One Piece: The Musician
Chapter 15:
Arina felt horrible guilt when she ripped open the letter addressed to Hiro from Captain Waterloo. But as she continued to read, the guilt seemed to ebb away. In its place was disbelief.
Never had Arina been betrayed before. The feeling was eminently foreign. There was no feeling of anger or resentment. Just an unbearable pain welling up inside of her. Mustering up her courage, she read the letter again…
To my boy, Hiro,
Hiro, I got your last letter and must say I am extremely proud of you. I figured that wretched Blackbeard would send his daughter something to hide. But I had no idea it would be something as phenomenal as a map! Good work my boy. I realize it was selfish of me to force you to marry that pathetic girl. You're strong, Hiro. Hold out for a few more years. Once I have the One Piece, We'll be rid of Blackbeard and his precious daughter. I'll get you out of there.
Be strong,
Dad
Hiro had come down the stairs. Quickly, Arina shoved both the letters from her dad and Captain Waterloo into her pocket.
"Anything for me?" Hiro grunted.
Yeah, how about a knife in the back? she thought.
"No, nothing. Just some bills."
He turned to leave, but Arina called to him.
"Hiro?"
"What?"
"Forgive me. I was just scared. To tell you, I mean."
Hiro's stiff shoulders relaxed a little. He stepped towards Arina and hugged her.
"No more secrets between us okay?"
She smiled almost vindictively.
"Absolutely none…"
Hiro went back inside. For moment, everything seemed surreal to Arina, like she would wake up any time and she would realize that this was all a nightmare. She would wake up to realize that her life was still perfect. She still had her loving husband. However, the wedding band on her finger was no comfort. Tearing it from her finger, Arina hurled it into the ocean. Arina walked back to the tavern feeling like a heavy burden had been lifted off her shoulders.
For the past seven years, she had wondered about how she would choose between her father and her husband. She had dreaded the very thought, knowing how difficult it would be and how she would have to toil for months, perhaps even years just to decide. She never could have imagined how easy her decision would be…
At the post office, Arina wrote her letter to her father on the back of the letter he had written to her…
Dear Dad,
It's good to hear from you again. Don't worry, I've hidden the map extremely well. Not even you could guess where it was. One more thing. You were right, Dad. Hiro is nothing but a son of bitch. He and his dad want to get rid of us? Well…
Briefly, there was hesitation. But she continued.
We'll get rid of them first.
Without signing her name, Arina attached Captain Waterloo's letter to her own and stuck both in an envelope to be mailed.
xxx
Everything was dark… Arina didn't wonder where she was, but she couldn't block out the annoying buzzing sound. Her eyes opened slowly and as they focused a large blue nose came into view.
"WAAAAH!" Arina screamed.
"WAAAAH!" screamed Chopper.
"You're awake!" cried Robin.
Sitting up, Arina's eyes shifted left to right.
"What am I doing here?"
"On our way back to Rhea we found you floating on a piece of flotsam. You looked like you had been stabbed," Nami pointed out.
Reality came rushing back. Arain stood up.
"Where do you think you're going?" Zoro inquired.
" I gotta go…"
"To kill Sanjiro?"
Her mouth dropped, "How'd you know?"
"You're not exactly discrete in your sleep. You were practically screaming 'Hiro betrayed me, Hiro betrayed me!'" said Usopp.
Luffy was jumping up and down, "Tell us the rest of your story! Tell us the rest of your story!"
Robin, the voice of reason, nodded, "you already told us half of it. You might as well tell us the rest…"
Arina wasn't sure she could bear to tell the rest. Or if Luffy and the others would think differently of her after she did.
"I don't think I can…"
"Look, we already know you killed your husband. The love of your life, your best friend, your pseudo-brother, the person that cared most about you. But we haven't exactly tied you to a stake and burned you yet. So just tell us," blabbered Luffy.
"Gee… Thanks Luffy. I can't really tell if you're trying to make me feel better or worse…"
And so the story came out… Luffy was right. When she had finished, nobody thought any less of her. But a huge fight ensued.
But we're getting ahead of ourselves. Arina told them the truth and nothing but the truth…
xxx
The night that Sanjiro came into Arina and Hiro's room, she already knew that Hiro had no intention of protecting her. All he wanted was to protect the map from his brother. But she played along for as long as she could. After a large brawl, Hiro grabbed Arina and ran down the stairs and out of the tavern. She expected him to run for the dock. Instead, Hiro began to run for the forest with Arina trailing behind him.
"Hiro! Why are we running for the forest? Shouldn't we escape into the water?"
"In the forest we can hide! On the waters, my brother could easily catch us especially since his ship is larger and faster than ours!"
They stopped at that same cliff as seven years ago. No, it wasn't the same cliff. This wasn't when they were truly in love. When betrayal wasn't an option. When Hiro was willing to jump to his death to protect their love and Arina was willing to go in and save him. None of that was there anymore. Today stood two enemies disguised as husband and wife.
Suddenly, Hiro laughed. He held out his hand for Arina to take. She didn't.
"Arina. If I jumped, would you come in after me?"
"I wouldn't Hiro," she said in a desolate voice.
Then, Hiro did something that was unexpected. But somehow, Arina had saw it coming. He pulled out a gun.
"I thought you and I were always a team…" Hiro whispered.
" I guess not."
"Give me the map Arina. I like you too much to hurt you."
"Funny, I always thought you loved me. But I suppose that was just a girlish fantasy of mine, huh?"
"Don't do this. You know you and I couldn't fall in love even if we tried."
"This is where we part ways then, but I'm sorry Hiro. I'm going to have to take the map with me. What are you going to do when you get the map anyways? Kill your brother and all his men and then escape to Rahudell?"
"I would never kill my brother. He practically came up with half the scheme."
Arina had not expected this turn of events. An imaginary rug had been pulled out from under her.
"W-What?"
"I would never work for my father unless there was an ulterior motive. After all, he's nothing but a good-for-nothing abandoner."
"So all this… all the stories you told me about your evil brother…"
Hiro shrugged like he had just told her the sky was blue. "My brother never left us because he hated us. He left so that he could help us. To help get money. My father never sent child support or any shit like that. It was Sanjiro that supported our family. And I love him for that."
Tears formed at the corners of her eyes, but it was rage that filled her heart.
"You and your brother can go to hell…" and then she pulled out her own gun…
xxx
Arina and Hiro shot at each other for hours. The entire time, Arina wondered to herself.
How did it get to this? Why are we here…? WHY ARE WE HERE?
Both were losing water fast… With only one bullet left, Arina felt sure that he would kill her but she had to ask him. She had to ask him.
"Hiro. Do you love me?"
No answer.
"Have you ever loved me?"
Still no answer.
"If I jumped, would you go in after me?"
The silence was excruciating, but Hiro finally spoke.
"Yes."
Her love for him slowly faltered.
"Then that's the difference between you and me…
I wouldn't."
She shot him. In the heart. To this day, Arina still doesn't know if she was lucky. Or if Hiro had let her because she could have sworn that he smiled. Either way, she watched blood explode from him. She watched the man that she loved. The man that she hated, she watched. She watched Hiro Waterloo fall to the ground and just before he could cease to exist, Hiro whispered something to her.
"May you find eternal love and happiness. I'm sorry I couldn't give you either…
By the way… I forgive you for throwing away your wedding ring…"
And that was it.
And that was it.
End.