yep.

Another story regarding Kaya…Don't ask, alright? For some reason…she's one of my favorite characters .-.

Disclaimer: *checks paper* Nope. Still don't own One Piece.

Chapter 1. The Old Lady

Knock Knock

A young girl tossed and turned in her bed, "Go away…" She grumbled sleepily.

"Miss Kaya, you have medical training today! Please get up." A high-pitched male's voice said through the door.

Kaya muttered something incomprehensible and slowly got up out of bed. "I'll be down in a second." She called groggily.

The man walked away.

Kaya sighed and got up to look at her clothes.

She had blonde hair that reached just above her shoulder blades and large, dark eyes with a hint of brown in them.

Kaya opened the door of her wardrobe and picked out an orange shirt, a black skirt, and a coat to tie it all together.

XxXxXx

Kaya walked downstairs to see her butler, Merry, and a younger girl with long dark green hair, beaming proudly at her, "Ah. Miss Kaya, looking wonderful as usual." Kaya gave a shy smile and a nod as she walked to the cabinet for something to eat.

"Kaya-Nii! You got another stalker!" The younger one grinned. Merry gave her a horrified look, "Miss Ninima, they're not stalkers…they're suitors!"

"Potato, patawto." Ninima waved him off.

Kaya sighed and smiled apologetically at Merry, "I'm sorry; you had to scare him off again, didn't you? Merry you know I can handle things on my own. You don't have to go out of your way to help me."

"Ah but it's a must! You don't have any suitors that catch your eye, yet they insist! You deserve better than to be some prude man's wife, right?"

"Well-"

"And don't you have a crush on that one dude you and Merry are always talking about?" Ninima asked innocently, Kaya turned bright red.

"Ninima! I've already told you I-I don't like him like that!" She shoved her head between the cabinet and its door to hide her face. "I only don't want to be married because I'm just too young!"

"Mmmhmm." Ninima didn't look very convinced.

"Yes, well-Oh! Miss Kaya you're almost late for your lessons! Hurry, go!"

XxXxXx

"Good evening, Mistress." A villager greeted her.

"Good evening." Kaya greeted back.

"Hello Ojousama." A young boy waved.

"Hello there." Kaya smiled.

"Greetings Miss Kaya!" A happy couple grinned.

"Greetings, best wishes in your marriage!"

"Why hello there, Missy." An elderly woman smiled.

"Hello there!"

Everywhere she went there were people to greet and meet. She smiled at the cute children walking by, she gave a man whose wife was pregnant her regards. Ninima just held her hand and stuck her tongue out at the perverts leering at her.

They walked to a small treehouse at the far end of town. Kaya giggled, "Hello boys, what trouble have you gotten into today?"

Slowly, three boys with hair similar to a vegetable's heads popped out, when they saw it was her, they gave a relieved sigh and a grin.

"Oh! Good it's just Miss Kaya!" The blonde one, Onion, said.

"Hey! I'm here, too!" Ninima pouted.

"Who are you hiding from now?" Kaya asked the boys.

"The butcher! Onion just told us a story yesterday about," Pepper looked around cautiously before cupping his hand to the side of his mouth and whispered, "The Three Fingered Meat Singer!"

It took all of her sheer will not to laugh when he said that, "The Three Fingered Meat Singer?"

Onion glared at Pepper, "No I didn't! I said the Three Fingered Meat Slinger! With an L!"

"What's the difference?"

"A singer is someone who uses their mouth and sings words in a pretty voice! A slinger is someone who cuts stuff up!"

"What?! Who cut what up?!" Carrot woke up with a start.

Kaya giggled at the scene; she straightened her back and gave a heroic look before saying, "Come with me, children! I'll make sure the Three Fingered Meat Slinger doesn't take you!" The boys cheered and jumped out of the treehouse. Ninima just blinked, wondering how and why out of all islands, this was the one she found.

XxXxXx

"Miss Kaya, where are we going now?" Onion asked, holding his wooden sword protectively under his arm.

"To the shore. I want to see something…"

"You wanna see if Captain came back yet." Pepper noted, Kaya blinked and shook her head in denial, "N-No! I just want to-Hey, who's that?"

The five looked to see an elderly woman doubled over, her shoulders drooping, her stomach so empty you could count her ribs, and her face so white it was nearly transparent. Kaya tilted her head to get a better look and also noticed the woman was drenched in water.

"AAAH! WITCH!" The boys shrieked; Ninima hit them in the head. "Shaddup!"

The old lady, having noticed she was being watched, quickly made her way to Kaya and the others.

"Oh please, dear miss. I've lost me ship! It got tugged away by that evil ocean! Luckily I washed up onto this here shore. But I'm starving and can't find me way home!" The woman moaned. Kaya gave her a sympathetic look.

"Come here, lets get you into some warmer clothes and I'll cook you something." Kaya said; ignoring the horrified looks and protests the boys gave her.

The woman's face brightened up and was instantly at her side, kneeling on the ground before her and crying her eyes out, "Oh thank you, dear miss! I will pay you back; you're oh-so kind! Oh!" Kaya smiled and grabbed the lady by the arm. She turned to Ninima, "Ninima?" The greenette nodded and took Kaya's hand, instantly disappearing.

"Hey! What about us?!" Carrot whined.

XxXxXx

Once she got her into some dry clothes, Kaya walked the lady into a room and laid her down on a bed, smiling gently, she made her way to the door, "I'll be right back with some soup." She said, and walked out.

"I still can't see why she has to sleep in my room!" Ninima complained when Kaya walked in. Merry threw his hands up in exasperation, "Miss Kaya, can you please help me? She'll only listen to you!"

Kaya smiled, "Now now, Ninima, you can always bunk with me." She said, throwing on an apron and making her way to the kitchen. Ninima scowled, "I'm not nine! I don't wanna sleep with someone! I wanna sleep with myself!" She ranted. Kaya gave an amused sigh, dropping dots of spices into the soup, "Well actually you are fifteen. And nowadays fifteen year old girls have girlfriends and sleepovers. Why don't you sleep at a friend's house?" Ninima's face twisted up in disgust, "Ewww no! Those girls are such…idiots! No way am I spending my blissful night in their hell of a house."

"Well then I don't know what to say, come help me bring the soup to her room. She might need a napkin and a warm glass of tea. Merry?" Merry smiled and walked off.

Kaya took Ninima's hand and walked toward the old lady's room.

"Miss, I have your food. My butler will be back with a drink." She said, making her way through the door. The old lady smiled gratefully, "Ohh me goodness! Thank you Missy!" She practically dove into her food. Kaya smiled.

When the old lady was done, she smiled more sophisticatedly and folded her hands over her lap. "Now then, Child." She said more clearly, earning a raised brow from Ninima.

"You have given a selfless act of kindness, you have taken an old woman out of her frightened state even though you were warned by some younger one not to." Slowly, Kaya noticed the old lady's features becoming less wrinkly and ragged and more defined and young. She blinked in surprise.

"You deserved a repayment." The woman snapped her fingers and suddenly, a crystal ball glowed on her lap, Ninima gasped in shock while Kaya was too stunned to say anything.

"Now, if you just put your hands on this ball here, I promise not a thing will happen." The woman assured, gesturing Kaya nearer. Kaya obeyed and slowly, as if in a trance, made her way to the strange woman. She gently placed her hands onto the ball, despite Ninima's protests.

The woman closed her eyes and smiled lightly, "Ahh yes. Kaya, beloved mistress of Syrup Village. You are a kind woman, always putting others before yourself. Many times you have helped people, like this young lady right here." Ninima scowled.

"But alas. You have been betrayed by someone you thought you could trust completely. It nearly cost yours (and not to mention others) life. But thankfully, three kind people fought their way through it. One in which, was a trusted friend you have grown quite fond of. He has made you feel on top of the world when you were down, he was your savior.

"But unfortunately he left for promises of adventure and excitement. You never felt so disheartened, yet you move forward, aspiring to work in the medical industry in the meantime."

The woman eyed Kaya wearily.

"You wish to see that boy again. Oh you yearn for the sight of your old friend. The only one that made you smile…I can make that happen." Kaya gasped as the woman pulled out a strange fruit.

It looked a lot like a pineapple, yet it was decorated in swirls and colored bright pink. Ninima gasped, "Niichan! That's…"

"…a Devil Fruit." Kaya breathed, staring at it in wonder.

The woman nodded, "This here fruit is the key to your inner-most desire. All you need to do is take a bite. I won't rush you, dear. But I suggest you make the decision by this time next week, because I will be back. And if you haven't yet decided…the offer shall expire." And with that, the lady snapped her fingers and disappeared in a fog of light.

End Chapter 1.

so…what'd you think?

If I find the time I might do a one-shot about Coby. I always love making stories about forgotten characters.