Zoro followed the lines of trees until he could just barely see the sun peaking threw the foliage. He slowed up for a minute feeling a bit off. It was strange his depth perception felt off. He was pretty sure he stuck him with some kind of poison.

It didn't take long before he'd confirmed his suspicions when he noticed his balance was increasingly harder to maintain. He took a breath, forcing his body to straighten. So long as he could still stand he was determined to find that brat.

Even with his senses off it didn't take long for Zoro to catch up to the kid. He cornered him on a beach on the far side of the island. He didn't know the hell his problem was but it was obvious he was looking for some advantage to fight. Still he hadn't the idea there was another lurking up above him.

"What the hell is your problem?" Zoro forced his muscles to relax, trying to sooth the anxiety that'd been building. There was something oddly familiar about this situation.

Kai was good at playing coy, he'd mastered emotionally manipulation and mimicked whatever he thought fit the situation. The only thing the longer he did it the more faked and false his emotion became.

"I'm a huge fan of yours, Kai and it is an honor." The bright blue eyed boy who stood tall against the sun bowed before the pirate. A moment ago he was hell bent on taking his head off, now he would attempt to appeal to Zoro's kinder nature. I mean who could fight a kid.

Then he continued to speak, "I'm impressed; even with your shitty sense of direction you managed to catch up with me."

Zoro furrowed his brow his hand already on the hilt of his katana. He had a bad feeling about this but at the same time a hunch that this was something he needed to deal with. There's no telling what this 'child' could be capable of. He'd seen a lot over the years. He'd already proven he was able to get a hit off and actually slip him something.

"It'll be the biggest regret." Kai smiled wickedly. Zoro was generally impressed but at the same time he couldn't take anything lightly in this cruel world. Killer children didn't seem too far off a concept considering how he'd set out on his own at a young age.

"What's your deal?" Zoro inquired as he raised an eyebrow now enveloped in curiosity. The teen in front of him lifted his head to look into the other in the eye. Then he went back on the offensive. Zoro was quick to catch his attack but he was drastically slower than normal and just a bit off his mark.

Still he managed to hold it together. The two of them exchanged a few blows before Kai's strange blade broke. He paused and Zoro waited for his move.

"Why'd you come here anyway?" This kid sure liked to ask pointless questions.

"How about it's none of your business," Zoro was calmer and more collected than Kai would have liked but it didn't matter.

"What were you pretending to hunt?" That got his attention. He was testing him now. "You see we've been watching ya. You guys sure do leave a nice meaty trail to follow ya know that?"

"Kind of hard considering I killed most of the wildlife." Kai didn't have an ounce of remorse in his words, just cold collected malice. He probably enjoyed playing target practice with that weird devil fruit he had.

"Alright kid, quit the games. If you wanna be a psychopath that's fine but leave me the hell out of it."

"You must be afraid." Kai commented hoping to strike a nerve and now he was invested.

"Excuse me? Why are you really here, who sent you?" Zoro inquired.

Kai leapt forward seeming to throw something at the swordsman whose weapon was just as quick to the draw. It was those damn shards again. Zoro was able to dodge most of them and defect the rest with his blade. But the last one however found a home in his right shoulder.

It'd happened so fast that he was lucky enough to avoid them. Zoro backed off for the moment. There was a ringing in his ear grew stronger as he pulled the object from his forearm. Even though it was small it left a nice two inch hole in his skin.

This was bad; his vertigo feeling was going to get him stuck again. He needed to keep his guard up. From nearby tree line a mysterious girl emerged. She seemed to launch herself into the air and float to the ground behind Kai. The woman was dressed in all black except for her dark red tucked underneath a black bandana.

Her smile was bitter sweet as she pulled her palms together. Then she slowly pulled then apart and thrust them down over Zoro. Suddenly his body felt weighted down and found it hard to move. Zoro's eyes widened as the other, seemingly been ignored sibling hurled his spear in his direction. It was a surprise attack. He should've expected some kind of dirty play.

Zoro moved to block it but the girl cast her ability to make the object even lighter and simultaneously weighed him down. It was too fast and Zoro was unable to avoid it. It pierced his left shoulder and sent him flying into the nearest surface. He had the wind knocked out of him when he collided with a boulder.

It took him a minute to realize what had just happened as he struggled to catch his breath he slid down to a sitting position. The girl joined her brother's side. Her smile melted away as she raised her hand once again. The space around her hand fluctuated and seemed to pull and push. "This is Ami, my sister."

Zoro cracked a slight smile even through the pain. He looked the pair over. "What are you murderous twins? That's not unoriginal or anything."

Kai trotted over to the pirate and crouched down to eye level, not allowed the other a chance to stand up. Even if his body started to give up on him he wouldn't go so quietly. "What's your malfunction? Are you Marine's or pirates, bounty hunters or what?" Zoro spat out.

A sadistic smile complemented with the slightly crooked teeth spread across Kai's face. "You know, it is best not to worry about trivial little details like that. Let's just say our master sent us to collect a life dept." Zoro's eye widened it was only a matter of time before his past came knocking on his door again.

Kai eyed the infamous swordsman. He leaned in closer whispering in his ear only a name, just enough to confirm his suspicions. "Hanzo sends his regards." Zoro's heart dropped.

Kai set his hand over Zoro's stomach and pierced his stomach with a bone spear. His face twisted in anguish as he turned sickly pale as Kai drilled the spike further in pinning him. The kid smiled as Zoro stifled his cries of anguish. He was too proud to give him that satisfaction too. He was reluctant for punishment.

"Any last words," Ami spoke finally, visibly wishing to end this quickly. Zoro fought the pain and focused on the girl. Even in the state he was in he could see right through her. That expression was also a mask and he could see read the seams.

She didn't want to be here. Unlike her brother she didn't seem like the kind who enjoyed doing things like this. She avoided his eye contact. Zoro sighed annoyed he was unable to move. "I know it sounds typical but could you leave my crew alone. They've gone through so much already."

The boy scoffed figuring that would be his final request, "Rest assured our client only wanted you dead, as much as I'd love to take on the infamous Monkey D. Luffy we have other contacts to fill." Zoro smiled and seemed to visibly exhale, "Well that's good."

Kai stabbed the spear further into his body and there wasn't anything he could do about it. He groaned out weakly. His arms wouldn't move, he couldn't sense his swords and he was coming to terms with whatever happens. He'd had a good life.

"Just because we're not willing to go after your captain doesn't mean we won't enjoy killing you." The sadistic teen chucked as he fiddled with a few long projectile like bone shards. He fiddled them between his fingers all while Zoro regained his composure. He was panting hard, fighting the urge to pass out.

"Your turn my dear." He hummed to himself the smile never leaving his face as he stepped away. Only to be replaced by his sister who was a few inches shorter and didn't seem like the torture type. She held her hands out but visible hesitated when she made eye contact with their victim.

"You don't seem like you want to be here.." Zoro huffed, wincing with each word that trailed from his lips. Blood ran from his nose and down his neck as his chest slowly rose and fell. But he seemed so calm.

The comment caught the girl off guard but the way she carried herself was sort of like how Robin used to when they first met, as if she did what she had to get by. Her eyes were dark and sincere but almost seemed to look through the swordsman.

"You know I could say the same thing." She scoffed at his coy remark.

"You're just pawns." Zoro spat blood in their direction. He'd been in their place years ago, that man they worked for was not who he said he was but there would be no convincing this twisted kids. Kai waited silently as Ami was quick to retort.

"We do what we have to for our survival. I'm sure you understand that better than anyone. After all you used to be a bounty hunter and a rather good one too. Just because you became a pirate doesn't mean anything's changed." She wasn't entirely wrong. He could relate with her, after all he was a bounty hunter for a good portion of his journey.

Not much has changed; they still did what they had too to survive to see another day. He understood better than anybody else.

You do whatever it takes to survive but there are times when you need to think about others verse yourself, he had to learn that along the way. There were some situations they were just barely able to get out of. This wouldn't be the first time something like this has happened. Things from the past will always come back to bite you in the ass. He was such an idiot for seeing through their trap.

His vision blurred as he felt himself slipping, he fought hard to stay coherent. The girl could see it as well. Even after being pinned down he seemed like a man whose looks could kill. He didn't know why he was so special but one thing was certain after this mark they'd have one hell of a pay off.

Zoro panted patiently waiting for the woman to finish him. The only thought in mind was, 'I hope the crew doesn't get too worked up over this.'

"It's nothing personal, just how it has to be." He could tell Ami was more emotionally intact in comparison to her brother. As much as she was good at hiding it, it was obvious she didn't want this life. They've lived it so long she believes this is how it has to be. He accepted his fate.

Zoro's eye wondered between the two of them. He knew he should have been terrified or something but he in truth was rather calm about the whole situation. Like he'd come to peace with his demise a long time ago.

She twisted her hands in a weird pattern and flicked her wrist. The spikes sticking out of his body were forced down like a hammer to a couple of nails pinned still to the boulder. It was instantaneous his breath hitched before blood began pouring from his wounds. He stifled in any cries of anguish and it didn't take long before he'd succumb to the pain altogether. His head fell back against the rock as his eyes rolled back and shut.

The girl put her hands in her pockets and Kai stepped up close feeling Zoro's neck for a pulse. It was faint but it was enough to convince the derange brother to want to ensure his kill. He formed a bone shard at the end of his index finger and held it to his throat but before he could fillet the others throat open like a fish his sister spoke up.

"Wait Kai," He hesitated if only at the last second, the pointed edge stopped just at the base of Zoro's neck.

"Why!" He was a bit impatient and easily irritable and she didn't like the way he'd been acting lately. He was losing himself to this work; he didn't have to carve up every target they came across. The fact that he pointlessly hunted the animals here was an eye opener and she just let him do it.

"Leave him be, he'll bleed out in peace. It's the least we can do for him." Ami spoke soft. She was the only one able to speak to him after everything they've been through but only just barely. He was slipping and she could tell.

It took him a moment and he seemed to once it over in his head but he decided against it purely for the fact she said not to. That was it. Otherwise he would have painted the beach with his blood. He sighed, shooting the dart into the palm beside them.

"You win, let's get going." He stood and they motioned to leave when he noticed his swords. He figured he wouldn't need them anymore. So he swiped the pretty white one for his boss. Ami didn't say anything just ready to disappear.