Note: All right, let me say one thing of this story. There is NO romance here, just a one-sided friendship.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece and its characters, except the girl... and the old geezers here. (Gousho and Gefron: Oi...)


A Song Never Forgotten

Chapter 1

Turning back the clock, we go back to fifteen years ago. In an island somewhere in the Grand Line, children were training martial arts under the watchful eyes by their teachers. The island where they are is a training ground for the future assassins of the World Government. In a tall tower somewhere not far away from the training grounds, two old men, their names Gousho and Gefron, are in a vast room, looking out a wide window that gives view to the training field below.

"The children have been doing so well in their progress. It won't be long until they become the World Government's greatest heroes and fighters," Gousho said looking below from the window.

"Agreed, but learning the full mastery of the Rokushiki takes years of practice. We can't afford one student who has learned only four or three techniques. It will be disastrous," Gefron one stated with a serious expression.

"Ah don't worry, old friend. We have one student who is fully 'worthy' enough for the World Government; I believe you know him, am I right?"

"Ah of course... Him."

Then a sound of knocking is heard right behind the door. The two old men turned their heads toward the door.

"The door is open," Gousho said to the person behind the door.

The door opened and someone entered. This person walked inside the room and the old men were a bit surprised; the person was no other than a child in his early teen years. The boy stopped before the old men.

"Rob Lucci, what brings you here? Do you want a word with us?" Gefron asked.

"I do. A teacher reported to you that one of her students has gone missing, am I right?" thirteen-year old Lucci asked them.

"Well, true. She has gone long enough; her training period is almost over."

"May I ask why should I be the one to find her instead of getting someone else?" Lucci asked calmly, his eyes darkening a bit.

It was Gousho who answered. "Because we know that she looks up to you and she won't listen to anyone but you."

Lucci closed his eyes. "I'll search for her then."

"Please do."

Lucci then turns around and walks out the door, with Gefron closed the door carefully behind him.

--

Somewhere in a small forest not far from the tower, Lucci walks through the old trees and clumped bushes as he continued to search for the missing student.

"I know you're here, where are you?" he called out to her. "I don't have time for childish nonsense."

There was no response; he knew that the student is here. Where else could someone go beside the training grounds and the tower?

For the love of… He thought.

"Ami… I don't have time for this. This is not the time to play hide and seek," he spoke in a deadly tone. "Why do you always goof arou-''

A shoe hit him on the back of the head before he can finish. This brought his attention and he goes to picks it up from the ground.

"You're so noisy…" A female voice said above.

He looked up and saw a girl sitting on a branch rubbing her eye as if she had just woke up. The girl had chin-length black hair and a mole under her left eye; she is wearing a white blouse with a black sweater-shirt over it with a lemon necktie, a short black skirt, black stockings and one black shoe.

"Why does it have to be you from the others?" the girl named Ami asked, peering down at him.

"You know that answer," he replied. "Now can you get down from there?"

"Okay, but you have to do something first."

"And what's that?"

She giggled a little until she jumped out from the tree ready to land below.

"CATCH ME!" She shrieked gleefully.

The boy didn't catch her in time because it came too fast. Instead she landed on top him as they fell on the ground.

"Can I have my shoe back? Ami asked him innocently.

"Get off…" Lucci growled and pushed Ami off from him. This girl drives him nuts and it's so damn hard to control his anger around her…

"You could at least use Geppou to get down, why didn't you do that?" he asked her after giving her shoe back and getting up.

"I just wanted to have fun with Lucci-sempai that's all."

"This isn't the time to fool around. You're late for your next class and training period is almost over. Didn't you know that?"

This takes a short while until Ami completely remembered.

"Aah! I completely forget!" she cried.

--

Inside an empty classroom, Ami is sitting on a desk chair alone with her face buried on the desk; muttering. It's already afternoon and the room is filled with red orange sun rays. A person approached beside her. Ami lifted her head to see who it is, and saw it was Lucci again. After seeing him, she buried her head again.

"I really messed up, didn't I?" she said, not looking at him.

"Yes, you did. The excuse of 'overslept last night' is not a very good one when it comes to the teacher," Lucci replied.

"But I did overslept! I wasn't able to get enough sleep." Ami protested angrily, turning to him. "If only the teacher wasn't a big meanie."

Lucci gave a frustrated sigh. How can the World Government recruit someone so naïve and childish like Ami? It's a mystery when it comes to someone like her.

"I spoke with the teacher," he said. "She said you can leave now."

She got up from the chair with a big smile on her face.

"Thanks for telling me!" Ami told him. "I hope I'll see you again during dinner!"

"Actually, I--'' He wasn't able to finish because she ran out the classroom without listening.

"See you, Lucci-sempai!"

Now he's alone in the room. Just before he could leave, he notices a small red notebook on Ami's desk. Was she that dumb to notice she had left it behind?

"That stupid girl…" Lucci said quietly, getting out the notebook and walking out of the room to find her.


The mysterious girl is finally revealed! I know she's a bit childish and airheaded here but she has a much deeper personality than that and I will show her this side soon.

Leave a review and no flaming... please?