Years on a Calendar (One Piece Fanfic)

Conomi Island

The small boy watched as the night went over the sea. A completed seachart laid on the desktop with a pen, freshly dipped in ink, on the side. He closed his eyes and sighed as the moon lowered itself to the ground.

This was his room ever since that monster taken over a new island.

He hasn't left this room since the transfer. "Don't come out until that chart's finished!" the voice echoed through his head. For once, he finally finished all of the seacharts of that day. And, for once he dared to open the door of his prison. He looked down the stairwell as if expecting the monster to appear once more and tuck him back inside.

Yet, no one came.

He raced out of the building into the moonlight, and soon arrived at a stream.

His feet chilled under the cold stream. The moonlight reflected off it, as well as the sea creatures underneath. Unlike the ponds within Arlong Park, these were filled with colorful life. He placed his hand under the water and chose a seashell.

"A boy?" a girl's voice echoed through the numerous trees.

He froze in place and slowly turned to his head to the sound. He thought it was the guards once again, ready to take him back into that room filled of seacharts. Instead, it was a girl with a precious smile, "Hello! I'm Nojiko!"

He felt like his voice flees into the heavens at that moment. The girl didn't mind as she took a seat right next to him. Finally, he lowered his gaze onto the small stream, "I'm Niko."

"I've seen you before." She kicked her feet up and down, making the fish scatter away from them. The girl wasn't looking at the pond; instead, she was looking at the bright moon, which was now halfway blocked by a cliff. "You were here when Arlong came."

"Yeah..." his gaze never left the stream, even though the fish he was watching moments ago already vanished from sight.

"What's wrong?" she questioned as she whipped her head around, "Did I say something wrong? Oh...Bellemere is probably worrying about me..." she paused and looked up, "Hey, do you want to come with? We can find a spot for you to sleep tonight, unless if you want to go home."

Home...

He didn't have a home.

Nojiko stood up as water splashed his face, "Come on and stop frowning!" She pulled her lips together. He glanced up at her and decided to follow. It wasn't like Arlong would punish him since he did complete his day's work.

/ / / /

The trio sailed across the sea within a compacted sail boat. Luffy laid his head against the bow of the small white sail boat and tilted his hat over his face. He was thinking about the events.

Nothing changed much from his first time around. Unless, if he counted why Sanji and Zoro was a girl and Nami made the captain sleep with him instead of the rest of the crew. In his other crew, Nami would have tucked him out the door the first chance she gotten, but this Niko fellow was different from Nami.

He left them on the Baratie as soon as marines came.

Did Niko really wanted him gone that bad?

He didn't see many changes with the rest of his crew so far. Zoro still napped most of the day, while Urika took him tales. Savi acted differently as well. She stayed close to his side and cheered for him just like Sanji did for Robin and Nami.

Maybe it wasn't just their genders that changed, but something different as well.

"Oi! Luffy-sama~!" Savi called from her side on the ship. "There's something coming up in the water."