One Piece (Love Story) [Part Two]

Chapter Three Hundred and Fifty

-Chapter Three Hundred and Fifty-

"Hey, it's time! Let's move!" Law frowned, ready to get a move on despite the fact that we still had people clearly missing. "Get in the cart!" he ordered, only to go ignored. "Hurry everybody! Get aboard the train!" he tried again mere minutes later as the building began to terribly shake, sending even more debris falling to the ground.

This time, everyone listened as we began to usher mainly the children toward the cart. No one felt it safe to let them continue to be out in the open now that it was becoming clear that the building was getting ready to collapse.

"There's room on the front car! Watch your step!" a Marine announced as he and others helped to guide the children up into the giant carts. Desperately trying to make sure that they'd all be able to comfortably fit despite their varying sizes.

"Pick up the pace, kiddies!"

"We got to hurry up!"

"The building's going to collapse soon!"

"There's still no sign of Chopper and Brook" Robin frowned as she, Sanji, and Luffy continued to linger within the collapsing room.

"Yeah, time's up—it's too dangerous" Sanji nodded. "We can't wait here any longer."

"Just to get everything straight here, where does this passage lead to?" Nami asked Law as I watched Zoro carefully lower Brownbeard's unconscious body into the cart. I held a couple of the smaller children as they nervously reached out in search of comfort while I tried to get them settled into the cart.

"Away from the laboratory and straight to a harbor where we'll find a tanker waiting for us" Law answered.

"It's not safe to go outside—the gas is covering the island" Nami frowned

"We have to risk exposure in order to reach the transport—it's our only option" Law argued. "Or we can stay and be buried in the rubble."

"What about the children?" Nami asked.

"She's right" I nodded, gently squeezing the children leaning against me as I soothingly rubbed their backs while turning my head towards the surgeon. "If it were just us then I wouldn't care, but since we have all these kids with us it's a different story. It'd be redundant to put them all in danger again after just saving them."

"Hey, you don't need to worry about us" one of the bigger girls suddenly piped up. "We all want off this island, okay? We'll do anything to get back home!" she bravely huffed.

"She's right!" a larger boy nodded. "Even if we have to hold our breath all the way to the ship!"

"Yeah! Whatever we got to do to see our moms and dads again!"

"We know the danger and we're ready to face it!"

"We just want to go home!" they shouted, determined to suck up their fear and be brave now that there was a chance they could finally leave and return home to their parents.

"Well then...it looks like they've made up their mind..." I gently smiled, pleased to see them trying their best to overcome their stress and fears in order to finally leave this hellish place.

"You're right...there's no turning back..." Nami sighed as she closed her eyes and strengthened her resolve. "We move forward and leave the rest to fate!" she firmly proclaimed. "Listen up, kids! I promised you all whatever it takes, we're shipping out of Punk Hazard and getting you home!" I felt my smile widen as I listened to the children cheer.

"Whoa! What's going on?" a Marine soldier asked as an alarm suddenly began to blare throughout the room. "Why is the door closing?" he frowned once he realized that the alarm was for the now-closing door.