A/N: This is the first chapter of my new multi chapter fic. I'm planning on 10 chapters, with 3 already finished. I have 6 weeks of free time coming up and my plot mostly hammered out, so finishing this fic shouldn't be hard. I will post the second chapter in a few days.

***Enter generic disclaimer here.***

Pieces of Eight

Chapter 1: Beginnings

A warm, sultry breeze blew off the ocean, ruffling the hair of the figure standing on the docks. Short raven locks fluttered into eyes of gold-ish brown. A small delicately boned hand brushed the errant hair back, only to have it return worse than before.

The trim feminine curves were masked by bulky workman's clothes. An over-sized linen shirt was tucked into cotton breeches that ended at the knee. Coarse stockings and simple leather shoes completed the illusion of the young boy that she was trying to impersonate.

Although she herself was 17, with her baggy clothes and youthful elvin-like features, she appeared as a boy of 14, which suited her purposes perfectly. After all, it was difficult enough for a man in his prime to find work in the pirate port known as Tortuga. For a young woman, it was nearly impossible. There were occupations for women in the town, but those usually ran towards the "entertainment" industry. And none of those would serve in a quest for revenge.

The golden-eyed girl stared out into the harbor, watching a ship make its way to the docks. She observed the well-known sails and silhouette of the pirate ship, Dark Moon. The dark red sails and Asian design of the hull were famous on the waters of the Caribbean for ruthless plundering and mayhem. The only thing more infamous was the reputation of its captain, Ren Tsuruga.

Known for his gentlemanly smile and cold hearted tactics, Captain Tsuruga was the bane of the British, French, and Spanish navies. In the few short years of active piracy, he had successfully raided over 50 merchant vessels, sacked several major ports, and generally harassed the international navies, so much so that there was now the hefty sum of 50,000 gold pieces on his head.

But this silent observer had no interest in the reward money. Her fascination with this dark character was much more personal than money. She watched as the ship lowered its anchor and its crew scuttled about the deck, preparing a long boat to launch. It eventually filled with bodies and lowered down to head towards town.

She hoped the captain was among the men on the longboat. She hoped they stayed long enough for her to find them. And if she did, she hoped he would let her live long enough to explain.

O.o.O

"Captain."

The voice of the first mate caused the tall pirate captain, Ren Tsuruga, to turn from the railing, where he'd been contemplating the beautiful Caribbean sunset. If he had to choose one aspect of sailing he enjoyed most, it would have to be the sunsets. The brilliant colors which painted the sky and clouds always changed, at times dull and other times so heart achingly beautiful that Ren wondered how he kept from weeping.

"Aye, Mr. Yashiro?"

The fair-haired man stood a few paces away, his spectacles winking in the disappearing light. Although he'd been a pirate for only a few years, Ren had yet to meet a more organized person. Yukihito Yashiro was several years older than his captain and had been a shipping clerk for the East India Trading Company up until 3 years ago, when Ren on one of his first raids had saved the man from death. Since then, the 27 year old clerk had dedicated himself to helping his savior.

When Ren had been made captain of the Dark Moon a year ago, there was no other choice for first mate. Yashiro kept track of the records for their raids, managed the divvying up of swag, and kept the crew in line. More a bureaucrat than a sailor, he was nonetheless feared on board.

Now the man adjusted his spectacles and cleared his throat. "I just wanted to remind you that we need to hire a new cook before leaving port." He opened the ever present ledger that contained all the information necessary for smooth sailing. He flipped through the book to the desired page. "We haven't had a decent cook since the last one jumped ship 3 months ago."

Ren frowned and crossed his long arms over his chest, leaning back against the railing. "What's wrong with the way we've been handling the situation until now?" he queried, actually curious. As far as he was concerned, there wasn't a problem. The crew had been rotating the shift between them. Sure, sometimes the food was undercooked or burned, but generally everything seemed fine to him.

Yashiro sighed deeply and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Captain, you may be able to eat next to nothing or whatever happens to be in front of you, but the rest of the crew can't." He flipped his ledger around and pointed at a page. "The last time we were in port, the guy in charge bought mostly rum and sugar, then proceeded to drink the rum. We're lucky that was only a week ago, otherwise you might have had a mutiny on your hands."

Ren raised his hands, conceding the point. "Alright, alright. I'll see what I can find in town." He sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair. The strands simply fell back into his eyes, only slightly annoying. He turned and surveyed the port of Tortuga, searching for a familiar ship. "But first I have to meet with Captain Takarada."

"The Pirate King?" Yashiro asked, moving to stand next to his captain and glancing about to glimpse the outlandish hull and sails of the L.M.E., Lory's flagship. "What does he want?"

"I have no idea, but it's bound to be interesting." Ren grinned at the thought of what the eccentric pirate had in store for him.

Suddenly he leapt onto the railing and into the waiting longboat. "Make ready to sail with the morning tide, Mr. Yashiro."

"Aye, captain" was the response he barely heard as the longboat was lowered and made its way to shore.

O.o.O

A couple of hours later found Ren sitting in the Red Rose Tavern, nursing a tankard of ale, while the Pirate King Lory Takarada danced a jig with one of the barmaids.

The Pirate King was dressed in his usual flamboyant attire: a brilliant red overcoat with overlarge brass buttons and thick gold embroidery covering a royal purple waistcoat of imported Chinese silk, a fine white Cambric shirt with an impeccably done cravat, lamb's wool breeches in black, white stockings, and freshly shined buckle shoes, also in black and with a 3 inch heel. A large plumed hat sat at Ren's elbow, waiting for its owner to reclaim it and place it in all its glory atop his head.

Ren sighed to himself, as he finished off his drink. Lory had invited him to the tavern to discuss a possible business venture, but so far the only business transacted had been the buying of drinks. Watching as the older captain cavorted with a girl young enough to be his granddaughter, Ren could only stew.

He thought back to his first encounter with the Pirate King. Shortly after his 12th birthday, his father had retired from the British Navy, one of its great military heroes, and had been presented with a position of governor for one of the Empire's holdings in the Caribbean. On the crossing, their ship had been attacked by pirates, specifically by Lory's crew.

The battle had been short lived, as Ren's father, Admiral Kuu Hizuri, supreme negotiator and naval hero, had managed to convince the pirates to leave, taking almost next to nothing with them except a few barrels of rum and leaving the lasting friendship and admiration of the pirate captain. Since then, Lory and Kuu had been close friends, and when Kuu's son had been in dire straits, who else but Lory would come to the rescue.

But that had been years ago, when Ren had been younger, angrier, and much more naïve. Amazing what a couple of years as a pirate did for one's perspective.

A glass slammed down in front of him, slightly spilling the contents over the table. Judging by the smell, it was a strong brand of rum, most likely cheaply made, but guaranteed to get even the most hard-headed drinker drunk.

"Drink up, my boy. That rum will put hairs on your chest." A large hand slapped Ren on the back, almost causing him to nose dive into the rum. The Pirate King proceeded to grab a chair and sit on the other side of the table.

"That's quite alright, Lory," Ren replied, sliding the glass towards the older gentleman. "I'm not really in the mood to get drunk."

Lory raised a sardonic brow, before picking up the glass and slamming back the shot. He laid the glass back down. "What kind of pirate doesn't like getting drunk? There must be something wrong with you, lad." He waved to the barmaid, indicating the need for another round.

"I am what you made me," Ren shot back.

The Pirate King leveled a glare at the younger captain, his displeasure at being reminded of certain failures evident. Ren returned the glare, equally as stubborn.

After a moment or two of staring, Lory glanced away first. He rubbed a hand over his mouth, than scratched at the small goatee covering his chin. "You know I never meant to repay your father in this way, Ren."

Ren sighed, slumping in his seat, defeated. "I know, Lory. Believe me, I don't think any of us thought your favor would need to be called in this way." He managed a small smile of gratitude. "But I am grateful to you anyway."

The two men lapsed into silence, both recalling the follies of the past. The barmaid came and went, leaving a new round of drinks in her wake. Lory was the first to shake off the sudden gloom, sipping delicately at the replenished rum, then clapping his hands together.

"Ah, well, no use living in the past, eh? Let's move on to the future." The Pirate King leaned forward, excitement now the dominating emotion on his face.

"Tell me, Ren, what do you know about magic?"

O.o.O

The girl paused outside of the Red Rose Tavern, one of the seedier places in Tortuga, and considering Tortuga, that was saying something.

So far she'd had no luck in tracking down Captain Tsuruga or any of his crew. In truth, she was still unsure of what to say in order to convince him to take her seriously once she found him. All she knew was that this was her only chance.

Adjusting the cap on her head, she squared her shoulders and advanced on the bar.

O.o.O

Ren stared dumbfounded at Lory. "What do you mean, magic?" he asked his friend, worried that the normally sane man had finally cracked.

"I mean real magic. Not the kind in fairy tales or even the sleight of hand practiced by the fakers and charlatans of the street. Real magic with no true explanation, but obviously based in this world." The Pirate King began gesturing wildly. "Things that defy common sense and intellect."

"If you put that way," Ren mused, "I suppose you'd have to believe. If there was no other explanation, you'd have no choice but to accept the impossible. But what does that have to do with me?" he asked, confused.

An expression of glee spread across Lory's face, startling Ren. The only time he had seen such a look on the Pirate King's face was when his granddaughter, Maria, was around. Lory leaned forward confidently and whispered softly, "I've heard tell of a chest. One that holds the desire of every man."

Ren scoffed in disbelief.

"You don't believe me?" Lory asked, a smirk firmly in place. "Well, I'll just have to convince you, won't I?" He glanced around, suddenly suspicious. "But we'll have to adjourn to my cabin."

In the moment it took for Ren to register that they were leaving, the Pirate King had finished off his drink, laid money on the table, swept his hat onto his head, and was heading for the door. Ren scrambled to catch up, and reached his friend in time to watch as Lory collided with someone coming into the tavern.

Lory was a solidly built man and the person he'd run into was a scrawny and considerably shorter young boy, and as is the way with such situations, the lighter of the two was the first to fall. The boy was dropped on his backside, eliciting a small grunt of pain.

Ren stepped around the still frozen Pirate King and offered a hand to the youth. The boy peered up with light brown eyes covered by unruly black bangs.

"You alright, kid?" He asked.

The boy glanced at Ren's extended hand and reddened. Without taking the offer of assistance, he clambered to his feet, dusted himself off, and grabbed the cap that had fallen off in the scuffle.

"I'm okay," he responded in a light tenor, leaving Ren to place his age around 13 or 14. The kid was probably looking for his father in the tavern.

"What are you doing in such a disreputable place?" Lory asked, having finally regained his composure.

Appearing embarrassed, the boy ducked his head and muttered a response into his chest, making it difficult for the two men to hear him.

"What was that, son?" Lory prompted.

The boy jerked and lifted his head. Ren was struck by how the kid's eyes gleamed golden when struck by the light. In fact, the kid seemed almost familiar, but Ren brushed it off as a little too much alcohol.

"I'm looking for Captain Tsuruga."

Ren blinked in surprise. The kid was looking for him? "Why?" he blurted out, his mouth working without consulting his brain.

The boy flushed again and mumbled, "I wanna join his crew."

Yet another surprise. Ren could only stare at this uppity kid. Didn't he realize that the infamous Captain Tsuruga, Scourge of the Navies, only accepted the best of the best? He couldn't decide whether to be flattered or insulted.

Glancing over at Lory only proved that the Pirate King was barely containing his amusement at the situation. Turning back to the boy, he asked "And why should Captain Tsuruga hire a scrapling like you? Can you sail?"

"No."

"Can you fight?"

"No."

"Do you at least have an inclination towards general mayhem and larceny?"

"Not really, no."

Ren sighed deeply and shrugged his shoulders, once again amazed at the audacity at this kid. "Then I'm afraid I have no use for you."

He stepped around the boy and continued to the exit, Lory following, still trying to contain his mirth.

"Wait." He heard scrabbling as the kid tried to catch up with his long strides. "You're Captain Tsuruga? Please I need to join your crew."

Not even bothering to stop or turn around, Ren shot over his shoulder, "And why exactly should I let you? You have no marketable skills as a pirate. " He raised one arm and flicked his hand in a shooing gesture as he left the tavern. "Go home to your mother, kid."

He'd made it about twenty steps from the front of the building with Lory trailing after, when he heard something which caused him to stop in his tracks.

"PLEASE!"

It was the desperation in the plea that had brought him to a halt. Ren recognized the sound as that of utter defeat, a last chance slipping by. The sound was familiar because it was a noise he'd made years ago, right before he became a pirate. It was heartbreaking.

The infamous captain turned on his heel and took in the sight of the youth now kneeling on the ground, arms wrapped around his chest. His head was hanging in defeat and his shoulders were shaking with silent sobs.

Heaving a deep sigh, Ren crossed back to the crying boy. He really hoped he wouldn't regret this decision. "What's your name, boy?"

The kid raised his head and sniffled gently, tear streaks on his cheeks. He rubbed his sleeve along his face and answered, "Mogami, sir."

"Well, Mr. Mogami, can you cook?"

The burgeoning hope in the boy's eyes was answer enough, even as he nodded his head vigorously. Ren was reminded of himself at a younger, more innocent age, before his life had turned complicated.

"Alright," he sighed. "Be aboard before morning tide. We leave then, with or without you."

Mogami leapt to his feet, grabbing the captain's hand and shaking it enthusiastically. "Yes, sir. Oh, you won't regret this, Captain, I promise." Then quick as a rabbit, the boy took off, most likely to gather his belongings from wherever he'd been staying.

Ren shook his head bemusedly and turned to face his friend. Lory laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. "Well, that kid should make things more interesting for you, aye?"

Ren only glared at the Pirate King, before marching off towards the docks.