*Arya*
"Arya. Wake up. It is near noon."
My body was shook roughly.
I take a deep breath and push myself up rubbing my eyes. Finding Sentomaru and Micah's face at the end of my bed side.
I rub my eye one more time for good measure, "I apologize after waking up from my upgrade I feel very droopy."
"That is very normal. It means that the upgrades are working. Your body needs down time for them to fully take effect. It'll be a few more days until your complete. Let's hope nothing bad happens during that time." Sentomaru informs me.
I scratch my bare stomach, "What difficulties would happen?"
"The Straw Hat crew mostly. They are still after you, but you don't need to know that." Sentomaru rambles.
"Why are they after me?" In the question rolls off my tongue slight disinterest. I get up out of bed not caring that I was only in a black sports bra and dark blue cheeky panties as I walk to my closet and pulling out a white marine tank top with the blue crest on the chest, black cargo shorts, black combat boots.
"Must you parade around in your undergarments so freely. It is indecent." Micah scolds me with a flush face.
I blink lazily at him, "I'll be wearier of that next time thank you. Now Straw Hats. Were they not satisfied with killing my crew?"
I lace my boots up and stretch my arms over my head cracking my long spine as I wait for the answer.
"The Straw Hats were after your God Fruit power. They wanted to kill you and transfer the fruit to their swordsmen Roronoa Zoro. That why Zoro killed your crew without a second thought." Micah informed me. What I was assumed was rage bubbled in his voice.
"Noted. The AL's and I will just kill them next time we see him. We are a strong division." I reach for my gold pin and clip it my shirt where it sat with a comforting weight.
Micah shoots up and pulls the pin closer for inspection stretching my tank top, "Who gave you this?"
"Zero did. Were he and I lovers before the Straw Hat ordeal went on? He gave me this gift and is very affectionate with me." After the sentence leave my mouth Micah clenches his fist tight.
"No, he is just a flirtatious child. You never wanted a relationship you said it would ruin your training." Micah has a vein popping out of his head.
I rub my chin, "But if I become the strongest than I can I enjoy other things in life?"
Sentomaru chuckles, "Sure thing. When that time comes you can do whatever and whoever you want, but now it is time for your check up and training. Come on."
Micah scowls at him as the leave the room.
I gaze into the mirror and stroke my black stubble.
My yellow eyes looked so large in this body. So lonely. Like a full moon floating in a starless sky.
I focused inward on myself.
My eyes told me I was supposed to feel something. Loneliness. Sadness. Longing.
There was a twinge in my stomach. A soreness in neck. My brain felt like cotton.
I couldn't remember what the emotional pain felt like, but I knew it used to be there. However, it was taken from me so I could forget my jaded past and build a brighter pirate free future.
"Arya dear come on!" Micah voice was impatient.
I rest on my hand on my stomach.
This was worth it right? There was nothing worth remembering in my past anyway.
Right?
*Micah*
"Yo Pervy Uncle. Your part of the team too! Come on we need to learn formation!" Blaine calls over to me with much disrespect.
I roll my eyes to the snickering Science Captain, "Did you really have to give them personalities? Arya is going to become a cyborg like them in a few days anyways. What is the point of putting up this act?"
He holds up a chubby finger and waves it, "You know Arya's brain needs to be eased into it or it could causer serious damage. You don't want you beloved Arya becoming a vegetable, do you?"
I huff as I stand, "No but I am getting really tried of babysitting."
"Arya is getting better you know. She didn't seem in pain when the Straw Hats were mentioned or when she saw that rose clip, however look at her now." He flips his hand toward the group.
The group was laughing and smiling. Arya held Sandy small hand in hers and Zero rested his hand on Arya's shoulder.
"Her positive feelings still linger. Those and hatred are they hardest to get rid of. They are tied to the most powerful memories." Sentomaru picks up his battle ax for sparring, "That's why you need to be careful around her. She hates you a lot." He snickers as he says this.
He pats my shoulder, "Don't worry so much we can turn off the other AL's personality if anything happens. Than we will only have to baby sit Arya until she is numb."
I scowl done with the whole lecture. I walk over to the group and catch Zero gaze as he smirks at me and pulls Arya closer by the waist. Arya seems clueless by the gesture but doesn't rebel against it either.
Arya claps her hand a couple time to gain everyone attention to review what was gonna happen today.
Zero leans over and whispers into my ear when the commotion starts to calm down, "How does it feel knowing that I can do whatever I want to her and she will scream bloody murder if you touch her uncle?"
I blew my top. I punched him straight in the jaw. His head just blew up into ice and reforms smirking.
"Micah!" Arya scolds, "We are family here. There is no reason to fight." She puts on her hand on Zero's cheek turning his face side to side, "You okay?"
He strokes her cheek, "Perfectly fine he must of just woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." He kisses her forehead watching me out of the corning or his eyes, "Don't worry I'll make sure it is worked out."
Blaine scoff, "Get a room you too". Misty seconds the motion.
Sandy puffs her cheeks, "Don't be mean! There the mom and the dad in this family. They should love each other."
Arya furrows her brow. A memory most likely stuck in the back of her brain. I watch as her lips ghost the word love as if trying to find they real meaning of the word.
A grunt comes up running huffing and puffing, "Pi. . . . . pirates. . . . off the.. . . . . . the coast. . . . flag. . . . Straw Hats. . . . . one hour. . . . . here."
The timing could not be worse damn it!
"Sentomaru hit the off switch. Nothing can get in the way of this fight. They have to die." I fumed as a took in the news.
He already had the switch and flipped it. All of the ALs straightened up and stood at attention; Arya didn't seem to notice. Her transition taking over more and more of her brain every minute.
Her eyes were cold, vacant. "Everyone prepare yourselves. In an hour we meet on the coast."
Zero addresses the command with a mock salute, "What do you want us to do miss."
No emotion filled her voice. She didn't even blink, "We kill the Straw Hat Crew."
*Zoro*
"For the last time you cannot go onto the island and fight with us you are injured. You already did us a favor by taking out Kizaru. I am your doctor! You have to listen to me!" Chopper had been fighting Mihawk ever since his home island came into view.
Right now, Chopper was in his heavy point trying to hold him down but even in his injured state Mihawk still brushes him off easy.
"You are not going to change his mind. Just let him go. If he wants to try to save his daughter and ruin his repetition as a pirate just let him. He is a stubborn jackass. There is no hope." I extend a hand to Chopper.
"At least one of you imbeciles understand." Mihawk sneers and makes his way to the front of the boat.
"We are about half an hour out everyone grab everything you need!" Nami barks out.
I join Mihawk at the front.
We stand in a silence and watch the island he was force to leave get larger and larger. Even from all the way out here you should see how lush the island was. It was a vibrant green against the cerulean blue of the sea.
I was so eager to get to the island. I wanted to save Arya and a small part of me wanted to see were a pirate like Mihawk would settle down.
The silence was broken by Mihawk.
"Is that Arya's locket?" Mihawk accuses with sharp eyes.
He made me feel like I stole the thing. I rub the cool metal between my thumb and fore finger, "I found it on the deck the day she was taken. I guess I wanted to keep her by my side even if she was gone." My face heats up when I realize I just said that to her farther.
He gives me a very deadpanned look, "Don't worry Roronoa if you break her heart that will only give me more motivation to kill you when you challenge me to be the greatest swordsmen."
"Did you kill everyone that has approached your daughter?" I ask with a nervous chuckle.
He gives me a very scary dad glare, "The only one that needs to die is Micah. No one defiles my daughter and gets away with it."
The anger physically radiated off of him.
I lean onto the railing, "Someone told you all of that huh." I bite the inside of my cheek as imagines flash across my mind in a PTSD fashion.
I'll make sure that never happens to her again.
"I always knew Micah was an indecent person but Admiral Kizaru tried to throw me off with a few antidotes. The rest Chopper filled me in on so I would better understand her mental state." He gripped the railing so hard it shattered into hundreds of pieces.
He removes wood from his palm with a blank expression, "Sorry about your ship."
He didn't wear his emotion on his face but the railing said it all.
"Don't sweat it," I slap his back a couple times not completely sure if I was over stepping my boundaries, "It is completely understandable to want to protect your daughter's honor."
"I'll feel better when I run him through." He grunts and turns around to face the oncoming commotion.
"These are so freaking awesoooooooooooooooooome!" Luffy cheers, clapping his hands above his head dancing around like the child he was.
I turn to the group gathering. Franky has six grey bricks with a bunch of wires and circuits on them.
Franky puffs his chest, "We just put these bad boys around the base of the base," he chuckles at his joke, "Hit this magically button." Usopp wags a switch with a big red button. "The whole place blows up. Boom! No more marines!"
Usopp tips his nose up into the air, "We are the masterminds behind the bombs that will save Arya!"
Chopper turns and shows off his stuffed backpack, "I'm loaded up with everything imaginable possible that could help me save Arya."
Nami steps into the middle of the circle, "Alright so we are going in blind to this. No one has been able to get close to this island because of its security so we know nothing. If we have to split up into groups, it is going to be important that we group everyone up with a Haki user. If any of runs into Arya without a Haki user we're totally screwed." Nami was blunt but right.
"What are the other chances of logia types on the island?" Sanji directs toward Mihawk.
"I would guarantee it. Micah would not leave her side." Mihawk informs bitterly.
"And the kid we found to was a logia user. If this is really where they are created, they might be swarms of them." I add.
"If there is a swarm of them. We will die for sure." Brook said grimly with a boney finger up his nose.
Luffy shrug, "Than we turn it into a rescue mission. We just need to save our nakama."
"Well said captain." Robin smiles gently.
A heavy aura rushes over me. Sanji and I meet eyes before we make a mad dash to the stern. Luffy and Mihawk simple turns their heads.
There was six of them waiting on the coast. All of them looked like fierce, stone faced warriors; even the teenager.
I focus my Haki on Arya
Mihawk was absolutely right. She was ghost of her former self.
Cheeks shallow, skin a sickly white, her hair still short enough to see her sutures.
My insides burned with a raging fire and by the dark, heavy aura beside me I could tell Mihawk felt the same.
The worst part of it all was she looked absoluteness pissed. Her jaw was set, her golden eyes lifeless."
"So, what do you think the marines told her to give us that look? Sheesh." Sanji grimaces.
"Probably that you killed someone that is important to her or that you want to steal her power." Mihawk says blatantly.
Luffy clutches his hat and looks head on toward the challenge in head of us, "Let's go save our friend!"
*Arya*
"Arryyyyyyyyyyyyaaaa!!!!" Their captain slingshoted toward me landing about 5 feet in front of me in the sand. "We are here to save you from these marine bastards!"
For such a small man he screamed excessively loud.
Their swordsman approached me also stopping alongside his captain, "Arya you got to remember. Remember how we saved you from the marines. Remember how we helped you reunite with you farther. Remember the crew. Remember what we had."
Zero leans over and whispers in my ear, "You infiltrated their crew to try to take them down from the inside out. Once they figured out who you were, they tried to kill you. They even had you believing that you were a friend. They manipulated you. They betrayed you."
Zero pulls me into his side and presses his lips into my ear. His voice was filled with malice, "They tried to kill you."
"Arya stop!" My father was beaten and bandaged, "The marines are feeding you lies. The experimented on you. They made you forget all your memories. You have to believe me I am your father!" It sounds like he was scolding me but how his eyebrow furrowed on his face he seemed a bit desperate.
Before I could feel anything, something cold and metal was pressed to the back of my neck and electricity shot through my brain. Someone whispered into my ear, "The pirates captured your father and beat the location out of him. They put him through unimaginable torture. He is delirious; he doesn't know what he is saying. You have to kill the crew to save him."
My whole body was on fire. All I could think of was the command to kill, "There is no point in trying to manipulate me again. You killed my crew. That swordsman tried to take my power. You defied the world government. You hurt my father. We slaughter you all right here right now."
Micah cackled and smiled hungerly, "You hear that Straw Hats she is ours." Lightening ignited in his hand.
When I looked at the swordsman my whole body hurt, my head felt like it was getting crushed against stone, my heart jack hammered in my chest.
All of the water in my body boiled, "Split up. Make sure all the Haki users are taken care of first. I don't care who you get but leave the swordsman to me."
In a flash I was in combat with the green haired swordsman. I sneer at him, "I will take deep pleasure in killing you."
"I didn't do any of that Arya. They are manipulating you." He grunted around the sword in his mouth. You could see the desperation in his indigo eye.
If he fought with desperation, I knew I could win.
"One sword style: Demons pursuit." I mummer. Our blades clash once and the sweet smell of metal fills my noise. The smell causes my head to pound a bit.
One attack after another the man stays strictly on defense. Even when I tried to lure him in with an opening, he just watched me carefully.
"Why won't you fight me?" I growl at him.
The man gives an exasperated sigh, "Because I don't want to fight you. I want you to remember me!"
He steps to the right and blocks my sword with two of his swords, "I want you to remember all the time we just sat and talked."
I fake to the right and swing to the left side of his face.
Blocked again, "You need to remember all the time we talked about our problems. All the times we held each other in comfort!" The swordsman pleaded at me while he blocked my Soaring Hawk with his own ranged attack.
I separate my blades into two swords. I needed to finish this; the more time I spent with him the more it felt like someone was drilling into my head, "Two sword style: Iron Wing Slash."
He grunted under the force but still managed to block the attack, "Arya come on it is me, Zoro. " He pushed me back with all his might breaking up our clash. Sliding me back 7 feet.
He took his sword out of his mouth. A gold locket catching me eye causing another sharp pain to scream through my head. A flash of me nose to nose with the swordsman flickers forward; he was reaching around my neck putting that locket on me.
The pain caused me to stop in my tracks. Someone minus well be taking a sledgehammer to each side of my temples. I knock my hat off and crawling at the side of my head trying to reach the pain.
Another flash.
A tanned hand holding mine.
Another.
The green swordsman pining me down to the floor with a concerned look on his face.
And another and another and another!
His arm around my waste trying to keep me warm.
Him hugging me in the sand when I sobbed into his chest.
Falling asleep against his chest with his arms wrapped around me.
Each came like white hot lightening to the front of my brain. It was too much for anyone to handle.
I fall to me knees holding my head and scream bloody murder. There was nothing else I could do the pain was too much, "Zoro! Help! What is happening to me?!"
Zoro rushes to my side falling down on his knees, "Yes, it is me." He cups my face with his warm hands stroking my cheeks with his thumbs, "Arya fight it. Come back to me." After he calls out for Chopper, he rests his forehead against me, "I ain't going nowhere. I am here now."
We are quickly separated by a pillar of ice knocking Zoro back.
Cool arms help me stand.
Zero's electric blue eyes met mine, "Don't worry I'll make the pain stop. The memories are too awful they are hurting you." He said coolly as he applies a familiar cold, metal sensation touches the back of my neck.
He presses his cold lip against my forehead instantly dulling the pain. He wraps his arm around my waste frosted the rest of my body to help me cool down.
"You are just causing her pain Roronoa. Do us all a favor and let me kill you." Zero lets his hands slide from my waste and shoots of barrage of icicles toward the one-eyed swordsman.
I couldn't remember how the swordsman got so close to me.
"Getting a little handsy aren't ya frosty?" He puts the sword with the locket back in his mouth, "I'm going to go save Arya and if that means melting your ass that is just fine."
*Mihawk*
Before anyone could blink, withdrew my sword and swing at Micah. He erupts into electricity to dodge the attack.
"I am going to kill you for what you have done to my daughter." I growl as I watch Micah like a hawk.
He throws bolts of lightning my way but I dodge easily, "I deserve her after everything I have done for her! I became stronger for her. I became an experiment for her! I KILLED MY DAUGHTER FOR HER!" His form swells up to four times its size becoming a giant yellow crackling version of himself.
He discharges humongous amount of electricity consuming the almost the whole beach. He did not seem to care about his comrades getting shocked.
The static electricity in the air makes my goatee stand on end.
I bring back my sword and prepare to strike again, "Your pitiful decisions you make do not give you the right to such grotesque things to my daughter." I swing my black blade toward him.
We volley our attacks back and forth. My visual prowess giving me the upper hand even with my injuries. This power was still new to him and his attacks were predictable. He was a cocky bastard and he acted on out of impulse and arrogance.
I continue to observe him closely. Trying to find a pattern to his attacks.
I kept my breathing even. No matter how angry I was right now I could not lose my disposition.
Arya was not going to lose her farther too.
"Come on Mihawk. Where is the hate? Where is the anger?" He discharges a large palmful of electricity my way. "Come on now! I defiled your daughter! I killed your wife!" Micah eggs me on trying to make me slip up.
I swing toward his left side.
He will be appearing behind me to my left. 155 degrees.
I draw my sword back imbuing my blade with Haki and I drive my weight forward and put everything into the next swing.
My hate for Micah. The love I felt for my wife and daughter. The pride in myself I took in being the world's greatest swordsman.
Micah showed up right where I predicted my midnight blade slice through his body like butter.
A shrill, inhuman scream escapes his mouth. All the action stops on the coast. The whole island goes eerily silent.
I loom over his disfigured body. The blade went 2/3 of the way through his body severing his spin. An unimaginable about of blood pooled, staining the sand around his body a black. Some of his internal organs spilled out of the wound; ruby red from freshly spilt blood.
His eyes were bulging out of his head and blood seeped from this mouth; his body trembling from shock. Micah gasps for air like a fish on land, "You. . . . bastard. . . . you won't . . . . get away with. . . . . this. It is . . . . to late for her. . . . she is mine."
I stare down at him and watch the life drain from his body. I felt no guilt.
I meet his eyes watching the conscious slip from them. I rest my sword over his heart, "This is for my family."
I drive my blade through his heart with no hesitation.
As I watch the light fade from his eyes; the last emotion on his face was complete and utter fear.
I wipe my blade clean, apologizing to it for tainting it in such unworthy blood.
Dusting of my coat and pants I chuckle to myself.
I was going to have to wash the blood out of my coats in pants when I got home, but no new injury. Didn't open any my wounds from yesterday.
I am the world's greatest swordsman for a reason.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Finally figured out how I wanted to finish this! My goal is to pound this out before my break is done!
Guess what graduate school is hard, but not hard enough for me not to finish this!
Thank you for all the support!!
Do the like, comment, share thing!