A/N: Before you read, I just want to say I took some small liberties with this chapter. Because I know it was explained that there are three known ways of using haki. Now, I'm playing with the use of haki a bit. BECAUSE I'm going on the possibility of there being someone rare that can use it a bit differently. Seeing as NO ONE is supposed to be able to eat two devil fruits and live, much less have two of the powers but for some reason the fat, ugly Blackbeard did just that, or am I wrong? So there is something about his pudgy, gross, disturbing self that allows him to have two. Not sure if it was explained why yet but oh well. Just go with that since there are some people, abielt they are rare, that can use haki, there is one or two that can use it a fourth way. (Also, I know Law has an awesome one but I also know that haki can be used to attack someone like Smoker. So if haki can be used to attack against a devil fruit power, it should be able to used to defend against one) On with the story.
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Chapter Six - Horrible Truths
The air dropped several degrees in temperature the futher Nami allowed herself to be steered towards the opening of the building. They were really going to go inside the abandoned place. She didn't want to go but she feared turning around and running more. From the noise behind, the unexpected arrival of more pirates was becoming a serious issue. They crew wasn't that reliable, none except for the old cook. Nami was sure that if there was even one decent fighter on the other crew, they would show soon. More pirates searching for whatever this tomb held? There was nothing but dust inside the expansive area, that had once been a throne room. The support columns were barely holding up the ceiling. Years of being eaten away by the elements had them ready to crumble at the slightest vibration. If anyone tried to fight inside, it might kill them all.
"There she is," Les tightened his hold around the slender shoulders and led her towards the occupied throne. There wasn't a fucking thing inside this place. Dirt, webs, and several dried up corpses but nothing to indicate that there was a way to what he sought. The rest of the village had been destroyed by the storm and time. This was the only building left standing, so it had to be here. The only one to know the answer was dead and left as nothing but bone.
It was horrible, it looked so wrong. Nami shivered, like a frozen finger had ran along her spine. The skeleton was definitely female, dressed in torn but regal clothing. A gold crown sat upon the lowered skull. The skull was somehow still resting in the opened palms, as if the woman had died weeping. How could the bones remain in such a position? What were they going to do? There was nothing here for them, "Les?"
"Look around, Nort." Les inspected the corpse for any sign that it held a clue. There had to be something here. This was the place and he hadn't returned here for nothing. There had to be a way to get to it. The problem was that the place was huge and open, the entrance could be anywhere and he didn't have the time to look over every crack. The Strawhats would be here soon and he didn't want to waste time messing with them. "Don't look at it, come here."
For once, Nami didn't care that the arms came to pull her against the hard chest. It blocked her view from the dead woman. Seeing it made her terribly sad for some reason. Was it the few strands of long orange hair, much like her own, or was it knowing that the person hadn't died happy? She felt the gentle kiss upon her temple, "I don't like it here."
"I know and we will leave soon. Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you." Les felt her relax in his hold at the reassurance. Not even those that were rudely rushing inside and attacking his men would prevent this. This was his birthright and so was she. The pathetic crew would not interfere with his plans.
"NAMI!" Several voices called out in earnest, echoing along the empty walls. Pebbles fell from the columns, falling to the stone floor. The men standing guard at the entrance were taken down without much effort.
Once again, Nami whimpered against the pain in her temples at the voices. These people knew her name but she didn't know them. She turned her face, but didn't put any space between her and the warm chest. Standing just inside were four men, she didn't recall any of them. Her gaze fell on the first; the tallest and the most slender. Nothing but confusion when looking upon him and she didn't think it due to his lack of taste when it came to head accessories. The next was a blonde male that was smoking. The features were boyishly handsome and all she felt was sadness. The third had her tightening her hold on the captain that was still holding on. The man carried three weapons and apprehension coiled in her stomach. The last was the one that had called out to her before, the younger looking one with the straw hat. The same name came to mind but thinking it also brought strange and unwanted feelings of betrayal. Looking at the face, made her want to cry.
"Heh, don't worry, Captain." Nort cracked his neck and walked around the dirty throne. Pity, they would have to fight in this place. It wasn't right to disturb the dead but they weren't going to get the choice. "I got it under control."
"Give Nami back, you bastard." Luffy tightened his fists, he was beyond pissed. That asshole hadn't hesitated in bringing Nami here. Couldn't they tell that the place was unstable? He wasn't the most sensitive person but he could tell that the island didn't want them here. That weak crew hadn't given them any problems, it had been the damn forest. Or so they assumed on the way in. Not just them but the other pirates had begun to get attacked. The only group that seemed to have no issue continuing had been this one.
Les chuckled at the many looks of hate and ire directed solely at him. Poor Strawhats wanted their navigator back. Why? When she was destined to become so much more than a simple pirate? She would be his wife, his queen. To prove as much, he lifted the hand that had rested on her arm up until that point and petted the silky hair. Leaning his head down, he placed a chaste kiss to the clean crown. "Don't worry, Love. I won't let them take you anywhere."
Why didn't that promise make her feel any better? Nami knew Les wouldn't allow them to just take her. What bothered her was she didn't remember any of them but what she could tell was that all of them were dangerous. How quickly they had taken out the crew, how Nort went to stand between. All four were unknown and that frightened her more than anything. At least with Les, she knew the man wouldn't hurt her. The captain was a bastard to his crew and not the nicest person but he had never lain a hand on her in anger. Nor had he ever forced anything on her. He was creepy but had always shown her kindness.
"Nami!" Luffy held his temper in check. The asshole was keeping her close for a reason, to keep her from coming to them. It also prevented him from beating that smug asshole until he was a bloody lump. They just needed a few moments to stir her memories, she wouldn't forget about them. "Try to remember us, we're your nakama."
Feeling the arms tighten around him and having the beautiful face bury itself in his shirt had Les smirking at the group. The negative shake of the orange head had Strawhat looking defeated. "Sorry, you aren't wanted here. Nami belongs with me."
"Like hell she does," Sanji snatched his cigarette out and pondered how he could kick that smirk off without injuring Nami in the process. His foot ached to land several blows to the man's face. The fucker was constantly stroking the top of her head like she was some kind of puppy.
Zoro was tired of the man. They had already gotten rid of his crew, he was next. One of them could get her out of the way, allowing him to finish the bastard. "That's it. Grab Nami so I can kill him."
"That isn't going helping, Zoro-ya." Law couldn't believe these three. Hadn't they discussed this before arriving on the island? If she didn't have her memories, she wouldn't respond to them. Depending on how much damage was done to her brain, she might not even have the slightest hint of recognition. Which seemed to be the case here. Dealing with the newfound girl would be a delicate situation. "If she doesn't recall you then all she sees now is three savage dogs foaming at the mouth."
"She can't see anything with the way he is holding her." Luffy relaxed his fingers, feeling the numbness set in from clenching too hard. Foaming or not, he didn't care. They had come this far and he wasn't going to lose her again. They could worry about getting her memory back later. "Get your hands off her."
"Why so angry?" Les rolled his eyes and wanted to inform the boy that he wasn't at all terrifying. No matter the bounty, he wasn't scared of any of them. He lifted his arms, to stall a foot above the head buried in his shirt. "From the way she is holding onto me, you should accept that she prefers my hands on her."
"You fucking bastard, I'm going to kick your ass." Luffy ignored the suggestion to wait. He was going to hurt him and make him release her.
"Wait, Luffy!" Sanji knew they couldn't stop it, he could only pray that the attack didn't hit the one they were trying to save. The punch only made it halfway before being stopped by the old man that had been standing idly by. A black dagger caught the impact, pushing the last crew member sliding back. "Dammit, don't hit Nami."
"I got this one," Zoro saw the old man draw out another blade after Luffy withdrew the attack. So, the man wanted to protect his captain. Fair enough, he'd leave getting to Nami to the others. It took some skill to stop one of Luffy's attacks, "Let's see what you got old man."
Was this really happening? Nami gasped in horror when she was suddenly grabbed around the waist. The one with the extendable arms came again, throwing a fist towards Les. Without waiting, she was yanked and moved to the side. The blow hit the back wall and stone debris littered to the floor. There were screams from the open doorway, their own crew had arrived. The blonde and the one with the ugly hat turned hearing their approach.
Luffy snapped his fist back and eyed the other captain. How the hell could he fight if he was too much of a coward to release Nami? Attacking wildly might cause her to get hurt, he had to get her out of the way. "Leave her out of this. Or do you plan on using her as a shield?"
"Hm, you're a nasty, little shit, aren't you? If you want a fight that badly, I'll oblige." Les could only imagine why the little captain had such a huge bounty. That mouth and temper most likely was the cause. He heard the gasp from the girl at his acceptance. Using two fingers, he lifted the trembling chin upwards to make her look at him.
What was she going to do? Nami wanted to ask him why did they have to fight? It was wrong to desecrate this place with fighting. Nort and the other swordsman had already brought down one of the pillars. What was so important that they had to attack each other? She hoped for some kind of answer from the man but all he did was lean down. Her first instinct was to shove at the man when the lips brushed across her own. It was his way of trying to calm her fears so she allowed the thick mouth to linger for a few moments longer. The smile was to remind her that she wasn't to worry. The kiss ended, Les straightened and backed away from her. Her arms fell to her sides, so he could move away. There was no warning before a blur collided with the man's face and dust flew. The crash caused enough dust to make it hard to breathe.
"Don't you ever do that again." Luffy felt only the smallest amount of pleasure when his knuckles came in contact with the jaw. As hard as he had struck, the other captain hadn't gone that far. Just proved what kind of fight this would be. This man was no pushover but he wouldn't allow him to put his mouth on Nami.
It was unreal! Nami watched as the arm stretched out to grab a hold of Les' shirt and sling him through the air like an unwanted pair of panties. Her captain managed to land on his feet but was now some distance away from her. Everyone was fighting, she had no idea why or what to do.
'The ring, return it.' The voice again, whispering in her ear. The sadness made her look towards the throne, seeing that the skeleton was now leaning forward in the seat. Her gaze was torn seeing the log pose still bound to her wrist begin to move, the mist turning inside. On impulse, she yanked the leather over her hand and slammed the glass onto the stone floor. It shattered, breaking the compass inside.
There it was, buried in the bottom and hidden from sight. Her fingers shook as she knelt down to retrieve the thick band. The circle could be nothing but a ring. Nami didn't question how she had known where to locate it or how she knew exactly where it belonged. She just knew and she barely acknowledged that the man with the strawhat went flying past to the left and struck the wall. She walked to the broken pile of bones and went to her knees before the throne. The right hand had fallen to dangle between the knees. It felt wrong to bother the remains, yet she grabbed the hand. It was indeed a beautiful piece of jewelry, one she would have loved to possess. The thick band was actually made up of four rings, each from a different type of metal. Nami recognized one as gold, the other as platinum. From the grey color, the third was most likely silver. The last was orangish-brown and could have been made from copper. Despite there being no skin to hold it in place, the ring slipped onto the naked finger.
The shriek came out in a high pitched whine. Nami scrambled back as the skeleton suddenly sat up on the throne. The long figures entwined together as the dead queen got comfortable. A rumbling sound caught her attention and she realized that the throne was starting to move because the bones were moving away. The floor was opening up near her feet. A hidden doorway that headed down via a set of stairs. Moving skeletons and hidden paths, what was next?
The blonde man was, he struck the throne, crashing into the now still queen and groaned. Nami almost asked if he was alright before he started to move his head. The dark eyes fell on her, looking almost pleadingly in her direction.
Panic set in and she wanted to get away. Someone else was screaming her name, this time a female's voice. The last thing she wanted was to see that corpse get up and attack because it had been desecrated. Nami didn't think about it, she scrambled to her feet and ran down the flight of stairs.
Torches lit by themselves as she moved along the path. The hallway was wide enough so she could walk without feeling suffocated. The sound of fighting became distant the longer she walked. It was putting her further away from the only people she knew.
The stairs finally stopped putting her at a doorway, one that opened up into an underground chamber. There was no treasure here, only despair. In the center, there were four tombs. The heads resting in the direction of the center, all pointing outwards. There was only a foot separating each and some kind of pointy monument stood in the middle. On the top of each lid was some kind of writing, inscribed neatly inside a metallic circle. Just like the four that were made up of the wedding band, the queen's ring. Did that mean each one represented the people that were inside? But if that were the case, did that mean these four were each a husband?
"It is a crypt," Robin spoke up softly from the doorway. She smiled gently as their navigator spun at her voice. Whether it be from some kind of recognition or not seeing another woman as a threat, Nami relaxed. Instead of demanding that the other female try to recall who she was, Robin took in their surroundings. Something had drawn them to this place and it was interesting. The dead queen had been sitting on the trap door. Which meant she had died while protecting where they rested.
"She brought them here, they were her treasure." Nami felt at ease regardless of the intrusion. Something about the other woman was calming and she didn't think she was in any danger. Curiosity brought her closer to the four tombs that were pristine, not a speck of dust on their coffins. What else could one assume but that this was what had been most precious to the one above? The room was a vault, a place to store things you didn't want found or stolen.
It seemed that way. The only gold to be found was the band upon one of the coffins. There was nothing else of value unless it had been buried with the four. Robin walked towards the monument in the center. On the plague was engraved the island's history and the queen's last words. Nothing about a weapon. Reaching out, she trailed her fingers over the nearest tomb. A name was inscribed, along with how she had felt about the man. "She loved them."
Nami was about to ask how could she be sure. The smiling woman grimaced before being thrown through the air. One second she had been standing, the next against the far wall. Scared, she turned to see who had joined them. Walking towards them was Les, looking very put out. The only sign of a fight was the torn shirt and a small cut on his brow. "Les?"
"Yes, she loved them and that is why she had to die." Les couldn't stop the sneer seeing the obvious resting place of the four. What he should do is piss on them and then tear this place apart. All this for them! A fucking shrine put in place for four traitors. The ones that had stolen his birthright. He caught the slight movement, Nami was backing away slowly. "What is wrong? Can you feel something? Fear?"
That and a whole lot more. Nami felt the coffin hit her bottom, keeping her from moving any more. Something wasn't right here and Les' appearance wasn't helping. The monument was making a hissing noise, like it was seething. What did he want with this place?
"Don't try to run from me." Les heard the other woman grunting as she tried to remain conscious. No matter, she was of no importance. Just like Strawhat, they couldn't stop him. "Unlike my father, I will not fail. I will claim the throne and I will have my queen."
"Your father? How is that possible?" Robin was sure that several of her ribs were cracked. She hadn't even noticed his approach and she hadn't felt him touch her. Did the man possess some kind of devil fruit power?
He held out his hand, hoping his sweet navigator would be wise enough to take it. "Not that it is any of your concern but those four died by my hand and I have come back to reclaim what my father abandoned."
"How?" Nami had never gotten around to asking him his age but that wasn't possible. These men had been slain centuries ago. Even if the man responsible had gotten off of the island and procreated, it wasn't possible. Least of all the man in front of her being the one to actually do the killing.
"A neat little trick I was taught when I was just a child, one only used by those of the royal bloodline. Blood that can adapt and merge with any haki we absorb from others. To be able to use it to regenerate living cells." Les noticed that she was hesitant to come to him. No matter, she would accept it, she had no choice. "Do you want to know the truth, my love?"
Nami nodded her head, wanting to know exactly why he thought himself to be over two hundred. What did this have to do with her and this place? Why would she go to him when he had no qualms about attacking another woman that hadn't been a threat to them?
"That woman was a fool." Simple as that, Les was sure she'd understand. Any woman that would abandon their family, deserved to die. "Very well, anyone with the blood of our family has the ability to adapt and use the energy found elsewhere. Like the haki that pirate woman's friends try to use. Don't you see? This island, everything on it is raw power. Power that the royal family can use as their own. Just as I stole some of Strawhat's haki, I will drain this place."
"Why?" Nami didn't understand. She'd heard the term used by Nort many times during her training. It wasn't something she had ever been able to use. She had shrugged when the old cook had tried to explain that there are different ways to use it. She couldn't do it so why bother learning about it?
"Because it was destined to be mine from the moment I was born. My father, he served that woman for many years. Using the power of this island to make it better and what did he get for his services? After faithfully serving a woman that didn't love him, he was given the order to marry another." Les gritted his teeth at the memories. Of how his own mother had hated him because he had been the cause of everything. How as a child he'd watched the man be tormented by the truth, then he had discovered the real reason behind his birth. "I had only lived seven years when my father told me the truth. The queen was his cousin, that is how he was able to serve her so well. Yet, that didn't prevent them from carrying on an affair. A quick but sordid fuck that resulted in the man you see before you. I was given to my father and another woman to raise because my true parentage wasn't allowed to be known."
Robin almost felt sorry for him, if he spoke the truth. It would suck to know that your birth mother didn't want to acknowledge you. Still, that didn't excuse hurting anyone or explain why he would kill the others. "Then why kill them?"
"Back to the foolish, dead bitch upstairs. That thing might have been born into position of queen but she was weak." Les turned on the thing sniveling in the corner. "If not for my father, this island would have been nothing. Her people never would have adored her. All it took was for one man to prove he had a bigger cock and she tossed my father aside. My father and I were no longer of use to her. However, being such a weak woman, she couldn't control the power of the very land she claimed to love. In order to get rid of my father and not lose everything, she took those men to her side. She married the first and produced an heir, a son. As soon as that was done, she took the power from my father. Reclaimed it in order to give it to her husband and three others."
"She wasn't married to all of them?" Nami asked this time, needing to know. The wedding band had four rings, the same as on the tombs. It did seem odd that the woman would have that many husbands but some religions allowed that many spouses. It wasn't her place to judge or to say what was right.
"Not traditionally, just the first." Les looked at the tomb with the gold band. The one that had convinced that woman to get rid of them. "Not only can we take but we can give, usually only to those that share our blood. However, if they are bound to us through matrimony or an oath of loyalty, then it is possible to share what we take. This is how the four became strong enough to earn a place in history. They were dependent on the power she gave and that is why they died."
"You killed them!" Nami knew he wasn't lying about that part. The mist seething from the monument was a crimson color one would associate with anger or hate. Why kill those that were only trying to make their lives better?
"All I had to do was take that little brat that took my place and they came to collect him. Unfortunately, I left it with my father because I had every intention of tearing out the baby's heart once I killed them. They came to where I demanded to get back their prince. You should have seen their faces when they were faced with the queen's ten year old, unwanted bastard. They tried to politely convince me that this wasn't the way to behave. Their inability to not see me as a threat was their downfall. What my real mother gave, I took, and they died." Les lowered his palm, seeing that this was going to have to be done the hard way. "Not my fault that finding her lover's dead, she tried to kill me. No one told her to try to absorb what was clearly too much for her to destroy her own child. Oops, guess I really upset her when I didn't care for my new step-father."
Backing up got Nami nowhere. Her vision was blocked and all she could see were buttons. From the sounds, the other woman was trying to get up. "What does all this have to do with me?"
"What do you think?" Les reached out to stroke the soft hair. It had started to come out of the pins. "When she lost control, my father came for me. Everyone was evacuating the island, including us. The storm was terrible, I watched the woman that had pretended to be my mother die when a tree broke her in two. I demanded to know where my sibling was so I could finish what I had begun. My father lied and told me that he had returned it to her. I had no choice but to leave since the island was sure to be destroyed. However, on my father's death bed, he informed me that he had lied to me. Because he still loved that woman, he had given the child to a passing villager that had been fleeing as well. It was that day he also gave me the log pose. He told me inside was the way to return home but I should know that my mother would never allow it."
"Can you blame her?" Nami cringed when the long fingers wrapped around her throat. Not enough to cause any pain but she couldn't move away. What mother would want a child that would kill their sibling? What kind of child did that? What kind of monster would want to kill a baby?
"It didn't matter, because I knew how to come home. All I had to do was locate the person my father gave the child to. It took a very long time but I finally tracked down the son and that search led me to you. She might not have wanted me to return but she would welcome you. Her blood runs in your veins and that makes you the rightful heir." Les snorted in derision at the negative shaking. It didn't matter what she wanted to believe, he would get what he came for. Without putting too much pressure, he grabbed her nape and propelled Nami away from the tombs. What he sought was nearby and she would open the way. "See those doors? You will open them for me."
"No, I won't." Nami tried to pull away from the hold. She wasn't going to help him do anything. This definitely wasn't the man that she'd been spending months with. This was the monster that had been hiding beneath the surface. The doors he spoke of were made of stone and were barely noticeable. She almost pissed herself when he grabbed her hand and sliced it clean open. The blood pooled from the injured palm. Without caring that he had just hurt her, Les grabbed her wrist and slammed it onto the cold surface.
Didn't she realize that she was making this harder on both of them? Les heard the increased breathing as the doors began to slide open. A small nick would have been more than enough but she was pissing him off. All she had to do was obey him. She was smart enough not to move when he ripped a strip from his shirt and wrapped it around the wound. It would stop bleeding soon enough. "Do as I say or you'll be punished once we leave this place."
Nami was thankful that he grabbed her by the nape instead of the bleeding hand. This entryway led to another wide set of stairs. Unlike the first set, this one lasted only a few seconds before they were stepping out onto the surface. She got to see the backside of the crevice and wondered how they were going to leave this place. If it surrounded the entire compound, there was nowhere to go. The only thing in the entire courtyard was a small, concrete slab not far from their position. It was to this thing that she was pushed towards.
The hand released her so Les could kneel down to inspect whatever was written down. A dull ache formed between her temples, Nami winced at the throbbing. It hurt, more so than the wound on her hand. If he heard her distress, her crazy relative didn't bother to ask if she were okay. The pulsing stopped to end in a constant stabbing sensation. Puke rose in her throat, acid burned her tongue and a name came to her. Robin, the other woman had been Robin. The one that Les had injured and left in the crypt.
Robin was here with the others. Nami moaned recalling how they had called out to her. Luffy had tried talking to her, her real captain. The others were her nakama and Les had been there that night. That night when she had heard them talking, she had gone on the deck to think. Then something had grabbed her from behind and then she had woken up to see Les watching her. Memories, of being chained in a cramped cell while the captain asked her politely for her help. When she had sworn to rather die than to help him, he had smiled and told her that he didn't need her to agree and had walked out. It all came back, waking up again and him claiming to be her lover. "You took me from them and lied."
"I did," Les kept an eye on her but grabbed the small dagger. It took blood to activate the seal, just a small amount. It didn't matter if she got her memories back, she still belonged to him. The sharp edge slid across his palm and he squeezed a fist to make it drop onto the stone. "And soon I will have the power of this place at my command. With it, I will destroy the World Government, any Warlords and anyone else that stands in my way."
"You're insane," Nami wasn't sure just how much power he thought he could obtain from that thing. The blood was spreading and starting to glow. As if sensing her intent, an arm reached out to grab her elbow as her foot lifted to run. She was yanked hard by the waist, putting her in front of him.
"Look, they are really persistent." Les noticed that the other captain was back on his feet with the help of his crew. Pity, he had thought to have drained him completely. Did they really feel the need to call for her? Everyone here knew her damn name. Figures, he'd have to kill them all before being allowed to leave. Would he be able to kill the skeleton? If not, he'd just drain him and just leave the disturbing thing on the island after claiming their ship. Seeing the swordsman explained a few things. That really bothered him, Nort had been only four years old when Les had found him. "You killed my servant, swordsman."
"He shouldn't have let it slip that he was the one suppressing her memories. He shouldn't brag if he didn't want to die." Zoro was thankful to have the others join him. He wouldn't admit it but that old man had been a tough one. From the look of it, Luffy was having trouble standing and Franky was the one keeping their captain upright. Whatever the other captain had done, it had left Luffy unable to move much. There weren't any wounds but the movements were sluggish.
"Luffy," Nami tried to push at the arm keeping her from running towards them. What was wrong with him? Robin was being helped by Chopper but looked better than Luffy. Sanji and Law were the last to arrive, running through the doorway to come to a dead stop. They had all come for her but for what?
Wait a minute, Les had the urge to strike the thrashing girl but finally took a good look at the last individual. Why was the former Warlord here with the Strawhats? Surely the man hadn't come to help them reclaim their navigator. Seeing as there were only three that might cause him any problems, he knew he had to ensure that the others wouldn't try to run off with his bride. "Quiet down, Love."
What was he doing to her? Nami opened her mouth, feeling her strength leave. Her body suddenly felt like a mass of jelly and she was lowered to hit the ground. Figures, the ass kept a hold until she was laying peacefully but had no qualms about draining her. Her face was turned to the side, allowing her to see him. Now that he no longer had her, both hands were raised in the air. Something grey was coming from the stone on the ground. The strange source was rising to coil around his hand. Was that the raw power he had been boasting about earlier?
"Stop him, don't let him use that fountain." Robin clenched her teeth in pain at being jarred and placed on the ground. She couldn't actively fight but might still be able help out. If they could distract the man, she could grab Nami. All eyes turned to her, no one seemed to understand what was happening. "He can absorb any kind of energy, including haki. That is why our captain is so weak. He's royalty, he can draw all of the power stored inside. If he does, we won't be able to stop him."
"Too late," Les could feel it already becoming one with him. He couldn't help but laugh at seeing the dark woman's horror. The other Strawhats didn't appear to be worried, the fools had no idea what they were witnessing. Even that overzealous captain was trying to stand and prepare to fight him. Good, he would drain all of them and Nami could watch them all die. "Oh please, at least one or two of you must stand down. I'm sure my bride would like for at least one of her friends to be there for the wedding."
"That's it, I've had it." Luffy didn't care what he was doing. That lousy trick wasn't going to stop him from saving Nami. He was bringing her back and he was going to kick his ass. "Second gear."
"Stop," Nami knew none heard her plea. They were going to get hurt, she knew it. Luffy didn't think twice before attacking. He rushed the larger man and Les allowed the blow to land. The fist connected with his face, only so a hand could grab a hold of the rubber wrist. Nami couldn't see the transfer but the swearing was enough. With the other hand, an invisible blast sent Luffy flying and skidding across the grass. The first tear fell seeing the normally happy captain groaning and trying to get back up. She knew what would happen before they moved, both Sanji and Zoro came in. The cook's foot was caught rather easily and the cigarette flew in the opposite direction from Sanji.
Stopping the rash kick allowed a single blade to make contact with Les' arm. Nami wanted to call him a hardheaded fool when Zoro seemed pleased that he was able to land a blow on the man. Just as quickly as the flesh was torn, it began closing, an unseen force stitching it back together. The shock gave Les the needed second, because a hand grabbed the arm and twisted it upwards. It happened so fast, the only reason Nami knew what had occurred was that she could see the bone protruding from the shirt. She hadn't even blinked and had missed it. A kick sent the swordsman rolling back towards the others.
Not him too, Nami didn't want to see it. Wasn't it enough that her nakama were getting hurt for her? Law's hand moved and Les began to laugh. The crazed man didn't seem to be aware of what was about to happen.
"Room," Law wanted to sigh seeing the damage that had been done in that short amount of time. They couldn't take this enemy lightly. He'd just remove his arms and legs, then see what good all that power would do him. "Shambles."
"Oh, that actually tickled. Nice try but even your devil fruit power has it's limits. It is only as strong as it's user and you are nothing compared to me. I know who you are because I once sought the Ope Ope fruit. You think you can dissect any part of me? That you can get through the haki I am currently using to protect my body? That little nick the swordsman gave me will be the only blood drawn today."
"Leave him, I'm fighting him." Luffy could feel the weakness in his knees but managed to stand. That asshole had drained him again. If all it took was a touch, he would have to make sure the man couldn't get a hand on him.
This was her fault, Nami almost cried out seeing how stubborn he was being. There was no way for them to win. Not when Les could stop them and they couldn't hurt the man. She also knew that they wouldn't leave without her. None of them would walk away and leave her to her fate. They were going to die and it was all her fault. Because she had been taken and too weak. She let herself be used to bring them here. It had been her to open the damn door. All because he had used her blood to get what he wanted. It was her doing, her fault. None of this wouldn't be happening if she weren't who she was. All because of her lineage and because she was the heir that could get Les inside.
"She took it," Nami recalled his words, the queen had retaken the power when Les thought it should be his. The queen had taken it away from the father and even after the four husbands had been slain. Which meant the rightful owner could take it, even if there was another that could wield it. If she could take it from him somehow, he wouldn't be so strong. Haki was something she had never used before and Nami had no idea what to do with it. Her eyes went to the fountain that was constantly leaking. Somewhere behind her Luffy screamed in horror but it was Law's voice that was filled with pain. It was too much to turn her head and see what was happening to the others.
It was too exhausting to move anywhere but she had to do something. She almost missed the green line coming out of the ground to twine around her wrist. The tears were blinked away rapidly to see what had a firm hold on her arm. The ground slid underneath her stomach and chest, dragging her closer to the source. The plant didn't stop until she was close enough to reach out. Nami almost cried out in panic seeing that the cut on her palm had already stopped bleeding. How was she going to repeat the process? "Cut me."
The vine twisted into a point, then pierced her palm where she had previously been injured. The blood ran anew, running down her wrist. She only hoped that this would be enough to stop Les. Even if she couldn't handle the power and shared the same fate as the previous queen, the son wouldn't be allowed to keep it.
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A/N: Ooookay, that is it for this chapter. Hope this explains a bit more. Next chapter should be up within a week. Please review. So far I've only gotten two reviews for the last chapter. While I hold them dear, it does make me worried that perhaps people may be losing interest in the story. I'll still continue because I'm a perverted old lady but the more feedback, the more anxious I am to please my readers. Thanks if you have taken the time to review at least once. Those that have done so more than once you are awesome!
