(~0~) Yo. One Piece rightfully belongs to Oda-sensei. Reviews are appreciated. Thanks for reading. Enjoy. (~0~)


Contemplation

There was nothing like eating a freshly made meal after a long day. Brenna scarfed down her fifth king salmon steak and still had plenty more room. She also had roasted potatoes, a variety of steamed veggies, buttered buns and different chowders. The workers in the restaurant were used to her massive appetite but they always wondered if she even breathes while she eats. She made sure she sat in the back away from the other patrons or went late at night just before closing.

"You're just like that kid from the other day," one of the waiters said as he brought her another bottle of wine.

"Ofver kid?" she questioned with a mouth full of garlic butter broccoli.

"Yeah he was wearing a straw hat. Came running in without winter clothes, demanding food. He ate just as much as you did."

Brenna swallowed. "That was Luffy."

"Luffy?"

"He's a pirate. His crewmates asked me to find him. Shame they'll be leaving tomorrow."

"He was an interesting fellow. Oh is there anything else I can get you Bren?"

She shook her head and the waiter left. Bren was her nickname the townspeople call her. She hardly ever hears her full name. Not that it bothered her. She quite liked it. Made her feel like she belonged. She finished up her meal with a smile, adding another plate to the pile and finishing it off with the wine. The slightly bitter fruity liquid warmed her. It wasn't enough to get her drunk though. Her tolerance for alcohol was a bit high. She left her payment, usually more than what they charged her because of how much she eats and said her goodbyes to some of the staff.

It was just after the sun had set and a half-moon was slowly rising in the sky. The snowfall had stopped and the clouds were slowly dispersing. Brenna felt serene. The night was her time. Before her dinner, she stopped by the office to drop off her backpack and shoes, leaving her barefoot for easy shifting. She went into her beast form and dashed down the street.

Like a dog with the zoomies, Brenna just ran around. She leaped onto the rooftops again and bolted across the brick, full of energy. Under the moonlight, the flecks of arctic blue shimmered and her eyes seem to glow brighter. She bounded off of the building tops towards the edge of a forest park, landing on all fours in the soft snow. She went racing through the trees in a blur of white. There were a few late-night walkers that didn't seem to notice her. She was like the wind to them.

She skidded to a stop when she reached the top of a small hill that overlooked the harbor. It was dim except for the oil lanterns lining the boardwalks and the shack where a few watchmen stay. She noticed there were already on their night patrols, going up and down the boardwalks in a slow walk. The wolf sat down in the snow and raised her head towards the sky with her eyes closed.

Brenna could forget about her worries when she was like this. She could forget about the nightmares she still has of the tragedy that happened on her home island four years ago. It was just her and the moon and the stars. When she opened her eyes, she was welcomed by the gentle shine of the heavenly lights.

She looked back down to the harbor, noticing there was a bright light coming from one of the ships. It was a small ship docked in harbor three. The pirates' ship. Even from where she sat, she could make out the figures of the crew on the deck. It looked like they were having a party of sorts. Curious, Brenna stood and made her descent. To have the privilege to be carefree sounded nice to the brunette. Not that she doesn't have her untroubled days. She understood how the world really was. How pirates that want to enjoy what the world has to offer are treated so poorly because of those that pillage and plunder simply because they can. She knows there were crews out there that just wanted to appreciate the freedom the oceans have for them.

Brenna always like pirates for that. Believing in the freedom of the seas. Even with the dangers of other pirates, bounty hunters, Marines and menacing beasts laying in wait for inexperienced sailors. She knew the stories. While this island was as peaceful as they come, some of the merchants and traders have anecdotes of their travels. Sometimes from their own accounts or what they heard from others. The world wasn't for the weak-willed. Even the slightest misstep could lead to disaster.

When Brenna was reaching closer to the ram-headed ship, she quietly leaped up to the deck of the closest vessel to watch them. She reverted back to her human form to climb the mast to the crow's nest. She carefully peered over the wood to their ship down below. She could see Luffy, Usopp and their deer friend dancing around with chopsticks shoved up their noses. Sanji was trying to flirt with the two women who were busy laughing at the absurdity. Zoro was minding his own business drinking.

They were so...lively and jovial. It made Brenna a little envious. She does love this town and the people who accepted her with open arms. They became her family. But why does watching them make her want to travel? Why was it she felt a pain in her heart knowing they would be leaving soon? To her, they didn't seem like pirates, like criminals Marines are always going on about. They looked like a family.

A heavy sigh passed her lips in a wispy breath. She has a family here. Chia and that old hag that runs the office. She has friends. The waiters at the restaurants. The men stationed at the outpost on White Tip. The nightwatchmen down at the harbor. So why?

Why does she want to...

She shook her head. "This is your home. You've made a life for yourself here."

Maybe when she gets older, she'll travel. That sounded good to her. She jumped over the crow's nest and shifted into the white wolf in mid-air, landing on the deck. The wooden planks creaked and the ship rocked softly from her impact. She hopped back down and trotted away from the harbor. She said her hellos to a couple of the watchmen as she passed, heading back up the stairs and down the lonely road to the office.

The light was still on as usual. There were several times they had emergency calls late at night. Chia was the one that stayed up at night just in case. Brenna returned to her human form just before entering the building when she was suddenly kicked in the face by a tiny elderly woman. The brunette went rolling across the street, smashing into the bakery on the other side. She was upside down and dazed at the unexpected action. She dropped over to her side, shaking her head. Her nose was bleeding.

"You're late!"

Brenna looked up at the old hag who was standing with her arms crossed. "You just kicked me. In the face."

"And I'll gladly do it again!"

The old hag was once a Marine a long time ago. Brenna doesn't know the whole story of how she ended up here and frankly she was too scared to ask. Her greying dark blue hair was always pulled back and her eyes of forest green were always scowling. She was shorter than Brenna by half a foot. She always acted like she ran the town. And people just let her. Work got done. She was the one that offered Brenna the job. Gave her a place to stay and never asked questions about where she came from. Just as long as she got the job done, she could stay. And as long as she wasn't late or else she'd be punished.

"Am I not allowed to take walks at night?"

"It's nearly 10:00 pm! You're supposed to be back an hour ago!"

"Since when did I have a curfew?"

"Since you started working. Now get your ass inside and rest. Can't have you tired on the job."

The brunette didn't move. It was more like her body refused to move. The old lady glared at her before stomping over. Brenna pushed herself into a sitting position. She felt weird, hesitant yet she didn't know why.

"Losing your hearing?"

"No it's just...I'm sorry."

"Something's eating at you. Let's have some tea and we can discuss it. Now."

The sudden change in her voice made Brenna move. It was kind of weird to not hear her yelling. She may seem like nothing more than an angry old granny, but she cares about what she does and the people of this island. The tourist too though she was a bit stricter with them. Brenna followed her up to the second floor where her office room was and sat on the couch in front of a pinewood desk. The old lady placed a kettle into the fireplace before joining her.

"What's on your mind?"

"You know those pirates? The ones that asked to look for one of their members?"

"The spunky orange-haired girl I remember. She was just like me in my younger days."

"What do you think of them?"

She snorted. "You're asking an ex-Marine what she thinks about pirates?"

"I'm not asking you as a Marine. You used to sail the seas just like pirates even though it was for a different reason. What was it like? To be out in the open water?"

The old woman cocked a brow at her. "Why are you asking me this? Do you want to leave?"

"Ah w-well I mean I-I was just c-curious about-"

"About damn time!"

"E-excuse me?"

The former Marine stood up as the kettle began to whistle. "Do you know how annoying your moping is?"

"My what?"

"I could tell as soon as I saw you, that you wanted to leave. You wanted to go back to the oceans. Something tells me you want to go with those pirates. You've always wanted to go with pirates."

Brenna was feeling conflicted. She knew she was right. But she can't just get up and leave. "I-I don't know what y-you're talking about."

"Oh no no no don't you be coy with me squirt. I've been around longer than you have. It was my job to hunt down pirates. I can tell just by looking at you. You've wanted to leave as soon as you arrived. The seas call to you, don't they? Like a siren."

"Y-you must be mistaken. I don-" She was karate chopped on top of her head. Hard. "What the hell was that for?!"

The old woman said nothing as she placed a hot cup of tea in front of her, joining her on the couch again. Brenna noticed her expression had changed. It was more gentle.

"You like to sit in high places and watch the ships. Whenever there were pirate ships arriving, you'd sit on top of the roofs to observe them. Don't think I didn't know."

Brenna went silent. She grabbed the warm cup and carefully took a sip. It was sweet and flowery. What she was saying was true. It became sort of a routine for her, she didn't realize what she was doing most of the time. The only time she was on a ship was when she left her home. Despite what had happened there was a sense of calm being on the open waters. But the question she kept asking herself was why was it that crew with the ram-headed ship making her want to leave?

"Brenna."

Hearing her name from the old lady startled her. She was expecting some long-winded "you are your own person do what you want" spiel. Instead she got a smack to the back of her head.

"Would you stop hitting me you stupid old hag!"

"If you're still here in the morning, I'm throwing you into the ocean."

"Wha..."

"It doesn't have to be that crew. Just leave this island already. Your moping is depressing." The old lady finished her tea and stood up to leave, stopping just before the door. "This world has a lot to give. Go see what it can offer you."

Brenna could only stare at the open door as the woman left. How was she supposed to respond to that? It was true though. There were plenty of other crews out there she could join. Of she could learn the basics of navigating and sail by herself. Yet those pirates...it could be because they were close to her in age. Or it was the carefree air about them just like her. They all looked so happy and enjoying themselves with their little party. Brenna wanted to be a part of that.

She set the cup on the table and flopped on the couch. Why them though? How many other pirate crews had stopped here? How many chances did she ignore? It was like some higher power was waiting for the proper crew to arrive on the island. Not that she believed in such things. She could just travel with them for a bit while she figures out what to do. If she ends up joining them then so be it. If she decided to stay on another island to hitch a ride on different crew then that was fine too.

Brenna started to chuckle which turned into a full-on laugh. What had she done to have this thrown into her face? Maybe it was a family curse she wasn't aware of. A curse to forever hear the song of the sea and sail over those hills of blue waters. Maybe it was her destiny. She remembered her father always talked about missing the ocean, but after starting a family he made that his priority.

"Oh what the hell?"