Justice and Piracy (a Zoro love story)

Justice and Piracy (a Zoro love story) : Chapter Two

Chapter Two,
"Umino Yuki."

"Wait!" I called, my bare feet slid on the rough shale that bordered the narrow beach, the ocean spray laid a wet sheen on every surface.

Luffy sprinted toward the stretching marine walls, his trailing shouts an excited buzz just audible over the crashing waves that broke across the tide walls beside us. The path was hewn with lumber, stone and broken sails, all brought ashore by the oceans pull. In two bounds of his sprawling legs he scaled shipwrecks the size of houses, his hat held firmly in place atop his head with the palm of his free hand. I scrambled, my legs ached beneath me as though I'd run a marathon, and that worried me. Had my muscle suffered so much loss? I could not remember the last time I'd run so far, so freely under my own strength. I slipped, my feet faultered and my world decended at an awkward angle, I braced myself, my hands flew out before me.

Zoro caught me by the waist mid step and bound over the driftwood I'd stumbled upon, my stomach flipped and my head snapped back painfully as his hand grabbed mine. My feet found the earth again and I kept pace with his stride, his hand releasing mine without even a sideways glance in my direction.

"Don't get left behind." He warned me, his voice was deep, earthy.

I laughed, a breathless humourless laugh in response; they wouldn't last two minutes in that ocean without me. The morning welcomed the tempest, lightning struck the sea around me and lit the ocean white and pale gold, the wind picked up and blew fiercely through my hair and I pulled my jacket tight around my slender frame, the tails of my coat billowing out around me.

"Just keep me safe and I'll get you off this island!" I retorted, whether he heard me, I did not know.

Luffy breached the marine docks before we could stop him, I called out, alarmed. He wasn't waiting. The grey sea wall stood between him and the dock, the tall ship masts could be seen bobbing above the skyline, their tall spires like daggers against the morning sky. Zoro called out in warning, lightning struck around us and I was blinded by the onslaught of light, brighter still than the sun. I heard the hum of electricity and the lightning rods that rimmed the base glowed hot and dangerous. Luffy hit the electric fence.

"Luffy!" I heard the roar above my gasp of horror.

His body went rigid against the current and sparks flew out where his hands touched the grid of electric wire. There was a loud snap as a release of energy pushed him back and I was surprised to see him still standing. Zoro ran faster and left me behind to grab his friend, he was still scolding him as I approached, my breath leaving me in choppy rasps. I could feel my heart beating unevenly in my throat.

"Oh! Yuki!" He greeted, slapping me roughly upon the back, "How do we get around this?"

A vein popped in Zoro's forehead; he was being ignored again. I held a hand up, palm towards him unable to catch my breath, my body doubled over and I felt sweat bead up on my brow, running toward my chin. Zoro took the opportunity to bring his fist down upon the crown of Luffy's head and it knocked him forward.

"Wait when I say wait dammit!" He growled.

"What happened?" I managed to say between breaths, "I thought you were dead when you touched that fence!"

They both exchanged a clueless expression before understanding hit them and for once they shared a smile. Luffy grinned at me, we stood before the outer wall, we would be safe here for now but soon the marines would find our empty cells. He did not reply and with his hands pulled the elasticated skin of his face, stretching his features until he hardly represented a human. I floundered, my hands clasped around my mouth, I had expected a devil's fruit had been the reason, but one so outlandish was outside comprehension.

"I'm a rubber-man!" He announced proudly, his face snapped back into place with shocking speed.

"Okay?" I could hear that edge of delerium when I spoke again, "We'll have to go around, it won't be long till they realise we're gone, then we'll have to fight our way out."

"We want one of those ships?" Confirmed Zoro.

"Yes, either is fine, I can pilot on my own." I responded, somewhat more calm.

"Okay, stay close, the both of you." He ordered and from his belt proceeded three blades.

It was now that I saw the katana were not just for show, he held one in each hand, the third in the vice of his teeth, his stance lowered and in three soft strokes of his arms the fence fell away, the wall behind it toppling into neat piles of earth and stone. My mouth puckered; I had seen such feats before, the act itself was not remarkable, but incredibly stupid, for now we stood revealed to all within the harbour. They fell upon us like a great swarm, the alarm was raised and all that could be heard was thunder, shouting and blade upon blade. I hid myself behind them, unable to do anything within my seastone shackles but watch as they fought tides of men.

The harbour was small and the dock a sturdy old wood beneath us, every impact of fist and foot could be felt though the soles of my feet, the air smelt strongly of gunpowder. I heard bullets wizz past my head and felt the sting as I caught one in my shoulder, by skin burned and I cried out in pain. My hand pressed lightly against the wound there but I didn't feel the bullet, it must have gone right through. I was lucky.

"Oi!" Yelled Zoro, his blades making short work of the gun weilding marines, "What are you doing? Get moving!"

He sounded angry, I couldn't make sense of the words right now, I was busy bleeding. Luffy's arms reached out, further than I thought possible, bullets would not harm his body and he brought his fist down into the crowds before they could fire upon us again. I grit my teeth and ducked through the chaos, my small body able to weave throughout the marines unnoticed in the mele of fists brought about by the rubber-man. Black coats like my own flooded down from the marine base, their owners faces I recognised and I felt a pang of dread in my chest. My eyes scanned for the one broad figure I prayed I would not see, the gods had been merciful, the marine base Rear-Admiral was not yet upon us.

Zoro jumped to protect me, Luffy coming to his aid, his posture one of tension. The ships rocked within the waters, tantalisingly close, I could feel the call of the sea. The marine soldiers backed away and a loose semi-circle of black clad men replaced them, they wore the same jacket as myself. The high-collared black fabric was tailored to my suiting, a deep set v-neck showed my creamy skin beneath before a line of silvery buttons reached toward my waist, and most importantly, written in white upon the back between my shoulder blades were the marine tell-tale marking of 'Justice'.

"What is it you think you're doing?"

"Umino Yuki."