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 TWELVE
Never Gonna Be Alone
Emma tried to concentrate on the lecture, she really did - like last week, her teacher was talking about scanning in images at the correct resolution. Emma couldn't help that it was a boring lecture, or that she'd been sitting in the class all morning with her hand over the left side of her face, to hide her bruise. Her eyelids fluttered, and she hoped that she wouldn't fall asleep - the last thing she needed was to be having a weird, Akainu-related dream in the middle of class, although she would only disappear if she took somebody with her.
As it was, she wished that she could disappear right now. She was feeling tired and upset, and wished that she could go and buy a coffee but, of course, her funds had been cut. She also hadn't had time to eat anything that morning, and so was tired and hungry. She hoped that the lesson would end soon so that she could go home and eat. She didn't like her chances of catching an afternoon nap.
With her free right hand, Emma scribbled pictures in her notebook (which was eighty-five percent just that, and only fifteen percent actual TAFE work). She then looked down, to realise that she had just scribbled a chibi-version of Luffy. She added his hat, and it was perfect. Emma smiled, albeit a little bit sadly.
Just then, the teacher spoke, a little more loudly than usual. "Emma, Georgia, gave you two done your homework?"
"Huh, what homework?" They asked in unison.
A quick glance behind her told Emma that Georgia, like her, seemed distracted, and Emma was pretty sure that she knew why. She felt terrible that she'd sent Georgia's sister to another world, but she really couldn't do much about it - if she found a way to somehow bring Carmilla back, then Carmilla would arrest her for...well...everything.
Fitz crossed his arms. "The homework I assigned last week, which was to take a photo of something and scan it in at different resolutions."
Emma and Georgia both blinked.
"Oh, umm, sorry...can I hand it in to you next week?" Georgie asked, and Fitz nodded impatiently.
"Yeah, same." Emma muttered.
Fitz sighed. "Look," he said, sounding annoyed, as he addressed the whole class which, apparently, only half of had actually done the assignment. "If you don't want to be here, then the door is over there. You can't tell a client that you'll hand something next week when he wants it this week, and when you're out there in the work force..." The lecturer continued to lecture them, and everyone pretty much tuned out, except for Georgia.
She stood up suddenly, interrupting Fitz halfway through his 'none of you will pass' speech. "You know what?" Georgia snapped, grabbing her things and heading towards the door. "Forget it then. Just forget it!"
Everyone watched her go in complete and utter shock, before Emma made her split-second decision. She stood up and, ignoring the gasps from her fellow classmates due to them seeing the bruise on her face for the first time, hurried out of the room, calling: "Hey, Georgia, wait!"
She heard the door to her left close, and quickly went out that way, to find that Georgia had stopped on the steps of the balcony area and, as Emma watched, the other red-head sat down on the steps, resting her head in her hands.
Emma didn't like to think of what might have happened if she hadn't stopped her - Georgia stopping as soon as she realised she was being followed was proof that she'd wanted to be stopped. Emma lingered by the door, and then said: "Georgia, I..."
"What?!"
"I'm sorry."
That took Georgia by surprise, and she glanced curiously at Emma. "For what?"
That was a good question. What was Emma supposed to say? For sending your sister to another dimension? For potentially ruining her life and yours? For our teacher being so strict?
Instead, Emma just walked carefully over to the edge of the balcony, and leaned against the railing, looking down. She saw Georgia's ice-coloured eyes take in the bruise across her face, but Georgia didn't comment on it. Emma took a deep breath, and sighed. "I feel like I owe you that apology, for misjudging you since we started TAFE."
"What do you mean?" Georgia raised an eyebrow.
"Well, to be honest, I thought that you were just a cold hard bitch." Emma admitted.
Georgia laughed shortly. "I am a cold hard bitch. But," she sobered. "I know what you mean. To me, you just seemed like a real quiet space-case that could never pay attention."
Does it ever end? Emma wondered, but she just smiled a bit, and replied: "You sound like somebody I know..."
"So, why did you really come out here?" Georgia wanted to know, suddenly sounding suspicious.
"Because, I was worried about you." Emma said flatly. "And, I thought you could use a listener, since you're going through a rough time at the moment..."
"What would you know?" Georgia questioned.
"More than you think I do." Emma muttered.
Georgia stood up, hitching her bag onto her shoulder again. "Look, thanks but, no thanks." She began walking down the stairs. At the bottom of the steps, however, she raised a hand and added: "Later."
"Ja ne." Emma replied quietly, watching her go, before turning her face up to the sky. It was an overcast day, but it didn't look like rain. Then again, what would she know? She was no Navigator...she wasn't Nami. She thought back to how Luffy kept calling her his Nakama, and how both Whitebeard and Ace had expressed their opinions in wanting her to join the Whitebeard Pirates (Whitebeard, albeit, in his own subtle way and Ace in a...not-so-subtle way). If she were to become part of a crew, then what would she do?
Musician? No, Luffy already had one of them, and she doubted she would fit in as a Musician of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Log-Keeper? She liked writing, but...she was sure that Nami and/or Robin kept the log-books for the Straw Hat Pirates and there were so many Whitebeard Pirates that there must be at least twenty log-keepers for that crew...besides, she liked writing fiction, not fact.
Ship-Guard? Might as well start calling her a Neowban Brother...err, Sister. That wouldn't work.
And, she realised, she'd just gone off subject again. Her thoughts had wandered away from her and, if Law were here, then he'd have said something about it.
Emma sighed, and turned around, not wanting to go back to class and wishing that she'd thought to grab her things like Georgia had.
When people were late into TAFE, the lecturers often stated that said people would go into 'ninja-mode', and try to sneak in undetected. Emma attempted that now and, so wrapped up in being a sneaky-sneak, that she failed to notice the out-of-place person standing in the room, until he came up and tapped her on the shoulder.
"Hmm?" Emma was busy logging off of her computer, and only half-turned. Then: "Luffy?! What are you doing here?!" She turned around all the way around, blinking. "For what reason...?"
Luffy began to reply: "Ojichan came and told us what happened last night between you and-"
Emma cut him off, saying loudly: "Okay!" She grabbed her stuff, pushing it into her backpack, before jumping up and grabbing the bag and Luffy's arm. As she was hurrying him out of the room, she called to her shocked lecturer: "I'll hand the assignment in next week, Fitz!"
Once out on the street, Emma found Ace and Law waiting for her.
She stopped, as Luffy walked ahead, and stared at the three men in front of her. She didn't say anything.
Ace took a step towards her, and then stopped. He was looking at her face, which she immediately tried to hide with her hand. When that didn't work - all three of them were still staring - she turned away.
She heard Ace start to walk towards her again, but he stopped when she asked him: "Why did you come here...how did you come here?"
"We caught the train from Fremantle." Ace replied, and Emma didn't dare ask how they had paid for it, because she suspected that they hadn't. "Emiko, look, I...I'm..."
"It's not your fault, so don't apologize." She cut him off.
"No, it is my fault." Ace said strongly. "It's because of me that you got hurt and, well...I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize." Emma repeated, shaking her head. Tears were threatening her eyes, and her face really did hurt. "Just tell me why you did it."
"It's...no excuse..." Ace muttered uncomfortably.
"I need to know."
Ace didn't seem capable of replying, but Law did. He said, quietly, but they could still hear him: "He read Volume 59 of the manga."
Emma gasped, feeling the colour drain from her face. Ace had...read that? That horrible chapter of him dying, and Luffy losing his spirit? That horrible future that almost was...?
Emma took a deep, shaky breath.
"Like I said, it's no excuse for what I did." Ace stated. "Emiko, I'm really sorry..."
"No, Ace-Chan." She cut him off again, half-turning. "I am...I shouldn't have kept that from you. I tried to tell you last week but...well, the truth was...I was really, really scared." She turned all the way around and looked up at him, her eyes bright with tears. "Please forgive me?" She whispered.
Ace looked surprised. "There's nothing to forgive..." He closed the distance between them, and reached out a warm hand to touch the bruise on the left side of Emma's face. "I'm just angry that your Mum thinks she can get away with doing this to you." He used his thumb to wipe away a stray tear that escaped from Emma's left eye.
"Umm, Ace-Chan, she's my Mum..." Emma reminded him. "She can do whatever she..."
"No, she can't." Law said, as he and Luffy approached. "That bruise isn't going to go away for a few days now...Garp was furious." He added.
Emma sighed. "I can imagine...but, please don't do anything. As bad as this appears, my Mum isn't all that bad. She just loses her temper from time-to-time..."
"It doesn't matter." Ace stated. "I can't just let this one go."
Emma looked up at him, worry in her eyes. "What...what are you planning on doing?"
"I'm going to meet her."
Georgia dropped her cigarette onto the ground and stamped it out, before turning and walking towards the gates, where she tagged on with her Smart-Rider. She stepped onto the escalator that would take her to the Midland train line, and saw a familiar black-clad figure out of the corner of her eye, on the other escalator.
As Georgia watched, she and Emma reached the platforms at the same time, and Emma stopped and looked around. Georgia watched as Emma's face lit up, and she raised a hand in greeting.
Three men walked towards her, all of them had black hair and could be considered handsome. Georgia narrowed her eyes, recognising the straw hat that one was wearing as the same one that Emma herself had been wearing last week.
As Georgia watched, the tallest of the men walked ahead after giving Emma a quick glance. The straw hat boy ruffled Emma's hair, and the third guy (who wasn't wearing a shirt and had a purple tattoo on his back that reminded Georgia of a swastika crossed with a pirate symbol) subtly held out his hand, Emma took it.
They walked together towards the Perth Underground.
Georgia watched them go, getting a very strange feeling inside after that, but she wasn't sure why...she considered a few things as she got onto the train, and sat there thinking about it as the doors were closing.
A guy with a straw hat...another guy with a purple tattoo on his back...that symbol that looked like a pirate flag symbol...
Two people sat next to Georgia and were talking amongst themselves. Georgia heard bits and snitches of their conversation.
"...that train over there, is that the one that goes to Kalgoorlie?"
"No, that's the Prospector you're thinking of. This one's the Australind, it goes to Bunbury."
"Yeah...hey, did you hear about that pirate ship that appeared in Dunsborough? It's gone!"
"How do you know it was a pirate ship?"
"Because it had a jolly roger on the flag."
"Oh."
Georgia closed her eyes, and tried to picture that weird ship that had appeared, with its whale figure-head and flag...she remembered seeing it on the news, and how Carmilla had seemed disconcerted by its appearance...she remembered the symbol on the flag...and then, she remembered the symbol on that shirtless guy's back...
Georgia's eyes snapped open. "Wait...a minute..."
"I feel kind of bad, not warning my Mum about this." Emma muttered, as she started her car and then drove it out of the train station car park. "But, I can't exactly call her."
"When are you getting your phone replaced?" Law wanted to know.
"On the weekend." Emma replied. "Mum said she'd take me shopping." She added, in a voice that said: See? She's a nice person.
The boys were not convinced, but all of them had made their decisions on meeting Emma's parents, whether she liked it or not. She'd made them promise to be civil, and hold their tongues, and not say anything weird. She'd instructed them to lie and say that they were at TAFE with her, but in a different class, and had added to Luffy that if he couldn't lie, then he should just let her and Ace do all the talking. She'd told them all to be on their best behaviour...
So, why was she feeling so nervous as she pulled into the driveway, and drove the car around to the back?
They all got out, and Emma turned to them. "Okay, wait here...I'll go and, umm...tell them...yeah..." She turned, and walked in a somewhat robot-like way up to the house. "Okay, breathe, you can do this, just relax..." She felt stressed. Imagine, not wanting to go into your own house.
She opened the door leading from the garage to the laundry, and was almost immediately bombarded by her Mother.
"Why are you home so early?" Lee demanded to know, not turning around from where she was cooking Emma's favourite curry at the stove.
"Half-day Mum, as always." Emma replied, sliding off her backpack and lingering at the door.
"Since when?" Lee wanted to know.
"Since I started semester two this year, Mum." Emma rolled her eyes, and then cleared her throat. "Umm, Mum...I..."
"I have a job for you to do this afternoon, Emma," Lee said and, when Emma opened her mouth, Lee cut her off. "And, I don't want to hear 'no' or 'I have homework' because that's bullshit and we both know it! I just spent all morning on my week off work cleaning up after the mess that you made while your Father and I were away! I'm also making some curry for you, if you haven't noticed!"
"I didn't ask you to make this curry for me!" Emma replied hotly. Then: "Mum, I..."
Lee turned around, and saw Emma's face for the first time. Her expression changed. "Oh, Emma..." She trailed off and didn't say anything, just looking at her daughter's face before coming around from within the kitchen and reaching out a hand.
Emma jerked away, out of instinct, and said again: "Mum, I..."
"Stop moving back every time I come near you, Emma." Lee looked annoyed.
"I would if you'd stop losing your temper!" Emma snapped back.
"Don't raise your voice at me." Lee ordered her, turning around. "Did you put something on your face this morning?"
"No, Mum, I didn't have time." Emma sighed, and tried again, one last time. "Mum, I..."
"Well, come and put something on it, now."
"STOP INTERRUPTING ME!" Emma fairly screamed.
Lee looked just as surprised as Emma felt when the words came out, and both of them stared at each other for a moment, before Lee turned around without another word, and left the room.
Emma was left there, feeling numb. "Mum, wait, I..." She called, and then moved back slightly, feeling torn and distracted. What should she do? Go and make amends with her Mother, and then introduce the boys to her? Or, just skip it all entirely and get out of here as fast as she could?
Emma turned, and walked quickly from the house, not bothering to close the door or tell her parents where she was going. She just hurried down the driveway, to where the boys were waiting for her impatiently.
"What's going on?" Ace asked immediately, seeing the look on Emma's face.
"Change of plans, let's just go." Emma said, opening the car door.
"Why, what happened?" Luffy wanted to know, as they climbed into the car again.
"Can't talk, too upset." Emma murmured, starting the car and driving out of the driveway as quickly as she dared. She sped down the street, and turned onto the road that people treated like a main road but, really, it wasn't. Only when she was on Armadale Road did she tell them what had happened.
"Why do I always fight with my Mum?" She wondered, taking a hand off the steering wheel and resting her face in her palm at the lights, as she had her elbow on the side of the door.
"Maybe you just have too many differences of opinion?" Law suggested. "Or, it could be that you're both very similar." He added.
"Okay...you lost me." Luffy spoke up from the backseat, where he and Ace were sitting. "How can they be different but the same?"
"No, no, I understand him." Emma sighed, as she pulled away from the lights. "What he means is that, while my Mum and I see the world in a different light, we're both so stubborn and hot-headed that we don't agree to, well, disagree."
"Of course, I don't know your Mum personally, so I can't make any judgements." Law sat back, smiling.
"Hmm..." Ace mused, and then asked Emma: "Ne, Emiko...any special reason why we're going this way?"
"Well...I guess I'm taking you guys back to the ship," Emma said, as they drove over the hill and saw the ocean glittering in the horizon - the weather had cleared up, and promised for a spectacular sunset. "And...yeah...oh!" She turned to them as she approached another set of lights. "Please, please don't mention any of this to Nami, okay?"
"Why?" The three men asked her in unison.
"Because..." Emma turned back to face the front, watching a Mum walk across the road with her two daughters. "I may argue with my Mum, but at least I still have a Mum...I bet that Nami would give anything to argue with Bellemere again..."
"So, have you seen much of this world, yet?" Sumi asked Nami, as they sat together in the crows nest of the Moby Dick.
Nami shook her head. "I've just arrived." She explained.
"We should ask Emma to take us out sometime, a girl's-only outing." Sumi suggested.
Nami grinned. "Excellent - I want to check out some of the shops in this world."
Sumi looked down. "Ne, Nami-Chan...do you ever get worried that, you know, maybe we won't be able to go back to our own world to stay? I mean, with everything that's going on...?"
Nami shook her head again. "Iie. You wanna know why? Because Luffy's still confident that we'll be able to start our journey again and, as long as he's certain, then so am I."
"You really look up to Luffy, don't you?" Sumi questioned.
Nami smiled. "Hai..." She replied. "It's strange...if you'd asked me when I was your age if I would ever look up to a pirate, then I would have said no. But now...Luffy saved me, long ago when we first met." She confided in Sumi. "He set me free."
Sumi nodded, looking thoughtful. "Yeah, it was...the same for Ace-Kun, and me..." Her hand was at her throat again, where her scars were.
Nami noticed, but didn't question, and they lapsed into silence, before Sumi spoke up again. "Speaking of Ace-Kun...what do you suppose is going on between him and Emma-Chan?" Sumi giggled.
Nami did, as well. "Hmm, I dunno...I'll tell you, though, I've noticed him and Law aren't exactly the best of friends."
Sumi grinned. "Sounds interesting. The crew has started taking bets."
Nami laughed. "Sign me up!"
Just then, there was a shout from below them, and a voice cried out: "Welcome back!"
Then: "Oi, you, swordsman, tell the girls."
"Why do I have to do it?"
"Just do it!"
Nami heard Zoro sigh, and then he called: "Oi, Nami!"
"What?!"
"They're back - come down here!"
Nami grinned at Sumi. "They're back, Sumi."
Sumi grinned back, and together the two girls stood up in the crow's nest, and then jumped down.
"No, not that...way..." Zoro rolled his eyes, as the two girls landed cat-like on the deck. Show-offs...
Nami just ignored him, and walked over to where the group was crowded around the four that had just appeared on the deck in a shower of ribbons. She nearly laughed at the sight of the men picking bits of red and gold ribbon off of themselves, but stopped when she saw Emma's face.
Emma saw her at the same time, and raised a hand in greeting. "Hi...Nami..."
Nami raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay?"
Emma nodded, very quickly. "Umm, sure, yes, I am! I just...well, it's not important and I'm alright now! Come on, Ace-Chan, you promised me a late lunch!"
"Uh...huh..." Nami watched as Emma and Ace walked down below deck to the galley, and Law seemed to glare at them as they did. Nami snagged Luffy. "Hey, Luffy, what's wrong with Emma?"
Luffy looked away. "Oh, umm...nothing..." He lied.
Nami gave him a fierce Look. "Luffy..."
"Okay, it's like this, she didn't want you to know about the fight she had with her Mother, because at least she still has a Mother, and she's sure that you wish you could still fight with your Mother!" Luffy exclaimed.
Everyone around them either face-palmed or rolled their eyes - that kid was a terrible secret-keeper.
Nami, however, was used to it. She exchanged a glance with Sumi, who just shrugged, and Nami turned back to her Captain.
"Is that all?" Nami sighed. "I'm going to go and talk with her."
Nami walked into the dining room, to find it almost empty, save for the two people sitting in one corner, eating BLT's - bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches.
"So, you're completely broke?" Ace was saying, between bites.
Emma nodded, wiping her mouth with a napkin. "Umm, yeah...it's okay though, I'll just..."
"Dine And Dash?" Ace suggested.
"Improvise." Emma frowned, and then sighed. "It'll be good when I'm strong enough to not turn into a cat when I use my powers to go to your world...I just have to get strong enough to beat Coby, but..."
"But what?" Ace glanced at her.
Emma looked down. "I haven't had a chance to tell my parents how much my martial arts lessons are costing me, and...I don't think they'll let me continue..."
Ace blinked, and then smiled. "Hey, no problem - we'll teach you!"
Emma looked up in surprise. "You will?"
He nodded. "Sure - and, trust me, my training methods are a lot better than Ojīchan's, trust me..." He promptly fell asleep.
Emma rolled her eyes, and then looked up, to see Nami standing there, smiling at her. "Oh, Nami...what's up?"
"I wanted to talk to you." Nami sat down across the table from her and, ignoring the sleeping Ace, turned her face serious as she said: "I know you had a fight with your Mum last night, and today."
Emma stared at her. "Luffy told you, didn't he?"
Nami nodded. "Hai. If there's one thing I've learned from all this, it's that we don't keep secrets from each other. You don't have to keep things from us, Emma."
Emma shifted uncomfortably. "I guess..."
"I mean," Nami went on. "You already know everything about us, so..."
Emma cringed, and looked down. "So...what do you want to know?" She asked carefully.
Nami's gaze was soft. The younger woman replied: "Just don't keep secrets from us, okay?" She smiled. "Trust us."
Emma smiled back at her after a short while. "O-okay...arigatoo, Nami."
"And, my Mum has nothing to do with your Mum so, if you two argue again, just tell me - I'll understand."
Emma just nodded.
Marco suddenly appeared at the stairs to the dining hall. "Yoi, Emma - Trafalgar Law is looking for you. He wants you to meet him in the crow's nest." He added.
Emma nodded, and stood up. Before she left, however, she handed a black texta from her pocket to Nami. "Here. Draw on Ace-Chan's face for me."
Nami grinned evilly, and set to work.
Emma climbed up into the crow's nest, and found Law waiting patiently, completely at ease and with his hands behind his head.
"You wanted to see me, Law-San?" Emma said, as she climbed up. The sun was beginning to set and, a quick glance at her watch told Emma that it was nearly six o'clock. If she still had her mobile phone, then her Mum would be ringing.
Law nodded, a small smirk still on his face. "Hn. I need something from you."
"What?" Emma blinked, feeling confused, as Law got up.
"Remember last week, when I said that you owed me?" Law questioned, and Emma nodded wordlessly. "Well, I've decided what I want from you."
Emma had a sudden thrill of fear, like an icy storm flying through her stomach. What was he...?
The sunset was reflected in Law's calm grey eyes, making them seem to appear almost on fire. He approached Emma slowly, and she had the sudden urge to use her powers to...escape?
Wait, why would she need to...?
Law was suddenly in front of her, and gripping her shoulders tightly with his hands.
"Law-San...?!"
Law leaned close to her. "Emma-San..." He was very close now...too close, and suddenly...
Emma felt it when Law's lips touched her own...it was soft and gentle and yet, at the same time, she could feel the movement of his lips on hers as being a strange and almost alien feeling to her. She could smell the faintest taste of medical disinfectant on him...she could feel the texture of his goatee on her chin...she could see something in those cool grey eyes, but she didn't know what it was...
All she knew was that she was frozen in place, unable to move or think during her first ever kiss.
She'd never even had a boyfriend...heck, she'd never even really hugged a guy, and now...she'd lost her first kiss to a debt...
Tears stung her eyes, and spurred her into action - she put her hands up and pushed Law back suddenly, stepping back at the same time as she cried: "Ribon-Ribon No Transport!"
As she vanished in a whirl of ribbons, and Law just stared at the place where she had vanished, his eyes happened to glance up, and over to the for topsail, and see a figure standing there.
Clad in pink, and with her blonde plaited pigtails billowing in the light breeze, Sumi stared back at Trafalgar Law in shock.
"Where were you?!" Lee cried, as Emma walked back into the house.
"Out." Emma said shortly, stalking out into the hall.
"Emma get back here!" Lee snapped, following her daughter. "We need to talk!"
"I can't talk to you right now!" Emma retorted, quickening her pace.
"Emma, get back here!"
"NO!" Emma shouted, hurrying to her room and slamming the door shut. She locked it, even though she knew it wouldn't last - her parents had the key. The lock had been installed on the door to keep her out, when her parents had locked her out of her room a few winters ago, to 'teach her a lesson'. She'd had no electric blanket or doona, hardly any clothes, no books or video games or drawing materials or music or computer...
Now, however, none of that mattered.
As Emma threw herself down onto her bed, her hand brushed against her compass, and an image immediately appeared as a hologram above it.
Emma stared at it, through the tears in her eyes, and watched as a patchy-cat ran from a dog that was chasing it. In its mouth was a smaller cat...which had antlers...
As Emma watched in shock, a wall of fire suddenly appeared in front of the two cats, and the dog was gaining on them...wait, it was more like a wolf...its fangs were bared, as the two cats were cornered.
And, suddenly, her own problems seemed miniscule.
Author's Notes:
. There's...nothing more to say. Except that, now, six things are happening:
- Emma and the others have to track down their Allies.
- Emma's got a love-triangle on her hands (she doesn't know it yet).
. Emma's relationship with her parents is on the rocks.
- The gods must be crazy.
- The World Government is still out there.
- The police in this world are involved.
Kouralia - oh, well then, thank you! ^^ Yes, I know the idea of the Akatsuki being turned into cats is very overused, I've read it. -_- Believe it or not, there's a reason that it was cats for this lot. I hope that the end of this chapter was LawxEmma enough for you... ^^
KaiF . Raphaella - she nearly lost it a few times, but managed to hold back...a little bit. ^_^;; She was with Law in this chapter...sort of...
Wolf Spirite - yup, jinxing happens all the time when you forget to touch wood. XD Thanks for the review.
Mugiwara Otome - I agree, Ace needs a girlfriend. He has a little brother that thinks he's the best, but he needs a girlfriend that thinks the same way! However, it's going to be more Jealous!Ace than Jealous!Law when Ace finds out about the kiss! XD nOW...TAFE stands for Technical And Further Education. ^^ It's like university, but you don't need to do TEE (Tertiary Entrance Exams).
Cocoa Liddell - that's a good point. XD Seeing all of these opinions makes it even more fun for me to write. Thanks for the review.
Chieko Namikaze - your opinion is dually noted. Emma and her parents have a...tedious relationship, it goes from one extreme to the other and there's hardly ever any middle ground. :( Sometimes she feels like they don't quite understand her. Garp will be there to help with her training, which will make her happy, as she looks up to him. :)
MsWildLuck - noooo, not Boa, anybody but HER! Thank you for your review. :)
Okay, soooo...I have...four for Law, and four for Ace... *dies*