The grass is always greener
on the other side.
As such, words and feelings of
envy had long been accepted
by us long ago.
We accept that we have these
dark thoughts.
That deep inside, no matter
how much we think we are
unique, we are the same
as everyone else.
That's why, at that time,
we became arrogant.
With our thoughts broken apart...
Dying and then being sent to another world, we became arrogant.
The speculation that we were
unique began to sprout again.
That we were special, and chosen.
It might've also been our way
to cope to the fact that we died.
That we cannot return
back to where we came from.
Because we know, that even if we disappear... The world would
still continue even without
our existence.
________
"Is she okay?" Nami asked for the nth time at Chopper regarding Rinne.
"She suffered from blood loss, and infected wounds. It was a surprise she even managed to move back then." Chopper said and glanced at the fainted Rinne.
The girl had been asleep for a whole day and showed no signs of waking up any sooner. And though they still had their questions and suspicions about the girl, they can't help but worry and wonder how she received such wounds.
"She doesn't have any personal possessions other than a few strange trinkets. Right, long nose-kun?" Robin nonchalantly said with a smile while Usopp flinched, looking like he was caught doing something bad.
"Y-Yeah..." Usopp said as he backed away from Rinne's belongings. He was curious, but he had enough patience to not snoop around too much, especially with a woman's possessions.
"Hnrggg.... I wonder when she'll wake up~" Luffy sat on a chair beside the bed. It was quite the sight to see their Captain waiting patiently on the chair ever since Rinne collapsed.
During their musings, only Luffy was the one who noticed Rinne move, albeit only slightly.
"Ah! She's awake!" Luffy exclaimed and stopped the flowing conversation of his crewmates. Their eyes turned towards the girl, observing her actions, while Nami made sure to tell Chopper to not let Luffy do anything... strenuous to the patient.
The girl had scrunched her forehead in response to the noise. It might have been a habit, but the girl had clutched the sheets and buried herself under it. Nami deemed it quite an innocent sight since ever since meeting the girl, she could feel that she was always guarded. Just like how she once was. So seeing Rinne be comfortable enough like that made her heart feel less heavy.
"... An hour.... Gimme an hour, dad... my phone..." Rinne mumbled, and contrary to her words, she started to slowly get up from the bed and with closed eyes, grasped the space beside the pillow as if searching for something.
"Phone... Did I left it charged...." She murmured and tried to get off the bed. Only to stumble and almost fall on the floor.
"Hn... Hands..?" Rinne looked unbothered at the strange sight that was currently out of the norm, as she was caught by several arms when she had almost met with the floor.
"Is she perhaps, half-asleep?" Nami whispered to Robin who was beside her, the other nodded as they all watched what Rinne was going to do.
With half-opened eyes, Rinne noticed the table and took hold of the weird rectangular piece of metal that they had discovered in her bag. She tapped the metal with her pointer and when that didn't seem to work, she pressed the buttons at the side of the weird device.
"What're you doing? What's that? What?" Luffy had been the first to muse, and that seem to have snapped the girl out of her half asleep state.
Robin noticed the varying emotion that had flashed on the girl's face when she had realized where she currently is. Surprise, despair, realization, then acceptance, almost as if waking up from an impossible dream.
Rinne had taken notice of the several people that were watching her, waiting for her next response and actions. Her hand that was clutching the weird device seem to have lost its strength as it slumped down.
She let out a pained smile, Nami noticed.
"A broken junk." Rinne fixed her posture and was aided by Chopper to make sure that she wouldn't agitate the wounds.
"Ehh??? Why're you keeping it then?" It was quite the insensitive question as Nami and the others had noticed that the broken piece of object had been important to the girl. Nami sent a punch straight at Luffy's head for that question.
"Get out for a bit, Luffy." Nami said as she saw that there will be no progress if Luffy stays inside the room. They had questions that need to be answered, and with Luffy being there, they wont get anywhere.
"Ehh? I dun wanna!" The captain of the ship protested, alas, the navigator had more power over the current situation as she had swiftly sent a gesture to Chopper and Ussop to take care of the nuisance.
"Ah! You guys!" Luffy didn't even get to do that much before being dragged out of the room.
Nami, Robin, and Rinne were the only ones left inside the room. The silence was quite uncomfortable, especially for Rinne since she was unfamiliar with the two on a personal level. She does know several things about them as she watched them as characters but now they are real people that was currently in front of her, so she didn't know how to act.
"That." she worked up her courage, as she started to treat the current situation similar to how she would present a paper. The nervousness was eating her up, but she can work through it, somehow.
Seeing the girl start first, Nami and Robin made eye contact with each other and decided to wait patiently whatever it is that Rinne would say.
"Sorry for that... that... before. Being like... that. Y'know.." Rinne looked everywhere else except towards the two women.
She didn't know how to describe what had happened back then. It must've been the built up stress, or the lightheadedness of loosing too much blood that made her act so recklessly.
"How did you become a bounty hunter, miss Rinne?" Robin's sudden straightforward question made Nami flip her attention to the older woman with an incredulous look on her face as if it was asking why Robin would just ask that outright.
"Ah.. Oh..." Nami saw the clear uncomfortable look that Rinne had for a split second.
"Money... I... 'Cause I needed money. I was... lost and hungry..." a look of guilt, like she had done the worst crime of it all, and a tinge of shame. Such expressions didn't escape the eyes of the two observant women.
"But I don't really go after high bounties, s-since that, most people with high bounties are powerful an-and scary..." the girl cast her eyes downwards. Now that Nami had a better look at the girl, she noticed that the eye that her hair was covering was a different color, albeit only a little bit so it wasn't that noticeable at first glance.
Because she didn't like pain...
"Why did you need money?" Robin continued asking, but despite her calm tone, both noticed the girl flinch.
Because she was alone...
"F-Family... they were gone. I..."
She was alone...
The two noticed the girl release a few sparks, seeming to indicate the complicated emotions that they can only grasp at surface level.
Silence followed.
But a few seconds later, they had heard commotion outside. Nami and Robin quickly stood up in action as they also heard the voices of the crewmates outside that seems to be having a conversation to whoever it was that was shouting outside.
The door was opened, and a sickening sweet voice sounded.
"Rinne-chan~!" The girl flinched as she quickly got ahold of her weapon and things. A mix of fear and anger made its way to her face. The several sparks that surround her showed her agitation.
Nami and Robin didn't manage to hold her back due to how fast the girl had moved, so all they could do was follow suit and go to where Rinne had gone. On the deck, gathered the strawhats and Rinne, as they looked down at the harbor where a bunch of people dressed in suits gathered.
"I know you're there, come out?~" The man looked quite attractive at first glance, but Nami could see the crazed expression he had. At most, she would describe the guy as creepy. She had seen Robin blink once quickly and caught on that Robin knew who the guy was, but she had no time to ask the older woman as Rinne had spoken.
"Fuck off, stalker!" the sudden harsh language that didn't fit her appearance had caught them off guard, mostly Usopp and Chopper gasped quite dramatically.
"How harsh, my adorable lilyー" it seems like the man still had something to say, but stopped when Rinne had slashed her sword towards the man, sending a small slice midair and had shallowly cut the man's cheek. Blood flowed.
Red.
"Don't you fucking call me like that." In all honesty, Zoro was quite impressed with the control that Rinne had showed with that small attack.
"That's right! Who are you to call Rinne-chan your lily, ugly fucker!!" Sanji shouted as he stood closely to Rinne, but made no move to be further closer as he could see the sparks that were surrounding the girl.
Sanji's words seem to strike a few blow to the unknown man's ego as they caught him twitch, but the confident smirk made its way back to his face. His eyes start to glow red, making the way he look more manic and crazy.
Chopper who was closely observing his patient had been alerted as he saw strange marks appear on Rinne's body. Red symbols on her wrists and legs, akin to how a shackle would look like. It released a hissing sound as it glowed eerily.
"You know you hate pain, right? If you become a good child and come here, it would all go away." demanding her obedience, the man held out his hand.
We hate feeling pain...
Because I hate pain...
"Shut up..."
"Rinne!" Several of the strawhats shouted, but the one who shouted most loudly in alarm was Luffy as he also had no fear to grasp the girl despite the sparks that had surrounded her. Because he was rubber, lightning wouldn't hurt him.
Feeling Luffy's hand on her shoulder made it a bit easier for her to endure the pain. Seeing the sudden contact with Rinne, the unknown man glared at Luffy.
"Who's that bastard?" the man asked to the person with horns beside him. After a few whispers, the man smirked whilst having a glare directed at the strawhats.
"So you found a few bunch of meatshields, Rinne." That stroke a few spots in the strawhats minds to be labeled as such.
"The Strawhat Pirates, as if ragtag group enough to separate you from my reach." the man reached out his hand, his palm showing a bright red mark.
"AUGH!!!!" Rinne shouted as she collapsed on the floor.
Pain.
Pain.
Pain.
Red.
Red.
Red.
"Rinne!"
The mark on his hand and on Rinne's body glowed as if it was pulsating. The Strawhats felt a sudden pressure in the air.
"Luffy!" Zoro shouted and grabbed the Captain by his collar, and jumped away from where Rinne was, the same being done by the others, mostly Robin and Sanji, making sure that the others evade it in time.
It was red.
Rinne was surrounded by red sparks that soon turned to a wave of energy that caused what was around her to be damaged.
No... Merry go...
Yet her body didn't listen to her, just like how it was back then.
How did she escape it the last time?
She couldn't remember clearly...
But it was so painful she didn't want to experience it again.
In a flash of red spark, the strawhats saw Rinne appear beside the unknown man. The clouded eyes was clearly noticed by Robin and a few others.
"Rinne-chan!" Nami shouted as she was held back by Usopp and Chopper.
"Rinne!" Luffy was held back with the help of Sanji and Zoro.
"Tch." and the two, Sanji and Zoro, clicked their tongues at the current situation, plus the additional struggle to hold their captain in place.
It was so painful...
That's why...
That's why...
...what's the problem
with a little bit more?
It was already so painful, a bit more wouldn't change a thing.
It would still be painful...
"Red..." amidst the silence, Rinne's voice echoed. The unknown man looked down at the girl, wondering what she was murmuring about.
His eyes widened as he saw how the cloudy eyes start to regain clarity.
"Red..." a shockwave, enough to cause ripples at the harbor, making the ships around sway. It had blasted away those that didn't possess enough power to withstand the sudden release of power.
Beside the unknown man, five other figures held their ground albeit struggling a bit as they were caught off guard.
"Bloom." Rinne sounded out as she raised her arms, her weapon dropped on the ground. The marks on her body continued to glow.
The strawhats, saw her eyes start to glow red as she stared at the sky.
Pain.
The unknown man clicked his tongue as him and his companions were slowly being pushed back. No matter how he tried to grab the girl, the force would slap his hands away.
Pain.
"Bloom... the spider sang."
Pain.
"Bloom... the white flower tainted."
Pain.
"Red. Red. Red."
Red.
A slow twirl, the red flow that surrounded the girl made it look like she was wearing a dress. The sight itself was captivating and yet it had brought destruction to those around it.
The marks on Rinne's body slowly began to disappear, and several wounds appear on her body.
"Boss..." the unknown man heard one of his remaining men. Blood flowed out of his mouth as he felt his power being overridden once again, it would take a few days to recover once again.
"I know..." he would come back. He stared at Rinne as she was starting to build up her power. A huge shockwave was released, targeted at them, but this time, they are ready, and managed to retreat and avoid it this time.
The Strawhats saw the unknown men and his lackeys leave, leaving Rinne alone at the harbor. She was still dancing, and the longer she did, the more wounds appear on her body.
Chopper had found out the source of the weirdly shaped wounds that the girl had.
"S-Someone should stop her! If she continuesー!!" Chopper shouted in alert.
"Tch, hold the idiot!" Zoro shouted and pushed Luffy onto the startled Sanji.
"Ah, OI!!!" Sanji didn't have time to react that much as Luffy had also wanted to jump in, so it took his all to hold back the monstrously strong rubber man.
Zoro thought that the red flowing waved around the girl would cause instant wounds on his body, and yet compared to what it did to the unknown group, the most it did was cause a few scratches on him, not enough to cause even a shallow cut.
By the time he was close to the girl, he had relaxed his agitated state of mind and approached Rinne carefully, but still making sure to stay on his toes for any unprecedented occurrence that the girl would do.
Despite her beautiful dancing, the red waves around her looked violent. And as Zoro was at arms reach, he could see the girl's face and heard the words she spoke.
With cloudy eyes, she cried, her red pupils making her look eerie. She spoke, "Pain... Pain... Pain..."
Zoro was annoyed. "Tch."
With one swift motion, he carried the girl. Though what was supposed to be a heartwarming scene looked out of place as Zoro had carried Rinne like a sack of potatoes, over his shoulder.
"If you hate it, then stop." he sighed as he made his way on Going Merry, where he was approached with panicked crewmates. He couldn't believe that this was their reaction to someone they met for only one or two times. Well, it was to be expected as they were that kind of people.
"Oi, marimo! That was supposed to be me! Me! Okay?! How dare you carry a lady like some kind of baggage!!! If it was me, I would carefully carry Rinne-chan like a princess!!"
A fight happened between the swordsman and cook.
"Chopper, how is she?!" Nami asked as the others stared at the girl with their own ways of showing concern as Chopper quickly went to work and administered first aid by covering up the wounds first. With only two hooves to work on, it would be impossible to do it in one swift motion, so he seeks help from Robin.
Thankfully, the older woman seems to have the necessary skills enough to skillfully bandage the wounds.
Luffy and Usopp were at the side, making sure to not interfere that much since they also know that they were no doctor.
"I'm gonna beat up those guys! Who are they even?!" Luffy was raring to fight despite not even knowing who the enemy was.
"Younoir group, if I remember it right." Robin started and instantly got the attention of the other crew members.
"The leader is called Gih, it might be that man. I don't know of the other members, but by the looks of it, the five others that remain standing amidst Rinne-kun's rampage are his close lackeys." Nami was thankful at the moment to have such a knowledgeable member.
"They are mostly acquainted with robbery, fraud, and human trafficking." as if reading from a book, Robin listed the information calmly without batting an eye.
"Especially the leader, Gih. He's known to gather several women, and by what we witnessed his current target is Rinne-kun." she said as she used her devil fruit to help Chopper carry Rinne back inside.
"What?!" Sanji shouted in alarm.
"Unforgivable! Unforgivable !!!!" what runs through his mind was unknown to Zoro, but the other still holds the same sentiment to what they had heard from Robin.
"What's with that?! I already said Rinne is gonna join my crew, so he ain't gonna take her!" Luffy exclaimed like a child throwing a tantrum. Well, the reaction is to be expected from their captain.
"With how they acted, they're going to come back to get the girl." Zoro provided as they all looked at each other.
All had the same idea.
"Well, the captain already said that Rinne is going to join us. Right?" Nami sounded out, her tone indicating reluctance yet her smile showed otherwise.
"T-That's right. Plus, her teleportation is cool. She also has those weird trinket I would like to ask about..." Ussop was a bit scared to face the scary looking people, but like how Luffy helped him, he would also want to help the girl.
"Unforgivable!" by the sound of it, Sanji is also raring to go.
"Okay! Then its decided!" Luffy shouted in all excitedness he could muster.
____________
The Strawhats took turns on watching over the recuperating Rinne. The one assigned for night watch as he had been the most accustomed to staying awake during the night. With an unreadable expression he looked at the girl.
His thoughts being brought back to the time he had taken the girl from the center of the red waves.
With cloudy eyes, she cried, her red pupils making her look eerie. She spoke, "Pain... Pain... Pain..."
"Idiot."
The image of those red eyes burned its appearance in his mind.
________________
We do not like being in pain.
We hated pain.
And yet,
all we had encountered
is pain.
That emotion,
That look,
Would it be selfish of us
to call it love?
Starved of love
She was fooled
Used.
Shackled.
And so , pain followed.
Like nature,
It was calming.
Yet its scent was of blood
Or is it steel?
We weren't sure.
It made her more at ease.
Her favorite smells more like food
It made her hungry.
And reminded her how she was broke.
She couldn't afford luxury foods.
That's why, though a bit weird.
That familiar scent of blood.
The smell of iron...
...was more calming.
_______________
A/N:
Luffy is more like that idolized kind of person for Rinne. To the point where she would like him as a person and not as romantic-like. Like someone you look up to, or would like to become someday.
It made me think as it made more sense to pair up Rinne with Zoro.
Sanji is out of the question as that man doesn't really engage in romance, but rather just generally likes women and respects them.
It would also employ enemies to lovers, slowburn? romance? Idk, but I think Zoro and Rinne's dynamic kind of works.
Also extra info: Zoro always eavesdropping/listens is whenever Rinne talks with the other members. And in his defense, it is to make sure that Rinne was trustworthy enough to join their crew, just like what he had did when Robin first arrived.
Idk, seems sus to me, since in my drafts, Zoro always listens in, even after Rinne had long proved that she meant to ill will to the Strawhats. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯