You never know how strong you are, until being strong is the only choice you have.
~Cayla Mills
Trigger warning: Mention of intention to rape.
Rosie's eyes were closed. The world was quiet around her as she focused on concentrating. She exhaled slowly, and in the next moment felt the danger.
Black raced up her arm as she pivoted to deflect her mother's attack. The sharp sting of the blade caused her to wince. Her Armament wasn't strong enough to completely protect her from harm.
"Good." Lienna praised before launching another attack. Rosie's grip on the sword in her hand, very real and very dangerous, tightened and she couldn't conceal the small smile tugging at the edge of her lips as their blades clashed.
It had been a year since Rosie first touched a wooden sword, and her progress had been nothing less than baffling. Swordsmanship did run in her blood after all.
Cuts and calluses littered her hands, but she couldn't have cared less. Rosie was only seven years old, but she knew as she was then, she was deadlier than grown adults from her old world.
She knew if she kept training, at the rate she was going she would be more than able to protect herself should it become necessary.
"Alright my little rose, that's enough for today." Lienna said, sheathing her sword and Rosie mirrored her. "I have to pick up a few things in town, I'll be back soon."
After planting a kiss on her forehead, her mother was gone.
Alone, Rosie raced inside and grabbed the notebook she kept under her mattress. Not the most discreet hiding spot, but her failsafe was surefire. All her writing was in English, a language she doubted anyone in her current world could read.
Once she realized where she was, she took to writing down everything she could remember about One Piece. Her memory was never the sharpest, and she wanted to make sure she was as prepared as possible for what she might face.
The world she was living in was full of possibilities. There were so many different paths she could take should she choose to do so. However, there was one thought holding her back. How would her presence affect the canon of the predetermined world?
The last thing she remembered happening in One Piece was the Sanji arc, in which his family was revealed. That wouldn't happen for at least another decade if Shank's youth and attached arm was anything to go by.
What if she messed things up. What if, because he had a child, Shanks never went to Foosha and never met Luffy. That meant Luffy would never eat the Gum Gum Fruit. Who knew how long Luffy would last without his trademark rubber man powers.
Without Luffy, where did that leave the world.
The fact that Rosie wasn't supposed to exist was indisputable. She somehow slipped through the cracks and ended up in a fictional world. She had read stories similar to her situation in her old world, stories in which the person befriended the main characters and became a hero along with them.
Rosie didn't think she wanted that. Living a peaceful life with Lienna was more than enough for her. In a few years when it was safe for her to be seen in public, she could get a job in town. Maybe open a bookstore. That would be ideal.
…
The Red Hair Pirates' celebration was in full swing as they sailed away from the defeated pirate ship. Another victory. Spirits were high as alcohol and food was passed around.
The captain was in the middle of the merriment when his first mate, Benn Beckman, pulled him aside.
"C'mon Benn! Can't it wait until morning?" Shanks whined, wanting to go back to the party.
"On the enemy's ship, I overheard something worrying." The dark-haired man said, arms crossed as he looked down at Shanks. "Something about you having a kid."
Shanks entire demeanor changed. His posture straightened and the mug of beer in his hand shattered as it hit the deck.
"Did you hear anything else?" Shanks prompted.
"Just that they say your kid is located on a Summer Island somewhere in the Grand Line."
"Turn the ship around, set sail for Paray immediately." He said. Benn nodded once before moving out. The sounds of his crew partying didn't entice him anymore.
People knew that he had a child. If some lowly pirates were aware of the fact, then more powerful opponents had to know. Lienna and his daughter were in danger. This was all his fault.
…
"A bookstore?" Lienna repeated as Rosie sat in front of her, hands hard at work creating intricate braids in the girls hair.
"Mhm! I'll have books from all over the world, I want to have the biggest collection of books!" Rosie said enthusiastically, wincing as she got too excited and pulled away from her mother who still had handfuls of her hair.
"That certainly won't be easy my little rose." Her mother replied.
"So? I don't care. I'll do it anyway." She proclaimed, crossing her miniature arms.
"I have every faith in you my little rose." Lienna comforted, placing a ponytail in Rosie's hair to hold the braid and pulling the girl to her chest.
"Can we practice today Mama?" She asked excitedly, eyes trained on the two swords lying next to the front door.
"Right aft-" Her mother's entire body froze. Rosie knew something was wrong immediately. Her stomach dropped as Lienna shot to her feet and raced into her bedroom.
"Mama?" Rosie asked, voice trembling. She didn't need Lienna to tell her what was going on. They had been found. She had been found. Her mother raced back into the living room with a small, intricately designed box in her hands.
"Hurry Rosie, eat this." She said, opening the box and pushing a small fruit into her hands. It was a light pink color and she knew what it was. Rosie had seen enough Devil Fruits to know that's what was nestled into the box.
There was no time to think. No time to argue with Lienna, she knew time was running out. Her chubby hands reached into the box and grasped the plumlike fruit. With no hesitation, she bit into the fruit.
The series really didn't do a good enough job in illustrating just how disgusting the fruits really were. Rosie couldn't put it into words even if she tried. It was sour milk, garbage, rotten fish, a plethora of foulness. It was all she had to swallow the fruit.
Before she could react, Lienna grabbed Rosie in one arm, her sword in the other, and they were out the door.
"Hold onto my back Rosie." Her mother commanded in a tone of voice she had never heard before. She moved immediately, wrapping her arms around Lienna's neck and her legs around her torso. Lienna unsheathed her sword. Faster than Rosie could comprehend, much faster than she ever was in their sparring matches, Lienna pivoted around and Rosie watched with wide eyes as her mother effortlessly sliced through a young man in a marine uniform.
Blood splattered back on the both of them and Lienna didn't so much as flinch, turning back and sprinting. Rosie's mind was still reeling from watching the woman who gave birth to her, who baked her cookies and peppered her face with kisses at nearly every opportunity, kill a young man without so much as flinching. She knew her mother had been a pirate before her, had known she was a master swordswoman.
Rosie had been more naive than she thought. She forgot what a pirate was, she was so used to associating pirates with Luffy, who never killed anyone, that she forgot not all pirates were like that. She forgot such violence existed.
She clung tight to Lienna, never daring let go as they approached the coastline. Rosie lived on an island her whole life, but never once went to the beach. It was too dangerous being so close to the water.
A small boat was waiting there and Lienna wasted no time pushing it into the water and jumping in. Unfurling the sail, a gust of wind propelled them forward.
"Get down!" Lienna shouted before jumping on top of Rosie. The sound of gunshots rang through the air and Rosie couldn't help the small shriek that slipped out. She felt her mother wince, but she never moved from her position covering Rosie.
After a few tense minutes, Lienna finally got up, but Rosie refused to move, too scared. Looking up at her mother, she saw red beginning to stain her light blue top.
"Mama, you're hurt." Rosie said softly, her voice trembling. Lienna had been shot protecting her. It was her fault.
"This is nothing my little rose, don't you worry. I've had a lot worse." She tried to reassure, but Rosie could tell she was lying. It was clear in her eyes.
"Are the bad people still after us?" Rosie asked.
"Yes, but it looks like we've escaped for now my little rose."
They sailed for hours and eventually, Rosie nodded off to sleep. However, she was thrust back into consciousness by the sound of yelling. Eyes shooting open, the first thing Rosie saw was the giant ship in front of them. It was ten times the size of their sailboat and one glance at her mother told her they wouldn't be able to make it out of this one.
Though her mother put up a fight, she was already wounded, and was forced to surrender when one of the pirates got ahold of Rosie.
"So this is Shanks' brat huh?" The pirate holding her up, painfully, by her arm commented. She could assume he was the captain by his gaudy attire. "It seems they tried to hide the hair color, but you can't cover that obnoxious red hair."
"Let her go!" Lienna screamed, being detained by three grown men. The sight was almost comical, three grown to hold down a woman half their size.
"Let her go?" The captain laughed sharply before swinging his arm out, dangling Rosie off the side of the ship. "Are you sure about that?"
Rosie refused to scream, refused to show her fear. It was the least she could do. However, she knew if the pirate dropped her into the ocean, she would drown. She might have had a fighting chance if not for the Devil Fruit she ate, but she remembered from the show that once someone ate the fruit, the ocean was not their friend.
"No!" Lienna shrieked.
"But I thought you wanted me to let her go." The captain taunted.
"Please! Do whatever you want to me but don't hurt her!" Lienna cried, straining against the men holding her.
"You know, I had a run in with Shanks not too long ago. He's the one who took out my eye." The man said. "Maybe if I take out one of his brats' eyes we can call it even."
Rosie swallowed hard, but once again, refused to show fear. The pirate leered at her. "Not scared of me girlie?"
She don't know what possessed her to do it. It wasn't something she ever would have done in her past like if in the same situation. It was like someone else possessed her body. Looking the man straight in the one eye she had remaining, she gathered the saliva in her mouth and spit it right in his face. The pirate threw her down at his feet and Rosie hissed as her body made contact with the hard wood of the deck.
"Take them both to the holding cell, I want to make that little bitch scream." Rosie knew she had just majorly fucked up, but one look at the pride shining on Lienna's face made it worth it.
…
Rosie whimpered as the leather whip made contact with her bare back and a few tears slipped down her face.
"Stay strong my little rose!" Lienna shouted before the crack of the whip cut her off.
She didn't know how long they had been below deck. It was hard to keep track of time when torture after torture was being inflicted on you. The whip seemed to be their personal favorite Rosie thought dryly as she fought a scream after being hit again. She could feel the blood running down her back where her skin was torn.
All she wanted to do was scream. She doubted it would lessen the pain, but it would make her feel better. But Lienna hadn't let out a single whimper. Not screaming was the least she could do.
"I think it's time to step it up a notch boy's." The captain sneered. "How do ya think ole Red Hair would react knowing a "worthless" pirate such as me deflowered his precious daughter?"
Rosie's stomach dropped and terror filled her.
The pirate grabbed her and grinned at the look of terror on her face. "I'll surely get a scream outta ya."
"Leave her alone!" Lienna shrieked, thrashing against her restraints as the captain gave Rosie a once over.
"She's not bad looking, a bit underdeveloped, but I like em on the younger side." He laughed.
No no no no no. This couldn't be happening. Rosie could take the whippings, the torture, but this. This was too much. She struggled against his hold, thrashed and wriggled, but it was no use.
"I like it when they put up a fight." He leered, reaching for her clothes.
"Captain! The Marines are here!" A pirate screamed, running below deck. The captain cursed before dropping Rosie.
"Don't worry girlie, I'll be back for you."
They tied her up before going above deck to meet the Marines.
"I'm scared Mama." Rosie whimpered, nausea overcoming her at the thought of what she just narrowly escaped.
"I know my little rose, I'm so sorry this is happening to you. I love you so much." Lienna said, and Rosie could tell her mother was crying. She had never seen Lienna actual cry. There had been a few occasion where she cried tears of happiness; the first time she called her 'mama', her first steps, etc, but never anything else.
"I love you too Mama."
The ship rocked and the sounds of a fight traveled to below deck. No matter who one, it was a lose lose situation for Rosie and Lienna.
When the sounds of battle ceased, they both held their breath to see just who would travel below deck.
"Well, well, well." A deep voice said. It sounded familiar, Rosie couldn't place it, but by the way her heart dropped, she knew it couldn't be good. "Lienna D. Walker, we should have known capturing you wouldn't be an easy task."
Straining her neck to look at the source of the voice, Rosie's entire body froze when she saw the massive figure standing in the doorway.
Admiral Sakazuki, also known as Akainu, also known as the man who believed in Absolute Justice, the man whose belief was that a person's parentage indicated their own path in life. In other words, Rosie knew she was fucked.
A/N: This is by far the longest chapter, and it was supposed to be longer but I had to cut it off somewhere. Thank you to everyone who reviewed/favorited, followed, you all make my day brighter. I love you all, hope you enjoyed.