"Domino?" Adaline's voice pierced through Domino's sweet images of blues and yellows.
"Hmm..." She groaned her awareness only to roll over and force herself further in her pillow. Now was not the time for Adaline's small figure to wake her. Now was the time to sleep.
"Domino, it's time to get up. They're going through the recordings right now." She whispered trying to lean over and shake Domino awake. While being prepared to avoid a fist that she knew was coming.
"Kato...He did it. Let me sleep." She mumbled before going wide eyed and suddenly pushing Adaline away from her and shooting straight up. Only to cry out in pain as Adaline watched from the floor with wide eyes.
"Adaline!" She called her brown and black hair frizzled and fuzzy around her face as she looked down in shock and moved to help the red head up. "They're going over the videos?" She asked herself reaching for her wooden crutches and hobbling over to her dresser to quickly throw on what ever pieces of the uniform she could.
"What if it wasn't him?" She asked looking up in fear as Adaline appeared behind Domino her justice jacket in hand. "What if it wasn't then what?" Adaline asked mimicking Dominos voice.
It was something she had picked up from Domino, just ask questions for the questions and then the questions would no longer be questioning. Or something like that.
Domino carefully slipped her jacket over Marcos vest and moved to button one button of the jacket before going. Leaving the shirt open to expose her bandaged chest. "Then I just.. I marooned a Marine on a beach. By impalement!?" She asked shocked as Adaline herded her out of the stone room.
"Or maybe, you gave your crew a peace of mind." She asked. Walking quickly besides a fast moving Domino.
"But the crew didn't know? They just think I sent him off the ship. I'm a monster." She hummed as they briskly walked down the halls passing the columns that led to the outside courtyard and rushing to double wide doors.
They watched as wide eyes glared at the girls for entering the room in such a way. Adaline a clean proper cut and wardrobe while Domino was a gasping mess. Her hair shot out in every way her blue feathered shirt lay open reveling her chest and bruises that covered her body which was now slouched.
Both girls gave innocent smiles as Domino quickly moved to the front where the large snail played footage of an empty ship. She took her spot beside a vice admiral in a yellow suit who sat with his large long legs crossed. His hair was curly like Kuzan's but more well-kept and his eyes seemed more relaxed so much so they may just fall off his face.
"Oooh. You've arrived.." He held out as Domino gave a light smile and nodded "Yes, I'm so sorry. I was uh.. I was sleeping." She murmured to see a semi disgruntled Garp and a small marine hunched over the monitor give everyone a glance.
"Are we all here?" He asked to the nods of the group. Adaline moved to sit behind Domino and place a hand on her shoulder.
"Like it's all going to be okay girl." She whispered as Domino squeezed her hand and sent a small smile.
Suddenly the snail's eyes opened wide projecting the image of the hull of the ship with a time stamp just before the explosion. She leaned in carefully and watched as eagerly as Kato walked briskly down the hall his uniform unscathed from the battle and his Marine cap covering his eyes.
Yet they could tell who it was, he wasn't trying to hide it. She watched as he went into the storage room where any of their unused powder would have been and watched as he reappeared looking both directions before walking off down the hall.
But not before he stopped a chore boy from running in to the office and pulling him away from the room. Domino watched in horror as moments later the room bowed outwards and flames graced the snail's eyes before it went black.
Domino let out a deep breath and leaned back as Adaline gripped her shoulder. It was relaxing knowing what had happened and that she did the right thing. But it was terrifying that possibly she had lost herself and was wrong.
The yellow suit moved down to look down at her "Oh...I Guess you were right hmm?" He slowly asked. Domino sent him a relieved glance before shaking her head "I would rather have been wrong." She mumbled before Sengoku stood up.
"Captain, it had been brought to my attention that you already handled the situation?" He asked her sternly.
Domino gave a light nod. "Yes sir." She spoke coldly.
He nodded "Alright, then that is all." He waved the group off before the yellow suit leaned down to her. "Did you really tie him in to the ground?" He asked a look of surprise before going back to his relaxed state as the lights flashed on.
Domino nodded "Yeah, I wasn't going to turn my back on him unless I knew he wouldn't get up." She stated sternly. Before looking at the taller man remembering he was one of the big three vice admirals to move up to admirals and smiled. "Got a problem?" She asked him, to his laughter.
"ahh..No." He nodded before getting up and walking off. Domino watched as he walked away then turned to see Sengoku and Garp huddled together talking to each other. Domino narrowed her eyes and looked around the big empty room to see everyone else had cleared out.
"Should I come over there? Or you guys gonna talk a little louder?" She asked her voice growing cold again as she moved to get up. Her muscles moving with a tight pain.
She gingerly moved to grab her crutches when Garp nodded walking over with Sengoku behind. Both of them towered over he as she gave a 'dare me' smile.
Garp sighed "Well, due to your bravery we are offering a promotion but.." he stopped when Domino nodded "I'll take it." She stated coldly to the two sets of wide eyes.
"AH HAHAHA. She's delirious!" Garp yelled as Sengoku nodded clearing his throat "Very well, Commodore, as soon as you're healed you and your men will depart to Paradise and take a base up there." He stated sternly as Domino went wide eyed.
"Sir paradise?" She asked annoyed having to crane her neck to look at such a tall man. His silly Afro didn't help much either.
He closed his eyes and gave a nod. "Yes," He stated Domino crossed her arms standing on the crutches.
"No." She stated.
Garp threw himself laughing as Sengoku gave her a stern glare. "You will go to paradise, As a part of your rotation." He stated his voice growing dangerously serious.
Domino gave him wide eyes. "Sir, no offense but Paradise? Really? I mean no, No, I'm not going back to those waters." She stated shaking her head. She couldn't go back there ever. She's only been once when she was with Garp to visit his grandsons but that was it. She wasn't going back.
She watched Sengoku's old eyes twisting her right wrist in anger. He sighed "I think it'll be in everyone best interests; you are still young and Paradise is a great area to patrol... Much less dangerous." He murmured not buying the whole speech he had planned for himself.
Domino watched with an unchanging glare. "You don't just take someone who's been through shit in the New World and toss them in to flipping fucking Paradise? Do you think my leaving these seas is beneficial to the people my area covered?" She asked watching the never changing expression of her superior.
That anxiety she once had before returning. She was finding it hard to stay stern while looking at this man. He was an Admiral soon to be fleet Admiral, if he didn't demand her respect then no one did. But she would rather die then go back to those waters of her own volition.
"You are in no position to speak that way solider." Akainu's gruff voice cut through the tension. Suddenly the sets of eyes stared at the man entering the large room with a quick and stern pace.
Domino silently swallowed the lump in her throat and barely tossed a glance at him. She did not forgive him for suggesting that it was her fault her men were dead. It was, it was all her fault, but she didn't need someone reminding her.
"I fail to see where this is your conversation Vice Admiral." She spat out before Garp went serious sending her a glare before smiling at Akaniu only to be ignored and the large man with a marine baseball cap stood before her.
His red floral shirt open and v neck while heat began to radiate from him. "A disrespectful marine like you should never receive a meal let alone a promotion." He stated before standing tall before Sengoku who just looked on mildly irritated.
"I have come to make an official protest against the promotion on the grounds of incompetence." He stated turning his back to Domino. Domino blinked in surprise and looked at the taller men and took her crutch and jabbed the Vice Admiral in the back of the knee cap.
To everyone's surprise.
"How dare you!" She stated now seething with rage but her voice cold and unchanging. "Incompetence? Really? You think I just pull this shit out my ass and hope it sticks?" She asked him with a smug smile and ran her tongue around the bottom of her lip shaking her head.
"I have worked harder then anybody for anything I have gotten and I'll be damned if a staunch stick up his ass magma dog thinks I'm incompetent." She growled as he turned to her his fist growing and beginning to bubble.
"Who are you talking to worm." He responded.
Domino let out a knowing smile he was falling in her trap. "You're the only one who responded. Dog." She spat out.
His eyes went wide eyed and he seemed to spew his magma starting to pull at her bare feet as Sengoku sighed and rubbed his temple. "How dare you speak to me with that insolent tongue. You know nothing of real respect or being a navy officer." He growled.
Domino smirked she needed to get stronger, she needed to be a better leader. Kuzan would only help her so much, and she expected that Garp would just punch her. She needed something that was near death. She needed the devils right hand man to train her.
"If you think I'm so lousy, then how about this. Lets make a deal. Give me 3 months of training with you. If I live I get my rank, my crew and your goddamn respect." She stated to Adaline's gasp. Akainu pulled back thinking.
"If you fail?" He asked her Sengoku rubbing his temples in the background as Garp stared on shocked.
"If I'm not dead you turn me lose from the marines." She stated as Adaline went to grab her arm gasping. "Domino do you know what that means?" She asked terrified at her best friend's stern and fierce stance. She gave a simple nod.
Garp watched the two-standing tall in firm. Granted Domino was slouched from holding the crutches her body seemed broken yet her will was never changing. He shook his head to himself as Domino nodded her head.
"Come on, Sakazuki. Let's test out your moto of justice. If I am to follow it, then how am I going to if I'm not strong? And how can I be strong if you're so unwilling to train me?" She asked egging him on with her cold but teasing voice.
He glanced between her and the terrified Adaline who whimpered behind a desk. He watched Domino cross her right arm over her left wrist brace and tilt her head. "Well? Deal? Or I just keep going on slandering the Marines? Cause i'm not leavein." She asked him before he saw her reach out her bandaged hand.
He quickly puled her by the arm and threw her across the room to silence.
Garp quickly moved to retaliate against Sakazuki before Sengoku held him back with a stern nod towards the dust.
There stood in rubble and collapsing of dust was a bleeding Domino with a wide and devilish grin. "So it's a deal then?" She asked to see Akainu give a quick nod and walk out.
Domino then let out a breath she had been holding in as Adaline and Garp rushed to her side. Sengoku walking towards her calmly. "Oh god, what was I thinking. shit." Domino gasped holding on to Adaline who watched her with worried and wide eyes.