Disclaimer: Just so you know, I don't own One Piece and it's canon characters (I wish I did!), Oda-sensei, Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji Shueisha and Shonen Jump Manga do. The story's main plot belong to the awesome 4fireking. The Hone Hone ni Mi belongs to Death's General (The devil fruit is just too good to go to waste). The village at the beginning, the characters and the rest of the plot belong to me.
Enjoy.
Crescent Village is a small, quaint village in an area that is so quiet because no pirate has ever set foot in the village since a Whitebeard pirate fell in love with a villager and that's how the villagers wanted it. There are clothes markets, food markets, trade markets, book markets and one or two taverns that always ensures its customers left with a smile. For children, there are playing fields, three schools and the forest that bordered the village in the shape of a half-moon, which was how Crescent Village got its name.
Every cottage had its own story (they were designed and built so well) and many were home to some very fascinating people. It is a little known fact that a marine captain was born there. But that's not the story we are about to tell. The story we are about to tell you is about when a mysterious yet fatal illness struck the village. It began on a normal day in the village. Well, for the son of the Whitebeard pirate that was the only pirate to set foot in the village. Let's go meet him, shall we?
A boy sat on the roof of a cottage that was painted cream. This particular cottage belonged to Terry D. Marion, her biological child and her adopted child. From his looks alone, the boy was tall and resourceful. His shaggy black hair reached his neck. His eyes glowed an interesting amber. His skin was a light brown; a small cluster of freckles on each cheek. His clothes consisted of a casual blue shirt, long cargo pants and brown boots. He was staring out over at the Crescent Forest, wondering if there was more beyond his quiet and, in his option, boring village.
A 25 year old girl with blonde hair, a scar on her left eye and green eyes in a fuchsia dress and matching shoes ran out. She saw her 'little brother' on the roof. "Oi Riley! Get your lazy butt down here! Mom needs you to go to the food market!" she hollered. Her full name was Gull D. Jessica. It was no secret that her real parents were killed in front of her by bandits when she was only a small child, she had gotten the scar trying to save them. Marion found her and took her in, six years before Riley was born. Jessica had felt like she had earned the right to call Marion her mother.
Riley stood up and leapt down from the roof, landing on his feet. "Alright, no need to go flying off the handle" he remarked, standing to his full height. Jessica huffed and went inside.
A beautiful woman in her mid-thirties with amber eyes and long wavy orangey gold hair that framed her face perfectly came out and walked over to Riley. Her dress was a light orange, her apron was blue and she wore boots just like her son's. She was Terry D. Marion, Riley's mother as well as the most beautiful woman in Crescent Village. She handed him 250,000 beli and a list. "Just get what's on the list, Riley" she told him.
"Ok, mom. See ya!" Riley replied, grinning and waving at his mother before walking off.
Marion smiled sadly as her son went on his way. The last time she had seen someone she loved walk away like that was that fateful winter 15 years ago, when she got pregnant with Riley. Riley looks like him. He's got his grin and everything. It's too bad his father's gone. But he only left because naturally, that's what pirates do and Crescent Village doesn't need the World Government poking its nose in our business. They must never know about Riley. Marion went inside and walked over to the table, getting out a newspaper. She found an article; Fatal Disease hits Crescent Village. Suddenly she and Jessica collapsed, now weak from trying to resist an infection.
Riley reached the markets. He skimmed through the list, coming to the conclusion his mother was going to make her famous pastries. He smiled, everyone loved his mother's baking; Marion was that admired. However something wasn't right. The silence that covered the village was too eerie and haunting. Riley noticed that no one was out. "That's weird, it's not Sunday" he observed. Riley ran through the village, looking for a familiar face; he didn't care who's, just as long it was someone he knew. Soon, he gave up and returned home. Then he saw what had happened in his absence.
Marion and Jessica were lying on the floor, coughing and spluttering. Riley ran over to them and felt their foreheads. They were burning up. "Mother? Big sister?" he asked. Riley saw the edge of the newspaper and brought it down. He read the article quickly. His eyes widened. Everyone's caught this disease! How long has it been like this? Why didn't anyone tell me? Oh right, I have my devil fruit. So I'm the only one not affected by it. Now I'm glad I ate that. But I've got to help everyone else. I must find the cure! Perhaps the legendary Sakura Cure will help.
After getting his mother and 'big sister' to their rooms with some special soup that somehow stayed warm for days, Riley packed some things. "Who knows how long I have to find something that can save everyone's lives before they could potentially get worse?" he asked himself. He exited his room and ran down the stairs to his front door. He glanced up at his mother and sister's bedrooms over his shoulder. Mom. Big sister. Hang on until I find a cure. I love you two and will help you. He turned away and walked out. He walked over to the archway that served as the entrance to the village, casting a look of determinedness over to his childhood home before going on his way.
"Wait. So Fire Fist actually fathered a child before we finally caught him?" A Marine officer asked a now elderly Marshall D. Teach in the Marine base in Logue Town.
"Yes, he said so before we took him to be executed" Teach, otherwise known as Blackbeard, replied coolly as the memory of Ace admitting of fathering a child to another pirate in Impel Down came to his dark, cruel mind.
"Where is the child? We must eliminate it!" the Marine shouted, clenching his fist and making bone spikes jet out of his knuckles. "The brat won't escape me!" he remarked with a wicked smirk.
"He wouldn't say where they are, what their names are or what they look like. I assume he was trying to protect the child and it's mother. Even Fire Fist was chivalrous" Teach told him calmly.
"Why would that filthy pirate have any reason to do that?!" the marine snapped, losing his cool as he hit Teach's desk in anger. The desk would've shattered if the seastone hadn't been built in the surface with the wood to neutralise his powers as well as Teach's.
"Because everyone knows that village women who fall in love with a pirate are too stupid to abide to our laws, even now in such desperate times" Teach remarked, keeping aloof and collected. The marine continued to rant on about the matter. Teach just shrugged.
Neither the hot-tempered marine or Teach seemed to notice the ghostly image of the very man they were talking about; Portagus D. Ace. Like hell I would never tell Teach where Marion is! What kind of man would I be if I didn't repay her kindness ? He thought as he clenched his fists. Ace still felt a strong protectiveness over the village girl he took such a shine to when she managed to talk her villagers out of reporting him to the Marines and insisted he meant no harm. All he had known when he died was that Marion and her child, his child, were safe. And he wanted it to stay that way. 'Cause if he ever hurt Marion or my kid while I was still alive, I'd show him no mercy. I left that village so the World Government would leave them alone.
Meanwhile, Riley had found himself at the docks. He was now at least 12 miles or more away from his village. Damn it. What now? I really need some help here. What kind of idiot leaves without knowing where he's going or how to take care of himself? He thought. Riley caught sight of a medium-sized ship. Its mast held no flag but had beautiful folded white sails made of cloth. It had no figurine. "Wow, it's magnificent" he gasped.
Riley noticed a girl on the ship. Her head and arms hung over the side. The girl's hair was orange and cut in a boyish way. Her eyes were a bright violet that currently looked bored. She looked up to see Riley watching her intensely, straightening up. She wore a white shirt and a denim skirt. "I wasn't expecting a visitor. Who are you?" she asked. Riley could tell she was at least 15, like him.
"My name's Terry D. Riley but call me Riley" Riley introduced himself, sticking his hand out.
"I'm Violet but feel free to call me Vi" the girl replied, shaking Riley's hand. "So what can I do for you?" she wondered aloud as she looked Riley up and down.
""Do you know where I can find someone who'll take me to find the Sakura Cure? I need it to save my village, especially my mom and my sister. Do you know someone who'll help me?" Riley asked.
"You're looking at her. I can take you anywhere, this ship's stocked up and ready to go; it belonged to my father. I've studied navigation all my life" Violet answered with a sympathetic smile.
"Really? You can do that? Thanks!" Riley remarked, hopping aboard.
"I actually lost my parents to an idiot with a sword so I'm going to help you" Violet replied as she unfolded the sails. Inside, she gasped: she had trust issues yet she told this boy something personal. Something told her she could trust Riley.
"Why would you tell me that when you barely know me?" Riley asked.
"I trust you, Riley" Violet answered as she raised the anchor and tugged the rope from the stone that prevented the ship from moving. The ship drifted out of the peaceful harbour and out to sea.
Riley felt quite content. As if he belonged out at sea. He turned to Violet. "So where now?" he asked.
Violet looked at her log pose which was on her left wrist. She smiled when the needle indicated that they were on a calm, safe course. "Straight ahead until the needle tells me otherwise" she replied, looking over at Riley. Thank you, whoever brought Riley into my life. I've waited years for this day and finally I can see the world. Boy, I'm glad I prepared the ship. She thought as her smile grew.
It seems that Riley has made a new friend and is on his way to find the Sakura Cure which could help his family but now the World Government knows he exists. Next time, Riley and Violet meet a man stranded in a boat at sea and Riley reveals his devil fruit powers for the first time when pirates attack.
Please feel free to review.