What up ya'll? I'm back with another chapter! School's well underway, so updates will be slow going from here on out. But seeing as this is officially my most popular story, I WILL NOT ABANDON THIS!

SBS 3!

Chapter Question: "Which do you prefer; reading the One Piece manga or watching the One Piece anime?"

I don't really prefer one over the other, for both have their own pros and cons. The anime has a few filler arcs and episodes I actually kind of like, as well extra bits and pieces that are not shown in the manga. The manga is where the anime originated, so naturally I love that as well. My only complaints about the former is that it's so darn long. Some aspects and scenes from the manga are drawn out longer than what's really necessary. I mean, look at Fairy Tail. They get their anime arcs done in 10-20 episodes tops. Even so, I continue to watch it faithfully, because who doesn't want to see their favorite scenes animated and in color?

In this story, you will see I have included some aspects from the anime, such as Ace's goodbye scene in Alabasta, the Ocean's Dream Arc, and Film Z. I chose to incorporate those simply because they worked with what I was writing. I will include a couple others as well. As for what they will be... here's a hint: This isn't the first time we've seen the Straw Hats have trouble with rainbow colored fog and time displacement. Any guesses?

Oh and if you go to my profile, you'll find a link to a picture I drew of my bounty hunter OCs and Siobhan! (I'm not the best artist, but my sister and friends said it came out pretty good, so here's hoping.)

Chapter 13: It's All Hot Air in the Desert

Time: Sunset (Time Day Lasted: 3 Hours)
Location: Aboard the Going Merry, sailing in the waters near Kāla's southwestern beach

The first thing Vivi notices is the stabbing pain in her chest. Like, as in someone had literally stabbed her there. The second thing she notices is that she's in a tomb, and it's falling apart around her.

The architecture was familiar to her. It resembled temples back home in Alabasta. Scratch that, it was the architecture of temples from Alabasta. She was in the tomb of kings, just outside of the royal palace.

How do I know that? she thought. Better question, how did I get here? Wasn't I on Kāla just a little while ago?

Her body ached so much she could barely even move her head. All she could do was roam her eyes around the crumbling room. Not far from where she leaned back against a wall, she could see a giant blue block of stone, covered in squiggly writing. A poneglyph... but how did she know that? What was a poneglyph? The princess wasn't sure why, but she somehow knew it was important.

Before Vivi could ponder it further, she felt someone lift her up and heaved over their shoulder. When she looked to see who it was...

Luffy?! she yelled in her head. She then looked to her left to see that the pirate captain had another passenger. And Papa?!

Both men looked awful, to say the least. Vivi had longed to see her father for years, but not like this. Her father's arms had terrible wounds, and Luffy was caked in blood and sand. Vivi felt her usual worry take hold, strengthened a 100-fold. What had happened to her father, and what had happened to her friend? Why were they all in a tomb that was coming down on their heads.

Luffy looked up. "'Kay. Let's go."

"Hold on," Vivi said.

At least, she thought she said it. She felt her lips moving of their own accord, and the voice that came out didn't sound like her own. The voice she spoke in was older, more mature. It had a silky quality to it, or at least it would have if she didn't sound like she was about to start sobbing uncontrollably. It also sounded vaguely familiar, but the verge-of-sobbing part threw her off and kept her from recognizing it.

"I no longer have a reason to live!" Vivi's new voice continued, breaking angrily. "Just leave me here!"

What the heck am I saying?! Vivi scolded herself mentally. She would have done it audibly, but her mouth wasn't listening to her. Luffy, ignore everything I just said! I do have a reason to live! My country needs me! My people need me! My father needs me!

In her attempt to thrash (which she couldn't do; her body refused to comply), Vivi finally got a good look at her body... after which she nearly freaked out. This body was older and tanned, draped in a thick white coat. And why the heck was she wearing a corset?! You could see her breasts!

Not my breasts, she thought. This isn't my body. I... am I seeing someone else's experiences through their eyes? Why would I dream up something like this?

She glanced back up at Luffy. He was staring at her (not her, she realized, but the woman whose body she was inhabiting) with that blank expression he got sometimes. You could never tell what he was thinking when he looked like that. For a brief moment, Vivi grew concerned. He wasn't seriously considering listening to this woman's suicidal plea, was he?

"You're coming with me," the rubberman said at last, much to Vivi's relief. "Do what you want once we're out of here."

Vivi felt the woman's body stiffen. She could feel her outrage as well. How dare this... this... this boy force her to live!... Yet, at the same time, Vivi could sense there was also a feeling of disbelief. He didn't owe her anything. Why save her...?

"You... you can't do this to me!" the woman went on, earning the princess's frustration. "Just let me die, dammit!"

This time Luffy gave her a hardened glare as he began jumping up on to debris, making his way out of the tomb.

"Why the hell should I listen to you anyway?" he asked seriously.

Vivi supposed the woman didn't have an answer to that one, because she didn't reply. The only response were the hot, pain-filled tears that spilled down her cheeks.

"Quaw?"

Vivi opened her eyes to a quiet quack and something hard nudging her shoulder. When she turned her head, she saw that it was a very concerned-looking Carue, doing the nudging with his bill. He was sitting on the deck, and she was curled up against him.

"Carue?" she said quizzically. She smiled. "Did you wake me up because you were worried about me?"

Carue nodded. "Quaw."

Vivi chuckled and stroked her beloved bird's head. "Good boy. Thank you."

What a strange dream, she thought. It felt so real... could it have been like the dream Usopp told me he had? She dismissed that thought. No, he said his was like a memory that hadn't happened yet, and it was from his own point of view. I wasn't me in this dream. I was someone else.

The princess glanced around her surroundings. She was not in a tomb in Alabasta, but aboard the Going Merry and sailing the waters around Kāla. She and Carue were lying against the side railing. The deck was washed in a lovely golden-red color from the setting sun, and the 'mystery fog' gather ominously on the horizon.

"Day didn't last very long this time," Vivi commented to herself. It had been awhile since the two teams split up. She hoped Mr. Roronoa and his team found Luffy and Future Usopp before night fell. Darkness would make finding their comrades unnecessarily difficult.

"Vivi-san?"

The blue haired girl startled when she faced the speaker. It was Brook, who had been sitting against the mast with his violin. To her embarrassment, she realized he had been playing when she had fallen asleep.

"Oh, hello Mr. Brook," she greeted as politely as she could. The musician still unnerved her. "Sorry I fell asleep. It wasn't a comment on your music or anything."

"Yohoho, it's quite alright," the skeleton assured her. He played a few soft notes on the strings with his bow. "You've had a taxing day so far. I would have been surprised if you hadn't fallen asleep. You certainly look as if it did you some good. Perhaps some sleep would do well to remove the bags around my old eyes." He paused. "Ah, but I don't have eyes anymore! Yohohoho!"

Vivi smiled. Yes, the skeleton still unnerved her slightly, but when he wasn't being a pervert, he wasn't bad company. Even the skull jokes were starting to grow on her. She could see why Luffy would want someone like him on the crew, besides whole afro-skeleton part.

"Anyway, music can be appreciated many different ways," Brook went on, tuning his instrument. "The piece I was performing when you nodded off was soft and melodic, so the fact you did fall asleep meant it soothed you to some degree. In a way, by sleeping you were giving me a great compliment."

Vivi, deciding to forget about her strange dream for the time being, stood up and moved closer to Brook, Carue in tow. "Most musicians would take my falling asleep as an insult."

Brook waved a bony hand. "Vivi-san, as you can see, I'm not 'most musicians.'"

"You can say that again."

Brook let out another laugh and returned to playing. Vivi took this lull in the conversation as a chance to see what the others on board were doing. Mr. Bushido was up in the crows nest. (Asleep as well, knowing him. Or maybe not, if he was as wary of Mr. Brook as he was Mr. Roronoa.) Usopp was next to the Merry's figurehead, keeping an eye out for Mr. Roronoa's crew's ship with his spyglass. Since he neglected to mention to describe the ship as a future Going Merry or another ship entirely and Brook wasn't talking, the sniper was currently searching for any ship bearing the Straw Hats' jolly roger.

Seeing things were being handled on the deck, Vivi took a hesitant seat in front of Brook, Carue also quickly following suit. Brook had a frightening appearance, but Luffy accepted him as a crewmate in the future, so Vivi no longer wished to be afraid of the musician.

"You know, taking into account how you dress, I don't see you as the violin type," she observed. "I can see you with an electric guitar though."

Brook chuckled. "I am well-taught in many instruments, Vivi-san. As for how I dress, it's just a style I picked up over the last couple years. I do have a electric guitar though; I just left it back on the ship. I've been using it more often these days, but Luffy-san has always preferred my violin music, so that's one of the reasons why I brought it with me on the island."

"Luffy really likes music, doesn't he?"

"That he does! All pirates appreciate music, Vivi-san! Why, my crew before the Straw Hats was made up almost entirely of musicians!"

That surprised Vivi slightly. "You were on another crew before you joined Luffy's?"

Brook's stopped playing for a moment. "Yes, the Rumbar Pirates... but that was quite literally a lifetime ago."

He then went back to playing as if nothing had happened, but Vivi felt guilty. The way he'd said that sentence had been wistful, and slightly sad. She hadn't meant to dredge up any painful memories. How to fix this...

"... Well, I guess it would be a lifetime ago," she said hesitantly. "Considering you're an undead skeleton and all."

Brook ceased playing again and gave Vivi a long stare. For one nerve-wracking moment, Vivi thought she had crossed some kind of line by making a joke in a tense situation. Her fears were laid to rest, however, when Brook broke into his usual peals of joyful laughter.

"Yohohoho! Skull Joke!" Brook laughed cheerfully. "I can't believe I missed that one; I must be losing my touch!"

Vivi let out a sigh of relief and Carue gave her a congratulatory pat on the head. That had been a close one.

"That's what I can't figure out," Usopp's voice broke in. The sniper walked over to the three by the mast. "You're a walking, talking, afro skeleton. How the heck is that even possible?! Someone like you shouldn't be possible!"

"Usopp!" Vivi scolded.

"Usopp-san," Brook said. "We're sailing on the Grand Line; nothing is impossible here. From what I've read about your adventures, you've already seen many of the wonders it has to offer and you have yet to even reach Alabasta."

"Okay, that's a fair point," Usopp conceded, thinking of Reverse Mountain and Little Garden. "Still, I have you wonder how you're possible." He shivered and took a few steps back. "You're not some ancient pirate cursed to wander the Earth as an undead skeleton, are you?"

"Nothing quite so dramatic," Brook explained, setting his violin down and gesturing Usopp to sit down. When the sniper did so, he continued. "You're close though. Depending on who you ask, some might say I am cursed. You see, I am the way I am today thanks to the Revive Revive Fruit."

"You're a devil fruit user?" Vivi asked in disbelief. "Like Luffy and Tony?"

Brook nodded. "That's right. When eaten, the Revive Revive Fruit allows the user to come back to life once after death. However, it's powers aren't apparent immediately. When I first ate the fruit, nothing happened so I thought it had been a dud... that is, until I tried to go for a swim. I nearly drowned! To this day I can still feel the water filling my lungs... not that I have lungs anymore. Yohohoho!"

"That doesn't explain why you're a skeleton," Usopp said, crossing his arms. "Shouldn't you still have flesh if you came back to life right away?"

"Well-"

"Hold on, Mr. Brook!" Vivi interrupted. "I just realized something. Are you it's okay to tell us this? Luffy gave orders that you were not to tell us anything."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," Usopp added.

"Luffy-san ordered me not to reveal the future," Brook reasoned. "But my origin story happened well over fifty years ago, even by your placement in time. So I'm not disobeying him by telling you."

Usopp, Vivi, and Carue looked at each other, looked up towards the crow's nest to make sure Zoro wasn't watching, then back to Brook expectantly.

"As I was saying," Brook went on. "I didn't actually come back to life right away. I had perished in a rather foggy place, so it took my soul awhile to locate my body. By the time it finally did..." He wiggled his bony fingers. "Well, you can see the results for yourself."

"Your body decayed away in the time it took your soul to find it?" Vivi said with a hint of disgust.

"If that's the case, why do you still have hair?" Usopp asked, also looking grossed out.

"Strong roots," Brook replied simply, sipping tea from a thermos.

"... I don't think that's how it works. And where did you get that thermos?"

Brook chose to ignore that last question, opting to instead take another sip from said thermos. Usopp in turn gave him an annoyed glare, then an inquisitive one. How was he able to even drink tea, being a skeleton?

"... Do you ever find it difficult?" Vivi asked suddenly.

"Find what difficult?" Brook inquired, turning to look at the princess.

"Being a skeleton. Obviously when people first see you they're going to think the worst. I mean, look at me and Usopp. We completely panicked and thought you were a monster before we even got to know you."

Usopp looked guilty when Vivi said that, as did the speaker herself. Both felt bad about how they reacted, even more so now that they'd heard Brook's story. Usopp felt especially awful, for he'd held on to his dislike for the skeleton the longest. Now that they thought about it, the way they had treated Brook was not unlike how the people of Chopper's island treated him; panicking without learning the facts. The princess and sniper, despite only knowing him a few days, adored the little reindeer. If he had been here, he most definitely would have been disappointed if he had come upon the same realization.

Brook thought that one over for bit before answering. "... Trust me, Vivi-san, you're not the first person to be afraid of my appearance and you won't be the last. You should have seen how Sanji-san and Nami-san looked when I first met them; they were petrified! Ah, but that is a tale of the future, so I won't go into detail." He set down his thermos and looked down at his hands. "Anyway, I suppose I did find it difficult at first, but I've had nearly 52 years to grow accustomed to my form. While frightening, I would rather be alive and looking like this than dead and not here. It's because I lived that I met Luffy-san and the Straw Hats, and that I will able to fulfill my longest held dream; the dream that was my reason for living all those lonely years."

He looked up and turned to face the princess and the sniper. Though he had no skin or lips, they could tell he was smiling.

"It is truly wonderful to be alive, no?" he asked them. "And to have nakama and a reason to keep on living as well."

Vivi gaped the skeleton- she was sure that Usopp was doing the same thing. They had no idea the same skeleton who had asked to see Vivi's underwear and laughed at Roronoa's nickname was capable of such words. His sincerity seem to drive away anything they had found scary about him, and had them smiling.

"Ah, Vivi-san, I just remembered! While we are asking each other things," Brook went on. "Perhaps would you allow me to see your-"

"MR. BROOK!"

BONK!

"Yohohoho! How harsh!"

Usopp sighed and stood up, walking away and mumbling, "Way to ruin the moment, pervert."

Unknown to the four on deck, Zoro had actually been listening in on the entire conversation and had found himself sweatdropping at Brook's inappropriate question. However, despite the sudden turn of events, it was safe to say Usopp and Vivi no longer held a reason to fear the skeleton. Satisfied, he slumped back down into into the crow's nest to continue his partial nap (couldn't slack off at a time like this).

Meanwhile, as the undead musician laughed himself silly on the deck, Vivi thought back to his heart-felt words about being alive. It made her remember a part of her dream.

"I no longer have a reason to live!"

Vivi somehow found herself smiling. Whoever that woman in dream was, the princess hoped she had found her reason to keep on living, just like Brook had.

"Yes," she said softly as Carue nudged his head into her lap. "Being alive is pretty wonderful."

Location: Carrion Bounty Hunter Base Camp

Siobhan couldn't believe she was saying this, but she missed Vaughan. While irritating, he'd at least been a nice distraction at the end there. Now that he'd been gone for a few hours now, she could officially say she had never been more bored in her life. And considering how many times she had gotten bored while living on Kāla by herself, that was saying a lot. Not even her brief discussion with Boss (she still didn't care what his name actually was) did much to alleviate her boredom. All that succeeded in doing was putting her into a bad mood when the dolt ignored her warning.

'Isn't that what every lonely person wants?' she mocked him in her head while glaring at her generic crony guard. Bah, what does he know anyway? Nothing, given he ignored my warning. It's his funeral and I will personally spit on his grave when he gets himself killed.

Her eyes glanced around the tent. The crony guard was sleep (hence why she was glaring at him), a few random barrels were scattered about, and her father's staff on the desk. Her eyes lingered on the latter.

Boss knows nothing about me or my wants, she thought. Nobody knows I what I really want. Not even Captain-sama knew, and he could read me like a book after only a week. Not even my father knew...

Oh great, now her eyes were getting teary, as they did whenever she thought of Life Before. Siobhan closed her eyes and smacked her cheeks. She couldn't let this way of thought continue, because once she started thinking of her father she started thinking of her brothers, of Renard, of the villagers, of Saatatya...

Dang it, she thought of Saatatya! Now she was going to be in a funk for the rest of the day (or night. Going off of the light streaming through the tent flaps, it was sunset right about now actually).

Sighing, Siobhan opened her eyes... only to see a strange woman standing in front of her cage.

"What the heck-!" she shouted, jumping to her feet. She winced when she realized how loud she had been, then glanced at the crony. Luckily, he was still fast asleep.

"Sorry," the woman said quietly. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"You're not real," Siobhan whispered bluntly.

"Oh? Why am I not real?"

"Your inner voice sounds weird, like an echo. I'm guessing you're some kind of copy of the original, and that original is somewhere nearby."

The woman chuckled. "Fufufu, you're a clever one. I'm impressed."

Siobhan rolled her eyes and sat back down. "I've seen every bounty hunter in this camp, so I know you're not with Boss. What, are you one of the pirates that showed up?"

"I am," she replied.

"Yeah, some of your friends might in trouble. There's this guy named Runo-"

"Baba Runo the Dancing Haze, yes, I know," the woman replied. "I've already encountered some of his comrades, and I've heard of his reputation, but my friends are capable of taking care of themselves. I'm not worried."

"Sure you aren't."

"Even if I was, I have no idea where any of them are, so there isn't much I can do. In the mean time, I could free you from this cage if you want."

Siobhan chuckled hollowly. "Nah, that's fine. As much as I want out of this cage, now's not the right time. You know how the saying goes; good things come to those who wait, even if its boring."

The woman smiled. "I don't think that last part is in the saying, but suit yourself. One last question though; you wouldn't happen to know if there are any ruins around here, would you?"

Siobhan raised her eyebrow. As a matter of fact, there were two sets of ruins on the island; the Greater Ruins and the Lesser Ruins. The lady seemed trustworthy enough, but still... she couldn't risk revealing the location of the former.

"There is just one set of ruins," Siobhan lied coolly. "They're pretty small, and they're a good ways west of here. I can't give you specifics though."

"That's alright, I'm sure I'll be able to find them somehow," the lady assured her. "Thank you."

"No problem, now get lost. As tempted as I am to talk to you about being a pirate, I don't want that crony to wake up or Boss to show up."

"Oh, you're interested in pirates?" the woman asked. She smiled gently. "Maybe next time then."

Siobhan didn't know how she was expecting the lady's copy to leave, but melting away into a flurry of flower petals was definitely not one of theories. She stared at the spot she had been standing for several minutes, after which the crony guard finally decided to awake.

"Huh? Wha?" the guard mumbled sleepily. He stood up and turned to glare at Siobhan. "Hey brat, what're you doing? What're you staring at?"

"Nothing..." she replied slowly. "Just a tornado passing by."

The guard simply raised his eyebrow, not unlike how Siobhan had done just minutes earlier. What a bizarre little kid.

Time: Night at... Night?
Location: Kāla's southwestern beach

"That's them alright," the leader of Theta Unit said, lowering his binoculars.

"Is it now?"

"They have the jolly roger."

"Hmm."

He turned nervously to the hmm-er. Of all the people his squad had to run into, why did it have to be her? All they had wanted to do was salvage what was left of the Silverback.

"Are you positive?" Yari went on to ask, taking a prim sip from a china tea cup. She was sitting on the back of one of his men like a chair. (Luckily for the poor sap, Yari was a small woman.) "It is awfully dark out, even with a full moon."

Theta Leader swallowed thickly. "Of course ma'am! Why would I give a false report to you? That'd be absurd!"

His men echoed his words his agreement.

"Completely absurd!"

"We're sure, Ms. Yari!"

"We would never fail you!"

Yari expression clearly stated she didn't believe them for a second. "I do not know... your squad does have a rep for being incompetent. Was it not your team that had a couple of its members eaten by a freshwater sea king?"

Theta Leader winced as one of his men started crying. "To be fair ma'am, I don't think anyone would have expected there to be a sea king in lake."

"Failing to expect the unexpected is a good way to get yourself killed," Yari said icily, finishing her tea. She stood up and pointed her finger at the ship on the water in the distance. "Well, no matter. For now I will trust your judgement. Prep the cannons salvaged from the Silverback to fire some hooks; I want them reeled in and I want off this damn beach." She looked down at the pink sand beneath her boots. "I simply abhor sand."

"But weren't you born in a desert country, ma'am?" a female member of the unit, Nikki, asked innocently. She was new.

Everyone else in the unit took a deep breath and stepped back.

Yari slowly turned her head towards Nikki, resting her parasol over her shoulder. The smile on her face looked cordial enough, but the cold in Yari's eyes was enough to freeze even the hottest of flames.

"You are new, are you not?" Yari asked. "Nikki, was it?"

Nikki gulped, but nodded.

Yari's smile widened in such a fashion that befitted a member of the Creepy Duo. "You are a pretty one. I think I will keep you."

Before anyone had time to blink, Yari was directly in front of Nikki, one of her long gloves off and her bare hand on the poor woman's face.

"Nerve..." Yari whispered. "... Paralysie.*"

It was a horrible sight. Nikki's eyes widened as veins of dark pink light ran across every inch of her body. Once the light faded, she fell backward into the sand, her body stiff and unmoving.

No one said a word. All the unit could do was dart their eyes between Yari and Nikki, as if they believed that if they dare to speak as well, they would receive the exact same punishment. This was unlikely, however. If Yari had wanted to do that to them, she would have already done so.

"See to her," Yari spoke finally, pulling her glove back on. "And if there are no more foolish questions, I do believe we have a ship to catch."

Location: Aboard the Going Merry, sailing in the waters next to Kāla's southwestern beach, several minutes earlier.

"Give it a rest, Usopp," Zoro sighed, clapping a hand on the sniper's shoulder.

"No, I will not 'give it a rest' until we find that stupid ship and that stupid shipwright!" Usopp snapped, not tearing his eyes away from the spyglass.

"The only thing you're going to find in the dark is a shipload of nothing," Zoro pointed out.

Usopp said nothing.

Zoro sighed. "Fine, suit yourself. Vivi got some stuff out for sandwiches by the way; ero-cook ain't here so we're on our own for dinner. Or lunch. Or whatever you want to call it."

Usopp ignored him again, so Zoro shrugged and headed back into the galley. As he had said, Vivi had set out ingredients for sandwiches so she, Brook, and Zoro could make whatever they wanted. Carue was sitting next to the table, awaiting eagerly for a the plate of food Brook was setting down next to him.

"Here you are, Carue-san," Brook said, standing back up. "Enjoy!"

Carue quacked in gratitude and began eating.

Vivi looked up from her food when Zoro came in. "Usopp's not joining us?"

Zoro shook his head and took a seat next to the princess. "Nah; he's not coming in until he finds the future crew's ship. I want to find it too, but his attitude is bordering on obsessive. He didn't even try to tell me the 'Great Captain Usopp' once discovered an ancient civilization or some other lie to convince me he could do it."

Vivi pursed her lips. She had a theory as to why Usopp was acting like this.

"Vivi-san? Is something the matter?" Brook asked, pouring a cup of tea for himself and her.

"There might be," she admitted, taking the tea. "I think I know why Usopp's so eager to find the future ship." She turned to Zoro. "Mr. Bushido, do you remember what your older self said when he came to? You were listening in from outside, right?"

Zoro leaned back in his seat. "Hmm... I think he started explaining how he came to be unconscious in the woods, then asked if you guys if anything had happened before you brought him back to the ship."

"Right, but that's where Usopp's problem lies." Vivi said. She frowned. "He didn't ask if we had brought him back the Merry; he asked if we had brought him back to the Sunny. I even asked him about it, but right after he started getting confused about his situation so I never got a full answer."

Zoro figured out where Vivi was getting at. "Usopp's worried that our crew isn't sailing on the Merry anymore in the future, huh?"

Vivi nodded. "We talked about it a little while you guys were searching along the beach."

"If that is the case, then it would explain a few things."

"Really? Like what?"

"When Roronoa barreled on to the deck, he looked like he couldn't believe where he was standing."

The princess and the swordsman both turned to look at the only future Straw Hat on board.

"What are you looking at me for?" Brook asked, despite his tone saying he knew exactly why.

"You might as well tell us what we want to know," Zoro said, crossing his arms. "We're probably going to see for ourselves anyway."

"Mr. Brook, please?" Vivi added.

Brook heaved a heavy sigh (though he had no lungs) and placed his tea cup down on the galley's table. "Alright, if you wish to know... then I'll tell you. Today marks the first day I've sailed aboard the Lamb-chan."

It took a second for the two to realize that "Lamb-chan" meant the Merry, and once they did, both their eyes widened.

"I was a rather late addition to the crew," the skeleton went on. "I've heard of the Lamb-chan only through what I've read in the log book and what I've been told about her. The only ship I've ever known with the Straw Hats is-"

"-The Thousand Sunny," Vivi finished. She lowered her gaze. "That was the name Mr. Roronoa said right before everything got confusing."

Brook only nodded in response.

That was a sobering thought. Vivi had only been sailing on the Going Merry for a few weeks and she already loved the caravel dearly. Zoro had to admit he was also disappointed, but not too surprised; Merry had been built in and meant for the East Blue, and the Grand Line was a cruel mistress. Both knew how much Usopp cared for the ship; he was going to be devastated.

However, before either of the two could ask Brook any further, the ship took a heavy lurch to the left and then again to the right. Everything went sliding and the sudden motion made Vivi stumble and Brook fall out of his seat. Zoro, who caught himself before he could fall, caught the tumbling princess while Carue caught Brook on his back.

The door to the galley burst open, and there stood a terrified Usopp.

"We've g-got trouble!" he said stammered out quickly.

The crew wasted no time. They hurried out of the galley and on to the main deck, where the found large hooks attached to long, thick chains buried into the starboard side of the deck. The chains themselves were coming from the far-off beach... that is, the far-off beach that was getting increasingly closer. It was a miracle the ship wasn't tilting again from the pull.

"Those hooks look familiar to anybody?" Zoro asked rhetorically in deadpan.

"Aw crap, the bounty hunters found us!" Usopp shrieked. "And they're reeling us in like fish on a hook!"

"But will they gut us and eat us like fish is the real question," Brook added. "Not that I have any guts. Yohohoho!"

"Brook! Don't say things like that!"

"Yohoho, so sorry, Usopp-san! Seeing as Robin-san is not with us, I felt that it should be my duty to make the morbid comments! She actually said something similar to what I just said before we arrived here."

"Still, now's not a good time!" Vivi shouted, suddenly not looking forward to meeting this 'Robin-san.'

Zoro ignored the other three and immediately drew all his swords, charging towards the chains. However, when he attempted to cut them, the blades just bounced off.

Dammit, they're made of steel! I can't cut steel yet! Zoro thought bitterly. When he remembered that his future self could cut steel, he grit his teeth so hard on Wado's hilt that he chipped a tooth. He turned to Brook. "Oi, Brook! You wouldn't happen to know how to cut steel yourself or know how my future self does it, do you?!"

"Sorry, I don't possess that ability, Zoro-san!" Brook replied a little frantically. At the moment, he, Usopp, Vivi, and Carue were desperately trying to remove the hooks from the deck but to no avail; they were lodged in too deep. "Cutting steel is more for 'power-type' swordsmen; I'm a 'speed type!' Anyway, Roronoa-san tried explaining it to me a while back, but all he said was that I needed to was 'feel its breath!'"

"What the heck does that even mean?!"

"That's what I said!"

In the time it took for that useless conversation to take place, Merry had ceased being reeled in and the ship was currently about 30 feet from the shore. Torches had been set up all across the sand, providing better light to see with; not that there was anything good to see at the moment. On the beach stood a large crowd of men and women. Heavily-armed men and women to be precise.

The Straw Hats ran to the railing to get a better look at the enemy. Yup, there definitely were a lot of them and weapons to be seen.

"Alright Straw Hats, surrender peacefully!" a man carrying a mace called out. "We have orders to bring you in alive, so no unnecessary fighting would be preferable!"

"Oh, since you asked so nicely...!" Zoro responded sarcastically, Wado still in his mouth.

"At least they're different than the group from the galleon," Vivi whispered. "They were eager for a battle."

Carue nodded in agreement.

"For some reason, none of that makes me feel better," Usopp whimpered.

"Well?" the lead hunter continued to call out. "What's it going to be?!"

Brook step forward, sword partially drawn. "I'm afraid we're going to have to decline! Our captain would be displeased if he discovered we surrendered without putting up a fight! Luffy-san does so love fighting!"

Usopp, Vivi, and Zoro glanced at the musician, impressed. 'Rather late addition to the crew' or not, he really got Luffy's expectations down pat.

Inspired by Brook, Usopp jumped up on to the railing, hands on his hips and trying to look intimidating. "Brook is right! In fact, you all should be the ones thinking about surrendering! I, the Great Captain Usopp, have secretly filled the jungle with eight thousand warriors, who are all ready to annihilate you all at my command!"

Zoro groaned mentally, Vivi slapped her forehead, and Brook just looked confused (as confused as a skeleton could look, anyway). The bounty hunters had similar reactions.

"Seriously?" the lead hunter (Theta Leader) said doubtfully.

"He doesn't actually expect us to believe that, does he?" another added.

"Mr. Vaughan or one of the others would have sensed that many people on the island," the next one commented.

"Ha!" a haughty voice mocked from within the crowd. "What a wholly ridiculous lie! With the way your knees are knocking, I doubt a coward like you could get a dog to obey you, let alone eight thousand warriors!"

The pirates' attentions immediately snapped towards the owner of the voice. It was so haughty and condescending that they could help but not ignore it. Said owner moved through the crowd of bounty hunters, the others moving out of her way quickly so she could reach the front.

The voice's owner was a petite woman in her 20s, with short violet hair that fell an inch or two beneath her chin and bangs flopping over her right eye. The visible eye was jade green with a mole underneath it, and she had tanned skin that spoke of untold hours underneath the sun. Odd, given she was barely showing any skin.

Her clothes consisted of a purple (with pale pink under-layers) dress with short puffed-up sleeves that revealed her shoulders and v-shaped indent in the collar (it looked vaguely Lolita, save for the fact the skirt of the dress was flat). Along the collar of the dress was a white bow with a pink skull ornament, and around the waist was a white sash also with a pink skull ornament. She also wore dark pink/light pink striped stockings, dark pink boots, long white gloves that nearly reached her shoulders, and a purple top hat with a white ribbon and a red flower. Around her neck was a gold metal choker with tear drop-shaped adornments and she wore gold earrings consisting of two linked orbs each. Despite it being night, she carried a dark pink and black umbrella.

If you wish to skip that blurb of text, just know she looked like some demented cosplayer... who happened to own a very nice umbrella.

"I have to say, I think I like this ship better than the one we saw you in earlier," she went on, closing her umbrella. "You do not see many caravels around these days."

"You have a point?" Zoro growled down to her.

"Considering you destroyed the Silverback, Pirate Hunter..." she replied. She grinned widely. "... We accept your generous donation of one pirate ship along with your respective bounties."

In the instant it took to blink, the creepy woman vanished from the spot she was standing.

"Huh?" Usopp wondered.

"Where did she-" Vivi began.

Before the the princess could finish, all of a sudden Brook stood in front of the three past pirates, his sword drawn and hold back the blade of the woman, who was now inexplicably standing on the railing.

"The hell?!" Zoro yelled.

Glaring at each other, the skeletal swordsman and eerie swordswoman drew back and clashed swords several times. Both used quick, thrusting motions with their blades, almost in perfect unison. When the woman lunged her with sword, Brook easily parried it and pushed her back. The woman did not fall, instead performing a flip off of the railing and over the pirates' heads, landing neatly on the deck.

"It appears we have similar fighting styles, my lady," Brook noted with false casualness.

"Quite," the woman agreed, brandishing her sword in front of her. "We are both speed types, we both use a fencing style, and we both wield shikomizues." She smiled. "Soul King Brook, right? It is a shame you turned out to be a pirate; I actually rather liked your music."

"It's always nice to meet a fan."

"I also like how you ignored the fact my statement was in past tense."

"Wait, hold up!" Usopp shouted, making a time-out symbol with his hands. "Was that lady going to do that thing where you cut us without our realizing it? Like you did to the hunters earlier, Brook?!"

"Yes," Brook answered plainly. "Luckily I stopped her. Her technique was so similar to mine that I was able to detect her. Compared to me though, she's very slow."

"You are just a skeleton, of course you would be faster," the lady admitted. "No muscle or anything to weigh you down. In any case, you are not who I am here for primarily." She turned her gaze to Zoro and Usopp. "I may want the Soul Kings's bounty on top of yours, but I have unfinished business to settle with the two of you."

Zoro vaguely recalled Roronoa talking about fighting a female swordsman. He readied his blades.

"Huh? WHY ME?!" Usopp wailed.

"I have business with Roronoa because we were dueling earlier and Vaughan so rudely interrupted us." Her gaze became a hard glare towards the sniper. "I have business with you because I spent the greater part of the last day entangled in your damned flytraps. By the time I am finished with you, the officers at the bounty office will barely be able to recognize you. Good thing for me you wear a mask in your wanted poster, Sniper King."

"If he's wearing a mask in his wanted poster, how do you know I'm this Sniper King guy? Not to say I'm not a superior sniper in my own right."

"Sniper King's mask has a hole cut out of his mask for his stupidly long nose."

"Oh... hey! My nose is not stupid!"

Yari ignored the sniper this time, smoothly tucking her sword under her arm as she removed her long gloves. "Personal vendettas aside, I do look forward to capturing you all and taking your ship. You have been evading the Navy as far back as that wretched dust bowl in Paradise, and Loguetown even before that. One has to wonder how long your devil's luck will last. I for one will enjoy finding out."

Dust bowl? Vivi repeated in her mind. In that moment, she became filled with anger. "Dust bowl?! Are you talking about Alabasta?!"

"Vivi, this really isn't the best time for this," Zoro muttered. Quite a feat, considering his sword was still in his mouth.

"Shut up, Mr. Bushido!" Vivi snapped uncharacteristically. "I will not allow her to slur the name of my home!"

That caught the lady hunter's attention. "... I beg your pardon, but are you from Alabasta?"

Vivi nodded, a determined look on her face.

The huntress narrowed her eyes (well, the one that was visible), then opened them wide. "No way... Princess Nerfertari Vivi? Is that you?"

Off all the things she could have said at that moment, the pirates sure as heck weren't expecting that.

"How... how do you know that?" Vivi stammered.

"It is not hard to figure out," the huntress sighed, spinning her blade in her hand. "You are the spitting image of Queen Titi."

"Mama..." Vivi whispered without realizing it. Carue gave her a sympathetic look.

"Wait, you know Vivi's mom?!" Zoro asked, scowling. "Call me crazy, but I doubt royalty hangs out with scumbag bounty hunters like you."

"Is that any way to speak to a lady?" the huntress sighed. "Whatever, it is not like Queen Titi and I were personal friends. She just visited my village in the badlands once when I was a child. She played with all the children that day. It was actually kind of fun."

"You're from Alabasta Kingdom?" Brook asked.

Vivi swallowed a lump in her throat. Was she really...?

... She thought that jewelry looked vaguely Alabastan.

"That is right," the huntress confirmed. Her expression became slightly disgusted. "I am a former sand rat, just like our dear princess over there. Only difference is that she is still one."

Sand rat. Vivi felt her blood boil; that was a derogatory term for Alabastans she'd heard too many times during her run with Baroque Works. And here was a supposed Alabastan native using the exact same term!

"If you're really from Alabasta, how could you speak of your home so poorly?!" Vivi demanded to know. "And what are you even doing in the New World?!"

Zoro removed his sword from his mouth and re-sheathed it, but not the other two. They weren't fighting at the moment, but he had to be ready. In any case, he was somewhat curious to hear the huntress's answer.

The huntress scoffed. "Hmph. You have your dear old daddy to thank for that one, princess. Tell me, do the words 'Baba Siblings' mean anything to you? Perhaps something King Cobra told you?"

Vivi's outrage vanished and she paled visibly. "No... you mean...?"

The huntress removed her top hat and bowed. "Baba Yari, at your service. Though, seeing as you are with pirates, my services may not be in your best interest."

"Last Nerve" Baba Yari

4th Lieutenant and Swordswoman of the Carrion Bounty Hunters

Runo's Sister (Twins)

"I'm taking from the way you paled just now that this is not a good thing?!" Usopp said, removing his slingshot from his satchel.

Vivi nodded. "The Baba Siblings, Baba Yari and Baba Runo, were a pair of bounty hunters that operated in Alabasta years ago. They were good at what they did, but they always caused a lot of collateral damage. A day came where they went completely overboard and a lot of people got hurt."

"I was young and inexperienced, what you do expect?" Yari defended herself, placing her hat back on her head.

Vivi continued her explanation. "The Royal Army arrested them and brought them before my father. Seeing as they did catch pirates all the time and did our country good, he was reluctant to throw them in prison. So instead-

"-He decreed that we were to leave Alabasta's borders and never return," Yari finished blandly. "Yes, yes, enough with the ancient history."

"Ancient history? It was only three years ago!"

"It was five actually, not that I am holding a grudge. Runo still harbors some resentment, but I myself was quite happy with the decision. The only thing I liked about that sand trap was the perfume... ooh, and the clothes. The clothes were simply divine provided they were not rags. As you can see, I am wearing a Lolita/Alabastan fusion design for my outfit."

"Mr. Bushido, Mr. Brook," Vivi ground out, ignoring Yari's outfit flaunting. "When she finally decides to stop talking... cut her to ribbons."

"I like the way you think, Vivi," Zoro said, tying on his bandanna. "Sounds like a plan."

"May I see her panties first?" Brook added seriously.

"Not even if you paid me," Yari answered calmly before Vivi could do so not as calmly. "But while we are asking questions, I will ask Vivi one; what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in Alabasta preparing for this year's Reverie?** The newspaper did say your father was too ill to go this year and that you would be taking his place."

Forget going pale; Vivi felt her heart skip a good number of beats. "Papa... is sick?***"

How could she not know that? Strange... Yari thought. She glanced around the Merry's deck. "You know... now that I think about it..." She pointed at Usopp. "You were way more muscular when I last saw you..." She pointed at Zoro. "... And you were missing an eye. Not to mention I am still trying to figure out where in the blazes you got this ship. I like caravels, but that brigantine sloop you had earlier was much nicer."

Yari contemplated all the possibilities until she came up with a viable answer. "Oh, I bet this is what that little snot Siobhan meant when she said others were coming. In that case..."

She stuck two fingers into her mouth and let loose a high pitched whistle. One she was done, she called out, "Easy pickings, boys! Come on up!"

The pirates had briefly wondered what that large crowd of hunters who had threatened them first were waiting for. It had ended up being Yari's signal.

With a mighty battle cry, the large crowd of hunters charged up the still-attached chains and onto the Merry. It was like being hit with a tidal wave of bodies. Usopp immediately began to frantically shoot Exploding Stars, and Vivi barely had any time to jump onto Carue's back and pull out her Peacock Slashers.

"Mr. Brook!" Vivi hollered over the din. "I know we're not supposed to fight without your permission, but I think we need everyone to participate for this!"

"I am forced to agree!" Brook responded, fending off a bounty hunter that wielded a katana.

And participate they did. Usopp made his way up to the crow's nest and put his sniper skills to use; Lead Stars, Egg Stars, and Exploding Stars rained down on the enemy, knocking out a few, but only irritating the rest. Any hunter that tried to climb the rigging to reach Usopp got a Lead Star right to the forehead. Vivi rode on Carue, whipping out her slashers without discrimination; though it did little good to actually stop them, it did distract her enemies long enough for one of her crewmates to finish the job.

"Mr. Brook!" she called out on one instance.

"Yohohoho! Yes, Vivi-san!" Brook answered. He took out his violin and began playing a merry tune. "Party Music!"

The past Straw Hats weren't sure what was happening exactly, but all of a sudden several of the men had enraptured expressions and some were even dancing along... until Brook appeared behind them with his cane sword (Soul Solid, he'd told them it was called) in one hand and sheathe in the other.

"Quinte Tierce..." He sheathed the sword. "Fantasia!"

The small group of hunters fell, sword cuts all over their bodies. This time there was no ice, but it was still pretty amazing to see. The small group now down for the count, Brook returned to aiding Vivi.

Zoro, meanwhile, had already unsheathed Wado Ichimonji again and was attacking his own set of hunters.

"Tatsu Maki!"

This attack managed to send some of them flying over board and cut several more of them up, but it wasn't enough. Zoro decided to go for the classics.

"Oni Giri!"

Much to the green-haired man's shock, the hunter in front him that he had been intending to slice up parried the attack with relative ease.

"Not bad, kid," the hunter said, his broadsword straining against Zoro's katanas. "But you need to be faster than that to take us on."

Zoro didn't let this affect him for too long; he quickly turned on his heel and lifted two of his swords over his head. "Bleeding the Wolf!"

While the hunter guarded against Yubashiri and Kitetsu as they came down, Zoro was able to cut the man's stomach with Wado. For good measure, Zoro used the moment the man crouched down to grasp his wound to kick him overboard. That being done, Zoro glanced around the Merry.

We're barely making any progress, he thought bitterly. So many are still standing, even with wounds. The only one who's getting anywhere is Brook.

Zoro usually appreciated strong opponents, but just looking at these ones reminded him of how easily his older self had taken them down. Dammit, if he could be that strong in the future, he could be that strong now!

In his eye wandering, his gaze fell upon Yari. The little witch wasn't even fighting; she was just sitting on the railing observing the whole battle taking place right in front of her.

"Hmm... hypnosis using music as a medium," she was muttering to herself, watching Brook. "I will have to tell Runo about that one."

"Oi!" Zoro barked, walking up to her.

She barely glanced at him. "Oh? What do you want?"

"You were the one going on about testing our devil's luck earlier," the young man pointed out. He aimed Yubashiri at her. "Did you mean that or was it all just talk?"

Yari rolled her eyes. "Of course I did. But I want to test the devil's luck of the Straw Hat Pirates, not a bunch of inexperienced, overconfident rookies."

Again with the being called overconfident rookies. Zoro was really getting sick of that. "My older self said you nearly cut his head off. Sounds to me you'd make a worthy opponent."

"You... want to fight me?" Yari asked. She chuckled. "Do you have a death wish? I catch pirates from the New World for a living. You would not last half as long as your older self did."

"You said you never got to finish your duel with the Pirate Hunter. I'm not the kind of man who lets a battle go unfinished," Zoro reasoned. He lowered his weapons slightly. "You're right though; you're probably very strong and I might not win. Honestly, I don't have to really win. You're attacking my captain's ship and I'm not letting that slide, so if I get you off and send you packing, that'll be a victory for both me and my crew."

Even if winning was the objective, he wouldn't lose. He promised he would never lose again after all.

Yari looked mildly impressed. "Your conviction is commendable, Pirate Hunter." She stood up and held out her sword. "Very well, I will fight you if that is what you want. Just do not say I never warned you."

Zoro took a battle stance. "Don't worry; I won't."

Yari struck first. She lunged her blade so quickly that Zoro barely had time to guard. She repeated this motion at rapid speed, stepping forward with each thrust. This kept Zoro on the defensive and made him keep moving back. He swung out the swords in his hands, but Yari skillfully ducked out of the way and swung at his legs. Zoro jumped out of the way, but not before she was able to nick his calf. He backed up a bit and lifted his swords over his head.

"Tora..."

Yari grinned.

"... Gari!"

The attack never made contact; lept into the air long before the blades even came down. It was almost as if...

... She knew what it did, Zoro thought all in one agonizing second. She predicted my move before I even made it.

For the love of Pete, did everyone from the future know how to do that? Zoro seriously needed to know if this was an actual thing or just a fluke.

Still in the air, Yari performed an artful flip and aimed her sword directly down.

"Coupe Aérienne: Pluie Sabre!"

As she fell to the ground, she made lightning-fast downward thrusts towards Zoro, similarly to Luffy's Gum Gum Gatling. Zoro had no other choice but to simply deflect with his own swords and dodge. One slash sliced through his shirt directly down the middle, splitting the front in half and revealing his chest scar.

It was at that point Brook finally noticed what the younger swordsman was doing.

"Zoro-san!" he gasped. "You shouldn't be fighting her, get away!"

Zoro grunted as he checked his chest for further injuries. "Sorry Brook. It couldn't be helped."

Yari hummed appreciatively as Zoro removed his ruined shirt. "You're not bad for a younger man; I especially like the scar. It looks like it must have been painful."

Zoro smirked. "It was, and I like the scar too. It's a good reminder that I shouldn't underestimate my opponents."

"Well, I will admit reminders are good. You have yet to underestimate me so far, what with your only goal being getting me off the ship, not beating me," Yari agreed. She met his smirk with a soft smile, almost kindly. "Yes, reminders are good. Scars remember. Pain remembers."

She stuck her blade into the deck (pretending not to hear Usopp's cries of protest) and before anyone could stop her or notice what she was doing, she was standing directly in front of Zoro, her bare hand on his bare chest, right over his scar.

"What the hell?!" Zoro shouted.

"Get away from him!" Vivi cried out, riding on Carue towards the swordswoman.

"Vivi-san, wait!" Brook cautioned, but was stopped by another hunter with a sword before he could halt her movements.

Usopp looked down worriedly from the crow's nest. "What is she doing?"

"Tell me, Roronoa Zoro," Yari whispered. "What does your pain remember?"

"What do you-"

"Requiem de douleur."

Zoro's chest scar glowed with a dark pink light, and that was when the pain hit. A pain that was all too memorable.

The first time he'd felt this pain, he'd already had many other injuries so it hadn't felt all that different. The first time he felt this pain, he had managed to brace himself for it since he knew it was coming. The first time he felt this pain, he didn't even really feel it all that much because he was running on so much adrenaline that you could have removed his brain and he wouldn't have felt it.

This time however, he had none of those luxuries.

"ARGHHHHHHH!"

"ZORO!"

Location: On a different ship, not too far from the Going Merry

"Argh... damn... jellyboned... freak..." the fallen man grunted, trying to get up from the grassy deck.

"Yeah yeah, tell me a new one," his opponent sighed. He kept his foot on the loser's chest, and despite the latter being way bigger and physically stronger, he was unshakable. "I went through all the trouble of knocking you over, the least you can do is stay down. I'm not in the mood for resistance."

The fallen man tried to get up again, only to find a pistol pointed in his face.

"Uh, you know that super won't work on me, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, it'll probably bounce right off your steel-plated face. It will, however, succeed in getting my point across when I tell you what you need to to know."

"Yeah? And what's that?"

The barrel of the gun clicked.

"My name is Baba Runo, and you're going to tell me everything you know about your little friends. That's all you need to know, for now."

"Dancing Haze" Baba Runo

3rd Lieutenant and Interrogative Expert of the Carrion Bounty Hunters

Yari's Brother (Twins)

Next Time:

Chapter 14- The Lion Sails With the Lamb

* Nerve Paralyzation.

** See the "Decks of the World" cover story for details.

*** Again, see "Decks of the World."