Author's Notes: Hello, hello, hello! XD The holidays are upon us, and I've got last-minute stuff to do. However, I wanted to present this clip to Gol D.1218, Tenyasha04, and Jwaot for their support of this story. I do have plans to come back to this story and make corrections on Ace's lore, but, ultimately, the brunt of this story was in the first 12 chapters. I decided to leave out the political stuff in case no one was interested, but my audience has grown beautifully. I don't get much feedback on anything still, but I see the readership is slowly building. So, I decided to map out how I actually want this expanded short story to go. It won't be 100% accurate in terms of One Piece lore, but I'll try my best to make it clean since I intend to make this story more historical and not futuristic. It's got more to do with the politics than anything else. Anyways, this clip is a bit on the mushy side, which we tend not to like, but it's not romantic and mushy. It's just family mush.
~... The Noble Among Pirates, Romanus Crisanti Llandala...~
Her beloved armor had finally cracked into pieces. Nesi was in complete anguish at the loss and was crying into a handkerchief. The Reds tried to comfort her, but they ultimately stopped caring after a while. She was in mourning and hosted a funeral for the torso piece. She finished her obituary, closed the "coffin" of her armor's "resting place", and flopped onto the box like the torso piece was a person being lowered into the earth. Little did they know that Nesi often did this to her lingerie if the Spades ever found her ladies' garments, but the garments were typically "cremated" and not "buried".
"You do know that isn't a person, right?" Shanks asked, fully amused by Nesi's ceremony.
"She was to me! Angelica protected me!" Nesi replied, mumbling on the coffin. "She was a precious gift from Lord Hawkins and his wife. She was from royalty. Royalty! And she's gone!"
"We could just find you another body armor thing," Benn responded, folding his arms at the ridiculousness of the situation. "It's just a metal girdle."
"NO, IT'S NOT!" Nesi roared with a demonic voice. "No replacement is worthy of my lord's honor. Ha-lehlehlehleh-ugh!"
"What the hell is that reaction?" Yasopp replied, flinching at Nesi's sudden possessed response.
"The devil is strong in this one," Lucky Roo said with a chuckle.
"Without that armor, you look more like a proper pirate anyway," Shanks said with an approving smile. "It's cute!"
"I feel so naked," Nesi complained, sniffing up her tears in her handkerchief. "How much longer will it be before you return me to my base?"
"Aaahhh..." the men replied, turning to Shanks for his answer.
"Oh, not long at all. Since you're acting as a privateer on my ship, you still get to do your regular work. You're just under us," Shanks answered.
"No, I can't. You didn't sign the contract," Nesi informed, nuzzling against Angelica's coffin. "Every privateer - no matter the rank - must have signed records of everything they do whether that's picking up a pencil off the floor or cleaning a cannon. We're a fragile people."
"You've been doing a lot of things without my signature, Llandala," Shanks said, smirking.
"Correction. You've been signing things without your knowledge," Nesi said, taking a card out of her jacket's pocket.
Without her armor, she couldn't properly wear her gentleman's shirt and waistcoat. Her clothes were tailored to her body with regard to the armor. Now, she was stuck wearing a corset over a slip. Mentally, she argued that she looked like Moga. Nesi didn't realize how comfortable she was in her gentleman's attire until it was gone. Luckily, her pants and boots were simple choices and didn't have to be replaced. Her coat as well. She showed Shanks the card with his fingerprint on it and pouted.
"You need to learn how to sleep fuller," Nesi remarked, not noticing Shanks's look of disapproval within his eyes. "Takes forever to get your marks without you noticing."
"Oh? You've been sneaking into my cabin?" Shanks questioned.
"Unfortunately," Nesi sighed, tucking the card back into her pocket.
Cling, cling!
"Squaw!" Baragon called, throwing an empty bowl at Nesi. He was pouting himself. No food.
"Guess it's time for the repass," Nesi said with a sigh and light laugh. "I'm coming, Snookums. The captain needs time to review the documents, and he doesn't like reading."
Baragon took that time to look at the card on the floor and pick it up with his mouth. He stood on his legs and squawked again. Shanks eyed the pink Draco lizard before taking the card out of his mouth and reading the list of things Nesi had done on the ship. Though a majority of her time on the Red Force consisted of entertainment, her duties had changed from that to cleaning and treasure hunting. It became clearer to the emperor that her role was shifting now that he physically could see it.
"Tell me something, Llandala. Did you always want to be a privateer? Or was that just something you fell into?" Shanks asked, handing the card to Benn for a second opinion.
"I've always been myself!" Nesi replied, taking Baragon's bowls into her lap. She balanced her weight on the balls of her feet as she bounced. "I was born, raised with my family's values, and this is the title I was given. Daddy made sure I never lost sight of who I was, even when I was in prison."
"Prison?" Shanks questioned.
"You're still a kid. How long ago were you in prison?" Benn asked, taking a drag from his cigarette.
"I was ten," Nesi replied, crossing her arms over her knees but smiling. "I was the youngest female to be registered as an offender. There is no juvenile prison where I live," Nesi informed, looking into the bowl with a fond smile and light blush. "I... had never seen my father so scared when the guards came for me. He hit me, yelled at them, tried to fight everyone back, and even tried to hide me away. As heartbroken as he was, I went anyways. I wrote letters to him as often as possible since visitation was not permitted for sixty days. Almost every letter he wrote in return had tears on them. Mummy was no better! Every attempt they made at breaking me out extended the time away from me, but I think... my time there opened my eyes to much. Prison is a terrible place, but... it was rehabilitative. My letters had gone from being scared to wondering about the treatment of prisoners. What I remembered most about it all wasn't the letters or the visitation, though. It was the warden who spoke to me often. He educated me, taught me to read passed basic mechanics of grammar, and would even pray with me. I don't know if he took pity on me because I was a kid, but he kept his eye on me. A lot of the duties in women's prisons is domestic labor, so my skills were refined while there, but he allowed me to help other prisoners with their work. A quota was created to promote work efficiency. Besides the warden, there was a journalist or writer who visited the prison. He was the one who fought for my freedom the hardest and sought abolishment for the prison system. The warden had me speak to the writer often as well. Those men sort of triggered my search for a more efficient and beneficial life for all people. I don't believe I need a title or a proper age to do what I do."
"... Interesting," Shanks said when Nesi rose to her feet. "You never spoke of your father before. He must be a big family man."
"He was. He died some years ago," Nesi replied, looking up at the setting sun. "He was a pirate like you. His career was short-lived but successful. All the belly he earned went to his family until his captain marooned him on Coco Kani Oni Island. I think that's what they called it! Daddy never really told me what happened to where the captain felt his crew needed to be marooned, but he hated it and never really forgave his captain for it."
"What was your father's name?" Shanks asked.
"Romanus. His last name was reformed after his stint in prison," Nesi informed with a soft smile at the memory of her father. "The only man I fear more than anyone on this Earth. Fact, I'd rather let the Lord above deal with me than daddy."
"What was he like?" Yasopp asked, thinking of his own failures as a father.
"He definitely believed in spanking his kids," Nesi responded, looking at Yasopp. "You would've liked him, Mr. Slipper Sniper!"
"I should spank you again for dumping the ale overboard!" Yasopp argued, getting heated from the memory.
"It was an accident!" Nesi whined with a pout.
"Like hell it was!" Yasopp roared.
"What crew was your old man even in?" Benn asked.
"Blue Moon Devils. They were new at the time, so I don't expect anyone to really know them. Fact, it's actually hard to find any records on them, even an old bounty sticker, from what I understand. If the legend of One Piece is true, daddy did mention that they built a treasure vault within the span of two years that I guess was meant to be similar. The treasure ships they were swiping reflected their needs at the time. When they found a spot for a base, they built houses above the water and a storm shelter on land. Lumber and housing ships were the main targets. So, for two years straight, they worked as architects, security guards, and construction workers. Daddy excels at building things. I firmly believe that's why," Nesi informed.
"You said he sent money to his family, though, so the other years involved currency to some degree," Shanks added.
"The captain was very organized and left no year penniless. Money was always a consistent target, but it became secondary in regard to what was needed. My uncle said that the captain would often map out at least five heists in fine detail every week. The heists with the highest priority were typically the most thought-out and the most successful. He had them scout the travel patterns of target ships throughout the same week. Stragglers were observed more and hit accordingly. Those that were more guarded were hit the hardest. Daddy earned his keep all throughout the building projects or whatever the captain deemed necessary. He just never kept it for himself. He lived minimally, and my uncles followed suit," Nesi replied.
"You're like your father then," Shanks remarked softly. He wasn't sure why he thought of Roger, but he did. "You built something while marooned on an island, too. You were even dumped on said island by your own captain. You both must have the same temper because you both were angry about it."
"I, unfortunately, have both my parents' tempers," Nesi said brightly. "Not exactly a bragging right."
"What's your fondest memory of your pirate father?" Yasopp asked in Shanks's place.
"Hm... probably that time he punched a shop keep unconscious," Nesi answered, chuckling. She got into a position to tell the story and said, "He was buying mummy some art supplies and a bundle of things for me to make dolls. He goes up to the shopkeeper and says, uh, 'Excuse me, man. I need some stuff for my wife. She's doing portraits and a class on the weekend. Whatcha got that's available?' Shopkeeper goes, 'Ah, yes, go down that aisle on the right. You should see everything she needs.' Daddy says his thanks, gets everything he needs, puts it all in a basket. No problem. Gets to me and the dolls... Loses a gasket. He's back with the shopkeep, 'Ay, man, do you have some dolls for a little girl about four to five years old?' Shopkeep goes, 'Uh, yeah, we got some on the wall in the back, I think.' Same process. Daddy says his thanks, goes to the back, there's not a doll in sight. He looks around for a few minutes. Ain't nothin' there. He goes back, 'Hey, man, I don't see anything. Are you out of stock?' Shopkeep goes, 'Nah, we might've forgot to fill the shelves over there. Hold on, let me check our back.' Daddy waits. Five minutes pass. Ten minutes. Twenty. Bell rings for lunch. He goes back, 'Hey, man, if you're out it's no big deal.' Shopkeep goes, 'Oh, no, I found them. We got Dottie.' Daddy reads the label, 'That says Pottie. I can see the kid's ass.'"
Lucky Roo chuckles and says, "That's right."
"Shopkeep puts the doll away and goes, 'You might like the Starlight collection. Girls love the little sailor suits!' Daddy goes alright, reads the back of the box, turns it, and goes, 'Buddy, that is a badger in a handkerchief. Okay, Starlight dolls were inspired by Sailor Moon. What the hell is wrong with her eyes?' Shopkeep takes the box back and asks, 'Would your daughter be interested in Cuddle Bear?'" Nesi points to Shanks, looks at him, then returns to her position to tell the story. "Daddy goes, 'You mean the bear on the little fabric softener bottles? They sell those?' Shopkeep goes and gets it and daddy (being daddy) goes, 'Sir. Sir. Sir! You have a teddy bear's head strapped to a detergent bottle!'"
Yasopp lets out a laugh at that and says, "Yeah, I like him."
"Shopkeep goes, 'Okay, okay. We do have Giggle Bug.' Giggle Bug was a local kids' story on my island. He was meant to teach children to never lose sight of happiness and to find the good in people. Giggle is meant to be a cross between a ladybug and a damselfly. Real small, brightly colored bug. Daddy goes, 'Oh, that's wonderful. I can't imagine the quality being - that's a damn DUCK!'" Nesi roared.
"Dahahaha!" Shanks laughed.
"Shopkeep makes one Hail Mary attempt. This is when I saw the magic happen. I was playing in the yarn baskets in the aisle for the dollmakers, and I see Giggle Bug, which was a big duck. I go to daddy and point at the duck. He hands it to me, and I go play with it in the yarn. The shopkeep comes back with this blue, purple, beat up thing and says, 'Well, sir, you're in luck. I just so happen to have this one Sunny Buddies doll!' Daddy looks at it, takes the doll, inspects it, and smacks the hell out of the guy with it. He goes, 'Dude! Just say you don't have any dolls! We will make our own! Sweet Jesus!' Shopkeep goes, 'There's no need to be so angry, sir! We have a Mimty Minty doll!' Daddy does like a spin like this and goes, 'No no no no no no no no no! What do you mean by a Mimty Minty?' He looks up at the shopkeeper's hand and the guy pulls out like a garden gnome, colorful troll thing all slow. Daddy takes a deep breath, takes the doll, slaps the guy with it, and then decks him out. I don't remember what daddy said after that, but I remember putting a bunch of Band-Aids on the guy. 'Daddy, he needs a band-aid!' He goes, 'No, baby, he needs to talk to the Lord. He'll be back selling his shit.'"
Benn finally laughed and said, "No greater tragedy has befallen a man when he has to go shopping for dolls."
"Well, the shopkeeper made his money," Nesi said quite proudly. "Daddy paid for the art supplies, my dollmaking materials, and Giggle Duck and Groucher the Beat-Up Blue Thing. I fixed him. He never bought dolls again."
"Trauma! You let that man be traumatized!" Yasopp said through laughter.