A/N: Hello, all. I hope you're enjoying this arc and these characters. Did you know that Shakuyaku was the only woman who willingly showed Brook her panties? (Although this was only done in the anime, and was done off screen)

OH MY GOSH! Have you read chapter 749? I'm so excited; finally we're getting some backstory.

Oda-sensei had surgery, so let's hope he has a healthy recovery!

I'm so looking forward to hearing Pica's voice in the anime – I sort of imagine it sounding like Pikachu on helium.

I figured I'd post this chapter early, as I'm going to go into the hospital next week (which was when I planned to post this) – no major worries though, thankfully. I've just been sick for the past month, so I'm getting IV antibiotics to help kick this nasty infection to the curb. Look on the bright side, there are those who shall benefit from my loss of sleep.

Warnings: Foul use of the English language, and some explosive violence.

Chapter 25: The Floating Islands Part Two: Familiar Faces Hidden in Plain Sight, and the History which Will Not be spoken of

**Countdown: Two Months, 11 days left**

"Why are the Marines here?!" Usopp panicked, and the others quickly prepared for a fight, while Nami panicked as well. "They'll see our ship!"

"The rocks hide any ships, you can't see them unless you're further down on the docks," Java waved a hand at her to let her know there was nothing to worry about. He rolled his eyes and looked over at Eurynome. "It's Rorrim."

Everyone looked annoyed, especially Ebony. "Oh, great, it's your boyfriend."

Eurynome wacked him on the arm and narrowed her eyes. "Stop calling him my boyfriend; he is not my boyfriend."

"Fine, your stalker then,"

Eurynome shrugged and nodded approvingly. "That's more like it."

"Um…guys?" Saya started. "I hate being that person who points out the obvious and bears bad new, but…we've got two very notorious Pirate Captains in here, along with the entire crew of one of them."

Everyone glanced at the Pirates, and Ebony said, "Well, shit – no way we're gonna be able to hide all of them. There's no way to fit Cyborg Franky-san up the stairs."

Rorrim was followed by a tall and thin mousy looking man, and three other Marines. They were walking with quite a purpose, and had already crossed the bridge that connected Vidu's trading port to the other island.

Eurynome huffed in annoyance and ran over to the chest where Orin was resting his feet. He moved and she quickly opened it and pulled out diving gear and a machete, and then quickly ran outside just as Rorrim and his Marines reached the door.

"Oh, Vice-Admiral Rorrim!" Eurynome greeted quickly and coolly as she shut the door behind her. "I was just on my way out to go diving. What are you doing here?"

Nami peered out of a window that faced the bridge and she could see Rorrim from where she was carefully hidden out of Rorrim's line of sight.

He was a tall man, reaching almost seven feet, with a wide chest and arms, while his smaller legs were almost disproportionate to his large upper body. His jaw was squared and he had the look of someone who relished in that annoying overconfidence which said he thought much higher of himself than others did; in that he deserved to be praised and honored even if he didn't earn it. His bright red-orange hair was nearly to his shoulders with untamed curls, and was slicked back and he wore a blue headband which suggested that even with the excessive use of hair products, it wasn't enough to tame his curls. Another thing was that his age was more than likely in his early to late 40's.

"Eurynome-chan," he said in a smooth voice, leaking with that annoying overconfidence. "I'd like to extend an invitation to you; I'd like you to come to the base later this afternoon if you can. I have something I'd like to discuss with you. The elite of Bháite are going to be there as well, many will be my very important guests…"

He continued on about the event while Ebony muttered bitterly under his breath, "That invitation's not the only thing he's extending to my sister,"

"I swear, Eury-chan's the only other person he jacks off to other than himself." Java looked disgusted as he said this.

"Why is he even interested in her?" Saya whispered, her expression and tone voiced concern.

"That boy's no good, Marine or not." Vidu muttered.

Jed shook his head. "But Eury isn't the only girl that he gives that creepy attention to. I've seen him flirt with all the young, pretty, and available girls. Although he seems to have a thing for particularly young, strong and energetic girls…"

Something that struck as odd to Zuko and even to the more observant Pirates was the fact that Java and Jed had joked about threatening the men who had shown interest in Eurynome, and yet they hadn't threatened the Marine. Well, he was an upholder of the law, but they were acting as if it was more of a serious concern than it normally would or should have been. Perhaps they were in fact involved with underworld trading and didn't want to deal with the authorities if they opposed him.

Eurynome's conversation with the Vice-Admiral ensured that she steered him away from the store that had the Pirates trapped inside.

"Oh, really?" she could be heard saying with a laugh, "How about you tell me about it on our way to the south end of the island? I'm headed that way anyways, and it'll be easy for you as well. It's a really great diving point…"

She walked off with the Marines, and there were those of the Pirates who let out breaths they didn't realize they had been holding.

"Will she be okay?" Katara asked. From what little she had heard of the Marines she wasn't sure if there was potential danger heading their way.

"She'll be fine," Orin nodded, but he didn't look happy. "Eury-chan can take care of herself."

"None of you seem to like the Marines, or at least that guy." Zoro observed. He sat with his arms crossed; carefully watching the store employees as they visibly stopped tensing. They seemed to have been more nervous than his fellow Pirates had been.

"I'm not sure which that guy is more full of; shit or his own ego." Java said. "Seriously, he's technically an old man who's taken a strange interest in a girl who's young enough to be his daughter, plus the fact that a lot of the women in town would love the same kind of attention he shows Eurynome. They'd screw him at the drop of a hat."

"Well, with his creepy attention, that just shows what poor taste and judgment those girls have." Jed sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose. He could be overheard mumbling about the stupidity of the women on the island.

"I don't like it," Orin sounded apprehensive. "Honestly, Swordsman-san, none of us have a particular liking for the Marines, especially Rorrim. He's one of the reasons why Marine's aren't liked by people."

Zoro wondered if Toph was picking up anything from these people; perhaps he should ask her once they were all back on the ship.

"Why aren't the Marines liked by people?" Zuko asked, and he quickly added, "I'm from a faraway country, so I've never had much experience with them."

"Then consider yourself lucky." Vidu replied bitterly. "There are people who join the Marines simply because they believe that they are doing the right thing; that they will be making a difference in the World. But that's nothing but pipe-dreams and bullshit. Even the most despicable among Pirates are more trustworthy than the Marines."

"Oh, Vidu dear, they aren't all bad, you make it sound so horrible." she turned to the customers. "Rorrim is a Marine who has let both his power and position go to his head, which gives the decent and good-intentioned Marines a bad name. We all must stand for something, you know."

Zuko got the distinct impression that there was more to the story here, but Vidu just wasn't saying it. He sounded so bitter and angry, and the way he spoke about the Marines seemed like an entirely different person than the grandfatherly figure they had initially been introduced to. He seemed to realize that both Zuko and Zoro were watching him, and he was suddenly the kindly yet heavily scarred old man again. "Anyway, I'm sure you have a lot going on; how about we get your things loaded and I'm sure Vera will want you to stay for a bite to eat, even if it's something small."

About half an hour later, they were standing out on a deck on the back of the trading post overlooking the ocean, the delicious smells from Sanji's cooking lingered in the air. Jed, Orin, and Java had loaded the Sunny with everything that Nami and Sanji had ordered. Sanji was very much relieved as they had plenty of food for the next few months, even with Luffy's bottomless pit of an appetite and so many extra mouths to feed.

Another girl who looked to be in her mid-twenties appeared on the deck, and she eyed the Pirates quizzically, but she made no move to greet them or protest their being there. She had a completely unreadable expression, and when Sanji saw her and ran up to her proclaiming her beauty, she only stared at him. After giving Sanji a look as if she was trying to figure him out but couldn't, she simply stepped around him, all the while giving him curious glances with her wide green eyes. Upon seeing her, Jed immediately stood and greeted her, and guided her to a seat all while talking up a storm.

Sanji sighed ruefully, "I seem to have lost my charm while on this island…"

Ebony just waved his hand, "Ah, don't mind Daria, Black Leg-san. She doesn't talk to anyone at all, really."

A few minutes later, Eurynome reappeared after having distracted Rorrim and she looked annoyed. "Seriously, I had to go diving at the far south end of the island and had to swim around the old buildings and shit and make my way here just to avoid suspicion from Rorrim."

"What'd he want this time?" Ebony crossed his arms, looking disgusted at the thought of Rorrim even breathing the same air as his beloved sister.

"He just wanted to talk about some kind of meeting he wants a number of people to attend, said you could come to, if you wanted," Ebony made a face of disgust. "I can't."

"Anyway, he said to come to later today around five. And he said it was important; life changing in fact, for him. Went on and on about how things were going to change for him after this big announcement," she popped a handful of grapes into her mouth and spoke around them. "Ser'rous'ry, da gah souned lak ah broggen regord." (Seriously, the guy sounded like a broken record.) She swallowed. "All he talked about was his own damn self and seriously, the dumbass literally can't talk about anything other than himself! He has got to lack the ability of proper social function of knowing that other people inhabit the world. He is not the only one! I swear that if you by some miracle managed to direct the conversation towards let's say, birds, he would just so happen to have a story about birds that somehow involved him!"

"That bad, huh?" Saya patted her arm in comfort.

"Do you realize how hard it is to not yawn and look interested when talking to someone like that? And I didn't even think it was possible to fall asleep while on your feet. Gives a whole new meaning to the term, sleep walking. If his career as a Marine doesn't pan out, he should just make recordings of just him talking about himself and sell them to insomniacs. He would be a millionaire!"

"Feel better?" Ebony asked after Eurynome had finished ranting. He offered her a drink which she gladly accepted.

"Maybe I should sneak some sake in preparation for meeting Rorrim, but damn…it's too early in the day to be getting drunk. Other than that, much better, thanks."

Soon the food was finished and everyone was sitting in groups talking to one another. Eurynome and Ebony were seated next to Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp, asking them various questions. The Straw Hat Captain, Doctor, and Sniper were more than happy to share stories of their conquests, while Usopp of course threw in his own spin. Eurynome politely smiled and nodded, showing that she knew the incredible tales were complete bull. Ebony on the other hand, was staring suspiciously at Usopp, but his voice sounded genuinely interested and surprised. "I can't believe I never read about any of that in the papers! Not even the merchants or other crews have talked about that. It's so surprising…"

Law sat quietly and observed the "family" from what he could tell; only Eurynome and Evony were related by blood. Perhaps Vidu and Vera had taken in orphans or something, and that would explain their family-like behavior. While they certainly acted like any normal family would, he supposed (not that he could really say he had personal experience), but they weren't exactly the normal family or trading post employees. Each one of them carried a weapon. Well, they sold services and goods to Pirates, so that would be understandable. But he watched how they moved. He noticed how they all seemed to sit in strategic positions so that no two were looking in the exact same direction. They were involved in the conversations, but not fully a part of them. They glanced at the surroundings as if waiting for something to jump out at them at any given time. It was not paranoia, but rather cautiousness. They obviously had distaste or at least wariness for the Marines. And they all, shared that same, circular tattoo. But it was covered or surrounded by some kind of crazy pattern of another elaborate tattoo; almost as if the complex designs were covering up something else.

These people were hiding from someone.

And the best place to hide was right in plain sight.

Law's thoughts were interrupted by Saya, who was smiling and offering him some sort of alcoholic drink. He took it and gave her his thanks. She smiled and laughed, saying something or other that he really didn't pay attention to. She didn't seem to expect any sort of response from him, because she was off again, now serving Zoro a bottle of sake. She was saying something about it being locally brewed and how it was such a fine art, and Zoro took one swig and looked impressed. He commented on the unique flavor, and Saya grinned,

"A friend at the tavern in town brews it; he'll be so happy you like it! You know, he's teaching me, and says that I have a natural talent for brewing – soon I'll be a master brewer as well!"

Robin had gone over to inspect the shrine when she had the chance, and again, there was an air of familiarity about the woman in the photo. Long, platinum blonde hair which her daughter shared, naturally sad looking brown eyes, and a smile that seemed to be friendly and inviting yet mysterious and even dangerous. Robin tried to recall where she had seen the woman. Frida…the name certainly rang a bell. Perhaps she had been featured on a wanted poster and Robin had seen it somewhere along the way in her travels.

"Who was Frida?" she asked Vera as they sat out on the back deck. Vera's bright features shadowed for only a moment, and then she smiled somewhat sadly. "She was Eurynome's and Evony's mother. When she had the twins…she was given such a wonderful purpose in life. She loved being a mother…but, eleven years ago, she…" Vera's voice trailed off, obviously recalling something unpleasant, but Vera obviously didn't like or want to discuss it, but now a sort of maternal fondness graced her features. "She was so full of life, you know. I'd rather remember her life than her death."

"I see…she sounds like she was a wonderful person. May I ask about their father?" Robin inquired, and Vera smiled.

"He loved her very much, he gave her so much…but after she died, he felt he had to leave – he had his reasons," she added quickly. "But he misses his children very much. Oh, and you know, it was because of him that Vidu and I met! We of course were too old by then to have children of our own, but they made us the godparents of the twins, and oh, was it fantastic! And now, we also have Java, Jed, Dacho, Daria, Orin, and Saya…while we aren't necessarily all related by blood, we're still a family of sorts – a rather odd one at that. I'm sure you understand."

Vera smiled at her last statement, and as the talked she seemed to talk around the questions Robin was asking her, and probably was not comfortable discussing things which were likely deeply personal matters. Robin nodded and smiled as well, showing that she understood, as she considered the Straw Hats to be her family.

"You know," Vera started, and she looked lovingly over at her godchildren who were laughing at the three Straw Hats' antics of dancing with chopsticks up their noses, and Eurynome fell over into silent fits of laughter as Ebony took his turn dancing with chopsticks up his nose.

"Go Ebony!" the three cheered him on.

Vera smiled. "It's been a long time since I've seen the twins this happy. They both have always admired Pirates, as there's quite a bit of freedom in it. Hearing the stories about you lot certainly raises their spirits. I almost get the impression that if certain Pirate crews ever invited them onto their ship, they'd join in a heartbeat." The last comment was more offhanded than anything else. "Oh! Look at that, the drinks are almost empty and the dishes are piling up. No time to sit around chatting about such things, my dear."

Vera arose from her seat and went about clearing away plates and refilling glasses, giving their guests her grandmotherly smile and comments. She patted heads and shoulders as she moved through the crowded deck, seeming to relish in taking care of so many people. Her comments that she showered everyone with seemed to have that strange effect of everyone simply not knowing how to respond. She wasn't unfriendly or insulting, merely complimenting, observing, and advising her guests in rather odd ways.

She commented on things from Luffy's healthy appetite (he very likely made any chef happy, due to his love of food), to how Zoro should also drink milk (it was good for both your skin and bones), to how cute a couple Aang and Katara were (they were going to have beautiful children), along with how handsome Law was, and that he should find time to get more rest (as not getting enough wasn't healthy) due to her noticing the dark circles under his eyes. She asked non-evasive but personal questions of all of them and everyone somehow felt compelled to answer her. Upon hearing their answers, she smiled and told them her thoughts, treating them as if they were member of her own family. The group couldn't help but listen and take her advice and comments, even if they were somehow thrust out of their comfort zones one way or another, and it was admittedly a nice feeling afterwards.

Robin watched her, and thought about their earlier conversation. The keyword that had struck her in their brief conversation had been "freedom". The way she had said it…Robin began to suspect that all of these people were former slaves, and she wondered just who the man was that had brought Vera and Vidu together and was the father of Eurynome and Ebony.

The afternoon lulled on, and upon checking the time, Eurynome sighed heavily. "Well, I gotta go to that stupid meeting or something or other. If you're gone by the time I get back, it was so great meeting you. This is a day I won't ever forget."

She had to pass Brook as she left, so she stopped next to him and said, "I'm not into that whole girly things and shit, but…" she leaned down and gave him a quick kiss on his boney cheek. "A kiss, to make up for not being able to show my panties, and a thank you for signing my albums, Soul King Brook-san."

One would never think that it was possible for a skeleton to blush, but Brook managed it. She waved at the Straw Hats and Law, and even gave Momonosuke a kiss on his forehead, but only because the boy humored her. She left by way of the stairs and made her way across the bridges and islands, through the town, leading towards the Marine base.

The sky was a shade of various hues of pinks, reds, and purples as early evening drew near. Ebony had left some time ago because he had errands to take care of in town.

"Where are you going?" Vera asked.

"Out," Ebony shrugged.

"What are you going to do?"

"Walk."

"Who are you going to see?"

"People,"

"When will you be back?"

"Later,"

"Be careful," Vera sighed, showing the look that a woman gets when she doesn't get the answers she expects and wants from her children.

"You be careful." Ebony said smartly, but he grinned. "Don't worry, I won't be too long."

Saul perched on his shoulder and waved at Momo before Ebony disappeared over the bridges and into town.

Jed waved to the Pirates as well, and then told Vera and Vidu, "I have to go into town, I've got a card game going on with some of the guys, and I've gotta make sure to keep my score up!"

Daria eyed the Pirates, and she only silently waved to them, her features neither friendly nor threatening. She walked along side Jed, while he did all the talking.

The tampered Eternal Log Pose had set a few hours later, which was a relief to the all of them. Nami pulled out another Log Pose, and Franky began to expertly guide the Sunny out from between the rocks. They had just cleared the rocks when they heard a loud explosion that caused a shockwave which shook the Sunny and made their ears ring. Toph winced as she was the one who was bothered the most by the unexpected noise.

"W-what was that?" Sokka stared wide-eyed at the trading port. Half of it was in flames, and a few of the animals had been killed from the force of the blast, while the rest went into a frenzied panic in order to get away from the flames. For a moment, it took all of them to register the sight before them.

"What was that noise?" Toph asked once the ringing in her ears had stopped.

"The trading port is on fire!" Usopp shouted.

"Well things just went from bad to worse," Zoro narrowed his eye. "It's the Marines."

*No actual animals were harmed in the writing of this chapter.*

Next Time: The truth is revealed, and in spite of the protests, Luffy is determined to help out his new friends for giving him delicious food.

More A/N: Things are picking up now! Whoo!

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