One Piece: Gold And Fire

Ragna adjusting the ragged bandana on his head once again, he had disguised himself as a pirate to sneak back into the massive Pirate ship. He still had the clothes he got from that Pirate and those came in handy. However, this time around he left his pistol behind, unlike his sword, that gun with golden craving and intriguing design attracted too much attention. He almost got guarded becuase of the gun on so many occasions.

He didn't know for sure if Nami was captured here, but something told him she might have been taken hostage. He couldn't ignore that possibility.

Getting inside the ship the second time was way easier than it was on the first time. Part of the reason being that he now already knew the part way to get inside by avoiding most of the pirates which he spend so much time figuring out the first time he got in.

The ship was filled with pirates as usual and the one he was avoiding were the sober one, when it comes to the drunken one, well they can't tell apart their own leg from the one sitting on their side, let alone figure out Ragna. So, for now, he was safe.

Walking through the hallways, he kept his head low, listening to every conversation he passed by. He needed information about anyone getting captured recently. But for that he had to go to the pirates who weren't drunk, only those working pirates would know anything which happened not even a hour ago.

Finally, as he passed by a small group of pirates, he heard something that made him stop in his tracks.

"…That girl we caught earlier, do you think boss will let us have a taste.. hahaha".

Ragna hearing this all but frozen on his track, he understood what they were talking about and he can't help but grit his teeth. He knew that something like this is supposed to be the norm for these scums. But still he didn't like it.

"Yeah, she's still locked up in the cellar. Maybe we can give her a little visit after the captain had his fun."

"Idiot, do you really think there will be anything left of her if Captain takes that bitch to the bed..."

Ragna took a long breath, calming himself, though he had an impulse to immediately kick the pirate after hearing what they were talking about, but he knew better, in fact, what he heard was good news, becuase this meant that he still had time.

Was it Nami though? That was the real question.

He couldn't hear the rest of the conversation without drawing suspicion, if they were drunk then he could go close without attracting attention but they were sober, so he made a quick decision. He had to take a risk.

A few minutes later, in a quieter part of the ship, Ragna ambushed the same low-ranking pirates. Before they could react, he knocked them down and held his sword close to one of their necks.

"Tell me about the girl you captured," he demanded, his voice low and threatening, completely devoid of emotions.

The pirate panicked. "W-We caught her near the shore! She's locked up in the cellar, I swear!" The pirate was almost shitting his pants seeing the sword on his neck.

Without wasting any time, he knocked the pirates out and headed toward the cellar.

The air was damp and smelled of seawater. He crept down the wooden steps and reached the locked door. He could hear soft breathing inside.

"Nami," He softly spoke and got no response in return.

"Nami..." He spoke a little louder but still, he didn't get any response. No he had no other option but to get inside and check for himself.

He unlocked the door and stepped inside, his eyes scanning the dimly lit room.

But his heart sank.

It wasn't Nami.

Instead, a frightened girl with messy blonde hair and tattered clothes cowered in the corner. But she was the only one there, there was no sign of Nami.

'Does that mean she wasn't captured,... that's a good thing right.' He told himself, though he can't be certain but this was technically a better outcome.

She looked up at him with wide, terrified eyes.

Ranga upon seeing her face all but froze up.

"Mo..," becuase that face reminded much of his mother to him. She look much like Sona. So much so that he almost said call her out Mom.

Long blond hair and blue eyes. Their face didn't match but even seeing someone so similar to her mother just send Ragna to a whirlpool of thoughts, many past memories surged out like tides which got berried by the times.

"I...I.." The girl stammer seeing Ragna paused there. Their eyes are already misty and she was shaking in fear.

Ragna let out a sigh. This wasn't his mother, he kick himself internally to zone out like that. However...

"Hey," he said, his voice softer. "I'm getting you out of here."

The girl's eyes widened in shock. "W-What?"

Ragna didn't explain. He quickly searched the pockets of the unconscious pirates and found the key. With a swift movement, he unlocked her chains.

The girl rubbed her wrists, looking at him in disbelief. "Thank you…" she whispered.

"Don't be hurry to thanks me just yet," Ragna muttered. "You need to get off of this ship ASAP... come on, I'll make a path for you. Here wear these pirate clothes and stick close to me..." Ragna said while throwing another priate cloth he took from those pirate in case he had to extort Nami out.

The girl hesitated but nodded. Putting the clothes on top of her already wore clothes to hide her femine figure, she quitely followed him carefully as he led her through the ship, avoiding patrols.

Taking her out was hard, she didn't look like a pirate at all, but Ragna mostly covered her, keeping her close to himself.

Once they reached the deck he slowly move towards were the life boats were kept and then he pointed toward a small wooden boat tied to the side.

"Take that and go. I'll cover you," he instructed.

The girl's eyes filled with gratitude. "I-I won't forget this. Thank you... I'm...I'm." The girl seems to get emotional. She try to say her name while still choking on her tears, trying to introduce herself and show her gratitude but Ragna didn't let her. It wasn't the time.

"Save those things for the next time if we ever meet, now just go..." Ragna pushes her slightly to show the urgency and then turns back. He felt like if he stare at that face once again then he might just not wanna let her go until he could get to know her, maybe just to fill that hole left in his heart after his mother died. He wasn't trying to replace him but his heart seek that figure embracing him just one more time.

The girl who couldn't even say her name felt a little dejected but still nodded and took the small boat.

He had made sure she escaped. But just as he turned to leave, the alarm was raised.

Shouts erupted from the deck.

"The prisoner is gone!"

"Find her!"

Ragna cursed under his breath, seems like those few pirates weren't the only one who wanted to give her a visit. 'Fucking degenerates...'

He was about to slip away when a rough hand grabbed him by the collar.

"Hey! You—who are you?"

A burly pirate yanked him back, his suspicious eyes narrowing.

Ragna's muscles tensed. Was he caught?

'No calm down, with so many people on the ship, it's almost impossible to remember everyone's faces...'

The pirate shook him. "You were near the cellar, weren't you? Where's the girl?"

'So that's what it is...'

'Just had to come up with a lie then...'

---

Nami adjusted her stolen pirate hat, sighing as she recalled just how hard it had been to get off that ship with Ragna's money.

"Bloody Pirates..." She curse under her breath recalling what happened.

She had barely slipped past them back on the ship when those pirates got onboard Ragna's ship. God's know why that idiot still haven't name that ship, it's annoying calling it Ragna's ship.

Nami thought that she was done for, it was only by chance that she got out of there.

They actually started fighting among themselves, something over who get to keep the treassure even before finding any on the ship.

Sigh...

She was really lucky, though she can't say the same to the ship. While they were duking it out, the ship suffer much damage. They in fact intentionally seems to damage the ship after finding out the flag she found on Ragna's room.

She couldn't stay near the ship for too long, or the pirates might find her. But at the same time, she wasn't sure if she should leave without Ragna.

Biting her lip, she made a decision. She quickly found a good hiding spot for the money and then set off toward the island to look for him.

Took her some time to cross the island, she wa more careful than Ragna but when she did reach the other side her eyes widened at the sight of a massive pirate ship docked on the other side.

Her heart pounded as she recognized the flag. This was another big pirate in East Blue.

Gulping, she stepped closer.

"There is no doubt, he must have charged in to pick up a fight..." Nami muttered with irritation. She recall Ragna fighting an entire crew before, when she met him the first time, so she immediately assume that he went in to fight and got captured. That also kind of made sense as to why those pirates found their ship.

But what that has to do with her, she doesn't have to save him...

"...but at the same time, a pirate ship this big surely had treasure on board." She thought she could swear that one day her greed would be the end of her. But hopefully, today wasn't that day. So Nami got ready to infiltrated yet another pirate crew.

With her years of experience, she quickly disguised herself as a pirate, pulling her hat lower and walking with confidence. Acting as if she belonged, she made her way onto the ship without drawing suspicion.

Inside, she kept her eyes peeled, searching for both Ragna and any treasure, which ever she could get her hands on first.

She carefully checked different rooms, but most were filled with weapons, supplies, or nothing valuable.

Then, just as she was about to enter another hallway, she heard a commotion.

She froze.

"The prisoner escaped!" one pirate shouted.

"Find them!" another yelled.

Nami's sigh in relief, "Phew, I thought they found me out. But still I can't stay here for long."

If the pirates were on high alert, it would be much harder to move around unnoticed. She needed to get out of here before things got worse.

She turned to leave, but then—

Through the crowd of pirates running around in a frenzy, she spotted a familiar figure.

Her eyes narrowed

It was Ragna.

'He cause this didn't he...' she immediately connected the dots, a tick mark form on her head as she gritted her teeth, making sure to make Ragna compensate her enough if she couldn't get her tressure because of him.

'And why this idiot lingering around here while he had time to go back ?'

But then she saw another pirate stopping him and asking.

"Where is the girl ?" Asked the man.

"Huh ?" Nami was taken a back. Only And now that she notice, Ragna was wearing clothes like those pirates.

"She must be on the ship...There is no where else to go." Ragna replied, and something clicked in Nami's head...

xxx

[Word Count: 1990]

Who was the girl ? what do you guys think ?

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