To Be The Strongest

Akane had been on the sea for a whole week and had grown rather bored. The ship was small, while the crew only focused on work.

She couldn't even practice her devil fruit, as Baba had strictly told her not to show others unless she was sure of her strength.

So, she wouldn't use it unless if it was necessary.

The journey was slow and Akane had a lot of time on her hands, so she would often spend her time fishing, climbing up and down the mainsail of the ship.

She talked a lot with the navigator and ships captain, who taught her about their occupation.

The ship she was boarded on was apparently a merchant ship, dealing in exotic fruit and spices.

They would often travel through this sea route, so it wasn't a big problem for them to take her with them.

Supposedly the sea route they were currently on was known for having the least pirates and the smoothest currents.

There were also a lot of smaller island with a lot of marines, so the chance they would encounter a pirate was extremely small.

Unfortunately, how small the chance might be, they still encountered pirates.

"Captain, we have a pirate ship on our tail, approaching fast!"

One of the crewmen yelled down the crows 'nest.

"What! Pick up speed, we need to shake them off!"

The whole crew started to run around, while Akane sat on top of the captain's cabin to stay out of their way.

No matter what the merchant ships crew did, the pirate ship was still catching up with them.

Even the thought of outrunning such a big ship had only been a dream.

Eventually cannonballs were sent flying towards them, hitting the deck and mainsail.

Within moment a cracking sound was heard as the mast collapsed.

"We're going to die!"

The ships captain finally couldn't keep himself together and began to panic as well.

"Murunfufufu, kill them all boys and search the ship thoroughly, it might be on board."

A woman's laughter was heard, followed by the loud yelling from the pirates.

One by one, pirates boarded the merchants ship and began to kill the people on board.

Akane couldn't just watch and jumped of the cabin, drawing her Zanpakuto and slashing a pirate near her.

The pirate screamed in pain as he lost his life.

She expected to feel something as she for the first time killed a person, but a stream of cold energy streamed into her hand from her Wakizashi, causing her to remain calm, even if she could feel a slight nausea in the back of her throat.

The rest of the pirates didn't pay her any attention, continuing to kill the people on board. Akane couldn't ask for more as she ran across the deck, striking them down one by one. Ignoring the rising feeling of nausea, as she became more and more covered in blood.

After striking down more than a dozen pirates, they finally began to notice the abnormality.

The pirates grouped together and watched their surroundings, only to see a little kid with a pair of katana striking down a full grown ȧduŀt with ease.

The pirates nodded at each other as they began to surround the kid.

Akane, having noticed the movement of the pirates, tried her best to avoid being surrounded, but eventually failed.

It did not matter how many she fended off, two other would fill their place.

She already became tired as her arms began to tremble from exhaustion.

As soon as the Zanpakuto left her hands, they disappeared in thin air.

On of the pirates grabbed her by her scruff. The pirates mumbled as they though of it as a devil fruit power. The pirate that had the back of her scruffs eyes gleamed as a brilliant idea popped up in his mind.

"Not so tough now are you? Why don't you calm down a little."

The pirate started to laugh as he threw her from the deck towards the sea.

Akane gulped in fear as she remembered what Baba had said about devil fruit users.

They can't swim.

She saw the water coming closer and as soon as she touched it, she could feel her strength leaving her body.

Even before she had eaten the devil fruit, she'd been a poor swimmer.

She noticed that even if she'd eaten a devil fruit, her level of swimming was the same as before. She'd sink as soon as she hit the water.

Her throat started to burn, then when she finally couldn't hold it anymore, she breathed in a mouth full of water.

It felt like her lungs were about to explode as they filled with water.

Her sight gradually dimmed.

The last thing she saw was a shadow coming towards her and grabbing her arms.

Shanks nii-sama.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Akane felt someone pushing hard on her ċhėst, followed by a putrid stream of seawater leaving her throat.

"Oi, are you alright little lass?"

Akane looked around her and couldn't help but say, "Nii-sama?"

"Nii-sama? I'm way too old. Hahaha, but you can call me grandpa if you want to. Hahaha."

Wiping the seawater from her eyes, she recognised who was sitting in front of her as a muscular old man.

He had a big smile on his face, while a scar covered his left eye.

His short hair and moustache were already whitened with age.

"Thank you very much for saving me… grandpa?"

The old man laughed heartily as he patted her head.

"I've got a grandson a little younger than you. I wish he was as cute and well-behaved as you."

"Vice-admiral Garp, what do we do with the pirates?"

A marine walked towards them and saluted.

"Send them to Impel Down, Magellan will know where to put them."

The man called Garp responded.

From far, Akane could see that the pirates who had attacked them were in chains and led inside the warship. Even the woman that had led them was in chains.

"Ne, grandpa, do you know where my brother might be?"

Akane was a lot shyer with strangers than with people she was familiar with, coming over a lot more childish.

Garp laughed again as he continued to pat her head.

"How would I know, little lass?"

"Not little lass, Akane, Eldertale D. Akane"

Akane pouted at Garp, her chubby cheeks puffing up, hoping he would call her by name instead of little lass.

"Akane-chan, if I don't know what your brother looks like or what he's called, then how am I supposed to find him?"

Garp picked Akane up as he walked towards he captains cabin.

"Then if I tell you, you might know?"

Akane looked at Garp with hopeful eyes.

"It's possible."

"Then, my brother's name is Shanks. He is often in the newspaper the news bird brings. I was planning to give nii-sama a big scolding and…"

Akane went on with her ramblings as Garp looked at her in surprise.

"Are you telling the truth Akane-chan? Shanks is your nii-san?"

Garp asked to be sure.

The little girl in his hands looked a lot like Shanks, but he had to be sure.

"Un, I was adopted, but nii-sama said I couldn't tell anyone that he was my brother, otherwise…"

Akane didn't finish her words as she stared at Garp.

Tears began to fill her eyes flowing down her cheeks as she began to sob, hiccups occuring every now and then.

Garp didn't know what to do. His grandson often cried, but stopped when he gave him a smack on the head.

Obviously he couldn't do that to a little girl, he didn't know what to do.

"Maa, maa, calm down. Why are you crying?"

Garp tried to calm her down as she began to sniffle.

Akane furiously wiped away the tears that kept on falling

"I told you who my brother is, even though I'm not supposed to tell anyone.

Now nii-sama will hate me, cause I didn't listen to what nii-sama had said."

She sniffled as she tried to hold up her tears.

"Ah, ahhaha, he probably won't hate you for that. It's all right cause you only told your kind grandpa. I won't tell anyone, I swear."

Akane looked at Garp with red eyes.

"Grandpa, you promise?"

Akane stretched out her pinkie.

She looked at him with big eyes, rimmed red and puffy from the tears

Garp laughed and stretched out his pinkie.

"I promise."

Akane giggle as Garp imitated her.

Crossing their pinkies.

Cheerfully she started to rhyme:

"Pinky promise, hope to die, swallow a thousand needles if you lie, fingers cut!**" (A/N: Further explanation on the end)

Garp was shocked senseless from the rhyme. It was really vicious.

Akane seemed oblivious as she happily laughed at Garp.

"I really like you grandpa! You're a lot nicer than Baba."

Garp began to pat her again.

"Oh, who might this Baba be?"

Garp said as he entered the cabin and put Akane on the couch.

"Baba is Baba. She took care of me when brother went on his journey. Though I don't now what the island is called where I lived on, but I will surely come back to Baba after I have visited nii-sama."

Akane said as she rubbed her eyes and yawned.

"Is that so? Why don't you take a nap for now, Grandpa is going to take care of a few things and will be back soon."

He untied his marine coat and covered Akane with it.

" 'Kay grandpa."

Akane smiled as she closed her eyes, and fell asleep.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"Vice Admiral Garp, the pirates have been secured inside the hold, what will we do with the surviving civilians?"

Garp sighed as he started to pick his nose.

"Escort them to the nearest island and compensate them for their loss. While you're at it bring me a Den-Den mushi, I need to talk to Sengoku."

The marine saluted as he went to get a Den-Den mushi.

"Haah, today was really tiresome."

Garp sighed again.

Not only had he finally caught the notorious pirate Catarina Devon, he also stumbled upon Shanks' little sister.

He started to contemplate if he should tell Sengoku about this.

His thoughts were interrupted when the soldier came back.

In his hands was a snail with a receiver on it.

The snail had a black Afro, glasses, a knotted beard and a moustache.

Garp picked up the receiver and waited till it connected.

Pede pede pede

Pede pede pede

Pede pede pede

Gacha.

"Garp, how did the mission go?"

A man voice came out of the mouth of the snail.

"Ah, Sengoku, it went well. We've captured the pirates. They are on their way to Impel Down right this moment.

But that is not why I called.

I've stumbled upon something, but I don't know how to handle it."

The snail's expression changed to that of confusion.

"You don't know how to handle it? What has left you so troubled Garp?"

"Ah, I've stumbled upon… Shanks' little sister."

"Whaaat!"

The snail screamed in shock.

"Shanks has a sister? Bring her in! We need to get an advantage over him. No matter what, bring her to headquarters."

Garp sighed again.

"Sengoku, the girl is around seven, she probably doesn't even know Shanks is a wanted man. I can take care of the kid.

Bring her up together with my grandson. Meanwhile you can think of something. For now I'll try to raise her as a marine. It's not like Shanks knows we have her, nor does he know she's looking for him."

The snail sighed again.

An exasperated expression clouded the snails face.

"I understand, but make sure Shanks doesn't know you have her, otherwise it'll be war."

"Understood."

Garp put down the receiver.

The snail closed his eyes.

(*Yubikiri song. Foxes take promises serious.. If one breaks a promise, extreme retaliation is often the consequence.)