16 16. Broken

Battle.

Fight.

Clash.

Combat.

A spar.

That's what's happening right now. Here I am. In the forest. Fighting-

"RAIMEI HAKKE!!!"

-Yamato.

*BOOM*

My sword hit her hassaikai, and, it snapped.

Now I need another sword. Oden keeps giving me new swords and this is the 24th sword that I've lost. He's definitely gonna stop after a few more. Times like these are when you need a bowl of yakisoba.

Yea.

Yakisoba. You heard right. Not cigarettes. I let go of them. I stopped thinking about the love of my life who I spent more than a decade with. Goodbye 555.

As if.

It's been hammered into me every single day for the last 8 years that I can't get a cigarette anywhere. Like every other parting with your love, first comes denial. I went through that. Next was depression. That too. And lastly, acceptance. This is the phase I'm in.

I have accepted the fact that I can't see the entirety of my existence for atleast the next ten years. But oh well, I won't have to wait that long since there's gonna be a massive timeskip anyway.

"I WON AGAIN!"

"Now remember kid, you wouldn't have won if I wasn't going easy on you and using my full power and fruit power".

"I don't have a devil fruit though, and yet I still beat you so I'm obviously stronger than you!"

"What kind of logic is that? I didn't even go all out, you only won because I was going easy on you in every fight we had".

"Don't be a sore loser Yami, a warrior must accept his loss! I learnt that from Oden, he's really cool isn't he??"

I don't understand how one little girl can be so retarded. First she thinks she's stronger than me and now she's saying that boulder of a guy is cool? I mean she might have beaten me in 49 of the 49 spars we had, but that doesn't mean she's stronger than me... Or does it? No no definitely doesn't, I'm stronger than her.

(A/N: Yamato is actually stronger when Yami isn't using his df).

And don't even get me started on her delusions on the troll. Speaking of Oden, things have been pretty shitty with him. He's been trying his best to get Orochi out of power but it's just not happening.

The flower capital isn't the same as it used to be. It's lost the colors it used to have. It's like a bland version of what it used to be. And, the feeling of freedom is gone. Or maybe it was never there and I just hadn't noticed it before Oden came back breathing roughly and telling me and his retainers that we had to leave the capital.

It was sudden and unexpected. No, maybe not unexpected. I had a feeling it was gonna happen sooner or later and I knew Kin'emon and the others thought the same.

"Listen kid. This is probably the last duel we're going to have".

"Eh?"

"I'm leaving the capital".

"WHAT?!! WHY???"

"For reasons", I grabbed her head, "NOW QUIT SHOUTING!!!"

"YOU'RE MAKING MORE NOISE THAN ME THOUGH!?!"

"NO I'M NOT!!!"

"OW OW OW OW LET GO! LET GO! LET GO!"

With that I let go and started heading back to check on Kenji's grave in the South of the flower capital one last time for now.

It's been...two years since he died. Since my brother died. And now that he's gone, I finally understand what it's like to lose someone close to you. I finally understand just how valuable he was to me, mom and dad.

I finally know just how important he was in my life. And now he's not there for me to appreciate his kindness. I can feel the difference in his absence.

Whenever we had my favorite food, he'd give me some from his share. He'd take me out to see the flower capital. Even though he was weaker than me, he always saved me whenever I'd get into trouble. And if I ever asked why, he'd just smile and say 'You're my brother so this much is a given you know!'

I had begun to think of him as a hero. Somewhere in my heart I thought he was always going to be there to save me. I hadn't even shown him gratitude for everything he did for me.

And yet, just when I was getting to know him a bit more...he left. And he left a hole in our hearts that couldn't be filled.

Mom and dad were 'broken' completely from the whole thing. And it was the second time in this life that I cried.

Mom would cry in her room for hours the first few months after his death. She wasn't eating properly and would only sleep when she was tired of crying.

Dad would try to act strong for us, but I'd sometimes find him crying alone hiding from everyone.

As for me, I tried not to think about him anymore. The dead don't come back. When a person dies they're gone forever. The more I thought about him the more my throat hurt. All I wish now...is that I'd gotten to know him a bit more.

Ah, we're already here. Kenji's rest. The walk was over before I noticed. And the brat is here too for some reason.

I tried to drive her away, but no words came out of my mouth. I just stared at her for a while and looked back to Kenji's grave. I guess no matter how much I tried to play it off, I wanted some company right now. I wanted her company. She's one of the only two people who's presence I enjoy no matter how many times I deny it. And the other one-

"Yami!!".

-someone whose company I never thought I'd want-

"There you are".

-never thought I'd need-

"I've been looking all over for you".

-never thought I'd find soothing-

"And so I came here, in hopes that I'd find you".

-my mentor, my master, my only other friend-

"Hey there...

-...Oden".