Katya sat quietly by the cliff with the crew. She had come back and sat down with Shachi and Penguin, who were fishing.
"I don't hear Straw Hat shouting anymore." Shachi commented as the crew sat.
"I think he'll be okay." Katya said, her voice barely above a murmur. "I can feel it."
"Katya-chan, you still look so sad! Look!" Shachi held up the fish he had just reeled in. "It's not the PLAICE to be sad!"
Katya shook her head and laughed lightly at the truly awful pun. She moved to tuck her hair behind her ear as the breeze picked up. Wait. The Calm Belt didn't have breezes.
"What is it?" Penguin gasped as he looked through the binoculars. "It's huge!"
"Hm?" The rest of the crew looked out to sea to witness a large sea king leaping out of the water, before suddenly resurfacing covered in blood.
"It's dead! Something killed it!" Penguin screamed in terror. "A thing that huge!"
Below the cliff, a hand burst out from the water and Law's eyes widened as Silvers Rayleigh exited the water and began to walk up the cliff.
"Phew, I'm beat." He whistled as the Heart Pirates gaped at him in shock. He was dripping wet and carrying his coat under him arm.
"The Dark King Rayleigh?!" Bepo nearly fell over in shock.
"Oh, it's you!" The man addressed Law. "We met back on the Sabaody Archipelago, didn't we?" He smiled warmly, before his expression became quite intense. "Is my Katya-chan doing well?"
The crew screamed and grabbed each other in fear. Katya shot to her feet and ran over. "Ray-san!" She beamed at him and hugged the soaked through man. Rayleigh laughed and returned the hug.
"Ah, Katya-chan! How are you doing?"
"I'm good, Ray-san, although the past few weeks have made me realise I suck at being a pirate. I am not a good fighter at all."
"I see."
"I'm going to learn, though!" She clenched her fist and smiled in determination. "I'm not going to just be a singer, I'm going to hold my weight when we travel!"
"That's good to hear, young one." Rayleigh ruffled her hair and she pouted, her freckles looking odd as her nose scrunched up.
"Um..." The pirates beside them began shuffling their feet nervously. "How did you get here?"
"Oh! My ship sank in a storm. I had no choice but to swim here." Rayleigh said casually.
"A storm?! The Calm Belt never even has a light breeze..." Penguin thought aloud.
"That means you were shipwrecked on a distant sea, and swam all the way from there?!" Shachi finished as Rayleigh wrung out the water in his clothes.
"Well, I'm good at breaststroke."
"That's whack!" Katya said to him bluntly. "And it raises even more questions!"
"Alright, so," Rayleigh waved out his shirt after wringing it free of water. "I assume Luffy-kun is on this island."
Katya watched as Law's grip tightened on the Straw Hat. She put her hand on his and he looked up at her before silently passing the hat to her.
"I think it's time for us to depart." Law said calmly, and faced Rayleigh head on. "Tell Straw Hat-ya he should take it easy for at least the next two weeks."
"I shall."
"Get ready to set sail!" Law called out and the crew quickly went to work. Katya stayed by his side for a moment, before tugging at his arm and leading him away.
"Silent." She put up a small barrier around them.
"Law, about going to the New World...we need to talk."
"Katya-chan! What do you mean you're not coming?!" Shachi and Penguin wailed and clung to her, sobbing.
"It's not forever, guys. About a year, then I'll sail back to join you. I have Bepo's Vivre Card so I can find you again."
"But why?" Ikkaku stood next to them with arms folded.
"I'm not strong enough for the New World. I'm not even strong enough for Paradise." She sighed. "If we're going into the unknown, and Joker wants my head, then I have to be stronger. Staying here is as safe a place as I can get for now, and Ran-san has offered to teach me."
"But Katya-"
"Please, Ikkaku. If I can't defend myself, I will be useless to the crew. I'm going to learn how to fight, and how to use my fruit to my advantage in one."
Ikkaku nodded her head with understanding. "Promise you'll come back, though? It'll suck being the only girl again."
"Of course." Katya hugged her tightly. "You'll see me before you know it."
"What did Captain have to say?" Ikkaku's voice lowered in volume.
"He said to do what I had to."
"He got mad, didn't he?"
"A little bit, but it serves him right. Besides, I'm the one leaving this time. We'll truly be even."
Ikkaku glanced over Katya's shoulder. Law was sat underneath a tree, his hat covering his eyes. "I guess this is goodbye for now, then."
"It's an 'I'll see you soon'," Katya clarified, before squaring her shoulders and taking a deep breath. Time to say goodbye to Law. She waved to the others as they disappeared inside the submarine.
"Are you sure about this?" Law asked gruffly as she approached him.
"I'm sure. I promise not to join the Kuja pirates whilst I'm here."
"You'd better not." He snapped. Katya sighed and took his tattooed hands in hers.
"Always the wrong time and place, huh, Law?"
He didn't reply, and she lifted a hand to his face, tilting his chin so he could look at her.
"You'd better not get a new singer whilst I'm gone." She chuckled.
"Oh?" Law smirked slightly.
"Yep, no new singers. I've already staked a claim here. On two things, really."
She thought back to her conversation with Law on Sabaody Archipelago about the man that had had her Devil Fruit before her. She had inherited that will, and she wanted to make sure that she could use her powers to accomplish what he couldn't. "Besides...I want to help you take down Joker. For your Cora-san."
Law nodded and she pulled him in for a hug.
"Katya-ya," he whispered gently. "What else did you stake a claim on?"
Katya lifted her face back before pulling him into a quick but passionate kiss. He tasted like peppermint and fine liquor, and it was intoxicating. His hat fell from his head as she wound her fingers into his hair. Law wrapped his arms tighter around her as the two slumped to the bottom of the tree, kissing each other breathlessly, like it was the last time they'd ever see one another.
"I guess that answers that question." He smirked at her.
"Don't do anything stupid. Don't go getting yourself killed." She murmured gently against his lips. "Not before I can test how well this Devil Fruit works on soundproofing bedrooms." She slid her hands downwards and rested them on the belt of his jeans.
Law grinned mischievously. "I'll hold you to that promise."
"Oi, Captain!" Ikkaku called from inside the submarine. "We're all ready to sail!"
He growled in annoyance. "The moment you come back, I'm going to punish you for leaving."
"Knew you were into BDSM."
"Katya-ya. You'll be punished for leaving me like this." He guided her hand down slightly further than where it was and she blushed fiercely at what she could feel.
Law leaned down once more and captured her mouth in his. "In fact, I might punish you slightly now."
"Huh?" Katya tilted her head as he pulled away from her and began to walk down to the submarine. Law jumped onto the deck and smirked deviously.
"ROOM." The blue film enveloped both him and Katya. Her eyes widened. He wasn't going to take a leg or something with him was he?!
"Shambles." Katya screamed as soon as she knew exactly what the man had done. Her gaze dropped down and her hands fumbled to check. Surely, he wouldn't have dared...
"Law, you filthy bastard!" She yelled at him as the Surgeon of Death held up her red lace underwear on his forefinger with the biggest shit-eating grin she had ever seen someone pull.
"I'll see you soon, Katya-ya."
"YOU PERVERT! YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!"
Katya waved the crew off despite her embarrassment and anger. Rayleigh had disappeared to hang his clothes out thankfully for the whole goodbye, and he came back a few minutes after the yellow submarine had faded into the distance.
"Oh, Katya-chan, did they leave you behind?"
"No, I chose to stay."
"Why are you so red in the face?"
"NO REASON!"
She was about to argue with the man, and then get a fresh pair of underwear from her suitcase and find somewhere in the woods to put them on - Law, that bastard - when she heard the sound of shoes approaching.
"Oh, Jinbei-san!" She waved. "And Luffy-san!" Katya breathed out a sigh of relief.
"Hm? Katya-chan? Where's the others, and the submarine?"
"Gone." She replied, holding up her suitcase. "I'm going to ask the Kuja Pirates to train me!"
"Oh, Luffy-kun!" Rayleigh waved.
"Old Man Rayleigh!" Luffy said with surprise.
"I'm glad I was able to find you so easily."
The two exchanged talk about Luffy wanting to return to the archipelago and about his crew. Jinbei just looked stunned.
"Are you really the Dark King Rayleigh?" Jinbei asked eventually.
"Yeah, but he's just Ray-san, really." Katya shrugged.
"Katya-san, you sure know some interesting people. First Shanks and now the Dark King..."
"Oi! You know Shanks, lady?" Luffy jumped off Jinbei's back and grinned at Katya.
"I do. And he wanted you to have this. It was given to us from some flying clown man. Shanks-san picked it up just before we left Marineford." Katya handed Luffy his Straw Hat.
"Thanks." Luffy put the hat on his head happily. "I just don't feel right unless I'm wearing it!" He laughed slightly, before turning to Katya. "So how do you know Shanks and Old Man Rayleigh?"
"I'm a frequent guest at Shakky's Bar, so I got to know him as a mechanic. I had no idea he was so famous until not long ago. Shanks-san on the other hand, I met him when I was performing at a bar. His crew were the best audience I've ever met. I hope to see them again eventually after I return to my Captain."
"Your Captain?"
"Trafalgar Law of the North Blue. He treated both of our wounds." Jinbei clarified to Luffy. "But Katya-san has been looking after both of us too over the last few weeks. She spent a lot of time at your bedside."
"It was the least I could do." She waved her hand.
"Thank you." Luffy grinned brightly. "And thanks for looking after my hat!"
"Luffy~" A happy voice came and the Snake Princess came running over to them with two of the other Kuja Pirates and a large assortment of fruit and other food. After witnessing the woman's odd behaviour around Luffy, she walked across towards the Warlord and smiled fiercely, determined not to back down.
"Snake Princess-san. My name is Takimi Katya. I have something to request of you."