The heart of the manticor (One Piece ff)

9. The end of the Lion Pirates?

Marco POV:

Why is Mihawk Hawkeye here? And more importantly, why does he have the lion pirate flag? And..... Why is the flag so damaged? Did anything happen to Tiana?!

I notice how the panic creeps up my spine! Where is the little one?! I straighten myself up slowly. I don't notice anything about my weakened state anymore. The adrenaline in my body flows through my veins and literally puts me in a state of intoxication.

"Hawkeye? Where are the Lion Pirates?" I ask. I almost don't recognize my voice. My voice trembles and the aggressiveness that resonates with it, I have never heard before. I also get impatient. He should answer!! "WHAT ABOUT THE WOMAN?!" I yell at him. I completely ignore the surprised and irritated looks of the others. All my attention is completely focused on Hawkeye!

Mihawk POV:

You can clearly see how close this effects everyone. Shanks is slowly losing control. Ben, Lou and Yasopp are no different. Marco also looks very shocked and even Whitebeard can be seen to be worried. I'm no different. I, too, am worried about my goddaughter. Judging by Marco's emotional outburst, Tiana means a lot to him. The blue flames lick his body and his muscles are tense to tear.

It's understandable, they don't know how she's doing yet.

I, on the other hand, know how she is doing and in what state she is. Tiana is tough to take down. She clearly got that from her father.

"Tiana is alive." I say calmly to reassure everyone. All those present let the air out of their lungs relieved. Even Whitebeard and his commanders.

"She is doing well according to the circumstances. The Lion Pirates had a fight against the Charlotte Triplets." I explain calmly. "The triplets?" Ace asks. "Katakuri, Daifuku and Oven." I answer his question without further ado. "According to the circumstances? How is she doing? The triplets are not exactly weak!" says Ben. He also worries, but he always keeps a cool head. Shanks, on the other hand, literally cooks. Now or never. I let the bomb explode. I have to. If I wait even longer, then there are even more problems than before.

"The Lion Pirates have been completely wiped out. Only 2 survived the fight against the Charlotte Triplets and that is Vice-Captain Tiana and Captain Kyle. But only because I was nearby and put them on my raft. I took the two of them to a remote island where they are now recovering. The rest of the crew is completely wiped out... Kyle is still not conscious and Tiana is conscious, but she is not doing so well. Both have severe injuries, broken bones, burns and bruises. The two have to guard the bed for a while and I can only hope that neither of the Big Mom pirates discovers the two, because the two are at the top of their hit list." I say and thus let the huge bomb burst.

I see the color running out of the men's faces and all the becoming pale as chalk. "W-w-where?" I hear the weak voice of Shanks.

I tell him the name of the island on which I accommodated them. The island is remote, peaceful and a little further away. A few seconds later, Shanks shouts: "SET SAIL IMMEDIATELY AND CLEAR ANCHORS!!! GO!!! MOVE YOU LANDLUBBERS!! I WANT TO BE THERE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!"

"ANCHOR UP! WE JOIN THE REDHEAD PIRATES!!" now roars Whitebeard. Of course, this surprises me. Firstly, Whitebeard is usually the calm in person and secondly, why does he want to go with him?

I don't know what he has to do with Tiana, but when he talks to Shanks, it shouldn't be a problem. I watch as all the pirates scurry and make the two ships ready in no time at all. Shanks and also Marco the Phoenix both fix me with a look that could kill. "Don't look like that, just speak up." I say calmly. "What else are you hiding from us?!" Shanks almost yells at me. It was clear that he would notice it. "Tiana had a bloodlust and almost killed Daifuku. He just survived because Katakuri kicked Tiana into the sea... Oven was also involved in their flight. I don't know how the fight came about or how exactly it happened. I only joined towards the end and by pure coincidence. But I know one thing for sure... Although Tiana now needs someone around her, I, as her godfather, am not enough. That's why I'm here Shanks. That's why I let you know and also because we are friends Shanks. Tiana needs you the most right now." I explain calmly. I watch the faces of the two men in front of me. Therefore, it is not hidden from me that both have tears in their eyes. Tiana really manages to touch the hearts of others. It didn't pass me by without a trace. When I picked her and Kyle up and she collapsed in my arms covered in blood, even I was in tears... "Don't be frightened as soon as you see her, she can consider herself lucky to have just survived like that." I warn the two of them.

"What exactly do you mean?" Whitebeard asks. I turn my gaze to him. "Almost all the bones in Kyle's body are broken. Accordingly, he also looks battered. Tiana..." I answer him and break off within the sentence. I sigh deeply and then continue to talk: "I can't say anything specific about her. All I know is that some of her bones are broken and she has a bandage around her head. The sight... How she collapsed in my arms covered in blood. This sight haunts me. I won't get rid of it... Every time I tried to talk to her about the incident, she completely blocked. She then has an expression in her eyes... Who even sent shivers down my spine."

"What expression do you mean?" asks Whitebeard. Everyone is looking at me. All Whitebeard pirates and also all redhead pirates.

"The expression is a mixture of panic, aggression, anger, sadness, fear and also despair. It's hard to describe. You have to see it for yourself." I explain calmly. Then I let my gaze wander into the distance.

"How long will it take us to get there?" Shanks asks calmly. Even if he sounds calm, it is deceptive. He is boiling, about to explode and completely freak out.

We can only hope that none of the Big Mom pirates will cross our path and especially not the triplets! Otherwise, a war will ensue.

"If the weather cooperates, then we will be there in 3, a maximum of 4 days." I answer him. "That's too slow!" hum Shanks and Marco at the same time. Then they look at each other and smile very slightly until they get serious again.

I leave them and walk over to Ben. He just looks at me and knows what I want to ask. "I'll explain everything to you until get there." he says, and I nod to him in response.

As soon as the ships have set the course and are in full speed, Ben and I sit down at the railing. He actually explains to me everything that happened. How the Whitebeard Pirates got to know Tiana and the Lion Pirates, how Tiana saved the lives of some Whitebeard Pirates, what her relationship with Marco is like and why the two crews were having a meeting when I arrived. It's really very interesting. The sweet little angel is really something very special.

Let's see how Tiana reacts to all these chaotic men...