Post by Mr. Moon on Mar 28, 2020 12:04:16 GMT -5
Loking into Darkness III.
Silently, Eric was walking through night jungle back to their ship. The other were enjoying themselves on a party held to celebrate their acquisition of an Eternal Pose towards the next island, eating roasted dinosaurs meat together with local fruits and vegetables, but for some reason he didn´t felt right. Maybe it was because everything was so peaceful lately, that he felt completely misplaced and detached from the things around him. After all, it was more than decade since, he felt alive outside a battle for the last time.
With silent sight and his hands deep inside the pockets of his pants, Eric left the jungle on a small stone beach. It was beautiful night, windless, with sky full of stars and full moon above his head. From his position, he had clear view on his ship, anchored in the shallow waters near the island. Quiet, peaceful night, yet something was off. Something, his tired brain had hard time to gasp until he covered half of the distance to the ship. It was way to peaceful and way to quiet. As he remembered, he left five regulars on the ship as a guards. Not that he expected troubles, but he firmly believed that discipline had to be hold even in the times of peace. According the protocol he created, there should be at least two of them patrolling on the deck at every given time, but despite all that light provided by stars and moon he didn´t see anyone. Of course, they could just slack off and fall asleep, but he trained them well and he know, that they are respect him and his orders, so what were the chances?
He accelerated his pace, keeping his center of mass low, to avoid any unnecessary sounds that could his bare foot make on the small pebbles beneath them. While pushing the feeling of uneasiness out of his mind, Eric covered the distance between him and his ship, leaping on the board of their ship. He landed without any noise as if cat jumped on the moss. As his bare feet touched the planks of the upper deck, he noticed human figure lying down near the taffrail.
“What the...”
Eric cursed silently and squatted down to so he could take a proper look on the body. As he suspected, it was one of his own men. Francis was lying there alive, but unconscious, without any sign of injury or struggle. He even didn´t have a chance to draw his weapon.
“Hmmmm”
Eric raised his eyes looking straight in front of him, where, near the main mast was lying another regular unconscious, without any evidence of struggle.
“How did...”
The White Tiger became alerted as he noticed footsteps coming from the lower deck. Soon after, the sounds were followed by tall, male figure dressed in expensively looking three piece suit with face hidden behind porcelain mask.
“Well, well, well, this is unexpected. I guess, you are captain White Tiger himself, am I right?”
He asked as he stepped on the upper deck, without even turning his head towards Erick, who was still kneeling down on his right.
“I prefer Eric”
He said coldly as he was raising back on his feet.
“Whose blood it is?”
Eric asked, nodding towards that man´s right glove from which was blood slowly dripping on the deck.
“Oh this?”
He finally turned towards the captain raising his hand up with his index finger straightened.
“Don´t worry, I didn´t hurt anyone from your crew, at least not physically. This belongs to your prisoner, or should I said former prisoner?”
Eric frowned.
“What?”
The masked man slightly sighted.
“Oh don´t play dumb with me. Did you really thought, that the World Government will let you blackmail one of the Marine´s Vice-Admirals with the life of his sister? Measures had to be taken.”
Eric smirked.
“That´s pretty cruel, one would say, that you will at least try to save her.”
The masked man didn´t even move, but Eric could feel he was smiling.
“Oh, but I did, it´s a shame, that you cowardly killed her during my attempt.”
Eric sighted and ran his hand through his hair.
“Is that so?”
The assassin shrugged his shoulders, but for some strange reason, Eric had feeling that he is smiling.
“You can blame only yourself, for having a reputation of crazed murderer. With this, I don´t have to bother with that spoiled brat and you will take all the blame, when Vice-Admiral Octavius will seek his revenge. I would call that win-win situation, don´t you?”
Slayer´s captain suppressed his anger and looked on the stranger at the place, where would be his eyes if not for the mask.
“Nice plan, but it has one weakness.”
He said and started moving slowly to his prey. They were only dozen or so meters apart, so he was already in the reach of his Leap, but given the fact, that he took down his men without giving them a single chance to defend themselves, Eric didn´t want to take any unnecessary risks.
“Does It?”
Asked the stranger, making short step backward to gent more stable position in a preparation for possible confrontation.
“Yeah”
Eric nodded, making another step towards him.
“It took you way too long to get out of here. Now the only thing I have to do is kill you and present your body as a proof.”
The assassin chuckled as he was trying to overcome his sudden fit of laughter.
“If you say so, but you know, being you, I would be more concerned about the safety of your sleeping beauty. You know, that unconscious girl, that is lying in your bed. Imagine, if I by accident did something to her...”
Eric clenched his teeth as his until now perfectly controlled face turned into mask of pure anger.
“You...are you threatening one of mine people?”
The masked man appeared to be shocked for a moment by his sudden reaction.
“What? Now, you...”
But Eric didn´t let him to finish his sentence. Instead of it, he leaped straight against him, with his hand formed into the shape of tiger claw, aimed at his neck. But he missed. Without changing his stance or posture, the masked man ducked so fast, that he literally disappeared from Eric´s point of view. It was only thanks to his rigorous training that he managed to reflexively harden his body with Indestructible, before powerful blow to the abdomen send him across the deck of his own ship.
It was hard punch, but nothing that his steel like muscles wouldn´t be able to handle, so when he crashed back first into the taffrail of the ship he released his technique and gently landed on his feet.
“Not bad, was that Tekkai? Where did you learned it?”
Asked the assassin with a hint of amusement in his voice, before he disappeared once again.
“Soru!”
Accustomed to this type of techniques from his training matches with Michael, Eric managed to track his movement behind himself, so he turned around just at the moment, the masked man reappeared, jumping in the air above the coast.
“Not bad, not bad at all.”
He laughed.
“Now what about...RANKYAKU!”
His leg moved so fast, that even Eric with his trained eyes saw only dark blur just a moment before a blade of compressed air soared in his direction.
“****”
Eric cursed and hardened his body once again as the blade was simply too wide for him to dodge without risking the lives of his crew members. That Rankyaku hit him hard, pushing him backward for a half meter or so, before it finally dispersed, leaving him with nothing, than a small cut on his chest. Literally with nothing as the assassin used the fact, that Eric´s vision was covered by his attack and moved again.
“Where are you looking?”
The voice appeared so close to him, that Eric instinctively jumped forward, before turning back to face his opponent again.
That agent was standing there, with his arm freely hanging along his body.
“I was excited for a moment with that Tekkai of yours, but guess, that´s all you can do right? Hardening your body to become virtually invulnerable is great skill. I guess that you were pretty big shot in the Blue with that, but here it´s not enough. So let mi school you about the terror of facing true Rokushiki master...Soru and Shigan!”
He disappeared once again, this time, trying to get Eric from the flank with a weird strike, that was using his straightened index finger as a weapon.
“Your wish”
Muttered Eric for himself, as he stepped sideways, leaving one of his arms behind with his open palm ready for an attack.
“Indestructible: Iron Wall”
As the index finger stabbed a place where he was standing just a fraction of the second ago, his palm, hardened beyond the level of regular steel hit the masked man straight in his face, sending him flying right into the main mast.
“What the...”
Surprised Eric looked at his palm. He was expecting the mask to break and reveal the face of that assassin, but instead it was like if his palm hit something even harder than itself.
“Ouch, you almost got me there”
The masked fighter got up from the deck, without single crack on his mask.
Eric clenched his teeth.
“What´s with that mask, is it from steel or something?”
The assassin pointed to his mask. From his posture it was pretty obvious, that he is confused.
“What, you mean this? No, it´s just a porcelain. Steel would be too hard to wear around like that, don´t you think?”
Eric silently cursed.
“Whatever, I can find out myself.”
With that, he leaped forward landing just his range. Once his feet touch the ground, he quickly lunged forward, changing his jump, into powerful body blow.
“Straight punch, huh?”
Muttered the masked individual, dodging it easily with a slight turn of his body.
“What the...Indestructible: Bone Crushing Kick”
Following the momentum of his strike, Eric hardened his body and focused all his strength into powerful kick once hitting nothing than an empty air again.
“High kick...”
Noted assassin a fraction of second before, Eric even executed his attack, immediately banding backwards to let the leg pass above him.
“What the...is he predicting my movements In that case...?”
As the masked man got back to his feet, through perfectly executed handspring, Eric dashed forward, releasing his Assault on him. Very swift barrage of circular strikes mixed with several straight punch to offset his rhythm.
“Is that all?”
Sighted his opponent.
“Tekkai!”
Suddenly, all his movement froze as he tensed his muscles beyond the level of regular steel. Now it was Eric who experienced the feeling of beating iron pillar, but truth to be told, it was exactly what he hoped for.
“Indestructible: Piercing Mountain!”
Without changing a rhythm of his movement, Eric closed his striking arm into fist and put more force behind it to penetrate his defense. But again, it was useless.
“This one is dangerous”
Noted the assassin, raising his open palm against Eric´s fist. Confident in ability to push trough, the White tiger didn´t even slow down, hitting his opponent with his full power. It was like hitting a steel wall with a wooden stick. His fist stopped against the palm and than bounced back, throwing surprised Eric across the whole deck into the taffrail.
“Uh...”
Shaken, he tried to get back on his feet, but the assassin was already next to him, kneeing him into the head.
“Indestructible”
The Slayer managed to harden his body in a nick of time, absorbing majority of the shock with his technique but still, he felt like if he was kicked by a horse. With his head spinning he swung his arm blindly, forcing the masked man backwards few steps and creating enough space to stand up in the process.
“You know, you aren´t half bad, but as long as you will be fighting only with your body, you will never defeat me.”
Said the masked man, but Eric didn´t listen him. He was breathing heavily and his hands were shaking. Not from fear but from an anger. Pure fury that was usually hidden deep inside his soul, buried and bounded by his incredible will. Usually it was easy for Eric to control his emotions, but he was losing his control and that was something he feared more than anything. Losing control, not being master of himself, blood, blood everywhere and than...his flashback was interrupted by the masked assassin who didn´t used his opportunity to attack him. Instead of that he was standing there, looking on Eric with his head slightly tilted to one side in a gesture of pure curiosity.
“What the...you are hiding something before me?”
“Shut up”
Snapped Eric. At the moment, his voice was alien even to him. Rough, full of uncontrollable anger and hatred.
“Yes”
The masked man smiled under his mask.
“I can feel it now. That beast inside of you.”
He started laughing.
“Isn´t it ironic? You got a reputation of violent, murderous brute who don´t know how to restrain himself, yet you have such magnificent self control.”
“Shut up, shut up”
Repeated Eric, desperately trying to once again get a hold on himself.
“Not again, not anymore, not never...”
It happened only once, only once he lost control of himself and he learned the hard way that such lost of control is just another weakness he have to eradicate.
“Not again...”
“I wonder”
The agent continued without paying much attention to Eric´s mumbling.
“What would happen, if you...just let it go? Come on, show me who...what you really are!”
Eric silenced. His hands stop shaking as he raised his eyes towards the agent. There was nothing in them except pure, unfiltered rage, that was so strong, that even the trained assassin flinched.
“I said...”
Eric growled with a voice that was far away from his usual cold one.
“shut up”
Even before he finished his sentence, Eric leaped forward with such a power, that he broke the wooden planks under his feet. He was heading string at the assassin, carrying the momentum of his leap into powerful downward punch. Without hesitation, the assassin dodged by stepping back, only to face another barrage of fast attacks, coming at him from ever changing angles and directions.
“Ts...Kami-e”
Like a sheet of paper in the wind, his body started suddenly float in the air dancing among Eric´s attacks, without getting hit.
Eric growled in frustration as every cell in his body wanted to see blood of that man.
“Indestructible: Bone Crushing Kick”
He didn´t plan, didn´t think, instead, overwhelmed by his rage he was acting on his instinct.
Unable to dodge this one with his Kami-e, the assassin stopped all movements and hardened his body with Tekkai, to take the full power of Eric´s kick with his body. The two powerful forces clashed, creating loud, thunder like crack with the strong prevailing.
Normally, Eric would be perplexed about the way his opponent managed to block his attack, since it was obvious, than while their physical strength is almost equal, his mastery over the Tekkai was much better. Yet, this was far away from normal and so, instead of thinking, Eric quickly pulled his leg back, lunging forward with his fist ready to strike anything that would be stupid enough to stand in his way.
“Indestructible: Piercing Mountain!”
Once again, the assassin absorbed full power of his strike, but Eric didn´t stopped there. With terrifying roar, Eric punched him again, again and again, with each strike strong enough to shatter steel into pieces.
Eric was furious. Beating the immovable wall before him strike after strike. He didn´t care about the skin teared from his fists. He didn´t cared about the cracking bones in his arms. He cared only about the enemy before him and the fact, that with each other strike he become softer and softer.
Three more strikes, two...one…
“That´s enough”
Assassin´s powerful voice broke through his rage and interrupted his barrage of strikes. No, it wasn´t just his voice, there was something more. It was as if Eric´s own soul was hit by powerful, terrifying wave that hit all of his senses at once. For a second he thought that he will lose his consciousness, but at the end, he managed to pull himself back together, shocked and for a second stunned by this unexpected experience.
This time, his enemy used his opportunity and grabbed Eric´s neck, lifting him up from the ground. The only thing Eric managed to do was reflexively harden his body with Indestructible.
“Tsubusu Shigan”
All five fingers around his neck started to crush his defense and for the first time after very long time, Eric couldn´t breathe.
“Ordinary third grade pirate my a**. More like dangerous monster bounded in a human skin.”
He said.
“I should kill you, but unfortunately with you dead, there will be no one to blame and I wouldn´t get my pay, so I will have to risk it and let you alive.
“Busoshoku: Koka”
For a second Eric thought that he saw as the hand of the assassin became darker, but it was probably only result of his imagination as right after that, he was hit into the temple of his head and lost his consciousness.
Darkness, being enveloped by it was strangely familiar and comforting feeling. As long as Eric remembered, it was his companion in the solitude of his cell, where he spend majority of his life, doing nothing except thinking and preparing his body and mind for another fight.
As his mind was traveling back and forth between his distant memories and the darkness that was his current reality, one memory, very old one came to his mind as if was happening once again.
He saw his father. Tall and mighty, real giant in the eyes of six years old kid, with his silver hairs, cold steel eyes and long sword, the only badge of his office. He wasn´t yelling, nor did he showed any other emotions, when he was reading the sentence the council of elders passed onto him.
Death in the pit. The strictest punishment they could sentence someone to. Despite his age, Eric wasn´t crying or begging as he was simply too confused to understand what was going on around him. After all, he didn´t remembered almost anything. He didn´t want to hurt someone. He just wanted to prove his worth to his father and than...blood...blood everywhere.
It was his father who led him to the Pit. He didn´t need to drag him as Eric walked with him willingly. His father told him that it´s the honorable way and so he listened to him. Back than he would do anything to win his approval, to gain his respect and prove himself worthy to be his apprentice, like his father was apprentice of his grandfather, going back more than five generations. He listened to him even through he deep inside knew, that there is no way to fulfill his dreams anymore. That there never was.
The Pit actually isn´t Pit at all. It´s underground coliseum located under the main Temple of The One, connected to hundreds of meters of tunnels full of underground cells. The reason why they call it the Pit is that any newcomer is thrown there from the upper gallery which was more than five meters high. Many people broke their legs or other bones just from the fall and so they became easy pray for the prisoners selected to fight them. But not Eric. Despite his age, he landed nimbly as a cat, on his feet, facing directly his opponent.
He didn´t feel any fear, at least not much, not after the man lifted his fist against him and everything became dark.
Darkness and blood. This two elements were intertwined with his life as a two inseparable siblings. Every time, when he was angry, or in danger, came darkness to protect him from it and when the darkness finally left, it leave nothing behind, except blood.
The blood belonged to his enemies, but more time than not it was also mixed with his own. Well maybe there was another thing that the darkness left him with. Scars, dozens of scars that were crossing his body
When he was young. Too young to properly understand the world around him, he learned to be dependant on the darkness, shifting all the responsibility, blame and remorse onto it. But as he became older and more experienced with the world around them, he started to see it as his weakness. After all it always leaved him wounded and so tired that he could barely move. And so he start suppressing it. Learning how to fight on his own, until the darkness became nothing more, than howling beast chained deep inside him.
His mind showed him another memory. Now he was older, fourteen, maybe fifteen years old and for the first time in his life, he fought as himself. He was so proud on himself and he was even prouder, when he realized, that he finally mastered the darkness. Back than, he thought that he reached his peak, that the chains of his will are infinite yet after his escape, the world around him started to slowly erode them until now, many, many months ago, the darkness was back.
With the enemy captain lying on the ground, the masked assassin turned around and walked slowly to the other side of Slayers ship. Ready to take his leave, he became suddenly alerted when the sixth sense hidden deep inside of his head screamed about sudden danger. By his instinct alone, he quickly sidestepped using Soru, just in time to dodge powerful blast that completely shattered the taffrail in front of him.
“What the...”
He quickly turned around, just in time to notice Eric, who, with loud thunder like crack, turned into blurred line, that hit him with full speed.
“Tekkai”
The masked assassin managed to harden his muscles in time, but even through he managed to absorb majority of the shock, some of it went through.
“How…?”
His silent question was answered, when he looked in Eric´s eyes. They were empty. His opponent was unconscious.
“You must be kidding me...”
Was the only thought that managed to cross his mind, before Eric unleashed another attack. With loud thunder like sound, his fist disappeared, striking the agent with such speed, that he didn´t even have enough time to focus his will into the defense. Because of that, the fist hit him hard, with it´s power lowered only by the strength of his Haki.
“Ugh...”
The masked assassin gasped for an air, when the power of the strike threw him against the taffrail. Only mustering enough strength to use Soru to dodge another fist.
“Looks like I really awoken dangerous beast.”
He muttered, as he was forced to dodge another shock wave, that was heading in his direction. He desperately needed some time to catch breath and prepare one of his stronger techniques, to get rid of this monster, but unfortunately time was exactly the only thing Eric wasn´t willing to give him. Attacking from the distance with powerful sonic booms to distract him, and than dashing forward to bury him under flurry of extremely fast and powerful strikes. It was very primitive and reckless strategy, but with the sheer physical strength of his enemy, combined with the sudden burst of incredible speed, it worked. His Tekkai wasn´t strong enough and his Kami- e fast enough, leaving him with only his Haki and Soru for defense. It was enough to keep himself alive, but not enough to muster enough strength for successful counterattack.
“For a god shake, am I really running here like a chicken with it´s head cut, from a greener like this?”
He cursed for himself. As it was at the moment, it was obvious, that he had only one chance left. Stop running and face Eric with strength against strength. It was so long since he actually do that under his mask, he smiled with excitement.
“Very well, if you want this, you shall have this. Come at me with everything you have you little monster!”
He yelled at Eric as if he needed to be encouraged to attack. With another leap, Eric landed right in front of the Assassin, immediately releasing seemingly endless waves of fists against him. But this time the masked assassin was prepared on him, with a straightened index fingers on both of his hands.
“Shigan: Heavenly Swords – Thousand Slashes”
With his Haki pushed to it´s limits, the masked Assassin created impenetrable wall of 1000 extremely fast, intersecting slashes and stabs, that were redirecting Eric´s fists, while trying to cut trough his almost impenetrable defense. The two fighters were moving around each others. Trading hundreds of blows in the bling of eye. Some attack canceled each other, some went through, but where Eric took the full power of the attack with his body, the masked assassin protected himself with his Haki. Their fight turned in a battle of attrition and in the end, it was Eric´s untamed power that led to his exhaustion and fall.
When the white haired brute finally fell. This time covered by dozens of stabs and slashes, unconscious, yet still breathing, the assassin, gave himself a moment to catch his breath. His own arms were shaking with exhaustion and the mask, which was up until now covering his face crumbled into tiny pieces.
“Damn...guess I should´t provoke you after all.”
He muttered, as he was watching the man lying down at his feet.
“Or more precisely, I should kill you, before you will grow into full fledged monster, but with you dying here, my mission would be spectacular failure.”
He laughed with a hint of irony in his voice.
“Guess it´s your lucky day Eric Irongate.”
He muttered as he lifted the unconscious captain and leaned him against the main mast of his ship. He was bleeding from many wounds, but the masked man didn´t doubt that he can live through this, especially with his people being this close.
“You know...”
He sighed.
“You were supposed to be only a stepping stone for our always righteous Vice-Admiral to finally cross the boundaries. To finally start moving in the right direction. Some random pirate kidnapping his sister...such a golden opportunity. Man, I even went so far as to steal something precious from you, to give you a drive, to give you a chance to stand against him, even if only for a while, but...guess I will be the one who will have to watch his back now.”
Suddenly, he stiffened as he noticed presence of two other men, quickly heading in their direction from the jungle.
“The poison I gave to her can takes anywhere from few hours to few months until it takes effect. If I am lucky, he will find you and you will be long dead before it happens. If I am unlucky...”
He shrugged his shoulders.
“Than I guess, we will meet each other pretty soon captain Irongate.”
With that, he got back up on his feet, turning his back to the fallen captain and his subordinates that were getting closer with every second and jumped to the darkness ahead of him. Leaving nothing behind with the sole exception of his shattered mask.
“Captain, hey, Eric, are you alright?”
Someone was shaking with him. Trying to pull him for the calming embrace of the darkness.
Eric cursed.
“Yeah, I am good.”
He muttered, and opened his eyes to see Gabriel kneeling next to him. Once again, his body was a mess. With little to no skin on his knuckles his hands were slowly bleeding on their deck and a sharp pain in his left forearm was suggesting that there is at least one broken bone. On top of it, he had several stabbing and slashing wounds on his body, which he didn´t remember suffering, terrible headache and pretty bad mood. One again, he lost himself to the beast.
To calm himself down, Eric started breathing slowly as he looked around the deck. There were no signs of the masked assassin around. Only Gabriel and Michael who was putting the remaining unconscious sailors back on their feet.
Seeing his captain in this state, Gabriel hesitated for a moment before he asked.
“What happened?”
Eric sighed.
“What do you think? We have an unexpected visitor.”
“Figured that much”
Said Gabriel but Eric continued.
“I don´t know who he was as he had a mask for the whole time, but guess he was some World Government dog, or assassin for hire who works for them.”
Michael smiled.
“Well than we are lucky that we had no casualties. Did you drove him away”
Eric shook his head.
“No Michael, he beat me to a pulp and went away.”
Both brothers looked at him with pure shock in their eyes.
“What?”
Gabriel was the first one who found his speech again.
“Than how…?”
Eric smirked as he was getting up at his feet. It hurt as hell, but he didn´t wanted to stay down for another second.
“He wasn´t here for me. He killed our prisoner and escaped.”
Gabriel cursed.
“He wants to frame use for her death, right?”
He guessed correctly and Eric nodded, confirming his suspicion. This time, it was Michael who added his curse.
“Yeah looks like that this time her brother will come for us personally, so we need to get out of her as fast as possible. Michael, get back to our camp and bring others. Gabriel, you will guard the ship in the case the assassin would change his mind.”
Both brothers nodded.
“And you?”
Asked Gabriel after few seconds of silence.
“I am going to patch myself up”
Smiled Eric grimly showing them his bleeding hands.
“Wouldn´t it be better to leave it on Sarah, I can...”
Eric shook his head once again.
“No, need to. If you took her here as a first the others may start to panic. Leave it like that, I am more than capable to bandage myself.”
Since they didn´t have any other question or comments, Eric headed down to his own cabin. Quick look on the bad in it confirmed him that Hana was still breathing regularly, so he could tend his wounds first. With a curse, he sat down on his chair and started to looking for a bandages on his table. It took him few minutes to bandage his body and when he finally finished, he noticed movement in the corner of his eye. He quickly turned to that direction, ready to attack anything or anyone there, only to realize that the one moving was Hana. She was awake, looking around herself with an eyes full of confusion, until she finally.
“Why every time I see you, you look like a crap?”
She asked with a faint smile on her face.
“What can I say, I am leading interesting life”
Answered Eric. She tried to sit up, and her smile changed into confusion and than fear, when she realized, that she can not.
Eric rushed to her aid, but she chased him away with a quick gesture of her hand.
“What happened to me?! Why can not I move with my legs?”
Eric sighed and went back to his chair.
“You don´t remember?”
He asked and she shook her head in response.
“No, I mean, not much. I know that you stunned me back than, in the prison. I woke up, went to help you and than...I don´t know.”
Eric nodded.
“You saved my life but got injured in the process.”
“I see”
She muttered with strange bitter voice. Carefully like if she was afraid of knowing the truth, she raised her left hand and gently touch her face. After so many weeks the bandages that were covering it were already gone, so she could touch the scar that was covering almost half of her left cheek directly. For the first time after very, very long Eric felt sorry for something. Not because he was hurt, but because the pain he saw in her eyes. If something, this realization hurt her more than when she learned that she can not walk.
“Why?”
She whispered.
“Why did you took me with you? If it´s pity than you can take it and stick it in your...”
Eric interrupted her with a short burst of roughly sounding laughter.
“I know what you are trying to do and it won´t work.”
Hana looked at him furiously, but before she could open her mouth and say something, he continued.
“You saved my life back there and that´s a debt I intend to repay. And even without it, you are mine now and I have no intentions to let you go.”
This time it was Hana who started to laugh.
“I am yours? Are you sure?”
She asked
“When was the last time you looked at my face huh?”
Snapped that girl angrily and turned her wounded side to him. Eric didn´t flinched, nor even blinked. As the big scar on her left face meant nothing to him.
“I looked at your face everyday for the last month and I don´t care. After all, I would be hypocrite incarnated if I did.”
He smiled, pointing on the dozens upon dozens of scars on his own body. Hana looked at him with wet eyes and shaking chin. She started crying right afterwards. Without thinking, Eric went to Hana and hugged her.
“I...I...can not walk”
She sobbed with her head leaned against Eric´s chest.
“Hey, it will be O.K.”
His own voice sounded strange to him.
“We have amazing doctor now and she will get you back on your feet eventually, you will see.”
For Eric this situation was so weird on so many levels. Up until now, he was used to make people cry not to care for them when they cried. But for some strange reason, when he overcame the initial awkwardness of that situation, it wasn´t half bad.
Eric was with Hana for a next hour or so before she finally fell asleep. Gently, to not wake her up again, Eric placed her in the bed and covered with his thick blanket that acted as his improvised duvet. Then he went silently outside. Just as he got out of the door he noticed Gabriel and Michael who were standing across the corridor, looking at him.
“Is everything alright?”
Asked Gabriel.
“We heard some voices...”
Added his half-brother.
Eric sighted.
“Yeah, it´s just...Hana is awake.
“What?”
Asked both uniso
“Yeah”
He sighed.
“That´s a good news isn´t it?”
Tried Gabriel to be careful with his words, as he wasn´t really sure what he should expect from his captain now. Hardly did he have an opportunity to see him in such...unexpected state of mind.
“Maybe, but when she fall asleep I noticed small wound on her inner elbow, like if someone injected something to her.”
“F**k, you think that the guy who was here...”
Started Michael, but Eric silenced him with a simple gesture.
“I have no idea. Gabriel”
He turned to his second in command.
“Bring Sarah her to examine Hana. If there is something wrong, I have to know. Michael, how long until the next island?”
“Sir.”
Gabriel nodded and went to infirmary, while his brother made a quick calculation.
“Well, if I am not mistaken it should be something between ten and twelve days captain.”
Eric nodded.
“Good, that should be enough.”
Two hours later, Eric was sitting with Sarah in the infirmary. Since all of their injured from the fight on Cactus Island were already healed, they have enough privacy for their conversation.
“So?”
Eric asked with a broody tone in his voice.
“How is she?”
Sara shrugged her shoulders.
“As far as I can tell nothing changed, at least with her spine. It´s still heavily damaged, that´s why she can not walk, but, as for why is she awake now, I have a clue”
She reached behind herself for small vial with a blood in it.
“I took some blood samples from her and run few test and I found some...stimulant of sort in her body. And before you ask, I have no idea what kind of stimulants they are as I never saw anything like that.”
Eric frowned and leaned his head onto his intertwined fingers.
“So, you don´t know if this state is permanent or if she´ll lost her consciousness again, once this substance leave her system.”
She unwillingly nodded.
“Yes, but, if I may say my educate guess, I don´t think that will happen. There is no brain damage of any sort and aside from her spine and few scars, she is completely healthy, so it´s better to look at that thing as a starter of sort, not as her only rope to her consciousness.”
Eric nodded.
“Alright, thank you.”
Sarah smiled. For some reason, today her captain didn´t look to her as scary as usual. He was...almost humane. And that was a thought that made her smile.
From the infirmary Eric headed back to his cabin, where he found Hana awake and sitting with an old, newspapers he forget to get off his table a few weeks ago.
“You are awake.”
The White Tiger stated the obvious to attract her attention.
“Yes, for some time. I was bored a bit, so I borrowed your newspapers, is it alright?”
He nodded and closed the door behind himself, before he went to sit on the chair next to Hana´s bed.
“Yeah, but they are few weeks old.”
Hana frowned.
“Few weeks, I lost so much time...”
She whispered, before changing the subject entirely.
“When I am awake now, will you drop me on the next island?”
“What?”
That question surprised Eric.
“Of course not, I told you didn´t I, you are part of this crew, your place is here.”
Hana was silent for almost minute, before she answered with another question.
“Is it? I can not fight Eric and with all respect to your optimism, I probably won´t ever be able to fight again. So what place do I exactly have in this crew? Or in the world of yours?”
Angered, Eric suppressed curse that almost passed across his lips.
“We care for our own. I told you didn´t I? Those who are week shall follow those who are strong. The ones who are strong shall protect those who are week. That´s my creed and a creed of this whole crew.”
She slightly smiled.
“Yes, I remember that.”
Again, there was a silence between them, until she suddenly asked.
“Do you know why I helped you? Back than, when you were prisoner on B – 1?”
Eric shrugged his massive shoulders.
“I don´t. I mean, at first I thought that you were just afraid of the casualties I could cause, if I fought the guard, but than, when you fought that captain with me...”
He shrugged once again.
“Yeah, that was pretty stupid.”
She laughed lightly.
“But I would do it again, even knowing that it will cause all of this. And do you know why?”
Lightly Eric shook his head in disagreement.
“I would do it again, because I realized how right you are and that...somewhere, somewhere deep inside you are a good man.”
For a moment, Eric was looking at here speechless and than he start to laugh. For a first time in many, many years, he was laughing, sincerely and from a bottom of his hearth. Hana didn´t took it as an insult. Instead she was waiting for him to calm down, before asking.
“What´s so funny about that?”
Eric smiled.
“Ah, sorry, it´s just...this is probably for a first time in my life, that someone called me a good man. Not even my own subordinates wouldn´t go so far I can guarantee you that.”
She staid silent.
“For a god´s shake Hana, look at me. I am pirate, plunderer and murderer, mass murderer if you want to be exact. That´s pretty far away from being a good man.”
Hana smiled, before she replied
“You are very dangerous man Eric.”
She said.
“And that´s a good thing, because harmless man isn´t good man. Good man is a very dangerous man who has it under voluntary control. And as far as I can say, you are all about voluntary control Eric.”
Eric flinched. This words reminded him not so distant past, just a few hours ago, when he lost himself once again. It was just a short flashback, which he quickly suppressed, but Hana still noticed.
“Is everything alright?”
She asked with a hint of worries in her voice. Eric nodded.
“Yeah it´ just, I didn´t expect you to be such philosopher.”
She chuckled.
“Yeah, guess I learned it from you. Do you want to know, when I decided to let you go?”
The Slayer slightly nodded.
“Back than, during one of our conversations, you mentioned something that really inspired me. You said, that the reason for many sufferings is that our rulers are weak. And since they are weak, they have to hide themselves behind armies to look strong, which leads to hundreds of thousands unnecessary deaths. Yet, if the rulers would be strong, stronger than anyone else in their realm. There would be no reason for such suffering, because any quarrels between them would be resolved by a single duel and so the strong would be protecting the weak.”
Eric breathed in as he wanted to say something, but Hana didn´t finished yet.
“It was at the moment I realized that someone like you can not die in a place like that, because the change you can bring to this word is something I would like to see with my own eyes. That´s why I wanted to ask, please don´t give up on your dream.”
Surprised, Eric raised his eyebrows but before he could say something, Hana turned the newspapers she was holding to him. On the page she was looking at was a detail report about Slayer´s attack on Holy Remenum Empire.
Eric slightly frowned as he realized what is she talking about.
“You are to naive.”
He said.
“For the world from my vision to exist, the rulers will have to be strong first. Because as long as they are weak, they will hide behind walls of people and laugh at any direct challenge. Trust my, I know because I tried, back then, before I formed Slayers.”
He smiled, but this time, there was more sadness than a joy in it.
“People won´t change without fear.”
Eric continued after a while.
“They need to fear something to turn for a help to the ones who are strong. So without fear, there will be no change.”
Hana mimicked his sad smile.
“I know and I also know your philosophy about fighting for the thing you care about but...”
She bite her lips a little bit.
“Why don´t you make all men into kings?”
This wasn´t a question Eric expected and so it took caught him unprepared for a moment, before he managed to put together the best answer he could in such situation.
“What?”
Hana shyly smiled.
“I mean, not everyone is able to fight for themselves Eric. Some people, women, children, they are simply too weak and scared to even try to fight back. For them, running away is the best...is the only option and if you´ll...attack them, they will never have a chance to learn from their mistakes. They will never have chance to become strong. So make a men rulers of their families. Fight with them and leave their subjects alone.”
It took considerable amount of Eric´s will not to start laughing aloud, but something from his expression probably showed his true feeling, because Hana asked
“What´s so funny about that?”
Eric shook his head.
“Nothing, it´s just that I though you are more...feminist than this.”
Hana looked surprised for a moment, before she admitted.
“Yes, I mean...can you take this seriously, please?”
“I am taking it seriously.”
Eric said.
“That´s why I don´t think I understand your reasons. We both knows, that women can fight. Hell, one of the current Yonko is a women. And as for children, I fought my first duel to death, when I was six years old, so...”
“You are not everyone Eric.”
Hana groaned.
“Actually, in this regard, you are very, very exceptional, because majority of a children is far weaker than average man and that can be said also about average women. Not everyone can be a fighter and when you never fought, fighting against dedicated, armed foe is scary, very scary.”
“Hmmm”
Grunted Eric. Her reasoning was very alien to him, but at the same time, something deep inside of him wanted to grant her her wish. It wasn´t because his conscience would suddenly awaken. It was...something else, different, strange feeling, that he never experienced before.
“You”
She started, but Eric interrupted her with his answer.
“Alright, I think I can at least give it try.”
Hana smiled.
“Thank you”
The two of them were silent for some time, before she asked.
“Eric?”
“Hmm?”
“Can you go a little closer?”
“Why?”
“It´s cold here.”
With a slight smile, Eric moved his chair closer to her bed so she could lean her head against his chest.
“You know...”
She whispered.
“I lost my parents in one of these meaningless wars. During a ball our king get into petty argue with another king and since both of them were stubborn fools they were arguing and provoking each other until they declared war upon each other. It was short conflict. The World Government doesn´t like their respective nations to fight against each other, so they stopped it in a few weeks but until than, there were several hundreds dead on each side, my parent´s among them. And guess what, half year later, the two kings reconciled with each another and even became good friends. It would be funny if not for the dead.”
As he didn´t know what else he could do in such situation, Eric wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
“I am sorry.”
“You don´t have to be. It´s more than ten years since they died. I was twelve then, so to take care about me, my brother leaved school and get himself enlisted for the CP.”
“Hmmmm”
Eric muttered.
“You and your brother, are you close to each other?”
A faint smile decorated her face.
“Yes we are, or more likely, we were. He took care of me, when I was young and helped me to stand on my own feet, when I became adult. But...I now, I don´t know how he reacted on my...resignation.”
The captain of the Slayers smiled.
“I am sure he will understand, that´s what family do as I heard.”
Hana smiled at him and than paused in surprise.
“You heard...ah, I am sorry, I forgot...”
She realized a little too late that with his history, supporting family isn´t probably something he experienced in his past.
“You don´t have to be. I don´t complain. If anything, the moment I stepped on the stones in the pit was the greatest eye opener of my life.”
She was silent for a while before asking.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Yes, but not now.”
Because of some sudden impulse, Eric started to stroke her head.
“Alright”
Hana muttered before she fell asleep.
As the darkness came majority of the crew members headed back to their cabins to get piece of hard earned sleep after whole day of working on the ship that was staying idle for maybe little too long. But the most important work was already done and since their ship was small and easy to control, around a midnight, there was no one except Michael up on the upper deck. The navigator of the Slayers took over the role of a helmsman for this night and didn´t expected any company. After all, why would anyone voluntarily trade sleep for a cold night on the deck? So he got naturally alerted, when he overheard steps coming up from the lower deck.
“Easy there, it´s only me.”
Smiled Gabriel as he noticed Michael´s hand on the handle of his sword.
“Hmmmm, why don´t you sleep? Today is my duty.”
He muttered and released his grip, turning back to the helm in front of him.
“I know, but I think we need to talk. And finally there is no one listening.”
Michael sighed.
“Eric?”
“Among other things.”
Gabriel nodded.
“Though so...”
Michael´s usual expression was replaced by uneasy smile.
“How long till we got here since you heard the first clash? Two minutes three?”
Gabriel nodded.
“Something like that, yes.”
Michael cursed.
“F**k, to think that there are people who can beat Eric to a pulp under two minutes...I mean, it´s obvious that there are people who are stronger than us, but if anything, I always thought, that he can take shot.”
“Yeah”
Gabriel nodded.
“Not to speak about the fact, that whoever was he found us in the middle of the Grand Line, got what he wanted and disappeared without any problems. If not for Eric´s boredom we would never realized what actually happened until it would be too late.”
“Yeah, looks like we underestimated this ocean a little bit.”
Michael sighed and slightly turned the helm to accommodate their course to sudden subtle change of the wind.
“With marine Vice-Admiral on our backs it will be pretty hot for us here. Do you think Eric understand that?”
Silently, Gabriel went towards the taffrail on the right side of the ship and leaned against it. His eyes were fixed on the stars, when he answered
“Yes, I think he does. Since we fought that marines he is training like a crazy. But it´s not only him Michael, we have to become stronger too. We are his weapons after all.”
Michael chuckled.
“You know he hates that expression.”
Gabriel nodded, but even he couldn´t resist gentle smile.
“Yeah I do, since it´s going directly against his philosophy”
Suddenly, the two of them became completely silent as neither wanted to start next topic. The true reason, why Gabriel sought his brother in this late hour. It took them almost fifteen minutes, before Michael asked.
“And what about her?”
His brother sighed.
“That´s really good question as she is one big mystery.”
“Yeah”
Michael fixed the helm and went next to his brother.
“He never spoke about her, aside the fact, that she saved his life back then, during the escape from B-1. So we can only guess what happened between them.”
Gabriel smirked.
“Well, one thing is obvious. He loves her.”
The Phoenix froze in place, looking at his half-brother with mouth wide open.
“What? You are kidding me, right?”
“Don´t tell me you didn´t noticed.”
“Well”
He hesitated to admit.
“I did, it just that, Eric and love, these two things are so far away from each other, that I thought there are mutually exclusive.”
“Hmmmm”
“I mean, I am glad he found someone, but...she was marine...or prison guard or whatever, so what if she influences her in a wrong, I mean good...for a f**k shake, what if he decided that he wants to settle down with her?”
Gabriel burst in short laughter.
“Don´t overact like a small child. Eric won´t settle down, you know it as good as I do, and if she can calm him down a little, it will be only for a good.”
The swordsmen sighed.
“So you noticed it too. Honestly, I hoped that it´s just my imagination running wild or something. But guess it wasn´t.”
“Yeah, I noticed right after he pulled me from that dam execution platform. That year of searching changed him and not for good. He became...impatient and angry.”
“He is always angry.”
Smirked Michael, but when he noticed Gabriel´s expression, he became serious once again.
“Isn´t he?”
His brother took a deep breath before answering.
“My dear naive brother. What you call angry, is actually our captain fully controlling himself. Trust me, I saw him losing it once and If I´ll never see it again, I will consider myself happy.”
For a second, Michael thought that his brother is joking, but when he realized how serious he is, his face turned pale.
“It was that bad?”
“Worse”
Gabriel assured him.
“To said it bluntly, we are sailing under wild and furious beast, that is bounded in human body. But since we started sailing with him…”
“He is loosing it”
Michael finished.
“Yes, day after day, so if she manage to help him find some inner peace, it will be only good, for us and for Eric himself as well.”
“Let´s just hope, that they will not brake up since they love became more than just platonic now.”
“Yeah”
Gabriel smiled. Both brothers were in a good mood, but it didn´t last longs as the night silence was interrupted by Eric´s yelling voice.
“Sarah, where the **** are you?”
The two of them looked at each other and as one dashed towards the stairs leading under the deck.
Finding Eric wasn´t really hard. He was in the middle of the corridor leading to the infirmary, with Hana in his hands. She was unconscious, terribly pale and her breath was so shallow, that it almost looked like if she wasn´t breathing at all.
Sarah, still half asleep, stuck her head out of the officer´s quarters, but when she saw what´s going on, her sleep was immediately gone.
“What happened?”
She asked as she quickly went outside, opening the door leading to their infirmary.
“You tell me”
Eric growled angrily.
“She just fell asleep looking perfectly fine and than, like it was like if she had seizure or something. She started to shake and...for the **** shake, you told me she will be alright.”
Eric snapped angrily, as he was laying Hana down on an examination table. Afraid of his anger, Sarah backed up few steps, but before Eric could continue, Gabriel grabbed his shoulder from behind.
“Eric, you should probably go outside. This isn´t helping.”
Furious, Eric turned to his first mate.
“Don´t you dare to order me around Gabriel.”
He growled, but this time, his second in command didn´t back down.
“She can not work when she is trembling in fear and if you don´t let her do her work, Hana will die.”
Eric looked on the unconscious women and back on his friend, before storming outside to breath some fresh air. Seeing their captain in this condition, even the most curious regulars hid themselves in their cabin, so he had free passage upstairs, where he stopped near the bow of their ship. He was breathing heavily as the sudden outburst of rage pulled up some memories, that were supposed to be buried forever.
“...Just look at him will he never understand his place...?”
“...Why was problem child as him born in such a noble family?...”
“...It´s waste, waste of strong body for such a vile spirit...”
“...No, you won´t start your training son, your soul was touched by the Other, I can not allow it, sorry...”
Blood, blood all over his hands. He didn´t want to hurt anyone, not back than, not yet. He just wanted to prove himself to his father. To show him, that he is worthy his teaching. That there is no one stronger than him, but than, someone pulled sword on him. There was rage, rage and darkness and than, only blood.
“Enough”
Eric yelled hitting the iron pillar he installed on the deck instead of sandbag, with his fist. His head was spinning and heart racing after the sudden surge of adrenaline in his blood, but he was getting back his control, step by step.
“...demon...”
“SHUT UP”
Another punch, this time so strong, it cracked the pillar, leaving fist shaped hole inside of it.
“Eric?
From behind, Gabriel´s voice echoed through the silent night.
“Is she alive?”
“Yes, she also regained her consciousness.”
“But?”
“But, she is very weak and...well, according, Sarah, that substance in her blood started suddenly act like a poison. Sarah is currently trying to find antidote, but according to her, she never saw something like that so without intact sample of the poison, it can be impossible.”
“I see, how much time does she have?”
Gabriel sighed.
“Eric, I...”
“How much time does she have?”
Eric repeated his question with hint of thread in his voice.
“Sarah gave her some medicines, so month, maybe a little bit more if nothing changes.”
For a few seconds, Eric was silent, before asking.
“Gabriel?”
“Yes captain?”
“Do you still have your contacts with the shady guys from the underworld?”
“Yes”
“Good, than I need you to contact them. Find everything you can about assassin for hire, that is well versed in Rokushiki, is covering his face with porcelain masquerade mask and was recently operating In this area.”
“Roger that...and captain...what if they can not find anything? I mean, guys like this are pretty careful not to leak anything about themselves.”
“Than...”
Eric finally turned to his second in command with ice cold look in his eyes.
“Than I´ll kill every single man, woman and child that will get under my hands, until his own conscience will drive him to me. Is it clear?”
Gabriel nodded.
“Absolutely.”
In few minutes, Hana´s state become stable enough, so Sarah allowed Eric to move her back to his...their cabin. So he brought her there and gently laid her on the bed, before siting right next to her.
“I am dying right?”
She asked after few heart beats.
Eric sighed.
“Why do you thing so?”
She gently smiled.
“When I asked your doctor, she refused to tell me and...it´s written all over your face.”
Slayer´s captain shook his head.
“Sorry.”
“Don´t be, how much time I have?”
“A month, maybe more. But you won´t die, so don´t worry about that. It´s just a poison. Someone sneaked on our ship and injected something to you. Sarah can figure this out, she is smart girl. The only thing she needs is just a sample of that thing and we will find it soon, I promise.”
Hana looked at him with worries written all over her face.
“Don´t do that, please.”
Confused, Eric asked.
“Do what?”
“I know you Eric. I can see in your eyes what are you planning, so please, Don´t break the promise you gave me,”
The mentioned captain cursed.
“Who cares about some promises Hana? Who cares about some random people? Stupid sheep in their stupid corrals. You important to me, not them. You are my family, not them and I swear I´ll kill every single one of them, I will burn that safe world of them to a crisps if it´s necessary to save you, or anyone close to me.”
She bit her lip a little bit. This burst of anger wasn´t what she expected. It was so different from the Eric she knew that somewhere deep inside of herself, she became worried, that he would actually be able to fulfill his threat.
“But I don´t want this”
She whispered with a tears in her eyes.
“I don´t want anyone dying just because of me.”
Cursing once again, this time just I his own mind, reached to her and gently took her around shoulders.
“Don´t cry”
He muttered why stroking her head.
“I promise that I´ll do what I can to not kill anyone, but, if someone will not submit and will stay in the way between me and the cure for you, I will show no mercy.”
“Thank you”
She sobbed.
“It´s all right. You don´t have to worry about anything. I´ll take care of you.”
They reminded like that, until she fell asleep again. This time, nothing disrupted their few moments of peace.