Chapter 4: Felix's Whereabouts
The love story between Marine Officers, Bell-mere and Donquixote Rosinante, ended abruptly as it began. But where one story ends, a new one begins. Well, two new stories to be exact.
Thanks to the kindness of a mysterious old woman, Bell-mere and Rosinante's legacy lives on through their twin children: Felix Rocinante and Norah Lammie. They lived their lives in different parts of the sea. Felix lived in the East Blue with his mother Bell-mere, and his two adopted sisters, Nojiko and Nami. Norah lived in the North Blue with Trafalgar D. Water Law under the reluctant guardianship of former pirate, Flynn Carson. They would spend their formidable years in their respective villages before setting sail to the Grand Line. Norah will become the cook/first mate of Law's pirate crew, The Heart Pirates. Felix will become the assassin of the Straw Hat Pirates, led by Monkey D. Luffy, a boy who ate the Gum-Gum Devil Fruit.
But we're getting too ahead of ourselves. Let's go back to when the twins faced some pivotal moments in their lives, starting with Felix:
When Felix Rocinante was 8 years old, he discovered that he had an attraction to boys. It was two days after his birthday and he was spending some time with a childhood friend. They were playing a game of truth or dare when his friend dared Felix to kiss him on the lips. Felix accepted the dare and planted a soft, chase kiss on his friend's lips. Good news was that both he and his friend enjoyed the kiss. The bad news was that his friend's mother saw it and went full-on crazy Karen Mom Mode on him. Felix came home crying to Bell-mere, with a red mark on his face. When Bell-mere saw that her son was slapped by another parent, she marched right up to that mother and gave her a shiner the size of the Grand Line.
Genzo was already having a headache that morning from dealing with Nami. Now, it just gotten worse when the mother was inside his office, demanding him to arrest Bell-mere for assault.
"Officer Genzo, this woman should be thrown in jail! She assaulted me!" The woman barked.
Genzo rubbed his temples. "Is this true, Bell-mere?"
"Yep." Bell-mere replied, taking a puff from her cigarette.
"You're not supposed to confess so quickly." Genzo groaned.
"Well, it's true. This skank slapped my son. It's only fair that I gave her a black eye, right?"
"You slapped a child, Mrs. Bougee?" Genzo asked.
"Of course not," Mrs. Bougee lied. "I will never lay a finger on someone else's child."
"Liar!" Felix exclaimed. "You slapped me after Owen and I kissed."
"Shut up, you little brat!" Mrs. Bougee shouted. "Or do you want me to slap you again!"
"See, Genzo?! She basically admitted it!"
"I got this, Bell-mere." Genzo turned to Mrs. Bougee. "I'm not condoning what Bell-mere did, Mrs. Bougee, but you did put your hands on her child for no reason."
"I had a reason!" Mrs. Bougee said.
"And what reason was that?"
"Bell-mere's son sexually abused my son!"
"What kind of bullshit?!" Bell-mere snapped.
"Karen Bougee, that is a serious accusation to place on an eight-year-old child." Genzo said.
"All we did was kiss, we didn't do anything else." Felix reasoned.
"Is that what happened, Owen?" Genzo asked.
"No, my Owen was clearly taken advantage of." Karen said.
"I'm talking to Owen, Mrs. Bougee. "Tell me the truth, son. It's okay, you won't get in trouble."
Owen's gaze shifted from Felix to his mother and back to Genzo. The young boy took a deep breath and proceeded to answer the police officer.
"It happened just as Roci described." He confessed. "We were playing truth and dare and…I dared Roci to kiss me on the lips. Mom caught us and she got angry. She kicked Roci out after she slapped him and told me to tell you that Roci took advantage of me."
Genzo gave Karen a disapproving look, which made the snooty woman sputter in disbelief.
"Officer Genzo, it's obvious that my son was coerced to say these lies…" She began.
"No, I wasn't!" Owen snapped. "I like Roci. Not 'friend' like, but 'like-like.' I'm gay, Mom. I like boys, so just leave Roci alone."
The veins in Karen's head began to show as she quickly grabbed her purse and put on her jacket.
"Officer Genzo, I'd like to withdraw my complaint against Bell-mere." She said in a calm voice.
"That would be the wisest course of action." Genzo agreed.
Karen dragged Owen by his ear. "Your father and I are going to have a long talk when we get home." Owen gave Felix and apologetic look before being dragged out of the police station.
Bell-mere looked at Genzo. "Am I free to go?" She asked.
"Yes, for now. No more giving mothers black eyes, no matter how much they deserve it."
A week after the incident, Owen's parents sent him away to some type of finishing school in the Grand Line. Felix came home crying again when Karen and some other busybody mothers branded the boy a pervert. This time, Nami took revenge by dousing red paint all over the snooty mothers. Genzo's headache got worse as Bell-mere came to collect the smirking 10-year-old.
"At this point, I don't even wanna know. Just take her home." The policeman said tiredly.
When they got home, Bell-mere scolded Nami. "Why would you do that to Mrs. Bougee?" She asked.
"Because she and her stupid friends called Roci a pervert. And kids were making fun of him." Nami explained.
"Am I a pervert, Mom?" Felix cried.
"Of course not, sweetie." Bell-mere reassured. "You didn't do anything wrong. Sometimes, people hate what they don't really understand. Did you like kissing Owen?"
"Um, yes."
"Then you did nothing wrong."
"You're not mad at me?"
"Roci, I don't care if you like girls, boys or fishmen. As long as you find someone who keeps that beautiful smile on your face, I'm satisfied."
Felix smiled, feeling a million times better since this happened.
Two weeks after that incident, Felix met a peculiar man who would introduce him to his ultimate dream. He, Nojiko and Nami were walking home from the candy store when a certain dojo caught Felix's eye.
"What kinda dojo is that Nojiko?" He asked his sister.
The twelve-year-old girl shrugged. "I don't know. All I know is that Mr. Takashi owns it."
"Who's Mr. Takashi?"
"He's this weird geisha guy who dances for money." Nami replied.
"No, he doesn't! Where did you hear that from, Nami?" Nojiko asked.
"Doc Nako told me."
"Whatever," Nojiko said, rolling her eyes. "Mr. Takashi is just a mean old man, Roci. It's best not to…." She looked at Felix's direction and saw that her little brother had ran off. "Where's Roci?"
Nami looked around. "I don't know. He was right here."
"Come on, we gotta find him or Bell-mere will ground us for a month."
Felix snuck in the dojo by climbing (and tumbling) through the window. He looked around the empty dojo and saw a series of fans hanging on a wall. They were of different colors and different materials. One particular fan that was placed on a podium caught his eye: a royal purple fan made out of iron with steel blades on the end. There was a picture above the fan and Felix tried to grab the picture, but he accidently knocked the podium with the fan on it and it fell with a loud clang.
"Oops." Felix muttered.
"Hey! Who's there?!"
Felix got so startled that he tripped on his feet, unintentionally forming a light grey bubble around himself. Seconds later, a tall man entered into the dojo. He was a muscular man with long black, graying hair and piercing blue eyes. He was wearing a pink and black kimono and had on light makeup. The man looked at the mess before him, then looked at the culprit behind this mess.
"What are you doing in my dojo?" He demanded.
"I'm sorry." Felix apologized. "I just wanted to look at the picture!"
"What?"
"I said I wanted to look at the picture!"
"Kid, I can't hear a word you're saying."
(It's also important to mention that Donquixote Felix Rocinante inherited his father's Devil Fruit power, the Calm-Calm fruit, when he was eight-years-old)
Felix looked confused. Why couldn't the man hear what he was saying? Fortunately, the man figured out the problem and his stern expression softened drastically.
"It's okay, kid." He comforted. "Try taking a deep breath, in and out."
Felix nodded and took a deep breath. Soon, the grey bubble disappeared. The man smiled. "Okay, kid. So, what are you doing in my dojo?"
"I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to break anything." Felix paused. "You can hear me, right?"
"Yes, I can hear you." The man laughed. "You must be Bell-mere's son, Roci. I'm Mr. Takashi."
"My sister, Nami, said that you're a male geisha who dances for money." Felix said.
"She must've heard that from Nako." Takashi scoffed. "Well, she's half-right. I am a geisha but I'm also a Tessenjutsu master."
"What's Tessenjutsu?"
"It's a type of fighting style that specializes in Tessen Technique or Iron Fan Fighting Technique." Takashi explained. "All of these fans are Shirigo war fans."
Felix looked at the various fans. "All of these fans are used for fighting?"
"Yeah, it's an old-fashioned fighting style, not many people practice it. In fact, there's only four Tessenjutsu masters alive today and I happen to be one of them."
"Are they the ones in this picture?" Felix asked, grabbing the broken picture. "I was trying to look at it when I accidently knocked over the podium."
"Yes, two of them are in the West Blue." Takashi explained. "The woman standing next to me is my older sister, Sadako. She lives in Wano."
"Where's Wano?"
"It's a kingdom all the way in the New World. She's one of the best Tessenjutsu masters in my generation. Even better than me."
"Can you teach me Tessenjutsu?" Felix asked, his eyes shining brightly.
Before Takashi could respond, the doors to his dojo suddenly swung open.
"Felix! Felix, where are you?!" Bell-mere shouted.
"It's alright, Bell-mere." Takashi assured. "Your son is here, unharmed."
Bell-mere sighed in relief as she rushed towards her son, Nojiko and Nami following not long after.
"Mommy!" Felix said excitedly. He rushed to his mother and tripped three times on his own feet. "Mr. Takashi is a Tiessinjutsu master!"
"Tessenjutsu, Roci." Takashi corrected.
"So, you're not a male geisha who dances for money?" Nami asked, clearly disappointed.
"Nami, you gotta stop spending so much time with Doc." Bell-mere admonished.
"Well, I am a geisha, I just don't use my talents for…explicit purposes." Takashi explained.
"Good to know." Bell-mere nodded. "I'm apologize for my son, Mr. Takashi."
"No apology necessary." Takashi assured. "Your son is a real delight. Although, I thought his chronic clumsiness was greatly exaggerated. Turns out I was wrong."
"He gets it from his father." Bell-mere laughed sadly. "Anyway, I'll pay for the damages and we'll get out of your hair."
"Please stay. I just finished making dinner, would you and your family like to join me?"
Bell-mere smiled. "That sounds good."
While the kids were playing with the bamboo fans in the dojo, Bell-mere and Takashi were sharing a cup of tea in Takashi's private chamber.
"So, is this place really a dojo or an entertainment house?" Bell-mere asked.
"It's actually both." Takashi replied. "And the correct term for male geisha is taikomochi, it's a highly respected profession. But every now and then, I hone my tessen skills, so I won't get rusty."
"You never had any students?"
"The last student I trained was 13 years ago. It didn't go so well. Never really had anyone show an interest in Tessenjutsu before your son tumbled in my dojo."
"You don't have to teach him. I'd rather Roci not learn any violence."
Takashi looked at Bell-mere curiously. "Aren't you a former Marine?"
"Yes, and so was his father. Look what good it did us."
"How did he die? Your husband?"
"He wasn't my husband. At least, not officially. We were engaged though, but he went on a covert mission and was killed in action."
"And Felix is a child of a Devil Fruit."
Bell-mere looked at the eccentric sensei in shock. Takashi simply laughed.
"Oh, don't look so surprised, my dear." He said. "It's common knowledge in this village that you can't bear children of your own, so it was very odd that your son bore an uncanny resemblance to you. In addition to that, Felix has a devil fruit power."
"That's impossible. Felix never ate a Devil Fruit." Bell-mere objected. "He can swim."
"I saw him use the abilities of the Calm-Calm Fruit, which I believe still has a user."
Bell-mere's eyes widened. "His father ate the Calm-Calm Fruit. I never heard any reports of it resurfacing so I guess it didn't sprout yet after he died. You think Felix inherited his power?"
"If he's a Devil Fruit Child, it's a strong possibility. A side effect of the Stork-Stork fruit is that the offspring inherits the abilities of their parent's devil fruit." Takashi explained. "Who was his father, if you don't mind my asking?"
Bell-mere took a deep breath before replying to Takashi. "His name was Donquixote Rosinante." She revealed. "Felix's middle name is his namesake. He also has a twin sister out there."
Now it was Takashi's turn to be shocked. "Donquixote? He's not related to that new Warlord, is he? Doffy, something or the other?"
"Doflamingo? Yeah, Rosinante was his younger brother…and his killer."
"Whew! Talk about my brother's keeper." Takashi mused. "Nevertheless, your children shouldn't live their lives defenseless."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Bell-mere asked.
"I'm not undermining your parental skills or trying to sway you in any way, Bell-mere." Takashi assured. "I'm just being realistic: your twin children have the potential to turn this world on its axis. Now, whether or not it'll be a good thing or a bad thing…. well, it all depends on the company they keep."
"Felix and Norah are not bad children, Takashi."
"I believe you. Felix is one of the sweetest boys I've ever met. That's a testament to you and their father. But even the sweetest of children can be twisted into something evil. I'm merely giving you an opportunity to make sure it doesn't happen to your son."
"So, you're saying that you want to teach Felix Tessenjutsu?"
"I suppose when it boils down to it…I guess I am."
Bell-mere took a long sip of her tea as she contemplated Takashi's offer. She didn't want Felix to be a violent person. Heck, she didn't want any of her children to be violent people. But she also wanted them to defend themselves in case they venture out in the world when they get older. And it looked like Felix was very fascinated with this long-forgotten iron fan fighting style.
"You do realize that you're gonna have an extremely clumsy child as your student, right?" Bell-mere warned humorously.
"Please, I've had worse students. A bout of incoordination isn't going to phase me." Takashi laughed. "What about his twin sister? Is she safe?"
"From what I heard, she's staying with a boy Rosinante risked his life to save. They live in a cottage in the North Blue."
"Well, I'm sure that boy will protect your daughter with his life."
Bell-mere nodded. "Thank you for not judging my son, Takashi."
"I heard what Karen did to him a couple a weeks ago. My apologies. There are some bitches in this world."
"If only we had a Devil Fruit to combat that." Bell-mere laughed.
"Hear, hear." Takashi agreed as he raised his cup for a toast.
Bell-mere raised her cup to clink it with Takashi's. There was a knock on the door followed by Felix tumbling in Takashi's private room, tearing a hole in the divider.
"Oops. Sorry." The boy apologized.
"I'm really sorry, Takashi." Bell-mere deadpanned.
"Don't worry, Bell-mere dear." Takashi laughed. "I always loved a challenge."
Tragically, the next day, Felix experienced the worst day of his life. The Arlong Pirates, a pirate crew full of fishmen, entered Cocoyashi Village with the intent of taking it over. The captain, Arlong, forced all of the citizens, including children to pay 100,000 beris every month or suffer the consequences. Nojiko was hanging out with Genzo, Nami hid herself in the library after a fight with Bell-mere, and Felix was hanging out in Takashi's dojo when the Arlong Pirates showed up. Bell-mere's house was located on the farther side of the village, so Genzo, Doc Mako and Takashi tried their best to hide Bell-mere and her kids from Arlong's grasp, but to no avail.
After finishing fixing Nami's favorite dinner as an apology from this morning, Bell-mere wrote two letters and put them in white envelopes. She suddenly heard a knock at her door. She looked at the side window and saw Arlong and his crew on her doorstep.
"There's only two ways this could end." Bell-mere said to herself. "If I don't make it, Rosinante, stay alive for our kids. They're gonna need you, my love."
This is how that tragic day ended: Bell-mere tried to hide the fact that she had kids after Arlong found her, but Nojiko, Nami and Felix ran over to Bell-mere before Genzo and Takashi could stop them. The menacing fishman threatened to kill the children. Felix tried to lay a punch to Arlong but he tripped over a rock.
"This kid is a bumbling idiot!" Arlong laughed. "I'll kill him first, just to put him out of his misery."
Takashi stepped in front of Felix before Arlong can strike him and ended up getting his right eye slashed.
"Takashi!" Bell-mere shouted.
"Leave my brother alone!" Nami scolded.
Arlong grabbed Nami by her dress. "You're a feisty little twirp, aren't ya?" He said.
"Put me down!" Nami shouted.
"Nami!" Bell-mere grabbed her rifle to in an attempt to shoot Arlong, but the fishman was quicker as he bit Bell-mere's arm with his teeth. "AHHH!"
"Bell-mere!" Genzo yelled. "Leave her alone, you bastard!" The policeman rushed to attack Arlong, but he slashed Genzo multiple times, leaving him immobile.
"Genzo!" Takashi shouted.
Suddenly, Arlong caught a glimpse of a piece of paper in Nami's hand. "What's this?" He grabbed the paper and recognized it as a map.
"That's mine, give that back!" Nami pleaded.
"Where did you get this map?" Arlong demanded.
"I drew it!"
"You drew this map?" Hatchi repeated, astonished.
"Please, no human is talented enough to draw maps." Kuroobi spat.
"There's a first time for everything, Kuroobi." Arlong said. "We're taking this girl with us. Kill the others."
"No!" Nojiko screamed.
"Nami!" Felix cried.
"Wait, stop! Don't kill my kids!"
Arlong turned to look at Bell-mere, who was struggling to stand up and face him.
"Oh, I'll spare your little redhead girl." He said. "The other two don't have my money, so they pay with their lives."
"Are you that heartless?!" Takashi seethed. "Roci and Nojiko are just kids!"
"You think we give a damn about pathetic human children?!" Dama countered, kicking Felix's face.
"How about I trade ya?" Bell-mere offered. "Their lives for mine."
"What?" Genzo exclaimed.
"Bell-mere, don't!" Takashi objected.
"Shut up, Genzo and Takashi!" Bell-mere snapped. "Both of you stay out of this." She turned back to Arlong. "I don't have the money to spare all of us, but I'm not going to let you kill my children. So, you can kill me to collect your debt."
Arlong looked at Bell-mere, intrigued. "A noble sacrifice." He observed. "You must've been a Marine."
"That's right." Bell-mere smirked. "Then, you should've figured out by now why I was able to hold my own against you."
"Too bad it was futile. Like I said, I'll spare this redhead girl…Nami, you called her? She has a rare gift and far be it from me to put something like that to waste. So, you're about to trade your life for your other two brats."
"Fair enough. You kill me and you get Nami. But you have to swear that you and your crew will not lay a single fin on Nojiko and Roci, otherwise the deal is off."
"I pride myself as a man who keeps his word." Arlong swore. "No harm will come to these children. In fact, since I'm a reasonable man, I will spare the police officer and the geisha's lives as well; and give you the chance to say your final goodbyes to your children."
Arlong threw Nami toward Nojiko's direction and she immediately rushed over to her sister and brother. "You have five minutes." He told Bell-mere.
Bell-mere nodded as she rushed to Takashi, who was trying to tend to Genzo's wounds with one eye. "Oh, Takashi, Genzo! I'm so sorry."
"What are you doing, Bell-mere?" Genzo scolded. "You're going to make orphans out of these kids?!"
"They're not going to be alone." Bell-mere assured. "They have you. Genzo, keep the girls and Roci safe for me, okay?"
"Belle, please don't do this." Genzo cried.
Bell-mere simply smiled kissed Genzo's cheek tenderly. "I'm gonna miss you, old fart." She then turned her gaze to Takashi. "Teach Roci everything you know. I don't want my son to grow up weak."
"Your son is anything but weak, Bell-mere." Takashi said tearfully. "But I'll make sure he gets stronger."
"I know you will. Also, I want you to safeguard these letters for me."
Bell-mere handed Takashi the two envelopes. The taikomochi realized that they were letters addressed to Felix and Rosinante.
"Bell-mere…" He began.
"Felix's father is still alive." Bell-mere whispered. "He's in a coma. I want you to give this letter to him when he visits here. Tell him that I'm sorry."
Takashi's eyes widened. "Of course. Do not be afraid, my dear. The Gods will protect you." He kissed Bell-mere on both of her cheeks.
"Have Doc take a look at your eye." Bell-mere said.
"You have two minutes, Bell-mere." Arlong warned, chuckling sinisterly.
"Your bloodlust can wait two minutes!" Bell-mere shouted. "Nojiko! Nami! Roci! Come here!"
The three children rushed into their mother's arms, crying and begging her not to leave them.
"Bell-mere, please don't leave us." Nojiko pleaded. "We can leave this place!"
"Don't go, Mommy. Please!" Felix cried.
"I'm sorry, Bell-mere!" Nami apologized. "I'll be a good girl for now on!"
"Oh, Nami. You were always my good girl." Bell-mere said. "I'm sorry about earlier. You keep on making your maps and you'll make a world map that even Genzo will be proud of. Nojiko, be strong for your brother and sister. You're the woman of the house now. And Roci…." Tears streamed down Bell-mere's eyes. "You are special. You and your sister were put on this world to do great things. I'm sorry, I won't be here to witness it, but you will have people that will keep you humble. Don't let anyone take away that smile of yours, got it?"
The kids kept crying as Takashi pried them off of Bell-mere.
"Come on kids, let your mother go." He sobbed.
Bell-mere stood up and wiped her tears. Then, she held her head up high and walked up to Arlong. "Let's get this over with." She said.
Arlong laughed. "Don't worry, it'll be quick." He aimed his pistol at Bell-mere's chest.
Bell-mere stared down Arlong's pistol fearlessly. Ever since she joined the Marines, she has prepared for an untimely death. She knew she wouldn't live to see her 40s but living past her 30th birthday was a surprise. However, what Bell-mere didn't prepare for was leaving her small children behind. She never thought she would have children but was blessed with five. Three she raised by herself, two are living in the North Blue. Bell-mere wished she could see Nojiko, Nami and Felix grow up. She wished she could see Norah one last time and meet Law for the first time. She wished she could see Rosinante again. Her beloved clumsy fool was in a coma, fighting for his life.
Remember our promise, Rosinante. Stay alive no matter what. I'm so sorry that I have to break mine, but you of all people will understand. Our kids will do great things and I want you to be alive to see them. I know you will be a great father, not only to Felix and Norah but to Law, Nojiko and Nami as well.
"Mom!" The kids cried.
"Nojiko! Nami! Felix Rocinante!"
The kids stopped crying and looked at their mother. Bell-mere took one last look at her children, her family and smiled tearfully.
"I love you." She declared.
BANG!
Arlong shot Bell-mere, point blank in the chest, killing her instantly.
"NOOOO!" The kids screamed.
"BELL-MERE!" Takashi shouted.
Arlong killed Bell-mere and left her house, dragging a screaming Nami with him. Genzo laid there in shock as Nako, the village doctor ran over to his side. Takashi tried his best to console Nojiko and Felix but he was inconsolable as well.
Genzo and Takashi had a modest funeral for Bell-mere and buried her on a clifftop near the village, overlooking the ocean. It was symbolic in a way, the redhaired woman had a special relationship with the ocean. She found her career, love and family while traveling these waters. It was fitting that her final resting place would be among those waters. Things got worse from there. After Arlong kidnapped Nami, the ten-year-old girl returned one week later to tell the villagers that she was joining the Arlong pirates as their navigator. Genzo and Nojiko tried to talk Nami out of it but the girl was stubborn. Felix felt like his life was falling apart right in front of him. He couldn't go back to his house, knowing that his mother was murdered there. Besides, it wasn't the same without Nami. So, Felix went to the other place that felt like home to him.
Takashi was putting some healing ointment on his eye when he felt Felix's presence in his dojo. He didn't hear the boy come in, so he assumed that Felix used his powers to keep himself silent. Takashi entered the dojo ring and saw the young boy doing basic moves with one of the training fans. This astonished the Tessenjutsu master because, for one, Felix was so clumsy, he couldn't go one day without tripping on his feet. But this boy here was graceful, focused, not missing a single beat. The second thing that astonished Takashi was that Felix learned the basic Tessenjutsu techniques with ease….and he wasn't properly taught yet. Takashi walked over to the boy and lightly tapped his shoulder.
"AHHH!" Felix screamed. He tumbled backwards, knocking down some cleaning supplies. "Mr. Takashi! I'm sorry, I thought you were still at Doctor Nako's office!"
Takashi motioned Felix to take a deep breath. Once the boy did, the grey bubble dispersed. "You might wanna look up Calm-Calm Fruit in a Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, so you can learn how to use it properly." Takashi advised. "Nojiko's been worried sick about you, Roci. Where'd you run off to?"
"Nowhere. I've been staying here." Felix replied.
"Since when?"
"Since Mom's funeral."
"You've been sleeping in my dojo for a whole week?!" Takashi gawked. "Where were you…during the night?"
"In your room. No one really goes there, so I put a bubble around myself. Why do you have random people going in and out of the dojo at night?"
"Uh, don't worry about that. Let's clean up this mess and I'll take you back home."
"I'm not going back home."
"Roci, your sister has been looking for you for over a week…"
"Well, I'll visit to tell her that I'm doing okay, but I'm not going back."
"What do you intend to do? Stay here for the rest of your life?"
"Can I?"
Takashi sputtered. "T-That was a joke."
"Please let me stay with you, Mr. Takashi." Felix pleaded. "I want you to teach me Tessenjutsu and one day when I get older, I'll leave this village and become a Grand Tessenjutsu master!"
"Wow…you went from 0 to 100 with that dream there, kid." Takashi muttered.
"What, there aren't any Grand Tessenjutsu masters?"
Before Takashi could respond, Genzo and Nojiko entered the dojo.
"See, Genzo? I told you he'd be here." Nojiko said.
Genzo sighed tiredly. "Come on, Roci. I'm taking you home."
"I'm not going." Felix objected.
"This is not up for discussion. Nojiko can't take over the grove alone."
"I don't wanna go back home! Mom and Nami aren't there anymore. Arlong took them away. Everyday in that house, I'm reminded of what happened!" Felix ran to Takashi and threw his arms around his waist. "Please let me stay with you, Mr. Takashi!"
Takashi watched as Felix cried on his kimono. He remembered the promise he made to Bell-mere and sighed deeply.
"Nojiko, why don't you take Roci out to get some ice cream." He suggested. "Genzo and I need to have a little chat."
The officer looked at the taikomochi curiously but nodded in agreement.
"Come on, Roci." Nojiko said, taking her brother's hand. "Let's go to the ice cream shop."
Once the kids left, Takashi motioned Genzo to his private room. After serving some tea, Takashi took a look up and down at Genzo.
"You look good for a guy who was sliced open." Takashi mused.
"And you're still a douchebag but with one eye." Genzo retorted.
"Aww, come on, Genzo. Let's play nice."
"I'm not one of your gentleman callers, Takashi. You got something to say, say it already."
"Once again, I am not that kind of geisha!" Takashi huffed. "Anyway, I think Roci should stay with me at the dojo."
"You're in no position to keep an eight-year-old kid." Genzo objected.
"And you are?"
"Bell-mere entrusted me to take care of her kids!"
"I'm not disputing that, Genzo. I was there when she said it. But she also told me to train Roci and the best way I can do that is if he lives with me."
"How's Roci going to get stronger fighting with fans?" Genzo scoffed.
Takashi narrowed his eyes and fanned his face. "Don't knock it till you try it, okay? Besides, Roci has taken an interest in Tessenjutsu and he has potential."
"We're talking about the same boy who put a hole in my office, right?"
"Same one. How did Roci put that hole in your office? Aren't the walls made of concrete?"
Genzo shrugged. "It was a science experiment gone wrong. The teacher knew better than to let an accident-prone child near chemicals."
"In that teacher's defense, she was new and wasn't aware of Roci's clumsy streak." Takashi laughed. "But seriously, Genzo, you didn't see what I saw this morning. Roci was nailing every basic Tessenjutsu technique flawlessly and I haven't even taught him yet. He didn't even make one misstep. Roci can become a Tessenjutsu master if he trains hard and long enough. I want to help him get there. Besides, it'll help him cope with losing his mother and sister."
"And you said that you don't like kids." Genzo mused.
"I don't, they're snot-nosed little moochers. But Roci…. I don't know something about that kid, I just want to protect him at all costs."
Genzo nodded. Maybe letting Roci stay with Takashi will ease his burden a little bit. It's not like he was running away from Cocoyashi Village. Roci will only be training in a forgotten martial art with a male geisha. It could be worse, he could have Nami's fate of joining Arlong's crew.
"Okay, Roci can stay with you under two conditions." Genzo began. "He's allowed to visit Nojiko every weekend and he helps her out with the tangerine harvest. And you come to me if ever you have a problem."
"I can agree to those terms." Takashi nodded.
"Good. I'll get Roci's things from the house and bring them here. You're not…entertaining anybody tonight, are you?"
"Nope, but you're more than welcome to drop by after your shift."
Genzo gave Takashi a deadpan look which made the younger man laugh hysterically. "Have a sense of humor, Genzy." He said.
"Hilarious." Genzo said as he took a sip of tea.
That night, Takashi helped Felix get settled in the dojo. He turned one of his closets into a small room.
"Okay, do you have everything?" Takashi asked.
"Yep." Felix replied.
"Are you sure? Because I'm not going back out there to get anything, I don't want to be detained by Arlong's men."
"I got everything, Mr. Takashi."
"Very good, and you'll call me 'Sensei' from now on. Training starts first thing tomorrow, so get some rest. I won't go easy on you."
"Well, if I'm gonna be Grand Tessenjutsu Master, I can't take it easy." Felix pointed out. Takashi laughed. "What's so funny?!"
"Don't worry, kid. I'm not laughing at you." Takashi assured. "It's just, your dream isn't very realistic, I'm afraid."
"Why not?"
"Well, because Grand Tessenjutsu Master is difficult, almost impossible feat to accomplish. Not even Sadako or I had reached that level and we're very experienced."
"Did anybody become a Grand Tessenjutsu Master?"
Takashi paused to think. "Actually, yes. But it was a long time ago, during the formation of the World Government. There were three Grand Masters around that time, one of them was my great-great-great grandfather."
"Cool!" Felix beamed.
"But it's been over 300 years and the Tessenjutsu style is fading out. Now few hundred of us practice it. The masters living today only have less than 20 students. Sadako has the most students with 16."
"And I'm your first student, right?"
"You're my first in a while. I had a student before you were born but, he took the wrong path. So, I never took in another student after that."
Felix gave a Takashi a serious look. "I won't take the wrong path, Sensei." He declared. "I'll train, get stronger and become a Grand Tessenjutsu Master. I'll become a warrior you'd be proud of."
"I'm already proud of you, kid." Takashi smiled, ruffling Felix's hair. "Now go to sleep." He stood up to leave when Felix had another question:
"Can I stay up when you have your friends over at night?"
"Um…we'll talk about that when you're 12 or something."
Felix laughed. "Okay. Goodnight, Sensei Takashi."
"Goodnight, Roci." Takashi smiled.
When Felix Rocinante was 8, he discovered that he liked boys, was introduced to a lost martial art form, inherited Corazon's devil fruit powers and lost his mother. But those events shaped him into the Silent Geisha of the Straw Hat Pirates.