- The King in Yellow - Male Reader x One Piece

Chapter 4: The South Blue

A heavy rain fell over the small island, and grey clouds blocked out the sky up above, throwing darkness everywhere. However, even amidst the torrential downpour four continued their trek towards the coast, pushing through the dirt and the mud. There were no stone roads, only loose dirt paths that hadn't been trodden in quite a while. Weeds and shrubs made following the route a challenge but nevertheless, they soon came to the end of the island.

[Y/N] looked up, gazing out to sea, and it seemed that today fortune had struck. There was a small, run-down pier that stretched out into the sea, its wooden supports rotted away, but it still stood somehow. Docked at the ramshackle port was a small ship, a fluyt. They were mainly used as cargo vessels, able to maximise transporting goods long distances at the cost of a lack of armaments. A quick scan told him there weren't any cannons aboard. That was dangerous in the South Blue, especially with the exotic wildlife that soared and swam all about. There were a few men aboard, at most ten. This must've been a quiet operation, a quick dash from one island to another.

"Hey, I didn't expect there to be any people on this island. Has it not been uninhabited for a long time?" An older man walked up to him from the end of the dock, his body covered beneath a modest cloak with a small skull-cap atop his head. A priest maybe? It wasn't that uncommon to find men of faith in the South Blue. It was hard for people to survive without something to hope for after death, something to blame the mad world around them on.

[Y/N] looked back. "I'm not a local." He answered. His golden cloak, even while dampened beneath the rain, did make him look quite noble. It wasn't that hard to believe he may have been an agent of the World Government, perhaps on some top-secret mission...

"That is good to hear. I hear the inhabitants of this island are savages who don't follow the World Government or the Marines." It was only then that he noticed the three scruffy teens following on behind him, each skulking from the dreary weather. "Need a ride? We're heading back to the Sorbet Kingdom but we won't be able to set out until the weather has cleared up."

[Y/N] thought for a moment. "It's no trouble. There's more than enough room for you and your companions." He wasn't sure entirely if this was a genuine attempt at kindness or just his obligation as a priest. "Please, please, please!" Victoria raced past, quickly crossed onto the vessel, finding some cover from the weather. Kid and Killer marched past, leaving the swordsman behind. They seemed committed to following him even after he told them to scram, but it didn't matter to him if something did happen, it would be their fault. The priest seemed a little more uneasy around the red-haired delinquent and the masked blonde, but he didn't raise any concern.

"They seem eager! Come now, you wouldn't want to catch a cold!" The priest chuckled. A small girl raced up beside him with enormous eyes that shone beneath the coat she wore, and they followed the mysterious swordsman with curiosity. [Y/N] sighed. "I'm telling you this for your own good. People don't tend to live very long around me." There was a small silence. "That's quite an affliction! Do not worry, my friend. I have God on my side. Not to mention my lucky charm." And he rustled the small girl's head affectionately...

[Y/N] looked back to the island. The dark trees that seemed to claw out at him, calling his name. There was nothing left for him now, he had to keep moving onwards. "Sorbet Kingdom, you said?" He asked. The priest nodded. "It's been a few years now since the Solo Revolution, tensions have calmed down since those dark days. Kuma the Tyrant became a pirate and joined the Warlords, and peace was brokered with the Marines once more." The swordsman scowled beneath his hood, Kuma's name a sore spot from his past.

"C'mon, get on, get on." The priest continued to prod. "[Y/N] let's get goin' already!" Victoria called out from the ship, waving from behind the helm. He shook his head, why did they insist on treating him like some close friend? "Fine." He eventually gave in, and the older man chuckled. "Let us get you out of this abysmal weather!" And they turned back, boarding the trading ship...