Chapter 3: Stand Up

(Hello all. This is my very first published fanfic. Please feel free to leave any comments at all and have a great day.)

Disclaimer: I do not known any of the One Piece characters. This is a non-canon work of fiction.

Warning: I do realize that Kairee comes off like a Mary Sue, yes. Haha, I suppose I just ended up writing her that way. Whether that retracts from the experience or not is entirely up to the reader. I do hope you all enjoy the story, though.

….

After cleaning up the mess and finishing up with the hall, which she finished working on just as everyone had done with their dinner (she was relieved that everyone's shoes were devoid of dirt and grime after being the sub for a few days), she went on to the General Washroom where all of the crew did their business and personal hygiene. She shuddered to think of what she might find there.

When she opened the door, she was relieved to find no one inside, and hoped beyond hope that no one would go in while she was working.

It was… less horrible than she expected, but there was still a lot of work to be done.

The corners were starting to accumulate green grime. Everyone's towels seemed to be hanging on racks on either side of the door, and next to these were a sink and a medicine cabinet, which was filled with toiletries and other hygienic implements. To the left were three shower stalls and to the right were three toilet stalls. At the end of the room was a large laundry basket, already filled with strong smelling, dirty clothes.

As she was about to start on the first shower stall, she heard the door open.

"Kairee?"

It was Bepo.

"Hi Bepo, what's going on?" She was happy it was Bepo and not any of the other men, who she assumed had already formed unsavory opinions of her.

"I'm supposed to check up on you to see that you're working."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that," she couldn't help but give a sigh.

He took a moment's pause and then said. "I know you didn't do it on purpose."

Her smile lit up with gratitude. "Thank you. I really appreciate that."

He nodded and left the room, but kept the door open and sat on a chair that was moved into the hall. "I have to wait and keep watch til you're done," he explained. She nodded in reply, and started on the task before her.

After what seemed an eternity of scrubbing foul-smelling tiles and toilets, she had finally finished, and she was completely exhausted and also quite hungry. She regarded her growling stomach sadly and then she and Bepo made their way downstairs and she was in the Prisoner's hold once more. She never thought she'd be so happy to see her dingy cell, and plopped onto the uncomfortable cot without a moment's delay, ready to rest up.

She hadn't realized that Bepo had followed her inside til he spoke up.

"Kairee."

She rolled to her side. "Bepo? What are you still doing here?"

"I got these for you," he replied, and pulled out an apple and banana from his large pockets. "I'm sure you must be starving."

"Bepo… I'm really grateful," she said, but her brow furrowed and she hesitated. "But, what if you get in trouble?" She tried to ignore the rumbling in her gut.

"It's true that I usually don't go against the Captain's orders," he chuckled, half-fondly and half-worriedly, "but…" He placed the fruits in her hands. "This is my way of telling you that you should forgive what he did."

She was confused for a moment. "Do you mean Shachi?"

"Ah, you should forgive him too, I guess, even if he is a huge jerk, but I was mostly talking about the Captain."

The Captain? "What do you mean?"

"Out of the whole crew, I've known the Captain the longest, and he has been my closest nakama for 8 years. He had told me about some parts of his past, but most of the details are still vague to me." He shifted a bit uneasily. "But, I do know that he lost very many important people when he was young…"

He looked down, as though he was slowly collecting his thoughts scattered at his feet. She said nothing and waited in quiet anticipation til he spoke up again. "He once asked me something a few years ago.

Kairee had sat up now and leaned in to listen better.

"He asked me if I ever met a girl, very short, with straight black hair who wore white clothes and a bag on her back wherever she goes."

Bepo paused to look at her, and aside from her hair being straight (hers was wavy) and being very short (because that was just plain mean, no matter how true it was), Kairee fit the description quite well.

"I guess that might've been why he took my backpack, then," she muttered.

"But I can't possibly be that person," she told him. "I've never actually met the Captain til now."

Bepo shook his head. "I believe you when you say you don't remember him. Maybe you just look like her."

"But," he added, "The Captain has definitely been acting different ever since he first saw you. I don't know who Shingle was, but it seems the Captain has been hoping he could meet her again for a long time."

He headed to the cell door. "I can't imagine how he feels right now, meeting someone who looks like the person he knew," he shook his head again. "That's why I'm asking you to forgive him."

Kairee thought for a while and said, with a small smile, "You really care about the Captain, huh?" Bepo gave her a proud and pleased grin, then bade her good night before leaving. She heard the now familiar click of the jail door being locked, and fell asleep to daydream musings of Captain Trafalgar and his crew.

….

No one had come to wake her when she opened her eyes the following morning. Was it morning, even? It was dreary, waking up to the interior of a sub where you didn't know the time of day. Maybe that's why some of the people here had such short tempers. She decided to bathe before she could be whisked away to do another chore.

Just as she'd cleaned herself up and dried her hair, Beluga had appeared at the entrance and unlocked the door. He said not a word as they clambered up to the higher level and entered the Mess room. The Captain, Shachi and Bepo were absent from the company, which was a weight off her shoulders more than anything, but at the same time she worried Bepo might have gotten into trouble from taking the fruit or speaking with her.

She ate her breakfast in relative silence, with the occasional background chatter of the crew as they finished their meals and headed off to their duties. She cleaned the table and the dishes, leaving the leftovers to Puffin, who seemed to prefer being the one to put them away while his eyes were darting suspiciously around.

"Miss Soliss." She realized that Beluga had called her from the doorway just as she was finishing up her work. "The Captain gave orders for you to clean the Sick Bay after washing the dishes." With that, he left.

The Sick Bay? She recalled the tour Bepo had given her yesterday (Something which seemed so much further in the past) and remembered it was right next to the Mess room…

And it was where the Captain slept.

She began to perspire at the thought that he might be in there. Perhaps he was waiting in there right now? Well…. It couldn't be that bad, right? After her talk with Bepo last night, perhaps they could converse calmly and she could find a way to convince the Captain that she really wasn't Shingle?

With more conviction, she left the Mess room, picked up her cleaning supplies, and paused in front of the imposing room. With a nervous breath, she opened the door.

"Captain Trafalgar?" she spoke upon entering. No one answered. Gingerly she closed the door behind her and looked around. The room was light blue, and the floor covered in cream white tiles. In front of her were a pair of double doors that took up almost the entire wall, which, she assumed, led to the actual clinic area. It was immaculately clean, and it didn't look as though she needed to be there at all.

A bed, already made, stood in the corner on the right. To the left was a desk with a lamp, bookshelf, a large cabinet and a few small pots with plants and flowers. On the desk was her backpack.

She was about to rush towards it, but stopped herself halfway and wavered. Had he checked inside? Did he take anything? Surprisingly, her bag looked relatively unperturbed and unopened, as though it was just sitting there, waiting for her to arrive. She looked around her. She was sure the Captain wasn't around, but if she was caught….

The door opened and she turned to find Law entering the room. He seemed unsurprised by her presence but was eyeing her carefully. "Planning to take your bag back?" he said, more a statement than a question.

"Oh…. No," she replied, hands folded meekly in front of her. "I am hoping that you will return it to me sooner or later," she added hopefully, casting her glance towards her bag.

"So, where do I clean?" she asked, dodging her eyes around the room. "Inside here," he walked past her languidly and entered through the double doors. Through them, she found a fully-decked operating room covered from top to bottom in tiles. There was a regular plinth as well as an operating table, and several mechanical devices and instruments on stands or propped up against the wall or inside glass cabinets. There were counters with drawers that were probably filled with scalpels and other surgeon's tools. On the floor she noticed flecks of dried blood around the table and the air was coated with the smell of antiseptic.

It was like a completely different place, so much so that she hadn't realized she had her mouth hanging open as she took in the room.

"Interested in medicine?" The Captain's voice shook her out of her stupor. He was leaning on the wall, eyeing her once again, mouth a hard line.

"Ah, well, I've always just been curious," she answered carefully, as she decided to busy herself by setting down the supplies she had been carrying in the corner and picking up what she needed. She began wiping the counters nearest her. All the while, she could feel him watching her, as though he was surveying her features and movements, trying to justify his belief that Kairee was someone she claimed she didn't know. The air was strained for several minutes with intense silence, as she wiped and brushed the tiles, wishing he would just leave her be.

"Soliss-ya," he spoke, and she started when she realized he had gone over to the drawers as well, a few steps away from her, as he seemed to be inspecting his medical equipment. "How did you find yourself in that crate?"

"Well," she said carefully, "I have a tendency of landing in unusual places." She tried her best to look away from him, but what she said wasn't really a lie. She heard him rearrange his equipment. "But," she added quickly, "I didn't intend to be a stowaway on this ship, or any other ship for that matter. I didn't mean to be here."

There was no reply, until he asked another question, as though indifferent to her answers.

"Where do you come from?"

"Well, umm… Nowhere, really. I've been a traveler for a while now."

"Is that so," the sound was much too close, and, turning, she found him right in front of her, his tall frame quite imposing over her tiny form.

"I don't suppose you've ever met Claviger Shingle," he said, and his eyes were away again, as though clinging on to something on the horizon, even as he was staring at her, into her soul.

"She looks exactly like you," he leaned in closer to her. "I have almost no doubts that you two are the same person."

She took a step back. "Please stop this," she said. "I'm telling you Captain Trafalgar that I've never gone by that name, and I don't know you."

He stood up straight again, giving her an icy stare. "The name Kaykay means something to you," he stated. "Yes, but…" She stopped herself before she could say any more. Nobody was supposed to know that.

"But?" he pressed, hands firmly closed at his sides.

"I… That's only my nickname…"

"That was Shingle's nickname as well."

"But it could all just be a coincidence!" she insisted. "I'm telling you that I don't know you!"

"And I know," he retaliated, "that you're Shingle! Why do you have to hide it when it's obvious? You look and talk like you did all those years ago, so I can't be fooled, Shingle! No matter what you do or say, I know that it's you. So why-"

He suddenly stopped his tirade and looked at her, not with anger and desperation as when he was shouting, but with confusion and sorrow and betrayal.

"You don't remember me," he said, as if testing the words in the air and fearing that they would be lost the moment they were said. He was not looking at her anymore, but down at something invisible at his feet, as though there broken pieces of a cherished possession shattered on the ground.

She watched him turn away and didn't get a chance to say anything, he spoke.

"Get out," he ordered, a sharp and driving command.

She hesitated, and then rushed to pick up her custodial things and left the room.

She rushed back quickly to her cell after finding the room open, and after flopping onto her bed, she felt much more tired than she should have been. She buried her face in her pillow and willed herself to block out all her thoughts and feelings.

After a while, she realized she'd fallen asleep. She wondered how long she was out; perhaps the Captain had resolved against continuing to feed her. A dismal way to die, indeed…. She hugged her pillow, allowing herself to mull over the recent events. What if, in fact, she was truly the one mistaken, and that she really had forgotten Law? But how, and why? None of it made any sense, and perhaps prying would only make it worse, especially now that the Captain seemed so distraught over her apparent amnesia.

"Miss Soliss," Penguin's voice stirred her from her thoughts, and he appeared at her door. "Please follow me; lunch is ready," his voice seemed quiet and his gaze didn't meet her in the same way that it did before. She could tell from his stride that he was distracted, and she concluded that something may have happened with the Captain.

The crew was silent as they entered, progressing through their meal without particular gusto, and when they thought she hadn't noticed, they eyed her questioningly. 'They all probably know that something happened between us,' she picked at her food, feeling her appetite wane.

She attended to the dishes per the usual, and was approached when she was finished by Penguin.

"Miss Soliss," he regarded her less warily, this time around, but still with some detachment. "Please follow me, we'll be working on the laundry."

They headed to the shared washrooms, and Penguin went inside and retrieved the large laundry basket, which he brought out into the middle of the hallway. Then, for the first time since she'd found herself on the sub, she watched as Penguin climbed the metal rungs up to one of the sealed passages on top of the ceiling and opened the hatch that led to the Deck Enclosure.

She had a spark of panic that water might come gushing in, but Penguin hoisted himself up through the hole and after a second, a light flickered on up above. A moment later, there was a grinding noise and the rectangular patch in the ceiling turned out not to be an architectural flaw but a hatch from which she saw Penguin lean over to speak to her.

"Hook the basket to the ropes," he instructed as he lowered down four ropes each with a hook at the end attached to a pulley system. She did as told and Penguin drew up the basket and placed it aside. "Now come up," he told her before closing the rectangular hatch.

She watched her step as she made her way up the ladder. She was surprised to find a yellow-walled room, with a door at the front and back and several porthole windows that gave her a glimpse at the watery depths outside. There were ropes and chains on the walls; nets, a cage and a stretched were propped up on the wall. To one side was an area sectioned off with a low partition half a foot high, wherein she noticed a pair of faucets, several basins, washboards, drains, and some low stool chairs. This was the place where Penguin brought over the basket full of dirty clothes.

They separated the colors into groups without a word exchanged. Kairee silently followed his lead as he rolled up his pants and sleeves and filled the basins with water. He seemed to pause for a second, as though conflicted, then stationed himself at the basin with the filthiest apparel, the underwear, and made a very nauseated face, but after looking back up at Kairee, she saw that shadowy flush of his face once again as he quickly grabbed some soap and bleach, handed it to her, and pointed urgently at the pile of white shirts. She did not object to this, and began her work.

The minutes passed as they sat across each other, working on each article of clothing one at a time. When it was necessary, he would tell her where the shirt had to go next ("That basin," and he'd point), or tell her how much soap to use, but always in a low mutter, which she found somewhat endearing.

Minutes turned to hours, and though there were still a few piles left, she noticed that Penguin was starting to tire out. She cleared her throat. "Mr. Penguin."

He jumped at the noise, "Ah… Yes, what is it?"

She picked out her words carefully, "We've been washing for a while. If you'd like to go take a break, I won't have much of a problem on my own."

He looked surprised at first, and then frowned. "I'm not tired if that's what you're thinking," he said somewhat indignantly, washing the pants he was holding with particular effort.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it in that way. It's just that you've already done a lot, and I know this is supposed to be my job."

He stopped, sighed, and then looked away. "If you open any of the doors to try to escape, you're going to drown in here," he said matter-of-factly as he got up and walked to the hatch leading down. Soon he was out of sight.

She continued on with the remaining clothes, but after a few minutes of his absence, she heard the clink of glass She turned to find two glasses, and then a hand poked through the hole and placed a bottle on the floor and finally Penguin himself, carrying a tray with one hand and setting it down, came through the hatch and closed it back behind him.

When he set the tray on a spare stool next to her, she found an assortment of fruits and brownies, way too much for just one person to eat. She looked at him questioningly, as he took a seat beside the tray while bringing along the glasses and bottle.

He wordlessly poured the yellow liquid into both glasses and handed one over to her. She took the glass without thinking, and finally said, "What's all this?"

He drank a generous amount from his cup. "It's a just some food for a break. Don't worry about it too much. Just be grateful and eat." He took an apple and bit into it. "And don't worry about the drink. It's just lemon juice," he added with one of his half-smiles.

She decided to accept his offer, muttering a small thank you before taking one of the brownies and sipped from her glass. They ate in relative silence, but though Kairee wasn't really one for conversations at times like this, his generosity compelled her to speak.

"If you don't mind my asking, where did you get these brownies?" She mentally slapped herself for such a weak opening line.

"Ah well, we bought some from the previous island on a whim, and they've been sitting in the fridge for a while so I thought it'd be good to get rid of them." He took one, inspecting it briefly, and ate it.

"Besides, you won't be here for much longer."

"What?" Her eyes widened, and she nearly spat out her drink.

"S-Sorry, that's not what I mean!" He flustered a bit and then sighed when he realized she'd thought through his wording that they might do something to her.

"What I mean is that we'll be reaching the next island tomorrow, noon at the latest by what Bepo said. By then, the Captain will probably let you go…." His voice lowered to a mutter near the end, and though she was reluctant to speak about the event, she wanted to know how Law was doing.

"The Captain is angry with me, I know," she stated, looking down and speaking softly. "We spoke and I tried to convince him that I wasn't who he thought I was, but it ended up that he believes I've forgotten him…" She looked up and saw that he was contemplating her words deeply.

"I didn't mean for that to happen, but…"

"I understand," he said after some pause.

"How is he, though?"

He looked at her for a long time, and she was going to repeat her question, but he replied. "He used to seem distracted, when you first arrived," he explained, "but since this morning, he's been keeping to himself. He's usually like that anyway, but now he's tense and unapproachable." Penguin swirled the drink in his hand.

"We've never seen him like this before."

"I see…."

They ended the conversation at that, finishing what was left of their snacks and continued with the work ahead. After they had washed the clothes, Penguin drew the ropes and stretched them taut from one side of the room to the other, but kept ample space for passage through the doors and hatches and they hung the clothes out to dry. Once they finished, Penguin lowered the laundry basket back down, and then he carried the bottle and glasses and she the tray and they made their way down the ladder.

"Can you bring these to the kitchen? Put the bottle in the fridge and then I'll bring you back to your room." He handed her the items and carried the now empty basket towards the lavatories and she turned to head to the kitchen but stopped in her tracks. She watched as Shachi exited the Control room and his face soured upon seeing her.

She decided to keep her head low as she continued forward, and resolved not to provoke or mind him in any way. She passed him in the hall, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, she felt herself falling forward, and, quickly, she let go of the tray and grabbed the two glasses and bottle before they fell, and landed on her stomach, getting the wind blown out of her. The tray clattered noisily to the ground. She heard a grunt of frustration from behind her, and got up quickly, facing the upset-looking man.

"Why did you do that?" she knit her eyebrows, sensing his aggression rising.

"That was your own fault, you clumsy idiot," he declared.

Kairee paused, unsure as to how to proceed. If she insisted, she'd get into trouble, but at the same time, Shachi was getting on her nerves and treading right on the line of her patience. Granted, what he was doing was out of frustration, but she hadn't done anything to provoke him on purpose. It was ridiculous to be treated this way.

"Hey, what's going on?" Penguin came rushing from down the hall, and Puffin, as well as Beluga, came out from the Mess room and froze at the spectacle before them.

Shachi scoffed. "She fell over her own feet and of course, she blamed it on me."

"That's not true, you tripped me," she defended.

"Oi, you two, stop-"

"Penguin, this is between her and me," Shachi cut him off. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were helping her." At this, Penguin stiffened and fell silent.

He stepped into her personal space, face only inches apart.

"You're calling me a liar?" he threatened.

She stood her ground, feeling her face heat up with fury.

"Yeah, I am."

At this, suddenly, he laughed, as though the tiny girl standing up for herself was the most humorous thing he'd seen all day. He then turned and walked away.

"You don't wanna mess with me, girly, not if you value being able to walk."

"You wouldn't even beat me if you tried." The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.

Shachi froze, and looked back. "What did you say?"

He mouth went dry at her own brashness.

"Well?!" he said menacingly as he marched back towards her. She wanted to calm down, but seeing him like this infuriated her immensely, and she decided to let her emotions go.

"You heard me," she stated, breathing out through her teeth, "if you're not careful, you'll get yourself hurt."

He looked down at her, flaming like a bottled up forest fore, and he grit his teeth as though he was trying to dislocate his own jaw.

"Training room," he barely said and turned towards the said room. She was confused for a moment, but understood and followed him. Soon they found themselves inside, and the others who had been watching stood by with their worried expressions and Shachi and Kairee took their places on either side of the wood-paneled floor.

Penguin approached the young lady, expression gravely anxious.

"You're going to get in trouble."

She looked at him, brow set, but smiled at him.

"I'm sorry Mr. Penguin, but I can't stand his attitude, and I can't stand being treated like shit."

He seemed taken aback, but he drew close to her and muttered low. "Look, I don't want you to get hurt…"

"I won't get hurt," she replied, "and if I do, it'll be my own fault, won't it?"

He realized that she wouldn't back down, so he stepped aside.

"You're going to regret ever having sneaked into that crate," Shachi taunted, readying his battle stance.

"I didn't sneak in," she replied, getting ready as well.

They tensed and their eyes bore down on each other.

"Don't think I'll go easy on you because you're a girl."

"Oh don't worry, I share the same sentiments."

She almost heard the twig snap.

He lunged at her with a battle cry and threw a punch, but he fell to the ground. She had deftly dodged his attack and stepped backwards away from him.

"You…!" he got up, jumped and crashed a swift kick on top of her, but she crouched and, with a fluid motion of her arm, swiped his leg away and he dropped to the floor again. She heard the surprised gasps of the other crew members, and watched him get back up again.

"You're gonna pay for that," he threw a punch, then another, and another, until his hands were a flurry of jabs at her, but she dodged and deflected each one, her face lined with fierce concentration. Then, she grabbed his arm, using it like a gymnast's bar, and threw herself into the air, landing behind him. She did a leg sweep so that Shachi came down once more.

She kept her distance again and said, "Why don't you just stay down?" He got up again, panting this time, and said, "I'm not gonna let some little bitch beat me."

"I really don't want to hurt you," she encouraged with a frown. At this, Shachi came rushing at her, and this time her hand was raised, ready to knock him out.

"That's enough."

At the sound of the Captain's voice, Shachi stopped his run and Kairee lowered her hand and her face drained of blood. He was glaring at her, and the dark circles around his eyes seemed even more sullen than before.

"You will leave this ship once we reach land. Until then, you will be locked in your cell." She remained frozen in place, unable to shake from the Captain's gaze, which looked pained and angry.

She felt something soft and fluffy nudge against her shoulder.

"Cmon, let's go…" Bepo softly implored, pushing her gently and her legs complied. They walked out of the room and though their steps were quick, it seemed a thousand years til they arrived at the Prisoner's Hold.

She walked straight into her cell and collapsed on the cot, feeling the tears straining to fall on her pillow. She heard Bepo lock the cell door, then he said, "Will you be hungry?"

She did not look up as the water welled in her eyes, "No, I'm good. Penguin ate some food earlier and gave some of it to me. Thanks a lot though, Bepo. For everything."

She felt him linger longer, then heard his steps out the door, and the familiar click of the lock as the steady, silent flow of tears rained from her eyes.

She drifted away willingly, almost desperately, into her sleep.