Soliloquy of the Broken Soul

The Bad Beginning

Why. Why today!?

Makino forced Ace and Sabo's heads down as the procession of seagreen and white came through the Town Square.

Out of all days, why today? Why were they here to begin with???

Makino struggled to find reason as to why a Celestial Dragon would even consider visiting their weary little town, much less want anything from there.

She could only watch the heavy weighted man riding who was probably a pirate into the streets like a horse drawn carriage. It simply disgusted her.

She wanted to run into her bar. She wanted to hide the three boys which she held so dearly. She wanted to, but of course fate found cruelty laughable when it came to timing. The group had been taking a stroll through the Square to look at a few street vendors, and her bar was all the way across town.

Fates twisted cruel hand indeed.

She prayed they would pass by, and for a moment, she thought they had. But when she looked up her face turned to that of horror when her eyes met with the Dragon through his bubble mask. Staring right at them.

"You!" Came his haute and high pitched voice, "How dare you look at me!"

Makino instantly put her head down once more, and could see Ace's fists clench tight out of the corner of her eye.

She had pleaded them, begged them, to promise her they wouldn't speak or do anything brash, no matter what happened. All three were forced to reluctantly agree, and she thanked the Lord she had.

"I apologize, your grace," she whispered to the man.

He spat down at her and she felt Sabo flinch in fury.

"You filthy women! You think you can just apologize and make it better!?" He stared long and hard at her before giving a slimy grin showing off crooked yellow teeth, "I know. Since they seem so precious to you, I simply must have them."

No please-

"GUARDS!" The Dragon cried out, pointing a thick gloved finger at the three boys Makino was trying so hard to protect, "Take those three boys."

"NO!" Makino cried out, standing up with tears in her eyes.

Ace finally lost it when Makino started crying.

"There is NO WAY we'd go with a slime-ball like YOU!!!" He screamed putting his fists up.

It wasn't long before Luffy and Sabo had joined him, standing protective in front of Makino; who's knees had buckled and was now on the ground staring wide eyed at the brave but oh so foolish trio.

"We'll see about that," came the large man's answer as he simply proceeded down the street.

Ace tried to follow but was blocked by five men, all clad in black suites and about ten times higher than the boys, or in four-year-old Luffy's case, about fifteen.

They attempted a fight, all the while Makino trying to stop them, but it was no use. In the end, all three were struggling in the grasps of the guards, kicking and fighting for freedom, and Makino couldn't do a thing as she watched them dragged away to the harbour, where she was sure their fates had been sealed.

And so, she sobbed right there in the blonde cobblestone street, choked cries for the boys even long after the Celestial Dragon had gone. Eventually, she wasn't alone, and everyone in the village found out what had happened and mourned with her.

No, the trio wasn't dead, far from it in fact, but in Makino's heart of hearts she could tell that whatever was in that ship, would be worse than Hell itself.