ONE PIECE

Two Worlds, One Family

A young woman struggling to find her place in the world wakes up to find a bunch of cats in her room...cats that turn out to be the characters from her favourite TV show, One Piece! Bound to each other, whether they like it or not, and trying to figure out a way to find a certain somebody's lost Nakama and get everyone back to their home, what follows is bound to be chaos, friendship, tears, romance - and, adventure! (Kind of a re-write of Straw Cat Pirates).

CHAPTER NINE

Green-Eyed-Monster

"If the Pirate King had a child?"

"Why, it'd be a Demon Child!"

"I'd want to destroy it!"

"No good can ever come of him!"

"I heard he had a lover!"

"I heard she died!"

"Maybe she committed suicide?"

"It would have been because of him."

"It was her own fault!"

"No, it was his fault!"

"I'll bet she did have a child, and giving birth to that monster is what destroyed her!"

Shut up! Just shut up! You don't know anything about my family! You don't know them! I don't know them, but, I just know...it's not my fault! It's NOT my fault!

Mum shouldn't have had to die...she shouldn't have had to make that sacrifice, just for me...I'll never understand...why she did what she did...I would have rather...that she had been there, alive, for me...I never knew her love, never knew if she even cared...she cared for me as her child, but she didn't know me...

I never thought...that I would have people in my life...people who would see me for who I really am, and not care who my Father was...

Sabo...and Luffy...when I met them, for the first time in my life, I had people who wanted me around...they found out, and they didn't care...

When I told Oyaji, he didn't care either...he just said that we're all children of the sea, and that we shouldn't be held accountable for the sins of our parents...

But, I never once, for a second, thought that somebody would fall in love with me...especially not someone like her...I'm not good for her...she comes from a wholesome family, she knows what it's like to feel at home...if I admit that I love her back, then I'd be taking that away from her...

She knows...she knows what could have happened to me...it would have been better...better if I'd died...Luffy would have gotten over it, eventually...he still has his Nakama, and his dreams...

And yet, she tells me that she loves me...she tells me that she needs me...

If I admit that I love her...if I hold onto her and never let her go...will we end up like my parents?

What good can come from loving somebody like me?

When Ace woke up, for half a second, he wasn't sure where he was.

Then, he realised that he was lying in the guest bed, and that they were back in Emma's world.

Emma?!

Shot out of bed, aware that he was a human - she must have changed him back to normal while he was sleeping.

Ace raced down the hallway, and into the kitchen.

There, he found Luffy, Zoro and Law. The latter was cooking bacon and eggs at the stove, and the sizzle of bacon made Ace's mouth water. Mmm, bacon...

Zoro was reclining on the couch, his hands behind his head. The tan-skinned, green-haired man looked completely at ease, although Ace noticed that he kept his swords close, as if afraid that they would run away. Ace understood. Zoro cherished those swords, they were as much a part of him as his arms and legs were.

And, speaking of arms and legs...

"Umm, why is my brother bound to a chair?" Ace wanted to know, standing in the doorway of the living room/kitchen.

As he watched, Luffy suddenly leaned back, and stretched out his neck, heading for the bacon in the frying pan. Without even looking, Law raised a hand and pushed Luffy's face back.

Ace got it. He asked a different question. "Where is she?"

It was Zoro who answered - Law was busy cooking, and pushing Luffy back...Luffy couldn't speak because of Law's hand. "If you're talking about Emma, then she's outside, training with Luffy's Grandfather."

There was a sudden shout of: "Hyaaaa!" From out the back, and then a massive crashing sound. It sounded like some trees were being uprooted out there.

"Hey, Luffy," Zoro addressed his Captain. "Are you sure it's okay to leave Emma out there with your Grandfather?"

Luffy nodded, and retracted his head. "Uh-huh! Shishishishi...she may not look it, but she's strong! She's our new Naka..."

"Bacon's ready." Law said suddenly.

"Oh boy!" Luffy eagerly made grabby-grab hands. "Gimme, gimme, gimme!"

Law sighed. "No." He replied, placing the bacon onto some paper towels to get rid of the oil. "Go and get Emma-San, and then we can eat, Luffy-Ya."

"Yosh!" Luffy volunteered, jumping up and speeding out the back.

Law and Ace watched him go, as Zoro closed his eyes again.

He heard Ace take a few steps forwards, and then the outlaw spoke. "So...that apron..."

"She said I could borrow it." Law replied, explaining as to why he was wearing Emma's 'All Great Chefs Started Out As Students' apron (at least it wasn't a 'Kiss The Cook' apron, or her sister's 'Sexy Chefs Have Messy Kitchens' apron).

"Ah." Ace went over to the sofa chair and sat down, noticing a half-finished tapestry on the arm.

"That needle..." Law began.

"It's the one she used for stitching up my brother?" Ace guessed.

"Hai."

"You helped?"

"Mmhmm."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

"Hmm..."

"...That tapestry is hers."

"Oh, she cross-stitches?"

"Long-stitches."

"Long-stitches. Nice."

"Yeah."

What the Hell? Zoro thought, carefully opening one eye, to see Ace's stormy expression. He didn't have to look at Law to know that the Supernova was wearing the same expression. What have we gotten ourselves into, Luffy? He thought, just as the door opened, and Luffy came back in, followed by his Grandfather, and then by Emma...

"What the Hell?!" Ace cried, jumping up, and seeing Emma's face covered in blood. He quickly began calculating the pros and cons of killing his Grandfather.

Emma immediately put her hands up. "Ah! It's-it's okay, really...I actually tripped, and, umm..."

"She face-planted the pavement out there, shishishi..." Luffy explained, earning him a glare from Emma.

"We can't all be coordinated, Luffy!" She snapped, holding her hands over her face to avoid dripping any of her blood on the floor.

Law sighed. "Laundry." He ordered her, untying the apron. He grabbed an ice-pack from the freezer. They walked into the laundry, and Law added: "Luffy-ya, no touching the bacon!"

"But, it'll go cold!" Luffy protested.

"I'm on it." Ace sighed, flaring up for two different reasons.

"So," Emma said, trying not to fiddle with the gauze-bandage on her nose. "Plans for today?"

Everyone exchanged a glance, over their bacon and eggs.

"Relaxing?" Ace suggested.

Luffy nodded. "Yeah - we can take Zoro out exploring tomorrow." He suggested, reaching for another rasher of bacon, and fighting Ace for it with a fork. While they were busy, Garp grabbed it.

"Who says I want to explore any of this world?" Zoro rolled his eyes. "So far, all I've heard is that there's a comic book series about our adventures, and that makes the fan-girls go crazy."

Emma looked across at him. "Is that really all they told you?" She asked him, and he nodded. She sighed. "Hoo-boy...looks like you're all going to have to get 'edumacated' today." She made quotation marks. "Boys," she added, standing up dramatically. "We are going, to the LIBRARY!"

"Aww..." Luffy, Ace and Garp all groaned.

"And by that I mean staying at home, watching TV, and then we'll have a BBQ tonight if you behave." Emma explained. She'd had no intentions of going to the library, she just wanted to see their reactions.

"NOW you're talking, Emmy!" Luffy cheered.

Zoro stared at the TV screen, not sure what to make of all this. Emma had just spent the last half hour explaining stuff that made absolutely no sense to either of them - how the Hell did airplanes manage to stay up, and how did a TV screen work without a Visual Den-Den Mushi?

Now, she was sitting nearby, legs crossed, and totally focused on her tapestry-thing. A cup of coffee rested on the black fireplace nearby, and she was humming quietly, counting the number of rows in her mind. Two down, one window pane...two down, two window panes...

She jumped when Zoro addressed her. "Hey, Emma," she glanced up at him; he wans't looking at her, and his eyes appeared to be on the screen, so she was surprised when what he said next had absolutely nothing to do with The Love Boat. "So, what's the deal with all of this? Why are you helping us?"

"Does it matter why?" Emma murmured, concentrating on her windows. "I'm just a nice person doing nice things."

"Hn." Zoro replied. He looked out the window, to where Ranger was snoozing on his bed. The others were inside, waiting for twelve o'clock, when Emma would bring Ranger in and let them out. This world is really strange... He was still mildly suspicious of their host but, if Luffy said that she was okay, then Zoro would accept that, as well.

"I'm glad you got your swords back." Emma said unexpectedly. "Tashigi didn't look like she wanted to surrender Wado Ichimonji to you..."

"She didn't." Zoro confirmed, his eyes drifting to the white-sheathed sword. I can't let anything happen to you, he thought to the sword. Or else she'll never forgive me.

Emma didn't say anything, and Zoro didn't ask, but she knew that he knew that she knew about his past, and about his promise to Kuina. Emma respectfully chose not to say anything about that, for which Zoro found himself feeling grateful.

They lapsed into a mutual silence, as the ending theme song on TV played.

This silence was then broken by the sound of the piano.

Emma was up in an instant, and ran into the dining room. "Careful!" She exclaimed, resisting the urge to grab Luffy's hands away from the keys.

"Emmy, do you actually know how to play this thing?" Luffy asked her and, when she nodded, he jumped up, and made her sit down on the piano stool. "Play something!" He urged her.

"Luffy..."

"Pleeeaaase?"

Emma sighed, and turned to the piano. Her hands found the keys, and she began to play by ear. She also began to sing.

Luffy, sitting on a nearby black leather sofa chair, was enthralled.

Zoro, sitting in the living room still, was surprised, but then figured that someone like her would have taken piano lessons or, at the very least, have a lot of free time on her hands.

Law, in the games room, was staring at the pages of a book of Australian First-Aid, without really reading the words.

And Ace, all the way down the other end of the house, woke up at the sound of the song, and listened.

"In boulder's shadow near falling rain
Always blossoming small
The flower is probably sad is it not
In the rain's midst even colour finishes
Of lightly peach-coloured petals
Without a hand to love them,

To what compares the heart?
This heart that is like a flower
To what compares the heart?
Of sadness struck by rain,

On a rustic road shadows disappear
With me together you walk
You are probably lonely too are you not
Of grassy plains where insects cry
I go the road with you human though I am
You that disappears without a word,

To what compares the heart?
This heart that goes the road alone
To what compares the heart?
Of the loneliness of being all alone..."

She finished, and sighed, placing her hands on her laps as the last notes died.

Luffy was staring at her, and then he said: "Sugoi, demo...that song...doesn't make any sense."

Emma had to laugh. "It doesn't have to."

Later, Emma announced that she needed to go and buy some stuff for their BBQ.

"Ooh, I'll go with you!" Luffy volunteered, raising his hand. "Meat! Yeah!"

"I'll go, too." Law and Ace said in unison.

Emma nearly face-palmed, but refrained from doing so. She had started to suspect that Law and Ace weren't exactly going to be the very best of friends, but she wasn't sure why. "Umm...how shall I put this?" She pointed to Ace. "I need his help."

As Law's eyes darkened, Ace grinned. "Sure - what for, Emiko?"

Emiko? Luffy, Law and Zoro thought.

"Oh, this and that, and...that and this." Emma shrugged, not wanting to say that she didn't think she could handle Luffy alone, and that Ace wa sthe only one that Luffy would listen to. "Put on your shirt, Ace-Chan." She added, referring to the shirt of her Dad's that she had leant to Ace.

Ace-Chan?! Luffy, Law and Zoro thought.

"I'll bring the car around." Emma added, and went to get her keys.

Ace pretended not to notice the dark aura that was radiating from Law, but Zoro was also quick to catch on.

This...could be a problem... The swordsman was starting to regret coming to this world.

That evening, Emma managed to fire up the BBQ (or, the 'barbie', as she called it), after a quick call to her parents and after assuring Ace that they did not need to use him as the BBQ. She was a bit tired and a bit broke - they'd bought more pounds of meat then she had ever thought possible to fit into her car (it was like a clown car, in the end - Buggy would've been proud), some drinks, and Ace had managed to convince her to give luck a try and buy a Lotto ticket for next Saturday's Powerball.

Everyone pitched in to help (well, Luffy was mostly underfoot, but that was to be expected). Zoro got the plates and cutlery, and got out the beer - Emma had decided to be nice, and bought a few cartons of the stuff. She'd also bought some wine (Dan Murphy's had been having a massive sale), which Law poured a glass of for himself, as he expertly made the salad and watched the evening news - he found it highly entertaining to watch how many car accidents and murders there were in Perth lately.

Meanwhile, outside, Emma and Ace stood side-by-side at the BBQ, as the meat sizzled away and Luffy was practically drooling on the pavement.

"...I then coated myself in red paint, put on a pair of horns and a pointy tail and, carrying my pitchfork, I marched into the village and declared myself their god, saying that I'd burn down all their crops if they didn't build me a statue."

Emma tried not to laugh, and failed miserably. "Ace-Chan, that's mean!" She exclaimed.

Ace grinned. "Oh, come on, I'm not that bad." He replied, turning a piece of steak, which sizzled in quite a satisfying way.

"Ah, yeah, Ace, you are." Luffy commented. "Remember when we were little? You told me that a big three-headed dog would come in at night and eat my hat if I didn't give you my desserts when we had ice-cream!"

"That was your fault for believing that, Luffy!" Ace laughed. He slapped at his little brother's hand. "And stop trying to eat the chicken before it's cooked!" He scolded lightly.

Emma stood back, smiling at their antics. The entire scene was bathed in the orangey-red light of sunset - it felt warm and inviting. There was a certain feeling that she was getting - what was it?

Suddenly, she sensed a presence, and looked over, to see that Law had come out. "Salad's ready." He said calmly. He was holding a second glass of Cabernet-Sauvignon, which he handed to her. "Don't say no." He added.

"I wasn't planning on it." She smiled. "You know, I think I hit the over-draft of my bank account - I now owe the bank money."

"Will your parents mind?" Law asked her.

Emma shrugged. "What're they going to say? If they ask why I withdrew that cash, I'll just make something up." She took a sip of wine.

"You know how I feel about liars." Law reminded her.

"So? What're you going to do about it?" Emma glanced at him, and was suddenly startled by how close he was standing to her.

"You'll find out." Law smirked, making Emma blush.

Ace happened to turn around then, and saw what was happening - a very red-faced Emma, standing next to Law who was about two seconds away from doing...something. The close proximity of his body to Emma's was a dead giveaway.

Before Ace could react, however, Garp appeared from practically nowhere, right behind the two wine-holders, and clapped them both on their backs, nearly making them spill their drinks all over.

"I'm here!" Garp yelled, grinning.

"Who invited him?" Luffy wanted to know, as Emma and Law exchanged a glance, wiping the red wine off their hands.

"No one." Ace was smiling, but it was tense. "He invited himself."

"Grandpa Garp," Emma turned around, and smiled up at him. "Won't you, uh...join us for dinner?"

Garp laughed. "Don't mind if I do!" He threw himself into a nearby chair. "You kids can all serve me, for once!" He added, and Emma joined in with his laughter, mostly at the shocked look that crossed Law's face at the thought of serving the Marine Vice-Admiral dinner.

A fews hours later, and Emma was smiling in a way that she hadn't in a long, long time. Here she was, sitting with a bunch of people that she'd never thought even existed, BBQ'ing and drinking and just generally having a good time. There was a strange feeling of connection in the air, which felt odd but comforting at the same time.

What was most surprising was how well Law just seemed to fit in, although the surgeon hardly ever spoke unless spoken to. The only problem was the slight tension that was there between him and Ace. It was so thick at times that you could've used it as a wrecking-ball, although it was easy enough to ignore.

Emma was sitting in between them, with her feet up on the outdoors coffee table - it was a mark of how comfortable she had become with them all, even Zoro, whom she'd only just met.

That, or she was starting to get tipsy.

Garp had started out by telling them all stories about the old day, and then he switched to stories of Ace and Luffy's childhood.

"And then," Garp said. "One time, young Luffy decided that he was going to boycott clothes, and managed to convince Ace here to go along with him! The screaming at such indecent exposure could be heard all the way over on the next island!"

Emma grinned, albeit a very sleepy one - she always got tired when she'd been drinking. "How many times did they do that, Grandpa Garp?"

"Just once." Garp replied, smiling a bit evilly now. "I have a photo, though." He reached into the pocket of his shirt, and pulled out a mini photo-album.

"Don't you DARE!" Luffy and Ace shouted in unison, standing up.

Garp stared at them for a second, before they leapt at him, and he dodged and then took off running. "You brats will never catch me!" He shouted, taking off down the back somewhere, with Luffy and Ace right behind him.

Zoro and Law watched them go, before Zoro took another swig of beer, and Law turned back to Emma, only to discover that she had fallen asleep...with her head resting against his shoulder.

Law glanced up, and met Zoro's gaze. There was a look in the swordsman's eyes that the surgeon didn't like - it was openly judgemental, and suspicious.

"I'm going to take her up to her room - she's exhausted." Law said flatly, carefully but skilfully picking up the sleeping girl without waking her up. He carried her bridal-style, back inside and all the way up to her room, where he laid her gently onto her bed.

Law then took a moment to analyse her sleeping form.

"What is it about you?" The dark doctor murmured, hands on his hips. "You..." He trailed off, and just continued to stare at her, before he leaned down, and brushed a strand of hair away from her face. Her skin was soft - she must've gotten some good genes. He ran a finger gently across the gauze-bandage on her nose, and then trailed it down to her lips. They were as soft as the roses she kept in a vase on her bedside table - and, like those roses, she had her thorns. "Small, dark one..." Law decided, leaning down further, until his face was right above hers. "I don't intend to let you get away..." He murmured, about to close the distance between them.

"Get. Away. From. Her."

The voice came from behind Law but, somehow, he didn't even have to turn around to know who it was. There, standing in the doorway of the room, was Portgas D. Ace. He looked positively murderous. There was no fire around him - all of it was concentrated into his gaze, which was trained on Law, who straightened up, but kept one hand resting at the side of Emma's head.

"Problem?" The surgeon had a smirk at his lips, but his eyes were as cold as Ace's were fiery.

"Get away from her." Ace repeated, taking a step forward. "She's..." He stopped.

"She's what?" Law pressed, his smirk growing. "Yours?" He chuckled without humour.

Ace gritted his teeth, knowing that Law was baiting him. He had not expected this confrontation, let alone with one of his brother's allies.

Still, ally or not, Ace stood his ground, as did Law. Ace hated how Law kept one hand on Emma, like he had some possession over her or something.

Ace had never experienced this before, but...Emma had said that she loved him, not Law. Law must've been somewhat aware of this, or else he wouldn't have been acting this way. Ace felt a stronger side of him flare up, a side of his masculinity he wasn't sure if he was ready to deal with just yet. Law was older, though - he would be ready for it, there was no doubt about that.

He would be ready to fight.

With the exception of Luffy, Ace had never had a treasure. Now, however, he thought that he might be starting to understand what people were always saying about love...maybe...

Just as Ace was coming to this conclusion, and just as he was about to tell Law, once again, to get away from the girl that they both seemed to have feelings for, something happened - Emma's necklace began to glow that same, soft red colour as before, on the day that they'd first met her. Her entire body was bathed in the soft light and Law, whose hand was still resting against her face, was too.

Ace blinked, and then, quite suddenly, both Emma and Law were gone - in their place was Emma's compass.

Ace was horrified.

"What were they doing in Logue Town?" Sakazuki wanted to know, addressing Kuzan but getting an answer instead from Little Death.

"They were looking for someone." She said, pouting. The nine-hundred year old child was not in a good mood, since she'd found out that Emma was now traveling between dimensions. She had managed to acquire a Death-like sickle from somewhere - she kept on running her thumb over the blade and not bleeding "Curse Aunty Faith for giving her those necklaces!" She added.

That caught Sakazuki's attention. "What necklaces?" He asked her, turning to where she was sitting on the window-sill.

Little Death held up her new scythe, and began to draw a symbol. She drew a second one - they looked exactly like Emma's necklace and compass. She pointed her scythe to the heart with wings. "That's the Traveler's Necklace, also known as Grace's Heart. It's given power to Emma's Ribon-Ribon No Mi, and it also allows her to travel here without using her Devil Fruit power."

"Like when she's asleep." Kuzan mused, as he reclined in a chair.

Little Death nodded impatiently. "Yes. I just don't known why that is, Mr. Aokiji. I also don't know why the Traveler's Compass, sometimes called the Friendship Compass, imprinted on her!" She crossed her arms, and looked sulky.

Meanwhile, Borsalino was remembering something. "Isn't there something like that in our worrrld?" He drawled. "Something like the Tomodachi No Konpasu...?"

Sakazuki stared at him for a moment, his mind ticking. A number of different weapons were at their enemy's disposal, the most interesting of which was that necklace...access to that other world would allow them a greater advantage to destroy their enemies...the two main of which happened to be in that world. Turning back to Little Death, Sakazuki asked her: "You're unable to transport us back to that world? You'll get in trouble?"

Little Death looked annoyed, and Sakazuki knew that he'd hit a weak spot. She was a rule-breaker. Luckily, she seemed to have - rightfully - pegged the World Government as the ones to break the rules for in order to help. She seemed to respect their rules. It could be worse - she could be helping the pirates. "Mr. Akainu, I think I know what Emma is searching for in this world." She said, looking unusually serious for a little girl (well, a nine-hundred year old little girl). "She's looking for her Allies."

"Allies?" Sakazuki repeated.

"Uh-huh." Little Death nodded, waving her scythe and merging the two air-drawings together - they formed some sort of a diadem. "Mummy said that when the Twelve Allies are all together, it creates some sort of really powerful force...the force has the power to create worlds...and destroy them..." She looked at the diadem, before making it disappear with another wave of her scythe. "The compass points the way to each Ally..." She added, frowning.

"And, when the Allies are united, they gain access to some outrageous power?" Kuzan asked lazily, glancing at Little Death, who nodded quickly. "Man...wouldn't like to see that in the hands of those pirates..."

"Neither would I." Sakazuki muttered, his fists clenched. "We need to find out who these Allies are before Straw Hat and Fire-Fist do..."

"And Emma." Little Death pointed out. "She plays a bigger part in this than those two do, but they are all the bad guys." She added firmly.

Kuzan leaned forwards slightly, but still didn't sound to into the conversation when he said: "What will you have us do with the Allies when we find them? Impel Down or Marine Head-Quarters?"

"Kill them on sight."

Emma didn't mean to gasp - she really didn't, but the intensity of Sakazuki's words scared her.

So, of course, all four in the room turned to the door, to see Emma and Law standing there.

Law didn't hesitate - he just grabbed Emma's hand and ran with her. They heard the telltale sounds of Sakazuki following them, and knew they had to hurry.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" Emma cried, as they dodged Marines and Government personnel alike.

"Just keep running!" Law ordered her, focusing on the situation at hand. They reached a T-Junction in the corridor, and Law grabbed Emma by the shoulders. "Get out of here, while I hold them off..." He began but, to his surprise, she looked terrified all of a sudden, and threw her arms around his waist (she could do that, since she was a good foot shorter than what he was).

"NO, Law-San, if you do that then you'll vanish!" Emma exclaimed. She explained: "This may be real, but I brought you here via my dream. If we leave each other's sight, then you'll disappear just the way it happens in a normal dream!"

Law froze. "How do you know that?" He asked her quietly.

She looked up at him. "Because as soon as you said it, I panicked." She replied, just as she heard a horrible sound - the sound of guns being cocked. She didn't have to look to know that they were surrounded.

She heard Law curse, and buried her face into his t-shirt, not wanting to see what happened next. Just then, she felt that familiar warm glow, and realised that they were going back, so she held on extra tight to Law, to ensure that he didn't vanish.

She didn't know what she had just seen, in the back of her mind, but she had a feeling that somebody vanishing in one of her 'dreams' wouldn't end well...she didn't like taking other people with her, she decided, and she wanted to avoid it at all costs!

Ace was at his wits end. He'd been standing in the room, staring at the empty bed for five minutes, when Luffy came in.

"I couldn't get the photo..." Luffy muttered. He then noticed the expression on Ace's face. "What's wrong?"

Ace pointed wordlessly to the empty bed. Luffy looked. He didn't get it.

Just then, Zoro wandered in. "Hey, tell Emma that her dog is barking and..." He trailed off, seeing the situation. "O...kay..." He didn't get it, either.

Luckily, just then, came the explanation - a red light appeared next to Emma's bed and, a second later, both she and Law appeared from within the light.

Emma promptly collapsed, shocking everyone except for Law.

As he caught her, Ace glared at him, but all Law said was: "She's just tired - stressed, too." He added, setting Emma gently on the bed. He didn't linger unnecessarily this time - he intended to leave the room straight away after making sure that she was alright.

Unfortunately, fate (or somebody) had other plans. As everyone crowded around to make sure that Emma was alright (well, Zoro sort of lingered in the doorway, not really caring but a bit curious as to what had happened), Law quickly but efficiently checked Emma's vital signs, and Ace watched him to make sure he didn't do anything else. He also went around to the other side of the bed, where Luffy was, and pulled the sheets up over Emma. Luffy tilted his head to one side, and then took off his hat and placed it beside the pillow...just then, Emma's hand twitched, and brushed up against the compass.

At once, the purplish-blue light emitted from the necklace.

"Oh no, not again..." Ace muttered.

"Hey, what the hell is that...?" Zoro asked.

A moment later, all four of them were cats again.

Zoro was at the door, and he was stunned to find himself as a green feline again. Looking up, he saw that Luffy was a black cat, and lying next to his hat. Ace was a slightly bigger black cat, and had transformed at the time that he was leaning over Emma, so he was lying across her chest. And Law, who had been checking Emma's pulse, was now lying as blueish-black cat with darker facial markings, on the bed beside her, and her arm was across him.

"What the Hell happened in her dream-scape?" Ace hissed to Law.

"I'll tell you in the morning." Law replied smugly, snuggling against Emma's arm and enjoying the way Ace was fuming about this. Law wondered if he would have traded places with Ace right then but, for now, he would take what he could get!

Author's Notes:

. This is the song that Emma plays on the piano: watch?v=koCGagayNPM

. Ace and Law have a Ren and Kishan moment - meanwhile, Emma doesn't seem to really have a clue, just yet...

Wolf Spirite - I don't have anything pre-written, I just tend to type really, REALLY fast. ^^ Yes, Emma and Ace had their cute little moment, I felt the need to (quickly) write something like that. Don't worry - Zoro will face Tashigi again in the future. *Prophecy*

AiSoraix3 - it was a pretty dramatic chapter. ^^ Don't worry, Emma's sudden confession took us all by surprise. Thanks for the review!

Cocoa Liddell - Ace is ALWAYS amazing, lol. hmm, ARE they together, or will things be as rocky for them as this video here: watch?v=5LsdKNU7R4M ? (I hope not, that looks dangerous!). Thank you, for your support! :D

KaiF . Raphaella - thanks for the review, and the continued support!

MsWildLuck - she was right, and didn't seem too particularly thrilled about it, either! XD Well, if you wanted jealousy between Ace and Law, then I hope that this chapter didn't disappoint you! ^^