And I'm back, everyone! It was a long time coming, I apologize for that.

I have rather mixed feelings about this chapter—I won't go deep into it but you know it gave me a hard time. As always, any thoughts are appreciated.

Special thanks to Spellcaster Hikaru for beta-ing! I appreciate you taking the time out of your schedule to do so. Thanks also goes to those who have reviewed, alerted, favorited, what have you. You guys are really great. I mean, like, nearly fifty reviews! I'm nearly beside myself with glee! ;A; I am so moved.

So go on and read it, I won't keep y'all!

Hanley

Chapter Seven: Hanley's Strange Love, Or How She Learned to Stop Worrying and Love One Piece

**********

Roronoa Zoro

Honestly, Zoro really had very little idea where his love for swords and swordsmanship came from. His resolve had strengthened when he made his promise with Kuina, true, but he wanted to be the best even before he happened upon their dojo in Shimotsuki all those years ago.

Roronoa Zoro was all of three years old when he realized his mother was worse than useless—she had spent all of her time drinking and was too weak to hold it very well. His father was a little better, at least in the sense that the man was completely sober the one time he came home. There was definitely no love lost between his parents, and his father had only hung around long enough to verify that, yes, Zoro was indeed his son...right before he headed off to who knows where.

However, that man's image remained sharp in Zoro's memory no matter how many years had passed, when even his mother's face had faded around the edges. His father had been a swordsman—his name was Diego and had had some fame—and perhaps that's where it all started. Their absence had left him free to travel at any rate, so it was probably for the best.

Nowadays, Zoro found himself thinking about the past a lot. It wasn't really like him; after all, it was done and over with and nothing he did would bring it back anyway. All he could do was look ahead and work to achieve his goal, which took up enough of his time and energy without complicating his life with flashbacks. However, as he suddenly found himself with a great deal of time on his hands, there wasn't much to do but think and sleep.

And even he couldn't sleep all the damn time.

The days felt incredibly long, and so far he had spent, what, eight, nine days baking out here in the sun? The Marines were "kind" enough to give him water whenever they thought of it, which was good news for him; otherwise, under this intense heat, he would have dehydrated long before he served his sentence. No food, though, that was the deal.

Zoro sighed and rolled his neck in a futile attempt to relieve the ache. He could practically feel his muscles begin to atrophy stretching his arms was impossible as the ropes had next to no give. While he half-hoped someone would have the balls (or be stupid enough, either was fine) to let him out, Zoro wasn't going to hold his breath over it.

He raised his head at the sound of footsteps approaching, but quickly rolled his eyes and sighed when he saw his visitor.

"And how are we doing this morning? You look a little hungry." And here was the reason for his imprisonment: Helmeppo, the weak, snivelling, bastard son of Lieutenant Morgan. He looked particularly smug today, with two Marine guards for protection and a plateful of food. Zoro's stomach clenched at the sight, and it pissed him off enough to make him growl and lunge angrily.

Helmeppo nearly knocked over one of his guards when he leaped backward; Zoro couldn't help but grin at the sight.

"Actually, I'm just fine. I'm not hungry at all."

An obvious bluff as anyone would be starving after nine days, but with his reputation the intimidation worked well. Both the Marines and Helmeppo looked put off by his attitude, and the three of them were quick to leave, with Helmeppo throwing some threats back at him as he left the courtyard.

Zoro had long tuned him out.

'Little bastard is hardly worth my time,' he thought sleepily, yawning as the heat made him sluggish, 'no good deed goes unpunished, huh? How true.' Zoro could faintly hear some Marines off in the distance, but it was quiet for the most part. He stretched his legs out and resumed dozing off, having little else to do but conserve his strength for the future.

The sun was now directly overhead the next time Zoro opened his eyes. He had a migraine and was practically drenched in sweat.

'This is so damn stupid. When I get out of here I'm going to wring that bastard's neck.'

Maybe he'll have better luck today.

**********

Hanley

The ship was cramped, there was next to no privacy, and neither Hanley nor Luffy knew where exactly they were going. Despite this, Hanley found herself having the time of her life. She had never really understood Ace's and Luffy's love for the unknown, but now, at least, Hanley thought she could relate a little bit.

By the time night fell, they hadn't gone very far at all. The wind was practically nonexistent, and when it did blow, it came from the west—preventing them from sailing in the direction they wanted. Still, the first night had passed uneventfully, although they didn't get much sleep, and when nothing adverse happened the following morning Hanley found herself relaxing. She gave up early on making Luffy plan ahead, so she was carefully looking at the amount of money they had and making plans on acquiring a ship and navigator first thing. Hanley didn't care what Luffy said, it'd mean nothing if they couldn't even find the Grand Line. So far, there was nothing to be afraid of, and it looked to be smooth sailing for now.

She should have known better. After ten years she really should have known better.

"I can't believe this is happening, I can't believe you let this happen," Hanley said with surprising calmness as she continued squeezing Luffy's neck. He was beginning to turn blue from the lack of oxygen, but at this point she had a hard time caring, "I leave you alone for fifteen minutes so I can get some sleep, and what happens? Hm? Can you tell me? Well, no, I guess you can't. Somehow, you sailed us right into a giant whirlpool. Now, I'm allowed to get a little irritated with you, aren't I?"

Hanley gave him a shake before she finally released his neck and settled for glaring at him. Luffy quickly recovered and pouted at her. Normally, that look alone would have prompted instant forgiveness, but even she had her limits.

"So I got a little careless."

Hanley growled. "Idiot, this is beyond careless! What are we supposed to do now??"

"Hm...can you swim us out?"

Hanley gave him a look. 'Why do I even ask for your opinion?'

"If it were just me, most likely. But you forget, I'd be dragging your ass as well! Who knows how long it'd take—you'd be dead by then!"

"Oh! Yeah, probably!" came the far, FAR too cheerful reply. Hanley had to physically keep herself from strangling him again.

'Oh god, we've only been out here for, what, a day! I know I was asking for deliverance, but really? Really??'

Hanley looked around, becoming increasingly desperate as their boat was drawn in deeper into the maelstrom. She could manage to survive by herself—of that she was confident. Even if she wasn't able to escape the powerful current, her ability to stay underwater for long periods of time meant that she could probably ride it out. But that left Luffy. Hanley wasn't willing to risk her getting him out before he drowned. She would have to somehow keep a hold of him, swim, and try to stay above water while fighting against the downdraft. It simply wasn't going to happen.

'Can I throw him out? I could, but I don't know if I could get to him in time. Shit! Shit, shit, shit!'

Luffy, of course, looked amazingly relaxed for someone who was seconds away from dying.

"Who'd have thought our journey would already end in disaster--"

"Fuck, Hanuman! You are impossible!" An idea crossed her mind when Hanley spotted the barrel. If she put him in there, maybe he'll survive. She didn't know if it would work (she just hoped it was sturdier than it looked), but they only had a few seconds left before the boat capsized from the powerful current. Hanley all but threw herself at it, ripped off the lid, and dumped the contents overboard. Hanley grabbed Luffy by the neck and stuffed him inside. "Get in and stay in until things go quiet, okay?"

"Good idea, but what about you?"

"I can get out, don't worry. Just stay in here and survive," she said as she squeezed her bag in there with him, "and make sure nothing happens to my stuff. My ring and Master Thai's Jizo are in there. You take care of it, understand?"

"Yeah, got it! See you later!"

'If we can find each other again, sure.' Hanley put the lid back on and secured it. Just in time, as the water of the maelstrom became too turbulent and the ship was completely swallowed.

Hanley managed to hang onto the barrel for all of three seconds, but the current made it impossible to keep track of it. Instead, she focused on trying to keep her body stabilized. The pressure was intense and it was extremely difficult keeping her bearings.

The maelstrom seemed to go on forever, and it wasn't until a long time later that the pressure equalized to the point where she could swim free. She was dizzy, cold, and her sandals were gone. Hanley pushed her irritation aside and took a few moments to deal with her nausea and get reoriented.

'I was right, the whirlpool lasted a lot longer than I thought it would...he'd have drowned if I tried to swim us out.' Not to mention the fact she had been rendered helpless underwater did not sit well with her at all. Hanley hadn't done much training in the ocean. There was little point in pushing herself when she was already faster than any human swimmer, and she ended up relying too heavily on her natural talents. Now, it was clear talent alone wasn't enough; she was going to have get much stronger if she wanted to be useful out here.

'Lesson painfully learned, but now what?'

Hanley was far deeper than she was used to, but her body seemed to handle it well enough. In any case, for now, she had to find Luffy. The maelstrom looked more destructive than it really was, so the barrel should have held. Her problem now was to figure out where the current could have carried it.

Hanley made a wide circle around the giant whirlpool. The area was pretty abnormal; from what she could tell, there were three powerful currents that flowed through here. It was no wonder a whirlpool formed where they met.

'I've already lost him. Dammit!' Wherever she ultimately decided to go, she'll have to stick with it and hope for the best. After several minutes of indecision, Hanley finally decided to continue west. If she remembered correctly, there was a large town on another island that way. She didn't remember the exact details, and their map was lost with the boat. Still, she might get lucky.

Hanley never had to swim long distances before, so the journey ended up being a test of her endurance. She was just worried she might miss her destination; Ace attempted to teach her navigation, but it really was a lost cause.

Even at her fastest speeds, it was still a good hour before she reached an inhabited island. Once Hanley surfaced she knew, immediately, she did not like where she ended up.

'Marines...damn.'

The Marine base was the most prominent feature in the town, walled off and standing tall above the other buildings. Hanley had never seen one before, but it really wasn't like she expected. Instead of a series of neat, square buildings, the base had two tall, cylindrical structures covered in stripes at the forefront with the Marine logo displayed on the main building. They were flanked by a several rectangular buildings with a multitude of cannons facing both inland and out to sea.

'A seagull? Really? I hate those fuckers.' Hanley gave a hiss and slowly approached a pier. She really, really hoped Luffy wasn't here. If he was, hopefully he'd have the good sense not to cause trouble--

'Ha! Luffy and good sense...I amuse myself.'

Hanley pulled herself out of the water and looked around, wondering where she should start. She was lost, all of her money was with Luffy, and the maelstrom had eaten her shoes. She was just fortunate it didn't take her shorts on top of that.

Several townspeople stared at her, and their gazes felt abnormally heavy on her exposed skin. She had been on her island for so long that she had somehow forgotten how odd her appearance would be to everyone else. They've probably never seen anything like her, and she wasn't being egotistical or self-centered in thinking that way. But for now, Hanley ignored them as best she could. She had other, far more important things to think about.

The town itself was largely nondescript and smaller than Green Harbor, excluding the area the Marine Base occupied. It was really very quaint, overall, and pleasant looking, with small to medium sized townhouses and a couple of larger buildings along the main thoroughfare; although, the dirt road was quickly proving annoying to her wet, bare feet.

One thing, however, was abundantly clear: something was wrong with this town. It wasn't anything that leaped out at you, but Hanley could tell that something was off. Master Thai had pretty much beaten it into her skull that she would be well served to be aware of her surroundings. His hellish training really helped here, as it soon became apparent that everyone looked nervous, as if they were watching every action they took to prevent the slightest misstep. The atmosphere itself felt horribly oppressive.

"Fantastic," Hanley muttered as she continued up the dirt lane. She had decided to make one circuit around the village, but Hanley had a feeling it would be for nothing. Luffy was nowhere to be seen, she had checked the restaurant and tavern first thing, and seeing how quiet it was, it was doubtful he was here at all.

"What am I supposed to do, now? Should I stay and hope Hanuman comes by?" It might be best to stay put for a while; Luffy wasn't the type to remain in one place, so she would just have to hope they ran into each other. Shit, and this could have been avoided if he paid attention.

'I need to look for another crew member, there is no way I can keep us out of trouble by myself...then again, I'm not even sure an entire crew can keep Luffy out of trouble, but it's a start.'

Hanley had reached the base at this point. There was a notice pasted on the wall, matching the ones scattered about the town.

"Shell Town Marine Base. Commanded by Lieutenant Morgan..." The Marine Base was far uglier up close than it was in the distance, which was impressive considering the shape and color scheme of the buildings. The brick wall was tall, even by her standards, with thick, iron doors to keep out trespassers. For all its fortifications, however, it didn't look very active.

Hanley walked around to the side and jumped onto the wall. She should take a look around, just in case. Better to have some idea of what to expect than none.

'Still, where are all the damn marines? There were a couple stationed in town, but this is a base, right? I guess they're doing something—oh hell, who is that?'

At first glance Hanley wasn't that sure if he was even alive. He hung limply in his bindings, baking in the intense heat from the noonday sun. She could see the blood staining his shirt from here, and it looked as if the only thing holding him up was his bindings. His features were difficult to make out under the black bandanna, so she wasn't sure how old, or young, he was.

"What a scary looking guy," Hanley muttered. He gave off a monstrous aura that half reminded her of Master—her grandfather (it was still weird to think of Master Thai that way). "Wonder what he's here for. Oh well, better him than me." There was nothing else to note in the courtyard, so Hanley turned and made to jump back onto the ground.

"Hey..."

Hanley paused and looked over her shoulder. Guess he wasn't so dead after all. Hanley hesitated before turning to face him once more. She may be a "pirate" now, but she wasn't eager to completely throw caution out the window.

"What can I do for you?" she called, deciding to hear him out. The man gave a grin and lifted his head enough so their eyes could meet. Hanley could see he was actually pretty young, which surprised her a little.

"I don't suppose you could come over and untie me?"

Hanley frowned and spoke, "You're asking for quite a lot. That's a large risk on my part."

"Yeah, I know. That's why I'll repay you for your efforts."

Hanley chewed thoughtfully on her thumbnail. He certainly looked like he belonged in captivity; she had no idea if his imprisonment was deserved or not. If she was wrong, she'd be putting herself and a lot of people in danger. And pirate or not, she knew she probably shouldn't be releasing prisoners without any thought or care.

'But maybe I should hear him out. It'd be naïve to think there aren't any corrupt marines, and the way everyone back in town is walking on eggshells is worrying. We do need another crew member, and it would be hard to recruit someone who isn't already a criminal or willing to break the law; besides,' Hanley thought, quickly changing her mind, 'I can take him. I didn't spend ten years in hell to shrink back from a challenge.'

She touched her magatama, which didn't react to him at all. If nothing else, he wouldn't be dangerous to her.

"Can I get your name? What are you in for?" asked Hanley after several moments.

"That's surprising. From what I understand I have quite the reputation," he didn't sound as if he really cared about that, however, "but it's not very polite to ask a person's name and not give their own."

'What kind of guy talks this way to someone who's in a position to help him out? Jerk, like you really care about etiquette.'

"My name? It's A--" Hanley paused. After a moment, she came to a decision, "call me Krut Hanley."

"...Roronoa Zoro. People call me a pirate hunter."

That's no good for her cause. But if that's the case, why was someone that hunts pirates kept here? Well, this could only mean there would be no love lost between him and the Marines.

"Sorry, I'm not from here, Mr. Zoro. But you haven't answered my other question."

"It's not important, just a stupid matter. I made a deal that if I can last one month out here they'd let me go; but, I got things to do and if I can get out sooner, then that's even better."

'A month?? Who makes a dumbassed deal like that??'

"How long have you been out here?"

"Nine days."

'Oh. Actually, that's impressive. Nine days and he's still that energetic...and if he's skilled enough to have a reputation, Luffy would want this guy,' Hanley thought before sighing, 'I feel like I'm at the marketplace looking for a pet. Why don't I check his teeth as well?'

Zoro's voice broke her out of her thoughts. "If you're not going to let me out, then you had better go. Otherwise, I just might charge you for looking."

Hanley snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Well that's just criminal, Mr. Zoro! You're not much to look at." When his smile became wider, Hanley continued, "Tell you what: I might be more than happy to let you out." This could definitely be a good break for her. She and Luffy were separated, but that didn't mean she shouldn't keep an eye out for talented people. If anything, he would approve, she was sure.

"But?"

"Well, how do you plan on paying me back?"

"I could hunt down a fugitive and give you the reward. Trust me."

"Trust you? Hm...instead of that, join my crew."

"Crew? You a pirate?"

"Just started, but yes. Um, it's not really my crew, though. My captain's...out and about, right now. But it's just the two of us so far."

Zoro gave a snort and shook his head.

"Think not. I got something else I need to do first."

'Well, that's just unfortunate. Luffy needs a crew.' When she was forced to leave Fuschia, Hanley had decided that since she was a pirate anyway, she may as well do whatever it took—okay, within reason—to make Luffy successful. If Zoro turned out to be worth it, then good.

'If not—if he's bad news like the Marines seem to think he is, then I'll have to put him down.' Hanley's hands curled into fists at that thought. It made her feel a little uncomfortable, thinking that way, but Master Thai—Grandfather—had drilled that into her head. You could only afford to play nice if you had the strength to back it up. 'But only if he really, really deserves it and not before.'

"Just hold tight, I'm coming," Hanley called.

"I'm not going to become a pirate, woman!"

"Funny, I've said the same thing to my captain for nearly ten years, but here I am anyway."

"Tch! Don't decide things on your own!" But Hanley was already inside the large courtyard. His situation made precious little sense to her. Even if he was the awful monster they said he was, he hunted pirates. While rumors could be a potential source of information, Hanley had learned that it would be best to take them with a grain of salt. Gossip could be easily fabricated and exaggerated, and while he never said so outright, her grandfather had intimated the Marines weren't above doing either. As a matter of fact, Master Thai's dim view of the Marines in general is what really prompted her to give Zoro a chance. Add that to the general mood Shell Town was in, Hanley wanted to investigate a little more.

But first, she better get the man out before he got any worse or the Marines decided to renege on their "deal."

It was ridiculously easy to approach him. For someone so dangerous, she would have thought they'd put more security on him.

"Here I am. You must not be very important if you don't have any guards."

"Heh, there's no need for any guards. Anyone who helps me out will be executed."

"Oh that's just fine. You could have mentioned that earlier."

"It must have slipped my mind."

Hanley raised an eyebrow.

"We're going to have to do something about that faulty memory of yours. Well, that's fine. Once I untie you, consider yourself recruited."

"I told you--!!"

"It must have slipped my mind, I'm sorry. Besides, it's manpower I need right now, and it'll be a while until you find a fugitive and turn him in, right?" Hanley saw him hesitate, so she quickly pressed on, "You're not exactly in a position to pay me back here, are you? You'll have to come with us anyway."

Zoro fell silent, mulling it over. While he was thinking, Hanley made quick work of the ropes. He might not have anyone actively watching him, but that didn't mean she could take her time.

"Why don't you want to become a pirate?" Hanley asked as Zoro stood up straight and stretched. His eyes immediately went to the scales on her exposed arms and legs, but he refrained from saying anything. As far as Hanley was concerned, that was a point in his favor. Zoro rubbed his arms and scowled at her.

"I have no interest in becoming a bad guy. And like I said, I have something else to do."

"Hm...well, just because someone chooses to become a pirate, that doesn't make them bad. It's freedom, in its simplest form. A great pirate told me that, you know. He's a real nice guy."

"Freedom, huh? Just the same, don't think this means I'll be joining your crew. I'll come with you to get you your reward but nothing more."

"Geez, you're stubborn. Oh well, I don't have a ship so we can't leave right now, but I'll work on that."

"Hey, before that, I need to get my--"

"Oh! And I better carry you, you won't be able to keep up," Hanley said, grabbing him and quickly tossing him over her shoulder, not bothering to get his permission as she knew he wouldn't give it. Hanley couldn't see his face, but she could only imagine his expression from the way he was sputtering at her.

"W-Woman, wait--!!"

Hanley ignored him and gathered her energy into her legs.

"Hang on!" She took off at a run, clearing the brick wall in one jump. The moment her foot touched the ground she kicked off once more, dashing around the wall and ducking into a narrow alley behind a row of houses.

'Where to hide him, where to hide him...' Nothing obvious came to mind. From the way the town was set up, it was impossible to get to the small harbor without going on the main road, and the Marine Base itself controlled travel further inland. Forcing their way through was a possibility, but the idea of getting barraged by canon fire wasn't that appealing. The available routes were currently out of the question, so she skidded to a stop behind a small townhouse. Hanley briefly took a look around before she set Zoro on his feet. He staggered slightly, but quickly regained his balance and gave her a furious glare. Seeing as she spent a good decade getting looks from Master Thai—Grandfather, dammit—she cheerfully ignored it and looked him over.

"Are you insane??" he snapped, looking comical as opposed to intimidating. His bandanna was riding up in the back, and Hanley had to push back the urge to fix it for him.

'If I start treating him like Hanuman, this does not bode well for my sanity.' Hanley had no idea where she got it from.

Instead, she asked, "Are you okay?" The wounds didn't look too bad, and for someone who hasn't eaten for nine days, he looked pretty fit.

Zoro scowled at her and snapped, "This is just my luck—I get rescued by a crazy woman."

"You're lucky I'm crazy or you would have been left there to rot; you do know what they say about beggars, don't you? Besides, you weren't getting out of that alone."

Zoro shrugged, "I could have once I survived the month." Huh, that baseless confidence was pretty familiar as well. Hanley couldn't believe she managed to stumble upon such a guy. Maybe it was a sign. She placed a hand on her hip and lightly pushed his shoulder.

"Uh huh, I'm sure. And if you didn't survive? And if they suddenly decided you weren't worth the effort?"

"That bastard promised me--"

The both of them fell silent when the back door to the townhouse slowly opened. Hanley tensed and began reaching for Zoro's arm. She couldn't be seen with him right now; it would make her job far more difficult than it already was.

'I have totally lost my mind. But I couldn't exactly leave him, either.'

When a small, pigtailed girl poked her head out of the doorway, Hanley bit back a curse and tried to figure out how to deal with her. If she were smart, she would have taken off first thing. That moment cost her, though, as the girl glanced in their direction and did a very comical double-take.

'Oops, shit, maybe if I convince her to be quiet--'

"O-Oniisan! You're okay!" she cheered happily, dashing up to them. Hanley exhaled in relief and looked at Zoro.

"Oh, is she your sister?"
"No," he answered before turning his attention to the little girl, "you're that girl from before." She brightened when he seemed to remember her and bowed.

"My name's Rika. I'm so glad you're here! I was going to come see you!"

Zoro scowled at her. "You shouldn't have done that, kid." Her face fell as she looked at her feet. Hanley nudged Zoro in irritation.

"Hey now, she was worried about you!"

"And? I wouldn't put it past the Lieutenant to execute her if he found out about her visits."

That was disturbing. What sort of Marine was this man? Her magatama remained silent, which meant it was more and more likely that whatever Zoro did to get locked up in the first place really wasn't deserved. Which meant his assessment of the Marine Lieutenant might have some truth to it.

The girl shook her head and smiled at them.

"I would have gone anyway, Oniisan saved my life. Oneesan rescued him, right? Thank you! Hold on!" She quickly ran into the house and shut the door. What an excitable little girl.

"What do you think?" Hanley asked Zoro.

"We don't have a lot of options," he answered, apparently over his abduction and was now analyzing their current situation, "but we'd be putting her life in jeopardy. I don't like that."

"Yeah. What you said about the Lieutenant worries me. You wouldn't happen to have a boat, would you?"

"It got confiscated."

"Damn. This would be a lot easier if I had a boat."

"Then how the hell did you even get out here?"

"I swam, obviously."

"...There are some strange people out in the world," came the dry response.

Hanley grinned widely, "In any case, it seems you're a pretty good guy after all. Rika-chan's quite taken with you. You look mean, but you're just a softie, hm?"

Now he looked thoroughly unimpressed.

"Ah, sorry," Hanley apologized, trying not to smile. The window above them opened outward and Rika motioned for them to come up.

"Hurry, before my mom sees."

"This makes me very uncomfortable, but there aren't any places to hide. We'll just have to be careful. Can you--"

"I can get up there myself," Zoro said quickly when she moved to grab his arm. He made the jump easily enough; if he was suffering any effects from his imprisonment he was doing a damn fine job of hiding it.

'Huh, one would think he's never been carried before. Eh, he looks like he's pretty proud.' She followed him up but remained on the window sill. She needed to hurry. The courtyard looked empty, but someone was going to notice Zoro's absence soon. Hanley had little hope they'd get out before that happened, but...

"Hey, Rika-chan? Keep an eye on him, okay? He might do something stupid like leave when I need to find us a boat. And remember, Zoro, you owe me whether you like it or not." She was counting on him to have some sort of honor code. Hanley figured he did, but still, you could never be too sure.

"Damn woman," he grumbled, making no move to challenge her on it. Rika looked beside herself with glee as she set about being a perfect hostess. She sloppily made up her bed and quickly picked up her toys.

"I'll serve you tea, Oniisan!" Zoro looked pretty uncomfortable as she directed him to a small table in the corner of the room. His surly expression didn't intimidate her at all, though.

Hanley coughed and grinned, "I'll leave you two to play house. See you."

She leaped off of the sill before he had a chance to reply. Luckily Rika seemed more than willing to feed him, which was good.

'I didn't see that many boats at the pier, though. Am I going to have to steal one? Probably, I have no money and I'm not hanging around long enough to earn the money for one. If worse comes to worse, I'll have to be boat.' For some reason, she really wasn't looking forward to that.

Hanley slipped out of the alley onto the main road. She should steal it soon, if they discover him missing the pier would be the first place to look.

"How did I even get myself into this situation?" Hanley grumbled, "I swear, if Hanuman didn't need an able bodied crew I'd—I don't believe it." Luffy was several feet ahead of her, her duffel bag in hand, heading toward the restaurant she'd passed some time ago. Hanley didn't know if he just got here or if he was in town the entire time (which was doubtful), but it didn't really matter. She smiled and jogged up to him, moving silently until she reached up and covered his eyes.

"Hey Hanuman, guess who?" He immediately turned and lunged at her.

"Hi, Hanley!" Hanley quickly stepped aside, barely missing Luffy's lunge. He ended up staggering a bit, but he was quick to regain his balance. He looked fine, as she figured he would be, but she had to admit she still worried about him. She brought him into a hug, squeezing as hard as she could.

"I was so worried about you! I didn't know where to find you and I ended up all the way out here and--" Luffy waved his free arm and pushed away.

"You're always choking me with your boobs, Hanley." He didn't seem to notice her horrified sputters as he slipped her bag off his shoulder, "I got your bag for ya."

"O-Oh, thanks," she replied, lightly smacking his head in revenge.

"You should thank Coby for getting me here, though. He's a great navigator!"

Hanley blinked and looked to the short boy who stood beside her "husband." For some reason, she had overlooked him when she approached. He was on the chubby side, with large, round glasses and, wow, pink hair of all things. He seemed to be on the timid side, as he had a hard time looking at her.

'Well, not surprising, I guess...'

Coby jumped a bit when he realized her attention was now on him, and he proceeded to bow with exaggerated politeness.

"Y-You must be Luffy-san's wife! He's told me all about you! It's nice to meet you, Ms, er--"

Hanley held up a hand. "Hey now, Hanley's fine. What's this goof told you about me?" She ruffled Luffy's hair.

"Nothing bad, believe me!" Coby quickly explained, waving his hands, "I-I was just surprised, that's all."

"Oh? Surprised?"

"Well, it's just...I thought someone that would marry Luffy-san would be, er, more different?" he said, ending on a questioning note. Hanley understood, however. Luffy was Luffy, that was really all one could say about him.

Coby continued, "He told me about your scales and everything, but you're really, ah..." He ended up trailing off, not able to find a way to share his thoughts without making some kind of perceived offense. Hanley could only imagine the sort of insane female-creature Coby thought up.

"Well I'm not raving mad, although sometimes Luffy makes me wonder. Don't worry, Coby, I got you. Anyway, I'm so pleased! Hanuman, you actually got us a navigator! I'm so proud of you!" Hanley was so pleased she squeezed him again. "Did he cause you a lot of trouble, Coby?"

Coby blushed heavily and Luffy shook his head.

"Naw, Coby here's gonna be a Marine. It's why we came here to this base, see?"

'I should have known it would be too good to be true...'

Coby looked apologetic. "Sorry, but it's my dream, and I'm going to fulfill it no matter what!"

"Ah, I'm so disappointed! I really thought Hanuman gave up that musician nonsense," Hanley grumbled, crossing her arms and pouting a bit. In any case, this was a wonderful break. All of her problems were solved in one, fell swoop! Boat and money acquired, Luffy found, and a new crew member to share in her torment! They still didn't have a navigator, but that was next on her list. Hell, when was the last time things have gone this smoothly for her?

It wasn't going to last.

"Anyway, Coby was just going to buy me lunch! Come on, Hanley!" Luffy grabbed her hand and dragged her into the nearby restaurant. Hanley had to wonder if the poor boy actually agreed to pay or if it was one of Luffy's suggestions.

It turned out that Coby really did offer to pay for their lunch. Luffy was much too busy stuffing his face, so Coby was the one to bring her up to speed on what happened. He was willing to talk about his awful experience with some Alvida woman, and how Luffy pretty much saved his life and inspired him to follow his dreams. Hanley was a little sorry she missed the fight, though. It sounded like Alvida could have stood to learn how a real woman should conduct herself; Hanley would have been pretty willing to beat the lesson into her, just to make sure it stuck. She ruffled Luffy's hair again and smiled at him.

"Don't eat too much, Hanuman."

"But I'm hungry! You should let your husband eat more," Luffy complained, mouth full of meat.

"It really is alright," Coby assured, "I owe him."

"I understand, but you have no idea how much he can put away."
"I'm beginning to see that..." replied Coby, looking a little awed as Luffy blatantly and unapologetically stole food off his wife's plate. Hanley just let him. "Anyway, it's a good thing we ran into you, er, Hanley. There's a dangerous man in the area."

Luffy scoffed, "Hanley can fight me, she'd have been fine."
"Damn right I'd have been fine. Who's this guy, anyway?"
"Well, supposedly he's been captured and is being held at the base right now. Roronoa Zoro--" Coby was cut off when everyone in the restaurant promptly jumped and immediately backpedaled to the far wall as if the building was under attack. Hanley blinked while Luffy laughed, amused at the display.
"What a funny place!" he said cheerfully, finishing off his meal.

Coby scratched his head.

"O-Oh, I guess you can't just say that name carelessly. Anyway, I suppose I should go see Lieutenant Morgan--"

Again, the townspeople leaped backward in terror, many of them sending their chairs flying in their haste. Hanley raised her eyebrows and glanced at Coby. That reaction was very telling. Combined with what she managed to glean from Zoro, Hanley was starting to get the real picture of Shell Town, and it wasn't a very pretty one.

However, and this was probably callous of her, it really wasn't her problem. She wasn't here to right all the wrongs she came across—as long as the Marines kept the hell away from Hanuman and as long as nothing awful was happening in her face, she was willing to leave Shell Town be. Let someone else play the hero.

"Oh, I should tell you!" Hanley lowered her voice and motioned the two closer, "Hanuman, you won't believe who I recruited to our crew. Well, not so much recruit, but he'll have to come with us for the time being anyway. I released Roronoa Zoro."

Coby nearly screamed, "You what?? You set R--" Hanley slapped her hand over his mouth and shushed him. The kid nearly gave it all away! Coby seemed to realize what he'd nearly done and reddened in embarrassment.

"Sorry..."

"Don't worry about it. They haven't noticed yet, for some reason. Honestly, what could be more important around here than watching a supposed criminal? That Lieutenant can't be very competent. Anyway, what do you think, Hanuman?"

Luffy hummed. "Is he a bad person? I don't want him if he's not worthy."

Hanley didn't blink an eye at his sudden serious mood; after ten years she was pretty much used to it.

"I've confirmed it. For the time being he's part of the crew."

Luffy fell silent, then he threw his arms up and cheered,

"Best. Wife. Ever! Let's go, now!"

Hanley laughed, "You bet I am. Think of it as a belated birthday gift."

"This is much better than a whip!"

Coby looked torn between bemusement and outright horror. The townspeople simply stared. Hanley coughed and shook her head.

'Why thank you, Luffy, there's nothing wrong with that sentence at all!'

Hanley spoke, "I'll show you where he is. I left him in an...interesting place." After Coby paid for lunch, she led the way down the main road to Rika's house. Hanley hoped nothing went wrong. She saw more Marines out than normal, running around and looking terrified.

'I'm guessing they realized Zoro's gone. But why haven't they raised an alarm? Still, getting out of here without being noticed will probably be impossible. Oh well, between the three of us, it'll be easy. I hope.'

"This is so great! Our first comrade!" Luffy was nearly bouncing from excitement.

Hanley quickly grabbed his vest before he ran straight into the house. She could see a woman moving inside, and she had a feeling Luffy bursting in wouldn't go over well with Rika's mother.

"Hold on, we have to go in from the alley."

Coby looked very nervous. "This is bad, what will the Marines do to us if they find out?"

"I'll beat them up," Luffy said simply. Coby looked ready to burst into tears.

"Don't worry about it, Coby. He's on the second floor—Luffy!"

Unable to wait a second longer, Luffy took a hold of Coby's shirt, reached up, and pulled them up and through the window. Hanley sighed and jumped after them. Zoro was still where Hanley left him, but Luffy took one look at the flowery teacup he was holding, at the dolls he was surrounded by, and gave Hanley a look.

"...Can we give him back?"

Hanley chortled. "Mr. Zoro, what has she done to you?" It was, easily, one of the creepiest things she had ever seen. It wasn't even cute. Seeing someone like Zoro having a tea party was all kinds of wrong and nightmare inducing. Rika smiled happily.

"I was just keeping Oniisan busy like you said."

That, however, was ridiculously adorable. What a sweetheart.

Zoro's scowl deepened; it only made the scene all the more surreal.

"Couldn't say no, could I? She got this look on her face," he grumbled, "and I was hungry, dammit. Is this your captain?"

"Yup," Luffy confirmed, stepping inside, "we're nakama now! Looks like you really are a good guy!"

"Oi, oi, I'm not becoming a pirate--"

Coby rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Roronoa Zoro isn't like I thought he'd be. Is he really that horrible person his reputation says he is?"

Rika frowned. "Of course not! Oniisan is the best! The only reason he was locked up was because of me. He killed Helmeppo's pet wolf 'cos Helmeppo let it run around and everyone got scared..."

"Helmeppo?" Hanley asked. Rika nodded.

"Yeah, he's the Marine Lieutenant's son. He can do anything he wants, he's so bad! He's the one that should've been tied up! The Morgans are the real bad guys, but if you go against them you get executed, so everyone's really afraid."

'So that's what's going on. I thought Zoro's imprisonment was a little weird, and this just confirms it. Man, I'm glad I didn't read the situation wrong!'

"Well," Hanley began, "we should take this opportunity to go before Rika's mother finds out."

Rika's face fell and it nearly broke Hanley's heart. One of these days her softness towards cute things was going to get her into trouble.

Luffy.

"Aw, but I wanted to play some more..." Zoro eyes widened and his face twisted. Hanley hid a grin.

"While I'm sure Zoro would like nothing more than to be your guest--" Hanley easily brushed off his glare, "we can't stay for too long. They noticed he escaped so they'll probably be searching your homes soon. We should get out of Shell Town now."

"I dunno, I kinda want to kick Morgan's ass before we leave," Luffy said, idly placing his hands behind his head. Trust him to talk about committing acts of violence without a care in the world.

"Oh? I guess that's just like a pirate," Zoro commented. Luffy shrugged.

"'s not that. That Morgan is a bad guy. He pisses me off." Zoro looked slightly surprised at the idea of a pirate meting out justice and defeating bad guys, but in the end he only snorted softly and headed to the window.

'If only it was that simple,' Hanley thought with a weary sigh. Luffy normally wasn't one for heroic gestures, and she had a feeling as to why Lieutenant Morgan's behavior pissed him off.

Hanley shook her head.

"Coby can head on up to the Marine base and we--"

"I'm not leaving yet," interrupted Zoro.

"What? Why not?"

"Those bastards have something important of mine. My katana is something that I treasure the most, other than my life. I'm not leaving until I get it back."

"Why didn't you mention that sooner??"

"You carried me off."

Oops. Um, shit, how awkward.

Luffy grinned. "Sounds like Hanley. Oh well, guess we're going to the base after all! Once I get your katana for you, you'll definitely have to join my crew!"

"That's dirty!" came the angry protest.

'And Hanuman resorts to blackmail. Dammit, I could have avoided this! These men will drive me nuts! So much for a burden shared,' Hanley thought ruefully.

"I-I'm glad we're going to the base," Coby spoke up, shaking slightly, "we have to do something. That Lieutenant Morgan is no Marine!"

"Coby..." Hanley muttered, then she sighed. Oh well, what else could she do? "Then let's go the base. I guess this will be my chance to get some exercise."

"Rika? Are you okay, dear? I thought I heard voices," called Rika's mother from downstairs.

"We better go," said Luffy, cheerfully, grabbing a handful of cookies for the road.

"Yeah, that's our cue to get out. Thanks for everything, Rika-chan," Hanley said, giving her a pat on the head. Rika beamed and bowed.

"I don't mind! I'm glad I could pay Oniisan back." Zoro mumbled something and quickly jumped out of the window.

"Let's go get those bastards!" Luffy cried, jumping out behind him with Coby in tow. Hanley rolled her eyes and jumped over the sill just as the door opened.

"Do you know where your sword is?" Coby asked when he was safely on the ground, once he managed to recover.

Zoro shook his head and replied, "Only that it's in the base. That bastard son took it."

"Shit, what should we do? We don't know how many Marines there are--" Hanley started, only to be interrupted by Luffy.

"Let's go!" he shouted, dashing out into the street. Coby groaned and Zoro just looked startled.

"That guy is the captain? He's an idiot!"

Hanley, however, was literally snarling.

"Or we could just charge through the front door. Y'know, sometimes, I really wonder why I like that guy."

"We better follow him, with all this running around there's no point to hiding any longer."

"Now you're the idiot!" Hanley snapped.

"Sneaking around isn't my style anyway, I've been burning for a good fight."

'...The only sane male here is Coby and he won't be joining us. Fuck my life.'

"Look," Hanley said, feeling desperate, "can you just...wait here for a bit while I get Luffy back? We can fight all you want, but let's at least get to the base first! Then you can go crazy! Hell, I'll go crazy, too!" Didn't they realize how difficult it would be to look for a sword in an entire military base??

Before Hanley realized it she had placed her bag aside, grabbed Zoro's arms, and was shaking him furiously. For some reason, Coby had begun to inch away from her.

"Alright, alright! We'll do it your way for now!"

Hanley forced herself to take a deep breath.

"Thank you, Mr. Zoro, that's all I ask. Please wait here." She let him go and marched out into the street. Hopefully Luffy wouldn't have gone too far and she could give him a well deserved tongue-lashing.

About ten yards up the road, Luffy was standing over two downed marines and a terrified looking young man with an ugly hair cut and even uglier leisure suit.

'Oh, well, nevermind. He just does what he wants.'

The townspeople were lined up on the sides of the road, looking on in horror. Seeing as they were too useless from fear right now, Hanley simply walked up and placed her hands on her hips.

"So, what are you doing?"

Luffy cracked his knuckles.

"You're really slow, Hanley. This guy pissed me off so I had to hit him."

The young man looked torn between anger and fear. Anger eventually won out, as he glared and jabbed his finger in Luffy's direction.

"H-How dare you strike me!! I'm the son of Lieutenant Morgan--"

"Wait, wait. You're Helmeppo?" asked Hanley. Honestly, she kind of expected someone more...impressive. He was nothing more than a whiny, self-important brat, and Hanley felt almost sorry for him. Part of the blame clearly lay in bad parenting.

At least she had some sympathy for him until he continued running his mouth.

Helmeppo struggled to his feet and gave a nasty grin.

"That's right. And I'm going to tell my father all about you! I bet you were the ones to set Roronoa Zoro free! You'll be hanged for this, I'll have you executed--"

Hanley's fist sank into his gut. Like hell they were laying a finger on Luffy!

Helmeppo squeaked and he sagged forward, unable to breathe. She caught him by the back of his shirt and turned to Luffy.

"I've had it. I've tried being nice, and I've tried being logical, but shit just keeps happening and I. Have. Had it. We're charging the base! Mr. Zoro, get your ass in gear!"

Zoro blinked and looked down at Coby.

"First she tells me to stay here and now she's wanting to charge into the base headfirst."

"Your ass isn't moving!"

"Yeah, yeah, leave my ass out of this."

"Oh, and Coby? Could you be a dear and grab my duffel for me? Thank you."

Luffy placed his hands behind his head, his smile growing even larger. "It's about time, Hanley, we'll have a lot of fun!"

Well, sure, if Hanley were being honest with herself, some small part of her did find this exhilarating. It was sort of like one of the movies her grandfather would import and watch on their tiny television and old VCR. Hollywood movies with cowboys and gangsters going in with guns blazing.

Hanley nodded firmly.

"Don't worry, Mr. Zoro. We'll get your sword back. Even if we have to make this bastard squeal."

Helmeppo let out a haggard sob.

"Don't be so hasty," watching the townspeople flee at the sight of him was actually a little funny, "if there's going to be any interrogation, it'll be done by me."

"The bastard's foaming at the mouth," Luffy observed.

"Y-You can't just storm the base!" cried Coby, trying to inject some kind of sanity into them.

'Oh dear, sweet Coby, I know exactly how you feel but I want to get this over with.' Hanley shrugged and began to head east down the road, straight to the base. She still had Helmeppo by the shirt and was dragging him along.

"It's a shame he passed out before we got the location of the sword," Hanley muttered.

Luffy didn't look too concerned, however.

"It'll be fine, we'll just tear the place apart looking for it."

"You're willing to go that far?" asked Zoro, surprised.

"Something like that must be your treasure, right? If it's worth as much as your life, then it's worth risking mine to get it back. That's all. Besides, you'll only get it back if you join me, anyway."

"Dammit, don't mess with me!"

"I can tell you're strong. I need a strong crew to become King of the Pirates."

"P-Pirate King? Are you serious??"

Hanley smiled, "Oh, he's quite serious."

"It surprised me too, at first," Coby added, "but he'll definitely go for it."

The walk wasn't a long one, but by the time they reached the base and entered one of the courtyards, Helmeppo came to and was screaming for help.

Hanley shook him, but to no avail.

"Arg, this guy! We have to get that sword!"

"Help me! Aaah! Someone save me!"

"Be quiet!" But Helmeppo was far from listening to her, shouting until Zoro grabbed him by the front of his jacket.

"Shut. Up."

Helmeppo froze in mid flail.

'Wow, he's good,' Hanley thought. Why couldn't she ever be that scary?

"You have two choices," Zoro's voice held such a menacing tone that even Hanley got a little nervous, "you can tell me where my sword is of your own accord, or I can force it out of you."

'Real good.'

"M-My room!" Helmeppo stuttered weakly. Hanley looked around. They were out in the open manhandling the Lieutenant's kid, and word must have been sent up by now.

"And where is your room?"

Helmeppo shakily pointed to the largest building on the base. That wasn't surprising; with their luck, it'd also be the most heavily guarded. Oh well, what better time than to get that real world experience her grandfather spoke of?

As if to mock her, the door to the building burst open and a small squad of Marines, twelve men in all, charged at them. And every single one of them was brandishing a rifle. Helmeppo's presence seemed to be the only reason they haven't been fired yet—but that could change at any moment. Hanley grew tense at the sight of them, and she seriously expected a bit of that old fear to rear its head. It was a little embarrassing, but Hanley never got rid of it entirely, even when her skill level had essentially skyrocketed since she first landed here. However, after a few seconds, it...never came. Hanley even waited for it to show, like one would wait for an old friend that happened to be running late (she and her fear were practically on speaking terms); yet, her heart didn't start to beat erratically and her stomach didn't get upset. Maybe it was because she had spent ten years with Master Thai, but whatever the hell it was, she wasn't scared at all.

There was only excitement.

No name bandits were one thing, but how well would she fare against trained professionals? What would it be like? This was her first fight off the island, and she could feel nothing but confidence. The small prick of exhilaration she felt before was nothing compared to what she felt now.

Hanley's mind was already making preliminary observations about her enemies; her grandfather's training was really kicking in now, picking out the rather blatant weak spots on their bodies as well as their formation. Before, what seemed like pointless exercises or outright torture now had a clear meaning. These men looked so weak and clumsy to her. They may as well have painted targets on their torsos and necks if they were going to advertise their openings like that.

'That old bastard...he really did the best he could.'

"Hey, Hanley," Luffy said, grabbing Helmeppo with his left hand while he wound up his right arm, "I gotta get Zoro's sword. Can you take care of these guys for me?"

Hanley nodded and replied, "Yeah, that's what's important here. Don't worry about us."

"I won't! Gomu Gomu no--" Luffy swung his arm and sent it straight at the taller, striped building. The only ones not to shout in shock at the sight of his arm stretching were her and Coby. A couple of Marines even dropped their weapons while Zoro's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "--Rocket!" Luffy allowed his body to slacken, sending him and Helmeppo shooting straight toward the roof of the main building.

"What the hell??" Zoro shouted after him, finally able to make some semblance of speech. The Marines were no better off.

"H-He's flying!"

"Is he a monster??"

Hanley sighed and scratched her head. They were just making it easier for her. When half of a giant statue came tumbling from the building a few moments later, Hanley didn't even bother getting surprised.

"Oh, look, Hanuman caused property damage. Who could have predicted such a thing?" she drawled, rolling her eyes. Luffy was involved, that was all she needed to know.

"Is this what I have to look forward to?" Zoro asked, sighing.

"Oh, well, if it makes you feel any better... ...actually, I don't know what will make you feel better. Does this mean you'll be joining our crew, then?"

"No. I only meant when I get you your reward."

The Marines, however, now looked terrified.

"Lieutenant Morgan's statue! He's going to kill us!"

Shrugging, she moved forward to the nearest soldier and lifted her leg so that her foot was high above her head. Her ax kick caught the man on the shoulder, easily sending him into the ground with a loud crash. She couldn't help but pointedly grind her foot into the man's back.

'Okay, I've always kinda wanted to do this.'

"Hey, you guys had better not keep your backs turned on me," Hanley remarked, placing her hands on her hips. The clearing was silent for only a few, short moments before a couple of them regained their senses and began to level their guns at her.

Hanley really wasn't going to wait around for that.

She was already speeding forward, getting inside the guard of one marine before he could even put his finger on the trigger. Hanley didn't put all of her power behind the knee strike (she didn't want to kill the guy), but she struck his sternum with just enough force to knock him out. The remaining thirteen seemed to realize she was actually a threat, and quickly turned to gang up on her. Hanley quickly held up an arm to block a swinging rifle. It struck her scales and the barrel nearly snapped right off.

"M-Monster!"

'Oh what the hell??' Hanley spun and kicked the offender in the mouth. He went flying back into two other marines.

"Shut up, I can't help my scales, okay??" Oddly enough, that was really the first time she had even been called such a thing. Hanley twisted around another soldier's strike and sank her elbow into his torso, aiming for his liver. He went down like a dead weight, and three more of his comrades followed right after with a powerful crescent kick. After that, the others didn't last long at all, and Hanley was left standing over their bodies without even breaking a sweat.

"Ace and Hanuman like them just fine, assholes," she grumbled, trying to calm down. Although, to be fair, it did get pretty weird when it was time to shed her skin.

Zoro looked down at her victims and nodded.

"It looks like you do know what you're doing."

"I would be less of a woman if I didn't," she answered.

"Is that how it works?"

"For me, yeah. I was hoping for more of a challenge, though. I wonder what's taking Luffy so long."

Coby coughed and tightened his grip on Hanley's bag. "U-Um, Zoro-san? Hanley-san?" He was pale and shaking, staring into the distance.

"Hm? What is it--"

"Surround the base!! Don't let the guy with the straw hat escape!!" Hanley turned her attention back to the main building and saw a row of Marines with their guns loaded and aimed right at them. Behind the firing squad was a large man with white-blond hair and a hideous steel jaw. What really threw her was his right arm, which was replaced with an even more hideous looking ax. The sight was grotesque, with the handle sticking out far past where his elbow should have ended. How the fuck did he lug that thing around? How did he do anything? Was he left-handed? He must have been, there's no way he would have made it work otherwise. What an awful idea.

Hanley slapped her forehead and groaned.

"Let me guess, that must be Lieutenant Morgan. Shit, this must be why Master Thai told me to always be aware of my surroundings!"

"Hey, can you dodge bullets?" Zoro asked.

"Yes, actually. My teacher hired some thugs to shoot at me from time to time to keep me on my toes. That's a story for another day, though," Hanley ignored Coby's horrified stare in favor of grabbing his shoulder, "but I'll be more than happy to carry you to safety. You make an interesting damsel in distress, you know—"

"Tch! Don't insult me. I was asking for your benefit."

'Hah, I better shut my mouth before he loses his temper and stabs me one day.'

Morgan shouldered his gigantic ax. "How interesting...are the four of you planning to cause political upheaval?"

'Oh, like you're so important for us to do that. What an ego!'

"Roronoa Zoro," Morgan continued, not waiting for a response, "I've heard of your name from a long time ago, but do not underestimate me. Before my great strength, you're just garbage! Ready!!" The sharp sound of the rifles being cocked echoed throughout the courtyard. Coby was an absolute wreck, and Zoro was so tense she could see the veins throbbing in his neck and arms. Hanley made herself focus on where the barrels of the guns were aiming. Once she got her speed up to par, dodging bullets was surprisingly straightforward, seeing as they only went in a straight line.

Zoro shifted so his weight rested on the balls of his feet, preparing himself.

"Get ready," he muttered. Hanley's grip on Coby tightened. Once their fingers tightened on the triggers, she was going to have to grab him and move as quickly as she could.

"FIRE!" Morgan shouted, bringing his ax hand down in a powerful arc. Hanley wrapped her arms around Coby and began to jump to the side, but froze when Luffy flew down from above and put himself between them and the bullets.

"Luffy-san!" screamed Coby, while Hanley and Zoro shouted in surprise. The bullets struck him a split second later. Instead of of taking any damage, however, his skin stretched backward until the bullets' momentum was stopped.

Luffy quickly straightened and sent them shooting right back at the Marines, arms wide and laughing.

"It's no use!" The men before them scrambled to avoid being hit. Somehow, not one person was even nicked by a stray bullet.

"Damn. In theory I knew it should work, but..." Hanley muttered, then she frowned when something else became very apparent, "don't tell me every single bullet that didn't hit him missed us, too. Where did these storm troopers learn to shoot anyway??" Weren't they shooting in a line? How did the bullets arrange themselves in such a way that Luffy caught them all—nevermind, why bother. The only thing she should be concerned with was that it certainly made things much easier for them. Still, if Coby wanted to join these fools, Hanley hoped he would go somewhere other than the Storm Trooper Academy for marksmanship.

Luffy adjusted his hat and grinned wildly. He had three katana tucked under his arm.

Zoro was slowly getting over his surprise.

"What kind of human are you, anyway?" he finally asked, somewhat calm.

"Hehehe, the man who will become Pirate King, of course."

Morgan growled and swung his arm angrily. "Resisting the Marines will make you outlaws! Or maybe you want to die here??"

"What an ass," said Hanley. They were already pirates; becoming outlaws here would make no difference.

"I wonder, are you the offspring of the devil? Well, it doesn't matter. Instead, why don't I accede to your request and become a pirate?" Zoro remarked with a fierce smirk.

Hanley nodded. "Awesome! I knew you couldn't resist us for long."

"Ha! If nothing else, things'll be even more interesting for me."

In the distance, the Marines were working themselves into a panic. The sight of Luffy repelling the bullets with his body, on top of figuring out that he was a man who consumed an Akuma no Mi had them shouting and nearly falling out of formation.

"Idiots, don't let them escape!" Morgan bellowed.

"If guns don't work, we'll use swords to kill him!"

"They're getting serious, Hanuman," Hanley said. The men took their sabers from their sheaths and charged with a battle cry.

"All who oppose me must perish!"

'What is wrong with this guy?'

Luffy held out the three katana. "There were three, so which one's your treasured sword?"

"All three katana belong to me, because I use three katana." Zoro took his possessions from Luffy and looked them over.

"Seriously? That's actually pretty cool," commented Hanley, looking impressed, "But you only have two arms."

"Sit back and watch," Zoro answered confidently, quickly inserting his swords into his haramaki. The katana that was in the white sheath went into his mouth, clenched by his teeth, while he held the other two. By this time, the Marines had reached their position and they swung in unison, wanting to cut down the bigger threat.

Zoro easily caught every single one of their blades.

"He is really cool. Hanuman, why can't I be that cool?"

Luffy shrugged. "I dunno, guess you weren't meant to be."

Hanley lightly smacked the back of his head. "I was joking, but thanks."

"Shishishi, you're welcome!"

"All of you better not move! You move, and I kill you!" Zoro ordered. Hanley wasn't sure how he managed to speak with a sword handle in his mouth. Seeing as he was actually understandable and wasn't drooling all over the place, she really was forced to add a few more cool points to the list.

The Marines were obedient, none of them moving even one centimeter. Hanley found she really couldn't blame them for that.

Zoro's attention turned back to Luffy. "I already told you I'd be a pirate with you...after this incident with the Marines, I'd have been an outlaw, anyway. But that's fine, I still have my own goals!"

"What're those?" asked Luffy, looking curious.

"I'm going to become the world's greatest swordsman! I no longer care if my name is clean or not. Bad guy, good guy, it no longer matters as long as my name is known worldwide! If you do something that ends up in the way of my goal, I will have you cut your stomach open to say sorry!"

"Zoro-san's amazing, too," Coby whispered. Hanley grinned at him.

"Eh, we sure know some big dreamers, don't we? But that applies to you, too, right?"

"Yes! How about you, Hanley-san?"

"Me? Oh, nothing like you all. But I'm going to make sure that Luffy makes it, at least. I'm just hoping my wishes will come true as I go along." She was, after all, here for the long haul, however long that took.

As for Luffy, he looked incredibly pleased at the proclamation and said as much.

"That's fine! It's good that you want to be the world's number one swordsman! Since you wanna be the Pirate King's crew member, if you can't accomplish something that small, then I would be very embarrassed as well!"

"Heh, well said!" Zoro replied.

"Um, that's nice and all, but we're in the middle of something, you two," Hanley interrupted. Morgan was looking more apoplectic by the second. His face was turning so red she was surprised steam wasn't shooting out of his ears.

"What are you guys standing there for??" he roared, waving his ax arm angrily, "Hurry up and finish them off!!"

"Duck, Zoro," Luffy called. He twisted his body sharply, raising one of his legs and rotating, extending the limb so that it slammed across the line of paralyzed Marines. They flew back from the sheer power of the blow, swords and ball caps and bodies going every which way. Hanley idly licked her teeth and stretched her arms. She could guess what would happen now and that Luffy would handle it. She was a little disappointed, to be truly honest, because this was far easier than she thought it was going to be.

'Or,' a little voice at the back of her head remarked, 'you are that strong. Wouldn't that be a good break?'

Yeah, probably.

"Super! Very cool, Luffy-san!" Coby cheered.

Zoro straightened. "What a strange ability you have."

"I'm a rubber-man! Oh, maybe I should have left some for you, Hanley." Luffy looked back at her to see if she was upset. Hanley chuckled and waved her hand.

"Oh that's sweet of you, Hanuman. But I'm fine. Actually, if you could hurry up and beat up the Lieutenant, I'd appreciate it."

"Oh, you gettin' hungry, too?"

"Again, Hanuman? What am I going to do with you?"

"You could feed me! After this, I want bacon."

"And how, precisely, am I going to accomplish that?"

"Lieutenant! They're too strong, we can't kill those two!" a Marine cried. Hanley couldn't really tell who said it from the scattered and beaten men strewn about the courtyard. Lieutenant Morgan slowly turned and clenched his remaining human hand, making her wonder if all the men here enjoyed flairs for the dramatic.

"This is an order...whoever just said that...get a gun and kill yourself! I don't need useless soldiers!"

"He can't be serious!" Hanley cried, jaw dropping in shock when they actually began to lift up their pistols and point them awkwardly at their temples. Every single one of them was shaking and sweating profusely, too scared to refuse and having to suffer at the hands of their superior officer.

"What the hell do these dumb Marines think they're doing??" shouted Zoro. Luffy said nothing. The next moment, he was moving forward at an incredible speed.

"I am the Marines' worst enemy!" he declared, jumping and raising his fist, "If you have guts then execute me!"

Morgan blocked the blow with his ax. The men slowly lowered their guns, choosing to watch instead.

"People like you, with no status, have no right to oppose me," Morgan said, snarling, "I am Marine Lieutenant Ax-Hand Morgan!" He rushed forward, consumed by rage and preparing to chop Luffy in half.

"My name is Luffy, nice to meet you," he answered simply.

"Go to Hell!!" Morgan swung his ax in a horizontal arc, moving with surprising skill. Luffy easily jumped over it, and the nearby fence and concrete wall to their left split in half from the force of the swing.

Coby screamed, "The fence broke in half just like that!"

"Huh, I suppose there is some reason why he's a ranking officer," Hanley said. She wasn't worried, though, Luffy would have no problem with the man at all. Though, she did have this annoying sensation that she was missing something.

Luffy brought his knees to his chest in mid air and pushed his feet outward in a double kick. They hit Morgan square in the face and he crashed heavily to the ground, skidding back a couple of feet. Luffy landed in a crouch, his mouth set in a line.

'Morgan must have really ticked him off, huh...' she thought.

Again, Luffy charged forward. Morgan was back on his feet in a moment, and he grabbed his ax handle (through his elbow, the sight was disgusting) and tried a vertical slash to cleave Luffy in two.

"You little bastard!" Luffy spun out of the way, in what looked to be a modified butterfly twist, and kicked Morgan hard in the face.

"I'm not dead yet!" Luffy said cheerfully, now smiling.

Coby shook his head. "I thought it was impressive when he went against Alvida, but this is different. He's too strong..."

"Yeah, he's always been that way," Hanley remarked. Morgan wasn't giving him a good exercise, though, she could see that clearly.

'He'll be unsatisfied and even more restless later,' thought Hanley, sighing. That was when Luffy tended to be at his most insufferable.

Hanley ignored the gawking Marines and concentrated on the fight even when she could hear someone approaching. She wasn't going to worry about it.

'I think I know who it is...'

Morgan was sprawled helplessly in the dirt, and Luffy had taken a hold of his shirt and yanked him up.

"Some great Marine you are! You destroyed Coby's dreams and goal..." Ah, so that was why he got riled up.

Hanley heard the cocking of two guns behind her.

"Wait!" a shrill voice ordered. Luffy looked over in their direction before turning and punching Morgan in the face anyway.

Helmeppo sputtered. "You idiot! I told you to wait!"

Hanley turned her head and saw the kid had stolen two flintlocks and was now pointing them at her and Coby. She took in his sweaty face and nervous posture.

"Oh, Hanuman, looks like we've been taken hostage," called Hanley.

"Yeah, I see," Luffy answered, "d'you think you can get un-hostaged? I'm still kicking this guy's ass."

"Hey now! Show more concern! With that attitude I might never make you any more bacon."

That got his attention.

Luffy scowled furiously at Helmeppo and took a threatening step forward. "Bastard, let them go!"

"Haha, do you see how he treats me, Coby?" Hanley asked in amusement, knowing better than to take that personally.

Coby bit his lip. "Hanley-san, I...would it be okay if--"

"I don't know what you want to do, but I really doubt this guy can hurt me, so go ahead."

Coby nodded. "Luffy-san! I don't wanna be in your way! I'm not afraid of death!"

"Okay...I know!" answered Luffy, smiling. "You hear that, stupid son?? Coby's not afraid of death! 'Sides, Hanley's about to kick your ass!"

While Luffy had his back turned, Morgan had stood up, achingly, and raised his arm.

"I am...the great Marine Lieutenant..."

Zoro placed his katana back into this mouth.

"I'll shoot! I swear I'll--" Hanley whipped around and struck, hitting Helmeppo in the throat with quick spearhand. Helmeppo dropped the pistols and fell to his knees while clutching his throat, choking and turning beet red as he tried to breathe.

"Damn kid," Hanley grumbled.

"You're really fast!" Coby said in awe as Zoro sliced Morgan across the torso. The Lieutenant fell and finally remained still.

"Leave it to me, Captain."

Hanley picked up her bag. "At least Zoro's reliable." She and Coby made their way over to where the two stood.

"That Morgan wasn't much, was he, Hanuman?" asked Hanley, raising a hand to tug at his hair. Luffy sighed.

"Naw, I was hoping for more, but I guess not."

The Marines could only stand and stare with stupefied expressions on their faces.

"The Lieutenant lost! He's been defeated!"

Zoro calmly sheathed his swords.

"If you still want to arrest us, come and get us."

They chose to party instead.

The men threw up their caps and danced wildly, cheering and crying so loudly they could probably be heard throughout the town. Luffy looked around in confusion.

"What's going on? They seem to be happy that Morgan was defeated."

"Hm, I'm guessing Morgan wasn't popular, Hanuman," Hanley said, blinking.

Coby smiled. "They really hated him!"

"Can you blame them? That guy was a first class asshole!"

"Heh, that makes things easier..." Zoro remarked—right before he collapsed.

"Oh, man, I suppose tea and cookies weren't enough."

*

Zoro polished off another bowl of soup and set it aside with a gusty sigh. The group had headed back into town after the fight to be greeted with cheers and applause. Hanley knew Morgan wasn't welcome, but even she was a little surprised at the amount of partying everyone was doing.

'Ugh, what time is it?' Hanley thought as she glanced at the clock. She gave a tired sigh when she saw that it was late in the afternoon, not even evening yet. She could barely believe all of this happened within a day.

'And to think, this entire situation could have been avoided if someone at the Headquarters came down for an inspection. It's not like that arrogant fuck was subtle. How long have they lived like this? This is beyond shameful.'

Rika-chan had been quick to invite them to her house for a celebratory meal, and the rest of them carefully refrained from mentioning the "tea party" upstairs. It was much better getting a good meal through the front door.

Hanley set her own plate aside and took a sip of her black tea, trying not to stare at the crowd pushed against the window to stare at the so-called saviors. Honestly, it was a little embarrassing.

"I'm finally full! I nearly starved to death after nine days!" Zoro exclaimed, leaning back in his chair. Hanley was still trying not to stare at his light green hair.

Luffy paused. "Then it's impossible for you to last a month."

"You're so scrawny, how come you can still eat more than me?"

"Ha, this is nothing! Hanuman had a snack earlier, after all," Hanley told him. Luffy nodded and swallowed.

"Yeah, this is pretty good!"

"I'm sorry, I also ate a lot," said Coby, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. Rika's mother only smiled and continued washing and putting away their dishes.

"It's quite alright," she was absolutely beaming, "keep eating, you saved our town!"

Hanley stretched and sighed. "I'm just so glad this is over! I hope we don't run into any more trouble, Hanuman."

"Why're you lookin' at me?" Luffy asked.

Zoro spoke up then, looking curious. "What are your plans next?"

"I am going to head for the Grand Line!"

Hanley was forced to slap Coby's back when he choked on a piece of food. Once he managed to collect himself, Coby immediately began to freak out.

"What?? You're saying crazy things again! How can the three of you enter the Grand Line? Don't you understand? The world's strongest pirates all gather there!"

"Hey, hey!" Hanley interrupted, gently pushing his shoulders so he sat down. "First of all, breathe before you give yourself a heart attack. I mean, really, you're starting to worry me. Second, that's why we're going! We have things to do and people to see there! That's worth risking it, I think."

"Hanley-san, even you're saying rubbish!"

"Geez, Coby-kun..."

Zoro shrugged. "If we're going for One Piece, we pretty much have to go in that direction. Besides, what are you so worried about, it's not like you're going with us."

"Even though I'm not going, I will still worry! Can't I worry about you guys? Luffy-san, I know we've only just met, but we're still friends, aren't we?"

"Yup! Even though we have to part, we'll always be friends!" answered Luffy, grinning widely. Hanley had never seen anyone look so happy as Coby did in that moment. He was nearly in tears, and when he managed to get the words out they were soft and a little difficult to understand. But the feeling was there, regardless.

"I've never had friends growing up. Every time I would be picked on, no one would stand up for me, but...when I look at you three, I am humbled, and...you've taught me to live by my dream!"

Luffy gave him a look. "Yeah, that's why we're going to the Grand Line."

"Yeah, that's true," Coby admitted, scratching his head sheepishly. Then he shook his head and was shouting again, "No!! What I meant is, you're too reckless!"

Zoro cut his tirade short with a sharp tap to the forehead.

"First of all, worry about yourself. Even though you were just doing chores on a pirate ship, you're still a small pirate. Don't underestimate the Marine's ability to gather information. If they know your past, they won't let you join for sure."

Hanley nodded. Now that he mentioned it, that was a very good point. But Coby was seen with them and interacting with them. She really, really hoped they wouldn't hold that against the poor guy. It would be just their luck.

Their conversation was cut short by the door opening and one of the Marines stepping inside. Hanley didn't recognize him from the ones in the courtyard earlier that afternoon. He must have been second-in-command, judging from the way the others fell into line on the street.

"Excuse my coming in, but we are wondering, are you really pirates?"

Luffy, naturally, couldn't wait to tell him how right he was.

"Yup! I just got a new crew member. We still need a flag, but we're pirates."

The Marine nodded as if he was expecting that answer and continued, "Even though you are pirates, in reality, you saved our town and base. But, since you are pirates, as Marines we cannot allow you to stay any longer."

Well, that was some bullshit.

"Please leave this place immediately! As for the events that occurred here, we will be reporting it to Headquarters."

The crowd outside became anxious and angry then, screaming at the Marines about the injustice. For a moment, Hanley was a little worried that they would become violent. They haven't forgotten about how Morgan was allowed to run roughshod over them, and they probably won't forget any time soon; seeing the Marines kicking their heroes out of town was looking to be the final straw.

The unpleasant mutterings became louder and louder, until finally Luffy stood and began walking to the door.

"Well, that's that! I guess we're going, then! Thank you for the food, ma'am."

'Looks like he noticed it, too. Better not make a fuss.' Hanley bowed deeply to Rika and her mother and collected her bag. She caught up to Luffy by the door with Zoro close behind.

Only Coby was left.

"Hey." Oh shit. "Aren't you with their group?" the new commander asked him, face unreadable.

Coby jumped and sweated. "I...I...I'm not with them!"

Hanley glanced back and kept walking. This was what Coby wanted.

'Even though he can navigate...and even though he's sane...arg, why??' Hanley was actually the first one out of the door, and for a moment, she thought they were in the clear; however, the man wasn't as dim as they were hoping for. He called out to Luffy to verify if what Coby said was the truth.

And Luffy promptly told the man everything.

Alarmed, Hanley turned around and began to head back inside.

'What the fuck is he trying to do?? Just say no, idiot!' Zoro quickly intercepted her, which she definitely was not expecting.

"Just watch, he knows what he's doing," Zoro muttered.

"Are you nuts?" hissed Hanley.

"You really don't understand men, do you, Hanley?"

At this point she wasn't in the mood. "I'll get over it."

Zoro actually looked a little amused at her response, but any further conversation was cut off by Coby rearing back and punching Luffy in the jaw. Hanley could just make out the hint of a smile on Luffy's face before he retaliated, punching Coby and bloodying his nose.

"You! You deserve a beating!"

'These guys...'

"Damn you, you deserve a beat down!" Luffy shouted, pummeling Coby across the face and torso. Hanley rolled her eyes and stomped back inside.

"Hanuman, that's enough, idiot!"

"Stop this at once! I will not have any more fights!" ordered the Marine commander as Hanley grabbed Luffy by the back of his vest and nodded to Zoro. "I know he isn't your nakama, please leave this town, immediately!"

"Right, right, we're going," Zoro said calmly, stepping outside. Hanley shoved Luffy in front of her.

"March, my annoying little monkey!"

"Shishi, it's been a while since you said that," Luffy remarked cheerfully.

"I suppose so."

Their new swordsman was up ahead, heckling the ones who tied him up to that post for nine days. "Come on! Didn't you want to arrest me??"

"Keep it up and I'll help them put you back into prison! You guys are real pieces of work, you know that, right?"

Zoro snorted. "Ha, I can't believe a woman like you is saying that."

"You're looking a little weak there, Mr. Zoro. Shall I carry you?"

"Keep your hands to yourself."

Hanley snickered before an idea crossed her mind. She made a beeline to one Marine and leaned in.

"Hi, those are some real nice boots you have there."

"U-Um..." he stuttered.

"You know, it'll be a while until I can replace the shoes I lost. Yours look brand new; are they?"

"Well, yes--"

"I think that since we were nice enough to do your jobs for you, and since you won't be compensating our time for that, you should consider giving me your boots as a peace offering."

The Marine cleared his throat and looked to his friends for help.

They looked just as nervous as he did.

Finally, he sighed and began to untie his boots.

"You have done us a good service, ma'am--"

"I know. Boots, please." She waited long enough for him to step out of them before snatching them up. "Yoink. Thanks! You really helped me out." She wasn't going to put them on just yet until she washed her feet (ugh, it almost hurt to think about the dirt and grime), but that could be taken care of in the boat.

Luffy grinned as she approached.

"And you didn't want to be a pirate."

"Well, it's not so much the stealing as being executed if I'm caught."

Zoro nodded. "That's a risk. Ah, well, life's not worth living otherwise."

Hanley hummed in response and shifted her bag on her shoulder. It was just the thing Luffy would say, that Ace would have said if he were here and not who knows where. It's been a while since she has thought of him, mostly because it got a little complicated. Hanley hoped they would run into each other, even if she wasn't sure what she was going to do when that happened.

They reached the dock and the small sailboat Luffy and Coby rode in on. As Luffy began to untie the mooring rope, Zoro turned back on the town, looking a little satisfied.

"Nice act! This way, even though he's been a pirate before, it wouldn't be such a big deal."

"Yeah," Hanley agreed, tossing her new boots into the boat and ruffling Luffy's hair, "sorry I tried to beat you up earlier, my bad." She really should have more self-restraint, but sometimes she couldn't help herself. Agh, something else for her to work on.

He let her muss up his hair before fixing his hat. "It's alright! Anyway, I believe Coby will become stronger and more independent in the future!"

"In any case, it's time to go, or else there's no telling what'll happen. Not leaving anything behind, that's what pirates are all about!"

"For someone who didn't want to be a 'bad guy' hours earlier, you're taking to it pretty fast," commented Hanley, grinning at him. She hopped into the boat and set down her bag. "Pretty soon you'll be wearing an eye-patch and teaching your pet parrot to say 'Matey.'"

"No, but I am sure that you put too much thought into that," Zoro replied dryly.

"Lu...Luffy-san!" came a cry from behind. To their surprise, Coby was standing in the empty street, huffing from exertion. It took a moment for him to regain his breath, but he pulled himself upright and gave them a crisp salute. "Thank you very much! I will never forget you for the rest of my life!"

"He really is sweet, you know. Are you sure we can't keep him?" Hanley asked Luffy, snickering when Coby nearly fell over from shock.

"Naw, Coby has his dreams," answered Luffy, taking the question seriously before raising his hand, "Coby! We'll meet again someday!"

"Group salute!!" came the order but a second later. Hanley nearly fell overboard. Where the fuck did they come from? Hanley muttered under her breath and began to make herself comfortable. It didn't matter, even though she was sure she only looked away for just a second. Fucking weird place.

Luffy and Zoro clambered on soon after. Zoro quickly unfurled the sail and directed them away from the dock. It only took a moment for the wind to catch and they were sailing across the sea and away from Shell Town. Luffy waved and cheered at the crowds gathered behind them, and he was still exuberant even after the island was just a speck on the horizon.

"Yahoo!! We're off!! Grand Line, here we come!"

Hanley dipped her feet into the water, determined to wash away the day's grime. It was bad enough she was scaled and calloused—she refused to let her feet look gross. Luffy stretched once more for good measure and leaned back against the railing of the boat.

"Sorry we couldn't keep Coby, Hanley. But I promised to help him with his dream."

Hanley sighed. "I know, I guess I understand."

"Don't worry, I'll get someone for you! You did get me Zoro, after all, 's only fair."

"Can we get a girl?"

"You two are disturbing, I want you to realize this," Zoro interrupted.

"That's mean, I think the two of you are cute," Hanley cooed, smirking.

Both Zoro and Luffy made faces at her.

"Oh, right. Pirates and men are incapable of being cute, my bad," she continued, trying not to laugh. Luffy shook his head.

"You're such a girl, Hanley."

"That's because I am one."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot."

Hanley glared. "I should have let that whirlpool kill you."

Luffy laughed at her, only stopping when she reached forward and tugged his cheeks.

"Well, I don't care. You'll always be my adorable Hanuman!"

"Boo, Hanley! You can't treat men this way!"

Zoro rolled his eyes at their antics before settling into a more comfortable position on the tiny craft. Hanley let Luffy's cheeks go and dug into her bag.

"You hungry? I got a couple of non-perishables in here."

"Ooh, I want some!"

"I only got one bag of these crackers, though."

"That's okay."

Hanley handed them to him before digging into her pack. She still didn't know what exactly Master Thai put in here. Hanley never had a lot of clothes, so he seemed to be able to stuff them all in here. She found her ring and Jizo quickly enough. They both looked to be safe, and Hanley slipped the ring onto her left forefinger. He was also thoughtful enough to pack her goggles and her gloves. When her hand reached the bottom, however, she frowned when she felt some kind of metal container. With a grunt, she tugged it out and opened it.

"What is this, a scroll?" Hanley muttered, carefully dumping the contents into her hand. It was old and the parchment was discolored. The kanji were beginning to fade, and Hanley could feel her mind numbing trying to make sense of it. It was even worse than the sutra Master Thai made her read!

"Wha's zat?" asked Luffy, mouth full.

"Finish chewing, please," she answered out of habit. Hanley examined her find more closely.

'Oh, thanks, Grampa. I can barely fucking read it,' thought Hanley, squinting until her eyes were practically slits, as if that would help in identifying the radicals, 'no, I think I got it. Rokushiki? Soru...Geppou...I think that's gibberish. I think the man gave me gibberish.'

Hanley turned the scroll in her hands, deep in thought.

'Actually...' She took a closer look, and forced herself to read more critically. At first glance it did look a lot like the overly philosophical, overly complex bullcrap her grandfather had forced her to read when he wasn't stomping her face into the ground. However, there was a connection here, a common thread that ran through the radicals and took a form she could actually understand. Under the fluff of "transcending common human boundaries," something looked very familiar. 'These are techniques. This one here is showing me how to place my foot...and this one...how to project my arm at high speed...where the fuck did this come from? I had no idea he had anything remotely like this.'

This must have been what he meant by her finishing her training on her own. Perhaps this was his treasure. It made a lot more sense this way; could this have been what Yura wanted all of those years ago?

"Rokushiki, hm? Well, I better get started, then."

**********

To be continued. As always, reviews are loved.