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Akemi's Bizarre Adventure
Chapter 6: Dark Blue Moon
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"To get from Hong Kong to Singapore, we'll be on the water for three full days." Mo informed.
"Well, let's relax and keep our spirits up! But seriously, guys... can't you do something about those school uniforms? You're going to continue on our journey wearing those? Isn't it bloody hot?" Nagged Joseph, pointing at the two lounging students.
"Well, we are students... and students should behave as students." Stated Kakyoin, as if it was obvious.
"Ugh, gag me with a spoon." Akemi groaned, catching both Jotaro and Kakyoin off guard with her reaction. She was wearing a decorative bikini top with colorful floral designs, her leather jacket, which fell a bit past her shoulders, and high-waisted, pale jean shorts. Polnareff had commented on her legs earlier, which came with a response of a life saver being thrown at his face.
She faced them, a hand on her hip.
"Won't your outfits get ruined on this trip? You're going to be doing a lot of fighting, I'm sure."
"We can just get another from an outfitter." Jotaro said simply. "Gramps is, like, rich, right?"
Akemi sighed. She supposed there was no purpose in arguing.
"Bambino viziato…" She muttered under her breath.
"I see... so this is Bushido." Said Mo, seemingly awe-struck. "Once you clear your mind, even fire seems cool."
"No, it's called being a brat." Akemi muttered, waving her hand dismissively. Kakyoin recoiled, as if in shock.
"You know, girls won't fall for stiffs like you." Commented Polnareff.
"Hmph. Japanese students are such stiffs." Joseph agreed.
"Akemi-san, aren't you a student too? Why aren't you wearing your uniform?" Kakyoin accused. Jotaro's eyes landed on her as well. The girl in question rolled her eyes.
"You wouldn't know this, I'm sure, but it's pretty difficult to fight in a skirt." Akemi answered snarkily.
"Jojo's a delinquent, but at least he'll wear his uniform..." Kakyoin argued, folding his arms. Akemi threw her hands in the air.
"You don't have to wear your school uniform outside of school, Kakyoin. That ruins the point of it being a school uniform! Then it's an everything uniform! Wearing your school uniform outside of school is weird! Both of you should be more responsi-"
"Let go! Let go of me! You big lug!" Screamed a young voice. "Damn it, let me go! Let me go!"
"Shut up! What a little brat." Akemi turned around to see a crewmate holding a small, struggling girl by her wrist. She raised her eyebrows, surprised. Weren't they supposed to be the only passengers aboard?
"Hey, what's going on?" Exclaimed Joseph. "I thought we agreed there'd be no passengers on our boat."
"I'm sorry. It's a stowaway. This brat was hiding in storage down below." Apologized the crewmate.
"A stowaway?" Echoed Joseph.
"Come at me if you're gonna! I'll kick your balls in!" Challenged the kid.
"I'll turn you in to the naval police." The crewmate threatened. Her movements died as the color drained from her face.
"What? The police!?" She blurted, panicked. "P- please. Let me go! I just want to go see my dad in Singapore! I'll do anything! You can work me as hard as you want!" Begged the kid, backing away.
Akemi could see the lie clear as day- auras tended to flash a nervous, bright yellow or orange. But she couldn't see any malice, so she didn't say anything.
The crewmate pinched her cheek, tugging it.
"Let's see. What should I do?" He asked himself, two fingers on his chin. "Should I let you go? What should I do?"
"P- please!" She cried. He flicked her on the nose.
"I'm not gonna let you go, after all." He smirked. "Hell no." Akemi's heart tugged when she saw tears flow down her cheeks.
"First, I'm gonna go let the captain know, so come wit-" The crewmate was cut off when the kid rushed forward and bit him. He cried out in pain, and while he was distracted, she jumped into the sea. Akemi gasped and ran toward the edge, looking down.
"Holy shit." Akemi muttered, watching her swim furiously to the shore, miles away, hands gripping the rail.
"Woah! He jumped in! Talk about energetic." Said Polnareff. Akemi looked up at him, confused.
"He?" She echoed questionably.
"W- well, the kid's a he, right?" Polnareff said, much more unsure of himself.
"Uh, no? Wasn't it obvious?" She asked. All Polnareff could muster out was a stutter, and Akemi laughed at him.
"Is she planning to swim to shore from here?" Questioned Kakyoin, getting up from his seat.
"What should we do?" Asked Joseph.
"Just leave 'er." Suggested Jotaro. "I'm sure she dove in because she's a confident swimmer." He said nonchalantly.
"Th- this isn't good! Sharks gather around these parts!" Cried a crewmate. That sent fear down her spine. Akemi sucked her breath in through her teeth, glancing back at the girl's flailing figure, already much smaller than before.
"Uh oh." Akemi muttered.
"This isn't good!" Exclaimed Joseph. "Oi, you brat! Come back! Get back here, it's dangerous!"
"There are sharks! Those waters are shark-infested!" Cried Polnareff. Akemi had it when she saw a shadow just beneath the girl. She tossed her jacket at Joseph, who instinctively caught it, but not before giving her a confused glance. It turned into a surprised one when he saw Akemi with a foot on the rail.
"A- Ak-?"
"I can swim fifty meters in less than twenty-five seconds." Akemi said. "I can get there in time. I'm confident of that. I'll be back in a moment." With that, she lunged forward and dove straight into the water, landing with a relatively small splash.
"Akemi!" Shouted Kakyoin and Joseph, that being the last thing Akemi heard before she was too far underwater to hear anything.
All of those on deck ran to the edge, seeing the white blur in the water speed away in the direction of the girl.
"The hell..." Muttered a crewmate.
"That's one hell of a girl, eh?" Commented another, grinning.
"Hell yeah, brother! Look at 'er go!"
"Akemi..." Jotaro breathed. "Good grief. She hasn't changed a bit, has she?" He said to himself.
The girl streamlined underwater with practiced skill, and caught sight of a shark coming right toward the youth, who hadn't even noticed. Summoning her Stand, she had Empress Gaea grow staghorn coral beneath the shark.
The colorful but deadly spikes stabbed the shark in the stomach, right before it met with the girl's face, and flung it into the nearby ocean. She retracted the bright fossil as if it were never there.
When Akemi finally made it to the girl, she treaded water before her, sending her a friendly smile. She only looked back at her, astonished.
"Hey, it's too dangerous to swim from here. I can't do much about the captain and the crewmates, but I'll make sure you don't get in trouble with the police, okay?" Reasoned Akemi breathlessly. The girl remained speechless, all she could do was nod. "Oh, and by the way, I'm not sure if you were trying to keep it a secret, but we know you're a girl. I'll keep you safe, don't worry." Akemi hissed, handing her her hat from under the water. The girl hadn't even noticed that the shark had nipped her hat before it had been flung away. She slowly took it from her, placing it on her head with a 'squelch!'.
"Come on! Let's get back before any other sharks try to eat us." Laughed Akemi, holding out a hand. She nodded, and took her hand. As they swam back, Akemi could feel some ripples in the water near her. She stopped, looking around below her.
"Why'd you stop swimming? I thought you said these waters were shark-infested!" The girl asked, panic edging her voice.
"I… thought I felt something nearby..." Akemi murmured absentmindedly, scanning the water around her.
"A- Akemi!" Shouted Joseph, snapping Akemi out of her scan. "Below you! Something's attacking from underwater! It's not a shark! It's really fast!"
"Shit." Akemi hissed. Quickly, she started swimming freestyle as fast as she could. She caught sight of a flash of orange- a lifesaver floating about twenty-five meters before her, tossed in by someone on the boat.
"Akemi! Hurry!" Shouted Joseph. "Hurry and swim to the boat! I- it's too far! She's experienced, but she won't make it!"
"If it's at that distance, leave it to me." Said Kakyoin confidently. "Hierophant Green!" Akemi felt a long tentacle wrap around both her and the girl mounted on her back, sandwiching them together as Kakyoin's Stand lifted them out of the water. The girl screamed, panicked, squeezing Akemi tightly. Looking down, she saw a wave and the lifesaver in pieces. Whatever was chasing her was gone.
"I- it disappeared! It's a Stand!" Exclaimed Mo.
"That thing is a Stand!" Agreed Polnareff.
"A seafaring Stand..." Breathed Mo as Kakyoin set Akemi and the stowaway gently down on the ground. "I don't believe I've even heard of such a thing." Akemi, breathing hard, bent down to let the girl off her back. They both sat there, panting. Akemi may have been a strong, fast swimmer, but she got tired fast.
Looking up, she caught how they were all staring at the girl. Unfortunately, the girl took that as a bad thing.
"W- what's with you jerks, all glaring at me like that?!" She questioned angrily. Akemi caught Joseph's eye, and she shook her head. "I don't know what's going on, but do you want a fight?! Don't underestimate me! I'll take you on! One-on-one! Face me, one-on-one! You little shits!" She whipped out a pocket knife, getting into a defensive stance. Akemi jumped at the sudden hostile movement from beside her, looking down at the dark-skinned preteen with surprise.
"Hey, how's Dio doing?" Asked Mo suddenly. Before the girl could reply, Akemi stood up, holding out a hand.
"Mo, I would know if it were her, trust me. She isn't very good at masking her emotions." Akemi laughed lightly, shifting her weight to one side and holding her hand out toward the girl. She whipped around to the Italian-Japanese teen, holding out her knife.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" She exclaimed. Akemi didn't flinch, she just put her hands on her hips.
"It wasn't an insult. Not everyone can mask their emotions, it just means they didn't have to in the past, which is a good thing." Akemi explained, before turning on the smaller girl with a raised eyebrow. "Didn't I just save your life? And you're threatening me?" She questioned. Uneasily, the girl lowered the knife. Kakyoin tried to approach her, and the girl whipped around to face him, pointing the knife in his direction.
"Come at me! I'll cut off your dick!" She shouted. Kakyoin chuckled.
"Cut off my dick? You're gonna need a bigger knife." He joked. Akemi whipped her head around at him, her eyes wide.
"Kakyoin!" She hissed through her teeth scoldingly. "This is a child!" Polnareff and Joseph laughed out loud, and Kakyoin and even Jotaro couldn't retain a snort.
"If she says she's going to cut my dick off, I'm going to respond in-" Before Kakyoin could finish, the captain arrived.
"So this girl is our stowaway?" The captain asked. The girl cried out in alarm when the captain put her hands on her shoulders. Akemi was getting a weird vibe from the look in his eye, but he was better at hiding his intention than the little girl.
"Captain..." Addressed Joseph. The captain lifted her up, holding her knife hand away from him. Akemi frowned. She looked uncomfortable.
"I'm pretty harsh with stowaways. You may be a girl, but if I go easy on you, we'll just get more and more stowaways." Threatened the captain. She dropped her knife. Akemi was already fabricating a plan in her head. "We're gonna hold you in one of the rooms below deck until we get to port." The girl screamed.
"Captain, I'd like to ask you something." Said Joseph. The captain gave him his attention. "You've verified the identities of all ten men on board, right?"
"Of course." Answered the captain. "All of them are veterans who have been on this boat for over ten years. I'm not sure why you're so worried about that." The captain approached Joseph, and Jotaro, who had a cigarette in his mouth.
"Excuse me..." The captain said, looking at Jotaro. He snatched the cigarette out from between his lips, holding it up in the air. His aura lit up with infuriation. "I request that you refrain from smoking aboard this ship. What did you plan to do with the ashes and butt after you're done? Were you planning on throwing it into the beautiful ocean? You're a guest on this ship, but I'll have you follow her rules, young man. Got it?" And with that, he crushed the cigarette on the golden circle on his hat, the ashes dusting the rim. Akemi looked with wide eyes and a slightly agape mouth as he hid the butt in his pocket.
What a dick! Akemi thought. Jotaro, with an angry glare, nodded. He made eye contact with her, and it looked like something came to him. When the captain walked away, Jotaro suddenly spoke up.
"Hold it." The captain stopped in his tracks. "If you're going to put it out, just put it out. Don't be a condescending prick about it, you jackass." Akemi cringed slightly. She knew how they both felt- how probably everyone felt about that situation, but there was no need to say it out loud.
"Hey, Jotaro! Don't be rude to the captain! You're the one at fault." Accused Joseph, his arms wide open. Jotaro turned away from him.
"I'm very aware that I'm being rude. He isn't the captain... I just figured it out. He's the Stand user!" Jotaro claimed.
"Wh..." Joseph sputtered, bewildered.
"Sta… nd?" The captain enunciated oddly, confused. That roused suspicion in Akemi. He was playing dumb- 'stand' was a common word, and the way he said it was as if he was speaking a foreign word for the first time. Akemi joined Jotaro's side, shooting a nasty glare in his direction. "What might that be?"
"You agree with him, Aki? That's simply inconceivable. Captain Tennile came recommended with verification by the Speedwagon Foundation. He's someone we should trust. There's no way he's a Stand user." Mo attempted to reason with the two teens, but the words simply seemed to bounce off their iron glares on the captain.
"Hold on, a Stand? I have no idea what you're talking about..." The captain said. It was easier to see now that he was lying. It was harder before, but since he was nervous, it was like he was becoming more and more transparent. The more he shifted, the easier the hues of nervousness were to see.
"I can see right through him. He's playing dumb. Are you telling me you can't see that look in his eye? He looks like a cornered animal!" Akemi turned her glare to Mo, and back. She pointed at the captain.
"Akemi, Jotaro, random guesses will only make things more confusing!" Polnareff said. Akemi turned to him.
"You aren't aware of my ability yet, are you, Polnareff? Let me tell you this, then: I had a feeling you were a Stand user before you even spoke your first words to us." Polnareff's eyes widened. "But because the flesh bud muted your aura- a little bit of your soul that bleeds out, or your energy, so to say. Your vibes, perhaps. Only I can see it as far as I know. Anyways, I couldn't tell until after. But this man clearly has murderous intentions- and he's not even under the influence of a flesh bud." She explained to him.
"What..?" The Frenchman breathed. "I- Impossible! How?"
"Kemi, dear, this only solidifies Polnareff's earlier statement! Not every 'bad feeling' means 'Stand user'!" Joseph argued.
Akemi sent a glare to Joseph. "No, Joseph. This... this is different. I've been around enough Stand users to know what's what." She turned to the captain. "Ca~ptain Te~nnile. I had a weird feeling about you since I saw you. The way you treated that girl didn't help your case at all. This is no criminal or delinquent. This is simply a young girl trying to see her father in a different country! She was just trying to defend herself. She didn't know what you planned to do with her, and she felt that her life or freedom was potentially being threatened. That was why she was being so aggressive. None of us know anything she's been through! She could be escaping an abusive life. And for fuck's sake, the girl looks twelve or thirteen!" She accused angrily. The captain seemed to be getting nervous.
"Also, I've found a new way to differentiate Stand users from other people." Jotaro piped up. Akemi gave him a weird look, but the secure look in his eyes- they told her just go along with it.
So she did.
"What?" Bellowed Joseph, getting more and more confused as time went on.
"That is..." Jotaro put a finger on his nose. "If a Stand user inhales even a little bit of cigarette smoke, a vein pops up on the tip of their nose." Akemi, Joseph, Kakyoin, Mo, Polnareff and Captain Tennile all put their hands on their noses. To Akemi's relief, the girl didn't put a hand on her nose. But…
"You can't be serious, Jotaro!" Exclaimed Polnareff. Jotaro turned to Polnareff.
"Yeah, I'm lying." He deadpanned. Akemi let out a small huff of amusement, lowering her hand. That was smart. And it looked like Captain Tennile was busted. "But it looks like we've found the idiot." Captain Tennile looked horrified.
"Akemi... you were right!" Polnareff breathed, awestruck. "Both of you..."
"What'd I tell you?" Akemi turned to him with a smirk. She turned back to Captain Tennile to see him taking off his hat, his cover blown. The girl was nearby- she made eye contact with the teen. Akemi jerked her head to the side. The girl got the signal quite clearly and dashed over, hiding behind Akemi.
"Jotaro, how did you know he was suspicious?" Asked Joseph.
"Akemi, as you know, has an ability that can reveal who someone is under their shell. She didn't have any particular aversion toward anyone until Captain Tennile arrived. I could tell when she had her doubts about someone." Jotaro simply said.
"I was waiting for the right time, so that's why I didn't speak up immediately." Akemi added, her hands on her hips. "...I was hoping I wasn't the only one who was thinking this way." Akemi closed her eyes and sighed. "We need to be more attentive. Who knows what could've happened if we didn't bust this guy?"
"Those two..." Mo sighed, as if exhausted.
"Damn, Jotaro. Why were you paying so much attention to her?" Polnareff joked, causing Jotaro's face to light up like a flare.
"Damn... you got me." Murmured the captain, defeated. "You're right, I'm not the captain. The real captain is already sleeping with the fishes at the ocean's bottom back in Hong Kong." He revealed, somewhat somberly. Akemi's eyes snapped open in anger.
"Then you can sleep in the bottom of hell!" Shouted Jotaro roughly, pointing a finger at him, voicing Akemi's anger. Suddenly, his aura vanished. The captain smirked, and suddenly a panicked gasp from behind Akemi caught her attention, causing a droplet of fear to pierce her chest. Akemi whipped around to see a large, blue creature with a fist around the struggling girl's waist.
"No!" Exclaimed Akemi. He took action quicker than she could react to the signals.
"Damn it!" Cried the boys. The Stand revealed itself, climbing into the rails. It had the girl in its grasp and was holding on tight.
"I- I can't move..." Managed the girl. Akemi growled.
"Empress Gaea!" Cried Akemi, summoning her Stand. She floated beside her, a matching expression of anger in her six eyes, her lips curled.
"If I tried to take all six of you at once, even I'd break a bone or two, so I was going to hide my identity and take care of you one by one... but you've figured me out, so I guess I have no choice. I'll have to take all of you!" He said cockily. "Getting my hands on this girl is a sign that my luck is changing for the better! I'm going to jump into these shark-infested waters with her. Of course, you guys will end up following us in. If we fight in the water, where I have the advantage, I can beat all six of you."
"Don't underestimate us by taking a hostage. Don't think that I, Akemi Zeppeli, will be shaken by this!" Akemi spat, throwing an arm behind her.
"Underestimate? No, this is a prediction! I've heard that your Stand, Empress Gaea, can control anything biological, and can heal. I'm not trying to brag, but my Dark Blue Moon is pretty fast in the water- much more suited for it than you- or any of you- are. It can swim more elegantly than any fish in the sea! Why don't we test them out?" said Captain Tennile, standing on the rail with his Stand. "Follow me... if you're prepared to choke to death on all the seawater you're about to swallow!" With that, the captain and his Stand jumped into the water.
"No!" Akemi cried out.
Seaweed rose out of the water and shot around Dark Blue Moon, suspending it in the air. With quick and intricate weaving, she was able to force the Stand's fist open and get the girl out. The poor stowaway screamed as she fell through the air.
Akemi put a foot on the rail and for the second time, she leapt toward the water, catching the girl in her arms and using her momentum to toss her toward Jotaro.
The teen caught her with ease, but didn't take his eyes off her as she landed in the water with a large splash, along with the captain and both their Stands.
"S- she attacked faster than we could fall... Impossible..." Choked the captain, floating above the water. She must've broken a bone or two with the seaweed, because he was bleeding from the mouth.
"You're the one that's going to choke on seawater." Vowed Akemi darkly.
"You tried to out-predict me, a fortune teller..." Hmphed Mo.
"But it's ten years too early for you!" Polnareff exclaimed jovially. Akemi laughed as the two men exchanged a high-five. She got ready to swim back, but she couldn't move her leg. It seemed to be stuck in some sort of tube, even though when she looked down, her legs were completely free and surrounded by nothing but saltwater. It was draining her energy to the point that she could barely keep herself above the water. She looked at her Stand, and noticed some barnacles growing on her legs.
"He's drifting away. He sure talked up his Stand's powers, but it looks like he was just an idiot." Said Polnareff. Jotaro put a hand on the rail, looking down at Akemi.
"Akemi, what are you doing? Hurry and come back up!" called Joseph, joining Jotaro as he looked down at her. He could tell that there was something wrong. The other boys did so as well, preparing to help her up. When she didn't respond, Joseph called down again.
"Akemi, what's wrong? Did you lose an earring or something?" he shouted, putting a hand by his mouth.
"S- shit! Barnacles... are growing on Empress Gaea's legs! I- I can't..." Akemi took a deep breath as she was pulled underwater by the weight. She felt as if her leg was being stabbed by a bunch of knives, and the pain was making her lose her breath.
"Akemi!" cried Joseph frantically as her visage disappeared underneath the waves. "He- he still wants to fight."
"S- shit!" exclaimed Kakyoin.
"This isn't good." said Polnareff.
"Akemi-san will be fine, she mentioned she was on a swim team, right?" said Kakyoin, trying to assure the men. He nodded.
"Yes, she's the best on the team." Joseph replied. He could barely keep the worry out of his voice.
"After two minutes, I'm going in." vowed Jotaro, his eyes narrowed.
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Dark Blue Moon
||Power: A || Speed: B || Range: C || Durability: C ||
||Precision: C || Potential: C ||
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Dammit. He must've attached them to me when I wasn't looking. Akemi thought, looking down at her legs. My energy... I can feel it draining... where is he? I have to get rid of him quick. She looked around, he was nowhere to be seen. As she sank lower, she noticed the water getting darker. She looked above her and saw the captain and his Stand, perfectly fine. With a scowl, Akemi used her Stand to immediately kick him in the stomach. The impact broke the majority of the barnacles on her Stand, and blood flowed freely from her leg.
Shit, I'm going to attract sharks! Akemi thought fearfully as she looked down at her leg. She looked up at the captain again, who'd recovered and was sending an attack toward her and her Stand. Akemi tensed and took the attack, letting out a bit of her air when she slammed against a rock. She felt dazed, but she looked up at the captain with a bitter glare.
"Welcome, welcome!" He said clearly. Akemi widened her eyes. "So you've finally come to where Dark Blue Moon reigns supreme, the undersea realm. It was a bad idea to underestimate me, little girl. Even in the ocean, the Stands can still communicate, so go ahead. Try to sound all cocky, like you and your boyfriend did earlier. Go on, little girl!" He teased. Akemi scowled, but focused on letting Empress Gaea speak for her.
"You've made a detrimental mistake, captain. I can control anything biological under here. This is just as much my realm as it is yours." She said in an ethereal, almost disembodied voice. With that, she called on the coral to grow around them at lightning speed.
"You stupid bitch... you're trying to sound tough right now, aren't you? But this is what you're thinking right now." He claimed, dodging the coral spikes with ease. "'How long can I stay underwater? I can probably last a little more than two minutes, but can he last longer than me'?" Akemi only responded with a glare.
"Let me answer you. My lung capacity is three times greater than a normal person's!" Akemi widened her eyes at that. They started to burn. "And I've trained them. My best time underwater is six minutes and twenty-one seconds! I'm sure you're getting dizzy just hearing that number."
Shit, Akemi thought. My best time is a minute and thirty seconds... I have to make this fast. What do I do..? Dark Blue Moon suddenly swung a fist toward the boat, making a huge impact on the bottom. She felt the backlash of the blow. Straightening herself back up, the boat's propellers were destroyed.
"Dark Blue Moon's fins are underwater cutters that move sharper than a ship's propeller!" Bragged the captain. "Before you get overconfident again, take a good, hard look at your Stand. The acorn barnacles I attached to it will keep absorbing your power to propagate. I'm sure you can feel your power draining away." Akemi frowned, her chest burning with anger. However, it was burning with more than just anger, and it was becoming more obvious by the second. She deduced that the best thing she could do was regain some of her breath. She crouched down and shot upward, streamlining through the water. However, she'd noticed she was moving rather sideways.
"Trying to run away by swimming back up? Take a good look around you! Haven't you realized that Dark Blue Moon has been creating an underwater whirlpool, little girl?"
Shit! Akemi thought, panicked as she whirled around and around faster. How did I not notice that!?
"Swim, swim! It's gonna get harder to breathe, and your power is still draining! But it's too early to kill a puny little daddy's girl like you just yet!" Akemi's anger boiled in her chest. How did he know..?
There was no way she could try coral, it would break immediately. She wasn't sure if the barnacles on the ship would help her, even if she managed to grow it. Maybe…
An idea struck her. She started growing some stronger seagrass and kelp from a nearby bed. If they swirled around enough, it could choke the captain and his Stand, wrapping him up like sushi. And since the maelstrom was going over one, it could look like it wasn't her doing. She couldn't grow it as fast as she liked, however, since her power was draining. But that worked in her favor, subtlety was key here.
"I- It's been too long! She's still not coming up!" Cried Joseph. "There's a giant whirlpool!"
"Where the hell is Akemi?!" Exclaimed Polnareff.
"I'm going in." Stated Jotaro. He summoned his Stand to dive in, but as soon as his hand touched the water, it was crushed by a wall of something. He looked angrily at his hand as blood dripped off his fingers.
"Th- these are scales..." Muttered Kakyoin, studying Star Platinum's hand. "Th- that guy's Stand has scales as sharp as razors!"
"There are countless scales swirling in that whirlpool. He wasn't bluffing when he said he said he could beat all six of us. That whirlpool is like a watery antlion pit! It's very possible we could all die if we dive in." Said Mo. Jotaro stared intensely down at the whirlpool.
C'mon, Akemi…
Akemi was swirling around, catching sight of sparkling discs moving with her. They sliced into both her and Empress Gaea's body.
His scales..? She mentally guessed as another one sliced her cheek. Fuck... this will make us all the more attractive to sharks, plus this water movement... She tried to look through the swirling water, and caught sight of a few shadowy figures in the deep blue. If this battle goes in the direction Akemi wanted it to go, then Captain Tennile would end up in the bellies of those sharks.
"And now I'm going to guess what you're thinking next! 'In a whirlpool, only one spot stays still.'" The captain laughed, snapping her out of her thought process. "So mundane! 'It's the center! If I jump into the center where he is, I can attack him.' That's what you're thinking, isn't it? If you think you can trap me with the coral or the seaweed of yours again, try if you want. Try with your worthless Stand, its power drained by the acorn barnacles. See if you can manage an attack that's even sharper than these underwater cutters, little girl!" Akemi rolled her eyes and looked up as she approached the surface. She reached desperately for the surface to get a breath, just one breath, but her energy was fading fast. She was too busy focusing her energy into the seagrass to move any more. She desperately hoped that the scales wouldn't shred it. A rising fear told her she would be fucked if they did. However, the seagrass looked as if it were resilient enough to take a few slices before it was cut.
"D- damn it... it's too reckless to act." Mo cursed, banging the rails. Akemi felt herself getting closer to the surface. The scales, she noticed with a jolt, were also chipping off pieces of the acorn barnacles.
"It's Akemi-san!" Exclaimed Kakyoin. "I could see Akemi-san in the whirlpool!"
"This isn't good! She was limp!" Polnareff said worriedly.
"Limp? She wasn't struggling at all?" Joseph questioned. "Hmm... that might be a good thing."
"Eh?" Mo asked, bewildered.
"No, wait... do you see the green in there?" Kakyoin pointed out. Everyone followed his gaze.
"How dare you call this realm your own?!" Accused the captain. His Stand rushed up to meet her. "You fool! You're about to feel the consequences of a true water monger..." He trailed off as he realized him and his Stand were completely wrapped up. There was an opening in the barnacles, so she was able to taste enough power to squeeze the seagrass around them. She heard his bones crack like thunder. The whirlpool died down.
"Hmm... think again. The water has always been like a second home to me. I know very well the physics of water- more than you, apparently." Said her Stand triumphantly. All he could do was gurgle in response. "What's that? I can't hear you very well since we're underwater. Why don'tcha speak up a bit for me?" She teased, winking and putting a hand by her ear.
"But your power was being drained... you let yourself go limp on purpose to concentrate your power in the seagrass... th- that's what you were thinking..." He managed, barely able to speak.
"Nope. What I was thinking was... you look sort of like a mummy. Maybe we should bring you to Egypt with us and bury you in the sand. I'm not sure if you'll want to, though, since you'll be spending eternity in the sand under the water. Maybe in a few million years, you'll end up on a mountain." She smirked. With one squeeze, his Stand disappeared and she heard one last crack. Then, she let him sink to the bottom of the ocean, just like the real captain, whom he killed.
Relieved she's won, the adrenaline died down. She felt as if her lungs would explode. She definitely beat her record. Too tired to swim, she got one of the remaining seaweed leaves and shot it upward. The boys all jolted when they saw the seaweed leaf wrap around the rail, then relief flooded through them.
"Akemi!" Shouted Mo. Akemi's head popped out of the water and she looked up to the ship, feeling rather dizzy. She saw Jotaro tug his hat down, but she didn't miss his small smile.
"Well done, Akemi! Caesar would be so proud!" Shouted Joseph, a massive grin crossing his face. "Now hurry up and get back on!"
"Really? You think so?" Akemi huffed with a grin. Revitalized, she started climbing the seaweed leaf.
"Of course!" As Joseph held onto the seaweed to make sure it didn't snap, the boat suddenly rumbled. Akemi gasped when she saw several explosions on the deck, her climbing paused. Dark Blue Moon's blow must've caused more damage than she originally thought.
"Th- that captain planted some bombs after all!" Exclaimed a crewmate. So, it was that, too. The blow must've triggered them in some way.
"Hurry up and get the emergency boats out! We'll signal a nearby boat for help!"
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Akemi laid on her back in the boat, wrapped in her jacket.
The other Crusaders sat uncomfortably around her in the small dinghy as well as Anne- the stowaway. The crew was in another dinghy, following close behind and bound by a rope. The thick fog nearly obscured them from view, but thankfully, the sea was calm.
"Have some water." Said Joseph, from beside Anne, handing her a water bottle. "We've sent signals for help, so someone should be here soon." She took the water.
"I don't know what in the world is going on, but who are you people?" Asked Anne, gripping the water bottle and looking around fearfully.
"We're just hurrying along a journey, just like you." Answered Joseph. Akemi turned to Anne, and she met her gaze.
"We're the good guys." She answered with a tired smile. Akemi was probably going to fall asleep in a few minutes.
"Though you're on a journey to see your father, I'm on one for my daughter." Joseph smiled. Anne looked guiltily away, sipping from the water. Suddenly, she caught sight of something that must've disturbed her, and spat out her water in alarm.
"Hey! That's our precious water! How dare you spit it out?!" Exclaimed Joseph, his comforting aura completely replaced by annoyance. Anne ignored him, pointing toward something in the distance.
"N- no... e-e... e-e-everyone, look!" Cried Anne. Akemi turned around to see something that left her just as shocked as her. A massive ship was sailing nearby.
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akemi just dropkick her pls
facts
-joseph wasn't exaggerating- okay, maybe a bit. but akemi is a very fast swimmer. when she's not carrying a twelve-year-old on her back, that is.
-akemi is quite fond of small children. when her grandmother adopted her, her uncle had just had twins, therefore, she grew up taking care of two little kids. surprisingly enough, she has a lot of patience for children. (opposite of me)
otay bye
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word count: 6,412