Trouble with Pirates

Trouble with Pirates - Chapter 3

He made a move with his hands and Sayuri was instantly on alert for whatever was coming. She took a step back and then another, then she heard Akiko screaming.

"Nee-san!"

"Akiko-chan?!" Sayuri turned around only to see a black hole.

"What did you do to her?" Sayuri yelled.

"Nothing. . . yet," Blackbeard said smugly. Sayuri wanted to spring forward and beat that smug grin of his face but found that her legs wouldn't move.

"Zehahaha, you're not strong enough to beat my Yami Yami no mi nor my Gura Gura no mi, but seeing you struggle entertains me so I'll make a deal with you. You find the strongest people you can find in a hundred mile radius, be it one person, be it an army. If I get beaten by whoever you decide to bring, I'll give you back your sister. Deal?"

"Will you capture me while I'm busy looking for someone? Is that the catch?" Sayuri asked suspiciously.

"I promise you, girlie, I won't capture you. If I see you before you gather someone strong people, I will fight you and you little sister and you will die. Zehahaha."

"You 'promise'? How much is the word of pirate worth nowadays?" Sayuri asked angrily.

"An ordinary pirate's? NOTHING!" Blackbeard bellowed. "However, my word, Blackbeard's word, you can take to the bank. But why do you think you have a choice, girlie? If you want I could just kill your sister now," Blackbeard retorted.

"I want to see that she's alright, that you haven't already killed her."

Akiko appeared from the darkness next to Blackbeard. "Nee-san!" Akiko screamed.

"Can you give me your word, Blackbeard's word, that my sister will not be harmed under your care? Not by you or the rest of your crew?" Sayuri pleaded.

"But of course," Blackbeard said. "Anyone who hurts the little girl answers to me!" Blackbeard said menacingly. "So… shake on it?" A hand covered in darkness emerged from the large black pool in front of Sayuri. She cringed at the sight of it but shook it anyway.

She looked her little sister in the eye. Akiko was trying not to cry but you could see the tears in her eyes surfacing. "Akiko-chan, be brave, I'll come back for you. I promise."

Sayuri turned her head to hide her own tears and made a run for it. When she have made it out of sight, Blackbeard turned to Shiliew who was standing on his right. "Have somebody tail her and watch what she does then report back."

"Aye, captain." The Shiliew grunted before appointing three men for the job. Once three had been selected they ran in the same direction as the older girl had.

Akiko saw this happen and gave Blackbeard a death glare.

"My, my," Blackbeard chuckled, "Looks like you've got some spirit in you."

Akiko was suddenly expelled from the darkness and face-to-face with Blackbeard.

"Listen up, little girlie, look at me like that again and I will kill you and," he said pointing in the direction Sayuri had run, "I'll go and kill your sister too, you hear?"

Akiko quickly jerked her head down as the tears she had been holding back fell onto the ground. "Sayuri-nee-chan, please hurry."

- Jihiro's home -

The Strawhats stood outside the door while Jihiro was busy negotiating with his wife. To them it sounded like he was losing.

"But Suki-chan, they're essentially good people. They probably screwed up and ended up as pirates to survive. They certainly never aspired to become pirates," Jihiro pleaded. He looked at his wife, his beautiful wife, her bright red hair was fading to grey and her face was looking older, but he still held his breath when he looked at her. Suki wanted to say something, but there was shouting from outside.