"Well everyone, I'm off."
My whole family came to the inlet where Garp's ship was moored to see me off. Yukari and Hikari were already crying. You're ruining your cute faces, you two.
"Akari, stay healthy and do your best!"
"Akari! If anyone does anything to you, tell Hikari! I'll cut them down!"
"Hikari... where did you learn to talk like that?"
"The boss and his men said it!"
What are you doing, boss? What if mama talks to you about this?
"My my, I'll have to have a chat with the bandits later."
"Shiori... go easy on them."
Boss... my condolences.
"Time to set sail, Akari."
"Got it, Garp. Mama, dad, Yukari, Hikari, everyone stay healthy!"
"Have a safe trip, Akari."
"Come home anytime, Akari."
Yukari and Hikari were clinging to mama crying. Dad looked envious watching them.
"Set sail!"
The ship started moving at Garp's command. I waved until I couldn't see everyone anymore. My family waved back. I'm off, everyone!
After arriving at Marine Headquarters, I studied mainly academics about the sea. Even though Garp recruited me, I was still a rookie Marine, so it couldn't be helped.
I learned navigation, how to write reports, arithmetic, and Devil Fruit knowledge. There was also something called the Six Powers—superhuman physical techniques—but I'd learn those gradually. Whether I could master them was apparently up to me.
Being a Marine meant I couldn't get by on academics alone. Even rear support specialists might fight pirates, so I had to learn combat.
I sparred with my fellow recruits and won every match. With two types of Haki and a Devil Fruit ability, honestly the boys and girls my age were no match.
Then a girl with a distinctive buzzcut challenged me to a match.
"You're strong. Want to fight me?"
"Who are you?"
"I'm Bellemere! From Cocoyashi Village in the East Blue!"
The East Blue was known as the weakest sea. She seemed spirited, but would this be a real fight?
"I'm Shirakawa Akari, from Wano Country."
"Nice to meet you, Akari! Let's fight!"
She gripped a practice rifle by the barrel and took a stance. Was she using the long-barreled gun as a staff?
I took up my practice sword in the basic stance mama had drilled into me.
"Here I come!"
Bellemere swung the practice rifle down at me. I stepped sideways to dodge.
"Yep!"
With that shout, Bellemere changed her overhead attack to a horizontal strike. The other recruits' bodies had flowed with each swing since they weren't fully developed yet, but she connected her attacks smoothly without losing balance. Better than expected, but—
"Too slow!"
I caught her horizontal strike with my practice sword. I'd just flow this back and land a stopped strike to her stomach to end this.
But when I tried that, the rifle's stock caught my sword and pulled me forward. I lost my balance stumbling forward and got rolled to the ground as Bellemere switched our positions.
"Hehe, I win."
Bellemere straddled me and pointed the rifle muzzle at my forehead, declaring victory. My first complete defeat since joining the Marines.
Two years after my match with Bellemere, we'd sparred countless times and become close enough to call each other best friends. I had more wins overall, but Bellemere still beat me regularly despite having no Haki or abilities.
"Here, Bellemere—today's spoils."
"Thanks for treating me, Akari."
"Sigh..."
"What's wrong, Akari?"
"I was wondering why Bellemere sometimes makes moves even my Observation Haki can't read."
"Hmm, woman's intuition?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Hahaha! Pretty woman privilege!"
Bellemere said that while eating dessert I was treating her to after today's sparring victory. I'd learned over these two years that unlike me, she was a natural genius.
"Tomorrow I'm getting treated, so don't get cocky."
"Try if you can."
We looked at each other and laughed. Yeah, this was nice.
"Speaking of which, Akari, where are you going on your next assignment?"
"Sabaody Archipelago."
"Sabaody Archipelago, huh... Max said it's not a very nice place."
Max was a senior Marine that Bellemere had started dating last month. He was trained directly by Garp—one of Garp's proteges and a rising star.
"Really?"
"He said during our date yesterday that he never wanted to go back there if possible."
A date...
"You look so happy."
"He just made Lieutenant, so I took him on a date to celebrate, but he was more hopeless than I thought."
"Hopeless how...?"
"I closed my eyes at the end of the date, but he just panicked and did nothing. Totally hopeless, right?"
Max should be fifteen this year.
"Max just turned fifteen and became an adult, but you're still twelve, so maybe he was being considerate?"
"No, he's just hopeless. I got mad and grabbed his collar, pulled him close, and kissed him myself. His face went bright red and he froze up."
"Wow..."
Very Bellemere-like, but poor Max getting labeled hopeless.
"I hope Max doesn't get called a lolicon..."
"He should've thought of that before confessing to someone younger."
"Well, true..."
Bellemere and Max's courtship started two months ago during a joint mission.
During route patrol, they engaged Whitebeard's subordinates. Max got thrown into the sea during the fight. Since he was a Devil Fruit user who couldn't swim, Bellemere saved him.
Max invited Bellemere to dinner as thanks, and after meeting several more times, he fell seriously for her and finally confessed last month.
Bellemere had said "You're too slow confessing, you wimp!" but her face was bright red, so it was probably just embarrassment. I was envious.
"Honestly, it was my first kiss but there was no atmosphere at all."
"You're grinning pretty widely for someone complaining."
"Mmm, today's dessert is sweet. Is this what happiness tastes like?"
I wanted a wonderful boyfriend too. How enviable.
"I'm definitely making Bellemere treat me tomorrow!"
"Hahaha! Try if you can!"
Our usual daily routine continued. Later, I was assigned to Sabaody Archipelago for about a month.
In this world, fifteen is the age of majority, like the Warring States period. Sorry for the long, meandering story, but please bear with me.
I've added 'Main character appears much later' to the tags.
Chapter 8
A month had passed since my assignment to Sabaody Archipelago, and I was back at Marine Headquarters in Marineford.
"Sigh..."
"What's wrong, Akari? Why the sighing?"
I'd ordered a drink at our usual spot and was feeling a bit—no, quite troubled when Bellemere found me.
"Something happened at Sabaody Archipelago..."
"I heard from Max too, but don't worry about it too much."
At Sabaody Archipelago, even when Celestial Dragons abused ordinary people and slaves, we Marines had to pretend not to see...
"What's the point of being a Marine if we can't protect the people we should protect?"
"Akari..."
I'd come with Garp because I wanted to know about the world outside Wano, and after living here about two years, I'd grown fond of the Marines. But now I questioned my role.
"Max said that to maintain the organization's structure, there are things you have to accept even if you're dissatisfied—things you sometimes have to swallow."
"Max is so mature... I can't convince myself like that."
Among the Marines there, some had clenched their fists so hard they drew blood from frustration. They'd kept me on coastal patrol since I was a girl, but those scenes were burned into my memory.
"Akari, you're going back to sea next month, right? I won't say get over it, but if you stay this spaced out, it could be fatal."
"I know, Bellemere."
"Good! Then I'm treating today, so let's blow off some steam!"
My friend really was kind. I'd let myself be spoiled.
"Besides, if you keep making that gloomy face, you'll never get a boyfriend."
"Mind your own business! I'll definitely find a wonderful boyfriend!"
My troubles hadn't disappeared, but Bellemere's teasing did cheer me up. A month later, while patrolling on Garp's ship, I encountered the big-name pirate crew Roger Pirates for the first time.
Was what I was seeing really being done by humans? Garp and the pirate Gol D. Roger were fighting, and every time their fists met, the impact made both ships rock violently.
"Bwahahaha! Today's the day you finally get yours, Roger!"
"Why don't you retire already, Garp! Leave it to the young ones!"
"I'm the one who's gonna catch you!"
The Roger Pirates watched their fight laughing. Typical plunderer pirates made nasty smiles, but these people laughed happily.
Why could they smile like that under the great villain Roger? Wait, didn't Roger's crimes include punching Celestial Dragons...?
He punched those Celestial Dragons? The same ones that made all the Marines grit their teeth? That made him a great villain? Why? He just saved oppressed people, didn't he?
That thought made the Roger Pirates' smiles look dazzling. Drawn to those smiles, I wandered toward the ship's edge when a large wave combined with the impact of Garp and Roger's fight made the ship rock especially hard.
Before I knew it, I'd been thrown into the sea.
"Wow, Captain Roger's amazing as always."
I'd joined the Roger Pirates as an apprentice because I longed for the sea. I was learning how to live on the sea from Vice Captain Rayleigh.
"Hey Shanks! Don't stick your head out so casually! We apprentices aren't allowed in combat yet! If I get dragged in and yelled at by the vice captain, I'll kill you!"
This guy with the big red nose was a fellow apprentice named Buggy. He was foul-mouthed but worried about me—a good guy.
"Missing the fight between Fist of Love Garp and Captain Roger would be a waste, right?"
"The vice captain told us to stay inside because Garp and the captain's fights get crazy!"
"Haha! It'll be fine if we don't get caught."
Looking toward the Marine ship, I saw a purple-haired girl wandering unsteadily toward the edge.
"Hey, that's dangerous."
"You're the dangerous one! Get back inside!"
When Roger and Garp's strike made the ship rock especially hard, that girl got thrown into the sea. Fist of Love Garp's voice boomed out when he noticed.
"Wait? This is bad! Roger! Temporary ceasefire!"
"What's wrong, Garp! Getting tired?"
"One of my crew fell in the sea! She's an ability user who can't swim!"
Hearing that, I started running without thinking.
"What are you doing, Shanks! Get back here!"
Ignoring Buggy's protests, I dove into the sea to save her.
My body had no strength. I knew this would happen, but I kept sinking into the sea. Normally I should've had some buoyancy from the air in my lungs and body fat, but this was what it meant for ability users to be hated by the sea.
Bellemere had warned me about this constantly, but remembering that didn't help now. Was I going to drown like this?
As I thought that, something grabbed my hand and I started floating up. When I reached the surface, I coughed and gasped for air, then looked at my rescuer.
There was a beautiful red-haired pirate boy, still small.
"You okay?!"
"cough cough Yeah, I'm fine."
"Good. Hey! Buggy! Throw me a rope!"
Hearing my voice, Buggy started moving frantically.
"You idiot! What if Fist of Love Garp comes over here! I'll kill you!"
Despite complaining, he was properly preparing to pull us up. Buggy really was a good guy.
"Sorry, Marine, but we're pulling you up to our ship. And you probably can't use much strength right now, right? It might hurt when I hold you tight for the rescue, but bear with it."
"Can't be picky. Thanks for helping me. And thank you for saving me."
When she smiled and thanked me, I was mesmerized.
"Here comes the rope, Shanks! Grab it tight!"
Buggy's words snapped me back to attention. I grabbed the rope and held her close. I could feel the softness unique to girls against my body. What was I thinking at a time like this?
My face heated up and I turned away from her. She giggled seeing me like that. Hey Buggy! Pull us up quickly!
The red-haired boy holding me had turned his bright red face away. His reaction was so cute I couldn't help laughing.
Looking closer, he had very refined features. He'd probably grow into quite a handsome man.
I'd been depressed earlier, nearly drowned and almost died, but I was being pretty mercenary—though as a girl, I thought this kind of situation was definitely acceptable.
I hadn't felt this happy in a long time. I'd have to brag to Bellemere!
Waiting for me and the red-haired boy when we were pulled up were a boy with a big red nose and a mature man with intelligent light gleaming behind his glasses.