Oceanside Inn, Gosa Village: Four Years Ago
"Oh, honey, it's so good to have you home."
Kisuke gave a heavy sigh as he closed the door. His wife stopped wiping down the counter top and held out her arms as he approached. He gratefully accepted her offer, sliding into her arms and simultaneously slipping his hands around her waist. He moved a tuft of her hair behind an ear and gave her a smile.
"It's good to be home," he said earnestly.
Kora was a small woman, just as her mother had been before her. Her hair, long, straight, and the blackest of blacks was pulled into a low bun. Stray locks stuck out here and there, a result of her long day of work. Her face and cheeks were round and youthful looking, lips plump, and her eyes… oh, that was the very first thing he had fallen in love with. Kora's eyes were almond shaped and turned upwards the ends. The color reminded him of sweet, sweet honey, especially when she gave him the look she was at the moment. The area around her eyes was oily, her full lips slightly chapped.
She looks exhausted.
"You should get some rest, honey," he said. Kisuke placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I'm sure you've had a long day."
At this, Kora gave a low chuckle. She had woken up before the crack of dawn, as usual, but her husband had already been long gone by then. She laced her fingers behind his dark locks and gave a small smirk. "My love, what day isn't a long day?"
Kisuke gave her a tight lipped smile. "I'm sorry it took me so long to get home." He took a seat at the bar and his wife dutifully relocated to the other side of the counter to pour him a drink. After the initial clatter of bottles being jarred around, Kora moved towards the counter once more.
"The ship from Goa didn't make it," Kisuke said quietly, his dark eyes turned downwards.
Kora gasped. "So all of those people..."
"Gone." Kisuke closed his eyes. "The crew. The supplies. Pirates raided the ship and burned the rest."
Kora was quiet. She gently placed the glass in front of her husband and watched as he downed the entire drink in one go. He scowled and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Fucking scumbags," Kisuke cursed. "Those damn pirates."
Kora was silent. She knew of her husband's past. After all, she had fallen for him during his days on the Roger pirates… just as her best friend had fallen for his captain.
"Even my captain wouldn't have been that cruel," he said with a snarl. "Killing innocent merchants just to kill… it makes me sick. If I ever find out who did it I'll…"
Kora could see the anger and pain in her husband's face. She placed a hand over his shaking fist and he seemed to calm somewhat. She refilled his glass and eyed him warily as he downed that one, too.
"Did you contact Outlook?"
Kisuke snorted. "Of course I did, Kora. He didn't give a damn about the crew…he only cared about his lost berries." The man laughed darkly. "That rich son of a bitch… sitting in a comfortable mansion in High Town while his employees die doing his bidding."
Against her better judgement, Kora filled the glass once more. He had a rough day… he had certainly earned it. Kisuke tilted his head back and quickly emptied that glass as well.
"...so he won't be reimbursing us, then," Kora said.
Kisuke shook his head. "This is the second time this has happened. During our largest shipment, too. If this keeps up, the inn's gonna… we're gonna have to…"
"If we have to sell the inn," Kora said softly, "then we will. And we'll find another way to make ends meet."
Kisuke pinched the bridge of his nose. It wasn't just a business they'd lose… it'd be their homes… their livelihood… He had five fucking children, damn it, he couldn't keep living like this… so close to the edge. So close to losing everything… Pirates were pirates. He knew that much but…
"Damn that Outlook!" Kisuke pounded the counter with his fist. "He has plenty of money to cover the lost supplies but he won't! It would have been nothing to him. We can't afford another incident like this. We could lose everything because of one greedy bastard who-"
Kora could see his hand shaking moments before the glass broke in his grip. Kisuke cursed as his wife hurried over with a wet cloth. "I'm sorry, honey, I just-"
"Daddy?"
Both adults looked at the source of the tiny voice. In the doorway, Kaiya stood in her faded hand-me-down pajamas with a small fist rubbing her eyes.
"Oh, princess," Kisuke breathed. He hurried over to pick up the tiny girl. "I didn't mean to wake you."
Kaiya tried to blink the sleep from her eyes as she looked at her father. She took in his short, wavy hair and his long, straight nose. He had a strong jawline and a bold, angular face, tanned by countless hours in the sun. His arms were well toned from long days involving physical labor. Years later, Kaiya would think it was no wonder why her mother had fallen for him.
"You said you were gonna kiss me goodnight," she pouted. Her bottom lip stuck out and a tidal wave of guilt washed over Kisuke.
"I did, didn't I?" Kisuke said softly.
"She has a good memory," Kora said as she cleaned up. The woman smiled at the sight of her husband and her sweet four-year-old.
"You promised," Kaiya said, her tiny arms crossed. Kisuke looked into his daughter's face… she looked so much like his wife. All of his girls had inherited her striking eyes, her dark skin, a result of Jaeger powerful genes. Kira and the twins all had a good mix of his and his wife's looks but Kaiya… she looked like her mother's double.
Kisuke gave her a smile. "Well then, I better make good on that promise." He swung around to look at his wife, who had already removed all traces the broken glass. "Coming, love?"
"Yes," Kora said with a nod. "I'll be right behind you."
After an "I love you" and a peck on his wife's lips, Kisuke began walking down the hall with his baby girl in his arms.
"Did you have a lot of work today, Daddy?" Kaiya asked. She was resting her head on his shoulder. Kisuke tensed up slightly. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself before he could respond.
"Yeah, baby. I did have a lot of work."
"Daddy?"
"Hm?"
"Why do you work so much?" The question was innocent enough but it made Kisuke pause outside the girl's bedroom door. She lifted her head and looked at him with that honey gaze… he was such a sucker for those big eyes. Kisuke smiled and moved the girl's baby fine hair away from her face.
"My little princess, that's what daddies do. I work so we have a place to live, so you have food in your belly, toys to play with, books to read..." He stroked her tiny cheek and she instinctively leaned into the touch. "It's my job to take care of you and I'm gonna do that as long as I can."
Kaiya's eyes narrowed in focus and he could practically see the gears turning in her head.
"What happens if you can't?" she asked. Kisuke blinked. The question had thrown him off guard. "Daddy," Kaiya said impatiently. "I said, what happens if you can't?" It was amazing how someone so young could ask such a thought provoking question. Kisuke swallowed. Something turned over in his gut.
"Well, princess," he said slowly, "if I can't…" God, what would happen if he couldn't take care of them? If they lost the inn? Or if something happened to him? It was his worst fear… leaving his wife and family behind to fend for themselves.
"Know what? I'll work hard, Daddy," Kaiya said with a smile. "And I'll take care of you!"
The man's gaze softened. His sweet girl, so small, so naive. He loved her dearly and the idea of his baby even having to think about working at her age just made his heart wrench.
"That's very thoughtful, honey." Kaiya beamed at the compliment. "But," Kisuke said with a serious look, "if a day ever comes and I can't take care of you, I want you to worry about yourself first, okay?" This caused a wrinkle to form between the young girl's eyebrows. "If… If Daddy can't take care of you, and you have to work hard…" The words were more difficult to say than he thought they'd be. "Work hard for yourself, okay, Kaiya? Don't do it for me. Do it for you."
The four-year-old had a deep wrinkle between her eyebrows. Kisuke smiled and placed a loud kiss - smack! - right in the center of her face. Kaiya let out a squeal of delight and laughed so loud, her father had to shush her so as not to wake any of his other sleeping children.
"I love you, daddy."
He gave her a sad smile. "You have such a big heart, Kaiya. I love you." He enveloped his girl in a strong embrace. Kaiya smiled and smelled her father's faint cologne, earthy and rich, as well as the musk accumulated from a day of work.
"You're stinky, Daddy," Kaiya said with a small giggle.
"That's what happens when you work hard, princess."
Kaiya grinned at her father, all twenty of her baby teeth showing. "Watch and see, Daddy! I'm gonna be the hardest worker ever."
This caused Kisuke to laugh. Kaiya always thought he had such a good laugh, genuine and straight from the gut. He fondly gazed down at his baby girl and said, "I bet you will, princess. I bet you will."
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Mt. Colubo, Dawn Island: Present Day
Kaiya woke up shivering. She stretched out and quickly recoiled when her hand brushed against something cold. It took her a moment to realize she wasn't in her bedroom. No, the surface beneath her was much too hard. Her army of stuffed frogs was nowhere in sight. She could see no glowing stars above her and no glittering shimmering in the low light. The large window in her bedroom was absent. She liked to sleep with her window cracked but the usual zephyr was absent; there were no stars twinkling from behind the East Blue. It was so dark, she couldn't even tell there was a tiny window in the small room.
When her eyes adjusted, she could make out rough shapes along the walls on either side of her. She had no light… but she certainly had a full bladder that threatened to burst at any second. The girl cautiously walked towards the door, making sure to squeeze her legs shut as she did so. This was quite the hassle considering all she had to do was take a tinkle.
Kaiya quietly slid the door open. The living area seemed so massive without a large group in it. Even as the bandits slept, there was a fire in the middle of the large room with two bandits sleeping by it as guards. The two and only real bedrooms were on the opposite side of the home. Kaiya nervously realized she was sleeping away from… well, everyone. Aside from the two guards, the rest of the bandits all slept in the same confined area. Ace had his little loft. Why did she have to be singled out?
The thought made Kaiya feel a little bit lonelier as she felt her way to the foyer. Coats were piled all along the tiny entry. Kaiya had no idea where hers was but she didn't have the time to look. The idea of standing barefoot in the snow, however, was positively abhorrent.
She could barely see the dark lumps along the wall that she knew to be boots. After a moment of her hand slithering over dirty boots, trying to figure out which were hers. She quickly gave up and selected a pair closest to the door, trying to ignore the creeping thoughts about toe fungus and foot odor. She slid her feet into the large boots and awkwardly stepped outside.
When Kaiya was hit by the bitter cold she realized the outhouse may have been more than a hop, skip, and a jump away like she had originally thought. It was truly a stone's throw away… but on this particularly cloudy night, it seemed miles away. If it were lighter out, she would have been able to see the small "shit shed" (as many bandits called it) amongst the trees but there was nothing but darkness.
Kaiya gulped. She began to walk towards the outhouse when a branch snapped in the distance. Her eyes couldn't see anything in the pitch darkness. Her breathing quickened. There was something out there, waiting to pounce the second she stepped away from the house.
Kaiya moved away from the home's entrance just a bit and awkwardly squatted close to the wall, her eyes nervously scanning for whatever predator was sure to be eyeing her down. Kaiya shivered. She could have sworn she heard a howl in the distance. Maybe it was just the wind… no, there was no wind. It was most definitely a howl, then. Kaiya nervously recalled last winter's encounter with the lynx and the lone wolf. Ace was around both times (not that she wanted him to witness this!) but there was no one around to protect her now.
After the most unnerving pee she'd ever taken, Kaiya scrambled to pull her pants up. She hastily ran back inside the hut, closed the door shut with a thud, and kicked the shoes back into the general place she'd found them. She scrambled back into the storage room and closed that sliding door as well.
Kaiya slid back beneath the thin sheets she was given… and they were cold as ice. She curled into a ball, quietly cursing this current fate, but her body refused to still. Her arms and legs had been shaking since her trip outside.
Eventually, Kaiya decided the fetal position was inadequate and she had to get up and do something. There was a ton of stuff crammed in this small storage room. There had to be something here…
Her hands came across something woven. It was rough spun and sturdy. Burlap? It was hard to tell in the dark. It wasn't comfortable by any means, but there was a whole bunch crammed into the space between one shelf and the wall. Kaiya grabbed as many as she could. They had to be potato sacks, if she had to guess. She arranged the various layers over her blanket and shimmied underneath. It was no hand sewn comforter… in fact comfort wasn't remotely close at all. But it was warmer than the sheets alone.
Kaiya gave a heavy sigh and closed her eyes. She pulled her knees in close and breathed beneath the blankets to warm herself up.
This is nothing.
A little over two weeks. That's all she had to last. She'd be back at school before she knew it…
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Breakfast Time
Kaiya's mouth tasted and smelled like death. The entire right side of her back ached when she moved… and she felt downright disgusting. She was used to getting in the shower twice a day, and she had missed her usual nightly rinse.
She reached a hand out but the glass of water she liked to keep on her nightstand was absent; a moment of bitter realization later and she remembered where she was. The bandit's filthy little storage closet. She rubbed the sand out of the corners of her eyes and stretched. This forest life wasn't going as well as she had originally thought.
Light streamed in from the single, small window. Kaiya looked down and realized it was, in fact, old potato sacks that she'd laid over the thin sheets. Her mind race as her body went on autopilot. She tidied up all the potato sacks and rolled them up neatly before storing them away. Her sheets she folded as best she could and placed along the far wall.
Dadan's voice rang in her head. "Tomorrow I'm putting you through hell." Kaiya could hear muffled chatter from the other side of the wall as she dug in her backpack. Her toothpaste and toothbrush were in a small bag. She grabbed them and hesitated in front of the sliding door. There was a very loud voice in the next room… it was Dadan, she realized, telling off someone about carelessly pissing by the door. Guilt struck Kaiya as she slid the door open and approached the woman in charge.
A man was walking away, grumbling about the accusation. Kaiya avoided his gaze as he passed by. Dadan was sitting by the fire, scooping rice out of a large pot and into a tiny bowl. It looked absolutely miniature compared to the large woman. It looked like a baby's bowl, something little Ian would eat out of.
"Here," Dadan said roughly. She pushed the small bowl of rice into the girl's hand. Kaiya looked down at the rice and back up to the woman expectantly. "What?" the woman snapped.
"May I have something to eat this with, please?" Her voice came out hushed, as if she'd disturb someone if she spoke too loud. Dadan had a frown on her face as she observed the girl. Kaiya looked like she desperately needed a good night's sleep. She wasn't given a futon, just blankets. Her body was sore from sleeping on the floor. And she used to think the beds at school were bad.
"Ha! You want utensils? You see anyone else with them?"
A quick glance at the bandits who had woken confirmed that there was not, in fact, anyone with eating utensils. Kaiya's mouth curled in disgust as one particularly scruffy bandit placed a handful of rice into his mouth… which was fine, except she watched him lick each and every dirty finger, placing it in his mouth and removing it with a loud pop. She shuddered. Auntie Vi would have smacked her hand with a wooden spoon if she caught her behaving in such a manner.
Dadan smirked at the girl's obvious disgust. She could almost see the mental struggle… did she eat like a savage or maintain her dignity? Kaiya's small nose wrinkled. Dadan thought it was quite comical.
Kaiya's back stiffened. Her mouth curved into a frown, creating little dimples on her chin. Her eyes flicked over to others who had already finished the too-small portion. She saw another bandit who ate very much like a young child who hadn't quite learned to use utensils properly. Kaiya attempted to imitate his behavior. Her hand hovered above the rice… poised to scoop down with three fingers and take a bite… it was right there.
"You are a young lady, not a savage. We do not eat with our fingers, we eat with grace." Auntie Vi's voice in her head stopped her. Kaiya stiffly placed the small bowl on the floor and stood.
"I'm not very hungry," she murmured. "Thank you."
Dadan snorted. "Whatever, girlie." She swiped the rice and gobbled it an instant. "You ready for your first day of mountain life?"
Kaiya felt sick, despite the fact there was nothing in her stomach. It was probably better she didn't eat. The girl gave a slight nod. Dadan produced a folded piece of paper and used two fingers to flick it towards Kaiya. She instinctively reached out to grab it but it fluttered to the ground.
"Nice catch," a bandit said with a laugh.
Kaiya felt her ears turn hot. She quickly scooped the paper up and unfolded it. Her gold eyes danced left and right as she read. Her heart sank deeper into her stomach at the list of chores. There was a crooked list of items written in large, curly handwriting. The letters were feminine and just neat enough to legible, even if some letters were only half formed.
Dadan watched the girl's stoic face. Would she retaliate in anger, much like a certain someone she knew? Was she going to break down and cry? Try to negotiate tasks that were more fair and less labor-intensive? Last time Dadan had written a list of chores, the paper ended up wrapped around a rock and tossed at the back of her head.
"If you wanna eat my food and sleep under my roof then every single one of these chores better be done by the end of the day. You got it, princess?"
Kaiya met Dadan's hard stare with one of her own. She thought mean thoughts she'd never say aloud and Dadan could feel her anger at the injustice. However, when the young girl spoke, she did so in her new voice, so quiet Dadan could barely hear.
"Yes ma'am."
"Don't call me ma'am!" Dadan snapped. She saw the young girl wince before giving a curt nod.
Rule #1: Don't call Dadan "ma'am."
"Yes m- got it," Kaiya said.
And with that, the young girl walked towards her things, which had apprently been piled into a heap in one corner. She lifted her clothing, eyes scanning each and every wrinkle, every dirty little speck. She said nothing, only grimaced and slipped on layer after dirty layer until her small frame became a mass of winter gear. Hat, scarf, coat, gloves, boots. In coordinating creams, tans, and brows, she was outfitted against the elements as best she could possible be.
Her booted footsteps were loud on the wood floor. The shovel rested right beside the entrance, just as it had last winter. Kaiya grabbed the item and… it was heavy. It seemed to be made entirely of metal, aside from the rubber over the handle, and it was taller than she was.
"Think you can carry that, princess?"
The girl turned to face Dadan one last time. The tears or rebuttals the woman expected never came. Kaiya was bundled head to toe with the only exposed skin being her face. For a moment, she thought Kaiya's eyes would flash in anger or hatred.
Today, however, Dadan was simply met with a look of pure determination. Kaiya opened the door just enough to slip through. Dadan didn't even hear it close.
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"Oh, lookie here, it's sleeping beauty."
Ace scowled and ignored Dadan. It hadn't been easy carrying someone up an entire mountain… in the snow… after he went all day without fucking eating. The physical and mental strain from yesterday had left him feeling much weaker than he had in a while. Tossing and turning all night hadn't been too fun, either. He had been taunted by new bitter memories that weren't even his… and he was feeling angrier than usual.
He quickly served himself a heaping bowl of rice (the size of three servings, at least) and downed it before she could protest. Dadan's eyes watched him with disapproval but she seemed to have other things on her mind.
Speaking of… Ace looked around. There was no sign of Kaiya whatsoever.
"Where'd she go?" he sneered. The pronoun was like acid on his tongue. Despite their last… incident… he still couldn't get the image out of his head of her screaming that she never wanted to see him again. It was a bit hard to forget. That topped with the fact that she knew the secrets he tried so hard to keep from everyone… the thought made him sick to his stomach.
"She is busy," Dadan said. "Princess is actually doing chores. Unlike you."
Ace snorted and crossed his arms. "So, what? She's gonna stay with us all of the sudden?"
"...maybe... for a little bit. Why?" Dadan asked, her eyes narrowing.
Ace stiffened. "What?! That baby can't live here! With us! She's useless. She'll just weigh us all down."
One corner of Dadan's mouth pulled into a smirk. "Yeah? We'll see. I give her two days." Ace stood. "Then," Dadan said, "she'll go home crying and you won't have to worry about your little girlfriend no more."
"Tch." The boy threw his rice bowl in the tub of dirty dishes. It caused a tower of identical rice bowls topple over. Two days of Kaiya? No. These mountains were his home and she certainly didn't belong in it. He would find a way to get rid of her in one.
"Where do you think you're-"
"Hunting," was the cold response. He quickly strode across the large room and disappeared into the foyer, making sure to grab his latest metal pipe on the way out. A door slam later and he was gone, too, leaving Dadan to ponder just what the hell she had just gotten herself into.
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1. Shovel walkways
Who knew snow could be so heavy? There really wasn't a lot of it… but Kaiya was out of breath already. She thought ballet was hard on the body but this manual labor wasn't even fun. When she danced and listened to music, she didn't stop to think about how it may have been strengthening her body.
But this…
Kaiya sucked in a deep breath of cold air. No. She couldn't think like that. So what if she slept in the storage room for a night? It was just Dadan testing her… and who cares if she didn't get to brush her teeth or wash her face with running water? It was certainly much colder trying to rinse with snow than tap water, but hey, she couldn't be a complete slob just because of where she was.
This errand she was doing… it was just a chore… a very annoying chore but a chore nonetheless. It was just like dishes or cleaning up her room… but colder and harder.
Kaiya groaned as she lifted the shovel. A very measly amount of snow was tossed aside. She could tell the "walkways" by the numerous footprints that led from the home to the outhouse or the bathing shed. Some tracks disappeared into the woods, others seemed to circle around the building. She made a mental note to explore again later… if she ever got done with this dreaded list.
"Oof!" Kaiya groaned. She had been putting the handle against her stomach and using her body weight to push the snow. It had been working well enough until she hit an unseen rock. The pain in her stomach made her drop the shovel and double over. She clutched her stomach just as footsteps crunched behind her.
"Wow. Smooth move, princess." She straightened up instantly and turned to face him.
"What do you want?" Her voice was as cold as the weather outside. The little sleep she received had been plagued by memories that weren't hers. Memories of long, lonely days and nights. A life full of near constant fear of dying alone. A lot of rage and bitterness over the injustice the world served...
Kaiya learned things about Ace he would never have told her otherwise… things he had never told anybody unless the outright asked the question. She knew about his cursed lineage just as he knew of her red tinged nightmares. She naively thought that… maybe things would have changed between them after their… odd mental mishap. Unfortunately, he seemed just as callous as always.
"I want you gone. You don't belong here," Ace said bluntly. Well if that was the game he wanted to play, she would play it, too.
"You obviously don't belong in the city but that doesn't seem to deter you, now does it, mountain boy?"
Ace tsk'd under his breath. "You're just a spoiled brat. If you stay here you're gonna die."
Kaiya's eyes glazed over as she said, "You'd probably enjoy that, wouldn't you?" He didn't like her, sure, but wanting her to die? Now that was a bit over dramatic.
"Whatever," Ace said. She didn't belong here. He knew it. She had to know it, too, deep down. He had nearly died countless times in these treacherous woods. She wouldn't last a week. He had to get her back where she belonged. Had to get her back home somehow. Even if he had to force her.
Ace walked past, making sure to give a firm shoulder bump. Two hands shoved him from behind and his face met the snow.
"Why you b-"
"Look," Kaiya said firmly. She crossed her arms as she peered down at him. "If you have a problem, you can either say it to my face or you can get over it."
Ace jumped up. White tufts decorated his hair. He grabbed Kaiya by the front of her scarf and pulled her towards him until they were almost nose to nose.
"You. Don't. Belong. Here." Every word was a hiss. "Go. Home." He thought her eyes would widen in surprise or she would flinch away… but no. Those almond eyes simply narrowed in defiance.
"Make me, tough guy," Kaiya spat. She was so close he could smell the mint toothpaste in her breath.
Ace let go of her clothing and backed away until he reached the metal pole that had fallen in the snow. He used a foot to kick it up so he could snatch it out of the air. The weapon spun around his hand once before he held it firmly in front of him. Kaiya crossed her arms.
Show off.
"I could kick your ass any time, any day," he told her simply.
"Maybe," Kaiya said, her eyes narrow slits. Botan was the second youngest of eight. That girl knew how to hold her own… and she'd taught Kaiya a few things, too. "Maybe not."
Ace hocked a loogie at her feet. He saw Kaiya handle herself with the bandits… but he was smaller and faster than all of them. He could kick her ass with his hands tied behind his back. "Whatever. I have lunch to find. I'll teach you a lesson later, loser."
Kaiya continued to glare at him. "I'll teach you one, first," she said in a low voice. Ace snorted and turned away.
"Yeah, right."
He was walking away when the snowball hit him square in the back of his head. He felt cold slip down the back of his collar and back. Ace whipped around.
"You little b-"
Another hit him… right in the nose. Ace let out a snarl and wiped the snow from his face. There was a satisfied look on Kaiya's face as she tossed another snowball up and down.
Fuck that!
Ace rushed her, quickly closing the distance between them. Kaiya shrieked as he crashed into her and she flew backwards. Ace jumped on top of her midsection, pinning her down with his weight.
"Get OFF!" Kaiya yelled. The snowball in her hand was shoved into his face and Ace made sure to return the favor by scooping a large handful of white powder of his own. Her scream pierced the air as he pulled back her scarf and placed the snow right in her warm little neck, where it quickly melted and soaked her inner layers. He grunted in pain as a knee struck him in the back. Kaiya's hat had been knocked clean off her head and she struggled to push him off.
"If you want an ass beating I'll give you one!" Ace roared. He grabbed a fistful of her dark hair and pulled her to standing. She shrieked and elbowed him as hard as she could into his gut.
"HEY! Get your asses MOVING!" Dadan stormed out of the hut and the kids quickly untangled themselves from each other. Ace didn't bother acknowledging the large woman. He gave Kaiya a certain finger. She stuck her tongue out at him before retrieving her hat.
Dadan was angrily stomping towards the two children. Kaiya gave a frustrated scream as she pulled off her scarf and shook out the snow. Ace frowned and hurried into the forest before anyone could tell him otherwise.
Battle number one had been a draw… but he was going to win this war, no matter what.
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2. Cut firewood
Okay. Another chore outside. In the cold. That required manual labor. No. That was fine. She got through shoveling (eventually). She could get through this, too.
Kaiya shook her fingers, her arms. She stretched in preparation. It was just a stupid block of wood. All she had to do was cut it. Easy peasy. After that, she could blaze through the inside chores.
There was an untidy pile of wood waiting for it. It looked like someone had chopped down a tree, cut foot long pieces, and then discarded it in a pile by the hut. There was a thick stump with a snow covered axe sticking out of it. whoever had previously done the job was obviously too lazy to put it away… but it saved her the hassle of finding it.
With a grunt, Kaiya pulled on the axe. It didn't budge. She placed a foot on the stump and pulled again. She could feel it nudge slightly. Kaiya rubbed her hands together and adjusted her grip.
"You can do this," she said to herself, "one, two, WOAH!"
She finally managed to get the axe dislodged, but the movement caused the weapon to swing over her head and slip out of her hands. It collided with the side of the outhouse behind her. Someone gave a very angry, "Oi! Be more careful!"
Kaiya ran to retrieve the axe. It was lodged in the wood pretty firmly. She placed a boot on the shed and pulled… and pulled before the blade finally gave. It left a decent sized hole in the small shed, much to the annoyance of the outhouse's current occupant. A staring of curses slipped out of the man's mouth.
"Uh, sorry!" Kaiya said before she scampered back towards the stump. Whoever had cut down the tree seemed to have cut it into foot long sections. It wasn't a massive tree… but it still took a good amount of effort to move one of the fat logs.
Kaiya placed the axe along the large stump and used her weight to roll a section over to it.
"Okay," Kaiya said to herself. She bent her legs and grunted. The heavy wheel rolled up onto the stump…. "Whoohoo!" Kaiya cheered…. And then rolled down the other end. "Oh, no!" The log traveled a few meters before finally coming to a stop. Kaiya groaned. It was even farther away than it was originally!
"Having trouble?"
Kaiya turned towards the voice and saw Magra looking down at her with an amused smile. She sighed.
"A little," she confessed.
"Dadan gave you firewood duty today, huh?"
"Yeah," Kaiya said miserably. Magra laughed good naturedly and bent down so he was face to face with the girl.
"This is a man's job," he said softly. "I don't think you'll be able to do this on your own, Kaiya."
"I can do it," she insisted. "I just… I need someone to show me how. I'm a fast learner!"
Magra regarded her for a moment. There was a hard look on her little face. Even if she couldn't get the job done… she seemed awfully determined to try.
"I'll get you started, okay?"
"Okay!" Kaiya said with a grin. Magra helped her lift one of the disks up onto the stump.
"Now look," he said, grabbing the axe. "First things first, you gotta make sure you have a good grip on the axe, alright?" Kaiya nodded. "Otherwise it'll slip out of your hands and hit who knows what." She silently hoped he didn't notice the hole in the outhouse behind her.
"When you cut wood," he said, "you wanna make the axe do the work for you." Kaiya must have looked confused because he said, "Watch how I do it."
He pulled the axe back. It swung in a neat arc over his head and his back curved as the blade came down. It neatly splintered the round piece of wood in two pieces. Magra placed one piece back on the log and handed her the axe.
"Now you try."
Kaiya squared her shoulders up. She lifted the axe and tried to imitate Magra's movements. It felt like it was going well… until the axe got stuck halfway through the wood.
"Ah! What?!"
Magra chuckled. "You have to put more force into the swing otherwise that's gonna happen." He used one hand to grab the belly of the axe's handle and lifted. With a quick movement, he brought the axe and wood piece down onto the chopping block. Now there were quarter sized slices of what the circle had been.
"Maybe you should try another chore," Magra suggested. "Come back to this one."
"No," Kaiya said stubbornly. "Dadan made this chore number two for a reason and I'm not moving on until I'm done."
Magra simply smiled and held the axe out with one hand. "Alright," he said. "If you insist." Kaiya grunted when he let go. The force of the axe dropping nearly toppled her over.
"I'll be doing work around here, too," Magra said. "Lemme know if you need help."
Kaiya warily eyed the fallen tree. She could have used a lot of help… but if Dadan wanted her to do this, then that's what she was going to do. Even if it killed her. The girl placed the other half of the circle on the chopping block. Let the axe do the work. More force in the swing.
She pulled the axe back and swung… and the blade made it three quarters of the way down. "Yes!" Kaiya said with a laugh. It wasn't perfect, but it was progress. She dislodged the axe and tried again. This time, the wood splintered and fell off of the stump. She repeated the procedure until she had tidy eighths of a circle stacked up. There were a lot more wooden circles to go… but she was making progress! She took off her thick coat and hung it on the nearest tree.
Magra watched from afar as Kaiya strained to push the next circle up onto the stump. He laughed a bit to himself at the small girl's efforts. The log almost rolled off but Kaiya hugged it at the last second and managed to get it lying down flat. Spoiled as she may have been… she was determined, he'd give her that.
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Ace arrived just as Kaiya had finished placing the last log on the wagon. She had shed her coat and sweater and stood panting with her sleeves rolled up. Her cheeks were flushed pink. Kaiya wiped a bead of sweat from her brow. Magra stood beside her and wiped his hands on his pants.
"Well," Magra said with a smile. "I'm impressed. You did a pretty good job."
"Thank you," she said with a small bow. Kaiya eyed the fruits of her labor. The stack was about as tall as she was. "How long is this supposed to last, anyway? A week? Two?"
Magra looked at the pile. "Two or three," Magra said. "Days."
"What?!" Kaiya's jaw dropped and her eyebrows pulled together sharply. It had taken her forever to accumulate all that wood… "Two or three days?!"
"Well, we've gotta keep the fire going through the day and night. It takes quite a bit of wood."
"...I see," Kaiya said, eyeing the pile. She couldn't believe the hours of labor she spent. She could feel calluses already forming on her delicate palms. Her body was exhausted and it was barely lunch time.
Magra smiled apologetically at the girl. "Dadan wasn't joking when she said the mountain life was hard."
"No," Kaiya mumbled. "Apparently not."
"You hungry?" Magra asked with a smile.
"I'm starving."
The man placed a big hand on her shoulder and gave a slight squeeze. "Get inside and warm up. We'll have lunch ready in a bit."
At the sound of that, Kaiya's stomach gave a loud rumble. "What's for lunch?" she asked excitedly.
Magra's eyes flickered towards Ace and the animal he was dragging behind him. "Flame grilled boar, by the looks of it."
Kaiya turned to follow his gaze. When she saw who was approaching the children shared a mutual scowl. Ace had just entered earshot in time to near Kaiya speak. "Great. Boar." All traces of enthusiasm had disappeared from her voice. "Can't wait."
"You're still here?" Ace asked in irritation.
"I am," Kaiya said matter-of-factly. "And you better get used to it because I'm not going anywhere."
"We'll see about that," he said. He let go of the animal and began to walk towards Kaiya. Magra hastily stepped between the two kids before another fight could break out.
There were sparks flying between the children's eyes… and it made the large man feel slightly uneasy. Ace had a look full of fire and rage. Kaiya simply glared back with malice and contempt. To think just yesterday the boy had rushed her to safety only to treat her like this…
"I'm not going to bother wasting my time with a little boy like you," Kaiya said, straightening up. Ace's eye twitched and he could feel his temperature rising. He was a man, damn it! She pulled her hat down firmly over her ears and turned on her heel. She didn't see the snowball Ace was hastily preparing.
"Don't even think about it," Magra warned. Ace scowled. Kaiya stuck her tongue out at him before she went inside. Magra bent down to grab the wagon's handle.
"I'll get her next time," Ace muttered to himself.
"What was that?" Magra asked.
For a grown man who looked like a rooster, Magra could be pretty intimidating at times. Ace shivered and shied away from the man's inquisitive gaze. "Nothing."
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3. Polish weapons
There was still time to kill before lunch could be enjoyed. Some men had caught some fish so it looked like there would rice and a whopping two choices of meat for lunch. Kaiya was so used to meat that was, well, already ready to be cooked and consumed.
Apparently there were more steps involved in a bandit lunch. Kaiya had taken off her winter gear. She was sitting in front of the fire, cautiously warming her hands.
"Hey," Dadan snapped. "What d'you think you're doing?"
"...waiting for lunch," Kaiya said simply. The woman had a cigarette between her lips and a scowl on her face.
"Well instead of sittin' pretty while you wait, how about tackling the weapons?"
Dadan watched anger flicker across the girl's face. Kaiya had read and reread the list of chores. She knew what was next. Instead of retaliation, however, Kaiya took a deep inhale through her nose and stood. She took a few heavy steps towards the storage room before pausing. There were plenty of things in there… but not a single weapon.
"I don't even know where the weapons are," Kaiya said. There was irritation creeping into her tone. She was tired. She was hungry. She certainly didn't want to polish weapons but she didn't dare complain, lest the woman throw her out. Auntie Vi liked Dadan but Kaiya couldn't possibly imagine why. The woman was a red haired witch!
Dadan smirked. It was a dangerous sort of look. Her amber eyes gleamed in the warm firelight and she jerked her head towards one wall. Curiously, Kaiya followed. She had never noticed before but one portion of the wall stuck out an extra inch. The large woman put both hands along the wood panelling and pushed before sliding the hidden door open.
"Woah," Kaiya breathed.
"Yeah," Dadan said with a satisfied look on her face. "Woah's right."
When one walked into the bandit's hut, there was the tiny storage room immediately to the right. Kaiya always assumed it was just a weird part of the house's design. The majority of the wall was, in fact, a hidden storage where a myriad of weapons were stored. Kaiya thought her uncle had an impressive collection but the bandits… they had twice as many weapons in a fraction of the space.
Swords, knives, daggers, axes, blunt weapons, a whip and a very familiar looking bow beside a leather quiver.
"Hey! That's mine!" Kaiya said, pointing. Dadan narrowed her eyes and frowned. "I left it in the woods!"
"Finder's keepers," she said with a sneer.
"That was my uncle's!" Kaiya protested.
"Well it's mine, now," Dadan said. "You got a problem with that?" Kaiya shut her mouth. The woman crossed her arms as the girl silently fumed. "You want your weapon back?"
Kaiya nodded.
"You can have it back," she said, "when you've earned it." The girl scoffed. It was a soft sound in her throat. "Chores," Dadan said sternly. "You can eat after the weapons are sharpened."
"The list said to polish them," Kaiya said.
"Well I said to sharpen them," Dadan said, "and you can make sure they're polished when you're done. That's what you get for giving lip."
Dadan blew smoke in the girl's direction and walked away. Her nose curled at the foul stench. Kaiya's mouth was a thin line. If she cursed, she probably would have let one slip in that instant.
"Better hurry," Dadan said. "Otherwise there ain't gonna be no food left when you get done."
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Lunch time was in full swing and Kaiya was only a small fraction of the way done. Behind her, laughter and fighting as the bandits ate and drank, thankful for the slight reprieve from working in the cold.
Kaiya kept her back to the debacle. The smell of smoked meat filled her nostrils. One bandit stomped into the hut, shivered, and gave her a pitying look. "Sucks to be you, kid," he said.
"Yeah," Kaiya muttered as he walked away. "I know."
Ace was happily seated by the fire with a tidy stack of boar and fish in front of him. It was just what he needed to carb up and refuel after the previous days. Across the cabin, he could see Kaiya's back as she scrubbed away at the bandit's weapons. He knew all about the bandit's hidden treasure trove. Dadan didn't trust him, though. The only weapons she allowed him to have were the blunt ones, but he noticed she didn't hesitate to let Kaiya handle the blades.
Kaiya was surrounded by weapons. She seemed to work methodically, daggers and knives first, swords second. She hadn't made it beyond that but he could see she was reorganizing as she placed them all back. He could easily tell which ones she'd polished because they shined like they were brand new. She only stopped working to wipe her forehead. She didn't pause. She didn't take a break. She didn't complain. Hell, she didn't even look away from what she was doing. Ace knew she had to be hungry… but she made no indication of it.
Part of him actually felt sorry for her, but for the most part he was glad it wasn't him.
"Ahhh, that hits the spot," Dogra said with a happy sigh. The small bandit held his hands in front of the fire. "Sure beats scout duty."
Ace chewed as the bandits talked amongst each other, comparing jobs, sharing findings. Footprints in the woods. A few animal carcasses. Apparently there were others on the mountain but who it was or what they wanted was a mystery. Ace thought back to the mysterious footprints he found beside Kaiya and wondered if there was a connection, but he kept that knowledge to himself.
"You think it's a group of hunters?" someone asked Dogra.
"Hard to say," the small man replied. He scratched his beard. He made a point to shave it every few days. Unfortunately it only grew in certain patches here and there. Even if he let it grow out, it would have been a very sad looking beard. At the moment it was just unruly stubble and it irritated him quite a bit. "Might just be someone passing through. Snow drifts covered up the tracks so I didn't get too far."
Ace let the chatter become white noise. It wasn't the first time people had unwittingly crossed their mountain. His eyes trailed to the girl across the room. She was making progress… but man was it slow. The food had already been distributed and the only thing that remained were charred pieces that no one was desperate enough to eat. Ace would have rather eaten his boots than the black crisps that were left.
With a sigh, Ace grabbed his plate. There were two small fish and a single chunk of boar meat. Magra nudged Dadan and the two silently watched as Ace crossed the room.
Kaiya used her breath to fog up a particularly dirty blade. She began near the hilt and slowly inched her way towards the tip of the sword. It was kind of amazing to see the sword's transformation. Most of it looked like new steel while the other portion… hadn't been very well taken care of at all. She shook her head. Shame on these bandits.
She was so engrossed in her work, she didn't notice the plate beside her until she'd finished the sword, put it up, and reached down for the next weapon on the wooden floor.
"Huh?" Kaiya turned her head to see who had delivered the food but all she saw was the front door slam shut. She looked at the fire where Dadan, Magra, and Dogra were huddled together, their conversation lost among the chatter of the small clan. She didn't know the other bandits very well but no one had shown her much empathy. Other than Dadan yelling at her and Magra's kindness, most of them seemed to disregard her entirely. Her eyes scanned the crowd once more before turning her back again.
She was supposed to finish her chore before she ate… but Dadan wasn't paying attention, so Kaiya slid the plate in front of her and hungrily scarfed down the meal. Her fingers were filthy but she was too hungry to care. It had been… an entire day since she'd really eaten. The meat didn't have any spices. The bandits didn't use butter or oil and they cooked it her least favorite way: over a fire. She had nothing to drink and nothing to pair it with… but it somehow tasted delicious. She idly remembered her aunt once saying hunger was the best seasoning.
Kaiya quickly tore into her food, throwing etiquette out the window. She made a mental note to find her silent ally and repay the kindness somehow.
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4. Dishes
Kaiya stared at the tubs in front of her. They overflowed with small rice bowls and large plates. The bowls she recognized from this morning… and there were bits dried rice stuck to the insides of most of them like glue. The plates stunk of the meat they had from lunch. Most of the bandits seemed to have dumped their scraps, bones and all, into the tub as well.
The girl groaned.
"How am I supposed to clean this?" Kaiya asked no one in particular. One bandit she didn't know the name of was walking by and picking his teeth. He paused and raised a brow at her.
"Usually we take it to the bath shed."
"The bath shed?!"
"Yeah," he shrugged. "That's where the pump is."
"...so I have to bring both these containers to the bath shed?" Kaiya asked. "Where's the drying rack?"
"Drying rack?" The bandit raised a brow. "Kid, we don't got one of those. You gotta dry with a cloth as you go."
Kaiya's shoulders sagged as the bandit walked away. Every little chore seemed to be so much more trouble than it should have been. He stopped and turned towards her. "Oh, and uh, you might wanna boil some water. Last guy who slacked off and tried to wash shit with cold water had to empty the outhouse."
Her eyes widened in horror. Outhouse duty was not on her chore list, thank heavens, but she certainly didn't want to tack it on. Hauling everything to the bathing shed to be washed was one thing but… she warily eyed the fire. She'd have to fill a pot with water, bring it to a boil in the hut, and then haul that to the shed once more.
She would have been better off just going to Chrissy's. What was she thinking!? Running away to the mountains, of all places! Sleeping on the floor, doing manual labor, not having running water… this was torture. She hadn't thought this through very well.
No. There was a reason. She couldn't go to big mouth Chrissy's… and Botan's family lived somewhere north of the capital but she had no idea where. Sabo… well, he would have been much better company than Ace but she had no clue where he lived, either. Even if she did, she couldn't stay with just a boy. She considered Makino but the woman liked her uncle. She probably would have sent Kaiya right back home to make amends.
No. This was the only option. She had to stick it out!
"I can do this!" Kaiya said to herself. She looked around and thankfully realized the bandit hut was empty aside from her, two tubs of dishes, and a roaring fire. Kaiya pushed up her sleeves and sighed. This was going to be a nightmare.
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The outhouse door closed behind Ace. He stopped and watched Kaiya struggle to haul the large pot they used for rice towards the hut. Water sloshed her coat and spilled into the snow as she walked. She hadn't seen him. She was too busy struggling.
Curiously, Ace followed her footsteps into the hut and caught the door before it closed. He snuck through the foyer and poked his head out. Kaiya was standing in front of the fire with a very nervous expression on her face. There was a hook on the spit just for the purpose of hanging a pot but she looked very apprehensive about the task.
"Last guy who slacked off and tried to wash shit with cold water had to empty the outhouse."
The thought made her shiver. Part of her wanted to try doing the dishes in cold water just so she wouldn't have to go through this debacle… but she wasn't a slacker. And she was NOT going to scoop out an outhouse.
It was just a pot… that she had to hang above a fire. She could do it. Easy. Kaiya took a few deep breaths. She stepped closer to the fire and heat warmed the front of her body. She inched towards the spit and raised her arms up. Reds and yellows danced on her skin, heat licked her hands, her face. The flames were dangerously close, threatening to light her clothes on fire, char her skin… She hastily tried to hang the pot but the handle missed the hook by a centimeter.
The pot fell. Kaiya jumped back with a scream as sparks rose up from the impact. The "hearth" was little more than a square in the floor. It had exposed dirt and a small fire ring made out of stones. Water quickly flooded the hole in the hut. The wood sizzled and the fire was slowly drowned out, leaving nothing but hissing and smoke behind.
"Oh, no, no, no," Kaiya muttered. She reached for the pot but the side of her hand came into contact with the metal. She hissed in pain and quickly withdrew.
"What are you doing?" Magra asked. Ace jumped at the sudden voice.
"Nothing," he said. Kaiya felt her stomach drop as she realized the boy had witnessed the embarrassing spectacle. Magra looked at her and the extinguished fire.
"You better get going," Magra told the boy. "Unless you wanna help her fix this mess."
Ace shot Kaiya a look before he disappeared. Magra sighed and calmly approached the girl. She was looking down in shame as she cradled her hand.
"You okay?" Magra asked.
"Yes," Kaiya muttered. She looked down at her hand. About an inch above her wrist, there was a small, egg shaped burn. Very minor. Thank goodness.
"Ah, that'll be fine," Magra said. "C'mon, we'll get you somethin' for it." Kaiya nodded and followed him to the storage room, a.k.a. her temporary bedroom. He produced a medical kit and retrieved a small, white container with a green plus sign. Kaiya held up her hand as Magra carefully covered the spot.
"Well, good thing it was just a burn," Magra said cheerfully.
"How?" Kaiya asked in a deadpan voice.
"Burns hurt but, hey, at least they heal. You get frostbite and… well, you might end up with a stump or two."
Kaiya shivered at the idea. Suddenly the red skin on her hand didn't seem so bad, after all. Strangely enough, it also made her feel a little better about the mass of molten skin that covered her backside.
"It'll probably welt up tomorrow but you'll be fine," Magra assured.
"Do you think it'll scar?" Kaiya asked with a frown.
Magra shrugged. "Maybe," he said simply. "If it doesn't, just consider yourself lucky."
"But what if it does?"
"Well, I guess you'll have a good reminder to be more careful next time."
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Dinner Time
Kaiya sighed and sank against the wall. She had shoveled the walkways, cut firewood, sharpened and polished all the weapons, washed the dishes, organized the entire storage room, beaten the rugs, cleaned the dog, and she was exhausted.
She closed her eyes and rested her head on her knees as she waited. Dinner was cooking and her last few chores had to wait until after everyone had eaten. Do the dishes again. Sweep. Scrub the walls. Mop the floor. Then, at long last, she could finally go to bed.
The bandits tramped in from the cold and eagerly settled in around her. No one seemed to pay attention to the girl who was trying her hardest not to break down in tears. Her hands were red and sore. Her body ached more than it ever had before… and there was an emptiness inside of her. An emptiness that wasn't caused by the lack of food but by the lack of love she'd felt these last few days.
She should have been home.
She should be in her living room beside a warm fire, drawing or studying as her aunt hummed and prepared dinner. She was supposed to spend this break with her ballet flats on and a violin in her hands. She shouldn't be in the wilderness working her tail to the bone. Kaiya squeezed her arms. If it hadn't been for her sweater, her nails would have pierced skin. She idly wondered how and if she'd be able to take care of her nails this weekend, like she usually did…
Her aunt and uncle flashed in her mind. Chrissy and Botan. Sabo. She missed the life she had just started to really fall in love with. Going to school and studying hard for her good grades. Shining in the ballet studio and playing solos in orchestra. Ice skating on Wednesdays and hoping for a chance to see the sweet blond boy who always found a way to make her smile.
It all seemed like a distant memory. Wednesday night, dancing on that stage with Chrissy… it felt like another life. Felt like it took place a hundred years ago.
"So what do you think?" a warm voice asked. Kaiya looked up and Magra was bent down in front of her with a sympathetic smile on his face. "It's pretty rough living up here, isn't it?"
Kaiya watched shadows flicker across the wooden floor as Magra took a sat next to her.
"...yeah," she admitted.
"I think you should consider going back home," Magra said softly. "I bet your uncle misses you."
"No," Kaiya said with a scowl. "I don't think so." The man was silent. His eyes, framed by long lashes, regarded her with a solemn expression. "He doesn't want me around," Kaiya told him bitterly. "He said I was a thorn in his side."
Magra's expression softened. "That doesn't sound like him."
"It's true."
Magra sighed. "People can say and do a lot of mean things when they're in pain." Kaiya's eyes drooped slightly in disbelief.
"That doesn't make it okay," Kaiya said bitterly.
"...no," Magra said eventually. "It doesn't… but when someone needs love, they might be too ashamed to ask. They might do something they shouldn't, like push you away or hurt your feelings."
"That's a funny way of asking for love."
The door slammed against the wall as none other than Portgas D. Ace himself entered. Ace shivered, stomped the snow off his boots, and tromped inside like all the others before him. He froze for a moment when he saw Kaiya but his eyes glazed over with ice as he disregarded her and walked towards the fire.
"Some people…" Magra said as he eyed Kaiya, "...just don't know how to ask." She was staring at the young boy's shadow as it stretched across the wooden planks. "I know one kid who certainly doesn't know how." Kaiya snorted. "And I think your uncle might be the same way."
"If that's the way they're going to act, they don't even deserve love," Kaiya said coldly.
Magra felt his heart tighten. "Everyone needs love, Kaiya," he said gently. "And everyone deserves it." His own eyes went to the redhead sitting in front of the fire. She was smoking a cigarette and telling off one of the bandits about something or other. "Especially the people who try to pretend that they don't."
Kaiya was silent as she mulled over the bandit's shared wisdom.
"So," Magra asked eventually, "you still think you want to stick around?"
"I don't have a choice," Kaiya said quietly. "I don't have anywhere else to go."
"You have a nice home in Foosha Village," he pointed out.
"No," Kaiya said. "Not anymore."
Magra idly tapped his fingers on his knee. Kaiya seemed determined to stay, despite Dadan's best efforts at breaking her. Day one was coming to a close… and the boss had guessed she'd give up and go home on the second day. Only time would tell.
"Well, then," Magra said with an encouraging smile, "welcome home, kiddo." He nudged the girl and nodded towards the fire. "C'mon, let's eat something."
Kaiya grinned and hopped up. "Alright!"
There were still chores to be done… and another long day ahead of her. For now, however, Kaiya was just happy to have a roof over her head and food in her belly. She joined in the revelry that was dinner time at the Dadan house, biting one man's arm as he tried to reach for her food, stepping on another's fingers as he tried to sneak her plate away.
The bandits laughed as much as they fought and no one seemed to hold any grudges. It was survival of the fittest here and Kaiya wasn't going to roll over and be stepped on that easily. She would take this life and all the hardships thrown her way.
After all, what other choice did she have?
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Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I wanted to add more cute Ace and Kaiya action because we are definitely overdue… but it is coming, I promise :) Now that she's got her foot in the door, I've got some mountain adventures planned for my favorite little duo!
Stay tuned for a mystery man with an interesting devil fruit (that I made up). The Paper Man arc will be at least 2-3 chapters. I don't think I'll be extending it more than that but I am certainly excited for it!
We will be definitely seeing some more familiar faces in the near future… like a certain blond from the Grey Terminal, a red haired pirate, and everyone's favorite rubber boy.
Thank you so much for reading this little story of mine. The love you all give mean so much to me!
Love always,
Asian Fighter