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).
Parental Warning: This chapter contains infrequent coarse language.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Two Worlds Collide
"Were your parents angry that you stayed over last night?" Nami yawned, as she poured syrup on her pancakes.
"Probably, but they can't control me forever." Emma shrugged, sipping on her coffee. Her chin was propped up on her palm, with her elbow resting on the table - she was tired.
Everyone was - a few people weren't even up yet. Only Emma, Law, Nami, Nojiko, Sanji and Sumi were. Ace, Luffy, Garp, Chopper, Usopp and Zoro were still asleep.
Emma, however, had a plan for that. As soon as she was dressed in her warm (black) clothes that she'd brought with her, they bustled around putting scarves and jackets on those that were still sleeping, before Emma transformed them all into cats, and they picked them up and piled everybody into the car.
Law was forced to go as a cat, since there were only four passenger seats.
"Nng...it's still dark outside..." Usopp muttered, from the floor of the car.
"That's why they call it a Dawn Service, Usopp." Emma replied, stopping at some lights and taking a sip of coffee. "It's honorable."
"So, tell us about all this, Emma." Nami said, leaning her head back on her seat. "Which war is it honoring?"
"Well..." Emma mused, as she turned left at the lights. "All of them, really. It's called Anzac Day - Anzac stands for Australia and New Zealand Army Corps - to honor the Anzacs of World War One but, over the years, it's started honoring the soldiers from the other wars. Like my Granddad, who fought in World War Two."
"You've had world wars?" Sumi sounded shocked.
"I know, right?" Emma replied. "Still, we're all taught at a young age that these soldiers fought for our freedom, to make our country a better place. Without their sacrifices, Australia wouldn't be the place it was today. The Germans and the Japanese would have taken over during World War Two, and we'd all be eating wurst and wearing kimonos."
"They sound pretty terrible." Nojiko commented.
"Back then..." Emma furrowed her brow, trying to word things properly. "But they were just following orders, the soldiers that is. Both sides lost so many people so, in a way, I think we're honoring everybody that died in battle, no matter which side they were on. Today is a day to remember every brave person that fought for their country because, in the end, you can't hate somebody for feeling about their country the way you feel about yours. i'm just glad that our side won."
Wow...that was deep... Nojiko thought.
"So, there were a lot of wars in your world, Emma?" Chopper asked.
"Uh-huh." Emma nodded. "I mean, there's one going on right now..."
"Whaaaat?!" Everybody cried.
"Don't worry, minna, it's taking place in another country." Emma explained. "A lot of Australian soldiers have been killed, however, so we're paying our respects to them, as well. There was also the Vietnam War, the Korean Cold War, the Persian Gulf War..."
The pirates exchanged glances, as Emma continued speaking. Only Garp remained still, listening quietly.
Both Emma and Garp were subdued throughout the entire service. The pirates seemed stunned, listening to what the people of this world were saying about their wars, especially the battle in Gallipoli.
Emma had transformed everybody into humans, and they stood more towards the back of the crowd, which stood there in the chilliness of the morning, listening to the words being spoken as the sun began to rise.
"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them."
"Lest we forget." Many people in the crowd, including Emma, intoned.
The pirates all glanced at her - her eyes were very serious, as she stared at the flame that was lit above the water, and the sentence: Let Silent Contemplation Be Your Offering.
The flame was reflected in Emma's eyes, and her right hand twisted the ring on her left hand.
As the sun's rays shone on the crowd that had gathered at Kings Park, Garp glanced down at Emma and, for just a second, her hair was lightened several shades, and her eyes darkened.
Standing there like that, there was no doubt in Garp's mind who Emma resembled.
As The Last Post was being played, Emma muttered: "You know..." Garp focused his attention on her. "I thought that I was so great, stopping what happened at Marineford and all that, but..." Her fists were clenched. "That was more just dumb-luck...I'm not a hero, or brave or anything, I'm just an ordinary girl that got mixed up in somebody else's war." A slight breeze billowed about her hair, as she reached up to tuck said hair behind her ears again. "I'm nothing like the men and women that sacrificed their lives for my country."
Garp put a hand on her shoulder, and turned his gaze back to the men that had stood to attention, and saluted, by the war memorial.
"Heroes," Garp said quietly, but she still heard him. "And bravery, are things that come from the most unexpected places, at the most unexpected of times. I knew a lot of people...a lot of Marines, both men and women, who were willing to give their lives for peace. But...I met a woman once...she considered herself to be ordinary, although she was far from it...I only knew her for a short amount of time, but she sacrificed herself to help make our world a better place, by giving it hope."
"Hope..." Emma muttered, glancing quickly at Ace, who looked like he was about to fall asleep on his feet.
"Yes. You remind me...very much of her."
Emma didn't respond, and just faced forwards again, an unreadable expression on her face. She didn't know how to react to this new piece of information, and so she didn't.
She didn't do or say anything, until it was time to sing Advance Australia Fair.
The pirates and Garp weren't sure what it was, but Emma sounded more spectacular singing that, than she ever did singing anything else.
"I'm surprised that these cafes and stuff are open today." Sumi commented, as they walked through Fremantle later that day.
"Me too, I thought this was supposed to be a holiday of sorts." Law agreed.
"Emmy..." Luffy began, as they passed a particular restaurant. "Can we...?"
"No, I'm afraid we can't, Luffy." Emma said firmly, steering him away from the restaurant. "We have to go to my Uncle's party soon, so you can eat then."
"Okay." Luffy pouted.
"My Mum called," Emma added. "She said the venue's been changed to her work, but she didn't say why."
"Okay." A few people nodded.
"Hey, Emiko," Ace said, from where he was walking on Emma's other side. They were passing a newsagency that happened to be open. "Did you ever check that Lotto ticket you bought the other week?"
Emma shook her head. "No...I missed the draw, as well...I suppose I should check it out..." She pulled out her wallet, and managed to locate the ticket.
As she and the girls headed over to the newsagency to check the ticket, the boys all turned to Ace.
"What?" He asked, blinking at the fact that he was suddenly the center of attention.
Usopp grinned. "Don't you 'what' us, Ace - we all know what's going on between you and Emma!"
"That's right!" Chopper giggled. "We saw you two together last night!"
"Ace is getting ma-rried!" Luffy sang, laughing. "Shishishi..."
"You'd better treat her right, got it?" Sanji warned Ace.
"Guys, leave him alone, he knows what he's doing." Zoro rolled his eyes.
"What would you know, Marimo-Head?" Sanji asked him.
"More than you, Dartboard-Brow!" Zoro shot back.
Ace just stood there, before he glanced at Law, who was glaring at him. Ace stared back at him, reading the expression in the doctor's eyes. He understood it.
Just then, they heard Nami, Nojiko and Sumi shriek, and they all turned quickly, to see those three girls envelop Emma, jumping up and down and looking excited.
The shop attendant was smiling, although she looked a little bit embarrassed.
Emma, however, seemed shocked, her ticket held in her hand above her head, to avoid being crushed by the other girls.
"I take it she won?" Zoro raised an eyebrow.
"One could assume so." Sanji nodded, as he lit a cigarette.
"What?!" Ace cried. "But...that was...about seventy-five million dollars!"
Sanji, Zoro, Chopper and Usopp stared at him.
"There's...no way she could have won all of that..." Usopp looked stunned. "Right...?"
Nami picked Emma up and swung her around, looking like she was about to kiss her.
"...Right...?"
"I'm telling you, I haven't done anything wrong!" Georgia cried, as she was led down the hallway of the Marine base by two burly-looking officers.
"You appeared in the middle of a top-secret Marine training exercise." One of the officers stated coldly, as she was led through another doorway - how far into the base had they gone, anyway?
"I didn't do it on purpose!" Georgia snapped, as they passed a very tall man who looked African-American to Georgia. "If Little Death hadn't stolen my necklace, then I..."
"Matte." The African-American man had suddenly spoken and, at once, the two officers halted, and saluted.
"Admiral Kuzan, sir." One of the officers said.
The man, Kuzan, turned around, and Georgia wondered how and why he had gotten so tall. He gazed down in an almost lazy way at her, and asked: "What exactly has this little lady done?"
"Sir," the officer on Georgia's right said. "This civilian is in direct violation of code 613, act 97." He explained, when Kuzan gave him an odd look.
Why do I get the feeling that nobody but these two idiots knows what a code 613 is?Georgia wondered, as Kuzan continued to gaze at her. She felt her face grow heated. "What?!" She snapped, finally losing her patience. "This is not my fault! Some god of the Underworld, called Little Death, said that if I got this heart-shaped necklace off of one of my classmates, then I would be able to get my sister back! So, I got the necklace off of Emma, but then Little Death tricked me and took the necklace for herself! I just want to see my sister!" She finished, in a yell.
"How dare you speak to Admiral Kuzan that way!" One of the Marine officers began, angrily, but Kuzan held up a hand.
Leaning down, he addressed Georgia. "Who is your sister?"
"Her name is Carmilla Brown." Georgia replied, glaring at him. She hated this place already! "She's about this tall," she held up her hand. "Has blue eyes and black hair, and she comes from the same world that I do!"
Kuzan nodded, and straightened up. "Gentlemen, leave this pretty little lady with me." To Georgia (who was fuming at being called a 'pretty little lady'), he added: "I'll take you to see your sister."
"So, tell me again when our money is coming in?" Nami asked, latching herself onto Emma's arm as they walked through the Perth Underground. It was some form of luck, for sure, but the trains were running free of charge on Anzac Day.
"What do you mean 'our' money, Nami?" Zoro, who was walking behind them, rolled his eyes.
"I mean, Emma will need some help in managing her new fortune." Nami replied smoothly.
"Oh, is that right?" Emma still looked stunned, as she led them all to the Thornlie train line. "Well, as soon as I can get to the Lotto commission place, then I can get it transferred into my account."
"When's it open?" Nojiko wanted to know.
"It should open up again tomorrow." Emma replied.
"No more starving days!" Luffy cheered, as they boarded the train which, luckily, was pretty much empty, save for two men in hoodies that boarded with them.
"Emiko," Ace whispered to Emma, as the train pulled out of the station. "Those two guys have been following us since we left Fremantle."
"Nani?" She whispered back. "The, why didn't you say something before?"
"They smell of drugs and alcohol." Chopper whispered, sounding scared.
"It's okay." Muttered Zoro, who was sitting next to her. He had his swords with him - it was really something that he hadn't been arrested for them yet. "We'll manage it."
"No, let me." Emma murmured. "It'll be good practice for my rematch with Coby."
"Are you sure?" Ace and Zoro asked her in unison.
She nodded, looking straight ahead as her old TAFE passed by. "Hai."
Officer Bradley sighed. Nothing ever happened on a public holiday, so why had he chosen to work today?
Things had gotten even worse, as far as the case that was dubbed 'Straw Hat Girl' was concerned. It seemed that Carmilla's little sister, Georgia, was also missing, and their parents were emotionally wrecked. They had both been admitted to hospital, due to shock and stress.
Bradley sat back in his chair, glancing carelessly at the video surveillance for Perth transport. He then sat up straight and leaned forwards, staring in shock at the screen, which showed a group of people boarding a train bound for Thornlie.
It was her - Emma Pax, the girl they had been looking for. Her fingerprints had come in from the Malaysian Government, and now the police system was trying to figure out how to act on it.
Bradley was supposed to alert his superiors if he saw her today - but, who would have guessed that he would?
Bradley stared for a moment, watching the train leave, before he pressed a button that put him in contact with the chief of police.
Emma knew that it was going to happen, so why was she so nervous?
Her heart was pounding as they exited the train at Burswood and, of course, the two men in hoodies followed them.
They had approached the steps leading down the the car park where the Dome was, when they heard they unmistakable sound of guns being drawn, and the safety triggers being disengaged.
The group all turned around, to see that the men had taken their hoods off, and Emma narrowed her eyes at them, recognizing them.
"You!" She cried, realising that they were two of the men from the beach, the ones who had been hurting Nojiko.
The men nodded. "Some of our mates got arrested thanks to you, you little bitch." One of them said. "We're going to mess you up, and then we're taking that Lotto ticket off of your hands, to help pay for our mates' bail."
Emma narrowed her eyes, and discretely handed her handbag to Sumi. "You liars." She said clearly, judging her distances. "You're just going to spend it all on liquor and heroin."
"Fuck you, you bitch!" The other man spat, and went to fire a bullet - only to find that the gun had been kicked out of his hands. In the next second, a fist connected solidly with his jaw, and sent him flying back into the wall of the closed hotdog shop. He slumped to the ground, unconscious.
"Gary, no!" The other man gasped, just as Emma appeared in front of him, that steely glint from before back in her eyes. The man cried out, and tried to shoot her, but the gun was gone from his hands before he could even realise what was happening and, a second later, he was unconscious against the wall, beside his friend.
Emma nodded to herself, and dusted off her hands.
"Alright!" Chopper cheered, as they hurried over to her.
"Way to go!" Usopp added.
"Oh, it was nothing." Emma shook her head, and glared at the two passed out bodies. "They were untrained, and unskilled."
"Give yourself some more credit, Emma-Chan." Sumi smiled, shaking her head.
"When it's due, Sumi-Chan, when it's due." Emma replied.
"Okay, so Mum said that they should be around here, somewhere." Emma said, looking around the grassy area where a lot of families seemed to have decided to come for lunch. "I'll try and find her - you guys wait here." She added and, of course, Ace went with her.
"Look at those two." Nojiko commented to her sister, as they watched Emma and Ace hold hands as they made their way through the crowd. "They look so good together."
"They do." Nami agreed, smiling happily. "I'm so glad they're getting married." She was, of course, already mentally planning the wedding. She was picturing a theme of pink, (to go with the rings) and soft gold bridesmaid dresses and white ribbons, with a fourteen tier cake, three outfit changes for the bride, and an admission fee.
Nojiko glanced sideways at Nami. "And you? Have you found a boyfriend yet, little sister?"
Nami scowled. "No, Nojiko, I have not."
"And why not?" Nojiko smiled, in a good-natured way. She loved stirring up her little sister.
Nami rolled her eyes, and then glanced at the group of boys. Nojiko followed her gaze.
Sanji and Zoro were trying to hold back Luffy, who was trying to make a break for a table of food belonging to an Indian family - there was enough curry and laksa there to feed an army, but that didn't mean that Luffy could just help himself. Usopp, meanwhile, was telling Chopper about the time he had made curry for the King of Shakalaka, and that the King had never wanted to eat anything else ever again, and Chopper looked awe-inspired, even under all of his layers of coats.
Nojiko would have sweat-dropped, had she been in an anime. "Oh. I see what you mean."
"Still," Nami said, smiling unexpectedly. "I doubt I'd get very far without them. They may be idiots, but...they're still my nakama."
Nojiko smiled, feeling a strange sense of peace about the whole thing.
Emma suddenly came hurrying back to them, dragging Ace, and looking worried. Everybody gathered around them.
"Okay, guys, look, I'm so sorry!" Emma said. "I really am..."
"What is it?" Sumi asked her. "Did they say we couldn't stay?"
Emma shook her head. "No...that isn't it. It's just...there's a part of my family that I hopedyou wouldn't meet..."
"Emma, just tell us." Nami rolled her eyes.
"Well," Emma began, as she led them through the crowds, and tried to ignore it when Luffy stole a steak off of a nearby BBQ. "My Uncle's son came."
"What's wrong with that?" Nami wanted to know.
"He brought his girlfriend and their baby with him." Emma replied.
"So?" Nami shrugged.
Emma stopped, and turned around. She had a slightly angry look in her eyes, but it wasn't directed at Nami. "So, I don't know why they bothered showing up at all! They don't even like Uncle Wayne! They run him down, they insult him, they've invaded his own house! They think he's some creepy freak that will hurt his own granddaughter, and so they won't let him anywhere nearher! They disrespect him even though he's bailed them out and put a roof over their heads, and they spend all of his money!"
"The fiends!" Nami exclaimed, looking annoyed.
"How could they do that?" Sumi mused. "I mean, if what you said is true and he's been helping them...we all know that he could just as easily have been the complete opposite."
"That's right." Ace nodded.
"I didn't want you to have to meet them." Emma explained, staring down at the grass. "They tend to put everybody down."
Ace put an arm across her shoulders. "Hey, don't worry, Emiko," he told her. "Stuff like that doesn't bother us."
"That's right." Sanji nodded. "Don't you worry about us, Emma-Chwan. We're just like ducks in a rainstorm."
Zoro gave him a Look. "You're the only duck around here, blondie."
"What was that, moss-head?!"
Sumi giggled, and linked her arm through Emma's. "Come on. Let's go and meet this family of yours, Emma-Chan."
"Yes. We'll leave the two fowl to their own devices." Law suggested.
"Hey!"
Over the course of the next half an hour or so, the pirates and Garp were introduced to Emma's family. Ace had already met a few of them but, for everybody else, it was their first meeting, and it was quite memorable.
They met Emma's parents, and tried their best to act civil towards Bruce and Lee, who seemed friendly enough, but they all knew how quickly the couple could lose their tempers.
They met Emma's older sister Sarah, and her Maori boyfriend, Ben, who greeted them in a friendly way, with bottles of beer in their hands. Ben called them all 'fellas', and Sarah's eyes lit up when she learned that Ace was Emma's boyfriend, although she looked like she wanted to ask her little sister something about it - Emma hurried everybody away before that could happen.
Next was Bruce's Mother, June, who got into a five-minute argument with Garp after he mentioned that June was the name of the waitress from the night before, before Emma and Ace dragged Garp away.
They met Wayne himself, who turned out to be a funny and down-to-earth man with a bristle mustache (Emma often referred to Bruce and Wayne as Mario and Luigi), although he looked a little bit unwell, and Law, Sumi, and Chopper pegged it down to stress and possible depression, much to their annoyance.
This was largely due to his wife, Shirley, and his son, Clinton, as well as Clinton's girlfriend, Rickie-Lee. They sat at a table by themselves, not interacting with anybody else, as Clinton and Rickie's daughter, Bella, watched Tom And Jerry on her very own pink I-Pad. Shirley and Rickie-Lee were both, to put it bluntly, almost morbidly obese, and Clinton was a large and surly-looking young man.
They greeted Emma and her companions with a barely audible 'hi', and Bella barely looked up from the screen.
"Emma-San," Law whispered to Emma, as she hurried them all away again. "How old is Bella?"
"She's four. Why?" Emma asked, knowing full-well what the surgeon was going to say.
"Does she talk?"
"No."
"Then she's either language delayed, mentally challenged, or both." Law said flatly.
"I agree." Said Sumi, who was walking next to them.
"Blame it on her parents." Emma replied, rolling her eyes. "They feed her junk food, park her in front of the TV all day, and don't let her play outside - I'm surprised they haven't wrapped her up in cotton wool yet."
"When you and Ace have kids, make sure you bring them up the way most of us were." Sumi said, and Emma nearly tripped over nothing.
When she'd straightened up, she found herself face-to-face with her cousin, Ashlee.
"Oh!" Emma smiled. "Guys, this is my cousin, Ashlee...over there are her brother, Mitchell," she pointed to the young man. "Mitchell's girlfriend, Xochitl," the blonde-haired girl waved to them. "Ashlee's boyfriend, Peter..." Peter came up to them, and greeted Ace like an old friend. "And Aunty Rose and Uncle John are over there." She added, motioning to the red-haired lady and her brown-haired husband. "Guys, this is Ace's little brother Luffy, Law, Sumi, Zoro, Sanji, Ch-Tony," she had faltered on this at every introduction, but she couldn't help it - she was used to saying 'Chopper', not 'Tony'. "Usopp, Nami and her sister Nojiko, and Luffy and Ace's Grandpa Garp."
"Hello." Everybody said in unison.
Peter was grinning. "That's some pretty weird names you've got." He said bluntly, and a few people laughed, although some would have argued that Peter was a pretty weird name.
"Yeah..." Ashlee agreed, fixing Emma with an intense stare, that Emma interpreted correctly.
She said: "Hey, did you guys want some drinks?"
Ashlee jumped in. "Yeah, Peter will show you where they are...or..." She called to her brother. "Shell!" Mitchell looked annoyed at the nickname. "Get these guys some drinks!" She took Emma by the wrist and dragged her away.
Emma went with her willingly, knowing that a massive explanation was in order, but glad to see the sapphire necklace gleaming around her cousin's neck. Now, if only it would lead them to the other world!
"So...how many drinks, and what would you like?" Xochitl asked, smiling. Peter and Mitchell had taken off, joining in a game of cricket with some other guys from other parties.
"Beer." Zoro, Nami, and Usopp said, one after the other.
"Wine, please." Nojiko said politely, and Sanji seconded that.
"Uh, I'll just have an ice-water, thanks." Chopper said, peeking out from under his hoodie.
"Same." Sumi added.
"And one for me too." Garp finished up, and then looked around for his grandsons. "Now, where did those two brats go?"
Nami narrowed her eyes. "Lightning Luffy strikes again." She muttered, looking around. "Oh, there he is..." She just stared as Luffy sat there with a bunch of strangers, who seemed to have accepted him as one of their own, and he didn't care, as long as he was eating spicy chicken wings!
"But, where's Ace-Kun gone?" Sumi wondered.
"Yeah, Law's missing, too." Nojiko pointed out.
"Oh dear..." Nami shook her head.
"What's wrong with that?" Xochitl wanted to know.
Nojiko replied: "Well, you know how it is - they both like the same girl."
"Oh..." Xochitl nodded knowingly. "That works. I was thinking it was more like Mitchell and Clinton..."
"What happened there?" Nami wanted to know.
Xochitl's eyes darkened slightly, as she remembered. "Do you know what's going on with Wayne and Clinton?" They all nodded. Xochitl seemed a little bit surprised that they did, but she continued: "Well, Wayne puts the fire on every afternoon at around three in the winter, even if it's not terribly cold." She shrugged. "That's just what he does and, anyway, it's his house." The others nodded. "Well, on this one particular day, Rickie-Lee and Bella were sick, but Wayne put the fire on regardless. It was actually quite a cold day. Anyway, the next thing you know, Rickie-Lee's posted on Face-Book, calling Wayne - and I quote - a 'fucking idiot' who's 'heartless' and 'will end up all alone because he doesn't care about anyone but himself'." The pirates and Garp looked horrified. "So, Mitchell saw the post, and wrote back that he hoped she wasn't talking about the man who put a roof over her head and payed off their rent when they were renting, because if so then she needed to take a good look at things. Lee responded to Mitchell's post, saying that it was well said and that she couldn't have put it any better herself, and both she and Emma Liked Mitchell's post." A few people nodded - that sounded about right. They were also putting to good use the knowledge of Face-Book that they had learned from Emma (her with her thirty-six Friends and habit of liking nearly every single thing that she saw). "But then," Xochitl went on. "Rickie took downthe post, and posted another one, saying that people shouldn't interfere, and that they're all idiots who didn't know what she was talking about and that it wasn't the person they all thought. Now, she was living with Wayne and Shirley at the time. So, she was lying about that, for a start. Then," (and, here, everybody gulped, wondering what more there could be). "She told Shirley and Clinton that she was being bullied and victimized so, basically, Clinton threatened to kill Mitchell. He's older than Mitchell and twice his size, and he's a black-belt in karate..." She sighed. "And, that's the story. I'm surprised they're able to be at the same party together, but I suppose it's all going to be okay."
"Ssh!" Sumi hissed, her eyes widening. "Don't jinx it!"
There was a sudden yell from across the way, and all heads swiveled in that direction.
"You got a problem, Trafalgar?"
"You know what my problem is." Law stated flatly, not smiling for a rare moment. His arms were crossed - he looked dead serious.
Ace wasn't smiling either, although his stance was more casual. "Let me rephrase. You have a problem with me?"
"I have nothing but problems with you, Fire-Fist." Law responded, taking a step forward.
Ace also stepped forward. "Tell me how you really feel," he suggested, also taking a step forward.
"Even my vocabulary couldn't quite describe it," Law replied. "And, even if I could, I doubt you'd understand - it's too serious for you." He knew what he was doing, and it worked. By taking Emma's playful teasing and turning it into an insult, Law had succeeded in igniting Ace's temper.
The Mera-Mera No Mi user glared at Law, and said: "You'll never get her - it's me that she loves, and not you. I win."
"So, now's she's some prize to be won, is she?" Law questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Shut up!" Ace snapped. A few people glanced their way, including some of the boys that were playing cricket. Ace lowered his voice. "I'm warning you, Trafalgar - stay away from my Emiko. Or else." He smirked slightly, a very small amount of flame dancing on the tips of his fingers. "Would you like to find out what 'or else' means?"
Law returned the smirk - Ace was the lastperson he was afraid of. "Try me."
Ace's eyes narrowed but, just then, there was a shout of: "FORE!"
"This isn't golf!" Peter rolled his eyes, as people ducked anyway, and the cricket ball sailed into the air. "Shell! Go and get the ball!"
Mitchell glared at him, but took off running anyway. The ball made a graceful arc, before falling back to earth, and Mitchell ran for it. The ball was heading towards his family's picnic tables, where it bounced onto one particular table, upsetting a few plates here and there, and nearly hitting one particular pink I-Pad...
Bella's face crumpled, and she began to wail, loudly.
As Mitchell retrieved the ball, which had rolled a few feet away, he sensed the KI, and turned to see Clinton glaring murderously at him...
"I can understand why you didn't tell me about this." Ashlee admitted, still looking stunned.
"Mmhmm." Emma nodded.
They were standing on a patch of grass down by the water's edge. Four black swans swam serenely past them, unawares that the ribbon in Ashlee's hands had just been produced out of thin air.
As the ribbon vanished, Ashlee asked her: "So, you need my necklace to help get you back to that other world?"
"Yeah..." Emma replied. "We have to find our other Allies, and the Princess, so that we can stop whatever force is trying to destroy our worlds...I'm pretty sure that yournecklace can do it, since Faith gave it to me, as well."
Ashlee nodded, and took off the necklace but, as she was handing it to Emma, she suddenly noticed the ring on Emma's left ring finger. She gasped. "When did you...?!"
Emma blushed. "Last night...Ace-Chan...well...he kind of proposed to me without actually saying 'will you marry me?'...it was more like a promise..."
Ashlee suddenly hugged her cousin. "Oh, Emma..." She muttered. "Congratulations..."
"Thank you..." Emma replied, just as there was a shout from back at the picnic area.
Drawing back from each other, the two cousins exchanged a glance.
"What was that?" Emma wondered, just as a scream pierced the air.
"MITCHELL!" Xochitl screamed.
Emma's eyes and Ashlee's eyes widened in horror, and they both ran back towards the area, as they heard the unmistakable sound of a punch being landed.
It didn't take the two girls very long to find out what was going on - they managed to push through the crowd to find that Clinton had Mitchell by the front of his shirt.
Mitchell's nose was bleeding.
Xochitl was screaming.
There was not another family member that had managed to make it through the crowd just yet...and Clinton was going to hit Mitchell again!
Emma reacted instantly. She was still running, but now she muttered: "Soru!"
In an instant, she was where she needed to be. Time seemed to slow down for her - Garp had said that it would, but she still couldn't quite believe it.
It gave her time to carefully measure out her moves, however. She was able to detach Clinton's hand from Mitchell's shirt, and carefully shove Mitchell away (the grass would cushion his fall). She then wheeled around and kicked up, hitting her mark - Clinton's jaw.
Time returned to normal, as Mitchell slumped down onto grass, covering his bloody nose with his hand as Xochitl and Ashlee ran to him.
Clinton hit the ground hard and Law, who was watching from the crowd, identified a broken jaw and bloodied nose, as well as two chipped teeth and a sprained wrist where he had landed on it.
Emma stood in the middle of all of this, breathing heavily not from exhaustion, but from adrenaline, as her family members and friends suddenly appeared from within the crowd.
As Rickie-Lee and Shirley screamed, and hurried over to Clinton, Rose took one look at Mitchell and nearly fainted - John had to support her to avoid that from happening.
Rickie-Lee looked up, and glared at Emma. "You!" She cried, her large face contorted with rage. "What did you do?! You..."
"Shut up." Emma said flatly. Her hands were shaking. Her heart was pounding. Oh, this was so it - this was the moment that they'd all been waiting for, for years. Looking straight at Rickie-Lee, Emma swallowed, and then she said, for the entire world to hear: "I was ready to accept you as a member of our family. I was willing to treat you the way I treat my sister, and my cousins."
At this point, Sumi and Chopper had hurried over to Mitchell, and were assessing his broken nose - it looked bad. Rose and John had gone over there, too. "Because, as you so like to say on Face-Book, 'blood is thicker than water'. Unfortunately, you managed to taint this blood with your cruel and spiteful ways. Uncle Wayne did nothing but helpyou, putting a roof over your heads and paying for everything, while you two are so lazy you can't even be bothered working!"
She's one to talk. Lee thought, but her eyes were shining. She couldn't believe the change in her daughter.
"And, how did you repay him?!" Emma snapped; her voice was rising, but it wasn't going squeaky - if anything, she sounded magnificent. "By disrespecting him, and abusing the rules of his house, and running him down to absolutely everybody! I know your back-story, Rickie-Lee - you didn't come from a wholesome family. You were abused as a child, and had to care for your brothers and sisters. But, you could have learned. You could have had a wholesome family, here."
"What would you know, you 'little miss perfect slut'?!" Rickie-Lee shouted. "Who the Hell could be a worthwhile family member after everything that I've been through?!"
"I know plenty of people who've risen above the darknesses in their pasts." Emma said. "Good, respectable people that I am glad...no, honored, to know." She declared, thinking hard about this. "They've shown me that family and friendship means everything, but you have to be willing to be a worthwhile member of that group. I admit that I haven't been that way with my Mum and Dad, but..."
"Then you have no right to talk to me!" Rickie-Lee stated roughly, standing up and glaring at Emma. "You think you're so above everybody else, with your little family and your big words! You're not even worth it! You look down on people who are actually better than you, because they're stronger! You're weak, worthless, ugly, and..."
"Shut up, you useless fat slut."
Everybody gasped, but it wasn't Emma that had spoken - it was Ace. He was walking across the grass towards Emma, shedding his uncomfortable layers as he did - they were getting in his way.
Clinton glared at him. "Don't talk to my fiancee that way!" he said, or at least he tried to - his jaw had been broken by Emma's kick.
Ace got the gist of it, however. "Then tell herto stop talking to my fiancee that way." He snapped, shedding the last layer to reveal his muscles and six-pack.
Everybody gasped though, whether it was because of what Ace had just done or what he's said, nobody was quite sure. Maybe both.
"Ace-Chan, what are you doing?" Emma whispered.
"I don't know, Emiko, I'm winging it." He whispered back. Then, in a louder voice, he stated: "This woman standing beside me is the strongest, bravest woman I've ever met. She's also the most beautiful, though I might be slightly biased." He grinned. "And, she's also..."
"Under arrest for crimes against the state."
Everybody turned, to see a police woman standing there, along with a few other officers. She was holding hand-cuffs, and a badge.
"Acting Chief Of Police, Sergeant Catalina O'Burningham." She said, fixing her gaze on Emma. "We've been looking for you, Emma pax...or, should I say, 'Straw Hat Wearing Cat Girl'."
A few people gasped, recognizing the name, and Emma's family, save for Ashlee, looked shocked.
Ashlee just glanced at Emma, who had gone pale, but then her cousin gritted her teeth.
"Ashlee!" She called to her. "Throw me that necklace!"
Ashlee did as she was told. The sapphire necklace arced through the air, catching the light from the sun and throwing beams of rainbow-light onto all of them.
Emma held up her hand without even looking, and caught the necklace.
As soon as it touched her skin, a circle of blue light appeared around her, creating a small vortex around her feet, which swirled as a tunnel of blue light appeared from the necklace, and arced into the sky, creating a portal that looked like something from the TV program, Sliders.
Everybody gasped, and a few people screamed, as wind whipped around them, and Emma's friends approached her, staring in shock up at the portal - and, at their way back home.
"Come on, you guys!" Luffy, who was wearing a sherwanis, said excitedly, his face lighting up. "Let's go!"
However, before that could happen...
"Look!" A random person shouted. "Somebody's coming out of the portal!"
"Oh my God!"
Emma squinted. "Who is it?" She asked.
Everybody else was squinting as well, as the person stepped out, and then Garp said: "Is that...Coby?"
"Coby?!" Emma, Luffy and Zoro cried, as indeed it was.
The pink-haired boy was lowered gently onto the grass in a beam of white light, and then he looked at the group standing before him.
Emma, who was clipping the necklace onto her neck, suddenly stepped forwards. "Law-San. Create a Room around us, big enough for me and Coby to fight. Nobody interfere - this is what the gods told me that I have to do."
"Hai." Law said quietly, walking with Emma and holding up his hands. "Room." He said, and the blue sphere appeared. It expanded to include both him and Emma, as well as Coby and, when people tried to get in, they found that they couldn't.
The wind had died down now, as Emma and Coby faced each other.
"Coby!" Emma called to him. "I'm much stronger than I was before! However, if I stillcannot beat you, then you can take me back to Marine Headquarters to face judgement!"
Coby nodded silently. He had been trained not to react too badly to surprise situations, but he had to wonder what the next ten minutes was going to have in store for him.
"Also...you have to promise...not to hurt my friends, okay?" Emma added, calmly. "Oh, and my family...and...all of these people who are watching..."
"I'm a Marine." Coby stated flatly. "I don't hurt innocent people."
"Wakatta." Emma said, nodding. "Even though I'm a pirate, that's one of the things that we can both agree on. i respect that about you! Demo..." She closed her eyes for a moment, and a red and golden glow appeared around her hands. She opened her eyes, and the calm look was gone, to be replaced by steel. "I have to defeat you, or else I won't progress!"
"I understand!" Coby replied. "Soru!"
"Soru!"
Little Death hummed to herself, as she walked across the pinkish-red grass that was made of glass. Up ahead of her, the black castle loomed. It was terrifying, but Little Death kept on going.
Finally, she thought, smiling despite her fear. I can free my Master. Then, I'll be a realgod...then, my Mummy will love me best...
She swung Emma's necklace from her hand, and was about to enter the castle, when something crunched on the glass behind her, and she spun around, to see a brown-haired woman standing there.
Little Death narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing here, Aunty Grace?"
"Little Death..." Grace said calmly, reaching out a hand. "Please do not go in there. You've caused so much trouble for us already..."
"I don't care!" Little Death snapped, clutching the necklace to her chest. "My Master can be set free with this, and I'm going to do it! My Master can make me into a real god!"
"Do you truly believe that Infinity will do this for you, child?" Grace asked. "Infinity is a creature that keeps on changing - once, it was pure, but it was tainted by an unspeakable nature. You cannot trust it."
"I hate it when people tell me what I can and can't do!" Little Death cried. "You don't know anything, Aunty Grace, you were born a human! I was born from Hell's Flower, I amHell's Flower! And, I'm going to become a real god!" She turned, and ran to the doors of the castle, pushing them open and running through.
As Little Death was being swallowed up by the blackness, Grace felt a sense of fear and forbidding in her chest, as she watched Little Death carry her heart into the darkness.
It was only a matter of time, now...
Nobody could believe that battle that took place within the blue dome. Those who had never witnessed such a thing, stood outside looking in, and they were in complete and utter shock.
It had been going on for fifteen minutes.
Emma and Coby were both fast - super-humanly so - and they were strong. The force with which their punches and kicks hit were astounding, and even a few of Emma's friends were surprised. they hadn't realised how strong Emma had gotten.
Luffy, Ace, Sanji, Zoro, Garp and Sumi seemed calm about this.
Law, who was right there where the action was happening, merely smiled, as he watched the battle unfold.
True, Emma was getting hurt, but so was Coby. This was a good sign - it meant that their power levels weren't that different anymore.
"Ribon-Ribon No Slice!" Emma shouted, sending forth dozens of golden ribbons from her body. When they hit Coby (the ones that did hit) he found them to be razor sharp, and he cried out as they tore his clothes and skin, but not too much - some of them had missed, due to Emma's bad eyesight, after all.
Emma's family were shocked by this, of course - since when did Emma have superpowers?
Everybody suddenly gasped, as Coby appeared behind Emma, and hit her with a well-aimed kick to the side of her face. She landed near the side of the dome, and got quickly to her feet, staggering slightly as the blood dripped from her face.
Lee gasped, and grabbed Bruce's hand. She then noticed Ace, and hurried over to him, grabbing him by the shoulders.
"How can you just let this happen?!" She cried, angrily glaring at her youngest daughter's fiance.
Ace looked back at Lee - he was a few inches taller than she was. "I wonder...how you and Bruce could hit your own daughter the way you both did." Lee faltered. Ace shook his head. "I'm never going to let you 'punish' her, ever again." He told them. "I know you love her, but I love her more - she's mine." He added. "I'm going to keep her with me, and protect her. I promise you that." He added, glancing at Bruce. "I'm also not asking for permission - I'm a pirate, and I'm going to do what I feel like, anyway." He shrugged. "I'm just letting you know."
Just then, there was a yell from the crowd, and Ace and Lee turned, quickly.
Emma and Coby were running towards each other, and there was some sense of finality in this.
This was it - one of them was about to win, and the other would lose.
"Soru!"
"Soru!"
Emma and Coby appeared in the air above the grass, and time seemed to slow down when they reached each other.
Coby drew back his arm to punch, but Emma twisted her body back and, with her right arm, she caught Coby across the throat with her forearm. She then drew up her knee, and kicked him in the stomach.
The Marine gasped, and coughed up blood, slumping forwards as they fell back to earth. Emma pushed Coby away from her, and both of them landed several feet away from each other on the grass.
Everybody gasped, as the two fighters landed heavily, and then Emma staggered up, or at least tried to - she fell back, and Law caught her. He could've just controlled her, in the Room, but he didn't.
"You didn't...interfere...did you...?" She asked him, as he supported her back.
Law smirked. "Of course I didn't. I do as I'm told."
"Heh..."
Just then, a few people screamed, as a shadowy black figure appeared near the blue portal. His black robes billowed in the wind, as Twister floated down, to hover in Emma's line of sight.
"Well done, Emma." He said, in his usual tone. "You have defeated Coby."
"I didn't...kill him...did I?" Emma asked.
"You do not yet have the capability to kill sssomeone..." Twister replied. "Your powersss have grown, however - you are ssstrong enough to make the trip back to the other world, where the ressst of your Alliesss await you." He raised his scythe (a few people gasped - it was a wonder there was any air left in the vicinity). "One upon an orange lake...one trapped on a great bridge...one within the land of the dead...and, the heir to the sands, at the edge of dawn..." Twister brought down his scythe and, immediately, beams of light hit the ones who were about to be taken back to the other world.
The white light hit Coby, and carried him into the portal first.
As Law's Room disappeared, the others were picked up.
Luffy looked excited to be going home, as he was picked up by the beam of red light.
"Cool, it's like being abducted!" The seventeen year old cheered.
"How can you say it's cool?!" Nami, in a beam of yellow light, yelled to him.
"Calm down, Nami, this is fine." Zoro looked completely at ease in a beam of green light.
"M-m-maybe!" Chopper, in pink light, trembled. "Wh-what do you think, Usopp?"
Usopp, in a beam of brownish-coloured light, didn't answer - he had fainted.
Sanji calmly lit his cigarette, and allowed the dark blue light to carry him towards the portal.
Nojiko, Sumi and Garp got picked up by white light, just like Coby, but they didn't mind, as they were carried towards the portal.
As they vanished, Ace dodged the beam of orange light, which began chasing him around, and he ran to Emma and Law (mostly Emma).
The beam of orange light hit all three of them, and then expanded, to pick up all three of them.
"I mussst warn you, though," Twister said suddenly, and the three of them looked up at him. "Little Death isss very clossse to freeing the ancccient one. When ssshe doesss, the worldsss will be dessstroyed..."
"Then we...just have...to find...our Allies..." Emma said, leaning on Law's shoulder for support - she was suddenly feeling very tired.
"Yesss...but, Emma...that necklaccce only worksss one way." Twister stated, and Emma's eyes widened. "Onccce thisss portal clossses, it closses forever."
Emma nodded. "I see...if I...don't, then...all worlds...will be...destroyed, anyways..." She shrugged. "It's okay..." Blood dripped from her face.
"Emma!" Her family called to her.
Emma's eyes opened, and she located her family amongst the crowd. They looked scared. Emma's heart wrenched. Her family...she might never see them again, but...she had to do this. If she didn't, then they were all going to die, anyway.
Thinking fast, Emma reached into the pocket of her jeans, and pulled out the winning Lotto ticket. She quickly tied it up in ribbons, and threw it to her Mother.
"Mum, this is for you!" She yelled, feeling tears coming to her eyes - despite all of the times she'd argued with her parents, she couldn't quite believe that she was leaving them, maybe forever. "I won that Powerball last Saturday!" She explained. "Oh, but certain people can't have any of it! Only some people can!" The tears spilled over. "I...I love you guys! Please don't forget me, and I'll try and find a way back! Ja'ne!"
"EMMA!"
And, as she vanished into the portal, a sudden thought struck Emma: Where was Coby when the portal dragged him across?
Author's Notes:
. Happy Anzac Day!
. KI = Killing Intent.
.Ookami - lol, you changed your mind, just like that! Oh, I believe that you can be evil. *Nods* Madrid is the capital of Spain, isn't it? ^^ Yes, I know how you feel about wanting to see more of your home country. I want to see more of Australia, but it's just too darned big!
Chieko Namikzae - you're welcome. *Hands you a tissue* I hope that you enjoyed this chapter!
Cocoa Liddell - yeah, it was pretty quick. Then again, life's too short to take certain things slowly, especially if you've got a pirate's life where you might die the next day! Oh, and happy birthday for the other day! *Hands you a cake*
MsWildLuck - ohoho, you'll see. *Evil* Yeah, Luffy didn't intend at all to marry Emma, marriage is the last thing on his mind, but the Pirate Queen thing will be explained later on. ^^ Tell Boa Hancock not to worry...
KaiF . Raphaella - thank you! :D
Shingheart of ThunderClan - Law will...not give up. ^^ ; ; Oh well. And, OMG, you were right! I hurried to fix that typo! My story isn't Beta-d (if it was, my Beta-Half would tell me to stop hyphenating unnecessarily). ^^ Thanks!
WindWhistle21 - should I put more parental warnings up, just in case? Don't worry, the story is rated T, not M (there is no M, there never will be any M!). XD And, by a polar bear, do you mean Bepo? Is he even CAPABLE of mauling somebody?
Mugiwara Wolf Spirite - *hands both you and Bon Clay some tissues* But, how did Boa Hancock GET that Luffy poster? Hmm, a wedding? (I can imagine that Boa Hancock is picturing a double-wedding, all of a sudden). ^^
tanakaL - thank you so very much! :)