hi! new story here! :3 I've recently started watching One Piece and have fallen in love with it~ and inspiration struck me to write this story, I hope you'll like it! read on and tell me what you think by review! ;D

I don't own One Piece, only my character Tsukimi :)

It feels like decades have past by since I got to this town, but depressingly, it's only been 9 years since "Red-Haired" Shanks dropped me off here, after finding me out in the ocean, asleep on a raft.

After that I was pawned off on whatever villager would take me, sadly the only volunteer was the old hag who I am forced to call mother.

Anyway, the day she took me in, I was shoved into the cellar, handed a needle and thread and told that I had to work for my keep. I was only 7.

I'm 16 now and I'm still at work every day, sewing till I can't even feel my fingers anymore; I've sewn dresses, sails, shirts, quilts and even a tapestry once. All of which, the old hag passes off as her own work, and sells them for a massive profit.

Sighing, I put down the material and needle, and look down dismally at my own clothing. They could easily be mistaken as old rags, the tattered shirt beyond repair, and the torn skirt that I had to hold up with a rope. They were both grey and stained with my blood, sweat and dirt.

I couldn't steal material to make new clothing because then 'Mother' would probably end up hitting me again. Numerous scars lined my body from her previous attacks. She'd flip out over stupid things, like me leaving the kettle on, or, us being short of money, she'd hit me with her fists, or whatever object was closest to her. She'd beat me until I was borderline unconscious and then would throw me down into the basement again.

But it's all going to be okay. Soon, he'll come for me and we'll go away like he promised.

I still remember how I met him, my best friend...

It was the day Red-Haired Shanks brought me into this town; we left the ship at the docks and walked to the tavern. I was looking around in a daze; all of the scenery and buildings were new to me.

A heavy pat on my head shook me out of my thoughts.

"You better get used to it, Tsukimi," Shanks told me with a slightly sad smile. "This is where we're leaving you."

I frowned and nodded slowly, this didn't seem like such a bad place; after all, they didn't mind the pirates being here.

Halfway along the roads we were greeted by the sight of a crowd of people.

Hearing shouting from the middle of the crowd. Shanks frowned; he picked me up and handed me over to Yussop.

"Stay here with him; we'll go see what's going on." He told me with a light smirk, before pushing his way through the crowd. Moments passed and a few more shouts echoed out, before a gunshot was fired.

Placing me gently on the ground, Yussop ran off to join his crew, leaving me alone on the road.

I frowned. My curiosity was burning; I tugged on the scarf wrapped around my hair nervously. Could I sneak over there and see what was going on without being noticed?

I decided to give it a shot. I tiptoed around the quickly dispersing crowds, to see an evil looking man with his foot on a young boy. Shanks and his crew were in the midst of a battle, which soon ended.

"But... The brat started it!" The evil man protested.

"It doesn't matter," Shanks muttered darkly. "There's a price on your head, isn't there?" He smirked.

The evil man's face exploded with rage and he looked around nervously, before spotting me.

He grabbed me sharply by the arm and tugged the young boy up, holding us in front of him like a human shield.

He pulled out a gun and held it to my head. "Let me go or I'll shoot her!" He crowed victoriously.

The pirates faltered and the evil man ran down the road, tugging us with him.

He dumped us in a boat and rowed away from shore quickly. The little boy looked at me with frightened eyes, but I could only return his stare impassively. I honestly wasn't frightened, and after all there was nothing out here that could hurt me.

"I brought you along as hostages," The evil man muttered. "But I have no use for you now, I already killed 56 people who made me mad." He grinned manically. "What's two more?" He cackled before kicking the boy into the water.

He then grabbed me by the head, causing my scarf to fall off and revealing my abnormal trait, my cerulean blue hair, which whipped around now free in the wind.

I saw the boy drowning near, and leaving the speechless man, I dived into the water after him.

I dove deep down, my gills opening up again and my legs twitching as they shifted into my tail. I held my hand out to him, and once he grabbed it I propelled us up to the surface with one swift flick of my tail.

As we reached the surface we gasped at the angry sea serpent that was growling at the evil man in the boat, it opened up its huge jaws and in one smooth bite, ate the evil man and destroyed the boat.

Its attention soon turned to us from the recently destroyed boat, as it lunged at us I closed my eyes waiting for the pain.

It never came; instead I felt a hand pull me to someone's body. Slowly opening my eyes I quickly regretted it: Shanks had appeared and saved us, taking the blow from the sea serpent on his left side.

"Get out of here!" He growled at the sea serpent, glaring at it with evil eyes. The beast quickly got the message and swam away quickly.

I stared at Shanks' left side and the spot where his arm was supposed to be: seeing the blood in the water around us I promptly passed out.

When I woke up, it was the morning of the next day and a young girl was sitting by my bedside.

"Shanks told me to give you their best wishes, before they left." She told me softly.

I scowled bitterly. "Well he can man up and say it to me himself!" I stood up and ran as fast as I could out of the house, running down the road until I reached the docks and saw the departing ship.

I cursed before diving into the water, my legs shifted into my tail again and I was soon speeding through the water. "Oi!" I screamed out as I reached their boat. "Say goodbye properly!" I hissed, tears threatening to fall down my face.

Shanks' surprised face peered down at me from the rails of the ship. "What the hell are you doing?" he yelled down at me.

My scowl deepened. "At least I'm brave enough to say goodbye properly," I told him with an irate flick of my tail.

His face creased with laughter. "Okay then," He chuckled before his face turned serious again. "This better be quick or you won't be able to swim back to shore."

"I wish I didn't have to go back" I said bitterly, hiding my face in the waves, before smiling brightly up at Shanks. "Thank you though," I told him softly. "If you hadn't of found me, who knows what would've happened?" My face creased up with sadness and I turned away to hide my tears. "Goodbye then," I forced out, swimming back to the island.

"I'll see you around, Tsukimi!" I heard him call behind me cheerfully

Now smiling widely, I swam slowly back to shore, flopping up on the beach. I frowned as I realised I had to wait for my tail to dry out and transform back into legs.

Lying there I eventually heard footsteps behind me, and rolled over to see the little boy from before.

His eyes turned into stars as he saw me. "So cool!" He cooed. "You're a mermaid!" He questioned excitedly, staring avidly at my tail.

I laughed. "I'm not sure actually, the only thing I can remember from my past is my name! Tsukimi!" I tilted my head curiously. "What're you called?"

He laughed loudly, grinned widely as he told me. "My name's Monkey D. Luffy and I'm gonna be the king of the pirates!"

I'm not sure if it was because I was 7, or because I was still in shock from the recent events, but I know that even then, I believed in him fully.

And now he's promised to come here as soon as he gets a boat, and we're going to go out on an adventure together, as pirates.

thank you for reading! please take the time to review! x :)