Opavia vl.2

26.

kierra looked up from the ground at faint voices, water splashing down on her after a moment as she sat up.

"what are you doing?!" she snapped, staring forward at the dead sea king in confusion.

"what the..." she looked up as rayleigh emerged from the water, her eyes widening.

"dark knight rayleigh?!" one of law's crew members yelled as he looked over them.

"oh, you guys. we met at sabaody archipelago." he hummed.

"he was the first mate of Roger!" bepo yelled.

"well, my ship sank in the storm and i had no choice but to swim." he hummed.

"storm?! the calm bet is always calm, how could it have been hit with a storm?!" a crewmember yelled.

"that means his ship wrecked farther away and he swam all the way here!" another man yelled.

"i have a good breastroke." he hummed.

"that's the not the point!"

kierra stepped forward, staring up at rayleigh as he hummed and glanced over his shoulder.

"t'kai's brat." he hummed with a grin as she sat down infront of him.

"did you hear?" she murmured. rayleigh hummed and looked away briefly.

"it was a long, hard fight from what i heard and saw." he murmured. "you are lucky to still be alive."

"i wish i wasn't." kierra bit her lip as she stared down, gripping the dirt and shaking her head. her face twisted in a painful expression as she closed her eyes, her heart tightening at the thought of ace as she cradled him in her arms. she swallowed at the thought of his laugh, the whispered heat of his breath against her ear as he uttered his last words and the sight of his smile as he looked over her.

"why?" she managed, banging her head against the ground.

"kier-" law stepped forward as rayleigh threw his arm out.

"why, why, why, why..." she pressed her forehead against the ground, shaking her head and lashing her tail furiously as she sobbed. "why did it have to be ace?!" she looked up at rayleigh, choking on tears as she stared at him. she sniffled, panting heavily before sniffling once again. "i-" she closed her eyes and shook her head, digging her fingers into the ground. "i couldn't save him!" she cried, inhaling heavily as she pressed her palm to her forehead. she fell out on the ground, twisting and turning and pushing against her forehead until she finally broke out her in a scream. she wailed, holding her face in her palms as she screamed out.

"ace!!" she cried, law closing his eyes.

she rolled onto her stomach and sat on her knees, staring at the ground weakly. "why didn't he take me?!" she sobbed, slamming her fist into the ground. there was a large splash in the distance, rayleigh watching a distant island sink. he looked down at kierra as she gritted her teeth, shaking her head.

"why are you crying?"

"he was all i had!" she cried. "he was-he-he." she looked up, hyperventilating as she gasped for air desperately. "he was my best friend!" she twisted her face, frowning as she stared up at rayleigh. "he took care of me...he helped me, he meant the world to me and" she paused as the memory of akainu punching through ace's torso replayed in her head. "they took everything from me!" she finished, sobbing. "he's gone!" she gritted her teeth. "nobody understands the pain in my heart and the feeling of watching someone so special die in their arms." she extended her shaking hands. "and you can't help but watch as their life slips away infront of y-" rayleigh slammed his fist into her head as she fell to the ground, law standing.

"what the hell are you doing?!" he yelled, reaching for his sword but pausing as rayleigh leaned back.

"you think you're the only one mourning?" he scowled as kierra slowly sat up, rubbing her head. "you spent 3 years with ace! straw hat luffy spent his whole life with his brother! and how do you think he feels?!" her ears pinned. "how dare you say nobody knows how you feel and that you're alone? you saw t'kai! you have your brothers and sister, your friends, luffy!" he wiped his glasses. "ace is gone. crying and yelling about it and what you could have done won't bring him back!" she closed her eyes as law rose.

"that's enough." he sighed, standing. "kierra" she looked up with glossy eyes as he extended his hand for her to take.

"i told your sister i'd watch over you and i think it's time for us to go." she glanced back  at rayleigh before taking law's hand.

"thank you." she murmured, glancing over at rayleigh as he hummed.

"take care, kierra." he murmured. "and tell your bastard of a father he still owes me a bottle of sake!"

"okay." she murmured, turning to the forest as luffy and jimbei appeared.

"luffy" she walked forward as he slid off of jimbei's back, greeted with a hug. she rested her chin on his shoulder as he grinned, embracing her as well.

"i'm glad you're okay." he murmured as she stepped back.

"i've got to go." she frowned slightly. "i have to go meet up with my family, i know they're worried."

"let me come with you-"

"luffy." jimbei warned. "you haven't fully recovered."

"neither has she." he pointed out, kierra closing her eyes.

"luffy." she looked up. "i have to go and be with my people right now. i just found my father after years." she laughed softly as he frowned, giving an understanding nod. he reached in his pocket slowly, extending his hand. he dropped a red bead in her hand, kierra looking down at it as the memory of her placing ace's necklace around his neck replayed in her mind.

"it was in my pocket." he murmured, kierra closing her hand. she embraced luffy a final time, turning with a sad smile.

"stay strong, luffy." she extended her fist, resting her hand on her hip. "we'll meet up again soon, okay?"

"where are you going?" he hummed curiously as she turned.

"home."