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.*･｡. A SIREN'S SILENCE! .*･｡.
————THE MAN IN THE STRAW HAT
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004.
BUGGY THE CLOWN.
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   "My dear, little siren. Won't you sing for me?"

   River kept her head down. Not that she could ever raise it high enough to look her mistress in the eye. She hadn't been able to since she was nine. She had grown too big for her cage, since then.

    "What's wrong, birdy? Don't feel like tweeting today?"

   Her throat was dry. It crackled in her throat when she tried to rasp out a response. When had she last been given water? Real water? Not salt of the sea that was poured into her mouth when she disobeyed. But how did she obey when she never got to speak? How could she sing without water to sooth her aching throat?

Like she read her mind, her mistress cackled.

    "Once there was a siren stolen from land, now locked in a cage like a crow." The sea witch sang off-key, "Dreams of a tail or wings that can fly, but instead she stays here full of woe!"

   The sea witch poked a long, pointed nail into the cage, scraping at her thin skin and bones. River flinched.

    "See? It's not so hard," the goaded, "Sing."

   Tears gathered in River's eyes.

    "SING!"

    "Hey," a voice hissed, "Wake up."

   River jolted awake.

   She pulled herself to a sit and looked around, breaths long and deep, sucking in air that sat thick in her airways. She was relieved to find herself free of the stooped neck and rust-clad metal bars that caged her into her nightmares but not quite so relieved to find wooden slats in their place.

    "They took my swords."

   Her wide eyes flitted over to the Demon, who was reaching for the missing blades, and then back to Nami, who had been the one to shake her awake.

    "And my rucksack," Nami groaned under her breath, "With all my navigation gear."

   River's machete was also gone. Her belt was light, sitting a little higher on her waist, and her hand met air as it searched for it. Her shoulders deflated at the realisation. They were all defenceless now. Well, aside from Luffy's stretchy thing, which River didn't totally understand.

The boy gasped loudly, hands flying to his head, and then breathed out in relief. "They didn't take my hat."

Nami glared, "Yeah, small blessings."

   Luffy didn't take note of her tone as he petted his straw hat and smiled to himself. River watched Nami's face twist as her eyes squeezed shut. It was then it dawned on River. If Nami's bag was gone, then that meant—

    "Damn it," Nami seethed, "We've lost the map!"

   While River didn't care for the map, nor for the Grand Line and the One Piece, she knew Nami and Luffy had stuck their necks out to snatch it. It was likely the worst news, other than being kidnapped and stuffed into a wooden crate, which felt a whole lot smaller with each passing second, but for some odd reason, Luffy didn't look worried.

    "No—" he stood up, hitting his head on the wood. He put his hand to it, shaking it off. "No, we didn't," he whispered to them, "It's in a safe place."

   He rubbed his stomach, patting it.

   River and Nami grimaced.

    "Ew," the orange haired girl breathed, then turned to hiss at the Demon, "Hey! Stop. Stop that!"

    "What?" He shrugged as he continued bagging slamming his shoulder into the wooden wall. He arched a brow, quite a dull look on his face. "I'm trying to find a way out."

    "We've been captured," Nami said. "We need a plan."

    "I don't need a plan," the Demon told her, bluntly. "I just need to beat the hell out of every marine I see."

   Marines? River's face twisted. Last she checked, no marines knocked out their captives with exploding red gas. They were no mean feat, and they didn't mind playing dirty, but it was a little show-boaty for their taste.

    "Hey, everyone, relax." Luffy smiled, "We're fine."

    "We're not fine," came Nami's snippy reply, her eyes quick as she watched River finally get to her feet. She started to run her hand across the wood panels. "The marines will throw us in jail if we're lucky," she whispered in a tense tone, "Execute us if they don't. They—"

    "—they are not marines," Luffy told Nami. It gained River and the Demon's attention. "Before I got knocked out, I saw a Jolly Roger. We've been captured by pirates!"

   River arched a brow.

   He sounded excited about it.

    "That's much better news," Nami sassed.

    "No, he's right. Marines have training. Pirates are easier to kill," the Demon said.

    "Shanks used to say not every situation can be solved with violence," Luffy replied meaningfully.

   It would've meant more if they knew him.

    "Who the hell's Shanks?" The Demon voiced River's own question, which was good because she couldn't ask it. But, in response, Luffy just smiled.

    "We don't need to fight. I can talk to them," he said with blind confidence, "Pirate to pirate."

    "That won't work!"

   Luffy frowned at Nami, "Why not?"

    "To start, you're not a pirate." Nami said.

    "Yes, I am."

    "No," she glared at his composed grin, "You are just some stretchy guy in a tattered hat."

    "I'm a different kind of pirate," he shrugged cooly.

   Different sounded about right. Pirate, River thought, not so much. Luffy was no pirate. At least, not like the real pirates on the seas. River knew as much. She'd seen them in action and, judging by Nami's demeanour, so had she.

    "Pirates are pirates," Nami stated, "There's only one kind."

   The world had a funny way of proving her wrong. Because as the roof of the crate lifted and the walls disappeared, and they were all caught in a blinding spotlight, shrill music filling their ears, River figured Luffy was right. There were different kinds of pirates. Judging by the meringue peak tent up above, the unicycles, circus dancers, the trapeze artist flying through the air and the man breathing fire right in front of their faces, River knew far less about pirates than she thought.

   Why were they even captured by pirates anyway?

   Applause sounded around them and each act bowed, and Nami quickly swatted Luffy's hands when he clapped. They all shot him a look that said really?

    "No!"

   The music stopped.

    "No, no, no, no!" A silhouette yelled, "Stop clapping!"

   It was only then River realised there were people sat in the stands. They abruptly stopped.

    "It's all wrong!" The silhouette stepped closer and turned into a... clown? "The spotlight was late. You completely missed my entrance!"

   He gestured for it to redirect and, shortly after, his face lit with light. River had never seen clown pirates before, but as she thought about it, she faintly recalled the mention of red noses and joker smiles.

    "And where, oh, where was the dancing lion?" The clown's eyes narrowed on the man holding a sign.

    "Hey!"

   The clown turned to Luffy, who was pointed to him with a casual grin on his lips.

    "I know you!" Luffy recalled, "I saw your wanted poster in Shells Town. You're the clown guy. Um, uh..." he thought on it for all of a second, "Binky, right?"

    "Buggy." The clown corrected him, hopping down into the arena with his hands raised, smiling falsely, "Buggy the Clown. Buggy, the Flashy Fool," he walked towards them slowly while Nami, River and the Demon exchanged glances. "Buggy, the Genius Jester."

    "Wow," Luffy's eyes were bright and intrigued, "You have a lot of names." He commended, "I bet that everyone in the East Blue knows who you are."

   The audience let out a gasp.

    "What did you just say?" Buggy asked.

   Luffy mistook his tone.

    "Just that everyone knows who you are—"

    "Nose?!" The clown shot forwards and gripped Luffy's face in his hand. Luffy's lips puckered, and his eyes drew together, yet he remained completely calm. Buggy stared at him with a stern eye, "You making fun of my nose?"

    "Well... I wasn't." Luffy's words were muffled, but audible enough to make it worse for himself. He reached out a hand to touch it, "But now you mention it— is that thing for real?"

   Buggy slapped his hand away.

    "What's real," he pushed Luffy away harshly, and the boy stumbled into River. "Is I've been scheming for months to steal that map from old Axe-Hand Moron—"

   He pushed himself into Nami's space, waiting for a laugh. Nami didn't react.

   Buggy rolled his eyes.

    "—only to find out that I was upstaged," he continued, "By four little nobodies, who stole it from right out under my nose—no!" He yelled, "It's in my head now!"

    "Hey, I'm not a nobody." Luffy called after him as the man stormed away, grumbling under his breath about his big nose. "I'm Monkey D. Luffy," he shot him a bold smile, "And I will be King of the Pirates."

   Buggy laughed right in his face.

    "Oh! Now that's funny!" The clown gestured for the lion to hold up the sign. River read it. LAUGH. The audience forced laughter as instructed, and River felt her teeth grind as older memories flashed through her mind. Sing, siren. Tweet little song bird. Sing. SING.

   Buggy flung out his hands and the laughter stopped.

    "My bounty poster graces the marquee of every Marine Outpost for miles," he boasted, or warned, River couldn't tell. "And my menagerie of outcasts and freaks is the most dreaded pirate crew the East Blue has ever known," Buggy circled all four of them like prey, "I am destined to find the One Piece. And when I do, I will be king."

    "No. You won't," Luffy challenged, like a stubborn child, "'Cause I'm gonna find it first."

    "You? Don't make me laugh."

   There was forced laughter from the audience.

    "I said don't make me laugh!" Buggy yelled and louder, teary laughter ensued. River could hardly listen. She wished she'd lost her hearing instead of her voice.

    "All right, listen up!" The Demon cut in.

   Buggy scowled at him. He ignored those eyes and prowled around, a hand on his blades. "I'm Roronoa Zoro, drop your weapons now and I may let you live."

Roronoa Zoro. A name to finally put to the face. It wasn't as threatening as the Demon was, but it still held gravity. Weight. Like a promise on his lips. As fearless as he. The pirates that flanked them grunted and growled in recognition and River decided it would be difficult to find anyone else as fit to kill a sea witch as Roronoa Zoro. It had to be him. She had never been so sure.

    "Ladies and gentlemen," Buggy chuckled mockingly, his crew straightening their backs at the new threat. "We have a celebrity in our midsts! Too bad I hate sharing the spotlight," the light left Zoro and landed back on him, "Now, maybe we should skip right to the finale."

   His raised his hand, blades slotted between his fingers. It didn't even make Zoro flinch.

    "My freaks put quite a bit of rehearsal time into this little abduction," he said as the crew closed in, all weapons drawn and ready. "And if I can't reward them with that map," Nami and River backed away slightly as a man growled at them. It made Buggy smile. "I suppose I'll have to offer them a pound of flesh instead."

"Wait— wait!" Nami intervened. River's head whipped to look at her, red locks shifting. "What if I have something else to offer you?" She asked.

Did she forget they took all their stuff?

"Something more valuable than that map," Nami hinted, "What if I give you a new freak for your crew? A rare talent. The most spectacular act in all of the East Blue," she smiled tightly, "Besides you, of course."

Buggy raised a brow, "Go on."

There was a tense moment where Nami looked at Luffy, a hint of hesitation in her eyes, though it was over in a flash as she snatched his straw hat and threw it in the air. Luffy made a sound of protest and stretched his arms out it grasp it and, by the time he had, Nami was gone — dashing past Buggy's crew and out of the tent, leaving the other three behind and saving her own skin. River wasn't certain why a small part of was surprised. It was only little, outweighed by knowing way better, but still. It lingered.

Even when she was dragged back in.

"Well, well, well..." Buggy clicked his tongue as Luffy put his hat back on.

"What did you do?!" Nami yelled as she was thrown back into line by the crew mates who had found her. "What'd you do to their town? You destroyed everything!"

"Not everything. I let 'em keep their hands," Buggy said. It made River's stomach churn. She eyed the chains and tears on the town's cheeks. "Okay, here end the theatrics!" Buggy decided, "I know one of you has my map, and I'm gonna get it back. What was it you said, Rubber Boy? That it was in a safe place?"

No one answered.

"Don't look so surprised." He told them with a wide and devilish grin, "I've got eyes and ears everywhere."

Buggy clicked his fingers and River found herself grabbed by grubby hands. They squeezed at her biceps tightly, strong and unyielding. She struggled.

"Please make our little guests uncomfortable in the green room," Buggy smirked. His command had his crew hauling the trio away, despite their struggle, and he was left with just Luffy. Just like he wanted. "I am gonna have a chat with my stretchy new pal."

————

River had hoped she'd never be flanked by metal bars ever again. And yet there she was, trapped in a little bird cage, the agonising urge to tweet like a budgie and sing like a canary. It was an innate feeling she hadn't felt in a long time, and River felt her throat scratch and scrape from phantom salt water. If she shut her eyes for too long she could feel the hunger in her gut, hear the sea witch singing.

Once there was a siren stolen by boat, now locked in a cage like a crow. Captured by pirates with no way out, soon to be part of a show.

    "Give it a rest."

   Her eyes shot open.

   She watched Zoro ignore Nami's words and continue with his struggle against the restraints.

    "Those ropes are too strong, even for you." Nami chimed with a bored yet knowing tone of voice. She made a point. It would be a while before he got himself free from that board, no matter how much strength he possessed.

   Zoro grunted, "I've got out of worse."

   River didn't doubt it.

   They lapsed into silence, the only sound being Zoro's huffs of air and the thudding of his wrists against the board. River slumped but kept her eyes wide open, preferring they dry out than having to blink more than was necessary; flashes of that rusty, old cage kept coming to mind. Her cage. She could feel how tight it was, how cold.

   And for a moment, she couldn't breathe.

    "When I ran out of the tent," Nami spoke up again, "I... saw a town, or..." she shifted in her cage. "What was left of one after Buggy destroyed it,"

Zoro scoffed.

"You mean, when you tried to leave us for dead?"

Nami grit her teeth, "We were surrounded and unarmed. You were picking a fight you couldn't win."

"I know your type," Zoro said lowly, "If there's nothing to gain, you're out."

"Says the wandering bounty hunter," she retorted, shaking her head in irritation. "Trading lives for a handful of Berry."

"I serve a purpose."

"Sure you do," Nami muttered.

Her eyes flitted to River who was staring at her hands with sudden interest. She thought they were shaking, if she looked close enough, but it could've been a trick of the light. Nami's chest shifted anyway with a twinge of sympathy. Maybe even empathy. She shook it off.

Zoro grunted again. Nami let out a sigh.

"I think I can get us out of here," she informed, making a dry scoff pass his lips. River, however, glanced at her intently, and if she could've spoken, Nami thought she would've said well hurry up and do it then.

"You mean get yourself out of here," Zoro snarked.

"That's fair," the girl shrugged, "But I'm going to need you to trust me."

Zoro shook his head, eyes narrowed. "Just like a thief to lie to my face and ask me to believe her."

"You got any other options?"

"...fine."

River sat up a little straighter.

"Just tell me what we're gonna do," Zoro said. Maybe that was what River would've said too. She hadn't thought about it much since she was forced in a cage.

"What we've been doing," Nami informed as she pulled a small piece of metal from her pocket. "Waiting to make sure we're alone."

"You have a lock pick?"

"I have four lock picks," she told the boy as she stuck both hands through the cage bars and started to toy with the lock, eyeing it closely, being as precise as she could with the strange angle. "The clowns only found three."

   If River didn't know any better, she would say Zoro looked kind of impressed as he watched Nami work. Surprised even, that she had been so prepared. But when a loud scream came from the arena where they had all been separated from Luffy, his face grew stern once more.

    "Better work faster," Zoro instructed.

   Nami didn't argue.

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