Chapter 4 - Tears of Ririshi

The surprise is that every one of the watch faces missed. Nobody knew if Kikilo did it on purpose, but for whatever reason, the men were afraid of her hidden talent and they rapidly bulleted back to their boat on the shore.

The whole group was in awe as Kikilo retreated calmly back to them. Sanji glared at her with surprised eyes. “Why did you miss?”

Kikilo just smiled politely, her lips catching the sun and glittering like her personality. “Why hurt them when they could just leave on their own?”

“She's got a good point…”

“Shut up, sword-boy!”

“Hey Sanji! Don't say that to Zoro!”

“I can say whatever I da-”

“STOP!” Kikilo kicked Sanji in the stomach, smacked Usopp on the head, and bashed her head under Zoro's neck. “STOP FIGHTING!”

Sanji was surprised to see such a small girl get so angry. “YOU GUYS JUST NEED TO STRAIGHTEN UP AND SHUT UP! WHY DO YOU HAVE TO FIGHT???????!!!” An emotional outbreak occurred, and Kikilo burst into tears. Nobody even knew what was happening, but it was better just to leave her alone while she let herself loose. Soon her wild bawling calmed to soft sobbing and she lifted her palms from her face. “Why do you have to fight?”

Zoro started to speak, but Usopp interrupted him. “What's wrong?” Asked the timid long nose.

Kikilo looked up at him and clutched his overalls. “I need a shoulder to cry on,” she merely answered, and it seemed Sanji was the man for the job. But Zoro walked over and let her lean on him and he patted her gently, almost like a brother.

“It's okay. Now why don't you tell us why that happened?” He asked, pulling off her hat and helping her sit on the ground. All the crying she staged had worn her out.

“Where is Luffy?” She asked, holding her shoulders and rubbing them slowly. “I want him to hear, too.”

A shadow was seen going `round the corner. Kikilo seemed tense, but when she discovered it was just Luffy with a piece of meat she calmed down quite a bit. “You really shouldn't run off like that, you know. You had me worried. But please, help yourself to anything in the icebox.”

Sanji was stunned, as well as Luffy, by the kindness she displayed. “Wow! Thanks, lady!” Luffy gave her a friendly thumbs-up and retreated back to the kitchen for seconds, thirds, fourths, fifths, and sixths. Soon he returned with an armful of deliciously cooked meat. He was steadily chewing and swallowing, noticing that Kikilo was staring at him. “What?” He inquired, a mouthful of meat.

“Do you like it?”

Luffy wanted to give her a clear answer, so he gulped it down and grinned. “Yep! This is even better than Sanji's!”

Sanji put his foot up under Luffy's chin. “Watch it, buster, or you won't be able to eat it anymore…”

The girl chuckled to herself as she viewed this entertaining band of pirates. Luffy, protecting most of his meat, acted smart in this sentence: “Fine, then. You try it!”

Sanji hesitantly pulled a chunk of meat from the bone and slowly chewed it in his jaws. When he swallowed it his eyes opened wide and he sat forward. “You cooked this?”

Kikilo answered with a rapid nod.

“Wow.”

“If it's really that good, let me have some!” Usopp cried, stepped over Sanji, and stole a piece from Luffy's private stock.

“Hey! Give that back!”

“No way!”

“Needle-nose!”

“Rubber-boy!”

“Stop it, guys,” Zoro tapped the wooden floor with his boot, ceasing the commotion. “Just look at her.”

Sure enough, Kikilo was sobbing again and she hid her face with her palms. Sanji looked tenderly at her and seemed to be sad, too. “What's wrong?”

“I've put it off long enough. I know I have to tell you, so without further ado, I will.” Kikilo sighed and wiped her face with the hat that had been squeezed between her fingers. “Okay. I need to get it out of me, so here goes.”







The four young men listened attentively as Kikilo began her story. “I was born and raised here, on this island. My parents, Janika and Rober were also raised on this island. This was our home. But soon a ship was seen in the distance and we tried to make friends, and the inhabitants of the ship were nice to us. Little did we know that they had a huge plan to unravel.

I was fiddling with a watch I had gotten for my sixth birthday. Mom and Dad had come home after their walk, the same exact time as always. But this time they had news. `Kiki, get your things.'

I blinked while holding a small gear in my hand and protested, maturely for my age. `Why? I'm not doing anything without a reason.'

Dad just sighed and held my hand. `Okay. First, grab five things that you want to keep. Then follow us and we'll show you.'

I nodded rapidly and began to grab the five things that I treasured most. 1) My watch collection, 2) My pencils, 3) Some paper, 4) My treasured jewel, and 5) My stuffed kitten. I followed my mother and father out the door into the sunset sky, but because I wasn't quite old enough, I didn't notice Mom and Dad's nervousness. Mom grabbed me by the hand and dragged me out of the house. Dad ran another way.

Mom and I had been walking fast for some long time, then a rustle in the bushes and a man jumped out. Mom squealed. `Where do you think you're going?' The man asked, and reached down to grab Mom.

Mom whispered to me, `He doesn't see you. Now run away quietly!'

I was taught to obey my parents, so I trotted off back to the house. I was just starting to get tired when a tall, slender man with silver hair greeted me. `Now, what are you doing here all by your lonesome?' he asked. I couldn't really see his face, but I could tell it was kind and gentle.

`I need to go home,' I answered. I had started to walk past him when I noticed he was following me. His face had turned from kind and gentle to nervous in just a few seconds. `What's the matter, mister?' I asked, holding the bag of belongings over my shoulder. The young man cupped his hand over my mouth and leaned down to my level.

`I was supposed to do something really mean and naughty to you, little one. I can't bring myself to do that. What I will do is hide you, okay?'

`Why hide me?' I asked.

`There are bad people who are doing bad things to everyone on this island. Now you have to be quiet and follow me, right?'

I nodded. He picked me up and held me like a baby, rocking me slowly while he jumped over bushes as he ran. It wasn't long until he stopped. `Here. You hide in this hole. Now I'll be right back. You stay here, okay?'

I didn't trust this man, even at the gullible age I was. Plus I was dangerously curious. I followed him, wanting badly to speak up and ask him his name, but I didn't dare alert him. I just clutched the bag of belongings over my chest and continued to walk. But, little did I know; I was entering a place of evil.

I had followed the young man out to the shoreline. It was dark out, so I couldn't tell what was making me so uncomfortable. I suddenly jumped when I felt something soaking through my tennis shoes. I wiped my finger on the soaked soles and smelled it. Blood. The shoreline was soaked with it. As I discovered what it was, I noticed that the blood's sheen was reflecting and that the man, too, was staring at the ground. He started to speak. `Why would someone so young have to witness so much violence?' He turned around. I soon noticed that he was talking to me. `Why?'

I didn't know the answer. But I did realize that the smell of blood had made me sick and I fell into it, unconscious. When I woke up I was dazed and the Silver-Haired young man was sitting in a chair next to me. `Are you feeling better?'

I sat up in the soft, familiar bed and rubbed my eyes. `What'cha mean?'

He looked up. He had dark circles under his eyes, they were bloodshot, and his eyebrows were curved up. `I, Ririshi, am truly sorry.'

I didn't understand it then. But when I grew older I started to develop this sense of life, and how important it is. That night everyone except Ririshi and I had been brutally murdered on that shore. And Ririshi would have been one of the murderers if he hadn't seen me.”

Sanji, Usopp, Luffy, Zoro, and even Chrissie had stopped moving. Zoro's head was tilted down and he seemed like he was thinking. “I feel sorry for you,” he said.

“But,” Luffy leaned forward, putting his nose up to Kikilo's. “Where's that Ririshi guy?”

“The men who had killed all of the townspeople had come back, knowing Ririshi had stayed behind and betrayed the captain. I was taking a walk, only five years ago, when I saw a trail of blood. That trail led me to-” Kikilo covered her face with her soft, warm knit hat, and started once again to bawl out words. “RIRISHI'S BODY!”

Everyone was still. Zoro grasped the floor with his hands and squeezed, as if he were trying to pull the life from it. “That's terrible. So everyone you loved is…gone.”

“And…you don't even know who did it, Kiki-San?”

Kikilo shook her head and sobbed like a small girl. “I only have one hint, and that's a series of wanted posters that were left in Ririshi's dresser. I had found them only a few weeks ago. They had all your names on them, including Nami's and an odd reindeer's. That's how I've heard of you. Otherwise I keep myself isolated from everything else. All I have are my memories and Chrissie.”

Chrissie, knowing her name, rubbed up against Kikilo. Kikilo attempted to smile. All the guys seemed sad for Kikilo except Luffy. “Couldn't you have done somethin' about it?”

Sanji was stunned at Luffy's behavior. “Shut up. She's lost everything and that's all you say?”

“Wait,” Kikilo stood up and cease stroking her lovely pet. “T-There was one more clue!” Petting Chrissie must have sparked her memory. “I remember something that I hadn't ever remembered before…two things, to be exact.”

“Well…?” Zoro stood up with her, eager to find out who they could pin revenge on.

“Ririshi owned a cat mask. I don't know how that's important, but there is one other thing. I remember a man…with a swinging ring…and a striped beard.”

Usopp and every one of the Straw Hats Froze. “We know who killed your parents…”



~------- Part 5 Coming Soon! -------~

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