Chapter 9 Resolve & Darkness

Leaving Cocoyashi Village I find myself once again on the open seas. And I once again find myself wishing I was an engineer in my previous life. So that I could create a modern boat with its own power source or whatever. Unfortunately for me I was just a small time mafia don.

In the neighborhood I grew up in, you had to either be tough or have scarier people behind you. It had first started with me and a few of the kids from the run down orphanage. We began by stealing food from the wealthier vendors. Which ultimately led to a local gang beating the crap out of us. Something about not respecting their turf rules. That's when I decided to start our very own real mafia familia. It's a shame because even though we were a family there was never any love, just survival.

Which is why I can't help but warmly smile when I see Silk. Waving her small sword in a monotonous routine, saying that she's going to protect her papa. It makes me grateful for this second life, because I can do things differently this time.

Before I was a cold and callous leader, surrounded by snakes with knives aiming for my life and position. The people who I could truly trust had died early on. And even though I tried to act indifferent I couldn't kill the kindness in my heart that started that journey. I tried to make sure that the people in my gheto weren't in the same dire conditions they used to be.

My life was suffocating, trying to be what people turned me to be. Which is why the stories of freedom like One Piece had resonated with me so deeply. So, now that I'm here, why can't I start making the familia I always wanted?

No matter what grand and secret origins my current life has. I can't change the fact I'm a mafia rogue in my very soul. I can't just sit and follow someone else's rules, I gotta look out for the survival of what I care for on my own…. '!'

I've finally found it, my reason to travel these turbulent seas. To have a grand adventure with the familia I make on the way. No matter what obstacle we face and insurmountable for we'll face. So what if I'm beaten black and blue!? Stand up! Keep moving forward! I'll never give up, this is my resolve!

With a new light in my eyes I look to the sea, "Where are you waiting? My future familia."

"Huh? Papa did you say something?"

-A few days later-

*BOOM*

Currently on my adventure I find myself being shot at by cannonballs from a pirate ship. Fortunately my swordsmanship is competent enough to cut the approaching cannonballs, and thus avoid damaging my ship.

Unfortunately I'm absolutely livid, because they made Silk cry. I managed to convince her to hide in her room, while I take care of the enemy. I know she'll eventually have to see bloodshed, and I luckily avoided letting her see anything gruesome on Cocoyashi. It's just a selfish request of mine, to let her keep her innocence a little longer.

Teleporting over to their ship with a mirage blade I quickly dispose of their cannons. In front of me are the crew staring me down with malicious intent. Their confidence stemmed from the burly man standing behind them. The man who I assume is the captain, has his upper body exposed and no weapons on him.

"Gehahaha it's our lucky day boys, pretty boys like him sell for a lot on the slave market. Try not to rough up his face, and I saw a kid on the ship too. I just love tearing apart families. What about you boys?"

"OOOOOOOHH!"

I'm utterly disgusted by these scum, not only do they sell people. They have the nerve to have thoughts about touching my daughter. I couldn't hope for better target practice. I put Yamato in its sheath and I put myself into a quickdraw stance while staring them down.

'First Form - Dark Moon, Evening Palace'

Slashing in a horizontal arc I release a strong flying slash with smaller chaotic crescent blades spinning with the slash. The enemies in front of me are soon torn to shreds by the chaotic blades after the initial slash. A gruesome sight of dismembered parts which causes the stench of blood to permeate.

Unfortunately the leader managed to survive, albeit barely. Now standing in front of me, panting for breath. His skin had turned gray and his head was that of a rhino now. He was barely standing as the gashes on his body were bleeding.

I ignored his hateful gaze as he barely stayed on his feet. While I simply flashed in front of him and kicked him to the ocean to drown. As I walked towards their lower deck I heard a faint whisper in my ear. "drown… drown to the bottom of the sea."

Looking around I can't find the source of the whisper but it soon fades away. Replaced by a brand new notification [Ding! You've taken down an unknown slave trader with a devil fruit. You've earned 20 infamy gems.]

I don't have any time to think about my small gain from this encounter. Because, in the lower deck are cages, most of them empty with stains of dried blood. In some of them are the naked corpses of abused women. No matter what world there are scum that inhabit it. I proceed to ignore the gruesome sight and head to a cage with a young man in it.

He shows signs of breathing as his chest weakly moves in and out. His arms are chained above him to the ceiling. His face is bloody from a recent beating, but what stands out most are the pair of brown wings coming out his back.

If he's left like this, he will surely die within a few days. Cursing the slave traders in my heart, I force feed him my Revovery Pill(C) from my starter gift. He violently coughs in response but his wounds start healing at a visible rate. His breathing stabilizes but he's still unconscious.

I quickly leave the ship with the unconscious guy on my back, but not before burning the ship down. Back on the ship Silk states curiously at the man I'm carrying on my back, but gets worried when she sees his injuries.

"Papa, is that guy gonna be alright? He looks hurt."

"Don't worry Silk, he just needs some rest. Help me get him in an empty bed."

Silks nods before running ahead to open the door to the spare bedroom. Where I set him down on the bed without sheets. Leaving him to rest we carry on like nothing ever happened towards Loguetown.

-A few hours later-

Silk, who is currently in my lap reading the storybook I got from the roulette. Looks up to see the strange young man I saved in front of us staring in confusion. He has sandy blonde hair that's messily slicked back with a few strands drooping over his forehead. His eyes are yellow with small slitted pupils. His expression is indifferent but his eyes tell me he wants to ask something.

"Good, you finally woke up. I had to use a special medicine to save you, it'd be a shame if you never woke up."

He seems to be thinking about various things, until he settles on what he wants to say. "Are they dead?"

"You're the only survivor kid."

I didn't know who he was asking about, but his expression finally broke. His face no longer indifferent but instead filled with grief. "Me and my sister… We just wanted to see a ship. They… I… I couldn't do anything even with my powers… Why did you have to save me?"

I kept quiet, from his broken voice I could tell. He didn't want to live. From his unsaid words I could get the gist of what had happened to him on that ship, and it broke him. Silk seeing this tried to cheer him up as he silently cried. Unfortunately her bright presence couldn't cheer him up. So she returned to me and hid her sad face while hugging me.

"No words of comfort are going to make you feel better. I won't tell you that things are going to be ok, because they might never be. You've just lost someone that can't be replaced. You feel guilty that you lived… but if you died, who would that make happy? No one. That pain in your heart, use it as your strength to keep moving. Because that's the love you have for them. If you've lost your reason to live then join me. Come on this journey and live for me as my familia!"

He was quiet for a while, not moving or speaking. It may have been insensitive of me to tell him to live for me, but it's better than him killing himself in grief. Eventually he looks into my eyes with an indifferent look, but his eyes have new light in them. "I'll join you."

"Good, what's your name?"

"It's Melio. Hawks Melio."

"Welcome to the ArsRey Familia Melio."