Through the Edge
By Sarlaccboy
Chapter 1: Rawkea-kun
"We've been sailing for hours now! How long will it be until we reached Denma?" asked the young boy pirate. The boy had short black hair, wore a white shirt with the word "Maleko" on it, and black short pants.He had been sailing on the North Blue in the Blue Sea for days now, and he still did not know where he was going. He spoke to a woman older than him, who leant on the side railing of the ship and gazed out at the sea. She smiled and turned to the boy. Her long, flowing, raven hair blew in the breeze. Her eyes were a unique gold color. She wore a blue t-shirt with long violet pants. On her arm, she had strapped a Log Pose (a useful compass tool for navigating the Grand Line).
"Patience, Rawkea," she said in a soothing voice. She knelt down beside him and stroked his cheek. "We'll get to Denma soon. But in the meantime, why don't you help Dot Com-san with his swordplay skills? He needs the assistance."
"Right, Captain!" Rawkea saluted his captain and ran off to the back of the boat to find Dot Com, the swordsman of the ship. Dot Com used a long bladed sword that he claimed was found in the Grand Line called "Kageken". Rawkea listened in amazement every time Dot Com told him about his perilous journeys into the Grand Line. He said he fought giants, beasts the size of a boat, and found great treasures that were too amazing to believe.
Rawkea turned around the large wooden galley and saw Dot Com practicing his agile fighting on an army of dummies. He moved among them with great stealth and speed, slicing and stabbing as he went along. Shreds of cloth and stuffing fell silently to the ground just as softly as Dot Com's steps. Rawkea's mouth dropped in amazement as Dot Com walked away from the dummies, which were now on the wooden deck in pieces. He sheathed Kageken and walked over to a clapping, excited Rawkea.
"That was awesome, Dot Com-sensei!" he exclaimed Dot Com smiled slightly. His rusty, ruffled red hair complemented his deep blue eyes. He stood tall, wearing black pants, an open solid black jacket revealing a white beater shirt. He nodded his head to Rawkea.
"Why're you here, Rawkea-kun?" Dot Com asked. He put his hands into the pockets of his long black pants. "Did Ellie-san want a favor of me?" A very large seagull landed on the back railing of the ship. Dot Com looked back at it and smiled.
"No, sensei," Rawkea said. "She told me to come here because you need training and I'm bored of waiting for us to reach Denma. So what do you say? Will you-" Just then, Rawkea was interrupted by a laugh. It came from behind Dot Com. Just then, the seagull morphed and turned into a human wearing white robes. He had medium length blond hair, and had a regular compass strapped to his right wrist and a Log Pose like Ellie's strapped to his left. His face was almost birdlike in a sense.
"WAH!" Rawkea cried, stumbling back and falling down onto the deck. "Wh-wh-who are you? WHAT are you?" Rawkea sat on the deck scared and trembling. Dot Com quickly calmed Rawkea down.
"Did I scare you, kid?" the mysterious seagull-man asked, chuckling. "I'm sorry for the entrance, but I need to see Ellie-san and Dot Com-san. I have news for them from Cocoyashi Village the East Blue. It seems that a famous navigator has created a new kind of Pose that can be used anywhere. It's got a voice system inside that recognizes each island and also detects when unknown islands are around. Here," the man squatted down, lifted up his robe, and untied a paper tied to his leg. "I ordered one for you. Pick it up when you reach Denma." He handed the small paper to Dot Com., who pocketed it quickly.
"Thanks, Sazzu," Dot Com said. "We're glad to have you as a member of the Gold Eyes Pirates! Don't fall into the water, ok?" Sazzu the seagull man nodded, morphed back into his large seagull form, and flew off into the sky into the distance.
"WOW!" Rawkea exclaimed. "That was awesome! How did he do that, huh! Come on, Dot Com-sensei! How did he turn into a seagull?"
Dot Com took a deep sigh, began to walk to the large, protruding galley, and beckoned Rawkea to come. Rawkea followed Dot Com until they both reached the galley's wooden back. "Do you promise not to tell Ellie-san what I'm going to show you?"
"The back of the galley? The entrance to the galley is on the other side, sensei!"
Dot Com nodded. "I know, Rawkea-kun," he said quietly. "We're not going into the galley. Look." Dot Com reached his hand to a plank of wood and pressed against it. Five more planks drew back into a small doorway of a small, dark, wooden room. Rawkea's mouth gaped with awe and confusion.
"When did this get here, Dot Com-sensei?" he asked, amazed. "Does Ellie-san know about this?" Dot Com paused for a moment, then shook his head. Rawkea slowly stepped into the the room, quickly followed by Dot Com, who shut the door. The room was lit up dimly due to the bright sunlight seeping through the wooden planks on the room. Dot Com walked over to a large, red chest in the corner of the room and opened it, showing Rawkea the contents.
Inside the box were many odd looking fruits of all different shapes and colors with swirl marks. Rawkea bent closer to the box and examined the fruits more closely. The fruits were in three compartments of the box, separated by a wooden board. "These," Dot Com said. "are Devil Fruits. They are extremely rare outside of the Grand Line like where we are. If one were to take a bite of or eat one of these fruits, a great power would be bestowed upon the eater."
"COOL!" Rawkea grabbed a crimson fruit and opened his mouth wide. Dot Com quickly grabbed his arm and squeezed as hard as he could.
"No, Rawkea-kun!" Dot Com said angrily. "There are consequences to eating a Devil Fruit!" Rawkea pulled the fruit away from his mouth and closed his jaws. "One who eats a Devil Fruit loses the ability to swim. You'll sink like a stone if you fall into the sea." Rawkea frowned.
"WHAT! All my hard years of swimming will go to waste if I eat this fruit!" he shouted. Dot Com shot him hand over Rawkea's mouth.
"Shut up, baka!" Dot Com hissed angrily. "If Ellie-san finds out about these Devil Fruits, I'll be kicked out of the Gold Eyes Pirates! Now as your sensei, I'm letting you eat one of the fruits from the first compartment. They are the most common fruit type. If you would like to have the power, choose a fruit, but you cannot eat two fruits because your body will destroy itself. If you eat one, you must not submerge half of your body in water, or you will be powerless. Choose quickly."
Rawkea looked at the crimson fruit in his hand. It was from the first container. He shrugged, opened his mouth up wide and took a bite out of it. He expected a luscious, juicy fruit. He got instead a mouthful of something rancid and disgusting tasting. He grimaced for a short while, and then swallowed the piece.
"Well, Rawkea-kun," Dot Com inquired. "do you feel different?" Rawkea sat still for a moment. He felt nothing. He looked back at Dot Com and shook his head. "That usually happens with most Devil Fruit users. Just wait a while and we'll see what happens. But do NOT tell Ellie-san about this, ok?" Rawkea smiled and nodded. They both walked out of the chamber quietly, and Rawkea continued to help Dot Com train.