MARINES - A ONE PIECE story (ENGLISH) - Part I

CHAPTER OF HECTOR - II

Kaju Da was far from being a fragile girl : born on the Grand Line, she had been raised in the wilderness. She was used to the cold, to hunger, to death. Because from a very young age, she had seen it with her own eyes. Her mother was the first to fall, overcome by a tropical disease. Her father had also been taken from her, killed by a band of bloodthirsty pirates who were greedy for the treasures he did not have. Every day she had to hunt to survive. She was strong.

Yet she had never seen anything as despicable as she was seeing now. The mass grave in front of her was not the work of a man, it was not natural. Then, as if caught in the guts by an invisible force, she collapsed.

While she was holding back the vomit that was coming up her throat, Charlie threw himself at her side to hold her shoulders. His hands, despite the polar cold, were warm and comforting. She wished he was holding her closer.

- We do not have time to waste, vice-admiral Slain hissed in her glass-sharp voice. We have to warn admiral Kikkaku.

But when she saw that Kaju Da was not getting up, still trembling on the ground like an animal frightened by lightning, she grabbed her cape and pulled her back. In the eyes of the Glass Dragon, a crazy glint seemed to shine. But just as she was about to chastise the young woman, a firm hand grabbed her wrist. Hector glared at her, a look that could have melted the ice around them.

- Let go of me, May Slain snarled. Step away.

- Let her go first, vice-admiral. Give her a break.

They stood there in total silence for a few seconds, their hands clamped on their prey. Charlie could hear his veins bulging in his skull. When Slain's mouth opened, Hector was quicker.

- Do you really think the admiral would approve of your mistreatment on one of his students ?

She remained silent.

- Try to contact him, if you wish to. We'll stay here and investigate.

They remained tense for a few seconds, then, in annoyance, May Slain released her hold on the young apothecary and Hector let her go. She walked into the darkness of the cave, ruminating, looking for her Den Den Mushi in her pocket. After all, if Midorizo' signal had emitted from here for the last time, the network should find a way in. When she was far away enough from the three young soldiers, lit only by the light of her torch that was making the shadows of the stalactites dance on the frozen stone walls, she rang her Den Den mushi and waited for the person to pick up. After a few seconds, there was a clicking sound. She made sure that the three students of admiral Kikkaku were far enough away not to hear her and whispered :

- Your Highness ? It is me, May. We have found Midorizo's body.

Then her hero's voice rang out from the Den Den mushi. She could hear that the Leviathan was in a hurry and upset, that his jaw was clenched. But the priority was to tell her master of her discovery, even before she'd tell the admiral she was accompanying on the mission.

- Tell me everything, May.

...

As Hector vas venturing into the depths of the cave, to the opposite of the path the vice-admiral had taken to isolate herself, Charlie was keeping his hand on the trembling shoulder of his comrade. Their relationship was not always peaceful, she could annoy him sometimes. Often, some would say. This wild girl, used to live hard, was far from his noble habits of life. He who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, in one of the noblest families of North Blue, knew almost nothing about death. He had been trained to fight by his father's master of arms, not to survive. Yet, it was the same impulse of Justice and passion that had led them to the Marine ranks. For that, but also for the knowledge she had and for her skills with a weapon, he had the greatest respect for her, despite her bad temper. To tell the truth, he had to admit he was troubled by this young woman, whose wild beauty was always hidden behind a thick layer of capes and traditional clothes, but also under her large mushroom-shaped hat. Feeling her trembling skin under his palm was making him feverish, almost enough not to hear Hector's calls. At first they seemed distant, like echoes, but when he realized his comrade's voice was troubled by an unusual fear, he looked up and searched for him in the darkness. There he was, panting, his torch in his hand. In front of the vastness of a new dark cave, he seemed about to be sucked into the darkness, to be devoured by it.