Disclaimer: Shiningheart of ThunderClan doesn't own One Piece.

Chapter one: What the hell?

She was dead. She was dead and she knew it. How else would she explain the blank expanse of white all around her and the fact that she was naked? Not to mention the last thing she remembered was drowning in the river near her house. Funny, Jade always thought she'd go to hell when she died. Unless this colorless space was her personal hell. For someone like her, monotony went under the form of 'cruel and unusual punishment'. It looked weird, though. More like purgatory or limbo than hell. Was her destination still being decided?

The young woman looked at what she could see of her body, freckled nose wrinkling in distaste. She still had the scars on her thighs, which meant the ones on her back were still there too. There were five tattooed rings linked into a chain along her hip. Jade ran a fingertip delicately over each circle, a bitter smile tugging at her features. There was a story to every one of them, a story important to her. But now wasn't the time to think about them. Now was the time for answers. Feeling quite stupid, she asked aloud, "Can I have a mirror, please?"

Jade had no idea what she was hoping to accomplish with that. No one else was here. So she had every right in the world for shrieking like a sissy when one just suddenly appeared from nowhere. It was a full body mirror that showed her entire reflection. Her black hair was to mid-back. She'd had it in a braid when she'd been swimming, but then she'd also been wearing clothes. So obviously her death state didn't reflect her living one... Or at least the state she'd last been in.

Dark green eyes stared back at her, still blinking in shock and awe. Thick eyelashes framed them and seemed to make the green even more eye-catching. Her eyes were what she liked most about her appearance. They stood out against her light tan and high cheek bones. Her breasts were a decent size. Jade didn't know how to rate them with bra cups, being more into sports bras and bandages, but they were big enough to be a handful.

Her stomach was toned, but not with abs. She'd always thought that women with abs looked kind of weird. But hey, that was just her opinion. Jade's legs were clean shaven and long. Years of swimming and running had made them the most muscular part of her body.

The sight of her naked body suddenly made her uncomfortable. Jade covered herself instinctively as best as she could and asked, "Um... Can I have some clothes, please? Undergarments included?" A pile of clothes appeared on the floor, like they'd always been there, and Jade unfolded them to get a look. Her face dropped into a deadpan look. A short shirt that would barely cover her chest with a lazy bra and an equally short skirt with a thong. The sight of them made her respect for whoever was supplying these things drop. "Uh huh, yeah, hell no. Hoody sweater, jeans, sports bra, and boy shorts."

The requested items didn't come straight away, like the mirror and scraps of cloth (as her mind dubbed them) had. For whatever reason, Jade looked up with narrowed eyes. "Hey, this is my afterlife! I should get to wear whatever I damn well want to, thank you very much!" The pile of clothing disappeared to be replaced. This time, she was satisfied. God, or whoever was giving her this stuff, took some liberties, but she could live with it. The hoodie was sleeveless and only went halfway down her body, allowing her navel to be shown. The jeans were cute looking and actually something she would have picked out for herself. The thighs were skinny but comfortable and the shins flared out at the ends. The bra and underwear were a plain matching black.

She looked back up with a satisfied smile. "Thank you!" Jade put them on and looked back int the mirror. The hoodie was black and the jeans were dark blue. She hummed to herself and turned this way and that way, looking at her reflection from all angles. "I don't know... Something's missing. What do you suggest, Mystery Gift-Giving Person Thing?" A plain white t-shirt appeared. She put it on too. The shirt was lower than the hoodie, but her tattoos still showed. "Perfect! Thanks again!"

The air turned warm, like whoever or whatever was watching her was saying, "You're welcome." Jade didn't even realize how cold she'd been until now. She relished in the heat before she decided to wanter. Part of her wondered if she should ask permission, but the rest of her begged for a little rule-breaking adventure. It'd always been a bad habit of hers to piss off the wrong people, and something told her Mystery Presences would fall under that category.

Luckily, said mysterious presence didn't seem to mind. Or at the very least, it wasn't stopping her. The air went from being warm to what Jade could only describe as curious. She felt a slight pressure on her skin, as if whoever was watching her wanted to know where she was going. "Just going exploring. A little adventure will do me good at the moment."

The presence turned satisfied and allowed her onward. Jade could feel it following her, not inhibiting but not helping. It was a rather unnerving feeling. She never liked leading anyone anywhere. It made her feel silly. To get her mind off of it, she started singing one of her favorite songs from an anime one of her friends liked, One Piece. Jade herself wasn't so fond of it, but she knew the characters and stuff going on through said friend's ranting.

"Yo-ho-ho-ho, yo-ho-ho-ho! Yo-ho-ho-ho, yo-ho-ho-ho. Yo-ho-ho-ho, yo-ho-ho-ho! Yo-ho-ho-ho, yo-ho-ho-ho!" The air turned... weird, as she continued. Jade couldn't explain it, except that it felt... contemplative. "Binkusu, no sake wo! Todoke Ni yuku yo. Umikaze kimakazi namimakase! Shio no mukou de, yuhi wo sawagu, sora nya, wao kaku tori no uta!"

The more Jade sang, the heavier the air got. Evidently, it had come to a decision. Jade finally stopped walking and looked up. If she was going to be chucked into hell, she'd do it with her favorite sin: pride. "Finally chose where I'm going, huh? Well, bring it on! I'm not afraid!"

And suddenly, everything turned dark. Like someone had shut off the lights and put a blindfold on her. Jade yelped loudly and whirled around, trying to spot something, anything, in the shadows around her. It was getting difficult to breath. Her chest heaved for air and she clawed at her throat, thinking maybe something was choking her that she hadn't noticed. But no, the only thing her fingers closed around was her own neck. What was going on?

A stabbing pain in her head made her cry out, wasting what little breath she had in her lungs. She gripped the her temples and curled into a ball, eyes wide and prickling with tears. At least, she hoped they were tears. With the way she felt, she might have been bleeding from her eyeballs. Jade was scared. So, so scared. Not even when she had a concussion did her head hurt this much.

She heard a voice from somewhere and cracked open an eye, unaware she had even closed them, to see a figure in front of her. Her vision was swimming too much to be able to see any distinct features, though, and she closed her eyes again to try and make the pain go away. The last thing she heard was a male voice. "You intrigue me, girl. You've already changed destiny once. Perhaps you'll do it again. Unfortunately, you have too much knowledge of the world you're going to be put into, so I'm going to take it away now. Sorry about this."

The pain came to a crescendo, and Jade screamed before finally blacking out.

When she next woke up, the first thing she felt was the heaviness in her limbs. "Shit, did someone gave the license plate of the truck that hit me?" she groaned without opening her eyes. A squeak made her force an eye open and observe the room. It was modest, the only furniture being the bed she was laying in and a desk with a lamp on it. The walls were painted a dark yellow color, so it was both cheery yet didn't hurt the eyes. The window was opened, letting the white sea-shell printed curtains flutter.

A nervous stammer made Jade look at the floor, where one of the cutest little girls she'd ever seen was watching her with wide eyes. She had brown hair that stuck out in pigtails and a blue and green dress that went to her knees. The look on her face made Jade wince a little. "Erm... Hi?"

The little girl let out a wail and went charging through the door. "MOMMY, THE GIRL MADE ME FALL OFF THE BED!" Jade could only stay there and wince, listening to the sounds of the child crying and an older woman calming her down. Minutes later, an older adult version of the little girl entered the room with a smile. The little girl had one hand clinging to her mother's apron while the other was fisting her dress.

It looked like she wanted to say something, but was nervous. Jade smiled encouragingly and said, "Are you okay, sweetie? I didn't mean to make you fall off the bed. I hope you didn't hurt yourself."

The child smiled shyly and shook her head, shifting back and forth a little. "N-no, I'm fine. I'm sorry I yelled. I thought you were still asleep, and you talking surprised me." Jade's smile widened, and she patted the space in front of her in invite. The little girl looked at her mother first, who nodded. Then she climbed on the bed and looked at Jade. "Are you okay, though? You said something about being hit by something... Is that why we found you asleep on the beach?"

Jade blinked in surprise and looked at the older woman. She nodded. "It's true. We were looking for seashells to decorate the bar downstairs and found you unconscious in the sand. It looked like you were in a shipwreck." It certainly felt like she'd been in a shipwreck. But that didn't make any sense. The last thing she remembered was drowning. How on Earth had she gotten to a beach? "Would you like something to eat or drink? You've been unconscious for three days."

She felt her eyes bug out in shock. "Three days?!" Like it had heard the conversation, Jade felt her stomach rumble loudly. The little girl giggled, and even the older woman cracked an amused smile. Jade rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, a small grin on her face. "Um... I think that answers your question, doesn't it?" The older woman nodded and left the room in a hurry. The little girl smiled, apparently being over her nervousness. "And what's your name, little one?"

The girl beamed in response and chirped, "Rika! I'm eight and a half years old! Mommy owns a... a res... a rester..." Rika's nose wrinkled in concentration, and Jade internally squealed at the adorableness. Rika seemed to give up on how to pronounce the word and instead said, "My mommy owns a food place! People come to eat and sometimes sailors who don't live around here stay in the rooms for a while."

So, a restaurant that also acts as a hotel. Seemed kind of dangerous for a woman and a little girl, but what the hell did Jade know? Maybe Rika's mother was secretly a bad ass ninja and would kill Jade for asking. Still, it would sooth her conscience if she knew someone was here to protect the family. "And what about your dad? Does he help in the restaurant?"

It broke Jade's heart to see that smile dampen a bit before being forced back up. "Daddy went away a long time ago. Mama says he's gone to heaven, but I'm not sure where that is. Do you?" The closing up her throat prevented her from vocally answering, but Jade managed to shake her head in a negative. Rika pouted a little before shrugging. "Oh well. I've been writing him letters and giving them to Mommy, so he has to know what's going on here."

Jade saw a change of topic and dived for it desperately. "And what's going on here? Are you helping your mother out with chores and carrying food to people?"

Rika nodded happily, but something seemed wrong with her expression. She looked at the door, as if measuring the time until her mother came back. Then she crawled up the bed, closer to Jade, and lowered her voice to a whisper. "There's more than that going on, though. There's a really mean guy up at the marine base, named Helmeppo. He's a bully, always pushing people around and demanding free food from us. He's Captain Morgan's son, though, so no one can stand up to him."

The black-haired teenager frowned and glanced at the window, where the sounds of a happy marketplace were drifting up. It didn't sound like a town being terrorized, but maybe that Helmeppo guy wasn't around to muck up everyone's day. "That's horrible. Mean people like him should be taught a lesson..." An idea formed in her head. It was more a bluff than anything, but if it worked, then at least Rika would have some peace growing up.

Rika nodded, the smile dimming even more than before. "Someone already tried... There's a man, tied up in the courtyard of the marine base. His name is Roronoa Zoro. He saved me from Helmeppo's pet wolf-dog when it was going to hurt me. Helmeppo made a deal with him. If he can survive a month without food or water, he'll be let go."

Jade's stomach tightened until she felt nauseas. No one can survive without water for a month. Food, sure, but not water. Six minutes without air, six days without water, six weeks without food. Or so her uncle used to tell her. Jade wasn't really sure if it was true or not. She bit her lip, worried for the stranger that had saved Rika, her life from the sounds of it. She could maybe take him some water during the night and just be really, really careful...

Rika's mother suddenly appeared in the doorway with a steaming bowl of something. Jade didn't know what it was, but she wanted it. Her stomach agreed loudly. The older woman smiled and placed the bowl on the table gently so as to not spill it. "I see my daughter has warmed up to you. I'm glad; it's so weird to see her not babbling to complete strangers!"

Jade paused in trying to use The Force to make the bowl come to her. She didn't know if she should take that as an insult or not. By the face Rika was making, she decided it was just gentle teasing between mother and daughter. Thus, she resumed her efforts. Rika's mother noticed her concentration and brought the food over. Jade gave a quick 'thank you' before abandoning all pretense of manners and devouring the food.

Rika giggled at Jade's hunger before looking at her mother. "I was just telling her about the deal between Mister Zoro and Helmeppo." Without looking, Jade sensed the mood shift a little. She glanced from the corner of her eye and saw a stern look on the mother's face. "What? I told her about him saving me from Helmeppo's wolf-dog and that Mister Zoro was arrested for it! That's all, I swear!"

Odd. It sounded like there was something going on there that Rika's mother didn't want anyone else to know. Jade watched as mother and daughter argued, seemingly forgetting that she was even there. This Zoro character seemed to have been tied up for five days already, and Rika wanted to go see him. If only just to check how he was doing. Rika's mother forbid it. Apparently anyone caught helping would be accused of committing the same crime he'd been arrested for, and either be imprisoned or killed.

But that was crazy! Rika was just a little girl. Surely they wouldn't kill her. Marines are supposed to be the good guys, right? Jade knew that not all authority figures were good, but surely they wouldn't even hurt a child. The more she listened, the angrier she became. These people were all living in fear, not just Rika's family. This Captain Morgan threatened them with death if they even tried to rise against him, and Helmeppo used his father's name to terrorize the citizens.

Jade interrupted them when she finished eating. "Ah, that was good." she sighed, patting her belly. She looked at Rika's mother to see her looking slightly sheepish. Apparently, she really had forgotten Jade was there. "So, Rika tells me you run a restaurant. Any chance I can help with that?" The mother's look turned surprised. "I don't have any money to pay for it, as you probably guessed. And I refuse to leave you here without helping out in some way. So I'd like to help you work downstairs, if that's okay."

The mother's look turned thankful, and she nodded. "I wouldn't make you pay, dear, but the help is appreciated. You're free to work and live here as long as you want." Jade bowed her head in thanks. "Call me Ririka. What's your name?"

And Jade became aware that she hadn't yet introduced herself, even to Rika. "Oh! My name is Jade. Thank you for letting me work!" Her body felt better after getting something in it, so she got out of the bed to bow at the waist respectfully. 'Today, I'll work in the restaurant. Tonight, I'll visit this Roronoa Zoro and thank him for saving Rika.'

Pages: 5 on Google Docs

Words: 3027 on Google Docs

Edit:

Me: Okay, so originally I had no idea why she already knew Bink's Sake and I got a couple of questions on why she doesn't remember One Piece. This is kind of a cheap way of explaining it, but it was honestly all I could think about.