One Piece: The Freedom Fighters

Chapter 24: Assault On Minion Manor

In the snowy streets of Minion Island's ghost town, a cloaked woman ran. She was chased by a mass of unarmed minions, emitting ear-splitting shrieks in their pursuit. Suddenly, her foot slammed itself into a rock lodged into the ground, causing her to trip! The Minions quickly caught up and piled her, beating them mercilessly.

"Holy..." Ket gasped, watching on through a window. He... He had to help! "H-HOLD ON, I'M COMIN-" He shouted, trying to open the door as Sukato held him back.

"Just WAIT!" He hissed, pulling Ket away from the wall and shutting the blinds. Luckily, the minions didn't notice."There's too many of them!"

"But-!" Ket struggled, finally giving up and backing away. "Y... You're right..." He sighed, peeking through the window. The Minions were walking away, leaving the poor lady behind, battered and bruised. Miraculously, she was still alive! Ket and Sukato exchanged a look before running out, sneakily grabbing her and the baby before rushing inside. "Damn..." Ket frowns, looking around the room.

They had taken refuge in a large storehouse, stacked with supplies of all kinds. This was where the Unfair Maidens kept their stolen resources, and usually had it locked up and well guarded, but due to... The incident, they had opened it up to the public. Inside was Ket, Sukato, Genu, Belle, Constable, some civilians, and a handful of pirates who escaped the mansion with them. The storehouse was nearly pitch-black, with all the lights turned off to avoid attention. Spirits were beyond low, and the end seemed nigh.

"This is horrible..." Sukato sighs, placing the victim on one of the many mattresses they scrounged up. It's only been a few hours since they fled into town, and the situation has gotten much worse. Minions are not only roaming the mansion but the entire island! They've swarmed the streets, making even going outside extremely dangerous. They couldn't even get to the docks!

"We gotta do something!" Ket frustratedly grunts, kicking a can on the floor. People are getting hurt, how could he lick his wounds at a time like this?! Out of nowhere, a thunderous voice boomed through the room.

"DAMNIT!" Constable roared, slamming his fist into the wall. Immediately, three of his men tried to silence him.

"Sir, be quiet!"

"They'll hear us!"

"We know you're mad, but you gotta calm down!"

Constable gave a death glare to the three, his eyes teaming with emotion. Still, he realized his mistake and quieted down. "... Maria..." He muttered, putting his head in his hands. Belle sat next to him, staring down at the floor. Sukato saw all this and approached him.

"Hey." He said, getting a strange look from Constable. Sukato knows that they aren't on the best of terms, but... "Back at the mansion, you said something about a Maria... Is she?"

"The Madam," Constable confirmed, looking out to the window. He seemed very disappointed, no doubt in himself. "Curse that fruit! If I had just known about it, I could have stopped this!" He wallows, punching the side of his head. Seeing this, Ket came over to him with a worried look.

"Hey, hey. Nobody blames you!" He grinned, trying to make Constable feel better. "If anything, it's her fault for not telling you until yesterday!" He suggests, causing the melancholy Captain to reconsider.

"Aye. I suppose yer right..." He slowly nods, leaning back against the wall. "We used to be close mates, Maria and me. Ever since we were kids, we dreamed of sailing the Grand Line and finding the One Piece..." He explained, a sorrowful look in his eyes. "But one day, she changed. Maria kept insisting that we come to Minion island, but never told us why... She said she gave up on her dream, and that I should too... And then the moment she changed her mind, THIS happens!" He rages, hitting the wall with his hand again. Like before, the Pirates tried to quiet him.