Author's Note: Second to last one coming right up! And also, big thanks to Fangheart for allowing me to use her Marine character. So, as always,

Read, Review, & Enjoy!

Within Impel Down, Monkey D. Luffy goes through a torturous procedure to hopefully survive the massive amounts of venom circulating in his body. It was a slim chance of survival with a severe drawback, but for the young man, it was better than dying. Hours have passed since beginning this dangerous operation, which would take twenty-four hours to complete with then additional days of recovery. For that man's goal of rescuing his brother, Portgas D. Ace, however, he had only so much time to spare. It would take all his willpower to survive and recover in time.

And maybe, it might take some help too.

"Keep going, Straw Boy!" Someone was supporting the young man, an effeminate man.

"You can do it!" Two people actually, this time a familiar female voice.

In actuality, only one person was giving their assistance to Luffy. It was none other than Bon Clay – Bentham – who was giving his all to support his friend. He had been out for a couple hours due to his injuries. He was rescued and treated by none other than his idol, Emporio Ivankov. He was also introduced to the "Newkama" and the secret paradise in where he and Luffy found themselves in Level 5.5, the "Prisoners' Paradise." Now, knowing of his dear friend's struggle, he would do all he could to support him.

"Do it for your brother, Straw Boy!" shouted Bon Clay determinedly.

Then, the Okama placed his right hand on his face. He immediately changed in appearance to become Nami, having acquired her face some time ago. As Nami, Bon Clay could now shout out support from someone precious to the man.

"I know you can do this, Luffy," acted Bon Clay. "We're waiting for you! Me and your daughter!"

How did Bentham know about his friend's relationship? Returning many hours earlier, on Level 3: the "Starvation Hell," when the two met up.

"Whaaaaa?! You married this girl…" Bon Clay than placed his right on his face, transforming into Nami instantly.

Luffy grinned proudly. "Yeah, we even have a little girl too!"

Using his left to return to normal, Bentham showed how delighted he was over the news. "How wonderful for you, my dear friend! Finding love as a pirate in this cruel world, it's so romantic!"

"After we rescue Ace, you should come along and meet Mika. She would love to meet you!"

"I would be thrilled to meet your daughter, Straw Boy!"

Returning to present, Bentham once again changed appearances. He was going to give Luffy all the support he could, even if part of it was deceptive. Anything to help his friend survive his ordeal.

16 HOURS LEFT…

In the Dark of the Night

The Dangers within Marineford

"Awooo!"

A dog howl echoes through the nearly empty Marineford Town at night. All the buildings eerily empty without a single light. Even the lamps outside were no longer aflame, but a few lights were floating through the street. Each one was a Marine soldier patrolling the streets and checking houses, making sure everything was secure, and everyone was gone. They were also there to make sure there were no surprise attacks from the Whitebeard Pirates who may sneak in to surprise them. It was unlikely, but their superiors would not risk it. While most were just groups of three regular men, one or two officers were scouting alone.

One such man, though, was not alone. A Marine officer with long brown hair tied up in a ponytail and a scraggy bread walked calmly through the streets with a pack of six dogs, each a different breed. On the forward position was a bloodhound with a beagle running and searching around the canine. Between them and the man was a white-furred greyhound as it took the middle section observantly. There were three more dogs around the red suit-wearing Marine, one large and black Newfoundland dog on his left, an equally massive St. Bernard on his right, and finally, a German Shepard ahead of them.

The man was none other than the Marines' "Hound of Justice" Rear Admiral Auguste and his canine unit, "the Gruffs."

As the group traveled further down the road, a sound was made like a trash bin falling over. All the dogs were at attention and immediately on guard. Auguste, too, became prepared and ready to fight. A faint and short whistle from the man signaled all the dogs to move forward. The three dogs around the Marine took up the lead along with the beagle. The greyhound and bloodhound stayed behind but guarded. The noise had come from around the next street, so the group moved cautiously towards the corner. Just before the reached, however, someone came into view nearly tripping from the perpendicular street. Once in the light, the group saw that it was only a female Marine soldier with short orange hair, who looked as if she was caught.

"Oh, hello there," Auguste greeted surprisedly. "What's a young lady like you doing out so late?"

Quickly, the woman corrected her stance and immediately saluted the rear-admiral. "Official business, sir. I was just coming to get Vice Admiral Garp."

"Garp?"

As if on cue, Vice Admiral Garp, wearing his over jacket, appeared in the light, sidestepping awkwardly. "Good evening, Rear Admiral Auguste," he greeted evenly.

Auguste was quick to salute. "Vice-Admiral Garp, sir!"

The man's pack, however, seemed less inclined to fall in line. All of them began to growl at Garp as if readying to attack. The young Marine was worried, but the old Marine only grinned confidently.

"I see the Gruffs still recognize my son's scent."

Auguste eased his salute and then became suspicious and severe. "Have you've seen Dragon lately, Vice Admiral?" he asked.

"Bwa-ha-ha-ha!" laughed Garp immediately before answering. "You think he'd want anything to do with me? That brat of mine does whatever he wants, whether I care or not."

The man then commented venomously, "Your whole family seems to be that way."

"Bwa-ha-ha-ha!" laughing again was Garp's only response.

As for the young woman Marine, she seemed a little peeved by how the man was speaking to the old Marine. She, however, kept her mouth shut as it was none of her business. Her expression did change as she noticed something with the dogs.

Though the Gruffs had begun encircling Garp, the group's collective attitude suddenly changed upon reaching the back. Many of the dogs were confused at first as they sniffed the coat. Then, part of the jacket was lifted to reveal a curious little girl. She was unafraid of dogs and quickly was overjoyed to see the animals. The dogs, despite being near Garp, became more friendly. The canines huddled around the girl and allowed her to pet them; a few even gave her a few licks.

Noticing the attitude change, Garp tried to keep the focus away from the dogs. "I noticed you don't have the big one with you," he stated curiously.

"Whiteout?" said Auguste before proudly smiling. "He's resting up for the battle tomorrow."

Garp began to scowl. "They're really gonna let you take that beast out," he said with disdain.

"Admiral Akainu sees the value in my canine and my pack," Auguste stated proudly.

Finally, the rear-admiral took notice of his canines. "Strange though that my pack is warming up to you, Vice Admiral, sir."

"Yeah, weird, huh," Garp said impassively.

The man then tried to pet one of the Gruffs, the bloodhound. At just inches away, the canine reacted instantly and began growling at the old Marine. Garp retracted his hand and then continued to put a confident front up. The bloodhound immediately ceased its snarling and returned to a more calming and pleasant mood.

"Um, sir," spoke the lady Marine soldier. "We should get moving. Fleet Admiral Sengoku…"

"Right!" Garp said suddenly. He began to sidestep awkwardly again as he bid the rear-admiral goodbye.

"Anyway, good work. Rear Admiral. Keep patrolling 'til your shift is up."

Auguste saluted immediately. "Will do, sir," he said before giving a whistle.

The Gruffs obeyed and returned to the man's side. After returning to their positions, Auguste gave the two Marines a nod before leaving down the next street. The two Marines did the same down the opposite way. Once around the corner, out of sight and in the dark, the two adults breathed a sigh of relief.

"That was close," said the woman.

From under the jacket, the little girl peeked her head out. "Are we there yet, Mama?" she asked curiously.

"Not yet, Mika," said Nami.

"Then, can we go pet the doggies again?" asked Mika pleadingly.

"Bad idea, Little Monkey," said Garp seriously. "Rear Admiral Auguste is one of the Marines tasked with hunting down your grandfather. If he gets a whiff of who your dad is, he might hurt you, and those doggies won't be nice anymore."

"Aww," Mika said disappointingly.

After checking their surroundings, Nami urged the group to keep moving. "Let's go."

Together, the group continued to traverse the dark city. Even despite the lack of Marine soldiers, Mika was kept hidden beneath Garp's cloak to avoid any complications to come. They were having better luck avoiding the other patrols out tonight as they neared closer to the castle-like structure that towered above all buildings. It was, indeed, an odd direction to go for a wanted pirate, but Nami had a plan. The group soon left Marineford Town and entered onto the grounds of the center of justice, Marine Headquarters.

Of course, the group's destination was not the fortress itself. They circled around the perimeter of the building and continued to keep away from other Marines. In a few short minutes, the group soon saw their real destination in sight. Behind Marine Headquarters, there was a port with one galleon-sized battleship docked. The group could see many of Marine HQ's staff filing orderly onto the enormous boat. Around them, they were being guarded by Marine soldiers. Not too far from sight, they could also see two more Marine battleships on wait.

"That boat will take you two back to the Sabaody Archipelago. It's taking the last of our personnel to the base there," Garp stated.

The group now had to deal with a large number of Marine staff and soldiers on the dock. It was unlikely that they would be able to bluff through every person, much less the men identifying everyone at the foot of the gangplank. Nami luckily spotted some cargo still needed to be loaded onto the ship, which would make for proper cover.

"Good luck," Garp said to his daughter-in-law professionally. He then turned to his great-granddaughter, crouching down to hug her.

"It was nice to see you again, Little Monkey."

Mika hugged her great-grandfather back cheerfully. "Thanks, Grandpa!" she said before adding one last thing before separating.

"Don't get too mad when Daddy rescue's Ace!"

Garp let out a chuckle. "Okay, kiddo."

Once done, Garp went out to do his part of his family's escape. He would keep the Marine guards' attention away from the cargo dock. It was relatively easy for him, being both a boisterous personality and an icon as the "Hero of the Marines." As he joined the guards and begun his part, Nami and Mika snuck into the area without being spotted. They made sure to head deep into the center to keep prying eyes from taking notice of their presence. Nami soon spotted the perfect hiding spot, a medium-sized crate. After unlatching the top, the orange-haired navigator checked inside and was pleased to find that it was all food. It was perfect, and she proceeded to place Mika inside.

Mika, being observant, noticed something of her hiding spot. "Mama, there isn't much room in here," she stated.

"That's because it's just for you," Nami stated honestly. She then explained to her confused daughter, "I told Grandpa we would be leaving, but I lied."

"You are going back to Sabaody, I'm going to stay here."

"Why?"

Nami could not tell her daughter the truth, so she reinterpreted it. "I'm going to make sure Daddy and Uncle Ace have someone here that can help them out in a pinch."

The young girl was pleased to hear the answer, but she still wanted to stay. "But I can help too!" she said determinedly.

"Sweetie," Nami said affectionately, both proud and worried for her daughter. "This is way too big for a kid and too dangerous."

"But…!" Mika said desperately.

"I'm trusting you to head back to the Thousand Sunny on your own this time. Show me that you're a big kid by doing that for me, okay?"

The plead from her mother got Mika to be quiet. She was distressed for a moment before eventually nodding her head. Her compliance was then rewarded with a smile from her mother, followed by a kiss to her forehead.

"Thank you, sweetie," Nami said relievedly. "I promise that we'll do whatever you want when we, Ace included, find you after all this."

After their talk, Nami closed the lid on the crate. She made sure to make it look secured as not to lock Mika in. Once she was sure it was safe, Nami swiftly took off towards Marine Headquarters. She made sure that Garp, still talking with guards, did not see her as she dashed to the castle. The sneaky woman reached the wall of the building and followed it until she found an entrance. An opened door was what she discovered and swiftly rushed inside.

Inside, Nami found that she had entered the armory. Weapons of all kinds, from guns to swords and everything in between was stockpiled, clean, and orderly. There were, unfortunately, some Marine soldiers inside taking stock but only a few. She felt like she could sneak by them easily. In a quick walk, she rushed past the men without any of them taking notice of her. Her infiltration was assured.

The only problem now was that pirate woman had no idea of the layout of Marine Headquarters. If she was going to infiltrate this facility, she would need an unwitting guide to help her. It would be easy to charm any Marine soldier with her wiles. Still, being a female Marine now, it may raise some flags for any man studious or dutiful as a soldier of justice. She would have to try, regardless, unless she could happen upon a real lady Marine. So, she began her infiltration with either goal in mind.

After a few turns down hallways, Nami was fortunate enough to discover one such lady. In a room filled with documents, she spotted a curvaceous Marine woman a little older than herself standing over a desk. She had dulled orange hair under a newsboy cap in white-and-blue with goggles. Nami was not sure what the Marine lady was doing, but she hoped she willing to help her.

"Um, excuse me," chimed Nami politely.

Unintentionally surprising the woman, she turned around quickly and kept her hands behind her back. She was tense when she responded back, "Oh, hello! Sorry, I was caught up in some paperwork..."

"Right," Nami said quickly. She then asked, "Could you help me? I'm a bit lost."

"Sure, I can do that," the woman said carefully.

"Come on then," said the woman quickly, becoming more friendly. "We better return before the captain notices us gone."

"Thanks."

Nami followed the woman as her unintentional guide. Seeing how she had no idea of the layout, her associate's gesture was a welcomed opportunity. They walked through the stone hallways and some stairs, seeing a few other Marines about. After a while, the two ladies soon came upon a breezy indoor courtyard stretching several floors high. In the center, a marble statue of Lady Justice stood in typical fashion. The perky Marine then lead Nami further up in this spacious area until finally coming to a set of sliding doors. As her guide was about to open it, the door moved as someone on the other side was about to come out. It was another lady Marine who had vermillion hair with sunglasses, a band-aid on her left cheek, and wore an overcoat.

The guide was the first to react, by saluting. "Captain Isuka, ma'am," she said, followed by Nami doing the same.

"Greetings, ladies," replied Isuka sternly. "Why are you two out after I called curfew."

"Well, my friend here," said the woman humorously, "got a little distracted in the armory, so I went to get her."

"Y-Yeah," Nami replied nervously.

Isuka let out a sigh. "Fine. Just return to your barracks before I make you clean them."

"Yes, ma'am," said the two women together with a salute.

The stern Marine captain then stepped aside to allow the two younger women inside. Nami was surprised to see that the barrack was clean, decorative, and spacious. It was also complete with a common area and private bathrooms. There were a few lady Marines around, but it appeared that everyone was turning in. Several hallways from the main room lead to the sleeping quarters for all these women, perhaps holding under a hundred. Her guide led Nami down the farthest hall on the right where most of the bunks were filled with a sleeping soldier of justice. The two had to separate to find their own bed, but Nami eventually found one. She pretended to fall asleep and bided her time.

Around an hour later, Nami listened in on her surroundings. She could only hear the sound snoring of a few in her room. It was perfect as she could slip out of her bed without someone noticing her. Her stealthy sneaking got her through the barely lit room, and she was soon back out into the hallway. Peeking into the common area, the navigator saw no one around and proceeded to the exit. Just like inside the barrack, the courtyard and many sections both above and below her were empty. She moved for the stairs quickly but did someone coming out from the room, and they collided.

Nami recovered first and was surprised to see who it was she crashed into. "You?"

"You?" said the woman, confused.

"What are you doing up?" said both ladies together.

In realizing how suspicious both were acting, the two females stood up quickly and readied to fight. Nami brought out her Perfect Clima-Tact, and her opponent took up a fighting stance. Though dark, Nami could see the position her opponent was in and felt it to be familiar. The Marine had one arm tucked under with her hand clenched, and the other was up in front with an open palm. It was the stance she had seen Kuroobi, of the Arlong Pirates, take when fighting.

'There's no way…' Nami thought flabbergasted.

"Who are you?" asked the woman threateningly.

Out of her thoughts now, Nami retorted, "I could ask the same."

The woman refused to answer and vice versa. Nami, however, began to find it even more suspicious that a Marine would not try to alert the whole building to an intruder. It meant that, as Nami rationalized it, her opponent was not actually a Marine. She was someone like herself, sneaking and hiding under the enemy's noses. But it still left the question of who.

"Are you with Whitebeard?" asked Nami. "Is the Great Pirate trying to make an early move?"

Hearing the question surprised the woman, and she eased her stance. "You think I'm a pirate?"

"Or a thief," Nami added.

"What about you?" asked the potentially fake Marine lady, dropping her stance entirely. "Are you not either of those?"

"Technically, I'm a 'Cat-Burglar.'"

Taking a second to look at Nami again, the older female became astonished. "Wait? Are you the 'Cat-Burglar' Nami? One of Luffy's crewmates?"

Now, it was Nami's turn to be surprised. Not because she was recognized but by how the woman phrased herself. Only their friends or family called her husband by name. She had never seen this person before since journeying with Luffy. Nothing came to mind from any of her love's stories and tales from during or before their voyage. So, who was this woman?

"You are her!" said the woman quietly but happily astounded. She then rushed over to Nami with complete disregard for the situation earlier.

"I can't believe we're meeting like this," said the woman happily, taking Nami's hands into hers. "The last thing we heard about you all, you had disappeared thanks to Kuma."

Nami was now wholly taken aback by the forward and over-friendly attitude her opponent was now giving her. The information as well was similarly jarring. She quickly stepped back and brought her Clima-Tact up and pointing at the woman.

"What are you doing? Who are you?" she asked solemnly.

The woman, understanding Nami's situation, let out a giggle. "Now that I know who you are, I can tell you easily," she stated.

"I'm helping Luffy's brother out!"

"Huh?!"

TO BE

CONTINUED…