Standard Disclaimer Applies
| [A Million Pieces of Eight] |
Chapter II: A Pirates Life For Me
By Miasmic
The man held Sakura close, a strong arm wrapped around her torso, while the other clutched the razor-sharp blade against the soft ivory of her skin. Sakura grunted, backing into the man in an attempt to escape the cold metal. The man only tightened his clasp and leaned into her ear, his hot breath raising the hairs on her neck.
"What are you doing on my ship?" He hissed. Before Sakura could so much as open her dry mouth she was dragged backwards, the warmth from his words vanishing. A crowd had begun to gather around the scene, curious pirates shooting wary glances at the two. In one quick instant Sakura felt her entire getup— bandana, eye patch, and hat— vanish from her head before being thrown overboard, the waves engulfing the garments without a sound. With nothing to keep it hidden, pink, silky hair cascaded down her back, glimmering in early morning sun. The man spoke aloud, this time to the crew, "Which unfortunate fellow decided to lug a woman aboard?"
His voice was calm and collected, not the least bit angry. It was as if it was no surprise that he had found her out, as if a woman on board was a common occurrence. He probably knew she wasn't a part of the crew the second he laid eyes on her, Sakura thought, biting her lip and inwardly cursing her horrible disguise. A murmur broke out followed by complete silence as a single man stood out from the crowd, his hair in a high, spiky ponytail. "I don't believe anyone did, Cap'n."
"Hn. So you're a stowaway," He deadpanned, releasing Sakura into the empty circle in the middle of the crowd. She gazed back at her capturer, eyes wide and expectant. His back was turned to her as he began to walk away— something that angered Sakura, for some strange reason— making it impossible to see his face. She wondered what he was going to do with her. As if he had read her thoughts he announced, "Tie her up. Shikamaru, inform the navigator that we are to head back to port."
Sakura felt panic pulse through her veins, the thumps of her heart against her ribcage more vigorous than before. Several pirates had already closed in to restrain her, the first sweaty hand placed on her forearm causing a shiver to run up her spine. "WAIT!" She called out as more and more of the smelling men surrounded her, grabbing at her flesh. The "Cap'n", as she heard the one pirate call him, turned around stiffly, allowing Sakura to drill her pleading eyes into his dark ones, "Please…"
"Release her," He commanded, his men obliging less than a second later. He ambled over to her, taking slow, spaced strides. The slight creaks of the deck were more menacing than the cutlass he had pressed against her neck only moments prior. A shadow cast over Sakura's face as his tall figure halted inches from her cowering form.
"Y-You can't go back to port," Sakura said meekly.
"And why is that?"
"Because," Sakura expounded, straightening her back even though she knew her height could not rival his, "I don't want to go back. I want to stay here."
"A lady like you shouldn't get herself involved with the likes of us," the man chuckled, marveling at her stupidity, "Unless she wants to die."
Sakura gulped, raising her chin, "I-I'm sure I can manage."
The dark haired pirate raised his brows condescendingly. The way he looked down on Sakura, partly due to his unfair height, constituted an air of arrogance. He thought himself so tall. If Sakura hadn't been so frightened at the moment she would have sneered at his bursting-at-the-seams ego.
"Oh?" He challenged, "Well one doesn't just wake up and desire to be a pirate. What's fixes you on ruining your future?"
Sakura swallowed thickly. She didn't want to tell these strangers why she came abroad. They would laugh right in her face, call her a stupid little girl with a petty dream, and turn back to port. Then she would be back at square one, with a raging mother that would without a doubt send her off to some tower in the desert. There was no way she would face that, not after coming so far. Of course, she supposed the Captain did have a right to now, since it was his ship…
"I just do," She muttered, earning a few chortles from the group, "It's been a dream since I was a little girl. To follow in my father's footsteps."
She silently cringed at the lie, though acknowledged that it was better than admitting she wanted to seek out said pirate-father and drag him back home. It had its intended affect on the crew, as they became abruptly interested.
"What's your name?" The Captain inquired slowly, suspiciously
"Sakura… Sakura Haruno."
At the mention of her name, every pair of eyes widened. Time virtually stopped, a chill breeze freezing every inhabitant on the ship as dozens of gazes darted to the lone figure standing over Sakura. He was as still as a statue, eyes narrowly gazing down at the fragile looking girl, pink hair and bright green eyes. Was everyone holding their breath, or was it just Sakura?
"Cap'n…" Someone said from the crowd, earning his attention, "'Haruno' is the alias of Cap'n Ryoku, is it not?"
Ignoring the inquiry the Captain took a step back, studying Sakura with calculating look for what felt like eternity. Out of all the looks she was getting, Sakura felt most uncomfortable under his scrutiny. She didn't know why. Perhaps it was the dark, emotionless color of his eyes that dug into her with each impending second, or the sheer power of his stare, making every bone tremble with unease. His gaze was omniscient, almost, as if he knew everything yet was deciding to stay silent. Another person cut into the silence whispering, quite loudly, to his neighbor, "That's the leader of the Seventeen Sails, no?"
"Aye, but I 'eard 'e's jus' ol' folk lore," The other responded.
"Nay he definitely exists!"
"But what of 'im havin' a daughter?"
"I never 'eard it 'till now,"
A murmur spread around the ship. Sakura whirled on her heel, curious, "The Seventeen Sails? What's that?" Her voice went unheard, the commotion growing louder as the Captain grew quieter.
"Sasuke!" a blonde boy called out, pushing through the gossipers to reach the Captain. He pulled him aside roughly, causing Sasuke to glower.
"What do you want, idiot?" He grumbled. The stupid kid— also known as his First Mate, Naruto— had interrupted his train of thought. He often did that to him, especially when he was contemplating something really important— like now.
"I'd heard of the Captain of the Seventeen Sails docking in town occasionally to check on a daughter," He began, his face serious and sky blue eyes uncertain, "I assumed it was rumor. Sometimes I think pirates are worse gossipers than women. You never know what's truth or rubbish around here. Still, if she's who she says she is…"
Sasuke gritted his teeth, knowing where his friend was going with this. "I don't want her on my ship," He asserted, hoping his decision was final. He knew such a thing would be too good to be true, since Naruto was just as stubborn as him, if not more, when it came to matters like this.
"Sasuke, if we keep her then we have a weapon against the Captain of the Seventeen Sails!" Naruto hissed, glancing back to make sure the girl was not eavesdropping. She was too discombobulated trying to pinpoint the numerous rumors circling around her in the crowd. She looked like a lost child, asking everyone "Who is my father? What's his name? What's he the Captain of?" It didn't surprise Naruto that she didn't know.
"…Aye," Sasuke agreed slowly, still uncomfortable with where this was heading. He already knew Naruto's position on this issue— he wanted to keep the girl, for whatever reasons he may and may not be telling him. That part was evident. Sasuke, on the other hand, wasn't so willing to jump the gun. He was the type of person that liked to take the time to think things over before he took action.
Unfortunately, deciding whether to keep the girl or not couldn't wait.
"Do you know how many pirates would kiss the gunner's daughter to have a weapon like this?"
"The girl won't do us any good if we can't catch the bloody ship. She's too fast," Sasuke grumbled.
"With the girl, we don't need to." Naruto continued, a convincing smile creeping onto his lips. He did have a point; kidnappers never sought help for their hostages, they waited for help to come to them. It was a cliché trap. There was a low chance that taking Sakura as a captive would actually work in that way though. "She could come in handy, and on the off chance that we encounter him, we can make him surrender and finally become the greatest crew!"
Sasuke narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Naruto was sneaky. He knew that, of the few things Sasuke was sensitive about, one of the biggest was the issue of his "pirate title". It had been a long time goal of Sasuke's to be the top dog of the Sea, and he would do anything to achieve it. He became overly competitive, giving no quarter to ships on many occasions just so he could boost his rank. Sometimes Naruto thought Sasuke was so competitive just for the heck of it. Even so, Sasuke was still driven towards this goal, constantly rising in prominence. The way one rose to fame in the pirate world was mostly through word of mouth. Pirates pillaged and plundered not just to steal treasure, but to induce fear in eyes of the public and make their names known to both the Pirates' Brethren Court and the Navy. Though, inducing fear in civilians was an effortless task, according to Sasuke, since they were so defenseless and easily fooled. Truly accomplished pirates knew how to induce fear in a fellow buccaneer by merely mentioning their name. Once a pirate reached the Top Five— a ranking established by the Brethren Court which took into account deeds like the number of great treasures one's found, notoriety, and the bounty on one's head— there were only two ways to move up. One had to either wipe out the numbers above him, or demand a written and signed surrender of a higher number to send to the Court as proof of their victory. The only people standing in Sasuke's way were that blasted Captain of the Seventeen Sails and his lady friend— an old hag long rumored to have been retired— though she didn't really count since she had disappeared. Never would Sasuke pass up the opportunity to finally be number one. Which made him consider; was this girl Sakura really the key to winning?
Sasuke shook his head. No, of course not. He didn't even know why he was letting Naruto take advantage of his feelings like this.
"We don't know if she's related to him," Sasuke argued, still skeptical of Naruto's plan.
"… I know there's no evidence, but I have a gut feeling she is. If you let her stay I can investigate it until we have an answer," Naruto bargained, really feeling that this was going to work.
Sasuke thought for a moment, satisfied with the terms. If they didn't find any proof, or if Sakura became too burdensome, they'd just drop her off at the nearest port. Simple solution. Still, he felt a pool of uncertainty drown his insides. There was no telling where this would lead them; they had no concrete answers. Sasuke was left in ignorance, and he was not fond of ignorance; it made him anxious.
Sighing in defeat, Sasuke gave the slightest nod to his blonde counterpart, earning a wide grin. Both turned to walk back to the crew.
The spiky haired man from before hushed the crowd, turning to Sasuke, "Your verdict, Cap'n?"
Sasuke looked around at the crew, suppressing his reluctance, and frankly just looking irritated. In the back of his head he knew this was a bad idea, "She stays."
The announcement caused an uproar, half the crew hollering in confusion and the other half gossiping loudly, wondering what he planned to do with the girl. Sasuke was not the type to harbor women on board just for fun. In fact, he was strictly and adamantly against such a filthy transgression. They thought, knowing their Captain, he must have good reasons to keep her. She must have some sort of benefit.
Sakura was appalled, to say the least. She looked at the blonde boy and the supposed Captain. They really planned on keeping her? She couldn't believe it. There must be a catch, there always was. The spiky haired pirate stepped forward and almost instantly the uproar dissipated. There were a few moments of silence, allowing the crowd to settle and gather their thoughts.
"All in favor of keeping the lass, say 'aye'." He announced. Without hesitation a resounding "Aye" bellowed through the air and, just like that, Sakura felt a wave of relief crash over her. She tried to suppress a grin, glancing around at the crew in thanks. She had made it over the first obstacle!
"But there are conditions to your stay," Sasuke explained in eloquent, non-pirate lingo, causing Sakura's face to fall, "You must sign the Articles, just as the rest of the crew had to. And you shall remain in disguise as a male for the duration of your trip. Crewmen, keep your hands at your sides," Sasuke warned, panning a deadly glare over the men, locking eyes with a few. One reason pirates did not have women on board was because of their irresistible allure and tendency to make men mad with envy. Envy leads to conflict, which was the last thing Sasuke wanted on his peaceful ship— he couldn't remember the last time he had to deal with any sort of brawl between crew members, for that matter. Perhaps if he could minimize Sakura's allure, he could prevent conflict. Sasuke began walking away, passing an old man leaning against a mast, eyes closed, "Jun, you're Sentinel."
Said man's eyes snapped open, glowering at the retreating backs of Naruto and Sasuke. As the crew began to shuffle around, slowly dispersing, he approached them.
"Boys," Jun said, toothpick in mouth. Both halted, glancing over their shoulders, Naruto's face curious, Sasuke's irritated. Jun never called Sasuke 'Captain', at least not when addressing him directly, and it never ceased to annoy him. "I understand yer reasons behind this edict, trust me, I ain't as clueless as the rest of the crew. But 'ear me warning when I say that a lass attracts many leeches, and men and leeches are no different. Don't get attached to 'er. If she gets too burdensome... just remember the old shanty," Jun said, stating, rather than singing,
"Leave her, Johnny, ye can leave her like a man,
Leave her, Johnny, Leave her.
Oh, leave her, Johnny, oh, leave her while yer can.
And it's time for us to leave her."
Sasuke rolled his eyes. The man was always spewing some weird sailors' shanty that never seemed to apply to their situations. Everyone knew that song was about a ship.
Sakura sat down next to a crate placed in the middle of the deck, the crew around her, staring at the Articles of Agreement— the set of rules every pirate on this vessel must follow.
.
I. Every Man Shall obey civil Command; The Captain is to have two full Shares; the Quartermaster is to have one Share and one Half; The Doctor, Mate, Gunner and Boatswain, one Share and one Quarter.
II. If any Man shall offer to run away, or keep any Secret from the Company, he shall be marooned with one Bottle of Powder, one Bottle of Water, one small Arm, and Shot.
III. If any Man shall steal any Thing in the Company, or game, to the Value of a Piece of Eight, he shall be marooned or shot.
IV. If at any time we shall meet another Marooner and that Man sign his Articles without the Consent of our Company, he shall suffer such Punishment as the Captain and Company shall think fit.
V. That Man that shall strike another whilst these Articles are in force, shall receive 40 Stripes lacking one on the bare Back.
VI. That Man that shall not keep his Arms clean, fit for an Engagement, or neglect his Business, shall be cut off from his Share, and suffer such other Punishment as the Captain and the Company shall think fit.
VII. If any Man shall lose a Joint in time of an Engagement, shall have 400 Pieces of Eight; if a Limb, 800.
VIII. If at any time you meet with a prudent Woman, that Man that offers to meddle with her, without her Consent, shall suffer present Death.
IX. If any man were to be found seducing any of the latter sex, and carried her to sea, disguised, he was to suffer death; (so that when any fell into their hands, as it chanced, they put a sentinel immediately over her to prevent ill consequences from so dangerous an instrument of division and quarrel; but then here lies the roguery; they contend who shall be sentinel, which happens generally to one of the greatest bullies, who, to secure the lady's virtue, will let none lie with her but himself.) The presence and duration of a Woman shall be such as the Captain and the Company think fit.
.
Sakura read the points over several times, biting the bottom half of her lip. By signing her name, under the dozen already present at the base of the long parchment, she was willingly declaring herself a pirate. A criminal. She didn't like the thought of that. Calling herself a pirate just seemed… absurd. Unnatural. She took the quill beside the Articles in her hand, glancing up anxiously at the observing mass of pirates, all of whom were required to be present as witnesses. Jade eyes shot back down to an empty space awaiting her signature, the blankness practically screaming at her.
If becoming a pirate meant finding her father, then so be it.
Her grip tightened on the quill as she slowly scribbled in: Sakura Haruno.
The spiky-haired man, who sat across from Sakura, watched her suspiciously. He wondered why in the world the Captain would keep such a girl. He knew the Captain wasn't a ladies' man, nor, no matter how vulgar Naruto could be, was his First Mate. They must be planning something. He could only gather that it dealt with the Captain of the Seventeen Sails. Knowing Sasuke, he was probably devising some plan to use her against him. The girl looked up at him shakily, placing the quill down next to the Articles.
"Your Sentinel is Bo'sun Jun. You'll be sleeping next to him in the quarters and following his commands. I'm the Quartermaster, Shikamaru. If you refuse to cooperate or break any of the points in the Articles, you'll be answering to me," He recited lazily, his conviction hard to believe. Everything he had said seemed rehearsed. Sakura shook it off as he grabbed the Articles and left the area. The rest of the pirates began to disperse once more— not really having paid attention to the signing in the first place— leaving Sakura all alone.
"'Ello Love."
Sakura jumped, promptly spinning her head around only to be met with a big white smile. Before her stood a young man, probably a few years older than she. He had unkempt black hair, shaggy to his chin and kept somewhat controlled by a black bandana fastened over his head, pulling the hair from his forehead. His ears were pierced all along the lobes, and he had a black feather beaded into his dark locks, partially visible on the side of his head despite the bandana.
"Oh! How d'you do?" Sakura greeted, regaining her composure.
He chuckled, "You're on a pirate ship, Love. We don't speak that language."
Sakura frowned, the boy inspiriting, "Instead you say: Ahoy, matie! You try it."
"Ahoy, matie," Sakura said, feeling a bit foolish.
"There you go, Love," He chimed, offering a hand. She let him take her hand and kiss it. Sakura couldn't stop the blush that crept onto her cheeks.
"My names Crow. I am stationed in the crow's nest." He continued cheerfully, pointing up the main mast to a basket at the top. Sakura recalled reading about the Crow's nest; it was a section of the ship built at the highest point in order to gain a maximum view of the sea. It provided a 360-degree view so that the crew knew when they were close to land or approaching another vessel. Sakura wanted to chuckle at the irony of him being positioned there.
"A fitting name," She grinned, introducing herself, "Sakura."
"Like the flower," He said, flashing another huge white smile. Sakura giggled, unable to suppress it any longer, and his eyes lit up, "You have a beautiful melody, my dear." He brought her hand up for another kiss, but before his lips could caress her alabaster skin—
WACK!
—he was smacked in the back of the head with a wooden stick.
"AHH, Old Salt!" Crow cried, flinching back and clutching the back of his head with both arms. He gyrated around to spot an old man smirking, infamous toothpick almost falling from his lips, mop in hand. "I was doing no harm! Merely introducing myself!"
"Ye 'eard the Cap'n: hands at yer sides, ye lice infested bucko! Step to!" Jun grumbled, toothpick twirling. Crow glowered, still caressing the already forming bump.
"Watch out, Love, you've been placed under the command of the scourge of the seven seas; the devil himself." Crow muttered, pointing to the old man. Before he could get smacked a second time he scurried off.
"This is why women aboard are dirty luck," Jun mumbled to himself crossly. He turned to Sakura, " 'right cabin boy, me name's Jun. I'm yer sentinel. Now I'm only goin' ta go through this once, so perk yer ears and follow me."
As Sakura followed she realized she could only describe Jun in one word: grumpy. He seemed like the archetypal old man that loathed all people younger than himself. The type of man that yelled at children for running around the downtown market, and the kind that scolded said kids' parents for not keeping a watchful eye on their malicious offspring, cursing the new generation for not being as pure as he had been back in the day. Yes, that was exactly what he was, or so it seemed. Even his face seemed to be permanently contorted into a scowl, the gray, dry looking stubble along his jutting jaw, the toothpick in his mouth perked up.
He took her around the ship and taught her all of the basics of being a sailor: how to rig, swab, line, and use holystone to sand the decks. Sakura had trouble keeping up with his pace, as he was clearly rushing out of annoyance for this new babysitting "duty", appointed by the Captain himself. He'd much rather spend time doing something useful.
"Now bucko, yer take yer orders from me and four other crewmen; the Cook, the Quartermaster, the First mate, and the Cap'n. Goddit?" Jun said, handing her a bandana and a hat, "Use this to cover yer hair, as the Captain ordered. But once ye get yer own, don' forget to bring mine back. That scallywag from b'fore will get ye some wee duds." Sakura, although her pirate lingo was shaky, roughly translated that to: 'That idiot from before will give you some tiny clothes.' She supposed he was referring to Crow. Jun saluted, a gesture which seemed odd to her though was probably common among Sailors.
"I'll be keepin' a weathered eye out, Cabin Boy." He warned, leaving to do his work. Cabin boy? Sakura repeated dryly. Wasn't that the lowest rank in the Navy, a mere boy? She was already becoming irritated with the nickname. She gazed around, exhaling when she saw no one coming to bother her. Peace, at last, she thought tiredly. Being a pirate was so exhausting.
"Frederick!"
If only she could find a place to sit down and rest…
"Fred!"
But nothing was in sight. Even the crate from before had been removed. And there was no way she'd sit on the deck. It was so plain and hard, and… covered in filth…
"FREDDIE!"
Sakura spun her head around, irritated that this Freddie, whoever he was, was not answering to his name. She spotted the blonde boy who had been with the Captain earlier that day standing by the railing of the ship. He motioned her over. Sakura raised a brow, ambling in his direction. The boy, although the same age as Sakura, looked physically beyond his years, albeit not by much. He was tall and lean, a strong angled jaw squaring his face and a nose that was straight like Sasuke's, but wider. His complexion was only slightly darker than Sakura's, complimenting his golden hair. He had high cheekbones which were dotted with sunspots and tinged pink from the heat. He wore similar garb to the captain, save for an orange bandana tied around his forehead.
"You're not talking to me, are you?" Sakura questioned, thumbing to herself. When he nodded her shoulders and face fell, "I have a name, you know."
"'Course you do Freddie!" He responded with a smile, patting Sakura on the arm in acknowledgment, further deepening her to scowl.
"How ya been? Not getting too seasick, are ya?" He asked, a bit too friendly for Sakura's liking. She analyzed his cheeky grin, sensing an ulterior motive.
"Fine, and no," She deadpanned.
"Wonderful! So… I was just thinking," There it was, "This is a little out of the fish's mouth but I am curious... when's the last time you saw your father?"
Green eyes enlarged, only to narrow back to slits.
"Why does that matter?"
"I was just wondering, you know, in case, perhaps, I could help you figure out who he is. I may have seen him before," He offered nonchalantly, gazing at the sky with his matching eyes. He peered down at her briefly, catching the consideration in her spaced out eyes and smirking. Good, she was willing to go along with his interrogation.
"… Never."
"Never?" The boy repeated, incredulous. Wow… He had suspected that she didn't know her father's true identity, but not that she had never seen him before. Where the rumors about the Captain visiting a daughter just rumors, then? It couldn't be, he thought, he had heard them from a fairly reliable source. He scanned the pink haired girl's face, noticing the way she periodically glanced away from his pegging eyes. She was hiding something. He questioned further, "Have you ever talked to him?"
"…No."
"What do you know about him?"
"I know that he's a pirate. And according to you all, he's the captain of some whatever-you-call-it ship." She grumbled. She was frustrated with herself for not knowing such simple answers. Any normal child could answer any question regarding their parents. But not Sakura. The boy brought his eyebrows together and stared off into the distance, contemplating possible pirates. No one came to mind. He needed some sort of identifying factor, or else this whole interrogation would be utterly futile. Suddenly Sakura felt a lock of her long pink hair lifted gently by his palm, blue eyes boring into it, almost as if absorbing the detail and placement of every fiber, in and out.
There wasn't a Captain on the seven seas that had pink hair.
"Better hide this, Frederick, before the bastard sees," the boy said backing away in slight disappointment. He had gotten nowhere. In fact, he felt as if he had just gone back a step, puzzle pieces removed from the picture instead of being added.
Sakura tilted her head the name. Bastard? Who? There was no way he could be referring to the Captain with such audacity. He began leaving, turning to her swiftly, "Oh, and my name's Naruto." He said, giving a crooked grin. Sakura bit her lip as he sauntered away. Her hands shot up to the necklace around her neck, a small chain with a ring on it. She fingered the band of gold, tracing the rectangular insignia on the top of it. She had forgotten that she put it on prior to sneaking on board. It was her father's ring. Not a wedding band, but a ring he had left her mother. Like all things her mother wanted to forget, she found it hidden away in the cellar while perusing through some old documents. It was the only thing she had found with any connection to her father whatsoever. Although it may not have meant much to him since he left it, she hoped that having a piece of him with her would somehow increase the chances of finding him, as if the golden band would point her in the right direction.
Apparently, this was the right direction.
Or rather, the only direction, Sakura thought bitterly.
Night had fallen and Sakura found herself sitting in a circle of people on deck, several lanterns scattered around the area, casting flickering shadows on the untouched supper in her lap. She looked down at her first pirate meal, callaloo— salt cod and greens— feeling too seasick to try any. She reached up to her head and scratched on top of the red bandana binding her hair, absently wishing she didn't have to wear the damned thing. Among the group of people was a band strumming a tune foreign to Sakura's ears, the crew singing (and shouting) merrily to the beat.
This was how the pirates' life was, she thought to herself, scanning the crowd of joyful and drunken faces. Or so it seemed to be, at least behind the scenes. Underneath all of the hard work and strife, there were drunken parties, laughs, and celebrations. And although it wasn't as bad as she originally thought, Sakura couldn't help but question whether or not she made the right choice and if she'd ever get used to this kind of living. Following her signing of the Articles, doubt had plagued her mind nearly the entire day, causing her to weighing the pros and cons, the causes and effects, and yet never quite coming to a rock solid conclusion. Her feelings were a mix of fear and determination. Fear for what was to come from this decision and determination for the outcome of enduring it. She could bear the terrible food, the seasickness, the grueling work, and the fact that no one liked her, as long she made it to her father. In the long run that was all that mattered to her.
She tried to convince herself that she lucked out on this ship— most pirates would have done one of two extremes if they found a stowaway woman on board; throw her overboard, or keep her for personal use. These men around her seemed to lie somewhere in the middle and she was grateful for that. Not to mention they were quite civilized compared to most pirates. Not entirely proper, but civil nonetheless. A good number of them had proper speech; the First Mate, Naruto; the Quartermaster, Shikamaru; and the Captain, Sasuke, just to name a few.
Sakura scanned the circle of pirates once more, this time looking for the Captain. She found it curious that the last time she saw him was that morning after he had held a cutlass to her throat. Perhaps he was busy doing… whatever Captains do— Sakura didn't even know if he did anything besides stand there like a lighthouse shining his ego upon everyone. She hadn't quite memorized what he looked like, and, aside from the brooding arrogance she remembered from her first encounter with him, it wasn't like she could tell he was the Captain, as he didn't wear the Captain's tricorn hat. It frustrated Sakura to no end. Practically all Captains wore their Captain hats, the books said so. Why was he an exception to this general custom? She remembered asking her new friend Crow about it earlier that day.
"Every crewman is equal on this ship," He had explained, "We all recognize that the Captain's our only Captain, so there's no need for him to physically tag himself as greater than any of us. Plus, I don't think he likes wearing it. Seems awfully bothersome."
She remembered asking Crow how everyone was equal yet the Captain still had the most power, to which he responded, "It's true that the Captain has the power, but that is because he is the leader. Every group needs a leader, and although he may have more power than most, he respects the Company and believes that, in any case, the Company's verdict is greater than his own. He treats one of us no differently than another. Not even his Mate. It's always been like that, and we like to think we've been fortunate because of it."
Sakura tried to understand it from the crews point of view but couldn't. She had thought that was probably one of the most hypocritical and smug things anyone could reason. Sasuke was the one mountain on a flat plot of land. That was not, under Sakura's definition, equality. And he was above wearing the Captain's hat? Most Captains wouldn't be seen without such an identifying factor, defensive of it to gunpoint. That was like a King claiming to be too great to wear a crown. Sakura was beginning to get the feeling that Captain Sasuke was more of a tyrant who had brainwashed his servants. The only thing she remembered about the Captain physically was his menacing voice, rock hard stare, and pale skin, which only added to this new tyrannical image. And that didn't narrow down her search much. She looked around again, spotting a few that fit the picture, but were ruled out for either being too happy, too old, or Crow.
The song ended, the last notes ringing in the cold sea breeze. Leaving no pause for silence, the musicians immediately played the tune the Sheffield's Apprentice, a favorite shanty of Jun's. His grumpy face seeming content for once as he recited the lyrics poetically.
"I was brought up in Sheffield,
But not of high degree;
My parents doted on me,
They had no child but me;
I roamed about for pleasure,
Where'er my fancy led,
Till I was bound apprentice,
Then all my joys were fled.
I did not like my master,
He did not use me well,
I made a resolution
Not long with him to dwell.
A wealthy rich young lady
From Suna met me there,
And offered me great wages
To serve her for a year…"
Naruto was standing behind the group, back leaned against the main mast, his form practically invisible in the shadows. He listened to the tale with closed eyelids, surprised he had never heard it before, considering Jun loved to tell shanties any chance he got. When his brain had processed the lyrics his lips turned down, being slightly reminded of his own past. Memories of him as a child flooded through his head; images of intimidating sailors three times his age; of blue flags; of a shy dark-haired girl hiding behind her father, the governor; of his first musket; of his first kill. Naruto shook his head quickly as Jun continued with the song, though he tuned it out, eyes darting over the crowd, searching for the Captain. He had yet to see him all day. He had probably been locked up in his quarters, trying to figure out where their next coordinates would be. When Naruto spotted the Captain's silhouette on the upper deck he quietly snuck his way over. He was by himself. Typical. Sasuke had always been so antisocial, it was sort of strange.
"She knows nothing," Naruto informed, walking up the stairs, "There's no evidence that Cap'n Ryoku's blood flows through her veins aside from her surname— which consequentially is his alias. And she has bloody pink hair! I'll be damn if she got it from her father. Though I suppose we wouldn't know since we've never seen him."
Sasuke let the new data marinate, staring out at the moon's reflection in the water. If the girl knew nothing about her father and couldn't help them directly, then that meant they needed to figure out the truth some other way. He just didn't know how, exactly. He had been hoping that by talking with her Naruto would get some sort of base going, but because he hadn't, they would be going nowhere even if they tried to figure it out. Sasuke sighed, exhausted. A very dominant half of him wanted to call it quits now and drop the girl off at some port, sparing him the wasted effort. He already had too much on his plate with trying to find the next great treasure, and adding another mystery to it did not sound appealing. The second half told him to keep pushing forward. He didn't know why. Perhaps it was for Naruto's sake, or just because he had a sliver of hope that she would actually come in handy.
"She didn't mention a family heirloom? Any portraits? Letters? Nothing?" Sasuke asked.
"I didn't ask," Naruto replied, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.
Sasuke peered over his shoulder Sakura, her face lit by the lanterns and her hand around her necklace. His eyebrows came to together.
"What's that around her neck?" He questioned, his metallic eyes still locked on her clenched fist. Judging by the way she held it close to her chest, whatever was inside of it must be important.
"Uh? Oh, I didn't even see that. Sharp eyes, bastard! I don't know how you can even see that from here! Remember that one time you, Ino and I were on that ship and you saw that branding on Cap'n's forearm? Not even his crew knew about it. And then that one time you saw that poisonous dragonfly in my chowder? I could have died had it not been—HEY! Are you even listening to me?! I can't reminisce alone!" Naruto pouted, crossing his arms. He hated when Sasuke got caught up in his thoughts— and much to his dismay that was quite often. Whenever they were out in public it would happen as well. Naruto knew he had a way of… 'getting off topic', but it wouldn't kill the guy to act like he was listening. It made Naruto look like an idiot talking to a wall.
"Bring her to me."
"How are you, Love?" Crow asked, taking a seat next to Sakura.
"Wonderful," the pink haired girl grumbled, a hint of sarcasm.
"Aw, deary, you'll adjust," He frowned, "What's on your mind?"
Sakura's expression became conflicted as she looked into his brown eyes. There had been only one thing on her mind, and she wasn't sure whether or not she could tell Crow— or anyone for that matter. It was her father. Her ultimate goal was to find him, but the first step in that process was to find out who he was. So far she hadn't even taken that baby step.
"I just want to find my father so badly," Sakura admitted. It was true, she would do anything to find him. She became a bloody pirate, even. Though her limit was not there. She had often considered how far she'd have to go in order to find him, knowing that she would take on anything in order to do so. She hadn't told anyone her goal yet, but she couldn't help it her emotions slipping through her guard.
"Why do you want to find him?" Crow asked, tilting his head inquisitively.
"Because…," Sakura began quietly, feeling uncomfortable elaborating on such a personal subject, "He left my mother and I to be a pirate. If I find him I can bring him home…" And we can live like normal people, she added. She wondered why he chose this wretched dirty life, over a normal one. She hoped she'd last living like this until she found him. Crow's expression hardened, unbeknownst to Sakura.
Such a naive desire, he thought sadly, knowing that life didn't just work the way you wanted it to. Especially if you take into consideration how the Law views those involved in piracy, and how such criminals are punished. That dream of hers was nearly unachievable. However, he would never tell Sakura that. Instead, he nodded reassuringly, "A noble goal, from a noble lady."
"What did you say my father was the Captain of?" Sakura questioned suddenly, taking Crow off guard.
"Ummm. The Seventeen Sails. The Greatest Cap'n alive," He answered after a minute, watching her carefully.
"How should I find this 'Seventeen Sails'?" Sakura said, her eyes hardening like emeralds as she stared into Crow, true grit marking her face.
"Aw Love, even I find that to be a difficult query to answer," Sakura frowned at this, though he continued on, catching the saddened look on her face, "That ship is the quickest to ever sail the seven seas. I haven't met a bucko that's caught it. However, I can tell you the most probable way of catching it."
Sakura perked up, "How's that?"
"X-marks-the-spot."
She blinked, "Come again?"
"X-marks-the-spot. The only way catch 'em is if they stop, right?" Crow started, holding up a finger. Sakura stared at it, bewildered. Where was he going with this?
"Well, how do we know where they are going to stop?" She said impatiently
"X-marks-the-spot," He repeated, grinning crookedly at the scowl on her face. Seeing that fiery spark inside of her gave him a bit of enjoyment. He began to elaborate, "There's a treasure that all pirates from one sea to the next are hunting. It's the Million Pieces of Eight. Probably one of the greatest treasures still untouched, seeing that is was buried by the most legendary pirate of all time; the Yellow Flash."
"So, if all pirates are looking for it, my father is looking for it too?" Sakura reasoned.
"I have no doubts."
"And so, he will be… wherever this treasure is?"
Crow nodded, smiling. Sakura felt a burst of elation fill her, only to quickly be deflated at her next thought.
"…Are we going there too?"
"Of course! We're pirates! No prey no pay! Finding treasure is the only way we get gold and live. It's our Cap'n's greatest goal to get us to the Million Pieces of Eight before some other scallywag gets there." He glanced over at the Captain who was talking to his First Mate on the upper deck, a small, proud grin spreading his lips. Although it didn't look like it up front, the Captain was a very hardworking man. Of the many things Sasuke did well as Captain, treasure finding was one of the top three. He was exceptionally well at discovering treasure locations in short amounts of time, his sharp eyes deciphering codes and map pieces with ease. He almost never disappointed his crew with a find. Because of this reputation he often got stowaways who were hoping to join the crew and cash in. Sasuke never let them of course, not wanting to split the hard-earned gold. Never had they received a female stowaway though, Crow noted, brown eyes piercing Sakura's green curiously.
"Well, how do you find it, are we sailing there right now, how long until we arrive?" She asked intently, taking in every drop of information he provided for her.
"Nay, deary. It ain't so easy to hunt for treasure as great as that," He explained, "There's only one way to find the location of it, and that's through Keys."
"Keys?" Sakura imagined little metal trinkets inserted into locks. At the mention of the word, the surrounding crew members turned their ears, eavesdropping.
"Not iron keys, miss," Jun said, taking interest in the conversation, his toothpick jumping, "Parchment keys."
Sakura was mystified. Parchment keys? Now she was envisioning a flimsy parchment cut out in the shape of an iron key. It did not seem effective in unlocking doors nor treasure finding.
"These Keys are pieces of a map," Crow continued, watching Sakura's countenance to make sure she was following, "Parchment pieces. Four pieces make up a map. And one map is needed to find the treasure."
"Four doesn't sound like a lot," She noted, understanding dawning her. It didn't seem that hard. It was like a puzzle. And lucky for them, Sakura was phenomenal at puzzles.
"Aye, but they are hell to find and hell to keep. When you got 'em you gotta make sure no one else knows. Unless you're, of course, the Captain of the Seventeen Sails, in which case you are probably too fast to give a rat's ass. I heard he's got two of 'em. There are many copies about, but also many fakes," Crow countered.
"How many do we have?" She was curious to see how great of a captain Sasuke was rumored to be. Considering his level of arrogance and the way his crew thought of him, he ought to have more than just two. In fact, with his ego, you'd think he had all four and was heading for the treasure as they spoke.
Crow held up two fingers.
Sakura bunched her lips to the side, faintly disappointed that it wasn't a lower number, just in spite of his haughtiness. Perhaps Sasuke was as accomplished as everyone said he was. If he rivaled the supposed greatest Captain alive— the Captain of the Seventeen Sails— then he must have some substance that she failed to see. Although she was mildly curious, she wouldn't go out of her way looking for it. She had bigger and better things to worry about; like her father.
"May I see one?" She inquired, thinking that if she saw one she could go searching for the next. The quicker they got to the treasure the quicker she got to see her father. It was a win-win situation.
"They are in the Captain's possession, Love, and considerin' you're who you are, you won't be seein' one anytime soon," Crow chuckled.
Sakura glared, "Why's that?"
"Yer at the bottom o' the sea, cabin boy. Ye got to be awfully close to the Cap'n to e'en ask such a thin'," Jun chimed in. Sakura looked around at the two men, crossing her arms with a huff.
"Why does he get to keep them anyways? That's not fair to the crew." Sakura pointed out, thinking back to Crow's words on the Captain's equality. Was he really that much of a tyrant? If she said that aloud she knew the crew would defend him. To them, he was a "good" tyrant. Sakura struggled to connect the two words. Given all of the secondhand information she was getting about this mysterious Captain, she was having a difficult time making out what kind of leader he really was. One instance he's a horrifyingly bigheaded, power-hungry oppressor, the next he's a horrifyingly skilled, still bigheaded and power-hungry, leader that is somehow cherished by his crew despite his obvious iron fist. It made absolutely no sense to Sakura.
"Well, whoe'er finds 'em gets to keep 'em, an' he's found both," Jun explained, taking a sip of rum from a tinted bottle.
"I'm going to find the next one," Sakura declared to the group, her chin as high as it could be. She wanted to get to her father in as little time as possible. A tiny part of her also wanted to rain on Sasuke's parade. Someone needed to blow up that mountain, and if she of all people found the next Key it would surely detonate that massive ego.
As if on cue, all of the men burst into laughter, causing an angry crease to form between Sakura's brows. Their complete lack of confidence and disbelief in her would only make her victory that much sweeter. They could believe whatever they wanted because she'd prove them wrong. Still, it irritated her to no end. Just because she was a woman did not mean she was an incapable, feeble pirate. She pouted, cheeks flushing, "I will! You'll see!"
"Sure ye will, landlubber." Jun giggled, "When I sprout gills and swim."
They all cackled once more, resuming their joyous singing moments later as Sakura curled into herself, trying to seem as small and insignificant as possible. Tch, she thought, resting her chin on her knees, I'll show them. They didn't know how driven a certain Sakura Haruno could be. She was not some little girl who needed to be taken care of. No, she was a grown woman, capable of making thought-out decisions and defending herself. She was going to find the next Key, and then the following one, and then she was going to find her—
Sakura's inward vent came to a halt when she felt a warm whisper against her ear, sending a shiver down her right side.
"The Captain requests your presence on the upper deck," Naruto uttered, his figure disappearing as suddenly as it had appeared.
Sakura's throat became dry as she swallowed the forming lump. Her knees felt weak and she had yet to stand— frankly, she didn't want to. She would stay in her curled up little ball for all of eternity if it meant avoiding the cold, rock hard eyes of the Captain. No matter how badly Sakura criticized the Captain, there was one thing she could not deny, and it was the fact that he scared her. His mere presence could elicit fear in a jaguar if he came close enough. The reason for this could be a number of things, from the high horse he constantly rode, to the aura around him; a menacing, intimidating cloud that seemed to suffocate all who came within radius— aside from Naruto of course. He'd probably developed immunity.
Mustering all of the strength and fortitude within her, Sakura rose, making her way to the upper deck. She told herself that there was no reason to be scared; he was just man after all, and when have men scared her? She couldn't think of an instance where she ever felt intimidated by one. The fact that he was a pirate meant nothing in this instance. To her, he would be just a man, no, a boy. Besides, if she planned on knocking him down a few steps then she would need to face him sooner or later.
As she walked up the steep staircase to meet her fate she felt her tenacity begin to dissolve. The warm, jocular lanterns were now behind her, leaving a foreboding abyss of darkness before her. At the top of the stairs was an even scarier thing than darkness, as far as Sakura was concerned. Her hands began to tremble as they slid up the railing. When the floor of the upper deck came into view she felt herself relieved to see at least some light— a lone lantern on the railing. It was what was next to the lantern that caused a knot to form in Sakura's stomach.
She wondered if someone's shadow could be scarier than the actual person.
"You requested me, Captain?" She said confidently, walking toward him. He turned around, scanning her body up and down. Although she was garbed in the smallest clothes anyone had on board they still hung loosely on her petite body. Atop her head, covering her piled up hair was a bandana. The point of it, of course, was the make her look less feminine and attractive to the crew, but she still looked like a woman to Sasuke. He thought it was perhaps due to the shape of her face, or maybe her delicate, girlish features. Even if rolled in mud she still wouldn't look like a grungy cabin boy. Sasuke wanted to roll his eyes.
Sakura had stopped no less than six feet away, fidgeting with the long sleeve of her oversized shirt as she awaited an answer. His face was barely lit by the dim lantern, but from what she could discern it seemed as if he was debating something. As if he didn't exactly remember why he called her there. The time pending Sasuke's answer gave Sakura the opportunity to finally study and memorize her new Captain. He had shaggy hair so dark it blended in with the sky behind him, with matching eyes that seemed devoid of emotion. His pale skin glowed in the warm lighting, making it look soft and clear, though atop his high cheekbones and across his straight nose a hint of a sweat had built up from the humid air. He was striking, which confused Sakura. Studying him, she realized his reputation did not match his façade. His reputation portrayed a ruthless, grungy pirate while he contrarily looked like a handsome young gentleman fit for the gentry. Sakura was about to open her mouth to say something when all the light was abruptly blocked from her eyes. Sakura could smell him before she realized he was standing right in front of her. It was a unique combination of cotton and salt. Her mouth fell agape as he leaned slightly forward to be at her eye level. "Uh, Captain—" Sakura stuttered, but her thoughts were cut short when he reached for her neck, grabbing the ring and studying it in his hand.
"That's—" She attempted to explain. Were pirates allowed to bring gold on board? She had read somewhere that all personal gold would be confiscated and distributed to the crew evenly to avoid a quarrel. But this wasn't just gold to her, it was important, it was— Sakura gasped when the chain snapped at the nape of her neck, the sides hanging in Sasuke's tight grip.
"What are you—? That's mine!" She yelled as he held the ring away from her, "You have no right to do that! Give it back!"
When Sasuke turned his back to her and made his way to the stairs, Sakura forgot all about her weak knees and trembling fingers. Sasuke's aura was no longer miasmatic to Sakura's breath. It was a combustible gas that only added to the fire raging inside of Sakura.
"Stop! That belonged to my father!" She called, stomping after him. How dare he take such thing? Did he really think he was above common courtesy and didn't even need to ask first? Not that she would say yes, but still. Where were his manners?
Sasuke tensed a bit, undetectable to Sakura's livid eye, trudging forward nonetheless. When Sakura reached his retreating figure at the top of his stairs she grabbed his arm, finding to her dismay that the limb did not budge. It merely froze in place, along with the rest of his body. Upon looking up she was met with a glare more deadly than her own.
"Before you pick a fight with the Captain of this vessel, let me remind you that he has the power to throw you off of it as well." He growled, "Step down."
Releasing her grip, the fire within Sakura quickly died, being replaced with a heavy weight. Her eyes watered as the Captain walked down the stairs and into his quarters. As she went back to the crew and took a seat next to Crow she wondered if any of them had seen the brawl. Surely her anger had been loud enough to catch their attention. If they had, none were acknowledging it. Though, once Crow looked at her with sad eyes, she knew it everyone had seen it.
"Love," He assuaged, understanding in his voice as he patted her shoulder, "He ain't as bad as he seems."
Sakura begged to differ.
Sasuke's fingers were tented in front of his face as he gazed down at the wax seal, eyes buried in concentration. The candle on his desk was the only source of light in his quarters, providing an adequate amount of radiance for his work yet making the room seem tiny, a sphere of brightness isolating him from the darkness around. The fresh wax seal pressed on a spare piece of parchment was the wax seal he had produced with Sakura's ring. As he suspected, the insignia he had seen Sakura fingering was a pirate insignia; a skull with an eye patch and two cutlasses crossed underneath. Almost all notable Captains had a ring with their own individual pirate insignia— Sasuke included. They used it to send authorized letters to the Pirates' Brethren Court. Although each emblem matched the flag of a Captain's ship, the wax press could not be forged. They were rings issued by the Court themselves. Sasuke wondered how Sakura's father could be so careless as to leave such an important item. If it got in the wrong hands, bad things could happen. He tried to think of all the flags he'd seen in his lifetime, many odd combinations coming to mind, but he hadn't seen this particular one yet.
It could be the insignia of the Seventeen Sails…
But he couldn't jump to conclusions just yet, given the fact that no one including himself has seen that ship and lived to tell about it.
Though if it were indeed the insignia of the Seventeen Sails, then Her Captain and this new girl must be related. Perhaps Naruto was right when he said they could use Sakura as a weapon. Though Sasuke wasn't so naive to think such a hostage would work against the greatest Captain of the Seas. He must've left his home for a reason, and probably didn't care much for his family. Not to mention a man with such status and power would not endanger his own crew by surrendering to a hostage. It was foolhardy. He's kept this title for God knows how long, and he clearly wouldn't give it up for a petty daughter who he hadn't seen in however-many-years. Sasuke couldn't see many benefits in keeping the girl, especially with those odds. Naruto must have some other idea up his sleeve that he was not telling him about…
Sasuke sighed for the umpteenth time. Somewhere within him was a tiny bit of hope that this plan of his would work. He didn't want to offer Sakura as a hostage in order to get the Seventeen Sails to surrender. Nor did he want to use the Captain's ring to forge a surrender letter to the Court— which would be entirely too easy at the moment. No, Sasuke was not a cheat even if he was a pirate. If there was something he hated more than cowardly pirates it was a false sense of glory. There was no sense of triumph in cheating. A victory is not a victory if it is won unfairly. That being said, he simply wanted to see the Captain of the Seventeen Sails and his ship. Then he would now if the legends were true, and finally have an opportunity at defeating him, fair and square. Sasuke would become the greatest Captain of the Seas.
Life didn't always work that way, he realized, especially given the minuscule chances of his plan working, but he still held onto a tiny bit of hope.
Sasuke was still unsure about having the girl abroad his ship. He knew she wasn't worth the risk.
For now, he'd see how she faired, and like Jun said, if she became too troublesome, she was gone. Sasuke stood, grabbing the ring and heading down to the crews quarters. His eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness, a skill acquired from years of piracy. He walked around until he came across the only non-snoring figure in the room. Sakura was curled up in a ball, almost completely engulfed by the sides of the hammock, right behind Jun. Her red bandana hung loosely in her hand, pink hair slightly falling over the side of the makeshift bed. Sasuke dropped the ring and chain on her side as he eyed her long locks.
Who in the world had pink hair?
He took a minute to study her before turning on his heel and heading back. Unbeknownst to him, a pair of eyes a few hammocks over slid open, staring calculatingly at the Captain's back.
A/N:
Oh mah gawd you guys I am so sorry this has taken me so long!
I have one excuse: SCHOOL. Literally I just went through and finished the toughest school year of my entire life… I promise I'll update this story more, especially because it's summer.
GOOD NEWS!: YES, AS I SAID, SUMMER IS HERE! What does that mean? UPDATES! WOOP WOOP! I also have finished the complete outline for this story, and practically wrote the entire thing… really sloppily. Its 39 pages of basically one big paragraph haha. Nevertheless, because I kinda-sorta already wrote it, writing chapters will be quicker… Eh, in a way…
BAD NEWS…: Sadly, putting these chapters together takes a lot of time regardless of whether I have my plot written out to the detail— I would have said that in "GOOD NEWS", since I sort of gave you guys false hope, but bad news does not belong in the Good News section! I know, I'm such a fail. It wouldn't take so long if I didn't have to make sure my pirate info is correct, or that I don't slip from Eighteenth-Nineteenth Century speech to Twenty First Century slang (I will admit though, I did get lazy with in this chapter. Especially with Naruto. I mean, seriously, how can you make Naruto sound like… well, Naruto, if you're not modern once in a while.) Anyways, it was honestly probably just this chapter that took so long because of all the information and whatnot. I'm extremely disappointed that I couldn't end this off on a good cliffhanger. All of my other chapters do… but not this one. So bear with me!
Anyways, in this chapter, you may have noticed Jun's obsession with shanties. The shanties that I put in this story are real sailor shanties from way back when. If you want to go check them out you can. They're actually quite good! If you do, let me know your favorite(s)! Mine is the Fish of the Sea. Also, the Articles are from Wikipedia. They are real too.
So please do me a solid and review! I LOVE YOU GUYS! And happy reading!
-Miasmic