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.
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 25: Recovering
She ambled into the medical ward, noticing right away how small and cramped the room was. Shiori sat down on a padded bench which the doctor had gestured toward. She tried not to be nervous, but couldn't help it. At least she had Vanora there with her for comfort.
"So..." Ace managed awkwardly, while he waited on his medic to prepare things. "Alvida, huh?"
"Yeah..." Shiori looked down sadly.
"I never figured you the type to let someone take you prisoner. What made you think you had to stay in a place like that? How long were you there?"
It seemed like there were so many things they needed to talk about. That was how Shiori felt, anyway. It was overwhelming. Today had started off really weird and it was only getting weirder. Of all the things she'd been through since he'd departed on this crazy voyage of his, and he wanted to talk about the worst thing she'd ever experienced?
"A while. It was hard to keep track of time. Maybe several months? I would've been a l-little braver maybe, if I'd had backup, but I was alone... It was tough to figure out what to do. Every day felt like a constant struggle just to survive. Everything was uncertain."
That was what she'd always liked most about him and Luffy. They always seemed to have all the answers. Ace was always so certain about everything. Or he seemed that way, most of the time.
He appeared to mull her words over for a moment. He wasn't sure how to react. Walter had been busy getting things ready. He returned with some cotton balls, tweezers, and several types of medicine on a medical tray. He sat on a small stool with wheels and moved in closer to the albino girl. They could both tell that she was still really shaken up. He motioned for her to turn around and she sat with her back to him, while he looked at her torn shoulders.
"I can tell you're in a lot of pain," He began, though it was obvious from seeing the way she winced when he moved her sweater out of the way. "I'll just need a better look at your shoulders... How far down do your injuries go?" His eyes widened in shock, and that was just from what he saw.
Shiori really didn't know how to tell them exactly what had happened. Yet, she couldn't make up a story befitting all of the welts and gashes. She knew they would both know the truth the minute they saw... She tried to deal with the agonizing sharp pain that happened when her clothing was moved, but was unable to stop herself from letting out a hiss anyway. Vanora looked at her with big, blue, sympathetic eyes. The little kitten sniffed the doctor's hand whenever he came close to her. Thankfully, she didn't try to bat at him. She seemed to sense that he was trying to help Shiori.
"A-all the way down my back..." She admitted, seeming ashamed as the man pulled up her sweater to see all of the marks she'd received.
The girl was wearing a little black dress under her loose-fitting sweater, and it revealed most of her back to their gazes. They could see every wound... And every scar that they would likely leave behind.
"Whoa... What the hell happened?" Ace's show of concern was immediate. He was glad he'd chosen to oversee her treatment. It was much worse than he'd originally thought.
"A-alvida..." Her voice was barely a whisper now. For a moment, it seemed like the old Shiori was back, the one who was so quiet and shy. She was at a loss for words. "She had them... Ordered them t-to whip me..."
It was incredibly difficult to believe that she was actually safe once again... That she was among friends, and didn't have to hide or cower in fear at every turn anymore. As much of a relief as it was, it was still hard to believe. It was like she couldn't make herself fully understand that she was safe now. Her body was still in shock from everything she'd been through. And so was her mind. For a moment, she wondered if maybe she'd hit her head way too hard and was imagining all of this.
Ace scowled. The thought of her... So gentle and frail, powerless to defend herself against such a tyrant... It made him wish he had killed Alvida, instead of sparing her worthless life. To think that she would do such horrible things to people- to anyone, let alone a close friend of his- made his blood run cold with rage.
"That fucking bitch..." The words seeped from between clenched teeth. She'd never seen him so angry before.
"Ace-kun, why... Why are you so upset? It's only a little-"
"Little my ass! If that's little, I'd hate to see what you consider a serious injury." He arched an eyebrow, daring her to disagree. "Makes me wish I'd wasted that ugly old bitch when I had the chance..."
"Ace-sama," Walter interrupted their conversation. "With all due respect... This girl needs to be treated right away. Would you mind stepping outside while I tend to her wounds? It shouldn't take very long. If there are any problems, I'll let you know."
The Captain looked to the girl, and then back to his medic. He was right... This exam could be more invasive than she was comfortable with having another person in the room. And it was only making him angry, adding more fuel to the fire.
"Yeah... I should go. Shiori-san, I'll be right outside if you need me, okay?"
"A-alright. Thanks." She didn't know what else to say, so she just watched him leave. She fully understood why he couldn't be here. And things might be a little less tense without him in the room too. She just wanted to get this over with.
"So..." The doctor began, the moment his Captain had left the room. "Got these scars from a brush with Alvida, did ya?"
Shiori disliked the way he seemed to be scrutinizing her. "Not exactly... At least I wouldn't call it that."
"I mean I know you said she told someone to do it, but... How did it all happen? I'm sort of curious. And it might help to pass the time if you want to talk about it. Care to elaborate?"
"You know what?" The girl narrowed her strange pink hued eyes at him. "I actually don't. You're a doctor, so you should treat your patients with dignity and you're also supposed to be discreet. I don't have to tell you anything I don't want to."
"Easy, lass... I may be a doctor, but I'm still a Pirate. It seems we've got nothing better to do these days than gossip. My apologies."
Shiori was silent. She let him look at her back, but refused to remove her dress. That was where her pleasant cooperation would stop completely. Thankfully, he didn't ask her to. Her back was really sore and tender, and every time she moved, sharp pangs of pain would wrack her entire being. It hurt like hell.
"I'm going to apply some disinfectant... But after seeing how bad it really is already, it may not be enough to stave off infection completely."
"What does that mean? Am I going to be alright?"
"That depends..."
Shiori sighed. It irritated her, the way he was being so vague about everything. "Look, just tell me what I can do to make it better, and I'll g-gladly do it."
"It's not that simple," The makeshift medic was already packing away the supplies he'd used on her and sanitizing the area. He seemed to know what he was doing. "You'll need help from... Someone else. I'm not the right one for a task like this. What you need is someone who can do more for you than I can."
"What the hell are you saying?!" She began to panic, getting really upset. From her lap, Vanora flinched, waiting for her abrasive, jolting body movements to cease.
"There's no need to get angry, I assure you... Listen, what you need to do is get these wounds cauterized and sewn up. I can get it done, but you'll likely have to be unconscious for the procedure, because it's going to be incredibly painful. It will reduce the chance of any infection setting in. That is, if we're not already too late... From the looks of it, it's already started though."
"Oh no... Do you even have the materials to do something like that?" While she was familiar with what cauterization meant, and what it was used for, she had no idea how the process actually worked. She'd only heard of it from her days with Ruhi and never actually seen it done.
"We do," The medic gave her a firm, reassuring nod. "But as I said, I recommend not being awake for it. I have some serum here that's taken from some special fungi that grow in the forest. It's completely natural and shouldn't have any side effects. You'll only need to be out for a couple of hours. But the choice is up to you, I won't do anything without your consent."
"I see... C-could I have a minute to think about it?"
"Sure," He smiled then, having just finished putting away the supplies he'd taken out. "I'll let the Captain know what's going on too, and you can talk it over with him if you like."
He'd noticed that she seemed to get defensive around anyone but Ace. At least so far... He opened the door and walked out, leaving her alone to think for a bit...
Shiori wasn't sure if she should go through with it or not. For all she knew, they could also be trying to trick her somehow. She'd fallen for so many traps already. She couldn't afford to make an idiot of herself anymore. Being unconscious and at their mercy didn't sound exactly ideal, but he was right. Cauterizing and suturing her wounds would be incredibly painful, and she didn't want her entire back to become infected. Such a thing could easily become fatal out here on the high seas.
Meanwhile, Walter was greeted to the sight of an overly-anxious Ace. His Captain stood outside, pacing back and forth across a small section of the deck. He was definitely worried about the girl.
"How bad is it?"
Walter chuckled at the fact that those were the first words out of his mouth upon seeing him. "You really do care for that girl, don't you?"
Ace was silent. He just stared at him, eyes half narrowed. That was probably his way of telling him that he'd better explain right away.
"Alright, well she's not in good shape, I'll tell you that much... I think there may actually be a way you can help her though."
"How is that? What can I do?"
"I'm going to need you to cauterize her wounds."
"What? Why me?" The Captain blinked, clearly surprised. ...And then it sunk in. "Ohhh! Because of my Devil Fr-"
"Shut up!" Walter shushed him. "Not everyone needs to know about that. Especially not a stowaway." He noticed the annoyed look Ace was currently giving him. "Look, I'm not trying to insult her... I'm sure she was a sweet girl back when you knew her. But as our Captain, we can't afford to risk your safety."
"I think that's for me to decide."
"It is... If you want to tell her all your secrets in one go, then by all means, go right ahead! But I just think you should give it a little time first. You know... Get to know each other before you blindly trust someone. I've got nothing against her. Hell, she seems great! But out here on the Grand Line, you just never really know about people. You may not know her like you think you know her."
"Alright, I see your point..." Although he was loathe to admit it, the ship's doctor was well known for being the most levelheaded and rational one of the bunch. "But how can I help her without her knowing? Unless we knock her out, but I'm not sure that's safe. She just woke up."
"She'll be fine," The medic assured him, pulling down his top hat and readjusting it. "I'll be using a serum made from a species of fungus found in the forest. It's basically a natural anesthetic. She'll only be out for a few hours, completely numb, then she should wake up after we're all done. I need you to cauterize some of her wounds while I stitch up the rest. It's her only shot at making a full recovery."
"If it's the only way, I'll do it." He responded, without any hesitation.
"Okay, great! I'll go see if she's ready. I left the final decision up to her, but she doesn't know you'll be the one performing the cauterization, since it was safer that way."
"I understand. I'll go in with you."
Ace followed the other man back into his office. He should have known that Walter would find some way to help her, even if they did have to withhold some information... He didn't want her to be angry with him but it was for the best. It had been a long time since they'd last seen each other and he was sure they both had their fair share of secrets by now.
"Alright, I'm back. Have you had enough time to think about it?" The doctor greeted her with a kind smile. "If you have questions, we'll be happy to answer them."
"I just have one question..." Shiori ignored him, instead asking his Captain. "Ace-kun... Can I trust this man?"
"Hey," His freckles puffed up as he grinned. "This guy is good enough to be my crew's doctor. Do you really think I'd let him anywhere near you if he wasn't legit?"
"Well, when you put it that way..."
She wasn't sure why, but something about his presence was calming to her... She'd felt awkward before, but somehow she felt much better now that he was back in the room. Even if they had lots of catching up to do, she still trusted him.
"Alright," The Valkyrie nodded. "I'll do it. If you think it will help..."
"Great," Walter grinned, genuinely glad that she was making the right choice. "Let me get everything ready... We should get this over with as quickly as possible."
The doctor busied himself with preparing a syringe. He gathered together a lot of ingredients. He appeared to be using many different kinds of herbs and natural remedies. He put in some strange looking mushrooms which were probably the fungus he was referring to, and used a mortar and pestle to grind them all up. She watched him work for several minutes, fascinated by the fast pace he seemed to move at.
She was still glad that Ace was here. He seemed lost in thought and they weren't talking, but it was like he knew she was nervous so he was trying to be as calming as possible. There was always something deeper to him, something that begged to be released from just below the surface... She couldn't figure him out.
Vanora sat in her lap, being petted. It was nice to have someone there for comfort, but it was even better to be able to pet a cat while she was waiting for something so nerve-wracking.
"Alright lass," The doctor brought the strange concoction over to her, having drawn it into a syringe. "I'll have to give you a shot now, so I'll need your arm."
"I've seen people taking shots, but I've n-never had one before... It hurts, right?"
"Of course it hurts. But this pain is nothing compared to what you've already been through. It's just a pinprick, nothing more."
"Oh," Shiori bravely held up her arm. "I should be able to handle it then... Go ahead."
He wiped it with a bit of alcohol and then positioned the needle in the crook of her elbow. "Okay... One, two, three!"
When he said the word 'three', Walter steadied her arm with one hand, and slid the needle effortlessly into it. Then he pressed down the syringe, the liquid concoction flowing right into her veins. He was right, the pain was hardly noticeable after everything she'd been through. Shiori winced. She'd been expecting the pain to be so much worse than it actually was. She even chuckled a little bit when it was over and he withdrew it.
"What's so funny?" Ace asked her, sounding more pissy than he meant to. She turned her head sharply to look at him.
"I was expecting that to hurt way more than it did." She admitted, already feeling the effects kicking in. "I feel really... sleepy and... tired..." She yawned, her muscles relaxing by no choice of their own. The small white and cream kitten in her lap let out a soft purring sound, sensing her relaxed state.
"We'll only have a short time to get this done," Walter looked to his Captain, who nodded firmly. "Are you ready?"
"Ace-kun..." Shiori was staring at him, though she was already lying back against the wall by the bench, her eyes half lidded. "You..." She fell asleep.
"That was fast," Ace blinked. "But yeah. Let's get this over with."
"I hadn't expected it to work so soon. Must be due to her small frame... Help me lift her onto the bed." The doctor commanded.
"Psh, she's tiny... I got her."
Ace picked her up effortlessly and placed her on the only hospital cot they had. He'd gently lifted Vanora out of the way, and this time she let him move her without a fuss. She sat on the bench, and began licking herself. The doctor was already busy moving his tray of supplies over to her. He brushed her hair out of the way, making sure she was in a comfortable position.
'God, she's so...' Ace stopped himself before he let himself stare for too long. 'Beautiful.' He finished his thought anyway.
"We'll have to remove her dress and turn her over."
"Does she have to be..." He hesitated, feeling really lame. "Well, naked for this?"
"It would make things easier. Besides, you don't want to burn off her dress, do you?"
Ace immediately felt very uncomfortable. Normally he would have relished the chance to get to see a pretty girl naked, but since she wasn't awake this seemed somehow... Well, wrong. And he was a Pirate, damn it, but still... He couldn't explain why, but this didn't seem right. He knew she was a friend and they were helping her and they had to do it. That didn't make it any easier though.
"I can't..." He said, suddenly turned around. "I can't be here for that. Could you please?" The Captain gestured toward the unconscious girl on the bed. "I'll wait over here until you're done. And cover her up, use a blanket or something."
Walter didn't quite understand what the problem was, she was a lovely enough girl, and apparently she and Ace were friends, but that was their issue. With a carefree shrug, he set to work getting the garment off of her and flipping her over. He was right, she seemed to weigh practically nothing, so it was easy.
'She's probably malnourished... No doubt from being on that slave ship.' Were his only thoughts, as he did as he'd been asked, and covered her legs and lowest parts of her back with one of the blankets. He knew they had to help her quickly.
"Alright, she's ready."
Once the Captain had turned back around and walked over to him, Walter started drying off her back from the medicine he'd used earlier. Some of the wounds oozed a white-ish liquid, and it was not a pretty sight. They really needed to seal the cuts as fast as they could. Working with no hesitation, he applied a disinfectant mixed with a topical anesthetic he'd recently developed, and prepared the area for cauterization.
Ace wasn't sure if this would work, but he carefully flicked his wrist in just the right way, summoning a flickering flame to his fingertips. Bending it, coercing it to do his bidding, he moved closer to her. The bright orange glow kissed her skin, and he delicately brushed it against all of her injuries.
"I'm glad she's out," He muttered to his medic, still working to cauterize all of the really bad ones. "Otherwise this would hurt a lot."
"And for good reason... If she were awake, it wouldn't take her very long to figure out your weakness. It's not good for a newcomer to learn all of your secrets this soon."
"I know that."
'But I don't care.' He silently added.
He watched while Ace worked, and proceeded to clean up afterward once he was done. At least they'd moved through things pretty quickly. The Captain opted to go about his other business while Walter got her dressed again and also dressed her wounds.
'Are you okay?' There was a faint voice that seemed to be whispering to her, in the back of her mind. 'Will you be alright?' The voice was strange, but it was also feminine, and calming somehow.
'I'm... fine?' She thought, warily. It made her feel like she wanted to turn around and look for the source so she could see who was talking... But everything was dark and she couldn't move.
'You're... Your eyes are... Not open, I can't see... You're still sleeping. You were sleeping long. It worries me.'
'Who... are you?' Shiori willed herself to think, even subconsciously. 'How are we talking like this?'
'What? I'm right here... Right by your side... Forever.'
'I see,' She remarked, although she still didn't fully understand. 'I'll be okay.'
That seemed to bring them both peace. She felt like a weight was lifted from her shoulders.
Just like clockwork, a few hours later, Shiori was waking up. When she opened her eyes and looked around, the first thing she saw were two blue eyes staring up at her curiously. Apparently Vanora had gotten on the hospital bed with her while she was unconscious. She petted the kitten, watching how she leaned into her touch affectionately.
Then she saw the doctor at his desk, working on mixing up some strange smelling concoctions. She watched him work for a minute, not feeling up to the task of making her alert state known just yet. She got tired of waiting for him to notice.
"H-how long was I out?" She asked, finding it a bit difficult to talk.
"Only a couple of hours. You should be fine now. How do you feel?"
"A little groggy..." She admitted, slurring her words a bit. "I had the strangest dreams... But I'll be okay. My back feels better somehow. It still hurts, but the pain isn't as bad, and it feels a lot less gross. Thank you both for doing whatever it was you did."
"I'm afraid you'll have to thank Ace-sama later. He's got a lot of things to tend to so he's out doing his best to run this wreck of a ship."
"Alright. I'm starving!" Shiori declared, even surprising herself. "Did he um... I hate to ask, but didn't he mention something about a meal being served soon?"
That was the first thing she wanted? He chuckled. "Yes, but you'll have to wait a little longer. It probably won't be done for some time yet but it shouldn't be too long. Your back looks pretty good now. We've cauterized it and dressed the wounds. Just come back tomorrow and I'll be able to change out the bandages for you."
"Okay. Thanks."
She really didn't know what else to say. This man was still a stranger to her... And even though she did know Ace before, it was like he'd become a stranger too. He didn't act the same as he used to, that was for sure. He seemed a lot more distant and more aloof somehow, but that was understandable. It had been a long time since she'd last seen him. She knew his crew probably wouldn't want her around, especially after she attacked them like she did. Not wanting to wear out her welcome, she resolved that as soon as her back was completely healed, she would leave. Or sooner, if she had to...
She waited, still lying in the same bed they'd done the procedure in, until someone came back in. To her relief, it was Ace. He came in, still wearing the same black shorts and yellow shirt from before. Now he was also wearing a bright orange hat. She almost felt embarrassed for him, she thought it was pretty tacky.
"Hey," He purred, going right to her side with a gentle smile. His voice was music to her ears after she'd just woken up. "How did it go?" Ace reached for her hand, but then appeared to think better of it, and stopped himself.
"I feel a little better..." She groaned, sitting up very carefully. "I think I should be alright. Thank you so much for your hospitality. I promise not to be a burden and I won't stay on with your crew for long."
"It's really no problem. Dinner is almost ready. Do you think you can walk and stuff?"
She got out of bed, testing to see if she could walk yet. She wobbled and staggered forward. Things were still hazy from the medication but she'd noticed that he'd avoided the subject of her leaving, for now at least. Shiori fell against Ace, and he caught her instantly. With a slight blush darkening her cheeks, she regained her footing and tried once more... Only to stumble again.
"Careful," He warned. "I'll walk you there. You'll need someone to show you where we eat anyway. I'll bet you're hungry."
When she nodded, Walter turned around. "That's a side effect of the anesthetic I used. I forgot to mention that, because it's something really minor, but it sometimes causes an increase in appetite. It should wear off by tomorrow. Besides, we've got plenty of food now, thanks to raiding your ship."
"It's not my ship," The albino girl was quick to correct him, almost snapping. "I would never be a part of that crew, do you understand me?"
"Yes ma'am." He bowed apologetically.
"We'll be eating soon," Ace told his medic, while he helped his latest patient make it to the door. "Come join us when you can?"
"Will do." He called to his Captain, as he left with the girl in tow.
Shiori flinched every time she took a step. Her back was still sore. She knew that she was bound to have lots of scars when all of this was over. Luckily, she felt like she'd be able to remember how to get from the infirmary to the mess deck. It wasn't far and it was a small ship. She had to lean on Ace for support, but she was able to get there anyway, with his help. She noticed that Vanora was following them, trailing behind her even without being called. It eased her mind a bit. She smiled.
There was a ton of food laid out across an enormous long table. It looked like a feast! They had all kinds of delicious smelling things. She spotted salad, garlic bread with cheese, bacon wrapped scallops, calamari, shrimp, and even some larger prawns. There were other things she didn't exactly recognize too.
Shiori sat down just to the left of the head of the table, which is where the Captain traditionally sat. But oddly, Ace sat on the other side of her. A lot of his men were already there, waiting.
"Now that pretty much everyone is here," Ace was the first to speak. "Dig in! After everyone's sated their appetite, I have something I want to say. But for now it'll wait."
They all responded with glad cries of "Yes sir." and "Aye aye!" No sooner had the words left his mouth than everyone was already reaching for food and piling it onto their plates. He knew no one would be able to pay attention to his words until after they'd had something to eat.
'He speaks to his crew so casually...' She noticed. 'And yet, they seem to respect him anyway.'
Shiori started off with some bread, feeling too hungry to deal with salad at the moment. Ace grabbed a few bacon wrapped scallops and piled his plate high with prawns. He dug right in, not even bothering to wait for his crew or make them wait for him. She noticed a lot of them were already eating. So it was safe to assume that he ran a pretty laid back kind of ship. It was so different from what she was used to with both Whitey Bay and Alvida... She wondered how he'd managed to earn their respect without keeping them in line like Alvida had or making sure things were orderly and organized like Whitey Bay had.
She enjoyed her food, just content to savor the many different flavors his chef had to offer. It was delicious enough, but her mind began to wander. She still couldn't believe that she was really on board Ace's ship...
'So...' She thought, now that she finally had a moment to herself. 'He really did it. He became a Pirate Captain, just like he's always dreamed... That must be a great feeling. And he's handling it without becoming a snob too. His crew really respects him. Seems like everyone is doing better than me.'
She watched the Captain feed some of his shrimp to the kitten who had nestled herself oh so discreetly in her lap. He even hesitantly reached down to pet her. Vanora lapped it up, loving every bit of the attention and savoring every bite. Shiori helped herself to some salad next, timidly grabbing a few helpings with the salad tongs. She put an extra bit of dressing on it too, after sampling it. It was really salty and delicious.
"Guys!" Ace said, between bites of food. "So listen up! See this girl right here?" He put an arm playfully around Shiori's neck, pulling her close to his side. He was careful to avoid her injuries. "She is not our enemy. Got it? I know some misunderstandings happened before, but she was under the impression that we'd taken her prisoner and were set on holding her against her will."
"Looks like you're holding her against her will right now!" One of the men, a chunky bald guy with a full beard and a dark green bandana wrapped around his head, piped up. "Hahahaha!" He and the rest of the crew erupted into a round of roaring laughter.
When he let Shiori go, her face was bright red and she had to put down her fork for a moment before she could continue eating. She tried to ignore the way he was being a little too familiar with her. They had known each other since they were kids, but they also hadn't seen each other in a very long time. It was like they had to get to know each other all over again. So it was a little weird that he'd act this way.
"Very funny," Ace sighed, shaking his head. "But seriously... I just want you all to be nice and treat her as our guest, okay?"
They all nodded vigorously, while enjoying the bountiful meal that was spread out before them. They noticed the girl was eating with them, but she was very quiet. No one knew what they should say to her, so they also kept quiet for a bit.
"In fact, this whole feast tonight is in her honor!" Mitch, his first mate, added.
To this, he and Ace held up a mug full of beer, toasting to the fun-filled evening they were hopefully about to have. Most of his men toasted back, while the others were busy eating and talking amongst themselves. It wasn't considered terribly rude, since they were Pirates. And it seemed like Ace ran a pretty laid back ship when everything was taken care of. Speaking of which...
"Uhh..." Shiori got his attention. "Not to be a downer or anything, but... Who's running the ship right now?"
"Oh don't worry," He said, in between bites of food. "Hiretu-san's got everything under control."
"I see... But how is that possible?"
"He's strong enough to run this ship all by himself. You don't have to worry. Most of my crew can easily do the work of ten men."
"Wow..." Her rose colored eyes widened in newfound fear. "Then I was right to hesitate to fight them." It was her awkward attempt at making conversation.
Mitch was sitting across the table from them, and he had been politely listening to everything his Captain had to say. He hadn't been too keen on their new guest at first, considering the way she'd brutally attacked everyone, but after thinking about it for a while... He realized that she probably didn't feel like she had much of a choice. When she said that, he knew that she hadn't wanted to fight them, but had done so in order to 'escape', even though there was no need for that.
"Heck, I would've done the same in your situation, little lady..." He respectfully tilted his hat to her. He knew it was good manners to take it off to eat, but who cared about that?
The short man in the turban, the one with the poisoned daggers, also spoke up. "You must've thought we'd taken you prisoner, eh?"
Shiori chuckled a bit at that. "Yes, I guess I did... I was so used to being made to stay against my will, among other things, while I was stuck on Alvida's ship... I'd forgotten what it was like to be someone's guest. I'm really sorry about before, I did mean any harm by it."
"Any harm?" Mitch was roaring with laughter now, and so were several of the others. "You damn near drowned half our crew!" More laughing voices soon joined him. "What I'd really like to know, though, is why the hell you were so ready to fight once you were here, but so scared to fight us back on that crappy duck ship?"
"I don't know, you just seemed stronger..."
Shiori reached for a helping of bread. She didn't know what he was getting at, or why it mattered. The point was, she was sorry, and had apologized... But he seemed like the kind of guy who just enjoyed giving everyone a hard time about everything. And at least they were all laughing, so that meant they weren't mad at her. Hopefully...
"Stronger? How?" He continued heckling her. "We're the same crew now, and just as strong as we were before."
"I was t-terrified and didn't know what to do," She admitted, her meek voice almost trembling, but refusing to allow them to see that she was still scared. But for different reasons. "I was scared of Alvida's crew before. And there were so many of them... Even if I did fight against you for my freedom, they would have tried to fight me too. I had no one on my side..."
"Numbers don't always mean everything..." Ace pointed out between mouthfuls of food. "I mean, if you could knock three of my best men overboard, then there's no reason you couldn't have taken out Alvida's weak ass crew."
"What do you mean? It was a nightmare there. They were much stronger than me and I.. I was outnumbered."
"Don't be so defensive," He chuckled, resisting the urge to ruffle her hair the way he used to with Luffy. "I'm just saying you should have more faith in yourself, that's all. If we kicked her crew's ass and you kicked our crew's ass, then... That's pretty simple. You could've probably done it all along."
Shiori scoffed. She couldn't believe he was being this way. "You d-don't... You don't know what it was like there!"
"Easy... Calm down. There's no need to get all pissy over it." Mitch told her.
"I'm sorry, but it just upsets me that you're all acting like I suffered needlessly or something. You weren't-"
"We weren't there, so we don't know the whole story," Ace finished for her. "And we probably never will. I'm really sorry for upsetting you, I apologize."
She let out a sigh of relief. When had the conversation turned this serious? At least they weren't pushing the issue anymore... She knew they were just trying to get her to believe in herself, but they were going about it the wrong way.
"Lobster?" Mitch offered her a piece of fresh lobster that looked like it had been soaking in butter sauce. It was definitely the main dish their chef had prepared...
"No thanks..." She remarked, still nibbling on bread.
"Aww, come on! Don't be like that. I'm sure you're probably starving after everything you've been through. You should eat."
He kept insisting on trying to pass her a plate of it, but she refused to take it.
"It's not that," Shiori shook her head, her ivory locks swaying along her shoulders, one of them exposed. "I don't like it. I mean I've never had it, but... I don't really eat meat."
"What? But it's not really meat, it's-"
"I don't like eating living things. Well, plants are alive too. I just don't think it's right to eat animals, so I don't... But I don't mind if you eat it."
There was an awkward silence for a minute. Everyone was staring at her. Shiori wondered if she'd messed up for a moment, and felt like she should just run off somewhere and hide... Only she had nowhere to go. She didn't even know where she would be sleeping or anything yet, and it wasn't polite to leave a party that was being thrown in her honor anyway. At least not so soon.
'I always manage to feel like a freak, wherever I go...' She thought, feeling horribly awkward.
"Oh..." A man with spiky dark hair overflowing from a bandana that was tied around his head spoke up. She recognized him as the cook. He stroked his goatee curiously, regarding her for a moment. "I made lots of things for just such an occasion. Would you like to try the eggplant parmesan then?"
He offered her a big steaming plate. The eggplant looked like it had been cooked to perfection and the pasta that accompanied it looking equally amazing. The sauce smelled delicious.
"I'd love to!" She beamed, taking it without further hesitation. "That's so thoughtful, thank you so much."
"It's my pleasure, miss."
Ace smiled at her, loving the fact that she was enjoying her time with his crew so far. She was already breaking out of nervous shell a bit more... He watched while she enjoyed the food his chef had made, and began to chat animatedly with the rest of them. Everyone seemed like they were being nice to her, or tolerating her at the very least.
That was good... But he was a bit worried about what would happen later on down the line. He needed to find a way to talk to her about the nature of her circumstances. It was true that she was an old friend, and they had lots of catching up to do... He needed to discuss the details of their current voyage with her. He had no idea how to go about this. They couldn't just randomly take on another crew member. There wasn't a lot of room as it is. And it wasn't normally a problem- as long as the new crew members they accepted were men. She couldn't stay in the same quarters as them, it wouldn't be right.
He knew they were behaving themselves in the presence of a lady right now, but he also had no idea how the Spades would react to having her with them full time. Ace wasn't even sure if she'd want to stay with them. There were a lot of 'what if's running through his mind currently, and he needed to talk them over with her.
The Captain bided his time, waiting for most of the crew to finish their meals and go on their way. There was still a lot left to be done before they could sleep. Even Hiretu had finished with his other duties and was coming in to polish off the leftovers. That had become their routine whenever they had meals like this.
"Shiori-chan..." He cleared his throat, getting her attention once he saw that she'd stopped eating. "You wanna go outside and have a drink with me or something?"
He noticed the blush spread across her face almost instantly, as soon as the words had left his mouth. "Oh, I... shouldn't do that. I don't really like drinking much."
"Hope you don't mind if I have one then. We need to talk, so if it's alright, let's step outside for a minute."
"Sure..."
The albino girl got up from her seat and picked Vanora up, before following him out onto the main deck. Ace led her to a more secluded part of the ship where they wouldn't be bothered much. It was already dark out and the sun had set long ago. The boards creaked under the shifting of the ocean's waves. It was a beautiful night out.
"How is your back? Feeling okay?" Ace asked, showing concern when he saw her wince a little.
"It's fine, much better now..." She pulled down at the edges of her sweater, stretching it out to match her skirt, and then frowning when it sprang back into place. She was fidgeting a lot because she was nervous. She didn't know why he'd ask her to come out here with him. "What d-did you want?"
He smiled affectionately when he heard her stutter. "You used to do that all the time... Stuttering I mean... What changed?"
"I just grew up, that's all." Shiori bristled defensively. Vanora was snuggled close to her chest.
"Well it's a shame you stopped, it was cute. It's something I'll always remember you by. Anyway... I wanted to talk to you about sleeping arrangements." He said casually, as he took a sip from his mug.
"O-oh, okay... I was wondering a-about that, haha..."
Ace wondered if she was stuttering more because he'd said something, or because she was nervous. It didn't matter. It was adorable anyway. He knew it could get on some people's nerves, but it had never gotten on his.
"Yeah," He sighed, like he had some bad news to tell her. "Unfortunately, we aren't equipped to have a lady on board. The only cabins are the medical ward, the Captain's cabin, and the crew's quarters. The reason you woke up in the brig earlier is because that's the only place we could find for you to sleep that seemed appropriate. Not sure if you'll be alright there or...?"
He'd trailed off and just stopped talking because he wasn't sure how to handle this situation. Shiori wasn't sure where she should sleep either. She hated feeling like a burden, but that was how it made her feel. However, it couldn't be helped.
"Oh. I'm fine in the brig then," She smiled. "I can see why it's a problem. It's not e-exactly ideal, but I'll manage. Anything's better than being stuck where I was."
Ace tried to contain his laughter. He knew that he was definitely feeling the effects of the alcohol now. He held up his mug to her, offering her a sip. She shook her head.
"You sure? It's good." He smirked, taking a big swig.
"Completely sure..."
Ace shrugged. "Your loss... I'm really sorry we aren't set up for guests. Our ship is small. We're actually looking to upgrade as soon as we have the money. I hope it'll be alright until it's time for you to leave us though."
'Time for me to leave... Is he talking about that already?' She wondered, sighing quietly to herself. 'I don't even want to think about that right now. Guess he's hinting for me to go soon... I don't want to overstay my welcome, but I don't have much choice at the moment.'
She decided it would be best to wrap up the conversation here. She already felt awkward enough being on a ship full of nothing but men, especially after admitting she was a weakling who'd hid like a coward to avoid fighting them. And then taking them on anyway... Today had gotten so crazy so fast.
"You okay?"
She realized that she was still out here with Ace. "Y-yeah, sorry... I was just... thinking, that's all. Today was a hell of a day. I'm pretty tired."
"True that! Haha..." He drank a little more, even though it was more than obvious he was already trashed. "But I'm glad you're here instead of being stuck with that slave-driving bitch. I hope you have a good night. Need anything, you just let me know!"
"Don't worry, I will. 'Night."
Shiori turned and forced herself to walk away, before anything else happened. She guessed he was done talking to her for now anyway. At least it wasn't any horrible news. She could find her own way back to the brig, she knew where it was. And at least she'd recovered from the medication enough to walk on her own now. Eating something had helped.
The Spades' ship was pretty small, so it was easy to remember where everything was and find her way around. She rounded the corner and was back to the rear of the ship in minutes. The rest of the crew didn't say anything to her, but some of them smiled politely or tipped their hats to her as she walked by. She wondered if they were always this polite to stowaways or if it was because their Captain knew her... Either way, she was stuck here for the time being. She walked back to her makeshift room, already dreading having to sleep in what was essentially a dungeon. It kind of made her feel like she was trapped again.
Her mind kept going back to what Ace had said earlier... About her leaving. She felt strangely about it. She wasn't even entirely sure that she wanted to stay on with the Spades anyway.
'Oh well,' She sighed, climbing into the bed that she'd woken up in much earlier. 'I can figure everything out later. At least there's plenty of time.'
Vanora curled up on her chest and began to purr. Slowly but surely, her eyes drifted closed... She really was tired.
A/N: I've recently finished and posted a oneshot story called "Catching Up", as some of you may have noticed... Well that fic ties in to this one, and it contains one of Shiori's diary entries. So for those curious, you can see what she was writing about. I thought it might be neat to do those from time to time. c: The entry can also be used as a recap of her adventure so far, if you needed a refresher or something, because she references a lot of things that she's been through thus far. So go check it out if you're interested, it's my most recently published story as of right now. Of course I'm still continuing with this one.
I ran into such bad writer's block with this chapter. I apologize... I've had a lot going on in real life and haven't had much time to dedicate to my writing. Which is a shame. I hope you enjoy this chapter anyway... I'll try to get the next one up sooner. That's the cost of longer chapters, I guess. It means longer between updates. xD
-Kaline