Luffy got to his feet. "I'm not gonna stand around doing nothing. Kat needs to understand that she's not alone anymore. If she wants to get herself killed, I'm not gonna happen. Zoro, you know her better than anybody here."
Zoro nodded. "Pretty Kitty has always done things on her own. She's strong and independent. But ever since she's become an assassin, it's like part of her died." He paused for a moment and looked at the box in his pocket.
Luffy looked at him. "Zoro? What is it?"
Zoro didn't look at him. "I'm not gonna lose her. I made her promise, and I intend to keep it. Luffy, when you're in love with someone, you would do anything for them. That woman will become my bride. Pretty Kitty and I have been through everything together."
Nami looked at Zoro. "Hold on a moment. Are you saying that you're gonna ask her to marry you?"
"Yes."
On the opposite beach, I stood behind the other assassin with my knife at his throat. "The fact that the government sent you to come after me? That's sad to know that the Order has fallen so low. But it doesn't matter. I'll kill you and then I'll go back to the man I love."
The other assassin smirked. "So, the Shadow Kat has fallen so low as to fall in love with a bounty hunter."
I smiled, not relenting my hold on my knife. "Don't insult Zoro. I will defend him until my last day. If you want to fight, man up like a real assassin."
And so the fight between me and the other assassin began.
Soon, Luffy, Nami, Zoro, and Usopp arrived at the site of the battle. Zoro's hand went to the hilt of his sword. "Dammit, I can't let Pretty Kitty kill herself."
Usopp looked at him. "Do you always have to be on the defense all the time? Kat can take this on herself."
Zoro nodded. "I know she can." He smirked. "I can tell you this much. Pretty Kitty is a wild one."
The fight between the assassin and me went on for a while. Yet there was something familiar about this fight as if I'd had it before. "If I'm the one who has sunk so low to fall in love with a man like Zoro, then you're the one who sank so low to become the government's loyal guard dog."
The other assassin stopped fighting for a second. "I'm not here on the government's orders. I'm here to help you, as are the rest of us."
"What are you talking about? The rest of us?" I panted.
My opponent lowered his hood. "The Guild building has fallen, but the Order remains strong. Look around you, Shadow Kat. Those of us who were sent to work for the government have left. We stand with you. We stole the Marine ships that followed you and your friends to this island."
"What happened to the recruits that entered the building after all of us left?"
"Dead either trying to escape or killed."
I set my blade back into its sheath and offered my hand. "Very well, There is evil on this island so be on your guard. All of you."
Back on the ridge, Nami blinked. "Hang on a moment. What happened? I thought this was gonna be a fight?"
Zoro glanced at her before looking forward again. "It was not a fight of blades. The other assassins down there are part of the same Guild that Pretty Kitty is. Children torn from their families or sold for money to endure the same pain she did."
A hawk flew down from the sky and landed on his shoulder. The bird had the same hood marks around its eyes, resembling the mark of my hood. With its beak, it gestured toward the box that Zoro held in his hand before saying anything, flying down to perfectly sit on my mind.
Luffy looked confused, as did anyone else. "What was that all about? Where did that hawk come from?"
Nami glanced down at the gathering of assassins down on the beach and noticed that the same hawk was sitting on my shoulder, eating meat from my hand. "Hang on a sec, that bird is the same bird that was just sitting on Zoro's shoulder. Kat mentioned that something assassins are given hawks to be their eyes in the sky and messengers. So that must be her hawk; otherwise, it wouldn't have recognized Zoro."
Luffy looked at her. "How did you figure that?"
"Well, think about it, guys. Assassins and their hawks a bonded for life, right? So the fact that the bird landed on Zoro's shoulder proves one thing. It sensed the bond between its mistress and her man."
A few hours later the group of assassins part ways for Luffy, Nami, Zoro, and Usopp made their way to where we were standing. The person who was fighting me went over to Zoro and stuck out his hand. "Zoro, has it been that long?"
Zoro walked right by him and went over to where I was. "Hey, Momma, are you alright?"
I blushed. "What with the new pet name?"
DAMMIT ZORO!! ARE YOU STILL AS SELFISH AS EVER!!"
Zoro drew one of his swords and pointed it at the man. "Tell me, Dave, what is it like trying to steal another man's woman?"
Dave smiled. "It was never my intention to steal Kat from you. She's my best friend."
Zoro looked at him. His face was stone cold as it usually was. "Then take your crones and leave."