DISCLAIMER: No sir, I do not own One Piece.

Chapter 10: Ryder Returns

"Ryder!"

The assassin turned to look at the intruder, her wicked eyes running over the familiar straw hat before settling her heavy gaze on the raven-haired captain and his pink-haired companion beside him. "Ahoy captain," she remarked sardonically, mentally breaking Luffy's spine in half for interrupting her. "As you can see I'm a bit busy here."

"You don't have to do this." Luffy responded evenly. "Come with me, join my crew and come with us to Sky Island. We can help you."

"How can you help me?" She laughed bitterly. "You don't know anything about me." Ryder snarled, her hold on the Bellamy pirates increasing under her rage causing several strangled groans to filter through the air. Luffy was increasingly aware of the situation, although he didn't understand how the assassin was doing it. It was clear that he needed to calm her down somehow so no more harm would come to the pirates even though the undeniably deserved whatever she had in store for them.

Luffy wasn't sure how to answer her question and so a pout formed on his lips. She was right, he nor the crew knew anything about her. Nor did the captain have any idea how he was going to help her when he didn't even know what exactly she was going through. Ryder was certainly more stubborn than the rest of his friends when it came to accepting help, even more so than Zoro and that was saying something. Luffy bowed his head, the brim of his famous straw hat shielding his obsidian eyes from view as he looked down at the gravel road.

The Straw Hat captain was well aware that the assassin didn't want his help. She had made it more than obvious and had bluntly stated to Sanji only hours ago but none of that matter to Luffy. Her ability to keep things locked up was admirable, but saddening to him. If his friend was in trouble, he was going to help regardless of she wanted, that was just how Luffy functioned. "I know that you're not evil Ryder." His voice almost seemed to disappear among the rough winds. "You don't have to do this." He repeated. "Let them go."

It wasn't often that the assassin's face betrayed what she thought; Ryder usually wore an expression of amusement or solemnity but even her carefully neutral features couldn't hide her eyes, which sometimes revealed her true thoughts. Luffy could see the inner struggle behind her guarded blue irises, and he didn't like it. He wasn't sure what had happened to cause the assassin to react so violently and Luffy didn't want to know because he undoubtedly would have let her finish what she had started.

Ryder's eyes narrowed furiously at the ground, her fist clenching tighter and causing the pirates to cry out before slackening her hold and shutting her eyes. The sound of the pirates greedily welcoming air back into their lungs assaulted the assassin's ears. Ryder was every bit of the ruthless assassin she was portrayed as. She takes what she wants and listens to no one so why of all times to decide to listen to someone did she choose now? Was it because the assassin knew, deep down, that regardless of their actions, they didn't deserve death? Of course not.

She should have ended them. She should have made them feel her wrath. It was extremely rare that Ryder had decided not to kill, and she probably would have if not for Luffy. It was the easiest way for the assassin to rid of her problems. Her eyes snapped back open as she shifted her gaze to Bellamy who was still crumpled in the same position she left him, blistered lips silently begging for her to return his sustenance.

Ryder's eyes narrowed again, her rage building in her core and spreading throughout her veins as she stared at the man who had tried to control her. He wanted to use her for power like the Marines had tried to do. Her fingers curled inwards to her palm reflexively, the water hovering above her hand coming to her call and sliding between her digits. The assassin should have foreseen Bellamy's betrayal from the start. She should have picked up on it, but she had been blinded by his masked friendship. She should have known. Ryder had no reason to trust others, not when so many had proven to her that she was only a pawn in their quest.

A warm hand enclosed around her shoulder causing blue eyes to clash with black as she glared at the straw hatted captain who nodded to her. With one final glance at the blonde captain, she flicked her fingers, sending the water flying towards Bellamy and bringing his dehydrated form back to life.

Ryder roughly jerked her shoulder from the boy's hand and with her back turned towards them, she began to walk away. She shouldn't have lost control like she did. The assassin very seldom let her emotions overrule her judgments, the events she had lived through taught her to reason everything with a level head. Emotions only made things more difficult, they clouded perspectives and made people weaker, which was precisely why she had trained herself to remain void of them.

With unsteady legs, Bellamy was pulled to his feet with help from Sarkies, the two men scowling resentfully in the direction of the retreating assassin along with the rest of the crew. Instead of being sensible and accepting the assassin's consideration not to kill them, although forced, they were offended that she had the nerve to attack them. Bellamy wasn't going to let her get away that easy, not after everything had gone through. "Where do you think you're going?" The blonde questioned, his voice horase from the lack of water only moments ago and his tone practically radiating authority.

"My stay on this island is over." She returned heatedly as she continued to walk, her body screaming for her to go back and slice the haughty smirk from his face.

"You have nothing!" The captain snarled as he jerked forward from Sarkies' grip. "No family, no friends and if you think these pathetic fools can actually help you, then think wrong! You're an outsider, Ryder, a dark entity. You're nothing but a worthless escaped government project who failed! Maybe I should contact the World Government and tell them of your location?"

Ryder stopped in her tracks.

"If I can't have you, nobody can!" Bellamy growled as his eyes narrowed on Luffy. He wasn't going to let his ultimate form of power slip away from him, not when he was so close. The new era of pirates was coming, and he needed to have her on his crew. He needed to be the strongest. He couldn't let Straw Hat or anyone else have her.

"What are you talking about?" Luffy demanded as his shadowed eyes narrowed at the crazed captain. "I'm her friend and I won't let you do anything to hurt her!"

"Oh yes I forgot this fool doesn't know anything about you, does he Ryder?" Bellamy arched a blonde eyebrow as he began to take measured steps towards Luffy, circling him like a scavenger would a carcass "Why don't I shed some light on your sad tale?"

"Shut your fucking mouth Bellamy." Ryder snapped as she turned around so she could stare at the lunatic man.

"Such a vulgar mouth on you Ryder." Bellamy bit back with a grin dancing across his lips. "Or should I call you by your real name, Project One."

"Ryder?" Luffy glanced at his friend; confusion etched into his features.

"Arrested on Arker Island for the assassination of Marine Captain Masao at the tender age of eight years old and then later moved to a secret location for testing. Our dear Ryder was the prime subject for the government's program; she was fierce, determined and unbreakable. Fine qualities the World Government looks for in any Marine. Everything sound correct so far Ryder?" Bellamy questioned, which caused several others to laugh. "Oh of course not, you don't remember any of that do you?"

Ryder's hands clenched at her side once more, her knuckles turning white as her fingers itched to wedge her swords through the blonde-haired captain's chest.

"I found all this out for her when she stumbled into Mock Town with no memory." Bellamy continued on with a menacing grin, his eyes glazing over the assassin whom he noticed was now trembling with what he assumed was rage. "Long story short Straw Hat, she's nothing but trouble. She's an escaped government project with no memory. The Marines have been looking for her for years, and I'm sure they'd pay a hefty sum to have her back."

The ocean rocked so forcefully against Jaya that the Saruyama Alliance almost had to stop construction of the Going Merry for fear over being lost in the waters clutch. A clap of thunder rumbled across the sky and the wind picked up. Nami lifted her head skywards to peer at the dreary weather. All she saw was a blanket of grey stretching for miles, casting the gloom that was laid over the surrounding land. The wind roughly blew her orange locks into disarray as she tried in vain to tuck a few errant strands behind her ear. Lightning splintered across the clouds in a livid display as blue eyes narrowed at Bellamy's dark ones. "Letting your emotions get the better of you Project One? Tisk tisk."

"I'm not interested in money." Luffy said. "And none of that matters to me. Ryder is my friend, and that won't change."

"How sweet." Bellamy spat in disgust. "However, it seems we're at a standstill here Straw Hat because I'm not going anywhere without my assassin."

"You don't own me!" Ryder thundered, the last of her self-restraint slipping as she charged towards the pirates. The assassin's eyes burned with a rage that mirrored that of the most powerful flames, her smirk so bone chilling that Bellamy actually took a hesitant step back. She swung her arm in front of her casting a large wave of water the forcefully threw the Bellamy pirates back several miles; the deafening thumps of bodies hitting the ground shattering the silence.

Ryder gazed angrily at Luffy, an unsympathetic expression on her face. "They're still alive." She said as she pushed pass the captain. "Barely."

Muret took that as her cue to leave, giving a silent look to Ryder before deliberately taking slow steps in the direction of her fellow crew. If anyone were to ask the doctor if the crew deserved what they got, she'd say yes and no, she'd say that they should consider themselves lucky that they escaped with only scrapes and minor damage to their bones. Now if anyone were to ask the doctor if Bellamy deserved what he got, she'd nod her head without hesitation. The captain should have been wiser and known his limits, that not even he could begin to comprehend her power or how to control it. He had been a fool from the beginning to think Ryder would ever help him in such a ridiculous pursuit. Muret shook her head, was she the only practical one in the crew?

As Luffy watched Ryder leave in the direction of the docks, he knew that he had to stop her. He had made a promise, and Luffy never broke his promises. He wound his arm back once, letting his muscles give before stretching his arm towards the assassin, rubber fingers gently gripping her shoulder and stopping her. "Was everything he said true?"

"What does it matter?" Ryder asked, her head turning slightly but not enough so he could see her face. "There's nothing you can do to help me."

"Yes there is." Luffy shot back. "You can travel with us. We can help you find out your past. Chopper's a great doctor; he can help and Robin-"

"It doesn't work like that unfortunately." Her lips twitched marginally but a smile never came to her lips. "I'll only create problems for your crew, don't you understand that? Bellamy wasn't lying when he said the World Government is looking for me. They'll never stop."

"That doesn't matter to me; you're my friend." He grinned brightly as he retracted his arm and started to walk towards her. "Besides, I promised gramps that I would make you join."

Ryder huffed crossly. "He seems to think that a runt like you can help me, but I don't see how. This is my problem, no one else's. I have to do this on my own. I can't have anyone weighing me down."

The assassin was furious that people aside from Joe and Cricket knew about her past. It enraged her so much that she wanted to go back and finish off Bellamy for everything he had caused and slaughter the rest of the crew, so they could never utter a word about her. Unfortunately, Ryder knew none of that was possible. Her ocean eyes roved longingly over the docks, wishing she could escape the persistent captain and disappear.

"Why do it on your own when you have us to help you?" Luffy asked uncomprehendingly.

The assassin finally turned to look the captain in the eyes, her fierce blue orbs trying to convey the danger she carried with her. "I'm dangerous Luffy." She hoped using his real name would convey the significance of her words. "You'll all be at risk with me around. I don't want that weight on my shoulders. I have enough blood on my hands; I don't need any more." Her eyes lowered to the ground; her teeth clenched as her finger's bit into her palms. If he wouldn't listen to her anger, maybe he would listen to the truth.

"Trust us."

"Trust?" Ryder barked out a bitter laugh as her eyes snapped back up to Luffy. "Why should I? I trusted a band of pirates before and they left me completely alone in this world to save their own skins. I trusted Bellamy and look what became of that. Why should I trust anyone when I have only ever been deserted and betrayed?"

Luffy was at a loss again on how to answer. Hwas a man of actions, no fore-thoughts or regrets; he simply did what he thought was right. He could show rather than explain. "Join my crew and you'll see."

Ryder's eyebrows knitted together in surprise. "Aren't you afraid of death?"

"No, I'm not afraid to die!" Luffy declared with a confident grin. "Trust me and trust in my crew."

Ryder's stomach tightened with an unexplainably pleasant feeling that she couldn't quite describe, but it only made her feel worse. Her bottom lip caught in between her teeth as she chewed on it unnervingly, fighting against the roaring emotions that were rumbling in her stomach. The assassin had dealt with plenty of death before, never once had it bothered her or managed to upset her but somehow the thought of being responsible for the Straw Hat crews untimely demise was somewhat unsettling to her and that bothered her even more.

It wasn't like she particularly cared for them, they had only been together a day but that was enough to aggravate the assassin and make her feel responsible if anything were to happen to them. Which was exactly why Ryder chose to keep her distance from people; it was safer for both them and her.

"Fine," she eventually admitted with great regret. She knew Luffy wouldn't let her go regardless of what she told him. The assassin wasn't keen on having more blood on her hands, but the raven-haired boy was adamant on having her for reasons she was yet to discover. She knew he was too kindhearted to want her for her powers, so what did he want from her? Surely there had to be something. "If you want to be foolish enough to have me, then so be it." Her lips curved into a smirk. "But don't expect me to apologize for anyone's death."

If Luffy was bothered by her words, he didn't show it and instead just nodded his head to show he understood. Ryder was surprised that he still wanted her on his crew even with the risk she posed. It somewhat comforted the assassin, although she would never admit it. As far as Ryder could remember, no one had ever wanted to bother with her aside from Bellamy because of her past and the threat she carried. She was like a beacon, beckoning for trouble to follow her wherever she went and the fact that Luffy didn't care about any of that made Ryder's stomach churn again with that unexplainable feeling.

Somewhere deep within the depths of the assassin's heart, it felt relieving to have someone know of her story, of her struggle. It made Ryder feel less alone. She glanced briefly at Luffy as they walked, wondering if he was rethinking his decision.

The assassin figured she had nothing else to lose and nowhere else to go so her best bet was to travel with the Straw Hat crew. She would buy her time; she would wait, but she would not stay with them forever. That she swore to herself. She couldn't. She was already putting them and herself in more danger.

"You said before that you didn't believe in dreams." Luffy reminded sympathetically, his eyes still trained on the path before them. "I know you were lying. Everyone has a dream so tell me yours?"

Ryder looked at the young boy carefully. "I don't have any dreams." She responded. "Or maybe I did before I lost my memories, who knows, but I don't have any now. There's no reason for me to believe in anything."

"Tell me." Luffy insisted.

The assassin said nothing for some time as Luffy watched her intently. She didn't understand his obsession of dreams; they were meaningless to her.

"Everyone has one, it's what drives us."

"Your point?" Ryder retorted.

"You may not see it yet, but I will do everything to help you find your past and help you achieve your dream." Luffy said as he squeezed her shoulder in what he hoped was a reassuring gesture. The captain was never any good with those kinds of things.

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see." She replied, a genuinely content smirk making its way to her lips as she looked to her captain. "But for now, it looks like you're stuck with me captain."

Luffy gave her one of his famous grins; her smile was all the answer he needed.

"Where the hell is he!" Nami hissed as she stared impatiently at the mouth of the forest, she shifted her leg over the other, one hand raked anxiously through her orange-colored locks while the other supported her head. "He should have been back by now."

"He probably got lost." Usopp shrugged as he continued to hammer more nails into the lumber before him, his concentration dwindling with each complaint Nami made. "You know how he is."

"What if he's hurt! What if he's bleeding somewhere and needs our help!" The little reindeer cried from his spot on Cricket's back, the old man ignoring his whines and keeping focus on the brass structure before him. Chopper jumped to his hooves and started to pace back and forth in front of the crew, his young mind conjuring up all the gruesome possibilities that Luffy could be in at the moment. Although Cricket knew better, the Straw Hat captain had too much determination in him to be defeated by the likes of the blonde bastard.

"It's Luffy." The swordsman deadpanned as he helped the Utan Divers fit the brass brace around the main mast; his back turned to the navigator and so missing the lethal glare she was sending him.

"I'm still going to kill him." Nami snapped offhandedly as she stood up. "If we miss our chance to reach the illustrious Sky Island, I will never forgive him."

"That shitty bastard better hurry up." Sanji grumbled, an angry puff of smoke bursting out of his cigarette. "No one disappoints my Nami-swan."

"Why didn't you go with Luffy?" Nami yelled suddenly, her heated stare returning to the swordsman who was now looking at her. "He could have been back by now if you went with him!"

"He didn't want me to." Zoro retorted, irritation seeping into his tone. "Besides, what's your problem? Fight, don't fight, go, don't go, make up your damn mind! I can't handle your mood swings."

Nami's eyes narrowed further as she huffed in annoyance. "You're just scared!" She barked even though the navigator knew that wasn't the case. She just needed an outlet for her frustration and Zoro was the perfect target at the moment. "I mean, those guys did beat you the first time around." She grinned wickedly as she watched Zoro's dark eyes narrow.

He knew she was just challenging his patience but it still irritated him all the same "You don't get it do you? They didn't beat us." He explained, attempting to hide the frustration in his tone. The swordsman wasn't going to give Nami the satisfaction of knowing she succeeded in aggravating him. "Refusing to fight doesn't mean that we were afraid." He shook his head. "When there's no reason to fight the only way to win is to stand down."

"Yeah, stand down, really brave." She countered sardonically as she leaned against the railing, her wicked smile still playing on her lips.

Zoro balled his free hand angrily, the Utan Divers discreetly yet cautiously moving away from the swordsman out of fright. If that was how she wanted to play, then fine. "Even Ryder was smart enough to figure that out." He responded, the corners of his lips forming into a smirk as he watched the navigator's face nearly turn red. The swordsman wasn't complimenting the assassin, not in the slightest, but he knew comparing Nami to her would make the navigators blood boil.

"How dare you compare ME to HER!" Nami shouted as she slammed her fists against the railing.

"Besides, you don't even know anything about fighting anyway so just shut the hell up!" Zoro shouted back in equal anger as he banged his fist against the mast, causing several of the Utan Divers to run away in terror.

"Don't tell me to shut up, you shut up!" Nami retorted lamely but refused to back down.

"Guys." Usopp called weakly, with a defeated shake of his head. "We're trying to fix the ship, not damage her more."

"Are they always like this?" Cricket questioned gruffly as he looked over to the sharpshooter who nodded.

"You're a moron; it's not like you listen to anyone anyway!"

"Yeah and you're nothing but a money-hungry thief!"

"So?!"

Zoro and Nami glared heatedly at each, both running out of insults but too stubborn to just give up the fight. Robin would have almost applauded them for their will if they had not been so disrupting. "I'm sure captain-san will be here soon." Robin smiled kindly at the two, her book closed on her lap seeing as she could no longer concentrate with the navigator and swordsman yelling.

"He better be for his sake." Nami grumbled irritably, throwing one last fiery look at Zoro before returning to her seat.

"However, until then, you'll all need to shut your traps, so we can continue our work." Cricket reprimanded idly as he hammered another bolt into the structure. How the hell Ryder was going to deal with these pirates was a question not even he could answer.

The Straw Hat pirates nodded in agreement, each member of the crew returning to their original duties in a thankful silence. Robin listened quietly, her eyes scanning over the pages of her book but her mind not bothering to process them as the winds rattled the trees around them and lightning danced across the sky like angry whips. Her gaze shifted from the black-and-white parchment, her curious blue eyes roving over the crew briefly before settling her sight on the water.

The sea was surprisingly tame now compared to earlier when they had all nearly been thrown overboard. Something was off about the weather on Jaya and the way the waters acted as if they were influenced by some type of strange force, it was all puzzling to the archaeologist, but she hadn't conjured up anything yet to confirm her suspicions. All she could do for now was wait and see how everything panned out.

"Do you think Luffy will come back with Ryder?" Chopper asked quietly, his inquisitive eyes looking to Usopp, who was a few feet away from him before shifting to the rest of the crew.

"I'm not sure doctor-san." Robin responded after some time, seeing as no one else had decided to answer the curious reindeer.

"I hope so." Chopper smiled as he looked back to Cricket again who was visibly engrossed in his work but undoubtedly listening. "I think she's nice." He said aloud without meaning too but he meant it. Despite the terror he felt upon hearing she defeated Zoro and the fact that she sauntered around like a predator, which was possibly something only he noticed due to being an animal himself; she was a nice person.

"But she seems a little off." Usopp commented, careful to choose his words wisely for fear of Cricket. "I can't be the only one who noticed."

"She's definitely off alright." Nami agreed contemptuously.

"Like she's hiding something." Usopp continued.

"Doesn't matter what she's hiding." Zoro's deep voice rumbled. "We'll find out what it is and deal with it when the time comes." And the swordsman could not wait for that day to come.

"In the meantime, we have to respect Luffy's decision as captain in wanting her to join." Sanji added, which caused the navigator to huff in annoyance. She knew he was right, but that didn't make it any less easy to accept. Something was off about Ryder and Nami could just tell she was going to be trouble for them. She silently wished the rest of the crew would understand that Luffy wasn't always right, but she knew that was a fleeting idea.

Nami's dislike for Ryder didn't just stem from her general undisclosed loathing for the girl, no, not at all.

"Ryder's a good kid. I promise." Cricket said as he removed his cigarette from his mouth.

Robin smiled warmly at the older man, genuinely believing him, despite the fact that she knew the assassin was indeed hiding something. Chopper nodded with a small smile, accepting Cricket's statement before making his way towards Masira and Shoujou, who were also in need of some minor medical attention.

"We'll see about that." Nami remarked before disappearing into the galley with Sanji following suit.

Zoro hammered irritably at the brass brace, the Utan Divers beside him trying to keep up with his furious pace. He was perhaps even more aggravated than the navigator at the possible prospect of Ryder returning and joining the crew. Zoro was not the trusting type and he trusted his instincts, which were telling him the assassin was bad news. It infuriated the swordsman even more that he still had not been able to figure anything out. Cricket's slip up about her file and the fact that she nearly dashed out of his house upon it being revealed did little to answer the questions he had. Nor did he forget about the unusual black letters scared onto the back of her neck, he had spotted earlier or the hostile way she responded when he asked about it.

For some unbelievable reason, he wanted to know. Whether it was out of sheer interest or for the safety of his crew, he wasn't willing to answer. All Zoro was positive on at the moment was that he would not trust her. She was a danger to his crew and still the enemy to him, regardless of if she joined or not.

He was going to find out what she was hiding.

Somnolent eyes watched as a golden ray appeared in the early morning sky, the large glowing sphere rising slowly into the dull atmosphere, casting sunbeams in every direction as it illuminated the small cove and surrounding island. It was the first thing to pierce the darkness, carrying with it the torch of a new day. It started as nothing but a small warm, rosy glow, completely humble compared to the magnificence of the silvery moon. Robin and Sanji sat in a comfortable silence, as they watched the ball of fire change from a dark orange to a light yellow as it began to bathe the earth in its warmth, moving across the sky with a grace of its own.

The crew hadn't been able to sleep well, not with the sounds of the Going Merry's repairs shattering the much needed silence for a peaceful slumber and so the cook had taken it upon himself to spend the sunrise with a lovely woman by his side. The vapors from his cigarette enclosed the archaeologist, steadying her mind as she let the sun warm her cool skin as if she were sitting in front of a roaring fire. The unexpected heat made Jaya come alive again after the previous day of cloud overlay and thunder.

When the skies cleared and the sun appeared at last, Nami was filled with a sudden joy. She felt like she'd gone deaf, with no thundering storm perpetually raging overhead. She felt like she'd gone blind, suddenly faced with an unfamiliar world bathed in brilliant light compared to the night before. Instinctively, Nami raised her hand over her forehead to shield her eyes. She looked over at her crew, a tired yawn escaping her lips as she observed them.

Usopp was on his back, sprawled out in the lush grass with Chopper curled cozily into his side, the two of them oblivious to the world as their soft snores flitted through the air while. Zoro sat Indian style, a few feet away from them with his katana's across his lap and his head bowed so he appeared to be napping but Nami knew he was most likely awake. Her gaze then shifted to Sanji who's eyes were closed, his elbow propped up against his thigh as his hand idly held his lit cigarette and then to Robin who merely smiled at her upon being noticed.

"It's already past sunrise and Luffy still isn't here." Nami stated, her tone laced with irritation.

As if on cue, an obnoxious 'hey' greeted the occupants of Cricket's cove, Usopp and Chopper snapping upwards at the disruptive sound as all eyes turned to the mouth of the forest where the Straw Hat captain came running into view followed by a more leisurely strolling Ryder. Brown eyes narrowed on the assassin who merely winked in return, a knowing smirk already plastered on her lips. Ryder was well aware that she wasn't wanted on the crew but decided on the walk over here that she was going to do her best to make Zoro and Nami's lives hell before she took her eventual leave. Of course she hadn't told Luffy that though.

"I did it guys!"

"Where the hell where you!" Nami screeched as she punched Luffy upside the head. "You were supposed to be back over two hours ago!"

"Ow Nami!" Luffy whined as he rubbed at his now tender head. "I had something really cool to show you but now I'm not!"

"I want to see!" Chopper shouted elatedly as he and Usopp both approached the captain.

"Me too!"

Luffy's grin widened as he pulled his hidden hand from behind his back to reveal the yellow-black beetle he had caught while within the forest much to Ryder's dismay. "It's Hercules! It took me forever to find it." His eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as waved the beetle back and forth. Chopper was the only one who seemed to be genuinely interested in it while Nami, Zoro, Usopp and Sanji just stared at their captain with blank faces. Robin, however, had expected as much from Luffy and so merely chuckled.

"YOU HAD US WAITING THIS LONG FOR A KABUTO BEETLE?" The navigator finally shouted after gaining composure.

"Well no." Luffy stated simply. "Ryder had to say goodbye to Joe and then I went looked for the beetle!" He finished his statement with another wide grin, clearly not seeing the damage in finding such a treasure.

"I thought you weren't going to join our crew?" Nami glared, her lips pulled into a scowl as she watched the assassin.

"The captain made a promise I couldn't pass up." She purred, her smirk never faltering from her face.

The sound of the assassin's sultry voice nearly had the cook doubling over in an emotional fit as he twirled his way over towards her, which had the swordsman snorting and rolling his eyes at the idiotic man. Sanji got down on one knee and with a bowed head took Ryder's hand into his. "Ah, my beautiful Ryder," he sang, "Only the exquisite sight of a beauty such as yours makes this humble cook's heart flutter like the wings of a hummingbird." He held her hand to his lips and kissed it lightly, earning a low growl from Cricket who was growing sick of men touching his practically adopted daughter.

Sanji was looking forward to having another beautiful flower on his crew to shower with love and affection.

"So you're really joining the crew?" Chopper questioned happily, his adorable smile infectious to the assassin as he approached her side, his bright eyes staring up at her. A small smile curved at her lips as she nodded to the reindeer. At least, she'd made a good impression on some members of the crew.

"I didn't really have much of a choice now did I?" Ryder responded, mockery lacing her tone as she glanced at the laughing captain.

"I wanted to say thanks kid," Cricket said suddenly as he stood and made his way towards Luffy, pushing Sanji away from Ryder in the process and earing him a 'watch it shitty bastard' in return. "You didn't have to do that for me." Whether he was referring to bringing back his gold or getting Ryder to join his crew, the captain wasn't exactly sure but still smiled all the same.

"And you didn't have to help us get to Sky Island or fix up our ship for us." Luffy grinned at the older man and then turned his sights to the newly repaired vessel, his eyes widening in shock as his jaw dropped. "IT'S SO AWESOME!"

"Introducing the Going Merry: Flying Model!" Usopp presented proudly as he stood before the ship.

The Saruyama Alliance had constructed several brass braces that were now attached to the place where Bellamy had rebounded off their ship and split open, along with several brace plates lining the port and starboard sides to reinforce the Merry. It was Shoujou's idea to decorate Merry with the rooster motif, giving her wings, a tail and decorative cowl with a cracked eggshell to hide the broken bit of her figurehead. The monkey brothers and Cricket had decided not to tell the Straw Hats how bad in condition their ship was and that it was possible she wouldn't make it much further after this adventure. They had equally decided not to spoil their excitement with such heartbreaking news.

"So it can really fly?!" The captain's eyes twinkled with awe and slight glint of mischief.

"Yeah!" Chopper nodded, equally excited. "They did this all for us!"

"I still think it looks stupid." Nami muttered, which caused Robin to chuckle softly.

Zoro dipped his head once in a nod, his arms crossed over his chest as he looked over their new ship. "For once I agree with you, a pigeon would have looked more sky worthy than a chicken."

"That's not the point idiot!" Nami hissed.

"There's no winning with you is there!" Zoro retorted heatedly, his loud boots stomping angrily against the plank as they boarded the ship, Ryder halfheartedly attempting to stifle her laughter as she followed behind him.

"Let's go!" Luffy bellowed, standing atop the newly repaired figurehead with a beaming smile on his face as Nami took to directing the crew. Sanji swiftly moved to the galley to steer, hearts in his eyes as Nami yelled at him while Zoro took to raising anchor still muttering about the shitty cook. Chopper and Usopp decided to unfurl the sails, the stark white sails billowing proudly against the breeze while Ryder and Robin watched as the ship slowly drifted out towards the open sea.

As the Going Merry took its position between Masira and Shoujou's ships, Ryder slipped away towards the stern watching as the water ripple softly behind the vessel as it went. Her ocean eyes drifted upwards towards Cricket's cove, dark eyes meeting her in a sad but happy glimpse. He was going to miss her, but he was happy to see her moving on and he knew Joe probably felt the same way. There was nothing left here for her besides a couple of old men.

He stubbed what seemed to be his eighteenth cigarette into the ash tray before standing up and giving a small nod to his favorite blue-haired kid. He knew the Straw Hat captain and his crew would be able to give her the friendship that she so desperately needed despite her objections that she needed no one. Cricket wasn't an idiot; he knew, deep down, that she was lonely. He knew one-day Luffy would go to the ends of the earth for Ryder without ever having to hear about her past because none of that mattered to him. The sooner the blue-haired girl realized that not everyone was out to get her and that there were still some good people in the world, the better she would be.

Even though it was basically forced and she had been reluctant to join them, he was proud of her. Proud, because she was moving on. Proud, because she was only going to grow stronger. Proud, because she was one step closer to discovering her past. Proud, because just maybe for the first time in her life, she would be able to trust others. Cricket was able to relay all those emotions into one look and that alone had the assassin's stomach twisting in that unexplainably happy feeling.

IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE!

Haha, well sort of. I just wanted to let everyone know that I deleted chapters 11-27 so there is no need to be alarmed! As of next chapter when I update, you all should receive notifications as long as you're following or favorited the story so you'll no longer be receiving PM'S from me saying I updated (Of course unless you want me too! :D)

I did this because 1. As much as I love you all dearly, it was getting to be too much to message everyone. I was messaging about roughly 50 or more every time I updated. 2. The second reason being that it was just plain confusing for newer readers who have just joined.

So that all being said, I hope no one is confused and everyone is okay with it. (: