CHAPTER 9 - A Pirate's Graveyard
P. S. - The following chapter has spoilers from the Kimetsu no Yaiba manga. Please employ discretion before reading ahead.
"…Two Sword Style - Tower Climb!" Zoro flashed his dual blades, Wado Ichimonji and Shusui.
The huge tentacle was wounded but the force from underwater hadn't been strong enough at that moment to cut it into pieces. The Kraken was taken by surprise letting go of the pressure upon the ship, the latter which had resurfaced above the water.
"That was close!" Zoro heaved.
Law was weakened being doused into the seawater. Many of Moria's weaker zombies had lost their shadows, the shadow master himself being weakened.
"It's coming again!" Shinobu noticed.
"Damn it! Eighth Style - Waterfall Jar!" Tomioka leaped high confronting the incoming limb. He performed a vertical slash that cut down the already damaged tentacle.
"Tora-o! Get those zombies to work!" Zoro shouted.
"There, that's the beast." Shinobu observed the Kraken's head above the water.
"Shinobu, help Tomioka out. I'll handle that." Zoro said, ready to attack.
"Stop the tentacles at all cost!" Law shouted. The zombies heeded to his order and got to work protecting the ship against the countless limbs. Two of them rushed towards Tomioka, who had raged the Kraken.
"Dance of the Bee Sting - Mere Fluttering!" Shinobu drew out her thin blade and pierced through one of the incoming limbs.
"Flower Breath - Fourth Form - Crimson Hanagoromo!" To her surprise, Kanae showed up with a curved-slash attack that blocked the second tentacle slamming towards Tomioka.
"Sister!" Shinobu was surprised. The tentacle on her end began to weaken from the poison that was injected with her attack.
"Thunder Breath - First Style - Thunderclap and Flash!" Master Kuwajima aided the tentacle's demise with a single strike dice.
"Room! Shambles!" Law replaced the falling pieces overboard.
"Protect the ship!" Dr. Hogback shouted as the Kraken became berserk. The ship rattled mad. More of the zombies fell into the water. Zoro tried to keep his balance against the rocking ship.
"Two Sword Style - 720 Pound Phoenix!" He swirled all his three blades creating a strong Flying-blade attack. The Kraken dived underwater to avoid the blow, but the attack pierced its body through the tempest water. It roared spouting blood and water. The tentacles began to withdraw.
"Quickly! Get the ship out of the maelstrom!" Law shouted.
All the zombies and men took the oars and paddled like crazy. Jack was far off and they couldn't get a better chance to escape.
"One, two, one, two…" the zombies coordinated with the humans and managed to make good progress.
The ship finally made it out of the horrendous ordeal. Despite being zombies, they were tired.
"I hope this doesn't happen again. We survived by an inch." Shinobu noted.
"That was close." Zoro heaved.
"Alright, no time to rest. The enemy might yet pursue us. Most of all, we can't let Jack and his crew near the ship."
The ship sailed north, supported by the wind. They gained decent speed, being able to ascertain themselves far away from the enemy.
"Where are we headed?" Zoro asked.
"Towards the mainland." Law replied, "We need to drop off Kocho-ya and Giyu-ya before we can proceed back into the New World."
"Yeah, I remember now. You had discussed."
"We cannot risk running into enemy ships near the coastline. Kocho-ya, I'll need your guide to steer the ship away from that city you had shown." Law said.
Shinobu was glad to be of help and took charge of the navigation. The weather cleared for the better as the sun went down. A clear moon was found overhead that shined below upon the undead crew and its associates.
"I will not tolerate this, Trafalgar. You got all of us killed for no reason." Moria complained, "We'd best stay away from Jack at all cost. This is not the right time to pit a fight against Kaido's troops."
"I hope you are prepared to spill your plan?" Law asked, "You know the way to the New World, don't you?"
"There's no way you are getting that information from me. This is my ship and you are intruding our plans."
"Your henchman agreed to the truce. I call the shots here." Law was serious, "I would've hacked your head off if I'd wanted to but your zombies have proven to be useful in the meanwhile."
Moria had no statement to rebuke back upon the Heart Pirates captain. He was tied to the chains and had no power to demand. He shut himself up. None of Law's associates managed to get sleep upon a ship full of zombies. They've passed through countless islands on their way and were reassured that they were on the right path.
"Your Kitetsu." Shinobu approached Zoro returning back his sword, "I appreciate for lending the sword. It has its wonders."
Zoro acknowledged, sheathing the Kitetsu, "Owners don't live long with a Kitetsu blade for its curse. I took a gamble, and it favoured for our side." but you've handled it better than the others."
"I wasn't sure when that large slash was released from the blade. I thought it was too much for me to handle."
"You've handled it better than its olden owners. And thus, it favoured you to fight on. You've improved since we've met."
The night was calm, and things went on easy. Shinobu observed the way ahead and was surprised to find an unexpected visitor ready to make conversation.
"You've grown better."
"Kanae!" Shinobu was surprised.
"Your skills have developed since our first encounter. I wouldn't mind clashing blades once again." Kanae mentioned.
"I'd prefer not to." Shinobu replied shyly. A moment of silence.
"I must apologise the way I had treated you back on that island. I wanted to say that, as long as we are in a truce."
Shinobu didn't reply.
"I have the shadow of a skilled swordswoman who's living somewhere. As for this body, it had compelled me to cease movement whenever I had to clash against you. But Master Moria's orders are absolute." Kanae said, "I'm sorry, but I don't remember much of the past. You had mentioned I was your sister in the previous life. She must've loved you a lot."
"You did."
Kanae was surprised. She looked upon the concerned Shinobu.
"I… I know that you are dead. But… but if it's not a problem…" Shinobu stuttered. Kanae understood her words. She drew her little sibling towards her chest. Shinobu felt nostalgic with the essence of Kanae's fragrance. It was the same back when she was alive. Shinobu began to cry as Kanae hugged her.
"I'm sorry." Shinobu said, "I should've been there to protect you."
"You did nothing wrong. Your sister wouldn't have wanted you to get hurt." Kanae tried to comfort.
"Kanae…" Shinobu wept through the serene night.
The ship moved ahead without dropping anchor through the night. The zombies were relentless in their effort. Law needed to make certain that Jack was beyond their reach. He couldn't afford trouble once Shinobu and Tomioka were dropped on the mentioned shore. Meanwhile, Zoro climbed atop the mast to keep an eye out for enemies. He fell asleep while duty.
Two days later, the sun gave way to land early in the morning. They had found themselves near the island of Honshu, where the city of Tokyo was situated further North-east. Law directed the ship towards starboard trying to avoid the land. They were flying a pirate flag and naval authorities wouldn't take their presence well. He discussed their location with Shinobu and realised that they were close to the big city.
"I think we might've swept too close to the shoreline. We need to move away from the land." Law mentioned his ire. Shinobu agreed with him. Tokyo was guarded with ironclad ships. Their pirate vessel couldn't withstand a chase if they were discovered by a group of them.
Misfortune struck the crew on board, as a small ship was discovered to their front. It was ironclad as Shinobu had feared, a corvette that was scouting the waters off Tokyo. Without further ado, the hostile vessel had opened fire from its guns stationed at its dorsal.
"What the…" Zoro was woken up atop the mast. The shots missed the pirate ship.
"Hands to the guns! Stop that boat!" Law shouted, "Full speed ahead.". Zombies stationed on deck rushed below to tend the guns.
Law couldn't risk letting the ship get closer to the northern shoreline. The corvette showed its potential firepower despite its small size. The guns were modern and developed, much stronger than the old school cannons that were deployed inside the pirate ship. The zombies opened fire in a mass barrage. A few of them hit the corvette damaging its hull. The enemy retorted back tearing off the ship on the starboard side. Zoro jumped down from the mast.
"Those cannonballs are fast. We need to stop them." Law mentioned.
"Me and the others had managed to handle Luffy's grandfather's cannonballs two years back. I'll hold the line. Get us out of this mess, Tora-o." Zoro said.
"Alright."
More shots were fired from the corvette. Zoro observed the trajectory and cut down the exploding shells. The skirmish didn't last long with the wind that favoured the pirate ship, enhancing its speed. They slid past the corvette and managed to deal enough damage in the meantime. The corvette had to retreat out of the are. With the help of Zoro's quick movements, they were able to protect further damage upon the ship from frequent cannon fire.
"They'll be back." Tomioka mentioned, "Our presence will be reported. We might need to hide the ship until the heat cools down."
Law agreed. They were past the docks of Tokyo to the north and their destination lay a few more kilometres ahead into a desolated area, east of the capital.
The ship made it near a large beach. A forest stood ahead shrouding their concealment from modern civilisation. Law considered it safe to drop anchor.
"I guess this is it." Shinobu said.
"I have a feeling there's trouble on this land." Law mentioned.
"Speaking of which, we'll take in the Demon Moon that is being restrained in the brig." Tomioka mentioned, "We will need answers."
"Oh my, I nearly forgot about him." Shinobu was surprised.
The Beast Pirates boat, the Salvaged Devil was dropped onto the seawater. Tomioka had returned back with the Demon Moon.
"Master Kibutsuji will destroy you all. You are just lost in hope." the Demon Moon was furious.
"I'll drop them off at the shore. It'll be a waste to leave the boat, I'll be bringing it back." Zoro mentioned.
"Very well." Law decided to stay behind to restrain command upon the ship.
"Now, before we disembark, we'd demand the bodies of Master Kuwajima and Pillar Kanae Kocho. Their deaths have been disrespected as it is." Tomioka mentioned.
Moria prized his newfound corpses but he had no say in the matter. Law would've tossed the ship upside down with his Devil Fruit powers to end his whole plan. Moria gave in to the demands despite his loss.
"I won't have the power to remove their shadow while chained." Moria mentioned. Law wouldn't flinch to let Moria loose for a second. The zombies were ready to destroy the intruders upon any possible chance, and Law knew better than to let his guard down. Master Kuwajima and Kanae proceeded according to Moria's decision and without protest. They got aboard the Salvaged Devil.
"We'll be off then." Zoro leaped onto the boat.
"You guys watch your backs, Kocho-ya, Giyu-ya. Good luck." Law mentioned.
"Thank you for everything, Captain Law. Hope to meet you again, someday." Shinobu bellowed. Tomioka nodded with acknowledgement.
"Salt, that's all it's needed to purify the zombies." Zoro told Tomioka and Shinobu. Kanae and Master Kuwajima were on the other side beyond their voices.
"I see." Shinobu replied with a sad notion, "I guess it can't be helped."
"It's the only way. We shouldn't rely on the dead. They should be at peace." Tomioka said.
Shinobu knew that he was right.
The boat reached the shore. Everyone disembarked on the sandy beach. The Demon Moon continued to struggle.
"This is farewell, then." Zoro said.
"We can't thank you enough for your help." Shinobu said.
"Well, you've said that already. It doesn't matter. It was an unexpected journey."
Zoro shook hands with Shinobu and Tomioka.
"You are a formidable swordsman." Tomioka acknowledged, "We could've used your aid against Kibutsuji and the Demons. But I believe you have your own journey, and that has more importance."
Kanae and Master Kuwajima walked up to him, shaking hands to end their hostility.
"It was worth clashing swords against you, swordsman Zoro. I might've lost but humility is a part of every swordsman to grow stronger." Kanae mentioned, "I don't know, but if I was alive as a human and had met you at a different circumstance, I might've fallen for a man of your calibre."
"Kanae!" Shinobu blushed.
"Ah, my. It was a joke." Kanae tried to change the topic.
"It was good to know you all. It would've been nice if my crew would've met you." Zoro mentioned, turning around, "I'll take my leave, then."
"Take care." Shinobu mentioned, with a feel of sadness.
"Let's hope we can meet again some..." Zoro couldn't complete his statement. He couldn't believe his eyes. The ocean was blue and Moria's ship was nowhere to be found. A cold wind blew in with resumed rain upon the desolated coastline. It seemed as if the world had died.
A sensation of hostility drew. Zoro's Observation Haki forced him to draw out his swords. The Demon Moon struggled with rage.
"Do you sense that?" Tomioka asked Shinobu, "They must've been serious to send one of them here."
"I know. By the looks of it, we are outnumbered. I don't know how but I guess Kibutsuji is behind this." Shinobu said, "Indeed, he has his blood within this cursed Demon Moon." She looked at their prisoner.
Zoro felt a strong presence from the forest, amongst many. It reminded him of the place where Law had discovered the bloody scene along with the Demon Moon they had first found. On the other side, Zoro had no idea to what might've happened to the Hearts Pirates Captain along with the ship. The latter's sudden disappearance made Zoro think like a cynic. Law was a pirate despite everything else and favoured Moria's survival amidst the troubles they had to face against the shadow user. Zoro believed Law might've had something in his mind to favour negotiations instead of destroying Moria's entire crew. But on the other hand, Kanae and Master Kuwajima remained loyal to their side, despite the new hostility that they were facing. The situation was a mystery, but Zoro knew what to do for the moment. He had an enemy worth the fight. A man with long hair showed up from the tree cover along with countless demons. The man had long hair and multiple eyes. He carried a sword amongst all, which gave way to his formidability.
"Get ready." Tomioka mentioned drawing out his sword, prepared to face the situation.
"I can't believe they'd send him within everyone else." Shinobu winced. She couldn't believe the enemy's eyes, "Upper Demon Moon 1. I don't know if any Demon Slayer of the present-day has met him. Kibutsuji must be serious about something."
Zoro stepped forward holding his three swords.
"Armament…"
"What's that?" Shinobu was surprised to find his swords turn black.
Zoro imbued his blades with Haki. He was serious against the situation.
"We cannot afford to be careless." Zoro mentioned, "That man is mine." He aimed his Shuisui upon the revealed Demon Moon 1.
"Are you sure? We must help you. That person is one of the most dangerous demons." Shinobu mentioned.
"I know that. His vibe gives it away." Zoro replied, "There are more of them than I could count. Survival is the priority and I want you guys stopping the others from laying hands on the demon prisoner."
The Lower Demon Moon Three wailed in anger.
"He holds information, and we can't let them capture him." Tomioka understood. He decided to let Zoro handle the Upper Demon Moon, "Very well, we'll leave that man to you."
"Tomioka!" Shinobu rebuked her fellow Demon Slayer. She knew the dangers of an Upper Demon Moon. They were renowned for taking down various Demon Slayer Pillars over countless years, maybe centuries. But she knew that Zoro stood a better chance than any of them. The Pirate Hunter had unleashed powers that he hadn't thought to employ in their previous battles. The swords gave off a strong aura capable of mass destruction.
"Leave that Demon to me." Zoro reassured. He had a grin on his face. A fight to the death.
TO BE CONTINUED…