"Uh… actually, Klahadore, these people are-" Kaya began explaining.
"Not now Kaya. You can tell me all about this riffraff after they've left. Now get out, all of you." Klahadore declared as he walked closer to the group. "Leave now unless you have some business with me."
I was instantly swallowed up in thought for a moment as I finally remembered who he was. He was the missing Captain Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates. He was an infamous pirate that had disappeared quite some time ago. He resembled how my father had described him almost exactly. He even continued the habit of pushing his glasses up with his palm. A habit he had gotten from the weapons he used. Why was Captain Kuro here of all places? Why a butler? What was he doing? I was quickly shaken out of my thoughts by Luffy's voice.
"Alright. Do you think you can help us get a ship?" Luffy asked.
"Certainly not." Klaha- I mean Kuro declared. Luffy groaned and his shoulders fell. Zoro reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Usopp." Kaya and I looked over to see Usopp on the opposite side of the tree from Kuro. He was upside down and barely seemed to be holding on.
"Crap." Usopp mumbled before turning back around and grabbing back onto the branch he had previously been sitting on to talk to us.
"You have quite the reputation. You are very well known in the village." Kuro continued.
"Sure am." Usopp laughed as he got a good hold on the branch.
"I hear you've been on many an adventure. Quite impressive for someone as young as you." Kuro stated. I grinned as Usopp climbed up to stand on the tree branch.
"Usually people who admire me so much call me Captain. So, it's Captain Usopp to you." Usopp called down to Kuro.
"Captain, huh?" Kuro laughed. "Your father also had something of a reputation."
"What?" Usopp asked, causing Kaya to look over at him worriedly.
"Klahadore, please just stop." Kaya pleaded as she turned to look back down at Kuro.
"You'll never be anything more than the son of a filthy pirate." Kuro declared. I tightened my jaw as I turned away, trying to keep my mouth shut. "Who knows what sort of trouble you're up to now. All I ask is that you and your kind leave this respectable young lady alone."
"A filthy pirate?" Usopp growled as I turned back to look at him.
"You and she are from completely different worlds and you know it." Kuro continued. "Is it money you're after? How much do you want?"
"Seize this at once Klahadore. Apologize to him." Kaya yelled from her window. I quickly grabbed her shoulder as she leaned out the window to do so.
"Hey. Calm down, Kaya." Usopp said calmly as he looked over at us.
"I don't believe there is any reason to apologize to this savage young man, my lady." Kuro explained. "My goal isn't to slander, I am merely stating the truth. I sympathize with your situation. You must hate your great idiot of a father for abandoning his family and his village because of his mindless lust for treasure."
"Klahadore, stop!" Kaya yelled again. I slowly pulled her back from leaning out of the window.
"Don't you dare insult my father ever again." Usopp scowled. He then jumped off the branch.
"Usopp!" Kaya called. We then saw a hook grab onto the tree and then Usopp was sliding down the rope attached to the hook until his feet hit the ground. The hook then detached and was sucked back into Usopp's bag when he landed.
"Why have you gotten so worked up Usopp?" Kuro asked as I noticed Usopp shake as he clenched his fists. "It's times like these when you should do what you do best and lie. Tell me about how your father is really a traveling salesman or about how you aren't really related by blood." Usopp soon launched towards Kuro.
"Enough!" Usopp declared as his fist met Kuro's jaw. Kuro was sent back, his glasses flying off. Kaya gasped as her hand flew to her mouth. The three boys below gasped as well.
"Captain!" The boys called.
"Case and point. He resorts to violence. I guess the apple never falls far from the tree, does it?" Kuro announced as he fixed his glasses.
"Shut up!" Usopp ordered and I noticed Kuro flinch back. "My father listened to his heart and chose a life of risk and adventure. I am proud to say that my old man is a brave warrior of the sea." Usopp explained. "You're right. I have been known to exaggerate from time to time, but I will never lie about who my father is. I refuse to be ashamed of my heritage." I moved to look past Kaya as Usopp's head fell. "I am the son of a pirate!" Usopp proclaimed. Moments later Kuro laughed.
"Pirates are brave warriors of the sea, are they?" Kuro questioned before laughing more. He then pushed himself up to his feet as he continued. "That's quite a twisted way of putting things." Kuro continued as he swept dirt off his clothes. "You don't seem to understand that you are living proof of his savage blood. You run around spouting lies and use violence when you don't get your way. To top it off you cozy up to the lady of the house to steal her fortune." Kuro accused.
"You're wrong. I only-" Usopp was cut off as Kuro interrupted him.
"You're father is a filthy, no good pirate! Treachery is in your blood. Of course you would have such an evil scheme." Kuro announced.
"You won't let up will you?" Usopp questioned as he grabbed Kuro's collar and pulled back his arm to punch the butler again.
"Stop it, Usopp! Please!" Kaya continued to plead as I tried to stop her from falling out the window. "No more violence. I can't take it." Kaya cried as she moved back from leaning out the window. "Klahadore isn't a bad person. He's just-... He's just trying to do what he thinks is best for me and sometimes he goes too far." Kaya explained. Usopp loosened his grip after a moment and Kuro then slapped his hand away.
"Leave this place." Kuro ordered again. "You are never to come here again.
"Yeah, I get it. You don't have to tell me twice, buddy." Usopp replied. He then lowered his arms and walked past Kuro. "This is the last you'll ever see of me."
"Usopp…" Kaya muttered as I pulled her away from the window.
"Come on, let's get back inside." I said as I set her on the bed. I quickly moved back to the window to close it. As I did I noticed Luffy being held back by Zoro and the kids hiding behind Nami. When I moved back to Kaya she was back under her covers and was clutching her pillow. In between her coughs I could hear whimpers as she cried. "Y'know I have some stories too." I told Kaya in an attempt to get her attention and cheer her up like Usopp did.
"What?" Kaya asked, glancing up at me.
"Well, I've been on quite a few adventures like your friend Usopp." I explained.
"Really?" Kaya looked up to me. I moved closer to her and reached up to brush away the tears that stained her cheeks. There was a knock at the door and we both turned in time to see Kuro enter.
"Your meal is ready now, Miss Kaya." Kuro announced as he entered the room pushing in a cart. Kaya buried her face in her pillow as I stood up and moved to the door.
"I'll come back when you two are done." I offered as I stepped out the door and closed them. I then leaned against the wall as I waited.
If Kuro was here, what was he planning... He always had a plan or scheme up his sleeve from what my father told me. Hopefully Kaya and the villagers didn't get caught in it. They all seemed so sweet. For a pirate to ruin that peaceful life would be hard on them. Of course Luffy, Zoro, Nami, and I were pirates, but we were only here to get a ship. I looked up and around at the space. This place was rather empty. I had only seen Kuro and Kaya so far. Why would so few people live here?
"Klahadore! You Blockhead!" I head Kaya yell after a couple minutes.
"Blockhead will do fine." Kuro told her. I then heard him begin to walk my way and I moved to open the doors. As I did he walked past and out of the room. After he had turned a corner I grabbed the doors and closed them before turning to Kaya.
"We can talk about my adventures in a minute." I began as I walked over to her bed and took a seat. She no longer held her pillow, but her knees were still bent. "Those guys that fell out of the sky were part of my crew, do you think you can get us a ship?" I asked, reaching for the cart of food.
"I might be able to provide one." She replied, putting her hand to her chin and thinking.
"Sweet!" I exclaimed. I then poured myself and Kaya a cup of tea. I handed her the cup before leaning back with mine. I took a sip of the tea as she did the same. "Man, this is good." I complimented. It was sweet and tasted like oranges, but surprisingly had an apple like after taste.
"If you'd like I could get my chef to give you the recipe." Kaya told me after finishing her sip.
"That would be great." I smiled.
"Can you bring the cart closer? We can eat together." Kaya offered. I nodded before I stood up and brought the cart over so we could both reach it. I sat beside her and we began eating the lunch that was made for her. I took a fork full of noodles and held it in front of me.
"So, what's the story behind Klahadore?" I asked before putting the fork in my mouth and eating all the noodles off it.
"Um… Well, he became my butler three years ago and he's been with me since. When my parents died he was the one there for me. He's the only family I have. It doesn't help that I've been sick recently. I feel that I've been worrying him too much." Kaya told me. "But that's enough from me. Do you have any family somewhere? And what about your adventures?" Kaya looked up meeting my eyes. I quickly swallowed another fork full of noodles.
"I consider all my friends part of my family." I began. "Even Usopp is sorta like family. You see, I knew his father. He had worked with my dad and he was an amazing sharpshooter." I took a deep breathe before falling backwards and laying on Kaya's bed. "As for my actual family, I'm an only child. My father told me about my mother a lot. He always described her as a loving woman, who knew and cared for everyone she met. She didn't have a mean bone in her body, according to him." I explained. I took a breath before rolling so that I could face Kaya.
"No one seemed to remember very much of her appearance like her hair and clothes because of her eyes. Her eyes gave off such a comforting and warm feeling that could make anyone around her love her. They were the color of the very sky and nothing seemed to get past them. Oh, and you never wanted to be on her bad side. Supposedly she could make anyone she wanted, no matter their strength, drop to their knees with a single glare." I added with a laugh. My father's crew had told me about that part.
"I never got to meet her though. She dropped me off with my father before disappearing. According to my dad I wasn't even a month old when he got stuck with me." I looked over to see that Kaya was watching me intently. I laughed a bit before continuing.
"I sailed all over the place with my father. He had vivid red hair much like mine. When he was angry... Let's just say that it was like his eyes cut right through you. He and his crew practically spoiled me, and I met everyone they worked with too. They all loved me and watched over me like I was their own daughter. Not much like they had a choice at first. They were forced to since my father was their captain, but I grew on them. My eyes had the same effect as my mothers." I rolled onto my back and sat up before turning back towards her. "But this all mu-" I began.
"What happened to your mother?" Kaya interrupted me. I stared at her blankly for a moment. I averted my gaze down onto my lap. I then reached up and ran a hand through my hair.
"The story is that one day a Marine's ship showed up with a baby at a port my father was suppose to land at. Just before the Marines gave up their search for him, my father appeared. I was given to my father without a word, a letter pinned to the blanket I was in. The Marines left before my father could do anything. He kept the letter for us to read, and I've read it so many times that I have it memorized." I paused and cleared my throat as I changed the tone of my voice. " 'My dearest love. This is our daughter Takara. She was born out in the raging seas. My only wish is that I could raise her myself, but she cannot go where I am being taken. Please protect and raise our daughter. I know it might be a large request, but do it for my sake. I hope I'll get to see you and Takara again in the future. Please love our daughter more than you loved me. Take care. -N'. He searched for the longest time with no luck. He eventually gave up after hearing that she was dead. I only wish I could have met her." I looked over to see more tears streaming down Kaya's face. I moved closer, grabbing a napkin. I reached up and quickly wiped away her tears. "This wasn't supposed to make you cry."
"B-But... I-It's just s-so sad! I-I mean. S-She left y-you." Kaya hiccuped. She suddenly jumped at me. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders giving me a tight hug. She sobbed into my shoulder as I patted her back.
"I don't think of her that way. The crew had tons of stories to tell. I also just think of when I'll finally be able to meet her. I heard a rumor that she might still be alive, so while I go on my adventures I'm going to find out if the rumor is true." I told her. Suddenly, a man came into the room. He had fluffy white hair and something that looked like ram horns on the top of his head. Kaya stopped crying and looked up at the man.
"Pardon the interruption, but are these to your liking Miss?" He asked. Kaya sniffed once more and whipped her eyes. I looked at what the man held. It was a pair of glasses inside a pristine case. "Custom made to your exact specifications."
"Those are nice." I awed, looking at the pristine pair of glasses in the case the ram man held.
"It was quite a trip to get them." He finished, closing the case.
"They're just perfect. Thank you so much for traveling so far to get them for me." Kaya smiled, standing up. She took the glasses from the man and held them close to her as she sat back down on the bed beside me.
"They're a gift aren't they?" The ram man asked with a smile.
"Yes, as of tomorrow it will be exactly three years to the day since Klahadore arrived here. He's always taken such good care of me." Kaya's smile brightened.
"He'll be delighted to receive such a lovely gift." The ram man told her.
"I hope so." Kaya finished before the ram man left. She then looked over at me. "If you'd like I could let you stay here the night." She offered.
"Thanks for the offer, but I should be on my way. I really need to find my friends." I said as I stood up and began walking to the door.
"Thank you for spending time with me. I liked your stories." Kaya announced. I stopped with my hand on the doorknob and turned towards her.
"Any time." I smiled. It was then when I came up with an idea. I turned all the way back around to face Kaya. "Now that we've dealt with the whole ship thing, there's something else you might be able to help me with. So, I guess I'll just have to stay and see if you can help me with a problem I've been having."
"And what would that be?" Kaya asked, her full attention back on me.
"Well, I'm a kind of a huge klutz sometimes and I end up with cuts a lot. I need help trying to find something to help stop bleeding fast and easy."
"One more stitch." Kaya told me.
We had spent a couple hours on this and I personally thought it was a great idea. We had come up with a full proof plan, and had even tested the material. It was ingenious. It would have been completed sooner if it weren't for a distraction that lead us to finding an outfit hidden in her storage room, and since it wasn't Kaya's style, she offered it to me. The outfit consisted of a pair of tight jeans and a top that cut off at the bottom of my ribs with sleeves down to my elbows. I immediately put it on as Kaya started making the belt.
"And... Done!" Kaya announced. She handed me the thick leather belt she had been working on. It was pretty normal aside from the eight holes placed intermittently along one side.
We had found a cloth in her basement that seemed to stop bleeding quickly after being applied to a wound. Not only was the cloth easy to use, but it was easy to clean too. We then made several pieces of the cloth into rolls like bandage rolls, except for easy accessibility we folded them. We then slipped the eight folded sections of cloth into the eight separate sections that made up the length of the belt. Each cloth could be easily pulled out, and put back in. Anytime I needed it, I could pull it out and wrap it around the injury. It was absolutely perfect! It even fit perfectly despite the bulk from the cloths. The belt itself was a deep red color, much darker than my hair. Once I had it on I turned and posed for Kaya.
"What do you think?" I asked as I changed my pose to show it off. She laughed and applauded as I posed.
"It's great!" She laughed more.
"Well, it was made by you." I teased. I moved a hair out of my face and behind my ear.
"It'll work great for you, I just know it." Kaya smiled. During our expedition in making the belt I had told her about my devil fruit power, it was an accident really. Kind of slipped out when she asked about a couple of the cuts on my arms. Of course this also lead to more stories about my adventures, especially ones that involved my powers.
"Thank you for all this." I gave her a hug and picked up my previous outfit before turning to leave.
"You're very welcome. I'll have a ship for you all soon." Kaya replied.
"See you later!" I announced before running out of the house. I ran down the path and through the village to the beach. Everything went in slow motion as Usopp ran past me with a bunch of villagers following him. Once they had all passed stopped. I turned and watched as they disappeared.
"What was that all about?" I shook my head clear before turning and continuing down the path. I managed to reach the boats and slip my clothes into them so they weren't a bother. I then turned back towards the path and went on my way to find Luffy and everyone else.
Before long I found myself wandering back into town. It seemed empty again, but I suspected it was because they were all chasing Usopp. It wasn't long before I found myself at the edge of town near a fence. I glanced around quickly before climbing up onto it and walking. I found myself struggling to balance, but it was a good exercise.
"Hey!" Suddenly my foot slipped and I started to fall off the fence. In seconds a pair of arms wrapped around my waist and I was suddenly being held in front of Luffy. His arms were coiled around my body several times. I looked around to see Nami, Zoro, and three kids.
"Hey gu-" I began.
"You shouldn't be wearing that!" Luffy told me as I turned my head back towards him.
"Now why's that?" I asked, my eyes narrowing in on him.
"What if your dad saw you like that!? You're sixteen, that outfit is too revealing!" He yelled.
"It's my stomach for Pete's sake!" I yelled back.
"That doesn't mean your father wouldn't still kill me!" He yelled back. I glared at him and refused to turn away. After a moment I gave up and let out a breath.
"Fine. I won't wear it often, but it's gift so I'm not getting rid of it." I told him. "Deal?"
"Deal." Luffy said as he unwrapped himself and set me down. I quickly reached over and slapped the back of his head once I was back on the ground.
"Grow up." I stated as we turned back to everyone else.
"It's good to see ya." Zoro finally replied.
"Did you get us a ship?" Nami asked.
"Yup. Kaya's gonna get us one." I told Nami.
"That's my girl." She stuck her hand in front of her. I swiped my hand forward and a slapping sound echoed. We stared into each other's eyes before letting go of each other's hands and laughing. It was then that I started to notice that it was getting late. The sun had already started to set.
"Captain!" I turned around to see the three boys yelling at Usopp who stood farther down the road from us.
"Hey, how's it going guys?" Usopp replied.
"Hey!" Luffy joined in with the boys calls about their 'Captain'. Usopp's face suddenly became a grimace and he ran towards Luffy, stopping in front of him and the three boys.
"Wait! You're alive, again?!" Usopp asked in surprise.
"Luffy, what did you do?" I crossed my arms in front of my chest and turned to the Rubber Headed Moron.
"Alive? Yeah and I had a pretty good nap!" Luffy stated.
"He was sleeping the whole time." The boy whose head looked like a pepper commented.
"Captain, we heard all about those pirates and their evil plan!" The one with a carrot like head told Usopp.
"We better hurry and warn the people in the village so they have time to get away!" The one with an onion shaped head finished.
"What's all this about pirates?" I asked turning to face Zoro and Nami.
"A crew of pirates is going to attack the village tomorrow and 'accidentally' kill Kaya." Nami told me. I swallowed hard.
"So that's what Kuro's plan is." I growled, my hands clenching into fists. My anger diminished instantly and I looked up at the laughing man standing before all of us.
"Well obviously I'm lying like usual!" Usopp continued to laugh. "That butler made me so mad with what he said, I thought I'd get him back and say that he was a pirate!" The three boys soon joined Usopp's laughter. Something about this was off and I could tell he was lying.
"Oh, I get it. You put the straw hat guy up to it too." One of the boys laughed.
"Hey, where you going?" Usopp asked as they all stopped laughing.
"Honestly, you've really disappointed me." The Carrot boy announced with his back to Usopp.
"Yeah." The Pepper boy added. He was turned so that he was only half turned towards Carrot.
"Even though that butler guy's a jerk I thought you were better than lying to hurt someone and I admired you for being such a kind hearted person." The Onion boy continued.
"And to think, we respected you this entire time." The Pepper boy finished.
"I was wrong about him guys." The Carrot boy declared as the three boys walked off. Each one continued mumbling poorly about Usopp. My eyes looked over Usopp as he watched the boys leave. I then launched forward and grabbed his left arm. He flinched as I slid down his wristband.
"What is this?" I asked, looking at the bleeding scratch.
"It's nothing." Usopp laughed as he scratched the back of his head with his free hand. I quickly used my free hand to grab Usopp's nose.
"Stop lying." I ordered as I released his nose. I released his arm and began walking back down the path. Nami quickly caught up as the boys followed.
"You think he's lying about the pirate attack?" Nami asked.
"Considering that Luffy sucks at lying and I'm pretty sure that the butler is an infamous pirate… I think he's telling the truth." I replied.
"What about his arm?" Nami continued.
"My guess is that the villagers are angry with him for lying so much. One of them was probably able to get him." I explained.
"How can you be sure?" Nami continued her questioning.
"First of all, I know Luffy almost as well as I know my father's crew. Second, my father and his crew knew a lot and they told me a lot, especially about other famous pirates. Finally, I've seen the bad side of some villages." I answered.
"Wow." Nami said before laughing a bit. "We should probably fix his arm." Nami added as she glanced back at the boys.
"I bet we won't be able to find anything useful in his bag to fix his arm." I announced quietly.
"How much?" Nami grinned.
"How about first dibs on the beds on the ship we get." I offered.
"Deal." Nami said, shaking the hand I held out as we walked.
We got to the beach within a couple more minutes and I shoved Usopp down on a rock. I then turned to Nami who picked up his bag. She dug around for a minute before finding a set of cotton balls and tweezers. I gaped for a second before groaning and stepping away. I honestly thought he only kept stuff like the hook and rope or stuff for the slingshot in that bag. Nami held back a laugh before she bent down to Usopp.
"Keep still." Nami ordered as she started to clean his wounds. Usopp flinched and fidgeted, but tried to keep still. It didn't look bad and Nami was finished quickly. Then before I could stop her she tore a stip off cloth to tie around Usopp's arm. I would have saved her shirt by offering one of the cloths Kaya and I made, but I turned out to be too late.
"There, all done." Nami announced as she stood back up. She then spun on her heel to face me. "And you now owe me a bed." She smirked.
"I know." I groaned as I looked at Nami's work. It was pretty good. "I can find something to help with the pain if it becomes too much trouble." I offered.
"Okay." Usopp replied.
"So, how come you lied to them?" Luffy asked.
"Because all I do is lie." Usopp explained. It was dark now, and the moon was climbing into the sky. The water behind us was calm as Usopp exhaled. "There's no way anybody was gonna believe what I had to say. Why should they?"
"Because what you were telling them was the honest truth." Zoro stated.
"They are coming, and they're going to level this whole town." Nami said.
"Yeah, but what am I supposed to do. They'll think I'm lying if I try to warn them. Everyone in the village thinks tomorrow's just going to be another normal day." Usopp paused and clenched his fists as he turned his eyes to the ground. He then stood straight up and faced us. He had one hand clenched out in front of him. "They think I'm lying and that's all they need to think. I'm going to stop those pirates at the beach tomorrow myself. This is all my fault for being such a liar." Usopp declared before sitting back down and holding the bandages on his arm that went under his wristband.
"I don't care anymore if they drive me away with brooms or shoot me in the arm." His head was down, but I could hear him begin to cry. "This is my village. It's my home, and I love everyone in it. I. Have to. Protect them." Usopp cried. I then heard Zoro tighten his grip on his swords. Nami held up her hand and made a circle with her thumb and pointer finger. Meanwhile, Luffy held onto his left shoulder with one hand and held out the other towards Usopp. I myself smiled and placed my hands on my hips.
"You're a hell of a good guy sending your cronies away and going into battle alone." Zoro announced.
"Just so you know, I have dibs on all the pirate treasure. You got it?" Nami declared.
"It would make quite the story." I grinned.
"So, you want a little help or what?" Luffy asked. Usopp looked up at us as he covered one of his eyes. Tears streamed down his cheeks.
"You guys… You're gonna help me fight all these pirates? I don't get it." Usopp stammered.
"Well, you said there's a whole bunch of bad guys, right?" Luffy questioned as he flexed the hand he held out.
"We can't just let them attack innocent people." I stated.
"And you look scared out of your mind." Zoro added.
"For your information I have nerves of steel! I am perfectly okay with tons of bad guys! After all, you're looking at the legendary Captain Usopp, brave warrior of the high seas." He had stopped crying, but as Usopp announced this his legs shook beneath him and I couldn't help but smile. "Dammit." Usopp whined as he hit his legs. They stopped shaking for a second before continuing. "Alright, fine. I'm scared. Why shouldn't I be? They're Captain Kuro's men. These guys mean business. I don't need pity! If you guys are sticking around cause you pity me just leave. I don't need you laughing at me." Usopp stated.
"We're not laughing at you. We're helping because you are honorable." Zoro explained.
"You really think we'd risk our lives out of pity?" Luffy questioned. Usopp then stood up straight and watched us. New tears began to appear along his eyes as he started to cry again.
"You guys!" Usopp cried.
That's all for this chapter.
A bit more insight on her mother, and a tiny bit of her past.
And if I made it too obvious you might know what happened to her mother.
You'll just have to wait and see if you're right.
SO...
If you read this please go review, love hearing from all my readers.
Thanks for reading.