Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or Tokyo Ghoul. I do own my OCs.
Chapter 2 - How it all began
The wind was hitting hard as the two kids carefully walked on the edge of the rough cliffs. They were trying to climb down that dangerously sharp edged cliff and get to the shore. The sound of the waves beneath them was filling their ears and little drops of water were sprouting on their faces. They had finally found an abandoned boat in that shore, fine enough to get them to the one or maybe two next islands. Law didn't even notice the boat from where they were up on top of that cliff, not after he checked the shore with a spyglass and barely saw the silhouette of it while Lilou was pointing at the boat all along with bare eyes like it was something right in front of her nose. 'Guess her sight and other senses are far more stronger than others too, in addition to her weird strength and speed!' he thought as he was watching her from the corner of his eyes. A moment later, the rock she fixed her foot on broke and she slipped on the cliff. Law immediately grabbed her arm and hold her mid air but she screamed horrified, watching her fluffy spotted hat falling beneath them.
"NO! MY HAT!"
"Lilou! Stop moving like a crazy rat we're both gonna fall you BAKA!"
"MY HAT! NO LET GO OF MY ARM!" she screamed out and easily pulled her arm out of his grip and she fell down!
Law screamed her name. It wasn't very high from where they were, but it was enough to break someone's bones if they fell like she did. A loud sound of clashing shook his ears.
"LILOU!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. She didn't answer. Law started to climb down more hastily as his heart was beating in his ears and he was heaving for air. She couldn't be dead. If he could reach her soon enough he could probably save her. He mumbled "Faster faster fast-"
"Oooooiii Laaaaww! What're you doing you gonna fall walking klutzy like that!" Lilou shouted at him as she was dusting her hat off casually. Law halted and narrowed his eyes and he growled annoyed when he saw her standing.
"SHUT UP YOU MORON! I THOUGHT YOU'RE DEAD WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU JUMPING OFF LIKE THAT?!" his eyes were widened so much that they could actually fall out of his head any moment!
"Yehihihihi! Sorry sorry I'm alright get down here safe hahahahaha!" she laughed out.
"ARE YOU INSANE?" he screamed a moment before his feet touched the sandy shore.
"Aaaaahahahahaha sorry sorry hahahaha... I didn't thought that through." she cheerfully laughed out again.
An hour later they were sitting next to the small fire Law had made, he was eating the grilled rabbits Lilou helped him hunt earlier that day, and Lilou was laying on her stomach humming a song while she was looking at a picture she pulled out from inside of her metal armband. Law was thinking about the way she acted when her hat was falling down the cliff. He thought she stole it earlier but when it was falling she got so upset as if it was a person falling down!
"Hey..."
"What's wrong Law?"
"Where did you get that hat from? It's a traditional North Blue hat, but you said you lived in East Blue..."
She rolled to her back. Then took off her hat and carefully placed it on her stomach.
"I know it's a northern style hat. But a couple years ago back in Foosha I saw a pack of travelers and there was this kid with them who wore a hat so much like this one, I just couldn't stop staring at it, it was SO COOL YOU SEE! So Ace asked Gramps to buy me one of these hats from North Blue on his behalf. Then a few month later Ace gave me this one for my 6th birthday!" She looked up at Law and smiled as she placed the hat back on her raven hair.
"It's my treasure." Lilou added and gave him another wide grin.
Law didn't say anything. Her treasure? Weren't treasures supposed to be jewels and gold? Then again, he realized he can't understand Lilou completely for she had a very complicated personality for an 8 year old child, almost as complicated as Law's. She was extremely intelligent and smart and she wasn't lying when she said she's strong, but she was also too lightheaded and carefree at times that Law found it hard to believe that she's the same person. They have been together for almost a month, he wasn't sure how but it was like she had a quality that somehow managed to hypnotize this rude, heartless and mind-broken little boy. More like a medicine, a really strong drug that was causing him ease and peace, or something to hang on to, or someone to rely on and look after at the same time. And Law was starting to realize just then, the fact that how much he needed Lilou in his dark and empty life, a friend, a nakama.
After swallowing the last bite of his meal, Law stood and started to kill the fire. He looked up at the sky and said "Come on let's go already. It's gonna get dark in few hours."
Lilou stood and grabbed her little backpack. She opened her mouth to answer but she froze suddenly. Her nose was itching. She turned around and cautiously looked at the far side of the beach. She was smelling something delicious, very much delicious. And it was so strong, like a bunch of mouthwatering meals were walking closer to her any second. 'Humans!' She swallowed the saliva that was about to drip from her mouth. It was a month since she last ate, and it wasn't even enough for her. She could live for a month or two by eating a human in whole, but her last meal was her own arms! It was nearly enough but she was feeling more and more hungry in the last few days and she wasn't sure how much longer she could manage to control herself around Law.
"What's wrong Saru?" Law asked worriedly as he stared at her twinkling nose. She jumped as he spoke and pushed the pleasing images of feasting on human flesh back quickly. She whispered "Hum... I... I hear footsteps. More than one."
Law looked at the direction she was staring at. He narrowed his eyes "Are you sure? I can't see anyo-" he gasped soon as his eyes caught a bunch of men coming out from behind a little cliff not much far from them. They didn't look like peaceful people, more like pirates! He counted quickly, eighteen pirates were disgustingly grinning as they were walking towards them. The sunlight was reflecting on the many blades they were carrying.
"They're pirates! Lilou, run!" he said and hastily grabbed her wrist and tried to drag her. But she was steadily standing there, staring at the pirates. They were getting dangerously close. "Lil! Move! What are you doing?!" he nearly shouted as his heart was pounding in his chest "They'll kill us! We can't die here!"
She turned slowly and faced him. This wasn't good, Law just knew the look on her face couldn't be good at all. Her eyes seemed absent and her face looked... excited! She pulled back her hand and calmly said "But Law, we'll miss our boat if we run!" her calmness was alarming. She seemed to don't mind the group of pirates approaching them at all! In fact, it was like she was happy about it! Law frowned and growled "We'll find another one! Lilou come on move alrea-"
"Oi oi! Look what we found! Two useless brats all alone camping on the shore?" One of the bigger pirates mockingly shouted and laughed loudly. Law halted and his eyes locked on him. He seemed like their captain. He showed his yellow teeth and shouted again "Oi girl, turn around! It's not normal for kids wandering alone unless they're hiding or something! Interesting that I heard there's a little brat like you in North Blue who has a prize on her little useless head! Hahahaha! Could you be her? Maybe you're not completely useless after all! Hahahahaha!"
Lilou calmly turned and faced him. One of the other pirates' eyes widened and hastily said "C- Captain! It is her! She looks exactly like this picture those soldiers gave us! Look!" he handed a picture to his captain. The captain smirked and licked his lips. His gaze fixed on Lilou's emotionless face.
"Guess it's my lucky day! They'll even give more money if we hand you over alive! Hahahaha! Come here yourself, brat! We'll kill your friend over there quickly if you don't struggle, I promise!" he mockingly said and opened his arms in a welcoming gesture.
Law gasped. She did mention that she was being chased after all. But now they put a reward for her? They had no chance of running at this rate, and they couldn't possibly win against those many grownup men. Law narrowed his eyes and frowned as Lilou took a step forward and smiled. 'What is she up to?!'
"I am coming there myself, but none of you jerks will lay a finger on my friend." she casually stated. The pirate frowned and growled
"What did you say you little shit? Huh?"
"I said" Lilou's voice was shaking and her face was shining with excitement, all she could think about was the delicious flesh she was going to eat off their bodies, she didn't even care about Law anymore, her mind was only functioning around the idea of eating and ending this painful hunger she was in "That I am going to come to you, wether you want it or not." she continued and grinned.
"What the fuck you're blabbering abo-" the man fell silent as he was staring at her face, terrified out of his mind. So as Law who was standing frozen next to her and staring at her in awe. The little veins around her eyes were pumping and her light grey irises turned into a shiny shade of bloody red, surrounded by now completely black sclera. She mockingly licked her lips and said
"Excuse me, you were saying?" she started walking froward as the pirates were shaking and trying to run. She bend her knees slightly and leaned froward, ready to attack.
"I guess you're done talking, I'm having my meal then!" she cheerfully said with her voice holding tracks of excitement. As Law was staring at her back, her pale skin started to turn red on her shoulders and in less than a heartbeat, two vermilion flaming wings pierced her skin from inside out.
Law gasped. It seemed even more elegant than the last time he saw her in that form.
Her burning eyes were fixed on the screaming pirates, she pushed her feet on the ground and almost flew and landed right in the middle of their group. The captain unsheathed his katana and yelled "NOBODY SAID THE GIRL IS A MONSTER!" he swung his sword at her. Lilou hardened her wings and revolved them around her body like a shield. The sound of breaking steel widened the pirate's eyes. His katana was shattered into pieces. Lilou childishly laughed in amusement. Then she opened her wings wide and they changed into crystal like, sharp, red blades. The pirate captain's scream vanished a second later, as the blades on her wings sprouted at him and pierced all over his body. She jumped and sat on his chest. She opened her mouth and buried her teeth in his shoulder and bite off a large piece of his flesh and chewed it down. Blood sprouted out like a fountain and covered her tiny figure all over. She pushed him on the ground and jumped at the others. Killing and eating, blood and flesh and that heavenly taste filling her mouth, were the only things she could think about. She felt like the center of the universe as she jumped from one disjointed body to another. She looked from behind the blood covering her eyes, only nine of them were left. She pushed her left foot on a dead body, flied up in the air and opened her crystalized wings and shot crystal blades at the remaining pirates as she gracefully turned her body a full 360 degrees in the sky. All nine of them dropped as she landed on the bloody sand again. What a mouthwatering sight! Torn up human bodies all around her, waiting for her to feast on them. She jumped on a body and started eating it up. Bite after bite she felt more hypnotized by that heavenly taste she was deprived from for more than a month. Her wings were shining more brightly after every chunk of flesh she swallowed.
She was completely paralyzed until she finished eating the whole eleventh body and then suddenly reality rushed in, hitting her hard in the head. Law was there! She froze as she was leaning on a torn up body, her back to where Law was standing in disbelief and awe.
It finally happened, she lost control and now her only friend knew she was a monster. If only she hunted someone and ate in the past month behind his back, she would be able to hold herself back today. But now it was all over, she could still smell him there, but he would be gone in a matter of minutes, no doubt. She stood up as her body was shaking and felt the tears shaping in her eyes. She slowly turned around and their red and grey irises met.
Law hasn't have moved an inch from where he was standing when it all started. His mouth was half open and he looked shocked. He never imagined she could be this powerful. And he couldn't stop admiring the way she looked as she turned and face him. She truly looked like an angel as her shining wings were wide open on her shoulders. He finally managed to move his muscles and took a step towards her. He wanted to see her more closely and touch those magical wings on her back.
"Stop!" she suddenly said. He halted confused. She stared at him and a blood colored teardrop traveled down on her cheek.
"Stop! Go! Take that boat and leave!" she said more harshly. Law blinked. "Stop looking at me, Law!"
"Why?" he asked confused. Her red eyes widened and she screamed
"Because I'm a MONSTER! What do you mean why?!"
Law frowned and continued walking towards her. He only stoped when he was standing right in front of her. He looked down at her face and automatically wiped the crystal red, teardrop. She was frozen in shock. 'What is he doing? Why isn't he running away?!' she thought completely confused as she was looking at his hypnotized eyes. He raised his right hand and carefully placed his palm on her wing. It tensed at his touch and shone brighter for a second. Law gasped and looked back at her puzzled, bloody face. He stroked her wing while staring at it's magical colors
"How beautiful!" he mumbled, more like he was talking to himself.
Lilou gasped. Her eyes widened in anger and she shouted
"Are you completely INSANE?! What is beautiful about this? JUST LEAVE ALREADY! Why are you still here now that you know what I really am?!"
Law stared at her red irises and calmly said "But I knew, Lilou!" she gasped and covered her mouth with her tiny bloody hands. Law carefully grabbed her arm and continued "I knew what you are all along! I mean, I don't know exactly what, but I knew you were different! I... I know you wanted to eat me that night and... I... saw you ate your own arms, instead of me..." his voice dropped and he looked down at his feet "You never mentioned anything about it so I didn't bring it up either. I thought you would say it yourself if you wanted to..." he mumbled.
Lilou couldn't believe her ears. 'How?...' How could it be? How could someone make friends with a monster, knowing they could end up being eaten any minute? How could he trust her with his life and keep traveling with her while he knew she was a monster? How could he even think what she is was beautiful?! Her heart skipped a beat as she realized how terribly wrong it was from the very beginning, how she was putting his life in danger by being around him. She must always be alone, nothing else. She can't have friends! What was she even thinking, asking him so desperately to be her friend?! And what was he thinking, accepting her and letting her in?! She shook her head and took a step backward.
"You should leave, now. You can't stay around me. It's shameful enough that you seen me like this. I'm a Ghoul, Law! You have to stay away from me!" she said staring deep into his eyes.
He frowned at her.
"Ghoul? I don't even know what a Ghoul is! But the fact that you actually think being seen as what you are is shameful... you're such an idiot! It's not something to be ashamed of! Haven't you seen yourself?! This is something you should take pride in!" he said harshly as his angry gaze was fixed on her confused face. Her wings slowly vanished into the thin air and her eyes went back to their original light grey color.
"What?..." she whispered shocked "Are you... mocking me?!"
"THAT'S EXACTLY WHY I SAID YOU'RE AN IDIOT!" he shouted angrily "You're stronger than ANYONE I have seen! And there's no one else in the world who could possibly be as glorious as you are in that form! Why would you even think this is shameful? You sound pathetic when you say that! How could it even be shameful to be like this?! How can you bring yourself to ask me to leave?! YOU'RE MY NAKAMA!"
Her tears started to fall uncontrollably. He walked forward and hugged her tight. Her eyes were still widened as her face got pressed on his shoulder.
"You can never leave a nakama behind, you baka!" he growled.
She pressed her wet eyes on his shoulder and tried to absorb what he was trying to say. Her hanging arms slowly raised and she hugged him back even more tightly.
"You're crazy..." she sobbed.
Law smirked and said "Then it's ok for me to be friends with a Ghoul."
She chuckled, still couldn't believe things turned out this way.
"Let's get going now, Saru." he released her and handed her backpack to her. She wiped her tears and nodded as she weakly smiled at him.
Few hours later on the boat, Law frowned and asked
"So, what exactly is a Ghoul? I know you can only eat human flesh and you're fast and strong and your senses are incredible and you have that wing thing that's like a weapon bu-"
"Kagune." she said. Law raised an eyebrow at her. She smiled and continued "The wing, it's called Kagune. And the thing with my eyes is called Kakugan. That Caesar's failed experiment I told you about, it was named the Ghoul Project. He manufactured something called the RC Cells, they're like liquid muscles. When injected into human bodies, they either die or turn into Ghouls. I also have an organ named Kakuhou, it's where the Rc Cells harden and break through my skin and form my Kagune. The shape of Kagune is varied among Ghouls. Mine is an Ukaku Kagune and it's placed in my shoulders. Most parts of my body are immune to any harm unless it's an attack from another Ghoul. Caesar..." she looked down "Made me hunt humans and eat them, he even made me hunt and eat other Ghoul kids in the lab... And he gave me that devil fruit to see if I can survive and have fruit powers as well as being a Ghoul."
Law stared at her in disbelief. 'She's really been through hell!'
"He kept cutting apart my legs and arms and made me eat Ghoul kids to add speed to the regenerating process. At some point... I just gave up any humane feelings I had and I accepted myself as a ruthless monster. When I was running away, I slaughtered fifty seven of his guards and I felt... nothing. That night you saw me eating my own arms... it was the first time since then that I felt like maybe I'm not... this horrible being I considered myself to be. I don't ever want to kill any innocent person for my own sake..." tears dropped on her knees "But I will definitely chop that bastard in pieces before I die."
3 months later
Spider Miles - A port town in North Blue
"Oi! Wait... Oi Law! You're walking too fast wait! My leg is stuck into this freakin pipe I can't move!"
Law rolled his eyes at her in annoyance. "Didn't I told you not to dance around on those stuff? BAKA!"
"Eeeh? Who are you calling a baka you creepy sadist asshole?" She shouted back at him. "This place looks so much like Grey Terminal, that place back in my homeland, I thought maybe I can find some interesting books in here."
"Well you won't, they're just metal junks now hurry up we already wasted a lot of time all because of that weird find-criminals-for-food phase you suddenly got into!"
"Oi! what about finding those stupid grenades you're covering yourself with like a fuckin' weird jacket? Those shits took us more time than my criminal meals! Plus that was way more useful for us than your stupid grenades! Who's the BAKA here huh?"
"JUST SHUT UP AND GET HERE! YOU'RE A GHOUL FOR FUCK'S SAKE BREAK THAT PIPE ALREADY!"
"Tsk..." She pouted angrily. She twisted her ankle and the pipe shattered into small pieces. She ran after Law and they continued in silence, making their way through the metal junks that were spreading all over the port.
"Law?"
"Hmm..." he mumbled absentmindedly.
"What if they don't take us in?"
Law didn't reply for a minute. This question was bugging him too, ever since they sat foot on this island. Donquixote Pirates were known for their cruelty and their captain's wild nature and ruthlessness. He was the man they were going to meet. Donquixote Doflamingo.
He planned this only a while after his escape. He knew it was the best place for him to reach his dark ambitions. Lilou already slightly knew about them too. Although her purpose was kind of different from Law's, she eagerly accepted when Law told her he wanted to join the Donquixote Pirates. 'I've always wanted to become a pirate anyways.' was what she said. But what if they actually refused to accept this pair of troubled kids? 'Well, that's something to worry about after, IF they refused us.'
"We don't have much to loose anyways. Besides, they'll probably accept you, you're way more stronger than me, the hard work is for me so, don't worry Saru."
"But Law! I wanna stay with you! I won't stay with them if they refuse you!" Lilou nagged.
"You're so kind-hearted that it might cause you having trouble reaching your goal, Lilou." he smirked and turned his face away from her. Lilou stared up at him with a serious gaze.
"what's wrong with being kind-hearted? Besides, we're nakama ain't we?"
"Of course we are, Saru."
2 months later - With Donquixote Family
"Lilou! You're not focused! You'll never learn Haki if you keep training like this."
Doflamingo growled at her with a scary expression "Don't rely on your powers as a Ghoul only. Your fruit abilities are extremely important. But if you don't learn how to properly use Haki, they're just going to go to waste. They're useless unless you become a strong Haki user!"
Lilou pouted. She was exhausted. Doflamingo had increased their training sessions to 7 hours a day and was training her personally. He was extremely impressed the first time he saw her with her Kagune activated, and he always valued that part of her, but he believed Lilou had the potential of becoming the most professional spy ever, if she could make the most use out of her fruit abilities. And that could only happen if she perfectly mastered all three types of Haki.
"I am focused! It's just that I know you wouldn't hurt me like a real enemy would and it mak-"
"Oh?! How would you know that?!" he mockingly giggled. In a blink of an eye, he grabbed an axe from the wall and covered it with Armament Haki as he jumped at her from across the hall. Her Kakugan activated. This was new, he was aiming for her eyes!
She felt a massive rush of energy radiating within her body, and she released it all out just a moment before Doflamingo was about to pierce through her left eye with the axe. He halted and struggled to keep his balance for a short moment.
Lilou's eyes widened in shock. The corners of his lips lifted and he let out a loud laughter.
"That's right Hahahaha! That's what I was looking for kid! You almost even got me for a second there!" he laughed out again.
Lilou's eyes turned back to normal as she twinkled the corner of her heart shaped lips.
"I don't know how I did that! I just saw you aiming for my eye and it happened!"
"I know. It was like the first time I saw you unconsciously using Conqueror's Haki. You remember when I told you not many people in the world are being born with that kind of power? Both times you used it, it was due to the feeling of actual danger approaching you. From now on, we're going to focus on training you to use it at your own will." he said with his classic sadistic grin on his face as he turned his back to Lilou and adjusted his pink, puffy feather coat on his shoulders. He placed the axe back on it's place and headed out.
"We'll continue tomorrow morning. I'll expect you to show some good progress, Lilou." the sun reflected on his purple sunglasses as he grinned at her and stood in the door frame.
"Ok..." she said absentmindedly. Doflamingo started to walk out but he stopped again.
"Now... Lilou, one more thing, it's been ten days since you last ate, right?! Get yourself ready for a good meal tonight. You're going to handle those southern idiots who failed to pay their debts in time."
Lilou grinned widely and licked her lips
"Sure thing captain!" she said cheerfully with a sadistic gesture that seemed to become a permanent part of her personality lately.
Doflamingo chuckled and as he left the hall he mumbled "Very well then." he chuckled again.
He never admitted, but everyone in the family clearly knew how this little Ghoul was his favorite person in the whole crew. He saw her as a walking, talking, shiny jewel, even spoiling her like a parent would spoil their child in his own ways. He was fully aware of the extraordinary power she held within her, even as the fatally sick, young kid she was. She was one of a kind, truly unique and brilliant, both in physical and mental matters. The first time she tagged along with them on a mission, they were going to eliminate a pirate crew for they've been failed to remain loyal to Donquixote Family's business terms, and there she was, nearly going crazy at the amount of blood that was sprouting around and tickling her nose, starting to slaughter one man after another with her Kagune activated and her crimson eyes shining with pure excitement. Doflamingo knew exactly how ruthless and monster-like she could be if she was about to run loose. And that was exactly what he was trying to do, making her realize that it's more than alright to be a monster, and that what a delightful future awaited her if only she let go of the shame and guilt she held deep inside her heart for being a Ghoul. He wanted her beside him the day he becomes the king, more than any other of his nakama, even more than the executives. Lilou was something he never wanted to let slip out of his fingers.
And it was already affecting Lilou too. This new lifestyle, this brutal nature that Doflamingo was constantly trying to awaken in her. She was slowly changing into a complete sadist without even realizing it happening to her. She still refused to cause any harm to the innocence, yet when it came to criminals, she wouldn't hold back even a bit. She was turning into a beast as days gone by. Before then, she only killed so she could survive, now she was killing for the joy, the horrified faces, the dying screams, they sent a pleasing shiver down her spine. Part of her knew it was awfully wrong, but the monster inside her was becoming too powerful to be able to be controlled. She didn't even care about the lifes she took, the only one she cared about was Law. Her training sessions with Doflamingo were exhausting even for her strength level, but she took them all without ever complaining. He was a total maniac, a devil in human form, Lilou knew it, she could even smell his insane amount of brutality. But he was accepting her and cherishing what she was. He even ordered the crew's cook to provide her meals with fresh human flesh. Even provided the best medical books for her and Law to study and valued the time they were asking for their medical training. Lilou knew exactly that it was only because of her ruthlessness and uniqueness as a Ghoul, that he treated her like a spoiled child, but she truly didn't care. Long as she could stay with Law under the protection of the Donquixote Pirates, long as she could get stronger, strong enough to destroy Caesar, she wouldn't care about the price, even if the price was turning into a complete monster.
"Truly a fascinating little monster you are becoming, Lilou!" Doflamingo chuckled to himself as he walked down the corridor alone.
So I really wish you're enjoying this story. It's going to be a long one and I'm so excited for the next chapters.
Please feel free to let me know how you're finding it so far, it'd really make me more motivated to continue._
