Chapter 1

"You'll Be Fine."

"Mama please, don't let them take you form us." A little girl of only 8 was holding her mother's hand tightly, tears forming in her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Emma-chan. I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you both." The older woman, covered in small cuts and bruises, awkwardly removed a golden heart locket necklace from underneath a thick, metal collar. She gently placed it over the blonde head of her daughter, hiding it under her own metal collar. On the box next to the young girl, a small boy was sobbing uncontrollably, mumbling the words 'Mama' every so often.

"Number 8!"

Two men walked in the cell, clothed in gaudy clown-like outfits and pointy hats, the same men who had dragged the seven other people before her out. She placed a gentle hand on either side of her children's faces. "Don't worry, Emma, Eren. Everything will be ok. I'll come find you later." The two men grabbed her shackled arms and pulled her away from them. "Mama!" Eren jumped up off the box, reaching for his mother before his older sister grabbed him around the chest. "She said she'd come find us! Everything will be alright, we just have to stick together ok?" Emma held him tightly, burying her face into his light brown hair. "I promise I'll take care of you until then." She pulled them back onto their respective boxes and looked up at the number above their heads. "We're next, ok. Whatever happens, I won't let go of your hand." She held out her small hand for him to place his even tinier one.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Number 9!"

15 Years Later

"Good afternoon there, Emma-chan." An older, large and, dark skinned man walked into the bar, a gentle smile on his face. He wore a bright red bandana over his balding head and a dirty apron covered his casual t-shirt and shorts. "You know, you say the same thing every time you walk in here, Gus-san." Emma laughed a little, lighting the cigarette in her mouth before continuing to wipe down the counter of the bar. "What can you say, I'm a creature of habit. Gonna get started on the grub." He patted her head as he walked passed to the kitchen, easily towering over her 5'5" frame by a foot. "You better get that soup started, Maru-san should be here in a bit."

Emma continued to wipe down the counter and took one last look over at the small bar. The five wooden tables were evenly spread out on the floor, the last one at least a few feet from the bathroom as well as the stairs leading up to her bedroom. The four booths along the wall had already been cleaned twice and the torn leather seats looked about the same as they did 5 years ago. She threw the dirty rag over her shoulder and walked to the end of the counter that was connected to the wall. She pulled out three glasses, filling them to the brim with beer. "One for the old geezer," she placed a glass in front of the stool and one in front of herself, "one for me, and one for Ty-san." The last glass she placed in front of the framed picture next to her. The picture looked to have been taken ten or so years ago of a man roughly in his 50s. He had spikey grey hair that matched his unruly kept mustache. His muscular arms were crossed tightly over his chest, covering most of his white tank top. A deep frown adorned his face and his dark eyes seemed to be staring into whoever was looking's soul. 'Always had to be a hardass.' Emma laughed a little at the thought, tapping the table with two fingers, before heading to the front door.

"Time to open, I guess." She pushed the door out, causing the rusty chimes to sing a song she knew too well, and locked it open. The wind blew a light breeze through her blonde hair as she looked over the nearly empty road. There were maybe two or three men walking across the cobblestone street, unusual for Bell Island this time of year. She pulled the cigarette from her lips and let out a long breath of smoke as she caught sight of the old man from the corner of her eye. "Isn't it such a lovely day, Emma-chan?" He croaked out, walking towards her with a wooden cane in his right hand. She chuckled at the site of him; a 60-something year old man wearing a bright yellow Hawaiian shirt with red flowers on it with matching bright red shorts. His long grey hair and thick, circle rimmed glasses matched his voice, but he seemed to be moving just fine, as he was barely using the cane. "Your arthritis acting up today, ya old geezer?" She could barely finish her sentence before he smacked the side of her thigh with his cane. "Is that how you speak to your elders, child?" He looked as if he might have a stroke and his fist was shaking in anger at her. Emma let out a hearty laugh, wiping the small tears from her eyes. "Just get inside ya coot. I've got our drinks ready and Gus is making your soup."

Maru followed her to the bar, sitting at the seat he claimed many years before. "Katie said Wes had just run out of the house before I left. You should probably keep an eye on your stuff." He said gruffly, grabbing his drink. "Ah figures. He's always up to something these days. She told me he wants to be a pirate now." She picked up the glass in front of her, clinking it together with Maru's and the one in front of Ty's picture, and proceeded to quickly down theirs before tapping the glasses on the table twice. "Want another or going to wait till after your food?" She threw hers in the sink to her left and grabbed his as he slid it to her. "You've almost got me beat, Emma-chan. One day you're going to out drink everyone in town." He mused as she filled up his glass. She smiled and placed it in front of him as Gus came from the back, carrying a hefty bowl of steaming soup in his hand. "Ah, Maru-san! Good to see you on this fine day!" He smiled brightly before placing it front of the old man. "I was just thinking on my way here how unusually nice today is. We almost never get a breeze!" Maru nearly snatched the utensils from Emma's hand before he started to devour the miso soup in front of him. "Hey, hey," She cautioned him with her hands, "don't burn yourself, I don't have time to take care of you today!"

Before the old man could retort with something snarky, the Den Den Mushi on the wall started ringing, which Gus answered. "Hello? Ah, Katie-chan…. Yes, yes, your father is here…... No, I haven't, I'll ask Emma." He politely placed his hand over the transponder and looked at Emma. "Have you seen Wes yet?" She shook her head no. "Not yet, but if I do, I'll make sure to keep him here for her." He nodded and removed his hand. "Katie-chan?...Emma said she hadn't seen him yet, but if he does come by, she'll hold him for you…Yeah, no problem. See ya!" Maru rubbed his forehead roughly and let out a sigh. "Only my grandson would become such a hassle. Poor Katie, she didn't know what she was signing herself up for with motherhood."

"Emma-san!"

Three of the regulars came in, Jones, Mark, and Gen, taking a place at the bar next to Maru, who was still inhaling his large bowl of soup. "Hey guys," She threw the rag off her shoulder onto the side of the sink. "the regular stuff?" They all nodded, and she began pouring their drinks as Gus went to the kitchen to finish the food. "You guys are here pretty early, it's only one. You get laid off already?" She joked, placing their drinks down as they laughed. Gen, sitting in the middle of the three, threw a newspaper down in front of her already turned to the wanted posters section. "Did you hear the rumors?" He pointed to the open page as she shook her head no. "There are a couple pirate crews in town today, but most importantly these two guys. A bunch of places are shut down today cause they're terrified to deal with them." The man on the page he was pointing was quite hideous; a large, round face adorned with an unkempt black beard with large piece of meat hanging out of his mouth. His nose was massive, easily taking up most of his face, and his brown eyes were half lidded and drooping. His hat was peculiar, as it was basically a giant, fake dog. "These are the Marley pirates. Captain Marley with a bounty of 40,000,000. Half the towns they visit end up getting destroyed, with mass casualties. I've heard he can even turn into a dog." She laughed a little, picking up the piece of paper and scanning it over one last time. "A Devil Fruit user, huh? We don't get to see to many of those." She put out her finished cigarette in the ashtray, ignoring the concerned look of one of the men in front of her. "But," the man continued, pointing at the wanted poster under it. The man is this picture was easier on the eyes, even with a creepy smile on his face. He had on a yellow and black hoodie as well as white hat with black spots that covered his hair and he was holding what looked to be a rather large nodachi. His other hand was held up next to his face, like he knew his picture was being taken, which was decorated in tattoos: a strange symbol on the back of it as well as the letters ' H' across each finger. His yellow eyes added more to the uneasiness in the picture. "This guy. Trafalgar Law, captain of the Heart Pirates, a bounty of 75,000,000. He's a doctor that comes from North Blue and is so sadistic they even call him the 'Surgeon of Death'. I've heard he likes to torture people to death. No one wants to get in his way." All three of the men looked fairly stressed at the thought of these guys coming by. "And you're probably the only bar open in town right now, which means they'll end up here."

Emma shook her head before lighting another cigarette. "We always see pirates, most of them have notable bounties. What makes these guys any different?" Mark shook his head, slapping his hand over the picture of Trafalgar Law. "Pirates have been showing up more and more in this town. My sis was attacked by a group of 'em just last week! They broke both her arms!" He yelled, a few tears welling in his eyes before he shook his head. "Not only that, they're drawing more and more of the Marines over here. How are we supposed to live peacefully with those jerks looming over us?" Jones chimed in making Emma laugh a little. "Using the word peacefully in this town is a bit ironic, no? Maybe a lawless place like this shit hole could use some regulating."

"Neh, captain let's stop and get some food. We've been walking around this lame place for an hour."

Law looked at his red-haired subordinate, who was grabbing his rumbling abdomen dramatically. "I agree, we barely got to eat breakfast." Penguin chimed in, his stomach also growling. "That's because you guys woke up ten minutes before we left…." Bepo sheepishly stated from behind the three men, gripping Kikoku a little tighter in his paws. "No one asked you!"

"Ah, sorry."

The weather was warm with a slight breeze, but there were very few people out in the early afternoon. Any person the four came across whispered to whoever they were with and immediately ran past them. Everything seemed to be closed, including all the restaurants. "If you can find somewhere open. Must be a holiday today." Law said, knowing they would stop their incessant arguing once they ate. If the entire town was closed down, there was no need for them to stay here longer than it took Ikkaku to check over the ship. Although entering the Grand Line wasn't too treacherous for a submarine, he didn't want to take any chances before going any further.

As the crew continued to walk down the barren cobblestone streets, a sudden burst of laughter erupted from an open door a few feet away. "Ah, a pub! Thank god, I thought I was going to starve today." Shachi was drooling from the lovely aroma coming from the pub. "and I heard a woman's laugh, I hope she's pretty." Penguin had hearts in eyes, not thinking through the ultimate disappointment that he met whenever he talked to a woman for more than five seconds. "The Worst Pub in Town?" Bepo questioned the sign above the open door, tilting his head. "Why would you name it that?" He questioned and Law casually shrugged at him before heading towards it.

The laughter that once consumed the place stopped almost immediately when the four walked in. The restaurant was small and about as empty as the town itself. The bar was full with three younger men staring at Law wide eyed and pale and an older gentleman hurriedly eating something froma bowl. The large man standing behind the bar in front of them wearing an apron covered in grease held his hand out to the seating area. "You boys sit anywhere you like, Emma will get your orders in a sec." He didn't seem too fazed by the pirates as they took the booth in the back corner. "Emma! You got customers!" He yelled towards the stairs, leaning over the bar next to the shaking young men before heading through a door to what could only be the kitchen.

"Oi, oi, you don't have to yell at me, Gus-san." A woman's voice rang followed by the creaking of steps. "I leave for two seconds…." Her grumbling became incoherent as she reached the bottom of the steps. Law watched as Shachi and Penguin's jaws dropped simultaneously, and blood began to pour from their noses. "And what can I get started for you, Heart Pirates?" She asked, coming off a little smug, walking up next to their table. He leaned his head back and looked out of the corner of his eyes. She was about average height with blonde hair parted in the middle that reached down just below her shoulders where it started to get a little wavy. Her bright green eyes, which held no fear or reservation of the pirates, were looking at Shachi as she took his drink order. The smoke from her cigarette almost hid the freckles that lightly dusted her nose and cheeks. A golden heart locket came down just above her breasts, and to the left of it was the name 'Eren' tattooed in cursive on her chest. The grey leather vest she had on was almost a little too small: it wasn't fully zipped, and a bit of her red bra was poking over the top. The vest stopped about a quarter of an inch before her belly button, leaving a stretch of open skin until the tops of her equally small jean shorts. There was a rather large scar starting from the bottom of her right side and ending somewhere near her left hip. After giving the woman a good look over, he noted the key three things that stood out to him: the large tattoo of a sakura tree on her right upper arm, the golden revolver she carried on her left thigh, and the lower part of her left leg. Just below the knee was a shiny metal prosthesis attached to her leg. He was rather intrigued; he'd heard of some advancements in this field, but never before had he seen something other than wood used for amputated limbs. She was wearing black combat boots that covered what would be her foot, but he couldn't help and wonder if it even looked like a foot.

"And what can I get you two?" She asked, now looking at him and Bepo. The poor bear was nervously twiddling his thumbs: people were generally afraid of a talking animal and he couldn't help but feel upset every time someone ran away from him screaming. "Um…" He muttered before looking up at her, checking for any signs of terror. "…. I'll just take a lemonade and fried rice." She nodded as she wrote his order down on her palm before turning her eyes to Law. He turned to look at her, smiling. "What happened to your leg?"

"C-Captain!" Penguin and Shachi looked as if they were about to have an aneurysm and Bepo was sweating nervously. Law never broke eye contact with the woman, crossing his arms over his chest. Before any of the other three could apologize to her, she broke out in laughter, holding her stomach dramatically. "Man, if I had a coin for every time a man tried hitting on me with that line, I could go on a nice vacation." She wiped a small tear from her eye before looking back at the now scowling captain. "I didn't expect you to be so blunt, doctor-san. But," she gave him a wink, "you'll have to buy me a drink before you get any answers." She walked back towards the bar where the three men were shaking in fear, leaving Law's three companions chuckling at their frowning captain.

"E-Emma-s-san…." Jones muttered sheepishly, hiding his terrified face from the pirates behind him. "You can't just talk to pirates like that, they'll kill you." She waved him off, walking to the kitchen door to let Gus know what he needed to get started on. "I won't let anything happen here, you know that." Mark shook his head quickly, but before he could say anything to her casualness, three more men walked into the bar rather noisily. The man in the middle with long, vibrant, orange hair spit onto the ground. His left eye was covered in bandages and his right arm was in a sling. His companions on either side of him looked similar to mummies with the amount of bandaging they had on their bodies. "Ah, Oliver and friends." Emma noted, grabbing the three drinks for the pirates in the back corner. "Nice day huh? Take a seat and I'll get your usual." Oliver was glaring at her as she walked passed him. "Don't talk to us like you did nothing wrong! I could have my vision damaged because of you!" He angrily stomped at her like a child but continued to take a seat at the booth closest to the door. "Well, next time don't try and grab a lady without her permission. You're lucky I didn't tell your parents about it. Those injuries would be the least of your problems." She winked at him before placing the drinks down in front of the boiler suit wearing men. "Decide on anything, doctor-san?" The captain looked up her, still frowning from her previous statements. "Just coffee- "he was cut off by his first mate suddenly knocking over his drink all over the table. The polar bear began to panic, grabbing as many napkins as he possibly could from the dispenser and throwing them on top of the mess.

"You're so clumsy!"

"Sorry…."

Emma laughed lightly at the scene, her cigarette almost falling from her lips. She grabbed the empty glass and smiled at him. "Not to worry, Bear-san. I'll grab you another one." She said before turning to Law. "I'll have to brew a fresh pot, it'll take a moment if that's alright with you?" He simply nodded as she grabbed up the soaking napkins. "Thank you, Emma-san." She looked at the bear, blushing and hiding his face in embarrassment. "It happens a lot, not to worry! What's your name, bear-san?" This question only made him pulls the collar of his orange jumpsuit up higher. "It's Bepo." She smiled brightly. "Well, Bepo-san, don't worry about the mess. I've had to clean way worse." He nodded, removing his hands from his face. "Emma-chan, don't worry about that clumsy fool. I'm Shachi, and this here is Penguin." The red-haired man pointed at himself and Penguin before smiling pervertedly at her. Emma frowned, she could practically see the hearts in the two men's eyes. 'What a weird band of men.' She thought before shaking her head and walking away, completely ignoring the now heartbroken idiots. As she walked back towards the bar, Oliver called her over with a quite 'psst'. "Did you want something new today? Or are you going to complain how I kicked your ass some more?" She was actually puzzled as to why the younger man wanted to speak with her. He beckoned her to lower her ear near his mouth, which she obliged to. "I-Is that the Surgeon of Death?" He asked, a mixture of worry and wonderment in his voice. She nodded, straightening back up. "Yes, yes. It's fine. I won't let anything happen." Oliver shook his head, smiling a little weirdly. "I heard he's super strong. Do you think he'd let me join his crew?" The two turned their heads to look at the pirates, making eye contact with the doctor himself. She laughed before putting her cigarette out on the ash tray on their table. "You? A pirate?" She scoffed. "Get real. You wouldn't make it one day out there!" She ruffled his hair, making him even angrier. "How about I give you a job here, neh? Keep you out of trouble." Before he could retort, a loud 'thunk' followed by a scream came from the direction of the bar.

"Grandpa, you annoying old man!"

Wes, a small brown-haired boy of only 11, was rolling on the floor next to Maru holding the newly formed bump on his head. Emma scowled and lit another cigarette, taking a long drag from it. 'How did Katie-san end up with a little shit like him?' she questioned herself before shaking her head. She had recently agreed to employ the kid as a busboy to keep him out of trouble in the city. Just last week he was caught hitting Rika, a girl he had grown up with, just out of spite. His mother had come crying to the bar, begging Emma for help as she didn't know what to do with him anymore.

"Oi, Wes." She walked over and stood next to him, still nursing his injury. His eyes widened in terror as he realized what was happening. "Emma-san! H-hey! I just got here, sorry I was running late and…" He started to ramble off with excuses, which only made the woman frown harder. Maru chuckled, taking a swig of the drink he must've poured himself when she wasn't looking. "Wes was just trying to talk me into helping him steal some of your money." The old man said casually, not even giving his grandson a sympathetic look for his murder. A shadow casted over her eyes as she knelt next to the boy. "G-grandpa…. how could you…." He slowly turned his head to the terrifying woman. "Emma-san, it's nothing like that! H-He's making me look bad and- "She grabbed the back of his shirt collar and began dragging him back to the kitchen. All the men at the bar were laughing so hard tears were pouring from their eyes. "Once I get finished beating your ass, you start cleaning. Got it?"

"Y-Yes ma'am!"

Two hours had passed since the arrival of the Heart Pirates at the pub and Law was already itching to leave. "Emma-san sure is nice." Bepo smiled, looking at her behind the bar as she laughed and poured the other men drinks. "She didn't say anything weird about me." Law had noted she didn't seem amazed at the fact a polar bear in a boiler suit was asking her for fried rice, but he put it off to the town being a major port for people coming into the Grand Line. "Meh, she's rude." Shachi muttered, spinning the paper from his straw with his finger on the table. Penguin nodded in agreement. "She didn't even say anything to our compliments…." He crossed his arms over his chest, pouting like a small child. "Maybe if you stopped being so perverted…."

"You're perverted too!"

"Sorry."

The trio continued to argue over Emma, making Law frown. Not only was it annoying to hear them yelling, he still hadn't gotten an answer about her leg. In all his research, he'd rarely come across prosthesis that were metal. Perhaps she was a cyborg? And her leg could turn into some sort of weaponry? "Pirate-san." He was pulled from his thoughts by the young boy holding a tray in front of him. "Are you finished with your plates?" The kid definitely did not want to be here, especially after taking a brutal beating from the young woman: his eye was still swollen shut and purple and he may have been missing a few teeth. Law set his coffee cup on the tray and leaned towards the kid. "Wes, was it?" He grinned as the boy swallowed hard. "Y-Yes sir." The tray started to shake. "What can you tell me about your boss?"

"Emma-san?" Law nodded and Wes regained his composure. "Well, she's pretty evil that's for sure. She likes to beat people up. My mom said she moved here when I was really little, and she used to baby sit me. She lived here with Ty-san till he passed away two years ago…. that's about it." He told the older man, shrugging as he collected the other plates on the table. "And her leg?" Wes wasn't very amused by the conversation; he was a little weirded out as to why this man was asking so many questions about Emma. "I dunno. She's had it since I can remember. She doesn't talk about it, but no one really asks." Law frowned and let out a deep sigh, knowing he would never find out.

The kid walked away, continuing to collect empty dishes across the bar. The pirate captain gestured to the other three it was time to head out, to which they nodded in agreement. As Law grabbed his nodachi, a bellowing laughter erupted from the entryway. A group of 15 men stood in the doorway with a large ugly man, the captain, standing at the very front. 'Marley Pirates….' He frowned, hoping these men didn't try to start anything, he really wasn't in the mood for a fight. Everyone else in the bar became tense and Emma walked out from the kitchen throwing a dirty rag over her shoulder.

"Take a seat where ever you'd like, I'll bring you guys some drinks."

The obnoxious pirate group took up all the seating in the middle, Captain Marley whistling inappropriately at the young woman. "How much do you cost a night, girly?" One of the men asked, batting his eyelashes as she placed drinks down at the tables. They all howled with laughter, but she refused to answer, a deep frown adorning her face. 'Disgusting pigs.' She thought to herself, placing a hand on her hip. "You guys want anything to eat?" The captain was smiling creepily at her. "Eat? Little lady we want you! You look like you could take us all on in a night without getting tired." Her hand clenched into a tight fist by her side as he began laughing so hard tears were pouring down his face. He threw his arms back, wanting his crew to join in the antics, which knocked Wes on his back, spilling dirty dishes all over the floor. "Ow, ow." He complained, rubbing his arm and looking up at Marley, who had stopped laughing.

"Did you get in my way, kid?"

Wes's eyes went wide, and he shook his head frantically. "N-No, sir! I'm sorry. You accidently hit me with your arm and-" Marley immediately lifted a fist in the air, his eyes shaking with rage. "You blame me?! For getting in my way?!" He started to bring his arm down on the boy but was stopped immediately by Emma grabbing his wrist with her left hand. He raised an eyebrow and looked at her, not expecting this outcome. She pulled the cigarette from her lips and stuck the burning in end right into his forearm. "Captain!" His crew began to get out of their seats, drawing their weapons. "I wasn't expecting this from you." Marley chuckled, putting up his other hand to tell his men to hold their position. "Not many people are strong enough- "

"Stop talking."

There was a loud crack and Marley let out cry as she snapped his wrist. "I'll ignore you degrading me, but don't you dare lay a finger on him." She let go of his arm and motioned for Wes to get behind the bar. "You little bitch!" He snarled, his anger getting the best of him as he lunged towards the much smaller woman. She easily dodged the attack and kicked the man in the face, forcing his head into the wooden table. One of Marley's crew members came at her with his sword drawn, yelling profanities. Emma quickly pulled the revolver from the holster and placed it against his forehead, stopping him in his tracks. By now, every other person in the bar, besides the Heart Pirates, had stood up with their weapons drawn and prepared to fight.

"Get out of my bar."

Emma cocked the gun and the man began to sweat nervously. "G-Grab the captain and let's go!" It took four of them to hoist the unconscious man on their shoulders and carry him out the door. The man in front of her hadn't moved and she refused to bring the gun down. "Captain will get you back for this." He growled, making her smirk. "I sure hope so. We'll make this a fun little game." He smacked her arm away and charged out the door, grumbling the entire way.

"Emma-san!" Wes came out from behind the bar and hugged her waist, crying into her stomach. "Are you hurt?" He sobbed and she lit another cigarette. "No, but" She kicked a piece of the destroyed table next to her. "I'll have to find some time to fix this table, damn pirates."

The Heart Pirates started to head towards the door, Bepo leading the way. "Ah, I'm sorry about the table, Emma-san." He said quietly before handing her the money they owed. "The food was very good." He bowed his head slightly making her laugh a little. "It's alright, not the first time and won't be the last." She patted Wes's head, who was still sobbing uncontrollably into her stomach. "May have deserved it for being rude…." Shachi mumbled, only to be hit on the back of the head by Penguin. "Bastard!"

Law was the last to walk past her, holding his nodachi against his shoulder and looking at the ground. "You're very surprising, Emma-ya." He grinned and looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "I hope we meet again soon." She let out a small chuckle and nodded. "I guess we'll have to see then, doctor-san."

Emma sighed, wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead. It was just after two in the morning and the bar was closed and locked up. She sent Gus home early; he'd done a great job today and he definitely needed a break. "I could definitely use a break too." She muttered to herself as she began counting the money from the day. Most days were pretty busy and if she didn't hire more employees soon, she'd be digging herself an early grave.

If the bar continued to take in the rising influx of pirates, she was going to hire a carpenter or something. Every week for the past two months something got broken either by a rowdy group or her having to kick them out. She was lucky today the two crews didn't get into it. Having heard how disastrous they could be, this place could have been turned to nothing.

'That man…' She set down the money on the counter and lit another cigarette. That creepy doctor had been on her mind most of the night. Wes had told her later how he asked about her, specifically her leg. It was creepy, but from a medical standpoint not many people walked around with such advanced prosthesis, most were just wooden. Maru said he felt as if death walked in the room when his crew entered. 'Superstitious old coot.' She laughed to herself before rubbing her tired eyes. It was time for sleep.

She turned to walk out from behind the bar when the window farthest away from her broke. "Hm?" She stood on her tippy toes to see what may have been thrown in and her eyes widened: two bombs with lit fuses rolled out into the middle of the room. 'Shit!' There wasn't enough time for her to run so she threw herself down on her knees and folded her body over them. She covered her ears and the back of her neck with her hands, as if her small fingers were going to protect anything.

It was only a mere seconds before the bombs exploded, but to her it was an eternity. So many thoughts were racing in her mind, mostly of her apologizing to Ty repeatedly. If she hadn't been so careless to make everyone hate her, this wouldn't have happened. She promised him she would take care of this place and she failed. Her heart pounding in her ears was almost louder than the explosion itself.

Her body was thrown through the wall and into the kitchen; debris landing all around and on top of her. The wooden bones of the building started creaking and snapping as smoke from the fires filled her lungs. She coughed and placed her mouth into the crook of her elbow before uncovering herself. Her body was already sore and covered in smalls cuts, but as she stood up her right leg became almost too painful to stand on. She looked down and saw a large piece of wood from the bar imbedded into her thigh surrounded by blood and ash.

'Fuck me.'

She coughed and began to limp back towards where she had been standing before. The entire place was in ruins and on fire: pieces of the ceiling were crashing down, indicting a collapse at any moment. She needed to get out and get out soon. She hobbled as fast as she could and grabbed what money was still viable, shoving it into her small pockets.

There was only one small place left attached at the bar: Ty's picture was sitting there untouched by the catastrophe. She couldn't help but laugh at the old bastard, knowing well enough he was cursing at her wherever his spirit was. She grabbed the picture and ran as fast as her injured legs would take her right out the front door.

Law rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. Ikkaku managed to finish the ship only an hour ago, but everyone was too exhausted to head out right away and voted to rest here till the morning. As is the same with most nights, he couldn't sleep and decided to go for a walk around the small town. Even at almost three in the morning, there had to be something to distract him till day break.

He grabbed the nodachi setting up against the door and headed outside into the cool night. Stepping out onto the deck, he saw two men running past towards the docks about half a mile away. He followed the path they had ran towards the town, noticing a bright glow towards the middle. Letting curiosity get the best of him, he jumped the railing onto the dock and made his way towards the commotion.

It didn't take long until he was met by people running wildly in both directions screaming about a fire. Within a few minutes he reached the burning building, although it seemed to be under control. A few men were holding hoses on it while others were throwing buckets of water onto the rubble. What was most likely a two-story building before had been demolished into a pile of ash and wooden ruins. In the middle of the street was a group of people crowding around something or someone.

"We need to get you to the doctor!"

"The doctor is never open this late."

"He's all the way on the other side of town, anyways!"

"Do you think she'll make it until morning?"

"She's going to bleed out and die you idiot!"

Letting his curiosity win again, he headed towards the center of the crowd to check out the severity of the injuries. He couldn't help but smirk as he saw Emma sitting on the ground smoking a cigarette and holding a picture frame tightly in her lap. She had many small cuts and bruises but was mostly just covered in ash. The worst injury he could physically see was a large chunk of wood embedded into her right thigh, but nothing that would kill her. "Meh, meh." She was waving the concerned citizens off. "I'm perfectly fine. I can deal with this myself."

It took her a few minutes of scanning the crowd before meeting his eyes. She went through a flurry of emotions; confused, angry, annoyed. "Doctor-san." She said shortly, her eyes never leaving his. He chuckled, walking through the path the crowd made for him before kneeling next to her. "It wasn't you." She let out a small sigh of relief but continued to frown deeply. "But I definitely know who it was."

Law set his nodachi down on the ground beside him and placed his hand beside her most serious injury. "It's not too deep, but you'll need stitches." She shook her head quickly. "I don't do needles. I'll be fine, it'll heal up on its own." She crossed her arms and turned away from him. "It will- "

"I said I'm fine."

"-get infected. It needs to be cleaned and have the debris removed. Without stitches it won't heal properly." She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He was still smiling, and she could tell he wanted something. "Will you do that for me?" She asked, making him chuckle and sending a shiver up her spine. "Only if you join my crew." By now, the crowd had dispersed back to their homes now that most of the excitement had faded away, leaving the two of them in the street alone.

"Tch." Emma scoffed at his request before looking at her now destroyed home. She had lost everything at this point. Of course, Maru and Katie would allow her to live with them but what would she do for work? Just go back to bartending and waitressing? She grabbed the picture of Ty that had somehow survived the destruction. 'Bastards, all of you.' She turned to the doctor and sighed a bit dramatically.

"Fine, but I won't be happy about it."