Chapter 18

__________________________________________________________________

___________________________________

The chapter got you itching for more? Read ahead and get exclusive content before anyone else? Join me on Patr -e-on! Your support would mean the world to me.

( | p@treon.com/FictionGoat | )

. . . .

__________________________________________________________________

___________________________________

Biastian's deep voice broke the silence. "Alright, we shouldn't take too long." Swinging a backpack off his shoulder, he dropped it to the deck with a soft thud and began rummaging through it. After a moment, he pulled out several stacks of Berries, the crisp bills bound tightly together by a rubber band.

"We'll split up," he said. "We already look suspicious sticking together. If we separate and cover more ground, it'll be easier." He handed each person a stack of Berries before reaching back into the bag. This time, he pulled out three Den Den Mushi, their little eyes blinking as they adjusted to the light.

"These are for when we need to communicate," he added, holding them out for the others to take.

Toshi grabbed both the stack of Berries and the Den Den Mushi, his fingers lingering on the crisp bills. He wasn't exactly against the idea of having extra money to spend. Flipping through the stack, he silently counted, ' 300,000 Beli? This is overkill. I could get food for three whole months on just 150,000... Guess I'll just keep the pocket change. ' A greedy thought crossed his mind, and a small grin tugged at his lips as he licked them slightly.

The others took their stacks of Berries and Den Den Mushi without much fuss, giving Biastian subtle nods of acknowledgment.

"Got it," Finn said.

"Yep," Kaya murmured, her gaze drifting toward the somewhere, almost lost in thought.

Toshi kept quiet, his attention fixed on the money in his hands. Not a single word left his lips as he thumbed through the bills, lost in his own thoughts.

Biastian adjusted his backpack and glanced at the group. "Alright, let's get moving." With that, he gave a solid nod. One by one, they stepped off the ship, the worn wood of the dock creaking beneath their feet.

As they made their way down the port, Toshi's gaze drifted downward. Below the pier, schools of fish darted back and forth, their scales glinting in the sunlight below the surface. He watched them for a moment, then, with a quiet exhale, he lifted his head and looked back on the port ahead.

"We'll split up from here," Biastian said. "Stick to the plan, and don't draw attention to yourselves."

The group nodded in agreement, without another word, they went their separate ways. Toshi turned on his heel, heading off alone, the sounds from the port fading slightly as he moved deeper into the town.

____

_______

Toshi moved through the streets, the salty sea breeze mingling with the aroma of food wafting from nearby stalls. It was a scent he knew all too well, a reminder of home. Even though he'd only been gone for a few weeks, he couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia. And by "nostalgia," he meant "hunger."

After hours of wandering, he finally loaded up a knapsack he bought with a variety of food, his shoulders aching from the weight. He made his way through the crowds, stopping at different vendors to pick up mostly canned foods.

"Alright, this is more than enough," Toshi muttered, eyeing the fully packed knapsack stuffed with mostly canned corn and soup. A grin spread across his face as he held up a stack of beli. "150,000 beli, all for meee..." he said, sticking out his tongue and licking his lips.

He shoved the money into his pocket and hoisted the oversized knapsack over his shoulder. The bag was almost twice his size, its bulky shape awkwardly pressing out where cans pressed against the fabric.

As Toshi made his way through a narrow alley, he adjusted the slipping knapsack, gripping it tightly. The grin he had from earlier vanished, his eyebrows furrowed and he slowly bit at his bottom lip. His hand clenched the strap as though his life depended on it.

Eventually, he stopped at the top of a staircase that descended into the shadows below. He stood there for a moment, staring down the steps, his chest rising and falling with a slow, deliberate breath. Closing his eyes, he murmured silently to himself, ' Please be alive... ' Opening his eyes. He stepped forward, taking the first step down.

*Cluck*

The sound of his boots echoed softly, each step creating a distinct cluck against the cobblestone stairs. He hesitated for a moment before taking another step.. 

' Please be alive... '

' Please be alive... '

' Please be alive... '

The same words echoed in his mind with every step he took, over and over again. When he reached the last stair, he stopped for a moment, his hands trembling slightly. His eyes lifted to the bar's sign, which swayed gently in the breeze, creaking softly as it moved.

He took one final step, reaching the base of the stairs, and turned toward the door that led inside a bar. The silence was unsettling. Not a single sound came from the bar...it was unnervingly quiet.

With a trembling hand, he pushed the door open, the hinges groaning as he stepped inside. The floorboards creaked loudly under the weight of his boots, the sound magnified in the stillness. The bar was completely empty. Chairs were stacked neatly on tables, and a fine layer of dust covered every surface. It looked abandoned, as though it hadn't seen a soul in weeks.

Slowly, Toshi let the heavy sack slip from his shoulder, the weight hitting the floor with a resounding thud.

' He's dead... ' The thought struck him like a blade, cutting deeper than he could bear. His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the floor, the strength draining from his body. Tears welled up in his eyes, blurring his vision as they spilled over.

Toshi sat on the cold floor, his chest tightening with every breath. His trembling hands clutched at his knees as tears streaked down his face. The thought pounded relentlessly in his mind.

' Raoul is dead... and it's all my fault. '

The weight of guilt crushed him, heavier than the knapsack he had carried through. He replayed every decision, every mistake that had led to that moment. If he had been smarter or stronger, maybe...just maybe...things would have been different.

"I should've stopped it... I should've did something." he whispered, his voice barely audible, choked by the lump in his throat. 

He buried his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking with sobs. The silence of the room felt suffocating, mocking him with its emptiness.

"This is my fault... all of it," Toshi muttered, his voice cracking. He slammed a fist against the floor, the sharp pain doing nothing to dull the ache in his chest. "If I wasn't so weak... If I wasn't so fucking ass. "

The despair clawed at him, pulling him deeper into the spiral.

*Clank* *Clank*

The clanging of metal broke through the suffocating silence, coming from the back room. Toshi froze, his breath catching as the sound of a door opening followed, its hinges creaking.

"We're closed..." a heavy voice called out, gruff yet unmistakable.

Toshi's eyes flew open, tears streaming down his cheeks as he turned toward the source of the voice. 

It was Raoul...alive, but different. His right sleeve hung loose where his arm used to be. His face was frozen in shock, his wide eyes locking onto Toshi's, filled with the same disbelief and shock as Toshi's.

"TOSHI!" Raoul shouted, his voice cracking.

"RAOUL!" Toshi yelled back, his voice trembling.

Before either could say another word, Toshi shot off the floor, his legs moving faster than his mind. He vaulted over the counter, throwing himself into Raoul's arms. His hands gripped tightly around his Raoul, and he buried his face against Raoul's chest, the sobs escaping him uncontrollably.

"You're alive... You're alive..." Toshi whispered between breaths, clinging to him as though letting go might make Raoul vanish.

Raoul, still shocked, wrapped his one remaining arm around Toshi, holding him just as tightly. "Damn right, kid... I'm alive." His voice wavered.

After what felt like an eternity of clinging to each other, Toshi and Raoul finally pulled away, both wiping away the remnants of tears from their eyes. Toshi might've had the mind of a grown man, but he didn't mind acting like a kid every now and then.

Then they wordlessly moved to a nearby table, the full weight of everything that just happened sinking in.

Toshi let out a shaky breath. "Raoul…" he started, his voice cracking slightly. "How… how are you still alive? I thought—"

Raoul sighed, rubbing his forehead as he leaned back in the chair. His remaining hand flexed as if trying to hold on to something. "Yeah, I get it. I thought the same thing for a while." His gaze softened, and he looked out the window for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "When I lost my arm, I… I blacked out. I didn't even know what happened after that. But when I came to, I was in a hospital bed, hooked up to machines."

Toshi's eyes widened, a wave of relief washing over him. "So you… you were rescued?" he asked quietly, his voice trembling slightly.

Raoul nodded slowly. "Yeah. Some stranger found me and took me to the nearest hospital, paid for everything too... I don't even know who they were. But they made sure I got the treatment I needed. I spent weeks in recovery—my arm was too far gone to save, but I was lucky they got me there in time."

Toshi leaned back in his chair. "I'm relieved…" he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "I thought I lost you for good."

Raoul gave him a tired but reassuring smile. "Guess you're stuck with me for a little while longer." He paused, then added with a smirk, "Though I might need a new arm if I'm gonna keep up with you."

Toshi couldn't help but laugh. "We'll figure it out," he said, his grin returning. "But I'm just glad you're here... Alive."

Raoul's eyes softened as he leaned back, letting the silence settle between them for a moment. 

Raoul raised an eyebrow, glancing at Toshi. "What about you? What happened after—?"

Toshi shrugged nonchalantly, a small smirk tugging at his lips. "Oh, you know. Tortured, sold off as a slave... the usual." He paused for a moment, watching Raoul's face scrunched in sheer shock. "Had to fight for my life every day. Kinda sucked, but I got used to it. Got my ass beat though."

Raoul stared at him, jaw hanging slightly open, his expression somewhere between horrified and not believing a word Toshi is saying.

Toshi waved a hand dismissively, clearly unfazed. "Eh, I survived. Got rescued by the Freedom Fighters. They pulled me out of there, showed me how to fight yada yada...and here I am."

Raoul blinked a few times, still processing. "Wait, what? You just… casually throw that out there like it's nothing?"

Toshi chuckled, leaning back in his chair, arms crossed. "Well, when you've been through it, it kinda becomes second nature, y'know? Like, 'Hey, I got sold into slavery and tortured'...it's just a Tuesday."

Raoul's eyes widened. "You make it sound like you're talking about buying a beer or something.."

Toshi shrugged again, his grin widening. "It's all about perspective, my friend."

They talked for hours, the conversation flowing effortlessly between them. Laughter and tears came in waves as they shared a beer, reminiscing and venting. Toshi made light of things that should have been too heavy to joke about, and Raoul, still in disbelief at how easily Toshi handled it all, couldn't help but laugh along, shaking his head.(" PURURURU...PURURURURU.... ")

Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by a sharp ringing from Toshi's side pocket.

"Huh?" Toshi blinked, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the Den Den Mushi.

The snail's mouth snapped open with a loud "CACHA!" Its eyelids furrowed into a scowl, its expression perfectly mirroring the mood of the voice that came through.

"Where are you? We're leaving," growled Biastian from the other end.

Toshi shot up from his seat.. "Ahh... I'm coming jeez, I'm coming!" he said hurriedly, snapping the Den Den Mushi shut and stuffing it back into his cloak.

Raoul raised an eyebrow. "Who's that?" he asked, leaning back in his chair.

Toshi sighed, rolling his eyes. "My grumpy teammate...." He turned to Raoul, a small smile breaking. "Alright, it's really good to see you're okay, Raoul. But I gotta go. Duty calls."

"Why do you have to go?" Raoul asked, his tone lighter, though there was a trace of earnestness beneath it. He leaned back, a subtle smirk tugging at his lips. "You could stay. We could open the shop back up and run it together... how about it?"

Toshi let out a long sigh, turning his gaze away. "Like I told you before, Raoul, no. I can't," he said firmly. He spun on his heel, his left hand slipping into his pockets. "I've got a new goal now, something I need to do. As much as I'd like to stay here with you... I just can't."

Raoul chuckled, shaking his head knowingly. "I figured you'd say that," he said with a grin. He grabbed the bottle of booze on the table, lifting it slightly in a mock toast before taking a swig. "Whatever that new goal of yours is, I hope you don't go dying off and nail it... And when you do, how about you swing back here for a drink? My treat."

Toshi's grin widened into a massive, boyish smile. "Of course," he murmured, his voice low. He hoisted the sack over his shoulder, its weight seemingly nothing to him now. With a casual wave, he turned and headed for the door.

He pushed it open, pausing briefly on the threshold. The cool air from outside brushed against his face as he stood still, taking a long, steady breath.. ' My goal? To become strong enough to protect the things I care about... strong enough to ensure that what happened never happens again. '

With that thought, Toshi stepped out into the alleyway. His boots echoed faintly as he climbed the flight of stairs. The bright light shone in the distance, as he looked up ahead.

TO BE CONTINUED.

______________

_________________________________________________

Want to read ahead? Check out my P@TREON.

( Patre0n.com/FictionGoat )