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 27: Worn Out Places
Shiori stalked around the ship, looking everywhere for the Captain... She checked the main deck first, but didn't see him anywhere. She breathed a small sigh of relief when she saw that the worst parts of the storm had likely passed. The sky was still dark and gloomy looking, but at least it wasn't raining anymore. Walking swiftly toward the rear of the ship, she stopped when she reached the stern. No one was out there.
She had almost given up, but there were just two more places she needed to check. First, she went to the entrance of the Captain's quarters. Hesitating, she debated going inside or waiting out here. She opted to knock on the door lightly. She waited... There was no answer.
'Hmm... Maybe he didn't hear me?'
She knocked again, much louder this time... Still nothing.
She briefly thought about going inside, resting her hand on the doorknob, thinking it over. This was Ace's bedroom, where he slept and kept his most important possessions. It was practically his whole life. She was sure if he wasn't in there, he would probably feel intruded upon or violated if he found her snooping around in his room uninvited. Not having the heart to turn the knob, instead she backed away. The girl resolved to look for him near the galley. After all, he had to be somewhere on board... And she knew how much Ace loved his food. Following her instincts, she decided to look in one last place before giving up and going back to her room.
The moment she walked down to the mess deck, she instantly regretted it. There was a round of uproarious laughter echoing all around the room. A mug of ale was thrown out from the chaos, clanging sharply against the wall and spilling the drink everywhere. She winced, ducking down just in time to avoid it, but getting splashed by the beverage all the same. Food was being tossed around, and some punches were even being thrown. These Pirates were really getting out of hand.
"Hey! Watch it, you assholes!" A deep male voice rang out above all the commotion. When they saw it was the Captain, everyone stopped short. "You almost hit Shiori-chan! Knock it off!"
"Sorry, Captain..."
"Yes, our apologies Ace-sama..."
They all mumbled halfhearted apologies and then went back to whatever conversations they'd been previously engaged in. Shiori wasn't really that shaken up by it. After all, she'd been through much worse. And she was well aware that people often did some very stupid things when they were drunk.
"Th-thank you..." She said demurely.
"It's fine. What brings you out this late? You're usually- Oh! Did you decide to finally join us for a drink?" He offered her another sip from his own mug, which she once again declined. His hopeful smile faded a bit.
"I was just l-looking for you."
"Funny," Ace chuckled, sweeping his dark hair back with one hand as he took another swig of whatever it was that he was drinking. "I was looking for you earlier too."
'At least he isn't that trashed yet...' She thought.
"Well, here I am..." Shiori shrugged awkwardly, feeling so out of place.
"So you are. Heh... Let's get out of here," He took her hand and dragged her away, causing her to stumble a little. She hadn't been expecting that. "I could use some air anyway... And these guys can more than handle their alcohol on their own, am I right?! Haha!"
He spoke the last part considerably louder than the previous statement. When he held up a mug in toast, many of his crew members clinked their mugs against it eagerly. It was too loud from everyone talking at once to be able to hear what anyone was saying, but they seemed to agree. A moment later, he had vanished with the girl in tow. They went out back, somewhere amidships, and he spun and leaned against the railing nonchalantly.
Shiori tried to keep herself from blushing at his close proximity, and the fact that he still hadn't let go of her hand. She finally managed to pry herself away. Ace just sipped his drink and looked at her.
"So... What do you want?" She asked, taking a couple of steps backward, staggering when her legs hit a large barrel full of supplies. She hoisted herself up to sit on it, her short but slender legs dangling off the edge.
"I'd be careful if I were you," He replied in a teasing tone. "That could end up being a dangerous question to ask."
The way he stared at her in that moment, his deep fawn speckled eyes so intense, as if staring into her very soul... It made something inside of her melt. Even though she knew he was joking, it was the context of his thinly veiled double entendre that brought a fresh blush to her face. And he seemed to enjoy it.
'That's not fair...'
"Seriously..." She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest and trying her best to seem annoyed. She really couldn't tell if he'd meant it as a joke or not. Maybe she was reading too much into it...
"Alright, seriousness times! Haha!" He laughed, obviously feeling the effects of the alcohol nonetheless. "I was looking for you so we could talk about the former slaves we've brought on board. You know our ship isn't big enough to keep them here for a long time, right?"
"I know that, of course. Didn't we already agree they could stay on until we reach the next port?"
She really hoped he was a man of his word, and that he wasn't about to do something drastic... She didn't want to have to choose between an old friend and her new ones.
"Yeah... But is that..." He hesitated, taking a deep drink. "Alright with you?"
"Well yeah. I mean, it can't really be helped. And I can see why. It seems perfectly reasonable to me... Thank you for allowing them on board at all." She replied, not wanting to seem ungrateful or anything.
"Ah, what I mean is... It's like... Uhh..."
Shiori sat forward on the edge of the barrel now. She felt her patience steadily waning with each word he wasted. She didn't have time for these kinds of games.
She sighed... 'The world would be so much easier if people just said exactly what they mean...'
"Is it a problem or something?"
"No, no!" He held up a hand to signify that was not the case, but only ended up looking defensive. "It's not that at all. It's just..." He trailed off again.
"Look, I get it." Her off-red eyes narrowed dangerously, the light from a nearby lantern flickering in their reflection. "You don't want me around. It d-doesn't take a genius to figure it out! I'll go with them once we reach the next port, okay? You won't have to ever worry about me anym-"
"No, that's not it!" Ace snarled, his demeanor suddenly coming undone a little. "Not at all."
"Then... what?" The girl shrugged somewhat angrily. It was apparent that she was getting a bit testy over this.
"I was... Trying to work up the nerve to ask you to join my crew." The words tumbled out.
There. Now it was out.
Shiori sat there in shock for a moment... She needed a minute to process this. And it didn't seem like she was going to have as much time as she would have liked to figure it all out. There was no chance of talking it over with anyone else either. She had to make this decision on the spot.
Did she truly have what it would take to be a full fledged Pirate? This was the first time she felt completely free, like she truly had a choice in the matter. With Whitey Bay it had been inevitable. She couldn't have stayed in Goa Kingdom much longer, or the Nobles would have done something terrible to her.
This time... She could easily decline his offer and go with her other friends. Did she want to waste her freedom all at once, by jumping on the first opportunity that came her way? In the back of her mind, there were still a lot of doubts. She wondered if maybe she should keep exploring and try to see a little more of the world before she decided what she'd do. But she may never get another opportunity like this either.
"I-I'm not good enough to join an amazing crew like yours!" She blurted, her face going all red again.
Ace chuckled, moving closer to her. "You're more than good enough. You're amazing, you have a great work ethic, and the rest of the Spades seem to really like you. That's more than good enough for me."
"I just don't feel like I'll be that useful to you... And I wouldn't want to stay unless I was certain that I could pull my own weight. I hate having to rely on others."
"Who cares about that? We like having you around." Ace said.
"Well, I care! I don't want to be just dead weight. I can't stand the thought, actually. I don't want you to accept me out of pity or just because we used to be friends or something."
"We still are friends. You're already a valuable part of our crew... At this point, if you don't feel like you're that useful, it's your own hang-up."
"Maybe there's a way I can still be useful," She looked away, as if suddenly remembering something. "What are your plans for the future? I mean... What are you guys planning to do once we leave the port where we're dropping off the slaves and everyone?"
"Uhhh..." He thought for a moment, his eyes darting around mischievously. The mighty Captain took another swig from his mug, turning it nearly upside down to finish it off. He knew it would have to be good enough to convince her to stay, but... Maybe it was the alcohol getting to him that caused him to say the first thing that popped into his head. "Pirate stuff?"
"Hehehe!" Shiori couldn't contain her giggling. She clamped a hand firmly over her mouth, resolving to stay on topic. "Okay, smartass... Any specific kind of Pirate stuff?"
He raised an eyebrow. "You really are serious about this, aren't you? So much has changed since we last met... It's like I'm getting to know you all over again. And I love it! Haha!" He blurted, then suddenly stopped himself.
'Did I just say too much?' Ace wondered, drunkenly. He waved a dismissive hand at his own internal banter. 'Nah!'
"Wow..." Shiori didn't know what to say to that. And why was he flailing around drunkenly? Oh, right. Because he was drunk. "I... I guess we do need to sort of get to know each other all over again, now that you mention it. I feel like I barely even know you anymore."
"No worries, it'll sort itself out in time. As for what we'll do when we get there... We were planning to just ask around about any leads on treasure or a way to get some cash while we were in port. In the meantime, if you've got any ideas for what to do, then I'm all ears." He shrugged.
When had his smile shifted to an arrogant one? And worse, when had hers begun to match it? It reminded her of something...
"I've actually got something, umm..." Shiori began nervously, and then stopped.
"What?"
"Something I wanted to t-talk to you about... Sorry I didn't mention it before. I guess I was just waiting for the right timing. But I have this map... It's not just any map though. I've heard that it leads to an ancient treasure."
"Hahahaha!" He slapped his knee, fueled by overzealous laughter. "I'm sorry, but you're telling me the same thing that so many people claim out here on the Grand Line... Usually it turns out to be some kinda joke or something. If it's real, then more power to ya! Haha!"
"It's n-not funny," She squeaked indignantly. "I got it as a gift back when I was training with Bay-sama."
"With who?" Ace cocked an eyebrow.
Now she had his attention. Good.
"Whitey Bay. I sailed on board her Icebreaker for a while, and she showed me a few things while I was there. A-actually, I guess she taught me a lot."
"Wait... You trained with the Whitey Bay? As in, the Ice Witch?!" His jaw dropped when he realized she was actually serious. "Are you for real?"
"Yes. Why is that so surprising?" The Valkyrie hissed, not enjoying the fact that she was being taken so lightly.
"Because it's you."
"And what is that supposed to mean?" She placed a hand on her hip, getting defensive.
"It's just..." He came over and sat down on the other side of the large barrel, with his back to her. He was careful not to lean against her too much, for fear that her wounds might not be healed all the way yet. "Don't get defensive or anything. The last time I saw you was way back when we were just kids... You were sweet and shy, and not like this at all."
"Not like what?"
"Not this ferocious... And unforgiving. And well, terrifying. It sort of-"
Shiori had to let out a wry laugh then. "Are you scared of me, Ace?"
"What?" He glanced over his shoulder at her. "No! It's not like that at all. You're just a lot different, and it's going to take some getting used to. Look... Before, you were this frightened little thing who could barely even hold her own. Now you're... Something else. You've grown, and it's not a bad thing at all." He paused to take another swig of ale.
"I don't know, I guess I've been through a lot since you left."
"What happened back there? I know you've told me a little bit, that everyone was okay, Luffy and others I mean, but... You haven't said a word about yourself. You just said that you decided to become a Pirate too, when before you were having no part of it. You were so against it... I have so many questions... When was that? And why? What changed your mind?"
She knew he'd asked her multiple times to come with him... But back then, she'd felt like she would only hold him back. Right now, she still felt sort of like that, because even though she'd grown a lot... So had he. It made her feel like she might never be able to completely catch up to him.
Shiori thought back to when he'd first left, and how hurt she'd been. How many times she'd begged him not to go. And he went anyway...
"That's something I haven't really thought about much. I'm not sure what it was really, I mean, I just... After you left, I really couldn't stand to stay there alone."
"You weren't alone though. You had Luffy. After we lost Sabo-kun, the two of you were supposed to look after each other." He turned to her a bit, wanting to watch her expression while they talked. They hadn't had much time to just sit and talk like this. There were a lot of things he wanted to know.
"And we did," She nodded, the moonlight striking the pale strands of hair that framed her face. "But people grow up. And I felt like it was time for me to move on. I told you about eventually becoming friends with Monet, right?"
"Yeah?"
"What I didn't tell you... Was that, years later, we had a fight. A really bad one. She lured me out to the beach and basically ambushed me. She caught me completely off guard. We'd become such good friends that I didn't expect it at all. I trusted her."
His onyx eyes narrowed, a perplexing expression overtaking them. "There's nothing in this world that I hate more than that. No one should ever have to question the loyalty of their Nakama..."
"It happens," She shrugged, no longer caring about such trivial things. "That was a long time ago, and it's nothing compared to the other stuff I've been through. During the fight, she tried to shoot me several times, and she managed to get a vial of my blood with a needle. I'm not even sure what she wanted with it."
"That's... odd. But go on." He encouraged her, indicating that he wanted to hear more.
"I ended up having to use my Devil Fruit powers against her. After the fight, Whitey Bay showed up out of nowhere, along with my friend from before. Remember Chouko-chan? The girl with the wings?"
"I sorta remember this strange girl with wings... They were these intense colors that always stood out in my mind. She helped us back in the junkyard, right?"
"Exactly!" Shiori chirped, pleased that he remembered the whole ordeal as vividly as she did. "It turns out she was a member of Bay-sama's crew. They were watching the fight from far away and they saw me use my snow to defeat her. And just like that, after seeing what I could do, she invited me to join her crew."
"Wow... I never would've expected that." He took another drink, casually offering it to her again when he was done. "Want some?"
This time she decided to take it. "A-alright... I guess a little sip can't hurt..." She put the mug to her lips and drank deep, like a true sailor would.
"I'm proud of you!" He patted her on the head.
"D-don't treat me like a little kid!" She insisted, and giggled when he stuck out his tongue at her in a childish manner. "Baka..."
"So what happened? You actually went with them?"
Shiori nodded, handing back his cup. It was now almost empty. "We left the same day, just like that. I didn't want to give anyone too much warning. It felt less painful that way... Less chance of sad goodbyes, you know? Luffy tried to come with us, but it didn't work. Later I heard that Bay-sama had him thrown off the ship, back onto the dock."
"Typical Luffy..." Ace had to smile at that. It really was so very like him. "I still can't believe you were trained by the famous Whitey Bay. That must've been quite an honor. So at the end of your stay with her, what made you leave?"
"It just felt like the right time," She confessed, not used to confiding in people like this. "Besides, they got me lots of going away presents. They gave me a diary to keep track of my journey, along with a boat and tons of supplies. And the map... They told me it's said to lead to a legendary ice sword, called Arashikari."
"Whoa..." His eyes bulged halfway out of their sockets. She'd never seen Ace look so shocked about anything before. "I've heard that name before. Those maps were supposed to be long gone by now. There were only two in existence..."
"Apparently one survived," She shrugged. "At least it's something you've heard of. That gives me hope. According to what I was told, there's a ton of treasure that's also on that island, alongside the sword. But all I'm after is the sword itself. I couldn't care less about all of that. And since I don't have any money to give you as payment for taking me there... That is, if you're willing to..." The girl trailed off, shyly fidgeting with the hem of her grayish blue sweater and pulling it down.
"Aaaand the old Shiori is back!" The Captain laughed, trying to read between the lines. "Are you offering to let me keep the treasure in exchange for taking you to the island?"
He didn't want to openly say so, but he also thought she could kind of use some help from someone with a bit more experience on the open seas... Especially given what had previously happened with Alvida.
"Yes, that's exactly what I mean... You d-don't have to if you don't want to, but-"
"Now, now... That's not a very Pirate-like thing to say." He waggled a finger, as if scolding her.
'Oh no... The alcohol must be getting to him...'
"Maybe we should talk about this more when you're sober." She giggled, shaking her head. "Crazy..."
"Then would you prefer to talk about... other things?" His voice had taken on a strange tone, one she was not used to. She didn't get what he meant.
"Umm..." She blinked in confusion.
"Nevermind," Ace sighed. "Yeah, we can talk again later. But I still wanna know what your answer is."
"About what?"
"Will you stay on with my crew?"
"That depends on whether you'll-"
"So this ice sword... It means a lot to you, yeah?" Understanding finally seemed to dawn on him.
"Well yes, but-"
"I always make the best decisions while I'm drunk!" He declared, smiling brightly even in the darkness that had settled in. He held up his mug high, as if toasting to the night sky itself. "I've decided... We'll take you there. I believe you. Maybe the treasure is real, and maybe it isn't, but I guess we'll have to see now. Just show me the map and lead the way. That's all I ask."
"Don't you want to talk it over with your crew first? I mean, they might... I don't know, not like it?"
"Who cares?" He shrugged it off. "They're my crew. I'm the Captain! And what I say goes! I think we-"
He stopped in mid sentence. Shiori stared her him, her eyes widening in concern. Suddenly, he just fell over. A strange grinding, rumbling sound came from deep within his chest. And she realized he was snoring... He'd fallen asleep! Ace's head rested on her shoulder and his mug clattered across the deck, nearly rolling overboard before a large wave knocked the ship back the other way, causing it to roll safely against the wall.
'His face...' She gasped, suddenly able to count every single freckle that adorned his face. 'It's so close to mine...' It gave her a strange feeling, almost like butterflies tickling her, but not exactly.
"Umm... Ace-kun?" She nudged him lightly, trying to wake him. It didn't work, and the snoring just got even louder. "W-wake up!"
He snored even more, and seemed to stir a little, but didn't open his eyes. He muttered something unintelligible and slumped over. She didn't know what to do... Looking around frantically, as if searching her surroundings for an answer, she realized they were still alone. There was no one else around but them. It was just like old times...
'At least no one else can judge us right now... I don't know what will happen when he wakes up, but oh well. He's probably tired... I can't believe he passed out drunk, haha...' She chuckled lightly to herself.
Shiori sighed, letting him rest his head on her shoulder while she leaned against the wall behind the barrel they were sitting on. When nothing happened and he just lied there, she relaxed a bit. It remind her of when they'd first met, the way he'd been sleeping against a tree in the woods, which made her think back to when they were kids. It was hard to believe he was still the same person. They'd both grown so much since then.
But her reverie was not to last very long... Someone was walking around on deck, and the loud thudding footsteps were getting closer.
'Oh gosh!' She began to freak out. 'I really hope they don't think anything weird!' She tried to push him off of her, but he was much heavier than she expected.
"Oh! There you are!" It was Mitch, and he came running over as soon as he noticed them. "I've been looking everywhere for- What's his deal?" He cut himself off, noticing the way their Captain was haphazardly leaning against the poor girl.
"It's n-not what you think!" The girl squeaked, her face turning bright red. It was obvious that she was quite flustered. "We just came out here to talk and then-"
"Great... Looks like it happened again." The scruffy first mate chuckled, shaking his head. She didn't know where his white hat had gone, but he wasn't wearing it now.
"What happened? Is he going to be okay?"
"He does this... Ace-sama has narcolepsy. It's a sleep condition- more of a disorder, really- that causes the person to fall asleep suddenly at random times."
"I see," She thought back to all of the times when that had happened. Even the first time she'd met him... He probably hadn't meant to fall asleep under that tree at all. Her pink eyes widened, as the realization dawned on her. "I'm so stupid! Why didn't I ever realize that?!"
"It's not something he usually tells people. It's more something you just have to figure out for yourself. And you wouldn't believe all of the problems it causes! Just like, well... This!" Mitch gestured with a tilt of his head to the sleeping boy that had fallen asleep on her shoulder. "That can't be too comfy. Here, let me help."
Without another word, he lifted the Captain off of her small frame. Shiori tried to help but her injuries wouldn't allow her to lift too much weight without the stitches pulling. Normally it wouldn't have been so much of a problem, but right now she was grateful for the help. He hoisted Ace up and began dragging him around the side of the ship.
"Where are you taking him?"
"To his room," The brunette explained, having to walk backwards just to drag the poor guy by his arms across the deck. "He needs to sleep this off. Can you grab his mug and come with me?"
Shiori picked up the silver cup and began rushing after him. For a guy carrying someone else, Mitch was moving pretty fast. They went to his cabin, where the first mate waited outside for her to open the door. For some reason, it still didn't feel exactly right to be going into his room like this, but at least he was there with them, even if he wasn't conscious at the moment.
She remembered the gloomy dark little room from her first day on board the Spades' ship, when she'd just burst in unannounced and tried to attack him. What a day that had been...
She watched as Mitch put him into bed. He didn't bother tucking him in or anything, just laid him down and figured that was good enough. She placed his mug down on the large table in the center of the room, and began fidgeting with the hem of her sweater again, feeling awkward.
"We should leave him here," Mitch said, already making for the door. "And hey..."
"Hm?" Shiori squeaked, as she followed him outside.
"Be careful with Ace."
'What is that supposed to mean?' She wondered, clearly confused. 'Why is everyone being so weird tonight?'
She gave him a quizzical look, and when he still didn't explain, she said. "Okay... But what do you mean?"
"Just be careful around him." He stated again, cryptically.
It made her wonder just how much of their conversation he might have overheard earlier... But he was already heading toward the crew's sleeping quarters. He seemed very nonchalant about all of this, as if it were a commonplace occurrence.
"Mitch-san...?" She got his attention, as he turned to leave. "I'd r-really like it if you'd explain what you meant by that."
She knew she should probably let it go, but for some reason she just couldn't. Friend or not, she couldn't risk possibly getting involved with more bad people. Not after what happened with Alvida and Monet too.
"He liked a girl once," He admitted, looking at her with a strange expression gracing his rugged features. "She went by the name of O'Hara... Pretty little thing too. For a redhead, anyway..."
"What does that have to do with me?"
"Well nothing, I guess... It's just... Back when he was a nobody, she never cared for him much. She came back some time later, after he'd eaten a-" He halted in the middle of his sentence, hoping he hadn't accidentally revealed too much to the girl. "She came back seeking his power after he'd become Captain of the Spade Pirates. Luckily, he was able to see through her poorly-planned facade, but... Well... Then we found out she fell in with the wrong crowd, and now it's sort of weird between them."
Another girl? Why had she never heard of this until now? Interesting... 'Now I have even more to talk to him about, the next time we get the chance. Maybe I shouldn't bring it up though... It might be a sore subject.'
"Where is she? Why isn't she around anymore? What do you mean weird?" She wouldn't normally have asked so many questions, but... He was the one who had brought it up.
"It's a bit of a sore subject for him, honestly. Things are kind of... tense." The first mate scratched the back of his head. "Long story short, she's considered an enemy of ours. So just... be careful, that's all."
She took a moment to process this. It was hard to imagine Ace being with any girl, especially one she'd never even met. Shiori was being bombarded with so much new information tonight, right and left, and she was starting to become overwhelmed by all of it. There were so many important decisions that she needed to make right now. And she didn't see what this had to do with any of them. So she did the only thing she could think of; she changed the subject.
"He asked me if I wanted to become a member of the crew."
"Oh... So you're gonna be a Spade too, huh? Well congrats!" He laughed, his normal fun-loving personality seeming to return. After patting her on the shoulder, being careful to avoid her back, he waited a moment, as if to see if she still wanted to talk more.
"I'm not... I mean, I'm not completely sure about it yet... Do you think I should stay on or leave with the others at the next port?"
"We'd love having you around. You seem like a good person to have on our side. I don't see any reason for you to have to go, and I'm pretty sure the rest of the crew feels the same way, if that's what you're asking... But the final decision is up to you."
She smiled then, her whole face seeming to sort of glow. "Thanks."
"No prob, any time. Goodnight." Mitch waved a hand to her casually, dismissing himself. It was late and he probably wanted to go to bed.
She knew that she should probably try to get some sleep too. Shiori headed back to the brig, where she was staying for the time being. She hoped Vanora hadn't given Nischela too much trouble while she was gone. The young kitten could be really mischievous at times.
When she walked in, the iron bars squeaking loudly upon her entrance, she saw that Nischela was sitting on her bed petting the fluffy little cat.
"Thanks for looking after her," She smiled, knowing that Vanora had been in good hands for the brief time she was away. After all, Nischela was the one who had unknowingly given her to Shiori. "I hope she didn't cause you too much trouble while I was gone."
"Not at all, we've just been chilling." The other girl adjusted her pink framed glasses gingerly, watching as Vanora bounded over to her true owner the moment she saw her.
"Ahh, cool..." Shiori made a vague attempt at being casual, probably failing due to how awkward she felt. She petted the small kitten, scratching her lightly behind the ears.
"So what've you been up to?"
"Not much," She sat on the edge of the bed, now cuddling with Vanora, clutching her close to her chest. The kitten was purring and swishing it's striped tail happily. "Just talking to Ace-kun..."
"Ooh la la!" Her friend teased, plopping down on the bed and kicking her now bare feet into the air. It seemed she'd gotten comfortable here while Shiori was away. "Do tell!"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean dish! Give me the deets!" When this still garnered a confused look from the Valkyrie, she rolled her eyes, knowing she would still have to elaborate. "Tell me the details! What did you two talk about?" She giggled like a schoolgirl.
"A bunch of random stuff really. And, well... He asked me to join his crew..."
"What? Really?" Nischela hesitated for a moment, unsure what to make of this. "What are you gonna do?"
"I'm n-not sure, but... I think maybe I'll join. That is, if I can. I was going to tell you about this too. I've got this map, and it's pretty rare, it's supposed to lead to an old treasure on a secluded island."
She noticed her friend's expression change at the mention of it, but decided not to say anything. She was no fool and people were all too easy to read by now. Nischela definitely seemed torn about something though. She wondered what was wrong.
'Hmm... I wonder what she's been doing while I was gone...'
"What does that have to do with you joining the Spades?" The brunette asked, her face going slightly pale.
"I need someone who can take me there," Shiori tried to explain, feeling she wasn't the best at giving explanations, but willing to give it a shot anyway. "Someone with a ship... And, as luck would have it, they happen to have a ship."
She laughed wryly. "Hah! There are plenty of people with ships... Why this one? It's not even in that great of shape."
"That's true, but it's the perfect opportunity. I'm already here, so it's convenient. And I don't have any money to pay anyone for the voyage. But if I split the treasure with them..." The albino trailed off.
"Then you'll be able to pay them once you get there." Nischela finished for her, catching on. They must have made some sort of agreement.
"Exactly. As soon as I show the map to Ace-kun tomorrow, we can start heading that way. That is, after we drop you guys off at the next port."
The other girl seemed suddenly uncomfortable. "Ahh, right. That's true enough, I guess."
Shiori bent over to take her duffel bag from under the bed, placing it in the middle of the mattress between them. Nischela watched her, feigning nonchalance as she began to rifle through the contents. She removed several black dresses which looked like Nuns' habits and also appeared way too small for her. She took out some extra stockings that she had stashed away, and the remnants of the same blue blanket she'd used to fashion her sweater out of. Then she moved around her undergarments that she'd purchased in various ports along the way, too shy to take them out in front of the other girl. She also took out a blue book with a lock on it that was probably some kind of diary or log book.
Confused, the Valkyrie kept digging through the various things she had packed away. There was nothing else there... She picked up several different kinds of clothes and shook them around, hoping that the map might fall out of one of them.
"That's weird... I could've s-sworn it was right here...?" Shiori mumbled, while her friend remained silent.
She got on her knees in the dirty floor, not even caring at this point. She had to check under the bed... Shiori was becoming visibly upset, her movements frantic and her expression wrought with worry. There was nothing else under the bed. She got up and reached around in the pockets on the inside of her sweater, thinking that maybe she'd placed it there and forgotten about it somehow. She tried everything she could think of, but there were no results.
"Shit!" She cursed, beginning to get annoyed.
'I've got to find it!'
She could try asking her crew mates if anyone had seen the map, except... The girl knew better than to ask a bunch of Pirates about a treasure map. Most didn't know if it's existence in the first place, and that was probably a good thing. There was less chance for someone else to steal it.
She did not fail to notice, however, that Nischela wasn't helping her look. She had a strange expression the whole time. That was odd...
Shiori turned to her. "Is s-something wrong?"
"Ahh, not really... I just... Just..." She seemed to be wrestling with herself over something. Nischela bit her bottom lip, glancing toward the door nervously. After a moment, she moved closer to Shiori, scooting next to her on the bed. "There's something I need to tell you." She hung her head, with a long sigh.
"What's going on? You've been acting weird since I got back."
Nischela pulled something out of her bosom, above the brown leather corset she wore. She'd had a long casing hidden there, and now she handed it to her. Shiori looked at it, instantly recognizing it as the waterproof container that held the very map she'd just been worrying about. And she hadn't shown it to her until now, after she'd panicked about it for a while.
"Where did you get that?" Her rose colored eyes narrowed dangerously, taking it from her.
"I was... Just looking around and stuff... I found it in your bag. What's with that look?"
She backed up defensively and raised her arms to protect her face when she saw the murderous glare she was receiving from Shiori. She'd never seen the shy girl get like that with anyone. Not even when she'd been cruelly locked away and publicly whipped in front of everyone. She knew that she'd crossed some sort of line with her.
"You stole it from me." Shiori pointed out, her tone going cold.
"Well, it's not like- Okay, yeah. Alright? I did... But now I'm giving it back."
"Why?"
"Why did I take it or why am I giving it back?"
Shiori rolled her eyes. 'Take a wild guess!'
"Both." She snarled. If she had a sword now, she would have drawn it.
It seemed that even Vanora was picking up on her hostility... The kitten had taken to staring Nischela down and striking a similar pose. Her little blue eyes glared daggers at the girl, through her slit pupils. She was all puffed up and her fur stood on end.
Betrayal.
She knew all too well the lesson of betrayal and what it meant to be betrayed. She could still feel the bitter sting, as the needles dug away at her psyche. She tried to focus on good in people, but that didn't mean she was blind to the bad as well... It never got any easier, that was for sure.
Without warning, Shiori grabbed her from the bed, yanked her to her feet, and choke-slammed her against the wall. Nischela's grayish eyes looked up at her, something pleading within them. She hadn't even used her Devil Fruit ability, simply because she did not need to right now. She was far too angry for that. She was annoyed that she still wasn't getting any answers out of her.
"Forgive... me... Pl-lease..." Nischela choked out the words, barely able to breathe.
She pondered that for a moment. Forgiveness... She'd learned a lot from that. Like the time she'd forgiven Monet and then been shot at, stabbed, and made to feel like such a fool. She'd been a forgiving person to her enemies once, and that had gotten her nowhere. Her mind suddenly flashed back to the time when her mentor Whitey Bay had shown her the large scar that ran across her back, when she'd said never to forgive your enemies. She'd gotten it because she had forgiven the wrong person. It was ironic that Shiori now had one to match. And for a similar reason, because she hadn't believed in herself and her own abilities enough. She could have easily overpowered the ones holding her prisoner. She just didn't think she could, so she didn't even try.
But none of that mattered. Forgiving people just wasn't worth it. She couldn't stand to go the rest of her life as everyone's doormat.
'What a fool I was...'
"I don't do that anymore." Mauve eyes narrowed, almost glowing as the Valkyrie seethed with rage. "I used to be a kind and forgiving person, but I'm no longer so kind. That girl is dead. Now... Why did you take it? What do you know about the map? Tell me, or I'll kill you right now."
Despite the tears threatening to spill from the corners of her eyes, she spoke the words with cold and bitter malice.
"I-I, I... took it because I didn't know what it was." The hapless girl stammered, having been caught off guard. "I thought maybe it might lead to something valuable, or... Or, I don't know! And it was there, and well, I couldn't resist... Sorry."
Nischela reached up and grabbed her hand, trying in vain to pry it away from her neck, noting how Shiori's gaze followed her every movement now. She had just lost whatever previous trust she might've had. She knew she blew it.
"Then why give it back? If you're going to steal something, shouldn't you at least commit to it a hundred percent?" The Valkyrie quipped, flipping a long tendril of platinum hair over one shoulder, while still not releasing the choking grip she had around the other girl's neck.
"Because we're friends."
She'd said the words so plainly, with such brutal, savage honesty, that it blew Shiori away... Were they friends? Sure, they'd known each other for a while. And Nischela had been one of few people to actually help her and try to make her more comfortable while she was being held prisoner on Alvida's ship. She didn't fully understand why she would do that, all she knew was that it had something to do with the mysterious group she had joined. She didn't know what might happen to her if she killed another Agent, either. Would they somehow know? Would they find out and send assassins after her? She wasn't sure.
But she also remembered all of the times when she'd risked everything, almost blowing her cover just to help Shiori in whatever small ways she could. It's true that she would have still managed to escape even without her, but she'd done her best to make things more tolerable for the duration of her enslavement. And that was more than anyone else on board had done for her.
"If we're friends..." She spoke slowly and deliberately, controlling her voice to make sure she didn't stutter. She released Nischela, watching the other girl slump to the ground, panting and gasping for air. "Then why haven't you told me more about The Agency yet? You're still being very cryptic about it."
"That's because no one talks about it," Nischela explained, feeling slightly better, seeing as how she was still alive and all. At least for the moment. "We are shrouded in secrecy... The only thing you need to know is... Actually it's about time I tell you something too." She got up, coughing, and gathered the strength to pull herself onto the bed.
Even if she could take Shiori in combat, something told her that there would be a whole mess of angry Pirates coming after her if she tried anything like that. Plus she would be facing a very volatile Captain, of that she was certain. And she'd seen what her Devil Fruit powers could do. There was no point in trying to fight her.
"And what is that?"
Shiori was feeling a lot calmer now. Despite feeling that it was okay now, she clutched the precious map against her chest, glad that she still had it, after everything she'd been through to get it and keep it. She went to sit near the head of the bed again, her anger having run its course for the time being.
The little kitty had calmed down as well, and had scampered behind her to lie down on her pillow. She was obviously tired too, because her eyes were closed and she was purring, probably in an effort to lull herself to sleep. Vanora's white-tipped tail covered the length of her body and then some, covering her nose with the end. She nuzzled into the soft fluff.
"It's about her," Nischela pointed to the tiny cat she'd been given in the mysterious box back then. "Vanora-chan is no ordinary cat. I can't say anything more than that, because even I don't know. I don't have that kind of clearance yet, but I can tell you where she's from."
"I've always wondered where she came from..." Shiori said carefully, eyeing her with a mix of suspicion and curiosity. Obviously, the curiosity had deeper roots. "And who gave her to me. And why."
"I'm not sure who was behind it... But the box she came in was marked as being from a place called the Sanctum Atoll. Remember that."
"I will." She nodded, unsure of why Nischela was choosing now to tell her this...
'Maybe it's her way of trying to make up for stealing the map from me? Either way, at least it's one more piece of information to go on. Better than nothing.'
She still didn't know whether or not she forgave her, but... In the end, she'd at least given it back. That had to count for something.
"Good." The other girl replied, feeling awkward about the little spat they'd just had. "So... Are we okay now?"
"There's something that you should know as well..." Shiori looked down, her off-white hair falling into her face, obscuring it from view. She took a deep breath, hesitating for a moment before choosing her words carefully. "I don't believe in forgiving people... But I do believe in an eye for an eye. I believe in settling scores and making things even. So I'm letting this slide in exchange for all that you've done for me, for helping me while I was being held prisoner on Alvida's ship. But do not let it happen again, and don't make the mistake of thinking that I'll let something like this slide again just because we're friends. All things have their end. If you ever cross me again, I will not be so forgiving."
Nischela just looked at her, in a stunned silence. She wanted to say something, anything, but her jaw fell open. All she could do was stare...
Before they could say anything else, the door that led down into the brig opened, and someone else had entered the room. A distraught mother walked in just a step behind a very feverish looking little boy. He did look considerably better than he had when he'd first been brought on board, however.
"Mia-chan!" Shiori beamed, seemingly letting the matter go for now. "Come and sit down. You look so tired... Do you need anything?"
"That's sweet of you, dear..." The woman managed to crack a lopsided smile. "But I'll be just fine. And so will Zachary-san... Thanks to the medicine we got from Walter-kun, anyway."
The ship's doctor she was referring to was one of the wisest people on this vessel. Shiori sort of liked him. He'd always been respectful toward her ever since that first day. He was always ready to change her bandages and he was very gentle. He also didn't seem to have any qualms about helping those they had taken in. He was a good guy.
"I'm glad," She said, moving closer to the wall and picking up a half-sleeping Vanora to make room. "We should all get some rest soon."
The kitten went limp in her arms, so she just held her. She put the map under her pillow, intent to keep a more careful eye on it from now on. It seemed that other people wanted it, and if that were the case, then it had to be valuable. At least to someone... Now that it had all been settled and she knew it was really happening, she couldn't wait to find out if the rumors were true and it really did contain the legendary ice sword.
'Arashikari...' She rolled the name around in her head, still getting used to the feel of it. She wondered what kind of sword it would be and what it would look like. There were so many questions! It was exciting.
"Yeah, I'm beat!" Nischela stretched, trying to play it casual, but secretly hoping that Shiori wasn't angry enough to kick her out at this late hour.
She moved to lie across the bed, thinking she would take up less room that way. The Valkyrie had scrunched herself up against the wall that adjoined the bed, with her kitten in her lap and a pillow behind her back.
"Shiori-chan..." The woman in the long dress and torn apron addressed her. "Are you sure we aren't imposing on you by staying here? I'll gladly go find a place to sleep in the crew's quarters, if need be."
"Same goes for me," Nischela mumbled, still a bit awe-stricken by her earlier behavior, as evidenced by the way her hand rubbed her neck. "If you want, I'll go."
"No, n-not at all!" Shiori was quick to assure both of them. "It's fine, I was getting sick of being stuck down here all by myself anyway. And besides, it's nice to have friends over every once in a while." She smiled fondly, remembering all that they had both done for her.
"We should rest then..." Mia agreed, cradling her little boy close to her. He slept sideways on the bed too, facing his mother, with his back turned to the two girls.
"Yes, goodnight." Shiori allowed her smile to fade, becoming serious again.
Zachary was probably the first one to fall asleep. His mother was next, and finally Nischela had passed out. It wasn't long before she drifted off to sleep too... It had been a long and very exhausting day.
A/N: Damn Shiori, you scary! xD Idk about Ace and Shiori just yet. I hope the chemistry between them is okay... I'm rusty, so rustyyyyyyy... ;n; I'm sorry for the lack of the updates lately also, I've had a lot going on. I'll try not to keep you all waiting this long next time. I know I say that every time, but this time I really really mean it. In the next chapter, Shiori might be getting some much-needed revenge on some people, but that's all I'll say for now. E-enjoy! *hides*
-Kaline