes it noun. Even these minor mistakes break the flow of the story and I know it's annoying as hell, but sadly I don't want a beta because I like working alone, y'know no restrictions, I'm not really social person either, all I can promise you to try better myself and pay more attention. Thank you for pointing it out, understanding and I hope you'll enjoy this chapter just as much as I did when I was writing it!
Little WARNING here - this chapter is a bit more dark... so yeah, if you don't like blood and stuff, don't read this.
To those who like it?
Welcome my buds! :D
Chapter nine: the man who will take the world by storm
Sabaody archipelago, Grand Line
"Let...my...sister...BE YOU MONSTER!"
*CLANK
"Don't touch her!...*hit... STOP!...*hit...GET YOUR FILTHY FINGERS OFF OF HER!...*hit...RHAA!...*hit..."
*THUD
"Ha... Ha... Ha... *clunk..." the petite girl heavily exhaled as she dropped the bloodstained metal lid on the wet ground.
"Nghh,... *cough cough" she wheezed, desperate to breathe.
She clawed at her neck.
'It's suffocating here'
She needed a fresh air.
'I don't want to smell that disgusting metallic scent anymore'
They just escaped it...They didn't need to nor wanted to go back...
To that awful...
...horrifying
...revolting
...insane place, where praying to God to save you is laughable.
Why would you pray to gods, when they were the ones torturing you?
She started slowly backing away from the man's corpse, until her marked back hit the cold wall behind her. Emerald shards of glass were buried deep in multiple wounds on her body, causing sharp numbing pain with each movement. Her scaped kness buckled under her weight and she slid down into the puddle of dirty rain water.
The raven-haired girl looked at her bloody trembling hands in horror, blinded by bitter tears streaming down her cheeks.
"What did I..." she mumbled and sunk her fingers harshly to the roots of her hair which lost its natural healthy glow long time ago. "...just do?"
She knew death.
She saw it happen so many times.
She could watch blood splatter on her cheek and remain stone-faced.
She wished death to those who harmed her and her two dear siblings.
And yet... She has never been the one to do the 'deal', until now that is.
It was a new feeling entirely.
Guilt slithered its way into her fuzzy mind, just like a snake, slowly suffocating its victim by tightening their slimy body around their neck.
She started tugging on her neglected hair, trying to pull them out.
Maybe if she wasn't so pretty, they'll leave her and her sisters alone.
Yes... that's right, it's all her fault for being so pretty.
She'll be ugly if she becomes bald and scratches her face a little, right?
Then they'll be free from all those nasty pervy eyes... from those nimble heated hands and list-filled words...
'I just...'
She didn't dare to look the way of motionless body.
"*hic...*hic...si-ster?"
The cries of her little sibling brought her back to reality. She swiftly crawled to her baby sister's side, checking her all over for any potential injuries.
"Oh... my small Sonia... *sniff, it's okay...it's okay now...that disgusting man can hurt us no more..." she whispered with her trembling voice sweet comforting words into Sonia's ear as she cradled her frail body in her arms "I made sure of it..." she growled venomously, hatred embedding itself deep inside her heart and spreading its roots more and more.
"Nobody will be able to hurt us again... Now we just need to go pick up Mari, steal a boat and we're good to go..."
"Re-really? *sniff"
"Yes, of course Soni-!"
"Oi Johnny! You done?!"
The girls froze.
A resounding footsteps could be heard nearby.
There was someone else there.
That man she killed earlier wasn't alone.
"Tsk, he brought friends with him." she hissed quietly.
"Sister?"
"Don't worry sweetheart, this is nothing... I'll find a way out" she whispered and shushed Sandersonia's worries.
Her eyes traveled all across the abandoned dead-end alley. No windows. No doors. No way down to sewers or way up to roofs. There was no escape. Fuck.
'Then I'll just have to dirty my hands once again tonight. It's easy. I'll do it just like the first time...' she tried to assure herself as her eyes wandered to the dead male.
The older sister bit her lip and gnawed on it so hard that little drops of blood dropped down her chin.
She didn't want to kill. Just the thought of it wanted to make her puke her guts out.
But she wanted them dead. They deserted it.
They were just male scumbags... The worst of the worst to breathe on this planet.
'If it means I can keep my sister safe this way...from any more harm... Then I'll do anything'
"Oiiii Johnnnyyy! We wanted to have some fun with those girlies too! I hope you didn't finished them off before we got our turn!"
"Onee-sa... ma?"
The older sister didn't move. Did she just heard correctly?
'We?... There's more of them?!'
"Ayo! Mark's right man! Those lil' bitches looked delish!" a new voice rumbled almost too cheerily and eager for the... action.
They were doomed.
The steps of the group approaching them were nearer and nearer by each shedded tear.
She pressed her shaking baby sister deeper into her chest and stroked her hair lovingly. She closed her eyes. This was it. This was the end.
'We got far...We ran away and could taste the freedom for at least a day...'
"My god he's deaf." The Mark-guy grumbled, only a few turns away from the terrified pair.
'...I don't want to give up, but...'
The laugh of the group echoed through the deserted alley, setting the alarm off in her mind, but she stood still. She gently drew circles and spirals on the back of Sandersonia's hand.
The gang was two corners away from them now.
'I promise I'll defend you to my last breath... Well, at least Marigold is safe... At least one of us will live...'
"Psst, hey! Up here!"
She whipped her head around with a lightning speed and looked at the stretched out hand.
A playful smirk danced across the stranger's lips. Their cyan striking orbs glowed in the darkness of this ghastly dread-filled night, they pulled her with invisible force towards their helping hand. What more could she lose? Be killed now or later? She prefered later of course.
She grabbed it.
The stranger lifted her up, together with her sister. It was really dark and she still couldn't see the mysterious saviour's face clearly.
The person took them into their arms and throw something into the alley. A weird ticking noise was coming from the strange device. But the stranger didn't wait for the group of men to arrive and started to ran away.
They sprinted with two girls in their arms as if they weighted nothing more than a sack of feathers and jumped across several buildings with unexpected ease. They made their way to the top of the tallest building in groove one. Only then they put them down, exhaling loudly while they sat down.
"So... Who are you? Why did you help us?" The older sister asked cautiously. They still had their sea-stone shackles on and she doubted that she would be able to kill him. Their raw power was almost tangible in their presence.
But before the mysterious individual could answer, loud shouts and then sudden explosion roared from the direction they came from.
The girl lifted her eyebrow in question with utter perplexion visible on her face, but it was wariness that swirled in her chocolate eyes.
"Yo! The name's Inferno. Nice to meet you future pirate empress Boa Hancock." The guy grinned and offered her his hand.
"A m-man?! Don't touch me!" Hancock screamed and slapped his hand away "I don't know what you want or how do you know who I am but let us go this instant!
"Calm down missy, I am here to help you, not to harm you in any way and certainly not to do what those guys wanted... Oh! By the way, they are blown to smithereens now. Those sons of gun deserved it." he mumbled darkly and put a hand in fron of him."Don't worry, I'm not usually this brutal, but these guys..."
"... Let's say that I trust you not to harm us right now. Who are you really, why did you saved us and how do you know my name? Explain yourself!"
"Hey hey I'll talk so calm down. I can't say everything, but... Well for starters,... let's say the situation is more complicated than you could comprehend right now. My boss sent me here to protect you and your sisters, missy" Inferno answered her calmly and lazily glanced up, revealing part of his face. He had piercing glance, sleepy eyes and goggles around his neck. She didn't recognize him. She has never seen this man in her life, so why did she feel so safe around him?
"Boa Hancock is my name you stupid male." she demanded and flicked her hair sassily "Ha! Then who's your so called boss and why did he wanted me safe? Does he want me untouched or something? Well sucks to be him because I was tainted years ago!" she bit out, hateful words spilling from her parched lips.
"Haa okay... listen." Inferno huffed out and put a hand in front of him in calming manner. "I am not here because our boss wants you in his bed, but because he holds you dear. It's hard to explain now but one day you'll meet him and he tells you his reasons..." he promised and stood up "Now it would be helpful if you told me where the marigold is, so I can take you all back to Amazon Lily."
"But yo-!"
"Hancock, not everyone wants to hurt you. You are not alone. You don't need to do this alone"
"..."
"Please?" he bend over and ruffled her hair "Try to trust me?"
"... Fine... In a groove four, behind the marked tree, near the roots." she mumbled while hugging her sleeping sister.
"Thank you." he smiled warmly and Hancock's heart felt lighter... The roots of hatred disappearing. So this was kindness.
"But still... Why did your boss... How could he-?"
"He knew you were going to be kidnapped. He knew you would be hurting. He holds you dear. You don't know him yet he knows you. He couldn't do anything about it just until now and he sent me because he himself couldn't... Those are all undeniable facts which sadly I can't really prove to you... " he trailed off and looked at the sandering bubbles in the street casting dim indigo blue light.
'Why don't they just use street lamps?'
"Well then... The least I can say to that boss of yours is...thank you, I will wait for you then..." she murmured and blushed slightly "Mister Inferno... Can I at least know his name?"
Inferno smiled softly.
"Mephisto. Remember this name for now. He will reveal himself to you when the time comes for him to take the world by storm."
'It can't hurt to throw a little hint in, can it?' Marco chuckled and took the sisters again into his arms.
"Mephisto... I shall remember this name then... And why for the love of... Ugh... Are you laughing you damn male?" she barked and reddened.
"It's just that you're the same as I remember. Still so tough, taking out that pervert. Good job Han'~"
"Wh-wh-what Han'! That sounds like hen you idiot!... Wait... You know me too?"
"Aaannd end of the questions, now let's go get Marigold. I bet she's worried."
"Gah, you men and your secrets. Fine! I won't ask anymore... Okay just one more... What exactly did you do back there?" she inquired, curious about the earlier explosion.
"Ah, that heheh I'm a doctor, but I'm also interested in chemistry. That one was my cesium instant bomb. When you mix cesium with water it goes boom to make it simple. The bomb was a timed one, so when the time ran out then the cesium capsule opened and it dropped into the water...Science is amazing, isn't it? " Marco gushed about his explosive.
"Aah...very." Hancock answered and let herself be carried.
"Tsk, no one understands the art of science."
'Mephisto... Man who will take the world by storm, huh? I'm kind of excited to see what you're made of, then I will judge myself what kind of person you decided to become. Will you be the same as them... Or different entirely?... I can't wait to meet you my hero. '
Dawn island, East Blue
"Rha!"
*BASH
"Hah!"
*CRUNCH
"Heya!"
*BAM
"Huff...huff...sweet holy meat on the stick this is hard...huff, huff..." Luffy choked out, trying to catch a breath from all that workout he put himself through.
"Man, this is so annoying!" He snarled and punched the last undestroyed tree around him."I need to go through this again~? I was already so strong..." he whined and leaned against the tree trunk."Three weeks in and all I can do is bash trees with my bare fist... Well, at least now I can aim again due to toning my arms a bit..."
*CRUNCH
"Huh? What was that?" he looked towards the source of noise. The tree he punched earlier and was now leaned on was halved right in the place he punched it in his fit of anger and now the higher half was falling on him!
"UWOOOAAH!"
"Ha, idiot." the boy in red shirt mumbled with small grin tugging on his lips.
"Pfffft- HAHAHAHA, this guy!" the other boy right next to him exploded with laughter. "Th-this guy looked suspicious to you? Ace, c'mon what dumb kid like this could do?" he chuckled and pointed to the squashed kid.
"You think he's still alive?" Ace wondered.
"I dunno, we're pretty far from him. I don't even know what he was screaming, meh he punched the tree in half, he's probably okay."
Ace frowned again "You never know Sabo... He's weird...The night I found him he was talking to someone on den den mushi... "
"And? Is that a crime or something?" Sabo shrugged off "Or is it some secret sign being dangerous?" he mocked him.
"You little! Firstly! Do you even know how expensive and rare here those are? How could normal kid have those?... He had two even! One of them was weirdly white...You know anything about that?"
"Nope,...hey you're thinking too much... Maybe he ran away from home and took his parent's or something?" Sabo mused and graced his best friend with toothy calming smile.
"He had bandages all over him."
"Oh? So now you're worried about him Ace-kun~?"
"What are you saying dumbass?! "Ace shouted and punched Sabo's back of the head." I mean what was beneath them! I watched him from afar to change them... He has some weird tattoos all over him and hides them. I couldn't see much, but I remember flames I think?"
Ace's freak out was met with Sabo's uninterested glance.
"I mean c'mon! He has tattoos and intentionally hides them? Isn't something fishy here?"
"Uwaa, my best friend is a pervert~, watching people change, you nasty~" Sabo provoked and poked him in the shoulder which caused Ace to almost fall down from the branch.
Ace reddned, pulled on his collar and shook with him rapidly "Ya idiot! I am being serious here! What kind of kid has so many tattoos?! He's obviously younger than us, he can't be older than six or seven! "
"I am serious too Ace... Yes, I think it's strange, but... from when are you interested in someone's past? From when does someone's past matter to you?"Sabo mumbled and his face became serious. His eyes pierced those Ace's black ones..."I think you're thinking too much..."
Ace wanted to say something back but decided to shut up.
"Yeah...mabye you are right...I guess I have became too paranoid...Let's go hunt our dinner." Ace confessed and ran off.
"Ok! " Sabo smiled and turned around "Bye you little cute weirdo." he whispered and took off after Ace.
"Yosh, the weird presences are gone... And here I thought I would be alone here... Gosh I almost outed myself yet again... I need to be more cautious..." Luffy grumbled and stood up, lifting the tree of his back with ease. "Moooo it's all the time reverse thing FAULT. My observation haki is dulled as heck... And the other two...too... I thought it was more of a mental thing but I guess I need to get stronger physique and experice?" he dusted himself off and went to his bag "The saddest thing is though that conqueror's should be normal... And yet... It's weak as heck!... Is it due to my condition...? Have I grown weak? Who am I kidding... I was always weak..." he trailed off, looking into nothing while rummaging through his stuff... Until his hand brushed across the Sanji's lighter...
His eyes dulled and fingers twitched for lighter...
He needed warmth... And he needed now.
Those calming flames...
"No!" ge grabbed his hand "Not again! I will preserve!"
"huff..huff..."
"Maybe my mind and body is weak right now..." he stood up, finally finding the sea-stone shackles in his bag. "But I won't back down! I have things to do and I can't do it in this sorry state!"
He put the shackles on and exhaled deeply.
"And now, it's game on."
So what do you think? Luffy still has some internal problems he needs to fight, but he will be alright... Right? Put down the comments your thoughts, it interests me. Anyway thanks for reading and see you next time.
P. S. OH and by the way if someone wanted to see how I imagined Corazon to look like you can go on my profile on AO3, I am under the same name. I think I posted it in chapter 8.
Kalon Thorn~