The storm left as suddenly as it had arrived. Cassandra looked up, slightly annoyed with the abrupt change in weather. She had depended on the rain to peter off to give her time to finish her torture and clean up. Knowing she had only a few moments before the others emerged, she threw the still-living pirate overboard to drown and shed her overshirt. Blood soaked the sleeves, even showing up on her arms, but she quickly wiped it away with the back of her shirt. When she gestured at the blood covering the deck, Damien instantly knew what she wanted him to do and scorched the boards with a breath of fire. She wrung her gloves and shirt over the railing, but there was no hope for her jeans.

"Quick, stab my leg."

Damien grabbed her thigh, his claws sinking deep into her skin, and hurled her to the main deck. She fell with a muted grunt, having not expected the latter action. Still, it gave her a more plausible explanation for the blood on her person, and that was what mattered. It was always nice when her navigator listened to her, even with his additional brutal flair. Cain hastily undid his safety lines and moved to her side, gently helping her to her feet. "Are you hurt?'

"Devil Fruit," she reminded him. "Besides, that one was my fault. I'm fine, really." Her adrenaline was dying off, and the magnitude of what had happened was sinking in. She stared at the severed tether, and her words turned to ash in her mouth. She had thought her upbringing would help her deal with loss, but she had never been good at letting go.

She jumped when the hatch banged open and Lyn burst out. "Wow! That was intense!"

"Excuse me? What was intense?" Morgan limped after her, his cane sliding slightly on the wet deck. "You were asleep the entire time."

"I was out of my body, not asleep," Lyn corrected. Cassandra's heart stopped as she realized Lyn might have witnessed her vicious revenge. It only resumed beating when the first mate continued. "You and Jay basically had it under control."

"Nearly setting the ship on fire does not count as under control."

Jordan gave him a light shove as she exited behind him. "Give it a rest! I got rid of the water, didn't I?"

"At the risk of sinking us all, yes."

"Well, we didn't. Don't be such a whiny bitch."

"Enough." Cassandra heaved a sigh, her eyes still not leaving the cut rope. "Alexander-"

"Oh, don't get me started on him!" Lyn cut in. "He was such a baby! How did a guy like him even become a pirate? I could not get him to come inside!"

"He was swept overboard."

Lyn cocked her head to the side. "When? The rain just stopped. I saw him like two seconds ago."

"Two seconds ago? That's impossible."

"Look, he was just up there, cowering like a wuss, and I didn't know how long I could keep him from flying off."

Cassandra frowned, staring up at the crow's nest. "Cain, if you would?"

He instantly obliged by tossing her up. She hooked her fingers on the lip and landed in a crouching position. The alchemist huddled on the floor looked up at her and gave a weak smile. "Crazy weather we're having."

She glanced down to make sure Jordan wasn't pulling some cruel prank before climbing into the crow's nest. She hauled him sputtering to his feet and grabbed him in the tightest hug she could muster. He returned the embrace, though he was obviously confused. She fought to keep tears from her eyes as she held him. After a long while, she released him and planted a firm kiss on his forehead. "I thought you were dead."

He gave a small laugh. "Very nearly. What about you? Did you get hurt?"

"It's just a scratch. Healed it off ages ago. How did-"

"Hey, Alex!"

"Alexander!" he called down.

"You owe me for keeping you from flying out!"

"You tried to get me to climb down!"

"It wasn't safe up there!"

"Continue this discussion on the deck," Cassandra said. "I don't want you straining yourself."

He shrugged. "I'm pretty beat, Captain."

"Not a problem." She hoisted him up and leapt off. For being pretty beat, he latched onto her quickly enough. As she expected, Cain gently slowed them before they hit the wooden boards, depositing them safely when he was sure they were okay. Alexander held his chest, hanging onto her for support.

"Thanks," he managed at last.

"Any time. You went overboard, and your line was cut. How did you wind up in the crow's nest? You should have sunk too quickly for a wave to carry you that high."

"I did sink. I was saved."

Everyone stared at him in confusion. "You were saved while in seawater during a storm on the Grand Line," Morgan clarified.

"Look, I know it sounds crazy, but that's what happened," Alexander insisted. "I don't know if I was hallucinating or what, but I swear an angel rescued me."

"An angel." The prince's voice was dripping with incredulity. "You were saved by an angel. Did a heavenly chorus descend from on high amid cherubs and sunlight?"

"...Mi..." Cassandra's head snapped around, staring out over the ocean.

"Hey, I just had a near-death experience."

"Living with him is a near-death experience, so you'll forgive me if I don't extend my deepest sympathies."

"Come now, Morgan, surely you can appreciate the horrors of being people like us in water. Drained of the ability to move or do anything is not something to be looked down upon."

"I remember quite well. I don't discount that. It's just the idea of an angel rescuing you is more than a little far-fetched."

"...angel..."

Now Cassandra was positive she heard something. She slowly walked towards the poop deck, straining her hearing to its limit. The argument died down when the others saw her odd movements, merely watching her curiously. "What is it, Captain?" Lyn chirped. Cassandra put a hand to her lips as she stared about. "Did you finally get too paranoid and snap?"

"Who's there?" she called out.

"...by yourself..."

She motioned for the others to stay still, slowly reaching for her pistols. She advanced onto the poop deck, but still couldn't see anyone besides Damien. The stench of blood still lingered, but there were no other unexpected scents. She knew she wasn't just hearing things. Aside from the usual additional sounds of the sea, there was an unusually close heartbeat she had initially dismissed as the woman she had previously thrown overboard. She peered overboard, trying to find the owner of the heartbeat.

She was focusing so intently that she jumped when Damien spoke. "Tell 'em to fuck off."

"Your hearing isn't that good," she said instantly.

"I know they're 'ere."

"How?"

"Spiri's."

She watched him for a moment, contemplating the ramifications of his words. "Stop hiding and come out! I don't like people who hide."

"You don' fuckin' wha'?"

She punched his ear and leaned to the side to avoid his retaliatory swipe. A ghostly figure gradually materialized beneath the stern of the Knave, obscured by the wake left by the ship. It paused before it grew too visible, and that same faint voice came forth. "...look away..."

Cassandra frowned. "I'm sorry?"

"...don't like… stares…"

"You're coming up on my ship uninvited. You don't get to set the terms. I won't stare, but I do need to look at you and make sure you're not going to try to attack me. That would be a very bad move, by the way."

The figure continued to hover below the waves for a moment, then fully came to the surface. Cassandra was more than a little surprised to see a woman's long silver hair and pale face emerge from the ocean. She was even more surprised to see the shimmering red fin where the woman's feet would be. Her surprise grew strongest when she realized where she had seen the mermaid before. "You! You're from the casino!"

The mermaid's face darkened slightly, and her lips tightened. When she spoke, her canorous voice was slightly strained. "Mint was mean. He told Miserie he would keep her safe and she wouldn't be seen. He lied."

"Keep who safe?"

"Miserie. He said if Miserie sang for him when he asked, he would keep people from looking at her. He lied."

"Oh." Cassandra was used to reading her conversational partner's facial cues, but the mermaid kept her face averted almost the entire time, only occasionally glancing at the captain. "Your name… is Miserie?"

The mermaid bowed her head. "Yes."

"Wait, did you follow us all the way from Juhla?"

"Libera left this morning. Swimming is easy for Miserie. She's a mermaid."

"Yes, I can see that." Miserie shrank away, and Cassandra belatedly remembered the mermaid's request. She focused her gaze slightly away from the mermaid, taking care not to look directly at her. "Sorry. Why exactly did you follow us?"

"Miserie can't work at the casino. She wants to go with Libera."

Cassandra was taken aback. "You want to go with me? You don't even know me."

"Meili and Constance said a lot about her. They told Miserie many things. Miserie thinks going with Libera is better than staying in Juhla."

That explained all of Meili's questions. Cassandra had known he wasn't simply being curious. "I think you got the wrong idea. Coming with me isn't going to be easy."

"Is everything okay, Captain?" Alexander shouted.

"Yes, everything's fine! I'll be right there!" She turned back to the mermaid in the water. "Look, I know you think this seems like the best thing to do. It's not. We're not very nice people. We're dangerous."

"Miserie knows. She saw the woman who tried to kill the fat one. She passed by her."

Cassandra nodded. She had thrown the dying pirate over the railing she was currently leaning on. "Then you'll know I'm the wrong person to follow. I know you can't go back because this is the Line, but trust me when I say-"

"Why does Libera think Miserie shouldn't follow? She took revenge. Miserie thinks she did the right thing. Miserie would have done the same."

Now that was odd. The mermaid didn't appear to be lying in an attempt to get Cassandra to accept her; she seemed to honestly agree with what the pirate captain had done. "Is that so."

"Miserie wasn't very happy with Mint when she found out he lied. Mint can't lie any more. Miserie made sure of it."

The earnestness in her smile was slightly unsettling. It seemed vaguely reminiscent of Damien's amused grins, only without showing any teeth. "Well, if he lied to you, then I guess you did what you thought was necessary. That still doesn't mean-"

"Miserie wants to become a pirate."

Cassandra's train of thought ground to an abrupt halt. "What."

"Meili and Constance told lots of stories about Libera. She takes care of her crew. Her crew takes care of her. They do anything to save each other. That is why Miserie saved the fat one. She knew Libera would be happy if he didn't die."

"Oh, you're the angel he talked about. He wasn't just crazy."

The mermaid squirmed and sunk slightly, her hair fanning out on the water. Try as she might, she couldn't hide her bright blush. Her voice was slightly muted by the water. "Miserie is no angel. She just saved him. It was easy."

"I still thank you on behalf of him and the Black Glove Pirates." She had no real reason to turn the mermaid away. Miserie was a bit strange, but who wasn't on her crew? She had saved Alexander, and having a mermaid would certainly be an asset since her crew had more than a few Devil Fruit Users who didn't fear the sea. With Raven absent and Cain and Damien always recovering from injuries, she did need a rescuer. "I should warn you that we are a dangerous crew. We go to dangerous places, and one of us even goes berserk now and again and tries to kill the lot of us."

Miserie gave a slight frown. "Goes berserk?"

"Yes, gets very angry, goes on a rampage, nigh unstoppable."

"That's not a problem!" Miserie said happily. "Miserie can just sing!"

Cassandra had rarely met such a confusing person. "You can just sing."

"Yes! Miserie is good at singing. When she sings about happy things, people are happy! When she sings about sad things, people are sad. When she sings about calm things, people are calm. That's why Mint bought her. He said she could help him make money if she made people happy."

This was almost too much information to process at once. Everything about her experience at the Mint State Casino made so much more sense. She had known something was off, especially when it came to her lack of reaction to Iris' taunts, but she had not known there was someone actively manipulating her emotions. It also made sense why Mint was so keen on getting her to see the high-roller room, and why the accounts her crew had given about their attempted rescue had several bizarre moments. Mint was smart enough to recruit her, as she undoubtedly boosted his revenue, but… "Wait, when you say he bought you, what do you mean?"

Miserie looked down. "Miserie doesn't want to talk about it. Meili said Libera takes in people of all backgrounds."

"Don't worry, I do. I do have two more questions. Why did Mint let you go if you were such an asset?"

"He didn't. Miserie was very upset that he lied to her for so long. She sang a sad song. Now Mint can't lie any more."

Now that was unsettling. Even with Miserie skirting around the straight truth, Cassandra had a feeling she knew what the mermaid was implying. Still, if the casino owner truly had lied to her, perhaps she was justified in her actions. "Second question: does your singing affect different people differently?"

"Yes, Constance told her before she left. She said she thinks Miserie's singing makes people feel more when they can't control their emotions well. People who do control their emotions well don't feel as much from her singing."

That sealed the deal. Even without her swimming ability, Miserie was already looking to be an extremely useful addition to her crew. There was no telling when Damien would go off next, but if there was one thing to be said about the navigator besides his love for brutality, it was that he never managed his emotions in the slightest. "That sounds good to me. You're welcome aboard my crew, Miserie."

The mermaid's hands flew up in front of her face as she laughed with delight. "However," Cassandra continued. "You're not a full-fledged Black Glove Pirate yet. No offense, but I met you just a minute ago. I don't know anything about you, so you'll be on probationary status for a while. Don't worry; all of the others who wanted to join had the same deal. They still joined without too many problems. Come, let's meet the others."

"Miserie doesn't like people staring at her," the mermaid said instantly. "One person is hard. More is impossible. Miserie gets very unhappy."

"Fair enough. Speaking of unhappiness, see this man here? His name is Damien. He has... anger management issues. Now, one of the main reasons I'm considering letting you join is because I think you can help calm him down if he gets a bit antsy." She ignored his amused smirk and leaned closer to make her point very clear. "If, however, you start making everyone angry like you did at the casino, I will be very unhappy. As you just saw, when I get unhappy, people die in slow and painful ways. Do we have an understanding?"

Contrary to her expectations, the mermaid gave a small smile. "Of course!"

"Good. I'm going to explain this to the others. You stay there for a moment." Cassandra shook her head as she walked towards the main deck. Of everything she expected to happen at sea, having a mermaid chase her down and ask to join her crew was not on that list. As she got to the stairs, she found five sets of eyes all staring at her expectantly. She held up her hand to forestall the inevitable onslaught of questions. "Now everyone just wait until I'm done, okay? That means you, Lyn."

"Hey, why me?"

"Now, first of all, Alexander was saved by a mermaid named Miserie, not an angel. That mermaid wants to join our crew, for some reason." She kept her raised finger facing Lyn, who was trying and failing to contain herself. "As she has a rather strange ability that I have verified myself and could seriously help us in the near future, I'm inclined to accept her. However, she doesn't like people looking at her, so keep that in mind." Remembering the mermaid's previous eavesdropping, she leaned in and spoke in a low whisper. "She has done nothing to hurt us, but I don't trust her. Remember that. Now, Alexander, as the rescuee and one to meet her last, go up there and talk to her for a bit. Lyn?"

Lyn started babbling before Cassandra had even finished speaking her name. "A new nakama? Awesome! Who is she? What's she like? Can she swim really fast? What does she eat? Does she have feet? Can she breathe underwater?"

"You're allowing her to join, just like that?" Morgan asked, his voice even despite his obvious anger. "After I was put through all manner of trials and tribulations?"

"She hasn't tried to injure or betray any of us," she reminded him, half-listening to the conversation between Alexander and the new recruit taking place behind her. "That being said, she has unwittingly acted against us, but not in a detrimental way. Do you remember the odd mood swings you experienced inside the casino? Those were caused by her. She can manipulate emotions when she sings. Cain, Jordan, I want you to start carrying earplugs or wax or something. Be ready to use them at a moment's notice. Maybe if you block out most of it, you won't be as affected."

"Come on, Captain, is that really necessary?" Lyn protested.

"I don't know her. I don't know what she'll do. She might turn on us; she might not. Better safe than sorry. Until we learn to trust her," or until Raven returns, "I'd rather be cautious than have something happen. Besides, we have safeguards against Damien. Another set shouldn't be too strange."

"What has given you this impression of her?" Morgan asked.

"I always take precautions against allies I don't know. Don't you remember, Avarice? I knew who you were before the sun had set that day we met. I learned Envy was a Reichmann not soon after. Plus, Miserie made it so that casino owner we just went against couldn't lie any longer. Whether that means he's in the hospital or the morgue, I don't know. She's capable and willing to do all manner of things. Remember this, Morgan: kings live longer if they don't fall for every poor woman that shows up with a sob story."

"Especially if they look like this." Jordan gave her most pleading look, and Morgan visibly gulped. Cassandra only sighed. He should be used to random gorgeous men and women showing up around the Knave by now.

"Still, what worries me even more is that she wants to be alone or with one of us. That's suspicious in and of itself. Alexander's up there because she's shown she doesn't want him dead. The same can't be said for the rest of us. I don't want her alone with Damien for any reason. If you start feeling irrationally angry, they need to be separated and she needs to be silenced. Remember that fury that you felt in the casino, then think of what Damien could do. That can't be allowed to happen. Is that understood?" Cain nodded seriously, Jordan following suit after teasing Morgan one last time. "Good. I don't want to abandon some poor woman in the middle of the Line. I'll think this over by the time we get to Rime. Find ear blockers now, both of you. Morgan, Lyn, come say hi to your newest crewmember."

"To be clear, is she actually a crewmember?"

Cassandra rolled her eyes. "Technically not. She doesn't outrank you. That doesn't mean you can order her about."

"But I can!" Lyn exclaimed. "Find out her favorite food and make it!"

The pirate captain her to turn away to hide her laughter. Despite looking like he wanted to throttle Lyn, Morgan calmed himself remarkably quickly. He was evidently getting used to Lyn's random and sudden commands. "Allow me to check our stores first before you inevitably propose a feast despite knowing full well the limits of doing so at sea."

"Whatever, lazy pants." She hastened to the poop deck with Cassandra on her heels, where Alexander was still leaning over the railing and talking.

He looked up as they approached, his smile evident on his face. "She would indeed make quite an interesting addition to her crew. She's a pretty fast swimmer, you know."

"She put you in the crow's nest in the middle of a storm. I think that's a pretty good indication of her physical prowess." She stared through the deck at where she knew the mermaid was. "What I'm wondering is where you're going to sleep. The Knave isn't very big, and we're pretty full. Do you have any sleeping preferences?"

"Miserie likes to be in water."

"Perhaps we could restructure the ballast to accommodate her?" Alexander proposed as Lyn launched into a torrent of questions. "There's plenty of room down there."

"A good idea, but we can't do that while we're out here. You're not putting a hole in your floor, because Damien will just fall in, and the medbay is hard enough to keep clean as it is without someone going in and out dripping seawater everywhere."

"The cargo hold, then."

Cassandra winced. "We're already stretching ourselves thin with one cargo hold after Cain had to gut the first one. You want to get rid of this one too?"

"You put Hothead in it. I don't mean have that as her room. Just put a hole in that wall for her to enter. She can go through the smuggling entrance."

"You want him to just make a hole in the wall. Did you forget that storm we just weathered? Another one of those will blow that right open and sink us."

"Cain!" called the musician. "Do you think you could make an entrance to the cargo hold that will last until Rime?"

"Rime is the next island, right?" Cain rubbed his chin as he thought. "I probably could. I would need your help with the materials, and I think you would have to be prepared to seal the entire thing off if another storm comes."

"Sounds good." Cassandra didn't like it, but it was the best option given the circumstances. "Get started on that. Jordan, he needs a way to hang off the ship. Help him construct it. Don't give me that look; you're trying to make things up to me, remember? Besides, we need to act fast. We don't know how the weather will hold."

"Should be fuckin' fine an' dandy," Damien growled, his eyes fixed on the clear blue sky.

"Only you would be pissed that the weather's good. And we're in the Grand Line. How do you know the weather will hold? Are you some sort of weatherman?"

His grin was full of malice. "If it don', Biggun's gonna 'ave some fuckin' trouble, ain't 'e?"

"You could at least pretend to care about your crewmates. Miserie, why don't you go around to the front of the ship? Cain's going to be working over here to make you a path into the bottom of the ship. It might be a bit cramped, but it's filled with water and nobody will be able to look at you."

There was no response, causing Cassandra to frown slightly. All of a sudden, the mermaid rocketed into the air, easily clearing the entire ship in a single leap as she cheered. Cassandra was more concerned with the collar she had seen around Miserie's neck. She doubted the mermaid had misspoken earlier when she had mentioned being bought by Mint. She didn't know whether Mint had offered to take on some enormous debt of Miserie's or if she was a former slave, but Cassandra still got the sense that Miserie had been at the casino at least partially against her will.

That aside, there was also another factor Cassandra had neglected to consider. She followed her crew to the bow, gently pulling Lyn and Alexander away from the railing so she could talk with the potential crewmember. "Miserie, do you know what size dress you wear?"

Miserie ceased her delighted swimming in circles to ponder the question. "Miserie doesn't know. Constance was the one buying her dresses."

"That explains a lot," she said unhappily. "This is going to be even more interesting than I thought."

Lyn tilted her head. "What do you mean, Captain?"

"If we promise not to stare at you, Miserie, will you come up onto the deck and grab onto Alexander, who will be facing away from you? I need to verify something, and it's very important."

After a short pause, Miserie nodded and retreated slightly into the ocean. Lyn and Cassandra backed away, both averting their eyes from the musician. After she heard the mermaid land, Cassandra placed her hand on Lyn's shoulder to prevent the first mate from looking and checked for herself. She gave a small sigh. Sometimes, it was a real pain being right.

"Is something wrong with Miserie?" she asked, peeking out from behind Alexander's shoulder.

"No, of course not. Nothing's wrong at all." Miserie matched Alexander's height with a good portion of her tail trailing behind her. She was probably about half Cain's height. Cassandra would wait for a proper check-up until Raven's return, if Miserie lasted that long, but the fact remained that Miserie was noticeably larger than the average human. "You can go back in the water, if you want."

The mermaid was overboard in a flash of red and gold. "Miserie likes Libera. She's nice, and doesn't make people stare. Miserie knows she wants to stay with Libera."

"You don't have to use my last name. Cassandra is fine. The others call me Captain, but I really don't know why they insist on doing that."

Lyn was only too happy to explain. "You told me to call you Captain, Alex and Dam-"

"Alexander."

"Alexander and Damien are more into that pirate thing than anyone else, Cain's still a soldier at heart, and Morgan has to call you Captain because that was Raven's condition." Lyn counted on her fingers to make sure she had everybody. "The only one that doesn't call you that is Raven, and that would just be too freaky if she did. So anyway, Miserie! What do you want to call her? You can use anything you want! She won't mind."

"Can Miserie call her Captain too?"

Cassandra gave an exasperated smile. "Of course you can. Why that, out of curiosity?"

The mermaid wriggled backwards into the water. "Miserie wants to be part of the crew. Crew call the leader 'Captain.' Miserie wants to call Cassandra Captain."

"If that's what you want, I'm not stopping you."

"Yeah, yeah," Lyn interrupted, "enough with the boring stuff. I have a more important question now that Morgan's done checking up: what's your favorite food? I want to know so I can tell him to make it."

"Miserie likes shrimp most."

"Shrimp?" Morgan landed lightly on the forecastle deck. "We don't have shrimp. They don't keep very well for interisland trips."

Lyn poked his back. "No, you don't think shrimp stores because you're pickier than anyone else here."

"I am the chef of this crew. I determine the quality of the ingredients, and I refuse to serve subpar food regardless of who consumes it. Do you have any other preferences?"

"If not shrimp, then she likes other kinds of shellfish."

"Fish?" Morgan asked incredulously. "Are you not a mermaid? Isn't that like cannibalism?"

"What is cannibalism?"

"You don't know what cannibalism is?"

"Miserie isn't stupid!" she shouted. "She just doesn't know a lot!"

"Nobody is saying you're stupid," Cassandra assured her. "And never feel bad about asking questions if you don't understand something. We won't judge you, will we?"

Morgan pressed his lips together before responding. "Of course not. Forgive my rudeness, Miserie. Cannibalism is eating your own species, which is considered to be wrong."

"Miserie doesn't eat fish."

"I'd also like to point out Miserie's a mermaid, not a fish," Cassandra said. "What was it you had yesterday? Filet mignon? You're a mammal, right?"

"It's not the same."

"I don't care. She likes shellfish, which we so happen to have. You're making it tonight. Any special recipes planned?"

"We had the Thank-God-we-survived mussels already for lunch, but there are still some this-is-not-a-good-idea crabs from Juhla. Will that be acceptable?"

She gave a mock laugh. "Your objection has been noted. Get started after you finish the laundry. You still have quite a few chores left before you sleep. And no, you can't offload some of them on the newcomer."

"And why not?" he protested. "If she intends to join, she deserves to-"

"Deserves? That's a pretty strong word. What did she do to deserve lightening your load? A load, I might remind you, you earned by hiring assassins to kill me. If you want, I'll lock you for six days in the cargo hold like I did Damien. Well, four or five days, since you've already worked part of it off. It would be over a lot faster than all these chores and monetary penalties."

The prince's freckles stood out prominently on his suddenly pale face. "I think this is a fitting stopping point for this conversation. I have laundry to finish before preparing dinner, after all."

"I thought so." She turned her attention to the mermaid slowly swimming ahead of the ship. "As for you, he is partially right. Nobody stays aboard the Knave without earning their keep, even if that person is a beloved guest who harasses my crew. Even Damien helps out by guaranteeing passage between islands and handling the most difficult opponents we encounter. Yes, you can help out by calming him down or rescuing one of us if we fall overboard, but we're actually missing a crewmember right now who does that as well. That's not to say your presence is redundant; the more backups we have the better. After all, with Cain and Lyn injured and Damien at the helm, we don't have much in the way of fishing one of us Users out."

"Miserie can do that. She's a fast swimmer."

"Yes, I got that part. Mermaids are naturally the fastest swimmers in the sea. They-"

She was abruptly cut off as Lyn yanked her away from the railing. "It's hard talking one at a time! I really like your neck thing! Where did you get it?"

"Miserie got it as a present from Constance and Jeanne. She really likes it."

Cassandra gave a slight frown. She had assumed the collar was around Miserie's neck involuntarily and she hadn't had time to remove it. Hearing that it was a gift complicated her theory on Miserie having been a slave or something similar. Lyn only beamed. "It's pretty! They did a good job picking it out for you! Also, why don't you like people looking at you?"

"There exists a line between inquisitive and intrusive," Alexander snapped at her. "Even for you, crossing it that quickly is absurd. Surely you can be less insensitive than that."

"I-It's okay," the mermaid said quietly. "It's just really hard when people look at her. She doesn't feel good, and she gets upset."

"And we will leave it at that," Cassandra said, pulling Lyn back. "Scaring her away can wait until Raven returns."

"Raven?" Miserie frowned slightly. "Meili didn't tell Miserie about Raven."

"That's because he doesn't know her. Not many people do. She's our doctor, and while her bedside manner could use a little work, she is absurdly good for how new to doctoring she is, considering she didn't know much past basic first aid until recently. She can also stop Damien singlehandedly." She paused as she realized how meaningless that statement was to Miserie. "Damien could destroy that entire casino without too much trouble. Even with a handicap, he has never beaten Raven in a fight."

"And don't mention that in front of him," Lyn added. "He gets pissy whenever we do."

Alexander coughed. "Again, who is we? You are the only one who does that. I'm surprised he doesn't throw you overboard more often."

Lyn prodded him hard enough to send him sprawling. "Hey, I'm not the one who yells at him whenever he wakes up and comes outside without pants."

"It's fine, he just needs reminding. He doesn't get upset about things like that."

"Anyway," Cassandra said, focusing on her prospective crewmember, "is it too much to ask you to sing sometimes, or does that make you uncomfortable?"

"It's okay. If Captain doesn't show Miserie off, she'll sing for her when she wants."

"I won't show you off willy-nilly. If you're worried about people staring at you when we're at port or something, you shouldn't have too many problems if you stay in the ship or go for a swim. If we get you a longer dress, people won't even know you're a mermaid if they do see you and they'll move on."

Miserie sunk almost out of sight, but Cassandra could still make out the tight circles she was swimming. When she rose to the surface again, she had her hands over her face again, failing to cover her blush. "Miserie will sing whenever Captain wants. Does she want her to sing now?"

Cassandra glanced at the argument escalating behind her. "If I had you sing every time those two butted heads, you'd be hoarse in no time. Besides, they don't mean anything by it. It's Damien you have to be concerned about. I won't order you to sing often, but when I do, I need you to act immediately, okay? If I ask you to sing, you can always refuse. If I tell you to sing, it will be to calm everyone down, and you need to sing regardless of what's going on, immediately and without question. Can you do that for me?"

The mermaid nodded vigorously. "Good. If there's anything more I need to know, now would be an excellent time to tell me. Everyone is entitled to their secrets, though if you don't want to share, that's fine too. However, if there's anything that could threaten me or my crew, keeping it a secret won't make me very happy. If you have something to say, say it."

Miserie rubbed the metal ring around her neck as she thought. "Miserie can't think of anything."

"Remember that I'm always willing to listen if you want to talk. I will be more disappointed the longer you keep a dangerous secret, but I won't kick you out of my crew. The only reason I'd do that is if you killed one of us. If at any point you want to leave the crew of your own free will, I won't stop you either. On my crew, freedom to do what you want is second only to loyalty to the crew in terms of importance. I'd prefer it if your choice of freedom didn't threaten the existence of others, but that's not really a requirement. The Black Glove Pirates are many things, but not all of us are good people. To turn away bad people would be hypocrisy on my part. Nobody said I had to play nice to become Queen of the Pirates."

"Queen of the Pirates?"

Cassandra gave a wide smile. "The Black Glove Pirates also tend to be a bit ambitious. Some of us only want to see every inch of the world or make amazing weapons, but others want to be the best fighter or compose a song that will last forever. Me, I'm going to traverse the Grand Line, find One Piece, and become Pirate Queen. Modest, I know, but we all have goals in life. Do you have anything you want to do besides follow me?"

Miserie squirmed and sunk slightly into the water. Cassandra could barely hear her whispered response before the mermaid disappeared completely. She continued to lean on the railing, staring deep into the ocean. Her first and second mates joined her at the figurehead. "What'd she say, Captain?" Lyn chirped.

The leader didn't avert her gaze. "Have either of you heard of a leviathan?"

"What, the sea monster?" Alexander asked.

"They're make believe!" said Lyn. "Like krakens and sea bonzes!"

Alexander practically tackled the first mate, who simply held him at arm's length. "King Luffy had a kraken that followed him about, and you shouldn't speak of or to the other. Sea Kings are monsters too, and you've seen those with your own eyes."

"Yeah, and leviathans? What about those?"

"All legends start from somewhere."

"And I bet you just know all about them, don't you?"

"If you asked me to list all of the Emperors for the last hundred years, I could. If you ask me what a leviathan is besides a sea monster, you're out of luck."

Cassandra stepped between them. "If I don't have time, I want you to do some research when we get to Rime."

"On leviathans?" Alexander's mouth was open. "Seriously? What am I supposed to do, just go into a library and start investigating?"

"Precisely." She chuckled at his look of shock. "I aim to help my crewmembers achieve their dreams, regardless of what they may be. In her case, I think a little research is necessary for me to help her out."

"Why, does she want to see one?" Lyn asked.

"No." Cassandra returned her gaze to the sea. "She wants to wake one."

"Wake one?"

"It's an ambitious goal, but sea monsters tend not to be savory types. The more you find out, the better it'll be for the rest of us if she succeeds."

Alexander took a deep breath. "In finding one, much less waking one. What if they don't exist?"

She gave a small smile as she echoed his words. "All legends start from somewhere."