Chapter 1: What Happened to Stance
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I can't see the line between deliberate intention and coincidence.
Sergei Lukyanenko, 'The Last Watch '
Aurora's jaw tightens as she takes in the ruin left behind by Buggy's specialty cannon ball, her disdain for the clown deepening.
Buggy proved himself a real son of a bitch when he seized control of this peaceful town and turned their homes and shops into his personal playground for both destruction and ego gratification. It was maddening not being able to do anything, and she cursed Buggy under her breath. To think, she had been bested by a damn clown of all things—it was enough to make her sick.
"Magnificent!" Buggy boasts, laughing raucously. "See there, girl! That is why you should join my crew!"
Aurora composes her countenance as Buggy turns to her. She faces him slowly, regarding him with a cool expression, one red brow raised. "Was that supposed to impress me?"
At her remark Buggy grins haughtily, head resting against his closed fist. "You would do well to remember your situation, songbird."
Trust me, I have, she thinks, resisting the urge to narrow her eyes. She looks away, staring back at the destroyed buildings ahead of her. Engaging with Buggy only made her all the more livid, especially after the unnecessary display of ruin. She was angry—both at Buggy and herself. If she hadn't been so confident when facing him the first time, if she had been a little more cautious, she wouldn't be in this cage and Orange Town wouldn't be under this flashy tyranny.
Buggy sighs dramatically, tsking in her direction. "I am really starting to tire of this little game, red," he says, standing from his set and walking closer to her cage. "I would hate to see you waste away in this cage." He encircles said cage, tapping it to emphasize his point. "Agree to join my flashy ranks, become my subordinate, and you'll never be in want again." He leans in, his nose peeking through the iron bars.
Aurora trains her eyes on his, locking into a silent battle with the pirate captain.
Her answer remains the same.
Buggy frowns heavily, leaning away. "Your resilience is admirable, but you're a fool." He calls for three of his crew members. "Maybe time on your own will do you some good," he says, ordering three of his men to find a place elsewhere for her. The blue haired clown waves as her cage is picked up and carried away, and he laughs boisterously.
"See you later, songbird!"
Aurora counts the cobblestones in front of her, boredom finally settling in her bones after four days.
Buggy's men had placed her near the harbor, just behind a few shops. She could hear the waves lapping, could smell the salt of the ocean, and it tore at her heart to be so close and still unable to set her sights on it.
One-hundred forty-two, one-hundred forty-three, one-hundred forty-four…
What does that clown really expect for her to do? Join his crew? Become a lackey? Aurora doesn't really do the whole "being a disposable subordinate", especially if she had to take orders from some freakshow reject who plunders and pillages at the drop of a hat—or a honk of a nose, she should say. The redhead marches to her own tune—she has her own ambitions, her own wants and dreams to chase after.
Buggy had promised her that she'd never want for anything if she joined him. He couldn't promise that.
He'd never have what I want. Aurora raises her eyes from the cobblestones streets, ears pricking at a strange sound. The waves were beating something, fighting against it. And voices! She could hear people talking!
She held her breath, listening close. Sounds like four people. She leans against the cage, trying to get as close as she could to the sounds. Aurora couldn't place the voices, so she didn't know if the four were part of Buggy's entourage or not.
Fifty-fifty. She narrows her eyes, making up her mind. She waits until the scraping of wood, boat against the harbor, and the muffled thumping of foot falls, climbing out of the boat, before calling out to the voices.
"Who's ever there, can you help me?!" She bellows, exerting energy she didn't really have (Buggy had been gracious enough to give her one rice ball and a small cup of water every other day when she had been caged beside him, but since she had been put out by herself, he hadn't bothered anyone to continue the habit).
The four strangers fall silent and Aurora rolls her eyes to the heavens, wisdom teeth gnashing together.
"Come on! Please just help me! I'm stuck in this damned cage!" She declares, again using energy she didn't have; to beg, of all things!
She loses hope, crashing her back against the iron bars and exhales. Aurora closes her eyes, residing to her fate. Maybe I'll just tell Buggy I'll join him, make him trust me and then when he finally lets his guard down, I'll—
"Hey!"
Aurora's jaw drops open at the sight of the green haired man. "What the fuck are you doing here?!"
His own steely eyes narrow in recognition.
It was a small island, just like all the other islands in the East Blue. The East was not only the calmest, but it was the most simple of its sisters. The villages were always quaint, but it was a nice change when compared to the villages and islands beyond the Red Line.
Aurora has resided in Irvendale for the last week, planting her feet and working for money that always seemed to dwindle too quickly. The villagers were wary of her at first, most of them unnerved by the intensity of her topaz eyes and even more unconvinced when she opened her mouth to speak. The redhead could admit to herself that she was brash, a little prickly at times, and a little too blunt with her words, but it was hard to shake such a personality when it's all she's ever known.
It was hard to remember to be polite.
Aurora swallowed a snort down with her radler; if that old hag ever caught wind of her sardonic attitude, the redhead would be in for a world of discipline. The lobe of her ear throbbed, all caused by a phantom pain of a distant memory.
She could feel a sadness beginning, teeming just below the surface of her amusement. The redhead redirected her thoughts, focusing on the bite of her drink. Bartender made it too strong, she thought, corners of her mouth pulling downward. She wanted to tell him just that, but she decided it was too much hassle. Besides, she had to keep a low profile—less fussing the better.
Aurora paid little mind to the doors creaking open and close, signaling the sound of another patron coming through. Instead, she focused on the small logbook she kept on her person, choosing to write all she had experienced in Irvendale thus far.
It made the bad memories ebb away.
The newcomer came to stand next to the stool beside her. "Saké," a deep voice rumbles.
Aurora couldn't help but think it was a nice sound. She chanced a look out of the corner of her eye when the stranger sat, taking in the tan expanse of his muscle defined arms, trailing upwards his broad shoulders, and sharp jawline. Three golden earrings pierced through the skin of his lobe, upper lobe and high lobe, matching the three katanas anchored to the opposite waist. His hair was as green as the moss on her island, and that caused an ache she pushed back.
She returned to her writing, curiosity satisfied. She downed the rest of her drink and tapped it against the bar, demanding another. The bartender, used to her behavior after a week, came and replaced her radler. She took a swig, letting it sit in her mouth for a moment before swallowing. Her brows furrowed. Still too strong.
"You know," the stranger began, and it took Aurora a second before she realized he was speaking to her. She looked up at him slowly, languidly, resting her chin in her palm as his steel grey eyes stared into her own. "I'm broke at the moment. I don't even have enough money to pay for this saké."
He laid a piece of paper onto the table, but she refused to look at it, knowing it was her wanted poster. The three katanas finally clicked in her brain. "It says 'alive', Roronoa, and I heard that's not your style," she replied easily, as if she were commenting on the weather and not on her unknown fate. She points to the fine print, still looking at him. "And it says here that you might not even receive your payment until approved by Silberhafen, which could take weeks."
She crumpled the paper and threw it over her shoulder. "Unless you can go a couple more weeks of being broke, it'd be best if you go on and find another bounty to procure." She went back to writing, as if he already took her advice and skedaddled.
She could practically feel his smirk. "It doesn't specify how alive you have to be."
Aurora heard the katana before he sliced through empty air, air that the young woman had been occupying seconds before. With narrowed eyes, Aurora unsheathed her karambits, twirling them in her grasp. "Don't make me kill a bounty hunter," she tsk'd.
Aurora and the bounty hunter stare at each other, both taken aback by the appearance of one another. You have got to be kidding me! When I asked for help, Befreitor, I meant help!
Roronoa smirks as he eyes the cage she's in. "Having some trouble?"
Aurora presses her lips into a thin line, staring blankly ahead. "If I wanted to be mocked, bounty hunter, I would have joined the circus, but it seems you already have." Roronoa follows her gaze over his shoulder, noticing that the three clowns had appeared.
"I'm not a bounty hunter, nor have I ever claimed to be one," he retorts, arms crossing over his chest. "I'm looking for a friend of mine. Black hair, straw hat, loud—you seen him?"
She raises a brow and lifts a hand, gesturing to her surroundings. "I haven't seen anyone." He gives her an unamused brow. "If you help me out of here, then I'll help you find your friend. How does that sound, samurai?"
She leaves her expression blank as he assesses her, probably trying to figure out if her words could be trusted. "Are they leading you to Buggy?" He hesitated before nodding. "Great! Listen, you'll be outnumbered if you go by yourself, especially if you go as yourself. Buggy will think you've come for his head—" she snorts, imagining Roronoa slicing off the clown's head, mouth still moving a mile a minute. "I can help you, what do you say? I got a score to settle with that damn jester anyway."
She holds her palm between the bars, beckoning him to shake it. He doesn't take her hand, but he does look at the carnies over his shoulder. "Do either of you have a key?"
One of the clowns clears his throat, gaining the samurai's attention. "I-I d-do, but I'm under s-strict orders not to l-let her go, Roronoa."
Aurora scowls at the joker, hands gripping tight around the iron bars. "If you don't let me out right now, you're the first one I'm coming after when I do get out of here, carney," she hisses, voice laced with venom and ready to strike at a moment's notice.
Zoro looks between the two and he can't even fully stop the shiver crawling up his spine and tensing his shoulders at the redhead's orange glare. If looks could kill, he thinks before turning to the Buggy pirate. "Let her out," he demands, hand resting on his white katana.
The lackey does as he's told and retrieves the key from the depths of his pocket, slowly approaching Aurora's caged self. She watches him intently, jaw unclenching when the lock clicks. He lets the door swing open as he hides behind the swordsman. Aurora stands to her feet and breathes a loud sigh as she steps out of her prison. She walks forward and stands in front of the swordsman, taking him in.
She remembers her manners this time. Aurora smiles. "Long time, no see, stranger." She walks around him, arm brushing his as she inches closer to the Buggy pirates.
"Buggy put you in that cage?" She nods at his question as the three stumble a few steps back. "Why?"
"Because I refuse to join his crew," she answers, walking past the sweating carnies. "You coming or not, samurai?"
At her call, the swordsman trails after her, as well as the three Buggy pirates. Aurora could hear them whispering amongst themselves.
"Listen, I don't know what kind of situation your friend is in," she begins, relaxing her shoulders, "but Buggy isn't one to be underestimated."
"I know he's a Devil Fruit user."
"Do you know what— what are you plotting?! " She spins on her heels, grabbing the carnies on both ends and smashing all three heads together, successfully knocking them out. Then she continues, as if she never broke stride, "do you know what they do?"
Roronoa looks over his shoulder briefly at the three bodies lying behind them before he answers her. "No."
"He can dissect himself into pieces—that's how he got me." As she says this, she gestures to the bloodied bandages around her waist and thigh. "Just when I thought I won and dropped my guard, he stabbed me. He'll do the same to you if you're not careful."
Roronoa nods, face setting into a stern expression. He must have taken her words to heart with an expression like that.
She leads him to the tavern Buggy had set up shop, going up the stairs until it led to the top floor, where only a trapdoor leading to the roof was. Before opening the trapdoor, the redhead holds her arm out, stopping the bounty hunter from taking another step. She puts her index finger to her lips when he showed signs of saying something, leaning her head against the trapdoor that led to the outside, listening for an opening.
"Traitor! And after I welcomed you into my crew!" Buggy bellows. "You'll pay for that, little girl… WITH YOUR LIFE! "
Time to go! Aurora and Roronoa both bust through the trap door, Roronoa using two of his sheathed katanas to clothesline four pirates that had jumped to attack an orange haired girl with her back turned.
Aurora had stopped dead in her tracks, eyes glued to the young boy in the cage, rope tied around his body. His eyes were dark, blacker than coal, and there was a scar under his left eye. He was young, with a round face and a boyish grin pointed at Roronoa.
But that's not what gave her pause.
The boy had a straw hat on top of his head, worn from the years of wear, and it had a singular red ribbon tied around it.
Her jaw is slack and her eyes wide, and memories of a red haired man, same red hair as her, flood her senses. The taste of sea salt clinging to him desperately, the smell of alcohol stinging her nose, the sound of his laugh reverberating through her bones…
It surely couldn't be the same hat… he never even let me touch it. Aurora walks closer to the boy, eyes unable to leave the hat, taking in all the patches she had memorized after hours of listening to story after story sitting in the red haired man's lap. She shakes herself from yesteryears, focusing her eyes on Buggy and Roronoa, preparing herself to make her own move to get her weapons back.
As Roronoa takes the offensive, Aurora starts for her own weapons, dodging Buggy's men. She makes it to the clown's throne successfully, throwing her claymore across her chest and hooking her karambit belt around her waist hurriedly. She unsheathes the small curved knives, evading a series of attacks from three men.
Aurora is able to gain her footing before the pirates realize she hadn't been injured by them, performing a spinning kick and knocking out two of the three. She slashes at the other while he is distracted by her quick attack, cutting him deep in the chest. He falls next to his brethren and more appear in his stead.
She sets her jaw and her nostrils flare from a heavy breath. She steadies herself against these pirates, readying her karambits. The pain in her side and thigh bites as she fights her way through the crowd of carnies, the lack of nutrition in her body slowly catching up.
How am I getting out of this alive?
Any hope Aurora might have in escaping were dashed the moment Roronoa yelled out in pain.
The redhead looks over and sees that Buggy had gained the upper hand during his clash with the pirate hunter, stabbing the samurai in the side—much like he had done to her. Didn't she tell that stupid swordsman to not underestimate Buggy?
Aurora cuts down another pirate and races towards the green haired swordsman, intercepting Buggy's blow. "Cheap shot, clown," she says, glaring at the dismembered man. She shoves the hand away, turning to the wounded samurai and asks, "Hey, can you get up?"
Roronoa gives her a dirty look and she challenges it by cocking a red brow.
"You never stood a chance, Roronoa Zoro!" Buggy guffaws, drawing the two's attention. "I might have missed your vitals, but that's still a serious wound!"
Roronoa clutches at said wound, pressing his fingers into his blood soaked haramaki.
"Stabbing someone in the back is fighting dirty, you big nosed bastard!" The boy in the straw hat screams. Aurora jerks at his voice and sets her amber eyes on the boy. She takes in his furious expression, and she can't help but be reminded of her father. Especially with him in that damn straw hat!
At the boy's comment, the Buggy pirates gasp, the captain quiet. Aurora purses her lips, headache developing. Of course, he says the one thing that'll set that freak into a frenzy. Yet, she couldn't bite back the smile of amusement.
"You dare call me 'big nose'?!" Buggy bellows, hand rushing forward, dagger glinting in the sun. The dagger hits its target head-on.
"Luffy!"
Aurora is startled by Roronoa's desperate yell. The redhead holds her breath, listening intently to the kid's heart. Focusing, she could tell that the beat went on undisturbed, strong and unyielding. Breath still draws in his lungs. Luffy picks his head up suddenly, dagger between his teeth.
"I swear, I'm gonna beat your ass!" The straw hat boy says as he crushes the blade between his teeth, successfully breaking it apart.
Aurora hums low in her chest, her first impression of the boy changing. This kid's got nerves, she thinks. Even when he's tied up and caged behind iron bars, he's still able to show his bite along with his bark. The Buggy pirates laugh in the wake of Luffy's declaration, mocking him and his current situation.
"How are you gonna do that, Straw Hat? Have you forgotten where you are?" Buggy then looks to the redhead, their eyes connecting. His dark eyes narrow, smile suddenly serious. "Last chance, songbird. Join me, or you can die with these three."
"I'd rather take my chances," she replies, no hesitation in her decision. If she dies, she dies. But then again, she could live just as easily, and that's what made it all the more sweet. She also couldn't help the shiver of satisfaction at Buggy's fallen expression at her rejection.
"Wrong choice!"
"Zoro, run!"
Aurora peeks at the straw hat kid and pirate hunter, glancing between the two. She watches their silent exchange, brow furrowing at the realization befalling Roronoa's face. He smirks, affirming his friends' orders.
"You won't get away that easily, Roronoa! Chop-Chop Canon!"
Roronoa starts running, blocking the oncoming attack of Buggy's hands, sending them to the side as it finally dawns on Aurora. She heads for the cannon alongside Roronoa, and the two shoulder the weapon together. They flip it towards the Buggy pirates, and Aurora looks at the orange haired girl.
"Light this thing!" Aurora commands the girl and she scrambles with the match before she lights the fuse.
"They got that cannon pointed at us!"
"And it's loaded with my Special Buggy Ball!"
Buggy and his crew start to lose their minds before the cannon goes off, blowing their side of the tavern to bits, and any buildings in its path.
"This is our chance," Roronoa states, briefly looking at the unnamed woman. "Who're you again?"
"I'm… a thief," she answers, uncertainty shaking her voice.
"Actually," Luffy cuts in, grinning like a canary, "she's our new navigator!"
"What are you talking about? You're crazy if you think—!"
"Sorry to interrupt, but," Aurora interjects, staring blankly between the three, "if you're going to take this time to escape, I suggest you start now."
Luffy's eyes turn to the redhead, as if noticing her for the first time. Her eyelid twitches at his blunt question. "Who're you?"
"… Aurora."
Luffy's eyes got big, the black of his iris' sparkling. "Aurora? No way! Aw man, Shanks talked about you all the time!"
She couldn't stop the eruption of warmth in her belly at the sound of that, especially from a boy who wore Shanks' hat of all things. Aurora felt the heat travel to her cheeks and she was sure that her cheeks were the same shade as her hair. She clears her throat, uncomfortable at the attention, sheathing her karambits. "We gotta get you out of here," she says, ignoring Luffy's awe stricken expression for now. "That damn clown has that key, I bet you." She spares a look over her shoulder, at the cloud of smoke left in the wake of the cannon's explosion.
"No problem, leave it to me." The swordsman, in his stupidity, picks the cage up and heaves it onto his shoulder. Muscles bulging, wound gushing, guts on the brink of falling out—the two girls could only look on in disbelief.
Aurora shakes herself from her shock, brows narrowing. What a dumbass!
Luffy tried reasoning with him, but Roronoa was stubborn in his decision, and he started off. Aurora and the other girl follow the swordsman from roof to roof. Aurora had to give it to the bounty hunter, he was fast, even with a wound in his side and a solid iron cage weighing his shoulders. He didn't have a problem keeping up with her when she took over as leader, even when she jumped down to cobblestoned streets. He soldiered on, keeping any complaints to himself.
When Aurora felt like they were a good distance away, she stopped. "Here, we should be safe for now." Even as she said this, she looked behind, ahead and side to side, making sure they were, in fact, safe. That ginger girl parted from them a couple of miles back, but Aurora didn't pay it any mind. If she was going to do something, she would have done it already.
Roronoa collapses to the ground, body sprawling. Luffy continues to chew at the bars of his prison, but they don't waver under his choppers. Aurora approaches the fallen swordsman and nudges him to roll over onto his back with the toe of her boot. "Let me see that injury, samurai," is all that she says when he glares at her.
He does as she commands and lets her move his haramaki and shirt, feeling how the fabric slightly sticks to the blood. She whistles low as she takes in the incision. It was deep, that she could tell, and it was jagged—Buggy had too much fun in causing as much pain as he could when removing the dagger from Roronoa's torso.
She reaches into the small pack attached to her belt, retrieving a small bottle of disinfectant, a needle and thread, and gauze. "I'm not a doctor so it'll be shitty, but you've already lost so much blood as is. We need to close that laceration, samurai." She cleans the area around the injury and disinfects the needle and thread before beginning to stitch the skin back together.
Roronoa is able to see just enough and she was right, it was shitty, but it got the job done. The redhead wraps his torso in gauze, not too tight, but not too loose—just right. Just enough to support the stitches and to keep his guts from spilling all over the place. When she's finished, she collects her things back into her pouch and sits with legs criss-crossed as her piercing orange eyes flitter from him to Luffy.
"Stop that before you break your teeth," she reprimands the boy. He stops in his actions to look at her, eyes again dazzling, picking up where he started on the tavern rooftop. "So, you know my old man, then?"
"Yep! I sure do!" He laughs, a shishishi sound coming forth. "He came to my village when I was a kid. Shanks is a great man, I owe him my life." Luffy grabs at the straw hat on top of his head, a fond, soft smile on his lips. "He gave me his hat to return to him after I become the Pirate King."
He says it nonchalantly, but Aurora can see the admiration burning in his eyes and the determination set in his body. Others had declared to become Pirate King before, but none had ever lived up to the challenge. Now, here was another with the same dream, former bounty hunter and sneaky navigator by his side, ratty straw hat on top of his head. Aurora wonders what will become of him.
She can't help the bitterness that crawls in the back of her throat, remembering all the times Shanks wouldn't let her touch that gods forsaken hat, how he would push her hands away before she even had the chance. But now the hat was here, sitting atop another's head. Her father's most treasured item was not with him, but instead with another.
What's so special about him? She thinks. I'm his daughter, and he wouldn't even let me look at it a certain way, but this kid gets to wear it? She closes her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose as she feels a wave of anger wash over, muscles tensing in reply. Aurora hates this feeling, hates that she even feels this way in the first place, hates this goofy kid (despite the fact that she didn't even know him), but most of all, she hates her father in this moment.
There were a lot of things she wanted to say, but they were all too spiteful. Instead, she chose, "Pirate King, huh? Well, all I have to say is good luck, kid." Even to her own ears her tone was still pricked with anger.
Luffy didn't seem to notice, or maybe he didn't want to. Either way, his smile widens. "I don't need luck."
Aurora hums, eyes closing in response. This kid is kinda intense. Her hand reaches out and pets the dog beside her, massaging the spaces right behind his ears.
"Hey! When did that dog get here?!"
Seriously? Aurora doesn't pause her ministrations, but she does open her eyes once again to look at the dog. He was a white, fluffy dog with small dark eyes and a long face. He stayed still as a statue, despite Aurora's mindless petting.
"Oh, there is a dog," Roronoa mumbles, halfway gone, his exhaustion finally catching up to him.
These guys aren't very observant. Aurora stops petting the small dog, resting her chin in her hand.
"Is it alive?" Aurora sends Luffy a sarcastic look at the question.
"Obviously," she states, scratching the pup under the chin.
"Why isn't it moving?" Aurora couldn't help but wonder the same thing as she removes her hand from the dog's fur altogether.
"Who cares," came the exasperated Roronoa. "It's his business if he moves or not. We need to worry about getting you out of that cage."
Luffy smiles as he pokes the dog in the eye.
The dog doesn't make a sound as he latches onto Luffy's face.
"Lemme go, lemme go, lemme go!"
"Stop playing around, Luffy!"
Aurora jumps into action and grabs the dog by its small body, detaching him from Luffy. The dog tries to bite at her hands holding his torso as she puts him down. He immediately goes back to where he was and how he was. The redhead backs away from the animal, now uncertain. Despite Luffy deserving it, the fact that the dog went from zero to hundred within in a blink of an eye concerns her.
"Dumb dog! Why'd you do that?" Luffy whines, slumping onto his back.
Aurora exhaled a long breath, looking towards the direction of the orange haired girl, watching her closely as she approached. "Look at you three," she says as she stops before them. "Not to criticize, but is the middle of the street really the best hiding place you could come up with?"
"She's the one who led us here, navigator," Roronoa accuses, pointing a finger in Aurora's direction.
Before Aurora could say anything, the ginger turned on the samurai. "Don't call me that! I never agreed to that!" She takes a deep breath, pinching the bridge of her nose in irritation. "I just wanted to say thank you for saving me, so here." She throws a key in front of Luffy's cage, the metal glinting teasingly.
"The key! You stole the key to the cage!"
I suppose she wasn't lying when she said she was a thief, Aurora crosses her arms, eyes trained on the girl and her thin hands.
Said thief shrugs her shoulders casually. "Yeah, sure, I got the stupid key," she says, rolling her eyes and pouting. "But I had to leave that map and all that treasure behind."
Luffy laughs, ignoring the second part of his navigator's statement. "This is great! I thought I'd never get out!"
Quick as lightning, as Luffy stretched out a hand to pick up the key, the dog sticks out his tongue and licks the damn thing up into his mouth. Aurora's jaw drops open in disbelief.
"You damn dog!"