Chapter 49: The Dramatic Confrontation (2)
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No matter what the past may have been, Vivi had a great change of mind seeing Mikita risk her life to save her lover. Sure, she was useless on it and only caused further problems, but she didn't hesitate.
Outside Mont Cricket's house, a wooden bed sprouted out of the ground and it was littered with soft leaves. Mikita was lying on top of the bed, and her eyes were open for the last thirty seconds.
Around her were Hashirama, Vivi, Robin, and Mont Cricket. The two girls were together, while Hashirama was shaking his hands with Cricket.
"From what I heard, you risked your life to save my girl here. I am grateful for that, though you failed." Hashirama smiled as he shook hands. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Cricket. I am Hashirama Senju."
"Haha, it seems I am lacking training. Nice to meet you too." Cricket greeted back with a friendly smile.
The handshake ended and Hashirama looked around. The dead bodies of the Bellamy Pirates were nowhere to be seen. Instead, the branches that had penetrated them were all burned. It appeared that the branches were used as a source of fire to burn the dead bodies and give them a sending.
"That's for clearing the mess. I was thinking of doing the same, too."
Hashirama agreed to that notion. It'd have been a pain in the ass if some weird bird caught a photo of the annihilation and he got a bounty. As of yet, he didn't want to enter the radar of Doflamingo, and therefore Kaido. He will only do that after he made his sister leave the marine and join his crew.
Robin nodded to his words and spoke.
"Hashirama, it's good that it ended. But don't you think it's about time we resolve the thing between Mikita and Vivi?"
"Oh, right."
Hashirama looked down at Mikita who was lying down on the bed and just observing things.
Leaning down, he helped her take to sit on the bed. Hashirama sighed and told her what was happening.
"I am not sure if you even remember. But this blue-haired Princess is Vivi. The one you tried to assassinate three years ago. She is sailing with me, and it seems she is not sure what to feel about you. I don't know how to fix that, so try saying something to her."
Mikita held back an awkward smile and looked at Vivi. She was crossing her arms and frowning down at her. Mikita didn't like little spoiled brats who acted like hot shit, but it seemed Hashirama had a soft spot for her. So perhaps she should just say sorry.
"No, fuck you."
Mikita scoffed in the end.
"You kicked my Hashirama, and I tried to kill you. I am sure that cancels one another out."
Hashirama took a step back hearing that, but Robin caught him by the arm and whispered.
"Where do you think you're going? Take responsibility for what you started."
"Fuck."
Vivi's eyes trembled as she snapped her neck to look at Hashirama. Then, she shot down to look at Vivi.
"Your argument is weak. You tried to kill me first. Also, what's up with 'my Hashirama', huh?! Since when did my Hashirama become yours?!"
Mikita's lips twisted in scorn. "Look at this bitch. You nearly killed him! How dare you call him 'my'? Spoiled princess bitch."
"Y-you! Watch your mouth! How can you say that out loud?!"
Vivi looked flustered and angry, while Mikita smirked as she barely held back a laugh.
"Oh my, she got flustered by some casual curses? Weakling bitch. Did you beg Hashirama to take you out to play? As weak as you are, you're just going to be a hindrance. Go back to your papa and momma, alright? I will keep my Hashirama entertained. Weakling."
"This foul-mouthed woman!"
Vivi curled a punch and threw it at her.
"Who are you calling weak?!"
Hashirama moved quickly and yanked Mikita away from the bed. Vivi's punch hit the bed, and it shattered like glass. The bed fell down to pieces, not successful in witnessing the force of her punch. It wasn't made of Adam's wood, after all.
"Uh-"
Mikita's collar being held by Hashirama, she floated in the air thanks to her devil fruit. She looked down on the destruction while sweating, with a shocked expression, an agape mouth, and wide eyes.
She looked at Hashirama and Robin, who both looked away.
"Hashirama!"
Vivi turned around.
"Put her down! I'll show her who's weak! Foul-mouthed woman! Why did we even come to save an assassin criminal?! Robin, why are you teamed up with such a person?"
Robin was finally confronted too. She felt uncomfortable since both girls weren't wrong. In the end, she looked at Hashirama and nudged him with her elbow.
"Your fault. You take care of it."
"I'll pay you back for this, Robin. Mark my words."
The two whispered to each other before Hashirama sighed and dropped Mikita to her feet. Hesitating, he explained slowly.
"Basically, I didn't kill her after I sent you away to Alabasta that day. Because she knew where Robin could be found. After that, I needed her to defeat that Crocodile guy. I don't know if I could have won without her. In short, she is a person who was an enemy at first, but due to how we worked together and took down Crocodile, we built a sort of comradeship."
"...."
"To begin with, she came to assassinate you because of Crocodile. Because of his order. But since she is the one who helped in taking down the same guy, I think they both cancel each other out. I count that as her redemption for the attempt on killing you. She did some other things later on, but that's another case entirely, and I have forgiven her for that too."
Mikita had also been 'punished' for that. But he didn't bring that up.
Hashirama finished explaining while Vivi wore a little frown and looked at Mikita in a different way. She hesitated to speak, and Hashirama took the chance to add something.
"If you want to hate on her, continue to do so. But please, don't hate her because of the killing attempt. Hate her for her foul mouth or something."
Vivi blinked, and so did Mikita, before both sighed. It was Mikita who was the first to speak this time.
"Alright, my bad that I tried to kill you. S-sorry about that. But trust me when I say I have left that side of work and I am a changed person now. So if you could... forgive me, it would be fantastic."
It was apparent that the girl wasn't used to saying sorry; less so, to a little girl whom she considered spoiled.
Vivi shrugged after hesitating for a bit.
"Sure. It's been almost three years anyway. Also, you helped take down that wicked Crocodile and saved my kingdom. It'd be rather selfish of me to keep hating you because of a mistake."
Silence fell on the area, while Hashirama and Robin smiled at one another. It was like seeing their children make up after a little fight. Weird how that worked.
""But-""
At once, both of them took an aggressive step forward and shouted.
""He is not 'your' Hashirama!""
At that moment, as the third crew mate was confirmed, Hashirama Senju realized... he was suffering from success.
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