No.13 - Blog Posts

Chapter 1 : The Tiger Left First

It might have seemed impossible for the man who had arrogantly defied Death so many times. But it couldn't have been otherwise. The loyal Zoro could never have let any of his nakama die before him.

As promised, here is the first real chapter of "Until Death Do Us Part". This story makes me feel so bad, I hate killing my favorite characters but it's also super interesting to write. I also realized that in many of my Straw Hats-centric stories that I'm writing, I always start with Zoro's chapter. And this time is no exception. There's just something comforting about starting with Zoro. Words Count: 1,519 Trigger Warnings: - Character Death - Blood and Injuries Enjoy reading?

Zoro was the first to die.

“I intend to become the Greatest Swordsman in the World! No matter how I achieve this, whether it's good or bad, my name will resound throughout the world. If you stand in my way, you will pay dearly.”

“The Greatest Swordsman, that sounds pretty damn good! It takes at least that to be part of the Pirate King's crew.”

.

.

.

They were so close to Laugh Tale and yet so far away. With all four Road Poneglyphs in their possession, Robin had had no trouble finding the location of the Forgotten Island. Zoro had never doubted for a second that she was capable of it. Nami had mapped out a course; Franky had filled their Cola reserves; Usopp had settled into the crow's nest to keep watch.

It was only his newly awakened Observation Haki that saved Usopp from the sniper bullet that shattered the window behind him. Usopp let out a scream and quickly moved away from the impact of the bullet. Zoro put his hand on Wado's handle as Jinbei maneuvered the Sunny to prepare to meet the coming battle head on.

In Jaya, the crew had been taken by surprise but this time they were ready to face Blackbeard's crew. 

(Never again would Zoro let his crew down.)

Luffy stood on the figurehead, the black cloak draped over his shoulders billowing in the wind, his straw hat casting a shadow over his eyes. The crew gathered behind him, watching the darkness engulf the sea around them. The sky slowly darkened, turning crimson in the middle of the afternoon.

Zoro drew his sword, the cursed metal catching the last rays of the dying sun. Lightning streaked the skies as Nami rose up on Zeus’s back, her clima-tact clutched in his hand. Usopp’s fingers on Kabuto’s handle were unwavering, vines curling at his feet like snakes.

Cigarette smoke wrapped around the cook, flames dancing at his feet. Chopper’s horns elongated, his bones breaking and reforming as he changed form. Robin crossed her arms in front of her, the devil's soul shining in her eyes.

Franky pushed his sunglasses up his nose, steel shifting and settling beneath his skin. Ice formed on the ground around Brook as he hummed softly under his breath. Jinbe's grip on the rudder tightened, the waves crashing hard against the hull of the ship at his will.

Luffy's eyes didn't leave the horizon as he cracked his knuckles, the sun forming a halo around him.

The battle began.

The crew scattered, the fight spreading across both ships and an abandoned islet. But even as he fought the invisible bastard (the cook had cried tears of blood upon realizing what devil fruit Shiryu had eaten), Zoro kept his crew in his sights as much as he could.

Luffy was furious, and seeing him up close was like watching a supernova explode. Dangerous and yet beautiful.

Zoro parried an invisible blow, hating the way Shiryu fought. It had nothing to do with the art of sword fighting, it was cowardly and dirty. But Zoro would have his duel, his fight with Mihawk was coming, and soon his name would echo all the way to Heaven.

The Greatest Swordsman.

So Zoro treated this fight as what it was, a training in observation haki. The loss of his eye didn't matter here since neither of his eyes could see Shiryu. But he could sense him.

Attacking just behind him from the right. 

A spot that Zoro would have had a hard time reaching if he hadn't turned around in time. Zoro blocked and counterattacked in one motion, his opponent's blood clearly visible on his blades.

Zoro might not be able to see his opponent, but he could see the signs of his victory. Grinning to himself, Wado between his teeth, Zoro stopped playing with his food. Shiryu couldn't teleport, he was only invisible. His movements were predictable. And Zoro didn't give him a chance.

Zoro attacked relentlessly, not letting Shiryu get away from him. His long-range attacks were useless here, and would allow Shiryu to escape and potentially harm the rest of the crew. Not all of them knew haki, a mistake on their part that they had begun to correct, but he was sure that at this point, only Luffy, Jinbei, the cook, and Usopp could sense Shiryu coming.

A wave of haki hit the landscape, brutal and angry. The sun was exploding and no one could look away even though it burned . But it didn't burn, not for Zoro, not for the crew. It was both the first light of dawn after a nightmare and the corrosion of a solar flare.

It was everything . 

It was all it took for Shiryu to escape.

Zoro rushed after him, but the few seconds Shiryu had on him were enough. Shiryu left bloody footprints in the sand, flickering in and out of existence. He was on his last breath, but dying animals were the most desperate, the most dangerous.

Zoro saw clearly what Usopp would see too late, also distracted by Luffy.

Shiryu's blade sinking into Usopp's back, cutting right through him. Usopp spitting blood on the wet sand and missing his shot, letting Van Augur get Luffy.

Zoro stepped in, taking the blow head on.

(Always from the front, a back wound was a shame for a swordsman.)

Metal dug into his flesh, lodging in his ribcage just below his heart. Blood leaked from the corners of Zoro's lips as he smirked at Shiryu. Usopp gasped, Teach laughed, and Luffy screamed .

“ZORO!!!”

(two people on a rowboat in the middle of the ocean; sea salt, sand, and sun on his skin; elastic limbs wrapped around him in his sleep as the sun rose over the horizon)

Shiryu collapsed onto the scarlet sand, foam at the corners of his mouth and blood streaming from his eyes, ears, and nose. Shiryu had died before Zoro, Zoro had won. The darkness retreated as Teach's laughter still echoed on the horizon, haunting his final moments.

Zoro collapsed into Usopp's arms, choking on blood and seawater. Zoro was trapped in his own body, unable to move or breathe. He couldn't speak, he couldn't see, he couldn't hear.

He was going to die.

(He would never get the chance to beat Mihawk.)

(He wouldn't see Luffy become Pirate King.)

(He wouldn't be by his friends' side when they realized their dreams.)

But he knew they would, with or without him.

He could die knowing at least that.

A familiar weight settled on his head—a crown made of straw, the Pirate King’s greatest treasure—and his consciousness was brought back to his dying body one last time. His friends were around him—Nami holding his hand while shaking, his head on Usopp's lap, Robin's hand on his scarred ankle, Brook placing Wado in his other hand, hiding his tears—and the sun above his head. He squinted at the harsh, unforgiving rays of light.

Luffy rested his forehead on Zoro’s, eclipsing the sun for a moment—for ever—as his tears fell down Zoro’s cheeks.

“Stay with us, Chopper will heal you and everything will be fine,” Luffy pleaded.

Chopper worked tirelessly, desperately trying to stop the endless flow of blood by begging him to keep breathing. But Zoro had defied Death enough times to know that it was over. He had fought his whole life, to prove that he was the Best, but now that it was all coming to an end, he just wanted to enjoy the warmth of Sanji's hand around his elbow, Jinbei's on his shoulder, Franky's knee against his.

(He didn’t want to die.)

“Hey Luffy,” Zoro called softly, his lungs burning with the effort. “Remember when I told you I’d kill you if you got in my way.”

Each word was labored, barely audible over the sound of the waves but Luffy nodded, holding back a broken sob. Around him, everyone bowed their heads in grief, realizing the truth before Luffy could admit it. Zoro would have laughed at the tears shining in the cook's eyes if he had the strength.

“Guess I was wrong.”

“Zoro,” Luffy whispered. “Stay with me. Please.”

“Give them hell, Pirate King,” Zoro smirked.

.

.

.

They buried Zoro in Laugh Tale, his grave blooming with the tears of the Pirate King. Wado Ichimonji was laid to rest at his side, clasped in his hands and entwined with a rosary of 108 white and black beads. The two golden tears in his ears would serve as a passage to the afterlife and the third in his captain's ear as a memory of the deceased.

Far away on the ocean, Blackbeard's ship burned for three days in black flames, the celebration of a Pyrrhic victory. Legend has it that the waters around Laugh Tale remained red until the next King arrived.

And the name of Roronoa Zoro echoed to the heavens.

One down, nine more to go. I don't think I'll post the rest of this story on Tumblr, I don't find it very practical, but if you want it will be on AO3.

DAY 13: Till Death Do Us Part

The end of a crew. The end of a legend.

If you haven't seen the "Character Death" tag and you don't like when your favorite characters die, there's still time to turn around. The entire crew dies in this story, it's not a spoiler to say that. (And, the warnings will be put at the beginning of each chapter, in more or less gruesome ways.) I was looking for a poem to be the story's guideline but I couldn't find one that fit what I was looking for. And even though I don't really need it anymore, I decided to write it myself. The first real chapter will be coming tomorrow or in the next few days but in the meantime I left some clues on how each character dies if you want to decipher them. I originally wrote the poem in French and was unable to make it rhyme in English, to my great disappointment. So I left it for you in French with the translation for each line just below. Fandom : One Piece Character(s) : Mugiwara Kaizoku | Straw Hat Pirates Relationship(s) : Mugiwara Kaizoku | Straw Hat Pirates & Mugiwara Kaizoku | Straw Hat Pirates Words Count : 629 No. 13: TEAM AS A FAMILY Familial Curse | Multiple Whumpees | "Death will do us part." (Set It Off, Partner's In Crime)

À bord du navire des rêves,

(On board the ship of dreams,)

vivaient dix animaux

(lived ten animals)

Tous suivaient leur capitaine,

(All followed their captain,)

un singe avec comme couronne un chapeau.

(a monkey with a hat as a crown.)

Le tigre partit le premier, 

(The tiger left first,)

protégeant jusqu’au bout ses camarades.

(protecting his comrades until the end.)

Mais son dos resta intouché, 

(But his back remained untouched,)

marquant l'ultime preuve de sa bravade.

(marking the ultimate proof of his bravado.)

Le cheval solitaire fût le suivant,

(The lonely horse was next,)

son vieux squelette ne tenant plus le coup

(his old skeleton no longer holding up)

Ses amis ne le laissèrent pas seul un instant, 

(His friends did not leave him alone for a moment,)

tenant sa main jusqu’à son dernier pouls.

(holding his hand until his last pulse.)

La fin commença avec celle du caméléon,

(The end began with that of the chameleon,)

son courage inspirant le monde entier

(his courage inspiring the whole world)

Même devant la Mort il ne baissa pas le front,

(Even in the face of Death he did not lower his head,)

lançant sur la mer les navires par milliers.

(launching ships by the thousands into the sea.)

L’ironie n’échappa pas au canard,

(The irony did not escape the duck,)

quand ses yeux se fermèrent de leur plein gré.

(when his eyes closed of their own accord.)

Il aurait aimé que cela arrive un peu plus tard,

(He would have liked it to happen a little later,)

sombrer dans les bras de la mer dont il avait toujours rêvé. 

(to sink into the arms of the sea he had always dreamed of.)

Le taureau résista sans jamais faillir,

(The bull resisted without ever failing,)

quand se déchainèrent les sévices des enfers

(when the torments of hell were unleashed)

Il accueillit la fin avec un sourire,

(He greeted the end with a smile,)

tel était l’adage de l’homme de fer.

(such was the adage of the iron man.)

La chatte affronta sa fin sans ruser,

(The cat faced her end without guile,)

maîtrisant une dernière fois les éléments

(mastering the elements one last time)

Elle ne s’enfuit pas même si elle était effrayée,

(She did not run away even though she was frightened,)

libérant un pays entier du tourment.

(freeing an entire country from torment.)

Le petit renne choisit de rester,

(The little reindeer chose to stay,)

refusant de tourner son dos à ceux dans le besoin

(refusing to turn his back on those in need)

Face à la maladie il ne cessa d’essayer

(Faced with illness he never stopped trying)

et sa compassion causa sa fin.

(and his compassion caused his end.)

La seule grue qui avait réussi à fuir,

(The only crane that had managed to escape,)

finit par retourner à la maison

(ended up returning home)

Pour une fois elle ne pût pas courir,

(For once she could not run,)

et enfermée, elle se plia à la raison.

(and locked up, she bowed to reason.)

L’ours fût là quand personne ne pouvait plus l’être,

(The bear was there when no one could anymore,)

Guidant son capitaine jusqu’à la dernière minute

(Guiding his captain until the last minute)

Il ne laissa jamais sa peur paraître, 

(He never let his fear show,)

Continuant jusqu’au bout pour lui, la lutte.

(Continuing the fight to the end for him.)

Le singe resta le dernier,

(The monkey was the last to remain,)

Seul et froid au milieu de la nuit

(Alone and cold in the middle of the night)

Quand il partit, personne n'était là pour l’en empêcher,

(When he left, no one was there to stop him,)

et il prit le soleil avec lui.

(and he took the sun with him.)

DAY 13: Till Death Do Us Part

The end of a crew. The end of a legend.

If you haven't seen the "Character Death" tag and you don't like when your favorite characters die, there's still time to turn around. The entire crew dies in this story, it's not a spoiler to say that. (And, the warnings will be put at the beginning of each chapter, in more or less gruesome ways.) I was looking for a poem to be the story's guideline but I couldn't find one that fit what I was looking for. And even though I don't really need it anymore, I decided to write it myself. The first real chapter will be coming tomorrow or in the next few days but in the meantime I left some clues on how each character dies if you want to decipher them. I originally wrote the poem in French and was unable to make it rhyme in English, to my great disappointment. So I left it for you in French with the translation for each line just below. Fandom : One Piece Character(s) : Mugiwara Kaizoku | Straw Hat Pirates Relationship(s) : Mugiwara Kaizoku | Straw Hat Pirates & Mugiwara Kaizoku | Straw Hat Pirates Words Count : 629 No. 13: TEAM AS A FAMILY Familial Curse | Multiple Whumpees | "Death will do us part." (Set It Off, Partner's In Crime)

À bord du navire des rêves,

(On board the ship of dreams,)

vivaient dix animaux

(lived ten animals)

Tous suivaient leur capitaine,

(All followed their captain,)

un singe avec comme couronne un chapeau.

(a monkey with a hat as a crown.)

Le tigre partit le premier, 

(The tiger left first,)

protégeant jusqu’au bout ses camarades.

(protecting his comrades until the end.)

Mais son dos resta intouché, 

(But his back remained untouched,)

marquant l'ultime preuve de sa bravade.

(marking the ultimate proof of his bravado.)

Le cheval solitaire fût le suivant,

(The lonely horse was next,)

son vieux squelette ne tenant plus le coup

(his old skeleton no longer holding up)

Ses amis ne le laissèrent pas seul un instant, 

(His friends did not leave him alone for a moment,)

tenant sa main jusqu’à son dernier pouls.

(holding his hand until his last pulse.)

La fin commença avec celle du caméléon,

(The end began with that of the chameleon,)

son courage inspirant le monde entier

(his courage inspiring the whole world)

Même devant la Mort il ne baissa pas le front,

(Even in the face of Death he did not lower his head,)

lançant sur la mer les navires par milliers.

(launching ships by the thousands into the sea.)

L’ironie n’échappa pas au canard,

(The irony did not escape the duck,)

quand ses yeux se fermèrent de leur plein gré.

(when his eyes closed of their own accord.)

Il aurait aimé que cela arrive un peu plus tard,

(He would have liked it to happen a little later,)

sombrer dans les bras de la mer dont il avait toujours rêvé. 

(to sink into the arms of the sea he had always dreamed of.)

Le taureau résista sans jamais faillir,

(The bull resisted without ever failing,)

quand se déchainèrent les sévices des enfers

(when the torments of hell were unleashed)

Il accueillit la fin avec un sourire,

(He greeted the end with a smile,)

tel était l’adage de l’homme de fer.

(such was the adage of the iron man.)

La chatte affronta sa fin sans ruser,

(The cat faced her end without guile,)

maîtrisant une dernière fois les éléments

(mastering the elements one last time)

Elle ne s’enfuit pas même si elle était effrayée,

(She did not run away even though she was frightened,)

libérant un pays entier du tourment.

(freeing an entire country from torment.)

Le petit renne choisit de rester,

(The little reindeer chose to stay,)

refusant de tourner son dos à ceux dans le besoin

(refusing to turn his back on those in need)

Face à la maladie il ne cessa d’essayer

(Faced with illness he never stopped trying)

et sa compassion causa sa fin.

(and his compassion caused his end.)

La seule grue qui avait réussi à fuir,

(The only crane that had managed to escape,)

finit par retourner à la maison

(ended up returning home)

Pour une fois elle ne pût pas courir,

(For once she could not run,)

et enfermée, elle se plia à la raison.

(and locked up, she bowed to reason.)

L’ours fût là quand personne ne pouvait plus l’être,

(The bear was there when no one could anymore,)

Guidant son capitaine jusqu’à la dernière minute

(Guiding his captain until the last minute)

Il ne laissa jamais sa peur paraître, 

(He never let his fear show,)

Continuant jusqu’au bout pour lui, la lutte.

(Continuing the fight to the end for him.)

Le singe resta le dernier,

(The monkey was the last to remain,)

Seul et froid au milieu de la nuit

(Alone and cold in the middle of the night)

Quand il partit, personne n'était là pour l’en empêcher,

(When he left, no one was there to stop him,)

et il prit le soleil avec lui.

(and he took the sun with him.)

Day 13: Alternate prompt || Water 

He knew what he had to do. He didn't hesitate. He was the only one who could...