I do not own One Piece or Naruto, -enjoy-
-12 years later
After defeating Arlong and having his crew back together on one ship Monkey D. Luffy couldn't be happier, he was so much closer to his dream! To get the One Piece and become Pirate King! Sitting happily on the mast of the ship he noticed something in the distance, squinting for a better look he stretched his head forward before his eyes widened.
"Oi Nami! Is their supposed to be an island up ahead?" he asked jump down from the mast and looking Nami's shoulder curiously.
"Yeah, it's a small island called Hanabatake or Field of Flowers" she answered,
"Do pirates usually go there?" he asked, confused she shook her "No they're usually left alone which makes it a pretty peaceful place, why?" she asked, not answering he just pointed at something in the distance. Taking out her telescope she looked over at where he pointed and gasped, docked on the harbor was a large pirate ship and the flag was sporting Captain Wolf's flag, known to be the blood thirstiest pirates of the east blue.
"We should steer clear, that's Captain Wolf's flag, he goes after anyone he can see no matter what. That town is doomed" said Nami sadly looking at Luffy's serious face
"Were going, I feel like there might be something worth finding there" he said before calling out their new heading, Nami sighed shaking her head, either he truly was an idiot or he just had a death wish... or both.
To be safe they docked their ship on the other side of the island, once docked the group of five made their way into town anticipating blood shed or mayhem of some kind, instead they found villagers rejoicing.
"What do you think is going on here?" wondered Nami aloud, Luffy's eyes sparkled at all the food going around immediately diving headfirst into this festival.
"There he goes again, we might as well just enjoy it" Said Zoro resting his hands behind his head before ambling off after Luffy.
"I just don't know, doesn't it seem weird they're celebrating when pirates are docked?" Nami asked, Usopp just shrugged along with Sanji "Who knows, but Zoro's right let's just enjoy it" he said, Nami sighed but followed along. They eventually found Luffy at an eating contest, Zoro stood aside watching impassively as he ate his own plate of food.
"Geez this is just ridiculous! You boys are pigs, I'm out of here" said Nami, heading towards the docks to gt a closer look at the ship; maybe she was mistaken about the owner, she sure hoped so. As she neared the ship she noticed two things, that the ship did in fact belong the blood thirsty pirates and there was a strange crowd gathered at the edge of the docks.
Stopping the nearest person to her Nami pointed to the docks, "Hey what's going on there?" she asked, the woman she grabbed laughed happily
"It's the reason for this celebration! That ship wanders in one night with only one person aboard, it seems Captain Wolf's Mad Dog turned on them and murdered every single person on that ship. Were pretty lucky that she was weakened from all the fighting, we have her tied up over there waiting for the marines to come pick her up" said the woman cheerfully,
Nami's eyes widened at this and she made her way over to the docks and noticed that people were throwing projectiles at a figure tied to the cross roughly ten feet away from the dock above the water. She gasped in horror at the girl's condition who seemed roughly the same age as her, dressed in only bandages across her chest and torn up bloodied pants she looked pitiful with her head downcast letting long but tangled and dirty pink hair hide her face from view. 'This can't possibly be the Mad Dog!' thought Nami noticing the plethora of scars that covered her body, and the large iron cuffs on both her ankles, wrists and even around her neck! Long chains hung from each cuff. 'I need to tell the guys!' she said running back to where she left them, noticing Luffy was still competing in the contest she rushed over to the group to tell them what she saw
"Guys! You wouldn't believe what they're doing!" she exclaimed, seeing Zoro's raised eyebrow she repeated what the woman had told her and then of what she saw when she was done she noticed Usopp and Sanji's faces were both filled with horror, only Zoro's face still held doubt.
"Ok, but what if she is Mad Dog and killed all those guys? Just let the marines handle it" he said, soon after saying that Luffy popped up
"Let the marines handle what?" he asked, Nami re-told the story and Luffy held a contemplative look before smiling
"I guess we better ask her, huh?" he asked, Nami nodded "but we'll need to go at night, there's too many people over there throwing stuff at her now" she said, Luffy nodded and announced that they were going to visit her again at nightfall, the vein above Nami's eye twitched before she punched Luffy atop the head"You idiot stay quiet!" she yelled.
Meanwhile Sakura hung on her post and stared at the water, ignoring the items being thrown and instead was thinking back to the last time she had been on this island. Only six years old, no family to speak of and no money to her name, the only thing that mattered to her was her only friend Mei-chan... and now she was gone too. Sakura's heart clenched at remembering her friend, tears threaten to fall but she held them back out of respect for her deceased friend. She didn't notice when day turned to night or when the villagers finally left to go to their beds, but she her head snapped up when she heard her name being called
"Sakura is that you?" asked an older man, Sakura's eye widened at the grey haired man, his eyes were the same blue as Mei-chan's
"Sakura?" he asked, shakily she answered her voice rough from abuse of her vocal chords
"Hai" she answered
"Do you know who I am?" he asked hopefully, Sakura nodded a haunted look in her eyes as she answered
"Your Mei's father" she answered softly, her throat felt like someone made her swallow rusted nails as she tried to hold back her tears.
"Mei talked a lot about you, is... is she alive?" he asked, Sakura refused to answer as she hung her head, there was dead silence as the man realised the answer, he sighed and sat at the end of the dock. Neither were aware of the five set of eyes watching the scene unfold
"I see, can I ask... how?" he asked, Sakura's head snapped up eyes wide with horror at the memory, clenching her eyes she shook her head rapidly
"Gomen, I'm sorry, so sorry. It was all my fault, everything was my fault" she said clenching her eyes shut, the man clasped his hands together
"You were her only friend you know, at first I was worried about her hanging around the orphan thief, but seeing her so happy after her mother had passed. I'm glad she had you as a friend-STOP!" Sakura yelled interruting him
"It's MY fault! She's dead because of ME! I was the worst thing that ever happened to her, if only she had stayed in, if only I hadn't eaten that fruit she would be alive!" she cried out, tears finally falling as heart wrenching cried filled the air, finally her cries died out and the only sound was the sound of her tears hitting the water below her.
"Thank you" said the old man looking up at the moon, Sakura stared at him in disbelief noticing his own tears, "knowing that her death meant so much to you means you treasured her to the end, for that I thank you"
Sniffling Sakura forced herself to speak
"W-what do you what to know?" she asked, the man smiled
"How old was she, what did she look like, was it quick?" he asked,
"She as eighteen, like me, she had long brown hair and your blue eyes. She was a lot taller than me and she always smiled, she had the prettiest smile... and she didn't feel a thing, completely painless" she said with a smile though everyone heard the lie, the old man said nothing of lie only smiled gratefully
"What was she like?" he asked, Sakura smiled
"She was delusional, she said one day she was going to escape, that she was going to rescue me,and together we were going to come back here and take over your flower shop. She's here you know. I brought her back for you, she's still on that ship, she said she's come back no matter what" said Sakura looking up at the stars, "She also knew almost every star in the sky, and the ones she didn't know she would name them, do you see the one by the north star? the one almost above it... that's her mom's star, she would always say that was her star because it was next to the brightest star in the sky, so that you guys can always find her" she finished growing quiet, the man took his cue to leave but not before his parting words
"You know, she wouldn't want you to give up to the marines, I think she would've wanted you to keep on living... I wish for you to keep on living." he said leaving her, once he was gone Luffy and his crew walked up to the tied up girl
"Oi, so your name is Sakura?" he asked, Sakura eyed them warily but nodded
"Are you really the Mad Dog?" asked Zoro, Sakura glared at the name
"Hai" she answered expecting insults to be hurled at her, but was surprised to see the boy in the straw hat laughing
"Sugoi! That's awesome, you must be pretty strong to take out a whole crew by yourself!" he exclaimed,
"Why did you let yourself be captured? If your really Mad Dog then even if your tire from fighting you could've easily wiped out this village, so why didn't you?" asked Nami, Sakura sighed
"Because monsters like me should be killed"
Luffy frowned at her response, but before he could speak Zoro beat him to it
"If your such a monster then why were you crying, why not kill those guys before and escape with your friend?" he asked, Sakura's eyes widened before glaring at him
"Shut up! You don't know anything, just shut up!" she yelled,
"You were protecting her the whole time weren't you, but she tried to escape and they killed her" he said, when she didn't reply he carried on "judging from your scars they tortured you, did they threaten her to make you kill all those people?" he asked
"Just go away and leave me alone, I wasn't strong enough to protect her it was my fault" she said, Luffy eyed her for a moment before smiling
"I don't think so, I want you to join my crew" he said, Sakura eyed him bewiledered as him and his companions smiled beside him
"Your insane, why should I?" she asked
"Because I'm going to be Pirate King one day, and I need strong people on my crew" he said
"You should really just accept" said Zoro, Nami chuckled before nodding "He probably won't leave here until you do"
Usopp nodded, "He's the most stubborn guy ever"
"Take it from me, he wouldn't leave my side for weeks until I agreed" added Sanji, Sakura stared at them all in disbelief
"What's the point, the marines will be here soon to take me away" she pointed out, Luffy just smiled brightly, "I'll beat up anyone who tries, your Nakama now" he declared, his smile brought back a memory of Mei smiling brightly behind a cell her clothes dirty and torn
"Were going to escape one day and I promise to get stronger so that no one can hurt my friends again, I'll rescue you and together we'll go home!"
Her friend's voice echoed in her head and more tears fell
"Ok, I'll go with you"
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