Shivered Timbers
by Kaline Reine
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or any of the characters/settings. This is just a fanfiction story. I do own Shiori, she is my character. I also own a few other original characters in this story (not affiliated with One Piece), which will be introduced as they are needed. c;
WARNINGS: This story contains (or may contain) graphic adult content and language, explicit sex scenes, possible violence, gore, cursing, adult themes, etc. I do not censor my writing, but I do my best to warn people about the subject matter and potential subject matter. So if you don't like that kind of thing or can't handle it, then I suggest not reading this story. You have been warned. Also, I know this doesn't follow canon but it doesn't have to, that's why it's a fanfic. xD
Also... The beautiful cover image for this story is by my friend, EzariaUmiko on DeviantArt. All credit for the image goes to her. c:
Chapter 6: A New Dawn
Slowly, she felt her consciousness returning to her. Sleepy mauve eyes opened, peering at the scene in front of her. It was still dark. Shiori tried to remember where she was... She knew so many bad things had happened. It was like waking up out of a nightmare. For a brief moment, she hoped that the previous events had actually been a nightmare, but everything felt all too real.
There was a wall in front of her, and then her stomach hit her throat. There was a sudden tightness in her chest. She knew... It was real. She was still inside the pantry. She peered through the small crack in the wall, not seeing anyone. It appeared to have extended a bit from where that awful man had hit it, hairline cracks forming on both sides of the older one. Hesitantly, she opened the door. Smoke was still settling all around her. Apparently they hadn't burned down the entire Monastery, just most of it. The sun was only just rising when she woke up.
Shiori felt fresh tears well up when she saw the place where she knew Chiaki was killed. Her beloved caretaker was now gone. All that now remained was a large scorched area with a black, tar-like hardened substance. She didn't know what to make of it.
"Chiaki-sama..." She cried, kneeling down. When she touched the black area, it was still unnaturally warm. "I... I'll n-never forget you! I'll always miss you... And I swear, I will avenge your death!"
She still remembered the Elder's last words to her. It was almost like she could still see her smiling face... " know I said that you should always stay here, but I was wrong. I see that now. Once all of this is over... I want you to forget about all of this. Get out there and live your life, have an adventure! And never return to this place!"
"I... I'll do what you wanted! I'll be good, and try my best, I promise!"
With one last sniffle, Shiori eventually willed herself to get up. She couldn't afford to stay there too long. She had to make sure it was safe to come out. If there were any Marines still lurking around, she didn't want to make the mistake of letting them see her.
She left the smoky kitchen behind, going from room to room and frantically searching for anyone who might still be among the living. Everything she passed looked so unreal; familiar, yet strangely warped. It was like walking through hell!
"H-hello? Is anyone here?!" Shiori called out, but received no answer. "Anyone at all? Siiiiisteeeers? Helloooo?!"
She passed the room where Michiko had been, but she knew better than to go in there. She couldn't bring herself to even look. There could only be a horrible sight that awaited her there. She'd only managed a quick glance around the room to make sure no one was there, and she caught sight of the spears that were still protruding from everywhere, before it made her sick to her stomach. She left that area hastily, knowing there was no possible way anyone could survive that. She was in a hurry to find any others who might have managed to escape or live through the sudden attack.
For a while, she wandered the grounds, looking for survivors. All she found were the remains of those who had fought so bravely to protect their home. It looked like the Marines had taken the bodies of their fallen comrades with them. There were still some small dying flames around the edges of the underbrush surrounding the Monastery. It was snowing heavily now, and most of the fires had gone out. Many of the outer buildings had burned down completely. Bodies littered the ground everywhere. She wanted to give everyone a proper burial, but there were so many that had fallen... She was too small to lift any of them.
Satisfied that there was no one left who could help her either, Shiori slowly trudged back inside. Her head hung in defeat, her shoulders slumped, and she sighed loudly to herself. A horrifying realization settled in.
'Those Marines... They... They killed everyone!' She couldn't even bring herself to speak. 'There's no one else here. So what now? I can't stay here by myself. I'll have to leave. I've got no choice but to do what Chiaki-sama said...'
She didn't like the idea of leaving her home, but she had no other choice. Soon the supplies would be used up and she couldn't do everything herself anyway. She would have no way to survive out here in the freezing tundra alone. There was also the possibility that the men might come back looking for her, at some point. And she wouldn't be able to face them by herself. She had to go to Drum Kingdom, and find someone who could help her, although she probably wouldn't feel safe staying there either.
With newfound resolve, Shiori ventured toward the place where the stairwell that led to their bedrooms and the medic's office used to be. She had a feeling Ruhi wasn't alive either. But she needed to get to their rooms to see if there was anything of value she could salvage. She knew she needed supplies to make it all the way to Drum Kingdom. And that was the only place anywhere nearby. She'd never been there herself, so she was already lost.
"A-Anyone here?! Say something, if you can hear me?" Still, no one answered her haunting calls. It was eerie.
Everything around her was burned to a crisp. The stairs had collapsed on themselves, and most of the upper rooms, including the medic's office, had crumbled and fallen below. Ruhi's operating room had been buried under a pile of rubble. No one could have survived that. It looked like Chiaki's suite was still mostly in tact... Shiori climbed over the fallen debris, going one step at a time, until she finally managed to find a way up. Crawling over the rocks and fallen columns proved to be a challenge, but she did it.
The first place she checked was the treasury in the hall, to see if there was any money left. As she'd expected, it was completely empty. Every trinket had been taken, every last Beri removed... There was nothing of value left. The Marines had picked the place clean before it burned. It was sort of creepy the way everything was charred and blackened.
Shiori remembered a little-known secret that Chiaki had once let her in on... She kept a secret stash hidden away under her floorboards. It wasn't much, but it was something. From all the stories Michiko had told her, she knew she would need that if she wanted to do anything in the outside world. Once she'd entered the room, she almost teared up again at the sight of Chiaki's belongings. She'd come in here a lot when she was much smaller, whenever she heard an unexplained noise at night or had nightmares. She still wished the whole ordeal had been a nightmare...
Trying not to dwell on it, the little girl used a small half-burned plank she'd found to pry up the floorboards in the spot Chiaki had once shown her. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the familiar wooden box. It was decorated with kittens carved into it in intricate patterns. It had a clasp on the front holding it closed. When she opened it, she found it to be full of money and sparkly jewels. Luckily, it hadn't been touched. The gemstones glimmered in the light, before falling prey to the encroaching darkness when the lid was closed, the latch redone.
Shiori took it with her. She rummaged through Chiaki's closet and found the large duffel bags she sometimes used for traveling. They would work better than suitcases. Since they had long straps, she should be able to drag them behind her on the ground. Being very small, she could probably only carry two at the most.
She placed the box with the money in it inside one of the bags. She took her own small habits and put a few of them on top of the box to cover it. Then she grabbed an extra pair of boots from under the bed. She also found a map lying on the Elder's nightstand. It was hand-drawn on some very old paper but it looked extremely detailed. There was a crude picture of the Monastery, opposite a bright red circle around some buildings that were marked 'Drum Kingdom'. Rummaging through the drawer beneath it, she eventually came across the other thing she was looking for, a compass. She'd been trained how to find her way through the forest, should she ever need to. On her way out, she grabbed a canteen for water. She was nothing, if not resourceful.
She tried to go into Michiko's room, but the door had been sealed closed during the fire. But she was in luck... There was a large column that had fallen and punctured the wall, allowing her to enter. The small girl used her dexterity to climb the pillar and go through the hole it had made.
Michiko's room was a mess. It looked like someone had gone through her things. Her dresser was overturned, but Shiori grabbed as many clothes as she could. She also went through her closet and took as many Nun habits and as she could fit into her duffel bag. She knew they wouldn't fit her right now, but she was thinking ahead. She also brought some extra blankets for warmth. It was a long way to Drum Kingdom and it would be cold out there, even for her.
Pausing in her steps, she removed her veil and threw it on Michiko's bed. She took a brief moment to remember these people and all they had done for her. This was the place where she'd grown up, and these people had been her family, for her entire life... It was hard to say goodbye, but she knew she would have to be strong and move on.
'There will be time to deal with my feelings later. Now to make one last stop by the kitchen...' Shiori thought, rushing back to it with a sense of dread.
She fought her way through all the devastation, forcing herself not to dwell on the fact that the others were gone. She tried to tell herself that this wasn't permanent, that she was just going on a trip and would be back soon... The same as they had.
She found that most of the food outside the pantry had been burned up or stolen. The thought of those cruel Marines getting fat from the Nuns' food supply really made her angry... But Shiori had to salvage what she could, before they really did come back. She didn't know how long she would have, so she'd just have to make do.
In the cabinet, there were a few apples and some freshly baked bread. She also found some canned goods, mostly corn, potatoes, and beans, in the pantry. There was some aged cheese toward the back and some dried beef jerky that they'd probably purchased in town. There wasn't much else that didn't require preparation. Shiori took what she could, along with a can opener and some eating utensils.
After filling her canteen in the sink, she put everything into the bags and decided she had to leave now. She was already pretty tired after her ordeal yesterday, but it was no use staying any longer and it wasn't safe either. She went outside and turned back to look at the ruins that lied behind her.
"I'm so sorry everyone..." She rubbed tears out of her eyes, taking one last look at the Monastery where she'd spent her childhood. "I have to leave now. Goodbye..."
Shiori was glad that she'd gotten out of there. Watching everything she'd ever loved being taken from her, seeing everyone die horribly gruesome deaths at the hands of their enemies, witnessing the entire obliteration of her home, all of it was too much... All she knew was that she had to leave before the same thing happened to her. Thinking about the others was just too sad. She couldn't stand it. She tried to keep busy, in an effort to distract herself from all of it.
She trekked through the beautiful snow-covered forest, with steady determination behind her calm facade. Because she'd gotten an early start, she had almost all day to make it as far as possible. However, she wanted to take it easy so she wouldn't catch up with the Marines. Using the map and compass to find her way was a challenge, but she eventually got the hang of it. It looked like she was heading Southwest, toward her destination. The Monastery was slightly Northeast of Drum Kingdom, so that made sense.
Shiori needed to find a weapon of some sort too, but all of the weapons had been picked clean from the battleground. She was sure the Marines had probably taken everything they could salvage. She was nearing the part of the forest where she'd encountered the willow tree spirit, and it gave her an idea...
Creeping closer, she ventured to the part of the forest that she'd sworn she would never return to. This time there was no voice calling out to her, no one watching her. She felt completely isolated and alone. Perhaps the Nymph had sensed her anger, and perhaps he didn't, but either way, he didn't say a word. Shiori felt like he was probably asleep.
Leaving her duffel bags behind momentarily, she ran up and grabbed one of the blades that was stuck in his trunk. She figured that removing only one wouldn't do much harm. She'd scurried away quickly after that, back to edge of the clearing. To her surprise, he didn't seem to stir. She made her way further downstream, to a place where the edge of the trees met the riverbank. The water was still frozen, but it cast a decent reflection when she gazed into it.
The Nymph hadn't tried to chase her or call out to her. Shiori felt that she'd gotten the better of him, and she inspected the weapon she'd managed to snag. It was just a dagger, but it was better than nothing. It was a decent size with a slightly curved blade and a large golden handle. It was clumsy for her to wield due to her small hands but she felt like she would grow into it eventually. She wanted to test the sharpness of the blade, and she also knew that she'd need to change her appearance...
She had heard that when some warriors left behind their homes, they would cut their hair. It was tradition for Nuns of their Order to do so as well when they left the Monastery to live at another one. According to legend, the Nun wouldn't be fully accepted at the nw Monastery until her hair grew all the way back to it's previous length.
Shiori wasn't sure how to do it, but she'd had her hair cut before, and she also knew the blade should be sharp enough. Taking a fist full of her long silvery hair, she pulled it into a ponytail in the back... With a sense of finality, she placed the blade of the dagger against the base of it, and with a small swing, she hacked it straight through. It took a few more tries to get all of it to a somewhat uniform length, but she managed it.
'This is it...' Shiori thought. 'This is the end. There's no going back now.'
Her locks fell off, and one by one, they drifted away. Several clumps were carried on the wind, back toward the willow tree. It seemed to catch on one of the branches, which curled around it protectively, holding onto her locks. She'd failed to notice it, however.
Looking into the dark ice of the river, she noticed that it made her look slightly older. She saw the beauty mark on the left side of her face, just below her eye, and the way her hair hung, fluffing up a bit in the back. It fell much shorter than before, coming to just below her ears, and above her shoulders. It gave her a sort of messy look, but it suited her. The rest of her hair was almost the same length as her bangs now, falling just a bit short since she'd worn them quite long before. She knew the Marines would most likely still recognize her, but it was the best she could do on such short notice and with such limited resources.
With that, she continued walking through the woods, hoping she would be able to find the Kingdom she was searching for. She had an awful feeling, and she hoped nothing bad would happen. Most of it was probably from memories, if anything. Try as she might, she couldn't shake them. She felt lost and completely alone. All she could do was follow the map, use the compass, keep going, and hope for the best.
After an entire day spent walking with few breaks, she eventually decided to make camp for the night. She dragged her duffel bags behind her, leaving two deep trenches in the fallen snow. She found a low-hanging branch and tossed a blanket over it. That was the best she could really do, given the circumstances... She just hoped no wild animals would bother her. She made a small bed by clearing away the snow under her shelter and placing several blankets under it. She made herself a pillow from rolled up Nuns' habits.
When night fell, she could hear the distant call of wolves. They howled loudly, their cadence echoing in the darkness. Shiori shivered, hoping they wouldn't come near her campsite. They seemed to fade away. It led her to believe the pack was traveling away from her.
Later, everything was quiet, but it still took a long time for her to fall asleep. The memories of what happened kept playing over and over in her mind, her psyche riddled with fear. Falling asleep wasn't an easy task, but it did come eventually.
It had taken several days of travel for her to reach Drum Kingdom. She'd passed through the Drum Mountains successfully, which were labeled on the map. Their flat tops towered over everything. There was very little plant life, everything was covered in snow. She'd exhausted most of her food supply on the way there, but she was grateful it had lasted this long. Shiori's pulse quickened, as she approached the strange city. She could see buildings off in the distance and she knew she was close.
'I made it!' She thought, her eyes lighting up with hope, for the first time in several days. A sudden sickness made itself known, as a feeling of dread surged through her. 'But... Now what? I've come all this way, and I'm not sure what to do now...'
Shiori would have to make up her mind soon, as she approached the nearby town. She wasn't sure if people would welcome her or shun her here. The nearer she got to the big intimidating buildings, the more nervous she became. She began to fidget with the straps of her duffel bags, as she dragged them across the ground. It had started to lightly snow, partially due to her abilities, although the other people were probably unaware of that...
She looked around. The buildings here were much larger than she'd expected. None were as tall as the Monastery, but some were wider. She noticed there were signs everywhere, but nothing she read on any of them made much sense. She recognized the places where she could get food and drinks, but little else.
She realized, once she'd made it to the center of town, that none of these people seemed to care about her at all. They didn't immediately kick her out of town, and that was good... But no one welcomed her either. These people acted like she didn't even exist. There were others walking around town, and going about their lives, without even noticing there was a lonely orphaned girl walking right past them. She quickly got lost in a sea of faces... For a while, it was kind of nice. She could be around people, but at the same time, be all alone.
But Shiori knew her momentary reprieve would not last. She noticed there were newspapers being strewn about, and there were wanted posters stapled to the walls on some of the buildings. She recognized them from the occasional bulletins they would get out at the Monastery. But they hadn't gotten any alerts about these. One of the posters had her picture... Her jaw dropped. She couldn't believe it! She stood in front of it, gawking for several minutes, while random people brushed past her.
There was a crudely-drawn sketch of a young girl that was clearly meant to represent her. The same off-red shade of eyes, the same light blue nearly-white hair, they'd even remembered her beauty mark... Granted, they'd drawn her wearing her habit and veil, it was still clear that it looked far too much like her for comfort. She did the only thing she could think of- She reached up and grabbed the corner of the poster, yanking it harshly down. She tore the page in two, and tore it again and again... Then she threw the remaining pieces into a trash can nearby.
She continued walking, hoping no one had noticed what she'd done. It wasn't long before she came to another building that had the same poster secured to it. She gasped, grabbing that one too. She quickened her pace, going from one place to the next until she realized there was no getting around this. They were everywhere, posted to each bulletin board and secured to every building.
'I guess I'm a criminal now. How much is my bounty anyway...?' She looked at the paper she held. 'Three million Beri?!'
Going pale with fright, Shiori balled up the bounty poster, tossing it into another bin. Apparently they knew about the Marine she'd killed. The one who'd gotten away must have made it back here and told people. She was so upset that her hands were shaking... As an afterthought, she decided to keep one of the posters, and tucked it away into the side compartment of one of her bags. She kept walking, doing her best to look inconspicuous.
The more she thought about it, the more she began to realize that her next move would have to be exchanging the small bit of treasure she'd brought from the Monastery into actual currency. There had to be some place where she could do that...
"E-excuse me," She lightly pulled on a brunette woman's sleeve. She had a child with her, so she seemed pretty safe. "I was w-wondering if you could tell me where I could exchange some treasure into real money? Is there a place like that around here, miss?"
"Sorry, I don't know... I have to be going now." The woman politely excused herself, ushering her child away.
"Oh... Okay." She immediately tried the next person. "Sir, could you tell me if there's anywhere I can-"
The man drifted away, pretending not to hear her. No one was willing to talk to her. She wondered if there was some kind of problem she was unaware of. Maybe they'd already seen the posters... Her hair was a bit shorter and she wasn't wearing her veil, but that was the only difference. It probably wasn't enough. She was still wearing the little black dress and black boots.
"Hey!" A hand grabbed her shoulder from behind. She turned to see a scruffy young man in torn stained clothing staring her down. His fingers were digging into her skin, tightening his grip. "Where are you going, little girl? Why aren't you with an adult?"
"Ah! Let me go!" She screamed, garnering lots of attention from the people around her. She pulled away and began to walk faster. He moved his hand, but he stayed with her, walking quickly to catch up.
"I've seen you some place before," The scruffy man explained. "You have a bounty, don't you? Oh man, just when I thought my luck had run out! Haha!"
"L-leave me alone! I don't know what you're talking about."
Shiori tried to play it off, but he wouldn't listen. A middle-aged woman in the same condition was now following her too, along with a better dressed man. They didn't even seem to care how cold it was outside. They were most likely used to it. She couldn't manage to run very fast while pulling both duffel bags. They were too heavy and would only weigh her down. But she couldn't afford to leave them behind...
"Wait, I know you..." The woman called out to her. "Hold on! I want to help you!"
"Yeah right..." Shiori muttered.
A snow flurry blew up from the streets, momentarily blinding them. She couldn't use her full powers here, not with all these people around, but she could at least use them very subtly. While they were blinded by the sheer white snow, she slipped hastily into an alley. Shiori breathed a sigh of relief when the small crowd that had been following her walked right past the alley, not even noticing. They would eventually realize she was gone, but it would be too late. She was just lucky things seemed crowded this time of day. It provided good cover.
She leaned against the wall, glad for the momentary reprieve. That was when she noticed a figure moving toward her... Crap! She was not alone in the alley. A strange old man with a big gray beard walked up to her. She saw that his teeth were beginning to yellow a bit and he was missing quite a few too.
"I heard what you said to those people earlier. What kind of treasure are ya talkin'?" His breath was horrible, and she had to move away from him, covering her face.
"W-well... I probably shouldn't be telling you."
"Oh, that's a good one!" He laughed heartily, waving a hand dismissively and slapping his knee. "They'll never let you trade it in yourself, ya know. What, with you bein' a kid and all... Least not without askin' ya a bunch of invasive questions."
"I didn't know that. Are you sure?"
"Well it ain't a good idea to stay here, that's for certain! There's a big war about to break out in Drum Kingdom."
"A... A war?" Her doll-like eyes widened considerably.
"Yep! You ain't from around here, are ya? There's a fight between Wapol, the King, and this guy who wants to overthrow him, I guess his name is Dalton or somethin' like that? Truth be told, Wapol taxes the townspeople to death. I'm here tryin' to help the rebellion however I can, but I'm only a merchant. The name's Graham, by the way!"
"I'm Shiori..." She nodded, hesitantly acknowledging his name. "Then how can you help?"
He laughed when he noticed her skeptical look. "I trade them discounted weapons, ammo, and other supplies for cheap. There's gonna be a big fight between those two soon, and that's why everyone here is so desperate for money right now. That's why they'll turn you in for that bounty, quicker than lightnin', young lady!"
"Where do Marines stand in all this?" She recalled the horrible men from before. Mostly, she just wanted to know which side she should be against.
"That's a mighty big question for such a little lady... You're pretty bright, ain't ya? The Marines are neutral, they work for the World Government. I hate the Government, myself. Would never deal with 'em!" He moved his hands into an 'X' shape, and then quickly pulled them apart in a chopping motion, to emphasize his point.
"Then what should I do? That all sounds scary..."
"There's another island not too far from here," He explained. "I'm a trader, ya see... And I could take you there, if ya like... For just about a quarter of whatever treasure ya have. What d'ya say?"
He extended a hand for her to shake, and she took it. His palm was greasy with black oil of some kid, his skin heavily calloused. She didn't want to touch it, but after staring for a moment, she shook it anyway. It felt horrible, but for some reason she wanted to laugh at the way it had stained her pale skin a dark black.
"I guess so..." She knew she sounded small and meek and scared... But it was all she could do not to just drop her bags and run. This man was still scary to her. She wasn't sure if she should trust him or not, but the townspeople here had already proven that they couldn't be trusted.
"Great! Why don't ya go get yourself a bite to eat or somethin', and meet me at the docks 'round sunset? You hang onto that treasure 'til then, okay?"
"Y-you're letting me go?"
"Don't sound so surprised, little lady!" He laughed again. "Just meet me there and I'll take ya to Dawn Island. Like I said, I'm a merchant, and that's where I'm headed next to sell some of my wares. Don't be late!"
"But how can I get food when I can't let anyone see me?"
"There's a little place down by the docks, a restaurant of sorts. Straight that'a way!" He pointed to the street behind her and into another alley across the way. "You could wait for me there and it'll probably be safe."
"Okay. It's a deal, then. Thank you very much!"
Shiori shrugged, picking up the straps of her bags once again. She needed to find a place that was safe for her to wait. If she could leave the island, that would be her best bet, since her wanted posters were everywhere here... She didn't know if the other cities would be any better, but it couldn't hurt to try. She'd been forced from her home anyway, and this place certainly didn't feel like home to her.
While she went to find the restaurant he'd told her about, she thought about the strange old man, trying to sort things out. This is all very confusing to Shiori, but she sensed that he had a good heart. She recalled the Nuns mentioning something about a rebellion in Drum Kingdom before too... She had a feeling they were mixed up in it somehow.
One the way there, she continued to avoid people as much as she could. She wished she still had her veil, now that she knew it was a bad idea to let anyone see her face. Although that might make things worse, if anyone recognized it.
Shiori went the way the old man had pointed, going as far as she could, before a snow-covered railing stopped her. It looked like there was a bridge of some sort, but it was connected to buildings, opposite the railing. She began to walk across the boards, before something below them caught her attention. She could hear water splashing... And she looked out over the railings, past the wood and nails, and she saw a ton of water. Waves were lapping at the wood below her.
'This must be what Michiko meant when she was talking about the ocean!' Her eyes were ablaze with wonder. 'Wow... It's beautiful!'
For a while, she just stared at the incredible sight before her. It was something she'd never dreamt she would really see. The sky was clouded with snow about to fall, and it gave the water a grayish tint. White foam topped some of the waves, as they sloshed about, many of them just barely missing the edge of the boardwalk. Her duffel bags would occasionally catch on the boards as she walked, and she had to constantly stop and tend to them.
She turned around and began to look for the restaurant he'd mentioned. There didn't seem to be a lot of people around. That was good. Most of the buildings looked really old and rundown. She eventually came to one with a small sign outside. 'The Salty Dog', it said in big, white letters stretched across a thin green board. Shiori didn't know what that meant, but she peeked her head inside.
There was a gloomy atmosphere hanging over the place. She could sense it. Two men sat in the back, in a cloud of smoke, with ashtrays and beer lined up on their table. It smelled terrible. The place looked more like a pub than a restaurant, but who was she to argue? Those were the only two in the entire place, aside from a very large heavyset woman with curly hair tied into a bun and thick makeup. She was leaning over the mens' table and serving them sandwiches.
Shiori walked up to her, not really saying anything. For a minute no one noticed her... She cleared her throat, trying not to be too rude.
"Oh my!" The woman cried out. "You startled me!"
"Hello... I'm... I'm here to... Um..." She stammered, not knowing where to even begin explaining things. "I-is this a restaurant?"
"Course it is! Come on in. Have a seat anywhere you'd like. Is someone joining you?"
"Ah, no... Not really. I'm just waiting for someone." Shiori sat at one of the tables by the front. She wanted to be close to the door, in case she had to leave suddenly.
"And who might that be?" The waitress wandered over with a notepad in one hand, placing the other on her hip. She snapped her chewing gum loudly, while waiting for an answer.
'I thought that guy said they wouldn't bother me with any annoying questions... This seems pretty annoying, I don't know.' She did her best to silence her thoughts.
"There's, uhh... This old man, with a big gray beard. He said to meet h-"
"Say no more, sweetheart!" The woman smiled, suddenly becoming friendlier. "The name's Matilda. You let me know if you need anything at all. If you were a friend of Graham-san's, you shoulda just said so!"
"Oh... I'm not sure, I mean I don't know him that well, but..."
"Hold on," The woman sat at the table too, taking a seat across from her. "You're here to meet him, and you don't even know him? Now you're not planning on leaving this little island, are you?"
"Actually yes... I'm going some place else."
"And do your parents know about this?"
She could read the pain across the little girl's face quite clearly. "Well... I don't have any parents. Actually... I'm an orphan."
The woman stared at her for a moment. "Oh my, you poor thing! Well you just order anything off the menu that you'd like. No questions asked. And it's on the house!"
"That sounds nice, thank you."
She didn't know what else to say. Shiori waited patiently while Matilda got up and brought her a menu. After looking it over, she decided on something simple, just a sandwich and fries. She was really hungry, but didn't want to take advantage of her kindness. She noticed the same woman going into the back to make her food. She wondered if maybe she ran this whole place by herself. She appreciated the free meal, it meant she wouldn't have to spend any of her money right away. She already had to pay the fare for being taken to the other island and she knew she would need to hang on as much as she could, even after that.
Her thoughts drifted back to the man who had told her to meet him here... What had that lady said his name was...? Gray something? Graham? Her memory with names was terrible. She had spent her whole life around people who she knew very well, after all. She wasn't sure whether or not she could really trust him. She wondered if maybe he would turn out to be a bad guy, or like the ones who had chased her for her bounty right after she'd shown up in town, but she had no idea.
'Guess I'll just have to wait and see... There really is no other choice. It's not like I can just stay here forever with nowhere to go.'
Being alone with her thoughts was not necessarily a good thing. She did her best to just focus on things moment by moment, getting lost in the details. Anything to avoid thinking about what had just happened back at the Monastery. It had been several days ago, but the wounds were still fresh. Every time one of the Nuns crossed her mind, especially Chiaki or Michiko, she wanted to cry...
A few minutes later, the waitress had returned with her sandwich and fries. She'd brought her a drink too. She'd forgotten to even order one.
"Hope you like soda, it's pretty much all we have, unless you like beer. Haha!"
"Soda?" Shiori looked at the glass with the strange bubbles fizzing from the top like it was from another planet. All they'd ever had at the Monastery were things like water, tea, juice, and the occasional lemonade. "What's this?"
"You mean to tell me you've never had soda before? Where the heck are you fr-" The woman cut herself off when she remembered. "That's right, haha... I said I wasn't going to ask you anymore questions. Sorry about that."
"It's okay... But no, what is this?"
"It's sorta like... flavored syrup, but it's in this sparkling water. It's a little hard to explain, but that one's lemon-lime flavored."
Shiori put the glass to her lips, feeling how the little bubbles popped. They tickled her upper lip. She bravely tilted up the glass, letting the cool liquid soothe her parched tongue. It was weaker than lemonade, but it was sweet, and yet it had a bite to it that was hard to describe. She liked it.
"It's delicious!" She exclaimed. "But it feels a little weird. There's not alcohol in this, is there?"
"Oh my, no!" Matilda batted her plump hand in a dismissive fashion. "It's mostly intended for children, as a novelty drink, believe it or not. Strange world we live in, huh?"
"I guess so."
Shiori didn't want to talk after that. She'd been traveling for days on only the meager amount of food she'd managed to swipe from the Monastery before she'd left. She was starving! The sandwich smelled really good. She devoured it, along with the fries. Matilda had already gone off to take care of her other customers. They paid her and left a small tip. She had to clean up the table where they'd been sitting, so she left the girl alone to enjoy her meal. She could tell she probably hadn't eaten for a while. She kept casting the occasional worried glance Shiori's way while she bussed the table.
"C-could I have some more soda, please?" She asked, timidly.
"So you like it, do ya?" The waitress laughed, bringing her another glass full.
Shiori nodded. "Mm-hmm. Thank you very much."
"It's no problem at all."
She was grateful for the woman's hospitality. She'd heard it was rude to refuse a person who was offering to help you or give you something for free. She also tried not to make a pest of herself. She always tried to be as small and scarce as she could.
She watched as Matilda waited on several other customers while she was there. They seemed like mostly nice people, but there were a few shady people who came in too. She was just glad they weren't Marines. Shiori didn't talk to anyone, she just kept quiet while the waitress was busy. A lot of the customers had already cleared out by the time night began to fall. True to his word, the door swung open, and in walked the old man.
"Hi Graham!" The waitress greeted him, plucking her order tablet from inside her apron pocket. "What can I get for you?"
"Hello Tilly-chan... I see you've met my little stowaway, ehehe!" He chuckled in his usual gruff voice, looking at Shiori. Apparently, he was a regular here.
"Yeah. She's been really quiet, but she's just the sweetest little thing! I fed her a good meal and she's been sipping on that soda ever since. Can I get anything for ya, hun?"
"Sorry, but I don't have time to stay for dinner this time," He politely tipped his hat to her, before turning to the child at the table in the corner. "Gotta weigh anchor soon. Are you ready to go, little lady?"
"Y-yes, I'm ready..." Shiori nodded, with resolve.
She was already picking up her bags and heading for the door. She didn't want to waste anymore time here. She'd just spent the entire day worrying about whether the Marines were about to burst through the door after her or some of the restaurant's customers were about to grab her and turn her over to them. She wanted to get out of here as soon as possible.
"Alright, be seein' ya next time I come around. Bye now!" The merchant said to the waitress.
"Thank you again," Shiori waved to her, with a smile lighting her face. "Thanks for everything, nice lady!"
"It was nothing, you cute little thing! Thanks for the company!" She smiled back.
Shiori followed the old man out of the restaurant and onto the boardwalk. She wasn't too fond of the way he never seemed to explain anything, but she tried to be brave... She would do nearly anything if it would get her out of here. Maybe this new place she was going would be better.
They came to a pier with lots of boats. He led her off the boardwalk and onto an aging wooden dock. "Now first I gotta warn ya about my ship... She's not much of a looker, but she'll get ya there alright! So don't worry."
"I see..." Shiori nodded. She was willing to accept any kind of conditions. "Should I pay you now or...?"
"Well let's see what ya've got. We agreed on a quarter, so that'd be about twenty-five percent."
"I'm not sure if I can count it right," She kneeled down, rummaging around inside one of her duffel bags.
"Where are my manners? I should really be carrying those bags for ya, miss." He picked up the other one while she dug through the clothes and blankets she had packed in the other. "You mentioned ya haven't traded it in yet, right?"
"That's right..." She picked up a handful of shiny golden doubloons. Some necklaces made of gemstones looped through her fingers, catching before they fell. "I do have a few Beri in here too, but there's not much. I-is this enough?"
"That's about half," Graham responded, squinting his eyes and looking carefully at the treasure she held. He took just under half of what she held in her hands. "This should be about a quarter. Ya can put the rest back."
"What, really?" She blinked in confusion. Weren't most Pirates supposed to be evil? And thieves?
"Why do ya seem so surprised?"
"I just... I mean, aren't you a Pirate?"
"Me?" He pointed to himself with his thumb. "A bloody Pirate?! Hahahaha, that's rich! Don't be silly, little lady, I've told ya I'm a merchant. I just trade things for a living, I don't steal them. It's far different. What I'm doin' ain't against any laws."
'That must be the difference between a Pirate and a... a different kind of person.' Shiori reasoned.
"That makes sense. In any case, th-thank you for bringing me along."
She took the rest of what he'd left her and put it back into the box. The remaining Beri that she had were on the very bottom, under all the gold coins and shiny baubles. She zipped up the bag and he took it to put with the other one. He could have easily run off with all of her money, and she kept expecting it, but he didn't.
"You will of course understand that I may take the other half from you, if you decide ya wanna come back here. Gotta pay double for a round trip. Are we agreed?"
"Absolutely!"
"And you'll be havin' to help me out around the ship while we're on our way. I won't ask much of ya, just swabbin' the deck and hoistin' the sails, helpin' me keep an eye on things, that kinda thing. But in exchange, you'll get to learn firsthand about the fine art of sailing! You'll also get free meals while you're aboard. Do we got a deal?"
"Of course. I'm happy to help in any way I can."
With that, Graham allowed her on his ship. It was really rickety and rundown. Everything was covered in moss and some of the boards were missing. It didn't look to be a very safe vessel, but to Shiori's young untrained eyes, it looked amazing. It meant that she could leave her past behind. He hastily pocketed the treasure she'd given him, before carrying her bags across the main deck and into a small room beside the main cabin.
"We've got a small guest room with a cot. It ain't much, but it'll keep ya warm and dry."
"Thank you, I'm sure it's fine."
Shiori was not about to be picky about her living conditions right now. Not when she felt so lucky to even be alive... It wasn't very spacious, but it had enough room for her. There was little in the room, only a small cot, as promised, and a small bedside table with a dusty old oil lamp on it. A tiny dresser stood on the far side of the room. She put her things away, stashing them inside it. She shuffled her duffel bags under the cot for now, before going back outside.
"So this will carry us safely across the water?" She asked curiously.
"Yep! Ain't no finer way to travel! I've had her for over a decade now. She's long overdue for some repairs, but I'm sure she'll get us to Dawn Island in no time."
"When do we leave?"
"As soon as I weigh the anchor and you unfurl the sails," He showed her how it was done, pulling at a rope that was secured around the mast. "Like this. Think ya can manage that?"
"Sure..."
Shiori did her best, and soon enough they were leaving.
'We're really going...' She thought sadly, casting her gaze back at the mysterious Drum Mountains, and toward the old burned down Monastery that she knew lied hidden far behind them. She knew she wouldn't be seeing this place again for a long time, if ever. There was a sense of loss, but also of excitement. She could tell this was going to be the start of an adventure.
A/N: Well, now that you know where she's going, you can probably guess who she's about to meet soon! Teehee... ;D I really hope this chapter wasn't too boring or tedious. I'm still developing her character and building up to things. Thanks for reading!
-Kaline