Author's Note: Keep an eye out for Blaise in later chapters. He will appear, and he may even join the crew at a later point.
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece. Eichiiro Oda does.
Ch. 2: "First Day, First Meeting With Blaise."
It was the day after Kazuma joined the Capricorn Pirates, and he was adjusting to life with a group of pirates.
"Which way were we supposed to go, again?" Hatori asked everyone as he looked at a map. Right now, the Capricorn Pirates were trying to get to the village Yuki-Rin was trying to find the previous night.
"We're supposed to take the path from the bay west, genius," Yuki-Rin explained as she pointed to a location on the map.
"Well, if it sounds so easy, why do I have a map?" Hatori asked Yuki-Rin.
"I have no clue," Yuki-Rin answered as she crossed her arms.
"Heathcliffe, Molly, Kazuma, please back me up," Hatori pleaded.
"Sorry, I just joined," Kazuma answered as they approached the charred remains of what used to be a house and a dojo. Kazuma grew silent.
"This must be where you used to live," Yuki-Rin commented. Without a word, Kazuma ran over to the ruins of his house and began sifting through the remains.
"I don't think he's going to find anything," Hatori said.
"He's finding burnt wood, that's for sure," Heathcliffe replied. Kazuma then pulled a nodachi with a green-and-silver handle out of the ruins.
"It's still here… How did it not burn in the fire?" Kazuma asked himself as he slowly made his way back to the crew.
"Wow, cool sword! Is it yours?" Yuki-Rin asked Kazuma.
"I believe it is. My dad was going to give it to me when I turned seventeen. But, it may not happen at this point, since he might die," Kazuma explained. Yuki-Rin put her hand on his shoulder.
"We'll stand by you, Kazuma! Let's all hope your dad gets better! Now, how about a group hug?" Yuki-Rin suggested. Then, the Capricorn Pirates all hugged each other.
"Awww, you guy are the greatest, even though we just met!" Kazuma said.
A few minutes later, the Capricorn Pirates finally arrived in the village they were looking for.
"Alright, where do we start?" Yuki-Rin asked everyone.
"We need more food, a navigator, and a chef, since I'm not going to find islands and cook for you," Hatori stated.
"I think I finally have enough beri to buy a weapon," Heathcliffe said as he looked through his black wallet with a pentagram on it.
"I want to see my dad one last time before we leave," Kazuma said.
"Hmmm… I dunno what I'll be doin'," Molly said.
"How about we all go in a group?" Yuki-Rin suggested.
"Sounds good," Hatori answered. A few minutes later, they arrived at the local hospital.
"I'm sorry, but you can't see your father," A nurse apologized to Kazuma.
"W-why?" Kazuma asked the nurse.
"With the comatose state he's in, I don't think he'll know that you're visiting him, or even… Live," The nurse explained as Kazuma bit his lip.
"Thank you, ma'am," Kazuma said before he exited the hospital, where the rest of the crew was waiting for him.
"So, how did it go?" Yuki-Rin asked Kazuma, who broke down in tears.
"Dad, I want to see you again!" Kazuma yelled, hoping that his dad would miraculously respond. Heathcliffe patted him on the shoulder.
"Bro, I don't think your dad heard that. I think it's time for you to say goodbye to him, for possibly the rest of your life," Heathcliffe told Kazuma, who let out a sob. Yuki-Rin hugged Kazuma.
"Go on. It's okay for you to say goodbye," Yuki-Rin told Kazuma. With a sigh, Kazuma re-approached the hospital.
"Dad, when I see you again, I will be a great swordsman with fame and wealth! Promise me that you'll live to see me become famous!" Kazuma called out to his dad. The rest of his crew cheered.
"I hope your dad heard that! If he did, he knows that you're still alive!" Yuki-Rin yelled happily. Inside the hospital, a comatose man was slowly regaining consciousness.
"Kazuma… Keep the Miyafuji dreams alive for me, okay?" The man said to himself.
After the whole thing with Kazuma and his dad was over, the Capricorn Pirates decided to go and look for a weapon for Heathcliffe.
"I wonder where we could find a good weapon store in this town," Hatori wondered out loud.
"So, Heathcliffe, got anything in mind?" Yuki-Rin asked her musician.
"Hmmm… Scythes are pretty cool. That way, I can eviscerate random stuff and nobody can call me out on it," Heathcliffe explained. Everyone else sweatdropped.
"Is this guy morbid or what?" Yuki-Rin thought to herself.
"If you're looking for a man who could sell you a weapon, I can do the job."
Yuki-Rin turned to the source of the voice. It was a man in his twenties with black hair spiked up, black eyes, and black glasses. His outfit of a black tuxedo with a white dress shirt and a black tie appeared to stand out the most.
"You will? Alright, we're buying from you!" Heathcliffe said.
"Heathcliffe, I don't think you should trust that guy. I mean, he looks really mean and scary," Hatori pointed out. The man just pushed up his glasses.
"That is what everybody who comes to my shop says about me. The name's Blaise Nightwing, and I specialize in the sale of weapons forged from iron," The man introduced himself.
"I'm Heathcliffe Sarutobi, and I am looking for a scythe," Heathcliffe introduced himself.
"You want a scythe, huh? Come with me," Blaise said before he and Heathcliffe walked away from the rest of the Capricorn Pirates.
"They're going to get along just fine," Yuki-Rin deadpanned.
"I kind of have my doubts about this guy. Makes me wonder who he really is and what he really does," Kazuma commented. Meanwhile, a starry-eyed Heathcliffe was now browsing Blaise's shop.
"So, do you see anything you like?" Blaise asked Heathcliffe, who began to scan the room for a scythe. Heathcliffe then spotted a scythe with a perfectly-curved blade made of silver and a wooden handle.
"I want that scythe!" Heathcliffe answered as he pointed to the scythe on the wall.
"Ah, I remember forging that same scythe, myself. I spent many sleepless nights trying to get the blade just right," Blaise reminisced.
"It looks perfect, my man," Heathcliffe commented.
"Alright, then. Sadie, bring me the ladder!" Blaise yelled to an adjoining room. Minutes later, a girl with short, blonde hair and blue eyes came out with a ladder. She wore a plain, gray sweatshirt, a black skirt, and black boots.
"Thank you, Sadie. You won't be needed for the rest of the day, so run along," Blaise explained to his assistant.
"Yes, Blaise," Sadie said before she retreated into the back room.
"Who was that girl?" Heathcliffe asked Blaise, who was retrieving Heathcliffe's new scythe.
"That was my apprentice, Sadie. We crossed paths a year or so ago when she left home to look for her brother," Blaise explained as he climbed down the ladder with the scythe. But, the scythe fell out of his hand and rolled toward Heathcliffe.
"It seems like you were destined to own that scythe. I advise you take very good care of it," Blaise explained.
When all of the errands of the Capricorn Pirates were done, they met back on board the S.S. Gemini.
"Look who got a scythe!" Heathcliffe yelled as he entered the room with his brand new scythe.
"Try it out for us, please!" Yuki-Rin requested.
"Not if you want the ship to sink," Hatori deadpanned. Then, an uncontrollable force got a hold of Heathcliffe, causing him to slice his scythe through the table. With trembling fingers, Heathcliffe let go of the scythe.
"Okay, guys, what just happened?" Heathcliffe asked everyone.
"Muscle spasms," Hatori guessed.
"A man's free spirit," Kazuma guessed.
"Your arms slipped," Yuki-Rin guessed.
"A ghost just possessed you," Molly guessed. Then, the ghost of an eighteen-year-old girl with long, somewhat curly, pink hair, pink eyes, and a white, Lolita-type outfit appeared from the scythe.
"You're right. Thank Whitebeard, I found Heathcliffe!" The ghost said with a sigh of relief as she hugged Heathcliffe. Instead of screaming when people usually find a ghost, everyone sweatdropped.
"Who the hell are you? And why do you know Heathcliffe?" Yuki-Rin, now VERY confused, asked the ghost.
"I am Isabella Sarutobi, Heathcliffe's grandmother," The ghost explained. Everyone but Heathcliffe – who didn't even change expression – gasped.
"How old were you when you died?" Yuki-Rin asked Isabella.
"Eighteen. I died giving birth to Heathcliffe's father," Isabella explained. Yuki-Rin's eye twitched.
"Heathcliffe, do you know about this?" Yuki-Rin asked Heathcliffe.
"I knew all my life that grandma was dead," Heathcliffe answered. Isabella then took control of Heathcliffe's hand and slapped him across the face with it.
"I prefer to be called 'Isabella'. Calling me 'grandma' would be just plain awkward," Isabella sternly explained.
"That doesn't explain how you –" Hatori said before Isabella cut him off.
"When I became a ghost, Blaise was in town and the scythe was the closest object for me to possess. It got boring in there, so I usually went out and played pranks on people," Isabella explained.
"Well, that explains everything perfectly," Kazuma said.
"And, I guess we have a new crew member," Yuki-Rin said with a shrug.
Ending Note: Update time to the crew positions!
Captain - Yuki-Rin
First Mate - Molly O'Flannigan
Musician - Heathcliffe Sarutobi
Fisherman - Hatori Chidori
Swordsman - Kazuma Miyafuji
"Resident Ghost" - Isabella Sarutobi
Review if you want to see MORE Capricorns.