Recap: "Why is everyone dressed like a pirate?"
Mihawk looked at me for a second then back to the red haired man in the centre of the rabble of men. I looked at the men sat nearest to the red haired man. A large man sat next to him eating a slab of meat, he reminded me of a clown I'd seen once although slightly more offensive and I would never ask him to tell me a joke.
"Oh, I get it, It's a party" I say half to myself but mostly to Mihawk, glad to have sorted that out, I have a fear of appearing stupid in front of people, a fear that is frequently recognised. Some of the members of the party look over in our direction, a hint of a blush on their cheeks telling me immediately that they are drunk. I look up at Mihawk waiting for an explanation, he gives none.
"What brings you here?" Shouts the red haired man. Mihawk looks at him and smiles slightly, though a sober look remains on his face keeping his expression serious and formal.
"Not to fight a one armed man if that's what you're asking." He replies. It's then that I notice that beneath the red haired man's cloak he only has one arm visible. What a poor man I think to myself, though I'm sure there have been worse cases than his. The man himself looks fit and able, like a fire fighter or perhaps a man in the army. The he does not appear to be offended by the last comment, on the contra, in fact he laughs at the comment. "I wish to speak with you alone." Mihawk finally says to him. The red haired man stands slowly brushing himself off and walks towards the trees that Mihawk and I have just come from. "Angel," Mihawk turns to me looking me directly in the eye, "stay here, and stay out of trouble." He says seriously. I wonder if Mihawk is really going to fight that man, if they are rivals surely they can't talk civilly, like Marissa and I who often fight, though verbally when we see each other. I sit on the floor where I had been standing previously, still pondering the strange dress that these men are wearing. I hear Mihawk make his way through the trees to the red haired man.
Some of the other men are strange. A man is sitting near to where the red haired man was sitting previously; he appears to be slightly tipsy but not too bad, not like some of the men. I almost scream in shock when I see the gun hanging at his side shining in the lines of red sunlight that fall from the leaves. Looking around though all of the men here have a weapon of some sort. I begin to get slightly panicked by this. I have seen gang warfare on the T.V. but never in person, I never felt the need to look for this sort of thing. I also didn't realise that gangs wore such elaborate get ups. A few of the men look considerably weaker than others. None of the men are particularly flaunting their strength, which is a change, if men have strength they usually tell you about it. I sit pondering these men and what they are doing here with weapons for a while until I feel a strange sensation. My eyes begin to burn painfully and my neck feels stiff and numb, my head swims for a second or two before I feel myself collapse to the floor.
He can't be that old about seventeen or eighteen, I know that like the vision of the boat with Mihawk I'm not really here. He steps forwards waiting for a second or two behind the great trunk of an oak tree. I follow him peaking around the corner of the tree. Mihawk stands talking to the red haired man about something I can't quite hear. The boy waits until the red haired man has gone through the clearing in the trees before attacking Mihawk, who has turned his back on the oak tree. I expect him to merely swat the boy away with his sword but the boy uses some device in order to deflect his attack. I stand with my feet stuck to the floor watching Mihawk fall.
I awake with a start. The man who I was observing previously with the dreadlocks and gun stands over me, he must have turned me over while I was unconscious. I sit up suddenly with a start saying something incoherent about me being tired. The man tries to press me back down to the floor but I roll away quickly claiming I need to talk to Mihawk about something.
"The captains talking to him!" Says one of the men as if I don't know. I ignore him; I don't have time for this. I huffily walk in the same direction as the red haired man and Mehawk. When I get through the clearing I realise that going back the way we came gives me two roots, I simply stand for a moment questioning divine intervention, surely whatever gods there are must not want me to help this man. I observe the roots carefully. One root lays before me covered with snapped twigs and leaves, covered by a canopy of large, thick trunked trees. The other is open and airy, the floor is a matter of leaves but the root can be seen due to the lack of trees above. I try to remember the area that surrounded the red haired man and Mihawk in my vision. I remember the oak tree and next to that tree was a thinner tree. And the floor was covered with orange leaves, I curse myself for never looking at the surroundings properly. I look from side to side both clearings have a slight bedding of orange leaves. I look again side to side trying to remember anything that might lead me to remember where the three men are. After several painful minutes of thinking I decide to let my instincts choose my path. I turn towards the left root covered with trees and letting no light in. I run quickly trying to hear any voices, none, only the sound of my feet and rattling breath can be heard. I run around the surrounding area a few times wearing my already exhausted self out, desperate to find Mihawk and the red haired man. I run to the other root only to find that Mihawk isn't there either. I run around the surrounding area listening for anything at all, nothing again. I stand for a moment or two wanting to cry and scream at my own inability in this situation. This is my chance to repay Mihawk and I can't even find him. I sit on the floor leaning forwards and rocking backwards praying to whatever gods there are that I will get there on time. Mihawk is a strong man, there aren't going to be many, if any times I can pay him back and yet here in this situation I can't even find him.
I close my eyes gently, relaxing myself and cooling down my bubbling fears. Rationality still does not return but it lends me its latest motto for a moment 'he has to be somewhere' sitting with my eyes closed and listening to any sounds I can hear. I suddenly feel it, a sensation I've felt before, a strange smell of copper blood mixed with salt water and another scent I've never smelt before. I follow it carefully like a dog. Picking up my speed slightly as I reach a clearing in the trees, I see a large cross appearing out of the leaves, I begin to run towards Mihawk. I watch in horror as the red haired man walks into the clearing and Mihawk turns his back on the oak tree. I feel myself speeding up, my feet no longer touching the ground, merely brushing against it. The man throws himself out from behind the tree. I close my eyes waiting for Mihawk to attack him, still running forwards with all my speed. Throwing myself haphazardly in the offending mans direction. I feel the vibration run through me as I go headlong into the ground.