The Black Blade Assassin

Marshall D. Teach

"You look...scared."

Saki blinks. She did? She's always been told she has an amazing poker face when it comes to fear. She never lets it show. She likes a good challenge anyway. What reason would she have to look scared?

"Y-You don't mean..." Usopp starts to reply to Nami when he let's out a startled squeak as a voice yells up at them.

"HOLD IT!!!"

Saki answers her own question pretty quickly.

The dark aura was here. And she could finally put a name to it.

No wonder she looked scared.

Teach was here with his poor excuse for a ship and crew.

"WE'VE CAUGHT UP TO YOU! STRAW-HAT LUFFY!! PIRATE HUNTER ZORO!!!"

That motherfucker was going down.

"I've come for your 100,000,000 head!!!"

Luffy tilts his head to the side in confusion. "My head? Whaddya mean, 100,000,000?"

Usopp looks through his binoculars, squinting at the papers Blackbeard was holding up. "It's true! They're new wanted posters! Zoro, you've got one, too!"

"What?!!" Sanji climbs to where Usopp was and grabs him. "Hold on! What about me?! I've got one, don't I?!"

"Ah...nope," Usopp answers blankly

"Look closer."

"Nope."

"Hey, Saki!! My bounty has risen! That means you gotta join my crew!" Luffy grins widely only for his face to fall as he looks toward Saki.

Saki's expression had darkened to borderline sadistic and deadly. She reaches for her swords only for Chopper to scream at her that she wasn't allowed. She didn't care, right now. That traitor was here and she was going to fight. Even if she injured herself further. She didn't care. She couldn't feel any pain at the moment anyway. Did it really matter? Her facing Blackbeard was better than Ace getting hurt.

Saki jumps up onto the railing, unsheathing her swords and glaring down at Teach.

A hand reaches for her wrist, trying to pull her down, but she shakes them off.

She'd go to the sky another day. Not now. She can't.

He's right here.

How could she leave with good conscience?

'I'm sorry, Ace, but I'm taking this bastard to his early grave.'

"Ah! Saki-chan!" Teach laughs. "I was going to have Straw-Hat's bounty, but since you're here, I won't settle for less!" He grins. "How do you feel on making me a Warlord, eh?"

Saki tilts her head menacingly, a dark look in her eyes. "I rather I kill you here and now."

Usopp squeaks in terror at the tone of Saki's voice while Nami pales and Chopper shivers.

Zoro narrows his eyes at Saki's hostility.

"Now, now! That's not how old friends greet each other!" Blackbeard sweats nervously. "Join my crew!"

"Hah?" Luffy frowns. "She's on my crew, bastard!"

"Stay out of this, Luffy-san."

Nami's eyes widen. Saki was using honourifics again.

"No way! He's trying to take my crew member away!" Luffy argues.

"Stay out of it," Saki repeats. "This isn't a fight you can win, Luffy-san."

Blackbeard smirks. "Good to know you don't underestimate me, Saki-chan!"

Saki's eyes don't stray from the traitorous bastard before her. She widens her stance and just as she's about to attack, a rumbling from below makes her pause. "What...?"

"GET READY!!"

"THE SEA'S GONNA EXPLODE!!"

The Going Merry was steadily rising higher and higher above Blackbeard and his crew.

Saki bites her lip. "I'm sorry." Saki turns and bows to the crew. "I cannot come with you."

"Eh?"

And with that Saki jumps gracefully off the ship, a cold calculating look in her eyes as she aims for Teach with her swords.

His eyes widen in fear and Saki's fingers itch in anticipation as she falls.

The Knock-Up Stream erupts, catapulting the Going Merry into the sky along with the current.