~Queen Of The Sea~
7
A Piece Of You…
"Ungh….So hungry…" Luffy groaned.
"I can't believe you went through my remaining supplies like it was nothing…" Rheddii whimpered.
"As if you could call that little bit supplies…" Zoro grunted.
"It WAS supplies! For ME!" she sighed, "I didn't stock up for three…you big jerks."
"...When the hell are we going to reach land anyway?" Zoro sighed.
"Who knows…?" said Luffy, "We're just sailing on the wind and the waves…going where they take us…"
"Best way to do it in my opinion…" said Rheddii, "That's how I do it anyway…"
"Don't you find it dumb that people trying to be King If The Pirates and Queen Of The Seas doesn't have a single navigation skill?"
"Not really." said Luffy, "I just drift around.
"It's not much of a true adventure if the path is clear and linear…"
Said Rheddii.
Luffy nodded in agreement.
"What about you?" asked Luffy, "Aren't you some mighty bounty hunter who sailed the seas?"
"I have no recollection of ever calling myself a bounty hunter…" said Zoro.
"You're not one?" asked Rheddii.
He sighed and leaned back.
"I set out on the open sea in search of just one man…but I couldn't make it back to my village." he explained, "By that point I had no choice but to go after Pirate Ships just to earn a living…"
"Oh I see…" said Rheddii.
Somehow…
She felt a bit relived…
And also kind of bitchy…
That her first assumption and judgement of him turned out to be wrong…
Zoro was actually a pretty chill guy when it came down to it.
A vast contrast to her "brother" Luffy–
But she didn't mind it.
In fact–
She kind of liked it.
He was calm.
It was sort of comfortable…
And relaxing…
"Ahhh…so you're just lost."
…And then Luffy pushes his buttons and the whole mood changes and rocks the boat.
"HEY! DON'T PUT IT LIKE THAT!" he huffed.
Luffy's hat goes flying and both he and Rheddii panic.
"Oh no– my dad's hat!" Rheddii said in a hitched breath as she tried to catch it.
She remembered when Shanks gave Luffy that hat…
"This straw hat means more to me than you can possibly know…it's been with me in many a fight…"
Dad…
"It's something so precious that I couldn't even give it to you…"
Dad…!
The three of them scrambled to catch it…
Both Rheddii and Luffy nearly falling into the sea before Zoro held them both back and caught the hat himself…
Much to their relief.
It was the only piece that remained present of her father…
Before he left her behind for the sea…
xxx
"Hey you gotta take me with you and Rheddii on your next adventure, Shanks! I wanna be a Pirate just like you!"
"Ha Ha Ha Ha~ Yeah right. As if you could ever be a Pirate."
"Why couldn't I!?"asked a small Luffy while an even smaller Rheddii giggled softly behind her cupped hands in her father's lap.
"If Rheddii can do it I can do it too!"
"It's different in Rheddii's case." Shanks chuckled, "She was born and raised on that Pirate ship–"
"Yeah~ Born and rai– ahh! *cough cough*"
"Easy Rheddii…" Shanks said softly rubbing her back, "I thought you said you were feeling better today…"
"I am~! I promise!"she whined.
"All right~ All right~ I believe you…just…don't get over excited then…okay?" Shanks sighed.
"Look…you might be a good swimmer and all…but that doesn't mean you'd make a good Pirate, Luffy."said Yasopp.
"Just because Rheddii knows a thing or two and is around the same age as you, doesn't mean you automatically do too." he states.
"But I'm a great fighter too!" said Luffy,"My punches are like pistols!"
"Are they now…" Shanks sighed.
"What's that supposed to mean!?"the young Luffy huffed.
"He means that you're too much of a kid, kid!" laughed one of the other members.
"And he's right you know~" chuckled Yasopp,"My own kid is around the same age as you– and he's already promised to Rheddii so it don't do you no good to cozy up to her either~" he teases.
"Huh?" Rheddii blinked her large red eyes, confusion dancing across them while Shanks shot a playful glare and a raised brow toward his crew mate.
"Excuse me?" said Shanks, " Is there some reason we are talking about my daughter's wedding that's never gonna happen?"
"What?" She blinked curiously with a head tilt while the rest of the crew burst out laughing.
"Awe~ Why not captain? My boy's a good kid!"Yasopp grinned.
"Because I'll never allow it, that's why!" said Shanks.
And the crew only laughed harder.
"There's only room for one man in my little Rheddii's life~" he states, "And his name is Daddy~" he grinned teasing her as he playfully nuzzled into Rheddii's pouty cheeks, "Isn't that right, Rheddii? Tell them~"
"I miss Uncle Buggy…" she pouts.
"Wait, what!?"
This time the entire crew howled.
"Sounds like she prefers her uncle over dear old dad, eh captain!? HA HA HA~"
"Man…I told him this would happen if he spoiled her…" Shanks clicked his tongue and pouted in defeat with a light chuckle.
"I'm not a kid!" Luffy pouts, "I'm a grown up!"
"Here…have some juice and calm down…"said Shanks as he slid a glass over to Luffy.
"Wow! Thanks Shanks!" the young boy was more than happy to receive the precious gift.
"PFFFT~ I don't know a single Pirate who drinks juice~!" Shanks snickers, causing young Rheddii to do a spit-take and choke on her own juice causing both children to huff in defiance–
"HEY! YOU TRICKED ME!"
"Oh– Sorry Rheddii–"
The Crew only laughed harder.
"Ahh shit~ insulted his own daughter~ how salty!" they laughed.
But Luffy wasn't having it–
"STOP LAUGHING!" he demanded.
They spent a lot of time at Makino's bar.
Shanks and his crew drank there regularly.
And they all ate there daily.
Often times…the days were repeated.
And were often the same…
With a young Luffy busting in…
Demanding to join and be part of the Pirate Crew.
Rheddii was often sick…
Her health teetered from time to time…
She had caught an illness while out at sea…with a high fever.
A cost that came from being born too early and having not yet been fully developed to fight off sickness very well…
Part of the reason they stopped off at the Goa Kingdom at all was to hopefully provide the small child a bit of stability in order to recover…
She didn't mind too much though…
Because she met Luffy there.
And when she was well enough…
She had a playmate.
Which was nice… since she really didn't get that luxury very much when they were out at sea…
Not that she didn't enjoy her time with her father and his crew…
It was just nice to have another kid around…
Part of her wished Shanks WOULD bring Luffy along…if only for that reason alone.
Sometime during Rheddii's days of bed rest…
It seemed some trouble went down at the bar…
Mountain Bandits.
They were apparently a common problem in Foosha Village…
It was also around this time that Luffy managed to get ahold of the Gum-Gum fruit and became a boy made of rubber…
Xxx
Luffy told me…
She thought to herself.
About what happened to him…
And how my dad lost his arm…
That it was his fault.
I couldn't blame him though…
She sighed.
After all…
My father had already started to change…
Even before then.
She chuckled softly to herself and smiled.
Besides…
That's something my father would totally do anyway…
Because…
That's just the kind of man he is…
Xxx
"...So you're leaving…?"Luffy young Luffy asked.
"Yeah…it was a nice stay…but we have to part ways now…"said Shanks,"I bet you're gonna miss me, right?"
"Yeah…but this time's different." said Luffy,"I'm not gonna beg you to take me with you– because I'm gonna become a pirate all on my own! But...
What about Rheddii? Aren't you taking her with you?"
Shanks chuckled sadly.
"Rheddii…needs to rest…in order to get all better." said Shanks, "She won't get what she needs out on the seas with me…"
"But…she'll miss you…"said Luffy.
"I know she will…" he said softly, "And I'll miss her just the same…but with her health the way it is right now…I'm afraid she just can't hack it as a Pirate with me anymore…"
As he said these words…he seemed saddened and hurt by them.
But he quickly recovered–
Always having energy to tease Luffy–
"And neither will YOU for that matter~" he snickered, "You'll never make it as a pirate!"
Luffy huffed in frustration and fired back–
"NO! I WILL Make it as a Pirate!" said Luffy, "Someday I'm gonna gather a crew even better than yours! And I'm gonna find the greatest treasure in the world!" he declared, "And Then I'll be KING of the Pirates! I'll show you!"
"Oh yeah? You think you'll surpass us?" Shanks chuckled, "In that case…" with a tender smile he gently placed the his old straw hat on the young Luffy's head and whispered a message.
"I'll leave this hat to you." he said to him,"...And Rheddii means more to me than anything in the world… so you better take good care of them both. You hear me?"
"Huh…?"
"I want you to bring this hate back to me someday… in good condition." said Shanks, "And only after you've become a great pirate…"
"...And Rheddii?"
"Heh…I'm not worried about Rheddii…"Shanks said softly, "She might be a bit upset with me right now…but I know that one day…when she's ready, she'll set out to find me again…all on her own." he grins.
"...That's a promise."
Xxx
"Hey…you good?" asked Zoro, waving his hands in her eyes to catch her attention, "I got it all right? No need to freak out." he said softly, shifting his gaze over to Luffy, holding onto the rim of the hat between them.
"...You're gonna drop that again, you know." said Zoro, "I thought it was important."
"Huh?" Luffy blinked and looked up, shifting his gaze over to Rheddii and then smiling, "Yeah…it is." he chuckled, "Thanks Zoro."
He and Rheddii exchanged a glance once more, and both broke into a fit of giggled.
I don't get these two…
Zoro thought to himself and chuckled.
Either way…
I'm glad I could help.
…I guess…
To be Continued.