With her sweetened breath [ONE PIECE]

20 - THE FILTH OF SIN

Her lungs ache, every breath she took feels like needles piercing on the nerves of her chest, digging their way inside of her body until her heart could barely touch the sharpness of its tip.

Her fist throb and throb and throb, heavy on her side, incredibly so and painfully hot. Scars and splatter of blue and green scattered on the skin of her knuckles, busted with dry blood and filth.

Her eyes are almost shut, eyelids barely lifting her consciousness. She could taste the blood on her tounge, iron and dirt and everything that reminds her of old war and death.

Galien is an old man, graying and with thousand of issues on his back. But despite of that he could fight like he was on his prime, punches fast and hard, kick high and a with force of a canon that could (and did) shatter the bones of her side.

She swore everytime he moves the wind parted to give him a way, almost cowering on the strength he holds, she could hear its whispers, the whip and subtle cry of the struggling air before the pain of his punch greeted her like an old friend.

He was fast on his feet, moving as if he was nothing, only a blur, a warning on the wind, a deadly glare hidden under the rustle of the leaves and the crunches of the rocks underneath. He would be infront of her then he would be on her side the next and fast as a light she was on her back with a sword on her throat and a pain on her feet.

They had been fighting ever since the first crack of dawn, when the sea are still asleep and the fishermen were moving with the rhythm of the appearing light - slow and steady.

Her body had given up on the afternoon, fingers trembling and arms so so heavy. The use of her haki had drained the entirety of her energy, only determination and stubbornness had fuel her to keep moving.

"You're lasting longer than I thought" Galien had said, a thick brown tabaco hanging between his lips. "I'm impressed"

Y/n breathed slowly through her mouth, her nose bleeding from his previous punch. "Fuck y-you"

The old man had grin "back then you wouldn't even last till lunch, now look at ya'! still standing"

The sky had now turned dark tho y/n could still see the tiny vivid ray of the shying sun deep on the horizon. She doesnt think she can last much longer..

"Barely standing actually" she had corrected with a groan, leaning on  the nearest coconut tree. "I can't feel my fucking legs"

"Better than having no legs at all, sweetie pie" Y/n's eye twitch on that nickname.

She groaned as she slumped down on the grainy sand, sweat dripping down her back and she swore she could taste the exhaustion on her tounge.

"I think my ankle is broken" she stated with a wince as she delicately rub the skin on her feet.

"You ain't gonna die with that" Galien chuckled as he flexed his arms, admiring the muscles and probably being all cocky and annoying on his head.
"Ain't I great? How does it feel getting your ass handed to you by an old man?"

Y/n wanted to slam her head open on the fallen coconut and die miserably. "Shut up, I let you beat me" it's a pathethic and quiet frankly an awful and pitiful excuse but goddamn it let her have this.

Galien gave a loud single laugh before pointing an insulting filthy finger on her face "you're pathetic!"

Dont I know it?

"Just say the truth honey, theres nothing wrong by admitting defeat" he sat on the nearby stone and y/n briefly wish that the sharp tip pierce his goddamn ass.
"Strength isnt about your physical capabilities, its about owning up your mistakes and failures without an ounce of shame"