Dear Luffy and Ace,
Yo! I arrived on my first island!
It was raining and we had to take cover under a house, and we met someone! He's around the same age as Ace, and he has green hair. He has a dream of becoming the world's greatest swordsman, and I think he's pretty cool.
Even so, he's so bad with direction that he suddenly turned around in a straight path, and I think he has a problem with his gyroscopes. He needs to get that in check…
But anyway, we're staying here for a few days before we're off again, but don't worry about me! We're strong and I'm sure we can take care of ourselves pretty well. I'll send you another letter when I arrive on another island. Until then, take care and I love you!
Sincerely,
Eris.
XXX
"Thank you for letting us stay here for a few days, Koshiro." I thank him, "And even teaching me the way of the sword and giving me a wooden short sword, even." I add with a grin, patting the said sword on my back. I still have my trusty pipe staff with me, but an extra weapon won't hurt.
"It is not a problem, Eris-san." Koshiro replies with a kind smile, "Still, I'm surprised that you can wield the sword well. You even managed to beat Zoro-kun at least once! That was pretty impressive for a beginner as a little girl." Okay you don't have to add the last part, misogynist.
Zoro doesn't seem happy about me beating his ass. Me, on the other hand, just smugly smirks at him.
"What can I say? I'm a little of a jack-of-all-trades myself." I grin while rubbing my index under my nose before giving Zoro a slap on the back, "Don't worry, Zoro! I'm sure you'll be the greatest swordsman in the world in the future! I'm not interested on being one, so don't worry about beating me to get that title."
"Shut up. Just hurry up and go." Zoro huffs as he crosses his arms to his chest and looks away with a scowl. I just laugh in return before giving him another slap on the back and he grunts in return.
"Well then, we're off! Thanks for the help, Koshiro, Zoro! Let's meet again in the future, if Zoro didn't get lost first!" I exclaim out as I run off with Takao in tow, ignoring Zoro's shouting.
Now, to the east, we go.
.
.
.
.
()
XXX
I'd say traveling is not that hard to do. It's mostly just fun and maybe some troubles on the way while making a living, but everything is well in the end.
I read more books about how this world works in each town library I visited, but I mostly just try to learn about navigation, to no avail. Luckily, Takao is smart enough to learn it for the sake of us, so he's the one that learns more about navigation than me, and that's fine by me.
We also steal treasures from pirates, because why not?
Plus, they get to be my 'training partners', by me beating them up. They're all surprisingly weak, and it's been very easy to knock them all out. Still, it's a bit weird that I can beat adult men as easily as I beat Luffy nowadays. No matter how weird the physiology of this world is, it's still strange.
Does it have something to do with whatever I'm looking for?
…I don't know, but there's no better answer than just chasing it yourself.
Still, it's kinda weird that not only do I seem to be stronger than adults, but when they're moaning and groaning in pain, it does nothing but joy to me? Like, their miseries give me some sort of sick sense of joy? Should I be worried about this new revelation about myself, or is this just puberty?
Eh, whatever! As long as I get stronger, all is well for me!
After all, I need to get stronger so I can save Ace and be the helping hand for Luffy.
But back to my current situation, I manage to hide from letting more shitheads coming after me and sneak my way to Takao, who's waiting for me with the stolen treasure.
"Well, I'm here! Let's go!" I announce with a grin as I climb on him and his expression tells me that he's worried.
"Master Eris, you need to try to be less reckless. If anything bad ever happened to you…" Takao trails off, but I just slap the back of his head.
"You think I'm an idiot like Luffy and Ace? I know my capabilities, so don't worry about anything." I tell him as I rest my head on his, "Well, we got no more business on this island, we better get going. From what I know, we still got a long way to go." I continue.
Takao didn't say anything as he flaps his wings and into the air we go, with the stolen treasure in his talons.
XXX
Dear Luffy and Ace,
Yo! How's life back in Dawn Island? Me and Takao? We're still alive and kicking, obviously!
Hear this! We've stolen some treasure! And I beat them up easily too! It's kinda weird, but no matter!
I told you I'm gonna be stronger than both of you! So better keep up the sparring and get stronger, because once I'm back, I'm gonna kick your asses!
Sincerely,
Eris.
XXX
During our journey, we eventually give Baratie a visit.
Of course, we met Sanji there too. He seems to be having fun cooking and serving up my food, and absolutely losing it when he saw Takao transforming into his humanoid form. But it seems like he's more interested with my weird eyes that he keeps on staring into my eyes and throwing sweet nothings at me until I push him away in annoyance.
"Oh yeah, can we stay here for the night? You see, Takao here has been up in the air for hours and he needs to rest for another day of flying." I don't want to push Takao too much, as he's an important way of transportation to find that place.
"I'll try to ask Head Chef Zeff if you can stay for the night, but I'm sure he won't turn down a small request from you." Sanji replies before turning to the said head chef that's busy dealing with the other chefs, "Oi, shitty old man. Do you mind if Eris-kun and her weird birdman stay for the night?"
Zeff glances at us and I just wave at him with a grin. He approaches us and stares at us with a serious, hard look before grinning. "Sure. If it's just for the night, I don't mind." He tells us and I cheer out with my fists in the air.
"But!" He quickly cuts, "You need to do some work for us first. Can't have another stowaway like this Little Eggplant here." He pokes Sanji's head, who is definitely not happy about the treatment.
I chuckle at the sight in return before patting my chest, "Don't worry, old man Zeff! Unlike two brothers of mine, I can at least wash the dishes without breaking all of the plates first before washing them!" I tell him with a smug grin, and he seems amused by that.
"Well, you'll start after you finish eating, Ebi. Make sure you savor each bite." Zeff says before he walks back into the kitchen. I pout a bit at that nickname, which reminds me of Shanks' nickname for me. I'm not THAT short! Stop calling me 'Shrimp' or even 'Ebi'!
"Well, that settles that. Call me if you need help or want to order more, Eris-kun." Sanji tells me and I nod.
"Thanks! I'll make sure to call you if I need any." He grins in return before he's off to deal with other customers, but he's still technically a young teen, so the adults easily tower over him. It's kinda cute and funny to witness.
"Good for us, isn't it Takao?" I point out with a happy grin and Takao smiles in return.
"It sure is, Master Eris."
"Then this calls for celebration! Oi Sanji! Seconds, please!"
"Coming right up, Eris-kun!"
We lived in the floating restaurant for a few days and I noticed two things about Sanji.
One is how he's much more annoying than I thought he would be.
Hearing his sweet nothings was fine for a while, but it annoys me after that. Then again, he gives me special treatments too, so I can't complain if I get free shits.
Second is how much he resembles Cinderella.
"Hey Sanji." I call him and he literally twirls himself up to me until he stops and gives me a bow.
"You called, my starred eyed beauty?" I roll my eyes at that, but I let it slide.
"If you can choose one animal to be your pet, what will it be?" I ask randomly, and he blinks in return, dumbfounded.
"Hmm, well I don't exactly have any strong opinions towards animals I will keep as pets," He starts as he rubs his chin in thought before smiling a bit, "But if I have to choose, that may be a small mouse."
"Why's that?"
"I guess… I guess because I befriended a mouse once while I was cooking." He answers with a sheepish grin, "I… I don't exactly have friends before I work here, you see. And cooking for that mouse and seeing it happily enjoying its meal makes me very happy." He continues as he looks out to the setting sun through the window.
I just hum as I watch his golden locks slowly swaying by the salty wind, his blue eyes looking straight into the orange setting of the horizon, while his only visible curly brow is relaxed.
"Where are you from again?" I ask and he turns at me.
"I'm from North Blue actually." He answers and I hum in return.
"Ain't North Blue is practically on the opposite side of East Blue that's been separated by Red Line? How did you get here?" I point out curiously, "There's no way you can climb that huge ass red wall." I add.
That actually freezes him in place as I can see cold sweats are starting to trickle out from him as he immediately turns back to look at the horizon with a nervous laugh.
Bingo.
I've been curious about this since the Jaya Arc, on how Sanji said that he knew about the Noland the Liar storybook is famous in North Blue and how he's actually from North Blue, but unfortunately Oda never really elaborate more about Sanji's past.
Unless he did but I already got thrown here before I managed to find out about it.
The conversation falls into silence as I can see that Sanji is definitely contemplating throwing himself overboard to avoid the question, so I decide to give him a break from it.
"…Do you want to change the topic?"
"…Yes."
"Bad past, huh?"
"…"
That's fine. I'll find out about it myself later in the future. It's more fun that way.
Unless Lady Fate decides something else instead.
XXX
Dear Luffy and Ace,
We found a floating restaurant! It's not exactly an island, but hey, it's basically a land too!
The floating restaurant is called Baratie, and there's a kid with blond hair. He has swirly eyebrows and it's kinda funny to look at. He's quite a flatterer, you see. He keeps on flirting with any ladies he sees before he gets kicked by the Head Chef so he gets back to work.
Both of them seem to have the same relationship as us and Dadan, or maybe even with gramps!
Oh, and Sanji is a pretty good chef too! He had a dream of finding All Blue; a legendary sea or whatever. I think that's a pretty cool dream to have for a chef.
We're staying here for a night because Takao is tired from flying for hours, and I'm super hungry, so it's a double benefit for us. We'll be off again in the morning.
Sincerely,
Eris.
XXX
Days and nights, the moon waned and waxed, and the sun came and went. We arrive from one island to another, we stay around for a while, I kick people's asses, and I feel more and more…apathetic.
It feels like something is slowly sucking something out from me. Like each time I get further and further from Luffy and Ace, the more I care less about anything around me unless it's a threat or benefits me. Takao is worried, but I just waved him off each time.
And the more I feel that way, the more I feel irritated and angry at literally anything that crosses my path, which usually results in people getting beaten up and inanimate objects getting destroyed. Takao always stopped me from being too excessive with my actions.
But still, I'm blaming this on puberty that I have to experience! Again!
Anyway, I'm actually bleaching and dyeing my hair. I need to appear different from my actual look, so no one can recognize me when they encounter me or when I go back home, no one can put any correlation between my time at home and my time while traveling.
I bleached and dyed my long hair crudely, considering I have never bleached or dyed my hair before, but it gets the job done on making me slightly unrecognizable, and thankfully my hair is strong enough to withstand the bleach. Although Takao is easily spotted because there's no other bird with bright blue feathers like him, I didn't let him go humanoid or even talk when there are many people around.
My new look will make it easier to infiltrate Marine bases, but I need something to hide my face.
So I decided to make one myself.
I have never done wood carvings and painting it before, let alone actually making a wooden mask and painting it myself, but here we are. And for some reason, the only design I have in mind is the mythical figure of 'Garuda', which is Takao's DF.
I'd say, it looks cool as heck, and seems…sacred? Cursed?
Well, no matter. It gets the job done and it fits my face enough to cover it, so I have no complaints.
"I didn't know you could do wood carving, Master Eris." Takao comments when he watches me admiring the finished mask.
"Well, I didn't either! I guess I'm secretly a genius, after all." I smugly reply and he just blankly stares at me before turning away, ignoring me.
"In any case, I think it's a bad idea for you to infiltrate Marine bases. Plus, it doesn't have any benefit towards your goal, does it?" Takao asks in concern. I look at him calmly before looking at the mask, gently tracing my thumbs on the painted mask.
"…You don't understand, Takao." I start as I close my eyes and open them again to glance at him, "I have to get stronger, and what's better way to get stronger than fighting Marine bases filled with trained sea law enforcers?"
"That's…" Takao starts, but I quickly cut him off.
"Ace will die in the future." I tell him and grip on the mask tight, "And his death will devastate Luffy. It will devastate everyone dear to him, and I can't just let that happen. Not when Ace finally found the one question he wanted the answer of, but not being able to enjoy it fully."
"M-Master Ace will—?!"
"I did tell you that I'm not from this world and how this world is just ink on papers back there, didn't I? Well, Ace will die later when he's 20, in a public execution like the Marines did to his biological father. There will be a huge war that shakes the whole world, and I plan to join that war to save Ace." I explain as my eyes look at the mask in my hands resolutely.
"I don't care if I have to kill or sacrifice something to save him and Luffy. Heck, I'll be the monster that loses my sense of self just to keep them safe, and I will never regret that choice." I turn to him with a sheepish smile, "I'm sorry for dropping it on you like that, but you need to understand my reasoning."
Takao is silent with disbelief still written all over his bird face before closing his eyes and letting out a sigh, before opening them and looking at me with resolve.
"…Master Eris. I have nothing to say other than the best of luck for that mission of yours, but please try to never shoulder that burden by yourself." Takao says calmly, "You have me, your partner, to share shouldering that heavy duty, so please never fear to share anything with me." He finishes with a gentle smile and a gentle bump of his head to my shoulder.
I stare at him blankly before everything gets blurry and something warm starts to trickle out from my eyes, and then I realize that I'm crying. I quickly try my best to wipe them away, but they just stream harder that Takao transforms into his humanoid form to give me a hug.
Thankfully, we're on the cliff side of a forest dead at night, so there will be no one to spot him.
I don't even know why I am crying, but it feels like the big lump in my chest and the heavy pressures on my shoulders are slowly being lifted up and letting me breathe. It's not completely gone, but it's bearable for me to go on with the pressure. I don't know why, but it feels like it's been awhile since the last time such pressure was lifted up from my person.
It's like I've been shouldering this burden for many, many, many years until this very moment.
"…Thanks, Takao. You're the best partner in crime I ever have and you're not allowed to die unless I tell you to."
"…Maybe not the latter part, but I will do my best to support you shouldering the burden."
I just laugh at that comment and hug him tighter, burying my face into his feathery chest that's surprisingly very well-defined, like a pair of firm pillows.
I'd say, having Takao as a nice, warm and living pillow has its benefits.
XXX
Dear Luffy and Ace,
I'm going to infiltrate a Marine base and kick everyone's asses to the bucket to get stronger. Don't tell gramps I'm kicking their asses!
Wish me luck!
Sincerely,
Eris.
(Posted on April 28th, 2022)
