(-Woods-)

"GET HER!" Yelled the little red haired girl as she chased after the one she called 'freak'[1], along with her friends, and said 'freak' was letting them chase her through the woods.

"PLEASE STOP CHASING ME!" She cried but they wouldn't because it only made them try to run faster if meant that she was scared to face them and they were happy to think that.

While they chased after her, one of the red haired girls' friends ran to the left and ran as fast as she could and dove and smacked into the little girl head first, her nose suddenly hurt and she felt a warm red substance on her face, that way they both went tumbling back over to the group of older girls. "Well if it isn't the freak? Why'd you run when we were finally getting along huh?"
Her voice sounded so sweetly fake and she made it obvious.

"Now then.." She smirks while pulling out a knife from her pocket and speaks to her friends as she puts the knife closer to the little girl's face. "Let's give the little freak a new look! She definitely deserves that!" The knife was dangerously close to the girls cheek and it started to draw blood before the older one tore it away leaving a small, actively bleeding, gash which made the other girls tense in surprise. "What the hell Suzuki, we agreed we'd only scare her!" "Yeah, not cut her up!" They shouted at Suzuki hoping that she only did it by accident but she quickly burned that hope.

"Well that was the plan! Now this is the new plan, we give the freak what she deserves!" She grinned maliciously and the glint in her eyes only showed hate as she looked at the silent and terrified girl that was being held down by her friends who looked unsure. "Oh come on, she's a freak that no one would miss! It's not like we're gonna kill her, lighten up!" She mocked and pulled the knife towards the girls shoulder, the girl started panicking and then started trying to move away from the other girls to get away from Suzuki. "Stop moving so much or you're gonna make me hurt you more!"

But the movement only increased as did the panic as she tried to give the shoulder a cut but instead of a small little cut, the older girl ended up carving a small piece of skin on her which made the girls still with horrified faces as they stare at what just happened, Suzuki quickly pulled the knife out from the shoulder which made the girl gasp in pain.

They quickly pulled off of her and backed away before running in the opposite direction of her and Suzuki. "F*ck.. th-is real-y h-hurts.." Her expression was beyond pained as she grabbed at her shoulder so she could see the damage which was bad and she put her other hand to her nose to see blood from getting smacked head first earlier, she turned to Suzuki who was oddly quiet and saw something that shocked her, Suzuki was.. crying?

Why was she crying, had she gotten hurt when she had been flailing around? But she didn't look injured, was it something she said? Cause if so then she'll take full responsibility! "Oh m-man, Suzuki a-are you okay? I-I'm so sorry!" But she didn't get a response, instead she got a frightful face with a disgusted look in her eyes. "God, you're such a freak that you're apologizing!" And with that Suzuki ran off to go find her friends who had run off a while ago, leaving the little girl with her thoughts.

With a sigh she got up while her legs were still shaking and the adrenaline had finally worn off and her injuries began to hurt more than when she had initially gotten them, with a small groan of pain she was on her feet once again, she started slowly walking more into the forest because she was already late enough.

(-Akamaru POV-)

"Cruel and cold, like the winds on the sea~" The voice from afar sang and I knew who it was, it was my grandfather, he always sings the best songs! "Will you ever~.. return to me? Hear my voice, sing with the tide~ Our love will never die.." He always ended his songs with a sad tone to his voice which I'm still trying to figure out why he does but he won't ever tell me, says I need to learn what he really means which is as cryptic as always! "Akamaru, is that you?" His tone was concerned since I haven't been back since lunch which was a few hours ago, "What happened, why are you so cut up?!" I hated the way his voice sounded so worried since he shouldn't have to deal with me, he's already got so much on his plate!

I hate the way he stops singing, I hate the way he cares about what happens to me, I hate that he has to hide from the world just because of his past! But what I hate the most is the way he frowns, the way he sadly smiles when he's hurting, the way he looks so lost when he's singing.. But grandpa always took care of me since my mother died and dad left.. I shouldn't be the reason he's not happy, so I smile at him. "Grandpa, I'm fine really!" I know my tone of voice is what convinces that I'm lying by the way he looks at me with the hollow sockets, that should have eyes in them, that say that he knows and how I don't win this round.

"Well if you're fine then I'm alive!" He laughs cheerfully at his own 'Skull Joke' as he calls it which in all honesty are always funny but right now was not the time, he should know why it's no use worrying! "Grandpa, I-..I'm f- *sigh* not fine.." After I gave in, I know it's no use to try and get him to stop worrying because he'll never stop even if I ask him to, I saw a small smirk on his face which he only does when he knows he's won and he walks towards me and picks me up by my armpits since this skeleton man, who is unfortunately my grandfather, has no shame on him, not even an ounce! "Grandpa, I can walk just fine!" All I got in return was a smile and humming.

I love my grandfather's songs, I really do but, he never tells me what a lot of them mean and the ones that does are always just down right depressing and I don't mean to be rude about it! Maybe one day when I'm out at sea and on my way to my dream, I meet a musician just like my grandfather! And I know my grandfather isn't really my own blood because he told me so himself when I asked him a few years ago, when I asked why my dad gave me to him, he said my dad didn't want me to get hurt or killed but I can't figure out why he couldn't stay if he didn't want me hurt, I mean like he left me and my mother and has never even reached out, my grandfather says he is a good man but it's way to hard to believe because what kind of father leaves his kid with his friend? A terrible one!

"Akamaru, dear we're home now!" Oh- I must've spaced out on our walk home which honestly normally happens, a little too much though, but grandfather just says it happens when someone thinks a little too much which is always funny to hear, "Akamaru now that we're home, will you tell why you are so injured?" I knew it, I knew the moment he put me down on one of the kitchen chairs that he would question me which I also knew that I could not avoid but that doesn't mean I had to be happy about it. He looked at me waiting for an answer, his hollow eyes were filled with nothing but patience, concern and kindness, I knew I had to answer.

"I-.. some older girls from the village just wanted to torment me again but Suzuki went a little too far this time, which is okay, and I didn't scream o-or anything!" I had to rush out the last bit of my sentence so he wouldn't need to ask but that just seemed to make it worse, and it did because the look on his ,all bone, face was completely unmasked concern and this meant either two things, one; he knew this already and is gonna give me a speech about how I shouldn't be scared to use my curse[2] to protect myself, or two; he was going to talk with the older girl' parents which would probably make the situation a whole lot worse then it should be, but those are just the most possible actions in this situation.

I lowered my head as soon as I heard a sigh come from his mouth, "Akamaru, did you really think that it was not okay to scream?" Yep it was number one, honestly that did I expect? He cares too much about me, if he speaks with their parents then he might intimidate them since he's known to do that to people when he's angry, which is almost never, but I can't help it now, especially when he looks so upset that I held back but I can't let my curse hurt others. "Grandpa.. you always taught me to be cautious and I am! Sure I should've yelled or something but.. I get called a freak already and I don't wanna make it worse.." it was always gonna be worse and I know that but if saying this makes him the tiniest bit better then I'll say anything he needs me to, I owe him so much for having to help me, take care of me and helping me with my curse that I caused..

"*sigh* Maru, dear, like I have said before, you owe me nothing. It's my job as your grandfather to take care of you and I-.. how about this, I tell you more about your father and you sit still and let me bandage you up?" What. No way in hell do I wanna know more about that bastard, he left and didn't look back! It's not my fault that I was born and he just left, my mother loved him and died waiting for him! "I'll sit still but I don't want to hear about that man, I don't care what you say about him, he is a temee[3] for leaving!" Why can't he get that I want nothing to do with him, that I don't want him in my life anymore! "Akamaru, please don't speak of your father in that way.. I know you hold a grudge against him but please try to understand that he had to.." "Yeah had to leave because he was a coward that couldn't stay for his family!" Why could he not get it?! I hate my father so much! I never want to hear about him especially from grandpa! He speaks of him so fondly that he thinks I should think the same which is just bullshit!

"Akamaru, you will not speak of him like that!" "Ow- shit- what the hell?!" He tightened the bandages on my shoulder too tight which hurt like hell of course, he's too blind to know that not everyone will like the man he used to know, he cares too much! "Akamaru, I'm sorry! I-" "Save it gramps.. thanks for treating me but now I gotta go before you do worse." I got up the moment he finished and didn't wait a second before I grabbed my hat and left the house, I went to the only place that he never knew about, the shoreline.. it was like my second home that I could be free at and just be myself there.. I know my words were harsh and mean but he has to get it through his head that I can't seem to like or even love my father, I hate the man and I always have and today was the last straw, the only thing I even remotely like about my father is that he cared enough to pass his Strawhat down to me or rather my mother passed it down to me on her death bed which was 4 years ago but it still hurt nonetheless sometimes.

"*sigh* I should go apologize.." I know I hit close to home with what I said to grandpa but.. the man he cares about is also the man I hate with almost every fiber of my being but I also know that gramps cares about me a little more which is probably not saying a lot, I start walking which is slowly since my legs are still hurt and tired from all the running I've been doing today. It's gotten pretty dark out here but I've walked through these woods for years and I haven't had a problem yet.
I hear talking the closer I get, did he really invite people over, especially after our fight? No, he would never! But the feeling of worry settles in my stomach when I get closer, I should hide just in case. "I told you, she isn't here! What have I done Coby-San?" "It's okay brook, I'm sure she'll be home soon!" Who is that and how does he know gramps? Is he wearing a marine uniform?! I can't help but let thoughts of gramps handing me in, as a monster, flood my mind, did he really wanna get rid of me that bad? Was I that much of a problem child that he called a marine? I felt tears in my eyes, it was hard to make me cry since I can't express my emotions well but I thought gramps loved me either way of that or not but I guess I was wrong..

I ran from the bush I was hidden in and sprinted into the forest and to a place I knew I could be alone in and never leave, the near fields, a small hideaway place in the forest that is covered in vines, beautiful flowers, against the shoreline, where some old shipwrecks lay and a small hut in the darkest but most peaceful corner, that she could call home. So what if he didn't care anymore, she could live without him anyway! Or so I really thought..
But I didn't really make it there before someone picked me up by my arms, which is really rude by the way, and held me but before I could even remotely freak out, I recognized the hands, boney hands, my grandfather's hands, he held me and I couldn't move because of the way he held me, I was being held like I was the only thing that mattered and I haven felt that way since my mother passed and it hurt. "Akamaru, I'm so sorry my dear bee[4], I should have never spoke of him.." His tone, it was panicked and sorrowful, it hurt, why was he panicking? And why was he running, what is going on?

"Gramps what's going on? What are you running?" I could hear my own voice panic but unfortunately that only made gramps run faster, I knew where we were going, to the docks on the back of the island but why there? It was practically abandoned and only pirates used it for when they wanted to hide their ships, I didn't get a reply from him which made me worry more since he's never been this quiet.
We reached the docks after a bit and I saw the same marine from earlier by it. "You found her! Great, we need to get her out of here now!" His tone was like gramps, which was more worrying than before! I cover my ears as soon as I hear a loud boom from somewhere on the island, what was going on?! I hear shouts and yells, gramps drops me into the small boat, "Akamaru, I'm sorry I can't explain this to you right now and I wish this didn't happen but.. I want you to be safe and away from here my little bee.. the hat you wear was once from the man you hate but it was also from the pira-" The explosions and yells are louder this time and near us too.

"Gramps, are you coming with me?" His hollow eyes show nothing, I can't read them this time.. I realize that he in fact won't be coming with and neither will the marine.. they're sending off to.. protect me?.. no, I refuse. I refuse to leave them here! "You have to gramps, I'm not leaving you here!" But the only thing I heard was a sorry from him before it all went black..

(-Abandoned Docks-)

"*sigh* You didn't have to knock her out you know?" He sighed even though he knew the girl wouldn't cooperate like he wanted and she got that from her father unfortunately, "Yes but we have no chose if we want to keep her safe.. now, who ordered this buster-call again?"
The skeleton questioned the marine captain with a tone made of steel. "I think you know by now, the same person who ordered his execution.." He knew that was a possibility but he didn't want to think about it as it hurt to think about but he had if he wanted to save his granddaughter! She was so much like him that she even shared the same dream, to be the pirate king which he knew she would achieve because the will of D. always achievers their goals and dreams, even if it killed them in the process.

Before either of them could speak, more explosions came and shouts got louder, they had to get the boat out of here and quickly, brook grabbed the side of the small, that held the last important thing to him in it, with easy and pushed it out to sea and hopefully it would end up at a small island that holds no recognition to it but then again he was never that lucky but Akamaru was and he knew that, "goodbye my little bee.. become the next Pirate King and learn to know more of your father!" He could feel the empty sockets that used to hold his eyes start to water, if not just a little bit, it was still so hard to say goodbye.. "Brook-San.. we need to make sure they don't get to her." "I know Coby-San, I will fulfill my promise to my captain and protect her!" They both locked eyes and nodded, it was time to say goodbye to the world they once knew and to say hello to the people they had lost.

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In the horizons of sea, marine ships could be seen leaving a burning, destroyed and damaged island that presumably had no survivors, two people lay on the bloodied ground of their home dead, one of them was a marine captain who had disobeyed his orders and duty's for a old and weak promise, the second one was a skeleton man who was just burning with a content small smile on his burning face. Goto island was gone, it would've been all over the news if the person who ordered this had not demanded this as a secret for the higher ups.

[1]: 'freak' is what Akamaru is called by the older kids of the village since she's different then the rest of them.
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[2]: What she calls a 'curse' is really her devil fruit, she ate the shriek shriek fruit because she was very sick(kinda like law).
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[3]: 'temee' means bastard in Japanese.
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[4]: 'bee' is an old nickname that brook and her mother used to call her but after her mother's passing brook stopped using it.
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