"Hey, I want more sake.." The girl called from the bar. Her halo of red hair hung around her head, it reached just under her shoulders. "Com'on with it." She tapped her mug impatiently against the counter.
"No ma'am the Admiral told me not to serve ya more than two a night." The bartender reasoned, finishing up cleaning the mug he had placed in his hands. His bald head was reflecting from the candlelight, his brown eyebrows were raised.
"Would ya like t'try again? I want more sake." She snarled, her lip curled up.
"Sorry I got t' follow t' Admirals orders." He frowned apologetically, she had been comin' round a lot lately. She was startin' to become a regular.
"As the Admirals' daughter I command you to serve me more." She tried to get her voice to become even, almost demanding. She felt someone pulling her from the bar stool, she whipped around, her hair flew out in a wave.
"Come on dear, we have to get home now." She looked into those frost-bitten blue eyes and felt nothing but hatred.
He tried to grab her elbows to steer her but she jerked away. "Don't touch me, stupid Marine." She spat. She planted her feet. He looked over her shoulder at the bartender. "Sorry mate, she's a little under the weather today."
"Don't talk about me as if I'm not here." She growled, she was sick of him. Sick of her father forcing her into things. She stormed out of the bar, her arms straight as a whip and her feet stomping. She heard the bell ding as she exited the bar. She felt someone drag on her arm. She spun around again, but her face was met with a palm. She felt the sting as she wrenched away. "Learn your place." The harsh voice commanded.
"Aye aye captain." She said sarcastically, saluting him as she dragged her feet towards the beach. "Don't walk away from your future husband!" He called from behind her. She rolled her eyes, he would not be her future husband. Not if she had any say in it. She walked down to the dock and let her feet hang into the water. The cool water reached up to her ankles. She moved her feet gently with the waves. Her eyes scanned the black horizon, it was bare, so lifeless. She kicked up a bit of water and headed slowly back to her house. Well her father's house, it wasn't so much hers, considering her father was planning on sending her to live with Hashi.
Kira wandered up the dusty pathway, her house was seated on the top of the hill. She grazed her hand over the top of small bushes. This was a marine island, and she despised every being on it. One of them had taken her one time to show her the prison, where they kept the pirates. She hadn't flinched away or been scared, all she felt was pity. She had wanted to help them all, you could tell they were being tortured, and just the way the guards spoke to them was horrible. She had always vaguely wondered what it would be like to be a pirate. Not have to worry about anything, traveling from place to place, running from the law. She had seen a pirate ship once, when she was out on her boat, traveling to the closet island. She had wanted to go there for a visit to see her friends. Well more like associates. She had a business, smuggling pirates from island to island, helping them avoid Marine patrols. She also helped get supplies to needy pirates.
Of course this was all in secret, if her father knew she'd be thrown in Impel Down faster than you could blink an eye. Before she went into the house she took one last glance at the harbor. There was a small light on the horizon, probably another Marine boat out scouring for pirate ships. She pressed off the railing, and prepared to be scolded, first for being at the bar, second for embarrassing Hashi. "Kira where have you been? Nevermind don't answer that I know where you were. Do ye know' how embarrassed I was? Havin' Marines comin' up to me sayin' how much me girly was after drinkin'. Then havin' Hashi storm in sayin' how defiant ye be. What's gotten in to ya lass?" His eyes bore into hers. She just shrugged, walking in her room and slightly slamming the door behind her. She thought about what had happened around a year or two ago. It had made her start up her business. She had been out sailing on her boat, when she came across a man laying on a flat sheet of board floating with the waves. He had his hands laid behind his head and was laughing at the sky. She pulled up next to him and hauled him in her boat. He smiled at her.
He had raggedy black hair and his eyes were dark. "What are you doing in the middle of the Grandline?" She asked, sitting back down in the small boat.
"Site seein'." He commented, with a small chuckle.
"Let me guess, pirate?" She questioned, crossing her arms.
"Gol D. Roger at your service." He stuck out his hand in a very mannerly fashion
"Kamakazi Kira, at yours." She shook his hand, she didn't know how long she spent talking to him on that boat. But it was twilight before she dropped him off to her island. It was a small island with three houses on it. It was far enough away from the Marine island to provide a good hiding place. She began rowing towards the island. The pirate just stared at the sky. Once she got closer to the island, she saw someone perched on the beach. She worried that it was a Marine. As she got closer she realized that it wasn't and took a breath, but she didn't know the man. She pulled the boat to shore and the pirate hopped out.
"Oi, Marco the Phoenix is that you?" He called to the man sitting further down the beach. He had blonde hair and was wearing a faded purple jacket and a light blue pair of shorts. He stood back to them, he turned when he heard Roger call out to him.
"Aye." The voice called back, Roger approached him, Kira followed closely. "This lass here yanked me outta the sea, how'd you get out kid?"
"I was helping tie down the sails when a wave caught me from behind. It was luck that I grabbed hold of a piece of driftwood." He replied, Kira eyed him. He was soaking wet and sand clung to his pants and shirt.
"I've got a cabin here, it has a few cots. If you wish to stay here, until you can find your crews again." She said nonchalantly.
Roger and Marco followed her to the cabin. They were just a few abandoned ones, no one had lived there in a while. "You can stay here long as you like, no Marine patrols come here. Just make sure not to be seen on the beach at noon, that's when the patrols close enough to see people on the beach. I can bring some supplies tomorrow, if you'd like." She mentioned, opening the door. It was a bit dusty, it was just one open room, with a cot on either side. She opened the wardrobe, she kept fresh blankets there, just incase she needed some place to stay. "Wait I think I have some food in my boat, I'll be right back." She called over her shoulder as she ran back to the beach. She grabbed the bag and sprinted back to the cabin. She laid the bag on the table that was in the center of the room. She pulled out some banana's and other fruits. "I know where there's a fruit tree I'll be back in a minute." She hurried off again dodging into the woods. She reached into the apple tree, using her vest as a bag. Her hand hesitated at one, it was so red it was almost purple. It was probably just the way the light was hitting off it. She took that one for herself. As she made her way back to the cabin she opened the door. She took a bite of the apple in her hand, as soon as she walked into the house their jaws dropped.
"Do you know what you just ate?" Marco demanded.
"Ya." She responded her mouth turning into a frown. "A bad apple, I hope it didn't spoil the rest." She said pitching it out the window. Roger just laughed.
"That wasn't a bloody apple." He retorted.
"Well I sure hope it wasn't bloody." She replied, faking shock.
"It was a Devil's Fruit lass." He responded.
"You mean I just ate...one of those?" She looked horrified. "One bite doesn't count right?"
"One bites all it takes." Marco said, scooping up one of the apples and taking a bite. "Take me for example."
"Well I knew there was no way you could possibly look that bad naturally." She reasoned, his reaction was what she was waiting for. "Kidding, what's your power?"
"Turn into a Phoenix."
"Awesome!" She declared, Roger chuckled obviously amused. "Well I have to go back, before they send out a search party for me."
"See ya Houdini." Marco called, she turned and smiled at him. "See ya lass."
She made her way to the boat. She pushed off and began rowing again towards the Marine island, the sun was setting on the horizon so she rowed a little faster.
Kira looked out her window, she remembered that day as if it had only been yesterday. But she frowned at what she remembered next, she had attended Gol D. Roger's excecution, she had worn a cloak so no Marine could see her face. She had spoken briefly with Marco, neither of them saying much. She had seen him a few times after that, but never close enough to speak. She placed both her hands on her window frame, to think at seventeen she had hardly ever left this island, except for the few times she had managed to sneak away. She felt imprisoned, trapped, an animal in a cage. But she'd soon break free, she had no worries of that.
Her partners in the business reported that they had gotten a ship, pure black-wood. Very clean and well-made, it had been a thank-you from a crew of pirates they had helped a few months back. It was a few days later when she was visiting the island did she get a surprise. The Marine's saw one of the canoes, they pulled up to the island and captured them. She was dragged roughly onto the Marine ship and thrown down in front of her father. She landed on her hip, her legs curled under her and her hands bracing herself. "What's the meaning of this?" His voice boomed.
"Obviously something you don't approve of sir." She countered, smiling sweetly at her father. Their ship was hidden in the cave in a neighboring island.
"Don't sass me! What have you been doing here?"
"Look around Admiral I think it's pretty clear." There were around four pirates being handcuffed and her associates were as well.
"Helping Pirates huh? Is that anyway to repay your old man?" He asked.
"Repay him for what?" She got a kick in the side from one of the Marine's for that one. But as her eyes looked around she noticed there was one or two missing. Maybe they had gotten away from the Marine's, or maybe they were still searching. Her father asked no further questions.
He walked over the nearest Marine,"Throw the pirates and the helpers in the jail for the night, I'll decide what to do with them in the morning." He muttered, scratching his beard she could tell he was annoyed. When they got to back to the Marine island, she was thrown in her room, a guard stationed outside her door and one outside her window. She sat on her bed for a while, thinking of a plan in her head. Once she thought of one she smiled a devilish grin. She grabbed a bag and shoved anything she thought she'd need, supplies and basically anything in her room. She grabbed her two knives and stuck them on either loop hole on either side of her pants. She threw the cloak over her head and began to climb out the window. The Marine had his back turned, she snuck up behind him and stabbed him in the heart, he never had time to yell. She let his body drop to the ground, she knew a back way into the prison, and she knew in a few minutes the guards would be switching shifts. That would give her a ten minute window.
When the Marine's found his body he was dead, but more than that his heart was pitch black.
She ran down to the jail, hiding in the shadows. She saw the guards leaving the prison, she knew she didn't have much time. She went in the back way, their cells were in the back. She ran down the isle, she used a small piece of metal to unlock the lock. "Com'on we have to hurry, run down to the beach, stay in the shadows. Grab canoes we have to head back to the island, we have to get to the ship." That was the night she became captain of the Black Heart Pirates.
Years passed, years of her and her crew avoiding the law, killing the people who muttered a word against them, or crossed them in any way. Her first mate was a wiry blonde haired girl named Yuuki, she was strong and fierce. Kira had taken her into the crew after she had found her beaten badly on an island. "Captain, you got a letter!" Yuuki called as she jogged across the deck. Kira's red hair was longer now, sticking out from the sides of her hood. Her cloak was red with a black heart on the back, two swords crossing over it. She took the letter lightly from Yuuki's hands.
Black Heart,
Whitebeard is calling all pirates to accompy him to Marineford on the day of Portgas D. Ace's excecution. He asks for aid against the Marines. He wishes to save his son from the likes of the Marines, he warns this may come at a great cost.
The letter was unsigned. "Are we going to help Cap'in?" Yuuki asked.
"Of course, when a great pirate asks help of you it is better to answer the call, rather then make him think you resent him." She replied simply.
She went down to her cabin to write a reply.
Phoenix,
I don't know if you remember me, but you may tell your Captian that we will gladly help in this battle.
Houdini & The Black Heart Pirates.
She handed the letter to Yuuki to mail out. They sailed towards Marineford, the excecution was in a day. They would make it there by then. When the arrived she looked to see many pirate boats crowed together. "Pull up along side the Whitebeard Pirates ship, I'd like to have a chat with the Captian." She called to Yuuki. She nodded and steered towards the ship. Kira swung over to the ship. She laid eyes on Marco first, she pulled down the hood to her cloak.
"Oi Houdini is that you?" He called.
"Aye." She replied walking over to him. She gave him a quick hug, which earned her an odd look from her crew. "I'd like to speak to the Captain." She said, eyeing the crew of the Whitebeard Pirates. They eyed her the same way, she made her way to the front of the deck. She climbed onto the nose of the whale and was closely followed by Marco.
"Pops, someone here to speak to you." Marco said, Whitebeard turned slowly. She laughed smally when she realized he was about twenty feet taller than her.
"We've come to help, and in about ten seconds I want you all to fire at my boat." She said, smiling. Whitebeard looked at her, confused. "Just trust me." She reasoned, he nodded anyway.
She skipped back over to her boat, swinging back over. She closed her eyes and counted down, 5..4...3...2..1.. Bang, the canon fire started. When the cloud of smoke disintegrated, they saw there was a Marine ship.
"What happened? How'd they get there?" The Marines demanded.
"Oh it must've been Pirates, how outrageous." Called a cheery voice from the center of the boats. They all turned slowly to see a black boat, with a girl wearing a red cloak. They all pointed their canons at her immediately, she smiled sweetly. She began switching, with boats as the canons were shooting. By the end there was one boat left. They pulled up next to the boat, they jumped onto the boat and began fighting with the pirates. One the tips of their swords held a special poison, their trade-mark was stabbing their victims in the heart, which in turn of the poison turned their hearts black, which they received the name from. Once they were finished they pulled up next to the Whitebeard Pirates.
"That was fun!" She exclaimed as she jumped onto the deck. The pirates just stared at her, their jaws open.
"See you found what your Devil's Fruit was." Marco retorted off-hand. She nodded, but then she began to sway on her feet. That had taken a lot out of her. She laid a hand on the railing of the boat and took a few deep breaths. "My crew will sneak around the side and attack from the back." She said, standing up fully once more. She jumped back to her ship and yelled her commands. They were about to jump from the boat, when there was a shout, they all spun around to see a giant wave coming towards them, they all ducked. But right before it hit their ship it froze. She opened one eye to see a droplet of ice hanging over her head. She popped the other eye open and walked to the other side of the ship, the entire bay was frozen. She smiled at Yuuki, "Get slabs of wood, I just thought of another way to get down." They grabbed the slabs of wood, she jumped on it and slid down the wave, standing and leaning left to right to avoid ships. She could hear her crew behind her, laughing, except Mira, who was practically screaming and clinging to Yuuki. Marco stood on the bow of the ship with Whitebeard, he held an amused smile on his face.
The crew snuck behind the Marines, they were all so focused on the pirates attacking from the bay. They began stabbing everyone nearest to them. Kira looked up there kneeling between two Marines was Portgas D. Ace. She sighed, the poor kid. She took out her two pistols, shoving her blades back into the loopholes. She shot anyone that came near her. She cast a glance at Whitebeards ship, Marco had disappeared. But suddenly she felt as though she wasn't in control of her own body. She was being thrown towards someone, pulling out her blades. Then her eyes landed on who she was flying at, Marco. He tried to dodge, but she moved with him, she was slammed against him. She stared into his eyes, she was breathing heavy. She looked down slowly to see the tip of her sword barely a millimeter away from his chest. Right above the place of his heart. She just stared at him, he looked back at her. She closed her eyes and switched places with an unarmed Marine. She looked around to see Doflamingo he was moving his hands, she knew it had been him. She cast tone last look at Marco before running into the crowd. It was then that she realized how close she had came to stabbing Marco through the heart.
She dodged canons and knifes, she tried not to use her ability too much. It might be needed later. She turned once, looking back at Whitebeard, just in time to see Squardo stab him through the chest. Everything froze, everyone was too shocked to move. "Squardo!" Marco yelled as he flew towards him and slammed him onto the ground. Every stood for a moment, the Marines looked triumphant. With a yell she swung around and stabbed the Marine closet to her. After the fighting returned she noticed something, they were melting the ice. She saw Luffy running with Jinbe towards the walls.. She switched places with an Marine closer to the platform. Luffy was facing three Admiral's alone. She turned her head distracted by a Marine attacking her from behind. When she turned back it was like she had missed everything. She saw Sengoku, call the orders for Ace's excecution. She closed her eyes she couldn't watch. When she opened them again she saw the Marines were knocked away from Ace by Crocodile. She turned around to fight off more Marines. She didn't hear the command but the pirates began backing away. She saw Ace running with Luffy. But then she saw Akainu, he was saying something to Ace. He stopped dead in his tracks. His fists clenching, at that point she realized he had a temper like his father. It seemed to all happen in slow motion, Luffy was hunched on the ground, she saw the punch coming and she knew she had to do something.
She switched places with Ace. A cloud of smoke erupted around them. Marco stood there shocked, he had seen her. She couldn't be dead, he hadn't even gotten the chance...
The cloud cleared, and it was a Marine Akainu's fist was through, Luffy began running towards the boats. Kira was standing on the edge of the Marine circle. She looked over at Ace. "That looked like it was gonna hurt." He smiled at her. "Do me a favor and let's get the hell out of here." She said, taking him by the arm and running. They made it to Whitebeard's boat. She stopped and was panting. "Things I'd do for one of Pop's kids." She muttered. Marco ran up to her.
"Do you have any idea what that was like?" He demanded, he was obviously not too happy. "I thought you were dead!" He yelled. All she did was smile.
"Usually I would make some remark, but I feel the same way." She said, before placing her lips squarely on his. When he pulled away he was still mad.
"That doesn't help anything!" He said, flustered.
"Phoenix, shut up." She said smiling, he frowned and she kissed him on the cheek. He pulled her into a tight hug, taking down the hood of her cloak. He looked into her eyes and a small smile formed on his lips.