Ch. 3- Fiora Village
One Piece © Oda
Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, and other OCs © Me
Grrrroooooooooooowwwll~!
"Ugh..." Luffy groaned as he put his hand to his stomach while the Straw Hats looked at him, incredulously. As for Liza and Ruka, they both blinked in surprise that such a loud noise would come from someone like him. However, the former soon chuckled a bit.
"Don't worry," she said. "The village should have something for you to eat, soon."
"I sure hope so," Luffy said. "I'm starving!"
"We're almost there," said Liza as she kept walking. "Come on."
The Straw Hats soon followed after her while Ruka grumbled under his breath. As they walked, though, Blizzard couldn't help thinking about the flag he found on the beach. He knew it belonged to Whitebeard and his crew and he wasn't afraid to show it to Luffy since he knew he had pretty much come to terms with his brother's death. He only wondered if the others should know, and for that matter if Liza knew about it at all.
Soon, the group had arrived at the entrance of the village.
"Here we are," said Liza. "Welcome to Fiora Village!"
"Wow!" Nami exclaimed. "It's lovely!"
"Thanks," Liza replied. "Come on, lemme show you around. I'll even take you to our place."
"What?!" Ruka questioned. "Are you kidding me?! We're not letting them into our house!"
"Shut up!" Liza barked. "They're guests, you little turd, now be quiet!"
Ruka glared at the older woman as she led the Straw Hats through the village. As they did, the villagers stopped their business and noticed the Straw Hats with curiosity, especially the children. Even their pets stopped to look, as well.
"So there really are pirates here," said the old man from earlier.
"Wait...I think I recognize those guys," said his daughter. "Aren't they the Straw Hat Pirates? Their captain and first mate are from the Worst Generation."
"Huh," the old man muttered. "They don't look so bad to me."
"They wear some pretty weird clothes," whispered a little boy that was about 8 years old while Hanna stood nearby, along with several other children.
"That orange-haired lady sure looks pretty," said Hanna. "The raccoon-dog looks cute, too!"
"Is that a skeleton?" another girl asked.
"Whoa, one of them looks like a robot!" added another little boy.
Robin chuckled in amusement. "It seems we've attracted the attention of the locals."
"They sure seem friendly," Chopper said.
Ruka only grumbled under his breath as he kept walking, quietly. As the Straw Hats continued to follow Liza, Robin noticed several women weaving some kind of sheet with strange designs on them.
"What's that they're doing, there?" asked Robin.
"Oh, they're making tapestries," said Liza. "They're used for decorations in our houses."
"Bamboo hutches, huh?" Franky asked. "Kinda old-fashioned, but I guess it holds for you guys just fine, huh?"
"As long as the rain and wind aren't too strong," said Liza.
"Oh, my!" Brook exclaimed with a blush on his cheekbones. "Look there!"
The group looked to their left and saw several other women, dressed in grass skirts with leafy headdresses, swaying their hips and arms while several men around them were beating on bongo drums and these empty gourds. There was even one man that was swinging around a baton that was flaming on both ends. However, it seemed that Brook and Sanji were more interested in looking at the dancing women.
"I like the entertainment!" Sanji smirked with hearts in his eyes.
"Yohohohoho!" Brook laughed. "Such a lovely dance they're doing!"
"It's a traditional dance," said Liza. "You see, there's a festival coming up in a few more days."
"A festival?" Aika asked.
"That's right," Liza answered. "It's to give thanks to our guardian deity, Fiora."
"A festival, huh?" asked Usopp. "Sounds like fun!"
"Ooh!" Luffy exclaimed. "Is there gonna be food?!"
"Of course!" answered Liza. "Roasted pork, grilled fish, all kinds of stuff!"
"Then you can count on me being there!" Luffy exclaimed.
"As long as there's gonna be booze, count me in," Zoro said.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt to stay for that," Nami said.
"But...Big Sis, I thought we were looking for-" Aika started, only for Nami to quietly shush her.
"You're looking for what?" Ruka asked.
"Uh...a place to stay for the night," said Nami. "We traveled a long way to get here."
"Oh, well that's no problem," said Liza. "You guys can stay at our place."
"No, they're not!" Ruka shouted, only for Liza to smack him in the back of his head. "Ow!"
"Shut up!" Liza shouted. "They're guests and we will treat them as such, even if they are pirates! Got that?!"
"But-" Ruka started.
"Got it?!" Liza shouted, more forcefully.
"...Fine," Ruka muttered.
"Is there gonna be food at your place?" Luffy asked as he put his hands on his stomach, which growled once again.
"Yeah, Granny Lulu should have something for you guys to eat," said Liza. "She loves to cook."
"I could help her if you like," Sanji offered. "I'm a chef, myself."
"Yeah, a hack chef," Zoro muttered.
"What was that, loser swordsman?!" Sanji questioned.
"You heard me!" Zoro barked as he got in Sanji's face, only for Nami to push them both away.
"All right, enough, you two!" the navigator scolded. "Jeez."
The group kept walking until they reached Liza's and Ruka's house.
"Well, here we are," said Liza as she opened the door. "Our humble abode. Lemme just let Granny Lulu know we're here."
"Are you sure your grandmother's got enough room for all of us?" Robin asked.
"Yes, we don't wish to impose," Brook added.
"Ah, relax, she's not really our grandmother," said Liza. "She just took me and Ruka in after..." She then trailed off with a slightly solemn look before she shook her head. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. Make yourselves at home."
"Uh...okay," Usopp answered. "Are you sure you're all right, though?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Liza assured.
"Liza? Did you bring Ruka back?"
Liza, Ruka, and the Straw Hats looked up to see Lulu enter the drawing room.
"Oh, my!" the old woman exclaimed. "I didn't know we were having guests!"
"Don't talk to them!" Ruka shouted. "They're pirates!"
"Didn't I just say knock it off?!" Liza questioned as she smacked Ruka in the back of his head, again.
"Ow!" Ruka cried as he grabbed the back of his head. "Will you stop that?!"
"Pirates, are they?" asked Lulu. "Well, I certainly hope they have big appetites. I just started making lunch! It's squid and crab stew with mixed vegetables."
"Ooh, sounds yummy!" Luffy exclaimed with a watering mouth.
"Don't be surprised if he asks for bowls of the stuff," Sanji added.
"Oh, don't worry, dear," Lulu assured. "I've had to raise these two on their own, and they tend to eat the whole pot dry! Let's see if I can sate this one, too."
"Miss, I think I'm really starting to like you," Sanji smiled as he followed Lulu into the kitchen while the rest of the crew took a look around.
"What lovely pottery," Robin said as she looked at some clay vases that had fish painted on them with black ink. "They look quite old."
"Oh, those are, like, decades old," Liza answered. "Granny Lulu's family's had them for generations. They used to be used to carry water from the rivers, but they've got cracks in them from being overused."
"History in your own home," Robin said. "I find that interesting."
"Robin's an archaeologist," said Nami. "She loves stuff like this."
"I see," Liza said.
'I got a bit of history right here in my saddlebag,' thought Blizzard as he glanced at his bag.
"Ooh~! What's all this?"
"Aika?" Luffy asked as he got up and followed his younger half-sister's voice, which prompted the Straw Hats, plus Liza to follow him until they all entered the room full of paintings of the fiery bird that the young woman had made as well as the blank canvas. Aika stood in the middle of the room with Kumi, admiring the paintings.
"They're beautiful!" Aika exclaimed.
"You like them?" Liza asked with a smile. "I painted them all, myself, for five years."
"You made all these?!" Chopper asked.
"Wow, Liza, you're a real artist!" Usopp commented.
Franky let out an impressed whistle.
"SUPER job you did, here!" he said.
"How marvelous!" Brook exclaimed.
"Aww...thanks," Liza said as she scratched the back of her head. "It's a hobby, mostly."
"They're all paintings of the Phoenix!" Nami added in awe.
"That's right," said Liza. "This is Fiora, the island's guardian. She watches over the land and its people."
"...A Phoenix, huh?" Luffy muttered as he looked around, only to spot one of the paintings on the wall. Instead of the blazing red and orange colors, this Phoenix had blue flames with golden yellow tail feathers, as well as purple rings around its eyes. "Huh? Hey...this one kinda looks like..."
A brief image of a young man appeared in Luffy's mind...his arms turning into flaming blue wings as he turned and grinned at him.
"Luffy?" Zoro called, causing Luffy to turn to face him. "Are you all right?"
"Oh, yeah," Luffy said. "Sorry. Guess I spaced out a second." He then looked to the painting. "Hey, Liza. How come this painting looks different from the others?"
"Oh, I see you found a pretty old one," said Liza. "That's actually a painting of someone I knew, once...a long time ago. Believe it or not, he was a pirate, just like you guys."
"Really?" asked Aika. "What was his name?"
"Coincidentally," Liza began, "his name was Marco the Phoenix, the 1st Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates."
3...2...1...
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEHH?!" the Straw Hats questioned. "THE WHITEBEARD PIRATES?!"
Liza, although a bit taken back by their reaction, only laughed as she stood up straight.
"That's right," she said. "In fact, this island used to be under their protection...well...until 2 years ago, when Whitebeard died during that big war." She then sighed. "It's sad what happened to him...as well as Fire Fist Ace." She then looked at Luffy, who blinked at her. "Fire Fist was your brother, right? I'm sorry..."
Luffy shook his head in response.
"It was sad what happened to them," he began, "but they're in a better place now. Nothing will bring them back, and I'm okay with that."
"That's right," Liza smiled. "I just wonder if Marco's doing okay."
"You seem to hold Marco in pretty high regard," said Franky. "Mind telling us why that is?"
"...Because just like with Granny Lulu," said Liza, "I owe Marco a great debt...if it weren't for him and the Whitebeard Pirates, we wouldn't even be alive to this day." She then looked out to the window. "It was way back when I was just 14 years old...when vicious pirates invaded our home."
Flashback
There was the sound of shrill screams as people ran for their lives. Flames roared from the burning houses, and those that weren't going up in flames were smashed to pieces by hammers and swords. Gunshots rang out, followed by many people screaming in pain as they felt themselves get struck...only to be silenced by several more shots.
Shadowy figures encroached on the village as the people continued to run while the ones who menaced laughed with wicked grins. Among them was Liza, back when she was 14 and had a full head of hair before she shaved the left side off. As she ran through the village, she gasped in horror as she found a man and woman lying on the ground, lifeless in a pool of blood...while a large, burly shadow stood over them, holding a large ax in his hand...the blade of which was dripping with blood. As the figure's glowing red eyes glared down at Liza, it was then that she knew...she was next.
Liza whimpered as she fell on her bottom, trying to run away from her aggressor, who chuckled in a sinister manner as he towered over her. He raised his ax, preparing to bring it down on her and deliver the killing blow. Liza flinched, awaiting her fate...and yet, it never came. Instead of the sound of the blade of the ax piercing her flesh, she heard a loud clang, followed by a grunting sound, and finally the sound of someone falling to the ground. Liza opened her eyes...and saw a huge, blue bird flaming gold feathers. She gasped in shock as the bird turned to face her with this gentle smile on its face.
"You all right-yoi?" asked the bird.
"...Who are you?" asked Liza.
"The name's Marco," the bird answered before a shroud of flames encircled his body...revealing his true form: a man with a pineapple-shaped head and dirty blonde hair. He had tanned skin, a purple cardigan, a pair of blue pants, and this purple tattoo on his chest that looked like a cross and a crescent-shape. "Marco the Phoenix."
"...Marco...!" Liza whispered in awe.
"...Hey, Pops!" Marco called. "What do you say we drive these idiots off this island?!"
"Gurarararararara!"
Liza and the villagers turned in shock while the pirates looked utterly horrified upon seeing Whitebeard, himself, as well as his dog, Stefan, and some of his Division Commanders, Jozu, Thatch, Blamenco, Izou, Fossa, Rakuyo, Vista, and of course...Ace.
"The Whitebeard Pirates?!" questioned one of the marauding pirates. "What are they doing here?!"
"What does it look like, dumbasses?" asked Ace as he stepped forward. "We're here to claim this island in the name of Whitebeard!"
"That's right," Whitebeard said. "As of today, this island is now under my protection! If you rats don't clear it, I'll have to get nasty, you understand?! Gurararararara!"
Not wanting to bring about the wrath of one of the Four Emperors, the marauders soon fled in terror.
"Hmph!" Vista scoffed. "Cowards, the lot of them."
"Pops," Jozu said as he looked around. "This place got shook pretty bad before we showed up...what should we do?"
"...All right, boys!" Whitebeard bellowed. "Let's help these poor folks rebuild this sad little village...hell, let's make it even better!"
"Aye-aye!" the Whitebeard Pirates exclaimed before they began to get to work. As they did, the villagers returned the favor by giving them food to eat to keep up their strength and even made Whitebeard some of their finest liquor, which he appreciated very much. While the villagers worked with the Whitebeard Pirates, Liza seemed to be growing quite fond of Marco, almost always seen following him around.
"Looks like you got yourself a little fan, Marco," Ace smirked.
"Haha," Marco laughed, sarcastically before he looked at Liza, who smiled at him. "Hey, what's up, kid?"
"...Thank you," Liza said. "For everything."
Marco chuckled as he gently ruffled Liza's hair.
"We're just a bunch of pirates who thought they should help out, that's all," he told her.
"Well, still," said an old woman as she approached, "we appreciate your help. Never thought that we'd be saved from pirates by another group of pirates, though." She then looked up at Marco. "Still...it was quite a surprise to see you with those divine powers, child."
"Divine powers?" Marco repeated, inquisitively, before he chuckled. "You must be talking about my Devil Fruit powers. I ate the Bird-Bird Fruit: Phoenix Model. It's a mythical Devil Fruit that turns me into a Phoenix-yoi!"
"Call it what you will," said Lulu, "but we think you just might be a messenger of the Great Fiora, herself."
"Who?" Marco asked.
"Fiora's the island's guardian," said Liza. "She protects us!"
"If you ask me, she didn't do a good job," whispered Ace, causing Marco to nudge him in the side with his elbow. "Ow! I was only kidding!"
Liza only giggled, which made Marco laugh a bit, as well.
"What's your name, kid?" asked the Phoenix-man.
"I'm Liza," Liza answered.
"Well, Liza," Marco began, "I hope that one day, our paths cross again."
"I hope so, too," said Liza with a bright, happy smile on her face.
Flashback end
"...Unfortunately," Liza began as she kept looking out toward the sun, "that day will never come, I'm afraid."
"Why not?" Aika asked.
"Because sometime after the Paramount War," Liza began, "Marco took the remaining Whitebeard Pirates and fought with the Blackbeard Pirates, which became known as the Grudge Wars...and sadly, Blackbeard won."
"...We already heard about that," Luffy said, glaring at the name 'Blackbeard'. "I still can't believe that fatass won."
"And he replaced Whitebeard, no less," Liza concurred with a hint of venom on her tongue. "I can't stand that he's one of the Four Emperors, now..."
"...Has he ever tried to come here?" asked Nami.
"Not lately," Liza answered. "Honestly, the island's been relatively peaceful since those 5 years." She then sighed. "Before Marco and the rest of the Whitebeard Pirates left, he told me this: 'Liza, you can't always count on someone to look after you. You have to take your fate into your own hands'. I still don't know what he meant by that, though...but I do know it's something I'll never forget. Then he gave the Whitebeard Pirates' flag as a way to remember him...but I lost it a while back and I never found it."
A pause...but then, Blizzard went up and nudged Liza from behind with his nose, causing her to turn to him.
"What's up, big guy?" asked Liza, which prompted Blizzard to reach into his saddlebag and pull out the flag he had found on the beach. "Oh! The flag!" She then took the cloth and folded it up, then hugged Blizzard around his neck in gratitude. "Thank you, so much! I thought I lost this forever!"
"Where'd you find that, Blizzard?" Luffy asked.
"I found it on the beach," Blizzard said. "It was buried in the sand."
"Hey, Liza," Zoro said. "One more thing. Why were those pirates invading the island in the first place?"
"They were trying to find some treasure that was hidden here," said Liza, causing the Straw Hats (except for Luffy) to freeze.
"...Well...this is awkward," Kumi muttered.
"Tell me about it," Aika agreed.
"Hey! That's what-MMPH!" Luffy started, only for Nami and Usopp to jump on him with their hands over his mouth. "MMHHMPH! MMPH!"
"Be quiet, you idiot...!" Nami whispered.
"Are you outta your mind?!" Usopp questioned, but also keeping his voice down. "If they find out we're here for the same reason as the pirates who invaded this place, 5 years ago, they'll chase us out for sure!"
"So keep your mouth shut about the treasure, got it?" Nami asked.
"...Okay," Luffy nodded.
"Uh...is everything okay?" asked Liza.
"Yeah, everything's fine!" Nami and Usopp answered with a nervous chuckle.
"...Okay, if you say so," said Liza.
"Liza! Everyone! The food is ready!" Lulu called from downstairs.
"Oh, boy!" Luffy exclaimed before he headed out. "Food, food, food!"
"Hey, wait for us, Luffy!" Chopper shouted as he and Usopp ran out after him.
"Yeah, don't eat it all before we do!" Usopp yelled while the others calmly filed out of Liza's room and followed after.
XXX
Luffy had already downed at least 8 bowls of the soup and was on his 9th one, by now, and Usopp and Chopper ate with just as much haste as he did.
"Goodness!" Lulu exclaimed with a bit of endearment in her voice. "I've never seen such an appetite!"
"This is kind of what I was warning you about," Sanji glared.
Luffy let out a belch as held out his bowl. "More, please!"
"I think you've had more than enough!" spat Sanji.
"Stingy..." Luffy pouted.
"This soup is amazing, Lulu," said Nami.
"Oh, thank you, dear," said Lulu. "It's nothing too special. Just crab and some bluefin trout from the ocean sprinkled with a little sea salt. I gave your cook here the recipe for it so you could have it while you're out at sea."
"Thanks, granny!" Luffy exclaimed.
As everyone else ate, Ruka remained quiet as he sat at the mahogany table, staring at his soup while clutching his spoon bitterly. Liza, who was sitting next to him, just calmly ate hers before she glanced over at her younger sibling before she sighed and put her spoon down.
"Something wrong with the soup, Ruka?" asked Liza.
"Hey, kid," Sanji said. "You had better eat that. I don't want it getting cold."
"...How do I do know you didn't poison this?" asked Ruka.
"I don't poison food, brat," Sanji countered. "That would make me some kind of a scumbag, not a cook!"
"Pirates are all scumbags!" Ruka spat. "Every last one of them!"
"Ruka, I said stop it!" Liza scolded.
"No!" Ruka shouted as he got up from the table. "Why should we treat them like guests and let them eat our food?! For all we know, they could be trying to get us to drop our guard!"
"Ruka, that's quite enough!" Lulu chided.
"I'm just trying to keep this village safe, but none of you will take me seriously!" Ruka shouted. "Whitebeard was supposed to protect this island, but now he's dead and the Whitebeard Pirates have split up! We couldn't count on them before and we can't count on them, now!"
"Ruka, did you forget that they saved us?!" asked Liza. "If it weren't for them-"
"I don't care what they did!" Ruka shouted. "Pirates are still pirates, no matter which way you look at them! I thought you'd forget about those losers after they lost that war, but you still think they'll come back?!"
"Shut up!" Liza yelled. "I don't wanna hear any more of you badmouthing the people who saved our lives, especially Marco! If you're not gonna behave at the table, then take your soup and go to your room and eat it!"
"I don't have to listen to you!" Ruka shouted. "You're not my Mom! YOU'RE NOT EVEN MY SISTER!"
The Straw Hats all gaped, save for Luffy, who was still too busy eating his soup, while Ruka stormed out of the house.
"Oh, dear," Robin muttered.
"Well...that was pleasant," Zoro sneered.
"...Oh, Ruka," Lulu muttered as she shook her head.
"Little shit didn't even eat the soup...!" Sanji hissed.
"Can I have it, then?" Luffy asked.
"Luffy, please don't," Blizzard muttered.
"...Please don't be upset at him," Liza said, causing the Straw Hats to look at her. "You see...Ruka and I aren't really brother and sister. When the pirates invaded our island, five years ago, they didn't just kill my parents, they killed his parents, too." She then looked to Lulu, who hobbled over on her cane before she gently held her hand with a tender smile, which caused her to smile back. "Ever since then, Granny Lulu took us in and told us to love each other like a brother and sister would...but Ruka didn't want us for his family. What he wanted was revenge for his real parents. Ever since that day, Ruka's hated pirates with a burning passion...even the pirates who don't mean us any harm."
"Jeez..." Franky muttered.
"That is quite a shame," Brook said.
"He's a little ingrate if you ask me," Sanji grumbled. "The old woman is kind enough to take you and him both in out of the goodness of her heart, and this is how he repays you?"
"Why does this sound familiar?" Nami asked, although she had this knowing look on her face, all the same.
"What do you mean?" asked Liza.
"When I was young," Nami began, "I was adopted by a Marine woman, along with another young girl who would become my older adopted sister. We grew up together in a little house in a tangerine orchard. We barely had money to get by in life and I wasn't satisfied with what I had. I even went so far as to say we weren't a real family..."
"Nami..." Liza muttered in disbelief.
"Of course, I didn't realize how much I loved those two until I lost my Mother," Nami said. "A crew of Fishman Pirates invaded my village and killed her...then he pretty much made me his mapmaker for eight years and held my village hostage. I actually hated all pirates as bitterly as Ruka does..." She then looked over at Luffy with a fond smile. "That is until I met the goofball, here, along with Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp."
Luffy grinned, despite his mouth being full of food, which caused Nami to laugh at her fiance.
"Yeah, I know, he's a few eggs shy of a dozen," Nami said, "but I love him." She then looked up at Liza. "Anyway...give Ruka some time. I'm sure he'll come around, one day."
"...I hope so, Nami," said Liza. "I really do."
During the conversation, Aika and Kumi both looked at each other before they both nodded and headed out the door, following the direction in which Ruka took off in: toward the jungle. However, just as they were leaving, a shadowy figure watched from behind the ferns before slinking off after them as quietly as possible.
TO BE CONTINUED...
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