I do apologize for the long wait of this chapter. I have had some personal problems happen in my personal life and had a major writer's block. But, with some help from the author :starelight: who's stories I immensly follow and has helped me create my chapter for you all! I hope you all enjoy this and you must leave a review when you read! It's helps me become a better writer with critizism to work with. Please and Thank you! And now on with the disclaimer!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Anime of One Piece or it's characters! But the OC's are mine!
A Tale of a Nine Tail: Chapter 3
While little Aria had taken off after the white fox John was still oblivious to her disappearance, much to everyone's displeasure and at the moment he was just finishing up his conversation with his friends was when Aria finally came back from her little 'adventure' into the jungle.
"Uncle Johnny I'm back!" Aria yelled out as she crossed the river effortlessly. She was still unaware of her new appendages. Johnny looked down and freaked out at her new appearance as did his friends. Knowing Sora all too well she was gonna kill Johnny for this. Time to plan his funeral!
"Aria what happened to you?" He cried out incredulously doing his funky freak out dance looking over Aria and her knew appendages.
"What do you mean? I just got back from an adventure!" She proudly claimed with a huge grin on her face.
"You've got ears! And three tails! Have you not looked in your reflection lately?" He asked her still checking her over and inspecting her ears.
"No. Why uncle? Do I have something on my face?" She asked innocently and John sighed and stood up scratching his head. Ken and Sora were gonna kill him for this. No skin him alive for it! He needed to take her home and dig his grave.
~~~~~Back in town~~~~~
Ken was just finishing up closing up his shop when one of the dock workers came running up to Ken panting, sweat strolling down his forehead and looked like he was panicking and spitting out jumbled words. "Whoa calm down. Now calmly tell me what's going on."
The docker had this scared and frieghtened look in his eyes that much Ken could tell. "Th-There's a bunch of pirates at the docks. Powerful ones! An-And they plan on taking over the island! Ha-Half of the workers at the do-do-docks managed to escape but others were captured. We-We have to warn the rest of the island!" The docker claimed and Ken's face turns serious to the situation at hand.
"Then warn the rest of the island quickly! Take the underground tunnels and warn them!" Ken ordered the docker and led him into a tool shack and pulled on a pick axe and a secret door opened to the underground tunnels and the man took off to carry on the task Ken had given him. The door closes and Ken makes his way to his home where his wife and youngest daughter were currently at at the moment. He just hoped he wasn't too late and he hoped Johnny and Aria were ok and safe.
~~~~~With Johnny and Aria~~~~~
Aria continued playing with her new tails as Johnny continued walking back to the house to face his fear of death from Sora. Her tails and ears were so soft and cute, she just couldn't stop messing with them. But with Johnny he was having a internal mind battle of possibilities of how his death would be like. Would Sora skin him alive and let the vultures pick at his exposed flesh? Or would she just drop him into the sea? But his thoughts were interrupted when he and Aria were surrounded by a bunch of pirates.
"U-Uncle, wh-what's going on?" Aria questioned shaking a little in fear. Sure she's been around pirates but these ones just screamed evil to her.
Johnny on the other hand had a serious look on his face that replaced his previous emotion. His face looked serious and very intimidating. Add that face to his natural height and he was a scary man to face whenever he's pissed. Right now he had to protect his niece and defend himself from these pirates. They were eyeing her like a prize to be won especially after eating a devil fruit.
"You boys need something? If not then leave us in peace." Johnny asked them in a slightly intimidating manner that made most of them quiver under his gaze. All but one lone figure and it seemed he was the leader of the groups of pirates surrounding them.
The man was decked out in gold rings, gold necklaces, even gold earrings, and gold everything! Except for one piece. One of the necklaces had a silver chain that looked horribly made and what was hanging on it was a half dollar coin sized Sapphire. Just by staring at it it looked like you could see the ocean inside the jewel. It had to be one of the ten sacred jewels!
"I'm Gold Digger Mason. Captain of the Gōrudodigā pirates. And I'm looking for some help on a particular problem," The man now dubbed Mason told the two.
"And that problem would be... what exactly Mason?" Johnny asked them coldly and it made some of the group feel a cold chill down their spines from the sound of his voice. But one pirate was bold enough to stand up to Johnny. "That's Captain Mason to you!"
"Screw off little man. I didn't tell you to speak!" Mason yells at the pirate that had made the statement and was cowering in fear. "Y-Yes sir!"
"Again what do you want?" Jonny asked once more and his niece was starting to shake in fear.
"I came here cause I've been informed that a resident of this island knows of the legend of the Ten Sacred jewels. Particularly how to activate them." Mason explained with a bit of and evil twinkle in those beety black eyes of his.
"Ok listen here Mason... everyone on this island knows of this legend already. Not one person knows how to activate them. All anyone knows is that the only way to even figure out how to activate them lies within the clues of each jewel that is scattered across the seas." John states more out of habit then anything. It been drilled into his head for so long that when someone ask he just spits it out without thinking.
"Ahhh, so you do know more about the jewels then the rest of the island eh?" The pirate smirked as Johnny held his breath for a moment in realizing the gold digger was getting onto him. "You know Devil fruits sell for a mighty high price on the market. Devil fruit users they go for even more. And this island seems to be so full of them. Whose to say this island will survive if... my requirements aren't met?" He asked Johnny but he knew all too well what his tone of question was threatening Johnny and the island. At that very moment he had to make a decision that he won't like it no matter what but it was to keep his family and home safe.
He acts fast and throws his niece up into the trees hoping the vines will keep her away from the fight and he began battling off these pirates hoping to knock them unconscious and get his niece to safety.
Back at the Mitsu House
Sora smiles as runs after her little cub. It been a while since I could just play with her. She getting so fast to! She grins as she half transforms into a bear and sweeps up her little one into her arms. Ray squeals as she stares at her mom who brings her in for a bear hug.
"I'm gonna get you Ray!" Sora called out as she nears her and finally was able to scoop her up into her arms and twirls her in her arms making the youngest Mitsu squeal happily. Sora finally stops and brings her into her body in a hug, Sora slightly out of breath she smiled and pets Ray's hair.
"Did you enjoy that sweetie?" Sora ask her daughter who looks up at her smiling with her own ocean blue eyes like hers. Sora can't help but smile softly as her cub olive toned skin and freckles shine with the sunlight to kiss her cheeks. Ray nods and hugs her mother tightly as if this will be the last time. Ray is a shy young girl and doesn't talk too much around strangers, but once her sister is near she won't stop. The two sisters are extremely close and they share everything together.
Sora sighs happily and decides to get herself and Ray something to drink since they just had lunch an hour ago. She gently sets Ray-Ray on the floor and goes to the kitchen. Sora goes to the fridge and grabs the apple juice as her daughter sits in her chair at the table. She then sets the container down and goes into the second cabinet away from the refrigerator on its left side and pulls out two small cups. She closed the cabinet door and set the cups down gently. She pours the juice into the cups and grabs a seat with her Ray-Ray. They drink together happily in silence. Sora can't help but reflect on her life and how she accomplished so much since her early pirate years as she looks at Ray-Ray. "I may not be the richest pirate out there but I am the richest in love." She thought to herself.
The peace and quiet is interrupted with the sound of a door slamming into a wall. Ken busts into the house startling both his girls and they nearly spill their drinks. Sora is about to lecture her husband about barging into the house like a mad man but stops as soon as she sees how pale he is. She wasn't sure if her husband is playing a prank on her like that one time he pretended to be a zombie to scare the living bagepers out of her or something serious has started happening on the island.
"Ken!? What's wrong?" She asked her husband with concern laced in her voice. Ken was panting hard and is sweating as if he had just ran a mile marathon. Which from the docks to their house is still pretty far that if you would run you would be keeling over. Ken scans the room for his wife and children. He feels himself relax a little knowing that at least his wife and youngest is safe. he can't stop though since his brother and oldest is still out there! He prayed nothing will happen to them but right now he needed to take care of his wife and Ray-Ray.
"Honey I need you to take Ray-Ray and yourself down into the underground bunker." Ken demands as he begins pulling out a few carrying bags from the closet and headed for their bedroom. He quickly grabs clothes, toiletries, and anything else they may need. Said wife pick up her daughter and jogged to the bedroom. What is going on?! Sora wonders as she walks in to face her husband.
"The bunker? Ken your starting to scare me. What's going on? Ken!" She had to move out of the way as her husband run past her with a full bag full of her necessities and went for the girls room packing clothes and a few toys as well as Ray-Ray's stuffed sheep Remy.
"Something's happened on the docks. They-They're trying to take hold of the island. I need you and Ray-Ray to stay away and hide until their gone. I have to help the town drive them away." He answers and quickly run out of the girls room with a full bag. Sora quickly follows as fear starts to grip her heart and can't help but hold Ray closer to her.
"How bad is it Ken? How bad?" She ask him as he grabs some of the blankets and puts them into a pile.
"I-I uh, don't know but from what one of the workers said that managed to escape...he said half the dock workers were already captured. I sent him to warn the rest of the island that the docks need help. He went to alert the rest of the devil fruit users on the island for extra help. Please Sora, I just want you and Ray safe." He can't help but pull his familly into his arms hoping with all his heart this won't be the last time.
"But what about Johnny and Aria? They're still at the mines Ken! Are you gonna get them?" She asked him worried about her other daughter and closest friend. Ken sighs and rubs his face to get rid of his growing headace.
"Don't worry. I'm going out looking for them after I know that you and Ray are safe from all this. I promise I will come back with them both. I just... I just want to keep you two safe for now until all this is handled. That way I don't have to worry about you as well." Sora pulls away still holding Ray-Ray on her hip.
"Alright Ken we'll stay in the bunker. But you forget I was part of quite a crew before we met. I'm not as helpless as non fruit users." She replied with a twinkle in her eye meaning she meant business when she mentioned her years out sailing the four blue seas and the Grand Line with her crew. Ken only smiles.
"I know. That way since you are in the mine. If something bad happens you can help all those people who can't protect themself. They need someone strong, brave, and beautiful by their side." Ken chokes a little at the end. He bends down and gently kisses his wife probably for the last time.
Ray-Ray reaches for her dad wanting to be held by him. He only smiled and hugs his youngest daughter. He pulls away and moves some of her bangs out of her face.
"Ray stay with mommy. You'll be safe with her no matter what." He told her with his voice cracking towards the end of his sentence. Ray-Ray nods and clings to her mother as she watches her father stand up.
"Sora I'm not sure if I will make it back but stay strong and stay safe." With that and one last kiss and he ran out of the house and headed towards the mountain to find his best friend and eldest daughter.
Back with Johnny and Aria...
Johnny had managed to take out Mason's small group but he was having some trouble fighting off Mason himself. He was a non devil fruit user that much he knew from just fight two minutes with him. Who's to say once he takes over the island he wouldn't help himself to a devil fruit. Johnny had to take care of this pirate and quick. He jumped back and away from Mason to get some distance between them.
"What's the matter Johnny? Can't take the heat?" Mason cackled a bit and pulled out his custom made guns. Johnny had no choice but to use his devil fruit powers to finish off Mason. And he needs to be extra careful with the two guns Mason has in his possession. He didn't know whether he was packing special bullets to slow down or kill a devil fruit user or if he was packing regular bullets.
"Oh I can take it. Can you?" Johnny asked the captain. "Drill Drill Pile Driver!" And his arms turn into steel black drills and slams them into the ground sending a powerful shockwave under ground and the ground above breaks and explodes heading towards Mason himself. Not enough time to react since finding out Johnny is a user himself it was completely caught off gaurd. The captain rights himself in the air and loads up one of his guns and immediately begins shooting at Johnny as he descends down onto a tree branch. Johnny was quick on his feat and jumps back from the array of bullets.
"You may have surprised me, Johnny but, how long do you think you can last against a sharpshooter like me?" He had a crazed glint in his eyes that Johnny immediately picked up on. He had to tread carefully in this fight against Mason. If his hunch was correct he'll do anything to get what he wants. With a war cry Johnny ran at Mason with a huge burst of speed and pulls back his right fist and just as he's twenty feet away from Mason he jumps up at the tree branch and slams his fist into it and thus breaking from the immense force. He then swings his body around and swings his left leg into Mason's gut and sends him flying and cracking into a line of four trees. Johnny lands on the ground safely and ran towards Mason once more not letting up on his power.
With Aria she was currently almost free from the vines when her uncle ran off towards the mean gold man. She knew what she was gonna do was stupid but she wanted to help her uncle. She may have only just gotten her devil fruit powers but she wants to protect her family! Finally the last vine wrapped around her foot snapped and she is dropped onto the ground. Rolling off her back and back onto her feet she looked around and found quite a few destroyed trees in one particular direction.
"Don't worry uncle. I'm coming to save you." She said to herself and ran towards the sounds of fighting and destruction of the trees. Her Firefox Ruby glows slightly as she ran towards the fight before it dies down.
Back to the fight with Mason and Johnny, it seems the two are evenly matched. With Mason's sharpshooting skills and Johnny's reflexes, very few bullets manage to dig into his body. And the rest of the bullets just grazed him. Johnny had managed to destroy one of the guns with his devil fruit power and now he had a even better fighting chance to defeat Mason.
"Give it up Mason. Half the island is most likely already at the docks taking care of your crew and contacting the marines already. You should leave this island while you still can." Johnny told him as they were both exhausted and Mason still had that crazed going in his tired eyes.
"I never give up on my goals. And I'm certainly not giving up now!" He never gives up on any of his goals. It's what made him so well known. No one on his crew knew what was on his goal list until he deemed it worthy of telling his crew. He then heard a branch snap and his gaze turned to the snap and out came the same little girl that this Johnny fellow was protecting. Of course! He can use her to his advantage. "In fact," he loads up his gun once more and aims it at her. "Let's see how your little girl reacts to a bullet in her heart!" Johnny looks behind him and finds Aria coming out of the bushes.
"Aria DUCK!" Johnny shouted and a gun shot was heard and Aria got down with amazing reflexes that could rival his own. She jumps to the side as another shot is aimed towards her, she trips and a bullet hits her chest and exits out of her back, drawing blood and sending a stinging pain throughout her entire body. She cried out in pain and clutched the wound trying to stop the bleeding. Mason steps towards her, completely forgetting about Johnny still here. Johnny took this chance to charge at Mason and as he body tackled him another gunshot was heard and it tore through Johnny's chest as the two men collapsed on the ground. Mason groans as he lands on his back with Johnny's full body weight laying on top of him. Mason finally managed to gain some leverage and rolled Johnny's body off himself. Blood decorated both of them and the dirt under Johnny. Aria tears up and ran to her uncle.
"Uncle! Uncle, d-don't worry! Your gonna get help! I-I-I can help you Uncle Johnny..." Aria tried to assure herself as her eyes began tearing up not wanting to lose her uncle from the injury and it would be fixable but, Johnny knew all too well that he wouldn't last long enough for medical help with a wound like this. If this was his last moment on this blue earth then at least he knew Aria and his family were safe from harm.
He slowly raised his hand to her head and cupped her face and wiped away the tear under her left eye and smiled, "Ne-Never give up. Never g-give into fear. Be str-strong for me. F-Find the sacred jewels for me. I lo-love you all, with all my heart, tell your fa-father I'm s-s-sorry." And with his dying breath he exhales and his hand goes limp and falls away from her face and drops to the ground. Aria finally broke down and began bawling her eyes out crying for her uncle and her hands clutching his bloody shirt.
Mason on the other hand was pissed. He lost his only source of solution to the damned riddle of his Sacred Jewel. "God dammit! I've lost the only source lead I had! All thanks to that brat! No more. NO MORE! Your done for!" He shouted and picked up his gun and aims it at Aria. But before he could fire the gun his hand is seared from the burning metal of his gun and he drops it to the ground and gripped his pain ridden hand. He looks back up at the little girl and gasped as fire was surrounding herself like a protective barrier. Then the fire begins whipping in the air like whips in fact, the whips of fire were lashing out to the surroundings including himself. Everything around them was beginning to burn. The young girl slowly got up and turned to face his with her head down low concealing her face in a shadow from her hair. Her bracelet was glowing bright and the fire within it as well as the powers of her devil fruit increased tenfold.
"You killed Uncle Johnny..." her voice wasn't the same yet it was. It was a mix of her own voice and with the voice of a female demon. The fire barrier around her flared out at Mason sending him crashing into a bunch of trees. His clothes and hair were singed and had second degree burns on his exposed skin. He spots the bracelet on her wrist and gasped as he figured out that ruby was the Fire Fox Ruby. A sacred jewel! His attention was turned back to the girl whose head was up and she had three black whisker marks on her cheeks, fangs showing from under her lips, and golden yellow demon fox eyes boring into his soul.
"I will kill you!" She snarled and she shot off at Mason with her fingernails elongated like claws open and ready to slash. "Kit Kit Fire Fang!" She cried out and Fire engulfs her hands and slashes at Mason's clothes and body. Mason only managed to dodge half of the slashes as he ran away from her and back towards the docks. To which Aria followed him there while using the trees to travel and chase Mason.
By the time Ken arrived catching the last bit of Mason running away from his daughter what he saw sent him in despair at the sight of battle as he also found the man he considered a brother lying on the ground in his own pool of blood with his gaping wound exposed. He ran to Johnny and and checked for his pulse and he wasn't happy. He was gone, his brother was gone from the world. Ken took a deep breath to settle his heart and trembling body. He then bends down and manages to pick up his body and carry him in the same direction as Mason and his daughter took off in.
At the docks...
As Aria rushes through the trees all she can see is the man who killed her uncle and feel her uncle's blood decorate her skin and clothes. She missed her dad calling for her to stop and she misses the way she breaks through the trees into town. Ken could only watch from afar as his daughter went on a rampage with her new devil fruit power.
Aria couldn't hear her village's screams yet she can smell the blood and the fire around her. She doges a bullet the despicable man uses in a last resort to save his life. He was a coward for running away from a fight. And he was a coward for pointing his gun right at her. Aria roars as she pushes her little legs to run faster.
"Stop running!" Aria screams as Mason makes it back to the dock with his men around him.
"Captain what's going on?" One of his men ask. His men freeze because they have never seen their captain so horrified before. He was so pail and frightened to the point of being scared shitless. This is not the man they have followed for so long. This was a man taking the easy way out of desth.
"Get on the ship! This town not worth it!" Mason screams as he runs to save his own life. Aria watches with her blazing yellow eyes at all the pest that tried to kill her home. Her family.
"Do you really think it will be that easy to leave our home?" She had even more anger surging through her and that fuels the fire around her. "After what you've done, I will never forgive you! Kit Kit Blazing Inferno!" Aria takes a deep breath and the fire enters down her throat into her lungs and she breaths out a large stream of red hot fire and the flames engulf the entire pirate ship.
She can hear the evil man's scream as they are burned alive. She can't help but grin sadistically at the pain filled screams. Her three tails wiggle in satisfaction behind her. It was very satisfying to watch them wither in pain and scream out their lungs until the fire consumes them completely.
The town's people behind her shudder as they watch the men that hurt their family burn, and yet looking at the one who did it… they just can't believe that it's the same sweet Aria they thought they knew so well. Watching her be so happy at these people's demise starts a coil of fear in their hearts that will never go away. It just gets worse every second they watch Aria fight.
As Aria watches the ship burn, the same man that killed her uncle had jumped off his ship and into the ocean hoping to escape the roaring flames that engulfed his ship from a burning death. He prays that he will be spared from this brat holding so much power within her tiny body. The Blue Ocean Sapphire jewel necklace he was currently wearing dangles around his neck still but by the looks of it, with one hard tug would be enough to yank it off. He will never know the secret of unlocking this jewel's power.
She walks across the docks that is stained with so much blood and dead bodies. Her anger grows so much when she spots Mr. Popo dead on the dock. He was the one that sold her the stuffed ram for her sister and he was so nice to her. Now he will never see the next sunrise. The fire around her grows with the anger as she watches the disgusting man pull himself out of the water. His body covered in burns and you can smell the burning flesh in the air. Aria may be young, but even she knows this man does not deserve to live. None of his men do… No! No pirates deserve to live.
"Please let me go." Mason please with every painful breath. He couldn't believe he going to loose to a seven year old. One that had just gained her devil fruit abilities. He just watches those yellow eyes glare at him and his dream shatters. His arm shakes but he glares back. He a proud pirate dam it! If I am going to die then I will at least take her down or have people hate her. It was firmly set in his thoughts to make this seven year old's life a living hell or die in hell herself.
"No." Aria voice is cold and Mason shivers as he uses the last of his strength to point his gun point blank at her forehead.
"Die demon fox!" Mason screams as he pulls the trigger but like all legends that stay true of the Ruby, the fire protected her like a shield. His words over the docs and harbor echo into the villages hearts. It leaves a mark that will never be healed. One that they will forever hold over little Aria's life for as long as she resides on the island.
"Die." Aria's voice was no longer her own as she lifts her claws above her head and having no control of her body for what she does next. "Kit Kit Red Death Claw." She sneers at him and her hand shot out to his chest and her little claw hand go right through Mason chest. He cried out in pain as he choked on his own blood. It was in the same place where this man killed her uncle. She pulls her arm back and watches the man choke on his own blood and dies right there on the end of the dock. Aria just stares and watched the lifeless man's body on the ground with his blood pooling out into the innocent ocean turning red and stains the docks he lays on.
Aria snaps out of her state and she turns towards the village and no one was moving, fearing they will be the next target of this demon fox. No one says a word. The only sound in that moment that could be heard is the wind and the burning cinders of wood that is the pirate ship. It finally began breaking apart as the ship's mast and sails were the first to go and the mast creaks and snaps falling to the left side on the open ocean. It damages more if the ship and it slowly starts to sink. The silence if finally broken by the villagers as they begin screaming and started running away while the last remaining men move forward to stop this little demon from killing the village.
"Stop!" Aria hear her dad speak up before her body finally relaxes and the fire around her vanishes. Suddenly she no longer a fox on the docks. Just a little girl who was exhausted, scared and surrounded and covered in death. Her sense of smell gets bombarded with the scent of iron, and the sound of the burning, screaming inferno around her, and the sight of so many people dead causes tears to trickle down her cheeks as all she wants is to be hold by someone who loves her. She wanted her father to hold her.
"Stop Ken. That not your daughter anymore! It a demon!" A villager orders as he holds her dad back. Ken glares at the villager for calling his daughter a demon. As Aria took a step forward, the villager's body tensed up and was ready at any given moment to protect what little they have left.
"Daddy." Aria starts to cry and scream as she rushes to her dad. She couldn't hear the way the villages order her to stay back. All she wanted was to be comforted by her father. She desperately needed him now.
"Let me go! She's my daughter!" Ken screams as he sees his little fox cover in so much blood. His little girl should have never seen this yet be a part of this. He pushes the man aside and runs towards his little fox. He dropped to his knees and engulfed his little girl with his arms wrapped around her in a comforting embrace. Tears go down his own eyes as he holds his little girl like he will never see her again.
"Daddy." Aria mumbles in his dad shoulder as darkness puts it cloak around her mind and forgetting everything that happen to her.
"It's ok sweetie. It's ok. No more mean pirates I promise..." Ken whispers to her as he looks at the bloody body of Mason and the Ocean Sapphire jewel lay in the small pool of blood. This day had forever changed the Island, and the Mitsu family for what the future held for them all was unknown.