Two Worlds, One Family

by Edward Emma

A young woman struggling to find her place in the world wakes up to find a bunch of cats in her room...cats that turn out to be the characters from her favourite TV show, One Piece! Bound to each other, and trying to figure out a way to find a certain somebody's lost Nakama, what follows is bound to be chaos, friendship, tears, romance...and, adventure! CONTINUED AS OF 2020

42. Snow Land

ONE PIECE

Two Worlds, One Family

---

A young woman struggling to find her place in the world wakes up to find a bunch of cats in her room...cats that turn out to be the characters from her favourite TV show, One Piece! Bound to each other, whether they like it or not, and trying to figure out a way to find a certain somebody's lost Nakama and get everyone back to their home, what follows is bound to be chaos, friendship, tears, romance - and, adventure! (Kind of a re-write of Straw Cat Pirates).

---

~Parental Warning~

The following chapter contains:

. Low-level adult themes

---

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

Snow Land

---

Vivi took one look around her when she and Law stepped out of the Portal, and thought: I'm not so fond of cold places, and, neither is Emma-Sama . . .

Law glanced sideways at her. "Let's keep moving." He suggested, pointing.

Vivi followed his gaze; from where they stood on a sloping snow-covered mountain next to a single tree, she could see snowy hills and mountains and tundras and glaciers for miles and miles. The air up here was thin, but not so thin that it would cause breathing difficulties.

No, Vivi had a feeling that her shortness of breath was based on a different reason.

As she followed Law's gaze to a log cabin - footprints of varying sizes were leading into the forest down a small slope, and the cabin was on the other side of that - Vivi drew in a shaky breath.

Law looked at her, but didn't say anything.

Remembering that he was a doctor, and could probably tell how distressed she was despite her outwards demeanour, Vivi said to him: "Just hold on a minute, Law-San," she went over to the pine tree that was with them on the mountaintop. "These markings are glyphs ... I want to make a note for Robin-San . . . " A piece of paper and a pen appeared for her. "We didn't come through to here that much longer after everybody else did, so, she probably didn't have much time to read it. It was here where the Portal was," she went on, leaning on a little rock that was in front of the tree as she copied the symbols for Robin. "So, it could be important."

Law didn't reply, but, Vivi sensed that he nodded. She also sensed that he was probably worried out of his mind about Emma, and so, she finished up quickly before they headed down the snowy slope together.

Vivi was feeling a range of emotions right then, and, none of them were ones that she particularly wanted to be feeling right then and there. Her heart was not really with her, right now. It had gone out to Emma the moment that Queen Otohime had said those gut-wrenching words, and Vivi could only imagine how Emma herself must be feeling. What had happened ... it all made perfectly horrible sense now why Emma had left them.

What she's feeling ... what she's thinking - if she's thinking anything at all - and how it's affecting her decisions ... this is the worst thing that could have possibly happened!

Still, Vivi knew why Queen Otohime had had to tell Emma. She still didn't quite understandthe whole relationship between Emma and the fish-men and merfolk - just that, like it had been with Undine, the two races could not ignore an order from her, and nobody seemed to know why. Not even Undine herself had known why. It didn't matter - Emma wasn't even aware that she had that power. She certainly hadn't known about it when she'd told Queen Otohime to tell her why she'd been so upset.

And, Vivi thought, as she and Law followed the tracks made by their friends through the snow, Queen Otohime's reasons for being upset are valid ... Whitebeard's death . . . Vivi bit her lower lip. Is going to cause problems for everybody . . .

---

Chopper looked nervously between the two groups, wishing that Vivi and Law would hurry up and find them before things got out of hand.

Not that they weren't already.

"We can't waste any time!" Ace was saying. "The further away that Emiko gets, the harder that it's gonna be to make it to her in time!"

"We won't be able to make it to her at all if we don't know where she is!" Nami responded. Her hands were on her hips, and her tone was decisive, but it was the look in her eyes that concerned Chopper the most - Nami was worried. Worried beyond belief.

Probably mainly because Luffy appeared to be siding with Ace which, whilst they all knew that he would, was not a good position for Nami to be in. It meant that she was dangerously close to going against what her Captain wanted to do.

She kept on glancing at Usopp, who was standing close to her, so Chopper knew that Nami was thinking about what had happened in Water Seven.

The difference there was that Usopp had been in the wrong, and he had stood up against Luffy on his own.

At this point, Chopper was more inclined to agree with Nami - it didn't make much sense to continue on until they could be sure of where Emma had actually gone. Right now, they were only guessing which, in Nami's opinion, was about as smart as heading into the Grand Line without a Navigator. They needed to know where Emma was. Otherwise, they'd just end up getting lost.

Nami was making sense.

Chopper also knew that Ace and Luffy were too upset to listen to reason right now.

They were standing at the edge of a forest, near to a log cabin that had 'salvation' written all over it. As far as Luffy and Ace were concerned, they didn't need to stop there and come up with a plan - there was simply no time.

Nami has disagreed with this. Usopp had quickly backed her up on this one, as had Sanji.

Zoro looked like he was going to go along with whatever Luffy said, and Franky looked like he wanted to do the same. Which made it hard for Robin, because she could probably see the sense in what Nami was saying but didn't want to go against what Luffy was saying. Brook hadn't said anything yet, but, he kept on looking towards the log cabin.

That left Chopper literally in the middle, and then he jumped when his name was mentioned.

"Chopper, can't you sniff out Emma's scent?" Luffy asked him, looking at him in a very determined way.

Chopper began sweating, which was a very bad thing to do in this frigid climate.

"Yeah," Ace looked at Chopper like he was seeing him in a whole new light. "You said that she has the scent of satin fabric ... plus, you're used to these kinds of climates . . . "

Chopper knew exactly what he was going to say next. He began to sweat some more.

"You should - " Ace began, but, just then, Nami cut him off.

"Tell these two that heading off into the middle of a blizzard is a death-wish!" She pointed to the sky, just as there was a strong, cold gust of wind. "There's a snowstorm coming - a big one!" She added, and Luffy paused. "Please, Luffy, I'm worried too, but, you need to think about things! There's no way that Em would be foolish enough to try and travel through this storm!"

Luffy looked up at the sky, which had started to cloud over. Small snowflakes had already started to fall onto his hat.

"Then, where is she?!" Ace demanded to know. "What if something's happened to her already?! That's my wife out there!"

"Ace . . . " Nami began, and then trailed off, unsure of how to convince him to put his own safety ahead of his wife's. She glanced helplessly at Luffy.

"Ace . . . " Luffy said, and Ace looked at him. "What if ... we wait for Vivi and Law? They can use that weird power that the Gods gave them to find out exactly where she is?"

The look on Ace's face spoke louder than his words. "You can wait. I'm going." He turned and walked away from them, heading towards the slope that led further down the mountain.

"Ace, wait!" Luffy cried, looking slightly panicked. He looked at Chopper again. "Chopper, can you get Emma's scent?!" He wanted to know.

Chopper raised his head. It was almost impossible to pinpoint anybody's scent when the cold wind was swirling around them like this ... he could easily pick out those that were close to him ... and . . .

"Disinfectant . . . " Chopper realised. He turned his head in the direction that they had just come from. "And ... is that saffron . . . ?"

"A spice that's worth its weight in gold . . . " Sanji murmured, and then his eyes lit up. "Ah! Vivi-Chan!" He waved.

She was running towards them, in a white fur-lined coat and white leggings that almost made her blend in with the snow around her.

"Minna!" She called, stopping before them.

"Vivi!" Nami exclaimed. "Did you find out what happened?"

Vivi nodded. She looked incredibly serious. "I did." She said grimly. She looked around. "Where's Ace-San?"

"He went that way," Chopper pointed in the direction that Ace had gone. "But ... I can smell that disinfectant smell coming from over there too, so, maybe Law has caught up with him already?"

Vivi's eyes widened slightly. "Oh no . . . " She murmured, just as there was an explosion from the slope where Ace had just gone.

"Ace?!" Luffy cried.

"What's happening?!" Usopp exclaimed. "They're not fighting, are they?!"

There was another explosion.

"That's exactly what they are doing!" Vivi realised. Chopper looked at her quickly; panic was written all over her face. "Oh, I told him not to tell him!" She began to run in that direction, and everybody immediately followed her . . .

---

Vivi's heart was pounding in her chest again, but she suddenly felt incredibly focused, as she raced towards where Ace and Law were fighting. They all should have expected this to happen eventually. The fact that it was happening now was of no surprise, but, it didn't matter.

Right now, Vivi was just focused on stopping them. Now, usually, those two would only listen to Emma. But, Emma wasn't there.

However, Vivi - the Decoy Princess - was.

"All of you, stay back!" Vivi commanded them, when they'd reached the area where Ace and Law were.

Vivi didn't think that Luffy would listen to her - especially when Law dodged the fire that Ace sent at him and looked ready to counterattack - but, something in Vivi's voice must have made him stop, if only for a second.

And, a second was all that she needed.

Grasping for the necklace beneath her coat, Vivi felt her fingers close over the Ocean's Flower, and at one felt a warm light spread through her fingertips. It travelled up one arm and then down the other.

She extended her hand, and shouted: "Hikari No Tempest!"

And, similar to what had happened back in Goa, a swirling vortex of light burst forth. Like before, it was meant to be used as a distraction more than anything, but, it worked.

Ace and Law both froze, only for a few moments - but, that gave Luffy and Robin time to act.

The Straw Hat Captain flung out his arm, and grabbed Ace, dragging him down into the snow and effectively pinning him there.

At the same time, Robin had activated her powers, and gently but firmly grabbed onto Law with extra hands.

Ace had been the one attacking offensively; Law had, apparently, only been defending himself.

For a few more moments, nobody moved. All eyes, except for Ace's, were on Vivi.

Ace was looking at Law, with so much anger and something akin to hatred in his eyes that, had it been anybody else, then, that person would have crumbled.

Law and Vivi locked gazes.

Law nodded, ever so slightly, to her.

Vivi, who was breathing heavily, the same way that she had on the night that Sumi had died and Emma had been revealed to be all that she was, nodded back, and stepped forwards.

But, before she could utter a single word, Ace said: "Vivi ... you don't ... actually a believe a word that this guy says, do you?"

Vivi chose her words carefully. "Ace-San," she said, stopping a few feet from him. "It was I who told Law-San the terrible news, not the other way around. And," she went on, ignoring the glances that were exchanged by those around her. "It was Queen Otohime-Sama who told me. And, she heard it from the Goddess Of Death herself. So, yes, whatever Law-San has told you is the truth, I'm afraid." She paused. "I'm so sorry, Ace-San . . . "

"It's not true." Ace said flatly, and raised his head to look at Vivi - Luffy's arm still held Ace firmly to the ground. The Whitebeard Pirate's usually warm brown eyes held nothing but stubborn defiance. He was refusing to believe this truth.

"What's not true?" Luffy demanded to know, looking from Ace to Vivi and finally over at Law. "What happened?"

Law sighed. He had sheathed his nodachi by this stage, but, he was still alert - which is why when he started to speak and Ace angrily interrupted him, he was ready.

"What happened is that - "

"DON'T SAY IT CAUSE IT'S NOT TRUE!" Ace yelled, and somehow managed to throw Luffy's arm off of him and lunge at Law, just as Robin withdrew her extra arms.

Just in time.

What happened next took only a few seconds, but left lasting scars.

Ace had used Hiken - his signature attack - and this was shocking enough; at such close range, Hiken was sure to do a lot of damage. But, Ace clearly wasn't thinking and, from the expression on Law's face and what he did next, neither was the surgeon.

The result was that, by the time Luffy finally stepped in, two things had occurred almost simultaneously.

One was that Ace had managed to grab ahold of Law's right arm, just above his elbow - his flames burned straight through Law's dark brown coat, and into his skin.

But, Law had brought up that same arm, along with the other one - and, he was still holding onto his nodachi. Now, normally, this would have had no effect on Ace, but, Vivi realised with a start, Law must have used Busoshoku Haki because ... yes, there it was! The nodachi's blade turned black, just for a brief second, as it made contact with the exact same spot on Ace's arm where he had just burned Law.

Vivi was ninety percent sure that Law didn't even know that he'd done it, let alone how.

Why Law hadn't just activated his Room, and why he had just acted so out of character, Vivi could only pin down to the reason that Law had had enough. So had Ace.

And, so had Luffy.

Ace's little brother had stood up from the recoil of being thrown aside like that, to see what was going on, and he now yelled: "STOP!"

The Haōshoku Haki caused Luffy's voice to reverberate, shaking the very snow that they were standing on so much that Vivi was surprised that it didn't cause an avalanche or something.

As it was, what looked like a semi-transparent tremor burst forth from Luffy and travelled out into the distance.

And, as if in response, a beam of light, about midway down the mountain that they were on, shot up into the sky, before it disappeared just as suddenly, almost as if it was being covered up by somebody in a hurry.

Luffy pointed at the spot where it had been. "There." He said firmly, his eyes flashing, and then he crossed his arms. "That's where Emmy is. But, first, I want to know why you're calling Vivi a liar, okay, Ace?"

Everybody was staring at Luffy and then Ace, with blood dripping from his arm, hurriedly let go of Law; the two pirates stepped back from each other.

"I wasn't . . . " Ace began, and then he shook his head. "I wasn't calling Vivi a liar ... or, even Queen Otohime . . . " He looked at Vivi. "It's just ... it's not true. What she said ... to Emiko, and then ... to you . . . " His gaze was almost pleading. "Vivi, there has to be some kind of a mistake . . . "

"I'm so sorry, Ace-San," Vivi said again, walking closer to him, now. "But, Queen Otohime-Sama couldn't have lied to Emma-Sama ... not even unintentionally. What she told Emma was one hundred percent the truth ... as much as I wish that it wasn't . . . "

Ace swallowed. "Why ... why do you say that Queen Otohime couldn't lie to Emiko?"

"Because she's a mermaid." It was Robin who spoke, and now everybody looked at the archeologist, except for Law who was staring at the ground; he was clutching his injured arm, but, his expression was unreadable.

"What ... do you mean, Robin?" Chopper asked hesitantly. Any second now, the reindeer doctor was going to panic and demand that Ace and Law seek medical attention. "Why can't mermaids lie to Emma?"

"It's not that, exactly," Robin said, as a cold breeze blew her dark hair around her face. Her blue eyes were very serious, her expression thoughtful, as she said: "You see, mermaids - and, fish-men, too - have a special relationship with the sea. Which means that they have a special relationship with the Ocean Goddess and, by extension, with her daughter." She glanced at Vivi. "Am I correctly interpreting what you heard in your vision, Vivi-San?"

"H-hai." Now, all eyes were back on Vivi, as she looked first at Robin, and then at Ace. "Queen Otohime-Sama was upset ... Emma-Sama deduced that it had something to do with her Father - with Whitebeard - and so she asked to know what had happened. Actually, her exact words were 'tell me, please'. It was more like a command, and Queen Otohime-Sama had to obey. That is the hidden power that Emma-Sama has."

The others were looking shocked, and they continued to, as Robin spoke up again. "I highly doubt that Emma-San is aware of this power. Otherwise, she would have potentially chosen her words much more carefully."

"Mmhmm." Vivi nodded. "Queen Otohime-Sama didn't want to tell Emma-Sama, but, she had no choice. She had to tell Emma-Sama everything that had happened ... everything that she knew. The Goddess Of Death is omnipresent, Ace-San, and, there's no way that she would have told Queen Otohime-Sama anything but the truth ... that she took the hand of Edward Newgate."

There. She had said it.

"Oh my God . . . " Nami's hands flew to her mouth.

"Oh, no . . . " Sanji muttered, shaking his head.

As the others around them reacted to the news, Vivi watched as Ace dropped to his knees in the snow, which was already becoming stained by the red blood that was dripping from his arm.

"Furthermore," Vivi went on, in a gentle tone. "Queen Otohime-Sama knows what this will mean for the islands that were under Whitebeard's protection - including Fish-Man Island, which includes her family and her people. And, there's not a thing that she can do about it - I could hear it in her voice, and, I believed her straight away. For a Queen, this is nothing short of torture." Her voice only wavered once, but, she wasn't finished yet, because this next part was going to affect all of them. "And, finally, I can now see that, although it may not seem like it, Emma-Sama is thinking clearly."

Law looked up at her quickly, his face pale but his silver eyes suddenly alert.

Nami's brown eyes had filled with tears, and, she looked like she wanted to say something.

But, Vivi held up her hand, and continued: "The one responsible for taking Whitebeard's life was Marshall D. Teech - aka, the God Of Darkness. He and his crew returned to the Mortal Realm, before teleporting every single one of the Whitebeard Pirates to Marineford ... where the World Government was waiting for them." The others were exchanging horrified glances, but, Vivi kept on talking. "Something very, very bad has happened, and, it has to do with Teech and the Blackbeard Pirates returning to the Celestial Realm ... that gateway ... it could possibly still be open. Either way and, whether he used his powers as a God or not ... Emma-Sama, as a Demi-Goddess, believes that now only she can stand up against him ... Emma-Sama's rational right now is to keep all of us away from the man that killed her Father. That is her only clarity at the moment." She knelt down beside Ace. "Ace-San, I know that you're hurting at the moment. Exactly the same as Emma-Sama. Let's wait out the snowstorm, which is what Emma-Sama will also do, and then we can go and find her, ne?"

Ace didn't seem to be capable of answering. His whole entire face was pale, and, he had started to shake.

Usopp spoke up, though. "But, will Emma be safe where she is right now?" He wanted to know.

Nami smacked him upside the head. "Shh!" She hissed, using her free hand to quickly wipe away her tears.

"Your friend will be quite alright, Usopp," an unfamiliar voice said. "Zane's staying at the cabin at the midway point, and called to tell me that he's convinced Emma-Sama and Eska to wait out the storm, there."

"Well, thanks for that, Dr. Corinna," Usopp turned to look at the blonde-haired woman in the knee-length white parker. "And, who's Eska . . . ?" He trailed off. It was his turn to pale.

"She's one of our sled dogs," Dr. Corinna said cheerfully, but, her movements were decisive as she marched over to Ace and yanked him up by his good arm; he didn't resist. "Now, come on, all of you - the snowstorm is almost upon us!" She added, straightening up and, as she did, a silver whistle swung out from around her neck, before settling back against her parker.

"See, I told you!" Nami exclaimed, as she started to follow Corinna and Ace. Robin walked with her, her blue eyes full of concern.

"Is that your cabin, Dr. Corinna-Chan?" Sanji wanted to know.

The doctor nodded. "Hai. You're all welcome." She added, leading the way back.

"That's Kaya's Mother," Usopp was saying numbly. "Kaya's Mother is here ... she said that Zane's here ... her husband ... Kaya's Father . . . " He added, unnecessarily.

"Come on, Usopp . . . " Chopper said, worriedly.

"This just keeps on happening . . . "

"I know that it does, Usopp . . . "

Usopp followed him almost robotically back up the slope, and so did most of the others.

Eventually, only Vivi, Luffy, and Law were left.

"Emmy's not thinking clearly, Vivi," Luffy said suddenly, and Vivi looked at him quickly. It was kind of hard to see him now, what with the storm closing in on them. She could hear it in his voice, though - he was worried about their missing friend. "Otherwise, she would have just teleported."

"Maybe . . . " Vivi said, her voice wavering. Now that Ace was out of earshot, her emotions were about to get the better of her. Luffy and Law both looked at her, quickly. "Luffy-San ... Queen Otohime-Sama told me that ... the Goddess Of Death said that when Twister took Carue and your Grandpa back to our world, that he ... that he took them back to the Moby Dick . . . "

Luffy's expression was unreadable. It would have been impossible for Vivi to have read it, even in normal visibility.

"Ojichan's a Vice-Admiral . . . " Luffy said slowly. "But . . . "

"Even so, the fact that he was on Whitebeard's ship . . . " Vivi wasn't even going to mention Carue. She was feeling sick to her stomach all of a sudden. "And, with the Blackbeard Pirates apparently now still in league with the World Government ... through Teech and Ino . . . "

"Anything could happen." Law finished flatly.

"They'll be fine." Luffy said quietly, but, they both still heard him over the howl of the wind. He looked right at Vivi.

"We should head back." Vivi responded, just as softly. She could barely look back at him.

The three of them looked at each other, before nodding, turning, and, walking back up to the cabin . . .

---

"Sumi!"

Sumi stopped; or, at least she tried to. Actually, she ended up tripping and falling into the water. Luckily, the magic that was still affecting this Realm after the Allies had passed through transformed her immediately. Even though she was no longer a Devil Fruit user, the technique of swimming normally had long ago been forgotten by her.

She emerged from beneath the waves, her silvery Nurse Shark tail looking almost golden in the light of the setting sun. "Karma-Chan! What - ?!"

"Sumi!" Karma knelt down by the water's edge. Sumi took one look at the Goddess Of Karma, and, she knew that there was something wrong. Well, Sumi could feel it, too. But, Karma's being here was also a huge red flag.

Sumi swam over to her. "Karma-Chan! You're not supposed to be here!"

"Neither are you!" Karma reminded her, a touch of her old defiance coming back in. Her golden eyes were worried, though. "Oh, never mind that! Do you know that they've split up?!"

"Is that what's happened?!" Sumi exclaimed, pushing herself up on the rocks, to better look at Karma. "I mean, I sensed that something had gone wrong . . . " She bit her lower lip. "Karma-Chan ... about my Father . . . "

"Edward Newgate has been killed." Karma said, almost flatly, but, with just a hint of sympathy in her tone.

"Does Emma-Chan know?" Sumi wanted to know, even as her heart clenched in pain. Who could kill Oyaji?! No ... there's only one man that could've . . . The young woman gritted her teeth now. Damn it . . .

Karma nodded. "That's why ... she's trying to forsake them ... her Allies ... she doesn't want them to face the same kind of fate . . . "

"What can we do?" Sumi wanted to know. "Karma-Chan ... what is being done about this?! And, why are you here?! It's so dangerous for you to be travelling about like this, what with my Mother here in the Celestial Realm!" Sumi's teal eyes were suddenly determined. "Who're the Guardians of The Snow Realm and the Forest Realm?! What can they do?!"

"They're in contact already," Karma said softly. "Or, at least, some of them are. I don't know if they can stop Emma from going forwards on her own, though ... she's so stubborn!"

"Yeah ... she's hurting . . . " Sumi sighed. The waves lapped about her arms and waist ... she had long ago forgotten this feeling. But, to her, it felt like the ocean was sympathising with her. Looking straight at Karma now, she said: "Karma-Chan ... I know that I'm still young . . . "

"You're a lot older than what you think." Karma replied.

"Even so ... and, even though I may not be as in touch with my powers yet," Sumi drew in a deep breath. "Karma-Chan ... I need to know ... I need you to tell me ... before I go in ... what is the connection between my Mother and Infinity?"

---

"We should try to get some rest," Nami said diplomatically, glad to be able to talk in normal tones; the wind was still howling outside, but, the log cabin appeared to have celestial insulation. The storm might as well have been happening over on the next mountain. "And, that way, we'll have more energy tomorrow."

The others seemed to agree with this, and settled in for the night - for the most part.

Usopp started out over by the window, but he presently moved away when the wind started to pick up and the widows started to rattle. Despite Dr. Corinna saying that the windows were made to withstand this sort of weather (like the rest of the cabin) Usopp had quickly moved away from the window to sit on a couch ... only for a fluffy grey and white sled dog to come in and immediately start growling at him. Usopp jumped up, and went to sit on a small stool by the fireplace, until a hot coal jumped out at him and he leapt up immediately and scurried over to another corner of the room.

"Pick a place and stick with it, Usopp . . . " Zoro rolled his eye, barely even looking up from where he was reclining on another sofa. He seemed content to just stay there for the night.

Usopp, on the other hand, couldn't settle.

Neither could Chopper; after he came back from helping Dr. Corinna, he joined Usopp in trying to coerce the dog off of the couch so that Usopp could sit.

The dog growled at them both, but eventually moved.

"He says 'at least you're not as mean as Eska'." Chopper translated, as Usopp settled onto the couch.

"Eska?" Nami spoke up again from another couch, next to Robin. "Isn't that the name of the dog that Em took with her?"

"I believe so." Vivi was inspecting one of the many photographs that lined the cabin's wooden walls. "I also believe that she may know this particular dog ... ah, Dr. Corinna?"

"Yes?" The doctor asked, as she bustled by; as the door swung shut behind her, they caught sight of Ace and Law, lying in separate beds and with bandages on their arms.

"About Eska . . . ?"

"The collar over the mantelpiece came with her." Dr. Corinna replied, as she bustled back the way that she'd come. "I told you not to move!" They heard her suddenly snap, and caught sight of Ace trying to get out of the bed. "Now, if you're not going to lie back down then just sit ... sit!" The door swung shut.

"Are you sure that that's Kaya's Mum?" Zoro wanted to know. "I can't really see the resemblance . . . "

"Oh, I dunno . . . " Nami replied, shaking her head. She was smiling, slightly. "Kaya's been pretty strong-willed, lately. She organised most of . . . " She trailed off, and everybody else lapsed into immediate silence, realising that Nami had just been about to mention Sumi's funeral.

"I knew it." Vivi said suddenly, and they all looked at her. "Oh, sorry, Nami-San, I meant this . . . " She held up a red collar with a silver heart-shaped tag on it. "The dog, Eska ... I believe that she belonged to Emma's neighbour's Mother."

"Huh?" Said most people.

"Oh, never mind . . . " Vivi shook her head, and just returned the collar to the mantlepiece.

The grey and white dog, in the corner of the room, growled softly again.

"He says 'Eska really surprised me, though'," Chopper translated. "'Because, she normally doesn't like men or kids, and that human with the red hair was small, like a child'." He yawned. "You guys, how are we going to get down the mountain?" He wanted to know, as he lay down in an armchair; a few tanned hands sprung up and put a blanket over him.

The owner of said hands replied: "We'll speak with Dr. Corinna in the morning." Robin turned to look at the window, where Luffy was still standing.

The Captain turned around, and they all caught sight of the expression on his face. It was one that they hadn't seen in quite awhile. It was the look that he'd had when Nami had taken the Going Merry and they'd been forced to track her down and find out why, before defeating Arlong and finally allowing Nami to be free. It was the look that he'd had when Robin had seemingly turned against them, followed by a mad race to save her from sacrificing herself for them.

It was the look that he got whenever any one of his nakama were in danger.

He knew, now, why Emma had just done what she did. He didn't know how he was going to get her back.

But, one thing was obvious.

He was going to get her back.

No matter what.

---

They couldn't hear anything from the storm that was raging on outside.

But, for Ace and Law, it didn't matter because the storm was raging on inside of them.

Now that the physical pain had subsided, and they had both realised that they absolutely couldn't go out in this storm, they were forced to lie there in those beds and let the thoughts run through their minds like wildfire.

It was the same line of thinking: I need to get her back. If I don't, and, something happens to her, then, my life is not worth living.

They didn't voice these thoughts until after a moment when Nami came in, though; the Navigator wordlessly placed Su-Chan on the bedside table in between the two men, before leaving the room.

As the door shut behind her, and there was nothing but the gentle glow of the Baby DenDen-Mushi's halo to light up the room, Ace and Law both sat up at the same time and reached for the Baby DenDen-Mushi at the same time.

As they did, the light from the halo caught the stones on the ring that Law was wearing.

Ace couldn't help but notice that it matched the ring that Law had given to Emma ... just like the ring that Ace wore, which was the mate to the ring that he had given to Emma.

And, finally, Ace stated: "You are still in love with her."

Law didn't say anything, but Nami did.

"Don't make me come back in there!" She threatened from the other side of the door.

The two men paused, and then waited until they heard her footsteps walking away.

Ace then leaned back slightly, but, he continued to gaze searchingly almost at Law, as he said: "Where'd that come from . . . ?" He nodded slightly towards the ring that was on Law's left hand.

"Where'd you get yours from?" Law shot back. He still wouldn't look at Ace.

"From my Grandpa." Ace said simply. He then sighed. "And, he got it from my ... from my parents. The same with Emiko's. The rings carry ... the memories of them." He wasn't exactly sure why he was telling Law this. Then again, if he was going to initiate a certain conversation with him, then, this seemed like a good way to go about it.

Better than trying to burn his arm off, at least.

When Law still didn't say anything, Ace continued with: "I assume that yours were, too?" Law briefly glanced at him. "From your parents . . . ?"

Law nodded. "Hai." The images flickered through his mind ... he briefly saw his parents ... his younger sister ... he even saw his classmates and the kind nun . . .

'Listen, Law-Kun ... there is always hope ... a merciful helping hand will ... reach to you like this . . . '

"I won't let her end up that way."

Ace looked over at Law. For the first time that evening, the surgeon was looking at him - really looking at him.

"I meant what I said to you, Firefist," Law said quietly. "When I told you about Emiko's Father."

"He was my Father, too." Ace said, almost with a warning to his tone .

"He was your surrogate Father." Law responded, and, only the fact that Ace needed to continue the conversation with Law - to find something else out - kept him from retaliating. "In a way, that's what he was to Emiko, too." Okay, Ace hadn't expected that. "She doesn't understand how she can be two different people at once. She just ... is. She loves her parents in that other world, regardless of everything. But, she was able to connect with her other Father in a different way, and, at a time in her life when that's what she needed the most - a Father who understands her so well. Who'd never hurt her. He was ... to the both of you, what you needed him to be." Law sighed. "That's why she needs you so much, right now."

Ace regarded him, carefully, now. "And ... what you said to me ... how is it that you could possibly even understand that . . . ?"

"I'm the only survivor of a land condemned by the World Government."

"You mean, like . . . ?"

"For different reasons," Law responded, knowing exactly what Ace was getting at. Why he was choosing to tell Ace this, he knew not. Or, perhaps they both knew, and they were choosing not to acknowledge it. "But, yeah ... it's basically the same thing - my people were condemned by no fault of their own. It was the World Government's avarice ... in fact, just their greed in general ... it started hundreds of years before I was even born, and ... it ended with every single innocent person on that island either being gunned down or burned alive ... those that didn't die of the poisoning . . . "

"And, yet, you survived?" There was no taunting in Ace's voice, no malice; he just wanted to know.

Law shrugged. "They were moving the corpses off of the island ... I just laid with them." He didn't mention the one specific corpse. "After that . . . "

"That's when you met Doflamingo." Ace just knew it.

Law nodded. He should have known that Ace would figure it out. "I hated everything. I just wanted the world to burn ... the way that it had burned me."

"You don't feel that way now?"

"No ... somebody ... saved my soul . . . " Law stared up at the ceiling now, his silver eyes almost unseeing. "And, then ... he was killed by Doflamingo."

"I see."

"Do you?"

It was Ace's turn to nod. His gaze was fixed upon Su-Chan. But, he continued to speak to Law. "Whoever saved your soul ... stopped you from becoming as heartless and cold as Doflamingo. Anybody that went through what you went through ... you were headed down that path ... and, you could have continued on like that after Doflamingo killed your saviour ... but . . . " Ace drew in a deep breath. "Emiko never saw that worst side of you."

"And, she never will," Law vowed. "I won't ... be that kind of person ... I'll be what she needs me to be . . . "

"Because you're her First Knight?"

"Because I love her."

Ace didn't say anything.

Law had expected him to respond angrily, but instead, the other pirate just seemed to regard him.

"You need to tell Emiko," Ace said, finally. "About your past."

"I don't want her pity."

"You have her love." Law looked at him quickly. It was Ace's turn to not be making eye contact. "You're her First Knight, and, she loves you. She can't do without you. She won't pity you. She'll want to help you take down Doflamingo."

"Exactly."

They lapsed into silence, until Ace said: "You want to keep her away from him? Like what she's trying to do with us and Teech?"

"You saw what he did to her." Law reminded him.

"She's going to find out what Doflamingo has done to you," Ace told him, and then he held up his hand. "And, no, before you start, I won't be telling her ... or, anybody, for that matter." He frowned, slightly. "Why are you telling me . . . ?"

"Because ... you're going to tell me what this is really about." Law responded flatly.

"On two conditions."

Law just looked at him.

Ace sighed, and met the surgeon's gaze.

Law looked steadily back at him. He knew this look.

"What is it?" Law finally asked.

"Something that Ino said . . . "

"What?" Law said immediately.

"Just promise me ... no, I mean it . . . " Ace swallowed. "That you'll at least tell Emiko a bit about your past. I know her, and, so do you - she won't judge you. And ... two . . . " He drew in another deep breath. "That, after what I tell you ... if ... it's what I think, then ... whatever she needs you to be, just ... be that for her, okay . . . ?"

---

It wasn't the first time that Zoro had dreamed about Kuina. But, it was the first time where he was pretty sure that it was less of a dream and more of a vision.

"Typical Zoro," she said, shaking her head as she looked at him the way that she always did. Her dark brown eyes were serious, though. She was standing in the snow, looking perfectly at ease in her lavender t-shirt and brown three-quarter-length pants, despite the snow that had started to swirl around the both of them. "Sleeping again when you should be moving forwards."

"But, I am ... moving forwards," he tried to tell her. "I'm not . . . "

She held up a hand. And, that was when Zoro noticed what was cradled in her other arm - a small brown reindeer ... no, it was a cat, it just had antlers . . .

Chopper . . .

"Kuina," Zoro's mouth felt dry. "What are you . . . ?"

"You're taking too long," she declared, and gestured to her left. Zoro barely had to look to recognise the large-ish light blue cat, the patchy cat, the beautiful blueish-black cat, and the skeleton cat. "Maybe losing more of your nakama will be enough to spur you into action?" She suggested, as she started to disappear, taking Chopper, Franky, Usopp, Robin, and Brook with her.

"Kuina, wait - !"

The snow around them stopped swirling, and instead became light pink cherry blossom petals.

"You have to hurry, Zoro," Kuina urged him, her voice seemingly coming from everywhere, now. "Don't let her get too far ahead! Trust me, this will make it easier for you to get down the mountain faster! Or, will it? How are you going to manage without Chopper's special ability? Either way, if you take too long, then, your friends will all just stay with me ... forever . . . "

"Kuina!"

---

" . . . Zane, slow down! How long ago did they leave?"

Zoro awoke to somebody standing near to him, talking over the nearby DenDen-Mushi that had glasses on and a blonde wig. Whoever it was must've been using headphones or something, though, because as Zoro came to he could only hear one side of the conversation.

" . . . Yes, yes, I see ... oh, did they?" Something in the time of Dr. Corinna - Kaya's Mother - made Zoro open his eye very quickly after that. "Well, that explains that. Yes, yes, keep them there, although you probably won't have any trouble convincing Usopp ... oh, is that so? Well, then, it sounds like Robin is the voice of reason, then. Yes, I will do that ... okay, love you, too. Ja'ne."

As she hung up, Zoro sat up quickly to see that she was standing by the couch that he had just spent the night on, and that it was morning.

"Oh, Zoro, you're awake." Dr. Corinna nodded briskly. "You heard all of that?" He just looked at her. She sighed. "Well, it seems that two of your friends that vanished overnight have just appeared at my husband's lodge - Usopp and Robin," she clarified, and Zoro's eye widened slightly. "They're both doing fine, but, as for what happened to Chopper, Franky, and Brook ... I can't say."

"You mentioned that somebody left," Zoro reminded her. "Who . . . ?"

"Emma," Dr. Corinna replied, and Zoro groaned. "She left just before your friends got there, actually."

"With Eska?" Zoro guessed, and was surprised when Dr. Corinna shook her head.

"Iie. However, that won't be an issue," the doctor tilted her head to one side. "And, judging by how your other friends, Ace and Law, just went out the window, I'd say that the DenDen-Mushi that resembles Sumi-Sama just tapped into that conversation. So, come on. You'll find out. And, you can tell everybody what Kuina-San told you, as well." Zoro just flat out stared at her, now. Dr. Corinna's gaze turned gentle. "I may not look it, Zoro, but, I too am a Guardian of the Celestial Realm. It seems that all of us Guardians are connected to you thirteen in some way, shape, or form ... which makes me think that it was always meant to be you all who save us . . . "

---

Once outside, Zoro wasn't at all surprised to find his remaining friends already well-informed and ready to go.

He filled them in on what Kuina had told them (well, for the most part - he left out her ominous warning and the fact that she had taunted him).

It was Nami who drew the conclusion: "She's helping us as much as she can, even if she didn't tell you that, Zoro." The Navigator looked worried. "It means that she knows something that we don't . . . "

"Hai," Dr. Corinna confirmed, overhearing as she bustled past them with an armful of harnesses. "Kuina-San is a Guardian of the Forest Realm - for her to have influenced us here in the Snow Realm was a massive undertaking. No doubt, she would have had to have gotten permission from the Gods, which is no easy feat. Especially at the moment, when even their power has been affected so much . . . "

"I'm more interested in this strange man that Emma-Chan left with." Sanji spoke up, from where he was leaning against a wood shed and smoking a cigarette.

Zoro looked at him but, before he could speak, Ace did.

"Dr. Corinna, your husband said that this person - this Cameron - is a Guardian of this Realm, is that correct?"

Dr. Corinna nodded, barely even looking up from where she was busily securing one of the harnesses to a chair-like sled. "Hai. He is. Demo ... he's acting on his own at the moment, which is highly unusual . . . "

"I see . . . " Ace said. He was clenching and unclenching his fists.

Dr. Corinna straightened up just then and, after glancing at Ace, she raised the silver whistle around her neck to her lips and blew once on it.

For a second, they didn't hear anything - no high-pitched, shrill whistling sound, nothing - but, a few seconds later, something answered the silent call, nonetheless.

It sounded like a low, almost mournful cry, but at once they realised what it was - a howl.

"Wolves?" Zoro heard Nami whisper, as they all looked around. Then: "No ... sled dogs!" Her eyes lit up. "How cute!" She added, as Vivi nodded in agreement.

The fluffy dogs with the curled-up tails emerged from the woods, led by the grey one that had growled at Usopp the night before. With his agouti colouration, he certainly did look very much like a wolf. They also got the sense that he was the alpha male, as he seemed to be the one in charge. His mismatched eyes were intent, as he seemed to pull the six other dogs into line; with a small growl here and a snap or two there, he soon had them lined up and ready to have their harnesses put on and secured to the four sleds.

Which was about the time that Nami felt like she should inform Dr. Corinna about the extent of all of their combined mushing skills.

Of which there were none.

"Not a problem!" Dr. Corinna said cheerfully, as she finished securing the harness to a slightly small orange and white sled dog who seemed to be jumping all over the place until both the alpha male and a second dog - a mostly black sled dog who was bigger than the alpha, at least in terms of muscle - both growled at him, and he immediately settled down. "The dogs will mainly do most of the work for you!" They just looked at her. She looked back at them. "Really."

Luffy and Vivi exchanged a glance, as Nami sighed.

"Okay," the orange haired woman said. "I mean ... it can't be that much different from what we just did two Realms ago, right . . . ?" She looked at the others; they stared silently back at her. "Right?"

"This will be fun!" Vivi said bravely. I can add it to my list of skills after this - Super Spot-Billed Duck riding, horseback riding, dog-sledding . . . She smiled, despite herself.

"Yosh!" Luffy agreed. "Shishishi - don't worry, Ace," he added, looking over at his big brother. "We'll find the others and catch up to Emmy in no time!"

Ace didn't look entirely convinced, and even less so when Dr. Corinna informed them that most of them would be pairing up.

"It's a lot less hassle that way," she told them. "And, that way, the musher can focus on mushing, and leave communications and navigation up to those sitting in the baskets - use your best intuition." She suggested.

"Who gets a sled all to their self, then?" Nami wanted to know, eyeing the dog that was secured solo to one of the sleds.

The big black and white dog looked back at her with piercing blue eyes, and seemed to wink.

At once, a nearby dog - a pretty red and white one with an orange bandanna - came over and growled at him; the black and white dog immediately dropped to the ground, and whined. The red and white dog huffed, before she turned around and went back to where she was supposed to be. The black and white dog stared almost lovingly after her.

"That's Diablo," Dr. Corinna explained. "He's our fastest, and in a group he'd usually be one of our swing dogs, but . . . "

"He's usually be one of our what?" Nami interrupted her.

"He'd usually run right behind the first two dogs," Dr. Corinna said. "Along with Eska. You'll find that he'll be the most eager to find her. He's been protective of her ever since she came here, but, he's always like that with females."

"It's just a sled dog version of Sanji-Kun." Nami realised. "So, who's going with Diablo, then?"

"Whoever takes Diablo will have to have good endurance," Dr. Corinna said thoughtfully. "And, be able to handle Diablo's personality, as well as being able to stay focused ... hmm ... who's got the best leg strength out of you all?" She asked suddenly.

They all looked at Sanji.

"Perfect." Dr. Corinna smiled. "When he's by himself, Diablo also responds best to a male's touch - he's too preoccupied if he's got a female handler." She pointed to the two dogs that were next to Diablo; the smallish orange one and the larger black one. "Those two there are an odd combination - we hardly ever pair them up to run side-by-side in a team, because Hunter," the large black dog's ears pricked up. "Is a wheel dog . . . "

"A what?" Nami interrupted her again. She couldn't help it. All of this stuff was interesting.

"It means that he's usually be right in front of the sled," Dr. Corinna replied. "Because he's one of the biggest, along with Jenna."

The red dog who had growled at Diablo before now looked over at them.

"Then, why not pair them up together?" Nami asked her.

"Because of Lunar." Dr. Corinna gestured to the dog that was harnessed to the same sled as Jenna - the silver and white dog didn't even acknowledge them. "She's very choosy with her friends - whereas Jenna is very caring, and Lunar responds well to that. Furthermore," she went on, leaning down to straighten out the harness of the orange dog again. "Lunar can only seem to work with Blaise O'Byrne here if it's in a group situation - they work well together as point dogs ... that's when they're just in front of the wheel dogs." She added.

"Uh-huh, uh-huh," Nami nodded, scribbling furiously. "Then, why not put Jenna together with Blaise O'Byrne?"

"She's too rough with him." Dr. Corinna replied. "Hunter seems to be able to keep him in line, however. Plus, Hunter's our tracker - he can find just about anything out there. That works well with Blaise O'Byrne's inquisitive nature."

"Do you always have to use his full name?" Luffy asked her.

"Don't you always respond the best to your full name?" Dr. Corinna responded.

"Hmm . . . " Luffy thought about this. He then grinned. "Yosh!" He then looked over at his Navigator. "Ne, Nami, why are you writing this down?"

"Are you gonna remember any of it if we need it?" Nami challenged him.

Luffy paused, and Vivi clasped her hands together as if in prayer.

"Good point." She said, with a small smile, just as she sensed a presence beside her, and looked down. "Oh, hello, Little One . . . " She said, looking into a pair of sky blue eyes that belonged to the last dog, the one that was harnesses to the same sled as the alpha dog.

"That's Angelique," Dr. Corinna smiled fondly at the pure white dog. "She's our youngest sled dog, and she must really like you, Vivi-San," she remarked, as Angelique allowed Vivi to pat her on the head. "Because, usually, she's almost as shy as Eska. We pair her up with Chief partially for this reason, and partially because she can get him to calm down if he becomes too aggressive. They're our bonded pair, and regular lead dogs."

"Those must be the dogs at the front." Luffy declared, and Nami gave him a scathing look.

"I knew that!" The Navigator snapped, as she put her small notebook and pencil into the pocket of her orange Parker. "Dr. Corinna, which dog has the best sense of direction? Is it Hunter?"

Dr. Corinna nodded. "Hai. Well, him and Jenna, both."

Nami nodded, too. "Right. So, I'll take Jenna (and Lunar), and Zoro," she pointed to the swordsman. "Will take Hunter (and Blaise O'Byrne)."

Zoro gave her a Look. "Why do you say that?" He wanted to know.

She put her hands on her hips. "Because," she glared at him. "That way, you won't get lost in this snow land! And, for extra insurance, you can take Ace with you," she nodded towards the Whitebeard Pirate. "Because, I'm sure that he and Em have a weird psychic voodoo connection thing going on, that will help to locate her faster! In the event that you somehow do manage to get lost." And, ignoring Zoro's glare, she nodded towards Law. "It also makes the most sense for Law to come with me, since Angelique seems very attached to Vivi, and no doubt there's some strange similarities between our Captain and the alpha dog over there."

Zoro, Vivi, and Law all turned to look over at Luffy, who was staring at Chief. The wolf-like dog stared back at him.

"You know, they do seem to be somewhat alike." Zoro commented.

"Look," Vivi noticed. "They even have the same scar on their face . . . "

"We were told that Chief got that when he was a puppy, in the Mortal Realm," Dr. Corinna told them. "He was told not to do something and he did it just to prove that he was brave - even though it was actually quite foolish."

Ace had to facepalm. "Yup." He groaned, thinking about how his little brother had gotten his scar. He also thought that Emma would be thinking the exact same thing. If she were here. He sighed, and then he glanced at Su-Chan. The Baby DenDen-Mushi was sleeping soundly on his wrist. He then glanced at the ring on his left ring finger, and at the woven bracelet, as well.

Dr. Corinna noticed him doing this. "Right," She said briskly. "Time for a quick lesson! Mushing 101!"

"Wouldn't it be faster to just walk?" Luffy asked suddenly.

"Don't ask that now!" Nami scolded him, and Jenna growled in agreement.

"But, wouldn't it be?" Luffy protested.

"Sure," Dr. Corinna said, somewhat sarcastically. "If you feel like fighting off killer snow wolves that hunt in packs," Luffy's eyes lit up, even as Vivi's widened in horror. "Giant grizzly bears protecting their cubs, and Blooderflies."

As Nami clamped her hand over Luffy's mouth, Ace muttered: "What's a Blooderfly?"

"You'd best hope that you do not have to find out." Dr. Corinna said wisely. "The dangerous creatures in this Realm tend to avoid snow dogs."

"We'll take the dogs!" Nami said quickly, giving a Luffy a fierce Look, as she took her hand away from his mouth. "Isn't that right, Luffy?"

Luffy nodded, looking pouty but, then, he brightened. "Okay! Let's go!"

---

Looking ahead, some thirty minutes later, Vivi was the first one to notice the fork in the trail; then again, since she and Luffy were leading their group, and Luffy was concentrating on directing Angelique and Chief, it was up to Vivi to convey what was going on to the others - namely to Nami, because, she had the map.

Vivi quickly raised the small golden whistle that was hanging from a necklace, and blew into it once - the whistle produced a long, mid. pitched sound that changed to a lower pitch as Vivi turned the screw rod. She counted to four as she did this, and then blew into the whistle twice more, quickly this time, producing two low pitched sounds, to signal that there was a fork in the path.

As she waited for the response, she half-turned, to look up at Luffy who was focused on the trail ahead. They had seen various footprints and paw-prints and sled tracks along the trails. Occasionally, they even saw a wolf or two, but, the wild animals always kept their distance.

"Ne, Luffy-San," Vivi called up to him. "Let's slow down a bit, until we know which way to go!"

Luffy nodded. He waited until Vivi used her whistle to let the others know to slow their pace as well - after the initial long mid. pitched to low pitched whistle to let them know that she was communicating with them again, she signalled a long, mid. pitched whistle this time, followed by three short mid. pitched whistles.

Luffy then spoke ahead to Chief and Angelique. "Easy!" He commanded, and the two dogs immediately decreased their pace.

Not long after they did that, and still with some time to go until they reached the fork, where something golden seemed to be glittering on one of the tree branches to the left, they heard a low whistle that changed to mid. and then back to low from somewhere behind them - Nami's signal.

It was followed almost immediately by one short low whistle - go right.

Vivi responded with a mid. to low whistle, and then a short low whistle to confirm that she was going to go right.

"Gee!" Luffy commanded, and Vivi felt the sled turn, as Angelique and Chief pulled it to the right and they continued on along that trail, which sloped gently downwards.

It was amazing how they could remember the whistle signals to use to communicate with each other but, as Nami had pointed out, they were actually very similar to the maritime signals that they used back home - some of them were even the same.

It was helpful to communicate that way; the wind would occasionally pick up on certain areas of the trail down the mountain, making vocal communication hard. Vivi, Nami, and Ace had taken little to no time at all to memorise the signals, which had left Luffy, Zoro, and Law to master the art of mushing. Poor Sanji was forced to learn both, but, he hadn't minded, and was travelling just behind Luffy and Vivi now; he and Diablo were actually setting the pace for the others. Next were Zoro and Ace, because Nami was not going to let those two go last. Not that Ace had objected, since it meant that at least he was travelling in front of Law. He hadn't actually said that, but . . .

Still, they travelled along at a relatively good pace, right up until they reached another fork in the path, and Vivi's keen eyesight spotted something.

"Luffy-San!" She called. "We have to stop - I see something!"

"What is it?" He asked immediately, squinting ahead.

"You'll see." She responded, before raising the whistle to her lips and, after whistling a mid. to low whistle, she blew five mid. pitched whistles - three long, followed by two short.

She then waited.

Presently, she heard a low to mid. whistle from behind her, followed by a repeat of the stop signal - Sanji was prepared to stop.

Nami's followed almost immediately after that and, soon after that, was Ace's signal.

Vivi responded with her own signal, followed by the stopping signal.

She then glanced over her shoulder at Luffy, and he nodded.

"Whoa!" He called out and, at the same time, he stepped on the footbrake.

As she felt the sled slow to a stop, Vivi had to secretly admire how quickly Luffy had picked up this skill. True, it probably had something to do with the fact that they were in the Celestial Realm - different rules seemed to apply here. But, Angelique and Chief were both listening to Luffy's commands, just the same way that King had back in the Hills Realm.

And that, Vivi thought, as the sled slowed to a stop, and she carefully climbed out of the basket. Has a lot to do with Luffy-San's charisma - everybody is just naturally drawn towards him.

Vivi heard the sound of snow crunching behind her, and turned to see Nami walking towards her.

"Vivi!" She called. "What's the problem?"

"That," Vivi said, pointing to the fork in the road, and Nami followed her gaze to see a signpost there. "It's written in glyphs."

"That's okay, we've got the map." Nami reminded her. "It says that we're supposed to go left ... not like back at that other fork, where left would have taken us to the ... Blooderfly Breeding Grounds . . . " She shuddered.

Vivi shook her head. "It's not that ... there's a note."

"Vivi-Chan, how amazing of you to see that from all the way back there!" Sanji praised her, as he came up beside them.

"Sanji-Kun!" Nami gave him a Look. "Who's staying with Diablo?!"

Sanji jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "Marimo's with him - Ace apparently wanted to talk to Law about ... something . . . "

Nami sighed. "They had better not be fighting ... hmm . . . " She leaned down to get a better look at the note, and Vivi and Sanji watched as the Navigator suddenly froze. "Uh-oh ... that's not good . . . "

"What's not good?" Luffy asked, from where he was standing next to Chief. "What does it say?"

"It says: 'Vice Admiral Chō, I have located the person of interest, and will proceed to Zane's Cabin; will await you for clearance when we rendezvous with Vice Admiral Kōmori at your target's location. Cameron.'." Nami looked up at them all. "There's no way that this note would still be here if this Chō person had seen it."

"Yeah," Zoro said, coming up to them, with Diablo in tow; they had apparently gotten tired of waiting. "But, it's not like it's our problem if some former Marine got stuck on the mountains, somewhere."

"Vice Admiral Chō . . . " Nami repeated softly, shaking her head. "Kōmori ... also a Vice Admiral . . . "

Vivi suddenly gasped. "The golden glitter on that tree back there!" She suddenly realised, as everybody but Nami looked at her. She explained: "Remember how Bell-mére-San was wearing something similar to her Marines uniform? What if Vice Admiral Chō is still wearing the same jacket as before? That golden glitter might have been from one of the threads on the tassels of those epaulets?!"

"It was." Law's voice said, and they all turned to see him coming towards them. Behind him, they could see that Ace had fallen asleep standing up, and that Blaise O'Byrne, Hunter, Lunar, and Jenna were all just staring at him. Law held up a piece of golden thread.

"Law, why did you bring that thing with you?" Nami asked him, and they all got the sense that she had wanted to know that before, as well.

Law just shrugged. "No reason - after all, it's not our problem."

"Oh, I think that it is." Nami said, a little bit grimly, as she took the thread from Law. She held it up to the light that was filtering in through the trees that reached out over the trail. "And, not just because Vice Admiral Chō's gone and wandered into the Blooderfly Breeding Grounds . . . "

"It sounds like Cameron and Kōmori will be waiting for Chō," Sanji said slowly. "'Clearance', huh? That makes me think that ... hang on!" He suddenly took the letter off of the rock, and read it again. "Nami-San, exactly how many trails lead out of this mountain area?!"

"Just one, Sanji-Kun," Nami replied. "The one that we're on ... why?"

"Vice Admiral Chō and Vice Admiral Kōmori ... those two . . . " Vivi said suddenly. "I remember hearing about them ... Koza was saying that - "

"Oh, yeah, you mentioned that guy," Luffy interrupted her. "How's he doing?"

"He wasn't too keen on what I had to do, but, he understood why I had to do it." Vivi said lightly. "Well, as I was saying, Koza and I went to see a play that's directed by their daughter - "

"Why did you do that?" Luffy interrupted her again.

Sanji kicked him in the shin. "Let Vivi-Chan finish her story!" He told his Captain crossly. To Vivi, he said sweetly: "Go on, Vivi-Chwan."

No need to guess what he's thinking. Nami thought, knowing full well that Sanji was picturing himself as Vivi's date to the play. Still, it reminded Nami. Wow, none of us ever really considered the fact that Vivi had to give up everything to come back to us ... even though she clearly wanted to, that couldn't have been easy for her . . .

"And," Vivi was saying. "Koza managed to figure out that the plot makes so many subtle references to what happened to the director's parents that she must have written it, too! I mean, even the play's title is a reference to the fact that the director's youngest sister was the only witness to the event, and, how she still maintains that a leopard mauled and ate her parents." She bowed her head briefly.

Sanji stared at her. "Wait ... Vivi-Chan, that plot that you're describing ... that's how Robin-Chan interpreted our favourite play: 'I Saw What You Ate Last Tuesday' . . . "

Vivi nodded. "Yes, that's the one. It's Koza's favourite play, too, actually . . . " She smiled over at Nami. "I think that they understand, now." She added, because Sanji and Zoro looked shocked.

"Understand what?" Luffy wanted to know, and Nami and Vivi groaned.

But, it was Law who said: "That the woman that needs to be rescued is the Mother of the Moonbay sisters. . . " He sighed. "How troublesome . . . " He muttered. Still, it turns out to be perfect.

"Who?"

Nami rolled her eyes. "You know them! Fox, Sugar, and Tashigi!"

"Uh . . . "

"Red-haired director with Devil Fruit of the same name, little girl with a habit of shooting people, and Marine lady who hunts Zoro like she's a bloodhound and he's a scared rabbit or something!"

"Hey!"

Luffy's eyes lit up in recognition. "Oh! Right! Them!" He reaches i to his pocket, and pulled something out. "I still have Fox's autograph! See!" He then frowned. "So, their Mum's in trouble, huh?"

Nami nodded. "Seems like it."

"And," Sanji said, folding up the note carefully even as he looked jealously at the signed photograph of Moonbay Fox. "We need to find her."

"Why?" Luffy wanted to know.

Sanji kicked him again. "Because Chō-Chan is a woman in distress!" He sobered, slightly. "And, because she's gone to find the Portal Guardian."

---

"There they are!" Usopp's voice rang out from the porch of another log cabin, and it was what greeted Vivi, Luffy, Ace, and Law when they emerged at the end of the trail. "Robin! Come quick! It's Luffy, Ace, Vivi, Law, and ... oh, no!" Usopp's face changed to a look of distress. "Where're the others?!"

"Relax, Usopp!" Luffy called back to him, and then added: "Whoa!" To Chief and Angelique, who obediently stopped.

It took Ace approximately ten seconds longer to get Diablo to stop, and even then the black and white dog only did when Law decided to take matters into his own hands; he jumped out of the sled, brought up a Room around the entire area - including the log cabin - and switched Angelique out with Eska.

Almost as soon as Diablo saw the grey and white dog, whom was even smaller than Angelique and wearing a white bandanna, he stopped. His ears pricked up, and he focused his attention completely in on Eska.

She looked back at him, as Chief calmly surveyed the situation, and Blaise O'Byrne barked excitedly.

The cabin door opened, and Robin walked out, followed very closely by Angelique, and a little further behind by an unfamiliar man who had the exact same shade of blonde hair as Kaya - they could therefore only assume that he was Kaya's Father, Zane.

As Vivi and Robin set about unharnessing Chief and a slightly confused Eska, Zane expertly unharnessed Blaise O'Byrne and Diablo.

Diablo kept on pulling to try and get to Eska, until eventually he was allowed to rush straight up to her. The two of them wagged their tails, and whined slightly. The other dogs soon joined in.

"Jeez, I wonder what they're saying." Luffy said, stretching his arms out over his head.

Usopp rolled his eyes. "Oh, right, like they can talk." He sighed. "Where's Chopper when you need him? Not only that," he went on. "But, where're the others? Nami, Zoro, and Sanji? Zane said that they were still with you, so . . . " He looked around nervously. "What happened?"

"Relax," Luffy said again. "They've just gone to the Blooderfly Breeding Grounds."

"What?!" Zane dropped the armful of harnesses that he was holding, and his glasses slipped down his face. He looked horrified. "What in Marionette's name did they do that for?! Don't they know how dangerous those things are even when it's not breeding season?!"

Luffy and Ace shook their heads, and Law said: "Zane-Ya ... what exactly are these ... Blooderflies . . . ?"

Zane sighed. "Aurgh ... I forget how little you all know ... okay, so, Blooderflies are basically like butterflies — "

"That doesn't sound too bad." Luffy remarked.

"Are they giant-sized or something?" Ace wanted to know.

Zane shook his head. "No, they're regular-sized butterflies."

"So?" Luffy gave him a disbelieving look. "What's the big deal about them?"

"They like to travel in swarms," Zane replied, sounding grim. "But, just one is bad enough ... do any of you know what a Cookie Cutter Shark is?"

"Yes." Said Ace and Law, at the same time that Luffy said: "No."

Zane sighed. "They're small sharks with a round mouthful of teeth, that latch onto their prey and leave round gouges in the skin." He explained.

"Uh-huh." Luffy nodded.

"Well, now, imagine that except that it's a butterfly." Zane said, as he leaned over to pick up the pile of harnesses again. "With a taste for blood, like a mosquito." He added, and Ace and Law began to look horrified.

"And," Usopp said, his teeth chattering and it had nothing to do with the cold. "There are tens of hundreds of thousands of them, particularly during breeding season!" He gave Luffy a Look. "And, now, you're telling me that Nami and Sanji and Zoro are getting swarmed by those things?!"

"They'll be fine." Luffy reassured him.

"How?!"

"Because," Luffy said, as he adjusted his straw hat. His dark eyes were very determined. "They're going in there to rescue some Marine lady and the Portal Guardian - they won't fail." He grinned.

Ace, Law, Usopp, and Zane all stared at him.

Usopp was the first to speak. "Oh, Luffy, that tells me absolutely nothing at all!" He complained. "I mean, it was bad enough getting abducted again!"

"Some Marine lady?" Zane repeated.

"He means Vice-Admiral Chō." Ace supplied.

Zane dropped the pile of harnesses again. "You mean that she never made it out of there?!" He cried. "How do you know this?!"

"Cameron's letter was still attached to one of the rocks that was back there on the trail." Ace explained. Cameron ... this guy who's with my Emiko . . . "We figured that she wouldn't have left it there . . . "

Zane shook his head. "No, she wouldn't. Look, do any of you recognise the names Moonbay Chō and Moonbay Kōmori at all?"

"No." Luffy replied. "I mean, except that one of their daughters directs plays."

Zane sighed, again. "Okay, then how about these names?" He fixed them all with a steely look. "The Dancing Swords?"

"No." Luffy said again, but, he was drowned out by both Ace and Law.

"That's them?!" The former cried out.

"You mean the Legendary Black Butterfly And White Bat?" Law added, shaking his head. "I see . . . "

"Who are they?" Usopp wanted to know. "I mean, aside from being the parents of Fox-San and Sugar and Tashigi . . . ?"

"They're among the best swordsmen to have ever worn the Seigi insignia," Law explained quietly. "Any swordsman worth their blade knows about them, although they're best known by their epithets . . . "

"So, how come Ace knew about them, then?" Luffy wanted to know.

Ace gave him a Look. It was such a fierce Look that Luffy fell silent, and that was when Vivi and Robin approached them.

"Zane-San," Vivi said. "Is it alright if we use your DenDen-Mushi to contact the others?" Her voice was calm, but, her grey eyes were worried. Law noticed that Robin was now holding the piece of paper that Vivi has written on the day before. Whatever had been written on that tree must have been important. "We'll need to give them some vital information before we proceed to our next location."

---

They heard the Blooderflies before they saw them.

"What is that?" Nami whispered softly. "Listen . . . "

And, to give both Sanji and Zoro credit, they did stay quiet and listen. Even Jenna, Lunar, and Hunter stayed quiet, and pricked up their ears at the sounds of what appeared to be millions of tiny . . .

"Wings?" Nami guessed, just as something red on the side of Zoro's neck caught her eye. "Ah! Zoro, you're bleeding!" She pointed out.

"What?" Zoro asked casually, reaching up his hand to brush at the red spot on his neck. He let out a short gasp, however, when something red flew away from the spot on his neck ... leaving behind a small red hole, about the size of a pinkie fingernail. It began to trickle blood.

The red thing, which they could now see was a butterfly with absolutely vivid red wings that made it look like a tiny flame amongst the white landscape, fluttered around them, before drifting over to Nami.

She gasped, and immediately Jenna turned around and snapped at the red butterfly, which flew away in a panic.

Nami looked scared. "Was that a . . . ?"

"I guess that's why they call them Blooderflies." Sanji remarked, lighting up a cigarette. "So, now what'd'we do?"

They had reached a fork in the trail, and Nami now took out her trusty map. "Well, according to this map, that Blooderfly was just heading off back to its breeding grounds." She pointed to the left. "And, to the right, is — "

"Hey, look," Zoro interrupted her. "There's footprints going both ways."

"Well," Nami said, a little bit annoyed at being interrupted, but also mindful of the fact that a butterfly had just bitten a small gouge out of her friend's neck. "Then, why don't you and Hunter go left, since the trail's not very wide that way."

"It has nothing to do with what else is there, though, does it?" Zoro asked her, raising an eyebrow. She just glared at him. "Okay, so, what if one of us is wrong?"

"Simple," Nami said, with a small smile. "Both of the trails actually meet back up, on a small bridge across a river."

"I can hear a waterfall." Sanji admitted. "Ah, so, which way do you think that Vice-Admiral Chō-Chan went?"

Nami rolled her eyes. She then reached into her pocket and took out the golden thread that Law had gotten from the tree. Holding it out to Hunter, she said: "Can you get this scent, please?" She prayed that the dog wouldn't indicate to the right.

Hunter sniffed at the golden thread, and then turned, putting his nose to the snowy ground and sniffing at both sets of footprints very carefully.

Nami waited with bated breath, and then silently cheered when Hunter looked to the left, his ears pricked up and his body rigid and alert.

"Well," she said cheerfully. "That settles it! I mean, after all, that's why we switched around Hunter and Diablo," she went on, climbing into the basket of the sled that was still being pulled by Jenna and Lunar. "Since, after all, Hunter's obviously the best at tracking and he's also the biggest, so, when you find Chō, you'll be able to easily to help her if she needs it!"

"And, if she doesn't?"

Nami knew what Zoro wasn't saying. "Hey, we're just trying to stall Chō and the Portal Guardian long enough to give Luffy and the others time to find everybody and then catch up with Em!" She reminded him, as she and Sanji set off down the right side of the trail. "It works out the best for us if she makes things difficult!"

"'The best for us'?!" Zoro cried, in disbelief, before swatting away at another Blooderfly. "Okay ... alright, fine ... I mean, how bad can it be?" He asked Hunter, and the dog growled. "Yeah, you're right. Hike, hike!" He added, and Hunter and him set out towards the left of the trail, where he could just make out what appeared to be a reddish cloud in the distance.

---

Nami nearly jumped out of the basket when Su-Chan began ringing. She had been thinking about Blooderflies and bleeding to death, and so hadn't expected the ringing sound.

"On by!" Sanji called to Jenna and Lunar, and the two female dogs continued onwards, as Nami took the call.

"Moshi moshi?" She said.

"Nami-San?" Vivi's voice came through, and Su-Chan's eyes became grey as she took on Vivi's voice.

"Vivi!" Nami exclaimed. She was glad to hear from her friend. "Since you're able to be calling, does that mean that you were able to make it to the cabin? Were Robin and Usopp there, as well?"

"Hai." Came the new voice, and Su-Chan's colour darkened slightly as her eyes turned a vivid blue, reminding Nami of a Blue-Ringed Octopus. She wasn't surprised to hear Robin's voice, but, she was surprised when she heard what the archeologist had to say.

Both Nami and Sanji listened, and then they stopped. As Sanji ran back the other way to try to catch up with Zoro, Nami directed Jenna and Lunar.

"Hike, hike!" She called, and spied something up ahead - a small ice castle that looked like something out of a fairy tale. "Robin, Vivi . . . "

"Yes?" They said together.

"Tell Luffy that it's okay for you guys to go on and try and catch up with Em," Nami said, her eyes fiercely determined. "Sanji-Kun's going to go and help out Zoro - they're going to save Chō from the Blooderflies ... we've already run into one of the things, but, I'm sure that they can handle them, especially after Sanji-Kun finds Chō's sword . . . "

"What are you going to do, Nami-San?" Vivi wanted to know.

"Oh, you know," Nami tried to sound casual. "I'm just gonna go and reason with a Portal Guardian. No big deal, ne?"

There was a sudden, earth-trembling roar from within the castle, as Nami approached it.

"What was that, Nami-San?!" Vivi asked, quickly.

"Umm ... probably just the other Portal Guardian." Nami said, just as quickly.

"Well, good luck with that?" Vivi said doubtfully.

"Thanks." Nami sighed. "I'm gonna need it." She added, before they both hung up. She then shrieked, as a frozen stalactite broke off from the castle's balcony, and shattered on the ground next to her. "I should've taken the Blooderflies . . . "

---

The doors to the castle creaked open, much more loudly than what Nami was hoping for. She, Jenna, and Lunar tiptoed across the cold tile floor, much more loudly than she would've liked.

She then had to stop, and look around.

I didn't expect it to look so ... pretty in here. Nami thought, her wide eyes taking in the large room that she was in, not so much for the architecture as it was for her mapping out the building in her mind. It was impossible not to notice that this castle was a bit more like an estate of antiquity, once you got inside. It was more brightly lit than what Nami had been expecting, thanks to the four large chandeliers on the ceiling; their hanging crystals clinked together slightly as a breeze blew in behind Nami and the two dogs, and she realised that she had forgotten to close the door. Deciding not to worry about that, and just counting it as an extra exit - since the windows looked too pretty to try and break, what with their ornate and decorative glass - Nami took another step and then nearly slipped; she had to catch herself by grabbing onto Lunar's back.

The husky gave her a somewhat supercilious look, and walked pointedly away from her.

"Sorry." Nami barely whispered, looking down. What she had thought was cold tile was probably actually ice - it was certainly slippery enough - but, what kind of person would cover their floors with ice?

Looking up, now, Nami also happened to notice the ceiling mural that decorated the centre of the high ceiling - it looked like it had been drawn with ice.

Somehow.

It also seemed to depict Emma's compass - judging by the subtle hues that were on the arms of the compass rose - and . . .

"Cats." Nami whispered, and Jenna huffed quietly. "That's us, but, as cats ... even Brook's there ... Chopper has antlers ... if that cat with the ribbon's not meant to depict Em and those two cats on either side of her aren't Ace and Law, then, I don't know what it means ... hmm ... wait a minute . . . " Nami raised her hand and began listing, as she pointed to each drawing of the cat in turn. "Law, Em, Ace, Luffy, Vivi, Robin, Franky, Brook, Zoro, Chopper, Usopp, me, and Sanji-Kun ... so ... who're those two cats?" She looked at the two cats that she hadn't named; the one that was between Vivi and Robin looked kind of familiar, but, she had no idea who the big cat between her and Usopp was.

She also didn't have time to think about it because, just then, the castle doors closed behind her.

Nami froze. She didn't want to turn around but, as she heard the footsteps start to approach her, and Jenna began to growl, she knew that she had to . . .

---

Sanji didn't know what he had expected to see, when he finally reached the ridge, and saw Zoro battling against what looked like a huge red cloud.

"How and why do these things need to breed so much here?" Sanji muttered to himself, before something appeared at his side. "Oh, Hunter - perfect timing." Sanji knelt down beside the big husky. The dog looked back up at him with intelligent eyes. "Now, listen to Em very carefully. I need you to find the sword that belongs to the lady whose scent you followed here, understand me?" Please say that he understands me . . .

Hunter looked at him for a moment, before half turning, and putting his nose to the snow. He sniffed for a second, before he began trotting off in a certain direction.

As this was happening, and as Sanji was flicking away a stray Blooderfly, he looked around for the sword's owner.

She wasn't hard to miss - her long Marine Vice-Admiral coat was stained red with blood. Despite lacking the sword that Vivi had said that the Vice-Admiral used to fight, Chō was doing surprisingly well on her own; Sanji even recognised a couple of her kicks. She had pale skin, and black hair that was even longer than Fox's; it swung out around her as she attacked.

She also seemed to be trying to convince Zoro that she didn't need any help. The swordsman either wasn't listening to her or genuinely couldn't hear her. He had blood on his arms from where the Blooderflies had attacked him, but, Sanji was more concerned about the woman.

Jumping down from the ridge, Sanji swiftly uses Diable Jambe to dispatch a flock of Blooderflies that had formed a V-formation to attack Chō.

Her reaction was: "Let me guess - another pirate?"

Sanji was speechless for a moment. Not because of her seemingly ungrateful nature (he could forgive her for that) but because she was so beautiful! Up close now, Sanji could see that she shared some of the same facial features as Tashigi, as well as her hair colour, but her eyes were the same deep scarlet as Fox's.

"I'm here to help you, m — "

"I do not need your help," Chō interrupted him firmly. "However, I noticed that you sent Hunter to find my sword."

"You heard that?" Sanji was amazed.

Chō barely even looked at him. "I did not reach the rank of Marine Vice-Admiral for nothing." She said, just as they were both overtaken by a swarm of Blooderflies.

"NO!" Sanji heard Zoro yell, before his voice was cut off, and then something came flying at Sanji through the sea of red . . .

---

"Brook!" Nami exclaimed. "Don't do that!" She pressed a hand to her heart and took a few deep breaths ... just as Jenna leapt at Brook. "Oh my God, Jenna, no!" Nami leapt after the red and white dog, dragging her back from the skeleton. "It's just because you're made of bones!" She reassured Brook, who looked quite startled at the way that Jenna was acting. "Jenna, you can't eat him, okay?" She told the dog. "Go and wait with Lunar?" She suggested, and the dog looked extremely annoyed, but, thankfully she did as she was told.

"Thank you, Nami-San." Brook said gratefully.

"Don't mention it." Nami turned to him. "Brook, what are you doing here? Are Chopper and Franky here, as well?" She asked hopefully, and was disappointed when he shook his head.

"Although, I take it that means that you at least know what happened to everybody else?" Brook asked her.

Nami nodded. "Hai. Which reminds me ... you haven't seen the Portal Guardian, have you?" She wasn't expecting him to have, and so she was surprised when the skeleton suddenly brightened.

"Yohohoho! In fact, I have!" Brook motioned to Nami. "Follow me, if you please, and, I'll introduce you!"

"Great!" Nami exclaimed. "With a little bit of luck, we can sort this whole thing out!"

Brook knew what she meant, and didn't question it, as he led Nami up a rather grand staircase and through halls that were (thankfully) carpeted so that Nami didn't end up slipping again. The red carpet looked like it would feel so plush under her feet, had she dared to brave the frostbite and take off her shoes to test it. Along the way, Brook told her how he'd woken up outside of the building, and been invited in for tea by its residents.

"Residents?" Nami repeated, as they came to a stop outside of a large, very beautifully decorated door.

"You'll see." Brook replied mysteriously, as he knocked on the door.

At once, it was opened by a giant ice statue. Nami froze again, unable to tear her eyes away from the ten foot tall soldier made of ice.

He seemed to glare down at her, and Nami was suddenly very acutely aware of the fact that he was holding a spear.

As the ice statue ambled slowly past them, Nami motioned to Brook to lean down towards her and, when he did, she whispered: "Is that ... blood, on his spear? Oh, and also, is he the Portal Guardian?" She added, as an afterthought.

Brook nodded. "I believe that he is the Guardian of the Portal that we have already crossed through, judging by his appearance." He said, straightening up, and purposely not mentioning the blood.

Nami nodded, too. "Right, then, so where's the one for this Realm?" She asked, looking around her. Then: "Oh . . . "

The room that she was standing in had the same kind of design and feel as the rest of the castle - cold and ornate - but ... there was also a definite warmth about it as well.

Perhaps it came from the dozens of brightly-coloured stained glass lamps that glowed softly all around the room.

Or, perhaps it came from the pink and white lace curtains, or the soft-looking pink rug that was in one corner of the room, along with a big four-poster-bed that had about six hundred pillows on it.

Or, perhaps it came from the occupant of the room. Sitting at a white table where Nami could smell a delicious tea in the china pot and cups, was, at first appearance, a little girl. She had the palest skin that Nami had ever seen, and was wearing a pale pink fur-lined coat. Her black hair was tied into two braids that hung down to her waist and, when she looked up, Nami could see that her eyes were purple, almost indigo.

The little girl looked quizzically up at Brook, as he and Nami approached.

"This is Nami-San," Brook introduced the Navigator. The little girl's face brightened. "Nami-San," he went on, as the little girl set down her tea cup and rose gracefully to her feet. "This is Marionatte-San."

"Marion . . . " Nami trailed off.

For, the little girl had just taken one of Nami's hands in one of her own, and the other one she placed onto the side of Nami's face.

Marionette's hands were not only as cold as ice, but ... they felt like they were made of porcelain. Not only that, but there was something about her movements, though graceful, that reminded Nami of a puppet with strings.

She looked down at the Portal Guardian, noticing that she was even shorter than Emma. The thought made Nami smile. "Pleased to meet you, Marionette-Chan." Nami said.

Marionette's own face broke into a huge smile, which seemed to dispel the coldness of her hands, as she stepped back from Nami and curtsied delicately.

"Is she a dancer?" Nami asked Brook suddenly.

Brook nodded. "I believe so, yes ... however . . . " They both looked at Marionette, who looked down. "From what I can gather, she won't dance without a partner ... that lady there, I believe . . . " He added, and pointed.

Nami stepped away from them, and went over to where there were a number of paintings hanging up on the far wall. The picture that Brook was pointing to depicted a woman with long black hair and red eyes that reminded Nami instantly of Fox; so much so, in fact, that she didn't even have to check the name to know who it was.

She was about to turn around, when the painting next to the woman who looked like Fox caught her eye.

Who ... is that? Nami wondered, gazing up at the portrait. It showed a lady with flowing golden-orange hair, rich brown eyes, pearl drop earrings, and . . .

"The Ocean's Flower . . . " Nami whispered, gazing up at the perfect depiction of the sapphire necklace that Vivi wore. Glancing one last time at the portrait of Edward Undine, she turned around and said: "Marionette-Chan ... this lady, the one that you want to dance with ... her name's Chō, isn't it?"

Marionette nodded.

"Yohohoho, do you know her, Nami-San?" Brook enquired.

Nami shook her head. "No, but I know where she might be. Marionette-Chan, you left a note for the other Portal Guardian to say that Chō's sword had ended up in the Blooderfly Breeding Grounds, after an incident." She explained what Vivi and Robin had told her. "The other Portal Guardian looked like he tried to get it back, but, he was unsuccessful." Marionette nodded, again. "Sanji-Kun and Zoro went to go help Chō ... they've taken Hunter with them - he's a sled dog who's good at tracking - so, they should be able to help her get her sword back. Marionette-Chan," Nami went over to her, and knelt down. "Perhaps you can tell me what the incident was that caused Chō's sword to end up where it did?" Marionette looked uncertain. "Did she get into a fight with somebody?" Marionette nodded, slowly. "Who?" A sudden thought occurred to Nami. "Did ... was it a lady with blonde hair, dressed all in black?" She asked quickly, and Marionette looked worried, but then she nodded. "Ino . . . " Nami muttered, grimly, as she stood back up. She reached towards her wrist, where Su-Chan was. "I'll call the others, and tell them to be careful." She said, just as the heard the ice statue roar from out the front of the castle. "Now what?!"

---

It was easy for Nami, Brook, Marionette, Jenna, and Lunar to follow the trail left by the ice statue - his huge feet had carved a path straight through the snow for them, and his huge hands had pushed aside trees.

Nami stood on the sled, as Brook effortlessly kept pace beside her, and Marionette sat in the basket, staring straight ahead.

Nami couldn't see the look on her face, but, she imagined that it would be very determined.

They caught up with the ice statue just as two things happened.

One was that Nami was forced to cry: "Whoa!" To stop Jenna and Lunar from getting too close to the edge of the ravine that separated them from the Blooderfly Breeding Grounds.

The ice statue had just jumped over the ravine like it was nothing, but, Nami spied a bridge, and opted for that, instead. She hadn't been going to go over there but, the second thing that happened was that there was a cry from somewhere in the other side of the ravine, from an area that was obscured by a small rocky hill.

Marionette jumped out of the basket like it was on fire, and ran across the bridge before Nami could stop her.

Quickly handing Su-Chan to Brook, Nami yelled: "Call the last number that came through on there and tell them to be careful of running into Ino!" She was already halfway across the bridge by the time that she'd said all of that.

And, that was when the Blooderflies decided to attack.

Nami was terrified - how could she have forgotten about these things?!

But, before they could fully swarms round her and latch onto her, a large shape came flying through the air, and the Blooderflies immediately scattered.

"Thanks, Hunter!" Nami exclaimed, an then they both stopped and stared in wonder.

Carving a path through the clouds of red were four figures, each one moving so elegantly in their own way that, for a second, Nami almost forgot the kind of danger that they were in.

Sanji's kicks were literally on fire, and the Blooderflies didn't even get a chance to fall to the round before they were disintegrated.

Zoro, his arms and swords covered in both m blood and Blooderflies, sliced and diced his way through the swarms, seemingly unaware of the fact that nobody could tell the difference between the blood and the Blooderflies that were on him anymore.

The same went for the woman that was with them. Her coat was stained with blood, but she didn't seem to care; watching as she effortlessly seemed to slice huge chunks out of the red clouds, all the while keeping one hand firmly clasped around the wrist of Marionette, Nami was beginning to understand why they called her the Black Butterfly Of The Dancing Sword.

Both she and Marionette moved gracefully, almost like they were dancing, although Nami couldn't help but think that the former Vice-Admiral was trying to keep as far away from Zoro as Sanji as possible.

Or else, Zoro was avoiding her.

Nami didn't know, and, it didn't seem to matter because, just then, the ice statue came crashing through the small rocky hill, as Chō half-turned.

"Yuki!" She called to him.

From behind her, Nami heard Brook chuckle but, before she could ask him about it, the bridge broke.

Time seemed to stand still just then, as Nami, Brook, Hunter, Lunar, Jenna, Sanji, and Zoro all looked at each other in horror, and then Chō closed her eyes.

As they all began to fall towards the rushing water, Nami watched as Marionette seemed to spin in mid-air, and reach out towards Yuki the ice statue.

The result was that Yuki hit the water first, and they all landed on him - with the exception of Brook, who landed in the water along with Lunar and Jenna.

As the two dogs broke free of their harnesses, Nami yelled: "Brook!"

"He's okay, Nami-Swan!" Sanji replied. He was holding onto her and Chō both, and only the fact that Chō seemed to be in shock was allowing Sanji to do this. "Lunar and Jenna have got him!"

"Oh, okay, that's a relief," Nami sighed with relief, as Zoro pulled himself up onto Yuki's belly. Balancing gracefully on top of Yuki's head, Marionette mimicked Nami's sigh of relief ... she and Nami then began waving their arms in a panic. "Oh no! They're eating him!"

---

Vivi looked at Robin, and then did a double-take when she saw the strange smile on the archeologist's face.

"Morbid senses." Luffy told Vivi, and Vivi wisely chose not to question this.

They were standing outside of a small cabin, having just made the run down the second half of the mountain.

As Vivi was just about to go back to glancing worriedly at the DenDen-Mushi that they had borrowed from Zane - the call that had come through from Brook had been alarming for a number of reasons - the door to the cabin flew open, and Chopper came racing out, followed by an unfamiliar man.

"Minna!" Chopper cried joyfully. "You made it! I was so worried! Wait . . . " He slid to a stop in front of Luffy. "Where's . . . ?"

"Battling some Blooderflies." Luffy said cheerfully.

Chopper looked horrified. He didn't say anything, but instead turned wordlessly to look at the man standing behind him.

"They've gone after the Blooderflies, have they?!" The man exclaimed. He adjusted his top hat. "This is quite concerning! Well, they're either extremely black or extremely reckless, or maybe even both!" He chuckled.

Luffy also laughed. "Shishishishi! Maybe!"

The man turned to Luffy. "Chopper told me about you. You must be Luffy."

Luffy nodded. "Sure am! I'm gonna be King Of The Pirates!" He looked at Chopper. "Who's this weird guy?"

Chopper looked indignant. "W-weird guy?!" He repeated, and then coughed, straightening himself up to his full height (ninety centimetres of it). He crossed his arms, and didn't say anything.

Vivi and Usopp, however, exchanged a glance, and then Vivi smiled slightly and stepped forwards.

"It's so nice to finally get to meet you, Dr. Hiluluk." The Princess said politely. "I could tell straight away who you were; with such concern over our friends, you surely must be the one who inspired Tony-Kun to become such a caring doctor." She smiled over at Chopper, who was staring at Vivi with such an expression of gratitude that his eyes were sparkling.

Ace then looked over at Dr. Hiluluk. "Maybe you can help us ... have you seen a young woman with red hair, and a compass around her neck?"

"She was travelling with a man, and possibly a dog." Law added, stepping forwards. "The man is a Guardian of this Realm."

"Just like me!" Dr. Hiluluk exclaimed.

Oh, dear God. Law thought.

"Or," Luffy spoke up again. "Have you seen a big guy with blue hair and sunglasses who says 'suuuper!' a lot?" He struck a pose.

Dr. Hiluluk brightened. "Ah! Yes! That pose! Now that you mention it, I saw all four of them!"

"Were they travelling together?" Ace and Luffy asked in unison.

"Hmm . . . " Dr. Hiluluk rubbed his chin. "Well, not the big guy with the blue hair ... he went off after them, before I could stop him and before Chopper got here, but . . . "

"Which way?!" Law said immediately.

Dr. Hiluluk looked at him. "You friends with the blue-haired guy?" He wanted to know. "Or ... is it . . . "

"It's Emiko." Law said, in a quietly fierce voice.

Dr. Hiluluk looked down at Chopper.

Chopper looked back up at him. "He means Emma, the woman with the red hair. Remember, I told you about her? Law's her First Knight." He added.

"Oh, well why didn't you say so?!" Dr. Hiluluk exclaimed. He turned towards Law. "Well then, as her First Knight, you should be able to find her!"

Law sighed. He looked incredibly frustrated.

Vivi glanced at him worriedly. She then nearly jumped out of her skin when the DenDen-Mushi in her shoulder bag began ringing.

It was Nami, and, she wanted to know what was going on. As Vivi spoke to her, Luffy looked over at Law.

"So, can you find her?" Luffy wanted to know.

Law was gritting his teeth, and staring to the south, towards a very flat snowfield.

Ace followed his gaze, also looking grim.

Just then, Vivi finished her call with Nami, and came over to them.

"You need to go with that instinct." She wasn't looking at any of them, but, they knew they she was talking to Law. "Nami-San says that there's a frozen-over lake in that snowfield, and that that's where the Portal Guardian is indicating that she's going to open up the Portal."

"Is she going to wait for us?" Usopp wanted to know.

"It doesn't look likely." Vivi said quietly. "Vice-Admiral Chō says that their role in this is to help the Princess - that being Emma-Sama - and that, if we as her Allies don't have what it takes to make it to her side, then what are we even doing here?" She sighed.

"It sounds like she doesn't like us very much." Luffy commented.

"She doesn't like pirates." Vivi replied easily. "Well, Nami-San says that they'll meet us downstream, and that the easiest path to follow goes that way." She pointed in the same direction that Ace and Law were staring. She then added: "Won't you join us, Dr. Hiluluk?"

The doctor had already grabbed his bag, and straightened out his hat. "Of course I'll come with you! If you thought that Chō's reaction sounded bad, you wait'll you meet we husband! Oh, and I'll need to take the DenDen-Mushi back too - if anything happens, then, I don't want it going to the Forest Realm! The last one that went there never came back!"

"Oh, yes, of course!" Vivi said hurriedly, handing him the snail, and almost losing the piece of paper that was tucked into the bag, as well.

"Thank you, Princess," Dr. Hiluluk nodded, as Chopper smiled over at Vivi. "I doubt that you'll have much time for talking over the DenDen-Mushi. It'll be all action, from here on out!"

---

"This is most ... un... super . . . " Franky complained, from where he was chained to a pine tree. He couldn't move. "Hey! Cameron!" He called to the young man who was leaning against another tree, opposite from him. "Aww, come on, man! We're on the same side, here!"

Cameron raised an eyebrow, and didn't say anything, but the man next to him did. They had both been just sitting there, frustratingly silent since they had effortlessly overpowered Franky, and only now did one of them decide to speak.

"Something up with your dog, Cameron-San?" He wanted to know.

Franky didn't trust this man at all, and it was partly due to his Vice-Admiral coat. He was tall, with deeply tanned skin and reddish-blonde hair. His left eye was bright blue, and his right eye (with a scar across it) was a deep brown. A sword rested at his hip. He had an air about him that spoke of danger and battles and authority, despite seeming to be quite laid-back on the surface.

Cameron looked.

Rex was looking very alert all of a sudden. The Husky x German Shepherd was showing every sign that he sensed that something was about to happen.

"They're coming." Cameron said simply, standing up.

"Seems like it." The other man stood up, as well. "Chō's coming via the river, with Marionette-San and Yuki-San."

Cameron nodded. "You go, Vice-Admiral Kōmori. Meet them at the frozen dam. I'll stay here." He added.

Kōmori nodded, and set out in the direction of the river.

Franky watched him go, nervously, and then said to Cameron: "Wh-what are you guys gonna do to them?"

Cameron gave him a rather vexed look, and then looked down at Rex. "Rex, go to her." He said softly.

As Rex trotted off obediently, Franky said to Cameron: "Look, you obviously care, man ... we do, too ... we really do . . . " He was silenced by a glare from Cameron, just as a group of figures crashed into the glade.

Well, Usopp, Chopper, and Dr. Hiluluk crashed into the glade, whereas Robin walked through gracefully behind them.

"You guys!" Franky was super happy to see them. "Am I ever glad to see you!"

"I told you not to go off on your own!" Dr. Hiluluk informed Franky, as he got up and straightened out his hat. He then pointed at Cameron. "And you! Cameron! What is the meaning of this?!" He gestured towards Franky. "We Guardians are supposed to be helping the Chosen Ones! Not tying them to trees and such!"

"Dr. Hiluluk," Cameron said softly. A cold breeze blew his blonde hair, as his light green eyes were very serious. "Do you really believe that these ... pirates ... are the Chosen Ones?"

"Do I really believe . . . ?" Dr. Hiluluk looked shocked. "Why, yes! Of course I do!" He declared. "The Gods wouldn't have chosen them if they weren't capable!"

"You're only saying that because you're acquainted with the reindeer." Cameron replied flatly.

"Hey!" Chopper cried, out of habit. "I'm a ... oh, wait, he got it right." He realised.

"Yes," Robin nodded thoughtfully. She hadn't once taken her vivid blue eyes off of Cameron's face. "He's very smart. He also cares."

The others looked at her in shock.

Cameron's face remained expressionless.

"H-how do you know that, Robin?" Chopper wanted to know.

"Nami-Chan told me about what happened," Robin said carefully. All of her attention was on Cameron, and, all of his attention was on her; so, he didn't see that she was using her powers to carefully unchain Franky from the tree. "About how you and Emma-San happened upon Vice-Admiral Chō during her battle with Ino. About how Emma-San intercepted an attack that would have sent an ordinary being straight to Level Zero - or, worse."

"Is ... is she okay?" Chopper asked, as Dr. Hiluluk looked horrified.

"Cameron-San kept a close eye on her." Robin replied calmly.

"What else could I do?" Cameron said, his gaze turning dark. "I've already made so many mistakes back when I was alive ... regardless, how did your friend, Nami, come by this information?" He wanted to know, narrowing his eyes.

"Vice-Admiral Chō chose to divulge that information to our friends." Robin replied. "I was surprised to hear that. She does not seem at all willing to help us."

"No, she wouldn't be." Cameron agreed.

"Can you tell me why?"

"I think you know."

Why is Robin talking to him like that? Usopp wondered, trying not to give away the act that Robin was secretly freeing Franky. Searching for somewhere else to look, he suddenly became aware of what was happening to the east of where they were. It sounded like a big battle. Like swords clashing. I hope that Zoro doesn't tear apart the landscape like he usually does.

Before Usopp could say that, though, a large brown and black dog suddenly ran into the glade.

"Aah!" Usopp yelled, because the dog was bigger than any of the huskies had been before, and had a definite authoritative air about him. Why do things just keep on jumping out like this?!

"Rex! Heel!" Cameron said immediately, and the dog came over to him obediently. "What happened? Where is she?"

The dog whined slightly, and Chopper automatically translated for him.

"He says that the girl who's a bit like George appreciated the company, and that Rex is like the police dog that she always dreamed of owning, but that she feels like things are about to get difficult for her and so she believes that Rex should be back here, with his master - she thanks you for all of your help though, Cameron."

"Thank you, reindeer."

"Hey! I'm a ... oh, he got it right again . . . " Chopper blinked.

"Rex said all of that with just one whine?" Usopp was stunned.

Chopper nodded.

"Who's George?" Franky wondered, as he was successfully detached from the tree.

Cameron appeared not to have noticed this, but Rex immediately growled at Franky.

"He says 'don't call her that'." Chopper advised Franky.

"Duly noted." Franky replied, as he hurried over to them.

"Cameron," Dr. Hiluluk said. "Are you going to let them get through, or not?"

"Why should I?" Cameron wanted to know.

"Because they're the Chosen Ones!" Dr. Hiluluk said angrily.

"Is that really why they're doing this?" Cameron said.

"Yes!"

"And, because Emma's our friend!" Chopper added. "Our nakama!"

"She's like our little sister, man!" Franky told Cameron. "Right, Usopp?"

"Well, actually, she's older than me," Usopp reminded him. "But, yeah, she's our crew-mate!" He added.

Cameron regarded them steadily. "You're turning her into a pirate." He reminded them all. "You want to know why the Vice-Admirals are so reluctant to help you? It's because of what pirates have done to the people around them. Have you really given them any reason to help you?"

"Emma's our friend!" Chopper repeated, although they all heard thee wavering in his voice - he was getting upset.

"So you all keep on saying." Cameron said. "Emma, she ... well, all that she would talk about was you lot." He admitted, and Usopp, Franky, and Chopper exchanged a hopeful look. "But, I still don't see how you all fit in to this. Pirates helping people? In a world's that's so black and white?"

"But, you don't believe that, do you?" Robin said suddenly.

Cameron looked at her. "Excuse me?" He narrowed his eyes.

A soft and gentle breeze blew Robin's raven hair about her face, bringing with it a cold breeze. "You believe that the world is grey and messy and ugly," the archeologist said in a soft voice. "But ... sometimes it's silver and pure and beautiful, too." She gazed steadily at Cameron, who had gone very, very still. "That is why we are doing this."

---

Vivi stopped, suddenly.

"Vivi?" Luffy called back to her.

They were on their way to where Law sensed that Emma was, having skirted around the areas of trouble - ie, where Usopp, Chopper, Robin, and Dr. Hiluluk had gone to rescue Franky, and where the others were currently floating down a semi-frozen river to get to the frozen lake where Emma was.

Law and Ace hadn't even stopped when Vivi had, but Luffy lingered.

Something was drawing Vivi to her left, towards the half-frozen river. But, she also sensed that Luffy wanted to go on.

"You go!" Vivi called to him. He hesitated. "It's okay, I'll catch up! Get to Emma-Sama!" She added. "She needs you!"

Luffy nodded, and continued onwards after Ace and Law.

Vivi turned, and began sprinting towards the sounds of the battle that she could her.

The clashing of metal ... of sword upon sword . . .

Somehow, Vivi wasn't surprised to find Zoro in battle, against a tall man wearing a Vice-Admiral's coat. The way that the man was moving ... yes, this had to be Kōmori, the White Bat Of The Dancing Sword. And, watching his movements now, Vivi could see how he had gotten this epithet.

"Vivi!"

Vivi turned at the sound of her name, and saw Nami running towards her, followed by Sanji, Brook, Lunar, Jenna, and Hunter.

"Nami-San!" Vivi hurried to meet them. "Where are Vice-Admiral Chō and the Portal Guardian?!"

"Chō took both Portal Guardians to meet with Em!" Nami replied, a little bit breathlessly.

"She's doing that?!" Vivi exclaimed.

"She doesn't trust us," Nami explained. She looked worriedly over at where Kōmori had just come close to slicing Zoro's already bloodied arm off. "He certainly doesn't." She added, and raised her voice. "Come on, Zoro! Quit wasting time and beat this guy! Left hook! Right hook! Give him the old one-two!"

"This isn't a fist-fight, Nami!" Zoro yelled back to her, his voice somewhat muffled by Wado Ichimonji but still managing to sound extremely annoyed. "Toro . . . " He added. "Na ... gashi!"

They watched as he used Shusui and Sandai Kitetsu to block Kōmori's attack but, before he could slice through the Vice-Admiral's stomach with his third sword, Kōmori moved, with such graceful speed that by the time any of the others realised what was happening, he had already slashed at Zoro, pushing him back dangerously close towards the river.

Damn it! Zoro realised what he was dealing with. He's a Jūken-type swordsman! I should've known from the name! But, his attacks are also so strong! It's like fighting against Mihawk, but . . . Zoro's one eye narrowed from just beneath his bandanna. He has to have a weakness . . .

"I have to have a weakness, is that it, Roronoa Zoro?" Kōmori said suddenly, correctly interpreting Zoro's thoughts. The former Vice-Admiral smiled slightly, although Zoro knew enough to not trust the man one little bit. "Let me remind you of where you are - and, of what I ultimately am. How can you hope to kill somebody who's already dead, hmm?"

Zoro glared back at him.

The ground suddenly shook beneath them all, and all of them - even Kōmori - couldn't help but look over towards where a brilliant beam of light had just appeared.

It was reflected in a brilliant blue in Vivi's grey eyes; it was the most beautiful and the most terrifying thing that she had ever seen, and, she gasped. "The Portal!" She turned to Brook, Nami, and Sanji. "Luffy-San, Ace-San, and Law-San have gone to try and stop Emma-Sama, but, we have to hurry!"

"You're not going anywhere!" Kōmori spoke up, and Vivi looked over at him. There was about twenty feet between them, but, Vivi knew that he could close that distance in an instance if he wanted to. Her heart pounding in her chest, she glanced at Zoro, who hadn't taken his eyes off of his opponent.

"Vivi!" He said, talking around Wado Ichimonji. "Nami, Brook, Sanji - leave this guy to me! You all just hurry up!"

"Like I said before, Roronoa Zoro, how do you plan to kill me if I'm already dead?" Kōmori said, shifting his position slightly.

"I don't need to kill you again!" Zoro told him.

"Would you rather die yourself, then?" Kōmori wondered, and then added: "Yakkōdori!"

Zoro swore, as he dodged the crescent-shaped energy wave that was sent from Kōmori's sword straight at him.

Using the momentum from this, he decided then and there to fight Jūken with Jūken.

"Santoryu ... Mikachō!"

Moving rapidly, and delivering multiple slashes from different directions, the last thing that Zoro was expecting was Kōmori's reaction.

The former Vice-Admiral easily dodged the attacks but, by the time that he had met Zoro's final uppercut with his own sword, an almost angry look had come over his face.

"You ... you're using your own version of Ranga Chō against me?!" Kōmori easily pushed Zoro back, and that was when Zoro realised just how much blood was coming out of his arms.

Not good! He realised, staggering slightly. If I pass out now . . .

He heard running footsteps, and couldn't believe it as Nami, Vivi, Sanji, and Brook ran to him.

"I told you guys to go!"

"Yeah, and we didn't listen!" Nami snapped, indicating to herself and Vivi. "And, Sanji-Kun wouldn't leave us, and we couldn't leave Brook with the dogs, so, here we are!"

Zoro have her a disbelieving look. What was she planning to do?!

"Hey!" Nami called out, turning to face Kōmori. He regarded her calmly. Zoro's blood was still dripping off of his sword. "Why such a disbelieving look?! With the amount of time that he's spent around Tashigi, it's only natural that he's picked up on a few of her techniques!"

That's her plan?!

Kōmori said: "The amount of time ... that he's spent around her?"

Nami nodded. "Uh-huh!" She said. "They battle nearly every single time that they meet! Well, I mean, after Zoro got over the fact that she looks like Kuina . . . "

"Yes, she does." Kōmori agreed, even as Zoro silently seethed away at Nami's interference. The former Vice-Admiral spoke calmly, but, both Nami and Vivi heard it now - a hint of sadness in his words. "Even my wife and I were surprised by the resemblance. The fact that Kuina-San lived by the sword, as does our Tashigi . . . "

"Well, she can certainly protect herself," Nami told him. "Sugar-Chan, too - there's two strong people that I know of who've been shot by her before!"

"Ace is gonna be furious that you told him that, Nami-San . . . " Sanji told her quietly.

"I know," she whispered back. "But, help me out here, Sanji-Kun!" She glanced nervously towards where the light was still shining from the frozen-over lake past the pine trees. She was glad to see it - that meant that the Portal was still open.

Sanji, meanwhile, had glanced at Vivi, who was looking at Kōmori with a very focused look in her eyes.

Remembering their conversation from earlier on, something occurred to Sanji all of a sudden.

Turning back to Kōmori, he said: "I have got a question for you, actually." Kōmori raised an eyebrow. "About the women who attacked your wife . . . "

"You mean the Government Assassin, Ino?" Kōmori stated, in a dead-flat voice.

"You two wouldn't have happened to have gotten on the wrong side of her niece and one of said niece's associates, would you have?"

Everybody stopped, and stared at Sanji in a shocked kind of silence.

He continued. "Now, Sugar-Chan was only three years old at the time, so, her recollection would have been somewhat hazy - which is probably just as well. I doubt that anybody but her sisters would have believed it when she said that a leopard was responsible for the deaths of her parents." There was a dark undertone to his voice. "Had she been older, and able to remember that the leopard that killed her parents was in fact a CP9 Assassin, then ... well, it's clear that Rob Lucci has no qualms about killing innocent people."

"Or, people who know too much." Kōmori said, unexpectedly. For a few moments, there was not a sound, save for the babbling of the river through the ice.

Then, Vivi straightened up and, handing Zoro's three swords to Sanji (because, Zoro was just barely clinging onto his consciousness, although the sight of his precious swords now being held by Sanji kept him hanging on), she began to walk towards Kōmori.

She walked slowly but with purpose, and then she stopped.

"You're Queen Nefertari Titi's daughter, are you not?" Kōmori asked her.

"Yes, I am." Vivi said. She stood her ground, even as Kōmori approached her. Looking up at him, she went on: "My name is Nefertari Vivi. I was chosen by the Gods to be a Decoy Princess and guide for Edward Emma. And, I haven't been able to do that, recently, since she found out about the death of her Father. Edward Newgate was killed recently by a man who has become the God Of Darkness. And, Ino is his First Knight."

"Ino is - ?!" Kōmori looked startled, and then he shook his head. "Her being here ... her power ... I see . . . "

"Please," Vivi said. "We have to get to Emma-Sama. I know that she's just trying to protect us, but . . . " She bit her lower lip.

Kōmori's gaze turned somewhat gentle. "You need to figure out what it is that she's so scared of." He sighed. "If you can do that, then ... perhaps you all can be the ones that will . . . " He trailed off, and then smiled slightly. "I used to think that the world was very black and white. Even after Chō and I came here, we still clung onto the belief that both Fox and Tashigi were on the right track with becoming Marines. Until Fox's run-in with Yamanbako's son that almost killed her ... I always thought that it was the fact that she was saved by one of the Yonkō that turned her against the Marines so much, but ... then we found out about that play . . . "

"She's very clever," Vivi said honestly. "Not many people could figure out the hidden meaning behind her play ... my childhood friend, Koza, did ... here," she went on, reaching into her bag. "I was going to give this to him, but, I think that you and Vice-Admiral Chō should have it, instead." She handed him the piece of paper, as watched as he looked at it, just as there was an explosion from the direction of the frozen-over lake . . .

---

When Ace, Luffy, and Law reached the frozen-over lake, the very first thing that they saw was Vice-Admiral Chō, leaning against a nearby pine tree. She was holding herself up by her sword, apparently having been unable to stay standing after performing half of the dance with Marionette to open the Portal to the Forest Realm.

It didn't matter, though, because, to the amazement of the three men, Emma was doing it, instead.

"Marionette-San is shy," Chō said quietly. "She needs to dance to open the Portal, but, she doesn't like to dance without a partner. Usually, that partner is me, but these Blooderflies . . . " She cast a weary look up towards the mountain that they had just travelled down.

Law's eyes flickered over to her.

She glanced back up at him, and shook her head. "I'll be fine. You all need to be ready. If you think that you can convince her to . . . " She trailed off, shuddering slightly, as if in anticipation for something terrible that was about to happen.

The three men, initially, didn't quite understand why.

The dance being performed by Emma and Marionette was one of the most beautiful and amazing things that they had ever seen. Emma was in her Princess form and, although her white wings appeared to be losing a few feathers here and there, she still looked beautiful. Somebody also appeared to have lent her a pair of ice-skates and, as she moved, blue and white lines appeared on the ice were she'd been. At the same time, Marionette skated along parallel to Emma and drew an identical pattern.

The result was that the patterns matched up when Emma and Marionette met, and Emma commanded: "Open." As she and Marionette bowed.

The light that appeared from the lines that were drawn on the ice immediately began streaming into a centre point, forming a pillar of light into the sky.

Marionette pointed up to the pillar, and then she smiled up at Emma.

Emma nodded, and smiled back.

Law's heartstrings tugged. He hadn't been away from Emma for this long in ... well, in a very, very long time. And, looking at her now, bathed in this icy white and blue light, and knowing that she was in so much pain behind that smile - pain that Law probably couldn't heal - and that it was that pain that could make her run at a moment's notice, caused a similar kind of pain in Law. He knew that he needed to take this slowly.

Luffy and Ace, however, had other ideas.

"Emmy!" Luffy called out, at the exact same time that Ace yelled: "Emiko!"

Emma jumped. Law groaned.

And, out of nowhere, a giant ice statue leapt in front of them, blocking the path to Emma.

"Where'd that thing come from?!" Ace exclaimed. He gritted his teeth. It's stopping me from reaching Emiko . . .

"The previous Portal Guardian . . . " Law realised, as Luffy and Ace both tensed.

"Bring it on!" Luffy started to say, but Chō was suddenly right next to him.

"Don't even consider attacking Yuki-San, pirate!" She told him sternly.

"I'm not considering it, I'm just gonna do it!" Luffy responded, as he drew back his fist. "We need to get to Emmy!"

"And, how do you think that she'll feel seeing you attacking a Portal Guardian?!" Chō snapped.

"We did it before!"

"Yes, I know, but this one's not under the control of Chaos!"

"It's still in our way!" Luffy told her. "Gomu-Gomu No . . . "

Ace's eyes suddenly widened. "Luffy, wait!" He leapt at his brother, pushing him into the snow and effectively stopping his attack.

Good thing, too, because Marionette had suddenly appeared, standing firmly in front of Yuki with her arms out on either side of her.

She looked at Luffy. He looked at her, as he and Ace got up out of the snow.

"Let us through." Luffy told the Portal Guardian.

Marionette shook her head stubbornly. Luffy looked at her, more closely this time.

Her indigo eyes looked deep into his, and there was an almost imploring look about them as the two of them stared at one another.

'She's really hurting.'

"Huh?" Luffy blinked, and tilted his head to one side. "Did you say something?" He looked at his brother, and then at Law. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" They asked in unison, and then flinched, before glaring at each other.

Luffy turned back to Marionette, who hadn't moved. "Look, Emmy's our friend. And, she's Ace's wife."

'That's why she's doing this.'

Luffy blinked, again. That voice ... it was like a child's voice ... it couldn't be coming from her, could it . . . ?

Luffy crossed his arms. "Well, whatever the reason that she's doing this, I want to hear that from her. I won't accept it from anybody else, you hear me?"

Marionette hesitated.

'She really loves you all, very much. She doesn't want to lose you.'

"She won't." Luffy responded.

"Can you guarantee that, Monkey D. Luffy?"

Luffy, Ace, and Law exchanged a glance.

Chō looked up again. "Stand aside, Yuki-San, Marionette-San . . . " She said quietly, and the two Portal Guardians immediately moved off the ice.

Emma was still standing exactly where she had been when she'd finished her dance with Marionette. Now that the light had all collected in one place, they could see her more clearly for the first time.

She was pale, with dark circles under her eyes like she hadn't slept in days. Nevertheless, she looked ready to move in a moment, which worried the three men immensely. The Portal was right there. She could skate up to it in an instant, if she wanted to.

But, right now, she was staring at Luffy, waiting for him to answer her question.

"Can I guarantee what?" Luffy looked back at her.

"That you're not going to die." Emma said. She was speaking somewhat softly, but, they could all hear her.

"Why are you thinking about that now?" Luffy wanted to know.

"Just answer the question!" Emma responded.

"You answer mine!"

"I asked first!"

Out of the corner of his eyes, Ace saw movement from the trees behind him; Robin, Franky, Usopp, Chopper, and Dr. Hiluluk had just arrived.

Usopp was saying: "Robin, was that Cameron guy really Carmilla's boyfriend?"

Robin nodded slightly. "Hai."

"How did you find out?" Usopp demanded to know.

"Carmilla-San told me about him, before we left Emma-San's hometown." She replied.

"Oh." Usopp didn't seem to know how to respond to that or to ask why Robin hadn't told any of them about this before, and so he just glanced over his shoulder and wondered: "Is he gonna be okay?"

"I hope so." Robin's eyes were focused on what was happening in front of her, although she shifted her gaze briefly when a group emerged from the trees just near to where the river joined up to the lake and froze over (probably with celestial magic).

"Oh, no!" Chopper exclaimed, seeing Zoro being supported by Brook, and Sanji with Zoro's swords. "What happened?!" He asked, racing over to them.

"Blooderflies and The Dancing White Bat." Sanji explained, as Nami and Vivi went over to Luffy, Ace, and Law. Ignoring Zoro's glare, the chef looked over and noticed that Chō was watching them. "The battle ended in a tie, although Kōmori was given a picture of your eldest daughter by Vivi-Chan."

Chō looked shocked. "Of Fox ... our scarlet habanero . . . " Her eyes seemed very bright, all of a sudden. "I always wondered if she'd hold things together for her and her sisters ... Tashigi, as stubborn as an ox ... and Sugar, my little crying angel . . . " She wiped her eyes hastily. "They haven't really needed their Uncle at all . . . " She said, almost to herself.

"You see ... your daughters are strong, and ... they haven't given up, Vice-Admiral Chō-Chan." Sanji told her gently. "Nobody is giving up." He added, looking over at Emma.

She hadn't moved, although Law, who had been watching her this whole time, noted that she had done an instant head-count once everybody else had arrived ... just like he had.

"You'd won't giving up, are you, Emmy?" Luffy called to her.

She looked surprised. "What? No. I'm not. Of course I'm not."

"Then, why won't you let us help you?" Luffy wanted to know. "Is it because you don't like us anymore?"

"No!" Emma exclaimed. "No! I love you guys! Really, I do! You mean everything to me!"

"But, you still won't let us help you, like we're supposed to?" Luffy still had his arms crossed.

Emma looked away. "I'm sorry ... I can't . . . "

"Why not?" Luffy was remaining firm. Nobody else said or did anything, except for Chopper who was checking over Zoro.

"I ... I can't explain it . . . "

"Is it because of what happened to Oyaji?" Ace asked her, in a much more gentle tone than what Luffy was using.

Emma looked up at him. Her eyes, like Chō's, were very bright all of a sudden. "I ... it ... it is . . . " She swallowed. "But . . . "

"So, you're worried about all of us dying, too?" Luffy asked her. She wouldn't look at him. "But, just think about all of those times that we could have died - and didn't."

"But . . . "

"Like when we all fell towards the ocean, but your ribbons saved us." Luffy told her.

"But . . . "

"Or, when we battled against that 'Mingo guy and his weird crew." Luffy went on.

Law rolled his eyes.

"But . . . "

"Or, when he had a flying dragon." Luffy added.

"But . . . "

"Or, when we stopped what was happening in all of those other Realms that we just went to. So, if you're having second thoughts now," Luffy continued. "Then, it's because you don't believe in us and what we're doing. If that's it, then, just say it."

"No!" Emma cried, looking up again, and they saw the glittering of tears falling from her eyes, now. But, her voice was steady, if not a little bit high-pitched, when she said: "No! I would never say that, because it simply isn't true!"

"So, then, you do still believe in us?" Luffy asked her.

"Yes!" She replied. They heard her take a deep, shuddering breath. "But ... Luffy, I'm not doubting you, or any of you, really. It's not about you, okay? It's about me."

"What about you?" Luffy, Ace, and Law all asked at exactly the same time.

The tears were still falling down Emma's face, as she looked at them each in turn, and then finally she looked at Ace. "That day ... at Marineford ... I didn't just save you, I saved Daddy as well ... Teech and his crew were going to kill him. I stopped that from happening." Her voice was thick with emotion, but she continued on with: "But, now ... saving Daddy ... it's like it was for nothing, because I couldn't stop Teech from killing him after all, in the end."

"It wasn't for nothing," Ace said strongly. "Emiko, you gave him that chance to reunite with his daughter again - and, it turned out to be you. That meant everything to him."

"But," she said. "It ... it wasn't meant to be like this at all, I wasn't supposed to have failed at this! But, then again," she went on, somewhat bitterly, now. "My whole life has been nothing but a series of failures ... letting people down, and, not getting to make up for it ... like my other parents ... my sister ... my Nanna, most of all . . . " She said softly, and Ace remembered, with a jolt, what she had said in her argument with Sara.

Yes, because I didn't get to say goodbye or sorry to my Nanna!

"Emiko . . . "

"Don't you see?" She looked up at Ace, now. "If I failed at protecting Daddy, then what's to say that you won't follow the same path that you were on? None of you can promise me that that it won't happen, or that it won't be you in the end." She shook her head, and a few of the feathers on her wings fell out. "I can't ... I can't take that risk . . . "

"You don't get to make that decision for us." Luffy told her, and she looked up at him, startled now. "Emmy, if you want to take on Teech by yourself then that's fine — "

"No, it's not!" Ace protested, but Luffy held up his hand.

"It is fine, because that's what she wants to do. She said that she would." Luffy said firmly. "But, what the rest of us want to, is what we all said that we'd do. Which is help you to take down Infinity. You can't do it without us."

"But, Ino . . . "

"Leave her to me," Law told her suddenly. "If she's Blackbeard's First Knight, then, so be it. But, don't forget, that I am yours." She looked right at him, and he felt that irresistible tugging again. He was just about to start walking towards her across the ice when Vivi suddenly grabbed his arm. He looked back at her quickly, and saw that she was handing Su-Chan to him.

Law walked slowly towards Emma, and she watched him warily.

"Emma," Vivi called to her. "They keep on calling us the Chosen Ones ... that means that we are meant to be here. Just let us help you ... please . . . ?"

"Vivi-Chama . . . " Emma looked down, just as Law reached her and she automatically held out her hand; he handed Su-Chan to her. As her fingers closed gently over the Baby DenDen-Mushi, she suddenly froze, and Law looked down as well.

The ice beneath their feet had suddenly turned red, and then it turned black.

That was the only warning that they got, right before a giant creature all wrapped up in Chaotic Energy emerged from the ice.

The others all yelled out, and somebody (possibly either Vivi or Usopp) yelled: "Isn't that the other Stone Inuksuk?!"

"Didn't Stony defeat that thing?!" Luffy yelled back, jumping back from the water that was now revealed through the broken ice, and then he gasped. "Emmy!"

The Chaotic Stone Insuksuk had grabbed Emma in one of its hands, and was dragging her into the Portal.

"Go, go, GO!" Nami suddenly shouted.

Ace didn't need telling twice, but, Law moved faster.

I just got Emiko back! He thought, as he held onto his nodachi with one hand, and allowed himself to be dragged into the Portal as he reached out his other hand towards his Princess. He felt that strong tugging feeling, and pushed through the whirlwind of light and chaos.

As soon as she saw him, she immediately reached out, and a burst of light from her compass sent the Inuksuk flying away from her.

And, I will not ... lose her ... now!

Law reached out towards Emma, and was relieved to see that she immediately reached out for him.

She wanted to come back to him! She was willing to rejoin them all!

So, then ... why was it like there was an invisible wall between them . . . ?

In that area of both light and dark, between the two Realms, something was keeping them apart! But ... what was it?

From the look on Emma's face, she didn't know what it was, either.

The two of them stared at each other, desperately wanting to reach each other, but unable to.

A few more of Emma's feathers fell out.

And, then, the moment was broken, and Emma suddenly vanished.

Law felt himself falling, blacking out, but ... he thought that he heard Luffy's voice saying: "Just hang on!"

"Where . . . ?" Law tried to say.

"We're in the Forest Realm, now," Luffy's voice was saying. "Just hang on!" He repeated. "And, don't worry! We'll find her! She left a trail of feathers!"

"Emi ... ko . . . "

---

In another part of the Forest Realm, a little girl in a plain white dress, with light brown pigtails and dark eyes smiled up at the man next to her.

"Are we going to the festival?" She enquired.

The tall man took a long drag from his cigarette, and let it out, slowly. "Iie." He shook his head.

The little girl's face changed to a pout. "What?! But, why no-ot?!" She whined.

The man continued to look out, across the mass of endless trees that stretched out forever into the darkness of the night. "Because," he said slowly. "We're waiting."

"What are we waiting for?" The little girl wanted to know.

"Somebody . . . "