][Malice][ =One Piece=

:: Chapter Thirty Eight ::

It had been nearly eight months since the incident that cost the captain an arm and the loss of a beloved crew member. In his agonized rage, Kid completely destroyed their vessel. When he’d come to he’d let out a roar of agony, though the crew had no idea if it was from the pain of his many injuries or the loss of the girl. It became evident to Killer after the captain’s recovery that it was due to Malice.

Kid had begun religiously following Kaido’s movements destroying any passing ship with so much as a whisper of his symbol. He didn’t care if it was one of Kaido’s direct vessels or just one under his protection. In all honesty he’d become a thorn in the yonko’s side and had ruined several underworld trades.

They’d established a lair on a remote island after Kid decimated the beasts that had originated there. It had been completely overrun with giant predators, not that it made any difference to their captain. He’d been cold and brutal before the events that had transpired, but now he was truly ruthless, his name was known all over the New World and spoken in fear by even some big names.

Killer sat in the lounge with Titan and Heat watching for news of dealings in the underworld as Kid continued incessantly training, challenging every beast on the island. He’d never be satisfied, never be strong enough, he’d blamed himself, blamed his weakness for her loss. The monitor shifted, a new broadcast was taking priority. The familiar voice of the yonko, Kaido, roared through the room.

“Apparently some rookies haven’t learned their place yet. An example needs to be made.” His voice boomed.

It wasn’t uncommon for Kaido to make public examples. They were positively gruesome. He had quite a few talented torture masters in his crew.  The screen shifted again to a torture chamber and Killer felt his heart skip a beat as he spotted a very familiar frail ghost of a girl. Her scarred skin was so pale it was practically translucent; her body looked completely emaciated as if she hadn’t eaten in months and her hair had grown quite a bit since her captivity now reaching well past her bottom. The roots of her hair were a deep bloody crimson and faded into ebony near her shoulders. Even in her current state, Malice was a dark beauty.

“Malice?!” Titan yelped, “She’s alive!” He scrambled to his feet, “CAPTAIN!”

Heat stared at the monitor in disbelief. “I thought she’d died.”

Killer grit his teeth, she hadn’t died that day, but if this were to be like any of Kaido’s other displays, she wouldn’t be alive much longer. “Titan go get the Captain.”

Titan scrambled off his voice turning cockney as he began screaming a jumble of gibberish and raced off to find Kid.

“You!” Malice suddenly hissed on screen and lunged for a man none of them could see. She was unsteady and sluggish, her body clearly protesting with every move she made. Killer and Heat watched anxiously as she struggled against two men on screen, even in her weakened form, she seemed too much for them to handle.

The door behind them was nearly torn off its hinges just as the two men managed to wrestle the somewhat disoriented girl onto the hook in the center of the torture chamber. His feral orange eyes flashed to the screen wide in awe.

“Malice.” He breathed her name and felt his heart constrict. She looked like death, so frail, so fragile, but not broken. There was fire in her hellish eyes, a blind determination spurned her onward.

“Last chance, girl.” Kaido’s voice echoed through the room.

“Kid,” He felt his heart skip a beat in his chest. She was addressing him, “whatever happens, don’t you dare try anything. I’ll never forgive you if you even so much as think of trying to rescue me.”

“Don’t cross me, girl.” Kaido roared.

His masked subordinate picked up various torture instruments in the background before selecting a particularly wicked looking one and stepping into the girl’s line of view. “Not to worry boss.” He brandished the instrument, “I’ll break her soon enough.”

Kid clenched his fists at his sides. He couldn’t stand by and watch her be tortured, but he couldn’t pull himself away. He’d nearly believed that she was dead, though deep down there had always been hope, he’d just thought it was some sort of self preservation.

“I’ll strike a deal with you, girl. If you scream for me, I’ll make it stop.” Kaido’s voice growled again.

Kid watched in awe as she readjusted her bound hands and gripped the chain above her. “I won’t scream.” She lashed out with her legs quickly capturing her intended torturer by the neck with her thighs. “And I sure as hell won’t be broken.” Her voice was dark. Her frail body shifted slightly and Kid smirked as he heard the familiar snap of bone.

He watched with a small smile on his lips as his hand moved on autopilot to capture the locket he’d now begun to wear around his neck. Killer had found it in the dirt near Kid’s fallen form. It must have flown off when Malice threw a burst of Haki at him. The locket was dented and scratched all over. The first mate believed it had taken the brunt of the attack and partially why Kid had survived it.

The frail girl broke from her bond and landed on the ground below in a crouch with the meat hook poised threateningly in her hand. Even in her emaciated state, she slaughtered at least seven men before the man she’d first attacked, with Kaido’s symbol tattooed on his neck, stepped forward to intervene.

“Guess it’s just you and me, little girl.” The man smirked wickedly.

Kid felt his blood boil. He needed to be stronger, but Malice may not have the time to wait. His left metallic hand balled into a fist at his side. Asking for help was definitely not his strong suit, but he’d have to learn.

“Killer, I want you to negotiate a temporary alliance.” Kid said through gritted teeth as he watched Malice struggle on screen against the expert swordsman.

The crew finally dragged their gazes away from the monitor to stare at their captain in bewilderment. “Captain?”

“We’re going to need help to get her back.” Kid glared at the screen as Malice was hurled backward and crashed onto a table of various torture instruments. She struggled to her feet, her body shaking from the effort.

“Aren’t you the least bit curious to know why I was there all those years ago?” The man pondered.

“As if I’d waste time thinking about you.” Malice hissed on screen as she readjusted her grip on the meat hook.

What was going on? How did she know him?

“I made sure you would.” The man chuckled, “That’s why I left you with that scar, so you’d see it every day and think of the one who left it there.”

“Go to hell.” Malice lunged.

Though he wasn’t armed, he managed to disarm her with ease. He avoided her attack with a swift side step and caught her wrist in his hand. With a simple flick of his wrist there was a sickening snap and Malice released her hold on the meat hook and inhaled sharply. A small flicker of pain crossed her gaze, but she refused to react.

“Who do you think it was that put the idea into the minds of those bandits?”

Bandits? Kid’s heart fell. Was he behind the attack that took the only semblance of family she’d ever had from her?

Malice let out a rage filled snarl and swung her good hand at the man, moving so fast none of the other viewers had even seen a twitch of movement. Blood sprayed from the swordsman’s chest as her nails easily tore through his flesh.

“First one’s free.” The swordsman chuckled trying to maintain his sense of calm as the wound on his chest broiled with agony. She’d slashed him deep enough he was sure the bone in his sternum was partially exposed. Perhaps he should have waited until she was restrained to reveal himself. Even at the age of six, she’d never really given a care to physical pain.