Title: On the Ocean Blue

Written By: NikoArtagnan

Genre: Fantasy/Friendship/Adventure

Rating: T, will eventually go to M

Summary: An outcast from Earth is flung headfirst into a hostile, unforgiving world, and finds themselves tagging along with a very particular crew of misfit pirates, and the boy who wants to be the King of them all. But this isn't the world of One Piece you thought you knew, and there are terrible things lurking in the shadows...

Chapter-Specific Warnings: None!

Author's Notes: Sanji, Nami, and Usopp have some thoughts on our protagonist.

Chapter Three:

First Impressions, Part 1

SANJI

Sanji didn't trust the guest Nami-san had brought on the ship. The other man was quite handsome, with dark, mischievous eyes and darker hair hair, and a sharply angular face flecked at the edges with some scars. There something almost feminine in that face and in the walk, something that made him want to instinctively fawn over the dark-haired man, but Sanji wasn't fooled.

It was the face of a consummate scoundrel. A man who would take a woman, use her until he was finished, and discard her. He'd seen plenty of them in his time.

He knew Nami-san could handle herself quite well, but those dark, almost painfully exotic eyes seemed to be constantly laughing at them all, just waiting for them to slip up so he could strike. A conman, born and bred.

And when he'd walked in on the two of them talking, cozily, intimately, over the spread of Nami-san's maps, he knew that their guest was up to no good. Then those steely eyes had turned to him, flashing with some dark emotion (anger at interrupting his seduction of Nami-san, obviously) then turned flinty.

He'd kissed Nami-san's palm! Turned the beautiful woman's face the color of a tomato, flirting with her, calling her Nami-chan.

He fumed as he made breakfast for the crew, remembering the snide words the man had said to him on his way out.

"Stop that idiotic glaring, it makes you look like an even bigger moron than you are – which is a pretty substantial fool in and of itself," the man whispered as he passed Sanji, chuckling.

Sanji breathed deeply, trying not to get so angry. If Nami-san wanted him on the ship, on the ship he would stay until he overstepped himself. Then Sanji would have the utmost pleasure of booting the scoundrel off the ship into the ocean himself.

Sanji's fingers closed painfully tight over the edge of the sink as he remembered how those stormy eyes carelessly sneered at him over the rims of his sunglasses.

Oh, he definitely did not trust Ciel Russo.

NAMI

Nami still wasn't quite sure what possessed her to take the man on their ship. He had money, yes, but normally she was quite leery about trusting strange men. Especially strange, handsome men.

He had a surprisingly pleasing mixture of feminine and male traits. He was handsome, yes, with the hint of strong shoulders, slightly scarred face, and definite muscles, but there was also something undeniably female about him. He swayed just a bit when he walked, his lips were wide and looked soft, even with the scar pulling them down, and his hair was long, giving a softness to his sharp face.

But there was this sexual charisma about him, this animal magnetism that had drawn her in the most. He reminded her of a predator, dangerous, dangerous, dangerous, but all the more handsome and desirable for it. She knew from her conversations with him that this was a man with intelligence and a skill at manipulation that almost rivaled her own.

He'd been subtly controlling the conversation they'd had in the shops – allowing her to make most of the remarks, of course – but he'd been in control of that conversation.

She'd let him, but only because it was just so stimulating to talk to someone who was very clearly on her level in terms of brain power.

He flirted without even meaning to, though he meant it completely sincerely, and without the slightest clue what that devastating smile could do to those he'd aimed it towards. He was a man only vaguely conscious of the fact that he was handsome, but with the solid, subconscious knowledge that he could do a great deal of damage with it.

But there was a softness there when he spoke about his cats, a love and loyalty returned in full by the sleek Gin and the lovable Shere Khan. There had been a faint hint of exhaustion in those dark green eyes, and perhaps it was for that reason that Nami had agreed, even more so than the money.

Ciel Russo may very well have been an outwardly confident, easy-going man, but on the inside, he was a man tired of running.

She knew what that was like.

She knew it very well.

USOPP

The man intimidated Usopp. There, he admitted it.

In his mind at least, Usopp made a decent effort to be completely truthful. His Mama had taught him that.

And while he had fun making up the stories in his head and boasting about them, he tried his best not to internalize them. Until he got stronger, he wouldn't be able to face up to the threats they'd face in the Grand Line. He knew he couldn't get (too) delusional.

But hell, he had fun doing it, and as long as he had his nakama to back him up and a little bit of common sense (a rarity on this ship) about when to stop, he would be fine. And besides, what was wrong with a good story? It amused his captain, too, so what was the harm?

Anyway…back to the guest Nami had brought aboard the ship.

He was scary. He was tall – like Zoro and Sanji tall – with dark eyes and a scarred face. The way he moved reminded Usopp a little too much of a viper, ready to strike. But he had a nice smile and seemed friendly enough, and he adored his cats.

And they seemed to like him right back. Kaya had always said that if a cat really liked someone and deigned to show affection to that person, then that meant they were a good person. Cats were great judges of character.

Unless…were these cats evil? He'd heard stories about black cats before! The familiars of witches and evil sorcerers. Perhaps this Ciel Russo was really a sorcerer from a dark and evil castle, come to take their souls and feed them to his cats so they could help him take over the world!

He shivered, and looked back at the man sitting against the upper deck and gulped as those almost predatory eyes met his for one intense moment. Then he quickly turned away, trying his hardest not to shake too badly.

Oh, yes, he was very intimidated by this man.