Black.
That was all I saw as I sank through the ocean. Not blue, not teal, black. My eyes were closed and I thought I was losing consciousness quickly. I could feel my energy seeping out of me like a leak in a hose. I was losing control of myself, and it was scaring me.
Then, suddenly, I could see again. But what I saw wasn't the ocean or even the Baratie.
It was New York City.
What the...? I thought vaguely, but I didn't have time to think much of anything else, because just then my body moved on its own, running forward down the street I was on.
The hell's going on?! I freaked out inwardly.
Then I looked around and understood. My old mentor and friend, Cracked-Up Chuck, was standing in front of me protectively and three street kids were backing up slowly, fear in their faces. I could tell they were street kids because most of their clothes were ripped, plus they wore a green bandana around their head. I remembered a gang that was marked by a green bandana—the Smoothly Skulls. Back in the real world, a couple months after I left home, I had managed to piss off this group by accident once and they'd sent three of their toughest fighters after me in retaliation. But just before they could beat me up too badly, Cracked-Up Chuck had stopped them.
Must be a flashback... I realized. This scene resembled that memory to the letter.
"You bastards," growled Chuck. "How dare you attack my friend! And she's weaker than you, no less! Go pick on someone your own size unless you want to be beaten to a pulp!"
"C-Cracked-Up Chuck!" one of the guys whimpered.
One guy with a W-shaped mustache that was actually pretty cool stared in horror. "Not even the leader of Black Tooth could stand against him!"
"You guys sure have some weird gang names," Past-Me muttered.
They ignored me and fled in terror.
Chuck dropped his stance and bent to his knees, coughing. Several passersby stopped and looked in slight concern, but just kept on walking. After all, it didn't bother them. But I immediately dropped to his side and shook him lightly, worry etched into my (back then) normally angry expression.
"Oi! Chuck!" I said. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"
He coughed some more, and I saw blood on the street. My eyes widened.
Chuck hesitated, then coughed again. "I'm... I'm sick," he managed. "Sorry I never told you sooner. The last doctor I went to, a friend and another gang member, said that I only have a few more years of life. Fighting... hack! ...just shortens my time span."
He wiped his mouth and I set my jaw. "Chuck." Past-Me whispered. "I promise that I'll get stronger so you don't have to exert yourself for a nobody like me. I'll... I'll be the best martial artist ever!"
My mentor rose to his feet and smirked, some blood still dripping off his second chin. "I know you will, Yuril."
***
"That's right..." I murmured, seeing black once again as the flashback ended. "I promised to be the strongest martial artist. I can't... I can't lose now!"
My eyes snapped open and took in the azure sea water all around me. Wreckage from Krieg's ship was visible through the depths and I thought I saw someone swimming towards me... a very familiar someone with a mouthful of air, a bandana around his head, and long curly hair around his neck.
"Usopp?" I gasped. Lucy must have sent him to retrieve me before I could drown. Then I realized something. "Wait... hold on, I'm talking underwater! How the hell is that possible?" I blinked and suddenly had an epiphany. "Ah, yes. Must be because of my sea powers." And now that I thought about it, I could move myself again. Plus, I was breathing no problem. And it felt like there was a much larger life force all around me, transferring energy from itself into me, making me stronger. Almost an impossibly, infinitely large life force...
I blinked in comprehension. "It's the ocean. It's... alive." I grinned, feeling as good as new. In fact, I didn't even feel any pain from my previous injuries. It must have been the ocean healing me. I laughed out loud, scaring the hell out of Usopp, who nearly let loose his air.
"This is awesome!" I cheered, smiling wider than Lucy. Usopp looked at me with an expression of equal shock and confusion. I tilted my body upwards, aiming for a patch of water shimmered and flickered: the surface directly above me. Then as a thought hit me, I sent out my thoughts to the life force of the ocean and gave it a command. It obeyed, pressure building around my feet.
"Aqua Rocket!" I yelled, once again scaring the hell out of Usopp.
FWOOM!
Grinning madly, I shot upward. If anyone else would've broken the surface that quickly, the change in the water pressure would've knocked them out or at least broken their eardrums; but I was fine, and I assumed it was because of my demigodishness. Whatever the case, I blasted out of the air and landed lightly on the deck of the Baratie, dripping sea water and basically scaring the shit out of everyone on deck. I have been doing that a lot lately.
"It's... It's Yuril!" gasped Lucy, standing near Mihawk, while Sanji was looking at me bug-eyed. The Spanish swordsman just raised an eyebrow in mild interest, and my enemy the demon was busy picking his jaw off of the Baratie's deck. Johnny and Yosaku were on their fishing boat and bent over (I assumed attending to Zoro's wounds). Krieg looked like he was lost for words. Usopp chose that moment to break the surface, spitting sea water.
"But..." Yugly complained, "but that should've killed you! How the hell are you still alive!?"
I smirked and turned to him. "If you think punching me into the water'll kill me, you've got another thing coming! Your punches are freakin' weak, bastard!"
He narrowed his eyes. "Ah, yes... I should've known. You're the daughter of that damned Aes. Water will heal you."
"Really?" Lucy's face lit up. "COOL!"
"You have gathered together an interesting crew, Straw Hat girl." said Mihawk, smirking. "I wait for the day when your swordsman friend faces me once again."
He went to leave, but Krieg recovered and whined something about not fighting him and being the greatest of the East Blue, opting to open fire on Dracule Mihawk. I ignored them, focusing instead on my target, Yugli.
"Oi! Stupid-demon!" I taunted, earning me a glare from said baddie. "You ready to end things for real?"
His face hardened. "Of course." Yug raised his fists and charged, yelling nasty vulgar stuff I'm not willing to repeat, and simply smirked deeper and readied myself.
Yugli was almost on top of me. "Very well. This is the rage of the sea. Aqua Blast!" I bellowed, walloping him in the eye. He was thrown back from the force of my attack, but I didn't have time to be surprised at my strength. The Krieg Pirates and the chefs were, though, along with Usopp, and they all gasped.
"W-What?!" Usopp shrieked, now back on the ship with Johnny and Yosaku. "What a powerful punch..."
Lucy hit her palm with her other fist, her short black hair blowing in the cool sea breeze. "Oh, right! Usopp! Johnny! Yosaku! Zoro! Go after Nami and bring her back right away!"
"Yes!" they agreed, and set sail.
Yugli rose from the wreckage of the barrels he'd smashed into, rubbing his eye. "Bitch," he grumbled. He took out his lightsaber thing again and pointed it at me. "I guess I shouldn't take you lightly then!"
"Damn straight," I agreed. "Aqua Fist!" Water spiraled up from the ocean and wrapped itself around my right fist. I vaguely wondered what the heck I was doing, since I was pretty much acting on instinct and auto pilot here, but I charged Yugli, just as he was doing to me. My opponent slashed with the light saber but I ducked under it and retaliated.
WHAM!
I drew my arm back and slammed it forward, this time into his chest. Water sprayed around me and everyone gasped at the attack. I drove my hand upward and Yugli was lifted into the air almost in slow motion, eyes popping out of his head and the breath getting knocked clean out of him. The light saber was thrown somewhere into the sea.
"Amazing..." a chef said.
"What power... Who is she?" Sanji asked.
Zeff smirked. "Isn't that simple enough, you eggplant? She's a demigod!"
As the demon of light sailed sky high into the... well... sky, I jumped onto the sea, imagining it hardening beneath me. I landed smoothly on it and only briefly realized the awesomeness of what I was doing. I was freakin' walking on water!
"Aqua Rocket!" I repeated, and blasted myself up with Yugli. As I went, I directed my thoughts into the ocean once again. "Aqua Kick!" Water swirled around my leg this time and I delivered a devastating kick into the evil dude's chest, following it up by wrapping water around both of my fists as we dropped at equal speeds.
"Aqua Barrage!" I punched with both fists time after time, a fearsome combo of Lucy-level attacks. Or at least, I guessed Lucy level attacks. I had felt like I had enough power right now that it was easily within reach.
We smashed into the deck of the Baratie and Yugli coughed blood, eyes wide and a flicker of fear running through them.
I smirked. "And now it's time to end this! AQUA JET BLAST!"
One layer of water wrapped around my right hand and arm. Then a second, and finally a third. I felt power surging through me like an electrical outlet. I felt unbeatable, unstoppable, invincible! As my fist descended into Yugli face, the deck splintered and gained a small crater-shaped hole that the demon fell through.
Silence once again filled the area. The energy that had filled me before was draining out of me, and my breath started coming in ragged gasps. My arms and legs ached stubbornly, and as I sat down Indian style against the wall, I briefly wondered if I had overdone it.
"Cool..." Lucy said. I wouldn't have been surprised if she was permanently stuck on that same word, like a broken gramophone or something.
"That was totally overpowered..." grumbled Sanji.
"YOU EGGPLANT!" Zeff shouted angrily. "YOU DESTROY MY DAMN RESTAURANT!"
My vision faded. "S-Sorry," I said with a final smirk, and the last of my energy left me. I had driven myself to unconsciousness.