"And though she be but little, she is fierce." ~Shakespeare.
Little Garden was not such a little garden.
Little Garden was a friend snatcher, the weakness to an adventurer. It swallowed Minette's friends whole in its deep forests two at a time. Luffy and Vivi were the first to surrender - the temptation to explore what could be proved to be too overwhelming - then it was Zoro and Sanji, neither planning on leaving the ship in the first place, but ended up going on land in no time. This time though, Minette did not find herself alone. Nami and Usopp still had yet to departure, but counting by their mournful faces, they didn't intend to.
Sitting in between Nami and Usopp, Minette hugged her knees to her chest as the pair beside her did. "So," she whispered, hesitant to break the silence, "When do you think they're coming back?"
"I don't know," Usopp sniffled to the left, "but I sure hope it's soon."
"Oh God," Nami sobbed to the right, "How could they leave us with only Mouse as protection?!"
Minette rubbed her neck, tight knots forming from glancing back and forth between the pair. "I-It'll be alright, guys. As long as we stay on the ship, nothing can hurt us."
"Mouse," Usopp sobbed, "you saw how big that bird was before, we're sitting ducks out here!"
Looking to Usopp, Minette picked up her head from her knees, "If it'll make you feel any better, I can go get some knives."
"Yeah, okay," Nami sniffled, "You're a blessing, Mouse, you truly are, just hurry."
Minette giggled as she stood and dusted herself off, "I'll be right back."
Holding the railing as she climbed the tall steps, Minette entered the kitchen only to find herself subconsciously plucking an apple from the fruit bowl and putting it into her mouth. She froze, letting it hang from her teeth as she reminded herself about her original mission - knives. Opening drawer after drawer, Minette stuffed her pockets with all the knives she could find when she found her thoughts changing course. It's been awhile since she's practice her marksmanship - a few days, a week perhaps - since she's targeted something. Normally, she'd be confident in her ability to fight back, but she could be rusty with the lack of training - not to mention she could be growing soft around the Straw Hats. Her lookout job doesn't require fighting after all…
So if Usopp and Nami were to fall in danger under her watch, would she actually be able to save them, or even one if not both?
Finding her old dagger pushed back in the silverware drawer, Minette held it gently within her tiny palms. She almost didn't recognize it, it's been so long. Her calyces have long since healed, all her past scars from holding it improperly long since faded, looking into her reflection in its short blade, she couldn't even recognize the young girl's eyes. They were her's, but they were softened, the ice hidden behind gray orbis melted into lukewarm puddles - this wasn't the strong and powerful girl trapped on the island far behind her, this was someone knew. Someone she didn't want to acknowledge as herself.
Though she was on the ground, she couldn't help but feel disconnected all of a sudden. She didn't want to lose that girl, that person the island had made her become, she didn't want to lose her only reminder of what Shi once looked like. She couldn't lose that instinct for survival, she couldn't lose the wild part of herself - the couscous side of her inner animal - she needed to gain it back before anyone could hurt her too severely.
Screaming cut through her thoughts and the thick silence once surrounding her, but frozen was not her initial reaction. Shockingly enough, she found herself bounding over the dining table, the dagger tightly wrapped in her left hand as she raced out the kitchen door.
Nothing but darkness filled her head as she leaped on to the top deck railing, her innocent side switching back to her once dominant animalistic instinct as she glared at the giant jungle animal about to jump aboard the ship and mercilessly threw her beloved bagger.
Within milliseconds, the giant body of the animal landed in the water below, his orange and black striped frame floating on the water as Minette stared down at its corse. Her dagger embedded deep in between its yellow eyes as it's seeping blood stained the surrounding water red.
Something dripping from her chin demanded her attention and she was pulled back into reality. Feeling her eyebrows knit together, Minette found herself drooling, the apple still in her mouth from previous placement, and removed it entirely to wipe off the slimy saliva. Instinctively, her eyes went back to the animal slowly sinking into the water. She didn't mean to kill it, she didn't even know what she saw within its eyes upon first setting her sights on it, but she knew she had to kill it. She didn't know what overcame her all of a sudden, but she couldn't control it. It was as though her other half - the girl from her island whom she once was - had momentarily made her presence known again.
It was reassuring to know that she still had the ability to protect herself and her crew mates, but it was almost as if she had no control. She held no hesitation, no mercy, no sorrow in killing this animal. It was kill or be killed within seconds then switched back to normal not a moment later.
These hands, these dainty, pale, scarred little hands… were they always this way? Was she always this type of emotionless monster when it came to survival?
She can't remember.
"Minette!"
Her gaze snapped to Nami and Usopp below, both gawking up at her as tears never stopped flowing down their cheeks.
Chewing the apple piece still in her mouth, Minette swallowed it down, "Are you two alright?"
Nami pointed, yelling up to the young girl, "Don't "Are you two alright?" me, Mouse! When the hell did you learn to throw like that?!"
"I knew you could fight, but not like that!"
Minette felt her heart swell within her chest as she slumped in her crouch. Avoiding eye contact, Minette pouted, "You're upset."
"Of course I'm up set," Nami started sobbing again, peeping Minette's interest, "I'm upset because if you're so amazingly strong like the boys then that means Usopp and I are back to being the weakest on the crew."
Usopp bowed before her, "Oh, teach us your ways Mighty Mouse! We beg you!"
Minette's previous heartbreak mended together into a warm joy, lifting her spirits entierly. She giggled before jumping down and landing in Nami's out stretched arms.
"You don't remember?"
"I don't remember anything, Shi. I didn't do it."
"Yes you did, I saw you. You killed that bear, Minette, when it was about to maul me."
"I-I couldn't have. I don't kill things, Shi. That's not who I am-"
"Thank you, Minette."
"I… I don't deserve a hug. If I truly killed a living animal, I don't deserve this praise."
"But you protected me. I'm not ready to disappear, not just yet, and you protected me. Thank you for becoming a monster for me, Minette."
"I… I was a monster?"
As Minette was engulfed in Nami's motherly embrace, she couldn't help but come to some type of conclusion to her scarry inner monster. It was instinct to protect the ones you love, so perhaps Minette's emotionless monster was also a protector? She had been sleeping when Shi was almost mauled, her scream must've awoken the monster back then just as Nami's scream did just now.
She had never realized it until now, but she had become the monster when Shi had died, killing animals and other things to survive was apart of natural life; but now that she was out of that terrible world and with the cheery crew of the Straw Hat pirates, perhaps the monster has gone into hibernation until the next time someone needs to be protected.
If this is the case, Minette thought, then perhaps I haven't changed from that time as I've previously wundered. I am still the monster I once was but not every moment of the day is dire anymore.
Perhaps, she thought, I can finally start to become who I'm supposed to be…
Nami was gentle as she held the young girl, careful of the sharp knives in her pockets as she placed her back on the deck, only to be swarmed by Usopp.
"As you've seen before, Mouse," Usopp chuckled, "I'm also a great marksmen!"
"Oh yeah!" Minette gaped, recalling the time when Usopp helped fight the cannibals overthrowing her island. "What was it called again?"
Usopp pulled out his special weapon from his back pocket, causing Minette to smile as she showed it off like it was a one of a kind jewel. "This, Mouse, is what is called a "Sling Shot". It's just like a gun but without the death that follows afterward. All of the greatest warriors have one!"
Despite not knowing all about guns and slingshots and warriors, Minette knew a lie when she heard one and she only giggled as Usopp carried on about one of his heroic tales as a captain long ago.
But Nami's worried appearance did not go unnoticed.
Glancing up to Nmai, Minette frowned, "What's the matter, Nami?"
Minette followed Nami's gaze out to the forest but couldn't seem to see what she did.
"It's probably nothing."
"No," Usopp shook his head, "If there's ever the slightest chance you think it's something, that means there's definitely something."
"Oh," Minette peeked, "Is that what Zoro meant when he said something about women's intuition?"
The pair only laughed before Nami sighed, "No, it's just… this island. I reminds me of something I've read before…"
It was quiet for a moment before Usopp took Minette's hand and started backing away, "Please tell me it was about happy rainbows and sunshine instead of whatever I think you're thinking."
Nmai gave a dry chuckle, "Not in the slightest. It was about a place out of date and out of biological character. A place where dinosaurs thrived and where animals were double their original size."
Minette looked to her feet. The water below… it was vibrating?
"But worst of all were the beings living here."
The vibrations were in short padders. The more prominent they became, the more she was able to hear thumping matching their rhythm from the forest. Something big was coming.
Looking up to tell Nami about her urgent findings, Minette froze upon seeing the huge shadow of a man standing behind Nami. It's bulky frame covered with silver armor and animal fur pelts. She had never seen anything like it.
Nami sighed then, "But giants don't exist so there's nothing to - hey. What's wrong with you two?"
Usopp - still holding Minette's hand, shook in fear as he pointed to the beast behind Nami and Minette couldn't tear her gaze away to watch Nami's face turn to one of pure fright. "D-D-Don't turn around, N-Nami."
"P-Please tell me you're playing a prank on me. Please tell me there's not a giant behind me."
Minette could only nod her head. So this is a giant, she thought, he looks so happy to see us why are they afraid?
Without any comprehension for what was to happen next, Minette found herself lifted in Usopp's arms high above his head, unable to move from shock.
"Quick, we need to throw her overboard!" Usopp yelled.
"What?!" Nami panicked, "Like hell I'm going to let you do that!"
"Listen, Nami! If this giant takes all of us to be eaten in its home, then there's not going to be anyone to know where to find us what what the hell happened to us, understand?! If we hid Minette in the cover of the forest, the giant can't eat her and she'll be able to save us!"
Minette's heart froze over as her blood ran cold. They'll… be eaten? Giants were cannibals? She quickly found herself hyperventilating. This island, she thought, these memories, they will never go away. The cannibals who killed her little sister will never stop torturing her.
"Okay," Nami panic, "Throw her over before he notices."
"No!" Minette cried as Usopp inched closer to the ship's edge. "Don't leave me alone! Don't leave me!"
"I'm sorry, Mouse but this is the only way we can ensure your safety," Usopp struggled to keep a firm grip on the struggling girl. "Please come find us!" And with that, Minette screamed as she was thrown over board and crashed into the thick overgrowth of the forest. Down a steep hill she tumbled and rolled, stopping was not an option, only pain as she was scratched and poked and prodded.
It was only when the hill came to a straight vally did Minette's torment finally stop, but the torture wasn't nearly as close to coming to an end. It was dark where she landed. Dark and cold and loud with peering hungry animals surrounding her.
She was back in her worst nightmare, but she stood and marched up the very hill she rolled down because unlike before, she has something to get back to and people to save from her old enemy.
She now had people who depended on her just as much as she depended on them and she wouldn't trade that for the world.
Pearing around her dark surrounding, Minette pulled out a knife from her back pocket and walked on with caution. "Don't worry Usopp, Nami." Sensing it's present, Minette spun around, stabbing the solid body inches from her face and continued on in a sprint.
"I'm not afraid anymore."