Disclaimer: I Do Not Own One Piece. Nor the guest star! And I don't own Spiderman XD

Chapter 31: Hello, Rocky!

"So… how does this thing work again?" Kise asked as she looked at Aro's scythe. He was back in his normal clothes. "Aro?" Jane leaned on his shoulder. Aro sat on the side of the deck dressed in something new: white tank-top (form fitting, of course), white shorts that come to the middle knuckle of her middle finger, her normal black boots, her new glasses from Kise on her collar, a new black bini with a white skull in the middle, and the fuzzy belt that she wore in Iryoku. Her old sheath was on her back and her sword was on her hip. She was thinking about earlier just this morning…

---FlAsH bAcK---

Aro read the letter from the navy, "Are they serious? And they want me to go to the competition?"

"That's what it ended up as…" Ezerial had his arms crossed, leaning on the wall behind Aro in his normal attire. Aro sat at the galley table, reading the letter with a grin. "I don't think you should go." A candle flickered on the table as a reading light.

"Oh come on, it can't be that bad."

"Aro..." He muttered, "You're suck a careless child..."

Aro scrunched up her nose, "Fine..." She got up and stormed out of the galley and onto the deck as the morning sun started to rise. Ezerial sighed and blew out the candle.

---EnD fLaSh BaCk---

"ARO!" Aro jumped at her name and looked at Kise. She turned a light shade of pink. Jane was in his hip sheath, while Kise was on his knees in front of her and hands placed on her knees.

"Yes Kise?"

"You seem a little angry… what's wrong?"

"Just thinking is all… what did you need?"

"How does this thing work again?" he held up her scythe.

"Like I said before, I don't know."

"Well then, I'll take it apart and find out!" He pulled a wench from behind his ear. Aro gave a silent scream as he prepared to take the scythe apart.

"KISE!" Aro finally could shout. He froze and looked at her as if he were a kicked puppy.

"What did I do?"

"Just… give me the scythe and no one has to get hurt…" She spoke calmly and held out her hand.

"You can't hurt me!" he jumped to his feet. Aro jumped up as well, tail flicking.

"Wanna bet?"

Kise's fists went to his mouth and his eyes got wider and more fearful and sad. "Would you really hurt me, Captain?"

Aro sighed; "No…" Kise smiled and held the scythe to her. She snatched it from him and put it away. Suddenly and idea came to her. "Hey, Kise… I'll make a deal with you… if anyone asks where I went; you have to say you don't know. If you do this correctly, I'll let you take my scythe apart when I get back. Ok?"

"Hmm… I'll have to think about it…" Kise scratched his head with the wrench he still held. Aro sighed, "OK!" She looked at him, grinned, then ran off below deck.

---

"No Jane! Pull up on the rope! Not down!" Kise put his hands on his hips, watching Jane as she hung from a rope at head level.

Ezerial approached him, "Hey, Kise, have you seen Aro anywhere?"

"Hmm? Aro?"

"Yeah"

"I don't know."

"How can you NOT know if you've seen your own CAPTIAN?!"

"I haven't see her, but Jane has!"

Ezerial sighed, "Where did she go, Jane..."

Kise held Jane up to his ear, nodding some. "Jane says she jumped off the boat."

"WHAT?!"

"And into a lifeboat and sailed away with some board with a sail."

"Did--" He put the tips of his fingers to his forehead and turned from them, "Now I'm talking to It.."

"Ezerial, where's Aro?" Cap asked, looking from the galley entrance.

"I don't know, that's what I'm trying to find out."

"... She went to that competition thing..."

Ezerial jumped and turned around to Guzen who was hanging upside down behind him like a Spiderman rip-off. "What?"

"You called her a child, now she's going to risk her life to prove to you she's stronger than a child."

"... That little..."

---

"Wow..." Aro walked along the pebble path, looking around. On her back was a thicker than normal surfboard and her scythe. On her hip was her sword. "So many people here..." People filled the woods, and the occasional campsite in a small clearing. Some people were fighting in the path and others in the trees. Someone fell beside her and she had to side step them. "Careful, might loose an eye fighting in a tree, baboon…"

The man slowly got up and glared at her, "What did you say to me?"

"I said be careful..." She glared at him, "Is that a problem--"

The man suddenly grabbed her throat, lifting her into the air and slowly tightened his grip. Aro grabbed his wrist as a crowd started to form around them. She closed her eyes. "Let... go..." She gasped.

He tightened his grip, "Little girls shouldn't be here..."

'Again with the kid jokes!' She felt the tingling coming up her arms as her beast started to try to come out. "I said... let--"

"I don't believe you have that good of hearing... so why have ears?" Two hands grabbed the man's ears. The man opened his mouth to threaten the mystery man only to have his words drowned out by a scream of pain as the hands ripped off his ears. He let go of Aro, hands going to where his ears once were. In a panic he ran towards the crowd, who quickly disbursed.

The mystery man turned to look at Aro, dropping the ears on the ground. Aro made a grossed face, "That was just lovely..."

"You alright, Aro?"

"And I know you... how?"

"Jeez... I think time has made you slow..."

Aro's ear twitched and she was on her feet. "WHAT WAS THAT?!"

The mystery man chuckled and patted her on the head, "It's me, Axe, remember?" He was about normal height, had black hair that came between his shoulder blades. He had on a button-up long sleeve shirt tucked in his black pants and matching black leathered belt, a hat, and hard boots. His body is well built, not a giant, but he did show a bit of muscle.

Aro's ear twitched and she looked him over. She didn't actually remember him, but she did… remember in a way that she knew him. She slowly circled him. "You look different..."

"Well, you haven't seen me in a while…"

Aro smiled and sniffed his arm. He twitched slightly. "Blah... you still smell bad..." She went to the other side and sniffed his shoulder, "Like... meat, sweat, and bad cologne..."

Axe is face turned red, then a smile came to his face. "That was a good one..."

"What was a goo-..." Aro's face slowly turned green and she turned away from him, covering his nose. "OH MY GOD!"

"Add another scent to the meat, sweat and bad cologne" He said with a chuckle.

Aro held her nose and punched him in the arm; "You're still a typical guy! Gross... Not to mention my nose is sensitive…"

Axe put his hand on her head and pushed her down so she fell to the ground. "And you still act like you can beat me. Just be glad I'm right in my head this time...unlike that time I got hurt in Drum, remember that?"

Aro slowly got up, "Yeah... glad..." She spat some dirt out and started to brush herself off.

"What are you doing here anyway?"

"I got a letter from the navy as an invite."

"You know it's fake, right?"

"Hmm?"

Axe pulled out a mimic of the letter; "It would have a navy or a marine seal if it was real. They were sent out as phonies to trick people into coming here."

"HA! SO EZERIAL WAS-- wait..."

"Dunce..." Axe sighed, "Who is Ezerial?"

"Eh, no one... but if it's a hoax, what are you doing here?"

Axe grinned, "Information on One Piece? A challenge? Of course I'm going to come here. Don't tell me you didn't know it was a fake..."

Aro looked to the side and laughed some, rubbing the back of her head, "Of course I knew..."

Axe rolled his eyes, "This is the great Oni of the Sea..."

"Oh shut up, you block head..."Aro then signed, "Who runs this thing anyway?"

"An ex-officer in the navy."

"And you'd think that a navy officer would be bright enough to put a navy seal on an impersonation letter..."

"Well, at least I know it's not Gasparde..."

"Gasparde...?"

"Long story. Why are ALL the fake marine-appointed contests made by ex-marines? I swear, it must be a trend…"

"GENTELMEN!" Aro twitched at the voice, "WELCOME TO THE LABYRATH!"

"Sexist bas--"

"I thank you for joining us! This years choice of trials will be based on one small island that is an optional main stop."

"Optional main stop?"

"You will be facing: riddles, beasts, men, and time."

"Where's the—"

Axe put his hand over Aro's mouth. "Shh." Aro frowned at him and crossed her arms.

"It is a team effort. I'm sure you all brought more than one team member to assist your chances of being successful?"

Aro and Axe froze. Axe dropped his hand and turned from Aro, hand behind his head. He muttered something and sighed. "I didn't think about that…"

Aro bit her lip and grabbed her bini, "Ah hell… I should have listened to Ezerial…"

"I'm sure you brought your most trusted members? So I believe it's become a Caption-First Mate ordeal."

Aro nearly fell over, "Really should have listened to Ezerial…"

"Official check-in will start in 20 minutes. Come sign up with your caption and your first mate!" A cheer came from the crowd as the voice left. Aro covered her ears tightly.

"Why do stereo-typical pirates have to be loud?" She winced at someone whistling near by.

"Because it's a fan-fiction…"

"What?"

"Nothing…"

"What the hell am I supposed to do? Ezerial doesn't even know I'm here…"

"Devon doesn't know I'm here either…"

"I'm not giving up…"

"Nor am I…"

They both looked at each other. "Do you think…"

"Who'd be what?"

Aro sighed, "I don't know if two captains can work together like this."

"We're going to have to try."

"Alright…"