"(Name)? Are you okay?"
Your voice breaks
"I'm fine."
You didn't sound fine. And you're also a little offended how quickly Zoro catches on. Actually, you're very offended. What, was he eavesdropping or something? Suddenly becoming emotionally intelligent? This was your personal and private hug with Nami and he was kinda ruining it with the way he turned to you.
"Uh, what happened?"
"Nothing happened, I'm fine."
"You don't look fine."
What Zoro expected was a 'you don't look fine either, idiot', from you, but paused when you said nothing.
Alright. What the fuck.
"What happened?" Nami pulled away, and you wanted to whine like a little bitch. Of course, you couldn't. That would look strange if there were general crying noises (heart wrenching sobs) coming from behind your demon mask. You were strong, though. You wouldn't ever let your friend see weakness like this.
You shakily inhale. Fuck, nevermind. There goes the bad bitch persona. Zoro leans forward, voice dropping lower. "Are you crying?"
"No."
"Maybe."
He blinks. You break.
"Yes."
"Why?"
You weakly swatted him away, just wanting Nami to hold you again. Was that too much to ask for these days? A hug from your hot navigator? Who wouldn't want that?
"I don't have to tell you anything." You said, sniffing so that snot wouldn't start running down your face. If that happened? Gone. Out the window. You would never return knowing that your friends had watched you break like a toothpick under all of this unwanted pressure. Was it too late to go home? You'd like a one way ticket to Crow Island to see your family again, please and thank you.
The fact that Nami had stopped giving you the affection that was keeping you mentally stable. For the time being, seeing as a sixth grader's paper mache project was stronger than your mental health.
"But what happened? Is that why you left earlier?"
You don't respond for a second, but after seeing the worried look on Nami's face (and watching Luffy get ready to start fist fighting a stranger since he was an idiot), you nodded.
"Why? What happened?"
"...Don't wanna say."
Nami's hands find their way to your shoulders. "This is serious... (Name), you're crying–"
You shush her quickly, making a few motions with your own hands to get her to quiet down.
"You can't just–"
"Shh."
"Hey–"
"Shh!" You glance around. At first, Nami thinks that you're checking to see if anybody heard what she had just said.
You weren't. I'll be damned. It's time to get beat up.
"You won't get beat up."
Let me. I want this. I might feel better after half of the people in the bar throw their belongings at me. Your eyes darted around from behind your mask as you turned away. You instinctively pulled your hood back over your head and it draped over the horns of your mask. A loud sniff came from you as you tried to suck the tears back into your eyes and deny your moment of weakness. "Ohh... incoming."
All of a sudden (not really), the swinging wooden doors to the bar open, and in comes Bellamy the Hyena. His appearance angers you and so does his association with Sarquiss. Just like that, you're a confused bundle of emotions, and you're subject to watch what's about to go down. And your friends are probably going to yell at you later. Yay...
Though you finally know what he looks like now. He's got dirty blonde hair that's shaggy and short, and he's got two faint tattoos that you can barely make out on the sides of his arms. His arms themselves are folded over his chest as his long coat rests on his shoulders. All in all, Bellamy has one hell of a punchable face. The smirk he has isn't helping.
"Head down. He might recognize you."
You do as you're told. Bellamy speaks after a silence has swept over the bar. He hums, amused, and too cocky for his own good, as his eyes land on Luffy, who's still standing on the counter. Even after that other man had left. "So you're the man who's worth thirty million? Straw Hat Luffy."
Luffy plops back down on his seat. His elbows are propped up on the counter behind him. "What is it?"
"Sounds like he's looking for you, Luffy."
"You're so observant, Zoro," you say bitterly. Zoro feels like kicking you in the shins like a lovely gentleman.
Nami, by some miracle, caught some of the whispers that were being tossed around in the bar. "Bellamy...? The name of the guy who rented out the hotel we tried to visit?"
The murmuring grew louder from Bellamy's proclamation.
"Straw Hat...?"
"That kid?"
"You hear that? He said that kid with the straw hat has a thirty million beri bounty!"
"Can't be true..."
"Wow! The people I've met today are huge!" Luffy bluntly said. Bellamy ended up walking up to the bar space next to your captain. He didn't seem to mind Luffy's comment. Hell, he might've taken it as a compliment.
"Give me a glass of your best wine, and give the kid whatever he wants." He gestures to the straw hat wearing boy beside him. The bartender nods.
"Okay..."
"Look, the group from before," your navigator friend comments, and your eye twitches in annoyance as you shift between her and Zoro, bending down a bit.
That damn wasp. He's strong, I'll give him that... make sure he doesn't get up next time. Cloak, please.
"You should've let me break his legs."
He would've screamed too much. That would've been annoying.
"Oh, great," Says Zoro, who watches you crouch underneath the bar table before you disappear from his sight in the shadows. Something is definitely about to happen and you're hiding... Why, though?
His eyes went to the group that had walked to the door. He could tell that they certainly weren't happy. One guy, who seemed to be the center of the group, was holding his hand over his mouth while his friends brushed him off. His words come out angry, annoyed, and agitated. Zoro sees something missing from the picture but he can't tell what it is.
"Bleurgh. It's all stinky, dirty, and nasty in here," Sarquiss complains. You're so going to staple his mouth shut later if you get your hands on him again. "How can you guys drink here? All they sell is cheap stuff..." He grunts in pain, as if he had bit his tongue, before continuing. "This place is somehow packed...?"
In a flash, Sarquiss takes out a few guys seated at a table. Sadly, not on a date, but in a fight. The unnamed ruffians are out of commotion and on the floor. Asshole. Anyways– Sarquiss reclines like a king on a throne. You, the executioner in the shadows, are staring him down like you're waiting for the very second you can strike.
"They could've just given us their seats. They didn't have any etiquette, the bunch of idiots."
Your blood begins to boil. He's the one talking about etiquette?
Bellamy sends his friend a slightly concerned glance. He clearly saw the state the guy was in, but chose not to comment on it. What an icon. Sarquiss huffs as others in the bar shoot him dirty looks.
"What happened?" Bellamy finally asks, sending Sarquiss another glance. He doesn't appear to be as concerned as you thought. He also wanted to ask the question about the jacket. That affair was better left unsaid.
"Got into a scuffle. Not much," he waved him off. Sarquiss was taking a lot of care to make sure that Bellamy didn't get a good view of his tongue. Ah, he was hiding his wounded pride. How cowardly.
The bartender finally gets some drinks for Bellamy and Luffy. "Here. Sorry to keep you waiting."
Lily smiles. "Bellamy likes to play."
Sarquiss smirks. "Yeah, he does."
I like to kill.
"Woah, woah, woah," Kosai says, like he's trying to calm down a horse.
Luffy laughs, since he's too kind for this world, and nearly drains the entire glass. "You're a good guy after all!"
Bellamy grabs the back of Luffy's head before slamming him into the bar counter top. The counter breaks from the blow, wood splintering and crunching underneath the rubber boy's head.
"AHH!! THEY'VE STARTED!"
"LUFFY!"
Sarquiss nearly falls out of his chair as he laughs, pointing at the destruction. "Bellamy finally lost control! Hahaha!"
What's not so funny is Zoro pointing his katana at Bellamy's throat. The pirate hums, before a challenging smirk appears on his face. "What are you trying to do, boy?"
Zoro glowers. "That question should be for you to answer."
"Z-Zoro, wait!" Nami cuts in, "We haven't found any information yet!"
"Shut up! Someone attacked us, and I'm defending!"
Luffy stands up a moment later. He wiped the blood from his face, from a few small cuts he had sustained, and looked at Bellamy. The man who called himself a hyena smiled widely. "Oh? Can you still stand?"
"Alright. Looks like you're ready to fight."
The bar erupts into cheers and jeers a second later.
"They actually want to fight Bellamy now!"
"Haha, do it!!"
"Do it! Do it!"
"Fight! Fight!"
"Gyahahahah!" Bellamy grins wickedly. "This isn't a fight, it's a test! Show me what you got!"
Oh, I get why he's called the hyena now, You think, disturbed as you inch back towards Nami. Bellamy's laugh was a bit odd.
"Luffy! Wait!" Nami stops him before turning to the bartender. She has to talk to him and try to get at least a little information out of him before Luffy decides that the island of Jaya needs one less bar. "Hey! Mister! We want to go to the sky island! Skypiea! Do you know anything about it?!"
"..."
"..."
"...Is she... joking?"
Oh, my dear Nami... You gripped your cloak, seething. I would take your place any day, if I wasn't the daughter of a Yonko.
The room, once silent, was now filled with booming laughter all around. Everyone is laughing. Everyone. Nami looks around in confusion as the laughter grows louder and louder. Drinks are spilled, dishes are knocked over, and you're sure you see a few people fall out of their chairs.
"Sh-She said 'Skypiea'-- YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING!"
"Ahahahahaha!! You gotta be!!"
Their amusement made her cheeks go pink. In an attempt to defend herself, Nami held up her wrist and pointed at the log pose. "B-But it's pointing at the sky! What are you guys laughing at?!"
A beat of silence passed, before another fit of laughter followed. Nami's face grew even redder.
"Did the log pose really point to the sky?!!"
"Hahahahahahaaa!!!"
"Those things get messed up all the time!"
"Log poses are wrong sometimes– we're in the Grand Line!"
Bellamy laughs, taking a seat and propping his elbow up on a spot of the bar he didn't destroy. "I can't take it anymore, haha! I don't know what backwater country you kids are from, but do you actually believe the myth about the island in the sky?" He snorts. "What age are you people from?"
He's taking pity on us. How wonderful.
"(Name), you're tearing holes through your cloak."
Like I give a fuck.
"The mysterious currents of Grand Line are being solved one by one," Bellamy explained. "Knock-Up Stream is one of them. Let me guess. You've never heard of it?" The look on your crew's faces was a dead giveaway. "I'll tell you– don't worry. The people who end up taking that Knock-Up Stream end up getting shot into the sky before falling back into the ocean."
Kosai was getting annoyed. "I want to shoot him. I don't even have a gun and I want to shoot him."
"A long time ago," Bellamy continued on, "When sailors saw ships falling from the sky, they imagined that there was an island up there. They kept on saying, "there must be an island up there!" and crap like that. It's impossible. All phenomena have an explanation. All dreams can be explained!"
His laughing grew louder, as his grip on his cup tightened. Bellamy went on and on and on about trying to test Luffy and his friends to see if they were fit for the 'New Era'. If they were worthy of joining his crew. Spoiler alert: They weren't.
"The era of a 'pirate's dream' is over! The city of 'Lost Gold'?! The 'Emerald City'?! The great treasure of 'One Piece'?!"
THE ONE PIECE IS REALLL–
"SHUT THE FUCK UP–"
"The fools who go after their 'dream treasure' can't see the truth right in front of them! In this era, the ones who have strengths are the ones who don't have their heads in the clouds!" Bellamy yells. "In the end, this is how people will judge the idiots that died. "This guy lived his dream– admirable." What a load of shit!"
Your mood dampened further when you watched Bellamy grip his wine bottle tighter in his hand. He then smashes it over Luffy's head, spraying alcohol and glass everywhere.
"Whenever I see idiots who chase their dreams, it makes me sick!"
Nami gasps. "Luffy!"
Bellamy scoffs as he looks down on Luffy. "It's because of wimps like you that give us pirates a bad rep."
Does he want to see a pirate that'll really give the rest of them a bad reputation? You try to slow your breathing. Luffy was fine. He was okay.
It's right around now that the first glass is tossed. It luckily misses hitting the boy and breaks on the ground right next to where his head is. Next thing you know, you're having things like plates and silverware being thrown at you.
"Get out of here, you bunch of losers!"
"Get the hell out!"
"Hurry up and leave this town!"
"You're making this beer taste like shit!"
Sarquiss laughs loudly. "Bellamy! The paying customers want to see a show!"
Bellamy sticks his tongue out. "I'd be happy to give 'em one!"
Your eye twitches as you watch full bottles fly at your friends. You think quickly, not really struggling to choose between logic and emotion. What you're really wondering about is the safety of the people at the bar. Whatever. Whoever participated was getting a piece of your mind. They wanted a show? You'd give them one.
Cloak off.
"Right." Kosai recedes like a beach tide over your skin.
You catch a bottle that's about to hit Nami and take aim, your gaze snapping to an unsuspecting Sarquiss. You chuck it at him as hard as you can. It hits his forehead and shatters. There's yet another shower of alcohol and glass. And a scream, of course.
"Beer already tastes like shit," you grumble. A part of you wants to shave Sarquiss bald. "I hope you'll like the show."
"You promised not to fight!" Nami yelled.
"Nami..." You turn back, tilting your head to the side. "You only made Zoro and Luffy promise you that. We never agreed on it."
Sarquiss bounces back up, new injuries on his face as you're busy making sure that none of the glass hits your friends. He jabs a finger at you, enraged. "You! YOU!"
"Sarquiss?"
Bellamy nearly blanks after seeing his friend in such a sorry state. What he does do is back off on Luffy's bullying for the moment, as does the rest of the bar. You're not even upset that he's here (another lie). Now you get to take out more anger on another guy if he tries to go after you.
Sarquiss had definitely seen better days. Bellamy's brow raised. His sudden attitude towards you confuses him. Not to mention, your sudden appearance. You came out of nowhere and caught a bottle in midair before throwing it at his first mate.
"What the fuck happened to you?"
"She happened to me!"
Nami frantically turns to you, seeing that you're inhaling quickly– it's the typical actions of someone who's trying to get themselves to stop crying. You're so confused. You're pissed, sad, upset, and you're struggling to keep the tears at bay. You're getting angrier and angrier.
How dare they make fun of your friends? How dare they humiliate them? How dare they point and laugh?
Then Nami's eyes widened. That jacket– that jacket– that was the jacket that she had seen on Sarquiss. What the hell had you done to him?
And what the fuck did he do to you to make you cry?
"That little bastard is the Marine Hunter! Crooner (Name)!"
A Crooner? That kid that's been in the news recently? There's no way that she's in Mock Town.
Bellamy scoffs. If there was anything he could believe right now– it was that Crooner (Name) was nowhere near Jaya. And if she was there, truly– then Bellamy wasn't going to bother, if he valued his life. "Like she's allying with the Straw Hats. If it was her, what's the problem?"
Sarquiss looks like he wants to bite his tongue. (Boo-Hoo– if only it didn't sting so much). The glasses he wears are shattered– the blue tinted glass cracking at the sides around the frames. He could see that his captain was busy throwing stuff at those wannabe pirates– the main thing he sees is the broken bottle in Bellamy's clutches.
So Sarquiss angrily digs through his pockets– it's your old bounty poster, he realizes. Your first one. It's dated, but it works, and you lift your hands up to cover the mouth of your mask. It's involuntary– but you had learned to cover your face whenever you cry. You never liked it when people saw this side of you. The only one who had ever seen you cry was Kosai. You're lucky that they can't tell you're doing it right now.
You had always been a silent crier, after all. You always would be. You turn away from Sarquiss, not really perceiving him as a threat anymore. The anger you felt before– it's gone. It's all gone now.
Bellamy's eyes go to the poster, then to the mask that you adorned on your face. They widen in recognition– and shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, you're in trouble, aren't you? You were prepared for a lot of things. To run– because you were done fighting for the day (that was a one-sided beat down on your end, though), to scream, since you were the best at doing that, and bite. You have a sneaking suspicion that your mask is going to be yanked off of your face.
You did not expect the next words Bellamy said.
"Shit– Dude, why are you so mad?"
Both you and Kosai had the same reaction
What?
Sarquiss had the nerve to look offended. He stuck his tongue out, and gestured to the blood around his face. "She almost cut my tongue out!"
That lying skank. You were going to gut him like a pig.
Kosai sputters. "I thought you weren't angry anymore?!"
I LIED.
Bellamy looked at Sarquiss like he was an idiot. "I can't do anything about that."
You snorted. Then almost choked on your own snot.
"Fine!" He clearly fights back a hiss after seeing that Bellamy isn't going to do anything. "Then I'll do something about this!"
Next thing you know, the back of your head is being grabbed, and then your face is slammed into the already broken and destroyed bar table. Your friends scream out your name, scared for you, and you're fumbling to get yourself upright again. Kosai's all over your face. It protected you from the blow because you knew the mask would've harmed you if he didn't interfere.
And not that it matters– but you feel that Kosai has dried off all of the tears that were on your face.
Sarquiss stands over you, no longer gripping the back of your skull, but yanks you up by the scruff of the coat you stole from him. No way in hell he's getting that back from you. It was your coat now. It was your spoil of war because that fucker burned your sister's letters–
The demon mask crumbles off of your face. They clatter to the ground and you cough, reaching back and catching Sarquiss' wrist in a death grip. That's it. You're going to make him eat the apple– if it's even explosive. The bad luck you're supposed to be born with better kick in right now.
"It's really her! The bitch!"
It's like time slows. You see Bellamy's arm reel back, his fist clenched– holy shit, you're about to get punched. Your breath catches in your throat and you're already bracing yourself.
Apparently– that bad luck is nowhere to be found.
Because Bellamy's fist slams into Sarquiss's face– and he goes flying. The walls must be made of steel or something since they can withstand the force of Bellamy's strike. This place should be praised for its architectural integrity.
"You idiot! Out of everyone you could've got into a fight with– it was her?!"
You fall to the ground, surprised. You're lucky that Sarquiss didn't take you don't with him. "Wh...Huh?"
"B-Bellamy?" Sarquiss sits up from the ground, just barely, and you hear a pop that comes from his shoulders. Ouch. "What are you doing?"
"(Name)! Get out of here!"
You're not stupid enough to stick around and find out why Bellamy punched his friend and not you. Did he have poor depth perception? Is that what that was called?
You feel something within you snap. It's not you that's angry anymore. Your friends just watched someone slam your head into the ground (you broke through that damn bar table with the amount of force he used on you, exactly like Bellamy had done to Luffy) and there is one of your friends in particular who thinks it's time to hold a funeral.
He's the one that held back. He's the one that couldn't do anything for you as you suffered. It's time that Kosai had his fun– he wasn't allowed back on Alabasta, when he had split so many times he could barely do anything.
You were far too kind. To Kosai, your kindness should never be extended to degenerates like Sarquiss. How dare he even tell you his name? It was barely worth remembering in the first place. The only reason Kosai would be needing it was for his tombstone.
"Run. Now."
You feel Kosai split from you. The only reason he's been nice was because not a single punch had been thrown your way. Now, you had been directly attacked, hell– if Kosai wasn't there, you definitely would've had your nose broken.
You bolt– and you're wondering if you should thank Bellamy or not. You turn around and get out of there. You don't need to overstay your welcome and you don't need to be told thrice to run. You're out of that bar so fast it's like you were never there. (You're not, actually, you made sure to step on Sarquiss on your way out).
All you do is run. Run, run, run. You're not scared, but dear god, are you confused. You don't know how to feel right now. One of the minor antagonists (like, minor minor antagonists) of Mock Town just saved your ass and you don't know how to feel about it.
You push past other people, you don't care anymore- someone could pickpocket you and you'd let them. Actually, they could take the money. You don't need it. You were going to fucking burn this place to the ground anyways.
And if you couldn't?
Kosai could do it for you.
You started crying again when you saw the Going Merry come back into view. It was docked. You could see that most of the crew was already out and about on deck, providing necessary repairs. The ship had sustained some damage while the other ship fell from the sky and dropped a bunch of garbage on it. Oh, and the giant fish. Turtle thing or whatever. You didn't know and you don't care.
They better not see me like this. You rubbed your nose harshly as you slowed your running, the ground beneath you changing from cobblestone to wooden planks the further you went.
"Ah!" You heard Sanji's voice and silently cursed. He had sixth sense specifically to detect women in a five-mile radius. "(Name), is that you?" What, did he memorize your footsteps? Only you were allowed to do that.
The moment you saw his blonde hair poke over the sides of the ship, presumably to look down at you, you yanked your hood over your head so it would cover your eyes. You couldn't see his expression, but you could hear his confusion.
"(Name)? Where are the others?"
"Bar." You said quickly, inhaling sharply, and climbing up the side of the ship when he lowered down the latter for you.
He must've also noticed the tone you had, as his worried voice spilled through your ears. The moment your shoes touched down on the deck, his hand was on your shoulder as your head hung low, and you kept your hand on the tip of your hood.
Usopp was carrying wood planks past you two and had to maneuver around you. "Back already? That was fast."
You hummed, unenthusiastic, and lowered your head further when Chopper passed by. He'd be able to see your face for sure.
Sanji gave you a quick one-over. "Are you alright? You don't seem like... you. Oh– Where are your letters?"
You bit back a choked sob. You weren't feeling better at all after that run from the bar. In fact, you felt even worse. Feeling didn't just go away after you got to take it out on someone or something, in some way or another.
You shrugged Sanji's hand off of your shoulder before bolting to your room. Your footsteps were hurried, you almost slipped a few times, and you slammed the door shut so hard it rattled on its hinges.
"(Name)?!"
You fell to the ground, covering your mouth as you hunched over. Hot tears dripped from your lids, wetting your lashes as an uncomfortable heat came to your face. This was the worst day of your life, officially. Your breathing was anything but calmed, and your chest and back heaved up and down with your erratic breathing.
Annan, who had probably seen the beginnings of your tantrums (seeing as he was strapped to your hip) and had spoken up in concern. "Are you–?"
"No." You answered swiftly, unclipping the clasps on your belt and removing Annan from your waist before throwing him onto your bed and going back to the task at hand: crying.
Unsurprisingly, you heard the door open again, and you wished that you crawled into bed. But with your body trembling, and your legs shaking way more than you were used to, the only thing that you were focused on was covering your face. Your lower hands were supporting you from falling over, as hot tears dripped down your face as they pleased, and your upper hands had your mouth covered.
"(Name)? Are you okay?!"
...Usopp? You didn't dare turn around, even as you heard him slowly approach you. Ah, that's right. As long as I'm the only one in the room, I let the boys come in if they want to talk... I'm such an idiot for making that rule.
"Wh...What happened?"
You could sense that he had crouched down beside you, and had definitely guessed that you were crying. Makes enough sense. You were already on your knees, regretting that you were ever born, as salty tears ran down your cheeks. He hesitantly patted your back, sending a glance at the window of the girl's room. Sanji's head was poorly hidden as he ducked out of the way.
Usopp's voice wasn't as energetic before. This made you realize that he was the perfect guy to go to when you needed comfort. Considering what he did for... Kaya? Kaya. Considering what he did for Kaya, he was extremely nice.
Also, he hung out with those troublemakers at Syrup Village, so he'd understand what it feels like to have a younger sibling (or someone he would consider to have as a younger sibling) work really hard on something until some asshole comes around and burns all the letters–
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"...The... The letters..."
He waited, rubbing your back as he changed from crouching to sitting. "Yeah?"
"Some...Someone burned them. They-They burned them..."
Usopp watched as small droplets fell to the floor in front of you, wetting the wood. A few sniffles came from you as you continued. At one point, he tried to lean forward a bit, to see your face, but you simply turned your head further away, giving your tears another place to stain the floor. You still weren't keen on showing your face now that your mask of safety was gone.
"Th...That's years of letters. Years. And-And they're all gone..."
"Who did this?"
"A...A guy named..."
Sarquiss was running for his life.
Something was chasing him, and he didn't know what. He wasn't afraid to fight back, but that damned thing wouldn't give him a chance to. He only had his dagger and his other weapon. But every time he tried to land an attack, it would either go straight through that thing's weird body or it would absorb the attack.
It didn't help that nothing seemed to stop the guy. He was unaffected by walls, and either seeped through the cracks in the bottom before reforming into a large hulking monster, or would bust right through it like it was made of paper.
Wherever Sarquiss ran, the sun grew dimmer. The shadows grew darker, and he was starting to see less and less people. Like the monster behind him... it was almost like he was trying to lure him further away from the town. Further back, towards the land that was more untamed than the city that overflowed with pirates.
"Come back here, you insect." It growled, clawing closer and closer to him, limbs warping and changing into different forms. "I need to paint the streets red with your blood."
Kosai wasn't going to kill this man, but he was going to make sure that he regretted ever taking a breath of air near (Name) and thinking that he'd be getting off scot-free. He would regrettably refrain from tearing him limb from limb and watching him die a slow and agonizing death, in favor of making sure that Sarquiss would remember to never lift a finger in (Name)'s direction or even look at her with his filthy eyes.
(Name) was too kind for her own good. Kosai could tell, since she left Sarquiss with a tongue and all of his fingers still attached to his body. Kosai would be breaking them, hopefully, in (Name)'s place, but not in her name. She wouldn't like that. So Kosai would have to make this quick.
Even though this fool hardly deserved any of (Name)'s mercy, she gave it to him anyway. Truly, she was too kind. Though Kosai supposed that was the greatest thing about her. Even her enemies, who were very few and far between, were spared. She would never take a life. Not today, nor ever. That was just who she was.
Someone... kind. Someone so beautifully kind. A happy individual who would stop at nothing to make sure that everyone around her was smiling. (Or, in Zoro's case, bursting at the seams with rage). (Name) gave out many things. One that Kosai noted, and usually complained about, was the amount of respect she held others with.
In Crocodile's case, she feared him at a normal level. Only if he was pissy towards her. Other than that she didn't seem that scared. There were those she didn't like, yet it wasn't like she outright disrespected them. (Name) was more than happy to converse normally –under any given circumstances– if her 'enemies' weren't attacking her. Unless it came to battle, when she absolutely violated some people's fighting styles.
And Mihawk was another example. (Name) respected Dracule Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman, to the highest extent. He wasn't at the forefront of her thoughts at all times– though Kosai remembered some occasions where Mihawk would pop up in her mind and she'd usually smile.
God, she had such a lovely smile. Kosai always saw a wonderful sparkle come to her eyes whenever she grinned, and how her eyes softened when she talked about something that she was excited about. The day someone tried to take away her smile was the day Kosai would willingly kill a man in front of her.
Her laugh was just as pleasant. Unfortunately for Kosai, that seemed to draw others closer to her. He'd have a hell of a time fending off suitors and wouldn't stop until the day he died. Luckily, he had convinced (Name) that the only way she can let someone marry her is if they either catch her by the next day or beat her in a fight.
There were many things that Kosai would do for her, no questions asked. And just like now... Kosai wouldn't kill, just for her.
Kosai swatted another one of Sarquiss' attacks out of the way, flinging his larger sword into the wall of a building. The blade went all the way through it, only leaving the handle sticking out.
"You're weak and feeble, aren't you? Like a bug. Or a worm." Kosai taunted, finding a sick enjoyment out of this. Yeah, he was probably a sadist. "I've tortured many people with the same ego as yours. It's so... Exhilarating to see guys like you get forced onto their knees."
Sarquiss grit his teeth together and threw another attack at Kosai, trying again. How relentless... How annoying. "I've got a name, jackass!"
The voice that came from the monster rumbled as it blocked his next attack. Kosai was getting impatient. "Don't we all?"
Sarquiss wasn't allowed to have another word in before Kosai lurched forward, grabbed him by the legs, and threw him into the air.
Kosai and (Name) were very different.
She was merciful
He was not
Hushed whispers spread throughout the girl's cabin
"...What do we do?"
"Idiot! We're supposed to make sure none of the girls ever cry!"
"Is (Name) hurt at all...?"
"She didn't seem to be hurt when I was talking to her..."
Sanji wilted, wanting to throw himself off a cliff. "Poor (Name)-swan... she's so beautiful that it makes people angry..."
Usopp scratched the side of his head, staring at the sight in front of him. After you bawled your eyes out while clinging to him, you immediately leapt under the covers of your bed and refused to show your face for the time being. He could still tell that you were crying, though. "She told me who did it, but said there was no point in going after him. Kosai's already on his tail."
They knew the demon too well
Pushing aside his anger (That was a lie, Sanji was on fire with rage), the chef approached the bed and sweetly called out to you. He knew that the promise of a nice meal would always make you perk up. "(Name)-swan! Would you like some food~?"
The pile of blankets hardly moved.
"(Name)?" He tried again, tugging on the blanket gently. He eventually settled for a light shake, reaching down to your shoulder and squeezing it. "I'll make anything you want, my dear!"
"I'm not hungry."
"Wh...What?"
"I don't want food." You try not to give off the impression that you had been crying for the past twenty minutes. "I'm not hungry."
Sanji felt like he had been shot. He fell to the ground, on his knees, head hanging low as a dark aura surrounded him. You had never told him that unless he had fed you too much. Which was rare!
Safe to say that babygirl would be crying on the floor of his room later, curing any god that existed whilst also telling them to watch their days. They were numbered since you had been saddened.
Chopper tugs at the bottom of the blanket. He had crawled onto the edge of your bed and was worried. "Are you hurt at all? You have to tell me!"
Chopper screamed when he was violently tugged under the covers. Usopp let out another high-pitched shriek, backing up.
"SHE GOT CHOPPERRR!!"
"HELP ME!"
You were hugging your poor doctor so tightly. It was hot underneath the blanket and you needed to get some cool air later, but right now you wanted to cry. And hug someone. That someone, your current victim, happened to be Chopper.
He was thrashing around, holding his nose. Oh, yeah, you suddenly remembered that you spilled a bunch of perfume onto your blanket. You shoved him back out a second later, sighing when some cool air got back in and you turned on your side.
Chopper stomped his foot down. "Don't do that!"
"I'm sorry..." you felt like crying even harder. "I just wanted to hug you. You're cute."
"I am not, you asshole! Don't do stuff like that– It pisses me off!"
You peek through the blanket just barely, and see that Chopper is doing his happy dance. It cheers you up the slightest bit.
Your stomach growled loudly and you hunched in on yourself, crumpling up into a ball. "Not hungry," you repeated. Then you punched yourself in the gut– you did that when your stomach growled sometimes. "I don't need food."
Sanji rolled around on the ground in mental anguish before dragging himself over to your bed. He clawed at the blanket and begged. "Please! I'll make you anything you desire, my love! All the food in the world!"
"No."
"Anything! I'm serious!" He got on his knees as his eyes were glued to the blanket covering your form. "You're hungry! I can tell!"
"I'm not hungry. I don't wanna eat..." Your stomach growled even louder, groaning in protest at your defiance. You cover your mouth as your brows furrow. You're hungry. You want something to eat. No. Not until I get over this.
"(Name)! Please!"
You remained silent after that
Eventually, they got the hint that some alone time was needed. Still, even after they left you alone, Sanji would pop in every once in a while and leave a plate of food near you, on your desk.
You didn't touch it.
You were just... sad. It's not like you could help it. Whenever you got like this, you ended up thinking of what you missed. Lory's letters came up first. Then your family back on Crow Island, including your shitty brothers. Then... Buggy.
Out of everyone in One Piece, aside from Kosai and Annan, you had known Buggy the longest. You realized quickly that seeking him out to help you was one of the best things that you had ever done so far.
He was arguably one of the few who knew you so well. You had spent a few years training with him (and being trained by him). Not only did you learn a lot from Buggy, but you grew... attached. Very attached. He was your mentor. You were his apprentice.
The more you thought about it, the worse you felt. Family... It had been a while since you thought about your actual family. The one that you left behind after you mysteriously died. Yeah, you were twenty-five and out of the house by the time of your death– and you got a rewind the day you woke up in this world. A do-over.
Your mother. Your father. The actual parents you had that raised you. Did they hear of your death? Did they cry when you died? You didn't know. Would you ever...?
The tears start to sting a hell of a lot more. Was I a good kid to them? Did I tell them I loved them enough? Did they know?
...Your home life wasn't as normal as you said it was. You mentioned it to Robin earlier– you came from a home where your parents had split. They had joint-custody over you at the time. You lived with your mother (surprising, considering your track record with picking up father figures like they're being handed out for free) and visited your father every few weekends.
It made you wonder. It made you begin to really think about the emotions you never talked about at the time, as the word family and its meaning continues to confuse you. You continue to question yourself. Did they enjoy spending time with me? Was I boring? Lazy?
You thought of all the times you stayed inside your room as a teen. Angsty, angry, and hormonal. The look on your parents face as you rejected another idea that they had suggested. A trip to the city, the beach, the park...
Oh no. Oh no, no, no. You shove your face into another pillow as more tears come. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to be like that. I was angry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it.
You couldn't even remember how they would smile at you. You couldn't remember their faces. You were forgetting. You were forgetting your family.
"Are you alright?"
For the hundredth time today, you tense up. You move your face away from the pillows and sniff. "...Robin?"
"I just got back from town. I can leave if you need some time."
"Uh... Ro-Robin..." You hesitate.
She waits, and you sit up as you struggle to breathe normally. Slowly, you pull the comforter off of your head and face her. Her expression shifts slightly. She could already tell that you were crying, and now that she actually saw your face... it must've been worse than Robin thought.
"Could–Could you stay?"
Robin nods and takes a seat next to you. It's awkward, you'll admit it, but sometimes it's better to talk to someone you don't know as well rather than discussing this with the others. She's been with you all for less than a week and you're already crying in front of her. If that's not some team bonding, then you don't know what is.
The black haired woman sits at a polite distance and waits. She wants to listen. You're a listener yourself, you'll admit. If you meet new people it's hard to carry the conversation.
"What's troubling you?"
"...I miss my family," you said softly. Your voice cracks and breaks here and there. "I miss them a lot, and I feel horrible because I'm starting to forget them. I... I can't remember. I'm forgetting." You put your head in your hands and lean forward as you continue to cry. "I can't remember, Robin. I can't."
Robin's lips part slightly after a moment. You didn't mean to drag her into this at all yet she's still here. She doesn't even know you that much. All she knows is that you're a Yonko's child, and now her crewmate. "You... You did mention that your parents were divorced," She mentions.
"Yeah. They were," you spill, still reminded of your real family. For the first time, you open up about that family. Whether it's confusing or not to Robin, considering the facts, that doesn't matter to you. You'd be just fine telling her your feelings right now. "And it obviously caused a rift. It happened when I was really young. I won't torture you with the details... and now that I'm thinking about it, I feel like a terrible person."
Your face sinks further into your hands as the tears wet your palms. It's hot and stuffy and you hate it. You truly can't remember. You can't recall the way they held you. The way you were hugged. The warmth that they gave off. You couldn't remember, and you should've memorized the way their affections felt.
"I– fuck, I wish I could remember," you choke out. "And I can't. How come I can only see the past, present, and future of everybody else but myself? I want to know. I can barely recall my childhood as it is."
There's no silence after your words and admittance. You're vulnerable as you lean over to cover your face. You flinch a little when you feel Robin's hand on your back. Next thing you know, you're leaning into her side as you cry. You're picturing your parents' faces again. All you can remember is how you reacted when they split.
Please don't go. Please, Your eyes sting as Robin gently grabs your shoulder. Please. I love you. I loved you so much but I never said anything because I was scared. I'm so sorry. You inhale sharply. "Please... Please stay here with me. I don't want you to go."
"I'll stay."
"Please..."
She repeats, "I'll stay."
You sob into her shoulder, trying to hide your face again. Whenever you're sad, you remember other sad things. Arguments. Family drama. It's all... It's all...
... It's just a lot
"It's alright."
The way she treats you reminds you of a make-up after a bad argument. The comfort from Robin was what was really getting you worked up. It was familiar. Because it was familiar, it made you want to cry even more. So you did.
"I'm sorry," you apologize. You probably look awful right now. "I'm getting your shirt wet."
She laughs a bit. It's a very light chuckle. "I can change my shirt later or let it dry. It's okay."
"O-Okay," you hiccup. "Thanks, Robin... Thank you. Thank you." You repeat, breaking down again. "Thank you so much."
It was a while after Robin had left you to your own devices (after you finally calmed down enough to just want to lay down and do nothing but stare at the ceiling) until you heard some more commotion outside.
It sounded like Nami, who was yelling at everyone. She didn't seem too pressed about Luffy and Zoro refusing to fight back, before she commented on some other things before you heard her footsteps steadily approaching your shared room.
The door swings open and closes, not with a slam, but with a little force put into it. "Ugh! Forget about Skypiea. Here you go..."
She patted part of your arm, or what she thought was your arm, and you soon felt Kosai return to you. "You okay? You're hungry."
I'm not, You deny, and toss the covers off of you. "I'm going to go take a shower," you say quietly. Nami hums, looking at your back. "I'll be back soon."
Her hand is on your shoulder again. She sighs. "I'll take a shower too, then. Let's take one together. I can't stand being next to the boys right now...! How about you and I have some time together?"
You're gathering up some clothes, mentally telling Kosai to stay in the bedroom with Annan, and then nodding to Nami's suggestion. "That'd be... nice."
"You bet! Ugh!!" She clenched her fist and threw a towel over her shoulder. "I can't believe I got laughed at!"
You could imagine steam coming out of her ears as you turned to her. Your face wasn't stained with tears. It was that weird part after a breakdown about so many things, all hitting way too close to home, where you felt numb. Like... relieved. Robin's comfort helped, too. "I didn't like it either."
Nami grabs your towel and tosses it over your face before tugging you along. You follow, keeping the towel over your head as you exit the bedroom. She leads you to the bathroom, a path that you memorized in your sleep, and by the sounds outside, you can tell that you've just begun to sail again.
"Where to now?" You ask, closing the door to the bathroom and double checking that it was locked. You didn't want a certain blonde pervert peeking in on you two showering.
"Northeast. We're heading to meet someone named something-Cricket."
You strip off your clothes as she turns the water on. Steam slowly fills the room as you continue to chat. You end up getting under the showerhead before her as she also undresses.
"Mont Blanc Cricket? The man was exiled for talking about his dreams... or for his anscestor's dreams."
"Of course you know..." She trailed off. She wanted to bring up the bar incident. Nami eventually concluded that it was a fifty-fifty situation. You knew what was going to happen, but didn't expect things to change like that. "You doing alright?"
You shrug. "Bit better."
"Liar," Nami said. She then stepped under the water to join you, taking a seat on one of the few stools you had in there. One of them was a longer bench that multiple people could sit on.
"I'm fine, really."
"Really," She said sarcastically.
"...Sorta."
At the same time, you both let out silent sighs. You leaned forward with your hands on your knees as the water ran down your back. It was warm. The sensation was nice– it was going to be a longer shower than usual too, you knew that. The kind where you would stare at the wall for an hour, wondering why you were alive.
The steam rose through the air and it grew warmer. Sounds of running water echoed throughout the bathroom as the air itself grew moist and the walls started to bead up with condensation. That was what filled the silence as you sat beside each other. A comfortable silence that could be broken at any moment.
"...What happened, really."
Your eyes drifted to the side. You ended up locking eyes with Nami and if she couldn't get the hint from your sorrowful and mourning look like you just lost a family member, you didn't know how else to tell her. Actually, you did. Dramatic was your middle name and you needed to own up to it.
"...Remember the letters that I brought in to get an album for?"
"Yeah?"
"And that guy's jacket I stole?" You leaned back and rested against the tile as the water streamed down onto your head and shoulders. It warmed your skin.
"...Yeah?"
"Well," You abruptly turned on the bench and laid back. Your head ended up in Nami's lap and you had to close your eyes so you didn't get blinded by the water. "I bumped into him barely and he read all of them aloud one by one before burning them. After that, I met back up with you three, went to go beat the shit out of him, came back, did it again, and now we're here."
"I hate that guy!" Nami also leaned back against the bathroom tile wall, huffing. "You shoulda tore him a new one– even after Kosai took care of him!"
"I know, me too. I want to punch him one more time before we leave..." your hands went over your stomach as your chest rose and fell softly. "And I also want to eat a ton of food. Ramen, sandwiches, cake... I want chocolate cake so bad!"
She hummed, tongue poking out between her lips. "Chocolate cake sounds delicious..."
"I know, right? I'm already thinking about making the frosting," you agree, sticking your tongue out slightly. All you taste is water. "Or red velvet... Oh, I have to make you a cake," You tilted your head to the side and opened your eyes, looking up at her. You had to squint because of the flowing water. "Since I technically joined before you did."
"How?"
"Luffy let me join right when I left the Baratie," you say, reminiscing of the day you nearly passed out after watching Mihawk beat the everloving shit out of Zoro. "So that means you joined right after Sanji and I. You were there before us, though."
Her mind drifted back to the thought of cake. "What can you make?"
"Lotta stuff. Ice cream cake, funfetti, orange cake, pound cake– you get the idea."
Her eyes lit up. "Orange?"
You nod. "I use the orange zest and juice for the flavor. It's really nice." I also have to make Sanji some cake... Wonder what kind he'd like...
She nods. "I want an orange cake then!"
"Then an orange cake you'll have." Your stomach grumbled and you whined. "And I want Sanji's seafood risotto."
"That's probably one of your favorite meals that he makes..." Nami started to grow hungry herself. Especially after hearing how hungry you sounded. "I haven't eaten all day. You're making me hungry."
"I haven't eaten either..."
You continued to speak, well, mostly complained about what happened, and you were gradually starting to feel better. One of Nami's hands ended up wandering to your hair, something to play with, as you talked.
"Speaking of showering," you went on, "I think we need to start hosing down Zoro and Luffy or something. I'm losing my mind. All Zoro wants to do is fight and all Luffy wants to sit on my back."
Nami shivered at the reminder that those two only took showers once a week. "Don't remind me."
"We need to remind them."
You both laughed lightly. Your giggles were airy and happy, and it left you needing a bit more air after you finished. Now you just smiled at one another, trying to catch your breath.
You'd admit, you felt a bit better now. Not well enough to eat, even when your stomach begged you to, but enough to at least face one of your friends.
It's quiet for a few more moments before you finally speak up again. "I'm tired."
"Take a nap, then."
You crossed your arms and smiled. "Alright then."
"Huh– (NAME) I DIDN'T MEAN RIGHT NOW–"