Chapter Text
It was with a harsh bang on her door and a steel-toned command from her mother that Orion begrudgingly opened her eyes on the morning of her eighteenth birthday.
Not that it mattered, per say. To her, it was just another day.
But, she mused while shuffling out of bed, at least it’s my day to run the stall.
That was enough to put a pep in her step.
She quickly ran a brush through her hair, wincing at the tangles scattered throughout the long strands. The girl rushed to get dressed knowing her parents wouldn’t be happy if she wasn’t out of the house before sunrise.
Her mother was sitting at the kitchen table when Orion hurried downstairs, placing the newspaper dutifully into her father’s waiting hand.
“Lots of pirates in town lately,” he stated, barely sparing a glance at the person he’s addressing.
Not that it’s needed, they’re all aware his words are meant for her.
“Don’t allow them to haggle,” he lowered the paper, throwing her a condescending stare, as if he were speaking to a toddler. His daughter bit her tongue, pushing down the fury that always seemed to rise when he looked at her like that. “Pirates pay full price. Hell, charge them higher too,” he sneered. “If you can manage.”
The villagers of Torappu Island didn’t view pirates too fondly, apart from Orion. She and her brother always had a fascination with them ever since meeting a crew in their earlier days, long before her brother had gone missing in the sea, before her parents looked at her with contempt, before she tamped down the burning desire to escape to somewhere, anywhere, as long as it was off of this island.
Her eye twitched just a small amount, something she was proud of given her innate desire to snap back at him. She dipped her head. “Yes father,” she responded in a monotone voice, careful to mask her irritation behind a dry piece of bread. Hurriedly, she swallowed, allowing her eyes to flicker towards the framed photo adorning the wall, the only one of its kind in the house. The girl silently bid her late brother’s portrait farewell, knowing he would no doubt be rolling his eyes at their father’s tone if he were here.
With a thump her backpack settled against her shoulder blades, bouncing as she left the house. She offered a muted goodbye to her parents that went unanswered, not that she expected them to say anything anyways.
No one mentions her birthday.
_______________________
The walk to the town square was pleasant, all things considered.
Sure, it meant she had to push a heavy cart full of metal items up a hill, but a breeze blew her hair back gently, offering a reprieve from the heat that would no doubt creep up later this afternoon. A smile graced Orion’s face when she remembered she wouldn’t have to tiptoe around her parents until later tonight.
She was free, at least for a handful of hours.
Torappu Island wasn’t a hidden gem, a slice of paradise, or a particularly interesting place of note. It was an island settled in the West Blue that occasionally got business from travelers passing through, simple as that. The Navy had a base further out east but didn’t patrol here as often. They didn’t need to. Nothing of note ever happened.
The town square that held the market had a few dozen stalls. Orion arrived when the sun still hadn't risen yet, giving polite greetings to the other merchants as she passed.
Her family’s stall was in the middle of the plaza, settled between a fishmonger and a tarot reader. She opened it promptly, pulling out the metal goods her father expertly created (something her brother used to help with) and laid them out in the exact way that had been drilled into her.
She ran over one of the newly-crafted swords with an oil-soaked cloth, a process she’d done thousands of times. It’s better to polish before selling, her father’s words floated through her mind out of habit. It makes the blades shine brighter for potential buyers.
The first half of the day went by quickly, and far, far too easily.
She should have been wary.
More travelers than usual were flowing in and out of the market; Orion felt like she could hardly breathe in between flashing polite smiles to them all.
“Looks like Mommy and Daddy let their troll out of the dungeon for the day.”
She sighed.
The day had been going too well, it seemed. Tango, a tall teen who had a face littered with acne and an unfortunately beautiful smile, smirked at her.
“Horatio,” she called out sweetly to the old man running the fish stall. “Your fish seem to be incredibly potent today.” Her nose wrinkled as she took a few sniffs, turning towards the teen who had an intense pleasure in tormenting her. “Oh wait, never mind!” Orion widened her eyes in false surprise, giving a sneer back. “It’s just him.”
She clocked a group of loud, rowdy men exiting the bar a little ways away. Potential customers.
Orion needed the idiot to skedaddle quickly if she wanted to make a sale. “Please do us all a favor and leave,” the girl sent a glare to the couple of boys flanking him, waving them away. “No one needs you three spreading whatever disease you’ve got going on to the rest of us.”
Predictably, Tango scowled, his hand covering one of his cheeks in embarrassment. “It’s acne and it’s normal!” His hand went for a pistol on his waist, something he’d threatened her with at least a dozen times this year already. Though she doubted he’d actually do anything (the spoiled brat was too pompous to ever learn how to properly use one), her right hand hadn’t left the short dagger slung on her waist once since he’d arrived. She wasn’t totally confident he wouldn’t shoot her. “At least my parents love me.”
“Ouch,” she drawled mockingly, rolling her eyes. He’d only used that taunt for the past eight years.“Tango, put that down, we both know you’ve got no clue how to use it,” a delicate sneer settled on her face. “It’s more pathetic when you act like you do.”
The boy scoffed, unaware of the group of men coming to a stop behind him. Orion wasn’t sure how, the men had an overwhelming aura about them.
He waved the weapon. “What’s pathetic is pretending like the whole island doesn’t know how unwanted you are. What was it your father told mine, just yesterday?” he tilted his head in thought.
She braced herself, knowing whatever it was was likely true. His father was the mayor, who had nothing better to do than gossip. And Tango had nothing better to do than spread that gossip. “Akio was the only child they wanted?”
No shit, she thought with another eyeroll. “Is that all?”
She glanced at the group of men again, noting that they had paused to observe their interaction. It wasn’t everyday you saw teens threatening each other, she supposed.
“Hm.” He faltered, clearly expecting a different reaction. “He also said you’re the reason he’s dead,” Tango smiled wickedly.
Her grip on the hilt tightened.
It didn’t go unnoticed. “And you’re, well, dead to them anyways,” the three boys laughed. “‘Useless’ is the word he used. He even told my father how he wished it was you who had died instead. Said your mother can’t look at you without thinking of him.”
Regretfully, she felt her right eye twitch. It’s nothing you didn’t already know .
It wasn't like it was a secret.
“And,” he added as a final blow, finally holding the gun steady. “He said he wanted to get rid of the extra mouth to feed. Asked if I’d be interested in marryin’ you so he could stop seeing you every day.”
Her face screwed up in disgust at the thought, too disturbed about the last part to be hurt by the rest.
“Naturally my father declined.” Tango looked just as repulsed, eyeing her reaction. “But it pains me to see someone so desperate to get rid of their child.” With a slight fumble of the holster he pointed the gun at her and yanked back the hammer. “Why don’t I just help them out—”
“I’ve told you before,” Orion had her dagger pulled out in record time, flipping the blade towards her and knocking the gun out of Tango’s hand with a bruising hit to his wrist with the hilt, careful to mind the sharp edge. “You don’t pull a gun out unless you’re going to use it,” she stated flatly, ignoring the incredibly amused grins the two men in front of the group wore as she flipped her weapon back over properly.
It was with a fleeting glance after they laughed loudly, drawing the attention of the teens that she noticed they had their hands placed on their weapons too.
“‘The lass is correct. You know what Captain says about pistols,” the taller man said to the others. Older, if the gray curls tied back were any indication. She found herself vaguely fascinated by the large, X-shaped scar crossing over the left side of his face. “And there’s that old saying of why boys like pulling on girls’ pigtails. Strange way to show your interest, lad.”
“This seems to be a little more than a schoolboy crush, Benn,” the blonde next to him said, hand on his own pistol with a glare settling on the boys.
“I’d rather throw myself into the sea than get with him,” Orion spat to the delight of the older patrons, twirling her dagger and returning it to its place on her waist.
“You've done enough to disturb the peace, boys,” the lady who did tarot readings next to her finally said, cackling as she fussed with her cards. “It's time to return home with your tail between your legs. The sands of fate don’t wait for anybody and I need to make a livin’. Can't do it with all this ruckus.”
Tango scowled at the woman. “Whatever crazy hag.” He flushed from the attention, turning to leave and cradling his wrist as his eyes burned into Orion’s. “This isn’t over, bitch.”
She waved him along, unwilling to sigh a breath of relief until the trio were gone. It was an easy decision to shove the emotions over what he had said deep down.
“Now that that’s over, what do we have here, little lady? I feel like shoppin',’” the men peered down at her stall, eyeing the goods that were still available.
Orion easily slipped back into her saleswoman persona. “The best metal on the island,” she replied confidently. Her father might be awful, but the craftsman made some damn good swords.
The man with the scar hummed. “Makes sense why you know your way around a blade.”
She snorted. “Only know enough to sell them.” The girl counted six men in total hovering around her table, and though she kept an easygoing smile on her face, her hand was back on the hilt of her dagger. “And enough to keep the idiots at bay.”
“That so?” He noticed too, smiling around the cigarette that hung precariously hanging from his mouth. “Captain’s been looking for a new blade, been a while since we’ve stopped here,” he turned around to glance at the group, missing the way her eyes widened at the word.
Captain.
Pirates. She forced herself to remain still, eyes flickering suspiciously between the men to make sure none of them tried to snag something without paying. There’d been two such cases of it today already and she sorely didn’t want to clean up blood again.
“Captain around?” the man asked the blonde who shrugged, choosing instead to look closer at a short blade.
“How much does this one go for, lass?” He picked the cutlass up.
“160,000 beri,” she answered evenly, offering a saccharine smile when he sputtered at the price, setting it back down. Father did say he wanted her to upsell, after all. She’d keep the extra since he couldn’t keep his mouth shut around the Mayor… again . “It might sound high, but you won’t find quality like this anywhere else in the Grand Line. I guarantee it.” At his stare, she gestured to a bowl of keychains she made when she wasn’t working or sleeping. “I’ll throw in one of those for free.”
“The lady is correct,” a warm voice interrupted the man’s stammering. The group parted for him easily. “Bought a sword from here a few years ago and it’s been good to me.” A man, tan and toned, if the chest peeking out from his barely buttoned dark blue shirt was any indication, stepped in front of her and smiled so brightly that Orion had to blink a few times. Maybe they’re not pirates, after all.
No, she realized after her eyes finally made their way up to the man’s hair, so red it rivaled the tuna the old man next to her was selling. They are.
“Might even be the same stand,” the man, the captain , looked at her with a curious eye, flickering between the sign above her head and her face. He leaned in far, far too close for her comfort, grinning all the while. “Pretty sure you’re the same lass who helped sell it, if my memory serves me right.”
“Sorry,” The teen raised an eyebrow nonchalantly, flicking the dirty blonde bangs out of her face. She leaned back, willing her blush away; she didn’t think she’d ever met a pirate who smelled so good. “Who are you again?”
Her question, a downright lie , she’d admit, made the man pout, causing the small group to erupt in laughter, the other men elbowing him in amusement before wandering off, leaving just the captain and the graying man. Benn, she recalled. “She’s a delight, this one!”
Captain Shanks of the Red Hair Pirates introduced himself with a confident tone and a firm handshake, eyes twinkling as he insisted that he definitely remembered her from all those years ago.
As if I could forget that shade of red.
“You asked so many questions about pirates I thought for sure you and your brother would become one of us one day!” he smiled again. She couldn’t detect any malice or teasing in his tone as her cheeks burned at the memory, eyes prickling a bit.
“Yeah, well,” Orion swallowed. “So did we.” There’s a hint of wistfulness present in her statement, but she shook it off, forcing a tight smile onto her face. She had a quota to meet, after all. “So what brings you to Torappu?”
Captain Shanks allowed the change in subject. “Just passing through. West Blue’s always fun, but we’re headed back to the Grand Line. Pirate things to do, and all,” he winked.
He needs to stop that. Orion felt her face getting hot again.
Benn rolled his eyes.
“What’s it like,” she eventually responded when her cheeks weren’t as hot, unaware that her voice had settled to a whisper. “Being a pirate?”
Both pairs of eyes lit up at the question. “You asked that before, all those years ago,” the captain leaned to one side, humming and placing a hand on his hip. Orion noticed faintly that he only had one arm now. “Didn't you?”
“No, it was…” She shook her head, her mind floating to the memory before responding faintly, if only a tad forlorn. “My brother did.”
“Knew you remembered me,” he teased, giving her a gentle smile. “Being a pirate,” Captain Shanks said, eyes flickering to the girl’s blade. “Is the freest one can be.”
“You said that last time too.” Orion was suddenly overwhelmed by the same wave of emotions that she felt all those years ago. With a sigh she bottled it up inside again, unwilling to think about it except for in the privacy of her bedroom later. “Anyways,” swallowing hard, the girl tapped her fingers on the table in an anxious fashion, gesturing to the sword the pirate wore. “What’s wrong with it?”
“Huh?” He blinked, looking down in surprise. “Oh, nothing!” the man exclaimed. “It’s still just as perfect as it was the day I got it.” With a charming grin he unsheathed it, handing it to her to inspect.
She mused at the craftsmanship of the blade, agreeing that her father’s work still held up. Not that she’d ever say it out loud.
Carefully, she handed it back, shocked the pirate captain even gave it to her in the first place. He could probably kill me without it easily, Orion thought. “What are you looking for then?”
His expression seemed introspective. “Something new,” he finally answered. She felt a shift in his gaze, and his eyebrows furrowed a bit before the worry was wiped away, eyes flickering to his friend and back at her. The same teasing lilt colored his tone again. “You got anything shiny?”
It succeeded in making her laugh, and she willingly showed him several of the newer wares her father made, the freshly polished ones from this morning.
-----------------------
The bundles of beri bouncing in her bag brought a satisfied smile to Orion’s face as she strolled home the way she came, wondering how quiet of an evening she’d have if she decided to skip dinner and head straight to bed when she got back.
“Ow!” Her thoughts were interrupted by a sharp, sudden pain in the back of her head. She looked down, hand flying up to where a rock had just been hurtled at her.
Her eyes widened at the sight of it at her feet. “Shit!” Quickly, she bent down to pick it up. Whipping her head to the direction the rock came from, she groaned. A little over fifty feet away, a large group of teenagers were sprinting full force at her, holding an array of weapons.
It took all of two seconds to recognize who was smiling wickedly at her and only one to choose whatever punishment abandoning her father’s cart would land her in over letting the group catch up to her. Hiking her bag up higher, she promptly shoved the cart aside, turned to beam the rock back and sprinted away, chancing a look behind her to see if she’d made contact.
“Fuck! Shit! Fuck!” Did one of them have a pitchfork? She couldn’t stop the string of curses if she wanted to, her heartbeat thumped wildly at the ambush.
Tango had somehow gathered his entire gang to hunt her after his embarrassment earlier, it seemed. He shouted as her rock nailed him in the forehead (she internally cheered) and she couldn’t stop the insult loftily thrown over her shoulder if she tried, the pride from landing a hit while so distracted too great. It didn’t help that her usually acute awareness of when to keep her mouth shut never worked around the asshole. “Shouldn’t you be washing your face or something?”
She didn’t have to see his reaction as she bounded across the moist grass and trampled flowers. The boy simply roared. “You’ve pissed me off for the last time! I’m gonna kill you!”
“Really,” Orion huffed, adjusting the bag on her shoulder and willing herself not to trip down the steep hill. As if he wasn’t the one who threw it first!
Another wave of rocks soared over her, blending in with the setting sky against her silhouette frantically running home.
It’s her own fault, really.
She was lucky looking back one time without stumbling. It didn’t seem her luck extended to another.
Tango’s face was bright red, his eyes unable to hide how absolutely murderous he was. It seemed he was serious this time.
His eyes were the last thing she saw before gravity laughed at her, and she fell hard.
Dammit. The world was a blur of round chaos as she went rolling down the hill, finally coming to a stop roughly against a pile of boulders near one of the cliffs.
They caught up to her in no time.
“Happy birthday,” Tango sang mockingly, the bright smile he had that could be handsome if he weren’t so terribly horrible of a person dazing her.
It was with a faint and stupid thought while her head flopped back against the earth that Orion thought she could be flattered that her bully was the only person who remembered her birthday. As it was, however, he said it while kicking her in the face ( hard ) from her spot on the ground, so she decided to not think too highly of the action.
“Or should I say, happy death day?”
"Clever." An eye roll happened on its own accord. A handful of kicks are given all over her body in return.
Orion wheezed.
“Grab her,” Tango ordered. The others do as he says, all too eager to obey him.
Orion’s eye was rapidly swelling, she could feel it. There was a mild panic rising in her; Tango’s disputes often ended with the girl fleeing home or simply running until he got tired.
This was different.
The boys dragged her to the cliffside, the sound of the waves crashing far, far below them echoing. Hundreds of feet below them.
She shuddered.
Alarm bells went off in her head. Orion knew she wouldn't be able to get away so easily this time. Her right hand twitched, aching to grab her dagger and stab it through the boy’s stupid mouth but it was suddenly and painfully twisted back with a quick order.
Her bully knew all of her tells, after all.
“Here,” Tango sneered after she rose painfully on her knees, fully prepared to tackle him as a last resort like a feral, raging little animal.
The group surrounded her on all sides; the only open space was at her back, where the edge was. Full and complete desperation filled her lungs.
There was no way she’d be able to barrel through them all. She was strong enough for a girl of her stature, but there were too many of them.
“A birthday present for my greatest enemy.” A dark orb was tossed onto her lap carelessly. “Eat it.”
“ So dramatic,” she spat. “What is it?” Orion couldn’t stop the question, looking at the object with a faint groan, her aching ribs would no doubt be bruised in the morning, if she miraculously lived until then. “Not hungry, thanks.”
“Eat it,” Tango repeated, poison laced in his tone as he gestured to the cliff’s edge that was kissing her heels. Her heart plummeted. “Or jump into the sea.”
She licked her lips, dry from the unforgiving salty air. Finally, she looked up at him. “Why?”
“Today was the last straw,” he spat. “You’ve embarrassed me for years.”
“You’ve tormented me for years!” she yelled back, hair whipping around angrily in the wind. “I never did anything to you!”
“You lived!”
She couldn’t stop the laugh if she tried. “This again?”
“He was my friend,” Tango snarled, his voice breaking a little in a way that she’d laugh at if he wasn’t about to kill her.
“You barely even knew him, you creep.” Exasperated, she locked her gaze with the boy. “He was my brother.” Unwilling to indulge him any longer, she rolled her eyes. “If you make me jump into the sea,” Orion raised an eyebrow, sounding less terrified than she felt at the thought. “I’m pulling you in with me.”
“Crazy bitch.” Armed with the decade of memories that confirmed she would , in fact, pull him in, the group, all fifteen of them or so, took a step back.
Looking down, she briefly considered the object he tossed at her. It was an odd thing.
“Poison,” the whispered glee of those behind her tormentor carried over to her in the wind. She barely heard them over the waves below. Briefly, Orion noticed her hands were trembling. “It’s poison.”
She should have recognized the swirls on it, but the object, a fruit, was so dark she could hardly make them out.
She would have recognized it, too, if only she hadn’t been utterly terrified at the threat of leaping off the side of a hundred-foot cliff. Her brother used to give her lectures on the objects when they were younger after all, eager for them both to find one and explore the oceans together one day.
It was a pretty easy decision, all things considered. She had a better chance of making it home poisoned than in pieces from the rocks below.
Besides, she really, really hated heights.