Following our choice to choose the Fauna Pirates and their captain, Mary, we sailed quietly on the seas of the Grand Line to the island of Qaralzu, which is the location of their last known sighting.

I was partially navigating the boat. Partially as in, we had an Eternal Pose to the island, so we didn't have to deal with the ridiculousness of trying to sail the Grand Line. All I had to do was make sure the ship stayed on the correct path to the island

I was currently near the front of the boat, essentially meditating. I was sitting in a relaxed, yet focused position. My legs were crossed, and my hands were resting on my upper thighs.

I still had my durag wrapped over my eyes, but my ears were free to listen to the crashing waves of the water. I took a deep breath and thought about consciously activating my Kenbunshoku Haki.

I took a deep breath and surveyed my surroundings. I didn't sense anything. Either the range of my Haki was too small to sense anything, or I wasn't successful in activating it. I took another breath, before trying again. I slowly focused on the feeling within my body.

I listened subtly to pick out any noises that weren't the water. I focused on the feeling of my skin, feeling the currents of air that swirled around me from the ocean. I sniffed the air, trying to pick out any distinguishing smells other than the salty smell of the Grand Line seas.

However, as many times as I tried to sense any presence, intent, or emotion, I was unsuccessful. I decided that was enough for today. I already just unlocked Kenbunshoku Haki today, there's no need to train it already.

Plus, according to Rayleigh, Haki grows stronger in the heat of battle rather than through repeated training. I was already heading to an upcoming battle, so I already had that on my plate.

So, I just sat there on the deck. After a bit, I realized I was kind of bored. I had no Nakama, and I didn't own any possessions from the real world. Usually, I'd listen to songs on my phone, or read something I had on hand, but I didn't have any of that. The only books I had were on Navigation, and the only things in my bag were just clothes, hygiene things, and some minor snacks.

However, I remembered I currently lived in a world as varied in technology, climate, and culture as One Piece. I decided to use this time to reflect on my time in this world.

I remember my time in West Blue with the married Bakers, 'Cocoa and Vanilla. I wonder how they're doing. I didn't get Cardamom until I reached Las Camp, and they didn't own one. I should probably head back there at some point.' I remembered my time on the hill. I was trying to learn Soru that day, which is now ironic as that skill is second nature to me at this point. I also remember Vanilla showing me Geppo. He was a Marine Lieutenant Commander if I remember correctly. He saw his boss using that technique and tried to learn it himself.

I believe I left and set sail for Springwind Island. I think I got there and immediately started hunting. I hunted a guy name Reggie, who was my first bounty collected. And then, I went crazy with training. I spent two months learning hand-to-hand combat and how to navigate, all while hunting down a bunch of pirates for their bounties.

Eventually, I became known enough amongst pirates, that my name spread to the Grand Line. Baroque Works got wind of my name, and here I am, with a Devil Fruit, a ship, and a partner.

Speaking of devil fruits, I should probably get used to using it before applying it to combat. Or get used to having one in general.

I closed my eyes and focused on the core of my being, searching for that feeling that I had last time. It felt like my body was wavering or slightly shifting. Once, I found it, I decided to fully transform into beast mode.

My view changed quickly. The world around me got larger as I transformed and went down onto all fours. My nose smelled the salty seas much more strongly and the sound of the waves became louder and much clearer. I settled into beast form and tried to take a step forward, but it felt weird. I could still do it, but it was slippery and clumsy. If anything, I could compare it to trying to learn how to wear high heels or walk on stilts.

I decided to take a good look at my paw, and it was white. 'She never mentioned that I was a white tiger at the hotel. I guess this fruit is the Cat-Cat Fruit: Model Bengal Tiger. Or maybe it Model Siberian Tiger, as both of those species had those pigment mutations.' But honestly, that didn't matter. As long as I got the usually Zoan buffs.

I tried walking around the deck some more, trying to improve my balance. It was weird walking on all fours, but it felt sort of natural. I decided to just stay in this form for a while, and maybe mess around

Around 3 hours of sailing later, we eventually reached Qaralzu safely. Ms. Saturday came out of the cabin, and I transformed back into my regular human form.

"Alright, we're looking for this 'Mary, The Thorn.' Can you show me what she looks like again?"

She rubbed her hand down her face in annoyance, "Here she looks like this?"

Looking at the bounty, she was a remarkably average-looking individual. She had short dark hair and grey eyes. The only thing that stood out about her was her rose-red cowboy hat with a crown of thorns surrounding the brim.

I slightly untucked my holster and stretched my body, "Alright, got it. Are you ready?"

Ms. Saturday stretched and then unsheathed her needle sword, all while tying a loop of wire around the hilt. "I am. Are you?"

"Hell yeah. Let's go!" And with that, we were off.

Initially, were running off side-by-side, but we decide that we would cover more ground if we split up. I was responsible for the east side of town, while she was responsible for the west and we agreed to meet up in around 15 minutes. I dashed off with Soru and began looking.

Ms. Saturday was currently running through Qaralzu, looking all over for Mary. She occasionally stopped over a civilian, showed them the bounty, and asked them if they have seen her. Most of the time, they answered no with no hint of lying, while some answered yes, but not recently.

She leaped and swung from area to area using her needle and thread, repeating the process over again. She even went into every tavern and bar on the west part of the city with little success, but she wouldn't yield.

Currently, she was down to her last place. Quick-Star Bar. It was the only place she hadn't checked, and she honestly needed some water.

She entered the Bar and looked around. She sat down on a stool at the bar, and just ordered a large mug of ice water.

"Here's you water ma'am." The bartender said as he passed it to her.

"Thank you." She rasped out as she took a sip of the water.

She then proceeded to chug down the entire mug of water and placed it back down on the counter, along with some Beri. She began cooling off and felt hydrated once again. She decided to take in her surroundings again to see if she could find anything.

All of a sudden she saw something red move out of the corner of her eye. She whipped her head around, and there she was: Mary, The Thorn in the corner with some of her crewmates.

'This is it. There they are.'

She got up from her seat, grabbed a hand on her sheath, and slowly made her way over there. 'Alright, all I gotta do is incapacitate her and her crewmates, and this fundraiser will be over. She alone is worth 95 million Beri, but her first mate is also worth 30 million, and her cook is also worth 10 million. '

Ms. Saturday crept up around 10 feet away from Mary's booth and began.

"Thread Style, Second Form: Stitch Erasure."

She dashed forward at high speeds ready to land a clean horizontal slice to incapacitate Mary and finish off her goons.

That's not what happened. Instead, Mary exploded and Ms. Saturday's world turned green.

Mary exploded into a wild frenzy of vines and started causing as much destruction as humanly possible. She picked up people, stools, tables, and bottles of alcohol and began smashing them into each other, as well as throwing them across the Bar.

Fortunately, Ms. Saturday managed to avoid the grasp of the vines. She took a step back for another attack.

"Thread Style, Fifth Form: Wooly Wild Dance."

She leaped off the ground with her needle in hand, and bounced off the ceiling and walls rapidly, slicing any vines in the way. People fell to the ground grunting in pain, tables and chairs broke on the floor, and alcohol spilled everywhere.

Ms. Saturday refocused her aim on Mary and surged forward.

"Thread Style: First Form: Needle Point."

She accelerated forward, with her hand and weaponed outstretched, and pierced Mary in the shoulder. She wanted to keep her alive, so as not to get a 30% reduction.

The force from the attack was so great, that it caused a large hole in the wall and launched both Mary and Ms. Saturday outside.

Mary was a bit away from Ms. Saturday, so she quickly tried to escape. Unfortunately, she wasn't lucky enough to escape.

"Thread Style, Second Form: Stitch Erasure!"

Ms. Saturday dashed forward and landed a clean horizontal slash along Mary's back, but she didn't back down. She decided to take another step.

"Thread Style, Second Form Follow-up: Stitch Shift!"

She then continued her needle, and cut her with a rising slash leaving another slash along Mary's back, this time vertical. There were now two bleeding slashes on Mary's back. Unfortunately, she now bore the Coward's Scar.

And she was pissed.

I had been looking all over for Ms. Saturday. It had been 15 minutes since we began looking for our target, and she hasn't shown up. I began dashing all around the place looking for her in the western part of the island. She was nowhere to be found, but I continued looking anyways.

It wasn't until suddenly, a bunch of people started running away from something that I knew where I had to go. I ran against the stream of people and followed the chaos back to its source.

At the end of the road was a row of houses, and it was destroyed. Green vines were covering the place like fries smothered in ketchup or that of a spider's web, and I could only see a silver blur zipping around and cutting the vines.

"Ms. Saturday."

I used Soru to get over there as fast as I possibly could.

Ding!

Rokushiki Technique #1 Soru Lv. (10/20) → (11/20)

I leaped up into the air with Geppo and transformed into hybrid mode. I then proceeded to spiral in the air firing off a bunch of wind blades with Rankyaku.

The compressed wind blades sliced a bunch of the vines off of the surrounding area, and I guess who I found? Mary herself.

Mary, Fauna Pirates Captain; Vine Human, Lv. 27

Gunning for her was Ms. Saturday with her needle drawn, and ready to slash her. However, Ms. Saturday was unaware of the extra vine from above, readying to slam down on her.

I used Soru to dash forward and used Geppo at the same time to gain some air. I was approaching Mary, who was suspended with her vines, at a high speed, so I did the most appropriate thing possible. Attack.

"Dynamic Entry!"

I hit Mary in the back of her head with a flying kick, which sent her tumbling through the air, and interrupted the attack. Ms. Saturday was unfazed, and just rebounded off a building, and went straight for Mary again.

I ran alongside her and thought of a plan.

"Alright! How about a little teamwork? When you swing, I swing and when I swing, you swing. Seems fair?"

Ms. Saturday got into a striking position. "Sure, why not?"

Mary generated a bunch of vines from her body which came rushing at us. I weaved through them with Geppo, them up with Rankyaku and my claws, while Ms. Saturday sliced through the vines, with all sorts of varying slashes.

We came down hard on poor Mary. I used Soru and hit her with a combination followed by a headbutt, and then a blow to the face which sent her flying. Flying right to Ms. Saturday, who followed up with a volley of slashes and thrusts.

Then both Ms. Saturday and I got into close-range quarters. We kept throwing hooks, roundhouses, and all sorts of combinations of punches and kicks, that sent her reeling.

She then threw out a roundhouse kick and hit Mary back to me. It was now my turn.

"Tora no Sky Uppercut!"

*CRITICAL HIT*

I hit her with a powerful uppercut to the stomach, which cause her to spill her guts (luckily not on me), and she was sent tumbling through the air. She landed off onto a distance street.

Ms. Saturday and I followed her from the ground as she landed on the side of the road. Somehow, on sheer fucking will, she stood up and leaned against a building coughing out blood.

Ding!

WARNING: Your opponent just awakened their Devil Fruit

No matter what, I had a job to do.

While she was spitting out blood and teeth, she turned the whole row of houses into vines and sent them all surging at us again from multiple directions.

I grabbed Ms. Saturday and leaped through the air with Kamisori. I weaved and zigzagged through the vines, as they sped up and chased me down. Then, they grew large, sharp thorns and began to speed up.

I fired off Rankyakus while moving while holding on to Ms. Saturday, but some of the vines shredded the side of my torso and stung my leg, even though I sensed them coming. I decided to make a quick action.

"Here we go!"

I then grabbed Ms. Saturday and threw her toward Mary. She landed near her and began to engage while I still weaved around the vines. I cut the rest of them down with Rankyaku.

I landed a couple of meters away from Mary with my gun in my hand, and with Ms. Saturday behind her. I pulled the trigger and shot her twice in each leg. While she was screaming in pain, Ms. Saturday roundhoused the back of her head, finally knocking her out. We were finally done.

Ding!

+2500 EXP

(LEVEL UP! 1200/1900)

Paprika, Bounty Hunter, Lv.19

Health: 170/440

Exp: 1200/1900)

VIT: 44

STR: 55

AGI: 47

INT: 32

LUK: 20

[Skills]: 7

After we quickly tied her up and dipped, we basically collapsed on the slightly chilly deck of the Lengua Del Diablo as the moon shone down on us.

We were sweaty, slightly bloody, and exhausted. We didn't even go after the rest of them. I found their ship and just sank it with a massive Rankyaku. I didn't even have the energy to go after them.

"Hey… I know we're agents,... and have codenames and crap… but I don't care right now. My name is… Paprika,... what's… yours?"

She didn't answer initially, but after some more panting, she answered. "My… name is … Allie"