Chapter 1 –
Man, never thought I would get dragged into something like this...I was always a loner, I lived on the edge of town, I didn't chat it up too much with any of the towns people, and I never made myself super noticeable. Till now that is.
On the island I live on, I only ever talk with a small girl named Rika. The little tyke was adorable, and saved my life, so I often babysat for her mom while she was out in the market. She was a nice ball of joy, and definitely didn't deserve to be under the watch of a marine like him.
Axe-hand Morgan, the lowest scum probably out of most of the marines. He and his snotty brat of a son terrified the town into silence and fear. I never really got the chance to kick them off their high horses. At least, till today.
I was been walking into town, looking around for Rika, as some of the locals said she was searching for me, and came across a sight that made me freeze. Helmeppo, the son of Lieutenant Morgan, had one of his wolves on the loose. All of the brat's wolves were scared out of their wits of me, and usually didn't bother the villagers if I was around, but this was a new wolf, and a rabid one at that. When I saw it running for Rika, I dashed over, and punted it, right into the range of a man with green hair. The man, carrying three swords, slashed it and killed it.
"Adrian-san!" I heard Rurika, Rika's mother gasp out in shock. My short, messy, gold hair got in my eyes, but I ignored it in favour of glaring at the brat.
"What do think you're doing?! You can't touch my dog in such a way! I'm telling daddy! He'll kill you all!" Helmeppo shook in fear, but still blabbered out threats and whines. I looked the swordsman in the eyes, he nodded at me.
"How about we make a deal? You leave the townspeople alone, and we'll come with you. If we can survive a month without food or water, you let us go." The brat smirked, before stomping off, the marine's guns pointing at us as we followed.
"Fine! For a month! Now follow me scum!"
That is how I ended up here. Tied to a stake with a green-haired marimo. My wrists were sore, but other than that I was okay, after all, being a dragon has its benefits.
Oh, I forgot to introduce myself, didn't I?
My name is Adrian, no surname, and I'm a dragon. Lots of dragons exist, though I'm one of the few that left the secret island we inhabit. I'm a rare breed of dragon, and even rarer because of the fact that I can transform into a human. My life span is only a descent amount longer than a human's, but I have high durability and strength. In my human form, I have short, golden hair that reaches the bottom of my neck just barely on the back, and touches the bottoms of my eyes in the front. I often get mistaken for a boy because of this. I also have red eyes, which Rika always complemented as rubies.
I opened my eyes to seagulls crying above me, and a voice calling from behind me.
"Hey kid." Kid?! The hell?!
"I'm not a kid, I'm a dragon." There's silence for a moment, before the swordsman grunts.
"Seriously?!" I laugh, lifting my head to look up at the sun and the sky. The marimo shifts, and I notice why, as Helmeppo trots towards us. He stinks of heavy perfumes, fish and that clean stink that all marines seem to hold.
"Hah! How is it out here? What a fine day isn't it? You hungry?" The boy mocks us.
"Fuck off brat." I can see the tick mark throb against his weird forehead, before a foot comes up and rams into my chest. Idiotic brat, it'll take much more than that to hurt me. The brat screams at me, which I ignore, than walks back out of the field.
"You okay lizard?" Idiot….wait what?! He's going to accept me just like that?!
"You believe me?!"
"Sure, why would you lie?" I feel a dragonish grin spread across my face. My wrists are sore, my feet asleep, but I still know I can easily last a month. Suddenly, I hear muttering to my left. I look over at the wall to see two figures staring out at us. One is a boy with black hair, a scar under his left eye, and a straw hat, the other is a kid with pink hair and glasses. Suddenly, the boy leaps over the wall, trotting up to me and the swordsman.
"Hey! You're Zoro right?" Zoro…so that's the marimo's name…
"What do you want?" The boy smells of rubber, meat and straw…hmm…
"Join my crew." I snort out a laugh. This guy is straight forward and strong, I like it.
"Why? Why would I become a rotten pirate?" I roll my head to look at the boy better, he finally notices me. He grins widely.
"I'm going to become king of the pirates!" What?! I can feel my body freeze. This kid…is he that one that Shanks always talked to me about?! I feel his eyes on me and I look up at him, giving him a smirk.
"Who're you?"
"A dragon." His eyes shine like stars.
"COOL! Join my crew!" I lower my head, I had heard that brat talking days ago about executing us, but I kept my mouth shut.
"No, I can't leave until Captain Morgan and his brat son are gone." The boy with pink hair, who had been panicking and putting in his own comments, freezes when he hears me say that.
"Why?!" I grin, and the boy steps back to hide behind the straw hat kid.
"He's a sick bastard, in need of some beatings, and I plan to deliver them. Now, run off kid, and try again later, when I'm not tied to a stake. The boy finally leaves, I feel my hair blow into my face, tickling my nose.
"Zoro, eh? You're a pirate hunter." Silence fills the scorching day, before he grunts.
"What's your name anyways lizard?" he's not going to let go of that nickname anytime soon is he? My lungs take in a deep breathe, before I sigh, letting it out.
"Adrian, I don't have a surname."
"Why?"
"Because." We leave it at that, at least, till I hear a familiar set of tiny footsteps. I swivel my head to see Rika jump down from the wall, running towards us. That little idiot! She's going to get herself killed! Then I smell it. Rice balls, she brought us food. I smell a weird sweetness to them, and can't help but smile softly. When she walks up I mutter.
"Sugar again Rika?" She smiles sheepishly.
"What do you want?" I frown at Zoro's rough tone. The idiot was trying to get her to leave by being rude.
"I-I brought you food."
"I'm not hungry, now bug off kid." I zone out of the conversation, lengthening my senses. Then I smell it. Helmeppo.
"Rika, you need to leave." She looks over at me.
"B-but Adrian-Nee!" I growl.
"LEAVE!" Rika looks close to tears. Dammit, I feel so bad, but I can't let her stay her, he's on his way! Suddenly, he walks in.
"Hey! Brat! Didn't you read the sign? All those who helps prisoners will be punished with the same crime!" I growl lowly, my insides vibrating.
"Helmeppo, don't you dare." The brat pauses, before smacking the rice balls to the ground. He prepares to stomp on them and I growl even louder.
"Helmeppo. Do that and you die." The boy freezes, a bead of sweat drips to the ground, which I can hear clearly in the silence.
"Throw the kid over!" The marine he called upon freezes.
"Eh?"
"Throw the brat over, now!" I hear movement behind the wall, those two boys are back. So, I stay silent, as the marine throws Rika over, only for her to land in one of the boy's arms, by the sound of it. Helmeppo leaves, and like I thought, the boy with the hat and the pink haired kid come over the wall.
"Is she ok?" The boy grins.
"Yeah! Hey! Zoro! What weapon do you use?"
"A katana, that brat stole them." The boy thinks hard, and I snicker as I can see his gears whirring.
"Hey! If I get your swords back, you have to join my crew!"
"THAT'S BLACKMAIL!" I laugh loudly, before turning to the kid as best as I can.
"Hey! You know Shanks right?" He grins widely.
"You know him?!" I nod.
"Zoro's swords are probably in the brat's room, onwards kid." The kid runs off, and Zoro starts to complain once again.
"I'm not joining your crew! I only have to wait till the end of the month!" The pink haired kid starts to untie us.
"Helmeppo doesn't intend to keep his promise! You're to be executed in three days! That's why Luffy punched him!" So it is Luffy after all…
"Alright then…" My ropes were separate then Zoro's, and I easily rip out of them. I brush off my baggy black pants, and readjust my red tank top, which my wrap bra hid partially behind. I smell the gunpowder before the gun is shot, and stick out my arm, the bullet bouncing off my arm, away from the pink haired kid, who I learnt was called Coby.
"WHAT?!" You see, though I'm in human form, I can cover certain parts of me with my scales again, but, neither of the two saw this, as I only made a little circle of scales appear, where the bullet would land, they don't need to see that yet.
"Coby, untie him, I'll cover you." Coby turns to untie the ropes, seemingly astonished that a person he barely knew would risk her life for him.
"Stop right there!" I watched as marines filtered into the clearing. I heard Coby freeze, before continuing to untie the ropes. Smart kid. Then suddenly, Captain Morgan appears.
Captain Morgan is a huge guy with scraggy blonde hair and disgustingly, an axe as his right hand, with the handle sticking out by his elbow, and is also a complete ass.
"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! FIRE!" I hear laughter coming from above me, and some…interesting words…
"Gomu Gomu no….ROCKET!" Luffy shoots through the air, right in front of the incoming bullets! That idiot! Then, I notice his skin stretching, and I remember Shanks saying he has a devil fruit! His skin stretches, I can see the shapes of the bullets against his skin. Then, they launch back out, shooting at other marines.
"THAT WON'T WORK!" Luffy then bursts out laughing, stupid monkey. I look around, assessing the situation, when suddenly Morgan shouts out another command.
"If you can't shoot him, cut him!" The marines all charge. I prepare to defend when Zoro leaps out in front of us, blocking multiple swords using…three! One in the mouth, and one in each hand.
Interesting….I've yet to see someone use three swords before.
"Move and you die." Wow….INTIMIDATION! Just kidding, not as terrifying as my uncle, HE is a very terrifying dragon.
I once again, zone out as Luffy and Zoro kick the marines asses, they don't need my help. Suddenly, I hear a gun cock behind me. The brat has a gun to Coby's head.
"I'LL SHOOT HIM! I'LL DO IT!" That idiot. When my eyes lock onto his, I can see the fear deep in his eyes. I slowly shift my gaze to Coby.
"You afraid to die kid? You afraid to die for your dreams?" I see the fear in Coby's eyes harden into determination.
"N-no." I look back at Helmeppo, who is shoving the gun harder into Coby's head, while yelling at Luffy and Zoro. I can feel my eyes dilate. I shift my feet, before lunging at Helmeppo. My fist hits his face, my scales forming on my front two knuckles, as he's sent flying into the wall. I turn, just in time to see Morgan fall. The marines cheer, hats flying, celebrating the fall of Morgan's horrible terror. I feel my lips twitch into a grin, before I jump over the wall, heading to Rurika's bar, where I know the three will be heading.
Not even half an hour later, all three are munching on food. I turn to Rika, who had been crying and hugging me non-stop.
"Hey, I have to go bud, but I'll be back!" Even with that reassurance, she continues to cry. Suddenly, she runs behind the bar, gesturing me to follow. I follow her upstairs, into her room. I look around at various drawings of me, her, her mom and many other villagers from town. She ruffles through a small wooden chest, before presenting to me, a red toque! I slip it on my head, it loosely droops in the back, and sports a black pompom at the end. (A beanie toque just so you know)
"It was from my dad! He came from a winter island, and he gave it to me as a present to give to someone dear! Please take it Adrian-nee!" I can feel a smile softly forming on my face. This girl….
"…Alright, but, in return, I'll give you a dragon kiss." She grins, and I lean down, changing my tongue into the soft velvet tongue of my dragon form, and give her a small lick on the cheek. She giggles, before lunging at my neck for a hug.
"Goodbye Adrian-nee! I'll take care of your house while you're gone!" Well…I don't want it disappearing…
"Okay…but don't wreck anything! Now, I should get going bud." I walk down the stairs only to the Luffy punching Coby! I run up and grab his arm.
"That's enough!" Luffy gives me a smile, before sprinting out of the tavern! I wave goodbye to the locals, before following after him, Zoro right beside me. I pause as Zoro and Luffy hop into a small boat. Do they still want me with them? Are they sure I don't scare them?
"Hey lizard, what are you up to? Get on the boat!" They want me to come along…THEY WANT ME TO COME ALONG! I was kind of sceptical till now and I really was unsure whether Luffy was joking or what….suddenly, I feel a hand grab me. The two had already started sailing away, and Luffy had his hand outstretched….grabbing my shoulder…wait! No…no! NO! NO! NO!
"CRAPPPPPPPP!"I land face first in the boat, the wood digging into my face. Well, that's one way to get into a boat… I slowly peel my face from the boat, before leaning back in a corner.
"So…where're we going?"
This took me awhile to write, but it was fun! I apologize if I got a lot of the script wrong, but I wanted to write it differently to work with my story! I promise next chapter will be better, but it might take longer due to school! (I did this on the weekend.)
From: S.W.K.