A/N- Three chapters in a week?! I'm on a roll people! It's my new personal record hahahaha. I gotta say this chapter took the longest for me to write like man, my back hurtssss but anyways, I really wanted to finish this chapter because I am so freaking hyped to write the next! I can guarantee action and….well, you'll soon find out. I won't keep you here for long, so, here's the chapter, and happy reading!
Merendinoemiliano: I'm glad you think so, I want her to be treated well because, well, hhhhhhhh I don't wanna spoil it just yet, it will be explained in the next chapter.
Setokayba2n: Ahh, is that so? I'm relieved hahahaha, thank you for the reassurance. Also, do you mind if I ask you what that fic was? I'm kinda curious about it now that you've mentioned it…
Reviews are highly appreciated! So please leave one if you'd like.
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"Speaking"
"Thoughts"
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece nor its characters, Eichiro Oda does.
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Brielle's eyes widened, her irises shrunk at the sheer amount of fear she felt the second her mind registered what she saw.
Ginormous marine battleships were seen faintly in the distance, slowly parting through the fog as it made its advance towards the island.
Its proud seagull and open wrench insignia shown proudly embedded on the sails, flapping rapidly as it became clearer and clearer for the girl to see despite the darkening skies.
The amphibious vehicle, the height of a five-story building, began closing in as the distance between them decreased.
"I-IT'S….IT'S THE MARINES!" The girl thought alarmingly, her heart beating at an irregularly fast pace. She couldn't mask the expression on her face even if she tried.
She was sure her body trembled, as Robin, who had currently had her back at the sight, noticed her shaking like a leaf in the wind.
"Brielle-san? What's wrong?!" Robin asked, with down turned lips. She was worried at what had caused the other girl to be reduced into a trembling mess.
Brielle could only lift a shaky finger as she pointed at the navy vessels fast approaching, with its intimidating show of cannons parallel to each side of the ship.
Robin turned her head to look at the direction of her finger, and her heart dropped. She began to mirror the same reaction the younger one had, only worse.
Panic flared up inside of her, the burning images and the memory of her hometown's demise came surging back ten-fold, and she was absolutely petrified. Her body refused to
The glaring orange sky.
The flames engulfing the island.
The overwhelming heat.
The smell of burning flesh.
The screams of pure agony.
Flashbacks of a mind-scarring tragedy started to replay in her head like a broken record.
She started to feel lightheaded. Her eyes decided to play tricks on her as her vision blurred, her breathing became uneven, and there was an unidentified ringing that pierced her ears.
It felt like the world was trying to swallow her whole. She clutched her head as the throbbing pain of an unusual sickness attacked her. She began to sweat, and she didn't know what was happening.
It was like reality and her trauma was overlapping one another fighting for dominance, and she couldn't distinguish which one was real, or just a figment of her imagination.
This made Brielle's earlier fear turn into worry.
"Robin-nee! Are you okay?!" The girl exclaimed as she barely managed to catch her collapsing on her feet. She coiled herself into a fetal position, groaning in pain.
Why does her chest hurt so much?
"What is going on?! Wait…she must be having a panic attack! Seeing that warship must have triggered some bad memories…."
Brielle realized as she thought of a way to calm her down, she didn't look like she was breathing properly, and she might even start hyperventilating if she didn't do anything!
"…Robin-nee…..!"
There was no response. Whatever was going through her mind right now prevented her from hearing her cries.
"Robin-nee please calm down….…it's alright…..I'm here…."
Brielle pleaded, as her eyes began to water. She couldn't break her out of her thoughts, and she didn't know how to appease the pain she was currently feeling, but she can't just leave her in that state.
Then, it came to her.
Slowly, she started to sing, an all too familiar tune in an adagio. It was a lullaby that her mother sang to her often when she was still in her mother's womb. It was light as a feather, and warm like the sun.
It had always calmed her down during her early days as an infant when she felt discomfort or anxious. She had learned it from Melody, during one of their training sessions, and the tune stuck to her ever since.
Now she could only hope that it did the same thing to Robin.
Robin, in between her jagged breaths, heard someone faintly calling for her, in soft tune. The voice was from someone she could recognize and it was pleasurably soothing to the ears.
The song seemed to break the imaginary chains that bound her in her thoughts, and like a cozy blanket enveloped her in an embrace she couldn't explain.
A strange feeling of tranquility and relief was felt after the painful memories, and by the time the song ended, her nerves finally calmed down and she slowly had her grasp back on reality.
She cracked her eyes open, to look at her surroundings as the multiple things that she saw merged into one picture.
"Huh?...Wha?" Robin muttered, still in a state of confusion, as could feel herself breathing faster than normal. She saw Brielle looking at her with worry and had her arms around her in a firm hold.
"It…..It worked!" Brielle thought in relief, as she managed to snap her out of it.
"What….happened?"
"Robin-nee! You're back!"
"B-Brielle….-san?" Robin asked for confirmation as she her breathing had yet to stabilize.
"That's right, I'm here…..breathe in…breathe out…." The younger girl began to take slow and steady breaths, as she tried to regulate Robin's breathing.
"Calm down, don't be scared, everything's going to be okay…..just follow my lead…..breathe in…..breathe out…."
Robin focused on Brielle's breathing, and she could feel herself breathing normally again. Brielle allowed her to sit straight and regain her composure, rubbing small circles on her back in a comforting manner.
"We really need to go back, I have a bad feeling about this." The girl thought, not liking the growing butterflies in her stomach.
"Are you feeling okay now? Can you stand?" Brielle asked, assisting the other to get her back on her feet, offering her hand as a support.
"I-I think I can, thank you, Brielle-san." Robin took her hand, and pulled herself upright, dusting off the dirt that stuck on her borrowed dress.
"No problem, ne, Robin-nee, can you do me a favor?"
"Huh? Yeah….…."
"Hold my hand, and don't look back, okay?" The younger of the two asked with a heavy tone, and wore an even serious expression.
"O-okay….." Robin replied, placing their hands in an intertwined lock.
Brielle led the way back home, with a much faster pace than before, tugging the other girl to quicken their pace, almost sprinting.
Robin refused to look back, trusting the other girl's words, and was now panting from how fast they were running, still not used to being that physically active.
The sky seemed to shadow over them, as dark greys and saturated oranges replaced the blue tones that once spread throughout the span of the horizon.
Their light footsteps made little to no sound as they were maneuvering their way back home. Everything except the front path looked blurred from the speed they were going.
The air was rushing to their faces like a gust of wind from a propeller, when all of a sudden-
*RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING* *RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING* *RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING*
An ear-splitting noise startled the children, which made them search for the source of the sound but to no avail. It pierced through the air, as its loud rings resonated throughout the entire island.
"This is bad, really bad. We really need to go home NOW."
Brielle thought, and with a newly found energy, pushed her legs to exert the most she could get, anything to get them back into the safety of her home.
She was more worried about Robin than herself, the girl had been through a lot, and seeing the things that triggered those bad memories to resurface, she wasn't exactly feeling all that great.
When they were nearing the edge of the path, under the thick foliage of the trees, Brielle abruptly stopped in her tracks, causing Robin to bump into her because of her momentum.
There were marine soldiers littered around town, everywhere her eyes went, there were men clad in blue and white navy uniforms, with rifles on their hands, and swords strapped on their waists.
"Oww…..Brielle-san?" Rubbing her forehead from the collision between her and the younger girl's back, Robin looked at Brielle who looked at something, rather, someone intently.
Brielle placed her index finger on top of her lips, signaling her to be quiet. The younger one looked calm and composed on the outside, but on the inside she was panicking.
"If they recognize Robin, they'll take her away! Who knows what they'll do to her! I can't forgive myself if I let that happen!"
The girl thought long and hard at her next course of action, she needed to conceal her face, and make her unrecognizable enough that they'll be able to slip through without gaining much attention from the navy.
Thinking of a way to make a mask of some sort, she had an idea. She patted her pockets, and as she expected, she felt a lump, indicating that there was something in it.
She thanked God, she always brought a handkerchief with her at all times, and luckily, it was one of those larger ones that can be used as a makeshift shawl.
She fished out the piece of cloth from her pocket, and unfurled it, handing it over to the other girl.
"Robin-nee, I want you to wear this over your head, okay? We don't want them to see your face. Can you do that for me?"
"Mhm"
Robin did as told, as she placed the fabric over her head and shoulders, making sure to cover her face as much as she could.
After a few adjustments, and securing it with a small tie, Brielle deemed the disguise, pretty decent, for the most part.
It hid her recognizable features well, and the both of them could only hope none of the patrolling marines would question the garment.
"Robin-nee, just keep your head down and don't look at any of them, okay? Keep on holding my hand, and everything will be alright, I promise."
Brielle reassured the other girl, with a new found determination burned like a wildfire inside of her. She focused on passing through a literal battlefield littered with landmines, which didn't cease to drown out her rapidly beating heart.
Receiving a quick nod from Robin, the two walked normally as to avoid looking like a sore thumb. She could feel the other girl's nervousness through their joined hands.
Her palms were sweaty, and she had an iron grip, as if it was her very lifeline that kept her alive.
Some marines took notice of the two of them and walked closer. One marine officer knelt down to reach their eyes and started to talk to them.
"What are you kids still doing here? You should be near the eastern port to evacuate by now." The man asked, lifting an eyebrow at how the other girl was dressed, but before he could get a better look, Brielle spoke up, effectively shifting his attention to her.
"I'm sorry mister, but we were playing, and we heard a loud noise…we didn't know….….we're sorry….!" Brielle said, pulling off her best 'hurt puppy look' that consists of glassy eyes ready to spill crocodile tears at any given moment, a quivering pouty lip and a cutesy-scared tone.
All of it combined resulted in the crowd 'aww-ing' at her, with pink hearts replacing their eyes and cooing their faces off at her adorable expression.
Some even scolded the man that confronted them, saying he was too rough on such angels.
Ah, what irony.
"Awwww, don't worry about it, I'll escort you girls there, just to be safe." Another man stepped forward, offering to bring them to the evacuation area.
"Oh, but we don't want to bother you sirs, we already know how to get there, thank you for the offer though." Brielle replied, still in 'innocent child mode' while Robin clutched her hand tighter, feeling uncomfortable under the indirect gazes of the marines.
"Is that so? Okay then, take care little ones!"
"Remember, the evacuation area is on the east port!"
"Don't get lost!"
"Call for us if you need help!"
They all replied in unison simultaneously, waving their hands at them, even if they already had their back turned and were starting to walk away.
Brielle took one last look at them, waving her hand in return with a bright smile, causing the other marines to faint at her 'cuteness'.
When she felt that the two of them had walked a good distance away from the marines, she turned to check on Robin, who hasn't uttered a word since she'd put on her handkerchief.
"Robin-nee? Are you okay? They're gone for now, I think." The younger girl asked, worried.
"Y-Yes, thank you for asking Brielle-san" Robin said with a hushed voice, probably still shaken from being around a number of marines.
"We can't let our guard down yet, there are still many marines stationed here, but first, we need to find mommy and daddy."
"Mhm"
The two made it seem like they were headed east, but they were actually taking a different route that led back to the west coast, where their house was located.
They ran once again, fearing for what would happen next, but they could worry about that later. They were still kids and they aren't exactly efficient in defending themselves just yet.
If they were ambushed, then they were officially screwed.
Brielle could only pray in her head, that her parent were alright. There was no one else she could ask for help but Him. She hoped everything would be alright, just like what she constantly told the older girl. She shook her head to avoid thinking negatively, she needed to toughen up.
She had to become strong enough for the both of them.
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As the whole island of Toroa had planned a whole two weeks prior, they were busy making sure everything went smoothly.
The plan, dubbed 'Aqua-marine' was made by the once law abiding citizens to monitor the marines located on the eastern side of the island and keenly observe their activity.
The Toroan farmers and fishermen that resided near the eastern port volunteered to keep watch if anything unusual happens between the marines.
Meanwhile the marketplace vendors offered to help with gathering supplies such as their basic necessities and groceries.
On the other hand, the village tailors sewed them cloaks and the island's best seafarers charted the safest route to the next island, pinpointing the best location to dock undetected.
All of the townspeople each made their own effort in helping the family, may it be giving them a log-pose, a few maps of the islands close to them, a boat for transportation, and even a decent amount of money to help with their escape.
They were desperate to aid in the escape of their noble ex-marine hero, Alexander, insisting they'd do anything to help, assist, and support him in any way they could, not believing a single one of the blatant lies spread about the wrongly-accused man.
They had been going above and beyond for the family, just like he had been towards them. For them, it was the least they could do for the debt they owed him.
Day by day, during the last two weeks they were working their muscles and joints in secrecy, praying to whoever they could call out from the heavens for help for the success of Aqua-marine, and for a while, things had been flowing pretty smoothly.
The marines hadn't made a move to suspect the village conspiring against them, which unnerved others, as the lack of marine activity made them a little suspicious. They had their regular rounds here and there, but they mostly stayed confined within the boundaries of their space near the eastern port.
They didn't show signs of initiating an investigation, a search, or an interrogation of the townspeople regarding the wanted man…no move, no nothing.
It was like they didn't give two shits about them, which was considerably a good thing because this meant executing their plan much easier without a hassle. They didn't want their wandering eyes burning a hole through their backs anyways.
Everything was going all according to plan, until the unexpected drawback of about eight marine battleships arrived on each port of the island completely surrounding them with no means of escape.
They assumed the best case scenario, but they completely disregarded the worst.
When the Toroans agreed on using the emergency alarm located in the village square, as a warning signal to indicate if the navy would unexpectedly pull something out of their sleeves, but they did not expect to hear it so soon.
Once it was triggered, everything went into chaos.
The people began panicking, not knowing how and why there were suddenly massive navy battleships appearing out of nowhere.
Soon enough, those in charge of being look-out overheard some of the orders commanded to the marines via den-den mushi.
"Scour the entire village, make sure all of the townspeople are led into the evacuation area located on the east port, I don't want any casualties, and do not let, I repeat, DO NOT LET THAT MAN ESCAPE AT ALL COSTS, DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!"
"SIR YES SIR!"
That was the turning point, and after a quick word of mouth, the entire island knew of their intentions. Things were starting to go south.
The first problem was that, the escape vessel that contained most of the family's necessities are docked at the eastern port, exactly where the major players of the navy are positioned, as they are responsible for the evacuates' safety.
Even with that in mind, there was a second problem.
The family had yet to board that ship, and if by chance they were planning to go there undetected under the guise of being an ordinary citizen, it could probably work for his wife and daughter, but for Alexander?
It was a big no-no.
There is certainly a high level of security laid out there, judging from the fact that they had deployed eight marine battleships just to get one man, ONE MAN.
They sure were out to get him.
With those problems at hand, Ophelia ran with all her might, zig-zagging her way through the village and made a mad dash through the townspeople looking like they were about to lose their shit.
Taking advantage of the disoriented crowd, she didn't seem to attract attention of the marines who were preoccupied with whatever they were trying to explain to the public.
Whatever excuse they were feeding them to make the arrival of their mass weapon of destruction on their peaceful island, they weren't having any of it.
Not when they were lying through their teeth.
They all had to put up an act, which was easy to fake since they were really not expecting them to bring out the big guns just to try and catch the ex-marine captain. So it would be, more or less, a believable performance.
Her dress fluttered up and down with her movement, the heavy thumps that landed on the soil were heard in a continuous rhythm while nearing the residence of the Merlin Family.
When she was finally at their doorstep, she was panting heavily from the quick workout, with a steady stream of sweat rolling on the side of her face, continuing down her neck.
"Mel! *huff* Have you heard of *huff* the-" Ophelia said in between deep breathes trying to recover her energy, only to be cut off by Melody, who was wearing a cloak, and carrying a backpack with her.
"Lia! What are you doing here? We already heard the alarm. If they see you with us, you're going to be charged with complicity!"
"I know! It's just! The evacuation is on the eastern port! How are you…..how are you guys going to escape?" Ophelia said, as her voice lowered while stating the last part.
"I don't know how, but we will find a way." The blond haired woman replied, looking a bit uneasy with sudden change of pace in their plan.
"Then, why don't you come along with us? It's better to hide in numbers, we'll conceal you and maybe create a diversion, I'll go ahead and tell them-"
"We can't. Not yet."
Was Melody's short response, once again cutting the other woman off, and earning a more than confused expression from the usually reserved missus.
"But Mel! If you don't go now, the odds of you guys sneaking in there is slimming by the second!" Ophelia whisper-shouted with a frown, she was now becoming frustrated.
They had already planned so much! Why aren't they cooperating now, of all times?
"I know, Lia, but Brielle and Robin hasn't returned yet." Melody replied in a calm voice.
True to her word, the little girls that was usually there were nowhere to be found.
How could she forget about her own niece? She began to worry, fearing for their safety, knowing that Robin was also a wanted criminal, though the true reason for that was unknown.
You can't expect her to believe that a cheery eight-year-old kid was a threat to the world, and was trying to destroy it.
How could the World Government create such a farfetched lie?
And why special type of idiot believes in that kind of bullshit?
The two had become silent, before the cloaked woman began breaking down, as the seemingly calm façade disappeared in an instant.
"….Ughh! Why did I let her go to that place?! I should've stopped her! It was already getting late, and then this all happened so suddenly I-I-"
On the inside, she was a nervous wreck. She has never done something like this before, but for the safety of her family, she will go through any lengths to guarantee their safety.
"Honey, calm down. She's going to be alright. I know Brie, she's a smart girl you know, just like her mother. She'll be here any moment now, together with Robin."
Alexander said, reassuring his wife. He had yet to make an appearance up until now. He was wearing a matching cloak just like what Melody was wearing, together with a backpack on his back as well.
His words made her somewhat at ease, she moved closer towards him for comfort. She could hear her heart pounding against her chest, but she had to remain composed if she wanted to pull off the plan.
"I apologize for the sudden outburst, I was just agitated….but, what are you going to do now? If you wait any longer, the marines will eventually reach you here. They got you completely surrounded, from all sides. I heard that all the ports are occupied by them."
Ophelia said, with worry never leaving her tone. She felt there was just this huge time-bomb looming over the top of their heads, slowly ticking as more time passed by.
"I'll head off first, I'll secure the boat and steer it towards the North. I got a message from town that there were less marines there compared to the other ports. Meet me there with the kids."
"I'll come with you." Melody said, stepping forward.
"What? You can't! It's too dangerous! What about Brie? And Robin? We can't leave them here!" Alexander turned to look at his wife in disbelief with what he was hearing.
"But I can't let you go on your own! There are hundreds, no, thousands of them out there! No matter how strong you are, you could be outnumbered!" His wife reasoned, as she held one of his arms to get through to him.
"I'll carry the message. I'll wait for them here, and I'll get them to the northern port." Ophelia volunteered with clear resolution.
"What? Lia, no! You can't-" Melody stammered, taken aback by what she was offering to do.
"Don't worry about me, Mel. She's my niece, if I can't even protect her and her friend, then I can't call myself her aunt." The other replied, her decision unwavering.
"Thank you, Lia, really…..…for everything." Melody said as her eyes glistened.
"No need to thank me Mel, that's what sisters are for….right?" Ophelia said, with a charming smile gracing her lips.
The two shared a hug, one that lasted for a few seconds as they made it count, because who knows when they'll meet again.
Even if they managed to escape, they would have to cut all ties with them, as to not endanger their lives, so this may be the very last they'll be able to see each other again.
It was a bittersweet goodbye, but it was for the best.
"We can't thank you enough Lia." Alexander also thanked the woman, eternally grateful for the favor they didn't ask of her.
"Now go, I pray you will all escape here safely. Goodspeed." Ophelia ushered them to go on ahead. She didn't know how they were going to make it happen, but she knows they will.
As they turn their backs and started running east, a single tear escaped her eyes, but her smile remained.
She sat on a bench next to the emptied house once full of life with the Merlins. She thought about their arrival, their friendship, and the sibling bond that formed between the four of them.
She had already thought about never seeing them again, but that didn't mean it was goodbye. The memories they've shared would forever remain in her heart.
The sun was slowly setting, just barely peeking its curve on the sea, and Ophelia was starting to get even more worried for the children.
They didn't have a clue about what was going on between their parents. They were fighting back against the biggest corporate entity in the world after all, appropriately named the World Government.
And then, from a distance, she could make out the two small figures approaching where she stood. She squinted her eyes, and relief was immediately felt once she recognized who they were.
It was Brielle, along with Robin who seemed to be wearing some sort of cloth over her head casting a shadow on her eyes, reaching her shoulders.
"Oh? A disguise? What smart girls." Ophelia thought, further solidifying Alexander's comment earlier.
"Children! Over here!" She shouted whilst waving her hands to get their attention.
As Brielle saw her aunt, her face immediately lit up at the sight of her. She hurried off while still holding the Robin's hand, who was disturbingly quiet, and it worried her to no end.
She didn't know what she was thinking, and at these situations, it was better to not let her think of the bad things. It can't be helped considering all the reminders, but she needed to get her head out of a dark place.
When they finally reached the house, they were met by Ophelia who had been anxiously waiting for their return for quite some time now.
"Aunt Lia? Where's mommy and daddy? There was this loud alarm and there were-"
"They went to the eastern port to take care of things before heading north…but more importantly, you need to be with them as well. I'm in no place to tell you kids this, but you are no longer safe here, and you need to go someplace else. I'll take you there, okay? So don't worry about it too much. Everything will be alright. Trust in me, okay?"
Brielle could only nod in response, already knowing the big secret, it was no longer a surprise for her. All she could do was pray that things do turn out the way she'd said it.
She turned to look at Robin, who was still in a daze.
"Robin-nee?"
"Huh? Yes, Brielle-san?"
"Mommy and Daddy said we need to go north."
"Oh, okay."
Ophelia looked at them, feeling sad that they had to face something terrifying for someone their age. But life was often like an unpredictable ocean in the New World and they could only ride with the tides.
"We need to go, now." The eldest of the three said, wanting to lead them there as quickly as she could.
"Wait! I still need to get something!" Brielle thought, remembering the things she left inside the house.
"Alright, but please hurry."
"Don't worry Aunt Lia I'll be quick, is that okay Robin-nee?"
The little girl said, momentarily letting go of her hand, which immediately snapped her out of it, Robin once again feeling the anxiety creep up inside her.
"S-Sure."
Brielle rapidly ran up the flight of stairs, rummaging through the things in her room. She was looking for her precious journal.
All of her assets were written there and she cannot afford to leave it there, waiting for someone sinister to take advantage of its knowledge.
She found it hidden in her drawer, and with one swift movement, she grabbed a couple of pens, and stuffed it inside her favorite backpack together with her journal, capo, and important papers.
She slung it on her back, before taking one last item with her, her ukulele that her uncle gave her. She placed it in her case, and placed it on her back. It was something she held dearly and she will bring it with her at all costs.
Taking one last look at their house, she had many good memories living there, and like a cliché, she reminisced her times there, savoring her last few seconds being in the vicinity of her home.
She then dashed downstairs, closing the doors behind her, looking all ready to leave, for good. The moment she stepped out of the house, the feeling of home had vanished, and what was left was an empty shell, devoid of its occupants.
She reappeared outside and approached the two, once again securing her hand in Robin's. She could practically feel her anxiety radiating off of her entire body, she gave her a reassuring look, and the two approached Ophelia.
"I'm ready to go aunt Lia, please take us there."
"Of course, let's go."
The three held hands together as to not get lost or separated, and they ran, hurriedly she might add. The look on her aunt's face told her that time is of the essence.
The tension was thick, and the only sound heard were their breaths and their sandals hitting against the ground.
They were already a panting mess, but neither of them stopped running. Thankfully they hadn't encountered a single marine yet.
The skies had turned into an angry shade of dark orange, no longer emitting the same peaceful feeling it once did on regular days.
It felt different, it was roaring and screaming for blood.
They kept running, and as they neared one of the wooden signs that read 'northern port ahead' there were a number of navy soldiers on patrol, with a checkpoint-like stand together with boxes that were covered in tarps.
This made them slow down a bit, until they looked like they hadn't been running at all. Ophelia had filled some of the details on the way there, and as expected, they had to avoid marines. What the eldest woman also mentioned was that they should never give away their identities, no surprise there.
There was also an ominous last addition to her warnings. She said that if something goes wrong when they were heading to the northern port, they were to leave her behind and to run towards the boat with a clam shaped symbol painted on its sails.
Weird design choice, but okay.
Brielle tried to disregard the foreboding feeling she felt once she indirectly told them to ditch her so that they could escape. She didn't like it one bit.
"Halt! Who goes there?!" A marine soldier asked, rather roughly, and even pointing his gun at the three.
"We mean no harm officers, it's just my daughters and I. We came here two weeks ago, and we're quite new here…..We were hoping you could help us, there is a rather large commotion happening around here…." Ophelia lied with a sincere looking face, and referring to the two of them as her daughters
"Well to put it simply ma'am, a dangerous man has taken refuge on this island, and we are currently trying to hunt him down and put him behind bars for his crimes." The said marine explained as lowered his weapons, deeming the three to be non-threatening and made a gesture to the others with him in their checkpoint.
Ophelia had to resist the urge to grit her teeth at what the man had said, but she had to keep it cool, as that might blow their cover and the children's safety was her number one priority.
"Oh my! What are we supposed to do then?" The woman exclaimed, as she acted scared at the news.
Brielle held Robin closer, to make it look like they were as frightened as her aunt was, trying their best to both conceal her face and lie their way through.
"Do not panic ma'am, there is an evacuation area located on the eastern port, we will escort you there, men! Go and help these citizens!"
"I'm afraid we cannot do that Sergeant Dean, sir!" Another man approached while carrying a baby den-den mushi on his hands.
"And why not?" The sergeant asked, with a lifted eyebrow.
"The leading Captain had already sent his orders to run a siege, and a thorough search for ex-captain Alexander. If we escort them now, there is a chance that we'd get in their way, and the captain doesn't like it when others get in the way of his work…." The man said as he tried to reason with the sergeant. They did not want to anger their captain.
"Alright, I understand. For the meantime, please stay with us. We can guarantee your safety if you remain near us."
"Thank you so much officers!" Ophelia said with a bow, with Brielle and Robin mimicking her actions.
"Can we wait near the side of the island then? I feel safer staying far away from your work, we don't want to disturb such our handsome, diligent, and hardworking marines." The woman said with empty praises, biting the inside of her cheek to prevent herself from hurling at her own words.
"Ahh, you don't have to say that ma'am! It's perfectly alright, please do." The sergeant said, looking flustered at Ophelia's words.
The other marines overheard her and also blushed at the compliment, some scratching the back of their heads with a way too big of a smile, and waving their hands trying to deny her words with a bashful expression.
Ophelia nodded, smiling at them with closed eyes before she led her 'children' near the side of the edge of the island, with only a few protective barriers to prevent someone from falling down a tall cliff.
"Don't worry kids, mommy promises that we will be alright, okay?" The woman said in a sweet voice, accompanied with a wink visible only to the two children.
They walked away scot-free from yet another encounter with the navy. They were still very far from the rendezvous point, though as the edge of the island doesn't exactly mean the shore and the docks already.
They were high up, about thirty feet, and so getting down and boarding the boat unnoticed was still a bit of a stretch to do.
Despite the distance though, they could spot a unique looking boat with a clam painted on its sails.
"That's the one…..!" Brielle thought, having 20/20 eyesight this time round. She could see it clearly, and even seeing a stand-off between two hooded figures, as the marines seemed to gather more and more reinforcements, encircling them.
"M-Mom? D-Dad? Is that you?"
"You need to go down there and board that boat, Brie, Robin…..but I don't know how to bring you down there without them looking….."
Ophelia said in a low whisper, eyeing the marines too see if they were watching them, but thankfully they were preoccupied with something else. She closed her eyes and thought of a way to safely get the children there, but it seems like there is now an even larger amount of marines condensing near the boat.
"Don't worry aunt Lia, I have an idea."
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A man tapped his fingers impatiently on his desk.
It had been well over twenty-five minutes since the search began, and he had been anticipating a call that should have received with his den-den mushi minutes ago.
The island was rather small, compared its other neighbors, so covering the area shouldn't be that difficult of a task.
He had requested eight marine battleships just to secure that man's arrest. If he came back empty handed, with nothing to show for it, then, let's just say a certain man wasn't going to like it.
He clicked his tongue in annoyance, he trusted his men to be able to handle a single man with their number, so what exactly was taking so long?!
He sighed as he irritatingly pinched the bridge of his nose with his mouth forming a thin line, looking clearly displeased with their poor execution.
He begrudgingly took the matters into his own hands.
He reached for the den-den mushi about an arm's length away from him and dialed a number.
The snail's eyes opened the moment he took the microphone off its shell. It took a few seconds before the other line picked up his call.
"Puru puru puru puru…puru puru puru puru…kacha!"
"T-Troop three r-reporting for duty sir!" A man was heard from the speaker, stuttering with nervousness, and sounded like he was running, judging from the instability of his voice.
"Why is there no one reporting the situation, officer?" The man said with a hidden malice.
He should have received the news of the ex-captain's arrest by now, he did not like his plans delayed and he was itching to know the cause.
"T-There seems to be a problem sir!"
"Oh, and what is that dear officer?"
"T-The other citizens refused to leave their houses refusing to let us search the area, we could draw our weapons, but we aren't legally allowed to harm in any way. All of the people we had interrogated on the along the way had also denied any affiliations with the ex-captain….."
There was a pause.
"A-And there seems to be an uproar on the east coast. Near the evacuation area, two cloaked figures suddenly appeared and started attacking our men as well as damaging one of our ships. They busted off all the cannons before sailing away towards the north. We suspect that it might be Alexander, but the identity his accomplice is unknown.…"
"…"
"S-Sir?"
"Force the people into submission. If they are interfering with an official marine operation, then they are charged with misdemeanor. Do not hesitate to chain them up if needed. Be ready to retaliate with the canons stationed on land. Show them that we are not afraid to take drastic measures to make this mission a success. Failure is not an option, UNDERSTOOD?!"
"SIR YES SIR!"
"Oh, and officer?"
"Y-Yes, captain?"
"Don't let him go anywhere else. Keep him distracted until I reach the port. Got that?"
"YES SIR!"
"Kacha!"
"You seem to have a knack at wrangling people at your side, too bad it's not enough. I feared things turned out like this, but I guess you've chosen death
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my dear friend."
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Word Count: 6,567
Date of Publication: April 20, 2020
(Ehem, 4/20)
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