The fight was over.
The odds were in Luffy's favor no matter how you look at it.
Usopp knew this. But he still wanted this.
Wyper had gone out earlier because of the sound of an Impact Dial being used. Saying he'd come back. He didn't.
Faythe had just heard the last bit of Sanji reprimanding Chopper about not giving Usopp pity as it'd just wound his pride more.
Zoro was finishing his small pep talk with Luffy who had his hat over his eyes—covering his face.
Faythe took one glance at Usopp's figure in the distance and was about to break out into a run, but the firm hand on her arm prevented such. She whipped around hurriedly, seeing it was Zoro with a stern look.
"If you go down there, you'll just be doing the same thing as Chopper...! He doesn't need your pity." Zoro grounded her.
Faythe stood her ground, "I'm not giving him pity." She yanked led her arm out of his hold, "Even if he may not be a crew member anymore... That doesn't make him any less than a friend of mine—!" She didn't want their last moments be settled with argument fueled by anger alone. So before Zoro could even stop her, She twisted out of his range while he was stunned. Reaching for the rails, Faythe swung her legs over and leaped off the Merry.
"Faythe—!" Zoro bit back a scowl, "You can't just—!" But his lectures were cut off by a hand being placed on his shoulder. He glanced over to see it was Luffy with a blank look.
Watching the red head create more distance in a span of mere seconds.
"Just her have this one." Luffy muttered before turning around to go collect his stuff.
Zoro frowned, taking one more glance over at the red head before following after.
Nami, Sanji, and Chopper were looking nervous between the others, wondering if another fight was about to break out between the First Mate and Writer.
Wyper dragged out a smoke, "You guys go ahead and prepare our luggage, I'll wait for Lady Faythe."
Sanji was hesitant for a moment but deemed the shandorian as trustworthy of keeping Faythe safe, "Alright..." He guided Nami and Chopper inside, already feeling sick of this fiasco.
Faythe sprinted across the dusty plain, "USOPP—!" She hollered over the howling wind, some dust blew up in her mouth, making her cough. She stumbled a couple of times by not paying attention to the unstable ground, but she was too desperate to reach Usopp to care. Finally within range, Faythe slowed down to a halt, kneeling down, she witnessed a multitude of medical supplies left by a weeping Chopper.
"Leave me... alone..."
Faythe stopped in her spot, her hand had only been inches away from his form before he uttered those hoarse words.
"I.. I just wanna say..." Faythe grew out a feather on her arm and plucked it, "That even if you may be leaving... I'm still happy to be your friend. So if we have the slightest chance of meeting again on the sea. Then I wish for you to greet me with a smile and call me friend." She grabbed his hand, rubbing her thumb over the coarse surface of his palm. The harsh tear of skin was felt from the Impact Dial.
"And in return, I'll call you mine as well." She placed the red feather into his palm and helped curl his hand around it before placing it next to his face.
As Faythe turned to walk back, all she could hear in the wind were newly formed sobs as Usopp held the feather close to his chest.
/:/~***~/:/
Rooftop, Inn on the backstreet—
"Here you are." Sanji opened up the rooftop exit, walking out to get a smoke, "We've all got rooms here. But no one's in their rooms. I guess none of us could sleep..." He glanced around for a moment, "Where's Luffy?"
"Over there." Chopper pointed a hoof towards the Captain—who was situated on the top of a nearby tower. The reindeer was situated in Faythe's lap as she distractedly combed her fingers through his fur as she watched the bustling chaos down below.
Wyper peered up from his position next to Faythe, "Where'd you wander off to?" He dragged a cigarette from his lips and lightly tapped it.
Sanji walked over and leaned against the rails next to the shandorian, while putting his cigarette between his lips, "I stayed by Rocky Cape all night keeping watch..." A nice soft breeze brushed against his blonde locks, "Just... In case Robin returned..." He glanced over out into the scenery, "I wonder where she went. She didn't say a word..."
Faythe glanced over at Luffy's unmoving form. He had tucked his arms around his legs, leading his face to hide in them. She knew he was listening. But she knew he still wasn't over the events last night.
No one was.
"I was planning on searching the town today. Whatever happens, let's make this Inn our contact point." Sanji suggested, making Chopper perk up from his position and jump up.
"I'll... I'll come too! To search!" Chopper volunteered.
Wyper glanced over at Faythe's dazed form, worriedly. Before he could ask about her thoughts, the exit door was slammed open by a certain ginger navigator.
"Luffy—!" Nami strutted forward in a rush.
The Captain hummed at the voice, "Nami...?"
Nami took a moment to collect her breathe, "Terrible news. The whole town's in an uproar... LUFFY—!" She called out when she saw he wasn't paying attention.
Luffy finally turned.
"Last night... Mr. Iceberg from the shipbuilding was..." Nami again took a moment, "MR. ICEBERG WAS SHOT IN HIS OWN HOME—!"
"Ice guy...!?" Luffy seemed to be more attentive now.
Nami leaned over the rails to talk to Luffy, "Yes, he was shot. He's in a coma right now..."
Wyper furrowed his brows, "What's a Iceberg..?"
"We'll explain that later—who is that, Nami?" Sanji turned from Wyper to the ginger.
"A man we talked to at the shipbuilding yard yesterday." Nami explained, "He's the president of the shipbuilding company and also the mayor of Water Seven."
Sanji hummed, "He's quite a big shot..."
Nami looked down at the chaos below in worry, "There's never been a bigger incident in this town."
Luffy spoke up, "Everyone loved and respected him..." He stood up and adjusted his hat before leaping away without asking, "I'm gonna go check things out."
Nami jumped, "Wait, Luffy. I'm coming too." She called out, making him pause and looking back. Nami then turned to Faythe—who was sitting on top of the rails with a leg dangling, idly, "Fae, you wanna come too? You also were with us at the time."
Faythe peered over with a blank look, her gaze flickering from Nami to the Captain who stared at her back. She then dropped her gaze to look out at the city, "No. Imma head out and look for Robin, too. Can't have anymore friends disappearing on us again."
The underlying statement was heard. And it hit the Captain more than he liked, especially when it was said from her. She didn't even bother looking at him.
Luffy tilted his hat to overshadow his face before turning again to head to the docks.
"Luffy wait—!" Nami cursed before frantically looking over at Faythe's standing up figure, "Faythe, that was unnecessary—!" But she wasn't able to finish before the red head turned around and walked the other way.
"If you need me, I'll see you at the meeting spot." Faythe muttered before transforming and flying off.
Nami gapped at the girl's behavior, "Fae..." A hand was brought upon the girl's shoulder, making her glance up to a Wyper—who was keeping a steady eye on the flying parrot.
"Don't worry. I'll be going with her in case of emergency. Make sure we're in pairs in case something else happens." Wyper comforted before heading off. He leaped over the railings and onto a nearby rooftop, rushing after the bird to keep up.
Sanji frowned at the disturbing interaction between Faythe and Luffy, "Well that was depressing..." He then glanced over at Zoro's resting figure, "We're going to head out in a bit to search too. What about you?"
Zoro shook his head and opened his eyes, "No... I'm gonna wait and see what happens.." He leaned back a bit, glancing off into the direction where Faythe flew off to, "Besides. I think we should just give the woman some space. She's been trapped up in this Inn with everyone coddling her to death."
Sanji grimaced at the mention.
Everyone was certainly trying to comfort the red head after her outburst last night. Trying to help her cope with the loss of the Sniper. But instead of a positive response to their efforts, it was deemed as something more of a silent response. Instead she would clam up and not respond to their questions. It looked like she was suffocating in the room of people. And she herself couldn't even understand why.
And her face was all the crew mates needed to know of her silent plea. Everyone had left her alone after that. Going to their own devices to distract themselves.
The blonde rubbed the back of his head as he let out an aggressive sigh of frustration, "It's all going to shit—!" He complained.
Zoro snorted, "Ain't that right..." He muttered before closing his eyes.
/:/~***~/:/
As the day passes, the soft breeze began to pick up into a harsh blow of wind. Faythe had to take a breather as flying was just becoming a hard exercise.
While sitting on a rooftop, the redhead overheard some people panicking over a high rising tide. It must've been super important because everyone looked like a herd of headless chicken as they started loading up boats to evacuate.
"Hey, Wyper, what's your take on this?" Faythe tilted her head towards the said 'headless chickens'.
"I don't really have a thought. Most likely a yearly round thing..."
Faythe hummed, "You think we'll ever get to ride those massive bull ones? Like the Laboon size ones?"
"If we have time after we find Robin, maybe."
Faythe leaned her cheek against her knee, her fingers drawing invisible circles on the stone edge beside her, "Wyper, be honest with me for a sec."
"Always."
The red head pursed her lips out into a somber pouts, "Do you think I was harsh?"
"Do you regret your actions?"
Her brows furrowed at the genuine question, "No. I'll never regret my actions. Especially when it comes to my friends."
"But what if it were to be against one? An action deviating between two friends?"
Faythe looked up at him with a tilt of her head, her eyes falling into a droop, "Am I a bad friend...? Because I can fix that..! I can just memorize what they like and play as it..! I can just be the perfect friend that's dependable..! I can..." She trailed off when she felt her tone become empty.
Wyper walked over and sat beside her, his hands clasped together in a mindful action as he kept his gaze out at the darkening city, "I don't think... Your a bad friend per say..." He said slowly, as if finding the right words to describe his thought process. It was hard for him to do so as he was more of an action type of warrior. Never one to use words.
But for Faythe, that's the type of person she needs right now.
"I believe your a very honest individual who tries to keep her friends' happiness protected. And that's admirable of you." Wyper glanced over at her, watching her face shift from one emotion to another, trying to figure out how to reply.
But instead she kept quiet, a silent request to continue.
"It makes you a very selfless person.." Wyper tightened the grip of his clasped hands, "And from my perspective so far—which isn't much, I can truthfully say it's beginning to drain you of your own personal experiences..."
Faythe grew confused at that, "But didn't you say that's a good thing..?"
"It is..! It means you won't be power greedy or try to fight over things. But that also allows people to step over you at times... Like how.." Wyper trailed off in hesitation at what he was about to say, "Like that moment when the boy, Usopp, accused you of lying..." He watched her face fall at the mention, "You didn't protest nor speak up after that... But yet you still defended him..." He let out a harsh sigh.
"At the cost of my own friendship with Luffy..." Faythe finished for him. He didn't need to say it. It was blatantly clear as the bright smile that was wiped from his face after last night.
"You cower." Wyper stated, "Why?" His wings curled up at his sides when a harsh wind blew past them.
Faythe looked away from his burning gaze, her hands falling to her lap in a fiddling manner, "I had hurt him." She said with a wobbly smile, "I saw his face. I saw the way he was ready to snap at the person who did it, but the way... The way his eyes wavered at the sight of me..." She held up a hand and clutched the front of her blouse, "It made me feel sick to my stomach...!"
Wyper listened patiently, noting how she wasn't hiding behind these discarded faces she held for the others. This was genuine. And he was sure the First Mate had noticed early on. But he probably assumed that she would've grown out of it. But it had only gotten worse—to the point of mentally taking a toll on her. Her emotions were spiraling and she couldn't seem to keep them together.
"At first I was furious with how he treated Usopp, manhandling an injured and tortured friend like that—! He could've gone about the conversation a different way, any other way to..." Faythe trailed off in thought.
Wyper didn't mind, it gave her more time to collect her rapidly growing thoughts. Helped her organize them.
"Do you blame him...?" He asked softly.
Faythe glanced over, not wanting to say a word unless it would be a wrong answer on her part. She didn't even trust herself at the moment to give a true and honest answer.
"Or do you want him to believe that's what you think...?"
"—NO!"
Faythe let out a startled gasp, her hands hurrying to clamp her mouth shut.
Wyper blinked and then slowly felt his face pull into an amused look, "That's one way to get an answer out..."
Faythe gave him a stern glare, "It's not funny...! Wait! Is that what's happening!? Luffy thinks I blame him!?" She scooted closer to the shandorian—surprising him.
Wyper jolted at the close proximity, "Is that not what you wanted—!?" He replied hurriedly.
"No! Of course not—! Maybe—?? I don't know, I just—!" Her hands threw up to the sides of her head as she let out an frustrated groan.
Wyper sweat dropped, "Glad you could get that out of your system, I guess." Scooting back a bit to give her some space.
Faythe fell back and landed with a huff, her arms sprawled out as her legs continued to dangle off the side. Her eyes following the slow and dark clouds, "I sometimes think Luffy carries too much."
"Why is that?"
Faythe hummed in thought, "A lot of the people in the crew think that Luffy doesn't think about things and rushes in willy nilly. But he does. And he cares too. He might not be intellectually smarts but he is emotionally."
Wyper perked at that, "Emotionally?"
"He gauges the entire situation and the person's emotional state. He then decides on what actions to take from there. It's why he carries a heavy burden on his shoulder to make sure his crew is top positivity. I sometimes think he acts dumb to make the tension lessen. Though he understands when the time is right or not for such actions." Faythe ranted about her own Luffy analysis.
"So in short, you feel bad for making him feel bad about his decision as Captain." Wyper sighed, giving the girl a side eye.
Faythe glanced at him for a moment before rolling her eyes, "Yeah. Sure."
Wyper was about to speak up again but a newspaper had slapped him in the face, muffling his strained protests.
Faythe curiously leaned back up and grabbed the newspaper before it could fly off into the rushing winds. Opening the large paper, her eyes landed on the first few letters.
"NICO ROBIN ACCUSED OF SHOOTING THE PRESIDENT OF GALLEY-LA COMPANY—!?" She shrieked in confusion.
Wyper straightened up, "Wait what!?" He leaned in to read more, but it was tossed over the railings before he could grab it, "Lady Faythe—??" He looked up at the red head to see her already running off and over rooftops.
He stumbled back up to his feet, sprinting to catch up.
Soon enough, the duo could see the cranes near Dock 1 practically blow up and fall down. Causing a few screams to rip through the air.
"That's probably where Luffy is..." Faythe muttered.
"Are you not going to see what happened?" Wyper stood beside her, catching his breathe.
"No. Luffy and Nami can take care of themselves. Besides..." Faythe trailed off as she caught sight of a woman in a tight black jacket and familiar jet black hair that fell down her shoulders, "I've finally caught sight of our friend."
/:/~***~/:/
We lose a friend, we gain a new one.
Faythe found her Zoro to her Luffy.
All she needed was a listener.
And also!
Fae and Wyper are going solo. Decision is final.
Question:
What are your opinions about the events? And how do you feel about Faythe's change in behavior?