Was the cliffhanger a bit much? Hehehe. Heheh...heh...I'm sorry.

*~.~*~.~*

What was she doing here?

How was she here?

Why was she here?

There was no fucking way.

There was no possible fucking way she was here.

Yet she was.

As clear as day, she was standing before him. Her hair was much shorter with her bangs held up by a clip and the edges slightly angled below her ears. She looked more mature, and her clothing was relatively similar except for a shorter coat and ankle boots. Other than that, she was still the same. Bright icy eyes and a smug grin. The silence was unnerving as she stared them down. A bit awkward too with Nami, Sanji, and Usopp looking back and forth between him and that damn eggplant-headed woman.

Without saying a word, she jumped from the rock and right past the pirates to the dead man. Zoro knew she was well aware of his glares but disregarded him completely. She went to her knees and picked up the fox mask before rolling the limp body over and pulling the back of his shirt down, revealing a boar's head tattoo.

"He was either leading you into an ambush or straight to his boss," she said, straightening her posture and faced the pirates. Her hands went behind her back and she looked like an innocent child.

"Why should we trust you?" Zoro questioned the stupid icy-eyed eggplant with a hand on one of his swords.

"Oh, you shouldn't. I'm just stating the facts. But I can assure you I'm not working with the Boar Knights. Every member has that little tattoo on the back of their necks." She turned, lowered her jacket a little, and pushed down her turtleneck. It was bare. "See? You don't have to trust me, but I'm not an enemy."

Her icy gaze landed on him when she turned back around. It was just a quick glance before her eyes closed and she flashed her pointy teeth in a smile. She seemed to have charmed most of the crew, especially Sanji. He was all over her asking questions which she answered with her foxlike face. The scaredy-cat three emerged from their bush with the navigator standing next to Robin and the other two hiding behind Zoro.

"Who exactly are you?" Nami asked cautiously.

She shoved her hand in Sanji's face to push him aside, her smile not dropping. "I'm Sade at your service. You're the pirates that have been running around, right? This Boar Knight guys have a habit of tal-"

"Hey hey do you know Zoro?!"

Sade blinked a few times from the sudden interruption from Luffy who was in her face. Nami looked like she was about to hit him, but she was also interested in the matter. Sade's smile brightened. Zoro was anticipating her to start blabbing about their previous interactions.

"We're acquaintances. We met about two years ago on a similar job. That's all."

Not the answer he was expecting.

"You're a bounty hunter?" The redhead inquired, hiding herself a little bit more behind Robin.

Sade shook her head. "Nope, I'm a mercenary. And in any case you might be wondering, no the job I'm doing here has nothing to do with you guys."

This time Robin piped up, finding this new person intriguing. "How long have you been here?"

"A few months. I was supposed to leave, but the people I came here with decided to lea-"

"Are you a friend of Zoro's?!" Luffy was right back in her face with a big grin. "You should join my crew!"

Sade let out a laugh. "You don't listen very well, do you? But no, I'm not the swordsman's friend. Just a person who crossed his path. And I'm technically already a part of a crew so I can't join yours nor do I want to. Now if you're done with the questions, would you like to go to town?"

"There's a town?!" everyone but Zoro and Robin shouted.

"If you just follow me, I can lead you to it. Will take a bit though. Just stay close to me. The forest isn't very kind to newcomers."

Luffy was the first that went after her, seemingly unafraid. Next was Sanji who gladly pranced away. Robin followed in suit, fueled by curiosity and Nami stayed right by her side eager to get to a town. Usopp and Chopper didn't dare move from the protective shadow of Zoro who stayed where he was. He should know Sade wasn't going to immediately betray them. He should know she wasn't going to lead them to their deaths. But he was hesitant. People can change.

"W-W-What are w-w-we going t-to do?" Usopp questioned through chattering teeth.

Zoro let out an angry sigh. "I don't think we have much of a choice."

"She doesn't...she doesn't smell like a bad person," Chopper muttered. "She smells like the ocean. And herbs. It's a good smell."

The swordsman patted him on top of the pink hat to assure him before going to join the others. Usopp let out a squeak-like scream once his protector was gone and raced off toward Luffy. There was a sense of calm now even though Zoro still didn't like it. Of all the islands there are on the ocean, she just happened to be on one the pirates stopped at. With how difficult it was to navigate the waters of the Grand Line, it would be nearly impossible for her to have followed them.

If her being here wasn't bad enough, the forest was an enigma. It felt alive. The way the tree branches swayed with the breeze were like ghostly fingers. The occasional chirps and coos from the animals sounded both so close and meters away. Zoro swore he could see eyes peering at him from the shadows. The colors seemed muted with brightly pigmented flowers and mushrooms popping up from time to time. It made the clearing they rested at seem overly vibrant. The thin-trunked deciduous trees slowly turned into more evergreens. The faint light of the day vanished in the dark green canopy. It was haunting.

While the previous guide led them into the woods without much purpose, Sade appeared to know where she was going. Each step she took was well-placed as if she was on an invisible path. The air around the pirates wasn't as tense with her in charge, Zoro noticed. That only made him feel even more on edge.

"Hey hey, are you a shark?" Luffy suddenly asked out of the blue. "You've got pointy teeth. Like that one jerk with the saw nose."

Sade stopped in her tracks, looking over her shoulder at Luffy, and didn't miss a beat. "You're partially right."

The shocked expressions subtly rippled through the pirates, but Sade noticed and her expression changed to concern. The one who reacted the most was Nami. It wasn't obvious just looking at her and she's pretty sure having jagged teeth isn't always directly related to Fishmen. Sade turned around and faced the pirates completely, hooking her index fingers in her cheek to pull them to the side. Each one of her pearly whites were pointed just like a shark. She then moved the collar of her shirt down toward her shoulder where three dark lines were.

"And to answer all your questions no I can't breathe underwater, but I can hold my breath for a long time. Yes, I'm naturally stronger than the average person. Yes, my teeth do grow back after a while if broken," she told them as if she were a record. Apparently, this wasn't the first time she was questioned. "I'm a human/Fishman hybrid. My mother was a Fishwoman and long story short she saved my father one day and they fell in love and voila! That's how I came to be."

The pirates looked at one another, unsure of how to respond. It was news to Zoro. He had his suspicions about her when they first met yet he chalked it up to her training with the mercenaries. Now hearing the truth, it made her odd strength a bit more understandable. Nami rose a hand to her mouth and bit the nail of her thumb. Was she as bad as the others? She doesn't want to start assuming something just because Sade was half-Fishman. And it was as if the dark-haired woman read her mind.

"I know there's bad blood between humans and Fishman. I'm not asking you to put your trust in me. Only here to lead you to a safer place."

Her tone changed. It was minute, but Zoro noticed it. Her words were heavy. For a brief moment, she looked like someone that was abused simply for existing because of her mixed blood. But as quickly as he saw it, she immediately went back to the bright smile.

"It's all in the past so no worries. Let's get going before it gets darker."

The "path" they followed Sade down was starting to look like one. There were many tendrils of the trail that merged into one path that sloped down a bit. There was a faint sound of water running and frogs jumped along the rocks lining the trail. Dragonflies and fireflies flittered around the pirates as Sade set down into a creek. There were only a few centimeters of water in the rivulet and dim colored pebbles lined the bottom.

She led them to the entrance of a ravine with dark stones that looked too clean-cut to be natural. It was barely big enough to have two people walk side-by-side. Glancing up, there was moss crawling up the slate rock like vivid green serpents, and tree roots looked like they were crudely sewn into the jagged sides. The water was slowly rising the further the group traveled down.

This went on for nearly ten minutes before Sade stopped in front of a small waterfall. She walked right under it, but the pirates didn't follow. Luffy wanted to except Nami had a firm grip on his shirt. Her head poked from the cold cascade with a beckoning smile.

"There's enough room for everyone inside," she told them, ducking back behind the waterfall. "Watch your step though. It's pretty slippery."

Luffy dashed after her once Nami released him and one by one, the rest of the crew headed into the cave behind the waterfall. Just as she said, it was quite roomy inside with the area about the same size as the Going Merry's deck and flickering lanterns sitting in alcoves. It looked like a complete dead end. Sade stood between two lanterns and raised a hand to the rock wall.

Knock...knock.

Knock.

KnockKnockKnock.

Whatever her knuckles rapped against was hollow sounding. It was quiet save for the constant trickling of the waterfall. Then there was clicking and something heavy sliding to the side. The "wall" she knocked on was moving to the left to reveal a man and a lit hallway. He smiled down at Sade as he stepped forward with a lantern in one hand and a spear in the other. His eyes grazed over the pirates, not losing a sliver of friendliness.

"Nice of you to stop by Sade. How's the outside world?"

"Full of shit as always. Picked up these guys before the Boar Knights got them," Sade replied, pointing a thumb back at the group behind her. "Could you let the mayor know?"

"Of course."

He stepped aside to let Sade and her new followers into the rocky hall. It appeared like a miner's passageway with wooden support beams and lanterns. It smelled like soggy trees with a faint trace of salt from the sea. Instead of walking on rocks, there were boards and occasional patches of gravel and dirt. Nami had to keep a tight grasp on Luffy so he would go blasting off away from the group. Zoro could feel his anxiety rise being in such a confined space with no certain way to escape. Sanji was back to trying to have a meaningful conversation with Sade. Robin kept looking around, interested in how old this passage looked. Chopper and Usopp were in the back, stopping every once in a while when an insect or mushroom appeared.

Sade suddenly stopped when the lanterns came to an end and a dark wooden door stood before them. The pirates halted as well, most of them trying to look over her shoulder at was could possibly be waiting for them. The icy-eyed woman glanced behind her at the group with a big grin.

"I hope you're ready for this."

There was an enthusiastic nod from Luffy. Sade chuckled and pushed the door aside, the heavy wood creaking as it opened. There was a sudden flash of light, temporarily blinding everyone. Sade assured them with warm words, giving them time to let their eyes adjust before she stepped aside with a slight bow and her arm out in a swiping motion.

The sight before the pirates was something to behold. Within a massive cavern, a town sprawled out before them. Shops, homes, gardens. It was all there in a layered formation with the markets and gardens on the bottom layer and the residential buildings on the top. Most of the light was coming from the great opening to the left of the group that led to the ocean. The buildings made of stone were around a small dark lake with several poles emerging from the depths that had circular fixtures on top that glowed. There were holes in the high rock ceiling where streaks of light fell like yellow-white champagne from a bottle. People bustling around like a normal day, like any normal town.

It looked like a place from a dream and despite being underground, it was well-lit. The yellow-orange fire in the glass lanterns burned bright and warm. A couple of small ships were coming from the mouth of the cave with nets filled with fish. There were echoes of stock animals, a hammer on an anvil, and children laughing. On the far end were more small grassy hills that had some trees bathing in the faint light.

The pirates were standing at the top of a staircase that ended in a residential area with painted blue bricks on the upper layer. Friendly faces greeted them with curiosity in their eyes. Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp went screaming off like children seeing all the food on the bottom layer. Sanji bounded away once he noticed a few women smiling at him. Zoro stayed put, glaring down at Sade from a few steps above. He noticed she was watching him from the corner of her and the edge of her mouth rose a little. He clicked his tongue angrily and stomped off, leaving Nami and Robin with the damn eggplant.

"Um Sade?"

"Hm?"

"What's the story behind this place?"

She took a moment to answer Nami, resting a finger on her chin. "Avarice. A once flourishing kingdom was sent spiraling into complete chaos because of greed from a single man."

Robin stepped forward, interested. "And that led people to build a city underground?"

"Yup. This island is filled with hidden caverns interconnected with tunnels that were used to hide people and supplies through the near-constant wars. Some people believe these caverns were dug out by giants to hide their treasure ages ago. The mayor has some old books in his office if you want to learn more about their history."

"I would quite like that. Where can I find him?"

Sade pointed toward the opposite end at a house that stood alone. "That's his home. If you guys need any help with supplies, don't hesitate to ask. Everyone here is friendly and just want to live in peace."

Robin gave her a smile and went on her own. Down to just Nami and Sade. The navigator studied the other girl as she interacted with a few kids that welcomed her back. How was someone as kind as her didn't hesitate to kill? How could someone about the same height as her stand up against the three monsters of the crew? She thought back on the little skirmish and it hit her. Yes, she fought and killed the Boar Knight man. Yes, she punched Luffy hard enough to send him bouncing. That could be explained by her Fishman blood. But she never actually fought them. She dodged their attacks and read their moves once she was fighting more than one of them. She was someone that used her intelligence to fight. Nami crossed her arms in front of her as if trying to protect herself.

"Are you going to be okay?"

Nami's mind snapped back to reality. "I don't really know, honestly."

Sade gave her a reassuring smile. "The Boar Knights don't know the location of this place nor will they be able to find it. The forest can be quite unforgiving." The kids finally scampered off, leaving the two girls alone. "You'll be safe here. At least trust me on that."

"If you say so. This place seems hidden enough. Do you know how long the log pose takes to set?"

"I don't sorry. You can ask the harbormaster though. He can also send some of his men to retrieve your ship if you'd like."

"He can do that?"

"It'll be better than having you guys try to navigate the woods again."

Nami felt herself relax and closed her eyes with her head in her hand. "Yeah probably. Thank you, Sade."

"No problem. Oh! There's a tavern and inn on the second level called Saltwood that you can all stay at for now. I have some business to attend to, but I'm sure we'll see each other some other time."

"Alright thank you again. Oh one more-"

When Nami looked up, Sade had vanished into the shadows like a ghost.

"...creepy."

*~.~*~.~*

Well now that I'm done being an adult (getting married going on a honeymoon) it's time to be weeb trash. Doesn't mean I have a set schedule yet. Thank you very much for sticking around!