Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or any of its characters, with the exception of my original character mentioned here.
Chapter One
In Which A Rebel Is Found
"Hancock," the woman drawled, seeking the attention of her companion over the worried whispers of the sisters. She absently reclined until her chair was precariously settled on two legs and continued, "I know you can be a little dramatic, but this is a little much, even for you." In front of the brunette lay the Snake Princess, arms thrown haphazardly over her face, which was consumed in a vivid blush.
"How dare you speak to the princess like that!" Belladonna raged, standing up from her spot next to Hancock. Sandersonia and Marigold pulled the seething doctor down, but quickly rounded on their old friend, faces flushed with anger. While the Gorgon Sisters could be fearsome in their might, they were currently just acting like children. Mila raised her eyebrows at the three, collected despite the Kuja warriors bearing down upon her. They're not threats, she reminded herself and calmed her twitching fingers. Keep calm to take control of the situation.
"Mila, how can you be so heartless? Look how much big sis is suffering! We don't even know what's wrong with her!" they eventually ground out. With a laugh, Mila pinned back her wavy brown hair and made to stand up from the ornate chair positioned in the corner.
"Don't be dumb, she's not dying—she's just in love with that crazy kid." Leisurely walking over to Hancock, Mila knelt down and examined the hand clutched to the Pirate Empress' chest. "All of you Kuja women are so unfamiliar with matters of the heart that it's no wonder some unrequited love tears you to pieces. I know I'm not a doctor like you, Belladonna, but I have a good enough understanding of chemicals' roles in biology. She's going to be fine. "
"Don't be so sure," a cracked voice rang out. Swiveling from her position on the floor, Mila peered disinterestedly at Elder Nyon slowly making her way through the room to the small gathering. The room's occupants, frowning thoughtfully, looked to the small elder pulling back the flowing curtain. "If it's as you really say, the princess is suffering from Love Sickness, the disease that has killed many of our empresses. With Luffy—" Hancock winced and twisted in pain at the name, but Elder Nyon continued, "leaving in the morning, she can be in real danger." The Kuja again gathered around their leader, speaking words of reassurance and encouragement, but Mila rolled her eyes and smoothed out her outfit unconcernedly.
"She'll be fine," Mila reaffirmed distractedly, only to again focus on Hancock's writhing form. "A little bit of oxytocin and dopamine won't kill her. Just have her go with Luffy tomorrow to the war council and everybody wins—Amazon Lily is protected and Miss Love over here won't have her heart crushed." With Mila's suggestion, the Kuja warriors began discussing the merits of the plan amongst themselves, while Hancock lifted a feeble hand in her friend's direction. Kneeling, Mila checked her temperature and found a comfortable position on the hard floor.
"I'm sorry that out of all the times you choose to visit my sisters and I, you choose the day when I fall ill," Hancock moaned, her hand falling pitifully back down to her side. Mila gently lifted and patted it in reply. Between Hancock's role as Shichibukai and Mila's own erratic schedule, it was difficult for the long-time friends to see each other.
"Don't worry about it. Just go with him tomorrow and you'll be fine. We'll discuss payback when you return, okay?" she reassured with a smile. Although the Gorgon Sisters could be quite brash and dramatic, Mila loved them all like family. Her bond to them may not be through blood, but it was surely forged through fire.
"You mean I can go with Luffy?" Hancock asked excitedly, standing up hurriedly to find the Straw Hat. Sandersonia and Marigold gasped while Elder Nyon and Belladonna nearly toppled over from the shock of their princess' abrupt recovery. Laughing once more, Mila reveled in the feeling of being reunited with her friends. With some effort, the girls wrangled Hancock down and convinced her to rest. With a relieved glance and cursory look-over, Elder Nyon and Belladonna left the room in a rush to find and inform the male pirate of the new plan. Settling back into her chair, Mila observed Sandersonia crying happily and Marigold cheering now that Hancock was out of danger. She smiled at the scene, heart warming with the fact that they all now had relatively good and stable lives despite their pasts.
"Mila, come over here!" Marigold boomed, noticing her friend sitting alone. With a feigned grumble, Mila stood up and sluggishly walked over to them.
"Well, if you insist," she sighed, only to start laughing when Sandersonia pulled her down next to Hancock. Talking excitedly about all the stories Luffy told them, Mila relaxed next to Hancock's now peaceful form with a small smile on her face.
"We haven't seen you in nearly a year—tell us, what is happening in the world?" Sandersonia asked curiously after Hancock regaled them with Luffy's exploits. Marigold nodded her head in encouragement, sharing her sister's sentiments, while Hancock turned toward her friend, a rare peaceful expression taking over her visage. The Shichibukai was well aware of the delicate balance of power within the world, as well as all of its dangers. She was content just to listen to her sisters' excited shouts of joy and Mila's low voice weaving images into the Gorgon Sisters' minds.
Beginning her tales of her most recent adventures, Mila saved this moment in her memory. In a few days, after she goes back onto sea, she knows she will appreciate this moment of familiarity and the sense of being at home with the three. Yes, Mila thought as she reminisced over her past with the Boa Sisters, a bond forged through fire, indeed.
Smoke obscured her vision, flames consuming the meager furniture of the slaves' quarters. Mila coughed and attempted to find the door, even though her eyes watered. Hancock, Marigold, Sandersonia—where are they? she thought, hurriedly searching for a way out. Following the shouts and screams of the other slaves, her thin legs led her outside to the streets of Mariejois. Struck with fear, the seven year old looked on in horror as the building—she refused to call it home despite living there for months; only Wano is her home—burned.
Where were her friends? She looked around, hoping to see them appear out of nowhere with their smiling faces, but all she saw was ash and rubble. She wanted Hancock there to tell her what to do, and Sandersonia there to hug her, and Marigold there to make her laugh. She cannot find them anywhere, not even her fellow slaves or the deranged Tenryuubito who lorded over her for the past months.
A shrill scream near her ear forced Mila to continue forward, tripping over fallen rocks and bodies. Run! someone shouted, and she was not sure if the voice was in her head or echoing around the burning city. When Mila finally fell down and began to cry, no one stopped to help her. It did not matter if she was trained a samurai—all that matters was that she was seven years old, missing her friends, and the stench of burning flesh and smoke surrounded her.
A rough hand pulled her up by her arm and she screamed, only to have another hand clamp down over her mouth. "Kid, you shouldn't be out here," a man in a kangaroo hat said lowly. "It's dangerous for someone like you." He carefully eyed the Kairoseki collar wrapped tightly around her neck.
"I don't have anywhere else to go," Mila sobbed when he took his hand off of her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes. "I lost my friends." She did not even care if this was a man handling her—a large man at that. He was speaking to her, she was alone, and he seemed to care at least a little bit.
"Where are your parents?" the kangaroo hat man asked, sitting her down again on the broken ground gently.
Mila shook her head quickly in response. "I was taken from them and sold here—my parents are still in Wano!"
He sighed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. His form was dark against the dull red and purple sky. "Alright, kid. It looks like you're coming with me. Up, up, let's go."
"Where are you taking me?" Mila questioned shakily, struggling to stand. The man picked her up and began walking, waiting until they are away from the flames eating away Mariejois to speak.
"To my boss. My name's Gilteo, by the way. I never caught what yours was."
Mila hesitated for a moment, but decided to tell him. Her parents always told her to be proud of her heritage. "Heiki Mila. Thank you for rescuing me." Gilteo raised his eyebrows at that, but continued on the path.
"It's not a problem. The real problem is these World Nobles acting like they own everything and everyone they look at because of who their ancestors are."
"Did you cause the fire?" Mila questioned, a hint of fear making its way into her voice.
"No, that was someone else. We're just here to make sure everyone gets out like they're supposed to."
Mila fell silent, and Gilteo continued walking. They walked for another twenty minutes until Mila whispered, "Do you think I'm going to see my parents again?"
He did not answer immediately, and went a few more steps until he placed the child on the ground. She realized that they reached a dock and were in front of a huge ship with red flags, the same red as the flames burning the city. "The Wano Country…is in the middle of a war right now. I don't think it's wise if you go home for the moment."
"Then where am I going to go?" Mila asked, hands shaking and vision blurring. Was she going to be truly on her own now? Gilteo walked further down the dock, leaving the crying girl behind. Her quiet sobs increased in intensity until her slim body quivered with the effort to suppress them.
He paused halfway and turned his head expectantly toward her. "With me, of course. Congratulations, kid. You're now the youngest member of the Revolutionary Army."
Inside a rowdy bar in Grove 42 of Sabaody Archipelago, a man sitting in a corner grinned manically while thrumming his tattoo-laden hands on the table. Before him, a newspaper was laid out, the headline announcing the upcoming execution of Portgas D. Ace.
"Something wrong, captain?" a man in a hat emblazoned with "Penguin" questioned, peering interestedly at the paper.
"Yes," the captain chuckled, fixing his spotted hat more firmly on his head. "A lot of things are about to go wrong. And I want to be there for it." Folding up the newspaper meticulously and grabbing his nodachi, the man announced, "Tell the rest of the crew to pack up. We're going to Marineford."
AN: So here it is! My first One Piece fanfiction, or my first work of fanfiction ever! I apologize for any mistakes and/or errors, and please feel free to leave any comments or suggestions in the Reviews. Let me know how I'm doing!