edited February 22, 2021
Protective Luffy and Big Bro Zoro coming up!
Enjoy!
"I don't want the store, stupid girl. I simply want the Pirate Hunter," Mohji confirmed.
"My brother has no business with you," I denied, sniffing. "Your brother?!" he shrieked, and I rolled my eyes. "That means that you're.."
"Roronoa Aela..yeah I am," I answered, exasperated. "You guys need to do more research! It was my idea for him to even begin hunting pirates!"
"It's no matter," he continued, ignoring my pouting. "I'll bring the both of you in." He stepped in front of Richie, grinning darkly, his whip dragging behind him. "Better yet, I'll use you as leverage to draw your brother out."
"Tch," I scoffed, but eyed the whip warily. That thing hurt. "Like I'd ever be brought down by a weirdo like you. Seriously, what's with the hair?" I ended, genuinely curious. Was that natural, or?...
"STOP IT WITH THE HAIR!" he yelled out, and I chuckled.
"Taste my whip!" The whip snapped towards me, but I was ready this time. I threw my body to the side, rolling back up to a standing position. "You're really starting to piss me off with that thing!" I growled out.
I began running full speed towards the man, startling him. I guess he was expecting a trick of some kind, but that's not my style. Honestly, my favorite style of fighting is just….
"Ena Punch!" Punching it out.
"Gah! My nose!" Mohji flew back and slammed into the wall of the pet shop. He laid there for a bit, blood pouring from his now broken nose.
I realized from a very young age (along with Zoro) that I wasn't exactly blessed with sword swinging abilities. In fact, weapons in general just weren't my thing. I learned how to use them of course. How could I not with Zoro as my brother? He taught me how to use a sword and dagger, along with throwing stars and knives. My aim was pretty good when aiming a gun, and I'm even decent at throwing a spear along with knives.
My fists, however, were my true passion. I was only five foot two, however my punches still managed to throw a grown man on his ass. It didn't hurt of course that I'd figured out a way to mold my energy around my fist, multiplying the power of my punch. I stood there while Mohji gingerly stood up from the ground, groaning. My energy pulsed around my fist, melding and flowing around my fingers like a well fit glove.
"You bitch!" The lion tamer moaned, blood leaking from in between his fingers where he was gingerly holding his nose. The words came out sounding like, "Boo bitch!"
My nose flared a bit. "I'm getting real tired of being called a bitch today.." I muttered to him lowly. He gulped at my tone, glancing behind him.
"Richie!"
Oh shit! How did I forget about the lion?
I got up and turned to face the beast, but within seconds, quickly found myself soaring through the sky from the force of Richie's side swipe. I slammed into the wall with a grunt, my head hitting the stone wall with a sickening crack.
The only thing that saved me was my Inner Shield, which was thankfully still in place. That was probably the only reason I didn't have a hell of a concussion right now. Not like I haven't gotten tons of those in the past.
Ohhh Zoro gets so mad at me… I shuddered at the thought. I slid down the wall a little, making sure I was steady on my feet. I don't wanna attack the kitty but….
"Sorry about this kitty cat," I said out loud reaching for the daggers held in the harness of my right boot. "Sorry for what?" Mohji cackled. "Looks like you're finished girl.."
I charged forwards to the lion, evading the man's attacks. When I got close enough to the beast, he lunged. I feinted as though I would be jumping upward to evade the attack, and heard his exclamation of surprise when I instead slid downward, under the beast's stomach. I slashed into the lion's primordial pouch, making sure that my cuts didn't go too deeply. I genuinely didn't want to kill the poor beast. After all, he wasn't at fault here; he was just being controlled by an asshole.
I slid out from under the lion completely, pivoting around to face the man and beast. The lion groaned out, his tone deep and pained, and promptly fell over. He twitched once or twice, attempting to get up, but finally, lay still. He let out a final groan of defeat, and then was quiet.
"Richie?" Mohji called his lion's name, voice sounding scared, and for a second, I felt true remorse wash over me. Maybe I shouldn't have…
"You...you.." the man turned to me then. He was trembling in anger, and I readied myself. "Listen…" I started, "I didn't kill him..he's just…"
"FEEL THE WRATH OF A LION TAMER!" Quicker than lightning, Mohji had flicked his whip towards me. I tried dodging, but unfortunately, my shield draining my energy meant my speed was lowered. I jumped to the left just as the whip came cracking down. I felt air hit my face from the force of it snapping through the air and I gulped. That was way too close.
Crack!
I tried diving out of the way for the next attack, but I wasn't fast enough. The whip cracked me in the side, and I cried out. The attack didn't hurt me, but the force of it caused my inner shield to die out.
I crouched on the ground, panting. This guy just kept coming. Mohji's hand lifted up once more, and my eyes closed reflexively.
Crack!
"YIP!"
"Whaa.." Stunned, my eyes shot open. Chou-Chou had jumped in front of me, protecting me from the whip. "Chou-Chou?..." I whispered, heart beating wildly. I ran up to the pup, tears leaking from my eyes when I noticed that her side was bleeding.
"No no no… Please be okay.." Leaning down on one knee, I picked her up gently, turning her towards me. "Puppy?" she whimpered in pain and I sighed out in relief. Thank the gods…
"Don't ignore me!" I heard the whip before I felt it. It cracked across my shoulder and I grit my teeth. I held one arm above my head while the other held Chou-Chou protectively to my chest.
I transferred the energy from my hand to cover my arm, and just in time too, because the whip cracked again, wrapping around my arm. I glared at the lion tamer, ignoring the burning sting of the cut now bleeding on my shoulder. "You're a bastard for picking on a defenseless pup…" I grit out, anger flooding through me.
"You're just a meddling bitch! I was going to keep you alive to lure your brother out, but you've pissed me off now."
He yanked the whip back and I gasped as Chou-Chou and I were flung to the side. I skidded across the street, concrete and gravel scraping at my shoulders, knees, and back. "No!" I cried out when Chou-Chou was released out of my arms with the force of the pull.
Crack!
The whip cracked towards Chou-Chou and I gasped, quickly throwing my Ena Bubble out to surround the dog. "What's this?" I heard the man say, snapping his whip towards the dog. I winced when it hit the bubble, but grinned victoriously at the man's aggravation when he realized he couldn't reach the dog. "It's not a bother," he chuckled evilly, pulling another whip from his back pocket.
"Are you fuckin serious?!" I shouted, eyes wide. Why did he need TWO whips?! In the next moment, one whip was snapping towards Chou-Chou, and the next, towards me. I groaned out, tears coming to my eyes at the sharp sting across my back. He laughed and flung both at the same time, one hitting my back and the other slamming on to the bubble.
I bit my tongue to keep from crying out; my pain was increasing, and the shield flickered for a second, making Mohji gasp in delight. I grit my teeth though and threw my hand out, focusing all of my attention into keeping the shield strong. There was only one way that shield was coming down, and I wasn't dead yet. I grinned in delight when the shield not only became whole again, but became thicker as it strengthened.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
"Fuck you!" I screamed out, my body writhing now. Skin had been broken, and blood was dampening my shirt, which was in rags. I didn't care about my stomach showing, but I was very grateful for the wrap around my breasts.
"Come speak with me, girl," the man chuckled darkly, and then, I was choking. He had given up on attacking Chou-Chou, which I was grateful for, but was now focusing all of his attention on me. The whip wrapped around my neck, the lion tamer jerking me towards him roughly. If I wasn't too busy yanking at the noose around my neck I would've cussed him out at the painful rocks digging into my side.
I can't….breathe.. I was gasping pathetically now, trying desperately to pull the whip from my neck. I didn't have the strength to remove the whip, due to the majority of my energy going into protecting Chou-Chou.
The edges of my vision began dimming. My hand began trembling and losing strength….
I felt his energy before I saw him.
Thud!
The pulling of the whip stopped very suddenly, the binds loosening around my neck. I flopped to the ground limply like a fish out of water, breathing in air so quickly I began hacking.
"What the hell…." a very familiar voice said lowly, voice trembling with anger. I almost didn't hear him due to coughing so loudly. My eyes shot open and I turned my head to the right. Luffy, bless him, was standing with his back towards me. One foot on the whip, pinning it to the ground. His precious hat was tilted over his head, hiding his eyes. His aura was dark, and I almost felt sorry for the bastard.
Almost.
"...are you doing to my nakama?" he finished his question by tugging on the whip sharply, yanking it out of the man's hand.
"Eh?" the man gasped, backing up quickly from the boy who had begun quickly winding his right arm up. Without even looking at the man in front of him, Luffy reared back his arm, sending it flying towards the lion tamer. His fist slammed into the man's jaw, sending him flying into the air. The captain's hand stayed on the man's face even as Mohji flew upwards, his arm stretching. When the poor man was almost on the ground again, Luffy stretched his other arm up, yanking Mohji down to Earth.
The ground shook from the impact of the man's body hitting the ground. His head cracked into the pavement. The man was still after that, and Luffy stood huffing for a little bit longer, before turning around and walking towards me.
I was still on the ground. I could've gotten up at this point, but hey, I was exhausted and wanted to watch the show. "That was awesome!" I told him giddily. Luffy said nothing, simply came over to me and grabbed my arms.
I groaned as he gently pulled me up. As soon as I was up to my full height, my legs buckled, but he quickly grabbed my waist, holding me up. I blushed brightly, face burning, but the blush faded into anxiety when I saw Luffy's face. There was worry in his eyes as he looked me over, and I grinned at him reassuringly. "I'm fine, Cap," I confirmed, even as I felt blood slide down my back.
His eyes travelled down to my arm where the raised welts from the whip had indented itself into my skin; the pain was still pulsating angrily through me. Finally, his dark eyes moved to my neck and there they stayed; I didn't like the look in his eyes, which screamed of guilt and immense anger that was still running through him.
I noticed that his hat was hanging around his neck, so I reached out and placed it on his head, straightening it for him. "There," I started, smiling at him gently, "we're all good now."
His eyes lightened a tad, and he gave me a small smile. It was weak, but better than nothing; it would have to do for now.
Then I remembered.
"Chou-Chou," I murmured, fear running through me. I'd had my shield around her, but what if it failed like it did with Zoro? Did she get hit just as many times as me?
"Bark!"
Letting out a huge breath of relief I peered around Luffy. Chou-Chou was on her feet again, looking at us expectantly. I walked, or rather jogged, over to the mutt, kneeling down to her level. I heard Luffy suck in air when my back came into view, but I ignored him.
Running my hands carefully through Chou-Chou's fur, I winced when I found the spot the whip had touched. She jumped away from my hands a bit, but I soothed her with low whisperings.
Upon closer inspection I could see that the whip had definitely touched her, but the wound was artificial. It had broken the skin, but her fur thankfully took the majority of the blow.
"Thank goodness," I breathed, sitting back on my feet. I sent the dog a playful glare. "Dumb mutt, making me worry like that," I teased, giving her a rough pat on the head. She yipped at me and I grinned.
"She's all good, Cap!" I confirmed, glancing around me to the dark haired boy. "That's great!" he laughed, wide smile on his face, and I felt relief run through me at his smile. Luffy's not meant to be dark; Luffy was the epitome of sunshine.
"I'm so pathetic!" The two of us startled a bit, looking down the street to see the Mayor running towards the both of us with a fierce scowl on his face.
I was surprised and irritated to see the orange haired girl with him. What was her name again?
"Where the hell were you, Nayomi?" I questioned her, gingerly beginning to stand up from my crouched position. I smiled at Captain in thanks when he reached a hand down for me to grab, gently pulling me up next to him.
"It's Nami you…" she started, her voice loud with annoyance, but it trailed off when she got a good look at me. "What happened to you?" she questioned, voice still sounding irritated. I knew better though; I heard that small amount of concern leak into her tone. Instead of answering her question I sent her a smug smile. Awww..looks like the witch does have a heart. Her eyes lit up with anger and the concern went away.
"Chou-Chou and you young-uns fought so hard yet why must I, the mayor, sit by and watch our town be obliterated?"
"I don't think you could've done much old man," I started, trying to soothe him.
"40 years ago this island was a barren land," he continued, ignoring me, "but we worked hard to build it to what it is today! This town is a treasure to me and its citizens. I cannot allow those dirty pirates to have their way anymore!"
BOOM!
A huge blast suddenly erupted, destroying the opposite side of the street. Multiple buildings were destroyed.
"Was that.." Nami started, eyes wide at the destruction. "Buggy…" I growled, jaw tight. His damn Buggy Ball took out a block of the town!
"M-m-my home…" the mayor stuttered. My heart sank for the man. To see his home disappear right in front of his eyes…
"ZORO WAS IN THERE!" Luffy shouted suddenly. "WHAT?!" I gasped, turning to the boy. I grabbed a hold of his face with both hands and pulled, cheeks stretching. "You're just now telling me?!"
"You knew already!" he protested, but it came out garbled.
"Zoro!" I began to run towards the rubble, heart in my throat. I stopped though when some of the debris started to shake, and suddenly, a green head burst through the wreckage.
"That's one helluva way to wake a guy up," a gravelly voice griped, and I couldn't stop myself.
"Zoro-niiiiiiii!" I shouted, launching myself at my brother. He grunted when I ran into him, the force of it pushing him back. I wrapped myself around him like a koala and he gently began trying to pry me off.
"How are you still alive?!" Nami exclaimed, pure shock in her voice. "Zoro-nii has a hard head," I said, but it was muffled due to my head being shoved into his shoulder.
"Aela..get..off.." the green haired man grunted, plucking my arms off of him. Every time he yanked a limb off, it stuck right back to him, like he was a giant magnet.
His hand pressed against my back, and the tattered remains of my shirt dug into the still slightly weeping wounds left from the whip. I stiffened for a millisecond, and of course he noticed. He always noticed.
"What…" he started, and then stopped. I looked up from where I had my head hidden in the crook of his neck, and cringed at the sight.
Zoro was staring at his hand that was placed on my back a second ago. There was blood on his fingertips, my blood, and his face was slowly darkening into the face I hated.
Shit.
I let him untangle my limbs from his body, already dreading what was coming. I stood in front of him like a wounded puppy, head down. I felt his eyes trail over my body, stopping on my arms, shoulders. His hand grabbed gently on to my chin, and he moved my face back and forth, taking note of the cuts and scratches and growing bruises on my cheeks. There was a small scratch above my left eye which had begun slowly bleeding, and he gently wiped it away with his thumb.
"Zoro…" I started.
"Hush," he cut me off, and my mouth snapped shut. He slowly turned my body around, and when he saw the mess that was my back, drew in a sharp breath. I knew what he was seeing. Mohji had hit the same spots numerous times, the whip weakening the skin and causing it to break.
Blood was dripping down from the wounds that stretched from my right shoulder all the way down to right below my left thigh.
I turned to face him, opening my mouth to explain...and then I wish I hadn't. Zoro-nii's face was zeroed in on my neck, which was an angry red color. It was raw from the weapon being wrapped around it, and from the force of being dragged across the pavement.
"What. the hell…" Zoro's voice breathed, and I gulped.
Double shit.