Disclaimer: I Don't Own One Piece. Just characters and small plots.

Chapter 1: The Girls Talks of Dreams, Family and Scrapbooking Pirates

I stood as still as humanly possible. Secretly hoping his eyesight relied heavily on movement. Of course it was a stupid idea, but I'm panicking! The man who shot to kill me six months ago was grazing his eyes over each individual human in the room until his eyes landed on my lone figure by the kitchen door. I could imagine what sad look I had on my face. My eyes were probably bulging out of my skull and I could feel the room tense up. Regulars recognized this man. The bartender looked nervous and Amaya and Cherie didn't notice until the turned to look at what we were all staring at. The room went silent except for the table that was waiting for their order.

Bombman Baron just stood at the door watching me. I swallowed the bile in my throat and took what I felt were to be my final steps towards the Straw Hat Pirates. Of course I knew who they were! Not a single person on this island were unfamiliar with them. I suppose some sort of joke was cracked because they were all laughing. I placed the platter of meat on the table. When I pulled my hand away a very noticeable tremor of nervous shaking was taking hold of my body. I believe they noticed something was wrong finally, because the laughing died down. I straightened from my position and said nothing. I made brief eye contact with Straw Hat Luffy. He had an unreadable look on his face. I broke it first and looked at the wall behind them.

I flinched when I heard several footsteps walking in my direction.

"Woman! Tell me how you still stand!" A slurred baritone voice questioned a few feet behind me.

I couldn't find my voice. I couldn't even turn to face him. I just grew very tense. Today, I was going to be up to seventeen deaths. I could tell.

"Woman!" He rose his voice in annoyance, "Answer me when I speak to you!"

I wet my dry lips and with all the mustered up strength I could manage I turned to speak to him, "I think you have me mistaken for someone else. I don't believe we met." My voice came out quiet and wavered horribly.

I heard a low chuckle escape his lips. "Why don't we speak outside, get 'acquainted' then? I'm most positive that we have met six months ago you ungrateful woman." His hand stuck out and grabbed my upper arm in a tight grip.

I clenched my eyes shut and before I knew it, his hand was gone from my arm and a loud crash was hear from front door. I let myself open my eyes only to see the Straw Hats' "Black Legs" Sanji standing in front of me with his leg raised.

"How dare you touch a lady like that you shitty man!" He yelled.

The other patrons in the room were just as shocked as I was. He managed to kick the man straight out the door! Well, I should say through the door. Now paired with the Whitebeard sized cannonball hole, Bombman Baron's body had knocked the door off its hinges.

"Hey! You people take it outside if you're going to fight!" Old Lady Kana yelled at them.

"Hm. Might be a good idea, this idiot will wreck the place," Pirate Hunter Zoro was now walking to the front door calmly, one hand on the hilt of one of his swords.

"What did you just say, Moss-head!" Sanji raised his fist in anger.

Zoro ignored him and kept going outside. Luffy followed them out and I was left standing with the leftover group of the Straw Hats. I just stood very still. Unable to know exactly what I should do. No one in the room was going back to what he or she was doing before the big man walked in. Not even Old Lady Kana. Which was saying something.

"You don't have to worry. Those three can handle themselves," The orange haired girl, Nami, spoke up. She took a sip of the Ale that was sitting in front of her.

I looked at her careless posture as she twirled a fork in between her fingers.

"You're mistaken, but I assume they can," I responded. She returned what I said with a questioning glance, "I wasn't worried." I explained.

"By the way, miss, what was he speaking of? Have the two of you really met?" The skeleton, Brook, inquired.

Dare I explain? "I accidently spilled a drink on him…" I was overcome with an overwhelming feeling of despair, "I'm pretty hopeless like that…"

My explanation, or maybe my expression caused the remaining, except for Robin to shout: "DON'T SAY MEAN THINGS ABOUT YOURSELF!"

"Oh," I slumped forward, "sorry."

"DON'T SAY SORRY!"

A huge explosion distracted us all as Luffy flew through the wall.

"Luffy!"

My attention was brought to the outside where Bombman was holding up Sanji by the throat and Zoro seemed to be fending off a rather large man with an even larger blade. There was obviously a struggle going on. His crew had shown up.

Luffy charged back outside holding his fist up ready to counter attack. The rest of his crew got up from their seats and ran out to help their crew. Nami turned to me before she exited, "Stay inside!"

As much as I hated to think so, I knew that staying inside having them fight a man who came here because of me was not the right thing to do. Why not let him kill me a seventeenth time? Then when he's gone I'll resume life. Oh, as much as I hated the idea, it was the only thing that made sense at that moment. So, swallowing my fears of another awaiting death I walked out to the battlefield. I heard Amaya and Cheri telling me to get back inside with hushed voices. I suppose the sour look on my face made them stop.

I stood on the steps of the Pub and looked on to the battle. The added strengths of the rest of the crew had turned the fight back in their favour because Bombman was standing alone in a field of his fallen crew. He looked furious, his eyes looking at everyone one-by-one. They all stood surrounding him. Some with a few scuffs, scratches and bruises, but nothing that a few days of rest won't heal. That relieved me. Maybe I didn't have to come out here after all?

"Get out of my way! I need to teach that woman a lesson!" I noticed he was pointing his finger at me. So he noticed me. This can't be good!

"I don't care what she did. Whatever it was it didn't kill you. So get the hell out of here!" Luffy yelled at him.

Bombman seemed put off by this statement and his glare was shared between Luffy and myself. I noticed he started to shake. Was he afraid? No. He was laughing.

"Do you know why they call me 'Bombman'?" He laughed. I shuddered and it didn't take me long to realize why he was pulling his fist back. I looked behind me, ready to run back inside. Then I noticed the people were still inside watching.

I sighed. Number seventeen here I come. My shoulders slumped and I turned back to face Bombman and took a few steps forward. Probably the worst grimace I will ever put on with out feeling pain first came to my face.

'Bombman' was going to throw his special 'Explosive Fist' technique.

I had been shot dead seven times.

I had been stabbed dead four times.

I had been poisoned dead once. (Last time I eat an entire blowfish on a whim!)

I had been choked dead twice.

I had been beaten dead twice.

Now I can add being blown up to my list of painful accomplishments. It hurt enough to be shot and stabbed. This is going to be the single worst pain I will ever experience.

The Straw Hats all turned to see what he was looking at and they saw me standing on the porch. Nami looked ready to shout at me, but I wasn't listening. I was mentally preparing myself to not run away.

I lifted both my hand in a sign of surrender and inhaled deaply, saying the first stupid things I could think of. "Human Shield Powers: Activate!"

I noticed the shocked looks that came on the faces of the Straw Hats. I don't think it was what I said that they were shocked about, it was the huge explosive about to hit me. I think that I heard the people behind me shout out "WHAT?" in utter disbelief. They were probably a bit embarrassed for me as well for what I just came up with. Of course the regulars and workers knew about my astounding ability to cheat death, but the Straw Hats did not. So I wouldn't be surprised if they killed Bombman.

The last brief thoughts rolled through my head before I felt the – no pun intended – explosive pain. Okay pun intended. I felt the explosive hit my hands and detonate upon contact. I assumed the fact that I no longer felt the ability to clench my fists from the pain that they had been blown off. I felt the skin on my body peeling and my body flying through the air – not to mention through the wall of the pub. An added bonus? Old Lady Kana's Pub collapsed and hear I thought I was saving them.

I opened one eye to see that Luffy had managed to at least stop the debris from landing on anyone. There were tears in his eyes and behind him the rest of the Straw Hats were advancing on Bombman. I don't know if they were going to kill him, but I had to show this pirate that no matter what he did I wouldn't be killed.

I parted my lips as I looked over to my left. I saw Amaya looking at me with fear in her eyes. I don't think she ever got used to seeing me at the point of death. Well that makes two of us! Behind her the bartender was looking at me equally.

"Marl, help me outside will you?" I croaked out. The pain was really bad and my sad attempt to stifle my crying was useless. "Carry me out, a-a-and p-put me on the steps!"

My voice was raspy. Already, as Marl silently obliged to my plea, I could feel tissue twisting and recreating itself. There was broken glass crunching beneath his feet while he made his was to the door.

I couldn't quite hear what Luffy was saying, but he had a scared and even more sorely beaten Bombman held in the air, his fist was pulled back to an unimaginable length. His crew were sprawled out around him. A snot nosed, teary-eyed reindeer tended to the long nosed boy who was lying unconscious on the ground at the feet of Brook. Nami stood with Robin and Franky – the three of them showing little emotion other than disdain – and Sanji was being held back by the swordsman who looked like he, too, was ready to pounce on Bombman, but they all knew that Luffy was ready to administer the finishing blow.

Me being the one with a conscience, gathered all the energy I could asMarlplaced me on the step. I planted my still intact feet on the ground far apart so I could lean forward. The pain was all riled up having been moved and I couldn't help a grunt and cry of pain I leant forward. Glancing at where my hands should be I noticed my arms had regenerated to slightly past my elbow. Placing the two offending appendages on my knees, I bowed my head and screamed: "STOP!"

Followed by a series of ferocious gasps and coughing fits from myself. I looked up at the shocked looks slowly. I could only imagine this being described as an 'epic moment'.

"I know what you all must be thinking," my voice was still raspy, "It's in your faces. Shock. Confusion. Disgust, but that is kind of a given I am quite a sight to behold right now."

It was quiet a second. I bowed my head again as a coughing fit took over along with my depressed feeling. My ability double-timed and my arms regenerated along with my hands. Cuts, bruises and burnt patches of skin went away as I stood on my two feet and looked back at the group. "Look, I'll be fine."

"WHAT?" The Straw Hats shouted. Their eyes bulging out of their sockets. I saw Bombman had perhaps blacked out or fainted. I couldn't quite tell which because Luffy had dropped him face down in the dirt.

Old Lady Kana's Pub didn't fully collapse after all. The patrons had since left after paying for their meals anyways - even if they were unable to start or finish. Many even tried offering her help to fix up the place before they go, but she shooed them away, volunteering her workers for said job. Key word being "volunteer" because she wasn't going to pay us for it no doubt. Luckily the roof had only a few holes and was leaning off to one side. The walls, too, were leaning at a new found angle.

Kana had insisted, once the pirates had fled that I take a seat for a few minutes while the others cleaned up. I was shocked when, upon seated, the Straw Hats all marched up and sat with me. A look of bewilderment on the Captains face.

To say I surprised the Straw Hats was an understatement. The nine people who were now sitting around me I suppose was waiting for me to answer some unspoken question. I think I owe them that much, after all, Bombman and his crew fled the city spewing words of a crazy Demon Woman with self stitching skin. Summed me up fairly well I think.

I sat at this table with a bunch of people who were still eagerly staring at me. Sure I felt severly uncomfortable with the staring, but I suppose staring back at the whole group didn't help. It's true I knew who they were when they walked into the pub, but to see them all together at once and not on individual bounty posters was still a little different. They didn't seem like much of a team.

The captain was younger than me.

The cook and swordsman are constantly at each others throats yelling.

The navigator had no qualms in punching or slapping her own captain if he did or said anything strange.

The reindeer was small and childlike, but had words in his vocabulary that would've made my Granny smack him with a wooden spoon.

The skeleton was a seemingly polite gentleman until he started asking the girls if he could see their panties.

The long nosed sharp shooter, turns out, to be much like a panicky nervous teenager.

The large cyborg was perfectly fine donning a speedo.

And lastly was the tall mature woman of the group who sat there quietly smiling in the corner.

All in all, they were nothing alike. I was surprised they hadn't clashed up until now. I suppose something kept them bonded as a crew. I seem to think there is something more to the Captain than meets the eye.

"Waitress-san?" Robin spoke. I must've not heard the question. I looked to her, but it was Luffy to speak up first.

"How did you do that back there? It was so cool!" He leaned over the table and I could've sworn his eyes was sparking with intrigue. Maybe it was too much to describe his actions like that. He seems the easily excited type.

I took a deep cleansing breath and without looking to anyone, more or less looking at the glass of water that was placed in front of me I gave a simple explanation.

"I'm a Devil Fruit user. I ate the Fushi-Fushi no Mi. Meaning, any wound I receive heals itself and I have no sensitivity to temperature."

His eyes sparked more eagerly, "Really! Cool!" He laughed. I watched the smile stretch to ridiculous proportions on his face. This must be really exciting for him.

"Oh, not really. I'd rather have your ability than this one." I told him. I took a sip from my glass.

"What? Why is that?" He asked. I could see the sincerity.

Nami decided to put her two cents in, "Yeah, I mean, you can't die can you? As far as I'm concerned, you're pretty lucky!"

I gave her a small smile, "Ah. Everyone says I'm lucky, but how lucky is it to feel death a total of seventeen times and not have the satisfaction of actually dying." My mood darkened and my shoulders slumped, "I'm tired of it…"

"Are you stupid? Are you really giving up on life?" Luffy's voice was getting a little angry.

"Stupid? That is debatable. Would you agree with nature or nurture?" I looked up from table, "Was I born this stupid or was I raised this way?"

A resounding crack and my body was drenched with what I could only distinguish as the fifteen year old scotch bottle. Now it was two good vintage scotches that woman has wasted in my hair and clothes.

"STOP BEING SO HARD ON YOURSELF!" Old Lady Kana yelled.

I sat unmoving from my position, "Ouch."

"Seriously, girl! You have to stop feeling so sorry for yourself! You were given a gift and you are taking it for granted! What about your dream? Are you going to give up on that, too?"

I gave it a few moments though, "Well, yeah…"

I was rewarded with another bottle being smashed over my head. This time it was the special whiskey we had shipped in a few days ago.

"Hey! Stop wasting all the expensive drinks on me!" I tried to complain.

"Silly girl. You're worth it!" Old Lady Kana announced.

I think the Straw Hats were just as confused as I was. I just nodded to show I heard her, but really I couldn't tell if I should feel flattered or offended by that last statement.

The small woman sighed, "What happened to your dream of becoming a famous pirate? Did you really forget the promise you made to them? To one day join them out on the sea?"

I couldn't say anything. I couldn't really think of anything to say. It was true I had promised them I'd meet them out on the sea with a crew. I wouldn't be Captain, but I knew I could do something on a ship. Like swab the deck. Maybe.

"Who did you promise, waitress-san?" Robin asked.

I was snapped out of my little reverie and turned back to the small crew I sat with. I didn't have to say anything because Kana produced three sheets of paper and slapped them on the table.

"Oh I've heard of these people! Did they come from this island?" Nami asked Kana.

"Yes, they grew up here. This was their home and we are all so proud of them!"

The three sheets of paper were Osamu, Colt and Catalina's most recent bounty posters. Osamu had a picture of him engulfed in smoke, a daring yet calm look on his face as he aimed his gun at a figure just off camera. Colt had his stupid goofy smile of his plastered on his face, arms crossed against his chest and a slight gust of wind blowing the front of his hair off his forehead to reveal a small scar running from his hairline. Catalina's looked like the vicious, she stood at the helm of her ship, pointing at something shouting an order, she had a stern look on her face and just below her was a frightened looking crewmember of hers.

"Vane Osamu, Vane Catalina, Vane Colt… are they siblings?" The long nose asked.

"Ah! She's beautiful! Catalina-chan~!" Sanji shouted. He was lovestruck.

"No, Colt and Catalina are brother and sister. Osamu is their cousin," Kana explained.

Luffy nodded and looked at me, "So these people were friends of yours?"

I sighed, "Osamu is my older brother. My name is Vane Tania. Pleased to meet you."

They seemed impressed. I wasn't. I'm not impressing. So I share the same last name as three people who are already well known pirates in the Grand Line? Big deal! I haven't done anything to gain that level of respect!

"What are the chances of four people of the same family to have Devil Fruit powers?" Nami seemed shocked. What, was she not shocked at three people of the same family having Devil Fruit? Now that I'm in the picture makes it shocking?

"What are the chances of four people of the same crew to have Devil Fruit powers?" I countered, "They didn't gain their powers here, they went off on their own adventures and slowly, each of them ended up finding their own Devil Fruit. It happens."

"I guess you have a point," Nami muttered. She didn't look too happy.

"That doesn't matter though. I've been trying to find a crew to take me on as one of their members, but I don't really have the guts to ask anyone. Maybe if the Whitebeard Pirates roll through here again I could be a cabin boy – er- girl or something. That's how Colt started," I got up from my seat, "Anyways, I should get back to work. I need to pick up some dishes and clean up. This place is a me-"

"JOIN MY CREW!" Luffy shouted.

"Eh, what?" I asked. He looked positively determined. His fists slammed down on the table top, causing everyone to jump.

"I've decided, you are going to join my crew!" He pointed at me. Everyone looked appalled at the idea. I don't doubt them.

"Uh, as a cabin boy?" I asked, a little unsure. I wasn't used to people outright asking me these questions. I was totally caught off guard.

"Luffy-san, we need a Helmsman," Robin said gently.

He looked confused and I looked positively doubtful. I was shaking my head and waving my hands at her. Helmsman? Me? Steer a ship? I couldn't! I wouldn't! I –

"Oh, yeah!" he said and turned back to me, "YOU WILL STEER OUR SHIP!"

Everything went silent. I felt my eyebrows rise to new heights. Seriously? He must be crazy! He doesn't even know if I can do that job! Which I can't. He just learned my name a moment ago. Is his adamant decision because he found out who my family is? I'm not like them! Sure I've always wanted to be a famous pirate, but join the number two Rookie of the Grand Line's crew? I mean, I suppose when I thought of joining Whitebeard Pirates it was quite a bit more substantial than this, but after all this kid has done, I don't think I could be apart of such an infamous crew! I'm not infamous! I'm a waitress!

"No. You need someone else to do that. Seriously, I don't even know how to steer a ship," I stiffened and turned away from them. I leant down and picked up some broken glass Amaya had missed. Little did I know my two so called best friends were listening a smug look being shared between them.

I stopped my advance to the garbage can on the other side of the room. Oh no. I don't like that look.

That look always meant trouble.

When they look at each other like that it only means one thing.

"You're going to make me do something I don't want to do, again, aren't you?" I muttered pathetically.

They both laughed.

"Oh, don't worry Captain Luffy of the Straw Hats. She'll be joining your crew!" Cherie said sneakily.

"Ha ha! I know she is!" Luffy laughed.

Seriously? What kind attitude is that! He's so confident?

"Why do you think that, Cherie?" I asked.

Amaya spoke this time, "Where else do you have to go?"

"Uh, home?" I tried.

Cherie and Amaya laughed darkly. What are they up to?

"What home? You mean me and Amaya's apartment? Oh you're not welcome there anymore." Cherie spoke. A defiant look on her face told me she was serious.

"What did I do this time?" I squeaked.

"This time?" The rag-tag bunch questioned behind me.

"Oh, it has to do with the fact that you're kind of an idiot for backing down on your dreams so easily even though the reason is pretty stupid. Not to mention your idiotic belief system that continuously tells yourself you are worthless –which you are by every means of the word – that brings us to the decision to have you evicted," Cherie finished with a harsh note.

I collapsed to the floor or my hands and knees, "So, we've established I'm stupid and worthless. You are a great motivator." I spoke in a quiet voice.

"What Cherie is trying to say, Tania, is that it won't help you to stay here. You can't give up on your dream. You want to be a famous pirate, yes, but what's more important than that? What was the other promise you made them that day?"

I could recall that second promise. That silly ideal I had when my brother had left eight years ago. My eleven year old self had shouted something to all of them.

"What was it, Tania?" Cherie pushed. She crossed her arms over her chest and waited.

I had so much faith in myself when I was eleven. I was a conceited little brat that always picked fights with the guys at school. I'd get the crap beaten out of me and laugh about it later. What happened to me? What had happened that made me feel so pathetic at all times. I swallowed a hard lump in the back of my throat.

Looking up from my knelt position I looked up at a hole in the ceiling. The sun was shining through the clouds for the first time in a few weeks. Another epic announcement, this time under the sunlight.

"I'm going to be more famous than all of them combined. That was my promise I made to them!" I said in a steady voice.

Each Straw Hat looked at me with new eyes. Luffy had a smirk on his face and a few of them laughed a bit as they smiled. Old Lady Kana looked pleased as did my best friends who aren't really the best now because they threw me out of my own house, but that wasn't the point.

The sun disappeared behind another cloud and my shoulders, like they had many times, slumped forward. "But how can I be more famous than them? Osamu has eight years of experience! I got nothing!"

"I wouldn't say that!" Old Lady Kana interrupted, "You don't know this, but Bombman Baron was an undercover Marine Rear Admiral!"

I shot straight up, "Huh? I mean that is shocking news, but how is that going to do anything?"

"The Marines made you guilty by association six months ago. Vane Tania was family to three infamous pirates with high bounties so they wanted to take you out, figuring you might one day become a threat or maybe it was to provoke your family, I'm not that sure. When they found out you were still alive Bombman was sent back here to take care of you. Again, you will be guilty by association because the Straw Hats fought them for you! No doubt they recognized them. Then you revealed your ability! By next week, I will no doubt be seeing your face on a bounty poster!" Old Lady Kana explained.

"H-how do you figure that?" I spluttered. My face was met with a bottle of Dark Rum this time. "S-stop that!"

"Idiot! You know I'm a retired Marine Captain! I know these things!" She shouted, "Besides, one of the 'pirates' snapped a photo of you crouched on the door step. Now why would a pirate need a photo of you?"

"Um, maybe they collect victim photos in an album? I'm sure some pirates like scrapbooking…" Surprisingly, I got an empty Whiskey bottle this time.

"Scrapbooking pirates…" She muttered.

Nami was looking at a small log pose on her wrist and tapped it a few times and stood up holding out her hands, "Okay, so what is going on? Tania? Are you joining us or not?"

I looked towards her. Cuts on my face were stinging, but healing quickly.

"Our log pose has set, we can move on now and we've wasted precious time when we needed to be collecting supplies. The next island is a while away from here so I want to set out as quickly as possible. So?" She explained, standing contrapposto.

Luffy smiled when he looked at my face. I suppose my defeated look meant that yes I'd be going – which it did – because he started to laugh. "Yeah, she's coming!"

"Good, Everyone gathers what we need, Tania, you probably want to grab some things from home. You should probably go now. We'll be leaving in two hours. Meet you at the docks!" She started to walk out the many holes in the wall as she cast a wave in my general direction.

I was nearly bombarded by 'Black Legs' Sanji, he had tried to run towards me, hearts in his eyes yelling something like: "Welcome to the crew Tania-chwan~!"

I wasn't sure because Zoro dragged him out the door.

I looked at my hands and didn't realize they had clenched into fists. "Ah. Yes, Welcome."

Author's Note: I know you all must be thinking, "Wow, that was a quick decision." but to say Luffy is a careful thinker and doesn't make rash decisions about people around him would make him OOC I think. Besides, this works for my mini plot I'm fitting in before Sabaody. I need her to have small interaction with people so she can find where she really fits in with the crew.

As for Kana, yes, she is a retired Marine Captain who owns a Pub on the Grand Line that is frequented by Pirates and she has no qualms with them. She wasn't a Marine that believed in the Absolute Justice thing.

Why no love for Zoro yet? She isn't the 'love-at-first-sight' kind of girl. She needs to get to know him first, yeah? :)

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know it came really quickly after the intro, but I just needed to see how well my Summary worked. 50 visits, 3 favourites and 2 alerts already. Sounds like I did a good job! :) Don't expect the next chapter tomorrow. Releases are not on a regular schedule and will only be determined by flow of writing. :)