Ved: Hello out there! Wow, it has been a while, huh? Yeah, a lot's been happening to me lately...Ah, it's fine now! So, Milo, Helios, Corduroy, and Yokome are my OCs. One Piece was all Oda's idea. If I did own it, I would have made Luffy finally hit Doflamingo a lot harder!


Chapter 8: Romance Dusk

20 years ago, the Pirate King, Gold Roger, was captured by the Navy and executed. However, his last words challenged all over the world to go to sea to seek their dreams. Thus, the Great Pirate Era began, as many Jolly Rogers sailed for the Grand Line.

19 years after that day, a man who fell from the sky, saved a town from a gang of bloodthirsty marauders. This man, named Angelo D. Milo, claimed he came from another world, but it was true. Where he came from, he found a rare artifact-the Storm Sapphire, one of the seven Gems of God, gems which hold mysterious awesome powers. After acquiring allies in Silk, Helios, and a crotchy old man named Yokome, he learned that there may be a way to return to his world-but it waits in the sea where all the strongest live, the Grand Line. With Yokome's sensible advice, Milo decided to sail to the Grand Line, but agreed to training, harnessing his powers and hardening his core, but stated that he would finish in a year, by his 20th birthday.

Now in the present, one year later, in the Grim Woods, the forest outside Beam, Yokome is just stepping out of his red cottage, stretching old limbs and muscles. He hadn't changed much, his hair just got grayer. After snapping everything close to where it's supposed to stay, his eyes settled on a pile of straw crafted into a roof over a man, sleeping soundly, his boots next to his bare feet. Yokome shook his head. "Still lazy…"

He grabbed a bucket of water, prepared last night, and threw the contents on the slumbering human. A startled noise came from him, right before some of the water was spit out of the hut and right onto Yokome's shoes. The elder's response was a kick that took out half the hut and knocked the young man clean across the clearing. "Still rude, too."

He watched as the man got up and straightened himself. "Yo, Kome!" He waved to the old man. "Thanks for the wake-up call! I'm headed out!"

"Huh? Wait, kid! Don't you know what day it is?"

The man stopped turned around and shrugged. "Let's not make it a big deal. If you've got a gift, give it to me at the dock. See ya!" With that, he sprinted into the jungle.

Yokome growled humorlessly in his throat, while his face held a ghost of a smile. "…Definitely still impatient."


Everyone in town was more active than usual-and for good reason. Courtesy of Corduroy, Beam's villagers knew of Milo's planned departure, and though saddened, they were planning quite a going away party for Milo. Food, drinks, and streamers lined the streets, and many stoves were still hot, waiting to cook should the festivities go longer than a few hours. Even the kids were aware of Milo's approaching adventure; they were currently playing some kind of game where "the Red Hero" was fighting off "ugly pirates."

Corduroy, sitting down outside his house, watched as the "Captain" was chased by "the Red Hero", chuckling to himself. Already very old, he still looked the same as before, wearing a lime green dress shirt not tucked into his tan shorts. "Pops!" A familiar voice caught the elder's attention.

"Hello Silk. Helios." Said duo was running up the street, Silk being the one who yelled. A year after she and Milo had first met, Silk had lost the ponytail and cut her hair, so it reached the nape of her neck instead of the middle of her back. She was wearing an orange shirt with white slacks cut off at the calves and the same white shoes, sword still at her hip. Helios, not lugging around his fridge-sized backpack, was wearing a green sweater vest and white dress shirt untucked, brown pants, the same glasses on his face, with the same goggles now around his neck, and white and blue shoes. Corduroy watched as the both of them stopped in front of him panting. "What's the rush?" he inquired calmly.

Helios, still catching his breath, wheezed out, "He's moving out…sorry I couldn't say it sooner…"

Corduroy perked up. "Oh? Then we'd best get a move-on."

"But, Pops," Silk interjected, "the party-"

"-Which I have taken care of. Do not fret, Silk, I've planned accordingly."


Since that day the Crescent Moon Pirates were defeated by a seemingly powerless individual, the port was renamed the Cracked Moon. It was a fine source of entertainment when ships came to trade, asked about the name, and received an epic of a legendary warrior who defeated a vast pirate armada with only his fists. (If they embellished a little, who's gonna ask, right?)

It was at Cracked Moon Port that Milo was doing his final preparations before sailing. His looks had changed much-still sporting the red hoodie; he now wore it with a white shirt, blue jeans, and brown hiking boots. "Food…water…fruit…medicine-"

"Milo!"

"…and miscellaneous just arrived." Milo turned to greet Silk and the others, but was greeted by Silk grabbing his shirt ready to throttle him.

"What the heck are you doing, leaving without saying anything? I outta-"

"Yeesh, Silk, I wasn't casting off yet."

She paused in mid threat, then let go of his shirt and placed her hands on her hips. "Then why are you at the docks?"

"Just getting my boat together," he stated with a grin. "But I'm definitely not going anywhere without my birthday gifts!"

Corduroy released a raspy sigh. "How arrogant youth is today…assuming he has gifts because he's a year older…"

Milo crossed his arms at the old man. "So you didn't get me anything? Cheap."

Corduroy jabbed a finger in Milo's direction. "I didn't have to get you anything! You should be more grateful, Milo."

"'Didn't have to?'" Milo raised an eyebrow, before Silk cleared her throat and spoke.

"Pops got me the leather for it. You could say it comes from both of us."

"You finished!?" Milo's face lit up. "Lemme see!"

"Say please if you want something," Corduroy reprimanded under his breath.

"Alright, here," Silk tied Milo's gift to his right wrist, smiling. "You don't have to whine, it's yours." Now, Milo sported a leather bracer, the Storm Sapphire facing him, glinting in the sunlight.

"Whoa…nice work, doe," Milo smiled with genuine sincerity.

Silk rolled her eyes and sighed. She really didn't like being called "doe" but it was hard to correct him when he looked at her like that. "The leather is very durable-it should survive most fights. (At that point, she glared daggers at Milo, who tried acting coy by looking away and whistling an unfamiliar tune.) But the inside should be comfortable enough so it won't chafe."

Milo smirked and nodded. "But most importantly, it looks really cool!"

"Yeah, of course-" Silk did a double take. "NO! That's not most important!"

"Ah! Excuse me…" Helios, finally catching his breath, again, stepped up to Milo. He swung a small knapsack off his shoulders and offered it to Milo. "I have something as well. Sorry it's not very great…"

Milo took the bag and looked it up and down. It was an average looking knapsack, black and white, covered in pockets, pretty empty, and made of cotton. On the top flap, the word DOMINO was embroidered in black. "Thanks Mumbles, but-"

"I've had that bag since I was a kid," Helios continued, "and it's been with me on all my travels. It's like a good luck charm…if you are going to sail to the Pirate's Graveyard, you'll need more luck than me."

"Huh? Then why are you giving this to me? It sounds like it means a lot…"

Helios tapped his index fingers together. "Well…this is like a promise. It means you'll come back someday. I-" He faltered mid-sentence and began staring a hole in the ground, his face steadily growing redder.

Milo looked confused and Corduroy seemed amused, but it was Silk who patted Helios' shoulder encouragingly. He swallowed hard and rose to meet everyone eye-to-eye and spoke with as much strength as he could find. "I know you're going to make a name for yourself. But, you need to know that, no matter what, Beam will never forget what you've done for us…will never forget you. We will…always be in your corner!"

Silk and Corduroy grinned at Helios, who looked like he was using all his courage to not shy from their eyesight, while Milo stayed stoic. Finally, he asked, "Helios, are you stupid?" In the next second, Helios looked shocked, Corduroy sighed, and Silk looked ready to cut Milo, but he continued. "I'll always come back home," he stated firmly, with a smirk and a shrug.

Three mouths dropped after a beat, and Milo just stood there, snickering at the expressions. Before anyone could say anything else, about Milo's statement or Milo's meaning, a chuckle sneaked into the group. "Never thought you'd get sappy, wonder brat." Yokome came striding up, an object hidden in his hand. "Are you still here? You should have set sail already."

Milo crossed his arms. "Yeah, then I'd have to live with you hunting me across the globe, trying to give me…what are you giving me?"

Yokome dropped a square leather pouch into Milo's hands. Despite its worn appearance, the pouch was well-made, thick but light, with a belt clip attached to the back. The most notable detail though was the gold-colored spiral imprinted upon the front of the brown pouch, glinting in the sun. Milo and Silk looked at it curiously, while Corduroy raised an eyebrow, and Helios made a noise of surprise. "Sir, that-"

"It's an old money pouch I've out grown," Yokome cut off Helios, his eyes flicking over at him quickly before looking at Milo normally again. "That, and the 50 beri in it, now belong to you."

"Berry?" Milo looked puzzled. "No offense Kome, but fruits' not supposed to be in a wallet."

Everyone sweat-dropped at Milo. "All that time," Corduroy commented, "and you never talked about anything other than fighting?"

"I thought I talked about beri often enough," Yokome defended.

"Oh, that berry!" Milo realized. "It's money? I thought you just traded cherries for stuff a lot!" Second sweat drops accompanied the first ones as Milo laughed, very embarrassed. "Well, that's cleared up. I'd better get going. See ya!"

As Milo untied the ship and jumped on, Silk called out, "Hey, wait a minute!"

Milo sighed and looked at her. "What?" he whined.

"We have a whole party for you. Everyone wants to see you off. You've done so much-the Crescent Moons, the Green Clubs and all the others. Don't you want them to thank-"

"I never asked them to thank me." Milo looked at Silk's face, a hard, cold shine in his brown eyes. "Guys looking to be thanked always get disappointed. I'll do what I want and get out-I won't need praise." He looked down and bitterly muttered to himself, "Only heroes get praise."

Milo looked up to the sound of Silk stepping onto the boat. Before he could say anything, Silk wrapped around Milo and hugged the daylights out of him. While Milo was trying to pull his mind together from the shock, Silk locked eyes with him. "When you come back, you're getting a party, whether you want it or not." She gave him a small smile. "That's how friends greet each other." Milo's mouth fell open, his face and ears getting as red as his jacket.

Corduroy shook his head. "Fate must be at work here. For this kid to come when he did…" Helios smiled faintly and Yokome patted the young man's shoulder. Silk, now on the docks waved to Milo as the wind started to carry his dingy out to sea, while Milo, still coming to grips with being hugged so suddenly waved a little absentmindedly. Yokome stepped forward and yelled, "The nearest island is three days away! Ration the food for five! Careful of high waves and sharks! Don't cross in front of ships-they can tip you over-"

"WHAT ARE YA-MY MOTHER!?" Milo was back to normal.

"BRAT!" Yokome spat back, smiling ear to ear. "Good luck Milo," he said to himself.

"MILO!"

"Huh!? What…" Milo looked to the lookout towers, and sure enough, the whole town was in its shadow, yelling out to the small vessel.

"Milo! Aren't you staying for the party?" one woman called out.

"Mr. Hero!" Many kids screamed, jumping up and down.

Milo's mouth dropped. "Are you serious!? Why are they all…"

Yokome tilted his head toward Corduroy. "This is your doing, huh." It wasn't a question. Corduroy had pulled stunts like this before.

The party in question gave an airy laugh. "I thought ahead today is all. He's leaving for a long, hard voyage-you know that better than me." Yokome only shrugged as Corduroy fixed his glasses and exclaimed, "He deserves to know that he will be remembered with warmth!"

Sure enough, many words of kindness reached Milo's ears, and Milo heard every one of them, even with his back turned.

"Be safe, Milo!" Milo squeezed his eyes shut.

"Have fun, Mr. Hero!" Milo clenched his teeth.

"Good luck, boy!" Milo hunched his shoulders.

Silk watched expectantly. 'I know you'll say something. I know you have a heart.'

It felt like hours, but Milo did not turn around, his hoodie catching some wind. Finally though, he shifted-hardly noticeable, but everyone did see it and grew silent, watching hopefully. Milo turned around…took a deep breath…and yelled, "SEE YA LATER, LOUD MOUTH MORONS!"

Milo could taste the shocked silence. He smirked in satisfaction and turned back to the bow. 'That's more like-"

"SEE YOU THEN!" The hardy crowd answered back.

Milo face-vaulted in shock. So much for a quiet getaway!

"Make lots of friends!" Silk screamed.

"Watch out for typhoons!" Helios added.

Milo shrugged and waved back nonchalantly. 'Fine. You win. Either way-' Milo looked down at the Sapphire on his wrist with a faint smile. 'I can keep both promises. I won't let you down…Mom.'


TO BE CONTINUED!

A/N:I dedicate this chapter to my best friend whose went to college out of town. You were one heck of a wing man. So like it? Hate it? Let me know in your review below!

Milo: (elbows Ved hard)

Ved:OW! Oh, and I'm sorry for updating so late. Well, I'm cleaning out the digital dust bunnies right now, so I ask for you patience til the next chapter. Then you can lose you minds! Ved17 is History!