A Siren's Journey (One Piece! Various X Reader)

[28] - Baratie Arc ~ 10

"My sea snake here is of an extremely rare breed. Not only does she possess the ability to swim to deep depths in the ocean, but her venom can vary from poisonous to paralysis. And guess why hers is one of the most potent kinds known to man?"

A look of realization is written across Don Krieg's face. "No, don't tell me—"

"That's right." I singsong. "She feeds off poisonous substances. Plants, other animals, and even your precious MH-5. In solid, liquid, or gaseous form, she can devour it. Face it Krieg, you're outclassed and outmatched in every way. Be lucky I'm not going to kill you myself. One of your own crew, who's never asked anything of you probably his entire time working under you, decides to grow a backbone and go against you for once. Any of this other sorry bunch you'd shoot without hesitation." My hands clench into fists. "You heartless, son of a bitch! You'd go so far as to kill the most loyal man on your crew! You don't deserve a man like Ghin. He's too good to be a part of this shit-show of a pirate crew."

"Oh?! So, you think he'd be better off with another crew. What crew would possibly take him in now?"

"The Straw Hats would!"

Ghin is shocked at my declaration.

"Without question. I would happily ask him to sail with me and my friends!"

"You'd want a sniveling, lowlife who came out of the gutter?"

"I don't need to repeat myself to a bastard who uses cheap tricks to win a fight. At least Ghin has more honor than you could ever even hope to have! If I didn't do anything he'd probably be under the effects of the poison right now, and you, you would just laugh at him like he was dirt. And those are the kind of people I just can't stand."

"He was a fool. He would pay for a plate of food with his life. Maybe he'll learn when he's truly dead." He smirks a disgusting smirk.

I am seething now. How dare a captain think of his own crewmember like this?

"Ghin."

The man in question looks at my back, with dark glare still being directed at his now former captain. "Even after everything that's happened, is Don Krieg still the man you want to follow?"

"I . . .I don't know anymore. Don Krieg is the strongest man in the East Blue. I looked up to him for that."

"Yes, but being strong physical-wise doesn't actually mean everything. I sailed the Grand Line for nearly 13 years and survived, not because of my powers or because of the size of bounty the Marines put on my head. No. It was because of my animal pack, my friends. They keep me sane, from going off the deep end and always have my back, even when things are at their worse. That's what real strength is." I look over my shoulder and smile at him.

He holds back the tears in his eyes. "Why? Why do you insist on continuing to save me. I don't deserve your kindness."

"Your actions from when we first met say otherwise. You can be a great man, Ghin, and an even greater pirate. But if there's one thing I know now for certain is that if you continue to follow this man, you're going to die before you even have a chance to live your life."

"It still figures that you still feel for that pathetic scum!" Krieg laughs.

"Scum?!" Sanji exclaims.

"That's right! Anyone who loses focus and betrays my ship is worthless to me. They'll almost certainly do it again. Putting him out of his misery would have been an act of mercy to keep him from dishonoring himself in the future and endangering my crew."

I then hear two Krieg Pirates conversing about the true loyalty Ghin's showed to the Krieg Pirate over the years, even hearing about how he disguised himself as Don Krieg, sacrificing himself, to lure Fullbody and his Marines away from the galleon after they escaped from the Grand Line. Without Ghin, the Krieg Pirates wouldn't even be alive right now.