Chapter Three
Pirates or Saviors?
Aries watched in awe as the tall, blonde man picked the noble off the ground and clutched the front of his dirty pressed shirt in his fist. His gaze was harsh.
"Harming a beautiful woman is unforgivable," the blonde man spoke through gritted teeth.
The sound of footsteps approaching caught the young sheep girl's attention, but she could not tear her eyes away from her savior. She felt the presence of two people standing on either side of her.
"Sanji! Why did you run off like that? You dropped my meat! That wasn't very nice. I was gonna eat it later," a voice whined to her left.
A shriek came from her right and the person crouched down beside her.
"You're hurt! Are you alright?!" This new voice was laced with worry and concern. Slowly, Aries tore her dark blue eyes from the sharply dressed blonde, who was now kicking the noble into a bloody pile, and looked at the boy kneeling next to her. He had an olive complexion with black curly hair kept in place with a dark green bandana. His eyes were looking down at the red spot growing from under her hand.
"I'm fine," she managed to choke out. She turned to look at the owner of the whining voice. It was another black haired boy, but this one was very different from the one by her side. This boy stood tall with his head held high, as if he wasn't afraid of anything. His dark eyes were friendly and yet fierce at the same time. He wore a red button up vest, denim short that went to his knees, and a normal pair of sandals. Her eyes were drawn back to his face, taking in his large toothy grin. He placed one hand on top of his straw hat and cheered on the blonde man.
She turned back to her rescuer just as he started to walk towards her. He ran his fingers through his hair and knelt down in front of her. He gently took her hand in his larger one and kissed the back of it. The teen girl felt her cheeks heat up at the gesture. It was then that she got a good look at his face. It was a handsome man, with a curly eyebrow and one eye hidden behind his blonde bangs. He also had the start of a beard on his chin.
"I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner, my sweet. Maybe if I had, I could have stopped that horrible man from hurting such a beautiful creature." The blonde man raised his head and gave her a loving gaze. "And what is the lovely lady called, eh?" He seemed to wiggle as he spoke.
Aries leaned away from him and pulled her hand from his grasp and raised it to cover one of her spiral horns. The movement drew the three boys' attention to them rather than hide them like she hoped.
"Oh wow! Are those real?!" The boy in the straw hat leaned down and touched the horn closest to him. The girl jerked away and covered both with her hands.
"Yes they're real." Her voice was tense, her eyes frightened.
The blonde man swooned and mumbled something about 'sounding like an angel', but Aries didn't pay much attention to him. With both her hands covering her spiral horns, her knife wound was fully visible to her saviors. All three got serious at the sight of the still growing red stain coming through her white fleece dress.
"You need to get that treated right away!" the curly haired boy said. His face gave away how worried and concerned he was for the girl. That was something she wasn't used to.
Again the blonde boy apologized for not saving her soon and he gave the unconscious noble another swift kick. The boy in the red vest moved from her left side to sit crossed legged in front of her. He stared at her face for a little while before smiling. "Hi. My name's Luffy. The coward next to you is Usopp and the guy with the curly eyebrow is Sanji. What's your name?"
Aries blinked, dumbfounded. Just who are these guys? She watched in almost childlike wonder as her savior, who she now knew was named Sanji, kicked Luffy in the head for not introducing him better. Usopp also yelled at the friendly boy about calling him a coward. Luffy covered his head and yelled out an apology followed by merry laughter while the other two continued to hit him.
The young woman felt the corners of her lips twitch upwards into a small smile and little giggles gathered in the back of her throat. The small sounds stopped the boys' scuffle. The three were confused at first but smiled at her. Usopp took his foot off his friend's head and crouched down in front of the still injured girl. Her giggles faded and her smile shrunk, but her eyes were much brighter than before. She eyed the long-nosed boy warily, but didn't back away.
"That wound of yours is serious. You should get it treated. We could take you back to our ship and have our navigator do it. I'm sure she wouldn't mind."
Aries stared into his eyes, searching for any malicious intent. When she didn't find any, she nodded slowly, allowing Usopp to help her back to her feet. He held her arm and led her towards the docks, while Luffy and Sanji picked up bags of food and followed behind them.
As they walked down the main street, Usopp told the sheep girl all about the group's ship. It was called the Going Merry and they got it from his friend back in Syrup Village. Then he starting telling her about his great adventures as the Great Captain Usopp. The girl tried to pay attention to his tales, but her eyes darted back and forth searching for any sign of the pirates that brought her here. These travelers were nice. She didn't want them to get caught up in her messy life.
Before she knew it, the group was at the docks, standing before a small caravel ship with a ram figurehead. Aries couldn't help chuckle at the irony and absentmindedly tucked a strand of hair behind one of her horns. She watched the skinny olive skinned Usopp quickly climb up the rope ladder and over the railing of the ship. She let her dark blue eyes drift over the course rope ladder and winced. Climbing would definitely hurt with the slash in her side.
She pressed her hand against the wound and turned to question the other two boys. Both Luffy and Sanji still had their arms full of bags containing food. She watched in amazement as they tossed the bags effortlessly up into the air. Another man, this one with short green hair, caught them and carried them out of sight. As she blinked in surprise at their great display of strength, she was lifted off her feet and pressed against a strong, broad chest.
Quickly, she whipped her head around to stare into the visible eye of her curly-browed handler. His suave grin almost took her breath away. "A lovely princess shouldn't have to climb when she is in such a condition. I shall carry you aboard, milady."
Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. She cast her gaze on the wooden walls of the ship. She felt the muscles in his chest tense as he crouched. Suddenly, he leapt high into the air. Aries felt a squeak escape her lips as she clutched Sanji's black suit jacket in her fists. Her eyes looked around at the ship that was coming up fast beneath them, when her eyes landed on the sail.
Panic bubbled in her gut; Fear gripped her heart. There on the biggest sail was a jolly roger wearing a straw hat. They- They're pirates!
Sanji landed gracefully on the wooden deck of the small ship, cooing over the sheep girl in his arms. But her attention was everywhere but him. Her eyes searched for an escape route. Her frightened orbs moved back to the railing where she had just come from in time to see hands grab the white wood and a body go flinging past. Her jaw dropped as she watched Luffy shoot through the air, holding his straw hat to his head, laughing like an idiot. He stretched his arm out to grab the mast and pulled himself back onto the Going Merry's deck.
What the fuck was that? D-Does he have devil fruit powers too? I'm so screwed.
She struggled in the blonde chef's arms, pushing hard against his strong chest. Surprised by her sudden force, his arms loosened around her body. She slipped out of his grasp and crashed into the wooden planks. She pushed herself to her feet and backed up against the mast. She couldn't stop the shivers that wracked her body. Her vision clouded with unshed tears, panic taking over her thoughts. Her eyes remained locked on Luffy, watching his movements cautiously. "W-what are you?" she stuttered, her voice breathy with her panic.
The young man grinned and laughed, his finger hooking the inside of his mouth and tugging out far past normal human limitations. "I'm a rubber man!" he laughed, "I ate the Gum-Gum Fruit!"
Aries hung her head as her tears finally fell down her cheeks. Someone touched her shoulder gently and spoke to her, but the words sounded muddled to her panic-stricken brain. Her body reacted to the touch before she could register the movement. Her fleece covered fist made contact with the person's face. Her vision cleared as the tears slipped over. Her fist was still outstretched and Usopp was lying on the ground, his left cheek already starting to swell. Stuttering, she let her arm fall limp. More tears welled up in the corner of her eyes, guilt sitting heavy in her stomach.
She tried to form words of an apology, but couldn't get them out. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as she felt a harsh glare land on her back. She turned slowly to meet the icy stare of the green haired man. He pointed a sword at her before charging. She ducked below the deadly blade, covering her head with her arms. The green haired man's blade stuck in the thick wood of the mast. She looked up at him through her bangs, eyes turning serious.
She shifted her weight and sprung forward, slamming her head into his gut, her rough bone horns digging painfully in his skin. The blow knocked the swordsman off his feet and onto his back. A collective gasp sounded from everyone at the sight of their crew mate being taken down.
Aries spun on the ball of her foot and started running towards the railing of the ship.
"Oh no you don't!" a female voice shouted behind her.
A strong whack to the back of the head sent the blonde sheep girl down to the ground. She tried to push herself back up, but was rewarded with another strong strike. Then, her world went black.
Nami stood above the shorter blonde girl, her wooden staff in hand. Her pretty face contorted into an ugly scowl. "Alright. Who is this girl and why did she attack us?"
Usopp sat up, holding his inflamed cheek. "Sanji saved her from being attacked. Maybe our pirate flag spooked her."
Sanji cooed unintelligibly about his 'princess' being so strong. Luffy looked down at Zoro who held his abdomen in pain. His injuries from the battle at Arlong Park must have reopened slightly after that head-butt. The captain walked over and crouched beside the unconscious girl.
"Oi, Nami? Can you bandage her wound? I want her to be our new nakama." His voice was as innocent as the grin on his lips.
The orange haired girl bared her teeth and punched the rubber man in the head. "Why should I help someone who attacked us?!"
Luffy pushed his prized straw hat to hang down his back as he rubbed the bump protruding from his hair. "Because we didn't tell her we were pirates. It's only natural she's be scared, especially after just being attacked by someone else," he pouted.
The navigator sighed and rubbed her temples. She knew he was right, but certainly didn't want to admit it. "Why do you want her to join our crew if she's scared of us?"
"Because she's strong. I mean she took down Zoro with one hit." A simple man with a simple answer. There never was much to Luffy's trail of thought.
Zoro coughed and pushed himself to his feet. "It was a cheap shot. She couldn't pull that on me again." His face was in its normal scowl, but he seemed even more irritated knowing that he was still not in peak condition after his fight with the fishmen.
Nami agreed to patch up the poor girl, but made Luffy promise not to force her to join them if she really didn't want to. Sanji carried the mysterious girl into the kitchen and laid her down on the bench. Nami quickly kicked the ero-cook out and knelt down beside her patient. She gently lifted the soft, white dress up to just under the blonde's bust. The navigator frowned as she wiped the damaged skin with a wet cloth, cleaning away the dried blood.
"It's a shame such a pretty dress had to be ruined. I'm sure it was expensive and one of your favorites." She spoke softly to the sleeping teen, wincing as she started sewing the ripped flesh back together with a needle and thread. "I know it must've shocked you that those three guys were pirates. None of us really seem like run-of-the-mill thugs. But we aren't like normal pirates. We don't go around hurting people or destroying villages. Well... Luffy does have a tendency to break buildings when he fights, but he never starts the fights. When you wake up, I'll make sure you see that we're different. Because if they were like all the other pirates, I wouldn't be here."
Nami smiled fondly at the door out to the deck, totally unaware that the girl had been awake the whole time. A knock sounded at the door, and Usopp walked in carrying a small stack of clothes.
"I got you those clothes you asked for. But what are they for?"
"Well obviously she can't keep wearing that ruined dress. She needs clean clothes. Plus I never wear these anymore, and they look like they'll fit her." Nami lift the pile of clothes next to the still girl before leaving with the sniper.
Aries sat up gingerly as to not irritate her wound farther. Her dark blue eyes watched the closed door as she got to her feet. The girl's words echoed in her mind.
What does she mean they aren't like other pirates? Does she mean that they aren't going to give me back to the Coyote Ugly crew? I don't want to go through another auction.
She looked back at the table where the girl had laid out fresh clothes. A pair of short shorts and a dark purple shirt sat on the wooden table top. The sheep girl looked down at the dress the prep team made her wear and sure enough, a large dark red stain covered the right side. Her eyes slowly drifted to her hands and her breath caught in her throat when she saw her red-stained palms and fingers. She nibbled harshly on her bottom lip as she all but ripped her gloves off and used them to scrub the blood from her skin.
When she noticed the dried blood wasn't coming off, she stumbled towards the sink and thrust her hands under the running water. Aries finally took a breath when the water started turning brown and her hands were once again clean.
Once she was done scrubbing her hands, she dropped her gloves in a pile on the table. She then took off the white legwarmers before grabbing the dress. She ripped the fleece so it ended a couple of inches below her bust, exposing her bandaged mid-section. She let the stained fabric fall on top of the other pieces, creating a large pile of once white clothes.
The blonde girl pulled on the brown shorts, careful to not bend over too far. Finally she knelt down to gather the fleece in her arms.
"Well. I can't just throw this away. It's the only weapon I know how to use." She whispered to herself. She closed her eyes tight, concentrating solely on the warm wool beneath her fingers.
"Wool-Wool Blend." she spoke in a forceful whisper.
The fleece seemed to jump about in her arms, stretching and growing, three pieces of clothing becoming one roll of fabric. A small, dense, brown ball fell out of the wool spool and into her hand. She looked over the brown object and then back at the roll in front of her. No trace of blood could be seen. Only pure white wool. She smiled and sat the brown thing on the table.
"I'm getting better at that. The blood spots are completely gone this time. And the cast-off is smaller, but it's heavy. I wonder if that's because I tried to make it smaller?" she spoke to herself softly, rolling the blood-stained wool around the table. She picked it up and tossed it in the garbage barrel by the door without giving it another glance.
Aries took the tight roll of fleece in her hands and whispered her command to it once again. This time the roll jumped and shifted into three pieces, giving the girl back her woolen gloves and a smaller roll of fabric. She strapped the roll to her back using a small piece of rope she found on the floor after slipping her gloves back on. Finally she pulled her hair out of the already falling side ponytail. Her wavy blonde tresses fell down to her waist.
Fighting with it down would be a pain. Better pull it back up.
She pulled her hair up into a high ponytail so it would be out of the way. Now, she was ready to face whatever the pirates had set up for her. Nervously, she walked to the exit, hand pressed against the smooth wood. She took a deep breath, calming her upset stomach, before opening the door. Her fight-or-flight instinct kicked on in hyper drive as she saw the swordsman from before standing directly in front the door, glaring down at her.
"I think it's time you told us who you are." His gruff voice demanding.
Aries opened her mouth to respond, but only a nervous bleat escaped. She gave a tiny cough and nodded. The much taller male placed his large hand on her shoulder and led her to the center of the deck. Sitting before her were the other four members of the pirate crew.
Only five members? Not much of a crew.
The swordsman pushed down on her shoulder, forcing her to sit down across from the others before taking his place, leaning against the mast. Her eyes measured up each and every member. Usopp wasn't strong physically, but she could tell he was good with the slingshot in his hand. The girl wasn't strong either, but she was sneaky. Aries wanted to rub the back of her head which still ached from the blow the other girl had delivered. Now her eyes roamed over the other three males. Strong, powerful auras radiated from them. Sanji didn't look to threatening with his wiggling and 'loving' gaze, but she remembered the way his muscles felt when he held her. Luffy didn't look to scary either, with his vacant stare and finger up his nose, but she had seen him stretch his body and he did say he ate a devil fruit. Plus he obviously knew how to use his ability to its fullest, while she was still discovering her abilities.
The last member of the pirate crew was the one that affected her the most. The green haired swordsman glared down at her smaller form with obvious disdain. His muscles were tense, ready to attack with the slightest provoke. She shifted uncomfortably under his harsh glare. She closed her eyes, trying to focus on anything but the memories that intense gaze brought back.
She could still hear that evil laughter that plagued her nightmares for several years. And those harsh yellow eyes watching her hungrily from the darkness of the auction hall.
Once again, she let out a nervous bleat, ignoring the strange looks from the orange-haired girl. She shook her head, forcing the thoughts away as she retreated once more into the depths of her mind. Aries shifted to sit on her knees in the formal kneeling position she was used to. She bowed her head, eyes downcast. Her glove covered hands placed in her lap.
"Hello. My name is Aries the Sheep, property of the Coyote Ugly pirate crew and its captain."
The group before her made their own confused noises as she raised her head out of her bow. Her eyes were empty, void of all emotion, as was her voice. The orange haired girl gave a very visible twitch before leaning forward, an angry frown tugging at her lips.
"What do you mean property?" There was a sharp edge to her words, as if the question left a bad taste in her mouth. The boys glanced at her briefly before gazing at Aries.
"I mean what I said. I am a slave that belongs to Captain Coyote."