Three Pieces

By: Yue Esaku

"Out of my way, girl! Worthless human…" Kuroobi roughly pushed me out of his path. I stuck my tongue out at him and hurried into the room that he had exited.

"Ah, there's my favorite little pet." I smiled and made my way over to my master's throne. His hand lay on top of my head and he playfully ruffled my hair.

"Master, you know how I am about that." I pouted and fixed it. I was really picky about my hairstyle, and he always messed it up.

"Anything new, my pet?" I beamed at him as I leaned on one of the throne's arms.

"Don't you remember? It's my birthday in…eighty-six hours, fourteen minutes, annnnd…. three seconds." I giggled.

"Oh yes. I remember now. How old will you be? Eleven? Twelve?" A small smile lit his face. I covered another giggle and sat in his lap.

"I'll be seventeen, silly. But I'll still be nine in my heart for ever more." I smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Ah, they grow up so fast." He smiled wider and patted my cheek. "Before I know it, you'll be dating Hachi and running away from me. Possibly even practicing your kissing with Choo." He sighed, laying his head on one hand. I stuck out my tongue.

"Ew! Master, I'm not that ignorant. If I do date any of your men, I'd probably pick Kuroobi first. Despite him being so mean to me, he's a great fighter. He'd knock away the other guys within a minute to keep my innocence safe." I sighed dreamily, trying my hardest not to laugh out loud.

"Lord Arlong, we are done moving the treasure. What else do you require?" Kuroobi asked from the doorway. I turned, and once I saw him, I grinned.

"Hi Kuroobi! Ready for our date tonight?" I asked, crossing my legs. Master growled, glaring at the ray fishman. Said man raised his hands in peace, confused.

"I have agreed to no such thing, Arlong's pet. I would never lay a hand on you." Pretending to be hurt, I pouted, tears welling in my eyes.

"Are you saying I'm ugly?" I asked him. Master growled, a deep, feral deadly sound. Nothing moved. No one breathed.

"I-I never said that. I simply said that Lord Arlong would never let me get so intimate with his favorite pet." He held his hands up to try and protect himself should master decide to attack.

"Good answer." Master told him, raising a single hand. I smiled and hugged him, then ran out.

"Hey Kena, have you seen Hachi? I wanna mess with him." I asked the large lionfish fishman. He shook his head.

"Haven't seen him since this morning. I think he's probably giving someone a lift to the villages." He hefted the box back onto his shoulder and left, waving one hand in a good-bye.

"Huh…" I muttered. Town? Who would want to go there? There wasn't anything there but a few villages. Master had already promised to leave them be, and maybe even charge less for taxes from the people. I turned and headed towards my room.

Since Hachi was gone, I had no one to bother…Momoo didn't show up unless it was feeding time, Kuroobi was being punished by master, Hachi was gone, and Choo was no fun to bug. He always tried to kiss me, and he made more for a sparring partner than a person to bother. His water cannons were fun. Giggling, I lay on my bed.

Rolling onto my stomach, I reached one hand under my bed and pulled out the little wooden chest master didn't know of. I set it on the covers and lifted the lid. My hand reached in and pulled out the little ragged photo of the green haired swordsman I had known as a little girl and me. Rolling onto my back, I stared at the photo and sighed. Memories filled my head.

"I miss you…" I mumbled, pressing a soft kiss to the picture. When I had become master's pet, he had moved away. He didn't even try to stay in contact with me. I had sent him several letters, but he never replied. The last day I had been in the village, he told me he was going to become the greatest swordsman ever. He was going to learn and practice three-sword style.

"Pet? Something wrong?" A soft knock at the open door told me that master was there. I wiped away my tears and rolled onto my side, sitting up a little to put away the photo.

"Just a minute." I told him, shutting the lid and holding the box close. I didn't dare put it up in front of him. "Sorry master…" I mumbled, crossing my legs to give him room to sit down. A slight dip in the bed told me he did.

"I just wanted to check on you." He told me, a soft hand lying on my bowed head. He carefully took the chest out of my hand and set it to the side, then pulled me into a hug. "If he never replied, he might not even remember you. Don't give up. Send one more, and if he doesn't reply, then forget about him. You used to be so happy, then you found that photo." He mumbled, softly petting my hair. I sniffled, mumbling something about him not liking me.

"If he doesn't like you, too bad for him. He hasn't seen you in how many years? Nine? Ten? He hasn't seen what a beautiful woman you've grown into." He smiled, wiping away my tears. I sniffled and wiped my other eye.

"Really?" I asked, my eyes still moist.

"Really." He hugged me again and got up. "Like I said. One more letter." He held up a finger. "I'll send it myself. Promise." He smiled and walked out. Sighing softly, I decided to take his advice. One more letter, and if he never replied, I'd give up on him.

I went to my desk and pulled out a piece of paper and a pencil. I sat cross-legged on the chair and thought about what to write. Pondering for a moment, I smiled and started to write.

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"Master, I'm done!" I called as I entered his throne room. Someone new was standing there, and she looked to be about seventeen or eighteen. Master glanced at me and I knew to stay hidden. I bowed my head and retreated to the back wall. After a few minutes, he dismissed the young girl.

"What is it that were saying pet?" He smiled softly and petted my head.

"Who was she?" I asked, sitting on his knee.

"Just a girl from Coco village. No need to worry about her." He seemed to be hiding something…"You said you were done with your letter? Very well. I shall have Hachi deliver it to the nearest village when he takes the girl back." I still didn't fully trust him, but I gave him the envelope.

"Promise you'll get it to him?" My eyes held worry.

"Pinky promise." He held up his hand, pinky out. Smiling, I held out my own pinky and linked it with his.

"Thank you master." I smiled, then hugged him. "I'll go give Hachi the letter myself, just to make sure!" I called as I ran out, heading for the dock to find Hachi. "Hachi! Where are you?" A single pair of arms (or tentacles … whichever) grabbed me and lifted me into the air.

"I've got you now Hita! Now you'll never get away from me!" Another pair of arms started to tickle me.

"Hachi, I'm gonna get you back!" I yelped, trying not to laugh. I started swinging my legs and trying to aim them. One kick was all I needed. One good kick and he'd be down. When his arms loosened I knew I'd hit my mark. I leapt nimbly to the ground and stood, brushing myself off. I picked the letter up off the ground and held it out. "I need you to deliver this to the post office in Coco village please." I smiled a little as he stood back up, one hand instinctively covering where I had kicked.

"Why sh-should I?" He asked, still wincing. "F-for how hard you kicked me, I sh-should kick you back." I looked beyond him and smiled, one hand rising in a wave.

"Hi Kena! Look who I found!" The octopus fishman turned around quickly, only to see nothing there. I busted out laughing, holding my sides as I rolled on the floor.

"That's not funny! It's never funny!" He shouted, pointing his finger at me. "I'll get you back you know." He threatened, glaring at me. I stared past him, smiling a little as I waved. "Oh, no. I'm not falling for that again." He stepped forward and tried to grab me.

"I'm not kidding this time." I told him, smiling wider as a pair of arms wrapped around his neck in a chokehold. "Hi master."

"What were you saying about hurting my pet?" Arlong questioned, his eyes glaring daggers at the octopus man. Said man's hands were clawing at master's, trying to loosen his grip in order to breathe. "Well? What were you saying? Were you threatening to harm my pet?"

Hachi's eyes darted back and forth, fear clouding them. "D-didn't…" He gasped, his hands going limp against Arlong's. I pouted up at master, shaking my finger.

"Bad master. You're gonna make him pass out and I'll have no one to play with." The shark man sighed and released Hachi.

"Only for you pet." He spoke, glaring at the octopus man before walking away, one hand gently ruffling my hair as he passed.

"So, Hachi, will you please deliver this letter for me? You can do it when you take that other girl back. Coco village has a post office, right?" I asked, trying to remember if it had been rebuilt or not.

"Yes, it does. No thanks to those horrible fishmen your so close to." That was the voice of the girl from before. I turned to greet her and smiled gently.

"It wasn't my choice. Master found me and raised me. Besides, master said he'd leave Coco village alone." I told her, finding that I disliked her for how she treated master. I turned back to Hachi and handed him the letter, then walked past the orange haired girl. My shoulder bumped harshly into hers and she growled at me as I passed.

I stood with my back to her, my head turned to glare at her as I growled back. I hate to brag, but mine was much better than her pathetic whine. Mine stared in my chest, radiating upwards until I let it escape in an earsplitting sound. It was deep, feral, and deadly. I held my hand up and flexed it, showing my "claws". "Never…and I do mean never growl at me." I warned her, keeping my voice low before walking off.

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"Master, why is Hachi taking so long?" I sprawled over my master's lap and sighed. Hachi never took this long. Ever.

"Maybe he's picking up a few things at the market." Master tried to calm me. I rolled over, now laying on my stomach, and his hand soothingly rubbed my back. I sighed for the umpteenth time and blew my hair out of my eyes. I was cursed to have white hair. Master said I was born with it, but I didn't know. I had never met my parents. Master also said it was white from a lack of something called pigment.

"He doesn't have any money. Trust me. I know where he stashes it. Not a single berry." I rolled onto my back again. I was getting restless, but there was nowhere to go. "Besides, why would he buy anything in the market? The only good stuff is food, and Kena is a great chef." I tucked my hair back behind my ear and resisted the urge to sigh again.

"He could have a hundred reasons why he's taking so long." He explained, trying to keep me calm.

"Why who's taking so long?" A voice asked, emanating from the doorway. I jerked my head up, expecting to see Hachi, but instead saw a man with three swords hanging from his belt, a green bandanna around his head, and a dark look in his eyes. Why did he seem so familiar?

"Never expected to see you again, pirate." Master snarled at the human, his own eyes taking on the same dark look.

"Same here shark. Such a shame I couldn't turn you into sashimi." A small smirk lit his face, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Besides the fact that you tried to murder Luffy, I still blame you for the fact that Yue disappeared nine years ago." The tiny little smile was gone, and the intent of murder in his eyes grew.

"Nine years ago, she was seven years old and half in love with me. I bought her this wooden box, and kissed her on the cheek because it was her birthday. The next day, you goons show up to Coco village and she disappears. Nine years later, with no previous contact, I get a letter, coming from her. Her exact writing and all. For nine years I thought she was dead. Dead!" His eyes grew darker as he paced back and forth.

"Nine years, and when I get the letter, I say 'Wow, she's still alive. Why does the fish-fucker have her?' When Hachi offers me a ride back up, I oblige. I thank him, and he brings me up here. I show up here, fully expecting an attack, but there's no one about. I think to myself, 'I wonder why there's no one here. Did he kill them all or what?' I shrug it off, then head to your chambers. The lionfish guy was pretty nice to show me the way. I show up here, and stand here watching you talk to Yue. Such a shame you never told me she was your slave!" His voice grew into a yell as he snarled the last word. His gaze-no, his death glare was aimed at me as he said it.

"Z-Zolo?" I asked softly, pressing one hand to my mouth in surprise. He must've had his facts wrong. I had written him letter after letter after letter, but I had never gotten a reply. Hachi promised me he had given the letters to the post office, but claimed the mailing service was to blame.

"Yep, it's me. How'd you guess princess?" His voice was a little softer as he used his old pet name for me. I turned a soft shade of red and ducked my head to hide it.

"You sure remember a lot…" I mumbled, knowing he'd hear. He was a skilled swordsman, and he had honed every sense. Every swordsman had great hearing. His was as acute as an animal's.

"I'm pretty much cursed with a good memory." He shrugged. "So why are you with fishy there?" I kept my head down and shrugged, my arms crossed. Master came closer and wrapped his arms around me.

"Why did you show up so late?" I asked, my head still bowed and my voice still low. Master heard me, heard the sadness in my tone, and he growled softly, running one hand over my tummy, side to side. I leaned into him, into his strength, and felt myself relax.

"I never got a letter. Not. A. One." He shook his head and muttered something to himself. One hand came up to press gently against his eyes and I mewled softly.

"Master, may he please stay for a while? He can stay in my room...it could be your birthday present for me." My eyes widened a little and I stuck out my bottom lip in a pout.

"Alright…but if his friends come looking for him they'll be slaughtered without a second thought. Am I clear?" I bowed my head and nodded.

"Of course master. I understand." I kept my head bowed until I felt his hand touch the small of my back. I didn't look at him as I raised my head and walked out, keeping on my toes as I went out the door. I waited in the hall for my friend, and when he finally showed, I nearly knocked him over when I pounced him for a hug.

"Hey Yue. Missed you..." Hi s voice was soft as he lifted me off the ground and twirled me around. When he set me down I had tears in my eyes.

"Missed you more..." I squeezed him tight, as if he would disappear when I let him go. It had been years since I last had any contact with a human. I was the only one who lived with the fish people.

"So where's your room? You don't have any clue how much I hate riding in the jar thing." He twisted his neck and I heard a pop. I smiled and took his hand, tugging him a little as I guided him to my room. He paused before entering, placing one hand on the doorjamb and leaning over to take off his boots.

I giggled softly. His master had taught him to always remove his shoes before entering a room. Looks like the habit remained. I twirled in the center of the room, waiting for him. I hadn't had human companionship in many years. I had so much to tell him.

"So...is there any news in the village? Any new children or parents or such like?" I asked him, dancing to a shelf to skim the titles of books.

"Well, let's see..." He entered the room and leaned against the wall, shutting his eyes to concentrate. "Lita and Faro have born a third child. Her name is Nikina. Tado and Meka celebrated their fortieth anniversary three days ago. Nami has started growing her orange trees again, and Sanji has finally found a girl to be with. Don't know how long this one will last..." When he opened his eyes and looked at me, he sighed. "Nami is a shipmate. She has orange hair-" He started.

"-about to her neck."

"About to her neck." We said at the same time. He glanced at me and he wore a curious look. "She was here earlier. I didn't know she was a friend of yours or I would've tried to be a little nicer." I knew I was lying, but I didn't care.

"Oh. So you're the one she was talking about. Well, since you know Nami... Sanji is another shipmate. He has blond hair that covers one eye and the other eye has one curly eyebrow. He always has a cigarette in his mouth, though sometimes it's actually lit. He's a great chef though, and he's always able to get some good grog." He shut his eyes and sighed, leaning heavily against the wall.

"You can come in my room, you know. You don't have to stay within three feet of the door." I took his hand again and tugged, making him walk to my bed. I turned him around so he faced me, and I reached up to press down on his shoulders. "There. Comfy, right?" He shrugged, keeping his fingers laced together and in his lap.

"It's fine." He mumbled. "I forgot to tell you...Jonathen, the middle son of Kelar and Korie, fell ill...he did not survive..." I knew Kelar and Korie. They were newer, younger than the other villagers. They were in mid-twenties when they had Susane. Jonathen, however, I had not met. But I knew how the couple must have felt.

"Are they okay? I can send something to comfort them..." I started mumbling to myself, trying to think of something good to send.

"It's fine." He mumbled, waving one hand. "I hate to say it, but he passed two and a half years ago...You've been gone a long time Yue." That made me sit down. Two and a half years? Just how long ago was it that master took me in? I remained silent for a moment, trying to figure the math. If they had shown up on my birthday when I turned eight, and if I was turning seventeen soon…ten years. I had lived with the murderous fish people for soon to be ten years.

"Has…has anyone else missed me?" I asked, keeping my head down. I felt the bed dip and had a slight case of déjà vu when his arm lay over my shoulders and tugged me to his chest.

"Too many people to count..." He replied, smoothing my hectic hair. I turned a little red and my hand joined his. I didn't deal with stress very well, so when I had any, I'd pull on my hair...

"Promise? You're not fibbing?" I asked, my voice soft. I heard him chuckle softly and I blushed.

"Promise." He replied, continuing to fix my hair. My hand fell and I sighed. His hands were soft, even though he practiced three-sword style. I shut my eyes and tried to relax. After a minute, my conscious slipped away.