A ship!

Chapter 4

(On an unknown island)

It was early morning, the sun had yet to rise, but there were faint rays of sunshine peaking in the horizon, the light clashing with that of the moon, creating a mixture of pale blue moonlight retreating from the warm orange-red shine of the lazily approaching sun. it had its very own sense of beauty, like a war of light or rather, Vivi thought, it was a joust.

Knights in different colours riding tilt after tilt in never ending waves, the blue giving way to the orange, until night would fall again, and the night with its moonlight destriers would takeback what they'd lost the previous morn.

But there was something in the water, that didn't seem to belong, a dark shape, the form being too static to be some sea monster…

"Hey guys, I think I can see a ship!" Vivi said, her words rousing the other marooned women from their sleep, albeit slowly, it had been a long cold night, and constant shifting to find a slightly warmer spot in their "pile" had woken them all up at least once during the night. Therefore, all were still a bit drowsy, but not completely unalert.

"I think you're right Vivi-san, it's definitely a ship, but I can't make out any details" Viola said, any notion of sleepyness evaporated byt eh sight of the ship.

"More importantly, what do we do?" Rindo yawned and stretched, a barely audible crack escaping from her back as she did so"If they're hostile, it's not certain that we can take them….." she let the point hang in the air letting it sink in the other ladies' minds.

"You're right, but what alternative do we have? It might be days before we see another ship" Viola said, voice still sleepy.

"Or it could be in ten minutes after we leave this island, nothing is certain on the seas….." Vivi said, her voice barely hiding her memories of travelling the grand line with the Strawhats or with Mr. nine, back when she was still working for Baroque Works, under that monster….

"…..and sometimes, you just have to dive down into it, monsters or not"

(Somewhere else on the seas, aboard an odd makeshift ship)

He slammed his fist into the railing, giving a small but vital vent for his frustrations, there were only so much punishment a sandbag could take before it became completely broken, and he'd gone through one already on this little hunting trip.

Finding that damn mermaid was proving difficult, he'd already seen more pirate crews in these waters than he had fingers on both hands. He'd so far only had to beat up 3 rival hunters and get them to reconsider going after his quarry, but it was beginning to get on his nerves.

Sure, the treasures (and the food) they looted helped on the mood (and the victories), but what he really needed was fighters. And if he could get the mermaid, he was sure, that her father would grant him the pick of all the strongest men in his army, or in his dungeons. Honestly it didn't matter who they were, as long as they could fight. Adding fishman karate, fishman Jujutsu or merman combat to his crew would make it all the stronger, so that when he met his comrades again, he'd be able to hold his head far higher than before. Taking their handouts had been a bit of a blow to his ego, and the crews pride as a whole. If they didn't make their mark, they'd never hear the end of it.

They needed this!

He would not fail in getting that mermaid, and if she was with the other princesses…. then he could make a nice buck on saving their hides as well, not to mention, show the other captains and representatives how it was done.

He could feel it in his fingerbones, a faint tingling ha had before any of his victories, they were close… They'd find her today!

(Another place in the New World)

Vivi shivered. The night had been cold enough but on open and windy water early in the morning, the cold cut like a blade, all the way to the bone.

The group had decided only a few would venture to the ship and figure out if the crew was hostile, whole the other would remain at a safe distance.

Including Shirahoshi was a given, despite her great size, she was the best (indeed only) option for easy transport across the waves.

Vivi herself for obvious reasons, being a strong proponent for them to investigate the ship in the first place, not to mention getting her mind off things and volunteering (she didn't mention that she actually had genuine experience with infiltration (of organizations)). Though she didn't want to leave the rest of the girls behind on the island.

The third and last member of their little party was, surprisingly, Rindo. She claimed to be the most experienced fighter of the group, a fact which Marguerite backed up, referring to the dark haired Kuja as her senpai. Though it appeared to Vivi, that both Viola and Rebecca might have reservations about that statement, neither had said anything.

And so, the six women split in two groups of three, one bound for the ship, and one remaining on the little island beach.

Riding on Shirahoshi's back as the mermaid swam towards the large ship, none of the three made a sound, though Vivi smiled in the darkness of the dying night. The sun was slow to rise and there were deep shadows everywhere on the huge ship.

Perfect for sneaking around and hide within.

But as the trio made their way to the hull, Vivi could see two other dark silhouettes on the water behind the ship.

She turned to Rindo and whispered

"I think there's two more ships behind this one, it doesn't look like they're escorting it…."

"So they might be pursuing it instead, if they're enemies then we have better chance at not aligning with this one" Rindo responded, her face barely visible in the shadow of the ship. Vivi couldn't argue with the logic, but still argued that they should scout out this ship first.

Afterall it might hold some supplies for them.

If they could get away….

Climbing up the hull on a number of wooden steps, Vivi and Rindo left a dread shivering Shirahoshi down in the water on the side. Rindo had made certain, that Shirahoshi understood she shouldn't wait in a fixed position but circle the ship and just wait for a splash, just in case they needed to get off in a hurry. If they could make a silent escape, the mermaid would find them as she circled the ship.

"That's a pretty good idea Rindo-san" Vivi whispered down to the Kuja, her respect for the Kuja pirates growing

"There's another reason, repetition tends to calm the nerves, and…. savage races tend to act like animals more than regular humans at times, so they pace a lot anyway…."

Vivi blinked in the darkness, a bit unease creeping in at the thought this woman ahead of her might be a secret racist.

"Savage races?" she slowly said

"Isn't that what the world calls them, read it once back home….."

"oh….." Vivi breathed a sigh of relief, if they had been forced to stay together for too long any racism, or specism, would prove disastrous for any budding sense of team spirit.

"Where'd you read it" Vivi asked quietly as she pulled herself up one more step on the ladder.

For a moment there was silence, if it wasn't for the fact that Rindo had stopped climbing, Vivi would've thought she hadn't heard her question. Looking down, Vivi could barely see the kuja, still as a statue, seemingly lost in thought

"….My mother's diary….." the response came slowly "….Why'd you stop? keep climbing!" the question came out harsh, despite coming low through clenched teeth, and Vivi, despite numerous years as a princess with a horde of waiters and staff, didn't hesitate to obey.

"Where…." Vivi began, more than a little curious about the Kuja now, and apparently having her in a vulnerable spot.

"-did she learn it?" Rindo finished Vivi's sentence "I can tell you that when we've sure about this situation, how's that?"

Vivi didn't like the edge to Rindo's voice, it didn't feel right. Like there was pain to it somehow. But the pirates' words rang true and she steeled herself for the rest of the climb.

The she heard a sound from the ship, some strange sort of mixture between a laughing clown and a howling wolf, filled with pain, but not physical, a pain deep in the soul…. Of being denied something….

And somehow, she felt that what the thing was being denied….

Was bloodshed.

(Within the ship)

He moved fast through the ships bowels. His new home.

The sound of the most famous person on the ship demanded his attention.

His feet hit the wood with a methodic "clip", each step, while silent, belied a lifetime of discipline that would've made an entire elite regiment jealous. Not that the medals on his chest wouldn't have done that.

He wasn't like to get any more though, his past denied him that luxury. But his present and future offered so much more. Even if it meant dealing with the sound that was coming from the large cabin beneath the helm.

The sound of rattling chains and of screeching metal only got louder as he got closer to the cabin. The sounds were something he'd gotten used to years ago, hauling prisoners around wasn't something new to him. But this type of prisoner was something else.

And soon…. The bound man would be free again, and the hunting would continue.

Seeing the door to the cabin still closed didn't make him pause, the smaller figure in front of it did however.

Momentarily

"I've got urgent business with…." He began, knowing all too well it was in vain

"No" the feminine response came like a thunderbolt, if he was a prime example of a soldier, then the First Mate was by far the prime example of the drill sergeant that had trained him, times 2.

Instead he had to stand and be subjected to the usual, dreadful, horrifying, hellish situation….

Behind the door the howls of rage continued...

(On the outside of the ship)

After hearing the scream/howl the first time, the two women had steeled their nerves and kept climbing upwards.

Or rather, it had been Vivi being pushed upwards by Rindo.

As they got over the railing, Vivi got a better view of the ship.

The vessel almost glowed. The deck was glowing with some inner energy, a combination of cream and gold that was even visible in the intermingling rays of sun and moon, not to mention the shadows cast by the three high masts. Vivi couldn't see the figurehead, only the back of it, but she assumed it was some sort of woman with long flowing hair. For some reason it was holding a flag, but she couldn't make out the symbol, only the colours of black and white, never a good sign. It was most certainly a jolly roger. But which one?

Before she could get a better look, Rindo tugged at her shoulder and dragged her to the railing, barely avoiding the light cone of a lantern. A moment later a sentry walked by, a large man with a rapier in his belt. It was strange that he appeared to have a gargantuan head. To Vivi it appeared to reach the sky, and it was way too flowy to be a helm. It occurred to Vivi that it might be his hair, before Rindo dragged her towards one of the masts shadow, and away from the sentry's route.

From there, it was on to the inside of the ship.

As soon as they'd snuck in through the door, Vivi saw something strange. The hall way was dimly lit by an ornate lamb, which gave just enough light to illuminate the door and a meter or two into the ship. But that wasn't the odd bit, nor were the barrel with dirty clothes and rags. The truly weird part of the hallway was, that neatly hanging on the wall opposite the lamb, were several tall, curly, white wigs!

Given the sheer number Vivi could only conclude that they must be worn by the entire crew, which just seemed overtly pompous to her. As if they were trying to bring a court onto the waves for some reason.

Shrugging and shaking her head at the… uniform, Vivi began to make her way into the darkness and the bowels of the ship.

Vivi only stopped once she realised that her companion wasn't with her. Turning back towards the door, Vivi saw Rindo come towards her, her arms full of wigs and coats. Giving her partner a puzzled look, the Kuja was quick to explain:

"Disguises, we'll need them if we run into any guards"

Although Vivi couldn't argue with the logic, Rindo's manner of forcibly showing Vivi's head into the wig and drape a white coat and cloak over her shoulders left a lot to be desired. Fortunately, the princess was left to her own devices as Rindo had put on her own disguise. Tugging her blue ponytail into the wig, Vivi almost wished she had a mirror to see how ridiculous she looked. If she resembled her partner, it would've been hilarious!

Gone were the skimpy beach outfit and instead the Kuja stood in a far too large coat, pants and a wig that looked like someone had bedecked her head with whipped cream. Vivi stifled a laugh.

"Are you done?" was all Rindo said in response. Nodding her affirmation the two infiltrators began to walk further into the darkness.

Descending a staircase Vivi began to hear the sounds of the ship, the very voice of a voyage.

There were surprisingly few.

When she had sailed with the strawhats on the Going Merry, there had been creaks and waves constantly crashing into the hull, the wind pulling at the sail, and of course the crew, which was usually Usopp trying not to panic.

There were faint snoring from some of the rooms, but otherwise nothing.

Either the ship was better built that the Going Merry, or it was because it was so much larger.

The smells of the ship had been so familiar to her however, that Vivi felt a tang of longing. The smell of ropes in the sea breeze, tar, wet wood, spray from the waves….. and food!

It smelled delicious!

Not as good as Sanji-san's cooking but after a few days on the sea with nary a bite of bread, Vivi wasn't one to be picky. It smelled surprisingly like a royal banquet back in Alabasta.

Turning to her companion, Vivi could see she had noticed it as well. Rindo on the other hand, didn't need to turn, because Vivi's growling stomach spoke better than any facial expression ever could.

Walking down yet another set of stairs, the duo found themselves at a door that was barely open, behind it they could hear faint voices and clatter of pots and pans.

Both smiled.

They'd found the kitchen!

Snekaing towards the wooden door, both women peeked inside (fortunately not needing to take turns to do so, the door being tall enough that they didn't have to remove the wigs).

The kitchen was large, filled with a handful chefs and kitchen boys, all of them scurrying around to make whatever breakfast was. And all in the other end of the Kitchen too.

To top off their luck, the kitchen workers were called out in the other end of the room.

Both women quickly snuck inside.

Ignoring all the delectably fragrant and warm food, both quickly grabbed as much canned food as they could. It all had to survive the voyage after all, not to mention, they didn't know how long it would be before they'd get this sort of chance again.

Putting it all in two crates for easy transport, they made their escape before the staff returned.

But as soon as they left the kitchen the trouble began.

The first was that they could hear the creaks of the stair much more accurately than before, a small vibration in the wood and the telltale sign of rhythmic bumps and the clatter of metal against wood, spoke all too clearly of what was going on.

Some of the crew were on their way down!

Both women quickly tried to hide, hoping to wait until the crew had passed them.

But there were no things to hide behind!

The only choice they had was to walk further into the heart of the ship.

Trying to do so swiftly proved a greater challenge than getting into the ship itself.

Whichever way they went, it sounded like they would run into crewmembers that were waking up and resuming their morning routine. It left them with the unwanted solution of taking a new route several times, at one point walking into what could best be described as a bathing house (it looked so much like the one in Alabasta Vivi was almost envious). At another, they evaded notice by hiding behind the crates, they'd taken and waited for the half naked (a towel around the waist and the uniform wig) man to pass them.

He did so slowly, his eyes still filled with sleep, but his hands were either busy straightening his black moustache or holding his towel in place.

When he'd finally made him way to what Vivi assumed was the bathroom the infiltrators skulked away as quickly as they could.

At last they found a stair that led upwards and no sounds around them. It led up two floors and Vivi assumed that they were now almost directly below the main deck.

But they weren't out of the fire yet.

There were voices, and they seemed to get louder by the second.

"….now go get it, Cabinboy" a feminine voice flowed through the air. To Vivi it sounded like a harp, that was being used to hammer in a nail.

"CABINBOY! I was in the army, I've killed more people, than there's ever been on this ship!" an angry voice called out, the tone of the man setting Vivi's teeth on edge.

"That's what war criminals do, isn't it?" the voice responded back, loud but not angry, atleast not as explosively as the other one. But it definitely had a steel edge to it that made Vivi fear the owner more than the "war criminal".

Vivi almost yelped as she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning her head round she discovered that Rindo was bobbing her head back where they'd come from.

And then Vivi saw it too, someone was coming up the stair with a lantern.

Luckily the person was slow, which gave the two just enough time to nod at each other and walk towards the arguing voices. Rounding a corner, Vivi could see another light in the distance with two people beneath it. Behind them was a door. There also was another one not far away from the corner. The two didn't seem to have noticed the infiltrators yet and were still arguing about something.

"I TOLD you, I've got urgent business with the…." the man said, looking down on a bespectacled woman dressed in a shirt, a miniskirt and the crew wig. In her arms she was holding a pen and a little notebook. The pen was pointing at the larger man, dressed all on black and surprisingly not wearing the wig. It seemed to Vivi that the item was something of a mark of authority amongst the crew.

"And I Told you Beheader" the woman interrupted him her pen poking the larger man in the chest repeatedly "….go get the morning tea, before that!"

"Bu…" the man began, his voice reaching breaking point, making it appear more ,like a squeak than the previous roar.

"No buts, and try to keep your voice down, the captain is still sleeping!" then a long howl of rage and greed filled out silencing, but strangely not scarring, her, the woman only taking her time to let it die out before she continued "This ship has rules you know, and one of them is that we follow a very strict morning ritual… another is that we wear the required wig!"

At this the man straightened up and looked like he was shaking for a moment.

"….. I'll go get the tea now" he quickly said before rushing down the dark hall, straight in the two infiltrators direction. Vivi and Rindo moved quickly and pushed through the nearby door, crates and all before closing it without a sound.

Neither made a sound as they leaned against the wooden door, hoping that the man, the beheader, would pass them by and go directly to the kitchen. On the other side of the door they could barely hear, his steps reced in the darkness, followed by some chatter. Assumingly the man had encountered the one with the lamb.

For the moment the two women felt safe.

Vivi silently thanked whatever gods for the hinges being so well oiled. Releasing a breath she had barely noticed she had been holding in, Vivi turned and looked at the room they'd hidden in.

I was bit of a surprise. A well carved wooden staircase lead down about a metre and the floor was strewn with fresh hay. In the opposite end of the large room were an ostentatious window which allowed a bit of the dawn entrance, giving just enough light to look at the interior.

The walls had a number of shelves on them, some large closets, and for some reason several saddles.

On the right side of the room, there was another staircase, which led to a tall double sided door.

The middle of the large room was dominated by a large, four post bed with the yellow drapes halfway pulled down, only allowing a glimpse at the occupant.

With something BIG in it.

Neither woman being able to control their curiosity, they descended the stairs, making sure not to make a sound as they slowly walked towards the bed.

The closer they got the more Vivi could take in of the rooms occupant.

The body of the, she assumed, captain was huge, far larger than herself. But it was the effects of the sleeping form that enticed her even more.

On a small nightstand next to the bed, Vivi could see large books, dark candles which even unlit gave of a wonderful flowery fragrance and a teacup that had been drained long ago. Same went for another, different cup next to it, only a bit of some cubed sugar gave off its previous content.

Looking at Rindo, Vivi nodded.

Putting down her crate, Vivi grasped the drapes immediately feeling the quality of the craftsmanship, it felt like a combination of silk and snakeskin. Waiting for Rindo to put her own crate aside, Vivi pulled, and revealed the sleeping form.

Midlength greyish hair ran down a long neck, the rest of the body hidden beneath a silken blanket.

A steady rise and fall of the form, showed that the captain was still fast asleep.

Then the body stirred.

Vivi froze at the movement, if they were caught it'd a hell of a problem for them.

The body turned, the massive long head looking straight up into the ceiling, along with four legs.

Vivi was surprised to see that the one sleeping in the bed, was a huge horse.

Looking at Rindo, Vivi couldn't help but smile and chuckle a little, before she turned her gaze back on the magnificent animal before her.

Then the horse opened its mouth and it's tongue lopped out.

The sound that erupted from the horses' mouth wasn't entirely unlike anything Vivi'd ever heard before. She'd been with the entire Strawhat crew at a banquet, and the memory of Luffy devouring an entire weeks' worth of food without using cutlery, or any other manners for that sake, was the closest she'd ever get to the sound of a horses' snoring. The whole sight was punctuated by the bubble of snot the had suddenly grown from the horses' muzzle.

All either woman could do was to straighten up and look at the beast in surprise. Pulling back the drape, Vivi mouthed a silent "wow!" to Rindo, who slowly nodded her agreement at the sight.

Then the door they'd come through began to open and the voices spill into the room

"….don't want to wear that stupid wig!" it was the man from before, sounding more like he was complaining than angry now, there was a slight pleading tone to his voice.

"It's the rules beheader, they have to be followed else there's no dicipline" the female voice chirped in, taking a less battering tone than before, sounding more condescending and snide than before.

Then a third voice came into play, sounding like a too tightly strung violin

"If you please excuse me, but Farul-sama must have his morning tea, else he gets cranky…"

A short silence followed, before the beheader broke it "Why do you call it -sama? It's a horse! Not a lord or an officer"

"Farul outranks you on this ship, cabinboy!" the feminine voice shot back, making it sound like an inron chain was being tightened around him.

The conversation on the other side of the door effectively stopped the three people the room. It did however make the horse stir and roll around uneasily. Vivi and Rindo grabbed their crates and, not willing to crash through the window, rushed for the double doors.

They'd only just managed to open them when the horse began to thrash around in the bed, seemingly awoken by the conversation outside the other door.

When the crew members came into the room, babbling soothing words, the two infiltrators were quietly, but swiftly closing the double doors behind them.

What awaited them in the new room was a room nearly as opulent as the glorified staple they'd just left.

A large bed dominated one side of it, huge windows on either side allowing the creeping dawn to enter the room, giving it a light scarlet shine the bounced of the empty bed.

In front of the bed however, was a large Iron maiden, the sight of it, bathed part in the lingering shadows of the night and part in red dawn, made it appear covered in blood. The sight made her shiver.

But not nearly as much as when the whole coffin shaped box trembled with a vigour that should be impossible for a mere torture device.

Then a screech came from within,

A drawn out howl, part bloodlust and laughter combined the sound made it appear as if every shadow was suddenly filled with assassins and monstrous seakings, it's echo could have made an army tremble in their booths and pray to long forgotten gods. It had that effect on Vivi, and the princess of Alabasta, who'd travelled with the Strawhat crew, faced the full might of Baroque works and the wrath of the Shichibukai Crocodile, felt all her courage melt away like snow in a furnace.

Vivi's arms vent limp, dropping the crate she'd been holding

and she involuntarily opened her mouth to scream…..

(On the beach)

The sound of the scream could be heard at a great distance away, but on the beach they barely realised that it had been there until it was over.

Neither Viola or Rebecca or their guardswoman Marguerite had the faintest clue of what was going on within the ship, but for some reason, they all three shivered as a cold feeling travelled up their spines…..

(On the Sunny)

"I'm certain they're in that direction!" Sanji half yelled as he pointed starboard, his face shining with a combination of lust and rage (lust for Women, and anger at the new helmsman)

"I'm sorry Sanji-san, but We can't be certain to follow your instincts until we've verified if they were where you said yesterday" Jinbe's voice had been even, but it was beginning to get an edge to it, one brought on by listening to the chef for more than 2 hours (always the same, princess-name-chan this kuja-name-chan that) it really wore on the former shichibukais' nerves at this point.

The only plus with having the perverted chef on the bridge was that he brought food with him.

Delicious, nourishing, fresh sushi and clam chowder with a sprinkling of baked kelp….

"But I can feel them!" Sanji shivered as he held onto Jinbe's arm (or rather want to feel them.. Jinbe thought, but kept his mouth shut) "They're in danger! Shirahoshi-chan is screaming!"

"Princess Shirahoshi would scream if she saw a seamouse!" Jinbe tried to argue, but the chef didn't seem to notice

"Vivi-chan is gasping! I can practically see Viola-chan shiver in the wind!"

"Hold on to that thought, Sanji-san, we'll check up on it as soon as we've verified your….. idea" JInbe couldn't bring himself to say delusion, even if he thought it was true.

"It's not an idea it's the feeling of a man who knows when women are in danger! Give me the wheel!" Sanji near screamed as he tried to pry the wheel out of Jinbes' hands. Something that Jinbe wasn't all too pleased with, not letting go. Eventually their struggle began to make creak. Still neither men refused to give any ground.

"Sanji-san, please, Franky-san is still trying to repair the kitchen! Do you want to give him more work?"

"Why don't you let go then!"

Again the pair struggled, trying to twist the wheel out of the others' arms, turning it, and thus the Sunny, off course, before a violent yank, that made the wheel and the mechanisms in the ship creak and groan at the powers that turned it, turned it back on course with a snap.

The pattern continued for a while, both pirates refusing to give up, either unwilling to slack on their duty, whether it be to the crews' set course, or to the ideal of beautiful women.

Eventually, the rest of the crew decided to make the ship stop moving like a toy in the hands of a pair of five-year-old boys.

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?" the shout was angry, powerful and clear, like if a thunderbolt sounded like a flute. Naturally, Nami was the source, her arms full of maps, all of which were dripping with ink and spilled orange juice, making little puddles of orange and black on the deck.

Nami's face looked like a thundercloud hugging a volcano. Naturally, Sanji still looked at her, as if she was the most beautiful thing in the world. With the slowly rising sun off to the side, she might even appear to outshine it to him. The sight of a bewildered Franky and Brook (both with a variety of cutlery in their afros) coming up on the bridge behind her somewhat disturbed that vision however.

A good thing since it made him aware that Nami was furious. He barely managed to cringe at the navigators' face and shrink back as she began to open her mouth to yell at him(again).

Fortunately for him, an arm suddenly sprouted on Nami's shoulder with the hand quickly clapped her mouth shut. Somehow Nami's muffled protests still sounded like music to the chef.

The sound of Robin walking up the stairs to the bridge and open her mouth mitigated it quite a lot "Sanji-san, the kitchen is a mess…."

Despite her deadpan voice (and their two afro headed comrades being in the way) Sanji almost floated over the deck in her direction arms waving slowly in the air.

"And you want me to clean it, Robin-scwann?" he swooned as he said it and even more when Franky and Brook stepped to the side, allowing Robins' visage to appear.

"No, I think it's more important to close the door to the storage room"

"huh" Sanji looked at her with a confused look on his face, not quite seeing her point

"Luffy was in the kitchen too…. And Carrot…"

Robin let the statement hang in the air, seeing Sanji's face as it dawned on him what was going on in his domain.

It was one of the rare cases where Sanji would leave the female members of the crew behind for Luffy.

Jumping down to the main deck, the chef sped off like a bullet towards the kitchen, his face a mask of panic

"Luffyyy, STOP! PLEASE! I need to feed the princess-chans and the Kuja-chans when we saaaaave theeeeem!" he howled as he disappeared into the ship.

Back on the bridge, Nami was still struggling with the hand over her mouth. Robin simply looked at her.

"Franky, Brook, would you two please go check if there's any damage to the ship?"

"When we're done, would you allow me to look at your pa…." Brook started before a more situation conscious Franky dragged him off, leaving the two women and the former shichibukai on the bridge

Jinbe cleared his throat as he turned the wheel and got the ship back on course

"My apologies…." he began, only to be silenced by Nami whom snapped up a trembling finger, dropping most of her maps in the process.

Robin didn't allow them to reach the deck however, snatching each of the maps up before they landed.

Satisfied at the small victory, Robin also released the hand from Nami's mouth, allowing her to speak again.

Luckily the navigator's mood had improved remarkably, at least enough not to storm back after Sanji with a blunt instrument (or Zoro's swords). But she was still fuming.

Handing her the maps, Robin looked at her friend, a bit of worry sneaking in on her normally calm expression.

"I know it's hard Nami, but you've got to be civil around him on the ship…" Her soothing words would have calmed a rabid werewolf, but they didn't have much effect on Nami, an entirely different kind of creature, a very angry and determined woman.

"I'm not letting Sanji get off the hook that easily Robin… not by a longshot! If you'd seen what he did, what he said!" the last part had been half sneered and half spat through clenched teeth, it was the only thing that could stop her from yelling at the chef.

Robin exchanged a quick look with Jinbe, whose only response was to close his eyes, nod a little and purse his lips.

"Nami-san would you be so kind to help me, I'm not sure we're on the right cours?" the large fishman said

"….A few degrees more northwest Jinbe-chan" Nami responded, her mood slightly improved "you know it's going to take a bit more for me to forget about what just happened right?"

Again the fishman nodded "Figures, ,no one can easily forget when someone faults or fails them, especially not in the New World…" he let the words drift in the air and for a while the seabreeze were the only sound that were on the bridge.

Finally Nami turned to Robin "You spoke like it was from experience, where from?"

Sighing, the archaeologist shruggered "A lot of things happened in Baroque works, when I left it wasn't on the best of terms…"

"Crocodile" Jinbe stated, his features getting very serious

Robin's response was a simple affirmative nod

"there's something about him that's been bothering me since Marineford…." He paused, unsure of how to proceed.

"About what Jinbe-san?"

"hmmmm, something that might come in handy if we meet him in the New World…" Jinbe said, pondering his next words, " I guess it can wait until later" he shrugered

"Let's hope we don't meet him ever again" Nami chirped in, her disdain visible "You should've seen what he nearly did to Alabasta"

"I've heard about what he planned to do…. but in the New World, any old enemy could turn into an ally, with the right incentitive…" Jinbe said, a small smirk forming on his fanged mouth.

"Off Course Jinbe-san, any time" Robin said, her face giving the new crew member a puzzled look before shrugging, content with waiting until later with any questions relating to her prior lifestyle, and the people she'd once associated with.

Nami merely looked straight ahead at the fast approaching horizon, painted as red as blood by the slowly approaching dawn.

Soon they'd see if the chef's perv-voyancy was correct.

(On the ship)

Vivi felt a hand clasp firmly across her mouth, silencing the scream of terror that had been brewing within her chest.

The only sound the hand allowed to escape was a grunt at the sudden pain of having her dropped crate pressed against her abdomen, the container held in place between them by Rindo's own lithe form.

Even in the faint darkness, Vivi could see the Kuja give her an angry glare, outraged at nearly being caught.

Vivi gathered her wits about her and swallowed the discomfort as best she could.

Eventually the kuja removed her hand and "gently" tried to ease the pressure she'd put on Vivi, as her previous actions had pinned the other woman firmly to the wall.

Seeing herself successful the kuja breathed a sigh of relief, allowing Vivi to try and balance the crate for a better grip.

She barely hung onto the container, having to put it, as quietly a she could, down on a nearby desk, right on top of a myriad of papers.

Again the Ironmaiden shuddered, whomever was inside letting out a small wail. But this time, Vivi was a bit more prepared for the sound, keeping her lips tied firmly together. It helped that it wasn't as greedy this time around.

But it still had a hunger to it, that the Alabastan princess didn't find comfortable at all.

While Rindo went towards the other door, away from the one that they'd entered from, trying to listen of there were anyone outside, which hopefully would allow the women a quick getaway.

She looked back at Vivi and shook her head, holding a finger in front of her lips.

Vivi could only grimace at the gesture, it meant they had to remain near the ironmaiden, and its occupant.

Trying to focus on something else than the boxed in horror, Vivi looked at the table next to her.

A lot of wanted posters was lying around, most of them in tatters. Like if a knife had been stabbed into the faces of the pirates.

Vivi could recognize some names:

"Gang" Bege 300 million Beli one of the worst generation like Luffy… and Zoro

"Lion Tamer" Blondie: 380 million Beli

"The Killer" Daz Bones: 350 million Beli one of my old colleagues Vivi thought, her the image of the tall assassin flashing before her eyes

Others were new to her, someone named Galette, Scotch, Rockstar…. All had been stabbed repeatedly.

It didn't put her at ease at all, if the lunatic was like that when awake, it definitely didn't feel prudent to remain near it when it was released.

She was just about to grab the crate and leave, barge through the door and not care what would stand in her way, but something caught her attention:

Lying off to the side was a piece of paper, well hidden beneath a worn magazine labeled "Bourgeouis' most beautiful".

It was another wanted poster, this one with not only stabmarks, but also slashed right across the throat.

Picking it up, the first thing Vivi noticed was the bounty: 400 million Beli. An impressive tally.

The second was how utterly destroyed it was, looking more like confetti where the face should've been.

The name was barely visibly as well, having received more than a few stabs.

The rest of the poster was partially intact, allowing Vivi to glimpse a few things in the background.

For some reason it contained the back of a head, one that Vivi knew…..

Her hand shot up to cover her mouth trying to stifle a gasp as she recognized Usopps' head, which meant that the wanted poster was Luffy's.

But that didn't matter.

Because less than a split second after she'd recognized her friends' wanted poster, the double doors burst open, the light from a lamb illuminating the room al little more, and also revealing the three crewmembers.

The woman holding a pistol

A short, stout man with a rapier (and the wig)

At last there was the Beheader, a huge ugly man with a scar running across his face, brandishing a heavy cutlass as if it was a kitchen knife and looking at Vivi and Rindo as if he had found a pair of rats in the breakfast.

Behind the trio, the horse was pointing a hoof at them accusingly, while the other hoof held the lamb up for all to see.

"Well, well" The Beheader began, a frown appearing on his marred features

"What have we here?"

And that it for chapter 4

This actually became longer than I expected and planned,

one of the reasons was that I realised that I had to give screentime to some of the characters that I'd decided to include, in this case Rindo of the Kuja, and one of the pirates hunting the girls, or rather just Shirahoshi (I've decided not to reveal him yet, as already I've given plenty of hints of whom it is).

The other women will get a front seat as the story progresses.

but anyway here is chapter 4

which is supposed to take place within about 30-45 minutes, very early in the morning

as always, read and review please.