][Malice][ =One Piece=

:: Chapter Twenty One ::

“What the hell are you doing?” Kid growled from somewhere up above.

Malice chanced a glance and spotted him standing at the edge of the ship gripping the rope keeping her suspended with one hand.  “Something out there is keeping the Seakings away from the ship.” She answered simply.

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Kid threw her a cocky smirk.

“It could be, or it could be a terrible thing.” Malice shrugged, “Can you lower me down to the rudder?”

A colossal shadow swept by overhead encasing them in complete darkness for a fleeting moment. Kid chanced a glance upward, his feral amber eyes searching for the source of the ominous shadow. Large luminescent sickly green eyes glared back at him from the cover of the underwater roots and he hoisted Malice up with one swift pull causing her to fall into his arms.

“What are you doing?” Malice blushed as she was suddenly being cradled in his arms. “I said down not up.” She growled.

“Shut up.” Kid hissed softly as he scanned the ocean for the massive beast once more.

“Captain?! Are we playing another round or what?!” The others called and Kid cringed at the sudden sound.

Malice was about to question him when a loud monster like roar erupted from the darkness around them and an enormous sea beast shot toward their ship. “Oh hell.” She grumbled.

“Can you do anything about that?” Kid asked her calmly as the beast charged.

She shook her head and Kid swore under his breath. Ever since her encounter with Kizaru she hadn’t been able to use very much Haki.  Before anyone could react, a massive amount of energy burst forth from the darkness causing the great sea beast to turn tail and run.

“What the hell was that?” Killer, Heat, Wire and the others raced to the aft of the ship after the burst of energy disappeared.

“Haki.” Malice said shakily.

“I thought you couldn’t use it yet?” Kid asked her skeptically while the others threw them curious looks at their current position.

“It wasn’t me.” Malice replied as she quickly cast out her senses in search of the source. She sensed multiple other human life forms in the darkness, they were drawing nearer rapidly. It was another ship. “There’s a ship approaching.”

Everyone scanned the surrounding water cautiously. There were other supernovas that left around the same time as they did, but there was a looming suspicion in the back of everyone’s mind. They didn’t know of any supernova’s that could use Haki like that.

“Think they want to fight?” One of the guys Malice didn’t know as well pondered.

“Well I doubt they’re just stopping by to play cards.” Malice retorted smartly as she wriggled out of Kid’s arms and headed toward her cabin.

“Where are you going?” Kid called after her while the other’s continued blindly searching.

“Getting a weapon.”

“You’re not fighting.” Kid snapped, “You’re still injured.”

“I am not!” Malice barked.

“Captain.” Killer warned uneasily as Kid stalked forward and caught the fragile young woman roughly by the arm.

Kid poked her in the side where she’d been shot a little more forcefully than he had intended causing Malice to gasp in pain and slump forward. He caught her in his arms before she could hit the deck and threw her a reproachful look, “You’re not fighting.”