Grand Voyage- Log 78

Log 78: Mercuia's Story- To See the Outside World
“Zazazazazazazazazazazazazazazazaza!” Sirius laughed, “so you came after all, eh? Good! Outstanding, even!”

“Let her go, you bastard!” Knave shouted up at the bounty hunter.

“And why the hell do I have to do that?!” Sirius asked, lifting Mercuia in front of him, “what connection does she have with you?! You can’t have been travelling that long, damn it! What the hell kind of obligation do you have with her? You’d be better off just letting us take her back! I’m all up for a good fight, but you just doing this to get someone you just met back is ridiculous!”

“Shut the hell up!” Knave yelled back, “it doesn’t matter if we haven’t known each other that long! We agreed to allow her to travel with us and that’s what we’re going to do! You don’t go back on a promise like that, damn it! Never!”

Mercuia started, looking slowly up at the crew, standing on the deck a few feet below. “You guys...” she murmured under her breath.

“So what?!” Sirius said, “this brat’s a World Noble! Hell, she probably was just using you guys as a meal ticket, a way to fulfill her own goals, to get away from the likes of her parents at Mariejois! Why are you even acting like her friend if you know this?! She thinks of you as nothing! You hear me?! Nothing!”

Knave paused, seemingly relaxing his shoulders and letting out a long breath. He then looked straight at Mercuia.

“Oi, Mercuia. Is what he’s saying true?”

“It’s...” Mercuia began, then bit her lip, allowing her head to drop once more.

“...I-it’s...”

“Mother?” a young Mercuia asked, in her family’s truly massive castle in Mariejois, “can you tell me about the outside world?”

“The outside world?” Mercuia’s mother twittered, “why on earth would you need to know about that?”

''“Well...” Mercuia said, turning around and pointing out one of the large windows that adorned their mansion, “I’ve always wondered about it... it looks so... free out there.”''

''“Now, now, darling,” her mother said, putting her hand on the young girl’s shoulder and steering her back towards her room, “you mustn’t dwell on that sort of thing. The only home and life you need is here, and it’s one of luxury at that.”''

“I guess so...” Mercuia murmured as she allowed herself to be led.

“What do you think you are doing?!” Mercuia’s father snarled as he kicked a group of papers that lay on the floor in front of him, “answer me, Mercuia!”

“I-I’m sorry!” a somewhat older Mercuia said, cowering slightly in the corner, “I just wanted to take a look at them...”

''“I will not have my daughter idolizing mere pirates!” her father growled, lifting up his fist, “you are a World Noble, and not some ordinary citizen! It is time you start acting like your position!”''

“But Father-!”

“I said enough!” her father cried, bringing his fist down.

“I have had enough!” her father cried from outside the door.

“Saint Nathaniel, please calm down,” said her mother.

''“I can not calm down! First it was those damnable wanted posters, and now she’s studying archeology and how to travel the world on her own! This is ridiculous! Nay, this is beyond ridiculous! This is outrageous!”'' ''Mercuia curled herself into an even tighter ball in the corner of the room, her head on her knees, eyes closed, desperately wishing that this whole situation would just vanish. I just... she thought to herself, I just wanted... She closed her eyes tighter, trying to hold back the tears that were beginning to form.''

“I should just disown her right away!” her father raged, “the shame she could bring upon this family!”

''He took a deep breath, as if trying to hold in his rage. In the end, the effort failed, and he put all the force he could muster into his next words.''

“How could we have ever had a daughter like HER?!”

I just... wanted to see the outside world, ''Mercuia thought, as she walked the halls of the mansion. They were mostly deserted, save for the occasional slave that scurried around, cleaning up.'' Just that... is that so wrong?

''She continued to meander through the halls, her eyes dull and lifeless, with no real destination or goal in mind. Finally, she came to a stop in one of the random storage rooms located throughout the palace, for no clear rhyme or reason.''

Is it...? ''she thought, and then suddenly lashed out in anger, punching a nearby crate, her fist breaking through it. She stood there, silently crying, allowing the tears to flow freely now.'' Why is it so wrong?! Why can’t we be allowed to explore?! I don’t-!

''She stopped, as something slid out of the crate and dropped to the floor. Her eyes followed it as it rolled along the ground for a few paces, then came to a stop.''

''It was a peculiar fruit, a cool blue in color. It was covered with an odd series of circular squiggles on its surface, and its edges and area leading up to the stem had a peculiar appearance, looking like jagged gusts of wind. The stem itself was oddly curled at the end, as if it had been drawn with a fancy pen rather than naturally grown.''

A Devil Fruit, ''Mercuia realized, her eyes widening. She simply stood there, staring at it for a few minutes. Then, an idea popped in her head.'' Could I...? she thought, staring at it even more as the beginnings of a plan took place in her head.

“Saint Nathaniel-sama!” one of the slaves cried, as the entire household was suddenly roused from sleep, scrambling around in sudden confusion.

“What is it?!” Mercuia’s father growled, running up to the slave who had raised the alarm.

“Mercuia-sama’s vanished!” the slave gasped, “and we think she’s eaten one of the Devil Fruits we had bought!”

''The father growled, veins popping in his forehead. Without warning, he lashed out, delivering a blow to the side of the slave’s head, sending him crashing into the side of the wall.''

“FIND HER AND BRING HER BACK NOW!” he yelled, his rage exploding!

''The Devil Fruit she had consumed was the Tatsu Tatsu no Mi, Model: Wind Dragon. And with it, she was free.''

''Mercuia smiled happily, or, well, as happily as she could when fully transformed. She flew over the ocean, heading wherever the wind seemed to guide her, enjoying every moment of the experience, of being able to breath the rich ocean air.''

And then she felt a jolt of dizziness...

Oh no... she thought, her strength draining out of her as she felt the transformation slowly reverse itself, it still takes... too much... effort...

And with that, she fell into unconsciousness, her body reverting to normal as she fell towards the sea...

~End of Log~

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