章 16: Michael
"I should have worn a raincoat…" Rayleigh thought as he made his way to a certain grove. He reached for his hip flask, then paused. He would need to remain sober for the next few hours.
He arrived at the front doorstep of his Master's house and sighed. He could hear a lullaby faintly playing between its walls, and his Observation let him know what was happening.
'This… is troublesome,' He thought as he ran a hand through his long blonde hair. It was not like he had no experience with children before. Shanks and Buggy often caused him problems on the Oro Jackson, but a child who had just lost both of their parents, in the midst of grieving...
That was another thing entirely.
He waited there for a while, wondering what he should do when he noticed the even breathing of the girl.
It seemed she had cried herself to sleep.
He allowed himself in the house, dried himself off, and wiped his glasses.
Sengoku would arrive soon, so he needed to deal with this as quickly as possible.
He went up and knocked on the door Lily was sleeping in.
Knock. Knock.
Lily jolted awake, frightened at the sound. She looked around her to find that she had fallen asleep in her parent's bed. As she began to think about them again, she pressed the apex of the Tone Dial to help calm herself down.
A soft, soothing lullaby played by her chest.
Knock.
"Umm… I'm your father's apprentice, Rayleigh. Do you mind if I come in?" A polite voice passed through the door, and Lily's tensed nerves eased slightly.
"What do you want?" She asked, getting off the bed, looking for anything nearby that could serve as a weapon. She glanced out of the window to see if there was any way to escape as the voice continued.
"Hmm… Well, I promised Master Michael that I would protect you if you needed it, so… can I come in? There isn't much time left…" He asked.
Lily's heartbeat pounded, thoughts of her father swirling in her mind. Her mother's letter. Her mother… out there in the rain…
"C-come in…" She whispered as she edged closer to the window, gripping the Dial in her hand. It would hurt if she jumped from there, but it would be better than anything a stranger would do with her.
She wanted her mother.
Squeak.
The door slightly opened, and Rayleigh felt somewhat relieved that the child didn't shut down immediately.
"I won't hurt you, okay?" He said as he put his hands up in a harmless gesture, looking at the girl who was so desperately attempting to hold her emotions back. Her hands clutched the Tone Dial as the lullaby continued to play even as her eyes began to water and her body shivered.
His heart dropped upon seeing that sight.
He knew Master Michael was looking forward to giving the girl that gift.
—------
A few months ago.
Rayleigh could make out the mangroves in the distance as his small boat sailed upon the waves.
He felt slightly melancholic, being alone now. The crew disbanded, and they had all gone their separate ways. His captain would give himself up in the not-too-far-future.
His hip flask was empty, and he let out a long sigh.
He wasn't sure what drew him to Sabaody Archipelago, but every time he thought about a place he wanted to return to, his mind could not help but conjure the image of that woman and the small bar she owned.
Unknowingly, his lips curved into a smile.
'I'll get to see her again,' he thought as his boat arrived at the Archipelago. He disembarked, and dropped the anchor, then tied the ship to one of the roots of the grove he had approached.
"Hey, you! Are you a sailor? Have you been to any sky islands?" A voice not far away was calling out to what seemed to be the captain of a large vessel.
"Sky islands? Pfft… who believes in that nonsense? Hey men, check this looney out!" The captain replied, and jarring laughter exploded through his crew.
Rayleigh watched the scene, and couldn't help but think back to Roger. He would do unbelievable things. Say ridiculous things. Things that would invoke the mockery of others, and yet…
"Oh, so you haven't? That's a shame. Anyway, are you traveling to Fishman Island? Would you like to get your ship coated?" Michael asked, completely unfazed by their mockery.
"Well, yeah, but not by a crazy person like you. Can't put my crew's life in the hands of a looney! Hahaha, let's go men," The captain called as he walked away, and his crew followed.
"Another miss, huh?" Michael whispered to himself in disappointment. He paused for a second, as if thinking of something, then smiled, "Well, no way I'm giving up," then he burst into laughter.
Intrigued, Rayleigh made his way to the man.
He seemed somewhat familiar to Rayleigh, but he couldn't remember why just yet.
"Excuse me, you've been looking for sky islands?" Rayleigh asked.
Michael turned to meet his gaze and smiled, "Well, no, not looking for them. Well, I would if I had to, but all I want is a souvenir from there. Something you can only find on a sky island."
"That's… odd. Why would you do that?" Rayleigh questioned.
Michael's eyes brightened at that, and smiled once more, "Well, I have the most adorable daughter in the world, and very few things get her excited as much as talking about islands in the sky! So… I thought that I had to get her something, you know? Her smiles are too precious!" Michael talked with a wide grin as his arms gesticulated in excitement, as if nothing would stop him from expressing his love for his daughter.
That's when it clicked for Rayleigh. He remembered this man and his daughter.
"You coated Oro Jackson for us a few years ago, didn't you?" Rayleigh asked with a smile.
Michael froze, and then his eyes brightened up even more, "Ahh! You were on the Oro Jackson! Such a fine ship. Can I see it again? No, more than that… You've… been to a sky island, right?" Michael questioned carefully.
He knew his daughter heard those stories from the crew of the ship, so he was hoping they were true.
Rayleigh's smile widened, "I have, in fact. I might even have what you want…" He had a spare Tone Dial that he didn't use. It was only collecting dust in his cabin, and he may as well offer it to the man.
Michael's eyes widened as they sparkled even further, "What do you want for it? I'll give you whatever I can!" He almost shouted.
Rayleigh considered for a while. He didn't know quite yet, but he decided that he would probably end up living on Sabaody for the foreseeable future.
He wasn't a pirate anymore so he would have to make a living somehow.
"Say, could you teach me how to coat ships?" He asked. He knew Michael's work was efficient and reliable from the last time they made the trek to Fishman Island. Buggy had thrown a limb at Shanks but it ended up hitting the bubble. Oden was even ready to cut a large sea beast through it, and Roger himself was ready to find his own lunch in the depths of the sea.
Needless to say, if it hadn't been for the robust coating...
Well, that would have been a tragic way to go.
If he remembered correctly, the man was also a master shipwright, instantly recognizing the quality of the Oro Jackson.
"Deal!" He said without hesitation and a wide smile as they shook hands.
—--------
A few days after the news of Roger's capture spread around the world.
"So with the keel, you have to pay attention around these parts…" Michael instructed Rayleigh as he demonstrated the coating process.
Rayleigh had diligently followed the man's instruction for many days, and as time passed, he grew to respect Michael's skill and knowledge about ships. It didn't take long for the two to become close friends, even as Rayleigh continued to address him respectfully.
After the job for the day was done, Michael sighed as he sat down on a nearby bench.
"What's wrong, Master?" Rayleigh sat next to him, offering him a drink.
"Well…" Michael sighed as he popped the bottle open. He gathered his thoughts, then continued after a sip, "The World Government might find me soon. They might not either. I'd rather they'd not to be honest."
Rayleigh paused, then thought for a while and asked, "Because of Roger?"
"Mhmm…" He nodded, "If my wife's thoughts are correct, they'll try and get rid of anyone that helped him in any way."
A silence lingered before Rayleigh asked, "So, what are you going to do?"
Michael grinned as his eyes met the horizon, "nothing."
"Nothing?" Rayleigh asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Right. Nothing. If they come, they come. If they don't, they don't," his grin flattened a little, "But Lily…"
Michael took a larger sip from the bottle, then sighed "I know my wife would take care of her better than anyone else. She's a strong woman and an incredible mother, after all. Even though she doesn't realize it."
Rayleigh continued to listen even as he gulped on his hip flask.
"Lily's a delicate child. If something were to happen to Rose too…" Michael emptied his bottle, finishing with a sad smile, "Well, there's no use thinking about it!"
Rayleigh sat there for a while as he watched the horizon. He had wanted to live his remaining life in peace, but the problem Michael was facing was an indirect result of his crew's actions.
He took another swig from his canteen, then said, "I can help you… If you'd like."
Michael paused, then looked the man in the eye. He smiled, then laughed, "Hey, Rayleigh, don't look down on a man's pride. I don't regret anything I've done!"
Rayleigh's eyes stayed upon that laughing figure. He smiled as he reminisced about his captain. They were quite alike. Perhaps that was what drew Rayleigh to befriend Michael in the first place.
Michael lost his boisterousness slightly and continued, "But… if Lily needs it, I hope you can protect her…" He requested with a faint furrow of concern on his brow.
Rayleigh nodded, "Of course."
He did not even need to think about it.
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