A/N: I had hoped that I would be able to keep with my schedule of uploading a chapter once a month, but July was an absolute mess of a month and I honestly have no idea how I made it through. I went back to university, had a week of stocktake at work and then was sick for two weeks.

Nothing really went okay, but I'm feeling (a bit) better now, and I'm almost caught up with the university work. I'm pretty happy with this chapter, and I hope that you will be too!

Have a good day!

The sounds of fighting could be heard in the not so far off distance, gunfire and screaming in equal measure. It seemed that the princess had not been successful in her attempts at stopping the two sides (or three, depending on how you looked at the situation) from clashing.

"That doesn't sound promising."

Sanji looked worried, as did Usopp. We were all worried, not that we didn't have cause to be concerned either.

Knowing that it would turn out well was all good in theory, but the practical nature of being a part of the narrative changed all the rules of the game being played.

"Hopefully the others will be okay."

Chopper was still riding piggyback, his weight was a comfort that I didn't know I needed at that point.

"They will be, I'm sure."

Chopper let out a whine, "But what if they're not?"

I stopped walking, turning my neck as far as I could to try and meet the doctor's eyes.

"We just have to believe that everything is going to turn out well."

I couldn't help but wince, as Chopper accidentally brushed up against my injured arm. He muttered an apology, which I brushed off.

"If do not believe that there is hope, then we have no trust in those that are fighting."

Sanji and Usopp had stopped a few metres ahead of us, clearly having heard our conversation. The camel had kept walking, slower than it had before.

"I completely forgot that you've only seen Luffy fight the once."

Usopp shook his head. It was clear to me that everyone had forgotten that Chopper had literally just joined us on this journey and had been pretty much dragged (willingly at least) along by our excitable captain.

"Ebony here was the last to join us before you," Sanji laughed. "I keep forgetting that she knows more than she lets on."

"Damn straight I do," I muttered, making Chopper and Usopp laugh as Sanji looked at me sheepishly.

"Sorry Ebony, but you get my point. Every in the crew is used to Luffy and his crazy ways, but Chopper isn't."

"I don't think Luffy is something that you ever get used to."

Usopp nodded his head in agreement, "I've been with the Straw Hat crew the longest of anybody here and that is true, but what is also true is that Luffy and the others are strong and can do anything they set their minds too."

I wanted to point out that I had, technically, been with Luffy the longest. Seeing the journey right from the very beginning, but that Luffy and my Captain Luffy were slightly different people. One was flesh and blood, grins and hugs that caught the breath in your lungs and tried to steal the meat off of your plate if you weren't careful. And the other was flat, yes with character and a backstory and future but not someone that I knew.

There is a difference between knowing someone and knowing of them. Being in this world certainly helped with knowing the difference.

Ace was case in point for me. I never thought to see that protectiveness in person before and to experience it first hand was breathtaking.ˆ

"Unpredictable. Much like the ocean herself."

Chopper sounded almost wistful as he spoke, head on my shoulder.

We had started to walk again, catching up to Eyelash who avoided eye contact with me, knowing I wouldn't be happy if it continued to leer at me.

The fighting was in view. We had made it to the Capital.

"Ebony!"

Turning I could see Nami running towards us, dragging Zoro behind her.

"Oi! Let go, witch!"

"If I let you go, you'll get lost!"

Zoro grumbled, agreeing even though he definitely didn't want to.

"I can see Vivi and a man with her, just up ahead."

Usopp pointed out. I felt relief go through me, so she managed to find Kohza.

That was good.

Feeling a tugging on my sleeve, I turned to look at Chopper.

"You can put me down now. Thank you for the lift."

I knelt down into a crouch, as Chopper hopped off of my back and onto the sandy ground, shrinking down as he did so into his normal form.

"I'm glad that I could help out, little deer."

He cheerfully grinned up at me, "You definitely did! I feel more energized now!"

I laughed, "Good!"

Sanji patted the reindeer on top of his hat, "You'll be needing that energy if we have to fight. And with the way, this is going? Definitely going to happen."

Chopper looked sad and I could understand it from his point of view. He was a doctor and had presumably taken oaths, that is if the Hippocratic Oath was a thing here or at least something similar. Fighting was counterproductive to his nature.

"Vivi!"

Nami called out to the Princess, who was leaning on the man beside her. Vivi's head snapped up, a look of despair on her face that was quickly replaced with a giant grin full of hope. She looked around, seeing each of us except for the Captain, grin growing wider and wider until I thought that she may break her face.

"Everyone! You're here! And you're all safe!"

"Why are you all banged up, Vivi?"

Zoro was showing a lot of care for someone who claimed they didn't care. He was bloodier than what he was when we split up, so was Nami. Realising that everyone was a bit injured, as Chopper went around fussing over the other four that he hadn't already treated.

Kohza, on the other hand, was far more suspicious, even as Chopper bandaged his hand. It looked as though someone had stood on it and twisted, a few fingers were definitely broken.

"And who are you meant to be?"

He was standing slightly in front of the Princess, ready to defend her from harm.

"We're the crew that managed to get her this far, Rebel Leader."

He growled, stepping forward slightly but Vivi held him back still smiling. "It's okay, I know that its them."

"And the one who had his face," Kohza jammed a finger into Usopp's bandaged nose. "He couldn't have done this?"

Sanji pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it, taking a drag. "It would be a bit difficult for him to do so, considering he doesn't have my face nor does he have Ebony's. But the last time I saw him he was a bit injured."

I snorted into my hand, "Understatement. Ulpia and I just roughed the other up, you two went at each other like two lions."

"I'm not the one who ended up with lightning burns."

"True, but at least I don't have fractured ribs."

Nami had enough, pushing between the two of us as we had gotten closer in our battle of wills.

"Okay you two, we get enough of that between Zoro and you both. We don't need you two going at it as well."

Sanji went bright red, which Zoro snickered at. I rolled my eyes, children.

"Honestly Nami, Sanji is too much of a gentleman to get into too much of an argument with me. And Zoro and I like arguing, it's more play than anything else."

Nami ignored Sanji, but nodded at my reasoning.

"We should probably get out of here."

We all looked up, just in time to see a small figure dive off of someone who was flying.

I pointed it out to the others, "Why do I have a feeling that was our Captain."

One moment the figure was free falling and the next obscured by sand.

Sanji turned his head, tilting it so he could get a better look.

"I did see a Straw Hat, so that was definitely Luffy."

We heard a shout as a fist covered in water flew at Crocodile, "I'LL FINISH HIM OFF THIS TIME! DON'T YOU GUYS WORRY!"

"Counting on you Captain!"

We all cheered, throwing our arms up into the air. Kohza looked on as if we were crazy, maybe we were. We were after all the middle of a war zone.

The bird dove down, joining us on the ground, transforming back into Pell as Vivi burst into happy tears.

It all happened so quickly.

Luffy had dived off of Pell, who also dived downwards towards Crocodile who either hadn't noticed them or didn't think they would be able to actually harm him.

Probably the former.

Crocodile had already once defeated Luffy and was probably counting on another easy victory again.

Luffy took a swing with a bloodied fist at Crocodile, which connected much to the older man's surprise. Crocodile quickly righted himself, but the damage was done. Luffy knew that his theory would work; he would be able to quickly produce blood so that he wouldn't lose too much but there was also the problem of dehydration and he really didn't want to put himself through that in a desert.

He could see the others gathering around Vivi and a guy he didn't know.

"I'LL FINISH HIM OFF THIS TIME! DON'T YOU GUYS WORRY!"

They must have heard him because they cheered, throwing their arms up into the air.

Meanwhile, Ulpia was fending off attacks by disgruntled Baroque Works members who had believed her to be the cause of all of their issues.

"We should never have trusted you Outlier!"

"Outliers are all scum!"

"Just die already!"

These goons were unbelievably weak, every single movement was sloppy and ill-timed. She could have easily fought each and every one of them blindfolded and with one arm tied behind her back, it was that easy.

At least Ebony had given her a good fight, even if it was little more than a show. The other Outlier had managed to draw blood after all and this lot couldn't even get close to her!

Out of the corner of his eye, Luffy was able to see the woman laughing and dodging attacks whilst knocking those attacking her with waves of lightning streaming from her fingertips. There was a group of Baroque Works members standing off to the side, just watching what was going on rather than joining in the fight.

"Pay attention! Your fight is with me!"

Right, Crocodile.

Luffy thought that it might be better to pay attention to the fight that he was currently in rather than on everything around him.

Ace was enjoying the company of his brothers, both Sabo and the ones of the other end of the den den mushi. He had been worried that things between Sabo and his crew may be a little frosty, considering Sabo had been missing from his life for almost a decade without a word but after Sabo had explained what had happened Ace had realised that there was no need for the concern he had.

"So have you met Ebony?"

Ace groaned. This was another line of conversation that everyone he knew seemed to like teasing him about.

Yes, if he thought about it too long, then could happen. But he wasn't going to think about it, wouldn't let himself think about it, so nothing would.

Sabo grinned at him, "I have!"

Thatch let out a 'whoop' before talking again. "Is she nice? Does she fight well? Is she pretty?"

Well at least Thatch's priorities were still the same; fighting ability triumphed over physical attractiveness any day for him.

"She is very nice, cautious but nice and smart, too. I haven't seen her fight, but Luffy seems to think she is so I'll have to take his word for it," Sabo looked towards Ace before answering the final question.

Ace was staring at his brother, almost daring him to continue before holding a hand out for the den den mushi. Sabo stuck his tongue out him in retaliation.

"She is pretty, I can see why Ace likes her a lot. Brains, looks and fighting ability."

"Sabo!"

Ace dived at his cackling brother, wrestling him before wrenching the poor snail out of his hand in triumph. Sabo was holding his ribs, laughing at the reaction he had received.

He could hear Thatch and Izo on the other end teasing him, with his father's signature laugh egging them on. Even Marco, normally the calmest and most collected of his brothers, had a smile in his voice when he spoke next.

"Oi! I think we've all teased Ace enough. We can tease him more when we actually meet the poor girl."

"I would say thank you Marco, but I don't think I should."

Sabo, having recovered, shouted. "He's pouting!"

He devolved into another laughing fit. Ace glared at him and the snail, who had Marco's grin on its face. He could feel his ears beating up, flush rising through his face.

Just because he was pouting didn't mean Sabo had to mention it for the rest of the family to hear.

The water had worked more than what Luffy had thought that it would, but he knew that his plan would hold out for the entirety of the fight.

He both loved and hated it when he found out he was right.

"WATER LUFFY!"

That wasn't his name, but if Crocodile kept insisting on calling him that he may end up changing his mind. Though to be fair to Crocodile, Luffy's usual battle humour did seem a lot like he wasn't taking the entire situation seriously. Ace used to harp on at him about that, but he couldn't help it if stupid shit started to happen when he got into a fight.

He delivered a blow to Crocodile, sending the man flying backwards. The victory was short-lived however as the man started to stand, slamming his hands to the ground.

"Hurry up Nico Robin!"

Luffy could hear the king behind him, choking on air at the name. It sounded slightly familiar to Luffy, something that his gramps had said many years ago and the child that Luffy had been had overheard something that he definitely wasn't meant to.

"Ohara, Flevance… How many more will end up like that? How many Nico Robin's are the out in the world?"

The sound from the den den mushi was a sigh, then a slamming of a glass onto a table.

"You know as much as I do Garp, anything that threatens the Celestial Dragons or the World Government…"

He almost flinched as his gramps made a noise that indicated rage. "Innocents, Senny! Innocents, hundreds of them dead all because of them. Innocents that the marines are meant to protect! Innocents that we fail every day just by them governing!"

"I know Garp, but what more can we do?"

There was a silence then and Luffy knew that if he made a noise at that moment, he would have been caught eavesdropping. And that would earn him a Fist of who knows what kind.

It felt like hours before someone else spoke.

"You know, sometimes I wonder if that brat of mine had the right idea. Or maybe even Roger."

"Garp! Talk like that is treason! You're lucky it's me you're talking to and not someone else!"

"I know, but this world… change is coming. Good or bad, but it's coming."

The voices quieted after that and Luffy slept, hearing no more.

But what he did hear that night would stay with him for the rest of his life.

Nico Robin had to give credit where credit was due.

The D. was not giving up, regardless of how bloody and battered he was. She definitely admired that about him, but she couldn't let her personal feelings get in the way of getting answers.

The marine girl was confident in her abilities, but Robin was better. Much better; she had been surviving on her own longer and that history gave her a set of morals that others didn't necessarily play by.

Even if she had been the one to destroy those eight ships herself when she was only eight, what use was a group of marines against someone with her reputation?

The clocktower bomb was still ticking and Robin couldn't help but tell the marine that.

"Sergeant! Get everyone to the palace grounds! Stop that bomb!"

The lieutenant hadn't taken her eyes off of Robin, even as she ordered those under her command to abandon her to face the Devil's Child alone. There was protests, but the blue-haired woman just barked the order again.

They left.

Now it was only herself, the still bound King and the lieutenant.

"Release that man!"

Robin used the woman's own sword against her, yanking it out of her unsuspecting hand, wrapping several arms around her body and covering her mouth so that no one was able to hear her scream.

Robin hated being like this, but spending pretty much her entire life on the run she could trust no one or nothing.

"I did tell you not to interfere!"

The marines glasses shattered upon impact with the ground.

Robin hated this life, but she had to continue on the path she was.

Otherwise, what else did she have in this life but pain and suffering?

The minion that Ulpia had sent was doing a good enough job of trying to stop the civil war from devolving even further she would give him that much credit.

Many had stopped fighting each other, turning to the ones that were boasting about Baroque Works and how when Crocodile took over things would change. They had finally figured out the true enemy and it wasn't her.

They weren't really paying her much attention anymore, which was nice if a bit annoying.

But it gave her enough time to check on one of her other minions, the one that she had sent to stop the bomb from going off.

The snail was incredibly useful, something that she wished that she had back in Tamriel. Maybe not a snail though, a scrying crystal of some sort would work just as well. Maybe if you could see the other person, too.

"What have you got for me?"

"It's done."

She felt triumphant, but that went away when the minion continued.

"But there is a small problem, now we are being surrounded by marines on all sides. If the bomb doesn't go off, they will for sure come up here."

Well now she had to make a decision, to save the minions or not. They were terrified of her, but they still respected her. Out of fear or not, the respect was genuine and she couldn't help but wonder if she was going to end up like Cicero. Mad because of a choice she made and a character that she had to play.

"I'll be with you soon, don't you worry."

The words were out of her mouth before she had even realised what was going on.

"Thank you so much Miss Midsummer Eve! We won't forget your kindness!"

Was it a kindness in forcing someone to stop a bomb, just because you didn't like your mutual employer and wanted to fuck them over? Ulpia wondered.

"Call me Ulpia."

She hung up the den den mushi, before sneaking away from the fight that was now raging on behind her. She had done her bit, now Ebony had to hold up her side of the bargain. Her crew, from what she had seen in her little spying tour, was that they were young and still coming together as a group but were still they each had the others undying loyalty.

She missed having that, but maybe, just maybe, if she was unable to return home and the minions still wanted her around? Well, then she would see.

She had a group of minions to rescue first though.

Marshall D. Teach could not contain his glee.

Everything was going all according to plan. The Yami-Yami no Mi was his and his alone, after killing Thatch he'd fled into the night on a stolen ship that had been left behind by his now first mate, Jesus Burgess.

Once he felt that he had gotten away a safe enough distance to an island where the rest of his crew was waiting, he ate the fruit.

It tasted absolutely revolting, like tar and off liquorice dipped in coal, but the power that immediately came from eating the fruit was well worth it. It may have been an incredibly sunny day out, right in the middle of summer but the devil fruits darkness overpowered even the sunlight that you could see.

Absolutely perfect.

The crew was happy to see him, especially once he had gotten control over his new powers. The island had been a practice run, and the islands inhabitants were his test subjects. Those that he tested his powers on were those that wouldn't be missed, beggars and common criminals. He may have been cruel and callous but the islanders didn't need to know that until he was long gone.

Not that most of them would ever know, not until well after he had left, they would only think that those few weeks had been a string of random eclipses.

Just the way he liked it.

No one the wiser to his true intentions until absolutely necessary.

He knew that Ace would come after him, but with his powers now and the strength that he had hidden previously he knew that it wouldn't be a problem. Especially if he used the mans giant weak spots.

A certain Monkey D. Luffy and a woman that went by the epithet of Crow Queen. Ace had never mentioned her name in front of him, only in front of the division commanders and he wasn't one of them. But he knew that he was very fond of the woman and if he could turn her against Ace, then all the better.

He could do with a good woman.

He had once thought that Portgas D. Ace had a thing with a certain Jewellery Bonney, but apparently, that fell through on mutual terms. So he couldn't use her, but she was a definite back up plan should things go south.

They wouldn't, but Blackbeard liked his plans and having backup ones was always a good idea. Just in case.

Now if he could find out more about her, that would be fantastic. But he had solved this teensy little problem. He had found a bloodied and beaten mercenary, almost at the brink of death. The crew's doctor, Doc Q, had been able to save the mans life but when he spoke it was odd.

Certainly wasn't in any language that they knew of, but he was seemingly able to understand pointed gestures and the occasional word that was uttered. Over the last few weeks, the doctor had been able to teach the man some of the local language, enough that they were able to communicate in halting syllables.

The man had sworn his sword to Blackbeard's cause once the two were able to communicate enough so that the mercenary was able to thank him for saving his life. He had even given them his name but asked to go by his epithet if they were to speak of him when amongst outsiders.

They had sparred once, without him using his powers. Both drew blood. The other man, incredibly strong and bleeding red with gold dust.

Blackbeard grinned maliciously at the thought. He had found himself an Outlier who was more deadly and cruel than any other mercenary he had ever met; one who had promised him his sword in thanks for saving his life.

And an Outlier who had the practise of hunting down bounties from what he could tell. Perfect, as he had just the person that he needed to track down.

Together the crew that he had gathered under him tore a path through Paradise, deposing kings and causing chaos. Chaos was good and the mercenary that had joined them was very good at chaos, reviled in it in fact. Apparently, he was a big deal back in his world, one with a very large reputation and an organisation that backed him.

The Legend's story had not ended yet, it had only just begun. Now his story was intertwined with Blackbeard's forever.

Life was good.

A/N: I bet that you didn't see that coming?

(To be perfectly fair, I didn't either so everyone is on a level playing field!)

I had plans to introduce another Outlier this chapter, but it didn't fit well with the way the chapter was progressing and the fact that there is already three Outliers now (including Ebony) I didn't want it to feel too cluttered with what kind amounts to OC's.

I really hope that you enjoyed this chapter, I'm already hard at work on the next one so fingers crossed that I had that out sooner rather than later. Also, the next chapter of The New World State is about halfway done, so that should be up relatively soon. (I'm also working sporadically on my own novel, but I won't spoil anything about that here.)