One Piece - Drum

My breath escaped in small puffs of visible air as my stiff fingers once again found the pendant round my neck. As my fist closed around it, the small horns on the golden head buried themselves into my cold palms. Somehow the sensation soothed me. I heard a rustling noise next to me as Zoros head slumped onto my shoulder. His breathing had gotten more rapid, his fever seemed to have risen again. I planted a soft kiss on his hot forehead as I wrapped my arms around him, trying to warm him at least a little bit. We've been in this dungeon for far too long already. He needed a doctor as soon as possible. He was fine when we landed on this island - all his former injuries had been healing so well. Zoro would never say a word of course... He would keep fighting if Death himself was upon him.

 

We had arrived on Drum about 1 week ago. In the beginning all looked well - we were able to restock our supplies, found some nice place to stay for a while and got along well with the inhabitants of the village. They told us about their island and we learned a lot about its history. Drum was an winter-island that had always been governed by kings, one more cruel than the other. After decades of fighting the people of Drum finally got rid of their latest tyrant and elected a new ruler - a just and kind president. He ruled well over his people, until one day he got very sick! The last king of Drum had banned all doctors from the island and only kept a handful for himself. The remaining doctors did their best to train new ones, but the process was a slow one. As the president lay dying, he entrusted the rule of the country to his most trusted advisor - his personal doctor Kulea - until new election could be organized. The elderly woman took over the government however as soon as the president had drawn his last breath... and her rule began even bloodier than the last king's! Everyone who did so much as breath a word against her orders was captured and never seen again. Most of the time she stayed at her castle, not bothering anyone, as long as everything stayed quiet. When she decided to come down to the villages however, everyone hid in their houses and prayed that she would walk past and leave them in peace.

After hearing that story, Luffy asked if there was anything we could do to help them... to the great dismay of the rest of our crew. The people were just as surprised, but Dalton thankfully declined. Dalton had been head of the king's guard before the president was elected and was one of the first to openly rebel against the last king. He was highly valued by the inhabitants of Drum and now that Kulea was ruling, people once again looked up to him to set things right. He asked us to leave as soon as possible, so we wouldn't get into any trouble on his behalf. But by then it was too late already: Luffy had been flying out the door in search of god-knows-what, screaming his lungs out, leaving me and the others behind.

"Where is he off to now?", Dalton asked me confused.

"Who knows... Sorry for this Dalton, he is hot-headed sometimes. He'll cool down soon enough and come back here, I promise."

"We should get the supplies back to the ship so we can leave as soon as he comes back.", Sanji said. "In case you really don't want us to help you, Dalton."

"It's very kind of you to offer, but I don't want you to get into any troubles! You seem like decent folk, I would hate to see any harm come to you. The people of Drum always solved their problems on their own, we will manage this time as well."

"Alright then... Liljana, you stay here with Dalton, in case Luffy comes back here. We'll get our packs back to the 'Going Merry' and pick you up then, ok?"

I nodded at Sanji, while him and the other boys collected their stuff and got ready to set out.

 

They weren't gone long when Luffy came busting in again, sweating and out of breath. His face was red from the cold and some snowflakes still clung to his black hair.

"Dalton! Where is this evil witch living anyway? I wanna have a good long talk with her!", he asked between breaths.

"Luffy, you're not gonna bother her or anyone else! Dalton said he doesn't want our help, so we'll respect that and leave!"

"But Lil...", he started again, a frustrated look on his face.

I interrupted him quickly: "No! Dalton said we should go, so we will accept his choice and leave. No arguing about that, Luffy!"

He dropped his shoulders and frowned. "You never let me have any fun!", he muttered.

"It's not up to me and you know that very well! We'll wait here till the other come back and then set sails again, alright?" He mumbled some undefined words of acceptance and slumped onto the floor, his arms crossed before his chest.

I sighed as I heard a voice behind me: "You can't leave just yet... please."

I swirled around to where the voice was coming from and froze. There was a young man standing right in front of me. He was handsome, with delicate features and short, dark-blonde hair and couldn't have been much older than me. He was dressed all in black and looked at me with sad eyes.

"How did you get in here?! Who are you?", Dalton demanded.

The boy didn't answer. Instead he took a step towards me and raised his hand. Luffy was on his feet in a second, ready to defend me against any attack. But the boy just reached up to the collar of his shirt and produced a small golden pendant. When I saw the shape of it I gasped loudly - it looked exactly like the one my father gave me. A small golden head, its eyes closed, with horns sticking out left and right. The boy looked at me and upon seeing my shocked expression began to smile.

"I finally found you..."

I looked up at him and clasped my own pendant. "Found me?" I asked with a shaking voice.

"Yes... I've been waiting for you for a long time. Me, and this whole country. You are the one who can free my people. Please... help us!"

"I.. I don't understand!", I stammered, "How am I supposed to help you!"

But in a blink of an eye, the boy had vanished into thin air. Dalton and Luffy both looked at me with surprise and confusion.

"You guys saw him too, right?!", I asked.

"Yes, I did... what did he mean with 'the country has been waiting for you'?"

"I don't know Luffy, I really don't..." Squeezing my pendant a bit harder I added: "How could he have the same pendant as me! How is that even possible?"

"Do you know the boy? Have you met him before?", Dalton asked.

I shook my head. "This pendant was given to me by my father... long before Luffy and I became siblings. It's the only thing I have left of my real parents... I don't understand how he could have the exact same one!"

 

Before another word was said the door of Dalton's house burst into a thousand pieces, sending wooden splinters flying all over the room. Luffy grabbed me and pulled me closer, protecting me from the explosion with his body. There were several shouts and another loud bang and then we both collided with the floor. After regaining my wits I tried to get up or at least out of Luffys arms but found myself immobile. Luffys whole weight pressed on my body and I felt his shallow breathing. When I turned my head away from his chest I felt something cold and hard on my face.

"Is that... a net?", I wondered to myself.

"Liljana...", he whimpered. "I can't... move!"

"What?! Why not? Luffy, get up!"

"I can't.... the net....it's made out of sea prism."

There was a loud laugh from the direction where the door used to be as a pair of legs come into my view. I saw how the figure the legs belonged to bent down and suddenly I stared into a pair of cold, grey eyes. Long white hair framed a pale, lean face, speckled with wrinkles and an evil grin on thin lips. From behind me I could hear Daltons voice, filled with anger and a hint of fear.

"Kulea?! What are you doing here?"

The old woman gave a cackle and answered: "What do you think, Dalton? Did you really believe I would let you make plans of rebellion with these Pirates, probably promising them all my treasures as a reward for overthrowing me? Oh no my friend! Maybe I was born at night, but not last night! I've tolerated you and your little pets long enough!"

"We aren't planning anything, Kulea! Believe me, these folks just wanted to leave. Let them go, they have done no harm.", Dalton insisted, before Kulea's guards pressed a rifle against his temple.

"Let it go, Dalton! Nothing you say will convince her now.", Luffy said with a strangely distant voice. "Besides... I really did want to go and talk to her, remember?"

"Luffy, shut up!", I hissed through clenched teeth.

A kick of Kulea hit Luffy right in the chest and left him gasping for air, squirming for more space inside the net, but couldn't get any. The net was strapped tight by now, wrapping us closer together as he tried to pull it apart.

"Enough of this, I'm tired of talking here anyway!" Kulea straightened herself again, turned around and her legs walked out of my view. As I desperately tried to extend my arms the net closed itself even tighter around us, trapping me completely. Luffy's body had slumped down altogether now as the guards that Kulea had brought with her started to drag the net over the floor and outside. All I could do was cling to Luffys shirt and keep my head up as we were dragged along the frozen pavement. The guards heaved us on the back of a sleigh and forced Dalton on it as well. As we took off my head was racing with thoughts that slowly came down to one quick prayer: That the others had not been captured yet and were save.

 

 

Now I had been sitting in this frozen dungeon of Kulea for at least a day. It was hard to tell the exact time in a room with no windows. Sadly my prayer hadn't been heard... it didn't take long until Zoro came flying through my cell door, badly bruised and injured. He had given them quite a fight and took several of her so-called "Queen's guard" down before they were able to capture him. He picked himself up again from the floor only to find his swords gone, causing him to curse uncontrollably. He threw himself against the heavy iron door, again and again, kicking it between shouted challenges, but noone answered, nor did the door gave way an inch. Finally he sank to the ground next to me, panting and sweating, while blood trickled over his brow and into his eyes.

"Liljana... so there you are! Are you alright?"

"I am... but look at you!" I grabbed the fabric of my sleeve to dab away the blood, causing him to squirm. "Hold still.." I muttered as I grabbed his chin with mild force so he would stop moving. Luckily the wound on his head was only superficial, to my dismay he wouldn't let me look after his other injuries. As always he just said: "With a bit of sleep I'll be as good as new. Since we'll have to wait for someone else to bust us out there's nothing else to do anyway."

So that's what he did - he settled himself close to me, closed his eyes and dozed off in a couple of minutes. Hearing his soft snoring next to me I felt how my eyes got heavy as well. I have forced myself to stay awake and alert to take the first chance of escaping this place, but now I could feel a wave of tiredness roll over me. I huddled closer to Zoro and tugging my arms close to his chest I tried to sleep as well. He radiated some heat that felt like heaven to me. Just as I was about to nod off, I felt very uneasy, as if I was being watched. I sat up in an abrupt motion and gasped - right in front of me I saw a familiar face.

 

"How did you manage to get in here?" I asked quietly, after the first shock had passed. The boy had appeared out of nowhere, just like in Daltons house. He just sat there, looking at me. When he didn't answer I grabbed my pendant with shacking fingers and showed it to him. "You came to me because of this, right?"

He studied the pendant intently. "Yes.." he finally said. "You are the only one who can end this..."

"You said that before", I replied, "but what does it mean. I don't understand anything... why do we have the same pendant? What do you want from me?"

"Your pendant has a twin. Not mine. Mine is just a resemblance of the one I used to wear. It is worn by the current ruler of this land."

My eyes grew wide. "Kulea? Kulea has the second pendant!"

"Yes." The boy nodded. "It belonged to my brother."

"Your brother?"

The boy nodded again. "You have to understand... this Kulea woman... she wasn't always as vicious as she appears now. The pendant changed her."

Fear gripped me. "Will... my pendant change me too?"

"No it won't." He smiled softly. "You are not from here... so you don't know the story."

When I shook my head he continued. "My brother and I lived on this island many years ago, when it was still ruled by kings. We were working on the docks, as all members of our family had, when the king made public, that he wanted every young man and boy to be trained for his personal army. We held no love or respect for the king or his men so we decided not to follow this call. We kept working in our family business until the king's men came to pick us up. We refused to follow and were slain on the spot. They threw our bodies into the sea. They must have take the pendants and sold them to different places. One ended up in the hands of you... the other with Kulea. My brother and I were restless... not able to find peace in death, we wandered around shoreless oceans. I became calmer and managed to rest for many years, but my brother... he was so angry at the king and his men. This anger kept him awake and he got more furious every day. He clung to his former pendant in fear that his anger alone wouldn't keep him in this world. But too much time has passed. He has forgotten why he is angry or who he is angry with. Everyone who wears the pendant for too long inhabits his fury and malice. That's why I decided to come back as well... to find my former pendant and ask your help. I found rest in wandering but I can't let my brother's rage destroy the land I hold so dear. I won't watch him destroy all our ancestors have built and our descendants still protect. I love my country. I don't want to see it fall to ruin..." His voice ceased to a whisper.

 

It took me several minutes to process all the information the boy just had provided me with. My head was racing with a million thoughts and questions. I forced myself to take a couple of deep breaths before actually asking any of them. When I looked at him again, his head was bowed and his whole frame seemed to have shrunken. Something in my heart was moved by his story... or was it his passion for something he lost so long ago.

"How?" I asked, my voice sounding thin in the tight cell. "How am I able to help you?"

I saw his face lighten up. "You would be willing to help me?"

"Of course! If it saves this land and its people and I am really the only one who can do it, I will! I will do my best to save them. You just have to tell me what I have to do!"

"First you and your friend have to get out of here. You need the second pendant for this, or it won't work. You'll have to wait just a little bit longer. Help is on the way." He suddenly groaned and held his head, his face a mask of agony. "I'm out of time!"

"What's wrong!" I asked, stooping foward.

"Holding this... connection with you demands a lot of concentration. I have to leave now. Get the second pendant. As soon as you have it, I'll meet you again."

"Alright, just... promise you tell me all I have to do then! Promise you'll be back!"

"I promise." he said with another smile and was gone.

 

I sprang on my feet the second he was gone and started pounding on the cell door. "Hello?! Get us out of here! Can anyone hear me? Help us! Get us out!! Help!!" I proceeded in shouting and pounding for at least 15 minutes, but nothing happened. Then I heard a faint voice behind me.

"What's with all the noises?" Zoro yawned.

I turned and went back to where he was sitting. "I just... forget it, it was pointless anyway."

I slid back onto the ground next to him, at least feeling a bit warmer from moving now. I huddled closer to Zoro again, enjoying the warmth as he lay his arm around my shoulder. It took me a minute to realize why this made me feel weird. I sat up again and touched Zoros brow. It was glowing.

"Zoro... you've got fever!" I exclaimed.

He opened his eyes a little and smirked. "Really? Didn't even notice... At least I won't get cold too quickly, huh?"

"That's not funny! We have to get out of here!"

"Lil, relax! I'm sure Luffy won't be gone long. Besides, kitchen-boy and his super kicks won't be held long by these doors either and they'll come for us in no time, you'll see."

"When you say so..." I replied with a deep frown.

"I do... now come back here, it was far more comfortable with you beside me."

 

Although I tried my best I couldn't go back to sleep. Zoro laid nestled at my side, shaking all over, cold beads of sweat forming on his body. I did my best to keep him warm, I even had taken off my sweater to cover him but I felt like nothing was working. Now that he lay still I was finally able to dress all the wounds he had gotten whilst fighting the Queens guard. I was just stroking his hair back softly and tried to cool his hot head with my cold hands as I noticed noises in the hallway. At first I didn't give them too much notice, probably just another couple of prisoners. Then the noises got louder. I could hear some shouting and banging until finally our cell door flew open with a loud crash. I stooped over Zoro in an attempt to protect him when a familiar voice called to me: "Liljana! Finally!"

I looked up to see Sanji run towards me, a big smile on his face.

"I finally found you, I missed you so much, are you ok, my darling?"

"Sanji! It's so good to see you! Yes, I am alright, but Zoro is sick! We have to get him out of here! Are you alone? Where are the others?"

"Luffy's outside, dealing with the guards. I'll take our swordsman here." Sanji grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet, giving me a sweet smile. Then he reached down again, slinging Zoros arms around his neck and heaving him onto his back. "Let's go!" he said in a honeyed voice and stormed out the door again. I followed him down the hallway, where we met Luffy before a pile of unconscious bodies. "Lil!" he exclaimed excited when he saw me.

"Luffy! Where have you been?! I was so worried!" I stammered as I wrapped my arms around him.

"I was up there with the grandma." he answered after I let go. "She was very annoying, I can tell you!"

"I know, I know, but listen to me!" I quickly interrupted. "She was wearing a pendant... it looks just like mine! I need it! We have to go back!"

Luffy gave me a confused look. "Do you mean this one?" He rummaged around in his pocket until he produced a chain with a gold-headed pendant.

"Yes!" I shouted happily. "How did you get that?"

"Grandma lost ist sometime during the fightings... she was no fun after that... kept running away and screamed all the time. But why do you want that? You already have one!"

I sighed: "I know that! You just have to trust me on this, ok? I can explain... but later!"

"If you say so..." he nodded and took off after Sanji, who was already halfway out of the dungeons.

 

When I stepped outside I had to shield my eyes against the bright sunlight streaming over the high castle walls. From my left side I could hear shouts of the Queens guard rallying their troops to stop the uproar. I darted off to the right, following the long wall, when I realized that something suddenly blocked out the sun. I turned around and almost froze on the spot: a huge, white mammoth was blocking out part of the sunlight as it took up position right in front of the dungeon entrance. I could hear Luffys excited calls from behind, who seemed absolutely thrilled to see such a huge animal. As a second mammoth trotted in sight and filled all of the inner yard with shadows, I realized that they were holdig off the Queens guard and hindered them in their persuit. I only wondered for a second if these might be friends of Dalton as I picked up speed again and ran along the wall to follow Sanji into freedom. On my way I passed several doors, that stood open, each of them opening to a sight of horror and death. One room was filled with corpses, hanging from the ceiling, all slashed up and a bloody mess. Another one appeared to have been some sort of well - it looked like a frozen lake, with only some holes in it, where I could see water leaping softly onto the ice, washing around dead, blue faces. But even though my stomach recoiled I kept running, the twin pendant to mine secure in my fist. Luffy finally caught up with me and when we saw Sanji taking a turn and vanishing into another building, we followed. Luffy slammed the door shut behind me and we all caught our breaths. We found ourselves in some sort of pantry with all sorts of boxes, cardboards, glasses and dishes scattered all over the place, all neatly labeled, apparently filled with groceries of all kinds.

 

Getting a strange sensation, like before, I turned towards the southern wall... and just as he promised, the boy appeared again. I don't know what came over me in that moment but I was so relieved to see him that I walked up to him without a second thought, waving the second pendant triumphantly.

"You found it..." He heaved a sigh of relief.

I nodded. "I did... well, my brother did, but all that matters is that we have it. So, what now?"

"Destroy it!"

"What?" I recoiled. I didn't know what I expected him to say, but it sure as hell wasn't that. "You want me to destroy it? Why?"

"It's the only way we can leave... burn the pendants. Both of them. Then my brother and I can move on." he replied calmly.

"Move on to... where? I thought you liked it here... wandering around."

"I don't know where we will go. That's the big surprise life still holds from us." he smiled.

"I..." I stopped. Why was my heart so heavy? Why did I feel so sad all of a sudden. "Are you sure that's what you want?"

He nodded.

"Alright... so, I have to burn them... just burn them, and that's it?"

"Yes... it will destroy the last thing that holds us here and we can move on to whatever adventure comes next."

I nodded and slowly reached up, drawing the chain holding my golden pendant over my head.

"Wait." the boy said suddenly. "Are you really sure you want to do this?"

"It's what will free you, right?"

"Yes, but... it will also destroy the only thing you have left of your parents. Your real parents." He took my pendant out of my hand and held it gently. "I can feel your fathers' presence on it. He wore it with great pride, every day. It's the only heirloom you have left of him."

"That's not true." I replied. "It's just a pendant, in the end. I'm not even sure why it means so much to me... my father wasn't here to raise me, to see me grow up or become a pirate." I chuckled. "Besides, his greatest heirloom... is me! He gave me life and nothing is more valuable than that."

 

At that the boy smiled at me and stepped closer. Before I knew what I was doing I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck. Drawing deep breaths now I could feel his arms snaking around my chest as he pulled me into a loving embrace, as if we had known each other for decades. A new sensation filled my stomach, some kind of fluttery feeling, I will never forget in my life. I buried my face in his neck, the longing to never let go again growing with every instant. Far too short it felt but finally he began to let go. I tore myself away from him and when I looked up I saw his eyes, the colour of the ocean after a storm, a deep grey with specks of a clear blue. His hand ended up in mine as he pressed the two pendants against each other. I could see the longing of rest in his expression.

"I cannot thank you enough for today." he said in a calm voice.

"I saw... I felt what love can do today - the love for your country... the power it holds." I finally managed to say. "I will always remember that."

The boy gave me a warm smile. "I think that's not the only love you felt today."

Now the fluttery hole in my stomach turned into a pit and it took all my courage to call for Sanji, while clasping the pendants so hard in my fist, my nails dug deep into my palm: "Which of these liquors will burn?"

Sanji gave me a concerned look. "What do you mean? What do you need that for? What's wrong?"

"It doesn't matter! I need something that burns!" My voice was shaking now. Sanji took a quick look through the flasks and handed me one of them. With a swift move I placed the pendants on a dry spot on one of the boxes and poured some of the liquor over them. Then Sanji handed me his matches and I set them on fire. As the golden heads were consumed by a blue flame, I looked over to the boy, who was slowly fading away, like a whisp of smoke in the rising wind.

 

I collapsed onto the floor, tears streaming down my face as I watched the pendants slowly melt away in the flames. As Luffy hugged me to his chest I could have sworn that the world grew a bit darker and that it would never be as bright again, as in the moment I was in the arms of a boy, whose name I would never know.

 

-- The End --