Ameliorate ✦ One Piece

5

For a moment, as they all ran through the harbour, with the orange haired girl leading the way towards their ship, Akira had to admire the... serendipity, once she realized which one it was. Just that morning, she'd been looking at it, imagining being on board and sailing away from here on that exact tiny ship. And now she was boarding it in hopes of doing just that.

The first one to climb onto the deck after the orange haired girl, she was quick to listen as she gave her a set of instructions. "Untie those sails over there." Akira did as she was told, ignoring the loud thump as Greeny dropped the safe onto the wooden deck. Unlike her, the other woman didn't. "Careful with that!"

"Whatever you say." His words of acceptance came out in a dismissive tone that made it clear he didn't mean them as he groaned out while lugging the heavy safe. As did the words which followed. "Oh, wait. I don't work for you."

"I'm sensing a little bit of tension amongst the crew." Straw hat tried to mediate the situation from where he still stood on the dock.

Only to be met with fierce opposition once more. "Not a crew!" Both Green and Orange exclaimed at the same time and Akira couldn't help the small chuckle which escaped her because of it as she handed Nami the ropes she'd untwined.

For now, the self-appointed captain of the not-crew, let go of their animosity as he looked back to the harbour, still standing on the dock as he waited. "I can't leave without my friend." He proclaimed.

"Can't wait." Greeny pointed out in a knowing tone as he beckoned Akira over while unsheathing his sword. For a moment it did confuse her as to why he was doing so, but as he impatiently made his way over to her while speaking, she soon understood. "The Marines will be here before you know it." He said while taking hold of Akira's wrist.

With the tip of his sword, he cut through the wires and fabric tying them together and wrapping around her wrist before ripping the rest of the bracelet off and throwing it into the sea. And once it was gone, even though it had never been too tight or even a bother unless activated, Akira found herself rubbing her wrist in relief. "Thanks."

He barely had time to acknowledge her gratitude with a small nod, much less reply, before another voice joined in on their conversation. "The Marines are here already." Helmeppo's voice had all of them turning in his direction as he cocked the guns in his hands in an attempt to appear threatening. "You're under arrest."

Captain Axe-Hand Morgan, Akira would admit was a frightful and intimidating man. She had no shame in saying it. It was just common sense. But his son... Well, on any day Helmeppo appeared more as a whining cry-baby than he did as his father. But in that moment. With that haircut. She couldn't hold in her laughter at the sight of him. And she wasn't the only one.

"What's wrong with his hair?" Straw hat questioned in between his own chuckles which seemed to make even Greeny let out a small one of his own.

"Yeah, I might've done that." The pirate hunter announced, a tinge of pride laced through his voice that had Akira giving out another laugh. Definitely better than murder, she'd say. Or at least, better from their point of view.

From Helmeppo's... The gun shot which rang out through the area and interrupted their teasing and laughing made it clear he wouldn't agree. "I won't let you make a joke of me." He demanded in anger.

"Do that plenty on your own." Akira mumbled out, but in the silence which followed the shot, it wasn't hard to overhear the comment which once more had the members of the not-crew chuckling in amusement.

"I'm taking you all in and handing you over to my father." He announced confidently, and on one hand, Akira had to admire it. Having such blind belief in yourself when everyone else knew he stood absolutely no chance. "I'll be the hero. I might even get a medal or something."

The brat continued to boast with conviction until the very last moment as a hand shot out from nowhere and slammed right into his face with such a force that had the man-child crashing down to the ground with his eyes now closed and unconscious. "Koby!" Straw hat exclaimed in a happy voice, leading Akira to assume this was the friend he'd wanted to wait for.

"God, that hurt!" The boy who appeared from beyond the cover of the ship's bow, grimaced down at his hand and Akira could definitely feel for him, considering her own experience of the exact same thing not even half an hour ago. "But it also felt really good."

"No time to explain, but we gotta go." The Straw hat announced as he rushed over to his friend and began pulling him in the direction of the ship. "This whole island is trying to kill us." He added on to make the urgency of the matter clearer only for the pink haired boy to come to a stop.

"I'm not coming with you." Koby's statement had the captain pausing from where he'd started to climb aboard the ship, the happy smile slipping form his face as he turned back to his friend.

"You sure?"

"Before we met, every choice was made for me. But now I'm gonna do what I want to do." Akira had to smile at his words, the knowledge finally dawning on her that soon enough she'd be free to do the same. Although, as he continued, she couldn't help but judge him slightly for the choice he was making with his freedom. "I'm gonna be a Marine. I want to help people that can't help themselves." She kept in her comments about the reality of that. Either he'd learn on his own or become just another brainwashed officer. "Next time we meet, we might be enemies."

"But for now... For now, we're friends." Straw hat boy announced without any sign of animosity or judgement, unlike the expressions on the faces of the rest of the group aboard the ship as they watched him clap Koby on the shoulder in a friendly manner before climbing up onto the ship the rest of the way.

And with the rest of them manning the sails, the push Koby gave against the side of the ship finally helped them set off along the wind and waves, leaving the Shells Town harbour behind. And as they did, Akira finally breathed a small sigh of relief. With a ship as small as this, she knew it wouldn't be long before they could disappear out on the sea. And hopefully, that would be the end of it all.

"I'm Luffy, by the way." Straw hat spoke again, and while her eyes had been focused on the ocean ahead, it took Akira a short moment to realize it was her he was speaking to. "And that's Nami, and you've already met Zoro it seems."

"I have. Although it is nice that I don't have to call you Greeny in my head anymore." Akira said with a small smile sent to the green haired boy who shook his head at the disappointing nickname. "I'm Akira."