Justice and Piracy (a Zoro love story)

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

Chapter Five,
"To sea."

The rush was like hot blood pouring though every inch of my body, it was everything I'd ever imagined being free was like, and it was more, I could feel the pull of the ocean more clearly now, as if before it had been lurking, unable to break free under my seastone binding. I would sail far from this place, I could feel it.

My resolution brought a blade to my open outstretched hand and a watery like sword broke forth with my calling, it shimmered and snapped and cracked into place like frigid ice. It was glass. My ability was logia, I'd been a devil's fruit user since the time I was four, I had killed, robbed and lied through my teeth to survive in this wretched world. And I remembered now, the cold gloss feeling as I became the invulnerable glassy figure I once was. The fire threw rainbows upon the ground as it reflected within me. I tossed Zoro's katana toward him and he caught it with ease, my hand filled with another blade before the first left my fingers and I stood before Tunmus, Zoro to my side, Luffy kneeling behind me, a dazzling look upon his face.

This is what he had seen within me as I lay in a dark cold cell, the strength I'd buried long ago when I'd came to this isle two years ago. The thunder sounded and lightning struck.

I began a slow walk toward my target, no faster pace was needed now. His expression was a mess of hard lines and his plump face deepened to scarlet red. He stepped fast with his fist drawn taught, it decended quickly and I merely watched as it eclipsed my being. My body smashed into a thousand pieces, I shattered far and wide, the shards of glass took form and my head and torso energed unharmed from the shockwave, I drew down my blade and it severed all.

I turned toward my comrades in arms and they looked past me and at the fallen towers, the sliced walls and what little remained in my wake. I had not intended such destruction under the fell of my sword, I would have to relearn restraint. My blades fell away like sand, the tiny pieces of glass shimmered like running water and glittered like lusterous diamond. The rest of my clear body did the same and I stood once again of normal flesh and blood, I watched as my hands filled with colour, hypnotized. My wrists beneath my jacket sleeves were red where the seastone cuffs rubbed against me, I touched it gingerly with the fingers of my opposite hand and felt a dull sting of pain.

"Yuki!" Yelled Luffy, he threw his arms around me a second later and I felt the slap of wet cloth against my back, "That was so cool!"

"Not so tight!" I winced away from him and he peeled away from me still beaming. His open palm beat upon my back in apparent approval.

"So?" Said Zoro, he let the word hang before finishing his sentence, "What are you? Exactly? And what do we do now that the ships are sunk?"

I turned toward the blaze and saw his sceptical expression. I could feel the buzz of adrenaline in my hands and I had noticed that he too, was ready for a fight if necessary. I was vaguely aware Luffy chattered to us in the background, his hyper-activity much like a child, though I hazard a guess he aged sixteen or seventeen. Zoro's dark eyes measured me for a long time and I held his gaze. I fell short when the tension visibly dissipated from his stance, as if a wave of relaxation hit him. He moved his hands away from the hilts of his katana and folded them loosely across his chest as he waited my reply.

"I'm a logia, glass is my ability." My voice wavered and fell into awkward silence before I continued, "Thank you. For, well, everything I guess?"

"You're a swordsman?" Zoro raised an eyebrow and his head tilted as he squared his shoulders. He grinned now and it was almost alarming, the look he gave me made me anxious, a tight knot in my stomach as if anticipating something.

"So cool!" Cried Luffy and he assaulted my back once again, I shrugged him off and felt a smile play upon my lips. It felt odd.

"Let's go." I called to them, and I looked one last time at the Isle that had been my cage for two years.

I leapt from the fiery harbour and before my feet touched the ocean a great sheet of glass stretched out beneath me, the sound of sharp snapping filled the air and it bent quickly into the shape of a large ship. A wave of water sloshed up the sides and ran over the see-through deck and between my naked toes. I felt the familiar rock of the sea below me and the mast stabbed high above before folding out into shimmering glossy sails. It was like glass before being shaped, when it was hot and balanced between a liquid and solid state. A gust of wind pulled it into place and shaped it into a soft curve. I felt the deck rise beneath as it caught and beckoned me seaward.

Two pairs of feet joined mine aboard my ship. It had been too long since I had sailed upon my own flag. Luffy stumbled and gawked at my creation. His rubbery arms pulled him up and to the ships figurehead where he seated upon the back of a glass whale.

Zoro stood close behind me, his previous look of suspicion had gave way to an expression of surprise. Was he impressed? It was hard to tell. Behind me I heard the falling pieces of marine vessel collapse and crumple into the dock and sea. It was blindingly bright now.

"It's not going to be a smooth ride," I allowed, "Hold tight, and don't fall off."