One Piece: Celestial Blood

Landing!

The boat with Sachiko and Rira had now entered the East Blue, which was a much calmer sea than the Grand Line. The infant slept calmly in the former's arms, while the sun lit the water. An island emerged on the horizon, a lone area with what was recognizable as Ongaku Village, the place to go for music in the East.

"Hitori Island."

Sachiko points out, talking to herself. It seemed a safe enough place to raise the child. The seas were safe, everything always tame.

The Grand Line was much different.

Young Tomo sat in the floor board, using her oversized world noble outfit as a cushion, opting for just her underdress instead. She paddled the boat idly, her eyes trained to the eternal pose sitting in the floorboard. She didn't even notice the storm rapidly approaching.

In Mary Geoise, storms were rare, hardly happened. In the dangerous sea you could go from calm, sunny weather to hurricanes in just a couple minutes. Tomo just wasn't lucky enough to know about that. She feels the rain drip on her head, causing her to look up, her jaw dropping at the storm in front of her.

"I'm so gonna die..."

She starts sweating, trying to paddle away. The sky looked dark, fog covering everything in front of her. A cyclone tube of sea water towering above even the fog, it wouldn't take a sailor to figure out her dinghy would be ripped to shreds. She was already being pulled in. The child gulps, closing her eyes and clutching the pose in her hands, feeling the ship turn over and break with the pressure, the wood swirling around her as water filled her lungs. She slowly passed out, the lack of oxygen causing it.

Taking land on Hitori, Sachiko hops off the boat, kicking it back to sea. Rira coos, burying herself into the white-haired's chest, like babies do. Sachiko just squints at her, brushing it off and entering the Ongaku Village. She notices that most of the people are dancing in the square, and being careful, she makes her way through the houses and into an inn. She was lucky, only the keeper was present. Perfect.

THUD!!

The innkeeper fell to the ground, courtesy of Sachiko's boots. Rira starts laughing, and the woman sticks her tongue out at the infant playfully, setting her down and stripping the worker, and changing into her attire. She pulls the keeper into the back room, Sachiko standing at the desk, cradling the child.

"And that's how it's done, were ya watching?"

She laughs, bouncing Rira.

Tomo wakes up, finally. The pose remained in her hands, the glass broke however and had cut up her hands, but that didn't matter. The pose had stopped moving entirely, Tomo's eye widening as she coughed up seawater, pushing herself up and noticing the ominous looking castle in the distance.

"Finally!!!"

She grins, standing up on the sand, walking into the forest, branches catching on her at every turn, but she didn't care. She had to get to the castle as soon as she can.

She bumped into something, looking up to find a large ape staring her down. She shivers, her eyes wide. The beast calls out, its family arriving and looking at the scared child. They pulled out their weapons, chasing a screaming and crying Tomo, whose legs were her only hope. They had got a few hits on her, cuts on her shoulder and side.

She staggers, finding herself on the cool stone of the castle, catching her breath.

The humandrills stayed screaming and jeering at her from below, causing the child to stand up, tears going down her face, breathing shallow, as she pulls herself up onto the rail, sticking up her middle finger at the apes below.

"Hah—....can't get to me... you bastards..."

Her voice trembles as she staggers to the castle door, terrified of what would happen. She timidly knocks, trying her best to act strong as always but it wouldn't work. The door slowly creaks open, standing a younger Dracule Mihawk, (and very handsome... Tomo wouldn't agree, but hey, I get to have opinions, you know.) who looked down at the youngster, his face etched with concern.

"May I help you...?"

Tomo sniffles, her eyes big and wet, making her look even more pitiful, which deeply struck a chord in the man's heart, causing him to step back slightly to get a better look at her.

"I don't have parents... or anywhere to go... my name is Tomo... can you take me in..? Please, I'll be good..."

She pleads, Mihawk looking bewildered. He stands silent for seemingly an eternity, before helping her in.

"Oh my... let's get you bandaged... alright, Tomo?"

Even men made of stone would falter at her eyes.