Tales of the Sea [Sanji x OC]

Chapter 1: Beneath the surface

The sun cast long shadows across the tranquil seas surrounding Spring Island, a secluded paradise untouched by the hustle and bustle of the world. Here, within her solitary sanctuary, lived a young woman named Sigal, though she had chosen the name Fae as a carefully crafted cover. The Seasonal Islands held their secrets close, and Sigal was their vigilant guardian.

The arrival of two rival pirate crews had disrupted the island's tranquility. Their ships clashed upon the cerulean canvas of the ocean, a chaotic dance of steel and cannon fire. Sigal had learned to observe these tumultuous encounters from her vantage point, hidden amidst the dense foliage of Spring Island.

Amidst the mayhem, a pivotal moment unfolded. One of the combatants, a lithe and reckless figure adorned with a distinctive straw hat and a devilish grin, was sent hurtling far away into the unforgiving depths just as the opponent ship fled from the ever lasting battle. As the waters claimed him, a surge of desperation rippled through his comrades. A man of striking blond hair, a cigarette dangling from his lips, dived headlong after the sinking figure.

The spring Island resident learned to view these ocean battles with caution, yet the urge to approach this particular rivalry between the two wooden ships drew her closer, and so she dived right into the unsettling blue waters.

With a swiftness that defied explanation, Sigal intercepted the sinking man, pulling him all the way to the sandy shallows of Spring Island with an ease that belied her strength. The ocean had seemed destined to swallow him, but Segal had granted them all a reprieve.

The location where Sigal and the man with the straw hat found themselves was a secluded, picturesque cove on the eastern side of Spring Island. Towering cliffs of weathered gray stone enclosed the cove, sheltering it from the rest of the island's dense foliage. The golden sands met the clear waters of the cove, creating a pristine shoreline that whispered of both beauty and mystery.

As the final rays of daylight bathed the cove, Sigal laid the nearly unconscious man upon the sand. With a sense of quiet determination, she turned her attention to his wounds, extracting organic healing items from a concealed pouch she had gathered from the island's lush vegetation.

Sigal's eyes, a brilliant azure like the sea itself, held the weight of her secrets. Her distrust of outsiders, the result of a world that had once sought to erase her kind, was a barrier she had woven carefully around herself.

"You're lucky," she murmured to the unconscious man as she worked, her voice a rare break in her habitual silence. "The ocean can be merciless, but it won't claim you today."

The man stirred, his eyelids fluttering open, revealing a gaze that held a mixture of confusion and gratitude. "Who... Who are you?"

Sigal hesitated for a moment, her ocean-blue eyes locked onto his with a vulnerability she rarely displayed. "You can call me Fae," she replied, her chosen name crafted to protect her identity. "Fae of Spring Island."

The arrival of the rival pirate crew, a hulking figure with unruly green hair and a distinctive white sword and a mischievous, determined woman with short, red hair and a long brons staff, drew Sigal's attention as they set foot on land. Their wary eyes locked onto her, assessing the situation with wariness and determination.

Sigal, who had gone by the name Fae to protect her identity, regarded the crew with a measured gaze. She knew the world was full of danger, and trust came at a high cost. "I'm Fae," she replied calmly, choosing her words carefully. "I found your captain in the ocean and brought him here to tend to his injuries."

The red haired woman with a serious look and a staff at her side stepped forward, her eyes sharp as blades as she scrutinized Sigal. "And why should we believe you?"