Hello my fantastically patient loves, I swear I haven't forgotten about my story. I have piles of notes stashed all over on things i'd like to happen in this story but until I can get them sorted I give you another chopped up chapter (since this one is going on for longer than I planned). The second half of this day will be in the following chapter and hopefully I can mange a bit more revealing stuff about our charming leading lady but for now please enjoy this update :)

The day finally arrived, to many of them it seemed to happen much quicker than any of them expected and for Coracias it was a sight. She peeked out from the common area to watch the last two warlords as they made their way down the hallway. Law had told her that the large man with no expression had been here all along but he was some sort of robot or something and didn't need to stay with the other warlords. She stared at him with scrutinizing eyes but couldn't see what made him a machine… he just looked like a very sad man.

Then there was the snake lady, she was beautiful but she didn't seem nice at all… but Law said she was one of the only warlords that could be trusted. He told her a little about some big fight that happened between the pirates and marines but there wasn't enough time for him to get into details. The woman was the last to arrive and from the moment her ship made port all the marines were rushing about to get things ready. Even Tucker didn't stick around very long this morning…

"Cora-ya."

His voice startled her a little as she looked behind her, he was fully dressed complete with coat and katana which she knew meant he was ready to leave. The scary faced clown had left earlier along with Dracule, both were dressed with all their gear and she even looked inside Dra-kun's room. It had been rearranged like it was and his books were missing, to her that meant once this meeting was over then they would all be on their way… which made her kind of sad. There were so many things she wanted to see here before they left…

"You're still standing in the doorway." He said with an aggravated tone, he was already running late and her standing there moping about wasn't helping matters. "The sooner I get this over with than the sooner we can get out of here." He didn't like that he had yet to see that man… if they were starting this meeting then everyone had to be here… so where was Doflamingo…

She gave a pout as she stepped aside. 'Are you sure I can't come along?' She signed with pleading eyes, the idea of waiting here alone wasn't a pleasant one.

"I'm sure." He ignored admonishing her for not using her notebook, he really had to get going. "I'd rather you be on the sub waiting for me but I don't have time to walk you back to the docks so please just wait here." He pushed by her without another word, if he didn't then she'd stand there arguing with him for hours.

With a frown she watched him go down the hall and disappear around a corner, leaving her alone to 'stay out of trouble'… she at least wished that Tucker was here so she could see more of the base before they had to leave. Since she really had nothing better to do she went back to the piano that she had to leave behind, just another thing that made her hate today… granted, it would be nice to see Bepo again. He did worry a lot when they were away from the sub, the whole crew did. She could just imagine their smiles when they come walking up the dock… as much as she wanted to explore this place more she realized she missed the crew…

Her fingers pressed down on the keys as she began to string a melody together, it was light and playful. She needed a song to lift her spirits, even if just a little.

Her music played on for a while and she found herself lost in the art of continuing the melody without repeating segments, part of her wished she had a way to record this… hm? Her hands slowed to a stop as she felt… something. It was almost as if… she wasn't as alone as she thought. She turned and looked around the room but it was just as empty as it was when Law left… no…. the more she strained to concentrate the more she… felt someone else. Her brow furrowed into confusion as she stood and searched around the room, even opening the doors to the rooms one by one but finding them just as empty as the common area. Perhaps she really was just imagining things… then she heard a sound.

Once again, she began opening doors until she came to the room that Doffy had been in and she noticed something off, his window was left open and the sound she heard was the outside world seeping in. With curiosity, she went to the window and leaned out, looking down she could see specks of people moving about but not much else. She had never realized they were this high up before…

"Fufufufufu…"

Brown eyes got wide as she heard the familiar laugh, she turned around but again there was no one. The room was completely empty save for herself…

"Turn around little dove."

She jumped a little and spun around to see him sitting in the window, how did he get there? She was just looking out moments ago, he was nowhere to be seen. Her hands went to her notebook, thankful to have it with her this time as she jotted down her question hurriedly. 'How did you do that?'

He smiled that wide smile of his, he was curious as to how she knew he was out there but it seemed she didn't know who she had been looking for. "You never looked up, little dove." He waved her over as he chuckled again. She was interesting indeed, he had planned to go to that silly meeting but he still did not like the idea of seeing Law face to face just yet. It had been many years of them playing cat and mouse, he wasn't ready to end the game.

She went to him with the puzzled look never leaving her face. She didn't 'look up'… so he was above her? On a balcony maybe? 'Why aren't you at the meeting?' She asked as she came to a stop just in front of him, she thought it was important that everyone be there so why wasn't he?

With a smirk he placed a large hand on her head and pulled her in closer as his other hand reached for a black DenDen mushi. "I didn't think it was fair to leave you out." He lied. He still planned on listening in on the meeting but didn't expect to be found by the curious little girl. "Do you know what this is?" He positioned her so she stood between his legs, back facing him as he wrapped his arms around her and held up the little snail for her to see.

Her cheeks were burning, it was warm in his arms but it felt so strange standing like this with his face so close to her ear. She could feel his breath against her cheek as he talked and his body pressed against hers… it was so embarrassing but at least Law wasn't here to see this. Oh, he would be so mad. She shifted her focus to the little snail he held in front of her, trying her best to ignore his engulfing position. She had seen these snails before on the sub but never just a small little black one. She shook her head and held up the notepad for him to read 'Is it a special snail?'.

"Oh yes, this little one will let us hear everything that's going on in the meeting. As if we were there ourselves." With another chuckle he turned it on, he could only imagine the first thing that will be up for discussion.

"Where the hell is Doflamingo!" Akainu growled through clenched teeth. He had been the first of the Warlords to arrive and had been curiously staying under the radar the entire time but now he had the audacity to not even show up to the damn gathering!

Law tapped his finger idly against the table with a frown, he wasn't wanting to see that man face to face just yet but even he found it odd that he didn't show up considering he figured Joker would be dying to confront him after so long.

"He's always done as he pleased." Tsuru said with a sigh, it was aggravating but even they had their hands tied when it came to dealing with a member of the celestial dragons. Former or not. "We can't waste any more time than what we already have." Nearly twenty minutes had passed since they all gathered and still he hadn't shown up so she doubted he would at all.

"Why did you summon us here." Boa said with a huff as she crossed her arms, she did not like being threatened from her home by loss of her Shichibukai status should she refuse to attend and she liked it even less that she was being made to wait. "My time is much more valuable than any of you." Especially since this meeting was taking her away from her beloved Luffy.

"Quiet." Akainu shot her a glare as he folded his arms, he hated giving in to that pompous ass but they really didn't have the time to waste, it was bad enough it took this long to gather everyone. "You're being called on like the good government dogs you are…" He smirked a little as the snake princess and Law stiffened at their less than glorious title. "To search out and eradicate a particular pirate group."

Law tapped his fingers against the table with a frown, he was no assassin and while he didn't have any particular issue with dismantling a man or… more. He had no taste for outright murder. "And why is it that the World Government can't handle a little pirate uprising, you're no stranger to genocide…" The glowering scowl that adorned the Fleet Admiral's face made him smirk a little, see Akainu? He can be just as good at pissing people off. "Or has your run ins with that Mugiwara boy made the Navy scared of pirates again."

"Careful Trafalgar." Tsuru warned him. She knew he was purposely trying to goad Akainu into losing his temper, for whatever suicidal reason he had. "It hasn't been forgotten that you helped Monkey D. Luffy escape from the War of the Best." She shot Boa a sideways glance. "We haven't forgotten any of the actions taken that day." She shifted her eyes to Akainu, praying that he remains calm. The last thing they needed was for a fight to break out here and have even more issues to deal with. "Besides, Trafalgar, this particular pirate crew should interest you."

The younger man's face remained stoic but there was a part of him that was a little intrigued, if not disturbed by the unnerving look the old woman was giving him. "And why would I care about a pirate group I've never met?"

"Considering you're the one that cleaned up their last mess." Akainu tossed a folder onto the table, its contents spilling out along the hard wood to scatter in front of all the warlords. "The island where you found the girl was their doing." Even he was surprised to learn of such a coincidence, was it providence that the girl would be brought to them just as they were to take action against these particular pirates?

Law eyed the pictures and reports that were spread out, it indeed was the island he found Cora on but he couldn't find any evidence of pirates when he was there. There were only a few survivors but after his crew helped to patch them up they left, the fact that Cora wandered onto his ship was a complete fluke as well so there was nothing he found predominantly important.

"This still does not explain why we are needed to deal with a band of unruly children." Dracule had begun reading a report that slid close to him, his attention diverting from the paper long enough to ask his question before he continued reading. The incident he was looking at was old, from many years ago on some small island in the west blue. Many of the islanders were killed but by some miracle there was another pirate group already on the island that fought the invaders off… what he found disturbing though was, according to the current report he had been reading, these pirates were after only women.

"For that matter, These attacks have happened all over the world." Boa said with a sigh as she lazily eyed a paper, everyone she had picked up was from a different part of the world. The south blue, the grand line, the new world. It seemed there was no place that had gone untouched by these marauding brigands. "Why do you suddenly care now?" She tossed the paper away in boredom, not particularly interested in any of this any more than when it was first brought up.

Law was still not convinced that any of this should matter to him, just because these people happened to attack the in the slightest."

Tsuru crossed her arms as she gave him yet another stern look. "It matters because these pirates have only one constant to their action, they have attacked the wealthy and poor and hit islands in all the oceans with no seeming direction but all have them same result."

After a moment of silence Law decided to take her bait, he didn't want to seem interested but he had to admit that curiosity was getting the better of him. "And that would be?"

"No survivors." Akainu said plainly. "They attack an island like a swarm and wipe out everyone, starting with the males. The women and girls are rounded up and killed last, the lucky ones are murdered quickly."

Boa could not help but feel the hairs on the back of her neck bristle at the Admirals insinuating words. "If these people leave no survivors like you say then how do you even know they exist?"

"Balabala Island…" Dracule spoke as he set down the report he had been reading as the others prattled on. "The only time there had ever been survivors and only by sheer luck."

Tsuru gave a nod, at least somebody was paying attention to the papers in front of them. "Yes, that island fought off an encounter with the pirate group and suffered many losses. The owner of that island has since worked with us to keep an eye on these pirates and track their movements. It's thanks to him we have as much information as we do."

"So…" Law mulled the information over for a moment. "You think I should be interested in this because Cora survived their attack… so she might have information about these… renegades." He didn't want to call them pirates, it almost made him feel like he was insulting himself. "And you want any information she might have."

"That's the general idea." Akainu gave the boy another glare, he wasn't amused by his smartass attitude in the least.

The younger man couldn't help but smirk as he leaned forward with an entertained look on his face. "I'd love to see how you plan to get that kind of information from someone with amnesia."

Surprisingly the Fleet Admiral just grinned. "That's good to know because I have no issues with keeping the girl here till we do find out what she knows."

She listened intently, never did she think that she would become a topic of discussion for Warlords and Marines. She still couldn't understand what they were arguing about as the little black snail tried to keep up with the voices now yelling at each other but it was obvious that neither man had intention of backing down.

She wished she could be of use to them, she wanted to be able to run into that room with all the answers they would need to stop those terrible people but try as she did all that came from her struggling to remember was a dull aching that was gradually growing in her head.

Doflamingo had a displeased expression as he listened to the bickering, even he hadn't heard about these particular pirates but he knew he'd have better luck gathering information about them on his own… still, for anything in this world to go unnoticed by him was impressive. Growing tired of the arguing he turned off the snail and shoved it back into his pocket, he'd always be able to get a full report later. What interested him currently was the girl in front of him gripping her head. "What's the matter, Little Dove, not what you wanted to hear?" his teasing caused his smile to return but it only lasted a moment when he realized the girl was trembling. "Cora?" He spoke her name quizzically, she seemed like she was really in pain. Did something that was said do this… it was then that he remembered what Law just said, the girl had amnesia…. She was a perfect blank slate, just ready to be molded.

She gritted her teeth as the dull pain became a piercing throb, flashes of images hit her but nothing remained long enough to focus on it. He senses reacted; the smell of smoke, the sound of screams and the taste of blood in her mouth. Then there was nothing but a shrill cry that worked its way up into a resounding echo in her mind, a memory of sound so vivid it made her teeth ache. What was this? What was she trying to remember?

A Hand on her head slowly drew her back into the quiet room, the warmth around her and the stillness of where she was. She turned a little and looked into the face of the man that had been quietly watching her, he was not smiling like he usually was. Instead he seemed genuinely concerned. 'I'm sorry…' she mouthed the words as she looked away, embarrassed by her little episode.

He simply stroked her hair. "You don't have to apologize, Little Dove." His thumb brushed away a tear that was building in the corner of her eye, he saw another tear threatening to escape from her other eye and he grinned as he pressed his lips to the side of her face, the salty taste touching his tongue. "But I can't stand to see you cry, so let's not have any of that."

His action caused her to freeze, his face was so close to hers again. He was so affectionate and she didn't know how to react. Usually it was her acting like this… did she make Akainu and Law feel this strange when she did it to them? Is that why they always pulled away?

The way she reacted to him continued to be amusing, such an innocent thing. "I think you need some fresh air." His smile didn't fade as he stood up, moving her back a little as he towered above her. She was such a small little thing compared to him and so frail looking… how easy it would be to control her and make her do what he wanted but that wouldn't be any fun. There'd be no challenge and most of all he wanted her to come to him of her own free will, it wouldn't crush Law nearly as much if she didn't.

His movement confused her as she took a step back and reached for her notebook. 'Law doesn't want me wandering around by myself, he'll get upset.' She chewed on her lip a little, from what she heard he was going to be in a bad enough mode without her getting into trouble.

"Shhhh…" He hushed her as he took the notebook from her and laid it on the bed. "You'll be with me so you won't be alone." In a swift movement, he lifted her up into his arms and cradled her body carefully. "I promise, I'll keep you safe."

Her eyes widened as she was lifted up, held against him she could feel his heart beat was strong and steady… he was so strange compared to the others but… she believed him. With a deep breath she nodded her head, she wanted to get away from this area… just for a little bit.

He chuckled as he placed his lips to the top of her head again, smelling the scent of her hair and grinning that wide grin of his. "I'm going to show you something I bet you've never experienced before." He turned around and stepped up into the open window, his arms holding her tighter as he chuckled. This was going to be fun.

And with that he stepped out into the open air, laughing at the wide-eyed look on her face.

Dracule sat quietly, the others were still bickering. The clown was making a fanfare out of being an utter blowhard in regards to pirates while the Red Dog and the boy continued their arguing about the girl. The only ones not adding to the chaos was himself, the pacifista and, surprisingly, the snake princess… but it seems he spoke too soon as he saw her rising from her seat.

"I'm done with this nonsense!" Boa spoke sternly. "I did not get dragged from my home to listen to you men bicker over a girl who is not even present. If you want these rogues dealt with then I will assist as is my duty as a shichibukai but I will not stand to continue wasting my time here!"

Her voice caused the others to pause, apparently, they had forgotten there were others in the room and Dracule couldn't help but smirk. "I agree, unless you plan to bring the girl to this meeting I don't see the point in continuing to listen to the bickering's of you two. At this point we are merely wasting time." Although, concerning the girl there was something that was bothering him… but he'd deal with it on his own.

Akainu gave a grumble as he stuck a cigar in his mouth and lit it, annoyed at himself for getting into a pissing match with a stubborn boy. "The rest of you can leave." He eyed Law with a stern look, he was done messing around with him. "Bring the girl here."

Law tensed, he didn't like this. They were supposed to leave after this meeting was done but it seemed like they had no intention of letting her go… and he'd be damned if he left her here. "I'll go get her but you're not keeping her." He locked eyes with the taller man, not backing down in his decision. "When I leave, Cora comes with me." With that he turned and stormed out of the room, still debating on if he was really going to bring her back or not… he could just grab her and leave but that would most likely mean throwing away his title of warlord… and he wasn't sure if he could even do that yet. Damnit.

The room cleared out quickly, soon leaving only the Fleet Admiral and Tsuru standing quietly. The older woman eyeing the man with a frown, it was strange seeing him getting into a spat like that. "What are you doing Akainu? Is it really that important to involve the girl like this?"

He gave a grunt in response. "I've said since the beginning that we would step in if it's found the girl would be better off not in the care of pirates."

The woman's frown did not leave her face as she crossed her arms. "Is that really all it is, Fleet Admiral Sakazuki." She spoke his full title to remind him of his position, as if he could ever forget, and left the subject alone. Turning away from him and the low growl he was producing as she took her leave as well, this girl had unknowingly been causing ripples to form and rumors began spreading like wildfire around the base. She had done her best to quell them before they reached Akainu but it was only a matter of time now. The man also was not helping himself, being seen holding the young woman in his arms or talks of their meal time rendezvous. For a man like him to be seen in such situations with a girl brought here by Trafalgar of all people was a scandal waiting to happen.

Sakazuki listened to the sound of the door closing once again and let out a sigh when he knew he was alone. What was he doing… he could stick to his story of keeping Cora out of the hands of pirates as much as he liked but even he was having trouble convincing himself of it now. He found spending time with the girl to be… pleasurable. She never showed him fear and she never tried to lie to him, everything she did was genuine and it was… refreshing to be around someone like that but for how much longer could he pretend to look past the most obvious fact. That this… childish interest she may have in him is not something that would last, she wasn't even half is age… how could he expect a girl… a young woman like that to find his company that fulfilling for long…

Law continued to grumble to himself as he walked back to the common area, he figured that damn Admiral might try something like this from how he had been spending time with her but what the hell was his motives? Cora really didn't have anything to offer… she was just a simple girl… maybe, maybe that's all it has to be about.

The thought made his stomach lurch, could that old bastard really only want Cora… for her body? Even he was having trouble believing a man like Akainu would act like that but… considering everything that has been happening… hell, it could've even been Cora that made him feel like he had a chance. She was also so damn touchy and sweet, someone who wasn't used to her could've thought she was flirting…assuming she wasn't actually attracted to him… no. He shook his head vigorously to get that thought right back out of his mind.

He reached the common area in little time, his fuming made him walk faster and he couldn't deny he wanted to get this over with quickly. "Cora!" He called out as he opened the door and looked around, he half expected her to be playing the piano but it was silent and there were no signs of her… the room perhaps? Once again he opened a door and called out her name but she was nowhere to be found in the small room they had been sharing… damn it Cora, of all the times you could choose to not listen and go wandering around on your own… hm?

A sound drew his attention as he walked back into the main area and his eyes traveled to one of the room doors that had been left open. He didn't remember anyone being in that room… as he inspected the room he saw it was a breeze from the open window that was stirring the pages of a notebook that had been left behind… no, not just any notebook. It was Cora's! He snatched it up and eyed the pages, she wouldn't have left without this. He eyed a few new comments on the first page, she had to have been talking to someone but who would be here with her… "Joker."

He said the name out loud, it was the first option that came to mind and the only one that made any sense. She wouldn't have left her notebook if she left with that Marine boy or Kizaru and Joker was the only one who hadn't shown for the meeting… but why, why would he want Cora.

Law smacked his own face at how obvious that answer would be, he'd try to use her to get to him… damn it all, he should have never let her stay here with him. He knew how Doflamingo thought, the irony of taking Cora away from him like how he took Cora-san would be too good to pass up… like hell he'd let that happen. Warlord status be damned, he'd never let Doflamingo take her from him.

He had to find her.

To Be Continued...

I hope you liked it and as always I appreciate reviews!