"And?"
Ashley decided to stop waving- the Red Force was too far for any of the pirates to still see her, and her master didn't tolerate being ignored.
"It was time well spent," she replied, turning to give him a grin. "Though Captain Shanks didn't have too many devil fruit users on board, so we should find some. I need more practice if I'm to take on Doflamingo someday."
Mihawk raised his brow, the only sign of his surprise. "You plan to challenge Doflamingo?" His voice held disdain, but he actually approved of having high goals- especially for someone willing to work at it. However, he also knew Ashley would need decades of extensive work in order to be strong enough to take on that particular man.
"No," Ash admitted, knowing she was hardly a match for the blond warlord. "But I'll be as ready as I can for the next time I run into him."
"I see," Mihawk answered. He steered the small coffin boat with ease, adjusting the sail, and other small tasks to give her time to settle in.
"I do have other news," Ash continued, grateful that Mihawk was giving her a moment before having her take over. "I don't know if you saw the new bounty posters for the Straw Hat crew?" she mentioned.
"I have," he replied. "That straw hat boy is even more reckless than I remember but seems to be adding equally motivated people to his crew."
"Agreed," Ash smiled at the thought. "Every one of their crew members had a bounty now, even their pet!" She laughed at the thought. "Really, what's the point of putting a bounty on their animal, and only 50 berri to boot!"
"It could be used to draw them into a trap I suppose, if they are truly fond of it," he mused, though still didn't smile. "It's quite the draw for bounty hunters to take the entire crew down, however. Over six hundred million berri would be worth it for most to try."
Ash turned as she had a sudden thought. "Do you ever turn pirates in to the Navy, Master?" she asked. He frowned at her, but she was too curious to back down.
"I merely take what I need from those I come across," he answered, his voice haughty. "Unless ordered otherwise."
"That makes sense," she agreed, and he eyed her warily, wondering if she was placating him. "Why make a bunch of trips to the Navy headquarters when you can get what you need from the pirates?" she mused aloud. "Plus, those pirates are basically out of business, so you're helping the Navy anyway. But you could also be getting paid again if you were to turn them in."
"I have no need for such things," he told her, waving her towards the rudder to take over. "And you are sounding much more pirate-like yourself. Must be Red-Hair's influence."
"I suppose," she replied cheerily. She took her place and watched him for signs of adjusting their course. "I only brought it all up, because I found one of my sisters."
He didn't jolt, nor looked surprised at all at her pronouncement, and she knew because she was watching for any little movement. Having been disappointed at being able to shock him, she just shrugged and carried on. "My older sister, Kiana… she's part of the Straw Hat crew, the one with the fifteen million bounty."
Mihawk glanced back, catching her eye. After a time, he nodded. "The resemblance isn't pronounced, but it is there," he said. He faced forward again, but she heard his next question. "And what do you plan to do about it?"
"Only one thing to do," she answered, looking off into the water. "Get stronger. When we meet up again, she'll be ready to leave, so I need to be too."
She didn't see his nod this time, but since he didn't reply, she knew he approved. He wouldn't have stayed silent if he needed to correct her, and she felt some pride in that. I won't be with him forever… in fact it feels like it won't be much longer now. I need to learn all I can on how to survive.
"Master?" she asked, breaking the silence. "I can feel it," she said. He still didn't respond, but she knew he understood. "I need to get to the next level. Will you push me harder?"
Mihawk stood at the small mast, staring out at the horizon. He hadn't let up on her training, but he hadn't been pushing her lately either. He had hoped that this time with Red-hair would let him know, one way or the other as to what he should do with her going forward… and now he had his answer.
He gave her a nod, and hearing her gratitude, let them lapse back into silence. They were headed home, and he needed to work out his new plan for her development. He didn't have much time- so many things were changing, and he could feel it was all about to come to a head.
The government replacing Crocodile was a given that he had been expecting, but the idea of Blackbeard had him uneasy, especially given that the man had gone after one of Whitebeard's sons in order to achieve his new status.
He glanced at his pupil once more, knowing she would be cursing him soon enough. She needed to be able to protect herself- to stand alone once she left him, and if she could not, she would bring shame to his name throughout the world. He had declared that she was a part of his crew and had thusly attached her to his own reputation. He would ensure she would not fail, though the journey there would be harder than ever before.
He didn't care how difficult it would be, however. She had asked for it.
Dru limped as quickly as she could, knowing the jailers had no sense of compassion for her injuries. The only reason she was even out of her cell was because she was considered one of the non-violent prisoners. She had given the torturers most of the information she had about her past and how she had gotten there, which had thankfully painted her as someone whose mind had broken.
She could only be grateful, since anything she had spoken of afterwards- of revolutionaries, or giants, or even world nobles wasn't taken seriously. She had been able to keep the names and places of the revolutionary army from spilling by sheer determination of keeping her friends safe from execution.
She was now one of the laborers; one of those prisoners who did the work in the prison- keeping the jailers fed, the bathrooms clean, and all other menial tasks that those in charge refused to even think of.
It was an odd sort of compilation of prisoners that were laborers. First, they were mostly women, especially those that worked in the kitchen as she did. Secondly, there were measures in place to ensure that they could do nothing to exact revenge, nor escape. And finally, they were all from level one, and had been determined as a threat level zero.
They were chained together with another randomly selected prisoner from another area. They were never partnered with someone with whom they could have planned something. Any food they prepared was taste tested by their partner, and if there was anything amiss- they were executed on the spot.
Dru would have chosen to not be a part of this, though it was nice to have a small bite of actual food every day. It did wonders for her stamina to have some protein. However, it wasn't like she was given a choice- she was collected and pushed along each time.
At first it was fine, she and her partner would speak about why they were brought in, and she used the opportunity to perpetuate the idea that she was out of her mind. She took stories that she had heard from others and spun them into fanciful tales. Each day she gave different reasons as to why she was in the prison. She could almost consider it fun.
Previously, a pair of women next to her were taste testing the other's food. One had some sort of allergic reaction- it was easy to see the classic signs- her tongue swelling and her breathing becoming erratic. She tried to help, calling for the guard and even saying it was an allergy.
But it didn't help. The female guard had come over, seeing the woman clawing at her throat, trying to get her breath. The guard then pulled out her sword and slashed at the woman's partner.
Dru had flinched as a spray of blood hit her face, horrified at the feel, as well as what she was seeing. The guard turned and went back to her post, yelling for the others to get on with their testing; the food could not be late.
Since that day, Dru kept her head down, speaking only to answer questions. She could only think to fight back by showing just how broken she could pretend to be. However, now she would ask her partner each day about any allergies they had, hoping to avoid a painful death for something so simple to avoid.
"Are you allergic to any of this food?" she asked quietly as she started her work for the day.
"Who cares?" came the reply. "Would dying be so bad?"
Dru looked at the other woman, who truly looked as if she had given up on life. "Do you not have anyone or anything worth living for?" she asked.
"What, and you do?" the woman retorted. "Even if you do, they've forgotten about you. There's no going back, there's no surviving. You live here and suffer until you die; so why not die sooner?"
"To each their own," Dru answered, not wanting to get into it. It was hard enough to keep her own will to fight alive, she couldn't imagine trying to kindle that for someone else who had given up.
They worked in silence, listening to the women around them talk of why they were in the prison. Finally, the woman to her left, who had been her partner at one time, said, "that's nothing! That one there was talking to a pirate when he was captured, and they took her along too! She's not a criminal or anything, yet here she is!"
Dru smirked a little. It was close to the truth, though technically she was a criminal in the eyes of the Navy for being part of the revolutionary army.
"That's not what I was told," another woman spoke up. "She told me that she was a prisoner of war and was sold off to pirates."
Several women were now stealing glances at her. She gave her best dreamy-eyed gaze as she continued working. After some time, the woman next to her quietly asked how she had been brought to the prison.
Dru turned and smiled. "I was once taken from my home to become the eleventh wife for one of the world nobles," she said making sure to give herself a little twitch as she spoke. "Apparently he thought I was beautiful, and so I was taken."
She knew that sort of thing happened all the time, so it wasn't like it was news, but by the shocked gasps around her, she had been mistaken. "After a year, he said I was boring, and to dispose of me," she continued. "I was left on an island, knowing no one and having to fend for myself. So, I stole a loaf of bread because I was starving and was arrested."
She thought perhaps she was laying it on thick, so she decided to change tactics. "Oh, no, that was my past life, I forgot," she continued, seeing as the women now looked to her in mistrust, some turning away from her completely. Perfect… just ignore me…
"This time I was a warrior, fighting in a battle. My cohort and I were part of the Revolutionary Army, trying to save an entire land of people from the government…" she continued to tell the tale- one of Sabo's early adventures where she added herself in, though gave him all the credit. She asked for forgiveness in her mind as she spoke of him betraying her to the Navy so that he could avoid arrest.
She thought it a moving tale, but by then most had been ignoring her anyway.
"Why not just tell us?" the woman next to her asked. "We're all here for something- it's not like we can judge you."
"I have told you," Dru replied, as she finished up with her tasks, plating her portion of the meals onto plates and holding out a spoonful for her partner to taste.
She shook for a moment, but ate it anyway, looking at Dru warily. "You've told many stories," she continued, holding out her own food for Dru. "Which is truth?"
Dru moved as she chewed, taking the plates from around them and passing them to the women on their left, even as plates began to come to them from the right. She looked at the woman then and said, "all of them."
After that she stayed quiet, wondering to herself what the guards were thinking of their conversation.
That particular day, she and her partner were the last to be escorted back to their cells. It had been a long day, making that much food was always terrible- but a new shipment was coming the next day, so today had been all the food that was beginning to spoil, which made preparing it take longer as they had to cut around any spoiled or moldy areas, and in turn prepare more ingredients in order to get the same portions.
The pair sat as they waited, even knowing that once a guard returned, they would probably be hit for doing so. Sometimes the relief was worth the small punishment. Dru turned to the other woman. "With all that spoiled food, you could have easily gotten me sick and received that death you've been hoping for."
The woman shook her head slowly. "I may not resist my own death, but I'm not ready to cause another's," she answered. They could hear the sound of the key in the door and rose to their feet as quickly as they could.
The jailer was alone and removed the cuffs from the other woman that connected them and attaching it to a bar on the countertop. Before leading her away, he gave Dru a kick, causing her to stumble, and promising greater punishment if he returned to find her sitting again.
Now alone, Dru rubbed her leg- the kick aggravating her injury- and wished she could get it working properly again. It was coming along, her muscles were building slowly, yet surely. This enforced work was actually helping as it gave her mobility during each day along with the food. But she still didn't like it.
Hearing a noise, she scrambled to get up, wondering how the jailer could have returned so quickly. A man entered the room from the door leading to the kitchen, and Dru looked at him in shock.
"You're… not a jailer," she said, even as he smiled at her. He was dressed in the oddest clothes, looking as if he was off to some sort of Halloween party instead of in a locked area of a prison.
"Nope," he replied as he came towards her.
"What do you want?" she asked, her voice rising in pitch, though the volume was still low. She didn't quite know how to handle this.
"Prisoner E4932," the man stated, and Dru looked at him in surprise.
"Me?" she stuttered out. How did he know my number? she thought wildly. "What do you want?"
"No time now, but it will be explained," he told her. "Do you want to stay here, or come with me?"
She paused for a moment. Her fear was telling her to ask him to leave her alone, but she had also vowed to be prepared for any opportunity that may come. And while this appeared to be jumping headfirst into the unknown- it was still an opportunity. The man was obviously outside of the prison's structure.
"Okay," she said. "I'll be expecting that explanation first chance you get." She held out her manacled hand to him as if testing him, shaking it slightly to show that she was held in place.
He looked at her another moment, as if trying to see her intentions. "Good," he finally replied, and pulled out a key. "Follow me and be as quiet as you can."
"That won't be a problem," she said, giving a slight smile that he found a little unnerving. Little did he know that she was smiling at her own fortune. When being questioned, she had given all the information she had about her devil fruit, and the guards had determined that it posed no threat, and decided it was better to have her as a laborer than to put her in sea-prism stone cuffs.
She didn't even wait until she was free to use it- putting her opposite hand up to her head, she said, "Calm."
The manacle clicked open and fell to the ground, but the man didn't hear either sound at all. Giving her an impressed nod, he turned and led the way towards the secret entrance to a tunnel. He was glad he had been briefed about the girl before agreeing to this rescue mission, so he knew about her devil fruit.
He might have been against it at first- more people meant more supplies were needed after all- but seeing her power in action he had no doubt why Iva wanted to recruit her. Her power would be a huge help, not only on rescue missions, but also in gaining more supplies. So, they needed to get her on their side.
And no one is better at that, than Iva… he smirked to himself. Especially in this place. Suddenly feeling a kinship with the girl, he magnanimously helped her through the tunnel, speaking softly about who she was about to encounter. He wanted to ensure that she would not only stay and help them, but that she would want to.
Kia's eyelids began to flutter, and she slowly began to take in her surroundings. Everything felt blurry, so much so that it was making her feel lightheaded and queasy. Closing her eyes again, she moved to rub her eyes with her hands… until they wouldn't move.
That was the moment that everything came rushing back. The talk with Robin, meeting Brook, getting caught by Thriller Bark, and finally being taken by a guy that she could only describe by his voice… and the fact that he could turn into bats.
She tilted her head side to side, slightly surprised at the pain. Although, if the guy turned into bats… and a bat bit me… she didn't actually want to think about this, but it came rushing into her brain anyway. Vampire?!
No… no way… she thought, as she tried to get her eyes working again. Sure, it would explain the bats… and the bite, I guess… but there aren't any vampires in One Piece, let alone on Thriller Bark. I'd think I'd remember that.
Obviously, something had changed, as looking around she couldn't even say that she was on Thriller Bark. The room looked nothing like the castle from either the anime or the manga.
However, she couldn't dismiss the idea entirely, there was too much evidence supporting it. She felt feverish and weak, and she could feel the pain of a wound on the back of her neck. She could only be grateful she didn't feel it actively bleeding.
The room was garish… like some sort of Dracula's bordello from a straight to TV movie. Everything was silks, in hues of red and black, with pillows and curtains blocking every available space. She could now see that she was wrapped up in similar silks, which prevented her from moving, and was propped up sideways on a plush love seat, with her back against the armrest and her legs straight ahead on the cushions.
She could honestly say she now knew what a mummy felt like… being wrapped from shoulder to ankle and not being able to move besides squirming like some kind of worm. She felt embarrassed just being there, and knew she would never live it down if any of her friends saw her like this.
That means I can't wait around to be rescued… she thought, determinedly. They all have their own battles to fight, and I won't let things go sideways because of a little… deviation from the plan. And I need to get moving before bat-guy comes back.
"Absalom, is that you?" Hogback moved slowly through the trees, as Absalom tended to trip him- the annoying prick- and he would just as soon avoid that. "What was all that noise earlier anyway?"
He could hear the growl, so he stopped moving- he didn't want to bump into the degenerate if he could help it.
"I'm on the hunt for a bride, Hogback," came the reply, seemingly from thin air. "There were three candidates this time you know, so I am sure to find the perfect woman." Hogback could practically see the lecherous grin he was sporting. Then realized he could, because Absalom was making himself seen at last.
"I think you're down to two," a ghost floated nearby, speaking with Perona's voice- her way to join them without actually leaving her rooms. "Redfield claimed one already."
"Grr…" Absalom's growl turned furious. "He knows he has no say here…" the man started pacing between two trees as he grunted in frustration. "He can have any scraps we leave him and that is all." He punched a tree trunk, his abnormal strength shattering the bark in several directions. "I don't know why Master Moria even lets him stay here!"
"You have to admit his powers add to the overall atmosphere of the island," Perona said with a laugh, knowing it would just irritate Absalom. "Besides, he told me that you claimed the other one on the ship, so he was at least trying to be considerate."
"Yeah right," Absalom fumed.
"Master Moria did promise him someone from the next group we come across," Hogback tried to quell some of the anger radiating from the man, as his temper never solved anything. "He was looking downright decrepit."
"And as soon as he gains his vitality, he'll fly off without another thought," Absalom declared. "He owes us all for our generosity!"
Hogback rubbed his face in his palm, wishing this was over with.
"Oh, I'm sure he'll stick around for this group," Perona said in a sing-song voice, her ghost bobbing up and down in the air beside them.
Absalom looked at his with distrust. "And why is that?" he asked suspiciously.
"It's very simple, you idiot," a lower voice came from behind, and the trio turned as one as a man stepped from the trees. He taller than them all, his red and white hair braided down either side of his head, and the top sporting a small mohawk. He wore red silk pants, and a ruffled purple shirt, with a blood red cape over his shoulders.
He carried an umbrella that served as a cane as he picked his way through the roots on the forest floor towards them.
"I see that you've fed, Red Count," Hogback said, uncertain of what he should say to the man. He was a new cog in their well- oiled machine and the three of them were still not as accepting as their captain.
"Somewhat," the count replied. "And do not presume to know me."
Hogback took a step in retreat, the man may have looked like a gentleman, but he was far from it.
"What are you doing here?" Absalom grunted, facing the man with his dislike written all over his features. "Master Moria may want you to join us, but we don't need you."
The Red Count's swirly eyebrow rose, his own disdain apparent. "I cannot fathom why your master would keep such a lecherous and dim-witted man around. And that is precisely why you have nothing to fear on that front," he declared. "I paid your master for refuge and an individual, and that is the extent of our relationship. I do not need peons such as yourselves."
Absalom grit his teeth, not wanting to start a fight, but unwilling to let the man's insults stay. "I am paying your master by helping to catch this group, whose bounties total above six hundred million berri," the count continued, and Absalom looked to Hogback in shock. "That is why you are in need of my help, after all."
They stared as he changed into bats and flew off, silence reigning for a few moments before Perona spoke. "I hope Master Moria knows what he's doing with that one," she said.
"I wish I knew more about his power," Hogback said as he started walking back towards the mansion. "He looks practically life-like compared to earlier today."
"I wish he would just leave already," Absalom grunted as he followed along. He shook his head as if to rid himself of even memories of the man. "I'm having that orange haired lass for my bride no matter what."
He could hear the sighs from his comrades, but it did nothing to sway him. "She's gorgeous and weak, and she'll be much better than some corpse that throws plates," he said snidely, seeing Hogback freeze ahead of him.
"We'll just see…" Hogback shot at him in return. "The last several attempts say otherwise…"
Absalom followed quietly after that, pouting.
"Hey look, it's a big cemetery! Let's stop here for lunch!" Luffy cheered, his earlier anger at the ghosts besting him forgotten.
"No way, this place will make the food taste bad, stupid!" Sanji yelled back. "Besides, we're in a hurry right now."
Hearing a noise, everyone turned toward a grave only to watch as someone clawed their way out of the ground. Luffy for once was silent, and merely moved over and started pushing the thing back where it came from.
"Don't put me back in the ground, idiot!" the corpse yelled at him. Luffy looked confused as he looked back to his friends. "An old man with serious injuries?" he asked.
Robin chuckled as the other boys yelled at him about zombies, and several more corpses popped out of the ground around them growling and moaning about fighting them.
Robin crossed her arms, knowing the boys needed to get rid of some of their pent-up anger. And besides, sometimes a show of strength was the best course of action, she thought.
The skirmish was over in moments, and all the corpses knelt in front of them to beg for forgiveness. "So, what are you guys doing here anyway?" Luffy asked, even as Sanji hit his own forehead.
"Well… we're zombies, so..." one answered, looking around at the others. All of them hoping not to start another fight.
"Yeah, like rotting and stuff…" another finished.
Robin merely listened as Luffy questioned them about their comrades… and inevitably became mad that they had scared Nami, Usopp and Chopper, but hadn't seen Kia. She followed Luffy from the cemetery where he had slammed the zombies back into the ground headfirst after threatening the entire island if anything happened to his crew. Sounds like the trio went to the mansion, and most likely we'll find Kia there as well.
She couldn't say that Kia's information made a difference thus far… she did not believe in zombies, or even vampires, so the idea that these things were because of a devil fruit or two was more than plausible. Perhaps I would have been coming up with more theories if I hadn't already known… she wondered.
After walking for a bit, they came across an old man who showed that he was missing his shadow as well. This time however, they were given more information as to the one that was causing it.
"Do you mean Gecko Moria?" Robin asked in surprise.
"Yes!" the man replied, still on his knees in front of them.
"You know him, Robin?" Luffy asked.
"Not personally, though I have heard of him," Robin answered, pondering what this all could mean. She wished she had more information. "Before it was frozen, his bounty was about triple what yours is, captain."
"Three hundred…?" Franky started.
"Frozen?" Zoro grunted.
"Does that mean what I think it does, Robin my dear?" Sanji lit a new cigarette, anticipating the fight ahead.
"Yes," she answered to all of them, though she looked at Luffy. "Gecko Moria is one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea."
"A Warlord?!" Luffy exclaimed.
"Yes," the man below them started weeping.
"What's a warlord doing in a place like this?" Zoro asked with disdain as he looked around again.
"I don't know, but there are so many victims… some that stay here wandering the forest and others that went back out to sea. Either way, we are all cursed… hiding from the sun for the rest of our lives!" He looked up at Luffy in abject misery.
"Can you even call us alive?" he wailed. "I just… I just want to walk under the sun once more before I die, but I am not strong enough to beat him!"
Robin tried not to roll her eyes as Franky started crying and Zoro berated him for it. Then Sanji claimed tears only worked on him when it was a woman. Her sympathy almost had her speaking, but then Luffy smiled brightly and laughed.
"Well, you're in luck then!" he said happily. "We've been looking for the guy that steals shadows anyway, so if he tries that on us, we'll beat him up! You might get saved on the way."
Suddenly there were a chorus of gratitude coming from all around them as several people called out from the trees in the forest.
"I guess he was right about there being many victims," Robin commented.
"Hey old guy," Luffy asked, glad that the guy had stopped crying. "What do you know about Moria's guys? Especially that vampire!"
"Vampire?" the old man looked confused, then shook his head. "I am sorry, I have only ever seen zombies that obey Moria."
Luffy frowned but knew better than to dwell on it. "Well, that just means we'll have to search everywhere!" he called, turning towards the castle once more. His crew followed him, amid cheers for luck and thank you's.
"How could none of them know about the vampire, or the invisible guy when they are on the same small island?" Franky asked what they were all thinking.
"Seems that they just hid out here instead of trying to get their shadows back," Sanji grumbled.
"Pathetic," Zoro grumbled under his breath, not wanting to agree, but not seeing another alternative besides making sure the cook didn't hear him.
"We know where Chopper, Usopp and Nami went, so we'll start there," Luffy declared. "Into the ghost house!"
Kia couldn't believe her eyes. If her hands were free, she would have rubbed at her eyes and tried again, but as it was, she merely blinked a lot. There was a little… tanuki… standing on the back of the sofa and looking straight at her. And if she wasn't mistaken, she could have sworn that it talked.
"I'm sorry… what?" she asked, wondering if she was dreaming.
"Are you thirsty?" he asked again. "Or hungry maybe?" He seemed to hop back and forth from foot to foot as he spoke. "We never have guests!"
"Uh…" Kia was gob smacked. She could understand now why so many people called Chopper a tanuki, or racoon-dog. She had always assumed that tanuki meant racoon, mostly from Super Mario Brothers games where Mario had a tanuki suit he could put on. She thought it was more like a bear and racoon mix, but seeing this little creature in person, she finally got it.
"Hi, I'm Kia," she stuttered, wondering what she was doing.
"I'm Pato!" the creature squeaked back to her and gave a little giggle. "Nu-ki-ki-ki!"
Oh my gosh, so cute… she thought. "Nice to meet you Pato," she answered. "Uh, I would love a drink if you have any water," she said. "Though, I can't hold a glass…" she muttered.
"Oh, of course, let me help!" he said, moving around her and slicing through the ties on the upper half of her body with its claws. "I'll get you some water right now!" and raced off before she could even understand what had happened.
She was once again speechless, as she looked down at herself. True, her legs were still wrapped up, but those would probably fall right off if she stood up. Deciding it was worth a try, she swung her legs over and stood on her feet, the swirl of silk falling from her easily.
Huh… that's weird, she thought. She was actually debating what to do right now. True the little guy had said she was a guest, but the guy who had brought her here had kidnapped and bitten her.
Am I really trying to justify running?!
Staying up was a struggle, and she fell back onto the seat without taking a step. She could hear Pato coming back, so she stayed seated.
"Here you go!" he said happily as he carefully brought a glass of water over to her.
She thanked him and took a few sips of the water, not guzzling as she wanted to, in case it was drugged. "So… Pato, right?" he gave her a nod, and she thought again that he was adorable. He reminded her so much of Chopper except for the racoon markings on his face, that she just melted, especially at his little shorts and hoodie.
"Uh… so, I'm wondering if you know where my friends are?" she asked, trying to keep a smile on her face.
"Friends?" he asked.
"Yeah, the people I was with before a bat guy took me from them?" Seeing his face fall, she could cheerfully bite off her own tongue.
"Sorry," he told her, looking distressed. "He just needed some of you, and then he'll be better!"
She frowned now, uncertain as to what he meant. Some of me? she thought. Like some of my blood?! She reached up to her neck, feeling the wound that had been tended to. It doesn't feel like a vampire bite, more like a cut…
Things weren't adding up, but she didn't have time to worry about it, as the door to the room began to wing open, and she braced herself for whatever came at her.
Seeing a very old man was hardly what she was expecting, especially as he used a cane type thing to walk closer to her.
"Ah, our guest awakens," he said merrily, and Kia could only stare.
His hair was odd, even for this place… the top half white, and the underside a deep red. Besides his outfit looking a bit like Brook's the man also had a lip ring on the left side of his mouth that was connected to an earring in his left ear by a chain.
The contrast had her unnerved- uncertain of what to make of him.
"Guest?" she asked, still not believing it, but wanting to present a strong front in his presence.
"But of course," he gave a little bow as if the perfect gentleman. "You see, I too am a visitor here, as I was weakened to the point of death," he sat across from her on a chair, crossing his legs and holding up a hand as if to persuade her that he was harmless.
"I was given a place to heal, but unfortunately, I am in need of something that this place cannot provide, with its … ghoulish inhabitants." She knew he was trying to put her at ease, but it was having the opposite effect.
"So you kidnapped me," she said bluntly, and was surprised that he started laughing.
"Such spirit!" he said, looking at her pleasantly. "Yes, I apologize that I had to resort to such things. As you can see, I am not without means, and I would happily compensate you for your trouble before returning you to your friends."
This stopped her, confused. "You… you'll take me back to them?" she asked uncertainly.
"But of course, I am no savage," he grinned this time, and she could see the long canine teeth in his mouth, which had her gulping.
"Pardon any offense, but how am I to know that? I don't even know who you are."
"Patrick Redfield, also known as The Red Count," he said simply, as if that meant anything to her.
"What is it that you want?" she asked.
His smile turned genuine, and she wondered if she had imagined the sadistic look she had seen just a moment before. "Just a small amount of blood," he told her, giving a shrug as if it was a small thing. "Three times, with three hours in between for you to recuperate," he said. "Well, two more times, now."
In her head, she knew that three hours was not enough time for her to make up for blood loss, but she didn't want to point out her biological differences right now. She was still weak from the first time.
"Do I have a choice?" she asked, looking pointedly at the silks that had held her pooled on the ground.
He didn't respond, merely smiled as if indulging her tantrum. She didn't care for it at all.
"No thank you," she said, trying to stand. If I can convince him that I'm not the right choice, perhaps I can get out of here… she thought. "I'm still feeling weak from whatever you already did. I don't think I would be able to stand after another."
"Oh, I'm counting on it…"
Then everything went black again.
Redfield wiped his mouth, disgusted that he had let himself go so long between feeding on another. Now he was forced to take it in stages, as his body couldn't handle taking that much life force in all at once.
He stood straight and stretched, looking at the backs of his hands for signs that his age was reversing. He walked over to the mirror and saw that he had indeed gotten some of his vitality back. Now he looked like a distinguished man in his fifties, instead of an aged man in his seventies that he had been moments before.
Once more… he thought, vowing that he would never let himself get this bad again. He had thought that Impel Down would kill him, but it turned out that his luck held strong. Being in the right place at the right time- and a cell mate name Shiki that for some reason had set him free.
He had thought he would continue flying after Shiki, but had ended up crashing on this accursed place. Having his shadow stolen had kept him here, but once he got his youth back, he'd take care of that bastard Moria. He smiled at himself, even as his body absorbed the new energy.
He was a few hours away from his future, and he couldn't wait.
"Pato," he called, seeing the little creature caring for the limp form of the girl. "Once I feed again, we'll be done with it," he said. "Then I'll have you take that out of here for good."
Pato nodded, and squeaked, "Yes Boss! Nu-ki-ki!" in a happy tone. He didn't remember what the girl was doing here, but he loved having guests, as they hadn't in so long. He knew his memory was bad, so he told himself over and over again. Take it out of here for good… take it out of here for good…
"Okay pig, cough it up already!" Luffy pushed his fist further into the zombie pig that was stuck through a plaque that they had brought with them as a guide. "First Sanji, and now Zoro's gone too? And you're up to something!"
"I told you, I don't know anything, oink, hee hee!" Oinkchuck tried to keep his laughter from getting out, but he just couldn't help himself. These fools have no idea what's even happening! he thought.
"Trying to play dumb, huh?" Franky held the wood piece up higher and turned it to show the pig how unfunny they found him. "We can hear you laughing."
"How odd," Robin commented to herself, as she thought it through. "Was he strangled to death without a sound?"
"Why do you say such morbid things?!" Franky yelled at her.
Robin continued forward, not paying much attention as Luffy found himself a suit of armor to try on, and berated Franky for forgetting about manly dreams once he got a metal body. Franky made it up to him by singing a new verse of "Cyborg steel traveler blues" which he made up on the spot.
Still moving forward, and trying to determine what could have taken their comrades, Robin stopped as she entered a giant arena. "We'll be outdoors once we pass through here," she announced.
"It looks like a coliseum!" Luffy said in awe.
"Oh, it's much more than that… oink, ha ha," Oinkchuck murmured.
Frankly looked back to where he had dropped the pig, and noticed movement from the corner of his eye, dodging out of the way just as a huge suit of armor came at him with a sword.
"These zombies are arming themselves now?" he complained as he picked himself up.
Franky pointed to the armor, which was impaled by several spears. "I don't see anyone living with all those stuck in 'em," he replied dryly. "Whoa!" he called as he once again had to dodge away from the zombie's attack.
He soon got the upper hand, and gave the armored zombie a final blow. He took a few deep breaths, and gave his captain a smile. However he heard the armor moving, and in just a moment or two, the zombie was once again up and attacking him.
It happened several times, until Robin mentioned that they were wasting their time and energy fighting it. Within moments, several more armored zombies shuffled into the arena.
"Whoa!" Luffy called. "They're all wearing armor!"
"That pig led us straight into a trap!" Franky complained, even as Oinkchuck started laughing.
"Oink, you will know true fear when faced with the zombie generals!" he told them. "Each were powerful warriors who were famous when they were alive, oink!"
Luffy looked down the hall at the pig. "How'd he get so far away?" he wondered.
"A head knight, a fierce criminal, a legendary samurai, a pirate captain, and a pistol master! They don't feel pain, and can't be defeated! All of your friends will be killed, and it serves you right, oink!" Oinkchuck continued to shout at them as he ran away.
"He may be right about them," Robin admitted. "All of Franky's attacks were ineffective against just one of them," she warned.
"Yeah, it'll take way too much energy to fight all of them!" Franky added.
"This isn't even the final battle anyway," Luffy shrugged. "I agree with Robin, let's not waste time and get outside," he pointed to the other end of the room. "We'll meet up over there, and make sure you two don't disappear too!" he said, ignoring the armored zombies that were yelling and heading straight for them.
It seemed to take a long time, as they fought just enough to make it across the room. Robin twisted and slammed zombies out of her way, and Franky tried his fresh fire, only for the zombies to grab water buckets and dump them over themselves.
Once they were close enough, the pair flat out ran out of the room and onto a large bridge. Looking around, they realized that they were missing their captain.
"Straw hat!" Franky shouted back at where they had come from. "Damn it! I can't tell the idiot wearing armor from the rest of them!"
"They're almost here," Robin warned as they tried to decide what to do.
"Hey, get me outta here!" they heard, and looked up.
A coffin was attached to a giant chain about thirty feet above them, moving over their heads and across the bridge. And they could hear Luffy's voice coming from inside.
"Oh no, he got caught!" Robin said, stepping forward to follow the box.
"He's in there?!" Franky shouted, moving after her. "Straw hat!" he shouted, knowing his strong right wouldn't reach, and he'd need to get closer. The coffin was moving quickly, and they'd have to run full out to catch it. "C'mon Nico Robin!"
A figure dropped down in front of them, and the pair stopped short in surprise as a giant spider blocked their way forward. Then, even worse, it started talking to them. "Monkey, monkey, hee hee! I'm Taralan, the famous spider monkey!" he called out.
"It's huge!" Robin breathed.
"It's a monster!" Franky added, and watched as the coffin moved out of sight beyond the wall that was behind the giant spider. "What are they going to do with him?!" Franky braced himself for a new fight.
"Don't worry, you'll see soon enough," The spider said in a sing-song voice. "You really should worry about yourself though," he chided. "I'm in front of you, and the armored warriors are behind you…"
They both looked over their shoulders to see that the armored zombies were indeed closing in.
"...this is the end for your little band of pirates…" Taralan gave a giant smile, and took a step towards them.