Aiden's Point of View

I've finally arrived at a village near the beautiful sea. It's around dawn and I knock softly on the closest inn I could find. I wait for a while, without a response. 'Must still be sleeping...' I think tiredly and I just settle for sitting in a narrow path between a few houses. I peacefully fall asleep, my weapons lying at the ready, comforting me.

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When I wake up, it's around lunch time and the sun shines brightly in the middle of the sky. 'Must've overslept...' After yawning and getting out the sleepy attitude, I looked around the town. From where I was standing, I could see the inns I checked by and some stores, resturants, and few single houses here and there. Many people grazed the pavement, walking around and enjoying the place around them.

But as I was taking in the beautiful scene of the sea, a young boy accidentally rammed into, causing my two thin sliced katana's to fall off my belt and scitter across the pavement. Quite a few of my shurikens and kunai's had fallen out of my pouch too. I quickly push off the annoying kid who was moaning from the impact and quickly gathered my shurikens and kunai's before going after my melee weapons.

After gathering my stuff, the kid had finally gained his common sense and muttered a sorry. I looked at the guy and he only wore a loose button polo and something like short, blue capris and a straw hat. Wierd combination if you ask me. But then again, look at me. I was wearing a thick silver jacket, sleeves cut off and a long pair of shorts. My weaponry attached to my belt and my thigh.

Yeah, probably not the one to talk.

He looked up at me and even though I was irritated with him, I still gave him a hand. "Sorry about that." He laughed. "I was rushing to get ready for something and so I ran into you." His personality was very jumpy and happy-go-lucky. That was the opposite of what I was looking for.

I needed someone who hid in the shadows, like me. I didn't want to get riled up in this guy's business so I did what I thought was right. "I don't want to know your personal business, it isn't mine." I state with an irritated acting tone I've been practicing to scare others when I wasn't actually mad or irritated with them. He just looked at me weirdly and said, "What the heck? You're really weird."

I glare at him. "Well, you're not exactly the one to talk."

"Besides, what kind of person just says things like that?" I shout at him irritatedly. He shrugs his shoulders and replies, "I dunno." His look is completely clueless and I face palm, realizing what an idiot this guy is. "I'm gonna go now." Picking the best, yet most straight forward escape from this guy. He smiles. "I'll see ya around then!" He exclaims before going about on his way.

I sigh before deciding to walk around the town, enjoying it while it lasts. I walk in and out stores here and there, most of them either a fast-food type of place or resturant 'cause I was hun-ger-y! I slipped in and out, staring at the delicious foods around the beautiful town.

Eventually, I landed in the cheapest meat place where I could still buy some decent food with the little money I have left. I'd been living off the money from the dojo that I had raised over the years I'd earned there as allowance. My money had gone scarce very long ago and I had to live off occasional jobs. I couldn't do many though, for that clown was after me and so were the marines. I didn't know what the marines wanted me for but I was far down the line compared to other people's bounties.

I had about 5,000 on my head.

Not the best situation to live in forever.

But that's how it worked out. After my somewhat decent meal, I decided to go around the place a little more before I depart tomorrow. As I walked around, I found fountains to admire, gardens to view, and places to watch. It was overall a good day 'till the afternoon, near evening. I was looking around for the last time when a group of kids decided to pick on me.

I was pretty short for my age so many people would mistake me for a 14-15 year old. Yet, I was still treated with authority from many. But apparently, these ones didn't. The troublesome kids decided to play around and bother me. At first, I thought they would go away when I acted like I wasn't bothered by their rude, whispered comments, kicks, and shoves. Nope.

They thought it would be fun to start poking me and making fun of me out loud. Now, I was getting irritated. But no, they wouldn't stop so when I was ticked off to the farthest, I pulled out one of my swords. I was good with one sword style, two sword style, but needed work on three sword style. But as soon as I pulled out my thin sliced, extremely sharp katana, they all backed off.

After they'd finally decided to leave me alone, I went on to find an inn for the night, hoping to sleep inside instead of out. But as I walked around the inns, which happened to be close to the entrance, there was a commotion coming from the outside of the town boundaries.

Catching my attention, I decided to go out and check it out. Renting a bed for the night could wait 'till later. I walked off the pavement and onto the dusty path and walked around and into the the small, yet vast cliff side near the sea port. I looked down to see a small fight between the kids who'd bothered me earlier and a few men who looked to be thieves or pirates.

Whichever one they were, it didn't matter to me. I hated both and those kids could get seriously hurt. I pulled out my two katana's and jumped down and onto the cliff where both parties stared at me in disbelief. Probably not the best idea to jump out of nowhere and into the middle of someone else's fight.

Looks like I forgot rule #1. Oops.

I jumped into my ready stance and faced the enemy. I realised they were holding the children's belongings. "Hand the stuff over." I growled, gesturing slightly for the kids to slide back a little bit, considering it was a pretty thin cliff. The men just chuckled and said, "Ha, as if we'd hand 'em over to a fourteen year old."

"Actually, I'm 17 for your information." I correct them and they just roll their eyes. Careful to keep my balance, I make a few slices at the leader of the theives. When I pulled back, a thin but deep engraving was sliced across his arm, to which he shouted in pain. "There's hundreds of more of where that came from." I state a matter of factly and one of them utters, "She d-didn't move!"

I smile evilly and whisper, "Catch me if you can..." I'm small so I have speed. I ran over to the leader and paused right beside them. Their faces were contorted in terror and I pulled my katana down the other second one's cheek, leaving a deep cut with the blood dripping down after it. He yelled out in pain and dropped the kid's stuff, putting both his hands on his face.

The third one actually had a weapon. It was a machette and he tried to fight back. Bad choice. I could tell by his footing and fighting style that he was unexpirienced with a sword, especially one as heavy and bulky as a machette. But just to keep it easy and fun for me, I toyed around with his inexperience.

As he made a stab, I would dodge it easily. When he tried a swing, I blocked it, keeping a steady beat with my opponent. I wasn't going to waste my training and power on an idiot like this guy. So I kept up my steady pace as he got more  and more tired. When he let down his guard, I shouted, "Might wanna hide your eyes kids. This is gonna get messy."

They immediately closed their eyes and covered their ears. I smiled evilly and decided to end the worthless match. I faked a swing with my katana on one side, and he went to block it. I took that opportunity to stab him in his opposite side and flip him over and off the cliff. Below us was a slight beach, the water not far from where I threw him. He, at least, landed safely in the water.

The next one was too scared to do anything so he just jumped off the cliff as he would when abandoning ship. The last one put his hands up as if he was gonna fight bare-handed but then quickly decided against it as I bonked him with the hilt of my katana, making him fall off the cliff.

I slipped my weapons away and picked up the children's belongings and tapped them on the shoulder to let them know that they were fine. They thanked me happily and I smiled at them. They apologized for what happened earlier and left to go home. I sighed as they left and sat on the cliff, too tired to go back to town and rent a room. Instead, I stared up at the moon as it glistened in the sky.

After staring at it for the little time I had to myself, a loud scraping noise came from the cliff as someone came down. It was the idiot from earlier today. He laughed and said, "Wow, you sure did kick their butts!" He exclaims another laugh and I lie down on my back, sleepy from today's events, even though not much happened I was pretty tired.

"Hey, I just realised you've just arrived here. Why'd you come here?" He asked. "We don't get many visitors." He stares into the sea and I shout at him for calling me a tourist. I hit him in the head just for a little revenge and  he muttered, "Ow, what was that for?"

"For calling me a tourist." I lie back down on the slippery cliff wall and sigh at the beauty of the moon reflecting off the sea waters. The guy does the same and I remember my Sensei and I sitting the same position, admiring the moon and its reflection on the water. The moon itself looked so close, yet so far.

Flashback

"Sensei, can you tell me about the story of the moon again? Please?" I ask my Sensei again and again. He smiles down at me as he lies down on the beach and watches the sky.

"Okay, okay. Be a good girl and lie down first." He laughed and I did as he asked. He soon followed me, resting himself against the cool sand. I scooted closer and watched him as he started the story.

"Well, you see, people in my days would always stare up at the stars at night, admiring the beautiful things that shine so bright in the midst of the dark sky." He pointed up at the sky and I smile at the tiny, yet bright stars that showered the darkness above us.

"But when they saw the moon, they called it the brightest star." He points to the moon hanging in the sky and my eyes gaze at the bright circle, slightly hidden behind the thinnest clouds. "They said that was too beautiful to reach, too beautiful to touch, too beautiful for us."

He put his hand down and gazed at me and smiled. Then he pointed to his hands and continued on. "But many people thought against it, for they longed for the beauty of the shining moon." He acted as if her were trying to grab the moon from the sky and I giggled. He laughed a little bit too.

"But eventually," A small frown crept on the edge of his smile. "They gave up on reaching for it, for they couldn't find a way to get it." He looked down and for a moment and we sat there together, thinking about the people who wanted to reach it so badly but couldn't.

"Then along came a man in the sea." He started again, ridding of  the sad feeling of them giving up. "He was out at night, gazing at the moon when he realized its reflection on the sea."

He pointed to the water that sloshed up against the shore. "He was the first man to realise that the beauty was so close to them the whole time, yet they hadn't realised it 'till then."

He smiled and held my hand. I gripped his strong hand as he whispered, "Your goal can always be acheived. Never let anyone or anything stand in front of the greatness that awaits right in front of you."

I yawned and hugged my Sensei close. He hugged me back as we gazed at the moon who awaited us both. I soon fell asleep in my Sensei's arms, falling into a blissful, calm sleep.

End Of Flashback

When I snap out of the memory, the boy was just staring at me. "What?" I suddenly sit up, fully aware that I had zoned out again. He still stares at me and for a while, we sit there in silence. Eventually, he breaks the silence and asks, "Why'd you stop talking?"

"What?" I ask confused. Then I realise that he's talking about when I zoned out. Oops. "Oh, it's nothing." I reply shortly and he watches me for a second before accepting my reply. "Okay." He goes back to watching the sea. I sweat drop at his idiocy and his lack of common sense but I think its better that he doesn't know anyway.

Then I remember the clash we had today. I'm curious to know what he was in such a hurry for. He doesn't seem like a hurry-up kind of guy and this town seems pretty laid back too. "Wait, I'm curious."

"Yeah?" He looks at me with wonder and question written all over his face. "What?"

"Well, you were in a hurry earlier. What for?" I tilt my head questioningly and his usual smile widens even more than i thought it could. "Oh, I was trying to get my supplies for a trip 'cause I'm leaving tomorrow to become king of the pirates!" He exclaims happily as he looses his balance and falls off the cliff.

He landed with an 'umph' and it sounded painful. I winced before I poked my head over the edge. "Hey, you okay?" I call out without a reply. 'There's no way he just died, right?" I second guess myself as I watch the unmoving figure in the sand. Then I see the slightest movement in his leg. "Okay, you're alive at least." I mutter before he jumps up and sends me a smile.

"I'm good!" He shouts and I sweat drop. 'Is there anyone else as idiotic as this guy? Honestly...' I think to myself, barely noticing the fact that he just shouted something. I look back at him and he shoots his arm onto the cliff and sling shot's himself up.

'Oh my god..." I gasp as I look at his outstreached arm. 'How is that normal?' I think to myself as he sits back down on the cliff, retracting his arm. "What the..." I mutter and he looks at me weirdly. "What?"

"Well, you just stretched your whole freakin' arm out without a logical explanation and you act like its nothing? You can't exactly expect me not to be at least a little suprised." I tell him irritably and he just tilts his head. "What do you mean, there's no logical explanation?"

"Can you see me stretch my arms?" I shake my arms around wildly. "No, so explain."

"You've never heard of the devil fruit or devil fruit powers?" He asks me and I shake my head.

"They say that the devil fruit can give you unimaginable powers..." He trails off and I continue to wait for his answer. This devil fruit was not something I've heard of before but it definitely peaked my interest. "...But it comes with a price." When I looked at him when he said that, his aura had changed. It wasn't much but I could see the difference.

"They say that whoever eats the devil fruit won't be able to swim again." He stares off into nowhere, his face showing no type of emotion. But his happy-go-lucky mood kicked in and he was back to being his normal, happy self, just like when I first met him.

"But I'm still gonna be king of the pirates!" He suddenly shouts and I wince at the word 'pirates'. Although, he didn't notice and continued his declaration. "And nothing's gonna stand in my way!"

Heh, he's energetic and he sort of reminds me of my memory of that story again. This guy definitely reminded me of that guy in the sea. Wait...

There's no way I'm sitting with a pirate. No, nu-uh. This guy is way too unlustful for bloodshed and the painful, pirate world. He's also way too happy-go-lucky to even survive that kind of place. But I gotta admit, he's got a pretty good advantage with that devil fruit thing. Then again, he said you'll sink if you've eaten one.

Eh, not exactly pirate shape but I remember my Sensei's words.

"Your goal can always be acheived. Never let anyone or anything stand in front of the greatness that awaits you."

Those words echo in my mind as I think of my Sensei and wonder what my decision should be. Because I need a way to get around with a steady amount of money and without being spotted. 'But pirates brought death to your home and your Sensei. Are you willing to trust in another one?"

My thoughts are telling me not to trust such a feind but this one's different. Most pirates would be bloodthirsty and after money but not this onr. Is he the one to trust? I don't really have anything to lose, do I? And I can't exactly place any consequences from here. I don't have much to go on either so I guess this is the option.

Deep in my gut, I can feel the little parts of Sensei that are still with me, agree to this decision. Here goes...

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Mwuahahahahahahaa! Cliff-de-doo!

I should post the next one right after this one so ehnjoh!