A wyvern's luck, One Piece fanfic

Chapter 11

Warning!
Mentions of battle. Emotional breakdown.

The outfit

The weapons

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| Y/N POV |
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"Naito..." I breathed, tears still pooling in my eyes.
Asking the hovering wyvern to land on the ground, wanting to run to my long-lost friend. Happy that he was alive.
I knew that once you become a rider, you must let go of your past and forget the friends you made. Especially those who didn't survive the choosing.
But in my blind joy I forgot all the rules I've been taught.
Nocturne's legs landed on the ground, a low warning rumble leaving his throat.
The pirate noticing the threat in front of them and standing on full alert.
Before the wyvern was fully on the ground, I jumped off. Stumbling at the harsher landing than normal.
I didn't care, I just wanted to hold my friend.
Every step became faster and faster. Until I was sprinting towards the energy at the edge of the nest, blind to my surroundings.
I didn't notice the evil intent radiating from the man, but my companion felt it and roared loudly. Trying to warn me about the incoming danger.
An arm snaked around my waist. A rubbery feeling to it, pulling me back towards the captain.
The sword aimed at my throat missing by mere inches.
Being thrown against the captain's chest, locking me with his arm, as I was fighting to release myself.
"Let me go!" I yelled at the captain. Turning around in his arms, hitting his chest with weak punches. My own emotions too much to handle.
The punches died down as the tears kept steaming down my cheek. Slowly admitting defeat in the pirate's arms. Sinking against him.
Soft hiccups left my throat as I hung limply against Luffy. Trying to regain my posture, I still had a job to do. I could grief later.
Rising to my shaking legs. Pulling my helmet off, letting it fall to the ground.
Luffy noticing I had my emotions under control again and let me go. Allowing me to stand beside him. Nocturne's body overshadowing us.
Taking a deep breath, letting the last of my grief go. My focus now on the battle ahead.
My blind eyes wandered over to the tainted energy in the distance. "Why Naito? Why are you doing this?" I commanded across the field.
A cackling laugh answered the question, his voice hadn't changed over our centuries apart.
My barely repaired heart shattered again with the memory. This time not letting the feeling control me. I couldn't afford the price of failure. Not with my home at risk.
"Why, you ask?" He questioned between his laughs. "You were chosen as heir to the throne, while I deserved it more." His mouth twitched into an insane smile, the right corner of his lips not working in his favour. Leaving a lob-sided smile behind, making the whole scene even creepier than humanly possible.
Nocturne growled lowly as another energy stepped out of the forest edge. The energy of a wyvern.
Looking at Luffy, asking. "What does the wyvern look like?"
"Looks like faded grey scales and red eyes." Luffy answered after studying the creature standing next to Naito.
"A corrupted wyvern." I whispered, looking down at the ground. The revengeful emotions from her rider having corrupted her mind, becoming blind for her own true feelings.
Nocturne growled even more at the arrival of the other wyvern. His head lowering over us, guarding the rider and her friend.
Luffy let a hand rest on the creature's neck, calming him down a bit without trouble.
"Are you alright?" Luffy asked me, sensing my broken heart. His eyes staying on the enemy in the distance.
"Yes..." I started, before changing my mind. "No, he used to be my childhood friend. He was also chosen as a candidate for the empress's young. But he was rejected and burnt by the empress's fire."
Luffy nodded, his hand moving from the wyvern to my shoulder. "The man you see now isn't the one you remember. He brought destruction to your home and let the Celestial Dragons have the Empress's young. Are you sure you don't want to fight him?"
Taking a deep breath, straightening up. A confidant smile coming to my lips. "Yes, I will fight him." Looking to the captain at my side. "Will you have my back?"
Luffy smiled widely, happy to fight the person who had hurt me so much. "Get ready then."
Pulling out my swords, letting the familiar weight rest in my hands. Taking a defensive stance beside the captain.
Nocturne rose to his full hight, leaning on his back legs. Wings outstretched, head turned to the sky. A deafening roar left his mouth, being answered by the other wyvern.
Both of them flying towards each other's throats. Teeth clacking as they hit air, body's slamming into one another. Trying to get them out of the sky.
I started to sprint across the field again, this time with intend to take the traitor down. My swords at my side.
When I was in range I swung towards his right side.
Naito jumped to the side, dodging the attack. Falling to notice Luffy coming at him with a fist raised. Punching the man in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.
Finding an opening in his defence. Cutting across one his arms, his weapon falling to the floor.
A feeling of triumph rushed through my veins, mixing with the adrenaline.
But the victory was cut short as I heard Luffy yell my name in alarm. My observation haki picking up on a massive thing falling from the sky.
Jumping out of the way, sliding across the grass. The thing's energy becoming clearer as it landed a few feet away from me.
The corrupted wyvern had fallen from the sky. Nocturne's energy mixing with the fallen wyvern, pinning her to the ground.
Luffy ran to my side, helping me stand up. His eyes wandering to the wyverns in the distance.
"Just one more to go." I told him, my haki wandering passed the wyverns. Focusing on the traitor beside them.
"I need an opening to shoot him down." I told a quick plan to the captain, who nodded and ran back to the traitor. Ready to create the opening I had asked for.
Luffy punched him in the face, right across the burn wound. A blind spot.
Naito hissed in pain, not that it hurt much, but the memory connected to it was fresh and he wasn't willing to be reminded of the time he lost.
Watching the fighting energies in the distance. Sheathing my swords, gabbing my bow instead. My haki keeping focus on the chaos away from me.
Laying a silver arrow on the arrow rest. Taking a deep breath, pulling the string taught. Steadying my hand. Aiming the arrow at the two fighting men.
Waiting for the moment an opening would present itself.
Luffy punched Naito again in the stomach.
The man folding in on himself to catch is breath. The moment he stood up again, raising his fist to strike back.
That was the opening I was looking for. Letting the arrow fly.
The sliver thing flew past Luffy's head, hitting the traitor in the shoulder. Knocking him off balance.
Luffy noticing his change, jumped on top of the man. Punching away at his face, knocking him unconscious.
Walking over to the captain's side. A sigh escaping my lips. "Now it is up to the royals to decide his fate."
The battle was over with seconds, the navy having been driven back by the riders and the straw hat crew. Without a wyvern to guide them they couldn't return to our island, giving us the peace we so desired.

The court room was bustling with riders, young and old alike. Everyone wanted to know who the rouge rider was and why he did it.
Standing on a raised platform at the end of the court room, taking my spot between Nocturne's wings watching the royals standing beside us.
The straw hats were sitting on the front row across from me. Smiling softly at their anxious energy. "Relax," I spoke up, "the emperor will just talk a lot, nothing more." Trying to reassure the pirates.
Before they could answer, the door swung open. Naito being dragged inside in heavy chains, fighting against them with all his might.
The riders shoved him to his knees. The man falling unceremoniously forwards.
Taking a step forward, being the only one bonded with a royal. Able to translate the feelings and meanings of the emperor through my own companion.
"Naito Yoriyoshi. You hereby stand trail for the actions you have committed against the land." I started the translation of emperor Dalaurh. "Why did you decide to turn your back onto your homeland?"
His one remaining green eye focused on me, the other faded one following slower. Glaring daggers at me. "Everything was taken from me." He answered shortly, turning his head away in annoyance.
I huffed under my breath at him. A new wave of emotions washing over me. Translating without difficulty. "And what would that be?"
The whole room stood on edge. Everyone wanting to know what made him betray us.
A wicked laugh echoed around the room. The riders at his side pulling out their swords, pointing them at his neck at the off-setting sound.
Naito had his head tipped to the ceiling, laughing menacingly at the question. His eyes traveling down, boring into my blindfolded ones. "You stole my throne." He accused me. "Both the queen and empress are fools for letting a weak hearted fool on it."
He kept laughing, glaring at me. His greed for power emanating around the room.
"A wild wyvern gave me her dying young, not ready to let the thing go." He continues his speech. "It took a lot of work to get to follow my every command without question."
His gaze darkened with his next words. "I returned stronger than ever and was able to get my revenge agains the queen, letting the empress suffer for her loss. A slow, painful death for the thing that made me suffer. I wanted to get rid of you too, killing your companion in the process. But you were protected by those damn pirates you had to save."
Nocturne growled lowly at the man, not having his humour any longer.
Letting a hand rest on the black wyvern's neck. Sending a calming feeling through the bond.
Another emotion rushed over me. The emperor had come to a decision.
Releasing the wyvern, turning back to the task at hand. "The emperor had decided your punishment." I spoke up, letting everyone know what the emperor thought.
"The traitor and rouge rider, Naito Yoriyoshi, will be given the heaviest punishment. His wyvern will be clipped." I started, a gasp rang through the crowd. A wyvern that can't fly is technically dead. "And he shall be locked away deep underneath the sea. Slowly drowning in silence and insanity."
With those words he was dragged away, his laugh resonating around the room and halls. The silence returning as the doors fell shut behind them.
Before the riders could leave, I spoke up again. "Another thing shall be addressed tonight."
The riders looked among each other, not having been informed about it.
"A reward shall be given to our saviours." I continued quickly. My voice echoing around the court room.
Signalling Luffy to step forward. The captain walking towards us, taking the place Naito was mere moments ago. Unsure of what the reward shall be, having declined one already.
Straightening myself, looking at the captain in front of me. "The reward is of the highest regards and will not be given without reason." I started to translate the wyvern's feelings again. "The reasons for this reward is as followed, he saved my life as well at that of our future emperor. He helped me save our island from it second downfall. This time bringing an actual stop to it."
I smiled at the captain in front of me. "The reward had only been given to two other people. The first one being the pirate king, Gol D Roger. The other is an emperor of the sea, Red-haired Shanks."
The energy in Luffy lighted up with those two names. Throwing a quick glance over his shoulder at his shocked crew.
"Now Monkey D Luffy will be part of the people carrying the reward."
Turning too the court room, my voice clear as I spoke the reward. "The captain, Monkey D Luffy, will be able to call upon our riders in his battles and we shall aid him to the best of our ability. As well that he may enter our waters and island at will, just a single call and we will guide him home."
As the last words left my throat, the crowd erupted into cheers. Knowing that another party would be given soon.
Luffy bounced over to me, enveloping me in a tight hug.
I laughed at his action, before I was pushed over by a few more people joking the hug. Nami at my side, Chopper on top of my head. Franky wanted to join, but was held back by Zoro, knowing I would get crushed under the cyborg.
Freeing myself from the group, climbing to my feet again. Ignoring the laughing wyvern above me.
Luffy bounced on his feet, a question on his mind.
His crew knew exactly what that question was. Normally they would try to stop him, but they didn't mind this time.
"Join my crew!" The captain asked with a bright smile.
Smiling at his endless energy. "Give me some time to decide." I spoke up after a moment, knowing that I wanted to make the right decision. Not one made out of haste. "Can you wait until the end of the ball?"
Luffy nodded in return, willing to wait for my answer.