"Everyone has different talents and skills, and some don't have any."

Chapter 2: Roped into this 2

It was odd how much your life could change, if you only let it.

Kirei had found himself sparring with Tashigi nearly every day. It had become a part of his routine in a way that felt natural, even as he struggled and bled against the young marine.

Kirei had found himself afterwards asking himself questions. What could he have done better? What could he do more of? Sometimes he would put that into practice, and then try to surprise her and Smoker with a new technique.

That's not to say that he was winning. In truth, Tashigi had grown by leaps and bounds as well. Simple tricks began to grow to more complex ones, and then complex tricks began to progress to mechanisms of thought, traps laid in wait and then discarded the moment they were found out.

And when she triumphed over that, he began to train to try to keep up.

Forcing his body to move in ways it never had before, as he tried to dodge around a sword and land the blow that would finish the fight.

And as the ropes that he had moving around them suddenly tightened to a post behind her, he moved.

"Rope-Rope Fruit: Draw Punch!"

It was a reckless cry, the ropes drawing him towards his target, forcing him on a collision course.

And then, as the blade readied itself to meet him, he let the line go slack, his momentum halting only slightly as he turned the movement into a slide, the rope tightening again as tension rocketed him forward, pulling him under the blade just barely, an elbow hitting Tashigi in the chest.

He felt certain that would have finished the fight if he had landed it cleanly. But, since he had to break it off he was robbed of the momentum he should have had.

The blow of the handle racing towards his head was the last thing he saw before his vision was replaced with stars and blackness.

When he awoke, it was to the slight concern of Tashigi standing over him, probably due to the fact that he was unconscious. Or at least that's what the ringing in his head and the lack of memory of how he ended on the ground said.

It was a dull throbbing pain now, one that let him know he was alive.

"Hey, Kirei? You alright? I didn't think I hit you that hard- Well, actually it was because you hit me pretty good and I may have put a little extra oomph on it, but I didn't think that it was going to-" Kirei tuned out the noise of her explanation for the moment. He wouldn't pretend that he knew her well. If Smoker had expected them to get along, then he would be disappointed. Kirei knew he was not the most social person. He handled the task in front of him, and moved on. He enjoyed their spars. He enjoyed trying to keep up with the swordswoman who was constantly making strides to better herself.

But that didn't mean he knew her. When the spars were over, when they had fought their fill, he would thank her for her time, and he would leave. Cordial, if nothing else. Smoker was rarely there, most of the time on his patrol of the town, chasing shadows and ash, reminding everyone that help was there.

As his eyes refocused back in front of him, he finally opened his mouth, his tongue feeling dry and uncooperative. "It's fine." Two short little words, to hopefully stop her from worrying. A sigh of relief left her after that, a slight thankfulness that extended for a moment as she stood up and grabbed her practice sword from where it lay on the grass, probably cast to the side when she realized the fight was decided.

As she stood back up, however, her voice came to him through the slight fog of pain. "You don't talk much, do you?" It was painfully direct, and yet it was said with honesty. Like she was stating a fact. The sky was blue. The ocean was large. And Kirei was not much for conversation. It wasn't even an accusation.

And yet, some part of him disagreed. He talked a lot in his head after all. It was just rarely about other people. His mind, he often ruminated, was tied in knots. A big ball was every problem he ever solved and was going to solve, and he would tease the solutions loose, slowly, working the knots away one by one, following the rope and the thread until he found where it began and ended.

And this was… not exactly a problem, but it was resembling one. And thus, the record had to be set straight. "I talk when I need to. If someone asks me a question, I respond." There. A perfect explanation of his approach to this world. He worked a job because he needed to. He spoke when he needed to. He ate when he needed to, at the time set by a watch, since he rarely felt hunger on his own, and thus would miss several meals if he didn't do something to keep track of it.

"My point exactly! You know that normal people initiate conversations right? They talk about things besides when they need to. The only things I know about are your name and your power, and we have been sparring nearly every day for over a month!" She ended her statement with a small crossing of her arms, some irritation over his way of life finally having boiled over. He would blame it on the emotional rollercloser that was the fight. But as to the contents of her message…

"I didn't want to offend. And truthfully, I wasn't that…" Curious, was the word he wanted to say, but he cut himself off, realizing how it sounded at the last moment. He was not the most adept at playing with words, but he knew most people probably wanted to be interesting. He remembered one of his co-workers stating that everyone had a story in them, just waiting to be let out. Kirei decided to restart the conversation, before she leaped at the loose thread that he had left there. "...nevermind. If you wish for me to ask you a question, I can. What are your hobbies?"

He had thought it would be a decent line of questioning. He would ask, she would respond with a similar question, and the social quota would be filled. The groan that left her mouth quickly cleared him of that notion. "You can't just ask a question because I think you want me to! Seriously, that just makes it feel like you are ticking boxes on some invisible checklist. And that's not-" Her response was cut off as she saw me nod at the explanation. "-You actually have an invisible checklist in your head, don't you."

Kirei shrugged as he stood up fully, shaking his hands from where they had clenched around his ropes, receding back towards his sides. "Yes, I do. If it is any consolation, you have helped me by expanding the list. If I feel like I have to ask a question, I should make sure that isn't communicated, and instead just make it seem like I want to ask it." It made sense, now that it was stated. Just like his ropes feeling his surroundings, he would work out what to say and how to say it, one blind fumbling through the darkness at a time.

The sigh that left her seemed one full of doom. A bloody thing, as if she had been marked on a path. Kirei hadn't the slightest idea why. "I now realize why this took a month. You are absolutely hopeless, aren't you? I'm not even that charismatic, and yet I must appear like a master next to you." Kirei tilted his head at the explanation, not quite understanding.

"I do what I need to. And I do what I like to do. Talking to others rarely falls into the latter. And I have figured out how to handle the former."

"And that's… why you asked me what my hobbies are. Because when you reduce human existence down to only necessities and likes, those are the only two things you can think to ask about." Kirei realized he couldn't tilt his head any further, the confusion inside him continuing to ratchet it beyond the breaking point.

"I… am not quite sure what you are getting at. But… I suppose I would say that my hobby is practicing with my power. I enjoy it. I assumed that you might have something similar within your life." Was there anything else to life besides that?

Putting the sword back on the rack, she grabbed where her jacket was hanging up.

"Of course that's your hobby. I should have guessed that much. Follow me. If you want to know so mildly, I can try to show you what exists beyond your philosophy, at least in part. And don't give me some excuse about missing work, I know today is your day off!" Kirei wasn't sure what he had done to earn such vitriol, but he truthfully wasn't going to say no in the first place. He wasn't the type to go out of his way often, but when people asked him directly, he tended to yield. It was easier that way.

Walking after her, she kept looking back and over her shoulder like she was expecting he might have disappeared. He didn't understand why. Eventually however, she did speak up. "You are not even going to ask me where we are walking towards, are you?"

He shrugged, then realizing after a moment that he would have to verbalize the motion since she was watching the path in front of them that winded throughout the town, the people of the city beginning to wake up for the day, shops opening and people beginning their daily commutes. "Not particularly. Wherever you are taking me is on the island, and I can most likely return to my home afterwards without much issue. I didn't see any need to worry."

"That's the most backwards logic I have ever heard of! You are not even the slightest bit curious?"

"Does this fall into the part where I should pretend to be curious without making it appear like it's only out of obligation?"

"No, this is the part where you actually become curious. How did you get this far in life being this bad at living?"

He paused for a moment, trying to consider what an acceptable response to that was. It wasn't something he thought about often, since as far as he was concerned if he was alive than something must be going correctly. "One day at a time. I eat. I work. I get what sleep I can. And then it repeats."

"Well… what does your family think about that mentality? Wait, don't tell me there are more of you walking around here. Are you all just soulless automatons?"

Kirei shook his head at that. The answer was far simpler.

"I'm an orphan. If I had any family, I never knew them. So, you don't have to worry about coming across any more of me. I am the sum and total of my life and experiences. And I doubt anyone else will live the exact same life I lived. It would be too unlikely." It was a detached, logical way to look at it. Delivered with the slight bluntness that he gave when it was something that was close to bothering him. He didn't like to let things bother him. There wasn't any point in it. The past was a foreign country that you could never return to. Kirei was defined by his present.

"...I'm sorry to hear that. I didn't mean to bring up a touchy subject."

"It's fine. It doesn't bother me." The response left him, and then, as the moment passed, he decided to attempt filling the air. "Where are we going?" If she was grateful for the change of subject, she didn't show it immediately, but the awkwardness of the sentence that followed lessened slightly.

"We are headed to a sword seller I know of. It's one of the best in Loguetown! He doesn't like for me to come by myself since he knows I only window shop. Plus, he has a problem with the marines in general. But, if I bring you along, I can answer your question and also use you as a decoy while I browse. It's a win-win for me!" For all the answers he was expecting, he never would have thought of one so shamelessly self serving. But, part of her answer did spike his curiosity.

"He doesn't like the marines?" Kirei had felt that his dislike of the marines was singular in the town. He never vocalized it, since he knew it was irrational, but it still existed. On the whole, they kept the town safe from pirates, were cordial, and they spent good money from their salary back into the local economy. He knew his boss at the very least enjoyed whatever money he could get from making sure their protectors were well stocked.

"Oh yeah, he can't stand us. And it's for the stupidest reason too! He says that Captain Smoker is 'Too effective' at capturing pirates. The Captain has managed to make sure that not a single pirate has escaped the town in one piece, but all that money grubbing idiot cares about is that there aren't any pirates to buy his swords any more!" It was clearly something she was passionate about, and the fact that this man was apparently the best in the town probably fought fiercely with the fact that he had an idiotic reasoning.

"Does… does he not realize that if the town had no protection, they would most likely just kill him and take his stock themselves?"

She threw her hands up in agreement. "That's exactly what I said! He responded by telling me that 'He would prefer if we were here, just that we didn't do our jobs as often'. After that, he kicked me out for arguing with him too!"

"So, is that why you are only window shopping? You don't want him to get any of your money while he keeps saying that?" She paused at the reasoning, a grimace coming over her face as she warred with herself to either accept his explanation or give what was most likely the truth.

"No… that's not the reason. The truth is, I already have a good sword. A great sword, in fact- well, not a great sword, it's a single edged blade- No, I'm losing the point. The point is, I already have a good sword. And if for some reason I needed a sword, the Marines would provide. We have some of the best smiths in the world on tap for a reason."

Kirei was confused. If she already had a good sword, and wasn't looking to replace it, then why would she ever go to a store to look at swords?

"And you see, that's my point. You don't understand my motivation. Sure, I think swords are great! Each one has such fascinating stories behind them, and I would love to use every last one of them. But in this world, you can only spend so much time mastering a weapon. But… I have a dream." She said it with such conviction that Kirei was confused for a moment. He had dreams. They were short, violent things, filled with images and sights that he couldn't understand, obscured in fog and shadow. She probably meant what most people meant when they said they had a dream.

"What's that?" It was a question that was simple, and yet it carried with it the weight of multitudes. What did she consider a dream? It was a question that never occurred to him to ask. What was her dream? What was it like? Did it change? Was it pleasant?

"There are a lot of blades in this world. As long as there has been conflict, mankind has sought to make the art of killing easier. But the best swords are not made for just that. They are made for something more. Justice. Love. Hope. Their creators pour their hearts and souls into these blades, and what comes out can only be described as a miracle. And so, my dream is simple. I want to make sure all of those legendary blades are used as their creator intended. In the hands of justice. Because a lot of those blades, Kirei? They are being used by pirates. Evil men, with evil plans, and evil hands. And I want to be the one to set that right."

It was an earnest declaration of self. It was not something he understood in the slightest. How could that be a dream? Was that what people meant when they said that? A grand ambition that would pit them against the worst the world had to offer? He had nothing like that. And despite all his advantages, his power, his training, she would still win more often than not. Like he was barely keeping pace when he should be leaping past her.

He wondered if that dream was what let her go so far. He wondered if that meant that he could never hope to keep up in the first place. And yet, the only thing that came to mind from her honesty was two words.

"Thank you."

She didn't have to tell him that, and yet she did anyway. That meant something. Maybe not a lot. Maybe just a small, tiny fragment. But it did mean something, to him at least.

It helped him understand.

She coughed slightly, waving away the air like it would brush aside the conversation. "Don't mention it. It's something I've told to a thousand people, most likely. And I'll say it well more than that before my journey is over, if I had my say. That's the thing about a dream, you know? You have to be willing to say it. The moment you feel ashamed of it, the moment you don't know if it's truly worth it, is the moment that it begins to rust. You have to take care of it and nurture it, just like a blade, and it will take care of and nurture you in turn."

Like how a rope needs oil to keep it from fraying. It was a phrase that turned around in his head as they made the last way towards the shop, stepping inside as the man behind the counter snorted at seeing Tashigi, likely expecting to make quick work of her telling her to leave, only to cut himself off as he saw Kirei enter as well.

Kirei was momentarily distracted from the byplay, as his eyes ran all around the walls of the shop, seeing the assortment of weapons on display. He had no concept of them. As far as he was concerned, one sword was as good as any other.

"So, the clumsy brat finally decides to bring a paying customer for once! Just for that, I'll let you browse my merchandise while I deal with your friend here. Now, a nice tall fella like you, you are probably just itching for a sword to show off with, am I right?" It was a strange question. Kirei wasn't entirely sure what his height had to do with anything. He didn't even consider himself tall. He was nowhere near as big as a giant-

Kirei had never seen a giant before. Maybe he saw one in a book, or read somewhere how tall they are? That must have been it.

As for showing off…

"I don't have any particular interest in swords." The shopkeep visibly deflated upon hearing those words, quickly rounding on Tashigi as she was holding up a blade to the light, running a finger along the edge. The resulting shock of him rounding on meant that she dropped it, the blade clattering on the floor as she let out a quiet squeak.

"You no good inconsiderate bum! You brought me a man who doesn't like swords to my sword shop! I ought to have you committed!"

Quickly, Kirei took a stop forward, to do what, he wasn't quiet certain. It's not like he would commit violence on him. And the correct words to say, if they did exist for this situation, would never likely come from his mouth. It was too unlikely.

Luckily, Tashigi was more than capable of defending herself once the shock had passed, pressing her own finger to the man's chest.

"That's because he's not an easy mark! If you want to sell him something, you are going to have to work at it just like anyone else. Don't come crying to me that he didn't immediately want to purchase the most expensive thing you own!"

A quick staring contest between the two broke off as the man grumbled something under his breath, coming back to Kirei. A slightly more appraising look in his eye as the man looked him over.

"So, you said you have no particular interest in swords do you? But, if you are a red blooded young man, you have to at least admit that you are not disinterested, right?"

Kirei took a moment to process it, before nodding, slightly reluctant. "I suppose that would be correct. I don't have any objection, they just don't capture my attention."

"Aha! Just what I thought. The issue isn't that you don't like swords, you are just one of those people that doesn't know he likes them yet. I guarantee you there is a blade meant for your hands. Once you feel it, you will see what I'm talking about!"

Kirei wasn't sure if that logic fully held, but decided to go along with it anyways, as the man began to place blades in front of him for the dockworker to hold.

"Anything? You know, the black handle really matches the bags under your eyes- No, no, I get it. Try this one!"

But, nothing about it seemed to click. Kirei preferred his hands to be free most of the time. It was easier to use his ability when he could incorporate finger movements with it.

"No, no, not that one, not this one… the shorter one is- close, but not quite there either."

Tashigi, having been gleefully helping herself to look through the growing pile of rejected blades, finally added her own two cents to the conversation.

"As someone who has sparred with him for a month, I think I've gotten a sense of how he fights. He likes to use his devil fruit ability to be tricky about things. Laying traps and always being indirect on how he handles stuff. I think a traditional sword might just be too straightforward for a guy like him. Which is absolutely hilarious, since as it turns out, he's extremely straightforward in personality." Kirei wasn't quite sure why that was funny, but he was rapidly becoming aware that any time he spent actually conversing with her was filled with that phrase. Nothing was sure.

"Too straight forward? No, no, that does make a certain amount of sense. Let's see… the shorter one was closer.." After a moment of rummaging around behind the counter, the man pulled out a short box, opening it, revealing a dagger with a small ring on the handle.

It looked lethal. And yet, as the man passed it to Kirei, it didn't feel lethal. It felt like a tool.

A few swings through the air tested the weight of it. It felt odd to describe it as right, since he didn't truly feel any of the blades he used before were "wrong", and yet that was the only word that came to him.

Looking down at it, he held it up to the light, watching it dance off the metal. His eyes caught the handle, looking at the ring curiously. With a thought, the rope on his side snaked up his arm and through the ring, securing itself. And then, with a flick of his wrist, the dagger shot out, before rapidly coming back to him as he forced the rope to shrink.

It was a sloppy first attempt. And yet he knew he wanted to get better at it. Curious.

"To think… something like that would fit you so well. That dagger is Shumatsu. It's a blade of closings and endings. It exists in the lowest category of graded blades, and yet, it still is one. Nobody comes here looking for daggers, and I am not inclined to give up a graded blade to someone who wouldn't treat it right."

The shopkeep, who had spent the last hour doing nothing but trying to sell him swords, stared down Kirei. "You are going to treat it right, correct?"

Kirei looked down at it, feeling how it felt within his hands. It didn't feel dangerous. It felt like an old friend.

"I'll treat it well. Anything else is left to the future. And neither of us know what that will be."

The man broke out in a small smile. "Tch. Arrogant brat. Good answer. Give me whatever you have in your wallet and we will call it even."

If anyone else had said that, Kirei would assume it was extortion. But… Kirei figured it was probably a good deal in the end. And it's not like he had much need for money in the first place. He ate, and he paid his rent. Anything else was just extra.

"See, you managed to make a sale! And you old dog, you didn't tell me you had a graded blade hiding behind your counter!"

A vein throbbed dangerously on the mans head as he began to shout back. "That's because I'm not going to keep something that expensive out in the open where any hoodlum can swipe it! And another thing, the fact that-"

It was at that very moment, that the door burst open. A man with a yellow and red coat, a green pompadour, and sharpened teeth, flanked by two men in suits.

"I hope I'm not interrupting, but you wouldn't believe the day I have had! So, why don't you hand over your contribution to local security, and I'll be nice for once!"

As Kirei turned towards Tashigi and the shopkeeper, he had one thought in his mind as his hand tightened on his dagger and Tashigi grabbed a sword from the pile.

Were they being robbed?