Wooo! I told you I'd get another chapter up here
before the week was up! :D Anyway, I know it's
kind of a short one, but it gets the ball rolling a little
bit on the action. To be honest, I almost completely
forgot about Milo's dilemma! Thanks to Fallon the Coyote Pirate
for their review for chapter 18 that reminded me of it.
Sooo I hope you like this chapter despite it's length!
I hope you especially like the end ;)
Another chapter is promised soon!
-TAUN2013

"Carroll, stay here," Nicoll started to head out to see exactly what was going on, "And don't let those two out of your sight."

Carroll nodded and stood in front of the stairs leading to the altar, facing the doors. He would occasionally glance over to where Luffy and Riko were sitting, still feeling guilty about shooting Riko in the hand. He didn't know why he felt that way. It honestly gave him headaches thinking about it.

Suddenly the doors of the Nave opened silently and very acutely. Milo slipped in and closed the door behind her.

"Milo?" Carroll hadn't seen her for almost two days, "Where have you been?"

"I needed some alone time," She said in a hushed tone.

"Why are you whispering?" Carroll asked.

Luffy could sense something was wrong, like she wasn't supposed to be here.

Riko leaned closer to Luffy and whispered in his ear, "Luffy, I don't feel good about this,"

He turned at looked at her, "I know, I don't feel good either. No matter what happens I won't let anything happen to you okay?"

Riko gave him a small smile, "Alright,"

Their attention turned back to Milo and Carroll.

"You know how Autumn's back?" Milo said a little bit louder.

Carroll nodded.

"Well she was talking to Nicoll, but now she wants to see you," Milo said sounding innocent.

"Really?" Carroll sounded but didn't look surprised, "And she sent youto tell me this?"

Milo put on a very fake insulted face, "You don't think I'm a good messenger?" She slowly shifted her hips and pouted slightly.

Now Riko and Luffy could see why she was seen as a little slut. Carroll, however, was unfazed, considering he had dealt with her everyday for a very long time.

"Alright," he turned his back and didn't look back until he reached the door and exited the Nave just as quietly as Milo entered.

She turned towards Riko and Luffy and reached behind her, pulling out the same Desert Eagle she had the night she set out to kill Riko.

Luffy immediately stood up in front of her, "Whatever the hell you came here to do, I'm not gonna make it easy for you,"

Milo smirked and cocked back her gun, "We'll see about that,"

"Okay so how is this supposed to work again?" Ace was growing impatient waiting outside the abandoned church.

Zoro sighed, "It was totally simple. We wait for the first gunshot, and after that, we storm in."

Ace nodded, "Gotcha,"

"How do we know it'll be Autumn's gun that shot first?" Robin asked.

"Why does it matter?" Sanji retorted as politely as possible.

Robin shrugged, "I suppose you're right,"

Shanks shifted in his spot, "I hope we all make it,"

"Hey," Zoro made sure everyone got his attention, "If anyone's dying today, it's me. I'm not losing my family,"

The tension in the air had disappeared for a moment between the five of them, and then suddenly, a single gun shot was fired, and a shrill scream followed that sent the five of them running up the stairs into the church. There was an eerie silence.

Carroll had just reached where Autumn and Nicoll were speaking when the gun shot had gone off.

"What the hell was that?" Nicoll looked around trying to find where the sound was coming from.

Autumn saw Carroll had entered the room and pulled out two Berettas from the back of her jeans and pointed one at Nicoll and one at Carroll, "Carroll, I've seen you toe the line between Nicoll and me. So what's it gonna be?"

Carroll looked between the two of them, noticing that Nicoll was staring straight down the barrel of Autumn's gun.

"Well?" Autumn was growing impatient.

"Milo's back. She's with Luffy and Riko in the Nave," Carroll didn't know what else to say, "That's where the shot came from,"

And another bullet fired.