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For a few years now, Jean Bart feels like his life is cursed. It all happened too quickly; one moment their ship capsized, and the next moment he's wearing an explosive collar. It was the start of all the curses.
-
He was cursed with living.
He was given no time to grieve over losing his crew and his ship. His crew perished, yet he survived. He survived, yet he wasn't even alive. What is living when you're treated like an animal? No, not even an animal; an object. Not even a shred of humanity was given to him or his fellow slaves. Yet, his lungs still breathe and his heart still beats. He's living. He woke up every morning, and he lived another day. No matter what the Celestial Dragons threw at him; insults, exhaustion, hunger, thirst, scourge, brand… day by day by day. He lives.
-
He was cursed with a stronger body.
He could withstand more slashes, he would walk for longer, he could carry more weight. The Celestial Dragons prefered to use him compared to the weaker slaves. When the other slaves' bodies had given out, responsibilities would be shifted to his shoulders. It's not that his energy is inexhaustible; he was actually bone-tired. His muscles protested in ache and his joints screamed in pain. Still, his endurance is higher than the average person. His body is more well-trained. Even with living only off a single loaf of bread every two days, his body somehow preserved it's powers.
-
He was cursed with memories.
He remembered the day he recruited his first mate; his cook. He remembered how he promised to provide the healthiest meal for his crew, no matter how many men that is. He remembered the day his whole crew fought teeth and nails against the current of the Reverse Mountain. It was still clear in his memories, how his navigator panicked when they once lost their log pose. It also still felt fresh in memories, how his crew partied on the shore of an island, after successfully running away from the marines. How half of them passed out drunk, and how the other half had to scurry back to their ship while carrying their fallen comrades because they apparently had beached on an island full of savage beasts. He also remembered how his ship had accidentally crossed paths with a Celestial Dragon’s ship. They had steered clear off the Celestial Dragon's path, yet a canon was fired at them. He remembered the faces of his crewmates right before their ship capsized; shock, fear, despair. His memories cursed him every single day.
-
He was cursed with hope.
No, it wasn't about hoping some god would come and save him. He did hear about Nika; his stories are famous among the slaves. But no, he's cursed with a real, solid hope that he will have a chance to break free from slavery. He had heard stories, how a fish-man managed to free himself and other slaves from their masters’ hands. About how some slaves managed to run away and some even managed to take some devil fruits with them. He is cursed to hold on to hope. It would've been easier to just let go and accept the fate of being a slave. It would've been easier to stop trying to hang on to life. It would've been easier to just … give up. Except, he's cursed with hope. His hope had cursed him to keep going; to keep living.
—
It starts at the Sabaody Archipelago. That day, his curses start to turn to blessings.
—
He is blessed with hope.
Trafalgar Law; a pirate captain. He very rarely ever heard any story regarding the lower world when he's in Mariejois. But just during the brief days his Celestial Dragons are in Sabaody, he had heard a couple of names; captain names and crew names, some of the famous ones currently sailing through the Grand Line. And the one currently standing in front of him is the one called "Surgeon of Death", based on what the navy officers’ shouts. His devil fruit powers had freed him from the explosive collar around his neck, allowing him to stand at his feet.
“Why?” he asks.
“Will you come along with me, pirate captain Jean Bart?” Law asked instead.
Hearing his own name is surprising, at the very least, especially coming from a young upstart. He honestly didn't expect anyone to even recognize him, much more remembered his name. It's been years since he became a slave after all. But Trafalgar Law had blessed him with hope; albeit sharing the credit to Straw Hat Luffy. Hope that he can sail for the sea again. Hope that he can be free again. Hope that he can be human again.
-
He is blessed with memories.
It has been only two years since he joined the Heart Pirates under Trafalgar Law, but this short period of time had blessed him with some very fond memories.
One time, Ikkaku was fuming. One of the boys had knocked her toolbox off the table she's working at and now the little trinkets are scattered on the Polar Tang’s floor.
“Nah, why should I help? It wasn't my fault!” Sachi shrugged. Ikkaku’s face got another deeper shade of red.
“And I told you it was an accident, why are you so angry about it anyway?” Uni made it worse by refusing to apologize and even blaming her for being pissed.
“THAT'S IT!!” she grabbed a wrench and took a step; ready to knock some sense of the boys’ heads. Jean Bart stood up from where he was sitting, ready to break a fight.
“Eh! No! Wait!! Ikkaku!!!” Sachi scrambled to his feet, hands stretched out.
“No! You guys went overboard this time!!” Ikkaku took a couple of steps towards Sachi, his back facing the door. “This WHOLE DAY! Every single one of you had b–”
“SURPRISEEE!!!!” the door suddenly busted open, revealing the majority of the crew; Penguin leading in front with a cake in his hand.
“Happy birthday, our favorite girl!” Penguin grinned.
“Sorry for being extra annoying today,” Uni added sheepishly. “We needed you to stay busy and out of the kitchen.”
“Clione did the cake, and then we all added our own touch to the frostings!” Sachi said as he took a step closer to Ikkaku. “Thankfully Jean Bart didn't have to step in,” he continued as he carefully peered Ikkaku’s fingers off the wrench. “Had she attacked, only he can help us hold her back,” the said girl was too stunned to protest against Sachi disarming her.
The two-tiered cakes had a small narwhal as a topper, complete with a yellow and orange hat at its head. Below it are various doodles and decorations, made of chocolates and frostings. It's a simple cake, but knowing the boys she's been living with, she knew that this cake had been made with extra care and love.
Before she knew it, she was crying.
“See, i told you it's a bad idea,” came the Captain's voice from the door. Law was leaning against the door frame, his signature frown drawn on his face. “Ikkaku, if you want their arms and feet switched up, just say the word,” he swung his cursed sword, Kikoku, around.
Having had a moment to gather herself, Ikkakku stood straight and took the cake from Penguin’s hands. She blew the candle and smiled at the boys.
“Thank you for the cake, everyone. I really appreciate it,” she nodded at each of the guys, still holding her smile. “But I'll take that offer, Captain!” she sent a playful wink to her captain, and earned a wicked grin in return.
That day, Ikkaku and Captain had a very fun time while the others struggled to distinguish between right and left.
Hakugan’s hands were trembling as he gripped the helm of the Tang. Beside him, Bepo had his full concentration on calculating the currents’ course and projection. They are facing an unprecedented underwater whirlpool; all hands on deck to keep the Tang steady, each and every one of them ready for Hakugan’s orders. Even Captain had Kikoku in hand, ready to use his Devil Fruit powers if necessary.
“Angle, three degrees up!”
“Angle three degrees up, aye!”
“Speed, zero six knots!”
“Speed, zero six knots, aye!”
“Aft room, how’s our bilge?”
“Aft room aye, bilge level four zero centimeters.”
Commands and confirmations ran back and forth, with Hakugan at the center of it all. It wasn’t their worst storm yet, but it took them by surprise and so everyone was scrambling unprepared.
Hours later, they finally found a part of the sea calm enough for Polar Tang to surface. Even before they checked for damages on the Tang, the crew had carried Hakugan to the deck and body-tossed him in the air.
“That was crazy, Hakugan! Firing a torpedo to change our course?!”
“Yeah!! And all those angles and dangles!!” the crew chimed in and each voiced their awe for their brilliant helmsman.
‘Hero of the day’, they said. Everyone is smiling and laughing, including Captain, as this is one of the memories that they will cherish for a long while.
And upon many of the warm new memories that Jean Bart made during his journey as the Heart Pirates crew, one of the earliest memories stood out the most for him.
It was a couple of days after he accepted Trafalgar Law’s offer to follow him. He had noticed that the rest of the crew were all wearing similar boiler suits. Being a slave that had nothing but the piece of ragged cloth that is attached on his body, he stood out as an obvious new addition to the crew. He didn't really mind, because he, for once, was being treated like a human being again.
The captain, who turned out to be an actual doctor and surgeon, had examined his body’s condition and even made adjustments with the crew’s cook to help recover him from malnourishment. The shipwright, the only woman, had immediately made adjustments to accommodate his bigger build around the Polar Tang. She also made sure he got a proper sized, comfortable bed for himself. Sachi gave him a nice, clean haircut. Penguin had run back to Sabaody’s market the other day to buy him some clothes.
And then, a week after they dropped Straw Hat Luffy and Jinbei off on Maiden Island, the crew had made shore on a small spring island. The island is small enough that there is no major navy headquarters in view, but big enough for the crew to buy enough rations for another month or so.
Jean Bart is wearing a dark blue t-shirt with a simple pair of blue jeans that Penguin had managed to find back in Sabaody. Captain had told him not to overwork himself as he is still recovering from the years he suffered under the Celestial Dragons, but he doesn’t want to be a waste of oxygen in the submarine. Besides, he feels fine and he feels strong enough to help Bepo and Clione carry the boxes of rations from the shore to the ship.
That night, the crew camped on the shore as Bepo didn’t want to get inside the sub yet. Jean Bart and some of the crew were sitting around the warmth of the fireplace when Law called for him.
“What is it, Captain?” he asked, calling another man captain still feels somewhat foreign in his tongue.
“Well, the crew–, I mean, we have something for you,” Law rarely fumbled his words. “We had to make some adjustments but now it's done.”
When Law stepped aside, he saw the rest of the crew holding a boilersuit; a set of clean white coveralls, with the Heart Pirates’ jolly roger sewn on the left breast side. On the side, some of the members are holding a pair of brown safety gloves. All of them tailored to his size.
“WELCOME TO THE HEART PIRATES!!”
“Apologize for the delay, Jean Bart,” Law, who was standing on the side with his arms folded, offered him a small smile. “But here's your Heart Pirates boilersuit.”
“Welcome, big guy!!” Sachi had moved to pat his back.
“Let’s get along well!” Uni cheered from the side.
“Respect your seniors, new guy!” Bepo made a T-pose.
“We'll be in your care!” Ikkaku waved at him.
“Our strong Jean Bart!” Clione added.
More and more of the members greeted him, welcomed him, telling him how much they appreciate him joining the Heart Pirates. He'd only been around for a week or so, and he's still trying to remember everyone’s names. He got almost every one of them memorized by now, though.
“And Captain might always look angry but behind that resting-frowning face, he is very kind!” Penguin ended the round of greetings.
“PENGUIN!!” Law warned, earning laughter from the rest of the crew.
Jean Bart let out a small laugh, “I know.” He indeed knew that Law is a good person. He freed a slave that he could've just left alone. He saved Straw Hat Luffy and former Warlord Jinbei even though it puts himself and his crew in danger.
Then, Jean Bart sat down and bowed his head. He chose his words carefully, to convey the feelings from deep inside his heart.
“I am very honored to be part of this crew. I may be older and still recovering, but I promise I'll do my best for all of you.” He then raised his head to address each and every member of the crew. “I am Jean Bart; former captain and former slave, but now a content new member of the Heart Pirates crew. Please take care of me from now on!”
As he finished his tiny speech, he found his crewmates cheering at him; some even had tears in their eyes.
That day, he felt blessed to have this piece of memory etched in his brain, in his heart.
-
He is blessed with a stronger body.
As his captain slash doctor made sure that his body is recovering to its top shape, he also made sure to take advantage of his stronger build to help the crew.
He trained with Bepo for martial arts. Trained with Sachi and Penguin for diving and underwater battles. Trained with Law for swordsmanship. But his favorite is training with Ikkaku for endurance.
Bepo and Ikkaku had made the discovery that Jean Bart’s body can endure more than the average person can. He is not the best in utilizing Armament Haki, but even without it he can take Bepo’s blows head on with minimal damage on his body. When others would have bruised, his skin showed no sign of injury. One time, he took one of Bepo’s hit and it bruised. He thought his body had finally given out. But then Law, who was watching over them, stated that that move Bepo used on him would usually shatter a normal person’s bones if they didn't defend themself with Haki.
Soon enough, he took his role as the crew’s shield. He honed his Armament Haki for a defensive role and he would wear chain-mails under his boilersuit. Having trained under Captain’s supervision, he learned the best way to defend against swords, cannons and, to some degree, even bullets.
This blessing had come in handy when they had to fight against Jack at Zou before their Captain's return. With him standing in the frontlines, he could protect his crew and also the Minks from the Beast Pirates’ assault. That day, his crew, led by Bepo, had given him the ‘Hero of the Day’ title.
Being blessed with a stronger body had allowed him to protect his captain yet again, as they fought against half of Blackbeard's crew. With the help of Bepo’s sensitive hearing, he had managed to defend against most of Van Augur’s snipes.
He knew that this fight wasn't going to be an easy one. The last time they went against an Emperor was with the help of a huge alliance between pirates, samurais and ninjas of the Wano kingdom, and the Minks. This time, they had to face Blackbeard alone.
Over and over again his stronger body had saved his crewmates and his captain and he would be glad to take many more hits for them. Truly, at that moment, he feels blessed to have a body that can keep moving, keep defending, and keep enduring.
-
He is blessed with living.
Somehow, after swimming away from the rest of Blackbeard's crew, he is still blessed with living.
He helped Sachi and Penguin, the two oldest members, to gather the crew on the shore and made a headcount.
Only Captain and Bepo were missing.
He, and the rest of the crew, had survived. And knowing Bepo, he had faith that Bepo would take their captain to safety. No matter how far or how long ‘safety’ is.
Without a ship, a captain or a first mate, the crew hung their heads. Even Sachi and Penguin seemed at a loss for words. Some of the crew had crouched down and hugged their knees, and some can't seem to believe what had just happened. Their body and mind are too weak to stand up and think straight.
Maybe it's because of his survival instinct. Maybe it's because of his previous role as a captain. Maybe it's because he is older and more experienced. Maybe it's knowing that this time, his crew and him had survived.
Jean Bart stood tall and spoke to the lost crew.
“Everyone, I know that the current situation seems like we've been cursed,” he started. “We lost our beloved ship” – a sob from Ikkaku– “and we don't know where our captain or first mate is.” Penguin and Sachi looked away; fear, sadness, and anger for losing were apparent in their eyes.
“But, we all know Captain and we all know Bepo,” he started helping some of the crew to stand up, a firm hand on their back to remind them; “Believe in them.”
“I know they're alive. Let's hold on to that hope.
Polar Tang is our home, she has made us who we are. But the Heart Pirates, we, are also made out of all the memories we had with each other. Good ones and bad ones.
So let's all focus on getting strength back to our bodies. Eat and rest. We need to be strong.
Let's keep on living.”
By then, he had rounded them all in a small circle, each crew member supporting the others beside them. Some of them are still crying, but they are more determined this time. The dying embers had been lit up again.
“We are not cursed. We are still blessed, my friends. So let's survive this like we had always done.
We are the Heart Pirates.”