The Silver Haired Pirate

Chapter 23

I'm really fucking sorry... I have a lot of shit going on in my personal life as well as my school life and I suck at writing fight scenes so I'm sorry that I skipped this particular chapter. 

I uh... also want the story to advance since were on chapter 23 and we haven't passed the Alabasta Arc yet so... aha... sorry...

Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas had stood up again, but the three males quickly took them down again. It ended up with Miss Merry Christmas being launched somewhere thanks to a smoke attack that caused Mr. 4 to swing his bat at her. 

Mr. 4 on the other hand was attacked by a hammer that was slingshotted to his face. Aki didn't really do much, he just picked up the boys once the fight was over, for real this time.

With Usopp bandaged up and on Aki's back, being carried piggy pack style, and Chopper in Aki's arms, the three headed off, back to their regular task. 

Aki had faith in his new friends. He did, really. But the same feeling of dread he had earlier came creeping back and it made him antsy. He could sense how his friends were holding up and some of them seemed seriously injured, but knowing them, they'd just brush it aside which was the more concerning part.

Like Sanji and Zoro. The two of them had formidable opponents, and sure they may have won the fight physically and they may have grown from it too, but they were severely injured and two of the most stubborn people Aki had ever met. He knew that all of his friends were injured, some more than others, but he wasn't exactly worried about them.

He knew that he really shouldn't be worried in general since this would all blow over and they would be brought back to health eventually.  

After a while of running, Aki had varied the three of them to the same spot he remembers Eyelash was at, and lo and behold, there he was in all his camel glory. Aki put Usopp's whining body on the camel's back gingerly, and placed Chopper on the mammal's head. Patting Eyelash on the neck, the two began to walk side by side, only picking up their pace when Sanji joined them.

"Aki~! It's so good to see you again! I'm so glad you're okay!" Sanji swirled around the shorter boy causing him to sweat drop at the amount of energy he has, despite being injured. 

"likewise, Sanji" Aki sighed and continued running. The chef after swooning slightly, then looked over to Usopp who was complaining atop the camel. 

"Hey, Usopp. Why are you crying like that?"

"Who's crying?! One who says the other is crying is the real one crying!" Usopp yelled defensively. Aki almost laughed at his weird logic, but he also felt bad since what the mole woman said must've really gotten to him. 

"what?"

"It's because... that damn aunt mole! She said Luffy was already dead!" Usopp cried. Chopper glanced back at his limp body with a worried expression.

"Is that true?" he asked meekly. 

 "ye of little faith" Aki said which caused everyone to turn to him, or at least those who could move did.

"Should't you have more faith in your captain. Besides, why should you believe the word of your enemy. Even if what they say is the truth, you shouldn't take their word for it." They looked surprised at that, which made Aki sigh. He knew people could be simple minded, heck he had met some simple minded people, but he didn't expect these guys to be so simple minded.

"Besides I can assure you he's alive" he could sense the confusion but ease that came off of Usopp, which made him smile. Sanji was also quite grateful for his words, since he himself was starting to get a little concerned. 

"Anyway's we better head to the palace fast, so wipe your nose" Sanji said "talk about everything else after the war"

Aki smiled and decided to concentrate on how his allies were doing. He wasn't at all surprised with the result; injured, injured, injured, injured. he sighed through his nose, but something else caught his attention. Someone important had been shot. Looking deeper into the situation, Aki noticed that it was the rebel leader who was shot, what surprised him more was that he had been waving a white flag.

He must've figured out what was happening and tried to stop the war only for it to backfire. Though backfire wouldn't be the right word. Aki scratched his cheek and decided to just focus on getting to the palace, all this extra thinking was stating to give him a headache. 

Sure Aki had been one for peace rather than violence, thanks to the Bushido code which restricted unnecessary violence, but that didn't mean he didn't like to fight. He kept his love for violence buried under the Bushido code, putting his duties as a Samurai before anything else. 

And he did love to fight, he found peace in it, despite how wrong that sounds. He found peace in many things, but not many had the same affect that fighting had on him. Yes, it was peaceful to fight, yes he knows how contradicting that sounds, but it was also centering for some reason.

Yeah, even he didn't know why. How odd.