Disclaimer: I Do Not Own One Piece. I apologize in advance if I kill Smoker's attacks…
Chapter 30: Set Sail, CoNL!
Aro sighed. Sitting in a jail cell wasn't her idea of a good time. The floors were too hard to sleep on, the walls were too rough to lean on, and the bars were too well oiled to hold on to. She sat on the small pull out bed that came from the wall. Iryoku knew how to treat its visitors kindly; she'd give them that. She looked out of the cage bars at Smoker, who was on the… um, snail with a head officer. Aro couldn't hear what they were saying, so she had to make due with guessing. In her head she put on a fake conversation to keep herself from feeling alone. "No! There is nothing you can do to make me do thatSmoker, you have to or we'll take your rank away! You can't do this! We're the navy! We can do anything!" She snorted and looked out the glassless window that was on the wall to her left just outside of her cell. "Yeah, right… anything cheep—"
An ashtray hit the bars of her cage and made her jump and give a small squeak of surprise. Smoker was now off the… snail, and annoyance was clear on his face. "Oni, for some terror of the sea, you make a lot of jokes..."
"Life's no fun without a little humor."
"A pirate's life isn't fun, it's made for trouble."
"Oh ho ho ho… I beg to differ!"
The… snail started ringing before Smoker could comment back. He turned and answered it with a gruff 'Smoker.' Like he apparently answered all his… snail calls. Aro grinned as she watched his back tension up and his hastily left the room with his… snail.
Aro sighed and put her head on the bars of the cage. She felt so alone. She started to think about the past two days. She had finally met the Straw Hat Crew… finally. Tears started to form in her eyes as she continued to reflect on it. All that hard work to prove herself… all that time to show them what she could do…
And she still wasn't part of the Straw Hat Crew.
She wiped the tears from her eyes and looked out the window. "I ruined my only chance… I'll never meet them… again…?" Her face scrunched up and she blinked a few times. "S-Snow?" She watched as the flake slowly fell into the room. More started to follow the first. She rubbed her eyes and looked again. The snow was gone. "What… what was that?" She asked herself.
"Psst…"
Aro sighed, "Maybe I'm going insane? I heard it happened in jail…"
"Psst!"
"I mean… everyone's probably already set sail and—"
THUNK
"OW!" Aro held her head and crouched down. She gave a small whimper, "What the hell was that?" She looked around for what hit her in the head. Her eyes settled on a small glass vile. "What… the… HELL!" She jumped to her feet, and started yelling, "FIRST YOUR ASH TRAY AND NOW A GLASS CONTAINER?! SMOKER, YOU JERK!!!"
"Aro… open the vile, and dump it on the hinges."
"Eh?" Aro looked to where the voice was coming from. LeStine's face was in the window, looking annoyed. "LeStine? Why should I trust you?"
"Cause that call that Smoker answered… it's Kise."
"Kise?"
---
"I don't care what you think you are doing correctly!" Kise said angrily though was smiling and his feet were swinging back and forth as he sat on a table on the ship. He had Jane held up to his ear. He nodded, and started yelling again, "I didn't want the people of Iryoku in danger! And you call your self…" He paused, and looked a Jane, "Who is this again?"
---
Aro sighed, "That's…" She grabbed the vile and opened it. She suddenly became pale and gagged, "This stuff reeks!"
"It's a metal eating acid."
Aro poured it on the hinges and watched the metal slowly turn into a liquid and bubble mass. The door wavered and started to open in a scratchy manner. "And I couldn't pour it on the lock… why?"
"Lock is plastic coated. I've already broken out of here once like that. Come on." He disappeared from the window. Aro walked out with a grin.
"Easy!" She commented.
The door suddenly slammed open and Smoker's arm was already smoke, "Howaito—"
"WAH!" Aro jumped out the window and ran towards the waiting LeStine, who drew his gun and pointed it just past Aro's head. "Like that's going to work on second hand smoke!" Aro ran past LeStine as he fired. She glanced back to see a barrel of water suddenly burst at the bottom and pour water down the window. Something else flew past her head and she looked to see Guzen, having just fired something. She turned back to see the water suddenly a frozen waterfall in front of the window. She slowed down for a second, staring as the smoke of Smoker's hand crashed into the ice, and did nothing more than that. "Ok… so it did do something…"
LeStine turned, ran to Aro, grabbed the back of her collar and started to basically drag her to the ship. "Stop gawking and let's go."
"WAH! Stop! Wait! Gonna Fall!" She whimpered as she tried to keep with him.
---
"Now… tell me again why Smoker hung up on you?" Ezerial rubbed his temple with two fingers and this thumb.
"Jane said he was the tooth fairy…"
"What?"
"So, I asked him if he was the tooth fairy and he hung up on me…"
"Why did you ask him that?!"
"Because I didn't believe Jane was telling the truth!" Kise looked at the docks, "Hey, here they come." Guzen ran on the ship. "Hey, lady—" Guzen ran straight to the anchor, Ezerial and Cap in tow. "Hmm… Hey, Aro—" LeStine pushed Aro on board, causing her to stumble and fall on the deck. LeStine pulled the ramp on deck with a small grunt. "Hey, Doc."
"What?" He asked, annoyed and in a hurry.
"Who did you make me call?"
LeStine gave an annoyed sigh. "The Tooth Fairy…"
Kise's eyes went wide, "So… the Tooth Fairy is a guy? Wow, Jane! I guess you weren't lying! Sorry for ever doubting your endless wisdom!"
"I swear to the oceans, you are the dumbest person who ever walked the face of the earth," LeStine said as he finished with the ramp. Aro was working on the sails.
"Ah, but what about animal?"
"You're not an animal—well, technically you are… so, yeah!"
"Well, what about water?"
"What?"
"Am I the dumbest person to ever walk on water?"
"What—you can't even walk ON water!"
"HERE WE GO!" Aro called from the sails. A gust of wind and the ship gave a small jerk as it started to move. "Come on…" She jumped down the dock, staring at the sails. "Um…"
"Uh…" LeStine stood next to her, staring at the sails as well. Both him and Aro turned to Cap.
"Why do we have a Navy ship?" They asked at once.
"Kise's fault." Cap answered, looking back at the docks for any sign of danger.
Kise saluted with Jane in his hand and smiled. "No need to thank me!"
"Yes."
"Hmm?" Kise looked at LeStine, "Yes what?"
"You are the biggest idiot to ever walk on land or water."
"How do you walk on water?" Aro asked.
"Alright… looks like we're in the clear… So, Aro…" Cap said walking up, Guzen and Ezerial following. "What are we called?"
"Eh?" She blinked at him.
"Well, if you are captain, then you have to have a name for us, right?"
"Oh, um—C-captain?!"
"Um… you did get this gang together… who else would be captain?"
"Eh-um-well-I-gah…" She sat down, in slight shock. Cap laughed and patted her on the head.
"Well?"
"Um… Any suggestions?"
"The Crew of the Abjects?" LeStine suggested.
"… Crew of the Shiryoku?" Guzen muttered.
"Shiryoku? Shira and Iryoku?" Aro asked. Guzen nodded.
"Crew of the insane…" Ezerial muttered, looking to the side.
"CREW OF THE NINE LIVES!" Kise's random outburst startled everyone.
"Crew of the… why that?" Aro asked.
"Well… you're a cat, and cat's have nine lives… and two more people to join—cause Jane is a member too-- we'll have nine lives on one crew!"
Everyone fell silent. Aro slowly smiled, and soon was laughing. She hugged Kise, "Crew of Nine Lives it is!" She said while grinning. "Now, for who does what… Cap, you are the cook… Guzen, Marksman, as always… Kise… um… you can just be you… Ezerial, first mate, I doubt you have other talents—"
"HEY!"
"And LeStine, you can be the doctor."
"Oh, so you trust me now, is that it?" LeStine asked with a small smile. Aro just smiled at him.
"I'm a little hungry…" Aro muttered.
"Alright… everyone come down to the galley and I'll make a special order for everyone." Cap turned and started off. LeStine followed with a shrug.
Aro gave a small sad smile. Something made her ear twitch. Someone was calling her name. She looked around. "Hey, Aro, the rest of the sails aren't down. Do you want me to get them?" Kise said, starting up the mast.
"Um, sure—"
"ARO!"
Aro turned and looked out on the ocean. Luffy, from the Straw Hat's Ship, was waving at her. "LUFFY!" She ran to the edge of the ship and waved at him.
"See you later, maybe at One Piece! Hope we can sail together again, Aro!"
Aro smiled and paused, "Again? WAIT! LUFFY!" She shouted at him. "I have something to ask you!" A sudden strong gust sent the straw hats somewhere else, "Have I met you before?" She called to him. Her eyes slowly grew wider as he waved to her with a nod. "LUFFY! LUFFY WAIT! I DON'T REMEMBER! TELL ME WHEN!"
"This one Jane?" Kise pulled a rope and the rest of the sails fell. "You're so smart, Jane!" He huggled Jane as the ship caught the tail of the gust and went in the other direction.
She leaned towards him, reaching out to him though she knew she wouldn't be able to reach him. The ship slowly started to grow smaller. "No! I want to remember…" She slumped on the edge of the ship, tears coming slowly.
---
"Letter for what now?" Ezerial asked, looking at the envelope LeStine held.
"A competition. The prize is rare and indeed valuable."
"What are the rules?" Cap said, taking the envelope.
"Only one person per entry." LeStine nodded.
"So… someone would have to go alone?" Ezerial looked at LeStine.
"… No, it just means every man and woman for himself or herself…" Guzen looked at the letter over Cap's shoulder, "It doesn't…"
"I know… I think we should send someone." LeStine said, looking at Cap.
"Why? It could be a set up." Ezerial had a hint of aggravation in his voice.
"Send Aro." Guzen said, heading back to the deck.
"What?" Ezerial's gaze shifted to Guzen, "Why?"
"Aro won't let anyone go at it alone, but she'll go alone if it's for the good of the journey."
"What journey?"
Guzen grinned at him; "You didn't grow up with her."
Authors Note: Yeah… lame chapter, I know. –Gives lots of potions and phoenix downs- Oh, and I'm interested to hear who's all your favorite character! Either by e-mail or review!