This is the first thing I've ever published, and the thought-process is not yet very far, so please don't bite my head of. The story is just beginning, and I gladly take all kinds of feedback, and I prefer constructive critic over everything else so I can better myself. I know the thing is still short, so it's not easy to get a hold of yet, but I hope to write and upload the next few chapters as soon as I write them. The story will be different from the original, I don't plan to include any more canonical events and I probably won't go into the crossing the red line too specifically, but bear on me. Karo is my own character, with her own back story, I hope I can make it believable even though my ideas are bit all over the place, but I hope you don't judge her before getting to know her. I also hope you don't mind that the characters might not speak completely in character, because I don't know all of them well enough, but, well, enough rambling, I hope you enjoy what I've written. (And I already noticed some details that wouldn't go with the rest of the story, so I altered the beginning quite radically.
Prologue
A couple of days after the battle of Marineford
"Have you found out which of the prisoners escaped and which are dead?" demanded a harsh voice through the snail-transponder.
"Yes, sir, we have reached the end of our investigation. It seems almost 250 prisoners escaped but only a few of them died during the battle" answered a nervous Marine-captain in charge of the inquiry.
"Sir… I have to inform you.. I.. We-" he stuttered.
"Spit it out!"
"Most of the prisoners in the lower levels got out. There is one I'm especially worried about. No-one seems to remember seeing her during the fight, so we don't have much to go on and-"
"Stop ranting, tell me the name!" Voice shouted. Captain shivered. He knew the Vice-Admiral was an impatient man.
"Sir.. It's 'Blind Spear'. We cannot locate her", he muttered.
"Are you telling me we can't find one of the most dangerous pirates of the new generation?" the voice had turned icy.
"Yes, sir"
"Go and find her! We can't lose her! She could bring down the entire government if she chooses to join a pirate crew!"
"Really? I thought she was just an adolescent with some fancy sailing skills and a spear. Well, I suppose she has to be strong to be held on the lowest level but still, bring down a government?" Captain couldn't believe what the Vice-Admiral was saying.
"Being able to sail through the Calm Belts is not just a 'fancy sailing skill', you insolent boy! Can you not see, she can jump from sea to sea without any trouble! If she decides so, she could destroy all four Blue seas. Find her now!"
"CLANK"
The line went dead. Captain looked at his transponder in disbelief. He knew the girl was trouble, but this much trouble?
"Lieutenant!" he shouted.
A youngish blond man rushed into his office.
"Sir?"
"Spread the word: 'Blind Spear Karo' wanted dead or alice, bounty: 350,000,000 beli".
"Yes, sir!"
***Elsewhere***
"Thanks for the ride, Shanks" Karo smiled. "And for the advice, I really appreciate what you did for me", the grey-eyed girl continued. The red-haired man looked down at her, standing alone in a small boat he had given her.
"Not a problem", he answered. "You sure you don't want to come with us to New World? That's where you're heading, am I correct?" He asked.
"No, I'm sure, and yes, I'll be heading there eventually", she said.
"How do you plan to get there? As far as I know, you work solo and the crossing won't be easy on your own, no matter how good you are, let alone the last sea itself. It's going to be dangerous", Shanks warned.
"I won't be doing that on my own, I hope. I have a ride in mind" she smirked.
"Dahahahahaha", the pirate captain laughed. "I don't suppose you're going to tell me who you plan to travel with?"
"Ehehehehe.. No, not really. I think you already know but time will tell", she said mysteriously as she untied her boat from the Red hair pirates' ship. "I hope to see you again", she shouted. She held an unusually thick piece of paper in her hand as she waved the pirates goodbye.
Shanks watched the smaller boat disappear from sight. He knew he'd see the girl again, there was a familiar determination in her, he thought.
"You think she's really going to be alright? I mean, the kid is blind you know", his first mate, Benn Beckman asked.
"What, you worried?" Shanks looked puzzled. He wasn't used to his first mate showing concerne.
"Yes. Well, she is just a kid you know, barely sixteen", the pirate answered.
"Dahahahaha.. She'll be fine. You know, she's not just a girl. She's one of the greatest pirates of her generation."
"Really?" another crew-member, Yasopp the marksman doubted.
"Yea. We just waved off 'The Blind spear"
"The Blind Spear?" the question echoed among the crew.
"The Blind Spear", Shanks answered with a smirk.