Out for Karma: One Piece

Chapter 112: I may be schizophrenic but at least I have each other for better or worse. Mainly the worst

Chapter 112: I may be schizophrenic but at least I have each other for better or worse. Mainly the worst

Pain.

That was what woke Rick up. A searing pain coursing through his body. Through his flesh. Through his blood. That wasn’t the worst he was experiencing currently however. Pain? He was used to pain. After years of training with Garp and the navy in general then his adventure with the crew where he got himself hurt even more and even died, twice. No, pain was not the worst. Despite the numerous nails made of seastone nailing him on a cross.

No. Pain was not the worst for him right now.

It wasn’t the hunger nor was it the thirst he has been feeling for some time. Though the latter came close. His mouth was dry, from the lips to his throat. Had he not known better, he could have sworn that Crocodile had paid him a visit.

No. Hunger and thirst were not the worst for him right now.

It wasn’t the endless darkness he was experiencing either. Darkness that made his other senses pick up the slack of his lack of sight. Other senses that included touch. The sense related to pain the most, making the pain and thirst even worse. Other senses that included hearing, making the regular sound of water drops fall on the ground, a good contender to the ‘drive to insanity’ award.

No. Darkness was not the worst for him right now.

The worst? The worst was himself. His perceived failures, his doubts, his negative feelings that kept on accumulating ever since he was born again. His need for Robin; to be by her side. Need unmet, breaking his promise to get back to her, leading to self loathing for failing her again and leading back to his need for her. A negative, a vicious circle that brought him down deeper and deeper. Making him weaker with every loop.

Weak enough for the sea devil to reach him.

“Oh?! Finally back to the world I see! Was it the pain or natural?”

Rick didn’t know how long it had been since it started talking to him, but he was sick of it. It did confirm his thoughts about this being able to converse through his negative feelings when they were at their highest. Until now it only has been through his anger and perhaps through an underlying fear that communication had been possible. But now? Now he was communicating through his despair born from doubts which themselves were born from his self-loathing.

He shouldn’t have been distracted when he arrived in Wano's skies. He shouldn’t have focused on his need to reach Robin. It was costly for him when a huge ptérodactyl clothed in leather attacked him out of nowhere and knocked him out.

The next thing he knew he woke up in front of Kaidou himself, restrained by seastone cuffs. There wasn’t even a talk between the two of them.

“Join me.”

This was not a proposition, this was not a choice. This was a command.

Rick uncuffed himself and tried to run. He knew that he wasn’t ready to take on Kaidou and fleeing was the best option after all, just like Big Mom, Kaidou wanted him for Robin, though with how the yonko was obsessed with devil fruits he might have wanted Rick for Rick too. Finding the secret to use two devil fruits would have bolstered even more his army, which was home to many devil fruits users already.
Kaidou let out a good amount of Conqueror haki to stop Rick escape, which to his surprise had absolutely no effect. While he was pondering why, one of his subordinates caught him in spider web and another was quick enough to knock him out, again. And that’s how he ended up in the situation he was in. The seastone nails had been a test to see if contact with the material, beyond simple contact against skin, was effective. It was. So Rick was crucified and starved with the goal in mind to break his spirit and make him compliant. It wouldn’t have been as effective if not for the sea devil.

When Rick was beyond angry, it was just cheering crudely to get control. Now? Now it was insidious and cunning.

“I can make it all stop, you know.” the devil spoke in his mind. Making more of a statement than a rhetorical question.
“...”
“You just have to let it go. Let me in.”
“...”
“They will all pay for what they did to you.”
“...”
“None of them will be a match..”
“...”
“She’d be safer with them gone.”
“No.”

That was the first time Rick had answered it. Like the sea devil expected, Robin was his weakness and he was sure to exploit it as much as it could.

“You’ll be free. Free to go back to her.”

“But you’ll be on the loose.”
“And what’s wrong with that?”
“You’ll kill her. She’s the only one who can stop you.”
“Now that’s not true on both accounts, nobody can…”

Rick tuned it out when he heard some noise coming from a good distance in front of him.

“O..Od… en?” Croaked Rick with hope in a tired whisper.

He didn’t get an answer though. Perhaps it wasn’t who he thought it was or his voice was unheard. He knew it was the latter when something was put on his lips.

“Drink. Slowly.” the voice said.

At the same time water began to flow through his mouth and Rick began to do as ordered despite wanting to parch himself as much as he could. It wasn’t the first time this situation happened so he knew better than to drink fast, after all he didn’t want to choke again.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t come earlier, they changed the shift time”. The voice said before taking back the now empty mug.
“It’s… fine. You… came, that’s what… matters.” Rick replied with his companion with a tired but genuine smile.

“I wish I could do more.” Oden said.
“You will be… killed and I… will be back… here.”
“Still…”
“You bring me food and… water. That’s more than enough, though it’s your company that I crave the most.” he confessed, his ability to speak coming back a lot more.
“Really?!” Oden replied in astonishment.
“Yes. Hunger and thirst, I can deal with. Being alone with my thoughts? I…It’s maddening. You keep me sane and… that’s what I’m really grateful for.”
“Well… that’s what friends do.” Oden answered, a bit embarrassed.
“You only say that because you want more stories from me.” Rick said with a smirk in a teasing tone.
“That’s not true! I mean, yes I want to hear more about what’s beyond Wano’s borders but that’s not the only reason why I’ve been visiting you for the past two months.”
“It’s been two months since I’ve been here?” Rick asked in a whisper, more to himself than to his companions, wanted or not.
“A bit more than that actually. Closer to three. You were already locked up for a while before I found you.” Oden replied a bit apologetic

That had been a surprise for Rick to get help. That someone in Kaidou’s crew was reading to defy him and go against his orders to let a prisoner rot. He was glad that was the case though and was certainly not going to complain about it. Oden’s visits were a blessing. Not for the food and water but because he talked with him making the sea devil less talkative during and after. He always lifted his mood making his unwanted cellmate unable to bother him.

“That’s alright, don’t blame yourself when there’s no reason too.”


Rick cut short the topic and began a story from his time at sea. Loving the effects his tale had on his friend. He may not have been able to see, but he could hear and feel with the bit of observation haki he had managed to use, how Oden reacted. There were gasps, laughs, but also admiration, fascination, outrage. He didn’t miss a thing, and drowned as much as he could in it to keep the sea devil away.

~~~~~

“Wake me up! Before you go-go. Don’t leave me hanging on like a yo-yo ~~”
“Shut up.” Rick thought as he was coming to.

That had been a surprise to him when the sea devil began to wake him up, with songs from his original world. It was more than just a surprise actually, as it threw him out of a loop. It wasn’t supposed to know about them, nor any other knowledge not in this universe, the goddess had made sure to block access to it or at least she had supposed to, Rick knew that for sure. What was really a surprise was the sea devil being really forthcoming with the answers as to how.

It was simple, the soul was much more than just the proof of life and existence. It held everything it and its owner experienced. While the sea devil couldn’t take control by force, it had been able to “read through” those experiences since his soul was now properly in sync with his body. Thankfully it didn’t yet “read” through the goddess or his mission’s part or was simply unable to. Nonetheless the sea devil was smart and understood that Rick was not from this universe. It was intrigued of course and used its newly gained knowledge to its advantage.

“You’re no fun. Or not a morning person? After your time in the marine it would be surprising.”
“Will you leave me alone already? I won’t give you control. Never again.”
“If that was the case I wouldn’t bother to begin with. You’ll break, like everyone else. Like you already did, plenty of times.”
“You used my anger and my fear. I’m currently neither.”
“True. You are despairing though.”
“I. Am. Not.” Rick retorted with fake conviction.
“Oh really?”
“YES.”
“So you don’t feel like shit for abandoning your eldest?”
“I…”
“Being such a crappy father that she sent you packing without another thought? That the knowledge of being related to you revulsed her?” It continued without letting him cut it off.
“That’s…”
“How about Lynda, huh? Your little snake and her little sibling? My, it’s been so long we’ve been in here the child may have been born already. And you left them in the care of their insane mother.”
“No… No, it can’t have been that long. Oden… Oden said…”
“And you believe him? He’s just a voice bringing you food and listening to your stories. You don’t know anything about him. He’s probably doing it on Kaidou’s order to begin with, to soften you…”
“No, he’s not…”
“To give you a bit of hope. Hope that will be crushed at the right time to break you.”

The sea devil went on and on and Rick could do nothing. Not even a rebuttal as its arguments were logical. He knew next to nothing about Oden, yet Rick refused to believe his help wasn’t genuine. So the straw hat vice-captain kept on believing and if it turned out it was wrong to do so… It was alright. After all the crew would come, of that he was 100% certain. He would just have to endure the torture more.

“So much faith in your friends. They don’t even know you’re here and even if they did they won’t be able to defeat that Kaidou guy.”
“They will. That’s what they do.”
“They are probably either dead or separated, hiding from Kaidou’s men. Who knows they may have turned a new leaf and started a new life. I wouldn’t be surprised if that little wife of yours found herself another man.”
“Shut. Up.”
“I mean you keep on failing her. First you died and abandoned her…”
“Shut…”
“Then you keep on shagging women left and right….”
“Up…”
“Breeding them then coming back to her for a good shag…”
“SHUT…”
“Saying some fake love words then leaving her again…”
“UP!”
“Anyone would just give up after a while. She probably thinks you left her for that crazy redhead ex of yours. Face it, no one will come for you. There is only me and you. Forever and ever. So why not get along? You give me total control of your body and I’ll give you everything you want. ”
“SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Rick yelled out loud, surprising Oden who had come into his cell without him noticing.
“I.. I didn’t say anything…”
“I’m… sorry…” he said with his throat burning. Shouting has not been a bright idea with how dry it was and how little use it had recently.
“I’m… just… I’m… just…” he tried to come up with an excuse but couldn’t and in the end just went with the truth.
“Fighting with… the stupid voice… in my head.”
“The voice… in your head?” Oden asked, puzzled.
“Yes… It’s… complicated. Let’s just say it’s a … side effect of eating two devil fruits.”
“...”
“Don’t worry, this place… didn’t make me go insane.”
“I… doubt that, I mean hearing voices in your head is generally deep in the insanity category. That would not be surprising with the condition you’re in.”
“I’ve been hearing it for… years and I was already a bit… insane even before. “ he replied with a tired chuckle.
“That’s…. not… better?” she said tentatively.
“No. No it’s not, but there is … nothing I can really do about it.”
“Nothing?”
“Me? No. But usually my wife can shut it up.”
“Your wife?!”
“Hmm. She keeps it quiet.”
“How? Is it.. Is it something that… I could…do?”
“You're already doing it. It’s quiet everytime you’re here.”
“Really?!”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t do anything though.”
“You couldn’t be more wrong.” he said with a chuckle before explaining himself.
“You, being here is enough. The voice… It feeds on my negative feelings. My shame, my self-hatred and self loathing… My despair… But with you here… I’m focused on you and for sometime after you leave keeping my darkest thoughts at bay.”
“I… I see.”
“...”
“...”
“Would anyone do then?”
“No, not anyone. Mainly my wife, that’s for sure and perhaps our wife too.”
“Wait a minute?! Our wife?!”
“Hmm… yeah?”
“What do you mean our wife? Like you and your wife both married another woman?”
“Pretty much. I mean we’re not officialied married to her yet, we’re just engaged.”
“Okay… I have to know how that happened.”
“Well…both of them were the only women on the ship so they became pretty close fast. I was very interested in Robin - that’s my wife name - and Nami - that’s our wife name - caught on to it. She helped a bit between Robin and I getting together. Nami is Robin and I’s best friend and we both decided to include her in our relationship - mainly in bed mind you - and with time well… that friendship developed into love and we decided to marry her.”
“... Wow…”
“I know, not very run of the mill romance.”
“No, it’s clearly not. And there is no… problem?”
“With Nami? Not anymore. There were some when Robin and I married as Nami felt left out, but we solved them. As for Robin… well… it’s complicated but we’re in this together and both determined to tackle one problem at the time.”
“It must not be easy to deal with a three way relationship.”
“Oh! We’re not three in this relationship, there are others.”
“OTHERS?! How many?”
“Well…”

Rick proceeded to talk about how his marriage with Robin worked. He kept to himself the existence of his daughters as he didn’t trust Oden to that extent yet. He kept Vivi’s name out too, though he did talk about her.
Oden was left speechless. She never heard of such a thing and wondered if Rick wasn’t pulling his leg and if that sort of relationship was common outside Wano.

“Oden, you’ve been here for a while now. Won’t you get caught?”
“No, it’s Kaidou’s birthday today, so everyone is celebrating.”
“Oh. Lucky for me I guess. I got you all to myself for a little longer.” he joked.
“I guess so.”
“So is there anything you’d like to know about my time at sea?”
“Well…” she began to ponder. “You talked about your time in the navy but never about your time as a pirate. How did that happen?”
“THAT! Is a pretty funny story. All began with an annoying and very punchable little shit named Ace…”


~~~~~

“Wake up! Wake Up! Grab a brush and put on a little make-up!”
“Fuck. You!”

Everyday - or at least every time he woke - it was by the sea devil’s singing of songs from his original world. There was nothing wrong with the singing itself, quite the contrary it was quite good. Rick just couldn’t enjoy it because it put a stop to his rest. That didn’t matter in the end as he was tired because of the seastone nails embedded in him. The sea devil may have let him sleep a full 8 hours or 20 minutes for all he knows. It wouldn’t have changed a thing with his tiredness. It was its greatest weapon against him. He didn’t know how much time had passed and therefore couldn’t get a grasp of reality properly. That played heavily on his psych. Thankfully Oden came around once every week at best and two weeks at worst. That is if he was telling the truth and Rick chose to believe for his own sanity. From what he had gathered he had been locked up for nearly five months. That bummed him out as it felt like five years.

“Rude! Here I am, keeping you company out of the goodness of my heart and …”
“You don’t have any good in you.”
“Wow. Are you saying that because I’m a devil ? Racist much?”
“Are you saying that because I am a human?”
“...”
“...”
“Okay, you got me there.”
“Honestly, why do you even bother talking? Why do I even bother replying to you, I’ll never let go.”
“Those are good questions actually, with simple answers.”
“...”
“...”
“Well?”
“Well what?”
“What are those answers? You’ve been on my mind for five months non-stop and now that we begin to have a meaningful conversation you clamp up? Had I known I would have done it long before now.”
“Fine! I bother talking because I don’t have anything else to do, well except reading your soul but that gets tiring after a few hours. That and well I don’t have anyone else to talk to nor the opportunity, really.”
“Opportunity?”
“What do you think I do when you’re not feeling down or being angry, you jackass? I’m definitely not sleeping, I tell you!”
“Wait! You mean… you’re awake? At all times?” Rick asked bewildered.
“YES! Do you understand now?! I don’t want control of your body for the fun and giggles! I want it because I want out of the same hell you’re currently experiencing.”
“You mean… all those years…”
“YES DAMMIT! YES!”
“...”
“...”
“OH.”