A/N: I hope that you enjoy this chapter; it's been in the works since my last update. I tried to update this story at the beginning of the year, but for some reason I was having issues with the site, but at the moment that doesn't seem to be an issue. Please enjoy!

Once Nico Robin, Miss All Sunday, had left the Gong Merry there was a moment of tense silence. No one moved and the sound of heavy breathing filled the air, waves lapping at the sides of the ship.

Vivi's knees almost gave out on her and I grabbed her by the waist, her hand coming up to grip my arm.

"Easy there."

"Thank you." Her voice was as shaky as her knees, but her grip on my arm was tight. The girl definitely had some strength. "How's your neck?"

I gave a rough, dry laugh devoid of any humour. "Eh, it's been better."

"Yeah! I saw her try to choke you, Ebony!"

"We all did Luffy." Zoro turned to me, eyes questioning. "You sure you're okay?"

"A cup of tea with honey and lemon wouldn't go astray at this point, but honestly guys I'll be fine. I've just got to learn to be more careful."

"A cup of tea with honey and lemon coming right up! Will Miss Wednesday be joining the crew?" Sanji turned his attention from me, looking hopefully towards Vivi.

"For now at least."

"WE'VE GOT AN OSTRICH ON THE SHIP!"

"Captain, that is a duck. A very large duck, but definitely not an ostrich."

Luffy's head tilted to the side, piercing gaze as if to check that I wasn't lying previously about not being okay. "A mystery duck?"

"Sure, let's go with that."

I was suddenly tired, exhausted. Maybe it was the fact that I'd been awake for longer than twenty-four hours? That couldn't be right, I'd stayed awake for longer and been perfectly functioning (mostly). Maybe it was the momentary chokehold I'd been forced into? That must be it. I'd have a nap after breakfast then, that would probably help.

By this stage, Vivi had been able to right herself enough to look Nami in the eyes, "Are you really okay with me riding on your ship? I'm just putting you all in danger."

"Puh-lease." Nami rolled her eyes. "It's your fault anyway that they found out about us in the first place! If you didn't want any trouble you shouldn't have bothered us in the first place."

Nami poked Viv in the forehead, in a manner almost reminiscent of Itachi Uchiha.

Wrong anime and manga, Ebony. Wrong one.

"Sorry." Vivi ducked her head.

"Right Luffy?"

"BREAKFAST SANJI!"

"Nami, I don't think the captain really cares."

"Ruin my fun, why don't you Ebony."

"It's what I'm here for!" I replied back cheerfully, to which she poked her tongue out at me.

"LET'S SET SAIL! SANJI! BREAKFAST!"

"It's coming Luffy, just wait." Usopp shouted up towards the pouting captain as Nami and he manoeuvred the ship out onto the open seemed to be in order out on the deck, so I sought out Sanji in the kitchen.

It was like watching a dance, a craftsman creating their art. He didn't hear me walk into the galley, but I didn't want to disturb him even though I had come in here to ask if he needed any help. But I couldn't help it.

"Need any help with anything, Sanji?"

He jumped a little, turning around to face me.

"Sorry for startling you." I apologised, bowing my head slightly.

"Oh, that's okay. No thank you, Ebony-chan, I've got everything handled." He rubbed the back of his neck, causing slight scarring to be seen along the edges of his wrists.

My eyes narrowed at the marks, hoping that what I thought had caused them hadn't actually caused them.

Sanji must have noticed the movement of my eyes towards his wrists and he hastily put his arms down.

"There's nothing..." His innocent tone couldn't fool me, nor could his slightly hesitant behaviour as he turned away, his voice trailing off. He backed up slightly towards the bench where he had been previously preparing the massive breakfast for Luffy. (And the crew, of course.)

"What's nothing?" I'd moved up beside him and tenderly reached out my hand, close to his own but not enough that I was to invade his personal space.

"Nothing is nothing." He offered me his wrist, despite his statement. I think that he had come to the conclusion that he could trust me despite his general mistrust of people.

The skin on his wrists were covered with thin scars, running the length of his arms, crisscrossing over and over again. His whole body was probably covered with these scars, how nobody with eyes noticed I didn't understand. (But with the immaculate way Sanji dressed and presented himself, nobody probably thought to take a second look.) These were scars caused by a man who was more interested in genetic mutation and building the perfect army than with the well-being and happiness of his family. I was angry. Very very angry.

"Are they dead?" My voice was quiet, steady in my fury.

"No." Came Sanji's quiet reply.

"Do you want them to be?" I couldn't help but wonder if he did. After what Vinsmoke Judge had done to him and his mother, to his siblings , it would be well founded.

"Sometimes." This was even quieter than the previous answer.

I grasped his hand in my own. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"One day."

"Then I'll be there."

We all would be.

"Are you allergic to anything?"

The conversation was able to flow from there.

I had taken a nap, one that had lasted well into the next day after the others had seen how exhausted I was and the bruises on my neck where beginning to show. We were all out on deck, all of us bar Sanji who was preparing a mid-morning snack. (I'd missed breakfast, but it didn't bother me too much at this stage, despite Sanji's many protests.)

"Guys, so you think it will snow more?" Luffy's wide grin was infectious, I couldn't help but smile back at him when he turned towards me.

"Why the hell would it snow?"

"Why wouldn't it, Zoro?" I turned to face him, leaning over the railing. "It's the Grand Line after all and while I feel that I'm going to be repeating that statement a lot you did sleep through the sudden snowfall the other day."

"It's true! So, do you think it will snow again?"

Luffy was practically vibrating in his seat.

"I don't know why you're so excited about being cold again."

I hated being cold; I genuinely despised it. Everything aches and I get grumpy when I was sore.

"It's not as if it never snows, but the seven magnetic fields stretch that from Reverse Mountain clash in ways that makes everything unpredictable." Vivi took a look out onto the ocean. "You cannot let your guard down at all, even for a moment. It would be bizarre to encounter the conditions of the first island once you've passed it."

She was emphatic about warning us about the dangers and perils of the Grand Line.

"Here we are Ebony-chan!" Sanji handed me a beautifully made drink, a hot chocolate by the looks of it.

"Mah, mah thank you Sanji!"

Earlier Sanji had made sure to ask about any allergies that I may have had, just so that he knew not to serve me anything that I couldn't eat; no pineapples for me today or ever.

"Who else wants a special drink?"

There was a unanimous yes from the rest of the crew as Sanji made a show of pretending not to give the guys their drinks causing Luffy and Usopp to pout and Zoro to scowl, Carue looked genuinely confused at the show that they were putting on.

"Are you sure things will be fine with this lot?" Vivi looked nervous, pointing towards the laughing crew.

Nami and I looked at each other, communicating with each other incredibly well for two people who had only known each other for less than three days.

"It'll be okay."

"Besides, we all work hard enough. None of us particularly want to die."

Nami nodded at my words.

"Not dying would be good, very good."

We clinked our drinks together as Vivi cradled hers in her hands. We looked down at the others, all happily talking about making some fishing rods and going fishing, with Usopp extravagant waving his arms about and Luffy concentrated very hard on drinking his drink.

"What is the Captain even doing?"

"It's Luffy." That was the only answer Nami gave and it was the only statement that could be given that sum everything up.

"Being on this ship makes you lose the will to worry, doesn't it?"

Vivi looked out onto the ocean.

"It is quite relaxing." She admitted, left hand going up to rest on her neck.

"Are you sure about that?" I teased, causing Nami and Vivi to look at me questioningly. "In times like these, then sure it's relaxing. But the moment that the Captain gets an idea or that look in his eyes I can guarantee everything will descend into chaos."

"I'll give cheers for that." Nami raised her glass, towards mine.

"Look! A dolphin!"

And indeed there was; a beautiful and monstrous in size dolphin leapt from the water and over the ship.

"FUCKING HOLY HECK!"

"IT'S FREAKING HUGE!"

The captain let out a boisterous laugh, "Let's run away guys!"

"AYE AYE CAPTAIN!" The resounding cheer from the rest of the crew sounded, with us all rushing to do our jobs.

I managed to make it, after having finished loading cargo into the under bowls of the ship. It was mostly food, lots of fruit that needed to be stored, plus fresh water and a couple of crates of alcohol that I could guarantee would be almost primarily Zoro and Nami's to use as the others didn't seem to be fond of alcohol at all, preferring their own indulgences.

I was lost in my own world when I heard the captain shout out about us almost arriving out our next destination, Little Garden as I knew it.

"We should be careful." Vivi was wringing her hands together nervously, "I didn't like what Miss All Sunday was saying about this island."

Usopp was just as nervous. "You don't think there are monsters here, do you?"

"Usopp, this is the Grand Line," I stated, turning and facing him. I couldn't help but think that we were all children here on this ship. We hadn't truly faced the terrors of this world, not really. "There are more monsters here than anywhere else in this world. Some just wear different masks than others."

"She's right." This came from Sanji who was probably thinking of his own family and how that turned out. Monsters did come from men, in truth. "But we have to stock up on some food pretty soon. Due to the circumstances, I wasn't able to truly stock up on food like I would have liked."

"Just look at this place!" The captain was pointing and waving towards the overgrown, dark mess that was Little Garden. It did look like it hadn't been seen by sentient eyes since the beginning of time, with the overgrowth being larger and more terrifying than most plants and forests that I had seen.

"I can't say that I can see anything that would deserve the cute name like that though?" Nami was questioning her senses.

"It's meant to be ironic, I think." I scratched behind my head a little, almost nervously. People I could handle, giant animals? Perhaps not as well as what I had probably thought.

"Probably. And I've never seen any of these plants in my encyclopedia before."

Yes, that's because this place has gone back to prehistoric times when dinosaurs ruled the earth. I had to stop myself from making Jim Carrey noises.

A loud sound, a screech sounded overhead that had Nami, Usopp, Vivi and Carue panicking. The others and myself jumped at the sudden noise.

"What was that?!"

"Don't worry Nami-swan! It was just a bird!" The noodle dance had come back into fashion, apparently. "This island isn't anything but your average jungle after all!"

A singularly large, pterodactyl-like lizard-bird flew overhead. Brightly coloured plumage, with threatening eyes, almost like a vulture surveying over its next meal.

"Does that sound like your average jungle?" Nami was pointing towards Little Garden, shaking legs and a quivering voice.

Usopp screeched next.

"It sounds like a volcano is erupting or something!"

There was a low rumble, as we passed by a collapsed tiger covered in its own blood. That made my heart hurt; I loved tigers, such beautifully strong and powerful animals.

"That's not normal. Why would the King of the Jungle be covered in blood?" Vivi let out a wail. "What could do something like that?"

"I don't much like it either, but many things could do that." Especially here . I wanted to say this aloud but couldn't bring myself to.

"Right!" Usopp looked at us all, coming to a conclusion that was going to be almost immediately overridden by Luffy's enthusiasm for adventure. "We are NOT setting foot on this island."

Nami was nodding frantically along in agreement. "We wait it out on the ship and leave the very moment the log pose resets, okay? We have to make it to Alabasta on time after all."

That's when it hit me. I definitely only had until Alabasta; if Sabo didn't show up, if Ace didn't kill me , if Luffy decided that I was more trouble than I was worth based on the amount of knowledge I held, the secrets and lies I had kept, told.I didn't want to get to Alabasta quickly, but my own selfish desires and needs did not outweigh what was at stake for Vivi and her country, for Luffy and Ace, for Sabo.

"Sanji!" The Captain's voice shocked me out of my musings. "Prepare a lunchbox!"

"A lunchbox, captain?"

"A pirates lunchbox!"

"Does that have any nutritional value in it besides protein, Sanji?" I couldn't help but ask.

He laughed. "None at all, Ebony-chan. None at all."

"Didn't think so."

"I smell adventure up ahead!"

After Luffy had set off, along with Vivi who had decided that it wasn't worth just waiting around on the ship. (Carue faithfully trailing nervously behind her.) I decided to go with Zoro, act as bait while he killed the animals for food. Internally screaming, but making no notion of this on the outside. But we had yet to leave as Sanji and he were having an argument.

(It took all I had to not just shout at them to just whip them out and compare sizes because clearly, this was just a form of dick measuring contest. Honestly, they were such children .)

"FINE!"

Apparently, the argument was almost at its conclusion.

"Whoever brings back the most meat wins!"

"Fine by me," Sanji straightened his tie. "Though in my case it'll be tonnes of meat."

"Boys, really?"

I was stood in the middle of the two of them, shaking my head disapprovingly.

"We need the food, does it honestly matter the source of who killed it? Sanji will be the one to cook it regardless, so this arguing is pointless."

This caused the two of them to stop still.

"Che, sorry." "My apologies Ebony-chan."

Zoro had to get the last word in, by riling Sanji up.

"Come along then, bait ."

Zoro couldn't help himself, could he? He knew damn well that anything to do with a woman, especially one of the crew, being in danger would set Sanji off. Sanji was definitely gearing up for a lecture and Zoro had a ridiculously smug look on his face.

"Boys. Just stop."

"Did you two hear that?"

Sanji looked around and nodded. "It sounded like Nami calling out for me!"

The next moment he was off like a rocket, running back in what he thought was the direction of the ship.

I couldn't help but look at Zoro.

"Is he always like this?"

I knew that he was but it was different seeing it in person than it was reading it in the manga and watching it in the anime.

"Pretty much."

We walked in silence for what seemed to be hours, not quite next to each other but close enough that if something happened we could defend and attack in equal measure. When we stopped walking, we came to find ourselves standing in front a triceratops.

"What the hell? Can you even eat this?"

"Not sure, but it might be best if we found out?"

I played bait, whilst Zoro made short work of the triceratops. I felt a little bad, but in a world where it was definitely survival of the fittest, you had to do what you had to do to survive.

"Do you think to skin it now, or wait until we get onto the ship? I mean we'll be surrounded by predators regardless, but.."

"You have a point." He suddenly looked at me, eyes sharp. "I still don't trust you, not entirely."

I suppose that was fair. "I don't expect you to, we're still pretty much strangers."

"That, but there's something off about you." His red got even more piercing, shivers running down my spine. "Your eyes, they know too much."

"I won't deny that," I thought about it for a moment. "I have secrets, but when the time comes you and Luffy will be the first to know. Only two others know and at the moment I'd like to keep it like that; people like me, we get hunted. Really badly hunted if it gets out who and what we are, what we know."

And it was true. I'd seen news several times in the papers, heard the marines and criminals alike at the bar talking about the public and grizzly executions and tortures of Outliers. I suppose that I was lucky, having foreknowledge of this world before I came into it and with that advantage, I could try and fit in as best as I could to try and avoid detection. Any Outlier found, was to be immediately taken to the Marines and tortured for whatever information they know and then publicly executed as an example.

"I honestly don't know what they have against people like me but it's an unfortunate fact."

Zoro offered out his hand and I took it, shaking it solemnly.

There was a stronger wind than normal; I could only imagine that it was due to Dorry and Brogy fighting. I wonder if there was a way to get a recording of them to show to the guards at Enies Lobby; get them on our side and against the World Government beforehand. (Usopp at this point in time was probably flattering the giant Brogy with his dreams of becoming a Brave Warrior of the Sea.)

I could feel something following us, or at least someone's or something's eyes. It was creepy and felt very threatening. There was something important here that I was forgetting. I had to mention something to Zoro, who was currently standing in front of the triceratops that he had killed earlier that he had been dragging around. (I hadn't mentioned it to him earlier, but we were walking in circles. He was even more directionally challenged than the manga had led us all to believe. It was a miracle that he was even alive with how little he could find islands.)

"I can feel it too."

He reached up behind his head to scratch it as his neck.

"We must be lost," Placing his hand on a tree wrapped in vines. "I've definitely seen this tree before."

"Zoro, I hate to break it to you, but we've been walking in circles."

He rounded on me.

"Why didn't you mention that earlier?"

"I was hoping that the eyes following us would get lost." And it was the only reason. The feeling was persistent and incredibly unnerving.

"Hey! Nami!"

Nami, or at least that was who Zoro thought it to be, was leaning up against a tree opposite us.

"This is great! We were wondering about how to get back to the ship." "What are you doing here?"

We spoke at the same time; Zoro sounded happy to have someone who knew where they were going in the group but I was suspicious. There was something that I was forgetting and it was bugging me, something important that could help us in the future.

"Hey?" Zoro now sounded concerned. I tapped him on the shoulder.

"That doesn't feel like Nami, Zoro."

"What do you mean, doesn't feel like Nami?"

"It just doesn't feel like her. The aura is off ."

We didn't notice someone sneaking up behind us and then I remembered, Baroque Works was here.

And then it all went black .

"What is that?"

I had to shake my head a couple of times to clear the blur. It hit me then and there that we had been knocked out and kidnapped and by the feeling (or lack thereof) in my hands, definitely held captive by wax.

I berated myself internally. I had completely forgotten that Mr. Three was going to be around.

Idiot Ebony!

"Vivi? Weren't you with Luffy?"

Nami sounded confused as she sat upright, using her shoulder to help me up at the same time. Zoro, Nami and myself were leaning against each other, slightly out of comfort and slightly out of a need to be mostly upright.

Vivi nodded.

"That's right, but…"

"You're talking about that boy?" Mr. Five's shoulders shook, as if he were laughing. "I've already killed him."

Nami and Zoro went stiff either side of me.

"You did?" Zoro grimaced, eyes glinting with murder.

"Highly unlikely." I couldn't help but mutter.

"Welcome to my service set!"

We were suddenly surrounded, hefted up off the ground and carried towards the strange wax sculptural piece.

"There's something above our heads."

"I can hear it too, Nami. There's something not right about it."

Zoro couldn't help but laugh, a self-depreciating sound. "I feel like a candle on a birthday cake."

Nami on the other hand was panicking. "I can't move my legs."

I was taking in deep breaths, trying to hold off a panic attack. My legs were precious to me; I'd been a dancer my whole life and if I couldn't use my legs then what was the point?

"Ebony?" Vivi's voice shook me out of my panic for the moment. "Are you okay?"

"No, not really."

"We'll be fine. Luffy will get us out of this."

Zoro hadn't known him long at this point, none of us had, but the amount of faith that he had in his captain was admirable.

"Oh I know that. I just…" I struggled to find words to describe my situation. "It would be like if Sanji couldn't use his hands or you could no longer use swords. My legs are precious; I worked too hard."

Mr. Three was monologuing as I was explaining to the others, thankfully they understood.

"Candle dolls that are filled with real dolls! Just die for the sake of art!"

"You don't know the meaning of true art!" "Why do I have to die for your work?"

Nami turned to Brogy. "Do something! Otherwise you'll become a candle too!"

"No matter what you say, it will not work! He was so happy that he cried over his victory!" Mr. Three extended his arms out. "I don't know if he cried because of his sensitive emotions or because of his friend."

Why did villains always monologue so much? At least it was, mostly, distracting me from my panic.

"He fought his best friend for hundreds of years, with his bare hands." He shook his head. "He's incredibly stupid! He didn't realise that his friend was injured when they fought!"

He cackled. "You can't change a thing now!"

We looked at Brogy, who explained that he knew that his friend was keeping something from him.

"You must be lying! If you knew why did you fight him? There was no mercy from you at all!"

Mr. Three was grinning now, thinking that this was what was going to break the giant.

"You have no concept, no real idea of what this fight means! How can you even begin to understand that was what my tears were for? A person like you wouldn't understand!" The tears coming from Brogy were large, almost a heavy downpour.

"He fought with pride in his heart! How can I disgrace him? You want me to destroy the pride of the warrior who was prepared to risk his life?"

"I understand that, that's why I fought him with my hands! Because it's the best and most righteous thing I can do for my best friend!"

There was a large bang, a bomb had gone off.

"Brogy!"

"That should shut him up!" Mr. Five was standing, arm extended with his hand pointed towards Brogy.

I really wanted to shut his smug face up.

There was still no answer.

Ace had tried ringing Ebony's Den Den Mushi multiple times, but still had no luck getting through to her. He didn't want to panic or worry, but if she was with his little brothers crew, he hoped that nothing bad had happened. Although he knew that there were areas where signals for den den mushi calls were difficult.

His lead towards Alabasta was the first sign that he was getting somewhere.

He didn't notice a ship, a singular sailboat following closing behind him. It was being navigated by a certain scarred blonde in tails and a top hat.

A/N: I'm going to start on the next chapter sometime this week, but it's taking me a little longer with work to actually write the amount of words I want up. (Also this is going to be a double update, so the next chapter should be up soon!)