Justice
Chapter 9: The Poisoner
After his victorious battle against the Guardian and the Drunkard, Joseph and the rest of the resistance members resettled in Aiwei village and began their preparations for the immediate attack on Kurosai town. Chamberlain and Polemon formulated a plan to shell the town while Joseph and Chamberlain team up to retake the island by themselves. While their initial attack was successful and with the reunion of marine captain Yusuke things seem to be looking up. Though the situation would turn dark very quickly as Yusuke was tragically gunned down by the surviving pirates of Kurosai town. Shocked at the demise of his dear friend, Chamberlain left with the body of Yusuke while Joseph continued his mission. Upon reaching Gordon's location he noticed that someone had beaten him there already. Cautious at the scene Joseph readies himself for an ambush, but finds that who or what had arrived before him had already slaughtered everyone inside. Joseph then investigated and found Gordon inside his office beaten alongside a masked figure. He chased off the masked assassin, but not before poisoning the cowardly man while escaping. Broken and in agony Gordon begs for death and gives his final words before Joseph grants him mercy with a bullet to the skull. Questioning the nature of the defenseless man he just killed, Joseph left to find Chamberlain. Though he has a feeling that the commodore may not be in the game as he was before now.
[Kurosai Port]
(Chamberlain's point of view)
Chamberlain had managed to carry the body of one of his most loyal friends to the port as the roar of cannon fire had ceased. Laying his body down on a stretcher that one of the prisoners found, he placed his hand down on Yusuke's forehead.
"Yusuke my boy. Why did it have to be you. You were supposed to outlive me. Remember all the times you would tell me that you would be alright as long as you had a gun in one hand and a blade in the other. Don't you?" said Chamberlain as his tears kept rolling down his face.
"Commodore." spoke a voice behind him.
"I am busy. Go away please..." Chamberlain replied with a dejected look.
"I should have seen them coming but I didn't. I'm so so sorry I let this happen. I should have stayed when we were attacked instead of you." Chamberlain spoke softly.
"Sir?" said the voice again.
"I can't face her again, not like this boy and not without you." said Chamberlain ignoring the voice again.
"So that's how it's going to be then eh?" said the voice
"I am a failure." Chamberlain thought
"CHAMBERLAIN!" screamed the voice
The commodore turned to see Joseph standing tall.
"Oh Joseph it's you I-I..." Chamberlain stuttered.
Joseph kneelt down to the commodore's level and placed his hands together.
"I thought I'd at least offer a prayer to him out of respect." said Joseph quietly.
"Huh? Oh yes, Thank you Joseph." said Chamberlain wiping his tears away.
"I didn't know him, but you did. I was curious in asking if you would tell me more about him. I mean we are clear for now and you look like you need someone to talk to." said Joseph throwing a sideways glance at the commodore.
"I met Yusuke when he was only fifteen. He was a troubled kid and his mother was struggling to make ends meet and raise him right. One day he resorted to stealing from a marine ship. Though the captain of said ship caught him." said Chamberlain raising his head in reminiscence.
"Hehe, Let me guess. That captain was you?" smirked Joseph knowingly.
Chamberlain only smiled in response.
We fought that day. He had this small black dagger and homemade firecrackers that could blow your fingers off. It was before I became a commodore. Actually let me show you." said Chamberlain unbuttoning his top shirt buttons.
Chamberlain revealed a a long scar across his chest from his right nipple to his left armpit. Joseph looked surprised by the large scar.
"My god, A fifteen year old did that to you?" said Joseph in slight amazement.
"Yeah Yusuke put up a good fight. He lost in the end, but he was only desperate and in need of help. I helped him and his mother when I could. Around eight or so years ago I asked him if he wanted to join up with me and my crew in the eighty ninth division. He said yes and His mother made me promise to keep him safe. Like the idiot I am I said yes." said Chamberlain running his hands through his graying brown hair.
"I'm sorry." said Joseph
"Eh?" Chamberlain said as he turned to the petty officer.
"I said I'm sorry that I didn't kill those pirates quicker." said Joseph
"Now you listen to me, What happened back there wasn't your fault. If anything you avenged him while I stood there like a scared rabbit. You did much more than I did back there son and don't forget that." Chamberlain said looking down.
"Then don't you dare think for one moment that you are the cause all of this. Yusuke was a marine. A marine who was fighting a war that had claimed enough lives. He has passed, but he will be remembered by you and me. You and him both knew the risks of this profession. It would be disrespectful to his memory if you wallow in grief forever. Mourn and remember him well commodore, but do not disrespect his memory by holding yourself accountable for everything. The marines and civilians he managed to lead have now taken the town back and secured most of the towns inhabitants on the outskirts. Look around at the faces of those he once led and those he saved. Yusuke was a hero and with that knowledge you can face his mother knowing that his death is honored and that he will be remembered." said Joseph standing up.
Taking one final glance at the commodore Joseph gave him one last phrase of advice.
"Mourn your loved ones, but never forget their impact upon your life and the sacrifices they made." Joseph spoke, walking away.
Chamberlain looked at the young marine as he walked away with wide eyes as he boarded the frigate that had made it to port. Looking back down to the body of Yusuke, Chamberlain still felt conflicted.
"Mourn your loved ones, but never forget their impact upon your life and the sacrifices they made. Just who exactly are you Joseph...?" Chamberlain thought to himself.
[Kurosai Port]
(Joseph's point of view)
"I hope Chamberlain can get through this, we need him to remain focused." thought Joseph walking away from Chamberlain.
"Can you blame him though. He knew Yusuke for a long time and after reuniting with him for about a minute, then bang he's dead. He may be a marine, but he's still human. So I say we let him mourn for now while we handle the situation for now." said the voice wisely.
"I know, I know." responded Joseph
"Anyway we have more important problems to deal with. Such as the mysterious masked figure from before." said the voice
"Yeah I don't think that will be the last of him. I need to tell someone about this." Joseph thought
"Let's get back on the ship and tell Polemon. He might be able to give us some advice on where to proceed and we should tell him what went down before he tries to go find the commodore." said the voice
"Cool sounds like a plan." Joseph responded
Joseph walked up the ramp onto the frigate and saw Polemon talking to the helms man.
"Hey Polemon! Down here." yelled Joseph
Polemon turned and saw Joseph, he then smiled.
"Well, well, well ha you made it." said the older man with a big smile.
Polemon jumped over the railing and landed in front of Joseph.
"Hahaha, Landon was complaining saying 'Stop you'll hit them!'. Hahaha, but I knew you'd make it. You ain't the type to die easy, like me! Polemon chuckled, slapping Joseph on his back.
"Well I got lucky, others not so much." said Joseph scratching the back of his head.
"Eh? What happened?" said Polemon now frowning.
"We made it to the town just fine and we fought through every pirate we found. It was going well and then we find Yusuke." said Joseph
"The kid Chamberlain sometimes talks about, the captain?" said Polemon rubbing his chin.
"One and the same. The commodore runs off to the sound of his voice within the span of a second. I chase after him and we met Yusuke who had just broke out of prison with the other marines that were taken with him. For a moment we thought things were going good and then Yusuke gets shot by a group of pirates in retaliation. Yusuke died not long after." said Joseph
"Good God, Chamberlain. But what about Gordon?" said Polemon still showing his concern for the commodore.
"Well someone beat me to the bank and killed everyone there except for Gordon. He was alive, barely. All beaten and hardly able to remain conscious. It was the work of this strange masked figure. I chased him off, but he alluded me. I thought I hit him when I shot at him, but I guess I missed. The masked man threw a poisoned dagger at Gordon and well it wasn't a pleasant sight." said Joseph
"What happened after?" Polemon asked, curious.
Joseph looked at the old sniper with seriousness in his young eyes.
"He was in pain, so much pain even for an enemy. He was foaming from his mouth and begging for death. His eyes looked like they were rotting, he was so pale in such a short time. Yet he told me he would die a slow death because of it. So I gave him mercy and put a round in his head." said Joseph not once breaking eye contact.
Polemon rubbed his chin and hummed looking down for a moment.
"Fuck me. That is some heavy shit, going out like that. I can't say I could or would do the same, but I will say this. There comes a time when you have to make an important decision, but sometimes it could be the worst decision possible that could save the day. Whether you let him suffer the death that would have come to him you instead gave him a release. Kindness in war is a rare and dangerous thing Joseph, a double-edged blade. In the future be wary of those you show kindness to, even if the kindness was a bullet to the skull." said Polemon
"Hmmm? I see..." said the voice
The old sniper let out a long sniper and walked away to the edge of ship, though not before turning Joseph just as he reached the gangplank.
"Now I better go see Chamberlain and pay my respects. Oh yeah and before I forget. Landon and Julia went to secure the remaining parts of the town, Pandora is in the captain's cabin. You should go see her. " said Polemon walking off.
"Thanks Polemon." said Joseph throwing a lazy wave to the older man.
"I better go see the walking muffin and make sure she's okay." said Joseph with a slight smirk
"Oh I like that nickname hahaha." chuckled the voice
Joseph walked up to the captains cabin and gave a good knock on the door.
"Uh, Who is it?" said Pandora panicky.
"Hey short stack it's me open up!" said Joseph knocking on the dark oak door again.
"It's unlocked! Pandora yelled
Joseph grabbed hold of the wooden handle and opened the door. walking inside he saw Pandora tiding the desk in the centre of the room.
"I thought you'd be a bit happier to see me?" said Joseph putting his hands in his pocket.
"Oh I thought it was Polemon again. It's good to see you in one piece." said Pandora smiling.
Joseph noticed Pandora's left arm shake a small bit as she clutched it with her free hand.
"What's with her?" the voice wondered
"Hey what's wrong with your arm?" said Joseph leaning in to take a closer look.
"Oh that? It's because all of the cannons were on one side the process of firing all of them at once rocked the ship and I lost my balance. When that happened I got cut, but I'm still feeling the pain now so." said Pandora holding her arm still.
"Yeah, yeah I get you. So you're going to be alright?" Joseph asked, now frowning.
"Yes I'll be all good I had it bandaged, but it's good to see you though. Come and sit, have a drink and tell me how things went." said Pandora gesturing to the seats behind her.
Joseph complied and sat down at the desk as Pandora grabbed a bottle of rum for the two of them. Joseph pulled out the cork of his bottle and took a big sip as Pandora sat down in front of him.
"Aaaahh. I need that. Now to begin the shit show back there. Hmmm, where to start? How about almost getting shot, Chamberlain's friend getting killed or how about the fact that I just watched a defenseless man beg me to kill him. said Joseph placing the bottle down on the table next to him.
"What!? Wait Chamberlain's friend? Yusuke?" asked Pandora surprised.
"Yeah, One and the same." said Joseph running his hands through his hair.
"Oh dear. Well what about that one guy you were talking about. Who was he? A random guy?" asked Pandora curious.
"It was bad. It wasn't just some guy, it was Gordon." Joseph said
"The pirate?" Pandora wondered
Joseph's sunk more as he recalled the image of Gordon moments before his death.
"Yeah it was bad. He was just so broken and in so much pain. I-I had to, there was no other way." said Joseph tearing up.
Pandora stood up and went to wrap her arms around Joseph from behind. The young marine shed a tear as he let out the emotions he had felt since coming back from the bank.
"I've killed before, but never someone so helpless, someone who wouldn't fight back and..." said Joseph crying.
"It's okay Joseph, it's okay now. Your here now." said Pandora, tightening her hold on Joseph.
"That smile at the end. I held the feeling in when I was there, but now. Oh god." said Joseph wiping away his tears.
"Mmmhmmm." Pandora hummed
Pandora lowered her head closer to Joseph as he rested his arm on the table next to him.
"Joseph, Can I ask you something?" asked Pandora
"Of course you can. What is it?" said Joseph tiredly.
"If I was to offer you a way off these islands when everything is said and done would you come with me?" asked Pandora
"Oh? I don't know about that, I mean I owe the commodore a lot and I don't know if I can just up and leave him." Joseph responded
"I understand, but If what if we left? Leave the Kalani Islands, we can take Julia and Landon with us. The others have this under control. So we can just leave.
Joseph just looked at Pandora with confusion as she spoke.
"Pandora I can't just leave the fight before it's finished and the others would no doubt say the same thing. Is everything okay? You seem serious about this, what has brought this on?" Joseph questioned
"Because I have a bad feeling that something dangerous is coming and I don't want my friends to get caught in the crossfire." said Pandora letting go of the young marine.
"I hate how things have to get this dangerous, but I can't just up and leave." said Joseph
"Why, Why not? You, me, Julia, Landon together at sea having grand adventures together. Not a care in the world, us against the sea. Is that not something good to picture happening?" Pandora said sadly.
"I can't deny that it isn't tempting." said the voice
"Pandora I-I won't say that I'm not tempted to go on a great adventure with you, it's just I have an obligation here first." said Joseph stuttering slightly.
The young man stood up and grabbed Pandora by her shoulders gently.
"When this is all over I promise that we'll go on an adventure. Whether the other two join us is up to them, but I will say that even if they say no I will gladly have an adventure with you. This is my promise to you and I don't like breaking my promises." said Joseph with a slight smile.
Pandora responded with a small smile of her and a short nod in agreement.
"It's a promise." said Pandora holding out her pinky.
"Really a pinky swear? Aren't you twenty two?" said Joseph amused.
"Just hold out your pinky!" Pandora said pouting.
Joseph complied and locked his pinky finger with Pandora's, Between two friends a promise has been forged.
"Now we have a promise. Now how about you get some rest over on that bed at the end of the room. I have to go check on the rest of the ship." Pandora said as she walked to the door.
"Hey Pandora." said Joseph halting the young woman's departure.
"Yeah?" Pandora wondered
"Thank you for listening and yeah..." said Joseph, looking into the chocolate eyes of Pandora.
"What are friends for." Pandora responded with a smile.
"Yeah what are friends for." said Joseph
"Oh and Joseph?" Pandora said looking conflicted.
"What is it?" the young man asked
"Nothing." said Pandora as her face morphed back into a smile.
With that she left the room and Joseph remain alone. The young elemental strolled over to the single bed and laid down. Shutting his eyes and letting his mind drift, Joseph decides to take a load off from this turbulent day.
"I need some rest..." Joseph thought as he drifted into sleep.
Though as he was drifting in and out of a state of sleep, Joseph thought he could almost hear Pandora say something in the distance as she was outside.
[Kurosai Port, Marine Frigate]
(Joseph's point of view)
"Aaaaaaah! Christ how long have I been asleep?" said Joseph rubbing his eyes as he sat up in the bed.
"My guess is probably a couple of hours maybe? I have no idea." said the voice who sounded equally as tired.
"Hold on I'll check." thought Joseph looking down to his watch.
"It's been about four hours." said Joseph
"We best go check on the others eh? See what their up to." said the voice
"Alright." Joseph responded
Joseph got off of the bed and left the captain's cabin to see the crew having a drink and noticed some of the prisoners from before where on board as well. The young man saw Polemon amongst the crowd. The older man made eye contact and waved him over.
"Hey Joseph!" yelled Polemon waving.
Joseph walked over to Polemon just as the old sniper tossed him a bottle of rum. Not willing to turn down a free bottle, Joseph felt obliged and had a swig as Polemon grabbed two chairs.
"Whoohoo. I needed that." said Joseph sitting down on the seat.
"I thought you might. Nothing quenches the thirst than some alcohol." said Polemon
"Too right. So how's the commodore doing?" asked Joseph, taking another swig of rum.
"I don't think he'll be okay for a while my boy. What can you expect given the circumstances." said Polemon taking a sip of his drink.
"As much as I want to let him mourn we need to rally whatever man power we have and push forward. The more we sit around, the more time Kai has to take everything back." said Joseph yawning.
"Yeah..." said Polemon quietly.
"What's up with you?" Joseph asked, observing the quietness of the sniper.
"It just doesn't feel right." said Polemon
"What doesn't feel right?" asked Joseph
"That we have managed to make it this far. I mean think about it, this all seems to easy don't you think." said Polemon
"Yeah, but these pirates are not exactly that smart." Joseph retorted
"Of course, but it is still strange. You, Julia and my nephew managed to kill what, over one hundred pirates back on Aiwei? And in that time no one woke up or put up a fight? You strolled in and kill that many? Hell Chamberlain did the same thing on the other side of the village. Too easy, Too convenient." said Polemon putting his bottle down.
"What kind of conspiracy are you concocting in your skull?" Joseph asked curiously.
"A dangerous kind. I-I think we might have a traitor amongst us." said Polemon looking into Joseph eyes.
"What? Polemon that is a serious topic. What proof do you have of a traitor?" Joseph asked, now more concerned.
"I didn't think about it back on Aiwei, but it's what Landon said when I met up with him after the battle you had with Victor. He told me that Victor was expecting you. How on earth could he know that unless someone tipped him off? Then there is the fact that we just so happen to steam roll these bastards so quickly with barely anything resembling a decent fighting force. It's too fishy, like someone is trying to lure us in with victories." Polemon explained
"Fuck sake, He's right." said the voice
"What?" thought Joseph
"I'm an idiot, I didn't see it before. At least not clearly. Do you remember when we raided that building in Aiwei?" the voice asked
"Yes." thought Joseph
"Victor was waiting for us and throughout the fight he was speaking like he had been waiting a while. I think someone must have tipped him off about us in particular. Kai wouldn't know us. So..." said the voice
"A spy could easily pass off that information." Joseph thought
"Polemon you might be on to something. When I fought Victor he would mention someone that thought I would be a good fight for him. Only someone from our camp could have slipped information about myself to them." said Joseph whispering
"Really? Well if it counts, I also found this below deck." Polemon whispered back, giving Joseph a sheet of paper.
"What's this?" Joseph said, looking down on the page.
"Motherfucker, It's a description of us. 'Petty Officer Joseph. Armed and extremely dangerous, Possesses elemental power of some sort, target says he has no devil fruit. He is lethal and will not hesitate to kill.' Someone has been talking about us." said the voice with urgency.
"Where did you find this Polemon?" Joseph said seriously.
"Below deck, It was hidden with the rum barrels. I was doing a sweep after the shelling and I found that on top of a barrel. It was next to a candle and a pen. Someone was down there. If someone was messing about down there, it might've been someone who wasn't top side. Though that can apply to pretty much everyone we came with." Polemon explained
"Alright you keep an eye on this lot up here. I'll talk around below deck and see if I can validate the issues we have with some of them. If we have a spy, then we have to find them before they make a move.
"Got it." said Polemon
Joseph walked to the open hatch leading below deck.
"You think Polemon is a suspect?" said the voice
"I don't think so, but he is not exempt just because he 'found' the evidence. If it is him we'll deal with it. For now we deal with the crew." Joseph thought
Joseph walked down into the bottom deck and surveyed the area. Upon observation he could see that there was only a handful of men tending to the cannons.
"Time to ask around." thought Joseph
"Excuse me, you there." Joseph said to the lone marine who was having a drink by one of the cannons.
"Yes officer, can I help you with something?" said the lone marine
"You definitely can. I was hoping to ask you a few questions about the condition of the ship." said Joseph
"Sure thing." said the lone marine
"Can you tell me about the conditions of the cannons?" Joseph asked
"Well these cannons are as dirty as a street whore. These pirates haven't cleaned these for a long time if at all, though they served us well enough." explained the lone marine
"Have you had anyone try to clean them?" asked Joseph
"Well Haru was supposed to be cleaning the cannons here by me, but the bastard went off somewhere. Said it was something important." said the lone marine
"Haru eh? Ask for the names of the others who were down here during the attack and before on Aiwei. The repair crew most likely aren't involved if Polemon sent them down here just before we got up." said the voice
"Do you know the names of the other marines who have been down here with the cannons, apart from Haru and yourself?" Joseph asked
"There's me, Haru, Kenji, Haruki, Donovan and Marlin. There have been a few other guys come down here, but it is usually us down here. It's a lot harder to man a cannon with just one guy, so we have to work efficiently as a team to make up the difference in load times. This lot here were prisoners who Polemon selected for a repair team. They're just grabbing some tools they'll be gone soon." said the lone marine
"Okay. Now during the battle did you notice anything wrong when firing? You know just some mechanical issues to where one of the others had to do something else instead?" Joseph asked
"Yeah Marlin's cannon jammed during the first few rounds, so after the shelling we moved his cannon outside the storeroom. Now during the battle after his cannon broke down he went to secure the storeroom or something. I told him at the time not to worry about it, but he insisted that he make sure due to the poorly kept cannons that the supplies are secure and safe. Not that I blame him, but he is kind of right. Some of the barrels on the cannons could explode if the charge is to much." explained the lone marine
"That's all the questions I have for you now. Do you mind if I take a look in the storeroom and the cannons to check for the equipment report?" said Joseph
"Sure go ahead. See you around officer." said the lone marine as he went back to drinking.
"I need to check that cannon and the storage room." Joseph thought
Joseph walked to the back of the ship and noticed the filthy metal mess that was Marlin's cannon.
"The guy back there was not joking this is filthy. Especially considering the other cannons. This one certainly has not been cleaned ever." said the voice in disgust.
"Well Marlin is my first suspect. He disappeared during the battle and we have a witness who saw him leaving for the storage area." Joseph thought as he inspected the cannon.
Though when looking inside the cannon itself, Joseph found something noteworthy.
"Hello there. What is this?" said Joseph as he reached into the barrel of the cannon.
Joseph pulled out a dirty piece of paper from the cannon. Opening it up he tried to make sense of the filthy page.
"Hold on a tick. 'Ten O'clock, night time, proceed with mission. Target: Commodore. Be wary of the sniper and the officer. Kill.' That son of bitch. This is talking about targets, the commodore. This must mean Chamberlain. Whatever this mission is it seems to concern the commodore. This might be an attempt to get rid of him." said the voice
"Fuck, what time is it now!" Joseph thought as he looked to his watch.
"We have about four hours until whatever this means kicks off. I have to warn the commodore." thought Joseph
"Wait hold on!" the voice yelled
"What?" Joseph thought, thinking what the voice would want now.
"Listen we have a few hours until this kicks off. We need to search for some more evidence and find Marlin." said the voice
"You're right. We'll search the storage room and see if we can find something that Polemon might've missed." thought Joseph
"The note said to be wary of the sniper and the officer. That must mean us and Polemon. We might actually have a traitor in the crew." said the voice
"If this mission is an assassination, then this will break the crew. No doubt Polemon and myself would be next. I just hope there is something through here that I can use or we're fucked." Joseph thought, as he entered into the storage zone.
"Just remember, we can't tell Chamberlain anything yet until we have enough evidence. If we tell him now we will never find the rat. If Marlin's our guy then we shoot him like a rabid dog. If not we're back to square one with nothing to show for it other than a corpse." said the voice
"Well as far as I can see through these barrels of rum there is nothing noteworthy here. I should probably ask that marine back there if he knows where Marlin went." Joseph thought to himself as he exited the storeroom. Joseph wandered back to the lone marine who was now wiping down the cannons.
"Excuse me there sailor." said Joseph, catching the attention of the lone marine.
"Eh? Oh Officer Joseph. Yes just cleaning down the cannons. Did you find what you needed?" the lone marine asked
"Yes I have, but I must I ask you one more question before I leave. Do you know where I can find Marlin? I remember that Polemon needed him to help on an issue involving the main mast." Joseph lied
"Yeah of course. Marlin was sent to the dock yard shift to oversee the marines who were released in the escape. He should not be that far from the ship. Oh and when you see him can you tell him that after he is done with the mast, he can crawl back down here and clean these cannons. Oh and another thing tell him to take off that ridiculous green sash around his waist." said the lone marine
"Cheers." said Joseph walking up the wooden staircase up to the deck of the ship.
[Kurosai Port]
(Joseph's point of view)
"Okay now it is time to find this little weasel." thought Joseph
Joseph left the ship in a faster pace than usual. Now on the lookout for the green sash marine. Joseph catches the smallest glimpse of a green sash amongst the former prisoners of war who were working to clear the debris from the port.
"Over there look! Green sash and a ugly mug." said the voice
"I think it is better if we had this little conversation with Marlin in private eh?" thought Joseph
"Good idea. We'll lure him away and kick the shit out of him. Make him talk, but what do we do afterwards?" the voice asked
"We can't just kill him. There maybe a chance that he's innocent." Joseph thought
"Then we tie him up by his legs with chains, leave him with some food and water and come back for him. Or just kill him." the voice suggested
"I'll think on it." thought Joseph walking over to the group of men.
"Oh Petty officer Joseph, We weren't expecting you." said Marlin giving Joseph a curt salute.
"So you're Marlin right? I heard you were helping some of the lads with the work here on the dockyard." spoke the petty officer
"Yes indeed, that's me. I was left in command here by the commodore. I was actually just about to look for him. You wouldn't happen to know where he is now?" Marlin asked giving a big wide grin.
"Oh just shoot this smug bastard." said the voice tiredly.
"He left as in town at the moment near the courtyard assessing some of the possible structural damage caused by the fighting there. You can accompany me." said Joseph ignoring the voice's comment.
"I would love to. OKAY YOU LOT KEEP AT IT!" barked Marlin.
The two men walked into the town and engaged in idle chat as the reach the centre courtyard of Kurosai town. Joseph observed and saw no one, all that remained was the large bloodstains on the streets.
"My god. This must've been some fight, But I don't see the commodore. Is he in one of the buildings across the street? Eh, Officer Joseph? Is he there?" said Marlin as he turned his back to Joseph.
Joseph drew one of his pistols and smacked Marlin in the side of the head.
"Actually he's not here." said Joseph as he pointed his pistol at the fallen marine.
"Ow! What the fuck!?" yelled Marlin holding a hand up to his bloodied head.
"Do you think I'm an idiot Marlin? Did you think I wouldn't find out?" said Joseph raising his voice.
"I don't know what your talking about" yelled Marlin in pain.
"I know about your little correspondence. I know you were given orders of a kind. Don't fucking lie to me or I will shoot you in the leg." said Joseph pointing his weapon at Marlin's legs.
"I really have no idea what your talking about." said Marlin gripping the side of his head.
"Bullshit. This piece of paper I found in your cannon said other wise. I have a witness to confirm your disappearance during the battle to top it off." said Joseph with a hard look as he pulled the piece of paper from his pocket.
"It says 'Ten O'clock, night time, proceed with mission. Target: Commodore. Be wary of the sniper and the officer. Kill.' If this doesn't show evidence of treason, then I don't know what does apparently." said Joseph
"Grrrr, You just had to get in the way didn't you." Marlin growled, looking more angry than before.
"Ah so your true colours have shown then." said Joseph smugly.
"And so what? Fuck you and fuck Chamberlain." said Marlin angrily.
"So you would conspire to kill your commanding officer? For what exactly." Joseph questioned
"Fuck you!" Marlin said
[Bang!]
Joseph retorted by shooting Marlin in his left leg.
"Aaaaah! You bastard, my leg!" Marlin screamed, his hands shaking as he moved them to his leg.
"Now speak!" said Joseph yelling.
"You want the fucking truth? Chamberlain is a damned fool, his stupid justice has gotten most of us killed. We should've left when we had the chance, but no the bastard wanted to fight to the death. I want this war to end and the Poisoner gave me the chance. I didn't become a marine to die in some nowhere island in the West Blue." said Marlin grunting in pain.
"The Poisoner? Where, where is he? Tell me or I will kill you." Joseph yelled firing another bullet into Marlin's right arm.
" Hahahahaha." Marlin laughed with a pained look in his eyes, while Joseph stared in confusion.
"What are you laughing at you mental bastard!?" Joseph said aiming at Marlin's head.
"I believe your answer is behind you, OW!" said Marlin in agony.
Joseph spun around to see the same masked figure from the bank standing atop one of the buildings facing the courtyard. The porcelain phantom drew his bow as the young officer pulled out his remaining pistol.
"Holy shit..." said the voice
"How long have you been watching?" Joseph asked
"Long enough..." said The Poisoner
"The others did not fare well against me. Why don't you just surrender and we call it a day." Joseph offered
"I'm afraid I will have to decline. You cannot stop this elemental. I cannot allow you to harm Kai as you have done to Victor. I must stop you, should you challenge us further. The Royalty Pirates will leave this land if you hand over the life of the commodore as a symbol of peace. All the marines will be able to leave and return home. Do you not care about your crew?" said The Poisoner
"I'd take the deal..." Marlin coughed
"Just clip him already!" said the voice irritated.
"Quiet traitor." said Joseph as he shot Marlin in the forehead.
Marlin's body became lifeless and limp. While the young marine and the pirate kept their stare down going, neither moving.
"So you continue to resist? Why can't you just let things be for now. Soon this will all be over and this war shall end." said The Poisoner with slightly more passion in his voice.
"I want this war to end, but not at the cost of a good man. On the other hand if it was at the cost of your captain then sure. Because when he dies and you are all scattered, then we can be at peace." said Joseph pointing both pistols to the masked man.
"I don't want to fight you Joseph. This is not what I wanted, this life of death and mayhem." The Poisoner said as he jumped off the building he was standing on to the street below.
"He knows our name?" the voice commented
"What do you want? Sympathy? Eh?" said Joseph ignoring the voice.
"No I want you to understand that I did not intend for these people's lives to be ruined. I wanted an adventure, not this." said The Poisoner calmly.
"But the lives of the people here have been ruined and your leader is responsible for the pain. If you want this senseless war to end, then surrender yourself and tell me where Kai is so that I can kill him." said Joseph
"I can't let that happen Joseph. Would you not lay down your arms for a friend?" The Poisoner asked
"You and me are not friends!" Joseph yelled at the hooded man.
"Oh but we are..." said The Poisoner with a more higher tone voice.
"What?" said the voice
The Poisoner pulled back his gray hood and slowly removed his mask. Joseph's dark brown eyes now staring in horror at the sight of the now revealed overseer of Triburn Island. Now the unmasked overseer looked at Joseph with bright chocolate eyes.
"No way..." said the voice in disbelief.
"Pandora..." said Joseph in shock.
"Hi Joseph." said Pandora with a sad smile.
"You are the poisoner? What, when, why?" Joseph said quietly.
"Yes I am a part of the royalty pirates. Along with Kai and the others before you came." said Pandora dropping her mask to the ground.
"No this can't be fucking real!" the voice screamed
"I-I trusted you. I thought you were my friend. Julia, Landon, Polemon, Chamberlain. We all trusted you and you betrayed us. Was this all a lie?" said Joseph with tears in his eyes.
"I'm sorry Joseph I am really. At first I was supposed to infiltrate Ouran Island to assess the weakness of the town to help the invasion force. When Chamberlain and Kai went to war he tasked me to spy on the remaining marines. I was to lower their morale, steal their food and sabotage their plans. I never enjoyed what I did. I never wanted to do this to innocents. It was never like this before. I grew to like both Julia and Landon as close friends. Polemon treated me like I was his family, along with Chamberlain. Joseph I see you as my friend still, but Kai saved me when I was nothing. He never use to be such a bad guy and I can't let either of you fight each other. I know you and him. Both of you will kill each other. I cannot allow it!" Pandora explained passionately.
"This all feels so impossible it can't be real. What about Chamberlain and the marines?" Joseph demanded
"With Chamberlain gone, the war will end. I can then convince Kai to leave. These islands will be free." Pandora said
"Kai is dead man Pandora. I won't let him go after Chamberlain. I won't let him win, even if it means I have to go through you first..." said Joseph with a dangerous glint in his eyes.
"Kid... I don't know if we can do this." said the voice
"I see, then come on. I won't let you walk away Joseph, if that's how it is going to be." said Pandora readying her bow, notching an arrow.
The two former allies looked at each other with pained eyes. Both did not want this, though their loyalties have now been brought into this conflict. Pandora took a deep breath as she held up her bow quickly and shot an arrow in Joseph's direction.
"Shit!" said the voice
Joseph rolled out of the way just in time. Following suit, Joseph fired a volley of bullets at Pandora. The small brunette expertly dodged out of the way through her use of cartwheels and front flips.
"She is too agile. You have to get her to drop that bow now!" the voice ordered.
Pandora in the span of a few seconds had run up the side of a building, spinning around in the air and hastily firing three arrows at once.
"Christ!" yelled Joseph as he tried to run from the arrows.
Holstering his pistols and unsheathing his machete, Joseph deflected two of the arrows and rolled away from the third.
"This is pointless Joseph, please stop fighting." said Pandora sadly.
Joseph smashed his foot into the ground and caused the earth beneath them to shake violently. Holding his arm forward he caught Pandora in a earth snare.
"I agree it is pointless. Though the fact that you are trying to defend him has left me no choice but to act." Joseph said, Pulling Pandora close to him.
The Poisoner notched another arrow and fired at Joseph. Seeing the arrow speeding to him, Joseph raises a small boulder to shield him.
As Pandora inched closer to him, the earth stopped moving. Before she could react, a strong blast of wind had blown her bow away. Seeing her without her ranged weapon Joseph ran closer to keep the pressure.
"I trusted you!" Joseph yelled, punching Pandora with his free hand.
"I know, I'm sorry." said Pandora dodging an attack from Joseph's machete.
Pandora latched on Joseph's shoulder and flipped over him and kicked him in the back.
"It was not meant to be like this." Pandora said remorsefully.
"Not just me, but everyone else!" Joseph yelled forming a rock glove on his left hand.
Spinning around, Joseph launched his rock glove to the poisonous traitor. Latching to her arm, Pandora was sent flying into a building.
"Just surrender and tell me where he is and I'll protect you from prosecution." Joseph spoke, trying to convince her.
Pandora just shook her head.
"I can't do that. I can't betray Kai and I won't betray you." said Pandora trying to free herself.
"But you already have." said Joseph sheathing his machete.
With a gesture, Joseph summoned his rock glove which still held a firm grip on the brunette. As she came into attacking distance, the elemental delivered a power punch to her face launching her back to the street.
"I don't want to do this, but I have little choice now." Joseph said, staring down the poisoner.
The young marine ran over to Pandora and began wailing on her. Repeatedly pounding on her face, turning it into a bloody mess.
"Why won't you fight back!" Joseph screamed
Pandora looked up and with a bloodied smile she spoke. "I won't hurt my friends."
Joseph picked her up and threw her across the courtyard, pulling out his pistol. He walked over to her and knelt to her level. Holding onto the scruff of her collar, Joseph looked at her with tears on full display.
"I didn't want this. I never want to kill my friends. After everything we've been through. The time we spent together. You, Me, Landon and Julia. The stories we shared, the laughs, the drinks over the fire." Joseph said hurt.
"I know. I loved every moment of it. As I grew close to them I reflected, I saw these foolish dreams of Kai as pointless. These people, I carry much of the guilt for their strife. In truth I did not seek Chamberlain's death out of malice or hate. Only to end this war, yet I only feel guilt. As I should. I even worked against Kai you know, I was one of the reasons the marines made it this far. The other was you." Pandora coughed
"What about Gordon? I poured my heart out to you. You left him for dead, he was rotting away because of you!" Joseph yelled
"That was an accident, I panicked and ran. I-It was an order by Kai. I regret it greatly. Both for beating a helpless man and for making you feel terrible afterward." Pandora explained
Joseph looked down to see the bandages around Pandora's left arm.
"So I got you after all?" Joseph said knowingly.
"Yes you did. You got me good." Pandora chuckled.
"I don't want it to end here." Joseph said pointing his pistol to Pandora's chest.
"I know, but I won't let you two kill each other as long as I breathe." Pandora said pressing her chest to Joseph's gun.
"We promised we'd go on an adventure. You made me pinky swear you little runt." Joseph said crying.
"Both of us made that promise, but one day it shall come true." said Pandora moving her right hand to Joseph's pistol.
The young marine stayed still as her thumb moved onto Joseph's trigger finger, she smiled as she uttered her final words.
"In this life we parted as enemies, but in the next life we shall live on together as friends. All of us." Pandora said her bright smile, closing her eyes.
[Bang!]
Joseph remained frozen in place as Pandora's body dropped to the cold street floor as the bullet had shot into her heart. Joseph looked in absolute horror as he dropped his weapon and cradled the body of his deceased friend.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Next Chapter: The Prince of the Sea
A heart breaking end to the tale of The Poisoner. A betrayal of loyalty, bound between friendship. The next chapter shall see this Kalani Saga come to an end. For whom? Who knows...
I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Justice. See you next time :)