The Start

"Come on now, come at me with all your might!" the teacher demanded his student. The student charged at his teacher with all of his might. The teacher easily dodged the attack easily by jumping into the air. The teacher then adjusted his weight and came crashing down to the ground. The student managed to dodge the attack by rolling to the side. Using the momentum, the student launched himself at the teacher and lunged his fist at the teacher's face. The punch connected and the teacher stepped back a little bit. The teacher easily regained his balance and launched his own attack. Charging at his student and thrusting at kick to his students gut. The student swiftly caught the kick and threw his teacher towards the wall. The teacher went smack into the wall making a big hole in the wall. The student ran towards the hole that he had made and looked for his teacher.

"Sensei, are you there?" asked the student. The student then turned around to see his teacher covered in dust with a smile on his face.

"You have done well," stated the teacher, "very well indeed." The student bowed to his teacher and the teacher bowed to his student. "That will be enough for today."

"Are you getting tired of acting serious?" asked the student.

"Hell yes I am," replied the teacher as he sat down, "acting serious isn't my style." The student laughed and sat down. The student was wearing black martial arts shoes, white baggy pants, and black and white striped muscle shirt that made his chest look like a white tiger. The student had fuzzy short brown hair and blue eyes.

"Still though," stated the student, "I should be getting back to Mom soon Sensei." The teacher laughed. The teacher was wearing old looking tattered cloths. The teacher had blue eyes, and short light brown hair.

"Your mother is fine," stated the teacher, "you don't need to check in on her all the time."

"I'm worried about her," stated the student, "she always gets so depressed every year at this time. Not that I can blame her though." The teacher sighed.

"The fact that your father left her before you were born," the teacher said finishing his student's sentence.

"Yes," the student stated with a angry tone, "that bastard must not have a heart. Yet, my mom is still in love with that sorry excuse for a man." The teacher sighed.

"Well, love can be very confusing."

"Its has been over sixteen years," stated the student, "don't you think that she would be over it by now."

"Oh, stop trying to think you understand women," a voice came from the hole in the wall. There stood a young woman, about fifteen years old. She had long black hair tied in a ponytail, emerald green eyes, wearing bright blue shoes, blue pants, and a dark blue long sleeve shirt.

"Hey there Amy," stated the student.

"I just recently checked in on your mom," explained Amy, "she is doing fine." The student sighed.

"What stage is she in?"

"She's in the 'depressed leave me alone' stage," replied Amy.

"I see," the student said all depressed. The teacher smiled.

"Listen, it's okay. You go through this every year and you seem to deal with it quiet well." The student smiled.

"I have to be strong, so Mom can see that she raised a fine child on her own." The teacher nodded his head.

"That's my student." The student stood up and walked out of the room through the hole he just made.

"Don't worry," stated Amy, "I'll be with him." Amy stood up and followed the student through the hole in the wall. Leaving the teacher there alone in his training area.

"Did he threw you through the wall?" asked another new voice. The teacher turned around to see a familiar face. His name was Tai, Tai Ku. Tai had a carpenter's outfit on. Tai also had combed back white hair with his blue eyes.

"What is it Tai?" asked the teacher.

"We lost another one today," stated Tai as he sat down next to the teacher, "he wasn't important, but he just couldn't sit around anymore."

"How many are left then?" asked the teacher.

"Ten," replied Tai. The teacher sighed.

"Fifteen years ago, we had twenty friends and now they have been cut in half." Tai nodded his head.

"You know," stated Tai, "I can't speak for the others, but I would never leave you, Captain." The teacher stared at Tai.

"I am no longer a captain," stated the teacher, "or did you forget that?" Tai shook his head. Then, the teacher brought out a pot, some water, dried up noodles, some kind of powder that smelled like chicken, wood, and matches.

"No, I didn't forget. I just think it's weird just calling you Bear." Bear smiled.

"I understand, but I am no longer the captain of the Bear Pirates." Bear started to stir the ingredients that he poured into the pot.

"Sir, I know that you want to be the captain again," stated Tai, "you are just looking for the right excuse to do it." Bear smiled and looked at Tai's face.

"Yeah, I know. But now is the time to eat ramen noodles." Bear poured the contents of the pot into a bowl and brought out a fork. Tai started to laugh.

"In sixteen years, you haven't changed a bit."

"So, wha?" Bear said with his mouth full of noodles. Tai sat next to his former captain staring at the hole that his student made.

******

The student was sitting on Scrape Island, part of the town were parts wash up ashore. He was staring into the horizon.

Why the hell did my father leave? the student asked himself, I mean, Mom loves her. Does he not care? The student heard foot steps from behind him and it was Amy again. Amy walked towards the student and sat next to him.

"What were you thinking about?" asked Amy.

"I was thinking about telling you that I love you," the student said with a sarcastic tone. Amy hit the students head.

"Don't joke like that."

"Ouch," complained the student, "that really hurt."

"Then, don't say stupid things like that," replied Amy.

"Geez, it was just a joke," stated the student.

"Well, it was a bad one," Amy stated. The student nodded his head.

"Yeah, you are right." Both of them stared into the horizon.

"So, what were you really thinking about?" Amy asked.

"My father," replied the student, "I mean, why did he leave my mom." Amy was at a loss of words.

"Every year, you come here and ponder that and never find an answer. Maybe you should let it go."

"I want to understand why," explained the student, "why did my father leave my mom? I want to find the answer even if I have to hunt him down myself." The student stood up with one of his fists clutched with anger. "But now I have to take care of my mom." The student walked away from Amy and headed home.

"Well, maybe one day you will get to find out, Colt," Amy said under her breath. Amy then went back staring at the horizon.

___________________________________________________________________

Well, Bear used to be a pirate captain, Colt's father left his mother, and both of them happened about sixteen years ago, many strange things are happening.

What will happen next?

Find out in the next chapter of. . .

One Piece

The Fallen Child

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