][Malice][ =One Piece=

:: Chapter Forty Nine ::

Malice had pondered over whether or not to trust the devil fruit and eat it for a few days. The rest of the crew voted she eat the devil fruit, but they also wanted to be there to see what happened and she wasn't sure she wanted people to be around her. What if she reacted badly and lost control of herself and hurt someone? She also feared what a devil fruit of rebirth could do, would she be reborn and turn into an infant? While she knew, Kid loved her, she had a feeling he was not going to be keen on the idea of raising a baby Malice. When she voiced her concerns to the masked first mate, he laughed and tried to assure her that she would not be turned into an infant. It was supposedly a restorative devil fruit.

"What are you doing?" Kid grumbled as he woke in the middle of the night and discovered the scarred young woman was missing from his bed and sitting at his desk staring at the devil fruit as if willing it to speak to her.

"I don't know what to do." Malice grumbled. "What if it makes me weaker."

"Weaker than constantly feeling like your bathing in highly corrosive acid?" Kid pondered using one of her lovely descriptions of her current condition.

Malice threw him a dark look. "Yes."

"Why don't you call your old man and get his opinion." Kid grumbled and motioned for her to come back to bed.

"That may not be a bad idea." Malice mused and searched the desk drawers for the portable den den mushi.

"Not right now, it's the middle of the night! Come back to be-." He cut off as Malice found the portable den den mushi and called her father. Deciding he wasn't going to get any sleep until her mind was at ease he sat up with a groan.

"Dad?" Malice asked curiously as someone picked up on the other end.

"Malice, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Shanks asked in an inebriated panic.

"I'm fine." Malice rolled her eye, "I need an opinion."

"I'm all ears." The portable den den mushi grinned and both Malice and Kid shook their heads at his cheerful disposition.

"Mom sent me a devil fruit." Malice stated flatly. "I don't know if I should eat it or not."

"Your mother?" The den den mushi frowned. "That seems out of character."

"That's what I thought too, but I think maybe in her own weird way it was an apology." Malice bit her lip, that's what she had told herself, but deep down that was just what she wished. She'd grown up her whole life wanting her parents' approval, wanting to be loved.

Shanks pondered this for a moment, "You might be right. She does have a heart when she's not focused on her career. Maybe she retired from dancing."

Malice felt somewhat sorrowful at the thought, her mother was a marvelous dancer, it would be sad for the world if that were true. "Maybe." She said somewhat defeated.

"Do you know what Devil Fruit it is?" Shanks asked sensing her worsening mood.

"The Saisei Saisei no mi."

Shanks paused for a moment as he contemplated. "A devil fruit of rebirth. That's rather fitting."

"I'm more curious about how she found me to deliver it and manage to cover our entire ship with black dahlias without anyone noticing." Malice pointed.

The den den mushi made a face and she knew her father wanted to tell her something but was struggling to figure out how. "Well, that's not really a big surprise. She has connections in the criminal underworld."

"A world-famous dancer has criminal underworld connections?" Malice asked dryly.

"She is a mafia princess." Malice could practically see her father shrugging at this.

"Excuse me?" Malice exclaimed, flabbergasted.

Kid froze and turned to stare at the scarred young woman. "Let me guess, it's some well-known infamous crime family that has even higher bounties than the yonko."

Silence.

"Dad?" Malice groaned.

"Well, he's not wrong." Shanks chuckled.

Malice sighed, "Thanks."

"Don't be a stranger, kiddo."

"Please don't call me kiddo." Malice grimaced.

"Still working on parental terms of endearment."

"Good night, Dad." Malice smiled.

"Good night, Malice."

Malice disconnected the call and sighed as she stared down at the ominous looking fruit. "Okay." She threw her hands up in defeat, "I give."

Kid stopped her as she picked up the devil fruit, "It's going to taste like hell." He warned her.

Malice shrugged and took a bite. She grimaced at the taste in her mouth, it was like she was eating ash. After a few more mouthfuls of ash, the fruit was gone and she sat at the desk trying to steady her breathing as she waited in anticipation for what would happen next.

"You okay?" Kid asked cautiously as he took a step toward her as her body went rigid.

"I don't know." Malice gasped as her skin began to crawl and she thought she felt something wriggling around in her insides. "I feel weird." She admitted with a groan as the room began to spin.

"That happens." Kid tried to reassure her as he crossed the room.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Malice blanched as the wriggling feeling became more intense and her skin started to tingle all over. She slipped from the chair with a gasp as her body began to feel as if it were shifting, her skin felt as if someone were pulling it tightly and peeling it away, everything was burning like someone was standing over her with a hot torch burning away layers of herself.

"Malice!" Kid panicked as she hit the floor. He raced to her side and felt his heart stutter in his chest as he reached her. Her body had completely transformed. The long-dulled ebony dipped crimson hair was now a lustrous silken blood red, her scarred skin that caused her so much pain was now a pure pale alabaster, completely flawless and smooth. "Malice?" He swept her into his arms, "Say something."

"I don't feel good." She groaned as she entwined her arms around his neck to keep herself upright and her head slumped onto his bare shoulder.

"Does this hurt?" Kid asked her cautiously as he cradled her body against him as he carried her to the bed.

She shook her head.

Kid smiled to himself as he set her down gently, "Does this hurt?" He asked again as he leaned over her and trailed a line of kisses from her temple down to her chin.

A small smile graced her rose petal lips, "No."

"How about this?" Kid breathed before capturing her lips in a passionate kiss.

Her arms once more entwined around his neck as she melted into his kiss and pulled him closer. "No." She panted as she broke the kiss.

"Still feel weird?"

Malice thought for a moment, "Weird, yes, but I don't feel sick anymore."

"Good, I still need to run some tests." Kid smirked as he pulled the blankets around them and showered her with kisses.