The Puppet Master [One Piece]

Mariejois and Old Friends

~Echo's POV~

I felt sick to my stomach and it wasn't from the hangover. Why would he want to go to Mariejois? Was that even a safe place for either of us? The World Government wanted me dead! My insides felt like they were twisting and turning into painfully tight anxious knots. Shanks pursed his lips together in a worried frown but said nothing. He looked like he wanted to comfort me and tell me we didn't have to go, but this was too important and he stopped himself. This only made me more anxious.

"We should get going Echo." He said softly and placed his hand in mine.

"N-N-Now?!" I squeaked. "B-but I can only get the two of us there...won't we need backup?" My skin was turning paler by the second, I didn't like anything about this, it felt like we were throwing ourselves to the wolves.

Shanks offered me a strained smile, "only the two of us need to be there, I'll keep you safe." He squeezed my hand in his.

"...I don't like this..." I groaned.

"It's alright." He gave my hand a gentle tug and pulled me toward him, releasing my hand so he could wrap his arm around me. Gently, he rubbed my back as he described in vivid detail the location, we were going which only made my stomach churn more. Why did he know so much about Mariejois?

I closed my eyes and clung to him tightly as I tried to envision what he'd described. Before long the beautiful rich scenery of Mariejois drifted into view. There were grand palaces and guards dressed in shining full plate armor. I focused on the castle he'd described and found the room he'd asked me to locate, there were five elderly men gathered there. Despite their age, they all looked intimidating and my anxiousness got the better of me.

I trembled against Shanks and tried my best not to make an audible sound of distress. This didn't sit right with me. How could we go there safely without being captured? Sensing my anxiousness, Shanks tightened his hold on me.

"It's alright, Echo. I won't let any harm come to you." He kissed the top of my head.

"B-But what about you?" I asked shakily, I'd be too weak to do anything after teleporting us that far.

He chuckled softly, "you have nothing to worry about."

That only made me worry more! How could he be so confident about this?! I hesitantly focused again on the grand hallway outside the room with the terrifying elders. Suddenly, everything shifted, I could no longer smell the ocean or feel the warm breeze from the balcony, now it felt somewhat cold and suffocating. My head started to pound, my knees weakened and I kept my eyes tightly shut as a wave of dizziness washed over me. We'd teleported a great distance.

The sound of metal clad guards approaching gave me cause for concern but I couldn't seem to move my body. It wouldn't listen to me properly. I felt myself start to slip toward the ground, exhausted from using the Heaven's Haki to get us here. Shanks kept a firm hold on me not seeming the least bit worried about the approaching plate clad guards. Easily, he swept me off of my feet and cradled me against him. I couldn't stop trembling and was struggling to stay conscious. I could see them in my mind approaching us and clung to Shanks. Why wasn't he doing anything? He looked completely calm.

The guards came to a stop around us and lowered their weapons. My insides were twisting into knots again and I felt nauseous as the guards bowed respectfully to Shanks in my mind's eye. Why? I didn't understand.

"Sh-Shanks?" I squeaked feeling terrified and confused.

He held me close before addressing the guards, "could you find somewhere comfortable for her to rest?" I felt his overwhelming aura as he released a small burst of Haki, just enough to knock me unconscious.