Chapter 1 – Terror Filled Beginning

As I was pulled from the room that was my personal hell, I made my expression go blank. I knew where they were taking me, and why; but I couldn't bring myself to hate the reason. After all, it was me who shouted that if Arlong wanted to beat somebody up, that he'd better leave my younger sister Nami alone, and do it to me instead. That was a few months ago, and in the end, its no better than what I deserve...

I couldn't save our adoptive mother Bellemere, so in exchange for that failure, this was enough.

When the fish man dragging me reached the door, he flung it open, and threw me at Arlong's feet.

"What do we have here?" Arlong mockingly asked, reaching down to lift me up by the back of my shirt before I had a chance to move.

"Asuna!" Nami shouted in fear, as Arlong dangled me in front of her.

"Now Nami, do I have to demonstrate on Asuna here, what will happen if you don't draw the sea charts I asked for seriously?" He said, grabbing my small arm and twisting it painfully behind my back. It hurt, but I didn't let it show on my face. The only signs that I gave off were that I had closed my eyes, and I had clenched my jaw in an effort not to cry out.

The first time this happened, I did cry out in pain. Nami had gone crazy after that, and the screams had haunted her since.

"Stop, I'll draw them. Just please put Asuna down!" She begged, tears streaming down her face.

Tossing me to the side, Arlong snatched Nami by the arm, and threw her at the only desk.

"Then get to it. Honestly Nami, I grow tired of this. Next time, I just might kill your older sister if you don't start drawing your charts seriously..." Arlong sneered, trailing off as he looked over at me.

I knew what expression he saw on my face, in my eyes as they narrowed at him in a death glare. Even though we made this little arrangement, he was still rough with Nami.

Looking over Nami's shoulder to make sure she was doing as he told, Arlong then walked over to me, grabbed me harshly by the arm, and dragged me out of the room. Returning me back to my room, Arlong threw me against the far wall. With the force Arlong threw me, my impact with with the wall drove all of my breath from my lungs, as I landed on the floor in a heap.

Sitting up and panting for breath, I watched as the door was slammed shut, and bolted from the other side. It was a precaution they used to make sure Nami and I don't try to run away. No, the bastards couldn't have that could they, not when they could see that Nami and me had talents they wished to use to the fullest as Arlong had once said.

Nami could draw some of the most accurate sea and land charts, while I could forge really good quality blades, and other useful objects made from metal. To the fish men, we were valuable assets they couldn't afford to loose.

Crawling over to my bed in the corner of the room, I crawled up on the sheets, and pulled my knees to my chest. I was thankful that this round wasn't as bad as the last ones.

Looking down at the arm he had grabbed, I saw blood staining the bandages on the underside of my forearm. The wounds had reopened. Opening one of the drawers in the dresser next to my bed, I pulled out some fresh bandages. Re-bandaging my arm, I recalled how these wounds had gotten on my arm. I'm not proud of it, but every incision on my arm is self inflicted. If you counted them, then there were seven of them. One for every time Arlong had hit Bellemere...

As the new bandage was put in place, I felt some of the tears I've been holding in since that day, spill over and run down my face.

If there was just some way to rid the earth of Arlong, then Nami and I would be free...

…...

Eight Years Later...

Sitting at an empty table in a sea restaurant, I couldn't believe how long I was being forced to wait. If I could get my hands on the ore this guy I'm supposed to meet has, then Nami and I could finally reach our goal.

Over the passed eight years, Nami and I had made a deal with Arlong to buy back our village. Between the two of us, we only had a little bit left to go before we hit the hundred million berries price Arlong had set.

While Nami had resorted to stealing from pirates what money she could, I started making extra swords and weapons to sell at various islands. Seeing as making and selling weapons on our home island was against a law Arlong had set for the villages he took over. Which is the reason why I'm sitting in a sea restaurant called the Baratie, being pestered by an annoying love sick cook, all to wait on some ore that would allow me to make some high quality swords.

It had been three days since I had been given the okay by the owner to stay until the guy I'm waiting for arrived. Moments ago, he had asked me how come I didn't go to a land market to get the metal I was looking for. To which I answered that the ore I was waiting on couldn't be found anywhere but on the black market. When he asked what I needed it for, I didn't answer.

At my silence, the old guy turned and went into the back of the restaurant, muttering something about the man you're waiting on had better not cause trouble in my restaurant...

I couldn't help but crack a smile at this. The only thing that's been keeping me from being bored to death around here, would have to be the fights that broke out around here between the cooks and the pirates. They had the potential to be so violent, that the last of the waiters here had fled in fear.

As much as I hate to admit it, the love sick cook, who I quickly learned was called Sanji; was pretty good when it came down to a fight. In fact, he was one of my favorite ones to watch fight, next to the owner of course, who came out to break it up when Sanji got out of control.

Seeing as nothing was going on at the moment, I reached into my back pocket of my black shorts, and pulled out the eight year old piece of paper. Unfolding it, I read the words written on it:

"Asuna,

If Genzo has given you this, and you're reading it, then that means I'm gone. I hate to leave you girls like this, but these things don't give a woman much choice ya know. Make sure to let Nojiko, and especially Nami know that I love you all very much. And tell Nami that I'm not mad at her about what happened the other night.

And Asuna, I don't want you to blame yourself on what happened to me. I did what was done so that you girls can have a future. If my going means that you three can have a bright future, then I'd go through what happened a thousand times over.

I also know that technically your my niece, but in my heart, you're one of my daughters as well. Remember that.

Your real mother also wanted me to one day tell you who your father is should something happen to her. I'm not sure if your ready to hear this yet or not, but since this is probably my last chance to tell you, I might as well spill it...

Your mother, my sister, didn't want you to think that all pirates are bad. This is because your father is a pirate. Not just any pirate, but one of the seven warlords:

Ha-"

Hearing what sounded like a cannon blast, I looked up from Bellemere's last letter. A few moments passed before some stupid looking guy with pink hair, and what looked like iron knuckles screwed onto his hands walked in with a blond woman on his arm.

Folding the letter up and putting it away, I studied this guy. From where I was sitting, I could hear him mention quite a few times about how he was the great Marine Lt. Ironfist Fullbody!

I watched quietly as Sanji sat some soup down in front of them both, and pour them a glass of wine. Taking a sip, the pink haired guy caught Sanji's attention again before he could turn and walk away.

Ironfist Fullbody then started talking like he could taste the very fruit the wine was made out of, and smell where it had been grown.

Only to guess the type of wine wrong. Poor guy was really embarrassed about it. Then again, he had probably tried to ask the owner, Zeff, for that specific wine when he made his reservation. In my opinion, wine makers could pull his stunt off without requesting it beforehand, and just about be spot on each time.

As the guy was left to his embarrassment, I watched as two other cooks were dragging a guilty looking boy with a straw hat on top of his head. Muttering that he was sorry for something.

Poor kid must have broken something...

Scanning the crowd, I tried to spot the guy I was supposed to meet here. Coming up empty handed, I put my elbow up on the table, to lay my cheek in. Sighing heavily, I closed my eyes for a moment, enjoying the feel of it.

If this bastard doesn't show up in the next day or so, I'll be forced to return back to my personal hell empty handed. Something I couldn't afford to do. Not this close to the end...

Nami, I hope you're having better luck... I thought to myself, wondering what my younger sister was doing at the moment. She had been gone for about half a year now, and I haven't heard anything from her for a while.

I was then pulled from my thoughts when I heard the idiot marine Lt shout for Sanji to walk over.

"I already told you, I'm not a waiter..." Sanji muttered annoyed as he stepped over.

Ignoring him, the marine pointed to his soup.

"Is Bug soup on the menu for today, or is it just for me? What is this bug doing here?" He asked in a smug tone I really wished I could go over and wipe off of his face.

"I don't know Sir. Looks like it's floating, but then again, you could say he's drowning. Then again, it's hard to tell..." Sanji remarked, smirking as the whole restaurant began to snicker at the poor guy again.

If I didn't know Sanji any better than the regulars sitting in here, then you knew that he hadn't done it. Not with the way that not just Sanji, but all the cooks were passionate about their jobs...

Most likely, the marine had threw it in his own soup, and was going to blame Sanji and try to ruin the Baratie's reputation.

Raising his fist in the air, the marine brought it down on the table, busting it in two as the food and wine on top of it went all over the floor. The silence that followed was very heavy.

"Do not insult me. DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM? MESS WITH ME, AND I'LL HAVE THIS PLACE SHUT DOWN!" He shouted, holding his fist up in the air, only for his words to fall upon deaf ears. For Sanji was down on one knee, examining the now wasted soup on the floor.

"Bastard. It would have been fine if the bug you threw in had been removed. It took me three long days and nights to make it for this reservation." Sanji said, placing his hand in it.

Stomping on Sanji's hand, the marine started whining some more.

"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN. I'M THE PAYING CUSTOMER HERE! FOR A COOK, YOU SURE ARE FULL OF YOURSELF!" He said, his voice getting louder and louder.

"Fullbody, stop it. Just forgive him already." His blonde date said, trying to calm him down, only to be roughly pushed to the ground. The site of this made it hard for me to sit still and stay out of it. I really hated when a man thought he could push a woman around like that. If it had been me, then he'd be dead before the day's over...

"Can your money really satisfy your hunger?" Sanji asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

"What was that?" the marine demanded, applying more pressure to Sanji's hand.

"I said: Can your money really satisfy your hunger?" he repeated, before kicking the shit out of him, and holding him up off the ground by the neck. Blood pouring from where Sanji had kicked him.

"Next time, remember that going up against a cook you've not only insulted, but wasted the food he made on the seas, is the same as signing your own death warrant, and carrying out the execution yourself." Sanji said in a low voice.

I was so caught up in watching this new interesting development, that I failed to notice the doors open. It wasn't until I heard a new voice asking what was going on in here, that I looked over.

There were three people. The one that really caught my attention first, was the guy in the front. He had really tan skin, short green hair, and three swords by his side. Not to mention that he was really handsome.

"Looks like a fight..." He said, in a deep voice that had shivers going down my spine. Shaking my head to clear it, I moved my analyzing gaze over to the guy hiding behind the good looking one. Scolding myself for looking at the guy to start with. A girl like me wasn't free to look at guys like that.

Arlong had taught Nami and me that the hard way. Nami had gotten an interest in a guy in our home village, only for Arlong to notice it and dispose of the poor guy in front of her. After that, Nami and I swore not to go that route until the village was freed from our tormentor.

The guy behind the green haired swordsman, was also tan, with a long nose, and weird change purse bag thing...

However, it was the person behind the long nose that grabbed my attention more than the swordsman, as I recognized familiar orange hair.