Chapter Text
There are few things Edward Newgate enjoys as much as robbing nobles. He’s never been the type of pirate to sack and pillage blindly the way so many of his former crewmates did. Aside from the cruelty of taking everything from people who had nothing to begin with, it’s not even worth the time. Most aristocrats own more than entire villages put together.
Just another reason why Newgate has made a habit of robbing any noble estates he comes across. When he’s fortunate enough to stumble across the estate of a Celestial Dragon, he pillages with a vengeance. (He’s never forgiven them for the blight their Heavenly Tribute brings down on the world, or the price they force on those islands too poor to pay it).
“Hey, Captain! There’s more in here,” Kinga reports. Vista frowns, a puzzled look on his face.
“How can you tell?” the fledgling swordsman asks.
“Haki. Don’t worry, you’ll get there. You know, probably.”
“Hey!”
Newgate ignores the argument (it’s all in good fun) to Observe the door in front of him.
He counts nine presences in the room. Some of them are fighters, likely guards. But there’s plenty of outrage and arrogance and of course, fear.
He pauses as his Observation settles on the last presence. There’s no fear. Only irritation. But not the kind of irritation that a nobleman feels when they believe the pirates will simply drop their weapons and surrender solely because they demand it. The last presence is irritated with the others in the room, and nothing more.
Curious.
Of course, that’s going to change as soon as he and his crew crash through the door. With that thought, he pulls back a fist and the wood shatters under the force of the blow. He’s greeted by terrified screams as he ducks through the narrow opening.
Immediately, the guards have their swords pointed at him while the rest of the servants cower. He easily dispatches the guard that rushes him, but everything he sees just fills him with disgust. The storage room is full of treasure, from chests full of gold to diamonds and jewels, and the paintings that are carelessly propped against the walls, still in their gilded frames, could easily feed the entire village by the shore for a year. The people of the first village they landed on were kind and generous, offering hospitality when they barely had enough for themselves and their clothes were little more than rags.
The men and women in front of him are all dressed in finery by comparison and none of them have the gaunt faces of people on the brink of starvation. They’re all watching him and Whitey, Vista and Kinga beside him with looks of utter revulsion.
As if the Celestial Dragon they’ve sold their souls to would hesitate for even an instant to throw them aside once they’ve displeased him. Which they will, once word reaches Marie Geoise that the Whitebeard pirates have taken everything.
“Haven’t you heard?” Vista boasts, flourishing his sword, “Pirates don’t like being told what to do.”
Newgate smiles. The teen has really taken to calling himself a pirate, a far cry from the curses he’d spat at them a mere three months ago. His swordsmanship has improved leaps and bounds since he joined the crew, and it never fails to amaze Newgate how much a child can thrive when they’re cherished and supported instead of cast aside and forced to fend for themselves. Vista has the potential to be truly great, and it will be Newgate’s privilege to help him get there.
Whitey Bay whistles long and loud as she takes in the room.
“Plenty of treasure in here, too. Damn, those Celestial Dragons have money to spare, don’t they?”
The grin she levels at the terrified and furious servants and guards is bloodthirsty and fierce and he doesn’t blame them at all for the way their faces turn pale. Whitey Bay is a frightening lass. He’s quite proud of her.
The guards charge, and Newgate watches his crew handle them easily. Whitey Bay and Kinga defeat their enemies easily but despite the intensive training that the guards have been given, Vista is handling the fight well. Newgate considers helping, but it’s good experience for him so he stays put.
He takes a quick headcount while his crew does the fighting, and of the original nine, there are only three left conscious. The guard Vista is fighting, the sweat-covered servant wearing an overly fancy suit, and… the last presence.
Newgate frowns, trying to find the last person. They’re still awake, and still feeling nothing more than the vague irritation, but despite the fact that they’re still in the room, Newgate can’t find them. They should be right behind the ridiculously dressed butler but there’s only a golden lamp on a tall stand.
The butler shifts to the side and Newgate gets his answer. The last presence isn’t a person at all.
It’s a bird.
And it’s not a lamp. At the top of the stand is a golden birdcage, and the creature inside is glowing. He takes a step closer to get a better look and realizes that although the little thing is an unusual teal color, he’s actually on fire and it’s his golden flames that are illuminating the dark space.
Newgate doesn’t get any more time to examine the creature because the butler, in a blind panic, grabs the birdcage and whips it across the room at him. Outrage builds in his chest even as the little creature’s Haki presence fills with panic, and he’s too stunned by the cruel audacity to catch the cage before it slams into his shirt. It doesn’t hurt him, but the poor bird smacks against the bars with a cry. He cradles the cage in his palm, pulling it close to his body where he can protect it from any stray shots, and then levels an earth-splitting glare at the cowardly fool who would dare do something so cruel to a defenseless creature.
“That wasn’t very nice,” he bites out furiously. The butler begs for mercy, but he’ll find none from the Whitebeards after that move. He knocks the man out with a single swipe of his bisento, leaving him alive to suffer whatever horrific punishment the Celestials will bring down on him for failing to protect the estate. Satisfied that he’s been taken care of, Newgate turns his attention back to the creature in his palm. He raises his hand to eye-level until he can see inside the cage.
For a second, it’s like the world disappears.
The bird inside the cage is like nothing he’s ever seen; he’s been all over the Grand Line and the New World, and he knows that the impossible becomes the everyday on these seas. Still, he’s never seen a phoenix before.
The creature is bright blue all the way down to his talons, with feathers that seem to melt into flames and a crest of golden fire running from the top of his head down his back. His tail is a mix of long blue feathers and what look almost like strands of gold medallions. Although the colors threw him at first, it’s impossible to deny that the bird is beautiful.
But that’s not what stops him.
It’s the creature’s Haki presence. He’s never felt anything like this.
Newgate’s Observation Haki is among the strongest in the world. With crewmates like Linlin, Shiki, and Kaido, to say nothing of the less powerful but greedy bastards that made up the cannon fodder, it was essential for his survival. So he’s sure about what he’s sensing, even if it doesn’t make sense.
Most Haki signatures match the shape of their body, or there’s at least some reflection of their form. But this creature… his Haki presence is fuzzy, surrounding his body in a cloud that’s far too big for such a small creature. That is unusual in and of itself, but in all his travels, he’s never encountered an animal with such a large presence.
The poor creature is terrified—he has been since the bastard threw his cage—but when he bravely raises his head, the pirate is stunned to see intelligence burning in those tiny blue eyes.
In that moment, Newgate knows that there’s something special about this creature. He smiles softly, using his own presence to project calmness and safety. The little bird trembles with fear, and even though Newgate knows truly nothing about birds, he’s struck suddenly by how young the creature is. And that’s so much worse because now that Newgate is paying attention, he can feel how innocence and curiosity are buried underneath the surface, muted and dulled by acceptance that there’s nothing more to life than the little swing hanging from the top of the bars. Although the golden cage is tall enough for him to sit at full height, it’s so narrow that he’ll hit the sides if he ever tries to spread his wings.
It's almost disturbing how furious the sight makes him.
“Hello there, little one.”
The bird’s Haki presence blazes with terror, and the sensation is sharp in a way that means he’s no stranger to pain. Newgate breathes out, making sure he doesn’t scare the little one any further with his anger. “That’s quite a small cage, I’m sure you’d like to be out of it.”
He pulls the door off the cage, curious how the bird will respond.
He’s not surprised when the creature’s Haki resonates with shock. Given the expectation of pain and how detached he was from anything that happened around him, it’s clear this little bird never expected to leave his cage.
The thought makes his rising fury boil over. Keeping a creature locked up this like should be criminal.
He keeps a comforting smile on his face and slowly sets his bisento down, hoping that the little one just needs a bit more encouragement. He uses his free hand to make a little platform.
“It’s alright. You’ve been caged up for a long time, haven’t you?”
The bird’s reaction to his words is strange. Any doubt that he can understand Newgate disappears instantly. He freezes, tiny body going stiff, and even though his eyes are still locked on Newgate, it’s clear the creature isn’t seeing him anymore. Newgate waits, and after a few moments, the bird’s beak opens.
Newgate’s eyes widen and for a second he thinks the bird is going to speak. Is that possible? He knows nothing about phoenixes, but a mythical firebird with a sapient presence strong enough to be confused for a human is bound to be full of surprises.
But then the beak closes and his Haki presence laces with confusion, like he isn’t sure why he did that either. Finally, the little bird bobs his head in answer.
“That’s what I thought,” Newgate says softly. He doesn’t move, just keeps his hand raised outside the opening of the cage, making it clear that the offer of freedom isn’t going anywhere. The phoenix is still watching him, and the fear in his Haki presence is slowly dwindling even though it’s clear the little creature isn’t going to move. “If you want to stay, I won’t stop you, but I don’t think you do. So why not come with me? I’ll make sure no one puts you in a cage ever again.”
Kinga chooses that moment to interrupt, calling, “Captain, I’ve got the keys and Whitey’s gone ahead to the cells.”
Cells, huh? He doesn’t like the sound of that. But he trusts his crew to take care of any poor bastards trapped down there, and who knows? Maybe they’ll be leaving the island with more crewmates than they arrived with. But for now, this is more important.
“Give me a minute,” he tells his second-in-command (not his First Mate, as much as he trusts and respects the first man to join his crew, he’s always known that they’ll part ways eventually. Kinga is meant to be a captain in his own right and Newgate won’t hold him back when he decides it’s time.) Behind him, Kinga nudges Vista and gestures for the teen to come with him to give the captain some privacy, and then it’s just Newgate and his new little friend.
He looks back down at the bird and notices that the flames along his back have grown even taller while his feathers burn even more vibrantly. It would be beautiful if he couldn’t feel the little creature’s terror spiking again. Newgate wraps more of his own Haki around the little creature, trying to soothe some of the fear.
“I can feel your fear, little one. But I promise you, I will protect you for as long as you’ll have me. You’ll always be free.”
The bird’s eyes are shining now, his whole being lighting up with the idea of freedom. A sudden burst of hope shines through the fear in his Haki, warming up the creature’s soul and thawing the layers of misery and Newgate has a glimpse of how brightly his little friend will shine.
Stronger than the hope and fear, there’s new feelings. Desire. Eagerness. Hunger.
As he watches, the little bird raises his head and spreads out his wings (but not too far, he may be a tiny thing but the cage is still quite small) and takes the first step towards freedom. It’s a wonderful sight that puts a proud smile on Newgate’s face.
Before it all goes wrong.
In an instant, the creature’s Haki is consumed by terror, strong enough that Newgate feels phantom pains all over his own body; a crushing weight on his lungs, red-hot pokers stabbing into every inch of his chest and back and limbs, a walloping force that leaves the little creature’s head spinning. Deafening screeches escape that tiny beak as the poor bird erupts in flames. He writhes in terror, pressing himself backwards against the bars of the cage like he can escape the memories by proving that he’s not going anywhere.
Newgate can’t stand to watch for an instant longer. He was waiting because he’s seen enough to know that there’s no helping someone who doesn’t want to be helped, but the bird took that first step on his own. That’s enough.
He can’t get any farther on his own, but he isn’t alone anymore.
Newgate rips the cage open from the top, shredding the metal so completely that there’s nothing left but the base. Carefully—more careful than he’s ever been—he uses one finger to scoop the little bird up and gently transfer him to his shoulder.
As he hoped, the sudden movement is surprising enough to knock the bird from his panic. The flames die out instantly and the swirling terror in his Haki is replaced by sheer bafflement. There’s a tiny pricking sensation in his shoulder, barely enough to notice, and he sees the little one’s talons gripping his shoulder with all his might.
“That’s good, just hang on tight,” he praises, gently reaching up to carefully run one finger along the little bird’s back, ruffling the crown of flames at the top of his head. The phoenix lets out a startled but delighted trill and warm joy floods his Haki. Newgate discovers his new favorite sound.
The next words are a promise.
“I’m getting you out of here.”
He grabs his bisento and steps unceremoniously over the unconscious bodies of the servants and guards, noting with pride that his crew has stripped them of all their weapons and valuables.
And with that, he takes his little friend away from his prison.