Fallon's Story: A Forgotten One Piece Tale

January 18, 1504 (just before midnight)

I wake up in a cold sweat as my breathing which once was a coarse pant slowed down to an understandable pace. The morning light attempted to pour into my cabin but the gray curtains prevented most of the light from coming in. I scratched my long, black messy hair, realizing that I had forgotten to tie it up with my burlap hairband. Looking down at my tan wrist, I pulled the band off my wrist, noting the indention that it had made. I had learned way too long ago that long hair undone can be the catalyst for a rough haircut and a few hundred berries for the ones who come across a young girl on her own. Luckily they do only that. Other young girls were not so fortunate.

I pulled back the red blanket that I had over me, exposing my bare skin. The cool moist air rushed over me as I reached down to grab my dress. Gone. Did I leave it on the chair? I stood up and dizziness soon swept over me. I had stood up too quickly. I place my hand on the wooden bed post. After recuperating myself, I walked on the wooden floorboards to the curtains and tossed the fabric to the side. The still ocean stared back at me. A cool morning breeze welcomed itself in, making goosebumps rise on my skin. Oh right, my bare skin. 

I had on some short shorts and a bra but nothing else. I stepped out of the now invading sunlight view and stood over by the only other furniture in the room, a chair. It was bare. Where did I put my dress? 

This was my first night on the ship. The red-headed captain had been friendly enough to offer me a place to stay in exchange for some chores. I wouldn't normally trust pirates but this group seemed ok. They had come from the South Blue so I assumed they had no idea who I was. Consisting of about fifteen crew members, three of which were female, they loved the idea of a young teenage girl cleaning up after their messes. Reaching the Grand Line was no small feat, and keeping house (or ship in this case) was the last thing on their minds. They even gave me my own room. 

Last night, the crew celebrated a birthday. With barrels of sake and even a fresh cow to eat, everyone participated. After mentioning I turn fifteen in a couple of weeks, they started planning for when my birthday should come. I mentioned I didn't want a cake. I thought it was too sweet. Hanny, the chef, mentioned that she had the perfect recipe for me. I smiled thinking of the thought that someone or some people were glad and willing to celebrate with me. It had been several years since someone had done something similar. Now they were all dead. Only I survive.

After searching my room for a solid ten minutes, I accepted my defeat and sat down on the empty chair. I closed my eyes. I normally don't use my devil fruit powers but I had to know where my dress went. I closed my real eyes and my other eyes opened to the ship deck. Only a couple of the men were up, fencing with each other on their swords, sweat dripping off of their toned bodies. It seems that many were still too hungover to get up. I closed my other eyes and I opened them up to the dark kitchen. There was a tired, red-eyed Hanny who was mixing something together. It seemed like some sort of flatbread. Yum.

After checking the men's and women's quarters, the armory, and even the shower room, I was unsuccessful in finding my dress. "Where could it have gone?" I thought. Suddenly some movement shifted my attention from the empty shower room to the toilet room. I closed my other eyes and they appeared but just out of reach from seeing anything unwanted. I added one of my ears to eavesdrop. I was lucky I didn't add my nose because, from the sound of things, it didn't seem too pleasant. The captain was sitting on the john and was discussing something interesting with one of the young men on board. I believed he was his first mate but from the look of things, it seems that he wasn't looking forward to enjoying the ominous smell much.

"Look captain, the navy said that they'd be here soon. Are we going to kill her or what?" the young man asked, looking around nervously.

The captain, obviously straining himself, held out a finger, and after finishing his business, looked back up at the young man, red in the face. "Crouch, didn't you hear the rumors from the Mehr pirates back on Uduak island a couple of weeks ago? They said that the government will pay more if she is alive! She's already worth almost 100 million berries, do you want to jinx that?"