Mallorie suddenly turned to the blue haired maiden instantly, her entire body stiffening as her naturally tan face started to turn white with horror after hearing Catherine's words. Her bright blue eyes were widened with fear, staring at Catherine as if she had admitted to committing the most sinful crime against humanity. It was evident that she was not okay with Catherine's decision to go and seek out the Marines on her own, and Catherine knew too well that her decision was completely out of the question. However, the shinobi remained calm, her eyes remaining distant and void of any and all emotion to prove how serious she was, and she continued to look at Mallorie in silence. She remained unwavering, never hesitating on her words or faltering in her staring contest with the woman. It was enough of an answer for her: it meant that Catherine was dead serious. However, to Mallorie, only a fool would be dumb enough to just accept that without a fight.
"Have you lost your mind?" She snapped suddenly, approaching the shinobi and taking hold of her shoulders. Catherine instantly felt pressure against them both, indicating that Mallorie's grip was tightening. However, the shinobi suddenly found herself looking at the floor, unable to keep eye contact with the curly haired woman. "You expect me to allow you to go on your way to face them?!"
"Y-you know, s-s-she's right, Catherine," Usopp tried to chime in, visibly shaking out of fear. "M-maybe it's better if we all wait for Monroe to come back! I'm sure it's not that a big deal, right?" He paused as some of his crewmates looked at him, staring at him in a manner that made him think twice about his comment. "R-right?"
"I'm sorry, but...but I'm not going to stand by and allow something to happen to Monroe," Catherine calmly retorted, keeping her gaze fixated to the ground. "We don't know the truth about why they're here, anyway. The only two options we can think of is that they're either here for me," She turned her head toward Luffy, who did not seem to look in her direction once since Archer had arrived, "or they're here for the Straw Hat Pirates."
"Who cares about why they're here, Catherine?!" Mallorie scolded her, causing Catherine to finally look her in the eye once more. It was obvious that the woman was on the verge of breaking down, and it made the shinobi grimace. She hated seeing her cry like this. "If they don't know that you're here, then confronting them is the worst possible thing to do! You're better off staying here where you'll be safe."
"But...but what about Luffy and his crewmates?" Catherine questioned calmly. "I may have only just gotten to know them, but there's no way I could live with myself if something happened to them."
"They're pirates! They can handle themselves just fine, and they have thus far!" Mallorie glanced at them. "Did you not hear all of the things they've endured? The people they've gone up against? This is nothing to them! You, on the other hand," She looked back at Catherine, "there's no telling what could happen if they caught you!"
"But I...I..." Catherine tried to protest, but she was unable to find the right words. Instead, she clenched her hands and absentmindedly chewed on her lower lip nervously.
Mallorie's grip tightened even more as she shut her eyes tightly, bowing her head so that she could hide her face from view.
"I know you want to look after them, and I know you want to do what you can to keep them safe," she began slowly, "but Camille is right. This doesn't feel right at all. And I..." She began to shake, a clear sign that she was now crying, "I don't wanna take any risks...! Especially not with my husband and...and you..." Catherine remained silent, watching her maternal figure break down right before her eyes. She felt helpless, responsible for putting Mallorie in this state, and it felt like she had no way of consoling her without making matters worse. "You know too well...that I was hoping this day wouldn't come," The blonde woman proceeded. Then, she slowly raised her head to look Catherine in the eye, tears now streaming down her face. Catherine continued to keep quiet as she watched the woman place a gentle hand against the shinobi's cheek, brushing it gently with her thumb. "That the Marines wouldn't come and...and take our little girl away from us. The little girl that has brought so much joy into our lives...when we were incapable of starting one of our own."
"Mallorie..." Catherine found her voice, but she was unable to go on. Once again, she had no way of reacting. How could she comment on that without hurting her even more?
Suddenly, Mallorie's eyes narrowed in what seemed to be anger, though the tears continued to form in her eyes.
"And it's the fault of that damned clan," she hissed before lowering her head once more, keeping her hand against Catherine's cheek. "If those Marines weren't stupid enough to believe every little rumor they heard about people they know next to nothing about, then...then maybe none of this would be happening! Maybe...if they knew you in the way that we do, you'd be able to live your life without having to carry the burden of being considered...one of them." She inhaled, trying to calm herself as best as she could but to no avail. "Just because...just because you have their blood in your veins...just because you share their name...doesn't make you anything less than the human being that you are. And I would never forgive myself if I allowed you to go out there and let something happen because others refused to believe that."
Catherine grimaced at that before shifting her gaze away, trying to find the right words to say in response.
Mallorie had a valid point. Catherine knew too well that she had done nothing to warrant having a bounty other than being alive. Her only crime that she had committed was leaving Dawn Island without her best friend, but even then it seemed like she was forgiven. As for the World Government, however, it was a whole different story. It was just as Mallorie had said: If the Marines had taken more time to prove or disprove rumors rather than go after every individual with the surname of "Morikawa," then maybe Catherine would not be in the predicament she was in now. If that was the reason for their arrival, that is. Perhaps, if the government did their research a bit more and asked the people that may have been associated with the clan for themselves, then they would be able to learn more about them rather than just assume they were dangerous.
However, despite all of that, Catherine understood why the Marines could not do such a thing no matter how much they wanted to do so since the beginning. The government had no way of knowing the truth without ending up lost, or worse killed, at sea, be it by the sea kings that lurked the depths or by the shinobi of the clan themselves. No one knew where they lived and thrived, and if they did, the answers were more than likely to be found at the bottom of the ocean. As far as they knew, not a single member of the clan was found outside of their home. At least, as far as Catherine knew, members were not supposed to leave without facing serious consequences. Even if they did leave, however, the World Government had no idea where to start tracking them. They had no way of knowing the real story without risking more lives or wasting more of their time searching the waters aimlessly, and Catherine was sure that it was going to get old far too quickly. Instead, in their minds, it was easier and much safer to heed the stories of survivors and go from there, disregarding if it was fact or fiction and simply focusing on keeping peace and serving justice in the world.
Having those thoughts caused Catherine to clench her hands tightly once more before looking at Mallorie, who was doing everything in her power to keep herself from breaking down in front of everyone.
"You know...the Marines don't care, Mallorie..." She found her voice once again. Mallorie remained silent, seemingly unable to form a sentence and allowing Catherine to continue. "As much as I hate telling you that, you and I both know that just hearing my name, knowing where I hail from, is more than enough for them to assume. They'll think I'm dangerous, that I'm a threat that they can't risk keeping around for too long." Her head lowered as her eyes narrowed. "That's probably why I have this bounty on my head in the first place. Because they haven't taken the chance to hear someone out that may know a thing or two about her family instead of assuming the worst." Catherine paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts as she looked at Mallorie again. She felt a sense of determination growing within her, and it was evident from the look in her eyes. "But maybe...if I give them that chance, then maybe I can change things. It may not convince a lot of them, but at least they'll see that I'm not a threat and possibly listen to what I need to say. Besides," she smiled warmly, "I'd much rather take the risk of them learning about my presence rather than have them find out about Luffy and his crew. It's the least I can do for them. Don't you think?"
Mallorie said nothing. It was as if all the energy she had to respond back could not come to her, much like Catherine before, and all she could to was stand there in silence. Catherine knew it was a hard pill for her to swallow, but what she had said was the truth. At least, as far as Catherine knew, it was.
From Catherine's understanding, the Marines had always come off as a group that shot first and asked questions later. Not once since she had left her home did she feel like an encounter with the Marines would end on a positive note, especially if they had the knowledge – or lack thereof – of who and what her clan may have been. She did well to hide from them whenever they stopped by, but on the few occasions where escape was impossible, she hid her appearance as best as she could, almost as if she was expecting at least one of them to know. When she absently inquired about their thoughts on the clan, it was like they did not have the time or patience to do more thorough research about them, and if they did, they did not seem to care at all. As far as they were concerned, anyone that was even remotely deemed to be a threat to the government - or the world as a whole - had to be eradicated. No questions asked.
Those feelings alone were enough for Catherine to make such a bold decision on such short notice. Maybe, if she was given this opportunity, she would be able to show them the truth. The young shinobi shared the surname of said clan, after all; therefore, if she were successful in proving herself, it would give them proof that not every clansman was as dangerous as the world made them out to be. Granted, it was hard to fight against the rumors that still circulated, but at least she had a chance to prove a small group of people wrong. In her mind, it was a small step toward a progressive future, especially if it meant protecting not just the people of the island but her new friends as well.
It was risky, but it was a risk that Catherine was willing to take.
After what seemed like an eternity, the feeling of Mallorie's hands on Catherine's shoulders vanished, releasing the young maiden from her grip, before she took a small step back. It was a sign that told Catherine she was free to do as she wished without the pressure of being stopped. Catherine tried to give her a reassuring look, let her know that everything was going to be okay, yet the blonde woman refused to look at her. Mallorie knew that what Catherine was thinking was insane, but she also knew there was no way to convince the shinobi otherwise without going blue in the face. It was not out of stubbornness – not much, anyway – but rather due to the sense that it was something Catherine needed to do. How could Mallorie stand in the way of Catherine's possible calling and unyielding desire to protect those she deeply cared for?
It made her wonder which one of Catherine's biological parents gave her this trait.
"Catherine..." The familiar voice of Luffy broke the silence before it could settle any longer. Long gone was the jovial ring in his voice that Catherine had grown used to, replaced by a tone that she knew all too well, a tone she was not fond of in the slightest.
"If you intend to follow me, don't," she quickly informed him before he had the chance to continue. "It's just as I said before. I would rather take the risk of the Marines knowing about my presence rather than to have them find out about you. Neutral ground will mean nothing to them if they found out a group of notorious pirates were here, let alone the Straw Hats." Catherine's eyes narrowed. "They'll do whatever they need to do just to bring you in, and I won't allow that to happen." Luffy said nothing, remaining silent as if he was waiting for her to finish what she had to say. Before the silence could set in, however, Catherine turned to face him and his crew and gave them a reassuring smile. She took note of the fact that Luffy was not facing her, and his hat had been tilted downward to shield his eyes from view. "I know that you want to help, but please. I want you to stay here until it's safe to show yourselves. And..." She grinned, though it felt exceedingly painful to do. "I promise...that once this is all over, I'll be more than happy to go with you all...and be a part of your crew."
With that said, she bowed respectfully and excused herself, moving past Mallorie swiftly. Upon approaching the door, she picked up her weapon – a katana – that sat near the door in case of emergencies before taking her leave.
It was after the door had shut behind Catherine that silence had taken over once more. At first, it seemed like an uneasy, tense feeling was hanging in the air, practically suffocating everyone in the room. However, that was before Mallorie suddenly began chuckling softly, seemingly to herself than anything else. She raised her hand to wipe the remaining tears from her face before sighing. It was almost in a manner of content were it not for the fact that she was still worried about Catherine's safety.
"And here I thought," she muttered, slowly lifting her head to look at the Straw Hats, all of whom were smiling and directing their attention to their captain, "that she knew you better than anyone sitting in this room." Mallorie smiled faintly as she noted the very distinct grin on the dark haired captain's face. "She, of all people, should know that you're not gonna listen to a damn thing she just said."
"Shishishi…"
The cool, dark eyes of Monroe stared at the group of Marines slowly approaching from the docks, keeping his demeanor calm and collected as he looked down every individual man that resided in the seemingly small army of men. The town felt eerily quiet as he made his way to the docks. It was as if it had suddenly become a ghost town, completely void of any and all life. Word seemed to spread like wildfire of the Marines' arrival on Sila Island, and many people had made the quick decision to close down their shops early. Some people were looming about and watching what was about to unfold, though, but from the looks of it, they were still considering the idea that they, too, should leave town for a while. They knew the Marines being in town only meant trouble, even if the island was considered a neutral ground for all that set foot on it. More often than not, though, it meant that there was something wrong. What that could have been was, unfortunately, unclear for Monroe, which only made things much more troubling for him and the people around him.
After some time, the mayor watched the group stop a short distance away, standing in a salute as the first Marine at the front – no doubt the captain based on the coat hanging off his shoulders – continued to move forward. Despite his seemingly youthful features, Monroe was confident that the captain was at least in his early to mid-thirties. His black hair, slicked back and maintained save for a few stragglers sticking out and just barely hovering over his green eyes, was well hidden underneath a standard Marine hat. His skin was lighter than Monroe's, though it was evident that he spent a good amount of time outdoors. Underneath the standard coat was a traditional Marine uniform, nothing special or unique about it. Taking off the coat would have made him look like any of his other subordinates.
The appearance of this captain, however, was the least of Monroe's concerns. His presence, alongside the presence of the other officers, was what piqued his interest the most.
"Evenin', boys," the mayor spoke, doing his best to try and remain pleasant despite how he felt on the inside. "Haven't seen a lot o' the boys in white these days. Welcome to our island."
Monroe never disliked the Marines, a comment that had earned him a hard look or scolding from Mallorie more often than not. In his mind, he had no reason to despise them as others did. He knew well that they were just doing their jobs as officers working for the government, taking orders from higher ups without much thought or concern for the purpose behind it other than keeping order. That was how things worked with the Marines. No one asked questions, and they would just get the job done as soon as possible.
That being said, the least he could do was be a bit respectful despite being given no legitimate reason as to why they were there. Maybe, if he played along with them, he could avoid a conflict, and they would be on their way off the island.
The Marine captain gave a salute of his own, paying his own respects to the mayor of the town, before standing straight once more.
"I take it you are the mayor of this town, yes?" The captain asked, getting straight to the point and avoiding the chit chat. Monroe had no complaints about that; he wanted to get it over with, too, so that things may return to normal once more. He did not like seeing the people he looked after so fearful.
"That's right," the mayor responded, keeping his chin up while remaining focused on the captain. "And what brings you folks to Sila Island today? I was informed that it was a matter of importance but never told what it was."
"If it's possible, sir," the captain spoke, "I'd like to discuss this matter in private." He glanced at the remaining civilians, noting their expressions. "As much as I don't want to look suspicious in front of these people, I'd rather not worry them any further than they may already be."
"They're worried enough now that they know you're here," Monroe retorted bluntly. "Besides, they got a right to know what's goin' on in their town, and I'd rather not keep that information from 'em." His eyes narrowed as the captain looked back at him. "Now, with all due respect, would ya mind statin' yer business?"
The captain looked at him for a long moment before a smirk formed on his lips.
"Eager to get straight to the point, I see?" He commented before chuckling. "I suppose that will make things quicker." Monroe's expression did not change as the captain began ruffling through his coat. "We've come on such short notice because we've been informed of a criminal passing through here."
"Criminals come and go as they please 'round these parts," Monroe pointed out. "You're gonna have to be more specific with that."
"But of course," the captain replied. After a moment, he pulled out a folded paper – from the looks of it, it was a wanted poster, which made Monroe's heart beat faster with anticipation – and held it in front of his face. "The criminal in which we speak of is considered to be a serious threat to the World Government and to the world itself. More so than any pirate that currently exists."
"Sounds like an exaggeration to me," the mayor stated blandly. "I can think o' several pirates on the Grand Line that are far more dangerous than you could possibly imagine."
The captain smirked at that.
"If I'm going to be honest, sir, I can't help but agree with that statement..."
"So, who is this supposedly dangerous criminal?" Monroe quickly went on to ask, trying to keep things moving. "I sure would like to help you folks out as much as I can."
His expression gave away he was not interested in the slightest in what the Marines were up to, but unbeknownst to everyone there, his heart was pounding against his chest rapidly. It was reminiscent to that of a banging drum, and he feared everyone would be able to hear it.
He had a hunch as to who the man may have been referring to; no doubt they would resort to exaggerations in an attempt to frighten people so they could talk. Unfortunately, as he stood there, Monroe knew he was going to have trouble figuring out how to get them off the island without giving away anything important. All of the possibilities ran through his mind – possible scenarios and solutions – but just thinking about it made him tense with anxiety. He wondered if the captain could sense this, but judging from his next move it did not seem to be the case.
The captain did not waste any more time as he unfolded the poster and turned it around, showing the face of the "dangerous" criminal" to the mayor. Monroe had to squint his eyes a bit to get a better view of the image due to his distance, but when his eyes adjusted, he used everything in his power to keep himself from showing any visible signs of terror and astonishment.
"The criminal in question is the one known as Catherine Morikawa, a shinobi of the Morikawa Clan," the captain stated. "Have you heard of her?"