The Devil's Grin - A One Piece Fanfic (Snail-like Updates)

Deeper Than Blood

Tempest sat on the floor in the waiting room on Mariejois. Standing beside her was that filth, Teach. Or as he had started calling himself of late, Blackbeard. He glanced at her and chuckled as she glared at him. The only thing that was keeping her from beating him to a bloody pulp was the fact that tendrils of his darkness was wrapped around her sapping her strength. It was also what was keeping her from spewing obscenities that would make a hardened sailor flinch. It made sick to her stomach as he shifted them ever so slightly so that it felt like she was being touched all over.

The doors opened rescuing her as he stopped his darkness holding it still. A young woman who looked every bit the secretary walked through the door. "The Gorosei will see you now."

Teach grabbed her by one of his tendrils and carried her inside unceremoniously dropping her like a sack of dirt onto the floor. She slowly sat up and looked at the five old men sitting before her. She never bothered to learn their names, they didn't live forever. She wished she could rub her now bruised backside though.

"I thought we told you no Devil Fruits were to be used in here without permission." The tall one glared at the secretary.

"Without this she'll run rampant." Teach waved at her and his darkness.

"When we want to hear your voice boy we will speak to you." The old man wearing a gi and holding a sword huffed. "We have our own ways of controlling the unruly." He motioned to the secretary who went to a small door on the side and opened it. Standing there waiting was a marine wearing a black gi with a white one beneath it. On his hip was a sword that made no noise as he walked into the room. Everything about him screamed samurai.

"Hello sirs." The marine smaller brightly as he began to wave at them only to trip on nothing. As he fell Tempest felt a strange power surge through the room and a pillar of stone shot up beneath him stopping his fall. It then slowly rose until he was steady on his feet. This all happened within seconds and the rooms occupants watched the marine as he pinwheeled his arms trying to catch himself, his eyes closed. Several more seconds went by before the blond Gorosei coughed causing the marine to open his eyes. "Oh my! How embarrassing!" He quickly stood up straight before patting the stone pillar. "Thank you." The stone shivered before retracting back into the floor.

"Are you finished yet?" Sword Gorosei spoke only as old men could, cold with age and impatience.

"So sorry." The marine bowed. "Marine Special Researcher Rocky reporting for your use." He announced himself. "What can I do for you?"

"Restrain her."

Rocky turned towards her and nodded. He pulled out a pair of simple stone cuffs and moved to kneel behind her. "You might want to move your bindings Mister Shadows." He glanced at Teach who barked out a laugh.

"There's no way those can hold her." Rocky shrugged and placed the cuffs on her wrists over his darkness. The results were fast and shocking. Tempest felt all the energy she had been building up to break free suddenly drain out of her leaving her feeling exhausted.

It seemed the same thing happened to Teach as he dropped to his knees gasping,his eyes wide in surprise. "What's going on?!" He wheezed.

"I did warn you Mister." Rocky shrugged as he took hold of the darkness. With a quick twist of his wrist he snapped it like it was a simple rope. The breaking seemed to snap something inside Teach as his whole body shook with surprise. "This should help a little but you'll still feel weak for several hours." Rocky explained.

Teach shakingly stood up and glared at Rocky before leaving the room. Once the doors closed Rocky let out a sigh of relief. "I thought he was going to kill me for a second there." He laughed heartily. A laugh she recognized from that old foolish marine Garp.