Little Black Heart, an one piece fanfic

In the beginning, everything was just so easy, letting the pain wash past him as if rain dancing in between open fingers.

It was nothing compare to the searing pain he had to endure for the coming years, nothing he did would stop the inner turmoil within his chest, once a carefree boy with so much love and joy lost to the darkness of death, so much bitter and anger towards everyone. The shadows clung to every step of his, dragging him further and further down into the darkness till the remaining light was snuffed out in a blink of an eye.

His heart screamed out for love and comfort but would only receive loneliness and anger, so black at its core however it still continued to call out to anyone that would listen, for a moment there was a glimmer of hope as the blackness crawled slowly away but as quick as it came, darkness of death grabbed it in its grasp and purged the tiny heart in a bleak black world.

Removing his hand out of his chest, the lonely man looked at his black pathetic heart. It continued to beat in the palm of his hand, clutching it hard as he wrapped his long fingers around the organ, pain shooting all around his body before he took one step forward throwing the empty heart into the air.

The distance it gathered was far but not out of sight, he watched as the organ fell through the air and landed in the ocean, raging waves carrying the black heart away from its owner, hoping to never see it again. Clutching the empty space were his heart should rest, he let out a breath allowing the few tears to run down his face. For a second, he allowed himself some emotions before turning into a very cold and heartless man, rubbing his face he turned his back on the ocean and headed back inside his cabin.

Soft winds tugged at her persimmon hair, twisting and twirling the strands as if there were invisible hands running fingers through her locks. The sun was setting down off in the distance meaning night fall would be long, she had decided to escape the loud noise of her friends for a quiet stroll down the sand beach. The breeze was welcoming as the suns warmth was still radiating through the island. The sand beneath her feet felt refreshing and a smile arose from her lips, stopping she turn to the ocean and took the scenery in before closing her eyes to enjoy the moment of peace even just for the second.

Then she felt it, a tug at her heart.

Opening her eyes she placed a hand over her heart and frowned wondering what had happened then it happened again, she was so confused and shook her head, deciding to head back to the ship she managed a step before the next tug, she spun around facing the opposite direction of the ship as if something was calling out to her. Not understanding what was going on and wanting to head back to her friends as this was slightly starting to freak her out.

But curiosity clawed at her like an old friend.

Throwing caution to the wind, she began a small jog down the beach, taking a look around the area to see if there was anything there or a reason for why her heart was reaching out to something she was not aware of.

Further down the beach she ended up, the pull got stronger and stronger and soon she broke out into a full sprint. Unsure what was drawing this from her, coming to the rocky part of the beach, she skipped from one rock to the other but on her last rock she had miscalculated the jump and caught her foot. Causing her to stumble, she rolled down the slope that appeared hard and groaned when she stopped, pushing herself up with her hands and opening her eyes.

She froze, her eyes widening at the sight in front of her.

There it lay, encase in a clear substance, a small charcoal black beating heart.

Anyone in that situation would have the right mind to scream and flee the scene but not her, after overcoming her shock, she moved closer having a good look before slowly reaching down and gently picking up the heart.

Fragile.

Laying in her palms.

So much sadness and darkness, anger and grief radiate off the heart, an odd emotion that she could not describe ran straight through her own heart. Taking the napkin she had in her pocket, she carefully wrapped the heart in the material and felt the urge to pull it close to her chest, with soft words she whispered.

Don't worry, Ill care for you

Back on the ship, she had managed to hid the small heart from her friends as she didnt want them to poke or prod at the fragile heart also it only had called out to her no one else. This had caused her to be protective and a little bit possessive of the heart, once in her map room as she could not keep it her bedroom as she shared the room with the only other female of their friends, Robin, no one dare to enter her precious map room not even her close friend.

It was her special place, a bubble of sorts.

Carefully she moved the map off the desk before placing a small chest, she had found on the island before hand, placing plenty of soft material in the chest she gently unfolded the heart into the chest. It was still beating and the tug it had on her heart was still there, sitting down she place a hand on her cheek unsure what to make of the situation.

It wasn't everyday you found a beating heart.

Lost in her thoughts as she stared at the heart, she had missed the call for dinner but was broken out of her dream like state by a knock, she turned around and heard her captain moaning about dinner and not getting any if she didnt come down to the kitchen, laughing a little, she replied that she would be down in a second. Her captain let out a cheer before she listened to his footsteps move further away from the door till it was silent, only the beating of the heart echoing quietly.

Turning to the heart, she gently placed her fingers on the blacken heart before getting up and leaving the room.

Missing the small glow, the heart emitted.

III

Dinner was always eventful, the cook and swordsman fighting like cats and dogs, her foolish captain continuing to steal food from all theirs plates and the sniper getting mad trying to stab his hand to stop it. She smiled at her friends and didn't wish for any of them to change, she had so much love for them, turning to look at the door leading out of the kitchen her mind began to wonder back to the blacken heart. The tug still connecting them by an unknown force, the doctor on her right had spoken, turning to him she gave him a bright smile and nodded for him to carry on with his story, earning a smile from the young boy before he started talking cheerfully.

As she listened, her hand placed on her heart.

No matter what, her mind would wonder back to the heart and soon she felt a pain shot through her body and closed her eyes clutching her chest. This brought panic upon her friends but she let a light laugh and told them she was fine, getting up, she explained that she was going to get some fresh air. The cook insisted he come with but she shook her head however reassuring them if something was up she would go to the doctor straight away.

She didn't leave any room for a reply as she swiftly moved out of the room, closing the door behind her, she made her way to the right side of the ship however next thing she knew was she in front of the door leading to her map room. Slowly she lifted her hand on the door before quickly bringing it away, looking down at it with widened eyes, she hesitated but brought her hand back on the door.

Her breath escaping her as she plunged into darkness.

Marching through his ship, he growled at the crew members that shrunk back from him, they had messed up and now it put his thought out plans into the wind. Time was something he did not have and hated every second they wasted. Sending his trusted men to sort with the situation at hand while he would rest, finally when he could hear no one around or sense the pitiful men he had hired, he stripped off his jacket and threw it in a basket he passed.

Exposing the empty hole in his chest.

It had been awhile since he had rid the organ, the pain had stopped and he almost felt free till one evening he had woken from a strange dream, the sweat rolling off his chest as he tried to steady his breathing, looking down at his hands in disbelief.

Normally everything was black and bleak in his dreams but this time there was a figure within the darkness, he could not make who they were other than the person was that of a female.

Her voice is what gave it away.

Don't worry, Ill care for you

The warmth that flooded him had startle him, causing him to leave the dream. It took a while for him to collect his thoughts but for a moment, a fleeting moment it felt like he could feel his heart beat within his chest.

Reaching up in a daze, it was the empty hole that made him remember it all, the pain and suffering.

That he had no heart.

Finally after a small period, he and his crew had managed to get back onto the sea after the problems they had run into on the island. Watching his men at work bored him but after the small blip they had, he had to make sure they were doing things correctly, his two closer human members, Penguin and Shachi were giving out the orders from each end of the room while his navigator, Bepo was going over the course.

Bringing his hand up to his face, he dragged it over his bored looking face before letting out a sigh and getting up.

His navigator Bepo called out to him but he waved a hand before walking out the room and began to move towards his room. The dream was still in the back of his mind and he just couldn't bring himself to forget or move from it, there was just something about those words she had spoken that made his chest ache in pain.

It made his furious.

He had no heart for this pain yet six little words were causing more damage that he had ether thought.

Finally he reached his lab and a grin broke out, he could finally doing something worth while, bringing his hand up to push the door in however he stopped the motion leaving his hand pressed firmly on the door as total darkness swallowed him.

She didn't know what to make of this at all, one moment she was on the ship and then there she was standing in pitch darkness, nothing around her but the door that she had her hand on it but what had made her eyes widened in shock was the presence of someone behind the door. She couldn't see him physically but some how she could sense an aura, a very dark aura.

To anyone else, they would of suffocated at the darkness that emitted from behind the door however she had felt this darkness before, like an old friend greeting her with open arms.

No words would escape her lips, unsure how or what to do.

But it wouldn't be long till the silence was broken.

Who are you

VII

He was not expecting this nor the person behind the door and to make it even worst, the person behind the door gave the same aura, energy glow as the women that plague his dream a couple of days ago. The darkness was his domain yet the women didn't move or leave, though it made him frown, it also made him wonder about her if she could take on the darkness.

Silence he normally welcomed with wide arms however this silence was starting to unnerve him.

"Who are you?"

Thinking he was not going to get a reply, he was about to pull his hand from the door however before he could.

I am me but who are you

That was an odd reply but he for some reason could not pull his hand away from the door no longer, drawn to the women behind the door so he moved closer.

VIII

"I am me but who are you"

She was not an idiot to give her actual name away, she had no idea who it was behind the door at all and from the darkness she could feel emitting from him meant that he was someone with a lot of power, she could just feel it somehow, she had always had a good gut reaction.

You are you but I am me

Eyes widening before she took a step closer to the door, she didnt not expect an answer like that, which told her that they were smarter than most people which didnt bring confidence in her.

This amount of darkness and the way he spoke back not revealing anything about himself and the way he had said it proved that he was a powerful individual,.

Placing another hand on the door, it reveal more darkness and she could not help herself and let the old friend wrap their arms around her, relaxing into the darkness for a second before she was rudely awoke to the door opening and her hitting the floor on the other side. Moaning a little as she bumped her head, she sat up and looked back at the door, finding herself back in her map room on the ship.

No darkness anywhere.

Wrapping her arms around her as she closed her eyes just remembering the moment the darkness had felt like firm male arms.

Thud Thud Thud

Opening her eyes, she looked to the heart on the desk and was shocked to see a small colouring of pink within the black, getting up quickly. She kicked the door with her foot before scooping up the heart to look closer, when had this happened and how did it happen.

At that moment she didn't care on the how but she could feel the positive energy from the heart and this made her smile.

"You are you but I am me"she whispered to herself.

He hadn't expected her to move closer, the light radiating off her wanted him to move back away from it, like it was burning his touch however it was how she was accepting his darkness was what kept him rooted if not moving closer and closer to the door.

To the moment, the door had disappeared and he felt her body press into his.

It was there, he sensed a powerful darkness he had not seen before and closing his eyes, he drew his breath in and began to wrap his arms around her trying to bring that darkness closer to him.

Her closer to him.

Warmth was pure bliss till suddenly it was gone.

As a feather dancing softly around him before being whisked off by a cold harsh wind.

Eyes widening open, he was back on his ship and she was nowhere in sight, his body trembled in such anger that he slammed his fist into the door. The blow of his fist echoing around the empty hallway, oh how the darkness felt so good to him that it made his body crave more, where had she gone and how could she possess such darkness but have the light there at the same time.

"I am me but who are you" He repeated gently bring both fists on the door as well his forehead.

He threw open the door and entered in, not aware of the warmth spreading through his body at the current moment.

It had been three weeks since that incident, no one knew anything except her as she refused to let any of her friends know of anything to do with the heart but nothing had happened since then and for some reason she felt disappointed. She didnt know who he was, for all she knew, he could of been a marine or worst yet there was something about him that drew her mind into questioning. Currently she sat outside with the chest on her lap, the warm weather had been a change from the harsh cold wind and she didnt want to be stuck inside however she refused to leave the heart alone because lately she has noticed dramatic changes.

The black was receding and pink was finally making its way across the organ.

Like she promised the day she found the heart, she was giving it the care it wanted and deserved so it now never left her sight.

For she hadn't actually seen the change happen yet, it made her curious on how it did happen.

Suddenly she felt a small gush of wind by her and turned around to find her captain looking down at the chest on her lap.

"Whats that?"he asked reaching towards the chest with his hands.

"Nothing"she replied quickly trying to cover the chest with her arms however he had gotten his hands on the chest.

She pulled back but her captain's curiosity would not go away, so there she was playing tug of war with him and not noticing the small crowd that had gather on the below deck to watch. Next thing she knew was the chest had been ripped out of her hands and flying in the air, the latch opening and the heart falling out before landing dead in the centre before everyone.

This had to be her worst nightmare.

"Is that a heart?"

"What the hell"

"How strange Yohohoho"

Time moved slowly as she watched her captain jump over the railing and approached the organ, his hand moving toward it, she had leaped up and swung over the edge and push herself further. Just beating her captain to grab it but the moment, her fingertips touched the heart, everyone's faces had blurred before darkness took over. There she was laying in the pool of darkness before pushing herself up, looking around for something, trying not to hope for him to be here.

Yet she felt a little excitement run through her.

Hearing a noise behind her, she raised her fist to swing at the noise only for her wrist to be caught.

A dark aura pulsed before her but she had refused to look up, she knew this darkness from before however there was no door between them.

You

That darn women had plagued his mind ever since that day, he could not rid himself of the warm impression she had left when she fell into his arms, his body now craved her touch with the darkness she hid and there was nothing he could do but want. Every dream, he thought she would be there or when the darkness consumed him, he thought she would be there but again no one except him. At one point he believed she was just a figment of his imagination that his mind was playing with but the impression she left on him couldn't of been something his mind had made up.

Walking around his ship, he had stopped when the faces of his crew around him disappeared and the walls bleeding black before soon he was currently walking through a black world of nothing.

It felt like last time and he tried to squash the rising feeling of hope within his chest.

Would she be here?

No she couldn't be, there had been no sign of her in any of those moments.

Suddenly a sharp pain shot through his body and he fell onto one knee, grasping at his chest trying to control his breathing.

It went as quickly as it had come, pulling himself up, he narrowed his eyes but then he felt it. The same warmth from the last time he had met her was now flowing through the air, it was in that moment he felt his own feet move without his acknowledgement. Unsure what he was doing, he could not bring himself to stop because knowing where he might be heading made his body crave that touch more and more with every step he took in the bleak black world. It was in that moment he had so much hope, that couldn't bring himself to rid it because it that moment he grew closer and closer to the spot, he felt that horrendous darkness.

She was here in his bleak world.

For that moment he felt excitement as his speed increased before he slowed down to a stop at the sight before him.

There she was, pushing herself off the floor looking around.

With the darkness surrounding him, he slowly walked over to her and stopped right in front of her, catching the fist that was flung at him. The moment he caught her wrist, he knew she knew exactly were she was and with whom, her fist opening up going limp in his grip yet she refused to look up. The darkness eloped him and he couldn't help but close his eyes as he drew her closer to him.

"You"

Finally being so close, he could smell the tangerine scent coming from her persimmon hair, unable to help himself he ran his fingers through the hair bringing it closer to his nose. The scent invade his nose with such force that he couldn't help but let a growl which caused her to shake a little, yet not being afraid she moved closer to him letting her ridged body go loose within his grips.

She felt his hand leave her wrist and soon it wrapped itself around her waist, bringing her closer to him that she was able to bring both her hands up onto his chest. Only then that she realised that he was not wearing a top and her warm hands were touching cold skin, looking to her hands she noticed the black swirls that covered his body. He was very heavily tattooed and she couldn't help but admire the work, it reminded her of her sister and she couldn't help but smile thinking back to the memories of her childhood.

He heard the tiny laugh and could sense she was smiling but at the same time, the darkness that came from her was growing colder and darker to the point it felt so familiar, it drew him in so much that he wanted to know who was she but he couldn't help watch her trail her hands across his chest, following the pattern on his body till he noticed were she was heading.

Lightly trailing, she followed the pattern till she stopped.

Where his heart should be, she could not feel no heart beat and couldn't help but look at the gap within his chest. He had no heart and it made her remember the beating heart back on the ship, was it possible this was the owner. She couldn't help but trace the pattern of a heart around the gaping hole before laying her hand over it, her other hand laying down on the bare skin, yet she could not look up.

She showed no fear.

It was in that moment, he had to know who she was. Everyone who saw his gaping hole fled or screamed in horror but she did not, rather she was curious in it and had moved closer to him. Placing both his hands lightly on her cheeks, he slowly lifted her head up to be greeted with soft brown eyes before the world they both were in suddenly began to shake, he knew what it meant and he did not want it to end here.

He wanted more.

Feeling his hands on her cheeks, she wanted to close her eyes and move closer into his touch but she wanted to know more about him, maybe out of this bleak world she could find him back on the sea with her friends. Bright amber eyes stared straight through her and she couldn't help but be memorised in them, she took in all of his facial look hoping to remember it all once she left. Slowly she raised a hand to his face but stopped when the room shook and she stumbled back, trying to catch herself before she fell, she raised a hand out to him only to watch him blur and slowly she watched the black recede into blue skies and his face turned into the face of the sniper who was calling out her name.

"No"

XII

He watched as she blurred from his view and suddenly he was back on his ship, with his crew members surrounding him with worried looks. Anger suddenly began to build up but it would not stop there, as they moved closer, all of them trying to speak to him.

"MOVE!"

Bringing his fist down into the floor so hard that it left a dent in the ship, they all moved back sensing the rage within their captain who was now looking down at his hands. She had been in his grip, she was in his reach but again she was gone, lost to the wind and this made him see red. Getting up, he pushed past his men and stormed through the ship, trying to calm himself down but nothing would come of it.

Soft brown eyes.

Warm hands gliding across his bare chest.

Beautiful persimmon hair.

No anger, No fear, No pity.

Acceptance, Understanding.

In his rage, he grabbed anything within his reach and threw everything he had against the wall, glassed items smashing on impact and barrels breaking. Finally when he had nothing to grab, did he stop and took a deep breath, the anger finally making its way out of his system. Exiting the room, he marched back to the room full of his men, they all stopped working when he barged into the room. He sent two of them to clean the mess he had made, no one questioned him, moving over to his trusted men, Penguin and Shachi, he ordered the others to carry working.

"Sir?"

"I need you to find someone"

Both of them looked at each before turning to the navigator before looking back to their captain.

"Who?"

They had both asked, he described that he did not know who she was but that she had brown eyes, persimmon hair but before he could explain more, they shot off to do some searching. The navigator, Bepo was going to follow, but he stopped when he felt a grip on his paw, looking back he looked to his captain.

"She has a tattoo of a pinwheel and a tangerine, it covers multiple deep scar tissue and has a scar on her right shoulder. Your looking for a scent of tangerines"

A nod confirmed the information had been taken in, he let go of his navigator Bepo and looked at the monitor as he brought his ship up to the surface. He would be determined to find her, grabbing his jacket, he slipped it on before making his way up to the surface. Taking in the sea air, he let out a breath as he walked to the railing gripping onto it with both hands, slowly he closed his eyes and envisioned ghostly hands running across his chest as a warm body pressed against his.

Her scent mixing within the sea air.

Then he heard it, opening his eyes, he looked behind.

Im sorry

XIII

She was currently in the doctors office laying on a bed, the previous day they had said she had collapsed on the deck. No one mentioned anything about the heart and for a moment it felt like yesterday never happened. It confused her but she couldnt help let out a relief of sigh, they didn't know about the heart it was still her secret. The doctor had gone over several tests but nothing came up and told her she would be fine going, he asked her that if something was up that she should come to him. She had felt bad looking at his face before gathering him into her arms, promising him she would come to him if something was up, it earned her a smile and she felt happy.

They both had entered on the deck, he ran off to the sniper and her captain, quietly she moved to her map room mentioning to Robin that she had something to check then she would sit with her. Closing the door, she looked to her desk and spotted the chest, opening it carefully she let out a breath as she gazed at the heart.

Carefully she pulled it out and looked it over, nothing looked wrong but she swore to herself that yesterday did happen. She had been in his grip, every touch felt so real and there was no way that had not been real. She brought the heart up to her chest, closing her eyes she could still feel his hands on her body and those golden eyes looking at her, with so much want in them.

They would haunt her dreams.

"Im sorry"

Placing the heart back down, she closed the lid without seeing a small patch of black vanish, she picked the chest up and carried it with her to change before she went back onto the deck to have tea with Robin.

XIV

It had been a while since their captain had brought up anything about the women that he had seen in his dream, he stopped asking about if they had found anything on her but they hadn't and soon enough, it looked like all thoughts on her had vanished, his previous mind set on anger and darkness. They didnt want it to be like this, it had been a great deal of shock when they found or rather saw him without his heart.

Penguin placed a few more wanted poster on the desk while Shachi was scanning a few more from another pile.

"Maybe we..."

"No, you could feel it, he was different less angry"

Both of them looked to Bepo who had entered the room with another pile of posters, he was determined to find the girl, their captain seemed better when concentrated on the girl. He took moved over to them but his foot caught the edge of the carpet that was rip, tumbling all the posters flew out of his hand and into the table with theirs, all posters scattered everywhere.

All their hard work coming apart, Penguin helped Bepo up while Shachi shook his head looking at all the posters on the floor, they were going to just call it a night when Bepo flew over to the pile and pulled out a poster, he eyes wide with excitement as he turned to them.

"Bepo?"

"Persimmon hair with a tattoo of a tangerine and pinwheel"

There in his hand, he held up the poster matching the description their captain had said, down to the brown eyes staring back at them. They all smiled at one another before they all shot out of the door, to find their captain.

Had she been shut out?

Was she failing?

Waiting for Robin to leave the room had been easy, she sat alone on her bed before bringing the chest up to have a look at the heart but what she was greeted made her heart break, she could feel the hard tugs on her own heart and it was painful though she never let on to anyone, she didnt want them to worry but it was worrying her.

All the pink that had managed to make its way through the black had gone.

Black was it again.

It was like all the love and care she gave it, was pushed out and refused to let any back, the anger and grief she felt from it got worst and worst with each passing day which cause her a great lot of pain. She tried closing her eyes and hoping to return to the pitch black world to see him but nothing, the times she managed to let the darkness back in, she was always alone.

Clutching the heart, she pressed it to her chest and she hunched over, a few tears escaping her eyes and rolling down her cheek onto the heart.

"Why have you shut me out?"

XVI

Gasping at air as he shot up, the blanket draped on him had been flung to the side, hand on his chest as a large amount of pain shot through his body. For a few seconds he swore he could smell something sweet in the air, looking around the lab there was nothing in here that would give off such a smell. Bringing himself out of the chair, he lent on the wall as the pain continue probably getting worst.

He couldnt figure out why as he tried to calm his breathing.

Slowly he watched as everything blurred around him, he didnt need this right now. The black void of a world greeted him with silence, taking a step forward, he was surprised to be stepping in water. It only reached up to his knees but this had been a first for the world, again the pain shot through and he almost fell into the water, ready to scream at nothing he stopped at the sight only a couple of feet away from him.

There she stood with a simple white dress on, currently standing in the water like him but it came to her waist, she was holding onto something however he could not figure out what.

He tried moving closer but his legs refused, he didnt understand what was going on, looking down he pulled at his legs.

Why have you shut me out?

Looking up, she was now much closer to him and he could see she was holding out a heart, a very blackened heart it reminded him of his own. No words could leave his mouth as he watched her look up with a tear stricken face.

Why did you shut me out?

He had waited on months and months with something from his crew but nothing, she again was no longer in his dreams and to him, he could no longer follow a simple want for he had bigger things that needed doing with. She was nothing to him so he had buried her deep within his mind and cast thoughts of her out like he did with his heart on that day. The pain worsen as he clutched his head, the dull ache moving through his body then he felt it, the thud of a heart beat and looked to her, watching as black cracks began to appear on her porcelain skin then the water so still began to tremble as he watched darkness cling to her, dragging her down into the water.

With all his might he tried to move and scream but nothing, he reached out to her with an open hand.

His fingertips just barely gracing her before she was swallowed into the darkness.

"Why did you shut me out?"

The voice had been so clear as if she was right next to him whispering those words into his ear, like a lightening bolt hitting him dead into his core. Blinking he was back in his lab, his arm stretched out as he looked at Penguin, Shachi and Bepo who had barged into the room looking like they had seen a ghost.

"What do you want"

The venom dripped off his voice, Penguin and Shachi drawing back to the door afraid as they could sense such a dark presence with their captain, Bepo who was as afraid did not step down, he held out the poster to his captain, determined.

"We found her"

Narrowing his eyes as he snatched the poster and turned it over, the pain that currently invaded his body had disappeared all together once he saw the image. The air knocked out of his lungs as the poster fell to the floor, he trembled slightly. The three before him guessing from his reaction, guess they had gotten it wrong and bowed their heads in shame but brought them up again as they started to hear their captain laughing.

He had picked the poster up again, holding it close to his face, staring at the soft brown staring right back lifeless.

"Ive found you"

XVII

After wiping her face, she had placed the heart back into the chest and slid it under her bed, maybe thinking to rid herself of the heart as believing she had failed, leaving the room she walked out on the deck. Smiling she watched as Chopper wave her over, she was halfway over when she felt a strong gush of wind appear, she heard Usopp call out to her.

This was not the wind of a storm, she was actually not sure what it was.

Leaves blown around by the wind created a small vortex of dancing green around her, for a moment she thought the leaves took a shape of a man and was reaching out to her, not realising the pain was now gone within her, she reached out without thinking but before she could touch the leaves. They all fell as Sanji landed next to her, everyone was gathered around the deck unsure what to make of what happened, she could hear Sanji next to her but her thoughts were all jumbled about.

What was that?

XVIII

Nothing to could explain what had happened on the ship, not even Robin could come up with something so they all put it down to the one of the mystery's of the grand line, she swore she had seen someone within the vortex but she did not voice her concerns as nobody mentioned anything, she didnt want them to worry about something that may have not been there. Drinking the last of her tea, she stood up and made her way to her tangerine grove passing the swordsman who opened his eye and looked at her, she nodded with a smile and he nodded back before closing his eye.

Grabbing the basket, she began to pluck off the healthy looking tangerines, soon her her basket was half full when she felt it.

The tug at her heart.

Letting out a breath, she looked over to her map room and placed a hand on her heart before shaking her head.

She had moved the heart back into the map room as she hated dreaming about that empty bleak world, as much as she wanted to open the chest and hold the organ, the pain she gathered from seeing all that black again was just too much for her to take. Now and again she could feel the tug, on days it was painful and on others it as a dull ache. Picking up the basket, she headed towards the kitchen to hand Sanji the tangerines, once arriving to the kitchen she placed the basket down carefully but the cook was nowhere to be found so she stepped back outside. Deciding she would join Robin up in the garden would be a nice change, relaxing as she took in the breeze she didnt notice as he body changed direction, sense finally returning to her. She narrowed her eyes as she stood in front of the door belonging to the map room however she turned her back on the door to take a step towards the deck only to find the door back in front of her.

"I am not"

In hush tones, she turned around to find the same thing happening, then she felt it, looking down at her wrist she saw nothing there but it felt like someone was grabbing her wrist and was pulling her towards the door. Clenching her fist, she watched as the door opened slightly enough for her to fit in, she kicked the door behind her as she did not want anyone knowing what was going on.

What surprised her was the chest was open.

No one would go into her map room so who had opened it, she knew she had not but she watched as she was pulled to the chest, once reaching it the grip disappeared. Her wrist felt a little sore and she rubbed it before peering into the chest, the tug at her heart was a sharp ache but surprisingly the heart had a few specs of pink fluttered around it.

Now she was confused.

Taking a small breath, she slowly picked up the heart in her hand to get a closer look.

The room became silent, she could not hear anything however her surrounding did not change, she stood still not sure what to expect. It was then she felt it behind her, the presence of someone right at her back, she could not really make out what or who as she pressed the heart into her chest.

Feeling hands almost ghost over her shoulders, she swung around to find no one there.

"Island!"

Turning to the door, she pushed it opened to find her captain and Usopp pointing to an island not far in front of them, turning back she placed the heart back into the chest and headed outside to be part of the discussion.

XIX

He took every lead he could without anyone realising it, The Strawhats were quite famous as they travelled around, they had been a back burner thought the first time he had heard of their captain and his devil fruit powers. Not caring, he dropped the subject and carried on with journey but now finding out, she was apart of that crew and the navigator, he did all possible to find something connecting to that crew.

The town they were currently in had not seen any sign of a pirate with a strawhat, they had heard rumours from the passing marines but the crew had never stepped foot on this land.

A dead end was what he was going to call till Shachi came back.

"A man said he had seen them on Porri port, that is three islands off this one and heard them mentioning an island called Drakma"

A potential lead, he motioned for Shachi to gather the rest of the members up and give Bepo the new location. He looked over at the view and began walking to the cliffs edge, staring out to the sea, what would he do once he finally saw her. That was the question burning in his mind, she possessed a darkness that called out to his like a siren of the sea, he had to know , to feel that suffocating darkness that seemed so similar to his.

Placing a hand over his mouth, he narrowed his eyes before grinning.

"I will find you siren"

Docking the ship hidden between to cliffs had been easy, what was not easy was the fact this island had a few marines, she did not want her captain going out and causing chaos but he promised he be on his best behaviour that and Robin would accompany him while wearing disguise that Usopp had come up with. The sniper of the group had come up with disguises for all of them well except Brook and Franky who would be staying on the ship.

She was currently wearing a long flowing red skirt, with white sandals and a white bikini top accompanied with small blacked out sun glasses and a floppy sun hat, this was defiantly something she wouldn't wear but it was not as bad as she thought.

Making their way into town, it was best to go in pairs just in case so she was paired with Chopper was disguised to look like a small child. He held onto her hand, making it look like mother and son so people just ignored then except for a few people who would smile and nod. They first entered the medical store as Chopper wanted to see if they had a few herbs he needed to restock, keeping him close in front of her by the shelves, making it look like she was checking while in fact he was. Happy with the choice, Chopper handed them to her before going over to the counter and paid for them before they left, she motioned him to the fruit stall when a few marines passed by but she managed to catch snippets of their conversation.

"You saw him really heading towards the island"

"Defiantly the captain-"

Feeling the tug on her dress, she looked down at Chopper who had the same thought.

Had Luffy done something already?

"We will carry on like nothing has happened but if we spot any of the others or the mention again, we will turn back"

The small reindeer nodded as they brought a few strawberries before heading back on the track to the navigational store.

XXI

Surprisingly it did not take long for his crew to reach the island, he would never know that Bepo made sure they would get there quick, stepping up to the top he watched as a few marines fled from the dock off towards the town. His presence would be known to the whole island soon, motioning to Penguin and Shachi to scout ahead while giving Bepo the command to find a more secluded spot for the sub.

He had passed a small hut on the way towards the town, seeing the clothes hanging, he grabbed a white coat similiar to his doctor coat on board. He changed the jeans into black suit trousers and the top for a black suit top before pinching the pair of glasses resting on the stump. Using his devil fruit abilities, his clothes were transported back to the ship and an empty barrel replaced them were they sat a few moments ago, even his significant hat was gone.

Placing his hands into the pocket, he walked on merrily towards the town, smirking to himself as a few marines headed to the shore passing him by without a look.

XXII

Taking a look around, she checked each of the shelves, noting down what she would need and what she did not while Chopper sat by the window munching on the strawberries. Deciding she would come back to pick up the equipment when there were less marines around, she thanked the shop owner and held out her hand to the small reindeer before exiting the shop.

Looking around, the marine count had double so she took the small bag from Chopper and placed it into the small bag Usopp had gifted her. Carefully she placed the small reindeer on to her shoulders before lowering down her sun glasses.

"Keep an eye out for anyone"

He nodded and made himself comfortable on her shoulders, still the perfect picture of mother and son.

She could not quite make out any of the conversation between the marines as they all were all moving around to much for her ears to pick up anything, they yet to spot anyone else from their crew and decided it was time to head back to the boat, she could feel Chopper nodding off to sleep up upon her shoulders so she carefully took him off her shoulders but began to carry him like a mother with a sleeping infant.

Smiling, for a second, it felt like there were no things such as pirates or any worries.

Just her out on a stroll with her son, it was the rush of a marine by her right side that brought her back. The small jolt had not awoken the sleeping reindeer and she let out a sigh of relief as she adjusted the small bag on her shoulder.

The end of the town was finally in her sights then once out she could make a small dash for the ship, moving a little quicker, she was so focused on leaving the small town that she did not noticed the person walking in front of her but it was to late, her shoulder collided with the other person, catching herself before falling to the floor.

Sharp pain struck her in the chest and she let out a gasp.

Suddenly she could feel it, such a dark presence, turning around she could not see the person's face for the sun glare was blinding her but she could see one marine pointing in this direction to a couple of others. Forgetting the sunglasses that had fallen off, she took off out of the town in a sprint, trying to keep her grip on the bag and the woken Chopper who had now also seen the marines heading their way.

XXIII

He believed that the marines were becoming more idiotic each day he encountered them, he just had a hard time believing his quick outfit was so different from his normal look that no one recognised him at all, the small town was not far and he would reach it in quick time however he didnt expect to bump into a mother and her child on the way in.

Watching her regain her balance, he would of walked off but it was the small glance he got off her shoulder that stopped him.

The pinwheel tattoo was staring right at him.

Looking to her face, he had spotted the soft brown eyes as she looked around for the sunglasses she had been wearing, as the minutes went on by he noticed the small boy was in fact a reindeer.

This was her.

He was about to reach out to her but before his hand could grace the soft skin, she had took off looking back past him, turning his head he noticed some marines were jogging over to him still watching her take off.

"Damn missed her, do you know the that women sir?"

Nodding as he bent down to pick up her sunglasses before turning to the marines, noticing they had a small bag in their hands.

"We noticed she dropped this, a shop keeper pointed her out but we just missed her, would you be able to get this back to her?"

"Of course officer"

The marines nodded to him before leaving him there with two of her items.

"Ill be defiantly get these back to her"