Searching for Brothers [One Piece fanfic]

Chapter XXXIX: Please Tell Me It's Not True

Searching For Brothers: Chapter 39

Word count: 2.4 k

THIRD PERSON P.O.V.

Edward Newgate didn't even flinch when he heard a loud yell, barely looking up from his large jug of alcohol as a limping female came into view. However, his eyes did narrow in concern as the female almost tripped over, getting caught in the arms of Thatch who gently cradled her in his arms.

"Lass, slow down!" The man with the pompadour spoke with urgency, his eyes quickly looking over the blonde's form for injuries. His eyes hardened as he sees the bandage around her midsection slowly become red.

Clementine releases a low groan, her face scrunching up in pain. However, she uses her hand to push against Thatch's chest, slowly climbing back up to her feet as she approached Whitebeard. Thatch only watched the younger female with distraught etched onto his face, not being able to forget the pain in Clementine's icy blue orbs.

By this time, a crowd had formed, all the commanders gathering around to see what the ruckus was. Many of them watching the scene with stoic faces, their arms crossed over their chest.

"Papa..." Clementine gasps as her legs suddenly gives out beneath her, her body hitting the deck with a thud.

Immediately, few people moved to help her, Thatch and Marco included. However, they freeze, gritting their teeth and looking away as Clementine raises a hand, refusing their help.

The said female wheezes, her hand pressing against her side where she felt her injury open up, her fingers becoming slippery as the blood leaked through her gauze as well as the shirt she wore.

Everyone silently watched as the stubborn woman climbed up to her feet and approached Newgate who patiently waited. When she was finally in front of him, Newgate released a loud breath, the enormous man rubbing his forehead.

"My daughter, it seems as you read the news."

Clementine feels tears fill her eyes, however she holds it back as she gazed up at the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates with her shoulders dropped. "I-It's true then..."

No one says anything as the first drop falls out of Clementine's watering eyes, the tear landing on her hand as she held in a sob that was threatening to leave her lips. "A p-public execution..."

Many of the men looked away from the scene, their hearts not being able to take it. While they were thick skinned pirates who were all criminals, they cared for each other like family, and when they saw the young girl they cared about like a sister break down in front of them like that, it hurt.

"I will not allow it to happen, Clementine."

Clementine finally looks up, her nose red and her eyes filled with tears as she gazed up at Whitebeard who was now standing tall.

"When they announce such thing about one of my sons, I take it as a direct attack on myself. I will not allow the public execution to happen when they declared war on us," Whitebeard growled as he approached the female. His large hands gently coming down on Clementine's head, carefully patting the female's head as if she would break any moment.

Clementine feels her heart break, her thought going back to the dark time when she had lost her only blood brother. The young face of her toothless older brother flashed through her mind, only making the sobs that leave her mouth louder. Years have passed but the deep scar was still oozing painfully, splitting open once more as she thinks about what was happening to Ace.

Ace, her sworn older brother who had helped stitch those scars back in the first place.

The female grits her teeth as she wobbled to her feet, her arms coming up to rub against her face, her thin clothes sucking up the wetness against her cheek.