Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or its characters, they all belong to Oda Eiichiro. I do however own Arianna :)
Chapter 14: Their History
Law, Bepo, Oliver and Bart all finally managed to break through the crowd of terrified citizens and gave chase after Marcus who in turn was after who Law is certain to be the most troublesome crewmember he was starting to regret, Arianna. Whoever were the people she was with were they obviously knew the streets well because the pirates quickly lost track of their targets. The small group was forced to stop their pursuit after a few streets as they were at a complete lost as to where they should look. Since they were not having any luck in finding the attackers Law settled to calling Marcus on the small den den mushi that he had at all times, just in case.
Holding it out as the four pirates circled around, he dialed the number and it rang through continuously for about a minute before stopping without any answer from the other end. *That's bad. He dialed the number again. This time it was cut halfway through the first ring.
"Damn it. Bepo, are you sure you can't pick up on Marcus' scent?" Law asked his companion.
He hung his head in shame before answering. "No. I'm sorry."
Bart looked at him, slightly annoyed. "Do we really have the time for that?"
"I'm sorry." His depression went a little deeper.
Ignoring the saddened bear, Bart spoke to Law. "What do you want to do from here?"
"Go back to the bar and tell the rest of the crew to return to the ship now. They're probably drunk stupid so tell them to start sleeping the alcohol off. The three of us will look around and see what we can find. It's very improbable that the attack just now was an isolated event that no one knows anything about." He ordered calmly.
"Um, Captain?" Oliver started. "Why did you want us to go after one of them?"
"Because that one in particular was Arianna-ya." He announced.
"What?! Are you sure?!" Bepo asked in shock.
"Positive." Her face may have been covered but he after the sparring matches they've had it didn't mattered if she looked like a ten foot purple hairy monster, he knew the way she moved.
Bart nodded at the information and started a quick pace back to the bar. "I'll get moving then."
"Where do you want to look first Captain?" Oliver asked.
"Let's go back to where the attack was and ask anyone who might still be in the area." The captain decided.
Easily finding their way back to the street where the attack took place, the pirates were confronted with large group of soldiers who were crowded around the citizens that were in the area. Since all of those guards were busy he approached the three stationed at the carriage that had been at the center of the attack. Chances are, they would have more information about what just happened anyways. "Hey, what happened just know? Who were those people that attacked?"
"This matter doesn't concern tourist like you. Go to wherever you plan on staying for your time here and don't come out until tomorrow." Law felt his brow twitch at the order. This guard clearly didn't have any idea who he was talking to. As much as he wanted to cut this insolent man's in half the commotion it would cause would prevent the pirates from getting information that could help find his unaccounted for subordinates.
"It is my concern. One of my men is missing after going after them." He settled for rebuking the man in his coldest tone, which successfully sent a look of terror into the guard's eyes.
That same guard seemed to ready himself to try and order Law again but one of the other two guards yanked him back with a hand firmly over his mouth. "Are you crazy?! That's one of the Supernova, Trafalgar Law!"
The first guard now stared at the pirate captain with what he deemed was the appropriate amount of terror a weak piece of trash like that should.
"Did I hear right? A Supernova? On my island?" A voice from inside the carriage called out.
*His island?* Law questioned silently.
The door to the carriage opened and a man who might've been in his fifties walked out. He was wearing, what was most definitely high quality, blue jacket and pants both emblazoned with gold trimming and a ruffled white shirt beneath the jacket. His graying dark brown hair was tied back with a ribbon that looked like it was the same shade of blue as the rest of his outfit. Just looking at him gave Law an annoyed feeling. This was definitely the type of man who thought highly of himself for reasons that didn't actually matter, and when it came down to it, he certainly wouldn't be capable of doing anything for himself.
"I am the Lord Baudin Edgar. This city of Murat was founded by my family. You said one of your men had gone after those rats. Perhaps you would like to come with me back to my manor? There we could work out some type of agreement that benefits both of us?"
The man didn't seem to even be trying to hide his intent to use the pirate crew. Law was not going to be playing puppet to anyone. "I don't expect we'd need your kind of help." Was the only response he had any desire to give the pompous man.
However as he turned to walk away the Lord called out. "That's too bad. No one in this city has any idea where those rats hole themselves up in. And I am on my way to see the only person with any clue as to how to find them. If you were to come, I certainly would propose that he share his information with you as well."
This man was taunting Law, and it was pissing him off. But no matter how angry he got, he had a responsibility to his crew's safety. Ensuring Marcus was alive and Arianna had a very good explanation for her actions came first. "Fine. But Bepo and Oliver come with me as well." He'd get back at this arrogant man after all is said and done.
()
The first thing Marcus was aware of was what sounded like distant voices but he couldn't make any of them out. It just sounded like a distant humming. He waited another minute as the voices became clearer. "He shouldn't have been following us in the first place." Marcus didn't recognize this voice. It was a man and that was all he could say about it.
"So your answer is to bring him? You should've just left him in the street. Or the side walk. Somewhere that wasn't here! And you! Why did you untie him?" This was another man.
"Enough you two!" This was the angry voice of a woman. Then her tone changed. "He was after you. What's your connection to him?"
"He's a Heart Pirate named Marcus. The captain, Trafalgar Law, probably recognized me and sent him after me. I definitely saw him and a few of the others during the attack." That was Arianna. *I knew it was her!*
At the sound of the girl's voice Marcus opened his eyes and tried to sit up, groaning as he did. His vision was blurry but since all the talking stopped he could guess that he got everyone's attention.
"Marcus? Are you okay?" That was Arianna again.
He blinked a few times, clearing his vision. Once he could see straight he held his hand up for her to take, which she did as she pulled him up to his feet. It took an extra second for him to steady himself and she looked a bit concerned as he tested his balance. When he released her hand he simply grabbed on to her shirt collar instead and pulled her in close to make sure she was paying attention to what he had to say. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"
Arianna's eyes widened almost twice in size in surprise and he saw her mouth open and close repeatedly. All she needed was to be flopping around and she would've been a perfect imitation of a fish out of water. He let go and crossed his arms. "Well? Do you even have an answer?" He may not have yelled this time, but his voice still had the same level of anger.
Now she was blinking nervously and looking all over until she settled to look at her feet and folded her hands in front of her. She went from suffocating fish to scolded child in an instant. "Um... Well…" She seemed to be unsure of what to say but then he could actually see a new thought cross her mind as her expression changed like she realized something and started to argue back, "Wait! Why do I have to explain myself to you? La- Captain said we can do whatever we want so long as we're back at the ship by morning. I was going to be back, so what does it matter?"
Perhaps if Marcus had not been drugged and presumably tied up, though later untied, he would be a bit more willing to consider her argument; but he had been. Which means no amount of reasoning from the girl would get her off the hook with him. "There are very few rules about going into town, but one of them is to not compromise the crew! By getting involved with whatever local issue is going on that's exactly what you're doing. Compromising the crew!"
"But the crew has nothing to do with my actions, so how am I compromising anyone? And for the record, no one has ever told me of any rules for when we go out on islands. I figured everyone just kinda did whatever and came back when Captain said to."
"I was drugged and abducted! What part of that isn't directly because of what you did?" The more the two went back and forth the more heated Marcus was getting. Though the thought did cross his mind that he had to remember to actually give her all the crew's rules for being off the ship if she escapes both his and the captain's anger alive.
"Perhaps…" A female voice interjected before their argument could continue. "If we explained why Arianna-chan is helping us you would understand her actions better."
When Marcus looked at the woman that the voice belonged to he was startled to see that it was the woman who was dancing in front of the bar from earlier that day. He remembered thinking that she was probably the most beautiful person he had ever seen.
Marcus looked from the dancer then at all the other faces around him, and took in where he actually was for the first time. There was a group of twelve people surrounding him if he included Arianna, and they looked to be underground with all the light coming from torches and lanterns. Wherever they were, it smelled awful.
He looked at the dancer again, noting that she was the only one not wearing black and probably wasn't in the attack. "Where are we?"
"Come. We will take you to our home and explain everything. Once we tell you our story you will be free to leave."
One of the men seemed to take issue with that. "You want to take him to our last stronghold then let him walk out?! He'll go running off to that Baudin bastard and tell him where we are."
"We will be found sooner or later. If we are found and destroyed, I would rather it be on our terms than theirs. Wouldn't you?" Her words seemed to effectively put the disapproving man in his place.
Marcus could see that he had little choice in the matter, especially since his rope dart was in their hands and not his. "Fine. I'll follow. You're story better do a great job of convincing me though."
"If you're half as nice as I think you can be, it will." Arianna said before rushing to the dancer's side and hooking her arm possessively around the taller woman's elbow. *Where did that come from?* He wondered in a moment of idle thought.
"How to start?" The dancer said somewhat quietly.
()
Law and Oliver sat in the speeding carriage across from the pompous Lord while Bepo sat on the roof outside as there was not enough room for the bear. "Now before you gentlemen go off to take back your missing mate I should think you would like some information about the people you are going after, correct?"
"That's our only reason for agreeing to come with you at all." Law said somewhat impatiently.
Baudin did not seem phased at all by Law's tone and instead continued on to explain. "The criminals that attacked my carriage were but a small portion of their full force. The rats supposedly call themselves Indigène not that anyone else does. They were using this island as a smugglers base for themselves to come back to for safety after thieving from whoever they could. Unfortunately that means they know every inch of this island, which is why they have been able to hide so well for the past eighty years. They are a whole society of tricksters and pickpockets. Coning, mugging, even killing they commit whatever crime they want to and proclaim they are free of an outsider's justice system. They are nothing more than bandits. Unfortunately they are slippery bandits and we haven't been able to corner them and catch them all."
"'Catch them'?" Law questioned. They way this man was talking, and his interest in having a pirate captain famous for cruelty helping him, it doesn't sound like he wants to simply arrest these people.
"Of course. My forces and I are not barbarians. We arrest any we can and place them in prison. More than half of our island's prisoners are these thieves." The Lord sounded somewhat insulted by Law's question.
"For how long do you keep them in prison?" Oliver asked.
Baudin smiled proudly. "Until they agree to leave behind their old way of life and join proper society. I make it that easy for them."
"If they agreed that it is that easy they why is your prison still filled with mostly them?" The young medic murmured quietly and into his hand, pretending to just be looking out the window, but Law heard and agreed. Before they were left in silence for too long the carriage came to a stop.
"We are finally here." The lord said obviously relieved.
A few seconds later the door was opened from the outside and the lord walked out, followed by Law then Oliver. After the two were out Bepo jumped down from the top of the carriage and stood beside his captain and they all took in their surroundings.
The manor was large and elegant. The building appeared to be four floors with lines of window along every floor, it looked large enough to fit probably about two and a half of Law's submarines. The walls were made of cut stone like the rest of the city and the roof was shingled with a bronze color. They themselves were standing in a courtyard laid with white cut stone and there were large fountains on both ends of the space. The man who opened the carriage door looked at them with obvious distrust. "Please follow me."
The inside of the building was just as extravagant, polished and sleek marble looking floors that were mostly covered with patterned rugs and the orange painted walls were decorated with various paintings and portraits. The three pirates were led down several halls, through multiple doors and up two flights of stairs before they finally arrived what was apparently their destination, a large decorated office. Standing beside an armchair was a large man in chain mail armor, holding his helmet under his arm revealing a rigid, bearded face with black hair. At the groups entrance he bowed to a man in the chair and again to Baudin then left, eyeing the pirates as he did.
A young man, probably around Law's age, stood up from the comfortable looking armchair in behind a large ornately carved wooden desk. He had brown hair that was, just as the Lord's, tied at the nape of his neck with a ribbon though his was a dull green. He wore a similarly dull green coat that reached half-way down his calves with a brown button vest that was over a white shirt and brown pants.
Baudin chuckled. "Chevalier is always so suspicious isn't he?"
The man from the chair smiled. "Isn't that his job?"
He then greeted the group with a polite smile and held out his hand to Law first, which he ignored just staring at the man instead. "My name is Abel." He introduced, dropping his hand and not giving the obviously ignored gesture another moment. He then turned to Baudin with an amused looking expression, "You did not tell me that we were expecting guest Father. Hoping for a business venture with famous pirates now, are we?"
*Father?* Law was somewhat surprised at the information. Though they haven't spent so much as a minute in the same room he already got the feeling that this man did not have the arrogance that the older man held.
"Their company was not planned." He explained as he traveled behind the desk and took his seat. "Please, share the information that you were going to. They wish to find the rats as well so I felt that they could use some information as to where to start."
Abel chuckled, "Always trying to help. Aren't you?"
Law's patience with the whole situation was low and he wanted his information so that he can leave. "One of my subordinates was taken by them, and time is precious. So can we hurry?" There was some annoyance in his voice, but he tried to keep most of it in so that they won't change their minds and all this time was wasted for nothing.
Abel looked surprised, but Law's announcement seemed to have the desired effect as his face turned serious and he cut to his information. "The Indigène are most definitely hiding somewhere in the city. From what I can tell, they are placing plants in specific places, namely the clock tower's plaza and several random seeming streets as a form of communication. I am certain that these messages cannot be very descriptive though so they must have some other means of communicating through the city. And just so you know Trafalgar-san we do know that it isn't through the use of den den mushis because we've put a temporary ban on them while the indigene are being located so that the signals can be traced and we have not picked up on any since. However their actions have not been hindered in any way, which is why we are certain that they are communicating through other means."
"Why are you so certain that they are not simply planning their attacks from their hiding place?" Bepo asked. Law was about to ask the question too. It was a logical assumption.
"We estimate their numbers to be too large to be hiding all in one place, especially if they are able to stay out of sight within the city's limits."
"Is that all you have?" Law asked.
Abel hummed, "Unfortunately. As I'm sure Father has already explained to you, the Indigene have been on this island longer than us, and know it better. They are difficult to track."
"Fine. We'll be leaving then." Law decided.
Oliver and Bepo both thanked the two nobles as their captain didn't. Instead Law gave the younger noble a deliberate look then turned, leaving the room. As the three retraced their steps down and out of the manor Bepo couldn't help but ask something. "What do we do now Captain?"
"Just wait." He said knowingly.
Out in the courtyard, they didn't make it more than three feet from the door before hearing someone call out to them. "Wait!"
Bepo and Oliver turned and saw Abel chasing after them. "I thought I'd lead you back to the busier part of town. Father had you come with him in his carriage, correct?"
"Oh, that won't be necessary. I was outside the carriage so I know how to get back." Bepo explained nicely.
"Oh, don't be silly! If you make one mistake in navigating this city you could end up going in completely the wrong direction." Abel insisted.
"Alright then. Lead the way Young Baudin-ya." Law said with a knowing smirk, which the other man returned while the other two pirates looked at one another with confusion.
After the group of four made it a few blocks away from the manor courtyard the Heart's new guide finally spoke up. "So what gave me away Trafalgar-san?"
"The old man said only the people themselves use the word Indigene, but you did multiple times. I take it you are also withholding information about them since you are actually on their side of this conflict." Law answered without missing a beat.
"Ah, crap. I've got to be more careful about that." He rubbed the back of his head as if embarrassed. "Actually I know where they are hiding. And if they took someone from your crew I'm sure he's fine. Grandmother Violca doesn't like unnecessary violence so they won't hurt him, and knowing Aishe, she's probably trying to convert him to our side. Her hope for help was renewed today after making a new friend."
Law felt himself frown. "I don't suppose this 'new friend' of hers is a smallish girl with brown hair and new to the island?"
Abel chuckled nervously. "One of yours I take it."
"Yeah." All three pirates answered in unison.
"Well, you may not be too happy about her getting involved with everything but I'm going to say thank you anyways. Arianna-san saved Aishe's life today and if it weren't for you bringing her to this island I would be mourning the death of my best friend." The man seemed to genuinely appreciate Law's sudden arrival to the island though he couldn't care less about what is happening to it.
"Let's go and collect any sober members of the crew first then get to the Indigene's hideout and get our missing pirates back." Law decided.
()
Arianna sat in an underground shanty-town village looking Marcus who was looking back and forth between her and Aishe. The woman had told him the Indigène peoples' story, in greater detail than she had heard. The full version of the story included the details of transporters for merchants in the surrounding islands until the Baudin family, a family that were previously clients of theirs, had starting to lose money so they sought to make their business expenses cheaper. The patriarch at the time, a man named Miguel, decided on a new business venture: building a port town in the center of their trading network on the island of Beau Jardin. It is thought that the Baudin family found the island by placing a vivre card among some goods that they were having shipped, then attacked when the majority of able body people were away sailing to other islands. After they established a headquarters on the island the Indigène's every attempt to retake their land ended poorly and their name had been tainted by Miguel, who had started rumors of them stealing goods and money from their clients. With nowhere to go they decided to use their superior knowledge of the land to establish a hidden home and rebel against the Baudin family from within the island.
After hearing the whole story, Arianna felt a deep sadness for her friend. She was born into this treachery and she deserved better. All of her people deserved better.
"So, Marcus? Will you help?" Arianna asked, hopeful.
"Please." Aishe added in.
He seemed to think about it. He did. But when he answered it was not what she wanted to hear. "Captain gets the final say. And if he says that we need to leave the situation alone, then that's what we are going to do."
"NO! He's going to be really mad at me right? What if he won't help?!" She asked desperate.
Marcus seemed utterly calm with his answer. "Then we leave them alone, like I said. Now let's go and find him."
Not wanting to leave her friend without a guarantee of seeing her again Arianna did the first thing that her instincts told her to. She sat, planting herself in her spot on the ground, crossing her arms and going utterly silent. A part of her mind registered that her expression had fallen into her pout but felt it was expected.
"Don't act like a child! We're pirates and we may live free but we still live under our Captain's word. Now let's go." He sounded exasperated as he waited for her to do as she was told.
Instead she gave him no response at all.
"Seriously? Arianna we can't stay here and help without Captain's okay. Especially when he knows I was taken."
Still no response.
"Get up now." Marcus' tone had slipped into something that sounded like an adult talking to a disobedient child.
But she continued to sit there. Not looking at him. Not even acknowledging that he had spoken.
"That's it!" He growled as he took hold of her to lift her up and carry her out of the underground village. However the moment he got his hands on her, her hand flashed out and punched him clean across his cheek making him let go and take a few steps back, rubbing his cheek.
"Are you alright?" She heard Aishe ask.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Marcus answered, sounding a little embarrassed.
He then got right in her face again. "Are you just going to sit there until you get what you want like a brat?"
Nothing from her.
He looked like he was thinking and then he got up and left her field of vision. A few minutes later he came back carrying some delicious smelling food, holding it in front of her like a treat. "It's all yours once you get up and come with me."
*Trying to bribe me with food? Seriously? Aishe and her child's safety rank higher on my priority scale than my stomach jerk!* She thought to herself, but visibly still gave no reaction.
After he figured out that she wasn't taking the bait, Marcus just threw himself onto the ground and groaned. "Why can't you just work with me brat?"
She heard Aishe giggle in the background and was tempted to smile, but held it back. It would undermine refusing the food, which now reminded her that she hasn't eaten anything since breakfast. *Doesn't matter! I'm not moving from this spot unless I can help Aishe.* Arianna was not going to let anyone shake her resolve.
()
"Captain! Thank you for letting us off the ship!" Shachi exclaimed happily.
After he returned to the sub Law found, not to his surprise, that the whole crew was passed out drunk and many had to actually be carried back. Meaning his able bodied men consisted of himself, Bepo, Oliver, Bart, Shachi and Penguin. Law didn't expect anything dangerous to happen tonight, but it would be better to have people ready. With a few more members of his crew on hand, Law had Abel lead them to the Indigene village as he called it.
To the surprise of pirate group they were taken to a drainage grate at the bottom of a building. He pulled it out. "Down we go."
Abel took a moment to light a torch that was placed near the entrance and led them down into the darkness of the under-city. "Wow. The city can stand with all of this hollowed out underneath?" Penguin asked, probably the engineer in him curious about the integrity of their surroundings.
"Oh yeah." Abel said confidently. "This has been hollowed out long before the city was built actually. So, we're not in any danger if that's what you were thinking about."
The walk itself was short but the smell was horrible. A lot of the trash and waste makes it way down there apparently. When they made it to the end of the tunnel it opened into a large alcove that was filled with people and wooden structures that looked vaguely like houses. Despite the obviously disgusting living conditions and poor situation of the people in general, they all seemed happy and lively. Abel grabbed the first person he saw and seemed to ask him something before coming back to the pirates. "So your man Marcus is over at Aishe's place. Arianna-san is likely there too."
He started leading them again but stopped and said with a smile on his face. "Watch your possessions. The kids here like to practice their pickpocketing whenever they get the chance, and they are quite good."
*So they are thieves?* Law thought a little surprised. He obviously doesn't have any qualms with stealing or killing but with the way Abel and apparently Arianna both feel so protective of them, he was starting to think that the Indigene people were actually completely innocent of the crimes they were accused of. Beyond their attacks on the old man that is.
As they walked through, all of the men held on to their pockets tightly and Law noticed a few children eyeing them with disappointment. "Captain!"
Law looked up to see Marcus standing next to a sitting Arianna, and sitting on a crate was to his surprise the dancer from earlier that day. Bepo raced ahead of the group and inspected the two closely. "You're both okay right? What happened? Why isn't Ari-chan moving? And why is your cheek red?"
Marcus sighed. "We're fine. Captain you're going to have to try to talk to this one." He said pointing at the girl on the ground.
"What do you mean try?" Law asked unhappily.
Shachi, possibly seeing her unresponsiveness to the group's arrival as an opportunity for talk to her, ran over and immediately started rambling. "Ari-chan! Are you okay? What's wrong? You're not hurt are you?"
At the last question he reached out to probably try and inspect the oddly still girl. When he did though, Law heard Marcus try to stop him. "No, don't –" Before the sentence was finished Shachi had gotten hold of her arm and she immediately lashed out and hit the man in the face.
"-touch her." Marcus finished his sentence though it was pointless now. "And Bepo, that's what happened to my cheek."
While Law could see that Shachi was obviously fine, she looked like she was just swatting a fly away when she hit him, the captain did not take the already problematic girl striking members of his crew lightly. Standing directly in front of her, he glared down. "Arianna-ya. Who do you think you are, striking another member of our crew like that?"
"N-no. I'm fine Captain. I was more surprised than anything." Shachi was trying to defend her, but he did not care.
Law's glare and voice turned even colder when she finally looked up at him. "These people, and their situation is not our concern. We are leaving, with or without you. Just remember, if we leave this place without you, then we are leaving this island without you."
He could see the shock overcome her face at the ultimatum. He was telling her that she needed to decide between helping the people in need right in front of her or continuing her personal vendetta hunting down the people she hates.
I should be getting the next chapter up faster. Since we're reaching the climax of the island I figure I'll just finish it before switching over to write the next chapter for my other story. Oh, crap I forgot to tell you! That's why my releases have slowed down. I had started writing a story for Bleach as well. It's rated M so if you also like somewhat more adult stories and a certain blue haired psychopath (If the answer is yes, then you know exactly who I'm talking about even without a series mention) please go check it out. It's called Wordlessly.
As always I welcome any comments, criticisms, and corrections :)
Yay Comments! (´｡•ω •｡`) :
Apple Bloom: Yeah… Marcus was not a happy pirate
Son of Whitebeard: I know they are mean to the readers and I hate reading cliffhangers, but they are oh so fun to write
sarge1130: Yeah, history has a lot of sadness in it. I decided to give the events of what happened some more detail too (obviously, you just read it).