"There's a call I need to make before I leave, Shakky, if I may use your long-range Den Den Mushi?"

"Yes, here." Shakky said as she dropped a customer that had failed to pay to the floor. Katya had camped out of the bar for the last two months and she watched passively as the man spat out blood. Katya had spent most of her time at the bar training and gathering intel on the New World and Joker, whilst keeping a low profile. Shakky gestured to the phone and Katya bit her lip nervously. She'd been avoiding the call, but it was time. The Red-Hair Pirates would be there shortly.

"Purpurupurupuru-KACHA."

"Hello?"

"Hey, Shachi..."

"KATYA-CHAN?!" He half screamed then called. "Everyone, Katya-chan is on the Den Den Mushi!" There was a clatter on the other end of the line and Penguin's face appeared on the snail.

"Katya, how are you? We've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you too! I left the island not long ago; I'm at Sabaody right now and I have a ride to join you in the New World."

"You're on your way?!" Penguin's face on the snail was joyful and Katya smiled in response.

"I've been training hard, and I can tell you all about the island of women if you like when I get there!"

"The forbidden knowledge~"

"I even got clothes from them. They're a bit revealing, but...wait," she paused. "I haven't heard Law yet. Is he there?"

She didn't realise that snails could sweat drop, but she witnessed it with confusion. There was no response for a few moments before there was whispering in the background.

"I don't wanna tell her!"

"I don't want to either! You tell her!"

"Guys..." Katya felt her heart jump into her throat and she fiddled with her necklace between her fingers. She knew he wasn't dead, or it would have been in the papers, or Shakky would have told her.

"Captain isn't here." Ikkaku's voice came from the other end of the line. "He left three weeks ago and ordered us to sail to Zou, where Bepo is from."

"Then where did he go?"

"He gave orders not to tell you." Ikkaku said hesitantly. "He said that you would go after him and 'get yourself killed'."

Katya grit her teeth. That bastard. "That's not his decision to make. Where did he go, and what is he doing?"

"Honestly, Katya, we barely know. We only know what Captain told us. He said he had found the key to taking down Doflamingo of the Warlords, and was going to some kind of facility that Doflamingo owned." Ikkaku sighed. "He doesn't sound like he intends to come back until it's done. Captain told us to trust him, and that he'd meet with us eventually, but it could be months."

Katya scowled and asked as politely as she could muster "Is Bepo there?"

"Ah, yes, I'll put him on."

Bepo's voice sounded cheerful. "Katya!"

"BEPO, WHY THE HELL DID YOU LET HIM GO ALONE?!" Katya roared so loudly that the Den Den Mushi snail looked up with her as if it feared for its life.

"K-Katya, we-"

"Bepo, do you have a Vivre Card for Law?!"

"Yes, but he told us not to follow him."

Katya held the receiver close to her face. "Bepo, we both know that he will throw away his life to see this through if no one stops him. I won't let that happen. As soon as I get to the New World, I'm going to pick up Law's Vivre Card from you and I'm going to use all the skills I've learnt over the past hellish year to help him take down Joker, whether he likes it or not. Do you have a number for him?"

"Ah, yes."

"Good. I want you to relay a message for me."

"I can give you the number..." Bepo said meekly.

"No."

"I'm sorry!"

"No, Bepo, I want you to phone Law and tell him that I'm on my way to the crew. But if he gets himself killed in the meantime, then I will never forgive him and I will join Eustass to spite him, is that clear?"

"Crystal clear, Katya!"

"Oh, and Bepo?"

"Y-yes?"

"It's really good to hear your voice." Katya's face fell back into a soft smile. "I'll see you all soon."

The Red-Hair Pirates were insane, Katya had decided. Despite the fact that they were about to submerge and sail towards Fishman Island, the whole crew, aside from a few such as Benn that were operating the ship, they were all absolutely hammered.

Shanks had declared that Katya joining them for a few weeks of travelling was worthy of a party and the booze had flowed from around midday all the way through the night. Katya had told them all about her brief encounter with Luffy, and the crew ate it up. The men were all curious about the island of women, and Katya told them of her friends, but also if they wanted to live, to never ever sail there.

It was nearing midnight and the ship had just gone underwater. Katya was incredibly nervous and elected to spend time indoors in the galley. All of the crew members she knew were not Devil Fruit users. Being underwater was a very unnerving feeling.

"Katya-chaaaan, come sing for us!"

"I sang for three hours already," the woman protested with a small laugh, sipping a small glass of booze.

"But you promised us a new one!"

"I did, didn't I?" She rolled her eyes. "Fine, but this is the last one for tonight. Don't make me run out of songs on the first day!" She grabbed her guitar and strummed it gently, and the crew gathered in the galley excitedly.

"South Blue nights~" Katya said gently. "Have you ever felt a South Blue night? Free as a breeze, not to mention the trees, whistling tunes that you know and love so~"

Shanks and Yasopp sat together near the back of the room and Shanks smiled warmly at Katya's performance and the crew's delighted reaction to it. He was incredibly drunk but still in a great mood.

"She's too good for this harsh sea, that girl." The red haired man mused aloud.

"You have a soft spot for her, don't you?" Yasopp nudged his arm and grinned at his Captain.

"I never had a daughter, Yasopp. But I'd like to think that, if I did, she would have been like Katya-chan."

"I hope she meets Usopp some day. I hope that they would get on well."

"Yasopp?"

"Hm?"

"I think I'm about to throw up."

"Oh, for the love of god, Boss, go outside then, qui-oh, too late."