Chapter Text
Four months after the Paramount War
South Blue
Roshwan Kingdom
Two are trailing me from the back and three are waiting to ambush up front.
A young woman with fair skin, thick, flowing, wavy orange-blonde hair, and aqua-green eyes mused as she made her way through the forest, following the pebbled path that would eventually lead her to a Temple.
She wore a pale cream-colored tunic with ruffled sleeves, a dark red-brown sash wrapped around her waist, and an open deep purple vest with gold buttons and trimming over her tunic. Her close-fitted black pants were tucked into thick-soled dark brown boots, they matched the brown fingerless gloves she wore. Lastly, she wore a striking, bright red bandana in her hair, and had two swords the length of her arms strapped to her back.
Can't they wait to attack me somewhere less... sacred? She wondered silently, but she didn't care. She was only going to the Temple since the villagers had informed her that to stay on their island, she had to pray and ask for permission to remain on their island. It sounded troublesome to her, but she had been to enough islands to know that it was easier to comply with their requests than stir up a fit... especially if she wanted to stay under the radar. But it was a hope that she now knew was hopeless, especially since she'd already been found.
She sighed... it may be hopeless for her, but she didn't want to muck up a sacred Temple. There was no need to get on more people's bad sides. "Come on out. I knew you were there the moment I started up this trail." She didn't yell, knowing that they would hear her.
Nothing happened. She took a deep breath in and closed her eyes, throwing her senses out as far as they could go. Immediately, everything around her seemed to sharpen, the fresh smell of pine mixing with damp earth, the chirping of the birds around her harsher. There. In the blackness of her mind, she could see five flickering lights moving and surrounding her, their steps almost too light for her to sense.
"If you won't come to me, then, I'll just come to you." She mused softly, disappearing from the path and reappearing behind a cloaked figure, ramming her fist into his side. She felt a satisfied smirk form on her lips when she felt his ribs give out before he was sent flying into a tree.
Now that she had moved, the forest exploded all around her as the cloaked man's allies rushed at her all at once. She leaned back, allowing the sword that was aimed at her neck to harmlessly sail over her face before kicking out, her foot connecting with her assailant's chin, causing him to release the sword as he flew into the shrubbery. "That's two down," She smiled as she righted herself, hopping from foot to foot as she shadow-boxed, waiting for the next one to come at her.
A thrill went through her as she heard two of the cloaked assailants rush at her through the forest. She raised herself onto the toes of her left foot and twisted out of the way of one of their slashes, allowing them to crash into the bushes before lifting her arm and blocking the blade of the second assailant, a clanging noise echoing through the forest as the blade met her skin which was now hardened, looking black and polished.
"... Busō-shoku no Haki..." The assailant muttered stunned, staring at her with wide eyes as he strained against her arm. He was pushing with all his might, but she still wasn't budging.
"You know..." The woman mused looking at him with annoyed green eyes. "I don't know what I should be more insulted about-" She cut off when the third assailant charged at her again. She quickly shifted, hopping onto her right foot and landing a solid kick to the third assailant's abdomen, sending him flying back into a tree trunk and causing it to splinter.
"The fact that my lovely Clan sent members who aren't masters of either Busō-shoku no Haki or Kenbun-shoku no Haki after me," She grabbed onto the wrist that was holding the sword of the fourth assailant and swung him through the air as if he weighed nothing, slamming him into the ground on either side of her before tossing him away.
She planted her feet on the ground, coating her arm in a fiery-orange aura before flames covered it just as the last assailant launched themselves out of the trees. "Or that they only sent five of you." She punched through the hard steel of the last assailant's sword, her fist slamming into their chest and breaking bone.
Once the last assailant dropped to the ground and the woman dusted off her hands, "Probably all of the above... amateurs." She glanced back at one of the assailants as she walked back towards the Temple, intent on offering her prayers. "Tell our dear Master that if she wants me back, to send stronger people."
With the threats neutralized, the woman made her way to the Temple; after all, she still needed permission to stay with the village.
A Week Later, Roshwan Kingdom
Miruki Village, Docks
"Finally! Land!" Raisa yelled happily when she saw the island appear on the horizon. She had been on her small boat for a few days and was starting to go stir crazy; at least when she had been with Alys' family, she had company, she hadn't realized how lonely it would be on her own.
She quickly adjusted the sails of the ship, allowing them to catch the slight breeze and carry her the rest of the way to the island. The breeze also ruffled her hair, pushing her messy bangs into her eyes and blinding her for a moment. She impatiently brushed them out of her face, and looked up, her jaw dropping when she saw large jewel-colored birds flying overhead, each of their wings as long as her arms. "What are those?" She wondered softly, watching them land in the tree line of the island she was about to dock at.
It took longer than she would have liked, but eventually, she reached the island, pulling up against the last section of the wooden bridge and anchoring her ship against the post. As she did so, the people of the village gathered around, watching her cautiously.
"Hello!" She jumped out of the ship and waved at them, completely ignoring the suspicion in their gaze, "Is there a fee for leaving my boat here?"
"We don't have a few," A small, hunched elderly woman stepped forward, despite the wrinkles in her deeply tanned face, she had a full head of thick curly white hair and sharp black eyes. She also had on a bright floral dress and a walking stick that had seen better days, but the oddest thing of all was that she had multi-colored sticking out of her hair.
"Is there anything I can do to make up for taking space? Even for a day?" Raisa asked again, she hated the idea of taking up space in the dock when another ship could be anchored there.
The Elder laughed a bit, relaxing slightly at the younger woman's eagerness, she had never met someone who wanted to pay for docking their ship. "No. Before you do anything else, all we ask is that you go to the Temple in the mountain and ask for permission to stay in this village."
"That's all?" Raisa blinked, confused, she had never prayed a day in her life, but she had read about cultures that prayed to a high being. It made her nervous, what if she did it wrong? Reading was a lot different from actually doing something. She ran a hand through her hair nervously. "If that's what you want, I'll do it. Where is the Temple?"
In response to her question, the Elder pointed past the actual village, and towards the tree line, there was a marked path that led up the mountain.
Raisa nodded, smiling eagerly, she started to make her way to the path but skidded to a stop. "... what if I'm not given permission?" She asked, tilting her head.
"Then you'll be on your way." The Elder said decisively, her eyes turning infinitely colder when she looked at Raisa. "We do not allow visitors who are not accepted to stay here." She then looked to the side
Raisa felt cold all of a sudden. "Understood." She nodded again and started to jog up the mountain. She hoped that the being that watched over this village would allow her to stay; while the Elder had been speaking, Raisa had been looking around and her curiosity had only grown when she saw that many of the villages were also wearing colorful feathers in their hair or on their clothes. She had also seen pelts of animals she didn't recognize on some of the men.
She knew that if she stayed, she would be bombarded with stories she'd never heard from these villagers, it was an experience she didn't want to miss.
Determined, she quickened her pace, the gravel under her feet crunching with each step she took; the sooner she reached the Temple, the faster she could return and pester – er - ask the Elder about their island.
She was halfway up the mountain when she stumbled, her foot catching on a rock and sending her tumbling down, face first onto the pathway, tiny pebbles pressing into her face. "Ow..." She muttered.
Slowly, she pushed herself up, wiping away the small pebbles that stuck to her face, and looked around. She had been so focused on getting to the Temple that she hadn't taken the time to look around. The path leading to the Temple was made up of smooth, tiny white pebbles, contrasting with the deep browns and greens of the lush forest; she also heard the sounds of birds chirping and the musical bubbling of a nearby stream. It was peaceful. That must have also been why a woman was just sitting on a rock.
Wait. What? Raisa's head whipped back around to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. There. A bit out from the pathway a young woman with thick, wavy orange-blonde hair was sitting perfectly still on a smooth, medium-sized rock; her legs were crossed, and the palms of her hands were resting on her knees, she was perfectly balanced and so still.
"Hi. How are you?" Raisa greeted without thinking.
The woman didn't respond, and Raisa made her way closer, thinking that she just hadn't heard her. "Hi! How are you?" Raisa asked again, this time only a few inches from the woman and her voice louder.
The woman's brow twitched in annoyance, but she still didn't respond to her question, so the brunette just plowed on ahead, undeterred. "I'm doing fine, but my body's a bit sore. I was on a boat for a long time. Right now, I'm heading to the Temple to ask for permission to stay."
Still nothing, Raisa leaned in closer, "Are you part of the village?" She took in the woman's clothes, "You don't seem to look like it."
The woman's brows twitched again, and she let out an annoyed sigh as her eyes slowly opened to reveal that they were a pretty aqua-green color. "If you're heading to the Temple, shouldn't you be going already?"
"Do you know where it is?" Raisa asked.
"You're close. Just follow the path to the Temple. There's nothing else up here." She sighed. She stood up and Raisa was forced to take a step back since she was so close to her.
"How will I know if I have permission?" Raisa questioned, looking at the woman who shouldered her way past her to start down the trail.
"Oh, you'll know." The woman said over her shoulder and disappeared before Raisa could ask anything else.
Raisa looked at the place where the woman disappeared and shrugged. "What a strange woman." She muttered to herself before she continued up the path.
It only took her a few more minutes to reach the Temple and when she did, she couldn't help but admire the work and care that had been put in it. The structure wasn't overly large, the Temple was made of rich dark wood and polished stone and at the very center sat the statue of a majestic bird's it's wings stretched out as if it were about to take flight.
Carefully, Raisa looked around, leaning closer to the walls to see the strange writing carved into the smooth wood on the inside of the temple. "What does it all mean I wonder?" She asked herself before going back to the bird statue; was this what she was supposed to ask permission from?
Without a word, she knelt in front of the statue clasping her hands together and closing her eyes. Please, please let me stay here. I'd love to know more about the villagers and their culture. There is so much I've never seen here. She thought silently, wondering if the village's guardian was listening to her prayers. I'll help in whatever way I can during my stay.
For the longest time, there was nothing but silence and Raisa felt her shoulders slump, thinking that it was the bird's rejection, but then she heard the fluttering of wings, her eyes shooting open to see the bird's eyes flowing a brilliant white and in a flash of light, a beautiful silvery-white feather appeared in front of her, floating gently to the ground in front of her knees.
Raisa stared at the feather for the longest time, slowly picking it up and turning it over and over in her hands, it shimmered in the light and it felt weightless and warm. Suddenly a large grin appeared on her face and she jumped to her feet, bowing deeply to the statue. "Thank you so much! You won't regret letting me stay!" She said loudly, running out of the temple and back down the mountain as fast as her legs could carry her, feather clutched tightly in her hand.
"I did it!" She cheered loudly as she got closer to the village, jumping into the air, and waving her arms and legs like a mad person. "I got permission!" She laughed happily; but she made a misstep when she landed back on the trail, her heel skidding against the loose white pebbles of the path and causing her to land face-first into the dirt.
She stayed on the floor a minute, spitting out pebbles... that was the second time she had tripped.
"Congratulations," The Elder approached her, a smile appearing on her wrinkled face. "And welcome properly to our village, I am Ona."
"Hello Ona, I'm Belladonna D. Raisa." She said, pushing herself up to a sitting position and brushing the pebbles out of her hair. He looked around the small village and saw the colorful birds flying overhead. "What can you tell me about those?"
Ona followed her gaze, "We call them Lapillus Hawks, they are native to our island. Their feathers are the color of gemstones and are extremely valuable to poachers since they don't exist anywhere else. Some say they are also the descendants of Pretiosa, the spiritual guardian of this island. The temple you visited is a Temple to her."
"That's amazing," Raisa looked at the birds in awe, they were flying all over the village, unafraid of the people who were milling about, doing their work. She held up her arm and laughed with glee when a medium-sized bird with glittering ruby-colored feathers landed on her arm, cooing at her, its brilliant blue eyes curious as it tilted its head at her.
"They are beautiful, I've lived my entire life in the South Blue and never heard of them." She said softly, gently brushing her finger against the bird's feathers and it nuzzled its head against her shoulder, looking pretty happy for a bird.
Ona sighed, looking disappointed, "That's because, in recent years, we've been trying to keep the remaining ones a secret."
"It's because- " Ona started to explain but before she could another villager, a man with deep brown skin and emerald feathers in his hair hurried towards them, a frantic look in his eyes.
"Elder Ona! Come quick, I think he is back!" He said frantically.
Ona's eyes widened and she nodded, "Explore the village as much as you want Miss Raisa. I'll also set up some accommodations for you." She said quickly before leaving with the man.
Raisa stared after the elder and man in slight surprise, taken aback by the sudden trust that was shown to her. She pondered on it for a moment before curiosity got the better of her and she found herself walking through the village.
The village was larger than she had originally thought, stretching out to both the right and left. The buildings were colorful and seemed to be made out of wood and stone, with colorful feathers hanging from their roofs. As she walked, she saw the villagers stop and look at her with caution until they saw the glowing feather in her hands; once they saw that, many of them relaxed and greeted her.
She had stopped to talk to a young woman selling colorful fruit when the sound of laughter and cawing caught her attention, "excuse me," she said, smiling at the young woman before making her way toward the edge of the village where a clearing was. There she saw multiple children playing together, colorful baby Lapillus hawks flying around their heads. Some of the kids were playfully trying to catch the birds as they swooped down, but they zoomed back up just before the kids could catch them. Another group of kids was sitting around the woman she had met on the path to the temple, watching with rapt attention as she juggled balls of different sizes, easily catching them before throwing them back into the air; sometimes she would bounce the ball on her head or roll them along her shoulders before catching them again.
The woman noticed her standing there and the smile that was on her face faded as she caught all the balls neatly in her hands before standing, aqua green eyes carefully taking her in.
"Hey, look!" one of the kids, who was sitting around the woman, looked back to see what had caught her attention, "She has Pretiosa acceptance too! It's one of Pretiosa's feathers!" The kid stood up and practically skipped towards Raisa, her bright golden blonde hair flopping against deeply tanned skin. "Cool!"
"Hi," Raisa smiled warmly at the kid, holding out the feather, "So this is her acceptance? Everyone has been so kind since they've seen it. Can you tell me why?" She asked curiously. She wasn't complaining, it warmed her heart that these people were so accepting but it was a complete one-eight from how they treated her from when she first landed on the island.
"Because you've been marked as one of us," The kid was practically giddy as she explained, sapphire eyes gleaming. "When you go to the temple, it is said that Pretiosa judges your soul, your heart. If she finds that a person has ill intentions for our village and the Lapilus then she will turn them away, forcefully banishing them." She then reached out and touched the feather in Raisa's hand. "If you get this feather, one of Pretiosa's feathers, you are approved as family. You become one of us."
"Really?" Raisa beamed, nearly as excited as the kid. She had never heard of that story before. Or Pretiosa, the bird God… but still, for an entire village to suddenly trust someone based on their god's judgment… she doubted a place like this existed anywhere else in the world. "I'm glad I was accepted." She then held out her hand, allowing the blonde to shake it, "I'm Raisa."
"Bele," The blonde smiled widely, revealing that she was missing a few of her baby teeth. "These are my friends. Rua, Adamas, and my brother Kiel." She quickly introduced three children who had come up to them while she was talking. "Oh! And that's Clio!" She pointed to the unknown woman. "She's also a visitor. She came here a week before you."
Clio sighed, looking annoyed as she slowly stood up, "You shouldn't introduce people without their permission Bele. It's rude."
"It is?" Raisa asked at the same time as Bele, tilting her head curiously. She hadn't ever thought of it that way.
Bele then shook her head and tugged on Raisa's hand, "Hey Miss Raisa, do you know any tricks? Miss Clio showed as a few!"
"Tricks?" Raisa looked thoughtful before a smile found its way onto her face, "Well there's this," She held out her hands, dozens of bright red rose petals suddenly floating over her open palms before forming into a butterfly.
"That's amazing!" Bele looked at her in awe as the other kids crowded around her and Raisa immediately turned the butterfly into a rose-petal-made rabbit before quickly forming the petals into small Lapillus hawk-looking birds, setting them loose across the clearing so that the kids could chase after them, giving the actual baby Lapillus a chance to rest in the trees.
"Devil fruit?" Clio asked, curiously, making her way over to Raisa, curiosity in her own eyes.
Raisa nodded, a pleased look on her face as she watched the kids chase after her creations. Whenever a kid tried to catch one of her creations, the bright red petals scattered through the hair briefly before reforming back into the bird; allowing the kids to give chase again. "I ate the Rōzu Rōzu no mi." She took in the two thin swords strapped to Clio's back. "Are you by chance a swordswoman?"
Clio shook her head, "I wouldn't consider myself one… one try not to use them unless I have to."
"Then why do you carry them?" Raisa asked.
"That's none of your business." Clio shot back.
"Aren't they heavy?" Raisa wondered, "And if you don't use them, how do you protect yourself?"
Clio sighed. "Has anyone ever told you that you ask too many questions?"
Raisa nodded enthusiastically, "All the time. But if I don't ask then I'll never know right? It's better to know things than staying oblivious, isn't it?"
"I suppose you're right," Clio huffed, a small smile appearing on her face as she watched the kids play, her eyes noticeably softening. "And you can keep the kids entertained. I don't think I could have entertained them for that much longer before you came."
"Why were you doing that anyway? You don't seem like someone who likes kids." The orange-blonde-haired woman had been distant and cold with her after all, and even now, there was no warmth in her tone when she spoke to Raisa. But when she had been with the kids, Raisa could tell the smile on her face had been genuine.
"Children should be able to laugh and play for as long as they're able to." Clio shrugged, something dark in her eyes as she spoke, she blinked and the darkness was gone. She started to walk away when an explosion suddenly rocked through the village, a pillar of black smoke quickly rising through the air as shocked screams followed.
"What the?!" Raisa looked around, villagers were running all over the place, panicking. "What's happening?!"
"Looks like we have company," Clio sighed, she looked around cautiously, but didn't draw her swords, and her body was relaxed, but Raisa could tell from how she stood that she was prepared to defend herself if she had to.
"Bele! Kiel!" A woman with the same tanned skin and blonde hair rushed towards the children. "Come on, you have to hide. The poachers are back!" She quickly grabbed onto her children and tried to drag them away, but Bele stubbornly tugged her arm out of her mother's grasp.
"But what about the hawks?! They'll catch them if we don't do something!" The girl protested.
Before her mother could respond, a series of loud gunshots vibrated through the air, and true to Bele's words, two of the jewel-colored hawks fell from the sky, wounded but not dead, their bodies twitching helplessly as they tried to rise from the floor, but each of their wings were shot through.
"Hey!" Raisa looked around furiously and saw two men dressed in dark coats, and black scarves tied around their necks standing on the roof, guns smoking and pleased smiles on their faces. "Why the hell did you do that!?"
One of the men laughed, "Do you know how much these birds go for darling? There's nothing like them in the South Blue."
"That doesn't mean you can just take from them!" Raisa protested, launching herself off the ground with a whirlwind of rose petals onto the roof before any of them could react, kicking the man across the face and sending him tumbling down.
"Why you!" His companion fired his gun at her, the shots hitting their mark. Still, instead of dropping as he expected, her body turned into dozens of swirling rose petals, surrounding him in a vortex and carrying him up into the air before dropping him.
"That's... certainly interesting..." Clio muttered, watching as Raisa used her Rōzu Rōzu no Mi, she knew about logia devil fruit users but had never met one in person before.
"Stop it!" She swung around when she heard Bele cry out, other Poachers had entered the village shooting at the hawks and any villager who tried to stop them. Bele was tugging on the pant legs of one Poacher as they tried to shoot down a ruby-colored hawk, she pulled hard enough that she messed up his shot, much to his anger.
"You stupid girl!" The Poacher tried to backhand Bele, but Clio was suddenly there, grabbing onto his wrist, brow twitching in annoyance. "Let go." He tried to pull his wrist free.
"You know, people who hit children are disgusting," Clio said softly, her face neutral as she tightened her grip, crushing the man's wrist with surprising strength before she tossed him through the air. She then pivoted on the toe of her foot and kicked another Poacher in the stomach, sending him flying into one of the houses.
"You're strong..." Bele said, looking at her in awe.
"Am I?" Clio smirked at her, she got herself in a fighting stance as her entire body became coated in a fiery-orange flame-like aura. "I don't think I'm particularly strong," She said softly as a group of Poachers surrounded her. "Burst,"
She launched herself at the nearest Poacher, using the aura around her to add extra force. She ducked under his punch, her fist smashing against his stomach, causing him to double over, allowing her to deck him right under the chin.
Another Poacher with a mohawk took aim at her with two pistols and fired, his eyes bugging out when she deflected them with her bare arms, an amused look on her face.
"W-w-what the hell?!" He demanded, frantically trying to reload his pistols as she charged at him, "Burning Crescent," Clio somersaulted through the air, her legs catching fire as they flew through the air; her right leg kicked the pistols out of his hands while her left she kicked the mohawk Poacher over the head, sending his face crashing into the ground.
"I'll crush you!" A large, round Poacher, launched himself from the roof, he was easily eight times her size, his thick arms stretched out to grab onto her.
"Ah!" Bele flinched back behind her, eyes wide as his shadow fell over the two of them.
"Shouldn't you be running?" Clio asked, pressing her feet into the ground as she looked at the kid as if she were an idiot. This was the worst place to be. And where the hell had her mom gone? The older woman and the rest of the kids had run away the moment the Poachers had started to gather in the area. What a stubborn kid.
"Die!" The large Poacher cried, fully expecting his body to crush Clio and Bele any second, and if Clio had been a normal person, he would have. Instead, he found himself unexpectedly jerking to a halt as Clio caught him and held him over her head, body trembling slightly, the ground under her cracking under their combined weight. The Poacher started to sweat, "W-what?!"
"Too bad," She grinned, voice slightly strained as she gazed up at him, "I'm a bit stronger than your average woman." She started to toss and spin him through the air, shifting him from hand to hand until the aura that surrounded her shifted to him and his body caught fire as he spun faster and faster above, becoming a blur of aura-made flames.
"Stop it!" He cried, his body was charred by this point and she was surprised he was still conscious. That was when two more Poachers decided to charge her from the roofs while three charged at her from the ground.
"Damn, you guys never learn." She mused, she threw the large, burning Poacher at the two who were in the air, causing him to slam into them. She then grabbed Bele, who still hadn't run away, and threw her into the air too before ducking low to avoid the gunfire of one of the Poachers on the ground.
She jumped back up, wrapping her legs around the neck of the next Poacher, unbalancing and throwing him to the ground with her unexpected weight before kicking him in the face, and knocking him unconscious.
She then grabbed the wrist of the next Poacher, swinging him away from her and using the leverage to roll across his back as the last remaining opened fire at her, his bullets hitting his companion instead of her as she used the man as a shield.
Clio then gathered the aura that had been covering her body into her hand, creating a small fiery orb the size of her palm that she then launched at the last Poacher, the orb exploded on contact, sending him flying across the field, body and clothes singed.
"Wow..." Raisa dropped to the ground next to her, two more Poachers limp in her hands. "You don't need those swords on your back... and you're ridiculously strong too..." She looked excited, curiosity sparkling in her eyes and suddenly she was an inch away from Clio's face, men dropped on the floor and forgotten. "Those flames, is it a devil fruit?!"
Clio shook her head, taking a step back, "It's a secret technique my clan uses."
"Your clan? Can I meet them? Do you think they'll teach me?!" Raisa just kept inching closer and closer despite the steps back Clio took so finally the older woman just shoved her away, causing her to stumble back and fall onto one of the unconscious Poachers, causing him to groan in pain.
Raisa blinked and looked down, "Sorry."
"My Clan is made out of murderers and thieves; they aren't the type of people you seek out."
"Well, you seem pretty decent," Raisa observed. "You protected the people of this village."
Clio looked over at Bele who was hurriedly trying to treat the Lapillus hawks that had been shot, her young face distraught as she took in their bloody wings. "They did give me a place to stay. The most I can do is protect them... and I can't stand people who even think of striking kids."
Her gaze lifted when she heard the villagers gather around them, awe in their eyes when they saw the unconscious men. "You two beat them..." Ona said in surprise.
"Elder Ona, I'm glad to see you're okay!" Raisa rushed to the Elder's side. "But gosh that was sudden. Are the villagers okay?"
Ona laughed warily, "The people are fine but our hawks..." She gazed sadly at the ruby-colored hawk, "A few of them are dead, and the ones left behind will most likely never fly again. A dozen or so were captured and are probably being brought to these men's leaders."
"Why come for them anyways?" Raisa asked. "I know they're rare but..." She just didn't understand.
"The feathers sparkle like real gemstones," Ona explained. "If someone were to sell one of the Lapillus hawks that had extremely polished feathers, they would easily make thousands of Berri. Some people buy them instead of real jewels for decoration. And the hawks themselves are rare enough that some would just keep them as pets."
"This is why you need to be accepted to stay in this village," Raisa realized. "If you didn't send newcomers up to be judged by Pretiosa anyone could come in and easily steal the hawks."
"It doesn't seem to help that much," Clio argued. "Those poachers stormed in like they owned the place."
"We aren't fighters," Ona sighed softly. "And if you visit the temple and aren't accepted by Pretiosa there is a barrier that keeps you out of the main village. Unfortunately, some poachers have learned to bypass this barrier."
"How?" Raisa asked.
Instead of answering, Ona kneeled next to an unconscious poacher and flipped his arm over, revealing a small pearly-white barb that looked like it came from a feather sewn into his arm. "It's a barb from one of Pretiosa's feathers," Ona explained when both visitors were silent. "You only need a piece to come into this village.
"Where would he even get one?" Raisa questioned, kneeling to also get a look and that's when she noticed that the feather she had gotten from the temple was neatly tucked into her cloak even though she didn't remember putting it there.
Ona noticed where she was looking and nodded. "If you get a feather from Pretiosa, it stays with you for life, no matter the path you lead in life after receiving it. It's supposed to mean you're always family but..."
"But one of our own took advantage of Pretiosa's kindness," The man who spoke up was the one who had pulled Ona away when she had been talking to Raisa before.
"Keenan!" Ona looked disapprovingly at the man but he shook his head, stubbornly, bitterness in his eyes.
"You know it's true Elder. One of our villagers, Tyrell became greedy and started to sell the feathers of the Lapillus hawks for his own gain on the market, when we realized it we kicked him out."
"It only made him worse, to be cut off from the source of his riches," Bele continued, gently petting the head of the hawk she was treating. "He made his crew of poachers, we didn't even realize you could split up Pretiosa's feather until he did."
"So, this isn't the first time he's attacked your village." Clio mused, face neutral.
"That's sick!" Raisa was the opposite, she looked furious, brows furrowed over her eyes. "Attacking your own home for money!"
"Isn't it a story as old as time?" Clio asked. "If you offer enough Berri, you'd be surprised by the number of people who would eagerly slit their own family's throats."
Raisa looked appalled at her words, but Ona nodded sadly. "Apparently so. Tyrell was banned from the village three years ago. He's been randomly attacking and taking as many Lapillus hawks as he can every few months." She then smiled warmly. " But thanks to your intervention, he got away with much less than he normally would."
Raisa looked disappointed, "I wish he hadn't been able to take any at all."
"It may be bad that we stopped them from taking the usual amount." Clio mused instead, sitting on a nearby rock and pulling crossing her feet.
"What makes you say that?" Raisa asked surprised.
"Newfound greed can be worse than a... settled greed," Clio said simply. "If he didn't get everything, he wanted this round, do you think he'd just leave with what he has?"
A Transport Ship
Off the Coast of Roshwan Kingdom
Multiple jewel-colored hawks flapped their wings frantically, trying to break out of the net that they were being held in, but it was no use. They were just crashing needlessly into each other, their cries of fear being ignored by the man around them.
"This is all you have?" A well-muscled man with deep olive skin, long braided black hair, and dark eyes demanded. He had multiple jewel-colored feathers in his braid and hanging from his neck. His eyes narrowed on the catch his men had, displeasure leaving him in waves.
"Y-yes Sir." The poacher in front of him was kneeling, body shaking with fear. "We tried to get more but there were two women who stopped us. One had a devil fruit, and the other was a skilled fighter." The man said. "We were expecting the villagers' usual tricks, not seasoned fighters, Tyrell Sir!"
"Two women." Tyrell gritted his teeth and stood up from his chair, throwing it to the back of the room in anger. "Two. Women." He repeated walking towards his poacher and pulling him up by his throat. "You're telling me two women took out more than a dozen men?"
"The devil fruit user-" The poacher choked as Tyrell's grip on his throat tightened. He was about to break the man's neck when a new, calmer voice spoke up.
"A devil fruit user is nothing to scoff at," Another man appeared from the shadows, he had tanned skin, thick wavy dark brown hair, and steel gray eyes covered by a pair of blue-tinted visors. He wore a simple sleeveless black tunic under a blue jacket, black pants, and dark brown boots. Lastly, he had two specialized shotguns attached to his back and a cigarette hanging from his lips. "If you don't have the right tools one could easily overwhelm you."
"That doesn't explain how they lost two the one without a devil fruit," Tyrell argued.
"Was she blonde? Green eyes?" The man asked the poacher before Tyrell could speak. "Had two swords she didn't use?"
The poacher nodded wordlessly, "How did you know?"
The man smiled slowly. "That's my target." He then looked at Tyrell. "How about I help you regain what you lost? Just leave the blonde for me."
Tyrell smiled in turn, "I'm listening."