7 Mirari

Alva was pleasantly surprised; the water was comfortably warm and extremely salty more so than what he remembers from the Atlantic on earth. At first, it stung his eyes, but he adjusted.

"Brat you're on your own if something wants to eat you. You might die out there, "Garp said

Initially, Alva had no issue swimming along behind the ship after three hours however it became hard to move his legs. He adjusted the way he was swimming.

Trying to waste no movements conserving energy.

"You didn't eat breakfast right? Why don't you just come on out of there and we'll eat?" Garp said

Garp had two bowls of fresh soup in his hands. The aroma they gave off was a testament to the cook's skill.

"Shut up old man, a deal is a deal," Alva said

"We'll see what your attitude is when night falls," Garp said to himself.

After seven hours in the water, the sun sunk below the horizon.

Alva's hands started to go numb, blisters forming on them.

The water's temperature dropped rapidly, becoming colder and colder.

It got harder to breathe, harder still to move.

Using his will, Alva focused solely on his breathing.

Gaining a sense of 'regularity' he switched his focus onto his legs.

Struggling to keep his head above water.

Clouds covered the sky Alva was lost into the darkness.

Unable to see the rope he was holding Alva tied it around his chest

losing his grip on it now was certain death.

Unable to see, the only thing he could hear was the waves wash over him.

Fear set in, the uncertainty gnawing at his sanity.

A predator could be coming to eat him this very moment he wouldn't know.

Unable to defend himself if he was attacked, in this helpless state he doubted if he could even call for help in time.

"Hell Week was nice; I wish I were back there," Alva said.

Unable to control the fear he started distracting himself with memories of things he had done in the past that sucked

After hours he started to regain control of his mind.

He pushed every sense still available to him to the max. Attempting to feel the subtle movement of the water

Thirteen hours in the water Alva started to focus his mind intensely on every muscle in his body. Trying to create a connection so they would keep working.

Alva slowly learned that there was a natural rhythm to the water, moving with it instead of against it.

He moved his body into different positions to suit every wave.

Staying above water became much easier.

Alva was relieved when the sun started to rise, and he was out of the dark but still in danger.

His heart rate had dropped dangerously low; he could no longer feel his legs.

Looking back regularly to make sure they were still kicking.

"I can't do this," Alva said

'Of course, you can't you're weak.'

'We died because of you.'

Alva heard voices.

"It wasn't my fault it was, it was.." Alva said.

"Brat you're still in there!?"

A voice called out drawing his attention.

"I was sure you would come out before dark," Garp said.

"I..I won't lose," Alva said

"It's okay to stop now, why push yourself?"

Garp was wearing only his pants and white dress shirt today. Garp sat back in his spot with a book and crackers in hand.

By eighteen hours in the water, Alva's hands where split open covered in blisters that where cut through by the rope. Nothing but large gashes left of his palms.

"Fuck," Alva said.

Alva quickly held his hands above water, he pulled himself under his hands and caught the blood in his mouth.

Garp's smile disappearing from his face he became serious as he watched intently.

Alva struggled desperately to keep blood out of the water.

Now only floating on the water facing the sky.

"Such tenacity," Garp said.

two hours later the bleeding finally stopped, but Alva was unable to let his hands touch the water.

Hours passed, and Alva started to lose consciousness dehydration and exhaustion setting in.

"I guess this is as far as the kid can go," Garp said as he started undoing the buttons on his shirt.

Suddenly a young boy in a sailor shirt rushed to the railing of the stern.

"YOU CAN DO IT!! HANG IN THERE!''

Alva was startled by the roar. He began to regain focus.

Other marines hear the noise and came to check it out

shocked to see Alva in the water.

"We've got to get him out of there,'" marine A said.

"We can't!" the boy said.

"What are you saying look at him he's gonna die!" The group of marines said.

"He's being a man!" The boy said, "he doesn't want to quit!"

All of the marines looked into Alva's eyes only to be shocked; his look was fierce. They felt that if they pulled him out of the water, he'd kill them.

"Can't you see his condition chore boy? We have to do something," Marine A said.

"I got it," chore boy said.

The chore boy took off running; he quickly returned with a rope and a canteen.

He tied the end and dove off the ship giving Alva some water.

After being pulled back up to the deck, the chore boy looked toward Garp.

"He didn't fail because of me right?"

Garp looked troubled.

"He only fails if he leaves the water," Garp said, "Although..."

—"THANK GOODNESS!" the chore boy yelled happily.

"I was scared all of his hard work would be wasted because of my interference," chore boy said.

"HAHAHAHA what's your name?" Garp was amused.

"Theodore sir!" "Most just call me Ted."

"When I saw him working so hard I just had to do something; I have never seen someone so cool!" Ted said with shining eyes.

"Can I sit here and watch?"

Garp just gestured for him to sit down.

At twenty-four hours in the water, Alva began to hallucinate.

Using all of his will to not give in.

He heard voices and saw Jessica and his ex-squad mates in the water.

All are telling him he should quit or die.

Suddenly the wind picked up, and a massive wave knocked Alva into the ship.

Cutting his head open, bringing him back to reality.

"Shit." Alva watched blood drop into the water.

Alva scrambled his thoughts thinking of a solution.

"It's a gamble but.."

Alva closed his eyes and focused his mind; trying his best to sense when something was coming.

After five minutes he began to see outlines of blue light all around him.

After more time he could hear voices.

They confused him, and he thought they where more hallucinations so he focused even deeper—reaching a flow state in his mind. The blue lights started to take shape.

Alva saw two lights the shape of giant sharks heading towards him rapidly.

His worst fears had come true. Breaking concentration he could no longer see any blue lights.

"I will not die here; I can't!"

Alva's heart rate increased his beaten and torn muscles burned.

His blood started to heat up when he saw two shadows move in the water near the surface.

"I will not die here!"

Alva's eyes turned red.

A powerful killing intent burst from him.

A red aura seemed to surround his body.

Finns broke the water's surface as the sharks approached.

when they reached ten meters from Alva, they stopped dead in the water.

Less than a second later the two sharks swam even faster in the opposite direction.

No one outside of this distance could feel it, but Garp noticed it.

"There it is again," Garp said. "Amazing"

Ted was amazed to see the sharks run away, completely oblivious as to why.

"Oh god, I'm alive!" "I don't know what this is, but I felt like I wanted to kill everything."

"I need to get a handle on this, I can't go killing everyone every time I get pissed off," Alva said.

'It has to be the soul stone' Alva considered multiple possibilities in his mind, trying to find a solution.

__________________________________________

Ted and Garp left to eat dinner. The sun was starting to set.

After being in the water for thirty hours, his mind was going blank

Alva could not think at all, and he could no longer move every muscle in his body was destroyed, far surpassing the limits of his young body and that of grown men. He was floating there on the water in agony looking up at the stars. He was done, just waiting for someone to come along so he could ask them to pull him out of the water.

"Alva my boy you still out there?" A very drunk Francis was leaning over the railing.

"Hows the test going?" "Bwahaha Its okay you don't got to answer."

Alva focused on Francis' words; they called his mind back to him.

"Father, I...I'm sorry after all I said, I..." Alva spoke in a hoarse and low voice.

"—You know Alva, you're a lot like your mother," Francis said.

Being interrupted Alva just listened.

"Yeah you got her eyes and her soft hair, but most importantly you have her heart."

"Maria was stubborn and strong-willed I never won a single argument haha—but she was kind hard working. The day she found out she was pregnant was the happiest day of her life. She immediately called her sister; then she started to panic because they didn't grow up with a mother.

She was worried she would be a bad mother.

She spent the next week going to every mother in the city asking for advice and tips, that's how she met Lisa, when they saw how serious she was about it they got serious about helping her. She looked funny running around with a book taking notes."

Tears formed in Francis' eyes.

"A couple of months before you were born she got the idea to make you a blanket, but she was terrible with her hands and couldn't sew.

She spent hours every day practicing. 'It has to be perfect.' she'd say.

I would tease her about all of the bandages around her fingers, and she would get embarrassed, then mad. At night she would get Sakura to teach her when she thought I was asleep. Haha, a prideful lady she wanted to show off the blanket she made herself."

Francis paused for a long time.

"She loved you very much son...and I know you will make her proud," Francis said.

"Dad, could you tell me more about her? Where was she from?"

"She was from Baterilla, would you like to visit your aunt?"

"Yeah," Alva said.

With tears running down his face Francis went back to his quarters.

Alva also had tears in his eyes; half sadness and half frustration.

Francis' words stirred the embers in Alva's heart reigniting the flame.

"Mom thank you, I promise not to waste this life you gave me. I will never quit again," Alva said

He meant every word with all of his being.

By the thirty-fourth hour Alva could not move, he winced in pain and held his breath when a wave washed over his face. Relying solely on his luck to make it through this ordeal.

______________________________________

The wind started to howl, and the waves picked up

growing larger they violently crashed into Alva.

No one had returned, and Alva could no longer call for help as the waves stifled his breath. He started to sink into the turbulent water.