Author's Note: It's like I have so much time to write, but I'm such a horrible procrastinator. I have so much stuff for One Piece and Naruto and so many others in the works though, haha. I'm still committed to finishing this story, so no worries. It won't be long now. Montage at the end.

The Vixen's Incidents of Debauchery won't be out for a while yet, I'm just waiting on my beta, but I'm in no rush to get it out.

Enjoy.

Chapter 20

She's extremely angry at her predicament. He's not even going to take her where she wants to go, he just expects her to sit back and enjoy his stupid company. "This whole hostage situation isn't really my thing. If you could just drop me off at the next inhabited island, I'm sure I could catch a ride back with some friendlier folk."

"Nonsense, you interest me now, Pet." Mihawk's eyes hold their own against hers, he does a rare thing, he smiles brightly.

Pet scowls at him and takes a step back, "Don't do that, it's creepy."

"How very rude you are!"

"Well," she shrugs as she sits cross-legged on the rocking little raft he calls his ship. She lays down and whines, "I'm bored!"

He shakes his head at her, "Just tell me where you want to go and I'll take you there. None of this 'I'll catch a ride with someone else' business."

"Then you'll figure it out and hate me! I'd rather you be unaware of who you're dealing with here. Your memory must be really bad though. Are you really that self absorbed?" Pet smirks at him as he frowns at her.

"I do not concern myself with unimportant matters."

She shrugs once more, "That's your opinion." She sighs and sits up to drape her long legs over his small transportation device. He's probably really confident about his package if he can have as small a ship as this. No overcompensation here.

You said it, not me. Why're you even thinking about him that way? Sicko.

Pet slaps her face, You're right! I just-... Oh my god! In comparison to that other one, his is probably... No! Stop this train of thought! Stop it! Why are they both fucking pirates!?

Pet turns to Mihawk with a flourish, "If you're so keen, just drop me off at the Marine Headquarters. That's where I reside in a homely fashion."

Mihawk laughs, "Good one. Seriously, where do you live?"

Pet glares while engaging in a mock laughter, "Ha Ha Ha..." She goes on to mutter, "But I wasn't joking." A sigh escapes her lips and she asks, "Instead, where were you headed?"

"Searching for an old rival, checking his usual hangouts."

Pet blinks at him, "Let's just do what you want to do and, along the way, I'm sure you'll figure it out."

He nods with a smirk sent her way. She continues staring at the sky as they sail calmly along. She watches a bird fly above them, when he asks, "What's your story?"

She can't stop herself from sighing, "That would be cheating, telling you all my secrets. You don't even know your own history."

"You said it was a legend, yet you talk as if it's truth. I don't believe your words."

"Just wait till I change into a dragon and then they'll all believe me. Sorry, I don't carry the documents with me at all times. It's all hush hush. I can't educate you, it'd be better if you saw for yourself."

Hawk-Eyes stares at her, I feel like I should regard her words as truth, yet she isn't clear. "You told me the legend, what's the true history?"

"The true history is the legend. People just think of it as all make-believe because it's so out there."

"What was their name, then?"

"... If I tell you, you have to keep it a secret..." Pet faces him and composes herself into a business-like persona.

His gaze narrows at her, "Very well, your secret is safe with me."

Pet loathes herself for having to correct him, "It's our secret. You're one too... An Uchiha." Pet sees the recognition spark behind his eyes. She smiles, "You have heard the name?"

He turns away, "A long time ago. That rival I was telling you about, who we're going to visit, he told me a story his Captain told him."

Pet sits back, Could this guy have some affiliation with Whitebeard? As her companion remembers the story, he turns to her finally. "What?" She asks as he begins a new line of thinking.

"Your hair is brown." A nod from her confirms this observation, he continues, "You said that all the Uchiha have black hair." Pet's frown deepens, she hesitates, but nods once more. "He told me his Captain said that the brown haired girl is a sort of chosen one among the clan. The top of the top, the foretold leader."

Pet nods her head as she confirms quietly, "Yes, that is how the story goes."

"Meaning you're a very important woman, if you are who you say you are."

Pet shakes her head, "Not really, I mean... The last brunette didn't do very well, so my people don't trust me to really help them, this time around."

"What do you mean?"

"During the Void Century, she failed them and they were all forced into hiding. Some of the other branches decided to remain where they were, which explains your presence outside the village, but it doesn't explain how you're expressing those traits. The traits are supposed to go dormant after mating outside the clan. You're an enigma."

Pet tried and failed to turn the conversation back on him, he returns with, "The Void Century? Help them with what?"

"I don't know...yet. It's my fate to lead them, but I doubt they'll let me and, honestly, I don't want to. I'd rather take care of it myself without involving them." She picks at the frayed edges of her shorts. Mihawk sits back in his chair, thinking deeply.

His eyes search Pet's expression as she avoids his gaze. "How are you so sure they wouldn't place their faith in you? Aren't you kind of their only hope in times of horrible unrest? Isn't that your purpose?"

She stops her fidgeting as an eerie calm settles over her, "They expected too much and were let down. I'm still only human. I could die tomorrow and where would that leave them? Another let down. I'm doing my best, but what if it's not enough?" Her body shakes but Mihawk can't pinpoint her emotions since her face is hidden from him. Only until he meets her red eyes and her expression of rage does he see the pent up anger, "What did they ever do for me?! Why do I have to worry about their shit!? Why give up my dream!?" Images of her older brothers and their children flash through her mind, she buries her face in her hands. "Yuki's mistake taught me that she had too many distractions. I'm desperately trying to not repeat it!" Flashbacks bombard the wall that separates her emotions from her heart, it crumbles beneath the weight of love. The arrows which Cupid shoots hold a power that can match no other, her other family, the people she's met and bonded with along the way hold so much more weight. They earned her trust and love. She can't just leave them for a duty to people who've barely shown any kindness or caring, they had to be separated and left to boil and stew before they realized.

"Pet..."

She jolts out of her moment at the realization she is with company. He frowns at her when she grins. Looking away for a moment, he gets up and sits beside her to throw an arm around her and presses her against him. The slight tremble does not go unaccounted for. "Don't cry," he whispers while keeping his eyes elsewhere, clearly uncomfortable with her status.

Her eyes widen and she notes the stream of tears drenching her cheeks. She tries to stop them, "Sorry, I've never told anyone that." She wipes away the leftovers and blushes, "I'm sorry you had to see that."

"It's fine." He leaves her to go back to his seat, "We're almost there." She nods and sniffles slightly.

Before they reach the island, Pet allows herself to fall asleep. The rocking of the ship lulls her to sleep from her tiring release of despair. She shifts slightly when she hears male voices, one very business-like and the other very jovial and loud. It sparks a warmth in her heart as she recognizes it, distantly. She sits up and squints at the two talking on the beach a ways away from her. Her eyes widen as her gaze meets with Shanks. He stops talking as he notices her features, whereas before she had her arm covering her face. They blink at each other before Shanks smiles, "Pet! I didn't know it was you!"

Pet stands and stretches, feeling her bones pop in all the right places. She exhales, "If I had known we were meeting up with you, I would have just asked him to head to the base."

Mihawk's ears prick, "Base?"

Shanks laughs, "Her Marine base, she's an Admiral, Hawk-Eyes! It's old news."

Mihawk stares at her, he files the information away for later conversation.

Pet looks between the two, "I'll just hang out while you guys do... Whatever it is, you guys do..." Pet tries to walk awkwardly away, but Shanks pulls her onto his ship.

"Oh no you don't! We're going to meet someone first! Then have a banquet, dahahaha!"

Pet smiles at all the pirates she passes by, "Hi... Hey... How's it going?" Finally, he stops and she bumps into him muttering, before her eyes meet with that young woman she saved. "O-oh?"

The violet haired woman smiles, "I was told that the woman who saved me was an Admiral with the Marines. There's only one, and they assured me I'd be able to give my thanks if I stuck with them, despite their being pirates."

Pet grows serious, "Yes, well, when sailing the seas you tend to have a greater chance meeting people. Did you just stay to see me?"

"I have nowhere else to go. Shay's men destroyed my home and took me. Captain was kind enough to offer a place on his crew. I help with the cooking."

Pet nods, seeming to grow more serious by the minute, "Good for you. Your name?"

"Eva... I'm sorry," she smiles, but she can't ignore Pet's hostility, "Did I do something wrong? You seem peeved about something?"

Shanks stares at Pet's hardened features, "Pet." He remembers the talk they had before she left.

Pet changes her demeanor, "No, you didn't do anything wrong. Sorry, just some animal thing with my Devil fruit I have to work out." Unbeknownst to everyone, within Pet's mind, her inner wolf releases a war howl for territory. "That bitch can't have him! He's fucking mine!" On the outside, Pet smiles sweetly.

Mihawk sees the change easily, but he can't even begin to guess at Pet's history with Shanks and Eva.

Shanks laughs, an attempt to smooth things over, "Let's party!"

The party begins and Pet spends time listening to Eva and her life story. Eva asks about Pet as well, "How'd you become a Marine?"

Pet smiles, "I signed some papers that enlisted me."

"Why are you friends with pirates? Isn't that against the Marine's image?"

"I'm not friends with pirates, pirates think they're friends with me, until I kill them. Yes, it is against my image to allow so many pirates to go free, but I've also been ordered to refrain from taking on a Yonko and I can't necessarily fight with any Shichibukai. If these pirates here were not affiliated with the Yonko or the Navy, then I'd be more than happy to massac- I mean arrest them..."

Eva frowns, "I hear you killed Shay, most brutally, for what he did. Why?"

Shanks and Mihawk listen in to Pet's response. She sighs, "His deed reminded me of another."

"What do you mean? Stop evading my questions! I'm not stupid! Why did you take it to heart!?"

Pet looks the younger in the eyes, "I've been in your position before, girl. It stirred up some past feelings of mine that I took out on him because I could. Not like you were in any place to do anything." Pet huffs indignantly, Eva blinks at her.

"You mean, you were... like me?" Eva looks at Pet's face, her scars, the rest of her skin, absolutely flawless. "You're strong, does-"

Pet cuts her off, sensing her next words, "Don't go thinking so highly of yourself. We're very different-"

Eva continues, the possibilities are endless for her, "But! You said you were in my situation, we share-"

Pet gets in her face with a growl, "The difference between me and you, I saved myself! I killed my own captors with my own two hands. I drenched their entire palace in their blood. I was kidnapped by nobles, for pete's sake! You, some mere pirates. I had to fight a whole army in an even worse condition than your own. Don't fucking compare us. I know you're trying to tell yourself that you're strong for making it through some awful experience, awful, only by your definition. We don't share anything, I have no reason to befriend you. You can't make it to the top as I did. I've been working for my rank since I was a child. Your reasoning that everything happens for a reason, to try to soothe yourself, is wrong. Bad things just happen, there's no reason for them. Good things don't always come out of bad situations. You just move on and work with what you've got." Pet finishes and Eva looks away with tears in her eyes.

Truth is, Pet called it. She remembers her own thoughts after her captivity, after she was awakened. She understood the usual mode of thinking after one goes through such a traumatic experience, yet her revenge eased her own suffering and lulled the darkness away. Dishing out her justice was a kind of therapy Eva didn't have the strength to receive. Pet never gave others the chance to make her a victim, Eva, by this time, had already been coddled enough. The thought brought a look of disgust to Pet's face, the people of this ship surely fed into making her think she, somehow, mattered more because of what happened, that it gave her a strength unknown to others. Pet knew that the true strength came when one got over the incident and forgot it, made it insignificant, because it was. It was just one moment of many in a person's life, truly insignificant to the scheme of things.

Shanks growls, while pulling Pet out of the quivering woman's face, "We need to talk." He heaves Pet with him as they head inside to find somewhere secluded to have at it. Finally, he shuts the door and turns to Pet, "What's your problem? What was that about? Is that what you would've said to her if you had stayed?"

"Yes," Pet replies definitively, "I knew she would try to make it mean something, when it doesn't. Like she's special, well she's not. Then she has the gall to try to bring me to her level, like she can overcome this and come out with as much power as me. Someone needs to tell her that that's not how it works."

Shanks steps back, thinking, "You mean? That was actually to help her?"

Pet shrugs, "She needs the God honest truth, no more babying. Of course, I would've waited until she was better to tell her, but it's been a long time and she's not over it. I can smell it, it's disgusting."

Shanks sits on a chair, the room has a desk and some cabinets and drawers with chartings held up around it. He sighs, "I thought you were just being nasty because she's still around."

Pet laughs as she sits cross-legged on the floor, "Maybe a little."

Shanks smiles at her, "We didn't get to talk openly before, how were you? You seemed sick the last time we saw each other."

Pet nods, "Oh, I was shrugging off some poison in my system. It really wasn't anything to worry about, but everybody always puts so much into it when I get even a scratch, well a stab wound, but people should know that a stab wound is basically a scratch with my healing."

"Ah, I remember," Shanks nods, reflecting on the time they fought and watched the sunset, she healed him.

Pet agrees, "Yeah, there was that."

Shanks continues, "Apparently, you held your own very well against me. I don't remember the battle being that intense." He laughs as he dodges a paper ball Pet threw.

"Shut up! They twisted my words! I barely said anything on the matter!"

"I believe you," he raises his hands in surrender. Pet huffs again and he asks, "So what are you doing with Hawk-Eyes?"

"We're on a date..." Pet smiles as Shanks portrays anger.

He fumes, "What!? No way!" He stares at Pet, pointing an accusing finger, then he notices her laughing on the floor. His anger simmers, "You're joking, huh." He sits back down, after righting his chair from his frenzy. His face is covered by his hand, his shoulders slumping, "Thank goodness."

Pet starts choking, "I can't get with a pirate!" She was only talking about Mihawk, but Shanks appears to take a direct hit. She looks away, "You know I can't."

Shanks gets up and sits beside her, she avoids his gaze, "Why? I'm sure it's happened before, the Marines aren't as righteous as they seem. You know. We have these moments."

Pet bites her lip, "It hasn't happened with the Admirals before. I can't, because of my family, Shanks."

Shanks mutters, "What about your family? You always-"

Pet tackles Shanks to the floor, she lays atop him, her lips pressed against his. Tears roll down her eyes, her blue eyes. Shanks stares into the deepest recesses of her mind, she shares it all with him. His entire conscious is pulled within her as he seems to be standing in the middle of a town.

He looks to Pet, beside him, as she looks solemnly about them, "Pet, where are we?" She doesn't respond as he seems to pulled through a vacuum, his surroundings change and he sees Pet's earliest memories. He sees her growing up alone, yet surrounded by people. They all treat her like nothing, she barely exists. The only true attention she gets, that's positive, is from who he assumes to be her mother and the pirates she met. Then it all changes, he witnesses her being thrown out into the storm for her desire to be a pirate, and the years that pass by as she grows alone. Then Agnes, Pet holds him back when her younger self slips into the raging ocean. The two trespassers watch her struggle, then save herself. Finally, he gets to see Agnes die and Pet destroy the Marines only to venture onto their ship to make a deal. The last she shows him is when the Gorosei agree to have her one of them in exchange for her clan's safety.

Shanks feels himself pulled back to the present as his eyes seem to adjust to his surroundings. Pet rolls off him and opens the door to run out. Shanks, still composing himself, scrambles after her. "Wait! Pet!" As he follows her, he goes over what he just saw. He saw her past, but more than that, he saw the clan. The story his old Captain told him replays in his mind, the story of the ravens and the one albino from them all.

Hawk-Eyes and the others retain their startled expressions when he bursts onto the deck. Using his Haki, he follows her. Mihawk asks as he goes, "What happened?"

His crew answers for him, "This is the usual thing with them." "Don't worry about it."

Shanks takes off after her, Mihawk breathes deep before following. His interest has piqued.

Meanwhile, Pet runs with no destination in mind once more. What have I done!? Again!?

You shared your problem with someone you love. I see no problem with that... Are you still going to delude yourself that you have to stay a Marine for their protection? Do you really think the Gorosei will hold up their end of the bargain? That they'll spare your family just because you continue working for them?

They haven't shown me otherwise!

Pet stops as she feels she's reached the middle of the island. She drops to her knees, panting. I can't believe I did that! What is wrong with me? H-he was just asking why, and I thought he should know. The way I went about too! Pet covers her face as her blush returns. I kissed him!

She lets out a sigh as she lays on her back, she's reached a small pool with cliffs at its far edge. Her view of the darkening sky is perfect, the sun's rays still shine brightly across it. She covers her face, What am I going to do?

You'll figure it out.

Pet sits up as Shanks slides into the sandy clearing. They meet eyes as he begins, "Pet! You're a- A... What did he call them again? Oh yeah! An Uchiha! I mean, I can believe it, but... Wow!"

Pet frowns, she turns away, "So you did know."

Shanks walks over to her, his adrenaline is still pumping. "Captain told me one time. You have brown hair... Does that mean?"

Pet sits up, "Yes, now you know why. It's my duty to protect my people. The only way I can go about doing that is with this, by being a Marine."

Shanks scoffs, "As if they deserve it. It shouldn't be your duty to protect people who don't care for you. You made that decision when you were a child!"

"I know that. You didn't see everything, a lot has happened since then. They tried to make up for it. I can't-" She stops and Shanks finds out the source is Mihawk.

"Hi, Hawk-Eyes, what are you doing here?"

"Seemed like something was up. I wanted to see for myself."

"We're just discussing some things. Go back to the party, this is kind of private." Shanks waits expectantly, Mihawk's eyes search over the two.

As if an intense order from the heavens, Pet growls, "Go away." Mihawk frowns at her, but a dormant gene awakens to make him follow her orders, without question.

"Very well, we will talk about this later." He leaves, but locks gazes with Shanks for a moment. His desire to find out more about this strange woman is conveyed, and he knows Shanks is standing in the way. Shanks' eyes narrow at his rival, he recognized the beginnings of something. Strange, he thought, he doesn't strike me as the type of person to be interested in... well anyone.

Pet waits until she's sure Mihawk is a good distance away, "I can't abandon them." Her whisper barely registers on Shanks' senses.

Shanks walks over, he understands, at last. "Your honor would be at stake. Not only that, you're too kind and forgiving."

Pet chuckles dryly, "Yeah, I'm too forgiving." She thinks of all the people she's murdered, because they stepped out of line.

Shanks laughs as well, "Not when you know the people aren't sorry. The case with your family is different. They tried to apologize, and they're your family."

Pet blinks at him, "Exactly."

Shanks smiles, "I still don't think you should be a Marine. You don't fit in with them. I also don't think you should put your faith in their word. You'll only be disappointed again. As your family, wouldn't they want you to be happy?"

Pet stares at the ground, "I can't give up on the World Government, just yet. They know they need me and they haven't acted out against me. I can't take the risk." Shanks sighs, he pulls her against him, so she leans against him. Pet breathes in his calming scent. "You were right, though." Shanks black eyes meet her reflective yellow, "We still have these moments." He smiles at her as their breaths mingle on their way to meet. Both hearts seem to synchronize in the heat of the moment. A certain frenzy begins as they get their first taste of each other. Their desire had been building since this moment, and they allow themselves to be satisfied by the other, only to hungrily want more. Pet's gasp is cut short by the sound of more people approaching. They'd already laid down with Shanks slightly over her. "Shanks," she breathes while shivering at his kisses travelling down her neck, they tickle slightly because of his scruffy beard. "We have to stop."

Shanks growls, "Why?" He gets his answer when his crew mates' calling reaches his own senses. He sits with his elbow against his knee, his face against his hand. "Damn." Pet smiles at him, more brightly than she has ever before. His matches hers when he sees it, "What are you smiling about?"

"I'm just happy." Pet laughs and they kiss once more before separating completely. Goosebumps remain where the lovers had touched the other. His crew mates arrive and they both show happiness in their actions. Mihawk decides to stay the night which Pet is all for. She feels him watching her as they all camp outside, after the party loses its glamour. She sneaks away to snuggle with Shanks in his room.

In the morning, they are awoken by Mihawk's telling Pet that they're leaving. She gets up and out with Shanks frowning after her. He stops her before she opens the door to pull her into him. She smiles at the contact, "I have to go." Yet his warmth seems to plead with her to stay and she could never turn her back on a beggar. Shanks could say the same about her, however, that she was pleading in her movements for him to keep touching her. They had a certain bubbliness and mirth that could never die when they acted as a unified front. In their case, love bred confidence.

"I know, I just wanted to ask you something before..."

Pet's eyes meet his, "What's that?"

"Join my crew," Shanks is completely serious in making the offer.

Pet laughs, however, "Not today, but I'll keep the offer in mind."

He nods at her with a smile and they both go out. Pet's eyes settle on Eva, she looks fiercer than before, not as conniving or annoying. Eva nods at her, "See you around, Pet-san."

Pet smirks, "Definitely." The curve of her lips gave way to her pleasure in seeing a woman stop wallowing and take the initiative for once. Pet wouldn't be surprised if when she saw Eva next time that the young woman would have taken up pistols as weapons. As Pet brushed by her, a thought sprouted in Eva's head as if some being outside herself had sent her the message.

Pet spends time with Mihawk as he takes her to Marine Headquarters. Along the way, they have idle chitchat. "So, you and Shanks?"

"Yes, the heart wants what it wants, I guess." Pet searches Mihawk's features for some inkling of his thoughts, as any Uchiha though, he's a master in hiding his emotions. "Someday, I'll take you by my home island and you'll meet other Uchiha. You'll see." Pet laughs as Mihawk stares at her.

"I'll take you up on that offer."

"I know you will, because it's intriguing. Just this once, as new Kia Nkiruka Philomena. That's the ancient name for me." Pet smiles, "I prefer just Philomena."

Mihawk merely stares at her some more, "What language is that?"

Pet shrugs, laughing boisterously, "I don't have a clue, it's a mixture of languages!"

Mihawk sighs at her antics, "You seem happier."

Pet shrugs, looking sheepish, "Yeah, well."

They reach the Headquarters in no time. Mihawk listened to Pet's rambling about her past experiences and she even had the audacity to poke fun at him after telling him what she used to think of him. She got him to laugh a few times and he discovered that he really enjoyed her company as a friend and wished to spend more time with her. They had already reached HQ by the time he realized this, as it was just on the horizon. Pet frowned at the sight of it, but still held her head high all throughout her return. Of course, the Marines heaved a huge gasp at her arrival with one of the most reclusive and serious of the Shichibukai.

Garp happened to be coming in and was already on the docks. He laughed as he walked up to her, she smiled at his approach, "How does something like this happen?"

Pet shrugs, "I'm just lucky that way." She takes the pieces of her board onto the docks and orders some Marines to help her carry them. They comply easily with hearts in their eyes. Pet frowns before realizing, "Ah! I'm still in shorts and a crop top!" She digs through her bag and throws on her coat to cover up. Most of the Marines complain, even Garp throws in a little suggestive catcalling. Pet snarls at them and they all drop it, while Garp laughs in response.

Pet turns to Mihawk, squinting at him, "Oi, did you plan this?"

Mihawk, to everyone's surprise, snorts, in an effort to contain his laughter, "Wahaha, no! But I didn't mind it." He smiles and Pet smacks her forehead. She resigns herself, I have to be more careful as a woman with a big bust, I have an even bigger responsibility. Then she flushes while thinking of Shanks probable reaction, seeing so much skin. His member must have reached for the stars!

Garp walks beside Pet as they head inside, after Pet waved her goodbye to Mihawk and offered her thanks for the ride. The two laughed and just behaved in a very silly and non-serious manner, considering they're both top officials in the Marine system. Pet parted from him to talk with the Marines trailing behind, carrying her things. She orders one of them to drop her bags at her room and the others to leave the board with Vegapunk. Garp eyes her, "Have you been keeping up with Ace's actions?"

Pet smiles, "A bit."

Garp shakes his head, growing unusually serious, "He's going to get himself killed. The Navy won't be able to do nothing, since he's Roger's son."

She narrows her eyes, "Not if I have anything to say about it."

Garp frowns at her, "Your importance isn't enough. The threat of the Pirate King outshines you."

Pet meets his gaze, "I'll be a bigger threat if they kill a younger brother of mine."

Garp eyes her, "Pet, you can't do anything. They chose their paths, we chose ours. This is what we must do."

Pet turns away, "I didn't choose any path. I make my own for what benefits me. I chose them as my brothers, and acting as an older sister comes before my duties as a Marine. That is the path I'm walking, being an Admiral was for this purpose, to protect my family, be they blood or not."

She walks away and Garp frowns at her leaving. He understands her reasoning, in his uninformed state, however, he can't know how right she is in saying she poses the greater threat.

"Pet-chan! You're here! You haven't been here for a very long time! I was starting to think you'd finally defected."

"As if they'd ever let me. How are you doing, how's the project going?"

"Uh, Good! Can you help me with something though, explain to me... How did this precious creation get to be destroyed!?" Vegapunk points at Pet's broken glider on his table.

She shrugs, "I was in the New World, shit happens in the New World."

He nods, "Very true." He gets to work on it with goggles and sparks flying. "Is it all right if I upgrade it then?" She nods as she sits at his row, in the shape of a square missing one side, made up of multiple computers and machines, he tends to roll to one then another when he's in the zone, having multiple computers working on multiple things. She does a gallery walk to look over the progress of the Pacifista project.

"Wow, looks like everything is perfect. These things will definitely help with the lower level pirates. I'm still not convinced we can get them to work on the higher ones though."

The zaps stop as Vegapunk takes a moment to think on his creation, "They're not things, Pet. They're people we're overwriting, like computers. I'm going to do my best."

"Or else," Pet laughs, but Vegapunk flinches. She notices and murmurs, "I got your back and you got mine, right Kichigai?" (A/N: Kichigai=madman, in Japanese.)

Vegapunk nods slowly, "Right." She smiles at him and he feels a rock forming in the pit of his stomach.

She walks over to him, "Love you," she hugs him and kisses him on the cheek before leaving. He watches her go solemnly. When he's sure she's gone, he covers his face as his tears begin to fall.

"Forgive me."

Pet stands on her head, waiting for something interesting to happen. Marines are training in front of her as she stares at them all, still upside down. Garp walks in with a smirk, "What are you doing, Pet?"

Pet rights herself with a smile, "You know what today is, Garp-san?"

Garp nods as both their smiles grow, "Ah."

Pet quakes with excitement, her shaking fists in the air as she shouts, "It's his seventeenth birthday!" Her smile is bright and she wishes to go meet him on his new adventure. She thinks of the child she left so long ago, then thinks of the men his brothers have turned into. She covers her face, "He's going to rock this world."

Garp frowns at her, "Let's hope not."

Pet smiles at him before nudging him with her elbow, "You softy. I'll watch out for them now, you did your best as they grew up, now you have to stop, because of your duty. I don't share the same limitations, I'll protect them with my life."

Garp shakes his head, "You need to stop saying that."

Pet shrugs as she thinks back on the years gone by. She's spent time with Hawk-Eyes, Shirohige with his crew and their allies, Dragon and the Revolutionaries, then all the times she's run into Shanks. They haven't had time to themselves since that night. She smiles at the time she got to fight with Kaido, then she met Big Mom. She's done a lot in her wait for Luffy, yet a sense of foreboding prickles at her neck. She feels depressed and like she's losing time. The Gorosei gives her more time to herself, for some reason. She tends to follow Garp around to entertain herself, him or Aokiji. Sometimes she'll deliver messages.

In one moment, she highlights the more important encounters leading up to Luffy's birthday.

Pet didn't know how she ended up in the current situation. She was under the sea on Shirohige's ship to visit Fishman Island. She had expressed her interest in the place and Ace was all for taking a trip there. She smiled idly as fish and sea kings swam by, they didn't give them any trouble. They were allowed easy passage inside and when they docked, a multitude of mermen were there to greet them. She watched Ace hop off and run up to Jinbe, she recognized the Shichibukai. Ace pointed at her, still on the ship, and motioned for her to come down. She hopped down and nodded at the fishman, he narrows his eyes at her, "Why is an Admiral with a Yonko?"

Pet shrugs, "I'm being held hostage." She nods definitively, "It's such a shame, really." She winks at him and he laughs, Ace throws an arm around her while puffing his bare chest out.

"She's my nee-chan."

Jinbe practically chokes and Pet laughs, "Yeah." She ruffles Ace's hair and he grumbles at her. Jinbe shows her around and she has a blast on Fishman Island, no Marine has set foot there, because of Whitebeard territory and the issue of mingling species.

Pet had a long discussion about the issues and she sighed in her regret. In her ancestor's place, she would make sure these young Fishmen see the light of day, someday. He expressed his regrets about Arlong after she brings up her issues with him. Ace tends to just smile and look between their conversation.

Later, Pet leaves to go back to her life as a Marine. Her board was fixed not too long ago so she could travel alone, again.

She frowned when she sensed a dastardly scheme begin to form behind Crocodile's eyes after she mentioned an ancient weapon by the name of Pluton. I shouldn't have told him about that.

Ya think!?

She was merely checking up on him, more for her own desire than the Navy's. He'd been a Shichibukai not too long, and she was alright with sending people to prompt him into joining, in the first place. She had brought up Doflamingo after noticing his newspaper detailing the Heavenly Demon's work in Dressrosa. He asked how it was possible for him to be a Shichibukai and she let slip that he had some information on an ancient weapon.

She sighed when she told him that, but she was tired for some reason and couldn't explain waking up on her ship with no idea of why she set sail.

A great smile grew on Pet's face when she saw the main ship of Kaido's growing fleet. She ordered her men to bring her ship beside it. The pirates aboard seemed to be fretting, in the distance, until her eyes make out their changes to bringing the ships together.

Pet smirked at the monster of man as they both stood on their own ships to look upon the other. "I thought you'd be bigger."

Kaido laughs at her, "You keep underestimating me, Pet."

She shrugs, "You underestimated me first. Practically, outright, insulted me with your little scheme."

Kaido smiles deviously, "Just a test, I needed to know how to deal with you."

She nods and licks her lips, "Have you decided yet? I always find the best way to fight me is either head on or not at all. Maybe if you sent a great army you'd be able to tire me out, a little."

"You overestimate yourself."

"Very true, except that would be the case on a full moon. Wait, I just remembered!" Pet's eyes glow red as her fangs and claws sharpen, "The moon is out, isn't it!?" She snarls and crouches, ready to battle.

Kaido laughs, retaining his smile, "A wolf zoan fruit perhaps?"

Pet growls low.

Kaido narrows his slanted eyes, "No, something else... What are you?"

Pet appears behind him, but he stops her downward swipe with her claws. She grabs his fist as it goes to bury in her stomach. The massive amount of power being released cracks the ship beneath them. Both have locked their eyes on the other, as Pet and his own feet seem to break the wood around them as they push against each other, as if testing the other's strength.

Pet flips back in quick succession as he follows her while trying to make his blows connect. As always, her speed in unmatched, she appears below him to kick his chin upward, but he grabs her ankle and slams her into the deck of the ship. She disappears from the rubble to face him, no outward sign of distress. Kaido cracks his neck and his fists before his crew mates beg him to stop, as the ship will be destroyed. Pet grins, wolfishly, "Shall we continue? Or wait for a better time?"

He frowns at her, "We'll fight another time, preferably on an island."

"Just let me know when and where, and I'll be there." Pet retracts her claws and her fangs lessen, while her eyes shift back to yellow. She hops back onto her ship and tells her men to continue on their path.

When alone, Pet smiles at the confrontation. An ounce of respect developed for the Yonko, and she earned some of his as well. After the small trade of blows, he didn't feel the urge to seek her out and destroy her. They both had their own things to do and he could respect her completing the tasks of her job, but he was going to do what he wanted do. He could accept the challenge of her blocking his way, some of the time. Her apprehension of his allies and underlings had lessened in the past months. It wasn't necessary or convenient for him to fight her, any more.

She came in contact with another Shichibukai while docking at an island for supplies on the Grand Line. Pet was dismayed at her men's easy succumbing to the Snake Princess. She rumbled at her from her battleship, "Can you go inside? You're distracting my subordinates."

Afterward, Hancock educated Pet on how everyone is beneath her and that she can get away with anything. She paused for effect, then did some pose, "Because I'm beautiful."

"I'm not really into that whole female and female relationship. I also don't particularly care about you, I just want to get my ship resupplied and go." It was easy for Pet to stop a kick from the furious woman, Pet's mood was just not too good and it seemed to be deteriorating with the passing months. Pet grabbed onto her leg and spun her around only to throw her into her ship with a loud crash. "I'm not in the mood for these interactions." Then Pet had to face the wrath of Hancock's pirates, because of Pet's growing migraine, she threatened, "If you pirates don't go about your business, and stop patronizing me, then I will be forced to take measures. Such as revoking your Shichibukai status, Boa Hancock, and I will, personally, lead a fleet of battleships and sink that island you all call home. Ya got me?"

Hancock didn't seem to want to comply, her pride was at stake. Yet she recognized someone not to be trifled with, instead she went into a woe-is-me state and Pet finally threw up her hands and went inside to escape her annoying tendencies.

This incident caused a stir with HQ, as usually Pet could handle those situations without breaking a sweat. She shared her issues with Vegapunk and he promised to fix them up with her new batch of pills.

Pet nods finally, after there's a ceasefire from the barrage of memories. She smiles at Garp before walking away, he watches her go. He thinks to himself, she's looking better after the initial trial runs. Vegapunk did a good job, too good a job. Garp has grown serious in watching her silent struggle, in the beginning stages of the drug, she had side effects she doesn't even remember. With this, they're confident they can keep her down, if they do something she doesn't agree with. Garp shakes his head, I'm sorry, Pet, to be keeping this from you. Even I can see they made their choice with their lives, and they'll suffer the consequences someday.

Author's End Note: Ah finally! So let me know what you guys think, I just had the last few things before I wanted to delve into writing Pet's involvement with the Straw Hats. So, hopefully, I'll get most of that done next chapter. It's slowly coming to a close, I'm really excited to write the ending chapters. I don't know if I'm really going to end the story like boom, done. Or if I'm just going to leave it kind of open ended, once I get there though, I'll let you know and ya'll can decide if you want to see what my true ending is, as in Luffy is the Pirate King and Pet's partaking in the future war that's probably going to happen at the end of the series. It's all speculation at that point though, so we'll see. Hope ya'll enjoyed! ;D