"Take care of them for me," ordered Luffy, before tossing her onto a giant crab with a bunch of strangers. Penny landed with a slight thud and startled expression, nearly falling back had Nami not lunged forward and grabbed the collar of her shirt.

"Thanks," said Penny to Nami. She stood, turning around to see Luffy standing off against Crocodile. Cupping her hands around her mouth, "DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING?!"

"DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT!" Luffy shouted back, waving fiercely. In the back of her mind, an image of Beckman's face flashed, full of resigned acceptance as Shanks went off and did something completely preposterous. So, this was her fate. Had he known and tried to prepare her for it?

"LUFFY!" shouted Vivi, voice even louder than Penny's. "I'LL BE WAITING FOR YOU IN ALUBARNA!"

"OKAY!"

"He's going to do something stupid," said Penny to herself. Chewing on her chipped nails, she sat back down. An awkward smile stretched across her face as the Straw Hats blinked at her. Penny wiggled her fingers in greeting.

Penny was equally skittish as the reindeer-boy who turned out to be the same reindeer who had called her a bastard back on Drum. Summoning her inner-Captain (with no crew, Ace's voice rang out in her mind), she straightened up and turned serious. "I'm Penny. It's very nice to meet all of you."

"It's Ace all over again!" they moaned in unison.

She bowed her head shallowly, "It's not every day you see a person getting stabbed, but a good scare is detox for the soul. Still, it was rude of me not to warn you beforehand, so I apologize for that."

"You got stabbed?!" screamed Chopper in alarm. His eyes seemed to pop out of his head before he fell into a fury of action. He dug around his backpack, muttering that they needed a doctor, but he was the doctor. "Did anyone apply pressure to the—"

"It's complicated," said Penny. She pressed her fingertips together, summoning a copy. Chopper stopped and blinked at the identical Penny who had appeared from thin air. "They just pop out when they take fatal damage." The copy disappeared as Penny's hand brushed against her.

"Ninja," breathed Chopper with stars in his eyes. He was so cute, Penny considered kidnapping him.

"It's a Devil Fruit," corrected Penny. "But I didn't think I'd see you again, Chopper-kun." She leaned in close, whispering, "The pirate life certainly seems to suit you."

He swatted at her, wiggling around in merriment. "Hahaha, that doesn't make me happy at all, you bastard!"

"Ace did mention that you were on Drum Island," said Nami, leaning over interest. "He left before we got to Yuba and headed West."

"He must've found the bounty hunter he was looking for then. Hopefully, he'll sort everything out and make it back to Whitebeard." She wanted to find him again, but he wasn't a little kid who needed her to babysit him.

"We saw your ship at Twin Cape. Aren't you afraid someone's going to try and steal it?"

Penny burst out laughing, fanning back the tears gathering at her eyes at the thought of her ship being stolen from under Crocus-san's nose. The man would likely harpoon someone for even trying. "If someone manages to, I'll treat them to a drink. I only left it there because we were trying to be stealthy, but I'll—"

She stood abruptly, looking off where a gathering storm was brewing.

Penny slide down the side of the crab without a word, balancing on the leg closest to the sandstorm forming in the distance. Her hand swiped at the air, copying the emptiness around her. It folded in the palm of her hand, invisible to anyone else but her as she packed the infinite nothingness together tightly. Her aim wouldn't need to be perfect given the size of the sandstorm.

Grand Weave: Negative Zero

Swinging her arm out with all her strength, she copied the force behind the throw too, sending the attack flying through the air into the middle of the storm. A roar filled the desert as the sand was sucked into the empty vortex and disappeared from sight. A pop sounded when the copy dissipated.

"That man is a bit dramatic," said Penny, hopping between the legs and then pulling herself onto the crab's back.

Her eyes slipped closed, sensing something amiss in Luffy's fight as the tables turned back in Crocodile's favor. Would he win? Did she need to turn back and—Luffy was a Captain now. He was stronger, Penny reminded herself. Stepping on his pride would only make him hate her.

Reluctantly, she cleared her mind of everything and focused on the people in front of her. Snapping her eyes open, she found herself face to face with Chopper. He scurried back, hiccupping and tripping over Usopp.

"H-how did you do that?!"

"W-witch!" shouted Usopp, crossing his fingers into an X and aiming them at her.

"She just said she has a Devil Fruit," snapped Nami. Her face smoothed, growing kinder as she turned to Penny. "We got pretty worried, but Luffy said you'd be alright."

She tugged at her hair and then brushed it behind her ear, nails clinking against her earrings. "Getting stabbed is a part of life, so it tends to not surprise me anymore."

"And that?" asked Vivi, pointing toward where the sandstorm had been.

"Copying nothing!"

Zoro was letting out a grunt every five seconds as he used his swords and a camel to weight train. It was rather aggressive of him. Perhaps, he was born on the Crusoe, the Isle of Men, or somewhere like Pangea where people still lived in caves. Sliding over, closer to Usopp, who Penny wanted to desperately talk to without looking any weirder, she sent Zoro a strange look.

When he caught her gaze, she stared back unblinking. It went on for five seconds, and then ten, and then neared a minute, before the boy gave up and growled, "What'd you want?!"

"Why three? Isn't two enough? Where's the third one go?"

Surprise flickered over his face and then, as Sanji laughed uproariously, he grit his teeth and said, "In my mouth."

…What?...

"In your…your mouth?" What did that even mean? How did he speak to his opponents? What was a fight without a round of trash talking? "How? I want to see it."

"Leave me alone!" barked out Zoro. Penny nodded quickly. Sword-carrying hooligans were best left to Mihawk to deal with. Twiddling her thumbs as the interest in her and her devil fruit waned in favor of the worry now crossing everyone's minds, Penny wondered if now the best time was to inform them that this was actually a lot more serious than Alabasta falling.

Did they know about Poneglyphs yet? Maybe not.

Why had Ace thought to leave her behind with a bunch of teenagers? Was it not obvious to him that Penny's experience with other humans usually consisted of people older than her? She was sure that out of the group, she was now currently the eldest. Onibaba was right—she'd finally fulfilled her role as a hag.

"That's when I said to him, 'You bowlegged freak!' and then you know, all the crabs in the world started worrying about being bowlegged," Usopp explained. Penny considered the words, trying to wrack her brain to see if she remembered any crabs from childhood. Surely, she had eaten some on the Red Force, but Usopp had been born when she was with Shanks. His story did fit the timeline.

Opening her mouth to ask a question, she snapped it shut as Chopper exclaimed in awe of Usopp's explanation.

"There was also the one that jumped backwards—that's a shrimp."

"Oh, is that some sort of crab?"

"That's right," said Usopp proudly.

Shrimp were related to crabs? Maybe she should've listened to Beckman's lessons a bit more thoroughly rather than empty her head the second he left the room. Beckman was always the one telling her not to cheat herself out of an education by copying things, but wasn't all learning the simple act of repetition?

"There's something important you all have to know," said Penny. Her voice was drowned out by Sanji and Zoro's bickering. Looking at their faces, all taut with tension over Luffy's battle, Penny decided that the Poneglyph would add another weight to their shoulders. If she shed her desire to make Nico Robin her friend, she could deal with the woman and Crocodile now that she had seen them in action.

Stockholm syndrome was a thing, wasn't it? Kindness, even under duress, was enough to turn people into lovers…at least that's what had happened in that play her and Ace saw a couple of islands back. She could kidnap her and actually get some use out of being a Captain. Robin would grow to trust her and then teach her how to read the Poneglyphs and then Penny could find out all she wanted to know about the Grand Kingdom and—

Nami waved a hand in front of her face. "Penny! Penn—"

"Huh? What?"

"Wow, you're a bit of an airhead," said Nami, patting the top of her head. "We've been calling you for a while."

"What for?"

"How'd you know about Crocodile?"

"I went to a pretty suspicious island a few months back. It was on the ledger when I was sneaking around the harbor, so I did some digging. You guys shouldn't worry too much. Crocodile's not impossible to beat. Back before he came here, he angered someone far stronger than him, but rather than learn from the mistake, he's the done the same here, hasn't he?" Their trust in Luffy and each other eased some of her nerves. These were Luffy's nakama—trusted to see his dreams through with him until the very end of the Grand Line.

"We won't lose," said Penny. "No matter what, just trust each other and the rest will happen how it happens."

"Well, if a famous pirate like you says so, then we'll be alright, won't we?" asked Nami with a large smile.

"Famous?" asked Penny, feeling her neck break out in sweat. "Who called me that?!"

"Vivi knew about you!" said Nami, turning to the anxious princess as she tried to get her mind off the upcoming rebellion. "Didn't you?"

"Only rumors." Vivi's eyes flickered over Penny's face quickly, "She was on a famous crew for a while, but then she went off on her own."

Penny made a face, "I wouldn't call them famous." Annoyingly loving assholes who thought making fun of her was an amusing pastime for a decade. She'd been too nice to Shanks last time she saw him. "Whatever rumors you've heard aren't the least bit true."

"Oh, that's a relief." Vivi's shoulders eased of some tension. "People used to say you were in with the revolutionaries."

"That wasn't my fault!" cried Penny. If she was to be put on trial, there should've at least been a courtroom. "They approached me first, not the other way around and saying no to dinner is rude, especially when it's free!"

"So…you…are?" asked Vivi, pale-faced.

"No! Some guy keeps stalking me—especially after—well, it doesn't matter. I'm not a revolutionary and I'll never be one, because I'm a pirate. It's that simple."

Nami grinned, "We can deal with pirate…especially a rich pirate."

"I haven't got a cent to my name," deadpanned Penny.

"That seems like a lie since copying things includes berries."

"Berries are serialized."

"The coins aren't."

"I'm broke."

"Vivi owes me a billion berries, but I can transfer the fee for the good of Alabasta."

"To who?" asked Penny, brows lifting into her hair.

"I'll make you break," promised Nami, narrowing her eyes with a challenging smile. She pressed her fist into the palm of her hand, cracking her knuckles. "But, if Luffy vouches for you, I might let you go."

"I was prepared to leave, actually so you might not get a chance to ask him."

Princess Vivi looked at her with wide eyes. "What?"

"It's your fight, not mine. I was here to help Ace, but he's gone and dumped me." Penny sniffled at the reminder, pouting to herself. "What I really should be doing is drowning my incompetence out with a good bottle of wine and another lonely, beautiful soul, but unfortunately, I'm here."

"No one asked you to be!" said Nami, jabbing her hand in her direction. Penny dodged the blow by shifting slightly.

"Should I ignore the desperate cries of my dearest friend who I haven't seen in a decade?!"

They stared at her in disbelief.

"The correct answer is no." Again, Penny sniffled, pinching her nose tightly to alleviate her desire to cry as none of her humor hit it's mark. "Of course, I'll help…free of charge even."

"What kind of crazy are you?!" asked Nami, balling her fist up.

"Don't throw me off the crab!" said Penny, covering her head with her hands.

Nami smiled triumphantly, "I wasn't going to."

Crocodile

Rainbase

In the distance, further than either of them can see, the air crackled with energy and then a great roar filled the desert. It echoed over them, wind howling as it was sucked toward the spot. In the next moment, everything was gone. The sandstorm and desert stood empty once again, perfectly preserved in the state they had once been. The only tell of what happened was the whistling wind.

"Yuba…" gasped Straw Hat, smiling and somehow still alive as he grasped at the hook penetrating him, "…lives."

A growl of anger left Crocodile as he tossed the boy away. "You're in pain now, but soon you won't feel anything."

He watched as the sand folded around the boy, burying him deep beneath the surface. An annoyed sound left his mouth, "What a waste of time…"

He paused, looking over to where his sandstorm had once been. He felt the power she held in the copies she sent to hold him off. If a mere echo could speak of her strength, then how strong was the real one?

A hint of lingering doubt rose. The incidents the girl was involved in, rumors spread by word of mouth rather than in the papers, were each more ridiculous than the next. In reality, she was young and already running from the New World.

Crocodile had nursed that pain for years.

Whatever these foolish children were trying to prove, he'd show them what real power was.

Robin

Rainbase

Robin waited until Crocodile was gone to approach the spot where Straw Hat Luffy was buried. His bloodied face popped out of the sand, fierce struggle playing out across his face as he attempted to maneuver his body out.

Why was he like this despite his defeat? She thought back to the words of Phantom Penny and her utter belief, something blind and innocent, that Straw Hat was to be Pirate King. How strange that a woman who had been on a crew that could keep even admirals at bay would place her bets with an unknown rookie.

But it was kind and lovely to see as well. Robin had let go of silly notions like friendship and adventure when all her childish beliefs burned away.

She crossed her arms in front of her activating her Devil Fruit and pulled him from the sand. Setting him gently down, she approached.

"Thank…you…" He breathed out, hand resting across his chest where the wound was.

The falcon man was gone. The Marines and his friends too.

All that was left was her and him.

"Why do you fight? As one of those…whose name is 'D.'"

Straw Hat gasped, groaning in pain as he turned his head toward her. "D?"

So, he didn't know either. He fought so hard without knowing the reasons why, the path he was set to follow. What meaning did the Clan of 'D' hold?"

"I guess it's a waste of time to ask."

She stared at the Accelgator, wondering if…

"I don't know what's going on," said Straw Hat, sitting up as he clutched his wound. "But, you must be pretty important!"

"Why do you say that?"

Straw Hat aimed his nose in the air, sniffing wildly like a bloodhound who had caught the scent of a rabbit. He stood and stumbled forward to the Accelgator. Robin watched him with interest as he rummaged through her things, until she began to understand what he was muttering between his drooling.

"Be careful," she warned. "You're hurt more than you think."

"Huh? I'll be fine with some meat! You've got some, don't you?"

Decision made; Robin nodded her head. She was traveling to her death either way. Curiosity had always been her downfall and before she clashed with Crocodile, before she unveiled the truth about the Poneglyph, she wanted to know more about Straw Hat Luffy and Red Hair's mysterious apprentice.

"I'm heading to Alubarna. I don't know what will happen considering the situation…but I'll allow you to come in exchange for information."

Straw Hat rubbed his nose and sniffed loudly. "I don't know much."

"I think you know a thing or two about Phantom Penny."

Eagerly accepting the deal, Straw Hat consumed the food she brought without stopping to breathe. Robin sent the Accelgator running. He was likely still bleeding, but as he ate, he seemed to regain some of his vitality, looking more alive than Robin had ever felt.

When he stopped to catch his breath, he asked, "Why'd you wanna know about Penny?"

"I met her before."

Straw Hat made an impressed noise and then tore savagely at the meat with his teeth. "She really gets around."

"What is she like?"

"She's kind and a real witch when she's angry. Even Gramps couldn't scare her off, but she only gets angry when something bad happens to people she likes. Otherwise, she's like…" Straw Hat went limp and wiggled around like a noddle, "…that."

"It's a lucky thing she doesn't have a crew, or everyone will risk setting her off."

"No, you're not getting it," laughed Straw Hat. "Anyway, what's with you? Why are you helping me?"

Robin settled for the truth. "I don't know."

"Well, thanks!" Straw Hat bowed his head slightly. "I didn't know how else I was going to get to the Capital and—" He balled his fist up, punching against the palm of his hand. "—I'll get serious this time. I won't lose, especially when I've figured it out. It's water, right?"

"Yes," breathed out Robin, slightly stunned. "Yes, it is."

"Hey." Straw Hat smiled, leaning toward her. "You're not that bad."

Robin jerked back startled. Heat rose to her cheeks, not visible to him, but the reaction sent a tumultuous storm of emotions through her. She shouldn't get comfortable, not when these were all pirates. Betrayal went hand in hand with a Jolly Roger.

Time Before Rebels Reach Alubarna: Four Hours

As they approached the river, Princess Vivi clued them in on a very important piece of information. Penny, who had taken to napping to avoid conversation, was starting to wonder if she should pull out the bottle of sake rattling around in her bag. It felt like a very Shanks-move.

"WE CAN'T CROSS THE RIVER ON THIS CRAB?!" shouted Usopp, very loudly and far too close to her ear.

"Crab Movers are creatures of the desert. They hate water."

"BUT, IT'S A CRAB! DO SOMETHING!"

Penny raised a hand, waiting to be called on.

Sanji pulled out the map, pointing at the Sandora River. "It's as wide as a sea. It'll take us the rest of the day to swim across! And there's miles of miles of desert once we get to the other side. What're we going to do...RUN?!"

Penny shook her wrist limply. Chopper hopped up and high-fived her, before letting out a shy giggle. Oh, she loved him. She was going to kidnap him and make him her first mate. "Pincers likes dancers," he said.

"Does he?" Penny sat up, dusting her pants off, "I suppose I can bust out a move or two. What kind? A waltz? Ballet?"

"Dancers?" asked Nami, listening in.

Nami pulled open her kaftans revealing a colorful bra with pretty embroidery and beadwork and matching skirts. Penny tilted her head, intrigued by the elaborate design and detail in the fabric. Why hadn't she worn one?

Pincers' eyes went wide with awe and the crab suddenly gained a tremendous amount of speed. At first it seemed to work, making him skim the surface of the river, but as the water became deeper, they suddenly began to sink. Penny moved, trying to find the spot that would stay afloat, but it was too late.

The moment they entered the water, she and Chopper sank. Exhaustion set in immediately and before she could for help, her head sank beneath the current. Vivi dove in after her, gripping her tightly as she furiously kicked back to the surface.

"Are you alright?" asked Vivi, holding her up worriedly.

Penny coughed harshly, already feeling the terrible effects water had on Devil Fruit users. She remembered the pitch darkness of the ocean when Shanks had first found her, the deep fear that came with nearly dying.

Sanji swam over to them, bobbing in the water as her and Vivi attempted to stay afloat. It was hard when Penny was naturally designed to sink. "Penny-san, if you don't mind, I'll help you across."

Where were her gloves? Where was her bag? Sanji had such a terrible reaction to her accidentally copying something from him that she didn't want to risk it again. She shook her head fiercely. "No, no—it's fine! Usopp-kun can do it!"

"M-me?" Usopp sputtered. "I can't! You're probably heavy and I've got my own stuff to worry about when it comes to swimming!"

"But…" Where was the comradery?

"Come on," said Zoro, grabbing her collar as Nami shoved him toward her. "Might as well train some more."

"Wait—" He grabbed her anyway, adjusting her on his back. "I didn't say—watch your hands!"

"That's my sword," he said bluntly.

"ZORO," screeched Nami, red in the face. Sanji swore efficiently and effectively, throwing curses Penny didn't even know existed at the swordsman.

"I'm so sorry," said Vivi, equally red. "I swear I've been with them long enough to know that they're not usually like this."

Penny pressed her hand to her mouth, holding back her semi-hysterical giggle. "It's fine. I've heard far worse from people."

"There's no use in complaining. Let's go," said Zoro, moving forward as if her and Chopper weren't attached to him tighter than barnacles. She was slightly impressed.

"Wait a second!" Usopp wadded near them. "Isn't there a boat? How far is it to the opposite bank?"

"About 30 miles," answered Vivi. Usopp continued to protest, going back and forth between how he wasn't strong enough to swim 30 miles and how something was probably going to eat them. He was right on the second one. Below them, felt even in her weakened state, was a giant monster of a fish.

"No one move!" ordered Penny, shouting over their exchange. "There's something underneath us—something big!"

"WHAT?!" Usopp leapt out of the water, landing near Sanji and clinging to him tightly. Nami screamed, pulling Vivi to her as the Princess also started to panic.

"It's a fish," said Penny. "The more you panic, the more it'll sense us."

Usopp, Nami, Vivi, and Chopper nodded, biting their lips as silent tears streamed down their faces. A bunch of lost causes. Penny couldn't blame them. Getting eaten was an event that was troublesome all around.

"You'll need to let go for a second," muttered Zoro, shaking his head. "I need my sword."

The water rushed, pushing them back as the giant fish emerged from the river. It's eye was as big as a sailboat and it's grey skin shone with a thin layer of slime. It had a row of rounded teeth that gleamed as it opened its mouth wide.

She spit out some of the water that got in her mouth and raised a hand to wipe at her eyes.

"A Rare Sandoran Catfish! It's really rare to see one!" shouted Vivi as she swam away. She sounded both thrilled at spotting the fish and scared witless.

Usopp swam past them, crying. "Who cares about that!"

"Throw me at its whisker," said Penny.

Zoro craned his neck to look at her, "What?!"

She repeated it again, slower. "Throw me at its whisker."

Zoro sputtered in disbelief, but weaved his hands together under the water, making a small step for her to jump off on. Maneuvering herself quickly, with repeated apologies to Chopper, she balanced lightly on Zoro's hands and then was thrown through the air. Flipping, she grabbed onto one of the catfish's whiskers and swung until she was eye level with it.

Out of the water, all her strength returned.

Penny glared at the fish fiercely. The pressure of her stare may not have been visible to the Straw Hats, but when Penny pooled the haki in her core, it seemed to reach all the way to their bones. "We'll have you for dinner unless you behave."

It was more than her will that backed the words. It was fact.

The catfish shrunk below the waves, averting his eyes from her glare. Penny smiled, swinging once more until she stood atop it's head. Satisfaction rippled through her. She spotted the small seal-like animals hovering around the catfish's body, too scared to move.

"What are those? They seem to know you."

"K-Kung Fu Jugons!"

"He'll let us on now," said Penny, tapping the fish to tell him to move. "Maybe your friends can guide him?"

The catfish let out a small whimper. Chopper bobbed Zoro's head excitedly, "He's saying to get on quick. The sooner it's over with, the better."

The Kung Fu Jugons recovered their spirit a bit quicker than the Sandoran Catfish, excitedly chattering to Chopper as they climbed up the side of the catfish. The poor thing was still trembling with fear. Penny pressed her bare hand to its skin, patting it lightly to let it know she meant no harm.

Penny collapsed against its back and then curled up. "We should get as much rest as we can if we're going to fight." She felt over her shoulder for her backpack and came up empty. She jerked to her feet, seeing her bag floating away in the water. "I'm cursed. Truly, truly cursed."

"Oh, no," said Vivi, worriedly. "Was there anything important in there?"

"Just my whole life. Nothing we can do about it, but move forward."

Time Before Rebels Reach Alubarna: Three Hours

Penny was the last to slip off the catfish. The terrified fish ran off with a meek splash as the Kung Fu Jugons waved to them. Penny thought their devotion to Luffy was the sweetest thing. Sometimes it really was a good fight that turned enemies into friends.

"Thank you!" shouted Vivi, waving the Kung Fu Jugons off. Penny was taking a liking to all of them. They were amiable and welcoming, quickly including her into their small group despite her slight awkwardness.

"We're making good progress. Will we get there in time?" asked Zoro.

"There's a lot of animals here," said Penny, pressing her hand to her brow. Though they weren't visible yet, in the distance was a small squadron of ducks quickly approaching. "Do you think we'll get attacked?"

"What're you looking at?!" yelped Usopp, cowering behind her. She tilted her chin, looking at him from over her shoulder. He resembled Yasopp more than she realized, down to the penchant for overdramatic fear.

"Nothing yet. They'll come soon."

"W-what?! WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?!"

"Over there!" yelled Nami, spotting the shadows in the distance.

"What is it?!" screeched Usopp, now shaking Penny back and forth. She went with the flow. "An enemy?! Another monster?! Are they striking already?!"

"I don't think so. It's duckies," said Penny.

"Duckies?" asked Sanji, an upward tilt to his voice.

Penny nodded, "Is that not the plural of duckling?"

"No," he breathed out a laugh, looking more at ease. A bright, kind smile lit his face. "No, it's—"

"KAROO!" Vivi ran forward meeting the ducks half-way with her arms outstretched. "YOU'RE HERE!"

There were seven ducks in total, all wearing their own stylized headgear. Penny immediately took a liking to the sly one in a cowboy hat. Wings coming up, the saluted the Princess, standing to attention as they waited for orders.

"The rebels will approach by the South Gate," said Vivi, unrolling the map to show them the city gates. "The rest of us will be able to get in through the Southwest and West Gates. My father should be in the city—the palace is closest to the West Gate."

"We can't count on the King being there," muttered Penny. "If they impersonated him, then surely, they've already kidnapped him. Crocodile won't kill him since he still needs him. Where is the Poneglyph?"

"Poneglyph?" asked Vivi.

"It's a large stone cube with ancient writing on it. Likely, somewhere hidden. Crocodile is after it."

Vivi nodded, understanding flooding her gaze. "It's in the Royal Mausoleum underneath the city. If you enter by the South Gate, my father's forces can take you there."

Nami turned to the others, "The rest of us should focus on taking down Crocodile's men. There's still members of his team we haven't met, and he'll have people in the city."

"Wait," said Sanji, lighting a cigarette. "They'll be after Vivi-chan. This isn't just a war we're heading into. Vivi's life is on the line, we can't throw her into danger. We'll need to draw them away from the South Gate."

"All our lives are in danger," argued Vivi. "Mine is no different than yours."

"It is," said Penny, frowning. "It's naïve to think otherwise. You represent everything that they're angry at right now and…you weren't here while the people of Alabasta suffered."

A chorus of angry voices rose up, protesting her harsh words. Penny silenced them all with a hush.

"Think of how it looks to them!" Penny said forcefully. She didn't mean to scold them, but they were about to wade into a war. "You come back after an extended absence with a group of pirates. What you are doing is more than any other ruler would do for their nation, but to everyone riding to Alubarna, your words will mean nothing. You have to show them, without a hint of doubt, that you're someone they can put their trust in. Understand?"

Princess Vivi's conflicted expression twisted for a moment, doubt and hesitation rising, before it cleared. She breathed out, meeting Penny's gaze evenly. Alabasta had a strength that threaded through the entire country from the elders protecting the root of their culture up to the glided palace where Vivi would bring in a New Era of peace when she ruled.

Vivi's voice was unyielding. "I will."

"Then, I'll stay with you until the rebels come," said Penny, seriousness fading away as a pleasant smile replaced her expression.

The princess looked to her with wide eyes. "Really?"

"Men who've had a taste of war won't be stopped easily. If you're prepared to sacrifice yourself to stop them, I'll clear a path. The rest is up to you."

"If there's one thing I've learned, it's to never give up!"

Penny exchanged smiles with the rest of the Straw Hats. Luffy had found a good crew, good friends, to look out for him and fill the gaps he wasn't able to as Captain. She hoped, when this was over, that they'd have a chance to talk so she could tell him that.

Though she had never doubted it, she knew for certain now, that Shanks' hat had been left in good hands.

END CHAPTER