Chapter 2
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, but Kyra was my idea.
Beta'd by Tomas the Betrayer.
Ten minutes after taking part in a giant game of human pinball along with Straw Hat Luffy, Kyra finds herself surrounded by the auction house's private soldiers - whom she had been unaware of until now - alongside the Straw Hat Pirates, the last three of which have just arrived via Flying Fish Riders and new holes in the roof of the building. For some outlandish reason, this famous crew of misfits have apparently decided that she is in need of their protection, which is why they are now spread out around her in a semi-circle. Her back is protected by the stage against which she leans, her front and sides by pirates of the strangest class who look more than ready to wipe the floor with the armored soldiers.
However, Kyra most certainly does not need their protection, and she has no intention of racking up an obligation to anyone. Experience has taught her that favors can cage a person just as easily and effectively as iron bars. Likewise, just because the klutzy young captain standing directly in front of her sent them both for a tumble does not mean he owes her squat. An accident is an accident, after all.
"Yo, Straw Hat, what are you doing?" she asks gruffly, pushing herself to her feet and advancing on the rubber man. Said individual twists his neck to an impossible degree in order to smile widely at her.
"I knocked you down! So now I gotta help you to say sorry! If I don't Sanji won't let me have enough meat at dinner!"
Kyra neither knows nor cares at the moment which one of these people is Sanji. She does not require an apology or help from anyone. So it is that the sorceress grabs a handful of Straw Hat's vest, pulling him back at the same time as she makes a wide sweeping motion with her free hand. Instantly all of the soldiers charging towards her faint, toppling over as their bodies are involuntarily forced to shut down. Another wave of the hand sends the men hurtling through the air, flying backwards until their carcasses smash through the walls on the opposite side of the room. Their reversed movement will continue for up to ten seconds before ceasing, depositing the now-unconscious soldiers in the dirt outside.
Problem solved, debt avoided, Kyra turns to address Straw Hat once again.
"You were looking for someone?" she asks nonchalantly, ignoring the look of stunned amazement on the youthful face or the way the pirate's jaw is literally dragging the floor. "If it was one of the other slaves they should all be out the back by now. You'll have to check for yourself."
"AWESOME!" the pliable captain screams, obviously not having heard a word of what was just said to him. "How did you do that? That was soooo cool! Hey, lady, show me how you did that! I wanna see it again!"
Kyra wonders if there is a brain in that head, or if the organ has also been transformed into nothing more than a blob of rubber. Before she can ask, a girl with orange hair marches over and grabs Straw Hat by the ear, pinching the appendage and pulling so that it stretches towards her. This is apparently painful even for a rubber man, as the notorious pirate immediately lets loose a wail of pain.
"OOOOOWWWW! NAMI, IT HURTS, IT HURTS, MY EAR!"
"Idiot!" the girl shouts at her captain, twisting his ear even further. "We don't have time to ogle at this woman! We need to grab Camie and get out of here!"
The change of expression is so sudden it's almost startling: one moment Straw Hat's face is screwed up in agony, the next it is scarily serious.
"Right, Camie! Okay, let's go and -"
Kyra steps in front of the orange-haired girl just in time to take the bullet whizzing towards her.
The report of a gun being fired rings in Kyra's ears just milliseconds before she moves, her instincts taking her right in front of Straw Hat's crew member. True, she had actually wanted her instincts to move her away from the oncoming bullet, and not a minute before she had convinced herself that being indebted was a hassle for all concerned, but whatever. It only hit the shoulder, and her magic will heal her much faster than nature would have healed the girl, anyway. Already the bullet has been ejected from her flesh, which will soon start to mend itself until she has yet another scar to add to her ever-growing collection.
But that doesn't mean she's not still very unhappy at getting shot. Even with magic, bullets fucking hurt. Turning around with what she is sure is an absolutely murderous look on her face, Kyra easily identifies the person she is about to put into a world of pain.
Even if he is a Tenryubito.
"Hoow dare yoo stoopid humans interrwupt my fun!"
The man standing near the top of the stairs is perhaps one of the most pathetic examples of male specimens Kyra has ever had the misfortune of meeting. Overweight, unattractive, and sporting a truly idiotic hairdo; couple those strikes with a Tenryubito's greed and god-like status, and this man is simply a walking, talking cesspool of corruption. No doubt he is under the delusion that his so-called 'holy blood' as one of the descendants of the founders of the World Government will protect him from any retaliation over the fact that he just shot her.
Kyra is not above spoiling the expectations of scum like this man.
One snap of her fingers turns the gun the World Noble is brandishing around into a pile of dust at his feet. A beckoning gesture brings him floating through the air until he comes to a halt in front of her, a look of shocked incredulity upon his repugnant mug.
"Any particular reason you can offer to convince me it would be a bad idea to kick your ass into next year, pudgy?" Kyra drawls out, already cracking her black-magic-encased knuckles in preparation for the deliverance of his punishment.
"How dare yoo, human! Yoo are bewow me, a Tenwyubitoo!"
The lady magician grins wickedly. "Wrong answer."
Her victim is unable to comment further, as her magically enhanced punch not only shatters his nose but also breaks the bones in his cheek and knocks several of his teeth down his throat. Two seconds and a hand wave later, the bleeding bag of slops is sent crashing into the wall to Kyra's left; he crumbles to the floor beneath where he hits, out stone cold.
There is a long, shivering moment of silence before the auction house explodes into pandemonium.
"OH GODS! SHE STRUCK A TENRYUBITO!"
"SHE STRUCK A WORLD NOBLE!"
"NOW AN ADMIRAL AND A WARSHIP ARE GOING TO COME AND KILL US ALL!"
"RUN! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"
The stairway is suddenly stuffed with people attempting to escape; screams and the sound of pounding feet fill the air as nearly everyone in the auction house flees the scene. The Straw Hat pirates are regarding her warily; the captain's mouth is once again dragging the floor in his amazement. They seem to have momentarily forgotten about their friend who may or may not still be backstage, but Kyra doesn't bother to remind them at the moment. She freed this Camie person; it isn't her responsibility to help her pirate pals to go find her.
Soon there are only a few people remaining in the auction house; even the cross-dressing pansy of an auctioneer has disappeared. The leftovers are a mixed bunch indeed, not even counting the Straw Hat crew. A fishman in a poor disguise and what appears to be a starfish huddle near the exhibitionist in the speedo, looking terrified; a group of what she can only label as freaks stands casually against one of the walls near the entrance; another group wearing strange suits clusters around a man in a black-and-yellow hoodie sweater with a fuzzy white hat shading his eyes; and two more Tenryubito sit in a private box, glaring at Kyra with an immense amount of hate.
Crap, there's more than one of them. Kyra quickly makes a shooing gesture in their direction, knocking them out painlessly. She has no wish to beat on more of those scumbags, having already gotten payback on the one who shot her; at the same time, she isn't going to leave them awake and give them a golden opportunity to attack her, either. She has enough of a headache as it is, and finds herself longing for a cold drink. A mug of grog - preferably not drugged - would taste very good right about now.
She'll have to remember to raid the liquor cabinets when she visits her next victim, the bartender she intends to kill for getting her into this mess in the first place. He'll be dead, he won't miss it.
The magical furnace wrapped in a slender woman's body is thrown off balance by an object that rams into her from the side. Before her instinct to attack has fully taken over, Kyra finds herself wrapped in a bone-breaking hug.
"SOOOO COOOOOL! LADY, YOU HAVE GOT TO JOIN MY CREW! YOU'RE JUST WHAT WE NEED, AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT IS!"
It would appear that when Straw Hat Luffy is excited about something, the only way for him to express that excitement is by screaming hysterically in your ear. Head ringing, injured shoulder shrieking its displeasure at the pressure being exerted on it, Kyra pulls her magic to her skin and forces it outwards. Very soon the ecstatic pirate is lightly tossed into one of his crewmates - the extremely hairy one with antlers - as a transparent shield of hazy energy expands around the irritated mage.
"How about you keep your hands to yourself, Straw Hat." It is not a suggestion. "Are you going to go look for your friend or just harass me?"
Straw Hat bounces back to his feet. "Oh, right! We have to get Camie, I keep forgetting! We have to hurry because now the marines and an Admiral are gonna show up! Which way did you say to go again?"
How in the world has this boy not gotten himself killed yet?
"Lady! You gotta show me where Camie is! Please?"
Satisfied that the young imbecile isn't going to try to grab her again, Kyra dissipates her shield and brushes past him, hopping up onto the stage and heading for the wings. Footsteps right behind her are enough to tell that he has followed. Pushing open the door that will lead them back into that miserable little hallway, Kyra's eyes are immediately drawn to the figure on the opposite end of the otherwise empty chamber. The geezer stands next to the open exit, the mermaid who had been slapped earlier held securely yet gently in his arms.
"CAMIE!"
If Kyra never hears that name shouted again after this day, she may yet die happy.
Turning around as Straw Hat tears across the room to his friend, Kyra decides that now would be a great time to leave. As a certain loudmouth pointed out, an Admiral and who knows how many marines will shortly be arriving to avenge her attack on the Tenryubito. She has yet to meet one of the Admirals face to face and would prefer to keep it that way for some time to come.
She gets about halfway back up the stairs in the front of the auction house, having passed the Straw Hats and the two fish creatures with them without a word, before she is once again impeded in her attempted escape.
"Where do you think you're going, Miss?"
Kyra pauses at this question, voiced from her right by the man wearing the black-and-yellow hoodie. His eyes are still shaded by his furry spotted hat, but the smirk on his face is out in the open for all to see. He is lounging quite comfortably in his seat, his heavily tattooed arms spread against the back of the bench and his legs crossed at the knee. He is vaguely familiar; Kyra thinks that she may have seen his face somewhere before, or maybe the hat. The men clustered around him are dressed in identical white jumpsuits - all except for the one sitting behind him with his back turned to Kyra and his shoulders hunched as though he were hiding. He wears a jumpsuit as well, only his is orange in color. He appears to be sporting a fuzzy white hat of his own, this one spotless with little ears attached to the sides.
Weird.
However, the strange dress and stranger headwear of this man and his little posse is not the reason Kyra finds herself stopping. It has everything to do with the fact that the man with the hoodie has the exact same voice as the piece of trash that bid one hundred thousand beri on her earlier - right before she slaughtered the guards. So when he lifts his head and turns to look at her, Kyra is not happy at all to finally peg a name to the face that carries those cold grey eyes with shadows underneath them. Just her luck, really, to be bid on by Trafalgar Law: captain of the Heart Pirates, Surgeon of Death, and the Supernova with a bounty of two hundred million beri.
This day just keeps getting better and better.
This day just keeps getting better and better.
Trafalgar Law smirks over at the young woman who - in the space of the last half hour or less - has killed or injured at least three dozen people, not to mention absolutely destroying the face of a Tenryubito. She is glaring at him with murder in her eyes, which he has noted are a lovely shade of blue. He would guess that she has figured out from his voice that it was Law who bid on her earlier, hence the furious stare.
"It's none of your business where I'm going, asshole," the female killing machine snaps at him, answering his lazily posed question with venom. Oh, yes, she definitely recognizes his voice.
"I beg to differ, Miss," he counters smoothly, uncrossing his legs to rise from his seat. The surgeon picks up his nodachi and lets it lean against his shoulder, glancing at the woman as he moves about. Law is well aware of the way he looks and the appeal he has to women; perhaps what he wishes to achieve will be made simpler if he can catch this one's interest. Sauntering over to her, he comes to a stop about an inch closer than what would be considered proper, grinning at the slightly shorter female trying to kill him with her eyes.
"I am the one who bid on you earlier, after all."
"Big fucking deal. In case you didn't notice, the auction is over. You never paid for me, and even if you had that's not my problem. I'm not a fucking possession. You want a woman so bad, go to a whorehouse; there's lots of those in the lawless district."
And with that being said she promptly turns and stalks away from him.
Law feels much like a child whose birthday has somehow come early. In the last thirty minutes, he has dozens of people get butchered; seen the infamously crazy Straw Hat Luffy and his powerful crew; and watched this girl use strange abilities he has never seen nor heard of before. He hasn't had this much entertainment in ages. This woman is going to be great fun once he talks her into joining his merry band. Besides, Law can already taste the mayhem he can cause with powers such as hers at his disposal. He'd have to be a fool to let her just walk away, and Trafalgar Law is no fool.
"I wouldn't go out there if I were you, Miss," the devious doctor calls after his soon-to-be crew member. "The Marines have had this place surrounded since before the auction even started. I have no idea who they were hoping to capture...after all, they couldn't have known someone was going to beat up a Tenryubito, could they?"
The girl stops next to where Eustass Kidd and his crew are standing; the Heart Pirate captain can hear her muttering curses under her breath. He finds himself smirking in amusement and does nothing to mask his expression as she turns on her heel and shoots him a look that plainly invites him to go to hell.
"Well it's not like any of you would've had the balls to punch the bastard. Why don't you let him shoot you next time, Trafalgar Law; maybe the rest of us will be lucky and he'll blow you pissant brains out."
Law's smirk grows until it practically stretches from ear to ear; oh, yes, this one is going to be a lot of fun. Before he can say anything else, however, their verbal sparring match is interrupted by a deep voice from the direction of the stage.
"You were shot, Sleeping Beauty? Are you alright?"
'Sleeping Beauty' sends a glare that somehow spits both fire and ice at the speaker. "Stop calling me that, you old geezer. And I'm fine."
The Surgeon of Death turns to look back at the stage, curious to see who it is that warrants such a look. What he sees is sufficient to have him gripping his sheathed nodachi hard enough that his tattooed knuckles go white: standing there next to Straw Hat Luffy, who is in turn surrounded by his crewmates and carrying the new addition of a mermaid, is none other than the legendary Silvers Rayleigh. 'Dark King' Rayleigh, to be precise. Gol D. Roger's second mate, and one of the most wanted men in the world. What the hell is someone like him doing here of all places?
The notorious old pirate grins impishly across the distance between him and the girl. "But you were so pretty when you were asleep!"
"Whatever."
Her rudeness only elicits a smiling shake of the Dark King's head. "Young people these days can't even take an innocent compliment!"
"And fossils like you never know when to shut up," the girl retorts.
Rayleigh bursts out laughing, much to her visible annoyance. Law wonders if she even knows who she's snipping at; does she realize that the old man she saved from potential slavery was once a member of the crew of the last Pirate King? Is she ignorant of his identity, or does she know and just not care?
The Dark Doctor watches with interest as Eustass Kidd pushes away from the wall against which he has been leaning, stalking towards Law's potential crewmate like a predator approaching its next meal. "Better watch your tongue, bitch. That's Silvers Rayleigh you're talking to. A mouthy cunt like you should recognize there are certain people you don't mess with."
The young magic user looks utterly confused, answering Law's question as to whether or not she knew his identity already. "What, are you a friend of his or something? What the hell do I care what his name is? Besides, he'd have to be braindead to fuck with me after all this."
Turning back to Rayleigh, the woman calls out, "Hey, gramps, are you planning on killing me if I don't start kissing your ass? Because I have to warn you, if you try anything I'll rip your head off without touching you.
Again the living legend lets out a hearty laugh. "Not at all, young lady. It pleases me to see someone so young with as much fire as you have."
She promptly turns by to Kidd. "See? He likes me. So feel free to pull your tongue out of his butt and kiss mine."
This time it is Law who laughs, partly at the girl's wit and partly at the look of homicidal fury on Eustass' face. The top Suernova opens his mouth to retaliate, but it is not his voice that blares through the auction house.
"CRIMINALS INSIDE! PLEASE RELEASE THE ROSWARD FAMILY! AN ADMIRAL WILL BE HERE SHORTLY! I'D IMAGINE THAT IT WOULD BE SAFER FOR YOU TO JUST SURRENDER! YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN OTHERWISE, ROOKIES!"
Law simply has to laugh again. Really, this is just too rich. Obviously the marines are under the impression that one of the Supernovae inside the slave house are responsible for the Tenryubito's current condition. The surgeon would just love to know what their reactions would be at finding out that it was actually a slip of a girl, a nobody with extraordinary powers.
"It looks like they've decided to give us the credit for your handiwork, Miss," he calls out to her, immensely pleased with the way his day is turning out. To his surprise, rather than getting angry as Law expected, the girl who butchered or knocked out several dozen people without a hint of remorse actually looks upset. Her hands are soon stuffed into the pockets of her trousers, her gaze relocated to the floor as a scowl covers her face.
"...Sorry. Um...just give me a few minutes. I'll tell them this was all my fault and then get rid of them. I'll make sure they don't lay this on any of your heads, okay? Just...give me time."
And with that, the girl turns on her heel and slouches off towards the entrance, leaving stunned silence in her wake.
Naturally, it is Straw Hat Luffy who takes that silence and smashes it into a thousand tiny pieces.
"Hey, wait up lady! I'm not letting you have all the fun! I'M COMING TOO!"
Law watches as the rubber boy barrels past him after the girl. He watches as Eustass Kidd stalks after the pair of them, muttering about how he's 'not going to let some fucking magic bitch rescue Captain Kidd, damn it.' He watches, and smirks, and decides to tag along with them all. His day is turning out to be extraordinarily entertaining, after all, and he wouldn't want to miss any fun. Nor would he wish to give his next crew member a chance to run off when she doesn't think Law is looking. That girl is going to join the Heart Pirates, whether of her own free will or with some subtle... encouragement.
He really can't say which would give him more joy.
Kyra waltzes a short distance from the trio of Supernovae where they stand practically side-by-side, ignoring whatever bull Kidd spouts at her back and the fact that Law is staring at her with an unhealthy amount of interest in his gaze. She wants to leave, and like hell she is waiting around for a fucking Admiral to show up.
Across the field, the order is given to charge, and about a hundred Marines come tearing towards her.
"I'll ask that none of you get in front of me," the mage throws over her shoulder, making a point to lock eyes with Law for a moment. "But it's just a request. If you want to die that's your business."
And with that she turns back around to face the oncoming tide of marines. Raising one arm, the sorceress makes a wide sweeping movement, encompassing the whole of the field before her. The results are immediate. Every man in the approaching horde freezes, some teetering dangerously on one leg, a few falling over from lack of balance. Not a single one of them can move so much as a muscle; neither can the ones who hung back by the cannons, which are now large piles of iron-colored sand.
Grinning now, feeling the astonishment from the three men behind her as well as the panicked terror from those in front, Kyra drops her right arm and uses the fingers on her left to make a 'come here' motion.
And that is when the screaming starts.
Kyra has always wondered - in a detached sort of way - just what it feels like when she uses her magic to rip a person's organs out. How badly does it really hurt when your guts are yanked from your body, slowly and painfully? How helpless does that make her victims feel? Judging by the looks on the faces of the screaming crowd of Marines, it hurts like a bitch and makes them feel about as helpless as fish out of water.
Well, good. Fucking bastards want to make her a slave? Screw that. Aside from which, Kyra loathes marines; her hatred for them burns very hot. If she could work it into her schedule to kill a hundred every day, she would do it in a heartbeat.
In a matter of moments over a hundred hearts are lying on the ground at Kyra's feet; some of them are still beating feebly. The smell of blood lies heavy on the air.
Without turning around, Kyra speaks again.
"I can use that on anyone, even Devil Fruit users. Don't fuck with me, Law. I'm not your fucking slave."
"Whoa! That was so gross!" Straw Hat Luffy comes bounding up beside her, that big stupid grin stretching his moneky face. "How'd you do that? That was awesome!"
"Glad you're entertained," Kyra breaths, and that is when she hits the dirt. Her knees simply give out on her, leaving her to sit down rather hard in the springy grass. Her head is swimming, the gunshot wound from earlier is throbbing horribly; she feels like throwing up. Maybe using all of this magic in such a short period of time, especially since she hasn't eaten today, isn't as great an idea as she thought.
"Hey! Hey, are you okay lady?" Straw Hat is in front of her now, the grin gone and actual concern plastered over his features. Kyra can't even remember the last time someone expressed real concern for her, and now she's getting it from a total stranger. This day couldn't get any weirder.
"Hey, do you want me to go get my crew's doctor? Chopper's awesome! He can fix anything!"
"That won't be necessary, Mr. Straw Hat," Law's voice cuts in, sounding a lot closer than it should; Kyra glances over her shoulder and flinches violently to see the surgeon kneeling right behind her, his nodachi resting over one shoulder and that annoying little smile on his lips. He grins more broadly at her reaction and Kyra scowls at him.
"I'm a doctor myself," the cold-eyed youth declares without a hint of modesty. "I'll take care of my own crew."
"I'm not part of your crew," Kyra snaps at him, struggling back to her feet and backing away from him. "I don't need medical attention. I can take care of myself just fine, Trafalgar."
"That's why you're about to fall over again?" the lipstick-sporting Kidd sniggers; Kyra glares at him. "Yeah, caught by slavers and sold to this bastard; I'm sure you do a great job of taking care of yourself, bitch."
"How about you mind your own fucking business, madame?" Kyra sneers, eyes darting from him to Law and back; she can see Straw Hat standing off to one side, scratching his head in confusion. "Buzz off, all of you."
Something cold and ugly passes over Law's eyes at those words, and he taps his nodachi against his shoulder sharply. "Don't order me around, Miss. I don't take orders well."
Kyra groans, running her hands over her face in annoyance. "Okay, my bad: please buzz off. There, I made a request for you; happy now?"
She doesn't wait for him to answer. She doesn't give a shit about his mood; she needs to get out of here before the Admiral shows up. Kyra spins on her heel and runs.
"Bepo."
"AIIIIEEEE!"
Instinctively, Kyra dives forward, rolling to the side. Something large and orange comes out of nowhere to hit the ground right in front of her, and she cusses loudly as whatever it is swings a leg at her head.
"Fuck! Knock it off, you bastard!"
It is as she stumbles to her feet and puts up a small shield to block another kick that Kyra gets a good look at the thing attacking her.
Holy fucking shit, it's a bear! A bear walking around on its hind legs! Kyra barely manages to dodge its next attack, so absorbed is she in staring at it. A bear that walks on its hind legs and knows kung fu! That guy from in the auction house, the one huddled behind Law's seat wearing a fuzzy hoodie with ears -that was his actual head! Snapping out of her amazement, Kyra throws her arms up in front of her, palms out facing the bear, and then jerks them sharply downward. Her opponent crashes to the ground, limbs frozen. Kyra doesn't take the time to congratulate herself before running like hell in the opposite direction.
Sadly, she hasn't gone very far when Law's voice rings out from behind her.
"Room..."
The air in front of her turns blue as a strange revving reverberates in her ears.
"Shambles."
Incredibly, the young sorceress finds herself once again standing between Trafalgar Law and Straw Hat Luffy, nearly colliding with the latter in the process; some distance in front of her is the very pissed-off figure of Eustass Kidd.
"What the fuck, Trafalgar? Move your own damn people around, you fucker!" Kidd is furious enough to have a fit, while Straw Hat appears to be having seizures of amazement.
"SO! COOL!"
Kyra merely stares in disbelief as the newest bane of her existence saunters over until he stands so close they're practically sharing the same breaths. A smug grin stretches the Heart Pirate captain's thin lips, flashing perfectly white teeth as it does so.
"You're not going anywhere, Miss," Law whispers in a voice that is almost husky for reasons Kyra can't possibly fathom.
After a moment of stunned shock, she jerks slightly backwards and raises a hand. Law eyes it rather lazily, as though disbelieving that such a delicate appendage can do anything to him. Lucky for him, Kyra doesn't hate pirates the way she hates Marines; otherwise his arrogance would earn him a very painful death.
"Think again, Mr. Law," is all she says before snapping her fingers. The pirate crumples like a stringless marionette, asleep before he hits the ground.
As Kyra takes off running again, ignoring Straw Hat's shouts from behind her - "WAIT, LADY! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ON MY CREW NOW, RIGHT?" - and zipping past Kidd in what she is sure is a new speed record for her, all she can think is that this definitely takes the cake as the weirdest day she's had in years.
A/N: Please review.