Swords and Hearts

Something To Prove - Chapter 1

The wind howled across the deck, whipping through Y/N's hair as the Slasher Pirates' ship bobbed on the turbulent waves of the Grand Line. The island they'd just left loomed behind them, dark clouds gathering overhead. A lone figure blocked their escape—standing on the jagged cliffs of the shore was a Marine, both swords drawn, each one glinting in the dimming light.

Y/N stood at the bow, her hand gripping the hilt of one of her own swords, her eyes locked on the Marine. He moved with a confidence she had seen before, in someone she thought she'd left behind long ago.

"Captain! We need to go!" Scar's gruff voice cut through the storm. The first mate was already by the helm, urging her to leave. "This isn't worth it—he's just another Marine! Let's set sail before reinforcements arrive!"

But Y/N didn't budge. The memory of her brother flashed in her mind—a boy with untamed ambition and burning eyes, telling her with a mix of pride and stubbornness, "I'm going to be the greatest swordsman in the world."

The same ambition that had driven him to ignore her, to reject her when she'd asked to train alongside him, had festered in her ever since.

"You'll just get in the way," he had said.

Now, standing here with the sea crashing below and the Marine matching her stance, Y/N felt that same fire ignite. The way this swordsman held himself—it was too similar to her brother. The challenge in his eyes, the way he moved with the calmness of someone assured of his victory, taunted her.

Her heart raced as the thunder echoed across the sky, the memory of her brother's harsh words echoed in her mind, their weight pressing down on her chest. Y/N had never forgotten how he'd dismissed her dreams, as if she wasn't worthy of the same goal. He never thought I could do it. But I'll prove him wrong.

"Captain!" Scar's voice cut through the storm again, his urgency increasing as the rain began to fall in thick, heavy drops. The waves slammed against the side of their ship, threatening to pull them back to the island they had fought so hard to leave.

Y/N could feel his impatience, the pull of the sea beckoning them to safety. But she wasn't ready to back down. Not yet. This Marine had crossed her path like a shadow of the past, and she wasn't about to let him get in her way.

The Marine stood firm on the rocks, his dual swords raised in a challenge, his posture unyielding despite the wind and rain. His eyes met hers, calm yet dangerous, like the eye of the storm. He wasn't just another Marine looking for glory—he was skilled, determined, and too familiar in his confidence. It stung, reminding her too much of her brother's cold resolve.

She gritted her teeth, her grip tightening on her hilts. I won't let him beat me. I can't let anyone beat me—not before I surpass him.

Her brother had once been everything to her. They were twins, after all—two halves of the same coin, or so she had believed. But after their parents died, his ambition had swallowed her whole. He focused only on his dream, leaving her behind, unnoticed, unimportant. She had spent years trying to make him see her, to show him she was just as worthy of his time and respect. And now, on this stormy night, with a Marine standing in her path, it felt like destiny was forcing her to face that rejection once again.

Scar, drenched and growing more impatient by the second, finally stepped beside her. "Captain, this is insane. He's just one Marine, and there are more on the way! We can't afford to waste time here." His hand reached for her shoulder, but she shrugged him off.

"Just one Marine?" Y/N's voice was steady, though inside she was a whirlwind of emotions. "That's all it ever takes, Scar. Just one. If I run now, what's stopping the next one from standing in my way? Or the next?"