I Don't Own One Piece.

Chapter 21: Healing

-Two Day's after Enies Lobby-

Stitch here, cut there, attach this, blood dripped onto the room's floor and sweat trailed down Shan's forehead. The heart monitor beeped ever second and every few beeps it would skip…that wasn't a really good sign. If she couldn't fix every little thing that was wrong with this wound, Kazuya's arm might be paralyzed…or he may even die.

Another thirty minutes passed by as she operated when she final sowed the final stitch into Kaz's skin. Wiping the sweat from hr brow with her forearm, while reaching over to turn off the room's 'Surgery in Progress-do not disturb'. It was a good thing she had it on because right when Shan turned it off someone knocked on the room's door.

"Shan?" asked Penny as she walked in, nervousness noticeable in her voice. Shan wasn't sure if the young girl was nervous because Kazuya might be dead or if she just didn't want Shan to get angry at her.

"Yes Penny?"

"Um…how's Kaz?"

Shan smiled at the girl, sometimes she forgot that Penny was still somewhat in her child years "For now he's stable and fixed up………but we'll still need to see if he makes it, I've done all I can do but that still may not be enough."

Penny's eye's shimmered a bit with unshed tears, it seemed what happened during the past days was finally catching up to her, and she didn't want to loose another. No insanity from Endo to lighten the mood, no Siamon to annoy as he drinks his morning coffee, no Mac to calm down the emotional wreck that was Elsa, no odd jokes or calm and frustrating comments by Meku, no music strummed from Razz's guitar filled the halls. No…they were all gone… and it was up to them, the four that were left to find and save those captured men.

"Go-good…um Elsa locked herself into her room…and um…we have some visitors."

Shan raised a thin eyebrow at the young girl, removing her bloodied gloves "What kind of visitors?"

"The…good kind?" Penny didn't really know how to answer that question "It's Kirsty and Austin."

Shan smiled on the inside; yes…that was rather good "Where are they?"

"The deck."

"I'll go and great them, Penny I'm going to need you to somehow get Elsa out of her room." Shan had a small idea in why the two Axe-Heads were there…

'We don't need pity…we need to remain strong…calm…and calculating.' Even thou she wasn't to glad that Axe Heads were here for that reason, the White Dragon being here was a small blessing. Her powers could bring Kazuya out of the danger zone and also healing the man to the point where he'll be up within the week.

"Why child that look on your face tells me something good has happened. Did Kazuya's second surgery got that well?" asked Mr. Poly making Shan jump in surprise from the old man's sudden appearance.

"It went very well Poly…but that's not it." replied Shan calmly covering up her sudden start.

"Then what pray tell is making you smile child?" asked the old man.

"Not important…did you find out the information I asked for?" Shan's glasses gleamed in the pale light of the hallway as they walked.

"Yes I have, once I found it I finally remembered writing it down," Poly reached into his coats pockets and pulled out a large stack of papers "I couldn't find anything one the prison other than it's name, but that's everything you need to know about who works under him and information on every single island between Alabasta and the Archipelago, even a few island's after that."

"Thank you Mr. Poly…can you do me another favor?"

"Why sure child."

"Look over the ship, make sure we have everything we need while also looking to see if there are any problems with the ship. When I say so I want to be able to leave…quickly." Shan said a hint of anger in her voice, the tone she used made her seem cold.

Poly did his vanishing act when Shan looked away as she headed towards deck where Kirsty and Austin were waiting.

It took just another minute for Shan to reach her destination. Taking a calming breath Shan exited the hallway.

"Hello…welcome…" she said as she entered. Kirsty jumped, it seemed her fellow doctor expected her to exit from the lift not the stairs. When they first meet she and Kirsty were rather similar, but do to life throwing them each different curve balls they were still similar but with dramatic differences.

"Hey Shan." Kirsty waved nervously, Austin shuffled his feet by her side. Shan just stared at her fellow doctor, arms behind back and eyebrow raised.

"What can I help you guys with?" Kirsty flinched a little at Shan's chilling tone the tone of someone who's lost so much they steel there emotions.

"Yes me and Austin were wondering if you guys would like to hang out around the city?" the mute boy nodded his confirmation.

"That sounds…" Shan paused, it actually wasn't that good of an idea they needed to start there search, when Kirsty and Robin were taken did they make them wait to get them back…no. But Shan thought on the idea and this was just what she needed "…like ad good idea…but I'll need a small favor first Kirsty."

Shan hide a small smile as she saw as she saw the same pity they had for her and the other's in there eyes, pity was a great thing to use to get people to do something for you, they also showed a little awkwardness.

"So?"

"Yeah…sure, what do you need?" Shan motioned for Kirsty to follow her.

"Well come on."

"Okay, Austin you wait here."

-----X-----

His head hurt, and his back, and his shoulder's also. The last thing Siamon remembered was raising his blade to finish off Ashton.

"Arh.." Siamon could tell he was lying down, and his arms and legs couldn't really move for some odd reason.

Opening his eyes Siamon wanted to know what was wrong with him. The light was dim were he was and there was a squeaking noise from above him…like someone near him was using a swing set.

Finally opening his eyes all the way Siamon saw what was making the horrible noise. Tied above him, hanging by his feet one a sea-stone chain was Endo in a straight jacket. There was a bloody bandage tapped over his left eye.

"Hey!" said Endo when he swung over, fell back and then returned again "Si how are-" fell away again "-you doing?"

Siamon stayed quiet for a second "I'm in hell aren't I?"

"Nope-" fell away "-just prison." Siamon watched Endo swing a few more times before standing up and grabbed Endo out of the air.

"Why are we in prison and not dead?"

"Not sure my upside-down friend, but going form what of the guards said we're on Mass Claw's ship."

Siamon growled under his breath "Shit that means we're going to his prison…any plan's to escape?"

Endo laughed his signature laugh, which wasn't usually a good sign " Don't have one, Jamesy has something planned and I want to know what. So sit back buddy we're on vacation."

"I don't know what's going on in that head of yours Endo but it better be good."

"Oh it is, oh it is."

------X------

"I've been out cold for two fucking days!?" yelled Kazuya, his pale face twisted in pain as he tried to sit up.

Shan stayed calm and pushed the looked/archer back down into the bed "Yes you have Kazuya, and if it wasn't for Kirsty's healing I would have to have operated on you a few more times and you still wouldn't have woken about for a least a few more weeks." understanding donned on Kaz.

"What's the word on the others?" the pain still etched on his face as he settled back down.

"From what the tattoo's say, there far away but alive. Elsa's locked herself back into her and Mac's room after we returned from a walk around the city and Penny's on deck training." Shan's cold tone was somewhat warmer when speaking to her crewmates.

"My swords?" Kaz grumbled looking around the room. Shan's eyes twitched a little, Kazuya wasn't going to like the next part.

"It seems……one of the marines took them, we didn't manage to get them back, and we did manage to get back you bow and arrows thou."

"What!? You lost my fucking swords! Who the fuck has them!" Kazuya tried to sit up again but yelled in pain and crashed into the bed, unconscious.

Shan watched Kazuya for a second before turning his morphing back to a normal level "I just can't right now Kazuya, when your better maybe."

Walking out of the room with a swish of her coat, Shan slammed the rooms door closed and walked down the hall to the stairs heading towards the deck. An odd thing was she passed a laughing Mr. Poly on the stairs.

"What's so funny?"

"Go see the young one and then you'll understand."

------X-------

"What happened up here?" asked Shan looking around the deck.

It was starting to get dark and Penny was covered in a layer of sweat. Broken logs, boards with knifes lodged in them, and a very tired panda laid scattered on the deck…and if she didn't know any better she wound say there was food on the ground.

Penny noticed Shan's questioning look, she really didn't want to answer, since the unexplained things on deck all involved Austin feeling pity for her…she didn't need pity, she needed her brother back. Penny slipped her orange jacket back on, a sudden chill getting to her.

"Don't ask…" said Penny watching her brother's girlfriend, her current leader "…it involved Austin and pity."

"Ah…" Shan looked past Penny and her eyebrow raised even more "…then that may explain why said silent boy is flying at us on a…surfboard?"

Penny looked over her shoulder and just as Shan said, here came Austin "Shit…"

"…"

"What not saying anything?"

"We all have a right to express ourselves…so what are you going to do Penny," asked Shan watching her young friend fidget a little bit before running and floating to the top of one of the bone spikes sticking out of the ship.

Just as Penny disappeared, Austin landed looking around "Looking for a residential cute blonde girl?"

The young boy nodded his head yes, Shan pointed upward "Up there….bit of advise kid, Penny's like to be pitied."

Austin looked at her confused "She's had a hard life Austin, she's told us her story. The only breaks she had that she can remember where on that…restaurant and her times traveling on this ship."

A look of concern crossed his face and he was about to take off when Shan stopped him…again.

"One more thing kid…"Shan reached into a pocket pulling out a picture with a note attached to it "…Meku was going to give this to Kirsty…but as you can see I can't and I forgot to her earlier…give it to her when she's alone. Which may be a while form what the news I heard tells me." Shan turned to walk away, and glanced back at Austin, who took off on that board of his to where Penny was starring at that picture. Shan had it memorized after studying the thing to see if Meku put any hidden messages in it…her didn't, all the picture was, was just Meku around Penny's age maybe a little older with an old man, three boys, and a girl.

She paused in her thoughts as she heard a solid thump on the deck which was preceded by wing beats "I don't think we've been formally introduced, I'm sure Root mentioned me."

"Maybe once…we did see you at the train. I think he referred to you as 'Lizard Dude' or 'Scaly Butt' but I'm not entirely sure." The man that landed on there ship behind her face-vaulted as she turned to face him, he slowly picked himself but grumbling.

"Yeah…right. So I take it you're the one that took over after Root's …uh …disappearance?"

"Yes, but I also feel like my old codename just doesn't fit anymore. But that's pointless babbling right now, what do you need Mr. …?"

The man jumped a little and lifted his hand to shake "Malchior, Madame No Name and I would very much so like to talk." the man, Malchior the dragon zoan who Endo fought a few days back, said, hand still stretched forward.

Shan took the hand with a gentle yet commanding grip "Nice to meet you Mr. Malchior what business do you have with us."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out an odd looking den den mushi "Well you see…"

----X----

One chapter left everyone. The scene with Austin and Malchior at the end where put this way for a reason, the Austin one with the picture for Kirsty that's just if kilnorc wants to give Kirsty that pic, if he doesn't then we can just say Austin either forgot or never had a chance to get Kirsty alone. The part with Malchior is so if me and Mal ever plan an actually crossover not just cameo's then this would be a perfect place as a starting point, if you guys understand that.

Final Chapter will be up in a few hours, so keep your eyes open!

Chapter 22: Epilogue: No Rest for the Wicked