And that was it. Mist holstered his guns and Al was helped into a wheelchair by the two villagers, then wheeled off the ship. The chief of the village, who had first initiated contact with Giru, came aboard with two others, carrying crates. "We are grateful to you. We all heard the beastly roars coming from the cliff, as well as the beast's dying wails-"

Giru raised a hand to stop him. "No. Don't thank us. The reason your villagers were dying and going missing is because they were being abducted for experiments. The 'beast' that was killed was very likely one of your people."

The chief stepped back in horror. He clenched his jaw, surveying the room of pirates. "Well. I asked you to rid us of the menace, not to find our missing brethren."

He turned and left, nodding at his two followers to leave the crates.

"Well. This was an... experience." Giru said, laying back in his bed. "But, what have we learned?"

Arata raised his hand as if he were in a classroom. Giru wanted to laugh and roll his eyes at the same time. "Yes, Arata?"

"There's a person making devil fruits and kidnapping people to test them on."

Giru nodded. "And?"

"To control ourselves better?"

Giru stroked his chin, "That's actually true, though it wasn't what I had in mind."

Mist made some hand signs. Giru pointed to him. "Yes. We need to KNOW who our enemy is, not assume. Because of our headstrong rush in, we killed an innocent man and traumatized another."

Mist and Ayumi looked away from Giru in shame.

"Don't get me wrong, it's great knowing that you can do something of this magnitude. Ayumi, that guy will be waking up in a cold sweat for the next few months. It's my fault as well for leading the rush into battle."

Ayumi rested against a wall, placing a hand over her stab wound. Nothing vital was hit, but it was still painful.

Giru relaxed into the bed, resting his arms over his stomach. "Well... That's enough from me. It's best for us to set sail as soon as possible. Those crates have food in them, so we should be good to go.

Ayumi put a finger to her chin, "Really? You don't want to say goodbye to your dear sledgehammer friend?"

Giru rolled his eyes. "Get us out of here. The map is over there."

Mist took the map and walked out. Ayumi looked over to Arata, "Help me bandage my wound." She said, walking out. Arata saluted her, following behind.

When they were alone, Ayumi pulled out gauze and disinfectant. "Close the door." She told Arata, who did so. Ayumi sat on her bed, unbottoning the bottom three buttons on her shirt, rolling it up to inspect the stab wound. Arata immediately became worried, "A-are you gonna be okay?!" He asked, eyes already filling with tears. Ayumi winced as she dabbed the disinfectant onto the wound, then placed a thick cloth over it and began wrapping the gauze around her midsection with telekinesis. "I'm going to be fine, Arata. But what about you?"

Arata wiped his eyes, nodding. "I'm okay..."

Ayumi shook her head, "That's not what I meant. How are you feeling? About this ship? Our captain?"

Arata leaned against the door awkwardly. "I dunno... he has a good reason to be a pirate, but it's really dangerous..."

Ayumi stood up, placing her hands on Arata's shoulders. "Just say the word and we'll leave. I'm not too keen on him myself."

Arata raised an eyebrow, "But- but you-"

"I know, I know, I came along. But he's blunt, aggressive, cold... I'm not sure I want you around someone like that. Not to mention this so called 'Akuma', who's the embodiment of vulgar."

Arata stood up straight, but not in a way that would seem disrespectful. "That's not fair... He was stuck inside his own head for 13 years, and-"

"For all we know, that could be a lie to get sympathy."

"Even if it is, he was a slave to the Dragons, Ayumi."

Ayumi sat down again, finishing off the gauze wrapping. "It's just so reckless. I won't risk you getting hurt, or worse."

Arata's eyes were watering again, but this time from a mix of anger and hurt. "I-I'm... I'm not a baby, Ayumi!" He yelled, balling his fists. "I'm almost legally grown! I have devil fruit powers, and I'm gonna be a great shipbuilder like Franky! Captain Giru is hurting inside, and you just wanna cut him loose! Well even if you leave, I-I'm staying with him!"

Ayumi let him talk. She had never heard Arata yell, except for out of excitement or joy. After he finished, she folded her arms and crossed her legs. "I see. You always wanted to be a pirate, and now you are. So what if we get-"

"We'll fight our way out or we'll die trying!" Arata interrupted.

Ayumi nodded. "I guess you aren't a baby. Tell me, what 'legally grown' boy would let so much as the mention of candy sway him?"

Arata was now trembling, tears falling down his face. "... 'The celestial dragons are the worst example of life there can possibly be. If any person were to kill them, they would be the greatest person in history in my eyes.'. Isn't that what you said to me back when we were in school? When we were learning about the 'Glory of the celestial dragons'?"

Ayumi tapped her foot for a while, then uncrossed her arms. "Yes."

"So why not be a part of the greatest person in history's crew?"

Ayumi stood again and placed her hands on her hips, and began to speak, but Arata went before her, "Because he's mean spirited and Akuma is crazy and vulgar? Captain Giru has no control over Akuma, and how do you think you would be after spending 13 years in solitude, with your last memory being you were sold by your parents? Give him a chance, Sis."

And with that, Arata left the room.