The Silver Haired Pirate

Chapter 45

Aki blinked. For a moment he thought he'd seen something. Perhaps a premonition? His kind was often known to be able to have those, though they weren't things that came on command. The images chose when to appear and would last up to a maximum of 2 minutes.  Only elders were known to have those longer ones though.

What Aki saw was... worrying, but he had a feeling it was necessary. Like he had said much earlier, if the crew couldn't get past all this and grow from it they were never meant to be in the first place. That was that.

Distress was heavy and thick in the air and it painted the beautiful sky ugly.

"How did it come to this?" Nami whimpered. It was drowned out by Choppers screaming. Zoro still refused to say a word and Sanji was back behind all of them, watching with a frown.

Usopp got up on shaky legs, panting.

"You... you won't die from something like that..." Usopp huffed, "I know that, Luffy..."

The other boy stood up, covered partly by the clouds. 

"Special attack!" Usopp drew the string back again.

"Gum-gum..." 

The two launched their attacks simultaneously (

Blasting cactus star!

Gatling!) 

When the launched balls hit Luffy's fists, several sharp, needle-like objects cut the captain. Things were really picking up speed.

"Triple exploding stars!" Usopp shouted, launching three more of the same thing.

Luffy rolled out of the way and prepared for a fight of his own.

The crew's view of the fight was blocked by a large cloud of smoke that covered the area, but they could hear shouts of pain and the sound of skin on skin, a strange clicking sound, and then a hiss. 

It was quiet for a moment before Luffy was, once again, launched out of the dust cloud.

"An impact dial!" Name and Chopper shouted.

Usopp was clutching his arm, the rebound of the dial was weighing on him heavily since he was still injured. 

"How did you like that, jerk?!" He yelled. Luffy was still standing though and looked thoroughly pissed. 

The boy launched his arm back, stretching it and forming his hand into a fist. Aki sighed, the outcome of the fight was inevitable yet still tragic. There was a yell of "Gum-Gum bullet" that echoed through the emptiness.

Aki covered Chopper's eyes, he could feel the large tears of the young boy wetting his hands, but it only made him more saddened.

Now not even distress could describe the emotions flooding the clear sky.

Usopp stood there, eyes rolled back, saying for a moment, before falling to his knees and collapsing to the ground.

Nami was hunched over and crying.

Sanji and Zoro were both still staring ahead, emotions not portrayed on their faces yet seeping from them like a broken dam.

The night was quiet as the end of the fight settled into their bones. The realization of this actually happening having never once left their minds. The invisible and unfeelable air felt heavy in all of their hearts. The blood pumping through their veins felt almost suffocating.

"The fight is over," Aki said calmly. Zoro nodded but said nothing.

"You idiot!" Luffy's voice wavered as he spoke. Emotions were so raw. Who said being a pirate was easy? Like everything in life, it had its ups and downs. "There's no way you could defeat me!"

"No..." Nami never stopped crying, she covered the bottom half of her face with her hands. Her face was flushed. "I can't take anymore..."

Luffy picked up his straw hat and walked back to the ship. 

"Do what you want with the Merry Go," he said to Usopp who was still on the ground. It was unclear if he could even hear the other boy talk, "We're gonna find a new ship. And we're gonna keep sailing forward. So long, Usopp. It's been... fun."

Aki looked down at Chopper who had begun struggling in his grasp.

"Usopp!" He cried, trying to get out of Aki's hold. The man, in response, tightened his grip. 

"Chopper please stop!" He tried to sound calm but his own emotions plus the ones potent around him were making it hard.

"Why?!" The reindeer turned to him, stopping for a moment, "He was in bad shape, to begin with, and to just leave him after that beating!"

"Chopper this isn't like any other fight-!"

"So what?! I'm a doctor!" Chopper grew in size and Aki was forced to release him. "Let me tend to him at least!" 

Sanji hopped up and shoved Usopp down by his shoulders. The doctor's head hit the railing.

"He lost his challenge," the chef began, "the last thing he needs now is your pity. Think about how that would make him feel!" His grip tightened, "Excessive kindness just hurts the vanquished even more!" Chopper had begun to cry again, "He made the challenge knowing what the outcome could be."

It was quiet for a while. Nobody said anything until Luffy was close to the Merry Go. His head was turned down so they couldn't see his face, but even without Haki, it was obvious to know how he was feeling.

"This is too much," He said.

"That's the burden of being a captain," Zoro, finally, spoke. 

"Don't doubt yourself, Luffy," Aki said regaining his calm front, staring down at the captain blankly. "If you begin to become unsure of your place, who will we have faith in? We chose to follow you."

Aki walked over to Nami and pulled her into a side hug. Nami sobbed quietly. Chopper hopped off the ship and walked over to Usopp and left medical supplies near him.

"Let's leave the ship to him," Zoro said. "This is it for us. 

"We can never return to this ship."