One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda
Kingdom Hearts characters belong to Square Enix and Disney
OCs belong to me.

-Chapter Two Hundred and Forty-

-Everybody's P.O.V-

Skylar thickly swallowed as she harshly began to push back against the man's sword, knocking it away from her before she slashed her own swords down right at him. He was quick with his reaction, wasting no time in blocking her attack.

"Now, now, there's no need for us to fight" Zach cooed. "I don't really wish to hurt you, darling" his words were so sickly sweet and nothing more than bitter lies—he was filled with so much pent up anger over the years from her sudden disappearance that all he wanted to do at this moment was hurt her. Was to make her understand just how badly her brothers and her childish actions had hurt him all those years ago.

"Bullshit!" Skylar snapped. "The minute I left was the minute the engagement ended—you're not my fiancé! That life is now behind me, it's dead, it no longer exists!" she glared, not liking the man's tone nor did she like how he attempted to refer to her in such an endearing manner. It's been years since she left, he should have forgotten her, his parents should have moved him along to the next young noblewoman that caught their eye instead of forcing him to stay engaged to a woman who had been missing for well over eight years.

"Oh? Is that so?" Zach questioned which caused the brunette to raise an eyebrow before she groaned in pain at the sudden swift kick that was delivered to her side. "You left because you were so disgusted by the arrange marriage, weren't you? That's it? Isn't it?" he glared right back, his temper rising as he thought back to the day they had first met—thought back to the hatred on her face upon hearing that they were to be engaged and married off to one another when they were older. "And here I thought we were getting along so well!" he sneered, he had recalled how nicely they both had been getting along since they were forced to train together, he recalled the days he'd make her laugh or smile—he remembers the day that he had hoped that their future was going to be bright and that they'd be happy just as much as he remembers the day that hope was shattered when he received the news that she and her brothers were missing, that they were nowhere to be found on the island.

"No, that's not it!" Skylar couldn't help but argue, not enjoying the fact that the blond was trying to make her reason for leaving sound like something so petty—sure, she never liked the arrange marriage, but for the most part, she had bitterly accepted it. She played along, she acted the way she knew her father would approve of when around the blond...she'd laugh and she'd smile and she'd act like everything was fine and dandy and perfect.

"Don't lie to me!" Zach snapped as he angrily raised his sword high and slashed it downwards. He smirked when he saw that he had nicked the brunette's shoulder before she could fully dodge the attack. "Were you just faking all those smiles during those days we spent together?" he asked which caused her eyes to become downcast for but a moment...some of them were indeed fake, but not for the reasons he so desperately wanted to believe—there were days when they were real, days when she found herself coming to like the blond in front of her like a friend. "We were supposed to join the Marines together—we were supposed to be a happy couple!" his eyes shined with such hatred the longer he spoke and looked at her and Skylar couldn't help but wonder if he really did believe the words that he spoke, if he really did believe that something good was ever going to come out of their arranged marriage. Perhaps he did, she was aware of how much he always strived to please his parents and do whatever they ask of him and...maybe in a way, he grew attached to this arranged marriage of theirs—unhealthily clinging to it because he knew it's what his parents wanted and that it would do nothing more than make them proud if he were to embrace it.

"What do those filthy pirates have that I don't?!" he sneered, thinking back to the way he watched how she interacted with the other Straw Hats as if she was close to them—as if they all meant something to her. He recalled the first thing Lucci told him after he and the others had gotten back from their mission, told him all about his encounter with Admiral Varen's missing daughter. He hadn't believed it at first, laughing in the older man's face and telling him how ridiculous that sounded—why would the successor of an Admiral be on a pirate ship? Once Kaku and Kalifa and Blueno started agreeing with the raven-haired man thought, his laughter came to a halt as his anger spiked, he had then started to demand to know why they hadn't brought her along with them.

"Our mission only asked that we get the blueprints of Pluton and Nico Robin—I prioritize the mission over some spoiled brat throwing a tantrum."

That had been Lucci's reason for not bringing the Admiral's daughter along and Zach knew he shouldn't have been surprised, he knew the man took his missions seriously and rarely ever strayed from them. He knew it was only logical that the man would prioritize the blueprints and the capture of Nico Robin over some teenager...even if said teenager was the daughter of a very important man.

"Look, you wouldn't understand!" Skylar frowned as she rushed right at the blond, blocking the attack he sent her way before she quickly retaliated with a kick of her own towards his stomach.

"Iron Body" the brunette flinched the moment her foot made harsh contact with his stomach and she found that it felt like she had just kicked a metal wall with how her leg seemed to just vibrate after the initial hit. Zach didn't look fazed by the attack at all but he did end up sliding back a bit thanks to it. Skylar wasn't lying when she said he wouldn't understand—she knew he wouldn't understand because he looked up to her father too much to listen to her if she were to tell him the truth...if she were to tell him that the man he so deeply respected was nothing short of a monster. "I wouldn't understand, huh?" he bitterly spat out as the fight between the two continued. Both of them slashing and blocking as grunts and whimpers slowly began to fill the spacious room the longer they fought.

Zach was aware that Skylar wasn't fully there mentally at the moment and it made him almost proud to think that his presence alone is what was throwing her off—what was distracting her and making it hard for her to fully focus and properly react. Indeed, he was right, the brunette was just torn up by the mere sight of him. She never hated him and had no reason to as he did try to be kind to her when they were children. But at the same time, he was the enemy—he was the one currently standing between her and the friend she needed to save. But...that Six Powers bullshit he had going on was starting to become bothersome as already she could feel her blood start to boil the longer she found this fight of theirs being dragged out.

Out of the two of them, she was the one most covered in nicks and scratches while the blond she was fighting barely had any serious wounds on him—he barely even looked hurt. She was only able to fully damage him whenever he would show hesitation, would show for just a moment a sort of kindness that made it hard for him to go through with certain attacks. Just as he threw her off with his presence, she did the same to him. He was confused, upset, and hurt all at the same time as just the sight of her was enough to stir up an odd mixture and warm and negative feelings. This woman before him was meant to be his bride...his bride that had run away and left him all alone for eight full years, and with that knowledge, he couldn't help but lash out.

Skylar was taken aback the minute he suddenly grabbed at one of her swords, flinching and nearly shrinking back as he ripped it right out of her grasp. Zach grunted at the feeling of the blade digging into the palm of his hand as he hadn't used his Iron Body to prevent it from doing so. But he didn't care as he carelessly tossed the sword aside before hissing when the young woman twitched and lashed out—digging her other sword right into his arm. She took advantage of the fact that he had been distracted with ridding her of the first one. But, in despair, she watched as he forcefully pulled that sword from his arm with no hesitation and threw it to the side as well—tossing it away as if it was nothing more than a piece of trash and as if the pain in both his hand and arm meant nothing to him.

Growling in frustration that he had tossed away both her weapons, she did the only thing she could think of now that she was without her swords, she used her fists. Skylar was no stranger to hand to hand combat, the many fistfights she's gotten into over the years enough to make her used to having to use her hands to defend herself. Zach watched her in amusement as he lowly muttered to himself, watching as she took aim right at his face before smirking the minute her fist made contact. It didn't cause any harm to him and he barely even felt a thing, the only one to feel immense pain was Skylar as she quickly drew her fist back and waved her hand around as tears pricked the corners of her eyes. The bones seemed to just ache at the sudden force she had used to smash them against such a hard surface as another person's face—a hard surface that was made even harder by the use of Zach's Iron Body.

Zach wasted no time as he sheathed his sword and decided that he'll play fair, shooting his own fist out without any warning as he struck the right side of the woman's face. Already could he feel the rush of excitement in his veins as he watched Skylar stumble back, her brain rattling around inside her skull at the sudden force she had just been hit with without warning. Zach found himself reminded of those late afternoons when they would train together with hand to hand combat. It was a lovely feeling to him to be able to experience such a thing once more, but an awful one for Skylar. With a smile, he grabbed at the leg that was suddenly kicked out towards him and harshly threw the brunette down onto her back, quick to straddle her waist before she had a chance to even move.

She growled at him, snapping her jaw as her hands shot up and were ready to wrap themselves around his neck before he snatched up her wrists and pinned them above her head. His other hand soon raised to gently cup and rub at her redding cheek that was sure to bruise by the end of this. Barly were either of them bothered with the way he stained her face with the blood from his still bleeding palm.

"You've grown into such a beautiful young woman" he softly murmured which only seemed to cause her to scoff as she rolled her eyes.

"What? Trying to butter me up now?" she bitterly grumbled before tensing up when he suddenly leaned down, his lips now hovering right over her neck which allowed his warm breath to fan out across her skin. She shivered at the sensation, goosebumps rising to the surface of her skin as she was washed over with fear and disgust, not liking her close he was getting to her—not liking the position they were currently in as she felt the way his hips shifted just a bit from where he straddled her.

"It feels me with such joy knowing that you belong to me, my lovely fiancée—I truly don't want to hurt that pretty little face of yours any more than I have to" Zach breathed out as he took in a deep breath and practically nuzzled his face in the crook of her neck. Despite the sweat and the metallic smell of blood, there was a slight smell of something sweet to her—a scent that practically drove him wild the longer he smelled it. It was a natural scent that he couldn't help but love. "Come on, forget about those stupid pirates, they're nothing but filthy lowlifes that will be locked away or executed alongside Nico Robin" he murmured, speaking in such a soft and sweet manner as if trying to coax her to agree with him.

"Will you just shut up!" Skylar angrily snapped the moment she heard his words as she jutted her head upwards the second he lifted his head to look her in the eyes. Wanting to stare into that beautiful color of blue as he used to do when they were children. Instead, he was taken aback by the sudden pain of her forehead smashing into his own as she now flipped them both around and straddled him—taking advantage of his dazed state as he seemed to desperately try and gather his bearings. She angrily screamed as she drew back her fist and proceeded to punch him over and over before he had the chance to even think about activating his Iron Body. She didn't care the slightest bit about the pain in her knuckles or the sound of his nose breaking as blood spilled forth and stained her skin.

Her eyes were wide and tears were already starting to well up in them as her body slowly began to violently shake. Her vision became blurry, going in and out as she saw two different images at once—she felt like she was just running on autopilot at the moment.

"Don't say that about them—they're my friends! I'm not going to sit here and let you say such things!" she screamed through choked out sobs as tears of hate and anger continued to just roll down her cheeks and drip down onto the face of the man beneath. Zach felt his blood slowly begin to boil as he glared up at the brunette, quick in taking note in how the beauty she held now seemed to just disappear in his mind for a minute as his gaze darkened. Angrily did he throw her off, standing up as he now began to kick at her body before she had a chance to scamper away—a chance to stand or raise her hands in defense as he seemed to just repeatedly kick at her stomach.

"You bitch! How dare you!" he sneered as he sent a swift kick to Skylar's chin which knocked her clear across the room. Her body tumbling over and over like a rag doll before sliding to a stop right next to her swords. "What was that you said? They're your friends?" he asked, his lips slowly twitching up into a strained grin as he stared at her with wide eyes. "You call those lowlifes your friends?! How pathetic!" he laughed.

"They are my friends!" she argued as she shakily pushed herself up on her hands and knees, raising a hand to wrap around her stomach as she winced in pain at the way that it throbbed.

"I bet they don't even know who your father is—I doubt you even told them! Do you know why I think that? Because we both know what would happen!" he laughed harder the longer he thought about how ridiculous her claim was before suddenly stopping as a dark look crossed his face. "Because they'd throw you away to avoid the trouble you would bring them, the rewards on your brothers and yours heads are so great—why, together it equals 1,425,000,000 belis, right?! Do you know that a person would be set for life with that kind of money?

"But we both know they'd never receive it" he muttered. "Your father's a smart man, why should he give money to lowlife people or anyone that brings back you and your disgraceful brothers—he wouldn't, would he?" he asked. "They would most likely kill you in fear of you working for the government, in fear that you'd hinder their adventure and their safety."

"No! They…they...they wouldn't do…do that! I…I know that they...I know that they wouldn't!" Skylar shakily argued, her voice wobbly as her vision blurred and her body slowly began to shake once more. Quick was she to avert her gaze as guilt now overtook her due to the sudden hesitation in her voice. She didn't want to believe him, but at the same time, there was a part of her that felt he was right—a part of her that did fear and believed that they'd toss her aside solely because she'd become a hindrance to them or be seen as a threat to their adventure.

"You hesitated! You know it just as well as me—you can't deny it!" Zach eagerly grinned as his excitement seemed to just grow upon this discovery, upon seeing just how weak and little her hope was that she'd ever be good enough for anyone to want to keep her around. "You don't trust them, so how can you call them your friends? You pathetic little brat!" he snarled. "Come back with me, we can continue to train like old times—you can redeem yourself and become the strong and respected woman you're meant to be!" he urged.

"Can you just shut up for a minute!" Skylar suddenly screamed, tears dripping down her face and onto the floor as she clenched her fists, wobbly lips tugging downwards as she tried her hardest to hold back the sobs that were daring to rip their way from the back of her throat. "Stop with this nonsense—I'll never take that position! I'll never join the Marines! I'd rather die before I do either of those things!" she cried, roughly wiping at her eyes before finally glaring up at the blond.

"You idiot, have those pirates brainwashed you?!" Zach snapped as he started to advance towards the brunette. "They're not your friends, they don't care about you! Have you any common sense, you worthless bitch?! They deserve to die just like the rest of these pirate scum in the world!" he sneered as he snatched her up before she could even think to grab her swords and defend herself. Slowly was he starting to squeeze her delicate little neck between his hands as his rage seemed to just build and bubble right over the longer he stared at her.

"If you stay with them, there will be hell to pay once you are returned home! You're my bride, we're supposed to marry and have a happy family while protecting the innocent from pirates like the Straw Hats!" he shouted as he continued to tighten his grip on her neck.

"L-let go!" Skylar chocked out, her face already turning red as she weakly began to kick her legs in some pitiful attempt to get away from him while her nails clawed at his hands that were around her neck. Drool leaked down her open mouth as she wheezed in her desperate attempts to suck in air despite the fact that the passage was blocked and couldn't draw any in. Already her vision was starting to go in and out before finally, her mind told her to do the only thing that seemed like it might work. Without a second thought, she used up what little strength she still had and shot her leg out, her foot harshly kicking against the most sensitive part of Zach's body.

"Fucking hell!" the blond roared as he dropped her and stumbled back, hands grabbing at his crotch as his eyes screwed shut. Skylar held her throat as she greedily sucked in as much air as she could, gasping and coughing as her vision slowly returned to her. Wiping the drool from her mouth, she quickly snatched up her swords from the ground and rushed away from the blond in some pitiful attempt to put distance between them while she tried to level her breathing. "Fine! If you want to do this the hard way, then we'll do this the hard way!" the man sneered as he drew his own sword once more.

-Later-

The fight between the two was starting to become tiring and irritating for Skylar as her body seemed to just sway and her vision felt like it was close to failing her. Both her and Zach panted as they both seemed to be equally damaged.

"Come on, are you even trying?" Zach chuckled, and despite looking almost as equally damaged as the brunette, the blond didn't seem bothered by the cuts and bruises on his body at all like Skylar was. Her eyes only narrowed as she glared at him in response. She couldn't really focus, not with how everything was constantly changing—it was becoming increasingly difficult to tell what was real and what wasn't. It seems that the blonde's nasty words from earlier helped in reminding her so much of him. But she shouldn't be all that surprised that he ended up picking up that habit of Varen's—that habit of belittingly others and insulting her, tell her that she's worthless and pathetic and stupid and so on.

"Shut up" Skylar panted as she took a shaky step forward only for her legs to give out as she dropped to her knees. Doubt and pain were clouding her mind as she so desperately now wanted to take her mind off this emotional pain, but didn't know how without inflicting any sort of physical pain on herself. Physical pain was always much easier to deal with, that's always how it's been for her—you could tend to physical pain with stitches and bandages and ointments, but you couldn't do the same with emotional pain.

"Giving up already? What a shame" Zach scoffed as he shot towards her. "Finger Pistol!" he gave a sickening smile upon hearing her cry out as he rammed his finger into her stomach, carefully did he lift her up before harshly throwing her back down. He couldn't help but chuckle as he watched the blood that came spilling out of her mouth as her body bounced off the floor before laying still. "Wretched whore" he leered as he reached a hand down towards her before quickly drawing back when she suddenly snapped her jaw at it.

In fact, he drew back away from her completely when he noticed that the air around her changed...it became almost malicious the air that now surrounded her. Her eyes were glazed over as she suddenly flipped onto her stomach and got up on all fours as if she was nothing more than some dog. Lowly did she began to growl like some rabid animal, snarling at him as if she was pushed into the corner of a cage and didn't know what else to do except to snap and bark at the intruder that was trying to bring her harm. For a second, he remembered how Varen had told him that each of his children specialized in a certain technique when pushed to their limits. Just like their father.

Cloud was good at strategizing, Sora could deceive people with how innocent he looked, but Skylar was different as she used unpredictable and almost malicious attacks. She was like an animal, she could either whimper in fear and be docile or she could be rabid with the only thought that she needed to get away—there was no thought process behind her attacks which would throw people off as they couldn't be able to pick up on a pattern. Was this it? Did he truly push her far enough to warrant her body and mind to react the way it was? Sadly, he was wrong, he didn't push her—his words triggered a horrible response like the day that stand clerk's words did.

Skylar did not see Zach, but instead, she saw her father because her special technique is only triggered by the thought of the man that had brought her so much pain and constantly haunts her on a day to day basis. Her mind created illusions that had her heart pounding inside her chest and had adrenaline pumping through her veins. She was scared, she didn't like seeing the man that made life hell for her and made her terrified of so many things—made it difficult for her to move on...made it difficult for her to love life. Before the blond could react, she suddenly shot forward towards him with her swords and harshly slashed down at him.

"Shit!" he cursed as he scrambled to lift his sword in an attempt to block the attacks. "Iron Body!" he shouted over and over as he tried his best to block her rapid slashes—slashes that had the intent to rip and tear and kill, slashes that had the intent on destroying the person in front of her. There was no real pattern as she would switch up her method, swinging at him from the side or front like her mind couldn't think straight enough to decided what it wanted to do and in a way, it couldn't. All she knew was that she wanted him gone, she wanted him to just disappear and never come back. Her lips quivered as her eyes held a look of fear and hatred as tears started to well up in them once more...she truly wasn't there anymore.

Her attacks just kept coming with no signs of stopping and before he knew it, his Iron Body started to do little to protect him as he started to groan at the little cuts that were now beginning to appear over his body. It was as if she had worn down his defenses so much that they were no longer working, that her attacks were becoming so desperate and so violent that they were beginning to chip away the only thing protecting him from the blade of her swords.

"W-what?" he sputtered out in shock before crying out as she suddenly knocked his sword out of his grasp and harshly slashed across his chest with both her swords, tearing through his clothes and flesh as deep cuts ran from his right shoulder and all the way down to his left hip. Jerking her foot out, she kicked him in the stomach and knocked him to the ground. Snarls and growls still leaving her lips as she crossed her swords and violently brought them down until they dug them into the floor on either side of his head. She dangerously now had trapped his head in a deadly lock as if she was just ready to decapitate him. Her pupils were constricted and her breathing now heavy as she stared down at him with a look of contempt—a look he's seen her father wear many times when fighting or interacting with anyone that he deemed beneath him.

It was his whimper that snapped her out of her daze as the illusion of her father disappeared and was replaced by the sight of a whimpering Zach.

"What?" she slowly blinked, looking dazed and out of it as she looked down at him. Eyes slowly moving to peer down at the nasty wound across his chest while he only seemed to fearfully look up at her. His skin was pale as he had caught a glimpse of that same ruthless look her father would wear when he fought on her face before she had snapped out of it—a look that told him that she truly in her hazy mind had really planned to kill him if it hadn't been for his whimper.

"I don't want to die" he lowly whimpered, now watching how she hesitantly pulled her swords out of the ground and away from his neck before dropping them. Shakily did she look down at her own bloody hands as a crooked smile graced her lips and she quietly started to laugh. It was funny to her, she had been so close to being nothing more than a ruthless killer just like her father. Fearfully did the blond listen and watch as her laughter slowly began to grow in volume as tears started to stream down her face before finally, that laughter turned into choked sobs as her smile fell and her body shook. He said nothing as he watched her, his body in too much pain to really move as he opened his mouth and quietly asked her the one question on his mind.

"Why did you leave and become a pirate?"

"I told you" she suddenly stopped crying, her voice losing all emotion as she dropped down on top of him—now straddling his waist. "You wouldn't understand...but if you truly want an answer for why I've become a pirate—Roronoa Zoro."

"Roronoa Zoro? As in Pirate Roronoa Zoro?" Zach frowned before he scoffed. "Why that man is a disgrace to bounty—"

"Just shut up" Skylar bitterly grumbled as she slammed her forehead down onto his face with enough force to silence him. He was already in too much pain to begin with, the hit was just the last bit he needed to finally pass out, especially with how much damage it caused to his already broken nose. Skylar tiredly heaved a sigh as she rolled off the knocked out blond and blankly stared up at the ceiling. "You know? I truly thought there was some good in you back when we used to hang out...I didn't like you enough to accept you as my fiancé, but I liked you enough as a friend" she quietly admitted to the passed-out body.

Already could she feel the way her body began to painfully ache, her head now pounding as the uncomfortable feeling of blood drying and caking onto her skin could be felt on her face and arms.

"You're nothing to me now, you're not a friend or a lover—both those titles are reserved for different people in my life now" she shrugged off how bitter the words sounded as she rolled over onto her side and stared at the passed-out body. "You're a filthy piece of trash that got between me and my friend" she softly muttered.

"Such cruel words."

"Similar to how he talks to you and your brothers."

"You're truly your father's daughter."

The voices in her head taunted as she heaved another sigh and sluggishly picked herself up.

"I know" she bitterly grumbled as she tiredly gathered up her swords and placed them back in their sheaths before she began to searched the blond. It hadn't taken her that long to locate the necklace that held the key underneath his clothes and to rip it from his neck. "Thanks" and with that, she left.

A/N: Enjoy. Not going to lie, I absolutely loved how this chapter turned out now that I got to go back and fix it.

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