Chapter 16
I'm free! I'm finally free! Everything is over now and I can be happy again! No more suffering, no more pain. I have my life back and it feels great…Though…there is just one more thing that is pulling at my heart. What is love for me?
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Adella leaped out of her bed in her underwear and tossed open the curtains of the room. "Wow, what a morning!"
"Adella?" Vivi rolled over and tossed her blankets over her head. "What're you doing?"
"Close the damn curtains." Nami groaned sleepily. She moved lower down her bed.
"Oops, sorry!" Adella closed the curtains. "I didn't know that it was that early!" She headed out, but realized that she didn't have her proper clothes on. "What should I wear today? My usual or something else?" She looked at the clothes that she had. "I know!" She grabbed a tube top, a short skirt, and a pair of boots. She threw this all on and ran into the bathroom. There she combed her hair. "But where is my--! Oh yeah!" She ran over to her flute case under her bed and took out her pendant. "Aah! Now I'm ready to greet the day!"
"Go greet the day somewhere else dammit!" Nami seethed tiredly.
"Some of us are trying to sleep!" Vivi threw a pillow at Adella.
"Sorry!" she whispered. She left the room, headed for the kitchen. Okay, I'm kinda scaring myself. I think I'm a bit too perky. She giggled and began to hum. She opened the door to the kitchen and walked right on in. She saw Sanji and smiled. Sanji! Just in time! "Mornin' Sanji! Today is gonna be a wonderful day!" He said nothing as he made breakfast. She cocked her head to one side. "Sanji?" She got closer to him. "What's wrong? Why aren't you talking to me?" He put the food onto the plates madly and threw the dirty dishes in the sink. He then tossed of his apron and dropped into the chair nearby. "S-Sanji?"
"What?" He looked at her impassively.
"Is…everything alright?" She got a little closer to him.
"What do you think?" He looked away. Of course she's so happy. She probably made out with that damn swordsman.
"Sanji, this is not like you at all." She was concerned. She shat across from him and stared at him. His eyes, they were…sad. "Sanji, what happened to you?"
"Life." He put his head down on the table. "My life is terrible and I hate it. I'm worthless and everyone knows that. No one cares about me at all. Not one person on this planet. I'd be better off dead."
"Sanji!" She grabbed his hands and held them tightly. "How can you say that? Lots of people care about you. Your friends here on this ship, they care about you. And…" She blushed. "I care about you. Sanji, you're a wonderful person and you're not worthless. Everybody depends on you on this ship. Not just because you can cook, but because you're an important team player. Everyone has a role in life, as does everything."
No matter how I might feel, you always say the right things. He pulled his hands away. "But I feel…empty."
"Why is that?" Sanji, please don't be sad.
How can I say this without sounding obvious? "I…fell in love once."
"You did?"
"Yeah. She was a magnificent girl. She was beautiful as she was intelligent. I loved her with all of my heart. And I knew that it just wasn't one of my stupid attractions either. It was real love. But one day, I discovered that she loved another. That broke my heart…"
"…Sanji…"
"I've never had any luck in the field of love. Truth be told, I ended up crying. Love can be a cruel thing. It can leave you crying. I guess that love isn't truly my thing…"
"…Are you in pain Sanji?"
Sanji looked at her. "What?"
She got up and placed her hand right on his heart. "It hurts here, doesn't it? Is that why you feel depressed this morning?"
He turned red. "Yes." The ship slammed into something and jerked. "AHH!" Sanji was thrown from his seat and slammed against the wall. Adella fell backwards and hit her head on the counter. He shakily got to his feet. "Adella, you okay?"
She rubbed her head. "For the most part. What was that?"
Zolo burst into the kitchen. "Sanji, Adella, get outside right now!" Adella and Sanji looked at each other, then to Zolo.
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"Hey pal, that's my treasure!" Nami slammed her rod into the pirate's head. "Don't you dare got near it!" She pushed the chest into the kitchen.
"Damn, these pirates are persistent!" shouted Adella. She sensed a pirate behind her and whipped around. She slid under his legs and struck him in the back. "Yeah!"
"Adella, look out!" shouted Usopp. He took out one pirate that lunged at her, but the other one got to her.
"AGH!" The pirate jumped on her and slammed her onto the deck floor. She hit her chin and tasted a metallic liquid. She had bitten her tongue. "Son of a--"
"Little girls shouldn't play with blades." The pirate ripped her elbow blades away and tossed them to the other side of the ship.
"Hey, what's this?" One pirate held up a black case.
"Not yours, that's for sure!" Chopper head butted the man. "Bull's eye!"
"Hey! Get the hell of her!" Zolo stabbed the pirate that held Adella down.
"GRAH!" He jumped off her.
"Adella, are you alright?" Zolo helped her up.
"I'm fine." She dusted of her skirt and spit out some blood.
"Come here!" Another pirate grabbed Chopper by the antlers.
"Chopper!" Adella grabbed her flute case and put the flute together. She held it in both hands. "I might not have my blades, but I can still--" She swung the instrument at the man's head like a bat. He blacked out and fell over. "--take you out like that."
"Thanks Adella!" Chopper charged off.
She spotted her blades not too far off. She dove for them. "Got it!"
"RAHH!" A pirate pounced.
"Anti-Matter Kick Course!" Sanji delivered a powerful kick to the pirate.
"Sanji, behind you!" Adella jumped up. "Cherry Blossom Cutter!" She crossed her blades around her body, then released them. They flew like a boomerang and took out the pirate behind Sanji.
"Thanks!" He smiled at her. Gun shot. Everyone had stopped what they were doing.
"That's enough!" A man, obviously the captain, stood before them all. "Men, stand down." The pirates backed off.
"Who are you?" demanded Luffy.
"What do you want with us?" exclaimed Vivi.
"I want nothing to do with you." He leaped from his spot and grabbed Adella. He held a dagger up to her neck. "I want Miss Uzaki."
Something in Zolo's mind clicked. "I know who you are!" He remembered the scar. "You're Captain Kashi! You were the one who…Oh no…No!" Zolo rushed at the captain.
Kashi smirked. He slid to the side and pushed Adella forward. "Just how accurate are you Roronoa Zolo?"
Zolo grimaced and tried to stop himself. His sword skimmed past Adella's side, cutting her. "Damn!"
"AH!" She clutched her side.
Kashi smirked again. He swiftly stabbed Zolo in the side. "Ha!"
"Grr!" Zolo winced. How did I let him get through? And how could I miss and hurt Adella!
Kashi kicked Zolo away and approached Adella. "Miss Uzaki, your time-"
"GUM GUM PI--ahh!" A burly pirate grabbed Luffy.
Kashi turned to his audience. "Restrain them all!" His men grabbed each member of the Straw Hat Pirates and pinned them to the floor. "Heh. Die Miss Uzaki!"
As if time itself had slowed down, Sanji dispensed a strong kick to the pirate holding him. He ran to Adella. "Adella, NO!"
Her eyes were closed. Plip plip. Something wet dotted the ground. She opened her eyes. What is going on? Sanji was standing in front of her, motionless. "S-San…?" He fell to his knees. "Sanji?" She kneeled down by him.
"Oops, oh well!" Kashi focused on Adella. "Miss Uzaki…"
"GUM GUM PISTOL!" Luffy made a direct hit. "Yeah!"
"Damn you!" Kashi was sent flying.
His men looked at Luffy. "Run away!" They jumped overboard into small ships and sailed off with the wind.
"Well, our pirate problem is over…" whispered Nami.
"Sanji! Can you hear me! Sanji!" Adella shook him.
"Ugh…" He staggered up. "Are…they gone?" She nodded. "Good…" He closed his eyes and fell over.
"Sanji!" Adella caught Sanji. "Chopper! Do something!"
"Right away!" Chopper dashed off to get his equipment.
She looked down at Sanji. Thank you for saving my life…