UNDEAD ➫ ONE PIECE

1

They call the vast forest that stretches across North of the New World, "The Fairy King's Forest." At the heart of the forest, lies a clearing free from trees that grow so thick -- they block anyone from entering.

And in it's center stands a massive tree with canopy of pink leaves.

"Have a lick, and live ten more years. Take a swig, and live a hundred more years. Drink the whole thing, and you live forever~! Hup!" Sang a pale-blue haired woman as she continued to climb her way up a huge tree. "According to Rango, at the top of this tree.."

"Is supposed to be a treasure guarded by a saint." She continued to narrate the situation she was in, only to come to a stop when she noticed a man in front of her. He was the prettiest man she's ever seen, he had jet black hair, tan skin and bright yellow eyes.

She slowly launched herself on top of the tree and bent down to take a quick look at the shorter man, he was about 5'11, not short, but short for her.

"Ooooh! So that's the treasure. The fountain of Youth! Whoever drinks the water spilling out of that cup will gain eternal life. But I guess he exaggerated a little. I don't see any guardian saint anywhere." The red-eyed woman chuckled as she ignored the ravenette.

She hummed to herself, licked her lips -- then glanced at the man in front of her. "Hey, are you lost, man?" She asked the ravenette standing in front of her, "I'm protecting the fountain." He said. The woman blinked and looked at the man up and down -- not believing a single word that came out of his mouth, "Huh?" She wondered out loud.

"From bandits like you," The man waved his hand as the woman widened her eyes, she felt a sudden pressure push her back, "What?! Waidda minute!" She screeched in surprise. "Whoaaa! I'm gonna die." She cried out as her body flew back towards the trees she was jumping on not that long ago.

"It's alright. Even if you die, you'll become one with the forest and live on forever." The man hummed to himself and smiled a bit, though his eyes were blank and contained boredom.

"I don't like the look of those clouds. Perhaps it's a bad omen."

He turned around, ready to get back to his boring life of protecting the fountain of youth, only for him to stop in his place -- having heard a bunch of humming coming from below the tree. "Have a lick, and live ten more years. Take a swig, and live a hundred more years. Drink the whole thing, and you live forever~!"

"Hup!" The pale-blue haired woman snickered as she landed on top of the tree once more, only to meet the unamused eyes of the guardian. He swung his arm again and watched as the woman fell to her 'death', again.

Over and over again, he would toss the woman off the tree with no remorse. And over and over again, she would return, only to get knocked off the tree in return. "Would you knock that off?! You sure are persistent!" The woman growled, but whispered the last bit to herself.

"That's my line! You're so stubborn!" The guardian huffed, his face was red and his hair was a mess from all the stress he received from the woman in front of him.

"And how are you still alive?! No human who falls from this height should be able to survive it!?" He shouted, pure disbelief written all over his face while the woman shrugged. "Meh, it's nothing. I just grabbed some branches on the way and fell on some trees growing close enough together so that they'd cushion my fall. And I was lucky enough to land on some giant mushrooms."

"It can't be..why should the forest be saving a human?"

"Ha ha! Don't ask me~! In any case, I can't believe you're in charge of protecting this secret treasure. You look more like a amateur than a saint. But I'm still not going to go easy on you." She huffed and took out a weapon.