One Piece - The First Mate

While the trio reached the island with shells town, Luffy and Jason relaxed while Coby was busy navigating the boat.

After reaching the town, Jason and Luffy packed their valuables together into a black burlap sack which Jason carried over his shoulder while they made their way into the town followed by their new cowardly shadow.

Jason and Luffy suddenly stopped while closing their eyes, after a moment, Luffy looked at Jason with a raised eyebrow and suddenly showed two fingers.

Jason chuckled good-naturedly and said: "Close but it's three, one is weak and on the other side of this island."

With that, both of them started walking in a direction and looked at the tall stone wall with the logo of marines on it.

Luffy: "Well Cody, Here it is, You are one step closer to your dream.. Good Luck", while Jason just waved his hand towards the little guy.

Suddenly Luffy and Jason took a small leap and landed deftly on the edge of the wall.

Upon looking at the courtyard, both of them got a huge smile on their faces. There in the middle of the courtyard, tied to what looked like a wooden crucifix by a flimsy rope, was a woman. No, just describing her as a woman would be a crime.

She had midnight blue hair that reached her lower back, tied in a messy braid. She wore a plain black button-up shirt that constrained over her large b.r.e.a.s.ts along with faded blue jeans that hugged her shapely h.i.p.s coupled with black flats. Her icy blue eyes looked sunken and she had dark rings around them. For all her natural beauty, her countenance was quite gaunt.

Her lips were chapped and her stomach looked to be caving in. All in all, she looked quite haunted. But that was just on the surface. Luffy's perceptive eyes picked up on her body language though.

Despite the fact that she looked to be starving, her eyes screamed defiance. Her posture was primed and ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. He could make out the powerful and well-defined muscles beneath her skin. Even though she looked to be on her last legs, she looked every bit a warrior queen to Luffy's eyes.

Luffy excitedly turned towards his vice-captain to see the same appraising expression on Jason's face. She was absolutely perfect! He decided that he wasn't leaving this little island without her. He would have her on his crew one way or another.

Their contemplations were cut short by a sharp intake of breath from beside his as he spotted Coby out of the corner of his eye. He boy looked to be in serious need of new u.n.d.e.r.w.e.a.r.

That midnight blue hair and those cold blue eyes with that fierce expression, no doubt about it, that's her, the 'Pirate Huntress' Kimishima Kuina!" Coby uttered with a terrified expression on his face.

Jason just whistled to himself without giving a mind to Coby while Luffy shook his head at the cowardly boy before refocusing his attention at his future crewmate. She was special, he could see that. He wondered if she would be willing to join with him without him having to resort to dirty measures.

Just then, There was a click of a ladder hitting the wall beside Jason before it was scaled by an adorable little girl, looking no older than eight. She reached the top and cutely put her finger to her lips, signalling them to be quiet before climbing over the wall and making her way to Kuina. Coby was panicking and pleading to Luffy to save the girl but Luffy just ignored him, hoping to see more of what was about to happen.

They watched as the little girl offered onigiri to Kuina, who harshly turned her away. The girl never lost her smile though and continued to insist on her eating it.

They were interrupted however by a smarmy looking jackass with the ugliest haircut Luffy has ever seen in his life. He looked like a complete douchebag with his egg-shaped head, just the kind of guy that Luffy took offense to.

Jason chuckled seeing Luffy's expression while shaking his head, He knows Luffy better to know that he is planning to get this woman as a crew member. Jason could also see a warrior in her and agreed with Luffy on his selection of their crewmate. Well, it's not like he could reign in Luffy's tendencies.

They watched as the ugly egghead snatched the little girl's onigiri and bit a chunk of it only to spit it out on the ground and stomp on it causing the poor girl to be on the verge of tiers.

They watched as kuina gained a murderous look in her eyes while the stupid egg head ordered one of the marine soldiers to toss the girl out.

Luckily for the little girl, Jason gently picked her up from the air and placed her on the ground before playfully ruffling her hair, earning a cute giggle from the girl. Luffy told her she should probably go home and that he would find her later on.

Jason went back to the wall followed by Luffy while they looked on with murder in their eyes when the egg head was taunting and hitting the tied up woman whom they already are considering their new Nakama.

Luffy nodded at Jason as they stealthily scaled the fence and swiftly made their way to her before quietly standing before her, silently observing her.

Kuina noticed the shadows obscuring her and looked up to see a handsome looking guy wearing a straw hat and dressed in black staring at her with blackest eyes she's ever seen.

He has accompanied another guy who has the most enchanting blood-red eyes whose piercing gaze sent a shiver up her spine for some reason. She wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not. She refused to show any weakness though and stared defiantly back at them. After about a minute of staring, she was about to open her mouth and give out a scathing comment when she noticed his black eyes soften as he looked at her. Something in that gaze of his made her tummy flutter giddily.

"I won't ask you why you haven't broken out yet when those ropes are clearly not a match for your strength. I originally came here to recruit you to my pirate crew, but I decided to put it on hold for now. I can see in your eyes that you have something to prove. Whether it's to these Marines or to yourself, I won't ask. I won't question your resolve. I will be in town for a while. If at any time you are in danger I will step in." Luffy said to her, much to her shock and bewilderment. She didn't know how to fully process what he just said to her when Luffy turned around and started to walk away.

Jason just chuckled and nodded at her while following his captain.

"Wait!" Kuina called out to them. "The onigiri, feed it to me please." She requested. Her voice, even though it was hoarse from a lack of water, still had a beautiful lilt to it that was quite pleasant to Luffy's ears.

He stared into her eyes when she made her request, seemingly searching for something, before smiling softly and gathering up the dirty onigiri from the ground and depositing it into her mouth. She grimaced as she chewed on it, having great difficulty. After finally swallowing it, she took a breath before facing Luffy once more.

"It was delicious. The best onigiri I have ever tasted." She declared. Luffy got the meaning behind her words and gave her an approving smile and nod that pleased her immensely for some reason before leaving turning his back to her.

"Good luck with your mission Kimishima Kuina. I look forward to what else you can show us." Jason said looking at the scene and now knowing for sure that this recruit is the best start they could hope for. He accompanied Luffy back outside.

"Really! She ate all of it?!" The little girl from before, Rika, exclaimed excitedly. Her eyes were alit with joy at the information Luffy gave her.

"She sure did. She said it was the most delicious onigiri that she's ever had." Luffy added. The smile on the face of Rika was immovable.

Coby, on the other hand, looked to be supremely confused.

"I don't understand, I thought that Kuina was some kind of demon?" He pondered.

"No! Kuina-nee-chan is a good person! It's all that stupid Helmoppo's fault!" Rika insisted before regaling the three travelers the story of the Marine Base Captain, Morgan and his cowardly son Helmoppo, along with the terror and oppression they wrought throughout this town.

Coby was horrified at the prospect of the Marines being corrupt while Luffy and Jason didn't seem all that bothered as they were expecting something like this. Rika then told her about how Kuina saved her from Helmoppo's wolf and how she was unjustly arrested for it. Apparently she made a deal where if she survived thirty days tied in the middle of that courtyard without food, she would be released.

Luffy just nodded to himself, now understanding why she didn't just break out when she could. It was a matter of pride for her. She was clearly a woman out with something to prove. He admired that about her as he wasn't all that different himself.

Jason then pitched in while gaining the attention of Luffy: "So what do we do about the person on the other side of this island?"

Luffy nodded his head and said "You can go out there and scope out. we will need to wait for 10 more days to get our first Nakama anyway. Come back before today evening with what you have found out."

Jason just stood up making his way outside while Coby and Rika looked confused at them. Luffy just waved his hands on their questions and ordered lunch for them.

Jason who just made it outside closed his eyes for a moment and concentrated on a weak aura he felt in the morning. He suddenly vanished from the view while reappearing in what looked like a gambling city on the other end of the shells town.

He made his way towards what looked like an arena or fighting pit and got inside stealthily. He finally found the person he was looking for and his eyes were met by a sight that took his breath away.

-tbc