.: I think we'll stick to this setting for a few chapters. We got loose ends to tie and relationship dynamics to establish! :.

The Girl with A Half-Soul

Chapter 13:

Scratching the Surface

The rest of breakfast did not last long. The atmosphere had soured. After helping Sanji clean everything up, everyone went about their day. Robin was going to nap. Luffy and Usopp were going to fish. Nami was going to sit up in the crow's nest and watch for islands. Sanji was going to take a smoke break. Zoro was going to train. As for Chopper and Aurilee, nobody knew what they were up to.

But when Zoro headed for the upper deck, he heard voices coming from the tangerine trees. He stopped to listen, recognizing them as the pair who left breakfast prematurely.

"You can start with any memory you'd like," Chopper guided. "Doesn't matter if it's small or not as big of a deal as others."

Aurilee crossed her legs and rubbed her lower back as it ached from the extra weight in her womb. There were so many things that happened throughout her life that bothered her. Not all of them were traumatic, though. For example, she remembered as a child confronting her mother about being outcast from the only tribe on their island, and in retaliation her mother hit her. But also with the Gunslinger Pirates, she was struck almost on a daily basis after Gerald and Millie left. Those encounters were what kept her on edge even to this day.

Despite being taken, hurt, abandoned, and punished, lately her nightmares were only focused on the man who started it all. And they were tainting the image of a Straw Hat Pirate against her will. If there was anything she wanted to get past right now, it was Calisto. But as she looked across at Chopper, she found it difficult to open up. If she could barely handle telling the stories as the victim, how could he handle them with how young he was?

Zoro grew suspicious of the silence as he pressed his back against the wooden wall beneath them. He would have to put his training on hold until they both moved. Obviously Aurilee was finding the courage to be vulnerable. If she knew he was nearby, it would undo whatever Chopper was trying to accomplish.

"Well…What if most of my bad memories are about the same person?" she finally uttered.

"Then we can focus on those memories," Chopper reinforced. "Who was this person?"

"H-His name was Calisto. He was a pirate on the ship I came from." Her palms grew sweaty as they rubbed against each other nervously.

"And he's one of the ones who hurt you, wasn't he?"

She started to tremble but nodded. "Out of all of them, I didn't think he would," she admitted, her voice starting to crack. "I thought he was my friend."

Chopper tilted his head to the side with a frown full of pity. No wonder she had trouble trusting the Straw Hats.

Grabbing her shoulder, her fingers reached under her shirt to feel the thickened, rutted skin that was spread throughout her back. "He saved my life when I was keelhauled."

Chopper almost gasped. Keelhauled? It was one of the worst things a person could endure. After being scraped across the hull of a ship like a block of cheese against a grater, it was nearly impossible for any doctor to save someone's life. If it was not the deep lacerations that killed the victim, it was the imminent infections that would. And Aurilee survived?

"He came into my room one night, and I was so mad and blamed him for everything. He just snapped…and said he was tired of pretending to like me…a-and then he…forced himself on me..."

Reminiscing about it brought images back to her. Calisto used the opportunity to land his first blow. She remembered how his voice sounded, how he pushed her face into the mattress when he returned in the middle of the night to get it done. Without even realizing it, thick tears dropped from her eyes.

Chopper watched with worry. For a moment he questioned if making her do this was more cruel than beneficial. But to mentally bring her back to their session, he stood up and lifted his hoof in front of her face. "Let's process this memory," he said.

With a blink, she focused on his hoof. He began moving it side to side steadily. She replayed the event to herself. Stuck on her stomach and feeling a little woozy from liquor, Calisto had come into the room initially to resupply her to help with the pain. And she was so miserable that she projected her anger out on him. To her, he was no hero for saving her life. He was just a coward who refused to leave the toxic environment brought on by his older sister, and he dragged her along with him out of selfishness. That was when he lashed out and sabotaged the bandages and wrappings that the doctor had put together for her.

"I'm tired of pretending to like you," he said as he left her to suffer.

Then he came back to finish the job a few hours later. Nobody heard her muffled screams. In fact, nobody would have known it happened at all if the doctor had not checked on her in the morning. But by then, it was too late.

Suddenly, Aurilee felt fatigue come over her as her eyes continued to follow his hoof. Chopper noticed her emotions find a balance and her eyelids droop slightly. So, he stopped. At first, despite her eyes no longer following, she was not aware he had. Then she perked up and felt the moisture on her cheeks and upper lip. While wiping her face dry, she looked to the reindeer. "Did I do it right?"

"Uh…I think so," he replied. "We didn't get deep into the memory, but you were reacting. I think it was a good first try!"

Aurilee looked into his round, glimmering eyes. They were full of optimism. Whether it was from a partial success in his first attempt at therapy or seeing that he was able to get her to open up, she would never know. But when she thought about Calisto, she still found herself feeling uneasy. "I still feel the same," she disappointedly confessed.

"That's okay. We still have a lot more memories to go through. And if we have to go through the same thing again, we can. Do you want to keep talking for a little while?"

She wiped her nostrils dry one more time. "I…I have a problem I thought getting over Calisto would fix."

Chopper sat back down on his bottom to listen. They could go through memories when she was ready. If she wanted to talk something out, they could do that instead.

"Calisto…He was the only person who ever hurt me like that. Others acted like they wanted to, but they never went through with it." Her finger traced a line over her abdomen as she tried to find the right words that would describe her nightmare from last night. Chopper noticed and realized that this guy had to have been the father, but he kept quiet. "I don't know what it is. After he started hurting me, he just wasn't the same person. He always had the same uninterested look on his face…like Zoro."

Hearing his name caused the swordsman to open his eyes.

"It's so stupid," she continued. "I know he's not Calisto, but I can't help but think of Calisto when I see him. I even had a dream last night that Calisto turned into him. So I guess…How do I know he's not pretending like Calisto did?"

Zoro recalled the day they saved Aurilee. They had gone out of their way to hunt the Gunslinger Pirates down and sink their ship. The lovesick cook was the one who faced off with a cocky, unremorseful man who was proud of hurting her. That must have been Calisto. His flesh was a lighter tone compared to Zoro, and his violet strands of greasy hair hung down past his ears from underneath a black bandana. His face was completely smashed in before he could get a better look at him, but he wondered if it was more than the expression that made Aurilee compare the two.

Meanwhile, Chopper thought about what he could say to alleviate this fear in his patient. Back in Alabasta, Zoro took care of him in the hot desert by dragging him around and placing him on his shoulders when they were crossing a river. And while the rest of the males were snooping on Nami and Vivi in the baths, Zoro remained uninterested and never joined them. If Chopper wanted to, he could tell Aurilee those kinds of stories to show her what kind of person Zoro truly was. But at the same time, taking someone's word for it would be hard to accept. She would just have to experience Zoro for herself.

"All I can say is that I haven't been in this crew long, but Zoro has been a great friend to me and the others. Sure, he and Sanji butt heads a lot, but I've never seen him do anything but try to help and protect his friends. I think he would do anything for us. And like Luffy said before, if anyone in the crew were to hurt you, you can go to him, and he'll take care of it."

The confidence in his statements reflected what Nami had said to her the previous night. Zoro was harmless. She felt that herself when he carried her. Maybe he was only intimidating in fights. Why else would he carry three swords on his hip?

She took a deep breath. It was all in her head. She knew that before saying it out loud. It was the reassurance that eased her. "Okay," she replied.

"Can we also go through more memories of Calisto? That'll probably help you the most."

She nodded, although she was unsure of how much she could handle in one sitting.

"Just tell me when you wanna stop," Chopper communicated.

Zoro stayed where he was, but he continued eavesdropping. He was thankful for Chopper having his back, but he knew it was up to himself to paint the right picture. Having

But right when Aurilee started speaking once more, Nami's voice rang out for them all to hear. "There's an island!"

"That was fast!" Usopp said as he and Luffy ran to the other side of the Merry.

Nami climbed down the netted rope quickly as she kept an eye on the far-off piece of land. "We need to turn starboard. Where's Zoro?"

He immediately cringed and thought about how he was going to get down without raising anyone's suspicions. But Aurilee and Chopper were just peeking down at the scene from the mini orchard, so when he did slip down the stairs, they didn't realize. Zoro found Sanji inside the kitchen already tugging on the lever to change directions. With his assistance, they physically felt the Going Merry shift starboard.

"That's good right there!" Nami confirmed.

"What if that's your island, Aurilee?" Chopper questioned with enthusiasm.

Aurilee squinted, but the island was too far to see many details yet. As they drew closer, no recognition came to her. "No, this isn't it," she said.

Luffy grabbed Twitchy and stood up on the wall to get a better look at the island. It was small with a bit of jungle and an old volcano eroding away. "Looks like we can go exploring!" he excitedly announced. The bottom of his kilt flapped when he turned, and he looked down at the crew. "Maybe there's a village somewhere."

"Mehhhh!" Twitchy bleated from his arms.

"I really hope there's goats," Usopp added, ready to find a new mother goat for the pet.

"Whatever's on this island, we have until the log pose sets. Then we have to head out," Nami explained.

Once they were in the shallows, they all dropped anchor and got ready to be on land for a while. Changes of clothes were in order. Usopp traded his brown overalls for a blue rashguard and cargo shorts. Nami kept the same clothes she chose that morning (a tank top with tiny jean shorts) but she replaced her undergarments with a black bikini. Sanji stripped off his long sleeves in exchange for a floral button-up and pants that stopped just below the knee. Zoro threw on an unbuttoned shirt with ripped khakis and sandals. The only ones who stayed the same were Luffy, Chopper, and Aurilee. Robin would join them later.

A dinghy was dropped into the water for them to get onto land with. That way Luffy and Chopper could stay out of the water and supplies could be transported. After everything was loaded – including things for lunch in a few hours – Zoro and Usopp dove into the water to swim off. With Sanji's help, Nami and Aurilee were sitting on the little boat at last and it was rowed to the shore. Being near Luffy made Aurilee wary. What if he admonished her again? But he was too busy holding Twitchy in his lap and excitedly gazing at the approaching landmass for him to notice her.

The first thing they saw was how Zoro and Usopp were hovering at the tree line as if they were looking for something. While Sanji and Luffy were dragging the dinghy onto the sand so it would not get carried away by the lapping waves, Nami led Aurilee over to them. "What're you both up to?" the navigator questioned.

"I swear I heard a snort," Usopp claimed, pushing aside flora to trek deeper.

"Like a hog?" Aurilee asked.

"Yeah! Something in the swine category. Sanji can cook up some pork for lunch if we hunt it down."

The thought of going on a hunt was something Aurilee never thought would happen in her life again. Her and Papa would make trips together almost on a daily basis when she was a child. Not only that, but they also crafted new supplies and practiced their aim together. It was what bonded them both the most as father and daughter. How was Usopp going to hunt without a bow and arrow? Intrigued and without a warning, Aurilee slipped into the wilderness as well.

"Uh, Usopp, you got company," Zoro notified.

"Huh?" the sniper replied, looking behind him. When he saw her, he immediately welcomed her with open arms. "Ooh! Yes! Let's go, Aurilee!"

She was not sure how to respond appropriately, but Usopp was determined to find the source of the snorting, and he was not going to wait on her. Nervously looking over her shoulder, her gaze was practically begging Nami for permission.

Nami saw the uncertainty looking back at her. Although she was unsure about Usopp's faked bravery, she thought about how this was a chance for her to reconnect with her roots. Maybe Usopp would even let her use his weapon of choice. "Go ahead," Nami told her. "But be careful and don't stay out too long. We'll all be here when you get back."

Surprised but pleased, Aurilee's lips curved upwards for the first time. Nobody ever let her do something fun until today. She hurried after Usopp to catch up.

Zoro looked to Nami. "You really think Usopp has what it takes to keep her safe?" he questioned, genuinely shocked.

"No," Nami replied, "but I think he has what it takes to have fun with her."

The idea of being the leader gave Usopp a confidence boost. He did not care that his clothes were still wet from his swim. His eyes were locked on the ground beneath him, and he was moving over the rich soil as if he was its master. There were puddles to march through, fallen tree stumps to lunge over, annoying bugs to swat away his face, and plenty of noises that filled his ears. He was Captain Usopp! On a quest to find the animal that made a snorting sound and shoot it dead!

But he realized he was getting too ahead of himself and not considering his physically challenged partner. The sniper glanced over his shoulder to see she was not keeping up with his pace. The natural obstacles he was blowing through were ones she had to carefully maneuver around. It did not help that she was also trying to keep a stitched wound from reopening.

"Sorry, I'm slow," Aurilee self-depreciated, sitting on a fallen tree trunk and swinging her legs over to the other side before standing up again.

"No, I'm just going too fast," he corrected. "My bad." When she caught up to him, Usopp continued to move forward, but he made sure they were next to each other. "Are you having fun, though?"

"Fun?" She looked around, hoping they were not lost. So far nothing had happened. Neither of them had heard a hog squealing or snorting. All it had been were macaws and monkeys calling out and making leaves rustle with their movement. But the fact they were in a jungle took her back to a terrible day. "I wouldn't call it fun."

"Hey, I know we haven't seen anything yet, but it's about the journey. Not the destination!" he highlighted.

"It's just that…Last time I was in a jungle, I was being chased by Marines."

"Oh? How long ago was that?"

"I wasn't little, but I also wasn't as old as I am now."

Usopp's gaze shifted down to her abdomen. He was a year younger than Nami, and Aurilee's appearance reminded him more of her than Robin. It was hard to think someone that young was going to be a parent in the next few weeks. If Aurilee was not a little kid when this particular event with the military happened, then she must have been a younger teenager. "Is that why you didn't go to the Marines in Lollybroch? Because you have a bounty on your head?"

She nodded, thinking that Sanji must have told the story of her rescuing yesterday. "But they didn't catch me. I killed them all."

The bluntness of her statement made Usopp stop dead in his tracks. Did he just hear her correctly? She has killed before? He knew he was a liar – no, a trickster! – but after seeing how fragile and helpless she was, there was no way that could be true. "Is…Is that why you're not having fun?" he apprehensively asked, walking again.

She slightly dodged the question. "I survived, and I protected my sister. And then I tried to kill Calypso next." Looking at Usopp, she added: "I still think she was behind it all."

The loathing in her lopsided irises startled Usopp. It was what convinced him that Aurilee was telling the truth. Maybe the little tale was not traumatizing to her somehow, and that was why she could tell it easier compared to other things. He still got the feeling she did not enjoy talking about it. Because of that, he tried to change the subject to something of a lighter tone. "Would you be having more fun if this island had a forest instead of a jungle?"

She took a glimpse at the trees and how their surface was almost smooth instead of covered in rough bark. Such a simple change in ecology brought with it an entirely different ecosystem. "I do miss eating deer meat. Mama knew just how to roast it to make it juicy."

The comment made Usopp giggle. "Oh no. Does that mean you wanna eat Chopper like Luffy does sometimes?"

"What? No!" she defended, almost in disbelief. "The deer on my island don't talk or walk on two legs."

Usopp laughed some more. "I'm sure if we didn't have Chopper, Sanji would be more than happy to serve you some roasted venison. Looks like we gotta settle for some pork instead." With that being said, Usopp pulled out his little slingshot.

Aurilee noticed it – especially its size – and had a lot of questions. "What's that?"

"This? It's my Ginga Pachinko," he answered, holding it up. The elastic bands dangled as they supported the little pouch.

Seeing it made her more doubtful of his ability to execute the hunt. "We're gonna kill a hog with that?"

Instead of being insulted by her judging his weapon of choice by its size, Usopp took it as an opportunity to show off his innovative capacity. "Of course I am!" he enforced, holding it up above his head. "I've taken down a thousand men with Ginga Pachinko! Sure, it's small, but it's not the size of the weapon that matters. I compensate for that by making my own ammo."

She lifted an eyebrow. A thousand men? Really? She managed kill five Marines by herself, but it took everything she had to pull it off. No offense to Usopp, but just by looking at him, she found no hint at him truly knowing survival of the fittest.

"Allow me to demonstrate," Usopp said, digging into his pockets. He pulled out a little gray ball that looked to be a dull metallic. "I'll start simple. This is a Lead Star." Placing it in his slingshot's little pouch, he stretched it out and held his dominant eye above the aim. Upon releasing it, the little ball flew and hit a tree so hard that its surface splintered with the penetrated hole.

Aurilee was visibly taken aback. Something that small could cause that much damage? It was almost as if a pistol had shot a bullet. If Usopp shot someone between the eyes with that, he could kill a man easily! Suddenly his story about taking out a thousand men seemed plausible.

Next, Usopp pulled out another metallic ball that looked just like the Lead Star, but it came from a different pocket in his cargo shorts. "Exploding Star!" he called out, loading his slingshot once more to shoot it at a farther tree. Just like the name depicted, the gunpowder inside the ball ignited with the impact and the ground shook with a little blast that reflected light off his glistening flesh.

In the middle of her shock, a panicked snorting erupted from the brush. Something large and furry scurried into the open before fleeing once again.

"Ah! That was it!" Usopp alerted, recognizing the noise from the beach. He suddenly ran to Aurilee and tried picking her up. "We gotta hurry! It's getting away!"

She froze in place, seeing that he was wanting to recreate the way Sanji cradled her between his arms on their back from Lollybroch, but he did not have the physical capability to support her bodyweight that easily. It did not help that she was about fifty pounds heavier from being pregnant either. If her stomach was flat, he might have been able to toss her over his shoulder, but it was not possible right now. He was left with veins bulging in his temples as he strained to lift her. It was a lost cause, and the animal escaped in a matter of seconds.

Usopp's arms gave out, leaving Aurilee sitting on the ground. He rolled over to look back at where the animal disappeared to. He did not mean to find it so fast. All he wanted to do was show off his arsenal. Luckily, it gave Aurilee an idea.

"That was actually really smart," she complimented.

"Huh?"

"Seriously. Your Exploding Star or whatever it was brought the prey to us…sort of."

He looked to her in surprise. For someone who sulked at the slightest setback, Aurilee was finding the positive outlook on his accidental discovery. "Hey, you're right," he agreed. "Maybe I can use the Exploding Star to bring the hog to you, and you can finish it off."

"Uh, but I don't have anything to use for that," she pointed out.

He scratched his chin. "Hmm. What did you use back on your home island? A bow and arrow?"

Her eyes sparkled with the shift in sunlight coming in from above them. "How did you know?"

"It's a good tool to use for hunting," he shrugged. "I use a slingshot because I came from a more…civilized island. But you? Your way of life was way more simplistic and demanding. A bow is easy to make, and they're long-lasting if taken care of." He smiled and got on his feet. "I'll make you a bow and then we can come back. How does that sound?"

She looked up at the sniper as he offered a hand to help her up. He was being quite optimistic about this impromptu plan they had cooked up. It was like he enjoyed having a partner to share his hobby in firing ammo. And Aurilee realized just how much she missed doing it with her Papa. Maybe Usopp could fill that void for her.