If you're going to try, go all the way.
Otherwise don't even start.
Chapter 3
Well, shit, this was not going to plan at all and I hadn't even made a move yet. I had snuck into the house an hour ago, after observing my target, Virgil Junior, leaving his study, unfortunately, the little shit took my fruit with him. He had clearly learned from my mistake. I quickly dropped into the garden from a tree I was hidden in, ran across the garden, snuck through an open bay window and ensconced myself within a cupboard by the fireplace. Planning, if you can call it that, to take him by surprise at an opportune time before he consumed the fruit, however, it seemed I had made yet another fatal blunder today. Who would have thought Virgil had such a powerful fruit, nor that the family business was a pillar of the world government's control of power and information within the East Blue.
"You can come out Algea," Virgil sighed.
Jr's eyes bugged out in shock as I cautiously made my way out of the cupboard. "Alright Virgil," I said sheepishly as I came to a stop a few steps out of my hiding place.
"I must say I am impressed Algea, you have shown more backbone today than in your entire pathetic existence." Virgil pondered out loud, "Shame I will have to remind you why you lived your life in fear."
Virgil's condescending drawl already made me want to split his skull in half with my sword. I always knew he looked down on me, I suppose it's nice to finally stand in front of the real him and know my hatred had always been just. It was a shame then that the fear I felt at this moment made me feel like I was going to faint any second. I looked him directly in his eyes, trying to decide if I should run or try and talk my way out of this and knew in a second that he was going to kill me, Probably kill his son too if I was reading him correctly.
I blew out a long steady breath from my pursed lips to steady myself and pulled my father's sword from its scabbard. This was the first time I had ever wielded a weapon with the intention of causing harm, even taking a life, I could not count Gus, it was pure reaction, no thought involved. How many times had I imagined this moment, drunk in my room swinging this sword like a child. I felt like an imposter, like a fool, why did I have to be greedy, I could have just got work on a boat, and travelled like a normal person now here I am about to fight for my life, and for what? My prize was already gone, consumed by the spoiled spawn of an empty-eyed narcissist.
A smirk wormed its way onto Virgil's large face, and with a sweeping motion an oil lamp flew off a shelf so fast I barely brought up my sword only for it to shatter spitting embers across my face and momentarily blinding me as two heavy leather books crashed into my ribs and head one after the other leaving my disoriented and gasping in pain. Worse yet the pain in my right shoulder was blinding, it was an old injury from years of manual labour which made it, at times, agonisingly hard for me to lift anything above my head.
I felt the carpet wrap around my left foot and began to drag it out from under me, I stumbled and quickly slashed the corner of the carpet which seemed to make the whole thing go limp. 'Could this be a flaw in the fruit'' Before I had time to think more, a large glass dome paperweight flew across the room with the speed of a cannonball and smashed into my gut with a dull thud, I folded over and dropped onto my knees.
I puked half a bottle of rum mixed with blood onto the floor, I barely stopped myself from falling face-first into the puddle with my left hand. The other hand was clenched around the hilt of my sword. I looked up at Virgil who stood there, looking immaculate, and untouchable, without a fleck of sweat. I grit my teeth in determination. I wasn't going to let this bastard kill me.
I know I saw him and my wife, all those years ago, it was a few months before she left me, they were standing close to each other, both with drinks in hand, he was laughing and she was giggling, he placed a hand on her hip, and she brushed her hair behind her ear.
My bloody hand scooped up my sick and blood and flung it at him, he looked shocked and disgusted as he lifted his arm to protect himself. With a titanic effort, I sprung to my feet and swung my sword high above my head, we briefly made eye contact as I began to swing my word back down in an overhead swing with every ounce of strength and rage in my body, fully intent to bisect another man, when disaster struck. First, I felt a twang, and then the kind of pain which demands attention, my arm simply couldn't carry the weight of the sword and power behind the swing, and the sudden profound pain forced my body to resolve both issues immediately, my arm, flopped down uselessly as quick as it could, while the blade clattered to the floor. I gasped in horror. No. no no no no, I tried to look up to see if I had time to escape when it hit me. Junior's desk came grinding across the floor and smashed into me with such force it carried me across the room and pinned me to the wall.
I tried to push it away, but it seemed to be held there by an unseen force, no doubt Virgil's fruit was making it impossible to move. I looked up and he had one hand trained in my direction, no doubt sustaining his abilities to hold on to the furniture.
"You really don't get it do you fool, you overstepped today, and tried to re-arrange the food chain, when you killed Gus you piqued my interest, but in coming here you sealed your fate." Virgil monologued
"How do you know I killed Gus" I spat, stalling for time but also genuinely curious.
"My fruit allows me omniscience within my abode or abodes, I own half the property in Lounge Town, and I can tune my ears into almost any corner of this town. Including that dilapidated monument to mould you wallow in night after night." He cackled in delight at my stunned expression, he truly seemed to take great pleasure in my circumstance.
"Fuck you" was not as damaging as I would have liked but it was the best I could think of right now. It had been a long day.
"I'm going to kill you now," he said looking at me, he then turned and looked at his son, who had been squirming in his seat, in an attempt to loosen the drapes knotted around his body "and make it look like you killed my son."
Tears began to pour from Junior's eyes, I felt pity for us both in that moment, what kind of a shitty unfair world was it when a guy like this wins the fight and gets away with it in such a cruel and messed up way. Virgil looked back at me, took a deep breath in through his nose and exhaled slowly through his mouth, it looked like he was savouring his triumph. He then bent down and picked up my sword. He took one step towards me when I heard an almighty bang from outside and the window next to me shattered, spraying glass into the room, when I looked up I saw Virgil had been shot. Sat inconspicuously to the right side of his chest, was a small hole leaking blood ever so slightly, he looked at it and then at me in complete shock, as all colour drained from his face.
He turned slowly towards his son and when he did I gagged at the sight. Half of his back had been ripped open, I could see his lung and mangled ribs, as he began to take a slow step towards his now blood-covered son, his right foot never landed and he fell front first onto the floor, presumably dead.
I looked around in complete shock, what had just happened, somebody had shot Virgil, my shaking arms pushed the heavy desk away from me and I stood up, walking towards the body tentatively as Junior began to shout and moan, starting muffled the cushion now fell from his mouth and he was incoherently babbling and shouting to his father and me. I paid him little mind, as I could barely hear him over the blood pumping in my ears, I leaned and peeled Virgil's fingers off my sword, wiped it on his trouser leg and stowed it within its scabbard.
I looked up at Virgil Junior, he seemed to be having a complete panic attack now. Whenever he could hold a breath for long enough he would scream for help. He had eaten the fruit, so that was now a dead end, and as much as I didn't like the kid I'm no cold-hearted killer, the thought of executing him here left a bad taste in my mouth, even if it is quite possibly the difference between me being a wanted man or not I wouldn't do it, that's just a line I don't want to cross. Just because I've decided not to lay down and eat what life puts in front of me anymore, doesn't mean I have to become cruel and apathetic.
"I can't tell who's had a worse day, me or you?" I chuckled half heartedly as I wrapped a bit of fabric around his mouth to muffle the sounds of his screams and tied it off behind his head.
I'm not happy about this but he is a bit of a cunt, and someone will come to find him before long, and technically he got everything he wanted, he took over his family business and got the devil fruit, hell now he has a scapegoat too. Should I tell him what it is or let him figure it out himself… ahh, he has been through enough today.
Junior seemed to have realised that screaming was futile, and the grip of panic had loosened, he now looked at me in a way I had never seen before, he was scared. No, he was looking at me the same way I think I've been looking at people my whole life. He was looking at me like I held his life in my hands. I didn't particularly like the feeling.
"I ain't gonna kill you," I told him.
I scanned the room, best get out of here. I felt my jaw drop open in sheer disbelief. No way in hell am I seeing this right. A large bowl of fruit was on a vanity cupboard to the side of the room. Sat like the cherry on top was a pineapple, only instead of a normal pineapple this one was royal purple with its normal pattern broken into cubes that spiralled in on themselves. A Devil Fruit.
I almost fell over my feet as I ran and scooped it up, marvelling at its beauty. What were the chances, two in one day. Surely infinitely small, there is no chance this had been sat there all day was there? I calmed myself and placed it gently in my bag, wrapping it in a spare shirt. I looked over at Junior who now seemed to be screaming bloody murder at me, clearly, he had seen me take the Devil Fruit. It was time to take my leave.
"Thanks for the hospitality," I declared with a bow.
I climbed through the broken window that was shattered by the inexplicable bullet, which had saved my life.
"Oi, Algea, get a move on" a voice I recognised called out to me from within the tree line.
I looked up scanning the area, as I ran towards the perimeter wall when I saw him, it was Otto, my father's best friend whom he had served with in the navy, he was leaning against a tree with a rifle so large it almost looked like an elongated cannon.
I reached the wall and scrabbled over, falling down onto my side, I sprung back up ignoring the pain and ran to him.
"Otto, I can't believe it, you killed Virgil" I spluttered
"Well someone had to, let's talk later we need to get well clear of here, I've just seen a couple guards on their way to the study, won't be long before all hell breaks loose" Otto informed me.
The older man shouldered the old-fashioned rifle and took off in a jog. I barely kept pace as we ran through the woods, away from the populated lounge town and towards the uninhabited coast. My thoughts were completely distracted by this man, Otto, my father and he had met whilst serving in the navy, but I had to admit I knew little of his and my father's military careers, simply that he like my dad, was an old drunk but looking at him now, making a steady pace through the forest carrying a heavy rifle, his eyes focused ahead, occasionally swivelling to check for pursuers. He looked nothing like the man I saw earlier today, hobbling down the street looking as though he could collapse at any moment, on his way to start drinking at midday.
We had been running for what felt like hours, and we were both beginning to show our age. We eventually made it to a cliff edge, that overlooked a small smugglers cove I would drink and swim with friends as a teenager and young man. On the beach, I saw two men standing next to a dingy and a little further out was a ship anchored in the shallows. Otto stopped and laid his gun down, he spat off to the side, gathered his breath and looked me in the eye for a long moment, as I stood there bewildered and unsure of what to say, I thought it only polite to thank the man for what he did.
"You saved my life back there, thank you," I said lamely, knowing it had been my foolish actions that had gotten us into this mess.
"Ah don't worry about it, your dad saved my life a long time ago and I never got the chance to repay the favour, never sat right with me, s'pecially sein' as how he went out and all, way I see it we're even now, and I can see him again on the other side and let him know I kept an eye on you," Otto explained, looking every bit the old man now, that I knew him to be.
"How did you know," I asked him
"It wasn't that hard, I knew something was up, you don't get a shakedown like that for running off to the pub, plus it isn't like you to miss work no matter the reason, just like your dad, so I went by your apartment," He paused leaving what I hoped he wouldn't say unsaid.
He reached into his jacket, pulled out a camel cigarette, offered me one which I gratefully accepted and lit it, offering me the match to fo the same, puffed on it before continuing his tale, "From there I got my rifle, caught up to you at Hapner's mansion, and the rest you know."
Otto coughed a wheezing cough and went back to smoking his cigarette. I looked down at the men on the beach, one of them seemed to be angry picking up and throwing rocks at the cliff face.
"My grandson," he nodded down at the beach with a smirk, "always been a problem that one, now he says he wants to be a pirate, I asked him to come back and pick you up, he's a good boy really, will get you somewhere safe enough."
"I don't know what to say," I felt like such an idiot.
"Why now? most people do have their adventures when they are young, that way it feels good sitting around being a lazy drunk when you're old," Otto asked me.
"I just couldn't take it anymore, I decided I would rather risk it all and die than take one more day's worth of shit."
Otto shook his head, "Well none of my business, but you better get stronger or smarter quick or you'll be dead before the week is out."
"Listen before you go," Otto grabbed my arm, "I wish you could've met your dad before that fucking mission, he was so bright, full of dreams, similar to you when you was a boy, when I look in your eyes now, I see 'im, don't let that spark go out, chase your dreams and don't look back."
And with that, he threw me off the cliff. I could barely hear it over the wind and my screams, but I swear he was laughing.