Robin glanced to her right, as the cook brought her her usual after-dinner cup of coffee. She smiled slightly, knowing that he would think she was smiling at him, and she didn't mind since it made him happy. Though she was unaware of just how he looked forward to pulling such smiles from her.

She was thinking that she couldn't let herself get used to this, to them. Even as she reminded herself yet again of that fact, she couldn't help but be drawn in. Saul's words would repeat in her mind over and over, that she wasn't meant to be alone.

Almost her entire life to this point was running, being scared, and not being able to trust. These feelings and experiences had stolen so much from her, much more than just peace of mind. She wondered if this crew could even understand how grateful she was for what they had already given her. Even the little things like being able to sit and read without worrying about her safety.

"Thank you," she finally said quietly, and the cook gave her a nod, even as he puffed on his ever present cigarette.

"She's been pushing herself into the ground," he commented.

Robin followed his gaze down to where Kiana was fighting against Luffy. She knew that she wasn't the only one that had been saved by the strange pirate captain- pretty much everyone on this crew felt the same, though she only knew of Kiana's reasons.

A part of her wished that she had Kiana's sense of place here. But, there was still this small piece that she couldn't get rid of, that told her- eventually this moment of happiness would be over. She could feel herself weakening in her resolve as each day passed and these people still wanted her around. But experience told her it couldn't… wouldn't… last.

"I wonder," Robin mused, her head tilting slightly as she studied the pair below them on the deck. "It's not that she doesn't stop to play and have fun with the others, but she is the first to get back to training. And she is constantly working late into the night as well, on her own. I wonder why?"

She could feel the cook glance at her speculatively. "You think she has a goal to reach, or a fear she is trying to get rid of?" he asked.

Her estimation of him went up at his insight, and she was amused at the two differing sides of him. "I'm not sure," she admitted. "It could be a combination of both. I know you are aware that she is still having nightmares frequently."

"I do see her often in the kitchen in the mornings," he agreed. "I wish we had known about Blackbeard when we were near the bastard," Sanji muttered.

"From what she has said, we would have faced his entire crew," Robin pointed out.

"And?" he asked, giving her a cocky smirk.

"Kia! Luffy!" Nami called as she came out of the galley. "Training's over! It's going to get dark soon!"

Kia stopped, panting. She looked up to Luffy, who grinned at her. "You're getting better," he said to her. "But you need to attack more, not just block. It's easy to find your weak points that way."

"You're right," she said, as she gulped in air. "But shouldn't I master blocking first?" she asked.

Luffy stepped forward, putting his arm around her shoulders. "Master? Then you'll be blocking forever! Shi-shi-shi!" he said with a laugh.

"Thanks," she muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Sanji!" Nami yelled. "Take the helm!"

"Of course, Nami my love!" they heard him reply happily.

"Hey Kia, when you have time, can you make some illustrations in the logbook for me?" Nami asked her, as they walked towards her.

"Sure," Kia answered. "Though I should take a shower first, and Luffy is before me."

"What?" Luffy asked with a frown. "No, Kia, you can go first."

"If I go first, you won't bathe," she said, giving him a dry look. "Don't think I'm not wise to your tricks."

"But I don't like to bathe alone," he muttered. "You make me wear the life vest."

She gave his back a pat as she led him towards the bathroom. "You know that is so you don't drown, right?" she asked.

"Yeah, but I hate it!" he pouted, giving her a puppy-eyed look.

"Fine," she said, rolling her eyes. "Usopp!" she called, looking around when he popped up from below decks.

"What's up?" he asked.

She gave him a grin, and a wave. "I owe you a thousand berri!" she called. "Our captain is in need of a liquid infusion!"

"Ha ha! I knew it!" he replied, and she moved on, leaving Luffy to him. "Luffy, come here! I've got something to show you!" he called.

Kia chuckled as she headed into the bathroom, and Luffy cheerfully went the other way. Usopp had bet her that she wouldn't get Luffy to bathe that day, the captain was insistent on only once a week, because that's how it had been for him growing up. If it was good enough then, it was good enough now.

Usopp had offered to get into a water fight with Luffy after their training for five hundred berri- added to the bet, that made it an even thousand. Kia thought it a bargain, since she didn't have to deal with trying to get Luffy to bathe, herself.

Though if she was being honest, with how often Luffy fell into the ocean, and Zoro making their captain bathe whenever he did, Luffy kept himself pretty clean. Nothing compared to Sanji, but it wasn't like he was smelly, and she had to be grateful for that. His rubber body probably had something to do with it, she thought.

She showered quickly, and met Nami in the girls' room, surprised to find Robin there as well.

"Hey Robin," Kia greeted, moving to the closet to put away her things.

"Hello Kiana," Robin replied. "I believe the captain is correct, your form is improving," she said.

"Thank you!" Kia exclaimed, touched. "That means a lot coming from you."

"From me?" Robin asked, confused. "I'm not much of a fighter though."

"You're an amazing fighter," Nami spoke up. "But I think she means because you're so observant, and you don't say things you don't mean."

"Exactly," Kia agreed. "You always tell it to me straight."

Robin felt a little embarrassed at the praise, but merely smiled. "Well then, you're welcome." Deciding to change the subject to remove their attention, she asked, "So, Miss Navigator, I didn't see any illustrations when I originally went through the logbook. Is it something you're thinking of adding in?"

"Sort of," Nami explained. "I actually was thinking that instead of the giant mural that Luffy was asking Kia for, that we could make him his own logbook. I know most of the time, the captain is the one to keep the logbook, but the more I write in it, the more I think I won't be able to let it go."

"So, you want to make Luffy his own, and you think it would be better with pictures," Kia supplied, getting the idea.

"Exactly," Nami said, glad that Kia understood. "I can write about the adventure, and if you supply small pictures of the people, or places we visit, I think he'd like that much better- and most likely won't fight me on keeping this one."

"Very clever," Robin said, and Nami grinned.

"Thanks, Robin," she replied, and turned to Kia. "So, will you help me?" she asked.

"Of course," Kia answered, moving to get her sketch pad. "Though I'll want to draw anyone I haven't met beforehand, because we'll most likely not get it right the first time."

"Well then, let's start at the beginning," Nami said. "So, when I first met Luffy…" she began, and Kia stopped her with a hand held up.

"Actually Nami," Kia said, giving a grin. "If this is for Luffy, then shouldn't we start with him?"

Nami thought it over. "You know, you're right," she agreed. "So, we need to find out more about when he left home to be a pirate, right?"

"Well, I've already made him tell me those stories, but I think it would be more entertaining to have him tell it," Kia replied. "And if we're lucky, we can get Zoro to tell us about when he first met Luffy too."

"You didn't ask the captain about that time?" Robin asked.

"No, I did," Kia said. "But I think hearing it from Zoro's perspective will be fun."

"Hmm, I started the logbook after we all decided to sail together," Nami said, deep in thought. "So, I haven't really written about how each of the original members joined. It would be good to get their own thoughts about Luffy and how they came to join the crew."

"Yeah!" Kia agreed wholeheartedly. If we get everyone to talk about it as a group, then Robin will feel much more bonded to everyone! she thought. "We can let Luffy tell the story, and maybe have the others give commentary?"

"Because you know Luffy won't remember everything?" Nami asked, smirking.

"That," Kia agreed, "and because the guys won't want to be the storyteller, but they'll most definitely want to make sure to set the story straight when Luffy goes off about food or something."

"Let's plan on the next island then," Nami said as she moved over to sit next to Kia on the bed. "For now, let's start drawing some of the people that I can tell you about."

"All right," Kia nodded, flipping to a blank page. "Who would you like to start with?" she asked.

"Um, well when I first met Luffy, there were a couple of different ones, but we should probably start with Buggy," Nami stated, as she leaned back against the headboard. "At least, I think he'll be the easiest to describe. I've never seen anyone that looks like Buggy."

"Do you mean Buggy the Clown?" Robin asked, intrigued. "I've heard of him before."

"He's definitely a character," Nami replied drolly. "He thinks he's a bad-ass, but he's practically timid compared to some of the others we've met."

"Okay, describe him, for me," Kia said, suddenly grateful that she knew the One Piece world so well. Drawing someone correctly from a vague description would be practically impossible otherwise.

As it was, she was able to get fairly close by what she remembered, and then fine tune it with specific instructions like, "hmm, a little rounder on the nose," from there.

Zoro stood in the first light of the morning, stretching to wake himself up. Ever since that damned seahorse had snuck onto the ship and stolen their memories, he had been unable to sleep at night while they were moored near an island.

However, being out on the water, he was able to sleep- as long as the cook, Robin, or Usopp were on watch. It wasn't that he didn't trust the others, but the cook was diligent about protecting the women from anything, and Usopp was eager to prove himself any way he could. He didn't know Robin's reasons for being paranoid, but since she had been given a bounty when she was a child, he imagined it was simply second nature for her now.

It looked to be a sunny, yet balmy morning, and just perfect for some sparring practice. He'd have preferred to spar with Luffy, but Nami had nixed that idea from the very beginning, since neither of them could keep it contained. So… he'd just have to use some of his excess energy on Kia today.

He decided to give her a wakeup call and headed towards the stairs.

He didn't make it far, before seeing that not only was Kia already up, but she was already at work. Though he had trouble figuring out what she was doing.

He moved closer; his footsteps naturally light so that he could observe without being noticed. Kia was sitting on the deck, flinging a rope that was tied with knots around herself, and…

He stopped, his head tilting to the side as he tried to determine exactly what she was doing. He had seen her do this same exercise again and again. He couldn't see what the objective was, since she really wasn't doing anything. But once the rope would hit her, she'd huff, and grab it, and start it spinning around her again.

Maybe she's trying to hear it, and somehow avoid it? he thought skeptically. But why try something so ridiculous? And why not ask for help?

Though he didn't understand, his first inclination was to leave her to her own devices, so he turned away. But then he stopped and decided that it couldn't hurt to ask. He truly did want to help her, and it seemed like she was wasting her time.

"Kia?" he asked, as he turned back. He saw her eyes open in surprise, and he tried- and failed- not to chuckle when the knotted rope hit her in the face. "Sorry about that," he said, snickering.

"Hey Zoro," she said, climbing to her feet. He noted the way she glanced at the sun, seeming almost upset at seeing it already so high in the sky. He wondered what that was about.

"What are you trying to do with this?" he asked, as he stepped forward and grabbed the rope. She didn't answer, as she had already started climbing the mast and had begun winding it up. She yanked it a few times to get him to let go, and eventually he did.

He waited until she put her rope away, and climbed back down, though he didn't ask again, he merely looked at her and waited.

"I'm hungry, are you hungry?" she asked him, as she stretched to loosen her tired body. His eyes narrowed as he took in her appearance.

"Did you sleep at all last night?" he asked, his eyebrow raised in question. The guilty expression she gave him told him what he needed to know. "Kia," he admonished. "You can't keep pushing yourself like this, you need rest, or you'll end up collapsing."

"I know that Zoro," she snapped, then gave a sigh. "Thanks, for being concerned, but I promise, I'm doing what I can to fix that." She looked up at him, seeing that he didn't really believe her, and gave him a shrug. "Really, but it's not as simple as you may think."

"Have you talked to Chopper about it?" he asked shrewdly.

"Look- again, thank you. But can you just leave it alone? Please?" she asked.

He stepped closer to her, waiting until she looked up at him. "For now," he said mildly, though he could tell she understood it for what it was. He wasn't going to let it go, he was letting too many of his questions for her go, and he wouldn't continue to do so forever, this was merely a reprieve.

"Thanks," she muttered, as she turned around and headed for the kitchen.

"Sir? Do you have a minute?"

Garp looked up, seeing Cooper standing in his doorway, and gave a sigh. He could tell from the looks she had been giving him in Kuzan's office that she was putting the pieces together, but he really didn't want to go into that now.

On the other hand, if it was going to happen, he'd rather get it over with, instead of sometime in the future, perhaps with an audience.

"Come on in Cooper," he said in resignation.

His suspicions were confirmed when she entered and shut the door behind her, and then moved over to one of the chairs in front of his desk. "What's on your mind?" he asked begrudgingly.

"Gramps, I…" she hesitated, looking a bit unsure, and he gave another sigh.

"Spit it out, kid," he muttered, as he opened a drawer and pulled out a snack. He hated talking about sensitive subjects at all, but most especially without something to keep focused on.

"Okay," she answered, and gave a sigh of her own, which had him considering her again. "Something the admiral said, has been… weighing on me," she admitted.

"Uh-huh," he grunted.

She looked up and gave a crooked smile, seeing he wasn't going to make it easy on her. "Well, when he was talking about the Straw Hats, and my sister… he said he was hopeful that I could convince her to not be a pirate anymore… you know, before something bad happened?"

His eyebrow rose. This wasn't what he was expecting.

"And… I guess… I was just wondering… what I would do. I mean, if I did see Kia, and she didn't…" she paused trying to find the right words. "I mean, she's stubborn, and she probably won't listen to me…"

"If she wants to be a pirate," he said gruffly, and she looked up at him, and nodded.

"Yeah, that," she agreed. "I don't think I'd be able to change her mind, Gramps, and I guess I'm worried, about what that would mean."

"You're only responsible for you, Cooper," he said, as he tilted his bag of rice crackers towards her in offering, and she reached out to take one.

"Yeah, I know that, but still…" She was looking at the cracker and frowning. "I don't think I could arrest my own sister," she said. "Or watch anyone else do it," she added. "We're supposed to find each other, and go home… you know, together."

"If you're willing to leave the navy, don't you think she'd leave the pirates?" he grunted, still not happy about her future plans, and reminding himself to get her to change her mind.

"I know it's crazy, but I keep thinking, what if other marines find the Straw Hats, and arrest them?" she asked, looking torn. "I don't think I could just keep doing my job, knowing she's in prison." She looked up at him now, wanting some advice. "Could you, Gramps?"

He gave a large sigh, thinking that this was even worse than what he originally thought they were going to talk about. "Look kid, there's no use thinking it, until it happens," he replied.

"Yeah, but still," she argued, as she fidgeted on the chair. "What would you do?"

"Let's say, that I had someone in my family, that was a pirate," he started, looking across the room at the wall, not willing to let her discern the truth in his eyes. "I'd do everything I could to convince them why that was a stupid thing to do."

"Yeah," she urged him on.

"But then, if they still did… well then, what could I do?" he asked, eating a few more crackers. "They made that choice, knowing that I'm a marine and that I would be duty bound to stop them, didn't they?" he said.

She could feel his frustration, and a few things clicked for her. "We all have our choices Cooper, no matter how close we are to others. We may make those choices because of someone, or in spite of someone, but when it comes down to it… we can't blame anyone but ourselves."

He leaned forward to look her straight in the eyes now, and she could feel his absolute sincerity. "You may not like parts of your job but doing your job even when you don't like it, is what makes you a good marine."

He shoved some more crackers in his mouth, even though he had lost his appetite. "I guess what you need to decide, is what kind of marine you're going to be Cooper. But me? I decided that a long time ago."

Reese looked down at her shoes, still feeling uncertain, but she understood what he was telling her.

She stood up then and gave him a salute. "I guess the only thing to do, is keep trying to convince them, right?" she asked. "Thanks for your time, Gramps," she added, as she moved to the door.

Garp sat there, munching on crackers as she left, his mind churning over what she said. He had given up trying to convince those boys that pirating was the worst choice they could make, in fact he'd bent over backward to make them into proud marines.

He didn't know how it had all gone to hell, first his own boy, then Ace, and finally Luffy, but he supposed he only really failed if he gave up.

Like Cooper said, he thought. Keep trying.

He rose from his desk, determined to find out where they were sending him next. Perhaps he'd be able to make a stop at a nearby island that Kuzan had mentioned on the way back.

Reese bypassed the barracks and headed out to the training field. She felt a little better, knowing that Garp had been dealing with this specific problem for a long time, so she wasn't alone.

She gave a smile, positive now that he was Luffy's grandfather. He was a loud, crotchety old man, but he was also fiercely loyal, and she could tell that while he didn't say it- the way he treated the three of them was like family, and it was the same as the way he spoke about Luffy.

And he's never given up on Luffy… always trying to find out what he's up to and encouraging our friendship with him… she thought. If he can do it… so can I.

Shucking her hat and uniform button-down on the grass, she took off at a jog around the track. A good run was exactly what she needed to get her head back on straight.

She was coming around the bend for her first full lap, when she saw someone waiting for her by her discarded uniform. She raised an eyebrow at Coby as she jogged past him and snickered to herself as he shed his own uniform shirt and hat and raced to catch up to her.

She was fully warmed up now, and should have sped up, but she knew he'd pace her, and she wanted to give him a warmup lap, so he didn't injure himself.

"I suppose I should have known you wouldn't stop to talk," he said as he caught up on her right side.

She grunted in response and kept jogging.

"Come on Reese, you've been quiet ever since you went to that meeting with Garp," he complained, looking over at her. "You're not really a chatterbox anyway, but this isn't like you." He grinned. "Helmeppo is starting to think that you're backing out of the strength challenge," he warned.

When she merely grunted again, he went quiet. He had spent so many days training beside her, that he could read her moods. Something is definitely eating at her, he thought, deciding to simply be there, for when she was ready to spit it out.

The pair ran around the track, gaining speed on the next lap, and each consecutive lap until they were running full out. Coby let Reese decide how long to go, he just ran to stay by her, until she slowed back to a jog. They were both sweating now, and he was glad he had taken off his uniform.

"Admiral Aokiji asked Garp to bring me to his office," Reese said, after she caught her breath. Coby gaped at her, and she smiled. "Yeah, that's the reaction I had too," she admitted.

"Why?" Coby asked, still gobsmacked. "You're not transferring or anything, right?" he asked, worried.

"Why would you think that?" she asked, confused. She slowed down to a walk, and he followed her lead, as they continued around the track.

"C'mon Reese, you're the best of the three of us," he declared. "Someone is bound to take some interest, though I keep thinking you'll end up asking to be transferred to Tsuru's command, with how much you're studying her tactics."

"Huh…" she muttered. The thought actually hadn't crossed her mind, but now that he said it, she wondered why it hadn't. "I guess I've never thought about transferring before," she said.

"Oh, well, don't think that I want you to go!" he said, waving his hands in front of himself, embarrassed. "That's not what I meant at all!"

She nudged his shoulder with her own. "I don't think that, silly."

"Oh, good," he sighed in relief.

"Apparently, the Admiral had a run in with some pirates," she said, getting back to the story. "The Straw Hat Pirates…" she stressed her words, even though her voice was soft, and she gave him a knowing look at his own incredulous expression.

"Luffy?!" he whispered back. "Really?"

"That's not all," she answered with a nod. "He said that one my sisters, Kia, has joined his crew…"

The choking sound he made interrupted her, and she checked to see if he was all right. He was goggling at her, so she continued. Better to get it all out at once, she thought.

"And she asked the Admiral if he knew me," she said, pointing to herself. "So, when he got back, he wanted to meet me," she finished, laughing at his wide eyes and gaping mouth. "I know, right?!"

"That's incredible!" he exclaimed quietly. "I can hardly believe it!" They headed off the track now, moving over to collect their shirts and hats. He reached them first, and grabbed everything, standing back straight and handing her her items. He held on for a moment, and she looked at him quizzically. "So, what's the problem?" he asked.

Reese smiled. Coby always is able to see right through me, she thought with a laugh. I wonder if I'll ever be able to pull one over on him.

"It's not really a problem," she answered. "I talked to Garp about it, and then took a run," she said, giving him a grin.

"And normally in Reese world, that's all it would take," he replied, finally letting go of her things. "Just know I'm here if you need me."

"Come on," she said, pulling the hat on her head, and the shirt over her shoulder. "Let's head back."

"Sure."

Reese waited a few moments, and then began speaking softly. It wasn't that she needed to talk about it, she really did feel better. But Coby was one of the few that would understand what she was feeling. He would always look up to Luffy and would always be his friend- but he was a marine, and Luffy was a pirate.

He listened intensely- his way of focusing solely on what she was saying, and it made Reese smile. When she was finished, he nodded in understanding.

"You know, they understand," he told her.

"Who, Luffy?" she asked, and he nodded again.

"Yeah, Luffy and Zoro," he replied. "And I'm sure your sister too. Being pirates, they know that the marines will come after them, it's part of being who they are. And they don't expect us to look the other way if we were the marines that found them."

"How do you know?" she asked curiously.

"There were things that Luffy told me, when we first met," he said with a far-off look, and a smile. "I think if I ever got to see Luffy again, we'd end up fighting, one on one. Then we'd probably catch up, eat some food- which the loser would pay for, of course. Then he'd try to escape, while I tried to bring him in."

"And that's… good enough?" she asked, bewildered.

He gave her a questioning look. "What? You think Luffy or your sister would just surrender meekly?"

She frowned as she thought about it. "Well, no. I guess I just see Kia getting mad at me for trying to arrest her."

"I can't speak for your sister, but Luffy knows that this is my dream," he replied. "And if he saw that I wasn't trying my best to achieve my dream? I think he'd… be disappointed in me."

"Huh…" Reese muttered, looking things over again with that thought in mind. "I never thought of it that way."

"I know I'd feel the same, if Luffy just let me arrest him," Coby added. "If you knew being a pirate was your sister's dream, how would you feel if she just gave it up without a fight?" he asked her, glancing over.

She was quiet as she walked, trying to picture it. After she did, she chuckled. "I'd probably punch her," she finally answered. "And demand to know what was wrong with her."

"Yeah, that's what I think," he agreed. "That's why I can't worry about what will happen," he said seriously. "I'll just do my best and get stronger… because I know he's doing the same thing."

Reese turned then and gave the no-longer-scrawny guy a sudden hug. "Thanks Coby," she said as she let go, and he fell backwards to land on his butt in the grass.

Coby blushed, feeling embarrassed, as he started babbling about being sorry, and how he was happy to help. Reese simply stared down at him and started to laugh. After a moment, she put her hand out, to help him back up.

"You're a good friend," she said, earning a shy smile in return. "And because you helped me, I'm going to help you now." She gave him an eager grin.

His brows furrowed as he looked back at her. "What's that mean?" he asked, concerned.

"I'm going to help you look more intimidating," she declared, laughing as Coby looked at her in horror. "Come on, it won't be that bad," she added.

"B-but… I'm not intimidating," he sputtered, trying to resist as she pulled him along by the hand.

"No, not yet," she agreed. "But if you want to be taken seriously as a marine, you've got to do something about that hair style."

His eyes went wide, and he looked positively terrified. "My h-hair?!" he asked in trepidation. "B-b-but Reese!"

"You look like you're still a chore boy," she told him as she stopped, and turned on him, standing face to face. She arched her eyebrow, looking him in the eye. "Is that what you want?" she demanded. "To see him again, and still look like a scared little boy?"

"You tell 'im Cooper!" a random voice called from nearby, and she was glad that she had stopped using Luffy's name as they entered the barracks.

She looked at him, giving him a reassuring smile. "I won't even cut it," she promised. "But I think, if you made a couple of changes, you'd stop thinking of yourself as that kid, and start thinking of yourself as the marine that you are."

Coby could feel his heart pounding. He trusted her, that wasn't the problem. He was scared, he could admit it to himself. He wanted everything she was saying, but what if… what if it didn't happen? What if I'm still that scared little kid?

"It won't happen overnight," she added, and he wondered for a moment if she could see his thoughts. "But it couldn't hurt, could it?" she asked.

He bolstered himself, remembering that she was not only his friend, but a marine he looked up to. "What did you have in mind?" he asked, wincing.

She grinned and began walking again. "I'm thinking of brushing your hair back, instead of down around your face, and maybe a bandanna- if you're serious about trying to keep that scar hidden…" she began, pulling him towards their rooms.

Ashley knew she should be training. She told herself a half dozen times already, hadn't she?! But Captain Shanks was practically insistent that she take it easy while the crew tried to locate the Whitebeard pirates' flag ship, the Moby Dick. And she didn't want to not follow her current captain's orders, now did she?

More than likely, I'll be forbidden from spending time with Shanks and his crew again, the thought entered her mind, and changed her entire mindset. It was exactly something that Master Mihawk would do, she told herself, feeling miserable at the thought of not being able to see or spend time with the amazing pirates she had been getting to know better over the past week.

Giving a sigh, she stood up, and took off her sweater. The morning breeze was a bit chilly, but she knew she'd be sweating in no time.

Another advantage of being on Shanks' ship, she thought as she started a series of slow concentrated stretches, is that I can warm up how I want to!

She would sometimes run around the ship, as it was big enough, but she knew it was a distraction for the crew, and she tried to avoid being a nuisance. Closing her eyes, she ran through a simplified yoga routine, warming her muscles for use.

She could hear voices, knowing that the men often thought her workouts were odd, but she simply tuned them out, and continued posing and stretching while in her meditative state.

Benn could see it, the moment she was done, as her eyes flashed open, and her hands grabbed her sai, thrusting out in the movements her master had taught her. He was a man, so it wasn't difficult to enjoy the sight of a pretty girl showing off on their deck.

But, he was also a fighter, and as he rested his arms on the railing and looked down to study her, the movements were truly what he was watching. She was much more sure of herself, though mastering the moves had never been her issue. It was putting them to use against another person that gave her pause.

Deciding that he could use a little workout himself, he stood straight and vaulted over the railing to the deck below where she was.

Ash had sensed him, and then noticed him studying her from the corner of her eye. It hardly phased her, as she was used to having a man much more talented than she, critiquing her. But she often had to remind herself that she became better for it.

She shifted back as she sensed him joining her, and he gave her a grin as he landed with ease and stood up tall.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked, as he shucked off his coat from his shoulders, laying it over the chair next to hers.

"Not at all," she grinned at him, bearing her sai in an x in front of her. "Hand to hand?" she asked, moving to put her weapons down.

"You can keep 'em," he replied, as he found a pole, and twirled it around in front of himself.

"What should we wager this time?"

The pair turned, seeing Shanks coming down the stairs, followed by Roo, and Yassop. Ash rolled her eyes as the four pirates began going off on wagers, odds and handicaps.

"Can't we just spar?" she asked, exasperated.

"What fun would that be for us?" Yassop asked, giving her a smirk.

"Right, of course," she muttered.

"How ya feelin' this mornin' Ash?" Roo asked her, as he looked between the two fighters.

"Like winning!" she called back, getting hoots from the spectators.

"Perhaps we let Ash in on the bet then, eh' cap'n?" Yassop said with a grin.

Her eyebrows went up, as she looked at Shanks, and he gave a shrug.

"I'll get first point," she said, determinedly looking back at Benn. Shanks and Benn exchanged glances, and Benn gave a nod.

"And if you do?" Shanks asked, wondering what she'd wager.

She looked over at the Captain and steeled herself. "Then I get to meet Whitebeard."

The good mood vanished. "Ash, we talked about this…" Shanks began, with a frown. "It's too dangerous."

"And how many times have I heard you tell your crew that it will be fine?" she pointed out. "You've said it yourself, you'd be stupid to start something, so he knows you won't. Which means, there's nothing to worry about. Besides, it's not like I'm scary," she said with her most winning smile.

"Ashley," he responded with a roll of his eyes. "That's not the problem and you know it. I'm more worried about you being able to withstand the haki."

"But we've been working on it every day!" she protested.

"Cap'n, tell her the real reason," Benn suggested with a smirk.

"Huh?" she asked, as Shanks wrinkled his nose in disgust. "What IS the real reason?" she asked, looking back and forth between the men.

"Ever wonder why everyone talks about Whitebeard, and all his sons?" Yassop asked her, leaning back on the railing and enjoying the pained look on his captain's face, as Ash frowned.

"Look if you're worried about a bunch of sailors not seeing a woman in a while, I can assure you-"

"That's not it," Roo interrupted, with a grin. "They're actually a pretty good bunch, for pirates."

"Well then, what's the prob-"

"It's him, Ash," Benn broke in, winking at her, then looking at his captain. "Whitebeard."

She looked confused. "What about him?" she asked.

"He's a dirty old man, that's what!" Shanks exploded, throwing his arm up in the air, and pacing around the deck. "I've been on that ship of his before, and while I can appreciate watching his nurses parade around in their little dresses, I can't let you go! Just thinking of him staring, no! Leering…"

Her eyes were wide as she watched his tirade, and she tried not to smile at how overprotective he was acting. She covered her mouth with her hand to prevent herself from giggling.

"Captain, that's so sweet of you to worry about me," she finally spoke up, making her voice sound high and sweet. "I mean, it's not like I can take care of myself, and who knows what those ruffians would do, even with you there! They might… leer at me!"

Shanks turned back around, seeing his friends trying not to laugh, and the girl in front of him, who was still holding weapons and ready to fight, looking at him in mock horror. Knowing he was being ridiculous, he started laughing and tousled her hair with his hand.

"Yeah, yeah," he said. "I'm acting like a fool," he said.

"No, you're acting like a friend," she said, and stuck her tongue out at him. "Or maybe a father," she added.

He shivered, giving her a deadpan stare. "That's not even nice, Ash," he complained. "You could at least think of me as a brother."

"Sure," Yassop spoke up. "A much older brother!"

"Hey!"

Ash couldn't help but join in the laughter, enjoying herself immensely. While she knew she wanted to get back to Mihawk eventually and learn more on how to be a better fighter, spending time with the Red-Hair Pirates, was like spending time with family, and she treasured it.

"I think it's time we had our spar," Benn announced, and Ash easily slid into her stance. "First to score a hit?" he asked, which was his was of asking if she were ready.

"First to score a hit," she agreed, no longer paying any attention to Shanks, Yassop and Roo, as they scuttled out of the way to watch the spar.