Chapter 54
My place
Haru walked across the deck of the Royal Hope around him everyone was doing something, Raven Rebecca and Kuina were sparring John and Eve were helping secure the rigging Haru looked up seeing Mikoto and Grace running along the yardarms.
Haru walked over to Kikue who was at the helm "Mama" he said,
Kikue looked over to her son seeing the frown on his face "what's up?" she asked stepping away from the helm giving Haru her full attention .
"mama what's my job in the crew?" Kikue raised a brow "do you need one?" she said, Haru pointed "Mama everyone has some job in the crew even if it's just fighting do you get what I'm saying?".
Kikue shook her and laughed "not really no" Haru sighed, "never mind forget I said anything" Haru then turned and walked away Kikue put a hand on her shoulder.
"Haru if your upset let me help" Haru turned and smiled "it's fine mama sorry if I worried you" Haru walked away as Nami burst out of the navigation, room.
"Kikue an island should be coming up on the portside!" Nami said, excitedly before her excitement turned to frustration "Kikue why aren't you manning the helm?!" Kikue looked to see the helm turning off course "gah sorry I'm sorry" she said.
straightening out the ship "so are we going to the island?",
"it's the way the Log Pose is pointing so yes we are" Nami said while Haru walked away.
After anchoring the Royal Hope Nami told everyone they'd only stay for a couple of hours long enough for Nami to map the island Haru leapt up onto the railing looking at the lush forests on the island, and the sunlight shining off the green tree leaves making the forest shine like emeralds.
"Where are you going?" Haru turned to see Grace she smiled at him walking over "I'll be back before anyone notices you don't have to worry" Grace nodded "your right I won't worry" she said, leaping up onto the railing "after all I'm coming with you".
"I'm not going to be able to convince you to stay am I?" Grace smiled shaking her head "not really don't worry Mikoto will cover for us" Haru groaned "no wonder you get along so well with my sister your just as stubborn".
"that's funny she says the same thing about you" Grace says leaping down onto the island Haru follows,
After finding a dirt path Haru and Grace find a small village gate it looked like many towns with rows of houses with identical green shingle roofs the same color as the tree leaves .
Haru smiled passing through a market place filled with all kinds of things made from wood an old shopkeeper smiled at him waving him over curiously Haru walked over "yes sir?",
the old man smiled handing Haru a bracelet made from woven leather with wooden beads painted with swirls of white and green "a gift for your girlfriend sonny" he said .
Haru blushed looking to Grace "girlfriend Grace no no it's not like that we're just friends!"
the shopkeeper laughed "it's ok sonny you don't need to explain anything to me I was young once too" he said, "the bracelet's free of charge along with some advice you should take her to the Goddess shrine at sunset".
Haru raised a brow "Goddess shrine?," the old man grinned "oh just a shrine to an old legend it's up on that hill the view of the island is spectacular especially at sunset".
Haru nodded taking the bracelet he walked over to Grace "hey what's that? it's really pretty" she asked, Haru handed her the bracelet not mentioning the shopkeeper thought they were a couple "hey Grace wanna see a local landmark" Grace smiled "sure do you know the way".
"yeah it's just up the hill" Haru said, Grace grinned grabbing his hand she pulled him up the road.
Haru grinned looking at the Goddess shrine a lone statue surrounded by a small pond filled with small green stones "it must be what they use to make their shingles" ,Haru thought picking a stone out from the water putting it back in Haru looked up the sun had begun to set the stones in the lake began to sparkle like emeralds their light reflecting onto the statue.
whoever had carved the statue was a genius standing on the base was a woman with flowing black hair reaching to the center of her back wearing a golden yellow yukata with a black obi holding it around her waist ,with brown sandals in her hand was a long spear that seemed to be made from bamboo with a long curved point Grace smiled at Haru "this is amazing" Grace smiled at Haru "thanks for showing me this".
Haru nodded "don't thank me it was mostly that shopkeeper he told me about this place said, I should give you that bracelet up here he thought I was your boyfriend and stuff".
"Well you kinda are" Grace said, Haru blushed redder than his mother's hair as he looked at anything other than Grace "wait what no I'm not" Grace grinned "sure you are your my friend and your a boy duh I thought you were the smart twin" .
Grace said, as if she was explaining a simple concept like two plus two equals four or penguins can't fly
"Oh yeah I am a boyfriend" Haru said with a laugh having stopped blushing Haru frowned hearing the sound like rattling chain links Haru leapt to the side pushing Grace to the ground.
the hammer of a Kusarigarma flew through the air before being pulled back,
Haru glared looking to the thrower he looked to be a couple years older then he was biologically not chronologically he hardly expected a two year old to be armed with a knife and chain "dang I missed" the guy said, he wore a full length leather coat ripped into tatters over a dirty white shirt black pants and leather boots.
besides him was a guy with the skin color of milk wearing a matching coat only in purple he had neon green hair and bright red lipstick on his face he wore a orange shirt, under it with pants made of patches of green purple orange and yellow with no real pattern and pointed shoes.
the coat must be some kind of uniform' Haru deduced as he stood up red lips smiled which creeped Haru out "in case you didn't get the message this is Raider territory so scram" ,the guy with the kusarigarma swung it around "yeah cause this time I'm not going to miss your pretty little girlfriends face".
Haru growled running forward red lips grinned pulling out a knife "I love it when the losers don't listen" a long knife flew through the air landing between the two, before they could fight red lips cursed "oh great not him again".
stepping from behind the Goddess shrine was an old man with snow white hair and a receding hair line he wore an unbuttoned plaid shirt over and blue jeans, with brown boots picking up his knife he pulled it out "get out of here you bunch of punks your not going to find any treasure here so beat it".
Kusarigarma frowned "your not going to stop us forever old man we'll find that treasure and when we do the boss is gonna rule this island", the old man laughed "sure sure and the Fleet Admiral's gonna be king of the pirates are you deaf I told you to get away from here!".
Red lips and Kusarigarma frowned looking to each other before they walked off the old man rolled up his sleeve showing a holster for the knife wrapped around his arm along with dozens of lines tattooed onto the skin ,pulling the sleeve down he looks to Haru and Grace "you two ok?" he asked.
Grace nodded "we are thanks for stepping in" the old man nodded "hmph course I was going to step in your boyfriend rushing in like a fool that's gonna get him killed one of these days", Haru was aware he didn't make the best decision charging in blindly at Red lips but he didn't need some old guy rubbing it in his face "I could have handled it".
the old man nodded "sure kid sure" he turned to leave when he dropped to one knee "argh" he cursed holding onto his heart Grace and Haru run to help the old man ,"are you ok?" he coughed pushing himself up "I'm fine I'm fine nothing to worry about".
the old man took another step before falling to his knees again ,Haru walked in front of the man kneeling down.
"Get on" he said, the old man laughed "I don't need help" Haru laughed "who said I'm helping you your helping me I need to get stronger don't I" the old man grinned "I said nothing about getting stronger I said don't be a reckless idiot", the old man agreed letting Haru pick him up Grace walking besides them helping to keep the old man on his back.
"So where's the doctor on this island?" Haru asked ,the old man shrugged "just down the hill and take a left you can't miss it" Haru nodded walking down the hill.
"so old man what's this about a treasure those guys were looking for?" Grace asked, curiously Haru rolled his eyes his mother and Mikoto's love of treasure were starting to rub off on Grace.
"The name's Logan not 'old man' and I'll tell you about the treasure when we get to the darn doctor" the old man I mean Logan said, Haru nodded "right then let's go".
