He...hello, dear readers. Have you waited long? For this? Two chapters of filler? I... I'm sorry...

So I got a little distracted by another project and work, and I do remember I sort of said I'd update the Little Garden arc around... May. Yeah, may was a long time ago... but better late than never, right?! I'm not dead! I haven't given up on this either. Sometimes I just get a little... uninsnspired. But more often than not I come back, and this monster is too big for me to ignore, and too many people are waiting for it, so it will not be abandoned.

So without further ado; please forgive me for leaving you hanging for so long, and enjoy this heap of fluff I've written for you...


Part 3; Adjusting

Chapter 1/2; How is Coby doing?

Vivi had had a change of clothes. Now that she was no longer Mir 9's partner, she didn't need to dress up to suit him. She'd lost her fake jewellery, which she was silently happy about, and all personas were dropped along with the lies.

She'd been living with those lies and smoke and mirrors for long enough that being herself felt both relieving and strange.

It made her feel on edge.

"We shall meet again in the fatherland."

Biting the inside of her cheek as she put her hair up, Vivi did not cry. She didn't have time to be sad and indecisive, no matter what happened.

The princess sat in the girls' room and glanced at the two beds. One for the captain and one for Nami. None of them had had the chance to use this room before due to the storms and icebergs and whatnot that had come their way going from Twin Peak. But before Miss Wednesday still had the luxury of privacy. That wasn't something that could exist on this boat.

Slapping her face to rid herself of the negative emotions best she could and stand tall the way that was expected from a princess, Vivi stepped up into the storeroom and out on deck.

In the bow, because that's where the sun was, sat Usopp on a sunchair with Rayla resting across his lap and looking curiously at the toy he was working. Beside them sat Mr Bushido who was teasing Carue and the giant spot-billed duck pretending to hate it but wasn't moving.

They were all so relaxed Vivi wanted to set something on fire.

Nami was watching over them all from the other side of the main deck, keeping an eye on the log pose, the sky and the water.

"Don't get me wrong, it's really nice we haven't been surprised by a blizzard or anything, but I had expected more trouble," the navigator said after noticing Vivi's approach.

"There might be blizzards," the princess confirmed. "But the first stretch of the journey is a special case. The ocean is affected by all the magnetic fields from the seven islands and Red Line. Now that we've passed that the weather, currents and winds will be more stable, albeit still unpredictable."

Nami nodded distractedly, looking over at the rest of the crew where Carue just had enough of Zoro's teasing and was angrily quacking and flapping his wings. The rest were laughing at him even though Usopp tried to sooth the bird, despite giggling to hard he was shaking.

"Aren't they too laid back!" the princess demanded, pointing at the laughing group.

Right then, Sanji danced out of the kitchen.

"Nami-san. Vivi-chan. Most beautiful on the seas, fair maidens of purity before my unworthy eyes. Would the two most lovely women aboard sooth my pounding heart by accepting this special drink of love."

The princess stared, caught off guard by a lot of things and words she'd never expected to hear from a pirate. The drink offered to her was a clear green in colour, decorated with a slice of mandarin and a white flower, making it rather pleasing to look at.

"Thank you, Sanji-kun," Nami smiled as she took a glass.

Vivi couldn't do much else but accept the glass as well, along with the cook's smile, before the man headed for the rest of the crew.

"Hey, ugly heads and Ruffy! Who's up for my special drink?!"

Everyone answered "ME!" while rising a hand or a leg.

It was such an innocent scene. Everyone was so relaxed as Sanji set his tray down and hands reached for the glasses while the cook shoved a different drink in the captain's face. And on the other side of the deck Vivi felt like she was about to burst from the frustration. This was Grand Line for crying out loud! You couldn't trust anything! You couldn't relax for even a second!

"Why is it like this?!" the princess cried at Nami, who also looked way too calm, sipping her drink from a straw.

"It'll be fine. They'll spring to attention if we happen on rough seas."

Nami smiled fondly at the boys and her captain who were up to their usual shenanigans along with a giant duck. Ruffy was making a face after downing the vitamin drink Sanji prepared for her every morning. Seeing Vivi reminded Nami of the time when she'd been fighting against the warmth that spread in her heart from just being around Ruffy, trying to not be a part of the crew when the younger girl was crying out for Nami's affection. It seemed so stupid now. If Ruffy wanted you to love her, you would love her no matter how much you resisted.

Vivi would understand that soon too, and the easy laugher from the group as they relaxed and played with the duck was a good start.

"Being on this ship just makes stressing about it feel like a waste of energy," Nami said.

Vivi wasn't so sure, but there was a warm breeze, there was laugher in the air, a cool drink in her hand and she was on her way home. She'd been on this undercover mission for years, but her persona had been stripped.

Unable to hold back a laugh of disbelief, Vivi relaxed, and it shouldn't have been such an alien feeling to do so. Just what had she been doing the past three years to make her this way?

"You're right, Nami-san."

In the bow, Sanji sat on the railing with his own glass. He felt good now. He was frustrated about having missed out on a fight, and he wasn't stupid enough to not notice there was a hole in the story. Something had happened to Ruffy. Something that made her cuddle up with Usopp. But despite that, she'd accepted both the vitamin drink and the special drink. And for the first time there had been no flash of nausea as soon as she saw him bearing food. That made Sanji's day, and he sighed quietly in content as he turned to watch the sea.

"Hey, look! Dolphins!" he called to the rest.

Everyone looked up with sounds of enthusiasm. Sounds that quickly dried up when the creature the cook had spotted came closer.

Well, it was indeed a dolphin; one that was about six times the size of their ship, and was way too close to turning her into a sinking ship!

"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" Ruffy shouted, but not in panic. Instead she sounded excited and happy.

And to be honest, Sanji's heart was happy too, pumping adrenaline and endorphin that glued a wide smile on his face. Usopp and the duck running around in a panic just made the whole experience funnier.

Other than the dolphin that playfully chased them for a couple of hours, it was an uneventful journey where they had the chance to rest properly.


Once upon a time, Coby knew when he was dreaming. Now he wasn't so sure, or maybe he was dead and had gone to heaven, which was surprisingly closely connected to hell? Every single muscle in his body hurt from strain and overuse and exhaustion.

Oh, and he felt like he had shrunk to the size of an ant.

Because he was at Marine headquarters.

It had all happened so fast Coby wouldn't be able to tell the story for several years. Right now he only knew he was probably awake, staring up at the underside of the hammock above him. Coby listened to the breathing and snoring of five other boys, one of those being Helmeppo.

They were at the Marine Headquarters! The place Coby had dreamt of going to for so many years. And was a chore boy. Again. Somehow he was almost happy about that one constant in his life. And even though it was almost slave work, Coby couldn't complain. Not when he watched the soldiers running courses that might kill them if they made a mistake, run and train in blazing sunlight until they collapsed.

So no, Coby wasn't complaining. Not when the people he served had even less freedom than he did.

On a thin mattress on the floor, Helmeppo made a noise and turned over.

Coby stared at his friend. Normally, Coby didn't think bad about people, and maybe Helmeppo had deserved some of the backlash he'd suffered. It's just that it had never ended. Not until now. Because nobody knew them here. Here Helmeppo had never been the bragging son of any higher-up everyone had been afraid of.

For the first time, the sighs of abuse had faded from Helmeppo's face and body.

And to his credit, while he had yelled and cursed, Helmeppo had endured everything that had been thrown his way, daring to stay strong before his tormentors in a way that made Coby feel humbled. It made him realize exactly how much of a coward Coby really had been.

Outside the window, Coby could see the silhouettes of the roof of the building next to the barracks. The sky was getting lighter.

A loud trumpet startled them all awake, even Coby, though he didn't know if he'd been sleeping.

They all groaned as they rose from their beds, Coby and Helmeppo stumbling around hesitatingly as they hadn't found a routine with the other boys yet. They were friendly enough though.

"Vice admiral Garp wanted us to come by today, huh?" Helmeppo said, still more asleep than awake.

Everyone shuddered.

"Good luck," one of the boys said without making eye-contact.

"I'll go make sure the first aid kit is properly stocked," another said and hurried away.

"I'll inform the people at the infirmary."

Watching them all leave in a rush, Helmeppo stood beside Coby until they couldn't hear their footsteps.

"This is your fault, you know," was all he said.

"Yes, I'm sorry."

Because it definitely was Coby's fault. He's the one who had, in a moment of thoughtlessness, asked Monkey D. Garp if he was related to Monkey D. Ruffy.

But before they would meet with Garp today, Coby and Helmeppo had a mountain of chores to do. Almost literally; it was laundry day. The six chore boys were divided into three groups; sheets, trousers, and shirts. Coby and Helmeppo were today in charge of the trousers, underwear and socks. They had to do everything by hand, and the number of soldiers exceeded twenty thousand.

The only good thing was that the soldiers were also divided into groups and sections, so the workload wasn't quite as bad as it sounded, but they couldn't slack off. The soldiers would come by in the late afternoon to fetch their clothing and by then everything had to be cleaned, dried and ironed.

Sometimes, Coby compared his life now to the one he'd lived aboard Alvida's ship. Back then he'd done whatever chores the pirates asked of him to stay alive, but sometimes they would forget about his presence and that allowed him to rest until hunger drove him out of hiding. Now it wasn't about survival. If he failed his chores the punishment was some dirtier duty nobody wanted to do, not death. If he failed again he would be sent away. So Coby was scrubbing the dirtied pants, smelly socks and underwear without complaint.

"Another one," Helmeppo said and quickly showed the stains on another pair of boxer briefs.

"You know that request about opening a brothel here? Do you really think there'd be less soaked undies if it happened?"

"At least there would be a reason not to cum in them."

The boys kept working, sharing only such odd comments. Coby still thought about the pirates that had once been his jailers.

The crew back then had been as frightened of Alvida as Coby, but it had been different for them. Alvida was still their captain and the one they had chosen to follow. They had respected her, and she had actually cared for them in a way that Coby only understood now. In battle, Alvida had always been the one to go first, the one to install fear and make a raid that much easier for the crew as their shield and sword.

It was Helmeppo who had taught him that. He'd called it a 'fear factor" tactic. It was also the difference between pirates and marines. Marine commanders always had to stay behind, engage in battle as little as possible and keep their eyes on the overall battle, to see where the pirates were most vulnerable and aim there.

It made Coby worry about Ruffy. She was a pirate captain, and she would definitely be the one to lead her crew into whatever battle they decided to take on. She had Zoro at her side, and the two of them were really strong, but if the marines of this base went after her, she wouldn't stand a chance. Not with only two people. Unless she had a full-scale crew now? Coby didn't know, but it was a simmering worry that stayed with him through the morning.

It was midday when Bogard, who was normally Garp's shadow, came offering a plate of onigiri.

"You're working hard," he said, and it wasn't with kindness.

Coby forgave him. Nobody in the headquarters ate lunch. Instead breakfast was served before the sun rose and dinner when the sun was setting. It was to get them all used to harsh environments and the fact that there wouldn't always be cooks and food around.

The two new chore boys hadn't gotten used to this yet, and this time of day their bodies would scream for food before settling down to a dull ache that lasted until dinner-time.

"It's been eight years since Monkey D. Ruffy disappeared," Bogard spoke quietly, glaring at the boys. "It was late night and Garp came to fetch her from… an incident involving a strong wind and balloons. We got to her safely and were going back, but when we arrived, she was gone. We thought she'd fallen off the ship without anyone noticing, but couldn't find her body."

By now both Coby and Helmeppo were staring at the swordsman. Coby did some quick math. Ruffy was seventeen, so she must have been only nine when she went missing. From a marine ship, disappearing right under the nose of a marine vice admiral. How?

How must Garp have felt when the wanted posters came out?

"She clearly didn't drown," Helmeppo said. "Did she escape?"

Coby suddenly had a sinking feeling in his stomach. Ruffy had disappeared, but hadn't drowned, and she couldn't swim or navigate now so he doubted she could back then, and if a small boat was missing, the marines would have realized and known what had happened.

There was only one explanation left, and it made Coby sick.

"She didn't become a pirate until I met her, and she had all those scars from before."

"Huh? What do you mean, Coby?" Helmeppo asked, eyes wide.

"Well…"

"She's a pirate now, which makes her our enemy," Bogard said soberly. "Now keep working. You have two hours to finish."

The boys turned slowly to the literal mountains of work they still had to do. Helmeppo rubbed his face tiredly and Coby swallowed the last of his onigiri. Two hours, it was.


As they walked towards Garp's office, Helmeppo inspected his hands with a strange expression, like wonder and resentment at the same time. Coby couldn't see what was so fascinating about his friend's hands. Coby's own looked the same; calloused, chapped, red, wrinkled from water and heat and rubbed quite raw. Wounds on his hands were his normal and he actually couldn't remember a time he'd not have bloodied hands.

"What is it?" the shorter boy asked as curiosity got the better of him.

"I never thought about it before," Helmeppo muttered sourly. "My hands were always soft."

That didn't really surprise Coby, given Helmeppo hadn't worked a day in his life before Morgan was arrested, but he couldn't understand the cause of Helmeppo's emotions.

"So?"

Frowning, the blond shoved his hands into his pockets. "They hurt, but they look manly now, somehow. Like I had feminine hands before. Pisses me off."

Coby just stared at the other, incomprehensive, and stared at his own hands. Were they masculine? He wasn't so sure. They were small with thick, short fingers and said everything about what he'd been doing during the day.

Shrugging, Coby let it go and turned the last corner they would pass before standing outside Garp's office, only to jump back in surprise, Helmeppo's quick reflexes covering his mouth to stop the startled shriek that almost escaped.

But Garp noticed them anyway. His expression was hidden under his dog hood, but he stood before a wall covered with wanted posters. Coby didn't need to look to know whose poster the vice admiral had been looking at.

The old hero grinned. "How are you boys?! Keeping up with your training? Made any progress?"

Both teens stared at the elder with questioning eyes.

"Training?" Helmeppo repeated timidly, dreading where this was going.

Garp looked surprised. "Isn't that why you came here? You want to be marine soldiers, yes?"

"Yes," Coby said without thinking, and felt Helmeppo's hands close around his throat and squeeze.

"Then hit the fields!" Garp barked and bodily threw them straight out the building. "You are hereby my pupils! Let's start with the basics!"

Landing hard on the unforgiving ground, Coby was almost amazed he'd heard Garp's voice over his own cries and the wind.

"I hate you so much, Coby," Helmeppo groaned from beside him. "I sure hope our roommates really did fill up the first aid kit."

"Give me a hundred laps, push ups and sit-ups! Within the hour! If you can't you'll face me two on one!"

Coby struggled to his feet. He thought of Ruffy. This was her doing. This was the chance she was giving him without knowing. This was Marine HQ, a place you couldn't dream of unless you were amongst the elite. Coby wasn't an elite, but he was here in this place anyway.

Marine Admiral.

That title wouldn't be given to just anyone, least of all someone who gave up before trying. So Coby dried the blood from his face and gave Garp a challenging look.

"In that order?"

The elderly man grinned back. "Whatever fits you best. This is just warm-up after all."

Yes, Coby might have died and gone to heaven, which was very closely connected to hell.