One Life: ...is not here

...has only begun
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After walking for a while, the two reach hilltop from which they can see a town built completely out of a white type of concrete.

Richard looks at it with straight face thinking of it as nothing much, but still he wonders, why every building is so white... and so he decides to ask.

Richard: Anita, can you tell me why all of these houses are so white?

Anita: You don't know? This island is famous for its white sand which in combination with another ingredient and water create a substance that hardens very much and becomes as hard as a rock. We call it ShiShi (a combination of the words white and stone in Japanese, those together would be something like Shiraishi or Shiro ishi so I combined those two) and that's what we use to buld our houses with!

Richard: I see. How convenient for you guys, you're able to make homes with just pouring some dust together and putting water on it.

Anita: It's not that simple! But it's too annoying to explain. We even export this stuff all over the Grand Line!

The two finally enter the town and there the little girl stumbles upon many people she knows, but she only says hi to them. As they pass by, the ones she salutes look with a fearful and hateful look at Richard. On their way, some kids actually want to play with Richard who was a pretty tall figure in the town, even though he was only 1.70 m tall.

As he passed by the people with those looks, he felt sad and truly angry. He hated their stares and frightened looks because of his difference. But he kept trying to calm himself for the sake of Anita who was kind enough to lead him to some water.

Richard:[It's normal... after all, they all made fun of me for being like this... for being born like this... for not being one of them, but neither a fishman...]

Richard looks down at the sand with a sadder and sadder look on his face. Anita then looks at him.

Anita: We're almost there! You must really be thirsty after all!

Richard: I told you, I'm so thirsty I could drink this whole ocean.

His stomach growls from hunger.

Richard: Seems like I could also eat every fish after I finish drinking up the sea.

Anita: Hahahaha. You'd get too fat then.

Richard: I guess you're right about that, but at least I'd be a happy fat man.

Richard raises his looks towards the sun preparing himself.

Anita: Ah! We're here! Mom! Dad! I brought a guest home!!

From the house a slightly old woman and man are coming out.

The mother: I wonder who could it be! Ani-chan, did you bring home one of your friends?

Anita: No, I met a nice weird boy when going to the beach! He said he was thirsty so I brought him home!

The father: A boy? Are you finally at that age? I can't wait to meet him!

The parents finally come out of the house and they see Richard with a very surprised look. The father then rushed to his child!

The father: What is this that you brought home?! He is not human!! Did you never think he might hurt you!?!?!

He grabs his child from there and drags her back close to him. Richard stands there able to do nothing.and looks at her father insulting him. He says nothing afraid they might completely refuse his offer.

Anita: But dad!! He is a nice guy!! I know it!! He's also weird!!!!

The man slaps his daughter with a powerful blow that makes her fall to the ground. Her cheek turns completely red.

Father: DON'T YOU DARE TALK BACK! You bring this monster back and you expect us to give him water?!!? He could die for all I care!! Did you not think even for a second he might kill you?! You idiotic child!

The mother quickly tries and grabs her husband's arm to try and stop him from slapping his daughter again. Richard crackles his fists and teeth from anger, almost snapping at any moment. But then he throws himself to the ground and puts himself on his knees and bows down with his head on the ground.

Richard: I AM BEGGING YOU FOR ONE SINGLE GLASS OF WATER! I HAVE NOT DRUNK ANYTHING FOR 2 DAYS! IT IS NOT YOUR DAUGHTERS FAULT! PLEASE DO NOT HURT HER! I HAVE SIMPLY ASKED HER TO LEAD ME TO A PLACE WHERE I CAN FIND WATER!! I AM BEGGING YOU!

Richard with his face in the dirt grinds his teeth from the unbearable will to jump into a fight.

Richard: [This is not freedom... it's still like when I was a slave... I needed to depend on a horrible bastard to survive...]

Father: And who are you to beg us for some water?! You're a stranger to this island!! I've never seen someone like you here before! Are you a pirate?!!?

The mother rushes to her child and tries to comfort her as well as she can.

Mother: Anita! Are you alright my dear child?! Your father did not mean to harm you this much. He only meant to make you understand that you were in danger. You must be careful with monsters like that.

That word makes Richard even more angry and he almost snaps, but he manages to supress his emotions for his greatest desire for the moment. Some water. In that great desert, ever since he escaped, he did not drink one single glass of water.

The father then notices a small rip on the back of Richard's cloth and there he sees the mark of the Tenryubito. He turns pale from what he sees

The father: YOU! YOU WERE ONE OF THE SLAVES THAT ESCAPED A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO!!!! HOW COULD I GIVE WATER TO SOMEONE LIKE YOU!??! THAT WOULD MEAN I AM BREAKING THE LAW! WE MIGHT ALREADY BE CONSIDERED CRIMINALS! JUST BECAUSE OF YOU!!! DISAPPEAR FROM MY SIGHT NOW! I AM GOING TO REPORT YOU TO THE MARINES!

And the marines he was talking about were not too far away, they were 50 m away, even within sight. The man notices them and then he begins shouting.

The father: MARINES!!! THIS MAN IS AN ESCAPED SLAVE!!! PLEASE GET OVER HERE!!!

Richard as soon as he heard that the father found out about his mark, he started running away. He hurried whilst the marines were trying to follow him.

Anita stood there as she saw Richard running and she almost began to cry. Her eyes were teary and insider her little heart, she wished Richard luck.

He managed to lose them after a few sharp turns and he ran out of the town into the white desert, sweating and becoming even more thirsty. His arm was still in pain and his spirit was broken. But he continued running. He ran all the desert, through the rocky landscape and he even saw the grand white mountains towring in the horizon. The sun was burning brightly the sky and it shines its light upon Richard's head making him even thirstier.

Richard: Dammit! Dammit it all!! Everything! This mark!! I hate it so much!!! I want it to disappear forever from my back!!!! I want it gone dammit! DAMMIT!!!!!!!

Richard stops running and he starts walking slower and slower with a great thirst. He almost faints in the desert from the boiling temperature and from his tiredness. He falls to his knees and looks at the white sand. He only sees that white sand and his shadow leavings its mark on it. Richard looks around himself to see if he can get some shade. He notices something that appears to be from a dream. He sees an oassis with water and palms.

Richard: This must be a hallucination. Hahahaha. What a beautiful hallucination I am having... I'll even go there and laugh some more of how my hopes are shattered! I've got nothing better to do either way. It's either death or having some fun before death.

Richard gets back up on his feet and he goes to the oasis. There he lays down and starts laughing. He then drinks some water from his hallucination.

Richard: I must have gone mad! This feels like real water!!!! It can't really be water!!! It'd be too much for my pathetic life!

But it was indeed water. By pure luck, Richard was saved. He drank as much water as he could and didn't stop until he completely quenched his thirst. With a desperate and pathetic, but yet happy face he drank it.

Richard: [For now... I'm saved...]

''And so his search has only started. The search for a place which he can call home. A place which he could belong to. A place... where he will have freedom. He went from island to island searching for a place to live in. He ran away from the Gouvernment all that time, whilst begging for as little as some food and water to survive another day, week, month, year. He was rejected, hunted after, called monster, creep, weird creature and many other hurtful words for too many times to be counted. Just like a stray dog, he found no home and he just wandered. Too many times he almost sunk on the rough New World. Everyone was harsh and unforgiving. The pirates were all very strong and he barely escaped times before. Never accepted by the humans for being half-fishman, he survived only in the jungle where he fought dangerous creatures. So, about 3 years of Richard's life have passed. He has become 18 years old and he was still searching for a home to live in.''

Richard: It's been a while since I thought about that guy.... yet another failed chance to get a home... and I end up here in this fucking cold...

Richard stays beside a defeated giant lion 4 times his size and he is covered with a layer of wool to protect him from the strong blizzard that is falling down on him with great speed and might.

Richard: After I cook this snow lion, I'll try my luck there. In the place where there are no humans. I hope he will take responsibility for my "freedom".

Richard drops the newspaper and it falls down with a title saying "Fisher Tiger, the captain of the Sun Pirates destroys yet another Marine patrol and he continues to terrorize the seas!"

Richard leaves into the unknown, disappearing in the blizzard whilst dragging the lion with him.