Author's Notes: This chapter is a bit more dialogue oriented. Trying to show the "girl's" attitude, her goals, and give her a reason to want to go to Grand Line. If you haven't already noticed, at this point this story is mostly Buckley's views on things and how he feels about certain events will be described with words he would use. Later on I might switch to different characters. Thanks to my first reviewer I enjoyed your review!

CHAPTER 2: "I'm Special!"

"Pirate crew? You want me to join your pirate crew?" He skeptically raised an eyebrow. Despite the fact that he probably would have done anything she said at this point, it didn't mean that he wouldn't question such a ludicrous request. They had walked over from the shoreline up to a grove of trees a short walk away, where Buckley sometimes went to escape from his captain and to collect his thoughts. He especially needed this environment now.

"Yeah my pirate crew," she grinned at him. "You said your only a marine to make money? If you join my pirate crew there'll be lots o' money. And animals, and things to see, and things to touch, and things to try, an-"

"Wait a minute…" he cut her off. "That's insane. I'm a marine. And to be honest your idea of a pirate ship wasn't too great. And your like, the only individual in your "crew" right? What kind of captain are you to just randomly recruit people?" Buckley's confidence was slowly increasing as he angrily lectured to the young woman.

"Wahahaha!…Stupid, I know you! Your Bucket! The navigator of my pirate crew! You use a lot of big words, and you just said that you could get me to Grand Line! I believe you and since your a marine you've probably sailed all over the place!"

Buckley eyed her as he tried to make a mental list of how many "big words" he had said, and came to the conclusion that the biggest one was "individual." This girl wasn't the smartest in the world, but she did have a sweet positive attitude and air about her. Unfortunately, this was exactly why he didn't want her to go to Grand Line. She was so trusting on initial meeting and impulse. He was sure she would get slaughtered the second she entered. And if she would get slaughtered, he would be obliterated.

"Well….actually I've never left Kaze before…..that's the island we're on….um but I've studied sea charts before, but not nearly enough to charter a course or anything. I'm afraid I can't go and I don't think you should either"

"So. I'll find my way." There goes that confidence again.

"So…? But…uh..not trying to insult you or anything, but it seems like I know a little more than you do in the field of navigation and survival, and I don't even know that much. I mean, you wouldn't even know how to deal with the rapid changes and adaptations you would have to make. You wouldn't know how to properly enter the Grand Line without attempting to cross the calm belt, and since it has such static waves year round, so many sea monsters would pop out and eat you, and even if you made it the southeastern front will make it nearly impossible for you to cope without steam powered propulsion. You wouldn't know ho-"

"SHUT UP!" She yelled loudly enough to elicit a jumping reaction from Buckley. "All your doing is telling me what I can't do and what you think I can't do! Why the HELL DO YOU THINK ALL OF THE GREAT PIRATE CAPTAINS HAVE A GREAT CREW!"

Buckley bit down on his lip. He felt terrible about what he said. He just assumed that she was this complete idiot that was rushing to her death trusting people so easily. Maybe she was a lot smarter than he gave her credit for. What was wrong with this girl trusting him anyway? He really didn't plan on killing her or turning her in or anything. Maybe she had some sort of ability to see the good in people.

"I'm sorry…I just get nervous at times, so I try to point out faults in others to boost myself up…whenever my boss gives me trouble I do the same thing.." Buckley said to her. He was staring down at his own two feet with his knees hunched up against him.

"Wahahaha it's nothing! I'm used to people trying to make me feel sad. That's why I smile anyway." Her words made him feel worse, but still he was enthralled by her blind charisma.

"Why are you going to the Grand Line anyway? To find One Piece?"

"Well, now that I think about it, that would just be a plus. I'm really going to have fun and claim all the free stuff. If your tough enough you can keep whatever you get too. I'm plenty tough." She flexed her arm to show him. He wasn't really impressed.

Buckley spread his legs out and laid his hands down on either side of himself. "So how long have you wanted to go to Grand Line? What's your name? And uh..how in the world do you wield that thing so easily?" He stared at the sheer size of the sword. It looked about a foot wide, and was easily about her height. It was colored a dim gray, and had a hole in the middle with jagged teeth, which he assumed (grimly) was to skewer an opponents head. It was dulled, he had to admit, probably from years of wear and tear, but he found it hard to believe she was old enough to have done this much damage to the sword.

"Wahahaha (her laugh was annoying, he noted), I've wanted to go since 2 years back, and I've been trying ever since. This is the closest I ever got though. I once could swim, but now I can't, so I can't swim there. I go by Haven. And I can use this sword because I'm special!" The last part she said in a perky way and looked at him to see if he was impressed. He still wasn't. That answered some of his questions, albeit a bit vaguely. He decided not to pry anymore for information. He just decided to sit and listen as she went on and talked about how she was going to find the most amazing things in Grand Line and how she was going to do whatever she wanted once she made it there. After some time he found himself interested listening to the exotic imaginations she described and soon he found himself wishing to go (minus all the danger). She finished when the sun finally showed up, to his disappointment.

"…And that's not even the half of it!….I'm getting tired," she said as her eyes visibly drooped before him. She probably was exhausted, considering she had pulled an all nighter with him, and the fact that she probably couldn't sleep in that barrel.

"Well, I guess you can just sleep here and I can bring you a pillow if you want or I can show you to town," he offered to her. Despite his initial fear of her, he had grown used to her and figured he would try to help her out.

"Are you going to stay with me in town? After I sleep we can get a ship and leave for the Grand Line! I saw a lot of ships back when I first got out the barrel!"

"Um…I don't think I can go to Grand Line. I still have a job to do here, and frankly I don't want to die. I'm too weak and I don't know how to rob or pillage or fight or anything, but I'm sure you can make it to Grand Line yourself and conquer everything!"

She did her awkward 20 second stare again and looked down at her shoes, which were a bit sandy and wet. "I tell you what Bucket. I'll be back." Then she got up with a start and walked solemnly over to the beach side. He got up after her to see where she was going. She walked up to her flag and folded it neatly. She walked back to Buckley and handed it to him. "You hold onto this. I'll. Be. Back." Then she walked away, still lazily dragging the sword behind her. Buckley figured that couldn't be good for the blade, but also felt a bit of joy at having made a good friend, albeit a scary, slightly psychotic one. He wondered when (and HOW) she would turn up again. He turned and walked back to the deck to prepare for roll call, tired.

Author's Notes: Please review and critique. I plan on delving a bit more into why Haven is "special," and when and HOW she comes back. Updates are twice a day, daily.