(Warning: this chapter is rated M, for Mushy.)
The mansion's dining room was just as extravagant as the rest of the building. In it, the men sat at the table, eating the banquet Adianne's women had set out for them. Though the fact that there were armed guards at the doors took some of the enjoyment out of the meal.
Looking up from the steak he was eating, Frank leaned over and poked Gerald, who was picking at a salad. "Gerald, are you sure it is alright for us to be feasting like this when our captain might be dead?" Gerald speared a piece of lettuce with his fork, deposited it in his mouth, and chewed. Swallowing, he shrugged. "He's probably fine. What's the use in worrying about something when you don't know the outcome?"
Frank sighed. "Still, my mind would be more at ease if I knew what was happening to him right now."
One Piece: The Skull Pirates
Chapter Six: The Summer of Love! The Promise in the Flower Garden.
Jack blinked. "I don't think I heard you right. You want me to what?" Mary rolled her eyes. "Do you have wax in your ears, Monsieur Ossements? I said I want you to help me defeat Adianne. If you agree, I will let you out. If not, then you can rot in there for all I care."
"Uh, not that I care, because I was planning on giving that women a piece of my mind anyway. But why the grudge? Did she do something to you?" Mary's eyes narrowed and appeared to darken. "That is none of your concern, Monsieur Ossements. All you need to know is that she stole something important from me. Now, will you help me, or shall I find someone else?"
Jack shook his head. Jerking a thumb at himself, he grinned. "That won't be necesary, Miss Mary. If it's an uppity hag you need ousting, I'm your man." Mary rolled her eyes again as she unlocked the cell. "If you're trying to impress me, Monsieur Ossements, don't bother. You're not my type."
"I'm never anyone's type." Muttered Jack inwardly. Mary pointed down the corridor. "We should hurry, Monsieur Ossements. Dinner should be finishing up, and your two friends won't last long in what comes after." She took off down the hall, Jack in quick pursuit.
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Gerald held up his hands and gave an uneasy smile. "Miss, could we just talk about this for a second?"
"No." Gerald backed up until he was leaning against the wall. "I don't really mind, but couldn't we get to know eachother first." The women shook her head. "That won't be necesary." Gerald gulped as she grabbed him by the shoulders.
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Frank's 'partner' for the evening motioned to his mask. "Take it off." The shinobi folded his arms. "I refuse. The Shinobi Code states that an operative may not remove his mask while on a mission. If I did, I would have to kill you."
"Hopefully she won't figure out that harming women is also against the Shinobi Code."
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Soon Mary and Jack came to a bend in the hallway. Glancing around the corridor, Jack glimpsed a group of women standing guard near a flight of stairs leading upward. "Handle this, would you?" Mary whispered at him. Jack nodded. "Of course. These women are no much for my...Skull Skull..." Groaning, he fell to his knees as his stomache let out another whine. Mary sighed. "Pourquoi Moi? Never trust a man to do a ladies job."
Rolling her eyes, she stepped around the corner. One of the women lifted her head and blinked. "Who are you?" Smiling, Mary raised her arm. "Rose Rose no Broche Fouetter!" (Thorn Whip) Mary's arm changed, transforming into a thorny green vine. Flicking the appendage neatly, she smirked as it arced across the small space, colliding with the women and sending them into the wall, out cold.
Jack whistled. "A Devil's Fruit user, eh?" Mary smiled slightly as her arm changed back to normal. "Yes, with the Rose Rose fruit, my entire body can become a beautiful flower. A bit better than what you got, eh, Monsieur Ossements?" Jack sweatdropped. "You got me there...but anyway, let's go." He started towards the stairs. Mary rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. If we went up there, we'd be seen immediately. I have a better way in mind."
Walking over to the right wall, Mary laid her fingers on the stones and began to study them. After a moment, she smiled. "Here we are." Pressing one of the stones, it slid inward, and with a grinding noise, the wall began to slide away, revealing a hidden passage. Jack gave her a look. "A secret passage? You've gotta be kidding me."
Mary shrugged. "It may be contrived, but at least it's useful." The strange duo set off into the passageway. After a few minutes of walking, they came to a series of stairwells leading upward. Mary gestured to them. "These lead up to the bedrooms. Unfortunately, we don't know which ones your friends are in, so we'll have to check them all."
"Wonderful." Jack sighed.
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A number of incorrect rooms later...
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"Remember Gerald, even in this situation it is important to maintain your dignity." The fact that he was currently wearing his birthday suit, and handcuffed to the bed's headboard was currently impending this, however. Smiling, the woman began to unbutton her top. "Now, then..." Climbing onto the bed, she grasped hold of his chest...then shrieked as electricity coursed through her body.
Frowning, Gerald pulled back the crackling taser, kicking the stunned woman off the bed. "A women should understand the phrase 'no means no', miss." The closet door suddenly opened and Jack jumped out. "Gerald, are you all right? I heard someone screaming!" Gerald jerked a hand at the woman. "That was her. I like to think I scream a bit more masculine than that. Now would you get me out of this?"
"Okay, hold still." A hard punch from Jack smashed the handcuffs to pieces. Getting up, Gerald began to collect his clothes and dress. As he did the woman began to stir, but a hard kick from Jack knocked her right out again. Buttoning up his suit, Gerald nodded. "Now let's get Frank and get out of this mad house."
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Back down the stairwell, the two found Mary leaning up against the wall. "There you are, Monsieur Ossements. And this is your first mate, I assume? Hmmm, he's not so bad to look at, especially compared to you." Gerald smiled. "I don't know who she is, but I like her already." Mary dipped into a curtsy. "Bonjour. I am Mary. A pleasure to meet you." Stooping, Gerald kissed her hand respectfully. "And I am Gerald Riviera, and the pleasure is all mine, miss."
Mary giggled. "How charming. Much better than your captain, I must say." Jack glowered. "Can we just go get Frank now!?"
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After a few more wrong rooms...
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"Get down here!" Frank, who was perched atop the wall, shook his head. "I refuse. As a shinobi, I have no time for such wasteful acts of false pleasure!" Frowning, the woman raised a pistol at him. "I'll just shoot you down, then. You don't need to walk for what I need you for." Frank gritted his teeth as she cocked the pistol and aimed.
She was the one getting hit however, as Mary's vine arm burst out from the closet and slammed her into the far wall. Frank hopped down as the three exited the hidden passage. "I appreciate your assistance, Captain, although I had the situation completely under control."
"Yeah, I could see that from how you almost got shot. And you should really be thanking Mary." The petite girl sniffed slightly. "He doesn't look like a pirate at all. Where did you find him?" Jack shrugged. "He's an operative for some secret organization. He's weird, and his fashion sense could use some work, but he's useful." Mary shrugged. "Ah, quoi que. Now, shall we leave?"
"What's wrong with my fashion sense?" Frank wondered.
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Back in the secret passage, Jack snarled as they came to a blank wall. "What the hell, Mary? This is a dead end!" The petite girl sighed. "Have some patience, Monsieur Ossements." Moving her hands over the wall, she pressed in a stone. The wall began to lower into the ground, the night breeze beginning to blow past them.
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A short while later, they were back on the streets in the fancy part of town. "Where are we going, Mary? My legs feel like they're gonna fall off, and I'm starving!" Jack grumbled. Mary rolled her eyes. "Are all men such complainers? We're almost there, now hurry up. They'll be leading the men back soon, and we don't want to be caught out here by them. Okay, we're here." She walked over to a quaint yet cozy house on the left side of the street and knocked at the door.
A few moments later, the door was opened by a short woman holding a cane. Taking one look at Mary, she huffed, "Oh, it's you." And began to slam the door. Mary stuck her foot out into the doorjam. "Yes, it's me, the person who is still paying good money to rent out your spare room. And as such, I think it's the least you can do to be civil, old woman."
"Actually, the very least I could do would be to give you a blanket and make you sleep outside. I have half a mind too, as well." Her verbal opponent shot back. "Well, I have half a mind to use my Devil's Fruit to show you exactly why I am called L'epine. (The Thorn) But I do not. Only because you're his mother. Be grateful for that, old woman."
The old woman let out a snort. "Don't waste my time with useless threats then, Mary. Come in or stay out, I don't care. Same for your friends." She disappeared inside. "That's about as close to a welcome as we're going to get, I think." Mary called over her shoulder before entering the house. Jack and his crew shrugged before following.
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The inside of the house was more spacious than it looked. A short walk from the entrance brought them to the kitchen. Mary was already seated at the table, while the old woman was bustling around the kitchen. "So, break any more men's hearts today, Mary?" She asked conversationally. "No, but I did pick up someone interesting from the mansion dungeons. Old women, meet Monsieur Ossements. He has a grudge against Adianne was well, so naturally we have a lot to talk about."
As Jack and his crew sat down, the old women let out a snicker. "Oh, does he? Tell me, young man, did this girl tell you who she is, and why she wants to defeat Adianne?" Jack blinked. "No, why?" The old woman let out a short cackle. "Let me show you something." Walking over to the drawers, she opened one, taking out a slip of paper and putting it down in front of him. The paper was a bounty poster with a picture of Mary on it. "That girl's true identity is that of Mary the Thorn, a dangerous pirate."
A moment of awkward silence followed, during which Mary simply sat silently. Then Jack shrugged. "Should I care?" The old woman blinked. "You realize that she's a dangerous pirate, don't you?" Jack nodded. "Yeah, and so am I. So why does she want to attack a fellow pirate?"
The old lady smiled. "She arrived here last summer and rented out my spare room. While she was living here she developed a crush on my son, Martin. When Adianne arrived here in the fall, she used the power of her Charm Charm Fruit to hypnotize him and all of this island's women. And now Mary wants revenge. It's nothing more than a feud over a boy."
The dishes let out a rattle as Mary slammed her fist onto the table. "Shut up! It's more than just a simple crush! It's love, pure and simple!" The old woman snorted. "Whatever you say. I'll leave you to your delusions."
"Catin." Mary muttered. She then winced as the old lady cracked her cane over the younger girl's head. "I don't need to understand it to know that was an insult."
"So how much is she worth, anyway?" Jack looked closer at the poster, and his eyes bugged out. "S...six...six million berry. You're...worth six million berry?" Mary looked up and shrugged. "Yes, why do you ask?"
"Oh, ah, no reason. A pretty decent bounty, but it's not nearly as large as the pay-out my infamous name carries!" Gerald sipped his tea gingerly. "He's lying, his bounty is really only five million." Smiling, Mary fluttered her eyelashes at him. "Oh, really? Well, that's nothing to be ashamed of, Monsieur Ossements. After all, you're young, and there's plenty of room for growth."
The captain glared at Gerald, who was trying and failing to use his tea cup to conceal the fact that he was laughing. "Laugh while you can, Riviera. Next time we need to get fish, I'm using you as bait, and I'll run the hook through that stupid mustache of yours."
Gerald coughed to clear the air. "So, how did you and this Martin first meet, Miss Mary?" He asked conversationally. "Well, I don't usually like to kiss and tell..." She paused to let the old women snort derisively. "But since you're helping me, I suppose I am oblidged." Coughing to clear he throat, she began.
"It started innocently enough, but doesn't it always? I had just arrived here on this island, but unfortunately all of the inns were full of tourist idiots that came here to watch the flowers bloom. And then..."
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Last summer...
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"Ah, quoi que, quoi que? You'd think this backwater island would have at least one open hotel room!" Crying out in frustration, she kicked a nearby tree trunk, immediately wincing and cradling her injured foot. "Still though, I suppose it isn't all bad." Smiling, Mary looked over the flower garden she was in. On Rose Island, the gardens were almost as big as parks, and were open to all. "If I have to lay low, this is the best place to do it in."
So enthralled was she with looking at the flowers that Mary did not notice the person walking towards her until she had already bumped into him. Colliding with the person, she let out a squeak as she fell over. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry! Are you alright, miss? Are you injured? Severely hurt? On the brink of death? Shall I get a doctor? A surgeon? A team of highly trained specialists!?"
So genuine was the man's distress that Mary began to giggle. "It's alright, sir, I'm perfectly fine. It was my fault anyway; I was wasn't watching where I was going." The young man shook his head. "No, I accept the full blame. I had the whole garden to walk around in, but I still knocked you over. Please forgive me."
Mary was adamant. "It's obviously my fault. I only just arrived at this island, so it's my fault for wandering around like that." The young man made an X sign with his arms. "Well, then I'm doubly at fault for both knocking you over, and adding to the stress of an unfamiliar island! The faces so cold, the buildings so barren."
"W-well, I did have trouble getting a room at an inn, but that's hardly-" Mary let out another squeak as the young man grabbed her by the hands and bent down to look in her eyes. "And to add to it all, you are forced to sleep on the streets?" The young man turned and began dragging her by the arm. "Come. My house has a room for rent. To pay back my mistake, please stay there."
"Well...if you insist, but you're really making too much of this, Monsieur..." The young man jabbed a thumb at himself and smiled. "Please, call me Martin." Reaching up, Mary adjusted her berette and returned the smile. "And you may call me Mary, Monsieur Martin." She dropped into a curtsy. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
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"Good news, mother! I found someone to rent out our spare room!" Smiling, Martin clapped Mary on the back. "Go on Mary-san, introduce yourself!" Snapping out of her momentary trance, Mary curtsied. "I am very pleased to meet you, Miss. My name is Mary, and I hope we can get along well." A moment of excruciatingly awkward silence fell. Martin coughed. "Well, I suppose I'll just go put Mary-san's things in her room now." He then left the room as fast as possible.
As soon as Martin was out of earshot, his mother pointed her cane into Mary's face. "I don't like you." Mary blinked. "W-what? But, miss, you just met me, and-" The old women silenced her with a wave of her hand. "Don't bother. Once I decide I don't like someone, they can't do a thing to change that. Now..." She folded her arms. "Even if I don't like someone, I'm still willing to tolerate them. Rent is Ten Berry a month, which is a much better deal than you'll get at any inn here."
"Now, I didn't rent out this room to make money. Martin..." She sighed. "His father left for the sea when he was very young, and most of the young folk here did the same. Martin...he's not brave enough to be a Pirate or join the Marines, but he's not boring enough to take a simple job. He's lonely...he needs a friend."
"BUT...just a friend, catch my drift?" Mary snorted. "As if. I'm not really interested in young men who live with their mothers. Gah!" This comment earned her a sharp rap on the head from the old woman's cane. "And I'd warn you to be a bit more respectful around me, missy. I'm the closest thing this town has to a mayor since the one that lived in the big mansion on the hill passed away."
"I'll...try to keep that in mind, miss." Mary winced.
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"Contrary to her warning however, we began seeing eachother. For him, I'm sure it was that I was the only woman on this island that wasn't old enough to be his mother. Aside from my natural charm, of course. For me...I'm still not sure. He was just so...stupid, that I guess I fell for him. Like I said, it was love, pure and simple, and I knew it."
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"Can I open them yet?" Mary asked. "No, not yet. Don't worry, you'll like this. Okay, now." He removed his hands from her eyes. Mary smiled as she realized they were in the flower garden where they had first met. They had been coming her a lot this past month. Spinning her around to meet him, Martin removed a small box from his pocket. "W-well, I bought you this, and it's probably not that good, but I figured you'd like it, and, well," Martin probably would've rambled on forever if Mary hadn't coughed. "Open the box, Martin."
"Well, I, okay." He opened the lid. Inside was a small but beautiful clasp, shaped like a rose. Not saying a word, Mary carefully removed it from the box. "A rose...y-your favourite flower. Do you like it?" Martin stammered. Pinning it carefully to her blouse, she smiled. "I love it."
"Y-yeah, that's good, because I wasn't sure what to get you. I mean, we've known eachother for a month, and I don't know anything about your tastes, w-what kind of boyfriend am I to have to buy you things on a hunch, anyway!?" Sighing, Mary seized his shoulders. "Martin, shut up and kiss me."
So he did.
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"It way be a bit cliche, but it's true: good things never do last forever."
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Mary was getting ready for bed when a knock came at her door. "Come in." She called pleasantly. Martin's mother opened the door, standing there motionless. Mary blinked. "Is something wrong, miss?" Silently, the old woman held up Mary's bounty poster. "Do you have an explanation for this?"
The petite girl slowly sat down onto the bed. "Look-" The old woman interjected. "You realize if he finds out about this, it will break his heart. You know that, don't you? Were you just leading him on all this time? That's just something a pirate would do, isn't it? Pretend to love someone, then leave them behind when it becomes inconvenient for you!?"
"SHUT UP!" Martin's mother jerked backward as Mary raised blazing eyes on her. "Don't you think...I knew this would happen when I got involved with him? Yes, I knew. And...I DIDN'T CARE! Because...I am a pirate...WHO IS IN LOVE!"
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Later, in the dead of that night, the back door banged open as Mary stumbled out of the house. Wiping a tear from her eye, she went off into the night.
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"Mary-san? Mary-san, where are you?" The light of Martin's lantern illuminated the girl lying up against a tree, knees curled up to her face. "Mary-san, what's wrong?" Mary turned her face away. "Go away." Martin blinked. "Excuse me?"
Fresh tears began to fall from the girl's eyes. "I said, go away, Martin! You shouldn't be around me!" Getting up, she turned and began to flee, but Martin reached out and grabbed hold of her arm. "Mary-san, please, tell me what's wrong!" Removing her arm, she slowly reached into her bag, removing her wanted poster and pressing it into his hands.
Martin studied the poster for a long moment. Shoulders shuddering, Mary turned away. She let out a surprised gasp as Martin hugged her from behind, enfolding the girl into a tight embrace. "I don't care if you're a pirate or a criminal. To me, you're only Mary, my friend, and the girl I love. You should know that."
Mary turned around and looked him in the eye. "Then...promise me something, Martin. No matter what happens, we'll meet again in this flower garden." Martin smiled. "Okay, I promise, Mary-san." Smiling again, Mary returned the embrace. "Thank you...Thank you, Martin!"
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"And of course, you know the rest of the story already. A few days after Adianne and her crew had arrived and conquered the island, I returned to this house to find..."
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Mary opened the door to the house and stepped inside. The last few days had been extremely hectic. Adianne and her crew had arrived, and lacking a proper police force, the island was quickly subdued and conquered. The men of the island were now put under martial law in the slums, while the women enjoyed lovely accomidations at the mansion. I didn't really care, as it didn't effect her living arrangements at all. This Adianne women was someone she could relate to, although they had not yet spoken personally.
Moving past the entrance, Mary entered the kitchen, grimacing as she saw Martin's mother sitting at the table. Despite Martin's acceptance of Mary, relations between the two had not improved at all. "Old woman, where is Martin?"
The old lady lifted her head and shrugged. "He's gone. They took him." Mary cocked an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? Who took him?" Martin's mother sighed, then continued. "Adianne came and took him away. He didn't even put up a fight. She looked him in the eye, her eyes glowed, and then he followed her out the door like a lost puppy."
Mary stood there for a moment, then turned and began to leave the room. "And just where are you going, Mary?" The petite girl looked over her shoulder. "Obviously, I'm going to break into that witch's mansion and choke her until she releases whatever it is she did to Martin. That is what I am going to do."
The old woman snorted. "Are you stupid? Even with your Devil's Fruit power, you can't hope to defeat all of Adianne's crew. You won't get near her before you're brought down." Mary turned angry eyes on the woman. "And what do you want me to do? The man I love has been kidnapped, and you expect me to do nothing?"
The old woman stood up, walking over to Mary. Lifting up her cane, she brought it down over the girl's head. "I don't expect you to do anything. But, keep this in mind; if you get yourself killed, Martin really will be heartbroken."
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"And that is more or less the size of the situation." Mary leaned back and sighed. "So, will you three help me?" Jack shrugged. "I already said I would. That woman has it coming." Smiling, the petite girl leaned over and gave Jack a grateful peck on the cheek. "Thank you, Monsieur Ossements."
Gerald looked over to Frank, who had been quiet during the story. "Frank, are you crying?" The shinobi reached inside his oni mask and sniffed. "It was a beautiful story..."
To be Continued...
In the dead of night, Jack and company begin their attack on Adianne's mansion. While Jack and Mary run on ahead, Frank and Gerald face off against two of Adianne's top officers. Unfortunately, Frank's Shinobi Code prevents him from attacking women. Can he overcome this, or will the two be defeated?
Next time, "I cannot strike! The shinobi's dilemma."
(I warned you. And if you need any help translating Mary's french, use this: