I do not own One Piece
3rd POV
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As soon as Luffy and Sato entered the ring, Robin began broadcasting. However, it wasn't until the two had stopped walking did she realize who the two people were.
Robin didn't need to be told anything to figure out this was not going to end well. When Katsu entered shortly after, she felt her own stomach twist at the sight of their artist. When the King began to speak, she could see Katsu flinch and Robin felt the strong urge to make the man kneel.
It had been a month since Robin last saw Katsu. However, she didn't forget the girl. Even while she was struggling with her mental health because of the doctor on board, she hadn't looked anywhere near this bad. She had been on an incline, after the effort from the crew. Katsu had always kept her red hair tied up in a braid or ponytail to keep out of her face while she trained with Zoro or drew on the deck. She had been healthy.
The girl that stood below in the ring looked beaten down. She resembled something closer towards Brook, a skeleton. Her skin was sheet white with dark circles under her eyes, Robin wondered when was the last time Katsu saw sunlight. Robin's focus went to Katsu's eyes. It reminded her of something worse than when they found her at Punk Hazard. They had beaten her when she was just beginning to recover, and Robin was scared to see how that would scar the artist.
The royal family had tried to take away from her physical appearance by her attire. She was given a gold breastplate, lined with purple fabric. A red skirt, lined with gold, and even a purple silk sash draped around her shoulder across her torso and attached at her waist.
Three things nearly pulled Robin over the edge. The golden shoes that were strapped to her feet and shins. She knew that shoes gave Katsu anxiety attacks, that alone would have been torture enough to the artist. Then the bandage over the tattoo. The same tattoo that Katsu went on about for hours with Robin. One that she wanted to show the world proudly. Then, the sea stone cuff around her neck. Robin almost went down to fight herself.
However, she knew she wasn't alone. They all had their parts to play, and she would play her part as needed.
Robin wasn't alone in her anger. Zoro and Sanji were feeling the same. The only thing that stopped Sanji from jumping in was a glance from Robin, who had managed to keep her cool. Zoro had only waited for a signal to be shown, whether it was from Robin or his Captain, that was the only thing holding him back. However, all of them were prepared to fight.
Usopp, while terrified, felt horror and disbelief. The storyteller couldn't believe the girl standing there was Katsu. The girl that looked too small simply couldn't be Katsu. Usopp knew their artist wasn't small, nor weak. Her presence was loud, sometimes challenging Luffy's boldness, but never small. Anger was beginning to build as he realized what she must have suffered through.
The roars of the nobles was deafening to the three standing in front of each other. Thankfully, the three managed to still hear one another over the roaring.
Sato couldn't find any strength to speak for a moment. A frown pulled at his lips as he not only looked over his sister, but over their situation. He wasn't sure when he had last seen Mitsu, but he hadn't been able to believe she looked worse than then. She looked even skinnier, and there were more bruises covering her body. The dark circles under her eyes had gotten darker, which made him wonder the actual cause for them. For a moment, he wondered how bad he must look, if they were willing to get the potential future heir become that bad.
Their situation wasn't any better.
She was in the middle of her coming of age ceremony. He and Luffy were her targets. Her Captain or her brother. Sato was sure there was some threat if she didn't choose. He wouldn't put it past the family to kill both him and Luffy to punish Mitsu if she failed.
Sato didn't know what to do.
Luffy had been happy at first seeing Katsu. He wanted nothing more than to hug her and complain that she wasn't there to draw their adventure. Those thoughts all stopped when he finally registered her appearance. Her bony structure, the dark circles under her dull eyes, and the bruises covering her body. There appeared to be some bruises along her neck where the sea prism cuff hung loosely around her neck, and he wondered how long she had been wearing it. When he glanced at Sato, he realized her twin looked just as she did, perhaps even more pale than Katsu if that was possible.
His smile dropped and he felt his eyebrows pulling together as he looked back at his artist. "Katsu." His head leaned down and his hands clenched into fists. The exhaustion he felt from the sea prism cuff around his neck didn't seem to faze him. "Who hurt you?"
When Katsu had seen Luffy and Sato all she felt was dread. Her pulse had quickened and she felt heat wash over her as she wanted them gone. Her stomach had twisted and dropped. They weren't supposed to be standing in front of her. Then the announcement was made to kill one of them, and she suddenly felt like it was hard to breath. The cuff around her neck suddenly felt as if it had shrunk and began choking her.
She told them she would pass. She told them she would give up. She told them she promised to be the perfect little princess. All for them to be safe.
She had been willing to put on a show, one that would have made them all turn their backs on her. Katsu had been willing to take the unfortunate life of an innocent individual all for her brother and crew to walk away safely. She had been so prepared for it that she already hated herself for being so prepared for such actions.
Now things had changed. If she didn't chose one of them, then they would chose both of them? How could she chose one? Let alone even think of such a thing?
Then Luffy had asked her who had hurt her?
He wasn't worried that she needed to kill one of them. He didn't seem worried that she might have to kill him. Katsu wondered if he had yet to fully grasp the situation.
She shook her head, "That doesn't matter, Captain." Her bottom lip twitched as she tried to stop it from quivering. "Please tell me the crew isn't here."
"Of course they are, don't be stupid!" Luffy answered, anger still in his tone. However, his eyes weren't shadowed by his hat anymore as he looked up at her.
Katsu knew it was a stupid question. She should have known better by now, but she had hoped with Law being on the ship it would change the course of action.
Silently, she looked up towards the crowd. Her eyes widened when she spotted Usopp first, a frown on his face as he quivered. Not far from him she spotted Robin, who seemed to be seething from anger as she held a transponder snail firmly in her hands. The next one surprised her, as a few rows above Robin sat Law. His eyes met hers and he gave a stiff nod.
Looking towards the other side, she spotted Sanji. The chef was smoking, a big angry vein poking out of his forehead. Not far from him was Zoro. It was as if he knew she was looking at him as his angered eye met hers. His lips were pulled into a sneer and the air around him looked heavy, as if it was the only thing holding him back. His angry expression doubled when their eyes met.
Breaking eye contact, Katsu looked down and let out a breath. Knowing her crew was surrounding her both calmed and terrified her. She had missed them terribly, but now they may be hunted down next. The last thing she wanted was for them to get hurt.
"Mitsu." Both Katsu and Luffy looked towards Sato. It was strange for them both to see him with short hair. He glanced at Luffy then back at his sister, a sad smile crossing his face. "Kill me."
Her breath caught in her throat as she looked at her twin. "No-"
"They'll probably do it anyway. If Dad didn't escape he probably would have been killed too." Sato justified, his eyes taking on a new resolve. "Kill me, that should satisfy them. It'll cut my suffering a bit shorter, since they like to prolong things like that. They should let Luffy and the others go, so long as they act like they don't care about you. Then, you can make an escape."
Katsu shook her head.
"No way!" Luffy growled, glaring at Sato. "I'm gonna kick their ass! Then both you and Katsu will be free!"
"It's not that simple." Both twins muttered, glancing at each other.
"You can't expect to be able to take down a whole kingdom with your small crew of nine people." Sato sighed, looking at Luffy.
"Ten." Luffy corrected, "You're forgetting Katsu. Plus, you're here, and we have Law. So really..." He paused for a moment. "Twelve people. That should be enough. Sanji and Zoro are like two armies themselves."
"None of you will ever be safe either way." Katsu paused, her eyes traveling towards Ayami. Her violet eyes stared down at her. "It's my choice." Katsu's voice was barely a whisper.
"Eh? What are you going on about?" Luffy frowned.
Sato sighed, hoping his sister had made her choice between the two of them. He just hoped it didn't break her anymore than she already was.
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End of Chapter 121!
Given how tense things are becoming, I figured I would add in a cute little picture of Katsu. It turned out cute enough, I was just messing with procreate and wanted to try out a different look.
This is not edited.