Chapter four

As a cabin boy she was kept busy but even with all her new duties she still found ways to sneak around. If the last couple of years have thought her anything is that any and all information she gets her hands on will be useful. One way or another.

Average. She had to put on a show of being just another orphan. Completely average, boring individual. Nothing special. Just trying to survive in this harsh world.

The next couple of weeks Ruri became just another member of the crew. Fading into the background. And that is exactly how she wants it. But somehow she doesn't think that she has gotten away with it completely. Their are times she feels both the eyes of the Captain and her first mate on her.

Being on a ship captained by a D has left her frazzled. The only good thing is that it's a merchant ship and not a pirate one. Thank god for small mercies. Everyone has their breaking point and she is too afraid to find hers.

Ruri is relieved that no one seemed to have caught onto her real gender. It will be far harder the older she gets. For now she can get away with it.

Too bad really. That someone like her who wants nothing more that an normal life keeps on getting into these situations. As if being reborn in the One Piece world isn't ridiculous enough.

This crew is as bad as the straw hat pirates.

First mate called fairy. A navigator called the ripper. Another member named toadie and lets not forget big hairy. (Just ignore the lunatics and keep your head down.)

She should have boarded a marine vessel.

Alright she wouldn't have. Even though she is surrounded by some 'unique' people. It could have turned out far worse. At least with them she isn't afraid too now and then to relax. Not that she will let her guard down anytime soon.

She is just so tired. Ruri may not be as depressed like Pallas had been but it doesn't mean that she is happy with her situation. Adding all the abuse she had to endure these past years, both mental and physical. Well to say that she has all kind of issues is an understatement. She really can't afford to have a mental breakdown. But that is exactly what is awaiting her if she doesn't get a grip on herself. Surrounded by strangers to boot.

What she needs is a break.

"Are you having fun little twig." Ruri heard from behind her. She almost spat her drink out. Surprised by the D's sudden arrival.

"It's fun." She said stiffly with as much composure as possible. Standing unconsciously straighter in the woman's presence.

"You don't look like it." This won't do. She dragged the little twig with her. The boy looked bored out of his mind standing in the corner like some wallflower. Poor boy is too shy to play with everyone else.

"Wait... No. I was having fun."

"Shesheshe. You will be when we are finished with you."

Ruri watched the first mate reading curiously. This was the first time she saw a book on this ship.

She doesn't know how to start a conversation. Any and all social skills she may have had in her past life where ignored the last ten years of that lifetime, never mind this past couple of years.

Without knowing it she had kept staring at the book.

Something Maddox aka fairy had noticed. So the brat could read. How surprising. For someone who looked like a street urchin. One who doesn't seem to have eaten a decent meal in his life to be able to read. It seems their Captain was right as usual. The boy is a mystery.

"Are you interested in poisons, little twig."

Ruri scowled before she was able to suppress the urge. It was bad enough that the Captain called her that.

"Is that what you are reading about."

"Smart little cookie aren't you." The muscular man said patronizingly. "Do you want to learn."

Ruri became suspicious immediately. Though her body didn't show any signs.

It was the eyes you had to look out for with this one Maddox taught sadly. What a life he must have led to be that guarded. Not that it's unwarranted especially in the grand line.

"Sure." She is not going to throw away any chance in learning something new. Still it didn't mean she was going to relax in his presence.

Their captain's face looked like a cross between a pouting middle aged woman and an kicked puppy. The rest of the crew had either fallen over or were laughing their asses off.

"Are you kidding me, this is hilarious." Big hairy said gleefully. "Who knew the brat had such a mouth on him."

"Shesheshshe. He is funny isn't he."

"Captain not you too." There was no stopping the fight now Inoue Takeshi aka pyro thought. The boy just had to learn the hard way. Their was no insulting the hag's music no matter how badly she performed. Something every member in this crew had to learn the hard way. "Well at least he will be an official member of the crew now."

Ruri's focused solely on scrubbing the mess hall clean. No she is not getting involved with this one. If she had learned anything while being on this ship is that there isn't a single sane member on it.

"My beautiful, beautiful coat ruined by those hooligans." Sniffed the one they call the ripper. She refused to get involved with this mess scrubbing faster to get as far away from this scene as possible.

"I will rip them to shreds for doing this to you, my darling."

"Mommy will avenge you." He wailed out with tears and snot running through his face and shredded coat.

Ruri was sweat dropping. Where the hell did their Captain even find them all.

When she was Pallas she was such a spoiled little girl. Her looks, her mind even the family she was born into contributed to that. Unfortunately she never grew out of that attitude. From the moment she was born she was showered with attention. A prodigy, they said. She will be going places.

Until that night happened. It destroyed a part of her. She couldn't bring herself to trust anyone outside of her family. Her parents tried to help her. Her little brother especially. The rest of their extended family threw their entire weight in making them pay for their crime. The fools had no idea who it was that they had brutalized so violently. It was jealousy, lust and anger that allowed them to talk themselves in such a horrific crime. In the end, they not only ruined her life but also their own.

As Pallas Benedict she couldn't understand but as Arson Ruri she realizes that she doesn't even want to. It took her being reborn in such bad circumstances for her to realize that. How sad. Was she really that sheltered in her past life. (Yes, she was.) Sometimes people don't need a reason to hurt each other. Not really.

The part of her that was still naive even after remembering had it beaten out of her in the orphanage.

Those rose tinted glasses she used to view the world with where shattered harshly. Any innocence she may had left was destroyed Ruri thought with self hatred. Watching the Captain watching her.

Why, oh why did the woman have to barge in like that. Did she never hear about knocking. It's a good thing that she is still wearing her pants. There would have been no talking herself out of that one. Still even though she may spin this into her advantage. That doesn't mean she is happy with basically having gotten scared out of her mind. What with standing half naked exposed in front of the most infuriating woman she ever had the displeasure of knowing.

"They did this to you." The captain whispered but Ruri clearly heard it like it in the tense filled atmosphere.

"Why else do you think i wanted to get away from that island." Ruri admitted humiliated no matter how convenient she will spin the situation.

"It doesn't matter." Ruri put on her shirt quickly hiding the whip marks on her back. Her getting caught with those wounds is a blessing in disguise. no matter how embarrassing. This way she hopes they won't look deeper into her situation. They won't be able to survive the fallout.

The woman suddenly got a blank look on her face. Making all kind of alarm bells ring of in her mind. Why, oh why was she suddenly reminded of Luffy when he got serious.

That woman is undoubtedly a D. She thought she had figured out what makes them tick. But they are one of a kind.

Unpredictable.

They are utterly unpredictable she thought dumbfounded watching as Sin D Sonya went ballistic on her behalf.

She made sure to run after her.

"Ha... That's what I get for betting against a D." Ruri whispered to herself.

She never would have thought she would say this but the woman has grown on her. Obviously she hadn't thought this through. What with watching her whipping everyone into a frenzy.

"No one touches my cabin boy and get's away with it." Sin D Sonya roared furiously.

Shit, she has to calm everyone down before they do something stupid. Like going after a stronghold of the biggest pink bastard of them all.