And here is another chapter of the Black Glove Pirates. This chapter follows a slightly different vein than the others before it, having returned to the captain's point of view, but bear with it.

Breathing in, I remember my actions
I have killed, yet I am not at fault
Assassins are tools wielded by those with power
Assassins are tools with handles of money
But I know that my actions are my own
And I accept responsibility
Breathing out, I forgive me my sins
Hedges must be trimmed lest they grow rampant
Martyrs and maggots must perish
Intent is not important
Motivation is not important
The deed is important
Death is inevitable
And I bring it
Breathing in, I remember my actions
I have killed, yet-

The pirate captain's meditation was completely ruined as Raven entered the women's quarter, not bothering to close the door behind her. "What are you doing?"

"Do you know that I had received exactly ninety six assassination requests before I became a pirate?" Cassandra said listlessly, lying on her bed and staring blankly at the ceiling. "And of those, my father ensured that forty eight targets, exactly half of them, were assigned to my family from the Gorousei themselves?"

Raven remained silent.

"This was to solidify my faith and loyalty to the World Government, faith that it would do the right thing. I was supposed to believe that the targets were no concern of mine and that the reasons for doing so were for peace. The other half were requested from spoiled nobles were simply to let the nature of backstabbing politics run its course. When one of their requests upset the balance too much, the World Government would have another kill just ready to be sprung.

"But as much as I was trained to trust the World Government, my mother made sure I was not too trustful. I was to be like a poisonous spider, crawling about inside their buildings, familiarizing myself with their methods and trickeries, learning as much as I could before completing my assassination. Of course, she mysteriously went missing, but that was irrelevant at the time. In retrospect, it might have had some influence on my decision to abandon the world of assassins and emerge into the sunlight."

Raven was silent for a little while longer before she began to speak. "The deck was cleaned, the bodies are gone and the mercenary I intended to interrogate is locked in the stern supply room. Based on your previous comments and the fist-shaped contusions covering his face that were not present when I left, you have found out their employer: the World Government. I am surprised a man of his rank knows such information. I only expected to get the location of his base of operations."

"I got the name of commander, which was enough," Cassandra groaned, intertwining her fingers and wedging them beneath her head. "He told me he worked for a man nicknamed Echo, which reveals he's part of those scumbags, the Otan Mercenaries. Did you ever operate extensively in West Blue?"

"No. I was stationed in North Blue for the majority of my life."

"Well, the only employer of the Otan Mercs is the World Government," Cassandra sighed. "They got roped into it when the WG took complete control of the world a few decades ago, but they're paid extra to keep their business selective and to operate efficiently. The men sent out for us were surprisingly weak, the lowest ranks apparently. Oh, speaking of which, how are the others?"

"Lyn did not participate in battle, Alexander managed to subdue his opponents with only minor injuries, and Damien has endured his usual amount of damage," Raven listed. "They are returning as we speak."

"Good, good…" Cassandra trailed off. "Nice to know they can handle themselves. But as I was saying, they severely underestimated us, which is puzzling since there were hundreds, thousands, if not tens of thousands watching as we killed Madaxe and his crew. Granted, he was only the son of a Shichibukai, which holds no bearing for his combat abilities, merely his rank, but that should still count for something, right? I mean, the Otan Mercs are known to have flawless teamwork, yet even a school of minnows cannot hope to take down a Sea King."

"You are rambling," Raven stated. "You need to calm down or you will lose perspective of the situation and control over yourself."

It became immediately apparent that this had not been the right thing to say. "Calm down? Perspective and control?! Raven, you still don't realize what this means, do you? I have the World Government after me! They own the entire world! All of it! I've worked for them by proxy all my life, and now they want to kill me! Do you know what this means?"

Raven evidently didn't want to risk igniting her temper.

"They're actually taking me seriously!" Cassandra leapt off of her bed and whooped. "What's it feel like, motherfuckers! Oh they don't know what they've done to me. They've fucked up. If they had only left me alone, I wouldn't want to start much trouble. Oh, but that was a mistake. I knew I was going to be Pirate Queen, but I was gonna model myself after the other kings! Well, the first two anyway. That's gone now. I will shake the world. I will spread riches or ruin in my wake. I will leave myself in the mind of every person I meet and countless that I don't."

"Cassandra, listen-"

"No, you listen!" The fact that she was suddenly looming over the Raven barely registered in her mind. "Every single damn island will be on the lookout for us! Every single one that is connected to the World Government in some way, shape, or form! There is nowhere we will be able to go without causing mayhem! Especially if you consider the fact that at this rate, there is no possible way we will avoid getting bounties. Oh, Mors, when that happens, not only will the most powerful governing entity the world has yet to match be after us, but every piece of shit bounty hunter, pirate, and starving man desperate for money will pour from every corner of the earth to fight and capture us!"

"You are overly exciting yourself."

"Oh yeah? Name me one, one place where pirates can hide without fear of being pursued, especially with bounties on their heads! We'll be in danger all the time! It'll be just like we're home! Well, our previous home. We'll push back and raise all seven hells! Oh, I can't wait!"

"Cassandra, you need to calm down."

"You know what?" Cassandra yelled. "Fuck off, Raven! There is no possible way I can be calm when-"

Wham! The pirate captain found herself sprawled against her bed, staring up at her musician in amazement. "Get ahold of yourself, Captain! There is no reason to be yelling in such a manner."

"The hell there isn't!" She was not going to be deterred from her dangerous future, no matter how much her jaw hurt. "How much of the conversation did you hear?"

"I came aboard the ship when you were shouting about the World Government owns the world," Alexander responded, flexing the gloved hand he had used to punch his captain. "Of course, that's not true, but-"

"Okay, let me fill you in: we have the World Government after our asses along with the pirates from Summer Isle. The entire World Government! No matter where we go, no matter where we'll, we won't be able to avoid-"

"Avoid?" Alexander cut in. "None of the Black Glove Pirates would even dream of avoid their enemies, myself included. I might not like to fight, but-"

"I don't think you understand, Alexander!" Cassandra was on her feet once more. "We have the entire World Government after us! That's over two hundred nations that are willing to lure us in, capture us, and imprison us without a second thought! That's hundreds or thousands of organizations willing to turn us in! If we get bounties, that means virtually every person on this planet would turn us in for the reward, regardless of how much of a fight we put up! How many average soldiers can you handle at once? Ten, twenty, fifty? These numbers don't compare to thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people who would die for a chance to claim our heads!"

"You are exaggerating-"

"Maybe I am! But what if you met a single person as powerful as Damien or as skilled as Raven, never mind ten of them? You would be dead before you knew it! Remember that while our pair are admirable fighters, far better than the rest of us, there are countless people much, much better than they are. All we need is one of those other people to attack us and it's bye-bye Black Glove Pirates! Why aren't you as pumped up as I am!"

"Because I want to keep my neck," Alexander snapped. "I joined the crew of an ambitious, but cautious, captain. We already have Damien for recklessness! I'm surprised at you. I didn't think you'd lose your head over this."

"Lose my head? Oh, trust me. You'd know if I lost my head. Even that might not stop me. Who cares? The World Government is literally after us! We're recognized as a threat! We're on the map!"

Alexander frowned. "That's no reason to get overexcited. Yes, all of us are willing to fight, come hell or high heaven, but in reasonable, measured steps."

"Why aren't you listening to me? It's. Not. About. Fighting. It's about recognition. I'm not some nobody squeaking underfoot any more! I am me!"

"I know you're you," Alexander said patiently. "I realize you're recognized now. Can you calm down and celebrate in a more normal matter?"

It was at this point Cassandra knew they wouldn't get it. She felt like she could take on anybody. She could overcome any obstacle. Her mind was open wider than ever before, imagining all the scenarios now available to her. She could see the entire globe, and it moved against her. No longer would she have to worry about figuring out how to get on the board without committing some atrocity her more gentle crewmembers would protest. She knew that Damien and Lyn would understand. Why weren't they here now?"

"You are getting overly excited to the point of it physically affecting you," Raven said. "Calm down, or I will calm you down."

Cassandra directed all of her considerable attention to her doctor. "You'll calm me down? Do you really think you can?"

The next thing Cassandra knew, she was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling once more. She frowned and rolled her head from side to side, wondering what had just happened. Her head ached severely and her facial muscles felt as if they had been clenched for ages. Bits and pieces of what had happened filtered back into her mind, causing her breath to catch in her chest. She slowly sat up and swung her legs over the edge of her bed, resting her elbows on her knees and placing her head in her hands. She remained in that position for a while, breathing slowly and deeply, then worked up the courage to look around. Alexander was reclining on Lyn's bed, idly rifling through her sketches.

Some sixth sense told her to look up, which she did with great reluctance. She found herself looking directly into the emotionless gaze of her doctor, who she sincerely hoped was not currently her former doctor. "How long have I been out?"

"Six minutes and thirty two seconds," Raven droned.

Cassandra gave a sad chuckle and wiped more tears from her cheek. "I realize now that I may have gotten a little too hyped up, haven't I?"

"You have."

"What did you hit me with?"

"I will tell you later."

Satisfied, Cassandra turned to Alexander. "Forgive me?"

"Nothing to forgive," he assured her. "How could I hold that against you? I have Damien as a brother."

"You are not related," Raven said.

"We have sisters we're not related to," Cassandra pointed out. Raven thought this over.

Alexander smiled at the doctor. "I appreciate how much this means to you, Captain. You have a certain... desire to be noticed. And you like attention. And you like a challenge. Of course, you know where that means we're going."

Cassandra laughed, clapping her hands. "Damien and Lyn will be so pleased. Speaking of which, where are they?"

"Judging by the burning man coming towards us and the absence of people around said man, Damien is approaching," Raven whispered. "He seems to have calmed down."

"How can you say that he's calm while he's on fire?" Cassandra asked. "Forget it. Whatever he's done is unimportant right now. At this point, I'll take no more drama tonight."

They leaned on the railing, to watch him approach. Unfortunately, Alexander happened to lean next to a missing patch, causing the railing to break and sending him into the water below. Raven had leapt in after him before Cassandra could react, vanishing below the surface with only a tiny splash. The pair soon exploded from the water, arcing through the air and landing back on the ship. Both pirates were breathing heavily, neither choosing to move a muscle.

"You okay?" Cassandra asked, not leaving her position on the railing.

"I don't care if consuming a Devil Fruit makes me an alchemist," Alexander gasped. "I feel like a toddler every time I fall overboard."

"I can't imagine what that must feel like," Cassandra told him. "And going back to my previous note, there's no way I'm not telling them. Ahoy, Damien! Enjoy your night on the town?"

The navigator stopped at the edge of the docks, staring tiredly up at her. "Drank a bi', finished off a butcher's stock, killed some poor bastards, fucked up some buildin's…"

"All in all, a good night for you," Cassandra nodded. "Have you seen Lyn?"

"Fer a shor' while," he grunted with a yawn. "Las' time I saw 'er-"

"Here I am, Captain!" Lyn shouted, popping her head out from around the blood-encrusted navigator.

"Lyn!" Cassandra shouted as she caught sight of the cuts and bruises covering the woman's body. "What happened to you? Raven, I thought you said she was uninjured!"

"She was," Raven droned, crouching on the railing and peering down at the first mate. "She was intoxicated, but unharmed."

Cassandra frowned in confusion. "Then did the mercenaries come back and attack you?"

"Nope!" Lyn replied cheerfully, turning upside down as she hung onto one of the fighter's dreadlocks. "Damien was giving me a lift home and I was thankful so I kissed him and he threw me through a wall!"

The pirate captain could mentally envision a tumbleweed rolling between them at this point. "What?"

Lyn furiously nodded her head, sending her black and red hair flying wildly. "And that means I only haven't kissed Raven and Alexander yet!"

Cassandra looked at her strangely. "First of all, I am deeply disturbed by the absence of my name in that list. Second of all, Damien, it is not okay to go about hurling crewmembers into masonry. Third of all, Lyn, right yourself and how many drinks did you consume before you thought it would be a good idea to kiss him?"

"I only had a frozen daiquiri, a martini, a tequila, a Bloody Mary, a Rime-on-Ice, a-"

"I'm surprised you still have a functioning liver," Cassandra told her as Damien grabbed the first mate and tossed her onto the ship, hopping aboard a second later. "Or that you're still awake, for that matter. Well, now that we're all back safe and sound, we have to decide our next course of action. Damien, Lyn, I think you should know our current circumstances has taken a turn for the worst. The mercenaries who attacked you were the Otan Mercenaries, a group operated by the World Government."

The newly arrived pair slowly cocked their heads to the side, not quite understanding what she meant.

"The World Government is after us," Cassandra reiterated, trying to restrain her excitement.

A devilish grin began spreading on Damien's face as he contemplated this new development. "About fuckin' time, if y'ask me."

"Don't worry, Government!" Lyn gurgled, latching onto the sniper like a lamprey. "We'll take care of the World Captain for you!"

"I don't know why I expected any other reaction," Cassandra mumbled to herself, not even attempting to extract herself from her first mate's vice grip. "Anyway, I want the three of you to stay on the ship. Alexander, despite the fact that Lyn is first mate and is technically second-in-command, her imminent lapse into a drunken stupor means that you are now in charge."

"Sounds good to me," the musician replied as he helped pull Lyn off of his captain. "But where are you and Raven going?"

Cassandra turned to the short doctor, a glint of mischief dancing in her eyes. "We are going to give the mercenaries a little present that they will not enjoy in the least."

Raven nodded once. "A fine decision."

"I'll be getting ready," Cassandra said, ascending to the women's quarters and entering the room. She ran her hands through her hair and stared around, thinking about how to go about this. She had already taken a shower earlier in a failed effort to calm herself down, so all she needed to do was change clothes and arm herself. Stripping down completely, she went to work with careful precision.

She walked over to her closet and pulled it open, staring at the rows of clothes before her. Pushing aside her black overshirts, she reached around and opened up a special compartment hidden in the wall. Inside were the clothes she had worn as an assassin, carefully folded up and stashed away. Smirking slightly, she withdrew them from their partition and spread them out, admiring them proudly. This was the final suit given to her before her exile, a symbol of the woman she once was. She was a pirate now, but it would be foolish to turn her back on something so familiar without a good reason.

She pulled on her pants, loose enough to be comfortable yet tight enough not to snag any protruding nails or edges. Her skintight long sleeved shirt was next, almost entirely dark, but dappled with dark blues and browns to provide better camouflage against a wall or ceiling. She reached behind her head and secured her hair into a ponytail, quirking her lips as she remembered she had dyed it when she had left her family. Raven did explain that it had been growing out, so she might be able to cut the brown length off soon. Shaking her head, she reached over and pulled on her black tabi, wiggling her toes to make sure the garments still fit. Her last article were her old black gloves, a wave of nostalgia washing over her as she put them on and clenched her hands into fists. This was the first time she was wearing this outfit as a pirate. She had better make the most of it.

Her weapons were different from last time, however. She strapped on her belt and placed the Sussuri in the holsters, making sure that drawing them could be done in an instant. She also stuck her original throwing knives inside the belt, for they were still useful to her. Deciding against adding the belt bearing her former pistols, she reached over and looped her black leather baldric across her chest, tucking her rifle securely away. She strapped her great-grandfather's throwing knives onto her shoulders, checking them to make sure they too were easily accessible. Crossing the room to retrieve her box of rifle ammunition, she reached inside and pulled out twenty one rounds, the most that would comfortably fit on her bandolier. After searching around underneath her bed for a moment, she located a length of dark grey rope and coiled it around her waist, knotting it firmly. Finally, she picked up her hat and withdrew the tiny knife from inside the ribbon, tucking it in her ponytail.

She looked at herself in the mirror as she exited the room, feeling proud of herself. Save for her hair and weapons, she looked like an assassin once more. Raven was waiting for her outside, perched on the railing in front of the women's quarters. "You are ready," she murmured, more of a statement than a question.

"As are you," Cassandra replied, cracking her knuckles. "How are the others?"

"Damien is vomiting off the starboard side, Lyn is experimenting with body paint, and Alexander is falling asleep on the table in the galley."

"Two for three isn't bad, especially considering the two who are doing more or less what I expected them to," Cassandra muttered. "Slap Alexander awake and let us be off."

Well, I guess we're all entitled to meltdowns now and then. It's just a shame we don't all have doctors who look at everything from a completely objective standpoint. (Okay, so we do. But you have to pay to visit a therapist to do so.) Catch you next time!