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.

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 22: Fading Sunrise

As it turned out, having two extra pockets sewn into the inside of her sweater had really come in handy... In one pocket, she carried the map. In the other was a sweet little purring ball of fluff. It had been a few weeks since she'd been given such a precious gift, and so far, no one had found out.

Shiori was very careful to keep Vanora a secret from the guards and the other prisoners as well. Thanks to her extremely baggy blue sweater, no one noticed the tiny lump, and whenever someone did, she just mentioned that it was a piece of extra clothing she was carrying for laundry duty. No one had really questioned it. Luckily she was still too small to be that noticeable. She had taught the kitten to be very quiet, and she'd actually made a lot of progress with her so far. On the rare occasion that someone did hear her, a well-timed feigned cough or sneeze always did the trick.

Luckily for her, Alvida was usually pretty content to let her crew deal with the slaves except when she needed to scare them. It was rumored that sometimes they would offer the best behaved slaves a spot on her crew, from time to time. She had no way of knowing if that were really true, but even if it was... Shiori would normally never willingly join a crew like hers. She was still a bit iffy on the whole Pirate thing, really.

Her dealings with Nischela had helped her a bit, but she wished she could do more for the other slaves that were on board. She'd spoken with The Agency a few times and asked if they would be saving the slaves that were imprisoned on the Miss Love Duck. So far, she hadn't gotten any concrete answers as to why they couldn't, and they also hadn't revealed any plans to do so. It irritated her more than anything.

However, her new Nakama had assured her that she was working with her people to find some way to smuggle Shiori off of the ship. Right now, that was the thing she wanted most. All else was secondary. She knew she needed to help the others, and she silently promised herself she would. But she couldn't help others unless she helped herself.

Today had begun as a day just like any other... With the girl waking up to begin her chores, and that meant she would have to eat something to keep up her strength. As usual, pickings were slim.

One of the guards brought in two trays full of food and sat them down, placing them on the floor near the front of the room. Another followed and did the same... And another, and another, and so on. All of the slaves rushed forward to get their fill. Some woke their friends and family, if they had any such connections on board. Soon most of the food was gone and today the albino girl had overslept, missing her share. She would either have to continue to starve or fight for what little was left. She didn't like preying on those weaker than herself, but sometimes she had to do what was necessary in order to survive.

As soon as the food was distributed, most of the guards left. There were just two stationed outside to make sure no one tried anything and all of the servants behaved themselves. A big burly man with a goatee and a medium length brown hair that was graying at the ends was eyeing one of the smaller slaves' meals. He kept staring at the middle aged woman while she ate.

"Hey... Let me have some uh that!" He grunted at her.

"What? There's only a little bit..." The skinny woman with short auburn hair and tattered rags for a makeshift dress croaked pitifully. "I can't afford to give you anything, sorry."

She took another bite, scuttling away into a corner and watching him with one eye as she wolfed down her tiny piece of toast. This appeared to enrage him. Shiori watched from her place in the corner with big wide eyes.

"You think you're better than me?!" The man snarled, moving closer to tower over her. "Is that it? Huh? Think your pathetic little life matters more than mine?"

Vanora was shifting inside of her sweater. Shiori could feel her tiny claws digging into her side. Her kitten was scared... She reached into her sweater and scratched her behind the ears for a second. It was a risky move, but she had to make sure she didn't climb out while they were around everyone else. That would be really dangerous. The kitten calmed down at her touch. It made her want to smile, knowing that she had such a secret hidden from everyone else... And she would have, if not for the worrisome scene that was unfolding before her.

The guy was getting rough with the poor lady. He made to snatch her tray of food away from her, but she yanked it back from him, careful not to spill any of the remnants. Shiori wanted to put an end to this. She started to rise up from her seat on the small cot. Although she needed to protect herself and her newest friend too, she knew she had to do something. Enough was enough!

"Here," A voice spoke up from the rest of the crowd, kind and warm. "You can have some of mine, if you like..."

All eyes turned toward her. It was a woman that Shiori had come to know as Mia. They'd had dishwashing duty together a few times and she'd learned a little bit about her. She was the one with the little boy from before. She was definitely the motherly type and tried to be kind toward everyone.

"Did I ask for any of yours, bitch?" The man smacked the food out of her hand. "I was talking to that whore over there! Now stay out of my way..."

"I'll settle this." Shiori stood, facing him with an angry glare, her red eyes seeming to catch him off guard for a moment.

"You? What are you gonna do?" He laughed, waving her away.

"Fight me and find out." The girl had a wicked grin on her face now. She pouted at him and blew him a kiss. Her eyes fluttered, drawing attention to the beauty mark below her left one. "You prick!"

"What did you just-"

"Look out!" Someone shouted, as she charged him, rushing forward.

Her shoulder making contact with his hard chest had knocked the wind out of him. How could this small frail girl do such a thing? The man's jaw dropped. He knew he should be much physically stronger than her. They usually had him manning the oars or hoisting the sails, which only helped to grow his muscles. It was an almost laughable site, as the tiny girl rushed at the big hulking man.

He managed to sidestep her the second time around, but then she swung inward with her leg, kicking his shin as hard as she could. The man clothes-lined her under her chin and threw her down to the ground. Shiori let out a small grunt, but she wasn't out of it yet. He brought his foot down in an attempt to pin her there. She was too quick for him and rolled from beneath the kick stomp.

During all of this, she'd managed to conjure up a small gust of snow from her fingertips. It was rapidly encapsulating him, slowing the big brute down even more. Several of the frozen bits of frost had already gotten into his eyes, making it more difficult for him to see. A couple of guards were coming into the slaves' quarters, but they were still too far away to break up the fight. They seemed a bit hesitant to do so anyway.

The girl was on her feet again in a matter of moments and latching onto his other forearm. He brought her up off the ground, to the point where her feet were no longer touching it. But when he went to swing, she swung her legs inward to pry herself away from his body, taking his arm with her. She used the leverage of his swing and his own body weight against him, bringing him tumbling over right her petite shoulders and onto the floor with a sickening crack. It all happened so fast that the spectators could barely keep up with it.

When all was said and done, Shiori stood before the man with one foot planted squarely on his chest. She was panting from the exertion, but she'd definitely won this fight. The others all backed away from her in awe. A wave of whispered murmurs swept through the crowd. She was just grateful that Vanora had managed to remain uninjured the entire time, shifting her weight and crawling around under her new owner's sweater to avoid the blows. It was almost like they'd been moving as one...

A slave guard stepped into the room moments later. "Vhat's all zis damnable racket about?" It was Perrier, one of the most hated guards on the entire ship.

"This man assaulted my friend," Shiori told him the truth, not caring what anyone thought of her for it. "He tried to steal her breakfast. You people should do something about it. Since you didn't, I did!"

"You again?" He narrowed his beady eyes at her. "Vhat do we care eef some stupid slaves fight over a few... how you say... scraps of food, eh? No one geevs a fuck!"

"But he-"

"Get over here, right now!" He angrily pointed to a spot directly in front of him.

Shiori climbed off of the fallen man, who dusted himself off, eyeing her with a flare of anger in his eyes. She did as she'd been told. But not before casting a glance behind her to see that the two women had already finished their breakfasts. Mia's little boy had been fed too. She was glad they'd managed to eat quickly, before the guy got back up. Everyone had to learn how to eat their fill quickly around here.

"I know I broke the rules, sir..." She looked up at him with a pitiful soulful look in her eyes. "And I'm willing to pay the consequences, but... It was still worth it to me."

"Vhatever!" He rolled his eyes, slapped a pair of irons onto her wrists, and began to drag her outside. "We'll just zee vhat Alvida-sama has to say to you! Especially after zhat little display you just put on!"

"Guess we will..." She only smiled to herself. It was the only thing she could do. The final little 'fuck you' that she could offer them.

This place was a living hell for her. She was forced to do disgusting things. She was subjected to grueling pain and humiliation every single day of her life. She may not be able to defend herself against an entire army of Pirates like Alvida's... But someday she would find a way out of here. She just knew it.

For now, she had hatched a small plot with Nischela. It wouldn't get her off this dreaded boat, but it would get her into a more favorable position. She'd used her Devil Fruit powers during the fight on purpose. Previously, she had done a lot to keep them well hidden. She knew that several of the guards had seen it, including Perrier. She only hoped that he really would tell his Captain everything he'd just witnessed. Then it would only be a matter of time...

It was a lot more pleasant inside Alvida's cabin than she'd ever imagined. The enormous woman was sitting in a large comfortable looking plush chair in a room full of distastefully shaded pink pastels. There were ducks everywhere, from plushies to figurines, this woman clearly had it all. It matched the outward appearance of her ship. She seemed the type to prefer form over function, for the most part.

"What's going on?" She raised a single eyebrow at the two when she noticed they'd entered. "You shouldn't enter a lady's cabin without knocking Perrier-san, that's in bad taste."

"Just vait until you hear vhat zhis little wench did!" He shoved the girl forward, her chains clanking along the wooden deck, scraping it harshly. "She was in a scuffle with another slave. She was whining about eet vhen I came in. But she somehow defeated him, using some kind of technique. Eet was somezhing like znow from her hands! I've never zeen anything like eet!"

"Snow, eh?" Alvida stared at the girl in front of her for a moment. "Hmm... What do you have to say about this, girl? Are you by chance a Devil Fruit user?"

"I am." Shiori simply nodded, showing no fear.

"Interesting," The woman's face got even wider than usual as she smiled, even smearing her bright red lipstick a bit. "And you've been hiding this from me the entire time you were here? That's quite clever..."

"Yes ma'am... I've eaten the Snow Snow Fruit, the Yuki Yuki no Mi, a long time ago."

"Vhat should we do with her?" Perrier glared at his boss, not liking the fact that the Captain was so pleased about this. Apparently he was unable to talk back to her either.

"From now on, you're gonna be assigned to some special duties for me... What's your name?"

"It's Shiori, ma'am..." The Valkyrie curtsied before her respectfully, even though the act in itself nearly made her gag.

She hated having to speak this way to an enemy, but it was all part of the plan... Although Nischela couldn't be directly involved, she had told her exactly what to do in order to gain the Captain's favor.

"Alright then. You don't look like you'd eat much. How'd you like to serve me my meals? I'm sure that nifty little ability of yours will come in handy for keeping my drinks cold too. I'll have you do that as a trial period before we let you join the crew. And at the end of the night, I might even leave you with a few scraps from time to time. Deal?"

"Sure," She shrugged nonchalantly. "Not like I have much choice anyway, being a slave and all."

She'd practically spat the word 'slave' at the woman. Fortunately, it seemed that her passive-aggressive insubordination was overlooked.

The waves were causing the ship to rock and there was a gleam of light from the corner. She noticed the enormous iron mace that the Captain was so famous for. She had it leaning against the wall in the corner. It was like she didn't give a damn about it.

'How sloppy...' She thought, looking around. 'This place is a mess.'

Alvida completely ignored her disrespect. Her stomach growled, indicating where her mind most likely was at the moment. "Alright Shiori-san... You'll be serving my dinner tonight and I don't want any screw ups. I'm going to have to keep a closer eye on you from now on."

"Fine with me."

"Perrier-san, carry on. You're dismissed. Take this one to the kitchen and have them fill her in on what to do." She waved her henchman away.

"Sure zhing, my lady!" Although he clearly did not agree with her orders, he did as he'd been told. The mustached man dragged away the girl in chains, muttering to himself angrily under his breath.

Shiori did her best to ignore his snide comments all the way to the galley. She waited while he unlocked the chains from her wrists. He didn't do it until they were there, but it felt good to get that sea prism stone away from her. She didn't see any familiar faces here, so she felt a little lost once he left. It was odd. He didn't say a single word to her.

There were many other slaves and crew members, busily making food like crazy. They swarmed around the kitchen area, each performing a different task, and all of them behaving like a unit.

"Excuse me... A-alvida-sama says..." She winced, expecting the worst. When they only looked at her, she grew a little more bold. "She says I am to be her new server."

"Oh, that's a piece of cake! All you do is bring her food. Here ya go. First dish." A young man handed her a big plate full of food. It looked like some kind of lobster served with melted butter and a side dish of assorted vegetables.

Shiori stared at the smoking hot plate. "She's eating already? But it's not even di-"

"Doesn't matter," An older woman warned her. "Hurry up and take that to her. She gets irate when her food is served cold. And trust me, you do not want to see her mad!"

"A-alright..."

For several more days, she kept it up. Each morning she would be excused from dish duty and told to go straight to the kitchens. She had to serve Alvida breakfast, lunch, and dinner, all the while with her own stomach growling. Occasionally she would still have to tend to other duties too if they were shorthanded. She still did laundry now and then, and that was the only time she was able to speak with Nischela. The spy had readily assured her that everything was going according to plan.

Some days were better than others. She found lots of little tidbits of food to store away. Sometimes she would even be able to sneak a bit of meat to her kitten. Which was good, since she didn't eat it anyway. She was used to going for long periods of time without eating, so when she did have food, she was especially grateful for it and would eat as much as she could, not knowing when her next meal might be. Many days, she would bring back some scraps to share with the rest of the slaves. She knew she wasn't supposed to, but she'd rather help them than take it all for herself. She may not be able to set them all free, but in the meantime, she would try to make things as bearable for everyone as possible. She'd even made up with the guy she'd gotten into a fight with, by offering some food she'd managed to procure from her duties in the kitchen.

She had to work hard, since if she screwed up, she would be sent back below deck without any food or water for the remainder of the evening. And she had a lot more than just herself to think about. There were the rest of the slaves, along with Vanora to worry over as well.

"Eat up, little one... Make sure you grow up big and strong..." She whispered to the adorable kitten, who meowed and looked back up at her with bright blue eyes.

Vanora purred, showing her gratitude for the delicious meal. Her striped tail was curled around her and her tiny feet were resting just under the tidbit of steak she'd been offered.

She was situated in a corner of the cramped slaves' quarters, with her back turned to everyone, when she was unceremoniously summoned into the Captain's cabin. It was odd, because it was way too early for her to start her work.

"Yo, albino bitch!" One of the guards addressed her in a crude manner. "The Captain says she needs you. Now!"

"Alright, just give me one-"

"I. said. now!" He shouted at her, pointing his sword in her direction.

Shiori had no choice but to comply. She put Vanora away, holding the kitten close, and rushed to the Captain's cabin to stand before Alvida, silently awaiting her orders. When the obese woman didn't speak, she lightly cleared her throat.

"Well don't just stand there!" Alvida roared, throwing an empty cup so it clattered across the wall. "Fetch me my morning cup of coffee!"

"Hurry, before she throws a tantrum..." The guard who had brought her here wisely advised.

The forlorn slave girl rushed off to do just that, after hastily retrieving the discarded mug. It was white porcelain with a black rim, black handle, and two little black rings running around it, one slightly thicker than the other. She stared at it, taking in the design to pass the time while she worked. She disappeared into the galley. The girl went to work pouring the oozing black liquid and then adding as much sugar as she could get to dissolve in it. She left the coffee creamer behind, since she knew the Captain didn't like cream in her coffee.

Moments later, she returned with a full cup of coffee for her. Alvida took it from her and blew on it to cool it off before taking a sip.

"It's just the way I like it, plenty of sugar, but it's still way too hot," She complained, holding out the cup dramatically for Shiori to take it. "Cool it off with your powers. And be quick about it! I've got big plans to look over today..."

Shiori took the offending coffee mug and concentrated her power into one palm, while holding it from beneath. Cold white powder crept along her forearm to rest in her hand, where it nestled safely, cradling the porcelain with its silken embrace. She was careful not to cool it too quickly, for fear that it might crack. When she was done, she handed the still slightly steaming coffee back to her boss.

"Thanks hun," Alvida sipped it casually, seeming to ponder something. "It's perfect!"

She appeared to be in a good mood today. She'd barely lashed out at anyone at all. ...Yet.

Shiori eyed the peacock pendant that dangled so delicately around her swollen neck... She knew it was meant to be hers. How dare that disrespectful swine take it from her! It may be her only clue to her past. Maybe she could use this new position as an opportunity to get it back somehow? She hadn't had the chance yet, but that didn't mean it wasn't coming. For now, it just gave her something to focus on, so she didn't fall asleep from a mix of exhaustion and boredom.

She was well aware that this wasn't part of the plan The Agency had cooked up for her, but she had to try... They weren't doing anything fast enough, and at this point, she wasn't even sure if she could trust them yet. But they'd helped her get the mysterious package that contained Vanora, and they hadn't betrayed her to Alvida yet. She knew that just having a common enemy wasn't enough to make someone a friend though.

"The plans are laid out in the war room, just as you requested, Alvida-sama..." Bob Toll strolled in just then, pausing to bar the doorway with his cane. "I'm afraid you'll have to pay the toll if you want to pass. Ehehe..."

The exiting crew member was glaring at him angrily, but he took out a small bag of coins and tossed a few toward the old man. Surprisingly, he caught them all with startling accuracy.

"I'm starting to question if you're even blind, old man!" The servant called out to him over his shoulder, as he left, the cane having been lowered...

Bob Toll just smiled eerily at him.

"Come..." Alvida beckoned, before prying herself up and strolling out of the room.

She'd motioned for Shiori and Bob to follow, so they did. They soon entered a large room full of maps, scrolls, and sea charts. Most were scattered across a large table that sat in the center of the room. The albino girl recognized one of the various papers as a map of Drum Kingdom. She stared at the representation of her former home with a muted curiosity.

"With all due respect, Alvida-sama... Why am I here?" Shiori asked, looking around in bewilderment. This was her first time being in the war room.

"I like to snack while I'm planning an attack," The Captain explained, her smile causing her freckles to bulge outward in an almost comical fashion. "And I may have to send you on another coffee run for me soon."

"Oh..."

She didn't say anything else. Shiori stood at her place in the corner, watching everything unfold on its own. Another crew member of hers, presumably a general of some kind, entered the room, along with several other various people. There was a lot of talk about possible Naval fleets they may run into and other Pirate crews that were known to stalk these waters. She drowned most of it out, until she realized where they were planning to attack...

"So this is where we'll strike next?" The General, a tall skinny man clad entirely in navy blue, pointed to one of the crudely drawn maps. His piercing eyes followed the trail to the map of Drum Kingdom.

"Aye, that's the one." Alvida nodded, sipping on what was probably her fifth or sixth cup of coffee of the day.

"Why would you want to hit that place?" A woman Shiori knew as their Admiral spoke up. She was short, with long orange hair. "They're a poor country without much to spare. We'll barely get any supplies from them."

"We aren't going there. We're going to a place behind it." The general was quick to inform everyone, since the others looked confused too.

Shiori was trying not to call any attention to herself, but she was listening intently to everything that was being said. She wasn't the only servant in the room. Another, a scruffy younger girl with her black hair done in low pigtails, seemed to be paying no attention to their discussion at all. She feigned disinterest in the entire conversation, doing her best to copy the girl's body movements.

"I want to see an old friend of mine. We have a bit of a... score to settle." She winked a single big round eye. "And there are rumors of a treasure being located far across the mountains."

'Little do they know that treasure is long gone by now...' Shiori chuckled lightly to herself, before becoming serious once again. 'But I can't just sit idly by and let them attack my homeland... There used to be rumors of a treasure there, so they probably intend to desecrate what's left of the Monastery. I won't stand for it!'

"But that means trekking through the ice and snow!" Yet another visible shiver ran through the Admiral.

The General eyed her with a glare, his icy eyes cutting into her. "We must do whatever we can to stock up on supplies in town before we head that way. But it's completely doable... And you won't be saying that when we actually find the treasure. Imagine it... All that gold!"

The Admiral shuddered. "Alright. I'm down for this, I guess..."

"We won't be there for months. There's plenty of time to plan that for later. In a few weeks, we need to find somewhere to dock in the meantime. Anywhere between here and there will do," Alvida was saying. "But we have to be careful to avoid any other Pirates or Marines along the way. That could corrupt our plans."

Shiori was annoyed now. She wanted to be anywhere but here... Since her little promotion, she found herself almost constantly wondering how she'd gotten herself into this mess. She heard a little growl from inside her sweater. Was Vanora... angry? She placed a gentle hand over her stomach to quiet her.

'Shh... Be quiet before someone hears. It's alright, little one...' She told her silently, hoping she'd get the message. She didn't make another sound.

Whatever happened, Shiori knew she couldn't let them invade her home. They would be just like the Marines, ransacking the place without respect for anyone or anything. Having others there to back her up was a definite advantage, but she wasn't yet convinced that it would be enough to take over Alvida's entire ship. Still, she would have to try something, and soon.

"For now, the meeting is adjourned." The General announced.

Soon, they'd all filed out of the room. There was nothing more that could be said.

"You two!" Alvida pointed to Shiori and the little girl who stood opposite her. "I need you to clean up this room. Clear away everyone's cups and plates, then put all of the maps away where they go. Clean out the equipment too. And be quick about it, it's almost lunch time!"

She left before they could respond. All the slaves could do was nod anyway. Just after everyone was gone, they began to do as they'd been told. The younger girl was sullen and looked miserable.

Shiori noticed that they'd left something precious behind- a single transponder snail! What luck! She waited until she turned her back and hastily grabbed it up before the girl could get to it. They weren't permitted to talk, and if she had to convince her to give up the tiny communication device, they could both get in trouble if anyone heard them talking. Alvida tried her best to take every necessary precaution to prevent anyone rising up against her... Too bad it wouldn't be enough.

At the end of the day, after all of her duties were done, she headed back to the slaves' quarters. The Valkyrie smiled to herself, knowing she now had the upper hand. She hadn't seen Nischela today, since she'd been even busier than usual catering to the Captain's every whim. Not that it mattered...

She already knew just what she was going to do with the precious little snail. She'd been lucky that it hadn't rang for the remainder of the day. She didn't know what she would have done if it had. It's not like she could answer it, but she also couldn't just let it keep ringing either. Not to even mention the fact that it would alert Alvida's lackeys to its presence. Shiori had no clue who it belonged to, but it didn't really matter. All that mattered was that her message went through. She wasn't even sure if it would work, but she had to try...

Earlier, before she'd left the war room, she'd also made sure to check into a few of the records on board the ship. She found several Marine numbers, all of which would connect her to a Marine Captain. The Pirates generally used this information to avoid them, or occasionally to call in a ransom demand when they had any prisoners of value. It was good to have their contact information on hand, for negotiations, or just in case. She'd written each of the numbers on her arm with a quill she'd made quick use of before replacing in its ink well. Luckily, her long sleeves had kept everything hidden from sight.

One call to them, and it was all over for Alvida. Shiori had been able to figure out their coordinates from listening to the conversations that had just taken place, and looking through the Navigator's logbook. She fully intended to radio the Marines with their whereabouts, and bring the full fury of the entire Navy crashing down on the dreaded Iron Mace Alvida! She would have plenty of backup then. Above all else, she had to make sure that she made the call before someone found out.

'I hate Marines so much...' She told herself, on the way to the shower room. 'But it's worth it to be able to get off of this wretched ship! As much as I hate them, I hate Alvida even more... As bad as they are, at least they don't torture people. Although that might be giving them too much credit...'

Truthfully, she didn't even know whether they did or not. But she liked to think they wouldn't partake of something so horribly despicable. Especially since so many people followed them, liked, and trusted them. They had wronged her too and she was well aware that they were not honorable people... But if it would get her out of this grim situation, and possibly help some of the others too, then she was willing to try anything.

Going to the showers, she grabbed a dingy faded towel from the rack and got ready. Before she removed her clothes, she crouched down low in one of the shower stalls. The showers were all in one big room, full of cracked tiles and grimy mildew, but they were partially separated by flimsy dividers. Some of them were cracked or broken.

Shiori cradled the little snail, silently hoping that no one would come in while she was in here. Most of the other slaves weren't finished with their chores yet. Once in a while, the guards would come by to check on things. It was hard to predict when that would happen, since they always made their rounds at completely random times, whenever they had a minute. She rolled up one sleeve. It was funny how the snail's face vaguely resembled Alvida's. She waited, holding her breath and struggling to make out the faded ink that stained the skin along her left forearm.

'It's now or never... I've got to make this call!'

Before dialing, she double-checked the coordinates. Just then she heard footsteps outside the shower room, in the hall. The guards didn't make a habit of coming in to check on people, but it was unusually early for anyone to be showering.

"Who goes there?" A voice she vaguely recognized as belonging to one of the larger more muscular guards echoed off the tiled walls. "Someone in here?"

'Shit!'

Her heart stopped.

She didn't answer. She hoped they would think the showers were empty... But she'd left her towel on one of the crudely fashioned benches outside. The man picked it up and glanced inside, to find a girl cowering in the corner. At least she was still dressed. But why would someone be standing in the shower room fully clothed? Something about it just didn't add up. He approached her with caution, already drawing his sword when she looked at him with wild, frantic eyes.

"Oh, h-hi there..." Shiori stammered nervously.

It was the one she thought it was, she'd never heard anyone say his name, but she knew he was a badass. Not someone she wanted to tangle with. He was also a good friend of Perrier's, from what she could tell. For a moment, he just looked at her, trying to figure out the situation.

"What are you doin' in the shower, girl? Especially with all your clothes still on." The light coming in from outside glinted off of his dark skin.

"I was just about to take a shower... I finished with my work early today, so I thought I'd just-"

"That doesn't add up. What are you hiding there?" The man gestured toward her right side, where she concealed the small snail.

"I d-don't have anything, just soap." She literally couldn't think of a viable excuse to lie her way out of this. He was going to see it, then she'd really be in trouble.

"And what's that written on your arm? Let me see!" He grabbed her arm, looking at the squiggly shaky writing there. "Are these coordinates? What are they for? What were you gonna do with this transponder snail? Oh my god... That number is for the Marines! Were you actually gonna try to call them?"

"I... I don't know..." Shiori looked down, crestfallen that she'd actually been caught before she'd managed to make the call for help. But she wouldn't tell him anything.

"If you think they'd help you, you're wrong ya know..." He told her, with sincerity in his eyes, his voice still very low. It was odd because she'd expected yelling.

"Please just let me go... I won't do it again." She pleaded.

"Sorry, but I'm only doing my job. I gotta do what I gotta do, you know? Come on. Time to face your fate."

The big guard grabbed her arm and started dragging her away.

"Face my fate? Wh-what do you mean? Let go of me! I didn't do anything-"

"Yet. You didn't do anything yet." He politely corrected her. "Alvida-sama will decide what to do, but I'm pretty sure she's not gonna let this one slide. She'll have you whipped for this. But you knew that when you did it."

Something stopped her in her tracks. Shiori resisted the guard's pull, unwilling to take another step. She still had a problem. Not only would they find the information she'd hastily scribbled down across her arm, and the communication device she'd stolen, but they would also find the kitten that was currently still nestled inside her pocket. Not to mention the map to Arashikari as well...

'Vanora! If they find her, there's no telling what they'll do! I can't let them...'

"Give me just a minute? Please?" She pleaded with him.

He seemed to consider it for a moment. "...Make it quick."

She sighed in relief, hoping that she could at least get rid of her sweater. It seemed that this guard had taken pity on her. They all knew how bad the conditions on board the Miss Love Duck really were. If she could leave it here or put it somewhere safe, then Vanora would be okay, and so would the map. What she really wanted was to ask to see Nischela, but she couldn't risk giving her away. If her comrade's cover was blown, then she would stand no chance at all. She couldn't just leave her sweater there though... Someone would definitely find Vanora if she did that.

The albino girl paused in the room that was gradually filling with slaves after their various chores were done. She noticed one familiar face among them. She turned to the aging brunette, pulling off her sweater quickly but carefully, and handing it over.

"Mia-chan, thank goodness! Will you please watch this for me? Don't let anything happen to it... I'll come back for it."

"Of course," The woman took the sweater, noticing a squirming mass inside of it, but saying nothing. "I'd be happy to. Is everything alright?"

She could tell by the look of concern in Mia's eyes that she was worried. But she would have to just hope Vanora would be okay, whatever happened to her. She wasn't entirely sure if the woman would know to keep her hidden. Hopefully she would figure it out. She knew that Mia had a kind heart. She was a great mother and she was always nice to everyone, even the ones who were not so nice to her. Maybe she could trust her.

"Yeah." She assured her friend that everything was fine. A brave smile spread across her face.

'Who am I trying to convince... Her or myself?'

"Let's get a move on." The tall man standing behind her said, urging her forward.

Once they were out on deck, Shiori kept an eye out for Nischela, hoping that she might be able to get her out of this. But she was nowhere to be found...

The sea breeze blew past her, violently. Shiori felt very vulnerable in only the short black dress that she wore beneath her sweater. She'd never told anyone, but she'd fashioned it from old Nuns' habits that she hadn't wanted to part with. She would have made it longer, but there had only been so much material to work with.

By the time they'd reached Alvida, she'd already run through every possible awful outcome in her head. She knew this wouldn't end well.

"Caught this one down in the showers with a transponder snail," He plopped the snail onto the table, and showed her the girl's exposed arm. "She's got some Marine numbers on her arm, along with our coordinates. Pretty sure I don't have to tell you what she was planning."

Alvida narrowed her eyes. "Take her out to the stocks. She needs to be taught what happens to people who defy me."

"What?!" Shiori's voice was high pitched and almost squeaky with surprise. "There must be s-some other way... Isn't there anything I can't do to m-make up for it? I'm sorry..." She looked like she was about to cry.

The woman looked her dead in the eye.

"No."

The Captain had only responded with a single word, before waving to the guards to take her away, and taking a big bite of her sandwich. The tall man who had escorted her here helped another guard haul her outside. Shiori struggled against them now, trying her best to summon up a small snowstorm. They slapped a pair of handcuffs on her wrists before she could get it going. The remaining snow fell uselessly to the floor, the moment her powers were rendered useless.

She was taken outside, and many of the other slaves along with some of Alvida's crew stopped in their tracks to stare at her. They were curious as to who was getting punished this time and why. Word was spreading fast.

"Remove her top," One of the guards, the skinnier one that had joined the one who had originally caught her, ordered. "Or else we can't give her the lashing she deserves."

'They're going to... take my top off?!' She shrieked inside her head, although she remained stoic externally.

"Sorry... We have to do this for everyone. Rules are rules." The bronze guard informed her, gently pulling down the black straps of her dress so that it fell off her shoulders on either side.

Her dress was pulled down to her waist and her bindings were removed, freeing her small breasts for all to see. Shiori was so embarrassed! Her face was bright red, and she tried to keep her eyes closed. They made the trembling girl kneel and positioned her in the stocks. First her neck was fastened into place, and then her wrists. The unforgiving wooden device lined with sea prism stone was torturous enough. It forced her to lean forward on her knees, and also made her sick to her stomach. The punishment for a normal person would have been bad enough, but for a Devil Fruit user, it was even worse! It felt like she was trapped underwater and drowning...

She caught a glimpse of pink and brown, and knew it was her friend. Nischela looked at her sympathetically. It didn't look like there was anything she could do to help her.

"Wait!" The girl adjusted her glasses, before rushing over and addressing the crowd that had gathered. "Do we really have to do this? What has she done that was so bad? Is there any proof?"

"I caught her with a transponder snail, trying to radio the Marines." The guard told her, also catching the attention of everyone else.

Nischela looked absolutely crestfallen. She stopped in her tracks, staring helplessly at her friend. There was nothing she could do. Calling the Marines would also be bad for The Agency. It meant there was that much more of a chance of them being found out. She wished Shiori had talked it over with her first, before attempting to do something so rash. At the very least, they could've come up with a better plan than this.

The two hulking men stood on either side of her. It wasn't until now that the grievous error she had made fully sunk in. Shiori wanted to cry, and she felt the tears before they fell. She would not allow it. She knew all too well what these people wanted, what they aimed for with such a barbaric practice...

They wanted to see her break. They craved to watch as she fell apart, and the pain would likely not stop until every last tear was wrung from her strangely colored eyes.

'Then it will never stop...' Her thoughts began to run away with her.

A wave of cheers broke out among the crew, calling her attention to her far right. The Captain herself had just shown up.

"So..." Alvida marched up to the small platform they always used for whipping. "You thought you could get them to get rid of us for you? Did you really think those Marines would help you? Hahahaha!" She laughed. "Don't be so naive! Stupid, worthless girl! They would've taken your prisoner and placed you in even worse conditions than this! And that's if they even bothered to take any prisoners. We'd all be killed on the spot, regardless of our positions. Well, I've got my mace to help me! What have you got? A bit of snow?" She scoffed.

Shiori said nothing, and turned her head away at Alvida's harsh words. She knew they were true... But she'd been so desperate at even the slightest chance of freedom that she was willing to go through with her poorly-thought-out plan anyway.

"Look at me when I'm speaking to you!" The older woman grasped the albino girl's chin in her pudgy fingers, forcing her to meet her gaze. "You know it's true... Or I'm curious, were you planning to take us out even at the cost of your own life?"

She sat there in a stunned silence, frozen in place...

A/N: This dragged on longer than I meant for it to, but it is what it is. Next chapter, we'll find out if I'll really have my OC go through something so horrible... And then one of the parts most of us have been waiting for, including me! xD And Chapter 23 will not take nearly this long, I hope to have it done soon-ish.

Thanks to those who have been following this story for hanging in there. I appreciate all the reviews and I hope it doesn't disappoint. For those I haven't heard from yet, I hope someday you'll review and tell me what you think. c:

-Kaline