Thank you for the reviews! You guys are amazing!
I've been so busy lately that it took me so long to update. Also, I've been writing this in reverse (so the story already has an ending). So I promise that the story will never be abandoned to rot into oblivion!
I cut up this installment into 2 chapters; it was too long. The second part will come in a few days, really.
One Piece is not mine.
-0-
He felt it.
An intruding presence, that made his skin prickle and raise the hackles of instinct.
In a flash, he had his Wado at hand, a blur of motion had the blade at the interloper's throat.
"It's me."
When the sleep drained from his eyes, he saw her, pale neck beneath the silver of his blade. She did not flinch; she stayed resolute and unmoving even under the edge of his sword. Her eyes caught his levelly, and his heart sped up, rather erratically; he found himself drowning in the tawny depths of her warm brown eyes, drawn in by the sparkles of fire cast by the orange of the rising sun.
He gulped audibly.
Why he was the one afraid when she was the one underneath the blade was beyond him.
A tense moment passed. Then he moved to sheath his weapon.
"Sorry."
Her mouth curved a little.
He sat up fully, scrubbing at his head, trying to calm himself. She probably didn't know the effect she had on him. "What are you doing here?"
"Well," she said, setting down a small tray next to him. "According to the tradition, I have to 'serve' each of my suitors in the morning, give them their clothing, help them freshen up, you know, to show them what a good wife I'll make in the future."
He looked down at the tray. It had three steaming hot towels. Suddenly, white-hot rage enveloped him. "So you do this for him, too?" His voice dripped with disgust.
"Yeah, I have to."
Zoro said nothing, but his trademark angry scowl gave him away.
"Don't worry," she said, after seeing his face. "I already came from his room, and he was still sleeping. He's harmless."
The swordsman did not choose to believe that.
She set down a folded stack of clothes next to his hot towels. "Here. After breakfast, we can go to the armory to get you a sword."
She dipped her head and moved to leave, but before she could go, she heard him say, "Uh… Tashigi?"
"Yeah?"
"Could you help me…tie the strings again?"
She shook her head, smiling, and with a roll of her eyes, said, "You're hopeless."
-0-
After eating, they found themselves on a winding path through the back of the Great Palace.
The south of the Great Palace was even larger that the extravagance of the front. Extensive gardens dotted the landscape, interspersed with smaller stone courtyards and charming, arched bridges that crossed creeks full of water lilies. A thick bamboo forest edged a large, man-made lake. The air was sweet with the scent of orange blossoms, wafting from a tended grove nearby.
"Our armory is housed in our workshop. That's where we're going."
The workshop turned out to be a modestly-sized white building, neatly tucked to the southwest of the Palace. Inside, several hundred workers manned workstations with creations in different states of progress. Everyone bowed to their princess as they passed.
"Here, we don't focus on creating bulk, the Shigatsu focus on the invention of new technology, which is what we sell. Right now, the goal is perfecting semi-conductor technology for our circuit board-based explosives."
Huh? The swordman's one-track mind could not make out the technicality of the terms. She must have guessed his confusion when she said, "Well, enough of that, suffice to say that we make smart bombs. Good ones. Ones only we can create at our time and pace." Even if the criminal world was what benefited most from their creations, Tashigi was still immensely proud of her clan's achievements, somehow.
Zoro made a mental note to never challenge the Shigatsu, lest he be blown to smithereens.
"Oh, hey, I didn't know they got this off the drawing board," said Tashigi, approaching a pile of palm-sized gray disks. She picked up one and pocketed it.
They entered a wide hallway to the back of the workshop, which ended with a pair of ornate double doors. The Shigatsu crest was embossed in a low relief on dark green panels. Twin carved golden dragons peered down at them from their perch on the doorframe.
Tashigi produced a silver key from her robes. She inserted it into the keyhole and turned it. With a long creak, the doors swung open inwards. The marine lit two hanging lamps from the ceiling.
When the light spilled down, an awesome sight lay before them.
Hundreds upon hundreds of swords in all shapes and sizes came into view. They rested on brackets that lined every inch of the room's whitewashed walls. There were katana in a myriad of colors, ranging from plain, smooth, dark lacquered ones to the more elaborately painted. There were also straight-bladed chokuto, large, double-edged tsurugi, and some blades in unusual shapes, like an evil-looking, wavy-bladed kris, and an elegant cleaver shaped long sword without a hand guard that occupied two extra brackets. In the far end, there was a vertical rack of naginata pole-arms, and a flat, glass-topped case displaying delicately designed tanto.
"Wow."
"My family owns the most extensive collection of swords on the Grand Line," said Tashigi, fingering a bright, cerulean blue katana with an exquisitely painted dragon-motif hand guard. "Many, though, were actually crafted by the Shigatsu ancestors and passed down. My father forged some of these himself."
Zoro picked up a black hilted nodachi encased in a gleaming charcoal sheath. He drew out the blade, which was as dark as its outer covering and seemed to draw light into itself. A short chain dangled from its handle cap.
"I'll let you choose your sword. I know you have this innate ability to understand them," Tashigi told him from behind. She gave a lingering look at his Sandai Kitetsu. "I remember the time you tested your cursed sword. Totally freaked me out."
Then she giggled, trying to hide a blush. "But I swear, if you were actually trying to impress me, then it would have worked."
If there were a hidden meaning in that statement, the swordsman would only have been dimly aware of it (such was the nature of his one-track mind).
They took their time perusing the collection, with Tashigi pointing out her favorites and weapons with interesting histories, such as a reputed sword used in the assassination of the daimyo of the Q'in province (wherever that was), and a rare, reverse-edged daito.
"Wait." Zoro froze midway through the room. There was a niggling feeling inside, like a sixth sense at the back of his mind. He reached out to a sea foam-green wrapped katana on a bracket to his right. "This one."
It turned out to be a moderately sized sword; its green wrap crisscrossed along its saya at regular angles. A bright, clover-shaped metal handguard gave way to a slim, cloth-covered handle.
"Now that's interesting," Tashigi said, cocking her head to the side, as Zoro drew out a brilliantly silver blade. "A Masamune sword. And the Yawaraka-Te, too, nonetheless."
Zoro looked questioningly at her.
"Remember the legend I was telling you about yesterday, about Takumi's sword? Well, the full version of the story involves a challenge set by Muramasa for his master Masamune, to see who could create a finer sword. When they had finished with their respective swords, they tested their edges against the current of a river. The edge of Muramasa's sword cut everything that passed its way; fish, floating leaves, absolutely everything. The master's sword, though, cut nothing. Muramasa laughed at his master for making such an inferior sword, but a traveling monk saw the entire incident, and blessed the master's sword as the winner. He called the student's sword bloodthirsty, cutting with no discrimination, while the second sword did not needlessly cut what was undeserving. The master's sword…"
"…is this sword," finished Zoro.
"Its name means 'Tender Hands', said to be the finest sword of Masamune. The writing on the blade"—Tashigi pointed at the etched archaic symbols near the hilt—"reads as 'cut what needs to be cut'."
Zoro looked at the gleaming surface of the sword. "I like it already," he said with an evil grin.
"Of course, its just a story. Could be a made up one to make it more famous, you know," added the marine.
He sheathed it and handed it to Tashigi. "Here, see for yourself."
"Eh?" The young woman was caught off-guard as she was handed the sword, tripping backwards and right into a freestanding sword rack, knocking down other racks, domino-style.
"Ow."
Zoro shook his head at the chaos she created. Rolling his eyes, he said, "Now you're hopeless."
-0-
It took them half an hour to properly arrange the swords on the racks Tashigi had knocked over, before they could finally leave the workshop. Outside, they trekked back the way they came.
"Hey, want to test out your new sword?" the marine looked decidedly excited. She had brought her Shigure after all.
He answered with a nod.
"Good. Let's go to the Hama-Rikyu courtyard, it's big enough," she said.
"Huh? Where's that?"
"It's by the Honganji Bridge. Hey, I'll race you there," she said, with a sly smile.
"Um, Tashigi, that's not such a good idea…"
"Why? Afraid you'll lose? Her smile widened.
"No! It's just that…"
But Tashigi had gathered her skirts and ran fast as lightning. "Just try to keep up, haha!"
"Hey! Wait!"
Definitely not a good idea.
-0-
"Ok, we're here." Tashigi had reached a large stone courtyard at the end of a solid two-arch bridge, connecting it to a traditional rock garden.
No answer.
"Uh, Zoro?"
She turned and saw no one there. Not even the sound of footsteps could be heard.
I couldn't have been that fast, she thought. He was right behind me.
She began retracing her steps. Even after reaching the junction where they had parted ways, there was still no sign of a green head.
"Zoro, where the heck are you?"
A few minutes later, she found him. At the back of the workshop building.
"How did you get here?"
"I was…following you?"
Tashigi shook her dark blue head. "Incredible, you have the worst sense of direction, don't you?"
Judging from the sweat on his brow and his bugged-out eyes, that would be a yes.
"But the place was far!"
She extended a hand to him. "Here."
"What?"
"Take my hand."
"Why should I do that?"
"I don't want you to get lost again. Go, take my hand."
Growling, Zoro grabbed her hand rather reluctantly. He certainly did not want to be led around like a defenseless puppy, but he had no choice. Her hand felt silky smooth against his own rough palm.
They reached their intended target in two minutes flat. It was just 100 meters from the building.
"See? Not that far."
That just added to Zoro's torture.
"Wow, imagine that. Roronoa Zoro," she laughed, looking back at him. "No, the great Roronoa Zoro, the pirate hunter, Mr. I-have-millions-as-a-bounty, has zero sense of direction."
"What?! Say that again and I'll…"
"Or you'll what?" Tashigi began rolling up the side of her kimono skirt up to her waist.
Zoro tried his darndest not to stare as one creamy leg came into the light inch by agonizing inch. "Wh-wh-what are you doing?"
Tashigi expertly knotted the skirt at her waist, pulled out Shigure and took a fighting stance.
"You're fighting me…like that?"
"Why, is it because I'm a woman?" she said acridly, shrugging down her long black sleeves adorned with blood-red poppy flowers. "Don't think for one second I can't fight dressed as one."
He drew out the Yawaraka-Te from its saya, along with the Kitetsu. No use arguing. Just don't look down.
CLANG! Tashigi started the attack with glancing blow to his left. He almost didn't block it in time, owing to her speed. A smile rapidly formed on his mouth. She was much faster than the last time they had fought.
He parried more strikes from her, in rapid succession. She was able to effectively deflect strikes from both his katanas, with surprising accuracy. After several more exchanges of blows, Tashigi pushed him off fully, took a great leap and brought Shigure down onto him with a command:
"Shōame, Mizukake! "
Three successive strikes from Shigure rained down on him, all in the span of a second, each one stronger than the last. He needed both his swords to block the powerful attack, which was strong enough to push him back a good distance.
"What was that?" he called out to her from behind his swords. He was smiling, though, as he said it, more amused than anything. He was actually pleased with her improvement.
"Just something I picked up," she said, grinning. "How's the new sword holding up?"
"Pretty good. It's a lot lighter than Yubashiri. Moves faster, too." The blade gave what looked like an appreciative glint. "Now it's my turn." He set up a charge, as Tashigi took a defensive stance.
Suddenly, they both felt an immense fighting aura descend upon them.
A hideous amount of force blazed along the ground, creating a furrow as it roared towards them. They sprang away from each other to evade the attack, but it seemed to have a mind of its own, turning deftly towards the marine just as she flung out her sword to deflect it.
It was too late; the blow caught her right wrist squarely, and she was flung upwards into the air, bouncing off the ground once, twice, before skidding to a halt several meters away.
Alarmed, Zoro took the defensive. He had to put himself in between her and the attacker; he had to protect her.
The enemy began sheathing his wakizashi with an ominous steely sound as he made his way towards them.
Tashigi's father came to light, striding imperiously in their direction.
"I thought I told you never to wield that sword again," he said, eyes blazing beneath his round lenses. "Especially not here, not in my presence."
Tashigi groaned, and breathing heavily, tried to lift herself up from where she lay, sprawled helplessly on the ground. Shigure was far way from her reach.
"Pick yourself up. There is a meeting I want you to attend," the elder Shigatsu said. The familiar delegation of advisers came striding up behind him.
"Yuan, take her sword. Do I have to remove you myself?"
He took a step towards her, but Zoro raised his swords to block his path, ready to attack. His eyes were narrowed into slits. He wasn't going to let this poor excuse for a father get to Tashigi, even if it killed him.
The elder Shigatsu looked at him, as if taunting him to do something.
"Zoro--cough,cough--it's Ok," Tashigi struggled to say, as she tentatively got on her feet and made her way to the two men. "I'll be fine."
She clutched at the back of his robes, half to make him back down and half to prop herself up. Only when she buried her face into his back did he begin to lower his swords, but he kept his eyes trained on her father, still not trusting the man.
Tashigi slid herself off Zoro, holding on to her right wrist that had taken the full brunt of the blow. She stretched her neck and brushed soft lips against his cheek, just for a fleeting instant, calming him a bit. She looked back at him, telling him to trust her with her eyes. With a last meaningful look, she joined her father's delegation in their procession towards the palace, while Zoro looked on, still distraught.
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Recognize some swords in there? I put in some owned by my fave sword-wielding anime characters!
I'm no techie when it comes to bombs (I'm no terrorist!) so I just assumed some of the available technology we have today was being developed in the One Piece universe. grin
Culture notes:
Daito—standard Japanese long sword, under which classification katana falls under. All of Zoro's swords are daito. A better term for Japanese swords is Nihonto, since katana applies to swords 71-78 cm in length.
Chokuto – example of a straight-bladed sword used in Japan before the Heian period (794–1185). It was during this time that sword-making developed through techniques brought over from China through trade in the early 10th century during the Tang Dynasty and through Siberia and Hokkaidō, specifically the folded steel technique, which influenced the katana as we know it today.
Tsurugi – double-edged long sword
Nodachi – a class of daito, extended Japanese long sword, 90 cm and over in length. Usually worn across the back due to its size.
Tanto – dagger-sized blade, 28-41 cm in length
Wakizashi – usually worn as part of a daisho, called the 'honor blade' because it never leaves the swordsman's side, around 55-58 cm in length
Kris—name given to the weapon indigenous to Southeast Asia, an asymmetric wavy-bladed dagger that may come in different sizes and lengths.
Naginata—pole-mounted weapon, similar to a spear. Created in the same way as other Nihonto, thus, regarded in the same class.
Yawaraka-Te (Tender Hands) – the sword created by Masamune Okazaki (regarded as Japan's greatest sword smith) that challenged Muramasa's Juuchi Fuyu in the legend. There are many other versions of the legend that pits them against each other. Historically, however, it was impossible for these two smiths to have met. Masamune lived during the last part of the Kamakura Era (1288 - 1328), while Muramasa dated his swords around 1500 AD. Yet, the comparison between the two lives on. In fantasy, Muramasa's blades are seen as evil and bloodthirsty while Masamune's are considered the mark of an internally peaceful warrior.
Shigure (Autumn Rain)—I based Tashigi's attack Shōame, Mizukake (First Rain: Water splash) on her sword's name. It's about time she had one. smile