Author's Notes

Okay, each chapter will have the same name as one from the manga, but it won't necessarily have any thing to do with the manga.

I don't own anything other than my oc, and any other random character that ain't got anything to do with the manga.

Cheshire Grin

Ch. Romance Dawn

Once upon a time, there was a great pirate. His name was 'Gold Roger'. He had conquered every single that existed. His last words before his execution have inspired pirates around the world.

'Want my ultimate treasures? It's possible…I will give them to those who can find them. I have gathered everything in this world and already hidden it in 'that' place' the pirate king had told all the people who watched him get killed.

The world has entered the pirate era.

But you know what's hilarious?

I didn't know that until they did a TV special.

Because my family and I lived in the main lands.

They say you can hear the seagulls for miles, but I never even saw one before my father became a marine and we had to move to a small island in the East Blue.

My father told me that the sea was in our blood…

And unfortunately, my uncle was a pirate, and we were descendants from some of the very same pirates that were in Gold Roger's crew!

I was almost six when we moved.

"I'M GONNA BE A PIRATE!" I shouted through the halls of our house. It probably wasn't a good idea since my father was leading his guests around.

He had just gotten a promotion to Captain.

Now, why would I be shouting that out? Because that's how a six-year-old girl's mind works.

"Young Miss!" My maid Amelia ran after me as I raced towards my father. Amelia had long blond hair, but I knew she dyed it to hide her caramel hair. She also had deep brown eyes.

"Excuse me." My father walked over to me and knelt down so I was looking into his cold blue eyes, "What's the matter Kitten?"

Papa was taller than most people and he had red hair just like mine.

"AMELIA SAYS I GOTTA TAKE A BATH! AND PIRATES DON'T HAVE BATHES!"

"Well, yes, you're going to be playing with Helmeppo today." He ignored the last part about pirates…

"NO! HE'S ICKY AND A BIG FAT CRY BABY!"

"Kitten." My father glared at me and I felt terror squeeze my heart. I knew he would never do anything to hurt me, but it was only human instinct.

"Sorry Papa." I bowed my head before taking Amelia's hand and letting her lead me to my bubble-bath.

Once my bath was done and I was all cleaned up, Amelia went to my Mama's room and told Mama that I was ready.

Mama had light blue hair and green eyes.

We didn't live that far from Helmeppo's home. Mama was friends with Helmeppo's mama, so I always had to go and play with that stupid, ugly, onion-head.

Mama and I walked over to Helmeppo's and I was immediately shoved into the icky boy's room.

He was wearing a stupid little sailor suit and he had this icky smile on his face.

If I was allowed, I would have punched that smile off his ugly mug, but Mama and Papa wouldn't have let me.

I was stronger than most kids my age, and I went to all sorts of marshal arts studio's with my Papa.

A few weeks earlier, I had met my 'big bro'; Fire Fist Ace was what he called himself. He liked to teach me all sorts of fighting moves, as long as I promised not to tell my parents.

He was after all, my first pirate friend. He had even promised me a spot in his crew once I was old enough.

Still…I really should have punched Helmeppo.

"Well, hello." That spoiled little worm said with a super ugly look on his face that made me want to wretch ten times more than his normal face did.

"What do you want?" I crossed my arms and glared at him from the other side of the room.

"I just wanted to show you something." He said and gestured for me to come over.

I warily walked over. He had played a lot of pranks on me in the past, but his mama usually yelled at him afterwards.

As I walked over, Helmeppo suddenly pushed me down. Before I could say anything, he shoved something in my mouth and I was forced to swallow it. He was sitting there on the floor holding his sides and laughing.

"WHAT'S SO FUNNY YOU STUPID LITTLE CRY BABY?!" I growled while bunching my hands into fists.

I gasped though when my palms were cut by sharp, long nails. I stared at them in amazement. Amelia had just filed them down this morning, so how could they be long enough to cut me?

"I can't believe you ate that!"

"WHAT THE HECK WAS IT YA LITTLE WORM?!"

"How should I know? My dad had it in his room, it was something he got on his last mission." He looked scared and I smirked at his reaction.

I enjoyed fear. It wasn't a nice thing, but what can I say?

I was a future pirate.

But of course, my parents had everything already planned out.

A couple hours later, Mama and I went back home. Me and that stupid onion had fought the whole time, but Mama had no idea.

I had once overheard her and Papa talking. They planned for me to become Helmeppo's wife. If something were to happen and the marriage didn't happen, I would just become a marine and fight the very thing I wanted to be the most. Pirates.

But, I would have none of that.

On the way home, we passed a small calico cat. Me, being the child I was, I stopped and petted the cat. She purred loudly and I giggled when I practically heard her talking.

'Well, thank you little human kit. Oh…that feels very good. Right there, behind the ear…THANK YOU!'

"Bye-bye Miss Cat." I waved to the animal before rushing over to Mama.

I sighed as Amelia braided my long fiery red hair into a braid.

"What's the mater young Miss?" Amelia asked me. I felt like crying, but I didn't know why…

"I don't want to hang out with Helmeppo. He's mean and ugly and today, he made me eat something, and I don't know what it was!"

"Oh, hush. I'm sure you'll be alright. It takes a lot more than that to take down pirates like us." She smiled at me and showed the golden tooth that she hid behind her usual frown.

Yep. My nanny was a pirate too. And my parents were idiots for not realizing it.

I just smiled back at her as she tucked me in and left the room.

As soon as she was gone, I jumped up and yanked my hair out of the braid so that it fell across my face and covered my bright green eyes. When I had first come home and looked at my reflection, I had seen a haunting look in them. And my pupils had at the time, been narrow slits…almost like a cat's…

I sighed again when I saw that they were normal. I had probably just imagined it.

I climbed back into bed and drifted off into a warm sleep…

And I woke up to screaming.

My eyes snapped open and I jumped up and out of my bed. Amelia was staring at me like I was a monster.

A wisp of black hair hung in my face and I blew it out of the way.

And then I stopped. Black. Hair?

But my hair was red…not black.

I jumped over Amelia who was sitting on the floor and I ran to my mirror. I met eyes with a cat…or at least the eyes of a cat. My pupils were indeed slits, and my red hair was now a mix of orange, black and white. There were a few brown and grey strands as well. Two large, feline ears sat on the top of my head, but swiveled towards Amelia as she stood up. One was black while the other was white. The birthmark on my left cheek seemed to stand out more.

"I'M GOING TO PUNCHED THAT SPOILED BRAT!" I yelled. I knew what had happened to me. Amelia had let me barrow some of her books and she sometimes told me stories.

One was about a tree that bore fruit that could give people special powers. 'Big Bro' had eaten one, and it gave him the ability to turn himself into fire.

And I now knew what Helmeppo had forced me to eat.

A Devil Fruit.

"Poor young Miss." Amelia said as she wrapped her long slender arms around me. I leaned against her and cried lightly, my small sobs sounded more like mews now, but it didn't mater now.

That was the last time I ever cried.

Because it was the last time I ever had anyone to cry with.

Mama fussed over me while Papa laughed lightly.

"Kitten…I guess that nickname suits you more than ever now." He smiled at me and I couldn't help but join him. He pulled me into a tight hug, and I felt as though I would be safe forever.

But good times never last.

Ever.

That night, we had all sat down to eat supper. This was an event that rarely happened back then, and can never happen now.

As we ate, there was a loud explosion and every one began screaming.

Mama and I were rushed into a safe room just a little ways from the dining room. As the door swung shut, I watched as Amelia pulled two large guns from out from under her skirt.

The door swung shut and Mama began sobbing, but I remained silent.

My hearing was far better than ever before, and I could hear everything that was going on outside of the safe room.

I even heard Amelia talking to someone outside the room. Yep. She was a pirate, and mama and I were soo dead.

"I love you Mama, and I'm sorry, but I don't think I'll live long enough to marry that ugly little twerp."

"What are you saying? Your father won't let them get-" just as she spoke, the door had swung open, and now Mama was a limp lump of flesh in my arms as blood trained down onto my arms from the large gaping hole in her head.

I looked over her body at the large pirate in front of me.

The man had a black mustache the twirled at the ends. He wore a long, dark blue sequined jacket with a matching top hat. He wore bright red pants and on his belt was a whip. In his hand was the gun that killed Mama.

I just stared into his insane blue eyes. I flicked my tail from time to time. I showed no fear in my eyes even though I knew I was going to die. But, as 'Big Bro' told me;

"A pirate never shows the fear of death."

I hadn't even realized that I had spoken until the pirate in front of me burst into laughter.

"Well, you'll be a good attraction." He said before he was suddenly right in front of me and then, everything went black.

~Yo Ho~ A Pirate's life for me~