Hello Friends! This is a fun chapter! Mostly, it kind of- you know what? I put warning at the end of every chapter so maybe go give those a peek? Cool? Cool.

Also! For all the Ace fans I was going to post a chapter from Ace's perspective in between chapters 8 and 9 but it was being temperamental so I cut it and put in the Spicy Siren Drabbles instead! So go check that out if you are interested in the end of the Spade Pirates!

Warnings at end of chapter.

New World, Brattahlid

SNAP

I took a deep breath to keep from screaming as yet another guitar string snapped as I was trying to tune the instrument. The string having avoided cutting my hand only thanks to my reflexes turning my hand into water, yet again. I sighed and set it down before I accidentally ripped the neck off the poor thing.

Why the hell did they let these instruments get so bad? Seriously, did no one even think to make sure that this room wasn't getting flooded every time it rained?

Because I was the first musician to ever join or even sail with the Red Hair Pirates they had let the music room fall into such disrepair that even with my extensive skills I wasn't able to save all the instruments. The string instruments had suffered the most neglect as their strings were so badly rusted that they couldn't be saved. Normally that wouldn't be a problem as I could simply change the strings out but given we were currently on a ship in the middle of the ocean, there wasn't much I could do. So with the final spare sting that I thought might be worth saving having broken, I was stuck with not much else to do until I could find a music store on an island. I glanced at the piano I had yet to even attempt to tune before sighing again and standing up.

Yeah no way am I touching that thing today.

With nothing else to do I decided to head out onto the deck to see what the rest of the crew was doing. As I walked through the heavy door leading out to the deck I stretched my arms above my head and blinked into the suddenly bright light. We were approaching a spring island so while there had been more than a few harsh storms over the last week or so the weather was now a lovely thing. So far there had been nothing but warm sunshine, soft breezes, and puffy clouds with no chance of producing anything nasty.

"Man, this island must be nice if the weather is already this stable. Aren't we still a few days out?" I asked no one in particular as I walked over to the clump of Shanks, Max, Andre, and Yasopp who were lounging and talking on the deck near the base of the mast.

Shanks laughed and said, "That's why Minnow is one of my favorites!"

"Yeah? What's so special about it?"

"Well the weather is perfect all year round for one."

"The women are amazing." Max said, adding his thoughts to the conversation.

Andre snorted and said, "Women? I think you mean the men are amazing."

Max pointed at Andre and nodded before saying, "That's fair. I don't even dudes that way but I would nail every person on that island, because damn."

"Haven't you?"

I smirked and couldn't help but say, "Well obviously not. I mean, who could stand to touch him with all that back hair?"

The group burst out laughing and even Max had to smother a chuckle.

"Damn Ads. You cut me real deep there. Do I need to get out my shovel?" Max asked.

My smirk grew into a full smile and I said, "I mean can you use it to shave? Because otherwise I don't see a point."

"Alright, you know what?" He said as he stood up. "I don't need to put your bullshit Addie. I'll remember this whenever you need something fixed around here."

"Awh, Max! Don't leave! I'm sorry!" I said trying to sound upset but the laugh in my voice made my effort pointless.

"No you're not."

I laughed and said, "No, I'm not."

We all laughed again.

After a minute Shanks said, "So what brings you out here Ads? Were you just planning on roasting the hell out of Max or was there a reason you abandoned your instruments? Or wait, what did Beckamn say you called them? 'innocent little angels' was it?"

"I did in fact call them innocent little angels because that is what they are. They are my children and I will do anything for their well being. But I can't really do anything more to restore them until I find a music supply store." I said with a shrug.

Shanks stood with a stretch and a groan and said, "Well if you've got nothing better to do then how about we work on that sword arm of yours?"

I bit back the resigned sigh that rose in my throat out of habit and instead smiled happily and nodded. "That'd be great, thanks Boss."

The weeks that followed me officially joining the crew had passed quickly. After our talk Shanks was trying to teach me a bit more about swords. While I had never truly taken to the weapon I wasn't completely devoid of skill. Since I had been forced into learning about swordplay for several years both from the Marines as well as Vista and the rest of the Whitebeards I knew at least the basics.

"Are you sure you want to learn this Addie?" Shanks asked about an hour laters.

I let my sword arm fall and said, "To be perfectly honest, no. I've never really gotten on great with swords. It just feels almost rude to not beat someone down with my bare hands- or feet rather. I mean is it even a real fight if I don't feel their weak bones crumble beneath my overwhelming strength?"

Shanks raised an eyebrow and said, "Wow, guess I've never been in a real fight then."

"I didn't mean it like that! It's just…" I trailed off as Shanks and the other guys scattered around the deck started laughing at my back tracking.

"Alright, so fake fighting styles aside. Why don't we just focus on your Haki? You do know how to use it right?"

I rolled my eyes. "Obviously, I awoke my Armament Haki so young I don't even remember it. My Observation wasn't that far behind either."

"And your Conquerors?"

"I don't have it."

"You sure about that?"

I felt my brow furrow as I said, "Well I've never shown any signs of having it so yeah, I'm pretty sure."

"Huh, interesting." Shanks said. "But alright, which do you prefer: Armament or Observation?"

"Armament. I can use Observation usually but it's always been rather shoddy. Then after I left the Spades it hardly even works at all."

"That can happen. Haki is just a manifestation of will power after all, and your will was rather shaken after all the shit Ace pulled."

"I know. Still annoying though."

"Fair enough. Alright so with Armament how much have you trained with it?"

"A fair bit but I've never been able to try and learn the advanced techniques."

"Can you project it?" He asked.

I shook my head and said, "No. I can imbue it into my water in a fight but that takes a lot of concentration to do."

"Ok then let's start there. Hang on to the sword for now and use that as a vessel."

"Or I could just use my water."

"You could but that takes brain power which isn't what we're focusing on right now. Besides you do have a decent amount of skill with a blade, I'm just not sure you have what it takes to be a swordsman."

I rolled my eyes. "I have a decent amount of skill in anything I ever try."

He laughed, "Fair enough."

He raised his sword again and as I lowered myself into my stance and raised my own I heard a snide voice call out from behind me.

"I don't even know why he's wasting his time on that little girl."

Shanks paused, lowered his sword and said, "Got something you like to say there Rand?"

"No, no of course not Captain. If you want to waste your day playing teacher to the new girl then that's your business."

"How exactly is training a member of my crew a waste of time?"

Rand put his hands up and started to walk towards the deck house. "Just sharing my opinion. Didn't mean to ruffle any delicate feathers."

He smirked again and then disappeared into the ship. Yasopp shook his head and said, "I hate that bastard."

Shanks' glare softened as he turned to Yasopp and said, "I know you do but he's Guy's older brother and he isn't always a dick."

"He's a dick more often than he's not."

"Yeah he has gotten worse lately hasn't he? You want to have a talk with him or do you want me to?"

"You know he doesn't respect you."

"I've noticed." Shanks said before turning back to me. "If he gives you any trouble let me know Ads."

"You think I can't handle myself?" I asked.

Shanks laughed and said, "Well with that weak as shit sword arm, yeah I do."

I gasped and said, "How rude!"

About a day after our training session out on deck we finally arrived at Minnow island. Before we were free to go and do as we pleased we had to restock and ready the ship to set back out to sea. But once the chores were finished the crew gathered on deck and Shanks called out, "Alright, gather around me hearties! Beckman's got stuff for us!"

Doc called out with a deeply furrowed brow. "What the fuck did you just call us?"

Shanks rolled his eyes and said, "I'm trying to be pirate-y here Doc, don't ruin my fun."

Guy, seeing an opportunity to be a pain in the ass, piped up and said, "Yeah Doc, don't be such a fun sucker."

"I'll give you something to suck you little shit." Doc said back.

In an attempt to stop the pointless argument before it could start Yasopp called out, "Guy, stop picking fights you know you can't win."

"Can't wi- I could take him!" Guy shouted back.

"No, you really can't." The rest of us said in unison.

"Well damn." Guy said as he put on an overly hurt face. "Just fuck my feelings then I guess."

"Oh really, do you have those?" I asked as I felt a smile begin to tug at my lips.

"Cheap shot Ads." He said, his face finally cracking into a smile and a laugh.

"Yeah, yeah Guy's worthless we know. You got my money?" Rand said, pushing his way through the crew to stand closer to Beckman and the chest next to him. The laugher on deck died as he did and I noticed several people rolling their eyes at his actions.

Beckman before exhaling smoke and saying, "Yeah I got your money. We haven't done much plundering lately but we do have all the goods we got off of Cilia so we'll all get a fair bit."

Stacks of beris held together with rubber bands were passed around to the crew and when one was given to me I looked at in confusion. "Why am I getting a cut? I wasn't- wait, why do we even have treasure from Cilia?"

"Oh yeah, you weren't there. Well turns out the whole town was in on the slaver operation so we had to deal with them." Andre said with a shrug.

"Deal with them?" I asked.

"Yup. The island is still there, but that's pretty much it if you get my meaning."

I paused as I tried to figure out how to respond to that. Eventually I settled on saying, "I- I didn't think you guys did that."

Why would they do that? Was that for me? No, it couldn't have been...

Shanks stepped up and said, "They shouldn't have messed with my crew. I told you Ariadne, no one hurts my friends."

I swallowed thickly before saying, "Well then I guess I'm lucky to be counted as one of them."

I really am lucky to be here.

I hope I can stay…

After the treasure was handed out the crew dispersed onto the island of Minnow and were quickly welcomed by the locals. However, unlike on Cilia they were welcomed as old friends. Flying high over the vibrantly colored walled buildings were countless flags with thei- our jolly roger on them. The island was filled with small charming buildings that were painted in every color of the rainbow and had flowers in nearly every window.

As I stood on the edge of the dock taking in the beautiful island I heard Guy call out to me. "Come on, there's someone you need to meet!"

Shanks laughed as he was walking down the gangplank with the other officers and called out, "You taking her to meet Mrs. B?"

"Of course I am Boss! You want to come?"

"Thanks but I'd rather not get stuck for the rest of the day."

Guy shrugged and motioned for me to follow him through the town. As we walked everyone we passed either nodded to him in respect or slapped him on the back like a close friend.

"I didn't think you guys had any territory." I said after Guy finished greeting a group of rather excited men.

He rolled his eyes and said, "We don't have much. Shanks says that he doesn't want to be responsible for too many people quite yet but he couldn't risk losing this place. So it's the only island we've claimed so far."

I nodded but before I could reply I heard a shaky voice say, "Oh Guy, is that you?"

Guy smiled and waved as he pulled me over to talk to the old woman who was standing in the doorway to a quaint looking building. "Hey Mrs. B how's it going? We were just looking for you."

The old woman smiled with her wrinkled face lighting up as she said, "Well it was already a fine day but now that you boys are here it's even better!"

They laughed for a minute before the old woman seemed to notice me and said, "Well now who's this charming young lady? You finally catch a girl's eye, my boy?"

Guy instantly blushed and said, "Oh no! Of course not. This is Ariadne, she just joined the crew actually."

"My is that right? Well welcome to the family my dear. It's a pleasure to meet you." She said before stepping out of the doorway.

I tensed as she reached out to give me an almost hug and had to resist pulling away as she lightly kissed my cheek. I took a step back as soon as was possible and awkwardly said, "Uh, yeah. Nice to meet you too I guess."

The old woman either didn't notice how uncomfortable I was or she didn't care as she said, "So what position do you fill on the crew my dear? That Shanks is a fine Captain and he has a sharp eye for talent."

"I'm a musician." I said.

The old woman froze and blinked at me before saying, "E-excuse me? I think I missed that."

"I said I was a musician?" I said as I looked to Guy awkwardly. He just smirked and took a step back.

What did I miss?

"A mu-" She sputtered before turning to Guy and shouting, "YOU BOYS FINALLY FOUND A MUSICIAN?"

Guy burst out laughing and said, "Yup!"

My eyes darted between the two as I tried to figure out what I had missed. But as I was thinking the old woman grabbed me by the hand and tried to pull me into the building behind her. "You must come in for lunch and tell me everything you can play! I've been waiting for the day Shanks would bring me a musician for years now. I was beginning to think I wouldn't live to see the day."

Guy poked me in the back and urged me to follow the old woman. "She runs the only music supply store on the island and is an absolute genius about the stuff. Go have fun Ads."

Ok? I guess I can try and entertain this old bag for a few minutes.

However, the second I walked into the shop all thoughts of leaving or trying to get out of having lunch with this old lady fled my mind. While the shop was tiny, it was stuffed to the brim with music books, instruments, reeds, strings, cleaning supplies, and anything else a musician could ever possibly need. As I gaped at the store the old woman started to talk again. "Now what exactly can you play my dear?"

I felt my mouth open and close a few times as I gaped at the store before I finally said, "I'm a classically trained opera singer as well as concert violinist. But I'm self taught or less formally trained in basically everything else. I- um, this shop is amazing."

The old- Mrs. B, patted my arm fondly and said, "Isn't it? I'm very proud of my little wonderland here. But can you play anything other than violin?"

"I can play anything you put in front of me."

"My, then we have much to talk about. Why don't I show you around and you must help yourself to any supplies, instruments, sheet music, anything you might need. And don't you even think about paying a single beri! I won't hear even a word of complaint!"

"Ok. I'm in heaven."

"Now are you sure you have everything you need dearie? I would hate for you to get out to sea only to realize you forgot some silly little thing." Mrs. B said as I stood in the doorway with her shop.

Once we had started talking about music we had gotten a bit carried away. But then the kind woman brought out the sandwiches and tea and suddenly the day was gone. I was almost sad to leave but night was rapidly approaching and I figured I should try and find where Guy had run off to while I had been talking to her.

"You've been more than generous Mrs. B I promise I have more than I need." I said lifting the many bags she had given me.

"Alright well if you're sure. But if you did forget anything you can write me a letter or just have that Captain of yours give the village leader a ring on the Den Den and I will run right over."

I laughed and said, "Will do Mrs. B."

She leaned in to hug me again and this time I hugged her back lightly. When she pulled back she nodded at me and handed me one last bag, this one filled with neatly wrapped cookies.

"Just a little snack for the trip." She said with a warm smile.

With one last wave to the kind old woman I set off through the town towards the dock. I smiled at the residents who passed me. Not as many waved to me as they had to Guy but I figured that word simply hadn't gotten around that I was a member of the Red Hair pirates yet. But as I was walking one group did call out to me.

"Ads! We're going drinking, come on!" I heard Max call out as I neared the docks.

I looked over to see him with about half the crew and said, "I need to put all this stuff away first."

Max and the rest of the group walked over but it was Andre who spoke next, "Looks like you met Mrs. B. How did she take to you?"

"You mean the incredibly kind and generous woman who gave me nearly half her stock just because I am a classically trained musician? That Mrs. B?"

"Well damn I didn't know you were that fancy Ads." Max said.

"I was taught how to sing by some of the finest vocal coaches in the world. I could have easily been a musician in Mary Geoise if I had stayed with the Marines."

"Shit seriously?"

I nodded. "They purchased the rights to play the waltzes I wrote when I was 9 years old at the Reverie Ball."

"And now you play for a bunch of drunken idiots."

"I'm just happy to be allowed to play music, period. It's kind of funny but when I was a kid that was all I wanted, and now that I'm free to do that again I'm starting to realize just how much I missed it."

"Well that's good. But enough sappy shit! Go drop off your stuff so we can get black out drunk."

"Aye aye Sir!"

"Are you mocking me?"

"I'm sorry weren't we supposed to sound more 'pirate-y'."

He shook his head and smirked before turning and walking down the street with the rest of the group. Making it to the dock I quickly jogged up the gang plank and across the deck. It was a bit of a pain to turn the handle on the door leading into the deck house while my arms were so full but I managed. Turning to walk down the hallway that lead to the music room I noticed someone standing near the door. As I got closer I noticed that it was Rand, waiting for me.

Why do I have a bad feeling about this?

I felt my smile falter but I still nodded to him as I walked past him into the music room. I left the door open and walked over to the shelving to the left of the piano to set down my supplies. As I was doing that I heard Rand's footsteps follow me in and a chill ran down my spine. I turned to look at him once my arms were emptied and saw that rather than fully entering the room he instead stood against the door frame with his arms crossed.

"Did you need something?" I asked as I felt my heart start to beat faster and my palms started to sweat.

He narrowed his eyes and continued to stare at me. "I'm just trying to figure you out." He finally said.

"What do you mean?"

Calm down Addie. Why are you freaking out? He's your crew mate there's no way he would-

"I mean." He said, interrupting my thoughts, as he took a step into the room and let the heavy door slam shut behind him. I couldn't help but jump at the noise as my hands balled into fists unconsciously.

"Why are you here? I kept expecting you to jump ship but you just keep hanging on. So what makes you think you actually belong here?"

I tried to hold my ground as he took another step towards me but couldn't help but stumble back a step as my breathing started to pick up.

No. No, don't do this. Don't- he wouldn't. Shanks said I was safe here. He wouldn't-

"I mean what do you think you are? We both know you aren't a pirate, not really, so what the fuck are you? It's bad enough you got that red headed buffoon eating out of the palm of your hand, but now my dipshit little brother is starting to act like you're little bitch as well. So who the hell do you think you are? Don't you know your place?" Rand said as his face twisted into a sneer.

"Don't do this." I barely managed to whisper as my back hit the wall of the room.

Be a good little girl for me.

Don't scream.

"We're crewmates." I said.

Rand's smile was a cold sadistic thing as he stepped closer to me and said, "Then you should try pulling your own weight for once, crewmate. Get on your knees."

"no."

Do what I tell you. You don't want to die do you?

Rand's hand lashed out and grabbed me by my throat and lifted me off the floor. I gasped and clawed at his arm as he slammed my back against the wall and his hand tightened. He leaned in close to my face and said, "The only reason you are on this fucking planet is to be a warm hole. So you either do what I fucking tell you or I will break your pretty little legs and take what I want. You don't get to tell me no you little whore."

I dug my nails into his arm so hard that blood started to run down my fingers. But in that moment, when he said those words I felt everything leave me. All my rage, fear, pain, gone. I stopped fighting and looked up to meet his eyes. But in my mind I couldn't see Rand's brown eyes, no. Instead I met the cold black eyes of the monster that had haunted my every waking moment since I was a child.

"No." I said calmly as I stared into those horrific eyes.

Everything felt numb within me as I reached out with my Devil Fruit and forced the blood in his body back from me, ripping his hand from my neck and forcing him to the ground. I felt as one of his lungs ruptured under the force of the blood in his body moving in such an unnatural way causing him to gasp for breath as he lay there. I calmly took two steps forward so that I could loom over his figure and watched as he groaned and coughed on the floor. I still felt nothing as I raised my heeled boot, coated it in armament haki and brought it down on his chest, shattering several ribs. Falling to my knees I leaned over his crumbled body, he stared back up at me with those same horrifically dark eyes.

"Who's fragile now? Why don't you escape me?" I said as the rage finally began to rise and overflow from within me.

Without breaking eye contact I brought my fist back once again to deal the finishing blow to his face. I coated my arm with as much armament haki as I was capable of and I screamed as I released the tension in my arm, bringing it down to crush his skull.

But when my fist was only a hair's breadth away from his head something collided with my arm, causing my punch to connect with, and shatter, the floor board next to his head. Still blind to what was happening around me I lashed out with every fiber of my being and tried to force those attacking me back with my fruit. But the moment one of them laid a hand on my shoulder my breaths started to come faster and shallower and I felt the control over my fruit slip. I couldn't hear or see anything that was happening around me, but I could feel my throat burn as I screamed, and I could feel my body phasing into water only to be forced back into solid matter by whoever was attacking me.

"What the hell is going on here?" A voice shouted, finally cutting through the barrage of noise in my head.

"We don't know Captain! She just went berserk! Rand's beat to hell, Max's hurt, and she won't stop screaming and fighting!"

"Back off guys, give her some space."

"Space? Rand might be fucking dead because of her!"

"I know that but holding her down isn't going to help us get an explanation so back the fuck off."

The hands crushing my arms let go and I fell to my hands and knees, my body finally deciding to stay in a mostly solid state. "I said no." I said as I felt tears begin to stream down my cheeks. "I said no."

"Yasopp gather the crew, get us out to sea. Doc look at Rand and Max. I'll deal with her."

"I said no." I repeated as a hand closed on my upper arm and pulled me to my feet.

I stumbled as they dragged me down the hall but all I could was softly repeat, "I said no."

Warnings:

Attempted sexual assualt

Violence

PTSD flashback

So all of these potential triggers take place in the last scene of the chapter, so if they may bother you then you are fine to read up to the section that begins with ["Now are you sure you have everything you need dearie? I would hate for you to get out to sea only to realize you forgot some silly little thing." Mrs. B said as I stood in the doorway with her shop]. A quick summary of the cut out section is that Addie goes back to the ship to drop off her supplies and Rand tries to assault her. That triggers a flashback and Addie defends herself.

Sooooooo yeah that was a mostly fun chapter, until it wasn't... But thanks anyways for reading! The next chapter is done and will be up some time next week! See you then!