A hobbyist: streamer, writer and rare ship enjoyer

Locket Shopping 

Sabo was about to declare jewellery shopping the Worst. Why? Because finding a locket to store Killi's soul in was an absolute nightmare. The three of them went through most of the jewellery stores in Water Seven, and there was nothing that got what he needed.

What did he need?

A locket made at least ninety per cent of silver, with no gems and no gold. You'd think it would be easy, right? No. Absolutely nowhere had something like that, and having it custom-made would take forever, while they were about to lay low for a while, coming back here just for a necklace sounded like a waste of time.

“Well, Kuina did mention an antiques store; maybe there?” Luis offered, getting some looks. Well, maybe it was Killi glaring at the waterways. And Sabo would be the first to admit their disguises weren't the best.

In his own case, he wore a tank top and short-sleeved button-up and shorts with sandals. Killi just left his raincoat at home, so he still had their crew's jolly roger on the breast pocket of his shirt. And Luis…. His disguise was the best, as he was just a cat in Killi's arms.

Tamahagane Antiques Emporium wasn't hard to find, and their jewellery section was quite promising. Sabo immediately spotted lockets that looked to be made of silver and had no gem inlays.

“Good day, dear customers. I'm Kirara. I'm in charge of the jewellery section,” a young woman with shoulder-length golden brown hair pushed back by thick glasses greeted them.

“Good day, I'm looking for a silver locket with no inlays,” Sabo asked with a smile. 

The woman flinched for just a second. And led them to the display Sabo was eyeing up.

“This one is ninety-two per cent silver and eight per cent platinum, durable and beautiful, and locks securely.” Kirara pulled out a silver locket with some lines on the front. “From what the owner let me know, this symbol is Waneese for Fox. We didn't manage to name the maker.”

Sabo couldn't take his eyes off the locket. “How much?” He asked while inspecting it up close, while the attendant held it. 

“10000 beri,” she said, ready to pull back.

“I'll take it,” Sabo nodded, Gumiho purring on the back of his mind. The attendant looked shocked for a split second, but she quickly regained her composure and offered to pack it for them. “Do you two want anything?”

“No,” Luis said simply, startling the staff.

“We should leave before I trip and break something,” Lilli chuckled nervously.

Sabo nodded, paid, and they left to have dinner.

The Training Starts

It took Sabo a whole three weeks to recover to the point where Shamrock cleared him for training. They stayed the whole time in Water Seven so he wouldn’t sneak out to train on his own. But once Luis cleared Sabo, they resupplied for as long as they could store and returned to Vine’s Tangle.

Kuina was meditating and keeping up an infusion of Conqueror’s on her blades. Something she was starting to figure out on her own behind Shamrock’s back. Sabo had Killingham teach him how to consciously use his conqueror’s. And Stellly….

Was staring between a stick and Shamrock. “Imagine the worst moment of your life and channel all your emotions onto this,” he said as he stuck the stick, a branch really, into the ground.

Stelly closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The worst moment…. At first, she thought back to the night Sabo got dragged home. But then…. That day at her biological family’s home in the Red Port. Terrified maid looking down at her feet. And next to her, the man with crescent hair. Figarland Garling. Her parents were lying in bed, looking dreamily at a wall.

“Every family needs a representative as Saint Hornet requested; if the parents can’t participate, then their kid will,” was all Stelly remembered of what he said. 

She thought back to the execution. Just then, realising there was another Knight. A frustrated redhead, looking at the ground and not the’spectacle’. Red hair falling to his shoulders. Fists clenched. Standing next to his father and that Saint Hornet.

God’s Knights were supposed to be the ideal. But this…. 

Something really. Annoyed. Angered. Disgusted. Stelly about it.

After a deep breath, she slowly let it out. Looking at the Garling-stick. Focusing all these emotions on it. Recalling how it felt when Shamrock and Kuina used their Conquerors. How Sabo’s aura felt just before his fight with Shanks. 

Gentle snow falling over burned ruins. 

Unshakable will, like sharp steel.

She focused her will into a blade and trusted it at the branch. She only realised something had happened as she heard handclapping. “Congratulations, we can move on to the next part of training.” Shamrock let her know with a slight smile. For him, it was wide and bright. “What did you think about?”

“That time I met your father…. If my memory is correct, you were there too. An execution, something Horner ordered it,” Stelly recalled, staring at the broken-in-half branch. “Realising he wasn’t just following orders got me unreasonably angry.”

“I remember it, father dragging a crying kid, making them stand in the front…. Fuck,” Shamrock shook his head. It was rare to hear him cuss.

“Next time we see him, we’re kicking his ass,” Stelly offered with a grin. Shamrock nodded. “How about tea and some snacks? That knocked out all my energy.” 

Health Issues (some time later)

Stelly was pretty sure she was training in the woods. She must have trained a bit too hard, blacked out and was now in the infirmary.

“You shouldn’t move; I’ll get Luis,” Ines, one of the assistant doctors, said as she tried to sit up. “We’ll get you some food after he talks to you,” she added and ran off.

Stelly listened and stayed in bed until Luis came in. “What happened?” she asked.

“You appeared in the infirmary and fainted for about seven minutes. I was looking for a book I hope might have some answers. Now, what were you doing? Did anything feel off?” Luis started setting the book he was holding to the side.

“I was training, keeping up haki infusion with my speed. I remember pain around here,” she pointed to her heart.

“I was worried it might happen. Your insane speeds are affecting your heart,” Luis said solemnly.

Stelly was stunned. “Could that be part of why I’m always exhausted after I fight?”

“Very possibly.” Luis nodded and checked her heartbeat. “Bad news, it’s definitely off rhythm. Good news, we caught it fast. My theory is that Conquerors, together with your usual fighting style, caused it.”

“That’s bad….” Stelly sighed and had a crazy idea. “Do you think coating my heart in armament can keep it safe?” she asked. “I’m not saying we test it today, in a couple of days. If it doesn’t work, I’m not using it together with my speed up unless it’s a death situation?”

“Okay, but I’ll be there, and we’re keeping an eye on you regularly. You’ll have to take meds too; at first, we’ll start with a rapid-release pill and see how it affects you.”

“Got it. It’ll have a slow week. I’ll have to tell Shamrock at least,” she sighed. “And Kuina, maybe it’ll get her to ask for help with her tripping.”

“I tried, any mobility aids I get her she starts tripping on,” Luis huffed, annoyed at whatever was plaguing their friend. “It’s like she’s cursed or something. Incredible luck for incredible clumsiness.”

Stelly couldn’t help but laugh along. “I’m hungry,” she declared.

“I’ll have food brought here for you, maybe with a clumsy swordsmaster as a side,” Luis half-joked and went to the mess hall.

Tilly the Spider

“Ummm, Shamrock?” Nina asked as she watered plants. Shamrock hummed as he looked up from his book. The day has decided to be rainy so everyone was taking a break on the ship. “Your orchids have a guest again.” 

Now that got his attention and he got up to look. This was the third time Nina spotted the ‘guest’ so he looked up any and all information on New World fauna and flora they had. 

He didn’t find anything like this spider. No big as an adult man’s hand hairy black and brown spider with reddish skull resembling butterfly at some angles on their abdomen. It was definitely venomous, and definitely not native to Vine’s Tangle. Even if just based on it’s love of orchids. There were no orchids or similar flowers native to this island. The climate was too temperamental for them.

“We established they’re not from here,” Shamrock sighed as they observed the so far motionless spider moved to the next pot. It didn’t seem to mind them watching it. 

“I think it’s a girl, female spiders tend to be bigger. Would Luis know is she’s venomous?” Nina proposed. It was obvious she liked the spider. 

“I’ll go get him,” Shamrock decided and went to fetch the head doctor as fast as he could. And pick up a book on New World arachnids he knew they had somewhere in the entertainment room. 

When he returned to the greenhouse Nina was holding the spider very gently and Luis was inspecting a vial with some purple liquid in it. “What’s going on?” he asked with a sigh.

“I gathered a sample of Tilly’s venom to work on an antidote. I suggest no one but Nina touch her until it’s done,” Luis shrugged and packed the vial. “She’s not local, that’s for sure, no wildlife we found around here is venomous.”

“Well, she’s not in my book either,” Shamrock could feel a headache building up. “She probably got brought here by some unknowing crew and got stranded. Leaving her here would be bad,” he admitted. 

“We’re keeping her?”