TEN YEARS PRIOR

"SHANKS! SHANKS!"

Penny rushed into the bar, no more than twelve and teary-eyed as she snatched the back of his shirt, holding it tightly and buried her face against his side. "An old man is going around saying he likes young girls, so I hit him, but I think he's dead!"

"Hit him where?"

She pulled back, glared, and said, "You know where."

Shanks roared with laughter, slapping the bar with his palm as Penny's tears dried up and a scowl replaced her face. "Aren't you even worried? I could've gotten killed."

"Are you dead?"

"No, but I could be!"

"Aye, but you're not and you took down a proper villain, so that's worthy of a drink. What'd you want? I'll tell Shakky to put it on my tab."

"Where's Benn-san?"

"Back on the ship."

"I'm going to tell on you, but don't call me a snitch or a rat," said Penny, matter of fact. "Someone needs to make you responsible, and it isn't going to be me."

Shakky joined them, reemerging from the backroom and smiled kindly at Penny, who slipped onto the counter and folded her legs into her lap. She leaned forward, chin resting in the palm of her hand.

"Alright, what'd this old man look like?" asked Shanks. He wasn't comfortable leaving her alone in a place like Sabaody, but he knew from experience that telling her to stay put would lead to trouble.

"He was tall with long white hair and glasses and a white cape—which was raggedy, so I think he was homeless too—and he had a weird beard."

Shakky patted her back and interjected, "A beard with stripes?"

"You know him?!" asked Penny, betrayed.

"He's my husband."

"Shakky-san, you can do better! He was being so creepy. I was bouncing on the bubbles outside and fell, but that ossancaught me and said there was nothing he liked more than saving young girls!"

Shakky laughed and leaned close to Penny. "He's a remarkable man once you know him."

Penny shook her head. "I doubt it," she said firmly.

Shanks laughed again, even more amused to think that the Dark King had been taken down by a pre-teen who barely knew how to hold her tongue in the worst situations. Penny's temperament faded and she laughed with him.

The door to the bar opened. Shanks felt Rayleigh's presence fill the room as he stormed inside with a slight limp. His anger flooded away a moment later, catching sight of Shanks' and Penny's mid-laughter. It was rare that Shanks could express himself so freely outside his ship. Shanks taking an apprentice filled Rayleigh with relief and joy.

Shanks had always carried the world too heavily.

"It's been a long time since I've been bested like that, but I'll forgive a pretty—"

"Choose your words wisely," warned Shakky as she lit a new cigarette. "Some girls might not be as fond of you as I am."

Penny nodded, eager to defend Shakky. "If you've got Shakky for a wife, why are you going around town? You should be here supporting her properly. If I married a bum like you—"

"Penny, he's my old Vice Captain."

She sucked her mouth up and made an expression of comical surprise that reminded Shanks of Buggy. Popping her lips, she opened her mouth to say something, but all that escaped was a noise of strained discontent.

Without another word, she hopped down from the counter and muttered, "I'm going to find Benn-san."

As she passed Rayleigh, she made a slight twitch, nearly bowing her head, before she craned her neck high and walked past with her head up and shoulders stiff.

Beckman found her, perched on the figurehead of the Red Force, a book in her lap as she sighed every few moments in boredom.

"What'd you do?" he asked.

She crossed her arms, squatting atop the figurehead. "I gotta apologize to this old man I beat up, but my pride won't let me."

"Why?"

Penny explained the situation and by the end of her story, Beckman was smiling in the way he did when he was amused by something. He remained quiet for some time, letting her fidget before she finally bowed her head and muttered, "Yeah, I know."

He gestured toward the island, "Then get going."

"Well, he should apologize too, shouldn't he?"

"Yes."

Penny sagged, "I'm a bit stupid, aren't I?"

"You're playing cards in a world where the only game is chess, but you'll learn."

"That's just an odd way of saying yes!"

"See," said Beckman, winking at her. "You've got some brains."

ALUBARNA

THREE DAYS AFTER THE BATTLE

"Is she going to be alright?" asked Nami, leaning over Penny's bed to examine the woman. She helped change her that morning, stripping her off the dirty, bloodied clothes, and letting the nurses wash her up. Penny hadn't stirred, whispering under her breath about catching a pervert and someone called Shakky.

"Just sleeping," smiled the nurse. "She'll wake up when she's ready."

Nami looked to Chopper, who had several medical textbooks spread out, all involving brain surgery. "She has to be awake?" he whispered, horrified by the prospect of operating on Penny. "No, we have to do it! She's Luffy's friend."

"Well, if you're sure…"

"She looks different like this," Vivi said, poking her head into the room. She came and sat at the edge of Penny's bed, joining Nami in her inspection. "I wouldn't have recognized her at all!"

"Is the Navy still looking for us?"

"They're waiting in front of the palace, but the guards are dealing with them. You're free to go where you like." Vivi pulled her leg up, resting her chin against her knee. "Everything's slowly turning around. I didn't think it would be over so quickly."

"We couldn't have done it unless we did it together. Luffy will always come out on top."

"Everyone's calling it a miracle, but it's all thanks to you."

Nami stood in front of Vivi and placed her hands on the other girl's shoulders, forcing her to look up at her. "Who fought the Rebel Leader?"

"…me…"

"And who confronted Crocodile when the rest of us were in a jail cell?"

"I get what you're trying to do, Nami-san, but don't look down on my gratitude."

"I'm not, but I want you to remember what you did too."

Usopp and Luffy came crashing through the door, knocking over a tray of medical supplies and kicking half of Chopper's books away. The reindeer stood, looking at them stunned, "What'd you do that for?!"

"Sorry, Chopper," said Usopp, kneeling to gather the books again. "It's Luffy's fault. He's—"

"Still asleep?" asked Luffy, peering at Penny.

To everyone's astonishment, he stuck his finger into his mouth and then into Penny's ear, wiggling it around for a long while. "Man, she must be really out of it. That used to work all the time." Luffy nodded at Chopper, "You'll fix her right? She must've gotten scared or something and fainted."

Everyone turned to stare at the Luffy's-fist-shaped bruise across her face.

"Yeah, she's sick," said Nami, putting the work sick in air quotes. "It's not like someone hit her so hard she got a brain injury from it."

"She used to be sick all the time. It's why she was in Foosha for a long while." Luffy turned oddly serious. "But she's not weak, so don't hold it against her. Penny's one of the strongest people we'll meet."

Luffy might have added more or kept quiet as he wasn't one to delve into his past without prompting. He had eaten immediately upon awakening and emptied the kitchens of food, but was already getting antsy for their dinner that night.

Penny slept through all the commotion he caused and likely would sleep for a week straight if allowed, but they were all growing eager to have everyone awake and ready to celebrate.

"She won't mind if we have fun," said Luffy, eagerly uncapping a marker that rolled from Chopper's supplies. He pulled Penny's cheek taut and then wrote something childishly obscene. Usopp snickered and then jumped on top of Chopper to hide the writing from view.

Chopper struggled in Usopp's hold. "I wanna see! I wanna—"

"You shitty bastard," cursed Sanji, fire in his eyes. Nami and Vivi choked, holding back their laughter, as Sanji strode forward and pulled Luffy up by the collar. A fight broke out within seconds that Sanji quickly won.

Luffy sat on his knees in front of the cook, head bowed low, face puffed from the repeated blows he suffered. "Sorry. I won't do it again."

"If you do something shitty like that again, I'll—"

"Quit yapping, curly brows." Zoro stretched out, snapping his legs out to trip up Sanji. "Some of us are trying to sleep." He opened an eye and stared at Penny, before nodding at her. "See."

"She's unconscious," snapped Nami, hitting Sanji and Luffy so hard a bump formed atop their heads. "Have some respect! What if she wakes up and decides she doesn't want to pay the—come with us?!"

"Food," said Luffy, poking Sanji's puffed-out eye. "I'm hungry again."

Sanji kicked him away, "You just ate the entire kitchen out! Wait until dinner!"

"There's no hope, Nami," said Usopp.

She sighed, breath blowing her hair out of her face and then looked over to Vivi who was struggling to hide her laughter. Breaking, Nami laughed as well, shaking her head. "I guess we deserve a chance to relax after everything."

"Rest," said Vivi, folding her hands together. "There's going to be a party tonight to—"

"Party?" asked Penny, leaning on her elbow to stare at them. They screamed, startled as she sat up, rubbing away Luffy's writing. A black smear remained on her cheek. "Where? When? Who's coming? What's the theme? I'll need to freshen up."

"I-it's in a few hours, here at the palace," answered Vivi.

Penny swung her legs over the side of the bed, grabbing the blanket and wrapping it around her shoulders like a cape. She bent over, looking under the bed, and then frowned, wiggling her toes. "New shoes too." She aimed a smile at Vivi. "I'll take care of it. You all sit here and have fun."

Without another word to anyone, she swept out of the room with a skip in her step.

"What's wrong with her?" whispered Usopp, terrified.

The Straw Hats swiveled to look at Luffy, but he was busy opening every medicine bottle on the shelf and holding them under his nose.

"I'm a total moron," Penny whispered as she pressed her forehead to the pantry wall she had taken refuge in. "Such a total loser. Who knocks themselves out in a fight? It's one thing to be dumb and not know, but to be dumb and understand that stupidity is a curse only known to few."

The door wiggled. Penny lifted her teary gaze toward it, hoping that some manner of royalty had come to demand her hand in marriage and whisk her away to an easy life of luxury.

She snorted at the thought; depression cleared immediately. Wouldn't it be the most boring thing to be born a noble? She was sure she had played the part of a prince's bride a year or two back and made the character drown in a river. What was the name of the play? Hamel? Harkle? It had been a runaway success that boosted her popularity two-fold.

Whipping her face of tears, she whipped out a mirror and reapplied her eyeliner. Snapping it closed, she opened the door, stepping to the side as the sou-chef fell inside.

"Apologies for taking so long," she said to the kitchen staff, who looked at her again as if she was mad. "I needed a moment."

The royal head chef was a woman named Terracotta who was magnificently tall with blonde, coiffed curls. She laughed at her, but didn't put down the sharp knife she was using to chop onions in a blistering fury.

"That's alright. You said you had a plan for the party. Are there any menu changes? Any allergies?"

"Oh, no, this is your stage," Penny shook her head. "I wouldn't dare to step on any toes. Whatever you cook for us, we'll eat. I'm just here to check on our décor options. Musicians? Entertainment? Fireworks? When will the doors open for the people?"

"The King thought it'd be best to have a private affair given that the Navy's stationed outside. We'll have a larger ceremony when he addresses the people in a few days."

"Sure, sure, I'm happy to take care of it," said Penny, waving a hand. Her cheeks were red with embarrassment. "There's no need to ask."

The best advantage of her Devil Fruit was that she could be in multiple places at once, so while Penny made quick friends with the kitchen staff, copies of her spread across the awakening city, listening for news and sharing her own as she spread the word that there would be a celebration held at the behest of the King.

A stage was set. Penny sunk into the knowledge that the Marines and Straw Hats would be in for a surprise when they woke up the morning after the party.

"The pirates?" asked one copy, dressed in plain clothes with her hair tied up neatly, leaning close to a marine officer in a nearby bar. "You mean they'd saved us?"

"That's what Smoker-san's saying, but the top's keeping it hush-hush, so if anyone asks, we're the real heroes, sweetheart."

"You won't hear a word from me," promised Penny, with a wink.

A troupe of Penny-copies scrambled to put words to paper, make costumes and model sets, and mix the wonder and fantasy of the theater in the short amount of time she had until nightfall.

At the palace, King Nefertari saw three of her walking with the Royal Guards to help replenish some of the building materials. He bumped into another version carrying a large stack of plates into the dining room reserved for their top dignitaries. She didn't pause in her mission.

"Ah, Penn—"

"Can't talk!" she shouted over her shoulder. "I'm busy!"

"But…" Where was the Poneglyph?

Penny knew it was a question on everyone's mind and, as she stalked some more Marines, a question that had Marineford incredibly worried. Penny was less interested in the stone and more interested in what had happened to Nico Robin. The woman pulled a quick disappearing act leaving the Marines on high alert.

Penny laughed to herself.

Alabasta was turning out to be more fun than she initially thought.

The Straw Hats finally caught up to her in the late afternoon, finding her lounging on the floor in their shared room, pulling a whetting stone up and down the side of her blade. Penny looked up and then narrowed her eyes at Luffy.

"What'd you do to my sword? Tsune was practically crying."

"Nothing."

"It's cursed. If you did something to her, you'll be haunted for the rest of your life."

"I told you she's dumb," said Luffy, nudging Usopp. "Ghosts haunt people—"

"And how many people do you think I've turned into ghosts?" asked Penny, a dark expression on her face.

Luffy blinked at her. The corner of her eye twitched and then they both burst into laughter as the Straw Hats tittered nervously. Penny stood and hugged Luffy tightly, chattering over him and with him about all the exciting things that had happened since she left Foosha Village a decade ago.

"How's Makino-san? And Mayor Woop Slap?"

"Ace didn't tell you?"

"It was Luffy-this and Luffy-that with him. He might have forgotten that I knew you."

"Who cares! Tell me what your bounty is!"

"Nami-san, thank you for watching over me," said Penny, shoving Luffy away from her. He bounced off the bed and landed with a thud on the ground. "And Chopper-kun, I'm sorry to have worried you. I've had a bout of bad luck recently, but I'm sure the sooner I get away from Luffy and his relatives, the better."

"It was nothing!" said Chopper, hiding behind Zoro's leg.

Zoro bent down, hand almost on Tsune's hilt before Penny suddenly blocked it. "I wasn't joking about that curse," said Penny, sliding the blade back into its sheath.

"Bad luck sounds like an excuse."

Penny's lower lip jutted out.

"It's so embarrassing," she cried, wailing loudly as she threw her hands up. Tears flowed down her face in rivets. Sanji rounded on Zoro for making her cry. "I was supposed to be mind-blowing and grand, but instead I get knocked out by my Devil Fruit and a teenager! How can I show my face on the high seas after this?!"

Luffy's laughter bounced off the walls and soon enough Usopp snickered and joined him. Penny shrunk into herself.

Vivi patted her back, "I'm sure it's fine. No one knows—"

"I'll have to leave before the Navy figures out I'm here."

"Tashigi and Smoker already—"

"And then take down an island or two. Maybe one of the Rookies that entered the Grand Line? The crazy one."

"Aren't you going to—"

"No, I got it! I'll break into Marineford! It'll wash away all the bad energy I've gathered around you people and probably land me with some stunningly strong enemies."

Nami swung at her, "WILL YOU SHUT UP?!"

Penny dodged, tears vacating instantly as she stood and placed her hands on her hip. A stern look crossed her face, vein peeking out above her brow, "Nami-san, being polite never hurt anyone, especially a lady of your caliber. I won't respond to shows of force."

"You can quit worrying because everyone knows Luffy defeated Crocodile," said Nami with a smile.

Vivi giggled and stated, "The Navy's only looking for you because they think you made off with the Poneglyph."

Penny's face turned gray as a corpse. "They think what?" she squeaked.

"Tashigi-san and Smoker-san sent forces to secure the Poneglyph before my father could stop her. We thought it'd be safer to—"

"TO PUT MY HEAD ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK?!" Penny grabbed her neck, holding it tightly as her breath came out in short, hysterical gasps. "I've done nothing to deserve this!"

"Well, where is it?" asked Vivi, patiently. Nami was astounded by the level of class she had in front of the dramatics that ensued from Penny. It was like watching a circus act in person.

"Where is it?! Why would I know?"

"You said you were here to protect it," reminded Nami.

"I did?" She flinched as Nami slammed her hands down on the tiles and demurely said, "Tis but a joke, fair maiden. It would be evil to allow it to fall in a villain's hands."

Sanji sat down on the bed opposite them, "Penny-san, we'll clear up the situation as soon as the Poneglyph is returned."

"It's in the crypt," admitted Penny. "The real crypt."

"What?" asked Vivi, confused.

"I copied the crypt on top of itself, so the real one is below it. If you dig carefully, then you'll find it. It's probably best to let the world think I took it."

Sanji nodded, frowning to himself, "If people think it's here, then Alabasta will be targeted again."

"That's a relief," said Vivi with a smile, "So much was destroyed, we thought that maybe even that was lost to us. The Palace—"

"Well, let's not bring up old news," said Penny, nervously as she was the leading cause for so much destruction to the palace. "I'm sure Luffy didn't mean to cause so much property damage."

"Speaking of paying for damage—"

"We weren't discussing that at all, Nami-san."

"You owe me a billion berries."

"Enough about me," dismissed Penny, waving Nami's way. "Tell me all that's happened to you guys! How did you join Luffy's crew? Do you enjoy sailing? Is it your first time on the Grand Line? I want to know everything about everything!"

Nami's smile came out and she leaned forward. "I'm one of the early ones," she said, smile turning soft. The others smiled back at her. "But, it took a bit longer to admit that I wanted to travel with Luffy and the others. It all started in Orange Town where I met Luffy and Zoro…."

Nami recounted the tale of her joining the Straw Hat crew. Sanji interjected and offered his commentary every so often. When she told them of all that Arlong had put her through and Luffy's fierce battle to free her from him, Vivi and Penny were both in tears, moved beyond words by the incredible show of friendship from all the Straw Hats.

"It's fine now," said Nami, trying to get them to stop. "I'm free, aren't I? Nothing's ever going to get in my way again."

"You shouldn't have—ten years to live under than man, it's despicable." Vivi's fists were clenched tightly.

Penny leaned her head against her palm, closing her eyes with a slight smile. "I want to see that map."

Nami cocked her head.

"Your world map. The All Blue. The World's Greatest Swordsman. A Miracle Cure. A Warrior of the Sea. It's already clear that the Pirate King crew is amazing."

"Tell them yours," said Luffy, folding his legs into his lap. "The dream you told me."

"Maybe later."

"That's what your life is like all the time, isn't it? Adventure, complete freedom, a new place on the horizon at every turn…" Vivi fell quiet, an unsure look on her face. "At the Reverie, we were honored guests, but a single word could've set off a war. Despite the power we hold here when it comes to the bigger world….we're all so small. It doesn't feel like that on the Going Merry."

"Sounds like you enjoyed being a pirate," commented Zoro.

"I do."

Usopp looked at Vivi and said, "Nothing's stopping you from being one."

"Were you always a pirate, Penny?" asked Nami curiously. "Luffy mentioned that he met you because of Shanks."

"Shanks—that's my old man's Captain!" said Usopp, puffing his chest out.

Penny twisted her fingers together. "Yasopp-san told me all about you!" Penny leaned forward, brimming with excitement. "How you fought off a tiger at the age of four, assembled your first crew at six, and traveled all the corners of the East Blue! I love stories! I collect them, but Yassop-san always mixed up the details, so you must tell me everything!"

Nami slapped her hands against her mouth, stifling her laughter.

Luffy wasn't so subtle. Beating his fist against the ground, he shouted through his choking laughter, "CHOPPER, CHOPPER, DID YOU HEAR HER?!"

"USOPP FOUGHT A TIGER?!" asked Chopper, stars in his eyes.

Usopp pulled at his goggles and gave a nervous smile as Sanji's head jerked around to glare at him for capturing a girl's attention. "They don't call me Captain Usopp for nothing."

"Co-Captains?" Penny's mouth danced and her laughter escaped in hollow breaths. "Luffy, you fraud!"

"SHUT UP!" he demanded. "SHUT UP! I'M THE CAPTAIN!"

Usopp's chest puffed out proudly, "I've got 8000 men under my command!"

Penny slapped the bed, laughter spilling all over her face, "Shanks is going to be dead by the time you see him!"

"YOU GOT KNOCKED OUT BY THE FLOOR!"

"BECAUSE OF YOU!"

Zoro opened an eye and then smirked, "There's a way to set the record straight. Just fight."

"Let's go," said Luffy, holding his hand out. An arm-wrestling contest was a bit unfair. "Devil Fruits and all."

Penny tapped her palm against Luffy's and moved it away before he could trap her. "I'm too kind to beat you in front of all your friends. If they lose trust in your strength, your whole crew will fall apart and likely die before you reach the next island.

"Quit talking and fight me," said Luffy, striking the air around her. "I fought 100 fights a day against Ace. I can take you."

"And you lost all of them according to your brother."

"Against him. You can't take Ace."

"Annoying."

"Let's go to this party," said Usopp, throwing his arms around their shoulders. "I'll tell you all about how I became Captain."

"Don't lie! She'll go and tell Shanks like a snitch!"

Penny, warmed by the friendship they instantly extended to her, wished she had more time to spend with the Straw Hats, but it was their time to learn and grow. Paradise was best experienced with new eyes as she had when they journeyed from Foosha back to the Grand Line.

Penny set down her drink. The music thrummed, rising steadily as the drummer took over the rhythm. The singing voices washed over them. Penny tapped Luffy's shoulder, tilting her head toward the small circle forming on the dance floor.

A mijwiz joined the drumming, holding a long, fluttering note.

"Shishishishi, are you going to join them?"

Penny couldn't deny that the music put her in a good mood. "I figured I'd redeem myself properly."

She picked up one of the red napkins on the table, wrapping a section around her thumb. Zoro and Sanji shared a surprised look as Nami whistled at her, pushing her forward with an eager grin.

"Can I?" she asked, holding her free hand out to the man leading the front of the line.

He said something back in Arabasta's local tongue that sent cheers throughout the others in the line and pulled her in quickly. The napkin swirled in the air as she spun her wrist on beat with the music. The dance picked up, getting steadily faster as they moved their feet in unison, circling the edge of the dance floor.

It was a good thing that Penny was a quick study because she recognized the dance from a similar one she learned on the Red Force. Arabasta's was far more complicated. Feet crossing over one another, she fell into breathless laughter as the others dancing with her encouraged her to drop lower and lower as they moved.

"I wanna do it!" shouted Luffy, squeezing his way into the line. He could barely keep up as Nami cheered them on.

The handkerchief was lost as Usopp joined the circle, grabbing her hand, and taking over the lead. "Luffy, you can't be Captain, if you can't keep up."

Penny laughed. Despite his lack of confidence everywhere else, he seemed to find it when it came to proving himself the 'Captain,' of the bunch.

They danced until their feet hurt, finally getting Vivi out of her seat and joining the crowd of ex-rebels and royal guards. The princess was vibrant with life, moving her hips to the beat without the stress of the past hanging over her head. Her people responded to it sharing the same love for the island that Vivi did.

"Man, that was fun, but now I'm hungry again," declared Luffy, linking arms with her. "Where's the meat in this place?"

"We can ask the kitchens again, but don't push it. They haven't had rain in years."

Luffy leaned his head against her shoulder, smiling widely, "You can fix that. It'll take too long for the old man's oasis to fill up even if the rain lasts days."

"Of course, I can. I'm a pirate—I'll do whatever I want."

Luffy snickered, "Don't go acting tough."

"I am tough," she blinked, eyes wide and watery.

"And a bigger fake than Usopp." He wrapped his arms around his ribs, laughing louder. "I can't believe you told the King you were a dickbag."

Penny's mouth curled, repeating the word to herself in her mind. "You mean diplomatic."

Luffy stopped laughing and looked at her. "That's what I said."

"No, you said d-i-c-k-b-a-g."

Luffy slapped the table, tears spilling from his eyes as his snickers grew so loud that they cut through the music playing. "What're you spelling it for? I'm old enough to know what it means now!"

She took her seat, next to Nami and Chopper, with her nose hanging high in the air. "We're in a palace."

"So, what?" Zoro smiled at the two of them over his hundredth glass of beer. "What kind of pirate doesn't curse?"

Nami whacked him on the head, forcing his face into the glass. "The polite kind. Quit corrupting Penny and leave her alone."

If anything, Nami's words set Luffy off even more. Hearing his laughter brought a slight smile to her face, but she knew he was laughing because she was the more likely force to go around corrupting people.

In the light and laughter of the palace, the Straw Hats celebrated their hard-earned victory. Outside, with equal or perhaps more passionate fervor, the citizens of Alabasta were treated to a festival as their streets were decorated with market stalls and filled with music.

Chefs from Nanohana arrived in the late afternoon while Penny's clones were done hanging floral garlands between the buildings. Games and shadow puppet shows were run by some of the Royal Guards and a handful of Marines that volunteered for the task.

The real show, however, rested at the end of the street festival in the city square.

There were no lights in the square, but the people arriving heard the twinkle of music and could see in the dim moonlight that a stage rose in the middle of the court where a figure sat waiting. Pillows and carpets were strewn all across. Figs, dates, cheese, chicken stewed with rice and spices, sweet drinks of fizz and wines were arranged for all to eat. The notes of the harp plucked onward, slow and steady.

The crowd's chattering peaked, and a final child ran ahead, finding a group of friends as the music shifted. It sharpened and rose, gaining a heaviness that brought a hush over the crowd.

The night illuminated. Balls of fire floated in the air, suspended as if by magic. A gasp of awe echoed. The square was now littered with shiny mosaics and spat the light like a rainbow. On the stage, the curtains pulled back. The figure climbed to their feet, a straw hat now visible on their head as light flooded behind them.

The narrator cleared their throat and said, "As all good stories start, this one begins with the sun, heavy and full and never-ending in the Kingdom of Sand…."

Entrapped, the citizens watched the rise and fall of Sir Crocodile, disguised as the tragic villain in a play. They laughed, cried, and hollered as the story's heroes defeated him and his accomplices in battle. The story they were watching was not one of imagination but one that would soon be suppressed in the papers and erased from history. Penny hoped they enjoyed it.

It would live on in the pages of fiction as a fantasy, the way all things erased by the World Government did.

Penny watched each eager face from the back of the crowd. This was the final product of all her skills: costume making, set design, the pull and drag of words to preserve the truths lost to them every day.

Nico Robin was an archeologist concerned with the stories of the past. Penny was the opposite. She sought the Poneglyphs, not for the history they offered, but for the future they would bring.

The play continued. Her copies, living puppets on the stage, were set to live in the span of a single story.

Caught in the crowd of Alabasta's citizens were some of the Marine officers stationed in Alubarna. Smoker looked troubled. It was hard to kill words and stories once they spread.

Penny turned and left, sweeping her cloak over her shoulders. In her head was a list of names connected to Crocodile. If left to the Marines, it would take a century to weed out the corruption he injected into Alabasta. Penny could do it in a night.

THE NEXT MORNING

"KING COBRA!" gasped one of the guards, kneeling as he struggled to catch his breath. "It's the pirate—she's—she's…'

"What's happened?"

"Last night, she opened a gambling den—they're out for her head, but she's gone! They're outside the palace!"

"Gambling?" asked the King, a smile growing. "Everyone likes a good game of chance. I'm sure it was just a bit of fun after—"

A portly merchant King Cobra recognized from his frequent visits to the palace stormed inside, pushing the guards aside. His face was flushed with sweat and rage. "She's robbed us blind! All of us! Not a single cent left, and those vagabonds are bartering away our wealth in the marketplace!"

"What's going on?" asked Vivi entering the throne room with the Straw Hats navigator and cook. "Father…there's a crowd of people outside. The Navy's here too!"

As if on cue, the Navy Captain who had helped them days ago stormed inside. His boots thudded heavily, and a curtain of smoke hung over him. The swordswoman, Tashigi, trailed after him.

"Smoker-san!" said Vivi, clutching her chest. King Nefatari's mind jumped to the Straw Hats.

He flapped a booklet in his hands and shook his head. "I said I'd leave the decisions up to you, but—" Smoker's expression turned to something sinister. "—if she's hiding here, then I'm going to arrest her."

"I've already informed you there are no pirates in our palace."

"You better hope not." He threw the booklet over. "Here."

Vivi caught it, looking down with surprise. She handed it over. It was a playscript with finely illustrated pages that showed the battle of Alubarna in all its glory, but sticking between the pages were sheets of paper with names on them.

King Nefertari sat back down. His heart rose and sank in his chest. Each name had minor notations that Cobra realized were criminal and financial law citations. Crocodile's insignia was stamped on each page. Some of the names were ones he recognized from the merchants he met with and advisors that rotated through the palace and government.

Betrayal rose in him. The plot to destroy Alabasta ran deeper than he imagined.

He turned to the last page, which had all the names crossed out with the word SLAVERS on top in big block letters.

He sat down and looked up to Smoker.

"We got a shipment this morning," explained Tashigi, adjusting her glasses. She explained that a ship had docked next to theirs with a bunch of men tied up. After asking their names, they connected the lists now circulating Alubarna and the captured men. Each of them had a red hourglass painted on their hands.

"That's Akahime's signature," stressed Tashigi. "If she is here, we'll have to take her in."

"You're welcome to check, but I assure you she's not."

"No point wasting our time," said Smoker, as if he expected the answer. The man's face gave nothing away. "If she's put on her show, she's already gone."

"I'll send Royal Guards with you to aid in the search. I don't feel comfortable knowing that the Poneglyph rests in a pirate's hands. The World Government should rest assured that I'll do what I can to recover it." This was a diplomatic response that Penny had urged them to give before she left.

Smoker shook his head, seeming annoyed by something. "Crocodile did enough to embarrass us—they won't let the loss of a Poneglyph leak."

Cobra nodded and spoke more about the logistics of the Navy's withdrawal. Vivi, he was sure, remained only so she could go back and relay all the information to the Straw Hats. At last, Smoker and Tashigi took their leave.

King Nefertari waited until they had fully exited the palace to wilt in his throne. His hand rose to rub his temples. "I've dealt with more exhausting matters in the last few days than in my entire reign."

"You did great!" cheered Vivi. "Besides, they can't think we're going to let them arrest our heroes, can they?"

"The newspapers are casting the Navy as the real heroes."

"Everyone in Alubarna's already seen the real story! Even if the newspapers say one thing, I bet this will stick around a lot longer," said Vivi, hugging the playbook to her chest. "Luffy's our hero. Penny made sure of that."

Cobra looked down at the note resting on the bottom of the final page:

This should help ease things over.

He laughed heartedly and Vivi joined him.

NEW WORLD

LULUSIA KINGDOM

It took two days for the news to travel around the world once the Straw Hats escaped, but Penny was already being whispered about as the Navy discussed new contenders for Crocodile's empty seat.

"All the papers are saying it's going to be her!"

"Don't worry, darling," reassured the man.

"I'm not worried at all—what if she never comes back?! Those dresses she dropped off here—remember, Anne wore one to her wedding."

"Did she?"

"Yes, and I told you to get me one of them! Do you know how rare they are? People say you feel better just by wearing one. Pippi was sick all the time and she's never been sick after her husband got her—"

"Got her clothes made by a pirate? The riffraff can sully themselves with it, but not us. Imagine being caught by the Marines."

"They won't do anything," dismissed the woman with a flap of her hand. "You know those silly men just look the other way."

"Come now." The man shook his head as he looked around worriedly. "Don't start talking about her so loudly. Someone might hear you."

"They won't actually make Penny a warlord, will they?" The way she spoke made it seem as if being a warlord was more distressing than being a pirate. The public had never feared Penny the way they should've. An oddity in reputation that had first gained their eye.

"Calm down," said the man, rubbing the woman's shoulders. "Perhaps a holiday down by the countryside is needed. You've been near the ports for too long, darling."

Sabo grinned, tilting his hat down as he walked past the couple. His steps echoed against the cobblestone. The world was spinning forward again. He clenched his fists in excitement, wondering when it would finally be time to meet again.

FISHMAN ISLAND

In the ocean's depths, 10,000 miles beneath the surface, a lone fishman sat in the back of a dusty old bar, skimming the paper curiously. He laughed as he read the recent headlines, "The brat's stirring up trouble again."

Across from him, his companion was perched on the edge of his chair, less man and more bird. A coat of inky feathers enveloped him, and countless scars and a shadowy hood obscured his face. His fingers moved quickly, spelling out what he would've said. Not a brat. Penny.

"I'll call her what I want!" snapped Bear. "One of these days, she's gotta turn her head to the past and remember the old—"

Iago Armin rasped and reached over, tearing the paper into tiny shreds. His voice was less a voice and more a sound made when a person died. "Stop. Free."

"Don't mention freedom to me. Can't stick my head above water without someone trying to sell me or kill me."

Lowering his hood, dark eyes stared back at him, wet and weak, but surprisingly open given Armin's appearance. His fingers clashed together. Angry?

"Eat," ordered Bear, pushing the plate of food that sat untouched toward Armin. "You look starved."

Money's hard. No more killing.

"Live here then."

Smells. Fish.

"You damn bastard," said Bear, hitting Armin harshly as he wheezed with laughter. "You think you got some pass to say that crap just cause we're friends? I'll skin you alive and take your goddamn bounty for myself!"

Smile. Good. Armin reached to the corners of his mouth and gestured a smile. What came forth was a painful grimace that could not pass for happiness but was the closest that Armin would ever come to the expression.

Bear rolled his eyes, but there was no hiding the smile on his mouth.

"Warlord." He scoffed, standing up to grab more food from the kitchen. "The only way she'd get that title is by force."

Armin shook with laughter once more, a hacking, dry thing that made him sound as if his lung had collapsed. Though Bear spent several years with humans, Armin always brought a shudder to his spine. No one ever knew if the man was on the verge of death or simply a creep.

Armin's voice filled the air once more. "Captains. Proud."

"Aye." He closed his eyes and lowered his head. "Aye, they would be."

It had been over a decade since history was rewritten with them slandered and removed, but those happy days when they sailed out at sea remained deep in their hearts. In Penny rested the dim flame of hope. Bear wondered if she remembered any of it or if the trauma of losing everything had filled her mind with shadows.

Either way, the call of the sea had never left her blood.

The bounties of the two men amounted to 1,194,000,000 berries, but who they were and their connection to Phantom Penny was a story yet to be told. It was enough to know that Penny hadn't sprouted from nothing.

Once, a ship sailed down the Grand Line sharing a dazzling story to all that would stop to hear it. The ship's name was Midsummer's Tale, and its Captain was the World's Greatest Playwright. Her exit from the world's stage came sharp and quick, but in her place remained an unfinished story.

It began as such:

"Long ago, in the Grand Kingdom of…, there was the Sun, called…"

"Okaa-san, I heard it already!"

"Then I'll never speak again."

The girl flopped down, staring at the jeweled ceiling above her. "Okay, one more time."

"What a kind child you are!"

"Okaa-san!"

"Alright, here I go again. No interruptions this time, Penny. Long ago, in the Grand Kingdom of… "

END CHAPTER