A Wish on a Comet (Luffy x OC)

Chapter 64

He growls in annoyance of him not understanding, so he spells it out for him. "Don't lump me in with the cat. I don't throw away people when they're still able to grow. Use these failures as fuel to get stronger, and prove to everyone that you deserve to be here. As long as you are in my unit, I don't want to hear you beg again, or I'll blow up your tongue, got it?!"

Nero gulps from the threat, but he got the message clearly by saluting him. "Yes sir!"

Rufus' lips cracked a small grin from his change in attitude, and goes to give an order for him to rest, but stops when the door is slammed open.

Both men look to the door to find Aokiji walking inside with an unconscious, shirtless, man in his arms.

At first, the agents couldn't recognize the one-armed man, because his entire left side, from his hip to his shoulder where his arm used to start from, is covered in bandages.

As soon as Rufus got a closer look though, he's amazed to see that it's the subordinate who he believed was killed in the ship's explosion! "Andreos?!"

"Ah, so he is yours. I found him floating in the water after the battle. The doctors just finished treating him. He should be up in a few hours." Aokiji sets him on the bed, with his back to the men who are speechless from the sight of their comrade surviving.

Aokiji looks back at the two, and continues to tell them what happened after the fight. "The Straw Hats got away with both girls, and Enies Lobby turned into a wasteland from the buster call. Spandam's getting sent to Impel Down for this, but headquarters is working to keep this under wraps. Once all three of you are recovered, you're to report back to base."

He looks down at Nero to see that he hasn't been treated yet. "You need to get healed as well. Can you walk? I can carry you to where the others are treated."

"I can walk, just lead me there please." Nero's quick to answer by standing up, so he doesn't risk being carried, and follows the admiral out of the room.

Once they're gone, Rufus looks to his unconscious friend. Seeing him broken, but alive, brings him massive relief to know that the last of his childhood friends didn't die from this mission.

Tears start rolling down his face, but he doesn't care, because he's alone. With no one to judge him for expressing his emotions, he's not only free to feel the joy of Andreos surviving, but mourn for Nishiki and Lareos' deaths.

He's known those two since he and Andreos started training at Cipher Island with them, and the rest of their generation. When they graduated, those four were the only ones who survived.

And now there were only two left thanks to that demon...

When remembering the cause of all this, he wipes off the tears with his good arm. He growls in frustration of all that he lost, and looks out the window.

Even though he can't see the Straw Hats' ship, he knows that his target is out there. He vows that one day, he will make her suffer as painfully as possible before she dies by his hand.

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With the crew having made their escape from Enies Lobby miles away, the Straw Hats that are uninjured are still wary of any pursuers that could be after them.

As soon as Chopper was able to move, he took Rose below deck to keep her from getting in the line of fire, and so that he could concentrate.

As soon as she's laying on the floor, Chopper tears off Rose's left sleeve with half her shoulder open, to reveal the sword wound. He's quick to stop the bleeding by stitching up the cut with his medical tools. Once the bleeding stops, he checks her pulse to see that it's weak, but not fatal. If she had lost any more blood, she would've needed a transfusion.