"Sonic," a distant voice said. Darkness filled his vision. He felt a sharp pain in his back.
"Sonic," the voice repeated.
He now recognized the voice but couldn't move. His body didn't respond to his commands. His fingers barely twitched and his eyelids couldn't even let light through the tiny cracks.
"Sonic, please wake up," the voice said with sadness.
I'm trying, he said to himself. It was like he was a prisoner inside his own body.
"Let him rest a little bit. It's only been a few hours. Injuries like that take a long time to heal," a female voice said. This time, it was unfamiliar to him.
I've been out for hours?
"We don't have much time," Amy said. "Dangerous pirates are looking for our friends. We have to save them."
"I understand. But for now, he needs to rest. He's in no state to fight, even if he wanted to."
"Then I'll go."
"You won't be able to survive for long, young lady," a manly voice said. "I just saved you from this pirate. Alone out there, you'll be captured in no time. Try to have patience. I'm sure your friends are safe now."
"How could you know?"
"I'm sure you have friends who can handle themselves just fine. Am I wrong?"
Silence for a moment.
"No."
"Then wait. Your friend here is an interesting creature just like you. I'm sure he'll recover quickly."
Footsteps approached Sonic, and a hand was placed over his.
"Please get better, Sonic."
It was the last thing he heard before his body disconnected from the outside world. Darkness was now replaced by the image of the Egg Carrier in flames. Lightning danced in the clouds as a purple beam illuminated the ship. The Eggrift stood outside on the deck, ready to explode.
"Sonic, no!" Tails said, looking at his friend.
The hedgehog smiled and jumped toward the sphere. This time, he would try to be faster. Blue aura surged around his body and the air cracked as he accelerated. But just as he was about to touch the Eggrift, it exploded.
"No!" he yelled as he sat up from the bed he was lying on. He groaned from the pain.
"Sonic!" Amy shouted as she entered the room.
"Finally awake," a woman said from behind the bar, smoking a cigarette.
Amy jumped at him in a hug. The hedgehog grimaced from the pain.
"Okay, okay you can let go now," he said.
"How… how are you feeling?" Amy asked, worry in her eyes.
"Well, better than I thought, actually," he said, opening and closing his fists. "Where am I?" His eyes finally scanned the room.
"Somewhere safe," the woman said.
Sonic jumped to his feet, trying his best to hide the pain.
"Well, thanks for everything, but we have to go now."
Amy stepped in front of him. "We can't for now."
"Why?"
"There are Marines everywhere on the island. We can't go out right now."
"What happened?"
"We don't know. But they're looking for you. They arrived a few days ago."
"A few days ago? How long was I out?" Sonic's eyes widened.
"Three days," the woman said as she blew smoke.
"Three days?! I'm sorry, but we've got to go. We're losing time here." He walked to the door.
"What about the Marines?" Amy asked.
"We'll run through them."
He opened the door, and a man stood in front of it. He pushed the hedgehog back inside and closed the door.
"Glad to finally meet you, Sonic," the man said with a smile.
"Get out of my way, old man. My friends need me."
"You won't be able to save them if the Marines capture you."
"They won't," Sonic said, walking to the door.
The man pushed him back again. "Two warships and three Vice Admirals roam the island. A blockade has been installed around it. You won't be able to walk two minutes before being caught."
"I'm pretty fast they won't catch me."
"I don't doubt that you're fast. But you won't be fast enough this time."
"Just you watch."
He tried to pass the man but got pushed even harder this time. Sonic went flying into the couch. He grimaced from the pain as he landed.
"Get out of my way, old man," he said, his eyes turning blue. "You're not gonna stop me from saving my friends."
He stood up and slowly walked toward the man.
"I'm stopping you from getting hurt or killed."
"And I already told you that's not gonna happen," Sonic said with anger.
"Okay. Then prove it. If you manage to get out this door, you're free to go. Just remember that out there you'll be alone against an army of Marines. If somehow you manage to defeat them, where will you go? You're gonna run around blind, island to island, hoping you'll find them?"
"It worked once, might as well try again."
"You're up against an Emperor's crew with a lot of resources."
"What can I say? I have a habit of beating the odds," he said with a grin.
The old man smiled. "Let's see what you can do."
"You better not blink."
Sonic curled into a ball and charged full speed at the man. His opponent's hand turned black and he slammed Sonic through the table.
"Sonic, stop! You just woke up!" Amy shouted.
The hedgehog stood with a hand on his back, clenching his teeth from the immense pain. He looked at Amy and smiled before rushing at the old man, running in a zigzag. It looked like he was multiplying himself.
A blue streak struck the man in the head, but Sonic felt like he had just kicked a metal pole when he saw his opponent's arm blocking the attack. Again, Sonic was pushed into the wall.
"Sonic, stop!" Amy cried.
The hedgehog charged again, only to be pushed back once more. He could barely stand now. The pain in his back became unbearable. Blood dripped from his bandages.
The lady behind the counter looked at the state of the room, then at the man. He nodded.
Sonic was on his feet, legs shaking.
"Stand down. It's over," the man said with a serious tone.
"I'm… just getting started." Sonic could barely smile. He got ready to charge.
"I said, it's over!"
The room rumbled. Black lightning danced around them. The hedgehog felt a heavy presence pressing down on him and crashed to the ground, unable to move.
"You stand no chance against anyone right now. Even if I let you out, your friends will be lost to Blackbeard and his crew. You're too weak to save them. Take some time to recover. After that, you'll be free to do whatever you want. Until then, rest."
The black lightning disappeared. Sonic could finally stand again, but he groaned in pain. Amy brought a chair and helped him sit.
"In the meantime, you'll be repairing the damages," the woman said.
Sonic nodded with a grin.
"What was that?" he asked.
"What?" the man replied.
"The thing you just did to me."
The old man smiled. "It's called Haki. It's a form of spiritual energy."
"Haki, you said… I've heard that before."
The fight against Kizaru flashed in his mind. "Yeah… I could use it to fight that light guy."
"You fought the Admiral Kizaru?"
"Yeah, whoever he is. I'm gonna beat him for associating with the Celestial Dragons."
The woman and the old man exchanged a smile.
"Would you like to learn it?"
"Of course," Sonic said, standing quickly then sitting back down because of the pain. "When do we start?"
"You impatient brat," the man said with a grin. "Tomorrow. The Marine patrol should have calmed down by then."
Sonic smiled. "By the way, I never caught your name."
"I'm Silvers Rayleigh," the man said, "and this is my wife, Shakky."