Chapter 10

Kairi pov
I stared at the Navy.
They had hung me in a cage high above the water. I grabbed the bars and shifted my gaze down to the water, "I can't believe Sengoku would sink this low." Uragirimono glanced up at me, "I didn't tell you to stop singing!" "My throat hurts!" I called back and stomped my foot in annoyance, "I can't just sing for hours on end, hoping that the land would even carry the notes to the Moby Dick." "I don't care!" Uragirimono growled out "Sing until you can't or I will start to cut your fingers off!!" I looked down at the man with widened eyes, I then realized that Sengoku had no idea that this admiral was trying a plan to not only bring me in but also try to take down the Whitebeard pirates at the same time.
I placed my knees down on the bottom of the cage and then sat back on my heels. I looked up at the sky and let out the most heart-wrenching sound I had ever uttered.
The soldiers slowed in their work on cleaning the ship as they all turn to look at me and listen. My song brought tears to their eyes. "That is the saddest thing I have ever heard!" One cried out as he wiped his eyes.

No pov
Not too far away, Whitebeard's main crew was greeted with Mad Eye's crew.
"Mad." Marco looked over at the red haired man, "What are you doing here?" "I have been informed that the Lady of Water has been captured and was around here somewhere." Mad Eye told them, "I had a feeling that you would show up." He glanced at Whitebeard, who frowned at him, "What do you mean?" "Kairi told me, the night that I visited your ship, that she was who I was looking for." He answered as their ships slowly moved along through the fog. "What does the Navy want with her?" Marco asked as he looked at the island that they just narrowly avoided. "Kairi, or the Lady of Water, was the Navy's toughest bounty hunter. She would appear where her target was located and either sing in a bar, on the street, or somehow convince the pirates to let her on their ship. After whooing them with her voice, she would then kill or capture the target." Mad explained, "I had met her once before during a mission and I had tried to talk her out of the Navy but she was stubborn, telling me that I wouldn't understand her reasons for working with the enemy." He shifted on his feet, taking a swig of sake. "Mother would never!" Marco hissed out but even he didn't truly believe himself. Whitebeard just listened as Mad Eye explained; the scars upon her body was beginning to make sense. Just then the most heart-wrenching sound made it's way through the forest and over to the ships.
"Kairi." Whitebeard stepped forward, he recognized her voice immediately. "She's warning us of a battle." He gripped his naginata tightly and glared at the thick fog.
"...she told us that she had been swept onto an island known as Grey Hel." Marco looked over at Mad, who shook his head no "She told you a cover story. The doctor was her informant." "So all those years, she was working for the Navy?" Marco sounded betrayed and he glanced at Whitebeard. Whitebeard didn't turn to face Marco, "Even if she worked for the Navy, it was clearly after the Moby sank." He was there with her from the beginning of their adventure that caused a relationship to bloom between them. "Uragirimono probably black mailed her in some way." Finally the two ships emerged from the thick fog to see two Navy ships sitting on either side of the shore. Up above hanging over a cliff was Kairi trapped like a singing bird within a cage. The song she was singing began to get softer as her voice was becoming hoarse. She rubbed her throat and glanced down to see that Whitebeard and Mad Eye had arrived. She shook her head no, "Get outta here!" Her voice crackled and then turned into a very soft whisper. She couldn't speak loud enough to warn them of the trap below them. She hurried to the front of the cage and stuck her arm out as far as it would go trying her hardest to warn them. She glanced up at  the top of the cage where Uragirimono stood. He grinned sickly as he peered down at the two ships sitting at the docks "Whitebeard! So glad you could join us!" "Let Kairi go!" Whitebeard growled and Uragirimono just chuckled "Don't get too ahead of yourself just yet," He walked around the chain that was hanging the cage up above the ocean "Tell me Whitebeard, why do you want to recuse this Navy woman so badly?" "Just give her back you coward!" Whitebeard was beginning to lose his patience with this horrible man. "Why should I return her? She's been property of the Navy for years." Uragirimono spoke up, "Oh wait, you don't know about that." He grinned again as he turned to look at the ships once more, "That the woman who stayed with you on the Moby, faked her death and ran to the Navy!" Kairi shook her head no as hard as she could, forcing her weakened voice out "I would never!" Uragirimono smacked his gun against the cage "Don't lie to the man you wench! You came to the Navy and begged Sengoku to forgive your bounty as long as you worked for the Navy!" "Lies!" Marco's voice echoed out "My mother would never sell out to the Navy!" "But she did!" Uragirimono argued back "She came crawling into Navy Headquarters and begged!" "No!" Kairi's voice squeaked out "You lie Uragirimono! I was captured!" She trembled from forcing her voice and from the memories that began to crawl back into the front of her mind. She froze at the sound of Uragirimono cocking his gun, the barrel tapped against the back of her skull. "Alright, Whitebeard, time to make a deal; either turn yourself in or I'll blow out her brains!" Kairi stared down at the ships, making eye contact with Mad. Mad shifted on his feet and let out a low whistle. A gun shot rang out and Uragirimono stumbled backwards, his gun firing and catching Kairi in the shoulder. The two screamed out as the cage rocked from the sudden movement and Whitebeard took his opening to slam his fist into the air, shattering it and causing a tremor to travel through the island, shaking everything.
"Attack!" He roared and his crew jumped off of the ship and clashed into battle with the Navy crew below. Uragirimono laughed as he grabbed onto the chain and looked at Kairi, "Enjoy your swim." He cackled as the chain snapped from the cage, sending her plummeting into the ocean.

~Flashbacks~
"Edward..." Kairi mumbled softly as she glanced at the strong man leaning against the doorway to bathroom. "Yes?" He hummed back, straighting his back slightly. "There's something I have been meaning to tell-" Kairi started but was interrupted as Marco ran into the room. "-are you okay?" She changed her words as the two adults looked at the young teen. "Yes, I'm fine, just coming to check in on you." Marco stated swiftly before jumping at the loud crack out thunder and rushing to Kairi's side. He looked so nervous. Kairi glanced at Edward with a knowing look before turning to face Marco with a gentle smile, carefully moving the hair out of his face, "Ah, I appreciate you coming to make sure that I am okay. I am not a fan of thunder." She pulled the young man towards her and began to walk out of the room and over towards the king sized bed. "Would you mind sharing a bed with me to keep me safe?" She asked and Marco nodded his head, trying to remain calm as the thunder boomed. Kairi turned to the big bed and began to move the covers out of the way, "Alright, hop in." Marco climbed into the bed and made himself comfortable in the corner. Kairi gave a soft chuckle and turned to Edward, "Care to join us?" Edward tilted his head slightly as he grinned at the two of them before he walked over to join both in bed.

Kairi began to make breakfast the next morning on the little stove provided by the hotel room. She hummed as she thought about how to tell Edward about this island. How horrible it was to her as a child and the terrible incident that followed.
She turned off the stove and plated the eggs before turning to the bed, "Breakfast is served."
Marco came wandering out of the room, rubbing one of his eyes as he yawned "Good morning." "Good morning Marco, sleep well?" She asked as she set the plate at the table as he took a seat. He stared at the food with squinted eyes as he thought about her question then nodded slowly. "Where's Edward?" He picked up his fork and stabbed the eggs on his plate. "Probably went out early this morning." Kairi explained as she turned to the stove and grabbed the dirty pan, muttering under her breath "I hope we don't stay too long." "Why?" Marco glanced up at her. She turned slightly and let out a breath, maybe starting with Marco would be easier. "I grew up here..." Kairi took a seat at the table and rubbed her face with a loud sigh "This island wasn't as friendly towards pirates as they are now. They actually would teach the children that pirates were demons that worked for the devil and that any bad child would be taken away forever. I didn't believe them. One night I snuck out to dance in the ocean and discovered pirates just partying in the woods; being curious, I followed them there and watched with interest. They asked me to join the party and I did. None of those pirates harmed me in any way and I explained to them the island's hatred. When dawn arrived we went our separate ways but I was caught. My mother and father took me to a doctor demanding that I be fixed. The doctor agreed and did some kind of surgery on my body." She rubbed at her neck where harsh scars sat before looking at Marco to make sure he was following the story and he stared with wide eyes. "Of course that was only something minor compared to what happened next. My father took to the drink and any chance he got he would hit me in anger. My mother would merely ignore the situation always either in the kitchen or gone to gossip with the other women of the village. The village treated me either like a demon child that survived kidnapping or like a little girl that risked her life to ward off the pirates." Kairi shrugged her shoulders "This island has a horrible past, one I cannot easily forgive." She neglected to tell him the full story. "I'm sorry..." Marco mumbled softly as he glanced down at his breakfast, thinking about his life that was left behind. "Good morning~" Newgate smiled as he walked into the small room. "How is my namakas?" He seemed quite happy as he wandered over to the table. "You seem to be in quite a good mood." Marco commented as Kairi got up to plate breakfast for her Captain. "Marco," Newgate handed the boy some beri's, "Here, why don't you go and explore the town." Marco's tired eyes widened at the amount of money being given to him and looked up at him with a questioning look as Newgate placed a hand on his shoulder. "Edward, would you like orange juice with your breakfast?" Kairi called as she opened the fridge and the large man answered, "Yes please." Before he bent down to Marco, "Seriously, find something to do all day." He had a kind of dark tone; offsetting with his large smile. Marco shoveled the rest of his breakfast down his throat before hurrying to the bedroom, "I'm going out!"
Kairi closed the fridge and turned to watch Marco rush out of the hotel room, "Uh? Goodbye?" She frowned as she turned to Newgate, "What's gotten into him?" Newgate shrugged slightly, "You know boys." Taking the plate handed to him, "Any plans for today?" "Well..." She glanced at the door before looking to Newgate, "...not anymore." "Why don't you join me on a little trip?" He asked after taking a couple of bites of his food. "Where?" Kairi took up Marco's plate to clean it. "A surprise." He smiled gently.

"So where are we going?" Kairi smiled softly as she continued to ask him. "I can't tell you." He chuckled, "That's would ruin the surprise." He led her over through the market and slowly wandered from booth to booth.
There was a woman standing at the giant fountain in the middle of the town square. She was dressed in rags from head to toe and looked worse for wear. "Gather around, and I will tell you all a tale of a terrifying monster!" She wandered back and forth slowly, a small crowd of tourists had gathered to listen. "It was a long time ago," The woman started, "This island was super peaceful and never had any trouble but one day a monster had washed upon the shore hidden in human form. We took the lost creature in and cared for it like our own. And how did it repay us!? By killing everyone! It let out a loud wailing sound, everyone dropped like flies!" Kairi listened to the woman until Newgate had pulled her away to continue on their journey. "That woman sounds crazy." He hummed, a basket in his opposite hand. "Yeah, crazy." Kairi muttered but she seemed upset. She knew full well that the woman wasn't crazy; she had been describing Kairi and her siren abilities.
~End Flashbacks~

Everything was slowly turning dark for Kairi. She could only hold her breath for so long as she tried to squeeze out of the cage bars. Her body was beginning to slow down and she was getting very tired.
'Edward...I'm s-sorry...'
Kairi struggled hard to keep the air in her body but her consciousness was fading fast. Her pink eyes glanced up at the sunlight peering through the dark waves as the cage and her slowly sank to the bottom.
'Marco, you were the best son a mother could ask for...'
And with that last thought, Kairi gave into the darkness.

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