Humanity
Chapter 2
The Island
Kaku was amazed by the sheer amount of excitement the captain expressed over exploring this island. Day break soon arrived and the captain had eaten his breakfast so fast that Kaku was about 90% sure the boy inhaled it.
The straw hatted captain was chanting adventure along with the doctor Chopper. Nami kept telling them to be quiet as the ship officially docked at the unknown island. There wasn't a village in sight however so the group had no idea how far too had to walk to find one if there was one.
The crew left the ship though Franky decided to stay behind to watch his precious Thousand Sunny and work on a recent project of his.
Kaku felt out of place following the others off of the ship. No sooner than their feet landed on the dock Luffy took off.
"Luffy wait damn it!" yelled Nami, as she, Usopp and Chopper chased after him.
Robin laughed. "Our captain sure does love an adventure."
Kaku was starting to question the sanity of the crew. How can anyone follow a captain that acted the way that kid does? Then he realized he was following him too. He let out a small sigh as he, Robin, Sanji, and Zoro followed the others.
Sanji looked around. "Doesn't look like anyone has been on this dock for a while."
Kaku looked around and note the dried rotted ropes and barrels holding disturbing stagnated water. He grimaced. "It does look like no one has been here in maybe years."
The cook took a drag off his cigarette and said. "I guess we aren't going to be buying any supplies here."
The group walked up a dirt path that the others had gone. The walked up a top of a hill and could see a village and the others standing there.
They caught up to them. "Something wrong?" asked Sanji
Nami gestured to the village. "There isn't anyone here."
Kaku took a quick survey of the situation. All the buildings looked old but… it looked like the place was abandoned in a hurry. Weeds were taking over a water fountain and the stone walk ways. Baskets were laying on the ground appearing that someone had left their shopping in a hurry. There were even old clothes still hanging on a clothes line.
The others wondered around the village. He was slow to follow he looked at the water fountain. The place seemed oddly familiar. He crossed his arms trying to remember if he had been here before when a sharp pain went through his head. He grimaced in pain and let out a hiss as the pain thumped in his brain.
"Are you okay?" asked Chopper who was at his side in an instant.
He nodded. "I'm good." No sooner than those words left his mouth he heard a scream.
"That sounded like Nami." Said Chopper.
The two of them ran to where the scream was. Nami looked surprised and was staring at something in the road. Sanji was by her side asking if she was okay.
Kaku looked around the two teens and saw it. There was a skeleton lying face down in the middle of the road. More than likely a victim of whatever happened here on this island.
"Wow a dead guy." Said Luffy who had just arrived.
Usopp flinched. "You think it's safe here? What if this place is haunted?"
Zoro placed his hands on his swords a protective reaction. He had no idea who or killed that person lying in the street and he wasn't going to take any chances on it not returning.
"Relax; who or whatever killed this person is probably long gone. Everything around here indicates this village has been abandoned for years." Kaku said looking at the others. "And if it was an animal the bones wouldn't be this neat." He walked over to the body.
Nami's eyes widened and Usopp yelled. "Don't what if he wakes up?"
Kaku let out a sigh as he lowered down to the remains. He had received some training on examining bodies a few years ago. It was a task he didn't have to do often usually that would be someone else's job like Blueno or Kalifa. He stood up and nudged the body with his foot.
"Looks like this person was shot from behind." He titled his head and pointed at a hole in the clothes. "It's hard to tell with just bones." He saw the bullet laying in the ribcage. He grimaced. He looked up and saw a house a few feet away from them. "Probably running to that house." Another sharp pain went through his head and he tried his best to ignore it.
He turned to the others and saw Robin heading towards them with her arms crossed. She looked at the bones and barely blinked. It was obvious that it wasn't the first time she had seen a skeleton before unlike the more innocent children on the crew.
"The village was called Kirin. I found a sign back there buried in some weeds."
Another sharp pain went through his head that time he could not block out a small cry.
Chopper ran up to him trying to ignore the bones. "Maybe you should go back to the ship. I think he might be pushing yourself to hard."
He waved him off. "I'm fine. I just have a headache that's all." He looked back at the house a few feet from them and another headache came on. His vision blackened for a second but cleared up.
He heard the others talking and Nami said. "You think that guy was guarding treasure in that house?"
"Who would just keep treasure in a house like that? It was probably his and he was running to his family." Said Usopp.
He had to admit curiosity was getting the better of him. If he could just hide the headaches long enough and check out the house maybe he could shake this uneasy feeling.
Luffy said something about checking out the house and Kaku was quick to agree.
Robin frowned at him before saying. "Maybe we can figure out what happened to the villagers."
The group made their way to the house. Kaku kept his pace slow as the headache refused to give in. He ran through his head what might have happened to this poor village. A buster call wasn't likely because the village wouldn't be standing anymore. Pirates were the most plausible answer but he couldn't imagine them leaving the village in decent shape either.
When they got to the house he heard Luffy say. "Whoa, someone really wanted in here."
The door was knocked out of the house and was in billions of pieces. Kaku looked at it seeing bullet sized holes in the splintered wood. "Looks like it got shot up too."
Robin bit her lip. "Whatever happened they were after this house. I looked around before I caught up with you guys and none of the other houses had their doors this damaged."
The two walked in behind the younger group. Nami was raiding a jewelry box as Usopp fused about her disturbing the ghosts.
She rolled her eyes. "Usopp don't be ridiculous." She said as a necklace fell out of her hand. It hit the ground and opened up. The sniper picked it up for her and looked at it. His eyes widened for a moment and he leaned over to the navigator and whispered something.
She grabbed the necklace and looked around the room and the two ran upstairs where Luffy and Chopper where.
Kaku scanned the room as Robin looked through some books on the shelf. Something about this place still felt off. Another head ache came on and he let out a yelp. He nearly went down on his knees when he felt someone grab his arm.
"Maybe you should go back to the ship." Said Sanji.
He looked up at him the young cook did look a little concerned. "I'm fine." He said in between breathes.
He heard Zoro let out a scoff as looked down at the assassin. Robin opened her mouth to say something as she had several books in her hands when they heard Nami yell.
"That's not funny Kaku!" followed by Luffy laughing.
Sanji looked down at Kaku and frowned. "He's with us!" He shouted when he heard a book hit the floor. He looked at Robin. "What?"
One of her phantom arms pointed at the door. He glanced back over his shoulder and saw a giraffe. "Holy shit!" it startled him more than anything.
Kaku laughed. "Oh neat a giraffe."
"Who says neat? How old are you anyways?" Sanji yelled as the assassin finally got back up on his feet.
Zoro laughed. "Hey look we found your family."
Kaku glared at him and Sanji had to suppress a smirk. That moss head annoyed him but he had to admit that it was a little funny.
"Giraffe's are cool and at least I don't have green hair." He responded as he headed to the stairs. He could hear the swordsman yell.
"What did you say? Get back here! You want me to kick your ass again you giraffe!"
He rolled his eyes as he made it to the second floor. There wasn't much to the house the second floor just seemed to be an old bed room. Chopper was by the window and the giraffe had its head in and appeared to be nodding. He raised an eyebrow and Nami said.
"Chopper is getting information from the giraffe."
"He can talk to animals?" he asked.
She nodded. "You can't? I figured that being a Zoan type devil fruit user you could."
"As far as I know I can't" He heard the others walk up the stairs.
Luffy laughed and pointed at the long neck creature and said. "Look Kaku we found your family!"
He narrowed his eyes and let out a sigh. "I happen to like giraffes." He said annoyance apparent in his voice as he walked over to the window.
Chopper was still talking to it. "Oh I see. Okay."
He reached out to it and petted it on the head. The creature raised an eyebrow at him then made a noise.
"He says he doesn't like being petted there." Said Chopper
"Oh," he withdrew his hand. "Tell him I said sorry."
The giraffe made a noise and shook its ears and exited the window and headed to a tree.
"He said it was okay." Said Chopper the reindeer looked back at the others and Nami asked.
"What did you learn?"
The doctor sighed. "Well…" he glanced around then said. "Apparently this place was attacked. The giraffe said he didn't know who it was but… He said that…"
This place was once peaceful. I and my brethren lived among the people of the village in harmony. We were the pride of the village many people came and saw us but one day strangers arrived. The strangers attacked the village and came to this house they killed the person who lived here and took away their child. After that they took away the whole village. We survived by hiding in the forest nearby. We always felt bad for letting them get taken away.
Chopper nodded as he finished the giraffe's story. "I asked him if he knew who took the people and he said no."
The group fell silent for a few beats when Luffy asked.
"Do you think the villagers are still alive?"
Kaku frowned and harshly said. "Dead more than likely. If not they probably wish they were. They were probably taken to a prison or sold into slavery." He found himself almost hoping that the villagers were still alive himself but he knew that was unrealistic.
The group started heading back to the village. Kaku put some distance between himself and the others. The headache was returning and all he wanted to do now was lay down. He never felt so drained before not like this.
Little did he know as he was making his way back the rest was hanging back talking to one another.
Chopper sighed. "I didn't want to say it but… the giraffe said that he looked familiar."
Luffy looked up at the assassin who was nearly out of his sight now. "You think that's why he was acting weird."
The doctor looked thoughtful. "I don't know he said he had a headache…"
"Dr. isn't it possible for a person to repress their memories?" Robin asked. She had a book in her hand and was flipping through it.
"Hmm I guess it is possible but… you would think that he would remember something."
Usopp gulped. "You think the World Government could have done something to his memories?"
Chopper rubbed his chin in thought. "A devil fruit user that controls memories could that be possible?" he asked more to himself than anyone.
"I guess anything could be possible." Said Sanji who was looking at the book that Robin was flipping through.
"I still don't trust him." Said Zoro frowning.
"If he was lying I think one of us would have noticed." Said Usopp
"He did trick everyone into thinking he was a normal guy at Water 7." Said Nami. She held the necklace in her hand and ran her fingers over it. "I found this though. I thought the giraffe was him so I didn't show it to you earlier." She showed it to the others.
"That does look like him." Said Sanji as he pulled his cigarette out of his mouth and flicked some ashes off of the end of it.
"So it looks like the evidence is suggesting he was the kid the giraffe was talking about." Said Nami
"Almost ironic considering." Said Sanji as he put his hands in his pockets.
"I still don't trust him." Said Zoro laying his hands on his swords he sighed trying to relax again. He looked at the captain not one to usually question him and said. "I can't believe you trust him either."
Luffy frowned. "I made a promise." He looked down at the ground. He recalled the day Kaku has dropped off on their ship. He had promised. Promised to look after him and get him as far away as he could. He let out a sigh. Some promise keeper he was, after all he unwittingly took the Zoan to the island he apparently came from. He clinched his fists no he was going to keep his promise all he had to do was keep him as far away from CP9 as he could shouldn't be that hard, right?
The straw hatted captain's thoughts were broken up when Robin said. "I think this book might be the reason this village was attacked."
He looked over at the dark haired woman as she continued. "Well maybe not just this book. I noticed in that house there was spaces for books and this one stood out." She ran her hand along the inside of the book and back over the pages. She pulled at the binding.
"Wow aren't you going to damage it if you do that?" asked Sanji
No sooner than he asked that she got the binding off of the front cover. Hidden in the binding was a note of some sort. She opened the paper. "Just as I thought, it's a code."
"The book has a code?" asked Usopp
"Why would someone hide something in a dumb old book?" asked Luffy
She shrugged. "Whatever it was it was worth losing their life over it." She looked at the code. It didn't make much sense at the moment but she would figure it out.
