FicWad

16 Years Ago

"…Every morning you greet me

Small and white, clean and bright

You look happy to meet me!"

The children sang as they ran around the edge of the forest. They were smartly dressed, just come out of church. Most of them carried small flowers or wore them in their hair in the girls' case. They laughed as they sang, chasing each other in happy circles.

One of the boys stopped and messed up his brown hair. He kneeled down and rubbed dirt all over his face. He stood up and roared loudly.

"Roooaaarrrr! I'm the scary monster girl! I'm gonna eat you!" The children shrieked with laughter, running away from the small boy in mock fear. He chased them with clawed hands, roaring as loud as he could.

He caught one of the girls and tackled her onto the grass. "I'm gonna eat you! You're gonna die!" He shouted as he tickled her. She cried in laughter, squirming on the ground in her pale blue dress and pigtails.

Another little girl, this one much dirtier than the rest stood silently behind a nearby tree. She watched with one wide eye as she hid behind the great oak. The game they played made her sad, but she didn't have anyone to play with. They looked like they were having fun.

'I'm scared…' She thought as she watched the others play. She looked behind her at the dark forest.

'…but I'm lonely.' Working up her courage, she pushed away from the tree and stepped out into the clearing.

The kids didn't notice her at first. They were too busy laughing as the younger boy chased them and her approach was so quiet.

"U-um…hello." She said weakly. They others stopped playing at the noise and turned to look at her. The silence was thick, and the girl shifted nervously from foot to foot, her arms held behind her as she looked at her feet.

The children's' minds took in her tattered brown dress and dirty bare feet. Her blonde hair was tangled and unwashed. Large violet eyes reflected sadness and hope when she looked up at them.

"U-um…can I play too?" Her small voice asked.

That was when the screaming started.

"Aah! It's the real monster!"

"Run away!"

"She's gonna eat us!"

The girl's eyes widened as the others ran away in fear. She took a step forwards, reaching out to them.

"W-wait! Please!" The screams grew louder and the noise began to attract other people to the scene. Adults began to run towards them, but stopped when they saw her tiny figure. Their anger was plainly visible.

"Demon child! Go back to the woods where you belong!" A farmer with his pitchfork said. He slowly approached her, pointing the sharp prongs at her. She trembled in fear and stumbled backwards. The children's parents were now there, holding their young to them.

"I-I j-just wanted…to play…" She answered weakly.

"Don't lay a hand on my son, you evil creature!" One of the mothers shouted.

"I'm not a monster!" She defended weakly.

"Kill her!"

"Burn her like she burned her parents!"

The shouting grew into a riot as all the villagers soon began to join the group. Voices demanded her death, most in gruesome ways. The crowd slowly approached, pushing her back into the woods. Many of them now carried makeshift weapons ranging from long kitchen knives to tree branches found on the ground.

The girl's lip quivered as she struggled to suppress her tears. Her vision became blurry and she turned and ran back into the forest. No one followed her.

Soon the shouts of the villagers were no longer all she could hear. Her crying became louder and she sat down by a large rock. Hugging her knees to her chest, she started to wail.

'Why do they do this to me?'

'Why do they hate me?'

Her elbow and legs hurt. She looked down and saw bloody scrapes across her pale skin. The cuts were covered in dirt, which only served to make her cry harder.

She wasn't sure how long she sat there, but the sky quickly grew dark and her stomach began to rumble. She wasn't very bothered, she was always hungry. Telling herself she had to go check the little traps she had made, and that she had to wash off her dirty wounds, she looked up and sniffed a few times. Wiping her wet eyes and nose, she picked herself up and trudged towards her makeshift shelter by the pond.

Towards home.

Present Day

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Gekko Moriah has arrived, as per your request." The courier saluted and stood at attention in front of the great man's desk. Sengoku nodded slowly in response.

"Send him in." He replied bitterly. The young man nodded and scurried away, presumably to retrieve the Shichibukai. Sengoku rubbed his temple with one hand, sighing deeply at the thought of meeting with the Soul Stealer. He toyed with the corners of the wanted poster on his desk.

Dealing with any of the pirate Warlords was always uncomfortable to the Fleet Admiral. He hated pirates, especially the ones he himself had appointed to cooperate with the World Government. Those with the most power were never to be trusted. Pirates lived for double crossing on bargains and deals. It was inevitable part of their way of life.

The doors opened to reveal the large white-skinned man. He was frowning, obviously not pleased to be summoned into the office of the highest-sitting marine. He sauntered in and took a seat in the chair facing Sengoku.

"I don't appreciate being summoned into your damn office, Sengoku. What is it you want?" Sengoku said nothing for a moment before pushing the wanted poster towards the pirate. He looked down curiously, voicing his confusion.

"I know who she is, what about her?" Sengoku sighed once again, leaning forwards in his chair and linking his hands together with his elbows resting on the desk.

"She recently escaped from Impel Down prior to the War of the Best. Her release into the public brings great danger to the people of the world." Moriah scoffed in his chair waving his hands as if to dismiss his claim.

"I could care less about the people's safety, Sengoku. The responsibilities attached to my title mean nothing to me." Sengoku frowned, angered by the pirate's frame of mind, but he forced himself to let it go this time.

"Regardless, something must be done about her." Moriah frowned again.

"Why not call up one of your Vice-Admirals or higher-ups instead of taking up my own time and energy? I don't care what happens either way. It's none of my concern anyway."

"It damn well could be!" Sengoku said, slamming his hand down on the table. This conversation was getting him nowhere. Regaining his composure with a deep breath, he twined his fingers together once again. "The Marines don't have the resources to take her on. She is stronger than she may seem."

"What is it you want with me, Sengoku? Get to the point." Sengoku closed his eyes, giving himself one last chance to back out of his plan. Obviously, Moriah wasn't interested in what he wanted, but he would deal with that later.

"Your Kage Kage no Mi is our only weapon against her power."

"She has no devil fruit, so what do you mean? Surely you marines can take care of a little girl with a few daggers?" The Fleet Admiral shook his head slowly.

"You are underestimating her. It's not a devil fruit that gives her power, it's something else entirely, which is why we need your help."