Hey fellas, I kinda did a thing again. Meaning that I started to write a short story / oneshot that I initially wanted to submit for Sanami June Bride-stuff. Action? Initiative? I don't know, but it's a good thing, that I'm sure of. Alright, my point is that I've decided against it, mostly for two reasons. The first one is that it's simply not good enough, especially compared with the art other people have submitted etc. (this looks a whole lot like I'm fishing for compliments, I know, but it's actually my honest opinion.). The second reason is that while I was writing the story, the actual topic of wedding/bridal stuff went so far into the background that I couldn't feel good about submitting it.

What else? This story is relatively short and mostly finished, probably 4-5 pages to go, at most. Until those are finished, I will upload one part every day, just to get it out. When I've finished the rest of the story, I'll upload it all at once.

That being said, I hope you can somewhat enjoy this.

Disclaimer: One Piece and its characters don't belong to me.

Servant of Fate Part 1

"Too many things can't be explained

How they came to be

With all your cards and crystal prophecies

Can we really see?

A solution for us all?

Or are we lost forever, always to fall?"

Demon – Victim of Fortune (From: The Unexpected Guest)

Things weren't exactly working out as well as he dearly hoped they would, that much was certain.

The woman he desired for so long was just standing out of arm's reach, facing the ground instead of him, hands balled into fists. Maybe she was trying to hold back tears, maybe it was barely contained anger in face of his impudence, he couldn't tell. It didn't do anything to change the situation they were in. Their part of the crew, consisting of Luffy, Brook, Chopper, themselves and their newest nakama, Carrot, had finally managed to escape the nightmare that Whole Cake Island had been, once again emerging victorious from the most gruesome battle they had yet faced.

When the news of their victory reached the public, a sigh of relief could be heard around the known world. Another tyrant defeated, thousands of souls were finally free to follow their own will. People who had known nothing but thralldom all throughout their lives were now able to seek their worth in the world without a yoke around their neck. The sound of broken shackles resounded all over the seas when the combined might of the Straw Hat Pirates, Jinbe, still called 'The Knight of the Sea', and Capone 'Gang' Bege brought about the fall of Big Mom and her crew.

Things really should have been working out better by now.

Unfortunately though, they weren't. Here they stood, under the cover of a starry, silent night, not being able to exchange more than one word at a time. His right hand was concealing the sole reason for this silence. He didn't even need to show it to her, to even ask her the most important question of his life and she had already told him that she - no, they - couldn't.

"Nami-san," he tried to approach her again, but the only answer he needed was the shaking of her head, setting her beautiful, fiery-red mane in motion. Still, he couldn't make out if she was angry or if there was something else lying underneath. What did it matter, though? As a gentleman, he had to accept her answer, even if it was one of the things he feared to hear the most. The desire to hold her, to try to make her reconsider her decision, was there, of course, but forcing something like that after he received her negative answer would neither help one bit nor was it what Zeff raised him to be.

Without another word, even another glance, she left the deck, leaving him to his own thoughts, with only the stars and an obsidian sky to keep him company.

And high up in the sky, someone - or something - let out an annoyed sigh.