Its been a week since I've been aboard Red Force and I've grown comfortably close to the crew and captain. All they've done was party, even when Shanks had a hang over. The wind had stopped, however, so its not as if we had anything to do.

I was cleaning up the mess while humming a song I learned from the crew. I picked up the last of the garbage and piled it with the rest of it in a corner. I went to the crows nest and decided to relax up there for a moment. I had found a book that looked interesting enough amd started reading it.

The others woke up about thirty minutes later and complimented my work. Shanks hadn't awakened yet, though. He wakes up during breakfast then after, he, Rockstar and Benn tease me on my height as if it were ritualistic. A few hours later Yasopp brought breakfast up to me and asked if I wanted to come join them but I turned him down to think.

Here I am, Kizami the daughter of Fleet Admiral Akainu, on the pirate ship of the Red-Haired Pirates relaxing and enjoying their company. I could only imagine my father's punishment. When I was a kid, me and a few others were playing pirates and marines, where I had to be the pirate. My dad found out and her threw me in a forest for a month with only a marine survival book and his marine hat. He came and got me three weeks after and said the only reason he had come to get me was because he had to leave again.

To this day I remember ever survival rule in that book. I could survive if we crashed on an uninhabited island right now. My father may have been ruthless with me but he did have his fatherly moments. If he knew that I was taking it easy on a pirate ship right now, I don't know what he'd do.

I was brought out of my thoughts when a growl was heard, followed by gunshots and cries.

"Its a sea king," someone yelled. I could hear them panic below me but this sea king was small compared to others I've encountered. It did stand taller though.

"Oh no, its going after Kazumi," Yasopp exclaimed. They all called out to me warning me of the monster but I wasn't afraid. Instead, I just looked at it just as it was about to eat me and it instantly stopped moving. I stood and brushed myself off and it growled at my challenge.

"Wow, your just a baby," I said.

"What are you doing, kid," Benn asked but I ignored him. The sea king glared at me before attacking but I kicked its nose and it backed away. I gave a glare of my own before jumping on it.

"You need a little discipline." I punched it in the head and it let out a pain filled roar.

"Now behave you bastard," I exclaimed as I kicked it once more. Unaware or the scared crew and their murmurs of how scary I was.

The sea king placed its head next to the ship, letting me get back on.

"Good girl," I said petting it.

"What the hell! She just tamed a Sea King," everyone said behind me. The sea king licked me and I cringed.

"Okay okay, take it easy!" She snuggled next to me and I hugged her back.

"That was impressive." I looked back at Shanks and saw his signature smile.

"Its nothing really. Just gotta show them who's boss." He let out a laugh and patted the Sea King.

"Well, what's its name?"

"What?"

"You can't tame a beast and not give it a name."

"Oh! Well, umm, lets see." I thought about names but couldn't find one that fit her. Shs was green with a blue back and had dark green eyes. She was almost snake like.

"I got one," Shanks said, "hows about Nazami?" The sea king purred in content with the name and I smiled.

"Nazami it is then." Nazami lifted her head and smiled down at us. Water sprayed us and I laughed but unaware that Shanks was staring at me with a look of longing and content.

Nazami had swam around us all day but I stayed in the crow's nest.

"So this is where you've been hiding." Shanks sat down on the edge of the crows nest and smiled down at me.

"Sorry, just needed to think is all."

"Is it about your father." I remained silent which gave him the answer.

"Hey, come on," he said, "you don't have to worry about it. He couldn't possibly know your with pirates now can he?"

"I- I suppose not."

"Okay then, stop moping around!"

"I'm not moping!" Shanks stuck is tongue out at me and I glared playfully.

"Yes you are."

"Alright fine," I said and smiled. He looked taken back by something when I smiled but then shook his head.

"Anyways, could I asked you something," he said. I nodded and looked out to the sea. He stood beside me and bumped shoulders with me.

"Ive been meaning to ask you this since you first got here but kept putting it off. Why are you still living with your parents and why were you stealing from bandits? I mean your a marine kid so the government should provide your family with enough money."

"Well, I live with my parents because my father is very protective over me. I've asked to move out plenty of times but he just brushed it off! But the whole bandit thing, it was for a few orphan kids." There was a pause between us as I thought of them.

"Seraphine, Semio, and Fletch. Their dad died and their mom left them to die in the forest. When I found them they were barely alive. I asked my dad if he could help and he said that the government wouldn't help them because they were the children of a pirate and that they would have to kill them. I hid them away and told him that they had died and made fake graves for them. I've been stealing from bandits so that they could be able to live. My best friend, Shiroshira, watches them while I'm away. I can spend time with them when my fathers away. My mother doesn't care what I do really."

"How old are you?"

"I'm thirty- two."

"And how how long has it been since you found them?"

"Two years. And I know living with your parents is kinda lame now but I don't have much choice innthe matter."

"Thats really brave of you." I felt him come behind me and hug me, shocking me and making my heart sore.

"Its amazing how strong and caring you are. You rarely see that in someone of your status. Someone beautiful of the inside and out is hard to come by."

"Shanks..." I allowed myself to relax in his arms, even for a brief moment. I felt as if I belonged there, which scared me a lot.

I looked down at Nazami and saw she was getting along with the rest of the crew just fine. I turned to face Shanks and he looked down at me with his signature smile. I backed away from him, making his look at me with confusion. I jumped down from the crow's nest and went to my room, still aware that his eyes are on me. I can't get close to him. Its wrong of me, I can't be so selfish. I closed the door and slid down it. I brought my knees to my chest and hid my tears. I couldn't get close to any of them. Its impossible and it would hurt so much at the end.

Later that evening I had kept to myself. The crew tried to get me to come out of the room but I just ignored them. I turned Shanks away when he asked to see me. Yasopp tried to joke around and get me to come out but I couldn't stomach it all. I couldn't be friends with pirates, no matter how much it pains me not to be. These pirates were one in a million and its hard not to be there friend. A tear was shed when I thought about saying good by at all.

The door slammed open and Shanks entered the room along with Benn. Suprisingly, Benn looked worried when he saw my tears. I quickly wiped my eyes before fully facing them.

"What is it?"

"We wanna know whats been eating you brat," Benn said. I couldn't look at them when the tears sprung up again.

"Nothing, I'm just a little dizzy is all," I lied. The lie was unconvincing to even my ears. My chin was gently grasped and my head was turned to face Shanks.

"Don't lie to us, especially not me. I find is unbecoming of a person that lies." I slapped his hand away when the tears turned into waterfalls.

"Its all your fault," I exclaimed, "this sadness and pain in my heart! Its your doing!"

"What do you mean? What did I do?"

"Its not just you, captain! Everyone on this ship is at fault! I was fine on my own! You could have let me fall if you wanted but you saved me! Then you be nice to me and made me get attached to you and your crew! In a short span of time you've made me the happiest girl ever, surrounded by friends, like I've always dreamed!"

"Uhh, thats a bad thing," Benn asked. I punched him in the face, making him fly out the room. The crew looked at him then at me through the hole I made in the wall. I stood on my feet and yelled at him.

"Of course its a bad thing you bastard! What you think that my father won't find out that I've been playing friends with one of the most notorious pirate crews of the New World? Just one slip up is all it takes and you guys could all be executed because of me! Even if I told them that I came willingly the marines won't listen to me!"

"Kazumi-"

"No Shanks," I yelled and punched his chest but he didn't budge.

"Can't you see? I'm going to get you all killed," I screamed as I punched him.

"I don't want friends I've ever had to die because I couldn't let go!"

"Kazumi-"

"Even if the Marines don't find out, I'll have to say eventually! I don't want to say good bye to you guys, especially not you!" I covered my mouth after that last part and backed away from Shanks who looked as suprised as I did.

"Shanks I..." I was at a lose for words now.

I was so upset that I blurted that out! Stupid Kazumi!

I turned my back to him and tried to keep quiet. Suddenly I was pulled back into an embrace.

"We never have to say goodbye to you. For as long as you'll stay is the longest you'll allow yourself to stay with us." I turned to look at Shanks before bursting into tears and hugging him.