Late at night on Sabaody Archipelago a short cloaked figure strolls slowly but with purpose into an alleyway by a bar. The figure goes through the back doors of the bar into the kitchen and past all the workers who pay them no mind as though it's a regular occurrence. The figure moves through a double swinging door from the kitchen to the bar area where the customers are being rowdy and the stools along the open tap bar are filled.
Tables hold pirate crews, more specifically four supernovas. Kidd, Law, Zoro, and Luffy. Each refusing to move from their spots, and all seemingly on a whim found in the same bar. Kidd is growling at Law from across the room while his crew is being rowdy and rude as per their usual. Law is seemingly ignoring everything, but in reality is as vigilant as ever. His crew is flirting with the waitresses, and the majority of them are already wasted. Luffy… Well Luffy was just being Luffy dancing on the table, talking loudly, and eating everything in sight. His crew is seemingly ignoring the other threats in the room, drinking happily, while being the loudest, and flashiest out of them all. Any small-fry captain is quivering far away from them or has already fled the bar.
The bar keeper seems unperturbed by the supernovas presence, and he simply keeps the beer flowing to all tables and food going out to any paying customers. He's an older man with salt and pepper colored hair and a bit of a scruffy beard. Cleary having some bulky muscle and height, but isn't nearly as tall as Kidd. The man flicks his eyes over to the cloaked figure as it emerges from the kitchen area, and nods his head in acknowledgment.
The clock tower can be heard in the distance hitting eight pm. Suddenly there's ruckus in the street and people flood into the small bar previously avoided due to the supernovas. The people begin standing, or sitting where they could find an open seat around a small wooden stage that had been shadowed and ignored to this point. The pirate captains all pick up their heads in irritation at the sudden crowdedness of the area and push the people from their tables to get their elbow-room back. The bar had suddenly been turned into a mosh pit of sorts. However, the new crowd of people quickly realize they need to steer clear of the pirate's tables.
The cloaked figure takes the stage unnoticed still by the captains, however, this time there's another two shadowy figures with them that take their respective place on the stage. Suddenly moody lighting flickered on that doesn't help reveal anything of the cloaked figure, though two male silhouettes could be clearly seen on stage through the poor lighting. They seemingly tower over the cloaked figure, one carries a cello in hand and the other takes their place behind a piano that seems to have mysteriously appeared out of thin air on the back of the stage. The crowd is already shifting in excitement and becoming anxious.
The captains in the bar try to tune it all out and find some reason to hate the figure on stage for making their night that much worse. In Kidd's case he wanted to kill the figure where it stood. Law was mildly amused by Kidd's visible irritation, but was interested in the figure due to the crowd it drew in. Luffy was just laughing and continuing to be oblivious. His crew had their full attention on the stage.
Then there was a countdown… "1...2..3"
The piano hits a note and the figure begins singing, *Coldplay- The Scientist* it's a female singing voice with a raspy, intoxicating tone catching everyone's attention. The crowd is silent while she sings, totally captivated by the music. Even the pirate crews were watching intently equally enraptured.
The cloaked figure moves, sways a bit while singing but doesn't move enough to affect the cloak from it's protective shield around her. They hold a mic and only a small, feminine gloved hand is visible. As soon as the song comes to an end the crowd goes nuts, cheering, screaming, and begging for another song. The cloaked girl bows and then nods to the two men with her, holding up two fingers to signal another song they'd do. They perform another song just as breathtaking, *Bellyache by Billie Eilish*.
The captains there seem interested in her ability to control a crowd in such a way, and at least two begin to formulate a plan to talk to her after she finishes and the crowd dissipates. However, right after she finishes her second song she disappears. She had managed to climb off the stage and make her way to the bar keeper in the few seconds it took them all to come down from the last song and begin looking for another. She was collecting her pay for the performance then quickly heading for the back doors alone. The two men also disappeared into thin air just like how they appeared. Luffy jumped up a bit and started scanning for the girl. He had taken an interest and had a gut feeling he needed to talk to the girl, so he planned to do just that. Law's eye twitched when he realized he lost sight of the girl and he too started scanning for her, in a less obvious manner though. Law was even more intrigued now by how she had left without his notice. The girl was already out the back door and heading out of the alleyway when the captains realized she had completely disappeared from the bar. Kidd however ignored the other two captains and mumbled to Killer that he had "No interest in a tiny shrimp like that."
None of them knew how to react to this cloaked figure that managed to catch all of their attention in such a mysterious way.
It's the next day after the odd encounter with the singer at the bar, and both Law and Luffy share the same idea: Go back to that bar and "acquaint" themselves with that mysterious girl. Luffy's plan is to wait in the bar for her all day if he needs to, but Nami scolds him and says "You need to act like a captain and make an actual plan!" Luffy begins pouting and whining to Brook, who had taken great interest in the girls singing abilities. Brook suggests they go back at the same time they had seen her show up to perform previously. Everyone agrees and simply carries out their day.
Luffy wanders through the streets to buy as much vendor food as possible while Nami goes to shop with Robin. Brook drinks his tea on Sunny's deck watching Franky build some new odd weapon. Usopp and Chopper drool with stars in their eyes as they watch Franky build his new robot looking weapon. Sanji is leaving to go shopping while Zoro is set on training for a few hours using heavy weights before sleeping for the rest of the day.
Meanwhile Law's plan is to go by himself at the same time as before, and to try not to attract attention until then. He begins to think over all possible problems and possible outcomes in his room while also contemplating if his interest in the odd cloaked girl is really warranted.
*In one of the forests of Sabaody*
She had discarded her cloak once she was positive there were no prying eyes. Standing at a whole 5'2" she had fiery orange hair a shade or two darker than Nami's, a youthful face, and cold grey-blue eyes with a scar running across the right eye. The cloak was draped on the back of a tall, grey gelding that follows the girl closely with its ears at attention scanning for any threat. The big grey had joined her at the edge of the woods waiting ever so patiently for it's master and his treats she picked up from town for him.
The horse bore a simple black lightweight leather saddle with a navy blue, fur lined saddle pad with some odd black symbol stitched into it and a matching black leather chest guard to keep the saddle in place. It's mane was white with dark black and grey streaks through it, the tail was an ombre from black to white. there was a simple black bitless bridle over it's head with no reins, because for the girl they were not necessary.
The short girl wore a loose blue tank top that stopped just above her navel where a hint of bandaging showed around her torso as she walked, and then a brown bear pelt vest that hung open over top of her tank top. She had two black gloves on that went up to her wrists. She also wore a dark forest green scarf that trailed behind her in the breeze as she walked. Her black jeans hugged her muscular legs and a brown leather belt hung loosely on her hips carrying a well worn, but sharp tomahawk. The pants went down into knee high black leather riding boots. She was easy on the eyes even with the scar and could care less about her looks, wore no makeup, and her hair was always unruly normally brandishing curls throughout it that were constantly getting in her face even when tied back. As she walked she mindlessly tapped the side of her leg humming random tunes while walking down a path to her campgrounds where she temporarily stayed.
She had just gotten back from getting food and drinks for herself and her companions, which she carried in a messenger style bag where a very full waterskin could be heard sloshing around from within. Her thoughts drifted back to the night before as she walked down the familiar path. She had an interesting audience in the bar she performed at. Four supernovas… now that was quite the unwelcomed shock.
Though she didn't hold much knowledge on current events, or rising pirates as she didn't care she had heard stories and gossip about the supernovas while at the bar. She had half expected the redheaded one to start slaughtering the people in the bar by the foul aura around him. Kidd seemed known for his cruelty so it wouldn't have surprised her. Giggling at the memory of his frustrated face when the bar began to flood with people. Her mind began drifting through the other captains that were there. Law, The Surgeon of Death had been one of them and had unnerved her for a moment. He was tall, brooding, and handsome in a rugged kind of way, but still creeped the hell out of her. His stare was unnerving and she could distinctly feel it the entire time she was on the stage. Nonetheless, she is mildly bemused as she briefly thought of how she would probably only stand up to his elbow.
Then there was the goofy dark haired boy that had been dancing on the tables, Strawhat Luffy. That boy was an interesting one that she had heard about before. He seemed all giggles and happiness but she could tell there was an underlying immense power in him that surprised her at first. However, there was clearly a reason as to why he was a supernova. In his crew was another supernova that she almost forgot about, Roronoa Zoro. His green hair caught her eye at first but his eyes were what scared her. They pierced her with visible irritation, but also clear curiosity. His eyes made her feel vulnerable and like a wild beast's prey. Thinking back on it, Luffy's whole crew seemed incredibly powerful to her, so why were they acting like such children? She may never know. They were also the craziest bunch to look at. Though the boiler suits might be a close runner up…
Her thoughts and questions got cut off by her camp coming into view. All it really was was a little tent of canvas, a bedding area for her horse and other companions that were currently off hunting and exploring. There was a decent sized fire pit in the middle with a cooking set up over top of it to boil water or cook a simple meal. She took the cloak off her horse and went to set it into her tent with her bag. Once she had looked up into the sky for the sun she found she had at least two more hours 'till she had to start heading back to town for her 'bar time' as she referred to it. She crashed back into her tent onto her pillows and pulled a fur blanket over herself falling asleep in seconds for a nap.
*At the bar around 7:30*
Luffy and only some of his crew strolled into the same bar as last night and headed to the same table. This time it was Luffy, Brook, Nami, Zoro, and Sanji. Sanji had invited himself since there was a female involved and Zoro had tagged along to drink. Luffy already began to grow impatient, even though they had just arrived. Nami waved over the bar keeper who walked over ready to take their orders. However, what Nami wanted was information not a drink. Zoro did want a drink so he ordered it before Nami could get to business.
"So we were curious about that girl from last night that performed here…" Nami started.
The bar keeper quickly interrupted her saying "Sorry miss, I can't tell you anything about her."
The man turned and began walking back to his bar to get Zoro's drink. Nami huffed in irritation and mumbled "How rude!"
Luffy just laughed since he had already decided to question the girl personally. Sanji was swooning over how beautiful 'Nami-swans' angry face was. Brook just stared at the stage waiting ever so patiently.
Then some customers strolled into the bar in a small group heading for the bar counter talking about the latest gossip of the town. One being about the auction house and how bold the slave-traders seemed to be getting. That caught Brook's attention and he listened in for a second until the men's conversation turned to some new brothel down the street, which made him quickly lose interest.
A few minutes before eight Trafalgar Law walked in, and took a seat at a table by himself ordering a single beer. Luffy turned and stared at him until they shared eye contact for a second, so Luffy smiled and waved.
"Sorry Tra-guy but I got first dibs on the cloak-girl shi-shi-shi!" Luffy turned away from Law and continued impatiently tapping his foot while waiting for the girl to show up. Law was not phased in the least by Luffy's declaration, and simply smirked before slowly drinking his beer. Though he was surprised that Luffy knew his name. In reality Nami had told him yesterday who they had been in the bar with after they left. Then lectured him on how stupid of a captain he was, which Luffy tuned out completely.
*Meanwhile somewhere in town*
"I'm gonna be lateee!" she internally screams at herself while running through town trying to get to the bar for her scheduled performance. She had overestimated her ability to wake up when she needed to and had slept an extra half hour than she should have. 'Maybe I should start trying to go to sleep earlier rather than napping to compensate' she thinks to herself while still tearing down the street. Though she was more pissed one of her companions hadn't woken her up and instead had all been gone from camp when she had awoken.
As the bar comes into sight she lets out a huge sigh of relief and slows her pace just a bit. The clock tower hadn't rung eight yet meaning she was still safe. She had yet to be late for her performances and didn't plan on starting today. As she rounds the corner into the alleyway by the bar as per normal, she smoothes her cloak to be sure it is still covering her features, hair pulled into a low ponytail out of sight. When she picks up her head she is faced with a rather disturbing scene. A young girl maybe early 20's at the most with dark brown hair and an hourglass figure was being tied up by two rather large men wearing dark clothes looking rather scruffy and both wearing black masks. Her mind quickly connected the dots as she surveyed the scene, and she took a step forward a low growl erupting from the back of her throat as her anger boils low in her stomach, and dark thoughts raced through her mind. In the distance the clock tower struck 8 but it went unnoticed by any in the alleyway. Luckily these men were oblivious to her as they continue to struggle with the whimpering girl, so she snuck up on them silently struggling to keep her killer aura at bay.
The young girl's cries were muffled by a strip of cloth that had been forced into her mouth tied painfully tight behind her head. She had at one point been wearing a pretty blouse with a pair of jeans and heels but they were now coated in grime and dirt from the nasty alleyway, heels fallen off her feet from her struggles to get away. The men simply continued to tie her up, easily overpowering the thin girl, debating quietly on how much she would go for at the auction. At the mention of the auction the cloaked woman let out an ear splitting roar, comparable to that of a wild beast, her killer aura released and shrouded the area in a miasma as she grabbed her tomahawk out of its sheathe to bring down on the two men, mercilessly attacking them from behind.
Her vision went red, all the features of her face still hidden, but more animalistic as she quickly approached the two men with her tomahawk on a downward swing. She wasn't aiming to kill right away, but was aiming to inflict excruciating pain and possible paralysis. She took out one of the men's achilles tendons letting him crumple to the ground crying in pain then slashing up his arms through major tendons to make them useless. Then she turned her full attention to the other man who was crouched holding the rope connected to the girl completely stunned. While pivoting on her left foot she brought the heel of her right foot down in a power arc on the man's upper leg successfully breaking his femur in half and letting him crash backwards to the ground.
She quickly made sure both men were truly immobilized snivelling balls of pain. They didn't even have time to process what had hit them. Though both were far larger than her neither could have dreamed of overpowering her. Staring down at them she felt no regret, only disgust. She then decided to crack the tomahawk down on their heads to knock them unconscious. Turning away she cautiously walks towards the girl who had sank against the wall crying into her knees, hands still bound behind her and mouth still gagged.
"Are you ok..?" I tenderly asked, trying not to scare the poor girl any more than she already has been. The girl flinched at the intruding voice but picked up her head and nodded, still crying her heart out from fear and shock.
"I'm going to untie your hands and take off the gag. Stay strong girlie." I say softly, while setting my tomahawk an arms reach away in hopes to not intimidate the girl before reaching out and tenderly untying the ropes binding her wrists. After untying her wrists I reach behind the girl's head and quickly get the gag off her throwing it behind me in disgust. The young girl rubs her wrist, then face, and starts a whole new bout of tears and sobs. Uncomfortable with the situation I awkwardly bring the girl's head to my chest and hug her letting her have her moment whilst adjusting myself to lean against the wall.
"I was so scared! I thought I was… going to be a s-slave for sure…." The girl's cries were muffled by my shirt. I pet her head and say soothing nothings waiting till her sobs turned into hiccups. I pick up my head at the sound of a quiet gasp now realizing the audience I had collected. Nerves sent sweat cascading down my neck, I mindlessly reached up making sure my cloak's hood was still up and hiding my face.
*In the bar before the men had been beat up*
During the whole commotion the bar keeper had heard the initial roar made in the alleyway and had made his way to the back as fast as he could. He already knew something wasn't right, the clock tower had struck eight and still his performer hadn't shown up and she was never late, all this made him very nervous about what was ahead. Likewise the pirate captains had also heard the roar and followed right after the bar keeper ignoring the waitresses and cooks complaints of "not being permitted back here!" Luffy's crew, Law, and the bar keeper had come onto an odd sight when they emerged into the alleyway from the bar's back door. All their eyes widened in surprise as they took in two large men beaten and unconscious laying in puddles of their own blood whimpering and curled in on themselves. Then they noticed the cloaked girl untying the gag on another girl with tear stains on her face and rope burn on her wrists, eyes already puffy and red, clothes covered in dirt, and visibly shaking from her choked out sobs. Then the cloaked girl did something surprising. She sat against the wall and pulled the other girl into her chest comforting her best she could. Still oblivious to the other people in the alleyway.
Luffy started to grin ear to ear while Law cockily smirked and leaned against the alleyway wall, both of them had already decided this woman was very, very interesting. Luffy had already wanted her to join his crew, and as always his instincts were right. Law was simply interested and not as rash as Luffy on deciding who would be suitable in his crew. The bar keeper's gasp caught the girl's attention as she jumped seemingly instinctively reaching and checking to make sure her cloak was still hiding her face.
"Are you ok?!" The bar keeper asked in a slightly panicked manner as he walked over to kneel next to the cloaked girl. Though their interactions had been short and only a handful he had grown to view this young girl as a daughter of sorts.
She simply nodded and then used the hand that wasn't holding the wounded girl to point down at the other girl silently saying "But she isn't."
The bar keeper collected his composure and nodded his head. "Ok, miss I'm going to pick you up and bring you into my bar till we can call the hospital to come get you." The girl simply nodded and let herself be carried off, though visibly shuttering under the bar keepers touch.
Just before they stepped into the bar the girl surprised everyone by twisting her head back saying "Miss! My name is Miya… What's your name?! I-I haven't properly thanked you y-yet…" She was still lightly hiccuping, but had quenched her tears for now and tried to act as strong as she could for her savior.
The cloaked figure hesitated for but a second before answering, "Well Miya, my name is Shayde… No thanks needed I'm just glad I was able to save you…" There was a sad tone in her voice and she was speaking very softly yet holding the same raspy tone she had while singing. The bar keeper looked surprised that she had responded at all but continued into the bar when he was certain they were done talking.
Luffy immediately started jumping up and down and getting in the cloaked girls face asking what happened and saying how cool she looked. Then he demanded that she joined his crew. She simply ignored him and walked to pick up her dropped tomahawk and put it back in it's sheath on her hip. Turning on her heels she starts to walk towards the bars back door and figure out what the bar keeper wants her to do now. She felt very singled out with everyone's eyes on her and highly uncomfortable. One step towards the door and Zoro had stepped in front of her, stopping her from reaching the door. She picked up her head, squared her shoulders and silently demanded an explanation through her glare pointed at Zoro from under her hood.
"Sorry lady but we've been waiting quite some time to talk to ya." He grinned cockily, "Now why don't we have a little chat."
My glare darkens and I take another step forward deciding to ignore his comment. This irritates Zoro so he reacts with violence, taking out his Wado Ichimonji and blocking my path.
"Don't test me…" Zoro glares down at me, his demon-like eyes send shivers down my spine which I quickly suppress from turning into any physical movement.
Brook is in the background waving his arms frantically in the air screaming "AHH, ZORO-SAN IS SO SCARYYY! Please don't kill Performer-san…" he finishes meekly.
Sanji turned beat red fuming, and if it wasn't for Nami holding onto his arm he would have already charged at the moss head idiot.
"I have no interest in talking right now… Move." I state gruffly. I was not about to let him get away with intimidating me. I pick up my head letting my grey-blue eyes pierce him seeming to hold a glow of their own. Zoro was taken aback for a moment, quickly gaining his composure and looking down at her in mild surprise. He looked at Luffy for orders who simply nodded at him, smiling all the while. As Zoro dropped his sword down to his side about to sheathe it, Law made himself known again by kicking off the wall and stepping forward.
"I would also like to talk to you at some point Shayde-ya. However, do not test my patience since I do plan on getting my answers. Regardless." With that Law walked out of the alleyway to who knows where.
Rolling my eyes and huffing I began mumbling rude comments under my breath about overly confident men turning to walk towards the back door of the bar. Then I hesitate for a moment and think 'What answers? What could he possibly know about me to start asking questions?!'
Instead of stressing myself over the thought I set it aside for later but continue on my way to the door.
This time I successfully made it through the door with no interference, but the Strawhats were still following me which was extremely irritating. As I made my way to where the barkeeper had the injured girl sitting on a chair at the bar with a steaming cup in front of her, I noticed the rest of the bar was empty. Obviously cleared out by the barkeeper for the girl to be left in peace until a doctor could come and look at her. 'He's such a kind old geezer' I think dryly.
"Barkeeper-sama I need to talk to you real quick." I state as I slowly walk towards him while staring at the injured Miya. Tearing my gaze away I straighten my shoulders and stare up at the barkeeper who stood over me as he was a good bit taller than me.
"Shayde, my name is Jeff. We've been over this, so stop calling me barkeeper." He stared down at her with playful irritation. He was simply happy she was talking at all. She seemed to be a child of few words. "Okay my dear, what is it you want to talk about?"
"My business I told you about before is going to occur soon. Meaning I will no longer be able to perform here for you…" I stared down at the ground finishing remorsefully, feeling very guilty. I had begun to really enjoy my performances, steady pay, and restful life here. It was painful to have to say goodbye to it but it was time. 'It was never going to last anyway' I think bitterly to myself.
Jeff looks down at her, his wrinkled face losing it's happy smile and turning into a kind, gentle one after noticing her change of mood. Reaching out to put a hand on top of her head he says, "I understand. I knew this would come about sooner or later… Just remember you're always welcome here, or rather you better come back and see me before I die you damn brat!" He ruffled her hood as though he was ruffling her hair.
I smiled and even though no one could see my face they knew I was no longer sad. I bob my head up and down once in response.
Surprisingly through all of this Luffy had stayed unnaturally quiet and so had the rest of the Strawhats. They all had soft smiles on their faces as if reminiscing on their pasts.
Suddenly Luffy gasped and started getting excited about something that he just remembered, something about going to an amusement park with their friends. He started jumping all around and acting like the five year old he truly was. His crew rolled their eyes at his antics laughing lightly, thoroughly used to their captains nonstop antics. As they were trying to calm down their captain and their attentions weren't on me I turned to Jeff and surprised him by giving him a bone crushing hug that had his back popping and curses spewing. When I stepped back I simply bowed to him murmuring a soft "Thank you for everything." and turned to walk out the front doors that I had walked in almost a week prior to this moment. At that time I had been in a bit of a tight spot and Jeff had really saved me. Patched me up and gave me a job as a waitress though that only lasted for one night. I wouldn't take off my cloak and creeped out all the customers. Giggling to myself at the memory the doors swung shut behind me and I quickly headed off towards the forested area without a backwards glance, as I needed to pack up, and had companions to give directions to.
The Strawhats noticed too late of my departure only hearing the light creak the doors made as they closed. Zoro began cursing like a fiend, Nami had just given up, Luffy just laughed it off, Sanji went back to swooning over Nami, and Brook began drinking tea that magically appeared in his boney hands. None of them bothered to follow the girl in the cloak. They figured if fate chose so they'd all meet again in the near future, and maybe then they'd get to finally talk to this mysterious girl.
As the strawhats went about rushing around on flying fish trying to reach the human auction house to rescue Camie, our mysterious singer is staying hidden in the shadows of the auction house tucked into a dark corner. To make sure that no one would notice her she masked her presence and held deathly still.
Her eyes scanned the crowd picking out Trafalgar Law who seemed relaxed but shielded as always. She could almost never read the man and that unnerved her. What really caught her attention though was the fluffy white polar bear in an orange jumpsuit holding Law's sword. Now that wasn't something you see everyday. He was so fluffy it made her want to hug him and pet his head. After blinking a few times and mentally shaking her head to clear the irrelevant thoughts she continued her scan noticing captain Kidd leaning against the wall with an irritatingly cocky smirk on his face. Contemplating if the two crews would be a hindrance to her plans and sizing up everyone else in the auction house her brain switched into tactile mode.
Besides the two pirate crews there were mainly a bunch of pompous rich shits throughout the room. Just being in the same room with such people was making her sick to her stomach. However the only real problem she saw was the three celestial dragons sitting in their VIP seats. Now they made her furious. She held a deep rooted hatred for them and their tyranny. A deep growl grew in the back of her throat as she stared at them, but it was never released. The lights dimmed and Disco introduced himself and was overall a ridiculous spectacle on stage, purely an entertainment feature.
*After a few slaves went through the stage and were sold*
Out of the corner of my eye I noticed part of the strawhat crew strolled in lead by Nami. By the looks on their faces they were already disgusted with this building. I agree 100%, this place was disgusting. If I didn't have business here I would never step foot near this building, let alone in it. As they took their place behind a banister parallel to Kidd's group they were right in front of my hiding spot. I shifted my attention from them back to the stage where they were bringing out yet another to-be slave, an ex-pirate captain.
I had caught snippets of their conversation and apparently they were also there to save a friend of theirs named Camie. Apparently she was a mermaid making her the main event of the auction. 'So they're here for a similar reason as me… Except they're going about this in more… legal way.' I think to myself. Meanwhile I see the pirate that had been dragged out on stage that had created an uproar with his strong appearance suddenly collapsed in a puddle of blood, probably from biting off his own tongue. There's an uproar in the crowd, I roll my eyes at how dramatic they're being but I do think the man who bit off his tongue must be quite the strong man to be able to bite off his own tongue. Then a feeling of dread settles into my stomach as I wonder when it will be his turn to be displayed. Then I began wondering if he'd even be in today's auction. If not that would be frustrating as all hell.
After the bloody pirate captain had been cleaned off the stage Disco had decided to send out their trump card to cover up the problem and meaning they'd be ending the auction. My eye began to twitch as my patience dwindled. As the lights went strobe mode and they'd revealed the mermaid everyone lost their shit irritating me even more than I already was. I heard the strawhats say they had about 200 million meaning they'd probably be buying their friend back. Then the room froze as one of the celestial dragons screamed "FIVE HUNDRED MILLIOON!" Everyone stared at him in pure shock and despair.
"I'll booy it for 500 millioon beri!" the young celestial dragon continued. I sweat dropped thinking 'Well that's a load of shit… What're the Strawhats gonna do now?' With that thought I turn to look at Nami who looks completely heartbroken. The rest of their crew looks equally frustrated. Especially the funny looking dude, who reminded me of a fishman, with the talking starfish. They all started freaking out and trying to find a way to get Camie but there was no other legal way to go about it. They all just had to grit their teeth and stand there staring down at the stage.
They began sealing the deal with the celestial dragon brat when Kidd got fed up with the auction houses crap and kicked off the wall heading for the exit announcing his departure. I watched from the corner of my eye as he left. My decision to stay silent and hidden was really taking a toll on my mental stability. I didn't have the greatest patience so watching all of these people be sold off on stage was really rubbing me the wrong way and looking at the Strawhats distressed faces was also grinding my gears. It was a face I was all too familiar with and fed up seeing brought upon people's faces by those cruel pigs in power.
Just as I was about to step out from the shadows and I heard the smack of the hammer on the wooden table sealing the auction of the mermaid a blur of blue came speeding out of the tunnel past Kidd and crashing into rows of seating sending those pompous nobles flying. My mouth unhinged, and would sink to the floor if that were possible, as my eyes grew wide staring at the cloud of dust that the crash had created. Everyone else is in as much of a shock as I am for only a moment.
Out walks Strawhat Luffy from the dust screaming about how awful the 'flying-fish' had landed then Zoro the swordsman promptly begins beating up Luffy. I just continue to stare at them mouth wide open speechless. Then I snap out of my state of shock and begin absolutely laughing my ass off.
"That was great!" I scream tears streaming down my face while I laugh my ass off. I haven't laughed this hard in far too long. "Holy crap you guys are insane!"
Luffy turns and looks at me and simply raises a hand saying "Yo! What're you doing here? Ready to join my crew?"
I try to compose myself before I answer but when I raise my head Luffy is gone. He's tearing down an aisle way towards the stage screaming, "CAMIEE! I've been looking for you!"
I just chuckle under my breath before walking over to the Strawhats to stand beside them. 'If you can't beat 'em join 'em! Or something like that…' I think to myself as I see Law smirking over at us. I can also feel Kidd's presence re-entering the auction house. I ignore them and turn my attention back to Luffy who was being held back from making any rash moves by the weird looking dude. Oh wait, nevermind I was right, he's a fishman!
"AHHHH! MONSTER!" The squid-like fishman is freaked out by the sudden screaming and shouting at him. The crowd is suddenly throwing anything they can towards him. I grit my teeth and begin to slowly creep my way down the stairs towards the fishman. I had enough of this shit and I wasn't about to let this clearly harmless fishman get beat up for no reason.
I still had my cloak firmly secured around my person, and my presence was still masked so no one had taken notice of my movement down the stairs. Everyone had their attention focused on Luffy and the fishman, 'Hachi' I believe that was what I heard being screamed out by the Strawhats.
Whilst stuck boiling in my own anger and slowly stalking down the aisle-way I hear the celestial dragon shoot Hachi and is now dancing around about it. I sink my canine into the inside of my cheek to suppress the building roar I feel in the back of my throat from being released, and physically shake while keeping from charging the celestial dragon. 'I swear, if I hadn't made that damn promise all these stupid ass celestial dragons would be dead before they knew what hit 'em! I'm done with their shit.'
"I hit it! I shot a fishman!" The celestial dragon bounced from side to side in an odd happy dance.
Something snapped in me as I saw the fishman's body topple backwards. I normally wasn't one to give a damn about what happened to others, but the Strawhats had struck a chord with me that I hadn't realized existed anymore. Their group of friends all seemed like good, kind people and those kinds of people always lost the most.
The situation was far too familiar to me and a scene of blood drenched golden hair falling backwards flashed through my eyes as my deep seeded hatred for the celestial dragons burst through my whole being creating a killer aura around my small frame. I made my decision quickly all the while reminding myself to keep my promise as I am a woman of my word. So, before his body could hit the ground I pounced forward like a wild animal, thrusting my arms out to catch him. I ended up face planting but I had at least cushioned the injured fishman's landing with my back which to my surprise made me sigh in relief despite feeling slightly winded. Hachi's blood was soaking my cloak so I twisted myself and tore it off not giving a damn about keeping my 'mysterious persona' up any longer. As orange, flame like hair cascaded down my back I carefully turned myself over while keeping my body under Hachi's then quickly applied pressure to the gunshot wound using my cloak to try and slow the bleeding.
The right side of my face was still hidden behind a sheet of orange hair which somewhat comforted me despite feeling many eyes on me. The weird talking starfish walked up with tears running down it's face telling Hachi, "not to die", "please don't die".
Against my conscious effort to control my emotions my brain betrayed me flashing another scene of myself as a young child. Leaning over a bloodied body crying and sobbing my small head off, and begging them not to leave me.
'Ugh… my younger self… so weak and fragile it frustrates me to no end!' That was also the day I vowed to become strong and to be as independent as possible. Even though that meant pushing the few loved ones I had left away from me. Somewhere along the way I found myself in a gaping hole of self-pity and loneliness. Now this was my effort to dig myself out of it. I would no longer be a self-pitying loser. Loneliness was manageable with companions, however, there was no room for self-pity anymore.
Gritting my teeth in frustration my focus is torn back onto Hachi as he lunges for Strawhat again, which causes his weight to shift off my torso giving me the chance to slip out from under him. Strawhat had a rather terrifying facial expression at the moment causing me to inhale sharply at the look of pure rage that had taken over his face. I had only ever seen his goofy side so this suddenly serious side surprised me quite a bit.
The boy's eyes were locked on the young celestial dragon who was still jumping about like an imbecile. Hachi shouted warning after warning at him but the boy was determined. My eyes widened and I was utterly shocked by the boy, yet again. He did something I had wished to do for years. He punched the snob nosed celestial dragon squarely in the face. My jaw crashed to the floor as I looked at him. He had sent the nobel brat flying without a bit of hesitation and definitely not holding back an ounce of strength.
There was a collective gasp throughout the room. The other pirates were smirking like hellions. I felt a pair of cold dissecting eyes on me once again, and as I searched I found Law staring down at me with his smug smirk that irritated me making my nerves tingle in frustration. The only ones in the room that didn't seem surprised in the least was the strawhat crew. They seemed more exasperated and proud of Luffy's decision.
After Luffy finished with the celestial dragon he apologized to his crew for the trouble and headed back toward the stage to try and save Camie.
Though the guards of the auction house had filed in now and were proving to be a nuisance. I looked around to find someone to take care of Hachi and saw a little reindeer looking animal walk towards me. I raised a brow at him as he approached, not sure what to make of him but shifting into a protective angle over Hachi just in case. I don't remember seeing him with any of the pirate crews before but his blue nose reminded me of the tall man beast that had been standing with the Strawhats. 'What an odd bunch…'
"H-Hi, I'm the Stawhat's doctor, Tony Tony Chopper!" He introduced himself timidly. I shifted over so he could get to Hachi's wounds, visibly relaxing. 'Well that explains the monster looking thing from before…' I think to myself.
"Hello… I'm Shayde." I curtly introduced then softened and asked, "I can leave him in your care then? I'm just about useless when handling a gunshot wound."
Something about this little cutie made me go all soft inside and want to hug him. Then again I love all animals. I had a pretty strong connection with them after all.
Chopper nodded and smiled up at me "No worries he should make a recovery! Though I still need to look over the full damage…" He began mumbling to himself what he'd need.
I smiled then stood up to get back to my original goal. Something of mine had been stolen and I wanted it back no matter what the cost. Walking down the stairs towards the stage everything was in chaos.
The strawhats were fighting the guards and more of them were showing up on flying fish. There was a tall beautifully curvy woman with long dark hair and light blue eyes that gracefully arrived from a hole in the roof. How she managed to jump down from that height without a single hair out of place baffled me. However, on that note I was never the most graceful person ever…
A skeleton also showed up. I remember him from the bar, and I believe his name is Brook. I'm really interested as to why he's a skeleton, but I'm also pretty sure it would be rude to just ask.
Then a boy with a long nose showed up crashing unceremoniously from the roof right onto the older celestial dragon successfully knocking the man out. Yet another surprising event. 'When will these people stop surprising me so much?' I internally question. 'They're going to give me a heart attack at some point.' I don't think my heart can deal with the strain I'm putting it through. Trying to catch all these events is making my head spin. I need to just make my brain quiet down and focus.
Suddenly the green haired swordsman Zoro sent two of the weakling guards flying in my direction. Accidentally? I think not. He sent a cocky smirk in my direction confirming my suspicion. He'd totally done it on purpose. As they flew at me I sweat dropped and frowned at them.
"What a pain…" I mumble under my breath. Quickly taking out my tomahawk that had been secured at my waist as normal. I use the butt end of it swinging it two handed like a baseball bat through the two guard's heads. Sending them flying to my left and crashing into the bench-like-seats. The men went through row after row of seats and stopped just before where Law was sitting.
"Woopse... I didn't think I hit them that hard." I say in a rather happy tone and a matching smirk, rather pleased with my own strength. Turning around I start my way back down the stairs. 'Why does it take so damn long to get down to a freakin stage?!' A string of curses began to form on my tongue but they froze as I looked on stage to see the last conscious celestial dragon holding a gun to the mermaid, Camie.
"Unforgivable! Now that it has come to this, I will just kill the mermaid they came to save!" the female celestial dragon shouted so all eyes were on her.
"What a drama queen… and an attention hog." I say with great distaste. 'Now I wish I had brought my bow like I was suggested to.' Brook was somehow right next to me and he laughed in his weird way saying, "Yo-ho-ho-ho-hoo! Indeed she is! But this is quite a bad situation Miss Shayde-san we can't let that mermaid-san die..!"
I rolled my eyes and said "Yea yea, I get that…" My hair was still obscuring my right eye as I focused my left in on stage again waiting to see what the Strawhats would do now. This was a rather tight situation after all.
Just as everyone thought it was too late an odd force rippled through everyone making them all stagger backwards and feel a shiver of fear race up their spines making their muscles go taut. Meanwhile the female celestial dragon had failed to shoot the mermaid and was now unconscious on the ground. Probably from that invisible force, but no one could be sure and few actually knew what it had really been. Right after the celestial dragon hit the ground a tremor shook the entire building to its core and a pair of giant's hands could be seen digging through the backstage wall. The giant stepped through the hole it made while a shorter figure walked through the dust, the spectators could just make out a silhouette of a man.
The figure stepped through the dust, revealing the figure of an old man with silver hair, glasses, and a white cloak trailing behind him. He looked very relaxed and had his hands in the pocket of his shorts and a relaxed grin on his face. Everyone seemed shocked by this man as he was a legendary pirate. However, Luffy had no clue who this "Dark Knight, Silver Rayleigh" was and didn't care either. Shayde though had an immediate reaction of shock and then a smile overtook her features as she stared at the old man.
Yet again that same force from earlier ran through the crowd. This time much stronger, causing the auction house guards to drop to the ground unconscious. The only ones who seemed relatively unaffected were the pirates and the odd looking ginger in the room.
The old man walked up to the mermaid and just as Franky appeared with the keys used his weird power to remove her exploding slave collar. When Franky appeared with the keys and complained about having to go and find them there was an animal's roar heard from backstage and the pounding of heavy footsteps.
A flash of brown streaked across the stage towards Franky aiming for the keys. Yet it never made it to the cyborg as a flash of orange, red, and black intercepted it and pinned it to the ground by its neck. As the forms came into focus everyone stared in disbelief at two massive dire wolves, the orange one significantly larger than the brown one pinned under it careful to avoid. One was a large fiery orange wolf with odd black markings down it's back in a shape unclear due to the fur and about the size of a small horse. It also had bright glowing blue eyes with a scar running over the right. The orange wolf growled deeply at the brown one in a warning before getting off and sitting down in an aloof way staring down at the brown wolf. Rayleigh began to laugh for some reason, he had caught everything that had occurred and was pleasantly surprised. The confused Strawhats all looked at him for answers, but he simply stared down at the wolves with amusement.
*A few seconds ago*
Just as I began to relax and slowly make my way up to the stage I heard the racing of feet and immediately knew whose it was. 'Seems as though I won't have to go hunting for him.' I made the quick decision to shift into what I deem the best fit form, and rush to the stage before the idiot made a mess of everything. I realized mid jump down to the stage that Brook and Zoro must have seen me transform since they had been standing behind me, but I'd just have to deal with that later.
I saw the flash of brown and kicked off of a bench to gain momentum, though destroying the bench in the process, I managed to pin my pesky companion before he did something foolish. His name is Quinn, which was supposed to mean intelligent or wise yet he was definitely neither of those things. The foolish mutt had gotten himself captured while trying to impress me and being overly cocky.
*Flashback*
"I bet I can make it the next island by myself!" Quinn shouts loudly at me as we walk through a town, with my tall grey stead Winston at my side. Quinn was jumping a bit like a bunny and pouting over their little debate.
People were giving me weird looks as though I was a psychopath, which I was used to and who knows maybe I am. To them it just sounded as though I was speaking gibberish to myself while the wolf was making growling noises. Though I got looks for my company in the first place. I was walking through town with a wolf that came up to my ribcage and a horse that towers over me. Quite the odd sight for a small island like this.
I snort at his comment and say, "Yea, sure… Quinn you can't even find your satchel that you 'misplaced' months ago and you get lost the second you walk off a few feet! Even if you try you can't just walk one direction in a straight line. Just admit it your inner-compass is broken." At that point we had been bickering over where the hotel we were staying at was and Quinn had tried to walk down the wrong streets multiple times already. I constantly poke fun at him for his sense of direction or lack thereof, which for him was a sour subject. For a wolf to lack any sense of direction as he did was catastrophic where we came from, and was exactly the reason he ended up in my care.
"Stupid wanna-be-human! I'll show you!" He yells before running off to who knows where. Since the docks were in the opposite direction he was headed. His comment still stung a bit though, he knew exactly where to poke to make it hurt. Though I did the same to him so I can't really complain.
I glare at him for his comment, but watch as he disappears into the evening crowd of the town and turn to Winston and ask, "Do you think he'll be ok?" This town was a small, calm place and nothing about it was remotely threatening but I still worried despite his rude comment.
Winston glanced over at me and responded in his regal and wise tone, "Of course, he may be an imbecile, but he can at least fight his way out of any tight situations. Though if he would just use his brain those situations would never come to happen."
I sigh and nod my head, I may act mean to the wolf, but I loved him nonetheless. He was like a little brother to me and I always worry about my friends and family. I look up at the sky and pull out a little silver whistle with an eagle etched into it.
Winston huffs at me, knowing what I was planning to do. I ignore him and blow air into it and seemingly no sound comes out but a few seconds later a call of a bird can be heard over-head.
As it circles around me I halt and give the rare and large golden eagle, Dorado, instructions to follow after Quinn. I was very careful when sending Dorado on missions since there were many people who have tried to capture, kill, and steal him in the past simply for his rare golden color.
Two days later when I was heading for the next island I got my daily news from Dorado saying the idiot Quinn had gone and gotten himself captured by slave traders. I had been following behind the wolf at a decent distance in case anything went wrong like this. The stupid wolf had drawn too much attention to himself by walking boldly through towns alone and was captured by the slave traders. Though they normally only sold humans they figured something as rare as a dire wolf would go for a good bit in this area. I quickened my pace and tried to get to Saboady as fast as 'humanly' possible. The only problem was I didn't have my own ship and passenger ships were too slow. So I did the only thing I could think of, I hitched a ride with the Navy. Though I was very much so an uninvited guest…
*End of Flashback*
"I haven't seen one of your kind in quite some time!" Rayleigh remarked with an amused grin.
The orange wolf picked up it's head being drawn out of it's mental reminiscence and stared at him before responding audibly in a feminine, flat tone, "Of course. The last one you met was many years ago and that was never supposed to happen. Good to finally meet you Rayleigh-san." No emotion escaped as if she was suddenly a robot and the wolf was running off a script.
Suddenly the black patterns appeared on the dire wolf's back and began slithering off the fur in a black mist and slowly twisted around the wolf's figure. It picked up speed fast and completely covered the wolf before it stretched up and narrowed. Then calmed down, dissipating into the air, revealing Shayde in the same outfit as before, however her visible left eye was still wolf-like. Luffy began jumping up and down clapping with wide eyes that held sparkles in them. He looked like a boy in a candy shop. Law was staring intently at her as if trying to dissect her with his eyes. Kidd just scoffed before complaining about how dramatic everyone was being.
The brown dire wolf, who had sat still and silent to this point, began moving to the girls side with its tail between it's legs.
It made some guttural noises translating to, "I'm sorry Shayde-sama, I didn't realize that weird looking man was a friend of yours… I'm also sorry for being stubborn, not returning, and causing you to worry so much. I was being stupid and stubborn."
Luffy looked at Chopper for answers as to what the brown wolf had said, the reindeer relayed the message with a questioning face.
Shayde smiled down at him before petting his head, "It's ok. I'm just glad you were actually here and still in one piece." The chocolate brown wolf was a little roughed up and much thinner than normal, but seemed healthy enough to keep moving.
The brown wolf's front paws were black and had a black mane of fur running along its neck fading back to brown at the base of the neck. It also had emerald green eyes that were like shining gems and a black fuzzy muzzle. It was also about as big as a small horse and held powerful muscles in it's shoulders and rear legs that rippled whenever he moved.
Rayleigh looked down at the wolf with a curious glance before quickly yanking the exploding collar off in one fell swoop letting it explode on the stage away from everyone else. Then without a word he turned and jumped off the stage, walking off towards Luffy.
"Sorry guys. You came to watch yet it got ruined. Judging by how you handled that situation just now you're not exactly pushovers." Rayleigh apologized in a not so apologetic tone, still walking towards Luffy and the Strawhats.
Rayleigh stopped by Hachi saying, "You're not gonna die, right Hachi? I always told you, you shouldn't walk around this island."
I stopped listening to Rayleigh-san once I had put two-and-two together that he was friends with Hachi and there would be no more conflict. I stalked off the stage and made my way up to the strawhats with the cyborg, Franky I think, walking to the right of me and Quinn on the left.
"Guys, the marines have started to surround this building. Better make this fast." I state in an uninterested tone as I was still trying to stay more aloof and not let any of my real personality show. Which was becoming harder and harder around the Strawhats they simply made it too easy to feel accepted and comfortable.
I had noticed the presence of the marines and none seemed necessarily strong. Even in massive numbers they'll still make an easy, short fight. 'I've been craving a real good fight, something that will get my adrenaline running and make me go all-out.' I think to myself.
I felt eyes on me after I finished speaking forcing me out of my thoughts. I went to seek them out and was met with cold grey eyes. Law was staring, yet again, which unnerved me. 'What is that man of 'Death' thinking now..?!' is all I could think of. However, I also noticed that Zoro's onyx eyes and Brook's eye sockets were both boring into me intently. Brook looked intrigued and curious, but Zoro looked frustrated, about what? I had no idea and didn't think I cared to know.
'Oh shit… I forgot that they had been standing right next to me when I first transformed…' Even though everyone saw my transformation back into a human, my transformation into the animal form is always more shocking. 'Guess they'll be looking for explanations later.'
While I was mulling over my options the three captains had gotten into a childish squabble and had headed outside to confront marines that had now completely surrounded the building and were making demands towards us. The three captains walked out fighting each other verbally but the crews stayed put. I raised an eyebrow at them, but since I was looking for a fight I decided to follow after the captains instead of waiting till all the fun is gone.
"Yoshh, let's do this Quinn!" I state in an excited tone as I begin to walk towards the exit. Quinn walked right at my heels.
Zoro who had been leaning on one of the benches called out to me saying, "I would save your energy. Just let Luffy clear up the mess out there. There will be plenty of more marines to slice up." He grinned a wicked grin at the thought of cutting up marines.
His smile made me shudder as I knew exactly what he was imagining but I glared at him nonetheless, "Don't order me around, brat!" I responded childishly. I had to fight back the urge to stick my tongue out at him. Quinn looked surprised at my childish attitude, 'How and why did this strange man get under Shay's skin so easily?'
Zoro scowled and rudely responded, "Who're you calling a brat?! You don't look older than 12!"
Now my appearance was a bit of a touchy subject. I had always been mistaken for a child and had become a bit 'self-conscious' of it in recent years as more and more people brought it up and poked fun at me because of it *cough* 'Quinn' *cough*.
Sanji who had overheard Zoro's comment shouted from where he stood next to Nami and Robin, "Zoro! You better not be being rude to a lady, or else I will personally kick your ass!" Zoro didn't even turn to respond to the annoyed blond chef completely ignoring him as did Shayde.
As I begin to fume I send Zoro a glare that would kill him on the spot if that were possible, his face turns into a wide grin as he figured he'd poked just the right spot. I lunged to kick at his head though he easily dodged it. I land on my feet loudly before turning to look at him again.
"Excuse you! But I happen to be 18. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!" I yell at him as I huff, pouting slightly and storm away back towards the exit, stomping my feet all the way. Zoro had the balls to begin laughing at my rage despite initially being shocked. 'What a prick!' was my last thoughts as the bright mid-day sun hit my face. Quinn was still right at my side as we exited together.
Meanwhile the rest of the Strawhat crew, Rayleigh, the Heart Pirates, and the Kidd Pirates had all watched the scene unfold with varying levels of mild amusement.
Zoro didn't know why but the mysterious girl had caught his attention from the very beginning, though all she had done was annoy him thus far. All her mysteries were making his head hurt. He wished she would just become an open book for him to read and stop making his brain think of her. His brain had been such a traitor this week it really wasn't funny in the least. He needed to focus on training and get his naps in without his brain pestering him with superfluous thoughts of some irrelevant girl.
However, now in this moment he found that when he turned the tables and annoyed her it was so very satisfying. The angry scrunched up face she made was hilarious and added with the little show of violence was just too perfect. Then she began to pout which made her look like an angry puppy. She had quite the personality despite trying to hold it back which made him want to know more about her and see all the other faces she can make. 'Hold up… Hell no, not going there! These thoughts are not manly at all.'
He would never admit to having such thoughts to anyone, especially himself. Zoro shook his head in hopes of clearing it and turned away from the confusing girl to face his crew. He was met with an angry glare from Nami, Robin shaking her head side-to-side in a disappointed manner, Brook laughing uncomfortably, Sanji still yelling at him for being rude to "Shayde-swan", then there was Franky carrying Camie, then Usopp trying to act manly and striking a pose for Chopper who was eating it up, and Hachi whose wounds were wrapped up and was being carried by Rayleigh. He tuned everything out and suddenly really wanted a nap but had a gut feeling that wouldn't happen for quite some time.