8/3 edit: Ah, Question Corner...it does not work when only one or two people review, to be honest, but I still like it!

A/N: Happy Halloween~ But of course, the 13th chapter should be dropped in the name of the holiday! Also, today's a double treat, as I am proud to introduce...

Question Corner!

King0fP0wers: Glad to see you're enjoying the tale so far! Since Oda technically made wrote Silk as one of many proto-Namis, I recycled the character. Granted she does not have much characterization, so I had to fill in some blanks. Some of my beta readers have referred to her as this crew's Luffy, and I call that a win!

Since this might not be addressed any time soon, I can safely answer that Silk doesn't really view herself as a pirate, but an adventurer, like her idol. Boy, when she receives her first bounty...

Also, yeah, Zoro and Carina – there's another unexpected pair! If anyone's curious, the exact reasons as to how and why they ended up together will be explained... later. Also, Red-Eyes was the name of the drunk that frequented the Baratie. Only a fool, or a trickster, would ever say Red-Eyes or Hawk-Eyes are the same!

If anyone else want to show up in Question Corner, unless requested, all reviews will be added – for that little extra cherry to every chapter. Actually, I should probably ask to leave a review if you want to see Question Corner from now on...

Anyway, on to the show!


Chapter 13: Joke

It was a muggy and foggy morning on the third day of Hook's (and by extension, the crew's) indentured servitude. Since yesterday, Zeff resolved that the best use of the group's talents can only be used when not bouncing off each other's insanity. To that end, he completely divided them around the eatery; Silk at the bar, Nami waiting tables, Ussop fixing all the broken furniture from yesterday's events, and Hook on food prep in the kitchen. Silk had somehow not broken a single glass and made mixtures that had people coming back for refills. Nami was upselling meals so hard, that even seasoned salesmen fell under her sway; Patty was almost in tears of pride as he witnessed such ruthlessness. Ussop, whose hands looked much better today, was fixing up the tables and chairs with ease (and glue and duct tape), as opposed to the head chef's room.

After the fishing accident, Zeff gleaned Hook's interest in Zoro, so he had made it his mission to keep the two apart from each other. It didn't always work, since Zoro kept wandering into the kitchen, looking for a bathroom. Since the restrooms were next to his table, it became abundantly clear to Hook that Johnny was not exaggerating about the guy's sense of direction. As the day roved onto the lunch shift, Hook was switched to trash duty. As he stepped outside to deposit yet another bag, he heard the sound of creaking wood. Looking around the surrounding area, all he could see was more fog.

"Zoro? Did you actually come out here for the bathroom?" When no sound came to Hook but more creaking. "Carina? Come to bargain?" As the pirate strained to see through the haze, another sound could be heard…a sound like flapping wings-

Hook ducked just as a colorful bird zoomed out of the mist, missing his face by inches as it cried out! "Shit! Damn thing nearly scratched my eye out!" The teen glared after the creature, but it was long gone, while the creaking only got louder… "Actually, it sounded like the stupid thing said something… Chicken dips? Does it hate its cousins that much? Or…was it irate ships? No, how could a boat be annoyed? Maybe…Apocalypse!" Bursting back into the kitchen, Hook called out to the blonde sous-chef. "Sanji! A bird just said be prepared for the Apocalypse!"

Sanji just laughed it off, as did most of the room. "Hook, stop being goofy. Birds can't predict the end of the world!"

Undeterred, Hook crossed his arms in defiance. "Oh no!? Then what's that sound!?"

Sure enough, the creaking only got louder; loud enough that the front must have heard it too, as even some patrons started screaming, "It's the end of the world!" Hook shot the cook a smug grin, but any sense to jest or retort was completely forgotten by the screaming man's next words: "It's Don Krieg's ship!"

Without waiting for permission, Hook ripped off his apron and headed to the front. He was barely through the door when he had to jump behind the bar to avoid all the retreating, panicking customers. He landed in a crouch next to Silk's squatting form as she tried to reach behind her. "Hook! I can't get this damn thing off!"

Rolling his eyes, Hook began helping her get the maid costume (uniform) off. "Silk, what's going on? Where are the others!?" Fumbling with the knot of the bow, he snarled, "Who tied this bow!? Ussop!?"

"Speaking of, Ussop's still upstairs probably, he said he wanted to focus on the wall!" Silk answered. "Zoro went…well, I know he's somewhere here! Nami said she didn't trust Johnny and Yosaku keeping her treasure safe with pirates around, and ran back to the Merry!"

As Silk spoke, Hook had gotten nowhere with loosening the knot, only making it tighter. "Oh, sod this! Hope you aren't attached to this!" With only that warning, Hook tore the dress off, and Consumed it…strictly because Zeff wouldn't want to see his uniform destroyed…yeah, no other reason at all…

Under the frills, Silk was wearing the same outfit when they had arrived at the Baratie. "Phew! Thanks! It was hot in that thing!" Grabbing Dorado from its leaning position on the wall, both pirates rose from behind the countertop to see the restaurant and dock devoid of ships "Huh. Well, I guess that handles the lunch rush."

"Did they…all just do a mass dine-and-dash?" Hook briefly considered if Zeff would also add this to the debt.

Silk just shrugged. "At least they're not dead." She offered optimistically.

"They'd better not be!" Hook grumbled, mind still on their accruing charges. "I will drag them back here to pay if I need to!"

"Maybe focus on what's ahead, ya eggplant," Zeff commented as he and the other chefs came out to the abandoned dining room. By ahead, he must have meant Don Krieg's massive flagship…that looked like it had seen better voyages.

Hook whistled at the wreck. "Boy, Gin wasn't kidding!"

"Yeah…" Sanji commented, only slightly put off by the proof in front of them to that day's tale. "All this damage…has to be from the storm…"

Silk looked at the one-eyed love cook. "Of course, it was a storm! What else could do that!?"

'Ignorance is bliss,' Hook thought, as he shared a look with Sanji. Out loud, he said, "Welp, that's a lot of people to feed!"

"Are you mental!?" Carne asked before doing a double-take. "Right, never mind. We can't feed them! They're the most feared pirate crew in East Blue-"

"Who, if they are anything like Gin, are hungry, starving, and paying! Last time I was here, you guys did serve the hungry and paying, right!?" They all flinch at that, but mostly because Zeff fixed them with a look rather than just Hook's words. "Besides," Hook laced his fingers behind his head, "I'll take any weapon they've got! I never pass up more power!" Hook paused for a minute, wondering what kind of pirate Don Krieg could be. "Actually, better make sure the big guy himself isn't slipping anything dangerous in, too."

"Of course, he would!" Carne piped up, "Krieg became known as a pirate who would pull every dirty trick in the book! We shouldn't-!"

Before Carne could get on his rant, the doors flew open. Coming through them was Gin…with the largest, sickly man imaginable!

"Please," the starving man grumbled, "food…water…I'll pay for whatever…"

"W-wha!" Patty looked astonished. "That's Krieg, the Pirate Admiral!? He looks like hell!"

"Well, he has been there," Hook commented offhandedly. "Silk, keep an eye on him, I'll-"

"I'll be back," Sanji walked past the teen. "Feeding is a chef's job! Whoever heard of a chore boy feeding people?" With that, he walked to the kitchen, every chef looking ready to stop him, but the previous prick at their pride seemed to hold them back.

Hook nodded at the back of the crew's (soon-to-be) new chef with a smile, before turning back to Krieg. "Alright, Pirate Admiral," Hook addressed the sickly man so casually, that even Gin looked at him like he was crazy! "Empty your pockets! No weapons allowed!"

Krieg looked right at Hook with unfocused eyes. "What…I don't…"

"I don't know what you can do, but I can't help but notice how big that cape is…good for smuggling." Hook grinned at his still perplexed face. "You'll get them back…after you are back on your boat, so you can sail your happy ass back to whatever new waters you want."

Silk nodded. "Bars and restaurants are sacred ground for men! Only scum would break that air of hospitality." Hook looked over at her in askance. "Oh, just something I remember from back home. Stopped a lot of bar brawls."

Gin finally found his voice, pleading, "We can't just go yet! Our crew is also starving! 100 men in need of food and water! Please, you can't ignore them!"

Hook pretended to look offended, which sent Silk into a giggle fit as his hamminess. "Gin, I'm shocked! You think after feeding you, I would turn away 100 of your friends? Why of course they can come in and feast…they just have to leave their weapons at the door."

Just as Hook finished his banter, Sanji arrived with some pasta dish – garbonara, or something like that – but Hook stopped him from handing it over. "Excuse me?"

"No, Sanji. Excuse him." Hook turned back to Krieg, his carefree air completely gone. "I don't see you dropping any weapons!"

Krieg looked ready to pass out, his legs wobbling. "I…don't have-"

"Bullshit," Hook calmly said. "Is that gleam under your shirt just well-hidden gold?" Hook reached to check his cloak-

WHAM!

Before he found himself sliding across the room! Hook glared at Sanji with a "what the hell, man" look as he gave Krieg the plate, the big man falling on his knees to scoop the food into his mouth with his hands. "Look, I get it. You're trying to be helpful. Be helpful, but don't stand in the way of a chef. Our job is to feed the hungry, not judge them. Gets too complicated, you know?"

Hook looked ready to protest that act of stupid logic, but everyone's attention was drawn to a now standing-without-aid Krieg. Sanji couldn't even turn before the man's fist swung at his head-

CLANG!

And met Silk's ax! The surprise attack still bowled her over, but her recovery had far improved from before. "Hey, Spiral Brow! Since when does a 'Prince Charming' need to be saved!?"

Gin gasped at Krieg but said tyrant just grabbed the shocked man's shoulder hard. "That was fantastic! I feel my strength returning! Now about my men-"

"Here." Zeff, who had somehow left without anyone noticing, brought out a large pile of tied takeout containers. "A hundred men, right? This should be more than enough."

"Chef Zeff!" Despite their creed, Patty was clearly still wary about the whole 'feeding-cutthroats' thing. "He's literally gone back on his word just five seconds ago!"

Krieg sniffed. "I agreed to nothing…wait, Zeff? As in Red Leg?" A cocky grin crossed his face. "Interesting…"

Red Leg Zeff, being a veteran Grand Line retiree, was hardly afraid of the Pirate Admiral's deduction; instead, judging by the ship's damages, he guessed Krieg had run from the Grand Line. Krieg's logic: they weren't well informed. And Zeff's logbook would fix that, which he demanded, as well as the Baratie – not because it was seaworthy, but because it would make for a decent disguise to use on others. Silk was this close to just fighting him now, but she stayed her hand…even if it did keep reaching for Dorado.

Krieg was wrapping up his evil monologue, Hook barely taking any interest, until he said something of note. "I will use that logbook, I will conquer the Grand Line, and when I find One Piece, I will be Pirate King!"

Krieg looked ready to burst into a fit of evil laughter until two arms wrapped around him from behind. He looked over his shoulder to see Hook behind him. "What!? How-"

"Two things I want clarify…number one, the next Pirate King-," Hook then quickly bent over backward, slamming Krieg's spine into the deck! "-IS ME!"

Sanji's eye bugged. The chefs' jaws dropped. Zeff's upper lip twitched. Silk's lungs screamed for oxygen as she laughed herself silly at Krieg's reaction, eyes bulging from the sudden attack and the pain.

Letting go, Hook got up and let the man collect himself as he approached Gin, who now looked a smidge afraid. "Number two…" ...right until the teen walked right past him. "Don't go hurting your crewmates! Take your orders and scram!" As Gin looked at Hook's retreating back, he didn't miss his last words. "Gin, if you really follow this lying sack of crap, I feel sorry for you." Gin's shoulders tensed, but he grabbed the food and headed toward the floating wreck outside.

With that done, Hook walked up to Sanji, giving him a disapproving look and dope slapping him. "Next time your captain has an idea, you listen!"

"Shut up!" He roared back. "I told you I ain't joining!"

Hook snorted steam. "You got no say in the matter!"

"What!?" Sanji was nose-to-nose with Hook as he yelled.

"You…" Krieg, fully recovered, stood up with a dark look on his brow. "What, do you think this is a game, boy!?" From there, he goes on and on, rambling about all his successful plans, to how demonic and dangerous the Grand Line is, not even noticing Hook's bored expression.

'Now he fancies himself the expert for only sailing there for seven days...' Hook rolled his eyes, ready to write the speech off completely...save for that last thing the big ham snorted out.

"…Reckless impudence. But, you're not funny." Krieg finished.

...

It was only noticed by Silk...but something Krieg just said...had brought an absolutely livid expression to Hook's face. 'Uh-oh...'

'Funny? Funny!? Just because I like to take it easy, it makes my dream sound funny?' Suddenly, something in the back of the enraged teen's mind – some invisible door chained to high heaven and back – cracks. It's small, but enough to make his blood roar in his ears.

"At what point did anything I say strike you as a joke?" Turning around, Hook delivered the most fearsome glare possible; one glance and Krieg looked like he had just swallowed his own tongue. "Since you're hard at hearing, I'll say it again…the man who will be Pirate King is me!"

It was quieter than the last time he said it, but everyone heard Hook all the same. "And if you think that's still a joke, bring down your crew! When I beat 'em bear-handed by myself, we'll see who's laughing! Unless you want the ass-kicking of your life, you'd better take that food, feed your crew, then row your little dinghy the fuck away from me! You step one foot inside this place, and I'll finish what the Grand Line goddamn started!" On that last word, Hook took a single step forward-

KNEELRUNORDIE!

-And Krieg took one big step back. He tried to glare back at Hook but found it was somehow impossible to meet the younger man's eyes. Eventually, he just growled back. "You might talk big, boy…but when I come back, you will be sorry before you are dead." And with that, Krieg turned around (don't ever turn your back to that!) and (not running! Never running!) exited the building.

Sighing, and a little tired now, Hook's knees buckled, just as Zeff came over to catch him. As the chefs were scrambling for weapons, Zeff handed Hook a glass of water. "Here." As the teen guzzled the drink down, the old chef looked at Hook with something almost like interest. "Huh. I never thought I'd see that this far from the Grand Line."

Hook blinked at the man. He tried to speak...but his voice failed him like it'd been ripped from his body! Coughing in shock and discomfort, Zeff gave him more water and waited for the fit to stop. "Hm, figures. It's not there yet. You just got Stage One right now." Hook gave the cryptic old fart a glare as if saying to go on. "Let's just say...there is a power that, if you're serious about going to the Grand Line, it'd be very effective to learn how to use it. You haven't gotten there yet, all you have is its first form. Some people in that ocean call it Degree."

As Zeff got up, leaving more water at the table and leaving Hook with more questions, he walked away and added, "You might just survive that paradise, boy, but if you want to do more than survive...you'd better figure out what it takes to be a True Conqueror."

Hook blinked at the man's back in shock at the word choice. 'A True-!? Wait, does he...' Hook's thoughts trailed off as he recalled an earlier discussion with Shay D and shook his head. 'Forget it. I need to focus on Krieg and his guys. I'll figure this all out later.' Turning back to the table he reached for the pitcher…and looked across the table to see an impressed Zoro, a terrified Ussop, and a starry-eyed Silk.

"Heh...sorry about...scaring you guys." Hook spoke, but his voice came out rough sounding, like sandpaper.

Zoro grinned wider. "That was more thrilling than anything else!"

"S-s-s-s-speak for yourself!" Ussop looked near to fainting. "It was like a demon was roaring in my ear! It shook me to the bones!"

"Yeah…" Silk said with a light hitch in her voice and a little color in her cheeks. Then, she asked, "Can you do it again?" Ussop finally just dope slapped her.

Hook chuckled, before noting someone missing. "Has anyone seen Nami?"

Ussop and Silk looked at each other. "Uh…" Silk scratched her head. "She hasn't come back from the Merry…"

Hook looked down at the tablecloth, thinking about a particular event from a few days ago...

Of course, you are…you're just concerned…I get it. You solve a few people's problems; you think everyone has problems. I'm not some damsel – if I'm in trouble, I can handle it!

'Just what is it you're trying to handle?'

Ussop grabbed his attention by tapping the table. "Hey, Hook! Why're ya thinking so hard?"

"…Just worried, I guess. Ussop and Silk, check on Nami, Johnny, and Yosaku. I can handle things here."

Silk suddenly looked uneasy like she immediately grasped what Hook wasn't saying. "By handle…?"

He nodded back, throat still aching. "I'm gonna keep my promise...and beat Krieg single-handedly!"

"WHAT!? That's mad!/WHAT! Why can't I fight!?" Ussop and Silk had two very different reactions, whereas Zoro…

"Heh, don't think you can tell me what to do! I still haven't fought anyone in a bit! These guys might be weak, but it's something!"

"That's fine for now." Hook got up, feeling a little better; as Silk and Ussop headed for the Merry, Hook met Zeff and the other Chefs prepared for battle on the dock facing Krieg's sailing wreck. "Hey...old man," Hook coughed and cleared his throat, starting to sound like his old self again. "If I can beat Krieg without anyone dying, you break my debt. Good deal, right?"

Zeff just laughed and shook his head. "Frankly, kid, your friends had some niches that helped them fit in here. But not a single one of you can cook, clean, fix, or bus without starting something! You, leaving after this mess is over? Most sense you've made since I met you."

Hook nodded, just as Krieg's men roared and howled, with renewed energy. 'Yep, Zeff's cooking did the trick. So...Krieg, a well-armored and hardened pirate who failed to even enter the Grand Line successfully, was sending an army against some chefs! Unfortunately, what he didn't factor in,' Hook thought as he cracked his knuckles and stretched into a fighting stance, 'is that his bad luck would put him right in my-'

"Hook! Come quick!"

"Huh? Usso-!"

CHING!

And in the blink of an eye, that one sound was a signal for the world to turn upside down...

...as Krieg's galleon, his flagship, the last survivor of his whole fleet…suddenly fell in half like a knife from God had cut it!

As Hook's jaw dropped, and Sanji's clenched hard enough to cut through his cig, Ussop finally showed up, not even acknowledging the spectacle of the chopped ship! "Hook, come quick! It's Nami-she took the Merry!"

...what?

'Shitshitshit.' Hook frowned at the sudden reversal of fortune. 'This is too much at once! Ship sinking, people drowning, Nami missing – gah! Focus, focus!' Hook slapped himself, much to Ussop's shock, snapping out of his internal fret-fest. "Alright! Ussop, get Silk here! We need to fish those guys out of the water!"

Ussop nodded. "Right, we need to – what what what! Why are saving the guys about to attack us!?"

Hook looked at him like he was an idiot. "Because I want to! Now get her here!" That was enough to get Ussop to sprint back around the corner. While he was doing that, Hook cast out Cat-Catch Wire as far as he could, with as much iron as he could Summon. It's not much, but in a short amount of time, about 10 of the drenched bastards were saved from the watery depths by Hook.

One of them spoke up, "I...don't get it! ...Why-?"

"Yeah, yeah, you don't know why I'm saving you. It's because I chose to, stop making it a thing. And there you are!" Hook's last comment was directed at Ussop and Silk…with Yosaku supported on their shoulders, his nose bleeding.

"Yosaku!" Zoro, who had been shaking with excitement when Krieg's vessel fell in half, for some reason, quickly ran over to his brother. "What the hell happened!? Who did this?"

As he spat out some blood, Yosaku grimaced in pain. "Damn. I was this close to winning! Everyone I'm sorry…but your ship's been hijacked!"

A few minutes earlier…

Nami was facing the sea as leaned on the rail of the Merry, back in her regular clothes. In her hands was Johnny's bounty list. On the page, she was looking at-

Welcome back, my cherished map maker! SHAHAHAHA!

Nami closed her eyes and suppressed a shiver. When she opened them again, he was still there. Just a picture, but that fierce grin could not be toned down by being just a picture… For a week, for one beautiful week…she forgot he was even a thing. She never forgot her family, her home! But somewhere, between golden axes and choppable clowns, between rotten butlers and brave warriors…between meeting her goal and…meeting new friends, he was never in mind, not once motivating her every action.

That had felt really nice.

But then, when Johnny and Yosaku had dropped their bounties earlier, and she saw his face, everything came rushing back…and she felt guilty. Guilty that her sister was the buffer for the town's ire, guilty that they were under his thumb, while she was gallivanting around the East. Guilty that she wasn't doing everything to avenge her memory-!

"Oi! Big sis Nami!" Johnny came up to the deck and yelled, making Nami flinch, but only slightly. "Hm? Why do you have my bounty list?"

"No reason," she lied easily. "Just curious."

When Johnny reached her and saw the picture she was looking at, he blanched a bit. "That's the high-risk section, I wouldn't bother. Even Zoro might have trouble with those guys!"

Nami heard him say more, but she ignored him; 'Even Zoro, eh?' With that thought, a plan came to mind; all she needs was the treasure and Kuro's bounties. That should put her over the top! (a plan Ussop would be proud of! …right?) Okay, so it would involve betraying them, they might never forgive her (Silk would be all, "It's cool, Red! You spent it for a worthy cause!"), but come on! It's for the best! It's not like they could-

One day, I will follow in his footsteps and become a brave warrior of the sea just like him! That is something I'll never lie about!

…They could never really-

I WANT TO LEAVE AN IMPACT!

…They…they can't-

We're your friends! You don't need to ask! I promise you, if anything – anyone! – is putting you in danger, we'll be there in seconds to tear it up!

Nami didn't realize she was crying until Johnny said something. She dropped the bounties and covered her mouth to muffle herself. She finally understood what she was feeling, an emotion she'd had to fake for so long it was almost forgotten – happiness.

For the first time in her dreams, she didn't see that monster looming over her, webbed hand reaching out to take more; she saw Ussop making him vomit with a Nausea Star, or Silk smacking him with Dorado, or Hook grabbing that wrist and casually breaking it while discussing what new level of insanity he had planned that day. For the first time, since she was a child, she did not fear Arlong!

With that thought, a new plan came to mind, a simple one: tell them. Tell them everything. Even if it hurts, tell them the truth. About Cocoyashi, about her thieving…even about Bellemere. Even if they never speak to her again, they have to know.

"Wha-Big Sis! Are you all right!?" Yosaku came up next to Johnny, who was just looking helplessly unable to abate the tears.

Nami laughed, watery and honest, looking lighter than she had in years, as she wiped her eyes. "I-it's fine…or it will be." She began walking back to the Baratie, the pair following close behind. "I've got to meet up with…" She paused and looked at them both. "Wait, who's watching Kuro?"

Johnny looked at Yosaku and frowned. "Bro, I thought you would keep watching them!"

Yosaku held up his hands. "I was! But that girl somehow knew I would need a smoke break! She sure is nice…" As a blissful smile crossed his face, Nami's face paled.

"Um…what girl?" There's no way – why would she even-

"Oh! That purple-haired one that said she knew you!" Johnny spoke since Yosaku was still stuck in dreamland. "She even described you to a T. Hey! Get back down there, and do your damn job!" Johnny shoved Yosaku toward the storeroom door, shaking him from his trance.

"Alright, alright! Geez!" Yosaku stomped out his cigarette, as he walked to the door.

Nami's eyes widened. "No! Stop! Don't-"

The door flew off its hinges, knocking Yosaku across the deck and into the ocean!

Johnny barely had time to react, before a pressure appeared on his throat in the form of a chokehold. This might be the first time his weakness was justified; Kuro was exceptionally fast, after all.

Nami already snapped out her staff, taking a defensive stance. She was about to yell for backup, but the click of a gun hammer silenced her before she could begin. "Not one sound. Or I will fire." Carina stepped out of the dark storeroom, a look of cool apathy on her face. Flanking her, was Jango on one side and Siam on the other; behind her, Butchie ducked down to avoid hitting his head on the overhang.

Carina, eyes never leaving a fuming Nami, told Butchie to unmoor the ship and Jango to stand by for steering. Nami glanced over at Johnny, barely conscious in Kuro's grasp. 'Well, this is a fine mess,' Nami silently thought as she looked around to assess the situation she found herself in. 'Okay, slowly leaving the Baratie, putting a lot of ocean between the only people that could un-FUBAR this whole situation; time to distract and reorganize.' With that, Nami decided to calmly inquire as to what was going on. "What in the Hell do you think you're doing, you bitch?!" ...with a totally healthy amount of anger thrown in for good measure.

Carina faintly smiled, but it was only a mask; Nami saw that smile in the mirror very often – the kind that means you're running. "Nami, why so hostile? We're old friends, aren't we? You should be happy to help me get the Hell out of East Blue."

'What?' Nami just pushed that to the side, she only needed to keep talking…while Nami inched to Yosaku's dropped sword. "Get out of East Blue? Where else would you go!?"

Carina smiled wider; she was really scared. "The one place even creeps like Mad Treasure wouldn't chase me down…the Grand Line!"

Nami faked shock; she was only half-listening. "Mad Treasure? Funny, when you left me to be killed by him, I figured you were scot-free."

She laughed like Nami had told a great joke; the redhead paused in her movements to gape at the mood change. 'Dear God, she's unhinged!'

When she calmed down, Carina fixed Nami with a look that crossed fearful and deranged. "Scot-free!? It didn't feel scot-free when I busted my butt to help you and got caught again for my troubles!"

Nami blinked at that because that was not how she remembered the story. "You…never helped me…"

"Wrong, you conclusion-jumping harpy! Or did you forget when I sailed in and 'mocked you,' and Mad Treasure came rushing after me instead!?"

Nami, now completely forgetting the sword, looked at Carina, really looked, and only saw something...broken behind her eyes. "Carina…what happened to you?"

That question caught her off-guard; she lowered her gun a bit…

WHAM!

And Nami got knocked to her knees, Butchie moving when she hadn't been paying attention, and hitting her square in the jaw! As she fell, Butchie kicked her staff away, and Kuro clucked his tongue. "She was clearly distracting you. Don't go messing this up!"

As Butchie, tied Nami's hands up, Carina glared at Kuro. "Don't go lecturing me! I wasn't the moron tied up in the ship of the guy who beat me!"

A dangerous silence settled over the deck as Kuro's eyes visibly darkened. "Maybe, your words would be used to better effect through a broken jaw!" Kuro growled.

"Broken jaw!" A voice behind Kuro made him turn around; after all, the only thing behind him was the sea…and a colorful parrot just sitting on the railing. "Better effect!"

Butchie finished Nami's knots, then leered at the bird. "Heh! Look, cap'n! Some stupid bird agrees with ya!" He stalked over, rotating his shoulder. "Been a while since I could move. Maybe a little Cat & Canary play will loosen me up!" He leaped at the macaw screaming, "Any last words, Polly!?"

The bird opened its beak-

BOOM!

And a fist-sized musket ball plowed into Butchie's face! The body, still in motion, flew over the side, and right into the water. As a new type of silence filled the air, the bird actually gave a smug grin, before flying over to land on Carina's shoulder, nuzzling her head. "Not Polly! Iago."

Siam was absolutely speechless. He growled ready to rip Carina apart-

"Siam." Kuro calmly caught his attention. "Keep an eye on our prisoner. Don't want her running."

Siam made to growl at Kuro, realized how karmically bad that idea would be, and settled for shooting a dirty look at Carina.

As for the woman in question, she fed Iago a grape, before looking at Nami again. "So, aren't you gonna ask why I'm doing all this?"

Nami fixed her with a 'are you serious?' look. It was very clear that whatever happened to the girl robbed her of even basic decency. "If you want to fucking gloat about your plan, feel free." Seeing Carina flinch from the well-earned barb, Nami tried to soften her glare and tone, hoping to appeal to what humanity she had left at this point; failing that, at least guilt Carina into throwing her overboard. "Look, I'm sorry for whatever happened, but I DON'T CARE! I'm DONE RUNNING AWAY! My friends, my crew, will come…and you, Kuro, even Arlong are gonna get creamed! Just think for a minute! I know Mad Treasure was bad, but-"

"You don't know any goddamned thing!" she screeched, crossing the distance, to shove her pistol into her chest.

Iago flew overhead, crying "Don't Know! Don't Know!"

"Mad Treasure, Arlong, that little piss-pot waiter! They're all the same! Real power, terrifying limits, and no control! If one of them wants to constantly strangle you over and over to the brink of death, what's stopping them!? If one wanted to destroy whole villages, do you think the Marines are gonna be there to stop them or pick up the pieces!?"

"And you think the Grand Line is safer!?" Nami countered.

"It might be full of monsters, but at least there are balances!" she stepped back breathing heavy. "I'll find a big name and hide under him! By the time Mad Treasure or your freak boyfriend find me, I'll be too big to touch, too far to reach!"

It was clear to Nami that she was losing this. "You don't have to do this! We can help you take him down!"

Carina turned away, looking at the sea, her shoulders slumping. "Like they would help me if I ask just ask…"

"You…" Nami sighed, realizing the irony of the situation. "You wouldn't have to ask…"

Carina tensed for a second, pinched the bridge of her nose, and then turned back to Nami with watery eyes. "…Well, it's too late now. We're going to Cocoyashi. If you don't need your treasure, I'll just hold onto it. You try and steer me wrong-"

"You'll shoot me?" Nami had been threatened a lot of times; this bit was par for the course-

Until Carina aimed at Johnny and Kuro. "No. I'll shoot him." Johnny immediately paled. Before anything else was said, they heard a splash! Iago squawked. "Stowaway! Man overboard!"

Carina ran over, Kuro following as he dragged Johnny with him. "Shit! The ugly green guy was holding onto the hull this whole time!? We have to-"

That was when Krieg's ship fell in half, and the water around the Baratie bulged. Only Kuro glanced at the destruction with any measure of calmness. "Leave him. We move quickly enough, them knowing isn't going to be an issue."

As he walked over to check on Jango, Nami heard the wayward thief mutter, "Like I'll listen to a man who flopped a three-year plan."


A/N: So, remember all those canon-divergent events? Time to cash in~