It took about 5 hours for Valeria to make an underwhelming conclusion: the ocean was boring.
At least, sailing it by herself with no other ships or landmarks in sight to keep her attention was boring. She supposed had there been things to look and marvel at, her impressions of the journey would be vastly different. How did her father do this so often and for so long? Did he really just sit there and do nothing the whole time? The thought had never occurred to her before, but suddenly she was dying to know the answer.
At first, the gentle rocking of the ship as the sails tugged her along the water had been alluring enough to distract her. The rushing of the wind past her ears, the glisten of the sun's rays on the surface, what a beautiful sight. Kuraigana had never allowed for such a sight, with it's gloomy cloud cover.
But as she grew desensitized to the beautiful view and sun overhead-and sunburnt because of it-she sighed in boredom. Her destination was still several hours out, if the map her father had given to her was anything to go by.
In her pack, she'd thought to pack a few books for her journey, having anticipated some stretches of time that would be best filled with something to do. She had her violin as well, but Valeria was in no mood to play it with her arms as painful to the touch as they were. So, vowing that she'd procure an umbrella or something at her first destination to relay this terrible sunburn problem, she settled down to read.
The book's tale of a far-off kingdom, supposedly a historically accurate look at an island somewhere out in the world, drew her in easily. Valeria couldn't help but picture all of the described places and monuments, wondering if she could one day get the opportunity to visit. It didn't mention where in the world the island lay, but asking around would surely help guide her.
The passage of time was hard to gauge out on the water. But Valeria had read a good 1/3 of the book when she felt the dull impact of something against her ship. The thunk of wood made her look to the side, where the outer face of a large ship's hull rose above her, and her head followed the edge upwards. With the sun directly overhead and in her eyes, she had to squint to see the silhouettes of figures leaning over the railing to look down on her from above.
"Ey, see I told you it was a woman!" She heard one of them call. The sound was followed by a smattering of laughing and conversations she couldn't quite pick up. How she hadn't noticed them approach was a wonder. They certainly weren't quiet, and the hulking mass of a ship like that wasn't easy to miss. The figures above leaned out further to get a better look at her.
"You're looking a little lost there, girly!" A gruff yet amused voice called down. "What's a young thing like you doing out on the ocean?"
It was difficult to tell if these were pirates or merchants, or some other affiliation. The sun detrimentally hindered her normally superior vision, barely able to make out their facial features. The ship didn't look like a marine vessel, so she was led to disregard that as a possibility. Her first encounter with others. Hmm.
"I'm simply traveling." She decided to answer, wondering what they would do with that information. Were these men those who would use or kill her, as her father warned? She supposed she'd find out soon enough.
"All alone? How heartbreaking..." He pressed further, causing another low chuckle from the collective of men above. Valeria simply squinted back up at them, unimpressed with his condescending tone. "The seas are a dangerous place to be all your lonesome. Surely you'd like some company? We're but humble pirates, but we'd be happy to take you along with us."
Pirates. Hmm. Before she could reply, one of the men threw a length of rope down, and it clunked onto her ship's desk in a coil. The other end was secured to the railing above, no doubt an invitation to come aboard.
"What do you say? Up for some adventure with us?"
Even if Valeria was curious as to what sailing around with pirates would be like, these were not ones she'd choose to do so with. They hadn't even bothered with the courtesy of asking her name, and she had a fair idea the sorts of adventures they were looking for with a young woman like her. Their ingenuous and dubious laughter left her no doubt about that.
"No, thank you. I'm fine on my own."
Valeria's eyes returned to her book, dismissing the conversation as over. There was a pause, before she felt the impact of someone or something landing on the deck of her ship. The book in her hands lowered just enough to send a withering stare at the man who approached, clad in typical attire for what she'd expect of a pirate. He looked none too happy.
How arrogant of him to board her by himself. Did he not see the sword that rested beside her? Were all pirates so foolhardy?
"Don't you know it's rude to be so cold?" He asked. "We'd be remiss if we just left you out here to your own devices. You never know when a bad group of men may come through, and here you are, just little old you on this tiny little boat."
"Get off my ship, and I won't have to harm you." She retorted without emotion. He hadn't acted in extreme aggression thus far, and Valeria felt it would be too much to simply kill the man without a valid threat to her life. Her father had imprinted the concept of only hurting those who wished you harm. Innocent lives were a stain on a swordsman's reputation, especially when taken in cold blood and without reason.
A sharp shing alerted her to him unsheathing his weapon. The tip of the pirate's sword came to rest on top of her book's spine, lowering the thing from her face to gain her attention. "Now you're just asking to get hurt...Come along with us, and there won't be any trouble for you."
Well. So much for that.
Her observation haki felt the subtle roll of aggression. It prickled her sunburnt skin, but it pulled back the moment he saw her eyes in full for the first time. Valeria stood and watched as he pulled his sword into a defensive position, preparing for attack. The arrogance had vanished from his expression entirely, replaced by disbelief and fear.
"Y-your...eyes. Shit, they look just like-"
"Like my father's." She finished for him, reaching beside her to draw her sword.
Despite the panic present in his face, he still bared his teeth in either bravery or stupidity, and raised his sword to attack her directly. She easily deflected it with a slash, sending his blade careening into the water from the force of her strike. It splashed into the waves and disappeared, leaving the man in front of her without a weapon. He staggered back, and the men above yelled obscenities at Valeria and frantic shouts for their captain to run.
Where they thought he could run from her on this tiny ship, she truly did wonder.
"Get off. My ship." She demanded again, adjusting her sword and taking a step forward to intimidate the pirate into action.
Left cornered with nowhere else to go, he did the only logical thing he could which was to follow after his sword. She saw his eyes flicker to the water, before taking a running jump and diving with a splash into the waves. A moment later, he surfaced, glaring at her with venom.
"Kill her!" He yelled, gesturing to her for his crew to obey. They gladly took up the order, and Valeria looked up to see a dozen or so swords from the railing, and a handful of guns pointed in her direction.
Irritated that it had come to this, Valeria turned her sword and infused the blade with armament haki, painting it a dark black. With a mighty swing, she cut the air in half, the force and focus causing everything behind it to be cut. The speed let out a metallic slash, echoing in the space around her little ship and the much larger one.
With a groaning and splintering of wood, the long diagonal slice that she'd created in the ship gave way, and sent the yelling pirates on the deck above scrambling to grab onto something as they were sent sliding into the waters. The masts groaned from the odd angle they leaned, before snapping entirely from their own weight. Both halves of the ship tilted and took on water, the inner workings and holds below the first to fill and weight the brunt of the mass downwards.
Valeria reached out with her sword and pushed off of the piece of the hull that was still above the water line, sending her small ship away from the wreckage and back into the open air. The sails swelled with the wind, giving the ship a push to get out of the way of the sinking vessel behind her.
She turned, hearing the screams and furious shouts of the men she'd doomed to drown. Or, even worse, be eaten by the terrifying sea kings she knew roamed the waters. Neither idea bothered her, seeing as they'd intended to kill her for not adventuring with them. How ruthless.
They flailed and scrambled for some sort of driftwood or other debris to hold onto, but many had been submerged from the whirlpool of water surrounding the quickly disappearing ship. The haki faded from her sword, and she relaxed.
It occurred to her then that she'd destroyed the ship with a single slice. Her father was known for doing the same, and unwittingly she'd kept to his signature. Valeria looked down at her blade, inspecting the surface with pride to see not a single nick or tarnish to the weapon. It was a clear sign that she had indeed learned something from all those haki lessons over the years.
Pushing her blade back into it's sheath, she sat back down in her seat and let out a breath. Previously bored, she now hoped for no other bothersome distractions on the rest of the journey to the island. Before long, the sounds of yelling receded entirely, and the wind and waves were all she could hear
Shine Island, as the map labeled it, appeared from far off in the distance, the only thing in sight that broke the flat line of the horizon. Her excellent vision could make out only the outline of a mountain so far, but as she sailed closer, it began to take on more detail.
The small dock lining the shore sported dozens of variously-sized ships, from large merchant vessels to local fisherman's boats. One such ship was a galleon, towering high above the other ships docked there, it's many masts and riggings an impressive sight to someone who'd only see pictures and descriptions from books before.
Behind the dock, a small town could be seen. For a place labeled Shine Island, there surely wasn't a lot of awe-inspiring blatant wealth or luxury. Perhaps back in the day when people had first named the island, but she couldn't see how it fit it's namesake nowadays.
There was an empty space in the middle of the dock, surrounded by all the other ships, and Valeria began navigating her vessel towards it to land. Several dock workers wandered the wooden planks, and one in particular stopped at the end of the space she was sailing for, presumably to help her secure it in place.
The sound of her ship clunking against the wooden dock was such a relief, Valeria gave an audible sigh of relief. The portly dock worker immediately set to work, leaning down and tying off the ropes that would keep her ship in place and not drift back out into the ocean. Valeria had no doubt that he'd been doing this for years with the speed and flow of his movements.
She stood and gathered her few possesions, then made her way over to the plankway of the dock to disembark. The worker, who'd already finished mooring her securely, stepped forward to reach out a hand in assistance. Valeria gave a small smile-
The man gasped out in fright, his hand retracting quickly as he got a good look at her, eyes wide and trained on her face. The woman's smile fell, and her hand dropped back down to her side. He stumbled back a step, before clearing his throat heavily. "I-it seems...you've got it from here. Have a good day, m-ma'am."
And without so much as a backwards glance, he left her still standing on the ship, off to presumably find something else to do as far away from her as possible.
"Hmm." Valeria watched the man go with a bit of disappointment. Part of her had hoped for an uneventful first step into society, but she supposed that had been too naive. The eyes she inherited from her father were iconic and a lingering reminder of his reputation. He was known throughout the seas as a fearsome man, the greatest swordsman, a Shichibukai. Her eyes coupled with the sword at her hip no doubt gave the man a very terrifying picture to draw conclusions from.
Deciding that there was nothing to do about it-Valeria couldn't exactly change the way her eyes looked-she finally stepped off of her ship unaided and headed towards the edge of town closest to the dock.
The air was warm and gentle, but it still burned against her reddened skin. Valeria sardonically decided that she really should have stolen Perona's umbrella before departing. She was suddenly struck with the inherent usefulness of a wide-brimmed hat to shield herself from the sun's beating rays. Such as the one her father wore. If only she'd thought of such a thing. Perhaps a store here sold medicinal salves she could apply to ease the pain now that it was too late.
Passing by the many salt- and wind-battered fisherman that occupied the docks, then past the few taverns and bars that were primely located for port visitors, she came across an open plaza with a lovely little garden in the middle as a centerpiece. Valeria stopped and looked around.
There were so many...people. Really, it shouldn't have been all that surprising. Of course the world had people in it. But to see it right in front of her, the sheer number of men and women and children lingering by store fronts and walking to wherever they may be going...it overwhelmed her.
The amount of noise was staggering. Bits and pieces of conversations as people passed her by, tingling bells, laughter, curious shouting, and even gentle singing if you listened closely enough. Behind her, tankards banging against a wooden table and the holler of hearty men leaked out from one of the taverns. Scolding mothers and the running of feet as children ran through crowds to chase one another.
It had been near 20 years since she'd had any more than two other humans surrounding her at a given time. And the years before being left in her father's care were incredibly distant and foggy memories now. Better left forgotten. So it went without saying that she found herself accidentally staring at many who crossed her line of sight from unadulterated awe.
It was only when she noticed that attention was beginning to draw back to her did she blink. Whispers. Concerned glances her direction. Valeria realized that she should probably move on and stop gawking. Soon enough, it would instigate more than just a passing worry to the people residing here.
In their eyes, she was a threat, no matter how passive her intentions may be. Whoever kept the peace on this island would try to get involved if she kept lingering, and she wasn't looking for that sort of encounter on her first island away from home.
All at once, she felt drained. Physically and mentally. Her journey had been long and painful, and while being out on her own was still very exciting, the realization that she may not be able to simply pass through the world unbothered was disheartening enough to dampen some of that enthusiasm. Her shoulders loosened and fell, and with a turn of her heel, she went back in the direction of the docks.
The day was not over yet-the sun was still a few hours away from meeting the horizon-but her exhaustion meant anything other than a nap would have been too much for Valeria at that time. With no specific destination in mind, and no rush to be anywhere, she would have plenty of time to explore tomorrow. For now, she figured the best next step was to rest and recover from her sunburn.
Valeria pushed her way inside one of the taverns. It was quieter than it's neighboring counterparts, thankfully, and while not empty wasn't overcrowded either. The occupants looked up when she entered the building, but she was careful not to make eye contact with any of them. She wasn't looking for confrontation, and who knew what might set any of them off. A man's pride and ego were careful, fragile things.
The barkeep, a salt-and-pepper haired man whose face looked stuck in a perpetual resting frown, noticed her approach and paused his cleaning of a stack of tankards for the bar. His eyes narrowed, and she could have sworn his hid a scowl underneath his bushy mustache.
Valeria chose a stool and sat, placing her violin case at her feet and the bag in the stool beside her. "Does your tavern have any open rooms for the night?"
An answer wasn't immediate, as if he were thinking over whether to tell the truth or not. Then his hands returned to cleaning the tankard he held in his hands, the rag looking far dirtier than whatever might still be in the cup. "Aye, it does."
His voice was gravelly and rough, used to spitting curses and shouting for rowdy patrons to behave themselves, she was sure. Valeria reached into her bag, producing a pouch of beli. "I'd like a room then, and a pint of whatever you recommend."
He grunted an affirmative, grabbing the same tankard he'd just cleaned and filling it from one of the barrels tapped behind the counter. She pushed the necessary amount of currency towards him, and he unceremoniously thunked the beverage in front of her, uncaring that some had spilled over onto the counter top. He took his money and pointed upwards at the ceiling.
"Second room on the left is yours. Just be out by midday tomorrow."
"I understand, thank you."
The barkeep simply went back to cleaning his tankards, ignoring her in favor of work. His cold behavior wasn't exactly what she'd expected of service to a customer, but she supposed an establishment like this didn't see too many well-mannered patrons.
Valeria sniffed the liquid, grimaced, then took a long drag from her tankard, not at all surprised that the beverage was cheap grog at best and akin to cleaning solution as she swallowed and felt it burn the back of her throat. Nothing at all like her father's expensive wine and premium liquors. Definitely not pleasant, but really, people didn't drink the stuff for pleasure, did they? Getting drunk as fast as possible was typically the aim of beverages like this.
She sat slowly muscling through her pint, feeling the handful of occupants staring at her back with curiosity and suspicion. But she tried her best not to let the heavy atmosphere dig it's claws in. The daughter of the greatest swordsman in the world was not here for challenge or recognition, though none of them would likely believe her. Though she could sense the scorn directed her way, she knew there was enough lingering doubt and fear to prevent most from simply calling her out in a duel. She was Mihawk's daughter, and no doubt had learned a thing or two from her father in swordplay.
All the same, her hands itched with all the armed men at her back.
Valeria wondered to herself if she'd receive the same sort of treatment as she freely explored the island. Then, a thought came to mind, that she had no idea where to look for the amazing sights that the world might hold. Wandering aimlessly didn't sound like the best method of finding whatever she might be looking for. Her attention directed back onto the stern man still cleaning his tankards.
"Barkeep," she called, and he directed another withering glare at her, "do you know of any interesting places to see on this island?"
"Why do you want to know something like that?" He replied, hostility never wavering.
"I'm exploring the world. This is the first place I've landed, and I figure a resident like you would know the area best." She explained evenly.
"You expect me to believe that, daughter of Hawk-Eyes? That you're simply passing through?" His eyes narrowed further. Perhaps he mistook her raised brow as surprise that she'd been recognized, because he continued. "Those eyes make you unmistakably his, though I didn't know he had a child to begin with."
"Are warlords that detested?" She inquired curiously, suddenly unsure of where all of the venom came from.
"Misfortune follows the warlords wherever they go. Everyone knows that. The safest decision is to not associate with them at all. So for the sake of my bar and this town's prosperity, I'd prefer if you got back into your ship and left."
Ah. That made more sense. Even if she wasn't here to cause trouble directly, she supposed his sentiment was also true. Her father had once described Shichibukai as heavy storms, destructive forces not to be underestimated, but a balance all the same. The same lightning and thunder that brought destruction carried with it the rain that kept life thriving. There was purpose to their role.
"I'm not here to harm anyone." Valeria pressed, expression never changing in the face of his spite. "It's as you said. I'm just passing through, seeing what the world has to offer. Once I see what I'm after, I intend to leave as you so wish me to."
A silence followed her statement, their eyes locking and sizing the other up. The barkeep braced his arms against the edge of the counter, giving a deep sigh. Valeria simply waited, wondering if she were about to be kicked out of his establishment. She supposed she should have waited until she'd gotten a chance to use the room she'd already paid for.
"There's a hot spring further inland. It's nestled into the mountain, down an unmarked path in the bamboo forest, hard to find if you don't know what you're looking for." He finally said quietly, face no less serious than before. "That's all we have around here that might be of interest to you. Shine Island is small."
"It sounds very beautiful. I think I'll head that way in the morning after a chance to rest." She thanked him with a nod, finishing her drink off with one last strained gulp. She set the tankard on the table and stood, reaching down to grab her violin case, then paused. "Is there anywhere that sells salve for a sunburn? I wasn't quite prepared for my journey here..."
He let out a huff and an eye-roll he didn't bother hiding, then pointed behind her. "The apothecary is in the plaza. Yellow building, grey roof."
She offered a smile in thanks. "Thank you. Have a pleasant night."
A multitude of stares followed after her when she returned from the apothecary, a second appearance for the night unexpected to those within. But she bypassed those drinking and went to ascend the stairs located in the back corner of the room. The noise of her boots against the wooden steps sounded louder than they actually were, the focus of so many people on them. The regular humdrum of the room resumed once she had reached the top step.
On the second floor of the tavern, a short hallway lead to the left, two rooms on each side with their doors closed. She approached the further one on the left, and tried the knob hesitantly. It opened easily, and she pushed inside to see the bare minimum required of a place to stay. A bed-clearly not as comfortable as her room at the castle-a small side table that was barely wide enough to fit anything of use, and a cracked circular mirror hanging crookedly on the opposite wall.
Well, the room had been cheap. She supposed she'd received what she'd paid for.
Valeria made a point of locking the door behind her with a slide of the deadbolt, offering scant protection should any of the rugged men downstairs actually wish to hurt her while she slept. Setting her violin case and bag on the floor at the foot of the bed, she lowered herself to the comforter and closed her eyes.
The bed gave a painful creak as she settled her weight on it. There went the possibility of a good night's sleep.
She reached for her bag again and took out the salve that the apothecary had given to her. She too had been terrified to see Valeria's eyes up so close, but luckily her associate had the wherewithal enough to help her with the transaction and get her out of the store as quickly as possible.
Valeria opened the jar and spread the cold goo against her skin, feeling immediate relief as soon as it covered her reddened skin. It reminded her of Kuraigana's chilly wind, a comforting sensation. It hadn't occurred to her until then that the world probably wouldn't be as cold as the island she'd spend two decades getting acclimated to. The elements and weather was another factor she hadn't taken into account setting off.
All these things her father hadn't warned her about, and things she hadn't anticipated needing to keep in mind. Was that on purpose too? So that she learned a lesson? Dracule Mihawk was all about teaching her lessons, so she wouldn't have put it past him. It was frustrating, sure, but in the long run perhaps she was better off for it.
She spread the goo everywhere that hurt, before closing the jar and putting it back in her back for later. No doubt she'd need it again in the future. Valeria laid back on the bed, her skin feeling much too hot to actually climb under the comforter to sleep, choosing instead to lay on top where the open air could keep her cooler.
The ceiling above her was stained and dirty, the origins of which she would rather not think about. The neighboring rooms were quiet, though she could hear the sounds of pleasure coming from a distant room. Just loud enough to invade her radius of hearing and now that she was focused on it, it was difficult to ignore it.
Her hands lay on her stomach, relaxing as much as her sore body would allow, and she eventually closed her eyes to try slipping into some semblance of sleep. The last thought in her mind was the prospect of the many amazing things to come, and wondering why she felt so homesick.
Around this time of night, the halls of the castle would echo with the notes of a violin's tune, rising and falling with whatever song Valeria chose to play. Never too loud to annoy, but always audible from the front room where Mihawk typically relaxed. And after years of practice on the instrument, fine-tuning her technique, smoothing and lifting the heavier draws of her bow, his daughter had grown exceptionally skilled at playing. Rarely an off-key note or fault in cadence when she'd serenade the mostly-empty halls.
The silence that permeated the castle tonight astounded Mihawk. More accurately, it astounded him that it felt so uncomfortable. As a man familiar with solitude and quiet in general, he hadn't expected the lack of noise to unsettle him after Valeria's departure from the island that morning.
Somehow, if it were at all possible, the empty castle felt even emptier.
He found himself staring out the front room's large window, slowly swirling the glass of wine in his hand, mind elsewhere. He didn't even hear Magdalene approach from the kitchen, having finished cleaning after their meal.
"She's not going to just turn around and come back, you know." The blonde caretaker marveled to him, taking up the space beside him to also gaze out onto the distance sea's horizon. To his surprise, yet again that night, she held her own glass of white wine. A sight he couldn't ever remember seeing before.
"I thought you didn't drink." He stated, taking a sip from his glass. A smile quirked at the edge of her lips.
"I don't. But sometimes the occasion calls for one, regardless." Her eyes glanced at him, before her head shook. "What are you expecting to find, staring out the window all night?"
"Nothing." He stated simply, then frowned deeper.
Magdalene took a quick sip from her wine and leaned her head against the edge of the window. "Feels like yesterday that she was being tossed through our door, so small and scared. Hah..." She let out a sigh, shaking her head mournfully. "I wish I could kill that terrible woman all over again. But look at Valeria now. Out on her own, all grown up. She grew so strong so fast."
"As I knew she would." He stated arrogantly, earning a chuckle from the caretaker. They grew quiet after that, simply watching as the sun grew closer to the horizon, and the sky came alive with deep oranges and yellow with the sunset.
"Are you skilled with the violin, Magdalene?" He asked suddenly, and the woman scoffed.
"Heavens no. I suppose I could try my hand at it, I'm sure Valeria has a spare one collecting dust somewhere around here."
Memories of his daughter's first few painful attempts at learning the instrument made him wince. "I'd prefer the silence, in that case."
Magdalene only laughed.
ns 15.158.61.17da2
