Legacy
Chapter One: Heading Out
Somewhere deep in the center of South Blue, there is a little island. Known for its clear waters, warm climate, and giant palm trees, Sonica Island could almost be called a paradise. There are a few small villages dotting the coast, and a larger, more tourist-friendly city in the very center. And that is where our story starts. Or, to be more precise, it starts on a small ship floating towards that island.
Onboard the boat was a single boy relishing in the pleasant breezes coming off his destination. His long black hair, pulled back in a ponytail, swayed gently with the wind while alert golden eyes scanned the port he was coming up on. He was dressed simply in a sleeveless blue jacket that reached down to his knees, a yellow shirt just visible under the jacket, and loose white pants.
As the boat pulled up into the island's small harbor, the boy jumped off, expertly tying it to the dock with the ease of someone used to handling ships. His was the smallest docked there, completely dwarfed by the two giant Marine vessels on either side. Wordlessly, he sized up the other two ships, then shrugged, pulling his backpack from the bottom of his own boat and walking off towards the town before him.
Many shops lined the sides of the street, and he surveyed each, curious gaze sliding from one to the next. Finally, spotting one that sold food and other such things for traveling, he smiled slightly and began making his way over. The going got more difficult the closer he was to the shop though, as he soon found himself wading through a crowd of giggling girls.
What's going on here? he wondered to himself after weaving in between two particularly stubborn girls only to run into five more. Should I just find another shop?
But he was already so close, and he hadn't seen anywhere else that sold what he was looking for on his way over, so the teenager decided to continue on. A tall blond head could just be made out at the center of the crowd, and he headed for that. The gossiping and sighing got louder as he moved on, and he was beginning to seriously reconsider his initial idea of finding somewhere else when suddenly, there was nothing but open air around him. Surprised by the sudden lack of resistance, he toppled forward in an ungraceful heap.
"Ow," he murmured, rubbing where he'd hit his head. It was then that the boy realized that the crowd around him had gone completely silent. Curious, he looked around until finally, his eyes came to rest on a pair of black sneakers a few feet away. Traveling upwards, the first thing he noticed was how tall the person before him was. Now, he didn't think he was all that short at five feet, six inches, but the other male could easily make him look tiny in comparison. He must have been well over six feet!
The stranger's tousled blond hair was pulled back in a short ponytail, and bright blue eyes seemed to almost jump out of the otherwise expressionless tan face. He was one of those people who had muscle but still managed to look skinny. Twin hook swords crossed on his back, both with blue hilts of a similar color to his eyes. The young man was dressed casually in a pair of black cargo shorts and a white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
"Who are you?" the blond asked, tilting his head slightly in question.
"It's generally best to give your own name before asking others," the black haired teen pointed out. The others eyebrows raised fractionally, but otherwise showed no other signs of surprise.
"Yes, I guess that is customary," the older boy conceded. "I'm sorry, I thought everyone around here knew my name. I'm Akihiko Nakamori, but most people just call me Aki. It's nice to meet you."
He held out a hand to his still sitting companion, but the smaller just batted it away, preferring to stand up himself. "Skylar," he replied curtly, brushing past the other without another word. A vein pulsed on the blond's forehead.
How dare that little brat ignore me! he thought angrily, but on the outside, he retained his stoic facade.
"Just Skylar?"
"Be happy I told you that," Skylar replied without looking back as he began to pick out some food for his journey. "I don't usually give out my name, and just because you felt the need to say your surname does not mean the same applies for me."
Arrogant bastard, Aki thought, another vein popping.
"How dare he talk like that to our Prince Aki!" one of the girls in the crowd muttered to her friends, who nodded in agreement. The blond allowed a small, triumphant smile to ghost across his lips at the nickname. So what if this stupid boy was ignoring him? These girls still adored him as much as ever, and that was all he needed for now.
"Come on, Aki, let's leave him in his bitterness and head down to the docks," a brunette in the front row of the crowd said huffily. "We still need to get you a ship."
There was a snort from behind them, and Aki whirled to face the person he knew it had come from; Skylar, who was putting the stuff he was going to buy on the counter. He had been going for his wallet to pay for them, but couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculous notion the girl had just presented.
"Do you have some problem with that, Skylar?" the twenty-year-old asked acidly. The other just shrugged, but the contemptuous smirk stayed on his lips as he glanced between Aki and the supplies in his hands.
"I just hope that's not all you're planning on bringing with you when you set sail, or else you won't last long."
He had never wanted to strangle someone quite so badly as he did now. Grabbing the others wrist, the blond dragged him through the crowd, completely ignoring his protests.
"Hey, I still need to pay for that stuff!" Skylar yelled, motioning back towards the stunned shopkeeper and the food in the woman's hands.
"Get it later," his companion growled. The sea of girls parted neatly to let the two through, curious glances following them as they went. "If you ladies would excuse me," he called over his shoulder with a nod. "Skylar and I need to have a nice man-to-man chat. Alone."
Another snort. Although the shorter boy wasn't putting up any resistance, he wasn't helping either, dragging his feet against the ground in an obvious attempt to tire the blond out. But Aki wasn't that weak. He was proud of his body, and with good reason. Thanks to hours of working out and sword training, he was at the peak of health. And he'd be damned if he gave some disrespectful shortie any reason to think otherwise.
"So...where exactly are you taking me?" Skylar asked in a bored tone.
"If you'd help a little, we could go faster, and then you'd find out."
"Hm. Nah, don't think I will."
He ground his teeth together, but kept going all the same. Soon enough – though not as soon as he would have hoped thanks to a certain black haired boy – they came to a cliff overlooking the beach on the outskirts of town, surprisingly deserted on the beautiful day.
"What, you gonna push me off?" Skylar challenged.
"Will you just stop, you insufferable, arrogant brat!" Aki finally shouted, his personality doing a complete one-eighty. He'd had about enough, and there was no use keeping up his usual mask around someone who obviously didn't care. "You mock me, annoy me, and worst of all, you ignored me. Me! Do you have any idea who I am?"
"Akihiko Nakamori," the smaller replied flatly.
"Damn straight I am, shortie! You better remember it too, cause someday soon, you won't be able to go anywhere without hearing it.
"What are you talking about?"
"You heard me! Someday, the entire world will be calling my name. Everyone will know of my greatness! That is my dream!" Aki declared proudly.
"...Dream?" he echoed.
"Of course," the blonde replied imperiously. "Every man needs a dream. It's the reason we grow stronger, and why we go out to sea in this magnificent age!" he paused in his speech, considering something. "Speaking of which, what's your dream?"
"What?"
"Well, you seem to know a lot about sailing, and you're new here, so I assume you came here by boat, right?" he deduced. Skylar nodded. "Why are you out on the seas? What's your dream?"
"I...I don't have anything great or noble like that," the teenager replied slowly, for once not meeting the others eyes. "I'm just looking for someone."
"I didn't know I was that famous."
"Not you!"
"I was just kidding, learn to take a joke brat." What the other had said finally seemed to sink in, as Aki tilted his head questioningly. "Wait. You mean you're not trying to be a pirate?"
"No!" Skylar replied vehemently. "I don't want to be a pirate. Ever."
"Oh. Well, that's a bit disappointing," the blonde sighed. "And here I was going to ask you to join my crew."
"You're kidding right?"
"Not at all. Every pirate needs a crew, and despite you being the incorrigible smart ass you are, I'm low on options." He turned to look at the village below with a faraway look in his eyes. "Most of the adults here used to be pirates. This entire village was formed by a crew of people from the Grand Line who decided they found what they were looking for and came home. Problem is, none of them want to go back to sea, and neither do any of their children. Nowadays, pirates are looked down on here. I haven't told anyone exactly what I'm setting sail for. They all think I'm going to join the Marines. They're wrong."
He plopped down on the edge of the cliff, dangling his long legs over the side carelessly. Skylar, wanting to hear the rest of what he had to say despite himself, sat beside him and motioned for him to go on.
"When I leave here, I'll probably never see this place again. Whether I die or achieve my dream, I won't be able to come back because odds are, I won't be wanted. Still..." Aki trailed off, the distant look returning to his eyes. "I want to go. See the seas, meet people, and fight, like all those pirates in the stories. You know the ones: Gol D. Roger, Whitebeard, and Monkey D. Luffy. Wouldn't it be amazing to be remembered like them? To go down in history, to have the whole world know my name...that's what I'm going to do, or die trying. Even if it means never seeing my home again."
"You know, it sounds a lot more noble when you put it like that," Skylar sighed. "You're not all that bad when you're being yourself."
"So...does that mean you'll help me?" Aki asked hopefully, blue eyes sparkling slightly with hope.
"I don't think-" he was cut off by a scream from below.
"What was that?" the blonde exclaimed, jumping to his feet.
"Hell if I know," Skylar replied, scanning the village below for any signs of the disturbance. He found it near the shop they'd left only moments ago, where a group of Marines were surrounding some of the girls who had yet to leave. "Over there," he pointed.
"Damn Marines," the other narrowed his eyes. "Not again."
"Again? This has happened before?"
"This is a town of former pirates, remember? What Marine officer's going to say to his subordinates that they should be helping the village people?" Aki muttered, a murderous look in his eyes as he pulled out one of the swords on his back. "We're probably lucky that none of our parents have been arrested yet."
"You're not...actually going to attack them, are you?" the black haired boy asked. When he received no answer from his companion, he shouted, "That's crazy, they're Marines! You'll be arrested!"
"Hasn't stopped me yet, isn't going to now," the blonde answered in a low voice, and with that, he took off towards the town. Skylar just watched him go with a worried look.
"You're an idiot," he murmured before sprinting after him. "And now I'm gonna have to go save you. Geez, this is not what I needed right now."
~X~
Aki ran through the town at top speed, anger giving his feet wings as he flew through the familiar streets. Why did this have to happen now of all times, the one day when he wasn't there to protect the girls? Incidents like this had happened before, sure, but he'd always been around to help. Now, he was just hoping he wouldn't be too late.
As he rounded the last corner, the young man caught sight of a group of Marines leering at the terrified girls they were surrounding. They were saying something, but the furious roaring in his ears drowned out all other sounds. Darting forward, he knocked out two of the men with the flat of his sword before any of them even saw him coming. Leaping back, he grabbed it's twin from his back and brandished the weapons in front of him threateningly.
"I'll be your opponent, bastards," he challenged, blue eyes flashing with anger. There were ten of them against one of him, yet he wasn't afraid. Three charged him at once, but he blocked their attacks, dodging the one's punch and catching the others cutlasses with the hooked ends of his own blades. A few kicks and another hit with the flat of one of the swords dispatched these men too, leaving him against seven.
The rest of the fight was a blur for the blond, a mess of kicks, hits, and punches that finally ended with him taking the victory. The girls had all fled at some point during it, but he couldn't remember when. As he observed his work with satisfaction, movement at the corner of his vision caught his attention. Turning to face the newcomer, he was shocked to find himself staring down a commander, if the badge on the man's shoulder was anything to go by, and suddenly realized how bad this must have looked.
"Um, I can explain-" Aki started, but was cut off by the other shaking their head.
"No, I should be apologizing for my men's actions," he said, looking around at the fallen Marines with disgust. Walking over, he rested a hand on the blond's shoulder. "I really am sorry. I'll have them all disciplined when we get back to the ship."
"Thank you, that would be best," his companion agreed just as a fist was slammed into his gut. He coughed, falling to his knees with a pained grunt. The commander met his glare with a smirk.
"Just kidding," he said, delivering a sharp kick to the boy on the ground. And another. Then a second punch. "You shouldn't be so gullible, dumbass!"
Aki gritted his teeth, tensing up in anticipation of the next blow, but at the last second, a flash of blue and white shot out of a side alley, catching the punch before it could land. The blond's eyes widened upon identifying his savior.
"S-Skylar?"
The boy in question's gaze flickered back for a second before moving to lazily survey the scene around them. A smirk touched his lips at the sight of all the beaten Marines. "Hm," he hummed softly in admiration. "Not bad."
"Who the hell do you think you are?" the commander roared, still in shock from the sudden speed of the teenager's movements and the fact that his punch had actually been stopped.
"...Just a random stranger," Skylar replied at length before smiling brightly. "One who doesn't know the ways of this island. Is is normal here for a Marine to attack the villagers? Or..." the smile turned into a knowing smirk. "Have you maybe been abusing your powers a little, mister?"
"You know nothing about this pla-"
"Now there we can agree," the boy interrupted. "I don't know anything about this island, but I do know a little something about the Marines. And if I remember correctly, I don't believe terrorizing innocent islanders was in the job description."
"A smart ass, huh?" the man said bitterly. "Your kind are the ones I hate the most, even more than the righteous types like him," he jerked a thumb at Aki before continuing. "The people who think they're real hot shit."
"Well, it's okay to think things like that if they're true," Skylar shot back with a smirk, completely unfazed. It was at this that his sitting companion finally found his voice.
"Don't fight him!" Aki warned, taking in the man's angry red face with apprehension. "He's a commander!"
"I am aware of that. Contrary to popular belief, I can in fact see the badge on his shoulder."
A fist swung out of nowhere, and it seemed like there was no way he would be able to dodge it. "You should've listened to your friend when you had the chance, cause now you're gonna die!" the commander cried with savage glee as the punch drew nearer to his opponent's face. But there was something wrong. It almost looked like the boy was was no fear in his eyes, only bored resignation.
Just as this thought crossed his mind, the man's hand slammed into a solid wall of...ice? A barrier of it had been erected in the air around Skylar's face, blocking his attack.
"What the..." Aki was once again at a loss for words, only able to stare in shock at the other, who was sighing again.
"With you as my witness, this is self-defense," he told the blond, who nodded mutely in agreement. "Alright. Now that that's out of the way, what do you say we get started?"
"Y-you can't be," the Marine stuttered as he watched the wall dissolve and more ice begin to gather into some sort of shape in Skylar's hand. "You're...you're a devil fruit user?"
"Correct," the boy acknowledged, giving his translucent new scythe a few experimental swings. The curved blade was at least three feet long with a wicked-looking point at the end. The staff part of it was made of a slightly darker colored ice, and probably a good five feet long. Apparently finding it to his liking, he gave the man a devilish smile that sent chills running up his spine. "Someone give the man a prize."
"How'd a brat like you get his hands on something like that?" the commander asked weakly, backing away from his slowly advancing opponent. "The only person who's ever had a fruit like that was-"
"Marine Admiral Aokiji," Skylar finished. "But he died a few years back, as everyone knows. So it's only natural that his devil fruit would reappear somewhere. As for how I got it..." he paused, seemingly considering the answer. Finally, "Well, that's none of your business."
He suddenly rushed forward, taking the Marine completely by surprise. Before the man even had time to react, Skylar was only inches away, scythe raised to strike.
"Wai-!" he never even had a chance to finish. The weapon was brought down, neatly slicing a shallow wound from the top of his left shoulder to the right hip. As he stared down in horror, ice began to blossom from the cut, spreading over his body at an impossible rate. Only seconds later, he was completely covered.
"Reaper's Judgment first form," Skylar murmured as the last bits of the ice coating solidified. "Frosted Prison."
The street was silent. Even the island's perpetual breezes had halted for a moment, as if the world was holding it's breath. Aki just watched in shock as his companion stood and rapped a fist against the frozen man's head.
"He'll probably start thawing in a day or so," Skylar said to nobody in particular. "By next week, he should be completely free."
"What did you do?" The question slipped out before he could stop it, but the blond was genuinely curious. Of course he'd heard of the devil fruits and the mysterious powers they carried, but this was his first time seeing one in action.
The golden-eyed boy opened his mouth as if to answer, but he stopped, head snapping up almost immediately after, searching the rooftops for the source of the sound he'd just heard. The sound of a picture being taken.
Sure enough, crouched on the top of a building a few yards away sat a photographer, camera clutched to her chest in fear at the murderous look the teen was giving her. Skylar started forward, intending to find the woman and break her camera before the picture had a chance of finding its way onto a bounty poster, something which would undoubtedly happen if he didn't. However, he'd only taken a few steps before his legs gave out on him and he was sent falling towards the pavement. His sudden use of power had left him drained and exhausted, and now he was paying for it.
Dammit, why now? Skylar muttered. I knew this would happen. I've got to catch her before it's too late!
But apparently, his body didn't agree. It refused to move, and the last thing he heard before unconsciousness took him was somebody frantically calling his name.
~X~
The first thing Skylar became aware of as he woke up was his pounding headache. He wasn't a monster like some of the other fruit users out there, and using his powers genuinely tired him out. Energy was like water to him; use to much without replenishment, and he'd get 'dehydrated.' Which usually resulted in a killer headache.
As he came to, the second thing he noticed was how soft the bed below him was. He was overcome by a feeling of not wanting to get up, but the niggling thought in the back of his head asking why he was in a bed and not out on the streets wouldn't leave him alone. So in the end, he forced himself up, taking it slowly so as not to further upset his head. There was an annoying mumbling from outside that wouldn't go away no matter how many times he rubbed his ears, and he growled irritably, willing his eyes to open and face the day.
He was in a small room with wooden walls and floors of the same brown color. It was sparsely furnished with only a dresser, a bedside table, and a closet in the corner. Across the room from the bed was an open door, presumably leading to the rest of the house. The boy walked over, just able to make out voices from the other side.
"Why can't they just leave us alone?" Aki asked in annoyance, slamming the door. "I mean, if the people here are going to come in mobs, they should be coming for me! Not some kid I picked up off the street!"
"It's your own fault for bringing him here," a female voice that the boy didn't recognize answered. "What were you expecting? He fought with a commander, Aki. They're probably going to attack the island now. Of course the people want to get rid of him."
"You're wrong."
The voice cut through the tense atmosphere as Skylar finally made his awakening known. He stepped out from behind the door into the main room beyond. Like the bedroom, it was also low on furniture, though there were a few personal touches here and there like the vase of blue flowers sitting on top of the table in the center of the room. Seated there was a woman who he assumed was Aki's mother judging by the lines on her face and the physical similarities between them. Her son was leaning against the door, arms crossed across his chest.
"What do you mean?" she asked cautiously, breaking him out of his observations.
"The Marines aren't going to attack this island just for something like that," the boy explained, taking a seat at the table as he spoke. "Odds are, nothing will happen. After all, they won't want to draw attention to what's happening here to other islands, as most people won't take kindly to the news of a commander and his men hounding a bunch of civilian girls. No, I seriously doubt they will make any move whatsoever, providing I leave, which eliminates their excuse for coming back."
He gave them a moment to digest what he'd just said. At length, the woman asked, "You're sure?"
"Almost positive."
"...Thank you," she whispered, bowing her head. "If there's anything we can do to help you-"
"I just need some stuff for traveling, but I can pay for that myself," Skylar quickly assured her, but she wasn't having any of that.
"No, no, let me. Please, it's the least I can do," the woman paused, eyes moving to her son. "...And while you're at it, could you take this idiot son of mine off my hands for a little? I'm getting old, and he needs to see more of the world."
"M-mom," Aki stuttered. She rested her hands on his shoulders comfortingly, a knowing glint in her blue eyes, so like his own.
"I know it'll kill you to leave here, but it's for your own good. Don't bother fighting with me about it, I won't listen. My mind is made up."
Skylar watched the exchange silently, gaze moving back and forth between the two. Finally, he sighed heavily, drawing their attention back to him. "Yeah, I guess I can take him for a little while," the boy said, feigning defeat.
"Really?" both cried in perfect unison.
"Yeah."
"...Well then, I guess I'll have to go, huh?" Aki asked with a nervous glance at his mother. She only smiled back.
"Got that right."
~X~
One week later, the two boys were ready to leave. Skylar had stayed with Aki and his mother for the entirety of the time, enjoying the beautiful weather the island had to offer and preparing for the journey ahead. True to her word, the woman payed for everything that they would need, and even some things that weren't absolutely necessary like a deck of cards and a few pairs of sunglasses.
"So...it's time to leave, right?" the blond remarked as he stepped outside of his house for possibly the last time on the morning of their departure. The winds were good, and it was perfect sailing weather. They were leaving very early, so he had said his good-byes last night. All except one. "Mom, I-"
"Save it," she cut him off. "Don't give me some excuse or teary good-bye. I'll be seeing you soon, mark my word. And when that day comes, I hope you've found what you're looking for. Otherwise, you won't be allowed back in this house, you hear?"
"Yeah, I got it," he smiled and gave her a hug, which she returned happily. When he wasn't looking, the woman allowed a single to tear to make its way down her cheek, but she quickly wiped it away when they separated.
"Alright, now get going," she said, giving him a gentle shove to where Skylar was waiting a few yards away. "Your friend's waiting."
"Yeah," Aki began to walk away, but turned back at the last second. "Mom...thanks for everything."
"Idiot," she watched him jog away without once looking back, and was reminded of a time all those years ago when she too had left her own home to become a pirate. The tears that she'd been holding back finally came, and the woman made no move to stop them. "As if I'd need to hear you say that to know."
~X~
"So we're going to be taking your ship, right?" the blond asked once he had caught up to the other boy.
"I'm bringing you with me, but it's on one condition, got it?" Skylar stated, slinging his bag over his shoulder casually. "I'm the captain."
"What?"
"As if I'd ever let you be in charge of a ship!"
"But that's not fair!" the blond protested. "How can you expect someone like me to serve as only first mate?"
An excellent question, Skylar thought irritably. "I don't remember ever saying you were going to be first mate," he countered out loud.
"You said you didn't even want to be a pirate!" Aki pointed out, ignoring the previous comment.
"I don't," was the blunt answer. "But now, thanks to you, I probably have a bounty on my head. So if I'm gonna be a pirate, then I am definitely captain."
Aki growled and began muttering to himself about stupid shorties as Skylar started down the path towards the docks. Looking back to find that his new first mate hadn't moved from his previous spot, he sighed in exasperation.
"Well?" he called, drawing the others attention back to him. "You coming or not?"
Akihiko Nakamori is not mine. He belongs to birdie. go. byebye. (no spaces in their name, but FF's being mean and not letting me write what I want there). Thanks for letting me use him, and I hope I got him right! ^^
Geez, over 5,000 words! This chapter was so much longer than anything I'm used to writing. Hopefully, they'll all be this long, but who knows. About the dehydration thing, I don't know about you guys, but when I get dehydrated, I get a horrible headache. Moving on though, thank you to everyone who reviewed, I really appreciate it! Hope you're all liking the story so far, we probably have a long way to go. ^^
Thanks again, and please review (and send more characters, if possible)!
