One Piece : Rise Of The Merchant Clan

"Hey, kid you ok?" A man spoke as he looked at the dirty child on the ground. He seen this kid appear around town a few weeks ago. The kid had dark hair and deep blue eyes, a frown seem to be permanently stuck on his face, he would be consider a beautiful child if he wasn't dirty all over and a a doom and gloom aura on him. He also notice the haunting eyes the kid had as if he had seen to much of this world cruelty. It broke his heart knowing that this kid was about the same age of his neice, and already he was abandon from his family. He resisted the temptation in brining him home, he would at the very least point him in the orphanage direction.

"Look kid, if you go east you should see a big building in red bricks, with a green door, go in and tell them you don't have anyone to take care of you. They will take you in, well at least until your eight." The man didn't get to close, he pointed in the direction he spoke of, once done he nodded. In his head he was confident in his good action, he walk away feeling lighter at his good action.

Zen watch the man leave, he hadn't spoken one word. His eye were dead, weeks agos he'd ask that same question about the orphanage. The result was a place that was much worse then being on the streets. The a.d.u.l.ts beat up on the older kids to vent, the older kids beat on the younger kids to vent, and the food was scarce. The manager took most of the money leaving hardly anything for food or beds, the a.d.u.l.ts in charge force the kids into thefts to which they took a cut. The older kids we're in charge and the younger one were treated as slave by everyone else. Some night he didn't even get to eat anything, he left the orphanage, not that anyone had cared. It was only until he tried stealing did they beat him up, all the time they did they keep saying stuff like. You're not alowed to work in are turf and if we see you again will break your bones.

"This isn't really going well for me, I need to find a place wear Im fed a decent meal, the one in charge at the orphanage are semi sane, and if i could some status, it would go a long way in order to protect myself. Not having parents suck." Zen looked at the direction the older man had left.

"That old man was an idiot. He lives in this town and he's got no clue on the orphanage states. Still it doesn't change the fact that I need a place to stay. But with my current appearance, if I approach any a.d.u.l.t no one will want to help me. I don't exactly have allot of options here. Should I try stealing a fishing boat too go to another islands?" He shook his head, the last time he nearly didn't make it, he had seriously underestimated the seas. Even the fact that this was north blue one of the four most calm seas, it still remained a sea. He almost drown multiple time just on his burn wooden door. He also lost all his food half way, oh and he was harass by a few sea creature. Luckily for him they seem not that hungry after taking a taste of the burn paddle.

"As much as I hate to say it, my only real option is the orphanage, but i got to risque exposing myself a little more then before. I had hope that I could live low key, but the environment at the orphanage was mutch more savage then I was expecting. I thought that their would be abuse but nothing at this scale. I mean the hole thing is just corrupt up the yatzu. Sigh, but my best hope is probably Mr Simmon, from the little I saw he was no doubt the laziest one their. My chance of convincing him in getting a higher position in power is much better then the others." Zen got up, on his weak legs and slowly made his way back to the orphanage.

On his way he was spotted by both a.d.u.l.t and kids. The a.d.u.l.t keeping their distance, and checking their money pouch. The kids trowing a treathing glare at him, that promising a world of pain if he tried anything in their territory. Zen did find all this depressing, there was a marine base on this island, but child thieve were tolerated and almost ignored. The world goverment put more focus, on hunting down pirates then managing the island around. He also learn that yes people had notice the smoke coming from his island. But apparently the marine had gone around calming the people, saying that his island was having a huge bone fire.

Zen knew that someone with alot of power had basically covered up the massacre on his island. No doubt it been smart thing in not mentioning his origins, because who ever had order this, probably didn't want any witness's. In fact he was wondering if some noble wasn't part of this little d.i.c.k move. For one, no marine had gone to check on the smoke, next the pirates had been given free range in their pillaging and killing. And now the news of the massacre was shut down even before it could come out. Some one very high up in the food chain was pulling the string, sadly he was at the very bottom, and powerless to even learn the names of the ones responsible.

Zen look at the building and frown, his past expirience in the orphanage had not been pleasant. On his first day, he'd been lock in a closet, for speaking up at what he thought was a violation of the rules. Only to find out too late, that the rules here did not hold for all who were at the bottom. They could change as quickly as the wind, if someone with any power decide to change something to their benefit, the only one who could stop them, is someone with even more power. It became a week of hell for Zen, everything he'd learn at home he had to trow out. His only method of survival was bowing low, pleading and begging for mercy. He only lasted eight days before he decided to leave and tried living on the streets. It had been another failure, this plan was his only shot at a more stable environment. If this also failed, he would be in a really bad spot.

"Ok, you can do this, just sell it like your life depend on it. Well it does actually." He tried pumping himself up before speaking to Mr Simmon. This would either bring him up, or send him down in a desperate spiral. He took another deep breath and open the door after knocking.