A Reason to Live (Penguin x Reader)

Chapter 1

It was smokey in the seaside tavern you were working in. Your cousin, David Jones (better known as Davy), owned the bar and it was his treasure. He would do anything to keep it up and running. Even have his sixteen year old tenant to slave away in the kitchens, meanwhile he would shoot the breeze with random customers. Most of the time it wouldn't bother you. You were used to the neglect. You had come to live with the man after your mother died. It had been suicide. You knew it was your fault. She had always looked at you with sadness and contempt. However, it was what she whispered in your ear just before pulling the trigger.

It's your fault. It's all your fault.

Your life wasn't a happy one, you stopped feeling much of anything and had developed very few social skills. Your father, whoever that was, never came for you. So since you were six years old you had laboured for some greasy relative in some crappy podink island in the North Blue. The island was so small it didn't even have a name. And because of that obscurity it was a hotspot for black market deals, thieves, bandits and pirates.

You glanced out the open kitchen window towards the gloomy skies and dark waters beyond. How you wished to escape and live out there. You had heard the stories from many a drunk traveller and you craved that experience of FREEDOM.

Sighing in reluctance you forced your sights back to the mixing bowl in you hands. Your life here wasn't completely terrible though. You at least had a bed. Before you were dressed in rags,  fed scraps and slept on the floor closest to the fireplace. You had come here with only the clothes on your back. Your mother hadn't even given you a name. Your cousin had. Though he had refused to allow you his family name stating you should take your mother's. It hadn't been until later you understood why. Maria Mihawk was the younger sister of one Dracule Mihawk. The world's greatest swordsman. Just sharing his name kept the more handsy patrons behaving. Though after you had found out you felt bad for taking the name. So you had begged Davy to teach you how to handle a blade. 

Over the years you had become skilled in the ways of not only handling smaller blades but also hiding said blades on your person. You were nowhere near the same level with blades as your famed uncle, but you could rumble with the best of them. 

Glancing back out the window you continued to ponder the vast adventures you could have. Maybe even learn to feel…..ok. A large hand gently squeezed your shoulder pulling you from your musings. Turning your head just enough to face the tall man that was peering down at you with worry. 

“You ok (y/n)? It's slow today so you can go have some fun. Maybe make some friends?” Your cousin asked. He was a creep most of the time but deep down he cared about you. It had been rough at first for you both, but eventually the large man had just become a dorky dad. Sure he was an ass and a brute 98% of the time. You just knew it was how he hid his embarrassment and awkward nature. 

“I'm fine Davy.” You smiled but it didn't reach your eyes, it almost never did.

Davy sighed as his hand slipped from your shoulder onto your back to rub circles at your tense muscles. He seemed to want to say something else until something beyond the window caught his attention.

“What the hell is that?” He breathed face scrunching up in confusion. 

Setting the batter you had over mixed into soup down and gazed out the window at the most curious ship you had ever seen. It was gliding up out of the water for fucks sake! What ship does that? This was something new and you wanted to know more about how it worked. 

“You said I could go out?” You asked as you studied the strange ship and them noticed a Jolly Rodger painted on the side. Pirates.

“Yea….wait. No. Oh, HELL NO. You will not go anywhere near a Pirate ship. Especially not that….thing…” Davy erupted.