Your birthday had come and gone, and that stupid swordsman who you were supposed to confess your "undying love for" (thinking of this man had become more of a chore than anything) was nowhere to be seen. When he finally decided to pay you a visit, you'd be beating his ass whether he liked it or not. Your time was being wasted worrying about him- which you were just done for by now.
Why would you be so concerned waiting for some succulent to come bother you, eat your food, probably insult you, before fucking off entirely? You didn't want to deal with that. Nobody wanted to deal with that. He'd probably fall asleep if you tried to talk to him.
You were glad that he hadn't shown- you had no stresses about the plot anymore. All of your planning was more or less complete (save for the very important events) and that meant you could devote your time to doing what you liked.
Zoro could show up whenever he wanted, as long as it was convenient, and then he could be sent on his merry way.
That only left you one thing to worry about.
The wedding
You weren't even that worried about it. Most of the preparations had been done in your absence, and the outfit you chose to wear only had to have its final modifications and such.
May Rose-- the bride. You had talked with her frequently, and she was a very nice woman. Humorous, happy, very smiley-- she was like a ball of sunshine. She stood shorter than you, but only by about an inch. You were glad that you were a bit taller, but unfortunately, you weren't as tall as that beanstalk named Roronoa Zoro.
You swore one day you'd grow taller than him out of spite
"You're a little over five and a half feet tall-- You're... Probably going to keep on growing."
I better. I better be taller than almost everyone on the crew. Your gaze hardened as you looked at your reflection in the mirror. You didn't like that it was in your room. When you were done dressing yourself up, you put the sheet back over the mirror and sighed.
"You look nice, (Name)."
"Thanks Bae. I try to look my best."
He hummed. "You're welcome."
You patted down your outfit as you looked at Annan. He was leaned up against the side of your desk.
"Good thing dad said that I could bring you along. The only rule is that you can't talk. Something about "scaring other people"."
Kosai hummed. "Makes sense. There's going to be a lot of royals attending. Along with May's five kids."
Holy shit I forgot that I had to deal with five more people. At least I'm still the oldest. You rubbed your temples as you sat down on your desk table. "Annan, no matter what, you can't stab anyone unless they're Celestial Dragons, okay? They're those hippopotamus-built motherfuckers that dress like dollar store astronauts. We hate them, okay??"
Annan blinked. "I'm allowed to stab people. Really?"
"Only Celestial Dragons."
"Your father doesn't associate with them anyways. He wouldn't invite those degenerates to the wedding in the first place."
You breathed out a sight of relief. All you had to do was be on your best behavior. It wasn't that hard.
"Ow- shit!" A twinge of pain shot up your back and you hunched over. It was another one of those aches. You better not be dying now. You had been routinely feeling back pain every few days or so, but you didn't think you were injured at all.
One of your arms collided with one of your succulents-- knocking it over onto many of your other plants that were starting to take over your room. Goddamn it.
"FUCK!!"
Your back flared up in a bit more pain as you picked up everything. (You thought you lost your favorite moss and bamboo plant for a second) It sucked to deal with, but you dealt with it.
It was just annoying that you had to deal with the pain. Maybe your time of the month was coming up again...? No, that wouldn't make sense. You got stomach cramps and back aches, not downright pain. Weird. You hoped that it went away soon. The ache that followed had your stomach turn in discomfort. Like something wasn't right.
"Are you alright?" Annan was concerned.
You nodded. "Just a pain. Nothing else." I hope...
"I can't understand why you're feeling pain. And I can't find anything wrong with your back..." He sighed, frustrated. "I'm sorry, (Name)."
"It's okay, Ko. It'll probably go away soon."
Hopefully
"... Just tell me if it gets too bad. I can try... something."
At his offer, you accepted, but you doubted that he knew what was going on. If you didn't know where the pain was coming from, how was he supposed to know? It would be one of life's great mysteries.
"It sucks that we can't see Lory until she walks down the aisle. I saw her dress and it was so cute. I'll probably have to talk to a lot of people too-- so Kosai, you're going to have to flirt with Annan or something while I'm busy."
"I WILL DO NO SUCH THING"
Humming, you reached under the neck of your outfit and pulled you tattoo off before slapping it on Annan's hilt. "Why? I think you two get along just fine."
Kosai screeched and was forming without his will, form shaking and trembling in pure fear, and he shot back onto your body. "(NAME) I HATE IT WHEN YOU DO THAT"
IT'S LITERALLY NOT THAT BAD
"IT'S HORRIBLE"
ANNAN WOULD BE HOT AS FUCK IF HE WAS HUMAN, I ALREADY KNOW THAT
"YOU DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH HIM IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT- I HAVE TO"
You almost exploded. "WHY CAN'T YOU JUST GET ALONG?!"
Annan heartily laughed at the two of you. "I don't mind sleeping. But I would prefer if I was able to talk to you, Kosai."
"Yeah, please, Kosai," you wiped a nonexistent tear from your eye and sighed happily. "Really, I'd be thankful if you two didn't fight and actually bonded. You need to get to know each other if we're all going to be on this ride with me."
"NO"
"Please?"
"I REFUSE!"
"COME ON"
"NEVER!"
Pursing your lips, you held onto Kosai and locked eyes with him. "I'll give you your favorite candy. Three whole bags. And..." your eyes drifted to Annan. "Refrain from flirting. I think it's funny- but I won't be able to hear you two in the first place."
You imagined that he was bowing his head. "As you wish."
"Kosai?"
"..." His eyes didn't meet yours. In fact, they were all looking away from you. A pout came to your lips as you looked down at him.
"Kosai. Please?"
"...Make it four bags."
Your pout was replaced with a bright smile. He warmed and nearly melted in your hands as you thanked him. "That's good, Kosai. I just want you two to get along, okay. But you don't have to start right now-- only when the ceremony begins."
"I believe it begins in an hour or so," Annan spoke. "I remember that King Sai requested that you meet up with your brothers before then."
Oh, fuck me sideways, I don't want to see them. You tried not to let his comment dampen your mood. "Right, right... We should probably get going now. In you go!" Reaching forward, you grabbed Annan and sheathed him into the scabbard before pressing Kosai against your chest.
He melted into your body. "I'm surprised that they tailored extra arm holes for you. I would've thought that Sai would want you to hide your arms from the other nobility."
Nah, Dad's cool. He doesn't really care about my arms, and he'll probably kick out anyone who badmouths me.
"Ah. Can we get those citrus konpeito? I like orange flavored candies."
Yeah, sure.
You'd have to sneak some alcohol for Annan as well. Turns out that he could technically drink. You found that out when you accidentally spilled fruit juice on him, and Annan just absorbed it all and commented that your taste in juice was good.
You already knew that the sword demon liked booze- he had expressed that he couldn't wait for the day that he'd have alcohol from Skypiea again.
Note to self- we have to discuss future plans with Annan. He already knows about our situation and is ready to help.
"I'll talk to him during the ceremony."
Alright, thanks. You smiled and gave the hilt of your sword a small tap as your other hand reached out for the handle. Oh, maybe you could pick some flowers for May-- a bridal bouquet was the only thing that had slipped all of your minds.
"Alright, a quick stop to get flowers, bring your money!"
Right!
You swung open the door with a bright smile
"Well, here we go!"
~ . . . ~
This wasn't supposed to happen
May wasn't supposed to be here
She was supposed to be back at Sai's castle, getting ready with her bridesmaids. She was supposed to be at the castle, and the castle alone. She was shellshocked.
How had things turned out like this? How had it turned from her getting her hair ready, to overlooking the village that surrounded Sai's castle that was getting farther and farther away? It was dwindling in the distance. They were leading her further away from the village and city and into the forest.
There were plenty of hiding places in the forest. Would they even be able to find her if they started looking for her?
More importantly, why did these bounty hunters want her head? For ransom? Did they want something from her? They were all just talking idly, like they didn't have two hostages. Like they didn't just kidnap two people and take them into the woods. They had the intent to do something. But what?
They hadn't let her talk at all- her mouth was bound. Her hands and ankles were tied and the rope burned her skin. She was scared. So scared.
She flinched at every noise. The twigs cracking. A few coughs or snide comments from the bounty hunters. Even the cawing of the crows overhead scared her. May was hyper away of everything. She'd never forget this. Not even if she wanted to.
It was supposed to be a happy day. A ceremonious day. Filled with tears of joy, not sadness. May expected to remember this day forever- as the worst day of her life.
And she wasn't the only one who had fallen victim to this. Sai's youngest child. They had taken her too. All because the little girl wanted to help May with her hair and try to help calm her nerves. Now she was being traumatized by the bounty hunters that had captured them.
"Stop squirming, brat."
Lory struggled even more from her place under the bounty hunter's arm. His arm twitched, like he was about to hit her.
"I said stop. Or I'll hurt you."
Her muffled cries elicited groans of the others around him. May felt her throat close up in fear when the grip around her tightened. She was also thrown over one of the shoulders of the bandits. She was at least thankful that they had no intentions of doing anything to them. Her wedding gown was left untouched-- and Lory was unscathed.
... For now
"I'm warning you!" He grew angrier.
A woman next to him grimaced, glaring at the struggling child. "She's really getting on my nerves...!"
"Cut her tongue out."
"Idiot, she'd choke on her blood and die."
He looked unbothered. "And?"
"Do we even need her-- let's just leave her on the side of the road or something."
"You fucking dumbass- they'd find us immediately."
Another sighed, "We should've just left her! Kids are so annoying..."
"If she doesn't stop panicking, I'm going to do something to make her stop."
May had a feeling that they weren't afraid to get physical
Lory was in tears. Her orange hair was messy, her eyes red, and her breathing was erratic as she squirmed and thrashed around. She hadn't given up ever since they had been taken. Her dress was crumpled and wrinkled from the scuffle, but there wasn't a mark on her.
"For now" echoed in her head again. May gulped as her thoughts spiraled. What would happen to her if Lory was hurt? Would Sai pin it on her? Would he have her head? She knew that Sai was nice, but he was serious when it came to family...!
If only... If only May had been more careful. She should've seen this coming. She was so stupid-- lowering her guard on the day she was supposed to be wed. It was a perfect time to kidnap someone. Hell, maybe they were planning on kidnapping other aristocrats or royals if they had the chance.
The wedding had been publicized all over the island. They should've kept it a secret. It was all May's fault. She should've kept things low.
For Lory's sake, she held back her tears. She'd be no good if she started crying herself, and it wouldn't comfort the young girl if she was freaking out. As long as she went along with the bounty hunters, they would be safe.
But would anyone come to save them? Would anybody notice that they were gone yet? From what May had last said to the maids, it would seem like they'd be gone and occupied until the ceremony began. It was in an hour- but would it be too late by the time they all realized?
They could be on the other side of the island by then. Or another island entirely. The only thing that May thought the hunters would do was hide them. After that...?
May didn't want to think about it
She had to stay calm. She had to be strong. May needed to figure out a way to protect both herself and Lory as they waited for help. The guards might notice. Sai's other children might notice. Her own children might notice.
The gag around her mouth was tugged off roughly. "You've been on good behavior, princess. Want to calm your kid down? It'd be a shame if we had to hurt her."
May swallowed thickly and locked eyes with Lory. She still had tears running down her face, but her thrashing had lessened.
"...Lory, please listen to what they say. I don't want you to get hurt."
Her breathing was fast and erratic. Her eyes were wide- but she stopped. May was calm. She should calm down too, shouldn't she. What was Lory even thinking- thrashing around like that?
The men and women who aided in capturing the duo laughed at them.
"Aww, she listened! How cute..."
"Looks like they are obedient!"
"How much do you think the kid will sell for?"
"Not as much as the princess-- that's for sure."
"We're gonna get a huge cut of the check from the boss!"
"I know, right? I can't wait... Maybe we can go back and catch some of the other kids."
May's stomach was doing back flips. She felt like she was about to throw up- but she was better off keeping her mouth sealed shut.
"Like those sets of twins-- they'd be high on the market."
"Too bad it takes forever to get to the Sabaody Archipelago. I want these guys off our back already. Then we can head back to Dressrosa!"
"I miss that place! Ugh, the sun and the seas..."
Dressrosa?
Sabaody...?
They- They couldn't have meant...!
No, it was impossible-- they couldn't be planning to sell her and Lory off to the Celestial Dragons
"I should've grabbed that one girl- the one with four arms. She was pretty cute- I bet she would've sold for at least a few billion."
What were they doing all the way out here?
"That one's a fighter though- she's got the blood of a demon in her. You hear of her dad?"
"Huh? Who's that?"
May wrenched her eyes shut
They couldn't be talking about (Name)
(Name) wasn't in any danger- she couldn't be in any danger..!
"That girl, Crooner (Name)-- or I heard she switched her name around or something-- but don't you know who her dad is?"
"...That old fool, right? King Sai?"
May's throat burned
She failed, she failed, she failed-
She failed to keep Sai's children safe
"No, he's not even her biological father- you can figure that out with some digging. She's that monster's kid- C. Crooner."
The air fell silent. May could hear her heartbeat in her ears. She screwed her eyes shut and kept her mouth closed.
"That bastard? The one who's always freeing the slaves we catch?!"
"Oh, we should've caught her."
"Maybe we can lure her out later-- and get a huge bonus."
They all cackled
"Oh, she's strong, but not strong enough to go against us."
"I bet she thinks she's a badass! From one of my friends, they told me that the Crooner girl has healing abilities. We can rough her up all we want."
May's stomach twisted into knots
They wanted to hurt (Name)
All because of her father
"You know, if her dad wasn't such an asshole, I would've liked her. But she's clearly on the track that he took- so it's better to just snuff her out before we have another problem on our hands."
"Imagine having to deal with two of those boisterous bastards. She's the bastard child of the previous queen- and I doubt she was raised correctly. She's probably exactly like that pirate."
"I heard that they might make Crooner a Yonko!"
"Really?! He's been in hiding for years- and his influences have only gotten stronger!"
"Yeah, but he's got contacts with Red Hair Shanks and Whitebeard. That man's got connections everywhere."
"But we have the key to his downfall."
(Name)
She was... She was probably his one weakness
It made sense. She was his only child. Crooner was a family man. He loved his friends and his found family- so there's no telling what would happen if (Name) was hurt and he got wind of it.
May recalled that Sai told her about Crooner. How he wasn't a monster. Sai had known Crooner for a while- and it was all just an act. He supported the royal family by providing treasures in gold, silver, jewels, and more, all because Sai was raising (Name).
But it was Crooner. His moods could change at the drop of a hat.
Not only that, but it was no secret (to everyone but (Name), it seemed) that Crow Island was territory of both the Red Haired Pirates and the Madmen Pirates. It was a shared territory. The bounty hunters- they were right. It was all because of Crooner's influence.
"With her, we can control him."
"Maybe we can make him buy her! Sell her for billions-- maybe trillions!"
"He's a heartless man, but Crooner loves family. My inside sources say that his treasure donations make up over 20% of this country's income."
"Hah! We'll swindle the idiot-- and sell his daughter to the Celestial Dragons anyways."
Their laughter felt toxic to May's ears
"Hmmm... You know, Joker might like someone like her."
"Oh... Oh ho, you're right, he'd love having her as a pet. She's pretty exotic. There's rumors that Joker and Crooner had a history and a pretty large fight."
"Are you kidding? That'd cause a war and a half- we can't give her to Joker!"
"Yeah, and we're bottom rankers. We only take the best of the best and send 'em up. It's a one in a million chance that anyone we catch ends up in Joker's family."
"She'd be a nice centerpiece, though. Working for him- I could see it."
They spoke about (Name) like they already had her in their grasp. Like they owned her. May prayed that the day would never come. She wanted her to run away. Run as far away as she could and never look back.
Crooner was dangerous for a reason. His influence would cause (Name) a lot of trouble once she set sail. It was clear as day that the two were related. They were similar in appearance and personality. What was worse was that (Name) would absolutely have incredibly strong people chasing after her. Once she became a pirate (and please- it wasn't like her dreams were a secret) (Name)'s bounty would skyrocket instantly.
But who was Joker? And why... Why did May have a feeling of dread welling up in her stomach at the name?
"Still, it's a low chance. Do you think that Joker will actually like (Name)?"
"He was obsessed with Crooner for a while- what makes you think he wouldn't want her? She's like shark bait. If he dangles the prize, Crooner will come running."
She flinched when they noticed she was listening. May paled when her face was grabbed, and they forced her to look at them.
"What's wrong? Don't wanna talk?" The one who held her taunted, "Is there anything you want to say?"
No. No, I don't want to say anything.
"Yeah, join the conversation! What do you think should happen to (Name)?"
Leave her alone.
The look on her face must have said it all. They had gotten the reaction that they wanted. They all shared another round of hideous laughter at the hostage's misfortune. May's stomach was violently thrashing around in her own body, and she lowered her head. Lory's gad wasn't even taken off. It was tightened.
She whimpered in discomfort. Lory didn't stop crying. More tears fell from her eyes, and her face was hot and uncomfortably stuffy as her own head dropped forward. She was scared.
She wanted to go home
She wanted to hide in her room
Under her bed
And stay there
Forever
She wanted someone to save her. Lory wasn't even strong enough to resist the bounty hunters. Where were the guards? Where was everyone else? Why hadn't they noticed her absence yet?
...Where was (Name)?
Lory was so, so scared. She feared for her life. She didn't want to be sold off. She wanted to be at home. Lory just wanted to be back home, with her family, and enjoying each other's company.
She was about to curse Crooner- but stopped. (Name) didn't hold any ill intent to the man, so neither did she. Lory had to be strong for (Name). She just had to. She couldn't fight, but if she found a chance where she could get out of there with May, she'd take it.
Lory would do what (Name) would do in a situation like this. Think about a plan first and wait for the right time. But... Lory wasn't as good as thinking of plans as her sister was. (Name) was always universes ahead of others. That's what she thought anyways.
An hour had passed- and the sun was blazing overhead. The bounty hunters had finally stopped and were nearing a cave entrance. It looked like a small camp had been set up there. They were close to the sea. May and Lory could see that. They were going to rest before getting ready to ship the two off.
"Such a long walk! I hate those crows, too-- Why can't they have literally any other bird?" One whined.
"It's called Crow Island for a reason, genius."
"Shut up before I cut your tongue off."
The group laughed. "Is that your only insult?!"
May's face dropped. They were all monsters. These were the heartless ones. The ones that deserved to rot in prison. The ones that rejected their own humanity in favor of money. Power. Fame. Anything else that made them feel superior.
"Well, you two stay there or else."
They were seated next to each other, tied to some sturdy trees. They tried not to show their fear, but it was pointless. They were shivering. Shaking. Their nerves were getting the better of them. More crows cawed overhead. Would May ever hear those crows again? Or would this be the last time that her and Lory would ever see those wonderful birds?
"Great, you're not screaming. We don't have to hurt you." He gave her a disgusting smile.
She leaned back further into the tree, and Lory huddled closer to her for some type of comfort.
They were checked over for any injury by a few of the women, who wiped their dirtied faces off with rags dipped in water. May's face burned as they took off all of her makeup roughly. She thought it was better than having her mascara streak down her face, or her lipstick smudging.
Her face felt dry and her hopes were crushed when they left the two, letting the others to their thing. One of the bounty hunters hollered for one of the higher ups.
"They're ready!"
"Good. Where's the boss? He's gotta check the products."
May heard leaves crunch behind her
"You should check yourself before coming after my family."
The bounty hunter swiveled around, eyes darting from tree to tree. They were wide in alert. His gaze finally landed on the tree that Lory and May had been tied down to.
There was a young teen standing behind it. She stood still. A monstrous crow was perched on her shoulder as it gazed blankly at the hunter. It croaked and stared. Ominously. An air surrounded the girl. Almost like a shadow. Swirling and radiating danger. His body told him to run. To get away from her.
Her arms at were her sides with her fists clenched. Her outfit was pristine, and there was a small bunch of flowers in her grasp. In one of her other hands, a sword was drawn. It was a sinister aura. The hunter could've sworn that he saw the eyes on that sword blink.
It was you
And you weren't alone
"You guys sure bring us bounty hunters a bad rep."
A green haired man stood next to you, his hand resting on the hilts of the three swords at his side. His eyes were clearly trained on the other bounty hunters that had their own swords. His lips quirked up in a smirk and he tilted his head to the side slightly. Like he was sizing them up.
"I'll take the ones with the swords."
"Then I'll take on their boss. Don't disappoint me, Zoro."
Lory... She had never seen your face display such an emotion anymore. You had been angry before. Upset, annoyed, all of the above, but this... this was so much different. You weren't calm. You weren't collected anymore, even if you looked like you were. This was nothing like you. You weren't mad. You weren't angry.
No
You were pissed.