Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece
This is the fourth chapter I posted in one day. It pays to write more than one chapter before posting a chapter. Probably smarter to finish the story before posting it so your not pressured by your readers but I'm the guy who likes to pull myself out of a ditch.
XXX
She left while saying:
"And what are you doing here? Even in her human form, they're hunting her. You know where she is, but I'm not going to ask or force you to do anything. Good luck in the decision you make."
She walked away from them without looking at them or saying more.
Fletcher almost wanted to call her to come back, but Sherry held his arm tightly stopping him from making a bigger fool of himself than he already was.
"We are pirates, but still a Marine helps us to do the right thing. How much longer do we have to wait to find out what we really want to do. Help a hurting being."
Sherry was shaking, she didn't know if she was from sadness or anger.
"Listen to her," Nautilus said. "I may not be a member of your crew but I know that all of you have a voice inside you that wants to help those who seek help."
Each one thought about it well but there was one who doubted.
"Give me a reason to help her."
"Easy, if it wasn't for her you wouldn't have that chest with money."
"What are we waiting for, let's find a woodcutter and have him tell us where the Relius house is. Yokai, you too. I don't believe you don't want to help a girl."
And with that the five pirates and one drifter started to journey to help Aedoni. They returned to the sawmill and there they asked for directions to the Relius house. Unfortunately they had to pass near the town hall where Mira could discover them, but they did it by going over the roofs, they came to a big house, in better times it would be a beautiful villa but there are only ruins, dust and abandonment.
Sherry was reminded of the beautiful field she grew up in and seeing the desolation all around her she just realized how lucky she was.
"Where...?"
A wind formed, lifting dust and keeping it in the air. The front door opened and Aedoni appeared.
"This way quick."
They ran fast for fear of the wind, when entering. The wind put all the dust in its place. Dorobu said scared.
"What did the wind come to!?"
"So as not to leave footprints in the dust, so they'll think I don't come through here."
"You have wet hair and cold skin."
"I took a shower to get the dirt off me. Someone called me a dirty girl."
That last thing was said angrily, the author of the sentence pretended not to hear it, but now she was clean and could carry out her mission.
"Why are you here? I thought you were going to take the opportunity and be on your way."
"A little drifter came to us and told us we had to be better pirates. And know what...we listened."
"That's not saying much."
"Let's say someone told us another story. Do people really think you ate a Fenrir?"
"Oh, Rouge. Bottomless mouth. People saw me as a young Fenrir and Mira made up that I was eaten. But let's leave it at that, it's better to go inside the house. We can't be near windows or light a fireplace."
Her eyes couldn't help but flit to the windows seeing the light seeping in through the blinds.
"But what happened? I couldn't go but I felt many inhabitants nervous. I didn't get close but they are afraid of me?
"People are usually afraid of people they don't understand, but when that person is walking around with their lover people tend to just not pay attention to them."
Christopher held out his hand for Aedoni to hold.
She looked at the hand and then at everyone, she reached out but trembled and even her voice trembled.
"Nobody... Nobody asked me "how I was", nobody told me "come with us", nobody extended their hand and now... Now... five people from outside do it to me and I can only..."
She reached to pick it up and one by one placed it on top of hers and even hugged her as she began to cry.
"There there...there there."
This rubbing really soothed her down but it did nothing to divert peoples' attention.
Once calm she asked and this time worried.
"Did you see anything weird? Coming here I saw all kinds of death traps."
"Weird...weird. You mean other than the animals and the people treating a Fenrir like a martyr?"
"I meant if something prevented you from leaving, Mira can't watch the port, it's out of her sight."
That was a very strong thing she said.
"Well, some Kairoseki chains come out of a big ship and prevent any ship from leaving."
That worried Aedoni, she just said.
"They must be from that group that arrived at the lair. Does anyone know who they are?"
"There is one group but I don't know their names."
"I want to go but, my sister must pay for her crime. But going after her is what she wants. I don't know what to do."
That was something very hard to answer. The obvious answer would be to not go after her, but she really needed to do it and no one was in the position to stop her.
"But now we should hide. Why here?"
"It was my house and I wanted to know what happened to the Fenrir."
"They are a myth, right?"
"No, I found many ruins in the forest and inside some I found statues of Fenrir, I thought it was the same but each one was different. It's as if they were still in the forest but without their physical form. I never felt alone when I walked among the trees, but in other places. It's weird, isn't it?"
There was no way it couldn't be regarded as weird.
"Now relax, you're freezing and I'm sure hungry. I've got it." Fletcher said grabbing her shoulders.
She didn't know what his hunger had to do with her freezing to death, but he was sweet enough for her to just let him speak.
"If you want to use the kitchen, over there to the right. I'm sorry, as you know, I haven't come for years and I don't know if I'll be able to"
"Okay. Christopher...Christopher. Christopher, can you come in and help with the cooking?"
"Because I?"
"Because you're the cook, that's why."
"Aedoni brought a blanket, you do seem a bit exhausted."
"After you left, I used my power to get here and I did the same to get in, like with you."
"Oh. Well thank you for coming."
They went to one near the kitchen, where the dark and heavy curtains prevent seeing the outside so they could be there without anyone knowing. There they cleared away a few pieces of rubble and made themselves comfortable as they could. Aedoni said wistfully.
"I have so few memories of this house, I guess I'm more of a nomad, leaving here as soon as everything is over will be the best."
He liked the sound of that, but if he wanted to cut the carrots without skinning his own finger he had to concentrate.
She had washed her hands and also where she cut, she cut everything following Christopher's instructions, and even helped others when she was in trouble or in doubt.
"Hey Aedoni, what were you doing in the forest besides being her 'Protector'?" Fletcher asked curiously.
"I was looking for medicinal plants, I am not a doctor but first aid and I know how to use nature to help myself and others, I even learned from the sailors when I returned with them. In fact Nautilus witnessed them when he was with the children."
"Nautilus?" Sherry asked. She looked all around the room looking for the drifter thinking he was gone, but instead found him against the wall reading a book. "Is that true? How good are you with kids?"
"I just speak to them the same way I speak to adults. Nothing else."
"What are you reading?"
"A book about two friends who say if they can't find girls by the time they turn twenty-five they'll marry each other only for a guy to show up who likes the guy making the female friend peeved trying to improve herself to win his affection-something that will probably never catch on."
"It must be Mira's book."
Aedoni looked at the book and then said.
"What work do you do on the ship? I mean the positions you occupy."
"Well Fletcher is the captain which means he's lazy until he needs to show how he can defend his crew, Christopher is the chef, Dorobou is the sniper, Yokai's the navigator, and Sherry is the doctor. As for me...I've always loved the sea and all the fish in it so I would be a mariner."
"A MARINE?!"
Fletcher brewed up a storm around him ready to use it at Nautilus. The drifter smiled nervously while waving his hands.
"No, no...a mariner is someone who studies the sea. Also, I'm not a member of Fletcher's crew...not until I find a reason to stay with you guys."
Aedoni used her wind to cancel out Fletcher's by placing a hand on his shoulder and said calming everyone down.
"That's called a biologist, and by saying the sea it's a marine biologist."
"Oh. So you find out about new fish and keep them safe?"
"Yeah. That's sorta the gist of it."
"Well, you have a lot of work, the Grand Line is not exactly easy to navigate. Even the weather is dangerous."
"We have Yokai for that. He can see things with his senses and all that, and so far his senses have never been wrong."
"Really? I'm glad to hear that, not many people can cross it and being a sailor that's fantastic."
Christopher wasn't sure if she was joking or not.
"How envious. I only went to Logtown to protect a commodity, the wood of the trees is famous for its special properties."
"Fascinating." Dorobou said with a wry smile.
"Used to create the handles of firearms and some knives. They are hard to break and can destroy Kairoseki."
Those last words he said to Dorobu.
"I wish I had some cool handles. All I have on me are cards, keys and a chain wrapped around a rock that isn't even very hard."
"When this is over I'll help you buy at the sawmill, I'm still looking for a weapon that fits my fighting style."
Dorobou loved hearing someone else buying him some handles.
"And since you are complaining about the clothes and you are not asking how long it takes to load the Log Pose, tomorrow it will be ready and the next island is one of the ones that we trade, they also barter."
"He sure does love to barter." Yokai added. "Just three days ago he tried to barter one of my stones for what he was clenching in his hand-he seemed to forget that my senses can see through a simple trick like that. He was holding a few pieces of bone from the chicken we had last night."
"You can also do chain barter like this and I even heard that some merchants prefer to play games of chance and chess."
"Are you any good at chess, Dorobou?" Nautilus asked.
"Good? I'm more than good...I AM GOD!"
"All this talk makes me hungry, Christopher. I'm hungry."
"Every day must be different, you make me so envious. Traveling, seeing exciting places, living new experiences... It must be great to be a pirate."
That was an obtuse statement they made. Christopher just wanted a peaceful life away from killing and running but now he was wanted by a whole bunch of people and fighting everyday.
"Although, I guess it's not easy either. But it's better than living in hiding and few knowing who you are. Sorry I digress."
Although there were moments they were butting heads at each other, they also found some common interests and things to go on about, which helped Christopher finish cooking dinner in a flash.
They ate comfortably away from the windows, the lights of dusk were already showing and the house would be their refuge for that moment, everyone ate well and with calm and laughter. Fletcher was the most satisfied and said dropping to the floor.
"I'm full, I can't eat any more."
"You?" Dorobou asked with a tick forming on his head. "You eat everyone else's leftovers, but now you choose to get full while we are in someone else's home? Do you...do you know how many times I've had to clean up the dishes you leave all over the-"
Yokai bonked Dorobou on the back of his head.
"That's enough. As our captain he's not expected to do most of the cleaning, but I understand where it's coming from. Why don't you just have a little more to eat."
"Besides, you are my guests, now that I remember... I think I have another 2 chests in the lair, both for coins."
Dorobou excited tried standing up to find those chests, but he was forced to sit down when Yokai smacked his staff on the table.
"We are not people who would take advantage of your hospitality. Tell us where to go and we'll go there."
"Didn't you hear in my lair!? Besides, going there now is dangerous. It was already dark when you passed, right? Well now it's even worse, and there's that group that I'm sure would shoot you first and ask questions later."
"We deal with those kinds of asshats all the time." Sherry said.
"Maybe, but I'm scared. They're looking for me as both a Fenrir and a human. I've had enough, Mira will have to deal with me tomorrow."
"You want us all to sleep in the same bed." Yokai suggested.
Everyone looked at him as if he were a pile of garbage.
"I mean for protection-their going to attack you at any moment, maybe while your asleep."
"I better want us to be in the same room, the living room is the only place that looks decent and even the furniture has blankets on it. It will barely have dust. For the first time in my life, I don't want to be alone."
A sly smile appeared on the leachers face.
His skin stood on end in front of his face and she only rolled furious eyes.
"Try something and you will feel the wrath of a Fenrir."
"No thanks. I would rather not face the wrath of the legendary beast who will kill Odin when Ragnarök happens." Nautilus said.
They laughed because Aedoni was scared. Little by little the atmosphere became calmer, the moon witnessed the calm of the island or so it is believed.
There was soon a cerulean sky out as Sherry was the first one to wake up, a little grumpy since Aedoni didn't keep any coffee on her.
Soon a cup of coffee appeared in his face.
"Sorry about the last shift, coffee?"
"Yes please. How long are you open?"
"Recently, do we let them sleep a little longer or wake them up?"
"Ummm...their guys, letting them sleep in is something a wife would do but I'm not tied to any of them. Let's let them have it."
"I'll listen to the doctor. You know better than me."
She sat next to her and they both drink coffee while chatting.
"Do you always spend time with the children?"
"One year after losing my life, I always went in my Fenrir form. One day a group of 3 Night Wolves surrounded a group of children. I confronted them and escorted them to the edge of the forest. The children spoke to the children. "Other than my actions, I ended up being a protector. Whenever I'm near a flower field at the edge of the forest, I play with the children or just held me and looked at them. They were the first not to fear me."
Sherry was quiet understanding of this and related to it from a part of her childhood.
"Leaving that aside, when we leave here we will have to be careful. If they didn't find anything as it would be obvious, they may search the town."
Sherry was careful. She was careful at sneaking up to the guys' room before waking them up scratching her right arm, now a fluffy cat claw, on the walls.
Some woke up suddenly, others without haste and there was one that was still sleeping.
They decided to give Dorobou a good shaking.
They held the chair where he was among all of them and shouted.
"Earthquake."
They shook the chair hard, waking him up, Aedoni ran towards them when she heard the scream but only saw a joke and leaned against the door frame.
Not only her, Sherry joined in laughing as well.
When he realized what a joke was, he said.
"I didn't mean to go hunting, but now I will hunt those who dared to wake me."
Everyone quickly scampered out of the room as fast as they could, so fast they almost disappeared from sight.
Aedoni stepped before him, calm without fear. She offers him a cup of coffee and says.
"It's better to wake up with coffee and not with a shot."
He looked at her with a jeer trying not to go after her, but eventually let it slide taking the cup and having a sip.
"You'll have your revenge, you're the one who manages the money, right? I noticed it before. You just have to keep an eye on your purchases and that's it."
The others trembled at the words of her "friend of hers" but she told them with her hand that it was false without Dorobu knowing.
He was too busy enjoying a nice hot beverage that tasted like chestnuts and carrot cake.
Aedoni's smile faded at the sound of footsteps and she peeked through the door, ran out. The others went without leaving. She was seen talking to a woodcutter and when she finished she ran towards the town.
"She sure has a lot of energy," Yokai said for the two nakama who were thinking it; Sherry and Dorobou.
"At least she's not trying to fight us anymore." Dorobou said.
"That being said, does everyone know their job for this mission?" Christopher asked.
They just smiled and nodded. While Aedoni ran until she reached the edge of town near the town hall. Upon arrival he asked a resident.
"What happened?"
"Emissary, you must go, Mira just accused the Fenrir of destroying several ships in the port, fishing boats. And those 5 were hired to kill him."
"But I never, I mean... Fenrir would never attack for no reason. It's a false accusation."
"Unfortunately she is the highest authority here, we can't do anything. She Now she go away."
"But what about-"
"There is nothing...NOTHING! Just leave and come back once I've had a chance to brainstorm our situation."
That hurt him, he seemed to blame her for his situation. She was about to run when a shot rang out, and Aedoni fell with excruciating pain in her left leg. From the muzzle of a 5 men's rifle he said.
"One step for our prey, the bait."