This chapter is when events get a little darker and gory heads up. These events are the catalyst for Lucian`s early development stages in becoming a pirate, and they are when he suffers the most.
This story is going to be pretty long and have a lot of chapters, so hopefully, I will pace it correctly.
Also, a review would be much appreciated. Let me know your thoughts.
Enjoy the chapter :)
Chapter 3: Argonia`s Reckoning, The Betrayal of the World Government.
The summer was one of the best Lucian had ever experienced—three pure months of bliss. He hung out with Karas more often, and he and his friends traveled all over Aragonia to see all the nature spots. It took a while to travel around his country, but it was worth it.
A lot has also changed. Ilir passed his exams.
He dominated his opponents and earned the rank of mastery for his age group.
Mikasa spent the whole summer doing fun stuff. It's impossible to imagine, right? But she did it. Well, she still studied, but they still hung out every day. It was either at the beach, in parks, or at late-night family events. It was everything he asked for!
Mikasa dared him to drink 5 shots of vodka one night because he lost a bet(he couldn`t catch the neighborhood cat). It was such a stupid bet, too, that the cat was too fast, and because of that, he got so drunk he destroyed his mother`s antique weaving table. He guessed they weren`t too smart because giving 10-year-olds access to alcohol is on the parents.
Regardless, the sad part was that now that this amazing summer was ending, he had to return to classes.
Ilir wasn`t excited about it. He grumbled every day about dreading school. At this point, he became so dedicated to his lessons with Sensei Ryko that he couldn`t focus on anything else, and honestly, he respected that from him. But the biggest change was within Mr. Abrojo. He was acting weird. Sometimes, Lucian overthought things, but things started to get weirder.
Lucian never mentioned it to anyone, but he became more irritated and annoyed with tasks and situations he usually considered calm and collected about. Lucian may have been a kid, but he considered himself very perceptive. The attitude change made him feel uneasy. He tried listening to the adult conversations to get some hints, but they always shushed him away. Apparently, he was too young to listen.
He wanted to tell Mikasa everything, but he didn`t want to worry her about information that may not even be accurate. He decided to keep investigating, and he realized everything stayed the same, whether within the bar or near the major trade areas and villages.
He was no merchant, but from what he saw, everything operated the way it should have, so if something is acting strange, it may not be business-related but something personal, perhaps. On the bright side, his father's bar was running better than ever; he'd never seen his parents so happy.
Amante also finally graduated from elementary school, and everything was going perfectly. But why did that worry him?
He felt something off in the air; the vibe was foul, and he was concerned with his conflicting thoughts and emotions.
He didn`t know whether or not to trust them.
Part of him thought he was overreacting, and another thought he was correct about everything deep inside. He had no clue what to do about it. The only thing he could do now was attend school and contemplate his dark thoughts.
2 months later…
Ever since school started, things have changed drastically around the town and his village. The only thing that has remained the same is Ilir.
He and Ilir took it easy. They relaxed whenever they could and ignored their education entirely. By the way, that`s how you get smarter, by not conforming to the system.
They trained every day, and he was impressed with Ilir's progression. His fighting technique became faster, stronger, and more unpredictable. That made Lucian better, too. He was glad to train with Ilir; it gave him confidence.
Mikasa became irregular with her studies. She was glued to one book that didn`t even have a cover, and she looked stressed all the time. The uneasiness in the air tortured Lucian. He wanted answers, but he knew rushing them would cause more harm than good.
But he knew something big was coming, though he tried his best not to think about it. The only consistency he found in life was with his parents and sister. At least they didn`t change for the worse. But that all changed one day when Mikasa found something rather intriguing.
Lucian was working late at the bar, cleaning up the mess left by travelers who had drunk too much.
He hated cleaning it, but he liked the calmness of the bar. He also didn`t want his father to work too hard.
Then Mikasa walked in. She had a heavy backpack on. He was surprised that she was able to stay out this late and even more surprised that she came to the bar. Mikasa looked worried. Maybe he could finally find out what made her so uncomfortable.
"Hey, I need to talk to you about something important," Mikasa said.
Lucian felt relieved, and she'd finally opened up about what was bothering her.
"I found this book in Uncle`s office," she continued.
Lucian was surprised because no one was allowed into Mr. Abrojo's office at all. Even his son wasn`t allowed.
"How?" he asked.
"Well, basically one night I was staying over at Ilir`s house because Mom had to work late. I knew Uncle had a great library in his office. I heard him boasting about it sometimes over dinner parties. So I couldn`t resist. Once he fell asleep, I stole the key and stayed there for hours. And this book caught my attention."
Lucian looked at Mikasa's book. It was large and leathery, with no cover, and the pages looked like they had been written ages ago in some unknown language.
"Mikasa, he will kill you. Also, how hasn`t he noticed the book is missing?" Lucian said.
Mikasa smiled. "I switched the book out for a book of a similar size. On the shelf, it looks the same. The only way he finds out is if he checks, but there are so many books I pray he doesn`t notice."
Lucian stared at her. She was the smartest idiot he had ever met. Honestly, he didn`t think she had a theft in her, but damn, he was wrong.
"When did you do this," Lucian said.
Mikasa pondered the question, "Around a week or two ago."
Lucian gasped. Why did it take Mikasa two weeks to tell him? Nonetheless, he was still happy she came to him with her problem.
"So what did you find?" Lucian said.
Mikasa opened the book as they sat at the table. It was filled with weird drawings and scribblings, and Lucian pointed at them.
"What are those?" he naively asked.
Mikasa's eyes widened, and she put her pinky out toward Lucian. "Promise me about our friendship, everything I tell you tonight is kept secret."
Lucian took a second to think: What was going on, and why was she so serious? He reached out his left hand, and Pinky swore with her. "I promise," he muttered.
Mikasa nodded. She ran to the door, locked it, and returned, speaking in a quiet tone. "I need to do more studying, but my uncle has secrets in here about the government," she said.
"What secrets, Mikasa? This looks indecipherable."
Mikasa took a deep breath and caressed her hair behind her ear.
"This book is the answer to what the real world looks like," she said, pointing to the weird-looking drawings on the page.
"These are from an ancient language called poneglyphs; it`s so ancient that it appeared during the Void Century."
Lucian thought back to school. The Void Century was one of his peaks of interest, and honestly, if he could have one answer to life`s great mysteries, it would be that. Immediately, his attention was hooked.
"We know nothing about the Void Century, and this book reveals hints and clues about what happened during that time and why the World Government covered it up. Lucian, this book could be a revelation of new information," Mikasa stated.
"They don`t even teach this in school; I have never heard of pone glyphs before. How do you know all this, Mikasa?"
"Like I said before, Lucian, uncle has interesting business dinner parties."
Lucian thought back to those dinner parties his father would go to. Mikasa usually stood behind while Lucian and Ilir went off doing stupid stuff.
So that`s where Mikasa was!
Lucian scoffed "If Mr. Abrojo kept it in his office locked up maybe it`s something he doesn`t want anyone to know, maybe it`s dangerous."
Mikasa again maintained a serious tone: "I think Uncle found this in the Grand Line, and he wasn`t supposed to. The truth is I wish I could learn more about it, but I`d need years to understand the book. I wish I had more time."
Mikasa was seriously the smartest 10-year-old to probably ever exist because Lucian would`ve never thought of this.
"What should we do," Lucian asked.
"And why did you tell me all this, Mikasa? Your Uncle can be executed for having this information," Lucian continued.
Mikasa looked lost now, dazing around the room. Her mind must have been moving at a fast rate; she didn`t even comprehend the question. But he thought to himself, how can Mikasa bear this weight? Maybe that`s why she told him, but he seriously had to make an effort to help her.
"The Void Century, they told us all history was lost and unrecoverable," Lucian stated.
Mikasa looked back, "Well, now we know they lied to the entire world. The poneglyphs must have some connection to the mystery of the Void Century. Honestly, it makes you think about what else they must have lied about."
Just like that, he found the missing piece of the puzzle. His mind raced at light speed, trying to connect the dots between the last couple of months of events. Karas's speech, he froze. Is that what he meant? Was he referring to the Void Century?
Was it at all possible that his older brother had discovered some truth behind it? If everything people said about the Void Century was true, people could be put in danger.
So that`s why his affiliation with the Marines was in danger? Then what about Mr. Abrojo? What did he do on the Grand Line all those years ago? He must be a part of this, too; the book was found in his office.
Ultimately, he wanted to know what the World Government did during that period, what secrets they were hiding, and whether it was that bad.
His brother warned him about the world and the Marines, but he couldn`t judge for himself. He had never experienced the world, and he could only go on what he knew. Aragonia has been an ally of the World Government for centuries.
So, why did Mr. Abrojo have this manifesto of World Government secrets?
You could be executed for far less in this world. Lucian always knew the dangers that lie ahead. His father always warned him since he was conscious: Never trust anyone but us, son, he always said. But Mikasa`s revelation opened up a whole new thought process for him, connecting the dots between Karas`s weird behavior and all his past experiences. The World Government is the main economic backbone of Aragonia, that`s why no Piracy plagues the country.
Why do we have so much value and prosperity? What did they sacrifice for this era of peace? Mr. Abrojo claimed multiple times he was never a Pirate but never explicitly stated his status as a Marine or any relation to the World Government. Wow. He thought to himself, his whole life view changed within a matter of seconds. Is this the truth Aragonia has been blinded by?
Is the World Government hiding something from us, and all because the Mikasa found a forbidden book? He looked at her, stunned; they wouldn`t believe a word out of their mouths. No one would take a kid seriously in this country. They were powerless, and that hurt the most, so he thought of the next best solution: to contain the secret to protect everyone until they were sure.
"Mikasa, you need to return the book to the shelf," Lucian scaredly stated. Poneglyphs seem illegal; you can get us killed if they find out."
She looked offended, "No, I need to learn more I put a replacement book, so he will not notice it is missing," she said proudly.
Was Lucian surrounded by idiots? He wondered as he face-palmed himself.
"But what if, by small chance, he grabs the decoy book? What will happen then? We will be so in trouble," he whispered.
"You pinky swore," she confidently said. She was right. Lucian swore not to tell anyone unless she told him to.
Lucian nodded. He respected her and wouldn`t break that promise. Then they heard a large bang at the bar door. They froze. The door kept banging.
"Open up, kid," said a familiar voice.
Mikasa grabbed the book, wrapped it in paper, and placed it in her bag. Mikasa mouthed the words, "Uncle."
She shushed her lips, clarifying to Lucian that she wasn`t there. Lucian led Mikasa out the back and then opened the bar door. Lucian ran back to the front door and then opened it. Mr. Abrojo stood there menacingly.
"Hey, son, you here alone?"
Lucian nodded. "I'm just cleaning up. Father had a long day, so I thought I`d help him out."
He grinned and walked in. He took a couple of steps and hung his coat on the coat rack, pulled out the chair, and sat. Reached into his pocket and pulled out a lighter and a cigarette.
"Hey, get me a scotch on the rocks." Lucian was no bartender, but he knew how to make that drink. After a while, he walked back with his drink and set it down on the table.
Mr. Abrojo was an intimidating man, and Lucian always made sure to be respectful to him. He motioned his hand to the seat across from him. Lucian sat. After some silence, Mr. Abrojo broke it.
"You`re growing up, boy. You may be young, but you have great potential. I saw it in you from the day you were born."
"Thanks, sir," he responded. What potential?
"Wish my son had that, that drive that something special." Lucian was immediately confused. Other than combat, Ilir was almost better than Lucian in everything—school, football, jokes, social life. So why was he badmouthing his son? "Sir, Ilir is amazing. Without him, I`d be-".
"Stop it right there, boy. I love Ilir, but that`s not what I`m talking about. This is not a compliment but a burden."
What burden, he thought.
"In my entire lifetime, I`ve only seen a handful of special individuals with the quality you have, that will."
What will? Lucian was so confused.
"You're too young to understand now. Regardless, that is not what I came here for. You know… what I came here for."
He took a sip from the scotch and played around with the glass in his hand. Lucian sat silently, scared of what was to come.
"You think two 10-year-old brats can outsmart me? I`ve sailed on the Grand Line, for goodness sake. Almost died every other day. It's funny how that works; it makes you more perceptive to life and its beauty. That book my niece has, I want it back, and surprise, surprise, I can`t find her." He took another large sip and slammed the empty glass on the table. It startled Lucian.
"What are you talking about," Lucian said, lying through his teeth.
"No games, son; I can`t protect you or anyone if I don`t have it. Tell Mikasa she has until tomorrow to drop the book at my house." He turned away, grabbed his jacket, and was ready to walk out.
"No," Lucian replied. Big mistake, he thought. Mr. Abrojo turned around.
"Hm, I wasn`t asking. I was ordering. You brats want to stick your nose in where it doesn`t belong. You may as well fuck it up for everyone then. You think I worked for nearly 40 years to preserve my name and the dignity of Aragonia for you two little shits to mess it up.
No. I want us all to be safe, and that starts by returning the book; you don`t understand the unknown variables at work here. Also, don`t tell anyone about this, or I`ll kill you." he said as he smashed the glass onto the table.
He turned around, leaving his threat to evaporate into the air.
Mr. Abrojo left, and Lucian locked up the bar and ran home.
Mikasa was right, Mr. Abrojo has some secrets hidden about his connections to the World Government.
He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, and finally, he reached Mikasa's house. He looked up at her bedroom window. Her light was still on.
Traditionally, at night, he climbed the pipe in the back and went in through her bedroom window. He used to do this whenever he was bored. Well, tradition never failed him. He climbed and forcibly opened her window.
"Lucian!" She screamed, immediately covering her mouth, realizing the mistake she made by screaming. She then whispered, confused. "What are you doing here."
Lucian was catching his breath. "Your Uncle, he knows about the book."
Her eyes widened, "Oh no."
"He wants it back by the morning."
Mikasa immediately took out empty sheets of paper and opened the book. She started tracing the poneglyphs onto the paper. "I need to study these. I cannot let an opportunity like this pass by. Please help."
Lucian didn`t hesitate; he jumped into action. "Go slow and make sure you are doing it correctly, with no mistakes," she emphasized.
It was hard to trace, and his hand hurt, but after two hours, they were done. Lucian made extra copies for himself as well, just in case.
He hid them from Mikasa and put them in his pocket.
She looked them over and was ecstatic. "I wonder why you didn`t do that before," Lucian admitted.
She walked over to her lockbox and placed them in there. She opened a hidden compartment under her woodboard tiles and sealed it. She was sweating and nervous. Lucian placed a hand on her shoulder. Her cheeks turned slightly red.
"Don`t worry. Just apologize tomorrow, and you will be fine. He loves you, and as long as you keep quiet, I highly doubt he`d be that angry." She nodded in agreement.
Lucian bid her goodnight and climbed out the window. "Hey," she called out. He was on the verge of jumping out and turned around. "Thanks," she said with a smile. He smiled back and went back home.
Next day...
Lucian waited by the markets. Mikasa told him he`d meet him by the ships after she confronted her uncle. Usually, he would shop for new clothes or cool foods to eat with the weekly allowance his parents gave him. It was a sunny day, so that meant all the merchants were selling products down the road. It was as crowded as it could be. Lucian was heading towards the port and was running as quickly as he could. He needed to know what happened. And the port was the only safe haven he knew. As he was running, cutting people off, he was making good time. All it took was for him to look back once until he crashed into someone.
"Ughh" Lucian said as he fell on his ass, why did he look back.
"Hey, watch it, kid." Lucian looked up and saw an old man with long grey hair and spectacles.
He had a scar on his right eye and a scruffy beard that matched his hair color. He was wearing a cloak and a garb. "I`m sorry, sir," Lucian screamed.
The old man reached for his hand, and Lucian took it. "So, kid, what was the rush for you to be running so quick?" he asked nicely. Lucian responded, "Had to make sure a friend was okay. Sorry for bumping into you."
The old man contemplated his response, "You look familiar, kid. Do I know you?"
Lucian had never seen this man before, so he immediately assumed, based on his clothes, that he was a pirate. We never really had many pirates in Aragonia, yet the man seemed calm and intrigued by him.
"No, sir. I have never seen you before," Lucian immediately said.
The old man grinned. "My apologies. You reminded me of an old friend I had, but never mind. I am lost; I was looking for someone in this country to fix my ship. Can you help me?"
Lucian knew he had to meet Mikasa, but he didn`t want to turn this poor old man`s offer down. Lucian gestured for the old man to follow him. As they walked to the port, Lucian had to ask, "Are you a pirate, old guy."
"Well, yes," he replied.
"But aren`t pirates evil and stuff?" Lucian asked.
"I`m more on the retired side, so you can say I just like to travel around now."
Lucian thought this guy looked out of place in the market. When they arrived at the port, Lucian`s first instinct was to look around for Mikasa, but there were no signs. They finally arrived at the old man`s ship, and it looked horrible. It was small, dirty, and broken. How did a pirate travel in this thing?
"Nice ship, old guy". The old man laughed.
Lucian pointed across the port to a shop. "Over there is where Mr. Lerkin`s shipwright shop is. He`s the best in town; he will fix your ship."
"Thanks, kid."
Lucian looked back at him "Hey I never caught your name, old man."
"The name`s Rayleigh," he said.
Woah, why did that name sound familiar? He remembered a famous pirate having that name, but he struggled to associate it with anything.
"Oh cool, anything else you need."
The old man's facial expressions instantly turned from normal to serious. "Just a piece of advice, kid, be careful around here."
What the… what is wrong with these people? Before he could even ask why, he looked back to make sure Mikasa arrived. But once he looked back, the old man disappeared. How did he move so fast? There was no time to dwell on that.
Lucian waited hours. The market was still as lively as ever. Is she ok, he thought? After staring at the sky for what seemed like years, he couldn`t just sit down and wait.
He ran over to one of his favorite shops. He had to find Ilir.
Ilir could help him with this mess, but he hadn`t seen him in days. What was he up to? He knew Ilir would be there. After running for 10 minutes, he reached the shop. There was Ilir sulking.
"Dude," Lucian called out.
Ilir turned his head. "Where have you been" Lucian yelled.
Ilir looked at him, but he did not respond. Then Lucian noticed his face was bruised. "Yo, what happened? " Ilir slammed the table with his hands. Tears started forming. He bit back a sob.
"My dad, he… disciplined me for your actions". Lucian stood there in silence.
"Bro, I`m sorry, but you know something fishy was going on. Mikasa and I were just looking into it."
Before he knew it, Ilir punched him in the face so quickly that Lucian had no time to react. His nose was bleeding, and he had to admit that it was a great punch. "Go home, bro," Ilir said calmly as he walked away. What a weird day!
Lucian cleaned the blood from his nose and ran out of the trade markets.
Lucian was confused and now he decided he needed answers. He`d been running around all day, and Mikasa did not look to arrive anytime soon, so he went to the one place where he could clear his thoughts.
Lucian walked to the beach and climbed the tree. He always came to the beach alone, as it had the best view. He needed time to think.
What happened with Mikasa, why did Mr. Abrojo hit Ilir?
How does Karas tie into this?
A couple of hours passed by, and he spent relaxing and thinking.
As he lay in the tree, he saw the sun begin to set. He loved the sunset and the radiant colors that illuminated the sky—except in the distance, he saw ships.
Marine ships? Why were they here?
Lucian stood up from the tree and climbed to a higher vantage point to get a better look. The ships looked to be on a trajectory to reach the port. He thought back to the old man`s words.
Be careful, he said.
He counted five ships in total. Nighttime was only 30 minutes away. But then the most unexpected thing occurred. He heard… a bang. A cannon shot from the Marine ship to the town.
He didn`t know why he couldn`t hear it, but he saw the massive explosion. Was this an attack? He climbed down the tree and ran to the town. The problem was that it was a long walk, so he sprinted.
He was worried for everyone, his parents, little sister, Karas, Ilir, Mikasa, everyone. Then he heard the screams, and it stopped him dead in his tracks. It was faint but sounded torturing.
The smoke arose around a mile away from where he was. The town was on fire. What did Father tell him, the panic room was in the bar. But he was still so far. He prayed his family was safe in there. He ran to the outskirts of his village, and where his house was supposed to be, it was just rubble. He fell to his knees.
Was his family… dead?
He rushed into the rubble, tearing it apart, but no signs of bodies. Maybe they lived?
The screams kept intensifying and he ran into the town, it`s either that or have no cover out in the village. He reached the peak of the hill where he oversaw the town, and what he saw haunted him forever.
Lucian's mind went into panic mode, so he didn`t remember everything that happened that night, but he remembered bits and pieces. The first thing he remembered seeing was a cold-blooded murder.
The fire kept the town ablaze, but he saw Marines murdering innocents in cold blood, violently as well.
They used their firearms on innocents and children, executing them in front of loved ones.
People who tried to run away were brutally killed, and those who tried to escape were barely standing, dismembered limb from limb. Children`s bodies, friends from school.
Lucian held back tears. The screams were the most haunting things he had ever heard. He saw a man holding his organs, crying out in agony, and a mother holding her dead baby. This felt like a fever dream. He spotted the bar. He had to get there undetected, if not he`d surely die.
He ran into town, and the closer he got, the worse. Marines kept unleashing their wrath, but from up close, they didn`t resemble actual Marine uniforms, but men with dark clothing and hoods.
He ran through dead bodies, some people he even knew. He couldn`t let emotion best him, or else he`d share the same fate.
Until he ran into a Marine.
Just like with the old man, he bumped into him and fell on his back. Lucian picked himself back up, and the Marine looked down on him. He looked behind the Marine. His eyes widened in fear. A woman and a man, probably a couple. The woman holding the injured man as he looked to be dying.
The Marine stared at Lucian, but he couldn`t see the Marine`s face. It was just darkness. He reached out of his pocket for a large knife. She was sobbing and the man was writhing in pain, his legs were gone. On his right arm was a tattoo, it was just the number 66.
What the fuck, Lucian thought. What was going on?
"Hey asshole, leave them alone" Lucian yelled but the marine turned away from Lucian and focused his attention on the couple, he reached over, and pulled her by her hair, and set the knife to her throat.
The man looked paralyzed. "DON`T DO IT."
The Marine slit her throat as she lay choking on her blood. The man started crying as he held her in his arms.
The man let out a bloodcurdling scream," NO, NO NOOOOO, HELP HELPPPPPP HELPPPPPP."
The Marine silently took the knife and stood over the man. Lucian wanted to help, but he was frozen in fear. The Marine pointed the knife at the man. The man in tears looked up as the Marine targeted the man, the marine stabbed him.
The man grabbed the knife, his hands bleeding; he began to cry more, pleading for his life. The marine tilted his head reached behind his back and pulled out another knife and slit the man`s throat.
No mercy at all.
They were innocent.
The Marine turned his attention back on Lucian.
Lucian felt worthless; how could he not help, but he had no power? How could he help them? They didn`t deserve to die. He got up, the fire and smoke around him was affecting his ability to breathe. He faced the Marine. He couldn`t beat him. So he ran away as fast as he could. The Marine didn`t follow but turned away and walked to the other side. Lucian was crying uncontrollably.
When he finally reached the bar, it was destroyed. He tore through the debris and found the panic room. He swung open the door, but no one was there.
What. What. What. He kept thinking to himself. Was his family dead? He stood in place looking down; if he stayed in town, the smoke would suffocate him. Then he realized that, near the port, he might be the safest as the Marines flooded into the town and dispersed.
But what he saw next truly revolted him. He saw a bunch of women and men. He didn`t want to say the word, but his eyes—oh, his eyes.
It was pure hell on earth, screaming to stop, dismemberment of limbs for defiance. Naked bodies dehumanized to the point that no child like him should ever see; he fell backward and started to cry. The Marines would not stop the act, and Lucian forced himself up. The fire began to increase in heat next to him.
He forgot how, but his body forced him up.
Lucian couldn`t stay at his father`s bar for long. He ran to the port. His legs were in pain. His clothes were bloody. He ran past dead bodies and people begging for help, but he never stopped running, and he felt so bad.
He hated to ignore other`s pleas for help, but he was no better himself; he just wasn`t strong enough. If he stopped, he`d be dead too. The port was within the distance. Until he saw someone he knew under the rubble. His heart began to hurt because it was Mikasa.
Lucian stumbled over to her, "HEY MIKASA OPEN YOUR EYES" He screamed.
She was bleeding everywhere and was barely conscious. She opened her eyes, and her breathing was heavy; she silently said, "Nooo-" as her eyes rolled back up. He placed her ears near her chest. She was still alive. A new emotion begot him anger.
Anger replaced his fear.
He didn`t care about his own life anymore. He had to save her.
He wouldn`t let her die here. He picked her up in her arms. Adrenaline fueling his strength. He surveyed the area. The port was quite empty, and he had to make it to the countryside; it was the only way where the smoke wouldn`t suffocate them. The screams wouldn`t quiet down, and the smoke kept getting worse, and he kept getting angrier by the second. He headed to the countryside.
As he ran, he saw three figures in the distance, obscuring his way. One of them was a giant brute holding a man by the throat. The other was a young man in a suit. He had wavy hair and a perfect complexion. He looked to be in his late 20s. The man kept his hands in his pockets. He seemed annoyed, but something bothered him about the man.
His aura felt intense and malevolent.
He knew he couldn`t confront them, so he had to hide. Mikasa didn`t look any better. Lucian found a destroyed building and gently placed Mikasa down. He peeped through the rubble to see what was happening.
The suited man looked important.
Lucian gasped until he realized the man in the brute's clutches was Mr. Abrojo. He looked around to see if Ilir was near, but with no luck, he wasn`t. Mr. Abrojo was squirming around the brute`s giant hands.
The suited man approached him. "Release him, Hajudlin."
Apparently, that was his name because this idiot dropped Mr. Abrojo head first. Mr. Abrojo looked terrible. He was bleeding everywhere and had a knife sticking out of his knee.
"You are a hard man to find, Mr. Abrojo," the suited man said. His voice was so calm that you wouldn`t think he was evil.
"I suppose," he panted. "That was my fault. I got lazy," The suited man took a seat on the rock beside him.
"Out of all the places, this is where you came. I`ll give you credit because it`s a good place to hide." the suited man said.
Mr. Abrojo was struggling to catch his breath. "Oh yeah, I love it here, but not as good as those palaces you celestial dragons use."
What was a celestial dragon? Was it a special type of dragon? The suited man laughed.
"Mr. Abrojo, don`t make a scene, please; I`d like your cooperation to be easy and transparent. Or else I can kill you, your son, and your wife tonight."
"Spare me the intimidation, you piece of filth, fuck you, and fuck your family. I said no all those years ago, and the answer remains the same." The suited man stayed calm and sighed as if this was just a minor inconvenience.
"No, no, no, no, Mr. Abrojo, you fail to understand me once again. The ancient weapons. We know you know nothing about that; you're too stupid to grasp their meaning, but you have possession of the book we need, and we can`t risk letting inferior beings like you interfere with that plan, so where is it?".
Mr. Abrojo coughed up blood again. "I`m dying, asshole, I told you all those years ago on God`s Valley my intentions, and I stayed true to my word. You're just mad you couldn`t control me. Because that`s what you like. You love control. To manipulate innocents to do your bidding. Well, I won because you couldn`t do that to me. So even if you kill me, I`d die happily." Mr. Abrojo said, smiling.
The suited man crouched down to a bloody, broken-down Mr Abrojo. "I felt the presence of the book, and it was opened two weeks ago; did you not sense it?"
Mr. Abrojo looked back at him and then looked away.
"Your Observation Haki wasn`t up to par after retirement, or you would`ve felt it. You`ve let yourself go. You're a former shell of yourself, not even worth lifting a finger to defeat. Oh, how I miss those days, but time does cruel things to mortals," the suited man continued.
The suited man took a deep breath. Lucian felt a clasp over his mouth. "Shhhh, little brother," Karas whispered.
He released his hand. "Karas, what, what`s going on?"
Karas looked tired and worn out. "I`m sorry Lucian, forgive me I know it sucks to hear but you`ll understand soon."
The suited man then spoke. "You three behind that rubble. Why bother hiding."
Lucian was shocked because he wasn`t even looking in their direction, and they were at least 50 feet away from him.
Karas looked grim, and he whispered once again, "Oh fuck, it`s him; leave now. Do not worry about me."
Lucian obeyed and gently picked up Mikasa. He began to navigate through the rubble, worrying about Karas's fate. But he couldn`t stay any longer. Mikasa looked like she was suffering in pain, but Lucian was paralyzed. He stood watching the suited man.
"What is one of the Holy Knights doing here? Thought you had little cats to torture, or are they too unclean for you," Karas said to the suited man.
Mr. Abrojo looked over in fear.
The suited man grinned and pointed to Mr. Abrojo, "This is your fault, Karas. You`d let him die for your mistakes."
Mr. Abrojo spoke up, "Yes, I`ll die for his sins. You have always failed to understand that about us. I`d do anything it takes to stop you."
"I warned you about those poneglyphs, Mr. Abrojo, and you fell into my trap. You did my bidding perfectly. Don`t act as if you outsmarted me, a simple trade merchant like you, to outsmart me," the suited man said.
The suited man then addressed Karas, "And you, Karas, standing there like a strong little ant. I am blessed today. Do you know why?"
Karas indulged his request. "Why." the suited man paced around Mr. Abrojo
"Ever since you deserted the Marines and they told me what you did, I took it upon myself personally to search for you. But how lucky am I to find my former friend Ilim Abrojo and you, Karas Xebel, standing side by side in harmony."
"I don`t regret it, but I will not let you terrorize this country anymore. Enough deaths have occurred here today." Karas assumed a fighting stance.
"Don`t joke yourself; you were never chosen, Karas. Why bother?" The suited man said.
"So you`d destroy an entire country just to preserve the lies of your people, look at the damage you`ve inflicted THESE PEOPLE ARE INNOCENT," Karas said.
The suited man smiled, and that smile haunted Lucian. Now trembling in fear, Lucian couldn`t believe his eyes. The suited man was truly evil. He continued his speech.
"Yes, in fact, I`d torture every single person here just to accomplish that goal. You people forget your place in the world.
You are the shit beneath our shoes, the vermin in our backyards. In smaller terms, you`ll understand you are worms. Because you fulfill only one purpose, Karas, to serve us and die for us. You realized that when you joined the Marines. You claim you did it for justice and honor, but in reality, you helped further my goals because that`s what it is, my friend.
A means to an end, we enjoy your suffering because it pleasures our perfect souls, but I`ll say you two have gotten on my last nerve, so I will waste no time with your deaths and it`ll be on your conscience."
Lucian was in shock and scared for Karas. The suited man looked like a demon. Was he one of the bad men Karas mentioned?
"Hey Hajudlin, stand by." The giant stepped back.
Mr. Abrojo was on his knees. The suited man kept on smiling. "You have my regards, worms, from the celestial dragons."
Within an instance he was holding a heart, it was Mr. Abrojo's heart. So fast, Lucian couldn`t comprehend the suited man`s speed. How`d he rip out Mr. Abrojo's heart so fast?
Karas gasped. "Why would you do that? He knows where Pluton is, and you kill him."
What was Pluton? Lucian thought to himself as he watched Ilir's father die right before his eyes.
The suited man responded. "I don`t care about Pluton as of now I`ll get it sooner or later, I just want you dead."
Mr. Abrojo gasped as he caught his last words, "Tell Ilir, I`m sorry".
His body lifelessly fell onto the pavement as the suited man started juggling Mr. Abrojo's heart.
The suited man looked happy as he smiled, juggling away covered in blood. He couldn`t unlock his gaze from the suited man`s soulless eyes.
Lucian`s emotions were in disarray. Mr. Abrojo didn`t deserve to die like that. He looked over to Karas. Could he really defeat that?
"You knew about the Mother Flame, right, Karas. In fact, I think you know too much for your own good?" the suited man asked.
Mother Flame, what was that?
"You piece of trash, I won`t kill you. I`ll torture you till you beg for death," Karas yelled.
The suited man grinned. "That`s the spirit boy."
Karas outreached his hand to Lucian, "Run now."
Lucian was still in shock processing everything, he couldn`t believe Mr. Abrojo was dead. Now Karas was facing this, this monster.
"Hajudlin, kill those two," the suited man ordered.
"RUNNNNNN!" Karas yelled.
Lucian picked up Mikasa and ran, but his feet were getting heavy. He had to save Mikasa, but he couldn`t die here. The giant was surprisingly fast. He was gaining on Lucian with every passing step. His lungs felt as if they were collapsing, his feet were on fire, and his arms felt numb as he carried his unconscious friend.
He saw the overview of the countryside. He couldn`t give up now. Until… he saw a flash surpass over his head; it felt like a large breeze, and when he looked back, the giant was dead. Next to the dead body was the old man.
"Hurry, kid!" the old man yelled.
He had no time to react to how that old man defeated an enemy that large, but he finally crossed the threshold into the countryside.
He collapsed as Mikasa rolled onto the soft grass.
The old man picked them both up, and he was moving so fast he couldn`t believe it. His eyes felt heavy, and in the background, the screams were still faint. Karas, he thought. Mr. Abrojo. His body finally gave out, and all he saw was black.