I ran to the docks. My father's boat must still be there. Over the hill behind my house, through the river, out onto the beach…

I arrived just in time to see it finish burning. The fire from Buggy's ship must have spread. I sank to my knees in despair. I wasn't going to leave Tristram. I was going to run my father's inn forever, until he got back.

Then, another thought occurred to me: my boat probably wasn't the only one ruined. There were only about three boats on Tristram, and the other two were closer to the fire than mine, so Hiro wouldn't be able to leave! I could bide my time until my father got back and got another boat…

I returned to the inn and slept. My current plan might not have worked, but I would figure something out.

The weeks passed, and Hiro did work for the town. He was incredibly strong, fast, tough, and his Devil Fruit powers helped him when his body alone couldn't overcome it, but he never once let anyone know what fruit he had eaten. Then, one day, someone called out that the traders' ship was returning. My father was coming back at last!

I ran out to the beach, along with most of the town, Hiro included, since he wanted off what he referred to as "this rock in the middle of the ocean." The ship's flag was waving beautifully in the breeze, rocking gently on the waves…

And then the person next to me coughed up blood and fell to the ground. Then another. Instantly, the crowd panicked. What was happening? The merchants had no weapons! We all made a mad dash for the town as more of us fell.

Hiro just stood there, though, and a faint clinking noise was heard. A thorn-like object fell to the ground in front of him. I had heard of this power, the 'Tough-Tough Shield". He hardened his skin until nothing could pierce or slash it, but it was heavy and many of his other powers were rendered useless.

I ran and hid behind a rock near the end of the beach, and as the ship grew closer, I saw the attacker; a woman with greenish skin.

"So, Hiro," she said as the boat beached, "how is this little town fairing? Unfortunately, there won't be any more imports for it. Or exports."

What she says takes a second to hit me. She killed everyone on the boat; no more imports. And soon she's going to kill everyone on the island; no more exports. She crosses her right hand over her chest, then swings it out, throwing out star-like thorns that fly into town; I hear screams and smell blood.

"What do I care?" Hiro replies.

My vision narrows. He would just betray us after weeks of helping us?

"You bastard!" I yell and run out at him, jumping and tackling him. I catch him off guard, and swing into a position where he shields me from the woman's thorns. I hear more clinks, so that was a good idea. I slug him with all my strength, however, and from the sound, break most of my knuckles. I fall down, only half aware of what is happening.

Hiro turns around to face the woman. "So, Rose, Lance actually gave you the Thorn-Thorn fruit? A Logia? How long have you been his whore, then? A few months?"

The woman's face clouds. "The boy was right. You're a bastard." She flings a few more thorns at Hiro, but none of them do any damage. In a flash, Hiro jumps up and tackles her, jumping impossibly high impossibly fast; I have seen him do it before, so it isn't a shock to me, but she is surprised. He then slings her off the ship, onto land, and reaches out with a Gum-Gum arm to grab me. I black out around this time.

When I come to, I feel the gentle rocking of the sea.

"What happened?" I ask, feeling my pained knuckles. Then it comes back, and I sit bolt upright. "Tristram. What happened to everybody?"

Hiro came out of a cabin, smelling of blood. "They were dead before I could help any of them."

"Liar!" I yell. "You were intent on getting away-"

"And saving as many lives as I could. That was one, yours. Be thankful boy. Because unless you develop a reason for me to keep you, I'm dropping you off at Kong Island, my next stop."

I quiet down, then another question comes to mind. "My father, is he…?"

"He looks like he died first. One thorn through the head. I burned his body, unlike the others, which I just threw overboard. You'd protest too much otherwise."

I lay back down on the deck, shellshocked. Dad was dead. Tristram gone. Mom long dead. I had nothing. No idea who my distant family was. I didn't even know my middle name, only that it started with a C. Deckard C. Ash, helpless victim.

I stare at my knuckles, wondering how they healed, as the boat moves closer and closer to my inevitable fate: isolation.

Next Time!: I felt the cold steel hit the side of my neck. How the saber entered and severed my throat. And how it left the other side. How my head fell, hit the ground, and my mouth opened in a silent scream, with no air. What was happening?