𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 ➳ 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐚 (one piece fanfic)

Chapter 54 ✨✨

"Sky, sit down, I'll take care of the rest, don't worry," Konan said calmly as she analyzed Thatch's injuries while a bunch of butterflies flew off in the sky. She used Observation Haki to make sure no enemy was hiding around.

A second later, a chain explosion could be heard, remains of Explosion tags floated down. The loud sounds successfully woke up the whole crew, while fluorescent butterflies lit up the area around the kitchen to attract them.

While all of this was happening, Konan was applying the most urgent medical first-aids, something every ninja who had been sent to war knew.

There was a deep wound on the side of his stomach, from which blood amply flowed, she applied pressure on the wound while stopping the bleeding with chakra. Meanwhile, her papers covered his other smaller wounds.

Konan then bent down to Thatch's side, putting a blade in front of his nose, and observing the metal for any hint of fog that would signal he was breathing. There was none.

"What happened here?" Marco's worried voice interrupted, in front of him was a fluorescent butterfly that quickly merged back with Konan. He was visibly disturbed by the amount of blood, but when his eyes fell on Thatch's, his face whitened and he rushed to his side. His hand went to feel his pulse while he glanced at the first aids Konan was still providing Thatch.

Konan moved away to give him space, Marco was after all the crew's doctor.

"Who did this?" His voice was cold and detached, but there was an unmistakable amount of rage simmering beneath the surface.

Sky found it hard to breathe in the room, but she still replied as the only witness, "I was cooking with Uncle Thatch, when a man appeared," she trembled as she remembered, "Thatch called him Teach." 

The room temperature visibly dropped at the mention of the name, as a bunch more people arrived at the door to hear the story. 

"He tried to attack Thatch in his back but I saw him so I tried to stop him," she gazed down at her bandaged hands, "I managed to grab his dagger but he kicked me away. By then, Thatch noticed the situation but he tried to talk to him. Unfortunately, Teach merely pretended to agree before he stabbed him, multiple times."

"Why did he do that?!" Ace interrupted furiously, blood dripping down his palm as his nails dig into his flesh.

She frowned trying to remember, "He stole something from that chest," she pointed to the now empty chest, and everyone immediately recognized the item stolen, a devil fruit.

Whitebeard's voice quietened down all chatter, "Marco, is Thatch alive?" his voice was calm but deep weariness could be heard from the usually imposing voice. Only he knew how much this incident hurt him, he had treated them both equally like his sons, yet one had turned on his brother for more power.

Marco frowned, summoning his blue flames, "It's faint but he's breathing still. Thanks to Konan, he didn't bleed out, but I have to operate on him as soon as possible."

"Let me help," Konan voiced out as papers slid under Thatch and delicately lifted him, carefully keeping him in the same position. Her hands were still on his stomach wounds to provide chakra in order to keep him from bleeding out.

Sky followed behind, uncomfortable from all the gazes on her. When she passed by Whitebeard, she glanced up at the imposing figure.

He patted her hair softly, with a sorrowful smile, "Thank you, little girl." For protecting Thatch's back, risking her life, and being Thatch's source of happiness lately. The cook often talked about his disciple to him, recounting her latest cooking achievements with a proud smile.

"This is going to be a long night," Marco said while applying his blue flames to speed up Thatch's healing. "His heart is slowing down, he lost too much blood." Marco's face was dark, beads of sweat running down his forehead. "We have to be quick, his blood type isn't very common."

"Who has the same blood type?" Konan asked quickly, butterflies fluttering around prepared to dash away to bring back someone.

"Two people," Marco answered, voice low with disgust, "Teach," he paused to think, "and the commander of the 5th division."

Sky observed their actions in silence while applying an ointment Konan gave her. Though her hands burnt badly, she didn't scream nor cry. She had become used to wounds; Nobles had a tendency to accentuate the beatings when slaves visibly cried so she learned to avoid that. She learned to keep the tears bottled up till she was alone in her cell.

As the light of the morning streamed in the room, Konan looked at Sky, she saw her leaning against the wall, head bobbing slightly in her sleep.

"His condition is stabilized, but we'll still have to keep an eye on him," Marco commented, wiping his forehead with his arm, "Thank you for helping me Konan."

Konan simply nodded, dispersing the two clones she had summoned. She felt light-headed from a lack of chakra but she forced herself to stand. Her chakra reserves were dried out, there was just enough left to keep her alive.

"We can keep watch." Ace appeared from the hallway, eyes still dark with underlying anger and frustration. He was outside the room for the whole night, waiting for news, along with a major part of the crew.

Konan nodded gratefully, not refusing the offer. She bent down to hold Sky in her arms. "Wake me up if anything happens." She then walked off to one of the guest rooms, she and Sky had been occupying.

Marco stayed behind, as he wasn't as tired as Konan and was too stressed out to sleep a wink.

When Konan woke up in the late afternoon, she was alone in her bed, Sky had already woken up. She felt her chakra levels were back to normal. Since she hadn't been woken up, she deduced, there weren't any further complications with Thatch.

Whitebeard was sitting in the middle of the deck, staring off in the distance, a cup of Sake in hand. He didn't look behind him, but still knew she was coming towards him, "Times are changing."

Konan sat in front of him silently, pouring herself a cup after he invited her to.

"Am I a bad captain?" he asked, not expecting an answer, "A small part of me still can't condemn Teach... just yesterday he was drinking with me at the same table, chatting and laughing with us, and today he has become a traitor, someone who has the blood of his brother on his hands."

Konan responded as she sipped on her drink, "It's always difficult for a parent to cut ties with a child they have nurtured for years, no matter how bad they have become." Perhaps this was how Jiraya felt when he saw his three disciples turn to the opposite side and still, he refused to give up on them.

Ace silently listened in to their conversation, in the shadows.