~Talia's POV~

                Fishman Island had always been one of my favorite places I'd sailed to with the crew. It was so vibrant and full of life. The world down here was a rainbow of colors.

                "Don't wander off, we're here because of some unrest in the city, it may not be safe." Marco caught me before I could leap from the ship as we docked.

                "But Marco." I whined.

                "Oy, I mean it, Talia. It could be dangerous, stay with a commander at all times. I have to go with Oyaji to meet the royal family, we'll be back soon and you and I can explore the city together." He smiled.

                I sighed dejectedly. It was starting to feel like it did when I'd fist joined when I wasn't sure if I was prisoner or crew. "Okay."

                "I promise." Marco tried once more to lift my spirits.

                I offered him a smile, "Okay."

                After Marco and Oyaji left to meet with the royals, I began to feel restless. I wanted to explore, the last time we were here I'd made friends with a nice old book keeper who had lots of books I'd never read and promised he could get many more for me.

                "Hey bookworm, what's wrong you look a little blue." Ace noted as he hopped down from the crow's nest and landed atop the deck next to me.

                I smiled softly at his choice in wording, "I want to explore the city."

                Ace chuckled, "So what's stopping you?"

                "Marco said I have to stay with a comm-." I froze as realization dawned on me, "Ace, you're a commander!" I squealed.

                "I am." Ace snickered, "Are you just now realizing that? You were the one who asked me to take the position."

                "No, no, no." I giggled, "I can explore the city if I'm with you."

                Ace hesitated, "I thought Marco said it could be unsafe."

                I pouted, "Not if you're with me."

                Ace groaned, "How are you not the supreme overlord of the free world by now?"

                "Huh?" What was that supposed to mean.

                "Alright bookworm, we can explore, but if you even think of leaving my sight I'm getting one of those kiddy harnesses." Ace caved.

                "YAY!" I clasped his hands in mine and dragged him toward the dock, "Let's go."

                Ace scrambled to keep up with me as I flew through the vibrant town beaming brightly as we dodged through various fishmen. I was on a mission. A map of the city burned in the back of my mind and I ran blindly to the bookshop.

                "Oy! Slow down, bookworm." Ace called somewhere behind me though his voice sounded distant. I hadn't realized I'd lost his hand in our mad dash through the city.

                I turned to call back to him but panicked as I saw nothing but a swarm of fishmen milling about their daily business. Why were the streets so crowded? Where was Ace? "Ace?!" I called. He'd never been here before how would he find his way?

                I didn't spot a single human in the crowd. Frantically I searched the faces of the people bustling by searching desperately for Ace. In my obsessed state to get to books I'd completely tuned out of my surroundings.

                "ACE?!" I called again as I moved to the edge of the crowd. "Ugh, I'm going to be in big trouble."

                "Are you lost, little girl?" A fishman with grey skin, webbed hands with claws and a set of razor sharp teeth asked me with a toothy grin. He was a shark fishman.

                "No, I just lost my friend." I offered him an uneasy smile.

                His webbed hand reached out and clasped around my wrist like an iron shackle. "Let me help you." There was a wicked gleam in his slanted eyes.

                Before I could protest a large shadow cast over us as someone approached from behind me. "It would be in your best interest to let the girl go."

                I recognized that voice. "Jinbe!" I cheered as the shark fishman released me and fled.

                Jinbe was a large whale shark fishman with blue skin and black hair tied into a top knot atop his head. He looked menacing with two tusk like fangs protruding from his lower lips angling upward giving him the face of legendary oni. "What are you doing here, little one?"

                "I lost my friend." I whined as I threw my arms around him in a hug.

                Jinbe chuckled and hugged me back gently, "Why don't we find him together."

                "Okay." I beamed and placed my hand in his.

                "What's your friend's name?" He pondered as people stepped out of our way.

                "Ace." I grinned enjoying the sound of Jinbe's traditional wooden sandals clopping against the street.

                "That brat that made an attempt on Oyaji?!" Jinbe asked in awe.

                "You've seen him?!"

                "A few months back when he was intent on killing Oyaji." Jinbe glowered.

                "He's over that now." I giggled, "He's the second division commander."

                "Eh?!"

                "You know, if you gave him a chance, I think you two would be really great friends." I smiled mischievously.

                Jinbe scoffed at this, "You think?"

                "Yep!"

                Jinbe smiled.

                As we rounded a corner I paused as I spotted the bookstore. It was built into the side of a massive vibrant sea prism stone colored coral. It had three stories with elegantly carved windows and winding pillars in bright pink coral out front holding up the great coral awning. My heart began to pound in my chest as excitement buzzed through me. I wanted to run to the bookstore and lose myself in all the new books, but I had to find Ace first.

                Jinbe looked down at me curiously, "Still here?"

                "We have to find Ace."

                "You'd have been gone the moment you spotted the bookstore, by now, what's so special about this Ace fellow?" Jinbe asked suspiciously.

                "He's family." I folded my arms in front of my chest indignantly.

                "I guess that means we need to find him." Jinbe sighed.

                "Talia?!" I heard Ace's voice in the direction of the bookstore and spotted him standing at the edge of the awning scanning the crowd looking for me.

                "There he is!" I squealed excitedly and tugged on Jinbe's hand, "Ace!" I yelled waving happily with Jinbe at my side.

                Ace darted through the crowd and reached us in seconds. I made a move to hug him but gasped as he swept me into his arms and lifted me off my feet. "Oy! Don't worry me like that, bookworm." He sighed in relief as he set me back on my feet.

                "You should keep up better next time." I teased him. "Don't worry, Jinbe found me so I was safe."

                Ace looked to the warlord at my side and offered him an easy going smile, "Thanks for looking after the bookworm for me."

                Jinbe chuckled, "If anything happened to her here, I'd have a war on my hands."

                "Yeah, Thatch Izo and Marco can be pretty scary when they want to be." Ace laughed as he draped his arm across my shoulders and whisked me to the bookstore.

                Jinbe snorted in laughter, "I'm not worried about just those three, anything happened to her and the entire fleet would be out for blood."

                Ace looked thoughtful for a moment before smiling softly to himself, "Yeah, she has that effect on people."

                "I can hear you two, you know." I teased as I poked Ace in the side to get him to release me as we stepped inside the bookstore.

                Ace opened his mouth to protest but I was already zooming away from him. I spotted the kind book keeper, an octopus fishman with bright yellow skin with pretty teal splotches and a round face. He smiled as I nearly tackled him with a hug.

                "I need books!" I roared causing the book keeper to laugh.

                "Imagine that, I seem to be selling some." He snickered.

                "What a coincidence I-." I cut off as I realized something truly horrifying. I didn't have any money on me. "I don't have money." I pouted.

                The book keeper laughed at this as Jinbe and Ace joined us giving us both strange looks as I still hadn't released the Octopus man. "Conveniently for you, Marco stopped by and gave me your budget."

                "Can I buy all the books?" I grinned.

                "Try leaving some for my other customers."

                I finally released him from my hold and beamed, "So how many can I get?"

                He pointed to two large wooden crates sitting to the side of the counter. "He said you could fill those."

                "Yay!" I cheered and dashed off to collect my books. My heart swelled as I thought of Marco. He knew I wouldn't be able to wait for him to get back to go exploring and even paid in advance for me to stock up on new books. I paused as I reached a shelf with books that had odd shapes and symbols etched onto the cover. As I looked at them words sprung to my mind.

                One read History of the Poneglyphs, another read Ancient Civilizations, I didn't know the symbols but when I looked at them words flew to mind. Was it possible that I could read in different languages?

                I grabbed an armful of the books with symbols on them and turned to bring them to the book keeper so he could remove them from his inventory and paused when I spotted Ace and Jinbe leaning against a bookcase behind me watching me carefully.

                "How are you going to read those?" Ace asked me carefully after spotting the strange symbols on the cover of one of the books.

                "Like I read all other books." I shrugged.

                Jinbe's eyes widened, "You can read them?"

                "I guess." I set the books on the counter for the book keeper and continued sifting through the aisles hunting for books I hadn't read. Curiously I headed for the languages section wondering if the symbols had been a fluke or if it was with all languages.

                As I sifted through the languages section I found myself feeling anxious. When I gazed upon the various titles in various languages I was filled with understanding. How was this possible? I'd never been taught any other language yet when I looked at text in a different language the words just came to mind, like I was translating them in my head. Feeling giddy, I started piling as many books as I could in as many languages as I could find. I'd discovered something amazing and I couldn't wait to read all of these new books from different cultures and times.

                Once my crates were full after I carefully packed them to fit the most books possible I was beside myself with excitement. "I have to find Marco." I beamed as Ace and Jinbe struggled to carry my crates of books.

                "For what?" Jinbe asked curiously.

                "I have to tell him what I learned today." I grinned, and I needed to thank him for the books, but they didn't really need to know that.

                "What did you learn?" Ace chuckled.

                "I can read in any language." I said giddily.

                "Eh?!" Ace and Jinbe gaped.

                I had no idea how it was possible, but I'd always known my brain wasn't wired like everyone else's.  It had made me an outcast when I was younger, but now I'd found people who loved and accepted me for who I truly was and I wanted to share my news with them.