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' Fuck… fuck! ' Toshi's thoughts spiraled in panic, but his body moved before he could think...He twisted his body to the side, the blade whistling past him so close he felt the chill graze the air near his arm.
The marine followed up with a quick horizontal swing, the tip of blade gleaming in the sunlight as it arced through the air, aimed to cleave Toshi in two. Toshi dropped low in the nick of time, feeling the blade whistle just above his head. He winced as a strand of hair fluttered to the ground, severed cleanly by the close call.
Still crouched, Toshi wasted no time. He pushed off the sole of his foot, his muscles coiled like a spring, and lunged forward with explosive speed. His arm cocked back, fist tight and trembling, before he swung forward in a punch aimed squarely at the marine's jaw.
The marine tilted his head to the right, dodging Toshi's punch with ease. His fist punching through nothing but air. Toshi wasn't exactly an expert fighter. Compared to a Marine with real combat training and experience, he didn't stand a chance...he was completely out of his league.
Before Toshi could recover, the marine's left fist clenched tightly and shot forward with speeds Toshi couldn't react to. The blow connected squarely with Toshi's stomach.
*BWAHM*
The force of the punch was like being hit by a truck. All the air rushed from Toshi's lungs as pain exploded in his abdomen. His knees buckled, and for a moment, he swayed, trying to steady himself, but his legs felt like jelly.
Toshi looked up weakly, his body trembling as he tried to stand. The marine loomed over him, a grin plastered on his face. He raised his sword high above his head, the blade catching the glimmer of the sun as he came swinging down.
' I'm dead... ' Toshi flinched closing his eyes. The thought sent a chill down his spine, freezing him in place.
This was it.....Toshi was going to die.
*PFFT!*
The loud crack of another gunshot tore through the air, echoing in Toshi's ears. The marine stopped mid-swing, his eyes going wide in shock before his body went slack. He collapsed to the deck like a rag doll, the sword slipping from his grasp and clattering onto the wooden planks beside Toshi.
For a moment, Toshi just stared, his breath hitching in disbelief. Then a nervous smile spread across his face as relief washed over him. "Oh, thank God," he muttered under his breath, his voice shaky.
Wasting no time, Toshi snatched the sword from the ground, clutching it tightly within his palms. "THANKS, BIASTIAN!" Toshi yelled across the deck, his voice hoarse but loud enough to get his message across. His eyes darted toward Biastian, who stood at the ship's stern with a rifle in hand, smoke curling from the barrel.
Toshi's gaze quickly shifted to assess the rest of the ship. Kaya was in trouble, a Marine was charging straight at her, his cutlass in hand. Her hands trembled as she gripped her pistol, the barrel shaking so badly it looked like it might slip from her grasp. Fear was etched across her pale face as she stumbled backward, step after panicked step.
The Marine closed in fast, his weapon raised for a swing.
*BAM!*
The gunshot rang out, sharp and final. Kaya had pulled the trigger, the recoil jerking her arm back as the bullet cut through the air and struck the Marine square in the chest. He collapsed instantly, the blade slipping from his hands as blood began to pool around his lifeless body.
For a moment, Kaya froze, her wide eyes fixed on the dead Marine, the pistol still clutched tightly in her hands.
However Finn wasn't faring much better. He was struggling with another marine, sweat dripping from his forehead as he narrowly avoided a swing of a cutlass.
The captain, however, was nowhere to be seen. Coward. Toshi caught a glimpse of him running across the plank back to the marine ship, his coat flapping in the wind as he abandoned his crew, as they began to die off.
But then Toshi's eyes landed on something that made his stomach drop...a marine at the far end of the deck, crouched with a rifle trained directly on Finn. A sick grin stretched across the marine's face as his finger hovered over the trigger.
Toshi didn't think. His legs moved on their own, his body propelled forward. "FINN, MOVE!" he screamed, the words ripping from his throat. But Finn didn't hear him...or maybe he was too focused on the fight to react in time.
It was too late.
*PFFFTTT*
The shot cracked through the air, and in the next heartbeat, Finn dropped to the ground, blood pooling around him faster than Toshi could process.
"SHIT!" Toshi's voice broke as he screamed, his body moving before his mind caught up. His eyes locked onto the Marine in the back, fumbling with his rifle to reload. Toshi's grip tightened on his blade, his only thought, ' I have to stop him before he gets another shot. '
Closing the distance in a few frantic steps, Toshi swung his sword, aiming not to knock the rifle away. The blade struck true, sending the weapon spinning out of the Marine's hands. The force threw the man off balance, his feet stumbling trying gather his balance.
Toshi didn't hesitate. He drove the blade forward with all the strength he had, the tip punching through the Marine's uniform and into his chest. The man let out a choking gasp, his body stiffening before collapsing to the ground, dead.
The rifle clattered to the floor, and Toshi snatched it up in one quick motion, his breathing ragged, sweat dripping from his face. Toshi spun, his heart hammering in his chest as he spotted another Marine closing in on Finn. The Marine's sword was raised high, the blade catching the light as it arced downward, ready to finish Finn off.
Toshi didn't think...he just moved. The rifle felt awkward in his hands, too heavy, too unnatural, but he gripped it tightly and brought it up to his shoulder. His breath caught as he aimed, the world around him narrowing to just the Marine and Finn on the ground.
For a second, he froze. He closed his eyes, the cool ocean breeze brushing against his sweat-soaked face, pushing his hair back like a fleeting reassurance. It was strange, almost surreal, how calm it felt in that moment.
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< ( "Alright, fine. Focus, boy. I told ya before...steady hand, steady aim. Don't rush it, don't overthink. You can't control every shot, but you can control how you react." Sogeki waved a hand lazily. "Look at it like you're not aiming at the bottle, but aiming through it. Let the gun follow your instincts." > ) Toshi's mind snapped to Sogeki's advice, the words echoing as if he were there.
His eyes flew open, entirely focused. He lined up the rifle, the sights settling on the Marine's head. One eye closed as his breathing slowed, steadying his aim. His finger hovered for a fraction of a second before he pressed down on the trigger.
The recoil was instant, a sharp vibration jolting through his arm and into his entire body.
*PFFFT*
The bullet ripped through the air, its path nothing but deadly. It struck the Marine square in the back of his head, the impact snapping his head forward. For a moment, the man seemed frozen in place, his sword slipping from his grasp. Then, like a puppet with its strings cut, he toppled forward, his body tumbling over the ship's edge and dropping into the sea with a muted splash.
Toshi lowered the rifle slowly, his chest heaving as he watched the ripples on the water fade. It was finally over...or at least, this part of it.
"FINN!" Kaya's scream shattered the silence. She dropped to her knees beside him, her hands shaking as tears spilled down her face. Blood seeped from Finn's stomach, staining his shirt and pooling beneath him.
"Kaya, stop crying! Press on the wound!" Biastian barked from the helm. He worked quickly, unanchoring the ship and furling the sails. "He's not dead yet. Let's get out of here before we all are."
Kaya nodded frantically, ripping her cloak into strips. "Stay with me, Finn. Don't you dare die," she muttered, pressing the fabric against his stomach to staunch the bleeding.
Toshi's jaw tightened as he turned to Biastian. "What about the captain? That bastard set us up. He deserves to pay for what he did!"
Biastian paused, glancing over his shoulder as the ship creaked to life. "We don't have time," he said firmly. "If we go after him now, Finn doesn't make it. Focus on getting back to the ship. That's our priority."
Toshi clenched his fists, his frustration boiling under his skin. But he knew Biastian was right. Revenge could wait...Finn couldn't.
The sails caught the wind, and the ship lurched forward, leaving the Marine vessel shrinking as they sailed. The tension on board was palpable, each creak of the wood and crash of the waves a reminder of how close they'd come to death.
Biastian, gripping the wheel with one hand, pulled out a Den Den Mushi with the other. The snail blinked lazily at him as it woke up, its antennae twitching. "Dragon, it's Biastian," he said, his voice low and urgent.
[ .CACHA. ] A moment later, the snail's mouth moved, its tone as calm and commanding as ever. [ "What happened." ]
"It's a mess," Biastian said, his eyes flicking toward Finn, who laid on the deck with Kaya still pressing against his wound. "We've been compromised. Marines ambushed us...some corrupt captain tried to frame us. Finn's down, with serious injury to the stomach. We're on route back to the ship now, but we'll need the doctor ready."
Dragon's response came without hesitation. [ "Understood. Focus on getting back safely. We'll handle the fallout later." ]
Biastian gave a curt nod and ended the call, tucking the Den Den Mushi back into his cloak. "Hang in there, Finn," he muttered under his breath, his grip tightening on the wheel.
A while of sailing passed in tense silence, the only sounds the crashing waves and Kaya's quiet murmurs to Finn as she begged him to hold on. Toshi stood at the edge of the deck, keeping watch as guilt gnawed at him.
' I should've been faster... ' Toshi thought, the guilt wrapping around his chest like a vice. His fist tightened until his knuckles turned white, and with a sudden burst of frustration, he slammed it against the railing. The wood groaned under the impact, splintering under Toshi's fists.
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Finally, their ship came into view. As they pulled alongside, the crew onboard scrambling.
"Get the doctor!" Biastian shouted as they docked, his voice cutting through the commotion. Several crew members rushed forward, lifting Finn carefully and carrying him down below deck to medic room.
Toshi stood at the edge of the ships deck, his eyes glued to the door leading below, where the doctor was working on Finn. He hadn't moved since they'd docked, the guilt weighing him down like an anchor.
A voice broke through his thoughts. "What happened?" Troy asked, as he and Rose came over to him.
Toshi didn't look at them immediately. He ran a hand through his hair, his jaw tightening. "It was an ambush," he said finally, his voice low. "Marines set us up. The captain was corrupt...tried to frame us for smuggling drugs. Finn got hit in the crossfire."
Troy's face darkened. "How bad is it?"
"He's alive," Toshi said, glancing at the door again. "But... it's bad. The doc's doing what he can."
Rose stood silently beside Troy, her eyes flicking between Toshi and the door, an unreadable expression stretched across her face. The unspoken tension hung in the air like a storm cloud, and for once, there were no words that could make things better.
But there was one undeniable truth...Finn might not make it.
The thought hit Toshi harder than he expected. He hadn't known Finn long, but that didn't make it easier. Somehow, he couldn't help but feel somewhat responsible.
' If I'd done something sooner, maybe he wouldn't be fighting for his life right now... ' The words echoed in his mind.
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"Headquarters! Headquarters! Respond!" the captain shouted into the Den Den Mushi, shaking as he waited for it to pick up. He huddled behind a crate on the deck, his breaths heavy and ragged. Sweat streamed down his face, soaking into the crumpled, sweat-streaked fabric of his once-ironed uniform, now clinging uncomfortably to his skin.
[ .CACHA. ]
The snail's eyes opened slowly, its normally blank face twisting into a displeased scowl.
[ "Report..." ] a deep, gruff voice growled from the other side.
The captain licked his dry lips, forcing a shaky grin. "We... we were attacked by pirates, sir!" he stammered, his words rushing out in a panicked blur. "They ambushed us, completely caught us off guard! They...they killed all my men, sir!"
His fingers tightened around the edge of the crate as if it might somehow calm him down.
The voice on the other end didn't respond right away. The silence stretched, heavy and oppressive, until finally, the gravelly tone cut through.
[ "Return to base immediately," ] the voice ordered. [ "We'll deal with the it at the base. Submit your report in person, and I'll issue a bounty for these pirates. No loose ends." ]
The captain exhaled a shaky breath, nodding even though the person on the other side couldn't see him. "Y-yes, sir," he stammered, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
[ "What intel do you have on them?" ] the voice pressed.
"I—I've only got poor-quality photos, sir," the captain admitted. He pulled out a small folder with a few blurred, hastily taken shots of the group mid-battle. Their Faces were barely visible, obscured by motion and shadow. "It's not much, but it's something to start with. I'll hand them over as soon as I get back."
[ "Good enough," ] the voice growled. [ "Make sure you don't screw this up any further." ]
The Den Den Mushi's eyes closed with a click, signaling the end of the call. The captain let out a long sigh, clutching the pictures in his palms...
TO BE CONTINUED.
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