Kanna's P.O.V.
An explosion followed by a rumble that echoed through the thin walls of the ship startled me. It must be over. That poor man. You'd think I'd be used to their cruelties by now.
The floorboards shook beneath me. I grasped the cold iron bars to steady myself. My bare feet, struggling to keep my body upright.
A stream of cold water reached my toes and I jerked up in surprise. A small puddle had begun to engulf my dirty feet, reminding me of the many various cuts they had acquired. I ignored the stinging sensations and began searching the cell franticly; looking for any opening that the water could be sneaking through.
The ship creaked dangerously, dust and wood shavings showering me from the roof of my cell. The ship was sinking! My mind fumbled over a list of possible scenarios and escape plans. None of which, showed any promise of a positive outcome. Fuck.
My eyes dart across the room towards the hanging keys… if I could only reach them. Shit.
The door at the top of the stairs swung open and there stood the redheaded girl from earlier. Nami.
Her eyes met mine and she rushed down the stairs.
"The keys are on that hook!" I gestured rapidly towards where the keys hung. She grabbed them and began waddling through what was now an ankle deep pond of ocean water. Fiddling with the keys, I helped her find the right one. The lock bolt clicked. Nami yanked at the iron bars, the water working against us. I helped her by pushing from my end. The bars creaked loudly as we managed to open the cell.
"Thank you."
"Don't worry about it! Come on!" Nami responded, gesturing for me to follow her. When we reached the upper deck my eyes scanned the ship for Cabaji and Buggy's crew. They were nowhere to be seen.
I followed Nami as she made her way off the ship. My knees shook as I stepped foot on the dock, this was my first time off this boat since that day. Explosions and screams clouded my mind and I pushed the memories away. There was no time.
As we made our way towards the nearby village, I wrestled with the urge to ask Nami what had happened to Buggy and his crew…and to the straw hatted man. Did they force her to do it? To take his life? Where were they? Was I finally free of them for the first time in over 3 years?
Get a hold of yourself. Don't go getting your hopes up yet. I scolded myself, but I couldn't help it. For the first time since I was a child I felt hope blossoming in my chest.
I glanced down at my feet, instantly jerking back a bit when I realized a trail of smeared bloody footprints apparently lead our way.
I glanced back up at Nami. Finally finding my voice, I asked "What happened?"
She opened her mouth to respond but then closed it. "See for yourself." She smiled, nodding forward.
I looked up. A green haired man stood in the distance, lugging a familiar iron cage. This man seemed to be the source of the bloody trail we had been following. His white shirt and green haramaki sash were caked in dry blood. His sash held three swords…one of which I could never forget…The Wado Ichimonji. I stopped dead in my tracks. Nami paused, staring back at me in concern.
Recognition slapped me across the face, the green haired man's form suddenly registering in my mind. Images of an 11-year-old, green haired boy and his daily challenges against my sister in my father's dojo roared back to life.
"Zo-Zoro?" I stuttered. He paused, leaning his weight against the iron cage. He sank to the ground beside it before peering over his shoulder. Confusion instantly clouded his features.
I finally forced my wobbly legs to move. I began to jog awkwardly, my pace slowly quickening with every step. I hadn't run in ages. I slowed to a halt beside the injured swordsman.
"You're hurt. Oh my God. How can I help?" I stumbled awkwardly, looking around for something I could use to aid my sister's childhood friend.
He continued to stare at me, his eyes studying me intently.
"Hey! It's you! Nami, you found her!" The man in the straw hat peered through the bars of the cage.
"Yeah, she was in the cells below deck!" she called, catching up to us.
"Kanna…" Zoro spoke in a raspy voice, eyes wide. I stared back at him, my mind registering his response. Heat radiated from my face. I almost hadn't even recognized my own name… I hadn't responded to it since I had been taken.
I nodded, sinking down to my knees so we were face to face. He'd grown so much since I'd last seen him. Tears began to well up, threatening to spill over as I gazed down at my sister's sword. I blinked them back. I didn't cry. I had learned the hard way that tears only made things worse with Buggy's men.
Zoro's P.O.V.
That girl…she was nearly the splitting image of Kuina. I stared at her in astonishment as she began awkwardly jogging towards us.
"You're hurt. Oh my God. How can I help?" she asked, eyes darting around the abandoned homes surrounding us. Her feet were bare, caked with dirt and grime. She wore a tattered grey blouse and a short black skirt that barely covered her. From my view on the ground I could see fresh cuts on her inner thighs. I averted my eyes from examining up her skirt. The girl wore no undergarments.
"Hey! It's you! Nami, you found her!"Luffy exclaimed from the cage behind me.
"Yeah, she was in the cells below deck."
I continued to study the girl. Multiple bruises and cuts blanketed her entire body. She was unhealthily thin, her face gaunt and grey. Her hair hung in oily clumps over her shoulders. It couldn't be…Kuina's little sister…what had they done to her?
"Kanna…" I finally responded, eyes glued on the girl. She stared back at me, forehead crinkled. Her brows furrowed then returned to normal before her cheeks turned a deep shade of pink.
She nodded then sunk down to her knees in front of me. Her eyes scanned me over, pausing at her sister's sword. I saw them tear up briefly, before she blinked them away.
Kuina was very close to her sister… She always spoke of her fondly. I'd seen the girl almost every day, a wide smile engraved on her face as she watched her sister spar. She wasn't smiling now…
"What-How did they take you?" I asked.
Her eyes darted down to her bruised knees, her hands forming fists on her lap.
"They…they raided our homes. Everything, everyone's gone. There's nothing left." Her voice shook.
The information took a moment to sink in…
The faces of the people I'd known, the people from my village began reeling through my mind. Images of Koshiro, my teacher and Kuina's father, standing at the head of the dojo barking out instructions, his smiling wife, offering the children of the dojo snacks despite the master's orders, played. Memory after memory.
The baker and his wife, the bar keep, the mayor of our town, so many faces. My mother, old in age, though poor she always supported me. When I had left the village I had done so with every intention of returning to her, of sharing my adventures with her.
She always supported my dream, telling me she had no doubt that Id one day become the greatest swords master in the world and boasting that she'd in turn be granted the title Roronoa Zaila Mother of the Greatest Swords Master in the World. Had she been alone when this happened?
My fingers curled into fists. The shock from Kanna's words now morphed into rage. I forced myself up, clutching my wound.
"If those fuckers aren't dead, they will be."
Hope you guys are enjoying it, though I have no way of knowing due to the lack of reviews! Lol Please let me now this fic is setting with you guys. Do you love it? Hate it? Anything I can work on to make it better? Have I been doing Zoro's character justice? Let me know. =)