Chapter 1: Prologue

"If any organism fails to fulfill its potentialities, it becomes sick."

- William James

...

A young girl stood in front of the wooden bath tub, her eyes switching back and forth to her bath and the door. It was a large room, she thought at least 30 people could fit and roam about. Her master had forced her to bathe, because of the obvious stench she carried on her body. But he sat there, watching, in the corner of the room with a glass of rare wine and a cigar in hand. Like he always did. Always watching as he ordered her to undress, in which she did with practiced emotions in its place.

She hated to admit she was almost used to his eyes on her under developed body. The first time he had ordered her to strip and bathe while he watched made her freeze and stumbled away from him in fear. It did no justice to her as he had whipped her and repeatedly ordered her to undress until her clothes became tattered, and her skin bearing a lot of ugly red lines.

A thought of running away was in the back of her mind. However, the thoughts of her master placing hearty meals on the table and a generous grandeur of jewelry in a pouch for her to wear in her spare time was an act of kindness that she longed to see. Then there was the clothes and wigs he had supplied for her. It was generosity, her brain had planted a praise button in her. So long as she do as she was told, he would not beat her and she would be fed.

Stripping her clothes off, she walked to the steaming tub as she glanced at her master. He was just a stone of a man as he looked though her soul. Taking a sip from his wine, the girl looked away and climbed in the tub. Her aching muscles slowly relaxes in the heat. The training she had to endure was too much for her small body.

"How is the water, the man must ask."

Always speak when spoken to, she reminded herself as her nails bedded in her skin. "Warm, she answered." She spoke in his strange third person view, refusing to look at his strange glowing blue eyes. He was capable of normal speech, but only in public.

"The piercing?" His eyes trailed to her chest. It was traditional in their country to have their females get their left nipples pierced as it symbolizes a coming of age ceremony. It represented sexuality and femininity. Additional to it, jewelry was a symbol of class. For men, a tribal tattoo of an animal on their forearm, and the tattoo may continue everywhere, regarding the man to be the most honourable man. And it wasn't a piece of cake getting one. It was old-fashioned and deadly. And it must be earned.

"Painless."

He stood up from his wooden chair. The old room seemed to grow smaller as he rose up to his full height. Tall and muscular, dark and disenchanting. He took long strides to the door before pausing briefly, and he instructed a few words for her.

"The girl's name will be Ayame from now on."

...

"...ame! ... Ayame!" A worried voice called for her as her body shook violently. Whoever was calling for her continued to shake her as her body attempted to fight back by swinging her arms at the offender. "Wake up! You're having a bad dream!" Nami shouted, continuously provoked her as another pair of hands prevented her legs from kicking. Even a familiar pawing on her wavy hair was trying to wake her from her dream.

...

The door creaked and swung open before slamming behind her master. It was only in that time she could weep and hold her body close to her heart. Her hand went above her right hip and pressed on it. A stinging pain jolted her through her spine. The stitching was still on and her wound was still healing. He had her take some pills to slow her healing process. The thought of the man surgically altering her body without antiseptics nearly made her vomit-

...

Ayame yelped, startling the group before her. Her hand flew to her right abdomen, and pressed on it. Her breathing was haggard and her eyes wildly flew to her surroundings. A wooden room rocking in against the waves as worried faces entered her ocular vision. Nami, Usopp, Chopper, and her dearest Kit, a black fox with gold markings on its back.

Blinking at them, she slowly became aware of herself as she coughed awkwardly.

"May I help you?" She questioned, straightening her back to appear presentable. Although her messy hair and bags under her eyes suggested otherwise, the pirates blinked owlishly at her. If this was a way to look cool, it was futile.

The black fox hopped on her lap and reached up to sniff her face as if it was wondering what is wrong with her mentality.

Usopp huffed at their direction and crossed his arms. All three of the pirates were worried over their so-called Fortune Teller after another heat stroke yesterday. Apparently, she got too excited when she saw dolphins doing their little dance. It annoyed him that she would always play it cool, but it ended up being weird and almost comical. Just as he was about to nag her, Nami beat him to it.

"Haven't I told you to stop wearing too much clothes and much less - dark clothes?!" She started as her fox nodded in agreement. Kit was bigger now. It was once the size of a pomelo, and now it was longer and almost the size of a small dog. Sometimes the two of them would retaliate on her, pinning her to the wall with their lectures - well, Nami's lectures and Kit's constant nodding and pawing. The two were a force to be reckon with. "Look at you!" She gave her quick overall look and grimaced. "Black tank top, black sweater, a choker - and I bet your wearing black granny panties!"

Usopp made a sour face. "Whoa, too much information." He covered Chopper's ear and guiding themselves outside of the room, with the protest of the Doctor.

"-I still need to check her BP and temperature!"

"That can wait." The sniper muttered.

Ayame opened her mouth and gaped. "For your information, I prefer my small clothes to cover my entire rear and not those," she made a face, looking over Nami in accusation, before continuing, "dental-floss, or whatever you call those things." She muttered, getting up from her bed with a little trouble.

"They're thongs. Nothing wrong with them." Nami gave her a Cheshire grin. Rummaging through their closet and drawers, the woman busied herself by looking for a new outfit for her friend. But as she looked through the bralettes and push-up bras, she slowly turned her head in a smug manner. She remembered something. "Unlike you and your nipple piercing - Now that's something else." She winked back at her. "Maybe I should get one myself. It looks amazing!"

The girl rolled her eyes a little too hard and nearly knocked herself out. She dug through "last season's" fashion pile before Nami could find something. But a bunch of clothing fell on her arms, causing Ayame to sigh heavily. It wasn't black. And it wasn't at all decent in her account.

"What is this shit?" She questioned in a low blank tone. Picking up a baby blue thong with her nails, she grimaced at it and stretched it before flinging it across the room. Kit's eyes gleamed at the new toy and darted to it.

Nami cried and grabbed it from the silly fox. "That is a cheeky!"

"That's a thong." Ayame stated blankly before looking through the pile she gave her. Before another appearance of disgust claimed her face. She turned to Nami and picked up the white bralette, showing it to her with an incredulous look. "This is see-through!"

"Uh, well duh. Quite airy and thin." The navigator cooed, running her fingertips across the surprisingly soft fabric. "Perfect for your condition."

She-devil incarnate... Ayame thought, irking. Then her eyes went to the high-waist baby blue draped skirt and a white crop top. "No. Nope." She shook her head, tossing the clothes in the air and headed straight to her bed. "These clothes are atrocious. If it's not black, I'm not wearing it!"

Nami eyed her faded pink hair and spotted the dark roots in derision. "Don't make me get Robin-onee~" She sang in a threatening way, making the girl freeze. It happened a couple of times, but Ayame never thought Robin would actually try to undress her. "Well?"

The girl turned around and smiled forcibly. "I, I guess it's just for one day..." She picked up the discarded clothes, including the absurd small clothes.

"Great!" Nami clapped happily. Seeing the fox on the bed, she gave it a thumbs up and it yowled in excitement. Then her brown orbs went to Ayame's frozen form. "Well? What's keeping you?"

She cleared her throat and held her hand out, fluttering it. "I need privacy. Please."

The woman rolled her eyes and complied, taking Kit with her.

Once they were gone, Ayame waited for a minute before stripping out of her clothes. They were damp in sweat. So she had decided to shower and do all her morning routine before wearing the borrowed clothes. The faint memory of her master in the bathroom caused her to shiver. She did not know what or why he would sit and watch her, but he was just there. He never made any inappropriate moves, but he studied her, as a scientist would to their creation.

Shaking her head from the awful memories, she looked at the underwear in distaste before slipping it on. It wasn't lacy, which she was thankful for, but this was not a cheeky!

Just suck it up. She thought without thinking about the aftermath of how that sounded it her head. It caused her face to distort at the imagination. Oh right. I'm wearing a thong. Currently wedge between my cheeks. "Sucked up." Ayame thought in dry humor.

...

Opening the door cautiously, Ayame peered in the kitchen to see breakfast set up and the pirates ravaging the meals Sanji prepared. Everyone was there. And worst of all, Nami had left a pair of heels to match with her outfit. It was against her will to wear heels over 2-inches. She had no practice wearing 4-inched heels - she was practically walking in chopsticks. If Nami hadn't decided to barred up all their closets and drawers, Ayame would be wearing flats or 2-inched heels. But the Navigator took it upon herself to help their Fortune Teller's taste in fashion.

The girl took a deep breath and calmed her nerves as much as she can. Her knees may be bruised and sore from trying the heels, but she needed to practice if these were her only shoes. Her eyes landed to the Swordsman and she glowered at him. He'll make fun of her for sure. It was a gut-feeling. Taking a step forward, she reassured herself that she wouldn't fall.

Don't fall. Don't fall - And... Caught myself! Good. Now don't fall. Don't fall. Don't- "Eek!"

And she fell unceremoniously on the wooden floor.

The chitchat and clatter stopped, and eyes flew to the sight of their Fortune Teller sprawled on the ground. After a few seconds, Sanji threw his frying behind him - nearly hitting Usopp if he hadn't jumped away - and he fled to Ayame's side. Once she saw him rushing towards her, she threw her arm across her chest to prevent watchful eyes directing at her breasts. The top may not be too revealing, but the fabric was thin. In her country, going braless was a normal thing - in fact, it was not needed - but that was her culture. In the outside world, it was seen as indecent. Enticing. Sexual.

Sanji held her hand as an arm braced around her waist. "Oh, my poor cherie!" He rubbed his thumb on her hand in a friendly gesture. "Are you all right?" She was most grateful for his sincerity.

"Define 'all right?'" She shot a glare at Nami, who had an innocent smile yet a devilish glint in her eyes.

Zoro glanced behind and gave her an overall look. "You look like a two-dollar hooker." He expressed his disdain for her incomplete look. She had her makeup done in the most simplistic way, but her hair was a dreadful mess. It looked like a bird made a nest on her head.

Ayame offered him a smile, but not a kind one. "I had some trouble climbing up the stairs." Another glare was shot towards Nami as Sanji helped her up, gently.

"Naturally." He grunted, continuing with his breakfast.

The girl shot her eyes back at Zoro and she raised her hand to whack him until Sanji squealed at her.

"Ayame, my dear - you look so cute!" He stepped back to marvel her outfit. However, when his eye did more than marvel her outfit, she caught them on her breasts. The moment his eye faltered and blinked in realization, she gasped and her hands flew to covered her breasts.

"Don't look!" She yelled at him, causing the Chef to blink widely before bashfully looking away.

Sanji merely laughed and tried to reassure her that he wasn't looking in that particular spot, but everyone knew he did. There was simply no hiding it. "Here, let me help you-"

"N-no, I can manage."

"I insist-"

Ayame turned on him with a deep frown. "Sanji, don't make me pick you up by your eyebrows and toss you out of the ship!"

"Now that'll be a sight to behold." Robin giggled.

Luffy slammed the table in good spirits as he pictured it in his head. "Shi-ahahaha! You're so funny, Ayame!" He said as he shoveled all of the food in his mouth. The pirates glanced at him in awe before sneering. "Yosh! That Granny Kokoro said we're near Water 7, so I'll go on look out! Shihehehe!" He marched out of there before anyone could beat him up.

"I didn't even snatch a sandwich..." Usopp leaned on Chopper for moral support as the reindeer nibbled on an apple slice, also tearing up.

"Oi, Ayame!" Luffy called. "Tell me about Water 7!"

"I'm not a tourist guide."

"Well of course not, you're a fortune teller!" His hand sprung from the door and latched onto her forearm, dragging her to his favorite spot on the ship. The Going Merry's head.

Ayame facepalmed. "It's not the same thing."

Nami shut her eyes and pinched her nose bridge. "God preserve us."

"Oi, Luffy! She didn't get to eat anything yet!" Sanji stomped after them.

A/N

This story is a slow progressive love story. This is rated M for maturity. I'm going to make this story a little more interesting and longer so we can delve in a bit in Ayame's past and the history of her homeland. I think it will give more character to my story.

Also, I'm adding a love triangle. *Smirks* 'Cause fuck it. I'm going to play with your hearts and watch you go through the Seven Stages of Grief. You better prepare the tissues and chocolate. I will show you no mercy.

Oh. And I apologize for the spelling and odd words. I use my iPhone to write my stories and it likes to autocorrect me.