Chapter 1: From Earth, to Hell, to the Seas
Author's Note Part 1: Heeey guys… Sorry it's been so long since I've last updated, but I've been trying to focus on my other stories. But, I was able to get back into this one after reading a crossover between One Piece and Naruto. So, I'm back to working on this story for at least a little bit.
Now, A few things that I NEED to tell you guys before you read. I've made some MAJOR changes to this fanfiction, after reading a few other fanfictions from other categories. So now, I suppose that this could be placed in the crossover section with the MAIN change that I've made but… Well, I'll explain at the end why it's not.
Most things are still the same, Ken's backstory, the pairing, and other things, but the major change happens to be with the Devil Fruit that he consumed in the last version. Instead, he consumes something else quite… Devilish. (Heh, you'll understand when you get to that part…)
Key: Narration/Emphasis for voices in Ken's head, "Talking", Thoughts/Emphasis, "Good Voice", "Unpleasant Voice", Demonic voice/Attacks, Demonic Voice(s)
NOTE: I was given permission by kta250298 themselves to adopt this story and continue it for them. So don't you guys go accusing me of stealing it and posting it for my own fame. Now that that's out of the way, here's the story itself. Enjoy.
Ken's POV: Past
You know, it's strange how rapidly one's life can change. Take me for example, Kendrick Austin. Or Ken to the few people that I knew. I was a fairly normal teenage kid, a bit grim at times perhaps, but generally I tried not to make a nuisance of myself. I enjoyed learning new things (Ironically enough, I detested school. Although, that's to be expected from almost everyone who ever went there in the first place) and my teachers seemed to agree that I was a bright kid in my own right. I was fifteen when everything changed.
I was riding the bus to school, a fairly average occurrence, although I was always the first to be picked up on this bus' route so no one else was riding it except myself and the driver, when the windows were suddenly blown in from gunfire. The bus swerved and crashed into a tree, launching me to the front since for some reason, the bus that I took didn't have seatbelts. I mean seriously, what bus doesn't have seatbelts?! But I digress. I gingerly stood, Ignoring the sight of the dead driver whose face was riddled with bullet holes, and forced open the doors. And by forced, I mean I pressed the emergency unlock button. I stumbled out of the bus, before falling forwards onto the rough asphalt that made up the road. I could smell the smoke being emitted from the crushed engine, and heard someone walking closer to me at a steady pace, as if they didn't care about what they'd just seen. The person's steps were seemingly everywhere in my dazed confusion, and when I looked up, the flash from the barrel of a gun the last thing I saw.
The next thing I knew, I was surrounded by darkness, a deadly silence surrounding me. I felt like I was lying on a table, before I was suddenly blinded by multiple lights turning on all at once. All of which were aimed at me. Light blue colored gloved hands that faded in and out of the darkness that was surrounding the small space of light that was being provided via the spotlights were holding various tools. Some looked like normal surgical equipment, and others looked so weird, that I couldn't even begin to comprehend what they were used for. I couldn't move, speak, or do anything to stop them as they went to work on me.
After they had finished their agonizing work, I remember being wheeled into a strange white room covered in red symbols of various kinds. They left me there for a few minutes, nothing breaking the silence except my own pained breath, before I had the sudden sensation of falling. The gurney that I was lying on disappeared from beneath me as I started to fall faster and faster, twisting and turning around in the air. As I fell, I noticed I was coming closer and closer to a light of sorts, but something felt off about it. I realized what was wrong when I finally passed through the light, entering a realm that I wish I could forget.
I saw endless miles of torture and bloodshed, I had fallen into Hell. Dante's works didn't even begin to scrape the surface of the real deal. His concepts were but a pitiful shadow of the terrible glory that is Damnation. I saw others falling around me, people and things of all kinds and from all places doomed to the same place. We landed, our bones shattering and organs tearing as we crashed down upon one another in a heap of pain and flesh. It only got worse from there. That was the first time that I learned that I couldn't die. The shattered bones began to piece themselves back together, and the limbs that were torn began to stitch themselves up without a needle or string. It was the skin itself that was reconnecting, and the only thing left to suggest that it had been torn was the small line, as if someone had dug their nail into my skin, and the imprint stayed there forever. To say the process itself wasn't painful would be a lie. It was agonizing.
Damnation and places like it don't have the same rules as other planes of existence. Time has no real meaning. Anyone, from any-when can be dumped there together at a moment's notice. Any attempts at timekeeping are dashed as tic-marks in cells, fluctuate in amount at seemingly random intervals, the same going for almost any other method. Whether it was for seconds or years, all that mattered was that I was there. The world would constantly change around me, a fresh new torture worse than the last delivered at the hands of a new tormentor. Although, that's how most of the things there kept time. Every new torture for them marked a new "day" in the hell hole that is Damnation. I heard tales that people who served out a sentence were allowed to leave, but that never happened for me. I had to take my freedom for my own.
My chance finally came when a demon thought that it would be a good idea to taunt me with a look-see into the mortal world. It had me chained above a crack that revealed a seemingly endless sea, the smell of salt and the feel of the wind blowing around me. This was shown by the different equipment that they had. Most would think that Hell would be primitive. All the tortures staying the same over the centuries. But that's not true. No. As the humans on earth and alternate ones like it advanced their methods, so did the tortures of Hell. But back to my chance at escape. I hung there limply, my wrists and ankles bound as the demon mocked me for being so close, and yet so far when a sudden explosion distracted it, making it look in the direction that the sound came from. I felt strength like nothing before surge through me as an insane idea worked itself into my mind. Such is the ways of the adrenalin that rushes through the human body during similar situations. I pulled against my bonds with all my might, working my legs against the rock face to aid my efforts. Finally, With an agonizing tear, I ripped free of my bonds, and began falling though the crack that had started to ripple and shrink, and into the world below. Only slightly taking notice to how the machine that had powered the rift in universes was what exploded and that as it exploded a second time, the crack closed behind me completely. Nothing to signify that it was ever there, just the bright blue sky.
As I tumbled through the bright blue sky, I had a hard time remembering a moment where I was as happy as I was then. I had done it, I had escaped from Damnation. Tears of joy rained around me, the wind tearing them from my eyes as I careened toward the water below me. The noise of the wind flying around me became deafening as I picked up speed, but I paid no mind to that. Instead becoming lost in the bliss of knowing that I was free from the hell hole that I'd been stuck in. Then, I hit the water, and everything went black.
Ken's POV: Present
The pain and shock of crashing against the water is what knocked me out, and I find myself washed up on an island some time later. I struggle to crawl inland, my body weak from malnourishment and injuries that I had sustained while stuck in Damnation. I have to stop and rest under a tree, panting from exertion of walking up the slight incline towards the trees at the edge of the beach. Fruits are lying around me, some rotten while others look fresh. I reach for one close to me and take a bite, the juices running down my chin as I take in the almost heavenly scent and taste. I feel a surge of energy from the first real food I've had in…Ever, as far as I'm concerned. Although, I guess that if I kept time the same way as every other tortured soul stuck with me, then I was in that place for around… Three years. Making me eighteen now…
I quickly crush those thoughts for later, and go back to eating all the food around me on the ground and from the trees as well. It doesn't matter if some of them are rotten, they're food, and I wouldn't be able to die from them anyways. After eating all that I could without the risk of getting sick, since I could still have short periods of being sick but not die, my body is fueled and feeling better than ever. When I'm finally done, I start walking along the edge of the trees in a random direction, since I wasn't sure where I am. Eventually, I hear a commotion ahead of me, with what sound like voices. Excited at the prospect of meeting more people who aren't screaming and/or begging for mercy, I break into a run. As the sounds grow louder, I slow down so that I don't appear threatening. I have enough sense left in me to realize that a charging naked guy might not be the most welcome sight around here.
"Sense, that's a joke." My more… Unpleasant side says. "There's not an ounce of sense left in the brat." They continue.
"Come now, there's no need to be so hard on him." My positive voice rebutted. "He's literally been to hell and back, I'm sure he'll get better in time."
"I hope you're right Angela." I say, agreeing with my nice voice, my own voice strained from screaming all the time and hardly recognizable. "You need to think positive Demona." I tell my unpleasant voice.
"You be positive, I'll be realistic." She replies in a voice that tells me she's rolling her eyes.
Angela and Demona have been with me as long as I can remember, helping me deal with the endless agony that I went through for those three years in Damnation. Angela has been nice and comforting, but Demona hasn't really. She seems to like being mean more, but I'm still glad she's here. One of us has to be realistic, just like she said. I walk through a thick area of brush and trees to find a clearing, with what appears to be a pirate ship docked at the beach. A group of people in ragged clothing stop… Whatever it is they were doing to look at me when they spot me walking out of the line of trees. We stare at each other for a while, neither party moving or making a sound. "…Uh… Hi?" I eventually say, waving my hand a bit in greeting.
"How eloquent, a real poet this one." Demona remarks sarcastically.
"Hush you, they're talking." Angela admonishes.
"Who are you?" One of the… Pirates I guess, asks.
"My name's Kendrick… Could you tell me where I am?" I ask, remembering I have no idea where I am other than not in Damnation. I'd forgotten about that when I'd heard voices talking regularly for the first time in years.
"This island doesn't have a name. It was supposed to be uninhabited." A different guy replies, looking me over. "Where are your clothes? Were you in a shipwrecked?" He asks.
"Uh… Yeah, I was." I answer, thinking that saying, "I fell out of Hell itself" wouldn't go over very well with these people.
"Why don't you show us? Maybe we can find more survivors." One of them offers, though there's something unpleasant in his eyes when he suggests this.
"No! No, that's not necessary." I tell them hastily, trying to cover my ass. "There's nothing left, no survivors." I tell them, trying to make it seem like I'm really upset about the fact. And to be honest, thinking about how it actually happened to people did make me upset. Though, apparently it wasn't the best thing to say.
"Then let's keep it that way." Someone says from behind me, before a sword is suddenly thrust through my stomach in accompaniment with the voice. I gasp in shock and pain, falling to the ground and clutching my wound as blood gushes over my hands while I try to stem the flow of it. I grunt in more pain as I'm roughly pushed to the ground by the same person who stabbed me. "Let's get out of here lads, I heard Captain Buggy is around." The man who stabbed me says. "Let's see if he needs some extra hands." He continues, the others cheering in agreement before they start walking toward their ship that was "docked" nearby.
"Not even a day alive and this happens, you really are worthless aren't you?" Demona chides, though I can hear what sound like a little worry in her voice.
"Quiet! Kendrick, breathe honey." Angela instructs me.
"It hurts." I tell them quietly.
"I know it hurts, but you need to find something to stop the bleeding." Angela says.
"Hey, retard, if you want to live you need to eat something." Demona remarks, more of what I think is worry starts to seep into her voice. I take a look around the immediate area, thanking whatever God's I can think of that the pirates had left behind the rotten fruits I'd dropped after being stabbed. See, my healing process only works when I'm not hungry… Which I am. So, I pick up a few rotten apples, and devour them as quickly as I can. Now, unlike the fresh fruits, these ones were gross! The reason I don't say disgusting, or non-edible, is because of what I was forced to eat in Damnation. That stuff… Well, it kept us from starving I'll say that much. Unless they chose for starvation to be the torture of the week. So, I pushed past the taste, and eat as much as I can. When everything's gone, my wound finally starts to heal. Then, I look up to see the retreating forms of the pirates nearing their ship. They had gotten close enough to their ship that some were already climbing aboard, and helping their crewmates get on deck. I growl deep in my throat at what they tried to do to me, before pushing myself to my feet and rushing them. As I do so, Demona starts to laugh. "I like this kid's thought process!" She exclaims enthusiastically. "This'll be good!"
"Now Kendrick, must you really do this to them?" Angela asks me in a slightly worried voice.
"Treat others the way you want to be treated." Is my response as I continue to rush the ship with narrowed eyes, getting a sigh from the nicer of the two voices and loud laughter from the other. When I'm only a few yards away from the crew, one turns around and sees me.
"What the hell?!" Is all he can exclaim before I'm upon him, followed by the rest of the crew.
I clean the blood off myself in the water, ignoring the bodies of the pirates floating out to see, and put on a change of clothes. Not much was clean, but I was able to scrap together a pair of black pants, a purple T-shirt, and those sandals that you usually see characters wearing in anime and manga's from the pirates before leaving their bodies in the ocean. You know, like the kind Elfman wears in "Fairy Tail". I'd have to see about getting some better material later since these were all tattered with multiple holes and grime on them. But, clothes are clothes. And after going without clothes for three years, they're a welcomed sight. My arm has grown back from that one pirate that managed to slice it off before I snapped his neck. The bone returned first, followed by the muscle, and then the skin. I climbed aboard their ship, looking around for anything useful.
"Kendrick, don't you think we should talk about what just happened?" Angela asked.
"You mean what I did to the pirates?" I ask. "Well let's see. Uno, their captain, at least I think he was their captain, stabbed me through the stomach in an attempt to kill me. Dos, they then left me to bleed out on a sandy beach. Und tres… You know, I don't really have a third reason." I admit with a shrug as I continue to look around, unfortunately finding nothing of value.
"Who cares why you did it? It was fucking awesome!" Demona compliments. "Nice job kid. Didn't know you had it in you."
"Thanks Demona." I reply, moving my search into the pirates treasure room.
"Aren't you at all worried about what you did?" Angela asks again, worry clear in her voice at my thoughts of killing.
"Not really, I'm just glad to be alive." I reply, though I'm lying. I'll admit, I'd never once thought of killing before today, but after being put through Damnation, I'd learned to put feelings off to the side for a long, long time. After replying to Angela's question, I pull a sheet off what appears to be a mirror. I turn out to be right as the sheet falls away to reveal a full-body mirror and I'm slightly startled by my appearance, not used to it after so much time of not being able to see it. My skin is deathly pale, perhaps completely white, and the same went for my hair. I was lucky in regards to the fact that it apparently hadn't grown. Though, my height certainly had. (Imagine Ken between Luffy and Zoro's height.) The only bit of color on me was the clothes that I'd… Procured, and my eyes, which were a dark red color. "Have I always looked like this?" I wonder aloud in surprise, rubbing my hands over my face.
"Does it matter? Just get the ship going so we can find some more food someplace." Demona tells me, referring to the fact that I'm now once again hungry.
"She's right. We can't survive on this island forever." Angela agrees.
"Alright, but do either of you know anything about sailing a ship like this?" I ask.
…Silence is what answers my question.
"Well… Alright. How hard could it be?" I ask, before realizing what I'd just asked. "…Shit." I mutter, turning around to head back towards the door. However, something glinting on the floor catches my attention, and I turn my head to get a good look at it. For some reason, it seems familiar, and I walk towards it. I bend down and pick it up, still wondering why it was that it looked so God damned familiar to me. It was a bottle. However, it was slightly different from the ones that I've seen in the past. The entire thing was red, and halfway to the top, a small circle stuck out with the picture of a stereotypical devil's with horns, pointed ears, red skin, fangs and a goatee. From then on, the bottle took the shape of a woman, who had similar horns, long hair that looked like it was on fire, a devil tail that reached down from the picture of the devil towards the bottom… and was breathing fire into the palm of her hand.
I look it over for a little, wondering what the hell it could be. I experimentally twist the woman's head, and it turns out that it was the cap to the thing. I look down into it to see some liquid sloshing around. From the looks of things, the men either didn't had the time to drink it, or they didn't want to. And my guess would be the former after seeing that they acted like stereotypical pirates. Well, what better way to say "fuck you guys" then to drink something of theirs? I ask myself with a small smile, before taking a swig and downing the entire thing. I'll admit, the thing was pretty spicy going down, but it was good none the less. However, after drinking it, I wasn't focused on the taste anymore, but rather the feeling that was going through my body.
It felt as if my very bones were on fire, and dropping the bottle to look at my hands… I realized that they were. At that point, natural instincts took over, and I started screaming in shock. But for some reason, I couldn't feel any pain. I watched, screaming, as my skin burned down to the bone, some of the flesh becoming charred, before my vision flashed white, and my hands were back to their pale color. I looked them over with shock and slight fear, expecting them to catch fire once again. However, what filled my mind next astounded me. Because I learned that what I'd just drunk was a bottle of "Devil's Kiss", and that I could now control fire to a degree. By focusing, I'd be able to create balls of fire that I could then chuck at whoever I believed to be my enemy, and they'd explode upon impact. I could also focus on the little fire grenades, and leave them on the floor as a "trap" if anyone tried to attack me from behind.
But the best part was when I learned that I could also create small bursts of fire from my hand. Sure, I wasn't exactly able to control it, but it was like my hand was a personal flamethrower! I clench my right fist in experimentation, and see my hand go back to how it looked while my body became accumulated to the drink's abilities. However as I walk out of the treasure room, I still can't put my finger on why it is that the ability seems so familiar to me…
Hours later, I had finally deciphered the riddle of how to operate a ship and was on my way across the sea. Where I'm on my way to I have no idea, but I'm definitely getting there. It was some time later, a bit after the sun had gone down down, that I finally saw a new island on the horizon, the light from the city a beacon of hope in the dark sea. Adjusting the course as best I could, I head towards the island as quick as I can. As I drift closer to the island, I realize that I have no idea how to dock this thing. I scramble about the ship, trying to pull up the sails as quickly as I can on my own. After doing that, I realize I'm still moving toward the dock faster than I probably should be.
"How do you know how fast you're going?" Angela asked.
"Yeah, it took you an hour to raise the sails." Demona agreed. "What changed between now and then?" They prove to be correct when the boat stops shy of the actual dock. I think about swimming there, but I was never really a swimmer, and it only got worse with the tortures that I endured in Damnation. I also think about jumping, but I don't feel confident that I could make the distance. Said distance being about fifteen yards… Yeah. Looking around the ship I find a grappling hook of sorts among a few chains. "Kendrick, you should take one of those chains." Demona suggests. "It could be useful if someone tries to kill us again."
"Why don't I just use the hook?" I ask her.
"Do you know how to fight with a hook on a piece of rope?" Demona asks in response to my question. "A chain is simple enough, just swing at them and hit them with it." She tells me.
"Demona is right; we need a weapon if we're going to survive." Angela agrees. Something she's been doing an awful lot of recently. I shrug in response, and pull a piece out of the pile, not too long of course, just something around the length of my leg. Although considering I'm a little under six feet tall, that isn't exactly something to shrug at.
I use my newly acquired chain to pull the ship closer to the dock, cringing slightly when they bump together. I disembark from the ship after I get it tied, and then take a walk into town, feeling a little unsettled at being alone like this. I see something move out of the corner of my eye and turn to see what it is, only to find nothing. Then, I see something else, and turn to look only to see nothing again. I start feeling more nervous than before, looking around wildly to see what was moving only to come up disappointed each time. I finally see something come from an alley, and almost hit it with the chain I had wrapped around my arm before I realize that it's just a cat. "Heh, you gave me a scare little guy." I tell it, breathing a sigh of relief while giving a relieved smile. That quickly changes when the animal opens its mouth, and a strange, unearthly moaning siren-like sound comes blaring out. I cover my ears and fall to the ground, writhing in pain. Someone walks out of the shadows and pets the cat, which then leaves, taking the noise with it. The person squats down next to me, tsk-ing as if I was a disappointing child.
"Kendrick, do you really thing you could leave and that would be that?" The guy asks, laughing slightly with a demonic voice. "I'm afraid it's not that simple, and now you're going to have to come with me." He tells me, maliciousness filling his voice. I don't move for a moment, then jump forward and roughly push the "man" to the ground, running back towards the dock as fast as I can. "I love it when they run." I hear the man say, and a moment later my arm is caught in something. I ignore it and continue to run, undeterred as my forearm is torn from my body. I trip on a loose plank on the dock and tumble into a small boat, earning me a gasp of surprise from its owner in the process.
"What are you-?!" The person exclaims in shock, the tone of it suggesting it's a female.
"No time! Just sail!" I interrupt her, pushing us away from the dock with my leg. My fellow occupant starts to say something, most likely to argue, but a stream of fire that narrowly misses us discourages further conversation as she helps us on our way by unfurling the sails and bringing out the oars. Paddling us away from the town as fast as they can.
It isn't until we've put a comfortable distance between us and the island that I allow myself to sit up and relax, if only a bit. I look over at my companion to see how she's doing, and my breath catches in my throat at the sight that greets me. She's absolutely stunning. Almost my height, only a few inches shorter with short, bright orange hair, and warm, brown eyes that inexplicably draw me in. She's wearing a white and blue striped shirt along with a small orange skirt, revealing her smooth, Caucasian skin. "Kendrick, control yourself!" Angela scolds me as a blush works its way into my cheeks.
"Quiet you, the kid deserves some R&R." Demona rebutted. "And here's some T&A with nowhere to run." She continues, her voice betraying the fact that she's smirking. I push the thought that Demona planted in my mind away, despite the red in my cheeks growing, as Angela gives a scandalized gasp in response. Then, the girl speaks up.
"You, tell me what just happened." The girl demands testily.
"Do you want the truth or a more believable lie?" I ask her with a raised eyebrow, earning myself a glare in response. "Well… How about I try the truth and see how you take it?" I ask before sighing. "To put it simply, I've recently escaped from Hell itself and am apparently being chased by the demons that reside there." I tell her. The girl doesn't say anything, deciding to stare me down instead. I just sigh again. "Ok… Let's try this then." I continue, feeling awkward. "I just escaped from a super prison and bounty hunters working for said prison are after me." I suggest, guessing that I'm in the pirate era based off the ones I'd encountered earlier.
"So, you're a pirate then?" The girl asks, cementing my thought about the time period.
"What? No, of course not." I answer her, not wanting to risk being seen as a stereotypical evil pirate.
"Alright then, a bandit." She continues. "The point is you're a criminal."
"I suppose you could technically call me one, but-" I start to defend myself, only to be interrupted by a staff bashing into my nose.
"~Aaugh!~ What the fuck?!" I demand, wrenching the piece of wood from the girl. "What the fuck was that for?!" I yell out in pain and anger, glaring at the girl in front of me.
"It was supposed to knock you out." She replies, trying to pull her staff from my grip. "I won't be caught dead sailing with a criminal. You're probably planning to steal my treasure!" She yells at me.
"How would I know about any treasure you have!" I argue back, throwing my hand into the air holding her at bay with the other. "In case you forgot, I literally fell into your boat! And I'm not a criminal!" I scream, my teeth taking on the appearance of a shark's without my knowledge. Then, I let out a groan as my nose snaps back into place, fixing itself. The girl gasps at the sight and stops struggling for a second, only to redouble her efforts a moment later.
"If you aren't, then why did you go to jail?" She questions me sarcastically.
"I don't know." I reply quietly with a downcast expression. "I've been asking myself that for years." The girl stops when I say this, choosing to instead look at me in confusion.
"What are you talking about?" She asks me in confusion.
"If I let your staff go, will you promise not to hit me with it again?" I ask her in return, raising an eyebrow.
"Only if you actually give me my staff." The girl replies.
"Give it to her, show that you can be trusted." Angela suggests.
"Fuck that, teach this bitch a lesson." Demona argues. "She attacked us, so she should know her place."She tells me. Oh, I should probably tell you that these two sound suspiciously like the "fake" and "real" Moka's from Rosario + Vampire. Angela sounds like the pink haired one, while Demona sounds like the silver haired one. I decide to ignore Demona again, and hand the girl her weapon back, rubbing my nose to make sure everything is as it's supposed to be while I do so as Demona grumbles in the background.
"As I was trying to say before, I'm technically not a criminal." I tell her. "I was taken what feels like a few years ago, while I was on my way to school no less. I've never done anything to deserve my punishment." I tell her.
"How old are you?" The girl asks me.
"Eighteen… I think." I answer her vaguely. "I was fifteen when they took me, and where I was taken has different rules than the rest of the world. But with how everyone in that hell hole counted days, I'd say I was there for three years." I tell her with a shrug. We become quiet as I reflect upon my life so far up to this point.
"Well, I'm sorry." The girl eventually says. "For breaking your nose that is." She elaborates.
"It's alright, certainly not the worst thing that's happened to me." I respond, smiling slightly. "How about we start over? Hi, my name's Kendrick. Or Ken if you prefer." I tell her, reaching out my hand for a handshake. The girl smiles back, taking the outstretched hand.
"Nice to meet you Kendrick, I'm Nami." She tells me.
After we'd introduced ourselves to each other, Nami decided to get some sleep. I eventually got comfortable and tried to so as well. Everything was going fine until something strange happened. I can't remember what I was dreaming about, but it was suddenly cut short by the same siren and moaning that the cat had made earlier. It didn't force me to the ground this time though, and I watched as the world around me changed. The landscape became broken and the sky bled a deep red as darkness creeping toward me from all directions. I heard laughing all around me as shadows danced at the edge of my vision, revealing grotesque and unnatural forms. Suddenly, all the noise stopped and I was sitting at a small, metal desk. A hooded figure sitting across from me.
"Kendrick, Kendrick, Kendrick." What seemed like hundreds of voices said. "You've caused quite a stir for us down below, and we don't appreciate it." They continue. I didn't know what to say to that, so I remained silent. "We've planned for escapes like this, but then you threw us a curveball by not actually having a damning sin." The figure tells me. "However, what we didn't plan for was the device exploding. So now, it may take some time for it to be repaired. But, there's still hope for us, as we can still track your taint that you gained while present in Damnation. We've chosen to take this opportunity to offer you a chance to turn yourself in, and make it easy for you." The figure says, the mouth that I can just barely make out smirking at me. "If you don't, then bringing you back may be a bit more… Painful, when we finally repair the device." They continue, the smirk changing into a malicious smile.
"Fuck him, let's get out of here." Demona suggests.
"And just how do you suppose we do that?" Angela asks. "We don't even know where here is." She continues.
"We got here because the retard took a nap. All he has to do is wake up." Demona answers her. Without saying anything in response to the two of them, or the weird hooded figure, I jump up from my chair and run off into the darkness, the voices laughing at me all the while. I charge forward, having no idea where I'm going, and hearing the sounds of… Things, chasing after me.
"Wake up, wake up, wake up!" I repeated to myself over and over, not daring to look back at my pursuers.
"Wake up!" Demona and Angela echoed.
"Wake up!"
"Wake up!"
"Wake up!"
"Kendrick! Wake Up!" A new, feminine voice yells out. I gasp as my eyes shoot open to reveal Nami shaking me awake with a concerned look on her face.
"I'm up, I'm up." I tell her, calming her down.
"Are you okay?" Nami asks, sounding concerned. "You started shaking and mumbling in your sleep and I couldn't wake you up." She tells me.
"I'm fine now, it was only a nightmare." I explained before looking away. "I hope…" I mumble to myself.
"Alright, well try and keep it together. Some pirates are heading this way and I have a plan." Nami tells me as I turn around to see her smirk.
Nami's plan was simple. (But it did not include killing the Batman) Pretend to need help and offer them treasure, stealing their ship from under them in the process. I could think of numerous ways this could go wrong, but I keep them to myself.
"This plan is unnecessary. We could just kill them and take their ship." Demona grumbles.
"That would be a bad idea." Angela tells her. "After all, that could go wrong more ways than the one that Nami came up with can."
"But I'm bo~~~red!" Demona whines, dragging out her "O" in exasperation. "And besides, what does it matter if the pirates kill her in the process? She tried to kill us before."
"Nami wasn't trying to kill us, just knock us out. Besides, she seems like a good person." I counter quietly, earning myself a '~shush~' from the girl in question. As the pirates draw closer, Nami sets her plan in motion. We're splayed across the edge of our boat, pretending to be dying from… Whatever sea troubles there are.
"Hey, what wrong with you? Are you almost dead?" One of them asks us.
"Ahhh…am I dreaming? We actually found someone… In this vast ocean." Nami drawls out, pretending to be seriously ill. "Please… Help us… We need water." She continues.
"We can pay you… We have treasure." I gasp out, gesturing to a chest that's on board the small ship. "Please… Help us." I continue.
"Sure, we'll help ya!" A different pirate replies with a smirk. "But, can we see that treasure chest first?" He asks.
"Take whatever you want, but please give us water first." I gasp out as they climb on board and walk up to the chest.
"What's the hurry?" Another of the three pirates asks. "We'll save ya, just going to peek at the chest first." He says, chuckling afterwards as the three of them hang over the chest.
"Since you seem to like it so much, we'll throw in the boat as well." Nami giggles out, amused at the sight of the pirates' surprised faces. We watch them with mirth as we sail of on their ship, having snuck on while they were distracted by the empty chest.
"They took our ship!" One of them shouts.
"And this chest is empty!" Another continues. Suddenly, a dark cloud drifted toward them, signifying the beginning of a storm and violently wrecking the ship. I look over at Nami, who seems extremely pleased with herself.
"Nicely done, that storm helped us as well." I remark with a smile.
"Just as I expected." Nami smirks, turning to inspect the treasure that the pirates had with them.
"…Wait, you knew the storm was going to happen?" I ask her in surprise, realizing what she was implying. "How did you do that?" I ask.
"I can predict the weather. I am a navigator after all." Nami replies, giving a thumbs-up. "I can navigate through anything, even the worst storms." She says with a slightly smug voice.
"Cool." I tell her, sitting down. "See Demona, she has skills too."
"~Bah~ She can sail, so what?" Demona grumbles. "What's she going to do in a fight?"
"I'm sure she can take care of herself, how else would she have made it this far?" Angela says.
"Besides, now that I'm here I can help her." I offer.
"Are you okay?" Nami asks me, looking worried once again.
"Yeah, why?" I ask her, wondering what's wrong.
"You keep talking to yourself." Nami answered.
"Oh… Um, I'm not talking to myself." I say uncertainly. "See… I'm talking to Demona and Angela, the… Voices in my head." I tell her, knowing how it must sound.
"Oh… Okay." Nami replies, smiling nervously and looking away.
"I don't think that was a good idea." Angela tells me nervously.
"What does it matter?" Demona asks. "It's not like we can do anything about it."
"Yeah, even if we tried to hide it the truth would come out eventually." I said. "Demona's right, it's easier to tell the truth."
"So!" Nami interrupts, fairly loudly at that. "Kendrick. Why do you look like that? I assumed it was a trick of the moon last night, but now I can see that it's just how you are."
"Do you mean my paleness?" I ask her, receiving a confirming nod. "I've heard a variety of reasons. I'm pale so I don't have any protection from the sun and things like that, or perhaps it's because I haven't seen the light in three years. Which I hope is the case because then I'll gain my Caucasian skin back. Somebody once thought it was because I was in that place for no reason, so my 'purity' was showing through. But I never really liked that one." I tell her.
"Why not?" Nami asks, adjusting our course slightly.
"It makes me sound like I'm better than other people, but I'm not." I answer. "I'm…I was just an average kid."
"What changed?" Nami asks me curiously.
"~Sigh.~ Lots of things. I look like a ghost, I have trouble sleeping, and I get tired in water." I tell her "But it's not all bad, Demona and Angela are nice company, I kept my advanced healing, and now I've met you. You're the first real person I've had a conversation with in ages." I tell her with a slight smile. Nami returns it, before going back to sailing. It was a few minute later that she seemed to pick up on something specific I'd said.
"Did you say you get tired in water?" She asks me.
"Yeah, it's weird." I answer her. "It's never happened to me before but touching water just… Drains me. It's scary too. I can still feel and think and stuff, but it's like I lose control of my body." I tell her. Confused because during my stay in Damnation, I'd been drowned, water boarded, and shot with a hose for hours. Yet none of that stuff affected me like it has been over the past day back in the mortal realm… Though, I guess it could have caused something like PTS… But I'm not entirely sure.
"It sounds to me like you ate a Devil Fruit." Nami says, looking interested.
"What's a Devil Fruit?" I ask her.
"I've only heard stories about them, but Devil fruits are supposed to give the person who eats it special powers." Nami explains. "It takes away your ability to swim, however, because the sea hates you for it."
"What do they look like?" I ask her, wondering if one of the fruits I'd eaten on the island was a Devil Fruit.
"I don't know. As I said I've only heard stories, I've never actually seen one in person." Nami tells me. "Or anyone who has supposedly eaten one either." She continues.
"There were some fruits on the island I woke up on." I tell her. "I wonder what it did, if I actually ate one." I wonder out loud.
"Your healing?" Nami offers.
"No, I've always been able to do that." I explain. "They did it to us so the… Punishments would always hurt. No scar tissue to numb the pain." I tell her with a downcast expression. Nami doesn't say anything, but she suddenly seems uncomfortable. I don't think much of it though. I wouldn't like to hear about someone else being tortured either.
I don't know how long it took, probably another couple days. But we eventually reached another island. Seeing it in the distance made me realize that I still didn't know where I was. "Hey Nami, where are we?" I ask her. "See, I'm not really from here." I elaborate.
"How do you not know where you are?" Nami asks in confusion, before shrugging it off and explaining anyway. "We're in the East Blue, heading to Orange Town." She tells me.
"Oh, the East Blue… And where exactly is that?" I ask, receiving a strange look from Nami in response to my question. Then, Nami explains how the world was split into four seas. The North Blue, South Blue, East Blue, and West Blue. The different oceans were split into these sections because of the Grand Line and the Red Line, which ran perpendicular to each other. The Red Line is a large continent that spans the planet, the only sizable land mass beyond islands in the world. The Grand Line is apparently some kind of ocean current that is supposed to be very dangerous, wrapping around the world in the other direction. The whole thing sounded crazy to me, but I accept it. After spending three years in Damnation, it's hard not to accept the fact of other worlds and dimensions.
"This is all basic knowledge for travelers, how do you not know this?" Nami asks me when she finishes explaining.
"Well, using what you've just told me I've come to the conclusion that I'm in a different universe than my old home." I answer her. "Because where I come from, there are seven continents, and seven seas." I elaborate.
"…Sure." Nami says hesitantly, before letting the conversation die. A few hours later, we dock at the island and go to explore the town, myself pulling my chain behind me, seeing demolished buildings everywhere.
"Looks like they're remodeling the place." I joke, turning in a circle to look at all the buildings.
"No, that would be the work of Buggy the Clown." Nami tells me, sounding deathly serious. "He attacked the island and set up his base here." She says.
"Oh, so why did we come here?" I ask her in confusion. "Are we going to save the people here?"
"Buggy has something that I need, so I'm going to steal it." Nami explains. "I have to go alone to be safe. Can you take care of yourself for a while?" She asks me.
"Sure." I answer with a shrug. "Good luck, and be careful." I tell her. Nami nods in response, before running off into the village.
"…And just like that we're alone again." Demona remarks.
"Not completely, we still have each other." I counter. Demona grunts in response.
"Let's see if we can find anything useful, like food." Angela suggests, prompting me to start moving.
I don't know how long I was looking, but eventually I grew tired of lugging the heavy chain around and dropped it on the ground, inciting various protests from Demona. "What are we supposed to do if we're attacked?" She demanded. "Use our hands?"
"Why not? It worked before." I reply. "Why are you getting so worked up about it?" I ask her.
"…I thought it would be cool." She answers, and I could hear the pout in her voice.
"You're right, it would be cool." I agree. "But it's also highly inconvenient to use." I explain.
"So what are we going to do?" Angela asked. "With our hands I mean. The only fighting style we know is what you learned during your run-ins with the bullies from before you died."
"I picked up some things from Benoit while he was serving his time in Damnation, how hard could it be to copy some of his old wrestling moves?" I ask her.
"Great, so we have the combined fighting style of improved fighting and watching a sport made up of actors." Demona groans out, referring to how she believes that wrestling is just made up for entertainment. "I miss the chain already." It was then that we hear a large explosion. Worried for Nami, I run in the direction we heard it come from and see her run into a building. I run after her and notice some kid fighting in the street, giving a beat down to some shady looking guys and succeeding in knocking them all out.
"Wow! You're really strong!" Nami exclaims from a balcony of the building after the kid was done. "You beat those guys who had swords with your bare-hands!"
"Who are you anyway?" The kid asks her as I walk closer to them.
"I'm a thief that steals from pirates." Nami introduces herself, jumping down into the street. "My name is Nami."
"What, you're not going to break his nose?" I ask her, feigning confusion. "I thought that's how you greeted people?" I continue, teasing her about how she greeted me.
"Only people who almost get me killed!" Nami growls out. Then the kid starts laughing.
"You guys are funny." The boy laughs out. Now that I'm closer to him, I notice what the kid looks like. He's a little shorter than myself and Nami, with lots of dark hair hidden under the straw hat he's wearing. He has on a red, sleeveless vest and what looks like jeans rolled up to be shorts. He has a scar under his left eye, and seems pretty thin for somebody who just knocked out a group of men. Although, looks can be deceiving.
"Hey there, I'm Kendrick." I introduce myself. "What's your story?" I ask him.
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy, and I'm going to be King of the Pirates." He tells me with a wide grin.
Author's Note Part 2: Alright people, so as told before, I've adopted this story with permission from kta250298. The reason being that after reading their story, and how they discontinued it, I saw how good it was and wished for it to be continued. So, I'm continuing it for them. Unfortunately, for those of you who've read the first version posted by them, you may notice a few changes that will be made. Such as the fact that there will be no Zane in this. Sorry people, but because kta250298 pretty much made a re-write where Zane is Ken's other personality, I'm just not gonna include him. So, that means that Ken may actually be a part of the Usopp arc. Yay! More changes in this story include: Devil's Kiss. Now, for those of you who are wondering why I put that in, but this isn't a crossover, it's because the only thing I'm bringing in is the vigor (and possibly others) instead of other things. So I'm not going to make it a crossover if the only thing I'm not going to bring in anything else.
Not only that, but also other changes that will happen later, and the fact that the demons will take longer to catch up to him. Since I'm not very well versed in writing out stories where there's a running theme throughout it, instead I'm going to make it so that when Ken faces off against the demons from his past, (literally) it's going to be in his own "Arc."
Now, another thing about this story. Yes, it will be a Ken x Nami fanfiction. Based off what kta250298 wrote in their version, that's the direction that I saw the story going in, so that's the way that I'm going to make it go in. There will NOT be any harems in this, nor will there be any double couples. (Aka Ken/Nami/Someone else) It will only include single couples.
Finally, I'd like to say this to all of you who've read this far, and also read my other stories. Don't worry! I've been getting quite a few PM's asking about my other stories, and what's happening with them. So I'm going to address that here (even though it's on my bio.) I will continue them. It's just that with how my brain works, I could be writing one story for a few minutes, before thinking of an idea for another story and starting on it. That then leads to me working on that specific story for the rest of the day. Take my Danny Phantom/Teen Titans crossovers for example. I've got the next chapters for both "A Phantom of the Titans" as well as "The Mirror of Notnef" almost completed. But because all these other ideas continue to pop up for other stories, I don't have the ideas that I need for those stories. Heck, you've seen how I'm trying to work on my stories that I've left sit for a while, but it's getting harder and harder as time goes on.
Anyways, thanks for everyone who's read down to this point, and I hope to see you all soon!
