Not Strong Enough [One Piece| Luffy X OC]

08: Dumb Luck

Mana should have died a long time ago, that was the cruel truth she knew.

The only reasons she's still alive are due to sheer dumb luck, and the memories she'd regained during her time as a slave. Most of the time, Mana's uncertain if it was a good thing (or not) that she had those memories. It enabled her to become who she was now, the connections she made after Jinbei abandoned her to the Sabaody Archipelago.

She was never supposed to have become important, to anyone that could tip the scale of the story known as One Piece. So why did Luffy have her name to whom he desired to save, at all costs? They'd met just that one time!

It was unreasonable!

It didn't make any sense to her!

She bit her lip, "Luffy!"

The chains rattled, and she glared at the new arrival in their cell.

...

She was also never supposed to have become involved with Ace, especially when the memories revealed his demise. Her heart broke, when she watched the Firefist leaving Moby Dick, knowing it was possibly the last time she saw him.

The last time she could touch him.

Izo's hand on her shoulder made her relent and let him go. Only to follow him later when everyone was asleep. Unaware that Marco had seen her, silently thanked Ace for giving the girl a reason to like humans - to love another than just Izo or Marco, himself.

....

Jinbei watched as Warden Magellan came to pick up both Ace and Mana, wordlessly. He remembered Ace telling them how Luffy had always behaved recklessly, always causing him to worry about the kid. And Mana admitted that she'd met the kid, once.

She'd laughed at the memory, recalling how she'd run from a seven years old brat after he'd asked her to join his crew. Jinbei might have imagined it, but there was some sort of fondness in her voice as she talked about Strawhat Luffy.

He tried to recall the Mana he knew - the human-hating girl with a trauma that was so severe Jinbei wondered how she was still alive. She hadn't talked to anyone but Fisher Tiger until Arlong (out of all the Fishmen on board) had somehow succeeded in getting her to open up to the crew of former slaves.

"Jinbei," she'd told him a few minutes before the convoy arrived, looking at him with a small smile that felt wrong. "None of it is your fault, remember that."

The look in her violet eyes felt strange like she could see into his very soul, and yet - she'd resigned to her fate.

"ACE! MANA!"

.....

Ace had tried to fight back, Mana watched him attempting to get to where Luffy was with a bored expression. She knew why he'd suddenly acted out, Luffy. But she didn't join him, she could barely walk straight.

The seastone handcuffs were straying Mana's strength. The Raven inside of her chirped, quieter than before. It worried her. The bird had never been so silent before.

"Why aren't you joining him, Blackbird Mana?" Her violet eyes glanced up at Warden Magellan, who looked surprised. She'd put up a lot of fight when they brought her in.

"It's not the right time yet," she whispered, so quietly he almost hadn't heard it. Her eyes glanced to Ace, who was held in Magellan's hand. "Not yet."

"Not yet for what?"

"For the inevitable."