…Yonji. 

"I kinda freaked when you weren't where we left you. You alright?" He tilted his head as he approached me, and I nodded quickly, averting my eyes. 

"Yeah, I'm okay…Just needed to get out of there for a minute…" I wasn't a good liar, and I could tell he wasn't buying it. I was too far away from the party to just be getting some air, the music was just a dull thrum in the distance. 

"Were…you trying to run away..?" The hurt in his voice broke my heart, and I quickly shook my head, hands raising in defence. 
"N..No! I..I wasn't…I…just…" I had no excuse. Lying to him didn't feel right. "Yonji, I just…" 

How could I have tried to leave without saying goodbye to you? I'm a terrible person… 

"I understand." When he spoke, I lifted my head again, and he donned that impossibly soft smile that always caused my heart to melt. "Things are messed up, and it sucks. You don't deserve to be trapped." 

Oh, man, was I about to cry? It sure felt like it. He was catching on to exactly how I felt, and I was proud of him. He'd come so far in such a short time. Sucking on my teeth, I cast my eyes to the ground, tipping pebbles with the toes of my shoes. 

"I…just don't think I can live like this anymore. I..It's not you! I swear, Yonji, it's not you, or Niji, or Ichiji, or Reiju..! It's…" 
"Our Dad. Yeah, I get it. Believe me. I know how you feel, for once." He took a few steps closer, but made no move to reach me completely. 

"I…fucked everything up, for all of you. I just appeared one day, out of nowhere, and flipped it all upside down. The worst part is…I don't regret it. I'm glad you and your brothers can feel things…I..I just didn't want to end up putting you in danger…" I murmured, reaching up to loosely hug myself. It was getting colder. How befitting. 

Suddenly, I was flooded with the familiar scent I had grown to adore from late night visits, warmth draping over my shoulders. Once Yonji had laid his suit jacket over me, he kind of leaned to meet my eyes. 

"Danger or not, I'm really glad you found us. Me. Like, seriously. You changed my life. I actually feel like I'm a real person. I think…I'm still not really sure what it's supposed to feel like…but I reckon I'm close to it, thanks to you." His smile was far warmer than his jacket, and I swallowed an overflow of emotions. 

"I don't…think I can leave you…" I confessed, my voice trying to fail me and hide within my throat. I just couldn't, after that. Over the past months, Yonji had burrowed his way deep into my heart, and I didn't want to lose him. If that meant staying in Germa and being a slave for the rest of my life, then so be it. 

Yonji took a deep breath, carefully placing his hands on my shoulders so he could pivot me to face him directly. He searched my eyes for such a long time, trying to find something. I was always so intrigued by his eyes. They were a deeper shade of blue to his brothers', yet so kind. 

"Then…don't leave me. Take me with you." 

It took far longer than it should have for me to register what he had said, and I stood there like a complete and utter moron for ages. 
"Wh..What..?" Words were failing me. Was he serious? Surely not. 

"Take me with you. Listen, you can't stay here, especially now that Dad knows…well, whatever he knows…and I don't think I can handle another mission like last time." He started to explain, his hands still sturdy on my shoulders. "We could just get out of here. Right now, while everyone's distracted. I mean it." 

I want to…Believe me, I want to, but… 

"Yonji…They'll try to track you down." I knew that was a fact. He was one of Judge's precious little war machines. There was no way he'd just sit back and let him run off. He had put too much money, time and abuse into him to let that happen. 

Yonji pouted and quickly peered around us, making sure that we were still the only ones there before moving in closer to me, hands slipping down my arms a bit. 
"So what? I can dye my hair, pluck my brows, hell, I'll even starve myself or get fat if I have to so nobody will recognise me." 

He's serious. 

My hands found the front of his dress shirt, crumpling the material within their grip. He was giving me a lot of hope, and it was bad. I didn't have the best track record when it came to hope. 
"I don't want you to be killed." I couldn't be more worried about it. Germa seemed to have an endless supply of soldiers, and Yonji was just one man. A strong one, but still just one. 

"And I don't want to live the rest of my life knowing that you're suffering while I've been married off to one of Big Mom's brats!" The desperation in his tone aside, I finally realised what they must have been talking about with Perospero and Smoothie. 

A marriage proposal. Big Mom had so many children, and I had heard tale of her obsession with political marriages. Was Judge really about to marry off his youngest son just for a little extra power? Who was I kidding? Of course he'd do that. 

Swallowing the giant lump in my throat, I felt my eyes watering, but I willed the tears to stay where they were, at least in that moment. 
"Are you sure..? Yonji, please, you have to be sure…" Was I seriously considering this? Running away with the youngest prince of Germa? It seemed like the plot of a cliché romance novel. 

Cupping my cheeks, Yonji's expression was the most serious that I had ever seen it, and he touched his nose to mine. 
"I'm sure I love you, I'm sure I need you, and I'm the surest of sure that I want to steal you away from this place." 

I couldn't hold my tears back any longer when he pressed his lips to mine, and I melted into him, finally able to breathe for the first time in so long. He was so right, in every way. He had always been the one, from the very beginning, when he had been sitting there, my hands in his hair, discovering what it was to feel for the very first time. 

"I love you too…" I whispered, shaking with nervous, terrified excitement. "O..Okay! Let's do this! Let's go!" It would hurt, leaving Ichiji and Niji behind, without a word, but I had to think about myself for once. I had always lived for somebody else. My father, Crocodile, then the Vinsmokes. It was time to live for me. 

"Dammit all to hell…I always have to catch you at the wrong time…" We froze in perfect unison when we heard that voice, and our heads may as well have created like rusted hinges when we turned to find Reiju walking out from behind one of the stone pillars, lip between her teeth. 

Don't tell me… 

"Let me guess…Dad sent to you see what we were up to and report back..?" Yonji slowly moved to stand between us, and Reiju nodded stiffly, pinching the bridge of her nose. 
"Of course he did. He always does, and you know I can't lie to cover your dumb asses." She muttered in exasperation. 

We were screwed. I knew Reiju didn't want to snitch on us, I could see it in her face, but her hands were tied. There was no way we could get off lightly this time. I was dead, and there was a good chance that Yonji could be too. His body language told me that he knew that as well as I did. 

"Fifteen minutes. Please, Reiju, just give us fifteen minutes to go grab some crap from the castle, then you can tell Dad." Yonji spoke carefully, yet he was still very firm. He was trying to convey something to her with his eyes, but I didn't know what it was. "We're just going to go to the castle, grab supplies, and run. Fifteen minutes. Please." 

I looked to Reiju and silently pleaded that she would give us that much, if she could. She was stiff, agitated, but she still looked so effortlessly beautiful in that dress of hers. 
"I can try. I can't promise anything, you know that." She spoke just as firmly as he had, closing her eyes. "I'm not even mad at you. I'm mad at myself for having such horrible timing." 

I feel so sorry for her…She's a good person. 

Yonji still acted as a wall between us, tall and strong, his guard completely up. I trusted his judgement, so I stayed behind him.
"You've always been a pretty alright sister. I might even kinda miss you." He chuckled dryly, and Reiju returned the sound. 
"I'm not used to you being sentimental, so don't start now. Just go. I don't want to ever see your faces again." 

I knew she meant it in a way that was supposed to be kind. If she did see us again, it would be the end of us. She was about to turn to leave, and I moved out from behind Yonji, only taking a single step away from him. 
"R..Reiju, wait!" 

The woman paused, eyes meeting mine, and I hated that I couldn't help her. That was all I wanted to do. Help all of them. I had never been any good at it. All I had done was cause trouble, just as she had told me many times before. 

Thank you… 

"Could…you please tell Ichiji and Niji that I'm sorry? For…not saying goodbye, and that I care about them, and that I'll miss them..? The same goes for you, too…" If I could have hugged her, I likely would have, but she probably wouldn't have allowed it, so I settled for a sad smile. She heaved a sigh, shutting her eyes again before turning away and waving over her shoulder. 
"Yeah yeah, I suppose I can do that. Get out of here. Idiots." 

I watched after her until Yonji grabbed hold of my hand, waiting until she had disappeared from sight before pulling me into a flat out sprint. I stumbled initially, but managed to keep up with him. Thankfully he was minding his pace so he wouldn't be dragging me behind him. 
"H..Hold on..! The castle is the other way!" 

Yonji didn't look back to me, he just kept running, his hand tightly latched to mine. 
"I know! I said that so she'd have to tell Dad we'd be going there! It'll give us time, but not much!" He really was much smarter than people gave him credit for. I hadn't even considered that, but it was a good move. 

As we ran, I saw him reach into his pocket and he pulled out a green cannister, painted with the number four. With a great swing of his arm, he threw it as far off to the side as possible, and I nearly broke my neck trying to follow it with my eyes. 
"Was…that your raid suit?!" 

Yonji skidded to a halt for a moment, glancing left to right, trying to decide where to go. 
"Uh-huh. They have tracking devices, so I can't keep it. Don't care though. Those boots were annoying as hell, anyway. Come on, I'll carry you." 

He didn't give me much of a chance to answer before he scooped me up like a football, breaking out into a much faster run than before now that he didn't have to cater to my inferior speed.

On and on he ran, and it wasn't until we skidded to a halt on the eastern beach that I realised just how crazy our plan was. 
"We…don't have a ship. Yonji, we're dead…" The water lapped at the shore, just shy of my feet, and I took a step backwards. "I can't swim. They're going to find us…" 

Why did I even think we could get away from this? 

Yonji was beginning to get just as stressed as I was, maybe even more as he looked up and down the sandy stretch, nothing standing out to him in the darkness. He then looked out over the ocean, backing up until we were side by side. 

"I can swim. If you can hold onto me, we can make it." He announced, and I looked at him incredulously. 
"To where?! We didn't see another island for forever!" I wasn't meaning to yell at him, I was just scared. It wouldn't be long before they found us, and once they did, that would be it. 

"I used to be forced to swim for miles as a kid!" He turned to me and grabbed my face in his strong hands, eyes unable to subdue the fear he was feeling. "Look, I'm scared, too. I'm fuckin' terrified…but we can't turn around now! (Y/N), I can do it, please, trust me! I can get us out!" 

The choices were simple. Stay here, and be killed for what Judge would certainly view as insubordination, or jump into the sea, and risk a cold, watery death instead. The answer was clear, but it didn't help with the terror that was devouring me whole. 

"I..I trust you…" I did. If Yonji believed he could get us out, then I could do nothing except believe him. A partial sense of relief took over his features for a split second, but he quickly returned to looking serious, stepping back and shedding his dress shirt. 

Turning and crouching down, he motioned to his back. 
"Get on. We have to hurry." I did as he instructed, and he was quick to wrap his shirt around behind us, using the sleeves to tie me as best he could to his body. 

I clung to him as though my life depended on it as he started towards the ebb and flow of the water. My life did depend on it. Walking, jogging, then sprinting, he dove straight in when the water reached his knees, and I barely managed to suck in a breath before the suffering began. 

Every drip of energy in my body began to be sapped away. The curse of a Devil Fruit user was more than just uncomfortable. My blood was lead, and my head nothing but fog. Instead of making a beeline to the horizon, Yonji headed straight for a rock, a few hundred metres from the shore. 

Don't think. Just trust him. 

He swam around it, using his arm to keep us as still and steady as possible, despite the tide trying to drag us away with it. 
"Don't make a sound…" He warned me, voice quiet and hard to hear over the wave. I did as he told me to, closing my eyes and pressing my forehead against his slick back. 

"Any sign of them?!" 

It was Ichiji's voice, far away yet so clear. There was a kind of panic in his tone that matched what I felt, and I squeezed my eyes tighter. I wanted to apologise to him, Niji too, and say goodbye, but I knew I couldn't. It was just too dangerous. 

"No, Sir! No sign!" One of the soldiers called out, and I flinched when I heard him scream out, something heavy landing not too far from us with a loud splash. 
"FUCK! Scour the whole damn island! Now! I want eyes everywhere! Find them and bring the girl straight to me! NOW!" 

I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…

We waited for a long while, just to be certain, even after the shore grew eerily silent. The water was freezing, and it was a chore to breathe. If I was struggling this early, I wasn't sure how I'd survive to reach another island. 
"Okay, (Y/N)...They're gone. I'm gonna-" 

"You fuckin' idiots." 

Yonji flinched more than me when we looked up to find Niji, donning his raid suit, standing atop the rock, staring down at us, but that was probably only because I had no energy. His brows were scrunched, and his jaw set tight. He was pissed. 

"D..Don't you dare try to stop us. I'll kill you…" Yonji snarled low in threat, the muscles of his back rippling against me in preparation. His voice wasn't steady, and I was sure that if I had been able to see his face, it would have been filled with uncertainty. 

"You couldn't bring yourself to do that, even if you wanted to." Niji scoffed, though nothing about his body language said that he was about to attack. "It's over a hundred miles to the next island, and you know that's where we'll be looking next. Do you even have a plan?" 

Yonji was silent. I wasn't sure if it was because he didn't trust his brother, or whether he truly didn't know where to go from here. 
"Niji…" I spoke up, hoping I could be loud enough for him to hear me properly. "I'm so-"

"Cut the crap. I don't care. You were a shit maid anyway." There was nothing at all sharp about the way he spoke to me, and I began to well up. "Give me something. The tie, or jewellery. I don't give a damn what it is." He crouched and held his hand out, and when I saw that Yonji was resisting, I limply lifted my wrist, allowing the prince to take my bracelets. 

"How pissed is Dad..?" Yonji finally spoke again, but he was completely on guard, treading water as though it was no effort at all. 
"Let's just say I'd prefer to be caught by him right now instead of Ichiji. At least you'd stay alive a little longer." Niji replied, straightening up again. 

"Niji, come with us." It came out before I could really think, but it didn't change anything. I meant what I said. A strong silence overcame us, but soon it was broken by a harsh click of the tongue. 
"Fuck that. If I leave now, who's gonna plant this on the western beach?" 

He's going to buy us more time… 

"But-" 
"Why would I wanna come with you, anyway? I've got everything I want in Germa. Money, women, bastards to punch. Go and play house with you two losers? Pathetic." I could see what he was trying to do, but it just made me more emotional. 

He wanted to save us, but that meant he had to stay behind. There was no way around it. If he managed to make them think that we had left by the western coast, then they wouldn't head to the island we were swimming to first. We'd have time. 

"Niji…You won't get another chance like this. Are you sure?" Yonji asked him, looking between his brother and the open sea. The blue haired man sneered down at us, a hand on his hip. 
"Didn't I tell you two to fuck off?" 

This hurts… 

"Niji…" I looked up at him, wishing that I could hug him one last time, but that was impossible. This would likely be the last time I would ever see him. "I'll never forget you…" There it was. It was small, and barely noticeable, but he flinched, jaw tightening. 

"Sh..Shut up. I won't miss either of you. Try not to drown, you idiots…" Without sparing us another glance, Niji turned and headed back to the shore, and Yonji heaved a shaky sigh as we heard the sound of his boots fade away. 

"(Y/N), this is gonna be horrible…so are you sure? I'll swim as fast as I can, but it's gonna be cold, and hard to breathe. Do you really trust me?" His voice shook, and I pressed my head into the crook of his neck, holding onto him as tightly as my weakened body would allow. 

"I..I trust you, Yonji…Let's go…"

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***You picked Yonji, huh?

A reader of culture, I see.

Where will you go? What will you do?

Stay tuned to find out.

Next Time: Changes***