A/N: Long time, no update? Sorry about that, things happened and then I was so focused on university and The New World State and then everything kind of just spiralled and by the time I remembered that this chapter was half-written it had been over six months!

I hope that everyone is doing well, staying safe and washing your hands at this time! Please enjoy the chapter!

Several days had passed, and the rain hadn't yet stopped. Everyone was recovering from their injuries and the palace doctors had confirmed what Chopper had already told me. The lightning attack would scar me permanently. It wasn't a huge deal, as it would fade over time and not be as noticeable, but it was going to be a constant reminder of a first battle so to speak.

Ulpia has been keeping her distance; the doctors had insisted on checking her over and had harangued her into the palace infirmary. She hadn't stayed long, not even a day, before she had hidden herself away in a corner of the palace that was infrequently visited by everyone, apart from the guards and the royal family themselves.

"Is there anything else we need at the market? I'm headed off there now."

Sanji had a list in one hand and a bag in the other.

"I'll come with you!"

Usopp jumped up from his seat where he was fiddling with a weapon of some sort.

"Ebony? Did you want anything at the market?"

"Surprise me if you're to get me anything, but I can't really think of anything at the moment."

I thought for a moment, "Be careful. Tashigi may have told the marines not to arrest any of us and Smoker may have agreed, but that doesn't mean there won't be bounty hunters or even marine opportunists that won't take advantage."

"Got it Ebony-chan!"

I hadn't heard that one in a while, it was almost comforting to hear.

When they had left I found myself aimlessly wandering around the place grounds; I had spotted Chopper in the infirmary, a large group of doctors around him debating some medical terminology that I had no hope of understanding beyond the absolute basics. Nami I knew was in the library with the King, learning all she could be we had to leave.

I was being shown the gallery by a very enthusiastic woman with green hair and sharp red eyes, reminding me slightly of Zoro but that thought was quickly put out of my mind when she squealed at a painting that she was showing me because it was one of her favourites and couldn't wait to tell me all about it.

I was interested, and let her explain. The colours were apparently representative of the souls of the people and she used language that I hadn't heard since art school. It made me feel nostalgic, and very sad.

I needed to leave, everything was getting just a little bit too much for me, so I politely excused myself. She seemed a bit baffled, but nodded and said that if I wished to know more then I could find her later.

"Where did you learn to fight?"

Vivi had found me, hiding away in an alcove with my journal being loosely held in my hand. I hadn't been able to write much at all, too many thoughts going through my mind at once.

"Honestly, I've never learnt how to fight."

The Princess looked at me in astonishment, "Really?"

"I've taken self defence classes, and I boxed a heck of a lot."

"Nothing formal?"

I shook my head, "None. I mean, Ace tried teaching me whenever he dropped by the bar and there was a boxing ring that I regularly went to in Loguetown."

Vivi sighed, coming to sit down beside me. "I know that we've been off, especially me since you told us and I was hoping…"

"You were hoping?"

She hadn't been able to look me in the eyes up until that point.

"I was hoping that since all the tales of your people are quite frankly appalling, and now you say that you've never had any formal training to be able to fight?"

Vivi had wound her hands through her hair, tugging at it. "I don't know what to think…"

"Don't think about it, what does your gut say?"

She took her hands out of her hair, blue strands following where she had torn them out in her angst.

"That what the World Government says about Outliers is wrong."

I nodded, waiting for her to continue. Vivi seemed to be coming to a realisation, a shift in her world view.

"This whole thing with Crocodile really doesn't paint them in a good light."

"No, it really doesn't but it isn't the first time that they've allowed a warlord to take over an established country."'

She sighed, almost defeated. "That does not surprise me, it really doesn't."

We sat in silence for a bit before she spoke up.

"I'm sorry for how I've been acting, I got to know you before you told us all." She put out her hand, ready for me to shake.

"My name is Vivi, it is nice to meet you."

I took it, my palm sweaty and shaking slightly.

"My name is Ebony, the pleasure is mine."

We smiled at each other, finding solace in the other. It wasn't long until Vivi was needed elsewhere, so I took my leave and headed out towards the crowds. I hadn't wanted to go out and explore today, but it felt like I had to. Like something was calling me.

Something felt wrong. And I needed to find out what it was.

A small figure was making their way through a cheering crowd.

He had just watched his home explode into nothingness, and his family boarding a ship to safety and then it was gone in a flash of golden light. And he was here, without his family and absolutely no knowledge of where he was.

He was able to understand the language, which he thought was called English, but there were so many languages in the universe and even with his mind, he couldn't possibly have knowledge of every single one of them.

He was scared and he desperately wanted his parents, his little sister. But he knew deep within his heart that he would never see them again, even if they had managed to make it onto the ships.

He was all alone in this place.

He hadn't noticed the two men who had seen him appear in a shower of golden lights, both wearing a grinning skull on their backs nor did he notice their looks of triumph.

Joker was going to be very happy.

After talking with the Princess, I decided that I needed to leave the palace grounds and go out into the capital. Some fresh air if you will.

The crowds were large, cheering and celebrating the end of the drought. The end of the Warlord's reign, too.

Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a small figure, hood raised darting behind a wall as though the Hounds of Hell were after them. A few short moments later two men came barrelling after the small figure.

Before I knew what I was doing, I followed behind.

I couldn't help it, curiosity getting the better of me. I walked quickly, following the two men. It was a good thing that I had as I saw one rip the hood off of the small figure, and the other jeer.

"Look what we've got here! A little Outlier! You'll do wonderful!"

"Joker will want you for himself!"

Slavers.

Those two men were slavers working for Dofla-fucking-mingo.

I knew something was wrong.

They didn't see me coming, but the child in front of them definitely did. The first slaver was easy, going down like a sack of potatoes. The second took a bit more effort; he defended well enough, but I was pissed off. Slavers pissed me off.

He went down, too.

The small boy was bleeding from both his head and the lip, gold falling from it as well as the copper blood that startled me even more so than the dust. The bowl cut was skewed atop his head, the black covered in a layer of dust. Pointed ears looked as though they could have been sunburnt, slanted eyebrows and eyes that stared up at me; scared and defiant.

I knew nothing of the Vulcan language. Unless you counted the various terms of endearment, those I did know but they would be completely useless in this situation.

But I knew a few phrases in Klingon and I could only hope that it helped.

"nuqneH, blplv'a'?"

The young Vulcan's eyes skittered upwards to meet mine, stuttering out words that were vaguely recognisable.

"jlplv."

"Ok, what was that word again?"

I did not think that I would be needing something like Klingon in the world of One Piece, considering I had only learnt the language for a cosplay skit I had done when I was seventeen.

"nuq… nuq 'Oh pongllh'e'?"

I pointed to myself, continuing, "Ebony oH pongwlh'e'."

"Saalem jlH, puqloD Skessess"

"qaqlHneS Saalem puqloD, do you speak English?"

All was silent for a moment, with the young Vulcan not answering. I opened my mouth to repeat the question in Klingon before the boy in front of me spoke.

"Yes, a little."

I could have jumped with joy, "A little is still enough, Saalem."

The young Vulcan looked unsure, but he carefully walked up to me. Slower at first and then before I knew it he had slammed into me, wrapping his arms around my waist dry sobbing as he did so.

"You're safe now, I won't let them hurt you."

It was a little while before the boy stopped, but he didn't let go, at least not completely. Saalem kept himself as close to my body as possible, as though I would disappear at any moment.

"I know I'm safe with you."

The young voice was muffled into the side of my own cloak.

"How do you know that?"

I was curious about it, even though the young Vulcan was one hundred percent correct.

"You want to help...I'm not too good at controlling my telepathy, ko'mekh... ko'mekh was trying to teach me but now she never will!"

The telepathy would be incredibly difficult to control, especially for a young child who had been torn from everything that he knew. I couldn't do anything for Saalem, who had just lost his whole world, but I could protect him until we reached the palace.

Surely they would be able to take care of the small Vulcan without prejudice?

"Get onto my back, Saalem. We're going to go somewhere safer."

I knelt down so that he was able to do so, pulling his hood up once he settled on my shoulders.

"I trust you Ebony."

Even for a Vulcan child who was able to read thoughts, Saalem was surprisingly trusting of a stranger that they had just met. No child should be that trusting, but I really didn't know anything about Vulcan culture so I wasn't going to say anything even though the kid probably already knew.

Saalem's small voice piped up from behind me.

"You're like me, not from here. You miss home, too."

"That I do Saalem, that I do."

"And I've seen what you know, what you have done and what you wish to do."

I froze momentarily, Saalem taking it in stride as he continued to speak.

"I trust you for what I have seen in your mind, even if it goes against everything I have ever known."

Luffy had tried to instigate a sparring session with Ulpia, but she had declined swiftly, stating that she wished to lay her subordinates to rest. That and she very rarely sparred for fun, too busy defending her own life and the lives of others.

Luffy understood that, even if it made him pout that she wouldn't agree to a spar. He'd just have to spar with Zoro, Sanji or Ebony when they were either better or back from wherever they had gone off to.

He didn't expect Ebony to come back with someone else, carrying the other as though she was running was someone but didn't want people to realise that she was actually running.

He watched as his crew mate set the small figure down onto the ground, and the small figure latch onto Ebony's side. She wrapped an arm around them, pulling them closer. Luffy noted that not once did the two make skin to skin contact.

Luffy immediately went to investigate, slowly though as he knew that his energetic nature would not be helpful in this scenario.

"Hello Captain," She turned to speak to the small figure, most likely a child. "Saalem, this is my Captain, Luffy."

The figure removed their hood, revealing small pointed ears and a bloodied nose with gold dust slowly falling from it.

Ah. The protectiveness that Ebony was showing over the child was definitely warranted.

Luffy knelt down, holding out a hand.

"Nice to meet you Saalem!"

The kid buried themselves even closer into Ebony's side, completely ignoring the hand offered.

Luffy looked up at Ebony in confusion; he wasn't that scary, was he?

Ebony only chuckled, "Sorry Captain, but Saalem won't be shaking anyone's hands anytime soon. It's not really something that his people do."

Luffy withdrew his hand immediately, "That's alright!"

Saalem lifted his head out from where he had buried into Ebony's side, curiously looking at Luffy with wide eyes. Luffy wondered what he looked like to the kid. He wasn't a large man, slight is what he had been called and he knew that he wouldn't be the size of his Gramps.

Luffy sat on the ground in front of Saalem, noting that the boy un-tensed when he did so.

Good. Now do I still have that handkerchief?

Luffy found it in one of his many pockets, holding it out to the kid. Saalem looked at it for a moment, and snatched it from Luffy's outstretched hand before being behind Ebony once more.

Luffy couldn't help but grin up at Ebony, who was smiling down at the kid.

"He's like you, isn't he?"

She nodded, "Very much so. He's just lost everything, Luffy. I can't leave him by himself, but taking a kid onto a ship is not a good idea and slavers saw him arrive."

Luffy glared at the ground, voice almost a whisper, "That's why Shanks never took me with him. And Slavers? I hope you dealt with them."

Ebony laughed, devoid of any actual humour "Yes, they were. Besides, your Gramps would have come after Shanks if he'd actually agreed to take you with him."

Luffy shuddered, imagining that was not something that he had ever thought that he would picture. And he had no idea who would win out of the two!

"Sabo."

This was the first that Saalem had spoken in front of him, and he couldn't help but wonder how the little Outlier knew his brothers name.

"That is a fantastic idea!"

"Dragon?"

Luffy was incredibly lost, but Ebony seemed to know what was going on so he'd follow her lead.

"I do have a den-den to him."

Saalem nodded, "Call him. Captain Luffy might want to hear his voice."

"Whose Dragon?"

Luffy watched as Ebony and Saalem stood stock still, his crew mates eyes assessing him before she closed them and sighed.

"Another secret, one that you should already know." Saalem reached up towards Ebony, hand almost touching her cheek. Luffy watched on confused as the kid touched her face with a single finger and Ebony go completely still for a few moments before Saalem removed his hand.

Luffy watched as the two seemed to have a conversation that Luffy wasn't privy to. He couldn't help but fidget, it wasn't in his nature to sit still for anyone.

"Okay, so Dragon is considered to be the most Wanted Man in the World and the leader of the Revolutionaries."

Ebony looked towards the ground, before speaking once again.

"His full name however is Monkey D. Dragon."

Luffy couldn't breath.

That had to be his father.

The Most Wanted Man in the World.

Is this what Ace felt when someone mentioned Roger? Anger like you wouldn't believe flooded him, but it stopped short. No one knew he was his child, except for Grandpa and Dragon.

At least he hoped that was the case; if they knew who his father was they would stop at nothing to get to him. Luffy knew the stories from Ace about what had happened when the World Government had found that Roger had a child; the hundreds of women and children killed all in an effort to stop a bloodline from continuing was horrifying.

He grinned, he just had to get stronger so that they wouldn't be able to touch him or Ace and Sabo or his crew.

I hadn't expected Luffy to freeze up as he did, nor for him to start grinning an almost insane grin.

I felt Saalem tug on my cloak, "What is wrong with the Captain?"

"I'm not sure."

I hadn't seen Luffy stand so still, and I wasn't sure as to why he was. Maybe shock? I don't know if it was or not, since when Garp dropped the news on him in the original world he didn't really react. Maybe it was because someone else was telling him, someone that by all rights really shouldn't have known about his father.

"Captain?"

Luffy just stared for a few tense seconds before shaking his head.

"My dad?"

His voice was a whisper, and I had to strain my ears to hear him but nodded my head.

He took a deep breath in, as if to calm himself.

"Okay, so my dad knows Sabo?"

"From my understanding he rescued him. I don't know for sure what he was doing there, but there was a theory back home that he came to check up on you as he had heard of the upcoming visit of the Celestial Dragons and wanted you safe."

I took a deep breath, watching my captain's face very carefully before I continued. It was almost blank, except for his eyes. They were incredibly emotional, but at what I couldn't be sure.

"Or at least that's what was theorised; instead he found an injured and amnesiac child who, by all accounts was both brave and foolish for setting out with a pirate flag right in front of a Celestial Dragon ship."

Luffy nodded, "Sabo was always the smartest of us, but he wasn't thinking straight that day. None of us were."

No, they wouldn't have been with all that fire and chaos going on in the Grey Terminal.

"Ring him. Ring Dragon."

I startled, not expecting Luffy to order me to do something that I would have done anyway, but it was nice to have the captain's approval for it.

"Okay, Saalem, are you okay with this?"

The small Vulcan child looked up at me, brown eyes wide.

"I will be," he looked down at the ground with balled up fists. "I wish that I had tear ducts like those Romulans, at least then I would be able to cry for all those I have lost."

I had no words left, neither did Luffy as he looked at the small boy with a look of almost pity in his gaze.

Dragon wasn't expecting anybody to call that morning, but when the unfamiliar tone of the Outlier started to ring he immediately picked it up.

He didn't think that she would call so soon, let alone call at all, too wary even in their initial meeting of one another to begin to trust the others intentions.

"Hello Crow Queen."

Dragon heard a sharp intake of breath on the other side. Young, possibly a teenager. Most definitely male.

"What am I able to do for you today?"

"I have a small friend here who needs some assistance and I'm unfortunately not in a position to give it."

An unfamiliar voice piped up in the background, even younger than the first male voice.

"I'm not small."

The voice sounded like the person was pouting.

"You are small tal-kam, there is nothing wrong with that."

Dragon could feel the attitude of the small even through the den-den mushi as the snail rolled its eyes. Those snails always managed to mimic the person one the other end of the line incredibly well, sometimes too well.

(Dragon would never forget the snail that looked exactly like his father. The eyebrows were exceedingly hideous.)

"I would like for him to be somewhere safe, somewhere that he won't be judged because he's like me."

Ebony's voice was almost cold as she spoke clearly something had happened since they had first met and by her tone it wasn't necessarily good. He hoped that the crew that she had joined would accept her, but it mustn't have gone very well.

"Has Sabo made contact with you? He would be able to bring the young one to base safely."

The young voice again once more spoke, "Would I have to participate in the Revolution; become a Revolutionary? I would much prefer to be a pirate."

Dragon couldn't help but laugh at the attitude of the young man.

"That's something that you should really think about."

"Maybe when you're older."

"When the Rooster takes flight?"

He heard the older Outlier groan, "How? No, I'm not even going to question that. How old are you?"

"Twelve."

"Maybe not even then."

"It'll be less than three years away!"

"And then you'll only be fifteen."

"Your Doctor is only fifteen!"

Dragon watched on in amusement as the expression of the snail went flat, as though Ebony was not amused.

"I was trying to forget about that, thank you Saalem."

"rai wat."

Luffy hadn't spoken up much, happy to watch the reactions of the snail as his father spoke and listened.

He had vague memories of the voice on the other end of the line, but it had been so long that he couldn't be sure if he had been imagining things or not.

"I can have Sabo pick the young man up, if you wished?"

Dragon's voice was nothing like his Gramps, which was a good thing in Luffy's opinion.

Ebony nodded, "There's another one of us here as well but I cannot be sure if they would want to leave also."

"We can always discuss that with them when Sabo arrives."

Ebony had turned to Luffy, asking him silently if he wished to speak with his dad.

Luffy had no idea what he would say to the man. He was thankful to him that he saved Sabo's life, but he had also been gone from his life for pretty much the entire seventeen years that Luffy had lived.

He shook his head.

"Thank you, Dragon."

"No, thank you." Before Ebony could hang up Dragon spoke, quieter than before.

"Say hello to your Captain from me and tell him that I'm proud of him."

The den-den mushi went silent after that, as Ebony and Saalem looked up at him to see his reaction.

Luffy's mouth had dropped open, hanging low to the floor. He hadn't expected for his father to wish to say hello, let alone to say that he was proud of him. A little warmth filled his chest, but Luffy couldn't be sure if it was because of Dragon, anger or slight embarrassment.

Probably a combination of all three?

"Come on Captain, lets go talk to Ulpia and His Majesty. And then lets get out of here, we've been here too long."

With that they made their way in silence back towards the palace, with Saalem hanging onto Ebony's sleeve and Luffy guarding their back.

He was thankful that neither Ebony nor Saalem commented on his confused state.

I couldn't thank Ulpia or the King enough; until Sabo arrived to help the two Outliers remaining behind, Saalem's existence would be kept a secret from the public. Only the Straw Hats, his Majesty, Vivi and their closest guards would know that the young Vulcan ever existed.

His Majesty, King Cobra had sent a few of his most trusted to collect the two slavers that I had knocked out and they would be tried and prosecuted to the fullest extent of Alabastian law. As long as they could never enslave another again, it didn't bother me what happened to them.

They could rot for all I cared.

Ulpia had decided to go with the kid, wanting to know more about the corruption in this world and to see if there was some way that she would be able to be sent back home.

It was only when we were speaking of this when I noticed a familiar gemstone on her finger.

Milky red, oval in shape.

"Ulpia, where did you get that ring?"

She looked at me, confused before looking down towards her hand and back up towards me, a frown on her face.

"I bought it from a stall in Whiterun, but it used to be…"

I interrupted her, pulling my own necklace out from underneath my shirt, "A solid red? Not milky?"

She stared at the stone in my hand.

The two were identical.

"If we both have this stone, what about the child?"

I had no idea, but the two of us having the same stone couldn't have been a coincidence.

Finding Saalem hadn't been an issue, but the kid went white when we showed him the two stones that we had. It seemed that he had picked up one, another identical stone just minutes before the alarms started to blare on Vulcan.

Once could be written off. Twice was a little scary but it could be a coincidence.

But thrice?

These stones had something to do with Outliers coming to this world. I needed to find out what they were and why, but it was going to be incredibly difficult with everything the world would throw at me.

Perhaps the Revolutionaries knew more? Maybe Ulpia, desperate to get home, would be able to find out more when she left with Saalem and Sabo?

For the first time since I had arrived in this world, I felt hope.

Maybe, just maybe, I would be able to see my family again.

But there was underlying doubt; would I even wish to go home after all I had done, had seen? Would I be able to leave all of these people, wonderful, crazy people behind?

I didn't know.

A/N: Please, let me know what you think! I'm not entirely sure when I will be updating this story, but know that I am working on the next chapter!

Klingon Translations:

nuqneH, blplv'a'? Hello, how are you?

jlplv. I am well.

nuq… nuq 'Oh pongllh'e'? What is your name?

Ebony oH pongwlh'e'. My name is Ebony.

Saalem jlH, puqloD Skessess My name is Saalem son of Skessess.

qaqlHneS Saalem puqloD... Pleased to meet you Saalem, son of Skessess.

Vulcan Translation:

rai wat No problem