A Taste of Forever (Katakuri x Reader)

Chapter 44 - Goodbye

A/N:

Wordcount: 5100+

TW: Death of family members, a little bit of suicidal thoughts if you squint during the flashback, survivor's guilt

Panting heavily whilst blood dripped down your left arm, the result of a large slash a Marine soldier had managed to land, you ran over the frozen ocean as fast you could.

This fight had surpassed your worst fears.

You were on the verge of tears as you passed the corpses of friends and family alike on your way to the main square, but you couldn't allow yourself to feel the grief that pulled at your heart. Not yet, at least. Not before the fight was over and not even the heat of the burning Moby Dick crawling up your skin managed to stir you from your path as your eyes remained fixed on the scaffold.

This fight was nothing short of your worst nightmares coming true. As well prepared as you were, the Marines had a few unexpected tricks up their sleeve and killed too many of you as a result. The only thing that kept you going at this point was the desperate hope to make every single death worthwhile. 

After all, Ace was still sitting on the scaffold, and the Whitebeard pirates had managed to get on to the main square.

Pushing as much energy as possible into your legs, you ran as fast as you could to get to your friends and family and infuse them with as much of your power as possible.

Every breath hurt your tired lungs, but still you kept on going, your body unimpressed by the aching muscles as you pushed through the pain with a frustrated scream.

However, the sight that greeted you once you arrived at Izou's side froze you in place.

The entire scaffold was gone. All that was left was a huge smoke pillar rising into the sky as the sound of metal crashing on the cobblestones below echoed deafeningly loudly in your ears.

           No.

Not a single word was muttered among you, neither among the pirates, nor the Marines, as you all watched the scaffold crash on the ground with your breaths dying in your throats.

           Nononono! 

You refused to believe your eyes. This couldn't be it. This couldn't be the end, and you vigorously refused to accept whatever was happening around you.

And yet, you found yourself trembling. Feeling your lunch rise in the back of your throat, a large smile suddenly stretched your face when large flames engulfed the sky.

"ACE!" His name had left your lips before your body had fully registered what was happening, and it was only a couple of seconds later until the same sight had shaken the pirates around you out of their stupor and prompted them to join in on your enthusiasm.

However, in spite of your happiness, you all knew that the battle wasn't over. You still had to get out of there and take the wounded ones with you.

Enhancing the strength of as many pirates around you as possible, you slashed the Marines that tried to attack you while Vista and Izou worked on opening an escape route for Ace and his brother. The little boy with the strawhat was great. You had only caught glimpses of him during the fight, exchanged a word or two as he passed you on the battlefield, but you understood why Ace loved him so much.