Chapter 10: Hunter-5
Douglas Bullet's hand, covered in Armament Haki, disappeared from sight, moving at a speed too fast for the human eye. And reappearred above zoro.
In response, Zoro's hand moved in a blur, his sword arcing through the air to meet the descending threat. The crash of Haki against Haki reverberated through the air, a storm of sparks marking the point of contact. The two warriors stood locked in this tableau, their faces only inches apart, their eyes meeting each others.
With a swift, forceful swing, Zoro broke the stalemate, sending Bullet skidding backwards to land a few meters away. His landing kicked up a small cloud of dust, his sleeve now torn and flapping in the breeze.
"So, you're a Haki user," Bullet said, a note of surprise in his voice.
Wasting no time, Bullet launched himself into the air again, reappearing right above Zoro. Anticipating the attack, Zoro's gaze followed the trajectory of Bullet's fist, his sword at the ready. But then, he saw it - the unmistakable insignia of the Straw Hat etched onto Bullet's forearm. His eyes widened in shock, his grip on his sword faltering.
Bullet's fist connected squarely with Zoro's face, the impact sending him hurtling through the walls of the monastery.
"I overestimated you," Bullet said, his voice laced with disappointment. "It seems you're not as formidable as I thought."
Zoro stood up slowly, his body protesting. Douglas, with the grace of a predator, launched himself in the air, his fist aimed at Zoro's midsection. The blow connected, sending Zoro spiraling upwards. Douglas caught him in mid-air, his grip ironclad, and hurled him back to the ground. The impact left a crater, dust and debris billowing up around them.
Douglas then descended from the sky, landing with an impact that shook the earth. He picked Zoro up by his shirt, holding him aloft like a rag doll. His fists came down hard, again and again, on Zoro's face. Douglas laughed, a sound devoid of humor, and threw Zoro to the ground.
Douglas then turned his attention to the small girl standing nearby. Zoro, despite the beating, stood up again. Douglas glanced at him, his eyes dark. "I will kill you," he said, his voice threateningly quiet.
His hand hardened again, poised to strike. "Stop," the girl, Hana, cried. She was sobbing. "You're here for me, so take me and leave my papa alone."
Zoro, his face now a mask of blood, looked at her. He fell to his knees, the memories flooding back. "I won't ever raise my weapon, or go against you. I promise you of that," he had said to Luffy.
Douglas, annoyed, turned to Hana. "Why would I do that when I can take you by force after finishing him off?"
Hana stuck out her tongue and said defiantly, "I'll bite my own tongue and kill myself."
"Hah... girl," Douglas scoffed, but then he saw the blood already trickling down her chin. "Geez, fine by me."
"Consider yourself lucky," he said, turning his back on them.
Douglas roughly grabbed Hana's hand and started to drag her away. Zoro watched them, his vision blurred by the blood trickling down his face.
Zoro began to move, each step a monumental effort. He bent down and picked up his fallen sword. He looked at the retreating figures, his heart pounding in his chest. With a grimace, he swung the sword in the air, his movements clumsy and unsure. He dropped the sword, his strength ebbing away.
Douglas and Hana were now out of sight. Zoro fell to his knees, the world spinning around him. The monks slowly approached him, their faces filled with concern and fear.
Then, a gust of wind swept through the forest. One by one, the towering trees fell, cleanly sliced in half. Half the forest had been cut down in a single stroke.
The cut was so clean, so precise, that the trees didn't even realize they had been severed until the wind toppled them over.
The monks gasped, their eyes wide with shock and awe. The forest, their home, was now a field of fallen trees. They turned to look at eachother, their expressions confused and glad.
***
Douglas brought Hana to Doflamingo, his grip firm on her small hand. Doflamingo studied the girl, noting her green hair and emerald eyes. He reached out and branded her arm with the mark of the Straw Hat.
"Where do you plan to go now?" Douglas asked, his voice flat and emotionless.
Doflamingo looked out into the distance, his eyes hidden behind his glasses. "To the nearby safezone of pirates," he replied. "It's just a two-hour ride, and it's still early morning."
Safezones, places where marines and pirates were treated no different from each other. A place where violence was prohibited and peace was the law. These zones were declared by the Pirate King Luffy himself in the pirate code. And belonged to his territory.
Douglas stared at Doflamingo, his expression unreadable. "I plan to see your trip to its end," he said, his voice low.
Doflamingo adjusted his glasses, a slow smile spreading across his face. "Fine by me," he said, his voice filled with amusement.
***
Today was the time I got to see Hana. That's just the way it was going to be, like it or not.
I made my way to the river, the only place I could find some quiet.
Hana was my daughter. She was young, but her eyes held a world of pain. Pain I had put there. I tried to deny it, tried to blame it on fate, but the truth was stark. I was the cause.
Yamato would be coming for me. I knew that. And when she did, I wouldn't fight her. I'd let her kill me. It is the only way to make things right.
Being a pirate meant living in a world filled with monsters. But the biggest monsters, the ones with the most power, never seemed monstrous enough. There was always talk of real demons, like the ones Hana said took Hiyori. But they didn't look all that scary.
I knelt down by the water's edge, ready to wash my face. My hand met the cool water, throwing droplets onto my skin.
I'd seen my reflection in the water more times than I could count. Today, it looked different.
I had three heads, each one holding a black sword. The two on the sides swung their swords, ready for battle. The one in the middle was crying, tears of blood streaming down its face. Then the crying stopped, replaced with a laughter that sent chills down my spine.
That's when it hit me.
I've scoured the world for demons, not a single one to see, But when I looked in my own reflection, the greatest demon was me.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone