Chapter 8
Hawke could hear the roaring of the retreating animals and the shouts of the pirates fleeing the sky island.
Chopper, Usopp and Robin were rigging Shiki's palace with explosives. Nami had steered the island into a storm that was beginning to rage fiercely. Franky was preparing the Sunny's cola engine for their escape. And Luffy was off somewhere fighting Shiki.
"We're almost done here," she muttered before turning her attention to the task at hand.
She had just returned from the top of Shiki's palace with his flag, and now she had to make their escape mechanism.
"I'll help you, Hawke-san!" Brook gave her a bow.
Hawke smiled and lay the flag out on the ground.
"Thank you," she said, "Let's set up our parachute."
"Of course!" Brook sang, "This is my first battle as a Straw Hat and I have to say, your team work is quite interesting."
Hawke laughed as she looped rope through the corners of the flag.
"Yes, we have a strange fighting strategy," she smiled, "But it always gets us through."
Brook grunted as he lifted the rope and dragged it back onto the Sunny, pulling it up the rigging.
"This is bone breaking work," he panted.
Hawke let out a giggle.
"Hey, that was actually an appropriate bone joke, Brook!" she laughed.
"Oh!" the skeleton picked his nose, "So it was. And you were the only one around to hear it."
The two worked fast and soon the Sunny was ready for their escape from the sky islands. There was a moment of calm as they waited for the rest of the crew to return.
"May I ask you a question?" Brook broke their amiable silence.
Hawke lifted an eyebrow.
"No you may not see my panties," she stated in a firm voice.
The musician let out a laugh and leaned over.
"Yohohoho! That was not my question, Hawke-san," he chuckled, "But you have dashed my hopes."
Hawke smirked and stuck out her tongue.
"I am still new to this crew," Brook continued, "And so I have been watching everyone, trying to figure out your systems."
"Our systems?" Hawke interrupted.
Brook nodded.
"Each crew has its own way of working together," he said, "The Rumbar Pirates always had music playing and we rarely got into any fights unless we were harshly provoked…"
Hawke let her eyes move back to the palace before them, watching for signs of their crew returning.
"But this crew is quite different," Brook said, "You all seem to have separate goals and lives… but still appear to work as one unit… it's strange."
Hawke smiled and turned back to the skeleton.
"Yes, everyone has their own final goal," she said, "But we've become invested in each others dreams as well. We all want each other to succeed. And when one of us is in danger, we'll fight to the death to save them."
She gave Brook a wink.
"And I can say that I'm looking forward to you finally meeting up with Laboon again!" she smiled, "I can't wait to see that whale dancing to your music."
Brook smiled.
"Thank you very much, Hawke-san. A wonderful crew!" he chuckled, "How nice… and you and the captain are brother and sister, are you not?"
Hawke nodded.
"Luffy's my big brother," she smiled, "It seems I cause him some worry, even though I try my best not to."
She drew her knees up and rested her chin on them.
"Like today…," she sighed, "I got beat and he blamed himself, even though it had nothing to do with him."
Brook lifted a bony hand and placed it on her shoulder.
"A brother will always worry about his younger siblings" he said, "They are much like mothers in that sense."
Hawke laughed and shook her head.
"I suppose," she said, then her voice trailed off, "Makino used to worry about us all the time..."
The skeleton leaned down.
"Makino-san?" he asked, "Is that your and Luffy-san's mother?"
Hawke laughed and shook her head again.
"No," she explained, "But she is the woman who took care of Luffy and I when we were young."
The skeleton seemed to be watching Hawke and she shifted uncomfortably.
"Ah, sorry," Brook bowed his head, "I am always happy to find out more about my new friends."
Hawke blushed and shrugged.
"I'm sure she's part of why Luffy's so angry with Shiki's plan," she said, "Makino and all the people of our village… there's no way he'd let anything happen to them. Nor I for that matter!"
Just then, some shouting could be heard coming over the rail. The pair leapt to their feet and saw the figures of their crew come running into view.
"It seems it's almost time for us to leave," Brook laughed.
Hawke smiled and went to throw the ladder over the rail and help her friends up.
"The place is ready to blow," Usopp panted as he lifted Nami over the rail.
As he said this, the whole complex erupted in balls of flame.
As the rest of the crew climbed on board, the sky flashed and lightning began raining down. Hawke looked up to see Shiki himself flying through the air with Luffy close behind him on some sort of bird.
"How are you doing?" Zoro's breath warmed her ear and she started.
"I'm okay," she blushed, but didn't step away from the swordsman.
She smiled and unwrapped the bandages on the wings. The wounds underneath had already scarred over and showed no trace of reopening.
"That was quick," he muttered, lifting an eyebrow.
Hawke smirked.
"I'm tougher than I look," she gave him a devilish grin, "I can handle a man roughing me around a bit."
The embarrassed expression on Zoro's red face almost made her laugh out loud.
The crew watched as Luffy ducked and dodged Shiki's attacks and both of them struggled to stay in the air in the storm.
"Shiki!"
Nami's voice rang out and Hawke turned to see the navigator up on the roof of the bathroom.
"There's nothing left of your factory, your royal palace, or your island!" her words were carried forward on the wind, "Your plan failed completely!"
"What?!" Shiki shouted back and aimed his hand at the navigator.
Hawke immediately had her pistols out and cocked, her last cartridges were in the clip and she hope she had enough shots left.
"Don't you dare," she muttered under her breath as she aimed at Shiki's head.
But her actions were stayed when she heard her name being called.
"Hawke!" She turned and saw Zoro running towards her, his swords already out.
She understood his intent and took to the air, the pistols still in her hands. She swooped back down to the deck and Zoro leapt up, landing lightly on her back and the pair soared upwards.
"Just keep him busy until Luffy's ready," Hawke muttered as he leapt off her back and rocketed towards Shiki.
The Golden Lion used his leg-swords to defend against Zoro's first attack, but Hawke swooped down and brought Zoro back up to face Shiki. This time, as the swordsman let out a growl and plunged towards the pirate, she flew around to the side and attempted to draw attention away from the swordsman.
Shiki caught sight of her coming at him and turned to block her. This allowed Zoro to find an opening and he landed blow in the man's gut.
The attack shot Shiki backwards, a safe distance from the Sunny and away from the crew.
"That's it," Hawke smirked up at him and saw Luffy ready to attack.
She flew up under Zoro and he found his footing on her back. The pair of them returned to the deck and looked up to see Shiki clutching at his stomach and spit blood.
Zoro smirked and had a satisfied look on his face.
Hawke stared up at the fight that was about to finish their work here.
The Golden Lion's face twisted in frustration and he dove down towards the ship. But a shout from Luffy stopped him in his tracks.
"I'm your opponent Shiki!" the rubber boy shouted as he blew his fist up into gear third.
The air moved through his body and down to his leg, which was flung up into the clouds.
"You'll die like that!" Shiki shouted, "You'll get hit by lightning and fall!"
Hawke smirked and glared at the man hovering in the air.
"You're the one who's going to fall, Shiki!" she shouted.
Luffy's voice carried down to the crew.
"I'm not letting you touch the East Blue!"
Shiki let out another laugh and spread his arms, taunting the rubber boy to attack him.
"I am the man who will conquer the ocean from the sky!" he cried.
Hawke stiffened at these words and spread her wings again. She felt an instinctual urge rise up in her which pushed her forwards.
"Oi, Hawke!" she heard Zoro snap from behind her, but she leapt off the rail.
She flew right up to Shiki and hovered in the air before him.
"Conquer the ocean from the sky, you say?" she glared at him, lifting her pistols and pointing them directly at his face. The words seemed to be coming out of her mouth on their own, but she let them, enjoying the look of surprise on the Gold Lion's face, "The sky doesn't belong to you! What makes you think I'll give you permission?"
The man's yellow hair billowed out behind him as he froze in a moment of shock. Hawke smirked.
"You shouldn't act like that in front of someone who can shoot you so easily," she said, keeping her voice deadly calm.
She shifted her aim and pulled the triggers. The bullets whizzed through the air, disappearing into the stormy sky, but leaving two cuts on either side of the man's cheeks, mirroring the marks he'd left on her.
Hearing Luffy shout from above her, Hawke quickly flew down and landed back on the deck of the Sunny.
"I will never let you touch my crew or the sea for as long as I live!"
Luffy's cry came loud and clear through the air.
The sky seemed to break apart as a tremendous crash of thunder and lightning split the clouds, illuminating Luffy's giant foot as it came down. The force of the blow cracked the ground they were standing on and the Sunny began to fall.
"Time to go!" shouted Franky, his giant fists already on the wheel, "Hold on tight!"
Hawke clung to the mast as they flew off with a coup de burst.
"Good job Luffy," she whispered as she watched Shiki's body falling towards the sea, "Thank you."