[Skill: Mercenaries Love has been activated!]
I smirked, ignoring the rest of the system message, and quickened my pace to catch up to Maya, who had turned her head.
"Kai?"
Slowing down, I caught up to her and glanced at the palace now in view.
"So that's the place?"
She gave a small nod, and we walked in silence for a moment before I spoke again.
"He told me to tell you he loves you."
She opened her mouth with a frown, but I shook my head and continued.
"Why are you acting this way?"
I saw her tense as though ready to walk ahead, so I grabbed the back of her shirt and lifted her off the ground slightly while still walking.
"Nothing will be sorted if you keep running away from him."
A blush spread across her ears at what I was doing, but I continued.
"Do you not love him? Is that it?"
She frowned and I saw her relax slightly. I set her down gently, and she spoke.
"I love him dearly, Kai. It's just..."
She tilted her head down to look at her hands, and I stifled a yawn.
"He believes in justice and strength so much that I fear he'll get hurt—"
I snorted, cutting her off. She looked up at me with a frown, and I sighed.
"Listen, Maya. This world is dangerous—" I gestured casually to the nature around us. "While I don't know yours or his life story, I can say he wants to get stronger... for you."
Sighing again, I thought briefly on what to say next.
"If you fear he'll lose himself, then be the one to keep him grounded. Be there by his side to support him, not from afar."
I received no response, and we walked alongside each other in silence.
=-=-=-=-=-=
Walking to the end of the pathway and seeing the palace in all its old glory was, while spectacular, not all that impressive to me when I considered the ruins back on Turtle Island.
"Saga, Toma-san and Bismarck-san, please wait here." Maya spoke as she gestured to the stairs for them to sit. She then motioned for me to follow her up. As we walked, I glanced down to see her deep in thought and spoke.
"Nervous?"
That snapped her out of it. She looked at me before nodding.
"Do you still want to take it?"
Sighing at her words, I reminded her once more.
"I told you, didn't I? I'll only take it if it benefits me."
I remembered Saga's words, then shrugged at her look.
"You sound like a pirate."
That gave me pause for a moment, but I shrugged it off.
"I'm a mercenary."
She opened her mouth to respond, but I pointed out that we were at the top now causing her to drop her words and walk inside the palace.
'A coffin?' That was my first thought as we approached a singular concrete coffin in an otherwise empty room.
*Ding!*
^System Alert!^ [Quest: Investigate the ruins holding the Shichiseiken. Reward has been sent!]
I let out a silent hum, but it was cut off as the system opened with two new quests, optional ones at that.
*Ding!*
^System Alert!^ [Quest: Take the Shichiseiken for yourself!
Reward: Shichiseiken/Cursed Holy Sword]
*Ding!*
^System Alert!^ [Quest: Break the Shichiseiken!
Reward: 3-day Experience Booster]
Another hum escaped my lips as I walked closer to the coffin. I looked down at it and then heard Maya speak with a nervous tone, accompanied by the sound of a gun being cocked.
"I-I'm sorry..."
I turned my head toward her and saw her hands trembling as she aimed at me. I sighed.
"Aim higher."
She froze at my words, so I tapped my index finger to my skull.
"I won't die if you shoot me in the chest, so aim for the head."
I turned fully around which caused her to take a step back. I crouched down so I was eye level with the barrel of the gun.
"Aim. Right. Here."
With each word, I tapped my skull. I watched her hands sweat and for a moment, I wondered if the gun would slip out of her grip.
"W-why?" she asked quietly.
I hummed at that before she clarified, tears and snot running down her face.
"If you say you'll leave, I won't shoot!"
I rolled my eye before locking onto her black eyes, causing her to yelp.
"Shoot, don't shoot. It doesn't matter to me. I will not change my mind. I will crack open the coffin and see if I want this 'Cursed' sword or not."
She gritted her teeth, more tears and snot flowing freely as she closed her eyes and pulled the trigger.
As though in slow motion, I watched the hammer snap down as I looked down the barrel...
...
...
Sighing, I stood up and turned back to the coffin as I heard the gun clatter to the ground, followed by Maya falling onto her rear.
"Y-you knew it wasn't loaded?" Her voice was a whisper, but it sounded like someone had whispered in my ear.
I cracked my neck before clenching my left hand.
"I didn't smell any gunpowder."
I heard her let out a silent "what?" but I ignored it as I continued, crouching slightly with my arm now raised.
"I'm also aware you tried to drug me last night."
I had to give her credit for last night. The lavender I smelled on her wasn't actually the calming scent of the plant instead it was a drug I had once used on monkeys back on Turtle Island when I was testing whether or not I could smoke certain plants.
"I don't blame you—" I clenched my hand harder, causing the veins in my arm and hand to stand out even more. "If I had people I wanted to protect or if I were someone who trusted others so easily, I wouldn't want them to get their hands on something known for its cursed nature."
With those words I clenched my teeth and slammed my fist down into the coffin, shattering it completely. Standing up, I shook the dirt off my fist before looking down at Maya. Her wide eyes stared up at me, tear stains on her face.
"So that's it?"
I pointed down as the dust cleared, revealing a double edged sword, about 65 inches in length, with a petal like guard and a red tassel. But the most interesting feature was the blade itself, the way it shimmered with an emerald color, the length of the blade glowing with a wavy emerald pattern.
I heard Maya whisper the blade's name in fear, but I became distracted as the system sounded off like mad.
[Warning! Blood Instinct has been activated!]
I blacked out, shaking my head before hearing the system again.
[Warning! Blood Instinct has been activated!]
Gritting my teeth—
[Warning! Blood Instinct has been activated!]
'Mother fu-'
[Warning! Blood Instinct has been activated!]
I was awake again and reached down, hearing Maya yell before I heard the system again.
[Warning! Blood Instinct has been activated!]
I felt blood leaking from my ears and eyes before blinking as the system sounded again.
*Ding!*
^System Alert!^ [Due to the activation of Skill: Blood Instinct, the corruption of "Shichiseiken" has been stopped!]
'For how long, system?' I asked as my fingers brushed against—
[Warning! Blood Instinct has been activated!]
I blinked, finding my hands raised away from the sword as the system sounded again.
*Ding!*
^System Alert!^ [The corruption will not spread for as long as Skill: Blood Instinct is active!]
My eye twitched before I glared at the blade, forcing myself to—
[Warning! Blood Instinct has been activated!]
*Ding!*
^System Alert!^ [Quest: Break the Shichiseiken has been completed! Reward has been sent!]
"Y-you..." I gently slapped the side of my head as I felt fuzzy, then looked to the side. I saw one half of the sword embedded in the wall across from me, the other half lodged in the opposite side of the wall.
"You broke Shichiseiken!" I sighed, shaking off the effects before turning to Maya. She stopped speaking as she eyed the blood slowly drying on my face.
"Yes, I destroyed it."
I don't know why I didn't think she'd react this way, but now I was having to deal with it.
"W-why?!"
I sighed again, wiping the blood off my face before answering, "It was going to hurt someone one day, so I broke it." More memories clicked into place. I remembered that it was Saga who had been controlled by the blade and it was eventually destroyed by Luffy. 'Or was it Usopp?' I shrugged at the thought and focused back on Maya.
She had stood up and was slowly walking toward one half of the sword. I walked up to her and grabbed her by the back of her shirt.
"Let's go. The others are waiting."
Not waiting for a response I walked out, hearing the slight sizzle coming from the two halves of the sword. The sound eventually died out, marking the end of a cursed sword.
~Scene Change~
"Why?" I sighed, looking behind me as Maya descended the stairs. "I could ask the same, Maya. Why haven't your people destroyed a blade you all know is evil?"
She opened her mouth to respond, but I wasn't finished. "Tradition? The fear that God will pass judgment on all of you for destroying it? A safety net in case pirates or something evil descends upon the island? Or maybe you all can't destroy it, so why haven't you let it rust at the bottom of the sea?"
Though I asked these questions, I could hardly care. It had already been done and couldn't be undone and I also believed I knew the answer. Maya's silence spoke volumes.
"Did everything go alright?"
I shifted my gaze to Saga, who was standing at the bottom of the stairs. I waved dismissively at him. "Yeah, though you might want to comfort your lover."
He frowned but turned to Maya, running up to her. I, however continued walking and passed by the other two Marines.
[Skill: Mercenaries Love has been deactivated due to the Host's job being completed!]
I smirked, letting my head turn slightly. My eye caught Maya tightly hugging Saga, who in response, faced me and gave me a thumbs up. I nodded in acknowledgment before turning back to the path that would lead to the town. I was ready to leave this place.
'I should see if Saga can buy the pirate heads I have stored.'
~Scene Change~
"Leaving already?"
I turned as I walked out of a supply store and saw Saga casually leaning against a wall.
"Yeah."
He grunted before pushing himself off the wall and speaking. "I see... I have another favor to ask."
I perked up, noticing the shift in his demeanor as he gestured for me to follow him. Shrugging, I did so and as we walked, he spoke again.
"Maya told me what happened before running to the village."
I grunted at that, and he continued.
"I..." He sighed and scratched his head. "Thank you for doing that."
I turned my gaze to him as he awkwardly scratched his chin, just as we entered a narrow path deviating from the town.
"Truthfully, I couldn't help but feel like something was going to happen with that sword in the future—something awful, at that."
'Sharp intuition?' I wondered before realizing that Saga and I were now in a secluded part of a training ground, with him standing on one side.
"My favor to you, Kai, is a spar."
I raised an eyebrow as his eyes locked onto mine. "Will you accept?"
He withdrew his sword and I rubbed the back of my neck before shrugging.
"Fine. Though before we start, since you're a Marine do you have a bounty outpost?"
He blinked before nodding. "Yes and no. We take bounties up to a certain point and once they pass that point, we give the person with the bounty a card and send a letter to a nearby base."
I nodded and twisted my waist to crack my back before walking slowly toward him.
"All right, let's start."
His eyes narrowed and he charged toward me faster than I had anticipated. In response, I stomped down, kicking up dust to blind both of us. I quickly coughed Mobile Inventory into existence as it grew large enough for me to pull out an iron sword, then shrank back down to rest in my throat.
"I won't let you hide!"
Smirking at Saga's words, I parried his blind strike causing the dust to dissipate. He looked shocked as a sword appeared in my hands.
"Ho—"
I didn't let him finish as I took a step forward, knocking him off balance for a moment. He quickly retaliated, sending an air slash toward me, which I dodged.
'First Step'
In the blink of an eye I was in front of Saga, sword raised toward his neck, only to realize his sword was aimed for my right arm.
We both stopped our attacks and jumped back.
"You're pretty good." he commented, wiping the sweat gathering under his chin. I smirked.
"You're pretty good for a cripple."
He snorted before shifting into an Iaido stance. And I shifted into my own stance, placing my right foot slightly ahead and leaning down to apply pressure with my sword above my left shoulder.
"Self taught?"
I nodded, and he smiled.
"Interesting... Well, let's end this Kai!"
I grinned wide as he shot toward me.
'First Step'
I was halfway toward him just as he took one step forward and I saw a thin bright white line connect to his sword. I grinned wider.
'Second Step'
I blitzed toward him as he drew his sword faster than before, and the once bright white line turned black as we were now in striking range.
Our swords clashed and for a brief moment, sparks flew before my sword cut through his, descending just before cutting his neck.
"I win." I stated. He wide eyed nodded and I retracted the sword from his neck, stepping back.
"I guess it's true..."
I saw his downcast face before resting my sword on my shoulder.
"Want to go again?"
He looked up, an unspoken question in his eyes. I shrugged.
"Go grab a shitload of swords, and we can keep sparring."
I rubbed my chin before snapping my fingers.
"Say, for three days?"
He pondered for a moment before nodding.
"Alright, Kai."
I smirked, and he responded with one of his own.