One Piece Ch 1:An Unexpected Meeting With A Straw

One Piece Ch 1

An Anexpected Meeting With A Straw Hat
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”No. No. NO! Don’t do this to me!” Talia cried to the boat, desperately trying to throw water out her already half sinking boat. Talia was panicking and felt also anger when she felt her ankles get wet. She screamed in frustration covering her hands on her head. “Ah! Damn it, this is pointless!”

She could not believe everything had turned out so badly. She should never have trusted that old man. She should have known better when he was selling this boat so cheap.

Oh, if I ever get my hands on him I’ll-!

She dismisses her thoughts for now, getting back to her problem, namely the leak. That seemed to come from between two boards that seemed rotten; it was a wonder that it had not already leaked when she sailed from the harbor. She had tried covering the leak up with an old rag; she had find in one of the barrels on the boat. Talia figured it was nothing she could do to stop the ship from sinking, if not maybe resorting to that, not that she was even sure if that would even help. But on seconded thought, no, not even her power would help her out now.

But she wouldn’t give up and drown in the East Blue, especially when she was so close to visit home again, it had been so many year senses then. She thought fast taking her sea bag and filling it with the little she owned and filled it with as much supplies that she could fit in. She strapped the bag to her back and then she went to one of the two empty barrels and throws it off close to the boat. Talia took a deep breath before jumping to the barrel in the sea, taking a steady hold on it, carefully holding her upper body up on the barrel from the water. She frowned looking at her boat slowly sinking to the bottom of the East Blue with most of her supplies with it, the only thing that floated up to the surface were the seconded barrel. She swore angrily under her breath of her stupid disability to not be able to swim.

How much good would having a devil fruit power to have helped her now? None. She didn’t even feel comfortable with her devil fruit power. Those who had seen her power had thought her as freak, even a devil fruit users thought so. The little time she was on the Grand line with that crew showed her that, but she was mostly under deck so she never got to see much off the Grand line. So Talia decided not show her power openly anymore and that also meant she hadn’t gotten much practice with it either.
Talia sighed tiredly, looking at the bright blue sky with the drifting clouds above her. She didn’t know how much time has passed since her boat had sunk or how long she had drifted around, but it felt like hours. But she guessed on two hour. She noted the cries from the seagulls that were somewhere in the distance as she drifted looking at the sky blankly. She clenched her hold on each side of the barrel as the thought hit her that the only thing keeping her from drowning was a simple wooden barrel and a wave of panic washed over her, her hands started to tremble slightly agents it.

“D-Damn it!” She shuttered, bowing her head on the wood, her strawberry-blond hair fallowing over agents on the barrel. She felt so weak and helpless. Talia hated this feeling. She was so close to get to the island again and now she was here holding on to a barrel trembling. She wasn’t even that afraid of the sea any more, hell she been on ships and boats mostly of her life. Suddenly she jumped at the cold feeling of her necklace touching her skin, it snapped her out of the helplessness she had been feeling, she raised her head up, narrowing her scarlet eyes.

“That’s right…I have things to do. And I can’t let a thing like this stop me…” Talia took a deep breath before yelling out to the sky. “YOU HEAR THAT OLD MAN!? YOU CAN’T STOP ME!!”

No one will…

It was then Talia could have sworn she heard something going through the air at an alarming rate and the sound was coming from behind her. She was about to look over her shoulder, when something grab a hold of her sea bag and she was leaving the water to the air. Talia was still holding on to the barrel but when she notice she was suddenly going through the air, the shock made her grip on the barrel to disappear. She let a surprised scream leave her lips. Until landing on something that felt like floorboards that losing her breath. Talia was sure she was on a boat again. The boat slightly went back and forwarded, and she heard the barrel she had hold on before; hit the water not far from where she was now.

“Hay, Hay Miss! Are you alright!?”

Talia groaned in pain of the harsh landing, but by the voice she snapped opened her eyes and extends towards her blade cover on her right side. In a single movement she was on her fetes and had swiftly gotten her silver blade out and pointed to one of the two faces she met; it was a kid younger than her, maybe eight. He had pink hair and round-frame glasses. He was shaking, sweating in fear looking at the dagger that was mine meters from his nose. The other one was a boy that seemed more to be her age; he had short black hair that was sticking out a straw hat he had on his head, wearing blue trousers that seemed to end up to his knees along with sandals and a sleeveless red vest. She noted that he also had a scar with two stitches underneath his left eye. He had a blank, confused look on his face Instead of the frightened look his friend beside him had.

“P-Please don’t hurt me!” The kid whimpered, in a very high pits voice. Talia ignored it, glancing back to the other boy and then back to the whimpering one. She wouldn’t take any chances as she spoke in a cold and demanded voice.

“Who are you!? And how the hell did you do to make me fly through the freaking air!!”

“Am sorry! I told Luffy to wait b-but he didn’t listen!” The boy name Luffy didn’t seem to listing, he was stiffing a laughing.

Why the hell is he laughing? I have a dagger in front of his friend’s face!
“Luffy! Why are you laughing! S-She got a knife in my face!” The glasses boy cried.

Luffy pointed his finger at Talia and she glared at him questionably. He was trying to keep from laughing and was failing at it. “You Pffff got Pfffpfff a pfff nosebleed!Hahahaah!!” The straw hat started to laugh again while Talia put her free hand under her nose then looked at her hand that was indeed covered in blood. She must look like an idiot with her serious face on her while suddenly blood is run down her nose.
“Awww come on! Not again!” She cried, trying to dry off her blood under her nose with her sleeve. Talia notices that someone was offers her a handkerchief. She looks at the shaky offering, seeing the glasses kid on the other side of the donor hand. “Um..Thanks…” She muttered, embarrassingly taking the handkerchief from the kid. Then to his relief she put back her dagger into its sheath. Maybe she should give these guys the benefit of the doubt. Talia sat down in the boat

embarrassingly using the handkerchief. After she cleaned herself up with the hanky she glanced over the younger kid. “Sorry…and thanks. You know, for helping me out earlier.” She finally mumbled.

“T-That okay, r-really! Am koby.” He nodded, trying to give a reassuring smile. But she could see he was still tense. But that was understandable; she did just point a dagger in his face just moment ago.

“I’m Monkey D Luffy!” Luffy grinned at her, it look like he had done laughing. Wait…D…? What kind of a weird coincidence!  “Sooo what your name?” He puts his hands on his knees.

“I’m Talia, Hawthorne D Talia! She said putting her thumb on her chest. “Thank you again for saving me… And I’m sorry koby, for earlier.” Koby nodded, saying it was; fine.

“So,” Koby started. “How did you end up drifting around barrel all alone?”

Talia thought for a moment wondering if she should tell them the whole story or not. But they did just met and she didn’t know these two boys so well and she didn’t want them to get involved in her problems so she just  diced to tell them how at least she ended up on the barrel.

“Well this boat I was sailing-that I bought cheep from this old man. It turned out it wasn’t in the best condition, the boards on it were rotten…so it sunk. This was maybe over two hours ago. But thanks to you, I didn’t haft to be drifted to who knows where…what with those face for?!” Talia yelled seeing Koby was staring at her with a dumfounded expression and the straw hat was giving her a blank face.

“You didn’t check the boat out before you bought it!” Koby cried, pointed to her.

“Hay! I’m not a freaking boat-expert!” She snapped back, and then sighed deeply after. “I was kind of in a hurry to visit my home island…”

“Your home island is around here?” Luffy asked, blinking still having his blank face on.

“Yea… it’s about one or two days by boat.” Talia replied, glancing up at the blue sky, feeing a breeze past by. “I haven’t seen my home in years…maybe it about ten years now, I guess I was so eager to visit home. I got careless.” Talia glanced back to the boys, seeing koby with an understanding expression.

“I see. Ten years away from home…you must be feeling home sick.”
Talia look at Koby giving him a short laugh and a dismissing waving. “Nah! Not that much,” Koby gape thinking this girl was sad and home sick had just laugh it off.“I kind of have someone to visit, before am off again!”

“Going off again?” Koby repeated. “Where will you go?”
Talia shrugged lifting her shoulders. “Don’t know. I haven’t deiced yet. I guess I’ll go fulfilling my dreams or something!” Talia smiled and a fake laugh.

Yeah that did sound nice to go fulfilling my dreams. I should at least try as long as I have some time left…      

Luffy look at her again with blank stare, he then nodded saying Yoshi!, having that grin again placed on his lisps. “Hay, Hay, Talia!” Luffy cried happily, locking excided. “You can join my crew!”

Talia look at Luffy doubtful raisin a brow at him, sure he had been nice enough to help her but that was not a reason to join up with him besides how could she be part of a crew, seeing how well it ended for her last time. But She should at least ask what this was all about. “Maybe…Are you fine in answering some questions first?”
“Sure!”

“What crew are you starting?”

“A pirate crew.” He replied simply. Talia slightly twitched her fingertips, but pouched her feelings away. Still holding onto her mask, Talia continued to question the straw hat. Finding out he was a devil fruit user like her and he was going to the Grand line to become the king of the pirates. Also found out by Koby that they had heard her yell before; but not what she had yelled about. Koby had thought maybe she was in trouble and had said they should try to help. Koby had then seen that Luffy had drew his arm back, stretching it out. Koby had yelled out to him to wait. But he hadn’t listened and she knows the rest from there.

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“So you ate a Devil fruit? Talia questioned, eyeing the straw hat.
“Yep!” Luffy grinned stretching out his cheek in inhumane length. “And now I’m a rubber man!” Talia smiled uneasy still not used to seeing that.
“Well I have seeing Devil fruit power before. But never this close up…, “She lied: having a power of her own. But she couldn’t risk going through what she did before. Luffy was still holding onto his stretched out cheek as he looks at her grinning. “…until now.”

“Are you going to join my crew now?!”  Luffy asked eagerly, finally letting go of his cheek that popped back into place.

Talia knew she had to answer him truthfully, not letting him get any false hopes up. Besides what could she possibly offer to his crew? He would need like: a navigator, a cook, a doctor, a shipwright, a sharpshooter, a swordsman and maybe a musician if he wanted one. But her, she was none of that, sure she could hold her own in a fight but she don’t want anybody to find out of her power. They would hate her. Call her a freak like the others before.

Why does it sound like I want to be in a crew? This is ridicules! I just met him and how do I know if he even will get a crew? He doesn’t even have a ship… just this boat…but I kind of feel bad, Luffy really help me out. At least I should find away to thank him.

“No, sorry…”

“Awww! Why not!” Luffy pouted and his arms down waving them back and forward.
“I won’t plan anything until I come back to my island, and that, that.” Talia huffed, when suddenly a thought hit her. “Where are you guys going now anyway?”

“We’re going to a Marine base, Koby wants to join the Marines, and I’m going to find a Pirate hunter, um, what was his name again?” The straw hat put a hand under his chin looking puzzled.

“Roronoa Zoro, Luffy! I told you that not long ago!” Koby yelled in disbelief. “And I still say it a bad idée, He’s like a terrifying beast in human form!” He had that worry back in his eyes again, none of the two noticing the girl with them looking at them stunned, hearing the pirate hunter name. But it was soon replaced by small smile.  

He wants Zoro on his crew? As Roronoa Zorothe the pirate hunter? I have only heard rumors. But what I heard he is strong. Wait, I can use this. I can help Luffy! But it could also help me too…by getting me home.

“He might be a good guy.” Luffy stated plainly. Koby just sighed deeply shaking his head, mumbling: What with you and going in to trouble?

“Oi, Luffy!” The straw hat turned to Talia. She still had a small smile because of her plan she had formed. “How about we make a deal?”
“A deal?” Repeated Luffy while making a funny expression.

Talia nodded, crossing her arms. “If you promise to take me to my island after this stop, I’ll do whatever I can whit in my power to help you recruit Roronoa Zoro to your crew.” Talia saw the straw hat still look at her with a funny face. She gave it a moment, but Luffy was not letting up. They stared against each other, before Talia sighed.”What?” Is he still-? He can’t be serious…”You still want me to join your crew?” He gave short nod, having his arms crossed. She look at him dumfounded

Why is he determined for me to join, huh? His so weird…

“Why? Why would you want me to join your ‘pirate crew’? We have just met, you do not know me and I hardly know you!” Talia had a hard time not to glare at him, thinking Luffy might know something about her after all. She unconsciously grips her knees hard. Luffy was just staring at her, she couldn’t tell if he was staring at her seriously or if he had just a blank stare.

“I don’t know…” Luffy simply shrugged. Talia’s head dropped hearing this, but then sighed.

So he doesn’t know after all…She thought in relief.
”But…” Hearing Luffy speaking up again Talia look up to look at him.”…you’re kind of funny!” The straw hat grinned and sniggered. Talia couldn’t help to crack a smile as well and Koby was left with having a quested look at the two.

“What? You want me as your jester or something?” Talia asked ironically, sacking her head. “Fine! I’ll think it over your proposition from earlier if you still want me to join you…” After seeing Luffy give her a sparkling look she quickly added. “I’ll not be a jester if I join you!!” Luffy had a short disappointed look, she even heard him give out a weak; ohh! Why not?  You suggested it…

“I was not serious!!!” She examined at the straw hat.
Luffy paused like he was thinking it over with an even funnier expression then before, but he then grinned while patting forcefully on Talia’s shoulder. “Yoshi! We have a deal! I promise to take you to your island!” His eyes spackled, snickering as he said: My first crewmate, awesome!

“I HAVE NOT JOINED YET!” She snapped, then massaging her shoulder that Luffy had friendly pat seconds ago which was a bit sore. She rested her back in her sit, fingering on her cold sea blue pearl necklace that had a golden star shape on the inside. She observed Luffy looking at her playing with her necklace for a moment, but she was too tired to care. “So Koby why do you want to join the Marines?” She suddenly asked not looking up from her single pearl necklace.

She listened quietly at his story and why he wanted to become a Marine. A smile placed on her lips, listening to the pink hair boy while she fingered around the necklace in her hands. She listened to the very end before she stared nod off to sleep, being exhausted. Before she fell asleep she heard the boys talk.

“She fell asleep. She must have been tired.” Koby commuted. She heard Luffy’s sniggering; saying then, and she bet he had a grin.

“She is funny!”