"Aren't you literally eleven? You have no reason to hate me this much." you drawled, scratching the back of your head.
Of course, your dad just had to make you spend time with your family. Excluding him. It wasn't a problem that he wasn't around.
From what you gathered; he wasn't usually like that. The king was just busy now. More stressed than usual. You wondered why. Maybe he forced you to spend quality time with your siblings to distract you from it.
The quality family time was going baaaad.
"You're just the daughter of a dirty pirate." One of the oldest twins, Hana, verbally berated you. "And the other kids think that you're a witch."
You smiled at him. "Uh, calling him dirty is a little rude. I'm sure Crooner's a nice man."
His twin brother (whose name you learned was Haru, which was confusing) was ready to back him up. "You have pirate blood in you, aren't you ashamed of tainting the family name with that?"
"Pirate blood? I don't care if I ruin the family name. I'll take you down with me."
You would indeed go Anakin Skywalker on these two brats if they kept it up. They were eating away at your precious training time. The other youngest twins, who were ten, also joined in. It was then a back and forth of really sad insults. What were they? Average middle schoolers?
You might've let strangers walk over you, but you would not hesitate to turn your brothers into your personal punching bags.
"Stupid pirate wannabe!"
"Spoiled brat."
"Creepy old hag!"
"Spoiled brat."
"Demon witch!"
"Spoiled brat."
"Princess Airhead!"
"Spoiled brat."
You smiled again when you watched the twins cry out in dismay. "STOP CALLING US THAT!!"
"I'm enjoying this."
I am too. Whistling, you turned your head away from the bunch. "I'm only speaking the truth. Y'all spoiled as hell. You never say 'please' or 'thank you'."
Haru's face flushed as his three other brothers hid behind him. They were all appalled by your poor grammar. "Y-You're no better than us! You were spoiled the most, you're the first born! You had more time with dad!"
"Yeah, and I learned manners. I don't see you saying thanks to the chefs who make the food. Or the maids that clean your rooms."
"TWO OF THEM PASSED OUT LAST NIGHT DURING THE BANQUET FROM TRYING TO FEED YOU."
Your tone raised to match theirs. "YOU FOUR ACTED LIKE DEMONSPAWN WHEN I SAT DOWN NEXT TO YOU AT THE TABLE! WHAT KIND OF KIDS DO THAT?!"
"YOU ACT WORSE THAN US!"
"LIKE HELL I DO! YOU THREE ARE SO ANNOYING THAT IT MAKES YOU WORSE!"
The tension grew substantially. Lightning crackled on both sides as the boys glared at you and you glared right back. Oh, if you ever came back to Crow Island after you left, you would be beating these boys into the ground once they were legally old enough for you to do so.
It's not like Kosai was going to stop you. He was actively trying to help you escape this awful situation.
"Hurry up. Your father will be meeting with royal advisors, and it will be your chance to leave." Dully noted.
Leaning down, you poked Haru in the forehead, pushing his head back slightly. "What I don't understand is why you're "supposedly scared of me" just because my father is an infamous man."
"We're not scared of you!"
"Bullshit. You're scared of me, and you're scared of the dark."
"(Name), now's your chance! I just heard him close the meeting room doors." Kosai informed you quickly. You hummed to yourself.
You had enough family time. You had already spent thirty minutes yelling back and forth with your brothers, and your sister was nowhere to be found. She was the youngest at nine years old. But you knew exactly where she was. She was usually the one following you around anyways. A part of you was glad that she didn't have to see this mess.
"We aren't-- W H E R E ARE YOU GOING??"
He had the audacity to grab your hand. The brat. Had Haru not had enough by yanking your hair and pulling at your face the moment you walked into the room half an hour ago? Apparently not. You knew that eleven-year old's had enough sentience and conscience to bully others.
Which they did, by the way. They acted like they were better than you. But it was only Hana and Haru-- where as Sage and Sato weren't as bad but they still liked insulting you. (Seriously, why would you give twins names with the same letters and sounds??)
You didn't hesitate to backhand him. You didn't even hit him that hard-- it was more of a reprimanding slap. "You're such a little shit!"
"Uncalled for, (Name)."
But well deserved!
"...No comment." So, he agreed with you.
"You hit me!"
"You hit me earlier, brat! Plus, you're annoying." You wrenched his hand off of your wrist and wrenched the door open. "You had it coming anyways- act nicer and I might apologize!"
"Y-You hit me."
You looked over your shoulders, fire behind your eyes. "I hate crybabies, Haru. If you want me to stop being mean, do something about it."
He was not about to guilt trip you into apologizing. Haru would have to better himself, become even more of a bastard, and then start working out if he wanted to even the score. You sighed and shook your head before closing the door to the "family time room" and sprinting down the halls.
You reached your training grounds in the garden and smiled to yourself. You'd train after you found a certain someone.
Your youngest sister and one of the only people you liked in this new world
Her name was Lory. She was cute- and her hair reminded you of a light orange moon. She was pretty short and as quiet as a mouse. Lory seemed to like following you around, usually watching your quieter training sessions. (Your sparring sessions with Kosai were always held deep in the woods).
Sure enough, you heard quiet footsteps behind you as soon as you headed in the direction of the waterfall that your house (mansion) was built in front of. You glanced over your shoulder. Your eyes found Lory fast. She was following you and squatting behind a bush.
"Lory, good to see you."
Her own eyes widened in surprise. How did you spot her.
Kosai smiled internally. "It's always nice to see her."
Yeah. She's very comforting to be around- despite that I've only known her for two weeks.
"She enjoys your company as well. You can invite her to meditation training?"
Your pleasure. You walked over to her and smiled. "Lory, want to join me? You don't mind getting your clothes wet, right?"
She shook her head. That was good. You hoped she didn't mind getting cold either.
~ . . . ~
"S-So... you do this every day now?" Lory asked, shivering, but thankfully more comfortable. She was able to speak more clearly when she was around you. She was a bit farther to the side of the waterfall so she wouldn't get the brunt force of the water.
You nodded, surprised that your head didn't split in half underneath the weight of the waterfall. "Yep! I'm going to become stronger!"
She asked why. You wondered if you could tell her. She was timid and easily startled. And she was the only child in the family who was tutored from home. But she was nine- she had to know what a pirate was by now. You couldn't wait to tell her about the man who brought upon the dawn of the Golden Age of Pirates.
"Big sis?"
Your heart squeezed. "Yeah, sorry- just occupied with my thoughts!" You rose your voice so she could hear you over the sound of the rushing water. "I want to be a pirate!"
She was silent for a minute.
"Big sis, what about your role as queen? You're supposed to be the next in line. Don't you want that?"
Shaking your head, you clasped your hands together and closed your eyes. "Too many ties are going to hold me down. I'd rather be a pirate. When I do? I'll try to get my captain to claim this land as his territory if anyone else is a threat."
Lory looked confused. "You aren't going to be a captain?"
"Lory, I have the mental stability of a potato chip. I cannot handle a crew." Especially one as chaotic as the Straw Hats. It made you shiver just thinking about it. You'd have to make sure Luffy didn't die. That was another one of your goals for becoming a pirate.
"You want to claim... your island?"
"No! My captain will claim the island as their territory. Then nobody'll bother you guys when I'm gone."
"O...Okay." She trailed off suddenly.
"I know you want to ask something. Go ahead!" The water continued to pour down harder and harder. You were used to the chill already. You always felt better once you were out of the cold water.
Lory asked away. "Why don't you want to be a princess? Or a queen?"
Odd. She seemed to be dead set on getting a better answer. You really had no interest in titles like that. Yes, you had many things. A second chance at life. A good home. Little shits for brothers. An angel for a sister, and a hard-working father. You had everything you could ever need and anything you ever wanted. "Why do you want to leave when you had all of this?" That's what she was trying to say, at least.
You hummed in thought. "Eh... Not for me. Like I said, too many things will hold me back. Besides, don't you want to be a queen?"
She nodded.
You turned to the side and gave her a toothy grin. "Then there's my other reason. I'm becoming I pirate to protect you, Lory. And our family. The future queen of Crow Island needs to be safe, you know."
Her eyes widened again. Maybe she heard you wrong, you spoke softer. The roaring water that rained down from overhead muffled your voice. But she hoped she didn't hear you wrong. You said that you'd protect her.
You were smiling like you had never smiled before. Only a little while ago, you rarely smiled. Now you looked so happy. So bright and full of life.
She smiled back. "Thank you, big sis!"
An arrow pierced through your heart. "Lory, you're such a sweetheart!"
"(Name), don't open your mouth that wide--"
Too late
Water filled your mouth and shot down your unsuspecting throat and you started coughing violently. You contained your curses as Lory started freaking out when you were brought to your knees in the water.
"Big sis?!"
"OH, COME ON WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME I'D INHALE WATER??"
"I DIDN'T THINK THAT YOU WOULD DO THAT!"
"UGH!"
"Big sis, don't die!"
She started freaking out as she dragged you out from under the waterfall. There was water in your ears, and you were ready to start screaming even more. Too bad you didn't want to curse around Lory. Maybe if you dragged your limp body back to the family meeting room, they'd accept your cursing and screaming.
Lory was shaking your shoulders as you hacked and coughed up water, crying out in worry.
Yeah, this was your family
Problems and all