Beginning-4

Yamato and Hana stepped into the village. The dust stirred under their feet, the sun casting long shadows. Hana's small hand held onto Yamato's little finger, her grip firm.

Hana's stomach grumbled loudly and she looked at Yamato, her eyes wide. "Hungry," she said, her voice tiny.

Yamato picked her up, her light body settling comfortably in his arms. "We'll get you something to eat, Hana," he said, his voice steady. They made their way to the apple shop, the smell of fresh apples filling the air as they entered.

Inside, an old man stood behind the counter, his gaze landing on them. "Can I help you?" he asked, his voice warm.

"We need apples," Yamato replied, setting Hana down. He handed over coins to the man who quickly filled a bag with red, ripe apples.

Hana reached into the bag, pulling out an apple and took a bite. The juice dribbled down her chin and she giggled, looking up at Yamato. "Good," she said, her voice muffled by the apple.

Yamato laughed, ruffling Hana's hair gently. "I'm glad you like it, Hana."

The shopkeeper watched them, a smile on his face. "Who's the little one?" he asked, looking at Hana.

Yamato picked up the bag, his gaze meeting the shopkeeper's. "She's my granddaughter."

The shopkeeper's eyebrows shot up in surprise but he didn't say anything. "What brings you here?" he asked instead.

"We're searching for someone," Yamato replied, picking Hana up again. He made his way out of the shop, Hana's laughter echoing behind them.

***

The dim glow from the paper lanterns cast long shadows in the room, the air filled with tension. Kinemon, clad in his samurai armor, sat seiza-style on the tatami mat, his usually jovial face etched with worry. "We need to save Hiyori," he asserted, his voice as firm as his resolve.

Momonusuke, dressed in royal robes that signified his status as the heir of Kozuki clan, looked up from his contemplation. His youthful face, usually filled with innocence, was clouded with concern. "About Hiyori's child... she wasn't transferred to Nami as we were led to believe."

Kinemon's eyebrows shot up in surprise, his hand instinctively going to the hilt of his katana. "But how? We received intelligence that she was in her custody."

"Somehow, she's slipped through," Momonusuke replied, his voice quiet yet steady. "Knowing Nami, she will not rest until she finds her."

Kinemon's eyes narrowed, the warrior in him rising to the fore. "What do we do now?"

"I will try to divert Nami, to buy Hiyori some time. As for the child, we must locate her before they do."

"But we have no leads on her," Kinemon pointed out, his worry seeping through his words.

"That's the conundrum," Momonusuke admitted, his eyes reflecting his deep thought.

Their conversation was cut short by a gentle knock on the shoji door. "We have information about Hiyori's child," a voice called from the other side.

At Momonusuke's nod, the door slid open to reveal a comrade holding a Den Den Mushi. The snail-like transponder device was handed over to Momonusuke, its eyes blinking in the dim light.

The voice that emerged from the Den Den Mushi was gruff. "I delivered both of them to the marines, but I couldn't understand why Baccarat was so interested in a simple village girl. If only I had known..." The voice trailed off, leaving the room in a suspenseful silence.

The gruff voice turned into a guttural laugh, a sound that sent a shiver down their spines. "So it was you who they whired," Momonusuke growled, frusturated.

"You bastard, why did you even call?" Momonusuke spat out, his voice bristling with anger. The man who had once been a member of the infamous Roger Pirates and now a notorious criminal was the last person he wanted to hear from.

"I made Vivre Cards of those two," Bullet replied, his voice smug. "And it seems both of their locations are different. Somehow, the girl is in the opposite direction of where she should be."

Momonusuke's hand tightened around the Den Den Mushi, his heart pounding in his chest. Vivre Cards, the paper made from a person's fingernail that always points towards them, could be a game changer in their search for Hiyori's child.

Kinemon, who had been silently listening to the conversation, turned to look at Momonusuke. Their eyes met, reflecting the same mix of surprise, concern, and a glimmer of hope.

***

In the dimly lit dungeon, where the echoes of despair lingered, stood the defiant figure of Hiyori, her spirit unbroken despite the chains that bound her.

Baccarat, the embodiment of rage and frustration, was a stark contrast against the calm serenity that Hiyori radiated. "How did you do it, Hiyori?" she demanded, her voice echoing through the silent expanse of the dungeon.

Her response was a soft laugh, a serene smile on her face. "That's top secret, Baccarat," she replied.

The words hit Baccarat like a wave, fueling her anger, her eyes flashing dangerously. "No one in the world can protect her, Hiyori! I will find her, and when I do, there will be no mercy," she warned, her voice seething with anger.

But Hiyori remained unfazed. "No one in the world can put a scratch on her, Baccarat," she replied, her voice steady, her eyes unyielding.

The air crackled with tension as Baccarat's rage reached its peak. Unable to contain her frustration, she threw a tantrum, her fury echoing through the dungeon. Her threats bounced off the stone walls, threatening to shatter the silence that Hiyori maintained.

"I will find her! And when I do, I'll gift you two to Nami as a token of my victory," Baccarat roared, her face contorted in rage.

Through it all, Hiyori merely smiled, her spirit unbroken. "Good luck with that, Baccarat," she said, her voice filled with quiet confidence that seemed to mock Baccarat's raging tantrum. "Since you will need it!"

***

Zoro sat on the bench, his gaze fixed on the children playing at the beach. The sound of their laughter and the rhythm of the crashing waves filled the air. His eyes were steady, his body still.

A boy broke away from the group, his feet kicking up sand as he ran towards Zoro. "Mister Zoro," he said, panting slightly. "You always watch us."

Zoro turned his gaze from the sea to the boy, his expression unreadable. "I'm looking at the sea," he replied, his voice low.

The boy giggled, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Just say it out if you want to join us and play pirates!"

Zoro looked back at the sea, his face a mask. "I'm done playing pirates a long time ago," he said quietly. He closed his eyes, the image of Luffy and the whole Straw Hat crew flashing in his mind.

The boy looked at him, his smile fading slightly. He stood there for a moment, then ran back to his friends. The boy returned, grabbing Zoro's hand and tugging him towards the group of children. Zoro let himself be led, his steps slow and measured. He was lined up with four other kids, their faces flushed with excitement.

Another boy stood on a boulder, his chest puffed out. "I am going to be the King of the Pirates!" he declared, his voice loud.

"But we already have a King of Pirates!" another child protested.

The boy on the boulder grinned. "Then I will defeat him and become the King of Pirates!"

Zoro just watched, his gaze flickering over the children. They started running around, their laughter echoing off the waves.

One of the kids rushed forward, a wooden stick in his hand. He threw it at Zoro's feet. "What?" Zoro asked, looking down at the stick.

The kid pointed at the stick and then at Zoro. "That's your sword, Mister Zoro," he said, his eyes wide. "You're the evil pirate, we will defeat you. Pick up your weapon," the boy ordered, pointing at the wooden stick at Zoro's feet.

Zoro just looked at him, his gaze steady. The children started to circle him, their voices rising in excitement. "Pick it up! Pick it up!" they chanted, their eyes sparkling.

With a sigh, Zoro bent down and picked up the stick. As he straightened and held the stick out towards the children, the world seemed to shift. Suddenly, it wasn't the group of children in front of him, but the Straw Hat crew.

His eyes widened slightly. He could see Luffy, his hat tipped back on his head, grinning. Nami was there too, her eyes sparkling with mischief. Usopp, Chopper, Robin, Franky, Brook, and Sanji, they were all there. And he was standing before them, his Enma pointed at them.

A moment passed. Then the children charged at him, their laughter filling the air. Zoro's grip on the stick loosened and it fell from his hand. A wooden sword thumped against his stomach and he looked up at the sky, his mind a whirl of thoughts.

"You looked cool with that scar and body, but you got scared from a wooden sword," one of the kids said, grinning up at him. "You can never become a pirate."

The children carried on, their wooden swords clashing as they played their game. Zoro looked back at the sea, his gaze distant. "Pirate, huh?" he murmured.