"Should we stop them?" Denny asked, his voice now strong. Tion smiled.
"To think that pratically two years ago you didn't utter a word..." Derek graned.
"I wish we would return to that time..." Charlie said.
"Shut up! Don't you have anything to do?"
"Well, you know, being carpenter means you have to work only when the ship is damaged. And the Pearl is perfect."
"Stop bragging brother." Charlie admolished, arm around Gale's shoulders.
"How long do you think they will take them to faint?" Gale asked, head on Charlie's shoulder. "They've been fighting for three days stright, without pausing to eat or sleep."
"Not much longer." Tion sighed, hand resting on her Claymore's blade. The sword was long and large, semingly impossible for her to carry, let alone use. Denny placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry sister, I know you're going to be able to nurse them to health."
"I hope-" A soft thud, the sound of a body meeting the earth, followed by another. Silence. For one, two minutes.
"Jimbe went down first..." Was all Denny could mutter, before Tion was up, running towards the fallen figures.
"Tion, wait! There's a ship, I think it's-"
"Who wishes to challenge me?"
"Oh, for goddess' sake. I can't believe this bad timing..." Derek said, looking like he wanted to die there and then. Ace got up, slowly, painfully.
"RUN" And than, a huge wall of fire was in front of them.
"ACE! ACE, STOP!" Charlie screamed, getting up and running towards the fire.
"Charlie don't!" Gale called, stopping his loved one before he could do something stupid. A loud bang, a laugh, silence. Movements on the other side of the wall, chatter.
"I think...I think they're going..." Denny whispered, and that seemed to take Tion spring to action.
"Oh Goddess, what did we do?! Ace was already hurt! What if they killed him?! What if he is so injuried thaat he won't make it through the day?! I don't know if I'll be able to fix him!" She paniked.
"Tion! Tion, calm down! Breath." Paul said, taking both of her hands in his. "Look at me. That's it, breath. And in. Two, three, four. Hold for two. That's it. And out, two, three, four."
"What's that?" Gale asked.
"It's an exercise for anxiety. Inspire for four seconds, hold for two and exhale for four. Go one until you're calm enough. It's part of a more complex exercise, but it's faster like this."
"They maybe we'll need them too." Gale said, looking shaken.
Together, they at on the ground, Paul helping them through the worst of Tion's anxiety. At least, the wall of flames died down. Tion covered her face with her hands.
"Please, tell me he lives." Silence.
"Tion, I...I can't see him...I think they took him." Tion laughed a little, relief on her face as a few tears fell from her eyelids.
"He's alive then. Thak godness."
"But they took him." Charlie said, looking angry.
"Charlie, dear. I though he would be dead just few minutes ago. Let me be happy for a little? I swear I'll get angry as soon as the adrenlie stops pumping in my veins." Tion said, leaning eavilly on Paul's shoulder. Laugher and tears fell from evey member of the Spades, everyone of them feeling the blunt stress they had gone through these days.
"Ok, ok, I think the wave of craziness just left us. I start to feel as angry as when my period is nearing." Tion sighed.
"Oh Goddess. We are not your enemy, please don't kill us." Denny said, hiding behind Charlie.
"Oh, darling, I won't." A sadistic grin on her lips, she got up. "Let's follow the ones tha took our captain."
"Aye Aye!"
Tion stood, body bloodied and full of bruises. The commanders were so strong, but she wasn't about to give up on her Captain. She could feel Gale stumble beside her as he tried to get up, shotgun in one hand.
"Give us our Captain back." She said, bloodied hand tightening around her claymore. "You don't get what you are doing."
Rakuyo chuckled, eyebrow raised. "We don't?"
Tion closed her eyes, shaking her head. "You don't. And when you will, it will be too late."
Whitebeard leant backwards on his chair, hand on his chin. "Then, what are we doing?"
"Something very stupid." The brunette said, looking the Yanko dead in the eyes.
"Tion-san!" A terrified shout came from her right and she whipped her head. A sharp intake of breath sounded from somewhere behind her.
"No..."
Something is burning...
There were times when all his personalities were like annulled and everyone acted like one, like there was just Ace. It happened rarely, but this time was one of these moments. It was quiet in his head and he acted like in a trance.
So he stood and got out from the room he was in. In an instant, he was awake and the voices returned full force in his head.
No.
This isn't happening.
His beloved- his beloved ship...their beloved ship was on fire! An hoarse scream left his troth and he wasn't even sure which personality actually screamed or which one was in control. He just knew that he needed to save his ship, his home. He didn't know how but suddenly he was on deck, absorbing the flames, taking them inside his body. He was going on overdrive and it hurt, the flames were roaring at him as he caged them but he didn't care if he was in pain. He just wanted his home to be safe.
"Fuck!" Denny shouted. "That's our home, how dare you burn it?!" And in an instant he was on the pirates that were near their ship, beating the holy heaven out of them.
"This is bad." Tion said, hand on her face. "This is super bad." A groan escaped her mouth as her man started to gather around her. "Ok, I want you to be ready. In this situation R&B might wake up. Hell, I would be surprised if he doesn't." She looked at her men in the eyes, like the first mate she was before she started barking orders. "I need you all to be prepared. Get in formation in two seconds. We need to keep the damage to the minimum but remember not to hurt him: they share one body. Hurt one and you will hurt all of them."
"Aye sir!"
Tion watched as they moved to form a circle, loading gun with tranquilizer and gripping their weapon so they won't be lethal and she nodded. "Denny for god's sake! Before he wakes up I want you in position! That means that I want you here now!" She watched as Denny leaped in his position.
"I'm sorry Tion-san!" She nodded and moved so she was giving Whitebeard and the commanders her back.
"I trust you won't attack while I'm giving you my back."
"We won't." Marco spat . "But we want to know what the hell is going on here."
"Oh, you will see why exactly it's a bad idea to make Ace do things he doesn't want to do." She smiled sweetly to them taking out needles from her fanny pack. "Like joining you."
"I don't get it!" Thatch whined.
"Oi, missy, we want a straight answer -yoi!" Marco was completely furious and wasn't really paying attention to what he was saying. A needle was suddenly buried in his shoulder and he couldn't feel his arm anymore. "What?!"
"I'm specialized in acupuncture. Which means that I know every little pressure points that would make you unable to lift even a finger. They have sea stone, so they are resistent." She glared. "Now, if you don't mind, I will show you how to treat an unstable and murderous personality. Unless you wish to became a roasted chick tonight. Along with everyone on this ship."
"Don't you dare threaten this crew" Curiel growled.
"It's not a threat. I know it. R&B it's not Ace, he has nothing that stops him from killing you." She pointed to Haruta. "You" She pointed tu Curiel. "Or me." She added, making several people gasp. "So, be good children and let me work."
"Wait, wait, wait" Thatch stopped her as she turned. "What does that even mean?!"
"It means." She said, smiling over her shoulder. "That our Captains has DID. More than one personality. And that not every personality inside of him is friendly." A wave of unpredicted Conqueror Haki crashed over everyone on the ship, making some faint. "Like him." Tion smiled, nodding her chin towards the form wrapped in fire that was walking slowly.
Ace was standing on the charred deck. He wasn't Derek, but he knew it was beyond repair. His mind was in an uproar
How could they?
This was our home!
They had no right!
Oh God
I hate them
Our pride, our joy!
It's gone! It's gone now!
I hate them!
How could they?!
I hate them
They took the most precious things from us!
I hate them I hate them I hate them I hate them I hate them I hate them I hate them I hate them I hate them I hate them I HATE THEM!
Ace felt something snap inside him and let himself be drawn into a deep sleep. He knew it. He knew that one of his personalities was going to avenge him. Smiling to himself, he let himself fall.
When he opened his eyes, it wasn't Ace that was guiding their body. A sinister smile was painted on pale lips as he let himself free for the first time in so long.
Marco watched as the kid came to stand in the middle of the circle that the Spades formed, standing a few feet away from Tion. He was relaxed, his calmness similar to a predator's. His eyes were shining with a dark light that made him want to shiver.
"It's been a while, Tion." Ace -R&B- said, his voice as calm as his entire body.
"Sure. Now, can I please talk to King? Or to Spades. It doesn't really matters." R&B smiled.
"Of course. So you can convince them to chain me again. Why not." He snorted. "I won't be caged again. Come on, when was the last time they let me loose? Like, two years ago? It was so difficult to get out! Always waiting for the right moment, when the protectors weren't looking. But now" He smiled. "I'm free. After almost two years of work, all it took was him." His smile widened as he looked towards Whitebeard. "I should thank you. The other people that leaved inside this body would have never let me out if it wasn't for you." He bowed mockingly, eyes sparkling with glee.
Tion tensed and before anyone knew it, R&B sprinted forward, hand coated in flames. Tion was in front of him in an instant and as the raven moved to punch the air, one of her needles piercing trough his arm from below, right before his elbow. A low growl came from the young man before he sprinted backwards, dodging another needle that was aimed to his troth, leaving just a little scratch.
"Have I ever told you that I hate you?" The raven asked, wicked smile on his lips.
"Every time we meet."
R&Be hissed, a hand resting on his head.
"Spades! Come forth! We can't keep him at bay without hurting your body. You're already too wounded to deal with this."
"DON'T YOU DARE!" R&B shouted, angered. "I am finally free! You won't call on the protectors to stop me."
"Do you even realize how weak your body is, right now? Ace fought for three days with Jimbe and received a solid beating from him" She snarled, pointing Whitebeard. "You need time to heal your body."
R&B groaned again, eyes burning with hate as he bended over like in pain. "I hate you so much" He breathed. He was completely still for a moment before straightening, eyes calm.
"Hello Tion"
She huffed before stalking towards Spades and roughly taking her needle out of his arm.
"Ow! Was that necessary?" He whined, hands massaging the spot she pierced.
"Yes, it was! You let R&B free! FREE, for fuck's sake!" She pointed her needle on his face "Next time I'm going all out and you all if you let him go!" She shouted, waving the needle wildly.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" He yelped, taking a step back. "But they burned our ship! We had to do something!"
"And letting R&B go was your solution?! Really?!"
"Look, we're sorry, but we couldn't just let slide the fact that they just burned our home! Not to mention the fact that they are mocking us!" Spade sounded annoyed. "Asking us to join them just before burning our home and hurting our nakama!" Spades expression changed into one of fury, looking towards Whitebeard. "How dare you?!" Tion startled and grabbed both his arms.
"King, calm down! I need to have a personality to talk to, not someone I need to sedate!"
"Like I would give a fuck! They are playing with us." He snarled and Charlie was next to him in a second.
"Captain, you need to calm down. Tion needs to check your injuries." King hissed loudly at him, feral and dangerous. He looked like a beast, the Whitebeard crew realized with a start.
Then, all of a sudden, King swayed and then collapsed, held up only by his crewmates. There was a moment of confusion as Aca -King- laid there, against the people he recruited, completely limp and
head thrown bach, neck completely exposed. His chest was rising and falling rhythmically.
"Paul, please, help me here" Charlie called and the bulky man hurried to lift the unconscious teen and to put him over his shoulder before turning towards Tion.
"Where do I put him?" She shrugged before turning towards the Whitebeards.
"Can someone tell us where our Captain should rest?" Izo was the first to snap out.
"Of course. Here, follow me."
"Oh, wait, I have to-" Tion stopped, looking like someone just hit her on the stomach. "Oh gods. I-I don't have anything to treat him with!"
"Don't worry -yoi" Marco said, trying to sooth her. Their start was rocky, but Pops wanted Ace in the crew and he knew the Spades would follow him; he really wanted to be nice with his new brothers. "Our nurses are the best of the seas."
"Do they know anything abut natural ways of treating a wound?" She asked, one eyebrow raised. Marco looked at the nurses as they shook their head or looked at Tion like she was crazy. "I thought so. Every member of our crew in from less known islands with few doctors. We are all extremely sensitive of medicine and that's why we have to take natural remedy. But you all just burn my greenhouse." She said between gritted teeth. "Has anyone tended to Ace's wound?"
"We were doing some analysis for internal bleeding and checking his bones when you all arrived." Answered one of the nurses. A girl with long blond hair.
"And?"
"It's all right, just external wounds and fatigue." Tion nodded.
"Ok. Thanks. Who's the head chef?"
"It's me!" Thatch said, smiling. "What can I do for you?"
"I need Cayenne Pepper. If you don't have any, raw honey or garlic will do. Or potatoes! They're really good for wounds. But Cayenne pepper is better. I need a lot of them and I need water too, obviously."
"Are you sure it's going to do some good?" Thatch asked sceptically and Tion's eyebrow twitched.
"Tion, nope, torture is a terrible thing." Gale said, snickering.
"Then what if I just cut his penis off?" Tion asked, looking pissed.
"No please, I still need it!" Tatch screeched, hands flaying in front of his chock.
"Then hurry up!" Tion screamed, hands flaying in the air in exasperation. Izo chuckled.
"You had him figured out really fast." Tion shrugged.
"It's not complicated. Now let's go, I have tons of work to do!"