Marionette (One Piece)

3| The Misinterpretation

Her dark blue dress gracefully swayed while trailing her every movement while freezing wind blew past the corridor as it tugged on a few strands of her black hair. Every step she made echoed in the gloomy manor even if she was deeply in love with the lonesome silence.

Oh how she wished to float like Perona.

Marie stopped by a glass window that separated her from the forest's reach. A pair of ferocious eyes blinked at her before it vanished into the darkness. Her pale hand felt the coldness of the glass as she watched the rain pour down.

There was definitely someone out there calling out for me, she thought when she subconsciously placed her hand over her chest like there was something that was supposed to be there. Marie started tapping before she momentarily stared down.

"It's gone" she whispered as her hand balled into a fist. She sprinted towards her room while carrying the ends of her blue dress with her two hands, ignoring the loose sleeves that were sliding off her shoulders.

She enfolded her fingers around the chilly metal handle, twisted it and entered her room just in time for her to lock her gaze with golden eyes of a hawk.

Marie wanted to ask why he was here but remembered that this was his house and he had the right to get inside yet she couldn't stop thinking what he would want with her.

She came back to her senses when she felt cold fingers hastily dragging her sleeves back on her shoulders, making her flinch as she raised her head to look at him.

"How are you alive?" Mihawk asked with his eyes boring into her confused ones.

After a few seconds, he broke his gaze, motioned towards the nearest chair and sat down while crossing his arms over his chest exposed by his open white shirt with a ruffled neck.

Marie caught sight of a golden cross-shaped necklace dangling around his neck and concluded:

That was what she was searching for.

"Let me change the question" he spoke once more. "Why are you alive?"

"Am I supposed to be dead?" she genuinely asked.

Nothing could escape the eyes of his and he could clearly see that this girl in front of him didn't entirely know about her history.

"Your existence should've been erased months ago" Mihawk responded and saw the girl looking at her quaking palms once again.

[It wasn't her blood that's for sure but she wasn't content with the fact that it was his blood. She felt his weight collapse on her as more blood and raindrops slithered on her skin.

She felt his hand stroking her hair before it lifelessly dropped and slightly swing over her back as she heard them cackling triumphantly.

She wanted their assailants to get a taste of her rage but she felt his body grow colder. Her tears mixed with the rain's own tears like it cried with her because the heavens had been watching her all this time.]

"Get a hold of yourself!" Mihawk was grasping Marie's shoulders. He tried to keep calm but he was dreaded by her current condition.

The girl's hands were on the sides of her head and she screamed akin to a banshee. It was almost like her flashback yet in this case, tears didn't come out of her eyes as though she ran out of stock, like she cried too long enough. Her eyes were glossy yet tears never streaked down her cheeks.

"I refuse to accept!" Marie exclaimed.

[But he is now dead. His body fell to the ground, leaving her to see her hand holding a pair of bloody scissors, twosome sharp metal stained with his blood.

She gradually raised her free hand and placed it over her forehead as her gaze fell back to his corpse.

She will never get to see his smile again. She will never get to hear his sarcastic remarks. She will never get to taste and smell the delicious aroma of the food he would offer her since they both knew she was quite a deadly and poisonous cook.

She will never get the feeling of being trapped in his warm embrace ever again.]

>>Timeskip>>

Mihawk insisted that he will look after Marie who was fast asleep on her bed. Perona finally gave in but warned him before she left the room.

He felt a twinge of remorse for what he did. After all, she's a girl with a vulnerable heart encased inside a frail and fragile being.

His gaze fell back on his kogatana- the cross necklace around his neck. Mihawk remembered her gazing at it like it was her property; like he just stole it from her when he was a hundred percent sure it was his.

"Dracule-san?"

He snapped out of his daze to see Marie curiously watching him with an arched eyebrow. "What are you doing in my room?"

"Obviously this is my house" but he didn't tell that to the poor girl who seemed to desire an honest answer.

He sighed and pulled his necklace off. "You seemed to be searching for this"

Mihawk handed it to her as she intently stared at the object. He wanted to discern the reason she looked like she wanted it so badly.

"You must've been mistaken" she finally spoke as she held the kogatana out to him. "This isn't mine"

"I see" Mihawk tried to hide the confusion bubbling inside him as he started to grab for the lethal weapon. As soon as their hands made contact, he saw Marie's eyes narrow down into slits as she flicked out a sleek and shiny metal from her pillow with a motive to stab his hand away but she immediately stopped, the scissors near in a few centimeters.

"I'm sorry Dracule-san" she bowed her head, strands of her black hair following as she pushed them away while she hid her scissors behind her back. "Would it be okay if you leave me alone for a while?"

"So be it" he stood up from his chair, the necklace clutched by his hand as he started to leave the room. Before he closed the door, he witnessed Marie stare at the forest outside with her eyes void with emotion and appeared to be waiting for an answer that will never come.

"Mihawk!"

The swordsman saw the drifting gothic woman nearing him. The ghosts around her looked like they were silently speaking about a hot and serious topic.

"You've got a call from the Marine Headquarters"