A/N: This is the REVISED version of chapter one. Special thanks to Volleys-chan for helping beta this story. You're the best!
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or the song lyrics seen in this story.
Chapter One: The Red Haired Maiden
Lurking in the depths below a pair of ships, a young woman waited for her captain. He had floated this way sleeping in a barrel, a fact that had caused her a mixture of exasperation and annoyance. Just thinking about it still had her muttering irritably under her breath. She had been waiting there for some time now, drifting beneath the two ships as she waited for her wayward captain to procure a boat for them. Though she did have much practice being patient with the teenaged boy throughout their childhood, it didn't mean her patience was infinite. Eventually, she would not be able to wait, despite orders.
Her long crimson hair floated around her like a cloud of blood, the band tying it back long since gone. She pushed it back in annoyance. The neon green monokini she wore, the lower half concealed by her rather tattered high-waisted jean shorts, was bright in the darkness of the sea, easily visible to any who cared to look, but, with the blood-red cloud of her hair that billowed around her, they would probably think she was some kind of dead fish. Frowning up at the surface, she sighed irritably, the barely visible gills on her neck fluttering slightly at the action. Finally, she spotted movement, and her long elfin ears perked up as a small boat splashed loudly into the water.
A peek above the surface confirmed her captain's presence, though she also saw a mop of pink hair as well as several Navy ships, which explained why the little boat was attempting to make a quick getaway. She was well aware of why her captain was so keen to hightail it out of the vicinity. Both she and her captain weren't exactly the kind of denizens of the World Government Marines liked, being pirates and all. So, due to that important factor, she decided to help the two out a bit with their task.
She adjusted the sturdy, lone strap across her chest which held her weapon of choice in place. It was a long-handled war hammer with a large kairoseki head, flat on one side and spiked on the other, and a sharp kairoseki spear-cap at the end of the handle. Once comfortably situated, she flattened her hands against the back of the boat, and used her powerful legs and webbed toes to propel the small craft swiftly through the water. Up on the boat, Luffy's grin widened even more. He recognized the sensation of the slight thump (her hands hitting the wood) and the sudden increase in speed to be the handiwork of his childhood friend and sole nakama. So even though the boy beside him startled harshly in surprise, he was at ease, elated more like, at the new level of speed. For a long time, she pushed the little boat while maintaining her chosen speed, until her energy began to wane. There was a hint of soreness coursing through her arms and legs and a stiffness forming in her back, but she pressed on the best she could until she finally heard her captain give the all-clear - a sharp rap on the bottom of the boat. Letting go, the boat slowed to a more reasonable speed, and she darted around to the side of the boat. Relief echoed through her limbs now that she wasn't exerting as much effort to swim.
"Looks like we managed to get away…" she heard a young voice say as she surfaced quietly, reaching up for the side of the boat. The translucent red webbing between her slender fingers receding as her hands left the water.
"Whew! That was fun!" Luffy exclaimed, and she smiled at the joy obvious in his voice, her fingers curling around the boats wooden side.
"Ummm, Luffy-sa-AAH!" the younger voice began to say before breaking off into a startled scream as her head appeared over the side of the boat out of seemingly nowhere, pointing a chubby finger at her as he freaked out.
"Neh, Luffy-kun, who's your friend? And can you get Saika for me?" She asked curiously, tilting her head as she offered her captain the handle of her hammer.
"Sure, I got it. Climb in." He said with a big grin, grabbing the handle and lifting the hammer with a strained grunt, lowering it carefully into the boat so as not to drop it and sink them as she pulled herself over the side and slid into the boat. "This is Coby. He's gonna be a marine. Coby, this is my nakama, Kaia-chan."
"Pleasure to meet you, Coby." She said as she maneuvered herself into a sitting position, casually reaching over to take the weight of her hammer and rest it across her thighs. "Thanks, Captain."
"No problem." Luffy told her with a big grin, before turning to look at the boat's other, now slightly calmer, occupant. "So, Coby, what were you gonna ask?"
Kaia smiled softly as Coby asked about Luffy's plans to go after One Piece, listening half-heartedly as she wrung the moisture out of her long, thick red hair before beginning to finger-comb the tangled locks. Her ears perked up slightly as Luffy mentioned asking someone named Zoro to join their crew. She figured that she must have missed part of the conversation while pushing the boat along. However, the result of his comment caused Coby to start freaking out a bit, resulting in Luffy bopping him on the head. Kaia giggled at the exchange.
Looking out at the sea, a small smile curved her full red lips, wondering what their new potential nakama would be like. Folding her arms atop the side of the boat, she rested her head on them as she gazed out at the water, listening with eyes closed and ears perked as Coby talked about their soon-to-be nakama. Though Coby had doubts that Zoro would even join the two of them, she had no doubt in her mind that Luffy would be able to persuade the swordsman Roronoa Zoro to join their crew, he was persistent like that. It was easier at times to give into his whims, as long as they weren't completely inane. Even then, sometimes it was best to just let him do as he pleased and hope not to be caught up in the mess that would eventually follow. They had reached their destination around midday, and Kaia was walking beside her captain through the town as Coby continued to try to dissuade Luffy from recruiting Zoro.
Chomping down on a pear, Luffy asked if Zoro was up at the base, prompting the crowd to freak out in a way that had Kaia stifling laughter. However, when they did it again at Coby's mention of Captain Morgan, she couldn't hold it in, and burst into loud laughter alongside Luffy.
"Dahahahahaha! These people are so funny!" She exclaimed, clutching her belly as she laughed.
The look of confusion written on Coby's face told her that it was not a reaction he was expecting and found it a completely serious and humorless matter to be concerned about. Both her and Luffy laughed though as they carried on their merry way. Kaia trailing after her captain as he meandered down the street in a steady pace. He was in absolutely no rush, despite his eagerness to find this infamous swordsman.
Before she knew it, her captain had lead them around the back of the Navy base. She leaned comfortably against the wall in order to keep a lookout as he and Coby scrambled up the wall. Since it was her duty to keep a look out, opted to ignore their small talk as she kept her eyes and ears open for any trace of a Marine that might stumble upon them. A few moments into her watch, little girl came running up to said wall, struggling to drag a ladder behind her and carrying some rope and what she scented as some sort of sweet in her other arm. She blinked in surprise the sight. Realizing the little girl must be trying to sneak food in to swordsman just beyond the wall, she stepped forward to stop her struggle hoisting the ladder up. Kaia easily lifted the heavy ladder up against the wall for the child, earning her a smile from the child. Smiling softly back at the little girl, she held on to the small bundle of food as the girl climbed, handing it up to her once she was ready to go over. Trusting her captain to watch over the little girl from there, she went back to keeping watch. A few minutes later, she starts as the little girl was suddenly flying over the wall, screaming. She gave a heavy sigh in relief as Luffy jumped off the wall and twisted in the air to catch the small child. Frowning, she hopped up and grabbed the ledge, pulling herself up easily to peek over the wall with only the top of her head and her large blue-green eyes barely visible from the other side.
A strange-looking blond man in an atrocious purple suit and two uniformed Marines were standing near a muscular man in a black bandana who seemed very relaxed for someone bound to a post. Roronoa Zoro, she could only assume. They seemed to be mocking him for some reason. It wasn't until a few minutes later, after the three men left and Luffy went to speak to the man that she understood why. She strained her ears to listen to her captain's conversation with the man. The short version of the brief conversation was this: He was a pirate hunter and not at all interested in joining a pirate crew. Luffy, of course, was undeterred by the initial rejection. And while it irritated the man, the swordsman chose to ignore his ire to instead ask an odd request of her captain. It was only after seeing the man eat the dirty remains of the little girl's hard work from Luffy's unwashed hands had her brows furrowing and her lip curling in a mixture of anger and disgust as she made her conclusion of the earlier ridicule he had received. They were starving this poor man, and then mocking him for it!
This, she would not let stand. No person, in her books, especially to-be nakama, deserved to be treated like that. They were getting him out one way or another. She, at that point, preferred the more messy approach. That would teach these Marines to respect their captives. A deep frown set on her face as she followed Luffy and Coby along with the little girl back into town. Passing a small stand selling onigiri as they walked had her stopping, however. Decidedly, she motioned for Luffy to go on without her and made her way over to the stand. She looked over the selection as she determined that something with protein would likely be best, so she chose one stuffed with miso salmon, one with teriyaki beef, and one with a slightly spicy chicken. She also grabbed a cool bottle of fresh water. Wrapping them up, she resolutely made her way back to the base and around to the back wall once more.
Utilizing her powerful legs, she easily leapt to the top of the wall, landing daintily on her feet and began looking around. Not seeing anyone other than the bound swordsman, she hopped down and made her way towards the man on silent feet. When she was only about six feet away, his eyes snapped to her in a glare, though they widened slightly when they landed on her. What the hell was a woman like this doing here of all places? He mused internally as he continued to keep up his fierce demeanor, hoping to scare her away. Unintimidated, she walked until she was barely two feet away, calmly holding his gaze, and stopped in front of him. Slender digits tipped with dagger-like nails brushed a lock of hair out of her face, tucking it behind one long elfin ear, and his eyes widened briefly again as it registered in his mind that she was something a bit more than just human.
Snapping out of it, he opened his mouth to shout at her to go away, only for something to be stuffed in his mouth, and he blinked in surprise. Chewing slowly, the delicious salty-sweet flavor of teriyaki beef burst across his tongue, and the man nearly moaned at the taste of something so good after three weeks without food or water. Swallowing, he opened his mouth again, this time to thank her, and something else was stuffed in his mouth. Not as surprised this time, he simply chewed and swallowed what must have been the best spicy chicken he'd ever had. When he just looked at her instead of opening his mouth again, a slow smile curled her ruby lips, and she tilted her head slightly.
"Miso salmon?" she asked in a soft voice, lifting the last onigiri to his lips. Wordlessly he accepted it, and, as he chewed the savory saltiness, he watched her open a bottle of water. Once he had swallowed, it was pressed to his lips, and her smile widened as he slowly emptied the bottle. Nothing, at that point, could compare to how wonderful the water felt as it sated his parched throat, not even the food.
"Please hold on for just a little longer, Roronoa Zoro. You'll be free of this place soon." She told him, and he couldn't help but ask.
"Why? They'll execute you if you're caught helping me." His voice was deep, and slightly rough with disuse. She smiled mischievously at him, a soft chuckle passing her lips.
"Dihihihi…They'd have to catch me first. Besides, they'll want to do that anyway…" as she spoke, Luffy came flying over the wall, running towards them. She could tell something was bothering him. "I am a pirate, after all."
Smirking at his brief gobsmacked look, she turned and walked towards Luffy to meet him part way, unaware of the way his eyes lingered for a moment on her swaying hips before he tore his gaze away.
"Orders, Captain?" She asked Luffy, but he shook his head.
"Keep an eye on things here for now. Try to keep out of sight if you can. I'm gonna get him to join us." Luffy told her, uncharacteristically serious, and she could tell he expected trouble. The serious mood didn't last for long, however, as a wide grin stretched across his face. "Shishishishi, this should be fun, neh, Kaia?"
"Dihihihi, whatever you say, Luffy-kun. Not like there'll be any left for me once you're done, anyways." She chuckled softly, shaking her head, before continuing passed him to leap back up onto the wall, where she sat daintily, crossing her legs. She'd watch over the lone swordsman in case things went awry while her captain was set loose upon the Marine base. She couldn't help the somewhat sinister look that spears across her face as she thought of the chaos that was soon to arise at the hands of her captain. Her blood boiled in excitement and exhilaration at the prospect of a fight. "Let the games begin."