One Piece 1. Chapter 1

The Slayer - Chapter 1

It had been ten years since Kyoko had been free. Ten years of enslavement. Of killing.

She looked up at the familiar gray stones of her cell's ceiling. During the first few months of her enslavement, she had tried to chip away at the solid rocks, desperate for freedom.

The indents were still there. She stopped, however, when the Master beat her half to death when he found out. So she decided to wait for the right time for her escape.

As the top Arena fighter and being a fish-man half-blood, she quickly became his most precious slave. Because of this, she was his longest lasting slave, as well. The slaves that had been bought at the same time as her had all been either beaten or worked to death.

_I guess I should consider myself as lucky._

She rolled over on the narrow cot and looked out the bars of her cell door. She was met with the same dull gray as the ceiling. She brought her hand up and traced the crescent shape of a puckered scar curling around her left eye out of habit. She had gotten it on the first day the Master threw her into the Arena many years ago. It was the day she killed her first living thing, and the day she learned this place was kill-or-be-killed.

She frowned when it suddenly started itching. It only did that when something was going to happen. Nine times out of ten, it wasn't good. She immediately swung herself off the cot and strode over to the door. She rested her hands on the sea-stone bars and leaned out as far as she could, but she could see nothing but the empty, cell-lined hall.

Her frown deepened. Her time as an Arena fighter taught her not to ignore her instincts. It was what kept her alive all this time. Her eyes flickered from place to place, never resting on any one thing more than a second.

She absentmindedly reached up and scratched her scar. The fact that it still itched made her nervous. Time seemed to slow as she watched the end of the hall, waiting for something to happen. And after what seemed like hours, something did.

From somewhere in the distance, she heard the clanking of a guard's armor. As he turned a corner and into Kyoko's sight, she could see him stiffen when he saw her hanging out her cell door. It must have been his first time seeing the Arena's Slayer.

She kept watching him as he slowly walked towards her. Kyoko knew he was coming for her because there was no one else in the Arena cells. She was the only fighter for the Master. The rest had died off and he felt no need to replace them with Kyoko in his roster.

As the guard got closer, she could see the nervous shifting of his eyes. He refused to look at her, as if she could kill him with a glance.

He eventually made it to her cell and stuttered pathetically, "M-move away f-from the d-d-door!"

She did as he asked smoothly, her mind was already moving a hundred miles a second. It was obvious that this young man was new to the Master's ranks. It would be easy to snap his neck. Escaping would be a synch after that. All she would need to do is sneak into the palace above and slip over the walls.

Kyoko felt excitement build within her as the guard brought the cell key out and slowly twisted it in the lock. The Master was a fool to send him here by himself.

She didn't feel the least bit sorry when the the guard pulled open the door and she rushed out to broke his neck. Kyoko did make it painless, though. It was a small courtesy he probably didn't deserve.

She stared down at him for a couple seconds before running down the hall at a speed only she could reach. Her fish-man blood made her stronger than most humans, meaning she was faster than most as well. Kyoko sped around a corner and stopped at a split. One way she knew well. It led down to the pits of the Arena. So she turned and looked at the other way, the one she assumed to lead to the palace.

She felt her heart pound noisily in her chest. Kyoko desperately hoped it led to the palace. If not, she might loose her freedom forever. The Master would take more precautions, making it impossible for her to escape again.

Sweat coated her palms at the thought. _I can't be caught. I'll kill whoever sees me, if I have to!_

With that thought, Kyoko raced down the hall that she prayed took her to where she wanted to go. She ran up stairs, lifting her hopes. Up meant above ground. And above meant freedom.

At the top of the stairs, she was met with solid oak doors with the Master's crest engraved on it. Her scar began to itch again, warning her of danger beyond the doors. But Kyoko couldn't turn back. This was her chance for freedom, and it wasn't something she would give up easily.

She pushed the doors open and stepped through, finding herself in an overly ornate room. Sitting in the middle of it was none other than the Master himself. He was the same as she remembered him. Overweight with small, beady eyes that gleamed with greed and cruelty.

The very sight of him made her tremble with fear. Kyoko was caught. She watched as he smiled widely when he saw her shoulders sag in despair.

"It looks like little Kyoko actually thought she could escape!" he bellowed as he snorted with laughter. The guards surrounding him glanced fearfully back and forth between me and the Master.

Her mind went blank with fear as the Master continued to gloat. She would be beat and she would never see the light of day again. Her only escape now was death.

_**What do you think you're doing!**_ a voice within her shouted, _**Are you not named Slayer? You are the strongest fighter in the Arena and one that has kept the title the longest. Before you stands a man you despise. Why do you do nothing? You are Slayer Kyoko Reika!**_

She slowly looked up at the man before her. Why was she afraid? He was nothing more than a man. He is no different than the other men she's killed. Kyoko glanced down at herself. Why hasn't she done anything? She is a Slayer, a killer of men and women alike.

If she was going to die anyway, then why should she hold back?

"Are you even listening to me?" the Master said. He cheeks began to turn red in his anger.

She ignored his statement as she analyzed the people in the room. She counted a total of ten guards, all equipped with heavy armor and swords like the man dead in front of her cell. The armor made it difficult for them to move fast, but also made it hard for her to harm them.

"Kyoko!" the Master shouted angrily. Her eyes darted over to meet his daringly. He looked shocked for a moment before ordering, "I command you to come here! You shall be punished for your insolence!"

She smirked amusedly. This man once scared her? He was nothing but a fat man that could barely move on his own. She chose to stay where she was and continue her stare.

The Master's face began blotching as he lifted a finger and said, "Bring her to me, you fools!"

The guards surrounding him immediately jerked into action. They all ran towards her with their hands out stretched, as if they thought they could grab Kyoko. She easily pushed the closest set of hands away, making the man stumble into another guard.

She drew the stumbling man's sword and faced the rest of the guards. They seemed to be surprised that Kyoko would defy the Master's orders so blatantly. They glanced at each other before coming at her again with the same strategy. She swung the heavy sword in her hands easily, making the flat side hit one of the guards on the side of his head. This made him fall onto another which made the other guard stumble back and fall.

The eight remaining guards looked down at the two unconscious men, giving her an opportunity to take out the next closest guard in the same manner. She would not kill unless she was forced to, anymore. She wanted the Master to be the last one to die by her hands.

The remaining seven guards looked at her one more time before charging at her again. She smoothly swung the sword in a wide arc, making the guard fall heavily to the ground, knocked out by the powerful swing. She stood there for a while, staring at the unconscious bodies underneath her before looking up at the Master.

His eyes were wide and his once botchy face was drained of all color. He sat, looking between his useless guards and Kyoko. She shifted the sword in her grip and started stepping over the people beneath her towards the man that bought her all those years ago. A man she hated with her entire being.

When he realized she was coming towards him, he quickly dropped to his knees and begged, "Don't kill me, please don't kill me!"

Her nose wrinkled in disgust as his sobs echoed throughout the room. She approached the crying man and raised her stolen sword above his bowed neck and didn't hesitate to bring the heavy sword down, effectively severing it from his body.

She waited for some sort of relief. For her pain to suddenly disappear. For the brand on her back to disappear. None of these things happened. Instead she stood over the dead body of a World Noble, wondering what she should do now. She couldn't live with other people, normal people. She would have a giant bounty now for killing a Noble.

She stared down at her dead owner. For the first time in ten years, she was free. And she didn't feel any different. What could she do? Even in death, the man made her suffer. She would be on the run for the rest of her life.

She was taken from her thoughts when she heard a shrill scream. Kyoko whipped her head around and saw a young woman, probably a slave to the dead man at her feet, standing in the doorway of the exit.

Kyoko dropped the bloody sword and starting running towards her. She didn't know how long she was standing there, but it was long enough that someone had time to come to the room and see her, and that was all that mattered to her.

She pushed past the woman and rushed down unfamiliar halls, searching desperately for the exit.

For now, she would focus on one thing at a time.

She breathed a sigh of relieve when she saw the exit to the palace. By now, at least a dozen slaves and guards had seen her face. She dashed through the door and ran for the gate.

As soon as she reached it, sirens started blaring. She looked over her shoulder and smiled. She preferred to see the palace this way. People running to and fro with chaos all around.

She turned back around and said to herself, _I'll just take things one day at a time._

3


	2. Chapter 2

The Slayer - Chapter 2

The tavern was a small one and it reeked of sweat and booze. Kyoko wrinkled her nose in disgust. The men surrounding the bar were all rowdy, bellowing out in drunken laughs and curses. From her seat on the farthest wall, she could see everyone.

Her time with the World Nobles had made her a little paranoid. Kyoko's eyes never stopped moving from table to table, looking for threats. After escaping two years ago, she had gained a ridiculously high bounty. She learned many things during those two years, including finding a tribe of fish-men shortly after escaping that took her in. They told her that they knew her father.

Apparently he was a fish-man with their crew, the Sun Pirates. When he met her mother though, they said he left the group to live a life with her. They told her that they don't know much after that, but said Kyoko looked a lot like him.

It made sense. She had always had patches of scales in various places; she just thought it was some sort of skin condition before. Now, she knows it shows her heritage as a half-human. Thinking back, it was probably for that reason that the Master decided to buy her. Kyoko was a rare find.

Her thoughts were interrupted when her scar began to itch. She narrowed her eyes and looked over the tavern again. Shortly after finishing her search, the door of the tavern slammed open, revealing a tall, scowling man with short green hair. She immediately noticed the three swords at his side.

_ Roronoa Zoro, the pirate hunter, currently a member of the Straw-hat Pirates. Trouble._

She made sure to keep track of pirates and bounty hunters. Especially Marines. She never knew who would go hunting for her.

He stomped into the noisy room, no one but her noticing his entrance. As he walked, he looked around, his gaze finally landing on her. His scowl deepened as he started making his way towards Kyoko. She tensed when she noticed and slowly placed her hands on the table, near the dinner knife of her finished meal.

He jerked out a chair opposite of her and dropped down into it as he removed his swords from his waist.

"Roronoa Zoro," Kyoko stated softly, "Why is such a well known pirate associating with me?"

He gave her a look before saying gruffly, "Luffy, my captain, wants to talk with you."

Her hand inched closer to the knife next to the plate. "Oh? And why is that?"

He simply shrugged and replied, "Have you seen your bounty? It's probably one of the highest in the Grand Line. He saw your wanted poster and said, 'I want her to join our crew!'"

She thought about it as she stared at the serious man. Monkey D. Luffy was well known on the Grand Line. It would more than likely raise her bounty if Kyoko was to join his crew. She thought hard about what she had heard about them. She was sure most of what she heard were rumors.

"Straw-hat Luffy?" she asked, to make sure. One can never be too careful.

He paused before saying, "Is there any other guy called Luffy on the Grand Line?"

She shrugged and went back to her thoughts. Luffy's reputation piqued her interest. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to at least meet the notorious Captain. Besides, if she was careful, she would be able to get away easily. She could tell the extended silence was annoying the man, so she said, "Maybe I could meet him before I make my decision."

Zoro huffed and stood, placing his swords carefully back onto his waist. Kyoko followed after, smoothly slipping the blunt dinner knife up her sleeve as she stood from her seat, dropping the appropriate amount of Beri on the table for her meal.

She warily followed him from the tavern and outside. It was a small village on an out-of-the-way island on the Grand Line. Just a pit-stop for her.

Attempting to make conversation, she asked, "How did you find me?"

He glanced down at her and replied, "Luck. We docked here to restock and heard you were on the island."

She smirked. Kyoko could hear in his voice that he was sent unwillingly to fetch her. Luffy must be quite the character to be able to boss around a man with such a menacing aura. She nodded, accepting his curt answer.

They continued their walk in silence, which was fine for the both of them. Kyoko's eyes, however, never stopped moving. At one point, she could've sworn she saw something move in the corner of her eye, but when she turned to look, there was nothing there. She quickly dismissed it as her paranoia even as a shiver worked its way down her spine.

After a while of curious stares from the villagers, Zoro decided to break the silence, "Why do you wear such strange clothing?"

She looked down at herself, thinking about his question. Sure her clothes were a little worse-for-wear, but she lived on the sea. Did he expect her to wear top of the line clothes?

She shrugged and looked back up, saying cryptically, "It covers what I need it to cover."

He gave Kyoko a strange look, but left her answer as it was.

Ahead of her, she saw the ocean begin to emerge from behind the buildings of the village. There were several boats docked, but she could tell which one was Zoro's.

In the center of all the plain merchant ships, a colorful ship with a lion head as the helm was docked. From were she was, she could hear yelling and see people running around. Kyoko glanced at Zoro and saw his scowl turn into a grimace.

She simply smiled and fingered the knife still in her sleeve. One can never be too careful around pirates.

"Oi, Luffy! Zoro got her!" one of the crew shouted.

_Usopp, commonly referred to as Sogeking._

Out of no where, a hand stretched out from the deck of the ship and grabbed Kyoko and Zoro.

She briefly heard Zoro begin to curse before they were flying though the air and towards a boy she recognized as Luffy.

She couldn't help the scream tearing from her lips as she came hurtling down. Luffy let go at the last second, giving her barely enough time to twist enough to land some-what on her feet. Zoro wasn't so lucky. When he was let go, he continued flying and crashed into a wall farther back.

She quickly turned towards the crazy captain as she crouched into a defensive position when he started saying, "My name's Monkey D. Luffy and I want you to join our crew!"

She opened and closed her mouth a couple times, brought speechless by the boy's bluntness. This was Luffy, one of the eleven supernovas? There had to have been some kind of mistake. She looked at his boyish face and shook her head. It was the same face she saw on his wanted poster.

She finally managed to say, "What do you really want with me?"

Luffy gave her a weird look before stating, "You have an awesome bounty, of course."

This boy wanted her to join his crew because of her bounty? Either he was shallow or just plain stupid. Maybe both.

She was about to say something when she felt someone pull on a corner of her shirt. "Is it true that you escaped the from the World Nobles when you were seventeen?"

Kyoko glanced down and saw a reindeer looking up at her with large brown eyes. When she nodded, the reindeer, _Chopper_, started jumping up and down shouting, "That's so cool!"

"I guess?"

"Yeah! Did you hear that Nami? Kyoko's going to join our crew!" Luffy exclaimed, turning to face a girl with short orange hair.

"W-wait, I didn't say-"

"Kyoko-chan!" yelled a voice from behind her. Startled, she whipped around and threw the knife hidden up her sleeve towards the voice. She saw the knife sail through the air and embed itself against the mast of the ship in the collar of a blonde man.

_Black Leg Sanji._

She was about to apologize upon seeing his startled face when Zoro started laughing. The cook's face immediately darkened as he turned towards the swordsman as much as he could and started yelling, "What are you laughing at!"

At the sound of the two men arguing, three people Kyoko recognized as Brook, Robin, and Franky stepped through a door that she assumed led below deck.

Robin asked, "What is going on up here?"

"Kyoko just joined our crew!" Luffy replied happily as Nami attempted to pry him off of her.

"Actually, I-" she started, cut off yet again.

"SUPER!" Franky yelled as he started running around the deck.

"This calls for a song! Yohohohoho!" Brook said as he pulled out a guitar and started singing.

"Wait, I didn't say-" she stopped, this time of her own accord. Her scar started itching again and the thought of the shadow in the village earlier flashed across her mind.

Her thoughts were interrupted, however, when Robin walked up to her, put a hand on her shoulder and said as she smiled pleasantly, "Welcome to the Thousand Sunny."

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** I want to put out a huge thanks to Quasimoto and georgedeeks for pointing out a HUGE error in my writing. It's fixed now (but it was incredibly embarrassing...)**


	3. Chapter 3

**I want to apologize for my late updates. I should be better about it starting next week. While I'm here, I'd like to thank kirorokat and thank georgedeeks and Quasimoto again for finding the mistakes for me. And then, of course, thank everyone else who favorited and reviewed my story, it means a lot!**

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Kyoko didn't know how much longer she could take it. Ever since she got on the ship, she had been bombarded by questions by the crew. Every time she was going to answer, someone asked a different question.

"How old are you?

"N-ninet-"

"Where have you been to?"

"I-"

"How long have you been fighting?"

"Hey, tha-"

She was almost at the point of grabbing the knife still embedded in the mast and start flinging it. Apparently seeing the wild look in her eyes, Robin decided to step in.

"Now, now, Luffy. Don't you think we should give our newest crew member a tour of the ship?"

Kyoko mentally corrected her statement. She had NOT agreed to join their crew.

"I-" Luffy started to say before Robin interrupted saying, "Maybe I should do it."

"Why do you want to do it, Robin?" he asked as he tilted his head to the side, confused.

The dark-haired beauty simply smiled and said, "I thought she might want to ask some questions about the ship. Besides, weren't you going to go talk with Nami about where we will be going next?"

Luffy's eyes suddenly widened. He turned around and ran off towards the orange-haired girl. Kyoko watched as she suddenly grabbed Sanji's arm and shouted something about picking up an order before running off the ship.

"Perhaps we should go before Luffy's attention comes back to you?" Robin suggested as she walked towards the door leading below deck. Kyoko mutely followed. Robin seemed to be the most sensible person on the ship, making her her best hope for information.

She had never been in a place so long without knowing anything about where she was. It made her nervous. She almost longed for the knife. The weight of it in her hand alone would make her feel much better.

Kyoko watched as Robin politely held the door open for her with a small smile. She narrowed her eyes at the woman. No one was nice without a reason to be. Everyone wanted something, she just had to figure out what. Instead of walking around below deck, however, Robin moved toward a dining room and sat down, motioning for Kyoko to follow.

She did so warily after noting the set of knives sitting on a counter nearby and briefly checking the seat for anything suspicious. There was a reason she lasted so long as the Slayer. The Nobles didn't think twice about trying to kill her outside the Arena pits. It was all just a game to them, after all.

"So, Kyoko-san, what is it you can do? With a bounty as high as ours, you must be able to do something," Robin asked as soon as Kyoko sat down. She tensed at the question. Did she really want to know? Was she only asking to get her to feel more comfortable around her? She must be asking so she could have the upper hand in a fight. That must be it. She looked over Robin, noting her thin arms and legs. How could she fight with limbs like that? She must depend on her devil fruit ability completely then. It was one Kyoko could easily combat, as well. This woman was of no threat to her.

But one can never be to careful around pirates.

"I am a martial artist," Kyoko replied carefully, stating as little as she could while giving enough to keep Robin from asking for specifics. She could easily relay them to her fellow crew mates. Ones who were much stronger than Robin was.

She smiled lightly at Kyoko's answer and continued, "I see. They must be pretty developed then for your bounty. Your last name is Reika, right?"

Kyoko narrowed her eyes at the woman sitting across from her. It seemed she made up for her lack of strength with her intelligence. She wasn't used to people knowing things about her. It made her feel uncomfortable to not be in control of the conversation. Those she talked to easily gave her the information she wanted because of her high bounty. There wasn't a place on the Grand Line that didn't know her face. Her poster only stated "Slayer Kyoko," referencing her old Arena title. One she had hoped to forget.

She nodded slowly, thinking rapidly about what the woman could do with the information. Robin's smile stayed on her face as she stated, "I thought so. I believe Chopper also recognized you. You are the one that killed the World Noble two years ago."

That made Kyoko freeze. She knew? Her bounty never stated that. She glanced at the knives sitting only a few steps away. She was in danger. Were they working for the World Nobles? Were they just pretending to be pirates to get her guard down? Kyoko cursed herself for her short sightedness. She should have expected this. She was about to jump over the chair and rush for the knives when Robin said, turning towards the door, "Did you hear that? It sounded like Nami."

"Guys! Hurry!" came a muffled voice. It was undoubtably Nami. "The marines found us! We need to go, NOW!"

Kyoko and Robin both jumped out of their seats and rushed for the door. She briefly noticed that the woman's polite smile was gone. She frantically burst through the door and ran on deck with Kyoko on her heels.

Maybe she could sneak off the side of the ship when the crew wasn't looking. They were none of her concern, so why should she stay and help them fight?

She saw them gathering on one side of the boat, shouting at each other in frantic voices. She didn't think a crew with a bounty as high as theirs would panic so easily. This made her nervous, piling onto the nerves she was already feeling from her talk with Robin. They must be staging an attack on each other. They took there roles very seriously. It was hard to fake fear and Nami's voice had been brimming with it.

"We can take them! Come on, guys!" Luffy shouted as he prepared to jump off the side of the ship.

"Idiot," Nami shouted, dragging back from the rail, "There are too many! We have to run!"

Too many? How many is too many? Kyoko inched her way to where the crew stood. She gasped at the sight. Marines were swarming in through the village, it was only a matter of time before they reached the ship. She quickly flipped up her hood and backed away from the edge. She prayed they hadn't seen her face. Then again, it probably didn't matter if the Straw-hats were working with them.

But one can never be too careful.

She turned to make her escape on the other side of the ship when she saw a fleet coming from the other side of the island. A fleet of Marines.

Usopp apparently saw it at the same time and shouted, "There's a fleet coming!"

The entire crew became quiet. Even Luffy's smile dimmed a bit. "Franky, do that one thing that makes the ship jump!" Nami said, turning to said man.

"Eh, Coup de Burst needs to charge. I may be super, but the ship isn't as super as me."

"Looks like we have no choice," Zoro stated, drawing his swords and stepping forward. Kyoko could hear the shouts and foot-falls of the army of Marines reaching the ship. She wouldn't have time to escape if she didn't do it now. All she needed to do was wait until no one was paying attention anymore.

She watched as Franky ran below deck and the rest of the crew readied themselves for battle. It was now or never. As she started to turn and make a run for it, Sanji stated happily, "Looks like I get to see Kyoko-chan fight today!" She cursed him with her entire being as the crew still on deck glanced at her. Now they would be watching for her. She decided then that she did not like the flirtatious man.

She heard the first set of Marines begin scaling the side of the ship and readied herself. She would need to be careful when fighting these men. They would be easy to kill if she used her full strength.

The Marines made their way over the rail of the ship and began their attack. She didn't care to watch for the crew. They were not her problem. All she cared about was surviving and escaping both the crew and the Marines. She quickly took down all that came at her, careful not to let her hood fall off. It seemed they hadn't realized who she was yet.

She spared a glance at the fleet still coming towards them. They were frighteningly close. She angrily grabbed one Marine and threw him into another three. Every time she tried to get to the rail, another Marine would come over and attack her! She was about to just push the Marines out of her way when Franky announced somehow from below deck,"SUPER HANG ON!" before continuing with, "COUP DE BURST!"

As soon as he said that, the ship suddenly jerked forward and actually flew through the air, effectively evading the incoming fleet and the rest soldiers. The sudden movement had also made Kyoko lose her footing and fly back and off the ship. It wasn't the way she'd been planning to escape, but it would work. At least, if Luffy hadn't seen it.

She heard him shout her name and stretch a hand towards her, succeeding in both grabbing her and ruining her escape. She was snapped back towards the ship as it began arching back towards the water. She grimaced at the puking sensation she felt at the sudden change of course. When he let her go, however, she didn't land as gracefully as she had the first time Luffy had done it. She hit the ground hard and continued to roll until she hit the mast of the ship. At about the same time, the Thousand Sunny hit the water, causing her body to sail limply once again through the air and land on someone.

As the boat stabilized, she opened eyes she didn't realize she had closed in the first place. She found that she had landed rather awkwardly on Zoro, of all people. She quickly stood and walked away to hide the evidence of her embarrassment on her cheeks from the swordsman when said man grunted. She didn't notice the narrow-eyed look he gave her when she turned around.

She shouldn't be embarrassed anyway. She stalked toward the ship's cabin to avoid the others. They were already far away from the island. There was no way she could go back anyway with it swarming with marines. She would get off as soon as she saw another island. These people were, after all, her enemies, and she couldn't afford to let her guard down. She continued to think about her future escape as she cornered herself in a easily defendable alcove, sneaking one of the kitchen knives as she passed by.

One can never be too careful in a world of life and death.


	4. Chapter 4

**I tried to update earlier this time. I had a hard time thinking about what would happen in this chapter and it was hard to write about all these characters at once. So sorry if it's a little confusing! Oh, and once again, thanks to those who reviewed, favorited, and followed!**

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It had been three days since the the Straw-hats' grand escape. Kyoko, of course, didn't succeed in her own escape and she still didn't consider herself a part of the crew. Her hate of the cook was reinforced plenty, though.

She glanced over her shoulder to make sure he wasn't still chasing her. On the first day, he kept coming up to her and begging her to join the other girls in their sunbathing. Finding the activity utterly pointless, she declined bluntly.

Instead of discouraging him, however, he continued annoying her.

"Kyoko" seemed to be the only thing that came out of his mouth. After her morning exercises, he would offer her food. Whenever he found her sitting on the rail (where she frequently found herself), he would try to hand her a strangely colored, fruity drink. She was sure he was driving her mad.

It didn't matter how many times she denied his offers or how many glares she sent him, he always bugged her.

And he wasn't the only one.

Chopper would constantly come and ask her questions about her experiences. He didn't seem like much of a threat, but she still answered vaguely. The reindeer, however, didn't seem to notice and fired off question after question, barely giving her enough time to even nod her head.

By the third day, she learned two things. One: She would have to find a better hiding spot from Sanji. Two: This crew was either comprised of the best actors on the Grand Line, or they really were who they said they were. But she still wasn't sure if she could trust them now or not.

They seemed genuine, something she had never seen before in a group of pirates. But then again, they were pirates. It wouldn't surprise her if they pillaged villages or destroyed towns for fun.

She had actually talked (meaning they came and bombarded her with questions) to all of the crew except Zoro. She squinted up at the crow's nest. She knew Zoro was up there. Robin had told her, albeit indirectly when she asked Kyoko why she trained on the deck and not up there. She then proceeded to inquire if it was because Zoro was up there.

Kyoko actually didn't think she saw him come down at all over the three days she was on board. She thought about going up and training there after Robin talked to her about it, but every time she approached the mast, she decided not to. She would be vulnerable to attack if she did.

Currently, though, Kyoko was safely tucked away on top of one of the ship's cabins observing dark clouds gathering ominously from a ways away. Below her, she could see Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper running around, Brook was practicing his guitar, and Robin and Nami laying down, soaking in the sun. Because of the nice whether, Franky was also on deck, working on something mechanical and occasionally shouting "SUPER!"

She saw Sanji run to the kitchen earlier, no doubt working on something else to give the women, including her. From time to time, Robin would glance up at her, but would looked back down at her book with a small smile. Kyoko was used to it though, she had been doing it consistently the since after the Marine attack.

She was about to get up and search for a new place to hide when Zoro jumped down from the crow's nest. It surprised her. She hadn't been paying attention to said place and she cursed herself for letting her guard down. They may not be enemies, but they also weren't her friends.

The swordsman took the towel wrapped around his shoulders and wiped the sweat from his face as he started heading to the kitchen. It made sense. He was no doubt hungry after days without eating anything.

Not long after, however, Zoro went flying back out the door he just walked through and landed heavily near where Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper were messing around. He quickly stood up and started walking back towards the door as Sanji came out shouting something about "That was for Nami."

Kyoko wisely decided to relax back in her spot. She didn't want to get in the middle of one of their arguments. They exchanged heated words for about a minute before they started throwing punches at each other. Well, Zoro was punching and Sanji was giving kicks.

Franky, Brook, and the other women ignored the men, but the three playing stopped and watched. Chopper quickly tried to break them up. Kyoko's eyes widened when Sanji accidentally kicked him. The two didn't even notice when the reindeer sailed through the air and into the water.

She looked at the rest of the crew, hoping one of them saw what had happened. Franky was still absorbed in his work, Brook was still strumming, the women were focused on reading, and Luffy and Usopp were busy cheering on Sanji and Zoro.

She was the only one who saw. She quickly stood up and looked at where the little reindeer had fallen. She watched in horror when she didn't see him.

_Chopper is a devil fruit user. He can't swim._

She jumped in after him. They not be her friends, but she would not just watch someone die. It would be the same as killing them, and she'd made a vow to never kill another person again.

The sudden coldness of the water made her pause. It had been a long time since she had felt the smooth sleekness of the sea. She pulled a piece of fabric away from her neck as her lungs expanded, the gills at her neck opening and allowing her to breath. She felt strength surge through her. She may only be half, but a part of her was fish-man. And the sea welcomed her.

She felt Chopper flailing around, desperate to be able to breath again. She easily cut through the water, but Chopper had sunk farther than she though he would. She watched as bubbles floated past her. Chopper was running out of time.

She moved her arms and legs faster. She was a fast swimmer, but she didn't have the fins that pure-blooded fish-men had.

More bubbles passed her.

_I can't be too late, I have to go faster!_

Chopper had finally come into sight, but he was still too far for her to reach. She desperately tried to reach him. His death would be on her hands if she didn't. He saw her and waved frantically. She didn't miss how his eyes were wide with fear.

She reached him just as a large amount of air escaped from the reindeer's mouth. He had blacked out.

_No, no, no, no, no!_

She grabbed him and swam as fast as she could back to the surface. He had to make it. He had to.

She felt herself gaining speed, her desperation pushing her. It wasn't just her own morals at stake anymore. Chopper couldn't be older than twelve. He had his entire life ahead of him. At this point, she could care less if he raided islands in his spare time; he was a child. He had been nothing but kind to her. Now that she thought about it, the entire crew had.

It was funny how it took Chopper drowning for her to see it.

They finally broke through and soared out of the water with Kyoko's speed. She landed on her knees heavily and set Chopper gently on the deck. She quickly rested her head on the young reindeer's heart. It was beating, but it was very weak. And it was getting slower.

She took Chopper back into her arms and ran to the kitchen. It was the only place she could think of where she could get a fire. She pulled the door open and rushed inside, placing the reindeer as close to Sanji's oven as she dared. She frantically turned knobs at random until the fire inside the appliance lit after opening its door.

She ran to an adjoining room and grabbed the first blanket she found, whipping around and skidding to a stop next to Chopper. It was only when she had the blanket firmly wrapped around the small, shivering body that she noticed people in the room with her. At the door, Robin, Nami, Franky, Brook, Usopp and Luffy stood, looking between her and Chopper with varying levels of emotion. Outside, she heard the sounds of the other two of the crew still fighting.

Kyoko's eyes darkened. They were still fighting? After what they caused, they were still fighting? She stormed past the people in the doorway. She saw the crew surge forward and surround Chopper from the corner of her eye.

She walked onto the deck, almost slipping from the amount of water dripping from her. In front of her, Zoro and Sanji were on the ground rolling around, trying to hurt the other. She couldn't even hear them arguing. She angrily strode over to them, fury rolling off of her.

She jerked Sanji off the swordsman and chucked him at the mast. He hit it with a satisfying thump. Both men glared at her.

"You are both the lowest of the low," Kyoko started with building rage, "Where do you think everyone is?"

That seemed to catch their attention. They looked around, as if just realizing that everyone was gone.

"Oh, did you just notice? Did you notice Chopper going over board? Surely you heard him scream as he fell in." The men paled at her words.

"No? Then it must be that you just didn't care that one of your crew almost died because of you both," Kyoko ranted, her entire body shaking with barely bridled rage.

"I-" she didn't even know which one began to talk, but she didn't hesitated to cut them off.

"You didn't know? You didn't mean to? Or maybe, your excuse would've been it's not your fault. You both almost caused the death of Chopper and you're making excuses? You really are scum of the earth. Just looking at you guys makes me feel sick."

The silence that followed was heavy. The two men just stared at Kyoko in shock. Her body began shaking more and she felt her fingers and toes begin to go numb. Her teeth began to click together at a rapid pace and her body felt ridged.

The last thing she remembered before she collapsed was feeling a drop of rain hit her cheek.


	5. Chapter 5

**So, I deleted the first version of this and forgot to copy down the Author's Note. I didn't even think about it until after I had done it. Anyways, due to a review by Kirorokat, I decided to rewrite a part of the story. He/she pointed out some big flaws in my writing, and I wanted to thank them for telling me. **

**I'm also really sorry about it taking so long to update! It was a hard chapter to write and I still had to change things after I posted it. Thanks for everyone that reviewed/favorited/followed my story! It means a lot me.**

* * *

Kyoko always hated blacking out. Not only did it leave her with a monstrous headache, but also showed her that she had been too reckless. There was no telling what could happen to her during the time she was unconscious.

She grimaced when she felt the tell-tale pain at her temples. She left her eyes closed for a moment or two longer before snapping them open at a thunderous sound. She immediately jerked up into an upright position, causing the headache to intensify drastically at the sudden movement.

She glanced around the small room she was in as she held her head. It wasn't very big, but it was enough to hold a cot, a shelf full of papers, a desk, and a tiny port window. At the desk, Kyoko saw Chopper curled up in a chair with a thin blanket over his shoulders.

Another loud crack almost made her fall off the cot. She tried to look out the window, but found it to be too dark to see anything but heavy drops of rain slamming against the glass.

A storm? She briefly remembered seeing one far off before Zoro and Sanji's fight. It couldn't have traveled that fast. How long had she been out?

She attempted to swing herself off the cot, but the ship rocked suddenly, causing her to lose her footing and fall ungracefully to the ground. She snapped her head up to Chopper and was relieved when she saw he was still fast asleep. How could he even manage to sleep through a storm like this anyway? Were the others sleeping too?

She glanced out the window again. It would be incredibly short-sighted of them to not have at least the navigator on duty. Deciding to investigate and make sure someone was guiding the ship, she slipped from the room soundlessly.

She paused next to the sleeping quarters. Inside the men's, she could hear heavy snoring. She couldn't hear anything in the girl's room, so she peeked in and saw Robin fast asleep. Kyoko was mildly relieved to see that Nami wasn't in there. It meant she was most likely attempting to navigate through the storm. She gently closed the door and walked towards the kitchen.

As she approached the table sitting in the middle of the room, she glanced outside when the thunder came again. She couldn't even see the other side of the ship, it was raining so hard. She stumbled again when the ship shifted again and accidentally tipped over a chair.

She flinched at the noise it made when it hit the ground. She hoped no one heard it over the sound of the storm.

She quickly bent over and picked it up. She was surprised at the stiffness she felt. Kyoko did a couple stretches, worried about her body. She couldn't believe it. She hadn't exercised for at least a couple days for her to feel so stiff. Had she really been out that long?

She was about to start doing her routine when she remembered that she wasn't in a place she would have enough room to do so. Kyoko sighed in defeat and slumped into the chair she had picked up. She was beginning to drift off to sleep when she heard a loud crash from above her.

She jumped up and looked around. What could it have been? From what she could tell, Nami was the only one awake. She was about to sit back down when she heard several more crashes, all in rapid succession.

What was Nami doing? Kyoko thought she heard shouting, but she couldn't be sure with the storm raging just outside. She would've sat down, but her scar had begun to itch, signaling trouble. She stumbled towards the door and ripped it open just as the ship jerked again. Water poured in from the deck, swirling around her ankles, as the rain pounded against her. She heard more noises from up above and this time she was sure she heard voices. One's she was sure weren't her crew's.

She stepped outside and raced towards the navigation room. As she ran, she saw shadows creeping towards the door she had left open. She skidded to a stop and threw herself back at the door. Kyoko felt something in her shoulder give when it hit the door, effectively closing it before whatever was trying to get in succeeded.

She turned around quickly and faced the shadows. The light shining out from the tiny windows allowed her to she them fairly easily. She counted three, and all of them had some sort of strangely colored skin and were large. Fish-men? Why would they attack the ship?

Wait. She squinted at there chests. From the dim lighting she could barely see what looked like a tattoo of a grinning skull with fins on either side. Her eyes widened. She remembered one of the fish-men she had stayed with for a while talking about them. Before she left, he warned her about a new fish-men pirate crew. The Dreadnaught Pirates. They had only been a crew for a couple months, and they all already had a hefty bounty on their heads. It was pirates like them that made her distrustful of pirates to begin with. There was no way she would let them anywhere near her crew.

They all glanced at each other briefly before leaping at Kyoko. She quickly raised her arms, wincing at the sharp pain she felt in her shoulder. It was difficult to hold them off. They were both stronger and faster than her. But she had fought fish-men before. The Nobles had no problem putting their kind in the pits with her.

She rolled and dodged, trying to keep the door behind her. She hit one of them hard in the stomach. Below her fist, she could feel a bone snap. The fish-man howled in pain and swung an arm at her head. She easily evaded it, but the ship rocked, causing her to lose her footing. She scrambled to get up as one of the uninjured ones came started to charge her. She managed to stand and bring her arms up to defend herself when his fist swung at her. She stumbled back and watched as he raised his arm for another attack.

She ducked underneath and hit the bottom of his chin in a fast uppercut. She could hear pounding from the other side of the door. Was the crew awake? She spared a quick glance at the source of the pounding. She saw a deep dent where Kyoko must have slammed her shoulder. It must have been enough to jam the door shut.

She pulled her eyes away just in time to see two of the fish-men to come at her. She slid under their legs and launched herself at their backs. once there, she grabbed both of their heads and pulled their heads into each other as hard as she could.

It caused them to fall to their knees in a brief daze. Kyoko stood there a split second too long, she realized when she felt the third fish-man come up behind her and slash his claws across her back.

The force of it pushed her to her knees as she let out a shrill scream. The two she had knocked together stood up and faced her while the other turned toward the door may be jammed, but it wouldn't be a problem for the fish-man.

She had to get his attention. "No!" Kyoko shouted as she struggled to her feet. Above her, she could hear more banging and screaming. Nami. It was too much, she couldn't do everything by herself! She felt her strength begin to leave her as her blood flowed from her back. A martial artist was only as good as the strength they had. And she was running out.

She flung her self past the two fish-men coming towards her and threw herself in front of the door. She had to hurry and finish these three off. Nami was still in trouble.

The fish-man that had been approaching the door stopped and stared at her for a split second before laughing. "You still think you can fight against us? Your back is shredded and bleeding. You'll die whether we kill you or not!"

Kyoko didn't say anything. She needed her strength to fight. They wouldn't get past her if she could help it. Behind her, she could hear the shouts of her crew. She couldn't let them help her. The fish-men were too strong for regular humans. They wouldn't stand a chance. And besides, her pride wouldn't let her. She started the fight, now she had to end it.

The other two had caught up with the one, and together they stood laughing at her. She felt herself bristle. Was she really that pathetic? As a warrior, it was common knowledge that you don't laugh at your enemy. To do so would be to disrespect their life of fighting.

She lifted her fists and prepared to attack. If they were just going to laugh at her, she might as well do something. She darted out and kicked at one of the fish-men's knees. He yowled in pain as she felt something break.

Kyoko's minor victory, however, was short lived. The one standing next to him retaliated on his companion's part and threw her back at the door. Her back hit it hard, making her wince. The pounding on the other side stopped for a moment before continuing with renewed urgency.

Looking up, Kyoko could see the two fish-men that could still walk start coming towards her. She felt her heart thump heavily in her chest. Their eyes held murder. And they were looking at her. She got the same feeling in her stomach as she did when she was the Slayer fighting in the Arena. Dread.

She tried to stand up, but the water and blood beneath her feet wouldn't let her. She slipped and hit her back again on the door. The two fish-men loomed above her as they approached. She braced her feet below her, prepared to attack. One shot a punch at her, and she ducked before realizing her mistake. The punch flew past her and hit the door, effectively unjamming it. The door flew open, causing Kyoko to fall on her back.

Above her, she could see the worried faces of her crew. Everyone but Zoro. He looked downright furious. He glared down at her before drawing his swords and stepping over her body. Sanji followed after saying something like, "Don't worry, I'll protect you Kyoko-chan."

She tried to sit up and say to stay out of it, but Chopper cam ever and held her down.

"Gah! She's hurt!" he shouted as he looked back and forth helplessly.

Kyoko tried again to sit up saying, "Nami's still in danger. I need to-"

"I think you've done enough, Kyoko. Let us handle it now." Robin said as she kneeled next to her. "I'll get Nami, so don't worry, Kyoko!" Luffy exclaimed over the sound of the raging storm. He then proceeded to jump over her and rush past the fish-men Zoro and Sanji were currently fighting.

She barely heard Chopper mumble over her about her injuries. She watched as Zoro and Sanji held off the fish-men. They were actually beating them. She couldn't believe it. Kyoko had struggled with them, and she was half fish-man. She allowed herself to be pulled away by Robin and Chopper. She watched the two until she couldn't see them anymore.

Robin and Chopper took her back to the medical room she woke up in and had her sit on the bed with her back to them. She allowed them to take off her shirt in order to put on the bandages. She sat there for a while before realizing they weren't doing anything.

Kyoko looked over her shoulder and saw their shocked faces. She was about to ask what was wrong when Chopper stated, "You were a World Noble's slave?"


End file.

One Piece, Adventure, Romance