The Elementalist Lucia [One Piece x OC fanfiction]

XVI - A rude awakening

The first thing I hear is the steady "beep-beep" of a heart recording near me. Then there is the sharp smell of disinfectant and alcohol. My fingers brush against a fresh cloth. Then I open my eyes. The room I'm in is dark, I can hardly make out anything. My vision is blurred, my eyelids heavy. I can feel my breath coming in and out, and it keeps coming back against my chin. I bring my hand to my mouth, intrigued, and feel a plastic shell surrounding my lower face. A mask... for breathing... I formulate simple thoughts, unable to do anything complicated. My mind spins in slow motion, I feel as if I am immersed in a heavy cotton mass. This heaviness is also felt in my body, which seems to weigh a ton, I can hardly move. It takes a lot of effort to put my arm back down. I blink several times in succession. Something is missing. I can't say what. I have this gaping hole in me that makes me realise that something is missing.

Suddenly it all comes back to me. Marineford. Whitebeard. Sengoku. Ace. Luffy. Akainu. Ace. Their faces run in a loop in my head. Then an image emerges suddenly and fixes itself on my retina. Ace. Ace in Luffy's arms, his chest bleeding, his eyes misty with tears. Luffy is saying words I don't understand, that I can't hear. His eyes beg me to help him. I can't move. I can't make a move.

The sound bursts in my ears. The screams. Luffy's long screams. He begs me to help him, he begs the whole world to help him, to save his brother, to save my brother. He screams as Ace's body hits the ground heavily.

Then flashes come back to me. It's a blur. Akainu. The look in Akainu's eyes. Another flash. The pain is unbearable. I see the world flickering around me. I am in pain. It hurts so much. I shouldn't be in pain. Why does it hurt so much?

The sound of the machine next to me is racing along with my breathing. I need air. Regaining some unsuspected energy, I rip off my oxygen mask and the hoses that were connected to my arms. I pull myself heavily out of the bed I'm on. My legs refuse to carry me, I collapse on the cold floor. My jaw hits the metal, the taste of blood fills my mouth. I need air. I want to get out. With tears in my eyes, I slowly crawl to the ground and find myself facing a door. I pull myself together, draw on what little resources I have left, get up and grab the handle as if my life depended on it. Fortunately for me it opens without difficulty. Good point, at least I am not a prisoner. I then begin a chaotic walk in a large corridor, leaning against the wall, my gaze riveted on the small circle of light that emanates at the end. Air... I need air. Sobs crush my throat as tears now roll down my cheeks. I cling to this light. In my head it's a storm of overlapping images and sounds, heckling and threatening to send me into pure madness.

**

"Captain, how long are we gonna keep the girl?"

"The Dark Lord gave me instructions. I have a meeting point for her. We just need to get her there and try to keep her alive until then."

"Don't you want to go to the New World instead?"

"Calm down, Penguin, there's no point in going there now, I've already told you. Besides, it's on a New World island that we have to drop off our guest. So let's wait for the big fish to eat each other and then we can go our own way."

"I don't like waiting!"

"Take it easy and be less noisy, you're starting to piss me-"

He was interrupted by the thud of the door suddenly opening. His eyes widened as he saw her take a few unsteady steps onto the deck of the submarine. He had never imagined that she could get up so early. She staggered, clinging to the railing, leaning forward as if she would topple into the ocean at any moment. He stood up, not really knowing if he was going to stop her from diving or not. He could see the tears rolling down her cheeks, running until they were lost in the foam that was forming around the Heart submarine. He saw her rib cage rise and fall heavily, in vain attempts to catch a breath that was inexorably escaping her. With her mouth open, no cry could get past her lips, only long complaints that mingled with the whistling of the wind. Soon her legs gave up again and she fell back. Finally sensing their presence, she turned around and what she saw finished her off. Overwhelmed by the bodies of the 15 crew members standing before her, she cowered in the corner of the deck, hand outstretched in a desperate attempt to defend herself. But he could see that her arm was shaking, as was her whole body, and that she was unable to concentrate on attacking. He sighed: