Climb aboard! The world of One Piece is filled with wonder and awe. And it seems like anything can happen!
Calalili is introduced in this intro piece and we will see more of her and her background as the story continues. I own nothing of One Piece. Calalili is my own made up character. I also kind of make up cities and villages for my own sake; just roll with it.
PS: I hate writing intros...
It was early in the morning, fog still sat along the ocean's top as the orange sun peaked over the horizon. The little sailboat floated on steadily with the help of the light breeze. It had been a few days since the pirate duo had seen anything else besides the two of them and the blue sea. So naturally, Luffy's obnoxious snoring was driving Zoro mad.
The green-haired man glared at his sleeping captain. It was too early to be up. What a beautiful morning wasted, he could be sleeping right now, enjoying it. A low growl grew in Zoro's throat, "Grrr Dammit, Luffy! We're going to need a bigger ship if I want to get a decent night's sleep." Luffy let out a sigh, never waking up from his slumber. What's with this guy? Zoro thought. He had only recently teamed up with the young pirate captain, not used to his quirky ways yet. So far, pirate life wasn't all that different from what he was used to doing. A yawn came from Zoro's mouth. He rubbed his eyes and leaned back against the ship. He blinked a few times, his eyes searching the horizon. It was hard to make out, but he thought he saw something ahead as the fog dwindled down.
"Hey, Luffy," Zoro prodded his sleeping captain, "I think there's land up ahead." Luffy didn't miss a beat with his snoring. "Luffy. Dammit, Luffy," grumbled Zoro. "I SAID GET UP!" He yelled, throwing a punch at Luffy's head.
"Owwwww, what'd you do that for?" Luffy complained. He rubbed the sore spot on his head, feeling a bump forming.
Zoro sighed, "I said there's land up there. Look."
A massive grin overtook Luffy's face once he saw where Zoro was pointing. "OOOHHH YEAH! I bet they have meat there! Let's go!"
Zoro laughed, "Aye, aye, Captain."
The village the pair docked their boat at wasn't overly large, but there was enough to have several restaurants and shops to get whatever they needed. The first and foremost important thing on the list, was to find a decent meal. As Luffy darted as fast as he could to the closest one, Zoro cursed under his breath before he ran after him. The sand cloud he followed stopped in front of little pub, the door was still swinging from the young captain barging into the building. Zoro pushed the door open and entered the pub, scanning the room. A gang of rowdy pirates sat near the middle of the place, being loud and drinking heavily. A few innocent bystanders, who were just trying to enjoy their meal, sat at the far surrounding tables, attempting to ignore the noisy group. Sitting at the bar, was a straw-hat wearing kid in a red shirt. "Come on, old timer! I want some meat! Meat meat meat!" Luffy chanted. Zoro chuckled in response; this kid was something else. He took the bar stool next to his captain, ordering a drink. Actually, a hot meal sounded good too, but first, drinks.
A while later, after their stomachs were finally full, Zoro felt a nap would be just what he needed. However, he couldn't turn down the ale the bartender kept filling his mug with. "I haven't seen you two around these parts, what brings you to New Farhampton?" the barkeep inquired.
Luffy laughed, "I'm finding a crew for my pirate ship!"
"You-you're looking for a pirate crew? I'd be careful about saying such things around here…"
"How come?"
The reason the bartender was about to tell Luffy, came stumbling up to the bar. "A pirate crew, you say?! You should join my crew! We're the best in the land!" The man that approached Luffy was on the short and stocky side, reeked of booze, and had an untamed beard.
With Luffy being curious, he responded, "Really? Who are you?"
A bellow roared from the stout man, "Why, I'm the Dread Pirate Wesley! Feared throughout the east blue! You haven't heard of me?"
"Nope."
Again, the intruder laughed, "You must've heard of me! Men talk of how I cut them to shreds with razor sharp blades! How I'm swift like a cat, ready to pounce on my prey! My enemies stand no chance! Their treasures are never safe. For I AM THE DREAD PIRATE WESLEY!"
"Wow, are you really that good? You don't look like you would be."
Luffy's comment stunned the pirate. "How dare you! You can't insult me like that! I will cut you to shreds!"
Zoro's hand rested on the hilt of his sword, ready to defend his captain, when a feminine snicker captured his ears. "I doubt it. I don't think that guy can even lift a sword." Zoro shifted in his seat to locate the voice. His eyes landed on a corner table, occupied by a single woman. Her hair, snow-white, was held up in a loose bun with strands falling near the front of her face.
"Keep quiet, bar wench!"
"Hmm, bar wench? I haven't been called that before," the woman mused, taking a sip from her own mug of ale. "And I've been called a lot of things. In my experience, the one who yells the loudest usually has the most to hide."
The pirate Wesley glared at the lady as she continued to enjoy her drink. He hadn't notice her before, but he thought he would have seen the attractive woman come into the bar. By whatever means though, she had to be silenced. "And just what would you know? Someone like you wouldn't know the first thing about being a pirate! Especially not someone who has never heard of the terrors of the Dread Pirate Wesley!"
At this point, the woman set the mug down on the table. Calmly, she tilted her head towards the men, revealing deep purple eyes. Her clothing was simple, a button-down white tank top, black jeans, and knee-high blue boots. "Man, I've heard of this Wesley pirate. I'm not impressed. I think you're just a lot of talk. And I know plenty about pirates and weapon handling, amongst other things. And I must tell you, I know three things that you clearly don't." She leaned back in the chair, draping her shoulder over the back of it, giving them a sheepish grin. The two men did nothing but stare at the newcomer, unsure of who she was or what her intentions were; but mildly curious to learn what she stated to know. However, the third, self-claimed pirate captain wasn't as interested in what the woman had to say, and he unsheathed the sword at his side. The woman continued to speak, "Firstly, you should really pay the nice people for the drinks and food they've provided you. More, actually, considering that they had to put up with your sorry ass."
The man growled, "Don't think you can tell me what to do, girly. Who says I'm done with my feast here?"
"Me, cause I'm arresting you."
"How dare you!" Wesley drew his sword and pointed it at the woman.
She simply smiled at him and reached for the mug once more, bringing it to her lips. "Second," she paused to chug her drink, "you are not the Dread Pirate Wesley. You're Markus Wald, a small-time pirate around these waters. Not overly dangerous, but annoying enough to land on my radar. Figured I was in town, and a bounty is a bounty, no matter how small." The man lunged his sword forward, full intent on stabbing it into her chest. Her boot swung up, kicking the blade with enough force to send it flying through the air. "This can be totally painless if we do it the easy way, but for whatever reason, no one ever picks the easy way. Why is that?" The woman stood, smoothing out her shirt.
She seemed to be totally unfazed by the attack or the commotion caused by the sword piercing into the wall across the bar. She looked back at her attacker only to see the barrel of a gun in her face. She groaned, "Ugh, guns? I hate guns. They're so impersonal." In a blink of an eye, the woman crouched low just as the triggered was pulled. From the knee-high blue boots, she pulled out two large daggers. She swung one arm up, the blade slicing through the gun the man held. She pounced, her shoulder pounding into the man's abdomen. He keeled over as the wind was knocked out of him. She took the opportunity to swing around, bringing the butt of the dagger to collide with the man's temple with enough force to send him hard into the ground. She stood still, her eyes never leaving the man; she needed to make sure he was down for the count. She waited a few moments, and when there wasn't movement from the man, she figured it was safe to sheath her knives. She stepped towards the table she previously sat, taking the blue jacket that hung on the chair. She grabbed the large, black tricorn hat that laid besides the chair and tugged it on top of her head.
"Now as I was saying, guns are so impersonal, no feeling behind them. If you're going to watch the light fade from my eyes, at least have the courtesy to run me through with a fricken broad sword," she turned towards Zoro and Luffy, who were abnormally silent through the whole ordeal. She winked at Zoro, "You know what I'm talking about it." Zoro's cheeks turned a soft shade of pink, his hand finding the hilt of his sword. She leant down to grab hold of the unconscious man, grunting as she tried to heave the body from where it lay, "Alright, I have to get this asshole out of here. I'll pay my tab when I get back, okay?"
The bartender blinked a few times, realizing the woman was addressing him, "Oh! Yes! No problem! Take your time!"
The woman managed to drag the body halfway out the front door when Luffy cried out, "Wait! Hold on!" She glanced back to the young boy, thinking maybe he wanted to claim the bounty as his own. She stood still, waiting to see if he would attack. Luffy's expression was serious, "What about the last thing?"
"…What?"
"You said you know three things that old guy didn't know. You only told us two. So what's the last thing? I wanna know!"
She stared, stunned at the boy in the straw hat. He was really concerned with gaining the information she had. She laughed, relieved, "That's true. I didn't say anything about that. I guess I wasn't aware I had an attentive audience." She dropped the man she carried; a loud thud filled the room as the body hit the floor. She turned around to face the few people, focusing on Luffy and Zoro. "Alright, you guys ready?"
"Yes! Tell us! Tell us! Tell us!"
She winked, "And for the third thing… I'm the Dread Pirate Wesley."
"Wwwhhaat?!" Luffy shouted, "No way!"
"And I'm not a pirate at all. I'm a bounty hunter. See ya!" She took hold of the man she knocked out and dragged him out the door.
Zoro chuckled to himself, "Bounty hunter, huh? She must do well for herself. Did you see those daggers?" He took a quick look at Luffy and groaned. The captain wasn't paying attention to the swordsman at all.
Luffy couldn't contain his enthusiasm. He was vibrating from excitement. "That-was so-COOL! Zoro! Did you see that! She was so fast! Zoro! I want her to join us!"
"Really? You think you can convince her?"
"I have to try! She's gonna be part of my crew! Hey old guy!" he spun to the bartender, "What's with that girl!"
The bartender stuttered, "She, uh, she arrived a few days ago. She's been staying here. I'm sorry, but that's all I know."
"So…she's a mystery girl. Zoro! Come on! Let's go find her!"
The bounty hunter strolled through the village; the sun was beginning its decline, coloring everything in a soft orange haze. Taking in the annoying fake pirate took longer than expected, but it was hard for a town like this to come up with the berries for the reward so quickly. It was normally quiet around these parts, so they didn't have much to worry about; meaning they did not have a fund for the bounty rewards that popped up. She patiently waited while the local marines scrambled to pay her. It was fine, she didn't have anything else she needed to tend to for the night.
She opened the doors to the pub and moved straight for the bar. "Hey, I'm back," she addressed the bartender. She pulled out a small parcel, setting it on the bar top. "I hope this covers any damage I caused from earlier today. Plus, a little to cover my bar tab, and maybe some of that fake pirate's too."
The bartender stared at the sack, stunned. He stuttered, "Uh, uh, of course! But there wasn't much damage! And you paid for most of your stay already! Are you sure you don't want to keep the rest of this for yourself?"
"No, it's yours. I don't need it."
"T-thank you! You've been so kind to us! No one even knows your name here."
The woman gave him a small smile, "You can just call me Cali. I'm going to turn in for the night. If anything comes up, I'll be upstairs in my room; You can come get me and I'll come down to help."
"Oh thank you! OH! I almost forgot. Two guys were asking about you from before."
"What guys?"
"Uh, one guy had green hair and carried three swords. The other one wore a red vest and had a straw hat. I never got their names."
"Straw hat kid…hmmm…" she muttered. "Well, thanks!" She headed for the stairway, towards the left and a bit back of the bar and took the stairs up to get to the room she rented.
The room was on the smaller side, just a bed and a closed off bathroom. She didn't need anything fancy for the few days she was staying in town. What was nice about the room is it came with a tiny balcony overlooking the street below. Cali leaned against the railing, watching the sky turn dark. The village was winding down for the night; the shopkeepers were closing up and people were disappearing into their houses. This was a nice place, but Cali couldn't stay here. She'd probably gather supplies she needs tomorrow and set sail once more. She sighed; the life of a bounty hunter left her by herself most days, but she was used to it. She was 23 years young, a bounty hunter since she was 16, and an orphan since she was 4. Through most of her life, she learned to rely on herself. It didn't stop the lifestyle from being lonely sometimes. She stared up at the sky, deep in thought, not registering that someone was yelling at her in the distance, "Hey! Hey pretty lady! Pretty pirate bounty hunter lady!" She blinked a few times, realizing somebody was trying to address her. She peered down at the street to see the duo from the bar. "Hey! We've been looking all over for you!" the kid laughed, "I want you to join my crew!"
"Your crew?"
"Yup! I'm Luffy! I'm going to be king of the pirates!"
Cali stared at the young man for a few moments before giggling, "King of the pirates? That's nice, kid, but I'm not a pirate."
"That's okay! Neither was Zoro. I think you'd be perfect for my crew. Hold on, I'm coming up."
"Wait, what-" but before Cali could object, Luff's arms stretched, his hands holding onto the railing in front of her.
Zoro chimed in, "Luffy, wait! Don't do that!"
"Do what?" Luffy turned his head to the swordsman.
"What you always do. You're going to freak her out if you do that."
"Do what? Oh! You mean this? Gum gum rocket!" and Luffy catapulted his body upwards. "Hey! Look up there! I think that's a bird! You think I can catch it?" With that, Luffy forgot about Cali. Instead, he flew past her and into the sky, after the bird he saw.
Cali strained her neck, watching him stretch past her. She couldn't believe her eyes. Was he…rubber? That was new for her. She watched him soar higher, her neck going back as far as it could go. She stepped backwards, attempting to gain a better look. Her heel slipped on a rock, though it was small, she was distracted enough that she lost her balance and gasped when she felt herself go over the rail. She was so memorized by the realization she met someone with Devil Fruit powers, she didn't even care if she fell on her ass two stories below. "Wow" she mumbled. Devil Fruit powered individuals were far and few in the East Blue. She's met a lot of people, and met a few with these special powers, but not enough that she was always in awe with the ones she did meet.
As the woman fell, she prepared to land heavy on her back. Yeah, it would hurt a little, but she's had worse. She shut her eyes, anticipating the ground coming up fast. But then, something stopped the impact. Something, no, two somethings curled their selves under her knees and her lower back. Then, she wasn't falling anymore. She felt a very warm body against hers causing her to open her eyes. She stared up at the face of the man with green hair, who smirked back at her, "Luffy will do that to you. Just give it some time, you'll get used to it."
Cali snickered, "Sure, Tiger. Now put me down. I don't let strange men touch me unless I tell them to." Zoro gawked for a long second then dropped his grip from the woman.
Cali straightened up and did a once over of the man in front of her. He was a little taller than her, not by much but then again, she wore heels. His face was quite handsome and still young. His shoulders were broad, and the rest of his arms looked strong. Cali blushed and turned away quickly when she found herself being memorized by his chest. "So… how long before the other guy comes back down?"
Zoro sighed, scratching his head, "Probably a minute yet. He went up pretty high."
"Does this happen often?"
"Yeah. Like I said, you'll get used to it."
"What makes you think I'll stick around long enough to get used to it?"
Zoro cocked his head at her comment, "Hear Luffy out. He has a strange way of convincing people. I didn't think I'd join him, but we were in a difficult situation, and I made up my mind after he helped me out. He's also extremely stubborn."
Her eyes stayed on his, trying to figure out what exactly his intentions were. There didn't seem to be any ill-content in them. She couldn't feel anything off vibe-wise. This man felt…honest. She hummed in response, turning her gaze back up to the sky. Even though there was no way she was trading in her bounty hunter status for an official pirate name, she thought maybe these two wouldn't be bad company for a little while. They didn't seem like the low-life pirates she usually hunted down.
"I'm Cali, by the way," she reached her hand out to the man. "Calalili Wesley. Cali for short."
He hesitated before taking her hand in his, "Oh, hey. I'm Roronoa Zoro."
She gaped at him, "Ro-… Wait. You're Zoro? As in Pirate Hunter Zoro?"
He chuckled, "To be honest, I never gave myself that name. How did you get the title of Dread Pirate Wesley?"
"Hah! I have no idea how that ever happened. I guess we have that in common."
"Yeah, I guess we do. Oh, that guy that went flying is Luffy." Zoro glanced up to the sky, "Speak of the devil…" The sound of Luffy screaming caught Cali's ears and she looked up to see where he was falling from. He was flailing as he came down fast. Cali's eyes went wide when she felt Zoro wrap his arm around her waist, "We should probably move this way." He moved her back a few steps. She stared at him in disbelief. She was about to protest his actions but at the moment, Luffy crash-landed in the spot she previously stood. The pair was silent as they watched the dust settle.
Poor Luffy was rubbing his head, "That really hurt! Zoro, you should have caught me!"
"Are you crazy! I'm not here to clean up your mistakes! You're the one that did that to yourself in the first place! You can deal with the consequences!"
"But you're supposed to be strong! You could have caught me!"
"That's not why I'm here!"
Cali stared at the two bickering. It was childish and hilarious. She attempted to stifle her laughing by covering her mouth but as the fight went on, she couldn't hold it in anymore. Her laugh caught the attention of the two men, halting their fight. She tried to ask them a question between gasping for breath, "Can I buy you guys a drink?"