𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 ➳ 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐚 (one piece fanfic)

Chapter 51 ✨✨

"Shut up," Diamante growled, swiping his sword down.

Ko avoided the slash, glancing at the gap produced on the floor in wonder. "This is going to be annoying," she complained, taking out a few kunais. As Ko, she couldn't use her papers abilities, her fighting opportunities were heavily limited.

"Hold on tight, 987," she warned as she rushed toward Diamante, with two kunais in hand.

Diamante chuckled, parrying with his cape which became hard as steel in a moment. He brought down his sword on Ko who swiftly defended with her kunais, until his sword bent to an unnatural degree, successfully slashing her shoulder.

Ko groaned, jumping back to analyze the unexpected change, but Diamante didn't leave her the time, he followed with rapier thrusts that changed angles at the last minute making it difficult to predict his moves. Ko's skin took a purple glint, while her eyes unfocused to use Observation Haki. It became easier to predict his attacks and to parry.

Diamante, seeing her adapt, changed his strategy and he shifted his attacks to the smaller defenseless girl on her shoulders.

"Where is your pride?" Ko spat out, finding it harder to block the taller man's slashes as he focused on the child on her shoulders.

"All is fair in a fight," he retorted easily, transforming parts of his body into wavy sheets when he couldn't defend against all her attacks.

"Befitting of a dog I guess," she asserted, taking out kunais with a white handle, though he didn't notice the change. When she threw them at him, he simply blocked them with the edge of his cape, not expecting the loud explosion that followed. He received a large part of the blow due to his late reaction, still, he managed to salvage his face.

His smile dropped, replaced by unbridled rage, his clothes were partly burnt along with his skin, making for a mess of scarlet. "How dare a puny insect-" His attacks became harsher and heavier; he was using his weight to the fullest against the tinier Ko. And this time he avoided all the kunais she threw, carefully observing all the weapons she wielded.

"Diamante-sama, do you need help?" The reinforcement finally arrived, fully armed with guns and swords.

"Step back," Diamante ordered, avoiding another slash from Ko. He swiftly took out his gun and shoot mercilessly, aiming at 987.

Ko jumped up, taking the bullets full-front using Haki. She knew he was the type of trash to aim at innocent bystanders so she didn't dare put 987 down. She couldn't let the fight last longer as many were starting to gather around.

Her sword turned pitch black in an instant, and though Diamante felt the danger he had no other choice but to parry. Their sword clashed violently, making the ground tremble, and in that second, they seemed to be on equal grounds, till a loud cracking was heard and his sword broke apart, leaving his chest open for her sword to slash. Blood gushed out, splashing Ko's clothes as Diamante fell unconscious on the ground.

"Diamante-sama!" his guards shouted, as they started firing their guns. Ko used her Haki-coated cape to protect 987 before she rushed past the guards, running along the walls.

Once outside, she was welcomed by a bigger commotion, the citizens had begun to gather. She swiftly jumped on top of a roof and a giant bird flew by to retrieve her to 987's surprise.

She was about to fly away with 987 still stunned when her bird was slashed in two. By instinct, she swiftly unsheathed her sword to defend herself and as she expected, an invisible thread clashed against her blade. Ko was forced to land back.

"What happened?" 987 asked warily, tightly holding onto Ko. Her gaze couldn't help but go back to the arena that was still intact and alluring even from the outside. However, she knew all too well what kind of horrors hid beneath it's white facade.

"It seems like we've woken up the owner of this place," Ko calmly stated, pressing a hand against 987's to reassure her. "Don't worry, it'll be fine." Probably was omitted.

"Well, well, look who has come to visit my lovely Island," Doflamingo drawled, grinning widely with almost invisible threads extending from the tip of his fingers. "If that isn't my dear friend Ko."

"Right, I'm glad to see my valuable client too," Ko retorted with sarcasm, keeping an eye on the threads flying around.

"Valued but you haven't been answering my requests lately," he vocalized his complaints, waving his finger around in disappointment.

Ko sighed, remembering the pile of letters she had been receiving since her latest promotion in the Underworld, she had officially become the most esteemed informant after undermining a dozen spies sent from the Marine in the underworld. Though she didn't reveal all the names, in order to keep the upper hand.

Turns out the documents she had stolen as Nanko were valuable enough to deeply shake the whole Underworld. Selling the less important ones had earned her quite a lot.

"I have been quite busy," she acknowledged, before pointing to the slithering threads approaching her dangerously. "Retract those if you don't want to lose our partnership."

They stared at each other in silence before Doflamingo raised his hands in defeat, "Fine, fine, wouldn't want to slight my dear Ko."

Ko cringed at the form of endearment, but refrained from making a comment, "I have to go now." She could feel 987's trembling since he had appeared, though it was a bit lesser than when she first saw her.

But no matter how much she wanted to wipe the arrogant smirk off Doflamingo, Ko couldn't fight against a whole Nation and its king—a warlord and underworld king—not when she had a child on her shoulders, she had to remain polite.

"Before you leave, entertain me, who is the child that caused you to make such a mess in my place?" he asked in a deeper tone, traces of killing intent on the edge of his voice. As a famed pirate, he too had his pride, and even the respect he held for Ko was insignificant in the face of it. He took a few steps forward, hands in the pocket of his flamboyant feather coat.

Ko frowned at the dangerous curiosity he was beginning to display. "This is the child of an old friend of mine," she lied carefully, needles forming discreetly in her hand, ready to dash out at the slightest hint of danger.

Doflamingo stopped in his steps, tilting his head in wonder. "You wouldn't lie to me, right?" he asked rhetorically, the killing intent fading away like it never existed.

She nodded silently, still on edge as the tension subsided.

987 observed the exchange, in fear of a change of heart in her savior. But at the same time, her resolution to escape only furthered, the air outside was so much more enticing, she could feel the call of the wind and the salty smell of the sea from where she sat. The sight of the bustling city fully blooming beneath her made her yearn for a life amongst them, one where she could fully breathe without the heavy collar around her neck that constantly reminded her of her status.

The arrogant King sighed, raising his shoulder, as a devious smile appeared on his lips. "Alright, I can let you have her..." he paused dramatically, "in exchange for a favor from you, Ko."