Ash sneezed, hard.
She frowned in confusion, wondering where that had come from. She hadn't even been expecting it, hadn't felt a tickle in her nose or anything. Weird, she thought.
Sitting on the deck, and peering out at the ocean, she was grateful the wind was with them, so she didn't have to paddle. She was still perturbed by the dream that had woken her. It had felt like a memory more than a fabricated dream, yet she couldn't remember it actually happening.
That didn't mean it hadn't, since all the memories of her listening to Kia talk about One Piece were all jumbled together. She loved her sister, but not necessarily what her sister was interested in, so she got talked to quite a bit about the anime without internalizing much.
This dream however, they had been in Kia's apartment, and Ash had commented about some new figurines that were on her shelves, and Kia had excitedly jumped up to show them off.
"This is Sanji, he's the most amazing chef," Kia said. "Isn't he just adorable? He's in love with every woman he meets, but once he finds the right one, I'm sure he'll be a one woman man."
"Who's that?" Ash asked, more interested in the guy with the sword that was bigger than he was.
"Him?" Kia asked, as she put down Sanji and picked up another. "This is the world's greatest swordsman, Hawkeye."
"I thought Hawkeye was an archer?"
"Not from Avengers doofus," Kia scolded her, seeing her smirk. "His name is Mihawk, but they call him Hawkeye because of his eyes, they are gold and like a hawk's- piercing through you when he stares you down."
"And him?" Ash asked, wondering how Kia could like these characters over real people.
"This is Shanks! He's so amazing! Everyone is a little afraid of him, and he only has one arm! But he's also the sweetest, most fun guy! I've got a little crush on him," and she sighed. "If I found a guy like him, I'd be a goner."
Even now, Ash couldn't be sure if it was an actual memory, or if her mind was just sorting things and people she had met into a dream.
One thing she knew for certain was that she had met the main character of Kia's anime- Monkey D. Luffy. This world's Kevin Bacon, she thought with a smirk. Everyone in the world seemed connected to him, if not directly, than only by a degree or two.
Ash glanced over as Mihawk stood and stretched. He looked over at her in question, his eyebrow raising. She wondered if anyone else in the world was able to tell the difference between his different eyebrow raises as she now could.
"Good morning Master," she said with a smile.
He nodded, and glanced around at the water. "We are getting close," he said as he pulled out his sword.
"So we'll move faster, and that way we can get fed breakfast," she deduced.
"Stealing breakfast?" he asked. "How very pirate of you."
She smirked back, as she ducked down, and he slashed his sword at the water behind them. The wave generated crashed forward, pushing the boat faster on its course. "Is stealing from pirates considered stealing at all?"she asked.
"I'm sure most of them think so, though the World Government doesn't. But, since you're friendly with them, we should be all right."
She moved back from the edge, and sat down to start her morning meditations. She wanted to spend all the time with the crew as she could, and worked to complete her daily regimen before they found them.
Mihawk smirked at her again, seeing right through her. "You'll still have to complete your cardio once we arrive," he commented.
Her left eye peeked open, seeing he was in good humor. "Just admit that you'll miss me Master," she shot back.
He made a grunt that sounded like "Hmph," and mock glared at her. "On the contrary, I'll celebrate my freedom from the parasite that has attached itself to me for so long."
"That was as good as a hug, coming from you," she retorted, and closed her eye again. She was skirting the line now, and she knew it, so she refrained from saying more as she heard him grumbling. But she couldn't stop the smile from blooming on her face.
"Concentrate!" he ordered. "Start again!"
Sailing had always been a pleasure, but Ashley was impatient to arrive at their destination. It didn't help that as the island came into sight, Mihawk announced that their quarry was no longer there, and not only would they not get breakfast, but they would have to chase after the larger ship.
Having the wind with them was an advantage, and the fact that they were more maneuverable than the larger ship they were chasing- however Ash wished for a moment that they had a motor.
"Patience Ashley," Mihawk said with bemusement. "You're strung so tight, you're practically vibrating."
"Sorry Master," she replied, though she didn't turn from where she stood at the mast, looking out at the water, and hoping to view something soon.
"This is more than wanting to see Red Hair," Mihawk commented, his tone questioning.
Ash thought for a moment, but knew that Mihawk would prod her until she answered. "Yes," she replied. "I've been worried about the next time I'll run into Doflamingo."
Mihawk's eyebrow rose. "I thought you told me that you felt stronger as we left him," he said.
"Yes, that is true," she said with a nod. "However your words about him have stayed with me," she admitted.
"And now we find the true purpose for you wanting to be able to combat devil fruit users," he mused, and she nodded sheepishly. He looked at her back, as she had turned back to the water. "Well done," he said, and she turned back in shock.
"I'm sorry, what?" she asked, her eyes wide. She knew with a fact that he had never used those words when speaking to her, unless in sarcasm.
"You successfully hid your true thoughts from me," he added, smirking at her expression. "Of course, you took far too long to complete this lesson, but you did complete it."
"Of… of course," she replied, still a bit unnerved at the compliment.
"Ah, there they are," he said, and she turned back around, spotting the ship on the horizon, and giving a grin.
"Captain Shanks," she murmured, her excitement growing.
"If you're in a hurry, you can always row," Mihawk commented.
"Aye, Master," she replied, and grabbed the oar to do just that.
"What an unexpected surprise!"
"Hello Captain Shanks!" Ashley called happily, waving up to the men on the deck. They dropped the rope ladder, and Ash attached their own tow rope to it before following Mihawk up to the other ship.
Shanks gave Mihawk a nod as he came up to them, then gave Ashley a wink and opened his arm wide as an offer. As much as she wanted to hug the captain, she looked to Mihawk first. He rolled his eyes at her, but she took that as permission, and hopped over to Shanks, throwing her arms around his waist.
His hand came up to ruffle her hair. "Hey kiddo, how are you?" he asked with a jovial smile.
"I am doing very well, thank you Captain," she replied, knowing that her master preferred her to be well spoken.
Now it was Shanks turn to roll his eyes, though he aimed the look at Mihawk. "What kind of pirate are you training her to be? She sounds like a noble, talking like that," he scolded, while giving her another wink, to let her know that he was teasing.
"There is no reason to sound or act like a barbarian," Mihawk retorted, and Ash got the feeling that this was not a new argument between them.
"Well come on, pull up a barrel or something to sit on. What can we get you? A drink?" he offered, and several crew members that Ash didn't recognize were listening closely, in case they needed to fetch something.
"I have some business, that I must see to alone," Mihawk said without preamble, ignoring the offer. "Ashley requested that she spend the time with your crew, instead of at home."
Shanks wasn't the only one to look surprised, though he hid it better than the others. He moved over to a barrel, and sat on it, rubbing his chin with his hand as he thought it over.
"If you'd rather not-" Ashley started, but Shanks waved her to stop.
"Taking care of anothers' crew is not unheard of, but needs to be settled between captains," he told her gravely. Her own eyebrow rose, seeing him without a smile for once. She couldn't say that she liked it, but it was nice to know that he took being captain seriously.
"How long?" he asked Mihawk.
Mihawk glanced at Ashley, they had spoken of this before, and she had worried about not having long enough to train by the time he was finished.
"Two months, at least," Mihawk replied, causing her eyes to go wide.
He told me he would only be gone for a couple of weeks! she thought.
"You're in the middle of training, are we going to have to follow some ridiculous regimen?" Shanks asked, and Ash started at the teasing in his voice, as well as the twinkle in his eye. She tried hard not to smile as her master glared at the other man.
"She knows what is required," Mihawk sniffed stubbornly.
"But…" Shanks replied, his smirk becoming apparent now. "If I'm her temporary captain, she'll have to follow my orders, isn't that right?"
Mihawk glared again, shooting a look at Ashley that she interpreted as, why did I let you talk me into this? But he finally replied with, "I doubt you will undo all of my work in so short a time."
"Benn?" Shanks asked. "That sounded like a challenge to me, is that what it sounded like to you?"
"Couldn't say, Cap'n," Benn replied from where he was leaning against some rigging.
"I am entrusting her to your care," Mihawk said with a sour expression. "so she will follow your rules." Shanks looked happily surprised to have won so easily. "IF-" Mihawk added, and Shanks stopped his celebrating. "You give me your word that she will not drink with you."
This time, Ask tried not to laugh at the look on Shanks' face- like someone had taken his mug of ale, and poured it out in front of him.
"No alcohol Ashley," Mihawk ordered, and she understood that this was his condition for letting her stay, having her training interrupted in order to get their help.
"No alcohol Master," she repeated back, and he nodded, turning to Shanks with his own smirk at his victory.
"What say you?" he asked Shanks. "Do we have an accord?"
"You always keep the upper hand," Shanks admitted, but he stood and held out his hand. "You have my word," he said, then Mihawk reached for his hand and shook it, and the deal was done. Shanks, never one to give up, added, "We can always drop her off for you."
"Do not come to my home," Mihawk replied, even as he turned to the railing. "I will find you," he said. He stopped in front of Ashley, and gestured her towards their boat. The two of them jumped over the side, returning quickly to the vessel.
Ash grabbed her bag, and looked at Mihawk. "Thank you for this Master," she said quietly.
"Make it worth the trouble," he replied. He gave her a nod, and she returned the gesture. She moved over to the rope ladder, untying the tow rope before she began climbing back up to the ship. Mihawk was already on his way by the time she made it to the top.
She turned around, and waved, though he was facing away, and wouldn't see. But part of her felt like he would know, just the same.
Then, turning back to Captain Shanks and his crew, they called out, "Welcome aboard!" and gave a cheer.
Shanks gave her a grin. "Well, no alcohol, that's a right shame, Ash. I can only think that you've asked to be with us for a reason then, and Mihawk doesn't want us to distract you from that."
"Indeed," she replied.
"Ash, my first order is to knock off all the fancy talk," he told her, even as he gestured for her to follow him. "My boys will be afraid to speak to a high an' mighty lady, if you keep that up."
"And we can't have that," she replied with a grin.
"No we can't," he agreed. He brought her over to the main deck, where some of the crew were seated around, eating or drinking, or playing games.
"Your crew looks fun," she told him, and he grinned.
"They are pretty great," he answered, taking a seat, and offering her one in return. "He said no drinks, which makes me feel like he'll get mad if I show you how to play cards." He gave her a wicked looking grin, and she could tell he would love nothing more than to make her master angry.
"I'll just observe," she replied, and he pouted at her. "For now," she amended, placating him slightly. She smiled at Benn, and the crew as they naturally integrated her into their daily activities.
She watched a few hands of what was essentially poker, but she could see that the difference was which hands were better than others. That may take some getting used to, she thought.
Afterward, the crew switched places, and those that she was with, took their turn navigating, and keeping watch for a couple of hours, giving the grunts a break. She was impressed that they were so kind, but Shanks just shrugged it off.
"The day we stop sailing, is the day we are no longer pirates," he commented, and she thought she understood. They didn't have to take a turn, being the captain and senior officers- the crew was large enough that they didn't have to- they simply wanted to, and she decided that was part of what made them special. And it made her feel special too, to be included in the group.
After dinner, and as the sky turned dark, she found herself herded back to the main deck, where chairs were placed. Shanks sat, a mug in his hand, and the others joined them.
"So, I take it your crew wasn't always this big," Ash said, looking around at the small, seeming intimate group. "Were you all the original crew? Before you took on more help?" she asked.
"Smart kid," Roo said, even as he snacked on the leftovers from dinner. Benn lit a cigarette, giving a grunt in agreement.
"So Ashley," Shanks said, taking a swing of his drink, and relaxing back in his chair, "I'm no mind reader."
"But?" she asked, smiling, and he nodded.
"But, you asked to spend time with us, which undoubtedly took some doing to convince Hawkeye. He refused to let you drink, which means you have something specific to accomplish, not just having a good time."
"Sounds like a mind reader to me," she said.
"Nah," Benn added. "If he was a mind reader, we would all get in a lot less trouble when we dock."
Ash chuckled with the others, then watched as a man brought over a lantern, leaving it by them for when it grew too dark to see each other. Shanks gave him a nod, and he turned and walked away.
"I…" she began, but wondered how to concisely tell what she wanted.
"Don't worry, we've got plenty of time," Yassop told her.
"Ah, so he's not the mind reader, you are," she teased, and they laughed again.
"We all like a good story," Shanks added. "Just tell it from the beginning."
"All right," she replied, taking a deep breath. "I went with Master Mihawk when he was summoned to a meeting for the Warlords," she said.
"Ah," one of them interrupted. "Navy headquarters then?"
"Not a place I'd be too keen on seeing," another joked.
"And?" Shanks asked, shushing them.
"I met a man," she replied.
"Oh…"
Ash stopped, looking around at the uncomfortable expressions on their faces. "Uh…" she said, confused, until it dawned on her. "Not like that!" she yelped in embarrassment.
She heard several sighs of relief. "I can handle personal issues on my own, thanks," she said dryly. "This was different. This man was seriously creepy, and was very fascinated as to why I was with Master Mihawk."
She continued the story, taken aback when Shanks seemed very interested as she told of the interruption in the meeting, and being able to finally leave the room. She noted the look he gave his friends, but he gestured for her to continue, so she did.
"So you unlocked your haki?" Shanks asked, impressed.
"Yes, I mean, yeah, I did," she answered. "But after being so scared the whole time, when we left, I did something… kinda dumb, and turned back to give him a smile and a wink, because he was frustrated that Master wasn't answering his questions."
"I imagine that got rid of the scared feeling," Benn said with a smirk, and she nodded.
"It did," she agreed. "But Master warned me about him, and now I'm worried what could happen when I see him again. I'm too unlucky to just avoid him forever," she added quickly.
"It sounds like you've peaked his interest, but there's no guarantee that he'll remember," Shanks offered. "It seems more likely Doflamingo would pester Mihawk than you."
"Well, that's not my main worry, not really," she said, her brow furrowing. "I'm more worried about crossing devil fruit users, and how I can fight against their powers. Master has been working with me on my haki, but he says he doesn't have all the answers to my questions, and that I may find more elsewhere."
Shanks nodded, and looked around to the others. "All right boys, we need to find the Moby Dick, as soon as we can. Get a letter of introduction ready, and let's hope the bastard's in a good mood. We'll need to send out runners."
"Aye Cap'n," they replied, as all but Shanks and Benn stood and made their way back into the ship.
"We're going whale hunting?" Ash asked in astonishment, and Shanks burst out laughing.
"That's one way to put it I guess," Benn answered as Shanks laughed uncontrollably.
"So… do you think… you guys can help me?" she asked tentatively.
Shanks had calmed down by that point, and he put his arm around Ash's shoulders, leaning in. "You bet we can," he told her, giving her a wink and a flirty smile. "Why, helping pretty girls is part of our personal code!"
He stood back straight, throwing his head back to get the hair out of his face, and Ash understood. "Now I see why my sister has such a crush on you," she said, grinning at the captain.
His eyebrow went up in surprise, and his smile bespoke the flattery he felt. "Who me?" he asked, and she nodded. He leaned in again, conspiratorially, and asked, "Is this an older sister, Ash?"
She chuckled, but nodded again, giving the same look back. "A whole year and a half older," she confirmed, and he looked at her thoughtfully. But she shook her head then. "She wouldn't be good for you though," she added, and he looked at her in question. "You'd get away with anything," she explained. "as she's a sucker for a guy like you."
Kia sneezed, and glared at the sky, wondering who that was from. Looking over as Zoro joined her, she gaped at the large weight he placed in front of her.
"There's no way I can even lift that once, let alone several times," she said, her gaze going from the weight to Zoro and back.
"Just try it Kia," he said. "It's time to start pushing yourself to the next level."
"This is like, fifteen levels ahead, Zoro," she complained.
"Oh, I see," he said, giving her a contemplative look. "So, you can push yourself enough to deliver the snacks without falling, dodge Luffy enough so that he didn't get your dessert the past few days, disarm Nami, and hit the bullseye with your dagger, but not enough to trust what I give you."
"That's not it," she replied automatically, feeling horrible that he would even think such a thing. "I always try harder for you, because your workouts are always increasing with difficulty!"
"So, you're going to try this then?" he asked, knowing he had won, and the smirk on his face showed it.
"Curse you, and your stupid smirking face!" she muttered, moving over to the weight.
"Two hands for now," he said, and she looked at him in shock.
"For now?!" she griped. "I'll never lift this much with one hand!"
"We'll see," he replied, watching her form carefully, to ensure she didn't hurt herself. It took her a few tries, but she finally was able to lift it, hold it for a few seconds, and then he reached over and grabbed on as she was about to drop it, taking it safely down to the deck.
"Thanks," she panted, shaking out her arms. "Geez, that was heavy!"
"And you'll need a spotter, until you can bring it up and down smoothly on your own," he said, looking pleased. "Way to go, Kia," he said with a nod. "THAT is how you push yourself to improve. Now you have a clear goal in mind, and everything you do to train, is towards that goal."
"Let me guess, and when I reach it, I make a new goal?" she asked.
"Only if you want to get better," he said, with another smirk. She groaned, and he picked up the weight as if it were a feather, and carted it away.
"Grab your weapons, let get started," he added without turning back.
She groaned again, knowing how sore her arms were going to be. Well, at least he didn't make me try to lift that AFTER the workout, she told herself.
"Oh yeah?!" Reese challenged the blond, her anger getting the better of her. While she was much more friendly now, he still was constantly grating on her nerves. However she was smart enough to realize that without him, she would probably still be in Shells Town, not on the Grand Line with a marine vice admiral.
"Easily," Helmeppo responded, looking at her arrogantly. "Men are just naturally stronger."
She got in his face with a snarl. "Maybe men come by strength more easily than women, but there's no way you are stronger then me," she declared snidely.
"Okay, that's it!" he snapped back. "I'll prove it!"
"Push ups," she shot back. "First to give up loses."
"You're on!" he answered.
"Come on you guys," Coby said in resignation. "We're supposed to be studying."
"Which we will get back to as soon as I prove to this moron that I'm stronger than he is!" Reese said triumphantly. Once I win this, I'll be able to use it to knock him down a peg any time I want! she thought happily.
"And what happens when Garp finds out what you're doing?" Coby asked, as he continued to read.
"He'll probably insist we can do a hundred more," Helmeppo replied.
"Ready?" Reese asked, as they were both positioned on the floor of the classroom. "Go!"
It spoke to their endless training, that both had the wherewith all to pace themselves for the long haul. Both started easily, dipping into the rhythm of the exercise slowly as a warm up.
Coby looked over the edge of his book, and rolled his eyes. He made a few notes on his paper, and suddenly squealed as the door burst open with a crash.
It spoke to how often Garp would enter that way, that neither on the floor so much as paused at the sound.
"And what's going on here?" Garp asked, his eyes narrowed at his recruits. "Punishing yourselves for slacking off?! Only I give the punishments!"
"No Sir," Coby said, as he stood and saluted. "They're trying to beat each other again."
"Coby!" they shouted in unison.
"On your feet!"
Groaning, Reese and Helmeppo stopped doing push ups, and slowly rose. Helmeppo muttered, "this isn't over," and Reese nodded in agreement before both turned and gave Garp a salute.
"Now," he glared down at them both. "What's the meaning of this?" he asked. Neither answered, just glared at the floor.
"Cooper!" he shouted, and she looked up, her face a stony mask. "Answer me!"
She saluted again. "We had a disagreement, Sir," she replied. "And opted to settle it with push ups instead of fighting, Sir!"
"Oh?" he asked, looking between the two of them, smiling at their mutinous expressions. "All right then," he said with a nod. "You can get back to it later, but for now, we've got a meeting to get to."
The three recruits looked at him in shock.
"You're… taking all of us to a meeting, Gramps?" Reese asked tentatively, and Garp started laughing.
"Of course not!" he boomed. "Just you Cooper, so get moving!"
Looking at Coby in confusion, and seeing him shrug, Reese grabbed her button down shirt and pulled it on, grabbing her hat as well. Who knew what Garp was up to now? she thought.
The walk through the seeming endless hallways had given her a chance to calm down, but Reese could easily get her anger up if needed. Helmeppo just seemed to be able to push her buttons without any effort. True, the guy was a thousand times better than when she had first met him, and usually they had the same goals, which made it easier to get along.
And their natural competition helped push her harder than she could have done alone. But he's still a moron, she argued with herself.
Arriving at the area in the complex that housed the higher-ups' offices had Reese looking around in surprise. "Where are we, Gramps?" she asked.
Garp stopped, and turned to face her with an intense look that she couldn't quite decipher. "Most marines don't think much of your nickname, but watch it around here," he cautioned, oddly serious.
He raised an eyebrow, expecting a response, and she nodded. "Yes sir," she replied.
"Kuzan will likely not mind, but word does travel," he said, and Reese wondered who Kuzan was. Approaching a door, Garp gave a knock. Hearing a voice invite them in, he opened the door.
"Kuzan," he said in greeting, though he was blocking the doorway, and Reese couldn't see who he was talking to.
"Come in Garp," the voice offered. "Did you find her?"
Reese was suddenly wary, wondering why the person could possibly looking for her. Garp stepped in, and turned back. She looked up at him with question and concern, and he gestured her in with a movement of his head.
She stepped forward, and he closed the door behind her. She saw a younger man than Garp, but obviously older than she was. He was also extremely tall, she could tell, even though he was reclining back in his chair, his feet crossed on the corner of his desk.
"Cooper," Garp stated, "Meet Admiral Aokiji. Kuzan, this is Theresa Cooper, one of my recruits."
"Have a seat, Cooper," the admiral said, without moving from his relaxed position. "I've heard good things about you."
"Uh… thank you? Sir," she replied, glancing over at Garp, but only getting a stoic expression. Looking back at the admiral, she could see that he was scrutinizing her.
"Have you heard of the Straw Hat pirates, Cooper?" he asked, and she glanced at Garp again, but he was giving her nothing.
"Yes sir," she replied. "They are a newer crew, but their captain and first mate both have pretty high bounties for rookies." She was careful to not say anything she wouldn't already reasonably know.
"True," he said with a nod. "Anything else?" he asked.
She shook her head, unwilling to share her suspicions that Garp was related to the captain somehow. They shared the same family name after all, but she had no idea if the man she had heard of as the "blue pheasant" was trustworthy. She still had no idea what he was wanting from her.
"Grab a seat you two," he said, and she looked to Garp again, wanting to follow his lead. "Seriously," the admiral insisted. "You're making me tired just looking at you."
He leaned forward now, his chin resting on his hand, with his elbow on the desk, as he studied them, and he gave a little smile.
"I happened to have a little run in with the Straw Hats not too long ago," he said, seeing the girl's eyes go wide with what he would call happiness, though she said nothing.
"Really?" Garp asked, brows furrowed.
"That little captain is quite the pirate," Aokiji replied. "I admit I'm not sure how he gathered such a crew so quickly, but they are as varied as they are formidable. Though they are still green."
Reese smirked as she saw the look of pride from Garp, before he could hide it. "What's the crew like?" he asked, and Reese sat forward a little, eager to hear.
"Ah, well, I did confirm that Nico Robin was there," Aokiji said. "She's apparently gotten to them, they fought against me when I suggested they not trust her."
"They fought you?" Reese asked, agape. Luffy and Zoro fought an Admiral?! She was shocked, and was sure Coby would freak out when she told him.
"They tried," he said, and he nodded, deciding something. What, she wasn't sure. "Like I said, it was an interesting crew, one that I could tell could end up being a problem in the future. But for now?" he shrugged. "I'd heard stories, and I was simply curious."
Reese glanced at Garp again, though only out of the corner of her eye. The admiral had obviously heard stories about Luffy from Garp, and she wondered again what exactly their relationship was. Most likely he was his grandfather, but she wanted to know for sure.
Aokiji continued, "A couple of guys who wanted a fight, a couple of ladies who kept their heads, but were willing to fight if one of their crew were in danger. Small crew, that were very tight with each other," he said, his look unfocused as he remembered. "One in particular that asked me if I was from headquarters, because she had read that Theresa Cooper was at headquarters."
That had Reese's eyes going wide in surprise. "Me?" she asked in shock.
He nodded, wondering if she had been hiding her knowledge of her sister. Part of him had even wondered if Garp had recruited her because of the connection, or if her sister had joined the Straw Hat crew because of who her sister was connected to.
He could see her surprise was genuine, and nodded, glad that it was simply a coincidence.
"Pretty girl, blue eyes, dark hair," he said. "Said you were her sister."
"Kia?" Reese whispered. "She's… with the Straw Hat pirates?" she asked, clarifying.
"Definitely," he replied, giving her a smirk, even as he leaned back in his chair again.
Kuzan watched as she turned to Garp happily. He looked like some kind of proud papa, as she held back her emotions, and gave him a smile. She turned back to him, and with the smile in place, he could see the resemblance between the two girls. The cute pirate had been being honest with him, which made him feel better. He hadn't felt she was lying, but some women were able to manipulate others without a qualm.
"My sisters and I were separated in an accident," she explained, and his eyebrow rose.
"Sisters? Plural?" he asked.
She nodded. "I have three," she replied. "And while I wanted to join the marines, part of that was knowing that I'd have a good chance at finding them." She stood then, and gave him a short bow. "Thank you sir," she said, her head down. "Thank you for helping me."
He was amused, and he could tell she was completely sincere. "Well, here's hoping you can convince her to give up the pirate's life before something happens," he replied.
She nodded, sitting back down, as Garp began to ask some questions. He kept his own interest at bay, but Reese could tell that the admiral was already aware of the connection between him and Luffy, and he gave the information of where he had seen them, and how long ago without any prodding.
Garp spoke to him a while longer, and then they stood and shook hands.
Aokiji turned to her, and offered his hand. "It was nice meeting you, Theresa Cooper," he said. She had a thought that he was much more approachable when he smiled, but that was probably why he didn't do it often. There were only three admirals after all, he had to be pretty tough in order to be one of them.
"The feeling is mutual, Sir," she replied, shaking his hand enthusiastically. "Thank you again."
He gave her a nod, sitting back down in his chair to recline again, as Garp ushered her out.
She followed him as she had on the way there- she hadn't paid attention, and wasn't sure exactly where she was going, plus it was a show of respect. She kept her thoughts to herself for the moment. Hopefully Garp would be willing to entertain the idea of seeking out the Straw Hat pirates at some point.
She smiled to herself at the thought of Kia sailing with Luffy. She remembered enough of the stories Kia would tell to know that Luffy was the center of the story; the kid who wanted to be the next pirate king. She wondered if Kia was invited to join his crew, or if she had simply offered her knowledge of their new home in exchange of being a part of it. Either way, as she thought of it, she knew she shouldn't have been surprised that Kia had joined them.
Should have been my first thought, she told herself with a wry smile.