Kuraigana Island was chilly on the best of days, and frigid at worst. The dark, overhanging cloud cover meant that the sun was absent from the sky six days out of the week, and when visible, was too weak to penetrate the thick blanket above to provide any facet of heat. The gloomy kingdom was appropriately named, if unoriginal and trite.
No snow ever fell; the devastating war that had occurred before Dracule Mihawk's arrival must have caused some sort of atmospheric change that prevented such weather. The peculiar, unnatural mixture of colors that composed the sky leant that particular theory evidence. Even if it did get cold enough, it seldom rained to begin with. Not that he liked snow, per say. But it certainly would have brought some variety to the landscape, or might even cover up all those crumbling ruins laying around.
The low temperature seeped into everything it touched. And while the outer wings of the castle he'd taken residence in were nearly always cold as well, the central kitchen rarely saw a moment void of warmth emanating from the stove and oven it housed. Old and antiquated, perhaps, but reliable all the same. It wouldn't be a stretch to speculate that its central location was by design in an effort to push the heat to the outer ends of the stone castle itself.
A low, rumbling hum accompanied the heating stove at his back, punctuated only by the steady chops of his knife to the cutting board. A pot set to boil was seasoned and filled with a variety of peeled and diced vegetables, native to the closest trading island. The savory aroma wafted throughout the room, and he was pleased with how it was coming together. It would be too much for the only two occupants to eat, but it would provide leftovers enough for the following day's dinner as well.
Magdalene, the woman who'd been the castle's sole resident and self-proclaimed caretaker before he'd come along and decided to stay, was probably still pulling paintings and other decorative novelties from the castle's dusty store rooms. Despite never having visitors, she put good effort into sprucing the place up to bring it back to its 'glory days,' as she would say. Mihawk didn't much care about such things at the relatively young age of 26, but if it kept her busy and encouraged her not to turn that withering stare of disapproval at him, all the better.
Having finished chopping the last of the carrots to add to the soon-to-be stew, he looked up at the sudden sound of distant knocking. The harsh staccato of six sharp raps against the wooden door. Magdalene would never knock to enter her own home; she held the key to the entryway should she somehow be locked outside anyway. And the humandrills baboons were much too violent to bother knocking if they had made the decision to siege the castle. They would have broken it down, had they somehow gained the courage to challenge him directly.
Again, the visitor knocked. His eyes narrowed, and with mounting curiosity, he turned down the burner so the pot wouldn't boil over, before turning to head towards the entrance of the castle.
Kuraigana didn't get visitors. If the intimidating aura of the island didn't turn travelers away, then the fierce humandrills certainly did. Only the second half of the path leading up to the castle from the lonely dock at the shoreline could be considered 'safe.' They avoided the residence like the plague, though if Magdalene's account was anything to go by, that was only true after the swordsman had bested the beasts in combat. Simply being in their vicinity had them scattering.
His boots clicked against the stone floor tiles. The increased ferocity and speed of the knocks doing nothing to hasten his steps. Mihawk was not a man to be rushed. And while his observation haki was able to determine that whoever was behind the door wasn't of concerning strength, he didn't recognize the presence it belonged to either. A strange thing indeed.
"What on earth..." A voice behind him muttered. Clearly Magdalene had heard the unexpected commotion as well, and was summoned by the noise. She tidied her short, blonde hair into some semblance of order-her work in the castle store rooms left her dusty and carrying the stale stench of old furniture. "Were you expecting someone?"
"No." He stated simply. The caretaker scowled as the person knocked again with an obvious fury.
"Well, they should know it's incredibly rude to drop by unannounced..." Frustration fueled her feet, and she passed by the swordsman to reach the door first. With a backwards heave, though of no difficulty at all to the deceptively short woman, the wooden double doors creaked open.
A rush of cold air blew past the two occupants, and standing in the middle of the doorway was a young, brown-haired woman. Mihawk didn't know what he'd expected of his strange visitor, but it certainly wasn't this. There was nothing noteworthy about her; simple clothing-not suited for Kuraigana's temperature mind you-unkempt brown hair, and a rather average face. She looked around the same age as himself. The only thing particularly interesting about her was the angry scowl and glaring green eyes directed squarely at him.
"What is it I can do for you?" He asked smoothly, as if he couldn't already sense the hostility in her body language.
"You're a incredibly difficult bastard to find, Dracule Mihawk." She grated with an obvious shiver. Her hand clutched what thin clothing she had around her in some futile attempt at warmth. "Two months of searching. It's no surprise you'd reside on some inhospitable wasteland like this."
"It appears we are acquainted...?" He ventured to say, leaving it clear that he did not recognize this woman despite her certainty that they'd at least met before. He'd sailed many years around the four Blues, and met many people in his time. He couldn't be bothered to remember every single uninteresting face he happened to see.
His words only served to deepen her scowl.
"Something like that."
"You came all this way to see him, what is it you want?" Magdalene stepped in, attitude lowering to match their visitor's with ease. The caretaker didn't like wasting her time, and with the chill seeping into the castle rapidly, she wanted to keep this conversation as short as possible.
Without warning the woman reached behind her and yanked at a figure neither of them had noticed until now clutching at the back of her leg. A black-haired child whimpered in pain, or fear, or perhaps a mixture of both as she was dragged forward by the arm. With a rough shove, the woman threw the girl to the floor just inside the threshold of the castle. Despite attempting to stop her fall, she was not fast enough and so hit her head rather roughly against the stone tile. She cried out in pain on impact.
Magdalene gasped, stepping forward in a protective gesture at the blatant cruelty the woman had displayed. She stooped to lay a hand on the whimpering girl's shoulders. Mihawk narrowed his eyes with displeasure, seeing no reason for this woman's treatment of the child, whom he could only presume to be her own.
"I've lost everything, endured so much...pain and discrimination...and unending misery because of her! The day she was born, I became a witch to those who knew me before, the mother of such a devil. A cursed child!" She pointed a long, accusing finger at the girl she'd tossed away with malice. There was no motherly affection to be found. "I can't stand the sight of her."
Mihawk's brow furrowed in utter confusion, not seeing what this had to do with him. He went to say as much, but another surprised gasp from Magdalene made him look down towards the child again.
The small, black-haired little girl stared back at him with yellow-orange eyes that were unmistakably identical to his own. They widened upon seeing him, and he was struck still as he gazed back into her own, equally surprised face.
No more than 5 or 6 years old from looks alone. Thin, malnourished even. His mind raced to try recalling a time at age 20 or so when this child could have possibly been conceived. His flings were few and far between, rarely anything of note and not events he ever looked back at fondly. The mother still didn't look familiar, so he was lead to believe this was the result of one of his few nights of drunkenness during his travels. He had no recollection of such nights, even back then.
"I want nothing more to do with being that vile creature's mother. She's your problem now. Let the beast raise another beast." The mother concluded with venom, turning on her heel and leaving the others behind her without any further explanation.
The revelation that this child was indeed his left an even worse sour taste in his mouth. The gall this woman had to treat his child in such a way. He may not have known she existed until moment ago, but his flesh and blood was due the same respect as himself, surely. Disrespect of this caliber he would not tolerated.
He wasn't the only one irked by the display of insult and dismissiveness. Magdalene rose from her place beside the child, her back turned to the swordsman, though obviously rigid and tense even through her thick coat.
"I will...escort her off the premises." Was the woman's muttered promise, stepping past the young girl to follow after the child's mother.
Mihawk wondered how the woman had gotten past the humandrills to begin with. Perhaps luck, but one wouldn't know. Even if she managed to do it a second time to return to whatever ship she'd arrived in, she would surely be killed by the castle's caretaker and her Mythical Zoan devil fruit before she caught sight of the dock again. Magdalene didn't have reason to enter her Minotaur form often, but she was a frightening sight to behold when it happened.
Left alone with the child now, he turned his gaze onto her. She'd taken to standing there, so very small and frail. He could already see the developing bruise around her arm in the shape of her mother's hand. Those eyes, somehow holding no trace of fear at all, stared up into his own expressionless face.
"Your eyes..." She mumbled in a small voice, her fingers raising to point at her own yellow features. "They're like mine..."
"Indeed they are." He replied, unsure of what to feel in the moment. Offspring of his own was inconceivable to a large degree. The possibility had never even occurred to him. It was never a desire he'd bothered to covet. His own ambition in life was the title of greatest swordsman, a wife-let alone a family-had never crossed his mind. Sprung forth with this strange and surreal reality, he wasn't sure what sort of reaction he was supposed to have.
Two things were evident: in a matter of minutes this child would be left without a mother, and should he send her back out into the world, it was plain that she would experience the same abuse that her mother had put her through up until now. This child's eyes, inherited from him and him alone, would forever change the way the world saw her. His reputation had suddenly become a danger to someone so small and full of guile. Not to mention, she'd already been abandoned once.
Unacceptable. This was his daughter, however unplanned she may be. He couldn't justify subjecting her to a life of hardship simply because he had no knowledge on how to properly raise or care for a child. It was a new and foreign challenge, but certainly one he wouldn't run from. And he wouldn't put it past Magdalene to eagerly put in effort in making sure she was comfortable too.
An empty castle wasn't any place for a child so young, but he supposed there was nowhere else for her.
Having come to a decision, the swordsman crouched to meet her at eye level, beckoning her closer with one hand. She approached without hesitation, a marvel considering he was nothing to her but a stranger. In comparison to the girl's mother, he supposed anyone was a better alternative. Or perhaps she felt a sense of comfort upon seeing someone with the same characteristic that she'd been ridiculed for having her whole life.
"How old are you?"
Her small fingers raised to display her age. "Six."
"What is your name?"
With shame, her eyes cast themselves to the floor. Not a reaction he'd expected. "...I don't have one..."
"You were not given a name?" He questioned, and without a word her small head shook. "What were you called, then?"
"Cursed..." She mumbled sadly. "...or devil girl."
"Hmm." Mihawk felt his face tighten with a frown. Insulting. "Understand this. You will never be called such things again."
Her eyes turned back up to him with wonder, or hope. Or some innocent mixture of emotions that a child as young as her couldn't put a name to. Either way, the sadness from before was beginning to ebb away.
"What would you like your name to be?"
"I get to pick?"
"You do."
"Oh. Umm..." Her small mouth pursed in thought, eyes searching the room around her as if inspiration would lay in the stone of the castle. Her face finally lowered into a pout, her hands reaching up to tug on the strands of the long bangs framing her face. "I can't think of one."
Mihawk's mouth twitched up in a tiny smile, amused by the girl's frustration.
"Might I make a suggestion then?" She nodded, and his small smile widened. "Valeria would suit you well."
"Valeria?" She mimicked, trying it out for herself. "What does that mean?"
"To be strong."
For the first time since meeting her, Mihawk saw her face light up in a smile. Not quite as wide and bright as a young child's smile should be, but an expression of happiness all the same. It looked much better on her than a frown. "I like that name. It's pretty."
"Then Valeria you shall be."
The little girl shivered, folding her arms around herself to try warding off the cold wind from outside. Mihawk stood and walked over to the double doors, pressing them closed with a clatter. Although it wouldn't necessarily bring back any warmth, the bite of the wind would be stopped. And Magdalene would surely see to the disposal of the mother's body before returning to the castle for dinner. No use keeping the doors open until that time.
The swordsman regarded his newfound daughter evenly.
"It looks as though you'll be staying here for awhile." He began as he stepped up beside her, holding out his hand for her to take. "There is dinner on the stove, and the kitchen is much warmer than the foyer. We'll sort your room out after you eat something."
Eagerly, her much smaller hand settled into his own, and she looked up at him with such wonder. He couldn't fathom any being giving him such an expression. As if he were some sort of savior. Truly a different perspective.
Behind him a distant, beastly roar thundered over the wind. An unearthly sound that sent shivers down the back of even fearless men. Valeria turned, a tiny fearful gasp leaving her mouth. No doubt terrified that this place was inhabited by nightmarish beasts, but he simply turned her around towards their destination with a gentle and fortifying hand on her back.
"Nothing will harm you while I am here." He promised, his own eyes looking towards the door with satisfaction. "This I will swear to you."
Even if his observation haki hadn't already sensed her presence in the hallway behind him, her fast-footed steps on the stone tile floors certainly gave the young girl away. It was a strange habit she'd taken up, following him from a distance everywhere he may go within the castle, but it amused him to no end.
If she were trying to remain hidden, the eight year old was sorely failing at it. When he turned corners, he caught a glance of the girl peeking out from behind a further hallway's end, clearly trying to stay undetected but lacking the perceptional sense to do so. She'd duck back behind the wall much too late, and then running after the direction he'd gone so as not to lose him in the maze-like hallways again.
It was a fascinating game she'd set herself to, and so long as she wasn't bothersome, Mihawk didn't mind it. She was quiet, patient, and eventually gave up if she felt bored enough. Though the length of time it took before that occurred was surprisingly long, given her age. He'd allowed it to go on for several days now, waiting to see what she might be up to, tailing him with such dedication.
Sword at his back and intending to challenge the humandrills again, simply because he wasn't in the mood to do anything else with his time, Mihawk felt Valeria's eyes piercing from behind, watching as he approached the front door.
He paused mid-step, realizing that the girl may have the idea of following him out into the forests. Of course, he wouldn't allow such a thing, but it wouldn't do to give her the encouragement that she could simply leave the castle whenever she so wished. Perhaps it was time to put an end to her game, in the sake of safety.
"Valeria." He called, followed by a tiny yet audible gasp from somewhere behind him. "I know you're there. Come here, please."
With a sullen expression, she emerged from around the last corner, walking up to him in a fashion that clearly indicated her belief of being in trouble.
Her hair had grown longer, healthier and soft. She was no longer as thin and frail as the day she'd first been thrust upon his doorstep, his and Magdalene's constant cooked meals a large cause of that. Her own big appetite another. Head tilted down, she gazed up at him timidly, hoping to lessen what she believed to be a punishment.
"Is there something you need?" He asked, and her head shook silently. "Then why are you following me around the castle?"
"I wanted to see...what father does all day." She replied, the toe of her shoe digging into the stone tile below her feet.
"Hmm." He pondered her answer. If curiosity was her only motivator, he couldn't fault that. "If you must know, I am going out to battle the humandrills. If they're not kept in check, they come closer to the castle than is safe."
"Are they afraid of you?"
"They are." Valeria paused for a moment, but he could clearly see there was still more she wanted to say.
"Can I come with you?"
Mihawk paused, not having expected such a question. Then he turned back towards the door to dismiss the idea. "It isn't safe for a child. You should remain in the castle with Magdalene."
"But I want to be strong and brave. I want to be like you."
The swordsman turned again to look at her. Now that punishment was not part of the discussion, her face had set in determined lines. As determined as an eight year old could look, he supposed.
"Is that what you really want?" He questioned. This had certainly been an unexpected turn to the conversation. But, he supposed that he too was around the same age when he became enthralled with the idea of training with a weapon. She nodded vigorously in response. "You wish to learn to wield a sword?"
At that, her eyes widened, looking at the massive weapon strapped to his back, the hilt seen above his head. "I don't think I can hold something that big..."
Amused at her response he laughed, which only served to make her cross her arms in a pout. "I wouldn't expect you to. A sturdy branch will do for now, I suppose. However, we won't be going to the forest if you're to accompany me. The grounds in front of the castle should suffice for your first lesson."
Valeria's room echoed with the mellow notes of her violin, the bow gliding slowly across the strings and her fingers poised on the bridge delicately. Her eyes were drawn to the music sheet with a concentrated frown, following it's guide and doing her best to commit each bar to memory. With so much time in the day, and not much else that an 11 year old could do in such a large and barren castle, it wasn't exactly difficult.
When not practicing her blade work with her father in front of the castle grounds-he still refused to take her to the forest to battle against the baboons-she had nothing else to do but practice the instrument that had been gifted to her the year before by Magdalene. The woman had been adamant about doing something with her extra time, rather than wandering the castle in search of mischief to get up to. Valeria couldn't blame her caretaker. She had a habit of causing her grief when unsupervised.
Especially when her father was out at sea for weeks at a time, as he was now.
However, the thought of playing more difficult and challenging music to impress her stern father was pulling her deeper and deeper into the instrument as of late. The desire to have him smile with pride was an image she couldn't get out of her head. He was difficult to get any sort of expression out of, which only made her want to try harder.
With a few final pulls of her bow, the song finished, and using the tip she reached over to turn the page on the music sheet. Barely a beat or two of silence, and then the next song began, her eyes barely blinking as she played the resounding bars.
A 14 year old Valeria wondered how Magdalene could be so perceptive of the mischief she tried to get up to, but it had to be more than coincidence that most of her attempts were foiled before they could even begin. For instance, the wine cellar was always locked up tightly when her father was away, thick metal chains and a ridiculous-sized padlock blocking her entrance, and the caretaker watched for any attempt from the teenage girl to break in.
But when her father ultimately returned from his long voyages at sea, the locks would be undone, simply for ease of access. He never missed a glass of wine with every meal, and in the evenings he'd partake of a glass or two while he relaxed and sat in his chair by the fireplace. It saved both adults time to keep it unlocked.
Of course, this posed other problems for the curious Valeria, as she knew her father was even more perceptive than Magdalene when it came to her troublemaking. Even when she was nowhere in sight of the man, he somehow always knew what she was doing and where she was. Honestly, she had no clue how that was the case, but it irked her to no end. How was she supposed to get a taste of the red drink that she'd seen her father partake of for years? The questions as to what it tasted of was too much for the teen to bear.
And so, with a carefully-formulated plan, Valeria waited until her father wandered over to his plush seat by the fireplace after they'd finished dinner together. Magdalene was in the kitchen cleaning up after the dishes, making enough noise to mask whatever sound she may make. He sat, newscoo in hand, and drank from his glass of wine. Once he was settled and at the peak of relaxation, she made her move.
The wine cellar was just down the hallway of the kitchen, out of view of both the kitchen itself and the front room that her father currently occupied, and coincidentally also down the same direction that her room lay. To make matters even better, the back of his chair faced the hallway, blocking his view of what she might be doing. Heading that direction wouldn't warrant any abject suspicion if Magdalene also caught notice.
Careful to keep all expression off her face, Valeria stepped into the hallway and turned towards the direction of the wine cellar door. So far so good. With a glance behind her, she saw no prying eyes from either adult, and thinned her lips as she reached the door. Looking up at it, her hand reached out to grasp the brass handle.
"Valeria."
Her spine tensed, and her eyes looked back down the hallway where the voice had come from. He hadn't risen from his chair, and she could not even see him from where she stood in front of the door. Surely, he must have just forgotten to tell her something before she'd excused herself...there was no way he could have heard her.
"...yes?"
"You may think me old, but my observation haki is still formidable." He replied, followed by the sound of him turning the page of the paper in his hands.
She stood there in silence, wondering if perhaps he was simply bluffing. Magdalene still cleaned away form the kitchen, as if never having heard them speak. Another beat or two of silence, before the paper crinkled again.
"I know what you're doing."
A long, pent up breath released itself from her lungs and she finally let go of the door in resignation. She continued down the hallway to her room, annoyed that her father had seen through her yet again.
"You're leaving again."
Mihawk turned away from the window to see Valeria eyeing him pensively, clutching her violin and bow with a tight grip. A few of her precious music sheets were tucked under one arm. Clearly she'd meant to play in the front room, maybe growing bored of her own bedroom walls or having intended to have him listen as she practiced.
15 years old, she'd grown taller, her face thinning as she lost the child's fat around her cheeks. And while he always thought her gaze was a degree more mature than her given age, they regarded things with a sharper, more calculating mind behind them.
She didn't have as much practice masking her emotions as he did, however, and so he could clearly see the hurt behind her yellow irises.
"I am."
"You just returned a week ago."
"My presence was requested." He stated simply, knowing there was nothing for him to do. There were very few summons by the World Government that interested him, but this was one of those few times. And he was growing restless in the castle, having nothing and no one to challenge him other than the humandrills. His last voyage had been weeks ago, and his soul sought someone to fight.
Valeria made to speak, but snapped her mouth closed without a word and turned away to walk back down the hallway she'd come from. Her shoulders were bunched in anger.
Magdalene, who'd been helping him pack his small rucksack to bring with him, straightened up with a scowl. "Valeria! Don't be so disrespectful, I won't tolerate-"
"Let her go." The swordsman interrupted, eyes trained on his daughter's back until she turned the corner further down.
"Hmph. She's no right to act a petulant child. She should know, I taught her better manners than that." Magdalene muttered, shaking her head at the behavior the girl had displayed. "I can't help but wonder if her mother's unpleasantness was somehow genetic."
"She will learn to understand." He replied, hearing the thundered slam of her bedroom door a moment later. While he knew these bouts of anger were simply a phase that an older Valeria would mature out of, it didn't help to know that their relationship was currently in such a sour state.
An unfamiliar sensation of fear rooted her in place just outside the front room's open entryway. Sitting within was her father, shining and polishing his black cross-hilted blade. Valeria hoped that he wasn't in a displeased mood already, because she was sure her topic of conversation was going to upset him further. At least Magdalene was out on her own supply trip and away from the castle. She highly doubted the caretaker would have been too happy about the idea she had.
Valeria had no doubt that he knew she was lurking several feet behind where he was seated, however, he said nothing and simply waited for her to approach with whatever was on her mind. She didn't know which would have been worse.
Swallowing her apprehension, Valeria forced a neutral face and stepped into the room with even strides. The oiled cloth gliding back up the blade's edge, he glanced up at her when she came into view from around his chair.
"Finished skulking in the hallway?" He inquired in a tone that left her unable to tell what sort of mood he was in. Curse his expertly guarded emotions. Well, she'd come this far now. No use turning back.
"I have a request."
"As is evident." His chin lifted in expectation, waiting for her to spit out whatever had been occupying her thoughts for the past 5 minutes.
Valeria's mouth felt dry, but she pushed through regardless. "If you'll allow, I would like to leave the island."
"Absolutely not."
The immediate reply made her frown, the mask she'd been careful to put up slipping away in an instant. "You didn't even think about it."
"I don't have to." He said, looking back down at the task he'd set himself upon. "It is clear to me that you are not ready."
"I'm 18 years old. I'm no longer a child."
His eyes flicked back up meet hers. "Have you successfully infused your blade with haki yet?"
"..." The retort cut at her confidence, and she could not come up with a response. But she reigned in her emotions as tight as she could to not let her disappointment show. It didn't matter, however, since he could see right through her.
"Your time is better spent honing your skills in haki, as you still have much to learn." He said with a tone of finality, and she simply turned away to leave before he could lecture her for too long. "Come to me again when you're older."
"Ugh..."
The whole world was spinning, and her stomach was doing flips with it, only serving to intensify the feelings of nausea and regret that swirled through her. In all her 21 years of life, she'd never felt so awful, even counting the horrible flu she'd caught as a young child just arrived at the castle. Closing her eyes and lowering her head helped to a small degree, but honestly the only thing that kept her grounded was leaning against the castle garden's largest tree. The cool wood and the welcoming breeze felt nice against her face.
"Out of curiosity, what possessed you to believe you could handle so much liquor when you've never drank before?" Her father's amused voice questioned from somewhere behind her. Another groan escaped her mouth in reply. The effort of thinking further than that was just too much in the moment.
"Magdalene planted those pansies yesterday. Puking all over them would surely send her into a fit."
"Please...stop talking..." Valeria muttered in agony, the act of processing and understanding what he was saying teetering her ever closer to the edge of throwing up. She'd managed to stave off the reaction thus far, enacting all of her lessons in controlling herself and her emotions. But it was a fine line that her father was unknowingly pushing her nearer to.
"I hope this serves as a lesson in moderation for you, Valeria. Knowing your limits is more important than you may realize. Not just with alcohol, but in all things." He went on, the words bouncing around her skull with increasing frequency. "In the future, perhaps pacing yourself-"
"Hurk!"
Valeria doubled over against the tree, expelling the vile drink from her body in a unpleasant shudder. All over the patch of pansies she'd sat beside, of course. Somewhere in the back of her head, she knew there'd be consequences for doing so, but her mind was solely focused on ridding her stomach of the excess alcohol. With luck, she'd be able to clean everything up before Magdalene found out.
Behind her, she could hear her father's annoyingly smug chuckle. If she were in a state to do so, she'd have offered him a venomous glare. He'd done this on purpose, surely.
"Come inside when you're feeling better. I'll send Magdalene to find you if you take too long."
Zoro and Perona's appearance several months ago had, hopefully, opened up the idea of the outside world to her father enough to at least consider granting her renewed request. His training of the swordsman, and his inevitable departure from the island, had to at least open up the possibility.
Perona floated through the walls of the hallway she walked to get to the castle's armory. For the most part the girl ignored Valeria, as they both held a strong dislike of each other. If her father had hoped that having a woman around her age in the castle would encourage some sort of bond, he was sorely mistaken. Valeria found her annoying. Perona thought she was unapproachable. Both were content to leave it that way.
The pinkette took one look at her and gave a quiet 'hmph,' before disappearing from sight behind the stone walls. Valeria didn't let it get to her, instead putting more determination into her walk.
Now 23 years old, the black-haired beauty was set on asking to leave again. And this time, having become proficient with both armament and observation haki, surely there was no reason for him to deny her?
Before it had received new residents, the castle's previous ones had of course, used the armory to store most of their weapons. Many were too rusted or in bad repair to be of any use in actual combat, but it did still contain all the necessary tools to sharpen and polish swords.
Her father sat after a long day of training the green-haired swordsman, his blade blade held at an angle easiest to inspect its surface, running a rag with oil over the shining metal.
"I want to see the world, father. Please." She stated, hoping that the sincerity in her tone would somehow sway him to grant her wish. "I'll be careful, of course, and avoid unnecessary danger-"
"No."
"For what reason?"
"You are not ready."
"What have I yet to master? Are there sword techniques you haven't shown me? Or another form of haki I've not heard of? Because I see no reason for you to deny me this." Was her rather demanding response. Her eyes stared into her father's, searching for some clear explanation. "I've defeated the humandrills, and I've bested Magdalene in her Minotaur form-"
"Only once."
"Still. I give Zoro a good fight, and he's been out in the world already. I am capable enough to do this. What more must I do? Please, father."
He fixed her with a hard stare, but unlike her younger self, she no longer backed down from his intimidating gaze. Having the same eyes slowly desensitized her to staring at them for prolonged periods.
"No, Valeria."
She shut her eyes to process the impending disappointment, shoving it back so it would not show. She breathed in and then out a slow, steadying breath. When she opened her eyes once more, her firm mask of indifference was back in place as best she could manage. "Fine."
With measured steps, she left the armory and refused to look back at the gaze she knew was settled on her back.
Somehow, this time around, approaching her father's chair as the fire roared a comforting warmth felt so different from the countless other times she'd come to him. Valeria's mind was set, and this time, she wouldn't give him a choice to refuse her. She was 25 now, and leagues more mature than the last time she'd asked about leaving Kuraigana Island.
And so when she stood in front of her father, focused on his typical paper and nursing a glass of red wine, she had no trouble keeping her voice and expression completely and utterly neutral. Even Perona's presence nearby didn't deter her.
"I'm leaving Kuraigana." She uttered, no waver or hesitation at all. "I'll be taking Magdalene's ship out in the morning."
Having heard the conversation from behind the front room's wall, Perona gasped and floated into view, her umbrella clutched tightly in her hands. "You're leaving? Huh? You've never left this place before, why now?"
Valeria didn't bother responding, eyes never straying from the taciturn man in his chair.
With one last sip from his glass, he set the drink upon the small side table next to his chair and finally looked up at her. She met his gaze evenly, waiting for whatever argument he may have to deny her this time. But she wouldn't beg. She wouldn't bargain. Valeria was tired of demanding to know why he didn't believe her to be ready.
The swordsman took a slow breath in before releasing it through his nose, finally lifting his chin an inch. "Then we will see you off when you depart."
Valeria blinked, rendered speechless as he simply looked back down at his newscoo. Perona's outraged stream of confused chattering fell on deaf ears, as neither Dracule was paying attention to her. When that became clear, she simply left the room which was plunged in an intensity that she found 'not cute at all.'
The young woman had spent hours formulating a number of reasons as to why his objections would not sway her decision. Her parting speech was rehearsed in her head all this past week, to firmly stand her ground while still trying to maintain the good relationship they both had. She had no desire to sever ties with him, simply to break out on her own.
This was not at all what she'd been expecting.
"That's all you're going to say?"
His gaze didn't lift from the paper. "Was there something else?"
"You've denied me time and time again, telling me I'm not prepared. And now you agree without explanation?"
His brow cocked upwards. "Seeing as you felt the need to ask my permission rather than decide for yourself all these years, it was plain to see that you were not mature enough to handle whatever you may find out there."
For the second time that night, she was left without the right words to respond. Is that what had caused him to refuse her all this time? Because she had asked instead of demanded? Valeria didn't know whether to laugh or scream.
Her extended silence finally caught his attention, and he lowered the paper. He folded it up and stood from his chair, walking to stand in front of her. In a gesture she'd always found comforting, he placed both of his hands on her shoulders, looking into her face to inspect her with an appraising eye.
"Let this be your first lesson of the world out there; take what you want. Don't wait for it to be given to you." He stated quietly, and she committed each and every word to memory. "Be warned, Valeria. It is a dangerous place beyond these shores. Everything and everyone will attempt to use or kill you. Do not freely give your trust away."
Valeria's head nodded seriously, indicating she was listening intently. He stared down at her another moment, eyes flicking between her identical ones.
"What is it you are seeking?"
"I don't know." She answered truthfully, never having formulated what specific thing she looked forward to when she eventually did leave her home. "But I want the chance to find whatever it may be. I want to explore, and learn, and see what's out there."
"I value your safety above all else, but it is foolish of me to believe that I can keep you protected here forever." He stated with a hint of disappointment, as if he wished he could in fact do such a thing. "I can see you intend to leave here regardless of what I say to stop you."
Her affirming nod made him sigh quietly. "I'll prepare your favorite meal and we will dine together before you leave. You may have your choice of wine from the cellar, if you'd like."
She perked up, and amusement danced across his features at her reaction. He reached up to lift her chin with his hand. It was a tender gesture, a rare display of affection that the young woman relished for as long as he would allow. "Have confidence, for you are the daughter of a Shichibukai. I know you will do great things as you venture forth."
Kuraigana's shores lapped with steady waves, and for once the wind wasn't biting cold. It was almost...pleasant. A good day to set sail on this profound adventure.
Her bag of provisions slung across her back, blade at her hip, and the violin case that she couldn't fathom leaving home without in her free hand, Valeria's feet carried her across the salty wooden boards of the dock. The humandrills hadn't bothered them on their way down the path, her father's presence ensuring that.
Magdalene's one-person sloop sat swaying and bobbing with the rise and fall of the waves, moored and waiting for her to board. They still had her father's coffin-shaped ship should they need to leave for any reason, and it wasn't outside of his power to purchase another one to replace Magdalene's original if they did indeed need two.
At the edge of the dock, Valeria stopped, looking up to see the three people there to see her off. Her father and Magdalene, of course, but also Perona, who apparently just had nothing better to do than following the rest of the castle's occupants around all day long. She simply floated there beside her creepy transparent ghosts, arms crossed and looking totally unimpressed.
Why she hadn't stayed with Zoro when he'd departed was a mystery to her.
Magdalene tried keeping it together, but even from this distance the black-haired woman could see she was close to tears. She'd tried playing off this whole thing as if she were glad to be rid of the troublesome girl. Valeria knew better. The mother-like figure to her all these years would most certainly miss her once she left.
Dracule Mihawk, the greatest swordsman in the world and a fearsome Shichibukai, stood between both women and upon seeing his daughter look their direction, gave her a rare and encouraging smile. She couldn't recall the last time she'd seen such a pleasant expression mark his features, and it struck her then how all this time, as she'd grown older, so had he.
Valeria returned his smile with a wide one of her own, relieved to see that in the end, she had his blessing after all. And the more time she'd had to think over his words the night before, the more she could appreciate his intent in keeping her on the island as long as he could. He'd wanted her to be prepared, and mentally ready to face anything that might come her way. He'd waited for her to develop her own fortitude.
Knowing that lingering too long would make her second guess her decision, Valeria stepped foot onto the little boat and tossed her bag onto the floorboards of the ship, before taking her sword and slicing at the rope holding the ship to the wooden dock.
The wind was in her favor, whipping at her black hair and propelling her towards the open and unknown ocean. She stood and watched as the sails bulged out, and the little boat began to pick up speed.
Eyes on the horizon, Valeria eagerly awaited the start to her first adventure.404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJRcgnWPCQ5
