Hello folks! This is my OC's adventure in the world of One Piece. This is in collaboration with Ang3l S0ng's own fanfiction Falling Apart. It is basically how my character ended up in One Piece and her own adventures there before (And after) she meets Asa. Hope you enjoy!
I own nothing, except my OC. Angels character is her own, and I hope I portray her right when I (Eventually) get to that part!
'That is not my ceiling' was my first thought as I awoke to the land of the living. The ceiling was a summer-sky blue, and considering I remember my ceiling being white… well, you can see how this would be considered strange, at least to me. I tried to turn my head, but a pain rippled up and down my spine, reawakening nerves that had apparently been numb until now. The rest of my body was quick to join in reminding my brain just how much pain I was in.
"Ow…" I croaked, the sound jerked someone awake. They had been sitting in a chair, and the movement was so sudden they fell out and landed with a loud 'thump'. They were quick to get up though, and looked at me in amazement.
"You're… you're alive" the man breathed, as though it was a miracle. Considering how much pain I'm in, it just might be. I grinned at the man, taking in his appearance; he was a matured man, about forty years old with dark brown hair that was beginning to grey at the root. He had fuzz around his jaw, hinting that he hadn't shaved for a few days, and his warm green eyes were wide with amazement.
"Yep" I croaked again, coughing at the dryness of my throat. How long had I been out? I think the man could read my mind because, as he poured me a drink of water from the jug on the bedside table, he began to explain things. Helping me drink since I couldn't move, you know, being half dead and all.
"You've been out for nearly four days; found you buried six feet under during a landslide. In the middle of a storm no less! We brought you in, but everyone thought you wouldn't make it" he sighed and ran a hand through his hair "I should go tell my wife you're awake, but be warned, she can be a bit much sometimes" he added before standing and leaving the room. I blinked once, twice, thrice, and then I remembered what had happened. Death had sent me here, to do what I couldn't be sure exactly, but I was pretty much just meant to meddle with things. Live.
"Living wills have to wait, me-thinks" I muttered, wondering if Death could hear me. Lord knows I wouldn't be going anywhere soon, not in this condition at least. But what will I even do? How will I even explain this? Was I inland, or was this the coast? My thoughts were cut short as a woman with long blonde hair that was kept in a tight braid swept into the room. Her blue eyes narrowed on me and I suddenly felt like a child about to get scolded for playing in the dirt while wearing brand new clothes.
"Before I get ahead of myself, are you alright dear?" she asked, I nodded slowly, wincing when pain shot through my head and back at the motion. "Apparently not, what were you thinking? Running around in a storm like that, just look at you! You could have died!"
"I'm pretty sure I did, at one point" I responded, the woman paused and looked at me in surprise. After a few tense moments I couldn't keep my seldom expression together and grinned at her. She huffed irritably before turning on her heel and poking at her, notably taller, husbands' chest.
"You make sure she doesn't leave her bed, I'll make her something hot to eat, the doctor should be coming by soon…" she went on a bit more before retreating back the way she came, which I assume would be the kitchen. The man sighed, and returned to his original seat.
"So…" I started slowly "where am I?"
The man gave me a level look before sighing "You're in Shore Town, creative name huh?" he joked, before running a hand through his hair again "We found you unconscious on the beach, just under the cliff, during the storm but couldn't reach you when the top soil came loose and toppled on top of you. God knows how you survived"
'No, the Grimm Reaper does, though' I inwardly grinned, but kept my attention on the man –whose name I have yet to learn- as he continued to speak.
"We dug you out, and since I lived closest to the cliff you were placed here, doctor said your chances were slim, and of you not ending up a cripple were slimmer. Poor Maria was terrified for you, barely left your side and tended to you like the daughter she never had" he smiled and I found myself copying him.
"Thank you, for saving my life" I finally managed to say, my throat was beginning to dry again.
"No problem. Names Boris, and you?"
"Alexandra"
"Nice to meet you"
"Likewise"
"…"
"Tell me about Shore Town, where is it exactly?" and like that, the silence was filled, replaced by a gentle voice as he talked about his home, and everyone in it. Shore Town was on a large island, it was self-suppliant in fruit and fish, but traded with the surrounding islands for other things such as clothing and building materials. The surrounding towns were Oakridge and Driftwood Harbour. Oakridge tended the trees and the Harbour handled trade, while Shore Town brought in fish and clams –since the place was known for their pearls as well- and they all helped out amongst each other. The islands, which were named for what they were rich in –Fruit Island, Fisherman Island and other uncreative names that were still charming- and all these islands, were located in the West Blue, and it was storm season to boot.
"However, despite the fact that it's storm season, there are several luxury cruise ships that tour the islands. I suspect you were on one of those and were lucky enough to wash up here"
"Yeah… lucky" I said sardonically, unconvinced.
"Better than dead"
"Point taken"
"So you really can't remember what you were doing before you woke up?"
"Nah, but I remember most of my life before. But luckily I remember my dream" I smiled in relief and happiness.
"You're dream" Boris raised a brow at that, interest evident in his gaze.
"Uh-huh, my dream, to be the best martial artist" I said proudly, and then broke into another coughing fit. It was then that Maria sauntered in, and immediately set to scolding her husband as she sat on the side of the bed with a bowl of steaming soup in her hands.
"Oh come now Boris, don't make the girl talk so much. She needs rest for goodness sake! Go make sure the boat hasn't drifted away or something" she said sternly, but there was a loving look in her eyes and humour danced in the older males. Waving his hand he bid the two of us a goodnight and went upstairs, presumably to change since he was still in his pyjamas.
"Oh, that man. Sometimes I wonder why I married him" she grumbled, and I couldn't help but chuckled a little.
"Maybe it was a moment of madness?" I offered, and she nodded solemnly.
"I'm afraid so" she admitted. A moment passed before the two of us ended up laughing, though the fun was cut short when I had another coughing fit. Maria fretted over me and helped me drink some water, before she had me eating her specialty soup. And it was good, too. Fish and oysters, seasoned with herbs I was unfamiliar with, all floating around in a thick broth that soothed my throat like nothing else. I ate slowly, with the aid of Maria, and by the time I was done a great tiredness washed over me. The woman smiled, and tucked me in before collecting the dishes and leaving.
It went on much the same for a week. I would wake up at random intervals, to which either Maria or Boris would be waiting in that chair, watching over me –on occasion it was the doctor, but I think that was just coincidence- and making sure I was alright. Then they would bring me something to eat, I quickly learned Maria was the cook of this house, and they would tell me more about their home and the surrounding islands. Boris was definitely a born teacher, he even brought out a map and showed me all the places and what they were like, and while Maria was talkative she wasn't really one for gossip and was more interested in my opinions and thoughts, which was just as fun.
As it turned out, everyone knew about me. The girl buried alive. And a few of the townsfolk had visited, wishing me well and bringing gifts. To which I humbly, and somewhat awkwardly, accepted. I wasn't sure why they were being so friendly, they didn't know me and had no reason to be concerned. Maria had quickly realized how uncomfortable I was about this and took the gifts for me and managed to keep the visits quick, stating that I needed rest and all that.
"It's rare for anything unexpected to happen here, and they're all excited to meet you. You're like a walking adventure, and you did survive something that would kill most people" she had explained, and I had to laugh at that. At least I brought something good to this town.
A few days later, the doctor finally said I should be well enough to try and sit up, but he warned me to be slow and if I feel any intense pain around my spine to lie back down immediately. I nodded and slowly, so slowly, I was able to force my unused arms into working order and push myself into a sitting position. My back hurt, but the rest of my body ached just as much so I'm pretty sure that there was nothing worrying about my spine so far. Maria braced some pillows behind me, and I gratefully lent against them. Smiling thankfully at the woman, I looked to the doctor.
"General pain, but nothing to worry about" I assured "So how long till I can walk?" I asked after a moment. The couple taking care of me smiled knowingly, I had made my displeasure of being immobile known many times, and while they humoured me they too were beginning to feel restless about me being bedridden. The doctor sighed, knowing where this conversation was headed, before giving a single curt nod.
"Fine, but slow and steady, alright?" I nodded excitedly, and slowly pulled the many blankets off my body and tested out my legs. Bending them and curling my toes, that ever present ache was the only thing unpleasant I felt as blood returned to my lower limbs and my muscles relished in moving. Pins and needles covered the expanse of my legs and feet as I swung them over the edge and let them touch the cool wood floor, taking a calming breath, I waited for a moment more for my blood to regulate before making that final push.
My legs screamed in pain, and my veins were suddenly on fire while the muscles stung like acid. My back refused to straighten properly, my spine popping in multiple places and as the muscles were pulled it felt like they were being stretched to their very limit. My shoulders felt heavy, like I was carrying a fifty-kilo bag, and my neck was stiff. I suffered a severe dizzy spell from the sudden shift in my centre of gravity.
But I stood my ground, I waited for the dizziness to fade and my vision to return to normal before I forced my back to straighten, which led to more pressure to be released from my spine and I could have sworn I tore a back muscle. My legs didn't feel as though they were on fire anymore, but they still stung slightly and ached badly, most likely a mix of being unused and the veins getting used to having blood flowing through them. Finally, I stood straight and though my fingers were tingling from blood suddenly pooling there from gravity, I felt accomplished and momentarily forgot my pain.
"See? Nothing at all to worry about" I stated. Boris and Maria were smiling happily at me, and I returned it with my own bright smile. The doctor –Doctor Wells, I believe he introduced himself as- looked relieved and gave me his own sort of smile. He was a blonde man with brown eyes that were flecked with amber, and they were very pretty. He stood and, not surprisingly, was a good head or so above me. Boris was a giant, I realized. He easily towered over everyone in the room; I mean, Doctor Wells only came up to his chest! And Maria was shorter than me, and I was a little above average in height for my age so you can see just how odd-looking it is that someone so tall can marry someone so short.
"Yes, yes. Can you try walking?" Doctor Wells asked, and I swallowed before nodding. Unconsciously I held out my hand, and Maria was the first to move and grasp it, I looked up from where I was staring at my feet and smiled thankfully at her. Boris walked over to my other side and lightly held my arm, knowing I would be needing help with this. Taking a deep breath, I moved one shaky leg and my other leg promptly gave out under the sudden extra weight. The couple caught me and helped back onto my feet.
"Okay, that's enough. We don't want to push-"
"I can do this!" I cut him off, glaring at the ground. Taking a deep breath, I focused on my feet again. This time I slowly put my weight on my left leg, and shakily slid my right foot over the floor. Placing it down again, even though it barely left the cool ground in the first place, I kept my legs bent. Slowly I added weight onto my right leg, and slowly moved my left. After what felt like hours, which was only about a minute, I felt like I had run a marathon, when really I had barely taken even a small step. But at least I was beginning to move, with help, but it was better than nothing.
"Baby steps" I muttered, allowing the couple to sit me down on the bed again. I leant against the wall of pillows and covered my bandaged legs with the blankets. I was still covered from head to toe with bandages and Band-Aids and white patches were bandages were just unpractical to place. The doctor was surprised by my fast recovery, and estimated that I would be able to walk on my own within a week. So, naturally, I was determined to prove him wrong. I managed to do it in five days.
It had been early morning, and Boris had come ambling down with steps heavy with sleep. He had stepped into the lounge room, which was where my bed was for some reason, with the intent of getting the morning mail. He exited the building and returned shortly afterwards, going through the bills and 'get well' cards sent by the many people who knew me, before he finally paused. Eyes trailed from the empty bed, before going to the sofa where I was currently located, reading a book that was about Alabasta. His eyes continued to flicker from me to the bed and back again.
"You just had to prove him wrong, didn't you?" he asked with a sigh, though humour laced his tone. "Maria is going to throw a fit" he added after a moment, and I couldn't help but smile.
"Yep, but I'm pretty sure she'll be happy as well" I said, and he chuckled before going to the kitchen to prepare some coffee.
As it turns out, Maria did throw a fit, a completely joyous and happy one. She gave a quick scolding on following doctors' orders, before hugging me tightly and going on about how now I could actually be of use and see the town and a bunch of other stuff I only half understood. Boris, thank Christ for the tall man, saved me and told his wife that while I could walk I was still healing. The woman had practically dropped me.
In the next few days, I began helping around the house with some easy jobs like cleaning and laundry. Maria was a real slave-driver, but she was super helpful and never made me do more than I could. Once I got rid of the bandages –my skin can actually breathe- Boris took me out fishing. I can tell you now: my hands were covered in tiny red dots from continuously poking myself with the hooks.
When I was finally well enough to actually see the town, I realised that my clothes from the landslide had been thrown out because they really were nothing more than dirty rags. But Maria, the woman of multiple talents, had sewn me a new dress. Storm season had ended, apparently I was just a week off the end of storm season, but that wasn't really surprising knowing my luck. The dress was a pale blue, like an early winter morning sort of blue, and went down to my knees. The area around the chest was bunched and the thick straps, which had furls on them, could hang off my shoulders and the dress wouldn't slip. I blushed and thanked the woman profusely for the gift, and after slipping on some white sandals I followed the shorter woman out of the house and into the street, my simple braid swinging slightly behind me.
It was mid-morning, so the centre plaza was busy with people. I blinked at how large the plaza actually was. Maria explained that the plaza had been built with the intention of all the citizens being able to stand in it with room to move. I had blinked before nodding, still amazed at the sheer expanse of the centre. The stone work, for the floor, was a mix of pinkish red and white tiles, the white tiles had grey and black blurry dots on it and the patterns were very abstract. In the centre was a large and simple grey-stone fountain. Stalls and shops surrounded the area, and I felt a little overwhelmed. For the last two weeks my world consisted of Boris's and Maria's home, and now it was suddenly expanding. I trailed after Maria like a duckling following its mother, holding a loose weaved bag. The first stop was the clothing store, and I inwardly cringed at having to tell Maria that I wasn't really a dress type. Sure, they were comfy but not practical for what I wanted to do.
Surprisingly enough, the woman understood. "I was a rebel once too, you know" were her exact words. And I can honestly say I was not surprised by that, it was fairly easy to imagine a tomboy with blonde hair and a short stature. So, we spent a good two hours trying on clothes and talking. I met at least a dozen people and it was a bit unnerving to be known by so many yet not know them.
As the day continued on, I swear I met at least half the population of Shore Town. And they all loved talking with me; even the extremely feminine girls whom I usually would hate having to deal with were okay. So, by the time I got home with Maria I was exhausted both physically and mentally. Putting everything away, I walked over to the sofa and collapsed next to Boris.
"Have fun?"
"I have discovered I'm not a social butterfly, and that dealing with people is so not worth the stress. Do you have any idea how many names I've had to memorise?" I complained, although I couldn't deny I was happy. I mean, who wouldn't be? I went shopping in the One Piece world for the very first time! I even bought some things! I have a book of my very own! And I got a notebook; I decided I would use it sort of like a diary. Writing my day to day life, or week to week, since I don't think I would be that dedicated.
"Poor you" Boris said unsympathetically. I nodded, pretending that I didn't hear his tone.
"I know" I mourned, and Maria walked in to shake her head at my antics.
"Seriously girl, it's not that bad. Granted some of those girls were annoying, none of them are as well behaved as you" she said proudly, I grinned mischievously at her.
"Yes, but that's because most girls my age aren't me" I quipped and she rolled her eyes. Deciding to have a shower, I announced that I shall depart and headed upstairs. Going into my new room quickly, I plucked some more casual clothes from the stacks on my new bed, before going into the bathroom and enjoyed some hot water.
Drying my hair as I walked down the hall, I turned into my room and began to pack away everything that was not put where I believed they should be. My room was a soft grey with a tinge of blue, my covers were a mix of beige and bronze colours that gave a rich earthy feel to it, while my furniture was all dark wood colours, while my desk chair (Which was cushioned!) was white with blue cushioning. And the bed was painted white as well, so it actually went with something. All in all, I loved my room. Shame I couldn't stay forever, since if I really wanted to change the events then…
Suddenly my situation really hit me, and it felt like a kick to the gut. The air left my lungs, and I sat on my bed because if I didn't then my legs wouldn't give out under me. I was going to be changing events, changing things. I could keep people from dying! They weren't just characters anymore; they were people, real people. It was a world full of people other than the mentioned characters, like Boris and Maria and the shopkeepers and the Marines and everyone.
'I can stop Thatch from dying!' I realized happily. 'But doesn't he have to die? Otherwise, the story wouldn't go as it's meant to' I thought, my mood turning sour. I leant back and rested down on my soft blankets. It's true, if I stopped the attack then Blackbeard wouldn't be one of the main antagonists in the series and that would screw up the plot line irreparably, then my knowledge of events would be useless.
Turning on my side, I rested my head under my pillow. So… maybe if Thatch didn't go on that mission- no, again it would screw up the plot and even if I take his place I would see it coming and I might not survive, which would kind of negate my point being here despite the fact that I should be dead already. Sighing I tried to think of something that might work.
What if it was too late? What if Thatch had already died, and Ace was captured and the two year time-skip had already happened? My mind continued to assault me with doubts and 'what if's and all the things that could go wrong and I felt like a weight was crushing me and something was pushing at my lungs and chest and I couldn't breathe, tears pricked my eyes at the thoughts continued to run through my mind and scenarios went from bad to worse.
I covered my eyes with one hand, twisting onto my back again, and took several deep breaths. 'Calm down, you're having a panic attack, it's just the anxiety. Calm down, calm down. Just think this through; the unknown variables may not be bad, calm down. Calm down' she repeated her mantra. When she got into high school, in the city, she had begun to have panic attacks like this when she was put under great stress and she didn't know what to do. This usually happened in exams and tests, but normally I could handle it because I knew the answers, had the gist of an answer, or was able to completely bullshit my way through the whole thing and still get good grades.
I wiped my eyes and looked at the ceiling again. Okay, so for now I would just focus on short term things. Baby steps, that's how I roll. If I made it to the Whitebeard crew before the Division Leaders Death, then I'll try to find out what to do then, for now I need to focus on getting out to sea.
"There is no way I'm joining a crew" I muttered to myself, knowing just how much that would complicate things. Sure, some crews I would love to join. Strawhats, Heart Pirates, Whitebeard and all those others, it would be so much fun and I know I would love it. But is I really want to make a difference, I think I would need to be weaving something a little more intricate.
In my head, a plan was already forming. I would need a lot of information to be able to plan my steps in accordance. So, a spy network would be needed, which meant I probably wouldn't be able to spend months at sea at a time, not if I wanted to remain updated. Even with the Den Den Mushi's it could still be difficult.
"Maa, I'll just work on it when I get there" I muttered, and instead rose from my bed. If nothing else, I would make sure Ace lived. I would like Thatch to live as well, but I couldn't think of any way to let him live without causing some major problems.
"Thanks Death, you've really made this easy" I grumbled before entering the kitchen, and finding Maria was preparing dinner. I smiled and went over to help, since she has been teaching me cooking, and we fell into conversation easily. Boris would come in and join us in our conversations, but was usually ushered out by his tiny wife. I laughed and chatted and enjoyed my time, no matter what, while I could. I would be leaving soon, and I didn't want to spoil the good mood.
While I couldn't stay forever, I know that, perhaps I could stay for a little bit longer. I'm sure Death wouldn't mind that.
How's that? Hopefully I'll be able to post another chapter (Which probably won't be nearly this long) and I wouldn't mind feed back. Hopefully you enjoyed this.