After having confirmed with both women that it was okay, Ryoko brought the burlap sack into the shared room and set it down next to her desk. She could hardly wait to see what was inside the bag, but figuring it would be best to wait until the ship made anchor again, she headed back above deck.
The woman sighed as she laid down on her stomach at the side of the ship, head peeking out between two of the balusters and looking down into the water. She turned her head to look at a wooden facade building as the ship pulled up close to the coast and made anchor. "Such a strange house. Built right on the edge of the island and in a semi-circular shape too." She thinks to herself as she looks back to the water and hums in thought as she is semi-aware of the fact her friends are getting off the ship. She freed herself from between the balusters of the railing, before hopping onto the land once again.
She sat down near the water's edge, looking over toward her friends as Luffy opened and entered the home after calling for the homeowner. "Luffy! Don't touch any food in there!" She exclaimed although she knew better than to try to tell him to stop entirely. Once Luffy had exited the home and joined her at the water's edge she looked into the water, seeing bubbles coming to the surface.
She saw a man swimming upward toward them, acting before the young captain. And she quickly swung her left arm into the boy's chest, sending him flying backward as she tossed the revolver back toward Usopp. She took a deep breath as her left leg was grabbed and she was suddenly pulled forward toward the sea, she reached up trying to grab the edge but she was pulled into the water.
She clenched her jaw, holding her breath as she looked up toward the water's surface. The silver layer of light reflected on the waves that lapped at the side of the island above her, as she slowly blinked, the seawater irritating her eyes. Someone would come to get her, surely.
Her body felt sluggish as she tried her best to move despite it, grasping weakly at the side of the island only to get pulled away by the current. She then hit the side and a few bubbles of precious air left her lips. She pulled her knees slightly up to her chest and put her hands over the back of her neck and head.
She almost let out a sigh of relief as she felt someone grab the collar of her top, and start pulling her up to the surface. As her head broke the surface she let out her breath and gasped in a deep breath. She was pushed slightly more out of the water and she gripped onto the grass and dirt as she pulled herself a bit more out of the water. She looked back to meet the gaze of Usopp, who had leaped into the water to get her. She rolled over on her back as she got her torso down to her waist, out of the water.
Ryoko reached over and grabbed the boy's hand, "Thanks... Usopp..." She gasped out as she pulled him back onto land as well. She then flopped back on the ground, looking up at the sky as her chest heaved and she tried to get her breathing back under control. "I... Hate... Sea water... now." She says tiredly as she shuts her eyes for a moment before opening them and glancing over to Sanji and another blond who seemed to have started fighting.
Her eyes darted around as she looked for her revolver as she pulled herself onto her hands and knees. Her eyes landing on the glint of gold in the grass and she moved and grabbed it quickly before reaching into her sash and pulled out a bullet. Pressing the cylinder release she, flicked open the cylinder she put the bullet in and flicked it back in place before taking aim toward the man. She saw him draw a pistol from his back pocket, and as he went to fire it straight at Sanji's face, she pulled the trigger.
The pistol in the man's hand discharged the shot as it was sent flying out of his hand, the bullet that was fired imbedding in the ground nearby. The older blonde suddenly collapsing, "Ryoko! What did you do!?" Usopp exclaimed in fear that she had killed the man.
Ryoko was on her feet quickly and running over toward the man, tucking her gun into her sash, "I shot his gun not him!" She exclaimed before looking over to the reindeer doctor who ran forward to check on him as well. Her eyes scanned over the man, checking visually to see if she had some how hit him, but seeing no blood she was no longer worried about that. What did worry her was that fact he had dropped unconscious so quickly.
"We should get him inside so I can try to make sure he is more stable." Chopper says, knowing that him being on the ground outside in the sun would not do him any favors. Before anyone else could move, Ryoko picked him up in both arms, craddling him and quickly heading inside. She was very careful as to avoid letting any part of him hit any obstacle, and she put him down on the table in the center of the room.
Ryoko's eyes scanned the room as she immediately went to the cabinets and pulled it open before grabbing a bowl. She then retrieved a small hand towel and what she could only assume was rain water from a barrel in the corner. She could hear Chopper starting to work on his diagnosis, and brought the bowl over to his side. Dipping the cloth in the water, she rung it out and neatly folded it and placed it on the man's forhead. "Chopper, I didn't scare him into shock did I?" She asked quietly, pulling her mask to the side to look down at the man.
The reindeer shook his head, "No, this is something else. I think he might be suffering from decompression sickness." He explained looking the man over, "It occurs when the body doesn't have enough time to decompress before surfacing after diving to great depths. I think he will be alright, but it is a very serious illness."
Ryoko frowned, "I think I heard it be called the bends when I was a marine, I guess it was said that way instead of the full sickness title to save some time." She says thinking back to one of the lessons, "It can be lethal. If you say he is gonna be alright, I'm gonna go back to the ship." She then heads out the door, and back onto the Going Merry.
As she climbed back onto the Merry she flinched hearing two very loud voices yelling, muffled only slightly by the walls of the home. She chuckled to herself before heading below deck and into the women's room, where she got changed out of her sea-soaked outfit. She retrieved a towel and dried herself off before pulling on a t-shirt and knee-length shorts.
Pulling out the chair that she had under her desk, she sat down and leaned back into it for a moment. She then pulled the padded layer off the table and set it down behind the desk. She then rubbed her hands together, almost excitedly before she opened the top drawer of her desk pulled out the largest of her transponder snails, and set it on the desktop. She then moved and grabbed the extra equipment out of the bottom drawer and set up the snail for a call. "I gotta make a call, but not before a little treat!" she tells the snail before reaching down and bringing out a piece of dried apricot which she had rehydrated after the stay on Alabasta. She held it to the snail's mouth and let it eat the snack at its own pace while she happily petted the creature behind the eye stocks.
Ryoko smiled warmly as she could hear the snail almost purring as it finished the last piece of fruit. "Alright little buddy, I'm gonna give my friend Ace a call." She says before beginning to rotate the dial on the shell a few times, "01-01-06-20."
"Purupurupuru," The snail drones, looking up at Ryoko with its normal tired expression. "Purupurupuru," Ryoko holds the transmitter in her hands waiting anxiously. "Purupurupuru-gacha." The snail finished before freckles formed on its cheeks and a wide grin formed on its face. "Yo!" Ace's voice greeted, "How's it going Ryoko?"
Ryoko couldn't help the big grin that formed on her own face at the familiar voice, "It's going. How's the sailing going?" She asked resting her chin on her hand as she looked at the snail.
"Weather's been pretty clear, wind's been favorable too. I just left the Lulusia Kingdom and had an interesting time there. I thought I found Blackbeard, but uh..." The snail trails off for a moment a faint flush on its cheeks, "I may have gotten his identity mistaken. The townsfolk weren't too happy about me kicking the doctor."
Ryoko was taken off guard at that, although she could see Luffy doing something similar. They were brothers after all, even if Ace was definitely more experienced when it came to traveling on the sea.
It must have shown on her face, and Ace continued, "I can tell you're not too happy about hearing that, don't worry they got their good shot on me. Glad Moda pulled me out of the river before I drowned." He laughed it off.
Ryoko scowled at the laugh, "Portgas D Ace! You almost drowned! How can you be laughing about that!" She scolds the boy, concern filling her words at the idea, "I... wouldn't even have been able to talk to you again..." She says quietly. An ache formed in her chest at the thought, and her vision got blurry for a moment before she blinked. "After you said we could talk... about it." She mutters before rubbing her eyes on the back of her arm.
Ace was quiet for a moment, hearing her concerns until he saw the snail in his hands tearing up, "Ryoko..." He says carefully, already a bit wary of how to approach. He wasn't good at helping her much in the past, not with words anyway. "I'm fine now, that's what matters. I'll be more careful in the future."
Ryoko sniffled and pulled the blanket off of the back of the chair and pulled it around her shoulders, "I can't lose you too." She croaked putting her cheek on the desk and setting the transmitter down in front of her face.
Ace flinched slightly as she used part of his own words against him, but it also sounded like there was something else driving her words, "Deep breaths," he instructed gently and smiled reassuringly, "I won't die. I gotta be able to get back to you, Luffy, and Pops after all." He leaned back against the mast of his boat, glancing up at the clouds, "So, let's go back to talking about that peck on the cheek." he teased, hoping to lighten the mood.
Ryoko rubbed her face with the blanket to push any more tears off of her face, her cheeks lighting up bright red. Her freckles made her look a bit like a strawberry as she blushed. "It was- um." She tried her best to refocus and looked away from the snail which was giving her a knowing look. "I... didn't want to leave, or you to leave in this case, without showing how I feel about you." She mumbles covering her head with the blanket now.
Ace grinned, "And how's that? I mean we were pretty close as kids before..." his face fell for a moment, although the girl on the other side of the den den mushi didn't actually see, "before you left with Gramps to be a marine... why did you leave?"
The slight pain in his voice made her flustered mental state cease as Ryoko paused and took a deep breath before looking around the room to see if she had anyone spying in on the conversation, "I became a marine for a few reasons. I wanted to get stronger so that I could protect you three... I also didn't want to be a burden to you guys."
"You were never a burden," Ace says rather quickly to shut down that way of thinking. He already knew that she had a terrible way of looking at herself as a kid and didn't want her to even entertain those thoughts again, "I apologize if I ever made you feel that way. I wasn't the best with words back then. I wasn't really until Makino taught me better. So I could thank Shanks for saving Luffy."
Ryoko looked at the snail, "Even though you were very blunt and sorta abrasive, you still were one of the nicest people I had met." She says softly, "You, Sabo, and Luffy were my first real friends. You did so much to help me. I wanted to be able to repay you, even if that was becoming a marine, so that if ever any of you were caught. I could get to you and get you out." She admits, "Even if it hurts me to leave you and the other two. I really cared for each of you, I thought of Luffy, Sabo, Dadan, and the other mountain bandits like family."
She took a deep breath and looked away, "It hurt, ya know. When I watched you three become brothers. I didn't understand why you refused to let me join in, so vehemently too... But I'm sorta thankful now that you did. Cause it would make how I feel, a lot more awkward." She took a moment to gather her courage, "I love you okay? Seeing you in Alabasta again... really reminded me of that fact." She looked back to the snail and sighed in disbelief as a sleep bubble was coming from the snail's approximate nose area. "Ace!" The bubble popped.
"H-huh? What's up Ryoko?" The groggy voice of Ace came through the snail followed by a yawn and the sound of the man stretching.
Ryoko's cheeks flushed red with anger, "I was explaining that I love you and you fell asleep while I poured my heart out?!" she exclaimed upset that he had managed to do so.
"You love me?" Ace questioned with a cheeky grin, watching the snail that he had sitting on his knee go bright pink in the face, "The snail looks like a strawberry, you alright?" He watched in amusement as the snail's mouth opened and closed a few times, but didn't say anything, "If it helps at all, the feeling is mutual." A small delighted squeaking sound came from the snail which grinned brightly, "There's the smile. I do have two conditions though. The first is that I wanna ask you in person, so that means you'll have to wait until after I deal with Blackbeard. Secondly, I am going to insist on you meeting Pops and the rest of the family."
Ryoko felt like a fish out of water as she opened and closed her mouth a few times speechlessly. She recovered her voice, although it was a bit of a higher pitch, "I... You'll have to tell me more about..." She coughs to clear her throat, "About the rest of your crew. I don't wanna go in only knowing the bounty posters. Also... one more request... could we keep this quiet until it's official?"
Ace chuckled, "I can do that I guess, as long as it helps you feel more comfortable. Not to mention my brother would probably bug you for a while if you told him." He says with a grin.
"He's a bit more excited about the fact that we plan to be going to a Sky Island. Once he convinces someone to help us get up there." Ryoko says with a soft chuckle, her body relaxing slightly now that she had told the man her feelings. Her face then fell from the happy look, into a small scowl, "Ace... There is something else I have to tell you. It isn't a good thing though." She says rubbing her face with the blanket before looking the snail in the eyes.
Ace paused seeing the happy expression fade on the snail's face, "Did something happen?" he questioned, sitting up a bit more now that he was more awake again.
Ryoko paused before sighing, "Luffy, Zoro, Nami and I briefly encountered Blackbeard on Jaya." She says in a low tone, the pit in her stomach growing once again, "I kept them from talking for long, but it did occur. He didn't seem to pay any of us much mind thankfully. Wanted posters haven't been updated since Alabasta yet, so that is probably for the best."
Ace was silent, the smile that had been on his face, immediately falling as he heard where Blackbeard was, "He went to Jaya..." He mutters a scowl beginning to form on his face and he pinches the bridge of his nose, "I'll intercept him. Don't worry about him, just keep away from him."
"I planned to do so," Ryoko says solemnly as she rests her cheek on her palm, she then jumps hearing muffled cheering from outside the Merry, "Sounds like they convinced Cricket." She mused, "I think your brother is about to insist on throwing a celebratory feast. I gotta go be a responsible... enough... adult. I'm sorry to have dropped the bad news at the very end of the conversation."
Ace forced a lopsided grin, "Don't worry about it, and don't be too responsible that you don't enjoy anything," he teased before chuckling as the snail on his knee sighed with a roll of its eyes. "Give me a call again, if you want to."
"Gacha," The snail in front of Ryoko says before falling asleep almost immediately. She took the snail and carefully set it down in the drawer again. "Thanks, little buddy," she says before shutting the drawer. Getting up she sighed and stretched, "Party time sounds draining... Maybe I can just scoop some food and retire early for the night." She thinks to herself before nodding, deciding that was exactly what she was going to do.
As she got above deck, she headed over to Sanji who had begun to make delicious food. "Do you mind if I take some food back to the ship? I'm not feeling too well after..." She wiggles her bandaged hands, "I'd like to have a quiet evening." She adds sheepishly.
"Of course, you can take some food with you, Ryoko my dove~" Sanji says happily, putting his hands together, "If you need anything else, feel free to call on me~" He adds as he puts together a decent serving amount for the woman before handing her the plate. "Rest well." He says happily swaying.
Ryoko took the plate and gave a small bow of the head before heading back to the room she shared with the two other women on the crew. She hummed softly to herself as she began to eat the food she had been given. "As much as I love their energy, sometimes it's just nice to eat in peace." She thinks, leaning back into her chair.
After finishing her food, she got up, carried her dishes up to the kitchen, and washed them before drying them. She then hummed as she put the dishes away, before looking at the stove that was on low heat. She carefully picked up the lid only to immediately recoil and put the lid back on. "Why... Why is Sanji making a broth from seagull carcasses?" She wondered, nose scrunching up at the idea. She shakes her head and heads back below deck, setting up her sleeping arrangement.
Once her desk bed was settled she hopped up on it and leaned back, looking up to the ceiling tiredly. Her eyes shut as she attempted to fall asleep, which thankfully she was able to do without much issue.
~~~
The young red-haired boy lay on top of the three-layered blanket, dull grey eyes looking up to meet her eyes as she held a wrap of ice on his head. A wince of pain crossed his face as a beautiful pink-haired woman carefully bandaged up his arms and legs. The dull eyes bubbled with tears, and Ryoko felt her chest tighten.
Ryoko looked up at the woman who kneeled next to her, "Mama? Why... Can they do this to us?" She whimpers out. The woman looked toward her, although her face was blurry, she could make out sad eyes with tears forming. Ryoko was pulled into the woman's chest with one arm, the young boy being delicately protected in the hug as well. "Mama?"
"I'm so sorry my little cherry blossoms." The woman says quietly, holding the two children to her chest, head pressed on top of the two children's heads, pink hair shielding both of them slightly, "Mama's sorry." Her voice was breaking and Ryoko's heart clenched.
~~~
Ryoko sat up, gripping her chest as she choked back a sob, blinking tears from her eyes she coughed into her hand. The sound of splintering wood snapped her to attention as she pulled the mask back over her face loaded her revolver and headed up the stairs to the main deck. She was greeted with a bloody scene and a good chunk of the Merry's deck splintered to her right. "Old man!"