It's probably still Wednesday for a good chunk of y'all, but it's ten past midnight where I am so it's technically Thursday.


Two of Cups, reversed - Imbalance, broken communication, tension


Late September 1522

"Relax. We aren't looking for a fight."

Rafi eyed the table of scruffy pirates across the room, getting a number of suspicious looks back. "Do they know that?"

Noir swirled her rum, keeping a part of her Haki focused on the pirates behind her. "Sile will handle any idiots." The Akatokuro outmanned and outgunned the pirates' ship. Anyone trying to start something would have to be phenomenally stupid. "Iron Eye Pirates are aggressive, not suicidal."

Asaji Dominic had a damn fleet at his command now. He was making use of it too. Both Kaido and Big Mom wanted Iron Eye's head on a platter for how many times Dominic had raided their ships.

At least the menace hadn't acquired another Marine warship. The Relentless was more than enough.

The particular Iron Eye ship currently docked on the other side of the harbor from the Akatokuro was a modified merchant frigate. The Akatokuro outclassed it so much it wasn't funny. Noir could blow them out of the water and only have a scratched paint job as a souvenir.

"I'd rather not have to deal with a pissed off Iron Eye." Rafi huffed. "Whitebeard could take lessons from him in disproportionate punishment, and Dominic doesn't let 'self defense' stop him from killing everyone in revenge. Someone needs to sign him up for anger management lessons."

"You have no room to judge."

"I'm perfectly aware I'm fucked in the head. But even I'm not that bad."

Noir fixed Rafi with an unimpressed look. Rafi was absolutely as bad. The Ink Logia only cared about her people. Anyone else burning at the stake? Rafi would break out the marshmallows and lead a campfire sing-a-long. Noir read the report from after she got shot. Torturing a dozen men while cheerfully humming was rather tame for Rafi.

Wait, was that-?

"Sunshine!"

Yes it was.

Noir ignored Rafi's snickers and patted the arms constricting around her chest. "Always a pleasure, Keili."

Fingers brushed over the scar on Noir's chest, and Noir suppressed the shiver that ran down her spine. "Oh?" Keili asked, voice light despite her Haki curling in murderous displeasure. "Who gave you this beauty, Sunshine?"

"Are you here for a reason? Or just saying hello?" Noir asked. Not that Keili would let the question distract her. But Noir's refusal to give a name would be answer enough for Keili. If the woman managed to find out who it was Noir would be grateful.

Keili grinned, a flash of white teeth against ebony dark skin. "Who says it can't be both, Sunshine? We can always indulge in a bit of fun for old times' sake."

Rafi smirked as Noir remembered how to breathe steadily. "Got room for another, gorgeous?"

Noir pinched the bridge of her nose as Keili gave Rafi an appreciative look over. She wasn't surprised her ex-girlfriend and her Second Mate found each other highly attractive, the two women met each other's standards. Rather, Rafi met Keili's standards. Rafi's standards fluctuated between 'living, humanoid, and not a complete asshole,' and 'moderately attractive with matching personality.'

"We are on a deadline." Noir reminded Rafi. It didn't matter Keili and Rafi both met Noir's standards or that both women were willing. Noir and Keili had ended their relationship for a reason and Noir didn't do one night stands. And Rafi was Noir's subordinate. Any relationship would be unequal and Noir refused to abuse her position of power like that.

The Akatokuro was transporting prisoners to Impel Down. Normally they'd hand them off to another ship at the Red Line, but Noir needed to be at Marine Headquarters to evaluate the next batch of transfers to her crew in the wake of an unexpected pirate crew with too many Devil Fruit users.

Noir personally killed the captain who thought running from her would do any good. Fucker liked razing civilian towns and getting the attention of the Marines for a higher bounty. The captain had hoped the added notoriety would fain the attention of one of the Yonko. Now all the attention he was getting was from ocean scavengers. Sengoku ordered the rest of the crew delivered to Impel Down.

Noir didn't agree, but she had never liked the Great Prison. Still, orders were orders and this time she could hand the duty off to Cade.

"Then we should get to business."

Rafi jerked away from the woman suddenly standing next to her. Ignoring Rafi as the younger woman turned the air blue, Noir pushed a chair out for the newcomer to sit.

She was tiny. Not even five feet tall, which put her four inches shorter than Rafi. But where Rafi's curves made her look taller than she really was, this woman was the definition of petite. Black hair coiled into a sleek knot framed tanned skin and sharp silver eyes helped balance out the youthful first impression given by her stature.

Noir swiftly hid her surprise at the presence of a Rank 10 - one of the Net's two leaders. "'Adamas.'"

'Adamas' nodded at Noir. She smirked at a sour faced Rafi. "Rafi is it? How do you feel about activities of dubious legality and giving the middle finger to the World Government?"

Rafi choked on her drink. Keili snickered and Noir sighed. "I do need my Second Mate alive, 'Adamas.'"

"She's survived you for years." 'Adamas' sniffed. "A surprise or two won't kill her."

Keili slapped Rafi on the back. "Come on, dearie. Here you go."

Rafi accepted the offered napkin, wiping at her face and coughing a few more times. "Vice Admiral?" She rasped.

"Do you want to be an informant?" Noir clarified for her. "Passing on information, nothing else."

Blue eyes flicked between Noir, Keili, and 'Adamas.' "They aren't your contacts." Rafi realized. "This is an organized network, isn't it? Those slavers a year back - that was a mission."

Noir smirked. There was the razor sharp intelligence Rafi possessed. Rafi didn't use it much, so most people forgot Rafi wasn't as airheaded as she seemed.

"Why me?"

"Sengoku promised to let Sile stay under my command if I become an Admiral." Noir explained. It wasn't a guaranteed thing, Noir knew. The Gorosei has to approve Sengoku's eventual nomination of Aokiji as Fleet Admiral and then Aokiji had to promote her to replace him as Admiral. It was still Noir's best shot at protecting Sile. "I'm already having to leave the Akatokuro under Cade's command as I get called away more often. There will come a point where I can't command the crew on a day to day basis."

Cade would take over command permanently, as a Rear Admiral if Sengoku got his way. Rafi might get a promotion and a crew of her own. Either way, Rafi would be well placed as an informant with far more freedom of movement than Noir.

Rafi scrutinized Noir for a moment, then grinned. "Sounds fun." She paused. "You do have something to tell Cade, right? 'Cause I'm not you, Noir."

"I'll handle it." Cade knew about the Net - had for almost as long as they'd known each other. Noir had worried about telling him. He was a damn good First Mate and she hadn't wanted to kill him if he took it badly.

He'd taken it better than expected - not that the bar had been set all that high. He reasoned that The Net wasn't looking to tear down the World Government like the Revolutionary Army. The Net protected the children borne of pirates and criminals, as well as escaped slaves. People who the World Government should protect but didn't, because the World Government refused to see them as people.

"Keili, handle protocol." 'Adamas' ordered. "I need to talk with Noir."

"Come on, dearie. Let's go get drinks."

Rafi glanced at Noir, and followed Keili to another booth after Noir jerked her head. Once the two women were out of earshot, Noir carefully threaded Conqueror's Haki through the room. Not the wave of willpower that sent people into unconsciousness, no. Just a touch, to impress upon everyone in the room that Noir and 'Adamas' weren't worth paying attention to.

"So are you 'Adamas' or Cirra at the moment?" Noir wondered.

The woman snorted. "Cirra, please. This is only peripheral to The Net."

Noir narrowed her eyes. If Cirra was talking to Noir, and not 'Adamas' to 'Nilama,' then… "Is this about your brother?"

And Cirra grinned, a wide D grin as wild as any of Roger's. "Dear little Ace has been causing quite a ruckus. The family is curious." Of course they were. Curious as cats, all of them. Same as Roger. "The kids want to meet their uncle."

Noir froze. No.

The thought came with such clarity that for a moment Noir believed she'd spoken aloud.

"Noir?"

"I'm not sure it's a good idea." Noir admitted slowly. She pushed back the visceral reaction, trying to pick apart what had set her instincts off like a klaxon.

Cirra said nothing as Noir pulled her thoughts together.

"Ace hates Roger." By the Sea, did Ace hate him. Noir had no doubt if Ace met Roger that he would try to kill the man. "But more than that, Ace hates himself because he's Roger's kid." What fate can the child of a monster have, but to become a monster himself?

Damn civilians. Damn Garp.

"You think Ace would hate us by extension?" Cirra asked. No disbelief - Cirra knew hatred wasn't logical.

"I don't know." Ace could see his siblings and nieces and nephews as reminders of Roger and loathe them for it. Or he could see it as proof that being Roger's kid didn't make him a monster and come out better for it. "I don't want to risk it."

Not when the World Government had no inkling of their existence. One slip of the tongue could bring another Purge - only the government wouldn't limit it to South Blue.

Of Roger's children, only Ace had become a pirate, which was caused by circumstance more than anything. Vie bred Den Den Mushis for a living and her eleven year old daughter wanted to breed birds to start a civilian postal service! Cirra's grandson Nimbus was four months old for Sea's sake!

But due to Roger's blood in their veins and that they protected others with pirate heritage, the World Government would slaughter them all.

Noir could possibly see how someone might justify a Buster Call. But this? Never.

Cirra nodded in acceptance. "Have you heard what Ace has been up to?"

Other than sending half The Net into conniption fits? Buggy had bitched about Ace having 'Jumishat's' contact information, and that a damn Rank 2 had been the one to give it to him. Ace didn't even know the headaches he was causing.

Noir felt justified in the wary look she gave Cirra. "No."

"The Whitebeards' 4th Division Commander got himself murdered by another Whitebeard." Cirra said. "From Ace's Division no less."

Well damn. "The man Jenae had her eye on? Thatch?" The pirate kids liked to keep up on each other's lives, and Jenae was as free a spirit as any Child of the Sea. That she was considering settling down and retiring for anyone had come as a surprise.

Cirra hummed. "Yeah. Marshall D. Teach is now persona non grata with the Whitebeards. Ace is taking it rather personally. He's been hunting 'Blackbeard' on his own for months now."

That blithering idiot. What did he think he was, a one man army? "Is The Net responding?"

"No." Cirra said. "Klaris reported the murder was over a Devil Fruit. We're keeping an eye on things, but there's no indication that Blackbeard is aware of us or our charges."

Well, some good news at least.

"Of course, you should probably know Blackbeard tried to cash in on Straw Hat's bounty."

"I beg your pardon?" Blackbeard went after Luffy?

Belatedly, Noir realized she'd bared her teeth in a snarl and hissed at Cirra. Cirra blinked at Noir, and Noir wrestled her temper back under control.

"Your nephew is fine." Cirra said once Noir had released her death grip on her glass. "He lost him outside Jaya. According to 'Saffron', he was asking about the Sky Islands and talking to Montblanc Cricket."

Noir rubbed a hand over her face. "Luffy's not my nephew."

Cirra gave Noir a look that clearly called bullshit, but didn't say anything. Noir was grateful for that - she didn't feel up to arguing about it at the moment.

"It's okay to get attached." Cirra said. And nope nope nope, Noir didn't want to have this conversation either. "Everyone needs bonds."

"I have bonds."

"Name five outside your crew - and yes, Smoker counts." Noir looked away, her sullen silence answer enough. Cirra sighed. "It's alright to care, Noir."

Noir shook her head. "I'm not going to open myself up to more pain, Cirra." Noir'd had enough for a lifetime. She wasn't going to invite the world to throw more her way.

Haki signatures congregating on the Akatokuro - her crew was ready to go. "Until next time."

"Do try to keep in touch."


Alright, one last chapter for the set, scheduled for next week! The more reviews, the sooner it comes out! I haven't decided if I'm going to jump into planning the last set right away, or switch over to one of my other stories for a bit. I'll let you know next week.

Let me know what your favorite part was! Or any predictions you've got (I live for those, amici. Makes me grin to see all the guesses, right or wrong).

Please review!