I do not own One Piece
3RD POV
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Taro had been expecting many things upon returning to his homeland. An army awaiting him. Perhaps the fury of the Kobayashi family. He, whoever, had not expected the kingdom to already be in shambles.
Not even because of him, either.
No, the emerald pirates had only just docked their ship, right next to the Straw Hat's ship, when they could already hear the chaos erupting around the town. Nothing was burning yet, which he supposed he was going to do soon. However, the most bazaar, was the person on the Straw Hat's ship.
Rather, the remains.
Taro and Kimiko looked across from their ship. Their eyes landing on the empty sockets of a skill with an afro. Nobody said anything as the skeleton cloaked in a black and white toga took a sip of steaming tea. Looped on his arm appeared to be a cane.
Finally, Kimiko rose a hand. "Yo."
The skeleton placed the cup down then returned the motion back to her. "Yo."
The interaction brought a smile to Taro's face. "I assume you're with the Straw Hat's?" He asked, tipping his hat up to look at the skeleton with hopes of not intimidating him.
"I am indeed, you are?" The skeleton asked.
"Taro, Captain of the Emerald pirates." When the skeleton seemed to absorb the information, he reacted in calm surprise.
"Yohoho, Katsu has mentioned you before." He said, then looked back towards two tied up figures on the deck. "I believe that is your handywork?"
Taro looked over, his eyes landing on one of the prisoners hand, which was made up of emerald. The man was tied up and gagged with what appeared to be a dirty dish towel. Memories of his actions filled him instantly and he couldn't stop the glare that had formed on his face directed at the man. "Katsu has been busy, I see."
"Maybe we can finish that job later." Kimiko smirked, as she seemed to remember exactly who the man was. "Mamoru wouldn't let us do it then, but here nothing is stopping us."
"As much as we would all love that," The skeleton began, taking a step to the side to advert their gaze from the tied up scientists. "We need them alive. Now what are big pirates such as yourselves doing here?"
"They've got our kids!" A new voice yelled, running to stand beside Taro. His right eye was shut with an 'x' shaped scar resting over it, and the man's baby blue hair was tied back in a short ponytail.
"Children?"
"My-" Taro gave an extra emphasis on the word before continuing. "kids were taken. Though, I've only gotten a chance to know my son. They've gotten their hands on both of them."
"Better question," Kimiko jumped in, resting her elbows on the railing of their ship. "Why are you guys here, and what exactly is going on here? I didn't take Katsu for one to join a crew that needlessly pillages."
The skeleton hummed in thought, his attention focused on Kimiko's chest for only a moment before he looked back at Taro as if he had pieced something together. "We're turning this kingdom upside down, shaking it out, then perhaps burning the palace down to the ground." He took a sip of his tea once more, ignoring the threatening look he had just received from both Taro and Kimiko.
"Say, does the name Sato mean anything to you?"
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"What is this?!"
"Is this some sick joke?!"
"There is no way the royal family would do that!"
Nami hadn't managed to calm her shock, nor dry her tears before the crowd began yelling. The excitement they had first shown when realization that they got to watch the ceremony was replaced with confused anger. The navigator hadn't even been given a chance to process the well being of her nakama before the crowd began to blame her crew.
"It has to be the pirates fault!"
Then, another transmission began.
"Oi, this thing on?" Nami could hear Franky before he silenced himself and angled the camera.
The crowd silenced when the camera focused on the scene. The guards surrounding the in construction building being worked on by children in dirty clothing. The children carrying stacks of bricks, and an occasional yell from the guards when the children didn't work fast enough.
A man stepped closer, his eyes wide. "Is that Adara?!"
Soon, more and more people began to step closer. Each calling out a different name.
Nami watched their broken heart confusion as they called out to their children. Then she began to sneak of. She had ensured that the transmission worked, now she needed to distribute the medication Chopper and Law had made.
The area Nami had chosen to work in had the most beggars and drug users. It was a striking comparison to the district her and Robin had explored the other day. There were no pristine art sculptures, nor were the cobblestone roads kept fresh and repaired. Though some buildings did have some art decor on them, it paled in comparison.
Almost all of the buildings were worn down, some looking no more than rubble. The streets hadn't been repaired in ages, leaving large holes in the ground that Nami made sure to avoid. Had Nami not been in the noble district she would have thought the overall kingdom was poor. Which just made here wonder even more, how had they managed to avoid any pirate attack.
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Usopp was sprinting for his life. Rather, the life of him and Katsu. It was becoming harder to hold the artist as he ran. Not because his arms were becoming tired from holding her, as she was far lighter than an individual should be. No, it was because of the mass amount of blood leaving her wound now. Even with the sword still lodged inside her, the bleeding was rather heavy.
"Why did you have to stab yourself so deep?!" Usopp exclaimed, trying to make sure he didn't shift the sword.
Her half open eyes looked at him, one hand still resting on the hat Luffy had placed on her head. She was trying her best to keep it clean. "I planned to die." She answered weakly, "Figured if I died, you could all get away because they would be distracted by my wound and my actions, but it would have been enough to kill me in the end."
How many times had she explained this already?
"That was selfish!" Usopp growled, biting down on his lip to stop from crying.
"... sorry." She smiled softly, her eyes beginning to shut.
"Oi!" Usopp yelled, "Stay awake!"
He wasn't a doctor, but Usopp was fairly certain that after losing a lot of blood she shouldn't fall asleep. Without furthering her injury, he needed to do something to keep her awake.
Unfortunately, his thoughts seemed to attract trouble. Specifically, the kind from two individuals.
Usopp saw the first person step out in front of him, barely managing to side step her sword. The second person, however, caught him by surprise. Usopp fell to the ground at the jab made to his side, dropping Katsu as he went down. The fall did happen to wake her up.
"Katsu!" Usopp cried, watching as she skid across the ground right in front of the women he had seen stand beside the king earlier.
"I wouldn't worry about her." Usopp turned towards the dangerous voice.
A man walked towards him. His dark violet hair matching many others that Usopp had already identified with the assassin family. He wore tight fitting clothing, tucking his pants into this boots. A long scar went from his neck to his left forearm.
However, a cry of terror escaped Usopp when the man;s eyes turned completely black. "Demon!" Usopp exclaimed.
"No, simpleton." The man scoffed. "I am fear."
The world around Usopp went black. Then he could hear the faintest sound of laughter.
"Which fear do I pry on?" Then he could hear different whispers. As if others were conversing around him. "Spiders?" Instantly, a scream escaped Usopp as he not only saw, but felt thousands of spiders crawling over him. They bit at him. Some began to crawl in his mouth.
"Maybe ghosts?" The spiders were gone. Instead he was reminded of thriller bark, only these ghosts didn't turn him negative.
"No? What if I showed you some of Mitsu's fears? Her's were quite interesting."
He wasn't standing anymore. Instead Usopp felt himself strapped down to a cold table with a blinding light above him. He felt confused at first, until a familiar face came into view. Instantly, Usopp began to shake his head. "No! He's on the ship!"
"Too easy." The voice hummed, the image of the doctor in front of him fading out and instead he was standing in front of a blonde. When she smiled it only took Usopp a second to remember her, Kaya. When he began to smile too, it quickly turned into a scream of terror when a hand poked through with long blades connected to each finger.
"What about the loss of someone?" The voice mused.
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Tatsu was annoyed. Everyone else in her family was useless. Her niece had betrayed the honor of serving the royal family. Her daughter, Kitiara, wasn't good enough. The twins would have been delivered as children, and this whole mess could have been solved. Haishi was instantly distracted by the blonde pirate, why he couldn't simply cut through the pirate's leg was beyond her. The guards couldn't even keep the pirates in check.
At least her nephew, Kimiko's brother, was skilled. He would be able to take down the long nose without complication. Even if he did use the aid of a devil fruit ability.
Never-the-less, she came to complete the job.
Italus was strong enough to not need her protection. They both knew this, as she mainly was beside him now as an offering of their families being joined. He believed in her abilities to get things done as well. He had sent her, after all.
Yanking at Katsu's hair, Tatsu began pulling her down the hallway. The pirate kicked her feet, one hand holding Luffy's hat while the other pulled at her own hair to try to ease the tension.
"Let go!" Katsu yelled.
"You think you're so smug." Tatsu scoffed. "Stabbing yourself in the very area where you were instructed not to."
Katsu kicked again, ignoring the pain slicing through her. She held the straw hat off to the side, she couldn't get blood on her Captain's hat.
"You stupid girl." Tatsu chided, yanking harder. "Who's to say we don't just use Sato then? All we need is an heir. Just someone to carry on the bloodline. We were simply being kind to offer it to you."
When Katsu struggled more, Tatso stopped moving. She glared down at the red head, letting go of her hair before stomping her foot down on Katsu's head. A sickening crack sounded through the hall. Her eyes landed on the sword still inside of Katsu.
With a sneer, she grabbed onto the hilt of the sword, twisting the blade. A ear shattering scream erupted from Katsu as Tatsu twisted the sword before yanking it out. Katsu's eyes widened as not even tears could compensate for the pain rolling through her body, her throat raw from the scream.
However, when Tatsu's eyes landed on the Straw Hat still clutched in Katsu's hand, she dropped the sword covered in Katsu's blood. "Drop it." She moved towards the hat, but when she moved to grab it, Katsu quickly moved her body to stop her from touching it. Moving her body to cradle around it, with just enough thought to keep it away from the bleeding wound.
"Don't touch my Captain's hat." Katsu demanded, just enough energy to glare at the woman.
Tatsu was forced a step back in surprise of the aura that came from the woman. Then a smirk formed on her face. "Your Captain?" She took another step forward, her foot covering itself in haki. "I believe you renounced your piracy." Her foot connected with her side, however Katsu didn't let a sound leave her as she refused to hand over the hat. "You're not a pirate anymore, Mitsu!"
When Katsu didn't respond, Tatsu glared down at her. She reached down to grab the loose hair. "It seems you still have too much strength for someone starved." Pulling out her sword, she reached up towards Katsu's hair.
Just as she moved to strike, the air shifted and her sword fell apart. Tatsu blinked in surprise then snapped her head up as footsteps approached. A look of annoyance filled her face as she saw another pirate making his way towards her.
"Oi," A deep voice growled, "She told you not to touch our Captain's hat."
Zoro glared at the woman, his gaze briefly looking over Katsu for a moment. He cursed silently when he realized the sword had been removed, and already Katsu was laying in a pool of her own blood. The Straw hat wasn't on her head anymore, but instead she had used her body to shield the precious hat of their Captain. He would need to end this quickly.
Tatsu stood up, tossing the end of her sword off towards the side. She reached down to pick up the sword Katsu had used earlier. Looking over the blood covering the blade, she smirked before looking back up at Zoro. His glare deepened, and he paused only for a moment to tie his bandana on his head.
"Oh," She scoffed, "Scary there. Not sure if I'll be able to beat you with that on your head."
Zoro didn't waste another moment as she took a step over Katsu. "You won't."
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End of Chapter 124!
I will admit, I almost left it where Tatsu cut off the hair, or just before she cut the hair. However, I think we can all agree Katsu has gone through a lot, maybe she doesn't deserve a hair cut.
This is not edited.