Trafalgar Law walked into the small tavern on Aki Island; aptly named The Lonely Tavern, as it's the only place on the island to drink away from home. Quickly, he took in the putrid reek of body odor, stale beer, dried blood and what stank like foul meat. In the stagnant, humid air it was nearly enough to make him sick. Behind him, he could hear the grumbling of three members of his crew, but it was barely audible over the cheer that radiated from a dark corner of the bar. Most of the occupants seemed to be in one of two categories: large, burly rogues from the sea or weary, overall wearing men seeking a safe haven from their nagging wives and needy children. However, there was one bar occupant who didn't belong. Causing most of the ruckus in the bar's darkest corner was a black haired girl in her early twenties who sat amongst a harem of powerful and intimidating looking men bearing menacing weapons and monstrous tattoos.
Law sighed inaudibly as he watched her from across the bar. Over his shoulder, Bepo pointed out, "Hey, it's Ava."
Shachi and Penguin, the remaining two crew members, stepped beside their captain, both with their arms folded over their chests and their faces straight. Then, Penguin placed his hand on Law's shoulder, keeping his eyes fixed on Ava. Leaning in, he whispered, "Dude, your sister is a player," while pointing at the girl.
Instantly, Law smacked his crew member's hand off his shoulder and made his way through the bar. As he walked by, being thin man of average height with nothing particularly threatening about him to the naked eye, the other occupants of the bar eyed him like meat on a platter. Despite the pressure, Law lost none of his confident demeanor as he stormed through the crowd. Once he drew closer the throng, a few of the men surrounding Ava stood, towering over him, and drew their weapons. These men he ignored and shifted his way past them, earning no less than a few decorative curses, some stunningly mean mugs and no small number of jabs in the back and side with the handles of knives and swords. Past the hoard of men, he now stood in front of Ava. With a smoking pipe in one hand and a half empty bottle of rum in the other, she was cozily sitting on a bar stool with a row of men on either side, laughing at her latest punch-line. Once her laughter died down and her eyes opened again, she took a quick swig from her bottle and then smiled hugely, staring at her beloved older brother.
"Oh hey there, Big Brother. Is it curfew already?" Around her a few of the men choked on their drinks and gawked at her in bewilderment. With a confused expression, she looked around at the men with her lips pressed to those of the bottle the entire time. "What?"
"Didn't you say you're twenty-two?"
"Oh, aye." Ava nodded quite vigorously and took a hit from her pipe. "But he's older." Smoke wafted out of her nose as she drained the last of the bottle, slamming the empty glass on the table in front her. Law began tapping his foot and crossed his arms as she tapped the ash out of her pipe and waveringly hoisted herself to her feet. Ava leapt forward and landed on top of the table with ease, though she wavered at her landing. Placing a hand on Law's chest, she gently pushed him back until she could walk off the table and land on the ground. When she was far enough back, she turned around and faced the entirety of her company. "Well, gentlemen, it has been such a pleasure and I thank you for keeping me company but alas, farewell." Bowing low, she pressed her hand to her chest and when she rose again, she gave a quick salute before turning about-face and smiling at her brother.
"Finished?" he asked. Ava nodded drunkenly. "Good, let's go. We need to talk."
As Law went back to the front of the bar where his three crew members were waiting for him, dauntless against the ferocious glares they received all the while. Ava followed dutifully, but was no longer smiling.
In silence, Law escorted his companions out of the bar, through the dark alley on which it sat and to the small inn that they were using as their base while on the island. There were no other tenants as they walked through the unkempt and rundown lobby to their room in the back of the single story building. The only other person they encountered on the quick walk was a greasy looking cleaning attendant
Once inside with the door locked, Law turned to his crew, who had already made themselves comfy in the small room. Bepo sat on one of the two single beds in the room and Ava was curled up in his lap, seemingly asleep. Shachi and Penguin were already setting up a poker game at the small table.
Clearing his throat, Law almost instantly gained the attention of the three males as he strode to the center of the room. Ava peeked an eye open and adjusted her position so she could watch her brother. "The Marines know we're here. Gorely intercepted a transmission an hour ago. They've sent in a Captain and a ship full of simpletons at his command. I believe their plan in to cut us off early before we become too big of a threat on our own. They could be here any minute."
Groaning loudly, Ava rolled onto her back and her torso dangled over the side of the bed. "So we're setting out post-haste then?"
"We're going to try. It's likely that they've already arrived and have begun scouting the island looking for us. Ideally, the crew on the submarine will have submerged before its location was found. Since it's only the five of us, it should be easy enough to get back to the submarine without delay or interception from Marines but we need to be careful, and we need to move quickly."
"And should push come to shove?" Ava pulled her legs over her head and flipped onto her feet shakily. Her eyes met her brother's and the signature smirk that traveled in the genes of their family appeared on both of their faces.
Law couldn't help but chuckle to himself at the drunken eagerness of his sister. "Just shove harder."
The streets were vacant as the five Heart Pirates made their way through back alleys and dark roads to an off-site cove hidden in the woods of Aki Island, a bit of a way from town. Occasionally a drunkard stumbled from some hidden place and disappeared into another shadow. The half-moon overhead cast the only pale light in the entire city, leaving them to stumble noisily on the myriad of fallen leaves that coated the Autumn Island, despite their attempt at caution. On the light wind they began to catch pieces of conversation as Marines scoured the island, getting closer and closer. It wasn't long before even the trees seemed to buzz with the voices of Marines. From all directions they caught bits of light, loud synchronized footsteps and the occasional click of a gun preparing to fire.
When they were still three miles away from their meeting place, the Heart Pirates knew they were surrounded.
Glimpses of light when the moon revealed itself reflected off the shiny, metal weapons the Marines carried as they circled the pirates, dancing in and out of the tree line. Heads spun while the Hearts tried to assess the number of enemies. For minutes that dragged on like painstaking hours, the Marines camped out in a swarm that seemed to siege the pirates. They were stranded on the stump of an ancient, monstrous tree while the Marines set up their stations. Small camp fires blazed in the darkening night as commanders posted their troops around the five pirates, waiting for their Captain to arrive and lead the onslaught.
In the meantime the pirates sat in a close, outward facing circle. By this time Ava had sobered up and shared the same belittling and amused smirk that her brother too wore. As if they shared the same consciousness, they agitatedly tapped their fingers and twiddled their thumbs; changing their sitting position over and over again as the thrill of their unknown predicament sent shockwaves of excitement and anticipation through their bodies.
"Y'know, Big Brother," Ava began and pulled her legs close to her chest, eyes darting from left to right as she scanned the section of the forest. In the chill air, the scent of Sea King meat became apparent as the Marines cooked themselves dinner. It became apparent that news of their siege against a Maine encampment back in North Blue had reached the Marines here.
"Yes, Ava?"
Anxiously, Ava lightly scratched her nails up and down her bare arms. "I'm an adult now. I think it's high time you stopped taking care of my ass and let me do some wild n' crazy type of shit on my own. Let me have my own adventure."
Law laughed stiffly and briefly let his eyes rest on his sister before they piercingly stared at a small group of Marines just to his left. Of course he knew that Ava did not mean exactly what she said; there was no way she was going to abandon her position as a Heart Pirate so bluntly or so easily and he certainly didn't believe she could function as an independent adult without his brotherly supervision. "You know what I fear about that, don't you?" Memories of Ava's last attempted solo adventure flashed in his mind and out of the corner of his eye he saw her shiver.
"Well of course, but only for a short while, you know. Let me taste the freedom of adult hood. I'd be back before he could even consider the thought of me having left the safety of our submarine."
"My submarine."
"Well, if we're getting technical, it's his stolen submarine."
Rolling his eyes, Law reached into the pouch pocket of his hoodie and pulled out a small square of white paper that pulled away from his hold on it. Carefully, he pressed it firmly into Ava's now open hand. "I'll wait for your move; we'll go to the ship and leave immediately. Where should I meet you?"
"On the flip side, Big Brother." In an instant, Ava had kissed her brother on the cheek and rose to her feet in the center of their sanctuary. Her hands were outstretched on either side of her, palms towards the Marines. A few of the men who were paying attention scoffed, a few shouted that their captain was almost at hand.
Ava closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Visualizing her energy, she pulled it towards the center of her body. As it became more and more compressed within her, her body began to tremble. She flexed her fingers and pointed east, between two Marine fires then faced her palms towards the two groups of men around those blazes. A peaceful but deadly smile came on her lips and her eyes opened. "Drink up, me hearties."
Relaxing her body, the dense ball of her energy exploded through her arms and an invisible energy shot from her palms, throwing the two groups of Marines deep into the woods. The woods came to life as the remaining pirates sprang forward, following Law's lead through the break in the siege. From all directions, the Marines scattered like billiard balls, frantically scrambling to catch the pirates but like the hands of a clock, Ava's arms slowly moved outward, sending any Marine that came parallel to her palms plummeting through the dense forest.
Within minutes the wood was silent again and Ava doubled over, panting as sweat poured from her brow. Her crew had escaped safely and for the time being, she was Marine free, but soon they would regroup, searching for her as soon as they realized the others had escaped.
Having used her Cursed Fruit ability to that extent quickly vanquished what little energy she had remaining after fleeing from the town but she knew that if she didn't move quickly, they would find her and she would be captured for sure. For another thirty seconds she stood there, letting every breeze chill her sweating form and sooth her burning lungs. The voices began arising in the woods again and against every scorching ache in her arms and torso she began to hurry through the maze of trees back to town, hoping that it would throw them off for a moment.
Concentrating became harder and harder as dehydration from drinking so vehemently earlier began to settle in. Thinking became difficult as she tried to strategize her next move. All she could conjure was that, somehow, she needed to find someone with a boat that would let her get off the island as soon as possible without being spotted by more Marines and especially not their Captain.
Everything she had worked for and everything she dreamt of relied on getting off this island and making her way to the island of Sulako or Tallageda where she could reconvene with her crew.
Considering her loose sense of direction, it took twice as long to get back to the town as it did to get away from it. Over the top of the trees, the sun was beginning to rise, lighting up the town in orange and pink hues. If she managed to get to the docks, Ava knew that she would be able to find a crew heading out to sea before the sun became hot or the ocean became wild on the unpredictable Grand Line.
Even though her speed was failing her, she pushed herself into something more than a walk. Shop owners, farmers and fishermen began filtering out of their homes, providing no assistance as she weaved her way through the busying streets.
Soon the refreshing and salty smell of the sea hit her nose and she knew she was close. A final burst of energy radiated from her muscles and with a boost of force from her Devil Fruit she was flying across the pavement at inhuman speeds.
Ava rounded the final corner and the docks were in sight. Bandana and eye patch wearing men could be seen loading their ships with barrels and crates full of food, ale and general supplies. Surely some of them had to be men she encountered last night. She felt guaranteed she would be off the island before the sun had fully risen and there wasn't a Marine in sight or one of their ships to be seen.
Relief hit her as she pushed through the final stretch before she considered herself safe but as she ran past an alley on her left, a long grey jute struck out from her blind spot and stopped her dead in her tracks. Completely drained the instant it struck her stomach, Ava hit the ground and the shock from her head crashing against the stone streets momentarily blurred her vision.
A tall, silvery haired man stepped out of the alley, balancing the jute over his shoulder. Two cigars were burning in his mouth and dozens more were strapped across the front of his white jacket. Without a word he stepped toward her until the toes of his boots were pressed against the side of her head. He stabbed the jute toward her throat. Ava rolled to the side and stumbled to her feet, throwing her hands up and facing her palms toward the man. As fast as she could muster the energy, she sent a burst of force toward the man. Where it should have impacted, his body dissipated into a cloud of smoke. There seemed to be amusement on the man's face. It was apparent that he was the Captain and Ava knew that attacking him was futile. Her attacks would do no harm to him so she turned around and ran.
Stomach churning at the idea of her fleeing from a fight, Ava fought back her self-disgust and tried to block out the imaginary voice of her mocking brother. Scouring for a low roof, Ava whipped around every corner she could. Looming like a shadow, she could feel the man closing in behind her like a fell vulture though she could hear no footsteps. She dared not turn around until she saw a single story building up ahead. Briefly she allowed a glance over her shoulder and she saw him, a torso flying after her on a plume of smoke, jute ready to strike as soon as her pace slackened.
Distractedly, she pumped her energy into the soles of her feet and once she neared the building she jumped, flying high enough to scale the building and land on her feet. The moment her feet brushed against the shingled roof she took off again, as fast as her strained legs could carry her but in a rush of wind she felt the cloud of a man swoop around her and her foot slipped on a stray shingle. Before she could help herself, she collided with the man as her body gave way, tumbling down the roof until she dropped onto the stone street. For a moment her mind went blank as her consciousness reset and by the time she tried getting up again, a heavy boot crashed onto her back, pinning her to the ground. The tip of the jute rubbed against her cheek and her futile attempts at worming away instantly failed as the energy was sucked out of her body.
Kairoseki.
"Don't move. You're under arrest in the name of justice."
"Eat shit and get some manners, old man."
Around them, Marines swarmed in from all sides and a sword bearing girl ran up to the man, bowing low before chirping, "Captain Smoker," and presenting a pair of handcuffs that Ava could only guess to be made of sea stone as well.
Smoker took them from the girl and used them to clasp her hands behind her back. When he removed the jute from against her face, he stepped away slowly. Despite her desperate state, Ava couldn't get her muscles to function, she was completely incapacitated. The foot soldiers murmured in joy and relief. Smoker grabbed the chain that bound her hands and pulled her to her feet with ease, precariously balancing her on them as her legs gave out given the slightest amount of slack.
"Tashigi, go prepare the ship for our prisoner then alert HQ and have them send a transfer ship to meet us."
Ava snorted and beneath her veil of hair she locked eyes with the captain. "Too scared to babysit me on yer own, eh?" The man blew a cloud of choking cigar smoke into her face, she turned away coughing as he began to drag her toward the beach just west of the dock.
"Are we still going after the Straw Hats then, Smoker?" Tashigi pressed as she dutifully followed behind her captain.
Grunting, Smoker nodded his head and looked to Ava for a smart remark. Eyes narrowed, she focused on the ground and her feet as he forced her to stumble at a quick pace. "Nothing to say? Then you might as well be unconscious." With that final word he sent a quick blow to Ava's temple, sending her into engulfing darkness.
Ava's body shook involuntarily as she swayed back and forth unsteadily in the small bit of slack that her chains allowed. Since being shackled and chained to the bars of the brig in the orlop of the Marine vessel, she had not been allowed to move her hands from behind her back or uncross her legs. Desperately, her tongue dragged across her scabbed lips, searching for moisture despite being up to her knees in a shifting pool of grime that had leaked in through the body of the ship. In a frenzy, her eyes scoured the darkness as every creek and moan shifted into a horrifying hallucination induced from her starvation and sleep deprivation.
In all those sixteen days Ava had neither seen a drop of sunlight nor caught an image of another living person. Once a day, fresh water was spilled through a hole in the ceiling so that it roughly landed in her mouth. So far her adult adventure was not living up to her expectations and by her reckoning, not only was Ava horrendously off course from her brother now, but she estimated that by the time she could get her way back there, her fellow Heart Pirates would have landed on an island they had not charted out yet, leaving Ava clueless to their location save the tiny scrap of paper she relentlessly clung to.
Her mind was hovering on the edge of consciousness when the sound of a knob turning rattled the dank, lifeless orlop. Slowly, her eyes opened as light from a door unseen filled the room. As a shadowed figure entered her sight, she glowered at him from beneath thick, greasy tendrils of hair. Without blinking, her eyes remained trained on the man as he unlocked the chains that bound her to the bars of her cell, telling her that she was not to move while he entered the cage. Ava almost pardoned him a laugh. As the weight of her body pulled away from the bars, she felt her skin peeling away from the rust and the grime it had become fused with.
The man entered her cell, eyeing her cautiously. Ava knew that he feared her, he was sure to have heard the rumors of the nasty, disgusting and twisted deeds that the Trafalgar siblings had wrought unto their victims.
Mercilessly, the Marine hoisted her to her feet. Ava did not let her eyes move from the Marine; when he balanced her body on his, she felt him trembling.
In time, they came to the open deck of the ship where the blaring sunlight blinded Ava who had to wrench her eyes away from her petrified guide. The crisp saltiness of the fresh sea air rejuvenated and stung her as her deteriorated lungs were stunned by its purity. Alien were the sounds of the gulls in the distance, the idle chatter of other people and the rush of the waves against the ship. When her eyes were able to remain open she saw the sails of a second ship parallel to theirs with foot soldiers gathered on the deck. On their ship, Smoker stood with his arms crossed, watching her with the trained eyes of a hunter. Beside him was the sword girl and on the other side was a second Marine Captain.
"She's all yours. Make sure she doesn't escape, she'll be even more deadly that far into the New World."
The other Captain pressed a hand to his chest and reassuringly said, "You can count on me, Smoker." His eyes moved to Ava and his face revolted. "We might even clean her up for the officials." Queasily, he approached Ava and took hold of her upper arm, using his height to keep her dragging as he pulled her along the gangplank back to her ship.
As soon as he was able, the Captain –whose name she later found out was Saleb –thrust her into the care of one of his foot soldiers, ordering that she be made presentable. The young man supported Ava against his torso and with great effort guided her into the hull. When they reached the bathroom, a barrel had already been filled with seawater and was sitting alone amongst the room full of toiletries. Present in the bathroom were two women whose appearances were hidden in baggy, latex jackets, behind doctors masks and in sterile gloves. Ruthlessly, they took hold of Ava and ripped her soiled clothes from her body and once she was vulnerable, they forced her into the freezing tub of seawater where they removed her handcuffs. The salt stung her nose and eyes as they relentlessly dunked her useless body under over and over against as they scrubbed her tender hide raw and pulled free all the millions of tangles her hair.
Ava was gasping for breath by the time they stopped their torture; her body shivered uncontrollably while they hastily dried her body and clothed her again in striped prison garb. Her Heart Pirate uniform was taken to a furnace and burned. Even in this brief moment of freedom, Ava was in no state to give up a fight. Standing took all of her pitiful supply of energy.
Once she was dressed, one of the women left and returned with another foot soldier. He put cuffs on her again and began to roughly drag her out of the room. Ava's feet pawed against the floor as he tore around corners and up flights of stairs, but she felt a difference. Despite the cuffs being tight around her wrists, they were not draining her of the small supplements of energy she was producing. Someone had forgotten the Kairoseki handcuffs.
Finally they stopped and Ava found herself dropped into a well crafted arm chair, sitting at a dining table across from Saleb with a grand buffet lined in front of her. As the aroma of hot food swelled in her nose and throat, saliva pooled in her mouth and when her focus wondered, spilled from her lips.
"I thought you'd be hungry," he said and took a small bite of pork. He dabbed at his lips with a napkin and stared at her over the rim of his wine glass. "Captain Smoker has no idea how to treat a lady. He can't even properly address that Tashigi girl."
Ava swallowed but her mouth was quickly swimming again; she uncouthly wiped the river of saliva off her chin on the sleeve of her striped shirt. Rubbing her sore wrists in the little space beneath the cuffs and her skin, Ava's eyes swarmed over the food. At that moment she didn't care if most of it was food she would not touch in any other situation. At that moment she was ravenous but not so much that she had lost her sense of logic. Slowly, she pulled her legs into the chair where she fit cross-legged on the cushion. Once she had taken everything in, her eyes met with those of the Captain who was watching her all the while.
"Go ahead. Eat."
"Oh, you don't want that," Ava said, her voice trailing off as if her mind were elsewhere. Without blinking she stared at the man and a small smile sat upon her lips. Before he could ask, and she knew he would from the way his mouth fidgeted while he watched her, she said, "I bite the hand that feeds." Clicking her teeth together, she snatched up a piece of bread off a plate near her and violently tore off a piece with her teeth, scraping them against her hand as she viciously ate it.
An amused laugh carried across the table from Saleb and after taking a drink of wine from his chalice, he carefully pushed away from the table. She noticed the precariously opened front of his white Marine shirt which revealed not only his excessive chest hair, but several grease stains on the wife-beater he wore beneath it. As he walked around it, his index finger trailed along the bare side of the table, smudging the polish with a mark of grease. When he came to Ava's side of the table, he circled her chair and smothered her with one hand draped across the back and the other reaching across her. His face loomed near her and though her face was turned forward, her eyes still hadn't left him.
"Well, if you're going to behave that primitively, I'll just have to feed you and hope you don't bite." While he spoke he moved in closer until, at the end of his sentence, his lips were a ghost against the shell of her ear. Mockingly, he clicked his teeth together then pulled away sharply. With his right hand, he picked up a grape and pressed it to her lips until it popped inside. Ava swallowed it hastily. Saleb picked up another and repeated three more times until, when pressing the grape into Ava's mouth, her jaw shot forward and enveloped his finger.
Clamping her jaws shut, Ava felt his finger break loose in her mouth. Quickly she spat it out onto the table and turned toward him as he reeled back in horror, grasping his spewing finger. Uncrossing her legs, she swung them over the arm of the chair and landed a kick on his chest, sending him crashing through the double doors and spilling onto the deck.
Instantly, men swarmed the room and moments later she was unconscious.
Awakening found Ava back in a cell, not only chained to the bars of her prison but muzzled with some medieval device. Fortunately, as she wiggled around in her restraints, they still hadn't changed her handcuffs. How long she had been out, however, remained a mystery to her. Ava couldn't imagine that it had been a terribly long time but given her state of malnourishment and exhaustion, she judged that it was possible she had been out for up to a week.
As her eyes adjusted to the scraps of light coming in from the portholes scattered across the room. Save a few more empty cells and some stacks of various crates, she was alone. At least this ship wasn't leaking, leaving her to marinate in seawater and grime.
Desperately, she began to miss her brother. The laughter of her crew and the softness of cuddling with her polar bear; the warmth and camaraderie of the Heart pirates made her heart ache in loneliness. Most of all she missed the safety of being in her brother's care, the stability of his unwavering determination and will even when hers had been rattled. No matter what situation she had found herself in, he had always found a way to get her out of it. Ava's body began to scrunch together as she tried to hold her emotions inside.
A familiar laugh wrenched her from her self pity as it echoed throughout the Marine ship. Fear struck her heart and instantly, her body was alert. A sliver of relief soothed her at the thought of not being in Marine custody, but as the thunderous footsteps of the giant man reverberated above her, Ava could feel her determination growing smaller and smaller. For a while after that there was only silence. In silence Ava waited for a sign of what was happening.
Then a quarrel broke out. Through the floor Ava could hear shouting and scuffling as a brawl started between the Marines and the intruder. Ava laughed at her own choice of vocabulary. Whatever was happening on deck could not be considered anything more than a small bout between one man and a fleet of ants. Out of it all Ava heard someone shout, "Storm," just as the boat lurched as if struck by a massive wave.
Ava strained her eyes to peer out the porthole near her. At sea level the real world was hard to make out. Rain flew in every direction as the ocean raged and rolled in a barrage of wind and hail. In the distance, she could see the funnel of a storm touching base with the roiling ocean.
As she quickly took into account all options, Ava saw no way for her to make it out of this assuredly without being prisoner for an unset amount of time. The battle on deck grew more vicious as the newcomer began to play with his enemies; the guttural screams of men drowning in their own blood cut through the herculean storm.
Mind spinning, Ava wracked her thoughts for any alternative. When the noise on deck stopped, Ava knew that there was none.
The footsteps began to move across the deck. Blood seeped through the cracks in the floor and trickled into the orlop.
Ava worried about her brother, and her crew. There was no good reassurance in her mind that this man would go after them next if he couldn't have her here and even in her capture that would not save them. She could hear the footsteps coming down the stairs.
Closing her eyes tightly, Ava took a deep breath and held it in, concentrating her energy into the center of her body; compressing everything she could muster in her solar plexus into the tightest ball possible.
Overheard she could hear him wondering around, searching for the door to her.
Somewhere behind her, the door creaked open and the room flooded with light.
Ava exhaled and from every pore in her body a force shot out, pushing against every surface it encountered. In an instant she felt her cage shatter and her body go soaring away from everything. Wood splintered and shattered, glass combusted and within seconds the Marine ship was no more. As the force hit the boiler room, an explosion ruptured.
Like slow motion, Ava watched as her body flew hundreds of feet into the air, hovering dully above a monsoon. Below her, a brightly colored ship bearing a smiley on its mast bobbed in the unruly currents and, standing on a bit of debris in the middle of the ruined marine vessel, she saw a tall man in a feathery pink coat and though she could make out no more details than that, she felt him staring at her, burrowing his eyes into her as her useless body plummeted toward the shipwreck.
Doflamingo felt his body ripped from the thrashing water and dragged on deck. As energy restored itself in his body his eyes snapped open. Through the blinding barrages of hail and bullets of rain Doflamingo saw his crew members crawling aboard from the snarling grip of the upsurge. Rage consumed his thoughts and he thrust his body upwards and in the violent rocking of the ship he staggered across the deck until he managed his bearings. Burning scraps of wood spun around him as the typhoon moved toward them. Through a red film in his eyes he scanned the waters, searching for the girl he had come for. His knuckles turned white as his hand strangled the railing until it splintered in his hand.
"Captain."
Snapping out of his hate fueled trance, he spun and snatched the neck of his unfortunate crew member. The man's eyes bulged as fear took hold of his consciousness. As reality took hold, Doflamingo snarled and threw the man back. "What?"
"We're being pulled into the cyclone, Captain. If we don't pull back soon we'll capsize."
Tearing around, Doflamingo gave the wreckage one more scour before turning his back to the ocean and the viciousness of nature. He made his way toward the huge double doors that led into his living space. On his way he lifted his left hand into the air and fanned his fingers out as invisible strings connected to the limbs and joints of his crew members. Instantly they began to run around the ship through the tempest and steer the ship away from the storm.
Once inside, Doflamingo threw his drenched, feather coat at the wall and tore his sunglasses from his face, launching them at his desk. Without stop, he strode through his quarters and threw open the bright pink curtains, painted with a single, large smiley, and stared at the mess left in their wake.
The harsh ocean rocked the body of a girl back and forth like a rag doll on the measly piece of board that kept her from sinking into the briny depths of the Grand Line. Shackles were clamped to her wrists and ankles; a rusted, iron muzzle was around her mouth. Blood oozed from the many wounds that marred her pale, tattooed skin and stained the board a dusty maroon before seeping into the dark waters that reflected the overcast sky above. Neither the moon nor the sun was visible through the dense veil of storm clouds. A cyclone surged around her, torrents knotted her hair and flung it around her face and tangled it in the mouth piece of the muzzle. Around her, shattered and charred remnants of a Marine ship bobbed in the unruly currents.
In the distance a large, looming pirate vessel forged a path through the tempest, following the magnetic path set before it by the Log Pose sitting on a table in the Captain's quarters. Tattered sails were held by strained ropes as the wind carried them in circles, fighting against the direction of the rudder. Men dressed in black, leather and metal carried out their duties, struggling against the forces of nature. But it was the anticipation of the wrath from their captain should they fail that kept them moving.
It was not long until the girl in the water washed against the hull of the ship. The soft sound of wood scraping against wood was barely audible against the crashing of the waves on the hull. It was by chance that a dreadlocked man peered over the railing and caught a glimpse of her. There was only brief hesitation on his mind, a fear of his captain's displeasure, but the calls of chivalry forced his hand and he quickly called for rope and pulled the girl aboard.
Below deck was the feared captain of the ship, Eustass "Captain" Kidd. He sat at the desk in his quarters with his feet propped on the metal desk that held various maps, stacks of wanted posters and a Log Pose that rolled this way and that across the top with every violent lurch of the ship. After a moment of staring at the Log Pose, he held his hand toward it and flexed his fingers, knuckles cracking, as a purple static covered his hand. Around the room things like tacks and nails, left over silverware and anything else made of metal began to scrape across the wood floors or metal tables toward him. The Log Pose shot across the table toward his hand, fitting snugly in his fist, and the static dissipated.
Kidd lowered his legs from the table and stood up, wood creaking beneath him as the nails resettled into their places. Hanging on the back of the chair, left in his wake, was a large coat that would have hung past his waist, covered in maroon fur that got darker around the collar and large, golden spikes that lined the front. He was about to leave the room, planning on observing and reinforcing the work ethic of his crew in the tempest, but before he could open the door, it swung past him, slamming into the wall and passing just inches from his nose.
Facing him in the doorway was a man about his height with a white and blue striped mask on and untamed blond hair that fell to his knees in wild waves. Every inch of him dripped, forming a puddle on Kidd's floor. His chest rose and fell rapidly from the hard work above in the squall and searching for Kidd in the massive ship.
"For almost hitting me, Killer, this better be damn important." Shouldering Killer to the side, he stormed out of his quarters and down the hall. Water sloshed around him every time his boots came contacted with the three inch deep layer of water that drained down the hall to the orlop at the back of the ship. "And somebody clean this fuckin' mess up!" A man exited a door from down the hall with a mop, instantly beginning to absorb the marsh that was forming.
"It is, Captain," Killer answered while he followed Kidd up a flight of stairs that lead to the front of the ship. When Kidd encouraged him to continue with a grunt he added, "We found a girl floating in the water."
As they stepped onto the deck, a wall of water struck and drenched them. The screaming wind deafened them and the flashes of light as lightening struck the ocean were blinding but through the brightness Kidd could see about five members of his crew huddled around a crate and a figure slumped on the ground. In his peripheral he caught sight of a Marine flag twisting in the gulls of the cyclone, tearing to bits with every sharp tug until it landed amidst wreckage of a transport ship.
"Is that so?"
Kidd charged through the downpour and past other members of his crew to the bow of the ship where they were gathered. Killer followed at his flank, checking left and checking right that the crew were maintaining the ship. The figure they saw on the board was a girl, perhaps half Kidd's size if she were in full health. She was small and rather boyish in figure with shaggy, ear-length black hair that obscured most of her face. At first glance Kidd would have thought she was a prepubescent girl and even at second glance he was very sure that she was. The tattered prisoner's garb that she wore was charred and revealed many cuts and scrapes as well as tattoos, many of which Kidd identified as a Jolly Roger.
He frowned and stared at her. The first thought was that she was the enemy, an attempt to infiltrate his crew and steal from them, or learn their weakness. Prisoner outfits were easy to come by for any pirate with a past and it was completely possible for a group of pirates to ambush and blow up a Marine Ship just to set up a good scene. This he knew was very possible; he blew up Marine Ships without cause on a regular basis.
Even so, there was a chance she was a criminal. A dangerous sort of one and from his stand point, Kidd knew that to pass up the chance to gain a strong crew member was a bad idea. Taking in a deep breath, Kidd pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.
"Well, Captain, is it damn important enough?"
Focusing his eyes on the girl, Kidd nodded slowly and allowed his thoughts to digest. "Who's the chivalrous one who took her in?"
Feeling his eyes on them, Kidd's crew began to shirk away from the girl, afraid to admit to having any part in it. Kidd did not take kindly to charity. He was not a good person. The man with the dreadlocks alone did not move and stepped toward Kidd, standing just in front of the girl in fear that Kidd would crush her skull right then and there.
"It was me. I spotted her and made the decision to bring her aboard. I didn't see another body, dead or living, and Xavier in the nest couldn't spot any either nor another ship, be it an attacker or a rescuer."
Killer watched Kidd while his peer spoke. Regardless of any explanation, the man was going to be furious that such a decision was made without him. Once Heat had finished speaking, the blond knew that Kidd was going to go on a tangent again. "She was found with these, too." Feeling Kidd's eyes on him now, Killer kicked a crate that contained the restraints that were on the girl. "We took them off so we could try and identify her but no one has any ideas."
Lifting his hand from his side, Kidd made a calling motion with his index finger and two items floated from the box, a simple pair of handcuffs and an archaic muzzle. He let his hand drop back at his side and wrinkles appeared above his nose. "These were still on when you found her?" After a few nods, Kidd snorted and added, "She was left to die."
"There's no one coming for her, Kidd, be it pirate or government. There's nothing suspicious about her."
"So then tell me, Killer, if you're so determined to prove that she isn't out to get us, why shouldn't I just kill her now? It would only take a little pressure…" He lifted his boot above her head, grey water dripping off the toe onto the girls head and sliding down her cheeks. "Crack." Bringing his foot down fast toward her skull, he stopped when he touched it, mussing her hair with the tread.
"There's a Jolly Roger on her arm, she's obviously a pirate but there's no way she's with her crew. She's very malnourished, meaning the likeliness of them coming after her, if they are alive, is slim. Cuffs, that means she's dangerous enough not to just have locked up and she's either strong or crazy enough to need shackles and a muzzle. I imagine there's a marine out their missing a nasty chunk out of his finger. As the captain you, of course, understand that it would be a bad idea to pass up an interview with a possible new crew member. And if you don't like her, well, crack."
Kidd grunted, cursing Killer for being as logical as he was; the bastard. "You heard the man. One of you better go make that useless leprechaun earn his keep."
"Aye, Master Kidd." Heat lifted the girl into his arms from the board, struggling to get a hold of her slick skin with his own. Once he got his grip he stood and took slow steps toward the door that lead below deck.
"And the rest of you need to get the fuck back to work," Kidd ordered and took a moment to stare each of the remaining members of his crew in the eye. It only took a second for them to take off sliding across the deck. Killer alone remained by his side, like him, staring out into the ocean, watching as the violent waves crashed into each other causing spray to fly onto the deck, hitting their skin like needles.
"What do you think, Captain?"
Kidd ran his tongue across his teeth and then said, "I think she might already be dead." Grinning, he looked at Killer who just looked back at him. "Last time we had a stiff on board the hull reeked for a month, remember?"
"Yes and half the crew got sick because you refused to give the village back their dead king because he called you a coward for not destroying their town."
Kidd laughed, recalling the fond memory of when he began his streak of terror across the Grand Line. He didn't speak after that for a moment, and then he said, "You saw her Jolly Roger, didn't you?" Bearing now a sober expression, he stared into the box of restraints. Killer nodded. "Well, we didn't keep every newspaper and wanted poster for no reason, Killer, get to work. Just because you can get away with being a smartass doesn't mean you get to slack off."
"Sure, Captain."
Heat approached the door that led to the ship's hospital, a single room that doubled as a doctor's office and tripled as a laboratory. He stopped in front of it and looked at the girl that occupied his arms then raised his foot and kicked in the door. A startled scream, the sound of shattering glass, and something unbreakable falling came from inside the door.
"What do you want?"
Heat walked into the lab and past the short red-head at the desk, dropping the girl onto the single cot at the back of the room. "Be quite. Can't you see she's sleeping?" Leering over the doctor, he stared at scribbles in the notebook on the desk as a yellow liquid seeped from a broken test tube. "Master Kidd wants her taken care of, best get on it." After that, Heat left the room and let the door shut softly behind him.
"Her?" Doc whipped his head around to stare at the slowly rising and falling chest of the girl. "Doesn't that man know its bad luck to bring a woman aboard, even if she is a miniature one?" He sighed and jumped from his chair, trotting across the room and making disapproving noises as he gathered medical supplies. Once they were gathered, he set up a stool at the side of the bed and began his examination.
The shrill ring of a timer woke the girl with a start. Her head was ringing when she shot into a sitting position and her blood rushed to her head, making her sick and filling her vision with fuzz. She frantically searched around the room, trying to get her bearings.
The room she was in was unfamiliar. She noticed dark mahogany wood covering the floor, ceiling and walls, even though the walls were adorned with medieval medical instruments and shelves packed with glass jars containing various body parts. The bed she sat on was the only clean thing in the room clothed in spotless white sheets –save the few drops of blood here and there –and a dark green blanket. Across the room from her was a short man with very pale skin and a very large amount of freckles.
When the leprechaun noticed her studying him, he exclaimed, "Oh, you're finally awake, eh?" He jumped from his chair and rushed to a small counter against a different wall, taking a needle from a small holder beside a sink.
Ava eyed the needle and replied with a shaky voice, "Yeah, it does appear that way, doesn't it, Mister?"
"No need to be rude, girl," he replied and approached her with the needle. He paid no mind as her eyes widened and she frantically backed against the wall, squirming. "No need to be that way, this is just to boost your immune system. Captain's orders." Shooting his hand into her mess of flailing limbs, he snatched her wrist and pulled her closer. He shot a small amount of red liquid out of the needle and shook the vial.
"Actually, there is not a single thing wrong with my immune system at all, it's in tip-top shape," she insisted and laughed nervously, trying to pull out of his grasp. "I would know, I'm a nurse and my brother is a fantastic doctor." Ava's eyes widened and her pupils shrunk as the man moved the needle closer to her skin. "Really, I insist that you keep that away from me. I won't guarantee –" She snapped her mouth shut and spastically kicked her legs out from beneath her, knocking back the doctor and sending the needle flying into the air. The vial hit the floor and the red liquid sprayed everywhere.
Grumbling and glaring, the leprechaun stood up and cradled his wrist in his other hand. "Well, in that case I'll just go get the captain." With his good hand, he opened the door and left her alone.
For a moment Ava stared at the door and when no one returned instantly, she contorted herself so she lay on her back with her feet propped up against the wall. Her head dangled off the bed, staring at the door and her hands were laid on her stomach. Minutes more passed until she could hear the footfalls of the leprechaun and the captain coming down the hall and then the door slammed open; beside the doctor stood a very tall and muscular man whom she recognized from several bounty posters. She grinned.
"I tried to give her a shot, Captain, but she broke my hand and the syringe in the process," the doctor explained, scowling at the girl and nursing his wrist. He went to sit at his desk while the captain approached Ava.
"I don't like needles. Sorry." Her grin didn't falter and she looked up at the man confidently.
"Who are you?" Kidd's lips stretched into a snarl. Just looking at the girl, he regretted not throwing her into the ocean.
Slowly, Ava sat up and twisted around until she was standing on the cot, looking him in the eye. "What's it worth to ya?" She studied Eustass Kidd's face as it contorted with fury. She noticed that he had no eyebrows. Licking her bottom lip, she was taken by surprise when piece of metal flew past her face, leaving a long, thin cut running with blood on her cheek and a sharp piece of scrap metal implanted in the wall behind her.
"I don't know, you tell me." Kidd reached out and shoved down on her shoulder, forcing her onto her back. He placed a foot on her chest and leered over her. "What's it worth to ya?"
"My name, Mr. Eustass, is Trafalgar Ava. It's an incomparable pleasure to meet you, especially under these," she licked her lips, "circumstances." Her eyes suggested to his position and then she met him in the eye.
"The fuck did you call me?" Kidd demanded and got off of her, rubbing the sole of his boot on the ground.
"My apologies, Mr. Eustass "Captain" Kidd," Ava corrected. "Now, Mr. Eustass, you and I both know that you're not the most chartable sort, so could you explain why you saved me?"
"You can ask some very stupid members of my crew that one." He watched as Ava nodded and shrugged as if she could have figured out that answer herself. "Now, explain why you were out in that mess."
Ava sat up and with her thumb wiped the blood off her cheek, smearing it on her pants. "That is top-secret information."
"You're going to tell me," Kidd began and snatched a handful of her hair in his fist, pulling her head back until she was staring at him, "or you're going to die. End of discussion, Miss."
Silently, she stared at him and let the options weigh themselves in her mind. "Nope." When she saw the startled look on Kidd's face that she anticipated, she smacked his hand away from her with ease and then ran her fingers through her short, greasy hair. "I'll tell you when I'm ready to trust you with such information."
A small grin rose on Kidd's lips, exposing very sharp teeth. "You must be quick to trust people then."
"Nope." She placed a hand on his chest and, to Kidd's astonishment, pushed him back with ease. She stood and walked toward the door. "But because I just get this funny feeling we're fairly intertwined, I'll give you a teaser: I'm a biter." Clicking her teeth together, she made a small lunge at Kidd before making a quick redirection to the door. Before she could open it, she was being pulled back by her hair again and was thrown onto the bed. "And no, I'm not interested in having sex with –" She was silenced by a swift blow to her cheek that threw her head into the nearby wall. The resulting thud was deafening. Rubbing her head, she pulled away from the wall with a slight scowl. "Kinky."
"At this rate I'll be killing you before we have any real fun," Kidd said with a look of faux disappointment.
A small whine escaped Ava's lips. "But we're just getting started." As she fingered her wound, she felt blood pooling in her hair. She pulled her fingers out of the tangled mess and wiped the blood on her pants, an accumulating stain. Glancing past Kidd she noticed the fret of the doctor's countenance. "Alas, my sudden blood loss is making me delusional. Do you really want to know how it is I managed to sneak myself aboard your ship?" Leaning her head in her hand, she watched as Kidd stared at her before he grabbed the chair from the desk and swung it beneath himself. He sat down and propped his feet up on the bed. Ava stared at the bottom of his boots; there was blood in the grit and a few white pieces that she was sure were bones. Then, she leaned over them until her torso hovered above Kidd's lap. "Nope," she whispered. As Ava anticipated, her head flew to the other side of the room, crashing into the wall again before her body sunk to the ground.
Once she was able to see again, she saw Kidd walk out of the room and slam the door behind him. Then the doctor crowded her vision and then it was gone.
Before Kidd got to the deck, he was intercepted by Killer when his first mate walked out of an open door. Silently, Killer waited for Kidd to pass before following him to the steering platform where Kidd lowered himself into the large throne that sat before the wheel.
"Who is she, Captain?" Killer leaned against the railing behind the wheel, watching as a small grin appeared on his captain's lips. It was a very unusual thing to see him smiling when there weren't dead bodies strewn around him, but for all Killer knew, there was one in Doc's office.
"Trafalgar Ava: a stupid little girl with too much confidence who dreams of playing with pirates."
"So she's not dead?" When Kidd shook his head it almost came as a shock to Killer. "Are you going to toss her overboard then?"
Kidd chuckled, looking over the still waters. The sun was high over head, soon to be behind them. "No, I don't think I will yet, Killer. She might prove to be of some entertainment still, if I didn't accidentally kill her that last time I hit her."
Shaking his head, Killer resisted the urge to attempt pinching his nose through his mask. "If you insist, Captain, what should you have me do, then?"
Kidd finally stared at Killer. "Find out everything that you can."
When Ava awoke, she pulled her eye lids open and saw the doctor hovering over her. Hastily, she pulled away from him and backed away until she tumbled off the edge of the bed. Her hand fell in a puddle of blood that was surely hers. "Ew."
"Damn it, girl, will you –"
"Damn it, midget, will you stop calling me 'girl'?" Ava stood and wiped the blood on her pants. She reached up to her head wound, instead feeling a bandage. She shrugged. "I'm twenty-two. I'm not a girl. How old are you?" Leering over him, she stared him in the eye.
"Forty-four."
Ava stood up quickly, muttering, "Grandpa," under her breath before she sat on the bed again with her legs crossed. "I'm bored. Why doesn't Mr. Eustass like me?"
Having heard her comment, Doc stood up rigidly and then said, "I can't possibly fathom the answer."
"Me neither." Frantically, her eyes began to wander about the room. The only way in or out was the door in front of her, blocked by the doctor as he went about cleaning the large mess that was beginning to consume his office. "Am I confined to this pitiful excuse for a, well, whatever it is or am I free to roam the ship until further notice of my public execution? Because I do find Mr. Eustass rather fascinating, y'know." As she began to examine the archaic instruments that lined the walls and shelves, she found herself making noises of disapproval as none of the tools she found here had been anywhere near a patient of her brother in almost all of the years she had been alive. They were primitive to her eye.
"Do whatever you feel necessary, girl, my job was the bandage you, not baby sit you."
Ava snorted. "That came off as more of a 'get the hell out of here and bug someone else' than a 'yes, make yourself at home'." Stretching her arms on either side of her, she pushed herself to her feet and walked off the cot. On the tips of her toes, she walked across the room and swung the door out.
"It's still nicer than what I intended to convey," the doctor grumbled. "Whether you get the Captain to toss you overboard or not is none of my concern so long as someone doesn't end up dragging your carcass back here again."
Half-way out the door Ava paused and stared back at him with a frown. "You don't like me either, do you?" She shook her head and quickly disappeared into the dark hallway, slamming the door shut behind her.
Looking left and looking right she scarcely saw a difference. The walls were made of the same wood as in the doctor's office, but covered in slime and mildew. Every so often there were doors on either side of the hall. No windows and no lights; not a soul or a sound except the dull echo of footsteps above and the crash of waves on either side of her.
For a long time she waited where she stood for someone to appear or something significant to happen so she could choose a direction. Then, from her left, a man walked out of a room a few doors down and noticed her standing there. There was a blue and white helmet on his head that made him easily recognizable as "Massacre Man" Killer; the first-mate of the Kidd Pirates. In his hands were several documents and old news papers.
"You're Ava, aren't you?" He didn't move from where he stood.
"Yes, and you're "Massacre Man" Killer." Ava watched as he shuffled through the papers and then stuffed them inside his open dress shirt.
"I am. Whose permission do you have to go unescorted?"
Ava shrugged and then looked at the ceiling, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. "No one, but the doctor said to make myself at home." Her eyes fell back to Killer and a grin flashed onto her face. "But you can escort me if you like." Walking towards him, she didn't let her eyes drop from where his face would be until she walked right past him. She continued down the hall way and didn't look back but she could hear Killer following her quietly.
Eventually, she found herself at a staircase and once she got to the top she found the door that led to the deck. From behind her the sun poured down on her and warmed her skin, revealing to her for the first time the extent of her injury. Around her men went about their business, only sparing her a passing glance as they went on their way. The overcast clouds she last remembered were long gone, replaced by white wisps. Warm air surrounded her, lessened by a soft breeze. Reflections of white and yellow from the ocean blinded her but nonetheless she weaved her way through the thuggish crew to the bow of the ship and planted herself on the figure head that was carved in the shape of a skull. Over her shoulder, Killer still watched her and cast a shadow at her feet.
"It's a nice day, isn't it?"
"It is, unlike when we found you. Ten seconds later and you would have been sucked into a cyclone." Killer leaned against the railing to the right of her and stared sideways at the girl, occasionally glancing to the steering wheel where Kidd watched the ship.
"How fortunate," Ava began slowly. She looked to Killer with a soft smile. "I really thought the rumors about Mr. Eustass being a malicious baby-eater were true, but it looks like he is kind hearted after all." When Killer began to laugh, she was hardly able to keep from breaking out as well; it took all of her concentration to keep her smile from growing.
"You read that article, did you?" Killer paused and let his laugher die. "Well, it was a close accusation. Kidd has never actually eaten a child but he's as vicious and cold hearted as they say."
Without her smile faltering, Ava said, "Really? How disappointing."
Killer nodded silently then began to walk away. "Stay here and don't get into trouble."
"You got it, boss."
When Killer reached his captain, Kidd was watching Ava as she sat like a stone on the figure head. Killer watched her for a moment also and then took out the papers noisily. "Should she be outside of the doctor's office?"
Shrugging, Kidd answered with a grunt of indifference and faced Killer. He took his hands off the wheel and leaned back in his throne. "What did you find out?" He listened as Killer cleared his throat and began to read from the news article first in the pile.
"Rookie pirate 'Surgeon of Death' Trafalgar Law saves young prince in North Blue from fatal wound involving a large projectile that pierced both of the prince's lungs with the assistance of his younger sister and fellow pirate: Trafalgar Ava." Killer handed the article to Kidd and began reading from the next. "'Surgeon of Death' Trafalgar Law defeats 'Home Run' Hoshi, an East Blue Pirate with a bounty of 38,000,000 Beli. Trafalgar's Bounty has been raised from 12,500,000 Beli to 32,000,750 Beli. Trafalgar's younger sister, Trafalgar Ava, who was a key component of the Heart Pirates' victory, was entitled a bounty of 11,000,000 Beli." Killer passed Kidd the article and looked at the two bounty posters that followed. The picture they had of Ava was a far cry of how she appeared now. Her hair was shorter then and a rich black that fell jaggedly around her face and obscured her blue eyes; her skin was tan and she was very heavily tattooed. The bounty picture of her brother, however, was a near replica to her picture. Both had the same features and wore the same expression of defiance and confidence; both were also flipping off the unfortunate photographer. These were also passed to Kidd. He cleared his throat. "Trafalgar Ava single handedly –though under the scrutiny of her brother and captain –completed a three organ transplant between a sheep and an unconscious Marine hostage. The young soldier lived three days before being recovered by his team; twelve hours after he passed away. The sheep completely survived the procedure and is still being cared for by its original owner. Trafalgar Ava's bounty has risen from 11,000,000 Beli to 17,500,000 Beli and she has been given the epithet of 'Demon Nurse'." Killer took a deep breath and passed the article and bounty poster to Kidd. "That was all of what we had, but there's another bounty poster issued seven months ago. Currently, she has an issued bounty of 66,000,000 Beli." Slowly he handed the bounty poster to Kidd, there was an air of regret that clung to his hesitation.
Kidd's frown deepened as he double and triple checked the documents, scanning for some error. He found none. Looking at the blood stained girl in the wanted posters, he would have laughed if it weren't for another detail. "Killer, tell me how her bounty is higher than yours?"
"I'm not sure, Captain. My apologies."
Spitting onto the ground by his feet, Kidd looked to the crow's nest over his shoulder. "Go talk to Xavier and find out when we'll be landing at the next island," Kidd ordered and placed his feet back on the ship's wheel. In his hands was Ava's most recent bounty poster.
Killer found their navigator in the Crow's Nest among bottles of old beer and outdated and yellowing maps. Killer leaned against the edge of the nest and balanced on the rungs of the rope ladder, peering at the man as he checked the appearance of his large Mohawk in a hand mirror. When Killer cleared his throat the man jumped and the mirror fell into the pits of the ocean. Overhead, the flag that hung above Killer's head snapped in the breeze.
"Damn it, Killer," Xavier exclaimed and turned sharply to him. "What do you need?" He began to busy himself with the old maps around him, scanning the route that was lined in red.
"Kidd wants to know when we'll be landing at the next island." Glancing to the bow of the ship he saw that Ava was gone. In his quick overview of the ship, he couldn't see her. A feeling of unease settled in his stomach. Even though they were just entering the Grand Line, their bounties were head and shoulder over almost every other pirate they encountered and hers was higher than his.
"Hello? Killer?"
"Repeat that," Killer said and turned back to Xavier. He watched as the navigator pointed out a small island on a newer looking map. "If I'm right, then we should be there in a few days, and if I'm really good at my job, we should be arriving on a Spring Island called Elbaf." He pronounced the name slowly as he read the messy writing on the map. Beneath the name, written in bold letters was the word "dangerous."
"Look's dangerous."
"Yeah, well," Xavier laughed, "this map was made before the captain ate a Devil Fruit." He began to roll up the map when it was pulled from his hands and over the other side of the Crow's Nest. Xavier spun around and peered over the edge. Tangled in the mesh of ropes that hung beneath the nest, Ava sat with the map propped out in front of her.
"Devil Fruit? Is that how Mr. Eustass managed to launch flying metal objects at me?" Over Ava's shoulder, the map suddenly disappeared again. She contorted herself quickly to stare at Killer as he rolled the map back up and then returned to the nest. A frown tugged on her lips and she clambered her way towards Killer and sprung up beside him.
"What are you doing?" Killer asked begrudgingly and handed the map to Xavier, far from Ava's reach.
"Nothing."
"Really?" Killer wanted to roll his eyes in disbelief but spared himself the wasted effort.
"Yup."
"Are you going to be giving me more than a one word answer anytime soon?"
"Unlikely." Ava shrugged and watched as Killer began to climb back down the rope ladder. She followed quickly. She followed Killer silently, as he stopped talking to her, across the deck and up another flight of stairs to the top deck where Kidd watched them arrive. Remaining at his flank, she stopped when he did at Kidd's side and peered around him to stare at the ship's captain.
"We'll be arriving at the next island in a couple of days, if Xavier is correct."
"Good," Kidd replied, "we're running low on supplies. I want rations cut until we get there." He turned the wheel hard to port and his eyes drifted from the horizon, to Killer and back to the Log Pose in his hand.
"And what are we going to do with Ava?" Killer asked as she walked from behind him. Taking cautionary steps, Ava slowly walked in a large circle around Kidd and stopped at the back of the throne. He approached Kidd and took the Log Pose out of his hand, examining it. "We're going the wrong direction, Captain." Killer tossed the Log Pose back to Kidd who caught it angrily.
"Fuck." He snatched a rung of the wheel and spun it to the right. There was a sway in the ship and it creaked as it turned suddenly, sending all untied objects sliding across the deck and the hull.
"What happened, Mr. Eustass, are we lost?" Ava asked and climbed up the back of the chair. She seemed to hover effortlessly over the back so that her torso was hanging in front of Kidd. She watched him with a blank expression.
"No, we're not fuckin' lost," Kidd snarled and attempted to smack her away. She dodged every blow.
"That's good," she said and dodged another one. "If we were, you wouldn't be a very good captain, would you?" Ava kicked her feet against the back of Kidd's chair. Her actions were halted when Kidd snatched her by the hair and pulled her from behind him, flinging her onto the ground at his feet. Rubbing her shoulder that took most of her landing, she frowned at looked at Kidd. "Y'know, you're the only person who has ever been that mean to me without me having killed some family member of theirs. Have I offended you in a past life?"
Kidd ignored her and rolled his eyes. He looked over his shoulder at the sun that began to sink on the blue horizon. Killer's question was still on his mind; he ignored Ava. "Take her to the barracks and give her a spare bunk. When dinner's over I'll have Mack bring her some scraps, she can starve until then." Ava stuck her tongue out at him and crossed her arms. "In the morning I'll decide what we'll do with her."
It was the eve before they were due to land on Elbaf. Kidd had decided that because of her high standing bounty, a battle on his ship would end in disaster and the death of most of his crew. So, he allowed Ava freedom on the ship so long as she was under the constant supervision of one of his crew until a later date when he would decide whether he liked her enough to keep her as a crew member or kill her at another island.
In that amount of time, Kidd couldn't say whole-heartedly whether or not he liked Ava. She piqued his interest, since there was such a large gap between his expectation of her –given her bounty –and what she was actually like, and whether or not she was giving them the true her fascinated him. For the most part, she was compliant so long as he didn't give her any orders; all of his five attempts were shot down with very graphic death threats to him, his family, his crew, any future lovers and most importantly to his testicles. It seemed to him, she also picked up on how to stay neutral with him after the third or fourth time she was flew completely from one end of his ship to the other.
Kidd wouldn't say they were friends, but he could say that they were on good enough terms for him not to have tossed her overboard.
The horizon was filled with the silhouette of the massive island they approached. Because of the magnetic property of his Devil Fruit powers, Kidd knew that they were still a day's sail from the island but it appeared as if they were to wash up on the shore of it any second.
Another thing Kidd noticed about Ava, in cahoots with her invasiveness, was that she didn't seem to enjoy being alone, much. For the most part she stuck around with Killer, Heat or himself and the latter he enjoyed least. Not because he wasn't a people person, but because wherever he was, there happened to also be something for Ava to climb on; most popular was his throne where he sat.
As he would expect, Ava had just snuck her way to the stern end of the top deck. He could feel her tromping around this way and that as she wandered toward him. Soon he could feel her climbing up the back of his throne, that was almost twice her size, until she had perched herself just above his right shoulder.
"Are we there yet, Mr. Eustass? I've been watching that island not get closer for…" Her eyes wandered until they found the sun, coming to a close on her left, and then counted with her fingers. "Nine hours!"
"So stare at something else for a day. We won't arrive until tomorrow afternoon." Kidd didn't move his head but looked at her nonetheless and watched as she lowered herself daintily to his arm rest and walked across it until she reached the end. She bounced off and landed with a quiet thud in front of him.
"Bah," she scowled and glanced over her shoulder to the unmoving island. With her hands on her hips she turned her gaze to Kidd again and smiled brightly. "You don't seem to be too eager or excited to get rid of me, Mr. Eustass. Are we developing a fondness?"
"No, just a tolerance." When she began to laugh, Kidd could feel the corners of his lips tugging instinctively into a smile. He resisted and buried it underneath a scowl and dark eyes. "Why are you so excited? There's a fifty percent chance that I'll murder you before you leave that island. The only other way you're getting off is on my ship as–"
"A brand, sparkling new loyal and obedient, dimwitted servant," she recited as if she had been reading it from a script. While she spoke her eyes were focused on the stars that began to appear. When she finished she looked at Kidd again where she could see the white of his teeth as a small smile appeared; it disappeared just as quickly. Her smile grew.
Kidd shrugged and glanced to the port side. "Maybe not the dimwitted part, Killer might be insulted."
A/N: I do not own OP and I sincerely hope you enjoy this enough to comment and review.