Disclaimer: You know what I own and don't own. I don't own One Piece, but I own my characters. You steal and you get eaten by misquitoes. :D Enjoy!
Lazzzy Dayz
By Mischievous Sin
Chapter 11 – Blood for Memory
A day later and Time had seemed to slow ever since they managed to get away from Prince Aladono's grasp. Ame and Yuki Kokotsu, the two ninjas that had helped Luffy and the others escape, had left the pirates right after they left Aladono's island. The winter chill on the Grand Line had finally started to set in, but it didn't matter since the next island would be a Summer island. Mel, though, was still very quiet and seemed so confused. She hadn't said a word nor had she eaten anything since they left, and Zoro…
"Guys," Katsu said running up to the usual group she hung around. "Has anyone seen Onii-chan?"
"Who, Zoro? No, I haven't." PyrX replied. "What about you guys?"
They each shook their heads.
"Where could he have gone?"
"Maybe the Crow's Nest again," Usopp suggested. "Remember the last time he was missing?"
"Oh yeah," Katsu nodded, thinking about what happened last time. "I think I'll leave him there. It's best not to bother him, right?"
"Yeah, after what happened to Mel," PyrX said. "I think he's blaming himself for it."
"But it wasn't his fault."
PyrX shrugged. The others shrugged as well and began a new discussion. Katsu sighed and joined them.
In the Galley…
The pots and pans clanged against each other and the sizzling of oil filled the room with various noises. But if you took those noises away, it was pretty much quiet. Sanji glanced at the lifeless looking person that sat at the table in the center of the room. She hadn't eaten, or slept, or even moved since they got back from Aladono's Palace. Sanji frowned and took another drag of his cigarette as he added some ingredients to his recipe. Afterwards, he took another glance at Mel. She had not moved and her eyes were still lifeless.
"Y'know Mel," he said turning back to his cooking. "You're gonna have to eat sooner or later."
No response. He sighed and went to grab 11 bowls from the cupboard. He then poured some of the soup he had made into each bowl and set it on the table, one in front of Mel's face. She didn't move.
"Mel," he said again. "You have to eat. I don't want you to get sick."
He still got no response. He looked down and turned away towards the door. As soon as he opened it, Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, Katsu, and PyrX dashed into the room, each taken a spot near a bowl of warm soup.
"OOooo, it looks so delicious," Luffy cooed as he was about to dig in, but alas, Sanji swiftly kicked him on the head and told him to wait for the others.
One by one, the girls (Ryu, Robin, and Robin) entered, taken a seat by one of the bowls as well.
"Sanji-kun," Ryu asked.
"YES MY RYU-CHAN?"
"Has Mel-chan said anything?"
Everyone stopped and turned a head to Sanji who sighed and shook his head.
"She hasn't moved, talked, eaten, nor slept," he said with a frown.
Sanji stopped to look around and count the number of people at the table. Zoro was missing.
"Oi, where's Marimo?"
"I think he's in the Crow's Nest," Katsu replied.
"Is he going to starve himself now?"
"Maybe."
"…LUFFY, DIDN'T I TELL YOU TO WAIT?"
Luffy blinked at his empty soup bowl and looked over at Mel.
"Mel, are you gonna eat that?"
WHAM!
"OWWWWWWW!"
Everybody glared at Luffy who clutched his head with newly formed bumps. Just then, the door opened and Zoro stepped in. His shoulders were coated in a white fluffy substance.
"Where have you been, Marimo?"
"Outside," he said simply. "It's snowing now."
"IT IS!"
Chopper, Usopp, Katsu, PyrX, and Luffy's eyes sparkled and they dashed out of the galley, their bowls already empty. It became very quiet all of the sudden, except for the cheerful laughs and shouts outside. The people inside, though, sat quietly eating their soup. That's when Nami spoke up.
"She hasn't said a thing yet," Nami said to Zoro. "She hasn't eaten, moved, or slept either."
"So I heard," he replied not even caring to look at the lifeless eyes that stared at nothing. "Well, I'm done."
They blinked at Zoro who was heading outside into the snowy scenery and turned to Mel. She hadn't moved.
"Do you think he cares?" Nami asked once everyone had finished their soup.
"I'm sure he does," Ryu answered. "Perhaps he's blaming himself."
"Mr. Bushido is very confusing, sometimes," Robin replied as she helped Sanji put the dishes away. "It must be horrible for Mel-chan not being able to remember a thing."
They all nodded and turned to the place where Mel should've been sitting, but they noticed she wasn't there. They exchanged glance and immediately went outside, but all they saw was a few childish pirates having a snowball fight.
"Great," Nami grimaced. "She's finally moved, and now she disappeared."
"Look, footprints," Ryu pointed out.
There were footprints everywhere, or course, but one set of footprints was that of a foot. Mel had not been wearing shoes at the time, so it had to be hers. The weird thing about it was that it was following another set of prints, one made by a black boot; one that just happened to belong to a certain swordsman named…
"Where'd Zoro go again?" Katsu asked as she looked around.
"I thought I saw him a few seconds ago," PyrX replied while making a huge snowball. "Maybe he went to the crow's nest again?"
"Not likely," Katsu shook her head and she propped PyrX's sword on a hump of snow like a seesaw would look. "I would've seen him go up."
"Well, I dunno," she shrugged placing the boulder-sized snowball on the one side of the seesaw. "BOMBS AWAY!"
Katsu and PyrX dropped another huge boulder of snow on the other end of the sword-made-seesaw launching it right at Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper and landing right on their heads.
Elsewhere (at the stern of the ship)…
With his three swords at his side and his green hair moving in the wind, Zoro leaned on the rail admiring the waves of the Grand Line. It was pretty weird for it to be snowing, but then again it is winter and it is the Grand Line. Anything could happen. He sighed as he brushed the snow off his head and turned to head back inside when he noticed a blade pointed at his throat. Dressed in nothing but a white, sleeveless nightgown and without any shoes either, Mel stood with her Dragon Blade at his neck. Her eyes weren't as emotionless as before, but she wasn't back to normal.
"M-mel," he stared with bewildered eyes. "What are you doing?"
"…kill…"
With a swift move, she slashed at him, just barely missing his head in the process. Backing away, Zoro's eyes widened even more.
"Mel! What the hell are you doing?" He asked, but she wasn't listening.
She continued to swing at him aimlessly until he was backed up against the railing. When he bumped into it, he quickly spun away before receiving a face full of metal.
'Damn!' He thought as he continued to dodge Mel's attacks. 'Mel, what's wrong with you!'
"ZORO!"
He glanced to Nami, Sanji, and the other girls who were staring at the one-sided battle. In that short time, the Dragon Blade had connected with Zoro's right cheek. It wasn't deep or serious, but it still drew blood.
"MEL! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Ryu shouted.
She gave no reply. Mel's attacks grew faster and swifter, but Zoro continued to dodge it.
'What am I going to do? If this keeps up, then she'll kill me!' A hand wandered to his white katana, Wadou Ichimonji. 'Crap, I can't fight her!'
Taking his hand away from Wadou, he grabbed Mel's wrists and held her wrists above her head, forcing her to drop the Dragon Blade. He looked into her emotionless eyes with worry and a bit of annoyance.
"What the hell were you thinking!" He shouted at the blank girl.
"..."
"Are you even listening!"
"Marimo," Sanji said taking hold of Mel's wrists. "Let her go. She just needs rest."
Zoro looked up at the cook who was staring back with a serious manner. Understanding, Zoro released his grip on her and sighed, but just as Sanji began to lead Mel away, something happened.
"Ooff!" Sanji grunted as he grabbed his stomach that Mel had just elbowed with full force.
In a swift motion, she grabbed the Dragon Blade that sat on the ground and thrust it into the green haired swordsman. He gasped as the metal moved itself through him, and all time seemed to stop, except for the snow that was still falling around them.
"M-mel…?" He whispered as she began to remove the blade.
"What have I done?"
Looking up into her eyes, he saw that the natural color had returned to them and tears were welling up in them. Zoro closed his eyes and felt himself fall forward. He could just barely hear the desperate shouts of his name before he blacked out…
.X.O.X.O.X.O.X.O.
"Chopper, will he be alright?"
"He should be fine. We're lucky that the blade missed his vital organs."
"That's good to hear. When will he wake up?"
"I'm not sure."
"That's okay. He'll probably come to sometime soon."
"Yeah, you're right… Nami, why'd Mel attack Zoro?"
"I… I'm not really sure Chopper. I think Aladono must've done something to her when he brainwashed her."
"Ooh…"
Zoro opened his eyes slightly and blinked to get them in focus. Nami and Chopper were in the Men's Quarters talking about him. What happened? Ohh, right. Mel… Forcing himself to sit up on the couch, he grimaced as a sharp pain traveled up to his chest where the Dragon Blade was pushed through. Wincing, he moved to stand up, but was quietly pushed back down by gravity (and a human sized reindeer named Chopper).
"Zoro! You shouldn't be getting up!" The doctor scolded as he returned to his innocent size. "You should be getting some rest!"
"I got plenty of rest. Where's Mel?"
"She's on deck, and I told you to stay down!"
"You don't need to worry about her, y'know," Nami interrupted. "She's back to normal, her memory is restored and everything."
"I'd rather see that for myself," Zoro glared. "Afterall, she did lunge a sword through me."
"No. I won't allow it. She's too sad to talk and you'd just make it worse."
"Huh?"
Nami sighed and glared at Zoro with annoyed eyes.
"Do you even understand how much it bothers her that she nearly killed you? SHE FEELS HORRIBLE! It's quite obvious, if you think about it! You know, sometimes I wonder what goes on in your thick skull!"
Zoro frowned and leaned back on the couch. Nami continued to nag on him and yell at him, but he blocked it out. He was in deep thought. Just then, a loud cannon shot sounded and rocked the ships forcing everyone to grab hold of something sturdy.
"WE'RE HIT! WE'RE HIT!" PyrX shouted on deck.
"SOMEONE FIX THAT HOLE BEFORE WE ALL DROWN!" Ryu ordered.
"SCREW THAT! WE'RE HIT! WE'RE DOOOOOMED!" PyrX replied in panic.
"OH SHUT UP! RETURN FIRE!"
Again, a loud cannon fire echoed and rocked the ship. After much struggling, Nami, Chopper, and Zoro made their way to the deck. A marine ship was in clear view and not too far off the starboard side.
"CRAP!" Usopp yelled with planks of wood, nails, and a hammer in hand. "THE HOLE IS TOO BIG! IT'S FILLING UP!"
"Close off the room that's filled to stop it from sinking the ship," someone's voice said in the mist of the panic.
Usopp nodded and headed back down followed by Katsu, Robin, and Chopper. Zoro was looking around the ship for the person who calmed the crew, and his gaze stopped at Mel who was walking back into the kitchen. Zoro followed in behind her.
"Mel," he called.
"What is it…?"
Zoro blinked.
"Uhh, how are you?"
"A bit morbid," she mumbled. "How's your… um…"
"It's fine, don't worry about it."
"Right…"
Silence…
"THEY'RE GONNA BOARD US!" PyrX's voice screamed.
"Shit," they said in unison and headed out on deck.
O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0O
Sin: Gomen, late update again. --; I was at Mystic Seaport and camping. XX Buuusy week. BUT ANYHOW, Review time!
Mirathin: Hmm, I did erase her memory, didn't I? Well, that'll all be explained in the next chapter. I promise! (gives you pie… again)
Takahane: Oh yes, Group Pwn pwns! I still can't believe I came up with 6 sword style Oni Giri. It's still playing in my head. I just love killing off characters. XD (gives you pie again)
Guest: I shall continue if you review! (gives pie)
4getregret: YAY! VIP PARTAY! IWA! IWA!
Aladono: Was I that hated?
Sin: YES! (MURDER YOU)
Aladono: XX (sob)
Sin: See ya in the next chapter! (blows kisses and fades)