Author's Note: I have some very sad news. I don't know if some of you can take it, but here goes...
Happy 75th chapter of One Piece: Parallel Works! I'm so happy that I managed to get to the 75th chapter before my summer break ends in a few days! To celebrate, expect a Capricorn fic soon. I'm not telling you what it is, but it will be an alternate universe.
Without further ado, let's begin the party known as the 75th chapter!
Disclaimer: I only own the Capricorn Pirates.
Ch. 75: "The Sempai and the Kouhai."
A week-and-a-half later, things were back to normal on the Hyperion. Heathcliffe made a full recovery, but he still had some pain in the hand where Aki's father stabbed him. To correct it, Ageha made Heathcliffe wear a special gauntlet to relieve the pain.
All in all, it was a peaceful morning on the Hyperion as Yuki-Rin walked down the hall for breakfast.
"So glad to have Heathcliffe back to his normal self," Yuki-Rin thought to herself as she walked by the bathroom. Even though the door was closed, Yuki-Rin could hear the shower running and Heathcliffe singing a song being "bone to be wild".
"Sounds like Sarutobi-kun is enjoying himself in there," Aki commented as she walked past. "I'm so glad Sarutobi-kun made a full recovery. But, he seems kind of unhappy that he can't play his guitar until he can stop wearing that glove."
"He'll be fine. Ageha said that he can take off the glove when he has to use that hand, such as when he has to play the guitar," Yuki-Rin said. Heathcliffe then exited the bathroom, only wearing black pants and a towel on top of his head.
"Morning ladies," Heathcliffe greeted seductively as he dried his hair. Aki giggled as Yuki-Rin rolled her eyes.
"Kazuma's my boyfriend," Yuki-Rin pointed out as she held back laughter.
"Come on? Who can resist these scars?" Heathcliffe asked Yuki-Rin as he pointed to his scars on his shoulder and his torso. "And, besides, I feel like the luckiest boy in the world. My own girlfriend saved my life and I'm still here."
Heathcliffe hugged Aki, who broke into a wide grin.
"Well, I had to save you, Sarutobi-kun. Not only do I want you to stay on this Earth, but it was sort of a thank you for all the times you've saved me," Aki explained. Heathcliffe smiled.
"Thanks again for saving me, Aki," Heathcliffe said before he kissed Aki. "Now, then, let's have breakfast."
Compared to a week ago when Heathcliffe was on the verge of death, the Capricorns were much more talkative and noisy on this morning.
"Hey, Ageha, when can I take off this stupid glove? I want to play my guitar again," Heathcliffe asked the doctor.
"You can take it off when I say so," Ageha answered curtly. Heathcliffe gave Ageha the puppy dog eyes. "I mean it, Heathcliffe. When I feel that the pain in your hand doesn't interfere with your daily life, you can stop wearing the glove."
Heathcliffe sadly looked to the medical glove on his hand.
"But, I want to play my guitar again!" Heathcliffe cried. Ageha sighed.
"You will eventually, Heathcliffe. Be glad the knife didn't go deeper, or else you would probably be unable to play the guitar again," Ageha explained. Then, something knocked on the window.
"I'll get it," Yuki-Rin said as she approached the window, where a mail bird was perched on the window sill. "It's the mail bird!"
Wolfgang got some coins out of his pocket and placed them on the palm of Yuki-Rin's hand.
"That should cover it," Wolfgang told Yuki-Rin. Yuki-Rin nodded and gave the coins to the news bird, who gave her a letter in return.
"Thank you, mail bird," Yuki-Rin thanked the mail bird before it flew off. As she closed the window, Yuki-Rin looked at who the letter was addressed to. "Hey, Kazuma, you got a letter."
"A… Letter?" Kazuma asked Yuki-Rin as she gave him the letter. "Well, I do have some relatives that live near here, so they probably want me to come visit."
Kazuma opened the letter, which said:
Dear Kazuma,
I am terribly sorry to inform you of this, but your grandfather, Saito Miyafuji, has passed away. He was a true man who lived by a man's code of honor right up until his last moment on Earth. If you're near Shimonoseki Island or if you can make it all the way there from the East Blue, we would love to have you and your father at the memorial services and funeral. If you can't make it, please honor your grandfather in whichever way you can.
Your uncle,
Hiroto Miyafuji
Kazuma gave out a sad sigh.
"Hana, what's the next island?" Kazuma asked Hana.
"The Log Pose is pointing to Shimonoseki Island. Why do you ask?" Hana asked Kazuma.
"I have to go to a funeral. My grandpa just passed away," Kazuma explained. Yuki-Rin put her hand on Kazuma's shoulder.
"We're terribly sorry for your loss, Kazuma. I'll be sure to give you some peace," Yuki-Rin told Kazuma, who put his arm around Yuki-Rin's shoulder.
"Thank you, Yuki-Rin," Kazuma thanked Yuki-Rin. "In fact…"
Kazuma led Yuki-Rin out of the room and into his bedroom.
"I want you to go to the funeral with me."
Yuki-Rin blinked, unsure of what to say. The only person in Kazuma's family Yuki-Rin came close to meeting was his own father, and the Capricorns left the island when he was recovering from the fire. Now, Yuki-Rin was expected to meet people who were probably going to be like Kazuma.
"Kazuma, I…" Was all Yuki-Rin said.
"I want you to meet my family. Well, at least my Uncle Hiroto, since he lives on Shimonoseki Island. Plus, when – or if – we get married when we're older, you'll have a family that loves you unlike your Noble parents," Kazuma explained.
"Married?! Kazuma, aren't you thinking about that a bit TOO EARLY?!" Yuki-Rin cried. Kazuma sighed.
"Well, at least you now know that I won't leave you," Kazuma said. "Now, do you have anything nice to wear for the funeral?"
"No, I don't," Yuki-Rin said with a sigh. Kazuma sighed as he got a formal yukata from his closet.
"How about you borrow something from Hana or Molly? That'll work, since you're just going to wear a dress just this once," Kazuma explained.
"I guess I should," Yuki-Rin said as she left the room.
"I don't feel like myself in this dress. It feels so… Frilly," Yuki-Rin thought to herself. Currently, she was at the funeral for Kazuma's grandfather, and Yuki-Rin was now wearing a black, short-sleeved dress with a white apron (courtesy of Molly), white stockings, and black dress shoes. With a sigh, Yuki-Rin looked to Kazuma, who was seated next to her. "At least Kazuma looks handsome in his formal yukata."
Most of the people in the room got up.
"Come on, Yuki-Rin, the funeral's over," Kazuma said almost with no emotion. Yuki-Rin got up from her seat and grabbed Kazuma's hand.
"So… Now what?" Yuki-Rin asked Kazuma.
"You're going to meet my family. Though, I doubt that will really happen, since most of the people who came here were my grandpa's friends or his former students," Kazuma explained with a sigh.
"Your grandpa was a dojo master like your father?" Yuki-Rin asked Kazuma.
"He was. Like father, like son, I guess."
A man with dirty-blonde hair, black eyes, and stubble hobbled over to Yuki-Rin and Kazuma. He wore a gray suit with the tie already loosened and black dress shoes.
"Uncle Hiroto!" Kazuma yelled.
"Kazuma, come and give your uncle a hug!" Hiroto requested as Kazuma ran up to him and hugged him. "My, you've grown since I last saw you! It's been, what, two years? Three years?"
"Three years," Kazuma answered as he let go of his Uncle Hiroto.
"Ah. So it was three years?" Hiroto asked as his eyes trailed to Yuki-Rin. "Say, who's this pretty girl you've got?"
"This is Yuki-Rin. She's my girlfriend," Kazuma said.
"Hello," Yuki-Rin said.
"My, aren't you a doll? Where are you from, Yuki-Rin?" Hiroto asked Yuki-Rin.
"The East Blue. Goa Kingdom, more precisely. My parents are World Nobles," Yuki-Rin explained. Hiroto grew silent.
"The daughter of the Tenryuubito, huh? You don't even dress or act like one!" Hiroto commented in surprise.
"That's because I hate the Tenryuubito. They've been cruel to myself and some of my friends, since they're also kids of Nobles," Yuki-Rin explained almost bitterly.
"Well, Yuki-Rin, I can tell that you're a lot kinder than most Noble kids," Hiroto explained. "Anyway, Kazuma, how much longer are you here on Shimonoseki Island?"
"We're here until tomorrow morning. Why?" Kazuma asked his uncle.
"Your grandpa's former student, Mikuri Matsumoto, lives on this island. His wife, Sayuki, is going to give birth at any moment now, so why don't you drop by and give them your blessings?" Hiroto suggested.
"Hmm… I don't really know who Mikuri is. Could you tell me more about him?" Kazuma asked Hiroto.
"Of course, I will. Mikuri and Sayuki are originally from Wano Country, which is in the New World. When they closed off the island, they were one of the last people to leave the island before it closed itself off, and they deicided to settle here so Mikuri could be close to your grandfather," Hiroto explained.
"Wano Country? As in, the samurai colony? Does this mean… Mikuri's a SAMURAI?!" Kazuma asked, excitement showing in his voice. Hiroto nodded, prompting Kazuma to cry manly tears. "Awesome!"
Yuki-Rin sweatdropped, but giggled.
"Well, we'd better get going. I'd like to change into something more comfortable before Kazuma and I go meet Mikuri," Yuki-Rin explained.
"Are you sure? Kazuma, don't you want to go to the banquet and have some saké with your old uncle?" Hiroto asked Kazuma.
"I'm sorry, but I really want to meet Mikuri. From what you've told me, Mikuri sounds like an amazing guy," Kazuma explained. Hiroto chuckled.
"I understand, son. I guess that firey, yet manly, determination is still running in the Miyafuji family. I hope that when you and Yuki-Rin marry, that same determination is passed on to your children," Hiroto explained. Kazuma turned to Yuki-Rin.
"Ready?" Yuki-Rin asked Kazuma.
"Ready!" Kazuma eagerly answered back.
Ending Note: Darn. The party known as the 75th chapter is over. But, we can extend the party. Plus, I know that something big will happen for the upcoming 100th chapter.
Disclaimer: Review if you want to see Mikuri and Sayuki. Oh, and, ladies, Mikuri's a bishounen. ;D