Well, I meant to update sooner but you see...I sort of got busy with school and everything so...yeah. Anyway, I don't really have much to say so...enjoy!!!
Chapter 9
Kelvin walked down the hallway towards the King's bedroom. He was feeling better this morning and he had heard that the King had an interesting experiance last night, much like his.
The guards allowed him to enter and he sat down on a chair beside the King's bed.
"Kelvin, it's good to see you." Cobra said cheerfully. Then he noticed the bandages running across Kelvin's chest. "What happened?"
"Same thing that happened to you." he replied.
Cobra sighed. "Why didn't they tell me about this?" he murmered. Then he suddenly looked straight at Kelvin, "That boy, his name, do you know it?"
"Um...no. I think it's Luffy, isn't it?" Kelvin said uncertainly.
Cobra nodded. "Monkey D. Luffy." he replied.
"What?!!!" Kelvin cried. "Monkey D. Luffy? The...the Pirate King?!!!"
"That's the one." Cobra said with a small nod.
Kelvin sat there, processing this.
Cobra spoke. "Did Vivi ever tell you about Crocodile?"
"Yes." Kelvin replied. "But I don't see-"
Cobra cut him off. "That boy, well man now, saved our country from Crocodile. I owe him something."
"Are you crazy?!! You don't owe him anything!!!! He tried to kill you!!!!" Kelvin cried, not quite believing what he was hearing.\
Cobra gave a long sigh before continuing. "There's something else. He...he's in love with Vivi." He paused to let this sink in. "He told her he would come back for her one day, but after a few years, I didn't believe it. Vivi told me to have more faith in him but I just couldn't. That's why I set her up to marry you. And then, he must have somehow found out. Tell me, was he here before yesterday?"
Kelvin nodded. "He came to see Vivi but they got in some kind of argument. I came in in the middle of it and then he got mad at me. Now, it makes a little more sense." Kelvin explained. He neglected to tell him about the actual physical contact. Something told him this wasn't the time. "Then that means that I-"
"Took his place." Cobra finished. "I can't imagine the pain it brought him to come back only to find her engaged." Cobra held up his right hand, which was bandaged, and thought of Luffy's talk about the pain he had endured. "The Luffy that was here last night, that wasn't the same person that was in Alabasta and beat Crocodile. That Luffy was someone else."
"What?" Kelvin asked in confusion.
"Someone turned his pain and anger towards me. They showed him that this was mostly my fault. The ones who sent him are the ones that want me dead. They just used him. And that's why I want to see him again. I want to tell him I'm sorry and that I forgive him for last night. I fear that it's only a matter of time before whoever sent him punishes him for failing." Cobra explained.
Kelvin couldn't believe it, but he was kind of starting to feel sorry for Luffy. After all, he had taken the woman he loved and called him a monster. If he had truly saved Alabasta, how bad could he be? He shook off the thought with a shudder. This was the man who had tried to kill him!
At that moment, a guard burst into the room. "The prisoner...he...he's gone!!!" he cried.
"They've come." Cobra said quietly. "It's time for your punishment Luffy. Be careful."
The guard looked confused. This was not the reply he had expected. "Sir?" he said questioningly.
"Let him go. Whatever they do to him will be much worse." Cobra replied.
The guard looked like he wanted to object, partly out of confusion, but he left the room to relay the orders.
"Kelvin," Cobra said. "Go to your room and stay there. You know too much and they might target you. I'll have guards sent to watch after you."
Kelvin nodded and took this as a hint to leave. He stood up and left the room. "Where are you Vivi?" he wondered.
In an Unmarked Building:Outside Alubarna
Vivi was still chained to the wall. Her arms ached and her wrists were sore. She still had no idea where she was or who he captors were.
She suddenly heard a noise coming from the hallway outside the cell. She jerked her head up and waited to see who would appear.
The door to the cell swung open and a man she recognized all to well walked in. "It's good to see you princess." he said with a wicked grin.
"Crocodile!" she cried in disbelief and disgust. "What are you doing here?"
"Are you not happy to see me?" Crocodile asked in mock sadness.
"What do you think?" she retorted.
"I see you haven't changed much. You have grown up a bit though. I thought you would like to know that you'll be having a cell mate soon." he said.
"Please don't be father. Don't let them have him too!" Vivi thought.
Crocodile seemed to enjoy her discomfort. "It's a man that had been charged with attempted murder. The attemted murder of your own father and some man. Kelvin was his name."
"What?!" Vivi cried. "It was only attempted. He's not dead." her brain told her.
"They're fine though. For now anyway." Crocodile said. Right then, there was the sound of a door opening further down the hall. "Sounds like your company is here."
Vivi bit her lower lip. How could she share a cell with the same person who tried to kill her father?
At that moment, a man walked in. When he stepped into the light from the lantern, she recognized him from her time spent with Baroque Works. "Mr.1?" she thought in confusion. Then she noticed that he was carrying someone over his shoulder. Was that the man who had tried to kill her father?
"Chain him to the wall beside the princess. She could use the company." Crocodile said. He then stood up and exited the small cell.
Mr.1 walked over and then took the man off his shoulder and chained him to the wall. Vivi couldn't bring herself to look at the person beside her until after Mr.1 had left. What she saw when she looked up shocked her. "Luffy?!!!" she cried. Had he really tried to kill her father?! Then she noticed that his normal red vest and sandles were missing, and finally, she noticed the hideous welts and deep gashes all over his body. Blood seemed to be on every bit of skin. "What happened to him?" she thought in horror.
The whole time she had been observing him, he had kept his head down, his bangs covering his eyes. She now saw that his hat was laying on the floor beside him. "Luffy?" she tried to get him to look up but he didn't stir. "Luffy?" she tried again. She wasn't even sure if he was alive. That thought creeped her out. He slightly stirred and she was reasured. "Luffy?" she tried one last time.
This time, it worked. He looked up and she could see the huge welt that ran across his face. She gasped. "Vivi?" he asked weakly.
"Luffy, I...I'm here." She had suddenly found herself at a loss for words. All the questions about her father, why Luffy was here, and about Kelvin disappeared when she saw his haunted expression.
"Vivi, I'm sorry." he said.
"W-What?" she asked. She was taken off guard at his sudden remark.
He hung his head back to the floor. "I'm sure that you know what I've done by now. I almost killed two people Vivi. People you really care about. I helped a monster to try and take over your country. And now, because of me, he'll probably succeed. Now that I've failed their mission, I know they'll kill me. I'm no use to them anymore. I'm sorry for letting you down. I am a monster. But one thing, when I told you I loved you, I meant it. Even now when I know you don't love me, I still love you. Death won't change that." Luffy said.
Vivi felt hot tears well up inside her eyes. "Don't say things like that! I do love you! And you won't die!" she cried. Then quietly, "You can't die. You can't leave me."
"I'm sorry but it won't be long now. Thank you for telling me that you really do care about me. I'll die knowing someone still cares." Luffy said calmly, and yet, sadly.
"Please, please don't say things like that!" Vivi begged as the tears flowed freely down her face.
"I've accepted my fate." he said simply.
Vivi bit her lip to stop herself from sobbing.
There were footsteps from down the hall. Luffy smiled sadly. "Have fun at your wedding, if you can stop Crocodile. It sounds like my time has come."
"Luffy, please, don't go." Vivi begged.
He looked up at her and his smile melted her heart. "How could I have hurt him so much? It doesn't matter how long it would have taken, I should have had more faith in him. But now...it's to late." she thought.
The door to the cell opened. "That seastone should have weakened you by now, plus the torture you have already endured." Crocodile said as he slowly approached Luffy. "Do you want to know the consequences of failing?" he asked Luffy.
Luffy looked him straight in the eye. "Death." he said calmly.
Vivi struggled to break free but it was in vain.
"Are you ready?" Crocodile asked.
Luffy looked over at Vivi one last time. "Goodbye Vivi." he said. He smiled and then turned to face Crocodile. "I'm ready."
Crocodile grinned evily. "Do you remember how it feels to be impaled?" he asked. Then he took his hook and rammed it through Luffy's stomach. Luffy's eyes went wide and he gasped for air. Crocodile pulled out his hook. The blood from the deep hole in Luffy's stomach spilled onto the floor and a bit splattered on his hat.
"LUFFY!!!!!!!!" Vivi screamed in sheer horror.
Crocodile laughed wickedly as Luffy's body went limp. The chains held him against the wall. "Goodbye Strawhat." he said before turning to Vivi. "Let's go princess. We have a little appointment to make and you don't want to be late for your father do you?"
He removed the chains and threw her over his shoulder. "LUFFY!!!!!!" she screamed as Crocodile dragged her off from her bleeding and dying friend.
So what did you think? Did I surprsie you there at the end? Well, if I did, AWESOME!!! If not, jut read the next chapter! XD
