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 47: Decisions and Destinations

"So," Mitch awkwardly trailed alongside them for a bit, falling behind as everyone turned to leave. "You're really gonna just let her live, eh?"

"Oh, I'm not letting her live," Shiori giggled. "I'm making her live... There's a difference."

"Ah I see... You're forcing her to live with what she's done. And what will you do if she does manage to get off this island and comes after you later?"

The Valkyrie simply shrugged, glancing at him over one shoulder. "Then she will die."

She didn't seem very concerned with it at all. The girl only turned to leave with the rest of the crew. One by one, they fell in behind her. Before the group of Pirates could get very far, their chef, who was standing behind them, cleared his throat.

He held up both hands as if to shrug. "Uhh... Guys?" When they all turned to face him, Rex explained. "There's just one problem... Might not wanna bother going back to where the ship was. That's what I was trying to tell you. It's not there."

"What?!" Mitch's jaw dropped and so did several of the others'. "Are you sure about that? I mean, not to doubt your word or anything, but your sense of direction isn't always the best and maybe-"

"No. It's gone! I wanted to get Shiori-chan's kitten to some place warm, so I went back to the spot where it was tied on, and all the ropes were cut. That's where I just got back from. There's no sign of anyone and it looks like they left in a hurry. I was hoping you might have ordered them to meet us elsewhere, Captain-sama?"

"Nope," Ace shook his head, and sighed in annoyance, apparently just as confused as the rest of his crew. "You got me. I have no idea where they could've gone. But if the Royal isn't there, this is bad... The Eyphah Maura sank and we don't have any other way off this island."

"Who was left on board?" Artemis queried. She was hoping she might be able to help figure out who was behind it and what their motives for stealing the vessel might be. "Could they have been running away from something?"

"Let's see..." Mitch scratched his scruffy chin, thinking about it for a second. "As far as I know, it was just Hiretu-kun and that Silas guy... And we had to leave that bratty little blonde kid there too. She shouldn't be able to give them much trouble, but-"

"Look, what's that?!" Shiori pointed toward the eastern horizon excitedly.

Everyone's heads turned. There was a ship coming straight for them. It appeared to be little more than a dark gray dot against the pale gray-blue of the sea... That didn't stop the crew from getting their hopes up, however. They all held their collective breaths, waiting in silence to see it more clearly before they took action. They all knew perfectly well that it could just as easily be enemy reinforcements of some kind, or worse, the Marines who had been chasing them. The ship sailed closer and closer to the island... Everyone sighed in relief when the Royal pulled up, steering clear of the Eyphah Maura's wreckage.

"It's the ship!" Haji sang, limping straight for it out in front, as the others followed suit.

A gangplank was lowered along the sharp embankment. Silas waved them on board merrily, although of course he couldn't speak to them... They could tell from his huge grin that he was happy to see the crew alive and well. In the back of everyone's minds there was an unspoken curiosity.

They all wondered whether it was of his own volition or if it was due to the stuff Walter had injected him with and the vow of fealty he'd been forced to make to the Spades. Yet, there was no way to know...

Once they'd boarded, Shiori rushed straight into the infirmary with Vanora. She needed to do whatever she could to help her fallen friend. She was glad to know the others were okay, but first and foremost, she had a duty to take care of the sick and injured. That was what Walter had left behind for her... A brand new legacy to fulfill. It felt a lot like disturbing holy ground when the albino girl found herself rummaging through his office in the hopes of finding some medical supplies that would be suitable for a cat.

Meanwhile, back outside, Silas was clearly trying to get their Captain's attention. Ace strode powerfully across the main deck, curiously heading in the direction indicated by the mute. He wanted to see who was at the helm and why they would bring it around to this side of the island, but he knew it was useless asking him anything.

"Hiretu-kun?" Ace tilted his head to one side, taking in the scene before him. The silkworm Devil Fruit user had tied the little blonde girl they'd rescued to the mast, and was currently resting against the helm. He looked completely worn out. The girl was growling furiously and trying to chew through the silken knots that held her bound, but she wasn't getting anywhere with it. "What happened here?"

"Captain-sama? Man, am I glad to see you!" He panted, bracing himself against the helm to keep his legs steady. "It's been hell just getting the ship back here... We took turns steering."

At this point, Artemis walked over and silently took over the helm from her exhausted crewmate. He went to greet her with a hug but she shoved him gently away, focusing on the task at hand. The rest of the crew was working to bring in the gangplank from where it had landed to make sure they didn't get any stowaways from the Scarlet Pirates. If their Captain wanted them to leave the other crew marooned on the island, that is what they would do, without question.

They were already setting sail. The navigator just had to wait on everyone to finish boarding and get the necessary preparations done. It seemed that they'd all had more than enough of this awful island and she couldn't agree more. Without even changing out of her wet clothing, Artemis was ready to do her part to get the ship to safer waters.

Their Captain continued questioning his Shipwright. "Why did you leave the other side of the island? You were instructed to wait for us there."

"Well, the girl here stole the ship while I was, erm... Working on some repairs! Yeah... And that guy," He pointed to where Silas stood, just behind their Captain. "He told me about it and helped me tie her up so she couldn't cause anymore mischief. But we were already out at sea before I realized anything was up."

Ace cocked an eyebrow. "Really? A little girl got the best of you both and made off with the entire ship? Let me guess, you were taking a nap when it happened?"

"That's right I did!" Lena was quick to pipe up. "It was a mutiny! You bastards! Now let me down from here!"

"Uhh, well... Okay yeah." Hiretu was crestfallen. He had never been a good liar. "B-but it's not my fault! I was just trying to conserve my ener-"

"You do realize that nothing about your story makes sense, right? How did Silas-san manage to tell you anything?" Ace laughed.

"Well he just sort of gestured toward the upper deck and I could see in his face that something was wrong. I may not be the brightest, but I figured out he wanted me to follow him, so I did. And then I saw her steering the boat by herself!"

"Ah hah! So that's what happened!" Mitch clapped a hand onto Silas' back in a friendly manner, having just overheard everything. "Sorry we ever doubted you, man! Anyway looks like we have a new problem on our hands... What do we do with the brat?"

"You could start by letting me go!" The young blonde girl batted her eyelashes at them. She knew it likely wouldn't do any good, but she had to at least try...

Silas tried to say something but was continually interrupted and they didn't seem to notice his attempts. He grunted out of frustration at not being able to get their attention. If he could speak, he would have gladly told them the whole thing. But if they didn't want to hear him out, that was fine too. They would need him to help unfurl the rest of the sails and weigh the anchor. He wandered off to find something Pirate-like to do.

"I have no idea," Ace admitted, ignoring the child in favor of talking to his crew. "For now, leave her right where she is. I need you to secure everything Mitch-kun, and take Haji-kun with you. Make sure he stays off of his sprained ankle. Maybe you could have Shiori-chan take a look at it later? For now, ensure that everyone is in their places and we're alright to continue sailing. We don't want anymore surprises or stowaways on board. Matter of fact, take Hiretu-kun with you too and make sure he gets some food and rest. We need everyone in top shape and we need to get out of here... Fast."

"Sure thing." His first mate rushed to the main deck to do exactly that, dragging Haji and Hiretu with him.

Shiori had hurriedly rifled through some of Walter's medical cabinets. The dead doctor's presence still lingered heavily in this room. The feeling was almost stifling. It still felt like she was invading his space somehow... Like she was an outsider looking in, or going through things she wasn't supposed to. Even though she knew better, it didn't help with the feeling any. But she would do whatever she had to if it meant she could help her friend who was still alive, even if she was barely hanging on.

Vanora stirred lightly in her arms, as she rushed to unwrap her from the now damp bandana that Rex had been so kind to wrap her in. She was no veterinarian, but she knew she would need to get the kitten warm and dry if she didn't want her getting sick.

'Vanora-chan... Can you hear me at all? Please respond if you can...' She directed her thoughts at her little friend, cradling her in her arms. 'I'm right here and everything is going to be okay!'

Her whiskers twitched like she might've heard what the albino girl had said, but couldn't reply. No sounds came from her mouth or her mind. She was clearly not in good shape at all. Perhaps she'd fainted from the shock of everything? There could be some other reason, for all Shiori knew, she might have some unseen internal injuries. The best way to determine this would be to take X-rays, but she wasn't sure if they had any X-ray equipment... Symptoms were all she had to go on.

Shiori went through more drawers until she found one thing she was looking for. She placed the earpieces of the stethoscope into each of her ears hurriedly before pressing the cold metal against the feline's chest. She had a heartbeat, although it was very weak... It seemed to be picking up a little, but not enough to be much of a relief.

Due to holding her close while she looked through everything, she noticed that Vanora's little kitty paws were shaking. She clutched one trembling paw and held it for a moment, taking note of how cold it felt. It caused her to gasp, and she decided to forcibly open the cat's eyes. The pupils were dilated into big black orbs and there was very little of her usual ice blue color visible. She clearly still wasn't conscious at all, so Shiori closed her companion's eyes again. She hadn't failed to notice how pale her gums were as well.

"Crap! Hypothermia!"

Although she was starting to worry even more now, she knew she was on the right track, at least. But she had to act fast! She remembered learning about this condition from the Nuns during her childhood. It had been a fairly common thing out on the tundra. It explained why the kitten was having difficulty breathing and shivering so much, and also why she was still unconscious.

There wasn't much time left to get her warm again, but Shiori was doing everything she could. She continued digging until she found some gauze, which she wrapped around the little cat's body, being careful not to wrap it too tight. It would help to soak up all of the water from her fur. She would be able to return Rex's bandana to him if she could find some towels to wrap her in. She finally spotted some on a shelf in the adjoining back room.

Wrapping the kitten in a big fluffy beige towel, she held her as close as she possibly could, trying to use her body heat to warm her. But she was a snow Devil Fruit user! It wouldn't be enough!

With that in mind, Shiori rushed outside, her eyes scanning the crew for any signs of the one that she knew would be able to help her... Until at least she saw him by the helm with Artemis. She ran over to their Captain. It was true that they still had some unfinished business, but that would have to wait. Saving Vanora was her first priority. They could deal with the rest later.

"Ace-kun!" She noticed Ace's worried look and met his gaze with one of sadness mixed with worry. "We have to get her warm... She's freezing and I don't have enough body heat to make a difference. I thought maybe you could do something?"

Without a second thought, Ace held out his palms to the freezing kitten. The flames danced around her body, carefully avoiding it with deliberate precision, while getting only close enough to warm her. He was well aware of the dangers of hypothermia, and he knew they would have do this slowly, in stages.

"Hold her still, make sure the blanket's wrapped around her tight." He advised, although she probably knew more about medical stuff than he did.

"I've got her!" Shiori nodded, brimming with determination. "Just be careful..."

After a few more minutes of heat therapy, Vanora began to stir. Her breathing had sped up considerably and her eyes began to open slightly. It didn't last long though, and she seemed to slip back under every few minutes. Shiori wondered if that was normal or not. Eventually her breathing evened out, and despite being fast asleep, there was a low rumbling sound that began to echo through her chest.

Ace smiled at her knowingly. "You hear that?"

"Yes... Sh-she's purring!" The Valkyrie gasped, looking down at the kitten in her arms in pure awe. "Thank you so much, Ace-kun! I... I couldn't have done this without you. Any of it." She struggled to fight down a blush.

'Ugh, this is so stupid...' She found herself thinking. 'Why am I blushing just from being near him? Damn it! I still like him! I'm supposed to be mad at him!'

'It's because...' A small voice could be heard, but only by her. It was obvious since no one else around her reacted to it. 'You looooove him, bakaaaaa!'

'Vanora-chan?!'

"M-mew..."

"Hah! She just mewed!" Ace laughed happily, taking the small bundle from her. "I should probably ease up on the flames since we don't wanna warm her up too fast... Body heat should do the trick, now that she's coming around."

'Oh it should do more than warm her up, it might even warm me up some tim-'

'Shiori!' Vanora's voice all but gasped.

'Right, sorry... I forgot you were listening.' She responded sheepishly to the cat's voice in her head. 'I've been so worried about you! Are you alright?! How are you feeling?'

'Much better, thanks to you... And the fishy woman who saved me! I was barely there, but I know she helped a great deal.' She tried to raise her head to look at Artemis but gave up. The feline realized that she was still too weak to move much or even to continue their conversation much longer. 'And the cook too! You have some great friends. I'll be fine, I just need to rest...'

'Of course,' Shiori lightly stroked her cheek with one finger, before scratching the top of her head. 'Is it alright if I leave you here with Ace for a little while? He'll protect you and keep you warm.'

'Sure. You do what you need to.' Vanora managed what looked to be a small cat-like smile before closing her eyes again, snuggling into the Captain's arms. Shiori was almost jealous.

The albino girl turned to him, wringing her hands pleadingly. "Could you watch her for a little while, if you don't mind? I want to return Rex-san's bandana to him. He used it to wrap her for warmth, but it's soaked now and should probably be washed... I know I should eat something to keep up my strength too."

"Sure, no problem. I'll make sure she stays warm." Ace watched her walk away, then turned around to see Artemis leaning across the helm with a sly grin on her face. "What's with that look?"

"I should be asking you the same question! Looking awfully lovelorn over there." The shark girl chuckled. "Like a damned lovesick puppy or something..." Before he could react, she tactfully changed the subject, ignoring the blush that had spread across the Captain's freckled face at her teasing. "Oi! Shi-chan! Can you have him make something for us all to eat while you're at it?!"

"Sure thing!" Shiori called to her friend. Then hesitated for a moment. "And... Thanks."

"Any time!"

Once she was gone, Ace knew he was in serious trouble. One sweet little smile from her was all it took and he'd always melt, instantly giving in to her requests. He sighed longingly, looking after her kitten just like he'd promised. He was truly glad Vanora was alright though. And it was all thanks to the quick-thinking and teamwork of his crew.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" He asked his navigator, offhandedly.

"The poor thing is probably completely fucking exhausted, just let her slee-" She stopped. "Oh, you meant her! Yeah I'm sure Shi-chan will be just fine, don't worry... Right now we have a new problem on our fucking hands though."

"And what is that?"

Ace sighed, realizing that she did not understand or probably even know about the whole situation. What had happened between them back on board the Eyphah Maura would forever remain there, their secrets buried at sea right along with the evil vessel and all it's gold. He wanted nothing more than to talk to Shiori and at least try to make things right, but all he could do now was move on and hope that things would turn out for the best anyway. The problems they faced were endless.

"Uhhh... Like where the hell are we even going, genius?" The shark girl sighed, rolling her lavender eyes sarcastically. "I can't know which direction to take us until I'm given orders."

He'd already noticed that she'd taken control of the ship, maneuvering them away from the island as quickly as possible. No one had openly said so, but the entire crew seemed to agree that it was best for them to leave before anything else could go wrong. It appeared that the rumors of the island being cursed were true after all. They were currently headed southeast, angling back toward the Grand Line. Which was fine, but then what? If he wanted her to navigate, he would have to make a decision.

"Hmm... I really haven't given it much thought yet..." He admitted.

"Well I was thi-"

"Yo!" A small high-pitched voice behind them called out. They turned their heads, seeming to have forgotten that Lena was still tied to the mast. "Filthy Pirates! Untie me!"

"Sorry, but we can't do that," Ace explained coolly, not even wavering when she pouted at them adorably. He knew by now that it was just a ploy to get her way. "You're staying right where you are until we can sort this whole mess out. First of all... Why did you steal our ship?"

"None of your business! Baka!" Lena stuck out her tongue at him. "Now let me go! I want to go home!"

Artemis chuckled, trying unsuccessfully to hide it behind her hand. She felt a glare directed at her from the Captain. "Well it's obvious there's somewhere a little pipsqueak like you wanted to go. Isn't that right?"

"Like I'd tell you anything! You're all disgusting Pirates, stay away from me!"

"We aren't even bothering you bitch, so chill the fuck out!" The navigator snapped, her dark cheeks somehow reddening at her own outburst. She smacked her own forehead, leaning lazily against the ship's helm. "Man, I am not good with kids..."

The Captain steeled himself. The last thing he wanted was to have to deal with a hostile and dangerous prisoner, especially one who had just tried making off with his ship. When he was a kid himself, he had mistakenly believed that being a Pirate Captain would be fun, like one big never-ending party... It was hard not to laugh when he thought about how naive he'd been back then. Interrogating a child, and a girl no less, was not something he was equipped to deal with. But being a Pirate was largely improvisation and he would have to do this right if he was going to get her to talk.

"Since we've got time to chat for a bit now," Ace chuckled evilly. "I suppose we should have a little talk? Look, I'll 'cut' right to the chase..." He reached to unsheathe his dagger but noticed it was missing from it's usual place at his hip. That was right, he hadn't had it on him because he'd been abducted by that psychopath in his sleep. It was most likely still in his room. "Ahh... What did I do with...?"

"Missing something?" It was Lena's turn to smirk. "Amateurs..."

"HEY! Don't be so damned arrogant either..." Artemis scolded the girl, turning to her Captain to lend him the dagger she'd used to pierce the hull of O'Hara's ship earlier. "Here. I assume you're looking for something like this?"

"Thank you," Ace bowed respectfully to her. He took the dagger and held it right up to the girl's neck, pressing the cold blade against her pale skin without so much as a second thought. "I know you were up to something. Don't think we won't take you as a serious threat just because you're a kid."

"I didn't think that. But can you please untie me? They made these ropes way too tight..." She struggled with them, still trying to unsuccessfully to untie them on her own. This was obviously a ploy to gain his sympathy. "Please mister?! It hurts..." Her deep green eyes had crocodile tears forming in them.

He ignored her. "And it will. I would know, since I've recently spent some time tied up myself. While I was tied up, I had plenty of time to sit and think about things. I'm pretty sure I know exactly how the she-devil- Ah, I mean O'Hara- was able to find us in the first place... The Scarlet Pirates had no idea where my ship was until we brought you on board. The timing is too convenient to have been a coincidence."

For a minute or two, no one said anything. And then the little blonde girl starting bawling her eyes out.

"I, I, I... I'm sorryyyyyy!" Lena sobbed. "Let me go and I'll tell you everything, I, I sweeeaaaarrrr!"

"Oh for fuck's sake..." Artemis muttered impatiently, rolling her eyes.

"Shut up and quit your whining!" Ace growled to the blonde, even as her glossy emerald eyes widened fearfully. "This is not a game, little girl... You are going to tell me everything right now, and don't leave anything out. I already know you were likely forced onto O'Hara's ship against your will. Is that right?"

"Y-yes..." Her voice trembled with terror. It kind of reminded him of how Shiori sounded when she was younger. He still remembered when she used to be scared of every little thing. "She took me away from my... My family!" She managed, in between sobs. "Please-don't-kill-me, please, I'm so sorry!"

"Is that why you don't trust Pirates?" Ace's eyes softened and he moved the dagger a few inches from her neck. "Tell me what happened. All of it. I want to know what you're doing here, why you gave away our location to her, and exactly where you thought you were going with my ship."

"That's a lot of questions..." The little girl sniffled. When he made to move the blade closer against, she stiffened and immediately began to babble. "Alright-I'll-tell-you! Just please don't hurt me!"

"Calm down," The Captain did his best to keep his tone at an even level. "And talk."

"Fine!" Knowing that she no longer had any choice, Lena began to explain in between sniffles and occasional sobs. "You want to know? O'Hara-sama took me prisoner when her crew attacked the island where... Where my family is from and... Well, she took me away from the shrine and they told me I had to work on their ship. I was good as a spy, since... Ya know, people trust kids! I could get them information and stuff."

"That's horrible. So you were a spy? Go on..." He encouraged her, rotating the dagger in a circular motion to beckon her to continue.

"Y-yeah and... I did my best to earn my freedom from her crew. O'Hara has a deal, we... Sometimes she lets people go if they do one big job for her... One last job to be set free."

"What did she have you do then?"

"She wouldn't give me any big jobs for the longest time, she said a little kid couldn't do them. It wasn't until now that she finally caved in. She sent me on the island... Into that scary jungle by myself... She said I had to pretend to be lost so I could gain your trust, so you'd let me board your ship. And you fell for it!" Lena laughed a little at this, through her tears. "I don't care about tricking filthy Pirates anyways! All you ever do is hurt people, just like you're about to do to me..."

"That isn't true," Ace was quick to correct her. "Not always. I haven't hurt you yet, have I? Did O'Hara put that in your head?" Though he held a dagger in one hand, he was still holding a kitten in the other. It was almost comical.

"Fuck..." He heard Artemis curse under her breath at the absurdity of it all.

"No..." Lena made as if to cross her arms, but the ropes prevented it. "I was always taught that... By my family." She looked down for a moment, the sadness seeming to take her over again. "I miss them. I'm not supposed to talk about them though."

"I see. Sometimes people misunderstand us. We only do what we feel is right. This world would probably be a much better place if everyone would."

"Damn right it would!" Artemis said. She was trying to keep up with the conversation as best she could, but her main priority was steering the ship, so she had to multitask.

"Pirates are mean..." The young blonde girl continued her story, still sniffling occasionally. "O'Hara was always so cruel to us. Not just me, all of us! She'd do anything to get us to do what she wanted."

"Tch. Yeah, I know all about that, trust me..." Ace snorted. It was his ex they were talking about after all... He probably knew her better than almost anyone did.

Lena seemed to get upset at the memories. "Look mister, I don't wanna talk about that... It was scary and awful and I, I-"

He lowered the dagger and held up a gentle hand to stop her from crying. "It's okay, you don't have to say anymore about your time with the Scarlet Pirates. That awful woman is far behind us now, and she'll never set foot on my ship again. Do you understand me?"

"Y-yes... What else do I have to tell you?"

Ace thought for moment... That was a tough question. Now that she was willing to talk more, he wasn't sure where to begin. They needed to know what she was up to, but there was a right way and a wrong way to go about getting the information they needed. This was a child. She didn't really know enough about the world to fully comprehend that not all people were the same. She seemed to believe that if people used the same label as others, they were just like them. She still had a lot to learn.

"Poor kid..." The Captain handed the gleaming dagger back to his new navigator. He didn't want her to feel threatened anymore. He didn't realize everything she'd probably been through before. Now he knew what kinds of hell she must have faced just to get here. "Listen, we won't hurt you. I promise we're not bad Pirates like them, alright? Somewhere out there, you must have parents who love you. You keep mentioning a family. Was that where you thought you were going with my ship when you tried to steal it?"

He watched the girl's facial expression carefully. It had gone from angry to sad to mad and back again... Now she just looked shocked, with a hint of uncertainty filtering through, now that she'd been found out.

"Yes," She hung her head in shame, letting the twin blonde locks on either side of her head obscure her face. "I was just trying to go home..."

"So you know where they are then? Your family, I mean... Where are you from?"

"My family is from another place, but we... I'm not sure exactly where it is. I was gonna figure that out later. We're from, this place... To the far Northwest of here, I think? Oh I don't know!"

"Can you tell me the name of it?"

"It's an island and starts with an S or a Z maybe... It's been a long time since I was there," Lena looked up and to the right slightly. Ace knew a lot more about body language than he let on, and he was well aware that this could be an indication that someone was telling the truth. "Soldanno? Sanbalto? Zambalto? Zanbaldo? It's-"

"Do you mean San Faldo? The Carnival City?" Ace finally caught on to what she meant.

Artemis had a sinking feeling in her stomach that she knew where this was going... Her jaw dropped. "Captain-sama, you aren't seriously considering-"

"Why not? We have nowhere better to go. Do we?"

"Well actually, I-"

"San Faldo?" Shiori yawned lazily, giving her limbs a good stretch as she approached the three. She had been lurking nearby and listening for a while. Old habits die hard. "What's that? Never heard of it..." She gave Vanora a quick cuddle before giving her back to Ace to keep warm.

"You've never heard of San Faldo?" Ace had to raise an eyebrow at that. "The famous Carnival City?"

"Nope."

"Wow... You really need to get out more..." Artemis replied cheekily, giving the helm a sharp turn to the right, which adjusted their course farther North. She was mostly doing it to avoid hitting a big piece of coral; a remnant from the maze... "It's one of Water 7's most popular destinations. It's known for basically being party central for the entire Grand Line. The place is crazy. But how can a girl so drab and, excuse my language, fucking boring possibly be from a place like that? You expect us to believe you? Lying brat!"

"I'm not from that place! Not exactly!" Lena protested, now trying to kick the navigator, but finding that her legs were too short to reach. One of her dark purple geta sandals fell off. "I mean, my family lives nearby... It's the same island, but they live in a smaller village away from the main city. We have a shrine there."

She sounded completely reluctant in telling them all of this for some reason.

"But the famous Carnival City is on the way to where you're trying to go, right?" Ace's eyes lit up. "I've heard that place is a real paradise! I'm sure the rest of the guys would love to go, especially after getting through this whole ordeal. We could use some time off..."

"The problem is-" The shark girl started again, before being interrupted yet again.

"Oh! What kind of shrine?" Shiori sounded pretty interested in hearing what else the girl had to say, although she couldn't care less about the Carnival part. She wasn't even sure what it was. She was hoping she'd be able to feign her way through it until someone let on to what the big deal was. She'd find out once they got there, if that is what their Captain decided.

"Look, I get that you want to take the brat home and all," Artemis hissed in annoyance, "But if you could just stop talking over me for ten god damn seconds, you just might learn something useful!"

Now she had their full attention. "S-sorry..." The albino girl had just gotten here, so she didn't know all of the details yet, but she knew how important it was to listen to everyone's input before making a decision. Ace was watching her too.

"You guys!" Hiretu ran up the moment she'd opened her mouth to speak, derailing her insight yet again. "I've seen her! I knew I'd seen her before!" He stopped in front of them to catch his breath.

Ace took the piece of paper he was holding. It was a wanted poster. A cute little blonde girl was printed onto the front of it, smiling with a toothy grin. Her hairstyle was different, but it was clearly Lena. Her bounty was two million Beri and she was listed as a Pirate. Leave it to O'Hara to turn her into something she hated...

"Wh-why is your bounty so high?!" Shiori gasped, voicing what all of the others were thinking as well. "You're just a child... What could you have possibly done that would-"

"It's not like you think!" Lena grimaced, turning away from the horrifying reminder about her past. "O'Hara, she... She forced us! I had no choice. It's high because I'm wanted as a stowaway and a spy. She would plant me on all kinds of ships to get information for her. That's all!"

"We're Pirates," Ace laughed. "You said so yourself. We'd never judge you for committing a crime. We break the law almost every day. So I'd say you're among good company."

"That still doesn't really explain why it's that high though. Those crimes seem pretty minor compared to some that I've seen with lesser bounties." Shiori was quick to point out.

The blonde girl continued with her explanation. "Sometimes when she'd make me spy on a ship, once the Captain was taken out, I'd yell for everyone to attack the Scarlet Pirates so everyone would think I was on their side. Then while they were busy, I would take their ship and try to use it to go home. But fighting them was always a mistake... Not even the Marines could win. And when O'Hara caught me, I was always punished. More time was added for me to be on the crew. I could never escape. And the Marines must've found out that I'd stolen all those ships. I was probably blamed for killing some people too, or at least causing their deaths."

"It's horrifying to even think that someone could do that to you. This is no life for a child..." The albino commented.

"Kinda," Lena shrugged it off. "Well eventually I stopped trying to escape. Until this time, I mean. I was good. I went on more ships for her and helped her for a while, until my family's debt was paid off..."

"Wait, their debt?" Ace's eyes were wide as saucers by this point. "Do you mean...?"

"Yeah, they sold me to O'Hara to pay off a debt they owed. I'm not sure about all the details, so don't bother asking me about that. I couldn't tell you... They kept it all a secret. Once the debt was almost worked off, she assigned me my last job. It was to sneak on board your ship and tell her your location. So now I'm free! Unless you plan you keep me prisoner too, filthy Pirates!"

"Realistically," Hiretu spoke up when no one else would. "We should've left her back on the island. We could try finding some place to dump her?"

Ace thought for a minute... He had taken to pacing back and forth across the deck. "Well we have some life rafts, but-"

Shiori just stood there and listened to what everyone had to say. She noticed that Ace was not looking directly at her. Even when she tried to meet his eyes, he'd look somewhere else. Unsure what this meant, she decided to ask him about it later, if she got a chance... He was lightly petting Vanora while all of them were talking. That was sweet, at least.

"Can I please say something now?" Artemis spoke through gritted teeth. Her patience was wearing thin. When the others nodded and were silent, she continued. "While we're all talking and getting things off our fucking chests... I have some unfinished business that I need to take care of. I don't think it'd be a good idea for me to blow it off or keep putting it off either. I'd hate to put the rest of the crew in danger."

"Whoa, Artemis-chan..." Shiori had no idea what to say to that. Apparently neither did Ace, because he could only stare at her, open mouthed in shock.

"That sure as hell got your attention, didn't it?" The shark girl laughed, running a hand through her wild, waterlogged hair and flipping it behind her. It was a total mess. "Look, I'm not expecting you to take me back there for free, but before we leave for San Faldo, if that's where we end up heading, we need to make a pit stop first... It's on the way, and I have to cut some ties and finish a little business."

"And where exactly is this business taking place?" Ace just wanted to know where they were going. This whole situation was starting to annoy him. He was pretty sure she already had the ship heading that way, if their current trajectory were any indication.

"The place I used to work at before I became a part of your crew... It's on the way and it shouldn't take very long. I just have to tie up some loose ends, that's all. I was just going to let it go and leave, but I don't want any of this mess to affect the Spades later on down the line after you were nice enough to take me in. I ran away, and that was wrong... But like-"

The Captain nodded, showing that he was taking her concerns seriously. "Now it's your turn to confess everything. What's up?"

"You can't just ask me like that," Artemis giggled. "Where's all the theatrics you gave to the damned brat a few minutes ago?" It sounded like she was stalling.

"They're behind us where they belong. Like everything else. Now spill it! I'm tired and want to get some rest soon." He shot Shiori a look that she could swear was almost deliberate.

None of them had missed it. But the navigator wisely chose to ignore it.

"That's another point I was about to make... We could all use some rest right now. I know I'm asking a lot of you guys to go to a place like this with me, but I have no choice. I want to get blondie here back to her family soon too but I really should handle this before something bad happens. I only have so much time before they'll notice I'm gone."

"What do you mean?" Shiori asked concerned for her friend. "What kind of place is this?"

"I used to work at a... shall we just say a gentlemen's club? It's hidden just on this side of the coral maze, so now most of the work is already done. I'd studied the maze for years before attempting to leave. I was fleeing from there and I was almost out when I met you guys. Against my own will, might I add." She shot them both a sour look, as she recalled when she was randomly fished up out of the ocean.

"Yeah I don't want to go through that again..." Ace rolled his eyes. "Get to the point. What's in it for us if we stop there?"

"I'm glad you asked," She flashed a toothy grin at him, draping herself dreamily across the helm. "A free night of fun for the whole crew. On me. And I have some cash stashed away that I'd gladly pay you for the trip. Figured you could use it after we missed out on all that treasure from our last little adventure?"

Shiori felt about an inch tall right then. She wanted to crawl into a hole and just die... It was no secret that she'd failed their entire crew. Even the newcomer could see it clearly. She didn't want to draw attention to herself right now, so she started fidgeting with her sweater, pulling it down over her stomach and stretching it around her skirt.

Truth be told, she didn't really like the sound of either possible destination, but the last island had been her idea and that hadn't turned out so spectacularly... It had been the only place she'd wanted or needed to go. She had gotten what she'd come all this way for anyway. Arashikari was hers now. The rest was all up to fate and she was probably in danger of being kicked off the crew and marooned somewhere herself if she wasn't careful. She knew when to keep her mouth shut.

Ace nodded firmly, having finally made his decision. "Sounds like a plan then. I'm sure the guys will be happy to hear it, but maybe I'll wait a bit before telling them... I'm tired and it would make everyone too rowdy. Keep this quiet. All of you."

With his last words, he shot a pointed look to both Lena and Shiori, before landing on Hiretu.

"That's smart," Artemis gave a firm nod. "Of course I won't say anything."

"You won't hear a word outta me either!" Hiretu added.

They all turned to the albino girl now. She didn't seem to get the clue, but the whole situation made her feel uncomfortable. She knew what a gentleman's club was, or at least she thought she had a pretty good idea, based on what she'd heard Whitey Bay's crew and Shank's crew saying about them from time to time. They went by other names as well. The idea of being around scantily clad- or worse, completely nude- women made her uncomfortable, especially the thought of having to watch Ace drool over them...

And right now, while things were so weird between them? She didn't consider herself the jealous type, but after everything they had just been through, she wasn't fond of having more obstacles put in their way. The timing was awful, but it was hard to say no to a friend in need too. At least without a good reason...

"M-Maybe we should focus on getting Lena to safety first?" She winced at the glares she received from both the Captain and navigator. "Don't be mad, just hear me out, okay? This poor girl has been practically a slave long enough. I'm sure she wants to get back to her family as soon as possible."

"I'm not sure you understand..." Artemis did her best to suppress her exasperated tone, but it did little good. "The place I work at, it's not just any old club. It's marketed toward Fishmen. They have really high security. And they have a habit of sending them to collect girls who try to leave without notice. You know, like I fucking did? The entire time that I've worked there, no one has ever managed to leave without formally resigning. And I'd rather not go into exactly what entails, but trust me, it isn't good."

"Then why leave like that in the first place?" Ace challenged her. "Or why even go back?"

The shark girl shook her head. She knew they wouldn't understand. "It was different when it was just me, but now that I've found a crew to join and all, one that I really like... It'd be a lot easier for you guys if I go back to Seacrets and resign. Less trouble all around."

"Wait, wait!" Lena interrupted them. "Did you say Seacrets?"

Artemis immediately got defensive, placing a hand haughtily on her hip. "Yeah, but it's not a place for little girls. So don't go getting any stupid fucking ideas, got it?"

"You mean Seacrets with an A right, as in the strip club?!" Her little green eyes lit up brilliantly with hope. "Oh I need to go there too! Please take me to it right away! Let's go!"

All three of the Spade Pirates could not stop the reflexive collective jawdrops that followed such a statement...

A/N: Looks like Lena's got some pretty twisted secrets of her own, and Artemis too... Lol! Since this story is getting so long, I am thinking about turning this into 3 different stories. This one would be the first, of course. Which means I'll most likely be wrapping this story up soon-ish but the Spades do have a few more adventures to go on together first and some new crewmates to pick up.

The sequel would mostly cover their time with Whitebeard and go into the Alabasta arc and cover Marineford and all... Shiori will also find out about a lot of the mysteries from her past and her parents will be revealed! I'll post it shortly after the final chapter of this story is finished, so keep an eye out for it then. (I'm shooting for about 60 chapters but it might run shorter or longer, depending on how long everything I have planned takes.)

Thanks for sticking around and reading my super long and crazy story! And I don't want to spoil anything for you, but there just 'might' be a major lemon scene coming up soon! ;3

-Kaline