Chapter 4 If I Were a Blackbird

Tashigi sighed as she thought back on the last few days. She had been "missing" for almost a week now, and she was starting to feel a bit more comfortable with her situation. Largely in part to Duke, of course. In fact, if it hadn't been for him, she would most likely have had a much worse time of things. She smiled to herself as she thought back to her first night with the crotchety old man.

It just so happened that Duke had a room, and it just so happened that Tashigi found herself in need of one. After paying him a just amount, Tashigi found herself walking up a rickety, dusty, spider infested stairwell. She kept her eyes trained foreword at the dingy door at the landing, ignoring the grime collecting under her fingertips as she sliped her hand along the railing.

Duke had warned her that the room wasn't set up for guests. Most people on the island stayed at the Inn, not at a weaponry. However, the room was there. Tashigi held fast to the skeleton key in her hand. The door looked old, and when she reached the landing, she wondered why she even needed the key.

The old wooden door was a dingy gray color, long ago loosing its luster to father time. The wood, most likely a type of pine, was badly warped, making the rusty latch useless. Tashigi pocketed the key; she couldn't lock something that couldn't even be latched. Gingerly, she pushed the door open, apprehensive to see what lay before her.

The room itself was better than she expected, but not Navy material, that was for certain. The room had been converted from the attic. The a-frame ceiling was unfinished, and the happy spiders had built a Mecca of webs in the rafters. The floor was thick with dust, as was every other surface in the room. One small window sat directly under the peak of the ceiling, allowing the late afternoon sunlight to illuminate the dust floating through the air.

A small bed sat to her right, and Tashigi forced herself not to think about what could have nested in the soft mattress. Beside the bed sat a nightstand, thankfully with an oil lamp. Across the room was a closet…that Tashigi felt was best to leave closed, considering the circumstances. Lastly, next to the closet was a small, four-drawer dresser with a mirror hanging on the wall behind it. It may have been dirty, dusty, and infested, but she would make do. Besides, she was a strong swordsman…she could handle a few spiders.

It was well after nightfall that Tashigi managed to finish cleaning the room. Thankfully, it seemed that spiders were the only scampering creatures that inhabited the room. Duke (rather sheepishly) had even brought up a fresh set of bed cloths for her. Tashigi smiled kindly, but couldn't help but feel that maybe the old man was a little embarrassed. Whether it was because of the condition of the room or the fact that he was standing in what was now her bedroom, she wasn't quite sure. Either way, she was touched that what she thought meant something to the hard man.

Once the sheets were on the bed and turned down, Tashigi felt it was time to turn in. It had been a long, grueling day, and she was more exhausted than she had been on her first day of boot camp. Her boots felt like they were a part of her foot as she peeled them off her feet. She vaguely recalled that she had been wearing them ever since she deserted Smoker. A pang of regret twisted in her gut, and she thought she couldn't have felt dirtier if she had cleaned ten of Duke's attics.

Tashigi willed herself not to dwell on the previous nights indiscretions. The wounds were still far too new for a thorough examination. With a heavy sigh, the girl pushed herself off her bed and crossed the room to the mirror. Katarina looked back at her, her hazel eyes framed in Tashigi's red square glasses.

Slowly, Tashigi concentrated on her form. She wanted to see herself. It was unnerving to look in a mirror and see someone else looking back at you. It was amazing, really, to watch as she changed her hair, eyes, face, and body. Though a little worse for wear, Tashigi couldn't help but smile at her own reflection, grateful for once just to be herself again.

Of course, smiles didn't seem to last long on the former marine's face lately.

Duke entered the room, carrying a pitcher of water and a towel, obviously bringing Tashigi something to wash up with. His coal black eye locked on hers and he stopped dead in his tracks. Instead of Katarina, as he expected to find, the missing marine stood in his attic, looking every bit as shocked as he felt.

Tashigi smiled as she remembered the dumbfounded look on Duke's face as he stared at her. It had taken a lot of reassurances and explanations on her part to get him to pick his jaw up off the ground and close his mouth, but it was worth it when she demonstrated her skills with the mask mask fruit.

To say Duke was impressed would be an understatement. Ever since that night the old salt had been especially fond of Tashigi. He even out his skills as a smith to work, casting and working over a light metal to form new frames for the lenses of her glasses. It was a pleasant surprise to Tashigi, not to mention how relieved she was to not have to worry about one of the only things to link her to the missing marine.

However, her sword was another story all together. Duke did as he promised. The sheath of Shigure had been altered to help hide the hilt. Tashigi glanced at Shigure propped up against the back wall of the weaponry. She couldn't help but admire Duke's delicate craftsmanship. The top of the sheath was now adorned with an intricate, highly feminine false cage guard. The cage guard was made of interwoven polished brass, curving and curling like passionately beguiling vines. When Shigure was at rest in its sheath, it looked more like thick handles rapier than a katana. Duke also did his best to hide the sheath, too. Thin brass wires were twisted into sweeping, curling vines and leaves, the most beautiful filigree Tashigi had even set eyes on. She had always hated being a woman swordsman, but now, when she looked at the delicate, yet strong sword, she felt a powerful, emotional surge of pride.

Shigure itself had yet to be altered. Duke felt it was Tashigi's decision to modify her sword, and left her to it. However, it was easier said than done. Any changes to the sword could completely throw it off balance. Not only that, Tashigi couldn't bear to change something she already felt was perfect. Shigure was a part of her soul, and at moment, Tashigi was quite happy putting off the alterations until she was closer to being able to leave the island. With Duke's beautiful work, she was able to walk around town with her sword and not draw attention.

Tashigi pushed the thoughts of her sword from her head and instead concentrated on the task in front of her. Duke had put her to work to pay for her room and board. She now sat outside behind the weaponry, looking into the thick forest. Before her was a stone sharpening wheel, pedal operated and anchored to a table. A barrel of dull blades was on her left, and a pile of sharpened blades to her right. Tashigi listened to herself as she busied herself with sharpening blades. High in one of the forest's many trees, a blackbird whistled a happy little tune, and Tashigi remembered a song she had heard many years ago from a young sailor woman. Smiling, Tashigi let the words tumble out of her mouth to an old, familiar tune…

Oh, if I were a blackbird, could whistle and sing

I'd follow the vessel my true love sails in

And in the top rigging, I would there build my nest

And I'd flutter my wings o'er his broad, golden chest

Zoro was about to give up hope traipsing through the woods when his heightened hearing picked up a soft melody floating on the breeze. A gentle, low, sweet voice drifted by him, and he couldn't help but feel overjoyed. He had to be near someone who could direct him to the Islands town, or possibly near the town. He couldn't help but also think of the reason why he was in the middle of some god-forsaken forest anyways. Luffy wanted a musician. As quietly as he could, Zoro made his way towards the voice.

It wasn't too much longer before not only the girls voice but also a familiar grinding sound reached his ears. Someone was sharpening a steel blade. Now on full alert, Zoro made his way to what seemed the edge of the woods. He could make out a row of buildings and the sounds of people. It looked like he found the town.

Stealthily, he peeked through the bushes and his eyes settled on the source of the sweet melody. A young girl sat sharpening blades behind a shop, most likely the local weaponry, while she sang. She was a plain girl, with chestnut brown hair and hazel eyes hidden behind wire rimmed glasses. She wasn't unpleasant to look at by any means, but Zoro doubted if the ass-hole cook would bother himself to fall all over the girl like he did Nami, Robin, and Vivi.

Her words reached his ears again as she set the now sharpened blade in a pile with the others. Zoro stopped and listened, eager to hear the words to go along with her melody.

I sailed o'er the ocean, my fortune to seek

But I missed his caresses, and his kiss on my cheek

I returned and I old him, my love was still warm

He turned away softly, but great was my scorn.

Oh, if I were a blackbird, could whistle and sing

I'd follow the vessel my true love sails in

And in the top rigging, I would there build my nest

And I'd flutter my wings o'er his broad, golden chest

Her song was breathtaking, and even the hardened swordsman felt moved. Zoro thought she was perfect. She could sing, which made her good in Luffy's book. She was plain, so that perverted cook would leave her alone (therefore not annoy Zoro when he was trying to sleep). She was female, so she would room with Nami and Robin, not in the already overcrowded men's quarters. But perhaps the best thing was that she could obviously sharpen a blade, which made her useful. Singing, in Zoro's book, wasn't very useful, no matter of great she was…but with her and her skills, he had the best of everything. He was going to have to really pour on the charm, because he wasn't letting this one go, no matter what.

Smoker paced his quarters, chewing on the end of his cigars. It had been week since Tashigi had jumped ship, and she hadn't turned up anywhere. The worst-case scenarios ran through his head. It was the Grand Line, after all, and any number of terrible things could have happened. She could have been stranded, capsized and eaten by sharks, or left to float the grand line in an escape boat with nothing but her sword and the cloths on her back. She could have been captured by pirates, tortured, and raped. Smoker shuddered as the thought of rape ran through his mind.

Wasn't what he did no better than rape? Yes, Tashigi had been willing, but he used her and then discarded her. He didn't know what to do after it had happened. Regrets and shame swirled through his head like smoke. He loved Hina, and he had just slept with a subordinate. Not just any subordinate, but his friend and most loyal marine, Tashigi. He had always tried to guide her and help her, and now, he hurt her and pushed her away.

He glared at the wooden box tucked under his desk. He hadn't been able to bear looking at its contents since that night. If he had known what it would do to him, had he known how he would have reacted, he would have never taken the confiscated devil fruit. How was he to know that you couldn't eat two different devil fruits?

He thought back to when he shook down the pirate that held the fruit. Smoker took the loot from him, images of being all-powerful with devil fruit powers coursing through him danced before his eyes. He roughly shook the now sobbing pirate, demanding to know the power the fruit contained. Hiccupping, the pirate chocked out two words…Mask Mask.

There were two berries on the stem. From experience, Smoker knew that he only needed to consume one berry to obtain its powers, and that night, he did just that in his chambers. He called for Tashigi, eager to share his new power with her, and to give her the other berry. He wanted his number two man, or woman, to be as effective as possible, and he could think of no other way than to offer the fruit to her. He eagerly awaited not only her arrival, but also the feeling of change that accompanied consuming the fruit.

As he waited, he thought about Tashigi and how proud of her he was. She had improved a lot over the years, and though she may not be graceful in her day-to-day actions, she was a superb fighter. The more he thought about it, the more he started to admire the girl. Before he knew it, his proud feeling began to take a more lewd turn.

Fighting the images from his head, Smoker instead chose to think about defeating the Straw Hats with his new power. But the feeling wasn't good. Instead he felt anger, more anger than he had ever felt before. The Straw Hats shouldn't be a concern for him. He should have beaten them a long time ago, without the devil fruit powers.

He hadn't realized it at the time, but thinking back, he should have realized that he was feeling more intense emotions than normal. When he saw Tashigi enter the room, something in him snapped. Every emotion he had ever felt bubbled to the surface, and he needed release. He needed to get rid of the feeling…the rage, hate, and lust, pride… he needed to release it all. Standing before him was a beautiful young woman, and at the time nothing seemed better at the time.

After Tashigi left, Smoker contacted Hina. He needed every island this side of the Grand Line to have missing persons poster of Tashigi in every window. Of course, Hina was curious as to why Smoker's best marine had gone missing. Before he could stop himself, Smoker found himself confessing all.

To say Hina was pissed would be a grave error. She was beyond pissed, but not for the reason Smoker had thought she would be. She explained through clipped words that no one could have more than one devil fruit power. If a person tried, their body would react violently, with one of the symptoms being uncontrolled emotion. Eventually, the fruit's essence would work its way out of the body or be rejected all together. Smoker had been an idiot (in Hina's words) for even trying it.

The whole situation made Smoker even more determined to find Tashigi. He needed to explain that he wasn't in control of himself. It was that damn devil fruit. Again, Smoker glared at the innocent looking box under his desk. With as much rage as a charging bull, Smoker kicked the box out from under the desk. Angrily, he picked up the cracked box and tore the lid off it's remaining hinge.

There was no fruit. Smoker's gut twisted and writhed. Suddenly, he understood why no one had seen Tashigi.

Author's Note

THERE! That's the reason why Smoker slept with Tashigi and treated her so badly! He had no control over himself! Poor guy! He did something terrible to someone he cared deeply about, and now she could be in danger, and he can't find her!

I never, ever, ever, bash characters or turn them into bad guys. I will never make any character pull a scrappy-doo. Smoker was simply turned into a plot device. Originally, I was going to toss the idea. However, the story just wouldn't have worked.

I sincerely hope this puts to rest any thoughts about Smoker being severely OOC. However, I will admit, I don't have a good feeling for Smoker's character, so I'll be doing the best I can with what I know from now on.

Happy reviewing!