Legal notices: I do not own One Piece. All original One Piece characters, settings and plot belong to Eiichiro Oda. I did not receive any payment of any kind when writing this fan fiction. Enjoy Chapter 11!
Magina tried to recall exactly what happened. They waited at the station together. One briefcase was in the bounty hunter's possession. The train arrived and the man threw her over his shoulder before she could blink. After that, she woke in a train car alone, clutching her case desperately. Magina celebrated, the bounty hunter didn't take her briefcase. She painfully detached her swollen fingers and opened it. Empty.
Magina stumbled into the bright morning sunshine. She couldn't believe how badly she messed up! Usopp trusted her to get the money back. How was she going to face him? She didn't think he'd accept an excuse like 'I was tricked.' Magina rubbed the back of her head. She winced as she touched the large bump.
Magina's head pounded and her stomach growled. She had no idea where her nakama were and she was too turned around to even guess which direction the ship was in. She was too far away to hear anyone. Magina almost burst into hysterical laughter. She was lost!
"I guess I'm really useless without my nakama," she muttered in frustration before finally just picking a direction and walking away.
Magina heard a lot of worried and angry talk while she wandered. Assassination attempts and a huge storm heading their way. She shook her head. It was still too early for the storm; she felt her sea instinct taking effect. There were still a few more hours before the real start of the storm. The rustlings of newspapers sounded like a strong wind blowing through a forest. The shouts grew louder.
"Buy your Mizu-Mizu Paper! The names and pictures of the perpetrators are included inside! Make sure to buy one and tell the Galley-La shipwrights if you see any of them!"
Magina wondered what the commotion was all about. People crowded together, loudly declaring their intentions for the outlaws. Above the noise, Magina caught a discreet strain. The song was definitely Robin's; only there was a hopeless determination to the music. It was unusual enough to be a different person entirely. Where? Where was she?
Magina glanced around her street. Not there! She ran to the bridge. Not there either! She spotted a tall, dark-haired woman go into a shop on the opposite side of the road. She fought past the throngs of people.
When Magina inched closer, she realized that it wasn't a shop at all. It looked like a deserted café. She peeked around the corner. Robin sat in a chair, having a conversation with someone. There were two people but they hid in the shadows.
"Yesterday was just the practice run. Tonight is the real thing. This is a mission in the name of Absolute Justice."
Magina's eyes widened. What…was going on? The crowd suddenly pressed alarmingly close. She staggered into the dim shadows.
"Miss Siren. I thought you might find me first. You can tell the Captain that I'm leaving the crew from this point on."
Magina blinked several times to adjust her eyes. The lack of sun was a sharp contrast to the overwhelming darkness. She listened carefully and shook her head in silent denial.
"No matter what you tell me, Robin, you're forgetting that I can hear your song. You might be able to hide your emotions from everybody else but you can't fool a siren."
"A siren? You keep interesting friends, Nico Robin. We'll take care of this. Be ready for tonight's finale."
The man's voice dismissed Robin curtly. She stood up quickly and began to leave. She stopped at the doorway.
"Don't forget our deal."
"Of course not."
Robin walked away, leaving her alone with the two strangers. The blackness was oppressive and stifling; Magina couldn't breathe. The man who talked earlier fluidly rose from his chair. Just before exiting from the back, he spoke to his companion.
"You know what to do."
The silent one approached her. Pain erupted from her left shoulder. Stunned, Magina fingered the throbbing joint. Her brain made the connection moments before she touched the slightly sticky area. Blood! But how? He hadn't moved! Another stab wound manifested in her right side. Magina coughed violently. She tasted metal. She tried dodging his attacks. How could she dodge when her enemy's movements were invisible to her?
'Come on, siren. Sometimes you have to fight without one of your senses. Are you going to tell your opponent to give you a break because you can't see them? Hear them? They'll kill you without a moments hesitation if you believe that.'
Magina closed her eyes. She unsheathed her daggers and listened, focused. The crowd noise faded and then disappeared. Magina ignored the agony from his attacks as best she could and continued to listen. Shing! It wasn't like a sword striking but that must be it. The sound before the strike. Now if only…
Her head spun, dizziness and vertigo causing her stomach to lurch. She lost too much blood. Magina clenched her teeth. At least once, she wanted to hit him at least once before she blacked out.
"I noticed something interesting. There's a scab inside your abdomen. That might cause you health problems if you don't fix that in the future," a dark tenor voice spoke pleasantly.
Magina stayed silent. The man chuckled.
"I can remove it for you as compensation for beating you to the ground."
Shing! Magina struck as soon as she heard it and nearly collapsed at the same time. She experienced it again, Sudo stabbing her. The strength left her legs and she sank to the floor. She was going to pass out. She weakly gripped his arm. His sleeve was torn.
She struggled to gasp out, "…I cut you…"
"It's just a scratch. Am I supposed to be impressed?"
"It means…my nakama can beat you."
The man withdrew his finger. Magina collapsed on the floor, feebly coughing. He lifted her easily and carried her out in the sunshine. Her vision blurred.
"No one can beat us. Just rest while I drop you off in a nice deserted alley."
The man jumped from rooftop to rooftop nimbly. Eventually, he found a location he liked and let her fall into the street below. Magina didn't even remember hitting the ground.
…
"So this is where everybody went. We rented a room and yet nobody's there. It looks like I wasn't the only one who didn't get any sleep," Love Cook commented after he opened the roof access door.
"Sanji, where did you go?" Chopper asked curiously.
Sanji took a drag before answering, "I went back to the cape. I hoped that maybe Magina-san or Robin-chan would have returned. They don't know where we're staying after all."
Two seconds later, Nami burst onto the roof.
"Luffy! Somebody attacked Iceberg-san last night!"
For the very first time since last night, Luffy spoke.
"The Ice-Ossan? Why would someone do that to a guy that everybody loves?"
Luffy frowned and jumped off the roof into the street. "I'm going to check it out."
Nami leaned over the railing. "Wait for me, Luffy! I'm coming with you!"
She hurried down the stairs and the two headed towards Dock 1. Silence crashed heavily on the roof. Finally, Sanji stretched too.
"I'm going to search for Robin-chan and Magina-san in town today."
Chopper hopped up suddenly. "I'll come with you, Sanji. I want to help find them."
Zoro closed his eyes and leaned his head against a wall. "I'll just stay here and guard our things. Magina has a better chance of finding me if I stay in one place."
"I guess so," Chopper replied slowly.
"If you're going back to the room, marimo, don't forget the room we're in!" Sanji called as he and Chopper headed towards the door.
He closed the roof door behind him. Zoro growled underneath his breath. Two seconds later, the door opened again and Sanji peeked his head through.
"Ah, the room number is 213. Try your best to remember!"
"I didn't forget it the first time, you damn Love Cook!" he shouted angrily at Sanji.
Sanji smirked. "Well, then later, shitty swordsman."
That idiot! Of course he wouldn't forget the room they were in! He'd been in it before…once. That should be enough to get him back. Determined to prove the shitty Ero Cook wrong, Zoro stalked towards the stairs. It was two flights down, past the first room to the right and then the third door to the left. How could anyone mess up directions that simple? After going down two flights and finding the corresponding room, he walked in.
"Aiyee!" a woman screamed.
She wore nothing but a towel loosely wrapped around her front. Zoro's cheeks burned.
"What the hell? Why is there a naked woman in our room?!"
"This isn't your room, you beast!" the lady shrieked.
"If it's your room then why are our things in here?! Wait, did anyone have pink fuzzy slippers and silk bathrobes? Well, Nami or the Love Cook would wear them but the rest of us didn't have anything like that," Zoro added thoughtfully.
"Like. I. Said. It's not your room!" the lady clutched at her towel indignantly.
Zoro sighed heavily. "Well, whatever. I guess I'll try again."
He went back outside to the hallway. He scratched his head. Maybe he remembered the wrong directions. Zoro took one more flight of stairs down and found their room. Yep, there it was, 312. He strode to the bed. After that little excitement, Zoro thought he'd attempt to sleep a little. He had a feeling that he might need the rest.
30 minutes later…
Pounding footsteps and cross voices woke Zoro up.
"They weren't in their room! The manager said that only the swordsman was still here! He hasn't left the building! Find him!"
Zoro grumbled and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He opened the door. Angry people were throwing doors open and ransacking rooms, searching for somebody.
"So damn noisy!" Zoro groaned before yawning with his mouth wide open. He stretched, only briefly noticing how everything went completely still at his entrance.
"Isn't that him?"
"He has three swords…and green hair…"
"Excuse me. Are you Pirate Hunter Zoro?" a squat balding man warily approached him.
Zoro's eyes narrowed. Something wasn't right. "Huh? Who wants to know?"
Most citizens would back away at his dangerous tone. Not these ones, they stepped forward, unafraid.
"It IS him! Capture him!"
Shocked, surprised; Zoro concluded that his only available option was a strategic retreat. He sprinted back into the room and cut the window. Leaping through it, he tumbled safely to the street below
"Hey, down there! Don't let him get away! He's one of the Straw Hat Pirates!" one of the people from the hotel called from the destroyed window.
Hostile glowers turned his way. He swallowed hastily and ran in a different direction. The strong wind pulled at his shirt. Angry shouts and threats followed him wherever he turned. Why was everybody acting so crazy? Zoro left the yells behind for the moment as he ducked down a shaded alleyway.
A familiar scent tensed his already taut nerves. Blood! The odor hung heavily in the narrow space. Zoro searched the ground, a dread uneasiness weighing him down. A lax body lay in the shadows.
"Magina."
His throat constricted. Was she breathing? He gently brushed her hair away and felt for a pulse. Zoro sighed once he found it. Her heartbeat was faint but it was there. The next step was to find Chopper. Magina needed treatment immediately. He carefully slung her over his shoulder and stepped out of the alley.
"Hey! There he is!"
Zoro cursed under his breath. He forgot about the irate citizens. He had to find a way to avoid them. He clenched his teeth and ran like his life depended on it.
I hope you enjoyed Chapter 11! Thanks for reading! I'm not sure when I'll be able to update next but I'll do my best not to leave you hanging for too long.
Marimo-moss head, moss brain, one of Sanji's favorite insult
Guest: I'm not sure I can wait either! *Grin* I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. Here's another chapter for you! *wink*