For a moment, nobody spoke. They all simply stared at the doctor perched on the railing. The silence was broken as Jordan dropped her platter of food. Everyone immediately began talking at once, not giving each other time to breathe. Cain climbed out of the men's quarters so abruptly that the entire galleon listed dangerously. It was a measure of how surprised the others were that he wasn't even reprimanded. They maintained their verbal barrage with nary a pause.

"Everyone, quiet down!" Cassandra shouted. The shouts dwindled somewhat, leaving most of them panting for breath. She extended her hand towards the black-clad doctor when she was sure she could speak without yelling. "Now, Raven has put a lot of thought in this decision. You all know this. Our job is not to dissuade her or argue that her decision is wrong. We are to support her as best we can, even though we'll only be able to do so for a few more hours."

"Are you really leaving?" Lyn burst out, hands clasped before her chest.

Raven regarded her emotionlessly. "I am. This crew does not need me. I am undeniably a useful addition, but the only vital member is Cassandra. Everyone else is simply support for her. My family needs me to maintain their position of power. Without me, my younger brother will become heir. It would be unacceptable for him to become head."

"But why?" the first mate whined. "You don't care about your family, and they don't care about you!"

"It is not a matter of caring. It is a matter of duty. Duty is central to my family and how it operates. Without it, the Eighth's Assassins have no reason not to kill each other for power. I had a duty to my family, but Cassandra demonstrated that duty can be overridden. I wanted to know more about this phenomenon, so I took my leave and joined her crew. However, I cannot ignore my family simply for my own goals."

"Yes, you can! That's how-"

"Lyn," Cassandra interrupted sharply. "What did I say about not trying to get her to change her mind? Be supportive."

"But this isn't right!" Lyn protested. "This won't help her at all! This is bad!"

"Lyn, this is something that you may not understand." The artist looked up at Cain in confusion. "This goes beyond personal growth. Raven is more than one of the Eighth's Assassins. She is the daughter of its leader. She has an obligation to fulfill. When duty calls, she doesn't have a choice."

"She is not a soldier! She is a Black Glove Pirate!"

"Being a Black Glove Pirate doesn't exclude her from being other things. One thing Captain Libera always says is that being on her crew is purely by choice. We choose when we join, and we choose when we leave."

Morgan stepped forward to offer his input. "This may be hard for you to grasp. You are rebellious by nature. You oppose all restrictions, perceived or not. Not all of us share your attitude. We have families who depend on us to do what needs to be done, regardless of what we must sacrifice."

"Those people aren't her family! We are her family!"

"We are like a family," Alexander said softly. "We function like a family, we treat each other like family, but we are not related by blood. I agree with you that it would be best for Raven to stay, but that's not my call. My job as her nakama is to back her up, even if it means arguing against my beliefs."

"But... but..."

Cassandra drew the first mate into a tight hug. "Look, I know you're sad. I don't want her to leave either." Realizing what she said, she instantly looked over at Raven. "And that does not mean I'm telling you to stay. I'm just saying I liked having you with us. Especially since you avoided the rest of us Sisters like the plague unless Pythia or I dragged you in."

"That's not fair, though!" Lyn complained. "She- Wait, you came out of your shell for someone other than Captain? Who?"

"I do not and have never possessed a shell."

Alexander smiled slightly. "You'd think after spending so long with us that you'd have picked up some more commonly used expressions."

Cassandra didn't know whether to be thankful or annoyed that the conversation had veered away from Raven's departure. She realized that one person hadn't said a word. Jordan was leaning against the mast, hands crossed over his open shirt. When he met the pirate captain's gaze, his eyes narrowed. He inhaled deeply on his cigarette, reducing the entire cylinder to ash. His massive exhalation of smoke caused Cassandra to turn her head away and cover her mouth and nose. Jordan was pissed.

"So, Raerae, you're going to leave."

Raven remained still as she looked at her Moon Sister. "That is what I have chosen."

"You do realize this has put me in a very uncomfortable position, right?"

"Your position does not matter to me."

Jordan viciously ground his cigarette into his palm. "Oh, but it should, Granddaughter. You wouldn't want to start things off on the wrong foot between us heirs, now would we?"

"The Eighth's Assassins are not known for their camaraderie. Do not obstruct me."

"Don't really have a choice, now do I, Raerae? Your family will suffer if you don't go back, but mine will suffer if you do. You think our connections with the Engineer will still be good if I fail such an important assignment?"

"Do not forget yourself, Jordan." All eyes went to Cain in surprise. His scarred lips were set in a thin line as he scrutinized the androgyne. "Raven is our nakama. She has made a decision, and we will back her as best we can. Even if that means inhibiting you."

"Do not forget who I am." Jordan's tight fist burst into flames. "Raerae will not be going back with her family, and I don't much care how I'm going to do that."

Raven appeared in front of the genderfluid assassin. "And how do you expect to stop me? You will not touch me, and I have spent far more time fighting Damien than you have. I know how to subdue him. Cassandra does not want for me to kill you, but I will not hesitate to incapacitate you if you try to interfere."

"She's right, Jay," Cassandra said. "I don't want you to fight, but Raven is going. If you try to use force, we will take you down. Don't think we can't, either. Out of necessity, we've come up with measures to use against Damien for when he next goes apeshit. We'll be able to deal with you."

The androgyne looked at them each in turn, displeasure evident in his eyes. Lyn had retreated slightly, her expression worried and tense. Cain's hands were ready to draw any tool he needed to make a weapon while Morgan's were clasped around his necklace. Alexander was fingering his trumpet's valves. Cassandra and Raven needed no preparation to be ready for combat.

For a moment, Cassandra was worried that Jordan would try anyway. Even on the brink of death, Damien's strength was not to be underestimated. Then, the androgyne turned away in irritation and jammed two cigarettes into his mouth. The pirates visibly relaxed when he lit them and took a deep drag.

"Are we okay?" Cassandra asked tentatively.

"Of course not," Jordan snapped. "I'm unbelievably fucked, but there's not much I can do about it, is there?"

Lyn ventured cautiously forward. "Is it really that bad?"

Jordan nodded. "Think of it as seven kingdoms, not assassin organizations. As the heir to the throne, I must behave as properly as I can and do everything required of me. Of these seven kingdoms, one is basically universally hated. If one of the kings asks the princess of another country to do something for him, it is expected that it will be done. Failing reflects poorly upon everyone."

"I see..." The first mate stared off into space as she thought. "Hey, is that what you meant when you called Captain a princess?"

Everyone glanced at each other in confusion. Their confusion only grew when Raven bowed her head. "Yes."

"When did you call me a princess?" Cassandra asked.

Lyn waved her hand dismissively. "Long time ago. Anyway, I know three princesses! Cool!"

"Excuse me? Am I not a prince?"

Jordan grabbed Morgan roughly by the hand. "Yeah, you and I are both princes. Now go make me some damn food. C'mon, show me the grub you used to dazzle Cici."

Sensing that a lack of topic would give Lyn the chance to resume her protests, Cassandra swiftly signaled for Cain to momentarily distract the childish first mate. The massive man understood instantly, scooping Lyn up and tossing her into the air. As the artist let out peals of laughter, Cassandra returned to thinking about Jordan. "I really do feel sorry for him. This was probably the most important assignment he's ever had. Interfering directly with the Heads or chosen heirs is a high honor. You only give those to people who absolutely cannot fail. For Jay, screwing this up is a huge blow. If he had any siblings, they would be seriously considered as candidates for Hundred Face when he fails."

"As regrettable as the situation is, the fact remains that there's a guarantee not everybody will be satisfied." Alexander shrugged his shoulders. "But that's life. As... interesting as Jordan has made our time on this island, we have a responsibility to Raven. Ordinarily, I'd say we throw a big party to celebrate your time with us, but I don't think you'd really go for that."

"No. However, there is one matter to clear up before I leave."

The pirate captain raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what's that?"

"Alexander will take over my job as physician for this crew."

"Why do I never have a say in this?" Alexander sighed.

Cassandra cuffed him in the back of the head. "So Alexander's the new doctor. What's the deal?"

A loud crash from the galley temporarily distracted them. Cassandra was about to be concerned when she heard Jordan shout, "Fucking Raerae!"

The pirate captain put the issue from her mind and gestured for Raven to continue. "Obviously, I recommend you find a proper doctor as soon as possible. Alexander's spirit healing is no substitute for real medicine."

The musician bristled at that. "My healing field has accelerated the healing process of everyone aboard this ship. Why do you think recovering from fights doesn't take as long as it should? Damien is still alive because-"

"Alexander, you know she meant no disrespect," Cassandra cut in. "We do need a real doctor, just like we did when Damien got hit by three lightning bolts and took on a horde of marsh people. Your spirits are helpful, but they don't do everything. Additionally, you are the the most fitting candidate."

"That's what Lyn said when she made me first mate," he grumbled.

Cassandra smiled widely. "She was right then, and Raven's right now. It's your fault for being so damn versatile, not exactly lacking in the brains department with a plethora of nifty tricks at your disposal. So, Raven, what does Alexander need to know while we search for another doctor?"

"You already know what your spirit healing does in keeping the crew free from basic diseases and reducing recovery time. At the moment, there are only two patients that require medical care, as Cain's ribs have healed to the point where outside interference is unnecessary. Damien is obviously in critical condition, and while he is going to survive this ordeal, the proper steps must be followed to minimize or eliminate any permanent reduction in his ability. The same applies to Morgan and his finger."

"Yeah, I really don't think I'm qualified to act as surgeon."

"Invasive surgery is not required. Come to the medical ward." The doctor disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Alexander immediately moved towards the trapdoor, leaving Cassandra temporarily alone. As she had nothing else to do and Cain was still keeping Lyn entertained, she nudged open the large hatch that led directly to the sick bay and dropped in. Alexander gave a smile of amusement as he exited the stairwell to find she had arrived before him. They both turned to Raven, who had reappeared crouching on the wall above Damien's unconscious form.

"I am sure you are aware of Damien's usual medical routine, but this case is different than you are used to. His skin has toughened considerably since you were last in charge of his medical recovery, and his muscles have grown extremely dense. His mass has increased substantially, so you will require Morgan to aid you in changing his bandages at a minimum of twice a day or as needed. Ensure his intravenous infusion is functioning, and monitor his blood levels..."

As Raven continued explaining to Alexander, Cassandra wandered through the medical ward. She was completely amazed at what Raven had done to prepare for her departure. The doctor knew the contents of every single bottle, vial, and flask in the cabinets, so she had kept almost everything unlabeled. Only regularly-used medicines had been identified. This also ensured that none of the other pirates touched anything in the medical bay without her instruction. To do so would be stupidly dangerous.

Now every single container was labelled in amazing detail. Each tag had the chemical name, any common nicknames, usual uses, hazard symbols, and a number. A quick look around the room revealed a thick notebook resting on the counter. Plucking a vial at random from the cabinet, Cassandra opened the notebook and quickly matched the number to one in the book. Everything she could ever need to know about the contents of the bottle was written in Raven's easily legible handwriting .

Oh, that's just not fair, she thought. Where on earth am I going to find someone as meticulous as Raven?

She scoured the list as fast as she could, noting the absence of many poisons and toxins she knew she had seen in the medical bay. She knew that Raven was taking everything that wasn't listed. It didn't matter to Cassandra; the petite assassin was the only Black Glove Pirate to actively use them in combat. After closing the notebook and replacing the container of anaesthetic, she turned to see that Alexander had left, leaving her alone with the doctor.

"Where did Alexander go? You couldn't possibly have finished that quickly."

"We had been talking for some time," Raven droned. "He is currently in the men's quarters reading over the instructions for caring for Morgan's finger."

Nope. Not fair at all. "You really did think of everything."

"So long as I am doctor of the crew, the Black Glove Pirates will be cared for to the best of my ability."

"I know. They don't even know how much work you do, but I do. You stand watch every night and read every single medical book I buy for you. You test all of these potions a hundred times before you use them on us."

"I will admit that being part of this crew has given me the opportunity to expand my knowledge."

"In more ways than one," Cassandra agreed. "So, this is it. You're really leaving."

"I am."

Cassandra nodded, stubbornly refusing to let any tears escape. "I really did like having you here, Raven. It meant more to me than you can possibly imagine."

Raven remained still.

"And I probably won't see you ever again. Your family isn't going to let you get in the same hemisphere as me."

"That is not an unreasonable assumption."

Cassandra gave a weak laugh. "No, it's not." She stared at the smaller woman. Raven stared right back. "I really am going to miss you."

"You left your Moon Sisters once before."

"I was young and foolish."

"That was less than five months ago."

"Maybe I won't miss being corrected all the time," Cassandra said. "Joke, by the way." She took a deep breath. "Could you do me one last favor?"

"You are still my Captain," Raven droned. "Even when you are not, I will do anything you ask."

Cassandra nodded. "I know you'd prefer to just disappear without a trace, but could you say good-bye to everyone? It'd help us have some closure on this whole deal."

"As you wish."

The two pirates ascended to the main deck, where Cain was standing upright against the mast. Lyn was leaning onto his head and jabbing at the mast with her rapier. When she saw the two Moon Sisters emerge, she sheathed her weapon and neatly flipped down to meet them. "Man, Cain is super awesome!"

"We know," Cassandra assured her. "Now, Raven's leaving soon. I've convinced her to bid us farewell."

"Now wait a minute." All eyes went to Alexander. "You're still, right at this moment, a pirate, right?"

Raven nodded.

"Well, even without a party, we should still have a toast. Raven is a Black Glove Pirate, and in smaller crews, it is customary to celebrate her departure in some way."

"That's the angle you're going for?" Cassandra deadpanned. "Pirate customs?"

His bespectacled gaze met hers evenly. "So you're going to doubt me when it comes to traditions in piracy, the one who lived with pirates his entire life, but you're just going to assume I manage to keep Morgan and Damien on the road to recovery? That doesn't seem entirely logical. We're taking into account Raven's disinterest in social gatherings and toning it back to a simple toast. As you said, it'd help us with closure."

Cassandra rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. "Raven, are you okay with this?"

"I do not care. My family does not have a set time for my arrival, though I do have to attend Stone, Solemnity, Rain, and Spiral in the near future. A toast would not throw off my schedule to any great degree."

That was good enough. "Hey, Morgan!" the sniper called. "Could you bring out some bottles of rum and mugs for the rest of us? Tell Jay to just wait for a moment for his food."

"I will need some assistance carrying all of that out," Morgan shouted back. "I am still operating singlehandedly for all intents and purposes."

Cassandra gestured for Alexander and Lyn to help the injured cook with his load. The first and second mate slowed slightly when they opened the galley door met a cloud of smoke. Jordan was evidently smoking up a storm. Cassandra had only purchased a single pack of cigarettes for the androgyne; if he wanted another, he would have to go buy it himself. Eventually, the three pirates exited the galley with the requested items. Lyn tossed one entire bottle to Cain while Alexander helped Morgan pour the drinks evenly. The cook did admirably well considering his left hand was in a sling.

When the five pirates who weren't leaving all had their respective portions of alcohol, Cassandra raised her glass. "And so today, we bid farewell to our beloved crewmember, Raven. I'm sure you all would like to say a few words. Everyone gets a turn, but keep it short and sweet. Who wants to begin?"

"Ooh, ooh, me, me!" Lyn's mug as already empty. Morgan was attempting to refill it, but the artist's constant movement made it quite difficult for him. "So... Raven! You're leaving! You already know what I think, so I just wanna say it was really great having you on board! You can move super fast and you know everything about medicine and bodies and stuff, but you're also so cute! I'll be really sad when you leave! If you can, write or call sometime! If you can't, that's fine too! I know you'll kick ass no matter what you do. So... yeah!"

"It'll be hard to follow that up, little miss, but I'll do my best." Cain offered Raven his finger, and Raven obligingly perched on it. "I can honestly say that you are one of the pieces that really grounds this crew. Everyone knows that you can handle almost any situation in single combat, especially against you-know-who."

"Who?" Lyn whispered loudly.

"Plus, we can always trust you to provide an objective view of whatever we face, even when it concerns Captain Libera's safety and well-being. She always says, having many different views of a problem makes finding the best solution a lot easier. And professionally, as a bodyguard, you've definitely helped me realize my strengths and weaknesses. I sure hope I don't have to try to defend Morgan from your family, because I know that won't be easy. No hard feelings either way, right?"

"If my family targets Prince Zematsal, I will factor in your knowledge of our abilities and adapt the mission accordingly."

Cassandra was torn between laughing and scowling disapprovingly. Cain opted for the former. "I'd expect nothing less, little bird."

"And on that cheerful note..." Morgan paused to give a hacking cough. "Blast that infernal impostor and those accursed coffin nails. Anyway, I will admit that for all the horrors you put me through, you have done an exemplary job ensuring the magnitude of any immotility stemming from grievous wounds is as diminished as possible. Truly, I have known nobody, man or woman, whose surgical skills are so efficient, precise, and fast. It will be a shame to lose you as the doctor of this crew."

That's basically as good as he could give, Cassandra allowed. "Alexander?"

The musician slowly swirled his mug as he thought of what he was going to say. "Raven, I have had the special privilege of watching you grow. When I first met you, you were ready to cut my throat. As recently as last night, we were talking about how dreams work. I think it's safe to say that the Raven I met those months ago pales in comparison to the Raven I'm watching go. You're superior in every way to the woman you were before you joined the crew, and I think being a pirate was good for you. Of course, I don't know much about how your family works, so I can't say whether being a pirate was good for your status as assassin heir, but I'm glad for you. As Lyn said, you'll kick ass no matter what you do.

"Oh, and I'll speak for Damien since he's still arguing with Death in the doorway. He'll miss you."

"No, he will not."

"Fine. He'll miss having someone strong and readily accessible to fight, and you happen to fall into that category."

Raven considered his choice of words. "That is true."

With a heavy heart, Cassandra began speaking. "All of these louts are right. You may not realize what you contribute to the crew, but you have to know that you will forever be part of our history. These few months that you've been with us have been so much fun. I've seen you grow into a woman much more capable of stepping into the role of Granddaughter of the Eighth than you were when I was banished. You learned about healing the body as well as hurting it. You learned about relationships, both emotional and hierarchical. You saw forms of combat you wouldn't see anywhere else. I'm sure you'll take all of these skills and become the best heir you can be.

"Now, I'm not saying good-bye. You may think I'll never see you again, but I know better. As much as you dismiss our relationship as Moon Sisters as coincidental, we are connected. Our fates are intertwined. It's only a matter of time before we see each other again. With that in mind, I pray to the seven gods of life that we both live until that day."

She raised her glass and shouted, "To Raven!"

"To Raven!" The five pirates crashed their glasses together and drank deeply.

Cassandra knew she wouldn't feel the doctor's absence until Raven actually left. She settled for merely staring at the black-clad woman. Raven stared right back, her jet black eyes as empty as ever. Even now, they held no emotion. She was only waiting until the ceremony was done so she could leave. "Have I satisfied the requirements of the pirate tradition?"

Alexander gave a sad smile. "Yes, Raven, you have."

"Then as of now-"

She was interrupted by Lyn's shriek of surprise. Cassandra turned in time to see the first mate get submerged to her nose in thick rock. Her hands immediately went to her pistols while her mind processed her surroundings. Her Devil Fruit had eliminated any effects the rum had on her, so her senses were as clear as ever. This meant that Morgan was not defending Lyn; Cassandra would have detected any threat or danger long before the prince would. With that in mind, she fired round after round at the stone humanoid, but it was no use. His elemental armor protected him completely.

"Don't move," the traitorous cook warned. "I will crush her like a bug." A stone finger was levelled at Raven. "If you so much as twitch, I will pulverize her. If you think you know exactly where I am, feel free to try to stop me. Otherwise, stay still. Actually, I have a better idea. Cassandra, if you would be so kind as to instruct your doctor to not move a muscle until you say otherwise?"

Cassandra gritted her teeth. She slowly nodded at Raven, who simply gazed at her.

"Ah, ah, ah," Morgan said. "You need to say it explicitly."

"Raven, don't move at all until I say you can," Cassandra managed through her clenched jaws. "I don't know what you hope to gain from this, Zematsal. You're dead the minute you drop that fucking armor. Cain won't be able to stop you this time. It's a shame I won't have Raven to torture you slowly and painfully, but I'm sure I'll be able to fill in for her just fine."

"I'm trembling here, Captain. I know how much dearest Lyn means to you. You're not going to risk her being hurt. But just in case..."

A large stone foot shot out, crashing into Alexander and sending him flying out over the ocean. No sooner had Cassandra shouted Cain's name than the enormous man dove overboard to prevent the alchemist from drowning. TheHowling Knave heaved tremendously, forcing Cassandra to grab a railing to keep her balance. Raven remained perched on the lowest yard, her footing never wavering in the slightest.

"He posed no threat to you," Cassandra snapped.

"On the contrary, he could make my position very dangerous. On that note, come with me to shore. I don't want him popping up behind me or any such shenanigans. Raven can come too, but only if you order her to stay seven meters from me at all times. Remember, one wrong move..."

The rocks shifted, and Lyn's muffled scream pierced Cassandra's heart. "Okay, okay! Raven, whatever you do, don't go within seven meters of Morgan. That's an order. Now, can you please put Lyn down?"

"I'm afraid not. Come, before Cain returns."

The elementalist boosted off of the ship, landing heavily on the street by the harbor. Raven transported Cassandra after him in an instant, alighting on the cobblestones the requested distance away. At this point, Cassandra didn't want Raven to torture Morgan. She wanted to do it herself. While she couldn't keep a man suffering for eight days straight, it would be more than worth it to be the direct cause of his agony. She had been wrong to give the prince a second chance. His pride was obviously too fragile to endure any indignity.

"Okay, we're here, away from the water, away from Alexander. Raven's not going anywhere. So what do you want?" she demanded. "Is it my position? We already know you can't handle that. You want your privileges back? Your finger? Your crown?"

"You know what I want."

Cassandra was in no mood for games. "Quit fucking around, Morgan. You take Lyn hostage and kick Alexander into open sea? We aren't playing a game here. You risked your life to do this. Tell me what you want."

"I already told you, you know what I want. Think hard, Cassandra. Sweet Lyn's life depends on it."

And so the pirate captain thought. Her mind worked as well if not better under stress. The timing was peculiar. Cassandra gave the prince enough credit to know he was no fool when it came to planning something as dangerous as this. Obviously, he had chosen a time when Damien wouldn't snap him in half for attempting a second usurpation so soon after the first, and the navigator's recovery time was as notoriously unpredictable as the man himself was. The sooner Morgan acted, the lower the risk of dealing with the berserker was.

On the other hand, Morgan had been under heavy painkillers for the past day and a half, so doing it so closely after his disastrous failure had been impossible. He had chosen a time when all eyes weren't on him, as they had been since his botched mutiny. That was smart. But the specific timing was off. There was something peculiar about when he chose to seize Lyn, something Cassandra couldn't put her finger on.

Suddenly, she realized what he wanted. She looked up at the soft features of the elemental's face, betrayal filling her heart. "Oh no."

"Oh, yes," Morgan shot back. "A prince always gets what he wants."