Chapter 13: Maro 2

As the boy stared into the cauldron, with a startling amount of his blood, Rosan could see why they were worried.

Rosan needed a base to represent the Prime Materia and from what he understood, it was a pure material similar to chaos. Rosan, due to having modification, naturally purified his blood whenever something foreign entered it. Due to being poisoned all those years ago, he had set it up to work passively.

Purge, he called it.

That meant his blood was the closest thing to pure matter he could currently think of. This, coupled with the fact that Rosan wanted this weapon bonded to him, made it the natural choice.

Had he used a bit too much? Perhaps. That detail was inconsequential to the boy, however.

With that out of the way, Rosan could get to the main part of the process.

Alchemy was the transformation of matter. Modification was that but better. The moment Rosan had eaten the Mod Mod no Mi, he had become an alchemist.

Yes, that's why his blood would work. Modification was the transformation of matter and so much more and Rosan was modification now. He was a computer man, he was no longer a regular human. Something like this, to a person with modification, would be child's play.

"That's why…," Rosan began, his eyes glowing brightly "this will succeed."

Rosan slapped his palms together in a praying gesture.

"Modification: Seed of Life," he intoned. In between his palms, a cube of energy began forming which slowly spread his palms apart and it became the size of an apple. Rosan held it directly over the cauldron —

and dropped it in.

"Alright Angel," Rosan said to his clone. "Do you remember the order?" At her nod, the redhead said "On my signal, drop the required ones."

They were currently in a newly created room on the White Rose. It had everything required for blacksmiths and Rosan had told Angel that it was for her. The girl had squealed, squeezed him, and planted a kiss right on his cheek in happiness.

Her embarrassment at her actions had quickly caught up to her and Rosan waved her off.

His redheaded clone nodded at his words and walked closer to him. "Will you be okay Master? You lost a lot of blood," she asked.

"I'll be fine," Rosan told her before focusing his attention on the cauldron.

His tiny pupils turned into reptilian slits and the boy held his clawed hands out. After a moment, a bright flame conjured itself and Rosan aimed it at the bubbling pot.

His draconic fire would need to be exceptionally hot for what he was about to do.

The Magnum Opus had four phases and these 4 phases were what required Rosan to acquire Aiko's assistance. The four phases of the alchemical process were; Nigredo, the blackening, Albedo, the whitening, Citrinitas, the yellowing and Rubedo, the reddening or purpling.

Rosan had asked Aiko to buy him 4 items in relation to those colors.

Nigredo was obsidian.

Albedo was pearl.

Citrinitas was citrine.

And Rubedo was, of course, ruby.

Rosan didn't actually think order mattered, but he didn't see any reason to test otherwise.

"Angel," was all he said before his clone walked up and took out the first stone.

Obsidian.

She carefully dropped the large black stone inside of the cauldron and backed away due to Rosan's warning.

Once she got a safe distance, the flame Rosan held roared to life and he directed a steady stream of the fire to the cauldron.

The reason Rosan had been so interested in learning smelting techniques was to better assess the amount of heat he'd need to properly melt the materials he needed.

Rosan would need a lot.

Normally this would take a lot of time. He was planning on melting 4 materials that were extremely difficult to melt. It would take far too much time and Rosan, based on his learning's from Hideyoshi, concluded there wasn't a natural flame strong enough to achieve this quickly.

So he opted to use the flames of Ragnarok.

"It seems as if all your techniques are dangerously helpful at the moment," Mod cheerfully chimed in and Rosan nodded in confirmation.

The flames of a dragon were said to be the most destructive of any creature. They could lay waste to anything in their path if they put enough power behind their attacks and Rosan had that power within his grasp.

Rosan had used the lessons to better get a grasp on his flames as well. Rosan had been using his flames like a hammer; it never occurred to him that he could use it for so much more.

Like right now.

The temperature of the flames increased to unbearable levels and if not for the fact that Rosan had Mod-chan and immunity from his own draconic flames, he'd probably collapse long before he got to finish.

Angel was spared from it for obvious reasons. The clone couldn't even sweat, heat was inconsequential to her.

Rosan heat up the cauldron for the better part of 2 hours before telepathically signaling for Angel to drop the next stone in there.

Pearl.

As she walked up, she noticed that the contents of the cauldron were pure black.

"That's kinda cool," she thought as she dropped the pearl inside of the cauldron. Rosan had dimmed the flames considerably so that she could do so and the moment she backed away from it, they surged back to life.

She looked over at her Master in worry. His expressionless face was focused on the task and he didn't even look slightly concerned.

What type of monster was he? He had been using those flames for 2 hours… Wasn't he getting tired at all?!

"Rosan's stamina is unreal," Mod spoke up quietly. "Even I find myself surprised by how much energy he has."

Angel couldn't help but agree as she looked at her Master continue to use those powerful flames for another hour.

"Next."

Citrine.

The purple eyed girl walked over to the cauldron to drop the yellow gem in there. The contents of the pot had turned white now and Angel had to wonder how the hell it was managing to do that.

She stepped back and watched the flames roar back to life again. The clone walked past Rosan and paused.

Was… Master breathing harder then normal?

Upon further inspection, Angel verified that yes, Master's breathing was slightly labored.

"Ah… He used too much blood and now he's planning on exerting himself for hours," Mod said and she sounded upset with the twelve year old.

"Rosan is always so stubborn and bullheaded. Even like this, instead of waiting to recover fully, he just does it straight away," Mod lamented.

Angel didn't miss the hopefulness in her tone and she smiled at the Devil Fruit's secret joy.

That happiness soon turned back into worry though. Master had just started on his third stone and he still had one more left. Would… would he really be alright?

She wanted to voice her worries but, Rosan had told her to try and not interrupt his focus so she would not do so just yet.

Citrine took less time then Obsidian, but more time then Pearl.

"Next."

Angel gnawed her finger nervously. Master didn't sound too good. Maybe it was just her mind playing tricks on her because he sounded the exact same as he always did.

She thought about telling him to take a break but Rosan clearly could sense her hesitation because the boy said to her "I'm fine Angel. Bring the last one and then I'll be just about finished."

The taller girl nodded her head and grabbed the last stone.

Ruby.

Ruby… such a harsh reminder. Of course it had to be the last one that Rosan used.

Angel hated looking at it.

She hastily walked over to the cauldron which was now a golden yellow and, without any hesitation, dropped the ruby inside of it.

She stole a glance at Rosan and frowned at what she saw.

His face was flushed red and there was a lot of sweat from him over exerting himself. She saw sweat roll off his body and when it hit the floor, it immediately turned into steam. The boy was using the strongest flames he had produced yet and his breathing was becoming a lot more labored.

Angel was glad that she was a clone because the amount of heat in here was unreal. Master was not a clone though and, even though the heat wasn't affecting him, the energy used to maintain that heat was surely doing a number on the child.

Master Mod must have been working overtime right now.

"Understatement. He's going on probation for a while after this," the Devil Fruit said, her voice tinged with annoyance and concern.

Angel couldn't help but giggle. It was better then being nervous.

Ruby took longer then all 3 of the previous ones. It was the final step so that was natural but it only made Angel more and more worried.

The shorter redhead was straining hard to focus on the task and he was doing his best to not faint at the moment. He had been too reckless to just immediately start it after losing so much blood but he didn't want to risk ruining the purity of it.

A little bit of strain would be worth the outcome and he would just rest afterwards.

Rosan's breathing had turned into panting 1 hour into the process.

By hour 2, the flame had actually faltered for a bit before he immediately caught it.

By hour 3, Rosan had silenced himself completely. Angel had seen a red liquid hit the floor before evaporating immediately and she noticed Rosan's head bobbing.

Finally, by hour 4, Rosan cut the flame off. The boy shakily stood up and Angel rushed to keep him steady when he nearly stumbled. He thanked her and she immediately waved him off.

The contents of the cauldron had turned red again and Rosan knew it was a success. Angel had told him that it had gone through all the necessary color changes.

All except for one.

Rubedo was known as the reddening but, it was also known as the purpling. Only after it reached the purpling, was the process truly finished.

Yet, Rosan had not told Aiko to buy any purple stone.

The boy disentangled himself from Angel and slowly made his way over to the cauldron. After a moment of deliberation, he raised his left arm and stared at it.

Rosan delicately removed the amethyst ring from his finger, kissed it, and dropped it into the cauldron.

Rosan needed a weapon that would never leave his person. One that was not just a weapon, but an extension of himself. To have the Philosopher's stone take the form of a weapon, Rosan would need another base.

He had chosen Meiko's ring.

The giant black pot began shaking violently the moment the amethyst ring had landed inside of it. Rosan took the time to gather his strength and make sure everything was in working order.

Using his flames for more then 8 hours was not great. On the bright side, Rosan felt like he had gained a mastery over his flames that he had never been close to achieving before.

Ragnarok would be exceptionally stronger once he fully recovered.

On the downside, the boy felt like he was about to collapse at any moment. The extended duration of using the flames, coupled with the fact that he had drained himself of a large amount of blood, meant that even he was running dangerously low on energy.

After this, he would get some much needed rest.

It took 20 minutes for the cauldron to stop its shaking. When it did, Rosan approached it without hesitation to look inside of it.

Sitting at the bottom of the cauldron, was Meiko's ring and a stone. Rosan ignored the stone completely and went right for the ring. It pulsed with energy and Rosan wasted no time grabbing it.

The moment he made contact, the ring let out a particularly strong pulse and Rosan felt himself binding to it. He let out a tiny grunt as he felt his skin get pricked but he slid the ring onto its rightful spot.

It perfectly adjusted into it's spot on his ring finger and Rosan felt something brush his mind.

"Father," the voice said and Rosan tilted his head as he heard that.

How… interesting.

"That... is not what I was expecting," Mod said in clear surprise.

"Neither was I," Rosan replied truthfully and at Angel's questioning glance, he explained to her what had just happened.

"I-it can talk?" Angel asked in confusion.

"No… not it," Rosan began as he glanced at the ring. "Their name, it's —,"

"RAM"

There was another stone.

After testing his new ring and transforming it into a scythe (which took a second longer then he would have liked), Rosan finally payed attention to the stone inside of the cauldron.

Rosan guessed this was how the Philosopher's stone actually looked. It was a glowing red stone that flashed purple at times.

"I suppose I did use too much blood. I had only intended to make one for the moment but, this is fine," he mused as he held the stone in his hand.

What to do with this?

"Consume, Father," Ram said and Rosan tilted his head as he registered the command.

"Okay," he replied obediently.

"Okay?" Angel asked confusedly as she looked at her Master. What did he mean by okay?

"W-wait Rosan, hold on for a second!" Mod exclaimed in disbelief but it was too late.

The two watched in horror as Rosan held the stone up and ate it. The stone went easily down the boys throat and he somehow managed to quietly swallow it.

He didn't even chew it…!

"I thought you eating things you just got your hands on, was a one time thing," Mod said in shock.

Angel gaped at what she just saw.

Rosan stood still for a moment and then, something shifted —

And all he knew was pain.

Blood began gushing from the boys mouth, nose, eyes, ears. The boy didn't even let out a scream as he collapsed.

"What —," Mod said before her voice suddenly vanished.

"H-holy shit! M-Master a-a-a-are y-you o-okay," Angel rushed over at Rosan who had not made a single noise.

Watching blood pour out of her Master, whose face was still expressionless, was the most terrifying thing Angel had ever experienced.

He didn't look alive!

"D-DEMON!" The terrified clone yelled as she picked her tiny master up and charged after her younger twin brother.

"Angel?" Demon called in confusion as he appeared in her sight. "What happened? You and Master were in that room for 8 hours and suddenly you're calling for… what the hell happened to Master?!" His voice had raised into a near shriek as he finally saw the condition Rosan was in.

"I-I-I don't know," Angel stuttered horribly. "H-he had already overexerted himself a-and then he a-ate s-some s-stone a-and then t-this happened and and —,"

Demon clasped his hysterical sister and said "Deep breaths, Angel."

"L-Lets bring him to the medical room," Demon said hesitantly but his older sister was way ahead of him and she had already began rushing there, Master in tow.

Well, that was one way to get him to enter the room.

"Believe it or not, based on what I'm seeing, Master is actually healing at an abnormally fast rate right now," Demon said in disbelief.

After some slight hesitation, that nearly made his older sister tear into the purple haired boy, Demon had quickly run a diagnostic on Rosan and came to the conclusion that the redhead was actually fine.

"You call that healing?" Angel growled as she pointed a finger at the copious amount of blood on Rosan's face.

"You said he ate the Philosopher's Stone right?" he asked his sister and she nodded in confirmation. "Well one of its properties is that it can rejuvenate a person and grants immortality. Master probably doesn't have immortality, but instead, he likely gained extreme regeneration and his body is just adjusting to it."

Her eyes widened in realization. "He's also lost a lot of blood from using so much in the cauldron. Maybe it's producing blood at too quick of a rate."

"Yes, that's what happened," Mod chimed in sounding tired. "It would have eventually done so, but I stabilized his body. Despite how scary it seemed, Rosan should be better then fine."

Angel sagged in relief at the news and Demon patted her shoulder. They looked over at Rosan and, true to Master Mod's words, the boy already looked better. He was no longer leaking blood so that was a great sign.

"He is in so much trouble," Mod growled and Angel nodded immediately,

Stupid Master and his stupid making her worry.

He had been sleeping for 3 days.

Mod-chan had not been happy with him whatsoever. Rosan admitted that he was in the wrong for his rather...reckless behavior.

"Just…run it by me first before you do something Rosan," she sighed and Rosan nodded.

That was an easy to accomplish request.

"Also, you may want to come into the mindscape," Mod suggested and he nodded once again.

The 12 year old closed his eyes and opened them when a cold breeze brushed against his cheek.

He was immediately engulfed in a hug, courtesy of Mod-chan, and he returned it easily enough.

"Don't do something so stupid again please," the woman muttered into his hair.

"It…was a lapse of judgment," Rosan admitted and she sighed fondly before pulling back. That was when Rosan noticed.

They were not alone.

His gaze snapped towards the new figure and he gazed at them up and down.

They were a girl, same age as him, with tan skin… the same shade as his. She had long silver hair styled into twintails with dark purple streaks. The tips of said hair were dipped into a similar shade of purple. She had full lips and a button nose. She would have looked like royalty if not for her attire. The mysterious girl was wearing one of Mod's dresses and on her much smaller frame, it looked ridiculous.

The most fascinating thing about this person however was the fact that they had the same face as Meiko and their eyes. Much like Rosan, they had heterochromia. There was a key difference however. Rosan had complete heterochromia. His right eye was a royal purple, and his left eye was a blood red.

This girl also had red and purple eyes. But both were red and purple. Whereas Rosan had one color in each eye, this girl's eyes were a perfect combination of red and purple.

They shone and clashed against each other in an oddly fitting manner and her somewhat bored expression widened as they made eye contact —

Before shifting into… love?

"Father!" her voice was clearly in the midst of puberty as it excitedly cracked. She charged and jumped for the boy.

Rosan would have put his guard up and promptly blast her away, but what she said threw him for a loop.

"Father?" He repeated and she crashed into him. The two fell to the floor and tumbled around. They finally stopped and Rosan noticed that she was nuzzling him of all things.

Mod looked terribly amused by the whole thing.

"Rosan...," the woman began "…This is the ring that you've bonded with, RAM," she finished.

"This… is RAM?" Rosan asked and his blank face managed to convey how confused he was.

"Yes, Father!" Ram said in excitement. "I am your new and loyal weapon! My name was taken from the signature on the ring that I combined with," she explained as she stood up and bowed reverently to her creator.

"Ram…," Rosan said to himself. So, her name was essentially Rosan and Meiko…

How fitting.

"Her presence was not this strong when you first bonded to her," Mod said, a bit puzzled as she assessed the girl that was the same height and age as Rosan.

"I can explain Auntie Mod!" Ram exclaimed getting a blush of surprise out of the woman.

A-Auntie? This girl had been all serious (and naked!) when they first met but, now that she had seen Rosan, it was like speaking to a completely different person.

"I reached my full potential because Father ate the other Philosopher's Stone!" She said getting a raised brow from Mod.

"That's why you told him to eat it, which was extremely reckless by the way, then?" Mod asked and she got a rather ashamed look out of the ring.

"I-I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking about what would happen to Father…," she apologized depressingly. "I just wanted our bond to be complete and it couldn't be while Father was the way he was… Only by consuming the stone, could we bond completely."

The partners nodded at that. "That's why you suddenly exist in my mindscape? We've become synced due to me devouring that stone?" Rosan asked the silver haired girl.

She nodded rapidly. "When I was just created, I was your weapon but… I could feel that you wouldn't be able to utilize me to my full potential and I wouldn't be of full use to you. I would be a failure of a weapon and a weapon who can't do their job correctly, is a weapon better off destroyed," Ram said, utterly serious.

"I couldn't agree more," Rosan said, nodding his head. "What did syncing do for us then and, Mod-chan, how did my body change with the absorption of the Philosopher's Stone?"

"We are joined now Father," Ram said and her eyes glinted a bit psychotically. "Any weapon you want me to turn into I will do so instantly, with the abilities of the Philosopher's Stone and Modification… I can receive your intent and transform before the thought even gets out. Also the best part is, with the two of us synced now, I will constantly evolve with you Father!" The mixed eyed girl was grinning insanely as she spoke.

Ah, so his weapon was unhinged.

How fitting.

Rosan filed away what she said for a moment and looked at Mod-chan. She was warily looking at Ram, who just smiled at the both of them. Eventually, the woman shook her head and let out a soft sigh before straightening.

"After consuming the Philosopher's Stone, your body destroyed itself," Mod said bluntly, giving Rosan pause and making Ram look guilty again. "I thought you were about to die so I stabilized you to the best of my ability but, your body began healing at an insane pace which made me realize that it was rebuilding itself," she explained, still dazed by all that she had seen.

"After your body healed itself back up, it was as if you were an entirely new person. You've completely evolved and everything about you is increasing at a rapid pace. Most notably, Your regenerative abilities have reached unprecedented levels… I think you could even regrow a limb if it keeps evolving like this," she admitted.

Rosan absorbed the information that was given to him.

Ram and him were bonded and that bond turned into complete synchronization after he had consumed the other Philosopher's Stone. Due to this, they would be even more efficient and there would be no delay in their combat. Her natural capabilities of being able to transform into any weapon, had been enhanced with the addition of Modification. Rosan was sure he could even turn her into new weapons that he had yet to use.

Not only that, she would evolve with him. The redhead could assume that before, she would be the exact same no matter what but now, when he grew she would grow.

That would explain why they looked to be the same age. Rosan had managed to make the perfect weap -No.

Rosan had made a perfect extension of himself. Constantly adapting, changing, growing, Ram was just a piece of Rosan, not a weapon.

The 12 year old directed his attention to the information Mod-chan left him.

Another evolution… and this time, it wasn't due to Modification. Rosan hadn't really planned on consuming the Philosopher's stone, but Ram had told him to do so and so, he did.

The results had been…unexpected.

Rosan knew intricately about the Philosopher's Stone. He could confidently say that he wasn't really human anymore. The redhead was aware of what it could do and he was aware of what his version of it could do.

He didn't make it with the intention of immortality but apparently, he had gotten damn close.

At least he hadn't actually achieved it. That would have been bad. Rosan didn't want to be immortal.

That begged the question though… just what was he?

Ah, that's right. Rosan knew exactly what he was.

Rosan was a dragon that would raze everything to the ground.

Rosan was an angel that would bring death to the world.

Rosan was a boy who'd been warped by life itself.

Rosan was a monster.

Rosan was currently under punishment.

Mod was definitely not happy with him so Rosan accepted his punishment with all the grace he could muster.

He was not allowed to use Ram whatsoever in the period that he was punished. The silver haired girl tried to protest but she was quickly exposed to an upset version of Mod-chan and wisely kept her mouth shut afterwards.

Rosan understood, Mod-chan was as scary as his mother sometimes.

The redhead was also not allowed to engage in any acts of violence. Mod-chan wrote it off as a punishment, but Rosan knew she was just worried about him and wanted to make sure his body was perfectly fine.

"T-that's not why," she grumbled angrily at him.

Truthfully, Rosan felt more then fine. Mod-chan hadn't been kidding, the 12 year old really did feel like he had changed. His body was practically bursting with energy and if he repeated the process of making the Philosopher's Stone, he felt as if he'd be barely winded.

The redhead had experimentally cut himself to see what he was working with and was surprised to see the spot heat up and instantly close.

Angel had marveled, Demon had balked.

Rosan always had a fast healing factor, but this was ridiculous. Did Zoans even heal this fast?

Well, whatever. He needed to stay alive longer anyways.

He would only allow himself to die after he found a reason to live.

Alas, he had been on punishment for 2 weeks and Mod-chan stubbornly refused to let him off.

That was fine, he didn't really mind but he still had his non violent duties to attend to.

"Rosan, can you do me a favor?" Aiko asked suddenly as she handed the boy his stipend.

"As long as it does not involve violence, then yes," Rosan replied as the money vanished from his hand.

The gray haired woman shot him a puzzled look. "It doesn't but… why exactly can't it involve violence?"

"I'm currently under punishment."

…

The Angel of Death, the most popular bounty hunter, a literal murderer… was being punished?

He really was 12 huh?

"Your mom ground you?" Aiko teased.

"My mother has been dead for 8 years," Rosan replied and Aiko immediately winced.

She was so terrible at this.

"Ah… well… uh…s-sorry," Aiko faltered. This kid was trying to bring out all the waterworks huh?

"It's fine, I've come to terms to with it," Rosan softly spoke and Akemi engulfed the boy.

"Don't mind her Rosan-kun," Akemi spoke up, as she gently tousled his soft hair. "Aiko can be really dumb sometimes when it comes to people, that's why I handle all of them."

Rosan nodded and Aiko held her head in embarrassment. Even her sister was reprimanding her.

She didn't have to deal with this shit.

"I just want you to deliver this letter to one of our confidants on another island, I was gonna have it shipped but, you'll be faster," she asked.

"Do they know of our dealings?" Rosan asked and she nodded.

"Okay, tell me where they are and what they look like and I'll have it delivered."

Aiko smiled at Rosan and ruffled his hair. "Thanks Rosan, here's the info…"

"Remember, you're still under punishment," Mod said and Rosan could tell she was crossing her arms.

"I know Mod-chan," he said bluntly.

"Auntie Mod is scary…" Ram muttered

"W-Why are you calling me Auntie?!"

"? Because you're my Auntie."

"…?!"

"That reminds me, why did you call me Father?"

"That's obvious. You created me with your own blood Father and you have bonded me to the ring of your lover. Naturally, that means I'm your daughter."

"That makes sense."

"Don't just accept any explanation Rosan!"

"?"

"?"

"...Do I have to deal with two hopeless idiots now?"

After Aiko had given him the info. Rosan had wasted no time in finding the man she had told him about and handing the letter.

It had been a simple affair and, despite the obvious fear he had for Reaper, he had accepted the item with a professionalism that Rosan could appreciate.

Now he was exploring the island.

It was nothing special, Rosan would normally have left by now but, he had some time to spare and decided to see what this place could offer.

He was beginning to find out that it could offer nothing.

Rosan was just about ready to leave this island. Currently, he was at a stand that sold fruits and was currently picking some out to eat as he flew.

The owner, an old man with graying hair, clearly recognized who was buying his food and was nervously sucking up to him.

"Kiss-ass," Ram idly scoffed.

"Crude, but I agree," Mod said.

"These are the most quality fruits Reaper-sama," the old man bowed repeatedly as he offered the bag to the Angel of Death.

"Thank you," Reaper said coldly as he reached into a coat to get the necessary money. He was about to hand over the money —

and then a tiny blur shot past, stealing the bag in the process, and ducked into an alleyway.

The old man looked as if he had seen a ghost as Reaper's hand stopped moving. He went white as a sheet.

"Reaper-sama I-I can explain," the man stammered, fearing for his life. "T-that was a h-homeless rat w-who has nothing better to do but steal from others! S-she was kicked out of the orphanage because of her tendencies and has been like that since forever."

Rosan simply stared at the man that was overexplaining. He didn't really care what he was talking about.

"How old is she?" Reaper asked calmly and the man's gaze widened in hope.

Was Reaper finally going to get rid of the nuisance? He could only hope.

"She's eleven, Reaper-sama!"

"Name?"

"She doesn't have one."

Hm. Interesting.

Reaper dropped the money onto the stand and looked in the direction the thief ran off to.

He didn't care that his fruits had been stolen. But someone had stolen from him.

That was unacceptable.

The thief let out a sigh as she hid herself in a hideout she'd made in an alleyway.

It was nothing special and filled with the absolute minimum. Not even a bed was in the barren room.

She shakily opened her bag and reverently pulled out an apple before eating it without any hesitation.

The malnourished girl didn't know who she had stolen the fruits from, but they weren't anyone she'd seen on the island before. With some luck, she could just hide out until they left and repeat her process with the next unsuspecting person.

In no time at all, she had finished the apple and let out a moan of delight. It was still fresh! Much better then the garbage she normally had to eat.

She had been getting so so hungry and the food she normally ate just wasn't enough anymore for her growing body.

People had begun getting used to her antics so stealing was getting harder, the last time she ate something that wasn't garbage was a week ago. Now, she actually had some fresh fruits to eat!

She would enjoy them with gusto. Pulling out another apple she prepared to eat it —

"Are you enjoying that?"

And froze at the sound of a voice directly behind her.

Mechanically, the thief turned her head around and let out a startled shriek at the black void.

W-when had they gotten here?!

The thief was…interesting.

True to the old man's words, they were a girl who looked to be about eleven years old. Instantly, Rosan could tell that they were heavily malnourished and likely hadn't eaten a proper meal in a while.

She was a small thing with fair, sickly dirty skin and what looked to be blue hair that may as well have been black with all the grime caked in. Her outfit couldn't even be called that. She was wearing filthy rags that were hanging on by a thread and showed more skin then it covered.

What Rosan found most fascinating about her, were the two burning orbs that made up her eyes. They were a burnt orange and, despite the state of the girl, they glinted with a surprising amount of determination.

Rosan had to wonder why she clung to such a sad existence.

"Are you enjoying that, my fruits?" he repeated and her fearful gaze began darting around.

Oh? She was looking for an escape? No matter. None had ever escaped him so, why did she think she stood a chance.

She seemed to realize she didn't have anywhere to go and her gaze landed back onto him.

Rosan tilted his head.

He wasn't going to kill her. Rosan tended to not kill people younger then him unless they decided to attack him with deadly intent.

Besides, he was still under punishment so he was not allowed to hurt her at the moment.

"So diligent~." Mod sounded pleased with him.

The thief seemed to make a decision as they stared each other down because her eyes narrowed in determination and he saw her muscles tense.

Obvious.

She launched herself at him but, Rosan was far too used to people launching themselves at the boy and he knew exactly how to counter such an attack.

He tilted his body to the side and watched her eyes widen in surprise. Before she could fully fly pass the boy, he grabbed her and forced her onto the ground.

"Is this too violent?" He asked Mod-chan, making sure not to use bruising force.

"No, this is fine."

Wanting to make sure he didn't need to escalate the situation. Rosan grabbed her arms in one hand and held them above her. She was struggling immensely so Rosan sat on her stomach.

The boy paid no heed to how filthy she was and how limited her clothing was.

Despite the situation, the girl was still looking for a way out. Her eyes stared at him, hoping to find a weakness, and shut tightly when she couldn't find one.

Rosan found it commendable. It wasn't often that someone fought him to the end. Most people gave up once they saw it was the Angel of Death.

Though, it's likely she didn't know who he was. Ever since the birth of Reaper, no one even dreamed of doing something like this.

Nobody in these oceans were dumb enough to steal from him.

"I do not plan on hurting you," Rosan said and she stopped struggling as much when she heard that. "I simply wish to talk."

She glared at him for a moment, before giving up when the black void just stared back. Reluctantly, she nodded.

"O-okay," her raspy voice said and she sounded like she desperately needed some water.

"I am Reaper, The Angel of Death, what is your name?" he asked, starting simple.

"I-I don't have one…" she replied.

"You don't have a name?"

"… I was left at the door of the orphanage when I was born. I didn hav a name attached ta me and they never bothered ta gimme one."

Her speech was unrefined. She wasn't used to speaking and the words she did use, were those of a novice or outright pronounced wrong.

"You speak as if no one cares about you. Is that the case?"

She nodded sadly. "They hate me. I dunno why."

The bluenette was probably the daughter of a pirate. Rosan didn't know and he wasn't going to go around asking anybody.

"So why? Why do you fight so hard to live on an island where just existing is a fight for your life?" Rosan asked and he tilted his head at her in what could be curiosity.

Her orange eyes burned with determination. "Cause they all reject me," she said bitterly.

"They think I won't achieve nothin and I'll just roll over an' die. I'll keep livin just to prove em wrong."

"Such a petty reason," Mod said in surprise.

Rosan agreed.

The winged Shinigami suddenly stood up, freeing the girl who hesitantly stood up.

"You live here, day by day, fighting for your life constantly. You live in horrible conditions; you are starving, you haven't had a proper bath and you haven't had a proper meal in who knows how long. You have nothing. Not even a name to claim as your own."

Every word he said hammered into her and made her flinch harshly. The reality of his words were bringing tears to her eyes and she shrunk into herself.

Rosan did not care.

"Yet, you continue to fight, simply to reject the people surrounding you. Your purpose for existing is to deny those who want you to disappear. Such a petty, vindictive, reason to exist, I find that admirable."

Her gaze snapped up as she heard him say that.

"You are an interesting person. One who's potential has not yet been tapped into," the black clad figure said, making her eyes widen.

"Come. Join me. Become the right hand of death and I will unlock said potential," the Shinigami offered and she felt her heart stop at those words. "It will not be easy but, with the life you currently live, you already know how to survive against the odds. Do this or waste away into nothing."

She felt her breath hitch at the glowing red orb beneath his hood. He had outstretched his hand for her to grab.

"You, who have nothing, I will give you something."

The thief was interested in his words. No, that wasn't quite right.

She was captivated.

Reaper had completely hooked her in and she found herself drinking in his words as if she had been stranded for years in a desert. She walked closer to the Angel of Death like a woman possessed.

"You have no name you say..."

She stepped closer and closer.

"Well then, as of today, you are —,"

She grabbed his outstretched hand reverently and clutched it with all the fervor in the world. She had made her decision and now there was no going back to the life she knew before.

"Maro."

Misadventures of Robin and Rosan – 7

Robin and Rosan are 8 and 4 respectively.

How Rosan managed to get a library on his ship!

Robin was surprised to find that Rosan enjoyed reading.

Surprised was putting it nicely, she had been open mouth shocked when Rosan lamented the lack of books on their ship.

She knew Rosan wasn't stupid. It was just his carefree attitude that made it seem so. But, he was still hyperactive and the boy was like a ball of energy. Imagining him sitting down and reading an entire book was just not feasible for the Archaeologist.

Yet, here they were, disguised, in a library doing just that. Rosan was humming quietly to himself as he read his book and he was idly leaning on her as he absorbed the contents of his fantasy book.

It was dangerously cute.

This was probably the quietest she had ever seen an awake version of Rosan. It was…nice to see.

"Our ship needs some more books on it," she idly murmured to herself, as she flipped a page of her own novel.

Robin would quickly learn not to say such things around Rosan.

"Rosan… What did you do?" Robin asked with wide eyes as she looked at the newly created room of the White Rose.

Rosan randomly adding a room to the ship wasn't a problem. The boy was normally seen modifying his own ship so often, that it didn't surprise her anymore when she saw a new addition.

The contents of the room however, were an issue.

Why?

Because the entire room looked exactly like the library they were just in a few days ago.

The tiny little boy puffed his chest out with pride as he preened. "You said you wanted books on the ship yea? Well, I got the books!" He exclaimed cheerfully.

Robin blinked dumbly at that.

This… was her fault? How was this possibly her fault?!

"I… I can explain," Mod said tiredly.

"A couple days ago when you guys were reading in the library... You said, "Our ship needs some more books on it." Remember?" Robin blinked at how Mod-chan perfectly mimicked her voice.

"Impressive Mod-chan! You sound just like Robin-nee!" Rosan praised giddily.

"Thank you, Rosan," she said offhandedly. "Well, our cute, adorable, always wanting to impress us, Rosan heard you and he agreed with you. Readily," Mod said gravely.

"You never want Rosan to agree with you and have him do something about it —,"

"Because it will always end up in the worst possible scenario."

Robin found that Mod-chan had not been kidding.

As she looked at the now empty library, they had just inhabited 3 days ago, the Hana Hana no mi user came to the conclusion that Rosan was insane. Everything, even the book cases, were gone.

"H-how?" she croaked in disbelief. The local authorities were there and the librarian was white as a sheet.

"He broke in at night and shrunk everything, I thought he was only going to take like one or two sections but, Rosan is the most selfish person I've ever happened to meet," Mod sounded so, so tired as she explained.

Robin felt as tired as she sounded.

"You like books, I like books. You wanted books, I wanted books. Who wants to spend money on books? I don't wanna, so I just took them!" Rosan said cheerfully and Robin found herself wondering for the umpteenth time just what exactly was wrong with this unhinged child.

She held her head in her hands and let out a tired sigh.

"Huh? Robin-nee, what's wrong?" Rosan asked worriedly and it made her sigh even louder. The 4 year old didn't even seem to see an issue with what he had done.

Well… at least they didn't have to go to libraries anymore?

Robin felt her sanity shake as she found some reasoning to justify this.

"Trying to cling to it when dealing with Rosan will never work. Trust me, I've tried," Mod said, trying to sooth the girl.

Said girl let out a strangled noise as she heard that.

"…?" Rosan tilted his head cutely. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked, puzzled.

"…No Rosan, no you didn't," Mod said, making the boy smile excitedly.

They were both insane.

"Don't you mean all 3?" The purple haired woman said cheerfully.

Robin let out another strangled noise.

Character Sheet: Ram

Name: RAM (Rosan and Meiko), goes by Ram.

Age: 12 (Appears to be whatever age Rosan is at the moment)

Gender: Female

Summary: Created by Portgas D. Rosan, Ram is the byproduct of the mythical Philosopher's Stone that was fused with the amethyst ring Rosan gave to the late Meiko.

Merely a voice at first, she was given an appearance and a home in Rosan's mindscape after the boy ate the remaining Philosopher's Stone allowing them to perfectly link. The two are bonded to their core and it is not wrong to say that she is merely an extension of Rosan. Fiercely loyal and more then a bit unhinged, the weapon will strike and defend anything in her Father's way.

Abilities:

Able to shapeshift into whatever Rosan desires (this is not limited to weapons but that is her primary purpose).

High leveled Regeneration due to being made up of the Philosopher's Stone.

Able to absorb and transform into any material that it gains access to.

Innate Modification allowing for more fluidity.

Appearance: Tan skin the same shade as Rosan's with full lips, long eyelashes and a button nose. She looks and has the same features as Meiko.

Height: 5'2

Hair: Long silver hair styled into twintails with dark purple streaks. The tips of her hair are dipped in a similar shade of purple.

Eyes: Has heterochromia like Rosan. While Rosan has complete heterochromia (One eye is purple and the other is red), Ram has Segmental heterochromia (both her eyes are a combination of red and purple).

Likes: Rosan, being useful to Rosan, Mod, fighting.

Dislikes: Failure, anyone who dares oppose Rosan.