The Puppet Master [One Piece]

Water Fights and Wagers

~Shanks' POV~

                Echo kept to herself for awhile after our talk. When her fan-club attempted to engage her in conversation she strung them up like marionettes in her wires and left them with quite a few miniscule cuts. Her psyche seemed to be slipping and I wasn't sure how much longer she could hold out before having a complete breakdown. She bottled her emotions, keeping them under tight lock and key, careful not to let anything slip and it would soon break her. It was good to bottle things up on occasion, but everyone needed an outlet.

                "Hey brat! Want to go fishing?" Yassop called early one morning as he, Benn and a few others passed Echo on her way back into camp from one of her all night forest explorations.

                Everyone cringed as Echo lashed out stringing my sniper up in her wires with a menacing glare, "LEAVE ME ALONE!" She shrieked as her wires began to break skin.

                "Echo, you're angry with me, don't take it out on the rest of the crew please." I called out to her calmly from my comfy log beside the dying flame of our campfire.

                She hesitated and I saw her tremble in her efforts to keep herself collected. Echo was a ticking time bomb and at any moment she'd snap if she didn't find some kind of emotional release. Benn snuck up behind her in an attempt to catch her off guard and get her to release Yassop. Miraculously Echo sensed his approach and in seconds had Yassop aiming his pistol behind her at my first mate.

                "Damn it!" Yassop glared at the crumbling girl, "Not this shit again."

                "If you want to fight someone so badly, I'll be your opponent." I challenged the girl as I slowly rose to my feet.

                Her startling murky green eyes turned to me as her wires slackened around Yassop enough for him to escape.

                I held up my hand to stop her from sending her wires at me, "However, I get to pick the fight and the location." I smiled, "Do you accept?"

                Curiosity filled her dazzling murky sea green eyes and she hesitated for a moment. She was stubborn, too stubborn; I knew she wouldn't back down when challenged. "Fine."

                I smirked at this, "I challenge you to a chicken fight, at the cove."

                Benn chuckled, "This ought to be interesting."

                Echo looked momentarily confused, "What exactly is a chicken fight? I refuse to fight with livestock."

                The entire crew roared with laughter at this.

                "What the hell is so damn funny?!" Echo raged as her cheeks flushed crimson from embarrassment.

                "You've never heard of a chicken fight?" One of the rookies chuckled, "Echo-chan, that's just depressing."

                Echo bit her lip to keep from snapping at the rookie and took a deep breath to calm her nerves before opening her mouth once more, "What is it?"

                "I'll explain on the way." I laughed as I draped my arm across her shoulder and whisked her toward the cove.

                Perhaps all she needed was to have some fun. Her childhood had been robbed from her; maybe she'd forgotten what it was like to have fun. The rest of the crew traipsed along after us and I chuckled as I heard them all placing bets on the outcome of the match.