The Puppet Master [One Piece]

The Captain's Undoing

~Shanks' POV~

                We landed on a remote island not too far off from the Red Line to avoid a hellacious storm in the middle of the night. When first light hit and we actually got a good look at the island, the crew thought it looked like an ideal party location and decided to jump ship. It was a small island with steep vegetation covered rocky cliffs. There was a small cove completely surrounded by cliffs that led to a white sandy beach with a small lush tropical forest beyond.

                "I feel like we're missing something." Yassop commented as everyone prepared to pile into the small fishing boats to row to shore.

                "Where's Echo-chan?" Travis, one of the younger rookies in Echo's fan-club asked curiously.

                I hadn't seen her since the storm started last night. I'd told her to go below deck to stay out of the storm, but she was stubborn what if she hadn't listened? Did something happen? My heart immediately dropped into the pit of my stomach, did she fall overboard? How could no one have noticed? How could I not have noticed?           

                "Sorry to keep you waiting." Her soft sweet voice chirped behind me.

                I looked up to see the majority of the crew standing in front of me gaping at the small girl standing out of my line of sight. Now what? Hesitantly I turned to face the petite girl. She was wearing a black bikini with a simple black wrap at her waist to look like a skirt. Her long snow white hair cascaded down around her in perfectly tousled waves and there was a pretty purple sea flower tucked behind her left ear. She looked stunning. An adorable blush spread across her cheeks as the crew, and sadly I as well, continued to stare at her.

                "Is something wrong?" She asked shyly as she quickly averted her murky green gaze.

                "Not at all." I chuckled.

                "Yeah, this is completely normal." Yassop replied sarcastically.

                "You look beautiful, Echo-chan." Her fan-club chorused causing another blush to spread across her pallid cheeks.

                Everyone clambered into the small fishing boats to row to shore and as I turned to Echo to offer her help into the small boat I found her surrounded by the younger rookies all offering to carry her. Her murky sea green eyes locked on me as if she sensed my gaze and my heart skipped a beat as a small breathtaking smile claimed her lips.

                An overwhelming victorious relief flooded through me as she politely declined to ride with the others and made her way over to where Benn, Yassop and I were standing. Upon closer inspection I noticed something slightly different about Echo's skin. It seemed a little paler than usual but looked much softer than normal.

                As she sat beside me in the small boat I got a closer look. The tiny fibrous wires that usually entwined around her body were missing. "Echo, where are your wires?" I asked her curiously.

                Her pallid cheeks flushed with color, "I didn't feel like I needed them today."

                "Why?" Yassop asked her curiously.

                "I'm safe with all of you." She said timidly.

                Finally, she'd realized she could trust us. She no longer felt the need to constantly be on the defensive. I smiled as I draped my arm across her shoulders and chuckled to myself as she blushed, "That's right. We won't let anything happen to you."

                "Where did you get that flower, Echo?" Benn asked the question that had been obsessively running through my mind. Did one of the crew give it to her?

                "Linda." Echo smiled sweetly causing my stomach to attempt somersaults.

                I hated to admit it, but I was relieved that it wasn't a member of the crew. The very thought of her accepting someone else's affections sparked a surprising feeling of jealousy within me.

                "Captain Shanks?"  My name spilled from her rose petal lips with a beautiful lilt.

                I turned to her curiously.

                Once she had my full attention she began to look nervous and fidgeted with the knot in her wrap at her waist.

                "What is it, Echo?" I chuckled.

                When she looked back up, it took all I had not to drop my jaw in awe. Her murky sea green gaze was much softer than usual as she looked up at me with big doe eyes. "Will you teach me how to swim?"

                Lucky Roo had been right, that wasn't a face you could say no to. She was the very picture of innocence, sweet and demure like a helpless little kitten. "Of course." I smiled down at the timid girl.

                A dazzling smile lit up her face and she surprised me by throwing her arms around me with a soft heartwarming giggle. "Thank you." It was in that moment, when she wrapped her arms around me, that I knew. This beautifully broken girl would be my undoing.