Ch 14
Captain or enemy?
While this was happening the others waited for something to happen. They couldn't hear anything. It seemed so silent, if silent had been a sound then the town would had been defining, only their partners breath was the only thing that could be heard. They moved around in large circles. Walking around the town square made battle field.
Katie and Riiko were 20 feet from Morgan and Justin when Smoker attacked them. Riiko shivered.
"Don't worry Riiko!" Katie looked around.
"Kooh!" Riiko pointed a paw in the direction that Morgan was.
"What? You say something's wrong over there?" Katie started to walk in that direction.
"Kooh! Koh! Koooooh!" Riiko cowered on Katie's shoulder.
"I wonder what happened…" Katie continued to walk, "Oh. My. God…." she was standing in a pool of blood in front of Justin.
Bloody hand prints smeared all over the ground. Blood continued to pool around her feet. Katie retched and Riiko fainted.
"I have to try and stop the bleeding…" Katie covered her mouth and nose as she drew closer. After inspection she concluded that she couldn't save him. "Shit… it looks like Morgan did this… her nail-nail fruit can cut this deep. But Morgan wouldn't hurt us… or would she…" Katie looked around. "Riiko! Your path-path fruit! You should be able to make a Path to the past!" Katie stared at the creature. "Great she fainted… Oie Vea!" she shook her head. "Poor Justin…" She stood and went to find the others.
Bry and Death were passing the base of the gallows when Morgan flashed by them.
"Morgan! Where's Justin?" Death called after her.
"DIE SMOKER!" Morgan snarled. Her face was covered in blood. Not just Justin's blood but Navy Soldier's as well.
"Come on Bry!" Death ran after Morgan. Her arm turned gun swinging.
The followed Morgan. When they encountered Navy Soldiers Morgan didn't give them a chance to even notice they were there. She would pounce on them and execute them swiftly. Her nails were now red instead of silver.
They ran past Jossy, Amanda, Mei-Ling, and Sarah. They joined their mad dash after their captain. As they passed the base of the gallows again they met Katie who filled them in on what had happened. Horrified they watched as Morgan disappeared into the gloom.
"I think we should stay here…" Death glanced around. The others drew close and stood beneath the gallows.
Soon, to Katie's delight, Riiko awoke. They asked to be transported onto the gallows and Riiko complied. They joined hands and reappeared on the top of the gallows.
There wasn't any fog up here. In fact strangely enough, they could see everything that was going on in the fog. A mere ten feet from where they had been standing Morgan was battling Smoker.
Morgan lunged at Smoker but he dodged, by turning into thick white smoke. They could hear her scream of rage. She shot off her razor sharp nails but yet again Smoker dodged.
"YOU KILLED HIM! YOU KILLED HIM! I'LL KILL YOU!" Morgan screamed.
"How can you kill me if you cant touch me?" Smoker jeered.
"Die!" Morgan shot off ten of her nails then ten more. Then she charged right after her nails. "NAIL-NAIL REVENGE!" Smoker dodged the first two attacks but he didn't see her coming. She plunged her nails into Smoker's leg.
"Fool!" Smoker smirked and evaporated into smoke. He surrounded Morgan's head gathering the fog that had trapped them to gather around Morgan's head. He was suffocating her.
The Itai pirates watched horrified as Morgan clawed at her face. They transported down to help her but to no avail. Morgan's body was shaking, as she tried to draw breath.
"Now!" Smoker vanished as a young Navy soldier aimed his gun at Morgan. She spun around drawing breath like there was no tomorrow. She started to run at the young man. Her nails growing. Her face covered in Justin's, Navy and now her own blood, she was a gruesome sight especially if your inexperienced. Out of fright he shook the gun as he pulled the trigger.
Time slowed at the bullet sped toward Morgan. She went to grow her nails to form a shield but Smoker reappeared and grabbed her arms. A defining silence filled the air as the bullet tore through Morgan. Smoker released her and she fell forward.
Ch 15
Bounty
A day later Morgan sat bolt up right in her bunk in the cabin of the WarHammer.
Bry screamed startled by her Captain's sudden movement. The rest of the crew ran into the cabin and cried out in joy.
"Captain!" Katie rushed over and hugged Morgan gently.
"What happened…" Morgan looked around at them. Her face hurt and her shoulder throbbed.
"We got you out of there as fast as we could… It was just in time too!" Jossy said. She carried two swords now.
"Riiko transported us," Katie looked over at the creature on Amanda's shoulder.
"Did you get away from Smoker by Transporting?" Morgan asked.
"No… Riiko cant transport anything bigger than ten feet," Katie said.
"Someone died…" Morgan clutched her head. "Who was it?"
"Justin…" Amanda handed Morgan the photo they had taken in Gold Roger's bar. Justin stood behind Death. Grinning at the camera his hand on Morgan's shoulder. Memories started to flood back. Morgan started to cry. Putting her hands to her face she noticed she had bandages on.
"Give me a mirror!" Morgan looked around at them.
"Capta-" Bry began.
"Now!" Morgan said firmly.
Mei-Ling handed her a mirror. Morgan removed her face bandages and looked into the mirror. She had a long cut across her eye, smaller cuts on her chin and forehead.
"I did a number on myself," Morgan touched one of the cuts. She looked at her shoulder. "How is my shoulder?"
"Well, we got the bullet out and cleaned it…" Katie sat on the edge of the bed, "so you should be fine."
"So how'd you get away from Smoker?" Morgan leaned back against her pillows.
"No one really knows… are you going to tell us about Justin?" Amanda asked. A collective intake of breath went around the group. Morgan now knew that this was what they had been waiting for.
Morgan sighed and told them all that had happened. From the point that they separated up to the point that she was shot.
The next few days were pretty quiet. Morgan walked around the ship. While the others went about their business.
They stopped briefly at a tiny town. It was close to Reverse Mountain. Morgan volunteered to watch the ship. The rest of them went into town to stock up. An hour later they returned. Katie smiled.
"Hey Captain I think I have something that will cheer you up!" Katie handed Morgan a few papers.
"Wanted," Morgan read out loud, "Steel Morgan, 15 Million Berries!" Morgan jumped up and down in joy shouting "15 MILLION BERRIES!"
"Luffy has 30 Million on his head right now," Amanda announced.
"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Morgan hopped up into the roof of the cabin. "Lets beat him! One Piece will be ours!" she looked around at her crew. Her old glint in her eyes. "No more sad faces! This ship runs on happy faces!" Her crew rolled their eyes and smiled. "Now! To Reverse Mountain!"
As they pulled up the Anchor and the WarHammer sailed out to sea, Katie lead them in a funny little song.
"Somebody's got to be unafraid to lead the freak parade! We need a freak to lead the freaks in the freak parade!" They repeated the song over and over.
Ch 16
Reverse Mountain
The WarHammer approached Reverse Mountain and everyone ran to their posts. Amanda reattached the wheel and Jossy gave her directions on how to pass the gates.
"Death, Bry! Tie down those ropes! Make sure they don't come undone! Sarah! Secure everything in the cabin! Mei-Ling! Make sure that the anchor is secured!" Morgan issued orders and all obeyed. "Amanda we're right on course! Hold her steady!"
Everyone held their breath as they approached the gate. Overhead the sky's opened and rain poured down. The WarHammer rocked violently as it slowly nudged toward the entrance.
Amanda's hand slipped and the WarHammer nearly hit the gates but Amanda caught the wheel and yanked hard. They avoided disaster. Finally the WarHammer shot up the side of Reverse Mountain. The Itai Pirates braced as they were being pushed about by the wind.
"Stand-down! Keep an eye on the ropes! These winds are strong try not to get blown off!" Morgan braced herself as she leaned into the wind.
Around her the others clutched various parts of the ship. Amanda clung to the wheel. Death and Bry had tied themselves down. Jossy tucked her maps into her pocket while holding onto the handrail. Katie had tied Riiko to her shoulder and crouched in the shadow of the cabin. Mei-Ling held onto the anchor chain. From inside the cabin the cabin you could hear Sarah's attempts at keeping everything in place. They spent the better part of the day going up the side of the mountain.
"The peak is coming!" Morgan shouted.
"OH NO!" Katie wailed and Riiko cried piteously.
"Brace yourselves!" Jossy yelled. "Amanda! You know what to do right?"
Amanda nodded her face was grim and set. The WarHammer shuddered then it shot into the air. They seemed to glide though the air. Most of the crew screamed as the ship started to fall. Amanda was spinning the wheel hard to the right. The WarHammer landed and sped off down the other side of mountain. Ahead loomed a giant rock. Yet again most of the crew screamed, but Amanda yanked on the wheel and the WarHammer barely scraped by. Now they were in calm waters. They were in the Grand Line!
Morgan cheered and was soon joined by the rest of the crew they congratulated Amanda.
Queen's Speech: My my this is a true delight... ha ha... i really apperciate the support!
Joker's Ramble: hoooo boy! my this is fun even if i have to work with the Queen! ha ha
