Swordsman's Treasure
June of 1958
They spent only two days at sea before the next island came into view. They arrived on Seneca Island late in the morning and went ashore to enjoy the busy looking port city. Nami wanted to shop, Luffy wanted to eat, Kisa wanted to look for the shinobi mark. There seemed to be something everyone wanted in town so they broke up and went various ways to look.
Zoro wanted to find the sword shop and check out what they had. He rarely bought something, most of the time he was broke, but he liked to look. He was wandering, never realizing he was getting further and further away from the center of town. As he walked Zoro never noticed someone had begun to follow him. He was all the way down by the fishing boat docks before he stopped and looked around. "What the hell? Where am I?"
Further up the shore Zoro could see the Merry. At least that was something. He could at least find his way back home if need be. Behind him Zoro heard sandals scuffing off sand and he turned to greet whoever was coming up behind him. "Oi, can you tell me where the sword shop…" Zoro stopped frowning at the guy that was coming his way. He had a sword unsheathed, a big one and he was bouncing the backside off his shoulder.
Jakotsu had seen the Going Merry pull into port. He had seen the wanted pirates Monkey D Luffy and Roronoa Zoro disembark. He and his brothers had been watching them since. Roronoa had been wandering around aimlessly for hours. "Roronoa Zoro?"
He instantly had a bad feeling about this and dropped his hand to his swords. "Yeah, what of it?"
"Sixty million dead or alive. You're gonna make me rich."
"Keh, you wanna fight me jerk off?" he thumbed Wado's hilt watching the guy.
Jakotsu pointed his fat sword at Roronoa. "I want to kill you actually. Your head alone will suffice to collect the bounty. No need to carry around extra weight." He flicked his wrist back. "Shini." Jakotsu snapped his sword forward and released the blades.
Something shiny raced at Zoro and he leapt right to get out of the way. The sand where he was just standing was torn apart and kicked up. Zoro drew two swords quickly and fended off another of the guy's weird slashing strikes. What's with that sword?
Jakotsu was relentless. He continued to whip his sword out at his bounty. Roronoa was quick to dodge and deflect. "I see you are a clever swordsman indeed. No matter, you'll waver soon enough. You cannot escape my sword."
A moment later Zoro became painfully aware of that fact. Something cut into his right arm just below his shoulder. He faltered for a split second and felt something slash its way across left thigh. He knocked it away with his sword and jumped back. "N-nani?" It's like that sword wrapped around me!
Jakotsu snapped his sword back into one fat piece. "Sasami is a snake," he informed his prey. Jakotsu licked Zoro's blood off his sword.
Zoro glared at his twisted opponent. I get it now. There's multiple blades linked together. "Is that right?" he stuck his swords in the sand and untied his bandana. Zoro tied it to his head and reached for Wado. He stuck the hilt in his teeth. I'll just have to fight as if I'm going against multiple swords then. "Lucky for me I aint afraid of snakes." Jakotsu flicked his sword and Zoro charged. "Tora Gari!"
Kisa had looked just about everywhere for the mark with no luck. She wasn't too worried about it, almost used to the disappointment by now. She had searched town and given up for the time being when she ran into her nakama rolling an over fed Luffy back to the Merry. "Oi Kisa did you eat lunch in this town?" Luffy asked.
Kisa waved a hand at him. "I grabbed something Luffy." Suddenly there was something like an explosion way off to the south. It was loud enough to turn heads and Kisa saw a cloud of dust rise. "What's that?" Curiosity killed the cat. Kisa jumped up on the closest roof. "Byakugan."
"Oi, what is it Ka chan?" Luffy called up to his ninja friend.
Kisa had to push through the distracting crowds of people. Further...that way… the image came to her eyes. Zoro was dueling. "Zoro!" She didn't even think about it, Kisa started toward the fight.
"Ka swan!" Sanji called.
"She said something about Zoro," Nami was already starting to walk in the direction Kisa had speeded off in.
"Zoro's in trouble?" Luffy asked.
Sanji started to follow Nami. So did Robin. "Ka swan better not get involved if he is."
"Let's find out for ourselves shall we," Robin proposed. The others fell in behind her.
The guy with the weird sword was pretty good. Not only did he use it to attack, he could manipulate it fast enough to block the majority of what Zoro was dishing out. Shit. The weird sword had cut into Zoro again. His arms and back had taken a few good lashings. There was a cut on his brow dripping blood into his right eye. I gotta do something about that sword. I need to bust it up. I need to bust HIM up.
Roronoa was tougher then Jakotsu had expected. He was a bit winded from having to stay on his toes for so long. It would be over soon though. He had already decided to take out the swordsman's legs his with his next attack. Jakotsu prepared to strike. "It's been fun Roronoa, but I'm going to finish you now before oaniki scolds me for playing around too much. I have things to do." He rushed forward and let his sword fly.
Zoro bit the hilt of his sword trying to predict the snake swords strike. It seemed to attack from everywhere all at once. "Tou Rou Nagashi!" Zoro countered. He deflected the blades and sidestepped flanking the enemy.
Bastard! Jakotsu was getting angry. He swept at Roronoa again. "Hold still and die!"
Deflecting the blades like this wasn't going to get him anywhere but more sliced up. Though he was able to mostly be able to keep from being hit, he was occasionally getting nicked. The wound on his leg and one on his back were both bleeding pretty badly. The muscles screamed every time he jumped and swung his arms. Damnit. I gotta hurry up and kill this guy! There was no safe way to get close to him with that sword in the way. But if he's standing still… I can hit him even from a distance.
Jakotsu watched the breathless swordsman with eyes that burned. If he didn't finish this guy off before Wufei showed up he'd never hear the end of it. He saw an opening; the swordsman was standing still trying to keep the weight off his wounded leg. He'll parry and when he does Sasami will wrap him in her coils… Now! "Shini!"
Zoro saw the sword coming at him, but he didn't move; he couldn't. He had the bounty hunter perfectly lined up. He tightened the grip on his sword and lifted his hand in the air. Thirty six aint your lucky number buddy. "San Jyuu Roku Poundo Hou!"
The blast of energy raced at Jakotsu. Sasami moved like a python darting straight at Zoro and wrapping him in its blades. Sasami squeezed Zoro cutting him up some more as the cannon hit Jakotsu. Jakotsu let go of his sword and fell back. His eyes rolled back into his head. Zoro tried to use his swords to defend but he was a little late. He fell to his knees as Sasami slackened and fell loose.
Zoro spit his sword out. "Shitamata," he grunted. It felt like he was cut up everywhere.
"Zoro! Oi Zoro!" Kisa had seen the conclusion of the fight as she ran up the beach toward him. She watched Zoro throw off the whip like sword that had him ensnared. He was bleeding from everywhere. "Zoro!"
Zoro threw Sasami aside and looked at its master. He could see the whites of the bounty hunters eyes. Blood leaked from his open mouth and ears. "Fuck you buddy."
Kisa hurried to Zoro and dropped to her knees beside him. "Keh Zoro look at you! You're all fucked up."
He hurt everywhere now. "No shit. Tell me something I don't know." Zoro winced and sat back on his ass in the sand exhausted. "Bounty hunter," he nodded at the dead guy. "I think he was expecting company too."
There were slashes all over him; two or three of them looked pretty deep. "We have to get you back to the Merry. I'll get Chopper and he can fix you up."
Zoro looked over Kisa's shoulder. Someone was coming and it looked like he was holding a weapon too. "Kisa," Zoro nodded and she turned to look at the man coming toward them. What the hell is he carrying, a trident?
Wufei had also seen the tail end of the fight from an undisclosed location. For the moment he ignored the bounty and his woman and went to his brother. Wufei pressed two fingers against Jakotsu's jugular vein. No pulse. He lifted his black eyes to the swordsman. "You killed him."
"He was tryin to kill me. Didn't leave me much choice." Zoro heaved keeping his eyes on the new guy. He wasn't dressed as commonly as the guy Zoro just fought. It looked like this guy was wearing karategi.
Wufei stood and the woman stood with him dropping her hands to the handles of the weapons tied to her thighs. Wufei snarled disgusted. "You wanna fight me woman?"
She knew Zoro was in no condition to take on this guy. "If you have to fight somebody then it's going to be me." She shifted her feet into a fighting stance and brought her hands up in front of her.
"Wufei Chang does not fight women." He frowned at her. "Out of my way insolent bitch. I've no business with someone as weak as you it's your man I want."
Zoro chuckled. "You've done it now buddy."
Wufei took a threatening step forward bringing his lance into attack position. The woman started to move her hands. What's this? Could it be…
"Kage bushin no jutsu!" Kisa created three more of herself for a full compass attack. All of her drew their sai.
"Ninjutsu!" Wufei recognized the woman's trick immediately. He was a connoisseur of both the martial arts and of all things rare. Bounty hunting paid the bills, but black market trade kept him comfortably wealthy. A ninja, or even a ninja's body parts; their eyes were particularly coveted, would net him a fortune. Wufei smiled knowing only one of the four women was real. All he had to do was aim for that one.
Kisa saw a greedy glint appear in Wufei's eyes and she charged. Two clones went right, she and another went left and they closed in. Wufei spun his lance in his hand and turned clockwise with an unnatural speed that matched Kisa's own. The point of his lance dispersed two of the clones and then hit the woman's sai. He kicked the last clone and it too dispersed. The real Kisa jumped back.
"Shit that guy's pretty fast too," Zoro thought aloud.
Wufei pointed his blade at Kisa. "You are a shinobi ne woman?"
Now it was Kisa that snarled. "What's it to ya?"
"I don't suppose you have some kind of special eyes ne?" he glared at her cold stare. "They look kind of weird to me."
"Worried?" Kisa sneered. What does this fucker know about the shinobi?
Wufei chuckled. "Excited. The two of you are going to make me even more prosperous. Sixty million for the bounty on Roronoa Zoro is half of what I'll get for a healthy trained female shinobi on the black market. I can make more off of you then him woman."
Oh no you didn't motherfucker! In a flash she sheathed her sai and moved through the seals. "Kanton gokakyu no jutsu!" she took a deep breath and spit a fireball at the slave trader.
His brother Jakotsu was dead and this very minute his brother Wufei was fighting. Buu could be there in a flash to swing the fight Wufei's his way.
"Hurry up Luffy," Nami broke into a jog when she saw a different kind of smoke cloud. It looked like something was burning.
"Damnit, marimo better not have put Ka swan in any danger," Sanji growled biting down on his cigarette.
Ussop pulled down his goggles and zoomed in on the smoke. "I think something is on fire."
"Hayek!" Nami urged them to go faster.
Wufei dodged the fire ball and charged the ninja woman. He launched an all out assault keeping her sai busy with his lance. Her taijutsu skills were pretty good too, but he still had a free hand and she did not. Wufei blocked her sai and her kick and let his left hand fly. "Pressure strike!" he hit her in the solar plexus and she went flying backward.
Kisa righted herself and dug her feet into the dirt until she came to a stop in the sand. She grit her teeth at the bounty hunter. Fuck that hurt. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. No choice then. I can't let this guy hit me. "Byakugan!"
Fantastic. Wufei grinned at the change in the woman's eyes. They looked white and he could see the strain around them. All I have to do is keep her alive long enough to sell those eyes of hers. He wouldn't hit her with a fatal blow, at least nothing that would kill her immediately. And that strike hurt. So, it's a pummeling then ne? He adjusted his stance. "Come!"
She took a step toward Wufei and stopped. He was trying to lure her in. It had to be a trap. So much for not fighting women ne asshole? She had no choice but to go at him again. Kisa started to feed chakra into her blades. She charged Wufei. "Konoha Reppu!"
Zoro tried getting to his knees as Kisa clashed with the other fighter again. He could feel the blood running down his back and blood squirt from the cut on his thigh when he put pressure on his legs. He poked his swords into the sand. "Damnit Kisa kill that guy already!"
Wufei had enough of this for one afternoon and he still had to locate Buu. He launched another vicious assault on the woman managing to hit her a few more times but her sai felt heavier. "This is the end woman."
"For you." Kisa pushed her sai up against his lance hard jarring them both upward. She let go of her sai, "Hakke rokujuyon sho!" Her hands flew with such incredible speed even she couldn't see them, just sense them. Her opponent was stunned, immobilized for a split second and Kisa jumped grabbing her sai. She pointed the blades at Wufei and threw herself down at him.
Wufei couldn't move. What! He looked up and saw his end coming. "Deme!" He squeezed out the last of his strength and tipped his lance up to meet her. Join me in hell you bitch!
Zoro watched horrified as the fighters collided. "Kisa!" Her sai had embedded in the man's throat, but his trident had pierced her middle. Zoro saw the point sticking out of her back. Kisa's feet hit the ground and she gagged blood onto the bounty hunter's face. She let go of her sai and stepped back pulling the spear out of her body. The fighter fell over dead in the sand at Kisa's feet. "Kisa!"
She turned to the sound of Zoro's voice as her peripheral vision started to blur and then darken. She lost concentration and the Byakugan retreated "…Zoro…" Kisa staggered a few steps toward him and fell on her knees in the sand. Fuck…am I gonna die?
Zoro abandon his swords and scrambled to Kisa. "Oi oi don't die!" He reached her and eased Kisa against him looking down at her wound. "Shit where is Chopper!"
"It's okay Zoro," Kisa lied. "This is nothing."
"You're stabbed!"
"So are you."
"No I'm not I'm sliced. There's a difference," he argued. "Do you have internal bleeding?"
Kisa swallowed blood. "He missed my lungs."
"How do you know?"
She almost laughed. "I can still breathe." More of the world went dark and Kisa felt lightheaded.
It looked like Kisa was about to faint. Zoro eased her to the ground. "Just take it easy Kisa. Hang on until Chopper gets here."
Kisa nodded. It hurt to move but she was afraid of the alternative. The others, where is everyone? Kisa brought her hands together in front of her.
"Oi what are you doing? You should take it easy."
"Byakugan," Kisa summoned her eyes. She searched the edge of town and the beach around them. "Someone's close, all alone."
"Luffy?"
No, not Luffy. Shit! Luffy is…. Kisa rolled her eyes south. "Luffy is that way with the others. They're coming but the other guy…" It hurt to talk anymore and Kisa grit her teeth. She squeezed her eyes shut. He's coming!
Zoro straightened and tried to look everywhere all at once. "Another one of these guys out there?" Like I need this shit now.
"Run…to Luffy aho…"
"Keh and leave you here? I don't think so." I don't think I could run now anyway let alone carry Kisa out of here. Zoro swallowed hard. "I can still fight. I took a rest while you were killing that guy."
Idiot, stay here and you will die. "Zoro…"
He leaned over Kisa. It hurt but he did it anyway. "I said I can still fight!"
She opened her mouth to tell him to run for Luffy and then it was too late. A fat guy seemingly appeared out of nowhere. She saw him standing over the body of the man Zoro killed. She blinked he was standing over Wufei. "Zoro…" The guy moved with uncanny speed, he was a blur.
"You killed Jakotsu and Wufei." He moved in a fraction of a second and picked up one of Zoro's swords. He looked it over and then dropped it. "Such violence. You look like dangerous people. Perhaps it's best to put you away peacefully."
Zoro forced himself to sit up. The new guy was doing some weird shit with his hands. I have to protect Kisa! "So these losers were with you huh?" Zoro leaned so that he was in front of Kisa. "Then you'll be no problem either."
Kisa wasn't so sure. His hands, what's he doing? He's making something in his hands? The new guy fixed his eyes on Zoro. Oh shit! "Zoro…"
Zoro grit his teeth. "Urasaina! Just who the hell are you?"
"I am the Eternal Time Lord Buu you barbaric fool." He released the ball he had made in his hand and set it adrift toward the pair on the ground. It grew bigger as it floated their way.
"Nani?" Zoro grunted. "What the fuck is that thing? Is it going to explode!"
The time lord laughed. The bubble was about to envelop his prey. "I will take you away in time to a place that you can never escape. I sentence you to be exiled for the remainder of your pathetic lives."
Zoro turned and put his arms around Kisa. He would protect her with his body if he could. "Look out Kisa!"
It was too late; the time bubble enveloped the man and woman. A moment later they fell over unconscious. Buu looked down at his catch. "Have a nice life you bastards."
Once they cleared town and were headed up the beach Luffy and Sanji moved faster. A minute later they could see something going on up the beach. Luffy burst into the clearing with Sanji and Ussop in tow screaming, "Zoro! Kisa!"
Sanji's eyes found them first. Zoro and Kisa were a crumpled heap with a big guy watching over them and what the fuck is that thing? They were in some kind of bubble. "Oi Luffy!"
Buu looked up as more arrived behind the ones that just entered the clearing. The bounty's nakama and Monkey D Luffy. That was fine. Buu would kill these guys too in the name of his brothers and collect two bounties. "Like lambs to the slaughter."
"What have you done to Ka swan you fat old geezer?" Sanji growled.
Luffy tucked his hat down on his head. "Yo, let our nakama out of that thing."
Buu started toward the kid in the straw hat. "I don't think so."
Luffy's hand twitched into a fist. "Sanji, Robin, help Zoro and Kisa." Luffy took a step forward. "Chopper, they may need a doctor. Ussop, protect Nami."
"Luffy," Ussop swallowed hard looking at the battlefield. Two dead bodies, one with Kisa's sai sticking out of him. Kisa and Zoro were lying in a spreading pool of someone's blood.
Luffy looked at the big guy. "Hey you fat man. If you don't give me back our nakama right now I'm going to kick your ass!"
Buu smiled. "You're too late to save your friends now. The Eternal Time Lord Buu releases no one from exile. They will die in purgatory but don't worry. You're going to die too."
Kisa woke up in the jungle with Zoro beside her. She felt like hell. I was fucking impaled. She reached down and carefully touched her wounds. She turned her head and looked at Zoro. He was a bloody mess too. Shit where are we? What happened? "Zoro, yo Zoro wake up!"
Reluctantly he did. His wounds screamed the moment he tried to move and he grunted. "Damnit. Where did that guy go?"
"I don't know." Kisa forced herself to sit up. She looked around trying to figure out where they were. "Does this place look familiar to you?"
"You're asking me?" wincing he sat up and took a look around. "All jungle looks the same to me Kisa."
Kisa studied the trees. "That's the thing, we weren't in a jungle. In fact, this flora isn't even right. This should be a forest of deciduous trees."
Zoro lifted a brow. "Are you saying that guy teleported us somewhere?"
She frowned at him. "I didn't say he teleported us idiot. He could have gassed us and left us somewhere."
"We've been kidnapped?"
Kisa looked around again. "I think so." She turned to Zoro. He looked pale and confused. "If you think you can walk we should try to find the coast."
"Me? What about you?" the front of Kisa was covered in blood. "You aint tree hopping in that condition Kisa."
She nodded in concession. "Fine we'll walk together."
It didn't take long to find the shore, the island was quite small actually and defiantly not the one they had been fighting on. No town, no port, no fishing villages. It was deserted. They stayed on the beach until dark so Kisa could read the stars and pick the best direction a ship might come from. The next morning they found a spot up the beach to make camp. On a nearby tree Kisa cut a mark into the tree. "Hey Zoro, you know what I think this is?" she said tucking her sai away.
"Huh?" he wasn't paying much attention; he was busy getting a good fire rolling.
"That guy that knocked us out. He said he was going to exile us. I guess this is that place."
"Don't worry about it Kisa. Luffy will find us."
"Gum gum no rocket!" Luffy's hand shot toward the fat guy.
Buu raised a hand and sent a wave at the racing arm slowing it down to a crawl. "I said I was Lord of time didn't I fool?"
"Luffy!" Sanji watched Luffy snap his arm back.
"Go Sanji. Help them!" Luffy ran left and charged the fat guy again. "Gum gum no rocket!"
Sanji skirted the fight and ran to Zoro and Kisa with Robin on his heels. Sanji felt the casing they were in; it was bouncy, resilient like a bubble. "Stand back I'm gonna kick this fucker open." He rocked back on his heels bringing his right heel down on the bubble hard. "Break open damn you!"
Exile Island. Kisa cut another mark in the tree to go along with the other three hundred and sixty. She wouldn't admit it to Zoro, but Kisa had finally given up on being rescued by their nakama. We are going to spend the rest of our lives here.
"Oi Kisa! You comin or what?" Zoro called from out front.
"Yeah," she returned coming around the side of the home they had built for themselves. Zoro was sitting in one of the lounge chairs with his feet up looking out at the ocean view. Kisa sunk down in the lounger next to him.
Zoro looked at Kisa and offered the jug he was drinking out of. After some considerable whining Zoro had talked Kisa into making him some sake using the local vegetation. "You want some? This stuff came out kind of sweet."
Kisa took the bottle and tried a sip looking at the sea. We're gonna be here 'till we die. "I wonder what the others are doing now."
Zoro shrugged. He didn't know what the hell was keeping Luffy. "Taking his sweet time," Zoro grumbled. Kisa passed him back his booze and he downed a generous gulp.
She was trying to study the currents around the island in the sunset. The sea rolled violently in some places. "I don't think we are going to be able to sail off this island."
For a while he and Kisa had talked about trying to build their own escape vessel, but the waters around here were far too treacherous for a small ship. "Oi Kisa," Zoro reached over and took Kisa's hand. He shook it a little and she looked at him. Zoro smiled and laughed. "At least we got each other."
Damnit! Sanji couldn't break the bubble. "Hold on Ka swan! I'm coming to save you!"
"It appears beating on this bubble is futile," Robin bent and inspected the prison more closely. It was springy to the touch.
Sanji saw one of Zoro's swords outside of the bubble. He grabbed for it. "I'll cut them out then damnit!"
Buu laughed and dodged another one of straw hat kid's attacks. "You're too slow to hit me kid. I am master of space and time. The longer you struggle the more time I have to I manipulate time." Buu grinned at the pirate. "Your nakama have already spent over a year in exile. By the end of the day, they'll be dead."
"N-nani!" Ussop gasped.
Nami stared at the fat guy wide eyed. "What is he talking about?"
Robin looked at the man fighting Luffy. "A year in exile? What do you mean?"
"Your nakama are trapped inside of my time bubble."
"And it's already been a year?" Robin did the math while Sanji stabbed at the bubble with Zoro's sword. "Time is moving over three hundred times faster for them in the bubble then it is here?"
Buu laughed. He had a great sense of humor. "That's right, how smart you are! By the end of the day their minds will think they have lived a full life and shut their bodies down. They'll die of a false old age before the moon rises." He cackled laughter up at the sky. "Oh look another week has gone by, now two, now six!" Buu thought it was hilarious.
Robin looked down at her friends trapped inside. "The longer this fight goes on, the longer Zoro and Ka chan are trapped in that purgatory."
Stabbing wasn't getting him anywhere either. "You cheap shitty sword cut damn you!"
Luffy glanced briefly at Robin and Sanji trying to help their nakama. "You're the wizard behind all of this right? So all I gotta do is kill you and the spell will be broken."
"Just try it kid."
Luffy did.
Zoro walked down to the beach to find Kisa. He left this morning to gather firewood and she was already gone when he got back. Gone fishing. Zoro hoped she caught something good. He was already hungry for lunch. He made his way down to the waterline and saw a familiar tattered shirt hanging over a familiar looking rock. It was Zoro's old blue button down shirt that Kisa had confiscated when her shirt was ready for the rag pile. "Oi Kisa, where are you?"
Kisa popped her head out of the water. "Yo Zoro."
"You catch anything?"
"Check the bag dummy."
Zoro checked the fishing pouch lying in the sand. It was heavy and full of fat fish. "Big lunch here I come." Zoro heard Kisa coming up behind him and set the bag down. He turned smiling to talk to her. "Nice…" Holy hell... Kisa had made herself a new bathing suit out of something white and soft looking. There wasn't much to the skimpy thing. "Uhh…"
She frowned at him. "What?"
"Your clothes," Zoro lowered his eyes. Or should I say lack of clothes Holy mother of…
"I've still got enough left to make you a shirt, don't complain."
He chuckled a little sizing Kisa up. "Yeah no problem there." He looked up into her face; her cheeks were kind of pink. "You look amazing Kisa," a devilish grin slipped loose.
Kisa blinked at him. What? "Idiot, the hot sun is going to your brain."
Zoro shrugged. "Oi oi can't a guy have an opinion?"
Kisa rolled her eyes. "I didn't ask for your opinion."
"So what? I'll give it to you anyway."
"Yeah I know that Zoro." She frowned a little and rested a hand on her hip. "Well?"
She's so sexy when she's angry. Zoro laughed. "Well what?"
"Do you want lunch? Are you hungry Zoro," sometimes he was just difficult to deal with. Childish, annoying and occasionally like now an ogling creep.
Zoro lifted a brow and studied Kisa in the sunny yellow light of near noon. Every drop of water on her exposed skin glistened in the sun. She's all sparkly his eyes wandered again and the water was cold for Kisa. He took a step closer to her barely aware that he was even doing it. "I'm fuckin starving." Zoro wrapped Kisa into his arms and pulled her wet body against his bare chest. Lunch wasn't going to satisfy Zoro's appetite but Kisa…He closed his mouth over hers and kissed her.
For months Zoro had been fighting his more carnal urges but wet Kisa in her skimpy bikini was too much for his strained hormones to handle. One hand slid down to her ass. Her bottoms didn't cover much of the cheek Zoro was grabbing. Yes, he defiantly liked this bikini. Their kiss became more heated and Zoro's other hand reached for wet bikini top. Like the bottom half, her top didn't cover much either. Zoro cupped her breast and slipped her the tongue. Oh hell yeah I want this.
Things with Zoro were quickly getting out of control. It went from kissing to groping pretty damn quick. She broke her mouth away from his. "Zoro stop." Kisa brought her hands up to his shoulders as Zoro nipped at her neck.
He licked the seawater off her throat and rubbed his thumb against her nipple. "I don't want to. You don't want me to."
Kisa fought the urge to surrender herself to Zoro and pushed him off of her. Kisa frowned at him. "I said stop it asshole!"
Zoro had to catch his breath. His heart was racing and his horney buttons had been pushed. What the hell is wrong with her? "What the hell did you kiss me for if you don't want me too huh? You get me all worked up and then just tell me to stop? Like I can just turn it off!" Her face was red, Kisa must be mad. "You're such a tease!"
Kisa snatched her shirt off the rock and threw it on over her new bathing suit. "You're a fuckin slob!" Kisa bumped past Zoro and headed back up the beach.
Zoro watched her retreat frowning a little himself. What the hell is her problem? Mean bitch is a tease. She's all… Zoro watched the wiggle in Kisa's walk. He picked up the fishing bag and started after her. His devious grin returned as Zoro followed Kisa home.
There has to be a way to hit him. Luffy stepped to the right keeping his eyes on the fat man. He can block my punches because he can see them coming. What if I can blind him somehow? "Ussop! Can you take away this guys eyes for me?"
Buu frowned at Luffy. "You want to play dirty pirate brat?"
Ussop rifled through his bag looking for a smoke bomb. Come on, where is it! Ussop dug out the right sinker and pulled his slingshot from his back pocket. He readied the smoke bomb and let it fly. "Luffy!"
Buu slowed the bomb before it could hit him. He caught it as the guy who fired at him nearly fell over with fright. "Too slow."
Sanji quit stabbing at the bubble. "Oi kusoga! You let Ka swan out of this thing right now!" he screamed frustrated. His strength and the sword were getting him nowhere.
Buu smiled at the
blonde. "Time is racing by so fast for them. They've already been
lost to you for years. Pretty soon they'll forget all about you."
"Zoro and Kisa would never forget their nakama!" Luffy barked.
There has to be a way to blind this guy! To hit him without being
seen.
Sanji looked down at Zoro and Kisa. "You better be behaving yourself Zoro! You be a gentleman to Ka swan you here me lecher!" Sanji kicked at the bubble frustrated.
Robin already had an idea of how she could help Luffy, but her timing would have to be perfect. She put unseen hands to work digging below ground. Keep him busy a little longer Luffy.
Buu was losing interest in the pirates and he had two brothers to cremate. He fished in his pocket and pulled out a coin. "Now die." Buu flung the coin at Luffy manipulating the time and space around it turning it into a killer projectile. It hit the kid in the head and knocked him backwards. "You're all going to die."
Zoro had been chasing Kisa for almost six months; tonight she had finally given in. He looked down at her in the moonlight. Zoro couldn't help but smile a little. "Are you sure about this Kisa?"
She could feel the heat in her cheeks as Kisa looked up into Zoro's eyes. "I'm sure."
Zoro wrapped his arms around her. "I'm crazy about you Kisa, you know that right?"
Kisa smiled a little. "I know Zoro."
"I'll make you happy, I promise." He pressed his lips to hers and kissed her. There was no resistance from Kisa this time not anymore she kissed Zoro back. Her kisses told him that she wanted him too and Zoro took them to bed. After nearly two years in exile Zoro lay Kisa down and made love to his woman.
His gatteling gun had no effect. All the fists had been slowed enough for Buu to dodge them. "Damnit you freaky freak old man!" His head hurt where the time guy had thrown something at him. If Luffy wasn't rubber he'd be dead. I can't let him do that to any of my nakama. He could kill them. "Give back our nakama!"
"I'm sure they're content where they are," Buu grinned. "Probably having babies. Can't blame the guy, his girlfriend is pretty good looking."
"Deme!" Sanji kicked the bubble again. "Zoro you lowlife, you better not put your grubby paws on Ka swan."
"Zoro and Kisa will be waiting for us to rescue them!" Luffy snapped.
Sanji glared back at the fight. "Hurry up and kill this guy already Luffy!"
Robin kept digging. Just a little more. She wondered what sort of situation Zoro and Kisa were in. How long have they been like this now? How long in that other world?
Zoro woke to the sound of Dillon fussing. He opened his eyes and saw Kisa walking with their cranky son. "I'm telling you it's his teeth. Give him some sake."
Kisa shook her head. "I am not giving him booze aho."
Zoro sat up and rubbed his eye. "Just rub some on his gums." Kisa wasn't going for it so Zoro slipped out of bed. He didn't bother with clothes and went to his sake hanging in a jug on the wall. He uncorked it, sniffed it and then used his finger to plug the hole. Zoro soaked his finger with sake and stepped over to Kisa. He rubbed his finger on Dillon's gums and the baby made a disgusted face. Zoro laughed. "Oh look he hates it."
Kisa rolled her eyes and tried not to laugh. "I see that."
Zoro smiled at Kisa. "Oi, look what a cute kid we got. We should have more."
"Oh?" Kisa lifted an eyebrow and her smile slipped loose.
He looked into Kisa's eyes. "Lots lots more." Zoro leaned in and kissed her.
The tunnel was just going to have to be good enough, the time was now. Robin's disembodied hands reached up and pulled Luffy underground.
Zoro was walking with his son at his heels. Behind him Kisa was carrying Aeris. The baby was cooing contentedly at her mommy.
Sanji charged at the time lord distracting him for a moment. Ussop took the cue and started rapid firing off everything in his bag.
Buu turned on the two. "You can do nothing before a Time Lord fools."
Zoro carried Dillon to bed and kissed his sleeping son goodnight. Kisa was settling Aeris into her crib when Zoro snuck up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck. "Oi mommy, come to bed with daddy."
Do it Luffy, do it now! Robin's phantom arms appeared at Buu's feet and she grabbed a hold of him before he could stop her. "Now!"
Buu heard something and looked down at his feet. Strange arms were holding him and then Nani! The straw hat kid came up out of the ground and connected a solid punch to Buu's jaw.
Now's my chance! Sanji pressed forward. "Collier shot!"
"Ussop rubber band!"
"Gum gum no," Luffy stretched a leg, "axe!"
The Roronoa family was headed to the beach for a late morning swim. Zoro carried Aeris; she never wanted to be put down anymore. Zoro told Kisa that she spoiled her, made her a whiney baby. Dillon skipped out ahead of the pack.
The collier shot lifted him off his feet; the gum gum axe drove his split head into the ground. Buu twitched and died. Sanji turned and saw the bubble around Zoro and Kisa burst. "Ka swan!" He hurried to her side.
Nami hurried over and dropped down beside Zoro and Kisa. She rolled Zoro off of Ka chan and Nami shook her carefully. "Kisa, wake up. It's Nami can you hear me?"
Sounds like… Kisa blinked. "N-Nami? Sanji? What…?"
"Ka swan are you alright?" Sanji looked her over again. "It looks like you guys got your asses kicked!"
Kisa frowned and rubbed her head. She tried to sit up and Sanji moved to help her. These guys, this place is… she caught sight of the last attacker laying in a heap. "That thing he hit us with. It did something?"
Zoro groaned as he came awake. "Dillon stay above the tide line," he grumbled sleep fuzzy.
"Zoro!" Nami smacked his cheek. "Hey wake up!"
Zoro opened his eyes. Nami was looking down at him. "Nani? When did you get here Nami?" Zoro sat up a little and looked at Kisa. What…?
Robin tried to explaine. "You were caught in the Time Lords time bubble. For you time seemed to go by very quickly. Eventually your brain would have let you die of old age. It wouldn't have taken that long in the real time for you to die."
"Genjutsu?" Kisa gasped. The strange dream was beginning to fade and fall apart because the guy is dead now.
"Oh? You know what it was?"
"A world of illusion," Kisa pondered. She asked Robin, "How long were we trapped in that thing?"
"Perhaps fifteen minutes. The time lord said that years had passed for the two of you."
Zoro blinked. It felt like he was losing his memory or going crazy. "Wait a minute Kisa, you mean all of that…?"
Kisa frowned a little. "It was just a dream Zoro."
But…we had kids. We were happy… Zoro looked away from Kisa and down to his fresh wounds. "Weird."
Robin continued to address her questions to Kisa. "How much time passed for you before the spell was broken?"
Kisa stared down at her hands. She had a few broken knuckles. Wufei had rapped her hands a few times. "Uhh…" she thought she remembered marks on the trees. "I think…almost eight years…"
Sanji startled and bit down on his cigarette. "Oi Zoro, you better have behaved yourself around Ka swan you scumbag."
Not exactly. "Shut up Sanji," Zoro mumbled.
"Can you remember it Kisa?" Robin pressed. The technique was fascinating.
Kisa shook her head. "No, it's all falling apart. It's giving me a fuckin headache." Kisa rubbed at her head again.
"Tell me about it." Zoro's head hurt too. "It feels like my brain is being pulled in two different directions."
Luffy came running to his nakama. "Zoro Kisa! Daijoubu ka?"
Chopper rushed over. "I need to see their wounds."
Luffy stepped aside and Nami stood up beside him. "Let's give Chopper some space."
"I'll get your sai Kisa," Luffy moved that way.
"We should probably get the hell out of here," Ussop suggested to Nami. "The log pose is set isn't it?"
Zoro waited until the others were settling down and then he rolled his eyes back over to Kisa. Sanji was holding her steady while Chopper was checking her out, getting ready to bandage her up. So all of that… all that was just some kind of dream? The past eight years started to get fuzzy and vanish. Zoro frowned a little. He didn't want all of his memories to go. Most of them were pleasant. Dillon and Aeris…they were never real? Me and Kisa…we never? He shifted his eyes and saw the guy with the weird sword he had killed what felt like long ago.
Kisa tried to be still so Chopper could get a bandage around her quick. They needed to get out of here. She looked over at Zoro; there was a strange look on his face. "You okay Zoro?" she couldn't help but ask.
Zoro moved his eyes back to Kisa and he stared at her. I want it all back right now. "I...I'm okay."
"I'll get to you in a minute Zoro," Chopper started rolling a bandage around Kisa's middle. "Be still and wait for me."
Zoro dropped his eyes to his wounds. There was a weird pain in his chest even though he hadn't been slashed there at all. "Yeah okay."
Chopper hurried to wrap up Zoro and Kisa's cuts and stab wounds and the others helped them back to the Going Merry Go. Zoro informed Luffy that the guys that they had killed were bounty hunters, black market traders. Nami agreed with Ussop and got them the hell out of Doge. She wanted to put some distance between the Straw Hat pirates and the dead bodies. They set back out to sea before the afternoon could get old. That night Zoro had his first dream about Kisa, about a life with her that was never real.
Two days later they entered the next islands weather. It was cold. A fall island might be ahead or there could even be snow. The women traded their skirts and shorts for long pants and jackets became the standard when out on deck. The sun was bright, but not warm enough to go without sleeves. Zoro slipped a jacket on and zipped it half way up before heading out of the galley. He looked straight ahead. Luffy was on his seat at the bow. Robin sat amid ships reading a book. Ussop and Kisa were to Luffy's left at the bow. Kisa had let Nami twist her hair into a long braid that the wind had trouble lifting.
Sanji poked his head out of the galley. "Ka sawn Robin chwan I'm making hot coco for you," Sanji crooned.
Luffy turned. "I want coco Sanji!"
"Ooh me too!" Ussop added to the order.
Sanji rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright. Coco for everyone." He ducked back into the galley.
Zoro watched his nakama at the bow for a minute. He stretched a little and his healing wounds reminded him to go easy. Zoro yawned. He had been sleeping a lot the past few days; regaining his strength and healing. The long naps were fine, but they were accompanied by weird dreams. The dreams mostly faded shortly after he woke, but Zoro was left with some memory of it all. A foggy image here and there; memories of a past that never happened. Reflections on the water of a family he never really had.
When he was awake Zoro understood that they never left the battleground. It was all some trick the big guy pulled. When he was awake he couldn't remember it clearly. It was like trying to remember something from way back in your past. Half of what you see in childhood is a lie. It was mostly when he first came awake from a nap that he could remember things though. He watched Kisa talking to Ussop piecing together the dream memories.
We were on that island a long time. There really was no escaping that place. The sea all around it was treacherous. He crossed his arms over his chest tucking his cold hands into his armpits. We decided building a boat was out so we built a house and waited for Luffy. They had been sure their nakama were coming to their rescue, but time seemed to skip by. After a over a year on the island they made the homestead bigger. Kisa wanted her own room, but Zoro invaded. He liked sleeping in her bed; he could hear the waves hitting the breakers. At first she gave him a hard time but eventually Kisa relented. Zoro smiled a little. He was pretty sure that he chased Kisa all over that island for a long time before they finally got together.
His smile turned devious. Zoro had more then a few dreams about Kisa. They made babies. Two of em. It was all good. Kisa had given him a son and then a daughter. They were all quite content. Zoro sighed. And then it was all gone. It was still hard getting his mind around it all. He sure as hell didn't understand quantum physics anymore then he understood genjutsu. Both explanations just left him with a headache.
Zoro and Kisa hadn't trained since they fought the bounty hunters. They were taking time to recuperate. She slept a lot too and when she wasn't sleeping she's been avoiding me. Zoro wondered what Kisa remembered. He heard her tell Robin that she couldn't remember much of anything, just the sea. She has to at least remember the kids doesn't she? I do. He decided to find out. Zoro strolled over and joined them on Kisa's left. "Oi, what's up?"
"Just keeping an eye on the sea," Ussop answered. "I hope the next island has a big port. A city maybe."
Robin turned the page in her book. "We'll come to a city soon enough Ussop."
"Sure we will," Kisa backed Robin up.
Zoro stared out at the sea. He had just recently woke from a rather vivid dream. He had taken Dillon fishing and when his tired boy drifted off to sleep that night Zoro and Kisa made another baby. Aeris… Zoro smiled a little. Aeris had fat rosy cheeks. "Oi Kisa, do you remember Dillon?"
"Dillon? Is that someone from your dream? But I thought you guys were alone on the island?" Ussop was curious.
Zoro shrugged. "Well, we were. We made Dillon and Aeris."
Ussop blinked. "You made?"
Robin was listening interested. Neither Kisa nor Zoro had mentioned their enchanted sleep much. Dillon and Aeris? "Oh? You had children together?" she asked casually.
Ussop cut his eyes over to Kisa and Luffy looked down at Zoro. The swordsman shrugged his shoulders. "Well it was a long time with just the two of us stranded on a desert island."
Kisa remembered more of the wizard's trickery then she cared to admit. The blood rushed to her cheeks. She swung a fist and clobbered Zoro on the head. "Aho! None of that was real it was all just an illusion!"
Zoro grabbed his aching head. "Why do you gotta hit so godamn hard? Jeez I was just wondering."
"You remember something then Zoro?" Robin continued to dig. Eight years together and they had a family. It seems as though Zoro is unable to forget the dream. Does he even realize why he holds those false memories close to his heart?
Zoro peeked at Kisa suspiciously. She looked mad, her cheeks were pink. He cut his eyes back over to Robin. "Sometimes I see things in my dreams. I can remember Dillon. I have dreams about being his dad."
So did Kisa. She could remember the way Zoro made him laugh. "Just stupid dreams Zoro. They're a side effect of that guy's genjutsu. Shake it off," Kisa grumbled.
Zoro happened to like the dreams he had about Dillon. His boy was always happy. "Urasaina!" Zoro snapped. "I didn't say anything about dreams where I screwed you mean bitch!"
Kisa startled and glared at Zoro. Ussop heard Kisa grind her teeth. She brought up a threatening fist. "What did you say aho!"
He seems possessive of his dreams of that made up life. Robin smiled sheepishly and directed at Zoro, "So then you have dreams of you and Kisa too. Your time together on the island?"
Her question sounded innocent enough, but Zoro had to be careful what he said. Of course I have dreams about Kisa, some pretty hot ones too. I can't say that I'll get my ass beat. "It's not like I can help it," he tried to make it sound like a complaint.
Robin picked up her bookmark and looked at Kisa. "How about you Ka chan?"
"Keh I shook off that genjutsu easy. Zoro is just weak," she glared at the swordsman sidelong. She was trying to forget it all.
"I'm not weak," he growled back.
"Just stupid." Kisa rolled her eyes away from Zoro disapprovingly.
Zoro's lip curled into a snarl. Mean bitch. How the hell could I end up with her? "I'm not stupid."
Robin marked her page in her book. "It seems to be taking longer for Zoro to absolve himself of the memories created in the time bubble. It's a rather interesting side effect."
"Just forget that shit Zoro," Kisa warned.
Zoro frowned out at the sea. Maybe I don't want to eh mean bitch. "I don't have to listen to you. You aint the boss of me."
Kisa rolled her eyes, sighed annoyed and headed to the galley for coco. Ussop cringed a little and moved into Luffy's shadow. He waited until Kisa was out of ear shot and he turned a frown on Zoro. "Eh Zoro, why you always gotta make Ka chan mad? She's scary when she's mad!"
Zoro returned Ussop's frown. "Baka! I'm not scared of Kisa."
"Yeah well I am." He lowered his voice. "And the women all gang up together. They're like a pack of wild dogs attacking their prey."
Robin popped an arm out of the rail and slapped Ussop. "I heard that."
Ussop rubbed the back of his head. "See Zoro, this is all your fault."
"My fault? How is it my fault?"
"Cuz you got Ka chan mad aho!"
Zoro crossed his arms and tucked his hands again. "Keh she's such a mean bitch. That's why she didn't die you know. Mean evil bitches never die."
Robin got up and headed to the galley. He's like a child. How did Ka chan put up with it? She tucked her book under her arm and headed up the stairs.
"Oi Zoro," Luffy got his attention. "You and Kisa had kids in the mystery bubble?"
"Time bubble Luffy," Ussop corrected.
Zoro tipped his head up and looked at his captain. "Yeah, we had Dillon and when he was almost two we had Aeris."
Ussop still couldn't believe it. Kids meant that Zoro and Kisa were doing it and they had two babies That's alotta bumpin. Ussop shuddered at the mental picture that tried to invade his mind; Zoro's oh face. He shook his head. "Keh Zoro you're such a slob."
Luffy smiled a little. "Was it fun having kids?"
Zoro nodded grinning like an idiot. "Sure. Kisa spoiled Aeris too much and she was a cry baby sometimes, but yeah. Dillon went fishing with me all the time."
Ussop looked at Zoro curiously. He wondered what it felt like to be somebody's dad. Took his son fishing. "Oi Zoro, what was it like being a dad?"
Zoro dropped his eyes to Ussop and laughed. "It's pretty cool actually. I think I'll have to try it in the real world someday."
Winter island was a lot of fun. The crew had a blast sledding and skiing while they waited for the log to set. The island had a resort and Nami insisted that they spend at least one night there. The crew gathered around the fire pit in the lodge enjoying warm flavored brandy sharing stories of their day's adventure. Robin had stumbled on a book much like a ships log in the antique shop. There was mention of this snowy place in the log, but it was the island the captain visited before he came here that interested her.
Robin read aloud to her nakama. "The island of Shambala and the legendary lost city of Anasasi, the valley of the kings. The breath of the devil surrounds her. Go down in the barrens if you seek the king's ransom."
Treasure! Nami's eyes turned into beri signs. "King's ransom? I wonder if Shambala will be the next island we come to?" the prospect of treasure was exciting.
Robin read it again for herself. "King's breath. I wonder what that is."
Luffy giggled. "Maybe we'll find out."
They did.
From the crows nest Ussop saw something in the distance. He pulled down the lenses of his goggles and tried zooming in for a better look. It looked like a blob of fog, but Ussop could see shadow within it all. Kisa was at the bow with Nami and Luffy so he called down to her. "Oi, Kisa! Something ahead; see it?"
Kisa looked to the horizon. Something was there but still a bit far away. "Byakugan!" Kisa let her eyes look further ahead. She got about as far as Ussop could zoom in with his goggles. "I still can't tell!"
Nami was thinking two things; land and gold. "Sanji, Chopper! Turn us full in the wind," she started barking orders. "Luffy, wake up Zoro and mind the sails. Move it!"
Luffy did. He was excited about seeing another new island in the grand line. The Merry speed toward its target and soon enough Luffy saw a big fog bank ahead. "Oi Nami! Big mystery cloud ahead!"
Nami rolled her eyes. "Baka." She lifted her telescope and had a look ahead. "There's defiantly something there. An island I think."
Robin moved up to the bow to look for herself. "The breath of the devil surrounds her," Robin quoted. "Could the author have meant this fog I wonder?"
Nami smiled. "Lucky! There's a kings ransom on that island!"
Kisa looked forward with her white eyes while the wind bounced the two silly braids Nami put in her hair off of her shoulders. One of the shadows in the fog caught her attention and she focused in on it. "Nami, slow us down. There's something ahead of the fog." Nami shouted commands and everybody moved. The crew slowed the ship but they had come much closer to the fog, to the island. Kisa moved her hands through the seals. "Mizu Bushin no jutsu."
Nami saw three Kisa's appear in the surface of the water out ahead of the Merry. They took off running and vanished in the fog. Nami turned to Kisa. The ninja's eyes had lost all color. "Can you see something Ka chan?"
"Water hitting the island. Shit there's a lot of shoals here."
Nami didn't like the sounds of that. "We can still get the Merry Go in can't we?"
One of Kisa's clones found something that answered that question. "N-nani?" A ship trapped up on a high shoal. "There's a shipwreck out in front of the island. Looks like a galleon."
"Pirates?"
"No flag."
"They could be explorers," Robin offered. "What is the condition of the ship?"
"The hull is a mess but it's stuck on the shoal."
Nami took a deep breath. "Then we have to be careful that the Merry doesn't run aground. Can you guide is to the wreck Kisa? We should check for treasure and logs and treasure and maps and treasure."
Robin chuckled. "Miss Navigator you're so greedy."
Nami laughed and Kisa guided the Merry closer. They crept closer to the island using only the aft sail and Chopper stood ready to drop anchor. The galleon came into view and Robin and Nami gasped. Aside from the damage to the bottom of the hull that had been impaled on the shoal, it was in pristine condition for a wreck. The foremast was gone and the main mast had fallen across the bow. What was left of the sails was in tattered rags. It was high tide and the ship was in a little water but the fore and aft castles stood undamaged. "Ghost ship," Nami breathed.
"Chopper, drop anchor," Kisa called over to him. They were as close as she dared let the Going Merry get.
Chopper threw the anchor into the sea and the Merry came to a stop not far from the wreck. It was surrounded by dangerous looking shoals. Luffy and the others hurried to check it out. "Sugee! Mystery ship!" Luffy was excited.
Kisa hopped up to the rail. "I'm going to go check it out."
"Me too!" Luffy brought his right arm back a little. Nami grabbed him and so did Robin. Kisa jumped off the Merry and ran to the wreck. "Gum gum no rocket!" Luffy grabbed the aft mast and bounced them over to the wreck.
"Oi! Be careful!" Zoro barked a warning.
Kisa heard Luffy land on the deck of the ship with his passengers as Kisa studied the hull. It almost looked as if the ship had been thrown onto the shoal; a hurricane perhaps. Her eyes moved up taking note of all the strange scratches along the hull. Finally she found the name of the ghost ship and whispered it into the fog, "The Edmund Fitzgerald."
Nami wandered down to the aft castle. The door stood ajar and all of the windows had been smashed out long ago. She stepped into the gloom. The cabin smelled like mold. "Eww," she brought the collar of her shirt up against her nose and tiptoed over to the desk. On the desk there were three closed books and one that sat open. She couldn't read the top page of the open book; it had grown moss so she flipped back a little. Nami started to read. "This is…the captain's log."
Robin went to the forecastle for a peek inside. The door was closed and swollen shut, but a few good whacks with her hip and she was able to pop it out of the frame. Its rusty hinges squealed in protest when she forced the door. Robin stepped into the stagnate air. One of the windows was broken out but the rest were only cracked. It smelled like booze sweat and rot. The chairs sat empty save the dust and moss that covered them. Robin saw a bookshelf against one wall and went to it to see if anything was still readable.
Kisa walked up the side of the hull noticing again some of the weird scoring on the ship. It went no higher then five feet above the water and most of the marks came in threes. "Claw marks?" Above her Luffy had found the Fitzgerald's bell and rang it noisily startling Kisa some. She laid a hand over her thumping heart and hurried up to the deck. Luffy rang the bell again chuckling. "Luffy!"
Nami and Robin had disappeared but Kisa showed up. "Oi Kisa, found the bell."
"Don't ring it anymore, its bad luck."
Luffy blinked. "It is?"
"You wanna call the dead to dance?"
Luffy shook his head negative and swallowed hard. "Um um."
"Then don't ring the bell aho."
Luffy shuddered. "Nami? Oi Nami! Let's hurry up and get off this creepy mystery ghost ship. Robin, oi!"
Kisa moved amidships and peered down into an open hatch. "Oi, Luffy. Let's have a look below." Reluctantly he shuffled toward her as Kisa jumped down into the dim. It was a mess down here, empty crates and barrels in no neat order.
Luffy stretched his neck and looked down in the hold. "No food?"
"I don't think so Luffy, this ship had been sitting here a while."
Luffy decided to jump down with Kisa even if there wasn't food. "How 'bout booze?"
Kisa shrugged her shoulders and moved to peek in one empty crate after another. "I dunno, but I can tell you I don't see any treasure. Maybe there's none here."
Luffy started checking crates too. "That would suck. Aren't mystery ships suppose to have holds full of gold?"
There was nothing down here and Kisa turned to Luffy. "Maybe we should check the crew's quarter?"
"Good idea!" Luffy and Kisa scrambled out of the hold and headed aft. Luffy heaved the door open and the pair descended into the darkness.
Nami started to sweat reading the captain's log. She was getting freaked out and was more then ready to head back to the Merry. She found a leather satchel with a failing strap and stuffed the books on the desk into it. Nami rummaged through the desk for treasure and came away with a few strange gold coins. She hefted her load and headed back out on deck. "Oi where'd everyone go? Find treasure?"
Robin stepped out of the aft castle with a few books in her hand. "Nothing in there."
"Luffy Kisa, where did you go?"
Below in the crewman's quarters Luffy and Kisa found more of the unusual gold coins. They stuffed their pockets full and headed topside. "We found money," Luffy grinned.
Kisa pulled a coin from her pocket and showed it to Nami. "Do you know this currency?"
Nami shook her head. "No, but there was some in the captains desk too."
"What ya got there Nami?" Luffy pointed to the bag over Nami's shoulder.
"I found the captain's log. We should have a look. There are entries in here post shipwreck. Stuff about the island."
"Shall we head back to the Merry and have a look at the log then?" Robin was interested to see the history of the ship.
Nami nodded. She was beyond ready to go. "Yeah."
Kisa thought Nami looked nervous. Luffy shot an arm back over to the Merry and Robin and Nami grabbed hold. Kisa moved to the rail and looked at the deck once more. Something near the bow caught her attention and Kisa a quick peek wouldn't hurt. She made it to the bow and stopped staring at the backside of the forecastle. Something was written there, faded but legible. Kisa swallowed hard reading it. They have eyes that see all and Ahead lies death! and her personal favorite Abandon all hope ye who enter here. What was worse then the frightening phrases was that the messages were written in blood. The author marked his statements with bloody hand prints.
Fuck this shit man, I am out of here. Kisa went to the rail and readied to jump when a noise in the direction of the island caught her attention. She turned trying to see in the mist. Kisa listened and a second later she heard it again. A clicking sort of growling followed by a short hoarse bark. The hair on her arms stood at attention. "Okay then, you can just stay there." Kisa leapt down to the sea and sprinted back to the Going Merry Go.
Sanji set to making dinner while the others sat gathered around the table. Nami jumped to the middle of the captain's log and started reading. Robin examined another book from the satchel that Nami had brought back. Luffy and Ussop played with the new interesting gold pieces on the table while Kisa tried to look up the currency in one of Nami's books.
"I found it," Nami kept reading. "The Edmund Fitzgerald was caught in a tropical gale. It blew the ship way off course and it ended up here on the shoals."
"That explains why it looks like it was just kind of set there," Kisa pondered.
Zoro sipped his ale. "Were they pirates?"
Nami shook her head and sipped her own drink. She flipped to the next page. "It was a merchant ship. Transporting common textiles, nothing exciting." Nami read through a few more pages. The captain sent a party ashore after the storm blew itself out three days later. Their orders were to find wood acceptable to use to repair the hull. While a troop searched near the shore for timber another group set to chipping the shoal apart. "Looks like they were going to try and repair the ship and go."
"What about the island?" Chopper asked from between Zoro and Kisa. "Did you see anything Ka chan?"
Kisa turned the page still looking for the coin. "No, but I heard something. Kind of like growling or barking. Must have been some kind of an animal out on the shoal."
Robin smoothed the book she was looking at open and set it in front of Chopper. "I hope that wasn't the thing you heard out on the shoal."
All eyes went to the book and Chopper panicked, "Is that…a dinosaur!"
"Yes, a velociraptor. Notice how this page is bent at the corner, as if marked. There are several pages similarly marked in this book."
"Dinosaurs?" Luffy grinned. "The long necks are fun."
Nami frowned at the sketch of the dinosaur. "Those claws don't look like fun."
"Have we found a prehistoric island?" Sanji asked stirring the soup.
Nami continued to read. "I guess so." Crap. I hate dinosaurs!
Kisa stared at the raptors claws and thought of the marks on Fitzgerald's hull. Someone had written in the margin They come at night She passed the book of currency off to Chopper and reached for the one Robin had lay in front of her. Kisa flipped through looking at the dinosaurs on the marked pages. "There seems to be a variety, herbivores and carnivores."
Chopper shuddered. "I hate carnivores."
"Of course ya do lunch meat," Zoro chuckled teasing.
The reindeer grit his teeth at the swordsman and Kisa rested a hand on Chopper's shoulder. "Don't let him get to you."
Zoro gestured to the picture of the T rex Kisa was looking at. "You better hope one of those things don't get to you."
Chopper turned to Luffy. "Oi Luffy, we don't really have to go in that island do we? We've got food and water."
"The animal's respiration," Kisa was thinking aloud.
Robin pulled another book from the satchel. "Miss ninja?"
She looked up at Robin. "The mist. It could be caused by such large animals emitting co2 into the air."
"Huh?" Zoro blinked at Kisa.
Robin ignored Zoro. "So then the breath of the devil?"
"Is probably the mist and the devil is one of these big mother dinosaurs maybe," Kisa finished for her.
Nami found the place in the log where the captain reported that this was indeed a prehistoric island.
Captains Log November 28
This afternoon the party I sent ashore searching for fresh water came back with startling news. The crewmen observed a herd of dinosaurs at the watering hole. It appears we have landed on a prehistoric island. The search for water continues at first light. For now we will try to avoid contact with the indigenous wild beasts. From now on all crewmen going ashore will be armed.
Chopper was peeking at the book of dinosaurs Kisa was flipping through. He hoped that they wouldn't be running into one of the big dinosaurs with the mouthful of huge teeth. He hoped that they wouldn't have to go ashore here at all. "Scary," Chopper shuddered.
A few pages later Nami found what she was looking for. "Oi guys, listen to this!" Nami bubbled. Nami read, "We have made the most amazing discovery. In the barrens to the west of the great scar crewman Dotson discovered the ruins of an ancient civilization. He and his team claim that though the city is dilapidated there are three large pyramid shape structures intact at the center of it all. We will mount an expedition in the morning."
"Pyramids ne?" Robin was more excited then Nami.
All eyes went to Robin. Nami asked hopefully, "Do they have something to do with treasure?"
"There was a culture, the Anasasi, which entombed their pharos within pyramids. It is written that the pharaohs were buried with enough treasure to live comfortably in the afterlife forever."
"Alright treasure!" Luffy piped up.
Nami flipped the page looking for more clues. "Oooh I hope so!"
Sanji started getting the plates ready. "So we're going on a treasure hunt ne?"
Nami came to a disturbing entry. The expedition had made their way to the ruins and found a nest of gold coins. They loaded their pockets and hurried back to the Fitzgerald. Of the twenty four that set out to explore the ruins only six made it to the ship. The rest fell beneath the fangs and claws of the velociraptors. "Looks like we'll have to keep an eye out for the raptors. They tore up the Fitzgerald's crew when they went inland to map the ruins."
Kisa knew quite a bit about dinosaurs, Brodey had been crazy for them. From the time he was small she read to him from the books Tamahome sensei bought for his son. "Raptors are dangerous; tenacious and relentless. It would be best to avoid them all together. I'll scout ahead and use Byakugan."
Ussop thought that was a great idea. He didn't like dinosaurs anymore then Nami did. He sipped his beer. "Great idea."
Sanji started hustling the plates to the table. Nami read just a little more before she set the book aside to have dinner. The last entry she had read was disturbing.
Captains Log December 6
It is no longer safe to go ashore even armed with guns. The raptors never go too far from the shore. Every party I have sent after food and water has not made it far from the ship. The dinosaurs aren't afraid to come right out on the shoals especially at night. We can hear them scratching on the hull trying to figure out a way to get up on deck. They have developed a taste for man. I fear we will never escape this place.
The next morning after breakfast the crew set foot on the island. As promised Kisa scouted ahead. She saw a slice in the landscape, the ravine the captain must have been talking about. West of that was a valley. With no carnivores in sight Kisa lead the party inland. She stayed in the trees watching the path ahead intently. Below her nakama walked in a pack when they could and by twos where the trail narrowed. They were beginning to think that they were going to make it to the valley of the pharos when suddenly the ground started to shake. The crew froze where they were.
"Wh…what is that?" Nami started to panic.
Kisa was already searching with her Byakugan. Not far from where they were stopped and heading their way at an alarming speed, "It's a stampede! Triceratops and Brontosaurs, they're being perused by a pack of T rex!"
"T rex?" Chopper quaked. "Carnivores?"
The dinosaurs were closing in fast. "Get off the trail!" Kisa warned. "Get away from the trail all together now! Hurry!"
The Straw Hat pirates scrambled as the earth shook more violently. Seconds later the first wave of triceratops burst onto the scene. Everyone scattered, running and screaming in terror. Kisa watched horrified from her perch thirty feet off the ground as a flood of dinosaurs passed beneath her feet. Luffy swung into a tree bringing a howling Nami with him. Chopper transformed and ran for it on four legs with Ussop beside him. Kisa lost sight of Robin Zoro and Sanji.
"Mina!" Kisa screamed. To her dismay Kisa saw velociraptor running with the herd. "Get off the ground! Get off…" but Kisa didn't finish. There was a growling behind her. Kisa turned around and looked into the huge eye of a T rex. Shit! Shit! The rex roared and Kisa made a run for it trying to lead the monster away from her nakama.
Zoro was running and trying not to get lost when he heard a hellacious roar. He snapped his head up and saw Kisa jumping through the trees with a big dinosaur on her tail. "Kisa!" he turned her way dodging huge feet and ducking under bellies to get to her.
Must go faster! Behind her the rex was smashing its way through the brush to get to her. It roared again and Kisa pushed herself to go faster. Shit! Shit! The trees were beginning to thin out. A moment later there were no more, just a modest clearing and the edge of the ravine. She had no choice and Kisa turned to face the rex already moving her hands through the seals. "Katon Gokakyu no jutsu!" She spit a fireball at the dinosaur.
Unfortunately for Kisa being singed just made the Tyrannosaurs pissed. It charged ahead and head butt the tree she was in splintering the trunk toppling it over with Kisa still trying to stay up on the limb. She bounced away from the tree as it came crashing down. The rex found her and roared again. It charged.
"Shit!' she wasn't even aware that she was screaming aloud now. Her eyes darted left and right looking for the best escape rout. "Shit!" neither way was better then the other but maybe she could trip the beast up and send him over the ravine.
Zoro ran to catch up to Kisa. Lucky for him the dinosaur ahead had cut a sizeable path through the jungle. Ahead he saw a fireball and then heard roaring and crashing. Zoro broke into the clearing just as tall green and hungry was about to chase Kisa off a cliff. Zoro drew two swords. "Kisa! Heeeyyyyyyyyy!" Zoro charged at the rex.
The Tyrannosaurus whirled around when it heard Zoro's demanding cry. As the animal turned his thick leathery tail swung toward Kisa. She tried to dodge it and couldn't; there was too much tail coming at her too fast to escape. The tail connected with her backside knocking the wind out of her and rendering Kisa unconscious. Zoro watched wide eyed as Kisa flew up into the air and started falling over the edge of the ravine.
"Kisa!" Zoro speed forward slashing at the dinosaur as he ran between the snapping monsters legs. He didn't even look back to see his kill. Zoro re sheathed his swords and jumped to try to catch her. His lack of planning left him in a horrible situation. Zoro had managed to get to her, but now they were both falling over the edge of the ravine. "Oi Kisa!" Zoro wrapped the unconscious woman into his arms. "Kisa!"
Zoro looked below. They were falling into sparse jungle not far from a river at the bottom of the ravine. Shit, so this is how it's going to be huh? He turned then as they free fell so that Kisa was on top of him. Zoro was pretty sure he could take a squishing. He would cushion Kisa's fall with his own body. "Damnit Kisa, wake up and do some damn ninja trick already!"
Kisa didn't wake, but she was breathing. At least that was something. Zoro looked up into the retreating blue sky. A moment later they were smashing their way through the tree branches in the valley below. Zoro grunted as one wracked his back and he held on to Kisa tightly. They hit the ground hard and the air rushed out of his lungs. Shit that hurt. His grip on Kisa had slackened and she slid off to his right.
Zoro looked at her trying not to think about the darkness that was threatening to swallow him up. He was going to lose consciousness himself in a minute; it had been a rough landing. With the last bit of his strength Zoro lifted a hand and brushed the hair out of Kisa's face. "Well at least…I saved…you…" and then Zoro fell unconscious.
After considerable running and screaming the rest of the Luffy pirates made it away from the stampede. To Nami and Robin's delight their panicked flight ended in the valley of the pharos. Three pyramids still stood against the jungle. "Incredible," Robin breathed.
Nami squealed excited. "Alright! Let's get down there and get that treasure!"
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