PRESENT DAY

ALUBARNA

When the time came, it was Penny and Vivi stuck watching the rebels approach. Two million people rushed to overthrow a king, caught in the sticky web of a pirate considered to be both cunning and powerful. Penny, in the darker parts of herself, wanted to be impressed by the plan Sir Crocodile had weaved. For every failure, there was a backup.

It reminded her of Beckman, and she couldn't help but wonder what Crocodile might have amounted to if their world had been a bit different. If dreams and wonder were allowed to flourish without brutal backlash. Shanks had sacrificed his arm for Luffy, for the New Era he kept close to his chest. What had taken Crocodile's hand?

"They're almost here," said Vivi nervously.

"Don't worry," soothed Penny, feeling more at ease now that there was a fight to be had. Chaos had always been where she thrived most. "I need them to come a bit closer. I don't want to waste energy going all out."

"I'm grateful that you're helping—"

"If it wasn't for Luffy, I wouldn't be here."

Vivi looked at her. Penny smiled pleasantly. Maybe, she still would be here, but they would never how it might have turned out had the Straw Hats not been the ones to guide Vivi back home.

Penny caught the leader's eye as they inched closer.

The air flickered and ruptured as her gaze sharpened.

Haki.

The weakest of the bunch slumped forward. The horses and camels fell with a dull thud in the sand, others turning and running as they realized the danger awaiting them. The rebels slowly came to a stop, frightened and unsure of what was happening.

Koza, gritting his teeth as he remained paralyzed by the force of her Haki, refused to give another indication that he would bow his head, but she wasn't aiming to knock him out. It was a simple scare to make the million-man army think twice about invading.

Penny pulled the power back to her. She brought a hand up, grasping Vivi's shoulder. "Princess Vivi has something to say to you. I suggest you listen."

"T-thank you!" said Vivi, grabbing her elbow as she turned to walk up the South Gate. Her glassy eyes reflected the depth of her gratitude.

"It's just a single chance," said Penny softly. "Use it well."

There was still the odd feeling of betrayal in the air. Among the soldiers gathered, there were surely some of Crocodile's men hidden in the King's Forces, but Penny didn't have the time to waste in finding each one of them.

Walking up the steps to the city, Penny seemed to double and then triple as two copies formed by her side. As they entered, they split in various directions, but Penny headed straight ahead toward the glittering limestone palace.

Vivi held firm once Penny had left. It had been years since she saw Koza and it saddened her that they were reuniting as enemies. He slipped off his horse, holding his hand up to calm to anxious rebels. How long had he attempted to remain neutral before it became too much for him to bare? She wondered if things might have been different had she not left. Her mind kept returning to what Penny had told her. Everyone in front of her right now was both her subject and her enemy. She had failed them as they had failed her.

"Vivi," said Koza, recognizing her instantly. "You came back."

"I did."

He clenched his jaw and then raised his sword. Those who had fallen, slowly staggered to their feet, the army's fear washing away now that Penny was gone. Vivi swallowed, hand smoothing down Karoo's feathers.

"You're a fool to meet us here alone. It's your father's head that we want and he's doing what? Hiding away while he sends you to stop the war he started?"

"That wasn't him. He wants nothing but peace for Alabasta."

"Peace? I saw him. We all saw him. He laughed and spat on us while our city burned to the ground."

"Listen to me," urged Vivi stepping forward. Koza's eyes were full of rage and fury. She needed him to trust her, to believe that her words were true. "All of this is Crocodile's doing."

Koza froze.

It was here that Vivi understood she had lost him. What Luffy had warned her about was right too. This war would not end without bloodshed.

"Crocodile?!" Koza roared, blistering in his fury. "It was your father's face! I know what I saw—"

"He has people working for him. One of them has a Devil Fruit that can—"

Koza's sword struck through the air. Her breath escaped her as several strands of hair fell to the ground and a thin, fleeting burst of pain cut across her cheek. "Move aside," said Koza, aiming the sword at her throat.

Vivi tilted her head up. If there was going to be bloodshed, then she would gladly give her own to ensure that Alabasta's future was protected. "No," she breathed out.

His hand shook, wristed turned, but the sword remained where it was. "MOVE!"

"I WON'T!" She shouted, closing her eyes. "IF YOU INTEND TO PASS ME, THEN YOU'LL HAVE TO CUT ME DOWN! THIS IS MY COUNTRY TOO! I WON'T LET YOU START A WAR!"

Koza reared back, sword pulling before it swung again. Their eyes met and Vivi could read all the resentment, fear, and terror resting in his gaze as the sword came down once more to a symphony of cheers.

Vivi didn't know if it was his hesitation or her resolve that saved her life, but the edge of the blade did not meet her neck. It slide across the wire of her Peacock Slashers and remained aimed to the ground as she trapped his wrist.

"If you move forward, there won't be any going back. Crocodile tricked you. He tricked all of us. If you believe in nothing, then believe in me."

"Let him—"

"Stay out of this!" roared Koza, stopping the rebel from attacking her unprotected back.

"Do you remember the tale of Sanehat?" asked Vivi. Once the two of them would sit in his father's house, tired after their daily adventures, and listen to Toto tell them stories from a time when myths and legends were commonplace. "He defeated his enemy in a battle of single combat and brought peace to Alabasta. Give me the same chance. If you care about this nation as much as you claim, then give me the chance to save it!"

A chorus of jeering and scorn rose. Vivi could taste the bloodlust in the air, the anger wrought by a nation on the brink of collapse. Water was what gave them life. The rivers and the land were intrinsically tied to one another and without rain, there was no food, no life that could prosper. It was death they were fighting against. Crocodile stole it all from them.

Vivi couldn't reverse the past, but she had this one moment here to change the future.

Koza cocked his head, but she could tell that her conviction had touched something. "And if I win?"

Without a gamble, there would be no future. "Alabasta will be yours."

TWO DAYS EARLIER:

"Ace, look!" Penny pulled his plate away swapping it with the newspaper she was reading. It was open to her horoscope—Aries, the first of the Zodiac—which had no real bearing since her birthday had been picked on a random April morning by Limejuice and Shanks.

"This again?"

"Shut up," snapped Penny, pinching his cheek. "Listen to this: You will soon face a decisive victory. Try not to discount the event as something normal. More than likely, you'll gain your best mental clarity from it. Surprise people with an upbeat attitude and a solution for every problem that comes your way."

"Whoa, weren't you supposed to meet the love of your life yesterday? What happened to that?"

Penny ducked her head, muttering below her breath, "Everyone's allowed to make a mistake here and there."

"Uh-huh."

"Don't look at me like that."

"Like what?"

Penny, as punishment, fed the rest of his food to the old dog resting in the corner of the restaurant.

PRESENT DAY

ALUBARNA

"Where's Luffy?" asked Penny, sitting crossed-legged on the palace throne. It wasn't a very comfortable chair which made Penny wonder why anyone would want to give up their freedom to rule over a nation. Was the weight a Yonko bared equally discomforting?

"Give up," ordered Crocodile, gleaming hook catching against the sunlight spilling into the room. "I've slaughtered your friend. The city is falling."

Crocodile certainly thought he was telling the truth, but Luffy was made of stronger stuff. He wouldn't die—was he hurt? Injured? Penny's fingers tapped against the throne.

"How much do I know about what you're after? That's the kind of thing you should be wondering about." She stood, dusting her pants off as she stuck her feet back into her slippers. "Luffy isn't weak neither are the people of Alabasta. If you intend to suppress them," Penny lifted her gaze to meet Crocodile's with deadly intent, "I'll kill you."

Crocodile threw his back, letting out a chilling laugh. If only there was a recording snail around, the Marines could've used it in their propaganda campaigns to highlight the wickedness of pirates. Now, there was an idea….did they make training videos?

Focus, she snapped at herself. This wasn't the time to fantasize.

"I'm sorry," said Penny, interrupting Crocodile's speech. "I wasn't listening to a thing you said. Go back to the beginning."

"The longer you play your games, the more people die." Penny made a face, disgusted with the idea that someone was trying to use her compassion to get her to leave. Crocodile glared and then said, "I admit you surprised me."

"And?"

"Why waste time sticking your head in the sand? You left Red Hair's protection. Power is power…the less you have, the more susceptible you are to the changing era. If you went back to the New World now, they'd crush you."

"Maybe that's true," conceded Penny. She sighed and asked again, "Where's Luffy?"

"Dead."

No—he was there, just on the edge of her range and approaching quickly. Penny could buy him some time. "Give me another answer."

"Hmph…that fool aside…I have no time to waste here. The King will die. The Princess will die. And Alabasta will fall."

"Your determination is admirable," said Penny, folding her hands behind her back. "If you applied it to something more meaningful, I might even respect you."

Crocodile sneered heavily and then dispersed into a cloud of sand that ran straight toward her. Penny held her hand up in the air, copying the distance between them, and threw him back into the wall. The limestone cracked underneath his back and Crocodile fell to the floor with a deep groan.

Crocodile picked himself up, staring at her for a long moment before he laughed again. Penny found that it was more grating the second time around. "I spent five years planning my victory. I won't make the mistake of losing to a burn-out."

There was no warning. No change in her stance. Between one heartbeat and the next, Penny struck.

Crocodile saw only the flash of steel of her sword as she ran forward. Sweeping below the arc of sand spilling in from outside, she swung it in an upward arc which caught him under the jaw. A flash of blood and then the battle began.

Sand flew in dizzying circles at speeds high enough to cut. The drawback, as always, was that she couldn't fully unleash her Devil Fruit with her hands occupied, but Haki…Haki was always there. It had comforted her more than once to know that there was a power strong enough to combat to worst of Devil Fruit.

On her right, Crocodile slammed into her shoulder, hook catching the crook of her arm. Penny curved around the hold, slipping low to the ground, and sliced at the knee closest to her.

She dropped the sword for a fraction of a second, tapping the bleeding wound. A roar left Crocodile as he stumbled forward, a blank numbness flowing through his body as she copied his pain in quantities too high for his mind to handle.

Moving on instinct her sword came up as she did, cutting through the layers of his shirt and skin like butter. Another thin cut formed, bleeding without stopping. They were wounds that would copy over even as they healed, leaving a constant reminder down to the depths of his soul.

His anger came quick and furious, and Penny couldn't dodge the strike that had no intention behind it. Blind reflex acting to get her away from him, the way prey ran from a predator. She grunted, head snapping back, a thin trickle of blood forming at her mouth. He followed it with a swift kick and then managed to get his hand on her.

Penny gasped, twisting away in pain as her arm shriveled up.

"I told you," said Crocodile triumphantly. "I won't lose again!"

Penny danced back a few steps, tearing her arm from his grasp, but the damage remained. Her skin caved and wrinkled like molten snakeskin left to dry. She gagged slightly, both disgusted and fascinated by the sight.

She tapped her hands together, copying from the other, and returned her arm to its normal state.

"You think so?" asked Penny, nails digging into her skin. "You sent your second best after me. The Sir Crocodile who fought Whitebeard would never rely on his underlings to win. If you're going to fight me, do it for real."

They moved faster now, reaching speeds that left them colliding with the building until it cracked and fell apart around them.

"All you've sent my way were fakes."

"I paid you back for the insult you paid me."

Penny slammed into the ground with brutal force. Air rushed out of her lungs and then she sagged, taking a moment to regain her sense before rapidly spinning out of the way of Crocodile's next attack.

The strength of a warlord was splendid.

Why lay waste to a whole nation and chase after the power of the Ancient Weapons, when his own power would've been enough if applied correctly? Imagination was the mark of a King—someone had told her that once.

With a dream beyond pure power, she wondered what Crocodile might have amounted to, but the world they lived in was one where dreams lived and died with the turn of a single battle. He had given up. Luffy was everything that Crocodile might have once been, but the New World crushed it out of him.

Penny knew that well which was why she guarded her own so secretly.

But, he wasn't using Haki—hadn't used it back in Rainbase either and Penny, in response, felt no need to exert herself.

"Do you not know how?" she asked aloud.

"You talk too much," he said, catching the swing of her sword against his hook and twisting her arm away. The sudden jerk hurt, but Penny was growing more distracted by the second.

"Is that why you lost to White—" She paused, catching herself. Oh, she was as terrible as he was.

Penny didn't mind being taunted about Shanks—she loved and missed the Red Force in equal measure, but it annoyed her when people dismissed her as Shanks' charity case. The title of Akahime was not earned by any action, but given dismissively when her bounty first skyrocketed in the weeks after she departed the Red Force.

He caught her face in his next strike, hook scratching against her cheek roughly. "Desert Spada," he roared, and sand rose in a flurry, rushing toward her as it split the ground in two.

Penny pressed her hands together, making two other copies of herself, and then charged forward, letting one get hit by the attack. She and her copy hid in the shadow of that quick death and charged at Crocodile, sword drawn.

"Mirror Style: Sun Shower."

They attacked above and below at once, slicing through him with ease. Blood seeped into his clothes, but to Penny's surprise, he remained standing. Reaching out, he placed his hand on the wall closest to him. For a moment, nothing happened, but then something flaked down in front of her and the ground shook beneath her feet.

Crocodile pulled the moisture out of everything around them. She could feel it creeping toward her and jumped as the building began to crumble.

Her copy was crushed by the falling debris. Penny used the blocks of limestone that eroded to jump from one point to another and then swung back toward Crocodile who had transformed into a whirlwind of sand.

If something fell within his grasp, it would surely be shredded to pieces.

"You're sweating," said Crocodile, voice echoing in the sand. Everything around them, including Penny, was being sucked toward the center.

Her grip on Tsune tightened. She slashed at the air in a series of calculated strikes, "Mirror Style: Rainbow Heavens."

The invisible cuts split the air around them, killing the wind generated by the swirling sandstorm and piercing through the defense. Crocodile flew back, hitting the rubble.

Penny dropped toward the ground and landed in a crouch.

The use of her Devil Fruit in Rainbase, and again to whip out a sandstorm, her outbursts of Haki against the rebels, and now this fight were using up her awful stamina. Her nails dug into the ground, leaving streaks of blood. Ah, she hadn't changed at all. Still weak, still just a shadow of Shanks' strength.

Crocodile groaned, "Pathetic."

Penny pushed herself onto her feet. She leaned against Tsune, the thin blade not curving an inch under her weight. "I can manage a bit of pain."

"You probably wanted this to end quickly, so you've been going all out since the start. But, you won't kill me. It's not in your nature," He laughed again, grinning at her. "You should've stuck to the shadows and stayed by your Yonko's side—the Grand Line will swallow you whole."

"Funny thing is…killing is the easy way. There's no consequence for the person who dies," said Penny, pulling her sweaty hair up. "I've been in the sun too long. It's not good for my delicate disposition." The parts of her body that had been continuously exposed to the sun, namely her hands, had a spattering of small blisters.

He rushed at her. Penny dodged.

The pattern continued for a while. Push and pull, the drag of sand curling toward her, but unable to reach. Crocodile rushing through the gap in her defense, Penny avoiding the blows. Each step took more effort than she had.

Once he was close enough, Penny reared her fist back and punched him clean across the face. He looked startled as the hit landed. Surprise flickered through her as well and for a moment, they stared at one another awkwardly.

A half-bidden apology rose to her mouth, but she swallowed it down.

Penny looked at her bloodied knuckles. A spark lit in her mind.

Logia weren't like Paramecia or Zoan fruit. They had natural opposites. Water or in this case blood would make him unable to change forms. She felt dumb for not realizing it sooner, but she rarely encountered Logia users. To think that there had been three in Alabasta at the same time…

She took Tsune, slicing a line down her arm, and then ran her fingers over it, copying the blood until it coated her arm. Crocodile came within reach. Penny reared her bloodied hand back and punched him in the face as hard as she could.

Her hand met flesh.

Crocodile went flying back. Her muscles shook against the strain, the copied strength rebounding up her arm.

He clenched his jaw as he recovered, rubbing at where she had hit him. "You're holding back. Do you think I can't handle a bit of Haki from you?"

Penny grimaced and then admitted the truth. "If I kill you, they'll raise my bounty again."

"Don't flatter yourself."

Slowly, Penny stalked forward.

She was used to fighting head-on, used to the thrill and pressure of facing opponents stronger than her and still besting them. Neither she nor Crocodile were real enemies, but she couldn't turn a blind eye to the way his presence coated the despair hidden in Alabasta.

She had heard rumors of his remarkable skill with his Devil Fruit and his quick, powerful attacks. His last bounty had been frozen in place years ago, giving her nothing to base his current skill level on. Would he surprise her the way Blackbeard had, or had he realized that she had her own secrets up her sleeve?

The ground suddenly erupted, the sand rising like a wave. Penny jumped, using the wall to catapult herself over the wave. She slid Tsune away and dropped closer to where Crocodile was, pushing against the air into a flip before she could fall toward the sandy pit forming on the palace ground.

She crashed into Crocodile and pushed, throwing him off his feet, but he was stronger and kept an iron grip on her arm as he sucked the water from her body. Penny swung herself forward, body burning from the inside out, but compared to the savage pain that once ravaged her, it was worth what she gained from getting her hands on him.

Finding what she needed, she asked, "Ah, who's Ivankov?"

He dropped her suddenly.

Penny smiled and rushed at him, drawing Tsune and slicing up as he cut toward her.

Crocodile turned for the counterattack, hook slicing toward her with a furious rage. Again, she deflected. He advanced; she retreated. He dove; she evaded. They fell into a rhythm and Penny, despite the ache growing in her and the dryness in her throat, found herself laughing.

He was rather proficient in reading her next move. She supposed there was something in Paradise that made complacency easy. When you were a shark in a koi pond there was no need to expend energy. It was the reason people like Mihawk could spread terror with a fraction of their full power.

"You should find a new dream and cross the Red Line once more." Penny's expression was unreadable, but Crocodile paused, sensing something underlying her words. "I don't feel like fighting anymore," she said, sheathing Tsune.

Crocodile shot toward her, but Penny caught him in her grip, spun, and slammed him into the ground. She copied his pain once more, seeing his expression tighten as it rolled over him.

Crocodile picked himself up, standing for a mere second, and then fell once more. Just stay down, she thought and hoped. Her stamina had always been an issue. It took massive amounts of energy to create things from nothing. Penny pulled at the fabric wrapped around her wrist, copying it until a rope formed, and soaked it against the blood pooling down her arm.

"You're spread too thin," he snarled, still trying to come at her. She grabbed his wrist in her bloodied hand, tying the cord around it, and ran in dizzying circles until he was completely encased in the fabric.

Then she threw him down to the ground for a final time. The stone cracked around him, leaving an imprint on the ground.

"If we meet again down the line, let's go out all," said Penny. Her fingers sought him out again, copying the pain once more until he was left paralyzed by it. "Where did you learn of Pluton?"

Crocodile refused to answer. Penny kneeled resting her elbows on her knees. Resisting the urge to copy whatever secrets he was hiding from her took some effort. "I have no interest in it, so whether you give me an answer or not doesn't matter."

"Do you think having served a Yonko makes you understand the real world?" He snarled, between clenched teeth. "People crush one another. What I do here in Alabasta is no different than what they do in the New World. Power is the only true measure of worth."

If Penny voiced her actual thoughts, they would be here for a week at least.

There was nothing more to gain from him. It was distressing in a way to know that his plans were all borne from the defeat he had suffered in the New World. To think that his dreams had slipped away so easily, it drove him to seek an artificial sort of strength.

Killing was something she'd done before, but it felt wrong to mar her reunion with Luffy by spilling blood.

She wasn't given the opportunity to kill Crocodile as the moment she took her sword back in hand, a shadow streaked through the rubble and knocked her out of the way. Penny rolled into the fall, groaning as her arms and knees skidded across the ground.

"WHERE IS HE?!"

Luffy.

"Watch it," she hissed, climbing to her feet. "You interrupted my moment!"

"Crocodile! Get up," roared Luffy, dragging the man to his feet. "We're gonna go at this again!"

"Luffy, apologize."

He turned around, eyes widening as he caught sight of her. "Huh? Penny?! Why are you all dusty?"

Ignoring his question, she climbed over the rubble. "I'm going to finish him off, so get out of here and do something useful."

"It's my fight."

"I've got my own reasons to fight him."

Luffy reared around and rather than punch Crocodile, his fist met her face with a bruising force. Penny groaned and clutched her nose. Luffy's arms wrapped around her waist. He shot at her, crashing into her side like a battering ram. "I TOLD YOU I'M FIGHTING HIM!"

Penny kicked him off, throwing him into the nearest wall, and rolled out of the way of the oncoming sand as Crocodile recovered his sense. "I already beat him before you came and interrupted."

"I SAID I'LL DO IT!" snarled Luffy, punching his fist into the palm of his hand. He stood and walked toward her, shoulder to shoulder as Crocodile raced toward them. "Things are different from back then. You don't need to protect me anymore."

"Do you think I came here to protect you?!" She gripped his cheeks, pulling them apart and letting them snap back together. "H—He—" She was still so furious, that she could barely speak. Luffy shoved her away as a blade of sand cut between them. "He sent Miss All Sunday after me! It'd be like me giving meat to Zoro-kun instead of you even though I barely know him."

Luffy's gaze turned dark. "I get it."

Penny looked over her shoulder, sneering at Crocodile. Luffy pressed his hand to her arm, palm slick with her blood. "I've got enough reasons to beat him, but if he's taking people's meat away, then I'll end him now!"

"What? No, that's not what I meant," said Penny. Luffy charged forth. Penny watched him and then sighed. She sent a small prayer, to whatever gods there were, that Luffy made it through life without losing the last brain cell he had left.

Penny climbed out of the palace as Luffy's battle with Crocodile raged. A four-thousand-year building was going to be reduced to rubble unless Luffy managed to bring Crocodile out into the plaza.

She rubbed her aching face. Her lack of concentration was always her worst enemy, but she was starting to miss the New World now. She was even longing for another endless loss at Shanks' hand. The constant struggle to match his strength had always been just out of hand for her. A small taste of what Ace could do, what Blackbeard was capable of, reminded her of all that was waiting behind the Red Line. Maybe it was time to stop playing.

After she had a chance to catch up with Luffy, she'd cross the Red Line once more and return there. If she was lucky, she and Ace would make it back at the same time and give the Navy another headache.

Burn out…maybe that was true. Maybe she wasn't as strong as she had been under Shanks' or in the time, she spent traveling from place to place with something to prove. She had calmed down, enjoying the pleasant life of exploring each island thoroughly and picking her path forward.

But it was still there—the flutter of power she struggled to fully unlock, the valley she needed to cross to live up to the legacy of the Red Hair Pirates. Strength only bloomed in adversity.

But for now, she would put the fight aside.

The Poneglyph was calling her.

TEN YEARS PRIOR

GOA KINGDOM, FOOSHA VILLAGE

"Don't move," said Penny, voice by his ear. "We'll get it this time."

Her hand shivered on his shoulder, but Luffy couldn't remember a time when Penny wasn't in constant pain. That sinking feeling rose again, but he remembered Beckman's words. There were some things that you couldn't talk about. Penny never mentioned saving him, so Luffy didn't either.

"You think it'll taste good?"

Penny made a face, cheeks puffing out. "Does it matter? It's meat. It all tastes the same."

Luffy laughed loudly, startling the oversized rabbit. Its head was the size of Luffy. It looked to them and then raced off. Penny shot after it, leaving Luffy shouting as he ran as fast as possible to catch up with her. He was starting to get angry at how small he felt whenever she did something like that.

He wasn't a little kid.

By the time he caught up, the rabbit was trapped in the web of fabric, dangling between the trees as it kicked feebly. Penny stood on one of the branches, holding onto the end of a ribbon.

Penny cocked her head and then looked back at him, "Do you still want to eat it?"

"Yeah," said Luffy with a bit of drool coming out of his mouth. He thought of Lucky Roux's cooking, a bonfire at the beach as they camped out, singing sea shanties, and having fun. "Let's bring it to Lucky!"

That was what men did, didn't they? Hunting and fighting and protecting things. Being strong meant that you could protect the people around you. He was sure that the Red Hair pirates had fought fearsome battles and defeated their enemies.

"Close your eyes."

"Why?"

"If we're going to eat him, we shouldn't make a show of his death."

Luffy didn't understand what that meant, but it seemed important to Penny, so he placed his hands over his eyes and waited.

In the darkness, he felt Penny move. The sounds around them got louder until the wind sounded like a whisper in his ear and then the struggling stopped. A loud crunch. Penny's feet back on the ground.

"Okay, let's go."

Luffy's hands dropped. He looked at the dead rabbit and then Penny whose face was pulled into a grimace. She rubbed her arms and then scowled. "We should've told Benn-san to come with us. The rabbit's too heavy for us to carry back."

Luffy shook his head, displaying his muscles. "We can do it!"

"Yeah?" asked Penny, a smile crossing her face. "Alright, let's try."

This was what Luffy loved most about Penny. Even if it was impossible or she was reluctant, Penny rarely backed down when there was a challenge in front of her something. She liked winning.

"I'll have to find a good cook like Lucky to make us meat every day."

"They'll have to be fast too at the rate you eat."

Luffy nodded and then looked at her. "Are you upset?"

Penny shook her head, hand resting on his shoulder. "Killing's not something anyone enjoys, but sometimes it's what needs to be done. We'll have a party tonight."

"Really?!"

She nodded, gesturing for him to grab the other half of the rabbit. He staggered slightly under its weight, but held strong. "If you hadn't seen the rabbit, we wouldn't have found any meat. Maybe Shanks will bring you on the ship as our lookout."

"I want to be Captain!" announced Luffy.

Penny cackled loudly, not at Luffy's dream, but at the childish way he said it. "You'll have to beat Shanks for that spot."

"Whatever," said Luffy, face full of fury at her laughter. "You wouldn't know. You just follow everyone around and do what they say!"

Penny laughed again. "Hmm, that's right, I do."

"SEE!"

"How are you supposed to be a Captain if you don't know what your crew wants? Who'd follow you then?"

Luffy, infuriated, dropped the end of the rabbit he was holding and ran forward. "I bet you'll follow me back to town too!"

Penny did just that, scowling along the way that she was left dragging the dead rabbit with her. Beckman appeared at the foot of the hill, shaking his head. Lucky was behind him, smiling as he normally did while he held a bento in his hands.

"You don't even like rabbit," commented Beckman.

"Blame Luffy. He got all mad and said all I do was follow everyone around." She crossed her arms over her chest, opening her mouth to accept the food Lucky was offering her. Cheeks stuffed, she mumbled, "How's he gonna become Pirate King if he doesn't know how to do anything but be loud and fight? At least, I'm learning stuff."

"Stealing stuff is more like it, huh, Pen?" asked Lucky with a grin.

Beckman grinned down at her and then asked, "Following people around? You were ready to jump ship two days ago."

"That's because Captain Shanks drives me crazy!"

"Aye, keep butting heads with him. He needs to be told no everyone once in a while," laughed Beckman. He kneeled, letting Penny climb onto his back as exhaustion crept into her expression.

"Luffy better eat that whole thing," muttered Penny as Lucky picked the rabbit up easily. "If he doesn't, I'm shoving it down his throat."

"You think he won't?" asked Lucky with a laugh. "It's nice to cook for someone who has a big appetite."

"He's just mad because we're leaving soon," whispered Penny. "He doesn't want to say goodbye."

Neither did she, but she knew she would regret it if she stayed behind. Foosha was nice and pleasant, but it wasn't home. Home was out on the sea where they could follow the winds to a new adventure. Luffy was impatient, thought Penny. He wanted to be strong when all he needed to do was grow. Even Penny understood that which was why she rarely pushed back when the crew told her to mind the ship during an attack or keep watch for them.

One day, it would be their turn to flip the world upside down, but until then, Penny could be patient.

END CHAPTER