It's been a while~
But don't worry ;)
I went overboard this time lol
07.16.18
3000 words
『Chapter 20 | A Spade and A Surgeon』
Sayua held the albino ferret by the back of its neck while inspecting it with her blue eyes. The creature stared back curiously at her with its red, beady eyes. It seems like it was enthralled by the lively colour of the girl's eyes, which made it stay still.
"When on earth did you get here?" The girl asked the creature, knowing that it won't possibly answer back, "I guess I'll have to drop you off on the next island."
"There's no need to do that." The creature told her telepathically.
"Why? You wanna hitch a ride or something?" Sayua asked it again before freaking out and throwing it at the very back of the room. "WH-WH-WHAT THE HECK?! IS THERE A GHOST IN HERE?!" She backed off and onto the back of the door, making her tapped.
"Ow! You're a mean one, arencha?" The talking ferret stood up and dusted itself, "I was glad enough to hitch a small ride before you came. I assume you're the owner of this dingy?"
Sayua nodded, stepping closer seeing that the ferret looked like it's harmless. Well, if it isn't, she'll just either cook it or throw it overboard. "How are you able to... talk?" She asked the creature.
"To be honest," the creature stepped closer to the young lady, "you're the first person to react when I... talk. It's telepathically so eventually, some may hear me but I didn't expect that someone to be a young girl."
"Well, I didn't expect to find a talking ferret to aboard my small vessel." The girl muttered. "But hey, do you want to sail with me? You know? Be my partner?" She asked jokingly, sitting beside the small ferret.
"A partner?" The ferret tilted its head, "Haven't heard of that word for decades."
"What are you? Older than me?" Sayua sarcastically asked, picking the ferret up and placing it on the bed as she lay down face first right after.
"What if I say yes?" The ferret winked at her, its sadistic tone getting to her.
"Seriously?" Sayua sweat dropped, "No way—there's no way normal animals can live longer than me, or are you normal?"
"Am I?" The ferret sassily wiggled its non-existent eyebrows. "No, seriously." It suddenly sounded serious, "I may or may not be older than a millennia."
"That sounds fake but hey," the girl lifted herself up and sat on her fluffy bed, "at least you're alive to see the pirate days." She then turned to look at the creature, "A talking, male ferret. What is your name? I can't just call you ferret or just... 'hey'."
"I don't have a name as of now. I've been nameless after my last owner died in a battle with the government." He looked out of the window. "Besides, you'll be in great trouble once you sign the contract—"
"How about Spade then? I'll call you Spade. You look like a Spade to me." She shrugged.
"Idiot!" The ferret smacked the girl's side, "You'll be in a lifetime contract with the devil if you name me!"
"I don't really care. I've been through hell and back." She shrugged and let herself fall back on the bed with Spade trapped under her arm. "I really need a companion to travel with so you're just perfect." She smiled, looking at the creature struggle to wiggle out of her arm, "I assume that you're the devil?"
"Why... would you... think that?" Spade wheezed, trying to catch his breath. "I'm just a talking ferret that you almost killed from throwing me onto the wall." He shook his body and fixed his fluffy white fur.
"I don't know? I just know?" She shrugged. "Then you'll be my partner from now?" She raised a brow and let herself float using her powers, hovering over the bed rested her chin on her palms.
"I can't do anything, can I?" The once nameless ferret bowed down his head, "Spade at your service, Master...?"
"There's no need to add... 'Master' or honorifics. Sayua or Sai is just fine." The girl smiled softly at the white puff ball.
Spade smiled and raised his head, "But I must fulfil my duty to be your rightful pet—"
"It's not pet. You're my partner." Sayua made it loud and clear, "So, hey, partner."
: :
Spade started to like the girl a lot more than when they first met. He started sitting and resting on her shoulders whenever he can and use his body to keep the girl warm when the weather is cold. He started to take care of the girl who called him her partner, for he keeps hearing her cries in her mind.
Two weeks before they met, he managed to sneak in her small boat and was drawn by her worried thoughts and clouded mind.
He didn't tell her that he can hear her thoughts just as she can hear his, for it will cause a lot of trouble. He knows about her frustration about a certain someone and her nightmares about the same person. He can live by feeding with her anger, doubts and regrets but he chose not to do that... yet.
He is in fact a demon—a demon that that feeds on the wrath of people.
He's quite hungry and hasn't feed himself for over a century. His mortal animal body is surviving by eating normal food, but his soul is slowly dying of hunger. He simply rose from his long slumber to search for something that can potentially kill him and end their realm, the Armageddon, but that's for some other time.
He, who belongs to the Four Ministers of the Deadly Sea, is the protector of the last Gate of Hell. He holds the title of Wrath, Pride, Envy, and Sloth by his name, and he's the eldest of the seven siblings and the heir of the kingdom beneath the earth.
He once only held a single title, but got all four by killing his own brothers. His first title is long forgotten and shalt not be brought up to bring the past ever again.
He doesn't regret killing them for power.
He doesn't care about them dying because of his own hands.
He doesn't regret anything.
His last three siblings each hold their respective title: Lust, Greed and Gluttony, and their whereabouts are currently unknown.
He could care less about his younger siblings. He doesn't care about them nor know their well-being, and now that he's bound to a mortal, he can't care about them and must not be found by them, or he'll be downgraded by them. Unless of course, if they're bound to a mortal as well, then there'll be a fair fight.
He could care less about his duty to end the Armageddon, the Hell's threat, and just live a normal animal life.
For now, he'll stay as a ferret named Spade, the faithful partner of a clever pirate, Sayua.
He was actually surprised that a candidate of receiving the crown of the King of the Pirates, Queen in her case, found him with no difficulties. She also almost found out about his real identity, and still has suspicions but he managed to clear his name and play his part as the lazy partner.
: :
"Sai-chan?" Spade called her name, "Who are we looking for again?"
"We're either looking for my older brother, Ace, or for that bastard, Teach." The girl gritted her teeth, "I'm gonna drag Ace home if I reach him and kick Teach's arse if I find him first."
Spade looked at her hand that held a piece of paper with the letter 'A' written on it. He then sighed and rested his head on her shoulder to close his eyes, "You're really doing this?"
"Of course!" Sayua said. "I need to take Ace back before the worst comes! I'd rather be the one to be beaten by that punk than him! He has a more worthy life than I do. He's Roger's son, and I must protect him."
"Roger, huh?" The ferret smiled, "The once so called King?"
"Yes..." Sayua then smiled, "so I must protect the prince."
"Despite of you being a princess yourself?" The ferret opened a red beady eye and looked at her.
"Shut up, Spade." She rolled her eyes, "Yeah, I've been into Reverie once and wore the crown once but that will never happen again—I'm just a traveller, no more than that."
Spade closed his eye and retained his sadistic smile, "If you say so, Princess—"
Sayua grabbed him by his tail and held him over the sea, "Do you want to drown or be cooked into a stew?"
"I want neither, please." Spade pleaded for his life, "Don't do this to me! I'm sorry!"
: :
Sayua continued reading the newspapers while she's biting on a piece of bread and couldn't stop grinning, which made her jaw stiff because of her prolonged action. Spade hath already told her to stop smiling like a complete idiot, but he just ended up being too lazy to even continue scolding her.
"What can you do about it? My brother's bounty rose, along with Zoro's." The girl chuckled and showed the bounty posters included in the newspaper, "He's gonna be catching up with the new generation of infamous pirates!" She laughed before sighing and frowning, "Which means, he'll be in a lot of danger."
"Then why would you be so happy about his bounty?!" Spade asked her angrily.
"I don't know," she shrugged, "I just feel like I need to be happy. I'm sure Sabo-niisama will be happy and probably will be like me, grinning like an idiot if he's still alive."
"Here we go again..." Spade rolled his eyes, probably full of the girl's story about her brothers.
"Spade." She called him, but he ignored her. "Spade!" She shouted his name, "There's an island!"
"Another one?" He finally perk up, "Can we relax in the island for a bit? We already ventured into two islands together with no rest and relaxation."
"But I'm in a hurry and you can't do anything about it." She flicked her untied hair to the side and let the strands ride the wind, "I'm the one in charge here."
"And I'm the Prince of Hell here." Spade muttered under his breath.
"You said something?" The blond raised a brow.
"I said, we need to gather supplies there." The devil saved himself from his loud mouth, sighing after the girl bought his lie.
Sayua stood proud on the deck once they finally docked on the island. She let Spade anchor the little ship they own before making him sit on her shoulder and hopping on the wooden dock. They followed the wooden trail and reached a small port city.
They posed no threat since the girl wandered around in her small, young form. People made way for her to walk through, and they were captivated by her unexplainable beauty.
The island seem to contain people taking care of flowers and plants, with the said items being the main item to be presented to the wandering travellers and pirates. They welcome everyone and seem to treat everyone with hospitality.
It was a pretty boring walk for Sayua since she's not really interested in these kind of stuff.
She was looking down at a piece of paper the whole time and didn't really know where she's going. The only time she looked up is when she bumped into someone's leg.
She blinked as her eyes travel up the tall, young man's features. Her blue eyes then locked on the man's cold set of grey orbs. She wasn't affected by it since she's used to seeing glares and coldness from Shanks when he's training her, but she is curious to see a new face.
She made Spade look up as well, making him tilt his head. She recognised the young man as the captain of the Heart Pirates, Trafalgar Law.
They had a little staring contest before Law was called out by his first mate, Bepo.
This is bad, Spade thought, Sai loves white and fluffy—
Sayua's eyes lit up upon seeing the bear wearing an orange boiler suit. She ran up to the fluffy mink, dragging her sword with her and hugged the fluffy bear. She smiled brightly to resemble a child that just got a piece of candy, "You're so fluffy!"
"Ah! I'm sorry for being fluffy!" Bepo panicked.
His captain made a mused grin and picked up the little girl by the back of her collar. He was surprised of how light she was but ignored it for now, "You have to leave us, little girl."
Sayua looked at him and smiled, "But he's fluffy."
"We're getting off track here, Sayua." Spade told her, which sounded just like a squeak when heard by others.
"I know, Spade. But Traffy-san's bear is fluffier than you." The blonde pouted.
Penguin and Sachi who overheard the given name couldn't help but contain and hold back their laughter. Their captain glared at them before looking at the girl he lifted up.
"You seem to know about me, little girl." He said.
Sayua let herself go by using her powers to float. While mid-air, she folded her arms and looked at him with a smile, "Why wouldn't I?" Her eyes were then shadowed over by her top hat, "Let's talk this over tea, shall we? I just got here and my ferret is complaining about not having a lazy day—don't worry, it's my treat."
Law's group and he himself was surprised about the child's sudden change in personality, almost as if she's not really a child like she previously showed. They then found themselves sitting across the now beautiful and busty young lady while watching her take a sip on her herbal tea with her companion ferret drinking the same hot drink.
"So tell me, Law-san." The girl smiled innocently, "What are you doing here? Making your way to Sabaody Archipelago perhaps?" She asked, putting down her favourite tea down the saucer, taking a piece of sugar biscuit with her other hand.
"You must have been there already, right?" Law raised a brow paired with his signature smirk, making her realise something.
"Oh, right." Sayua chuckled, standing up and tipping her top hat forwards, "The name's Sayua, not notorious, I promise." She winked at him before sitting back down.
"You have a pretty name, Sayua-ya." The young man smirked, "But do you live up to its meaning?"
"Oh, please." The girl chuckled and started petting Spade, who seemed to enjoy the head massage. "I've been on the High Seas before and have explored many islands, under the sea to the highest altitude of the world while living up to its meaning."
"You seem like someone who'll have their name plastered on everyone's mind, but I don't know a pirate named Sayua." The surgeon took his cup of coffee, trying to distance away from the bread next to it.
"I actually didn't plan to become a pirate. I consider myself as a humble traveller." She told him with a nod, thinking back to the past.
"Humble traveller my arse." The ferret squeaked.
"Shut up, Spade." She rolled her eyes. She turn back to face Law, who seem to be interested at the little fluffy thing sitting on the table, "Don't think about dissecting that thing—I'm gonna do it myself if I get irritated by him." Spade paled at the moment, his mortal body at stake.
Law let out a laugh, amused by girl's words, "I can help you with that."
Sayua laughed with her before setting an empty cup on the table. "Well, it's nice knowing you, Law-san." She stood up and left a small pouch of money on the table as a tip, "I'm actually in a hurry and was just amused by your Mink friend." She grabbed her ferret by the back of his neck and placed him on her shoulder.
"You know a lot, don't you?" Law, amused, looked up at her figure who stopped right next to him who was still sitting.
"Oh, yeah." She then shuffled through her pockets and took out two wanted posters and showed them to him. "Have you seen either one of these people?" She asked him with her head tilted to one side.
Law and his men behind the chair looked at the two bounty posters and saw two big names from the same infamous crew, the Whitebeard Pirates—one being Portgas D. Ace and the other one being Marshall D. Teach.
The young man raised a brow at the girl behind the wanted posters and instead of answering her, he just questioned her, "Why are you even asking for these two, Sayua-ya?" He then took the two wanted posters in her hand, "Your acquaintance? Enemy? Or are you hunting them for money?"
The girl sighed and sat next to him, letting her head hang back over the chair. "Yes, I'm looking for them but not for the money. I'm taking one back home to scold and the other one to beat up." She looked at him without turning her head, "Though it'd be nice to actually catch up with my foolish brother without encounter him." She gritted her teeth and bit her nail on her thumb.
The doctor leaned closer to her and pulled her hand down to stop the bad habit, "I assume that the infamous Second Division Commander is your brother that you have to drag home?" He asked her, still holding her soft hand.
Spade looked at him like he's stealing his property. He was also showing his teeth as a sign of hostility.
Sayua didn't know why he did that but it felt comfort—it felt like a warm home, welcoming her from her long hardships. It somehow felt comforting, which made her lock eyes with him and see something vividly that she shouldn't have been able to see.