Hello everyone, here is the next chapter!
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Marco felt so worried, he didn't like this, he didn't mean for this to happen, for Ace to head on, he was feeling so worried for Ace. It thankfully wasn't long before Moira, Daisuke, Hanzo, and Raiden were on the boat, and they headed to the meeting room, the assassins, the commanders, and Pops.
When they were all in the meeting room, Moira looked at him. "Start from the beginning." Marco nodded and gave a breath. "It was around a millennia ago, I think, I heard rumors about a place that was dangerous, if you went there, you were never heard of again, yoi. And I was curious, call it being young and dumb, so I went. I was like 'hey, I can't die, so why not,' yoi." Marco gave a breath. "When I went, I found a lot of skeletons, half decomposed bodies, and such. I first believed there was something in the air, a poison or toxin, when I started to see damage around, trees that were broken, stones broken in half, skeletons and bodies that were torn apart, yoi. But I was curious, so I went on. Then I saw her. She was petite, about 10 inches smaller than me, skinny, and had white long hair, yoi. But it also had red spots in it."
Marco sighed. "Just as I realized it was blood, she charged. She didn't yell or scream, just ran at me, yoi." Marco gave a small chuckle. "It was so odd, she went straight for my heart, just that she didn't know I would regenerate, so it wouldn't work. It did make me incapacitated, but I was awake, and saw that everything with a heartbeat that came, got killed. Be it a person or an animal, yoi. Then I got to, this is when I found out my heart would beat very slow while I regenerated. When I was up, she once again charged, was like this for a while, but I tried to speak with her, as no matter what, I could still speak, and I tried to speak with her, but it didn't work, she ignored me, yoi."
Marco massaged his face a bit. "Then she started to slow down, before she took out a giant, which was a spectacle, yoi. But then, she walked over to me, and asked if I was still there, and I said yes, and she broke down, explaining who she was. She said she was Chi Yosei, and she had no control, she was cursed. She begged me to help her, and I said yes, yoi. Then we started the journey, and it wasn't fun. Spent well over three quarters of it 'dead'. Then we found Jinn, who Chi knew about. And I asked her how to contain her, and Jinn told about this place in the mountains, where it had a special type of rock which would disable her 'curse', make her weaker, more herself, yoi. Jinn did look… a bit bothered when she told this. So we went to the mountain, yoi. It did help, she wasn't always in a murderous mood, which did help as she helped design her own prison. Then when we had a room for her, she told me to gather people to guard her, I wasn't enough. So I did the most logical thing, yoi. I went back to Jinn, who told me who to get and where, also telling me to be careful, which I was, yoi."
Marco sighed. "I also found some others who knew what was up and went to join to keep her in check, and when we were all gathered, I was told to leave, yoi. I did after some years, seeing it was in check. They said… to keep her in check, they had to… drain her powers." Moira spoke. "How exactly?" Marco sighed. "They said it would be to take some of her blood, yoi. That, or injure her. They did humanely, I promise. …at least then. They might have changed it up…" Moira nodded. "I see… Where is this?" Marco sighed. "Here is where the issue starts. I can't say it." They all blinked, Trevor speaking. "So after all this, you still won't help?!" Marco shook his head. "No, not like that. Like this. Chi Yosei is at-" And the next words were like it was… scrambled. They all blinked, before Moira spoke, looking thoughtful. "A seal. I've heard about them." Marco nodded. "Yes, one of the ones I found made it, made so I can't actually say the name, yoi." Marco sighed. "But I will do my best to lead you, but know, the moment we get close, more and more words will be scrambled. Until we are in proximity to the place, then it will go away. And as far as I am aware, the last year I was there, no Devil Fruits work either, so we need to be prepared." Everyone nodded, they would.
Moira looked at Marco. "I assume this isn't on the map, or any map, right?" Marco nodded. "That is correct, they spent years removing it from any map." That felt like a huge backstep, when Marco spoke. "But, I come prepared, yoi. At least I hope." Marco moved a hand to his pocket and took out a parchment. "It is old, but this has the island it is, but I can not help more than that. If I give directions, it will be scrambled, yoi." Moira nodded and took the parchment and looked at it, before she put it down. "I am not a hundred percent sure where this is. But we need to work and find out where. We have a general idea that it is in the West." They all nodded and they did their best, before after a couple hours, they had a place that looked right, the islands around lining up, so they gathered a group of people who would go. The boat would stay where it was, and Moira would take them.
After a bit, it was decided that it would be the assassins save for Cioup, Anna, and Raiden, to help keep things in check on the boat. And for pirates, it would be Whitebeard, Marco, Thatch, Jozu, Haruta, Namur, and Izou. Moira could handle that. They then made sure everything was in place, before they left to the closest place and Marco would do his best to lead them. But he knew it would be hard. He had a general idea where to head now, but it had been a while since he was last here.
-x-
Whitebeard walked on with everyone, looking around on the island they were on, he could see a large cliff close by to a mountain, and they moved to it and started to follow it. Marco did say they should do that as there was an entrance in it later on. Moira nodded and asked if it was a large one, to which Marco nodded and spoke. "It is large, made for-" And the rest was scrambled. Marco did seem to get it as he sighed, but just nodded. Then they headed on, and he did notice the further on the island they headed, the more words Marco said were scrambled, until everything was, each and every word was. Marco seemed frustrated at that, which he got. This was not good. He also noticed the mountain growing higher and higher, it was so high, and he felt the longer they walked, the less sounds they could hear. They had heard sounds of animals and seen birds, but now? It was like nothing was here. It was in a way unnerving. It felt like the calm before the storm in a way.
As they walked on, Marco didn't speak too much, as everything was scrambled anyhow. After a bit, they walked a bit into the forest as there was a hole in the ground, Marco pointing the way, and they followed. Trevor did try something, which was to have Marco write down the way they should go, but with a sigh, Marco did, and it was… unreadable. This was so odd, he needed to ask Marco how this worked later. What was a seal? This was so… unreal.
Marco moved a hand to his face, seeming upset and worried, which he got, and they walked on the way Marco pointed. After a while. Some of them wandered a bit and tried to find the way, they had also found the cliffside to the mountain again, and walked close to it, when Thatch tripped and fell, which had a voice speak up. "God damn it. Thatch, get a grip, yoi." That had them all turn to Marco, who blinked, and Whitebeard spoke. "Son, we heard that." Marco blinked, before he spoke. "Wait, I can talk again? But we aren't that close yet. It is still some way away, yoi." Trevor hummed. "Say where she is, the name of the place." Marco nodded and said "Seinaru yama, yoi."(Means Sacred Mountain) They all blinked. Moira speaking. "We all heard that, right?" They all nodded, they did, and Marco looked confused, before he blinked and looked around, before he walked over to the mountain side, seeming to look for something. They looked at him confused, and Trevor spoke. "What are you looking for?" Marco hummed. "If we are close, there should be a-" Marco got cut off as he pushed on a rock, and a doorway opened in the mountain side, a large doorway, as in Whitebeard could fit with no issues.
Marco took a step back and blinked. "They expanded… Why, yoi?" Hanzo walked towards the doorway. "Nothing good, I promise that." And then they walked in. When they got inside, all their Devil Fruit powers went away, but they didn't feel weaker, which was good. Marco did mention that they should try and find someone to speak with and then figure things out. Which sounded like an idea.
Whitebeard looked around when they were inside, and it was a long hallway, seeming to be very long, and Whitebeard guessed they just needed to start the walk, but Marco spoke as they did. "Wait, yoi." They all did and looked at Marco, who was close to the wall on their left, moving his hand across it, before another doorway opened. "This is a maze, almost never ending. We need to go this way, yoi. Hidden ways. Might be new pathways, but we can't walk the open way, yoi." They all nodded and walked in that way. After walking for a small bit, they met a woman who came out a door, seeming shocked to see them.
Marco took a step forward. "Hi, don't be scared, yoi." The woman, who had white clothes, had white hair with some red in it, and white gloves, blinked. "Who are you?" Marco spoke. "Have you seen someone who doesn't belong here, yoi? Beside us." The woman hummed. "No, I can't say I have. Who are you? How do you know of this place?" Marco gave a breath. "Someone we know might be here, trying to release Chi Yosei." The woman blinked, before she frowned. "How does this person know about her? How do you?" Marco took a breath. "We just do, just, please, help us find him, before he does something he shouldn't." The woman nodded. "Okay, names? I am Sakka (Means author/artist)." Marco nodded. "Hi, Sakka, I am Marco, yoi." And then the rest said who they were, before Sakka hummed. "We can walk and see if we can find your friend." They nodded, as that sounded good.
They then walked on, and when they asked Sakka questions, she didn't answer them. She just walked on, saying she didn't know much, she was just one person here and a new one. She did seem unsure, so they just walked with her. They then came to a door, and Marco did seem more unsure as they walked, before Sakka moved and knocked on the door, but no answer. Sakka hummed. "Odd, someone should be behind here. Something should happen… This is the surveillance room. It would have helped. Well, I guess we need to move on then." And when the woman headed to the left in the crossroads they came from, them having come from the top, Marco seemed relieved, which he found a bit odd, but let it go for now.
After a bit, they met a man, a large man who had on what seemed like armor, and looked shocked to see them. "Sakka, who is this?" Sakka hummed. "They say they have a friend here, have you seen anyone?" The man shook his head. "No. But someone? How did someone- how did they get in here?" Sakka shrugged. "Beats me." Marco took a step forward. "We need to find Ace, he should be here. Just please, help us find him, yoi."
The man hummed. "We can go look at the surveillance." Marco blinked. "We tried, but the door is locked, yoi." The man nodded. "Yes, but I have the key, only a few have access by an eye scan, I am one of them." Marco nodded. "Yes, we need to do this." Sakka then moved over to the man, before she started to take off her glove. "We can't have you do that." The man blinked. "But if there is a security breach we nee-" Sakka had now taken off her glove and touched the man's arm, between his glove and jacket. "Gouge out your eyes with your hands and eat them." The man nodded. "Yes, ma'am." And then, while they stared in shock, the man moved his hands to his eyes, gouged them out with his hands, before eating them, screaming as he did, then Sakka moved her hand to his cheek again. "Go jump off the cliff." The man nodded. "Yes, ma'am." And then he headed off.
And Sakka turned and looked at them. "You're not going to leave this place." Marco felt shocked, how did she do that? It was obviously something to do with her touching him. So when Sakka took a step towards them, Marco took a step back with his hand out, making the others do the same, understanding she wasn't on their side at all. She then hit a button, which made the doors close with a bang. "You see," Started Sakka. "I can't let you leave now." This wasn't good.
Sakka hummed. "Oh! Tsukuru!(Means maker/builder)" A man then moved into the room from another room, he had white hair with a hint of red in it, and had on white clothes, he gave a hum to Sakka. "What now?" Sakka hummed. "Acey got friends. Please tell me you've dealt with him?" Tsukuru hummed. "I want to see what he does, so no. He will never manage anyhow." Sakka hummed. "Oh, the boss will be mad about that. Tut tut, Tsukuru." Tsukuru shrugged a bit. "It's boring here, we will clean up. We always do. Boss is none the wiser about it." Marco blinked. What?
Then Sakka looked at them. "Shocked, yes? You see, you're not the first ones here, and probably not the last ones either. Our priority is to keep her in check, our powers help with that." Sakka held up her hand. "I can make anyone do anything if I touch their skin. Very useful. And how you might wonder, as no fruits work here. Well, we're… special. Boss made us special. Made so seastone doesn't work on us, and the walls are lined with very weak seastone." Tsukuru smiled. "Now, we just need to deal with you." Then Tsukuru moved his hand up, but Marco moved fast and pressed a stone in the wall, which made a wall come between them and the two others, and Marco swallowed. "We need to move, now, yoi. They will come after us." They all nodded and they walked in a doorway Marco made appear by pushing another stone, and Moira spoke. "Who were they?" Marco shook his head a bit. "I don't know them, but I know who had those powers a thousand years ago, yoi. A few, who weren't on the list, and wanted to join, I knew I shouldn't have taken him with me, but I did. One of them had those powers. Now it is her. God, this is a mess, yoi." Trevor nodded. "It sure is. Now, where do we go?" Marco then led them a bit on, walking in front.
But after a bit, there came down a wall that was between them and Marco, leaving Marco alone, and Marco tried to get back to them on their side, but it was too late, and they tried to bang on the wall, but it was of no use. It was too late, they were separated from Marco. Trevor spoke. "Fuck! Marco! Can you hear us!" No response, so he guessed no. Trevor hit the wall. "We need to move, we can't stay still. We just have to trust ourselves." They nodded and did their best, walking on, and every time they saw a stone that looked off in the wall, they tried to push it, and sometimes, it opened another way, other times, it was just a stone. He really hoped they would find their way now, even without Marco. They needed to find Marco and Ace.
-x-
Marco swore as the wall came between them, and he knew it was of no use now. These walls were thick and made so no sounds could get through. He tried to press the stone next to the wall, but it did nothing, this was new. He guessed they added walls and security, which did make sense. He then walked on, having a brisk pace, needing to find the others again, trying to walk in a circle. They were close to the middle, and he knew what was in the middle as well. They couldn't let them get too close to the middle without him, they might do something they shouldn't.
After he walked through a door, he soon saw Sakka and Tsukuru again, and Marco stopped, feeling trapped. If Sakka was from all those years ago, at least her powers, he had a sinking feeling of who Tsukuru was, and if he was right, he needed to really play his cards right. Tsukuru hummed. "Should I?" Marco swallowed, but Sakka shook her head. "No, don't. We need him… for now." That might be good, he wasn't dead, for now. Then the two started to walk towards him, but Marco moved a step backwards, he knew he just needed to hit the wall beside him, but one wrong move and he would be dead, if he was right about Tsukuru, and he felt he was.
Sakka blinked and looked at Tsukuru. "What! No! Do him! Kill him!" Tsukuru looked at Sakka. "No, we need to wa-" Marco used the moment the two looked at each other to press the stone, one of the ones he had made, and a wall came down and Marco ran, he needed to get space between them. Now. After a bit, he soon came to a sort of open room, it had many ways, but he knew where he needed to go, and followed the lighter wall. It was like a hallway that had many ways to go, a sort of maze, when a wall opened and Tsukuru and Sakka stood there, both humming and the latter speaking. "Tut tut, don't run. That's no fun." Sakka looked at Tsukuru. "Hey! I rhymed!" Tsukuru just rolled his eyes, before looking at him. They were a bit away from him, and just then, he heard a sound to his left, down the hallway where a door was.
Marco didn't know who this was, when Marco saw Ace coming out of the door, out of breath, turning to him, looking shocked to see him, when Sakka spoke. "Tsukuru!" Ace started to yell something, when Tsukuru moved his hand up and snapped his fingers, and as he did, Ace's body exploded, sending blood, flesh, and organs flying, and Marco felt his brain halt, his ears ringing. No. No. This couldn't be.
-x-
Whitebeard and the others walked, trying to walk carefully, hoping to not meet anyone, or at least not Tsukuru or Sakka again. They now needed to find Ace and Marco, and be careful as they walked around, to not make much noise to reveal where they were. It was such a huge place, and it was clear it had many secret passages. They did try and feel around the walls to find other secret passages, and they did find a few and went that way, with no idea where they should go. He had no idea if they even went in a circle or not, this was so confusing. They thankfully didn't meet anyone, which was good. Moira and Hanzo took the lead for now, and they did run into a few guards, who did attack them, so they attacked back, winning thankfully. They weren't that strong, at least the ones they met up until just needed to hope they wouldn't meet Sakka again, as she was so powerful.
After walking for a bit, they soon met a dead end, which was not good. They did feel around on the walls, but it did nothing. If there was a hidden switch here, they couldn't find it, so they did what they felt was the best, and turned around and walked back the way they came, being ready for everything. After a bit, they came to another dead end, but this time, they did find a hidden switch which opened a way, and they went that way. After a bit, Moira stopped, which had they all stop, and Daisuke looked at her. "What is it?" Moira shook her head a bit. "Something feels wrong, I don't like this feeling. But why did Sakka do that? Show us her powers and make him do that? Why not just make him change his mind?" That was true, that was a bit odd.
Daisuke hummed. "Maybe she panicked?" Hanzo shook his head a bit. "No, I am with Moira on this one. Something is off. Yes, she might have panicked, but that was extreme. What do you think, Moira?" Moira looked thoughtful. "She wants us to be scared, and I think that since she is scared. But what this makes me think, is that we need to release Chi Yosei more. I don't think she is scared of her for the reason we think, there is something here we don't know, and we need to figure more out, and I think she is the key." Mika nodded. "Sounds right, let's try and make sense of this." They all nodded and did their best, going to try and remember which ways they took.
And that's the chapter!
Hope you enjoyed!
Also, I know I am a bit mean, but hopefully it won't be long before the next chapter is out!
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