Hello everyone,
I hope you all had some wonderfull christmas days and enjoyed the precious time with your loved ones (yes, I know they can be a handfull sometimes, but we chose to spend time with them, so there has to be a reason for that, right? ;-P )
Well, technically it's still Friday in my time zone, so I'm super on time I'd say (The good thing about children brithday parties is that they start and end early^^)
There will be no more chapters in 2019, but that shouldn't surprise you as I will update next weekend, which is already 2020 (Gosh, I feel old right now^^'). So I hope you all have a great start into the new year and celebrate the beginning of it the way you enjoy it. Don't feel the pressure that you have to surpass all your faults this upcomming year but take the chances of a new beginning.
Hope to see you next year ;-)
Sharry
Chapter 5
-Sanji-
"Welcome home, my number one."
Fear.
If Sanji had to describe the swordsman to his right with one word, it would be fear, in its purest, most rudimental form. Plain fear.
The man in front of them spread his arms wide open like a father approaching his lost son.
But Zoro had not only stopped running forward, no, he stepped back, pale, his lips shivering, his jaw trembling, his hands clenched to shuddering fists.
He seemed smaller, not only younger and more vulnerable, he seemed to fall together within himself, crouching down, like a wild animal, which got cornered and knew it was going to die.
Before Sanji even noticed what he was doing, he took two steps in front of his crewmate, almost in sync with the former vice-captain of the Pirate King, who also barred the stranger's way.
"Muchinushi!" The former pirate barked at the newcomer.
"Rayleigh!" The contrast could not have been greater.
Korekuta Senior smiled at the Dark King like an old friend, whom he finally met again after years. The world aristocrat let his cane draw a flowing line through the air before pointing the top at Rayleigh.
"It's nice to see you again. Our last meeting was ages ago. But I have to admit that time wasn't merciful to you."
Sanji let his eyes slide to the right. The Dark King seemed angry, yet he sounded as thoughtful as ever, almost relaxed, when he replied: "You on the other hand haven't changed much."
Korekuta bowed deeply with his arms outstretched.
Sanji took that moment to glance over his shoulder.
Zoro didn't seem to notice him and Rayleigh at all. All he did was stare at the man in white, and although Sanji could not see anything dangerous at all about the rarity hunter, Zoro's behavior alone was enough for Sanji to distrust the stranger.
"Well, you reap what you sow." Muchinushi was still smiling gallantly while giving a glance at all people present. "I am very impressed by all your energized temper, but the question is whether this skirmish is really necessary."
He clamped his cane under his left upper arm and put his hands together like a charming salesman. "Let's go inside and have a nice cup of tea."
"We had a deal, Muchinushi!" Rayleigh took another step forward. His hair seemed charged with electricity.
"We never had a deal." Suddenly the friendly face demolished itself in a dark mask and the world aristocrat angrily stared at the Dark King. "You and I never had a deal, Silvers Rayleigh. You are nothing, an unimportant filler word in the world's history. I don't do business with the average."
The rarity hunter walked towards Rayleigh and looked down on him. His height forced the former pirate to look up.
"I signed a contract with your captain at that time. He was outside the norm, grade B, almost A I would say, but do you see him here?" Now Korekuta smiled almost as kindly as before, but his eyes seemed bigger now, as if he were talking in vain while he lifted both hands with his palms facing the sky. "Gol D. Roger is dead and therefore our contract is invalid."
"Get out of my way, Korekuta!" Rayleigh didn't seem to be impressed by his words, but he gritted his teeth. "I will not allow you..."
"Silence!" The tall man interrupted the former pirate like a king his servant. "I didn't come here to talk to you."
His eyes no longer regarded Rayleigh but looked past him and Sanji, exactly at Zoro. Almost tenderly, the stranger stretched out a hand.
"I'm sorry, my number one. You must have suffered terrible fears."
The swordsman behind Sanji did not move an inch, but Sanji noted Rayleigh next to him pushing his jaw back and forth before staring at the cook. Sanji had been wrong. Apparently, Rayleigh had lost his temper, pure anger written on his face.
"But it's over now. I came to bring you home. After all these years, you will finally be safe again. Finally, back among allies, reunited with your family."
"That's enough!"
Rayleigh lifted his arm to strike a blow, but the next moment Korekuta casually pulled his cane out of his arm pit and knocked it against an invisible wall right in front of the former pirate.
Although untouched the Dark King flinched before flying away faster than a bullet. Far behind the wooden circus tent, he disappeared into the clearing fog.
"Rayleigh?!" Nami and Usopp yelled in unison.
Sanji moved a bit to the right, now standing alone between this man and his crewmember. Gulping heavily, he met the stranger's eyes; Sanji doubted he could take care of Korekuta on his own, and he obviously couldn't rely on Zoro.
"Oh." Now the stranger looked at Sanji for the first time. "Interesting. Vinsmoke Sanji from the Kingdom Germa, grade A, isn't it?"
His words shocked and confused Sanji, but the man didn't seem to notice as he started inspecting the other crewmembers.
"Nico Robin, the last devil of Ohara, also grade A. The Cat Burglar Nami, natural talent in navigation, grade E. Usopp, son of Yasopp, sniper, grade F." Each time, he pointed his cane at the person he listed. "And Tony Tony Chopper, user of the human-human fruit, list number 4,052."
The stranger took an excited breath and rubbed his hands.
"Of course I know who is fighting over there; Monkey D. Luffy, user of the gum-gum fruit, grade B. And the two left on the ship are Cutty Fram, Cyborg, grade C and of course the skeleton Brook, list place 1.128. It seems like you surrounded yourself with interesting objects."
"Objects?" Nami repeated, placing her hands against her hips. "We're no objects! We are human beings. Living, breathing beings."
The man in white smiled, laughing softly, and turned to Nami.
"For you, my dear, as a grade E, this might be true; a simple woman with one or another ability. You are nothing more than a plain human being, but not every one of us is burdened with such insignificance."
Once again, the navigator impressed Sanji as she took another step towards the stranger, apparently not in the least insecure.
"We all have rights! We all have our own will! You can't just declare someone as your property just because it suits you that way."
"And this is the part, where you are mistaken, my dear." The world aristocrat still smiled at her kindly.
"I doubt you can understand it, but I will take the time to explain it briefly. Most people are almost equal, uninteresting, average, something like you or Rayleigh." He shrugged. "But some living beings are much more valuable since birth or increase their value over the course of their lives. These qualities can, in case of doubt, be of importance for the general public, and therefore it is their calling to serve the world. By making thoughtless mistakes, these objects could diminish their value or even destroy themselves. That is why it is our duty, as guardians of our earth, to take care of these things."
"Tze." Nami shook her head. "Bullshit! I know monsters like you, who believe they can own someone just because they find the person to be useful. But you don't get Zoro!"
The stranger's smile grew.
"My dear, you seem to misunderstand something."
He walked past Nami and stopped just in front of Sanji, his white-clad chest right in front of Sanji's eyes.
"Didn't you tell them, my number one? How mean of you. Now I understand all the turmoil. Of course, if I were to have a grade B person or less kidnapped for no reason, that would be debatable. But the thing is." The stranger grabbed Sanji by the shoulder and swept him to the side. Sanji lost his footing, slamming directly against Usopp and dragging him down to the ground as well. "You belong to me!"
Sanji jumped back up. A multitude of hands helped him up as his crewmembers went into fighting position and shouted at Korekuta.
Zoro had not moved an inch, the rarity hunter barely stood a step in front of him and looked down at him almost lovingly, while the swordsman stared only straight ahead, his eye almost empty.
"Don't you dare touch him!" Chopper yelled behind Sanji, transforming into his giant figure.
"You shouldn't threaten me, number 4,052."
But the stranger didn't even look up.
Sanji knew he needed to act, knew he had to do something, but it felt like he was disrupting an intimate meeting. He couldn't move. Something was wrong here. The stranger's behavior simply did not match Rayleigh's anger, and even less Zoro's indescribable fear.
"After all this time finally reunited." Korekuta sounded gentle. "You don't need to be afraid anymore."
He raised a hand and held it just inches apart from the swordsman's face.
"Didn't you hear me? Let go of hi... Uff!"
Chopper had rushed past Sanji and wanted to attack the stranger, but just like Rayleigh, Korekuta fended him off with his staff without even touching him, without even looking at him.
Sanji heard Robin shouting after Chopper, but his eyes were caught by the stranger.
"Look at me." Zoro did not move. "You don't need to be afraid, my number one."
Korekuta bent down slightly.
"Look at me."
Very slowly Zoro raised his head, the smile of the stranger grew.
"Very well. Oh, look at you. These barbarians have treated you badly. That scar, oh no, how dare they damage you like that."
Disapprovingly sighing, the rarity hunter shook his head.
"But don't worry, my number one, there's nothing we can't fix, so..."
"Gum-Gum-Jet-Pistol!"
The ground between Korekuta and Zoro broke apart and both men stumbled away from each other, Zoro barely holding himself on his feet while the stranger landed on his butt.
"Luffy!" Some of the crewmembers shouted unanimously as the captain of the straw-hat crew came to a stop between Zoro and the stranger. Steam rose from him and he grinned mischievously.
"Oh, this was fun," he laughed loudly. "Hey old man, thank you for letting me fight with your mates. Had a blast."
Korekuta rose to his feet, his smile only a hint as he patted the dust off his white suit.
"An extremely lively young man, I have to say."
Luffy, however, completely ignored him. He beamed at Zoro.
"Good to have you back."
The swordsman straightened up and looked at his captain, not saying a word.
"I would like to conclude this conversation now." The rarity hunter didn't even seem angry, but this time Sanji knew what to say.
"There is no conversation," he decided blunt, "and there is nothing to conclude. You kidnapped our crewmember and we got him back. Don't mess with us."
While he was speaking, Luffy turned to the stranger and cracked his fists. Together with Luffy, Sanji was sure they could beat this guy.
The rarity hunter nodded conciliatorily.
"I understand that our intervention can cause inconvenience and I apologise for the fact that my daughter Joudama has not provided an adequate compensation." He pulled out a white checkbook from the inside pocket of his jacket. "I'm certain we'll find a financial solution" He took out a silver pen as well.
"Usually market value and list place are used for price determination. Of course, I will also take the bounty into account." Extensive lines were drawn by the stranger. "All in all, I can offer a sum of..."
"We don't want your rotten money!" Nami had drawn her weapon and pointed it at the rarity hunter. "You can't measure a life with money."
Still smiling, Korekuta put his checkbook away.
"If that is the case, I can only repeat my daughter's offer. I agree to scratch list numbers 4,052 and 1,128 and downgrade the remaining crewmembers to grade E."
"Our counter-offer!" Luffy was still grinning as if it was a game. "We're leaving now. All of us!"
Korekuta laughed lightly. "I won't allow it."
"Well, Sucks to be you." Usopp didn't sound nearly convincing, but he folded his arms and grinned as well. "But our captain is right. We don't do business with human traffickers. Zoro stays with us."
The stranger slammed his cane onto the ground, a shockwave shook the island.
"I won't allow it!" The smile was gone. The earth was still shaking. "You won't get my number one!"
"He's not a number!"
For a second, the world seemed to slow down. Out of nowhere, Rayleigh appeared right next to the world aristocrat. Half in the air he turned around his own axis and at the next moment he kicked the stranger in the back with full power.
The world picked up speed again and Korekuta flew through the air like a white arrow.
"Okay," the Dark King shouted at them. "We really should leave now."
Loud approval came from the straw-hat pirates and they ran off. Luffy grabbed Zoro by the wrist and rather dragged him along than Zoro actually running on his own.
"Will they follow us?" Usopp cried in panic.
"Didn't you see that guy?" Sanji replied. "I don't think we're going to get rid of this madman so quickly."
"We have to leave first." Nami sprinted in front of them.
Behind her ran Robin. She had been suspiciously calm all the time, but Sanji decided there was more urgent things at the moment. She seemed healthy and unharmed, and only that mattered.
For a moment he wondered if the others had noticed what this rarity hunter had said about him, but then he decided that this, too, could wait until later.
They had almost reached the Thousand Sunny. The fog had become lighter and so Sanji could already see the two figures behind the railing.
"There you are!" Franky shouted down at them. "We were about to follow you. It's super boring here on the subs bench."
"Oh, as I see, you've been successful." Brook dropped the stepladder down to them. "Welcome back, Zoro."
The crewmembers climbed up the ladder one by one. Sanji made sure the ladies were first before it was Usopp's turn.
"Pull yourself together!"
Surprised, Sanji turned around.
Zoro was still standing there and Rayleigh shook him quite roughly.
"We can't afford something like this right now!"
Usopp, who was hanging just a few feet above Sanji, looked down at him with big eyes.
"Are you listening to me at all?"
The cook answered the sniper's gaze with a shrug. He also had no clue what was wrong with the Marimo.
"Come on guys, we need to leave!" It came from above.
Just as Sanji was about to turn to the stepladder he heard a silent slap. The Dark King had punched the swordsman.
"Rayleigh!" Luffy stood next to him, obviously not sure if he should be surprised or furious.
Zoro stumbled two steps back, holding his jaw. Rayleigh stood in front of him with a serious face.
"Better?"
Zoro shook his head slightly, stretching and relaxing his jaw before finally nodding.
"Was that really necessary?" Zoro sounded rough as ever.
"Obviously it was," Rayleigh replied, "you didn't respond at all."
The swordsman just snorted and looked around.
"We got everyone here?" He asked, acting like his usual self again. For a second he looked at Sanji and then his gaze slid up to the ship and back to Luffy.
"Chopper," he whispered softly before shouting, "is Chopper up there?"
Confused, Sanji looked around. Chopper had been blown away by Korekuta. In Luffy's direction. He had somehow expected that Chopper had joined them at the same time as their captain had.
"He's not here," Robin said, worried from above, already back on the ladder to climb down.
"Zoro wait!" Rayleigh grabbed the other by the forearm as he headed back towards the building. "What are you planning to do?"
"What does it look like? I'll get Chopper back," the other growled.
"You?" The Dark King asked mockingly. "You're the reason we're in this mess and as soon as Korekuta appears, you're ain't no help at all. Do you think I'll let you run back?"
"And do you think you can give me orders?"
The swordsman swirled around and approached the other, so close that they almost stood forehead against forehead.
"Zoro!" Luffy placed a gentle hand on the tense shoulder of the other.
"Get on board." Then he grinned. "I'm going to fetch Chopper and then we'll leave together."
For a second, Zoro simply observed Luffy, then he nodded and turned to the Sunny, not taking another look at Rayleigh.
"Do you need help, Luffy?" Sanji asked seriously, moving aside so that his favorite enemy could climb up the ladder, which he did without hesitation.
"No, I'm fine."
"We should hurry," the former pirate grumbled almost as rough as the swordsman. "I don't know how long it will take Muchinushi, but he will hunt us down."
"Got it." Luffy raised both thumbs up and ran off.
Seconds later, everyone else were back on the lawn at the deck of the Thousand Sunny and Franky patted the swordsman's shoulder.
"Good to have you back, bro."
"I hope Luffy hurries." Nami folded her arms. "This guy was scary."
"Rayleigh." Zoro turned to the Dark King. "Take the ring off, now!"
Only now did Sanji notice it again. He had almost forgotten that their swordsman was not completely freed just yet.
Shaking his head, the old man stepped forward.
"We need the..."
"Muchinushi has the key!" Rarely Sanji had seen the swordsman in such a furious mood. "And that's not going to change, no matter how long we keep discussing. So, get it off!"
The tension was almost physical.
"Hey guys, can't we just use some tools unlock it?" Usopp's idea was almost as weak as his voice.
"No," Rayleigh muttered miserably, "there's an explosive device covered by the outer layer. If I take the ring off..."
"We've talked about it; I can't fight like this."
Both men looked at each other seriously as if they were having a wordless discussion; after several seconds had passed, Zoro seemed a little more controlled, and at some point the Dark King nodded.
"Fine, sit down."
Zoro also nodded and followed the instruction.
"Shouldn't we wait until Chopper is back?" Nami asked anxiously. "In case something goes wrong."
"We may not have that much time," Rayleigh replied, putting both hands on Zoro's neck ring. "If Korekuta has the key, he can also control the explosives within as soon as he's close enough."
"Wouldn't he hurt Zoro?" Usopp lurked over the former pirate's shoulder to look at the neck ring. "He didn't seem like he would willingly do anything that might hurt Zoro."
"The explosion would not face inwards." It was Zoro who answered coolly, now looking almost the exact way Sanji knew him. Quiet, a bit too bored for the current situation and unreadable.
"Ready?"
The ring hit the wooden wall, circled around a few times and finally fell to the ground. It went faster than Sanji had seen. He was almost annoyed that after two years of training, he could still hardly spot Rayleigh's movements.
For a second, they all looked at the metal ring.
"Shouldn't it explode?" Franky asked.
Robin walked over and picked up the ring. Now the deep, sharp spikes like thorns inserted on the inside of the ring were visible. They all shimmered in a crimson color.
"It's still intact," she said, lost in thoughts.
"Does it hurt, Zoro?" Nami sounded extremely concerned.
Sanji looked back at the swordsman holding a hand against his neck as small runlets of blood dripped down his neck.
"Just a few scratches, nothing to worry about."
The Dark King dropped to the ground beside Zoro and laughed softly.
"Phew, I surprised myself. I thought I was going to behead you. Luckily, everything went well."
Now, for the first time, a small grin crept onto the swordsman's thin lips.
"Thanks man."
"Okay." Nami stood in front of the two. "I think it's time for you to tell us what the hell is going on, Zoro!"
It became deadly silent.
"What's going on here and why the hell is this Korekuta chasing you, Zoro?"
The two men on the ground exchanged a serious glance before Zoro shook his head.
"I don't think that..."
"I don't care what you think!" The navigator took another step forward. "It took us two long years to get reunited again and then you just disappear without a word. Leaving Sanji with a cryptic message that only Rayleigh can save you and then what just happened..."
She took a deep breath.
"Chopper is still out there somewhere, with Luffy. We could have avoided all of this here, if we had known that someone was coming for you." Zoro opened his mouth, but Nami wasn't done yet. "We were worried! Damn it! I thought we'd been through this often enough. If the past catches up on one of us, it affects the whole crew. So why? Why do you think you need to handle it on your own?"
Nobody said anything and no one dared to look at the navigator.
"Did you want to protect us? Because Chopper has just taken some heavy blow, just for the record. Since when do you decide such..."
"Nami." Usopp interrupted and put a hand on her shoulder. "This is not the right time to..."
"Now is the right time!" She slapped Usopp's hand away and grabbed her left shoulder. She had tears in her eyes and dug her fingers deep into her flesh.
"We are a crew, Zoro, but you didn't trust us. Instead you only trusted Rayleigh, why? And this... this man..."
"Enough." Zoro stood up, a cool expression on his face. Blood still dripped down his neck, seeping into his coat.
Sanji noticed Robin standing next to him, her arms firmly folded, an unreadable expression in her eyes.
"You should tell them the truth," Rayleigh advised calmly as he stayed seated on the floor.
Zoro stared to the ground and shook his head.
"No," he whispered, "I can't do that."
"Why not?" Brook sounded surprisingly gentle. "Do you think it could ever be the same again? Even if none of us asked, you know very well that you have to tell us the truth sooner or later. Otherwise, we cannot protect you or ourselves from people like Korekuta. And even if we trust you, are you still able to trust that we wouldn't doubt you?"
For the first time since they were on board, Zoro made eye contact with a crewmember. He took a deep breath and finally nodded.
"Fine, I will tell you everything you want to know. But only when everyone is back. Only after Luffy and Chopper have returned."
The navigator nodded: "I can live with this."
She turned to the rest of the crew.
"Okay, I want us to get the Sunny ready for departure. It might be that we have to leave immediately as soon as Luffy and Chopper show up." She gave each crewmember a task to take care of, before she turned to Zoro. "You stay here where I can keep an eye on you."
The green-haired man raised an eyebrow.
"Do you think I'm going to run away?"
She grinned slightly but did not respond. Then she looked meaningfully over to Sanji and nodded slightly to the swordsman, who fell back into the grass.
Sanji understood, rolled his eyes slightly, but nodded. Lighting a cigarette, he leaned against the railing, while Nami hurried after the others.
"Are you my babysitter?" Zoro grumbled mockingly.
Sanji enjoyed his cigarette.
"Blame yourself. If you hadn't just disappeared, Nami-swan wouldn't be so worried about you."
From the corner of his eye, he could see Robin watching them from the wheel; she still carried the neck ring along. Just looking how casually she was holding it made Sanji shiver.
The swordsman snorted but didn't reply anything.
For a few seconds, the three men remained calm, then Zoro dropped on his back and folded his arms behind the back of his head.
"You were right," he muttered to Rayleigh, "the past will catch up with all of us at some point."
The former pirate smiled slightly, despite the tension.
"You know I'm always right. But I did hope you had been given a few more months."
"Why?" asked Sanji, aware that he was interrupting in a private conversation.
Zoro looked at him, his unharmed eye only half-opened. He seemed like his usual self, but there still seemed to be a certain tension in him Sanji wasn't familiar with.
"Out of selfishness," he grumbled just before closing his eye. "Because as soon as you know everything, I will leave the crew."
"What?!" Sanji lost his cigarette and approached the swordsman. "What are you talking about?!"
"Sanji." Rayleigh raised both arms appeasingly. "Please calm down. He's too stubborn, it won't help to count your chickens before they hatch."
"What a bad pun" Zoro murmured, before the furious Sanji grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up into an almost sitting position, nearly dry blood dripped down Sanji's hands. Zoro looked at him, not even slightly impressed.
"Let me go," he commanded calmly.
"I don't think so," Sanji growled. "Not before you give me an explanation."
"I already said, not before Luffy and..."
"I didn't mean that!"
Sanji let go of the other and at the last moment Zoro could catch himself before hitting his head against the ground.
"Why him?" Sanji nodded over to the Dark King. "Why do you trust him more than us, your crew?"
For a moment, this one eye widened and the swordsman stared at Sanji in surprise before he looked away.
"That's not true," he muttered after a quick gaze at the former pirate. "It's just that I've known Rayleigh for quite some time. He knows things from my past that I'd rather forget."
This honest answer surprised Sanji, and he was almost ashamed of how he had just approached the other.
"How do you know each other." he asked more serene now, sitting down on the grass as well. Zoro could at least tell him that, couldn't he?
"He lied and took advantage of me," Zoro said with a soft grin.
"What?" Rayleigh turned to him. "No, I just didn't tell you the whole truth because otherwise you would have killed us. I saved you!"
The swordsman leaned back on the grass, folding the arms behind the back of his head, and closed his eye.
"Roger saved me, you lied through your teeth."
"Wait what?" Confused, Sanji looked back and forth between the men. "Roger died more than 24 years ago. When the hell would you have met him, Zoro?"
"Uff." Zoro scratched the back of the head. "Let me count, it must have happened somewhat 60 years ago."
"What?!" Those two idiots were probably just mocking Sanji.
"Not quite," Rayleigh corrected Zoro. "It's only been 57 years."
"No!" Sanji almost yelled. "But then you would have to be – I don't know - 70 years old or something."
Rayleigh smiled politely at him. "He's three years older than me."
Several times Sanji gasped for air and wanted to say something, but he didn't know what. It had to be a joke.
"Well, you've certainly aged well," he eventually mumbled.
Zoro grinned slightly and was about to reply, but suddenly the ship starting shaking. The next moment their captain hit the mast with full force.
"Luffy!" They shouted unanimously.
He crashed to the ground, not moving.
"What happened?"
From afar, a loud voice was heard: "Deal of Nature!"
Out of the blue, the earth began to shake.
"We have to leave!" Nami yelled from the bow side.
"What about Chopper?" Usopp yelled, rushing to Luffy.
Before anyone could answer, they all forgot to breathe. The island in front of them rose from the water, fyling higher and higher, leaving behind a huge crater within the ocean. But the water did not flow in as if it was stopped by an invisible wall.
The island continued to rise up, and up there, on the edge of the island, Korekuta Muchinushi stood and held Chopper over the abyss.