A/N: Ahoy, readers! Genysis here! Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to read this story. This is my first time writing fanfiction for One Piece so I'm a little nervous, but also really excited to share this story with everyone. Please take the time to like/follow and leave me any feedback you have or any ideas for things you might want to see!
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or its characters, only my own characters that I've tossed into this story.
Thank you!
"Mommy? Why hasn't Daddy come home yet?"
A small child looks to her mother with tears welling in her big icy blue eyes. The mother chokes back a sob and struggles to keep her composure for the benefit of the girl. Slowly, she lowers herself to the girl's level and puts a firm hand on her small shoulder.
"My sweet, darling Nevia."
They've had this conversation before. It's been three months since her father disappeared. Her mother knows that she's too young and too innocent to fully grasp the situation. Still, her mother's heart breaks just a little every time she asks the question. Her belief that her father will come home despite what she's been told time and time again is so strong, so unwavering. Her mother can't help but wonder when it will finally sink in for the child, though she dreads the day that it does.
"Promise me something, sweet girl," her mother says with an ache in her voice that she can't understand. She nods once firmly, putting on a brave face for her haggard mother though the tears running down her cheeks break her façade in an instant.
"Promise me that you will never stop trying to see the good in others. Promise me that you will stay my precious little songbird forever." Her mother's voice cracks on the last word, and the girl is suddenly awash with panic.
"Mommy, what's wrong?" she asks shakily, grabbing her mother's arm with small hands.
"Nothing, sweet girl," her mother reassures her. "Just please promise me."
The girl nods once, letting go of her mother's arm and moving to hug her as tightly as her four-year-old body can. "I promise, Mommy. Don't worry about Daddy. I'll love you enough for the both of us until he come home."
The mother stifles another sob and wraps her arms around her small treasure as tears begin to spill from her own eyes. She prays to whatever gods might exist that her child knows no pain and no suffering, too pure and innocent for this cruel world that they live in.
"Mommy?" the girl asks, pulling back ever so slightly.
"Yes, my Nevie?"
"If I sing for you, will you smile again?"
The mother quickly wipes the tears from her eyes and nods. "Yes, Nevie. That would make me very happy."
The girl jumps with joy and, pulling her mother's arm, leads her over to a wooden stool. Once her mother is seated comfortably, she opens her mouth and begins to sing the lullaby that her mother sang to her when she was a baby.
As she sees the tension leave her mother's body, she vows to herself to always to keep her promise and to do whatever it takes to keep her mother happy.
Whatever it takes.
"Oi! Wake up!"
A sleeping girl is jolted awake by the sound of metal on metal. A dream of memories long passed is swiftly replaced by a harsh reality as she sits up and squints through the slits of sunlight that pour into her prison cell. She moves to stretch her arms, numb from sleep, only to be stopped by a heavy pair of shackles around her wrists.
"Did you hear me? I said wake up!"
The grating metal sound comes again and the girl immediately cringes in response.
"Enough, Kaiser, I'm awake," she growls through clenched teeth. "What the hell do you want?'
"Captain wants you," the man, Kaiser, says in a deep raspy voice.
"Of course he does," the girl mutters under her breath. With some difficulty, she pulls herself to her feet and moves to stand by the door of the metal cage she's called home for the past four years.
Without taking his eyes off of her, Kaiser pulls out a weighty key ring and uses one of its many keys to unlock the cell door. Forcefully, he grabs the girl by the arm and shoves her forward. She stumbles clumsily out of the dank cell and into the sunlight.
"Bastard," she curses under her breath.
In response, Kaiser grabs her by her navy-blue ponytail and yanks it back so that she's forced to look sideways at his stubble-covered face.
"What was that, you little bitch?" he spits angrily.
"Nothing," the girl says sharply.
Kaiser releases hold of her ponytail and shoves her forward again.
"That's what I thought. Now move. You don't want to keep your captain waiting."
The girl rolls her icy blue eyes but says nothing else. She walks forward in silence, acutely aware of the sword that Kaiser has pointed at the small of her back. She's tempted to ask what the captain wants with her this time, but she knows full well what the tip of that sword will do to her if she provokes Kaiser any further.
Sighing, the girl takes in their surroundings as they walk. For four long years she's been stuck on this ship surrounded by sleazy men with horrible hygiene and bad drinking habits. Every morning she wonders if this will be the day that she finally escapes. Every night she goes to sleep in her cell without any hope for tomorrow. It is an endless cycle that she would give anything to be rid of.
"Ah, there's my Nevia."
The girl freezes at a voice that sends chills down her spine. Without realizing it, they've reached the top deck of the ship where a crowd of crewmates stands to greet them. At the forefront of the group sitting in an ornate throne is the captain of The Black Rose Corsairs, Duke Houston.
"Houston," Nevia says with venom in her voice.
Sensing her malice, Kaiser jabs the captive with the tip of his sword. In response, Nevia lets out a whimper before falling forward onto her knees.
"Now, now, Kaiser. There's no need for that. I'd rather you not damage my precious little bird. I have a task for her and I need her in top shape," Houston says with a crooked grin.
Kaiser bows in compliance and hauls the girl back to her feet before stepping away.
"Little Bird, I have a new mission for you," Houston says sweetly, causing Nevia's empty stomach to churn.
"This evening, we will be docking at an island in the Holynet Chain. This particular island is home to many esteemed noble families."
Nevia tenses, knowing all too well what her mission will be before Houston even says it.
"Most of you men will be heading into town to gather supplies. The rest of you dogs will be staying behind to make sure that my Little Bird completes her task without fail!" He turns his attention back to Nevia specifically.
"You, my pet, will use that alluring voice of yours to lure as many noble children as you can away from their precious homes. When you've got them close enough to the ship, the men that stayed behind will capture them and bring them aboard," Houston explains, his eyes dark and crazed. "I'm sure those damned noble families will pay handsomely to have their little runts returned to them."
A hearty laugh breaks out among the crew along with a handful of cheers and the sound of guns being fired into the sky. Unlike the rest, Nevia does not react. She's all too used to this sort of scheme from the Black Rose captain.
"Kaiser, remove this bird's shackles," Houston commands once the crew has calmed down
Without a word, Kaiser grabs Nevia's arm once more and wrenches her backwards causing her to stumble. A moment later, the shackles that were around Nevia's wrists clatter noisily to the deck. A sense of relief washes over Nevia as she's finally able to stretch her sore arms above her head.
"Thank you, Kaiser," Nevia says sweetly, causing the man to scowl.
With the shackles no longer draining all of the energy from her body, Nevia is able to unfurl a large pair of jet-black wings from her back and stretch them out to their full length of fourteen feet from tip to tip. Though aware that several crewmen are now pointing loaded guns at her, she can't help but flap her wings downward and rise several feet into the air. A couple of the men ooh and aah at the girl now hovering above them, and despite her situation she can't help but to chuckle. One would think that after four years of exposure to her Devil Fruit ability, they would all be used to it by now. Not wanting to push her luck, Nevia allows herself to land gracefully back onto the deck of the ship.
"Little Bird, you understand that I will not allow failure?" Houston asks sharply.
"Yes, Captain. Of course," Nevia says obediently. Having just gotten her wings back for the first time in what has felt like ages, she's eager to keep them for as long as she can.
"Good girl," Houston says causing the winged girl to cringe inwardly. "If you impress me tonight, I may let you keep your wings for a while longer."
Hours later, when the sun has begun to set on the horizon, one of Houston's men comes to collect Nevia from her seastone prison cell. "The captain says it's time," the man says as he flashes her a sympathetic smile.
Nevia knows this man well. His name is Early Bristol. Since her arrival on the Black Rose four years ago, Bristol has been one of the very few bright spots in her life. He has always seemed to take pity on the captive girl, sneaking her extra meals when he can and occasionally allowing her to stretch her wings without anyone else knowing.
"Thank you, Bristol," Nevia says with a smile as she rises to her feet. Per the captain's request, Nevia wears a dark blue knee-length gown that matches her navy-blue hair perfectly. Her hair has been taken out of its usual up-do and cascades in long dark waves down her back.
"Wow," Bristol says almost shyly as he rubs the back of his neck with one hand. "You really do look like an angel in that get-up."
Nevia chuckles nervously and takes a moment to examine herself. "It's all Houston. He wants me to play the part, and really what choice do I have," she says with a sad smile.
Bristol nods in understanding and unlocks the cell door, holding it open for her to exit. Unlike Kaiser, Bristol doesn't bother yanking her out of the cell or pointing a sword at her back.
"You can do this, right? Because you know what will happen if you let the captain down."
Nevia takes a deep breath and nods once. "I know. Don't worry. If all goes to plan, we'll capture the kids and they'll be released unharmed once their parents pay the ransoms. Houston's pockets will be lined with enough beli to keep him happy for a while."
Bristol nods and leads her out onto the deck without another word.
Outside, the ship is quiet with the majority of Houston's men either running errands in the town or getting into position for Nevia's big performance. Nevia takes a moment to stretch her wings out and inhales deeply. As the island air fills her lungs, she slips momentarily into a day dream.
She thinks back to the day she got her wings. She was four then, living happily in Water 7 with her mother and father. She had no shortage of friends, and they would often get together after their schooling hours to play pirates on the outskirts of the island. They spent a decent amount of time by the Franky Family house playing pranks and running away from the group of scavengers despite numerous pleas from their families to leave that house alone. One day, when an eerie looking ship was docked at Water 7, Nevia and her friends decided to sneak aboard the ship to see what sort of treasure they could find. There, Nevia came across a peculiar yellow fruit covered in odd markings. Hiding the fruit in her backpack, she took it off of the ship and brought it back with her.
That night at dinner, Nevia proudly showed off the fruit to her parents. Before they had the chance to stop her, she bit a large chunk off of the fruit and swallowed it. She collapsed on the floor in a fit, and a moment later a pair of black feathery wings had sprouted from her back.
Life changed drastically for Nevia after that. The morning after eating the Devil Fruit, her father had vanished without a trace. Her mother became a sad, tired woman. Most of her friends' parents stopped them from seeing her out of fear for something they didn't understand. She began spending more and more time by the Franky Family house over the next several years, even helping them dismantle scrap ships on more than one occasion.
What she wouldn't give to go back to those days...
Snapping out of the daydream, Nevia shakes her head and resolves herself to focus on the task at hand.
"Uh-huh. Okay. I'll let her know."
Bristol returns a baby Den Den Mushi to his shirt pocket and throws a glance in Nevia's direction. "That was Fisk. Everyone is in position and awaiting your performance," he says with a gentlemanly bow.
Nevia nods once and with a strong downstroke of her wings, she takes off into the sky.
In a mere minute, she has reached her destination. She lands soundlessly behind a house on the edge of the town square. Without looking around, she knows that several of Houston's men are hiding in the surrounding trees and brush. She can hear groups of children playing in the streets and knows that it's time for her performance to begin. Nevia takes a deep breath, opens her mouth and begins to sing.
Come little children
I'll take thee away
Into a land of enchantment
Come little children
The time's come to play
Here in my garden of shadows
The first line of the lullaby does its trick. Dropping their toys where they stand, the precious naïve younglings look to the center of the square. There stands a beautiful winged girl in a flowing dress with long dark hair. They are captivated by her immediately, minds filling with wonder at this girl with the voice and appearance of an angel.
Follow sweet children
I'll show thee the way
Through all the pain
And the sorrows
Weep not poor children
For life is this way
Murdering beauty and passions
As she sings, Nevia stoops down to touch several of the children on the head with a feather touch. She can see it in their eyes, the alluring draw that her lullaby has caused. She moves through the square one step at a time, her body light as air. To the bewildered children, it almost looks like she's floating. One by one and without much thought, they begin to follow her as the lullaby continues.
Hush now dear children
It must be this way
Too weary of life
And deceptions
Rest now my children
For soon we'll away
Into the calm and the quiet
With each sweet note, the pied piper leads the entranced children away from the square, away from their homes and families. 'This is too easy,' Nevia thinks to herself. Then again, it always is. With one look, she can tell that they've nearly reached the point where the children are to be taken. She knows that it's time for the final verse of the lullaby, so she sings.
Come little children
I'll take thee away
Into a land of enchantment
Come little children
The time's come to play
Here in my garden of shadows
As the song comes to a close, Nevia spins gracefully to face the children. She smiles sweetly at them, and waves with one hand as she takes flight into the quickly darkening sky. They all watch her in amazement, too stunned to take any notice of the men that are creeping towards them with large burlap sacks.
It's over in seconds. With no time to run or scream, the men descend on the clueless flock of sheep. Nevia does not stay to watch, instead taking off like a rocket towards the ship. Her stomach churns with a feeling of disgust at her own actions. The moment she touches down on the deck of the ship, she runs to the railing and leans her head over. She is immediately sick, expelling the only food she's had all day from her body. Nevia wretches again before falling to her knees in a shaking heap. She can hear the sound of cheering behind her as Houston's men begin to board with their captives in hand. None of the crew pay the ill girl any mind, save for one.
"I take it your performance was a success?" Bristol asks as he kneels down beside her.
Nevia doesn't answer, wrapping her arms around her waist. Her body is wracked with sobs, her mind reeling. No matter how many times Houston forces her to do this, it never gets any easier. She always seems to have the same adverse reaction.
"Come on," Bristol says, grabbing Nevia under her arms and hoisting her to her feet. "Let's get you out of here."
"Not so fast," a deep voice says from behind them. With Nevia in Bristol's arms, they turn to see Kaiser standing with his sword drawn.
"The captain wishes to see his bird in his private chambers," Kaiser says with a nasty smirk plastered to his face.
"Kaiser, please," Bristol pleads with the grizzly man. "Can't you see that Nevia is not well? She needs food and a good night's sleep."
This sends Kaiser over the edge, and he points his sea-stone tipped sword as the base of Bristol's throat.
"You dare to defy the will of your captain?" he demands, fury in his eyes.
Bristol stands shocked for a moment before releasing his hold on Nevia. "No, of course not," he mutters in defeat.
"Good," Kaiser says firmly, grabbing Nevia's arm with his free hand. "Try a stunt like that again and I'll cut you down where you stand. And you," he says, turning to Nevia. "You will come with me this instant. Unless of course you'd rather be a caged bird again."
Biting her tongue hard enough to draw blood, Nevia shakes her head and allows the terrible Kaiser to lead her the captain's quarters in silence.
Once they've reached their destination, Kaiser opens the door to Houston's chambers and forces Nevia inside. Her balance lost, she falls to her knees on the floor in front of Houston. The captain is sitting on the edge of an extravagant bed with a bottle of rum in his hand and his shirt halfway undone.
"There she is," the captain announces, his breath reeking of alcohol. "My precious little songbird!" He lets out a bellowing laugh before reaching down to cup Nevia's chin hard. "Your performance tonight was perfect, simply splendid. Thanks to you, this time tomorrow I'll be rolling in beli!" With another laugh, Houston turns Nevia's face towards him. "Worry not, Little Bird. I'll hold up my end. You'll be permitted to keep your wings until this time tomorrow. So long as, of course, you see fit to show me a good time tonight."
Nevia freezes, fixing her wide gaze on the lustful gleam in Houston's eyes as they rake over her figure. She begins to struggle then, tearing her chin away from his gasp and scooting backwards towards the door. This act is enough to anger the drunken captain, and he strikes Nevia's cheek hard with a quivering hand.
Nevia winces from the blow and scrambles to her feet as Houston begins to scream at her.
"You dare deny me, you monstrous little bitch?" he spits, jumping to his feet as well. "You'll pay dearly for that! Kaiser!"
Everything happens in a flash. Houston grabs Nevia by the arm as Kaiser throws open the chamber door. Nevia, acting on her feet, spits the blood that she's been collecting from her tongue into Houston's face. The enraged captain screams and stumbles backwards, subsequently releasing his hold on the frightened girl. Before Kaiser has a chance to react, Nevia snaps her wings open and uses them to shoot out of the room as fast as she can. Unable to effectively slow herself at this speed, she collides with the first person she sees who just so happens to be Bristol.
"Grab her!" Kaiser roars from behind them.
As Kaiser runs after the girl, Bristol quickly pushes her away.
"Go, Nevia! Leave now! Fly away and don't look back!" Bristol shouts in a panicked voice.
With very little time to think, Nevia pushes off of the deck with her feet and brings her wings down hard. In a matter of seconds, she's hovering high above the ship looking down on her captors. It doesn't take her long to see that Kaiser is making a mad dash towards Bristol.
"Bristol!" she cries, angling her body downwards to rescue him.
"No!" Bristol yells, causing Nevia to freeze. "Don't worry about me! JUST GO!"
A split second later, the sound of metal tearing through flesh fills the air. Tears well in Nevia's eyes as she watches Bristol fall to his knees.
"Bristol, no..."
"Captain! She's getting away!" Kaiser screams towards the direction of the captain's quarters.
She sees Houston emerge from his room, his expression one of pure unadulterated anger. "Stop her! Shoot her down if you have to!"
A new wave of fear courses through Nevia's body as gunshots ring out around her. She flaps her wings as hard as she can to try and escape the barrage of bullets. As she dodges and rolls in the air, a searing pain tears through one of her wings straight into her shoulder and she knows that she's been hit. Determined not to let Bristol's valiant sacrifice be in vain, Nevia grinds her teeth together and flaps harder. Finally, she manages to soar out of the range of their weapons and makes her escape into the night.
Nevia's heart pounds with adrenaline as she flies faster than she ever has. Though she can feel the bullet that's lodged itself in her shoulder, she does not feel the pain. She knows, however, that once the adrenaline wears off, she'll be in trouble. She just has to keep flying until that time comes. 'But where will I go?' she thinks to herself. She knows that Houston won't give up easily. There's not a shadow of a doubt that he will come looking for her. There are, after all, only so many places in the New World where she can hide safely. Her best bet may very well be to stow away on another ship until her wound is healed then make her way to the Grand Line.
Shaking her head, Nevia decides that right now she needs to focus on finding somewhere to land before the full extent of her injury sinks in. All that matters is that after four years as Duke Houston's prisoner, she's free.
And she is never going back.