Thank you to everyone who reviewed. Your positive comments always inspire me to write more. Sorry for the very long delay of this chapter. To everyone who waited, I will be releasing more VERY SOON.

Enjoy.

Prologue: Resolve

A cry erupted in the depths of the forest. "CAPTAIN! CAPTAINNN! " a crew member shouted repeatedly, running frantically towards the captain.

"Argh. What is it now?!" replied the captain clearly frustrated. "Damn it. This better be something import…." Behind his subordinate trailed hundreds of armed marines. The captain glared at the marines, particularly at their commander, "What do you want, now?"

"Well, hello again, Captain." The commander smiled deviously. "I presume every living human in this village has been dealt with, yes?"

"Aye. I've done my deed, now it's time for my compensation, commander." He spat out.

"Guagahga! Perfect, as expected of a bunch of scums."

"Shoot him." The leader ordered. Before the captain could react, several bullets whistled through the air, penetrating his heart.

"Ack!" the captain stared in horror at the incessant amount of blood pouring out of his wound. "You damn, marine. You tricked us! This wasn't part of our deal!" While struggling to stand, he clumsily pulled out a dagger to charge at the commander. "CURSE YOU Droge (Dro-juh)!" Another wave of bullets pierced his body, this time, subduing him for good.

"GUAGAHGA! That is, Captain Droge to you. Or should I say, thanks to you." He snickered, leaving the captain to suffer death. "Kill the remaining pirates."

Days after the massacre passed a feeling of dread and despair lingered in the Outlawed Area. The warmth of the trees, once a shelter for the people, had been decimated and reduced to burnt stumps. The ground that had once been glades shaded by thickets of branches was now barren. Even the river, once a source of pure freshwater, was now engulfed in ashes and dirt, resulting in a muddy texture that glazed over the river's surface. Numerous dead bodies spread vastly across the entire landscape from the rampant fires that had spread from explosions. And then there was her. In one little patch of greenery, covered in a mixture of both her brothers' blood, a little girl lay protected by an older boy. Any passerby would have presumed she was dead but this girl was far from it.

Baby awoke to the discomfort of her brother's dead body, suffocating her tiny frame. She struggled to break free of her brother's lingering grasp on her, but finally managed to prop herself up. "Ced... Eru..." she whispered out, peering at the bodies that were meters apart from each other. Neither a sound nor a breath could be heard from them.

"Ew!" Baby screeched. Swarms of fleas were picking away at the dead flesh of both the boy's bodies. Instinctively, she dashed off away from the carnage.

A whirl of unpleasant memories flooded back from the recesses of her mind. "Why?! Why?!" She recalled the moment she laid eyes upon that dreaded black flag that oscillated back and forth in the direction of the wind, signaling impending doom. And the pirates that invaded her home, burned it, and fled, leaving behind nothing but bodies.

As she ran, trying to escape the fresh memories still haunting her thoughts, Baby stumbled over a stump, falling face first into the ground. In front of her, she saw a miracle. Among dozens of huge trees that burned away around it, Baby witnessed one tiny bud just beginning to bloom out. She picked herself back up, burying her head into her body.

'Baby,' Ced proclaimed. 'Someday, I'm gonna set out to sea. Do you know why?'

'Why?' Baby answered.

'I'm gonna be a pirate!'

'Huhhh? What's that?'

'They sail on a ship that's this big.' He laughed with his hands outstretched. 'And they're always going on adventures, getting into fights, looking for treasure, and…' he looked around, making sure nobody was around. '… Getting drunk off rum! Yeah, that's the life!' he exclaimed excitedly.

'You still are going on about pirates, Ced?' Eru chuckled, appearing out of nowhere.

'What the-! What'd you hear?!'

'Oh, nothing much. Just your wild fantasies about getting wasted and all.'

'HEY! That's not what I meant! Besides, it's a much better life than a marine.'

'Hah!' Eru retorted. 'What are you talking about? Marine life is the most righteous path you can take!' he proudly proclaimed as he took a superman-like pose. 'We stand for absolute justice by dedicating our lives to locking up all criminals where they belong.' He paused, smiling wickedly at Ced. 'Without us, there would be chaos, tyranny, and strife!'

'Justice, my butt!' Ced retorted. 'Marines are uptight losers who don't know how to let go! Right, Baby?'

'Hehehe.' Baby giggled at the weird poses her brothers were making, unaware and uncomprehending the argument between the two boys.

'Baby! Decide: pirates or marines.' Ced said, clearly putting emphasis on the world, pirate.

'I don't knoww! They're both cool!'

'Ok Baby, do you want to be stupid and useless pirate, or would you rather be a marine that's strong enough to protect the people you love?' Eru asked.

"Umm… a-"

'HEY!' Ced interrupted. 'If you put it that way she's obviously going to pick a marine! How about this: justice or freedom?'

'Umm. ' Baby paused, looking at her both her brothers' faces as they waiting for her response in anticipation. 'How about the first one to catch me wins!' Baby taunted, running off into the distance.

Baby snapped back into reality, saddened by such sweet memories. "Ced… Eru… you were wrong." She teared up. 'Pirates steal and kill. Marines are a bunch of liars.' She cried, suddenly recalling the deaths of her two brothers. She recalled the marine who didn't stand for justice, but rather for deception. She recalled the pirates that killed and ravaged her precious homeland. The people who had killed her brothers Ced and Eru.

"If-if, I had just moved, you would've been alive, Ced.' The gut-wrenching sound of the bullet was fresh in her mind. Baby shuddered in horror at the thought. 'If-if it weren't for those stupid pirates. Those stupid marines! They took everything!" Mixed feelings of guilt and hate tortured her mind to no end.

It wasn't until another hour passed that all of Baby's tears had dried up. Her face was, yet again, a wreck. But, unlike last time, she would not run away. As walked back towards the dead bodies of her brothers that were still swarmed with flies, she decided she would make their last request come true. Flies or not, she would bury them in the ocean. And then, she would kill every marine and every pirate that crossed her path until she found those responsible for the deaths of her brothers. She would not hide, or run, or wallow in fear ever again. That was her resolve.

So that was the end of the prologue! Next chapter will definitely have Kidd in it for all of you that have been waiting. I know I can't wait to write it.

Constructive criticism is, as always, welcome. :)