Author Note: So, here's the third chapter (second really, the intro is way too short haha) Enjoy~

-
Chapter 2: Farewell my old friends, i'm breaking free.

That night, my dreams were filled with endless oceans. I was captain of a ship and we set sails, looking for great adventures.I woke up feeling rested and happy for once.
Too bad that those feelings would slip through my fingers like sand.

An urgent knock on my door made me tense up. I looked at the clock on my nightstand. It read 8 Am. Nobody came to my room at this time. The old teacher only came after nine and he never knocked, mostly because i was already up by that time. This made me very nervous. Quickly, i stood up and rushed to the door, unlocking it and opening it, revealing the serious face of my father who forced me to step aside as he pushed my brothers and cousing inside the room. It was then that i realized that there was an uproar outside.

I inched towards the window, wanting to see what was happening outside, but my father quickly grabbed me by the arm and pulled me back, closing the windows behind him.

"Father, what's happening?" My question seem to go unoticed by my father, who was walking back out of the door.

"Just stay inside. The town is making a riot." It was all he said before closing the doors and locking us inside.

With a gasp i turned to look at my brothers. Kai and Allu were crying in a nasty way, saying nonsences like 'we're going to die', 'the townpeople are coming for us'. I glared at them and told them not to be a pair of crybabies. Milo glared back but i only rolled my eyes. The fear was clear on his eyes. Coward. I wasn't afraid. Worried? yes. Afraid? never.

I grabbed my bag and changed from my nightware to the clothes i always used when i slipped to town. My brothers looked at me with curiosity as i walked towards the window.

"What do you think you're doing idiot?!" Milo's voice was bordering on hysterics as i pushed the curtain aside. I turned briefly to roll my eyes at him and went back to look out of the window.

My eyes went wide at what i saw.

The whole port was on fire. On the sea i could see three Marine ships opening fire on the town. And the people who managed to escape were all rushing to our mansion, pleading to be let in. They were wounded, crying and begging, yet the tall doors remained closed, several marines posted there to prevent the people from getting in. From where i was, i couldn't see my father, but i could hear him alright.

"Do not let any of those commoners inside! This is their punishment for harvouring pirates on my land!"

This made the blood boil on my veins. My father was willing to sacrifice all these people in order to kill some pirates? Then it dawned on me. Krakan and Bartolomew! Without thinking things through, i unlocked the window and jumped to the branches of the cherry bloossom. I payed little attention to the yells of my cousing and the cries of my brothers. My grip on the branches was a bit off and i ended falling hard on the ground. My back hurt like hell but i just pushed myself up and ran towards the wall. In the distance i heard the voice of my father calling me, but i pushed on. The bushes and the wall scratched me as i pushed through it with more speed that usual. One of them snapped and hit me on the left eye, i hissed in pain but kept going.

Once on the other side, i could hear some of the people pointing at me. I turned and stepped back as a mass of people came running at me. Their intent was clear on their eyes. They meant no harm to me, but the entrance i provided them with captured all their attention. Taking this as a chance, i rushed through the forest.

In record time i reached the town. Most of the structures were crumpled on the ground or burning. Even tough i wasn't in the town yet, i could feel the heat coming from it. Fear tried to get a grip on me but i shook my head. Krakan and Bartolomew were all i could think about.

With their precense in my mind, i ran into the town.

As i neared the port i started to realize in what mess i got myself into.

On the main plaza, surrounded by destruction, pirates and marines battled against eachother. In the distance i saw the Sailing Snail burnt to the ground and i feared the worst. You can imagine my reliefe when heard the battle cry of Krakan, who was wielding seven swords and a pistol on his eight arms, battling the marines away. And beside him, with his arms and fingers crossed, Bartolomew was stopping a rain of bullets from the upcoming reinforcements of the marines.

I hide myself behind a pile of rubble and watched everything, cheering the pirates mentally.

That's when the first explosion happened.

It wasn't close to where i hid, but i still could feel the tremor and the impact from where i was. It was clear what had happened. The Marine fleet had opened fire on the port again, not caring if they killed some of their men or innocent people in the process of killing a few pirates.

Behind me i heard a faint cry and voices that hushed eachother.

I gave one last look at Krakan and Bartolomew, making sure they were still there, before walking towards the noise.

It was hard to pinpoint where the cries were coming from, but i kept a hand close to my ear to listen better. Soon i found the half crumbled house from where the cries echoed. I pushed the broken door open and yelped when a gun went off. I wasn't dead by a hairline! I thanked the gods that the girl with the gun had an awful aim. I glared at her, making everyone flinch. Still, she held the gun towards me.

"Hey, chill." I said, holding up my hands to show that i meant no harm. The girl with the gun lowered it slowly. She was older than me for what i could see, with clear eyes and blond, curly hair that pooled around her and hid the other three kids behind her. All of them had the same pale blue eyes and the curly blond hair. "What are you doing here? There's one hell of battle outside."

None of them aswered me and i frowned. I sure heard them talk in the same lenguage than I, so i was sure that they could understand me. I took a tentative step forward and found the gun pointing at me again, this time towards my face. "If you give another step, I'll kill you!"

I hmped and narrowed my eyes, taking a step back and then another, just in case. "Look girl, i'm just a ten year old brat, you really think i'm the bad guy?" I deadpaned. She kept on pointing the gun at me. Rolling my eyes, i turned with the intention to go back outside and check on my friends. "If you stay here, you're all going to die." I anounced before leaving.

Soon i found myself back on the same spot i had been before, looking out for Krakan and Bartolomew. I spotted the octopus merman right away. It wasn't good. One of his arms hand been cut off and other two hung useless against his sides. I couldn't find Bartolomew at all. The fight kept on raging everywhere. Another explosion shook the ground and i heard a cry of terror behind me. Turning, i found the girl from before along with her brothers, all looking at me with pleading eyes. I sighed exasperated. She was older than me, how could she not realize that she had to run away. I sprinted from my hiding spot to a nearby building and motionate for them to follow me. They all did and i lead them across the crumbling town towards the forest path i always took to go back home.

"Where are you taking us?" The taller girl asked and I stopped.

"Look, this path will take you to my mansion." I said in a rush. They all paled and took a step back.

"You're... you're a..." One of the smaller kids struggled in fear and i just glared at him.

"Yes, i'm a tenryubito. Now that we settled that, it would be better for you if you left this town now." I urged them. The big sister noded, it was clear that she wasn't bothered by my linage and was willing to listen to me. "This path will take you safetly to the walls of my mansion. But don't go in, i fear my father is crazy. Just keep going left of the wall, there's a cave nearby, hide inside and i'll find you later." i promised.

The girl noded and started to push her brothers along the path. Before i could leave, she stopped and thanked me. I blushed at the smile she gave me and ducked back into the town. By now, the explosions had stopped and dread started to replace that wierd feeling that the girl's smile gave me.

Sadly, when i reached the plaza, i found that my fears had come true.

On the ground, several bodies tainted the floor red. The only pirates left were some of the old men from the tavern and Krakan, Bart was nowhere to be seen. For all i knew, he could be buried under other bodies. What truly surprised me was the imposiong figure in front of all the surviving pirates.

It wasn't other than Admiral Akainu. The greatest marine in all the history books and hunter of pirates... the man who defeated Monkey D. Luffy.

My knees started to shake as he approached Krakan. The old merman's head was lowered and Akainu pulled it up with a hand made of magma. I bit my lips until the bleed as i heard the pained screams of my friend. That bastard! He was going to pay!

Just as i was going to stand up and ran towards the bastard, a hand grabbed me from behind and pulled me down again. I struggled until i heard a familiar voice on my ear. "Ease up Zio, it's me." Bartolomew! I relaxed enough for him to let me go and i turned to hug him. A hiss of pain made me recoil. "Easy there kiddo, you have one *cough* hell of a grip."

The punk pirate was severly wounded. A big burnt mark was over his left arm, wich hung uselessly at his side. A large stake of wood was incrusted on his leg and i winced. That must hurt like hell. My eyes teared up as i heard another scream from Krakan but Bartolomew shushed me, inching closer to my hiding spot to look out at what was happening on the plaza. As i stared at him, i realized that the punk pirate had a snatchel on his lap with something inside that smelled funny. My curiosity got the best of me and i tried to open the bag, but the voice of Akainu stopped me.

"Why do you all have to be so stubborn?" His voice sent chills down my spine and i started to shake again. I didn't dare to look again. I was afraid of what was going to happen next. "Why you all protect that low life Bartolomew? He has abandonate you all to die here. Just tell us where he's hiding and you all get to spend the rest of your lives on Impel Down."

My eyes went to Bartolomew, who's grip of the snatchel became tighter. His knuckles were turning white. The i heard a cough and the voice of a pained Krakan. I couldn't help myself and looked towards my old friend. I heard Bart's warning beside me, but i payed no mind. "No one will tell you anything marine dog!" Krakan said. "You'll never find him or the fruits!"

Fruits?

Did he mean a Devil Fruits?

Akainu growled and ignited his hand with magma again. "The you'll all die here." Drawing his arm back, Akainu brought it back down just as a hand covered my mouth and pushed me away from the sight. I didn't need to see to know what happened. The smelt of burnt flesh reached me and made me sick.

Krakan was dead.

I cried and struggled against Bartolomew as i heard Akainu gave the order to kill everyone else. As the gunshots rang out, i fell limp against the green haired pirate, who hugged me close. Akainu gave the order to inspect the town and Bartolomew tensed. We both knew we would be found out. I turned my teary gaze towards the pirate, who smiled at me and removed his hand from my mouth, only to handle me the sack with the devil fruit. "They can't have them." he whispered before pushing me aside and standing with the help of the wall. He turned to give one last smile. "Run now brat, stay safe." And then he limped out of our hiding place.

I cried as i watched him go. Frozen. That's how i felt with each step he gave towards the Marines. But i had a mission. A promise to keep.

Again, i was forced to leave behind my friends, this time knowing that i wouldn't see them again. The tears kept coming and i couldn't stop them. In the distance, i heard a Marine calling me, but i kept running. They wouldn't catch me. Never.

I ran and ran untill i reached the wall of the mansion. A pile of bodies kept the entrance i always used blocked. I ran to the left then. I could hear the Marines following me, but way too behind to worry me. As i passed beside the metal doors of the mansion, i saw my father with a look of terror. He called for me. I ignored him.

When i reached the cave, i found the gun girl outside. She was surprised to see me. Before she could ask me anything, i pushed her inside the cave and pulled her along. Her brothers question rained around me, but i payed no mind. My heart was beating like crazy. If i was captured, tenryubito or not, i would be killed by association with pirates. The grip of the bag of devil fruits tightened. Even so, i wouldn't let them capture me. I walked deeper into the cave until the stream of water could be heard.

"Tell me what's goin on!" the girl asked loudly, pulling against the grasp i had on her hand. She finally broke free with a extra strong jank that left me looking at her with surprise. She was glaring at me until she realized that the tears kept on falling from my eyes. With a sigh, she took out a napking and whipped the dirt and tears from my face. "Are you okay? can you tell us what happened?" her words were soft and felt like a secure blanket over me. This feeling made me nod and i told them all the things that happened in the town. When i finished i showed them the bag of devil fruits. They all stared in wonder at the colorful fruits but i kept them from reaching them.

"What do you plan to do now?" One of the other kids asked me. This one, i noticed, had green eyes instead of blue like his siblings and his hair was much more shorter than the rest. He looked around me age even.

I took a deep breath and explained my plan. I told them, quickly, how i had a small ship inside the cave, that we could take to leave the island. "Here it is." i pointed at the clear waters of the cave, where a ship large enough to fit six or seven people floated with the waves. It wasn't in perfect state, but it was in good enough conditions to set sail. I had been repairing it whenever i could sneak out and had supplies from it, so i knew that it could sail.

"The Marines will catch us if we try to leave in this." The gun girl said as i jumped to the ships deck.

"No, they won't." I simply said as i hid the bag of fruits inside a barrel. They would be safe there for now.

"He's mad." the smaller girl said while hugging her teddy bear close.

That made me roll my eyes again as i looked for a certain item between the things i stored in the inside of the ship. "Look, you guys can stay if you want." he grunted as i pulled a box away. "But the Marines will find you and hurt you if you do."

"He's right." Gun girl support surprised me. I watched with wonder as he grabbed the tiny girl and jumped into the deck beside me. As i returened to my search, she helped the other two siblings to get on the ship. Once everyone was on it, she turned to me. "So, how do you expect to outrun the Marine's fleet?"

"With this!" I smirked as i pulled the item i had been looking for, holding it on sight so they all could see it.

"A whistle?" The younger boy asked, scratching his curly hair.

"Yup."

I ignored the second comment about my 'crazyness' and put the whistle in my mouth, blowing it as much as i could.

Soon, a growl rumbled through the cave, scaring the four kids while my smirk grew and i rushed to the head of the ship. From below, the head of a Sea King sprouted from the clear waters. He loomed over me as i extended my hands towards him. Behind me, the kids all yelped and pushed themself against the wall of the ship. I laughed as the sea king lowered his fauces and a slippery tongue licked my face. I hugged the snouth of the sea king and whispered to him. "Is time to go buddy." To which the beast purred and dived back into the waters, coming out a second later with a harness around his mouth and tail. With a pull, the ship started to move forward.

"Oooh my god!" Gun girl was at my side in an instant, looking down the railing as the sea king pulled us across the waters and out of the cave. "You tamed a sea king?"

"Nah, we're just friends." I smiled and ran towards the steering wheel. "It's better if you stay away from the sides, the railings are kinda weak." i warned them. "Buddy, get us away from the island. Take the north coast, we'll loose them in the reef." I yelled at the sea king, who growled and pulled faster. Our speed was good.

With a quick glance to the left, i saw the burning town from the mouth of the cave. The Marine's ships were still docked on the port. Only one remained a little ways away.

This was it.

We were going to make it.

My eyes went to the mansion. I wasn't sad for leaving them behind. I just hoped that some of the people of the town had survived.

"So..." I said while making sure that Buddy's direction pointed to the reef. "What are your names?"

Gun girl was the first to talk, stepping beside me again. "My name is Desiree Bondy, and this are my little siblings, Ribbon," She pointed at the boy with green eyes, who just hmp-ed and looked away. "Raylo." She pointed at the other kid with the curly mane that could rival Gun girl (Desiree, moron) "And Kukiri." She pointed at the tiny girl with the teddy bear who waved shyly. "And you are...?"

I hesitated a bit, humming. I then spotted the flag on the mast of my tiny ship. The white flag with the two black wings on it. I Smiled widely at them. I knew what name i would use from now on.

"I'm Zio. Zio Blackwing!"

Tough, years would happen before the rest of world knew me with that name.

Autor Notes: So, i know ppl might think that this is a bit slow when it comes to some canon characters that we're all waiting to see. But i first need to explain more about Zio and how he meets his crew before sending them to the past to change everything. Character developlement people.

So here we finally meet some important people that will becomenakama in the future. The next chapter will have a lot of time skips where i'll introduce the rest of the crew and how Zio gets his devil fruit and makes a name for himself.

I'm guessing that the time travel chapter will happen after that, so stay tuned. Also, reviews make a writer be filled with inspiration to continue writing~

See ya peeps!