~Echo’s POV~

                When someone eats a devil fruit, the cultivator of that fruit is struck with a vision or dream about the type of person consuming the fruit. The gomu gomu no mi was the first fruit I’d ever cultivated. I grew and harvested it with love in hopes that it would one day help change the world. When I was ten years old I had a dream about a boy a few years younger than myself. He was carefree and had a buoyant personality. I saw him grow as he learned to manifest the power of the gomu gomu no mi. Even then, at ten years old, I knew the fruit I cultivated had fallen into the right hands and it would change the world forever.

                “Echo-chan the captain is looking for you.” A young man with perfectly tousled sandy blonde hair and a spattering of freckles across his boyish face shouted as he found me hiding below deck. We’d set sail a few days ago after the perverted swordsman told captain about the pirate rookie with the 30,000,000 beri bounty.

                “What does he want?” I sighed.

                The young man shrugged, “I’m not sure.”

                “Then tell him I’m busy.” I shrugged and turned my back on him to once again lose myself in my contemplations.

                “He thought you might say that.” The young man grimaced.

                “Huh?” I turned to question him only to be caught up in a wire net. “What the hell are you doing?!” I demanded as I struggled to fight my way out of the net.

                “Sorry, Echo-chan.” The blonde cringed as if my shrieks of rage were hurting him.

                “LET ME GO!” I screamed as the net became restricting.

                “Stop struggling, Echo-chan it’ll only get tighter.” He panicked.

                My heart started to race as dark memories of captivity inched into my consciousness. The tortured screams of all the other victims echoed across my mind. I thrashed about wildly in a feeble attempt at escape not caring that the wire net was now causing my own wires to dig into my skin.

                “Echo-chan!” The man panicked as blood dripped from my arms.

                The net disappeared and I collapsed to the deck desperately panting and gasping for air.

                “Echo-chan, are you alright?” He asked cautiously as he knelt beside me.

                I glared up at him, “What’s your name?”

                The young man looked momentarily confused, “Travis, why?”

                “I just wanted to know what to write on your headstone.” I snarled as I lashed out at him with my wires.

                Before I could tear the young man to shreds, strong arms encircled me and I was hoisted over someone’s shoulder effortlessly, “I was right, she got hostile.” Yassop laughed.

                “PUT ME DOWN!” I snarled.

                “Echo, you’re bleeding.” Shanks’ voice sounded from the doorway.

                “What the hell do you want?” I growled as I continued to struggle, futilely, to get out of Yassop’s hold.

                “I wanted to make another bet.” Shanks chuckled.

                “And the stakes?” I grumbled sourly as I finally gave up trying to wriggle out of Yassop’s grip.

                “If I win, you show me your back.” Shanks said simply.

                I clenched my fists at this.

                “Couldn’t you just make her show you her back, Captain?” Travis asked while indicating my current position.

                Yassop turned his head slightly to the side so our gazes locked. There was a mischievous gleam in his eye.

                “If you so much as think about it, sniper, no one will be able to identify which piece of you is what.” I hissed.

                “You’re such a hostile brat.” Yassop chuckled as he released me from his hold causing me to topple to the deck landing flat on my back.

                “That hurt!” I snarled as I jumped to my feet readying myself for a fight.

                “So, how about it, Echo?” Shanks smiled lazily.

                “No way in hell.” I glowered, “It’s none of your damn business what’s on my back.”

                “What are you hiding, Echo-chan?” Travis asked me curiously.

                “Keep asking questions and I will personally disembowel you and wear your intestines as a scarf.” I snarled enraged.

                “Way too morbid, brat.” Yassop grimaced.

                “I’m not joking around.” I glared as I clenched my fists so tightly my nails dug into my palms.

                Shanks held his hand up for peace, “Alright, Echo, no one will bother you about it anymore.” He smiled calmly. “We’re just trying to help you.”

                “How could you seeing that mark possibly help?” I challenged.

                “It could help us identify your enemies.” Benn shrugged.

                “I already told you, the whole world is my enemy, the entire world wants me dead!” I shot and cursed myself as my voice cracked.

                “It’s a brand, isn’t it?” Shanks asked quietly.

                A single tear slipped from my stony mask as I attempted to feign indifference. Why did I let my guard down around them? I nodded slowly.

                “The World Government?” Shanks’ eyes softened as he gazed down at me sympathetically.

                Another tear slipped from my hold and I bit my lip to keep from breaking down completely. I nodded meekly.

                “I want to show you something, Echo.” Shanks said softly as he gently reached out and caught my hand in his before pulling me to the upper deck.

                “W-what are you doing?” I panicked as he called for everyone’s attention.

                Benn and Yassop joined us on the upper deck as the rest of the crew gathered below to see what was going on. Shanks handed me off to the first mate and the sniper and my heart started to race as they each gripped one of my arms, holding me between them. What was going on?

                “I want everyone to know what we’re going up against.” Shanks said calmly as I was suddenly spun around to face the upper cabin with my back to the crew.

                He wouldn’t dare! My body trembled slightly at the thought and I futilely struggled against Yassop and Benn in an attempt to break from their hold.

                “Stop it!” I raged as I continued trying to fight out of their hold. “Let me go!”

                Shanks gripped the back of my long sleeve black shirt lightly.

                “Don’t!” I cried.

                He pulled up the back of my shirt and I cringed as the soft material was pulled away from the charred brand seared into my back just below my shoulder blades. The brand never healed properly; there had been some kind of poisonous substance on it when they burned it into my flesh. The skin around the edges of the mark where my wires had continued to scald me was deep purple with bright red edges. All the skin that had come into contact with the poisoned brand was necrotic and black.

                A chorus of gasps echoed from the deck below. Benn and Yassop swore under their breath on either side of me as they got a look at the wicked mark seared into my skin.

                “Our enemy is the World Government, if any man here has a problem with that, feel free to jump ship.” Shanks declared boldly as he gently returned my shirt to its rightful position.

                I cringed, waiting for the loud protests of the rest of the crew. My heart raced as I imagined them wanting to eliminate me themselves so as not to have to face the World Government. Benn and Yassop released me from their hold and I felt my knees give out beneath me. I fell to my knees with a choked sob waiting for the crew to turn against me.

                “They hurt Echo-chan?” Travis’ voice sounded from the crew below.

                Someone must have nodded in response, but I didn’t know who as my face was now buried in my hands in an attempt to keep myself composed.

                “Then what are we waiting for?” The crew chorused, “They’ll pay for making Echo-chan cry!”

                What?

                I dared myself to look over my shoulder to the crew below and my heart swelled at the reassuring looks of everyone below. Not a single one of them looked down on me. They all wanted to support and protect me. Why? Why did any of them care about me? There wasn’t a single look of uncertainty; they were all determined to face the World Government, for me.

                I couldn’t hold back the flow of tears anymore. They fell freely streaming down my porcelain cheeks as I was overwhelmed by the crews reaction. With them, I didn’t have to hide anything about myself; they’d accept me no matter what.