"Daddy!" I yelled as I banged on the door.
"Nope, I'm not letting you out. You broke a rule. Now you're in timeout for half an hour." He told me through the door. He had locked me in his office since I had wandered into the kitchen because I was hungry. I'm not allowed to do a lot of things because I would always end up getting hurt, or hurting someone else. Because of this, I am not allowed in the kitchen… or on the main deck… or in the sleeping quarters… or basically anywhere except my dad's office without supervision.
"But I was hungry!" I yelled at him, after I stopped banging on the door.
"Rules are rules. I'll be back in thirty minutes." I heard his footsteps stomp away. I grumbled and crossed my arms before walking over to the couch and climbing onto it, I buried my face into a pillow. I was quite use to my father's office, it was a good size and I slept on the couch.
My father was the great Captain Red-Haired Shanks. With me, being his daughter, and my mother being dead, I had no choice but to tag along. We were always at sea. This time we had only been sailing for a short time. My dad never told me the next destination.
I've seen a lot, but I'm restricted from lots of things. You see, I was born with a rare bone thing. Basically, I break my bones way more easily compared to other kids my age, and it doesn't help that I'm also a huge klutz. He has me tag along to protect me, but I have to go through regular tests to check my health. It's a good thing I'm friends with the doctor on board since I see him so much. As soon as we get to shore this would have been the first trip that I haven't broken anything! That's really an accomplishment for me.
I rolled over and looked around the room. Nothing new, everything old. That's when I noticed the open chest on my dad's desk, a closed one sat beside it. That was definitely new… I got up and walked over to the desk. I ran around it and climbed up onto the chair. It took me a minute or two since I'm still quite small.
Once able to, I looked into the chest. Inside it was an apple sized fruit. It was white and has a weird shape to it that reminded me of a skull. It looked delicious, but also a bit scary. I was so hungry and dinner wasn't for a few more hours. All I needed was a little snack.
"No harm, no foul." I told myself. I then picked the fruit up out of the chest and took a bite. It sorta tasted like milk, but had a sour almost fruitiness to it. I quickly finished it and felt better, at least for the next while. I then walked over to a small map that had been placed on the wall. I looked at it closely. It had several red pins in it. Those were places we've been to. The yellow ones were future destinations. Then I saw the blue ones that had been the ones we had gone to on our latest trip, a green string tied all the blue ones together in a line. It plotted our location. I noticed that a blue pin was on a place we had been coming back to for almost a year now. That was our next destination, and I knew we were close. The door suddenly flew open and I jumped at the sound.
"Half hour's up, kid. And we're at the port. Somebody's waiting for you." One of my father's crew member's, Lucky Roo, told me. I quickly pushed past him and out onto the deck, a smile planted on my face. I ran off the boat, pushing past anyone who got in my way. That's when I saw a familiar head of black hair standing outside a bar that all my father's crew was entering.
"Luffy!" I called out waving as I continued to run. He turned and looked over. I saw a smile grow on his face. I saw his mouth begin to form the beginning of my name when the the sound came booming from the ship behind me.
"TAKARA!" I heard my father's voice from behind me on the ship. I picked up the pace and ran directly towards Luffy. I grabbed onto his shoulder and spun myself around him. I hid behind Luffy as my father walked off the boat.
"What'd you do now?" Luffy laughed. I jabbed his ribs just enough to stop his laugh.
"I don't know, but we shouldn't laugh about it if it involves my dad." His face became fearful like mine.
"That's true, and I'm not getting in between you and him." Luffy then ran into the bar, my father was in front of me instantly. He held the chest that once had the weird fruit in it in front of me.
"Where's the fruit that was in this chest?" He demanded.
"I don't know." I replied with a shrug. I then ran into the bar after Luffy. Before my father could come in I ran and hid behind the bar. Makino walked over and looked down at me. I put a finger to my lips and she nodded.
"Have you seen Takara?" My father asked Makino.
"Nope, sorry Captain." She told him, shaking her head. I breathed a sigh of relief as he sat down at the bar and everyone started to chat and talk cheerfully in the bar. Soon everyone was drinking and having a good time while I drank some juice underneath the bar.
"Hey, you gotta take me with you on your next adventure Shanks. I want to be a pirate just like you." Luffy told my father. I smiled at the idea of him coming with, but my father laughed.
"Right, as if you could ever be a pirate." My father replied.
"Why couldn't I? Takara's one." Luffy asked. I handed up my empty glass to Makino who started cleaning it. I then slowly crept out from under the bar. I walked down the length of it and looked at all the things under it as I came to a stop near the spot Luffy and my father were sitting.
Before I could hear the rest of the conversation, my focus moved to a cook book near me. I picked it up and rested it in my lap. I then flipped it open and looked through it. There were pictures of different kinds of food that I recognized from our stays here. As I flipped through it there was a loud crash. I continued flipping through the book, assuming the crash was from my father's men. I stopped on a page that had a picture of strawberries sitting in a flower shape on top of a cake.
There was another crash, this time it was more glass like. I watched as Makino rushed out from behind the bar. I placed the book down next to me and I pulled open a drawer to grab a rag. I then ran after her with a rag in my hand. Before I could see what had made the noise there was another crash.
"Since you like to clean things so much maybe you'll find this mess more fulfilling." I heard a deep voice announce. I peeked around the bar to see my father sitting on the ground. He was dripping wet, glass was all over the floor, and a very big man stood over my father with his sword drawn. "A place with no sake is a place not worth our time, men. Let's get outta here." The big man then walked out of the bar along with his men. "See ya later, pansies." I quickly walked around the bar and to my dad on the floor. I then used my rag and started to dry him off.
"Captain, are you okay? Are you hurt?" Makino asked, coming over as well.
"Not a problem in the world Makino." My father replied, lifting one arm. Suddenly my father launched forward slightly and grabbed me.
"Ew! Let go!" I screamed. "You're covering me with sake!" He started laughing with the rest of his crew.
"Caught you." He teased. He let me go and I stood in front of him.
"Look what you did." I declared, pulling out the bottom of my shirt. My entire outfit was covered in a layer of sake. He ignored me and yanked me back into a hug as he continued to laugh with his crew. A moment later I was laughing along with everyone else.
"Why are you all laughing?" Luffy suddenly yelled, silencing the crew. We all looked over to see Luffy standing on top of his chair. "What's so funny? You should have fought back Shanks. It doesn't matter how strong they look or how many of them there are. If you just laugh it off you're not a man or a pirate!" My father loosened his grip and I moved to sit on his leg as he crossed his legs underneath him.
"Look, Luffy I know how you feel, but the guy just spilled some booze on me. It's not worth getting bent outta shape" My father answered calmly.
"Whatever." Luffy said as he turned back to the bar, clearly disappointed. My father then turned to look over at Makino as he put his hat back on.
"Wait, Dad." I began, turning to face him and Makino. "Can I stay with Makino while you go on your next trip?" I asked.
"Sure, if Makino's okay with it." My father shrugged as he used his hand to mess up my hair. I quickly looked over to Makino who smiled.
"I think it'll be fine." Makino added with a small laugh. Then we all heard a loud crunch and looked up to Luffy.
"You shouldn't eat outta frustration Luffy." My father said.
"Yeah, you'll get all chubby like Lucky Roo." I added before puffing my cheeks out with air.
"Hey, kid!" Lucky Roo shouted at me. I grinned and looked over at him as a few members of the crew laughed.
"Wait, what are you eating?" My father demanded. I quickly climbed out of his lap and moved to stand by Makino who was kneeling on the ground. Luffy swallowed and looked at my father. Both of their faces held terror. "No, you didn't. Don't tell me you also ate the fruit that was in that box." He continued. I froze, was he talking about me. He quickly grabbed Luffy by the ankles and started shaking him up and down. Meanwhile, everyone else stared at me.
"Spit it out right now!" My father told Luffy as Yasopp ran over to me.
"Did you eat that fruit earlier?" He asked, hands lightly placed on my shoulders. I nodded, ever so slightly. When I looked back over at Luffy his face was on the ground while his neck stretched like rubber.
"I don't want that to happen to me!" I screamed. Makino reached over and brought me into a hug.
"It's okay sweetie. I'm sure you won't be like that." She rubbed the back of my head while I cried into her shirt.
"No, I'm gonna end up just like that. All rubbery and I'm gonna be even more of a klutz, and..." I trailed off as I stopped crying. "Wait, I didn't eat the same kind of fruit as him." I told myself.
"What did you say?" My father said, setting down Luffy.
"I ate the fruit that looked like a skull." I told him. He stared with blank eyes.
"You're both dumb asses!" He yelled, while pulling at his hair.
"Let go!" I screamed. Luffy had pissed off a group of mountain bandits that had been in Makino's bar both today and before my father left. My father had let me stay with Makino while he went on a short trip, he should be back soon. I had been helping Makino in her bar and accidentally spilled a meal on one of the bandits. He was now holding me over the well by my hair while Luffy was being kicked.
I kicked and flailed. I screamed at the top of my lungs, trying to get the bandit to let go of my hair. I squinted my eyes shut and screamed so loud I couldn't hear. I felt a cold blade next to my chin. I stopped screaming, gulped, and stopped flailing. I opened my eyes to see Luffy being stepped on.
"That's a good girl." I clenched my fists and stared directly down at the water below me. My father had said that because I ate the fruit I lost all ability to swim, forever. I felt my body begin to shake. He was glad I had eaten the skull fruit because now I could control my bones, thus rendering my bone disease gone. I could also change my teeth, hands, and feet into different shapes, but if they cut through my skin then I had to treat the cuts made.
"Scared of a little water?" The man asked me. I looked over at him with a grin and I stopped shaking.
"Not a chance." I snickered, trying to look as strong as I could.
"I was wondering why the bar was empty on such a fine day." I looked up to see my dad and his crew standing behind Makino and the Mayor. "So, it's the mountain bandit's again."
"Captain Shanks." Makino announced.
"Pirates." The mountain bandit leader began. "You're just now showing your heads? Have you been spending all this time scrubbing the village?"
"Luffy, didn't you say earlier that your punches were stronger than pistols?" My father asked, ignoring the leader.
"Shut your mouth." Luffy grunted out, underneath the leader's foot.
"Listen. I don't know what you think you're doing here, but you might want to leave." The leader ordered. "You wouldn't want something bad to happen, and I have just the man to deliver this message." We watched as one of the bandits raised a gun to my father's head.
"I'll blow your head off if I have to, but that's up to you my friend." The bandit with the gun stated. Several of the other bandits started to laugh quietly at the statement, including the leader.
"Would you risk your life?" My father asked. The bandit with the gun didn't reply. "Now that you've drawn your pistol, are you willing to use it?"
"What the hell are you talking about?" The bandit with the gun questioned. My father then turned his head and pointed at the gun.
"I'm saying that guns aren't for threats, they're for actions." My father declared. It was then that Lucky Roo stepped forward and fired his gun, killing the man aiming at my father. Still being Lucky Roo, he took a bite out of the meat he was holding. There were a few gasps as I struggled a bit against the man holding me.
"You! You're a deadman!" One of the bandits yelled.
"These guys fight dirty." Another bandit commented.
"Dirty?" Yasopp questioned.
"Who did you think you were dealing with? We never claimed to be saints or anything." My father's first mate, Beckman, told the bandits.
"You fellas are staring down a crew of pirates." My father said.
"Shut up. We just want the kids not you." A bandit interrupted.
"Listen up, bandits. Whether I'm sprayed with alcohol or doused with food, hell, even if I'm spit on most of the time I'll just laugh it off and forget about it, but if you hurt a friend of mine you'll pay for it regardless of your reason." My father declared.
"Hahahahahaha! So, we're gonna pay?" The leader laughed. "Lousey pirates. Kill 'em all men."
I watched as all the men ran at the crew except for the bandit holding me and the leader. Beckman stepped forward, pulled out his gun and swung it at the men, knocking them all away.
"You shouldn't get too cocky. If you really wanted to fight us, looks like a battleship or something bigger would have been more useful." Beckman announced, pointing his gun at the leader.
"Hold on. Please!" The leader started. He moved so that he no longer was stepping on Luffy and he had his sword drawn. "It was the kid who attacked us."
"Yeah." The bandit holding me added, supporting his leader.
"I thought you were a wanted man." My father accused. The leader was thrown back by the comment.
The leader then lifted up a large black ball. He threw it down onto the ground in a large puff of smoke. Suddenly the man holding me let go and I let out a scream. I was dropped down into the well and it felt like the man who had been holding me up had fallen too. He was now laying across the opening of the well, so even if I could swim I wouldn't be able to get out because of him.
The smoke cleared and I gasped and attempted to get air. A moment later Beckman was pulling the man off the well and Yasopp was pulling me out. I coughed several times before resting my head on his shoulder as he carried me over to my father.
"Thank god, you're safe." My father announced, brushing hair out of my face. I gave him a big smile before looking around.
"Where's Luffy?" I asked.
"Oh, no! I let that guy take him." My father shouted in a panic. He had both hands on either side of his head and he looked at Lucky Roo for help. "What are we going to do?"
"Boss, calm down. Quit freaking out. We'll find him in no time." Lucky Roo assured my father as Yasopp passed me to Makino. Makino then took me away to her bar as my father and his crew made a plan.
My father had found Luffy and brought him back to the island safely. Although, now he was missing his left arm. He was currently off packing up the boat with more supplies. He had planned to take me with, but I got off the boat right before they left and went to go see Luffy. I walked up to him as he watched the ship get packed.
"He looks cooler y'know." I mumbled as I walked up.
"Sorry." Luffy said, his gaze dropping to the ground.
"It's okay, Luffy." I quickly reached over and pushed his chin back up. "It'll make him look more intimidating. Trust me."
"You're right." Luffy commented after a moment, a smile back on his face. We watched as my father walked up to us and stood in front of Luffy and I. "So, you're leaving?"
"Yeah. It was a nice extended vacation, but we have to part ways now. I bet you'll miss me, right?"
"Yeah, but this time's different. I won't beg you to take me with you." I looked at Luffy in astonishment. "Cause I'm gonna become a pirate all on my own." My father then turned and stuck his tongue out at Luffy.
"I wouldn't take you with me anyway." My father stated. "You'll never make it as a pirate."
"No! I will make it as a pirate." Luffy shouted. "Someday I'll gather a crew even better than yours, and I'm gonna find the greatest treasure in the world, and then I'll be King of the Pirates! I'll show you!"
"Huh, you think you'll surpass us?" My father questioned. He then took off his hat and placed it on Luffy's head. "In that case, I'll leave this hat to you. It means more to me then anything in the world so you better take good care of it. You hear me?" I watched as Luffy started to cry and my father went off to the ship.
"I will come back and visit, okay?" I said before running off to follow my father. He lead me up to the top deck near the back of the ship. From there he lifted me up and we waved at the village as we left. Luffy stood at Makino's feet, clutching onto the hat.
"Wait a minute. You just told Luffy that hat means more to you than even me!" I announced, my mouth falling agape.
"No, Takara. I didn't mean it like that." My father tried to reassure. I quickly batted away his hand and ran for his office.
"You meanie!" I called, pushing past the laughing crew members.
I woke up looking at the sky. The clouds seemed to pass by without a care in the world. I turned my head and looked over at Luffy, who had been staring at my father's hat.
"Luffy. Hey, you're gonna drop that again." Zoro told him. I sat straight up.
"You dropped his hat!?" I yelled.
"I got it back though!" He shouted back.
"But you're not even supposed to drop it!" I retorted.
"I wouldn't have dropped it if it weren't for Zoro rocking the boat!" He told me.
"Only because you insulted me!" Zoro butted in.
"Whatever. Just don't do it again, Rubber-Head." I told Luffy, laying back down and closing my eyes.
"Klutz." Is all he said.
"I can live up to that." I pointed out, sticking my hand up.
"Yeah, well I can live up to being a Rubber-Head." He replied.
"Luffy, that's not something to be proud of." Zoro told the dense idiot.
"Really?" Luffy asked.
"There's no use." I told Zoro.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Luffy asked, leering over me. I shoved his face up and away, but he instead slipped, and fell on top of me. The air was knocked out of me as he pushed up off my ribs and stood up. I rolled over and coughed.
"Hey, look. A bird." Zoro said, I looked up only to be blinded by the sun.
"I know! Let's eat it." Luffy declared.
"I don't see any bird." I told Luffy.
"Help me get it then." Luffy ordered. He stretched his arms up to the mast and flung himself, and before he got too far he wrapped his arm around my waist and yanked me up with him. I let out a startled scream before glaring up at the man. Then I realized that there was a bird, and it was way bigger than we thought. In a second's time, Luffy's head was caught in the bird's beak and I was trapped in the talons that wrapped around my waist.
"Luffy!" I yelled, I started pushing on the bird's talons and kicking my legs.
"WAHHHHHHH! Help me!" Luffy screamed.
"You idiot! Why'd you take me with you!?" I yelled at him.
"I was hungry!" He yelled at me.
"Look where that got us!" I retorted.
"Yeah, but at least we can see land now." I looked ahead to see an island.
"When did that get there?" I asked. I slowly stopped pushing on the bird's foot and in seconds we were nearly over the island.
"Why's it look so empty?" Luffy asked. I looked down to see someone running through the street.
"No, look." I pointed at the person. "Someone's right-" I was interrupted by a cannon ball being fired and hitting the bird. The talon released and I fell down towards the town. "Luffy!" I called out. A pair of arms wrapped around my waist as we hurdled towards the ground. We crashed into the ground at the feet of the girl. A huge amount of dust was sent into the air.
"Luffy! You idiot!" I elbowed said man in the ribs.
"Dammit. Why are their cannon balls flying at us?" He asked. I groaned and coughed at some of the dust. When the dust cleared I noticed that I was laying across Luffy's lap, while he sat in a crater. I groaned and crawled off his lap. I slowly sat up and looked up and down the street. I saw a group of three men and an orange haired girl.
"Nami!" I yelled, recognizing the girl. I jumped to my feet and walked over to her, she had a look of pure shock across her face. "Long time no see." I said, with a giant smile.
"And what just happened to me was awesome." Luffy declared.
The end.
I hope you liked a bit of Takara's back story.
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