One Piece: Siren's Call

1: Sanj and the Trapped Tailor

Sanji was conflicted. On the one had, the one that he considered his true father was being threatened with death if he didn't marry the admittedly very attractive Charlotte Pudding and his abusive biological family weren't helping. He also was forced to leave his own crew in order to keep them safe from said abusive insane family. On the other hand, he could see his sister and maybe get revenge before possibly having to kill himself to avoid further torment if Pudding was anything like the rumors of her siblings and Big Mom herself he'd heard.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when the door opened to reveal a very tall, slim figure with a heavy muzzle and cuffs on their limbs. A long, almost ruffled, cape with stiff spine-like ridges trailed along the ground a solid 2 feet or so and was held bunched by similar bands and a series of chains looped through rings embedded vertically in the edges of the scaled material. The torso of the figure was clothed in a tank-style wetsuit that stopped at the knees and had a large chunk in the back missing. A loose baggy toga-like tunic barely hid the wetsuit, and below the hip-length garment was a pair of wrap pants that had embroidered knots, music notes, and ocean designs along the ruffled skirt-like wrap part. The shoeless feet had shiny webbed hawk-like talons that matched the hands, which held a blue journal, a pen, and a measuring tape. What could be seen outside the muzzle of their face was androgynous, and instead of normal hair their was some weird feather-fin combination forming a long crest resembling a low ponytail.

"I'm here to get your measurements." Was barely audible from the low tone they had to maintain with the muzzle and the thud of the door slamming shut.

Sanji sighed, standing to cooperate since he figured this was both a needed task for his forced wedding and a threat based on all the hardware that suspiciously resembled Kairoseki.

"What's your name, man? Might as well chat while we do this."

"Despite what they claim, it's Lydian. I'm stuck, just like you. Sorry about all this. Can't talk much with this thing on. Too much kairoseki. No fruit, similar reaction because of what's in the stuff."

Sanji's face softened significantly. This man, who was clearly so even if he had an unsettling voice, like there was something he couldn't hear that was being said and was tickling his ears but not registering, had almost a musical quality to his words. Mirror-like sclera were clear up close with almost neon iridescent irises and pupils that nearly glowed in the dimly lit room. Tiny patterns of almost invisible swirling dots arranged like music notes decorated the man's exposed flesh and the cape, which sanji was beginning to think was some sort of fin or something after seeing them attached to the back of Lydian via the holes in his clothing.

Before he could ask anything else, Lydian finished taking his measurements and stood to leave, taking short steps with such ease the ex-Straw Hat could only conclude he'd been like that for years. Already having plans to snoop, Sanji simply shifted priorities. After all, Luffy rubbed off on all of them and one thing was certain.

A fellow captive who needed to escape but had lived there longer was a better option to risk being caught than any of the other Charlottes.

Unfortunately, he had a nasty wake up call in the form of Charlotte Chiffon yelling at the apparent fellow abused member of a large crime family.

"Cotton! What are you doing in that ugly top I thought Momma gave you a uniform! And what's with that embroidery? Do I need to get the whip?"

"Mistress Chiffon, my name is Lydian no matter what my adoptive guardian thinks she can do to erase my heritage. I am also far older than you, despite my looks. I have told all of you this multiple times. I am just about done with this treatment and being patient to be let free. I clothe you, I need practice for embroidery and draping and the like since my own ethnic styles are so offensive to Mistress Big Mom. Feel free to punish me later, I have 2 weeks to complete 34 tailored suits, 27 dresses, a wedding dress, and any of the other tasks Mistress Big Mom and you and your siblings give me. I only have help on rare occasions and am swamped. I wish you a good evening, and warn you I have mentioned I have 21 siblings, adopted and otherwise, along with a confirmed mate I nearly died to save, who are still alive and have the same abilities as I. Before I return to my quarters, I ask you one last time: will you allow my brother to treat your mother's psychosis? It would stop the deaths of your siblings and eliminate the risk to yourself." The tailor ranted, sounding out of breath and taking a couple breaks to rest as he spoke.