Episode of Merry

Merry curled around her Heart, the only wood left from her original body nearly cracked in half. Tears glittered from the sunlight above, twinkling into nothingness as the wind from her bubble ripped them away. She had been flying for a day and a half and the loneliness was agonizing. The presences of her crew were a part of her life, as much so as sailing. Their absences ate away at her insides, like a void she never realized her Nakama had filled until they weren't there.

To think she was ready to accept this isolation at the bottom of the sea after Ennies Lobby.

Now that she had a taste of true Nakama, not of being a ship but actually being one of them, she could never go back, which was why this emptiness of her Mantra hurt so much.

They were gone, scattered, lost. It was easier to deal with on Sabaody when they were spread out because she could tell they were on the edge of her range. Someone was always close by, almost there. Now, she was alone. Oceans and islands passed below, but nothing familiar. Sea Kings, ships, and the peoples of islands flashed in her Mantra, but none cured the ache she felt. Damn Kuma.

Through the tears, something pinged in her Mantra, something she hadn't felt in months. A familiar presence that shone like a beacon. Then another and another, two in particular that acted like spotlights on a dark night.

Merry just recognized these signatures as her bubble arched downward, losing some of its speed. A metropolis sprawled before her as she lowered, her course placing her near the highest point of the city. Her mouth opened, the wind whipping away her scream as the Klabautermann crashed into the primary shipyard of Water 7.

Iceberg smiled down on the metropolis of Water 7 from the windows of his rebuilt office, his blue suit a perfect fit. Everything in his office was the same as it had been before the fire, and it had even been restored within a week of the Straw Hats' departure. Of course, Galley-La and Water 7 as a whole had mourned the loss of the shipwrights who died that night including Lucci and Khalifa as well as the deaths caused by the Aqua Laguna such as the bartender Bluno, and Iceberg saw fit not to correct them.

He idly rubbed the head of his newest pet mouse after the passing of Tyrannosaurus. They simply didn't live long enough. This one was named Mammoth on account of his shaggy brown hair, making him look closer to a guinea pig. Perhaps he would live longer if he was fed a Zoan Fruit from a longer-living animal? Perhaps he would try to acquire the next turtle Zoan that passed through?

Iceberg shook his head, returning to his thoughts of the city. The last of the damage from Aqua Laguna had vanished with the repairs weeks ago. Any other city would still be reeling after a storm and sabotage like Water 7 sustained, but they weren't the home of the world's best shipwrights for nothing. And with Kaku's full cooperation, they'd only gotten better.

It had been a rocky few weeks for the ex-assassin when he returned, begging for a chance at redemption on hands and knees, but the other shipwrights slowly came around with Iceberg's support of the man. Since then, the long-nosed Zoan had been teaching his co-workers some of the legendary Six Powers that could help with their work. Off the top of his head, he knew Tilestone took a liking to Iron Body and Lulu had learned to use Finger Pistol with his ever-present cowlick... somehow. Paulie worked well with Shave and was trying his best to learn Moonwalk, all the better to escape his debt collectors.

The powers offered by Kaku, both those he taught and those of his Fruit, cut ship production time down by a quarter, allowing Dock 1 to pump out ships faster with no drop in quality. It was some nice publicity when the statistics there made it into the paper.

If only their greatest accomplishment could've been advertised beyond a vague Wanted poster, he lamented. Business would've gone through the metaphorical roof if the world knew they were able to turn a loved ship into a person. Granted, such a ship usually belonged to pirates and there was a lot of build-up Galley-La couldn't control, but it's the possibility that would've brought people in. The quality would've sold the ships for themselves.

Of course, the event was fascinating to witness despite its secretive nature. The klabautermann in question, Going Merry, had helped them learn that a ship's spirit is borne from and infused into the very materials of the ship, but not necessarily connected to it. When a piece was burned, Merry would gain a burn from the process unless she consciously drew her essence out of the piece, but only if that piece was smaller than the rest. It appeared the klabautermann could only localize herself in the greatest part of the 'ship' rather than anything smaller. Yet, anything added to the ship became part of the whole.

Lulu likened it to a robot. If one built a robot then replaced one of the hands, it was still the same robot. Iceberg liked to compare it to Cutty Flam. Though he replaced most of his body with metal parts piece by piece, he was still the same goofball Iceberg had grown up with. Only in this case, the body became less physical and more a kind of physical spirit.

In the distance, a light streaked in from the sky, falling into the island. The floor did not shake and there was no sign of any widespread damage, so it certainly wasn't a meteor or something like that.

He waited a few minutes before, predictably, his newest secretary entered. She was a woman that stood eye-level with Iceberg, one of her blue eyes hidden from view by curly pink bangs. The rest of her long, curly hair was tied into a messy bun. Despite one of her eyes being hidden, she wore a pair of thick-rimmed glasses. Finally, she was clad in a tight-fitting business suit.

"Well?"

"It appears a little girl crashed into Dock 1," his secretary answered, never looking up from her tablet. One could tell she was raised in the Grand Line by the lack of confusion at the statement. "According to the current report, she fell out of the sky, crashing into the galleon being made for the Bearded Dragon Pirates, which was finished half an hour ago and sold, making it no longer our responsibility. It was just moving to the water when the event occurred, the pirates demanding we repair it. Tilestone told them it would cost extra, causing the pirates to become violent and attack the girl who fell. Kaku quickly jumped in to assist her, making the other foremen join. The battle is ongoing."

"Well, clear my schedule for the day, Ms. Smoke. I would like to see this."

"I already have, sir."

"Well, amazing." Iceberg turned, walking toward the door. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were a spy. You're far too good at your job."

Ms. Smoke chuckled nervously.

The Bearded Dragon Pirates were a vicious pirate crew worth a total of 59 million Beris between three bounties. They had raided a Marine base in the South blue before crossing into the Grand Line and had since raided five smaller island. They based their name from the long beards each member boasted, the defining feature of each downed form on the floor of Dock 1. If the shipwrights were violent to the point of homicide like the pirates, it would have been a slaughter. The only standing member of the pirates was their captain Jaune Rusoe. He was using his Devil Fruit powers, in a hybrid form between a human and, surprisingly, a dilophosaurus. The only reason he had a beard was the one he grew as a human, hanging down to his naval. He bared his teeth at the foremen and little girl, the flaps of skin from his transformation flaring around his face in a way that looked more stupid than intimidating.

"This is bloody nonsense! Whot's the meanin' of beatin' us to a bloody pulp when it's that girl that broke everythin'? You Galley-La blokes should fix my Elder Lizard at once!"

"My apologies, sir," the shipwright with the long nose responded. "I'm afraid as of 27 and a half minutes ago, the galleon is no longer ours. It is yours, so the damages do not concern us unless you wish to pay for the repairs."

"You mean the insurance we bought doesn't cover it?"

"Unfortunately, you purchased the standard Grand Line package, which covers storms, cannonballs, battle damage, Marine and pirate attacks, and sea kings, but the damage here falls under the Sentient Missile addition, which you opted out of."

"That's a load o' rubbish!"

"Sorry, grandpa," the little girl muttered, trying to act sweet by pouting and swinging her red dress side to side. "I didn't mean to break your boat."

Jaune would have bought it if he hadn't watched the girl pummel his gunner like a punching bag a minute ago, literally beating the snot out of him before headbutting the man with her horns. Said useless man was crumpled at her feet.

"You should respect yer elders, lass," Jaune Rusoe growled. "Else it gets ya this. Acid Spray!"

Like the name implied, the captain spat a spray of acid toward the girl, her and the long-nosed shipwright dodging out of the way. The acid continued in its arc, splashing against the haul of the Elder Lizard, the wood sizzling.

"HOW DISRESPECTFUL!" Tilestone yelled, jumping toward the hybrid. "STONE SMACKDOWN!"

While the bearded pirate was fast enough to avoid the tall man who cratered the ground where he'd been standing, he was not fast enough to dodge the sudden giraffe or ball of rope that attacked him from either side.

"Hoof Palm Strike!"

"Rigging Art: Gordian's Knot!"

Jaune stumbled away, muttering about tea, crumpets, and stars before faceplanting alongside his compatriots, out cold.

"RAH!" Tilestone roared from his man-shaped crater. "I CAN'T BELIEVE I MISSED!"

"Cool off, big man," Kaku sighed, his giraffe form fading away. "Just 'cause you know Iron Body now don't mean you're perfect with it. Gotta fall before you fly."

"Speaking of falling," Paulie cut it, turning to Merry. "That was a damn fine Rope Action you used there, squirt."

"Thanks, Mr. Paulie!"

"Now... HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET HERE?!"

"Oh that's easy," Merry smiled. "I fell! I got... smacked... by... b-by..." Merry couldn't finish her sentence, the question causing her to realize why, and most importantly that, she had been separated from her Nakama. "I... I-I... wuaaahhhhh!"

The foremen of Galley-La's Dock 1 stared at the crying little girl before them, said girl falling to her knees while balling her eyes out. None of them knew what to do. They were paid to work with ships, not kids. ...Even if the kid before them was a ship.

Semantics weren't going to help here!

"Now look what you did," Kaku muttered.

"Don't give me that shit, Long-Neck! You don't have some crazy assassin training for this?"

"Of course not! We didn't target kids! Khalifa and Kumodori always took care of this stuff!"

"Something traumatic obviously happened," Lulu pointed out, pushing some nosehairs back into place while another cowlick poked out from the side of his head. "You don't suppose the Straw Hats are dead, do you?"

"NO WAY! THOSE GUYS ARE WAY TOUGH!"

"Tilestone is right," Kaku agreed. "Those cool cats have more than nine lives and the luck of the devil. I'm betting they got split up somehow."

"Well, duh," Paulie grunted. "We've got one here."

"WHAT DO WE DO? WE CAN'T HANDLE CRYING! THAT ISN'T FIXED WITH NAILS AND PRESSURE-TREATED WOOD!"

"I mean, I could use my Rope Action to-"

"NO!"

"Well, what is the meaning of this?" Iceberg demanded, walking into the scene despite the fact he was supposed to be meeting with the mayors of the neighboring islands, whom he had invited to the island via sea-train. "Oh, Merry. I was just thinking about you."

"Iceberg," Kaku greeted. "Ms. Smoke."

"Kaku," the secretary responded with a small smile.

"M-Mr. Iceberg," the klabautermann sniffed.

"You know this girl?" Ms. Smoke asked, Merry getting up on wobbly legs to run toward the mayor. She all but tackled his kneeling form, her fists holding large handfuls of his suit while her tears leaked down the cloth. Merry let out her misery as she soaked in the familiar presence of the reason she was still alive.

"Easy, Merry," Iceberg muttered, giving the girl soothing headpats. "Well, it's ok. You're safe here."

"B-B-But my crew," she cried. "They... They're... They're all gone! I d-don't know where they are! They're alive, but...!"

"Shhh," the man soothed, lulling the girl into a sense of calm that sapped her adrenaline-fueled energy. "Rest now. You're safe here." Her form wavered as Merry passed into sleep, finally becoming incorporeal and leaving behind her clothing, Heart, and far too much rope.

"Sorry, what?" the secretary gasped, her boss reaching into the clothing to free a wooden heart with a crack running almost all the way through it.

"I've heard of separation causing a broken heart," Kaku began, "but that's a little on the nose."

"Like you're one to talk about noses," Paulie scoffed.

"Now that's just rude," the ex-assassin rebuffed. "At least try to have more tact than a bull in a China shop."

"WHAT'S THE CALL, BOSS-MAN?" Tilestone roared.

"Well, until further notice, Going Merry is under the care of Galley-La. Her presence here is a secret and any leaks to our rivals or the Marines will be fired with extreme prejudice. Kaku, take the girl to the safe house and send word to Granny Kokoro. Everyone else, get back to work."

"Yes, sir!"

Merry materialized within her clothes inside a bed. The first thing that registered to her was the softness of the sheets, said sheets feeling almost like sheep's wool. The only light in the room was a candle-shaped nightlight on the far wall and moonlight from a window to her right. The walls and the sheets were the same color as Sunny's railing and there were two people quietly talking at the foot of her bed. Slowly, the klabautermann shifted to get their attentions, Kaku and Ms. Smoke turning to look at her.

"Merry, Merry, Merry," Kaku muttered, shaking his head with a smile. "What're we 'spose to do with you. Ya had us worried sick when ya didn't wake up after those first 24 hours."

"How long have I been asleep?"

"One day, seven hours, sixteen minutes and," Ms. Smoke checked her watch, "52 seconds. I'll send Mr. Iceberg a message telling him you're awake." She clicked away on her tablet quickly before there was a ding! "Oh dear. It seems the Bearded Dragon Pirates have returned and have kidnapped Iceberg. I need to return to work." The rosette stood, making her way to the door quickly.

"Ah, Ms. Smoke," Kaku said, stopping her. "Are we still on for Wednesday?"

"I do not see how this would stop our plans," the woman responded. "I will see you later, Kaku." She left with a wink, Kaku staring at the door.

"Someone's in love~!" Merry taunted, reminding the ex-assassin that she was still there. He threw his arms up defensively.

"What hootenanny are you shoutin'?" he denied. "Ms. Smoke and I have a very professional relationship, I'll have you know."

"Sure," Merry whistled, quirking an eyebrow, "and I'm a marine Vice-Admiral. Come on. Don't lie to me. What plans were you just talking about?"

"It's all purely professional. I'm simply going to instruct Ms. Smoke on the Paper Art style because she asked me to. Then I'm going to treat her to dinner because proper nutrition is important after a workout."

"Kaku, you talk really proper when you're trying to lie."

"Bu...! I-!?"

"Baaahahaha!" Merry laughed, some of the tension leaving her nerves. Thank Goda for Luffy and Zoro's nonchalance or she would be so much worse off that she was. "So who is she?"

"Oh, her name is Reia Smoke, she's Iceberg's newest secretary after the last one up and booked on out. Apparently, not every one of Khalifa's sexual harassment claims was unfounded, but she called it so often it turned into a boy who cried wolf, you know? Reia has lasted this long because she's got some combat training from us and before. Enough to deal with the rifraff around here, anywho."

"That's how you met?"

"Well, that story's a little longer. See, Reia washed up on Scrap Heap Island and the Franky Family found her. They brought her to Galley-La and we played doctor till she was feeling better. She wove us a story about giant snails and cloning that led her here. About that time the last secretary quit, so she jumped in. Not much more to say. It all happened about a month and a bit ago."

"Very well," Merry nodded with a thumbs up. "I approve. Go get her, giraffe!"

"Somehow, I don't think your approval was all that needed," the shipwright deadpanned. "And the phrase is 'Go get her, tiger.'"

"Not for you, it's not. Baaahahaha! Baaahah-ah shit!" Merry cut her laughed short with a curse, grabbing her side. Feeling around under the covers as the sharp pain passed, the fairy pulled out her wooden Heart, the crack in it glaringly obvious.

"Language."

"You sound like Uncle Usopp," she muttered. "How are we gonna fix this?"

"I'm sure Iceberg can pull an idea from that noggin of his," Kaku answered. "Mosey 'round here for a bit. I'll go help the others wrangle up those dragons and get him back. We can talk about how you fell in after we've got your Heart fixed."

"Thanks, Kaku," Merry nodded, the long-nosed man standing and making his exit, leaving Merry alone.

She leaned into the pillows behind her, slowly replaying the Sabaody Saga through her mind. Where did it go wrong? Where were the others? Merry now found herself in the best possible place she could be, and that can't have been a coincidence. Kuma was far too smart to make the mistake of sending a Wood Fairy to the number one shipwrights in the world.

Unless he meant to.

Was everyone else in as good a place as she? Were they ok? Why would Kuma do such a thing? Merry let her mind wander as the night passed.

"That's brilliant!" Merry smiled, holding her brand new Heart. This one was carved out of leftover Adam Wood and affixed to a black choker by a short chain. The process had been relatively simple, the shipwrights carving a box they called the Transfer with a heart carving on one side and space for her new Heart on the other. Merry simply placed her cracked Heart in the first slot and the Transfer became her new "ship". From there, it was just a matter of moving the center of her essence through the Transfer and into the new Heart. "Thanks so much, Iceberg!"

"Well, it wasn't a problem," the man waved off, petting Mammoth in his suit pocket. There were some bandages wrapped around his head, the remains of his kidnapping the night before, but Galley-La handled it just like they said they would. "How long can we expect you to stay?" he asked as the klabautermann replaced her old choker for the new one, giving the man, his secretary, and his foremen a brief glimpse of the jagged scar hidden beneath.

"I'm not sure," Merry answered, locking her Heart in place. "Probably a week or two. I need to find a way back to Sabaody, but some of my crewmates might have ended up in the Blues for all I know. It'll take them a while to get back, assuming Garp and Kuma didn't arrest Captain Luffy and Mrs. Nami."

"Speaking of," Lulu put in, "what landed you here in the first place? Not that you need to tell us! Or cry about it! Seriously, don't cry, please!"

"No, it... it's fine," Merry waved off. "We ended up making something of a mess at the Sabaody Archipelago. Zoro cut a guy he shouldn't have and the Marines fell on us like dominoes. We ended up in a fight with Garp and the Warlord Kuma who sent us flying. Coby was arrested at some point, but Garp has a soft spot for him. He should be fine."

"Well, that's interesting," Iceberg nodded. "You're welcome to stay here and see if any of your crew come through. What will you do until you leave?"

"Well, I was sorta hoping some of you would help train me," Merry whispered, acting as cute as she could. "Learning about ships and the Six Powers would be really helpful."

"Well, ok," the mayor answered before any of his workers had a chance. "We will."

"Thanks so much, Iceberg!"

"So how'd your date go?" Merry giggled as Kaku wandered into the training ground she and Paulie were using to practice their Rope Action/Rigging Arts techniques, a dopey grin on his face. The sun was just passing over the horizon, meaning the man was back about an hour later than he said he would be. The giraffe Zoan's head snapped toward them, his cheeks going aflame.

"It was delightful," he answered, stiff. "We trained for the first couple hours. Ms. Smoke shows a great aptitude for the Paper Art and began working with Moonwalk. Then we separated to clean up before meeting again and going to Ché Safari."

"You mean that fancy restaurant designed after the grasslands of Sahara?" Paulie asked. "That place is crazy expensive!"

"W-Well I told her she could pick anywhere, my treat. I think she just wanted to get a giggle at the look on my face when I saw the giraffe napkin holders. They were adorable."

Merry snorted, trying to stifle a laugh.

"So how did it end?" Paulie pressed, swept into the gossip. "Did you make plans for another go? Exchange a kiss? Come on, I've got money on your answer here."

"I... ah... We did make an exchange, of sort," Kaku began. "Wait, why the Hell am I telling you? That's private! I shant be one to 'kiss and tell' as they say!"

"Aww, come one, Kaku," Merry begged, her eyes widening to enhance her pout. "I hope you got Reia a gift, at least."

"She asked for written instructions on the Six Powers," Kaku answered, "so she could practice in her off time. As a co-worker, it would've been rude to say no. I got it to her faster than a cheetah could say 'shazam'."

"And?" Merry pressed, the long-nosed man muttering something under his breath with a blush. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."

"I said... I got a kiss out of her for it..."

"You sly dog!" Merry cheered, accepting 500 from a grumbling Paulie.

"Don't call me a dog."

"You sly giraffe!" Merry amended. "Sanji would hate you so much right now, getting further than he ever has."

"Yeah, yeah," the man waved off. "Now, how can I-"

Kaku's voice was lost in an explosion in the distance, a mushroom cloud rising from somewhere near the docks. The trio moved instantly, Merry and Paulie using their ropes to launch off the training ground while Kaku took to the air with Moonwalk.

"Holy cheese and crackers!" the Zoan cursed from the air. "It looks like Samson and Sons is on fire!"

"Isn't Smoke's apartment near there?" Paulie asked.

"Shave!" Kaku didn't wait for his companions before vanishing in a blur. Merry and Paulie ran through the streets, jumping over yagaras and swinging past buildings before finally reaching the point of the smoke. A building and the apartment complex next to it were on fire, but it seemed no one was injured based on the chatter of the crowd outside.

"What's going on?" Merry asked, tapping the shoulder of an older woman. She turned.

"I'm not entirely sure," the woman shrugged. "One of the building managers told everyone to get out because of a gas leak, then one of the apartments exploded."

"That's not good," Paulie grumbled. "I'm not seeing Smoke in this crowd."

"I've got something," Merry announced. "I've picked up Kaku and Reia in my Mantra. They're nearing Scrap Heap Island. Fast. Like Shave fast."

"Why?"

"Don't know. Let's find out." Without another word, the duo took off, making their way through the backstreets on the fastest path.

It took them about ten minutes to reach the island, Kaku and Ms. Smoke constantly on the edge of Merry's Mantra. It almost seemed like she was trying to shake him, but she never succeeded. The two slowed to a stop on the island, a massive purple snail looking down on them with half-lidded eyes. Kaku and Ms. Smoke were staring each other down, the woman wearing a knee-length lavender dress and flanked by three men each with a color scheme. One was red, one blue, and the last green. Smoke's pink extensions laid on the ground at her feet, showing her real hair was the same color but shoulder-length and straight.

"Really, Sis?" the man in green scoffed. "Usually you're so good about faking your death. Now we've got witnesses."

"Like the Transport Snail with the big 66 isn't obvious," she shot back.

"You got what we needed, right?" Red grunted.

"What do you take me for, Ichi, an armature?" Ms. Smoke scoffed, waving a few pieces of paper. She turned to the rival group, raising her voice. "Sorry, Ka-kun! I totally used you, but the double-cross wasn't personal. And I did have fun today. Maybe we'll do this again?"

"I don't think I'm catching your drift," Kaku responded, his eyes narrowing. "Have dinner again, or you betray the folks that took care of you again?"

"Dinner?" Blue asked, sending a side glance at the pink-haired woman. "Ka-kun?"

"To be fair," Reia noted, ignoring her brother, "the whole set-up was staged. I was never injured."

"Get on with it," Green sighed.

"You can handle this talk yourself," Red said, jumping up onto the back of the giant snail with the flutter of a cape with a big 1 stamped on it. Blue quickly followed him, his own 2 cape showing.

"I don't want to fight you, Reia," Kaku said, easing into a fighting stance. "Please don't make me."

"Aww, how sweet," the woman purred, "but you've gone soft in your retirement, Kaku of CP9. That or I was never on your Wanted list, which would make me feel insulted. Perhaps this will help?" She raised her arm, a can of some sort in hand that she brought down to her midsection. There was a flash of light as her cloths changed before the shipwrights' and pirate's eyes, dressing her in a short, pink dress with butterfly-like wings. Each corner had a golden band in a purple circle. The short dress left her legs bare, showing the 6 tattoos on the front of each leg.

"Don't I feel like a down-home joker," Kaku muttered to himself. "To think you were the legendary Poison Pink of Germa 66 all along, Reia."

"It's Reiju, actually," the woman corrected. "Reiju Vinsmoke, and this is my youngest brother, Yonji."

"The Hell do you think you're doing giving them our names?" Green hissed. "Do you want us to kill them?"

"It's fine," she waved off, sending a wink at the ex-assassin. "What we're stealing is illegal knowledge from a government runaway with the help of a sympathizer and a pirate. They can't report it anyway. Isn't that right, Ka-kun?"

"It's your call, Kaku," Merry said, stepping up to stand beside the man, Paulie on the other side. Ropes slid from both their sleeves, pooling at their feet. "Do we fight?"

"...No," he finally answered. "Let them go."

"Excuse me?!" Paulie shouted. "Let them go?! You said you gave her written instructions for the Six Powers! Who the Hell are they they, Celestial Dragons?"

"Pretty damn close," Kaku answered. "I don't know if even CP9 could have taken on the royals of Germa 66, much less just the three of us."

"Heh, smart," Yonji chuckled. "I'll leave you to say your goodbyes, Sis." He jumped away, a cape with the number 4 fluttering in his wake.

"Royals?" Merry wondered aloud. "Germa 66?"

"I suppose this is where we part," Reiju pouted. "I wasn't lying earlier. Let's do this again if we ever see each other." Bringing two fingers up to her lips, she blew a literal kiss at the Zoan, a purple substance racing toward the trio in the shape of a pair of lips. Kaku grabbed the rope users and dodged, dragging them away while the traitor jumped to her ship. "Bye bye, Ka-kun!"

The physical kiss hit the scrap on the island with a small explosion of purple gas, the toxin in its makeup hissing as it corroded the metal and ropes away. The trio righted their bearings with Moonwalk as the snail took off, sailing (or snailing?) away from Water 7. Kaku let out a long sigh.

"Dear Goda," Merry blinked, cutting her lost rope away before the acid could reach her. "She double-crossed us and stole from us, and you're still smitten."

"I am not," he denied quickly. "Shut up. I'm just not use to people beating me at my own game."

"Sure," Merry agreed. "Suuure. So who's going to tell Iceberg that his secretary was a spy again? Not it!"

"Not it!" Kaku echoed.

"Not... aww dammit!" Paulie groaned, a split second too late. A news Coo cawed overhead, dropping a paper at their feet. Merry was the closest, grabbing the news before freezing at the photo on the front page.

It was her captain.

"...so Kaku, any chance Iceberg can give me a job?"

End of Episode

Yeaaaah, y'all remember so long ago when I said something about Kaku coming back and how I thought about shipping him with Reiju? Look what I did! Realistic, story driving, and plausible! Hell yeah, go me! This was my favorite Timeskip to write, so I hope you enjoyed it! As always...

Read and Review!

-SwordOfTheGods