One Piece: The Musician

Chapter 8: Happiness Often Fades Into Sorrow

It's interesting how there can be so many different interpretations for laughter. Laughter can be out of genuine mirth. Or some sort of ridiculous farce. Or it could be haughty and pompous, when one thinks he or she is better than everyone else. But when Arina fell on her knees, confessing the death of the one person she had promise to protect with her life; the laugh that came out of Captain Waterloo was a fool's laugh. A laugh of denial though the inevitable had already hit him like a brick.

"That's very funny, daughter-in-law. But come now. I traveled the Grand Line and back to see my son. Where is he?"

Captain Waterloo tried to pull Arina to her feet, but she refused. Instead, she pulled her sword out of her belt. It gleamed as Arina raised it over her head.

"Hiro vowed that he would never relinquish his sword to anyone, not even his own wife, until the day he died. And now it lies in my hands. Captain Waterloo, you are not an insipid fool. I know it. Please do not act like one." Arina was trembling, but her voice sounded of no fear.

A gentle breeze blew past and as it did, it took away all of the Captain's doubts. His son was dead. He reached out to take the sword, but then hesitated a moment. Taking this sword meant accepting that his youngest son was gone. Deceased. On to, perhaps a better place. He stared at this sniveling little girl on the ground. This pathetic… wicked girl.

Captain Waterloo snatched the sword out of her hand and immediately slapped her over the face with the side of the blade. Water fell through the cut.

"How dare y…" Sanji took an ominous step forward, feeling chivalry kicking in. But Luffy stopped him and shook his head.

"Why Luffy?" Sanji felt shocked.

"This isn't any of our business… We're merely spectators. That's my order."

Sanji grit his teeth. He'd bear it for now, but if Waterloo put another scratch on Arina, he'd claim mutiny on Luffy.

Captain Waterloo's face was now red from anger and his eyes were bloodshot from sorrow.

"I see you still have that Devil's power. I know it was you who stole it from my ship, ten years ago, you little wench."

Not making direct eye contact, Arina murmured, "I have never stolen anything from you, sir."

"Liar!" and he hit her again, over the other cheek.

That was it. Sanji had snapped. He lunged forward at the Captain.

"Stop, Sanji! If you take one more step, I will take great pride in ripping your limbs off!" screamed Arina and Sanji obeyed.

However, Sanji was not the only one who had gone a little insane. Captain Waterloo had gone so insane, in fact, that he seemed calm.

"You stole my treasure. You stole my men. You stole my ship. You stole my pride. YOU STOLE MY SON!"

Arina closed her eyes and then opened them again. Then she lowered her little head, as if in shame.

In a low voice she said, "Forgive me for saying so, but aside from your last accusation about your son; perhaps you mistake me for my father."

"SHUT UP!"

Both Chopper and Nami screamed. Zoro told them both not to look and gathered Chopper in his arms. Robin hugged Nami so she couldn't see. And with good reason. The sight was horrifying.

Five long daggers had pierced Arina's body, each of them in a line down her back. They were so long, in fact that they went clear through her back and into the front. Water exploded from the gashes and from her mouth. But this was not enough for Captain Waterloo. In a terrifying war cry, he stabbed Arina through the heart with her own husband's sword. Zoro felt Chopper jump and he knew that Chopper knew exactly what had happened. But Zoro was suddenly awestruck by Arina and her resilience. Even with the excruciating pain she was feeling, she stood up and looked Waterloo with an intense sense of sympathy.

"Captain Waterloo," she said gently, "does stabbing me make you feel better?"

He looked at her as if she were ready to attack him. But she continued with the same attitude.

"Because if it does, then, by all means, continue to do it. Only remember this… I may have the power of the Devil's Fruit, but I am no necromancer. I cannot bring your son back to life."

Captain Waterloo knew it just as well as Arina did. Hiro had gone to a better place. His posture slipped and he slumped over.

"I would like to leave before dawn. I have about five hundred men. They are hungry. Please feed them. Mates, we leave before sunrise," he said lifelessly.

"Yes, sir!"

"I'll go prepare your food now…" Arina dragged her unconscious body back to the tavern. Sanji was constantly by her side, pleading for her to take the knives out of her back and the sword out of her front. She was leaving a trail of water and, like blood, if she lost too much she would die.

But… perhaps I deserve this…to die the same way my husband did…stabbed in the back.

As usual, the bar went silent when Arina entered, but today, they were not looking at a goddess… They were looking at a corpse. Silently, she slid into the kitchen where the chefs dropped their utensils.

"Make fried rice for five hundred…" she whispered and then proceeded to cut green onions. There was suddenly a heaviness on her shoulder and Arina realized it was Sanji's hand. Behind him was the entire Straw-Hat crew except Zoro. Sanji looked at her with sorrowful eyes.

"If you refuse to relieve yourself of such pain. Then, at least let us help you. What I want you to do sweetie, is to go upstairs, take one of your waitresses with you. And pull all those things out of your body. Then I want you to sleep. Do you understand?"

Arina was too disheartened to be skeptical. She felt herself nod, but was not aware of it. As she stepped out of the kitchen, she turned around to make sure that they weren't looking. The door looked so inviting. As if all her problems would disappear if she ran out that door. And she did. She made a dash for it. Two steps out the door, Arina heard a very unappealing voice scratch at her ear.

"And where do you think you are going?"

Shit! she thought. It was that annoying jerk, Zoro.

"You know. Luffy may look stupid, but nothing much gets past him. He figured you would try to run."

"So he thought to set you outside my tavern like a watchdog. How sweet of him."

"What did you think you would accomplish by running away?"

"Oh, you know. I was planning to sail out to the middle of the sea. Then fling myself overboard. It was always a dream of mine," Arina grumbled acerbically.

That was the last thing she said before everything went black.

The first thing Arina saw when she awoke was Zoro's ugly face. Not very welcoming.

"Where am I?"

"You are on the Merry Go. Now, I don't know how to take care of you nearly as well as Chopper could, but he's busy."

"What happened?"

"You passed out half way to the dock. I assume it's from either blood loss or dehydration. Well, in your case it would be both wouldn't it?"

It was then that she realized that all the daggers and the sword had been removed from her body.

"What did you do!"

"I took the knives out so I could stop the water flow…"

"Well put them back!"

"Back where?"

"Back in my gut!"

Zoro felt taken aback. He sat down next to Arina on the bed.

"Why?"

She looked away as if it were painful to look at him.

"Because I deserve it."

"Do you?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Don't be nosy."

"Then don't be mealy-mouthed."

"Kiss my ass." And Arina got up to leave. The sensation of vertigo was only momentary, but it passed. She looked around frantically. Then her eyes fell on Zoro.

"Where is it?"

Zoro smiled mischievously. "Where is what?"

"You damn well know what. The sword. My sword!"

"Oh! You mean this one?" he held it up. Arina lunged for it, but Zoro pulled it away and she fell face flat on the ground.

"Your sword? Isn't it your husband's? That is… until you cold-bloodedly murdered him."

Tears welled up in her eyes for a second time that night.

"I didn't kill him on purpose! It was an accident! It was his older brother. He tricked me!"

Zoro grinned.

"Continue Arina. I'm very interested in hearing what you have to say…"

End.