Disclaimer
The characters aren't mine – all of you know, how it is.
This story is inspired by everything I ever read or watched, so occurring similarities aren't an attempt at stealing anything. If someone feels imitated or thinks I stole something somewhere, please contact me and I'll clear up and correct possible misunderstandings or errors.
English isn't my first language but I tried my very best to avoid mistakes (without beta, yet, by the way).
Well, read, enjoy, feel free to review if you like, don't be too harsh with criticism.
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Unpredictable – Chapter one – The Beginning might be the End
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From a distance he seemed relatively calm as he stood over the man – monster – now lying beaten on the ground in front of him – especially considering the fierce and brutal fight they just finished. His straw hat dangled loosely behind his back, untouched, while the rest of his rather formal black clothes and dark red shirt were looking notably battered.
However, the more than tightly clenched fists at his sides and the murderous expression on his face showed that he was still seething with anger and hatred towards his enemy.
Nevertheless, the battle was over.
Finally.
He won.
End of story – or was ist?
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Several feet behind him stood his navigator, clad in what was left from her formerly long, burgundy dress. The woman, still slightly bewildered from the past events, tried to gather her thoughts enough to speak.
In the background the rest of his crew members were making their ways to the scene of action.
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The captain's black eyes never strayed from his adversary, though, who was trying hard not to grimace from the immense pain he felt at that moment and to get his irregular breathing under control again.
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"It's not over, yet, Straw Hat!" he managed to force out between strained breaths.
"It is. You lost. You can't even stand up in your condition."
With greatest difficulties, the man lying defeated on the floor struggled to raise his left arm. His standing opponent tensed in reaction and in preparation for a possible new attack – only to loosen up again when the latest try to assault him turned out to be a gun aimed directly at his heart.
"I don't have to stand up to achieve my goal."
Letting out an exasperated sign, the black haired pirate turned now annoyed eyes back to the face of his soon-to-be attacker.
"That won't work on me."
Nasty green eyes flashed with the promise of something dreadful.
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"… really … ?"
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The bang that followed was unsurprising.
The widening of black eyes was not.
Neither were the horrified screams of his crewmates in the background.
"… if I can't have her, nobody will …"
Turning around as fast as inhumanly possible, the straw hats captain searched the eyes of his navigator – only to find them as wide as his own.
Slowly lowering her head an simultaneously raising her left hand to the lower left side of her abdomen, she was stunned to find a red thick liquid covering the whole inside of her hand as soon as she took it away again.
Drawing her eyebrows together it took a moment before the whole situation registered in her brain.
"… damn …"
She had barely uttered the expletive when her legs started to give out from under her.
"NAMI!"
He was at her side in a flash, catching her toppling form and cradling it against his stronger one.
"Nami!"
"Luffy …"
Dazed brown eyes turned to the man in question.
"I … I didn't notice …"
He ignored the beginning of her unnecessary apology in order to remove his black jacket as fast as possible. The garment was quickly pushed tightly on his navigator's waist to stop the profuse bleeding, but it didn't turn long for material to be completely soaked in the crimson fluid.
"Damn it!"
Additionally pressing his right hand firmly on top of the wound and muttering a quick "Sorry." in answer to the painful hiss at this action, he raised his head in the direction of his fast approaching crew members.
"Chopper, hurry up!"
There was a trace of panic in his voice that wasn't often heard coming from him and the person nearest to him noticed.
Following the progress of his friends impatiently he didn't notice right away when a sad and almost resigned expression set onto his navigator's face.
If Luffy was actually worried …
"It's bad, isn't it?"
That brought his attention back to the woman in his arms immediately.
"You will be fine! Chopper is almost here! He knows what to do and he is the best so don't you worry!"
But deep down he knew that he tried to reassure mostly himself. Even he was aware of the severity if a wound was bleeding as heavily as hers.
If they couldn't stop it soon …
"CHOPPER!"
"I'm here!"
The little reindeer plopped down next to his two friends even before his captain finished the shout and started to examine his newest patient right away. With every passing second his facial expression grew more and more worried and he tried frantically to find the source of the still flowing red liquid.
"He must have hit quite a large vessel but I can't find it!"
Frustration coated the small doctors words.
"You have to hurry!" was the almost immediate reply.
"I'm trying, Luffy! But I can't see anything with this amount of blood!"
"Do something!" came the frantic retort.
The heated exchange was interruppted by softly spoken words.
"… it's okay guys … it doesn't even hurt anymore … I'm just a little tired …"
That drew the attention of doctor and captain instantly back to their injured companion.
"The blood loss starts to affect and dull her senses …"
The black haired pirate closed his eyes and had to clench his teeth hard to suppress the need to yell again.
They had to do something about it already!
"Luffy, you can't let her close her eyes!"
Two pairs of black eyes locked.
"No matter what, she has to stay awake. She can't sleep now! If she does, she may not wake up again …"
A serious nod.
"Got it."
As the little reindeer went back to locate the source of the bleeding, his captain adjusted his hold on the woman still in his arms and turned all of his attention to the task at hand.
"You heard that, Nami, we have to keep you busy somehow until Chopper is finished with fixing you."
"… but I'm really rather tired …"
He didn't like the fatigue prominent in her voice. At all.
"Doesn't matter! You'll stay awake!"
"… you're loud …"
"You always say that!" was the almost amused reply and the trace of a smile found its way on the face of the pirate captain.
"… because you are …"
"That's good Luffy. Keep her talking." came the input from the busy doctor.
"… and annoying …"
"Annoying enough to keep you awake, I promise!"
Despite that, there was a short moment of heavy silence between them.
"… Luffy … I'm sorry about before … I shouldn't have …"
"Hush, Nami. Stop trying to apologize for something like that! It doesn't matter anyway!"
„… but …"
"No 'buts'!"
He sounded serious once more now and his face was set in a determined expression.
"I knew you didn't mean what you said back then the moment you said it. So stop sounding like it's your last chance to apologize for things in the past. Because it's not, you hear me!"
This heavy silence again.
"I don't think I can stay awake much longer, Luffy …"
But he had already noticed that in the way her voice slurred and her tone grew softer with every word.
"You have to …"
"I'm so tired. Please let me go to sleep for a while. You can wake me up in a few minutes again …"
His grip on her tightened as he tried badly to prevent her from getting her much needed, but currently not allowed, rest.
"No! You can't!"
Her eyelids drooped lower and lower anyway.
"Stay awake, Nami!"
His yell barely registered in her dull mind.
"… I'm so tired, Luffy … just let me close my eyes for a bit …"
"No! I won't let you!"
Her eyes were almost shut completely …
"… please, Luffy, just for a moment …"
"NO! Captain's Order!"
… and flew open again at those grave, although slightly desperate words.
Turning her head as best as she could she locked her brown eyes with his black ones.
She would never freely go against serious orders from her captain.
And the bastard knew it, too.
She had an utterly exhausted, but understanding little smile on her face when she addressed him next.
"… you're cruel, Luffy …"
"I know …"
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"… please, try to stay awake for a little longer …"
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"… I will …"
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Thanks for reading y'all!
Hope you enjoyed it