"You must move faster! Again!"
Ashley huffed, trying to get more oxygen into her lungs as she bent over from the waist, watching as her trainer took care of several pirates that rushed at him while barely moving himself. Just slight pivots to avoid their swords and flicks of his wrists with a dagger incapacitating them.
She thought she was holding her own; she was fighting four men at once, so she thought she was doing well. Well enough for last week's Ash, she reminded herself. This is the current Ash, who wanted to get pushed harder.
Gritting her teeth, she positioned herself correctly to start again with her attack, pulling her sai in front of her. One last breath and she pushed off- running toward the men that were back up and waiting.
She didn't know who they were and didn't care. They had been stealing from poor people, which infuriated her, and they were cocky - which pissed off her master. The pair hadn't waited for the people to ask for help, they simply started attacking.
She has come far… Mihawk thought as he stood back to observe. Thinking she had it too easy, he diverted several pirates her way as they attacked him. He was usually bored with the pirates he encountered, finding the lack of challenge pathetic. However, while his blood wasn't pumping from a fight he might enjoy, he did find Ashley entertaining at the very least.
It almost made him nostalgic remembering his own rise to the top. True, he hadn't had to struggle nearly as much as she, but he had his own obstacles that he had overcome.
She may not be the one that would give him a true fight, but she had a small amount of drive that that one would need. That was something he felt he would always sense. The ambition and drive to be the best… since he had it too, he could recognize it in others.
His eyes lit up as he watched Ashley perform a parry that spun her attacker into his comrades, and his lips curved into a slight smile. "Again!" he called, and seeing her grin he knew she could hear no condemnation in his voice that time.
He started to circle the area, dodging any attack that came his way easily. He didn't bother to retaliate even though he held a dagger, he was concentrating on his pupil- calculating what could be improved. She would never have the raw strength to deliver devastating slash attacks, so her focus had to be on her speed and the way she turned her weapons as she fought.
Her parrying was much improved, and she was able to catch others' attacks on her sai, giving her time to move into better positioning, or give them a kick to incapacitate. He smirked as he watched her execute a move that Beckmann had once used to knock her to the ground.
Good… he thought, then stopped as he realized he felt a wave of pride for her. He grumbled then and went back to looking for mistakes.
Hearing her master's shout was encouraging, but Ash actually preferred the opposite. Knowing he was there to save her if necessary was nice, but she couldn't rely on him to be there. She had to fight without a safety net, relying only on herself for her survival.
If she was part of a crew like Kia, or an organized group like Reese, then she'd have others watching her back… but she would also have to be watching theirs. This was the time to see if she could protect herself, if she could survive on her own.
Mihawk had told her about being asked to attend an execution in case trouble arose, and though he said it didn't matter to him if she went along or stayed behind, she wanted to go. Not to fight stronger pirates, nor to see an execution - not my idea of a good time- it just felt like this was the right way to leave him. Fight alongside him, and prove she was ready, so that he didn't have to worry about her.
Not that he did…she thought with a grim smile. She was sure that he was ready to be done with her- he was pushing her more and more each day, finding fights constantly and sailing in rougher waters than ever before. If she didn't know better, she would have thought he was trying to get her to give up... or kill her.
She twisted and executed a back bend to avoid the sword swipe. Without thinking, she continued through the motion to make it a kick-over, and catching the man in the face with her feet. She turned to the next pirate without stopping, suddenly realizing that she was having fun.
Mihawk continued to observe, seeing the moment that Ashley turned it from a fight for survival, to a fight she was simply executing. He nodded, seeing that he would need to find a tougher opponent for the next time. Perhaps a one on one instead of a group for the next? he thought.
Pirate crews would usually fight as a group; however, he could not discount the importance of duels in a training regime. The skills used were similar, yet used in different ways and she needed to be well versed in both.
Once the fight was over, he gave her a few moments to speak to the people of the town, then cleared his throat loudly- his signal that he was leaving, and she should hurry so she wasn't left behind to swim.
He started walking towards the docks and pulled out his sword. He gave a small horizontal slash, ensuring the pirates' vessel was unable to sail- hard to do without a mast or sails- then sheathed the blade just as quickly. He easily ignored the screams and curses from those still aboard the ship.
We'll head home now… he decided to himself. He was ready to enjoy a few days at home with some wine. All too soon, he would have to go to Marineford, because just like Sengoku, he was all too certain that Whitebeard would bring a fight to stop the execution of one of his own.
"Vice Admiral Garp, Sir!"
Reese stayed quiet as Garp gave a half-hearted salute. Neither of them was happy to be there, but she knew that while she still had hope that there was a mistake and she didn't have family in this horrible place, Garp had no such hope.
This prison held the worst people in this world, all of whom were either going to work and suffer until they died or were waiting to be publicly executed. She had always thought that she supported the death penalty… but this place was giving her a new sense of apprehension at the idea.
"This is my aide, 2nd Officer Cooper," Garp continued, and Reese gave a sharp salute to the guard who returned the salute with a concerned look in his eye.
"Most women have a difficult-" the guard started, but Garp cut him off.
"Cooper will be fine," he rode over the man's concerns.
"Of course, sir," the man said as he gave a small bow. "This way please."
Reese followed after Garp, looking around as the large gate rose and they moved through the opening. Garp had let her know that the only way she could attend with him was if she were silent. She knew he was having a hard time, and she wanted to make it easier for him, so she did as he asked, and remained quiet.
She could hear the cries of the prisoners, and she inwardly prayed that she wouldn't find her sister in here. Not to mention that she wasn't a hundred percent certain if it was actually her sister that Admiral Aokiji had seen.
Looking ahead she saw a blond woman in a guard uniform standing with a man that looked to be about eight feet tall and wearing a headdress that reminded her of pictures she had seen of King Tut when she was little.
He also had no shirt and was carrying a pitchfork. He must be high up the ladder to not have to wear a uniform, she decided.
"Welcome to my prison," he said as they came closer. Then he looked embarrassed and winced. "Oopsie, it's not… exactly mine just yet. I'm the Vice Warden, Hannyabal- for now at least. Pleasure to meet you, Vice Admiral."
Garp looked him up and down and nodded curtly.
"Uh… we've been expecting you," he continued, looking slightly uncomfortable. Reese could see the grim look on Garp's face and decided that was why. She quickly hid the smile that bloomed on her lips.
"Well, hello there, aren't you cute?"
Reese looked up, seeing that the large man was now talking to her. "We can always use more cute guards around here," he continued, and Reese gave him a flat look.
"Sir, perhaps we should get going," the blond guard cut in, and Reese was grateful.
"Of course," Hannyabal said as he coughed, trying to get back to business. "Our vice manager of the jail, Miss Domino will guide you to level four, where we've had the Fire Fist after his daily… exercise. Be warned, it is quite hot there, but near the warden's office, and all other prisoners removed, so it is very safe."
She waited, but there was silence. Then Garp turned to Hannyabal and asked, "And that other matter you were looking into?" he asked.
"Ah, yes," Hannyabal said, looking up at the ceiling. "I'm afraid I could find no such person, Vice Admiral."
Reese felt new hope surging, and bit her lip to keep from showing any emotion. She heard Garp thank the man and then followed him as Domino led him towards the elevator.
Hannyabul watched the doors close and breathed a sigh of relief. "Sir?" the guard that had led the marines into the prison asked. "You didn't tell them about the girl?" he asked.
"What was I supposed to say?" Hannyabul answered as he walked off. "Oh hey, Vice Admiral! That prisoner you asked about? Don't worry about her, she vanished, sir! We don't understand it, so we call it demoning away!" He glared back at the officer. "She was never here, got it?"
"Yes sir!" the guard answered and turned to go back to his post.
"Heh, Luffy, you're so cute!" Kia giggled at Luffy's tiny body as she followed him as he moved to a more open place. Moria had climbed out of Oars' body and given his long monologue about losing his old crew and using zombies because he could always bring them back.
Kia hadn't paid attention, though Luffy had yelled back at him about stopping his adventure. Now he was taking deep breaths, trying to get himself back to normal so he could fight again.
Kia stayed with him, not because he needed it, but because she had prepared for this. She just didn't want to make a big deal about it. "Hey Luffy," she said, getting his attention. "I brought you something."
"Yeah, Kia?" he answered looking over at her in question.
"I figured you'd be hungry, though I couldn't fit a lot in my bag," she said, handing over a few large pieces of dried fish that she had shoved into her bag that was across her shoulders.
Luffy gave her a grin, and grabbed the meat, gulping it down without a moment's hesitation. "Salty," he commented. "Thanks Kia!" She blinked, seeing him back to his regular size, and wondered why she thought she would see him grow like some sort of growing potion. Instead, it was almost instantaneous, like the snapping of a rubber band back into its original shape.
"Go get him, Captain," she said, just as Moria finished sucking all the shadows from the island into himself, and let out a horrifying cry, making Chopper scream.
"Everyone!" she yelled, cupping her hands around her mouth. "Get back! Give him some room!" She looked around and pointed. "Get to the shade, fast! Don't make him worry about you!"
She could see the hesitation, especially from her own crew and also Lola. She knew Luffy was focused on the fight and wouldn't truly worry about them in the moment; she just wanted them to back away.
"We can support him from back there!" she called, pointing again to a closer spot. She knew her own crew was supporting their captain by not budging, and she couldn't make the others move.
"Okay everyone!" Luffy shouted, facing off against the monstrous form of a Moria filled with a thousand shadows. "Since we're out of time, I'm going to get reckless!"
"You got it captain!" Franky shouted back, even as he gathered Chopper and Brook and pulled them back a few paces to a flat rock where they could stand easily.
"Go get him Luffy!" Usopp shouted, so grateful that Luffy was with them again.
"Whoa" Kia shouted as she tripped and fell over, several hands catching her before she hit the debris of the buildings. She felt another hand and looked up at Zoro.
"Come on," he said, though he didn't pull her up. She could feel Robin help her, but was glad that Zoro didn't make her look as weak as she felt.
"Thanks," she answered as he led her over to where the rest of the crew were waiting. Sanji joined them as he walked after Nami, making sure she made it safely.
"Are you all right Kia?" Robin asked.
"I think so," Kia answered, though they didn't look at each other. They were watching their captain fight.
They heard screams all around them as the sun began to rise, and the fog continued to dissipate. Men started shouting at them to run, but Kia knew they wouldn't. Zoro, Sanji and Robin could make all of them feel better by stepping deeper into the shade while Luffy fought, however they had no concern for themselves.
"You don't seem to be too worried," Robin commented quietly.
"No," Kia answered just as softly, even as Zoro explained their stance to the people behind them. "Like Zoro said, Luffy already won."
"It seems he was right about the shadows too," Robin stated, as Luffy hit Moria several times in the stomach, and shadows began to pour out of his mouth. "He may have made a pact with them, but some of those shadows seem eager to get away."
"I think you're right," Kia replied. "Either because his control is slipping, or because they're pirates and don't bend to anyone's authority."
Robin chuckled. "I suppose either is possible."
"My shadow would definitely want to escape from that idiot," Zoro muttered.
"Do you know what happened to you?" Robin asked, and Kia nodded though neither looked away.
"Apparently Redfield's devil fruit made it so when he drank someone's blood, he could take their vitality?" she ended in a question. "Or years off their life maybe? All I know is that he looked younger each time I saw him after he bit me, and I felt weaker."
"So essentially he could live forever by stealing life from others?" Robin asked. "Interesting."
"Creepy more like," Usopp spoke up, as he had been listening. "I don't know which devil fruit was the worst on this island!" He punched upwards as Luffy's punch had Moria toppling into a tower and onto the ground, and Luffy's shrunken body fell over in exhaustion. "He DID IT!"
The tower had been blocking the sunlight, and with its collapse, the light poured onto all of the people around them. Usopp, realizing what that meant, looked over in panic. "GYAAAH!" he screamed as he looked at them. "Zoro!"
"Robin!" Nami cried.
"SANJI!" Chopper screeched through tears running down his face.
"This is bad!" Franky hollered, looking from one to the other. "They're disintegrating right before our eyes!"
Kia could hear the screams behind her, yells of "But he won!" and "No, it's not fair!" along with people's names being cried in fear.
However, she could only see Luffy. His tiny body being caught in the sun and starting to disintegrate. She didn't think about everything being okay in just a moment, she just started moving… stumbling over to her brother and falling over him to try to protect him from the sun's rays.
Within moments, she noticed that everything was quiet, and she looked down at the tiny body below her, and sighed in relief that he was solid again, and sleeping soundly. She smiled brightly as she noted he was casting a shadow beneath himself and picked him up to hug him to her, just as cheers rang out across the courtyard.
With a snap, Luffy was back to his regular size, and she fell back as a boy, bigger than she was, now sprawled over her. "A little… help… please?" she spoke in a wheezing breath.
She laughed along with the others as they each sat or fell over in exhaustion except for Nami who moved to assist her.
"Thanks," Kia said from the ground where she sat once she was free.
She looked up as Chopper came over slowly and started examining Luffy while he slept.
"Did he really shrink earlier?" Zoro asked.
"Yes," Chopper replied. "It's in response to prolonged use of his giant gear mode."
"Yeah," Kia nodded. "He calls it third gear."
"These gear techniques seem to take too much of a toll on his body," Usopp sat nearby looking down at Luffy. "I'm worried about him, since everyone we meet only seems to get bigger and stronger."
"That won't stop him though," Kia replied. "He's too determined to be king of the pirates, he'll do anything he has to in order to achieve it. Otherwise to him, he may as well be dead."
She could see several of the crew nodding along with her, even Usopp, though he was frowning. "Then… the only way to help… is to make sure he doesn't have to do all the heavy lifting…" she could hear him mumble to himself.
Their friendship was something that warmed her heart, and she sat back to just enjoy the rest and the warmth from the sun. Pretty soon everyone will go to the ship and get all the food… and Luffy will wake up feeling like nothing happen-
Shooting straight up, she looked in alarm over to Nami who was looking frustrated.
That's when they all heard the voice.
"I see… so my fears were correct…"
She and Nami locked gazes, then followed the eyes of the others up above where they were all resting. On top of the tower that had fallen from the mansion sat Kuma who was having a conversation over a snail with a voice she knew belonged to Sengoku.
"Everyone try to stay calm while I explain…" Nami said slowly as she glanced down at Luffy, who was out cold. "Because we are in terrible trouble." She explained as quickly and concisely and she could. Kia looked over at Robin and saw the same concern and question in her eyes.
"The Straw Hat pirates and everyone else on that island…" the voice was heard as Nami finished speaking. "…must disappear. The World Government has ordered it. Annihilate them all."
"A simple matter," Kuma responded as he stood up and stared back at them.
Kia knew the story of One Piece really well- she read the manga, she watched the anime. The problem was that she also watched and read anything she could, which included theories and fan fictions- and now because of her presence, things were also diverting from the story she knew, no matter how hard she tried to stop it.
And so, her mind was full of ideas- some which might happen, some which would never take place. And for some strange reason, this moment was when she finally realized that she couldn't do a damn thing to stop it from changing.
She had had moments of clarity before, but now it was as if the proverbial light bulb finally lit up in her brain. The only way to be a part of this crew… is to try my hardest to achieve the best outcome no matter what I think I know… she realized.
The next thought was how incredibly stupid she had been. No, she didn't have to share every piece of information that she knew- why confuse her friends? However, she could have been helping. She could have told them about herself and let them ask for information if they wanted it.
Robin looked down, seeing Kia sway on her feet. She looks ill, she thought, and grabbed onto her shoulder to keep her from falling over. Surprise lit her face as Kia turned and apologized.
"It isn't your fault," Robin said quietly. "Here, lean on me."
"I don't think I can keep doing that," Kia muttered. The response had Robin thinking and wishing she could help her friend. Now however, was anything but the right time, so she merely put an arm around her, and held on tightly.
"Everyone is exhausted, I don't think we can fight this guy," Nami voiced her concerns to her friends. "And Luffy is still out."
"You heard him, he was ordered to eliminate us," Usopp grit through clenched teeth.
"Maybe we can convince him not to," Nami offered, though she had no idea how.
Zoro only heard muttering, but he knew that his crew mates were at their limits. And since his captain was still out cold, it was his job to protect them. He pushed his own weariness and injuries away from his mind and went to step out in front of the gigantic man. But someone beat him to it.
"Why bother saving me, if you're just going to kill us all now?" Kia gazed up at Kuma, wishing she understood his motivations. "Why not just let Redfield have me?"
Kuma looked down at her for so long, she began to wonder if he was re-booting or something. Finally, he spoke, albeit quietly. "I have questions," he said simply.
It was the last straw… Kia didn't usually lose her temper so quickly. She hadn't realized she had been holding on to so much anger for Kuma until she saw him again.
"You have questions?!" she yelled. "Isn't that funny! I had questions too! But you didn't wait around then, so why the HELL should I listen to your questions now?!
He didn't respond, just continued to stare down at her, which only made her more furious.
"What was the point!?" she screamed. "Why not just leave us on that island to DIE?!"
There was a long silence, and then he looked down at her and spoke. "I did what you asked, that is all."
Kia gaped up at him, shocked at the lack of any sort if emotion. "LIAR! You did what YOU wanted, not me!" she yelled.
His head cocked slightly and then he shook his head. "I sent you where you would accomplish what you were seeking, did I not?" he asked. "I must now fulfill my purpose here."
Feeling somewhat reckless, she looked back at her crew, then glared at Kuma again. "I can't fight you," she began, practically trembling with emotion. "But I know more about you than you would want to get out."
Kia knew threatening him wasn't a good idea, but she had to stop this fight from happening if she could. "You touch my friends, and I'll share it all!"
She could see the confusion, but she hoped what she was saying was getting through. She had no doubt that Kuma would attack them, and she wanted to give her friends any advantage she could… while also venting some anger at the man.
As if calling her bluff, Kuma started removing his gloves, preparing to use his power.
Kia's eyes went wide at the sight, and she glanced back at her friends in trepidation. Understanding that it was now her move, she grit her teeth and did as she had threatened.
"Hey everyone! This guy has a devil fruit power! Look at his palms! They have paw pads!"
"Like, I don't know much about the warlords, but are we really getting worried about a guy whose power is kitten hands?" Franky asked skeptically.
The attack came suddenly, and everyone turned to watch Franky fly backwards through several pieces of rock and debris, a reddened paw print showing on his chest. Chopper ran to him to see if he could help, and the other people looked back to Kuma in trepidation.
"Franky!" Kia yelled as she ran towards him to help.
"Cyborg Franky… is that the extent of your power?" Kuma asked haughtily. "Then you should keep your mouth shut."
"Was that some sort of air cannon?" Nami asked. "That's terrifying!"
"I merely repelled the air at the speed of light," Kuma answered. "It produces a shock wave that can pierce through anything."
"Oh, is that all?" Usopp quipped sarcastically, then hid behind Robin.
"Kia, how did you know about his devil fruit ability?" Zoro asked as she stalked forward, looking up into Kuma's face, her anger still showing. "How do you know this guy?" he demanded.
"He…" she started, her voice cracking. It didn't matter that she had been so happy being with the straw hats. That didn't mean that she hadn't been wronged. "He found all of us on that island in the South Blue," she answered.
She hadn't meant to stop there, and really, hadn't thought that it would still bother her this much. She was trying to explain why she was suddenly so furious… and it just started choking her up.
Robin spoke up, understanding dawning. "It appears he is the reason you are apart from your sisters?" she asked. Kia nodded, frustrated also that angry tears were welling in her eyes.
"He used his devil fruit… we didn't even get a chance to say goodbye," Kia managed to choke out.
Zoro's eyes narrowed at her words as he turned back to Kuma. "You're the bastard that messed with Kia's family?" He wasn't really asking, more that he just wanted the man to confirm it.
All her friends looked up at the large man in a new light. This was the monster that Kia never spoke of. This man was the reason she was searching for her family, and now to find out that he had taken them away from her without even a goodbye… the glares they aimed in his direction had him looking over with a frown.
"That's it," Franky stood up slowly and painfully. "He's not the only one that can use air as a cannon," he said with a snarl. "Sorry Zoro, but this isn't just your fight, it's for Kia, so I get to help."
"I think you mean we all get a piece of him," Sanji spoke up as he stepped forward, looking furious. "No one hurts one of my ladies and lives to talk about it."
"Whoa, guys, I wanted to stop the fight, not pick one with him," Kia's anger dissipated as she worried about her friends. "We're not strong enough for this right now!"
"It's the principle of the thing, I'm afraid," Nami answered, giving a sigh of resignation. "We can't let things like this stand… think of what Luffy will say once he wakes up."
"M-maybe we should listen to Kia…" Usopp mumbled.
"The captain will scold us if we don't take action in his place," Robin agreed, giving Kia a smile that held secrets. "Besides, if he truly intends to eliminate us, we'd be fighting anyhow."
"Yeah, that's right!" Chopper agreed. "We don't like you!" he shouted up at the giant man, causing Kia to smile in spite of the situation.
Kuma didn't attack, he merely looked down at Kia, as if looking for some kind of answer to a question that he hadn't yet voiced. "I had heard that Straw Hat Luffy had staffed his crew with skilled underlings," he said, ignoring the pleased expressions from some of them. "However, it seems I will not be able to receive the answers I wanted."
"Aw, that's a shame," the sarcasm dripped from her words, and Kia smiled again- oddly satisfied at having frustrated him.
"Well, orders are orders." Kuma looked down at the closest and what appeared to be the strongest of them. "Pirate hunter Zoro," Kuma acknowledged the man who stood before him. "Shall I start with you?"
Zoro looked up at him in question before nodding. "I accept." He gave Kia a gentle push in the direction of the rest of the crew. He would much rather do this himself. "You heard him challenge me, so nobody embarrass me by butting in," he announced.
"You've caused all sorts of commotion and have left a trail of trouble everywhere you go," Kuma continued after a long pause. "And it is not only your captain that is making a name for himself." Without further warning, Kuma flung his hand through the air. Zoro heard screams and turned to see most of the people that were behind their crew had fallen from the man's air cannon attack.
Zoro was hurt, and he knew he wasn't at his best. He put his hands on his swords' grips and prepared his attack. He'd have to strike first and strike hard if he wanted to save his friends and his captain from being killed. This was the moment, to prove that either he had what it took to keep getting stronger, or if all he could do was get this far.
"Two sword style…" he took deep breaths, seeing the attack before he completed it, his muscles bunching in preparation, before he took off like a shot. "Draw and re-sheath technique!" Finished in his mind's eye, he now would do it with his body. "RASHOMON!"
He skidded to a stop, looking back to watch the man fall on the ground. But… he saw nothing.
Turning back, he saw the man was in front of him, and he had but a moment as his eyes moved up to see the huge hand with a paw print coming down at him. It was a reflex that saved him in that split second, hurling his body backwards while drawing his sword for a counter.
Zoro went for another attack, and Kuma held his hand in front of him, stopping the swords and flinging Zoro away. He was beside Zoro in a moment and held his hand above the smaller man to literally pound him into the ground. "I don't believe in mercy," Kuma stated without emotion.
"That's far enough!" came a shout, and Kia held out a hand as if to stop the cook, but he was already in the air, mid attack. "Concasser!" he finished, his foot connecting with Kuma's face.
"Oh no…" Kia mumbled, Robin and Nami both trying to understand what was wrong, then turning again as Sanji screamed in pain, holding his leg.
"Black Leg Sanji?" Kuma asked as he stood upright once more. "I expected more."
Kia could see Sanji was angry, but he still held his leg against the pain, and she wondered if he had broken something. "That kick should have busted in his skull…" Sanji gritted out.
"Ph-Pheonix Star!"
"The King of Snipers, is it?" Kuma said as he deflected the attack with ease. "A title you clearly gave yourself."
"Stop!" Kia yelled, stepping forward yet again, and gaining Kuma's attention away from the others.
"As I surmised," he said, continuing to look directly at her. "Killing a crew of injured weaklings will bring me no pleasure." He gave a sigh and moved away in a split second.
Kuma then began preparing his attack, pinning the air between his hands and compressing it smaller and smaller. She couldn't remember the name of it, but she most definitely recalled what it did.
"No, don't!" she called, tripping over her own feet as she tried to get in front of him. "Everyone RUN!" she shouted behind her.
Kuma ignored her, she was so small that she could do nothing to stop him. "It is very simple," he continued to speak to the mass of people in front of him as he held the now small paw of air between his hands. "You can all be spared… as the government will be satisfied with the head of Straw Hat Luffy."
Usopp went from elated, to scared as Nami explained what she thought the giant was doing. But now? He was angry. Yeah, he was a coward, and yes, he'd do almost anything to survive. But the idea that some warlord would think that he'd just hand over a friend?! "Let me see if I understand," he said, his face dark as a rain cloud. "You think we'd sell out a comrade?"
"Other pirates would," Robin commented. "It is not that he is asking something unheard of." She didn't look as Nami and Chopper gaped at her. "However, our captain is not like others and so, neither are we," she said coldly.
"You ask us to hand over the man that just saved us all from death?" a pirate called out.
"What do you think we are, heartless?!" another yelled.
The straw hat crew was battered, and most were down for the count, but they could still hear these other people that barely knew them fighting for their captain. Though each of them never had a doubt of how to answer this warlord, their conviction only grew. So when he demanded again that they hand him over, they somehow all shouted in unison.
"NEVER!"
"A shame…" Kuma opened his hands, and practically whispered the words, "Ursa Shock."
Kia could only curl up, covering her head with her hands. She had wanted to change something… she had wanted to spare Zoro from the pain. Her body was flung over rocks of varying size, and it wasn't long before everything went black. Her last thought was a hope that she woke up in time to stop Kuma from hurting Zoro.
"So that's what happened," Sanji muttered as he blew out a stream of smoke. "Luffy got well, and Zoro ended up like that… he's so reckless."
"Come on, we should go tell everyone what a hero he is!"
"Hold it!" Sanji demanded, and the Risky Brothers- Monty and David- turned back to look at him. "Zoro didn't do this to be a hero," he told them with narrowed eyes. "Besides, how will Luffy feel if you tell him that he's the reason Zoro is in such bad shape?"
"B-b-but…" they both looked crestfallen, and Monty practically trembled with needing to get it out, so he did what he thought best and threatened them.
"You keep this secret, or I'll kick the crap out of you!" he yelled, before turning to walk back in.
"Oh man, all those straw hats are so cool!" David whispered to Monty as they followed the cook back inside. "What a lucky captain."
Robin let the ear disappear, smiling to herself. It at least answered why Zoro was out cold, though he wasn't the only one. Kia slept on as well, but Chopper explained about her blood loss, and proclaimed she would be fine with some rest and nutrient rich food.
Sanji quickly jumped into food preparation, and most everyone was feasting before they knew it. Chopper stayed by his patients' side, wondering when either of them would begin stirring. Nami brought him a plate of food, and he still looked at both of them sadly while he ate.
"It's so noisy, and neither of them are even moving," Nami commented. "Zoro's usually the first one up, so this is really odd."
"Yeah," he pouted, his cheeks full like a chipmunk. "All we can do is wait now."
"Hey Chopper, look!" Luffy called out as he carried over a barrel. "This is Zoro's portion, hee hee!" he giggled. "He loves booze, so this'll wake him right up!"
"Do not give that to him!" Nami slapped Luffy to stop him from pouring the alcohol onto Zoro's face. "He needs medicine, not booze!"
"Hmm, well how about this meat for Kia then?" he asked.
Chopper sighed, knowing their captain meant well. "Just leave it here for when they wake up," he said.
Sanji came out then, to ensure that everyone had enough food. He heard the tinkling of a piano and walked over to Brook who sat at it. "I thought you played the violin?" he asked.
"Yo ho ho," Brook answered, though not loudly. "I can play just about any instrument." He glanced at the cook and seeing that he wasn't moving on he continued to speak to him.
"But just so you know, about you-know-what with you-know-who… actually, I saw it all too. And I was touched by the three of you."
"Well, he's the hero. I just ended up looking stupid," Sanji murmured.
"No. You had the same resolve," Brook replied.
"You say he made a call before he left?" he asked as he lit a cigarette.
"I did," Brook continued to plunk out a tune, and Sanji waited, his impatience finally getting the best of him.
"Well, then tell me!" he shouted.
Brook floundered a little, making a comment about being scared to death if he wasn't already dead, and Sanji was about ready to just kick him in the head and walk off, when he continued.
Sanji thought for a moment and then asked Brook to keep it quiet for now, he didn't want this to dampen the celebration. "We'll have some time before we leave this island, so I'd like to wait to talk about it until Kia wakes up."
"But of course," Brook agreed easily. "Now, how about a song? Any requests?"
"Now that everyone is awake, we can finally get back to our adventure to Fishman Island! Fish dudes, there's gonna be fish dudes…" Luffy sang happily.
"Forget them, there will be mermaids," Sanji retorted as he swung around the group. "I'm going to flirt with all of them!"
"Do you think… I mean, perhaps if I ask nicely," Brook ventured, "they might be willing to show me their panties?"
"Don't be dumb! Think about what you're saying!" David, the taller Risky brother, shouted even as he blushed. "Mermaids don't… wear panties!"
Kia rolled her eyes as the three men started cheering about mermaids, and Robin mentioned that the lack of underwear was due to mermaids being fish from the waist down.
"Don't bother, Robin, they aren't listening," Kia said as she shook her head. Robin gave a small smile and came back to walk next to Kia, just in case she needed help. "Boys…" Kia muttered in disgust as they walked by the trio on their way to their ship.
"Are you sure you're feeling better?" Nami asked as she joined them. "You were out for over two days, and you still seem pretty wobbly."
"I feel okay," Kia answered, trying to be honest. "Like I told Chopper, I'm not hurting. I just feel tired- but not sleepy, more like I don't have any energy."
"You'll have some time to recuperate before Fishman Island," Monty, the shorter Risky brother, added. "It'll take you at least a few days to get there."
"How do you know so much about Fishman Island?' Usopp asked. "Have you been there?"
"Yeah!" Monty exclaimed; his excitement palpable. "You're gonna love it!"
"Wow, I hadn't realized your crew already went to the New World Lola," Nami gave the taller woman a grin. "I would have asked more questions if I had!"
"We didn't go there, we came from there, silly," Lola replied with a chuckle. "We wanted to see what the islands outside of the New World were like." She gazed out at the ocean enjoying the sunshine on her skin. She couldn't seem to get enough of it.
"So, I decided to become a pirate and sail away, just like my mama… oh!" Lola stopped and looked down at Nami as she pulled a paper out of her jacket pocket. "That reminds me, I should give you a piece of her vivre card… that way if you ever need help, you'll have someone to turn to."
Lola ripped a smaller portion from the paper in her hand and jotted down a note on it before handing it to Nami.
"Uh, a piece of paper?" Nami asked, confused. She turned it around to look at it from each angle. "What's a vivre card again?"
"You don't know?" Lola asked, surprised.
"Well captain," David cut in, "they only make them in the New World, remember?"
"Oh, I forgot about that, sorry," Lola answered giving Nami a sheepish smile. "There is a shop in the New World where they take a piece of your fingernail and make this personalized paper just for you." Lola told the crew all about the vivre cards. "The idea is to tear off a piece for your family or friends when you go on a journey."
"Why?" Nami asked, curious.
"Well, see for yourself," Lola put the scrap of paper on the ground, and several of the crew gasped as they watched it start to move. "The paper always points to where the person is, though there is no way to tell the distance."
Kia watched with a smile as Nami picked up the paper and pocketed it, knowing it would come in handy later for Nami. If she were honest, she was planning on avoiding seeing Big Mom at all, but had yet to come up with a way to get the etching of the poneglyph another way.
Luffy frowned. "Don't we already have one of those?" he asked, looking over at Kia and seeing her nod. He pulled his hat off as Nami realized what he was referring to. He pulled the paper out of the straw where Nami had stitched it and noted that several things were different. "I thought you said this couldn't get destroyed?" he asked Lola.
Nami's eyes went wide as Lola looked panicked, and started explaining. She looked over at the paper in Luffy's hand, seeing that not only did it look like it was slowly burning, but it was almost half the size that it had been when she had held it last. Nami glanced over to Kia, seeing that she was also looking at a paper in her hand. The look on her face, however, wasn't shocked like the others, but sadness.
Nami's eyes narrowed as she remembered that Kia seemed to already know what the paper had been, and she had forgotten to pester an answer out of her at the time. I caught Kia looking at that paper loads of times, and this whole time she was actually making sure Ace was doing okay? she thought, perplexed. Why keep that a secret? And why not say anything once it started getting smaller and burning?
Nami didn't like what she was thinking, but by the way Luffy was acting so cavalier about it all, perhaps Kia had said something to him, and they had already made some decision. But no, then Luffy wouldn't have been surprised by it all… Something is going on here…
She kept her thoughts to herself, even as Luffy started yelling about setting sail. She didn't hear Robin ask her a question, nor when Luffy started giving instructions on which way they would go. Several crew members were giving her strange glances, but she didn't notice.
She shook herself out of it long enough to yell goodbye to Lola as they left, but her mind was elsewhere. She felt guilty enough to finally say something to Luffy.
"Are you sure about this?" she asked him.
"You mean about Ace?" he asked, giving her a smile. "Yeah. I mean, I know what Lips Lady said," Nami assumed that was Lola. "But Ace is really strong. He may be in trouble, but he wouldn't want his little brother trying to come save him, you know?"
"But just so you know, we're okay with a detour," Usopp added. "We want to help, not hold you back."
Luffy just grinned at his friends, knowing what they were saying. "Really, it's okay," he answered. "Ace probably got hurt and is getting better, just like Zoro and Kia, you know? We'll see him again once he's back to full strength." He turned, looking out at the water. "He'll want to meet the new crew members too!"
Nami nodded, and turned, seeing Kia was sitting under the large tree by the swing. She turned again to find Robin, and giving her a look, nodded towards Kia. Robin nodded, and after accepting a drink from the cook went to sit next to her friend.
Kia was handed a drink like the others, and cheerfully raised the tankard in celebration of their newest crew member, Brook. After a quick celebration, she noted that the others started finding other things to do, yet Nami and Robin stuck with her. Nami even asked Franky to keep them on course for awhile.
That wasn't so strange… the Sunny had a small stand by the wheel where Franky had placed a log pose so others could give Nami a break, but Kia noticed that the ladies were pretty quiet, as if waiting for the others to leave before they would talk.
"Uh, I really am fine…" Kia started, wondering what was going on.
Robin waited, noting the glare that Nami had turned on Kia.
"So, I guess you knew this whole time…" Nami said airily as Kia stiffened. Kia looked over at Robin, who had a much better poker face.
"Knew?" Kia asked, unable to look Nami in the eye.
Nami gave a sigh, and Kia peeked a glance at her. Seeing Nami looking so depressed had her concerned. "Nami?" she asked.
"I mean, I understand not wanting to share everything," Nami spoke, the hurt in her voice evident. "It was about Ace, and I know I tease you a lot about him… so I understand why you didn't tell me about the vivre card, I guess. I just would have thought that you would have told Luffy. Ace is his brother…"
Nami looked up at her, and Kia knew she had hurt her friend without meaning to. She started to speak, but Nami cut her off as she stood.
"I get it really," she said, the hurt disappearing into a determined mask on her face. "I just wanted to say, that if you know something that affects me, like this affected Luffy? Well, you should tell me, no matter what. That's all."
With that, Nami walked away, her steps eating up the grass as she hurried into the ship. Kia watched her go, staring off in that direction until Robin cleared her throat.
"I'm not exactly sure what that was all about, though I can surmise pretty easily," she said, her voice gentle. "I know you worry about telling everyone, and while I think that I can understand your reasons, perhaps we can come up with something to tell them?"
"The experiment didn't go well then?" Kia asked, looking forlorn.
"It wasn't… well, I did find myself treating things as inconsequential, that I probably should not have, in hindsight," Robin admitted. "Though perhaps an explanation of why you know some things and not others… well, it may help us all be more understanding in situations such as this."
"It's kind of like you once said," Kia said as she still looked at the closed door that Nami had gone through. "I don't want to just tell them, I want them to learn it for themselves."
"And I agree with you," Robin gave Kia a smile as she stood and placed her hand on Kia's shoulder to get her to look at her. Once Kia's eyes found hers, Robin finished her thought. "And the captain wouldn't want you spoiling his adventure either."