Guest: Yeah, when the Straw Hats find out it's going to be fun and funny, but I'd argue that some of them know but are quiet and polite about it. I'll let you figure out which ones don't care and let her live her best life. Also, I remembered that Aokiji and Smoker are friends, and therefore would meet Sienna, and the Straw Hats meet him before Water 7 (my favorite Admiral before he resigned). Would lazy Aokiji recognize her and think something's up? That would be funny.

Chapter Thirteen: Hallucination

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I should be asking you that," she said, brushing away the large water droplets off his cheek with her thumb.

"I'm fine," he said simply.

The expression on his face, however, was one of curiosity and concern. It seemed she couldn't be the sweet, weak wife anymore. She literally rescued him from prison by breaking open the cage with her raw strength and pump action shotgun of her own creation. If that isn't a final nail in the coffin, then she didn't know what was. He probably couldn't see her in the light of the helpless wife he traveled all the way to Alabasta to save anymore. It was kind of fun while it lasted, but her past and dreams for the future ruined it. She doubted he'd care if she wanted to join him in the marines, but that would put her in direct opposition to her new found friends and underneath him in rank in command. That was a big no for her.

Sometimes, the best thing to do for someone you love is to let them go selflessly. She couldn't think of a way to keep him around that would benefit the both of them. It was like two puzzle pieces that didn't fit any longer, warped over time by two different desires out of life. Now, the question was: would he do the same for her? Would he put up a fight to either keep her or arrest her for aiding and abetting pirates?

"Should you go first or me?" she asked, feeling the sadness seeping into her bones.

"Were you kidnapped by those pirates?"

She imagined they exchanged words while trapped in that cage. He was probably too angry to get any real information besides them insisting that they didn't kidnap his wife. She wondered if any of them put two and two together. Then, she'd have to have a tough conversation about who her husband is and some broken trust issues. She… wasn't looking forward to that at all.

"No," she said.

"You went with them willingly?" he asked. The pain and betrayal were laced in his voice and expression underneath his stoicism.

"Not exactly, LogueTown was under such chaos, and I was carried to their ship, but I didn't exactly leave or resist them either," she said.

"They said you weren't there, and I could tell they weren't lying," he said.

Frowning, she wiped off the ruined makeup with a handkerchief in her pouch, and then she put her hair up in a bun.

"Look familiar?" she asked, deepening her voice.

The gobsmacked look on his face as the realization set in was memorable. His eyes were wide, the cigars dropped from his agape mouth, and the permanent scowl on his face softened a bit. It was a rare expression for him.

"Why?" he asked. He didn't sound angry but confused and astounded.

"At first, it was to get around town without your influence. Most people were afraid to say anything mildly upsetting for fear of angering you because I was protected by proxy, and that sword shop owner was mad that you chased his business away. So, I dressed as a man to smith in peace at the sword shop. And, I like it."

She let it sink in for him.

"Are you…," he looked as if he was struggling to find a word that wasn't offensive to describe her.

"I don't know. I like both," she said, shrugging. "It's strange, and I can't explain it. I don't really have a word for it, but it's how I feel."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I tried to tell you that I wanted to be a blacksmith, and you ignored me. So I figured if I told you how I feel about my gender, you'd do the same."

The hurt that briefly flashed was sobering. He seemed to be understanding as he briefly looked at the shotgun attached to her back.

"Did you make it?" he asked.

"Yeah, a nice giant gave me the material as a thank you," she said fondly.

Another look briefly passed his features. She didn't know what to say. It hurt. Her heart was aching right now at the knowledge this was over since she was a changed person. She thought she could live a normal and loving life as a housewife, but her desires to be a renowned blacksmith and adventure with the Straw Hats were an irreconcilable difference between them.

"Do you like them?"

"Yeah…," she said softly, and then gestured her head at Sanji briefly, "even that one."

"Have they… treated you well?"

"Yeah," she said. "They don't even know about us. They just know me as Silas."

"If they hurt you," he began.

"They won't," she interrupted. "Though, I imagine they'll feel… betrayed about me keeping this from them."

She looked down at her hands, feeling a sadness sit inside her. It was over, yet they were talking for the first time in a long time, actual conversation. She still felt as if there were still things to be said. What better time than now?

"You've kept things from me," he said. She didn't say anything and let him finish. "Were you involved with pirates before being captured into the slave trade?"

She didn't say anything, and that was enough of an answer. He cursed quietly, and she knew an apology would be stupid and meaningless in this instance. How could she be able to tell her marine husband that once upon a time before her life took a turn for the absolute worst, she was once a criminal? She wanted to turn over a new leaf, hide out, and forget, but that wasn't possible now. After all, he got the information from somewhere, and it was absolutely impossible to live that life anymore. Smoker may let it slide out of love for her, but other marines wouldn't.

"Who told you?" she asked, feeling the shame just wash right in.

"Admiral Akainu," he said. "Who was the pirate?"

"I…," she began.

"Don't tell me you don't want to say," he said, anger seeping into his tone.

She felt tears welling up. The shame and the anger at herself for her past actions were compounding. Just uttering and thinking that man's name made her feel awful. She might as well be honest and get it off her chest. If this was goodbye, she didn't have to look at his face and see disgust and distrust there. Fine, she'll say it.

There was a loud cough from Sanji who was finally waking up. She removed her bandana. Then, she took down her bun, situating it as best she could back into a bob with bangs. She didn't have a mirror, so she assumed it was asymmetrical and a mess.

Sanji fell back against the ground, eyes closed, and breathing easy.

"I'm letting you go, Sienna," he said.

"What?"

"I said, I'm letting you and the Straw Hats go," he said.

Tears spilt down her face, and she didn't see them coming. "So, this is goodbye," she said, feeling her lip quiver.

His face was stony and difficult to read. He looked as if he was resolved, and when she went in to embrace him, he kept his hand up. She understood. He may not be able to let her go if he didn't keep up a wall between them. That was what she wanted to believe. She had put him through a lot and kept quite a few things from him.

Tears spilt down her face as she stood. He stood as well. She pulled her necklace free from under her top and out from around her neck. She held the rings in the palm of her hand, gesturing to him.

"No, keep them," he said, closing her hand around the rings. "I don't need them. They'll just remind me of you."

She kissed his hand gently. And she caught a glimpse of the pain in his eyes before steeling himself once more.

"I love you," she said.

Then, she ran off with tears spilling down her face and sobbing all the way. She heard the Straw Hats just arrive, and she tried to keep it together and tune them out, but she was sobbing like a baby. But then, she heard something that she couldn't tune out:

"You remind me of my wife," Smoker said.

She stopped in her tracks, swinging behind a slab of wall. The curiosity was killing her. What was he going to say? Was he going to roast her? She deserved it. She left him, a marine, for pirates. It was a betrayal, and thankfully she was presenting as Silas instead of Sienna to prevent lampooning from his colleagues and trouble in general against him. Still, he handled it super well when they spoke. Would he roast her now? She deserved it and braced herself accordingly.

"She'd been traumatized, unlike you, but she's funny, wild, and a free spirit. She expresses her pain through comedy, taking nothing seriously, something I'll never be capable of. It was naïve of me to keep someone so chaotic as a housewife."

Her throat was itchy as she felt the hot tears spill without any way of preparing or stopping it. She didn't think he paid that much attention to her. For so long, she thought he was just doing what he thought a husband would do for the last year beyond maybe a week of good marital bliss she had missed. But they couldn't go back. The genie was out of the bottle, and she craved adventure and to make her mark as a weaponsmith the right way. Their life was out of alignment, and it would make them both miserable. But the fact that such a stoic man actually cared enough to understand that about her so accurately and to compliment her as well just had her crying like a baby.

"The way she beat open that lock was awesome," Luffy said, grinning.

She saw Zoro bristle and tried to laugh, but it came out as more sobs. She hadn't cried like this in years. Their relationship may have been on the fritz, but he respected and loved her. And, she knew that wasn't easy to find.

"I'm letting you go," he said.

"What?" Luffy said, surprised.

"Go, before I change my mind."

She heard the marines coming by and knew it was her cue to get out of there and sob more. She could go meet Ace since the sting of it all was still too fresh.

She saw him waiting by his small boat on the shore. It was a surprise he waited so long. She would've assumed he would've given up on her and left. She could feel a smile grow on her still tearful face. She ran over, and he turned just in time for her to hug him tightly around his neck.

"Uh, excuse me, Miss, do I know— oh, it's you, Sienna! Your makeup is all… never mind."

A big, elated grin grew on his face, matching hers. She realized this was the first time Ace saw her in a feminine appearance, even a botched one. She was flattered and happy he recognized her.

She held him tightly once more, and he returned the embrace. Her feet dangled as she kicked them back and forth happily before he set her down. She still didn't want to be with him right now, but he wasn't the reason she left her husband. That would be the Straw Hats, and being around Ace felt guilt free, like a weight lifted off her shoulders. Her stance hadn't changed: she liked him, but she wasn't ready for anything romantic or sexual beyond cutesy flirting.

"What are we infiltrating?" she asked.

"I'll tell you on the way. We've got to hurry," he said.

They got on the small boat, and she had to hold onto the mast when flames behind it propelled the boat forward. He gave her a smirk, and she managed a smile. She could use an adventure. But her hard stance was no relationship no matter how tempting and charming her partner is. She could do it and work through the sting and sorrow without jumping straight into someone else's arms. She could. She swore she could.

When they landed, he offered his hand, and she took it. She stepped onto the dock, and he was quickly moving down through the streets. She followed as best she could through the crowd. She could feel the panic in the air. It was clear that revolution was on its heels, and people were trying to get out of dodge.

"They're not going to be here long. And they need to tell me where Teach is going to be."

"Ace?"

She looked around. There were too many to discern. Where did he go, and what did he mean? Was Blackbeard's crew—

She felt something behind her, but before she could turn around or do something about it, a hand with a cloth wound around her mouth, turning everything dark….

"Oh look, she's finally awake," a reedy voice said. "I thought she was going to sleep through the rebellion."

Her gaze was beginning to focus, and she didn't recognize any of those faces. She knew eventually someone would recognize her, but she didn't think it would on some podunk island that's on the brink of civil war. She was so far away from her original home, this shouldn't be an issue. But perhaps, they didn't know her and who she used to be with, and it's some other thing because she remembers faces well. If she had fucked them over or her old lover did, then she'd remember.

"Do I know you?" she groaned.

She went to roll her arms, but she felt a resistance. She looked down and saw her arms bound to the chair she was sitting in. And they used good rope because when she pulled it burned. So, they came prepared.

"No, but you will," the sheet white man with a red lip said.

She looked at all of them, amused, and said, "Is this your first time intimidating someone?"

They paused for a moment, and then the large meathead of the group spoke up in a not so quiet whisper, "Did we get the right woman?"

"She has pink hair with white tips and no tits. How many girls look like that?"

Now, that was kind of mean.

"Why isn't she scared? She's supposed to be a marine's wife."

Oh, that's how they know her. Ok, it was starting to paint a clearer picture as to why they decided to kidnap and tie her to a chair.

"We saw her hanging with Ace. And you know he's after Boss."

Oh, so that's what this was about. They want her to stop searching for Blackbard… eh no, that wasn't it. Black… beard, that was his name. That was it!

"Hello, I'm still here, gentlemen," she said, sticking her neck out to look at who she assumed was the ringleader. They startled. "Are you going to tell me why I'm here? Or is this a kink? If it is, I won't judge."

"You're going to lure Ace to us or—"

"—you'll kill me?" she said, mildly surprised they'd take it there. "Really?"

"Yeah, because without your husband around, we can," he said, holding out a small knife and putting it next to her throat.

Oh.

They really didn't do their research, the poor fools. They were right in that the two of them had ended things very recently, but it seemed her reputation hadn't reached all the way this far back on the grand line. They just thought she was a pillowy housewife frightened by the pirates who "kidnapped." She wished. She's already been exposed to the worst humanity has to offer in her short life on this planet. It was good they dumb. These knuckleheads didn't need to know who her other ex was or what she did in her not so distant past. It really wasn't that far away. She tried to bury it, turn over a new leaf, and it just was ingrained in her. Might as well embrace it. She was a swinging single now and being a housewife didn't agree with her even if she was with a good man who loved and understood her.

She chuckled deeply to herself. "You poor fools," she said. The confusion on their faces was funny, so she laughed harder. "You think I care if I die?"

A strange look passed their faces, and she hoped, she hoped they would call her bluff.

One of them stepped forward, grasped the back of her hair, and yanked her head back. She looked him in the eyes as the knife was pointed at her face.

"You're going to lure Ace to us, so Blackbeard will kill him," he growled. "Or I'll cut that pretty face, and Smoker will never take you back."

"I'm pretty?"

She didn't feel pretty as a woman. She wasn't the ideal: her chest was flat, her butt was large, her abs and biceps were prominent, her skin was tan, her eyebrows were thick, and her lips were heart shaped and full. That wasn't in. She swore she'd never seen anyone regardless of gender with a butt. She felt like everyone but herself had crack-and-back, and that was the norm. She was the opposite of what was deemed of a beautiful woman. Was she actually pretty, or was he being cruel?

"Shut up, you—"

"Calm down," the red lip man said.

"She's just so—"

"Shut up, you idiot."

It was clear patience was running thin here. She could still irritate people like it was second nature even older men and not some teen rookie pirates she poked at for fun. These were supposedly seasoned pirates, and yet this almost felt like child's play.

"You think one of my exes would let it slide if you decided to play surgeon on my face," she laughed at them.

Then, she finally got what she wanted:

"Blackbeard doesn't care about you and your stupid husband," the tan man who resembled rocks said to her. "He may be in Baterilla right now but—"

"Shut up, Jesus, you idiot!" the pale man said, slapping his colleague across the face.

She started laughing at them, having used her irritating nature to ruin it for them. She still got it – matter how much time passed, or if she agreed to be domesticated. It'll never go away. It was in her bones. She tried to be a domestic housewife, but she was a feral pirate at heart.

"Ugh! You're so annoying!" the pale man shouted, backhanding her across the face. She swayed as his words bounced around her ears, muffled and terrible. "… oughta bust your… you…"

When the world materialized in front of her eyes once more, she was upon a stage with bright lights and hollow husks of people with eyes fixed on her. They were dressed for a show and had expecting gazes, waiting for her to perform.

She only had a moment to look at her immediate surroundings. She was in her wedding dress, surrounded by groomsmen and bridesmaids doing jazz hands around her to the point that only her face was left alone for the audience to see. She recognized them as her crew and a few other people she didn't recognize but looked at her with fondness. What was—

Sienna, don't leave me

You said you'd love me forever

Honey, believe me

I'll have your heart on a platter

The singer was muffled, masculine, and unrecognizable in this warped reality. But that didn't matter because it was her time to perform.

The jazz hands were slowly pulling away, and what was left was her stepping forward as the music still played. There was an eerie feeling from both ends of the stage like something ominous was over there, but it was dark and she couldn't see anything, and the show must go on.

The Straw Hats in their bride's maid and groomsmen costumes pulled out fans with male peacock feathers, flapping them behind her. She didn't have to look to understand the illusion they were creating behind her as they descended the stairs together with her.

Might you recall

We've got a small family business

And they won't like this

Whoever or whatever it was there was coming closer from both sides of the stage. She was sure of it. She still tried to dance as she passed to each dance partner, spun across the stage. While being twirled, she recognized most of their faces: Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Crocodile's right hand woman, but she didn't recognize a robotic blue haired misshapen tall man, the skeleton sporting a magnificent afro, and the blue fishman with a goatee. She tried to stop. They kept spinning back and forth all over the stage. Were they moving? It feels longer. And then, she saw faceless men bearing clubs come down the center gap the Straw Hats made after her.

They'll bust your knee caps

Ooh wop de do wop de do

They'll bust your knee caps

That's what they're going to do

Her new found friends, even the ones she'd never met, helped her get away from the fuzzy, hazy clubbed men. Everything was fevered and terrible as she heard malicious chuckles and felt pain in her body. She tried to fight and escape as she felt dragged around the dance floor. Her moves felt sloppy as pain made the world around her melty and the song sluggish and deeper. Her ribs, face, guts, arms all hurt. People were booing. Her performance was dying, and it must go on!

Sienna, you told me

You were no fool, you were no chump

Then you got cold feet

Now all you'll be is a speed bump

Each dodge of the men with bats felt like a fight for her life as she moved to the beat, narrowly missing. Still smiling, she was performing. Suddenly, the blue haired man with misshapen forearms grabbed her by the waist lifting her. She looked up to see none other than Sanji in a red suit on the high platform with his hand outstretched earnestly. Since when did—?

Fuck it.

She took his hand as she missed another swipe from the bat. Once up on her feet, she saw one of the bat-bearing men was already up on the raised platform, following her up. Discontent, she grasped both their lower faces either side of her and swayed them to the beat until she gained the momentum to toss the faceless man to the side and off the raised platform to cheers in the audience. Then, wanting to finish the dance, she leaned forward to Sanji's blurry face, shimmying her free arm as she walked him backwards as well. Awe grew in his eyes as the crowd lost their minds, cheering loudly.

You call it "crime"

We call it "smart family business"

And the family is famous!

The skeleton man was on the piano suddenly in the swirly haze of hallucinations, playing to a nonstop crescendo to which she didn't know what it would be at its peak.

The man bearing clubs hopped up again on the raised platform. She gasped, accidentally letting Sanji go, hearing him shout. Then, she ran from them, being cornered as they thumped their clubs in their hands. She turned again, catching one of her nakama's faces.

They'll bust your kneecaps! Usopp mouthed.

She ran as she continued to dodge, looking for an out, looking to run away from the hazy men with bat. The platform was too high. There was nowhere to go. She looked over and saw her nakama down below with their hands outstretched to catch her, whispering they'll bust your kneecaps. They were earnest, urging her to hurry up and take the leap. She looked back as the shadowy, malicious men loomed ever closer about to strike.

Just as the song reached its peak, she kicked the bat intending to take out her kneecaps, shattering the wood under her sandal. The song faded into the background of her thoughts again as her vision righted itself. Reality crashed hard into her finally. Angry and incredulous men were present, nothing new.

"You're—"

"I've nothing left to say to you," she interrupted.

Then, with a violent rock, she threw herself backwards and broke the chair underneath her. And just like that, she was free. She stood up and brushed off the splinters casually as they wore shocked expressions as if they just couldn't believe she'd do that.

They'll bust your kneecaps~

Dispassionately, she dodged each strike at her face until she found an opening and picked up a broken piece of chair and threw it at Jesus's face. It didn't go through but the blunt trauma and the shattering of splinters in his skin was enough to fall the giant. He was stunned for now.

Then, with efficiency, she turned to a flinching Laffiette who looked as if he wished to run. She managed to manipulate his long limbs to her advantage because he was sloppy from fear, spinning him around in confusion until she could get her foot on his chest and pin him to the floor with a thump.

We've got a small family business~

"Where's my shotgun you stole?" she said coolly.

He didn't say anything, just shocked, so she stepped down harder.

"In the other room," he finally said panickily. "Who are you?"

And the family won't like this~

"Like you said, I'm a housewife," she chuckled darkly.

She took her foot off his chest, grabbed his pistol from his holster, and went to the window on the other side of the interrogation room. With a kick, the window broke. She saw the shock on the pirates' faces as she rolled her shoulders, readying them for what was to come. They were trying to get their bearings, so she shot them in the chest with efficiency. Then, she hopped in through the window. She looked around, frowning, wondering if the turd who took her shotgun was lying or if it was in the next room. It was her only goal in this stupid place.

Another kick to a door on the opposite wall, she found herself in the dungeons. It was just a single hallway with jail cells on each side with another door at the end of the hallway. More pirates stood in her way.

They'll bust your kneecaps~

She shot without looking, hearing it ricochet off the bars and then heard it one of her targets. She spun around and kicked another one of them in the chest, feeling the resistance from her skirt as she watched him bounce off the bars. Immediately, she tore off the side of her skirt as one of them got up. She shot him in the chest, and immediately heard the clip run out of bullets. She threw it in frustration, heard it bounce off the wall and pistol-whip another one of Blackbeard's pathetic, basic foot soldier crew members who thought it would be a good idea to kidnap her to be tortured. She could still feel blood trailing down her forehead from Jesus hitting her.

That's what they're going to do~

Another one came into the room, brandishing a knife, so she used the stiff fabric of her skirt to whip it from his hand. She saw the pain as he dropped the knife, pausing him. So, she opened the cell door and smashed it against his face, knocking him out and leaving his face bloody. Another pirate came at her with a knife, so she turned the knife back towards him, sticking it into his gut. And, with her skirt torn, she could achieve the high kick to send the man behind her into the cell gate.

It's such a shame that you became such an issue~

She climbed onto the cell bars as the last man standing between her and the door at the end of the hallway stood in her way. She threw herself at him, wrapping the stained fabric around the pirate's neck, hearing the force of her jump break the man's neck and tear the fabric in two. She picked herself up off the floor, and her eyes came across her shotgun!

She picked it up happily, and the world felt just a little brighter. She picked up her bandolier as well, strapping it across her chest. Finally, getting what she came for, she then kicked the next door open once more. She put each shell into her shotgun until it was full.

Oh dear Sienna, I'll miss you~

More pirates came down the hallway as she locked her gun on the group of them, fully loaded and ready. And, she saw the fear of god in their eyes as she pulled the trigger with a wild and rage-filled scream, feeling tears run down her face. The red vial exploded into the crowd painting the expansive room in a hazy red cloud. They couldn't see a thing, but she could. She pushed through easily, but suddenly she saw something that lit up in techno color. She went over there, and realized it was another one of her pieces! She would recognize it anywhere.

They'll bust your knee caps~

She pushed the blind pirates away and grabbed her khopesh and slashed the throat open cleanly of a pirate that was attempting to grab for her. It was still sharp.

Ooh yeah, they're coming for you~

She slashed through them in this fog with ease like a machete through tall grass as she reached the door burning blue and gold, and she was relieved by the smell of fresh air as the ruddy smoke billowed out the door. She looked around, still perturbed, wondering where in the hell she was in Alubarna. Either way, she was still pissed at being tortured, broken up with her husband, and finding out that one of her pieces was sold so far away from where she made it.

Suddenly, her eyes came across Ace doing… something. She walked over, and he didn't notice.

"Are you lost?"

He fell back, and she chuckled at his surprise. Some of the darkness, anger, and sadness was beginning to disperse, but it still clogged.

"Sienna! You're still alive!" he said incredulously.

She looked over and noticed the dungeon, torture room was scorched. Huh? Why didn't she notice that? Was it because of the smoke bomb she unleashed? Is that why she didn't see flames? Were they blended? Was she just so angry, heart broken, and out of it that she didn't notice? Huh.

She didn't expect a cloth to wipe away the blood on her head wound. She saw the concern in his eyes, and then unceremoniously she was hugged tightly to his warm, sweaty chest.

"I thought you died," he said.

"I'm alive," she said, not expecting how much it would affect her, cracking her voice. She held him back and tried her best not to cry. She needed comfort. It felt good to be cared for after this really terrible day. More of the darkness was unclogging.

Suddenly, a loud crash occurred, and they separated looking to the source.

"Blackbeard is in Baterilla," she said.

She didn't need to look over to know that he was looking at her incredulously. "You got them to tell you?" he asked.

"Yep, child's play, I almost feel bad," she chuckled.

"Who are you?" Unlike Lafitte, Ace sounded amused.

"I'm Sienna," she said, giving him a smile. Then, she frowned. "I guess… that means you're leaving."

She could see the sadness as well in his face. She wished he wasn't. She didn't think she'd ever be ready to say bye, but their paths were diverging. What was she to do?

"Join the Whitebeard pirates with me," he said. "You could probably be a commander. I could talk to him."

"No, calling somebody Daddy unironically doesn't sit right with me," she said, feeling some of her jovial, playful nature slip back into place.

He spluttered, spitting across the floor, and then when she started laughing at the impolite reaction he laughed too. Then, she had to stop because her ribs still hurt from the torture she endured.

"You know I can't," she said, frowning, wishing they could spend more time together. "I'm pretty attached to the Straw Hats. Your brother is something, but he grows on you."

"Will I see you again?"

"I don't know, handsome. I hope so," she said, sad and downcast. "Here, take this as a memento." She handed him her khopesh. "I never thought it would end up here all the way from the New World where I made it, but I think it's a sign from the universe for me to give this to you."

"Why?"

"I named him Ace of Spades. See?" she said, pointing to the engraving at bottom of the handle.

A strange look passed his features before they both started laughing again.

Author's Note: Smoker is such a good guy. I know he is in the manga, but it just hits different when he's a married man to someone he's proud of and loves. Um, I almost wish she did stay with him, but that door has closed.