the silence of despair. ONE PIECE

13. A being is either mad or grieving

New long-ass chapter! Vivi and Robin are finally there! To know: One Piece is a very long anime, but it doesn't take away from how interesting it is! So the plot of this fanfiction is also quite extensive, and I will do my best to keep everything under control! Good reading!

"show me your thorns, and I'll show you hands ready to bleed."

As her dear friend rests next to her in the kitchen of the going merry, Umekui asks, "So what do you think, Odasaku?"

("You did well, Dazai! I'm proud of you!" he chuckles, smoking the cigarette in his mouth.)

"Laboon and Crocus missed you, you know?" She says, her nose tingling from the scent of the cigarette on her other hand, while she looks down at the whiskey glass in her palm.

("I see. I miss them as well," he admits, his long-forgotten tumbler of whiskey on the table in front of him.)

"So, what comes next? Must I subject myself to further agony and allow our memories to resurface?" She murmurs sadly, her throat hurting.

("Why? Do you genuinely wish to forget me? To forget us and those promises you vowed to keep?" he pleads sadly.)

"Hehehe, you've always known I'm a sinful liar, so what did you expect?" she chuckles brokenly into the quiet.

("Are you still attempting to die?" "Are you still trying to kill yourself even if you know you'll never succeed?" he asks worriedly.)

She shifts her head to the right and looks at his mournful expression, his golden eyes no longer as bright as the first time she came across them. His reddish hair appears velvety on his head, and the few hairs on his chin make him appear older than years ago. The black circles under his eyes imply that he has not slept in a while.

"You should sleep. You are well aware that a lack of sleep causes wrinkles on the face and a lack of lifespan," she emphasizes.

("Hahhaha" he chuckles loudly at her comments before pointing back at her face, "You are the one who talks. The black circles around your eyes are horrible; are you trying to terrify your suitors?)

She glares at him, brings her glass of whiskey to her mouth, and gulps it down.

"You're well aware that people hate and fear me. Who is stupid enough to approach me?" she says.

("Oh? Are you certain?" he teases.)

"Stop acting dumb, Odasaku," she pinches his ribs.

("Aye, Aye, aye, okay, I'll stop, but please let me go," he begs, twirling from the pain of her pitches. "But you didn't answer me? So?")

"Yes, I'm trying to quit killing myself recklessly, not because it's pointless, but because I promised him and them. But wanting to die is something else; you know deep down that I will never stop seeking this path of death," she admits, her lungs trembling and her muscles pulsing with pain.

("Dazai, don't lose hope. I believe in you, Always," he says softly, smiling at her.)

"Odasaku, you-" she began but was interrupted by Sanji's voice.

"Umekui-chan! What are you doing alone in the kitchen at this early hour? And are you smoking and drinking on an empty stomach?!" He inquires worriedly.

But when Umekui opens her mouth to tell him that she is not alone, she is merely drinking with Odasaku as usual. She turns to face Odasaku, but all she sees is emptiness. There is no Odasaku, no glass of whiskey, and no cigarette; only her half-empty bottle of whiskey and the burning scent of her cigarette remain.