Justice and Piracy (a Zoro love story)

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

Chapter Three,
"Burning on the water."

Zoro and Luffy both glanced over their shoulders at me, but they did not lower their guard, I held my pierced shoulder and my hands stained red from the blood. They backed toward me, so that I might touch their backs had I reach out to them, the wall of black coats tightened. I lowered my head, my eyes scanning their faces and my mouth turned down as I spoke,

"They aren't your average soldier, black coats signify talent. Some of these men have the makings of fine commanders in the future," I continued "We're lucky Rear-Admiral Tunmus is not yet here."

"Rear-Admiral?" Cursed Zoro, his voice a vicious snarl.

"Don't you worry about him," laughed one of the guard, "You won't last long enough for him to arrive."

I could feel the tention in the air, my eyes locked with the one that spoke and I could feel my skin shiver with anticipation. I didn't even have time to blink before the fighting began. Luffy launched himself into the first three, a sharp kick of his left foot sent one flying back into the wall, the other two leapt aside and assulted him with a flurry of knives. He dodged and rolled as his shirt tore, the ground littered with crimson cloth. Zoro cut down two the instant they moved and he knocked them to the ground with the strength of his swing, the remaining soldier jumped toward him, blade extended as if to stab though him. I moved.

The blade of this man was cursed, made from the powers of an artificial devil's fruit. Zoro moved his katana to deflect the strike and his eyes widened as the sword passed through his. My hands flew up around him. I knocked the blade from its path with my wrist, the sound rang clear as metal struck steel and my seastone cuffs rattled upon impact. Zoro pushed my torso down and in the same moment swung with his katana, he missed.

"Shit!" I swore, Zoro pulled me out of the way of a second swing of the blade. Rubble fell across us as Luffy shashed into a wall, his body seemed to bounce free of injury and then he ran back into battle, brandishing only his fists.

"There's something weird with that guys sword," Zoro remarked.

"It's ethereal," I huffed in response, "You can't block it, only seastone cancels it out."

We both leapt back as the other two rose from the ground where they'd been thrown and attacked with their own fists, the wooden harbour floor gave way under their assult and opened up the stormy water beneath. It wasn't too bad, it was shallow here, probably only wasit deep at worst. Still, falling in could mean death, and I wasn't confident on my legs right now, it felt as if my bones were thin strings, stretched tight from toe to hip. Zoro flipped the swords he had in his hands and the slice reverberated through the air like an arrow from a bow. It struck one man square in the chest and he fell off the dock into the murky water. He did not resurface.

Another black coat flew across the harbour and into one of the ships, a shower of wood exploded into the water as his body flew through the other side and the ship rocked into its neighbour. A great boom of thunder empathised the fall, and in a splash later he too was gone.

"Easy on the ships, Luffy!" Zoro yelled, his sudden distraction meaning I had to block yet another blow of the ethereal blade for him.

"Wari (sorry) Wari (sorry)!" I heard Luffy laugh, he looked pretty rough from the fight.

"Oi, give me a sword, I'll take this guy." I becconed, he was getting nowhere with this swordsman.

"Yeah. Give her a sword," the marine taunted, "That'll make things easier for me."

Zoro's brow furrowed, he wasn't listening to either of us. My wrists were beginning to burn from the constant shock and I could hardly lift my left arm higher than my waist. I didn't look too great but I was a better swordsman than I seemed, not to the level of this pirate, but good enough. The other marine managed to get a good hit on him and Zoro slid back across the wet dock, skidding away from me. This gave the black coat with the ethereal blade the opportunity to knock me to the ground, he wailed on me with his sword and I drew my hands up to protect me, his strikes were so strong they threatened to break my wrists beneath the seastone cuffs.

A white hilted katana slid across the ground and I caught it with my injured arm, I struck out quickly between the beatings of his blade and felt the familiar tear of skin under the sharp edge of my steel. He stumbled back away from me and I saw the red line that blossomed across his face from eye to chin. I got up despite my legs and swiched the blade to my good hand, I was aware both Luffy and Zoro were fighting but I was unable to pull my attention from the marine before me. If I wasn't careful I would die.

He lunged and I raised my arm to block, knocking the etherium upwards as I rolled my body into his, my good arm came down across his chest, my katana parting the fold of his jacket. Silver buttons rolled into the gaping hole and dropped into the ocean from the ruined dock, he took a knee, his face flowing red and blinding him, his chest marked with a shallow cut. He cried out in anger or pain, I wasn't sure, his blade fell by his side.

My heart beat so fast it was crippling and my fist held the swords hilt so tightly I had to concentrate to loosen my grasp, the knuckles ached. Luffy had defeated his opponents and Zoro finished up a second later, with only a few scrapes and bruises to show for it.

"Thanks," I breathed, handing the blade back, "That saved me."

As I handed back his blade he looked closely at me, at my injured arm and how I clutched my chest, I wondered what I must look like. I felt near-death. But I could still sail.

His answer was drowned by a whistling noise and I instinctively ducked down as a round of cannon fire shot overhead. I heard the explosion and felt the impact as a gust of air pushed agaisnt me, my jacket flew out around me. I looked up from my couched position, my expression shock and fear as the ships began to burn, fire turning my vision red and gold. A cloud of smoke several feet deep hovered over the water and the sails set instantly ablaze, sparks like glitter rained down, hot and vibrant.

"There's no leaving this island now," Charmed an old deep voice, it was calm and it made my blood run cold, "Mugiwara no Luffy."

I looked upon the harbour as a fresh wave of marines marched down towards us, a large man, several times my size led the fray. He wore his white pristine jacket upon the shoulders of a neat button down shirt the colour of sand, his long legs ended in high topped boots. His large red face was framed by a black mess of hair, peppered with white and silvery grey. This was the Rear-Admiral.

"Hello Tunmus."