The start of a saga

11 years ago

"I can't wait till he's seen on the screen.."

The curtains were closed, but a faint glow could be seen through them due to the outside street light passing through the thick fabric. The tiny amount of light that had found its way into the dimly lit room looked down onto the glorious, brown skin of a stunning woman who was seated and looking at the TV as if it were hypnotizing her into watching it nonstop.

"The new Warlords of the Sea are here, everyone. They are the elite pirates, allied with the global government. Although they don't threaten us, we won't break their tranquility."

The reporter's voice that emerged from the screen was really unpleasant to hear; it was a monotonous, rough speaker voice that sounded much like any other Lyra had ever heard. The couch was gripped, her nails dug into the soft fabric that the couch provided. Even though bringing her closer to the TV would louden the annoying speaker. She needed to see the one person she had been waiting for, sick of not seeing the one she loves standing abroad the crowd—but truly standing right next to her heart. Can he hurry up already, I need to see him. Now.

"Now I'll be reading out the names of the ones who are now part of this system."

Lyra's face was filled with delight as she prepared to hear the one name she'd been waiting for this whole time. Inching closer to the screen, she gripped the couch, digging her nails into the hard leather. She was slightly biting her lip as she was waiting, wanting and needing the speaker to say his name.

"Crocodile as our first official Warlord of the Sea."

"Jinbe as our second..."

Lyra's reactions gradually faded as the reporter went on. She was just interested in hearing his name. She grumbled, "Shit..." While lowering her eyelids at the screen.

"Boa Hancock, our third announced tonight."

"Gecko Moria..."

"Where's he at? I'm certain he's there!" Wanting a response, she screamed at the screen. Desiring the one behind the enclosed screen to gaze upon her and utter the name of the guy she holds most dear. "Say it, please." As additional names were announced, but not the one she was most interested in hearing, her voice grew croaky. Lyra's thoughts began to race with desperation as she drew near to the screen every second. She placed her hands on the edges of the TV box because she had to hear his name as soon as possible.

"Bartholomew Kuma…" On the screen, the speaker yelled. Lyra thought the speaker was playing a practical joke on her, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking and was deliberately making her wait. He had an intriguing smirk in the corners of his lips. Her nose was scrunched up, feeling the heat radiating from the screen.

Lyra turned her head at this point, her face smearing over the screen as the intense brightness from it burned in her eyes. She was unable to see anything on it at all. To finally hear her beloved's name, all she had to do was listen to the yells, the grating man's voice say every syllable of his name.

"And finally, folks, and everyone watching this very live broadcast,"

Lyra's own kinky, coily hair was run through her fingers. She bit her lip a little bit as she pushed the screen from her face and said, "It's time, the strongest, he's.. It's time to announce him. With a smile on her face," she thought aloud that the only thing raging through her head was his name, regardless of the time of night it was. Say it, say it please.

"Arguably one of the strongest pirates alive right now, a man that's been siding with us for awhile, Dracule Mihawk!" A euphoric crowd behind him started yelling, applauding for Mihawk as he was unveiled to the world, a huge sword positioned on his back. He had been looking around the throng, spreading his arms, and the feather that was still stuck to his burgundy hat had been dancing friskily on his head. This was going to be a memorable evening, as shown by the way his coat was blowing in the breeze.

With violent hand clapping that produced loud noise, Lyra leaped into the air and began to scream joyfully. She appeared to be happier than the thousands of people in front of Mihawk. However, Lyra's long-awaited time has finally come.

"Mom?" Lyra heard a voice questioning her from behind and turned to find her green-haired kid holding a plush sword that was tiny.

"Zoro, why're you awake, baby?" Lyra said, lowering her hands from the air, looking up at Zoro, and dropping her head. Zoro was wondering why his mother was being so loud at this hour but was relieved that she was coming in to give him a hug when she smiled at him. He knew she wasn't mad because of the soft tone she greeted him with .

With the sword plush toy in his hand, Zoro rubbed the back of his head and remarked, "I was asleep until I heard you cheering really loud." His eyes opened at a face he recognized from someplace as he cocked his head to look at the TV. "Is that, daddy?"

She sighed in relief as she remarked, "Oh," turning to face the TV once again and seeing an image of Mihawk facing the sizable crowd. "Yeah, he just became a confirmed Warlord."

"A Warlord?" Zoro repeated, glancing up at the ceiling in an attempt to guess what that may be. "What is it? I never heard of it."

"It's a pirate or a criminal who works with the government instead of against it," Lyra said with a sigh, "only the real threats can be posed as Warlords." The image of Mihawk vanished from the screen and the spokesperson continued discussing something else related to the Warlords. Her hands clutched the edges of the TV box with both of them, making a loud noise as she did so. Her eyes twitched and the spokesman's continuous babble filled her ears. Zoro wondered why his mother appeared so furious all of a sudden while he watched television.

"You're really pretty, mommy; why don't you become one?" Zoro grinned at his mother as he saw her fixated on the television, her gaze fixed on it; nothing else, not even her kid seemed deserving of her notice. She was mesmerized by the TV. Zoro was not sure how to feel, he didn't know what her true intentions were.

Lyra burst into gentle, sweet giggles that shocked Zoro. "Power alone—not good looks—put you in that situation. That's the only thing that gets there, but I have none of it." As she grabbed the TV, her palm dug further into the frame, causing it to produce a louder noise. The TV also started to glitch and the screen swiftly changed colors, creating an enticing impression. "All I have is my looks, nothing else, I'm not seen as anything else."

"Are you okay?" Zoro approached his mother and inquired. Despite her recent happy replies, she appears sad, which worries him about her.

"If all I need is power, then I will be flawless. Perfection, I'll resemble your father in every way—strong and regarded as more than simply an item." She talked about her hunger for power while utterly ignoring Zoro's question. Zoro's gaze drifted over his mother's hair, which was growing closer to the screen by the second.

But suddenly Lyra felt her son's arms encircling her neck. She was brought back to reality by the feeling of small, icy fingers on her skin; she was aware of her location and her surroundings. She was about to descend into a state of greed, but then, the shock of the cold fingers pulled her out.

Lyra looked at her hands almost deep within the TV's frame, moving her attention to the glitching screen in front of her, she removed her hands from the TV and realized what she was doing, "It's okay," Zoro comforted. He had no idea why, but he could tell how much it ached. That was evident in the way she clutched the TV, on the verge of breaking it, but it was only the atmosphere around her that gave him away—her suffering, "It's alright. In any case, you're still the best mom to me."

Lyra's eyes grew wide when she heard those words. Her son's comfort was just what she needed to hear. "Thank... you." After saying this, she sniffled and wiped her tears away while turning to face Zoro from behind her.

They stood in silence for a minute, staring at each other while the spokesman's voice served as only background noise. Zoro smiled at his mother's return to her regular self, rather than the greedy monster she had just displayed, and Lyra was relieved that her son could comfort her when she needed it most. However, nothing—aside from the item she most desired—could fully fill that hole of greed, even with Zoro's temporary assistance.

"You should go back into your room; it's way past your bedtime." She used the floor to support herself as she pulled herself up off the carpeting beneath the coffee table, forcing her knees into the ground. After Lyra was completely upright, she took hold of Zoro's little hand and accompanied him to his bedroom.

Lyra turned him around and knelt down to meet his level when they arrived in front of Zoro's bedroom door. She grinned and asked, "When is Daddy coming home?" Zoro yawned, wanting to go to bed early and see his dad there wearing his new title. He was becoming tired while being in this late-night situation.

"Soon," Lyra said, turning to face the TV. She could only make out an advertisement for who knows what, and all she was hoping to see was her husband standing apart from the crowd. His hawk eyes would bring back memories of their initial interactions, and she wished he was staring at her through the screen. She closed her eyes and thought, *That's my husband..*

She closed her eyes and turned her head, then opened them to see Zoro, who was standing and about to nod off. "Hello! Go asleep on your bed; don't sleep here." Zoro's eyes widened as he fell forward and desperately pushed his foot forward to balance himself when she gave him a tiny shove.

Zoro said, "Goodnight," in a whisper as he slipped into his bed. He was relieved to have helped his mother feel better, but he was still concerned about her. Lyra watched her handsome boy with green hair go back to sleep as his eyelids drifted close as she rested against the door frame.

"Have good dreams." With a smile on her face, Lyra closed the room's door, but her expression quickly altered as the door was completely shut. She was frowning as she walked back to the living room; she had lost her appearing happiness.

When is it my turn to be in front of a stage flaunting my beauty and power?

It's always been him, even though I love him.. I envy him.

Lyra settled upon the couch and propped her feet up on the coffee table, "It was just that," she murmured, rolling her eyes and collapsing into the couch, "There's nothing interesting now; I gotta wait for him to come back." she curled up on the couch, bit her lip a little at the idea of what they could do when he got back, "The ribbon on his muscular body, the victory crown on top of his head," she imagined aloud.

Then..

The TV began to flicker and change stations by itself, making a strange and grating noise.

"What?" Lyra straightened her posture on the couch and grabbed the controller from the coffee table. She ferociously hit the remote with her finger, mashing the buttons, she believed that this would improve the situation. The room had been peaceful before, but this irritating noise was the only thing disturbing the quiet. "What the hell is tha-"

Lyra squinted and put her hands out in front of the TV screen, it became completely white and the brightness shocked her.

"This is weird." The noise went away, and the only thing in front of her was a white screen that she couldn't drag her attention away from: "Hello?" She called out. Someone must be watching for this to happen. As she yelled loudly at the TV, an answer was expected from it.

And it did...

Her eyes became wide as she saw the black letters shown on the white screen; they were speaking to her on the television. "This was astonishing!", she thought as she saw each letter appear one by one to create a phrase in front of her eyes.

Do you want power?

Her mouth was hanging open as her eyes became even wider, but her hands covered it up. She reclined slightly on the sofa to process the situation. Someone really is communicating with me right now through the TV.. What? Lyra said, taking her hands off of her lips. "What?" How do you know? How are you aware? 'Answers were required while staring at the screen, her eyes only expressing fear, but needing answers.

I was listening. I've been listening this whole time.

"But why? What did... wait?" She was fearful of what that could possibly mean. Someone must be watching me, but where? Speechless, she scanned the space to see whether there were any cameras or activity visible through the windows. But nothing happened; nothing showed up for her to see. She exhaled loudly in relief, but her guard was still on. Anything is possible, but I'm safe for now Lyra relaxed on the sofa once more and studied the text shown on the white screen.

Don't be scared; I bring no harm. I'm here to help you.

It must be through the TV, they know that I looked around "Help me?" Lyra raised an eyebrow at the screen and asked, "How so?" She was still very wary of what they were doing, but she was starting to get a little more intrigued by the television person as she scowled at the screen.

I want to give you the power you desire and crave. I can. You just have to trust me.

Trust "The power?" Lyra looked away from the screen for a moment. "It can't be," She turned to face the windows and muttered as she peered through the break in the curtains at the street light outside. This can't be real, there's no way..

The power of your husband—With your looks and this power, you'll be even better.

Looking back at the screen, Lyra saw the words and her eyes grew wide. My husband? She reasoned that since this person knew so much about her, it had to be someone who was familiar with her way of life; otherwise, they wouldn't have known. Lyra placed her hand behind her neck and gave it a little massage while she considered her next words.

She winced at what came to mind. Am I really doing this? "How can I be sure you're not attempting to cause harm to me?" To demonstrate her true skepticism, she questioned the screen while tilting her head to the side and just gazing at it with one squinting eye.

I wouldn't want to mess with the strongest man in the world's wife, now would I?

"You do have a point." The longer they talked, the more comfortable Lyra was getting. Bringing her legs together and directing her full attention to the screen now, she was familiarizing herself with this person. Rubbing her soft chin, Lyra nodded her head and helped the ominous TV man's case by saying, "And even if something did happen to me.. There's cameras everywhere, I'll be fine.."

Everywhere outside of homes and buildings, they're always keeping an eye on you and watching

You understand. I see.

"How am I going to obtain this power you mention? Even so, what is it?" Lyra's thoughts started to wander openly; she had a lot of questions about how she was gaining the strength she wanted.

I can't tell you now, but if you meet up at the location I presented on the screen.. I'll explain and provide details there..

Glancing down, Lyra saw the location displayed in small black letters at the bottom of the stark white screen. Although she had thought about it previously, she still couldn't believe it would come to this. Placing her trust in someone who projects words onto a screen, provides a location to a place she is unfamiliar with, and grants her authority that she didn't earn. She was feeling guilty and her mind was drawing comparisons between her and her husband of a few years, but she listened to her heart's true motive. "Okay," she responded.

:)

The unsettling smile on the screen made her choice certain. "I'll be there."

Lyra quickly got up from the couch, picking up a red ink pen that was on the coffee table to write down the location. She crouched down and used the table as a hard writing surface to write it down. Today's the day I get it, I'll achieve my dream..

Be there soon; we have not much time.

She took another quick look at the screen, nodding her head at it before moving in the direction of the entrance. She needed to devise a clever strategy to get there without getting hurt or being caught suspicion. They'll be watching from all directions, but that also makes me safe. They won't suspect anything abnormal if I just… Lyra thought about her meetup while her head was down, staring at the slippers that were on her feet.

I just need to be confident. It'll get me out of here. I can achieve it. And even still, they're always watching. They'll protect me in case this is a fraud. Lyra took a huge nervous gulp, sweat trickling down her brow, then placed her palm on the icy doorknob and declared, "I got this." She took a firm hold of the doorknob and pulled it open, letting in a strong scent of the summer night air.

Lyra looked back at her two children's doors before leaving the house, feeling both sad to leave them and certain that they would be safe here whether or not she was. "I'll be back soon, promise." She nodded as the final word left her mouth, started to close the door, and walked briskly in the direction of the meeting spot.

__

Lyra clutched the paper in her hand after an hour or so of silent wandering during which she heard only the sound of cameras moving and the utter emptiness of the streets. The dull stroll took a while, but she did whatever it took to achieve her goal, and the husband she loved would surely be able to match her soon.

"Finally, this should be it." A locked iron door was before her, and Lyra studied it for cameras, astonished to see none in her field of vision before trying to knock. "That's weird; normally there are cameras outside of buildings." She shrugged, putting this strange and unfamiliar revelation aside; the new her. She would soon be getting to know what really was on her mind.

Lyra believed that just two knocks were necessary because the rough iron door had a frigid feel to it. She tapped the door with her knuckles twice, precisely one second apart from one another. After knocking, she awaited for someone to answer, or at the very least, to open it. However, she remained still for several minutes without receiving a response, and she began to have doubts about the gift at hand. She thought she would hear back straight away, so she rapidly grew to think it was a scam.

BEEP

The iron door slowly opened inward and made such a loud noise that Lyra sprang up and hastily glanced about, saying, "My god, it was so loud." The door decomposed and unlocked. Lyra moved past the fright this loud door had caused her, whispering as she scraped the back of her neck.

When the iron door was fully open, she was met by a pitch-black chasm. There was total darkness in the hallway, with just the filthy, discolored white walls and the tiled floor visible. Everything about it seemed so unsettling. "Hello" Her voice resounded throughout the building as she yelled, "Can I come in?" She peered intently inside, searching for any hint of a person or object, but the darkness overtook her and she was unable to see anything. The structure remained still and mysterious, without even the glare of the distant street light able to reveal anything within.

"Come in; the lights will turn on upon arrival." Lyra's eyes became wide, and she took a slight step back upon hearing the deep, dull voice coming from inside the shadowed hallway. She narrowed her eyes, her body turning to the void in an attempt to make out a face, but nothing was visible. She stepped inside and the heated, outside air lost way to the cool, inside-the-building air conditioning, the corresponding temperatures combating on her skin.

"Alright." As her eyes acclimated to the darkness and started to pick up the glass covering the lights that still weren't switched on, Lyra noticed the dim glimmer of objects coming into view. She had no idea what she was getting herself into, this location being so shady. Lyra clutched her left arm tightly, dreading what was ahead and said, "When are the lights turning on?" She questioned, waiting for a response as she slowed down her walking pace. What is this place? I don't remember it being like this.

"Keep walking forward," The voice commanded, her eyes rolling at the controlling tone the man used. The tile cracks pushed up against her slippers as she walked. This place is so dirty. I think I just got myself killed, there's no way power rests within this place, it's so revolting. While still walking forward, Lyra looked behind her to see the iron doors still wide open. Maybe I can make it there if I.. When Lyra thought about racing backwards she swiftly cocked her head back into position since she knew that this was her chance and she couldn't miss it. The woman realized that it would have been a waste to turn back now that she was just a few feet, or perhaps even inches, from her objective. Biting her lip, Lyra brushed her fingers together as the slippers clicked with each step she took to move forward. I got this, simple.

"You're almost there, Lyra." He said my name? How long has he been watching me, I've never said my name..The loud man's voice seemed clearer and stronger, she knew that he was near, rubbing her arm now, a little fear struck her brain of who this mysterious power donor could be. It has to be someone I know.. Or someone that knows of me, but who.. I'm not that popular, I'm just known as some random, beautiful girl. Lyra's rapid thoughts only made the atmosphere in the room more dense, and her footsteps were audible to her, but she was looking for something—something that set an individual distinctive.

Lyra was curious about if there was anyone else in the room with her, so she listened for any indications of breathing other than her's.

"You seem scared, are you?" The man snickered after, and then, Lyra heard his breathing. So there is a human in here, thank god it's not some alien or fishman, I would've been scared. She shook her head after the silly thought, and then replying to the man.

"I'm not scared, Sir, why would I be?"

"Ha, it just seemed like you were tense about this situation."

Lyra rolled her eyes, her head and shoulders following suit. She smiled at the comforting quality he offered her despite his outrageously sassy demeanor; his uninteresting voice didn't seem worthy of a greeting, but she appreciated his distinct attitude. "To have this much power to just give away, you remind me of someone I knew long ago.."

"Really?" The voice snickered again, Lyra tilted her head at that, the audible noise making her smile as she walked. Was I right? He snickered like I was correct. She pinched her chin with her thumb and pointer, rubbing the elbow with her other hand, "You making theories on who I am in your head? You'll be shocked." Lyra paused her walking and stopped pinching her chin, she knew he was watching but now she can't even think without this man down her neck!

"Whatever," Lyra rolled her eyes again and smiled, "I bet I would be surprised, you could be someone of my distant past that became a secret power lord or something, whatever though I'll get this power and leave no matter who you ar-"

"Stop." Lyra paused immediately, the voice cutting off her walking as well. There's something in front of me, I can tell. Lyra peered down, trying to make out what was brushing her leg by a few centimeters, but the darkness swallowed everything up and nothing was visible, she could only tell it was a hard surface, "perfect." Lyra blinked her eyes while standing for a minute, nothing happening besides shuffling in the background.

"You looking for the light switch?"

"Maybe.."

"You aren't even prepared, where am I really, who are you, please. I need to be shocked." Lyra stepped backward and crossed her arms, releasing her leg from the podium it was touching. Lyra only shook her head at the man's lack of preparation as she heard his hands tapping at the wall in quest of the lightswitch. "Disappointing, I'm waiting!" She yelled and then gave a fake yawn, her voice echoing through the darkness.

"Almost.." The man's fingernails tapped at the hard surface of the light switch, Lyra heard it and smiled, she knew that the lights were finally going to be turned on, "got it."

"Finally, you're turnin-"

"BUT." The man's loud voice stopped Lyra in the midst of her sentence, "When I turn this lightswitch on, do not say my name." The man let out a sigh, "If you do, I don't know what'll happen, but I would need to take action, physical action. I wouldn't want to harm a pretty lady like you, you're too beautiful. But I ask, don't use my name."

Don't say his name? Why.. "Okay, I won't. Promise, no matter how shockin-" From far away, Lyra heard a switch that was so loud it had severed her from talking. He's so mean, why am I always cut off from speaking, damn.The next sight was a visual feast as lights were turned on one by one gradually. Lyra watched them turn on and be able to see what was in front of her, and she smiled because of the wonderful pattern they appeared in, the lights were so magical it made her forget about finding the man that was instructing her here.

"Finally," She wiped her eyelids after all the lights were on; the sudden brightness irritated them and she needed to wipe the blurriness from the eyes. Wait.. Where is he at? Lyra gave her eyes one last quick swipe before looking up and moving her head around to find the man that directed her here. The lit-up room was filled with the same stained white walls and a dust filled tiled floor; until she saw the man that was to the right of her, standing next to an unusual sized light switch and a smile on his face. It's him.. Her eyes shot wide open, arms dropped to her sides, "it's.. you."

The guy shook his head and raised a tiny black object in the palm of his hand to his lips. "It's me," The man approached Lyra, keeping the gadget near to his mouth the entire time, and grinned at her widening eyes while Lyra gazed intently into his mysterious grin. When he was directly in front of her, he gestured to the concrete platform underneath her. Lyra was astounded by what she saw standing on top of the silver plate.

"What.. How did you.." She was more in awe of this night than she had anticipated, though. There was a fruit with such color and design on the silver plate that rested on the concrete podium. A fruit with a cherry form that was incredibly unusual due to the heart design that remained on them, a spiral that was on each and every heart. This is so rare.. "How did you even get this? I thought all the rare ones were within government confiscation."

"Don't worry about it, Lyra, you know my ways." The sound of the man's sly smile could be heard. Even though Lyra couldn't see it, she sensed that the man was grinning at her very closely, but she didn't care. She could see immense power in front of her eyes, and she was just inches from possessing it all. "It's used for love; it attracts people towards you, and then when they see the slightest attraction, you'll be able to turn anyone and everyone to stone." The man put the tip of his finger on the side of the fruit, and guided it towards Lyra, slightly pushing it to the edge of the silver plate, "With your beauty Lyra.. You'll be able to do such things with this power."

"Stone?" Lyra's eyes glimmered; something she never knew was possible in a fruit that gave power. And he's just giving this away for free.. There has to be a catch, and the voice changer too. What is his real motive? "And this color. Oh, this is rare; the more color they have, the rarer they get. But what's the catch?" Lyra pinched at the stem of the fruit, bringing it up to level with her face and the man's, "With this much power in front of me, and you're giving it away for free?"

"There's none, I'm just helping an old friend out of course.." The man leaned back slightly, crossed his arms, and fully applied pressure to his left foot. "I knew how much you envied your husband, Mihawk, so I just.. You know, I decided to give you this fruit here." In order for their eyes to meet, the man moved the fruit away from Lyra's face with his finger. "Do you want it? It's up to you really.."

He seems genuine, he was really nice back then as well.. Maybe there really isn't a catch. "Okay.." Lyra narrowed her eyes, indicating the distrust she was feeling. She massaged the heart-shaped cherry with her palm moving down from the stem, feeling its silky skin. A deep recollection of how this moment would always be in her mind. She sank her nail into the fruit's peel a little bit and felt the juice trickle from her hand and off her wrists, dropping onto the floor. The juice was chilly, which made her want to bite into it even more, "I want it, but how did you even obtain this?"

"Why would a mastermind tell his ways?" The man pointed up at the ceiling of the building, Lyra's eyes followed his pointing finger, "just know I have my ways, and with thie fruit you'll be just as powerful.."

Lyra said, "Would I be like my husband, unstoppable, the strongest?" As Lyra's hold on the apple tightened and more juice spilled over the insanitary tiled floor, her eyes became bigger. "Would I be feared?"

"You would, and the people up high won't be able to stop you.." The man dropped his hand to his side, looking back at Lyra with a smile on his face, the juice still dripping onto the ground from the fruit. As his peripheral vision saw the leaking fruit, he looked down to the ground and saw a puddle of cherry juice that's been squeezed out, I would hurry up and eat that if I were you.." Lyra followed her gaze as she moved the fruit closer to her mouth. She moistened her lips, ready to savor every last bit of this luscious, powerful cherry. "Do it, you know you want to. It would be better for you and him. Not even the world government can stop you with this; they're predominantly men, so for sure they'll all fall."

Lyra closed her eyes, said, "Okay," opened her mouth, and brought the side of the fruit in closer. She removed the side of the apple with one bite, but the liquid was still pouring into her mouth. She didn't want to ruin this great moment by vomiting up, even though the flavor was disgusting and bitter like an acidic apple. She overcame the disgusting taste and continued to bite and eat, consuming an increasing amount in her mouth. Watching her eat the whole thing, the man stood there grinning. It's so gross.. But I feel it, something inside me.

She saw changes in the way her body moved—her waist narrowed, her breasts became larger. Her lips, which were already very full, reached an ideal size that even models could only dream of. She became the ultimate lady and was now the sexiest woman in the world. "What's going on?" There was a loud thud from the partially consumed cherry, and Lyra took a little step back as her entire body changed. Why do I feel so different.. "Is it not working?" Lyra checked that nothing was amiss by touching the areas of her body that she sensed were changing.

"It worked.. It worked even better than I imagined; you became the perfect woman." The man's eyes were widened and that grin remained on his face, he was truly astonished at Lyra's enhanced feminine physique that she had fully possessed.

"The perfect?" Lyra repeated, feeling about with her hands to sense any differences from earlier, and gazing down at her body to see if she could notice any changes. Her ass felt incredibly jiggly when she touched it, and her breasts moved easily without requiring a tug of war.

"Yes.. Men all over will fall for you; you still look the same, just more sexy, per say." With a laugh, the man gave a little bow to the new Lyra in front of him.

I'm perfect now.. I have the looks and the power, I'm not the dumbest either."Oh," Lyra felt relieved that nothing bad had happened to her, "So.. what now?" She looked

down at the fruit on the floor that was decaying at a rapid pace—the color, the shape—it all shriveled up into a raisin-like state, "what do I do now?"

"Well, that's up to you. Don't start showing off your powers and doing whatever you want now." The man slightly removed the device away from his mouth, clearing his throat, then bringing it back close to his lips, saying, "You can't control this power fully yet; you need to train." Lyra's eyes slowly guided to the man after being zoned out and not paying attention to the the man's response, "I don't know how you'll train, but train before you try. Your husband might be mad at first, but you need to learn this power first."

I gotta test it out at least once before my husband comes home, so I'll show him. "Okay, I get it." She smiled, her flawless feminine figure and long lashes staring straight into the man's eyes. The man had to glance aside every few seconds to avoid falling victim to the love trap that was her.

The man closed his eyes and waved his hand in the air, "In that case, this is our farewell. Remember to lay low and no-"

The guy was interrupted in the middle of his sentence by a loud scream coming from a distance. He opened his eyes to see Lyra's stunning figure at the iron door at the end of the corridor, and she was shouting while waving at him. "BYE! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GIVING ME THIS, I LOVE YOU DEARLY SIR." A smile on her face as her rosy cheeks were lifted up from the large grin, "Hope to see you soon.. We need to catch up after all the time lost.." She waved the tips of her finger as she turned around to face the road ahead of her.

"Wh- WHAT? I wasn't able to even tell her what to d-" With a loud thump, the guy was cut off again from his sentence. Lyra clicked a red button to shut the inside door while walking out. The sound of the metal being compressed was loud and clear when the heavy iron door was slowly fastening shut. "She's so lively and curious as always…" The man dropped his arm and looked at the door, "I wonder why he told me to give her this fruit, what was the cause.."He narrowed his gaze as the Iron door closed, obscuring Lyra's body from sight.

Lyra, In the meantime, strode along the pavement, surveying her surroundings, sensing her body, and oozing joy. A passerby saw the bright smile that was plastered on her face by the street light; they were transfixed by the sight of Lyra's flawless stride down the street, and their eyes lighted up with delight. Her exquisite physique, her distinct yet distinctly feminine structure. The stranger was totally taken in by her beauty; they weren't even paying attention to themselves continuing to go down the sidewalk—all they could do was watch her move along it.

The stranger didn't even know Lyra had stopped walking until she waved at him with the tips of her fingers. His head snapped back and his eyes widened, he looked about to check if anyone was close, but Lyra had established precise eye contact with him and gave him a greeting, "Hi.."

"Oh," The stranger started to blush, being so distracted by Lyra's body that he was flushed by her beauty. "H-hi, what are you doing out so late?" The man attempted to maintain direct eye contact with Lyra, but his gaze kept dipping to her enormous breasts, which were visible through the blouse she was wearing. Lyra saw his desperate attempt at maintaining eye contact and smiled, biting the tip of her fingernail.

An idea struck her mind: My first test subject?

"I could be asking you the same thing, mister; what're you doing here so late?" Lyra moved her whole body to face him, winking once it fully turned.

"Well, I was walking home from my friend's house; I was planning a wedding with hi-"

Lyra interrupted the stranger by approaching him. Putting one foot in front of the other, she approached him as if she were a goddess. He was unable to look away from her. "That's enough talk. You wanna go over there?" she said, placing her finger over his lips. "I want to show you what I can do," Lyra remarked, pointing with her thumb to a restaurant behind her. She pushed her body into his, her breasts brushing his stomach, saying, "I love pleasing people that find me hot."

Bartolomeo's body froze up as his body responded awkwardly to the woman's voice, which was comparable to lovely music. He didn't want to say no, but he had just recently met her. Such beauty, how could he refuse? "Y-yeah, I'll… I'll go," Gazing down at Lyra's breast region, Bartolomeo blushed even more before grinning and saying, "I'll have so much fun".

Lyra turned around and took hold of the man's hand. When she turned her back, she rolled her eyes. Men disgust me. The only one who hasn't seen me like that is my husband, and it looks like he'll be the only one ever to. "What's your name hottie, I never caught it before." He had never felt Lyra's gentle hands on his rough, harsh ones before, and as Lyra guided him across the street, a beaming smile appeared on his face.

"My name is Bartolomeo," The man scratched the back of his neck with his free hand as they were approaching the restaurant. Others normally don't like his unusual name, so he wasn't ready for her reaction. She's like a perfect woman, I've never seen someone as hot as her, her hands.. The feel. Such elegance.

"A unique name, I like it." she said, gripping Bartolomeo's hand tighter as she put her hand on the restaurant door handle. Ugly ass name. Bartolomeo's smile widened; he hadn't anticipated this response from this stunning woman; no woman had ever previously complemented his name; the only guy he was most envious of in his line of work was the one.

Lyra greeted the cashier at the restaurant with a grin and gestured to the man she was holding hands with. Knowing precisely what would happen in the next few moments, the cashier nodded and inclined his hat. "This is not the first time this has happened." The cashier shook their head,

"The back door?" Lyra's eyes navigated to the back door that the cashier was pointing at, a large stain running across it of a substance she doesn't want to know. This place is so dirty.. I can't believe I'm doing this. She returned her attention to the cashier and asked, "Why?"

The cashier rolled his eyes, "I'm not cleaning another mess, I refuse." He let out a depressing sigh, "Barely anyone works here anyways, it's a waste to clean a bathroom, plus I barely go out there, also there's no cameras." After pressing a button on the register to release the money tray, he used his hand to shoo Bartolomeo and Lyra away.

"Oh," Bartolomeo looked at Lyra, who had a smile on her face. "Well, that's good. I think." He said this, scratching the back of his head with the free hand he had. His dark green hair moved with it. While slightly stressing, he crossed his fingers hoping this was a good thing and Lyra was ready to get it on with him on this. His fangs sinking into his lip as he bit down. Please be okay with this, you're too hot to go..

"That's perfect, in fact; thank you." Lyra smiled at the cashier who shooed her off, with Bartolomeo still in her hand, she turned to the back door and began walking to it. I wonder why he was so ready for this.. It's like so many other people have been here for this exact reason.

Just before Lyra put her hand on the door, the cashier said, "Thank you," he smiled, staring at the back of Lyra's head. Lyra halted her hand in midair and turned back to face the cashier, who was staring right at her. Did he watch me walk.. Or is he blinded by my beauty? Lyra was unable to read the cashier at all as he narrowed his eyes and turned his head to the side, remaining in eye contact with Lyra. What are his true intentions?

Lyra quickly turned around, the cashier's weird behavior was starting to bring fright to her. Shaking her head lightly, she grabbed a hold of the backdoors handle, pushing it open with a large push, "I don't think he's like that.. Maybe I'm overthinking." Widening her eyes after saying her thoughts out loud, she was silent while passing through the door frame. Fuck, I said that out loud.

"Like what? What was that interaction you and the cashier had?" When they were outdoors together, Lyra had her back to him, and Bartolomeo saw that she was presenting a back profile which in the summertime breeze made him grin. The summer night brought a gentle wind that caused the coils in her hair to dance as they ran down her back. Why did she pick me.. Absolutely perfect, I wonder if she would want to be with me.. Drawn in by Lyra's alluring nature, Bartolomeo began to stoop a little while waiting for her reply.

He's worried about me, cute for the moment. "Nothing; I was just surprised that they were so ready for this thing we were going to do. Couldn't you tell?" Lyra turned around to face Bartolomeo, eyes slightly widening at him bending over at her, his tall figure looking down at her as if he was a predator ready to feast on his prey. Why is he bending over like that.. She put her hands on her breast, making direct eye contact with Bartolomeo. I need to get this over with, and quickly.

Bartolomeo's eyes slowly tracked down to Lyra's breast as she was plumping them up for him. He licked his lips getting ready to get it on with her, but then diverting from her breast he looked at her smile and shook his head. Why am I so into her.. She's so fine, I can't stop looking, this is so unclassy of me! "Sorry, Lyra, you're so hot I couldn't divert my attention from you, truly hypnotized by your beauty." Bartolomeo rubbed his hands and looked to the side, licking his lips again, "But do you think they can watch us here?" " Like the government.. I wouldn't want to be watched while your beauty consumes me."

"Definitely not here; this is almost enclosed, and you can't even see the moon here. I highly doubt it, plus the cashier said that there are no cameras."Lyra began walking closer to Bartolomeo, continuously running her hands up and down the curves of her body, "Are you ready?"

"Like always.. I've been ready ever since I laid eyes on you" Bartolomeo licked his lips and continued it with him biting them, closing his eyes. We're about to do it, we're gonna do i- The abrupt shock stopped Bartolomeo in his tracks when Lyra's lips attacked his. Lyra had to be on her toes as she asserted her lips against Bartolomeo's, pressed her body against his, and allowed her tongue to fall in love with his.

With his eyes closed, Bartolomeo cupped Lyra's cheeks, relishing in the moment and the enchanted one that lay ahead of him. Her lips were so soft against his cracked and hard ones; Bartolomeo felt as though he was in heaven as the contrast of textures created a magical performance. He had just met a lady he never would have thought to have asked him to do this, but here she was, giving him a passionate kiss.

How does this work? I thought this would've been how I solidified him.. Lyra clenched her eyes and pondered while she kissed Bartolomeo nonstop. I was able to get him here. Kiss him.. His rough lips are atrocious; now how do I turn him into stone? Sweat dripped down the side of her face. What if this was a lie the whole time.. I gotta stop this now and try more ways.

Lyra drew apart their lips, creating a strand of spit that ran between their mouths. He was good at kissing though, I'll give him that. Lyra wiped the extra saliva that was around her lips and said, "You're really good at this," as she watched the string fall across Bartolomeo's chin after she severed it with her teeth.

She's good at kissing as well.. "You're perfect at this as well." Bartolomeo kept his eyes glued with hers, deeply staring inside, her appeal was truly mouth watering to him.

Might as well try new things while getting the job done. "Enough of this," Lyra bit her lip, "let me show you what else these elegant lips can do to you. An outstanding moment I'll provide..."When she said it, Bartolomeo's eyes fluttered and a smile spread across his face. He was being further influenced by the balmy summer night air.

Observing Lyra draw nearer to his body, feeling her breath brush against his skin and then little, delicate fingertips running down his abs. The further Lyra's hands went down Bartolomeo's chest, the more excited he became; he was more than ready for this sensation.

This is your first time?" Lyra asked, looking up at Bartolomeo, slowly going onto her knees as her hands were coming close to his waistline. It can't be his first, that kissing was too good.

"No. I've had some before this, but not as beautiful as you."

Lyra smiled at his flattery, but quickly changed her face when she realized that Bartolomeo wasn't looking at her anymore, Lyra think, what else might work aside from the kiss? "I'm flattered; I've never seen a man with this much muscle on him out this late." Lyra began unbuckling the belt that held Bartolomeo's pants up, saying, "Keep your eyes closed for me. I'll work my magic; tilt your head back and close your eyes." Hopefully he'll listen.

Bartolomeo groaned and flushed even more, "Yes, ma'am." A faint rose-red glow was now visible on his pale face. At what he said, Lyra cringed since she would never want to be called that by a guy who had no self-respect for himself. Can't believe I'm doing this right now..

At this point, Lyra was completely on her knees, her head reaching Bartolomeo's waist, and his pants needed to be removed more so that she could manipulate those amazing lips of hers. How the hell do I do this now?She started to pull down his jeans by placing her hands on the sides of them. I have to find out how to do this; I don't want to suck his dick yet. No, I can't suck his dick at all. I'll turn him into a statue, break him, and then leave through there. But how?

Lyra fully pulled Bartolomeo's pants down; now the only clothing left on the lower half of his body was his underwear, with a large bulge poking out of it. A rounded projection that was larger than anything Lyra has seen in pants before. Damn, he's big too... But no, that's not the point; I really don't want to suck his dick. She covered the big bulge in the underwear with her palm and moved it gently up and down, feeling the texture alter. His flaccidity slowly converted into more erect the more her hands touched. "Your hands are so elegant and amazing." Bartolomeo ran his fingers through his own hair, looking up at the sky while Lyra pinched at his tip, "ah," he moaned, the end of his underwear gaining moisture after.

Pre-cum is already leaking out, he really does enjoy me, so it did work. How the hell do I do this though? Lyra began looking at the visibly large dick being hidden behind a material of clothing and asked, "You ready?" She averted her gaze, attempting to suppress her panic. Before she worked her magic, she wanted to be sure he wasn't focusing on her. She put her hands on the band of his underwear, folding it slightly before revealing the rest of what she has to see.

"Yes, do your best. I can tell you're an expert."

Fuck, the fruit looked like a heart, so what if I make a heart shape with my hands? Lyra couldn't help but giggle at the notion that crossed her mind, but she didn't know what else to do. Returning her attention slowly to the protruding clothing, she started to consider If I don't do anything now, I have no choice but to.. The idea of taking Bartolomeo's large, girthy dick in her mouth made Lyra tremble.

She could now see it, unveiling the rest of his underwear. The large cock stood limp in front of her, just centimeters from touching the end of her lips. It's veiny too.. Almost gagging, she moved her head to the side and took a large gulp. I really have no other choice..

"Are you going to?" Bartolomeo asked, tapping his foot anticipating the moment "If you don't want to, you don't have to.." With his head still looking up to the sky, Bartolomeo talked.

Ignoring what he was saying, Lyra thought. Here goes nothing. With her eyes closed, she formed a heart shape with both of her hands in the center. Her knees pressing into the ground, the two of them still in the dark alleyway, it was filled with the sound of a tin can being blown against the asphalt by the summer breeze as the silent seconds passed.

"Hello?" She kept her eyes closed, scared of what she'll see when they open.

There was no response..

"Bartolomeo? Are you.." One by one, Lyra's eyelids slowly opened to discover a statue of a guy with an unusually long and cylindrical device protruding from him. Bartolomeo never gave a single scream, and now all that's left is a monument of his broad grin and enormous dick. "It.. worked..." she said, smiling after, getting up onto her feet, and widening her eyes at the statue. Her face was lighting up; she was filled with joy "IT WORKED!" She yelled, looking around at her loud voice echoing, realizing the loudness of her voice. "Maybe I should calm down."

She exhaled a sigh of relief, satisfaction still lingering inside her. "Maybe if that man were to tell me how this would've worked, I wouldn't be worrying this bad." She wiped the sweat from her forehead and said, "I don't even think I would be able to fit that large dick into my mouth anyways. I would've been a pornstar before doing quickies with randoms." Lyra rolled her eyes and moved away from Bartolomeo's immobile form. She took a step back to see him in a better view and considered her options for disposing of the remains.

As she kept backing up in an attempt to see the entire body, and then suddenly said, "Ow!" Glancing over her shoulder to see what she had just made contact with, Lyra's eyes widened, "Wait." a grin steadily grew, rubbing the back of her elbow that she hit, "This day is going so well for me; it's almost as if it were being planned out step by step." The large dumpster that just had made contact with her emitted a foul odor, but it was the solution to her answers. With mold growing on the front of it, she walked back over to the solidified man.

Laughter filled the alley. "But that can't be the case.. right?" Lyra started talking to herself, expecting an answer but of course not getting one since it was only her. "I'll knock him over and then put the pieces into the dumpster." She studied the stone statue in front of her more and said, "Only if Mihawk was here.. I would be able to knock it easily, but I can't. This is pure stone. How would I.." She crossed her arms and kept looking up and down at the statue as she considered how to effectively shatter the body of the once alive man.

Lyra approached the statue and moved her arms up and down until she could get a good grip. When she finally located a spot that was about the right size for her tiny hands, her legs drove into the concrete then used her hands to try to push the stone down, saying, "Come.. On." Her hands were stiff from this light exercise, and she gasped for the presence of oxygen to aid her.

Lyra let go of the stone and dropped her head, no longer pressing her foot into the pavement. Taking a few steps back to assess her level of progress, "Fuck, I only moved it a little.. What the hell." She let out a sigh and went back to where she had been to try harder. She continued to push the structure, pushing with all her might. Using all of her strength on this heavy, stone statue, yet it moved slowly. She placed her gentle hands on the side of the statue that loomed large before her.

"C'mon, I have to..." Lyra was gritting her teeth. "I'm almost there. Please… I need to get home to my kids."

However, an inviting summer wind touched her tanned skin that night. The wind provided Lyra with the necessary encouragement to reach her house, do her task, and go back to her kids. The wind gust was so powerful but so light that it only took Lyra one more, powerful push to cause the statue to fall.

Gravity exacerbated the damage caused by the stone statue's impact with the earth, causing it to break apart entirely. It dropped without Lyra noticing it, and when it did, it was as if she had seen a death take place in front of her. Now that Bartolomeo was gone, there was no possibility that he could ever return to normal.

She recognized that this is the truth she had now deal with as she looked down at the broken stone on the ground. She will experience situations worse than this with the strength she now possesses. It became her new normal, "I feel bad.. But he was a weirdo, a worthless life." Lyra's hair moved with the gust of wind that came into the alley. But was death needed? It didn't matter right?

Squatting down to the rubble that filled the alley, Lyra began picking up each piece of rock that crumbled and threw it into the filthy dumpster that was in front of her. Lyra had to use both hands to pick up each piece since they were thick and huge. "Geez. He could've at least splattered into fewer pieces."

After spending endless minutes throwing the debris into the bin, she picked up the last piece and looked at it. Lyra grimaced, becoming horrified as she saw the clear impression of a vein on the rock. "A weird guy with a big dick— Horrible." she threw the last piece into the garbage and began walking out of the alley.

Before turning the corner and disposing of the alley from her view, Lyra looked back at it, the dumpster reflecting the moonlight, but the darkness painting a clear picture of her power. All of this happened for a reason, I'm not a villain if I did it to a weirdo, right? Lyra whittled her eyes at the trash before eventually leaving this one moment behind. I killed a man today.. I must remember that.

A dull ache began in Lyra's stomach as she made her way down the path toward her house. She felt that what she had done was acceptable, so why is her body rejecting the concept of murder? Her stomach is twisting from what she had just done, and remorse is taking over her whole body. Why am I.. She didn't feel ill, but her body resisted these forceful acts as a mild sweat began to stream down her forehead as she gripped her abdomen, unsure of what to do at this time of loss.

They probably think I'm crazy. The government's watching me at this very moment. For a split second, she looked as quickly as she could at a camera that was establishing contact with her, her stomach twisting worse from this legitimate fear that the government had given her..

They definitely saw me glance at them Lyra's eyes widened, the pain in her stomach becoming unbearable, but she had to endure it long enough for her to return home. I can't be captured.. Why… Why did I do that? Why did I test my powers on some man at the most suspicious time of night?

Lyra strolled along, completely oblivious to anything around her other than her feet. Like a weighted blanket on a chilly winter day, the summer night air remained warm and comforting. It caused her to ponder more deeply about what had happened just moments before.

Is this what it means to have power?

__

Time went by like crazy, and Lyra, who was standing only steps from her front door, was lost in thought as she walked nonstop whilst the night sky gradually changed to a dawn hue. Lyra stood steps away from her home door, staring at it for minutes on end, not knowing what time it was or what to do next. Do I just walk and go in..

She nodded slowly as she considered her options and made the decision to go. As she approached her front door, the tension between her motions and the camera that was focused on it increased. They're looking at me right now, I know it. I feel it.

Words like, "What is this nice lady doing up so late walking around?" began to race through her mind as she approached her door. "Her movements are so suspicious, what is someone like you doing late at night?" Lyra gritted her teeth at those previous words said to her. She struggled to stop herself from grasping her hair since these words were making her anxious.

And then she saw it: the doorknob shining directly before her. The sky was gradually growing brighter, but the moon was still visible, and the metal was gleaming against the setting moonlight in the distance. With a low voice, she reached for the chilled doorknob, turned it, and made a big step into her home. "I made it.."

The instant grin that sprang on her face was happiness, as though the air-conditioned home was waiting for Lyra to return and was eager to give her a hug. "My husband should be here soon. I'll wait for him here." Entering the living room, Lyra felt her way about, anticipating her husband's return with excitement.

Seeing the remote on the clean coffee table, she bent down to grab it with her right hand and said, "There has to be something interesting to watch on TV until he comes home." With a smile on her face, she turned to face the couch and leaped onto it. Lyra thought that the unexpected happiness and joy she was experiencing was due to the victory she had just gained, but she also thought that there must be something in the air that was causing it, of course paying it no mind she began scrolling through the TV channels.

"I am eager to share with him what I have learned. Though it's a devil fruit, he would scold me even though he would be overjoyed." As she tapped the remote, she pondered aloud, "I wonder what victory sex we'll have later." Lyra turned her head to the side and grinned as her filthy ideas took over.

Until

The wind picked up more of a harshness on the approaching summer morning. When Lyra heard a loud whooshing of wind and a big thump hit the door of her house, she didn't realize that her bells outside had fallen off. She said, "What the hell?" Is the wind that bad?

Lyra squinted her eyes at the window adjacent to the front door she entered, and after a few seconds of seeing nothing at all through the gap in the curtain that displayed the outdoors, her thoughts gradually began to clear. "Couldn't have been anythin-"

There was banging on the door—a vicious banging.

Her eyes widened, she grasped her chest using her hand out of fear, her head darting to the loud banging that happened on her door, it was so sudden, so quick, only reflexes could act to this loud banging. What was that.. That couldn't of been wind, that had to be man made. Lyra rose slowly from the couch, her legs touching as she stood there, her body trembling, her eyes riveted on the door, unsure of what to do just yet. There's no way that, that's Mihawk, he has and key, and knows where the spare one is

There was silence for the next several seconds, which gave her valuable time to consider her options.

What do I do? Do I engage or leave? But my children-

The door to her residence was smashed through in mid-senthought. "Please surrender, Mrs. Dracule," as men from the global government stormed into her home wielding shields. "This is a command." As they stormed in one by one, they shouted out, "We are the world government." All set for assault.

Lyra's eyes widened, her brain not even being able to process what had just occurred, lot's of men barging into her home, ready to attack, but this wasn't the time to be desperate, and she knew that. She ducked down, but the men had already saw her and she knew that. People were following me here? Or did they see me on the cameras.. There's no proof in what I did, how were they able to know what happened. Lyra looked at all of the male structures that came in while covering her head. I can't get captured.. My husband, he'll be home soon. All I need is to by time.. but

They're all men.. I can do it.

Lyra got up from ducking her head on the floor before any men could come closer inside of her house, clasping her hands together she created a heart shape and pointed it directly at the men that bombarded their way inside. The loud clap that her small hands made started the men from stepping closer. I don't want to have to do this.. "Leave my house now." She spoke, and a ray of light in the shape of a pink heart emerged from the sign she had made with her hands.

"Wha.. WHAT'S GOI-"

"No, No, N-"

"CAPTAIN SH-"

One by one, the men started to scream as the beam struck them, and soon half the room was full of men who, like Barolomeo, had totally turned into stone. Lyra shut one eye to avoid seeing the horrors on their faces as their screams filled her ears. I don't want to be here anymore.

"GO IN FROM THE BACK," Not seeing the demonic beauty that turned men to stone, a guy from outside screamed, evading the solidification.

A noise started coming from behind Lyra; the guys were breaking through the rear door and entering the same manner they had entered the front. However, various more males were now entering. To what extent are they coming in? Leave me alone, I don't want to keep ending your lives.

Lyra turned around, her attention now pointed to the backdoor. Their weapons, the things they held, their jackets and coats, it all was turned into stone once the men had pointed the beam right at her. Please stop coming in, I don't want to keep doing this please.. "LEAVE ME ALONE" She cried out to the men that kept coming in, and dying as soon as they did.

"She's unSTOP-"

S-sTOP, I HAVE KI-"

"YOU DEV-"

The men's screams at Lyra broke her heart; she could hear the anguish in their voices, the croaks and wails that broke before they solidified. Moving her head from their distraught facesm she wanted it to end because it was all too much for her, but her dream was still there. Her desire for power.. Her children..

"My children!" Lyra raised her head, her focus instantly shifting to her children's room door, which she had totally forgotten about due to the ruckus around her. This entirely distracted her from her true objective. As she looked inside the room where her daughter and son resided, she noticed that her son was standing outside the room, staring at his new mother, who he had never seen before. "ZORO!!" She cried out.

The scream that was let out by Lyra about her child's name, Zoro, was paralyzed in fear. He saw men all around him that were frozen in time; they were pure, solid stone.

No more men were entering, so Lyra's focus was entirely on her son, who was about to be killed by a government official, since Zoro's head was frozen up by a man who was tugging his hair down, exposing his neck for everyone to see. He has my son.. Her eyes were shaking, she would've never thought that the government would go down to such a level, "LET GO OF MY SON."

His mother looked so different to him that he could hardly recognize her. Her physique may have changed little, but her aura was entirely different as she stood there. For Zoro, this was just any old woman, yet she had his mother's face, "Mrs. Lyra." holding the knife to her son's neck, the government official stated

Her son's life may be in danger, therefore her eyes became wide, and she remained still without moving. "Yes?"

"I'm the captain of this operation. I want you to put your hands up and surrender. Your child has no meaning to me; I could kill him right here. Capture you, if you want it to end up like that." The captain moved the knife closer to Zoro, pressing it up against his flesh. Blood appeared from the little gash the sharp blade made in Zoro's throat, but Zoro was unable to feel it, and didn't show any signs of being in pain. "Or you'll surrender, and your child's life will be spared."

With a horrified expression on her face, Lyra murmured, "I.." This is what power has done to Lyra; even though the solution was obvious, she was unable to make up her mind right away. Her thoughts were distracted by the question: Is this power more significant than the flesh and blood she had created? Even the police found it hard to comprehend that this intelligent mom was considering letting her kid die.

"I…"

What's wrong with me? Why am I... I'm not even thinking about Zoro at all; he's my own child. It's just... The power, the power. This is all its fault; I can't believe that I'm even considering this power over my son's life. I'm a monster. The men were right.

"I surrender.."

Men quickly ascended over the stone statues of their allies and tramped all over Lyra, pinning her completely to the ground and preventing her from moving her hands at all. Lyra accepted everything without reluctance and said nothing. She had no free will to move because of the men stomping all over her and keeping her down as she remained fixed on her son. I didn't want him to see me like this..

In the meantime, the guy released Zoro, allowing him to breathe but preventing him from leaving the area. Rather, he had Zoro turn to face him and lowered himself to meet Zoro's level, remarking, "I'm sorry." The captain apologized to the tearful young boy, "Even if your devilish mother were to not take your life for granted and take the power instead of you, I wouldn't have killed you."

Zoro was unsure of how to respond, what to say, or how to feel. Unsure of how to respond, he stood there in front of the man who was just holding a knife to his throat. He was lying in bed a minute ago, but suddenly he finds himself in front of a murder scene, with the main culprit being his mother.

"Sir, what do we do?" The officer looked at his captain while he was on top of Lyra's back, holding her down.

"Turn them back into humans, and I'll spare your life, Lyra." The captain moved his head down to the woman who could hardly breath on the floor, watching as the man talked to her son.

The only thing she could do while confined to the ground was to enlarge her eyes upon hearing those words. Even though she'd turned all these guys to stone an hour ago and killed one man, she was being spared. "H-how.." In an attempt to preserve her life, Lyra tried to talk.

"Get off of her, just her hands."

"But sir-"

"No, I know she won't."

After rising from his crouched position behind Zoro, the cop approached Lyra and said, "Make a heart, but then disconnect it." Lyra was given a graphic representation of what the captain wanted her to perform.

"Ok." The men let go of the pinning they were doing for her hands, once the pressure was released, circulation was beginning to go back into her hands as she brought them together, creating a heart.

And as she broke the heart symbol she made, the screams of the men who were being unfrozen one by one filled the room again.

It did in fact work. At first Lyra didn't think it would, but one by one the guys unfrozen. returning to its original hue rather than a light gray. Bartolomeo didn't have to die.. She thought while closing her eyes.

But then..

The man who was on Lyra's back before had repositioned himself on top of her. "WH-," Lyra tried to say, but the air got knocked out of her. The three men that were previously on her had returned back into pinning her down to the ground, air barley being able to reach her lungs.

"Sir?" The man said this, looking at the commander.

The commander turned his back and said, "Kill her."

"WA- WAI-" Lyra attempted to scream, but as she did, the man lying on her back pulled a pistol from his back pocket and held it near her head.

"Hold.." The commander said, knowing what Lyra wanted to do, the man that was about to shoot her released his gun from the side of her head, "Let her talk.."

The man on her back had rolled his eyes and loosened his pressure on her back, "Are you serious sir?"

"Stop complaining.." The commander said this, stepping to the side so Lyra could have a clear view of her son.

"Please.. Please let me say something to my son before you do whatever you do to me." Lyra's voice cracked as she talked, just wanting to tell her son something before departing from this world.

"Go ahead.. But I'll give you 3 minutes."

"Thank you.." Tears rolled down Lyra's eyes. She was so sad that her son had to experience all of these things tonight, but no matter what happens, she can die knowing her son is perfectly fine. "Zoro.. Come here.."

Zoro descended swiftly to Lyra while avoiding eye contact with the males who were above her. "Mom..." Lyra was even more heartbroken by Zoro's desperate tone; she was unable to persevere. Although it was hard for her to accept, her kid really had to see her in this way.

"Zoro," Lyra coughed up blood; the man on her back was dealing damage to her organs but not bad enough to where she couldn't speak. "Don't make the same mistake I did; don't urge for power, become the power, Train and become strong. Just like your father." Lyra was in such a state that it was difficult for her to even breathe, let alone utter those phrases. It was difficult enough that the guys were on top of her, but they couldn't risk her using that power against them, not even for a simple conversation.

"Mom, you.."

"No," Lyra tried to move her head up a little to look at Zoro before it was implanted into the floor of the house, "Don't worry about me, my time has come." Violent coughs interrupted Lyra's sentence: "It's my time to leave you, Zoro, please."

"P-please what?"

"Please promise me that you won't make the same mistake that I made, that you won't urge for power. Your father is enough; he'll make you great. That's all the power you need; he'll protect you."

"Times up," said the commander as he approached Zoro from behind, checking the time on his wrist. Without uttering a word, Lyra expressed her gratitude to the commander, who she could see cared more about her son than anybody else in the room.

"Mo-" Zoro was pulled off by the commander: "MOM NO, MOM!" As the commander pulled Zoro out of the home, Zoro resisted against his grasp. Zoro kicked, yelled, pushed, and even attempted to wriggle free, but the commander's stroll reached the door before Zoro could say farewell.

Mom..

And then there came a startling noise. One that rendered Zoro soundless; he was no longer able to sense his mother. He felt nothing at all, even though he was far away from his mother. She was gone with that tremendous bang, like if there had been an aura surrounding him for a very short while. After that, Zoro was utterly in silence; no further sounds could be heard. Following the leader now and proceeding with his gait.

As a core memory formed in his brain, he uttered, "Mom is gone forever.." While his feet dragged across the concrete.