—Introduction—

"Tch."

Marco's heavy-lidded eyes scanned the people around, trying to spot a particular object and he made a small noise of disapproval when he couldn't find the cherry blossom oil-paper umbrella in the crowd. He had managed to climb—somewhat discreetly and the few onlookers who had seen only gave him disgusted looks to which he ignored, far too used to it—the mayor's building to look over the open market but there was no sight of the umbrella. The fifteen year old sighed. He would leave the island the next day and he hadn't managed to tell his only friend about it.

Well, 'friend' was a big term to use but there wasn't any other word he knew to describe their relationship. He didn't know any other terms. It was a mix between acquaintanship and friendship. Marco did another mouth noise of annoyance. Where the hell was she? They didn't technically have to steal anything, he had made sure they had enough food for the day and food for her to last another two days. Marco put his hands in the pockets of his dirty short pants. His sandals were practically ruined but Mr. Whitebeard (or should he call him Pops now, like the old man said to him?) had promised him new, clean clothes.

Looking up at the sky, Marco didn't see any clouds. Annoyance put aside, he chuckled softly. No clouds meant that the cherry-blossom umbrella should be out for her to use. Sunlight was not in her list of likings, being far too sensible compared to Marco whose skin could tan to a certain degree.

"What are you laughing at?" a breathy voice asked from behind him. It was almost a murmur but he heard it.

Turning around to find Kai with, as he had guessed correctly, the umbrella shadowing her face. Watching her approach him, Marco couldn't help the wonder he feels everytime they meet up. They were physically vastly different. Black clothes covered almost entirely her skin, to the point where he could only see her hands, ankles and half of her face. Kai really didn't like sunlight which was too bad as today was bright and could be considered as hot. He never made remarks about her appearance, it wasn't as if he minded, it was just always curious how she exposed herself to the world, how she revealed herself.

The twelve-year-old girl sat crossed legged on the roof on his left, putting the handle of the umbrella in her back, under her clothes so that she wouldn't have to hold it. Marco always wondered how she managed that. It still somehow covered her face from the sun, making her skin paler than it already was.

"I got some fruit," continued Kai in the same soft voice, not bothering for a response she knew she wouldn't get. She never increased her tone and it was difficult at first for Marco to understand her but it had sharpened his hearing over time and now he could hear her well.

The teen took out two oranges and Marco's eyes slightly widen. It wasn't saying much as he usually looked half-asleep but it's been years since they met and she knew he was more than surprised. Oranges didn't come by often and he gratefully took the stolen fruit from her pale hands. It was juicy and he felt his body thanking him for the nutriment. The two ate in silence and at one point, he turned to her.

Her eyes were almond-shaped, and not by a bit. You could barely see the golden iris and the pupil. It scared people, coming out as if she was deeply focused or ambitious, perhaps even mischievous. The smirk was missing for the last adjective.

Kai was not a pretty girl. She was somewhat cute, but not pretty. Not like the baker's daughter who was wildly innocent; smiling at life and giggling annoyingly at everything. Not like the mayor's wife who resembled a prostitute with her vulgar makeup and sneer. No, Kai gave the appearance of someone mysteriously deadly, that you shouldn't mess with, and she was only twelve. Marco wondered what she would look like older. Maybe if Fate played its cards right, could they see each other again?

"I'm leaving tomorrow, yoi." No point in dragging it out any longer. He had waited long enough, it was time.

"Where?"

"To the sea."

She finished her fruit, spat the seeds on the people beneath them. She didn't ask any more questions, as he had foreseen it. She hummed, taking out a deck of cards from her coat's pocket. The coat was long, dark, finishing up at her knees where the big pockets itself couldn't be seen. She could hide many things in them and often enough, ther were odd things like that time she took out a small glass jar with Little the goldfish (before he died of hunger), or that other time where she kept many different keys (stolen, of course). Every now and then, Kai would act weirdly, and that may have one of the reasons why his interest in her didn't flatten.

She expertly shuffled the cards and then turned to him, her knee brushing against his. He'll always remember the first time they met, her sitting like right now on an abandonned building, shuffling cards, humming to herself, and he would never admit that her stare had also disarmed him when they had locked eyes. But she had been the only person who had voluntarily talked to him so in return, he had continued the conversations.

"Pick one," she mumbled.

He didn't ask why. The card was the Queen of Hearts. He raised an eyebrow when she repacked the other cards while silently chuckling.

"Hmm...it's yours now," she murmured. "Too bad, it was my favorite card."

She wouldn't explicitly say it but Marco understood immediately and he smirked, his lazy eyes crossing her squinty ones. He pocketed the card and they silently watched the sun go down, little by little until it was dark out and the open market was vacant.

Maybe one day they would see each other again, Marco could only hope.

A/N: Hey, so this story I've started writing will be set before the beginning of One Piece (that I do not own, obviously). I have taken some liberties, as we don't know much about the Whitebeard pirates. Have fun !