Electric Blue, an one piece fanfic

Warning: Rated M for character deaths and future gory scenes

A/N: I started reading the One Piece manga after having dropped the anime somewhere on episode 750 and found my love back for this fic I started a while ago. The first chapter was half-assed and written without much thought, to be honest. So, I decided to rewrite it completely and have it on third person. The reason why I changed it to third person is because I would like to keep some plans secret to the reader and writing in first person basically forces me to reveal all of Nojiko's thought process and her future plans. Soooo… third person.

Hope you enjoy this first, completely rewritten chapter. It was difficult to write an SI in third person as I never did so before, but I believe I managed with this one.

Chapter 1: Futile

In the year 1502, July 25th, somewhere in an island far, far away from the world we know as our own, something unnatural and strange occurred to an unnamed and unimportant couple, who in turn, gave birth to a girl whose importance was never meant to surpass that of a brief side character.

And yet, as fate would have it, ever so eager to mess with the laws of the world, in this particular story this girl would come to live a life which would influence that of many people, people who, unlike her, had been chosen by the gods from the very beginning to cause rubles, forever ingrained in history.

The name given to this girl was Nojiko.

However, this wasn't the name our main character always adorned. And this wasn't the first life she was forced to live. But it would be the first life where her importance would surpass that of a mere NPC.

Ϟ Electric Blue Ϟ

She couldn't pinpoint exactly when the memories of a stranger started to fill up her brain, though she argued that it was sometime between 2 or 3 years old. It was well after Bellmere had rescued her and Nami from the disaster which had befallen her former village, a disaster she remembered quite clearly as she witnessed her parents getting slaughtered, simple collateral damage between the pirated and marines.

However, it wasn't until she was 5 years old that she finally realized the significance of those memories filling up her mind, the person she had once been and the person she was supposed to be now. It was only now that she understood the knowledge she held over this world, the fate which would befall each and every one of these people she had grown to love.

And it lied heavily in her mind, that she had no power to change any of the events nearing at a frightening speed, the smiles and happy cheers of the villagers soon would turn into mere memories.

"Bellmere!"

It was a desperate shout, tears filling her eyes as, yet another nightmare plagued her dreams.

"Shhh, I'm right here, Nojiko. It's all right, I'm right here." Bellmere's soothing voice calmed her ever so slightly, the embrace of her surrogate mother grounding her back to reality.

Bellmere was alive. She was alive and would be alive for a few more years.

However, despite knowing that the Arlong pirates had yet to arrive, despite the reassuring words Bellmere kept repeating to the 5-year-old girl, it did not stop the slight tremors ruling her body, knowing that the dreams which kept repeating again and again in her head were memories of the future.

"Is Nojiko alright?" The sleepy voice of a toddler interrupted the heavy scene, Bellmere standing up from Nojiko's bed to lift Nami, all three women soon bundled up in a tight embrace.

"She's alright, sweetheart. It was just another nightmare."

Despite Bellmere announcing it as just another nightmare, she knew that it was far more than that. They had first started after Nojiko had experienced an excruciating headache, the village doctor having no clue as to what could possibly be causing such hellish pain to one so young. After hours of torture, not just to Nojiko but to Bellmere as well, having to witness one of her adopted daughters suffering in such a manner and being powerless to do anything against it, the pain had finally waned.

The next time Nojiko woke up, she never seemed the same and the nightmares took place.

"Why won't you tell me about them…" Bellmere whispered desperately at Nojiko's ear, however, the blue haired girl simply shook her head, refusing to share the horrors of the future. Even if she decided to come forth with the truth, who would believe her? Who would take her seriously? And even if she was to be believed, what difference would it make? No one in the East Blue, absolutely no one had the power to stop Arlong. The Navy would sure as hell not be much of a help, much like it had been the first time around.

Nojiko didn't know what to do. No matter what way she turned her thoughts, no matter how many plans she forged to keep Bellmere alive, somehow, they always seemed to end with her death anyway.

"Bellmere!"

It was a determined shout, the sun shining bright and hot, representing the fire which had blossomed in her heart.

"What is it Nojiko-chan?" Bellmere was busy tending to the tangerines, a fruit whose taste she had always savored. Since regaining all of the memories of her previous life, this fruit had always been one of her favorites and it would continue to be her favorite even more so, as a woman she had come to love like her own mother gave it sentimental value on top.

"Please train me!"

It was silly, truly. It would hardly make any difference but… No matter the fate which would befall Cocoyasi village, she would at least try, no matter how futile her struggled would be!

She knew she was small, weak and insignificant. Unlike Nami, she had no genius talent for anything, her character was never meant to make any impact in the story she was plunged into. She had no illusions that she could miraculously learn how to fight properly enough to beat someone as insanely strong as Arlong… well insanely strong for the East Blue that is. But her weakness did not mean that she had to stand by and simply let the story take its course. Tiny pebbled could easily create a storm. This was her way of creating ripples in the timeline of One Piece, hopefully altering the course of the story for the better, rather than for the worse.

For the sake of Bellmere, for the sake of Nami and especially for her own sake as well, she had to at least attempt and change the story.

"Train you?" The look of surprise on Bellmere's face was nothing Nojiko hadn't expected. She nodded determined, her dark eyes fierce and unyielding.

"You were a former Marine, right?"

Bellmere simply blinked, a slight nod as she looked at the small girl she had come to love as her own daughter.

"I want to become a Marine as well!" The lie slipped easily off her tongue, even if the irrational beats of her heart told otherwise.

"I want to become a Marine Admiral and protect all the people here in Cocoyasi Village and all of East Blue!"

It was a bold announcement, a statement she would never dare to make true. She knew far too well how corrupt the Marine's were… Not to mention her loyalties lied with a pirate group which had yet to be created. However, announcing to a former Marine that she wished to become a pirate was probably the worst way to gain sympathy and some free training.

Nojiko hated to lie. But sometimes, lying was a necessity. And this, Nojiko considered a necessity.

"A Marine Admiral? Where did that come from?"

The surprise in Bellmere's face did not last long. Instead, her expression was laced with worry and pain, seemingly understanding why Nojiko was asking for such a request.

"Is it because of your nightmares, Nojiko-chan?"

Truth be told, the question did catch her off guard. The widening of her eyes, and the generally shocked expression on the child's face probably already told the answer Bellmere was looking for.

"It is, isn't it…" The smile which Bellmere graced her with was a sad one. Nojiko could not bear to look at the expression her surrogate mother wore, choosing to avert her eyes, looking at the trees full of tangerines instead.

"All right."

Once more in shock, dark blue eyes returned to face the woman which had given her so much, despite owning so little.

"Thank you, Bellmere."

Ϟ Electric Blue Ϟ

Five years passed quickly, far too quickly, Nojiko's 10th birthday nearing at an alarming rate. Since the day she had requested from Bellmere to train, not one moment had been wasted as she pushed herself harder and harder to become someone who could alter history.

But even with her utmost efforts, it simply wasn't enough. Her body was too young, her muscles developing far slower due to the lack of proper nutrition, most of which she consumed went into her growth rather than into her muscles. Not to mention the food supply was limited due to their poor household, so the only thing she improved on was only her technique. She was so pathetically weak, and time was running out.

In her desperate endeavors, she had attempted to learn Haki, hoping that by some miracle she would awake either of the abilities. But to no avail. She was imply injuring herself, pushing herself too far and thus causing the opposite of the desired effect. Not to mention she had absolutely no idea how to awaken them properly in the first place.

In the end, she had been forced to give up on her attempt to reach a high enough power to possibly chase Arlong away. Of course, she had known from the very beginning that that would be the case, but she had dreamed, hoped, that maybe by some miracle, she could somehow become strong enough to protect the people she loved.

"Bellmere!"

Knowing that the Arlong pirates could arrive any time now, Nojiko had made a choice she had never wanted to reveal.

"Please, Bellmere, contact the Marines!" Frustrated tears streamed down her cheeks, Bellmere confused by the gripping terror consuming her little girl.

"Nojiko-chan, they are just nightmares." She didn't know how many times this conversation had been repeated, Nojiko finally having shared the content of her nightmares to her. However, it was worrying what her dreams consisted off, wondering how she even knew about the Fishman pirates. "The Arlong pirates would have no reason to come in East Blue. They are in the Grand Line, it is almost impossible to escape it in the first place." Bellmere hugged Nojiko gently, Nami sitting beside them as she witnessed the scene worryingly. She did not know who these Arlong pirates were, but she knew that they were the reason Nojiko was going through so much grief.

"You are safe here. I am safe. Everything will be fine my little girl."

The distressed cry of Nojiko worried Nami immensely. Despite Bellmere's reassuring words, it seemed to only worsen Nojiko's state of mind. The nightmares had become even more prominent after celebrating her 10th birthday.

And then… the day came.

"I… I wish I were adopted by a rich family!"

Nojiko watched as her world slowly fell apart.

"If you hate this family so much then why don't you just leave!"

"STOP IT!"

Nami ran out of their home, hoping to find shelter at one of the villagers as she sorted her thoughts through the argument which had just taken place. However, Nojiko simply stood there as the scene which she had dreaded for almost years, finally took place.

"Bellmere… I know we are a family… And I know that the words which were just exchanged, neither of you meant… But please Bellmere, please, when the time comes, be a Marine… don't be a mother…"

With those words out of her mouth, she ran out of her home, determined to find her sister and hopefully hide with her so that the events which were mere hours from happening would take on a different turn.

"PIIRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAATESSSSSS!"

Nojiko had miscalculated. It hadn't been mere hours no… the minutes it had taken her to find Nami, the Arlong pirates had finally arrived.

"Shit! Nami, follow me!" She took her sister's hands, rushing out of Genzo's shop, aiming for the forest as the man instructed them to. Her heart was beating a million miles a second, tears already trickling down her cheeks as fear started to take a hold of her body.

"P… pirates?"

"Shhhhh, stay quiet Nami! Please…"

She watched as the pirates took money from the villagers one after another, not hesitating to kill those which would not follow with their orders. Nojiko watched mortified as everything seemed to happen in slow motion, her heart ready to beat out of her chest. Arlong was terrifying to look at, his skin an unnatural color and his gills looking grossly upon his skin.

She felt her heart soar when the Arlong pirates announced their retreat, hopeful that with her existence here, with the slight changes she had made as Nojiko, maybe the butterfly effect was doing its magic and there would be no confrontation with Bellmere after all! However, her joy had come too soon.

"We almost missed it," the grin upon Arlong's face brought shivers down Nojiko's back, her hand tightening around Nami's.

"Nojiko, we have to go!" Nami whisper shouted at her as the Fishman pirates made their way up the hill to where their home resided.

"No! Nami!" Due to the sweat accumulating in their hands, it was easy for the orange haired girl to slip out of her sister's grip, Nami's legs already running towards their home. Nojiko cursed as she saw her sister foolishly head towards the danger, none of the adults even registering their foolish actions.

Nojiko ran as fast as she could, the stamina she had accumulated during her training with Bellmere finally paying off as she was able to catch on to Nami and jump her sister, stopping her in her tracks.

"Are you insane! What do you think you're doing!?" Nami struggled under her grip, but Nojiko did not allow her to budge.

"Bellmere is in danger! We have to help her!"

"And what, do you think, could we do to help Bellmere? We would only burden her!"

Tears started welling up Nami's eyes, the argument they had had right before the Arlong Pirates arrived still fresh in her mind. Her sister finally gave up on her struggles, Nojiko reluctantly standing off of her, helping Nami stand up. Once the little girl stood straight, her knees slightly scrapped and bleeding due to the fall, she tightened her fist around Nami's hand, making sure that this time she wouldn't just escape and runoff.

"Come, let's go back to the forest and hide." Nami simply nodded and followed her sister.

I just hope Bellmere will head my warning.

As fate would have it, though, a happy ending was not meant to be for the two little orphan girls.

"What do we have here? I don't recognize you two? Who do you belong to, hm?"

Nojiko's heart sunk to the bottom of her stomach, the Fishman already approaching to grab them. In a desperate fit to escape, Nojiko started running with Nami in tow, but to no avail. The Fishman already had them in his grasp, heading up the hill to where Arlong was currently threatening Bellmere.

The sight which greeted them was the horror of her nightmares come true.

Bellmere lay dead on the ground, bleeding, as Arlong counted the money which he had received. He watched the two little girls brought in by one of his crew members, already knowing who they belonged to.

"Bellmere!"

The scream ripped out of Nojiko's throat, tears flowing as her eyes could only see the bloodied and broken form of her surrogate mother.

She had not listened to her…

The rest of the events, Nojiko barely registered, Nami ripped away from her grasp, taken away by the Arlong pirates to suffer ten years under their command.

Despite her warnings, despite her desperate efforts, nothing had changed. Bellmere had chosen to be a mother, in the end, had chosen to die instead of struggle to live and guarantee their safety in case Arlong discovered them after all.

She wasn't even able to say properly goodbye…

She didn't know if Bellmere had been a brave and kind woman or a mere fool. Had her decision been a difficult one? Or maybe it was a relief for her to no longer have to worry about life and its struggles. An easy way out?

"You knew…" Nojiko walked slowly to the grave of her beloved mother, Nami's small form hunched over the earth. She sat beside her sister, already knowing what had happened.

"No one listened to me, Nami…" It was a broken whisper.

"Do you also know…"

Nojiko nodded. It was answer enough.

"Don't worry Nojiko… I will gather 100 million belly and buy the village free!"

And so, the story would finally take it's intended course.

"I know you will, Nami…"

Nojiko's heart continued to break into a million pieces, the suffering in their lives only just beginning. Ten years…

Ϟ Electric Blue Ϟ

"Hey doc… I want you to give me a tattoo."

A/N: I am sorry :c I just couldn't see Bellmere fitting in the story in any way possible soooo... canon death it was! Though kinda worse, seeing as she never got to say goodbye to her children... At least Nami didn't have to witness her brutal death :/

Next chapter will probably be a 10 year time skin, a few glimpses here and there as to what has happened.

Hope you liked this chapter and leave a review behind! It's very motivating :D