Laughing at Sanji's acrobatics, Lucia raised her head when Luffy approached her with his puppy dog eyes:
"What do you want?"
"Couldn't you make me a bubble? I want to swim too! Please? »
« Ta ta ta, no. One: I'd like to try to recover a little and therefore not push my body, and two: I'm too afraid to take my eyes off you for a second now."
"Come on", he begged her, "just a tiny little bubble of nothing."
"I said no."
"You're not funny," Luffy grumbled, pouting.
"Don't worry Luffy, there are craftsmen in town who can make you one in less than two seconds," Caimie reassured him.
"Is it true? Oh that's so cool!" exclaimed the pirate. "See Luce, at least they're nice!"
"NORMAL IT'S THEIR JOB YOU IDIOT!" Lucia exclaimed.
She sighed. Still, she was really afraid to let him go in the water now.
"Hey Caimie, you know what?" he asked her
"No," answered the intrigued mermaid.
"There's someone I have to see at all costs while I'm here on Fishman Island," Luffy declared.
Lucia smiled, he too had come partly for that.
"Did you? Let me guess, the mermaid princess?"
"No," laughed Luffy, "it's Jinbei."
"The boss Jinbei?" said Caimie with a surprised tone.
"Wait Luffy," interrupted Usopp, "Jinbei, you mean one of the seven Warlords? Or rather former one since he resigned after the war."
"Hm, hm, that's right, he's a friend of mine", confirmed Luffy.
"What?! Are you kidding me?! You are already friends with the empress of Amazon Lily, with him too?"
"Yeah," answered Luffy. "When Ace died two years ago, and he told me that Lucia had died too, I almost lost my mind, but luckily he was there and I got through it."
Lucia laughed softly as Luffy yelled that he wanted to see Jinbei. He then turned his head towards her:
"You wanted to come for him too, didn't you?"
"Indeed," Lucia agreed, "you owe him your life and for that I will be eternally grateful. I wanted to see him again and thank him myself."
"So, where can we find Jinbei ?" Luffy asked Caimie.
"Uh, actually, it's going to be hard to meet him, he's not on the island right now?"
"HUUUUUH ??!" exclaimed the two friends, stunned and disappointed.
"You know, two years ago, after the war, he gave up his title of Warlord. As a result, the former members of the Fishman pirate crew were not allowed to stay here anymore. So they all left the island with Jinbei and I don't know where they are now."
Luffy was depressed, Lucia thoughtful. They were disappointed. But they didn't have time to return to this subject when Caimie's five friends came to tell them that a royal ship was on its way. Fearing that it was to coming to catch Luffy and his companions who had entered the island without permission, the Straw Hat crew and Lucia hid behind some rocks so as not to be seen. The ship approached and announced the three Neptune brothers, the three princes of Fishmen Island kingdom. Next to Luffy, Lucia stepped forward to try and get a look in and see what was going on. Unsurprisingly, the three princes asked the mermaids if they had seen those who had infiltrated the territory without permission. Lucia exchanged a knowing look with Luffy, she had put a hand on his shoulder to lean and watch and she felt Luffy take her hand and squeeze it hard. She smiled and then refocused on the three speakers. Faced with the lack of clues given by the mermaids, accomplices of the straw hats, the three princes turned back without having obtained the desired information.
"It feels like they're leaving..." muttered Usopp.
"I'll feel better when we don't see their ship anymore..." Lucia whispered.
However, Sanji couldn't stand the shock any longer and hemorrhaged powerfully, drawing attention inexorably to them. Out of the corner of her eye, Lucia saw the gondola return to them and unload soldiers who stood in front of them.
"Lucia, can you do something for Sanji? On the Sabaody you helped Hatchan heal, right?" asked Chopper, helpless.
"I can't create blood doc, all I can do is keep the blood flowing through the veins to help the cells heal and regenerate, but he's lost too much now."
"What a bummer!" moans Usopp.
"And then we have another problem," said Lucia when she saw the soldiers.
Without saying a word, Luffy sat up, looking grim. Sensing that the conflict was about to get out of hand, Chopper stepped in front of Luffy and screamed for his life:
"No, please stop! It's true we came in illegally, but please don't arrest us now! Please, we absolutely need a blood donation to save one of us. It's urgent, if we don't do something immediately he will die within the hour! His blood type is S negative, which is very rare. Is there anyone among you with this group?"
"It's too bad," grumbled Usopp, "he can't just kick the bucket!"
"We need someone," said Luffy, bowing to the ground, "I beg you! Save Sanji!"
Lucia added her voice to theirs:
"Please, you're not going to let someone die in front of you like that!"
"Chopper, Luffy, Lucia, listen to me," Caimie intervened, "the blood of fish-men and humans is the same, a transfusion is possible... only..."
A laugh cut off the mermaid's statement. Immediately all eyes turned to the place where the sound came from and the pirates discovered with astonishment the one who had tried to stop them earlier, before they had entered the island. They were literally laughing at them. He told them that no one on their island would give their blood to "an inferior being". These words revolted Lucia, who instantly thought of the Celestial Dragons she had seen and despised so much during her childhood on Sabaody. She clenched her fist to restrain herself, having a furious urge to strike the fish-man. Ignoring her anger, he continued his diatribe and explained that in his country, there was not only a law that forbade any blood transfusion between humans and fishmen, but that it had been put in place by humans. Lucia quickly put two and two together and realised that this was one of the many consequences of the thousand year old racism between humans and fishmen. What a waste. So much energy wasted on hating each other for nonsense.
Then the fish-man told them briefly about the history of hatred between their two species, mentioning a name that went like a bomb in Lucia's mind. Fisher Tiger. If these syllables left Luffy and the others unmoved, Lucia could only lower her eyes and contain her growing anger. She knew the name. She knew his exploits. And she suspected easily enough the circumstances of his death. At the end of his speech, the fish-man ordered them to leave Sanji bleeding to death and to follow them to the Fish-man district to meet a certain Hody Jones who wanted to see them. As he threatened to take them by force, Luffy quickly put them down and calmed the monster who wanted to avenge his masters. As everyone realised what had happened in a matter of seconds, Caimie grabbed the royal gondola and asked Luffy to join her so she could take them into town and hopefully find a donor. Luffy agreed and was about to get on with the others when Lucia grabbed him by the arm:
"Wait... I want to go a little further if I can't find what I'm looking for."
"Okay, take care of yourself!"
"Thanks, you too! Don't get into too much trouble!"
He quickly hugged her before jumping on the gondola and let her go. Leaving the rest of the crew to deal with Sanji Lucia blew a bubble in one motion and dived into the water, skimming the bottom and slaloming between the mermaids, then descending deeper and deeper to get away from those who wanted to get their hands on them. I was right, this kingdom is far more damaged than one might suspect on the surface. But that's not what concerns me anymore. Despite what Caimie told us... I am sure you are here... Jinbei.
When she lifted her head out of the water, she was already far from the creek. She emerged completely and looked at where she had landed after so much swimming. She shook off a few drops of water that were still beading in her hair and looked up to the sky. A huge coral forest stood before her. Once again she marvelled at the dreamlike, almost unreal beauty of the place, although she could not completely erase from her mind the sad truth that hung over the Fishmen kingdom. She replayed the incident of the blood transfusion that had taken place earlier, a direct echo of her own experience on Sabaody. Fishmen and humans had no contact with each other, all because of a selfishness coupled with a pretentious hatred of the unknown. Humans were pitiful.
She stepped into the coral cluster, guided only by her perceptive Haki. There was someone a little further on. The place had a solemnity that calmed her instantly. She walked slowly, attentive to the sounds, the play of light in the sky. She admired the ballet of the fish. It was as if this place was cut off from the world, out of the time that governed the rest of things. With silence as her only companion, Lucia wandered for several minutes, letting her instincts guide her. Eventually she saw what looked like a hill, or at least a mound, immersed in the water. She saw a stone structure that looked like a memorial and next to it... a seated figure. A smile stretched the young woman's lips. She approached the thin bubble that marked the submersible area and sank into the cool water once more. A bubble covered her body and she continued walking towards her destination.
She took the time to move forward but did not want to disturb the peace of the one she had been looking for since she arrived. She stood at a safe distance, respecting his contemplation and his silence. She knew that he had certainly already sensed her presence and that he would see her when he felt ready. Indeed, after several minutes, she saw him start to move and turn around. Her smile widened.
"Hi... Jinbei," Lucia whispered.
Jinbei could not believe his eyes, in front of him was a person he never thought he would see again. It was simply impossible. And yet. It was her. Lucia laughed and sat down opposite him:
"As I thought, the news hasn't reached you yet. I think it's already made its way to the surface."
"How... Lucia... The Elementalist Lucia... but you were..."
"Dead? Yes I know, it's a long story..."
It took Jinbei several minutes to recover from the shock, the tears in the corners of his eyes rolled down his cheeks and he cried with joy for a few seconds.
"Come on..." Lucia said, "I'm glad to see you again too, Jinbei."
He raised his head, still as moved as ever. He then took the time to look at her, appreciating the changes that had taken place in her. Physically. And not only that. He recognized the impulsive and angry girl he had met in the cell at Impel Down, the broken and desperate sister who had stood on the scaffold at her brother's side, and now, two years later, she had become a woman of integrity and integrity, full of convictions and values that he did not doubt were well founded. He in turn began to smile, deeply happy to see her before him, alive.
"If you want a brief explanation," Lucia continued, "when you and Luffy landed on Amazon Lily, I was also on board Trafalgar Law's submarine, but I was not dead, as he led you to believe. I was still unconscious, in a relative coma, from which he wasn't even sure I would wake up."
"That's why he preferred to lie and tell us you were dead... in case it turned out to be true in the near future?"
"Among other things," Lucia explained. "I had to get over the shock if my heart or mind couldn't take it. There was also the external situation, Trafalgar thought it more appropriate to hide my existence after the events in Marineford. In the end, only he, his crew and Rayleigh knew about it. I can't say whether this was a good or bad choice, but I think it has given me the last two years to rebuild myself."
"You have changed Lucia, I can feel it immediately and I am really happy to see it with my own eyes. Yet you said "the news hasn't reached here", does that mean that on the surface the world knows you are alive?"
"Well yes, let's just say that my departure from Sabaody was done in chaos and I had the immense privilege of meeting my friends from the Navy again who immediately recognised me of course. By now, the headquarters must be in chaos," she laughs. "Not only do they have the news of Luffy's crew's return but also a ghost they have to deal with."
"Luffy's with you, right?" asked Jinbei.
"Yes," agreed Lucia. "I don't know where exactly at the moment but I'm not too worried, I've had a chance to see his progress by my eyes."
"So you got my message?"
"Which message? No, not at all... did you send us something?"
"What- Well yes... how did you find me if not with my indication?"
Lucia gave him a mysterious smile before answering:
"Perceptive haki and sensory memory."
Jinbei raised an eyebrow.
"Every living thing gives off pheromones and water: sweat and tears. This combination is unique to each person. I've honed my senses to be able to pick up on some people's. Yours was one of them, it was not easy here as we are surrounded by water but I still managed."
"Your Haki is intrinsically linked to your devil fruit... that's impressive," Jinbei breathed.
"I finally succeeded in applying the instruction I've been given since at least ten years", Lucia laughed. "It would have taken me a while, but I did it."
She put her hands flat behind her and tilted her head towards the sky before continuing:
"I wanted to thank you most of all..."
Jinbei looked at her without really understanding.
"Thank you for protecting Luffy at the risk of your life, thank you for saving him. I couldn't bear to wake up and find out I'd lost him too. I know I gave an "order" to Marco and you before attacking Akainu head on, but I have no memory of it... in any case, I will forever be indebted to you Jinbei."
"Come on, don't be so formal, Lucia. It was obvious to me that Luffy had to be saved. For Ace's sake, for the old man's sake, and also because he's someone I respect and value. There was no way the Navy could get their hands on him."
"I also know that it was you who helped him waking up, so thank you for that too. And I'm sorry I put you through the trouble of telling him I was dead, even if it was a lie."
"I'm more than happy to know it was a lie, Lucia, really. You and Luffy are good people who deserve to live and who will change the world. Ace was too, unfortunately for him the world decided otherwise."
"Yes..." Lucia murmured.
Her gaze turned to the small white mausoleum in front of which Jinbei was meditating before she arrived:
"Who lies here?" she asked.
"Otohime, the former queen of this kingdom, she was slain years ago."
"Oh... I'm sure she was a good person," Lucia said softly.
"Yes, she was a great queen and an exemplary mother, she spoke very honourably, advocating tolerance and kindness to all."
"I would have loved to have had the opportunity to meet her," Lucia admitted thoughtfully.
Silence fell between them before Jinbei spoke again, his eyes riveted on the mausoleum:
"Have you been there? To his grave?"
"Yes," Lucia answered without looking at him. "After a year and a half of training, I was supposed to return to the Sabaody, but I asked to make a small diversions. I was granted it."
Lucia landed on the dock and, without a backward glance, stepped forward. She immediately recognised the man standing before her. She pulled the cloths covering her body and face tighter.
"Who are you?" asked the man waiting for her, in a harsh tone.
"Not an enemy," Lucia replied in her deep voice. "I've come to say goodbye to someone."
"You do? And can I ask who?"
Lucia sighed and, in a slow movement, revealed her face. His eyes widened, heis mouth opened without letting any sound out, his body went numb.
"I've come to say goodbye to my brother... please Marco... I need to see him..."
"Lu... Lucia... how..."
Tears welled up in the eyes of the former commander of the first Whitebeard's division. Emotionally, Lucia approached him and they embraced each other.
"I wanted to find you," he explained as he walked her down the path. "I tried until the end, Shanks too. But you were nowhere to be found. We had our doubts, but we made up our minds. It's amazing that you're still alive."
"Thank you for trying, but in the end it's not so bad that you didn't succeed at the time, I'm sure the Navy would have done anything to get me back. Saying I was dead gave me a break."
"I understand that."
"Thank you also... for protecting Luffy. And I'm sorry... about the old man. I learned when I woke up."
New tears rolled down Marco's cheeks but he wiped them away:
"Luffy was all we had left of Ace, we had to save him. We had already lost so much. Ace. You. Father. Leaving Luffy to die meant we'd never have the courage to look at ourselves in the mirror afterwards."
"I'm grateful, if you ever need anything, don't hesitate."
"Calling in a dead person will make me look like a fool," Marco laughed.
"We already think you're crazy, but that doesn't stop us from liking you," Lucia taunted him.
The former pirate burst out laughing. Lucia smiled:
"Did you hang up? After your fight with Blackbeard?"
"Yeah... it wasn't pretty... Whitebeard's crew died with their captain two years ago but they officially disbanded a few months laterafter that fight against Thatch.""
"I'm sorry, again. I hope everyone else is okay."
"I don't have much contact with them I must admit, I tried to get away from it all, on this island. I'm only a doctor now."
"It's a vocation that suits you very well," Lucia complimented him.
Eventually they arrived at the three graves that had been erected by Shanks and Whitebeard's former crew. Lucia gently sat down in front of the one named after her brother. She removed her disguise, letting the wind whip her face. Tears ran silently down her cheeks. She closed her eyes, bowed her head, and took her time. Then, after many minutes, she lifted her tear-streaked face, reached into her pocket and pulled out a silver brooch. It was the jewel Ace had given her more than ten years ago, after Sabo's death. She kissed it tenderly and placed it on the grave as a final farewell offering. She had never worn it, always afraid of damaging it. She had preferred to keep it in a box at home. Now she knew she had to get rid of it to move on for good. A sob crushed her throat as her hand left the small object. Then she stood up and turned to the grave to her left. Her own. "GOL. D. LUCIA" written in capital letters on the immaculate stone.
"You were wrong," she said with a smile.
"Yes, apparently," confirmed Marco, who had remained a few steps away.
Lucia shook her head:
"Not in that sense. What I mean is that the one who died that day was The Elementalist Lucia. A part of me will never come back from Marineford. I dare to hope it's to let something better come along."
"I don't doubt it," Marco whispered.
He had moved closer and stood beside her, an arm around her shoulders to comfort her. They stood side by side for a while in front of the three graves, in a silence heavy with grief but also with hope and reassurance. Slowly, Lucia bent down and plucked a flower that was growing beside the graves.
"A white lily..." she breathed.
"It was Ace's favourite flower," Marco explained, "he always had one in his cabin. We never knew why..."
Lucia's throat tightened again as she heard this anecdote she didn't know. She laughed nervously and laid the flower flat on the grave beside the brooch:
"It may be pretentious... but I think it's because of me... it's my favourite flower too. He gave me one for a birthday once, when we were kids... He and Luffy decided one day to celebrate my birthday even though it was a totally innocent date... it's one of my fondest memories."
"I'm very happy that we planted some between your two graves then," murmured Marco.