CHAPTER 28

The Navy Ship Comes Forth! Tori's Lie!

"The marines are coming for you and your crew."

Ari's words go through Zoro's mind over and over again, but he's having a difficult time processing what she said. Why did she choose now of all times to tell me?! "Why-h-how long have you known this?" Zoro's hands slip away from Ari's face and waist as he tries to make sense of it.

"A while, I guess," she says, still struggling to remember how long it's been exactly. When Zoro looks at her with shock, she continues, "I was admitted to the medical wing a night ago and I sustained a head injury that caused some short-term amnesia. I knew that there was something important I had to tell you, but I just couldn't remember what it was until just now."

He looks back down to the ground. Her explanation sounds plausible, after all I saw her in the medical wing myself yesterday morning. There was a huge bandage wrapped around her head and everything. Besides, if she had purposely not told me about it, why would she bother telling me now that the marines might already be on their way? He looks back up at Ari and nods, signaling that he understands. Ari gives a small sigh of relief.

Zoro gets to his feet and extends a hand down to help Ari up. She gladly accepts the gesture. "We have to warn the crew," he asserts.

Ari nods and Zoro starts toward the forest when Ari catches his arm to stop him. "But… let me lead the way, okay?"

Zoro grumbles at this, but doesn't try to argue as Ari leads the way back to the village.

XXX

Right after calling Vice Admiral Momonga to send the ships that had been on standby, Marin grabs the sea-prism-stone handcuffs and a sea-prism-stone chain out of the sack of cleaner in the janitor's closet. Momonga had sent her here on a mission five years ago to make sure that the Empress carried out her duties and didn't try to ignore a world government summons again. The reason that the marines chose her was because while she was fully trained as an officer, she was expendable. If the Empress ever decided to turn her to stone, the navy wouldn't lose anyone they couldn't replace. I proved them wrong. She grins. I am NOT expendable. Marin takes the cuffs and heads down the stairs to where Tori's hospital room is. She keeps the cuffs behind her back and enters Tori's room as if she's just a concerned subordinate. "How are you feeling?" Marin asks, coming up to Tori's bedside.

"I'm alright," Tori whispers.

Marin says, "Well, I hope you feel better. It's hard doing so much work around here."

Tori doesn't respond.

Marin takes a moment to pretend to be distracted by Tori's nails. "Woah, are those your natural nails?"

"You've seen them a dozen times, Marin." Tori rolls her eyes.

"But I want to see them once more, Tori!" Marin is left in awe at the perfection of Tori's naturally white nails as she holds Tori's hand in her own. Suddenly, Marin brings around the sea-prism-stone handcuffs and slaps them around Tori's wrists, quickly locking them into place. "Or shall I call you the Fluttering Swordswoman?"

Tori closes her faded eye, but then opens it again as she comes to the realization that this isn't her imagination. This is really happening… Tori is dumbfounded at the fact that the marine spy thinks she's the Fluttering Swordswoman. Tori had figured out long ago that Marin was a spy for the marines when she ripped out the logbook page. It detailed how Marin had washed up on the island the same day that the marine ship took Boa Hancock to her summons from the world government. Nonetheless, Tori goes along with Marin's accusations just like she did with Zoro.

She looks so shocked! I must have hit the nail on the head!

"H-how did you know?! I demand to know how you found out!" Tori screams at Marin.

"I have my ways." Marin cocks up a smile. "None of which I'd reveal to a pirate," Marin spits. "Now, get up. You have a marine battleship that can't wait to blow you to pieces." Marin takes the chain and loops it around the middle of the handcuffs, rendering a useful leash to drag her captive.

Tori refuses at first, not budging an inch out of the bed, but the sea-prism-stone weakens her and Marin is able to force her to get up. Marin leads Tori down the hall of the medical wing and up the stairs. She is sure to keep a tight grip on the chain the entire time. They arrive in the foyer and head straight through the front doors. Tori tries to pull away, but the sea-prism-stone renders not only her devil fruit powers useless, but her own physical strength as well. Her breath comes quickly and her palms sweat, but she ignores it. She refuses to show fear. I'm doing this for my captain, she reminds herself as she is forced down the streets by the marine spy. The villagers all stop what they're doing, curious as to what's happening, but despite them all being warriors, none of them step in. After all, all they see is two palace maids, one leading the other in handcuffs. The villagers don't even know what sea-prism-stone handcuffs are. Soon, the two girls enter into a forest.

As the forest begins clearing up, a massive navy vessel comes into view. "Looks like they're already here," Marin says triumphantly.

Tori looks to the shore and sees that Marin's right. Tori sighs. This is it. All those years of surviving no matter what have come to an end. I am a survivor. I was a survivor.

XXX

Together, Ari and Zoro run through the forest, making their way back to the palace to warn the rest of the Strawhats of the impending arrival of the navy. Ari leads the way as they agreed, but soon finds herself going in circles. She discreetly looks this way and that as to not alarm Zoro that she has no idea where she's going. How on earth did I manage to get lost going to the palace from the cliff's edge?! I go from one to the other all the time!

To Ari's dismay, Zoro catches wind of her difficulty and pipes up, "And you say I'm bad with directions." He smirks.

"Oh, shush. I've only lived here for five years so it's natural that I wouldn't know the island that well. Who says I'm bad with directions anyway?"

"All five major directions."

"There's only four major directions."

"Yeah," he utters, rubbing his hand behind his neck, "That's what I meant."

They wander around a little farther. "Could I, I dunno, just take the lead for a couple minutes?"

Ari ponders this and figures that he couldn't do a worse job than her so she appeases him. "So, great-navigator, where we headed?"

Zoro looks around and points somewhere, "That way."

"You just pointed to a random direction!"

"Got any better ideas?"

Ari stays silent at this as her and Zoro leap back into the sprint that they were in earlier. She runs close behind Zoro along the trail that he blazes. She's about to interject and insist that she take over navigational duties when suddenly, she's no longer in the cool shade of the trees. Instead she's out by the shore standing on the sand. There's a navy ship docked a little ways away from the coast and Ari gasps in surprise at the sight of who's onboard, but luckily Zoro claps a hand over her mouth to keep them from being heard. Slowly, Ari backs back into the cover of the forest, but not too far back since they want to overhear what's going on.

That man… that monster… I haven't seen the likes of him since five years ago and I never planned on seeing him ever again. Ari shivers and clenches her fists. Vice Admiral Momonga.

Zoro peeks through the branches keeping him and Ari hidden and sees two women walking towards the boat. He takes a closer look and recognizes them as two of the maids in the palace: Marin and Tori. Marin is dragging Tori along with a chain that's wrapped around some sea-prism-stone handcuffs that keep Tori captive. Marin walks up the plank leading to the marine ship.

I just found her! I refuse to have her get captured just like that! In a moment of panic, Zoro gets up and readies himself to save the Fluttering Swordswoman from being captured. He walks behind Ari and opens his mouth to let her know what he's planning, when he sees something interesting tattooed on Ari's neck.

[Author's note: to see the illustration for this portion find me on Deviantart!]

He finds himself unable to look away at the sight of it. It's the Fluttering Swordswoman's jolly roger. Now why would Ari have a tattoo of the Fluttering Swordswoman's flag? Every memory that he has of Ari since the moment he met her flashes past his mind and everything starts to add up. She couldn't swim when she fell in the water, she's a brunette, she's a swordsman and she has horrible nightmares… Ari's sleep-talking from when he walked in on one of her nightmares resurfaces and plays back in his brain, 'Stop it! I won't let you, you bastard! How dare you! My… cr… My friends… Emi… Pheonix… they're all dead… pirates… My… cr…'

Pheonix… that was the name of the first mate of the Fluttering Swordswoman. And just now… she said that she's only lived here five years… it was five years ago that the Fluttering Swordswoman would have came here. And then there's the tattoo. Come to think of it, that cardigan she's wearing… no wonder it was familiar! That's the same one I saw on the stage today! Robin and I never considered the possibility that some new villagers weren't recorded. So Tori isn't the Fluttering Swordswoman after all. Ari is.

Zoro is momentarily shocked by his new revelation and can do nothing but stare at the woman in front of him. She feels him staring at her and turns her head around to see what's up. He continues to stare as he whispers just under his breath, "You're the Fluttering Swordswoman…"

Ari remains speechless at his sudden conclusion.

Zoro turns back to the the navy ship watching and listening carefully as to not miss anything that happens. If Ari is the Fluttering Swordswoman… who is Tori? And why did she go along with it?

Ari is still rendered speechless, but follows Zoro's example and looks back to the scene unfolding before them…

"Vice Admiral Momonga, the Fluttering Swordswoman as promised," Marin recites proudly.

Momonga lifts the brunette up by the chains on her handcuffs and takes a look at her face. One look is all it takes. Momonga's hands shake with anger as he bellows to his incompetent subordinate, "DOES THIS LOOK LIKE THE FLUTTERING SWORDSWOMAN TO YOU? YOU NUMBSKULL, THIS ISN'T THE FLUTTERING SWORDSWOMAN! IT'S HER FIRST MATE!"

[to see the end illustration for part 2 find me on Deviantart! You know my username]

So that's the end for part 2! Hopefully I'll get started on a part 3 sometime soon, but we'll just have to see. Until next time and thank you again for reading and following along with my story ^^

-Pheonixdino