Hi everyone! Dreams are underlined and italicized for your convenience. I did not receive any revenue for writing this fan fiction and all original characters, plot, and settings belong to Eichiiro Oda. Enjoy the chapter!
Zoro held his breath, his mind racing. He tried cutting through the wall, to no avail. The tunnel flooded, and they were all going to drown. Shit! Couldn't he do anything? A hand gripped his. He turned to see Magina. Was this really going to be the end?
At that moment, something caught the corner of his eye. Maybe it was long hair. He heard a rumor somewhere that sirens could breathe underwater. He might have seen a fin too. It wasn't Magina because she still held his hand. It wasn't very clear what he saw, his vision growing darker. Could it be the other legend that he knew about? He turned his head to grab a last look. An instant later, Zoro's heart stopped and black filled his vision.
'Leave my mother alone!'
Zoro picked up his father's sword in his five-year old hands. He could barely wrap his fingers around the hilt. The pirates paused to look at him and laughed.
'You're just a brat. What do you think you can do?'
'Zoro, run to the village! Someone should let them know!' his mother cried desperately,
'Okay, I'll go to the village after I take care of these idiots!'
The pirates roared with laughter. Zoro smiled. Perfect. They underestimated him. He rushed a pirate and quickly sliced him down. The katana was heavy in his hands. He knew that he should have practiced more. Night training obviously wasn't enough if he was already tired.
He killed another pirate before the others snapped out of their shock. A pirate grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. He was caught! The group's leader sauntered up to him.
'Looks like you needed more swords, boy. Eight against one is such an obvious outcome. It was impressive that you killed two of us. Our Captain could use a fierce fighter like you. Join us and we'll spare your life.'
Zoro said nothing. He didn't want to join no stinking pirates! The man saw the defiance in his eyes, and he walloped Zoro across the mouth. It smarted and he tasted blood.
'No, let Zoro go! He's just a boy!' his mother tugged on the man's arm.
The man shook off his mother's grip. He swung on her, slicing her in the side.
'He's just a boy!' the pirate mocked. 'He defied us. He killed two of our fellows. Captain told us to kill anyone who resisted.'
A pirate threw Zoro over his shoulder. The group left his mother behind. They went to a river. He couldn't cry. His mother shouldn't have gotten involved. Dammit! If only he was stronger! If he could wield more power, more swords, then he could have protected her!
'Take a long last look at the scenery, boy. This river is going to be your grave!'
His head was shoved below the surface. All hearing and sight were blocked by rushing liquid all around him. Again, and again, he was forcibly held underwater.
Dark memory was replaced by sound and light. He noticed the wood deck and the gentle rocking first. He sat up in a kneeling position and coughed while the dream slowly faded. Almost drowning triggered the memory. Putting that thought aside, he glanced around. They all made it, though Magina looked pale.
"Na-ha-ha! You guys are tough!" a drunk voice slurred. "But I'm glad you made it!"
"I can't believe that happened…" Usopp trailed off.
"I guess the legend that mermaids are really Dugongs is true," Zoro replied.
Love Cook made the most fuss, as usual.
"My dream! I knew that mermaids existed, but it wasn't supposed to be like this! My dream is forever ruined! Mermaids are supposed to have long glittering tresses and large—"
"Sanji-kun," Usopp interrupted. "There are many things in this world. You don't need to be disappointed yet. You never know when you'll find…"
Dart-brow was only half paying attention to the sharpshooter. He zeroed in on Robin and made a beeline to the woman. Zoro rolled his eyes. The cook was so predictable.
"Nrooh! Robin-chwa—"
Zoro smirked when the cook was shoved aside by Nami and Chopper. The reunion was joyful but there were lots of tears. He even saw Magina brushing away a tear or two. The hugging might have lasted longer, only Chopper fell over on the deck.
"Huh? Why can't I move?"
"It's not surprising, Chopper. I'll tell you all about it later," Zoro said, taking the moment to dry his katana.
The island was ablaze behind them, the warships were ahead of them. The situation was dire. The warships hadn't attacked yet. Zoro stood at the mouth of the bridge, quietly assessing their options. They needed a plan in place eventually, the Marines would throw everything that they had at the Straw Hats. They should be prepared for anything.
"Zoro? I mean, Zoro-kun?"
His answer was a deep growl. "We leave the cat bastard to Luffy. Our job is to hold out here until he has won the battle. We've secured an escape route. Now, we just have to keep it open until Luffy is finished."
"Don't sound so dire, Swordsman. Everything will turn out fine. I bet that my followers have already escaped and are waiting for us." Franky grinned.
There was a brief crackle before a Den-Den Mushi roared to life.
"Report from the warships sent to the front of the island. It is confirmed that all pirate activity has been obliterated. Life left on the main island is now zero percent. We'll be changing positions to back up the force at the Bridge of Hesitation. Over."
Shocked silence descended on their group. Zoro noticed that Franky's face drained of all color. Little drops of sweat trickled down his cheeks.
"They can't be serious. All of my cute followers… they can't be gone!"
Zoro couldn't believe it either. He knew how determined the Franky Family was to survive and go home together. If the Franky Family all died, that meant that those guys…
"They can't mean the Galley La workers too…" he stated.
"And Oimo and Kashi?" Usopp asked. "No one can kill them! They're Elbaf warriors!"
"Sodom! Gomorrah!" Chopper sobbed.
"Even Tetsu? He helped me out on the ship. They can't all be dead. If I only learned everyone's songs faster! Then I would know for sure!" Magina clenched her fists helplessly at her side.
"These are the horrors of the Buster Call," Robin started. "They can obliterate whole islands this easily because human lives aren't shown on a map. Nothing can withstand that sort of heartless firepower."
A sudden explosion brought everyone back to the present. The bridge in between the tower where Luffy fought with that pigeon bastard was destroyed. Now, Luffy's path to escape was cut off. Another announcement rocked the area.
"Warships surround the envoy vessel. All vice admirals and captains fight to capture Nico Robin. Destroy everyone else!"
Zoro grit his teeth. The Marines were serious. Vice admirals and captains? They weren't sheathing any swords against them. They would have to fight.
Usopp glanced worriedly at the tower.
"That cat bastard is tough," he murmured. "He should know where we're at. Then, he can stop worrying and fight!"
"Luffy-kun, we are here!"
Sanji joined in. "We're safe and we freed Robin-chan!"
Zoro shouted too. Luffy had to know that they were all fighting to escape. He wasn't allowed to lose. "Kick that guy's ass! We will all stay alive, so win!"
Sanji and Usopp added their voices in agreement. The rest of the crew got ready for the Marine assault. It wouldn't be long until they attacked. He looked around; they were missing one of their main fighters already. Zoro growled. That damn Love Cook! Where was he disappearing to at a time like this? Magina came near.
"Where's Sanji?"
"He has a plan. I'm not sure what it is but that's why he left. He's leaving the bridge to us. He'll be upset if we don't stay safe," she responded.
Zoro snorted. "I'm sure. If he had a plan, then he could have told us."
There was a cheer from the seven warships as the officers left their posts to fight them.
"We should fight on the bridge. If the ship gets damaged, then we can't escape!" Nami shouted.
Zoro nodded at the incoming enemies. "I don't suppose that you have a saying for a situation like this, siren?"
Magina grinned and took her daggers out. "Well, 'Lower the nets, and let's get to work', could apply."
Zoro smothered his laughter while striking a Marine. He should have known that she had a fish idiom for everything. The battle turned fierce. Franky grunted in surprise beside him. Zoro rushed his own enemy, swinging Yubashiri in a wide arc to catch the outstretched hands of one Marine. The blade contacted the palm of his hand. Moments later, his blade shattered.
"Careful, they have Devil Fruit Users!" Franky warned.
Zoro shoved what was left of Yubashiri back into the sheath. That bastard! Being down a weapon would make this battle more difficult. Thankfully, there were plenty of extras within reach. He stopped a Marine's arm as it swung down on him, disarming the soldier in the same motion. He caught sight of the siren not far from his position. She was already singing a melody. The Marines around them froze in place. She coughed and winced.
"That should hold them for a while."
Zoro opened his mouth to reprimand the siren. Even he could tell that Magina's voice was hoarse. She wouldn't be able to keep singing long. Robin and Franky went to fight in another corner. Those two were their best countermeasure against the Marine's Devil Fruit users. More Marine forces pressed forward. Zoro grimly struck again. How long could everyone last like this?
…
Her throat was on fire every time she swallowed. She shouldn't have tried singing. Magina couldn't afford to hold back anymore. The Marines had Power Users. Their little pirate crew would be overwhelmed if the naval soldiers fought freely. At least she was able to stop that Rust User. Too late to save Zoro's katana, she thought guiltily. The thought flew away when one of the songs in her head weakened drastically. What was going on? Luffy!
Magina gasped, forcing herself back to the present. Zoro fought to keep the Marines off her back. There was a brief lull in the battle. With trembling fingers, Magina pulled on Zoro's sleeve. She couldn't explain everything, this was still a dangerous spot.
"Zoro…Luffy is…"
Zoro took a moment to respond.
"Siren, take that Long-nosed idiot and try to wake our baka captain up. Can you protect him?"
Magina nodded and ran towards Usopp.
"Sogeking, Luffy…Luffy's in trouble. Can you do anything?"
"That idiot! I've got this, Magina. Watch my back!"
Magina saluted and started picking off soldiers that looked like they would attack Usopp. She had to blink back tears once Usopp started yelling.
"Luffy, what are you doing? You said that you were going to defeat that Cat bastard! Why do you look like you're going to die?"
Magina didn't hear Luffy's reply. She couldn't afford to be distracted by how weak her Captain's song was. She stopped straining her hearing, so if Usopp shouted anything else to Luffy, she no longer listened. Her job was to protect the marksman.
"You must be one of those pirates. Why are you crying? If it hurts that badly, we can send you and your pals to hell," a musclebound idiot said.
Magina swallowed. Her throat was raw, but she couldn't forgive this man's implied insult. She'd recuperate after this battle was done. If she didn't give everything, just like everyone else was, she would never forgive herself. She licked her lips and planted her feet. They would rue this day for igniting her wrath!
"You may not remember this encounter. I do hope that you'll remember in the future how foolish it is to cross a siren."
Magina took a calming breath and sang. Even if the song's effects only lasted for half a day, the Straw Hats would be long gone before these Marines could do anything else to them.
"Now, your memory will fade
Your orders forgotten
And you will not remember
Only a blank will remain.
The clear turns to grey
Your duties forgotten
As hazy as dying embers
These memories will not retain."
The eight fools tried to rush her while she was singing. Maybe they didn't understand what being a siren meant. She could fight and sing at the same time. By the time that her song was done, the men looked at her blankly.
"What was I doing?" one marine asked.
Magina smiled. "Your captain, in that ship," and she pointed to one of the ships surrounding them, "is waiting for a message from me."
"Um, what's the message…um, miss?" another Marine asked woodenly.
Magina paused for a moment.
"The message is: If you don't wish for your Marines to forget how to sail for a week, call off your fighters."
The Marines blinked.
"Who is sending the message?"
"The Siren."
The soldiers shuffled off in the direction of the ship that she pointed at. Magina hmphed. That might teach them not to attack the Straw Hats! She turned back to the fighting that surrounded the area. She made sure to stick to the outskirts. Usopp would need a clear path to the envoy ship when everything was fished and fried.
"Oi! Pirate, you're next. Prepare yourself!"
Magina spun around. A Marine with a firearm stood with his gun aimed at her. She clutched the hilts of her daggers. He was too far away to attack unless she threw her dagger. In this chaos, she might lose the weapon. She had to try to block the shot and then close the distance when he reloaded. She breathed in deeply, concentrating on the angle of the barrel, ready to react at the moment of the shot.
In less time than she could blink, he squeezed the trigger. The battlefield was noisy, but the shot was deafening. Magina managed to deflect the bullet so that the shot missed anything vital, but her blades were not wide enough to save her entirely. The bullet lodged in her left shoulder. She cried out, her left arm immediately going numb. She couldn't even move for a moment, pain overriding her attack plan. By the time she looked up, the Marine already reloaded.
"Time to die, pirate," the soldier smirked.
Magina was going to dive for the ground when she heard a grunt of pain and metal clanking on the bridge. She weaved as she stood up from her half-crouched position. A warm hand steadied her.
"Can you still fight, siren?"
Zoro. She clenched her teeth and nodded. She quickly put away her offhand dagger. She fought better with a weapon in both hands but Magina doubted that she could lift her arm to strike.
Zoro sighed heavily. "Your blades are thinner than mine so until you gain battle awareness and reflexes, don't try to block bullets. When you're facing enemies with long-range weapons remember to constantly move. A still target is the easiest to kill."
"I know that!" Magina protested angrily. "I couldn't let them change targets and attack Usopp!"
Zoro nodded. "After this is over, we'll do some training with that in mind. I don't say this often, so it's good that Love Cook is occupied elsewhere. He was right about one thing. There isn't a single person onboard who wants you to sacrifice yourself so that you can protect us. You aren't useless and we want you safe too."
And with that final announcement, Zoro disappeared back in the thick of the battle. Magina didn't try to stop the tears. That darn Zoro! She was trying not to think about that. They had more important things to worry about, like survival!
"Magina, let's join the others. Luffy will win, and it might be bad if we get separated," Usopp stood next to her.
Magina nodded. She took a moment to listen. Luffy's song was strong again. Whatever Usopp told him, brought him back to his feet. They had to do their best too. They were all going back together!
There it is Chapter 28! I hope you enjoyed it. There are no special announcements this time around. Chapter 29 will be posted on May 1st. As always, everybody stay safe and healthy! Happy writing!