Shivered Timbers
by Kaline Reine

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or any of the characters/settings. This is just a fanfiction story. I do own Shiori, she is my character. I also own a few other original characters in this story (not affiliated with One Piece), which will be introduced as they are needed. c;

WARNINGS: This story contains (or may contain) graphic adult content and language, explicit sex scenes, possible violence, gore, cursing, adult themes, etc. I do not censor my writing, but I do my best to warn people about the subject matter and potential subject matter. So if you don't like that kind of thing or can't handle it, then I suggest not reading this story. You have been warned. Also, I know this doesn't follow canon but it doesn't have to, that's why it's a fanfic. xD

Also... The beautiful cover image for this story is by my friend, EzariaUmiko on DeviantArt. All credit for the image goes to her. c:

Chapter 13: Fall From Grace

The modest hideout was filled to the brim with bandits. Most of them wore turbans and were dressed in various rags. Shiori was surprised they weren't freaking out about her being there. But then again, she was just a kid. They probably assumed she couldn't do much damage. And she was with Ace and Luffy, who everyone seemed to recognize instantly.

They walked into the next room. It looked like a kitchen of sorts, but it was also partially set up as an office. The wooden cottage was small and modest, but it had a very homey feel to it. A tall lanky man with a thin beard and his hair done up in a white turban greeted them with a somewhat skeptical look.

"Can I help you brats?" He frowned, although his tone was almost playful.

"We're here to see Dadan-sama about something," Ace explained. "I can't talk about it with anyone else but her."

"I see... Well she's out back." He pointed behind himself with his thumb.

"Alright, thank you."

After bowing to him respectfully, Ace led the other two outside. They went through a screen door and around the corner of the house to find a rather large woman standing near a clothesline. It looked like she'd been hanging up some laundry to dry.

The first thing Shiori noticed about her was her bright orange hair. It reminded her of the furious flames that she sought so desperately to escape. Her face wasn't much to look at, many people would have probably found her ugly. She looked scary and intimidating, not because of her aesthetics, but simply due to her expression and her way of conducting herself. She had her curly hair bunched up in straight rows along the top of her head, and then it fanned out loosely at the ends, falling in curls over her shoulders.

She turned to face them, lighting up a cigarette and crossing her arms over her large, boxy chest. She frowned, seeing three children where she should have clearly seen only two.

"What's with the chick?" Their Guardian had a habit of getting straight to the point.

"Dadan-sama..." Ace cleared his throat, trying to be mature about the situation and take responsibility. He seemed nervous. "This is our friend, Shiori-chan... Today, the Nobles set fire to Gray Terminal. She lived there and now she has nowhere to go."

"So, you want to know if she can stay here?" She took a long slow drag from her cigarette, thinking deeply. "You're wondering if I'll allow it? Is that right?"

"Well, yes." There was nothing else he could say.

"Hmm... Why should I?" She blew smoke right in his face, but he didn't cough. "You damned brats cause me enough trouble as it is."

"Please, Dadan-sama..." He begged, actually kneeling to show just how serious he was. "Luffy and I have agreed to each give her half of our food so she can have a full meal. That way, it won't cost you anything extra."

"Hey, I never said that!" Luffy muttered from his place next to Shiori, behind him.

"Shut up Luffy, baka..." The freckled boy growled, elbowing him in the ribs. He turned back to Dadan. "Please let her stay? She only needs a safe place to sleep. I promise she won't be in the way at all."

Dadan was sort of amused by all of this. On one hand, he was right and it really wouldn't cost her anything if they did as he'd said. But on the other hand, they probably wouldn't, and the more people who knew about their hideout, the higher the risk of the wrong people finding out their location. And this was their only place left to hide.

"What were you even thinking bringing an outsider here?" The orange haired woman scolded him. She rolled her dark eyes, clearly sick of his antics. "If you keep giving away our hideout location to every random person you come across, they could bring the Marines down on us! Every person you bring here compromises our safety, and you expect me to-"

Something made her pause... The girl in question was trembling. Dadan looked at her. The tiny girl had very light hair, nearly white with a slight blue tinge, and her eyes were out of this world... Despite her striking appearance, she was standing on shaky legs. She appeared so frightened that they might very well buckle underneath her at any given moment... Her long striped sleeves were hanging several inches below her hands, completely covering them, and the pink sweater reached almost to her knees.

She was clutching a small cardboard box of assorted items and a snuggly blue blanket. Dadan stared at it for a moment, the calming pastel hue catching her eye.

It was the same blanket that she'd given to Ace to keep him warm at night. She'd given one to each of the bandits and also one to each of the boys. A while back, he'd asked her if he could give his to a friend. He didn't care that he would have to go without. At the time, she'd thought it was very selfless of him. But now she wondered if there might be more to it than simply a generous gesture alone...

"I-if I could j-just say something..." Having summoned all of her courage, the girl spoke up. The woman didn't answer her, but simply looked at her with interest. She didn't continue until she'd received a slight nod. "I h-hate Marines... They killed my whole f-family. I have a b-bounty too..."

"You told her that I'm a wanted criminal?" Dadan narrowed her eyes at Ace and Luffy. She was sure they'd both had a hand in it, otherwise Luffy would be off playing right now.

"Yes," Ace admitted, solemnly. "But only after she told us about her past. It's a pretty interesting story, if you-"

"Alright," She cut him off, not wanting to even deal with this anymore. "She can stay. She's already seen where we are, so she'd might as well. Just don't cause any trouble or be in our way, and we'll get along, girl. I'm Curly Dadan, head of the Dadan family, nice to meet ya."

She extended a fat hand to the small girl. Shiori took hold and weakly shook it, effectively sealing the deal they'd just made. It was never her intention to be in anyone's way, in the first place. She hated that she'd almost gotten Ace and Luffy in trouble. She felt that she'd been enough of a burden to everyone as it was.

"My n-name is Shiori... Nice to m-meet you."

"Likewise. Now about this fire business... Bluejams after you again?"

She looked out from around the corner of the house. However, she saw nothing but the peaceful scenery of the mountains that surrounded Foosha Village. There was no one currently coming after them, so that was a good sign.

Ace responded, drawing her attention back to them. "Yeah, but it was the Nobles who started the fire. Something about wiping out the poor and getting rid of the trash surrounding Goa Kingdom... After that, the Bluejam crew chased us all over, and now they have Sabo."

"Well, he's with his Dad." Luffy clarified, wanting to join the conversation, now that it was headed to what he felt was an interesting place.

"His Dad came to get him," Ace made a disgusted face. He smashed his fist into his hand. "By force! He hired the Bluejam Pirates to track us down. Said he'd have them kill us if Sabo-kun didn't go with him."

"Damn, that's harsh..." Dadan chuckled. "Well, whatever... None of that's any of my business. It's all well and good for us, assuming the fire doesn't spread here." She shrugged it off. "Sorry about your friend though. He was welcome to stay here any time he needed to, but I guess that's not possible now."

"Shiori Nee-chan helped stop the fire from coming this way!" Luffy added, finishing Ace's tale about what happened while they were gone. "She has cool snow powers, like mine but different!" He blurted.

He missed the glare Ace had sent his way.

"Is that so? We just may like having you around, yet!" The woman laughed heartily. "How much is your bounty, anyway?"

Shiori motioned for her to come closer. When Dadan leaned in, she whispered something in her ear. She seemed embarrassed about it, and covered her face when she was done.

The woman gasped, unable to control the volume of her booming voice. "Th-three million?! What the hell did you do?!"

Once that was settled, the first place they'd gone together was a little pub called Party's Bar, where Shiori was introduced to the nicest bartender, a girl named Makino. It had been a while since she'd had any other girls in the bar to talk to. She was very nice, and had taken it upon herself to teach Shiori how to apply makeup. She said she needed to learn how to be a lady, whatever that meant. The child was currently sitting on a barstool and playing with Makino's makeup in front of a mirror, with her help of course. Luffy was seated next to her, with Ace on the other side.

It wasn't long before Shiori noticed the crew of Pirates that had filled the room after she'd gotten there. She was too shy to talk to them, but the albino girl had managed to pick up on a few bits and pieces of conversation.

"Did you hear about the fire that burned down Gray Terminal?" A man with a gruff voice was trying to start up a conversation.

"I know, right?" A female Pirate replied. "It was intense! Burned everything in sight, right to a crisp!"

Shiori visibly cringed at their words. It made her sick, the way they were enjoying other people's suffering. And the way they were going on about it just made it worse.

"Yep. It was exciting! Those poor homeless people who lived there though... Must have been terrible."

"I heard a rumor," A blond man with big lips and a broad grin to match spoke up. He had a hint of stubble on his face, and a bandana that read 'Yasopp' wrapped over his forehead. "People are saying it was the Nobles from Edge Town who did it, that they were burning it down to impress the World Nobles who are coming to Goa Kingdom soon."

"Oh? The Celestial Dragons? How soon?" A younger looking Pirate decided to humor him.

"Probably tomorrow. That's what I heard, anyway..."

"Weird... Why would that matter to them? And why do it now?"

"Who knows?" He shrugged. "Word is, they figured they'd take out the trash or something like that. Nobles are stuck up and really full of themselves. They probably didn't want the higher Nobles to see what a mess they'd made of things."

"That's true..."

Various whispers and murmurs could be heard around the bar. Shiori wasn't able to make out the rest of what was being said, she couldn't really make heads or tails of it, but it was clear that this had everyone talking. The recent events in Goa Kingdom has caused quite a stir.

It didn't take long for the Captain of their crew to approach the bar. He smiled at the dark green haired woman behind the counter, who seemed to blush when he looked at her. Every time he came near her, Shiori would tremble with fear. Luffy had already told her all about him, and she knew that this was the dreaded Captain of the Red Hair Pirates. She was afraid that if she said the wrong thing, they might kill her. It may have seemed silly to others, but it all made perfect sense in her mind.

"I'll have another round for my whole crew!" The red haired man held up a half-empty mug of ale. "And these little ones too! Drinks are on me!"

The first thing Shiori noticed were his scars. There were three of them, running diagonally across his left eye. She tried not to stare too much. She just couldn't believe she was sitting in a bar with an actual Pirate Captain! And he wasn't hurting anyone!

"Oh? What's the occasion?" Makino asked, with a playful lilt to her voice.

The bar maiden was already busy lining up glasses along the lengthy bar. She started filling them with various kinds of alcohol, mostly beer and ale. She seemed to know what everyone wanted. It was clear that these Pirates were regulars in the bar where she worked. She also got the kids some juice.

"Nothing special. Just partying a little before we leave on another voyage. And might I say you're looking rather lovely today?" He winked.

Her cheeks reddened at his advances. "If you say so..."

"But it's true," He leaned with one elbow on the wooden bar. "Nothing I've seen in all my days at sea could ever compare to your beauty."

"So what brings you out this way again?" She tried changing the subject, but that just made it even worse.

"You know I just can't stay away, sweetheart..."

Shanks leaned in closely. The two shared a light chuckle together, before things turned more serious. She met him halfway, also leaning in to be close to him. The two gazed into each other's eyes for a long moment. It was like everything stopped for a moment. They leaned in even closer, until it looked like they were about to eat one another's faces... It was like they were magnetically drawn to one another. Makino's lips parted ever so slightly, as he drew nearer. At last, their lips met. There was a brief contact, as the Pirate kissed the bartender. He quickly deepened it, causing her to blush and pull away.

They didn't seem to be aware that anyone was watching them. They were too wrapped up in one another. Shiori had never seen physical intimacy between a couple before, and didn't really know how it worked. Hadn't they just been arguing a moment ago? She could never imagine doing something like that with anyone! What were they thinking anyway, doing that right in front of everyone?! She shook her head, looking away. She was absolutely mortified!

"What's the matter, little lady?" Shanks chuckled, looking down at her. "Haven't you ever seen anyone kiss before? That counts as a tip here, you know..."

He smirked evilly, taking some of the drinks to his crew and distributing them. Their Captain was very clearly already under the influence. He didn't give a damn!

Makino helped him with the rest of the glasses and mugs. "For the record... It does not!" She corrected what her lover had just said to the girl, the blush on her face still all too apparent.

Shiori noticed the way Ace and Luffy weren't really paying much attention. It was like it was an everyday occurrence to them. They didn't seem that bothered by the kiss, although Luffy had stuck out his tongue when it had initially happened, and Ace had muttered something like "Gross..." under his breath.

Makino hurried to distribute the rest of the drinks before they got too warm. She moved across the room and back with lightning speed, intent on doing her job, no matter what. Her dark bangs hung out from either side of the yellow bandana she wore over most of her head. Shiori went all quiet, silently admiring the pattern on her long flowing skirt, as she brushed by again.

"I still say that looks fantastic on you," The bartender said, upon returning to her post. She was admiring the makeup that she'd helped the young girl apply, once she made it back to her post. "You're beautiful! Here, take a look!"

Shiori took the mirror she'd held up and admired herself in it. She almost didn't recognize the girl she saw there... She had on a bit of eyeliner and mascara to darken her lashes, as well as some eyeshadow to help accentuate the unusual color of her irises. The foundation Makino had was a bit too dark for her complexion, but it still worked if she applied enough of it. She had on just the faintest bit of pink lipstick. It made her look older and more sophisticated. She really liked it. And it was fun to play with the colors too.

"Oh, it looks s-so cute!" The Valkyrie cried with glee. "Thanks for l-letting me borrow your m-makeup!"

"No problem," Makino smiled, genuinely glad the boys had brought their little friend in today. "Any time. And I mean that! Maybe later we'll see if we can get you some of your own..."

"I'd r-really like that." She returned the warm smile.

"We gotta get going!" Luffy reminded them, suddenly pulling his friends out of the busy bar. "Bye Shanks!" He waved to him.

"Goodbye Luffy-kun, bye everyone, take care!" Shanks waved back, with his only remaining arm.

Shiori had noticed he was missing one, but had been too uncomfortable and shy to ask how it'd happened. She'd made sure to avoid staring at it. The last thing she wanted was to anger him or make anyone uncomfortable. He normally kept it covered with a black cloak. She thought it must be a sore subject for him.

The three kids went outside after saying their farewells to everyone. Shiori hadn't been the only one to overhear the conversations going on in there... They all knew what they had to do. Most of the inhabitants of Edge Town and Foosha Village, as well as the surrounding areas of Goa Kingdom, would be expected to be there when the World Nobles showed up tomorrow. That was assuming the rumors were even true. But it couldn't hurt to be safe.

"Hmm... You should wipe that crap off your face before we go home..." Ace advised her.

"W-why?"

"Because it doesn't look right on you... It covers up too much of your natural b-" He stopped himself, getting flustered. "I-I mean it's just... Dadan-sama won't like it if you go back to the hideout looking prettier than her. I mean, not that you look pretty or anything, I just uhh, well-"

Shiori couldn't contain her giggles any longer. The young albino girl had practically collapsed in a fit of joyful laughter. She knew she'd interrupted him, but couldn't bring herself to stop.

"What?" Ace stared at her, annoyed, with his hand on his hip.

"N-nothing, it's just... You s-sound so f-funny! I can't g-get a grip, tehehe..."

"Hahaha, she's right!" Luffy had joined in her laughter now. It was infectious. "And you look funny too!" His brat of a brother added.

"Yeah, yeah... Keep laughing! Just wash that stuff off your face, alright?"

"Okay," She said. "I-if you say so..."

On the way back, they stopped by a small stream to let her wash off the remnants of makeup. She'd liked wearing it, but she'd also been warned that it wasn't very good for her skin. It was still fun playing dress-up with Makino though. She hadn't been able to do anything like that since her sister had passed away... She really missed Michiko sometimes, especially times like now.

'She wouldn't want to see me sad,' She told herself, as they hurried their way back to the bandits' hideout. 'Michiko-tan would want me to be smiling and carrying on and having fun like this... She's even said so herself.'

It was the first time she didn't feel completely guilty for having fun, since the massacre.

When they made it back to the mountain bandit's hideout, the others showed her the sleeping arrangements. Shiori didn't mind that they had to sleep on the floor. She was just happy to have a roof over her head. She was grateful for what the others had done for her, and she would have to find some way to make it up to them...

One of the men came in carrying a folded up cot. The springs made an awful grating noise as he walked. It had a metal frame and was starting to rust around the edges.

"Dadan-sama said to give this to you," He explained, placing it down and setting the rickety old thing up. He placed several blankets on top of it to try to make it more comfortable. "Sorry it's not much, but I hope it's comfy enough."

"F-for me? But w-why?" Shiori gasped in surprise.

"She said a lady shouldn't be made to sleep on the floor. And the rest of us agree." He shrugged, already going back to the adults' sleeping quarters, which weren't much better. "Well... 'Night kids!"

"Aww man! I wish I was a girl!" Luffy blurted, and then he clapped his hand over his own mouth as soon as he'd said it.

Ace was laughing hysterically. "Hahaha! Oh, man... I bet you do, haha!"

"That's not what I meant!" He sulked. "I just wish we didn't have to sleep on the floor..."

"Well it's not that bad. I mean, we get to sleep on a bunch of rolled up blankets and stuff. So that makes it a little better. Besides, I heard sleeping on the floor is good for your back."

Ace was getting ready for bed. He fluffed up the small sleeping bag he'd been given, and added some blankets beneath it for extra comfort. He crawled into it with a smile, seeming happy to have anything at all. For some reason, it made Shiori smile too, although he didn't see...

"I don't care..." Luffy continued to sulk, flopping down in his bed roll and then getting annoyed because hitting the floor in such a way caused him to bounce due to his Devil Fruit powers. "Ugghhh... So annoying!" He kept complaining, but eventually settled into a comfortable position.

"We should be worried about more important things anyway..." His older brother pointed out.

"Like what?"

"Like how we're going to go rescue Sabo tomorrow."

"We c-can't do that!" Shiori cut in. She was still in the process of making her own bed. The sheets didn't fit over the cot exactly right, and it was being a pain. "It's a b-bad idea... W-we probably shouldn't interfere..."

"Why do you say that?" Ace asked, just as one of the bandits switched the lights out. Now it was too dark to see anything at all. They could only hear each other's voices, which they had to keep down low. "Don't you care about him at all?"

"I do, but... It's t-too much of a risk going b-back to Edge Town to look for him... Not with a-all of this crazy stuff g-going on!"

"I say we should still go!" Luffy piped up, not caring that he was being loud after it was time for bed. Several people from the next room over shushed him, but he didn't seem bothered by it. She noticed that he did lower his voice down to a quiet whisper afterward though. "Sabo's our friend... We have to help him!"

"I don't know what to do. Not sure what we can do." His older brother admitted.

Shiori pointed something out, being careful to whisper where only they could hear. "Well... We w-wouldn't even know where to b-begin looking anyway... Edge Town is huge. It's a big p-place and it'd be hard to f-find him."

"That's true..." Ace mused, thinking it over.

"I'm s-sure his Dad would be k-keeping a close eye on him," She added. "And i-it would be a suicide mission a-anyway... The city p-probably increased their security after e-everything that's happened."

"Yeah, probably... They would've wanted to make sure no one from Gray Terminal could retaliate if they did escape the fire. I see your point. Still, we can't just abandon our brother like that... We need to go look for him."

She understood that sometimes feelings were too strong to ignore... Sometimes you just had to do what was right, regardless of whether the odds were stacked against you or not. The same had been true back when she'd had to face the Marines who had infiltrated the Monastery when she was really small... And she did care for Sabo too. She didn't want him to be in a bad situation or one where he was unhappy either.

"Those people at the bar said the World Nobles would be there tomorrow," Luffy was lying on his back, picking his nose and looking at the ceiling. "Maybe we might have a chance to see him then?"

"Luffy, that's genius!" Ace sat straight up when he mentioned it. "We could at least see if he'll be there. His parents are probably making him go to something like that, to impress the World Nobles and all."

"I g-guess it can't hurt..."

Even though the albino girl wasn't completely on board, she knew there was no point in trying to deter them. Their minds were made up. And she would have to go along with it now. She would stand by her friends, no matter what.

"What if we run into more Pirates?" Luffy already seemed to be fantasizing about all the fights they would have. One thing she'd noticed was that he loved fighting.

"He's in the h-hands of bad people... But we can't do m-much about it, since they're h-his family. To be cursed with an a-awful family like that, what r-rotten luck..."

"Still, it's impossible to sit idly by and do nothing." Ace whispered back.

The conversation kept going in circles, but there was no way out of it. Eventually, their faint whispers died down and turned into loud snores.

All throughout the night, Shiori found herself feeling very bothered by her current situation. She was a free spirit, and hated depending on other people for anything. But she was grateful that the bandits had agreed to help her. At least she had a place to stay, for now.

The three had arrived in Edge Town the next day. It was a part of Goa Kingdom that many were banned from, including Shiori. The walls they had up were armed with more security than ever. And rightfully so, after they'd burned down nearly an entire village's worth of land. There were even those who had died in the fire, so it was only natural that some of Gray Terminal's former inhabitants would seek retribution.

So many terrible wrongs had been committed that day... Among them, she had even lost her own home. She would have lost her few possessions as well, if the blazing inferno hadn't awoken her in time.

The little girl shook her head, trying to forget about all of the bad feelings. Right now, their only objective was to try to find Sabo. Their friend had practically been taken hostage by his own father. On the way here, she'd learned from Ace and Luffy that this had already happened numerous times before...

Only this time, Sabo hadn't been able to break out and come right back to them, like he always did. There was even a time when he'd run away from home and Dadan had allowed them to stay at the hideout for a while. But now he didn't seem able to get away. And even if he did, his father would send the Bluejam Pirates after them again. That particular crew had a long-standing grudge against the boys anyway, for stealing their treasure.

Speaking of which, they'd stopped to check on it on the way there. It had been a last-minute decision, but Ace wanted to make sure that none of it was missing. They went to their secret hiding place out in the woods. Shiori watched the two boys pull a big chest from beneath the roots of a cypress tree. She'd been tasked with the job of keeping watch, to make sure no one snuck up on them.

"Here," Ace held out a small black duffel bag. She instantly recognized it as her own. "Take back what we took before. I'm sorry we stole from you."

Surprisingly, even Luffy didn't make a fuss about it. Normally he'd complain about people taking part of their savings to become Pirates, but this was the only acceptable exception.

"I've l-let that go," She told him, adamantly shaking her head back and forth. "I want you to k-keep it."

"Really? Are you sure?"

She nodded. "Now p-put it away, before s-someone sees!"

Hesitantly, he'd done as she'd asked, although he didn't fully understand why she would do something like that. Ace knew that she had no desire to become a Pirate and that she still despised them with all of her might. She may hate Marines even more, but that didn't mean she had any desire to partake in what they were planning. But he hid the treasure, not wanting to waste anymore time, and Luffy helped him cover it up so no one else could find it.

Now they were standing in the outskirts of Edge Town, peering through the huge crowd of people who had gathered near the sea.

"A-any sign of him yet?" Shiori turned to the other two...

Ace was carrying Luffy on his back. The younger boy's legs were wrapped around his shoulders. He was stretching his neck up as far as he could reach to try to see through the crowd. But he didn't want to be too suspicious, even so. His arm stretched out too, and he used one hand to shield his eyes from the glaring sun.

"Nope, nothing yet!" Luffy called down to them.

"Get back down here," Ace sighed, defeatedly. "It's no use..."

"Are you sure? I could've sworn I saw his family in the crowd. There's just no sign of Sabo-kun himself."

"That w-worries me..." Shiori admitted, wringing her hands from sheer nervousness.

The trio slowly made their way down to the docks, where the World Nobles' ship was said to be arriving soon. So far, they hadn't seen anyone they recognized, other than Sabo's family, and he didn't seem to be anywhere in sight. Most likely, his parents had suspected that he might run off and locked him inside their house. He probably wasn't allowed to come today. They were obviously keeping a very close eye on him.

"That way!" Luffy pointed toward the biggest part of the crowd. "Looks like that's where everyone is gathering. We should have better luck over there."

Ace nodded, still carrying him as they wove their way through the tangled mass of bodies. The crowd was thick because so many people had turned out for the arrival of the World Nobles. Shiori went with them, trailing a little bit behind. She was trying very hard not to get lost. In the chaos, they had become separated, although she could still see where they were going, just barely.

"Yo! Over here!" A familiar, yet terrifying voice rang out. It was grating, like nails on a chalkboard. "Shiori-chan!"

She turned to see a familiar girl with lime green hair. Her immediate response was to clench her teeth, but she didn't speak a word. Shiori just looked at her. Monet was standing near a grassy hill just outside of the city walls. There didn't appear to be anyone else near her. She was alone.

"Don't you remember me?"

"N-no, I remember..." Her tone had no inflection. She waited to see what the other girl wanted. "What d-do you want?"

Monet rolled her eyes, flipping her hair in a typical fashion. "What are you doing here? Looking for Sabo-kun, I bet!" She laughed, cackling like the little witch she was.

"None of your b-business..."

"Is that so?" The girl wasn't throwing a tantrum just yet, but she was wearing an impish smirk. "Why didn't you let me in on this newest endeavor? Are you having some problems? It was about time they wiped out that trash dump. Although I'm glad you at least survived the purge..."

'Is she talking about the fire?' Shiori's eyes widened in sudden realization. 'She obviously knew about that. I wonder if she knows about the Pirates that were after us? Only one way to find out...'

"Were you i-in on the plan to d-destroy Gray Terminal?" Red eyes glared right through her. "Why would it m-make you h-happy that I'm alive?"

"I was actually going to tell you a few things the next time I saw you. This isn't easy to say, but I'm sorry about what happened before," Despite her condescending tone earlier, she at least sounded sincere. "I would have been caught up in some bad stuff too, but I was saved by the Doflamingo family."

"Doflamingo f-family?" Shiori blinked. "I've n-never heard of them..."

"That's a shame. We're quite well acquainted... But don't worry about it. They're some Nobles who saved me, most likely due to my own lineage. They rescued my baby sister too. Listen, I need to tell you a few things. If you join us, we could-"

"Get away from her!" Ace yelled in the distance, running over to where they were.

Monet gasped, taking a step backward. It didn't seem like she wanted to fight them again. "I have to go, goodbye!" She ducked away the moment she was seen.

Before she could say anything else, the golden eyed girl had vanished into the crowd. Shiori tried going after her, but after running a few paces, she decided it would be much safer to stick with Ace.

He ran up to her, not bothering to try to chase their enemy in such a cramped place. "What just happened? Are you okay?"

"H-have you ever heard of... The Doflamingo family?"

"Ehh? No, why?" He was looking at her like she was crazy.

"That's who M-monet said helped her. Sh-she said they s-saved her?"

"That's weird... Was she mean to you?"

"N-no, she... Actually a-apologized..." She wasn't sure if she should tell him or not. It was kind of between herself and the other girl. Getting an innocent person involved was never a good idea.

In her heart, Shiori knew that she had already forgiven her. All she'd done to her was say a bunch of confusing words and get angry. That was really all it was. She didn't care that Monet had sent the Bluejam Pirates after her, if she had at all. It was just as likely that it was Sabo's father both times. Although they had mentioned a girl right before they ran away...

She was at a loss. Resigning herself to the fact that she would never completely figure this out, Shiori shrugged it off. She smiled a bit.

'At least she's not mad anymore. Maybe things will get a little better now? Anyway... All I can do is keeping moving forward...' She told herself.

"Let's g-go look for Sabo-kun..."

Ace nodded, leading her away through the crowd... They went to find Luffy first, who was still waiting for them right where his brother had left him. Everyone was gathered around the dock area, where they all awaited the arrival of the World Nobles who were coming to Goa Kingdom.

As far as the Nobles who inhabited Edge Town were concerned, the trash had been taken care of. There was no unsightly dump left at the outer edge of their city, and no more homeless exiles plaguing them with their presence. Most had either been wiped out or forced away from their makeshift homes to live elsewhere. It had affected everyone greatly, but there was nothing they could do about it. Their hands had been forced and they had no other choice.

The Nobles all seemed happy about their decisions. Every dirty look they gave to the others because they weren't nobility, every burst of haunting laughter that came from a group of them when they discussed the burning of Gray Terminal, every look of malice in their cold eyes, every smile on their ugly faces... All of it had Shiori growling at her own repressed inner rage. She didn't like carrying that much hatred within herself. In a way, it scared her. It was truly frightening that she could feel so much hatred for one group of people. She'd never thought she would hate anyone more than the Marines that had killed her family.

They made it to a decent vantage point to watch the ocean. The tides came and went, as they did every day. They could see a ship coming on the horizon. It was still far away, but it looked to be coming in pretty fast. The closer it got, the louder the crowd's various murmurs grew.

It looked like the seas were a bit rough today. There was a collective gasp when, out of nowhere, a smaller vessel appeared. It set out on the rough seas, the choppy waves causing it to have a little trouble already. A black flag with a hastily-drawn jolly roger etched onto it flapped in the breeze. The crowd gasped once they saw who was on board... A proud blond boy stood on the deck with pride. It was Sabo! And he'd stolen a ship!

"I-it's Sabo-kun!" Shiori's jaw dropped.

"And he's stolen a ship!" Ace yelled, trying to be heard over the roar of the crowd. Most of them were outraged. He was in shock.

"He's gonna become a Pirate!" Luffy added, cheering his friend on with glee. "He already is! Way to go!"

True to their original agreement, he had indeed decided to become a Pirate. Sabo had left much earlier than they'd planned, however. They'd all planned to set sail at age seventeen, when they were old enough to finally leave home. The three boys had made a pact that they would all leave together.

It seemed like his hopes for any sort of escape from Edge Town had been dashed, however. The young Noble felt that he had no other choice in the matter. He could either appease his family and do everything they wanted, at the cost of being miserable for the remainder of his life, or he could leave it all behind for a rough life on the open ocean, before it was too late. His choice was obvious.

With a big grin, the boy puffed out his chest. He turned to face toward the crowd, waving to all of them. His friends waved back from the shore, encouraging him. But he'd failed to see something monumental coming closer... The World Noble's ship was enormous and it was headed straight for him!

"Sabo, move out of the way!" The freckled boy screamed to him, with wide eyes.

Just as he turned around, he saw it... The huge ship that was headed right toward him. It was coming in extremely fast too. One of the World Nobles on board glared down at him. Their eyes locked; the joyful look of youth, and the hateful glare of malice.

"How dare a commoner cross my path!" The World Noble who was on board, draped in the typical white suit with gold trim, was outraged. He'd come out to greet his people, only to be met with a sight that made him sick.

Sabo was moving quickly to get out of the way. He tried to move out from the path of the oncoming vessel. But it was too late, and he was tossed about in it's wake. Big waves threw about the tiny ship, tossing it this way and that...

The Noble pointed something at him. It looked like a gun or some sort of rifle. It was huge, almost the size of a small cannon. Not even Sabo's family could do anything to save him now. People were shouting various things but that's the most they could really do. Chaos and confusion surrounded them. Even a regular Noble would not dare to cross a World Noble, a Celestial Dragon. That would be unheard of, and whoever did it would never be heard from again. They could be killed on sight and nothing would be done about it. The Marines were always on the side of the World Nobles. Celestial Dragons were revered for their high ranking status in society. They were the richest of the rich, the best of the best, celebrities in their own right. They could do whatever they wanted with no repercussions whatsoever.

The boy didn't stand a chance.

He was shot at, once. The first shot missed him, but it hit the boat. People were watching on in a hushed panic. Shiori looked over at Ace and Luffy. Both boys' eyes were wide with the fear of what was going to happen next. She almost couldn't bear to watch this go on... But she had to. Part of her knew, young as she was, what was really happening here. And it was so disgustingly wrong.

The ship that Sabo had stolen began to catch fire. Soon a blazing inferno had stirred up, engulfing most of the small vessel. He'd removed his jacket and was trying desperately to use it to put out the flames. It was no use... He was only fanning them, causing the massive orange arches to flare higher and higher.

Shiori felt a cold chill go through her. She didn't like fire... Detested it, actually. And who could blame her? She already had a bad history with it. In her mind, it represented the purest form of destruction imaginable. And what a terrible way to die... She'd already seen countless others lose their lives in a similar fashion. She didn't want to watch it again! But try as she might, she found herself unable to tear her eyes away from the horrific sight in front of her.

The Noble didn't seem quite satisfied with the show. The commoner child's ship was burning, but not fast enough. He was getting impatient, and fired a second shot from the cannon-like weapon.

He was done for.

It split the ship right in two, the water pouring into it and taking over. The wreckage drifted to one side of the World Noble's ship, being taken under by the currents. All that was let of Sabo was his tophat, complete with the goggles he loved to wear.

"Sabo! No!" All three children cried out at once.

The Nobles' gigantic ship moved right over the spot where he'd disappeared, breaking the remnants of the smaller vessel into tiny pieces. It left nothing but destruction in it's wake. There was no sign of the boy anywhere. No one could see what happened to him. Their view was obscured by the murky water and smoking wreckage.

Shiori wanted to do something to help him... But she felt so helpless. There was nothing she could do about it. She couldn't swim out to lend him a hand or anything, and even if it weren't for her Devil Fruit ability getting in the way, anyone who went in the water right now was sure to meet the same fate. All she could do was watch her friend go down with the small ship.

To burn, and then to drown... It was a cruel way to die... Especially for something so pointless. He'd disgraced his family, and attempted to make a break for it and live his very dreams, all for nothing. He would never be able to accomplish his lifelong goals now. That was perhaps the greatest tragedy of all.

Ace didn't know what to do, but he ran toward the edge of the crowd, heading straight for the water. Luffy reached for him, stretching out an arm to grab him before he did something stupid and got them in trouble with the Nobles. It didn't matter that much what he did at this point. It was too late to save his friend; the boy he'd taken in as his brother. Nothing would bring him back. A hush fell over the entire crowd. Not a sound could be heard, except the World Noble's ship docking in the port.

"Come on," Luffy finally told him, still holding him back. "We've got to get back to the hideout."

"Why?" Ace sobbed, falling to the ground, and flailing around in a panic. "Why did he... Just why?! Why did this have to happen?!"

Shiori cried with him, but her tears were of the silent variety. She couldn't bring herself to fully break down... Not right now. Not when Ace needed her, and not when Luffy did too. She had to be strong for both of them. It wouldn't be right for her to make it seem like her pain was greater than theirs. She hadn't known Sabo as long as he and Luffy had. She would have to let them grieve and try to maintain her own composure enough to be able to pick up the pieces when they inevitably fell apart.

The boys slinked back through the crowd, trying to avoid anyone who might recognize them. They gave a brief moment of silence for their fallen friend, before retreating back behind the walls that separated Edge Town from Gray Terminal.

"I should never have apologized to you!" Monet screamed, her tears flowing freely once again. She'd appeared out of nowhere. "This is all your fault, every last bit of it! If you hadn't come here, this never would have happened!"

She was glaring at the albino girl intensely. In that moment, Shiori saw nothing but hatred in those dull citrine eyes. Anger and betrayal were too tame to even begin to cover it. Monet suddenly lunged at her, trying to claw at her, but she missed and fell to one side when the other girl danced around her. It was clear that she was trying to physically hurt her this time.

Shiori was stunned. She didn't even know what to say. "I... I, d-didn't... mean to..."

"Yes you did! All of this is because of you!"

Shiori took a step backward, just as Ace stepped in front of her.

"Listen you," His head hung low, the darkness in his face overpowering as he stared her down. "None of this is her fault. Not one bit of it! Sabo would have done this even if she hadn't been here. Get out of my sight, or pay the price! And leave us be... I'm not in the mood for this."

"You know what?" Luffy also added. "I'm not either. You'd better go. Now."

"Get out of here while you still can. And never talk to Shiori-chan again." Ace finished.

It was understandable that they would be overprotective of their friends after just losing one in such a terrible way. There was no way to right that injustice through legal means. And if they tried to, they would all be killed.

Shiori had an overwhelming urge to run away, to just leave them all behind. So she did. Ace and Luffy shot one last look of pure anger to Monet, in warning, and the two helped each other catch up with the albino girl. They left before anything else could happen, heading straight back to the hideout. Almost none of the bandits had seen it fit to venture out today, since it was an occasion that only aristocrats would be interested in.

A moment later, the girl who had just attacked her appeared to be talking to someone. She was visibly upset and the other person was comforting her.

"I'm sorry..." Monet told the shadowy figure that loomed above her. "I've failed my mission. But that damned brat, she... She killed Sabo-kun!" Her small body was wracked with sobs.

A/N: I know this chapter probably wasn't exactly unexpected, it had to happen some time, but still... And yes, I know Monet is pretty much crazy, but it's for a reason. You'll see later. Anyway, next chapter starts after a timeskip! My little Shiori-chan is finally growing up! ;w; Lol... I hope some of you are still enjoying this fic. Thanks for reading!

-Kaline