Author's Note: Happy birthday, One Piece! It was fifteen years ago that Japan's most popular anime and manga began! Let us celebrate!
Disclaimer: One Piece has been the property of Eichiiro Oda for fifteen years and counting. It's going to stay that way for a long time, which means that I will not get to own it.
Ch. 72: "Teinosuke's Proposal."
"Up, up! Get up, now! Mr. Chung-Feng will give you a good flogging if you don't get up now!"
Heathcliffe awoke, and it was still dark out.
"What time is it?" Heathcliffe groggily asked a passing maid.
"It's going on five-thirty. Get dressed now."
With a sigh, Heathcliffe got dressed and joined the other maids and butlers in the main hall of the mansion, where Aki's father stood.
"Good morning, maids and butlers," Aki's father greeted his staff.
"Good morning, Mr. Chung-Feng," The butlers and maids replied. Aki's father then approached Heathcliffe.
"You. Come with me," Mr. Chung-Feng said. Heathcliffe followed Aki's father up the stairs and down the hall.
"Now, Heathcliffe, how close are you to Xiaojiang?" Aki's father asked Heathcliffe, who smiled a bit.
"Very close," Heathcliffe answered.
"Well, would you like to work as her own personal butler?" Aki's father asked.
"Of course, I'd love to!" Heathcliffe said. Aki's father took out a key.
"Here is the master key for the manor, Heathcliffe. This key unlocks every single door in the house. Use it wisely," Aki's father explained before he handed the key to Heathcliffe, who pocketed it. "Now, then, I suppose you'd want to get back to bed."
"Uhh… Don't I have to start work now or something?" Heathcliffe asked Aki's father. "Okay, this guy's defintely planning something."
Aki's father smiled.
"You work from when Xiaojiang wakes up to when she goes to sleep. Be glad that you have a looser schedule than the other maids and butlers," Aki's father explained. "Now, run along, get some rest. You have a long day of work ahead of you, my boy."
Aki's father walked away. When Aki's father was out of sight, Heathcliffe approached Aki's bedroom and tried to open the locked door.
"Damnit, Aki's father probably locked her in here," Heathcliffe muttered to himself as he got out the key and unlocked the door. When he got in the bedroom, he saw Aki tossing and turning in her bed. "Looks like Aki isn't sleeping too good."
With a sigh, Heathcliffe removed his shoes and blazer and lied down next to Aki.
"Hey, Aki. It's me, Heathcliffe. Don't be scared, I'm here," Heathcliffe whispered as he put his hand on Aki's shoulder. Immideately, Aki calmed down.
"Hold me," Aki said in her sleep. Heathcliffe moved closer to Aki and put his arms around her.
"Everything will be okay," Heathcliffe whispered before he kissed Aki on the forehead.
When Aki awoke, she was staring right at Heathcliffe.
"Sarutobi-kun?" Aki asked, too tired to be surprised.
"Hi," Heathcliffe whispered. "I'm your new butler."
"Sarutobi-kun! You – No, wait… Did my father hire you?" Aki asked as she and Heathcliffe got up.
"He did. Either your father is planning something for us, or he showed us a small gesture of kindness," Heathcliffe explained as he went though the wardrobe to look for something for Aki to wear.
"I doubt my father would do the latter. What did he do to you last night?" Aki asked Heathcliffe.
"He forced me to sleep in the maid and butlers' house. The maids and butlers bathed me in freezing cold water, and they went rough on me. After that, they made me sleep on the floor, and all I had to keep me warm was the towel wrapped around my waist," Heathcliffe explained.
"That's awful, Sarutobi-kun! You deserve better, since you're my butler now!" Aki explained.
"I do deserve better. I mean, since you get to live like a princess here, why can't I live like a prince? Or, at least someone of wealth?" Heathcliffe questioned as he pulled a purple cheongsam out of the wardrobe. "Now, how about I draw you a bath before we have breakfast?"
An hour or so later, Aki and Heathcliffe were eating breakfast with Aki's father.
"So, Xiaojiang, your future husband will be here shortly. I expect you and Heathcliffe to be on your best behavior," Aki's father explained, giving a glare at Heathcliffe.
"Yes, father," Aki said with a sigh.
"Cheer up, Xiaojiang. This is a boy around your age. He comes from a prominent family in the East Blue, so there's a chance that you might know him," Aki's father explained.
"I wish that boy was me. I mean, I came from a prominent family in the East Blue before I got sent to live in those filthy tenements," Heathcliffe thought to himself with a huff. The doorbell then rang.
"Xiaojiang, Heathcliffe, please wait in the sitting room," Aki's father explained before he got up to answer the door. Heathcliffe looked to Aki, and they walked to the sitting room hand-in-hand.
"Aki, now's not the time to be scared. I've got your back," Heathcliffe explained as Aki sat down on the couch.
"But, I don't even know this boy," Aki explained. Heathcliffe kissed Aki on her cheek.
"Well, in the end, it'll be me, since we're leaving this place tomorrow night," Heathcliffe explained.
"Aki Chung-Feng, is that you?"
A familiar face entered the room.
"T-Teinosuke?"
On board the Helvetica, Yuriko sneezed.
"Hmmm… Teinosuke isn't back yet," Yuriko commented. Back at the Chung-Feng mansion…
"YOU'RE my fianceé?!" Aki cried.
"Yes, I am. In fact, I have always been in love with you, and I would like your hand in marriage," Teinosuke explained. Aki just sighed.
"I'm not sure, Teinosuke. I mean, I did have feelings for you, but those have long gone. At this point, we're just… Acquaintances," Aki explained.
"Oh. I… Perfectly understand. Although it's been awhile since we spoke to each other, I've seen you with your fellow pirates. You're from the Capricorn Pirates, yes?" Teinosuke asked. Aki nodded. "I thought so. My captain, Yuriko, tried to get your captain into her crew when your captain was suffering from amnesia. Ever since she escaped, Yuriko has been trying to sweet-talk your captain into re-joining us."
"Sorry, Teinosuke. Yuki-Rin's staying with us," Aki said. Teinosuke sighed.
"Come to think of it, I actually saw you not too long ago. I saw you on Castellia Island. You were at the makeshift hospital taking care of somebody," Teinosuke explained.
"You… You were there?" Aki asked. "How did I even miss you?"
"Everyone was in a panic because the island was being destroyed. When my crew got off of the island, all I could think of was your safety," Teinosuke explained. "What did you think of when you evacuated the island?"
Aki thought over Teinosuke's question for a minute.
"The safety of my nakama. I was so worried when Yuki-Rin and Kazuma didn't make it," Aki explained. Teinosuke chuckled.
"Looks like Yuki-Rin's still with that Kazuma boy," Teinosuke commented. Aki and Teinosuke kept talking for a few hours, until Teinosuke left the manor.
"Sorry, Aki, I have to go. My captain is looking for me," Teinosuke apologized.
"It's okay. I'll see you tomorrow, right?" Aki asked.
"Yeah, for our engagement party," Teinosuke explained.
"Engagement party?" Aki asked, surprised that there was going to be one.
"Your father will explain everything to you shortly," Teinosuke said before he left the manor. Aki's father turned to his daughter.
"That Teinosuke Fujimori is a nice boy. I'm glad you two are getting along. Pretty soon, you'll be Mrs. Teinosuke Fujimori," Aki's father commented.
"Mrs. Teinosuke Fujimori?! No, no, no! I wanted to be Mrs. Heathcliffe Sarutobi!" Aki thought to herself in her head. Aki just gave out a laugh that sounded more like a sigh. "Well, Teinosuke was my friend back home, so I at least have a sense of familiarity with him. At this point, I don't feel any love yet, but that could change."
"Yes, it could change, Xiaojiang," Aki's father said before he left the room. Aki sighed.
"What a big lie. I don't feel the same love for Teinosuke as I do for Sarutobi-kun. At least I'm with Sarutobi-kun every day and we can talk together, cuddle together, and be together whenever," Aki thought to herself. Because she was deep in her thoughts, she didn't notice Heathcliffe walk over and put his hand on her shoulder.
"Everything will be okay. We'll be together," Heathcliffe re-assured Aki. Meanwhile, Teinosuke was walking back to the Helvetica, when something hit him.
"That butler looked familiar. Haven't I seen him before with Aki?" Teinosuke thought to himself. Then, he put two and two together. "No… Aki can't be in love with that boy!"
Ending Note: The chapter title probably spoiled the chapter. My apologies.
Anyway, my new headcanon songs for Teinosuke are Somebody I Used to Know by Gotye and Someone Like You by Adele because of this chapter.
Review if you want to see things get more intense in this arc.