Stella Star's vacations

Chapter 4 : The crossroads

 The fingers around Zoro's neck tighten and press him more against the wooden wall that begins to creak dangerously. The swordsman is almost surprised that he hasn't broken through the wall yet. His hands clutched hers, desperately trying to scratch her skin to make her let go, but it was like trying to scratch a concrete wall, his nails barely managed to leave a mark. Stella's enraged face moved closer to his and she began to speak in a heavy, gaunt voice as her eyes practically turned black.

"You! How dare you!" The swordsman looks at her with wide eyes, a shiver running down his back. Each of his hairs bristle with fear at the sound of her voice, it's like someone else is talking to him.

He doesn't know how he's going to get out of this one, his throat is starting to hurt like hell from being crushed, his head is starting to get fuzzy from the pressure of the blood building up, and no matter how hard he tries to crush Stella's arm, he can't see any sign of pain on her enraged face. He tries to say something, but he can't, the air gets stuck in his throat because of the pressure. But he doesn't intend to stand there and do nothing, as Stella seems to have enough strength to lift him with one hand, he puts his feet against the wall and tries to use the strength of his legs, back and arms to bring her down. He barely manages to lift his back and throat off the wall. BBut the enraged woman immediately brings him back against the wall with a loud thud. This effort allows Zoro to catch his breath and speak.

"Stella...S...Stop...You're...hurting me..." Stella continues to look at him angrily, but her hand starts to shake. She blinks a few times, as if she's struggling with something. Her eyes finish closing and she takes a deep breath. She breathes slowly, her breathing calming with each breath. Her hand stops shaking and her grip becomes less lethal, causing Zoro to slide to the ground and take a deep breath to get rid of the pain that has begun to compress his lungs. The black aura surrounding her dissipates entirely, vanishing as swiftly as it had appeared.

"Sutashi... May I know what you are playing at?" The door to the room slams shut violently, the echo reverberating through the corridor. "I'll deal with you later." She says in a dark voice. Zoro doesn't know if these words are for him or for Sutashi or even for someone else. He feels Stella's hand gently let go of him as she caresses the bruises that are beginning to appear in them, like a silent apology. Stella's eyes finally open again and the swordsman notices that they have regained their usual blue hue, but they look a little sad and guilty.

"Sorry fingerling, I know it's not your fault." Zoro relaxes slightly now that she no longer intends to kill him. But he is still confused, his heart still beats violently in his chest and his blood is pounding in his ears, after all she almost killed him. But in front of the face of Stella which empties itself by fixing the ground, he starts to feel guilty of the discovery which he has just made. Obviously, this room holds a secret he was not supposed to know.

"No, this is me apologizing. I should have been more resilient than that. I'm sorry..." He croaks, massaging his throat. An awkward silence hangs over the duo. Embarrassed, Zoro rubs the back of his head, a slight grimace of pain crossing his face, not knowing how to get out of this situation. " Listen, I'm not going to ask you any questions about what I saw, or say anything to the others. Is this... Is this good for you?" He asks cautiously.

Stella looks at him intensely and finally gives a small smile.

"There's no need to be so embarrassed. Certainly is something you shouldn't have seen. But it's obvious that Sutashi is trying to kill you." The swordsman stands still and looks at her with wide eyes, trying to determine if she's telling the truth or if it's a joke.

"What do you mean by that?" She lets out a deep sigh as she runs her hand through her hair.

"Sutashi knows that this room represents something important to me, a constant reminder of a part of my life. Like a wound that hasn't yet closed. It seems he was hoping I would be angry enough with you to kill you." A chill runs down his back, and he casts a wary glance down the wooden hallway. He is going to be the greatest swordsman in the world. If he dies, it will be to fulfill his dream or to defend his friends. He won't be killed by a crazy fucking boat!