Ch. 63- Aokiji's Threat
One Piece © Oda
Story and OCs © Me
"...That was beautiful," said Aika as she stood with everyone else. "That bell... it sounded so pretty."
"It really was," Nami replied.
"And we had a huge party to celebrate, too," Usopp added. "Four days straight, non-stop!"
"Seriously?" Franky asked. "What about the Skypieans and the Shandorians?"
"They didn't fight once during the party," Nami answered. "At that moment, nothing else mattered anymore."
"She's right," Robin concurred. "After everything that happened, everyone was willing to put aside their differences and celebrate the ending of a war that should have ended long ago."
"Making peace," Brook added. "What a beautiful way to end it."
Soon, the memory shifted, showing the Going Merry floating down toward the Blue Sea as the sun was setting... being carried by a giant pink octopus.
"What in the world is THAT thing?!" asked Blizzard.
"That's how we left Skypiea!" Chopper answered. "It was a giant octopus balloon!"
"It's huge!" Kumi added as she stared at the giant inflated octopus. It was then that the Straw Hats noticed Past Luffy sitting on the figurehead, as usual, a calm, pleasant smile on his face as he sat on his favorite spot.
"What's he doin'?" Franky asked.
"Looks to me he's reminiscing," Usopp answered. "I think Luffy always did something like that every time we finish some crazy adventure."
"Hey, Luffy."
Past Luffy glanced back at his shoulder to see Past Nami, now wearing a different outfit as she approached him.
"Oh, hey, Nami!" Past Luffy greeted.
"I just got through storing the gold," she said. "Sanji said you'd be out here, so I just thought I'd check on you."
"Shishishi!" Past Luffy laughed. "Thanks, Nami."
Past Nami smiled warmly... and yet, something about it seemed off. She was smiling, yes, but... it almost looked forced, and her eyes were downcast to the deck. Past Luffy blinked in bewilderment, his own smile falling before he slid down from the figurehead and walked up to her.
"You okay?" he asked as he took a closer look. "What's up, Nami?"
Without warning, Past Nami suddenly reached forward... and pulled Past Luffy into her arms, burying his face in his chest. The action made Past Luffy tense, his heart thumping rapidly within his ribcage, which the Straw Hats could hear as their captain's cheeks began to redden.
"...Thank you, Luffy," Past Nami whispered.
"W... what for?" asked Past Luffy, trying to keep himself calm.
"For giving me courage," Past Nami answered. "I... I doubted you for a bit... after I saw Angel Island get destroyed... I honestly thought that there was no hope."
Nami felt her heart clench a bit, glancing down in slight shame as she put her hand over her chest, but then Zoro reached over with a reassuring hand and nodded his head at her, causing her to smile at him in gratitude.
"Luffy," Past Nami continued, "thank you for reminding me... that there's always hope."
Past Luffy blinked at her before he grinned and did his signature laugh, wrapping his arms around her. "No problem, Nami."
"Aww," Aika smiled as she watched the tender moment. "How sweet!"
"I really was afraid for a while," Nami said. "There are times that I'll always be afraid... but in spite of that... I know I can always count on one thing: I can always count on Luffy to remind me that things always turn out better, even when it looks like they're not."
"I think he taught that to all of us," Usopp said... before he looked down, sorrowfully. "Sometimes, though... we need more than just a few simple words to remind us of that."
"Hey, Usopp?" Aika asked. "How come you look so glum?"
"...You'll see later," Usopp answered... but most of the Straw Hats, particularly Zoro, Nami, Sanji, Robin, and even Franky looked a bit solemn... because they all knew that another unpleasant set of memories would be upon them before they knew it.
Soon, several memories began to appear, showing the Past Straw Hats flying away from a familiar Marine base by using the Octopus Balloon.
"Hey!" Aika exclaimed. "That's that Navarone place, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Nami answered. "We ended up landing there after we left Skypiea."
"That was a wild time we had," Sanji said. "Though I gotta admit... the Commander of the place was a pretty decent guy."
"Yeah, I'll admit, he didn't get TOTALLY under my skin," Usopp said.
"Commander Jonathon was actually willing to treat us with decency, unlike most Marines," Robin said.
"Heh!" Franky grinned. "Just goes to show that not all Marines are total scumbags, then!"
"We sure had a hell of a time, though," Usopp added. "First, we were all running around in disguise!"
"Luffy and I actually had to pretend we were cooks!" Sanji pointed out. "Not that was a bad thing, mind you..."
"And I ended up getting caught, thanks to a certain somebody," Zoro groused as he glared at Nami, who glared right back at him.
"Hey, you were the one who was walking around, sticking out like a sore thumb!" she spat.
"I had to disguise myself as a Marine doctor," Chopper added. "There was actually this other doctor, Kobato, who was terrified of blood! Not that I blame her, of course. A lot of Marine soldiers were badly injured!"
"And you still helped her?" asked Aika.
"That's our Chopper," said Blizzard as he pat the little reindeer on the head.
"And as if that wasn't bad enough," Nami began, "just when we were about to get away, the tide went out and we were practically marooned on a rocky reef!"
"Heavens!" Brook exclaimed in disbelief. "How harrowing!"
"Luckily, with some quick thinking and a few dials," Sanji added, "we were able to escape with our lives."
"Ugh... my arm still hurts every time I remember it," Usopp muttered while rubbing his forearm, feeling phantom pains from the use of the Impact Dial.
That's when the memory shifted again, this time showing Past Zoro, standing before a man with long, silvery-gray hair. The man looked craze, almost demonic as this strange shape glowed on his front. It... almost looked like a green sword of some sort and it had a pattern that looked like seven stars. Past Zoro himself looked like he had just been through the worst battle of his life... his breath was ragged and labored, and he had several wounds, as well, especially a large one on his left shoulder that was still oozing blood, causing Chopper to wince as he noticed.
Not too far away, Past Luffy, who was nearly as battered as Past Zoro was, stood nearby with his arms crossed as he watched the duel, and there was also a young woman with long, dark blue hair and dressed in these colorful robes... her arms held up and her eyes closed as if she were praying. Standing beside her was an elderly woman with pink hair, a grim expression on her face.
"W... what's happening here?" Aika asked, worriedly. "Zoro, who's that guy you're fighting?"
"...That's Saga," Zoro answered, solemnly. "One of my old friends. He and I trained at the same dojo together. He aspired to master the Sword of Justice."
"Oh, yeah, I remember this," Usopp said. "You got roped into Saga's crazy plan to obtain this cursed sword, right?"
"Wait... cursed?" Brook repeated, worriedly.
"Saga was under the influence of the Seven Star Sword," said Zoro. "The sword was full of evil... and it corrupted him." He cast his eye to the floor, a brief look of regret on his face. "I... I guess it was partly my fault, though."
"Zoro..." Robin muttered in concern.
"Why would you think it's your fault?" Blizzard asked. "It's not like you gave him the sword or something."
"No," Zoro began, "but I felt like I was the indirect cause. You see, a long time ago, Saga lost the use of his right arm... because of me. His arm got snagged in a chain and... I couldn't save him because I couldn't cut through steel back then."
"Ah... I get it now," Franky said. "You felt like you were responsible, huh?"
"It gets worse," Zoro replied. "I... I actually had to go against Luffy and the others. I couldn't let Saga catch on that I knew something was wrong with him... I felt like it was my burden to bear."
"Zoro, it's not like we knew, either," Nami said. "We didn't realize what you were really up to."
"Even so... I made you guys think I betrayed you," Zoro added.
"Well... not everyone," Sanji spoke up, causing the swordsman to look at him as he took a drag from his cigarette. "Luffy still believed in you... he always did."
"...Hmph," Zoro chuckled. "You don't need to tell me that, cook... I already knew that."
Soon, these ominous seven stars flashed brightly, and it seemed to make Saga groan in pain, a soulless, almost lifeless look in his eyes as he glared at Past Zoro, who poised himself to strike.
"...He's in pain," Aika whispered. "I can sense it... that man, Saga... he doesn't want to do this, does he?"
"...No," Zoro answered. "I think that's why Saga really called me to Asuka Island. He wanted me to save him... by any means necessary."
"You mean... you were gonna kill him?" asked Kumi.
"At first, that was the idea," Zoro answered, "but then... well... just watch."
With this almost demonic sounding roar, Saga swung the katana in his hand and stabbed the blade into the ground, sending a shockwave toward Past Zoro, who jumped up into the air to avoid the strike... and as he did, Past Luffy began to shout.
"ZORO!" he called out. "You're the man who's gonna be the World's Greatest Swordsman, one day! There's nothing you can't cut! YOU CAN EVEN CUT THE MOON!"
"What?!" Brook asked. "Cut the moon?!"
"Were you really about to do that?!" Franky asked.
"Not really," Zoro said, "but when I heard Luffy say that... it made me believe that I really could cut through anything... he NEVER stopped believing in me... just like how I never stopped believing in Saga."
As Past Zoro descended... he cut right through Saga's blade and sliced him right in the chest, causing him to scream in pain before he collapsed... and as soon as he did, this green mist came seeping out of the wind in his chest... and the sword-like mark disappeared with it. Saga groaned as he opened his eyes, looking at Past Zoro, who stood over him grimly... but then, a weak, tired but grateful smile appeared on his face before he finally passed out... and soon after, Past Zoro did the same.
"Zoro!" Past Luffy exclaimed as he ran over to check on him, only to hear him start snoring, causing him to smile in relief... but then, his stomach began rumbling causing the Straw Hat Captain to whine as he fell to his knees, as well. "I'm so hungry~!" With that, he collapsed as well, and the memory faded to black.
"You two are such idiots," Nami said, although she was still smiling, relieved that everything turned out all right.
"You sure like making us worry, huh?" asked Sanji as he nudged Zoro in the side, causing him to glare at him, but he knew it was just out of humor.
"You weren't really gonna kill that guy, were you?" asked Blizzard.
"Not really," Zoro said. "I just needed to wake Saga up... that's all." He smiled. "Saga survived... and hopefully, he's gotten a lot stronger, now."
"Who knows?" Robin inquired. "Maybe he has... and he's living a nice, happy life with Maya."
"I see," Aika smiled. "That's good, then. In that case, I'm happy for Saga!"
"Heh," Zoro smirked as he ruffled her hair. "Thanks, kid."
Soon, the memory shifted once more... but this time, it showed the Past Straw Hats standing around an icy area. What was strange though was that the rest of the island was not affected by it... and yet, there was a long bridge of ice, crossing the sea... and there was even a frozen Sea King! For some reason, though, Robin seemed to tense.
"What happened here?" Franky asked.
"...The start of our nightmares," Robin answered, to the confusion of the members who weren't there.
"What's she mean by that?" asked Brook.
"You'll see," Zoro answered as they watched the memory... showing the Past Straw Hats standing before a tall man with dark skin and puffy, Afro-like hair. He had on a white dress suit and a dark blue shirt underneath... and for some reason, he was wearing a sleeping mask on his forehead.
"Brrr...!" Past Usopp shivered as he hugged his arms for warmth. "Sheesh, it's cold!"
"Yeah, it's just like Winter," agreed Past Luffy as he hugged himself, as well.
"Hey, wait a sec!" Franky exclaimed as he recognized the one who was sitting on the ground. "Isn't that...?!"
"That's... Aokiji!" Brook added.
"Yeah, it is!" Blizzard pointed out.
"Wait, who?" Aika asked.
"Aokiji," Chopper answered. "He's an Admiral of the Marines... or he used to be, 2 years ago."
"Yeah, until he lost to Akainu and quit," Zoro added.
"...He... he did...?" Aika asked, nervously.
"Yeah... and lemme tell ya," Sanji began, "the man sure was a fight, and not a good one. He was covered in scars... and he even lost a leg."
Aika whimpered nervously as visions of the day that Akainu attacked her island appeared in her mind: the Fleet Admiral standing in the middle of her burning hometown, the panicked cries of her friends and neighbors... her mother, Kamiya, lying on the ground with her leg melted off... and finally, her mother's bloodied, smiling face as she set her adrift, just before the final artillery shell was fired... and she disappeared in the flames.
Kumi's ears drooped before she nuzzled the little girl, causing Aika to hug her tightly in the hopes that the memory would disappear, causing the rest of the Straw Hats to look at her in sympathy, knowing that even mentioning Akainu still frightened her deeply.
"Monkey D. Luffy..." Aokiji suddenly spoke, getting everyone's attention.
"What is it?" asked Past Luffy.
"How do I put this?" Aokiji asked. "You're just like your grandfather... Monkey D. Garp: wild and impulsive with no self-control, whatsoever."
"Huh?!" Past Luffy questioned. "You... you know... my Granpa?!"
"Luffy's gramps?" asked Past Usopp.
"Sheesh, even now, saying Garp's name freaks him out," Franky mused.
"Some traumas never really go away, it seems," Nami replied. "Not that I blame Luffy, at all."
"Hey, Luffy, what's wrong with you?" asked Past Usopp. "How come you look all nervous?"
"Uhh... it's nothing!" Past Luffy cried. "D-don't worry about it!"
"I owed a debt to your gramps," said Aokiji. "I only came to get a glimpse of Nico Robin... and you..." His expression suddenly darkened. "But I changed my mind... I think it's best to just kill you, here and now."
Almost instantly, the Past Straw Hats tensed, and the present-day Straw Hats seemed stunned, as well.
"Kill you?!" Brook questioned.
"So... he's one of those bad Marines, then?" Aika asked, worriedly.
"We couldn't really say for sure, Aika," Sanji said. "Aokiji's always been a bit of a mystery."
"Especially to me," Robin answered... her body subtly trembling. "Even now... I just can't get it out of my head... when he came to my home..."
In her mind, she saw the destruction of Ohara... her mother's face... Saul being frozen solid by Aokiji's Devil Fruit powers. Even though it happened when she was just a child, the memory was still fresh in her mind.
"The government still doesn't think very highly of you," said Aokiji, "but now that I've actually gotten a close look at you guys... I see that you and your crew aren't just a lot of talk. You may be small in number, but a bunch of troublemakers like you is bound to become a thorn in the government's side, sooner or later."
"Well... it's not like he's wrong about that, at least," Franky said.
"Yeah, that's true," Blizzard added.
"I know every little detail," Aokiji continued, "from the very first bounty placed on your head... to your many escapades... and how quickly your strength has grown. I've faced many cutthroats and villains over the years... and I must admit, you guys are actually starting to scare me."
"Hey, hold up a minute!" Past Usopp cried. "What's with all this talking about killing us all of a sudden?! I thought you were here to take a walk!"
"One specific reason I find you all so dangerous," Aokiji began, "is because of you... Nico Robin."
Past Robin visibly tensed. In fact... she actually looked like she wanted to turn and run. The members who hadn't been there at the time were rather surprised to see such a look of panic on her face.
"So you ARE after Robin, after all!" Past Luffy shouted. "I'm gonna kick your ass!"
"The amount of the bounty doesn't just reflect the strength of the one who holds it," said Aokiji. "There's also the level of danger someone poses to the Government... and that's why that bounty of 79 million was placed on your head... ever since you were 8 years old."
"Your starting bounty was 79 million?!" Brook asked.
"And you got it when you were 8, Aunt Robin?!" Aika asked.
"Yes," Robin answered, grimly, "but... it's not a fact that I take any pride in."
"You may have been just a little kid," Aokiji said, "but you continued to survive to this day... and how did you do that? I'll tell you." He narrowed his eyes. "By betraying people... and escaping unharmed. People would take you in... and you used them to your advantage. With that kind of cunning, you survived in the criminal underworld... and now, here you are, in this motley little crew."
Past Robin gasped quietly, almost as if she had been stabbed in the gut with a hot knife.
"Hey, you bastard!" Past Sanji barked. "I don't think I like what you're saying about Robin! What do you have against her, anyway?!"
"Sanji, don't!" Past Usopp cried as he tried to hold him back.
"I have nothing against her," Aokiji replied. "If anything else, the only connection I have with her is that I let her escape at one point... but that was a long time ago. You'll all find out soon enough... it won't be very long until you realize just how much trouble that woman is."
"You're full of it!" Past Nami spat. "There's no way Robin would cause us any trouble!"
"Don't believe me?" Aokiji asked. "Here's your proof: every criminal organization that Nico Robin has affiliated with to date... have all been destroyed... and yet, she's the only one who survives." He glared darkly at Past Robin, who stepped back. "I wonder why... Nico Robin."
"Whoa..." Kumi muttered, worriedly. "You mean... Robin really did betray all those people?"
"I don't believe it...!" Blizzard whispered.
"Aunt Robin?" asked Aika. "That's... that's not true... right?"
"...Well... it's partly true," Robin answered, sadly. "Aokiji's only half right. It's true that I did betray others to survive... but in the past, I was the one who would get betrayed."
"I see," Brook said, solemnly. "I'm so sorry you had suffered so much."
"Thank you," Robin smiled.
"Hey, shut up, you jerk!" Past Luffy shouted. "Who cares about what Robin did in the past! Not us!"
"I see you managed to get close to this crew," Aokiji said, still glaring at Past Robin. "I wonder... how long it'll take until you betray them, as well."
That did it. Without warning, there was yet another look that the Straw Hats rarely saw on Robin: a look of pure, unbridled rage!
"Just what are you trying to say, exactly?!" she asked. "If you're here to capture me, just do it! TRIENTA FLEURS!"
Crossing her arms, Past Robin had captured Aokiji in a grip of 13 arms, some holding his legs, others grabbing his arms, and four more wrapping around his neck and jaw.
"Wait, Robin!" Past Usopp cried. "What are you doing?!"
"Oh, boy," Aokiji said, seeming nervous. "Looks like I said too much. This is bad. I thought you'd be a little smarter than this-"
"CLUTCH!"
A loud, sickening crunching noise filled the air, causing the others to cringe as Aokiji bent over backwards... completely snapping in two!
"AAAH!" Past Chopper shrieked. "ROBIN KILLED HIM!"
"No... something's wrong!" Past Usopp cried. "Look!"
It was soon revealed that what Past Robin really destroyed... was just an ice copy of Aokiji's likeness.
"Sheesh... he really got to you, didn't he?" Franky asked.
"Yes," Robin admitted. "I guess Luffy might have rubbed off on me... when we get angry, we both act impulsively." She smiled a bit. "I just got so upset when he said that I would betray you all."
"That's no problem," Nami said with a reassuring smile of her own. "That only showed how much you came to like us, right?"
"And you know that if it were any of us, we would have done the same thing," Zoro added.
"As if you have to remind me," Robin replied. "Thank you all."
"Well, that wasn't very nice, now was it?"
The Past Straw Hats turned around to see Aokiji emerge from a sheet of ice... no... more like he was actually the ice, itself.
"AAH! IT'S HIM!" Past Usopp screamed while Past Robin trembled, realizing that she had made a mistake due to letting her anger get the better of her. Soon, Aokiji plucked some grass from the ground and tossed it into the air before he blew his icy breath on the blades... creating a sword made of a giant ice shard.
"Ice Saber!" exclaimed before he took a sword stance. "I had no intention of taking your life..." He then swung at Past Robin, who braced herself for the attack... but then, out of nowhere, Past Zoro appeared and blocked the blade with Yubashiri. Seeing that he was distracted, that was when Past Sanji leaped up high into the air.
"Slice... SHOT!" he shouted before he kicked the Ice Saber out of Aokiji's hands while Past Luffy charged in, reeling his rubbery fist back.
"GUM-GUUUUUM..."
"No! Wait!" Past Robin cried, but her call of warning came too late, for Aokiji grabbed Past Sanji by his leg and Past Zoro by his arm... just as Past Luffy punched him in the stomach.
"BULLET!"
"He got him!" Aika exclaimed.
"Hold it, Aika," Zoro said. "Don't celebrate just yet."
"Huh?" Aika asked before she looked at the memory... only to gasp as she saw her brother's arm beginning to freeze! "Oh, no!"
Soon after, Past Luffy began to scream in pain as he held his right arm, which was covered in a layer of ice, and soon after, Past Sanji and Past Zoro screamed as well as they felt their limbs get frozen, as well.
"AAAHH! HE FROZE THEM!" Past Usopp and Past Chopper screamed.
"He got all three of our best fighters, all at once?!" asked Past Nami.
"...He's no joke...!" Franky whispered in disbelief.
"We were way out of our league," Sanji said. "There was a reason why Aokiji was said to be one of the Three Marine Powerhouses... and we just got a taste of it, first-hand."
"I'm glad I wasn't there...!" Blizzard whispered in horror.
"He's bad news...!" Kumi added as she and Aika hugged each other in fear.
"This isn't good!" Past Chopper cried. "I have to hurry and help them, right away! If I don't, their arms and legs could fall off from frostbite!"
"I must admit," Aokiji began, "you found yourself some fine comrades... but you're still the same... Nico Robin."
"That's... that's not true!" Past Robin countered. "I-"
Before she could finish her retort... Aokiji grabbed her in a literal cold embrace... freezing her solid on the spot!
"OH, NO!" Aika cried. "AUNT ROBIN!"
"ROBIN!" the Past Straw Hats shouted.
"YOU BASTARD!" Past Luffy yelled. "HOW DARE YOU!"
"Relax," Aokiji said. "She's not dead. The ice hasn't reached her heart... yet. If you thaw her out in time, you might be able to save her life... but you better be careful. In this state, her body is fragile. One false move, and she'll shatter like glass." He then reeled his fist back. "For instance... if you were to hit her like this...!"
"NO!" Past Luffy cried as he ran toward him. "STOP IT!"
"I can't watch!" Brook cried as he covered his eye sockets... but to his surprise, the sound of shattering ice did not come, for it was soon revealed that Past Luffy managed to grab Past Robin's frozen body, just in time.
"Hah... hah...!" he panted. "That... that was close...!"
Unfortunately, Aokiji wasn't going to give up that easily, for he raised his food, attempting to stomp on Past Robin's face... that is until Past Usopp ran by and grabbed her, causing Past Luffy to get stomped on instead.
"I GOT HER! I GOT HER!" he exclaimed.
"You did it!" Past Nami cheered.
"That was amazing, Usopp!" Past Chopper added.
"Hey, what the hell are you doin'?" Aokiji asked, actually looking rather irritated.
"Usopp! Chopper!" Past Luffy shouted as he rolled over. "Quick! Get Robin back to the ship and thaw her out! Do whatever it takes to save her!"
"Got it!" Past Usopp and Past Chopper replied as they ran back to the Going Merry.
"I wouldn't bother if I were you," said Aokiji as his body began to turn to ice. "Give it up... for the good of the world, you shouldn't protect her."
"Oh, yeah?!" Past Nami questioned as she swung her Clima-Tact at the Admiral, who caught it in his hand. "Well, I hate to inform you, but shouldn't that go for all pirates?!"
"Yeah... you're right," Aokiji said, "so stay out of my way!" He then pulled on the metal staff hard, knocking Past Nami down to the ground.
"No! Nami!" Past Sanji cried.
"Why you-!" Past Zoro growled as he prepared to draw Wado Ichimonji... but then...
"HOLD IT!"
Past Zoro, Past Sanji, and Past Nami all gasped as they saw Past Luffy stand up behind Aokiji.
"You guys, stay outta this!" he shouted. "This jerk is mine!"
"What?!" Past Nami questioned. "Luffy, are you out of your mind?! He's-"
"I said stay out of it!" Past Luffy barked as he took a fighting stance. "You and I are gonna settle this... one-on-one!"
"...Fine by me," Aokiji said as he glowered down at the boy. "I don't have a ship to take you back with me... so I'll just have to kill you here."
"K... kill him...?!" Aika whispered in horror.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Next time on One Piece: The Fire Within!
Aokiji: This makes us even for how you handled Crocodile. I have a debt to honor, after all.
*A while later*
Past Luffy: *groans* What... happened to me?
Past Zoro: You almost bought the big one, that's what happened.
Past Nami: Don't ever do that, again, Luffy... do you have any idea how close you were to death?!
Aika: Big Brother... he lost.
Usopp: The further we went... we'd face stronger enemies, and every time, Luffy was close to losing his life.
Shade: It's almost time... after this, there will be no turning back. You will all see true hell.
Next time: A Moment of Weakness
Okay, so the next chapter is a bit of a short intermission, you might say, right before Baron Omatsuri. Hope you look forward to that!
Review, please!