Author's Note: Things are getting more intense in this arc, which is the Baleeira Porto Arc, by the way. Enjoy the entrance of a new character, Molly's backstory, and Yuki-Rin realizing an important thing regarding Kartik.
Disclaimer: For the billionth time, I must say that One Piece is the property of Eichiiro Oda.
Ch. 4: ""Blind" Drusilla Enters."
That night, Yuki-Rin was at Kartik's office at the East Blue Shipwright Company discussing her plans for a new ship.
"So, is there anything special you want with your new ship?" Kartik asked Yuki-Rin.
"Hmmm... I want it big enough to hold a crew of about fifty to a hundred, a good kitchen, a library, a sick/injured bay so people who are sick and/or injured can rest up and be healed by the doctor, enough rooms for everybody, space for cannons, and a large deck. And, I want it to be made of very durable wood so it can sail to Raftel and back about seven times," Yuki-Rin explained. Kartik chuckled as he wrote down the information.
"You're very eager, aren't you?" Kartik asked Yuki-Rin.
"Yep. I can't wait to go to the Grand Line!" Yuki-Rin anwsered.
"By the way, what do you want the ship to be named?" Kartik asked Yuki-Rin.
"Hmmm... How about... The Hyperion?" Yuki-Rin suggested.
"Ah, excellent choice for a ship name!" Kartik commented as he finished writing down Yuki-Rin's information.
"Thanks. I found the name "Hyperion" in a book while I was looking for a good name for a ship. I think it's a badass name for a ship," Yuki-Rin explained.
"Well then, we should have your ship ready in a few days," Kartik explained.
"Thanks again for doing this for us," Yuki-Rin thanked the shipwright.
"No problem," Kartik said as Yuki-Rin made her way to the door.
"I'll probably drop by tomorrow to see how construction is going," Yuki-Rin said to Kartik before she left Kartik's office.
"Isn't Kartik such a gentleman?" Matsu asked Yuki-Rin as she was headed to the exit of the East Blue Shipwright Company's exit.
"Yep. I'm sure with his suave attitude, it would be impossible for him to find a good girl to marry," Yuki-Rin anwsered before she left the office. Matsu sighed.
"Kartik is so handsome, suave, cultured... I've been friends with him since birth, and he hasn't said anything about taking our relationship further," Matsu thought to herself.
Meanwhile, Yuki-Rin was walking alone back to the hotel she was staying at with her crew.
"Should I tell my crew of how much of a badass name "The Hyperion" would be for a ship or should I tell them later?" Yuki-Rin asked herself. When she got to the hotel, she saw a peculiar sight – A girl with blonde hair who wore a black, Edwardian Era-styled dress with matching shoes was looking up to where Yuki-Rin and Kazuma's room would be. Oddly enough, she wore sunglasses, despite the time of day.
"Where is she? She is our hope. She will bring down Big Margo at last," The girl chanted to herself. Yuki-Rin began to shiver.
"Okay, is it the cold, or is it this freaky kid? And who is this Big Margo person?" Yuki-Rin thought to herself. Suddenly, the world seemed to spin around.
"What the hell?" Yuki-Rin cried. When the spinning stopped, Yuki-Rin found herself in a fancy study/library, where a Noble was working and a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes played with some dolls. Like her father, the girl was regally dressed.
"How did I end up here?" Yuki-Rin asked herself half-heartedly in fear that she would be heard. The noble then got up from his desk and walked toward Yuki-Rin.
"Crap, i'm screwed!" Yuki-Rin thought to herself. But, the noble didn't notice her as he grabbed a bottle of a green-looking liquid. He then walked over to the little girl.
"Daddy, what are you doing?" The girl asked her father, who knocked over all the stuff he had on his desk.
"You know what, Drusilla? I have had it with you! Ever since you have been born, this family has gone deeper and deeper into ruin! Your mother has sold herself into slavery to pay for our debts, and I am going to end up in debter's prison! You ruined my life, and you will pay for this!" The Noble yelled to his daughter before he threw the contents of the bottle into her face. The Noble then drank the rest of the liquid before he collapsed to the floor. The bottle of liquid rolled up to Yuki-Rin's feet, and she could see what the label said – "Antifreeze". Yuki-Rin gasped in shock and horror.
"How could this man do such a thing?" Yuki-Rin asked herself. The world seemed to spin around again, and, when it stopped, Yuki-Rin was standing on top of a green hill on a rainy day. This time, a man wearing all black who had a pidgeon on his shoulder was talking to an older Drusilla.
"Is that... Rob Lucci?" Yuki-Rin asked herself.
"We have noticed that you've gained an impressive amount of power, "Blind" Drusilla. Us members of the World Government would like to have you," Lucci told the girl.
"For what?" Drusilla asked Lucci.
"To fight. You will have a better tomorrow with the Cipher Pol, so choose wisely," Lucci advised. After a moment's hesitation, Drusilla took Lucci's hand.
"I know you made the right choice. Welcome aboard," Lucci told the blind girl.
"Caw, caw!" Hattori cooed. Then, the world spun around for a final time, and Yuki-Rin found herself back outside the hotel.
"Okay, what the hell just happened?" Yuki-Rin asked herself. Then, she noticed Drusilla.
"Found you," Drusilla said. Yuki-Rin gasped.
"How did... How did I get into those flashbacks of you?" Yuki-Rin asked the Cipher Pol member, who pulled out an organ.
"I used my Flashback Trapper. I can make you relive all of your painful memories and the painful memories of others right before your very own eyes," Drusilla said creepily.
"No... You can't!" Yuki-Rin screamed.
"I can, and I will," Drusilla said as she turned the handle of the organ. Yuki-Rin screamed.
"No, please! I'm not an enemy!" Yuki-Rin shouted as Molly and Kazuma ran outside, still clad in their pajamas.
"What the hell is going on out here?" Kazuma asked Yuki-Rin. Just then, Molly froze.
"No... It's comin' back to me..." Molly said emotionlessly.
*Begin Flashback, Two Years Ago*
It was a cloudy afternoon in a seaside town, as Molly walked home from a festival in the park.
"I'd best get home before it starts rainin'," Molly said to herself as she quickened her pace to get home. But, she stopped as something caught her eye – The family pub her parents owned and the apartment they lived over were in flames.
"No... How could this be?" Molly asked herself as she ran over to the burning building. But, a World Noble grabbed her by the shoulders.
"I'm sorry, cutie pie, but your parents have died in the fire. Come on, I will take you to your new home," The Noble told Molly, who began to cry.
"We've got the girl and we burned the pub. Operations will proceed as normal, Saint Ayame," The Noble said into a DenDen Mushi.
"Mum! Da! Don't die!" Molly yelled. A few days later, Molly found herself at the mansion where Yuki-Rin and her family lived.
"Yuki-Rin, meet Molly O'Flannigan. Your parents just adopted her after her parents tragically died in a fire," A maid explained to Yuki-Rin.
"Nice to meet you," Yuki-Rin said to her new sister.
"Why... Why did they take me away from mum and da? I want to go home!" Molly sobbed.
*End Flashback, Revert to the Present Time*
"Noooooooooo!" Molly screamed before she got out an Irish-styled sword and charaged at Drusilla. Drusilla used her cane to block Molly's sword.
"Don't back down, Molly! She's causing you to re-live painful memories!" Yuki-Rin yelled. Drusilla then used her cane to knock Molly to the ground.
"Drusilla, I think that's enough."
Drusilla turned around, and saw Karin walk up to them.
"Karin, what are you doing here? You are not supposed to interfere with the operations," Drusilla asked Karin.
"Z.G. has been looking for us for about an hour now. Plus, I really think you should stop torturing innocent civillians by making them re-live their painful memories," Karin explained. Drusilla sighed.
"Karin, I think I found somebody who could help us assassinate Big Margo!" Drusilla complained.
"We'll discuss it later with Z.G.," Karin sharply told her younger co-worker before they walked away. Kazuma, Yuki-Rin, and Molly stood there in silence.
"Odd bunch, aren't they?" Kazuma asked the two sisters. It was at that point that Yuki-Rin realized something majorly important.
"Wait... Wasn't that Kartik's stalker?" Yuki-Rin asked herself.
Ending Note: Things are just going to get even more intense next chapter. Stick around for it.
Review if you want to see what happens next.