Searching for Brothers [One Piece fanfic]

Chapter LVI: Only for you, Noble-ya

Chapter 56

Word Count: 2.5 k

Silence hasn't been something that has been part of Clementine's life in a while. She had gotten used to the sound of constant bickering, or at least someone saying something as a background sound.

But now, after so long, she sunbathed on the deck of a small ship, leaning against Roki, her feline partner deep in sleep, a bubble forming from his nose. It's been a while since she traveled alone at sea without any other human. She's been out at sea for at least two weeks, saying goodbye to Shanks and his crew, although the red-haired man whined childishly. She's not lying when she said she enjoyed the company of Shanks and his loud crew. However, the blonde teen couldn't precisely say she missed human contact yet when she had Roki beside her.

The last month with Shanks had passed in a blink of an eye. The man himself said there wasn't much to teach anymore. Shanks had been doing so for already a year, and she had picked up everything relatively fast early on. Clementine already had grasped the basics, the only thing she needed to truly do was work it out in battle and gain experience. While she had gotten better, unlike Shanks, she still had to actively think about Haki to activate it instead of automatically doing it like breathing.

With a sigh, the blonde woman raised her arm, eyeing the log pose that was set for the next island that rested on her wrist. It seemed like keeping an eye on the Heart Pirates was the right choice. After observing the eye witness reports on the newspaper, Clementine was able to map out the Heart Pirates route possibilities. At this point, she was almost positive she knew which island they would be stopping at next. And Clementine had made sure she'd arrive on the island at least a day beforehand to make sure she didn't miss them.

And that said island was right ahead, Clementine only having to squint her eyes a bit to see the outline of it. However, she winces, the sunlight reflecting off of the surface of the water, hurting her sensitive, light-colored eyes.

If she was calculating correctly, she would be arriving by the afternoon. Which she was eager for, ready to step foot on stable land and get food that she didn't have to cook herself.

"Do you think I'll be able to buy more tea packets, Roki?" Clementine questioned as she buried her face into Roki's stomach, his fur smelling like sunshine and fresh grass.

The feline yawns and opens one eye, looking at his human for a second before yawning and closing his eyes.

In response, Clementine pouts.

"Rude."

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The bar in town was relatively empty, the owner, a gruff looking man in his fifties cleaning a glass behind the counter. He paid no mind to the woman in a cloak that sat at the corner, having gotten used to her presence over the three days she's been here. However, he did approach her, looking down at her mug of tea that was nearly empty.

"Another cup, lass?" He questioned, the man being able to see her flash him a smile from under her cloak.

"I'll appreciate that, thank you," her voice is soft and sweet-sounding, something you wouldn't expect to come out of someone who was in a bar that was usually filled with tough men and pirates.

However, the man knew better to underestimate the woman. He had a chance to catch a glimpse of the woman's face two days ago when she had single-handedly beat up five pirates that thought they could take advantage of her. They were near twice her size. Yet, she had defeated them so quickly the owner wasn't sure if she had even moved.