Chapter 119: Chapter 108: I am your father

Chapter 108: I am your father

He flew as fast as he could. His destination was on the other side of the world after all and he had no time to waste. True the distance wasn’t as great as one would think as he wasn’t traveling by seas but it was the longest travel he has ever done in one go. Thanks to the system, he now had a map of the world and of East Blue, since Foosha Village wasn’t on Grand Line, there was no eternal pose leading to it. He would have searched forever without proper directions.

 

He finally reached the island which the village was on, one afternoon. At the docks was a marine ship he knew well. He had spent years sailing on it after all.

 

"So Tsuru is here… I should know she would have told him I knew. Did he immediately tell her of this place and sent her here? That would explain why he wasn’t tight lipped when we talked”

 

He used his observation haki to feel the village and its surrounding but couldn’t even cover half of the area. He had to move multiple times to have an idea of what was waiting for him.

 

"Ugh… Uncle is here too. Either they really don’t want us to meet or they really hope to capture me."

He felt both Tsuru and Sengoku at the same location. Taking a good look it was the famous pub of the story, where Makino was. It didn’t surprise Rick to find Kaza working there. She was a beautiful woman and the tips would have been numerous and that’s without counting how strong she was. No bandits or criminals would have made any trouble without impunity there.
He decided to go there at night when the pub was closing. He didn’t want people for the heavy talk needed to happen, nor innocent bystanders around. Knowing Kaza, such a case would be possible. There was also the navy to take into consideration; they would be probably listening on them, at least that’s what he’ll do, before acting. With plenty of time on his hands Rick began to prepare for every eventuality he could think of.

~~~~~

Night had fallen an hour or two ago, and a small but constant stream of clients leaving the establishment had stopped for a while. Feeling that now was the right moment he landed in front of the door and went for it when it opened from inside, leaving him face to face with Makino.

“...”
“...”
“They said you were coming.” was all she said.
“How could I not?”
“...”
“...”
“They… are inside, Eri is readying herself for bed and Kaza is finishing with the cleaning.” she said, opening the door wide to let him in.
“Could you… stay? As support.”
“I don’t think Kaza needs it.”
“She doesn’t, I do." That made her raise a brow.
“If I’m lucky she will probably kill me quickly.” he joked.
“If you’re lucky.” she laughed, but nodded in agreement.

He entered the pub and saw her behind the counter cleaning mugs. He instantly recognized her. To his surprise not by her beautiful ass like he always did but by her fiery red mane. They were far longer than what he remembered. Silently he went to sit on a seat right behind her, an arm on the counter, his head resting on his hand, watching carefully her form for a while. Finally after a few minutes, with her back still to him, she spoke.

“You’re not going to say anything?”
“There is so much to say… I don’t know what I should begin with, nor if I should.”

She put the mug she was cleaning down with force and turned around.

“What were you thinking?!” she almost yelled.

He knew what she was talking about. Him leaving the marines. He didn’t care though he was too focused on her face. While it bore the traces of a woman in her late thirties, Garp was right, she was as beautiful as she could ever be and motherhood did her a lot of good. For a few moments he was mesmerized by the deep green eyes he loved so much. Surprisingly there was not just anger in them but something else along with it.

“Well?!”
“I… didn’t. I let my emotions get the best of me.”
“Clearly.” she replied dryly.
“My whole life has been a lie, everything I did, everyone I knew and loved… All a lie… Can you really blame me for being emotional at the time?”
“Not everyone.” she said, fixing his eyes with her gaze.
“I know. By the time I knew it was too late.”
“...”
“...”

They stay in silence for a while, just looking at each other. Finally Rick raised his hand and made a signal towards his ears to which Kaza nodded. As he had figured, there were eavesdroppers. They had to be creative.

“You know why I came.”
“I do.”
“Where is she?”
“Safe. And indefinitely not he…”
“Moooom?!”

The voice came from the room behind the counter. Rick gave her a knowing smile and Kaza closed her eyes and sighed.

“Mom?” said the voice again.

Finally, its owner walked through the door and went to Kaza but stopped when she saw the ex-marine. She was a perfect copy of her mother. Beautiful red hair, deep green eyes and skin as pale as snow. Garp was right, the only physical attribute she got from him was his height.

“You… You…!” she said.
“Me… Me…” he joked.
“You’re under arrest, pirate!” she shouted while pointing her finger at him.

It took everything he had to not laugh out loud at such adorableness.

“She’s my daughter alright.”

Rick turned his head towards Kaza, a grin on his face. Like him, she was trying her best not to laugh.

“If you can, go ahead, Eri.”
“How do you know my name?!” she said in shock.

Kaza got closer and took her hands in hers.

“Because Eri… He’s your father.”

Contrary to his expectations she didn’t freeze in shock this time but dealt with the information quickly.

“That’s a lie! You said dad was a good man! A good marine! He’s a pirate!”
“I wasn’t always.” Rick replied.

Eri turned to her mother, for confirmation, or more for denial. She wanted her to say it was a joke, that the worst traitor of the marines, one of the most notorious pirates in the first part of Grand Line, wasn't her father. The look she received told her that it was the truth.

“You’re NOT my father!”
“I..”
“You! Were not there!” she yelled.
“I didn’t…’
“Not for mom, not for me!” She shouted and ran back to where she came from, quickly followed by Makino who said she would take care of her.

Kaza turned to look at Rick. He had his eyes close an tear was falling down a side of his face. She couldn’t help herself and took one of his hands in hers and squeezed, wanting to support him. She may have been cold towards him but that was because the navy was listening. She never stopped loving him, not after all those years. Even when it was clear he was married to someone else. How mad she had been the day she found out. She wanted to find that Nico Robin and do unspeakable things to her. Makino had to close down the pub and spend the day calming her down and then another day comforting and cheering her up. Thankfully, Garp who was there at the time took care of Eri by bringing into a camping trip in the forest.

“I expected her to react like that…” he said, wiping the tear away.
“I didn’t expect the pain though. Didn’t even cross my mind.”

Kaza couldn’t answer like she wanted, she wasn’t free to do so. She just squeezed his hand harder. Rick freed the said hand for her grasp and removed one of the earring he wore. He put it into Kaza’s hand and from an inside pocket from his overcoat picked a small box and a letter, putting them on the counter. Bending forward he grabbed the red head’s head and kissed her lovingly for a moment. When he broke the kiss he turned around and left without a word, without looking at her one last time.

~~~~~

Just outside of the pub he was confronted by Tsuru and Sengoku. They just faced each other silently.

“...”
“...”
“...”
“Well… I’m still alive, it could have been worse.” he tentatively joked to no avail.
“I guess, it’s time for the two of you to do your job and me to do mine.”
“As if being a pirate was a job.” snorted Sengoku, angry.

“You could always surrender peacefully.” Tsuru offered.
“We both know I can’t do that. Not until the world has a new system in place. A just one, a fair one.”
“The world has been that way for hundreds of years.” Sengoku said.
“It doesn’t mean it’s right. It just means that it’s old.”
“It is right!” he exclaimed.
“What label do you think of if I say I know a person, that do whatever they wants like hurt, kill, rape, steal, and enslave people?”
““Pirate.””
“I’d say Celestial Dragon. Why is it right for them, to do the same things pirates do and to not be arrested and locked up for those crimes? What gives? Because 800 years ago 20 families united the world? I give them credit, that was no small feat but that doesn’t give them an excuse, that doesn’t give them the right to do as they wish. And certainly not their descendants who did nothing but being born, and this… was not even their doing but their parents.”
““...””
“Are you really okay with this? With their behavior? With how unfair and unjust the world is? Uncle, look me in the eye and tell me it’s not fucked up.”

To his credit, Sengoku did look him in the eye but couldn’t say what Rick asked him to say.

“This… is the order of things.” he simply said.
“Why did you join the marines?”
“To bring justice to those that deserved it. To do what’s right.”
“When did you give up then? When did you stop believing? When did you think it didn’t matter anymore? That you couldn’t change a thing?”

The former Fleet Admiral had no answer to that. Tsuru did have one though.

“You don’t understand. For years we did our best to bring this change, but… we couldn’t do it. Not with pirates all over the seas, not with the people in power.”
“I get it. Really I do. What I don’t get is, why didn't you teach the generation after you? Would you have taught two marines they could have taught two marines in return and so on and on. It would have taken time but the change would have come, without much bloodshed. Now? Now there is the R.A. , there is me. Now it will be a bloodbath, that nobody who wants change wants. On the other hand psycho like Akainu rise in rank and fill the seas with even more blood. The blood of innocent people, like in O’hara.”
“ENOUGH!” Sengoku shouted.
“You’re coming with us, peacefully or not, you have a lot to answer for.”
“Are you talking about my crimes, or my relationship with Tsuru?” Rick smirked, making a vein appear on Sengoku’s temple.
“You little…!”
“The latter then. Honestly, what’s wrong with it? She was single, I was single…”
“You do know that I’m here right?” Tsuru interrupted.
“Believe me, I know, you’re difficult to lmiss.” replied Rick, sending a wink at her.
“HOW?!” Yelled Sengoku.
“Honestly, I don't know why you’re surprised. I mean… It wasn’t really a secret that Big Sis is my first love. The whole HQ knew about… Ohhhh! ” said Rick in realization.
“You never did! You never realized that… Wow.” he added in bewilderment, his eyes unfocused for a moment.
“To be fair, I did say that I would marry her.”
“You were six!” replied Sengoku.
“So?”
“SO…!”
“Alright enough. Sengoku don’t blame him because you failed to see it. And to be fair, only Kaza found out. Rick stopped playing with him.”
“Alright, alright. I’m sorry if I pissed you off Uncle, it wasn’t my intention.”

“... Apology accepted. You’re still a little shit though.”
“And you, an old buddha.”

The two looked at each other for a moment before smiling.

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“It’s time now, come with…”

He was interrupted by a loud rumbling sound coming from above. All three raised their heads to take a look and saw a huge island floating in the air.

“So it’s happening again.” Tsuru said.
“What is?” Rick asked.
“For weeks now, small islands disappeared in East Blue without leaving any trace.” answered Sengoku.
“The navy had no leads. Until now.”
“We need to put a stop to it, and arrest whoever is behind it.”
“Oh I can tell you who’s behind it.” Rick Said.
“You can?!” Tsuru asked in surprise.
“Big ass island floating in the air, operating sneakily in the weakest sea in the world where the marines presence is small and weak? On top of my head…”
“Shiki.” answered Sengoku.
“Yeah.”
“How so?” Tsuru asked.
“Well, few devil fruits have the ability to make an entire island float. It’s not technology otherwise the marines would already have it. It’s also a big enterprise, stealing islands, so it costs a shit load of money. And last but not least the sneakiness. Sure there may be someone somewhere out there who could do it besides Shiki but he’s the only one I can think of.”

On the side Sengoku didn't show anything on his face but he felt proud. Few would have made those deductions. Once again he cursed Akainu for what he did all those years ago.

“I’ll take care of him.”
“It’s not your job.” replied Tsuru.
“No, but I’m the only one here who can go up there. And I’ll be damned if I let that bastard destroy my daughter’s home. So you two better protect her from anything coming her way while I deal with him.”
“And Kaza?” she asked, prompting Rick to snort.
“She’s strong enough to take care of herself.”
“You could make us float up there.” Sengoku said.
“Yeah, no. That asshole threatened my daughter’s life, it’s personal now, I don’t want anyone meddling in. Besides, I still owe him for ruining my birthday.”

Without another word he flew towards the top of the floating island, leaving Sengoku and Tsuru on the ground.

“For being so chaotic and erratic…”
“He never changes.” Replied Tsuru.
“...”
“...”
“How… How did it come to this Tsuru?”
“It’s simple. We failed him, just like we failed ourselves.”

~~~~~

 

As Rick left the pub Kaza took the letter he gave her in her hands. For a moment she hesitated but finally decided to open it. In it, without any surprise, everything. Who or what he was, his struggles, his relationships, his thoughts and feelings with as few words he could. He went straight to the point. It took every ounce of will power she had to not cry. She couldn’t let herself go, not when she needed to have a talk with her daughter. She would let her tears flow after taking care of her daughter, not before.
She took a look at the small box, having a good idea at what was inside. She knew, should she open it she wouldn’t be able to hold herself back anymore. So she just picked it up and put it in her apron’s pocket before going up to Eri’s room. When she entered she saw Makino talking with her not so little girl anymore. The former got up, kissed the latter on her forehead and joined her at the door.

“Saying she’s upset would be an understatement. She needs you now more than ever.”
“Thank you.” was all Kaza said as Makino left the two redheads alone.

Walking towards the bed, she sat beside her daughter and took her in her arms.

“He’s not my dad, mom. He’ll never be my dad.” the young girl said.
“That’s alright.”
“Really?”
“Yes. If you don’t want him in your life, then I won’t let him in your life.”
“Thank you.”
“It’s late, time to go to bed. Tomorrow I’ll take a day off and we’ll spend the day together.”
“Mom, I’m fine, there is…”
“You’re not the only one his visit had an effect on, sweetie.”
“Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t…”
“It’s alright, I’m sure we can cheer each other up.” Kaza replied with a smile.

Eri nodded in agreement and went under the cover. Kara kissed her and went for the door. She opened it and closed it without exiting the room. Suddenly some kind of bubble encompassed the entire room.

 

“Mom? What’s that?”
“That, sweetie, is a bubble blocking any sound from getting out.”
“You.. ate a devil fruit?”
“I did. Some years ago, I was lucky to find it. It’s very useful for being secretive and sneaky.”
“But…”
“Why now? Because I don’t want the navy to hear what I’m about to tell you.”
“Tell what?”
“The truth… about your father.”
“What truth?”

Kaza went back to the bed and motionned her daughter to make some space for her on the bed, which she did.

“Your father is not a traitor. He never was.”
“What?! But they said…”
“It’s a lie, Eri. A big fat lie. Your father never tried to assassinate anyone back then. He quitted.”
“I don’t understand…”
“The current Fleet Admiral had a grudge against your father, even since he humiliated him when he was a kid. It was a grudge that lasted for years, and still lasts today. So when he got the opportunity, he framed your father and used the newspaper for it. The navy and the world government couldn't publish a corrective statement. An admiral giving fake news for personal matters? The image of the navy would have taken a huge blow.”
“Why did he leave the navy then?”
“He found out the truth about the world, the truth about the celestial dragons.”
“What truth?”
“That they are even worse than the worst pirates that existed. Every law in existence, they can break any of them with impunity and with the help of the world government’s agents. Just because their ancestors created the World Government.”
“But that’s…”
“Wrong. I agree. When your father found out… From what Grandpa Garp and Grandma Tsur told me, he didn’t take it very well. His sense of justice is strong Eri. Just like you.”
“Like me?”
“Yes. So when he found out the truth… To him it was as if his whole life was a lie. He joined the marines, to help the people, to protect them and bring justice to everyone. But with the celestial dragons… he realized that the navy and the World Government were corrupt and instead of keeping on with the job trying to make a difference, he quit. He refused to be part of something like that, not after everyone encouraged him to do his best to achieve his dream when it would have been impossible.”
“His dream?”
“Being the Fleet Admiral instead of your Uncle Buddha.”
“Just like me then…” Eri whispered.
“You may look like me Eri, but your personality, it mostly comes from him.”

Eri went silent, musing about what she just heard before asking a question.

“Why is he a pirate then?”
“I don’t think it was in his plan to become one. Your father was the best of the rookies. Barely 18 and already an enseign, and  he would have been promoted sooner if he hadn't been so young. He put lots of pirates behind bars. So when he became a fugitive, he had both the navy and the pirates on his back so he couldn’t join the latter. How did he become one? I don’t know. He didn’t say anything about it in his letter.”
“What letter?”
“This one.”

She picked the letter she had put with the box and handed it to her daughter who immediately began reading it.

“I have a sister?!” Eri exclaimed.
“It seems like it.”
“He's been absent all my life and go to have another child?!” the young girl yelled angrily.
“Now that’s not fair to your father, he didn’t know about you. Not until a few months ago.”
“WHY?!”
“Because I found out I was pregnant with you only a month after he left. If anyone knew that you existed beyond your grandpa and grandma, you would have been in danger. They would have used you to get to him. That’s why I left the navy, to protect you.”
“That doesn’t explain why he didn’t know!”
“Nobody knew where your father was for the next ten years until reappeared in the kingdom of Alabasta. Grandpa saw him in Water Seven though. Why he didn’t say anything I don’t know. What I do know, is that your father would have done anything to get to you. Just like he did today.”
“Why did he come in the first place? Why come after twelve years?”
“Because he loves you.”
“He doesn’t even know me!”
“He doesn’t, but you’re his daughter. The one he always wanted to have.”
“He wanted me?” Eri asked, surprised.
“I knew that one day, when he was old enough, he wanted to start a family, a big one.”
“A big one?”
“Your father is an orphan. Raised by your grandpa, grandma, and Uncle. While they were his family, they were also his superiors, so it wasn’t really a real family. He wanted his own.”
“I see.”
“...”
“...”
“He loves you.” Eri said showing the letter as proof.
“He does.”
“And he loves others.”
“Sadly.” Kaza replied in defeat.
“Do you… Do you still love him?”
“More than ever. I named you after him for a reason after all.” the mother confessed, prompting the daughter to put up an interrogative face.

“Your real name is Erica sweetie. We call you Eri to hide the fact that you’re his daughter.”
“Why not choose another name then?”
“Never.” Kaza laughed.
“...”
“...”
“Mom?”
“Yes?”
“What are you going to do?”
“What about?”
“His proposal.”
“I… don’t know. You’re my first priority, not your father.”
“...”
“...”
“I want to go after him.” Eri announced.

“Eri?”
“I have a sister out there. And considering the number of women in his life I don’t think she will be the only sibling I will have.”
“What are you getting to, sweetie?”
“He’s MY dad. Mine. I won’t let anyone steal him from me! Not after needing him my whole life. Doesn’t matter if they are my siblings or not! He owes me twelve years of spoiling and I want those years.”

Kaza held back her laugh and picked up the small box in her apron. In front of daughter she opened it and  sure enough, a beautiful engagement ring was in it. She looked at it for a moment and with her right hand put it on the ring finger on her left hand.

“Tomorrow, we’ll start planning how to make your father ours.”
“Yes!”
“And everyone on our way?”

“We’ll destroy them!”
“Good!”

The two redheads fell asleep cuddling to each other. At the same time the world shook, scared of the chaos and the insanity this new team could bring to it.

 

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