Freedom & Fate | One Piece x Reader

Chapter 51 | White Lily

// { Somewhere on the Grand Line five people are gathered }

"It has been weeks since we have determined her presence."

"Nobody could apprehend her yet."

"Then find someone who is capable of doing so."

"We are short on time, the Mist is approaching."

"It is better to let it swallow her than to let her powers awaken."

"We cannot lose her again."

"If the wrong person finds her, she will lead to fatalities." //

After you watch Nami and Usopp walk into the dark forest, you decide to venture out on your own. Something deep inside you told you that you needed some time alone. Every time you think about the mysteries residing in your mind and the abilities under your control, your head starts thumping.

Just what is hindering me from remembering my past?

You are not concentrating on where you are walking. It is as if your feet are leading you somewhere on their own. When you arrived at a barren spot in the forest, your perception suddenly heightens. In the middle of the tree-less site, a ray of sunlight is shining down on a single white lily. Although the situation is bizarre enough, you do not feel particularly suspicious. The feeling is quite the opposite. A sense of familiarity and comfort showers over you as you watch the flower petals glisten in the light.

Kneeling down in front of the lily, you take a long and deep breath, inhaling the scent of the surrounding greenery. You close your eyes and focus on nothing in particular, simply the tranquillity of your mind is important. In the darkness, twelve different coloured lights begin pulsating and eventually dance in harmony together. Amongst the lights you could recognise a few colours:

A clean and vibrant violet, indicating teleportation.

A soft and pure green, associated with healing.

A dark and mellow brown, designating strength.

A bold orange, the colour of lightning and electricity.

The rest of them seem unfamiliar to you but five of the remaining eight colours are glowing even stronger than before. They want your attention, they want to be released from their dormant slumber.

The deep blue of water.

The pale grey of wind.

The cold azure of ice.

The fluorescent yellow of light.

And finally, the flaming red of fire.

While three colours stay hidden inside you, the others cannot wait to escape and touch the world around them. Creating unimaginable structures or destroying whatever is obstructing their path. Your eyes burst open and you pant heavily from the vivid visions of your abilities. You stare at your shaking fingertips, fascinated but at the same time terrified of what you could be capable of.

The moment you spare the white lily a glance, the corner of a petal suddenly lights on fire, slowly tainting the flower black and burning it into ashes. Unconsciously, a tear rolls down your cheek, staining the small pile of ashes before it gets carried away by the wind. And as the tiny pieces swirl up into the air, you swear you could hear a faint voice whisper.

"Goodbye, my child."

ஐ

Sanji stored the provisions on the ship after he successfully hunted for food. After that, he aimlessly wanders back into the forest, hoping to find the female crew members quickly. Coincidentally, he discovers a barren place without trees in the jungle and is surprised when he sees you sitting in the centre of it.

He opens his mouth, then closes it again, not sure how he should approach you. Truthfully, he was and still is a bit ashamed that he overheard the private conversation between you and Vivi. Somehow, he was frozen in place when you told your story. Maybe it was not supposed to be heard by him but he felt a lot closer to you after he did.

"Y/N-chan~ what are you doing out here all alone?" He tries to cover up the nervousness with his usual flirty behaviour. "Mind if I accompany you?"

You recognise Sanji's voice and quickly wipe away the tears. He raises an eyebrow when he sees that and walks up to you. "Everything alright?" he asks. You muster up a smile and nod, looking into his eye. Silence falls between you and when he could not stand the awkwardness any longer, he helps you get up and you both start walking through the forest.

After a while, Sanji speaks up about his thoughts from earlier. "The conversation you had with Vivi..." he starts slowly. Your attention turns to him. "I'm sorry for overhearing it. I really didn't mean to, it just happened somehow. And I know it's not an excuse but I couldn't control myself at that moment and-"

"Don't worry about it," you say before he could keep on rambling. "It's not a secret or anything." You snicker, seeing him so distressed over something so trivial.

He blinks at you surprised. "So it's really alright for me to know?"

"Sure," you answer with a smile.

'Ah, there it is again. That smile.' He rubs the back of his head, feeling the heat rising into his face. 'How can she smile so innocently at someone like me?'

"Well, since we are talking about this," he says, trying to distract himself. "I think it's completely fine if you don't tell anyone about your past. How you are right now is what matters. You shouldn't let your past define who you are or who you want to be."

"Woah," you whisper. You could feel how genuine he was as if he was speaking from experience. Somehow, his words were just the right ones you needed to hear. "Thank you for saying that Sanji!" you beam.

Although he is really happy, he does not dare to look at you because he knows that your expression right now would be too much for his heart to handle. He wants to keep his composure and not go all crazy-love-mode on you. Needless to say, that is very hard for him to accomplish but he endures it.

"Is that someone's house?" you suddenly ask when you see a small white room in the middle of the jungle. You run your finger across the wall to feel the texture. "It's made out of wax."

"This is strange," Sanji says. "Who would want to live out here?" He pushes the door and it opens with ease. "There's tea and food. Someone must've had a picnic."

Ring ring

The transponder snail goes off. Sanji and you look at each other hesitantly before he picks up the responder. You stiffen when he speaks into it.

"Hello?"

"I'm waiting for your report," a deep voice answers. It sends shivers down your spine.

"Report? Umm... who are you?" Sanji keeps asking.

"It's me. Mr. 0."

✘

What does the Lily Flower mean?

The Lily flower, in all its various forms, is commonly considered to mean:

❀ royalty and regal bearing

❀ motherhood and fertility

❀ purity and the beauty of youth

❀ passion and drive