One Piece Fan Fiction ❯ Cursed Island of the Devil Fruit Gods ❯ Tradition ( Chapter 11 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Unfortunately for Robin, traditions had to be upheld in the Paramecian village and she was brought along with Daikyojin to perform a ceremony. Daikyojin knew his people well, which made him a great leader. But it also made him intolerant of insubordination. And as Maboroshi lay in a hut recovering, he was interrogated by Daikyojin, when something suddenly occurred to him.
"I've always known your powers could work almost without limits...you could easily see through the walls of this hut, and even solid rock. Why couldn't you see that metal man attempting to escape?" Daikyojin growled.
"B-but...I was asleep!" Maboroshi lied. "I wouldn't have known they were there, I was unconscious..."
"Liar." Daikyojin snarled. "That bastard Usopp betrayed me as well, his words convincing me to spare you are now meaningless." Daikyojin grabbed the crippled archer and dragged his limp form from the hut.
Robin tried to protest. "What are you doing? He's done nothing wrong!" she tugged at Daikyojin's arm.
"He allowed his loyalty to waver from me to your outsider friends. That is unforgivable. Even worse, he lost to them and proved himself incompetent and unworthy of serving me any longer. He will not be permitted to recover. Into the volcano with him." Daikyojin explained to her, increasing his size and carrying Maboroshi in his palm once he was as tall as the surrounding trees. "Come forward, all! Let the ceremony begin!" he announced to the villagers.
The entire village became in an uproar and everyone around donned tribal masks and robes. They were all apparently very eager to appease the gods they always spoke of. Robin wasn't sure what she could do to save Maboroshi, but he looked down at her from Daikyojin's palm with a look of acceptance on his face. "This is how it always should have been. Ever since I lost to Usopp. I am grateful he showed me mercy...I had time to reflect upon the error of my ways. Tell him that...I know you will all see each other again." Maboroshi smiled at Robin.
Daikyojin led Robin and a dozen masked and robed villagers to the volcano; it was the dead of night and yet the volcano glowed even more brightly the closer they got. Teetering at the edge, the villagers all danced and wailed, singing a horrible song to appease their angry gods. Daikyojin lowered Maboroshi closer and closer to the lava inside the cone. Robin watched helplessly, flashbacks of her watching her mother and her friend Jaguar D. Sauro dying right before her eyes as a child running through her head. She turned away, a tear shedding from her eyes. "You must watch, my soon-to-be Queen. I need you not only to know our traditions, but to understand and embrace them." Daikyojin told Robin, his voice now great and booming as he loomed over her, so tall; it was the peak of his size, to ensure that if he by some chance slipped, he'd be big enough to grab the other edges of the volcano and push himself back up.
"Goodbye, Nico Robin. Tell Usopp...I will be watching over him. If he ever loses to anyone else...he'll be dishonoring me. Tell him that too." Maboroshi laughed softly, in a sort of delirium.
Robin's tears continued to flow as she watched helplessly. "Please...don't do this..." she begged Daikyojin.
"When you truly become one of us, you will understand. At least, I pray you will. For the sake of our children when we have them." Daikyojin shook his head in slight exasperation.
But what Robin witnessed next boggled even her mind-Maboroshi's body began to vanish before it touched the edge of the lava. "Remember..." was his ghostly, chilling last word before green vapor began to flow around Daikyojin's hand as he withdrew it. The lava began to glow green as well, until Robin witnessed the level of it decreasing.
"Unbelievable..." Robin trembled. What had just happened? Were there truly gods who devoured Maboroshi in that fashion? He looked so at peace...she took minimal solace, at least, in the fact that he didn't have the horrible death she imagined, of boiling in hot lava.
"The gods always take them into the next world, whether they are worthy or not. Perhaps Maboroshi, that traitor, will be reborn as an insect or a seagull. We'll never know. One thing is certain; he will suffer in the next life." Daikyojin explained. "I feel great pity for your friends. If we ever encounter them again we will have no choice but to execute them for their treachery. The souls of anyone who dies before being brought here are trapped in limbo always, never to be cleansed or reborn with the blessings of the gods. But they brought it upon themselves. Perhaps if we see them again, you can tell them not to resist and we can allow them to be the next sacrifices to the gods. I am sure their souls will be granted mercy then." Daikyojin told Robin.
"Ah...they are too stupid to listen. But I am sure they will put up a good fight. It might be good practice for when you battle the Zoan tribe." Robin yawned. She was thinking too intently to feel bad for Maboroshi anymore, nor to despise these people. Gods. There was definitely something going on here, but whether there truly were gods of an ethereal nature, she did not know, nor did she wish to admit that there was such a thing so rashly. She'd been fooled before. "I just hope the others don't run afoul of them if any of these tales are true..." she whispered to herself.

Ryuumaoh appeared moments later, his great wings flapping, carrying the barely-alive body of Egetsunai in his arms. He landed gracefully, wanting his appearance to befit him as a leader. Several other flying Zoans, though clearly not ones meant for fighting, landed shortly after. Robin gasped; would they fight here and tear each other apart? But Ryuumaoh merely set down Egetsunai and walked over to Daikyojin, offering him his clawed hand. "It's been a long time. I don't usually come to these, but as you can see...it is my right-hand man. Or, former right-hand man, I should say. We've had a bit of trouble with some outsiders. A cook from beyond the sea made me a meal so delicious I offered him any of my daughters' hands in marriage. But he refused them all! I ordered his execution but he managed to defeat Egetsunai. He came there with a companion that would have made a suitable replacement for this wretched weakling, but they both escaped together. And I was so convinced I had found an animal who had eaten the Human-model fruit...Such a blessing from the gods, taken away from me in less than a day's time." Ryuumaoh shook Daikyojin's hand, reminiscing about the day's events. Robin gasped, knowing that the outsider he spoke of had to be Sanji, and the animal had to be Chopper; so they escaped unharmed! She was so relieved she giggled softly to herself. "What brings you here?" Ryuumaoh asked Daikyojin. After all, for a leader to stay up so late at night for a ceremony such as this, the sacrifice had to have been someone of importance.
Daikyojin had decreased his size to shake hands with Ryuumaoh, but still remained impressively large. "My greatest hunter and assassin, Maboroshi, had betrayed me, and not only that, lost to an outsider in combat. That cannot be allowed in my tribe. I disposed of him." Daikyojin nodded.
"Nor can it be tolerated within my tribe, as Egetsunai here has proven." Daikyojin kicked the already broken form of Egetsunai.
"What is going on? I thought you two were bent on killing each other and yet you talk as though you are old friends!" Robin interrupted. She still had no idea what was going to happen.
"We are not 'friends'. We are rivals. It means we understand and respect one another. But would we ever hunt alongside the other? Never." Ryuumaoh explained. "And who are you? Another outsider?" he asked her back suspiciously, her clothing looking obviously foreign, as Sanji's had.
"She is an outsider, but she came to this island bearing the curse. A very powerful woman, she is." Daikyojin smiled proudly. "She is to be my Queen."
"I've no need for Queens. They bear disappointing children. Seven have tried to bear me the strongest child and yet none of my daughters even comes close to the level of strength of my soldiers." Ryuumaoh scoffed. "The gods must be testing me, denying me any sons."
"You already know what I will say to that. I believe it is because your tribe is inferior. But we will see who is right and who is wrong soon enough." Daikyojin crossed his arms.
"Yes, we will." Ryuumaoh growled.
"Why do you insult one another like this? Control yourselves or you might fall into the volcano!" Robin cautioned them.
The two men laughed. "We know better than to fight here, miss Outsider, unlike you. The gods ordain that this is a sacred, holy place. If we defile it with battle and blood, we risk them forsaking us and taking away our blessings, or worse, cursing us with their wrath and scorn. This is the only time we can come together in peace, whether or not we choose to exchange rude words." Ryuumaoh explained.
"But, wait! I thought you said you used to hold battles here all the time!" Robin said, now confused.
"The gods' messengers came to us and told us to stop long ago. Perhaps the numbers of our tribes were dwindling, and they wished for us to be able to prosper? So wise the gods are." Ryuumaoh explained.
"So wise." Daikyojin nodded. Both of them apparently kissed up to the gods in any way they could, despite being as powerful as they were.
"I see..." Robin looked around. She was unnerved that the air felt astonishingly cold for them being so near a volcano's opening, and because these two titans among men were so afraid of a curse that they were refusing to fight one another at that spot.
"Prepare for battle. We won't tell you when it's coming, but soon." Ryuumaoh warned Daikyojin.
"You as well." Daikyojin grinned sinisterly. Clearly, he was planning on attacking sooner than he might have let on.
Ryuumaoh snorted, smoking coming from his nostrils, as he turned away from Daikyojin. "Into the gods' realm go you, weakling." Ryuumaoh told Egetsunai, scooping him up, and tossing him bodily into the volcano. Like Maboroshi, Egetsunai apparently accepted his fate and did not scream nor protest nor attempt to struggle. The same green light erupted from the volcano, more forcefully this time, as Robin suspected was from the impact, and Egetsunai's body vanished before it touched the lava. The level of the molten rock lowered yet again. "Farewell and good night." Ryuumaoh bowed to Daikyojin.
Daikyojin bowed as well, and turned away, and each group returned to their respective villages. "Well, my dear, what do you think of our ceremonies? The dying never truly 'die'. They are left in the hands of the gods, and go there painlessly. We are not cruel...I hope you do not think of me as such. I looked forward so much to you becoming my Queen, it will displease me most greatly if you cannot now find it in your heart to love me." he asked Robin.
"Oh, no, nothing of the sort, Lord Daikyojin." Robin close her eyes and put on a big, fake smile. "I am just very curious about all of this business with the gods. I would like very much to see them, to speak with them, but of course that is not possible, is it?" she said, pouting softly.
"Perhaps there might be a way. A messenger might be arranged..." Daikyojin chuckled, unable to resist Robin's charm.
"A messenger...?" Robin raised an eyebrow. "You mentioned them before...what exactly are these messengers? Or, is there only one?" she asked.
"Yes, there are...certain figures who come by once in a great while to deliver news from the gods, and occasionally, they will allow us to ask favors of the gods, for a price. I could arrange for the next time a messenger comes to have a sacrifice ready so that you may ask them something." he smiled.
"No, no, no more sacrifices. I do not want that on my conscience." she shook her head.
"But the villagers are happy to do it! They know that in the next life they will be blessed by the gods and reborn as something even greater..." Daikyojin explained his justification for such acts.
"No, I changed my mind. I thought I'd want to see them. But if that is how they treat people, I do not wish to see them after all." Robin shrugged. "I am tired, Lord Daikyojin. Where may I sleep?" she smiled, rubbing his arm. She was going to take advantage of his hospitality while she could.
"Come with me, into my home. You will be the first Queen in decades." he smiled. Once they were back in the thick of the village he led her inside his temple-like home, and showed her to a magnificently decorated guest room. It was covered in flowers that seemed to not need water and there were all kinds of artistic hieroglyphics carved into the walls; unfortunately they weren't the same language as the poneglyphs and so Robin could not read them. Most of the room was taken up by the huge bed, made of many dozens of animal skins. But Robin was so exhausted it looked ever so inviting. "Sleep well, my soon-to-be Queen. Tomorrow evening, we battle. And I expect you to fight alongside me. For if we do not have every advantage, we will not have a home to come back to." Daikyojin hugged her, before going back further into the temple-house, to his own room.
Robin lay awake, however. That day had been quite hectic. But at least she now knew that everyone was safe...Nami, Franky and Usopp were off in the jungle together, they could take care of themselves. Tashigi was running off to warn them about the battle, as far as she knew...Luffy was being chased by Smoker...and Sanji and Chopper managed to escape the Zoan village. But what about Zoro? Robin sighed. Maybe things would work out after all, and she just had to obey, and perhaps these gods would get them through this safe and sound...

Tashigi woke up hanging upside-down in a cave. "Help! Where am I?!" she cried out.
"Shut up." the shadowy man's voice growled.
"You! You brought me here, didn't you?" Tashigi growled. "Why? Let me go!" she demanded.
"You're clearly the weakest of the outsiders. So I decided to grab you first. Don't worry, as soon as they've served their purpose, the others'll join you right here. And then into the volcano you go." the shadow man laughed.
"How dare you! Who are you?" she snapped.
"Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you that. I am Kagemaru, lord of the shadows. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, miss...Tashigi, was it?" he chuckled.
"That's Sergeant Tashigi to you!" she told him.
"Oh, come now. My associates and I bow to no government or authority but one. And you can't compare to its power." he smirked. "But don't worry. You'll become one with it soon enough. Then you'll be the one giving me the orders...but you won't know it." Kagemaru teased her. "So just hang tight...I've got to go watch over a certain troublesome swordsman." he turned away from her.
"Swordsman...you mean, the man with the three swords?" Tashigi asked him before he left.
"Yes. You know of him?" Kagemaru whirled around. He was still sketchy about what sort of threat Zoro represented.
"His name is Roronoa Zoro and he is a dangerous person. He doesn't deserve the swords he wields. I...I want to be the one to defeat him and take his swords from him." Tashigi explained.
"Hmm...I've seen some of what he can do. You don't stand a chance. But I'll do you one better. I'll bring his swords to you after I tear him apart." Kagemaru offered.
Tashigi gasped. "I thought you weren't going to kill them-just bring them here like you did with me!" She said, now worried for Smoker's life.
"Oh, the others I'll allow to live. But him, I'm not so sure. It all depends on how big a threat he shows he can be." Kagemaru reassured her. "Get some sleep...it's going to get very dark and lonely in here." he told her, and bathed her in darkness once more.

Kagemaru walked out onto a secluded beach on the island. Three other figures also hiding in darkness were waiting there for him, and began to speak with him.
"So the outsiders are going to do our dirty work? It is such a chore maintaining that we are only messengers of the gods without revealing our true powers." a female said.
"Yes. So after they are all weakened and clustered back together, we take them down, no fuss, no muss." A muscle-headed male voice laughed.
"Don't forget, they need to defeat both tribes before we can rest easy. Perhaps one of us should tell the Paramecians to delay their assault for a day or two..." a hoarse male voice suggested.
"No. Everything will proceed as planned. I need them to battle to their very limits to ascertain what sort of threat they represent. We've never had that many outsiders come here at once, nor have they ever been such a thorn in the side of the tribes. They aren't to be trifled with lightly. Let's just continue to observe." Kagemaru told them. "Now go. I want every inch of this island being surveyed."