Getting Around the World in One Piece

xxvii

The seconds that ticked by felt like minutes. An agonizing amount of time stretched on. The sounds of the on going war reached the sub even deep under the ocean. My ears perked up at the explosions knowing we were that much closer.

The boys were beneath me running around preparing for the worst. From the ladder I could make out Bepo giving orders. As soon as we started to rise I was ready to push open the hatch. The air smelled of smoke and ashes were falling down around me like black snow. I couldn't really make out much of anything from where I stood. I recognized Jinbe right away rushing away from the battlefield with someone tucked under his arm.

Widening in horror my eyes locked in on Luffy who was dangling in Jinbe's hold looking lifeless. I dropped to my knees on the deck of the sub feeling as if I couldn't go on anymore. It felt like I ceased to exist in that moment. His eyes were rolled back into his head, and the entire front of his body was soaked in blood. It couldn't all be his could it?

After everything I've been through this was it. I couldn't take anymore. Everything went blank, and I just couldn't function. Couldn't process what was happening until Bepo was dragging me back into the sub. I sat where he left me mindlessly staring into space unable to react to anything. I felt as if the entirety of my being was wiped out. The thought of he's dead rang through my head over and over again.

Inescapable dread just filled my body leaving me feeling empty. More than empty. There aren't enough words to describe the devastation I felt deep within my body. The shaking, groaning sub which threatened to burst didn't even alarm even with the crew yelling over the speakers. Admiral Kizaru and Aokiji were using their powers to try and stop the sub. The yellow tank sunk to the bottom of the ocean just barely escaping. The world drifted away replaced by a loud ringing in my ears as dark thoughts bombarded me.

Scenarios of just letting myself sink into the sea filled my head until it hurt. A physical pain spreading from my head to my chest as I clutched at my shirt trying to hold myself together.

My heart pulsed with a pain that had me curling in on myself. "Ui?" Bepo got down on a knee turning my face to look up at him. "What hurts? Do I need to look you over?"

"My...chest." I forced out between clenched teeth wanting this all to be over. I just wanted my life to be over.

"Take a deep breath." He said his paws holding my head so I couldn't look away from him.

I did as he asked following his lead as I took a breath in through my nose and out through the mouth until the pain was gone. I was left unsure how to react now. Tears didn't reach my eyes though I felt them burning at the back of my eyes.

"He's going to be okay." Bepo said, "Captain is in surgery right now. He's stabilized Luffy, and he's just fixing him up now." Bepo put Luffy's straw hat in my hands.

Tears started gushing from my eyes feeling relief wash over me. I clutched Bepo sobbing embarrassingly loud into his fur. He rubbed my back in a 'there there' kinda way that reminded me of my childhood with Makino.

He helped me up and I chose to sit outside the infirmary until Law would allow me to go in. I needed to physically see him. Feel his heart beat to know that Luffy was okay. That we were going to continue on our journey. That we were going to have a happy ever after. The reasoning behind Luffy being at Marineford crossed my mind.

Ace

I shot up like a rocket rushing to where I saw Bepo. "Ace!" I yelled in hysterics. "What became of Ace?"

I wracked my brain flipping through snippets of the war that had been raging right in front of me. I didn't even see Ace. No Tamara. Shanks was there. He was smiling at me as Bepo pulled me inside the sub. I hadn't even gotten the chance to smile back. So sucked into myself I didn't even see that clown Buggy flying around.