A/N: Hello, everyone! Welcome back to the next chapter! I hope you're all enjoying the story so far! Now, the review replies.
Shion Lee: Yes, Koga has his head stuck so far up the World Government's ass, that it's ridiculous.
431101134: okay, I get why you are confused. But the simple reason that Koga calls her a little girl is because that's what she is to him. When she was nine, he was fifteen - So he's got a good six-ish almost seven years on her age wise. And he's known her her whole life and to him she's always just been that annoying little noble brat who he's forced to be around because his dad is a Marine and Marines serve Nobles and blah blah. He's basically just putting her down with the "I'm a grown man with a career and you're still just a little girl playing make believe". Holy moly that's a lot of devil fruit ideas! Those are pretty creative, too.
Azurai Wolf: I'm glad you're enjoying it and yeah... Koga can have that affect on people.
Guest: Thank you.
treavellergirl: Don't worry, Koga may be smart... but he's not smart enough to start digging through names - especially when there could be numerous people in the world with the same names. Ace seems like it'd be a pretty common thing. But ... I gotta wonder how Garp ever planned for them to be Marines, to be honest, cause... hello? Back ground checks? *Sighs* Gramps wasn't the brightest.
Suzululu08: I would apologize... but I would be lying XD. I'm glad that you are liking Charlotte as a character so far. I only hope I can continue to keep the story up to everyone's standards and liking.
Thanks to Cadell, Theinzmann111, Azurai Wolf, Kirino Tsuki, Fish57, Nameless Angel 00, Al890, Phantom0408, komaedass, SakuraDagger15, BloodWaltz, bvic, HeartlessNobody13, BlushLover930, LOORELIA3, treavellergirl, Jaci943 and Suzululu08 for adding this story to their alerts and or favorites.
Question of the Day: What is your favorite WILD animal?
ANSWER: my favorite wild animal is a cheetah.
EAST BLUE ARC
Chapter 2: Winds of Change
Charlotte, Age 17
Date: May 12 (7 days since Luffy left Dawn Island)
Most people would expect that the Pirate King would be this scarily powerful guy. And yeah, he was pretty powerful, but that was only a side his enemies saw. Those who knew the Pirate King also knew that he was an insufferable overgrown child with a fondness for tag and who had to be watched like a hawk lest he completely wipe out our food supplies. At the end of the day? He was so much more than just King of the Pirates. - excerpt from A NEW KING'S RISE, author unknown
"In the faraway land of Ancient Greece, there was a golden age of powerful gods and extraordinary heroes. And the greatest and strongest of all these heroes was the mighty Hercules."
The Marine sighed. "Lady Charlotte, please. Let's be serious here. What did you see in your vision?"
Charlotte gave the poor young seaman a twisted smile. "Oh, I am serious. This Hercules is quite powerful. He would be a fantastic ally to the World Government, if you can convince him, that is."
The young seaman sighed again, this one sounding much more long suffering. "Your tall tales are going to get you into trouble, My Lady."
"Hmm," Charlotte smirked. "Maybe. Think of it as my own little slice of revenge for being trapped here against my will."
The seaman gulped. "Don't take it out on me! Koga will have my head if you lie again."
Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine. I saw an island being attacked by pirates. I don't know when, but I do know that it was being led by Kuro."
"Kuro of a Thousand Plans?" The seaman jotted down what she said. "But wait... isn't he dead?"
"His first mate was a goddamn hypnotist," Charlotte pointed out. "Man, you Marines sure aren't very bright, are you? Some guy pops up claiming to be Kuro and you don't even verify? Check the wanted poster likeness, maybe question how some dipshit upstart caught a pirate who until then had been uncatchable?"
The seaman's shoulders hunched. "Well... I.. The..."
"Don't think too hard."
"I'll just... go tell Koga about all this."
"Bye bye," Charlotte said with a too sweet smile as the door closed behind him and locked from the outside. The new kid makes it a little too easy to pick on him. I almost feel bad.
But only almost.
Standing Charlotte stretched and gave a small sigh at the pops that came from her back. "Oh, that felt nice. Now then... it's three thirty? So that'll give me about two hours before Koga comes storming in here demanding answers. So, I'll only have about an hour and a half to walk around town, gotta give myself enough time to get back. Okay, now focus... Picture yourself just disappearing from the world."
Closing her eyes, Charlotte took a few deep breaths and allowed her thoughts to flow out of her mind. She was as light as a feather, she let her body bend and flow like blades of grass in the wind. She felt a brief moment of weightlessness and then she was moving - a simple breeze slipping under the crack of the door.
Being aware of her surroundings while in this state was difficult, and she had suffered many failed outings over the last few months because she had gotten careless or overconfident while sneaking out. Once she had accidentally reappeared behind Koga as he was leaving to report in, and she had been unable to stop the groan of dismay that left her. He'd spent hours questioning her guards on how she escaped, but they didn't know. She had been more careful since that day, it wouldn't do for Koga or the others to learn about her devil fruit powers - especially when she couldn't control them completely.
Oh gods, why?! was Charlotte's only thought as her stomach revolted against her with a fury, causing her to lose what little lunch she had in her in the nearby bushes. I wanted to get a little further away before solidifying again, damnit. But I suppose this will do...
The walk to town from the manor was always a peaceful one, and Charlotte was able to enjoy the feel of the wind in her hair and the warmth of the sun. It was a beautiful day in mid May, not a cloud in sight and the town quiet and peaceful. The only problem with the quiet was that it gave her time to think. Her mind automatically drifted to Luffy.
She'd seen a vision only a few days ago of him setting off to the open sea in a tiny laughable boat. He'd been happy -
Cheerful. Something she hadn't seen much of after Sabo died and Ace set sail only a few years before. It had lifted her heart to see the smiles and the declarations for his departed brother to watch and see how strong he'd become.
But she hadn't had any visions of Luffy since then. Only some extremely confusing visions of a small island being attacked by Kuro and dreams of a man turning into sand. She had been unable to make much of the visions and whenever she tried to focus them directly on Luffy - something she hadn't done since she had forced herself to focus on Sabo - all she could see was tumultuous waves.
She wasn't sure if that was reassuring or worrisome so she settled for something in between. She would worry, but trust that her visions would warn her of any danger about to befall her friends. And wasn't it odd, she wondered, that she felt so close to and protective of people she had technically never met before?
So distracted as she was, Charlotte didn't even notice the glances and glares that followed her as she walked through town. But it was the whispered words that were harder to ignore.
Noble trash, who does she think she is? Strolling through town like she owns it.
Doesn't seem very upset for someone who's an orphan now. What is this world coming to?
All those Marines at the manor, no doubt there to protect her spoiled ass. What happened to the Marines serving the people?
I don't want them, Charlotte thought fiercely even though her smile never faltered as her eyes wandered from shopping stall to shopping stall. You can have your damned corrupt Marines back. I don't want anything to do with them!
But she said none of this out loud, instead keeping her too cheerful smile in place as she walked up to a an extremely familiar stall and gave a genuine smile to the old woman who ran it.
"Hey, Grannny, got any new goods?"
The older woman laughed. "Every day without fail at four. You're nothing if not punctual, Lottie dear."
Charlotte's grin grew even wider. "Well of course. Gotta use these manners that were practically beaten into me, after all. So what're you working on?"
"What this?" Granny motioned to the concoction in front of her. "A medicinal syrup. A little bit of it every morning and night would help fight off allergies and sore throats."
Charlotte made a soft humming noise. "Does it taste like crap?"
A startled yelp tore from her throat when Granny smacked her hand with the journal that sat nearby. "Of course not! Honestly, Charlotte. What a thing to ask."
"It's not my fault that all kinds of medicines are notorious for being disgusting," she whined.
"Not the medicine from this stand," Granny retorted proudly. "I used honey to sweeten it and make it less bitter. Practically use it in everything. Bunch of babies can't handle when medicine tastes gross."
"M'not a baby," Charlotte mumbled. "Anyway, Gran, have you seen -"
"The boy with the straw hat has not been through town yet," Granny answered, knowing exactly what Charlotte was about to ask. "And I haven't seen any of the others you've described either - the green haired swordsman and the money hungry orange head. And no liar with a ridiculously long nose or blonde with curly eyebrows either."
Sighing, Charlotte laid her head on the stall counter. "I wish they would hurry."
"And exactly how do you plan to get away from your guards, hmm?" Granny wondered. "I don't think Koga would like his one shot at any future promotions to escape."
"I give absolutely zero shits about what Koga would like," Charlotte grinned when Granny snorted. "I just don't know what to do when they get here Gran. It's not like I can just walk up to Luffy and the others and be like 'Hey, this probably makes me sound insane, but I've had psychic visions of you guys and every future member of this crew ever since I was a small child, so let's be friends. Can I join you crew?'"
"... Probably best to word that a bit differently."
Charlotte's lips twitched into a smile. "Probably."
After bidding Granny goodbye, Charlotte continued on her walk through the town, ignoring the light headedness that was indicative of an incoming vision. She had grown used up the feeling, and she kept walking even as a flurry of images began to flash through her mind.
A small caravel with a sheep figurehead and a pirate skull donning a straw hat drawn on the flag and sails was approaching an unfamiliar island. But the the image flashed across her mind along with a word. Loguetown.
A marine chasing her down the street, his limbs turning to smoke. A swordswoman - also a marine- crossing blades with Zoro in the streets. A strange man with red markings on his face laughing as a large storm approaches.
A large whale was crying out in agony as it continued to ram its head into the large land mass known as the Red Line.
A strange looking man eating a cannonball. Huh.
A girl with pretty blue hair was crying and screaming as she stood in a tall tower - a clock tower - and watched the large group of people below battling against each other with everything they had in them. In the crowd, she could just barely make a familiar head of green hair and a blonde man in a nice suit.
"Jeez," Charlotte muttered, rubbing her forehead. "Who the hell eats cannonballs? What the fuck was that part even about?"
She didn't really have much time to ponder it - it was getting late and she needed to get phome before Koga barged in demanding more answers out of her and asking about any new visions.
She wondered what ridiculous story from previous lives she could convince him of next.
XxXxXxXx
Date: May 16
Something wasn't right.
Charlotte's brow furrowed as she sat up in bed, examining the room in the darkness. There was very little moonlight this night, but even she could tell that there was no light to be seen under the door. The guards always had that light on.
Quiet as a mouse, Charlotte shuffled the large duvet off and let her bare feet touch the cold tile floors. Creeping slowly in the direction of the door, she stopped and lowered herself to her knees and tried to peer under the door. Instead she found herself looking at what appeared to be a strip of metal that was hanging down from the outside of the door. Confused as to what it was there for - certainly not to keep out the light, as she had complained about it before and been ignored - she reached out to touch it with her finger tips.
The effect was almost instantaneous. The second her fingers came in contact with the metal, Charlotte felt weak and sick to her stomach. She yanked her hand back, eyes wide.
Just what the hell was this shit?
She stood angrily and reached for the doorknob, but was met with the same effect.
"Shit!" she hissed quietly.
It wasn't something she had ever paid attention to before but now that she looked closer, she realized that the doorknob on her door now looked differently from the bronze one that had been there before. It was darker in color and had Charlotte staring at it in disbelief. When would they have even changed it? Why did it make her feel weak and sick? Why did the sluggish feeling still linger even after she had let go?
"Fuck. Fuck fuck fucking hell."
They had to have changed when she was out. Which would mean that Koga had known she was sneaking out all along and was letting her. And wasn't that a kick in the ass?Here Charlotte thought she had been smart and sneaky, but she had just screwed it all up again, in true Charlotte fashion.
Her hand slammed against the door. "I WANT TO SEE KOGA!"
She could practically sense the smirk of the guard on the other side. "As you command Lady Charlotte."
It was a testament of her patience that Charlotte didn't go crazy in the forty minutes it took Koga to come to her. Which was ridiculous as she knew he stayed in her parents old room.
Finally the lock clicked and the door opened.
"You wanted to see me, Lady Charlotte?" Koga asked, fighting back a smirk.
"Why?"
"Why?" Koga took a second to mull over his answer. "I'm afraid that maybe I've been too lenient with you, Lady Charlotte. We've shown you nothing but kindness in the time you've been our guest and yet you've abused that trust."
"You can try to pretty it up all you want to, Koga, but everyone here knows that I'm not a guest. I'm a prisoner."
"Do prisoners get to go on leisurely strolls through town?" Koga shot back. "The fact you've been able to do that proves you weren't a prisoner here, Charlotte. But those little liberties aren't something you just get to keep. You've been playing far too many games and the World Government is getting tired of your silly whims. Tales of half god heroes and that time you told us there was a mermaid who was extremely powerful who could speak to fish and control sea kings."
"Because they're true." In fantasy land, asshole.
"No, I don't think so." Koga met her gaze evenly. "So until you decide to cooperate, I'm afraid your strolls will be nothing but a fond memory. Oh... And I hope you like the Sea Prism stone we've attached to the bottom of the door. Why, the blacksmith in town even forged you a nice new doorknob made of it."
Sea prism stone? Charlotte wondered with a small frown.
"Right, you've never been to the Grand Line," Koga teased. "So you wouldn't know about it. Sea prism stone is something harvested from the ocean floor. The stones has properties that drain devil fruit users of their energy and render them powerless. We use it for prison bars and handcuffs and such. It's quite useful for keeping your lot in check."
How the hell did he know about her powers?
"You can't do this."
"I can and I have. Maybe it will teach you some respect for your hosts, little Noble."
"Koga, please, please."
"Oh don't cry, Charlotte. It's unbecoming of one of your status." Koga turned on his heels and strode out, door closing behind him.
The lock clicked.
"Koga!" Charlotte screamed, pounding on the door. "Let me out! You can't keep me in here! Please... please!"
She tried to stop the tears, but they flowed freely against her will until she was sobbing. She knew it was her fault. She had pushed her boundaries too far and now she was stuck here. Even if Luffy and the others showed up, the likelihood that she would be leaving this island plummeted.
She would be stuck here as a prisoner forever.
The thought made her start clawing at the door like some desperate, trapped animal. She cried and begged and pleaded, but the door still didn't open. She didn't stop until the stinging pain in her fingers got to be too much and she slid to her knees, nails broken and skin around her fingers bleeding.
The blood streaks on the white wood of the door told the story in a way she wasn't sure she ever would be able to.
Where are you, Luffy? I need help...
XxXxXxXx
Date: May 22
"There's our next destination," Nami announced as an island appeared in the distance. "Shouldn't be too long. As long as the winds and current stay favorable, it shouldn't be more than half an hour."
"I'm hungry," Luffy whined. "Can't you make us go faster?"
"No," Nami answers unsympathetically.
It was no surprise to either Nami or Zoro when Luffy rushed off the second they hit land. His eyes wandered around, taking in the sights but also scanning for a food stand or restaurant.
"You there - Straw hat boy."
Luffy paused, eyes going to the old lady in the stall he was standing in front of. He wanted to keep on until he found food - but Ace and Makino had always said manners were important. It would be rude not to listen to the woman.
"Your name is Luffy, is it not?"
"Yeah... wait, how'd you know that, Granny? Are you a mind reader?"
The woman chuckled. "Oh no. I just happen to know a girl who knows you."
Luffy's brow furrowed in confusion. There was no way anyone from this island would know him.
"She's psychic, you see. Though she prefers the term seer or clairvoyant."
Psycho?
"What's that?"
"It allows her to see visions of the past and the future," the woman explained.
Luffy was silent for a moment before grinning. "Oh, so it's a mystery power!"
"Um... not exactly..."
"So wait, if she knows my name then does that mean she's seen visions of me?" Luffy wondered, eyes sparkling in awe.
"Yes, many times ever since she was little," Granny smiled. "And not just you. She's had visions of the green haired boy and the angry orange haired one."
"Zoro and Nami, too? So cool!" Luffy grinned."Hey, Granny, where is this girl?"
"She lives there." Luffy followed the old woman's finger which was pointed towards a large mansion on a hill. It reminded him of the noble homes in High Town. "Her name is Charlotte Sinclair. She usually visits me every day, but she hasn't been by in a while."
Luffy hummed, catching the worried tone in the old woman's voice. But he wanted to meet this Sinclair girl, and ask her about her cool visions and what she knew.
As long as she doesn't tell me what happens with the crew and our adventure, Luffy thought firmly, adjusting his straw hat.
"Hey, Granny? Can Sinclair join my crew?"
Granny snorted. "Don't ask me, kid. That's something you should ask her."
"Shishishi! Yeah!"