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 TWENTY
Tear Down The Walls
Of course, they arrived back in the One Piece world to find themselves falling - towards the ocean, no less.
"Eek! Do something!" Nami shrieked, grabbing onto the nearest person (which happened to be Sanji, not that he minded).
Nojiko had a different train of thought. "Hey, you guys came through the portal after us, so...how come we're all falling at the same time?"
"You know, I have no idea, myself." Ace admitted.
That means they didn't hear what Twister said about not being able to return... Emma realised, contemplating this. I'll have to tell them sooner or later...
"Can we please save the explanations for later?!" Nami, Chopper, and Usopp begged.
"Ribon-Ribon No Net!" Emma shouted, and the red ribbons appeared from around her body, snaking quickly down towards the sea and suspending a net between two large ships that just happened to be there.
Of course, it was no coincidence.
As they all landed on the ribbons, they bounced, because the ribbons acted as some form of trampoline.
It catapulted Garp and Coby (who was still unconscious) onto the Marine ship - everybody else was launched onto the deck of the Moby Dick.
There was a moment of silence, as those who could picked themselves up, shook their heads and then took a good look around.
Nami blinked, and then nodded. "Upon discovering that the Whitebeard Pirates were patrolling the East Blue, the Marines immediately sent out reinforcements to combat this, thus increasing our chances of running into them in the middle of what appears to be a very intense battle." She held her hand up in the air, emphasizing her brilliant deduction.
A few people applauded.
Zoro simply rolled his eyes. "Weren't you just screaming a moment ago?"
"Shut up, Zoro. I don't scream."
"Captain Coby!" A Marine on the other ship cried, seeing Coby's bruised and battered body. "Men, prepare to open fire on the pirates!"
Nami screamed, and Zoro face-palmed.
"Don't worry, Nami." Emma called to her. "Whitebeard-Sama can take care of this...as long as he won't kill them." She added, glancing up at the captain.
His eyes pierced into hers, before glancing ever so quickly at the blue sapphire necklace, and she heard that voice again.
'I hope that our children can be friends'.
Emma put a hand to her forehead, feeling her head swim, and the warm blood that was starting to stick to the side of her face. The adrenaline was gone, to be replaced by pain.
She slumped down against the side of the ship, unable to stand up any longer. As Ace and Law both reached for her, and she heard the unmistakable sound of Edward Newgate's devastating Devil Fruit powers, a voice, though not being spoken at the present time, lodged itself firmly into the back of her mind.
'Where there is the light of friendship, there will always be hope, Rouge'.
When Emma awoke, she found herself in the med-bay, just like before. A bandage was wrapped around her head, and there was sticky plaster on her various scrapes and cuts but, for the main part, she was in one piece, and she was alive.
Getting out of the bed, Emma saw a backpack lying on the floor and, curious, she opened it, to find that somebody had been planning ahead, and that somebody was probably Nami - there were a few changes of clothes, as well as volume 59 of the One Piece manga (Emma hoped that Nami hadn't read it) and, for some unknown reason, the Luffy doll. But, her wallet and I-Pod were missing - damn it!
Emma returned everything that was there to the backpack, and lifted it onto her good shoulder, walking out into the hall and turning left - not that she really knew where she was going. She didn't like to think of herself as lost but, after ten minutes, it was starting to feel that way.
Naturally, she ran into Zoro.
"Where are we?" They asked each other at the same time. Then: "I was hoping youcould tell me."
They sighed.
"Well, now what do we do?" Emma wondered, and Zoro just shrugged. Emma rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine...I'll just go and get lost again by myself." She walked off, and Zoro followed her. "Why...?"
"I was supposed to come and find you." Zoro explained.
"Oh, I see." Emma nodded. That was some terrible planning on somebody's part.
"Damn it..." Zoro muttered, suddenly face-palming.
"What is it?!" Emma exclaimed.
"I made a bet with Nami that I wouldn't get lost when I was down here!" Zoro exclaimed, and Emma groaned. "I should have found out what we were betting before I started out!"
Emma leaned against a wall. "And you're really going to be the World's Greatest Swordsman?" She asked. Zoro glared at her, and she held her hands up. "Let me put that another way." She looked at him, and then looked away. "I believe you can do it, but you've got a long way to go (not that I know anything about swordsmanship). You know what would be really good? If you were trained by that one guy..." She suggested.
"You mean by Mihawk?" Zoro asked in disbelief. He shook his head. "I seriouslydoubt that's ever gonna happen..." He then looked suspiciously at her. "Unless..."
"Mmhmm." She nodded, in answer to his unspoken question. "Of course, since I messed up that storyline, I can't tell you how or when that's going to happen now but, trust me, it will. If it's meant to happen, then it will." She smiled at him, and then thought of something. "If we ever make it out of this place. I really don't want to have to resort to cannibalism or something, but..."
Zoro gave her a Look. "Don't even try it, ribbon girl."
She laughed. "Oh yeah, that hurt, that reallyhurt - sword boy."
"Hn." Zoro just rolled his eyes, and then cringed, as Nami walked around the corner.
"A-ha!" The orange-haired girl cried, pointing triumphantly at him. "See, I knewyou couldn't do this without getting lost, Zoro!" She held up a box that she had somehow snagged from Emma's world. "And, as your punishment, I've already reserved the black dye with your name on it! It's called 'We'll Dye For You'!" She grinned evilly.
Zoro gritted his teeth, looking panicked. "You wouldn't!"
"Unless you're going to pay me what this dye cost me..." Nami suggested.
"You witch, you probably shoplifted it!" Zoro snapped, backing away from her. This is bad! If she manages to dye my hair black, then that ero-cook will start calling me 'tar head' or something!
Emma came up onto the deck, to find most of the Whitebeard Pirates and the Straw Hat Pirates, as well as Nojiko.
"Glad to see you're up and about." The blue-haired woman said, as she hugged Emma briefly. "Where's my sister?"
"Nami's chasing Zoro around with a bottle of Starry Night Blue Black." Emma explained. "I wouldn't get in the way if I were you." She said, just as she was nearly tackled over by Monkey D. Luffy.
"You're okay!" He cheered, hugging her tightly, and she tried not to wince - some of those cuts were still stinging!
"Y-yes?" Emma stammered, as the rest of Luffy's crew came up to her. "Wh-where's Ace-Chan?" She wanted to know.
"Talking with Whitebeard and Sumi-Chan." Sanji explained, lighting a cigarette. "Also...Emma-Chwan, are you hungry? Thirsty, perhaps? You've been asleep for nearly a day..."
"A day?!" Emma exclaimed, looking horrified. "I've been asleep for a day?!"
"Daijoubu." A calm voice said from beside her, and she turned to see Law. "Your body needed time to recover from something it's never done before, or else you would have hurt yourself more. It will require some form of nutrients now."
Emma nodded. "H-hai, demo...I want to see Ace-Chan, first." She said, firmly, and noticed a dark look cross Law's eyes.
Marco suddenly appeared, smiling. "I can take you to see Ace, yoi." He told her. "Oyajiwishes to see you, as well." He turned to Sanji. "If you feel like cooking, then go and see the chef - I'm sure he'll appreciate the help."
Sanji nodded, and rolled up his sleeves, heading off in the direction of the galley, as Marco led Emma to the captain's quarters.
As they approached the doors, said doors were suddenly thrown open, and a blonde-haired figure in a pink dress came running out, sobbing.
"Sumi-Chan?!" Emma exclaimed, as the younger girl ran past her, but Sumi didn't stop, and instead activated her wings, flying up towards the yard-arm. "Sumi-Chan...?" Emma bit on her thumb-nail, and then turned, as a second figure had appeared at the doors. It was Ace.
"Emiko..." Ace muttered, before wrapping his arms around his fiancee.
"Ace-Chan, what's wrong with Sumi-Chan?" Emma murmured into the young man's chest.
He ran a hand through her dark red hair. "Don't worry...Sumi just found out something she's been dreading hearing..."
Emma glanced worriedly up at him. "Like what?"
Ace shook his head. There was a dark look in his brown eyes. "Don't worry." He repeated, putting an arm around her shoulders and guiding her into the captain's quarters. "Come on, Oyaji wants to see you."
~Flash-Back~
"I'm going to tell him." Sumi sighed, dangling her legs over the edge of the crows nest, a slight breeze billowing her blonde hair about her shoulders. "I think...maybe..."
"You're hesitating because you think he'll kick you out, aren't you?" Thatch smiled, leaning his elbows on the edge next to her.
"Yes!" Sumi muttered, digging her fingertips into the rough wood. "Thatch-Sama...I...I'm so scared to tell him, but if he finds out before I do, then it'll be worse...right?"
"What makes you think he'll blame you for it?" Thatch asked her. "The way I see it, it's not your fault who your Mother is. Nobody can blame you for who she is."
"I know..." Sumi muttered, looking up at the sunset. "I'm not terribly fond of her, Thatch-Sama..." That was Sumi talk for 'I hate her'. "She...she sold me to that Celestial Dragon...I don't owe her anything...and, I'm nothing like her...but...she's still my Mother..."
"I know." Thatch responded, placing a hand on her knee in a comforting gesture.
He was one of the few men that Sumi would allow to touch any part of her - her experiences with men had not been good ones.
Sumi swallowed. "I just...wonder how Oyaji will react when I tell him...that my Mother is a Government assassin...?"
"He'll probably say something along the lines of 'it doesn't matter, as we're all children of the sea'." Thatch suggested.
"What does that even mean?"
"I have no idea."
"So, what do you intend to do now?" Whitebeard asked, before taking another swig of sake.
Ace began: "We're going to find..."
"Our other Allies." Emma finished for him. "And stop Infinity before it destroys our worlds." She added, nodding to herself.
Whitebeard gazed steadily at them (how did he always manage to look so steady when he was always drinking sake?). "Then, in that case, you might want to take a look at this." He handed them a newspaper, which they took a look at. Below a section that appeared to have been torn off, there was the article which headline read:
Ship Belonging To Straw Hat Pirates Appears Out Of Nowhere On Outskirts Of Orange Town - Local Dog Helps Fight Off Bandits!
"Oh my God..." Emma stared at the picture of the Thousand Sunny - there was no mistaking it. It was right there, on a lake...it looked like it really had just fallen out of the sky! "The Thousand Sunny...it's right there, but..." She glanced at Ace, and he nodded.
"It's a trap." The other pirate confirmed. "The Marines will be right there, waiting to get us."
"Agreed." Emma nodded. "Still...I'm remembering something that Twister said...he said that one of our Allies was going to be found on an 'orange lake'...unless there's going to be some pond made of orange Fanta, then I think that one of our Allies is with the ship." She stood up, and walked across the room, pacing. "If that's the case, then..."
"We need to go there." Ace shrugged. "Sounds simple."
"Yeah..." Emma mused, a photograph catching her eye. She squinted at it, and leaned down to look closer. It showed a younger Edward Newgate (not too much younger, he looked to be about fifty or so) with his arm around the most beautiful woman that Emma had ever seen. The woman had beautiful rich auburn hair that cascaded like waves, and deep brown eyes, and there was a bundle of blankets in her arms - and, in that bundle of blankets, was a baby.
Without even being aware of what she was doing, Emma reached out and picked up the photo in its frame, holding it up to eye-level.
Whitebeard had...had a wife? Or, at least a partner...but, a baby?
When had this happened? (She didn't even want to consider how it had happened...).
And...where were they now?
"Family," Whitebeard said from behind her, and she jumped - she'd forgotten that he was even there. "Is something that is worth more than money or gold. It is the most precious thing to us, as human-beings - it can also be taken from us in the blink of an eye."
Emma understood immediately, and she was surprised to find tears in her eyes. She wiped them away with the back of her hand. She then set the photo down and turned around, not looking at either of the two men.
"After all of this is over," she stated, in a far stronger voice than she'd realised she was capable of using. "Ace and I shall be getting married. Therefore, I believe that it is only right that I start addressing you as Oyaji...if that's okay, that is?" She lowered her head, swallowing, and then dared to look back up.
Ace looked surprised, but the expression on Whitebeard's face was unreadable. Finally, the old sea captain nodded. "If you desire to do so, then you may." He replied.
Emma smiled her lopsided smile, and was dimly aware that the beautiful lady in the photograph had a crooked smile as well - kind of like Elvis and Lisa-Marie Presley. "Arigatoo...Oyaji..."
Ace was grinning too, as he got up and took Emma's hand. He was happy that Emma had just done what she did.
"Now," Whitebeard took another drink of sake. "You two brats go and sort yourselves out - go and find your other Allies." He watched them leave, hand-in-hand, and then he got up, rearranging the tubes connected to his IV, so that he was able to go over to the chest-of-drawers and take out a small, treasure-chest-shaped box.
Inside was a small, pinkish-white shell. Most people would think that it was either a Tone Dial or a Vision Dial, but it was actually both.
It did not come from the mortal world.
Whitebeard pressed the button on the shell and, at once, a holographic image appeared above it, similar to the one that usually appeared above Emma's compass.
Well, it should have been similar - after all, it was from the same place.
The beautiful auburn-haired lady appeared in the image, holding in her arms their child. She was small, despite her Father being big, but she cooed, and reached up her hands.
The auburn-haired woman began to sing:
"No one, could ever see,
The best of me,
Somehow, all I can ever show,
Are the things no one wants to know...
Please take, my hand,
Tell me that you understand,
I need a new start,
I need you to heal my heart..."
Whitebeard closed his eyes briefly, listening to the song, and the sounds of his daughter's laughter. He had lost both of them, or so he'd thought...only time would tell...
"Okay, so we're here," Nami said, pointing at the map with one hand - with the other hand, she ate apricot chicken. "And we need to get to there." She moved her hand across the map, tracing a short line to an island that read ~Orange Town~. "That should only take us about a day, if we keep moving at this speed. I can't wait." She smiled, and took a big bite of apricot chicken.
"Yeah, and then we just have to...sneak past a bunch of Marines." Emma rolled her eyes.
"Piece of cake." Ace grinned.
"I can't wait to see the Thousand Sunny again!" Chopper spoke up.
"It'll be good once we find our own ship." Usopp agreed. "It's kind of weird, being here on an unfamiliar ship." He then glanced at Ace, who had glanced up at him. "Oh, not that your crew-mates are weird, it's just...did that guy over there eat a Devil Fruit that turns his body into diamonds?" He pointed at Jozu.
Nami looked up, her eyes sparkling.
"Don't even think about it, sis." Nojiko rolled her eyes. "He is not the type I had in mind when I..."
"Finish that sentence," Nami cut her off, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "And I'll tell everybody here about that incident with the bee-hive."
Nojiko sat back. "I have underestimated your ruthlessness, sister dear."
"I'm merely getting by in this cold, cruel world." Nami replied, smugly.
Luffy tapped Emma's arm. "Hey, Emmy, is that what sisters are supposed to be like?"
Emma froze slightly, thinking about her own sister, and then she nodded. "Yeah...oh!" She stood up quickly. "I just forgot something that I have to do!" She hurried out of the dining hall.
The others watched her go.
"What's up with her?" Zoro asked, reaching for a beer refill.
Ace and Law exchanged a glance - despite being enemies to a degree, they were still both concerned about how Emma was handling her transition. They both knew the reasons behind her sudden, unexpected departure, especially before finishing her bacon (which Luffy had now taken and was eating).
"Well..." Ace began. "It's about that necklace..."
Emma had hoped to find the crows nest empty but, somehow, it seemed to be Sumi's favourite spot, as well.
Sumi sat with her back against the side of the crows nest, her knees drawn up tight to her chest.
"Sumi-Chan?" Emma asked, seeing that the younger girl looked upset. She knelt down beside her. "What's wrong?"
Sumi glanced up at her, her teal eyes full of distress. "Oh, Emma-Chan..." She sniffled. "N-nothing, it's just..." She sighed. "I just received some news today..." She took a crumpled piece of paper out of her pocket, and handed it to Emma.
Unfolding it, Emma took a look at it. It was a newspaper article, that Emma realised must have been torn out of the newspaper, from the same page as the news about the Thousand Sunny.
It was a list of executions scheduled for that week, and one particular name had been circled in red ink: Ino. The image showed a blonde-haired, blue-eyed lady with a sharp face.
Emma glanced up at Sumi, and Sumi explained: "That woman, Ino...she's my Mother..."
"Oh..." Emma gasped softly. "Sumi-Chan, I...I'm so sorry..."
"Don't be." Sumi replied, shaking her head. "She sold me into slavery when I was eight." Emma was shocked. "It's just...I don't understand why she's being executed..." Sumi glanced up at Emma. "Emma-Chan...my Mother, Ino, she...she used to work for the Government...for CP9..." Emma tried to keep the stunned look off her face, but couldn't stop herself from gasping again, when Sumi added: "She's the one who killed Oyaji's daughter."
Emma sat back, feeling stunned. She didn't know what to do, or say, so she didn't do or say anything. The silence grew between them, until Sumi finally turned away, looking up instead at the countless number of stars up in the sky.
"I only found out today...that it was my Mother who did it..." Sumi whispered. "I can't believe that she...that anybody could..." Her eyes had filled with tears again. "I'm ashamed of being related to her!"
Emma closed her eyes briefly, and then moved closer to Sumi, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Sumi-Chan...the World Government hunts people down for their lineage. They consider this to be an act of justice. But, when a child is born into this world, it has no sense of the sins of its parents. It's true, that we as human-beings learn by example, but..." She smiled slightly. "It's the actions of ourselves, not of our parents, that determine who we are, and what we are but, in the end...we're all just children of the sea, right?"
Sumi stared at her, her teal eyes swimming with tears, and then she threw her arms around Emma's neck, sobbing.
"Daijoubu..." Emma whispered, patting the younger girl on the back.
"I have to go..." Sumi muttered, burying her face in the side of Emma's neck, and her tears splashed down onto Emma's skin. "I have to go to that place...I have to see my Mother..."
"I understand..." Emma replied. "It'll be alright. You'll see..."
Sumi nodded, and draw back from Emma, smiling slightly, as they both stood up, and Sumi snapped out the kinks in her legs with very satisfying cracks. "Arigatoo, Emma-Chan...also, there's something that I have to tell you. You're...hmm...?" She suddenly looked past Emma, and then she pushed past her, leaning over the side of the crows nest and staring at the dark water on the starboard side.
The waters churned, and then something very large surfaced from beneath the black waves.
Sumi froze, as she and Emma stared at whatever it was that had just surfaced.
"Is that..." Emma squinted, so much that her eyes hurt. "A...submarine?" Could it be...?
Sumi nodded, and then she yelled: "Unidentified submarine starboard!"
Emma was staring, as the door to the yellow submarine opened, and a figure in an orange jumpsuit emerged, at a run. She leaned further forwards. "Hmm...?" She looked down, and pinpointed her target. Forget asking for permission! She suddenly leaped out of the crows nest.
Law hurried up from below deck onboard the Moby Dick and went over to the railing on the starboard side, just in time to see the woman he loved come flying out of the crows nest, and crash-tackle one of his crew members.
"Bepo!" Emma cried, hugging the poor, startled bear. "You are so cute!" She then jumped back, looking apologetic. "Oh...I forgot to ask for permission to hug you...I told Law-San that I would ask..." She bowed. "My apologies."
"It was my fault." Bepo replied, bowing back and looking depressed.
"Why does Bepo get all the ladies?" Penguin muttered, as he came up on deck, as well.
"How should I know?" Shachi replied, with a shrug. "More importantly, who is she, and how does she know the captain?"
Law then jumped down from the Moby Dick, landing on the deck of the submarine.
"Captain!" Bepo, Shachi and Penguin exclaimed, as the other five members of the crew emerged, looking stunned to see their captain there.
Law smiled at them, glad to see them, although he wasn't going to admit this. "May I ask why you're here in the East Blue?" He asked them.
"Well," Penguin replied. "We heard rumors that you'd been sighted here - the Marines are all over the place."
"But, luckily, with a submarine, you can get by undetected?" Emma asked shyly, and then she gasped. "Wait a minute...undetected..." She clasped her hands suddenly. "That...that's it!" She hurried over to Law and hugged him swiftly. "Law-San, this has just solved our problem! Yes! I love you and your crew!" She cheered, and then added: "Ribon-Ribon No Transport!"
As she disappeared in a swirl of ribbons, all eyes turned to Law, who seemed nonchalant.
"When did the captain get a girlfriend?" Hachi whispered.
"Oh jeez, now I'm the one who's depressed." Penguin sighed. "She was kind of cute, too."
"In a hyperactive way." Hachi added.
"What was that?" Law raised an eyebrow.
"Nothing, Captain!"
"So, we're going to travel with Law's crew to get to Orange Town undetected?" Chopper said, as they stood around on the deck, waiting for the girls.
"Well, we are." Zoro said, indicating to himself and the rest of the males. "I think some of the girls are staying behind."
"Nooo!" Sanji wailed, looking distressed. "They caaan't!"
"He's referring to the fact that they take so long to get ready." Usopp muttered.
"No," Zoro shook his head. "I mean some of them are staying behind..."
"I have to stay behind." Sumi confirmed, coming up onto the deck, with the other girls behind her. "We're taking Nojiko back to her home, and then...there's something I have to do."
"You sure you'll be alright?" Ace asked her.
Sumi nodded. "Hai, Ace-Kun. You don't have to worry about me." She grinned. "Also," she tugged Emma into view. "Check out your girlfriend's new wardrobe!"
"Sumi-Chan!" Emma exclaimed, embarrassed. She glanced over at Ace.
Ace was staring at Emma's new outfit. It was completely different from her usual 'cover-up-as-much-as-possible' outfits, although Sumi and the sisters hadn't been able to steer the red-head completely away from black, either.
She was wearing tight black shorts under a short pink skirt, and a rather skimpy black top that tied at the front. On her arms were black and pink arm bands, and she had black knee-guards on, as well as black ankle boots (without a heel because, when she'd tried to walk in heels before, she'd tripped over, much to Nami's disbelief) and a black headband over her bandages.
"Here," Sumi stuck something pink onto Emma's head. "Put on your hat." She adjusted the pink hat, that looked like the one Dixie Kong wore in her video games.
Emma blushed, embarrassed at all the attention. Her scars were completely visible now, as was the slight tan-line on her stomach, but the other girls had assured her that those things didn't matter.
As they prepared to board the submarine and ship out, they said goodbye to Sumi and Nojiko.
"I'll call you when we reach Cocoyashi Village." Sumi said, pointing to the Baby Den-Den Mushi on Emma's arm. She then looked at Ace, and muttered: "Also, watch out for you-know-who."
Ace nodded. "Will do."
"Who?" Emma asked, looking between the two of them. "Who's he gotta watch out for?"
"Never mind." Sumi shook her head, before hugging Emma. "Just stay true, okay?"
"Huh?"
Nami was hugging Nojiko. "Stay safe." The orange-haired woman whispered.
Nojiko grinned, and ruffled said orange hair. "Shouldn't I be saying that to you, little sister?"
Nami grinned. "Just because you're the oldest, doesn't mean you get to order me around."
"Ah, yes it does." Nojiko replied, and they both laughed.
"Ah, the life of an older sibling." Ace grinned. "We're constantly worrying."
Nojiko winked at him. "See, Ace knows what I mean." She glanced at Emma, who was looking a little bit wistful but, before she could say anything, a member of Law's crew called that they were ready to depart.
They descended down the ladder to Law's submarine (well, some of them used the ladder - Luffy jumped, and Usopp fell).
"Come on, we'll show you around before we dive." Penguin said. "Captain's orders." He added.
"Lead the way!" Luffy grinned, as they followed Penguin deeper into the sub.
Emma and Ace turned to say goodbye to Whitebeard.
"Be careful, you two." The old man said gravely, glancing up at the sky. The moon was waning - soon, it would disappear completely. "I have a bad feeling about the road that lies ahead of you."
"Don't worry, we'll be fine, Oyaji." Ace replied, preparing the climb down the ladder, but Emma stopped him.
"Let me go first." Emma said.
"Why?" Ace asked.
She glared at him. "Because I'm wearing a skirt!"
As Ace blushed, a few of the Whitebeard crew members laughed.
"Yeah, way to go, Ace!"
"A bit forward there, aren't you?!"
"Make sure you get a good look down her top when you're climbing down that ladder!"
Emma glared at them too, for good measures, before turning to smile at Whitebeard. "Bye, Oyaji." She said, and everybody stopped, hearing her call him that for the first time. She then turned to Ace, and said: "Ribon-Ribon No...Grab!" Red ribbons snaked out of her arms, and wrapped around Ace, effectively capturing him. He could have just burned them off, but he didn't want to, because he didn't know whether or not that would hurt her as well. She then jumped over the side of the ship with him, calling out: "Ribon-Ribon No Kite!" Which formed a parachute that let them land gently on the deck of the submarine.
"She's got him wrapped around her little finger, hasn't she?" Marco mused thoughtfully, smiling.
"I heard that, phoenix boy!" Emma yelled from below. Then: "Bye, minna! I hope we meet up again real soon!"
The others were smiling by this stage - it seemed like they'd just gotten a new sister, and they hoped that they'd see her again as well.
As they stood at the railing and watched the sub dive, Sumi and Nojiko stood side-by-side, watching their friends and family go.
"So, when we reach Orange Town, what are we going to do?" Nami asked, and then looked up to realise that she might as well be talking to a brick wall.
Usopp, Chopper, Luffy and Zoro were asleep. Sanji was staring at Nami, but whether he was listening to her or admiring her figure, Nami knew not (she suspected the latter). Ace and Law were more concerned over Emma, who was looking a little pale.
Nami couldn't blame her - it was the first time in a submarine for most of them, and Emma seemed to be the type that preferred wide open spaces to hot and stuffy confined spaces below sea level.
"Oh, forget it." Nami sighed, marching over to the door as Ace fell asleep all of a sudden. "They'll discontinue it before you lot tune in. I'm going to bed - wake me if anything happens." She opened the door, and Penguin and Shachi fell into the room, staring up at Nami and blushing. Nami glared down at them, crossing her arms over her chest. "And, you two would be staring up at me why?"
"Ah..." Shachi stammered.
Nami sighed. "I thought so." She stooped down, and held out her hand. "That'll be five hundred Belli."
"F-f-five hundred Belli?!" Penguin exclaimed.
Nami nodded. "Five hundred Belli - each." She added. "I don't let people see my panties for free, you know."
I wonder what Brook would say to that...Emma thought, and then groaned, feeling nausea rising in her stomach. Please don't let me throw up in front of everybody...
Law sighed. "Come on, Emma-San - I have some ginger tablets you can take, and then you should get some rest. You're still recovering."
"Iie, I'm fine..." She said, as she staggered to her feet. "Everybody else...can take on a Marine, and not be sick as dog for days..."
"Hn." Law just shrugged, and took her by the shoulder. "Come on."
She allowed him to lead her out of the room, side-stepping Penguin and Hachi, who were begging for mercy from an unforgiving Nami.
Emma sat on the bed of the med-bay, staring out the porthole at the ocean. A little fish swam by, and then it was eaten by a bigger fish. An even bigger fish ate that one, and then it was eaten by the biggest fish of them all! It glared at her with its huge red eyes as it swum lazily by. It had spikes all along its side.
Emma turned back to Law, who was getting the ginger tablets out of a cupboard. "Ne, Law-San, are we safe down here?"
He glanced over his shoulder at her, smiling. "Are you doubting me?"
She cringed. "N-no...not at all." She assured him, leaning back against her pillows. "It's just that...reading about this place is so different from experiencing it..." She closed her eyes briefly. "I'm glad I came here, though - this place is awesome." She opened her eyes, as Law came over to the bed, and handed her the tablets and a glass of water.
"These will help ease your sickness."
She nodded. "Arigatoo, Law-San..." She took the tablets, and immediately a wave of sleepiness washed over her - maybe the sensation of taking tablets made her sleepy, or maybe she was simply just exhausted.
As she fell to sleep, she felt Law place a cold hand to the side of her face. "I'm also glad you came here...Emma-San..." He then frowned, realising that her sapphire necklace was glowing. Oh, here we go again...
Sakazuki walked across the courtyard of the recently established Marine base in the particular country that he was in. He was walking towards a post, to which a woman was tied to.
Behind him walked Carmilla and her little sister, Georgia. Carmilla's face was expressionless, but Georgia looked worried - she kept glancing around her, as if looking for something.
Emma and Law kept to the shadows, hiding behind a pillar that decorated the side of the corridor. They watched as Sakazuki approached the woman, who raised her head.
It was Sumi's Mother, Ino.
Emma gasped, and Law clapped a hand over her mouth to quiet her, as Carmilla glanced back, and Law dragged Emma further back into the shadows.
"How is it that we're here?" He asked her, in a voice barely above a whisper, as he let go of her.
She shook her head. "I don't know." She muttered back. "The red necklace must transport me to this world when I'm sleeping, since it works both ways but, when I'm in this world, the one-way necklace teleports me to certain places...or...something..." She shrugged, and they both turned back to watch what was happening.
"You know why you're here, Ino." Sakazuki said coldly, staring down at the weak woman. "You are a traitor."
She raised her head, however, a firm look in her eyes. "You're mistaken...if you think that I...was anything but loyal to you, Sakazuki..."
"You lied to us all those years ago." Sakazuki replied. "You told us that you killed the daughter of Edward Newgate, but she's still alive!"
Law had to cover Emma's mouth with both of his hands then, to stop her from gasping again.
Ino looked startled, and seemed to have more energy than she probably had since her arrest. "What?! No, that's not...I killed her, I killed that brat with my own two hands! You have to believe me, please, Saka-Chan..."
Sakazuki hooked the left side of her face with his right fist, making Georgia gasp as Ino's blood dotted the ground.
"Do not ever call me that again." Sakazuki said, coldly. "Not after the way you defiled our family's name. It's your fault what our daughter has become."
Law felt something cold and wet on his hands, and realised that Emma was crying silently - tears slid unhindered down her face, as she learned the truth behind Sumi's past.
Law had to admit to himself that he was surprised, as well - sweet and hyperactive Sumi, the daughter of a heartless child-killer and one of the Government's most ruthless Admirals?
Then again, Ino had given Sumi up for slavery, so...
"I thought you said..." Ino said, looking angrily up at Sakazuki, with blood decorating her lips and chin. "That Sumi was...no child of ours."
Sakazuki leaned down, looking at Ino in the eyes. "You will both die here, Ino - I can promise you that."
Carmilla suddenly spoke up. "It might interest you to know, Sakazuki, that this conversation is no longer private." She pointed to the shadows, where the faint outline of two figures could be seen.
"Dai Funka!" Sakazuki shouted, without hesitation, and aimed his magma-fist straight at Emma and Law.
Emma stepped quickly in front of Law, and held her arms out wide. "Ribon-Ribon No Guard!" She yelled, and red ribbons fanned out around her, followed by gold ones.
The effects were different from her usual shield. The red ribbons did a good job of blocking quite a bit of the powerful Logia attack, but that which got through to the gold ribbons was a different story.
Emma cried out, as she felt heat searing at the skin of her arms, and Law realised immediately what must be happening. Emma's ribbons were usually not strong enough to block Logia attacks - she'd found that out during a training session with Ace. To combat this, she and her powers had forged a new technique, but it came with a cost - it was damaging her, possibly at only half-strength but, if it kept on going, then it could get worse.
Law made his decision then, and grabbed her, yanking her out of the way of the onslaught of lava, and dragging her further into the darkness of the Marine base. They had only seconds - Sakazuki would be coming after them.
Law to to think of a way to startle Emma enough to wake her up, so that they could get back to the sub. There was only one thing to do.
Law stopped, grabbed Emma by the wrists (they both winced when his fingers curled around slightly charred skin) and yanked her towards him, kissing her on the lips.
Her eyes widened, and he felt her heart pound in her chest, which was up against his stomach (why was she so Goddam short?!).
It had worked, however - both of them vanished in a swirl of ribbons, just as Sakazuki, Carmilla and Georgia appeared, their faces illuminated by the heat of the Admiral's magma.
Sakazuki was furious.
Carmilla was stunned.
Georgia, however, took a half step forward, her hand outstretched as if she could reach out and bring her former classmate back. "Emma..." She whispered. What in the world are you?
And Ino, still where she had been left with blood on her face, could only stare at the spot where that girl had been...the girl who had been wearing that necklace...
"Tell me again what happened." Ace said tensely. "Clearly, please." He added, glaring at the surgeon.
"I cannot be anymore clear, than how crystal clear I am being, Fire-Fist." Law replied calmly, although his insides were twisted with slight worry, as he worked to tend to Emma's burns. First she'd gotten hurt fighting that pink-haired Marine, and then she'd gotten burned by an Admiral - she was going to be the death of him, if not of herself.
"She's gonna be okay, right? Right?!" Luffy asked anxiously and, at the sound of this, Emma turned her head to him.
"Of course I am, kid chops." She said, smiling. "As long as I stop falling asleep."
"You can't stop falling asleep!" Chopper exclaimed. "It's bad for you!"
"And this isn't?" Emma held up her bandaged wrist. Chopper's shoulders sagged. Emma sighed. "Gomen...I'm just so worried...we can't get in contact with Sumi-Chan...and now we know Akainu's actually her Father..." She looked away. "Do you think that she knows?" She looked over at Ace. "Ace-Chan, she already hates herself because of what her Mother did, but now we know that Oyaji's daughter is still alive! Where do you think she is? Do you think we can find her?"
"Emma-San," Law said, before Ace could respond. He finished tying the last bandage, and put a hand on her shoulder. "Stop worrying." He looked right into her eyes. "You also need to stop wearing that necklace." He added.
Emma swallowed, and then realised that he was right. She allowed him to take it off of her. It glittered strangely in the light. At once, Emma felt strangely lighter, but she also felt weaker. "I need...to get my red necklace back..." She decided. "Then...I can...get stronger..."
Law appeared to be examining the sapphire necklace intently, but switched his gaze back to Emma when she said this.
As she fell back to sleep, the others watched her for a moment.
"Okay," Nami said quietly, looking around at them all. "Here's what I think we should do - we should focus on finding our Allies, and not worry about the things that we have no control over."
Zoro nodded. "That sounds sensible..." He glanced at Emma, who had a worried frown on her face as she slept. "Of course, that's also easier said than done."
"Yes, there's that, too." Nami agreed.
"We're about to surface." Law's navigator said. "The island in the Organ Archipelago where Orange Town is is situated just near a steep drop-off - you'll be able to walk to the island across a sand-bar from there."
"Good work." Law nodded. "Bepo, tell the crew to prepare to surface."
"Yes, Captain!" Bepo replied, and hurried off.
Law turned to the others, and watched as Emma and Ace stood together in the corner of the room. Emma had her back to the wall, and Ace was leaning one arm in the wall above her head.
Law's face was calm, but on the inside he saw red. He should have been the one to stand there like that and, every time Ace did something like this with Emma, it was like he was waving a red flag in front of the surgeon's face...no, wait, scratch that, Ace was the red flag.
Law would take great pleasure in goring him.
Of course, there was the slight problem that Emma and Ace were now engaged to be married. That ring that glittered on Emma's finger, the ring that was the mate to the ring that Ace wore, taunted Law every time he saw it.
Law wasn't going to give up - ever. He didn't know what it was that drew him to Emma. There was something about her. He knew that people said that all the time, as a justification to their own foolish feelings, but that was the only logical explanation as to why the sadistic and cold surgeon could have warmed slightly.
Of course, he was still sadistic and cold, but that didn't mean that he didn't want somebody like Emma to be his.
Ace always seemed to take every opportunity to prove, for now, that Emma was his.
As the sub rose towards the surface, Law watched Emma stagger, and Ace caught her.
Yes, Law was certain - Ace knew exactly what he was doing.
"Are you sure it's okay for us to be walking straight towards a town that's possibly crawling with Marines?" Usopp asked, as they strolled casually towards Orange Town.
"Oh, sure, why not?" Luffy grinned. "I gotta get some meat!"
Nami rolled her eyes. "Is meat all you ever think of, Luffy?" She asked him.
"Iie." He shook his head, and ticked off on his fingers. "I think about becoming the Pirate King, then there's meat, I think about my nakama, and...meat. That's about it."
The others just stared at him.
"What?"
"You said meat twice." Chopper pointed out.
"Oh. Is that bad?" Luffy asked, glancing suspiciously at Nami. "What's up?"
"Oh, nothing." Nami just shook her head, but then she smiled, looking around. "It's so nice to be back here, but I had no idea there was a lake on this island. Where do you suppose it is?"
"Dunno." Zoro shrugged. "We'd better find somebody and ask them."
"What about the Mayor?" Emma suggested. "He seemed to like you three...what was his name again? Google or something?"
Nami giggled. "That's Boodle and, yeah, he was pretty thankful to us for saving his town." She glared at Luffy. "And then somebody left behind the loot!"
Luffy just gave her an odd look. "You're still on about that?"
Nami just continued to glare at him.
"Besides, they needed to rebuild their town." Zoro reminded her. He stopped walking suddenly. "And, speaking of which..."
Everybody else stopped, and looked at him, before looking at what he was looking at.
"Is that...?" Luffy stared at the builders, who were working on a nearby building. They were hammering, sawing, carrying bits of wood, and eating foot-long sandwiches (which is probably what caught Luffy's attention first).
Nami blinked. "It can't be...can it?"
"Huh?" An old man suddenly turned around, and saw them. "Oh...it's you three!" He shouted, and ran towards them.
Nami, Zoro and Luffy cringed.
The old guy slid to a stop before them, panting a bit from his short run, and then he straightened up, and pointed dramatically at them. "Welcome back!" He yelled.
Most of the pirates face-palmed, but Luffy just grinned. "Hi, old man! Got any meat?"
"So, you're here to get your ship back, are you?" Boodle shook his head. "You were very foolish to come here - the Marines are stationed in camps all around the perimeter of Lake Waikikamukow."
Luffy and Usopp snickered at the name, but Nami was serious. "We knew that they'd be here, but we're not going to let them take our ship."
"Well, that's just the thing." Boodle replied. "The Marines can't take your ship anywhere - it's there purely as bait."
"We know." Ace nodded. "But, we're not afraid of them."
Boodle narrowed his eyes. "I know you...you're Fire-Fist Ace, the Pirate King's son!" He pointed at Ace, who suddenly went very quiet.
All of the workers stopped what they were doing, and stared at them.
Ace gripped the wood of the seat he was sitting on. Heat pulsed from his fingers, and burned the wood.
Emma glanced at him, and then her gaze drifted around, looking for something, anything, to distract them from this situation, and her eyes fell on a series of Wanted posters on a wall across the square.
"Huh?" She suddenly narrowed her eyes, and then she gasped, jumping up and dashing across the square. Everybody watched as she snatched a particular Wanted poster off of the wall, and stared at it.
"Oh." Boodle said, squinting at Emma now, as she stood frozen, with the Wanted poster held numbly in her hands. "I didn't recognize her before, with all those bandages on, but now I see...she's the girl on that Wanted poster."
"NANI?!" Usopp, Sanji, Zoro, Nami and Chopper yelled.
Law looked startled, which was rare for him.
Ace looked shocked.
Luffy, however, had started grinning, and then he laughed. "Shishishi - this is great!"
"How can you call it great?!" Nami and Sanji shouted, hitting Luffy across the head.
"How much is her bounty?" Zoro asked Boodle.
"Well, I must admit, I was surprised at first." Boodle admitted. "She didn't look like much, so I figured that the eight 'nines' on the poster were just typos..."
"NINETY-NINE MILLION NINE HUNDRED NINETY-NINE THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED AND NINETY-NINE BELLIS?!" Usopp, Sanji, Zoro, Nami and Chopper screamed.
Ace shook his head. "Oh, now they're just taunting her. Making it one Belli off of her becoming a Supernova..." He glanced over at Emma, who was still standing there, as if frozen.
"What's her epithet?" Nami asked, looking like she was about to hyperventilate. Emma has a Wanted poster - bounty hunters will be coming after her, now! I thought that the Government wanted her alive!
"Demon Of War." A random worker called over to them.
"Shishishi," Luffy laughed. "That sounds cool!"
"It's not cool!" Sanji scolded him. "My poor Emma-Chwan...hunted like the rest of us..." He shook his head sadly.
"Well, she is a pirate." Law stated calmly, leaning back in his chair. "I don't think being hunted is what she's concerned about." He added, and they all glanced over at Emma.
She had started shaking, and then she yelled, for the world to hear: "HOW THE HELL DID THEY GET MY DRIVER'S LICENSE PHOTO?!"
Whitebeard sat onboard the Moby Dick, staring at the Wanted poster in his hands. So, the little brat was on a Wanted poster now? She still had a long way to go before she was in the big leagues but, for sure, this was a good start for her.
Whitebeard felt a strange sense of pride for the young woman, which went beyond acquaintances. He had fully accepted her as one of his daughters by this stage - he would be keenly watching her progress as a pirate, although she was still just a kid. She'd better not start thinking she was all that, or else she'd got cut down in an instant. She didn't seem that type, though...
There was, however, something strange about her...something Grace had hinted on that night a few weeks ago, and it was something that Whitebeard had been wondering about. If it was true, then...
Whitebeard sighed, placing the poster down next to him. There was a lot of speculation surrounding Emma Liefde Pax, and only time would tell what she was going to do for the troubled realms...
"So, how are we going to get to the ship?" Nami asked, as they examined a map of the layout of the island. "Then, we can focus on trying to get it off the island..."
"All the while dodging Marines." Sanji lit a cigarette, and took a long drag from it.
Nami nodded. "Yeah...Boodle said that they're located here, here, here, here, here and here," she drew X's with a pen. "And, that their main force is located in a temporary stronghold here." She drew a circle around the area on a cliff right behind the lake with a weird name. The navigator sighed. "We need a plan - we can't just rush in recklessly, Luffy." She eyed her captain, who just gazed back innocently at her.
Usopp was studying the map. "Hey, Nami, what's this area here?" He pointed to a section of the island, south-east of the lake.
"That's a sandy beach." Nami responded, turning back to the map. "Not ideal." She added.
"They'd see us coming from a mile away." Usopp agreed. "What about the north area of the island?"
"A steep cliff-face." Nami replied. "The legend here states that it's sheer. There's nothing above it but incredibly dense forest and, beneath it, nothing but rocks."
"Sharp rocks?" Chopper wanted to know.
Nami nodded. "Most likely."
"Yeah, well, getting dashed against the rocks is not how I want to end this mission." Usopp declared, and Chopper nodded in agreement.
Law was studying the map, also. His grey eyes examined every square inch of the scaled-down representation of the island that they were on, and his mind quickly began calculating possibilities and variables. He then glanced up, and saw Emma staring at him from across the table.
When their eyes met, Law felt it - something akin to a bolt of electricity ran through him.
Emma smiled suddenly. "Minna." Somehow, no matter how softly she spoke, everybody always seemed to look at her when she did, and this time was no exception. "Law-San has a plan."
They all turned to look at him, and he smiled, and nodded. "Hai. I was calculating all of our resources, namely Emma-San's ability to teleport. However, it's not without its limitations - she has to have been to the area to be able to teleport there, and she generally has to be in sight of it, otherwise. If we can get her close enough to the ship, then she can teleport us onto it." He glanced at Emma again, and she blushed. Yes, Law thought, smirking slightly. You are our greatest asset.
Nami was nodding. "Yes..." She said slowly. "But...how do we get Emma close enough to the ship, with the six Marine camps and that big one there set up?" She wanted to know.
Law pointed to the north shore. "Depending on how steep that rock-face is, she might be able to scale it."
Everybody was quiet for a moment.
Ace was the first to break the silence. "What makes you think that she'll be able to do that?"
Emma gave him a Look. "What, you think I can't?" She asked, a hint of stubbornness creeping into her voice.
"Have you ever scaled a cliff before?" Ace sounded just as stubborn.
"Once." Emma replied. "In an indoor gym. With...safety ropes."
Ace sat back, and crossed his arms. "Now, picture doing that, outdoors, with pointy rocks in the ocean, and no safety ropes."
"That's it, Ace-Chan, I'm going to do it, and you can't stop me!" Emma snapped.
Ace clenched his fists. "No, you're not!"
"Yes, I am!" She retorted, her fists also clenched. "I've got my ribbons, I can use them instead of ropes!"
"You're not going alone!" Ace declared.
"I know that, because somebody's got to come with me in case I run into a Marine, or two, or three!" Emma exclaimed.
Ace blinked. "Oh...well then, I'll..."
"I'll go." Law said.
Emma barely refrained from banging her head on the table as Law and Ace glared at each other.
"Oh, for the love of..." Nami glared at them both. "If you're so concerned about her safety, then why don't the both of you just go?!" They glanced at her. She rolled her eyes, and crossed her arms. "Then again, she'd probably be safer with mr anti-map over there."
"Oi!" Zoro snapped.
"The only problem," Emma admitted. "Is how to get you guys to the ship, once we find it. And, how to get the ship out into the open waters." She put her elbows on the table, being careful of her bandages.
"Oh, right." Nami looked depressed.
"I think I might be able to help you with that." Boodle said, approaching them. They all turned to look at him. In his arms was a white dog.
Luffy grinned. "Hey, is that Shoushou?" He wanted to know.
Boodle shook his head. "No. This is Shoushou's girlfriend, Chichi."
"Girlfriend?" Luffy repeated, rubbing the back of his head, before reaching out to the she-dog. "That's weird..."
Chichi snapped at him, and he withdrew his hand.
Nami laughed. "Good girl." She said, patting the dog behind the ears.
Boodle sighed. "Well, Chichi met Shoushou out in the woods, and she knows them better than anybody - she knows all the hidden paths that only animals can get through."
Chopper stood up, looking over at Chichi. "Is that true?" He asked her, and she looked at him. "Do you know a secret path to the lake?"
Chichi nodded, and barked for a moment, before whimpering.
Chopper nodded. "I see." He looked around at the others. "She said that there's one path that goes to the lake, and it's underground, so the Marines won't see us. It exits at a small cave on the cliff-face where the Marine's stronghold is." Chopper's shoulders drooped. "Unfortunately, it's a very small and narrow tunnel - humans can't get through it."
"So, as you can see, there's no hope." Boodle said.
Emma suddenly grinned, albeit somewhat evilly. "Oh, I'm not so sure..." She held up her compass. "I love it when a plan comes together, people..."
Usopp looked at the compass, and then at the map, with all the X's on it. "No thanks." he stated. "I choose life."
"Then I suggest you take the secret tunnel." Law stated.
"Are you threatening me?" Usopp wanted to know.
Law smirked. "I don't do threats." He replied.
Usopp glanced at him. "You wanna do this right here, right now?" He asked, and when Law just looked at him, Usopp nodded. "That's what I thought - I would've had to have gotten Zoro to teach you a lesson, if you had."
"Don't drag me into this, long-nose." Zoro muttered, rolling his eyes.
"So, it's decided." Usopp declared. "I'll stay here and wait for you guys to come pick me up!"
Nami whacked him upside the head. "How long do you think you'll last once the Marines find out we're here?!" She scolded him. "No one's staying behind, we're all going together!" She then glanced at Emma, Ace and Law. "Except for you three - you're going to go and climb a wall."
"See, Ace-Chan," Emma noted. "Nami called it a wall."
Ace rolled his eyes. "Emiko, was the wall in Berlin just a wall? Was the Great Wall Of China just a wall?"
"How the Hell do you know about those walls?"
"I'm your future husband - I thought I should know more about your world."
"Aww..." Emma leaned over and kissed him. "Next time, stick to Sacsayhuaman."
"To where?"
Emma smiled at Ace and Law, her cute little lopsided grin appealing to both the men, but not fooling them.
"This is great." She said. "This is fine, it's all fine." She turned back around, staring at the cold, dark water that lashed against the sharp, pointy rocks, at the foot of the world's steepest cliff-face. "I'm gonna die."
Ace and Law stepped up on either side of her.
"We can always back out." Ace told her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"No, we can't." Emma shook her head.
"Just take it slowly." Law suggested, resisting the urge to add that, if she slipped, then she'd be mutilated by the rocks - if she didn't drown first.
Emma took a deep breath, and exhaled. "Right. Slowly." She took another look at the cliff-face, kneeling down at the edge to take a look.
Law knelt down beside her, and pointed. "See all those notches and grooves?" He asked her, and she nodded. "If they remain consistent, then scaling this wall should be, as you say, fine."
Emma nodded. "Hai...my ribbons should be strong enough to steady your weight, but I'm not sure if they can support you, and I mean that in the nicest way possible." She glanced at Law, and then up at Ace. "Don't fall."
"Don't worry." Ace replied.
"Just focus on yourself." Law suggested.
Emma sighed, and closed her eyes briefly, feeling the cool night air against her skin. She opened her eyes, and glanced up at the sky. The moon was still waning - it would be a new moon soon enough and, for some reason, that thought filled her with dread.
"It's so dark down here." Usopp complained.
"How do you think blind people feel, Usopp?!" Nami snapped, from somewhere up ahead of him. "Just be thankful that we can see anything!" She was just a vague outline in the darkness of the underground tunnel.
Usopp couldn't even see Chichi, but he heard it when she said something to Chopper. When they were cats, they could understand a little bit of what other animals said, but not a lot. Just basic things. They relied on Chopper to translate for them.
He said: "Chichi thought that cats were supposed to be able to see in the dark."
"Yeah, well tell Chichi that we're not normal cats." Usopp mumbled.
"She can hear you talking, Usopp." Nami commented, as Chichi's growl could be heard in the darkness of the tunnel. "Dogs have really good hearing." She added.
"Now you tell me." Usopp rolled his eyes.
"Oh, stop complaining, Usopp." Sanji said, from behind the patchy-cat. "Be thankful that you're not scaling that wall with poor Emma-Chan."
"At least it's a clear night." Zoro mused. "Their way will be lit enough for them to see."
"Here's hoping..." Nami muttered.
"Don't worry." Luffy said, from behind Zoro. "Ace won't let anything happen to Emmy."
"Yeah, but what about Ace and Law?" Sanji said. "We all know how capable they are, but..."
"If they're too concerned about Emma's welfare, then they could be in trouble." Zoro said flatly.
"Oh no, don't say that!" Nami wailed. "Now if something bad happens, everybody will blame me for convincing them both to go with her!"
"Hey, wasn't it you that said we should stop worrying about things that we can't change?" Zoro reminded her. "Relax - they'll be fine."
"Yeah..." Nami replied. "Those two would rather die than let anything happen to Emma."
"That's the problem." Sanji muttered, shaking his head.
"Shut up, dartboard-brow!" Zoro snapped.
"Make me, moss-ball!" Sanji snapped back.
"Both of you shut up!" Nami yelled, wishing that she could see enough to hit them both.
Slowly... Emma told herself, her own face mere inches from the rocky face of the wall. Slow and easy wins the race... She carefully reached for the next out-jutting rock, as Law removed his hand from it to allow her to grab it.
Law had volunteered to go first, checking each rock and foot-hold before Emma was there. Ace was right behind Emma, spotting her.
It was a slow and agonizing process, made even more difficult by the fact that, one wrong move, and it would all be over.
"You okay?" Ace asked Emma.
"Sure." Emma replied, trying not to breathe heavily. She was clinging to the side of a wall, scaling it inch by inch, and her arms felt like lead. She had always hated high-school sports, from football to basketball. The gold ribbons woven together, and connected to holes at both ends of the cliff-face, were little comfort, and provided only minimal stability when they stopped to take their small breaks.
They were about halfway across when it happened.
They had just stopped to take another break, and Emma was resting her sweaty and still-bandaged forehead against the rocks. Her right hand was firmly on the golden ribbons. She reached out with her left hand, placing it on the next put-jutting rock, and her fingers brushed against Law's.
She glanced up at him, and locked gazes with Law - just as the rock he was standing on crumbled, and he fell.
Emma's left hand shot out, grabbing the surgeon around the wrist. She immediately felt the horrendous pull of the muscles in her left shoulder, and all down her left side, as Law hung suspended by nothing, clinging to life only by Emma's hand.
"Law-San!" Emma cried, although it was more like a gasp. "Hold on...aaa!" She winced, not because of her aching muscles, but because she'd suddenly felt a weakness in the gold ribbons.
"It won't hold us both." Law said calmly.
"It will!" Emma cried. "It will, Law-San...nng..." She closed her eyes, the pain burning through her left side far worse than Sakazuki's magma ever could have. "Oh my God...think...think..."
"Emma-San...let me..."
"No, Law-San!" Emma yelled, tears pooling in her eyes. "I can't! I won't ever let you go!"
Law's eyes widened slightly, in shock.
"Emiko!" Ace was right there but, like Emma, he was powerless to do anything. He suddenly felt the stone that he was hanging onto begin to crumble. At the worst possible time.
As it seemed to disintegrate beneath his fingers, and he fell, he heard Emma yell: "Ribon-Ribon No Grab!"
The red ribbon arced out of the hand that she had wrapped the arm of around the golden ribbons, but now that was all that was holding them in place, as Ace hung from the red ribbon, above the merciless black ocean.
Ace glanced desperately up at Emma, who was sobbing now.
"Emiko, let us go!" Ace called to her.
"Listen to him, Emma-San!" Law added. The hand that was clutching his wrist was slippery with both sweat and blood - some of the wounds on her hand had opened up again.
"No!" Emma cried. "I'll never let go! You two...you two are the only ones! The only ones who love me like this!" She gasped, as the golden ribbons began to tear. "You both...I can't...I won't lose you! Not like this! I need you both! Ace-Chan...Law-San...I...I lo-" The golden ribbons were down to the last few threads. "Oh my God, no..." She whispered, as the last of the ribbons snapped.
"What was that?" Usopp whispered, as the ground around them shook.
Chichi responded, with a series of yips.
"She said it was Yang, the Sea King that lives in the lake." Chopper explained. (Chichi barked softly.) "She says we must be under the lake right now."
"Well that's just great." Usopp muttered. "Now only do we have Marines to deal with, but now a Sea King, too."
"Don't you ever stop complaining, Usopp?" Sanji muttered. "Hey, Chopper, ask her how much longer until we reach the cave."
Chichi snuffled, and Chopper translated: "She says only around five more minutes or so - we should start to see light, soon."
"Good, because I was starting to feel kind of claustrophobic." Nami admitted.
"Do you need me to walk beside you, Nami-Swan?" Sanji called to her.
"No, I do not, Sanji!" Nami snapped back.
"Aww..."
"So...why is a Sea King in a lake anyway, Chichi?" Usopp called.
Chichi responded, and Chopper translated. "She says that, once, the lake was actually connected to the ocean via a river. One day, Yang swam into the river and became trapped there when a massive rock-slide blocked the river, mid-way between the sea and the now-lake. She says that the entrances dried up, so Yang couldn't free himself or, at least, that's how the stories go."
"So...it's real, or it's a legend?" Usopp queried. "Which?"
"Oh, it's a real legend alright." Chopper clarified.
"That...doesn't make any sense." Sanji commented.
"It doesn't have to." Nami responded.
"Hey, look!" Chopper cried suddenly. "I can see light up ahead!"
"Me too!" Nami exclaimed and, indeed, things were looking brighter. "We must be near the exit! Isn't that great, you guys?"
"It sure is, Nami-San!" Sanji agreed.
"I'll second that!" Usopp added.
"Me too!" Chopper said.
There was silence after that, as the cats and dog walked along...and then they all stopped.
"Luffy?" Nami called back into the darkness. "Zoro?"
There was no answer and, further analysis revealed that both the small black cat and the big green cat were missing!
"Oh no, Luffy, Zoro!" Chopper yelled, horrified.
"They're back there in that tunnel somewhere!" Nami realised, digging her claws into the rock.
"They must've gotten lost!" Usopp added.
"How does somebody get lost on a straightpath?!" Sanji groaned. He turned to the others. "Okay, you guys continue out until you reach the cave, and then wait there." He glanced warily back into the darkness, but there was a determined look in his one visible eye. "I'll go back and get those two."
The others nodded, and watched as the blonde cat disappeared into the blackness, before continuing on their way. As they squinted in the bright light (well, as bright as moonlight could be), Nami thought: I have a bad feeling about this...
In the temporary Marine stronghold, Smoker stood on the balcony, gazing steadily through a pair of binoculars at the Thousand Sunny, perched merrily on the waves of Lake Waikikamukow.
"Come on, Straw Hat..." Smoker mumbled,around his two cigars. "You have to show up sometime..." He watched as a huge white, dragon-like Sea King thrashed about in the lake, making waves that rocked the Thousand Sunny but, for the most part, the ship seemed unaffected. "We have your precious ship here, after all..."
"You really think the Straw Hats will fall for your trick, Smoker?" A voice said from behind him, but he didn't have to look to know who it was. He could already picture her standing there, with her silvery-pink hair billowing in the wind, and a cigarette in one hand. "They're not idiots, you know." Hina added, taking a long drag from her cigarette.
"I know." Smoker replied. "They're also not idiot enough to let one of their own get captured." His binoculars focused on the particular light blue cat, that was tied to the deck of the Thousand Sunny. "They'll come here, and when they do..."
"We'll be ready for them." Hina finished for him. Her red lips twisted into a smile. "This should be interesting...Hina look forward to it." Let's hope that my subordinates know what they're doing, those two bothersome idiots...
When Emma awoke, at first all that she saw was a bright light.
She panicked. Okay, I'm cold, my body is numb, I'm staring into a tunnel of light...we are talking deceased here...
Then, two faces swam into view. One was tanned, with facial hair and cool grey eyes. The other had freckles, and came complete with warm, brown eyes.
"Emma-San?"
"Emiko?"
"Law-San? Ace-Chan?" Emma opened her eyes up all the way, and sat up in the sand, resting her head on the palm of her hand when her vision swam. She closed her eyes briefly, and then opened them. She looked at Law and Ace, who were both kneeling next to her, looking mildly concerned, and then she looked across, at the water, to where a huge black dragon was watching them. She stared at it, and it stared back at her. "What's that thing?" She wanted to know.
'Hmph, how insolent.' The female voice seemed to come from everywhere but, somehow, Emma knew that it was coming from the dragon. 'After I just saved your life, small human.'
"You...you saved us?" She asked it.
It nodded, its ruby red eyes gazing intently at her and, yet, there was a degree of calmness to them - this creature had been alive for centuries, there was no doubt about that. She was huge, larger than anything that Emma had ever seen before, and resembled a dragon from Chinese folklore. Her scales were black as pitch, her eyes a brilliantly deep red, and a shining blue stone decorated her forehead, like a tiara. She was both beautiful and terrifying, a truly awe-inspiring creature.
"She says her name is Yin." Ace said, as Emma pulled herself into a more comfortable position. "That's...about as far as we got." He turned to Emma. "Daijoubuka?"
Emma swallowed, and crew her knees up to her chest. "I really...thought that we were goners...I'm so sorry that I couldn't do more..."
'On the contrary, small human.' Yin said, bowing her head down so that she was eye-level with Emma. 'You all would have died, had I not heard your heartfelt confessions.' She growled, in a soft and gentle way. 'You truly care for these two young men, otherwise I would not have heard you.'
"Oh." Emma blushed, trying to remember what she had said to Law and Ace. Something about needing the both of them, and...yes, she had almost said that she loved them. Both of them. "That..."
'There is nothing to be ashamed of.' Yin said wisely. 'It is often difficult for us to voice the emotions that we hold for another, let alone two others. These two men are very lucky to have somebody that feels for them the way you do, small one.' She bowed her head. 'Once, I too, had one that I told my feelings to, and we shared many happy years together.'
"What happened then?" Emma asked her.
'We are separated,' Yin replied sadly. 'By a wall which we cannot demolish.' She looked towards the small river that Emma hadn't noticed up until now. It ran into a thick forest, and appeared to be all but dried up. Emma glanced in the other direction, and saw the sheer cliff-face that had nearly been their downfall. She shuddered, and turned back, as Yin began to speak again. 'This wall separates me from my mate - he is trapped in the lake in the middle of the forest. We used to go there to eat the fish that lived there, but then a landslide separated us for a hundred years.' She growled, in a sad way. 'I would give anythingto see him again. I have heard the people of this island call him a monster but, if youwere in solitary confinement, wouldn't youact differently, too?'
"Yes." Ace agreed with her, nodding. "I would want to be freed..."
"Yin-Ya," Law said, looking up at her. "Is there some way to calm your mate down?"
'Why do you ask, cool human?' Yin blinked her huge red eyes at him.
"We need to go to that lake." Law shrugged, smiling. "It would be better to not get eaten while we're there..."
'How insolent!' Yin huffed again. 'My mate does not eat people!'
"He didn't mean it like that." Emma said soothingly, putting up her hands.
"Still," Ace said, thoughtfully. "It would be a whole lot easier to get to the Thousand Sunny if we didn't have to worry about your mate being upset with us. Is there a way that could calm him down?"
'There is.' Yin admitted. 'It is an ancient song - more like a chant - that is known only to us Sea Kings, and taught to us at a young age by the ancient gods themselves.' She narrowed her eyes. 'Why should I teach it to you, warm human?'
"Not to me." Ace smiled, and put a hand on Emma's shoulder. "To Small Human, I mean to Emiko." He amended, when she glared at him. "We need to go and get the ship that landed in the middle of the lake, but, while we're there..."
Emma smiled up at Yin, and stood up, placing a tentative hand on the Sea King's black nose - the scales felt rough and smooth, textured and yet slippery, all at the same time. "You saved our lives, Yin-Sama - the least we could do is reunite you with your mate."
Yin gazed suspiciously at her, as if searching for lies. She found nothing but warm and open honesty in the human's hazel eyes...eyes that seemed so familiar to her, all of a sudden.
Yin nodded, and growled softly, calmly, under her breath. 'Very well then, small human.' The stone on her forehead began to glow and, as Ace and Law watched, the glow intensified. 'I will teach you the song that can heal my mate's heart. Prepare yourself.'
Emma glanced over her shoulder at Ace and Law, who were both staring at her. "Look, about what happened back there..." She said, her eyes bright. "For now, I need to focus on the task at hand but, I promise you," her eyes suddenly gained that steely look again. "Every single word I said was true."
She turned back around, just as the blue light enveloped her.
Faith was running fast, as fast as Emma had once thought that the goddess could run. In one hand, she held the heart-shaped necklace, which had once been vibrant - now, its ruby was dulled to an almost black grey, its power almost entirely depleted.
She reached the spot on the dark pinkish-red road, where Grace and Twister were waiting for her.
Grace turned, as Faith approached, and the look in her hazel eyes stopped Faith in an instant.
"You're too late, Faith." Grace said, still as calm and serene as ever, but her voice was filled with pain and anguish - and, above all, with regret. "Little Death has already done it. She has freed Infinity."
Faith's whole entire body went numb, and she dropped the necklace. It fell from her limp hand, and landed with a dull thud on the ground beside her. "No...Little Death not do that...it can't be..."
"I'm afraid it isss, Faith." Twister sighed, watching as the black vortex around the castle in the distance grew. From within that vortex came a sense of great darkness - and, of great power. ""Ssshe didn't know what ssshe wasss doing." He added, in defense of the young goddess' actions.
"Why does it matter if she did or didn't mean to do it?" Karma asked, appearing at a spot near to where Faith was, and holding the young Luck by the hand. "She still didit!"
"Karma, calm down." Chance said, in his monotone, standing nearby.
"No, Chance, Karma's right." Destiny sighed, as she and Fate appeared next to them.
Fate, for once, was not smiling. "This is it." She stated simply.
"What are we going to do?" Cupid groaned, his wings drooping sadly at his sides, as he stood next to Chance.
"What can we do?" Luck asked, looking sad. "Infinity will destroy all our worlds - we knew this, as soon as she became."
"We mustn't lose faith." Grace said firmly, looking at the lady herself. "It will take some time for Infinity to gain all the powers of my heart." She went over, and stooped down, picking up the broken necklace. "I will take this to her Father - he is the only one who can restore its full power, now."
"Grace...what about Death?" Karma asked, sighing. "I really didn't want to get her involved...or, Life too, for that matter, but..."
"Don't." Grace shook her head. "Go to Boss, instead - get him to try and find Little Death, and try and talk some sense into her. Meanwhile, all of you, do everything you canto help the Chosen Ones, without going against the rules."
"But...Little Death broke the rules." Luck pointed out.
"Just because she did, doesn't mean that we have to, Luck." Destiny pointed out.
Grace agreed. "That's right. We are gods here. Remember that. I...I may not have been one for as long as all of you," she said, looking around at them all, with her gaze finally coming to rest on Faith. "But, I have faith in the Chosen Ones and, Faith...I thank you, for choosing them as you did."
Faith finally looked up. There was a tiny glimmer of hope in her brilliant blue eyes. "Grace...you really believe...was right choice that I made? Choosing her?"
Grace nodded firmly. "I do, Faith. I think that you made an excellent choice, choosing her."
"But, Grace," Destiny spoke up, sounding unsure for maybe the first time ever. "Are you sure that was wise? I mean, considering who she is and everything...?"
"Destiny, I have the utmost belief that it was the right choice." Grace replied, and then she smiled a lopsided smile. "No matter how biased that may seem, I will never lose faith in that girl."
Fate nodded as well, and then her eyes gained a faraway look. "Something has just shifted...Destiny..."
"I know..." Destiny was looking as well, at something it seemed that only the two of them could see.
The others were used to it, by now, of course, and so they just waited.
Destiny and Fate both shook their heads in unison, and then Fate smiled - it was a very bitter smile. "That future looks grim."
"It's going to happen, one way or the other." Destiny remarked.
Fate nodded. "I know...I'll go and find Father Time. Let him know that...well, it's almost time for him to act." She shrugged.
"That girl's going to die, isn't she?" Grace asked softly, and Fate and Destiny could only nod. Grace sighed. "I see...then, that is indeed, a very grim future..."
Author's Notes:
. I was originally going to write some more of this chapter, but it's 2:55AM over here - I'm tired!
. Next week, TAFE starts up again. Back to school, yay...not.
. I got a One Piece DVD today! *Celebrates* It's volume eight, with the episodes in Arabasta when Ace shows up! I spent awhile fan-girling this afternoon, lol.
. This story now has a cover page! Yes! It's Emma's outfit that she's wearing now, by the way, minus all of her jewelry.
~Emma's sudden indecisiveness with Law and Ace (which, no doubt, you're all going to hound me about) will be explained...soon...~
Dragon of Yin and Yang - I just realised...your username rocks. * _ * Anyways, so, thank you for your review, as well!
Mugiwara Wolf Spirite - noooo, not Crocodile, too! (HOW did you manage to con...or, convince him to help you, by the way?). Heh, no double-wedding. Okay, then! Thanks for the review!
Shiningheart of ThunderClan - yeah, Garp taught her Soru, at one particular point she managed to master it when they were dodging bullets at the shooting range! XD Rules-schmools, or, maybe he's just hoping that she'll convert to a Marine! Hang in there, Garp-y!
MsWildLuck - thank you! ^^ I'm glad that you enjoyed the fight scenes!
KaiF . Raphaella - I know, right? Lol, I hate reading them, but I LOVE writing them...like in this chapter! Mwahahahaha! *Cough-cough* Anyways, thanks for the review!
Chieko Namikaze - don't you go falling off your chair now, you hear me? ^^ Thanks for reviewing!
Cocoa Liddell - ah, but is anything REALLY ever permanent? XD There's more jealousy from Law and soon from Ace to appear, too! Oh...cake is a lie, after all! *Takes back the cake, and hands you a pie* This is from that random window-sill, over there. *Points to screaming house-wife*
Shinobi . Hikari . Ookami - yes, see the world, but maybe don't do it as a pirate, lol. *Accepts cookie from you* Wow, I didn't think that anything could be more exciting them seeing a Celestial Dragon get pwnd but, well, there you go. XD Thanks!