Another really heart-warming review...

I sit here and cries of happiness inside, but really, my expression remains passive and I continue to look dead inside. Author describing herself in a nutshell.

Thank you to amgs for the review! I'm really glad you like the story, and I'm the one who should be saying thank you for checking the story out~ Sneaky thanks to you for following my other story Drift of Wind as well 3

IMPORTANT: I just want to clarify, Jyuri, or as Chii is easier for people to remember, is not super powerful. She's an assassin, and assassination involves hiding and one hit kills. Because otherwise targets would most likely have loads of guards and the assassin would be dead. Jyuri is trained to hide, observe, find the point of time when her target is the weakest, and end their life. Not one on one confrontations or group fights, like a lot of pirates are. So if I've given her a legendary name, but she seems somewhat really a push-over, its that reason. Pirate and assassin are really two different job descriptions.

No one asked. Why did I explain...I'm super self conscious that people who say my character is inconsistent...

*cries in the corner because of low self esteem*

Please just read the story.


"Melody, I do not remember giving you permission to ask Captain to talk to me." Jyuri smiled as Melody walked into her room. Melody flinched, but calmed down when she saw Jyuri's smile. Jyuri looked positively better, even though she was slightly paler than before. Melody was sure with enough sun, Jyuri would recover to a healthier shade of pale.

"Sorry."

"No need to be, I'm feeling as pathetic as I look." Jyuri shrugged. Melody frowned, Jyuri meant she hasn't recovered? As if reading her mind, which Melody was sure Jyuri had used her powers to do that, Jyuri spoke. "A little secret between us, promise me Melody."

"How, why?"

"I removed the killing agent," Jyuri replied. "The pain agent is still in."

"I will go-" Melody started quickly, but Jyuri stopped her with a wave of her hand. "But-"

"Let it be my reminder that I should never let down my guard." Jyuri said softly. Melody shook her head. Jyuri smiled. "It doesn't even hurt that bad Mel."

"Jyuri!" Melody exclaimed.

"Melody, you can travel again." Jyuri's voice became even softer, as if she was making a decision she didn't particularly like. "No more hunting. I promise."

"Joining?"

"You could say," Jyuri said as Melody sat down on the edge of the bed, her hand grasping Jyuri's. Jyuri's hand was so cold. So incredibly cold. But Melody didn't comment. "I want to travel with them, for as long as fate allows me to."

"Jyuri can choose." Melody replied.

"Choices always comes with a price, Melody." Jyuri said, her gaze lingering somewhere at the door, though Melody knew Jyuri was thinking about something else. "And my choices are particularly expensive."

"Jyuri should not be sacrificed." Melody argued, touching her forehead to the other girl. Jyuri's entire existence was so cold, Jyuri felt like she was claimed by death.

"Someone had to be sacrificed, Melody." Jyuri replied. "I'm just glad it's not other people I care about."

"Too kind."

"Melody, there's a bag next to the door for you." And with that, Jyuri once again pushed Melody away from her. To a place far enough away from Jyuri Melody knew she would be safe from whatever storm may hit Jyuri. Melody resisted a frown. Jyuri was stubborn about certain things, and she was not going to argue with Jyuri. "If you see any of Big Mom's combatants, please run."

"I can clean up." Melody insisted. Jyuri shook her head slowly.

"Do not put yourself in danger." Jyuri said. "You are not a Glass."

"But I am your friend." Melody said, her first firmly formulated sentence in a long while.

"Melody, I thought, you promised no more sentences."

"Jyuri is worth it, since Jyuri," Melody picked up the bag. "You saved me."


"Chii, your friend is gone." Ace said as he entered the room. It was the room Jyuri had voluntarily moved herself into. It seemed that Jyuri no longer liked Ace's bed, which confused him, but he didn't ask. Jyuri was absorbed in a book which Ace could tell was something he prayed not to ever have to understand. Jyuri looked up from her book at the voice of the young captain, and nodded.

"I told Melody to leave, she has her own adventure to lead." Jyuri replied simply. She was still confined to bedrest, even though she had insisted that she felt fine. It also didn't escape Ace's notice that she was purposely avoiding contact with him. Half of her attention still retained on the book in her hands, but she seemed perfectly content with multi-tasking. "If Captain is wondering about the inventory list, I did that this morning."

"Confined to bedrest is on deaf ears." Ace complained as he closed the door behind him and took a seat next to Jyuri, who he knew was studying him with some of her attention.

"And I said I'm feeling completely fine." Jyuri deadpanned. "Doesn't that also fall on deaf ears?"

"Since when were you a doctor Chii?" Ace challenged. Jyuri closed the book in her hands and sighed.

"I am no doctor, Captain." She replied. "But, I know when I can walk around again."

"How about following the orders of the actual doctor?"

"As a suggestion from someone who is equally as bad when it comes to being stubborn, I choose not to take the suggestion." Jyuri replied. Ace noted how the girl's attitude had become colder since her recovery. It was sometime Ace had wanted to ask the girl about, but she was so pale she looked like she would shatter if she had to hold a confrontation.

"What are you reading?" Ace gave up. He didn't want that confrontation, though he was usually not one to run away from something. Jyuri looked at the freckled boy with interest, but decided to answer his question by holding up the book. The Art of Resource Management. Ace frowned. "Where did you get that from?"

"I had Melody nick it for me." Jyuri shrugged, putting the book down as if holding it up for more than five seconds tired her out. She pointed half-heartedly to a stack of books in the corner of the room. "And those as well, since I'm apparently confined to bed rest."

"You're not even resting properly." Ace put a hand on Jyuri's head and ruffled her hair. The silky pink strands started to mess up as he ruffled, but Jyuri, unlike before, did not move his hand. In fact, she looked content. "That's a first."

"What?" Jyuri asked.

"Your hair is in knots."

"Captain's fault." Jyuri shrugged, though she looked evidently annoyed that Ace had removed his hand. Then Ace realised something strange. The girl's body temperature was so much lower than he was used to. His hand flew to her forehead, where he came into contact with the single coldest human being. She felt as if death had claimed her. Jyuri quickly slapped away his hand and avoided eye contact.

"You're…" Ace was at a loss for words. After a while, Jyuri looked up and looked as if she was just done.

"Not healed. Yes, I know," Jyuri deadpanned. Her hand moved and grabbed his. It was the same coldness. "Sequela from the poison. And no, Montag will not be able to help, as skilled as he is."

"Why did you keep quiet?"

"It's a reminder Captain," Jyuri said in a soft voice. "It's my reminder that I should never let my guard down again."

"Anything else?"

"If Captain is asking about the sequela, then," Jyuri paused, as if debating whether or not to tell Ace. And then decided she will. "Constant pain, and I feel frozen."

"And you want that to stay with you?" Ace asked incredulously. Jyuri nodded, closing her eyes.

"I feel like, I have grown complacent." Jyuri replied. Then she smiled and opened up the book again. "I would like Captain to issue my release from the perpetual hell of bed rest, in order so that I can train with Captain."

"Why?"

"Because," Jyuri started, a small grin on her face. "No pain no gain. Captain needs to be strong enough to take out Harpy by the time we get to Sabaody."

"And why am I going to listen to you, Chii?"

"I'm your lovely crew-member?" Jyuri offered. Ace looked unconvinced. She tried again, blinking her large, heterochromatic eyes at him. "I'm your little sister?"

"You said you didn't want to be."


Despite everything, Jyuri received a sceptical release the next day from Montag, who was looking at the pale girl on the bed as if she would shatter. Jyuri really wished people would stop looking at her like that. She was Nyx of Altair, not a damsel in distress. The Spade Crew had accepted her back with no questioning. Douglas had simply flicked her on the forehead before grunting a welcome back. And Jyuri was happy to hear that. The only other place she would hear a welcome back, Jyuri knew, was from her brother. She skipped down the now larger hall way in search of the Spade Captain.

She greeted new members of the crew. It had grown bigger since she was last traveling with the crew. And she was ever so glad those people decided to follow Ace. Ace was a brilliant captain. Though, as they approached Sabaody by the day, Jyuri knew he was not yet strong enough for the New World.

She opened the door for the navigation room without knocking, since she knew all too well that the people in there would not tell her off for it. In case, she mused, everyone seemed way too nice to her to tell her off. Probably because they were scared she would shatter. Again, Jyuri wanted them to think of her more than a damsel in distress. Ram and Damien were inside the navigation room. Ram was looking over a map while Damien was fixing a small crack in the walls.

"Jyuri!" Ram greeted. "Why are you up?"

"I am officially released from the perpetual hell of bed rest." Jyuri replied. Ram looked sceptical. "Everyone seems to forget that I'm Nyx of Altair, not a damsel in distress."

"You look pale enough to pass for a ghost." Damien commented.

"I've had worse." Jyuri frowned. "Where's Captain?"

"He's in the training room." Ram replied. "Below deck, there's a trap door in the corridor to our left."

"Thanks Ram." Jyuri smiled and existed the navigation room. Finding the trap door, she entered the training room just as Ace threw a fire lance. His shirt was nowhere to be seen. The room was very warm. Which one, didn't bother Ace, and two, made Jyuri smile. She closed the trap door very quietly, and sneaked up on Ace. Her hand touched Ace's shoulder, and the next second Ace had aimed a fire lance at her throat, though Jyuri easily skipped away. "Captain, your control has gotten better."

"I do not remember Chii being able to move so quietly." Ace grinned, as if the idea of fighting Jyuri was now incredibly fun. Jyuri shook her head with a smile.

"How do you exactly carry out assassinations without the ability to move quietly again?" Jyuri asked the freckled captain, whose grin only grew wider, but a little red coloured his cheeks. "But we're not really fighting today Captain. There's something else I want to explain to Captain before we reach Sabaody."

"What is it?"

"It's the concept of Haki." Jyuri started. "Essentially, there are three types of Haki that exists, though, admittingly I can only help Captain develop two of the three."

"Chii, you're meaning to say, there is another type of Haki that can overpower these two?" Ace asked as he sat down on the ground of the training room. Jyuri looked at his with eyes filled with amusement, which by now, Ace had learnt was not a good thing. She was ruthless when training. If not before, then definitely now. Jyuri nodded and sat down next to him, looking completely fine, as opposed to Ace's panting figure.

"There is the Conqueror's Haki," Jyuri explained. "It's very rare, though I suspect Captain might have it."

"What does it do?"

"Render the weak-willed unconscious." Jyuri replied simply. "Those who have it has the qualifications to be a king."

"Why would Chii think I have it?" Ace asked.

"Because I am very good at reading people." Ace saw through the lie immediately. It was one of those things he had grown to be able to tell about the girl. "That's not a complete lie Captain. I am not Nyx of Altair only by name."

"What did you have to exchange for the ability to read minds?" Ace laughed. Jyuri looked at him for a while.

"How does Captain know?" She asked. "About my ability."

"Melody told me."

"Mel?" Jyuri questioned. Then laughed. "Well, I don't exactly read minds." Jyuri paused for a while, searching for a good explanation. "It's Melody's Oto Oto Fruit. Captain's heartbeat changes when you experience different emotions."

"How did you even end up with Melody's power?" Ace questioned.

"It used to be my sister's fruit, and I promised her that her power would be of use to me before she passed away." Jyuri replied, her tone light. "Using the power of my fruit, I managed to share the fruit's power with Melody."

"What did you exchange for that?" Ace asked.

"Sensitivity." Jyuri whispered. Then in a louder voice, she explained. "I am twenty times more sensitive to anything that requires the sense of feel." Ace was aware of Jyuri watching him, and he slowly understood what she meant. Before Ace could say anything however, Jyuri put a finger to his lips. She still felt frozen even in the room where he had just hurled fire everywhere. "I'm fine now, no point worry about it."

"What other stupid things have you done to yourself?" Ace asked. Jyuri almost laughed.

"That's another story for another time Captain." Jyuri said with a smile. "For now, let's get you some food."


I feel like...I have made Jyuri's power really difficult to describe. Also as a matter of fact, I have no idea what to call her fruit. Good job me.
or as Shiro would put it...

Super...Good job. *glint in her eyes*

There are no two syllable Japanese sounds or words for alchemy. Or equal exchange.

I will just never name it.

It doesn't need a name. It just needs a function.

I hate naming.

Murasaki xx