DOREDORE ADVENTURE

Part I: Introducing the DoreDore Crew
[Chapters 1 - 8]

Part II: The Spark of Dawn
[Chapters 9 - onward]

+ PART I +

+ Introducing the DoreDore Crew +

+ Chapter One +

Taiyou town was an ordinary port town by the sea. Ships and boats that docked were of all sorts - fisherman with their catches, tradesman looking for a trade, marines seeking a place to rest. Day in and day out, the city centre was busy with townsfolk, and shopkeepers welcomed business from all folks with open arms.

All folks, except for pirates, of course.

At the top of the hill from the city centre stood a mansion, where the city's governor and his family lived. On one warm and sunny afternoon, when the sky showed its pearlescent blue and big, pillowy clouds against it, the governor decided to have tea with his wife and daughter on the large balcony of their mansion, overlooking the sea. They dressed in their typical formal attire, the governor himself in his frilled cravat and frock coat, while his wife and daughter in their fashionable gowns.

One of their female servants set their tea plates and cups in front of them, pouring the jasmine green tea in each cup. As the light breeze whisked around him, the governor turned to his wife and shared a smile, but as they both looked to their daughter, their smiles wore away as they noticed her chin on her palm, her elbow against the table, and her distant stare toward the water.

"Hikari-chan!" his wife hissed, causing their daughter to snap her head toward them with surprise.

"Hmm?" she said, her brown eyes wide, as though she had just woken up from a daydream.

"Haven't I taught you anything, child? Arms off the table. Sit up straight. Always in your own little world. It's a wonder you had a hard time finding friends at school."

"Yes, yes, mother. I'm sorry."

Hikari reluctantly obeyed her mother's wishes, lifting herself from the table, straightening her back. Her brown hair was in a stylish ponytail, draping in front of her shoulder to just over her chest. It was too long for her liking, but her mother insisted to keep it that way. She noticed her mother's watchful eyes as she made sure to pick up her tea cup by the handle and daintily sip her tea.

"I hope you're looking forward to tomorrow night's dinner with the marine chief and his son," her mother continued. "He's a very nice young man. I think you'll get along nicely."

Hikari looked at her father, who nodded with approval. Even as a man who decided how to run a whole city, he knew better than to go against anything his wife said. Hikari smiled back at him with force, knowing exactly the intent of the dinner. Her parents never tried to be inconspicuous when it came to introducing her to potential suitors.

She wanted to take larger gulps of her tea, but refrained so as not to burn her tongue. She kept with her lady-like etiquette, holding her elbow up, the puffy sleeve along her forearm angled properly away from her chest -

"Hikari!" her mother said suddenly, grabbing the arm that held her cup, nearly spilling the tea. Her eyes glared at the red slit on the back of her wrist. "We've talked about this!"

Hikari looked back in fright, hoping the sleeve of her gown would hide the cut.

"You've been going into town after curfew again, haven't you?" her mother continued. "Gallivanting with that swordsmith boy-"

"It's not like that, mother!" Hikari retorted finally, causing her father to turn his head at her. She pulled her hand away from her mother, gently rubbing her wrist. "I've been learning how to defend myself with a sword. Takeru's been teaching me-"

"We've told you - no swords. We have our guards for that! And the marines throughout the city and across the waters! A governor's daughter should have no business wielding a sword!"

"And why is that?" Hikari stood up, and the table shook, the teacups jingling. "What's so wrong about me doing what I want?

Her mother stood up too, causing the governor to jump in fright a second time in his own seat. "Your father and I only want what's best for you, Hikari! To keep you from ever having to come face to face with danger! To never have to use a weapon! This is all to protect you!"

"You're lying!" Hikari said, angrily stomping her foot against the table now, her teacup now spilling and tipping over.

"Hikari-chan!" her father said, his face now with his own anger, standing up alongside her mother.

Hikari stared bitterly at her two parents before her, who never tried to see her side, no matter how many times she tried to reason. Of course, losing her temper never helped either.

"Admit it," she said in a calmer voice, picking her teacup and setting it upright. "You're not worried about protecting me. You're worried that I'll leave. Just like he did." She looked at her parents again, the governor and his wife, their faces fallen in shock. They looked as though they feared the sound of the name that Hikari would dare to utter.

But, she didn't say anything else, and turned away from the table walking through the balcony to return inside. She pushed the large doors of her bedroom and burst inside, startling the maids who were dusting her bedpost. She bowed to them in apology, then sat at the large window where she could stare at the ships coming and going, the waves crashing along the shore.

Hikari wished she could do what her parents told her not to. She wished she could fight with a sword, maybe run away with the sword boy and escape on one of the ships that she always watched through her window. Maybe she really wanted to leave.

But what she wished for the most was to see one of those ships to arrive just for her, and to see her brother step onto the dock, with his hands on his hips in his garb, loose and frayed, a sword hanging at the hilt on his belt, the odd large tight spectacles over his big brown hair and his big grin to greet her. Her brother, captain of the DoreDore Crew, the most notorious name heard around Taiyou and the surrounding port cities.

Her brother, Taichi, the pirate.

The pirate captain himself lay on his back in the middle of the main deck of his ship, with his hands resting behind his head and one leg over his knee. He stared up at the same pillowy-clouded sky, feeling the calm rocking of the ship floating against the water. Only sounds of the watery crashes and the seagulls flying around the sails graced his ears.

That, and the growling of his stomach. Taichi let out a loud groan.

"I'm sooo hungryyyy," he moaned. Then he looked up at toward the crow's nest at the top of the ship, knowing his shipmate up there might have felt the same way. "Yamato! Any sight of land?"

Taichi waited for a response, only to hear silence.

"Hey, Yamato!" he said a little louder. "YAMATO!"

He groaned again, after hearing no words shouted back to him.

"Always sleeping on the job," he muttered with annoyance, getting up from his spot. His stomach continued to growl and he decided his next plan of action was to complain to the crew chef. Walking to the side of the deck, he climbed down the ladder into the dining area where new, odd sounds reached his ears, coming from the kitchen. It was a girlish squeal, followed by a giggle, and a deeper voice responding.

"You're so bad," Taichi heard her say. "You're going to make me burn the fish…"

Taichi heard his chef with her scolding words, but her tone sounded more playful, and her giggles were joined by another.

"Yamato, stop, you're making me blush…"

Yamato?

"I can't help it, Mimi, you're just so irresistible…"

Taichi walked through the dining room and walked directly into the kitchen. The fish was frying on the stove, but the chef's attention was far from it. When Taichi realized what was happening, he crossed his arms over his chest with a grimace. The giggly chef was in the arms of the blond, burly swordsman who had ditched his watchman duties, and was now kissing her wherever his lips could find.

"What the hell is the meaning of this?!" Taichi said, his voice raised. Yamato jumped and Mimi yelped, realizing Taichi had been standing there. "How am I supposed to run my ship with half my crew getting frisky?!" Yamato held onto Mimi as she held him back, her head turned to Taichi, but her long, light brown hair fallen over her face to hide her frightened stare.

"Relax, cap," said Yamato. "I was up at the nest all day long. We got rid of the Marines on our tail ages ago, and I doubt that we're going to see land anytime soon."

"Okay, fine," said Taichi irritably. "Just tell me when you're coming or going. You can't leave me talking to myself like a crazy person. And as for you, Mimi -"

Mimi turned herself around, though she went behind Yamato when she faced Taichi.

"I can't function without any food in me!" he said.

Mimi stared at him.

"Dinner will be served when it's ready," she said, suddenly with defiance.

Taichi scowled, then turned to climb back up to the deck.

"Pfft, it's not like he can function at all sometimes," said Yamato as Mimi moved to the fish that was now crisping in the pan.

"Hmph. I might as well should have burned the fish on purpose."

Yamato moved to wrap himself from behind Mimi again, his lips finding their way to her cheek. "Then you and I would smell like burned fish."

Mimi giggled some more. "How am I going to ever cook with you around?"

"That's a good question…" he said, ready to kiss her lips this time, but she turned around to stop him.

"Really, Yamato," she said, her face now serious, and her voice lower and more demanding. "Let me cook. Go upstairs."

"Oh, okay…"

Dumbfounded, Yamato climbed up the ladder to the main deck, joining his disgruntled captain, who was now observing two of their other ship mates. One was their second shortest - only slightly taller than Mimi - wearing an orange shirt and a purple bandana over his spiky red hair, who was rubbing the back of the other, who was tall and lanky, his loose attire in different shades of tan and blue, his dark bandana fallen down around his neck, and his blue hair, once neat when he first boarded the ship, now in disarray as he leaned himself over the outer edge of the boat, coughing sick into the water.

"How's our newest recruit, Doctor Kou?" Yamato asked the redhead.

"Not as well as we'd hoped," Koushiro replied. "I gave him some medication for the motion sickness, but it's just taking a while for it to kick in."

Yamato wore an expression mixed with skepticism and concern. "It's already the third day since he came aboard. Are we sure he can handle this?"

"Eh, give him time," said Taichi, walking over to the wretching ship mate, rubbing his back. "He'll get used to the sea in no time. Isn't that right, Jou?"

"What was I thinking?!" Jou asked wearily, now slumping down to sit against the edge of the deck.

They found Jou at the seafaring town of Kurosu, where Yamato had dueled with another swordsman for gold outside a bar on Taichi's dare. The barkeep dubbed Yamato a loser, but Jou bravely jumped into the scene, confessing to everyone who had eyes and ears that he saw the other swordsman cheating. Yamato and Taichi walked away with new gold, but not before witnessing a group of unhappy pirates circling Jou on the way back to the ship. With Taichi's remarkable strength and Yamato's masterful sword skills, the pair brawled with ease, and left Kurosu with a new crew member as well.

Koushiro kneeled beside the new crew member, holding his hand to his forehead. "You're a little clammy," he said. "Just have some water and sit for a while."

Jou sighed. "If we heated up the water and added some ginger, my stomach might feel a little more at ease."

"Ah, excellent idea, Jou! Not bad for my pirate doctor apprentice!"

Taichi grinned, holding a thumbs up, and Jou closed his eyes with another sigh.

Koushiro went down to the kitchen and returned with a mug with warm water and ginger for Jou, and soon, as the sun began to make its way down, Mimi appeared from the entryway to the dining room, announcing that dinner was finally ready.

The table was already set with the feast of fried fish, fruit and steamed vegetables, and the boys climbed down to the dining area, ready to consume their meal. Taichi beat everyone to the table, already on his second serving while the others barely chomped through their firsts. Mimi stood in front of the table, proudly looking on with her hands on her hips over her cute, light pink apron. As the boys called out to Mimi with their praises of her delicious food, she wore a smug smile, flicking her hair back, responding with, "Oh, it was nothing." She joined them in their meal and jovial conversations soon after.

When the plates were completely cleared, Taichi watched his mates sit and talk amongst themselves. Koushiro and Jou were deep in conversation about medicinal berries, while Mimi happily chatted with Yamato as she sat on his lap. With his hunger satisfied and heart content with the sight, he quietly made his way to the deck, heading towards the ship's bow. He placed his hand on a mast pole and adjusted the specs above his head with the other, watching the sky darken as it bid farewell to the sun setting into the horizon.

Another day gone, another day awaited him. New land to discover, new ways to escape from the Marines. New enemies to face, new treasure to find. Taichi had no idea what the new day would bring, and he reveled in the thrill of the unknown.

Night fell over the ship of the DoreDore crew, and all members retired to their quarters near the bow of the ship. The anchor sunk below to steady the ship, and the winds and waters were calm enough for an easy night's rest.

None of the crew heard the small boat dock on one side of the ship, nor did they hear the whoosh of a rope and steel claw hook onto the deck's edge. Quietly, the owner of the rope pulled and climbed until she reached the deck, both feet landing on the wooden flooring with a light thud.

It was enough for Mimi to open her eyes. She had fallen asleep in her bed with Yamato, his bare chest on top of her as she heard him inhale with a soft snore. Turning her head over to the window, she saw the silhouette of a womanly figure, tightly clothed, her head wrapped in a bandana but her curls flipping outward. The young woman stopped her stealthy movement, her amber eyes catching sight of Mimi's. Mimi only stared, immediately recognizing her as she winked before continuing on.

The young woman slid from the crew's quarters on one end to the captain's quarters on the other. There, she looked through the window for a view of the captain, his arms and legs sprawled across his bed as he lay on his back, his eyes closed, and his chest rising and falling slowly. She watched him for a few moments, and at one point, he took a deep breath, causing her to watch more closely. Then, he exhaled a sigh, turned to his side with a few smacks of his lips before the slow breathing returned.

A smirk appeared on one side of her lips, knowing he was in deep sleep. Turning from the window, she darted to the corner of the ship and ran her hands against the wooden floor until she felt a large handle. She lifted the handle which revealed an entryway - the entryway to the captain's gold. Feeling victorious, she crawled into the stairway below the floor board, closing the wooden lift above her, and made her way to the gold that would soon belong to her.

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Author's Note: Pirates, anyone? :)

This is heavily inspired by One Piece. One of the Digidestined's hair is incredibly similar to a character in OP and this idea inadvertently exploded. I am not planning a crossover, no Devil Fruits involved. Just playing around with this AU. I could even argue that I'm testing the waters (teehee). Also, ships! All the ships!

Anyway, please let me know what you think. Thanks for checking this out!