One Dream: Voyage 8

Past Voyage

Voyage 8: Young and Reckless
''' [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INzMc7X-yEI&feature=related%7C 1:10 - end. Please open in a new tab or window.] '''

''Pirate: Spike! Hey Spike! Get over here already!''

Spike: I'm coming, I'm coming!

SPIKE

AGE: 5

OCCUPATION: PIRATE

''The young boy scurried across the deck as fast as his little legs could manage. Before him stood a burly, stocky man with a red bandana tied over his apparently bald head, with thick stubble under his chin to match his tough, intimidating appearance. Next to him appeared to be boxes and barrels galore, littered on the deck of the ship.''

''Pirate: See these? We just got ourselves some new plunder. Be a sport and carry them to the storage room, OK?''

''Spike: Huh...? Hey!! I'm not the crew's errand boy! I'm just as much a pirate as you are!''

''Pirate: Riiight, whatever you need to tell yourself. Wouldn't want to hurt that precious cabin boy pride of yours.''

''Spike: Grrr! I'm not just a cabin boy!!! I'm a true blue warrior!! Just look at these fists!!''

''In order to keep from looking foolish in front of his crewmate, Spike raised two fists in front of the man. His determined scowl, baring teeth at the man, went hand in hand with the show he was trying to put on.''

''Pirate: Oh, those are impressive! Almost as awesome as these!''

''The man then placed both knuckles against Spike's head and grinded them ever so gently, so as to not do any real harm, in a teasing manner. Needless to say however, it was still uncomfortable.''

''Spike: Hey!! Cut it out! I'm serious!!''

Spike struggled to remove the hands from the sides of his head, while the man had a good laugh.

''Pirate: Hahahaha! Face it Spike, you have the guts, but you're not old enough yet to be a real man. Just being born a pirate isn't enough. You've gotta work from the ground up! And face your lumps like a-!''

The pirate let go of Spike, only to end up pounding him neatly on the crown.

Pirate: -MAN!

Spike: Uwahh...

Spike teetered around as his balance was thrown off in one fell strike.

''Pirate: Now seriously, get to moving this cargo. Otherwise, the old man's gonna start asking us why we're leaving precious food, water and money out in the open for anyone to steal it.''

''Spike: Yeah yeah. Just stop acting like you're the boss of me.''

''Spike did as he was ordered and pulled the cargo into storage. Due to the size of them, and the large amount of crates, it took quite a long while until Spike had finally finished. He sighed as he set down the final box. It was noticeably smaller than the others, and just big enough to store something that could fit into a person's hand. Spike stared down at it as he reflected the words of his crewmate from earlier.''

''Spike: Hmph! I'm more of a man than he is! Ordering a kid to do the work for him. ...Who does he think he is?!! I'm the captain's son!! I can be just as awesome as dad is!!''

''Spike clenched his fists in frustration. After standing there for a while and pouting, the boy finally decided to move on and find something else to do. Anything to get his mind off of his disgrace.''

''Spike: HEY! LEMME DOWN, YOU JERK!''

''' [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cXR3h4OToM&feature=related%7C 1:04 - 2:36. Please open in a new tab or window.] '''

''Weeks after their last stop, the band of pirates arrived to a port town to unwind. Albeit, it wasn't long until a rival crew appeared and began making a mess of things. A fight had broken out, and it seemed Spike had gotten mixed in with it somehow.''

Enemy Pirate (smirking): Heh, why is it that runts like you think they can bark orders to guys like me?

''The pirate seemed to have gotten a hold of Spike; lifting him up off the ground by the back of his shirt collar, leaving him helpless in the air. Spike could only grunt, scowl and flail his arms and legs in protest. He was powerless to stop the enemy crew. Though just as things seemed bleak, a shot rang out through the town's street, and the pirate lost his grip while he stumbled backward and on to the ground. Adjacent of him was a man with spiky blonde hair and an X shaped scar on his left cheek. His chin was covered by a short, blonde beard; just short and lightly colored enough to allow his chin to be visible underneath it. His clothes seemed pretty faded and beaten up, with a green shirt, grey slacks and black shoes covering him. Atop his shirt was a grey colored jacket, with its sleeves appearing to be too long for use, and the collar adorned with golden decor. He held a pistol up in the air as he glared down at the pirate crew nearby.''

Spike: Dad!

Grinning happily, Spike ran over to his father's side.

Spike's Father: You didn't get too roughed up, did you, Spike?

Spike could only keep up his cheery grin while the opposing pirates helped their crewmate to his feet.

''Enemy Pirate 2: Damn it...! The captain's arrived! Guys! We gotta fall back! If this guy's here, then that means-!''

''Another bullet flew through the air. This time, gliding just past the faces of each man standing across from where the barrel was pointing.''

''Spike's Father: Just go. You can have your discussion later. For now, I don't want to see you sorry fools in MY town again!''

''He cocked the gun once more, allowing it to make an audible click. That was his idea of a fair warning. And the message was recieved, as the pirates made haste to get as far away from the pirate captain as possible.''

''Spike (starry eyed): Dad, that was so cool! You're the best-!''

Spike was soundly interrupted by his father's sudden outburst.

Spike's Father: YOU FOOL!!

''He gave Spike a rather swift slap on the head to help discipline him. Spike winced from the pain.''

Spike's Father: How many times did I say "don't get involved in the fight"?!

''Spike: Oww... I dunno. A few times?''

He received another slap across the skull.

''Spike's Father: MORE LIKE A FEW HUNDRED!! I SAID THOSE GUYS WERE GONNA SHOW UP! AND I JUST KNEW YOU WERE GONNA RUN OFF TO FIGHT THEM! AND LOOK WHERE THAT GOT YOU!''

Spike: Yeah, but you saved me anyway.

''This only served to frustrate the captain and father even more. His subordinates behind him could only sigh and give disparaged looks. Spike's father was at his wits end, and so the only way to really drive the point home was with a round of continuous slaps on the head.''

''Spike's Father: AND WHAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED IF I WAS A MINUTE TOO LATE?!! HUH?!! OR WHAT IF THE GUY PULLED A GUN AND SHOT ME FIRST?!! WOULD YOU THINK FOR ONCE, SPIKE?!! I DON'T WANNA HAVE TO HEAR THAT MY ONLY SON DIED BECAUSE OF STUPIDITY!!''

Pirate (shrugging): Like father, like son, I guess...

''This elicited an angry glare from Spike's father. His eyes bulged in their sockets and he bit the lower end of his lip. If he got any angrier, his face would practically turn red. He then proceeded to slap his own subordinate over the head as if he were the man's child. The pirate raised his shoulder and ducked his head behind it to try and deter the abuse.''

''Spike's Father: ARE YOU SAYING I'M A RECKLESS FOOL?!! IS THAT WHAT YOU THINK OF YOUR CAPTAIN?!!''

''Pirate 2: Captain, relax!! He's just saying that you two kinda get overexcited sometimes-''

Spike's Father: OH, SO NOW I'M OVEREXCITED!!

''His men flinched as they continued to receive an earful from the captain. Spike stood silently and rubbed his head as he watched. In the coming days, weeks and months that followed, the crew of pirates fought off a squadron of Marines, escaped an angry sea monster, and visited many different locations to rest up for future voyages, and move further down the Grand Line. On one particular island...''

Spike (smirking in amusement): Hey, check me out.

''On a tropical island, close to the shore, Spike hung upside down from the branch of a mangrove tree, with his legs wrapped around the limb. His crewmates were walking past him, carrying various objects, mostly cargo, back to the ship. One of them stopped momentarily to gaze up at the playful cabin boy.''

Pirate: Spike, what are you up to now?

''Spike: I've been holding this pose for 45 minutes now. I'm trying to see how long it takes for me to get all the blood to my... hea... hea-uhh...''

''Spike suddenly lost most of his color and had an exhausted, blank expression on his face. His hands dropped until they were past his head, and not too shortly after, his legs gave in, causing him to fall face first on to the sand.''

''Pirate: You're a real knucklehead, kid. Just don't get yourself too hurt, OK?''

''Spike pushed himself up, not giving himself any time to rest or allow the blood to return to the rest of his body. Once he made it back on to his legs, he stumbled around until he regained his footing.''

''Spike (unbalanced): So-Sorryyyy...! ...No promisES! ...Phew. Anyway, no dice. I'd be bored to tears if I didn't do something risky.''

''Spike, as if to probably prove a point, or simply due to some kind of discomfort within his nose, began to casually pick away at it with his index finger. His crewmate wasn't exactly amused by this answer.''

''Pirate: So you have a death wish. Should I inform captain Pierce?''

''Spike: Wh-What?! My dad?!! No! Don't do that! Look, I just love all this pirate stuff, OK?!''

''Pirate (teasingly): Funny, I remember when you were still in diapers. The very second you saw a storm coming our way, you went screaming for daddy.''

''Spike: I WAS JUST A BABY, YOU BASTARD!! I'm different now! I EMBRACE the danger! I can't live without it!''

''Pirate (smirking): Heh. Glad to see you've adapted in just 5 short years, kid. Wouldn't be much good to us if you were a coward.''

Spike shoved his hands into his pants' pockets and looked off to the side, with his lips in a pouting posture.

''Spike: Please. As if I'd ever run away from anything.''

''Pierce: Hey!! Where's that cargo?!!''

''Spike (surprised): WAAAAH!! COMING, DAD!!''

''And so it stayed like this for quite a while. Life aboard this crew of pirates wasn't always easy, but for the sailors, it was better than nothing. Pierce and his son, Spike, in particular, seemed to especially enjoy this lifestyle. Islands came and passed, and Spike continued to enjoy the various sights of the world. Meeting new people, experiencing new things, getting into fights and escaping peril at every corner. And through it all, Spike became more fascinated and amused by this way of life with each new adventure. However, slowly but surely, the good times were drawing to a close. On one fateful day, after winning yet another harrowing battle, a shocking truth was revealed.''

Pierce: WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU ATE IT?!!!

''Captain Pierce gathered the entirety of his crew around him, and had Spike stand before him for an interrogation. Spike stood nervously in the company of his father and captain; Pierce's authority being the only thing that managed to make him squirm in discomfort.''

Pierce: WELL?!!!

''Spike: W-W-Well, you see, I... uh...''

Pierce stood unamused, as he awaited whatever lame excuse his 5 year old son would obviously think up.

''Spike: I got curious and wanted to know what it was. Plus, I was still frustrated, so-''

''Pierce: SO YOU DECIDED TO EAT OUR ONE AND ONLY PRIZED DEVIL FRUIT, WHICH TOOK US 5 YEARS TO FIND, JUST BECAUSE YOU WERE EATING OUT OF ANGER?!!! DO YOU REALIZE HOW MUCH WE COULD HAVE SOLD IT FOR?!!!''

Spike: ...

Spike averted his gaze from his father out of shame and guilt.

Pierce: DO YOU?!!!

Spike looked back up, sheepishly, to meet his father's enraged glare.

''Spike: I didn't eat all of it. It tasted gross, so I'm sure there's still some left-''

''Pierce was now beside himself. He wasn't in the mood to hear his son use some pitiful explanation to get out of trouble. And so he grabbed Spike by the collar and held him up to Pierce's face. Spike became obviously startled by this, as he had never seen his father get this angry with him before.''

''Pierce: THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH, SPIKE!!! ONCE YOU TAKE A SINGLE BITE OF A DEVIL FRUIT AND SWALLOW IT, THE REST OF THE FRUIT BECOMES USELESS!!!''

''Pierce tossed Spike backward and allowed the boy to fall on his rear with a thud. The rest of the crew shared looks and comments regarding the captain's treatment of his own flesh and blood. They knew Spike often drove him up a wall, but none of them had ever seen the captain react this harshly towards the boy before.''

Spike: Oww...

Spike slowly began to rise back to his feet, despite something in the depths of his brain screaming not to.

Pierce: ...Show me it.

Spike: Huh?

''Pierce: Show me the damn power you stole from us. That ability you discovered in our last battle. I want to see it. Now!''

Spike: ...

''While hesitant to reveal the powers that got him into this situation to begin with, he knew better than to disobey his captain and father. Without saying a word, Spike slowly began to metamorphose. His posture immediately changed; going from bipedal to quadrupedal, and brown scales sprouted all over his skin. His lips became a hardened beak, and his entire body structure became altered. He appeared more reptillian with each distinctive feature. All that remained were the row of plates down his back and the boney spines following them down to the tip of his tail, including the three inch spines jutting out from each shoulder. Spike had gone from a normal human to a dinosaur; a Kentrosaurus. He looked downward, feeling too embarassed and guilty to even dare face Pierce head on.''

''' [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWSN--WupdM&feature=related%7C Beginning to 1:25. Please open in a new tab or window.] '''

Pierce: So you can change into a dinosaur...

''Pierce slowly approached his son. Spike continued to watch the floor as a way to cope with his building stress.''

''Pierce (cracking his knuckles): That's a pretty rare ability, I'd say. One that could have raked in a lot of cash.''

''Spike: Dad, I'm sorry. I didn't know we were gonna sell it. I wouldn't have eaten it if I knew.''

''That's when Pierce kicked Spike in his underbelly, causing a good deal of pain to the dino-human. He began to buckle and fall from the agony.''

''Spike: AGH!! Nnngh...!''

''Pierce: And the only thing you can say for yourself is "I didn't know," "I'm sorry," "I didn't eat all of it." Well let me tell you something, boy...!''

Pierce merely glared down at the suffering Spike, with an intense stare that only seemed to advertise his immense rage to the world around him.

Pierce: You've been one hell of a mistake since the day you were born!!

''Spike's eyes widened in response to this. To hear his father, the man he idolized and respected all his life, refer to him in such a way; it felt surreal to the child.''

''Pierce: You never think, you always seem to disobey direct orders, and furthermore, you're too damn reckless! All you had to do was bring those crates into the storage room as you were told!! But instead, you go snooping around where you shouldn't! I thought making you the crew's cabin boy would keep you out of our hair, but now I see you can't even do something as simple as that right!''

''As Pierce continued to berate Spike and crush his spirit, all Spike could think of was the day he found that small box. The same day in which he complained about the disrespect he had received from his crewmate. Among the sidelines, the same pirate who mocked Spike for not being mature was now feeling lower than anyone else. He couldn't even look at Spike, lest he be reminded of what he drove the boy to doing.''

''Spike (in discomfort): B-But I'm s-stronger now... right? I-I can still be helpful...''

''Pierce: Hmph. What good is all that power if you won't listen to me? Besides, it's not the strength I care about.''

Pierce then delivered another kick to Spike's side, pushing him down further on to the deck.

Pierce: It's the money!!

Spike: Uggghh...

''The rest of the crew started to become increasingly distraught with each insult and blow landed on Spike. Even for a crew of thieving pirates, attacking a small child, one of their own, seemed a bit much. Especially considering it was over one small mistake.''

''Pirate: Captain, aren't you going too far? We can still earn that kind of money over time...''

This statement was answered with Pierce drawing his cutlass from his hip, and holding it in a threatening manner.

Pierce: I don't think any of you realize my priorities as captain of this crew, so let me make things perfectly clear.

He pointed his weapon at the pirate who just addressed him, making the man clearly nervous.

''Pierce: I'm a captain first and a father second. Spike may be my son, but he's also my cabin boy. And if any member of my crew steps out of line, he will be dealt with. Is that understood?''

With the obvious implication of using his blade on the man, the pirate was quickly bullied into going with the status quo of Pierce's ship.

Pirate (intimidated): A-Aye, captain...

Pierce: Good...

Pierce withdrew his sword and began to return his attention to the slowly recovering Spike.

Pierce: Now all that's left is to figure out what to do with my bratty boy.

''Spike, still wincing a little from the blow, looked upward. Though what he saw was no longer the same man who he had come to know. In his place, was a cruel, heartless captain who held Spike's fate in his hands. All he could do now was stand there and await his punishment.''

Next Voyage