Smokeless War - One Piece

(17)

A/N: Thanks so much for 200 reads!!! so glad to be part of the mihawk community 😽

Ice ran through my veins and I felt my limbs start to shake, legs aching to run to her.

"Please! You t-told me to be here, right? Help me-!"

Before she could finish her desperate cry, her body crumpled and an agonized wail escaped her weakly. Eerie silence followed and finally he let me go, but Mihawk himself stayed hidden.

"Bella? Bella can you hear me?" I stilled my shaking voice and nudged her, her usual healthy skin with a sickly sheen to it and her heartbeat abnormally fast.

"I'm sorry..." She struggled and I shushed her before steadying myself and lifting her easily, ignoring the tearing of my wound. "I'm so sorry!"

I calmed her the best I could but before long she had lost consciousness. I rushed her into the guest room closest to the kitchen and almost cried in relief at seeing Jackson and Sam's figures as they worked on the leaky faucets in the kitchen.

Samuel rushed over to me but I lead them to her feverish form immediately and at Jackson's deep in thought face, I felt my heart drop when he started shaking his head.

"We need a physician, but there's no island near for more than a couple hours voyage. It's not looking good for her."

"There must be something..please. Anything I can do." I couldn't take my eyes off of Bella, her pained but weak murmurs like a constant reminder in my ears and I was having trouble focusing on anything else.

Stepping forward out of the darkness, Orion came forth to Jackson's utter surprise. I'd never seen the color drain out of someone's face like that, and as stoic as the old pirate is, his expression would have sent chills down my spine if I was thinking clearly but my mind was anything but.

"I can help her." He simply stated, placing a tentative hand on my shoulder. "I'll get started right away."

Watching him silently, he pulled out a bag which contained a small bottle with a needle and he prepped her arm for insertion. I suppose everyone else was as shocked as I was because it was about halfway through the gentle procedure when Jackson came back to life and Sam couldn't seem to bring himself to speak.

"You. Why are you here again, demon? I should have your head for your filthy deeds."

Tutting quietly as he handled the needle with a steady hand, seemingly not surprised at those words, he simply bandaged her vein and discarded of the needle.

"That's not a very nice way to greet the savior of a crew mate, old Jacky boy."

Sitting by Bella's side, I wiped her warm forehead with a clothe and shot a filthy look to the men in the room before getting up and ushering them all out to deal with their drama elsewhere.

And that's when the situation only escalated.

"I'd trade my soul just to have the chance to take you to hell with me." Jackson spat so venomously I held a flinch back.

"Please, do so. You might be surprised of who you find down there."

At that, Sam struggled to keep Jackson from starting a fight right there in the kitchen, the uncomfortable history I didn't know eating away at my mind. I looked to Sam for help but he was focusing solely on not letting his friend land the first punch.

"Let me go! I'm fine." He broke free from the hold on him and shook himself off. "I know better now."

"You haven't changed. I've missed you. I'm sorry my presence only enrages you further." Orion bowed before taking his leave, a strangely normal way by walking straight through the door before I looked out to see his figure completely dissipated again.

Sitting down like he'd no energy left, I came back to find Jackson slumped into a chair miserably. Offering him a steaming cup of tea a few minutes later, I sat with him and held in all my questions before he started spilling his story reluctantly.

"My daughter, you remind me of her sometimes. Though you're not half as rowdy and she could never be even a little bit proper, you have a kind heart like her. Orion knows because he was her lover."

"Jack, you.."

"Save it my boy, I want to." Jackson stopped Sam's interruption. "They were to be married after years of growing up together. One night though, it was another rough night at sea and we'd just left the port of a big city. They had argued more than I'd seen in a decade, and finally I saw it. He had eaten a devil fruit without telling her, and with its powers he threw her into the sea when the rest of the crew was off duty. Her screams haunt me to this day."

His breath stilled and he drew in another laboriously, like every word hurt him physically. I witnessed him swallowing his sorrow and my heart ached for him, but my mind only had more questions.

"I'm so sorry for your loss, I'm honored you'd trust an outsider like me with that story." My brow furrowed and I stood to bring Bella some tea I hoped she'd recovered enough strength to drink before I paused and quietly stated. "She probably loved you a lot, and appreciates that you remember her good qualities. I hope you'll excuse me."

I didn't hear what they spoke about as I left, but I hoped I said the right thing at least. Entering the room again, I saw an abnormal sight. A quiet Samara and Jane, who promptly stood as I entered the room and set down the tray.

"What in God's name happened to her?!" Jane demanded, an almost wild look in her eyes. "She said she'd go to the bathroom for a moment and hours later I find her dying! What did you do?!"

"Please, forgive me. I wasn't aware she was sick-!"

"Oh stop with the self righteous words. Just tell us what happened already."

My heart dropped as I heard those words unexpectedly from Samara's usually joking mouth, a strange sinking feeling filling me painfully.

"She was poisoned." I then stated simply, their heads turning to me so fast I thought they'd injure themselves for sure. "We've already administered an antidote, she needs rest and sustenance. I'm sorry I couldn't get the news to you sooner."

"What do you mean..poisoned?" Jane covered her mouth in shock, a fearful expression on her face. "T-there's no way someone would do that to her.."

"I won't hear another word until my brother comes back." Samara murmured with a scarier reaction, empty surprise.

"He's in the kitchen. Excuse me."

I know, I'm foolish for getting so attached even though we'd not known each other for long but..Samara has never been so curt with me before. Struggling with the conflicting feelings in my mind, I headed outside into what looked to be the night descended on the island.

Carelessly heading in whichever direction I pleased, the night air offered some solstice still and nothing scared me like it had when I'd first arrived. I now instinctively held a hand over the hilt of my new katana and walked lightly without disturbing even the dry pine needles.

With the busy silence in my ears, I thought of the original purpose I'd somewhat abandoned after becoming a little more adept in combat. The dirty dishes in the kitchen reminded me and I scolded myself inwardly for not staying to do them, and scolded myself even more when I found how much I liked not doing them.

"It is pleasant, isn't it?" A voice inquired rhetorically, my interrupted thoughts somewhat startling me.

"Excuse me, sorry for the intrusion."