FLASHBACK
Chapter 1. Arigato
by ShipDaWhoop
20 years ago . . .
She ran as fast as she could.
She was running against the wind as the bright moon on the nightsky followed her endlessly.
But the celestial body was not pursuing her nor was it guiding her. It was watching the chase made by a rugged man who saw her awhile ago.
His sinister chortle echoed along the place, bouncing off the old walls and murmuring waters as she passed by. Her hurried footsteps were always replied with increasing thudding steps of the stranger as she continued to run faster.
Everywhere she went, people like him would chase her. Everytime she thought she was safe, danger would lurk before she could enter to a peaceful slumber.
She still continued to run, making haste, whimpering at the repetitive feeling that death loomed over her whenever this happened.
.
She held strongly to the loaf of bread, her free thin arm wiping away the sweat off her forehead, wiping the tears within her eyes.
She was so depressed, so tired and so hungry. Her tears failing to stop, her body begging for rest and her stomach growling loudly for food.
But no heed from them was met as she was focused on the horizon that had been calling her like a lighthouse to a safe destination. She knew she was nearing it as she smiled wearily at the panoramic sight of the night shrouded with a confetti of stars.
But there was a fork in the path, her smile disappearing as determination marked on her face.
To the left, to the right, where should she go to? Where should she take a bet that a dead end won't come grabbing her soon?
.
Amidst this decision, she went straight, running down the creaking steps of the wide staircase she found.
She looked down carefully at each step for a blunder in her footing makes a guarantee that captivity of her would be granted in a nick of time.
She finally arrived at the end of staircase, pausing to catch her breath. She panted, desperately wanting air even though it wasn't fresh as she could smell grease and salt clashing among the winds.
"Dead end for you brat!" The man yelled out at her, adjusting her eyes to open wide, turning her head to see him at the top of the staircase.
She gasped loudly, her lips trembling in fear. She looked to both of her sides desperately, not knowing what to do, not knowing that what she was going to do next was inevitable.
"U-un fleur!" She shouted nervously, looking up at the man that started to run after her with a gun in his hand pointing at her, his eyes fixing on her head and his wicked laughter directed at her.
Only it died as an arm sprouted in front of him causing him to trip on the blossomed limb.
He exclaimed in utter pain for the more the descending steps cracked his every bone, the more his pain was yelled into a bigger outrage.
.
She backed away in time at the bruised body that rolled carelessly before her. She whimpered, hugging tightly on the loaf of bread against her flat chest. She noticed that he wasn't breathing, not telling her that the man was just unconscious.
She turned away quickly and found out that the man was right with his last words, finding herself stuck in a piece of land crowded by numerous remnants of broken ships.
She didn't want to look back at the man she just killed. She couldn't believe it herself as here was the predicament she had to face yet again. Killing to survive. Killing to live.
Speaking of wanting to take a nip of life, her eye caught a small house that was nearby. She wondered in awe if she could perhaps stay there for at least tonight.
But with a request comes a risk if kindness would meet her or if another string of screams to catch her will face her.
She sighed heavily, slowly walking her way to the small shack. She had no choice. She really needed a place to stay.
Nibbling on the loaf of bread, she maneuvered carefully around the pieces of wood that protruded on the land. She whined in pain when she felt her nimble toes step upon some shards of glass.
She impulsively sat on the ground, still eating slowly on her first and last meal of the day while speculating her right foot.
It was bleeding. She clutched it with her free hand, hoping to squeeze out the blood. She winced in pain and let go. She gave up.
She'll have to live with it with the other injuries she had endured previously.
"Oi!" A voice called out as she sat up impulsively, her arms trembling in fear, her fingernails digging on her meal.
This fear again. She was used to it but that doesn't mean she liked it. She hated it but couldn't do anything about it.
Thoughts started to race in her mind. Was he alive after all? Was he not giving up in collecting her bounty? Was he not letting her live in peace for at least a few more minutes?
"Kid, aren't your parents looking for you?" She looked up with wide eyes at a boy that was by her side.
The stars twinkled at the sky behind him. The winds null to affect his spiky blue hair but they compensate for it by making his open yellow shirt flap quietly.
She winced again when he moved his fingers, quickly replacing her gaze downwards only to see him wear a speedo. Her small cheeks turned pink and as soon as those colors appeared, she closed her eyes tightly, waiting for the hit.
"Please don't hit me-"
"Hit you? Maybe I will if you don't answer my question, girlie." The boy replied harshly, making her look at him once again.
She found out that he had moved his fingers awhile ago only to adjust the goggles that were around his neck to move at the top of his head.
"I-I don't have . . . any parents." She answered quietly as she looked away from him, nibbling on her loaf of bread yet again.
She suddenly missed the homeland that had been burnt down to nothing.
She missed her friends of archaeologists that had cheered for her when she became one of them.
She missed the wise words of Professor Clover. She missed the odd laughter of Saul.
She especially missed the warm touch of her mother's fingers that intertwine with hers.
.
She was crying again as tears finally burst within her eyes, traveling endlessly on her face. From this, she had missed the fact that he had sat beside her.
"I don't have parents, too but you don't see me crying." He pointed out dryly. She looked at him in disbelief before wiping her tears away.
First time she met someone who wasn't going to capture her today and she greets him with utter melancholy.
"G-Gomen." She apologized timidly before biting off a piece on the bread in her hands.
"Did they throw you off the ship?" He asked, raising his right eyebrow at her.
"No, it's not that. They . . ." She quickly placed the bread on her lap before clasping her hands to her eyes, controlling herself from crying again.
"Ok, I get it. It's worse than mine." He said before sighing in frustration. He knew it was something worse when her back was shuddering along the shaky whimper in her voice.
"Try to stop crying while I get you something." He told her before leaving her side.
.
Once she heard the sounds of his footsteps disappear, she made her hands clutch tightly on the loaf of bread in her lap.
She continued to cry as the chilly winds ran against the surface of her sensitive tears. She sighed heavily, lifting the sleeve of her old dress to wipe the tears that were hanging onto her jawline. She sniffed and blinked continuously until the tears stopped trying to drench her poor face.
By the time the tears stopped, she found the boy walking to her, a bowl of noodles in his left hand and a bottle of cola in his right hand.
"Don't know how to cook so the noodles are kind of burnt." He said, handing the bowl of noodles in front of her face.
She looked at the offer before her. It smelled so good, it even looked like it was a piece of heaven.
Her eyes slowly fixed at the boy who was desperately biting the cap off the bottle he held in his other hand. He paused, teeth still at the crown cap, his eyes looking innocently back at her.
"Eat it." He grumbled, his eyebrows burrowed once again as he struggled to open the bottle with his bare teeth.
She looked at the meal before her and smiled, taking in the bowl of noodles into her hands. She lifted the spoon, moving the noodles around the soup it sank into. Most of the strings of noodles looked raw but she didn't mind. She smiled widely as she took her first sip of the soup. It was delicious.
.
"Ariga-" "Finally!" The boy exclaimed after she heard a pop and a tinkle.
She chewed on the noodles in her mouth, looking at the boy who started to chug down on the cola he had successfully opened. She placed the bread away on the left beside her since on the right was occupied as the seat of the boy. He grunted, staring at the horizon.
"Uncool, I know but if I wake up Tom-san, Kokoro-san or Bakaburg just to cook noodles, they'll kill me or something." He said, his right cheek inflated since he was trying to savor the taste of the cola before he'll swallow it.
"It's delicious. Arigato." She said happily as she took another munch on the crispy noodles.
"Cool then." He swallowed the taste he savored. "I was going to continue building my Battle Franky 12 until I saw you."
He looked at her with a perplexed expression as she continued to eat the noodles he cooked for her.
Despite her short black hair neatly in place, she was too dirty as he could see scratches of dirt on her dress and fragile body.
"Do you not swim to make yourself look clean?" He asked bluntly. She looked at him, still chewing on the noodles.
"Do you not wear pants to make yourself look decent?" She asked curiously before he responded with a loud groan.
"Whatever." He retorted before drinking his bottle of cola miserably. She went back to eating, controlling herself from giggling. He was funny.
.
She looked to her left and saw a structure that looked like an unfinished boat. She reached out her hand, touching the wood.
She frowned. It was new, there was no history to find upon it as it was still in the making. The wood was still fresh as she saw no marks that looked like it had been tousled around by the junk around the land she was at.
"What's a Battle Franky?" She asked, thinking of continuing a conversation with him.
"It's one of my super boats that can defeat a Sea King!" He exclaimed enthusiastically.
"I'm building more and more until I make my dream ship!" He gurgled since he was saying that sentence while cola was in his mouth.
"Really? Sea Kings are troublesome." She noted before gulping down her food. She continued to eat but slowly since she was halfway to finishing it.
"They won't be once I make the ultimate battleship! Maybe at, hmm, 36, it'll be done." He said, now taking sips of his cola.
He knew he should control himself with cola. It's already making him hyper again.
He wasn't even allowed to drink cola. Last time he drank half a dozen of it, he started to spazz out during the time he was experimenting with Battle Franky 6.
Which distracted him from seeing the Sea King that was towering over his creation that time. He was suppose to start firing the cannon in his boat but he was too energized. He couldn't move properly, he was twitching in numerous places, his vision blurring uncontrollably.
But his vision came back by the time the Sea King started to prepare his attack at him. In a flash, he blasted him off with the cannon. He got blown away by a huge wave, though into the air along the boat that had turned into smithereens. He exclaimed in agony as he warned Iceburg to watch out.
After that, the rest was a blur before a punch landed on his head from his fellow young shipwright.
.
"Ships? You make them?" His thoughts intervened when she asked those questions, slurping a noodle into her mouth.
"I'm not too young to build those. Tom-san thinks my skill can't compare with the other shipwrights in town." He grinned mischievously. He expected a protest from the little girl beside him.
Since no one believed his potential after all, not even his own father. Shipwrights in town would laugh at him when he talked about his inventions. Even Iceburg wouldn't believe that he can make one that will defeat a Sea King.
Not that he cared about their opinions. He just wanted to remember their doubts so that he can shove his battleships into their faces when he has made enough to kill all Sea Kings in the Grand Line.
"I know." She answered as she leaned the tip of her bowl to her mouth to drink the soup. He was actually taken aback from her reply.
"What do you mean, you know?" He asked suspiciously. Did she not underestimate him like the others? Why was that?
"I'm an archaeologist." She blurted out before quickly clasping her hand to her mouth. She had done it. He was going to know she was the so-called Demon Child of Ohara.
She looked worriedly at him, dropping the bowl to her left side. She was going to start running but her body wouldn't let her.
It was too weary from the runs she had gone through today and the weather was so cold. She knew she was shivering endlessly from the temperature of the place. What was she going to do now?
"Cool." He answered with a smirk. "We're geniuses, huh?" His smirk widened before he drank down the last contents of his bottle.
"Hm? Uh, yes." She replied before sighing in relief. She took the bowl beside her, handing it to the boy.
"Arigato for the food." She said politely, pursing her lips shyly.
.
He yawned loudly at her before taking the empty bowl from her. He stood up, bowl in his left hand and the empty bottle in his right hand. He headed back home to return the bowl in the kitchen.
Once he was inside, he directly went to the kitchen sink. Quietly turning on the faucet, he poured down the few contents off the soup into the drain before scrubbing the bowl. After cleaning the bowl, he returned it back to the clean dishes.
He looked at the refrigerator. He was thinking if he should take another bottle of cola. He contemplated hard, stubborn at the fact the risks outgain the pros. He shook his head vigorously as he had finally decided not to take another one.
He took the empty bottle as he walked outside. Once outdoors, he dropped it on the floor before kicking it as the empty bottle of cola rolled away. He looked at it as it passed by the many gears and counterparts of broken ships in Scrap Island as he liked to call the place. He loved this place, it was not only his home, it was also his workshop. This was definitely going to be the place where he'll make his infinite amount of Battle Frankys. Or better yet his dream ship!
He then traced his gaze back to where the little girl was. Something caught his eye.
"You're cold, aren't you?" He sat beside her, pointing this out since he saw her shivering as she rubbed the side of her arms for warmth.
"Umm, yes." She said sadly.
Despite the fact that she had endured traveling on a Winter Island before, remembering her small feet sinking on the thick snow and the icy winds slashing her body, she currently felt really cold and didn't want to bear with it anymore. She blew out some wind, seeing her breath quite visible before the winds erased them.
"You want to stay in with us for the night?" He asked before squeaking out an 'Eep'.
What was he doing? If they find out that he let someone stay in, they might find out that he snuck out to stay up late. Plus, she was a girl, a girl!
He stared at her as she gasped in shock from his offer before her teeth continued to clatter noisily from the cold. He still stared at the girl, taking in the features hidden by the weariness and the lack of cleanliness coating her physique. Her neatly combed black hair moved slightly by the breeze. Her eyes were big and they were green. Maybe emerald was the fitting description to it.
It oddly reminded him of the color of a bottle of cola. He grunted in disappointment. Maybe he should have taken another bottle of cola.
.
This was what she wanted. A shelter to go to. A bed to sleep in peacefully.
She couldn't believe that the question didn't come from her mouth but was directed at her. She couldn't be happier than this!
"No, thank you." She answered with a smile. He seemed to sigh in relief from her answer which added assurance that she answered right.
Sure, she wouldn't want anything else than a temporary home to call to. But then she thought about the consequences.
What if they started to become friends? What if they take her in as part of their family?
The happiness she wished for would have to disappear when the day comes that the bounty poster will be read by their very eyes.
She knows that they will abandon her. She knows that she would lose a friend.
She was willing to take the risk of losing a friend in order to, well, not lose one. She laughed falsely.
It was so ironic just like how it was ironic for the man who had ice powers to freeze Saul even though they were good friends. She learned from that time.
She didn't want to hurt anyone because of her existence. She knew that once she found nakama, she'll have to leave them one day to save them . . .
.
She looked at the boy.
.
. . . just like now.
It was possible that he could be her nakama but it was impossible as well since she was not going to give a chance to see if there could be friendship between them. She didn't want to hurt him after all the kindness he gave her. He was the first person who she thought could be her nakama. She knew, though that he will never be her nakama. The thought of it sadden her as she bit her bottom lip furiously, looking down on the ground before her.
"Why not!" He asked in total disbelief as his distinct eyelashes looked like it extended from the shock.
Sure, he was kind of glad that she declined the offer he proposed carelessly. But didn't she look like she begged for a place to stay?
She was so hungry awhile ago but she didn't decline the meal he cooked for her. No sirree, she didn't say no to his offer that time even if it was a messed up meal he made.
He couldn't understand her. This girl saying no to a shelter that can be provided to her? It was just too bizarre.
"It's best not to ask." She answered vaguely, making his protest to her answer cease.
He shouldn't ask, indeed. He was so confused already. It irritated him.
.
She instantly felt warmth on her back and shoulders.
"You are cold, right?" He pointed out squinting his eyes at the sky. The stars were shining so bright, they were like calm fireflies sleeping upon the night.
She was taken aback from what he had done. He had just placed his shirt on her shoulders. Warmth was born as the clothing handed to her for temporary heat made her relax.
She sighed in utmost relief. Her hands tugged on the sides of his shirt tightly as it covered majority of her into a beautiful comfort.
She inhaled the air, not minding the iron stench as she felt great serenity.
Though, her lips trembled as she closed her eyes tightly. He was too kind. She stood up, placing the feeling of crying at the back of her mind as she walked carefully to stand in front of the boy.
Her foot had stopped bleeding and the pain from it was quite minimum. That was good.
"Hm?" He looked at the girl's face that blocked his view at the beautiful scene before him.
"Can you build a boat for me?" She asked shyly. She hoped she wasn't being needy to the kind boy.
He looked at her in amazement. He was stunned. Her face was serious and he could see faith in her eyes.
His shirt draped over her shoulders comfortably that stopped her from shivering and yet he couldn't care less if he felt cold.
.
He stood up, finding out he was taller than her, he looked down at her with a smirk.
"Yeah!" He approved greatly, making her smile widely. He sneered fondly. He was just glad someone trusted him to make a boat.
Suddenly, a gush of wind hit them strongly but not too strong as it just made him topple a bit before he regain control to stand properly.
But her back was turned to him with the presence of his shirt on her body lacking. He heard her gasp loudly, reaching her hand out to the departing shirt desperately.
He moved his eyes to see his yellow shirt flying wildly away into the sea before it crashed among the waves that were far away from Scrap Island. Darn, that was his favorite shirt.
He heard her whine quite loudly. He raised an eyebrow at the sudden sound emitted from her.
"I'm sorry!" She turned to him, tears slowly falling onto her cheeks. "I didn't mean for it to fly! I could have actually gotten them but it flew so fast. I feel so bad, so, so bad . . ." She whimpered, blinking her eyes, trying to get rid of her tears. "I feel really bad. You gave me food . . . you talked to me and you lent me your shirt the-then here I am, no help to you. I wasn't even suppose to exist maybe because I let your shirt fly and, and-"
"And now you're gonna cry like a baby because it's your fault?" He interrupted her as his forehead leaned gently against hers to meet her eye to eye.
.
She looked back at him. He looked so serious as his eyebrows frowned. His eyes they hold such depth that she couldn't identify. He saw a bandage was on the bridge of his nose as her eyes continued to trail down until they met the floor in total humiliation.
She couldn't bother to cry hard. She really felt bad about losing his shirt. She might have added that she couldn't take the kindness he had given to her as well with the existence she hated so much.
She had cried already too much awhile ago. The tears hurt, anyway so she tried her best to stop herself from crying.
"There's nothing wrong with being alive. Been there, done that." He told her, his breath tickling her nose. He maintained his look into her teary eyes as he said this.
He knew how it felt, the feeling of taking the blame of being alive.
He remembered when his father threw him off the ship. He got so angry when he did that as he looked at all the junk he landed at and used them to make a mediocre cannon. He wanted to shoot the pirate ship so desperately. He wanted to kill the crew he was with. He knew they hated him because he bothered them so much. He bothered them so much he even heard his own father uttering words that he wished he was never born.
By the time he remembered that, he wanted to direct the cannon at himself, ready to be pulverized by his own creation.
He already imagined how his death will go. With a bang. The loudest bang ever!
But when Tom came to him with an expression that showed no disappointment at him but instead amazement, the thought of suicide disappeared so quickly and now, he couldn't be happier to have a father figure like him.
.
"And shut up about the shirt. I have another one exactly like it, sheesh." He rolled his eyes lazily before he looked back at the girl who was wiping her tears away.
They looked into each other's eyes yet again. They took their time, searching through the windows of their souls. They didn't know what they were looking for.
Was it friendship? Faith? Comfort? Peace of mind?
"Let's build your ship." He said, leaning back to stretch his arms, making warm-ups.
He turned his back on her, heading to the unfinished Battle Franky. He was going to build it into a simpler boat instead.
As he continued to build the ship, she sat nearby, her legs brought to her chest, her small chin on her knees. She couldn't help smiling sadly . . .
. . . especially when it was the time to exchange their farewells.
"Like it?" He asked as he was packing his personal toolbox.
"Hai." She said, nodding at him.
She was standing in front of a normal, long boat but it had a small cabin on it. Small because it contained one room but it was big enough for her to sleep in.
"Better get sailing. Sea Kings are asleep. Boat will get smashed from them-" His eyes became the size of dinner plates.
"I forgot to place weapons on it! The boat will get destroyed!" He exclaimed worriedly as he started to pull out a hammer.
"No need for that, really!" She pointed out sheepishly, stopping the boy from striking his hammer at the boat.
.
"Why again, weirdo-" He choked from the sudden contact of her thin arms around his neck, her chin nuzzling on his shoulder.
"Arigato." She whispered, closing her eyes to feel the embrace.
While he flinched in disgust, weirded out at the fact this girl hugged him. His right hand dropped his hammer on the ground so that it could pat her back gently.
It then continued to rub her back warmly. No way was he going to hug back. It was just creepy, this noted as a blush streak ran across his face.
After a few seconds, he gently removed her arms off him before placing his hands firmly on her shoulders.
"Yeah, just remember what I told you on how to operate the boat." He said, squeezing her shoulders gently while she nodded understandably.
.
He let go of his hold on her. Allowing her to walk to the boat, settling herself inside it, her hands on the wheel. They took one last look at each other.
He waved his hand with a tired expression and she waved back, a tear flying away from her right eye.
As the boat moved against the calm waves, she headed away from the place that had brought misery to her from the townspeople that desperately wanted her for money.
But it was also a place that had made her meet a potential friend. Someone who cared about her like a real human being. She hopes that she will never forget about him.
They both looked at the sky together, the stars looking brighter than ever.
.
She continued to focus on her journey to the next island. She wondered if she'll meet someone like him. She wondered if she would be lucky again.
But for now she was glad she had made her first good memory after the Buster Call. She wished to thank him again when they meet each other. Hopefully, if she survives.
He headed back home, smiling wryly to himself. She was such a weird girl but she wasn't annoying as Iceburg or creepy like Kokoro-san. She was unique. He didn't know why since she was such a crybaby.
Maybe because her eyes pleaded for nothing selfish. They held the want for comfort, no hint of despise at all. The more he thought about it, he knew that he'll never forget her.
Because of her, he found another reason why he should make strong battleships.
.
To protect the people that will use them. Protect them until he meets them once more.
To Be Continued . . .
What do you think? I find Little Franky too reserved here so I hope you didn't mind it. Also, I hope the story format looks ok. I tried my best to make it look not bunched up together and retain the flow of the story. I feel like I failed at it, though TT_TT Please help me!
So here's a Frobin picture that inspired me to write this (no spaces in between)
h t t p : / / i 6 4 9. photobucket . c o m/albums/uu211/m4gh4r4b1/icons/One%20Piece/wg1_011. jpg
If you know who the artist is, please tell me! This is one of my favorite fanart pictures.
Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed!
There will be a sequel even though, I do find this chapter already enough as a oneshot but too late, I made one already. Will submit it soon so please review and critiques are fine, too!