Sorry if this chapter isn't as great as the other ones also. I think I'm losing my touch when it comes to this, or maybe I'm just not very enthusiastic. I'm not sure what the cause is, and I hope I can identify it. Am I losing interest in the fandom? Absolutely not.
However.
Due to a recent plot bunny for Detective Conan that has practically been stabbing at my brain the entire time I've been trying to finish this fic and causing me to write drabbles on that rather than this, I have come to the painstaking decision to put the remainder of this fanfiction up for adoption. I'm afraid that I won't be able to update it at all, and it will just sit there unread and unappreciated.
If you are interested in adopting this fic, please PM me with a good reason for why you think I should hand it over to you, and if you're picked, I'll reply with snippets, shorts, and ideas I had for finishing it. I'll announce the adopter when I've chosen.
I really hate doing this, but I'm afraid it's the only way to keep this story alive.
Review Corner
Wintermanv3 – I'm quite saddened to say I'm unclear what you mean when you say, "has someone been watching a certain anime lately". Could you perhaps inform me as to what anime it is? Of course, I may know what it is and not have caught the reference, which saddens me further. In any case, I appreciate your review, and I hope you enjoy the chapter!
NinjaSheik – I just threw it in there last minute to make the chapter longer. Otherwise it would have been SUUUUUPER short. Yes, I do have a college in mind that I definitely want to go to, but it's all the way in Wisconsin, where it gets really cold, but I don't care because it has everything I'm looking for. AND MORE. Now my parents are just worried about financial aid. XD Thanks for the review, and enjoy!
armaani – How is Tough Trials coming? Is your summer was just so difficult that you can't even write? I know how it is. :D I know Zoro was un-Zorolike… I think I'm losing my touch when it comes to the show. I need to get back into it ASAP, but first I need to finish Detective Conan. Then I can get back in the swing of things. I didn't like the Battleship Island arc, but I threw it in there for grins. :D See? Grin. Thanks for the review!
ariahsop – ano… thanks? What little I could decipher of that. Enjoy the update!
Peachie . D – Good development? From my standpoint it seems to be moving very slowly. I'll definitely be delving deeper into Keiko's story as the plot thickens, so I'll let you hang on to that. Sorry to say Robin won't be coming in again for a while yet. Please enjoy this chapter!
UltimateC3 – Nothing can get between the Straw Hats. :D I understand bland reviews; I understand bland chapters. *shrug* Your patience has paid off, so please indulge thyself in this chapter!
Gracling42 – I have done that as well, so no harm done. :) It's good to see you, grace! As for the spark of their fight, that will be revealed in time.
Chapter 6 – What it Means to Live Forever
"Inherited will, the destiny of the age and dreams
of its people. These will not be stopped, as
long as people continue to pursue
the meaning of freedom, they
will never cease to be!"
-Gol D. Roger
Zoro POV
The island first appeared as a black blot on the horizon, rising from the sea like the black tailfin of a sea king. Keiko's log pose had led us straight and true, without many complications, disregarding the cyclone in which we almost capsized, and the giant ravenous sea birds which we ultimately had for lunch, no thanks to the freeloader. The appearance of these gulls only strengthened my resolve that we were close to land.
My adrenaline was pumping as the island drew closer, anticipation that my nakama were near. My Haki was not as strong as Luffy's, so I couldn't scan the surrounding area for any signs of the Thousand Sunny and her crew, but a feeling in my gut promised their presence. My gut had never led me astray before.
"There's a small port town due west of here," Keiko said, coming up behind me where I stood near the back of the boat, leaning on the rail and watching the water merge back into one unit in our wake. "I doubt they would make port directly in the town, so I think our best bet would be to circle around the island until we find the ship."
"And what happens then."
Keiko was silent. "I dunno," she finally said. "Kick ass?"
I stared at her. She stared back. Not a word passed between us, and I got the feeling I was supposed to say something. I didn't, however, and turned back to look at the oncoming island. She scoffed and retreated to the other end of the boat, muttering about my rudeness. I paid her no mind.
We circled the island once, and saw no sign of the Thousand Sunny. Instead, we got a pleasant view of the island, which was impossibly split into four different temperate zones. The one that was closest to us seemed to be like a desert, with a dry, cracked surface and a cactus every now and then. No animals roamed about as far as I could see, and yet there seemed to be a small town of only two or three houses, so more like a family village than a town.
The next zone seemed tundra, pure white against the green needles of the pine forest. The brightness seemed such a contrast to the desert it made me go temporarily blind just looking at it. I spotted a wolf lurking amongst the forest, crouching behind a rock studded with lichen as it stalked an unaware hare. I could almost feel the cold radiating from the zone, and unconsciously pulled my yukata tighter around me.
The third zone was more of a temperate rain forest-y place, with tall trees with canopies that completely cut off the sky from the ground below. From seemingly nowhere, for there were no clouds, rain seemed to constantly pour in torrents into the undergrowth, the din managing to reach us from several a mile out. This twirked my lips, but I had seen so much stranger.
The final zone seemed fairly normal, mostly open plains with a thin tree here and there. It was easy to see straight across to its neighbor the desert, and across from it the tundra. It was almost asking for predators to lurk in the tall grass and stalk the herd of zebra roaming about in a huge clump near the center of the zone, as if afraid to venture near any of the others.
Certainly a strange island, but not unlike what was considered normal for the Shin Sekai.
Keiko was dumbfounded by the peculiar clump of rock, and I suspected it being that she had never left her own island before, the concept of a landmass like this was completely foreign to her. Her mouth was agape, and if I didn't know any better, I'd say she stopped breathing.
"Oi," I said, jerking her back to reality. "Let's make port at that desert village we saw. Maybe someone knows something."
"Village? What are you talking about? It was this humungous city!"
"HAAAH? Is the sea air getting to you or something? There wouldn't even be a pub!"
"I'm telling you it's a giant city!"
She seemed adamant about it, and I really didn't feel like fighting. "Yeah, whatever. Let's just go."
Thirty minutes saw us pulling into the small run down port of the desert region, and upon closer inspection I unfortunately had to admit Keiko had been right. I saw more houses had been spread farther out, and contrary to initial inspection, the village seemed quite lively and wealthy, with shop venders and baying cattle and a roaring oasis in the center of the town.
We landed our measly boat and disembarked, staring about in awe.
"Told you," Keiko muttered.
"Oh, newcomers!" Yelled a jolly voice, and I turned to see a wiry middle-aged man approaching us, clad in a pure white business suit of sorts, his dark hair slicked back and his eyes enclosed behind sunglasses, though a huge smile was plastered to his face. "Welcome to our town! I'm the mayor, Hiro!" His voice was too cheerful, and it made me want to punch him.
He waited expectantly for us to introduce ourselves. When we didn't, Hiro continued. "Please have a good time! If you're able to see our humble city must mean that you're not pirates!"
"What do you mean?" My female companion asked.
"We have a magician in our village!" Hiro said proudly. "He cast a spell to make our town look dreary and ugly and not worth pillaging on the outside! We have never had a pirate attack in the year he's been here! We used to be attacked monthly!"
"Where can I find this magician?" I demanded.
"I'm afraid I can't tell you that! He leaves the island sometimes and we don't know when he comes back!"
"Great," I muttered. "Lots of help that is."
"But I can tell you where to find his hut!" The mayor chortled. "If you want him to perform a miracle, he'll do it for ten thousand belis!"
"And where the hell am I going to get that kind of money?"
"Shut up, Roronoa-san," Keiko punched me in the shoulder. It didn't hurt. "Thank you for your advice," Keiko addressed the mayor and bowed her head respectfully. As she and Hiro chatted it up, I narrowed my eyes at the growing throng of people crowding around us. It was making me uneasy, and I unsheathed Wado a bit to ward them off and as usual, it worked.
The mayor seemed a bit too willing to give away this information about their resident "magician." It was probably just some bastard with a Devil Fruit, but if it made these people happy then whatever. Still, I was a bit suspicious of this overflow of information. Shouldn't they be hiding from us? They don't want someone storming in and causing a ruckus, even if they weren't pirates.
"Hey," I said, interrupting the group. "Did you see a pirate ship off shore in the past few days?"
Hiro grinned that broad grin again, and I was reminded eerily of Granny Kokoro from Water 7 and that creepy constant-smile. "I sure did!"
"Did it have a lion figure head? And a skull wearing a straw hat on its jolly roger?"
Hiro paused as if remembering. "Yeah, yeah it did! Passed by last night, going toward the tundra region! I remember 'cause all the lights were out, kinda creepy! Like a ghost ship or something!"
I resisted the urge to whoop with a sudden rush of excitement. So that bastard was here! With that information alone I was superbly confident now in my ability to rescue my crewmates. And it was in the tundra region. How the hell had they managed to hide a ship as big and obvious as the Thousand Sunny?
"Isn't that your ship?" Keiko nudged.
Hiro's smile faltered a little. "Your ship!?"
"He's a bounty hunter," Keiko stepped in hastily, quickly catching herself. These people believed we, or rather I, weren't pirates, after all. "He's made the Straw Hats his next target."
That seemed to satisfy the mayor. "Well I wish you luck!" he said, and strolled away.
That's it? I grumbled to myself, watching his retreating back. The crowd thinned as they lost interest in us, and I could finally focus.
"Let's find a bar," I said. "I need some booze."
She gave me a disapproving glance, but didn't try to discourage me. I soon found myself in an isolated tavern in the farthest and darkest corner of the desert city, only a little less grand than Alubarna (from what I remembered of it). Keiko didn't seem pleased with my choice, but it had few customers and less chance of us being recognized as pirates. I didn't feel like announcing to the entire island, and Yusuke, that we were here.
"So how are we gonna get to see this magician?" Keiko asked excitedly, sipping on her tall glass of water.
I downed yet another bottle and reached for my fifth. Or sixth. Or sixteenth. I lost count. "I was gonna leave that to you," I said, relishing the sweet fire that burned down my throat. "You're the one with the smooth talking. Besides, I'm recognizable."
"Because of your green hair?"
"BECAUSE OF MY BOUNTY. I worked hard to be worth that much!"
"I don't see why pirates considering it a social status to have a high bounty…"
"It's a display of power," I said. "How high your bounty is shows how much of an opponent you'll be, how strong you are, how difficult you are to defeat. It's a sense of pride amongst pirates, like our flag. Having your bounty raised is like a promotion in rank in the Marine system. If we don't keep working hard and rising in the world, how is Luffy going to conquer all the world's oceans? How will Nami chart her map? How will I defeat the greatest swordsman? How will Robin…?" I trailed off as memory of her flooded my mind.
"Roronoa-san," Keiko said quietly, staring at the ice in her drink. "What does it mean? To live forever?"
"Haaa?"
"I know that kinda seems random, but…"
I set down the alcohol bottle with a bang on the table, drawing an annoyed look from another customer. I shot them a glare, and didn't pay them any more attention. "Your friend Arrow has got it partially right," I said finally, having sat there for several minutes pondering my answer on a half-inebriated mindset. "Sure, a guy can be immortal. He'll never age, never die. He'll see the world passing right in front of him, his loved ones dying right before his eyes. He'll grow lonely, remaining the same when everyone else grows old. Living forever physically, without some kind of supernatural help like from a Devil Fruit or something, isn't gonna happen. But to live forever is not by transferring your soul to different bodies when yours gets worn out. That's just sick.
"Living forever is being great in the time you're alive, and leaving behind your legacy for others to follow. Being remembered through time, that's immortal. Making the history books. Your name burned into the mind of every living being. Your achievements, good or bad, remembered. It's what you do during your life that makes you immortal. How can you be remembered? What can I do to ensure my name will ring through heaven and earth?"
I stared at the liquid through the narrow nozzle of the glass bottle in my hand, as if entranced by the swirling colors, reflected through the glass by the light of the tavern. As I spoke, my mind drifted toward Kuina, who for sure would be immortal in my memory.
I didn't think Keiko was expecting such a deep and philosophical answer. She stared at me like I'd grown a second head, but smiled all the same. "Yeah. I agree with you."
"Why'd you ask?"
"I want to tell Arrow-san when I see him. That what he's doing isn't right."
"That won't work, but give it a shot."
"You're so pessimistic!" Keiko screamed and threw her water at me.
"ARGH!" I sputtered through the water dripping across my nose and mouth. "Brat!"
"You stay here," she growled, standing. Her pleasant mood a few seconds ago had suddenly hit a nerve, and now she looked ready to rip my head off. "I'm going to get information about this magician. I got the location of his hut from the mayor, but I want more facts before we go."
I stuck out my lower lip in annoyance and wiped my forehead with a napkin. "Whatever. Don't get lost."
"Like hell."
She left, leaving me alone, at the farthest table in the corner of the tavern, in the farthest tavern in the corner of the city, mulling over my own words.
Yes. Yes that's it. I know it's still not good, but I just want to get it done and published. Remember, if you're interested in adopting this, just PM me. We'll work out the details of that later.
Like I said, I really hate to put it up for adoption, but with my school schedule and this Detective Conan fic that is dying to be written, this one will be put on the shelf gathering dust.
Thank you to everyone who supported me thus far, and the next update for this will be an author's note with the game plan. I really appreciate those who stuck with me through Stuff of Legends and the few chapters I could manage of this. I appreciate it.
What was coming up: Chapter 7 – It Can't Get Any Worse