Little Fish

Part 6

It was silent on the ships as her papa stood up. Emi's cries could be heard, and Gin's arm was getting soaked with her tears. Deep inside Gin's soul he was troubled from having to handle the toddler. He didn't want to scare her, but he had to listen to his captain.

"Sanji! Don't do any more unnessessary things. I'm not so old and feeble enough yet that I need to be rescued by a little eggplant!" Zeff said, and Emi blinked.

"You're the one to talk" her papa said, straightening his tie.

The fire began growing stronger, and Emi cowered in fear. The ship would burn up! She heard a 'thud' and looked up.

"Papa!" Emi screamed when her papa hit the edge of the deck.

The giant round guy began laughing, and in the corner of her eye she saw Luffy gritting his teeth. He suddenly threw his foot up, and Emi's sorrow and fear were momentarily displaced when he slammed his foot down onto the deck. The fins broke into pieces, and Emi watched as the pirates tried to hold onto pieces of wood.

"Gin! Just kill Zeff already!" Krieg roared, and Emi flinched.

She turned fearful eyes to the gun that was aimed at her jii-chans head. She didn't want him to kill her jii-chan.

"No, no, lemme go" Emi shouted, kicking her feet again against Gin.

He tightened his grip on the toddler, trying to keep a grip on her. A shout caused her head to snap up, and she watched as her papa and Luffy started to argue. The round man began to run towards them, and Emi opened her mouth to shout a warning. Before she knew it, she was thrown to the side. She landed on her jii-chans back with an 'oof', and she sat there blinking in surprise. She thought Gin was holding her, but now she was here. Looking down, she let out a squeak of happiness when she saw that she had landed on her jii-chan.

"Jii-chan! Jii-chan! You're okay!" Emi cried, burying her face in the white coat.

"Emi, let me sit up you squirt" Zeff rumbled, and the three year old compiled.

Patty and Carne helped the older man sit up, and the three year old scrambled into his lap. She pressed her face into the white coat, letting the smell of food calm her. Her beloved jii-chan was safe!

"Jii-chan" she murmured, clutching his coat in her hands.

Zeff placed a hand on the toddlers back as Sanji stood in front of Gin. Apparently Gin had wanted to fight against Sanji himself, and got rid of the round man himself. She peaked out from her jii-chans coat, looking at the two men.

"Jii-chan? They need a time out" she said, gazing at his weathered face.

Zeff's lips twitched for a moment at the toddlers logic. He felt tiny hands clutch at his coat, and glanced down to the toddler. She had a tight grip on his coat as she gazed at the two men fighting. Each blow caused her body to flinch, and Zeff frowned. This was no place for a small thing like her.

"Patty, take Emi inside" he said.

The chef glanced at the three year old and nodded. Zeff handed Emi to the chef, who held the squirming toddler.

"No! No Patty. I wanna stay" she said as the chef brought her inside.

"Now Emi, it's safer in here" he said, placing the toddler on the stairs.

She pouted and tried to push past the tall chef, but Patty wouldn't move. She tried again, grunting with the effort. He reached one massive arm out and grasped the back of her shirt, lifting the toddler easily.

"No! No!" Emi shouted, trying to kick Patty.

"Emi, Head Chef Zeff wants you in here" he said as he walked up the stairs with the kicking toddler.

"Don't want to!" Emi shouted, face beet red.

Patty continued to tow the screaming child to her bedroom, where he deposited her onto her bed. Her hair fell into her face, and she struggled out of the sheets. Patty quickly closed the bedroom door, feeling tiny vibrations from it as the toddler kicked and pounded at the door. He frowned as he heard the toddler crying on the other side of the door. Emi wanted to be out there too!

After a couple minutes, Emi began to tire out. She stood there, panting from the effort. She sat down on the ground, tears pricking her eyes and cascading down her cheeks. Her papa could be getting hurt and she was stuck in here. She rubbed her eyes and crawled over to her blankets. She buried her head in the blankets, letting her eyes close. She would take a short nap. Before long, she had fallen in a deep sleep as the battle for the Baratie raged outside. Her body was tired and worn out from the fear and constant crying from the events that happened.

It felt like she had closed her eyes for a couple seconds when she opened her eyes. It was dark outside, and Emi slowly got up. She rubbed the sleep away from her eyes, and blinked at one thing: it was silent.

Her stomach churned at the silence; had the pirates taken over the Baratie? Was her papa and jii-chan okay? She scrambled out of her bed and opened her bedroom door, eyes wide with fright. Emi hesitantly took a couple steps out, ears pricked for any signs of movement. She took a couple more steps, hands gripping the edge of her shirt.

"Emi" she heard her name from behind her, and the three year old whirled around.

Her face split into a wide smile when her beloved papa was standing behind her. Her purple eyes filled up with tears as she took in her papas appearance. He seemed okay, and she ran to him with tears cascading down her face.

"Papa, papa, papa, papa!" Emi cried, and Sanji reached down to pick up the toddler.

He lifted her with ease, trying not to wince at the pain in his ribs. Emi burrowed her face into his suit, her tears dampening the fabric.

"Papa papa papa" she mumbled, and she felt her papa's hand on her back.

"What happen? Did the gorilla man go 'way? Did he get a time out" she asked, lifting her face from his suit.

"Don't worry, we won't see him again" he said, and her purple eyes widened.

She was about to ask another question, but a large yawn interrupted.

Sanji smiled and brought her to her bedroom. Her little hands clutched his suit tightly, and Sanji sighed. He glanced at Emi, noting how her eyes were struggling to stay open. Her head was lolling to the side. He slowly sat down on the toddler's bed. Her fingers still clutched his suit tightly, and her breathing was steady and deep. He situated the toddler on his lap so her head was resting against his knee. He draped one of her blankets over the toddler as she slept soundly, a small smile on her face. He lit another cigarette and watched the smoke drift up to the ceiling.

Tomorrow he would give the toddler her snail companion back.

When he dove into the ocean to retrieve Luffy, he spotted the snail on the bottom of the ocean floor. He had washed the plush numerous times and hoped it would dry completely.