A cool breeze blew from the north across the small island in the middle of, the first half, of the Grand-line. The trees swayed the flowers and leaves dancing in the light wind. Off in the distance, a smacking sound could be heard. A girl, about the age of seven, stood facing a tree with an old practice sword in her grip. Her reddish-brown hair stuck to her forehead and neck. Sweat poured down her face, her ragged tank-top and shorts clinging to her small frame. She attacked again and again, chunks of bark flying through the air. "Yah!" Her voice rang out in the small clearing with every swing. "Rika!" A loud, angry voice cut through the peaceful atmosphere, the young girl stopped. "Uh-oh!" She quickly stashed her practice sword in the fallen log, next to others. Then, she dashed through the trees as fast as she could, "Where are you, you worthless brat!?" She flinched at the harsh words, running faster, her bare feet flying over the forest floor.
Crashing through the tree line, she came face to face with a short, pudgy, old woman with a constipated expression and a turned up nose. "Yes... Ma'am..." she panted, the woman just sneered, "I told you to do the chores," she looked down on the small girl. "I did," Rika stated, she got back-handed so hard that her lip split and she ended up on the ground. "And you couldn't find anything useful to do?" The woman kicked her in the side, "We took in a piece of shit like you, and this is how you repay us!?" The woman kept kicking her as Rika covered her head, "We should have sold you and that worthless sword, but no, we showed mercy to a good-for-nothing like you. We gave you everything! Worthless brat!" The woman gave her one more kick to the stomach that had her coughing up blood. She spat on her before snarling, "Get back to work, crybaby!" The woman walked back into the Inn that her husband owned.
Rika lay where she was, in pain, but no tears left her. She was numb to the treatment; it was all she got for the past seven years. She sat up slowly, ignoring the new cuts and bruises that were forming, and crawled to the broom by the door. Picking it up, she used it for support and started cleaning as to not get in trouble again. Rika's face lifted toward the ocean, her mind drifting to thoughts of escape, adventure, safety. She shook her head, wincing as it sent pain shooting through her whole body. Those were just wishes that put hope in her heart, but she knew it wouldn't happen. She was just a little girl, she couldn't do anything.
Just off the coast of the small island, a ship was approaching, looking normal without any distinguishing marks. The whole town was going crazy with the prospect of new costumers. Plus, there was only Inn in the small village, the owners were ecstatic. The whole town gathered around the port as the ship docked. "Wow, look at that reception, Captain." A sailor leaned over the side of the semi-large vessel. "Yes, it is a big crowd, isn't it?" A big man, with a limp on his left, stepped off the ship, followed by ten of his crew members. "Welcome to our humble village!" The Inn keeper welcomed, "I'm sure you and your crew are tired and hungry," he smiled, "let me invite you to my Inn for rest and a home-cooked meal!" The big man smiled, "that would be very...gracious...of you." They all followed the smaller man and woman to the largest building in the square.
Back at the Inn, Rika was cleaning the rooms when the owner yelled for her. She rushed down the stairs, stopping at the bottom. "Yes, sir?" The man smiled, must have costumers. "Make a hearty meal for our guests." She nodded and headed for the kitchen. She could hear laughter and singing from the dining room and she smiled, 'must be nice to be able to be that happy around people you love,' she thought. After serving the eleven people, she headed back upstairs to clean the rooms for them.
Two hours had past and she headed back down to clear the dishes. Stopping at the door to the dining room, she heard the captain saying, "That was pretty good, but we should be going. Lots of things to do." There was a sound of scrapping chairs and footsteps, "Um... Sir?" That was the wife, "I think you forgot something." Her voice was sickly-sweet. "Oh? And what was that?" There was a deadly note in his voice. "Payment, Sir. For the meal." The dark laugh that sounded through the air sent chills down her spine. Pushing the door open a little, she saw the man with a cruel smile plastered on his face. "I don't think I forgot anything," the smile widened, "but if you insist." He impaled the woman with an axe, and then shook her off. She crumpled to the floor, her eyes stuck open, in perpetual shock and fear. "There's your payment!" Rika shook as she watched the owner try to run, but was caught and beheaded with joy. His head rolled toward the door and stopped with his eyes staring blankly up at her. She gasped and turned to run. "Looks like we got ourselves a little mouse." A hand reached into the door, the shirt sleeve riding up to reveal the jolly Rodger of the Blood Pirates. She ran out the back way and into the woods. Her blood rushing through her veins as a gleeful shout reached her, "I'll go get her, Captain!"
Rika ran fast and hard, her gasps showing in the rapidly cooling air. Snow began falling around her as she burst through to the clearing. She rushed to the log and grabbed her sword. It was a beautiful katana with a sheath that mixed different shades of red and blue. The handle was covered with vines of gold, while the guard had the image of fire and ice chasing each other in perfect harmony. She named it GurenYuki, Crimson Snow, the only clue to her past.
"Come out where ever you are! ~" a cold voice sounded twenty feet to the East. She ducked behind a tree as the man moved into the open. His short, blonde hair seemed dark, but as her moved into the fading sunlight, she could see it was stained with blood. Old and new. Rika shuddered as the axe he carried caught the light. The image of the woman dangling in the air from it made her gasp slightly. She clutched her sword to her chest, even though she practiced day in and day out, she had never used her real one.
"I can smell you," the man whispered in her ear, "AHH!" She screamed and ducked the axe as it embedded itself into the tree, right where her head was. "Come on, let's have some fun!" The man pulled the axe out as she scrambled backwards. "That's a very mouth-watering expression you got there." He leaned in as her back hit a tree. "Make it better, show me your tears~" he licked her cheek with a crazed expression. Her mind raced and on instinct she drew her blade and kicked him back. "Little mouse has a backbone." He spun his axe around and laughed. "Show me what you got," Rika shook as she pointed her sword at the man. He came at her, swinging wildly. She blocked the best she could, nearly getting shredded at one point. "Come on! Where's the fighting spirit!?" She stumbled back, falling on her back. "Come now~ you're gonna die if all you do is block." He stuck the axe in the ground next to her head. "Of course, you're gonna die anyways."
Through her fear she noticed that this wasn't some lackey, this was the captain! "Now, be a good little mouse and die!" He pulled his weapon from the ground and raised it above his head. She closed her eyes. 'Am I really going to die like this? Is that all I have in me?' She thought of everything that had happened in her life. It wasn't much but at least she would know that her tormentors went with her. "Are you giving up?" A soft voice floated through her head. "If you are, then what's going to happen to us?" Heat radiated up one arm while cold crept down the other. "What was the point in living if you're just going to give it to someone else!?" A not so gentle voice screeched in her ear.
Thoughts of her dream of sailing the seas, finding master swordsmen across the world to teach her and challenge. 'I can't do anything if I'm dead!' Her eyes shot open and she swung her blade through the air, separating the axe from the handle.
The man stood there, dumbfounded, this girl was ready to die, now, she stood before him, ready to kill him, and he smiled. "That's better~" she took a step and disappeared, white-hot pain snaked up his arm. Rika was standing behind him, blood dripping down the blade, panting. She turned on her heel, rushing at him, landing attack after attack. The man smiled sadistically, but he had no time to counter when her sword ran right through his heart. They stood there, covered in his blood as the fresh wound dripped it to the ground. He couched up a mouthful, it splattering and soaking into the freshly fallen snow.
She pulled back and watched him slide to his knees. He still smiled as her fear rose up and she slashed at him again and again. His head jumped from his shoulders as exhaustion overcame her. She screamed to the blackening sky, rivers of blood running down her face and body. She collapsed next to the bloody corpse, lost and alone among the snow and ice.
The knife embedded into the back of the woman who tried to run, "when's the boss getting back?" A dark-haired male retrieved the blade as the others laughed. "He's having his fun, don't worry about it." A skinny man hung from the second story window of a house. They all laughed among the gore-filled, burning town. A giant of a man looked over toward the forest and almost choked on his laughter. "Hey, look." A small girl stepped from the trees. She was filthy, covered in blood and ripped clothing; a blank expression adorned her face. A sword dragged behind her as she carried a make-shift bag toward the group.
"Hey, it's the little mouse, did you out-run the captain?" The dark-haired man asked. Her lips moved, but he had to lean in to hear her. "Leave, and don't come back." He pulled back, laughing, "Who's going to make us? You?" Her eyes showed nothing, but she tossed him the bag. "Captain's orders..." He looked confused, but opened it. He screamed and dropped it, the head rolling out, smile in place and eyes staring. "C-Captain?" One of them whispered.
"Leave and don't come back." She raised her sword, still stained with his blood, blonde hair sticking to is. "Before you become its next meal." After the initial shock, they scrambled over themselves to the ship.
Once they were gone, she picked up one of their swords and the head. Tying their flag to the sword, she planted it in the ground in front of the port. Then, stuck the head on top, a warning to all pirates. She stared at the ocean, the fires of the burning town and all the corpses behind her. Her eyes shown with sadness as she turned, letting the snow and ice embrace her heart and the island.