I adore this chapter. Well, I adore the last chapter too, but these past two chapters are probably the closest thing I'll get to describing sex in this story, let alone for a long time. Porn bad; implied porn, acceptable... although it was kind of funny in retrospect. I do not own One Piece. Reviewer thanks go out to Sakura-chan, Flower-san and Butterfly-san.

Inherited Will, Destiny of the Age

Chapter Twenty Four

Tashigi: Hope

I knew I had to go there from the second I heard the men in the tavern mention the Moku-Moku no Mi. Yuuenchi Isle was supposedly the base of a man who could use the fruit that Smoker-oji ate. There can only be one of every Devil's Fruit. Even though they never said it forthright, I understood what they were attempting to be cryptic about. I never saw my uncle's corpse all those years ago. Now he is here, on the Grand Line, only a few days sail from my current position. The very thought of seeing him again made me so happy, I could barely contain myself.

The only problem was getting the rest of the crew to agree to come with me. They did not even have to accompany me onto the island. All I needed was transportation to Yuuenchi and they could leave for all I cared. Let them chase after that dream and live in a fantasy world. If One Piece was out there, it would have been found by now. Finding Smoker-oji is more important to me than a silly little fairytale. I need to let him know that I am alive and about how Saga-sensei is trapped. He would help me find Saga-sensei and free him before he dies, I know he would. I cannot lose them again. Only then can I continue to pursue the dream of my parents and master and become the Master Swordsman. My family is more important to me than any dream out there.

Somehow, though, I knew it was only a matter of time before Kappa would change the course of the ship. He is probably one of the best cartographers and navigators I have ever seen and making such a change would have been simple for him. I, on the other hand, basically inherited my father's sense of direction, or lack thereof. When I was younger, Tashigi-oba and Smoker-oji taught me some constellations in the stars and that is all I know to this very day. I am completely lost on a cloudy night or during the daytime.

So I watched Kappa. For three days, I watched every move he made. I knew one night as he brought his navigational equipment up with him when he relieved Taisa of watch duty that he was going to change the ship's course that very night. I sat on my bed in my quarters thinking about what I could do to reverse the problem.

There arose another problem. Kappa does almost nothing but flirt and stare at Moda and me all day long. When he is not busy with one of us, he is either working on his maps or fighting with one of the other men in the crew. If he would ever want a price to be paid, I could only assume that even if he does not say it––the first thing that would come to mind is unfortunately... me.

My family though, I would think is more important than that. What is one night to be quickly forgotten versus being reunited with the last scrap of family I have left? I knew from the moment I thought of it that I would not like it one bit. So, when I heard Kappa come down the stairs after his shift was over to wake up Chabo, I listened intently through the wall that separated my room with theirs.

"Oi, Idiot, it's you're turn to take watch."

I could hear a sharp thud and Chabo walking sleepily up the stairs. Kappa's footsteps, quicker, softer and more alert, made way out the room and into the hall. I carefully peered out of my door to see him duck into the room next door to mine where the maps were kept. I silently crept up to the door and waited while he did his business and came back out again. He seemed almost shocked to see me so late in the night.

I brought him back to my room, where the rooms on either side of us were empty, and tricked him into the deed. Afterwards I fell asleep and when I woke up, he was gone and I knew he kept his promise. He is too honorable to allow himself to disappoint a woman like that. His face at breakfast when he saw me confirmed my suspicions. He was shy and quiet towards everyone, not just me. He stayed locked up in his room for most of the day, probably too guilt-ridden to show his face. I felt guilty too, of course, but I can deal with it. I did what I had to do and that was that. Call me cold-hearted, but that entire night with him was fake. I would do anything to see my family again, even if Smoker-oji never did marry Tashigi-oba. He is still my family and he is important to me. I can show him that I have become an excellent swordsman since we had last met and that I would be willing to help him fight the pirates of the world as Marines once did. We could go back to the East Blue and kill Axe-Hand Morgan, if he had not done so already. We can be a family again; uncle and niece as it was before. We could even restart the military.

Before long, I saw the tip of Yuuenchi Isle in the horizon. Taisa, once she realized that we were finally at our destination, decided to call a meeting in the galley.

"I do not want to dock here on Yuuenchi," she said, folding her arms across her chest and nodding precisely. "We can wait for the Log Pose to set while in the surrounding waters. It should only take a few hours at the most."

"...but doesn't the Log Pose have to reset itself on land?" Moda asked meekly as she stood to the side clutching some baking batter and a wooden spoon. Kappa cleared his throat in response.

"No. If we stay within a land mile of the shore, the Log Pose should be able to reset itself to the next island without trouble," he said in a low voice, keeping his eyes on the wooden table. Paulie leaned forward from his spot across the table and gave Kappa a critical look-over.

"What's eating you?" he asked. Paulie leaned back to a normal sitting position and took a long drag of his cigar. "You've been acting stranger than usual."

"I just don't feel very well," Kappa lied, not even bothering to remember to insult our shipwright. Tamanegi stood up and began to walk towards the door. I bet it was for the little doctor's kit he carries around and plays with, pretending he knows medicine.

I knew what was wrong to a tee. I kept my mouth shut, however, until that night as I came up onto the deck in the middle of the night. Actually, it was closer to daybreak than to when the sun had set and Kappa once again had watch. He was waiting by one of the ship's two life-dinghies, a disgusted look upon what I could see of his shadowed face. The Log Pose had already reset and Yuuenchi Isle was no longer in sight, having disappeared beyond the horizon at sunset.

"Why did you make me do that?" he asked as I hopped into the small boat. I looked at him and he seemed more than just disgusted. The moon was full and bright, shining a clear beam of light onto his face. He now looked more worried than disgusted.

"I need to go and find someone on the island," I said. "It was never any of your concern to begin with. You all are going to be fine without me."

"Everyone is going to be worried."

"I don't care. I was going along for the ride and so far I've been kidnaped, sexually harassed and more. This group means nothing to me."

"Then why are you leaving on your own? Is it for our safety? We are your friends and you can risk our lives too!"

Kappa struck me down with those words. I let out a sigh and looked in the opposite direction.

"Which way is it to Yuuenchi?"

"Follow the Ram," Kappa replied half-heartedly, pointing towards the sky. "Watch as the Ram runs into the Bull. Go along their path and you should reach Yuuenchi in no time at all." I followed the path his finger made in the sky as he pointed out the Zodiac constellations of Aries and Taurus. They made a sharp path to the port side of the ship, the Bull just barely being able to stay above the water.

"Take care," Kappa said as I slowly lowered the boat into the water. I did not say a single word. I know saying something would have made it worse. Instead, I took the oars and began rowing my way towards the horizon, towards my uncle. I knew that it would take all my strength to reach Yuuenchi Isle and so that is where I concentrated my energy. The Fading Sorrow slowly drifted from my vision as the sky became increasingly brighter. By the time the sun's first rays of the day shone on me, I was alone in the sea once again. Not a ship nor land was in sight and the only thing keeping me company was my sword.

Smoker-oji, I will come back to you.

Author's Notes

Yeah... this chapter helped out Tashigi's case, didn't it? You have to hand it to her for having priorities set straight. Well, at least what she thinks as being straight. Just a reminder: I know very, very little about the stars. On a clear night I can find the Dippers, Orion's Belt and... airplanes. I live in high-suburbia, what do you want from me? Besides, I think the people who found the constellations must have been high or something. Seriously. People can so call me an idiot on this one. This is your chance! Insult me! Seventy reviews and exactly fifty-eight pages later, you'd think I'd be able to take come criticism. I take it from my spell-check all the time.