Chapter Text
WARNING!
This chapter contains my first attempts at writing romance. Hopefully it's not too cheesy. While it isn't a lemon (I'm not comfortable writing pure smut) it gets a little steamy if you know what I mean. All participants are over 18.
Previously on TDoL:
She snarled bitterly through her tears as she ran, regretting this whole situation. This stupid f*cker! Why was he so stubborn!? Why didn't he just quit?! It should be easy! Just two words! I quit! That's it! It was only for a stupid bet! Why had he gone so far!
A small voice spoke up in the back of her head, 'It was only a stupid bet, why did YOU go so far? He's only a child, what's your excuse? Aren't you supposed to be the mature one?'
She cried even harder, her blurry vision forcing her to navigate with observation haki.
"Please" Brandy sobbed. "Don't die."
Branches of trees scraped across Brandy's face as she ran, but she couldn't bring herself to care. If she got a scratch or two, it wouldn't be any less than what she deserved! The dying kid's blood felt sticky on her arms, and she pushed down the bile that rose in the back of her throat.
Sprinting full tilt, she broke out of the tree line and tore towards town, heading to the clinic of Uncle Magoo, the town doctor. He wasn't biologically her uncle, or anyone's really, but everyone called him that, so the title stuck. Brandy couldn't remember his actual first name, but she had a vague recollection of it being nerdy sounding. 'Uncle' was an improvement.
While she probably could have taken the brat to a Navy medic that had more experience with severe blade wounds, Uncle Magoo was famous for treatinganyoneno matter who they were or what they had done, and treating them well. She refused to trust the bra- no,Jasper'slife to some superstitious f*ckwad who could easily take the opportunity to 'slay the snake demon' instead of heal him.
Reaching the clinic, she saw it was closed. Undeterred, she banged on the door with her knee,hard, and debated just busting it down in her head, but decided against it. She needed whatever good will she could get.
"Help! Please!" She screamed out as loudly as she could, "I've got an injured child! If you don't help him he'll die!" She kept banging with her knee, as her arms were full. She hated the shaky quavering in her voice, hated being so desperate for help, but none of that mattered right now.
"Coming! I'm coming! Be right there! I'm coming down" Shouted an old sounding voice from the upstairs dwelling above the clinic, and she could hear footsteps thundering hurriedly down the stairs inside. The door swung open, revealing an old man who was quite thin and rather short. The top of his head was bald and shiny, and the sides and back of his head were covered in fluffy white hair, which was currently wild with bed head. His eyes seemed extremely large as they were comically magnified by his large co*ke bottle glasses that perched precariously on his small upturned nose. He was currently wearing only a moth eaten tank top, well patched boxer shorts, and a pair of bunny slippers. It was clear he had been either asleep or close to it, but he hurriedly waved Brandy in just the same as if it had been noon.
Uncle quickly led Brandy over to a treatment bed, and when she had laid Jasper down, a startled gasp came from Uncle, and he froze. "It's that demon boy… from the snakes belly…" he said in shock, hesitating.
A fiery rage exploded like a volcano in Bandy's chest and Uncle Magoo jumped as she suddenly screamed at the top of her voice, "WHAT IN THE HELL DOES THAT MATTER!? ARE YOU A DOCTOR OR NOT?!"
Coming to his senses, Uncle quickly got to work treating Jaspers wounds while responding. "Of course. You're right, it doesn't matter. I'll treat him just the same! What happened to him?" After confirming he was genuine with her observation haki, Brandy outlined his wounds, taking care to be vague about who exactly he received them from. Uncle Magoo's eyes darted puzzled from her sword, to Jasper, and back to her, seeing the tears on her face. Apparently decided he'd rather not know, he didn't ask any further questions on that matter.
For the next hour or so, Uncle Magoo worked to stop the bleeding, cleaning and dressing Jaspers wounds wile making use of brandy as an assistant, having her hold pressure on certain wounds, or fetch him different tools that he needed. Whenever uncle needed to use alcohol to cleanse a wound, he would usually take a swig first. Despite this concerning habit, his hands remained steady and his words relatively crisp. Finally, he declared Jasper stabilized, and Brandy dropped into a chair like a sack of bricks, completely wrung out both physically and emotionally.
Uncle spoke up as he cleaned his bloodied hands in the sink. "There's still work to be done, but the lion's share is behind us. While his wounds are deep, they didn't breach his ribs, and his organs are most likely undamaged. He's lost a lot of blood, so he'll need a transfusion. Do you know what type he is?" After a few seconds, the question registered, and Brandy breathlessly responded. "It doesn't matter. I'm S negative." She tiredly rolled up her sleeve in preparation. Uncle Magoo sighed in relief, "Oh good! A universal donor! This should be straightforward then." She moved to a chair next to Jasper's treatment bed, and uncle prepared the transfusion with clean looking needles that he retrieved from a boiling pot with some tongs. After they had sufficiently cooled down and Brandy had washed the blood off her hands, he prepared her arm with a booze soaked cotton ball.
While you can't learn the deadly way of the sword without conquering your fear of sharp pointy things, Brandy still had a twinge of her childhood phobia of needles, and she pointedly looked away as it was inserted into her vein. She breathed deeply, calming herself. Jasper would make it. She wouldn't have to tell Lia her son was dead. She looked over to make sure, and his near mummified torso was rising and falling as his pulse stabilized. Brandy felt as if a weight lifted off her chest. He would live.
A shaky, relieved smile made its way onto her face. He would -live-.
Brandy -wasn't- a child murderer. Not now, not ever.
As she began to feel a bit dizzy, Uncle, who had his fingers measuring Jasper's pulse, stopped the flow of blood. "That should be fine." He proclaimed, and Brandy once again looked away as he removed the needle from her arm and bandaged her up. After he was done, Brandy made to stand up, as she should really be letting Jack know where she was, but she was intercepted by uncle with a small plate of food and a tall glass of orange juice. The plate had a small hunk of beef, spinach leaves, and a cookie that looked like a snicker doodle. "Eat. You'll feel better." He insisted.
Sighing, she took the food and drink. Normally she would refuse to be babied like this, but after everything that had happened today, she couldn't muster up the energy to refuse. Brandy ate the food before drinking the beverage, and she grimaced as the sweetness of the cookie had ruined the taste of the orange juice. She shook her head. What a dumb thing to worry about right now of all times. She chugged the rest of the juice, and walked out the door after promising to pay Uncle in the morning.
Brandy stopped and took a break whenever she felt a little light headed, but she made it home in the end. Jack was worried like she had predicted, but she waved off his questions and fell fully clothed into bed. She was asleep before she hit the pillow.
Jasper P.O.V.
I awoke in a bed with soreness throughout my body. I groaned, is it time for work already? I tried sitting up, but the moment I did, I was madeveryaware of the wound across my chest and stomach as a lance of pain pierced my chest and stomach. What the hell?!
Suddenly it all came rushing back! I remembered what world I was in, what I had done, and who I had fought. Who I had lost to.
Damnit.
I shook my head. That was weird. I guess I still associate sleeping in a bed with my previous life. At least I didn't have an awful dream this time.
Checking for mobility, I rolled my ankles and then my wrists, wincing when I pulled at the stitches on the back of my forearms. Despite the pain, my mobility seemed fine, and I let out a sigh of relief. It meant that while Iwasf*cked up pretty bad, Iwasn'tpermanently crippled.
Observing my surroundings I was in some kind of home clinic. While no one was in the room, I could hear someone upstairs.
I considered trying to leave, but the immense pain that accompanied trying to lift myself stopped me from implementing that idea. I sighed. I felt… weak. Weak and tired and sof*ckinghungry! As if to punctuate this thought, my stomach rumbled with a loudness only possible in an anime universe. I laughed at the ridiculousness of it before hissing in pain.
f*ck That hurts.
I jumped as a loud knocking came from the front door, and when I heard someone coming down the stairs, I quickly pretended to be asleep, my eyes shut but listening intently. I didn't recognize the the person in the house, but I could sense the person outside was Brandy. She had brought someone with her whose 'voice' wasmuchweaker, and I puzzled where I had sensed it before. When they actually spoke, I realized it was her boyfriend Jack, who I had sensed at the party. I admit I was surprised Brandy told him about all this, but I guess she trusted him enough to keep him in the loop.
"How is he?" Asked Jack as soon as the door opened. Without letting them in, which I thought was curious, the man (doctor?) responded in a reedy whisper.
"I did all I could, but something strange occurred late into the night, that I think you really aught to know Brandy." I could feel her aura practicallysingin horror and guilt, and she responded hurriedly, "What happened?! You said he'd be alright when I left him here?! What strange thing?! What are you talking about?!"
The old man responded somberly, as if regretful and perplexed, "I checked him thoroughly, and found no evidence of poison sacs."
There was an awkward silence. Poison sacs? What the hell?
As if echoing my thoughts Brandy spoke up, "…Poison sacs? What?" Undeterred, the man continued. "Yes. Demon snake children, according to myth, have retractable poisonous fangs, which I found no evidence of, nor of any other demonic traits. Bizarrely to say, this boy you brought me is 100% human."
Silence stretched out for a few more seconds, before Brandy exploded. "OF COURSE I KNOW HE'S HUMAN YOU f*ckING MORON!" I could hear Jack chuckling in the background as Brandy went off on the Doctor, "HOW IS HE DOING?! IS HE ALRIGHT?!"
At this point I holding in my laughter was more painful than letting loose, and I burst into painful chuckles. Hearing me, the old man turned around. "Goodness gracious you're awake! You really shouldn't be laughing like th—oof!" he was cut off as Brandy elbowed past him. Jack followed, before going pale at the state of my injuries. "sh*t Brandy…" he said under his breath as Brandy rushed over to my bedside, "Your alive! I'm so sorry! I never should have gone that far! It was just for a stupid bet and I should have been-" I cut her off, interrupting, "Brandy! You know I absolutely, 100% would have beat your ass just as bad if I could have, right?Iwas the one who made the bet. And Iwouldn'thave held back. I don't blame you at all!"
At this, Brandy seemed to deflate, the tension flowing out of her. "Thanks… Jasper. That means a lot," She whispered, her eyes damp but not fully crying, with a relieved smile on her face. I raised an eyebrow at the use of my actual name. I guess I had graduated from 'sh*tty brat' status. A loud smack sounded out, and when Brandy and I looked up, we saw Jack had facepalmed, "Of all the… Four Blues and theGrand Line,there'stwoof them," He said in exasperation.
Brandy scowled at him, and I chuckled, which hurt. Brandy whipped back to me in concern. At this point the Doctor walked up. "Brandy here saved your life! You were about to die of blood loss, and she agreed to give you a transfusion. It was actually rather close!"
"How did you know what blood type I was?" Come to think of it,Idon't know what my blood type I am. Not inthisbody.
"Doesn't matter. I'm S negative, it's a universal donor."
S negative? What the hell was S type? Didn't she mean O? Not wanting to potentially out myself as an otherworlder, I didn't ask.
"So now I've had a bit of you inside me huh? I'll never get married at this rate." Brandy rolled her eyes but smiled, and Jack pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ahhhhhhhhhhh my gooodd."
My stomach rumbled again, and everyone paused. "If I want to heal, I'll need food. Lots of it, preferably meat. There should be plenty of leftovers from the party at Lia's. If you lend me a long sleeve shirt and some baggy pants to hide the bandages then we can be in and out with no one the wiser. I'll be healed up by tonight and Lia won't ever know what happened."
Jack rolled his eyes and made to say something, but Brandy spoke up first, Her face lighting up in relief.
"Oh yeah!" She said, remembering my healing abilities from last night. "That works for me!"
Jack sputtered, choking in frustration,"Wha—No! That's not…" he took a deep breath, centering himself. "That isnothow healing works!"
Brandy responded, but instead of a proper explanation, she smirked slyly and said, "Why not? It's his favorite, so it'll help!" I snorted behind my hands at the sight of Jack's brain short circuiting. f*ckingmagnificent. "Brandy," I said, "I think this is the start of awonderfulfriendship." She quirked up an eyebrow. "I still haven't forgotten about my machete. I'll need to get that back before I evenconsiderbeing friends."
"You will!" I responded. Finally Jack recovered, "What thehellare you talking about?! He can't heal in an afternoon!"
Finally throwing him a bone, Brandy explained about my healing abilities, which kinda turned into a play by play of our entire fight. When we were done Jack was shocked, but he looked like he was actually taking us seriously, which was a relief. He wasn't finished complaining however.
"Wehaveto tell Lia what happened." He declared. In unison, both Brandy and I responded, "Why the hell would we do that?"
Realizing what happened, I turned to Brandy with an impish grin while she looked at me with a scowl. Jack dropped into a chair, defeated. The doctor cleared his throat, pointedly looking at Brandy. "Yeah yeah. Here's your payment," Brandy said, pulling out her wallet.
"We're seriously justnotgoing to tell her?!" Jack whisper-yelled as he and Brandy carried me to the orphanage. "Yes! Now bequiet, we're almost there!" Brandy whisper-yelled back, and he glanced incredulously at me for confirmation. I nodded vigorously. He sighed in resignation.
I looked down at my borrowed clothes. They were baggy and overly long, but they weren'twaytoo big. Because of Brandy's reach and height advantage, she had seemed like she wasa lottaller than me in the heat of the fight, but now that I was literally wearing her clothes, a hoodie and sweatpants, I realized she wasn't all that much bigger. I may have been pretty tall for an almost 11 year old, but she, a literal adult, atmosthad 7 inches on me. "How tall are you Brandy? These fit better than expected." I whispered. She looked at me, eyes narrowed, as if she wasn't sure if she was being made fun of or not. "171 centimeters," she responded.
I blinked. That doesn't tell me anything. What is that in feet and inches? I forgot what the conversion is dammit! I hate mental math!
"Huh. Neat." I said, trying to save face and hide the fact I didn't know the metric system. "That's, uh, impressive" I stated, taking a shot in the dark. She rolled her eyes but didn't comment further, as we had arrived. They set me down and walked over to the shed. As I shuffled weakly around to the front from where they were hiding, I heard Jack snigg*r. "Impressive huh? Don't worry Brandy, ILoveyou in high heels! You look great!" I heard a smack and and "ow!" Followed by a "shh!"
Every step I took was an ordeal, and my injuries throbbed painfully. Getting around to the front of the orphanage, I opened up the door as quietly as I could, and mentally thanked the improved funding for the door hinges not screeching like they used to. It was the middle of the day, so hopefully the kids would be at school and Lia would have the toddlers on an outing.
As I made my way to the kitchen, I marveled at the fact that one piece didn't have radios, television, or even home security, but electrical lighting, indoor plumbing, and even refrigerators were commonplace. Speaking of refrigerators, I opened Lia's, and smiled at the platter with massive amounts of leftovers. It was a pile of meat that probably weighed more than I did!
As I tried to pick up the platter, pain from my injuries flared up, making me dizzy. Blinking away the tunnel vision and breathing deeply, I was just about to try again when I heard a voice behind be, which made me jump. "Need any help?"
I spun around and realized it was Risa, which was a relief, as I didn't feel confident in my ability to successfully bullsh*t Lia. I was, however, confused by her presence. Shouldn't she be in school? I must have made her nervous with my silence, because a minor blush dusted her cheeks, and she continued, "Sorry! I mean… of course you can lift it by yourself! You don't need me! I—" I interrupted with a smile, "I'd love help Risa, I'm actually feeling pretty weak from hunger—" she responded quickly, almost before I was done speaking, "Oh! Ok? Sure! Yeah…" for a few seconds, she avoided eye contact, and there was an awkward silence.
After a few seconds I chuckled and and her cheeks got rosier. Together we lifted the plate, but when I started getting tunnel vision, I hurried to the table and set the food down. I had planned to take the food outside, but I guess I would have to eat in here. Risa sat across from me and grabbed a piece of cold pulled pork, eating it and sighing in appreciation. "You know food is good quality when it's still good cold!" She proclaimed.
Trying it myself, I had to agree. Even chilled overnight it wasn't dry, mushy, rubbery, or anything you'd expect from leftovers. It was still meaty in taste and texture, and was actually quite nice!
Before I really dug in, I realized that the place was pretty quiet. "Where is everyone? And shouldn't you be in school?" She looked at me like I was an idiot, "It's Sunday! It's still the weekend, duh!" Ah. I forgot. Undeterred, she continued. "Lia took everyone into town, I stayed behind in case y—" she seemed to catch herself. "I mean uh, because I felt like it!" She blushed intensely. "So it's just us right now…" she finished, stuffing some food in her mouth and avoiding my gaze.
I was caught between smiling at the adorableness of her obvious childish affection, and sighing in discomfort thatIwas the object of her crush. Itsuperawkward for me. While ignoring it probably wasn't the best decision, even so I'd just pretend to be clueless. It was easier (for me) that way.
"Oh ok. Cool." I said as casually and unconcerned as I could, and immediately began stuffing my face. Her face brightened, and her blush intensified. "Heh heh, yeah…really cool." she grabbed some pork and began eating as well.
Yikes. That backfired. But, at the end of the day, there wasn't much I could do about it. Sorry Risa, but I have a deadly injury to heal, and not much time to do it. I'm just glad it wasn't spaghetti.
P.O.V. Jack: A few minutes earlier
Jack rubbed his ribs where Brandy had elbowed him, and watched as the kid shuffled weakly around the corner towards the front door. Yikes, the brat wasn't looking so well.
Jack looked over at Brandy, who was sitting next to him in the shed, and saw she was biting her lip in worry and guilt. He scooted close to her and put his arm around her shoulders. "Hey…" he said softly so only she could hear. "It's gonna be alright. He can heal up in a jiffy… right?" Inwardly he cursed. That was supposed to be comforting, and instead he sounded unsure! Damnit!
Brandy snuggled deeper into his side, and he relaxed. Good, it had more or less helped her out anyway. Nice! Softly, she responded, "Yeah… it is. I saw it with my own eyes. He can heal. He'll befine." Her eyes dropped to the ground, and she kept worrying at her lip. It sounded like she she was trying to convince herself more than anything. Leaning his head lightly on hers, Jack continued. "Hey, talk to me. I can tell your beating yourself up. Don't push it down, I'm listening."
She sighed in exasperation, and scooted away from him, looking him in the eye. Uh oh.
She paused, as if contemplating what to say next.
"How…" she started, and then paused, her eyes misty, "how are you ok with this? I…" she paused again, and Jack stayed silent, letting her think.
"I almost killed him!" She finally whisper shouted, "A little kid! I sliced him up like a holiday ham! And you're just fine with that?!" Jacks first instinct at the challenge was to argue back and match her combative tone. He still thought they should tell Lia the truth after all, and she was fine to keep it as a secret. But instead, he pushed the temptation down and calmed himself with a breath. He knew this was extremely important to her, and he had to be calm and collected. "Hmmm…" he hummed in contemplation. "I'm not gonna lie, it's not… cool."
"I'm definitely not mad or even disappointed about it though, I mean, the kid took down a Rhinoboar with his bare hands! It not like you ambushed some random helpless kid for no reason, you said he was strong enough to push you into going that far, and I believe you." At this, her chin scrunched up, and she blinked rapidly as a tear rolled down her face. She quickly wiped it away with her sleeve, and he continued, "It's just, I know logically it probably had to happen, but seeing him in that hospital bed… I won't deny it was… shocking." She nodded, and looked away.
"So…" she said, and she seemed to hunch her shoulders, curling into herself. "What now? You say you're not mad but…" her voice cracked, and she stopped abruptly. Jack responded, "Hey, look at me." She turned around, tears streaming down her cheeks. She made to wipe them away but Jack leaned forward, gently taking her hands in his, and stared into her eyes. "I.promise." he paused to make sure it sunk in. "I'mnotmad. I amnotdisappointed. It's just… it's a weird situation y'know? It'stenseis all. But that doesn't mean I'mgoinganywhere. Itrustyou. I don't blame you at all, hell in your shoes I probably would have done the same."
At this Brandt huffed in mock irritation. "You would have done the same? But… you're a hot headed idiot! Oh no…" She finished, apparently disappointed in herself. Jack snorted in laughter, but then scooted in even closer, his hands sliding from her hands to wrap around her waist in a hug. When she returned the hug, he leaned in cheek to cheek, his breath tickling her ear as he whispered huskily, "Then I guess we're perfect for each other, aren't we? Just a couple of hot headed fools…"
He could feel the shudder that went down her back, and he let out a low pitched hum of pleasure,lovingthat he could get such a reaction from her. Brandy leaned back just enough to make eye contact, but scooted her body closer till she was practically sitting in his lap. As they stared into each others half lidded eyes, she bit her lower lip again, though Jack was willing to bet that this time it was for anentirelydifferent reason. Breathlessly, she whispered, drawing in so close their lips were nearly touching, "Tensehuh? I can live with that~" she paused, and the tension built, but she continued, "Jack I…" she hesitated, as if unsure. Maybe even afraid. Knowing what she was likely to say, and feeling the same way himself, Jack took the plunge.
"I love you Brandy. 'Till the end of the line, and beyond. To the One Piece and back, wherever, whenever, no matter what."
She gasped softly, and tears streamed down her cheeks anew. "Oh Jack…" she breathed, and kissed him like their lives depended on it, her fingers tangling themselves in his hair. One of Jacks hands slid down from her waist to her hips, slowly sliding lower until he was cupping her rear. Her breath hitched and she came up for air, Jack once again having a burst of satisfaction at her reaction. Shifting her legs, Brandy went from sitting on Jack's lap side saddle to full on straddling him, his other hand joining the first as he gently squeezed both of her round perfect cheeks.
She leaned in as if to kiss him again, but before going in for more, she breathlessly responded to his earlier declaration, "I love you too Jack, I love you so much!" At this, Jack beamed with joy. "That might just be the most beautiful thing I've ever heard." He responded, and didn't get the chance to say any more as she slammed her lips into his once again. Their tongues danced as Brandy began rolling her hips up and down, which didfascinatingthings to a certain rock hard piece of Jack's anatomy.
Jacks left hand slid up from her ass, tracing over the side of her midriff and up her flat stomach as he slipped his fingers up under her shirt, sliding back around to the clasp of her bra, undoing it with an easy flick. Brandy hummed sensually in appreciation as the tight bra was loosed, breaking off the kiss as she rested her chin on Jack's shoulder. He slid his hand back around to her front under the loosened bra, cupping her perky c cup breast in his callused hand, rolling her nipple between his thumb and finger as he trailed kisses of fire down her neck. Her quiet breathy moans sounded lovingly into his ear, and he nearly got sent to nirvana right then and there as her hips desperately increased their tempo, but he resisted through sheer force of will. He knew Brandy well, and knew from experience that this was likely only a warm up for an entire evening of fun, and he was determined to thoroughly rock her world.
Just as Jack began to seriously contemplate the merits of having wild passionate sex with his girlfriend on the dirty floor of the shed of an orphanage, the door swung open, making them jump in surprise! Jack's hands nearly teleported from Brandy's breast and ass cheek to rest chastely on her lower back. There was an "eep!" of embarrassment and a snort of laughter, and as they looked at the intruders, they saw Jasper, who was rolling his eyes to heaven, and a little red headed girl who was blushing absolutely crimson with her hands covering her face, her sky blue eyes peeking through her fingers.
Both seeming to remember where they were, Jack and Brandy quickly disentangled themselves from each other and stood up, clearing their throats embarrassedly. Jack stood behind Brandy just long enough to 'arrange the furniture' so he didn't have a pitched tent for the world to see, and Brandy introduced them both as if they had simply been walking in the park or mingling at a party. "Hello!" She said nonchalantly, brushing her mussed hair behind her ear. I'm Brandy, and this is is my boyfriend Jack! We know Jasper, but what is your name?" She said to the red faced little carrot top. "R-Risa" the little girl squeaked out. Jack cleared his throat in embarrassment. "Nice to meet you." He said with a nod. She nodded back.
Jasper spoke up, breaking the awkward silence. "Risa, when the err…thugand I fought, Brandy found me after and rushed me to the doctor's place, and even gave me a blood transfusion to save me. She's really strong and I owe her a lot!" At this, Brandy briefly narrowed her eyes in irritation at being technically labeled a thug, or perhaps embarrassment at being labeled a hero, but she quickly schooled her features once more as little Risa stared wide eyed at her in admiration.
Jack broke the silence, "How you doing kid, are you healed?" Jasper responded, "Thankfully none of my organs were damaged so it was a pretty straight forward job. I still need to get the stitches out and heal the little holes, but after that I'm right as rain!" As if to prove his point, he launched himself into a backflip, but stumbled and almost fell when he landed. "Well…" the kid amended, "I'll probably need a good night's sleep too.ThenI'll be right as rain."
Risa whipped her gaze back to Jasper. "WAIT HOLD ON! STITCHES?!BLOOD TRANSFUSION?!" Jasper leaned away with his arm raised and his eyes squinted, as if caught in a powerful wind. Brandy snorted at their antics and looked back wistfully into Jack's eyes. Jack raised an eyebrow in question, and Brandy got a conflicted look on her face and looked away. Jack sighed. He pulled Brandy in close, and she sighed in contentment.
POV Jasper:
After Risa finally got done freaking out, I was eventually able to convince her to let me go to my shelter with Brandy and Jack. She wasn't happy about it, but it was in mildly dangerous territory, and eventually seemed to accept that. She complained about Brandy being allowed but not her, and I simply explained that Brandy was Stronger than I was, because she trained hard. It wasn't a matter of gender, but of strength. That seemed to light a fire in her eyes, and we were finally allowed to get out of there, and not a moment too soon.
As we entered the woods on the way to my shelter, I could hear Lia and the others cresting the hill coming home from in town. They didn't see us, which was convenient. I didn't want to talk to Lia until I was fully healed and recovered, as she seemed to be able to sense bullsh*t and detect injuries. Maybe an exaggeration, but I wasn't taking any chances.
After a while we reached the mini plateau I had set up my shelter on, and I hopped up onto it using the shorter uphill side. Brandy jumped up, caught the edge and scrambled up, turning around and giving Jack a pull up.
"Well…" I paused, feeling oddly self conscious. "I guess this is my home. Welcome?" Jack looked around, "This is a great spot! It's flat, level, and big enough that you could build a cabin here." He commented. "Really?" I responded, "A cabin? Huh. That actually sounds pretty nice…" at my response Brandy nodded. "Jack would know. He was a carpenter for the shipyard growing up and he builds houses nowadays, so he knows his stuff."
I nodded, going over to the boulder I had over my possessions, and pushed it aside. I withdrew a long box I had roughly made out of wood and opened it, revealing the machete in its leather sheath. Brandy hurriedly took it from me, withdrawing it from the sheath and inspecting it. I had made sure to clean and oil it after every use, and had sharpened any nicks and dents to the edge every time I used it, so it was in great condition. Even so, I was nervous as Brandy cast a critical gaze over it. Finally she smiled, at I let out the breath I was holding.
"No rust, no chips… did you even use this? Not that I'm complaining or anything…" she asked, puzzled. I responded, offended. "I know how to take care of a blade. Besides, I got other knives and tools, and so I didn't need it as much any more. It's not like I've been using it to break rocks or something."
She winced. "Thank you for not doing that." I chuckled and sat down, taking off my (Brandy's) shirt and retrieved an old straight razor from my stash. While the cuts themselves had been healed, the stitches that had held them together were still threaded through my skin, and I had intentionally focused only on the slash wounds and kept my body from healing around the stitches so I didn't have a bunch of little scarified dots in two rows. As I carefully used the straight razor to cut the stitches, I pulled each one out of my skin, leaving what looked like parallel rows of blood seeping pinpricks on my chest and arms. As I focused my observation haki inward and used my 'bio energy' to heal the last of the damage, Brandy sat down next to me.
"So…" she began, trailing off. I raised an eyebrow when she didn't continue. "So?" I prompted. She sighed.
"I guess I'm your new haki teacher. You better not skimp out on payments." She said with a false smile. I smiled back, but then decided to ask something I had been wondering. "So… your dad was a new world pirate right? And that's how you know haki. Is he anyone I know of?"
She sighed in a melancholy way that suggested that she was remembering things she usually avoided thinking about. "Around here I go by Barlo Brandy. But Barlo isn't my real family name… it's Masters. My father was Masters 'The Gentleman' Leo, a new world pirate worth 473,000,000 Beri." I grimaced. I didn't know him. Brandy let out a mirthless laugh. "Haven't heard of him huh? I guess that makes sense. Against the likes of Roger and the four emperors he doesn't stand out too much I guess. At the time, he was known as the worlds most skilled swordsman."
My eyes widened in surprise, "The world's strongest swordsman?!" I said in shock, but Brandy shook her head, "No." she said, correcting me, "Not the strongest. Something like that wasn't so cut and dry back then. There were dozens of honest contenders fighting for the title of the greatest." She shifted a bit, getting comfortable. "My father had an illness of blood, passed down through the family. He had a weak constitution and healed much slower than normal, which limited how quickly he could gain strength. He was in constant pain from the strain of living. When he said he was heading for the grand line, my grandfather, who I've never met, Shouted at my Dad. Called him a "fool of the highest order" and asked "do you really think a chicken boned weakling like yourself can survive the grand line?" Dad cut all ties after that." She looked out to the horizon, and I spoke up, prompting her.
"So… if he had a genetic disorder, how?…"
She looked back at me. "How did he become a grand line pirate?" I nodded, and she continued, "His first mate, My mother, was a hell of a doctor. She would help my dad heal when he passed out from training. Treat him when he was wounded. Dad gained what little strength he could, but it wasn't enough. He knew it was impossible to be the strongest. So he focused on what advantages hedidhave. His haki, his grace, and his skill. He trained tirelessly to maximize these traits, and to build up what little strength and stamina he could. By the time he was a new world captain, he had earned the title: 'the Gentleman'. His sword style was so refined, his movements so efficient and graceful, people would often call him the 'dancing swordsman' or 'the blade of water'. His haki was so advanced he would often fight with his eyes closed, only fighting by perceiving the future, and he could shatter people's armament hardened blades with a gentle touch of a fingertip. He wasn't the strongest, but hewasthe most skilled. By far." Brandy eyes were misty in what seemed to be a mix of pride and sadness. "I was raised on his ship. I saw him fight. It was beautiful."
"So… what happened?" I asked, and she laughed bitterly. "Back then, the title of world's greatest swordsman was a hotly debated topic. There's a reason it isn't anymore. One day, out of the ashes of Kuraigana Kingdom rose a monster. Anyone who was evenwhisperedabout as the greatest, he tracked them down. One by one he dueled them all,killedthem all. My father was one of the last ones to face him, and so you know what that Hawk eyed bastard said?!" She wiped tears from her eyes.
"Your movements are truly magnificent. I've learned a great deal from this duel, but I find the end of it all unsatisfying in the extreme. It's a pity a man such as you was born such a fragile weakling."
I grimaced. Coming from Mihawk that was ahighcomplement, but it didn't come across that way. In Brandy's situation, it could only be interpreted as vicious mockery. Brandy continued, "My father was cut down, but it wasn't a killing blow. My mothers apprentice did everything he could, but my dads body just… wouldn't heal. All the years of pushing past his limits had taken their toll. He just… faded away. He said his last words, told me he loved me and… There was light in his eyes one moment and then…" at this Brandy broke down, and Jack hurried over where he had been standing at a respectful distance to let us talk, drawing her into his arms.
"Your mother's apprentice? Not your mother?" I interjected, hoping to distract her.
Composing herself, she continued, "We lost my mother in a conflict with the marines when I was 3. I barely remember her. Dad always said she was amazing, but I've only heard stories"
Yikes. That was a downer. I'll try again. "So… if his disease was genetic, do you have it?" I asked, remembering her performance in the fight. She shook her head. "In the whole history of my family. It always, without fail, skips a generation." Jack squeezed her shoulder in comfort. She continued "I don't know if I want…" she trailed off, reconsidering her words, and balled up her fist over her heart. "I don't even know if Ishouldhave children. My father suffered so much pain."
She looked at me in the eyes, and continued. "I won't pass on my fathers sword style to you, but Iwilltrain you in haki to the best of my ability. I have my fathers journals, all of his training notes. I promise. Training you will… it will be an opportunity for me to leave something behind. A legacy that I normally… wouldn't have the opportunity to have."
Suddenly, I realized just how big a deal this was. I stood up, turned to face her and bowed at the hip. "I won't let you down! Master!" Jack snorted and Brandy spluttered in embarrassment "N-none of that! Why are you all formal all of a sudden?!"
I smiled at my new teacher as she called me a weirdo. Jack was smiling teary eyed and looking at Brandy, chuckling. And me?
I was ecstatic. I had a haki teacher, and more important than that, I had two wonderful new friends. For the first time in a long,longtime, I loved my life with my whole heart.
I couldn't keep the smile off my face.
~END OF PART ONE~
A/N: Aaaaaand that's a wrap. Next chapter will pick up after a pretty major time skip, with the highlights of Jasper's training in the meantime briefly touched upon. It going to be a little over six years, so a decent amount will change. I'm so exited to finally get into the meat of the story! Anyway, here is a quick epilogue. It isn't anything important, so feel free to skip it if you want.
Epilogue: Jack POV
Brandy and Jack had eventually left Jasper at his shelter, and had hurried home. When they got back it was like a breath of fresh air, and Jack settled down into a chair with a sigh. The day hadn't been physically demanding, but had been an emotional roller coaster. Looking over at Brandy, he saw her in the kitchen making tea. He nodded. It was probably chamomile, she was tired too. But when she turned around, he saw that it wasn't chamomile, it was Drospir berry, also known as moon tea, a contraceptive. His eyes widened. "Really? After all that?" He said, not bothering to hide his excitement. "I have no idea what you mean~" Brandy stated innocently. "Besides… I'm not tired, I'mtense" she said with a smile, mocking his earlier words. She downed the tea, then crossed her arms in front of her, grasping the bottom of her shirt. She slowly, sensually dragged the shirt up, hooking the bottom of her bra, which was still unfastened from earlier. She pushed up on her breasts, slowly raising the shirt until suddenly her wonderful perky tit* spilled free, bouncing deliciously with the recoil of the drop.
She removed her top and threw it teasingly at Jacks face who quickly whipped it off, not willing to miss seeing a second. She sauntered sexily up to him with her hips swaying, leaning over and resting her hands on the armrests of the chair. "I'm feeling lonely being the only one undressing. Won't you join me?~" she asked. Her breasts were practically touching his face, and he Jack was quick to take off his shirt. Once his shirt was on the floor, he squeezed her breasts with both hands, then slid them down her sides towards her rear, working them under the waistband of her trousers to grip her perfect panty covered ass. Using this leverage he pulled her forward, her magical tit* squishing against his face, and Brandy giggled in surprise and started her wonderful moans as he caught a nipple in his mouth and began swirling it around with his tongue. Hurriedly, Brandy undid Jacks belt with excitement, and he stood up, letting his pants fall to the floor as he carried Brandy to the bedroom, her legs wrapping around his waist.
'Sometimes'Jack thought,'A little bit of tension can be a good thing'
