A/N:
This is NOT a self-insert. In fact, the grandiose plot of One Piece and its involvement to the Strawhats may as well be a different story altogether. The rendition of its world and cast of characters will remain the same, of course. However, as with all stories, the perspective changes when the protagonist changes. This is no more than one of the many happenings in One Piece at large. A much more brooding undertone, at that.
Having said all that, the characters that we know and love will still have impactful relevancy in this story, or in some cases, have mention and/or significance. Thanks for checking out this story!
Charted Date: ?
When faced with death, your life flashes before your eyes. That's how that tired expression went. A fanciful theory, that. Not a realistic one. Not at all. Memories, for whatever they were worth, do not come all at once— the ones we cherish, the ones worth holding onto; those are the memories that surface. A fate worse than death. A fate worse than life.
It was never the waves, either. It flickers. Always flickers. An intrusive thought, a burdensome reminder. Always reminding, always haunting.
A woman stood aboard the stern of the ship, arms carelessly dangling off the side, gazing out into an endless vastness of sea. Was it a sense of longing? The ocean only ever responded with the banging on the sides of the ship, every now and again. I couldn't understand what it was that she was looking for, in the seas. Still, I couldn't help but watch her. For whatever reason, the distance between her and I only drew me in, somehow. It was almost like I could very well been the ocean, at that moment.
"You lost?" a voice rang out, stirring me from my thoughts. It was hers, Gazelle. She turned, crossing one leg over the other as she leaned back, expectantly waiting for my reply. Her auburn hair whipped gracefully, complimenting the soft winds that beckoned its rhythmic momentum. A calm stillness, that was unbefitting of the rising anxiety thrashing about inside my body. I took a deep breath to steady myself, tasting the salty air as I searched for the right words.
The answer was easy, though. I was not lost. Perhaps, not long ago, I might have been. It was a daunting reflection of the ocean, too. The vastness of the seas served as a visceral reminder of how insignificant my troubles had been, up until now. The ocean, for all its seemingly infinite expanse, had its purpose, a belonging. That's what mattered. I had mine, too. A purpose, but not a belonging. It instilled a desire to tell Gazelle how I felt. How I really felt. After all, there was that. "Gazelle, I—"
The vision shifted. My eyes shot open, and I was still clutching the logbook, creasing the pages. There were memories, and then there were reminders. I exhaled the pent-up tension that I didn't realize I was holding onto. I studied the open contents of the logbook that lay dormant in front of me, waiting to be relived. Just this once… I needed a reminder that I was still here. I just need to envision the dawn.
Flip
Charted Date: —8
"This time, get it right!" The empress bellowed, her stern eyes trailing us as we scurried to our positions. We could no longer afford to fail. The surfacing issue, though, was that this plan was an affront to both parties. Time and time again, one thought silenced the others, as it replayed in my head like an echo chamber; Why? My mind raced as the adrenaline controlled my movements. It was unnatural and unfeeling— the weight of her gun in my hand.
Flip
Flip
There.
Charted Date: 181
Today was a little different. Instead of awaking to the violent waves crashing against the ship, it was a calm, peaceful morning. The only noise that aroused my ears were the disquieted seagulls that aimlessly flew about. It was an otherwise, unassuming day. Quite the difference from those prior. Still, one could never be too careful. Out of habit, my dominant hand was at my waist, whilst my eyes scanned the vicinity for anything out of the ordinary— other than the endless blue.
"There's no need for that today, hotshot. Pretty certain that's the last we will be seeing of those seadogs. For the time being, anyway." A gruff voice commented, with a hint of apathy. I reflexively turned my head to see Crow. The stories preceded him, regaled as something of a legend among the crew. Anytime a story was told, Crow somehow made his debut in every single one of them, without fail. Age was definitely a rare commodity on the seas these days, too, given that most pirates would likely have parted ways with these waters. Not Crow though. He just always appeared to be indifferent to his seniority, status… or really anything.
I softened my grip on my holster, if only slightly. There was definitely a grain of truth to what he was saying. That, and I was definitely still on edge from the night prior. "Mhm, maybe we didn't fuck it up this time. I can't shake that uneasiness, though. I think it might be a new tag along on this ship." I joked, but there was an underlying seriousness in my expression.
Crow noticed, and heaved a heavy sigh. "You are the tag along, regardless. Mate, just envision the dawn on the other side, okay? Can you do that for me?" There it was; Crow's coined catchphrase. In times of stress or uncertainty, his reassurance was to envision the dawn. A phrase that implied to always look forward. At this point, it was all too familiar. Maybe I was getting used to the absurdity of it all.
I didn't say anything further, or react in any way. Instead, I silently turned my head once again. It was enough to be simply content with looking out at the expansive ocean waters. Crow's footsteps— the creaking of floorboards that were becoming fainter and fainter, were a strong indication that he was getting farther and farther away. I resisted the urge to show any mirth. Crow seemed to have learned a thing or two about me as well.