.: It's a little late, but here is my longest chapter of this story so far. I think the next one will be a little shorter, but I'll see if things flow smoothly enough to make it longer. Hopefully I can make chapters long like this in the future. :.
The Girl with A Half-Soul
Chapter 17:
Domain
Barely any clouds were seen in the sky. It made the air feel extra hot and was easy to sweat over. Chopper felt like he was back in the deserts of Alabasta. Barely able to move as his fur kept heat insulated. To help him out, Zoro dunked him into the shallow water to cool him off. Although the water made him feel weak, he still sighed with relief in his hands. "Feel better?" Zoro questioned him, lifting him out to allow excess water to drip away.
"Very," he responded, letting his head hang as his feet wiggled in the air. "One more time?"
Zoro repeated the action, submerging him completely for a moment and then pulling him back up.
Up on the beach, Robin had a magnifying glass close to her eye. Aurilee was on her knees in front of her as she waited for the archaeologist's opinion. Nami was also hovering with berry symbols for pupils. Why did Aurilee not mention sooner that she had found treasure?! It was only a handful, but it was still worth a lot of money! There were pieces of gold and silver shaped as ovals and little gemstones of all kinds of colors. Robin's knowledge of precious metals and authentic gemstones was limited in comparison to her knowledge of history, but even she could tell these finds were the best of the best.
"Where is it you said you found this?" Robin questioned Aurilee, placing a little ruby back in the pile.
"I guess it was a tomb. There was a dead body inside, and there was a ton more treasure," Aurilee explained, recalling the huge, ancient building towering over her.
Nami let out a squeal of happiness and grabbed Aurilee's hands. "A ton more treasure?!" she repeated. "Tell me more!"
She looked at the orange-haired navigator with some perplexity from her bluntness. She knew Nami liked money, but this kind of attitude was giving off very greedy vibes. "W-Well…there was treasure on the floor, a-and in the coffin–"
Nami's shot up to her feet and started twirling in the loose sand. "That's gotta be millions of berries!" she shouted happily. She could just picture it: A little wooden coffin surrounded by mountains of gold, silver, and jewels. They could not just leave it all here for someone else to claim! "We have to go get it!"
"Are you saying there's treasure on this island?" Luffy asked. Because what else would make Nami feel over the moon?
She approached the captain in a flash and grabbed him by the shoulders to shake him. "Let's go and get it! If it's just sitting around and waiting to be taking, why leave it behind?!"
He smiled from ear to ear. "That sounds like an adventure. Let's take everyone."
"You have fun with that," Usopp wished. "I'll just stay here and keep an eye on Twitchy."
"No way!" Luffy protested. "This'll be a whole crew exhibition. And it'll be fun!"
"I'm not interested in getting mauled by big predacious cats! No thank you!"
"Relax, Usopp," Sanji chimed in. "Even if there are dangerous animals in there, we'll all be there to fight them. Besides, we all defeated Baroque Works a few days ago. Jaguars are nothing in comparison to those cretins."
But the sniper was not so convinced. When he and Chopper fought Miss Merry Christmas and Mr. 4, they reason they defeated them was because they used their abilities and weapons against them in a ploy to outsmart them. But wild animals? They were driven by pure instinct to kill. You could not outsmart things like that!
Zoro joined the gathered group with Chopper sitting on one of his shoulders. "We're going treasure hunting?"
"As long as Aurilee knows the way," Robin answered as she bagged up the handful of goods and passed them back to her.
The expectant mother hesitated. She knew what the tomb looked like, yes, but getting there was not so simple. "I know part of the way," she admitted. "Usopp and I got separated at some point, and I kind of don't remember how I ended up where I did."
"That's okay. The island isn't that big. We'll find it no problem," Luffy encouraged.
"Let me guess," Zoro butted in, squatting next to Aurilee. "There were flowers, and then you suddenly didn't know where you were at when they were gone."
Having him that close to her inadvertently intimidated her. He was making that face again – the one that made her freeze in place like she did when she was about to get cornered and attacked. In reality, it was just Zoro's normal disinterested facial expression. There was no malice intention behind it. Still though, Aurilee moved away until she was more at ease. Then she answered him without looking him in the eye. "Y-Yeah…"
"Then we know where to go up to a certain point," he commented.
Chopper noticed the tension between the two of them. He really needed another session with Aurilee that would help her not be so wary of Zoro. But he kept quiet about that for now.
"Flowers? What're you talking about?" Nami questioned the swordsman.
"There's an area full of flowers that Usopp and Aurilee went through. But there's something in the air that really gets to you if you're not careful," he explained. "Hallucinations and stuff."
"Can't believe I'm saying this, but he's right," Sanji concurred. "We'll have to cover mouths and noses when crossing through there."
"Ooh! Maybe Aurilee can hallucinate and lead us to the tomb!" Luffy proposed. "Kind of like retracing her steps."
"Uh…It's not that simple, Luffy," Usopp deterred.
"Hey, I thought you weren't going," Chopper pointed out.
"I'm just saying!"
"Well, it wouldn't hurt to try," Robin suggested. "As long as we stick together as a single group. What's the harm?"
Sanji nervously looked at Aurilee. Even he experienced hallucinations in the same area, so he had an idea of what she might have thought she was seeing. "Would you want to do that, Aurilee? You don't have to if you don't want to."
She locked eyes with him briefly before detaching. "I mean, as long as I'm not alone…" she trailed. Her worst fear was coming back to reality and finding she had gotten separated again.
"Don't worry. We'll stick close the whole time," Nami promised her.
"Then that settles it," Luffy concluded. "We're going on a treasure hunt just like a pirate crew should."
"I'll pack us bento boxes," Sanji decided, stepping away from the gathering.
"We should bring supplies in case we have to camp out in the jungle overnight," Chopper recommended.
"Oh, great," Usopp mumbled. "Now we're not coming back to the beach?"
"It'll be fiiine," Luffy reassured him, patting him on the back hard enough to smack him. "I'll still let you watch Twitchy if it'll make you feel better."
The long-nosed sniper was gifted with Twitchy's leash as a peace offering. He looked down at the little furry animal, who also looked up at him before deciding his ankle looked worthy enough for a headbutt. "Ow!" For a goat too young to have horns yet, his skull really did hurt!
Everyone took a few minutes to get things together for themselves and the group. Food, shelter, clothes, supplies, and tools were stuffed in backpacks. Although they hoped this would just be a day trip, it did not hurt to take precautions. The last thing they packed was the bento boxes Sanji put together, along with plenty of drinking water. When he handed one to Chopper, he knelt to be down at his level. "Hey, Chopper."
"Yeah?" he said with the box between his little hooves.
"I don't want Aurilee to get as tired as she did yesterday. Could she ride on your back until we get to the flowers?"
"Sure!" With that, he bagged his box and threw his blue medical bag over his shoulders. Then he transformed into Walk Point, which was the form of a regular four-legged reindeer. Aurilee looked at him when he came trotting over and fell to his knees. With his pink top hat and burgundy shorts, there was no mistaking that it was Chopper using his devil fruit powers to change his body structure. "Hop on."
"Oh, uh, a-are you sure? I'm heavy," she warned.
"It's not a long ride. Besides, you shouldn't exert yourself too much."
Not wanting to decline an opportunity to not move much, she took a seat on his back so that both feet could dangle off one side. Chopper stood up without trouble and kept steady to prevent her from losing her balance. Just as they were all stepping through the treeline, Nami stayed back a moment. The air pressure was actively shifting. Not a single cloud could be seen in the sky, yet a storm was coming their way.
"Let's go, Nami!" Luffy called for her.
"Coming," she replied. Her eyes stayed glued to their ship as it stayed securely anchored in the little bay. If a storm did hit them, it would have to fend for itself against the elements. "See you soon, Merry." Then she joined back up with the crew to pick up the rear.
In the lead was Usopp and Sanji since they knew the way to the flower area. While the cook was cool-headed, the sniper was growing fearful by the minute. The sand shifted into dirt, which further shifted into mud. The jungle gulped them down like Zoro did with a bottle of booze. They were completely surrounded by nature that turned everything shady and dim. The ground was littered with fallen foliage and flora that was enriched with the moisture in the soil. The trees grew twisting branches that created arches and bridges among them with vines hanging and suffocating the smooth bark. Sounds of insects, frogs, and birds filled their ears. "This place is so cool," Luffy regarded. "Is your island like this, Aurilee?"
She looked down at him from Chopper's back. "There's no jungle on my island, but there's still a forest," she answered. "Definitely not as loud or dark as this."
Zoro faltered in his step as his foot sunk down in a mud hole, but he pulled it free and continued with their hike. "Hopefully it isn't as muddy either…" he grumbled.
Usopp's stress was getting out of control. It was starting to look more and more like the exact place where he encountered the jaguars. He stopped being the one leading the crew and instead started hiding behind Sanji. Feeling him get too close for comfort and putting his hands on his back got Sanji irritated. "Get off me," he demanded. Unless it was Nami, Robin, Aurilee, or even Chopper, there would be no touching the cook.
"They could be anywhere," Usopp stressed with his wide eyes darting in all directions. That just so happened to be when a group of baboons decided to swing in the trees directly above their heads. Usopp screamed at the sound of their low hoots and high-pitched barking mixed with creaking wood and rustled leaves.
"Relax! It's just monkeys," Luffy disclosed. He suddenly propelled an arm to stretch up to the animals. After gripping a vine, he allowed his body to fly off the ground to snap his arm back into its normal length. Then he began swinging behind the baboons to follow them, laughing the whole time.
Robin smiled at his silly nature. "He really is a monkey," she commented.
"That's what happens when it's in your name," Sanji added.
At first, Aurilee was confused. But she quickly remembered the first time Luffy properly introduced himself to her. "My name is Monkey D. Luffy. I'm the captain of this ship, and I'm gonna be the king of the pirates someday," he had said with delight. The connection amused her.
"What happened to following Aurilee past the flowers, Luffy?" Chopper called up to him.
"I don't see any flowers!" Luffy called back from his view of the jungle.
"That's because you're going the wrong way!" Sanji criticized.
"Awww! Fine!" He broke away from the baboons to change directions, ending up right above Sanji and Usopp's heads. After a few more minutes, he finally indicated his discovery. "I see a lot of colors up ahead!"
"Well, we made it then," Chopper replied.
They all stopped just shy of it. Luffy dropped back down to the ground, unaffected by the distance and harshness of his impact. "It's your time to shine, Aurilee!" he heartened.
Instead of Chopper crouching back on the ground to let her off, Zoro came over and offered to help her down. All he did was lift his arms toward her without saying anything. Although she completely understood what the gesture meant, she still did not acknowledge it right away. Her trauma told her it was an invitation to have her trust betrayed. But she was surrounded by others in broad daylight, so she swallowed her fear. His hands held her under the armpits to slide her off and give her a gentle pull off the reindeer. She nervously seized his shoulders to keep her balance. The sight almost made Sanji go ballistic. Why did Moss Head get to touch her like that?!
Nami moved to the front of the group. The number of flowers just begging for them to smell them and behold their beauty was trifling. "We have to cover our mouths and noses, huh?"
"It's pretty bad in there," Usopp warned as he picked up Twitchy to hold. "It'll get you in just twenty seconds."
They all took out something from their pockets to use as a block to keep them all sane. The only one who did not was Aurilee. She stepped to the front and looked back at them all, wondering what it would be like when this segment was over. Chopper changed back into his regular form to walk on two legs and block his airways, too. "We'll be right behind you. Don't worry," he reassured her.
"I won't let you out of my sight, my sweet Aurilee!" Sanji pledged with a big beating heart for an eye.
"Lead the way to the hidden treasure!" Luffy urged.
Seeing how most of them were smiling reinforced her confidence. All she had to do was woozily wander just like she did yesterday to end up back at the tomb. If she did it by accident, she could do it again on purpose. She stepped into the flower patch to begin. It was just as pretty and fragrant as yesterday. The first nasal inhalation got Zoro sneezing all over again. But it became muffled to Aurilee's ears as her mind became shrouded from the pollen.
Zoro stopped his sneezing after tightening the hold on his bandana. They all waited a moment for the mysterious effects to take place on her. Sanji especially paid close attention. He remembered the path of her footprints yesterday. If she strayed or did something different this time, they were in trouble. But she was almost in no hurry to show them the way. The Straw Hats watched her halt right in the middle. There was an awkward silence. Then, she spoke and continued walking. "Papa really showed them no mercy," she revealed.
"WHAT THE HECK DOES THAT MEAN?" Usopp screamed. Usually, it was Robin who made morbid comments like that. The last thing they needed was that kind of content coming from someone else!
"Just follow her. Come on," Nami told him while dragging him by the wrist.
To Sanji's relief, she walked straight through just like before. The mud under their feet would slowly go back to drier soil. That was why he and Zoro had a hard time tracking Usopp and Aurilee once they got through the hard part. They were lucky to have found Aurilee when they did. Once there was no recollection of their coordinates in the jungle, it truly was up to Aurilee to lead them where she ended up last time. But doing that was not such a bad thing. Sanji could not get over how cute she was from behind. Being so big changed her walking style to a pregnant waddle without her realizing it.
A few minutes later, the pollen's effects completely wore off and she slowed down to a stop to remember what she was doing. When she looked over her shoulder, she was relieved to see she was not alone. "I kept my promise to you, Aurilee!" Sanji proclaimed. He hoped she would spring on him with grateful affection, but instead she looked away to scan for familiarities. Growing up in a forest, she developed the skill quickly. She rarely got or felt lost unless it was her first time being in an area. It was not a problem retracing her steps for the task at hand. But nothing caught her attention.
"Where to now?" Chopper questioned. He came up next to her, prepared to carry her on his back again.
"I don't know," she guiltily admitted. "I don't think I came through here before."
"Oh, great," Zoro opined. "So much for that idea."
"Hey, it's fine," Luffy mitigated. "We tried. Let's just explore until we find something." He went to Aurilee and lifted her up without waiting for her permission. She yelped in surprise. But he only did it to have her sitting on Chopper again. Somehow, he had the strength to pull it off despite being an obvious string bean in stature. Luffy finished that up and began marching in the lead. He did not care if it took them a whole week. They would find that treasure, no questions asked.
The hike through the jungle went on for hours, but it was anything but boring. Lots of cutting up among the crew led to shenanigans. Most of them involved Luffy, of course. Aside from being useful by checking their positioning on the island by looking above the trees, he was always getting into trouble. Whether it was stealing from other people's bento boxes, accidentally slinging himself into Zoro, or receiving a whack from Nami. At least he was entertaining.
Nami kept her gaze fixed on the darkening sky above the jungle's canopy. No more clear blue sky; it was now full of gray clouds, and with it came breezes hard enough to infiltrate to where the crew was at ground level. There was a high possibility that they would have to cut their treasure hunt short and establish a shelter to wait out the storm.
"Ooh! Guys! What's that?" Luffy alerted them. He pointed and ran to the left of their current direction. At first, it looked like he was going to run into an impenetrable wall of branches, leaves, and vines, but when he crouched, they all saw how underneath all of it was an actual wall of stone. The stones were blocky with carvings in them, and Luffy only noticed it because the break in the wall reminded him of a window.
Robin was the first to come investigate with him. Dark red and gray stone cut into similar sized rectangles and practically cemented against each other. It was definitely manmade, and hundreds of years old. If nature had claimed it this badly, who knew what else they passed by without realizing? She curiously traced her fingers over the carved patterns, her archaeological brain working and collecting information.
Luffy peered through the leaves and branches blocking the view of what lay on the other side of the wall. All he could tell was that it was an open space. Looking down at the ground, he realized that what he figured was once a window was actually never a window at all. The stone slab that was only four feet wide had space underneath it. Maybe this was actually a doorway at one time and the overhanging arch broke off? He glanced back at the physically strongest of his crew. "Zoro, Sanji, help me with this," he requested.
The two of them obeyed and joined him. He grabbed the bottom of the slab and counted down for them to do the same and lift it up. They all grunted with the effort it took until one side rose and allowed enough room for a body to slip underneath. "Now hold it there," he instructed. When he turned to the rest of the crew, he motioned them over. "Come on! Let's pass through here."
Chopper dropped to his stomach to let Aurilee off, and they all gathered to take turns through. Robin was in no hurry to be the first one; she wanted to keep uncovering more of the wall to find more clues as to what civilization it belonged to. But Luffy scrambled underneath it and came through to the other side so he could help lift it with Zoro and Sanji. His knees and hands got slick with mud during it, but it was easy to get through the space. "Got it–"
The snarl behind him was feral and anything but a warning. Luffy felt massive claws strike into his shoulders and tear through the flesh down his back. By the time he cried out in surprise and pain, there were teeth clamped around his ankle and a heavy force dragging him backward.
"Luffy!" everyone exclaimed.
He shook his way out of the predator's jaws, feeling a searing sensation tear away tissue as he tried scrambling back through the opening. But he was pounced on, and the same set of teeth dug into his shoulder blade and center of his back. The cries and screams got louder, sending everyone into a panic. All Usopp saw was the spotted pattern in golden fur, and he immediately knew what was happening. "IT'S THE JAGUARS!" he bellowed with tears erupting from his eyes.
"Someone help him!" Nami demanded with her eyes dilated in fright.
Zoro and Sanji both dropped the slab. They both wanted to go in and help, but one of them had to hold the opening. "What are you doing?! I'm going in!" Zoro bickered with stress aiding his stark tone.
"How was I supposed to know?!" Sanji argued back.
Robin hurriedly peered through the tangled flora to see what exactly she was up against. She could reach him from the other side without an issue, but fighting a wild animal like this was something she had never done before.
Chopper was on the brink of using a rumble ball. He could totally bust through the barrier separating them all from their captain. Then, he could defy the laws of nature by making the predator become the prey.
Aurilee felt like time was in slow motion. Emotions were high. There was so much noise that was becoming tinnitus to her ears. She just froze. The feeling of being completely helpless left her hollow. All of this was just too familiar to her. Getting attacked by Calisto…it was as if her body locked up as a defense mechanism. And long before that, there was the night she came face to face with a pack of silver wolves. She was so scared that she could not flee. Because of that, she went down and earned the mangled scar that went down her right calf. But there was another instance that resurfaced in her memory. This was not the first time she witnessed someone getting mauled by an animal.
Not long after their family was reunited and she had healed from the wolf attack, Aurilee joined her parents on a hunt. Until then, they had worked on their own every day. Paititi hunted with Skah, Tayen crafted arrows and used skins to make them all clothes with Rikea's assistance, and Aurilee took Luna to gather fruits, nuts, and berries. They came together in the late afternoons to make a filling meal. Now that Aurilee and Luna were able to walk again, it was an opportunity to change things up a little.
Paititi had promised his daughter that he would take her out hunting. She made sure he would not forget that. When the time came, they split off into two groups: Humans and wolves. It turned out that Luna was holding Skah to the same promise, so they had to venture to the opposite side of the island. Tayen and Rikea were hesitant at first, but a little swooning from the males had them willing to go along just to keep things under wraps. Paititi was over the moon at the thought of spending such precious time with both of his girls.
Seeing the pair hold hands made Aurilee happy. Tuyen had been putting up a tough front for the majority of her childhood. Although she knew now that it was because she had to be a mother first before anything else, she could tell she was also fighting loneliness and unhappiness. Ever since she was reunited with her lover, Aurilee could see her loosening up. Something about Paititi kept her grounded. She acted like she was not fond of his pestering affection, but she actually yearned for it. What was funny was Paititi saw right through it, too.
It became a little too apparent that the father-daughter hunting trip had become more of a date for them. Aurilee was getting bored and feeling left out as she followed them. That was when she thought she heard a small animal among the brush. Upon investigation, Aurilee found a little fluffy kitten. It had a mix of brown and white fur with black spots scattered about. At first, Aurilee was excited and struck by its cuteness. But then she noticed how triangular its ears were, and how it was by itself.
Tayen's motherly instincts kicked in when she noticed her absence. Then, she saw a feline figure balancing on a branch above her daughter's head. "Aurilee, look out!" she blurted.
She looked up just in time to see the mother bobcat lunge for her. She had gotten too close to her young. But she never felt its claws or fangs pierce her flesh. Tayen was faster. She took the blow instead. Aurilee screamed as her mother fought off the bobcat in a losing battle. It was bloody with a lot of tissue opening up, and it would have ended a lot worse if Paititi had not grabbed it by the scruff and flung it away with a powerful swing of his muscular arm. He gathered his wife and child in the blink of an eye, and they all escaped.
Something about it had adrenaline gnawing at her. Her mother was totally unprepared for that fight, but she did not care. All she knew was that her only child was in danger, and she took the blow for her. Hearing Luffy screaming got her itching. Her heartbeat was so intense that it made blood roar in her eardrums. In the middle of their arguing, screaming, panicking, and Robin trying to pull off the jaguar with her extra pairs of hands, the stone slab was lifted once more. Luffy delivered a swift elbow to the jaguar's nose, forcing it to let him go. Just as he flipped over to kick himself back and be ready for another round, an arrow flew over his head and shot right into the feline's chest. It yowled in pain. Luffy frantically tipped his head back to see Aurilee kneeling with her empty bow in hand. Her scared expression mixed with shock. How did she even get here? And when?
Her unexpected entrance took everyone by surprise. It all happened in one smooth movement without any stumbling. Little did they know that her instincts had taken over from the mere knowledge that someone was in need. But it was still a dire situation they were dealing with; the pregnant member of their party was now also in danger. "No! What are you doing?!" Chopper yelled.
Realizing her error, Aurilee loaded her bow again. Her frozen state was no more, but she still felt overwhelmed. The jaguar leapt high. It forgot about Luffy and went for the one who wounded it instead. She shot another arrow, hitting its leg. At the same time, though, Luffy delivered a punch that struck from underneath and sent it flying away. Seeing they were in the clear for the time being, Aurilee scrambled for Luffy and grabbed his collar to yank him back to the others. The muddy ground helped him slide through. But before she could follow him, the jaguar was already back for more.
Sanji watched in horror as it increased its great stride to catch Aurilee from the side. Its now bloody paw had all claws fully stretched out and ready to shred through her. "LOOK OUT!" he screeched.
It was just in the nick of time, but she jumped back with a scream to avoid it. Now it was an obstacle keeping her from everyone. With shaky hands, she reloaded her bow and got ready to face off with it. But her knees felt weak as she stared directly into its angry yellow irises. The white fur that made up its chin all the way down to the underbelly was either stained with blood or mud. Seeing the ferocious scowl had her thinking that this truly was the end. Luffy's life was traded for her own.
Nami and Robin pulled Luffy all the way through and collapsed. He was severely injured and filthy, and despite Chopper trying to apply first aid, his focus still remained on the one who needed the most protection out of them all. "You have to go get her!" he implored with no regard for himself.
The whole time, Usopp stood trembling. He was too late in helping Luffy, and because of it, someone more physically and mentally unable had to throw herself into the fray. Being a bystander to it all brought a huge wave of guilt and shame over him. Why did he have to be such a coward?!
The jaguar weaved in an attempt to escape her arrow. Aurilee recognized the maneuver as she kept her aim steady despite the odds. She also remembered how inept she currently was. If this happened thirty-six moons back, she could easily climb and fling herself to safety. There was no such luxury in the present. If her aim was faulty like it had been yesterday, she was toast. She watched as it committed to a direct strike, so she shot her third arrow into its ribcage. But it did not stop it. It swiped her left arm and knocked her off balance.
But the ground did not meet her. A pair of arms caught her and swept her off her feet. The sound of swords unsheathing got her opening her eyes. Sanji made a break for the hole in the wall with Robin's hands holding it up for them. As he pushed Aurilee through, she looked back to see Zoro taking her place in the melee. "I got her! Hurry up!" Sanji called out as he followed her through.
It was not that simple. Zoro could not just abandon the encounter. This animal was determined to catch its next meal. Turning his back to it would be asking for the same treatment Luffy got. So, he fought it. There were already arrows buried in its flesh, but it moved as if nothing hurt it. He ducked when it pounced, sliced it when it left an opening to allow for it, all while moving back toward the hole. But it noticed how he was practically stalling it, so it decided to take advantage of the secret passages and hidey holes it had at its disposal. Zoro would watch it jump and climb up another wall taken over by nature and think the coast was clear. But as soon as he made a run for freedom, it would come out from a different place and block him. One of those times had it crash into him and knock the cursed blade from his grasp.
Once it landed behind him, it immediately reverted around and knocked him off his feet. Everyone watching let out wails and cries of disbelief. As it roared out and went for his neck, Zoro pulled the Wado Ichimonji from his hip and pushed the scabbard in between its jaws to hold it back. It angrily chewed, but he overpowered it and shoved it away. When it resumed its attack, he had already unsheathed it. His free hand pushed into its chin to keep it from mauling his face. Claws ripped into his shoulders in protest. The rancid breath filled his nostrils. Then he impaled the blade into its ear canal deep enough to penetrate its brain. The jaguar groaned and its eyes rolled back before going limp and flopping down onto his body. Everything went quiet.
Usopp was the first to speak up. "Zoro! You're alive, right?!"
The swordsman pushed the carcass off him and caught his breath. There was no question he was caked with mud after an ordeal like that. The only reason he moved again was because there was another snarl that caught his and everyone else's attention. A second jaguar was approaching. Its coat was more of a pale white than the first, and its eyes were a blue tint. But it still held the same chilling expression on its face. A streak of sunlight caught its gaze and made it glow for a moment. Seeing it had Zoro kicking his feet against the ground to scoot himself back. With Kuina's sword still in his hand, he was prepared for round two.
I told you there were two of them! Usopp wanted to exclaim. But he held his tongue as fresh dread overcame him and the others. Robin lowered the slab to keep the jaguar from entering and hunting them all down. Zoro's back pressed against a tree, and he watched as it overstepped his legs until its bloody face was mere inches from his. Teeth bared and growls rumbling in its throat, it waited for him to show fear in its presence. But all he did was slightly turn his head to avoid eye contact. He was not afraid. In fact, he was more than ready to end its life just as he did to its buddy there.
It pressed its muzzle to his chest to nudge him and sniffed. The mud on his clothes and skin masked his scent. But it was not fooled. All of the Straw Hats waited without a single word uttered. With a stoic face, he watched as the big kitty pulled back and threateningly barked in his face. The lack of reaction it got made it finally give up and leave him be. They all observed it take its deceased companion by the scruff to drag it out of sight.