ONE PIECE: NEN MASTER - CHAPTER 7 (Patreon)

After knocking the second attacker out, I tied him to a tree, using some chains I had found hidden behind some bushes nearby that probably belonged to them. It was then when my hands began trembling uncontrollably at the sight of my first kill laying on the ground face down completely stiff, his guts out with his throat a few feet away from them covered in blood and dirt.

The image was enough to twist my stomach up in disgust, as I forced myself to look away.

“It was them, or me,” I muttered, eyes closed while taking a deep breath trying to calm myself down.

I had known since the day I had discovered where I was, that killing would become a part of my life. I had meditated to prepare for this, trained my mind to avoid breaking down.

I guess I had expected my first kill to be cleaner, and had not prepared for something this messy, this graphic.

I sighed, sitting down in the coarse grass of the forest. Giving my blood covered hands a nervous look before sighing once again wondering where Leo and Marushi were, as suddenly my ears caught notice of something approaching from the east, the sound of leaves crackling nearing more and more by the second.

Adrenaline still coursing through my veins, my instincts made me drop into a low crouch activating my Ren, ears pricked, nostrils flared, eyes unblinking, ready for whatever was to come.

Claws ready, I watched as from the trees, two silhouettes jumped into view, those being Marushi and Leo, who were panting in clear signs of overextension, "Valor!" Leo was the first one to speak, giving me a relieved look as his tail wagged from side to side. "We couldn’t keep up with you! I was so worried!"

Marushi in contrast was silent, staring at the corpse that laid a few meters away from me in horror.

“So, did you…” It was here when Leo’s eyes caught sight of the very same picture Marushi was watching, immediately turning around to throw up.

“Who were they?” Marushi muttered, his tone breaking, showing he was struggling to find his words.

“Slavers,” I replied.

“I see,” Marushi nodded, walking towards me while trying to keep his eyes off the corpse.

“I’m waiting for the other one to wake up before I can go to rescue the ones they captured,” I added, giving the unconscious slaver a side look.

Finally reaching me, Marushi brought me into a tight hug, as he muttered, “I’m sorry.”

I blinked, looking at his face in bafflement. Why was he sorry?

“If we weren’t so weak, the blood wouldn’t be on your hands,” Marushi said, his hands shaking on my back for the briefest of moments.

“I’m sorry too!” Leo shouted, for whatever reason, “I… I’m not good around blood, so don’t take my -Blaargh- don’t take my constant vomiting as comment of your person!”

“Don’t shout!” Marushi shot back, breaking the hug.

“I CAN’T HELP --Blaargh- IT!” Leo shouted once again, “Oh god, I don’t feel so good, I’m not even sure what I puked out that last time.”

“Take deep breaths, and focus on something else,” Marushi advised him, walking towards him.

As Marushi walked away, I sighed, my hands balling into fists for a brief moment, before turning my gaze towards the unconscious slaver, coming to the conclusion it would be best to move out of here, the image of what I had done was not a pretty one, and it would be best to avoid others seeing it, unless it was required to, which would probably be after the guard came.

For now though, there was no need to remain around the corpse.

Nodding to myself, I walked towards the unconscious slaver, untying his chains, before retying them around him tightly. With that done, I hoisted him to my back, before walking towards Marushi and Leo.

“Let’s go,” I said, walking in a random direction, because it didn’t matter where we went, we only had to get away from the corpse, if anything, it would do Leo good.

Marushi nodded, instantly realizing what I was doing, as he tossed Leo to his back before starting to follow me.

“I can walk!” Leo complained, but Marushi paid him no heed.

—-----------------------------

A few minutes later, after we had walked a pretty distance from the corpse, and had settled on a random clearing, Jones the slaver started to wake up, to which Marushi and Leo tensed.

“Wh-what, what happened?” Jones muttered in a daze, straining against the chains that held him in place, while trying to get a better look around, noticing me, “You!” he hissed, his eyes dripping with spite.

“I have some questions for you,” I started, ignoring his glare, “Where are the ones you captured?”

“I will never tell you!” Jones spat in response.

I said nothing, instead digging one of my claws on his right hand right through the holes in the chains while using Electro. He screamed in pain, his entire body convulsing in pain, to which Marushi and Leo turned their gazes away.

“You can leave,” I told them, my ears dropping down. I wasn’t particularly proud of torturing anyone, even if said person deserved it.

“No,” Marushi shook his head, forcing himself to look at Jones, “I might not be able to fight as good as you, or do this, but I sure as hell won’t leave you!”

“S-same!” Leo stuttered.

I smiled, before turning my full attention to Jones once again, “I can do this all day, so please, don’t make me.”

Gasping, Jones laughed, giving me a deranged look as he grinned, “You don’t have the balls!”

I sighed, stabbing him on the abdomen this time before activating Electro, electrocuting him once more. Like before, Jones shrieked in pain, his entire body convulsing for a few seconds before I yanked my claw out.

“Where are they?” I asked, once again.

“F-fuck… y-you!” Jones laughed.

I sighed, looking into his deranged eyes, realizing this would take more time than I originally expected.

“Very well,” I replied, my tone cold and heartless as my hands crackled with Electro.

—---------------------------------

It took an hour to persuade Jones to tell me where the Minks they had kidnapped were, after that, I tied him to a tree once again, and left with Marushi to find the captives, leaving Leo to keep an eye on Jones.

Normally, knowing Leo as I did, I wouldn’t have left him with Jones, but during our conversation, Jones had become a non-threat, after having both of his legs and arms broken during the persuasion talk.

“It’s around here, right?” Marushi asked, struggling to keep up with me at my slowest pace.

I nodded, looking around, spotting a few familiar scents in the air as we neared the location Jones had given us.

A few minutes later, we reached a small camp that had a small fire with crackling wood, finding around it a bunch of Minks tied to different trees, some in better condition than others.

“Those bastards!” Marushi cursed under his breath, his hands balling into fists in a fit of rage.

“Help me release them,” I told Marushi, who nodded, rushing to help them.

Taking a deep breath, I approached the nearest Mink to me, a female cat mink, that held a blood-dampened cloth to the back of her head. She seemed awake, but half-dazed, barely noticing my presence, and only reacting when I went to release her.

At first, she reacted in a frightened manner, trying to get as far away from me as possible, but after a few seconds, where I tried to calm her down, her once pale, confused and scared eyes turned bright, "We are saved!” she muttered in disbelief, before giving me a desperate look, “They came out of nowhere! We were exploring, and then…."

"I know, I took care of those two already," I replied, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder before breaking her chains.

Finally free, the girl stood up with some difficulty, hugging her arms around herself before tears started to stream down her face, as a ragged sob escaped her lips. "My brother. He was with me, he’s a fox mink, have you seen him?” she asked, tears streaking her dirty cheeks.

I tensed, hoping the one she was looking for was here, “Let’s look around,” I offered, extending my hand.

"Ok," She nodded her tone full of determination as cleaned some of her tears with her right hand, before grabbing my hand, showing her resolve to find her brother despite her injuries and situation.