Little Tsu: ok, here's another one-shot for ya'll. This is of another story with my OC, Pheonix, but somethin' very different from the first one she appeared in, though sorta like a sequal ta it in a sense.

Lets see how you readers enjoy it./o/

~ are thoughts.

My Kept Promise

"ZOLOOOO!"

Perking slightly at the sudden infuriated tone, Trafalgar Law lifted his head up a tiny bit from its tilted down position as he sat there on the deck of the Thousand Sunny with his sword resting against his right shoulder between his crossed arms and legs. They had left the island of Punk Hazard a few days ago now at least and he was currently traveling along with the Straw Hat Pirates as their alliance was still active. However, that didn't matter currently as the door that lead to below deck finally bursted open...Or rather was kicked...open. The sight of the culprit caused a slowly forming smirk to form onto his features as he knew exactly what was about to happen. Someone was very mad and someone was about to get hurt. ~Time to sit back and enjoy the little show...~

Zolo, the green haired swordsman and first-mate of the crew, turned his head as he glanced behind himself from over his shoulder; the enormous weight that he held in his right hand lowering slightly. "Huh? What do you want kid? I'm busy."

Trafalgar blinked slightly at what Zolo just called the one who had yelled at him and sweatdropped slightly before chuckling a bit. "Zolo, I don't think that was a wise idea. You might not know her very well, but Pheonix really hates it when people call her 'kid'..."

True to the older man's words, the pirate known as Pheonix's right crimson ruby eye twitched faintly as steam actually began to rise up from her body in a similar fashion to Luffy's Gear 2 skill. "You rough handled my Kuro Youkai..."

"Your what...? I didn't touch your sword this time. I already learned my lesson with that. Try talking to Luffy about that one. He's the one that had it out and playing with it while you were busy in the shower earlier..." Grunting lightly towards having been accused of messing with the girl's sword in the first place, he turned his head back to the front to continue his weight lifting. That had been a bad idea as no sooner had he done that, he quickly ducked out of the way just in time to avoid a flash of black flames, which unfortunately melted his weight into nothing. Quickly getting up onto his feet, the swordsman turned around completely to face the girl, who was now stalking over towards him. "Hey, what's the big idea?! I already told you that it wasn't me!"

"Maybe not, but you just admitted ta bein' there and watchin' Luffy mess around with my sword! On top of that, you allowed him to hack away at a fish that you caught with it! Now my sword and scabbard are all bloody and smellin' of fish!" Pheonix growled as she glared up at the quite a bit taller and muscular man through her bi-colored ruby and sapphire eyes while her hat, which was almost identical to Ace's save for it being black and the pins were off to the side more, rested against her back where it tended to rest mostly.

As the two fellow swordmen bickered back and forth, Trafalgar continued to watch the scene before him in mild amusement, knowing that the older male of the two was about to get himself hit. It was at that moment though, that the captain himself, Luffy stepped out of the kitchen to see what was going on. That, the Warlord knew,...had been very bad timing as Zolo was suddenly sent flying and crashed right smack into the straw hatted captain; both of them crying out as they went flying back through the doorway and crashing in the kitchen. Smirking towards this, Trafalgar tilted his head down as his eyes gently closed and chuckled softly. ~And Pheonix wins yet again...~

{Later that evening}

Pheonix stepped out onto the deck as she glanced up at the sky, which held a blend of colors to greet anyone that basked in the glow of the setting sun's final hour. The gentle breeze blew her blue grey hair that was up into a semi-short high ponytail with the rest of it in an equally semi-short low braid that rested down against her back. Her hat and sword were down below in the sleeping quarters she was staying in so she only had her usual style of attire on that she had worn for the last three and a half years. A fitting orange top that showed her middrift, short green jeans shorts with two belts - one of which was slanted down to the right, light tan boots that halts just a few inches below her knees, and finally two different sized light tan gloves; the left halting around her wrist and being fingerless while the right was a full glove that halted just barely below her elbow.

Sighing softly to herself, the young pirate walked over towards the railing at the front of the ship near the lion's head and crossed her arms as she rested them on the railing she now leaned against. Her heavy lidded gaze stared out at the calm ocean waters as they had dropped ancher for the night and lowered the sails. As she gazed out at the sea though, she hadn't heard the door open nor the sound of footsteps behind her; she was too deep into her thoughts. It was only when someone stepped up beside her before turning around to lean their back against the railing as they sat down, did she actually notice. Tearing her gaze away from the sea slightly, she glanced down at her "visitor" out of the corners of her eyes. "Tral..."

Refraining himself from rolling his eyes at the nickname, Trafalgar cocked his head up and slightly tilted to the side as he glanced up at the smaller seventeen-year-old girl next to him from under his hat. The older man remained silent for a moment as he studied the look in her sapphire eye before he finally spoke up. "You know,...I don't know if I should feel insulted or not towards the fact that you no longer refer to me as your big brother."

"That's cause we're not...You merely took me in over the last two years despite the fact that I still mostly traveled alone till I met up with you back on Punk Hazard a while back...We're not blood related..."

"Well, that never stopped you from calling me 'Nii-san', now did it?" When he saw the faint blush cross onto her features, he smirked faintly before tilting his head and gaze up towards the sky. "So...Are you really going to decide to travel with the Straw Hat Pirates? I thought you never wanted to join a crew?" He had a point in this. Just because he had taken her in somewhat over the last two years, didn't mean he only knew her for that long. Trafalgar had known the teen next to him since she was about twelve-years-old; a real spunky girl that was determined to make it as a pirate and to be greater than her uncle ever was, though he had actually just laughed at that part when he first met her. Especially when he learned of just who her uncle was; Dracule Mihawk. In the entire time he had known the pirate though, she had always traveled the seas alone; saying she didn't need anyone to become one of the greatest pirates in the New World.

As he brought his gaze back onto Pheonix though when she still didn't answer his questions, he saw a distant look in her eyes. It didn't really take a genius to figure it out. Something had happened to her and caused the spunky girl before him to change the way she viewed everything...And he had a feeling that he knew exactly what that 'something' was. "...The cause of the New World beginning is the reason, isn't it?...Or rather, what happened at Marine HQ..." The faint twitch in her muscles that was barely noticable was all he needed to know towards his answer. "Pheonix, listen. That battle changed a lot of people, but that's no reason to suddenly change your mind about joining up with a random-"

"I made a promise..."

"What?"

Sighing softly, Pheonix tilted her head down as she stared at the water directly below them now rather than further out. "I made a promise...At a grave..."

At those words, realization finally dawned on him. A grave...So this wasn't just a crew she just randomly decided to join up with. It was Ace's little brother's crew...

"I don' make many promises Tral, but...this was one I swore ta keep. I promised Ace that I'd join his little brother's crew and watch over him for him in his place." Chuckling softly as she gently closed her eyes, she finally opened them back up slowly and casted a glance down at Trafalgar as she smiled faintly. "I still love him even though he's been dead for the last two years...I had even finally told him at his grave when I had actually gotten the courage ta visit it before I came to Punk Hazard and...deep down, I know he heard me cause I coulda sworn I heard him reply back...Even in death, he still watches over me and Luffy, I think. That's what I believe anyways." As she said this, she drifted her bi-colored gaze back onto the sea while that faint smile still played onto her features as she enjoyed the sight of the now star filled night sky glimmering in the water's reflection.

Trafalgar remained silent as he watched her still. The girl before him still held traces of the spritely runt that he used to know through her stubborness and temper, but he was slowly beginning to notice just how much Pheonix had really changed and grown over the years. She was so much wiser now and stronger - not just physically, but mentally as well. The death of Portgas D. Ace really had changed her...It made her grow up...

As he thought of this, he finally snapped out of it as he saw that Pheonix had pushed herself off from leaning on the railing and turned around to make her way to below deck so she could most likely try to get some sleep. "Hey Pheonix?" When she halted in her tracks halfway across the deck and glanced over her shoulder at him, the older man couldn't help but no longer see her as the same girl he had first met. "If Ace were still alive,...I'm sure he would have been very proud of how much you've grown and that you also kept your promise to him. In fact,...I know he would have."

Blinking slightly in faint surprise at those words, Pheonix finally closed her eyes as she smiled sweetly towards her brother figure. "I know...That's why I wanted ta change. I wanted ta become a pirate that Ace woulda been proud of and 'sides...Who knows...It might be fun for me bein' a member of his brother's crew, hehe." With that she turned back around and walked off; making her way down below deck to get some sleep.

As she did so, Trafalgar Law sighed softly to himself and lifted his head towards the sky as he gazed up calmly at the stars. ~...Ace...If only you were still alive to see her now...~

{Flashback two years ago}

"Still chasing after Blackbeard, are you? Don't you think it's time you give up your search? I'm sure that your crew is worried and wants you to return. You are a Division leader for the Whitebeard Pirates after all..." Trafalgar Law sat there on a booth within a bar as he sipped his rum while a large white polar bear sitting on one side of him while on the other was the very man he was speaking to currently. Setting his mug down, he casted a glance over towards the younger male and saw that he was actually grinning cheekily while skickering. "What's so amusing Portgas D. Ace?"

Slowly calming down from his snickering, Ace glanced over at the man before smirking. "Well, as much as my crew might be "worrying" over me, I'm not returning till I've found and captured Blackbeard. He was under my Division so it's my responsibility. Besides,..." Turning his gaze back down onto his plate of foot - the one that wasn't empty and pilled up with the rest around him, his onyx eyes softened as did his smile. "I'm sure a certain someone else is worrying even more about me right now. The sooner I catch Blackbeard, the sooner I can stop worrying her..."

Now that caught his attention a bit as he gave the twenty-year-old a slightly curious glance. "Her? You mean you actually have yourself a girl? That's a surprise."

"Haha. Nah, she's not my girl...Not right now anyways." Taking a sip of his rum, he sighed and set it down. "I was planning on telling her after I finished my mission though. She's five years younger than I am, but...I still got drawn right in. Hopefully she'll return my feelings and also join the Whitebeard Pirates so we can be together all the time. I think...you would've enjoyed her attitude though. She's spunky and like you, she's got no remorse towards flipping people off or insulting them, haha."

Hearing the slight description of her personality, it instantly clicked that the girl Ace had fallen for was Pheonix. Well, that was slightly more surprising than he thought it'd be. Still though, the thought of Pheonix having someone like Ace love her and possibly always be there for her actually somewhat put him at ease. At least he wouldn't have to wonder if she's doing alright or not anymore. "Well, whatever you do, tell her soon. In this age, you never know what will happen...Especially with our profession."

Ace casted a glance at Trafalgar as he said this and smiled before nodding his head. "I plan to; don't worry...Life's too short what with us being pirates and all. Besides,...Pheonix is more than worth the effort."

{End Flashback}

Closing his eyes gently as he looked back on that day chatting with Ace, a faint smile crossed onto his features.

~Pheonix kept her promise to you Ace...And returned your love...~

END.

Little Tsu: Ok so...this might notta been all that great, but I still enjoyed typin' this up. I like the fact that considerin' my OC's personality, she & Zolo would clash & bicker a decent bit in an almost sibling-like fashion. Also, I enjoyed typin' up the conversation between her & Law due ta how serious it was & towards Law actually tryin' ta make Pheonix happy a bit; knowin' how much she missed Ace still.

Anyways, till next time. *waves*

Side note: Pheonix's Devil Fruit is a dark variation of the logia type Flame Flame Fruit. I know there's only one of each type of devil fruit unless the possessor dies, then that fruit comes back inta the world, but I came up with the idea of some of the logia types havin' a dark version of 'em out there; thus the Dark Flame Flame Fruit.