I can still feel it, the exileration of the battle, blood pumping through my veins. The feeling of my starved body being crushed on the wooden deck because of that rubber bastard.
Rage filled my entire body at the thought of how he defeated me, refusing to accept that some greenhorn brat got the best of me.
How could some kid beat me?
All that work, all that time, and it fell apart in an instant.
Even after I managed to get some food to recover my strength it still wasn't enough, but it wasn't like just one meal would make me regain all my strength. That must be why I lost.
Mihawk ruined my entire plan. 5000 men, I had 5000 men in my fleet. And yet he demolished everything I worked so hard to build without sparing a glance. I was going to take the Grand Line by storm and conquer it just as I did the East Blue.
But it wasn't to be. And I hated that.
He was like a one man fleet, and took my plan apart piece by piece without even trying.
But that wasn't my plan, it never could have been. I can't understand why I'm in this body, this mob villain that only shows up in one arc to be a slight road block to the people who really matter.
Waking up one day and I was away from my regular stressful life, just to wake up in something much, much worse. I used to be 19, with a full time job just trying to save up money for whatever the fuck I ended up doing. I still hadn't decided, I'll never be able to now.
Memories that weren't mine flooded my system the moment I gained my bearings after waking up. Don Krieg's life played before my eyes, showing me every shitty thing this guy did throughout his 42 years of existence.
His mind, probably his personality too, has integrated itself in with mine. Or was it the other way around? Best not to think about it.
Don Krieg was a proud man, who used everything at his disposal, as well as other people's disposal to get what he wanted. Carl Shawn was a man that did everything he could to get his work done, not caring about himself in the process, only caring about those close to him.
Together, what does that make me?
The personality clash is too much for my taste, but that's fine, once I get back my fleet and my weapons I won't have to worry about that.
I don't care about being Pirate King, not any more. I just don't want to be overwhelmed again. The feeling of desperation I felt before will forever haunt my mind. Starving on the open sea, sick crew members littered throughout my fleet, only the open sea in front of me with no end in sight. The dread that came when a single man sliced every hope and dream I carried in half.
And the final nail in the coffin when Strawhat Luffy demolished everything I could throw at him. Every trick, every tool I had at my disposal he shrugged off and pushed through it with that mocking smile on his face.
How could I get better than how strong I was? How could I ever compete with the main players in this world?
Krieg busted his ass for his entire life, now a middle aged man and could barely compete with Luffy, a sixteen year old. How could I, someone who never threw a punch or hold a weapon in my life live in a place where practically everything important involves a fight. I have no chance at survival in this crazy world, not on my own at least.
I need other's I can rely on, only after that can I even try and get strong enough to hold my own.
I now have nothing, no armor, no battle spear, no tricks, no advantages.
Without my armada, and without power, most of my surviving fleet that left on the small boat that Gin got us deserted me. Immediately booking it and taking their chance to get away from my tyranny.
Bastards, the lot of them.
Gin stayed, even though I've always treated him as an expendable tool, he's loyal to me. I can't begin to understand why, searching through these memories that are now mine I still can't find an answer.
Pearl is with me too, I think he just doesn't have anything better to do. That and he's heavily wounded. Only about 5 mob pirates who I never learned the names of bothered to stay with me on the small island we ended up on after Gin punched me out, and took the remaining crew onto the small boat he somehow managed to get.
I'm still not happy about that, if he didn't I would have been able to-. A long sigh escaped my lips, I don't have the energy to get worked up again.
Everyone else took off and probably stole boats from the resident town to get away. Not that I blame them, I would have too if not for the fact that a third of the bones in my body are probably broken from that fight.
Being wanted men, we can't exactly go to town and ask the local doctor to patch the crew up when some random person could recognize us and try and cash in our bounties. In our state, I don't think either me, Gin, Pearl could handle anyone in a fight. Even some random thugs would get the best of us right now. The wind is practically knocking the other guys over so they're useless.
That's probably why they didn't leave, actually.
Gin, being the extremely durable and resourceful man he is, set up a sudo-camp so we could rest and recover. Using what dry gunpowder we had from the few mostly empty and wet pistols we could salvage, he lit up some twigs for a fire.
And that was all he did.
So maybe he's not that resourceful after all. It's better than nothing, so I can't complain too much, I also can't move so that doesn't help.
My stomach grumbled loudly, as if on que everyone else's did too. Fuck, I still have to worry about food.
(Gin Pov)
A long drawn out sigh escaped my lips as I slid down a tree trunk to finally sit and rest. I just finished making a camp fire because I'm the only one in good enough condition to actually do anything. But I'm not a camping person, I've never particularly wanted to be either.
The deadpanned looks half the crew gave me when I sat down, finished and tired, so I could rest too, irked me. That stupid look that said 'that's it?'.
As much as I want to get upset about it, get some of my frustrations out, I know I shouldn't. Someone has to be the better man, someone has to be the one to step up and get stuff done.
I promised Sanji that we would never go back to the Baratie, in turn for a boat. But I still can't understand it, why wouldn't they kill, or turn in the people who just tried to kill them and steal everything they worked so hard to make? The Marines weren't too far off so it wouldn't have been that difficult.
Acts of kindness like that are always appreciated, being a pirate who kills and steals, people don't normally show any form of mercy to us.
I can only hope that the Don doesn't kill himself in his rage by re-opening his wounds when he's healed enough to move.
Looking at his slow breathing, broken and prone form, it's a wonder how he even managed to hold up for as long as he did. He even tried to force himself off the boat and swim back so he could fight that 'Strawhat' kid again. Now he just seems lost in thought, something I don't see him in very often.
We definitely need to get to a doctor, but Captain strongly refused when I brought it up. Said we'd be too easy a target without any stamina or means to defend ourselves.
As usual, he knows what he's doing.
One of the main reasons I joined his crew, was because of how he always seemed to make the right moves. Impulsive and aggressive moves with little care for others, but they always worked. Until now.
I've always been a man who repays my debts, and I always will be. I've sworn to be by the Don's side for as long as I live because of it. I owe him my life and more after all, even if he never seems to realize it. The only reason I'm alive- no, free is because of him.
I'd rather not reminisce about those horrible times before I joined his crew however. Even being treated as a tool, a pawn that could die at anytime would be better than before.
After I snapped, after I became the 'Man Demon' Gin, he took me in, and put me right under his thumb.
It makes me think, if Sanji, someone who didn't even know me and had no obligation to help me, still went out of his way to save me, would Krieg do the same?
No.
He would take the food in front of a starving man and eat it right in front of them. He's selfish, only considering himself when he does anything, even after going through what we experienced he still acted the same. I doubt he would act any differently to even his own family members.
I promised Sanji I would meet him again on the Grand Line, and I want to do that under my own power, not as Kriegs puppet.
That's why I'm revoking my internal promise to stay by the Don's side. And I'm going to see if Pearl and the other's will join me, join my crew.
Krieg is a man to be feared, someone who earned his place as the 'ruler of the East Blue', but right now? He has nothing.
No rule, no armada, no power over me.
And I have resolve, something I haven't had for a long, long time.
(Krieg Pov)
A loud yawn burst its way from my throat the moment I woke up. I tried to wipe the sleep out of my eyes only to wince and stop because of how much my body protested against it.
Painstakingly slowly I managed to force myself into a sitting position, and looked around me.
The sun was rising, and the leaves on the trees rustled slightly, grass and moss covered the ground that I must have passed out from exhaustion on. The smoldering twigs of the campfire somehow still produced smoke even after not being tended to all night, and my crew mates, all still injured, were no where in sight.
All seems normal, my half awake brain told me, and I was inclined to believe it.
Maybe I'll see if Gin can round us up something to eat, he's always been a reliable guy.
The words began to form in my mouth so that I could call out to him, but they died in my mouth. It was eerily quiet, and now that my eyes have fully adjusted I saw that not a soul was around. No shaky breaths or the occasional cough that I grew used to last night from my crew in our injured states.
Moving sharply to the left to see behind me, ignoring how much my body hated me for it, I confirmed my fears.
No one was there.
They all left me.
The pain became a side bar as I tried to force myself onto my feet. Tears prickled the corners of my eyes but I blinked them away. You have to be fucking kidding me, they all deserted me. Abandoned me.
This isn't happening, it can't be. Surely some of them would have stayed with me right? Even out of fear?
How the hell did they leave anyway, everyone was practically half dead, it's not like they could have just got up and walked off without being in maddening pain.
My emotions spiked, If I had anything, anything at all I might somehow be able to make it work but I have nothing on me. If I had a weapon I could try and hunt, or rob a shop, or something.
Damn that Strawhat, I'll get him for this! And Mihawk too, especially him, once I get get strong enough I'll show him that he went after the wrong man. If those bastards didn't ruin everything that I worked for this wouldn't be happening.
My crew- former crew, took whatever we managed to bring onto the boat with us with them. All I was left with was twigs and disappointment.
"Fuck." My voice was low, and hoarse, my lips and mouth were parched. My stomach, now realizing I'm still alive, angrily grumbled and churned, demanding sustenance.
"Fuck..."
Slowly moving my feet forwards, I knew I had to try and get something to eat. Maybe I could find some fruit or berries, as long as it isn't mushrooms I think I should be okay. I have no clue as to what is poisonous and what isn't so I don't even want to try.
That means I should avoid berries too then, I think a lot of them are pretty deadly.
Taking my first step, my legs wobbled under my own weight. Not used to my now large and beefy body, I had to grab onto a nearby tree to stop myself from falling.
I used to be a tall lanky guy, but now I have a completely different body type that I don't know quite how to move in it just yet. I feel stupid for being a fully grown adult and not knowing how to fucking walk.
Gritting my teeth from pain flaring up in my side, I decided to put caution to the wind and just start walking as quick as I could.
Three steps in and my face hit the ground like a sack of old, middle aged potatoes. A dull thud echoed throughout the woods, or forest, wherever the hell I was and startled some wildlife away.
My body refused to get up, all I could will myself to do was turn my head so I wasn't face down in the dirt any longer.
I took a deep breath so that I could sigh, only to receive a lung full of dry dirt dust. Coughing and weezing in an attempt to get it all out of me, I gaffed all over the ground until it finally stopped.
Giving up, I knew I wouldn't be getting anywhere in the state I was in, so I layed there and hoped that my strength would come back to me.
"Fuck..."
I wish I had some coffee, caffeine always makes me feel better.