Chapter 26: Being a Kid Again
"Land ahoy!" Shachi shouted as he pointed at the piece of land.
All of the Heart Pirates gathered around the railing in a disorderly line, and leaned over it, while watching the island they were about to dock. Rinka was wearing a nice warm sweater and black legging since the temperature had gotten a bit colder. It was pretty obvious that this island had an autumn climate.
"I hope they have a hotel or something like that," Thorn smiles, already imagining how much he will drink.
"I hope there is a good brothel."Jasper exclaimed, which made Rinka roll her eyes at disprovall.
The town looked like a mix of traditional and modern architecture as the buildings were constructed from wood and stone. Most had a more traditional style with sliding doors and Shoji, while others used brick and stones for their walls.
After the Heart Pirates docked the submarine , Law ordered Penguin to go search for an inn while the rest of them waited at the docks.
"Hey you guys, I found a place to stay for the night."Penguin said while walking back from the town with a smiling face.
"That's good to know." Law exclaimed with a small smirk as well.
"Were there any hot babes there?"Micheal, one of the cooks asks with a pink blushing face.
Penguin only nodded with a big goofy grin plaster on his face as well.
Rinka only rolled her eyes about how the Heart Pirates reacted when Penguin said that. "What pigs."
Before Law could give permission, almost all of his crew was now running towards the town already, mostly likely going into the inn to see all the pretty girls Penguin had talked about.
Law gritted his teeth in annoyance. "Why do I even bother? Our first priority is to buy food and restock supplies."
Rinka started to chuckle a bit. "Aw, let them have their fun. I mean, all of us almost died just a week ago. Especially you... isn't that right Captain."
"You mean you almost did, you were literally turned into an ice sculpture right after you got stabbed in the stomach. How in the hell did you wake up before I did!? It shouldn't even be medically possible." Law exclaimed while sighing heavily.
Rinka just shrugged at his comment. "What can I say, I just have really good durability and a fast at healing as well. Or maybe my willpower is that much stronger than yours. " She said the last part in a teasing way.
"Don't worry, I can take care of the supplies." Jean Bart walked over to them.
"Then I will help with the medicinal supplies and equipment." Rinka smiled before taking off.
Then Law looked at his 2 remaining subordinates. "Come on Bepo, let's join the others."
-x-
When they entered the inn it was already full of men in white overalls, drinking and eating.
As usual, Rinka gave all of her many free drinks to either Thorn or Jean Bart because every single time when she went to a bar or a place serving drinks. Men from other tables will buy her a drink, in hopes of hooking up with her.
Law walked over to the bar, ordering a bottle of whisky before sitting down and sipping his drink there.
"Will you be needing a room?" The owner of the inn asked the captain of the Heart Pirates.
"Yeah...we'll need more than one." Law responded while turning to the loud group of Pirates.
"It's been too long since I slept in a nice soft bed. " Shachi stated.
"I can't wait to have a shower without you guys constantly complaining to hurry up." Lucas complained with a small pout.
"Then take a shorter showers, stupid!" Michael hit the chair that Lucas was sitting on then he plummeted into the hard wooden ground. All of the Heart Pirates just laughed at the navigator, and laughing soon became cheering as Lucas tackled Michael and both pirates started to wrestle.
"Uhhhh..not again, why do I even bother?"Rinka mumbled to herself before walking toward the 2 wrestling men.
She grabbed Lucas by his collar then she did the exact same to Michael then ",Bang!" She slammed the 2 of them on each other's heads, making everyone in the room completely quiet. "Now play nice and that goes for the rest of you guys... Or else!"
"Yes ma'am." They all responded with a light shiver while bowing their heads down in shame.
*Scary.* They thought to themselves.
"Witch."Thorn mumbled under this breath.
One of the waiters put down a tray of drinks and looked at them; "You seem stressed young Miss."
"You don't know half of it." Rinka responded with a small sigh.
"In that case you and your friends can all relax in the new Hot spring that just opened a few months ago." The waiter responded with a small tint of pink on his face.
"Really?" Rinka and everyone else in the Heart Pirates asked excitedly.
"Yep, this island has a lot of hot springs so they built a Ryokan around one. The best part is, you can just pay for the bath and not stay there for the night," The waiter explained.
"I love you man, thank you for the great information!" Rinka said happily .
"I-It was nothing."He responded with a red hot tomato face.
"A hot spring! Sounds like a good idea!" One Heart Pirate suddenly exclaimed.
"Let's go!"
Suddenly, Law stood up from his chair, chugging the last of his whiskey. A hot spring is just what the Heart Pirates needed after the many stressful and dangerous challenges they had to overcome.
As the group of Heart Pirates walked toward the direction where the closest Ryokan was located, Rinka looked up at the starry night sky and realized it was a full moon.
"Hey you guys,look! A full moon."Rinka stated while pointing to it.
"What a pretty sight ." Lucas exclaimed with amazement showing on his face.
As they entered, one of the employees hurried over to them and bowed to Law since he was the first one to enter.
"I'm hoping it's a mixed bath." Shachi nudged Penguin on his arm, grinning with a blush on his cheeks.
"Me too." The older mechanic snickered at the thought.
Before entering the changing room, she turned around and glared at the big group of pirates. "Whoever peeks, I'll cut them into little pieces then feed them to the fishes. Got that."
They all shaken at her threat and then nodded at her at a very fast pace.
From the changing room, there was a hall that led straight into the hot spring. The hot spring itself was divided in the middle by a tall wooden wall, which was used to separate the woman's and the men's part. There were stones that surrounded the hot water where one could sit and relax. She could already see a few other women soaking in the water or sitting on the stony edge in their towels. Rinka took off her towel then put one foot in the hot water then the other. She already felt totally relaxed as only the water touched her by the knees.
The swordswoman could feel her strained muscles and still healing injuries relax as the stress simply was forgotten. She took one last glance at the beautiful full moon right before closing her eyes. But sadly, she won't be in such a peaceful state for too long when the pervy Heart Pirates were involved.
-x-
At the moment the pirates heard some cute giggles and laughs from the girls on the other side. Shachi grinned in a mischievous way like if he was plotting something. He jumped towards Thorn's direction. "I know you want to see it."
Thorn started blushing and not because of the hot water."See what?"
Shachi only rolled his eyes. "Don't act so innocent, you're just as pervy like the rest of us."
"Just over that wall, there is a woman who is in the same lead of beauty as Boa Hancock and is wearing nothing more but her birthday suit."Penguin added with a blushing face as well.
"Don't do it." "Logan suggested, not interested in peeping on naked women in the slightest.
"Oh my god look at that girl over there, the one with purple hair.
How can breasts that big fit onto such a small figure." One woman commented, which all of the men on the other side could hear.
"Yeah...and just look at her tiny sexy waist line, and such perfect long legs, I will just kill to have a body like that." Another woman commented as well.
Everyone in the Heart Pirates turned a new shade of red since they knew who those women were talking about.
"Oh come on, just one little peek." Shachi said while gritting his teeth.
"Yeah."Penguin added.
"No, do you want to die today?! And do you remember the last time she caught us peeking while she was taking a shower?! " Zane asked.
"Yeah, almost everybody in the entire crew was in the infirmary room for a whole entire week." Lucas added while shaking at the memory.
"Or the time we replaced all of her clothing with sexy maid and nurse outfits,"Thorn stated.
"Yeah, but seeing her in that tight sexy nurse outfit was totally worth it."Shachi said, still remembering just how damn hot she looked.
"We couldn't even walk for 3 whole days."Lucas countered.
"I think there is a hole over there on the right."Uni exclaimed while pointing at it. He didn't get what the big deal is so he just pointed at a small hole he noticed a few minutes ago .
"No way!" Penguin said with sparkling wide eyes.
"I really don't think that is a good idea." Bepo commented for the first time. But in a very tired and weak voice, since the heat is making him kinda dizzy.
"She's going to kill you guys."Jean Bart commented as well, remembering just how bad she beat them up from the last time they tried to peek at her. In his long life of being a pirate captain and also being a slave to Celestial Dragons he has seen a lot of scary things, but after watching her beating the living shit out of them has made him extremely thankful for not experiencing her wrath.
"Oh my god they're like floating melons."Shachi exclaimed with blood already coming out of his nose.
"I want to see." Penguin whined.
"Stop pushing, I can't see,"Jesper joined them and leaned forward to try and take a lucky peak.
They could hear the laughs of the girls from the other side and all of the men now had grins with drools dripping down their chins, and bright red blushing faces.
"Let me see too," Thorn jumped in as well, leaning farther to the wall.
"I said no pushing!"
Wait your damn turn!"
"Move along!"
"I can't see anything!"
The group of men got bigger and bigger on who wanted to peek at the bathing beauties. Even some other men who weren't even pirates wanted a peek as well.
Law, who was watching the whole scene, only said nothing, even as the wall started tipping over. The wall fell down with a loud splash, making the girls scream in shock but mostly in anger and guys scream in surprise as they fell forward into the water on the other side.
"Ouch, that hurt…"Shachi pulled himself up with his arms and gazed at the scene.
Women were running around with their towels and into the changing room, then he felt a dangerous shadow standing angrily over him.
Rinka had a towel wrapped on her body, she was standing in front of the big mess of men who were struggling to get out of the water. Her expression was completely emotionless just like if she was a real doll. When she makes that face when she is truly angry.
"Were sorr-''Penguin stopped his apology when he suddenly collapsed.
The female swordsman was so angry at the group of pirates who she warned not to peek, she didn't even care who she knocked out with her Conqueror's Haki.
Everyone in the hot spring was quiet, since nobody can make a sound while they're completely unconscious.
Even Law felt weak on his knees but didn't pass out like everyone else did.
*I can't believe it, can't I enjoy myself for at least once. What Pigs!*
When all of the men woke up, there was no sign of the swordswoman anymore. She escaped without a single trace.
Rinka stomped through the many branches and stones in her black-combat boots. "Why, just why!"She kept muttering angrily under her breath. She wasn't even watching where she was going as she kept on walking, needing some alone time. *Just one night, just one night of relaxing. Is that too much to ask.*
2 hours later she kept walking deeper and deeper into the forest not caring in the slightest how far she is from the town. They really made her mad this time, all she wanted was a nice soak on a well deserved trip to a hot spring.
But suddenly a small light in the corner of her eye got her attention. She looked at where the light source was coming from. As she walked closer she noticed that the glowing was coming out of a strange cave. Curiosity got the best of her and Rinka took a step forward cautiously, putting a hand on one of her katanas just in case. When she reached the end of the cave she noticed strange writing on the stone wall. It was a type of writing she had never seen before, so it was a lot more difficult to read. "Once on every full moon, one may return to pure innocence." Those were the only words she could understand. *One may return to pure innocence, what is that supposed to mean?* She thought to herself right before the ground had suddenly disappeared beneath her feet.
"What the Hell!
Then "Splash!"
She felt something warm and wet around her body.
As her body struggled in the water she noticed the moon was shining brightly into her and then the water started to bubble a lot more.
After the swordsman finally managed to get out of the water, she withdrew her favorite black blade katana from its sheath and then cut out an exit so she could leave the mysterious cave.
When Rinka had finally made it back to the inn that they were staying . It was already late at night and the moon was still out. She felt exhausted from the whole day, just wanting to lay down on her bed and never wake up again.
As soon as she opened the inn's doors, a group of pirates swarmed over, almost suffocating her to death.
"Rinka!" Bepo said while giving her a bone crushing hug.
"Where the hell were you?!" Zane asked with a worried expression on his face.
"I went on a little walk." She responded with a small blush of embarrassment.
"A little?! You've been gone for freakin 5 hours." Penguin said loudly.
"Sorry, I guess." Rinka shrugged, not really sure what to say next.
"You didn't answer the question, where were you that made you disappear for that long. Shachi felt so bad after you disappeared, he ran around like a lunatic. And why the hell are you wet?!" Law had a mix of serious and worry in his tone.
"Just a little stroll...in the woods." She admitted the last part quiet enough for anyone to barely hear.
"Okay, and how did you get wet?"He asked again with more annoyance in his voice this time.
"Uh...I fell into a pond." She answered with a little hesitation in her voice.
"I see."Was all Law said, knowing there was no reason she would lie about that.
"It's late, let's all go to sleep now and forget any of this had ever happened. Come on Bepo." She stated while heading up stairs.
Rinka dropped into her bed, not caring about the loud polar bear snoring. She doesn't know how to describe it, but after she fell into the mysterious pond made her feel strange. Maybe the weird tingly feeling that surge through her body will just go away after a good night's sleep.
-x-
"Hey Law, where is Rinka?" Penguin asks.
"She might still be sleeping, since she had quite an interesting day yesterday," Logan suggested.
"Yeah you might be right." Penguin said while eating his breakfast.
"Hey Captain, when does the Log pose set?"Thorn asks.
"About 2 more days." He responded with a bored expression on his face.
"Hey Bepo, can you go wake up Miss Rinka. " Law ordered which made the polar bear respond with a 'Yes Captain.'
When Bepo walked closer to Rinka's bed he then started gently shaking her. When he realized that she was still not moving in the slightest, he then called out her name and still nothing. Now Bepo was getting worried, was she sick or something like that since she did walk in the cold while completely soaked and wet. But something didn't feel right to Bepo since the frame of the sleeping girl didn't look right. He then gently pulled off the blanket to make sure it was really her.
Bepo's eyes widened in pure shock at the sight, what used to be a grown woman was a little girl who looked no older than 6 years old. "Ahhh, oh my god! Captain is not going to like this." Bepo shouted with both of his paws on his face.
Bepo picked up the girl that still had on her oversized clothes on her tiny frame and then headed back down stairs.
"Bepo, why are you freaking out so much?" Penguin asked, after Bepo had quickly ran down the stairs with something in his arms.
What lay in Bepo's arms was an extremely adorable little girl with dark purple hair and very fair skin.
"Hey Bepo, what's with the kid?"Lucas asks with a raised eyebrow.
"Whaaaaaaaat!" Every single member including Law yells in perfect unison with their jaws dislocated.
"That little girl is actually Rinka!?" Shachi asks, not knowing if he heard that right.
Instead of the grown woman that she is supposed to be, there was a tiny little girl who's oversized clothes engulfed her, making her look even cuter.
"Hand her to me, we need to get her back to the sub so I can run some tests on her."Law ordered while holding out his hands.
"Penguin and Shachi, you 2 go gather any type of information about this."Law orders the 2 mechanics.
"Logan and Thorn you come along with me."Law said while leaving the inn with the tiny girl in his arms.
Law, while still a little worried, couldn't quell his doctor instinct, this was a very peculiar but promising chance. Law was quite fascinated, it seemed like the body reverted to its state at the point of time she turned back into. The menacing scar that Rinka got from her fight with Malachite on her right arm was absent as well as most of the others. Other than some scratches and bruises Rinka was almost completely fine, and according to the body structure he would say Rinka was maybe 8 years old.
But what really worried Law was the scars that used to be 9 all the way to 11 years old were a whole lot fresher. It seems she had quite a difficult childhood and she was pretty small for her age as well, with the untrained eye some people might mistake her as a 4 or 5 year old. At the small height of 2 feet and 9 inches and at the frail weight of 15 kilograms, Law would never have guessed that Rinka was this small as a child.
Meanwhile, As Penguin and Shachi walk around town to learn any possible information that involves their de-aged crewmate. The 2 walked toward an elderly man who sold books and maps in a small vender stall. If there was anyone who might know what happened to their nakama's situation, it was old people because they seemed to know a lot of strange things throughout their lives, especially elderly people on the Grand Line.
"How can I help you?"The old wrinkly man questioned in a raspy voice.
"We were just wondering if there was anything interesting on this island, like a mysterious pond or something like that." Penguin asked.
A curious gleam entered the old man's eyes. "A mysterious pond you ask?" Well…" He trailed off a spidery finger tapping his chin "...there is an old legend about a small lagoon far, far in the forest that had magical powers but it only activated on a full moon.
"Oh? Legend you say?" What kind of Legend? Shachi asked, failing to mask the curiosity in his tone.
"The person who decided to go swimming in the lagoon while a full moon is fully out, will revert to the most eventful and pivotal year of their lives. Their memories however of any event preceding their physical age would be forgotten until the effects of the water wears off. But it is only a legend and no one has ever found the magical water in over 100 years ago." The old man explained.
"Okay if someone did manage to find the lagoon and not only found it but got turned back into a kid in the process. How long does it take for someone to revert back to their original age?"Penguin asks with a sweat drop.
"Hmmm...If my memory is correct then maybe at the next full moon. Why are you guys asking?" The old man asked with a raised eyebrow.
Penguin shrugged. "Just curious."
Shachi, noticing the rapidly setting sun, thanked the old man then the 2 started heading back to the sub.
-x-
While both Penguin and Shachi were busy relating the information they got from today to the rest of the crew. There was a light shuffle, and all the adults in the room froze as Rinka pushed herself to a sitting position. She blinked sleepily and looked around the room, slowly, like if she was trying to figure out if she was supposed to know where she was or not.
All of them were standing now, surrounding the mini Rinka, staring at her hopefully.
Having slight trust issues with new people she couldn't help the slightly yelped scream that escaped from her throat.
"W-who are you people?"
A man with a fuzzy white spotted hat raised an eyebrow. "You really don't remember us?"
"Remember what? And who are you and where am I?" The purple-haired girl asked.
A man wearing a hat that had the word "Penguin" printed on the front of it said. "You're on the Polar Tang, also a pirate ship or rather submarine that is traveling the Grand Line."
Law noticed when Rinka's eyes widened in fear as her body stiffen. "You guys are P-pirates. Where are my gloves, please I need them! "
*How interesting, she still wears gloves even as a child.* Law thought to himself.
Taken aback by her hostility, Law hesitated. "Why do you need them so much?"
"It was a gift from…."Rinka stopped herself when she remembered something or someone who means everything to her.
"Where's Phyllis, where is she."Rinka asked while panicking even more.
"What's the last thing you can remember?"A man in a yellow and black hoodie asked.
"Hmmm...Aha! Right after me and Phyllis were well enough to leave the people who had saved us from being stranded in sea. She said that I could live with her and become a part of her family. And then we were on a ship that was taking us to her island so she could start my training on how to become a great doctor and a strong knight as well. I love her so much, she makes me feel the same way when I was with my late older brother. She means the world to me, we even cut our own thumbs so we can become blood sisters." She explained.
"Here you go." Logan said while handing the child her precious gloves.
When Rinka stood up, her gray sweater that only used to reach down her waist was now hung over her like an oversized blanket. It didn't seem to disturb her in the least that it was the only piece of clothing she was wearing.
It seems they need to do some emergency clothing shopping since it's pretty obvious that her old one's don't fit her anymore. "Logan, go to the town and buy her enough clothing that will last her for a month." Law order. After Law said that, Rinka's stomach started growling enough for everyone to hear. "You want something to eat." Law ask with a smirk.
Rinka's eyes lit up in happiness. "You guys are actually going to feed me?"
"Well of course we will, why are you asking that?"Law asked with a slight worried look on his usually smirking face.
She then looked down at her feet. "Because last time I was on a pirate ship, they beat me and didn't give me any type of food during my whole stay."
Law bent down and then gently grabbed the small girl's hand. "Don't worry we're not those types of pirates, you can trust us."
Thank you for reading