One Piece: The Sacred Justice Chapter

28

"Shinji?!"

Someone had heard. The young prince's eyes snapped open, his breath hitching at the mention of his name. He recognized the voice immediately, gathering the strength to get back up. "M-Mom?"  He responded, his voice barely audible over the ongoing uproar. 

The daze from the fall made it hard to stand properly, but all it took was a shred of willpower to continue, to look for the source of the sound. "Mom! Where are you?!"

His voice rose, followed by a throb in his chest. He groaned, staggering frontward with his arms wrapped tightly around himself. The blood's metallic taste on the roof of his mouth was revolting, as if his own body were mocking him for his vulnerability. 

Right then, a flash of blue hair stood out from the crowd.

A wave of relief coursed through him. "Mom! Over here! Oi, mom!!" His steps grew more frantic, paying no mind to the ache of his injuries as he motioned towards her. Nevertheless, he stumbled forward, plummeting to the ground once again with a strident thud.  

He hadn't been the only one, though, for he had come across none other than Megumi, who rubbed her temple with a pained glower. "Oi, watch your step— Shinji?" 

"Megumi?! What are you doing here? Where's Junko?!" Shinji's face paled with worry, shaking her shoulder as if to reinforce his fret. "Idiot, don't shake me like that!!" The brunette hissed, swatting his hand away. "I'm looking for Junsui. He's gone!!"

"Gone?" He echoed, disbelief crossing his features. "What do you mean gone?! He can't be gone! What if something happened to him?!"

"Exactly!" Megumi rose to her feet, offering him a hand. "Now, get the hell up and help me find him before they turn him into sukiyaki!!"

Shinji barely had time to process her request, receiving her hand and joining the search. He leaned heavily against her, his steps faulty while Megumi supported him with an arm slung around his shoulders, her rifle held securely on her free hand.  

In the interim, a particular youngster pushed precariously through the crowd, waddling past drunken sailors and marines alike: Junsui. He could feel his throat closing, his breaths choked and erratic, his snow-like mane drenched in sweat and sticking to his face in long, wet strands. 

"I-I need... w-wall..." He gasped, the sensory overload smudging the coherence in every word he spoke. Before he noticed, tears pooled in his eyes as he sought for the coveted, momentary comfort that came with pressing himself against a surface. 

Suddenly, he collided against a seaman, whose sword inadvertently gashed his arm. Junsui yelped, clutching it tightly as the warm blood trickled from between his fingers. 

Tripping over his feet, right before he hit the ground, someone caught him.

Her azure strands brushed against his cheek and she held him close, pressing the wound with a firm gentleness. His eyes were half closed, so he really couldn't differ. He had no option but to lean into the embrace, and surprisingly, the broad let him do so.

They stayed like that for a while. Sure, the pain lingered, but the woman's unexpected warmth made it more bearable. It didn't last long, though. Junsui shifted, his eyes meeting those of the monarch of Alabasta —their last encounter, well... far from pleasant.

His reaction was immediate, pushing her away with all his might. Vivi flinched, taken aback by the suddenness of his response. "Wait, hold on!" she yelled, reaching for him, "Come back here, I'm just trying to help!"