Out for Karma: One Piece

Chapter 110: Prepare for trouble and make it double

The sight of the archipelago in front of her filled her with nostalgia. This was the place she went everytime she was on base and on leave. She wasn’t the only one that repeatedly went there. Every marine who didn’t have a family on base made the trip.

Sabaody didn’t change much this past decade. The giant trees and the bubbles were still the same. One thing changed from what she heard: the pirates were more active. With the navy’s HQ now on the other side of Red Line and the celestial dragons not going down from their lofty thrones ( thanks to her man mainly) the marines were less present than before. The straw hats’ departure from the islands a few months ago didn’t help. Tsuru had secretly told her that many marines that were present that day asked for a transfer to another base on Grand Line; some event to one of the four blue.

“Mom, do you think we can visit the attraction park?” her daughter asked, as she came to her side.
“I’m not sure we can; pirates are all over the place, it might not be the best idea.”

Eri made a disappointed face but didn’t say anything to that as her mother was right. She did, however, ask to visit another place.

“What about the stadium? Grandma Tsuru said that they often replayed King Brook's last concert.”

That, made Kaza smile. Eri loves King Brook and has plenty of his merchandising. It all began when Garp gifted her the skeleton’s first album for her birthday a year ago. She has been surprised at the thoughtfulness of her former officer who later confessed that he had asked what would be the best gift for an eleven years old girl to his crew and they all answered the same thing. Eri became a fan at the first hearing and ordered Garp to bring him goodies every time he visited or she would not talk to him anymore. She had been proud that day, more than usual, to see her little girl already in the know about how to make her grandpa do what she said.

As garp didn’t come often, her collection was small; a few posters of different size, a plushy and a figurine but to Eri those were her treasures. When it was revealed to the world that King Brook was a pirate she was inconsolable and put everything in the trash. Kaza picked up everything, knowing that one day she will come to regret it besides they were gifts.

Her new desire to join her father brought her an epiphany. He was King Brook vice-captain! It wasn’t until Kaza gave her back her treasure that Eri’s depressed mood, resulting from her action, went away. She currently had everything in her backpack, which never left out of her sight.

“I don’t know either, sweetie. We’ll have to see.”
“See what?” asked a voice from behind them.

The two redheads turned around to see Tsuru in casual clothes. That was a first for Kaza who always saw her mentor in uniform and thought it was somehow wrong.

“Eri wants to see the replay of King Brook’s concert at the stadium.”
“Pirates hold the place and take an exorbitant fee to let people enter.” replied Tsuru shaking her hand making Eri even more disappointed.
“But I heard that the audio version is sold in almost every shop.”

The information made Eri gasp and turn to her mother.

“Mom! Can we…”
“Yes.”
“YAY!” the mini-Kaza yelled, jumping around with her arms in the air, making her mother smile and Tsuru smile slightly.

“She’s adorable.” commented the vice-admiral.
“She’s just like him.”
“That she is… I regret asking Garp to keep to himself where he hid the both of you. I missed so much.”

The trip from Dressrosa to Impel Down to deliver Doflamingo didn’t take long. On their way when they stopped at the HQ both she and Sengoku talked with Garp about their meeting with Rick. Knowing that his grandson was actually alive made the man cry in relief but that opened a can full of worms. Kaza needed to know that Rick was effectively alive and that he will, not would, come for Eri. Garp was scheduled to go to fishman island to escort the royal family to the reverie, meaning he would not have the time to go to Foosha Village to warn Kaza and come back. That’s why he told the location of the girls to Tsuru and Sengoku.
His friends dumped Doflamingo as fast as they could in a cell and directly went to Dawn island. In the end, Tsuru has been in Eri’s life for less than a month. Sure She got an update every time Garp came back from seeing her so she knew her in some way but the little girl knew almost nothing about her.

“Don’t. You did it to protect her.”
“I know but…”
“No but. Nothing good comes when you think about what we should have done. We can’t change it. It’s a waste of time, believe me, I know.”

That was true. For years she thought about how things could have gone differently if maybe she had made different choices. Would Rick, Eri and her have been a happy family as a result? She didn’t know and it ate at her. It was thanks to Makino’s help that Kaza focused on the present, on her daughter and that nothing else mattered.

“One thing is sure, she adores you and that, only after a month. Way more than Garp, I’m telling you.” Kaza said, making Tsuru chuckle.
“And I didn’t have to mop the floor with Garp this time.” the vice admiral replied with a smile.

That was a new thing that shocked Kaza too. Tsuru smiling. True, from time to time the older lady had let herself go and cracked a very small smile when Rick was still with them. But a full teeth smile? Never. It was all thanks to Eri who brought her immense joy.

“Sengoku?” Kaza asked, turning the conversation more serious.
“I couldn’t take a vacation sneakily. It was too big of a thing, so he learned about it; no surprise here. To say he was shocked is an understatement but when I said I was feeling old and that between Rick and Eri it was just too much, he let it go. He’s suspicious, as usual, though.”

They were lucky that with what happened at the reverie, Sengoku was held back. Tsuru should have been too but threatened Sakazuki to quit instead of taking a vacation so everything went smoothly.

When the ship finally docked in the port, Kaza took a deep breath. This was it. Soon they would be on their way to a safe place. A place Rick is tied to. But first they needed to buy a skeleton’s album. This took less than a quarter to do as every single shop was selling it, even bakeries!

“Where to now?” Kaza asked.
“Groove 13.”

The three ladies made their way to her destination slowly, taking care of not being followed. Tsuru and Kaza knew that it wouldn’t have been beyond Sengoku to put a tail on Tsuru for her unusual behavior. Thankfully there was no one keeping an eye on them and after a bit sped up. After an hour of walking they finally arrived at the bar Rick told Tsuru about. The vice- admiral turned to the redhead and saw an apprehensive look on their faces.

“Why so nervous?”
“We’re going to meet the Dark King, Tsuru. I’m good at fighting but against him?” Kaza said, shaking her head.
“Eri?”
“He’s a pirate. I know… I know now, that not all pirates are bad. Some are … okay like dad and his crew but…”
“Most pirates are bad. Your father and the crew is in, are perhaps the exception but the one inside? It’s just an old man who doesn't want any trouble.”

“And the visit of a vice-admiral of the navy is not trouble?” replied Eri sarcastically.
“Meh, it’s going to be fine.” answered Tsuru.

She opened the door to the bar and entered, followed by the two others and closed the door. The place was empty, saved from the barmaid behind the counter and an old beggar in front of her, reading the newspaper with a mug in his hand.
The barmaid was cleaning a glass and turned her head to take a look at her new clients. When she saw Tsuru her eyes narrowed but when she saw the young girl by her side she relaxed and just smiled.

“Rayleigh.” Tsuru said.

Hearing his name, the beggar (to Eri’s eyes) raised his head from the newspaper and looked at the one calling him out. Recognizing Tsuru, one of his eyebrows raised in questioning.

“Tsuru… It’s been years. Came for a fight? And what are those clothes? A new way to infil…”
“We need your help.” Tsuru cut him off and went straight to the point.
“...We?”

The dark king took a look at the two people accompanying the vice-admiral. His eyes landed on the redhead beauty first and thought nothing of it. When they landed on the young girl who was obviously her daughter he felt it. A bad feeling. A really bad feeling that only one man ever made him feel. Instantly he knew who that young girl was.

“Nope. Nope, nope, nope, nope. I’m out of here. The father was enough for a lifetime, I’m not dealing with the daughter.”

He tried to raise himself from his seat when Shaky put a hand on his shoulders and made him sit back down.

“Dear, please.” the barmaid said.

Rayleigh looked at his wife, and saw her face. It was the ‘do what I say or you’ll be sorry’ face. He knew he was screwed, one way or another. Taking a deep breath he turned back to the trio.

“Speak.”
“We need to get to O’hara.”

At the declaration the dark king’s jaw dropped to the ground. He was dumbfounded. He wondered why she wanted to go there, and why was she asking him when the marine still had Eternal Poses for the island.

““...””
“... Why?”
“The R.A. is there.”

Rayleigh was on alert. That information was known  only by a very very select few outside the R.A. 's members themselves. How would Tsur know about it?

“Rick told me.”
“He told you?! But wh... You turned your coat?!” yelled the old man in realization.
“I did.”
“Holy shit! You! Tsuru, the ice queen of the marine, one of the most loyal to the navy, turned your coat?!”
“Do you have a hearing problem with your advanced age now?”
“Fuck…” he began before being slapped n the back on his head by Shaky.
“Language, there is a kid.”

The dark king turned to his wife, bewildered before turning back to Tsuru.

“I’m tired, Rayleigh, and despite my looks, I’m not all that young. I’m done with the world nobles.”
“...”
“...”
“Mom, is that really the pirate king’s first mate?”
“I know it’s hard to believe but yes.”
“And why is it hard to believe?” asked Rayleigh.
“You look like a beggar.” replied Eri.
“Why… you little…”
“She’s not wrong.” Tsuru said with a taunting brow raised and a smirk on her face.
“... No”
“What?”
“Do you have hearing problems too, Tsuru? I said no. I won’t help you.”
“You won’t?” said Tsuru in defiance.
“Eri.” Kaza said with a firm tone.

Without giving any answer Eri got close to Rayleigh, raised her head and looked him in the eyes with the best puppy dog eyes she could make.

“Please, mister.”

The dark king looked at her in silence. Eri’s eyes were effective and ruthless in their assault on his heart.

“I… I… won’t.” he replied with difficulty.
“You jerk!” shouted Eri kicking his shin.

Still under the effect of the puppy dog eyes he didn’t anticipate that from the young girl.
“Ouch! What the hell?!”
“That’s what you get for being a heartless meanie! Now bring us to O’hara!” Eri said in a commanding tone.
“Listening here you little…”

He couldn’t finish his sentence as the door to the bard burst open.

“OLD MAN! BRING ME TO O’HARA! NOW!”

A tall and beautiful brunette stood at the entrance with a baby in her arms.

Boa Hancock was in the house.