Below the Clouds

Back to the Blue Sea
One week earlier...

Amaka walked through the doors Legs' marvelous estate. She said nothing to any of the Royal Guard but they knew her well enough to not stop her. They'd met Amaka plenty of times in the past and each time she was granted access by their queen. Why would today be any different? She had a stern look on her face and they didn't want to get in the way of that.

Reaching Koyuki's office, Amaka was quiet to begin with. She held her hands up and looked at them from front and back. It appeared as though she'd been looking for something, but she found nothing. She finally broke her silence with a sad face.

"I apologize, Princess Koyuki." Amaka said, eyes locked onto Koyuki though not in an intimidating manner. In a more respectful manner. "If I could have.. if I would have chosen to not be selfish and raise that lot, this would have never happened. For you know, Lucas was a great comrade of mine as well."

Koyuki looked down at Amaka from her desk.

"Amaka, as you know, there is no need for you to apologize for the sin of another. You especially know how I feel in regards to that....Lucas fought until the end. That is what he wanted."

The purple-haired pirate couldn't help but to feel bad. She was aware of Lucas' illness and had plans to go and visit him, but due to the clog of events she just couldn't. Amaka had traveled from almost the other side of the World just to see Koyuki and speak on this matter because, while Koyuki didn't say it, Amaka knew that Koyuki wanted much more than an apology.

"Every member of the Black Widow Pirates is your family, just as every member of the Royal Pirates were my sisters. Those that hurt our family are burdened with the debt of having to repay that hurt with their own blood. I stand behind that philosophy one hundred percent and refuse to have you change that philosophy for a Zombified comrade."

Without another word, Amaka reached to her hip and threw both of her blades to the ground. She reached inside her pockets and threw her seastone bullets next to her swords and held her arms out. "But, despite my son's sins, I can not allow him to be killed. As a mother, I want to protect my children with every breath in me."

Amaka extended her arms out to her side, "Please, Koyuki, as a friend. Do not spare Kobe's life for free, but in the place of my own. The sins of a child rest on the parents until that child has reached adulthood. For that I am willing to meet the Grim Reaper once more if it means I have completed my protective duties as a mother until my dying breath."

"....." Koyuki was appalled. So, this was a mother's love. Even Amaka, a warrior beyond all other had no choice but to fall prey to her maternal instincts. She had already died once fulfilling her motherly duties, and here she was ready to do it all again.

"Amaka, it seems I've misjudged the situation. For the time being, I'll put a temporary hold Kobe's execution. I won't execute you either. Not now."

From the sky, a vessel collided with the Blue Sea in the form of an explosion which caused an eruption thanks to the opposing force against the ocean. The ship rocked and on the deck of it laid a dark-skinned purple-haired teen, bleeding profusely from an open wound across his chest.

The ship's flag blew in the wind, a skull and crossbones resting in front of an array of clouds—the Jolly Roger of the Cloud Pirates. The boy lying on the deck, fighting for his life, was none other than Bryant D. Kobe the Captain of this ship. He gasped for air, struggling to life his hand up and allowing a clouded substance to spit from his hand in the form of a single giant cloud that almost covered the entire ship.

As the cloud faded, Mont Blanc Drake and Badger Charlotte both appeared. Drake had been on a single knee, his hand resting over his eye that had been temporarily dealt with by Charlotte. The duo wasted no time rushing over to their fallen Captain. "Captain!" They shouted in unison, happy to be back at his side.

"Oh no," Charlotte began, eyes looking from one end of Kobe's wound to the other. Though it wasn't as big as it could have been, it was much deeper than she had imagined and could see from her previous distance.

Drake looked to Charlotte, placing his mallet onto the deck to use as some sort of prop to hold himself up. "What is it?" Drake asked, ready to lend his hand in any way possible.

Before responding, Charlotte looked to her left and right. At the front of the ship, she saw a bag. A bag that had been prepared for her by the people of Angel Island. She wondered if they had stocked it with medical supplies, but she couldn't take such a risk at the moment. Reaching into her pocket, she drew a dial. "I need to close the wound, even if temporary!" With the dial in her hand, Charlotte pressed down on the release button while tracing his wound releasing a thick cloud from the device.

Almost instantly the blood is sucked up by the clouds, but they served as a temporarily gauze and bandaid to close Kobe's wound. "If he hadn't sucked us into that Sky Dimension, he'd be okay.." Charlotte thought to herself, panting as though she had used any bit of extra work.

"He lost a lot of blood." She said to Drake. "He's going to need a doctor, otherwise... he won't make it."

Drake bit his lip, "Damn.. I knew I should have grabbed him and ran when I had the chance." the First Mate couldn't help but to feel as though it were his fault.

"It is not your fault, Drake. I warned Kobe of the outcome and he was aware. He must've taken the best route he could." Charlotte added, eyes locked onto her Captain. "We need to get him to a doctor or a blood donor asap." Charlotte instructed.

With a simple nod, Drake lifted himself to his feet and took the helm. Another cloud appeared and from it revealed a Marine. It seemed even in his near-dead state, Kobe wanted to help his crew in every way he could. "Where's the nearest island!" Drake asked in an intimidating manner towards the Marine.

"From here," The Marine said, looking left and right. "The nearest island is about a kilometer from here. However, the waves here are very violent and sea kings are abundant. It'll be hard to get there without a proper navigator, Drake sir!"

Cursing, Drake spun the helm and manned the ship. "Our navigator is currently fighting for his life." Drake shouted, "I'll guide the Flying Nimbus!"

While Drake guided the ship, Charlotte sat at Kobe's side. Her hands pressed against his wounds with enough pressure and under the assumption, that she could halt the bleeding. "Hold on, Kobe!"

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