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Big things were happening in the pirate world. Just a few days ago all 13 members of the “Worst Generation” had arrived at Saobody Archipelago. Now, second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, Potragas D. Ace was set to be executed at 3pm. Tensions between a pirate crew and the marines hadn’t been this high in a long time. Now, everyone was prepping for a war. The Salamander Pirates were not exempt from this, their captain deciding of her own accord that she wanted to join The Whitebeard Pirates in their fight. Her crew was now discussing how that would look for them.
“Not all of us are going to disembark when the fighting starts. Honey, Callum, and Cecilia, I want you three to stay on the ship and keep track of things. Maisie, Tsuruhime and I will leave. I’ll be tending to the wounded and I want you two to stay with me. We aren’t here to add to the death toll, but simply to protect those who can no longer protect themselves. Soleil, I want you to work on fires that start on Whitebeard’s ships. Put them out and keep an eye out for devil fruit users who fall under water. Help the drowning. Does this sound like an alright plan?” Kaye asked, after giving a lengthy explanation on how she thought things should go. Everyone else just nodded, trusting their captain's plan. They sailed closer and closer to Marineford, staying vigilant for any Marine ships. The sea was unusually quiet, like a storm was brewing.
Three was drawing nearer and nearer and then it happened. The Moby Dick appeared and the war broke loose. Kaye finished gathering everything she needed to take with her to help the injured and the three of them climbed onto a small rowboat and started to make their way to the shore. The seas were turbulent, Whitebeard’s seaquakes shaking everything. They slowly made their way to shore, a location that had already been ransacked and filled with the injured. Most didn’t blink at the sight of her, too out of it from the pain they were experiencing. She got to work straight away, bandaging and stitching, cleaning wounds as best as she could to give soldiers and pirates the best shot they could have at living. She didn’t waste any time, and the reaction to her presence was mostly confusion.
The battle raged on in front of them, so many screams and shouts to be heard. She had her crewmates Maisie and Tsuruhime tending to those with lesser injuries, following instructions she gave them while she helped the most ferociously hurt. Blood stained her shoes as she walked, the red liquid was splattered everywhere. The sharp scent of smoke and seawater filled the air and bodies were everywhere. She quickly realized there was no way to help everyone, and moved past those who were not going to recover. People she passed over started to cry out when they saw her helping both pirates and marines.
“Please it hurts so bad”
”Help me, I can’t hear”
”I don’t want to die”
The wails of the wounded were overwhelming, but she didn’t let them fill her with despair. She just kept at her work, murmuring soothing words to all those she treated. It was almost like a devil fruit power, the way she calmed those who had no reason to do anything but despair. From where they were, things seemed quite dire. Death was everywhere, those around her were losing their lives before she could reach them, she had no real effect out here. Despite the ache that ran through her at abandoning these souls in agony, she made a decision.
“Maisie, Tsuruhime, we need to get closer to the fighting. We’re no help all the way out here” She instructed, gathering her things and starting to run towards the centre of the town, where most of the fighting was now occurring. The noises of battle grew louder the closer they got, and so did the cries of pain from the people under foot. The captain ushered promises to come back and help if she was able to, trying to give the dying something to hold onto before they departed from this world. The earth rumbled and churned as the battle intensified but the group of 3 kept moving. Now Tsuruhime and Maisie were acting more as bodyguards to their captain and her patients instead of assisting in the healing. Tsuruhime’s sword was drawn and cut down anyone who tried to lay a finger on her captain. Maisie’s hammer smashed away cannonballs and other flying debris, protecting her crewmates.
While the three had been distracted, the scap le of the battle had changed drastically. Ace had been freed from his shackles and the battle’s conclusion seemed to be drawing near. Joy filled Kaye’s heart after she saw Ace and Luffy were still alive, not that she had doubted Luffy’s ability to save him in the first place. Despite this stroke of victory for the Whitebeard Pirates, Whitebeard himself was on the brink of collapsing and was calling for all his pirates and allies to retreat. She supposed that included her, even if she wasn’t officially allied with Whitebeard. But if he knew she was present, he would want her to flee. It didn’t seem plausible to her to leave yet. Not when there were so many people she could still save.
Then came a blood curdling scream, one of pure agony and pain. She knew it came from her friend, Monkey D. Luffy. She knew there was no reason for him to make that noise unless he had lost. She knew that Portgas D. Ace was dead and the navy had won. Yet none of this slowed her pace, she kept working, heart thudding as desperate hands reached and she did all she could to make sure they would keep breathing. Everything was happening so fast, just a minute ago she had spotted the rowdy flames that only one man could make, the next he was gone. The ground shook and moved beneath their feet, cutting the square in two, interrupting what she was doing.
The Blackbeard Pirates showed their faces next, causing even more commotion, making it even harder for her to treat people, nonetheless she preserved. The world may be falling apart and everything has gone to chaos, but she kept working, providing a steady hand for those who needed it most. A fierce determination burned deep inside her, it kept her going. Her body was battered from the constant tumbling, under any normal circumstances she would probably have fallen victim to exhaustion by now, but she couldn’t stop. She just had to keep working, had to lessen the death toll, even if she could only save a couple dozen people, it would be worth it. Blackbeard and Whitebeard were fighting now, Kaye caught glimpses of it, but was too focused on the fallen to properly watch. What seemed like seconds and years later at the same time, the trembling came to a halt. Whitebeard had been killed.
Despite the war being decisively won by the Navy, everything became much more frantic, there’s a bloodlust in the air. And then she sees him. Her body is moving faster than she can think, even abandoning the person she was helping.
She lets out a scream loud enough to shatter glass “KOBYYYY” She cries, tears streaming down her face. He’s giving some speech, calling for the end of the fighting. His words are profound and brave, but all she can see is the fist about to strike him. A thousand different emotions flood through her, fear, despair, anger, and most of all sorrow. She can feel energy coursing through her body, different then anything she’s ever experienced. Her sickles rise above her head and she jumps in between Koby and the navy admiral about to strike him. Her blades meet his magma fist but don’t melt, which lets her knock his arm away. As she’s about to go in for another strike, the emperor Red Haired Shanks grabs her shoulder and stops her, his sword knocking her blades away. She looks up at him and when he makes no moves to attack her, she rushes to Koby’s side. Moving faster than ever, she starts to bandage his wounds and check every part of him. When she thinks he’ll be okay, she starts to half carry half drag him away. Helmeppo finds her, recognizing her from the last time they encountered each other.
“Can I trust you with him?” She asks sternly, trying to hide the sorrow that had just overwhelmed her. “Uh- yeah, of course-“ he responds sheepishly. She presses a kiss to Koby’s forehead without even thinking about it, without considering any future implications. She swiftly moves to reclaim her blade, which she sheaths at her side. She can’t keep dwelling on her friend now that she knows he’s safe. Tsuruhime and Maisie are slowly catching up to her, but she puts a hand up to stop them from coming any closer.
“We need to get back to our ship, and check on the others.” She says solemnly. Now that Shanks has appeared, things start to come to a standstill. Pirates are retreating like mad, carrying their fallen comrades to the undamaged ships to make their escape. Navy soldiers are finally starting to check on their own injured, no longer ignoring them to hunt the pirates. Koby’s words and Shanks' appearance truly changed everything.
Tsuruhime responds to her decision, pulling her back to their situation. “I agree, we’re lucky to not have been injured badly yet and the odds are ever turning against us.” The three of them start to depart, searching for where their ship is now and how to get there safest. Maisie retrieves a transponder snail from her pocket and contacts the rest of their crew, informing them of their plan and location. The call is met with understanding, and it ends quickly. Their escape is relatively quiet, everyone too worried about themselves to pay attention to 3 measly pirates.