Chapter 8: First Crewmate

A devil fruit.

To think I would lucky enough to encounter a devil fruit this early in my travels.

I wonder what sort of powers it will bestow on its eater?

Damn I wish I had a devil fruit encyclopedia right now. But unfortunately I don't.

That was one of the only things I wasn't able to acquire during my stay in Loguetown and my time bounty hunting in the East Blue.

So until I do the powers of the devil fruit I have in my hands will remain a complete mystery.

They might still even be a mystery after I acquire a devil fruit encyclopedia.

Since those things never contain every single devil fruit listed in existence. They are always getting updated or changing. Even so I'll still obtain one for those books have a good number of devil fruits listed in them.

One of which I hope is the fruit I'm looking at right now.

I also hope this devil fruit is a strong one. Since if it is I can give it to one of my future crewmates, if they haven't eaten a fruit already of course, and strengthen my crew.

As for myself I will not eat the fruit. Nor any devil fruit for that matter.

Since I decided long ago that was the road I was going to walk.

For although devil fruit powers are awesome in the long run you don't need them to conquer the seas.

Roger and his crew being my number one example.

Since as far as I know none of them, except for Buggy, had devil fruit powers. Yet despite this they were the strongest, and stood at the pinnacle of entire world.

That's the way I want to do things as well.

Besides, I like being able to go for a nice swim and don't want to feel like someone is zapping my strength every time I want to take a bath or take a dip in a hot spring.

So yeah, no devil fruit powers for me.

Closing the small wooden chest I placed it inside of the sack.

Then once I did I turned my attention back to Atalanta. "So, is there anywhere you want me to drop you off?" I asked. "Your home perhaps?"

Since I would feel like dick if I just left her here on the ship where she was a prisoner alone.

"No." Atalanta replied. Getting a sad expression on her face. "As for my home, it's gone. Those pirates you killed destroyed it." She spoke.

"I see." I replied. "So, what will you do now?" I asked.

"Well if you don't mind Achilles I was hoping I could travel with you. At least for a little while." Atalanta spoke.

"Okay." I said. "Atalanta I'll be honest with you, I am a pirate." I revealed.

Atalanta getting a shocked expression on her face at my words.

"You are?"

"I am." I replied.

"Why? Why are you a pirate Achilles? You are kind and pirates are...Why?" Atalanta repeatedly asked me.

"Because I want freedom. I want to go where I want and do what I want. I want to explore this world on my own terms. As well as go on insane adventures. And being a pirate allows me to do all that and more. Also becoming a pirate is the only way I'll achieve my dream." I explained.

"Which is?" Atalanta asked me.

"To take up the recently deceased pirate king, Gol D. Rogers, mantle." I said.

"You are after the One Piece?" Atalanta questioned.

"Yes. Yes I am." I replied. "So knowing all that do you still want to travel with me?" I asked her. Looking Atalanta directly in her eyes as I did.

Since given her recent experience with pirates I want her to know what she's getting into.

"Also be aware that my destination is the North Blue. So if you want to stay in the East Blue you need to tell me right now."

"I don't." Atalanta replied. "I want to travel with you, Achilles." She told me.

"Are you sure?"

"I am."

"Even though I just told you I'm a pirate."

"Yes." Atalanta replied.

"Alright then." I said. "Then welcome aboard." I told her.

Atalanta nodded.

Once she did so the two of us quickly collected anything else of value on the ship. We then returned to my ship and set sail.

After setting Crunch's ship on fire mind you.

As it burned and headed toward Davy Jones Locker Atalanta and I sailed away under the power of a gentle breeze.

What a day.

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A book in hand I watched as Atalanta aimed an arrow in her bow, which I learned she named Tauropolos, at a rather large bird-creature flying several meters above the ship.

Hearing Atalanta exhale I watched as she released the grip on her bowstring and the arrow notched inside of it when flying, piercing straight through the bird-creature's skull.

The second after this happened the bird-creature fell from the sky and landed in the water right near us.

After it did I took used the net I had set out and retrieved the corpse.

I then cooked it up.

Since the bird-creature was mine and Atalanta's lunch.

It's been a week since I met her onboard that pirate/slave ship and she joined me in my travels.

During that time I have learned several things about her.

First off her animal features do not come from any sort of devil fruit but from her heritage.

Atalanta is a humink. A hybrid of a human and mink parent breeding.

In her case Atalanta's mother was the human, while her father was the mink. A cat mink to be specific.

Secondly, Atalanta is not from the East Blue but from the Grand Line. The first half.

Apparently the island she called home was raided by those pirates/slavers. During which both of her parents were killed and she was captured and set to be sold to some East Blue noble who had a particular fetish for young girls.

But thanks to my unlikely encounter with Crunch and his crew that didn't happen.

The third thing I have learned about Atalanta is that her skills with a bow and arrow are something else. I've seen her shoot down both large and small targets. One of which was at least 20 meters (65.6 ft.) away from the ship.

As I finished preparing the bird-creature which was our lunch I decided to ask Atalanta a question that had been on my mind for the last day.

"Hey Atalanta, want to join my pirate crew?"

The moment Atalanta heard my question she stopped what she was doing and looked directly at me. "Are you serious?"

"Yes. I am." I replied.

"Me, a pirate?" Atalanta questioned. "So you want me to become a slaver?"

"No." I immediately replied. "I want you to come on adventures with me. We will not be slavers. Ever. My crew will never both those kinds of pirates. We will simply be the pirates looking for fame, adventure, good food, and occasionally a good fight." I explained. "So, what do you say? Want to sail the seas with me?"

Placing her left hand under her chin Atalanta began rubbing it, a thoughtful expression on her face.

This lasted for five minutes before she broke out of her thinking pose and gave me a response to my proposition.

"Yes, I will join your crew Achilles." Atalanta said.

"I'm curious as to why?" I asked.

"Let's just say I've taken your measure in the past week and find it acceptable and mostly in line with my own. So I'll join you. Please take care of me from now on, captain." Atalanta said.

Bringing a smile to my face.

'You got it, kitty cat." I spoke.

"Didn't I tell you not to call me that." Atalanta spoke.

"You did, but I don't care." I replied.

Ignoring the glare Atalanta was giving me.

Which I'm sure will be the first of many.

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A/N: So first crewmate aboard people.

21 years left until cannon begins

Achilles: 14 years old.

Atalanta: 14 years old.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Advanced chapters of this story are available on my Paetron.

Here is the link: patreon.com/ArifuretaForever