Please take note that when you see the "-This is a time/scene skip…this is the only way Fanfiction'll let me divide things…Ignore this-" it's like those line things dividing the story. Fanfiction decided to spaz at me so I've done this to avoid confusion in the story. Sorry for the inconvenience.

'Damn it! Of all the pirate captains, Yukio just had to sell me to the most retarded one of all!' Mariko ranted, folding up a shirt.

Ever since they'd left Shabondy Archipelago, she'd been doing constant chores almost every day. The truth was the Heart pirates had been assigning her chores to keep her busy. They'd learned the hard way that keeping Mariko busy kept her from plotting. She'd only been with them for less than 3 days and she'd already almost killed their captain, Law, at least 8 times (10 if you counted how many times they'd caught her before she'd put her plans into action). When Law told her she couldn't kill him in any "way or method" she realized (using the power of loop-holes), that "she" couldn't kill him, but a knife or a bullet could.

'Umm… Mariko? Are you in here?' Mariko looked up to see Bepo standing in the doorway. 'What is it Bepo?' she asked slightly pissed off. 'Well, the captain,' Mariko gritted her teeth, 'wanted you to know that we're in sight of the Red Line.' Bepo said nervously. Mariko smiled. It was about time.

-This is a time/scene skip…this is the only way Fanfiction'll let me divide things…Ignore this-

'We're almost there, the New World.' Law said smiling. 'So we're finally there, huh? It took us long enough!'Law nodded as Mariko and Bepo joined them. 'Ah~ Miss Mariko, is this your first time seeing it?' Law asked politely. She looked at him with slight annoyance. 'No, Yukio and I came from the New World years ago when…' she stopped mid-sentence.

'Miss Mariko? Is there something wrong…?' Law asked. 'Law… how much is your bounty again…?' she asked, Law couldn't help but notice her voice shaking. '200,000,000 Beri… Why do you ask? Do you need to lie down? You're look like you're going to pass out…' Her eyes widened. 'Law we need to change our course.' She said her voice slightly panicking. 'We need to go right now before they see us!' 'Who're we running from?!' Mariko whipped her head around to face Law. 'The Marines!' She screamed 'They're practically in front of the entrance to Fishman Island! So unless you want to get caught and executed then change the damn course!'

Law stared at her then to the horizon. 'Well we can't get to the New World unless we go through Fishman Island. So how are we supposed to get there?' he asked calmly, if what she was saying was true, he couldn't afford to lose his head. Mariko calmed down slightly. 'I know another way. It's a secret so the Marines don't know about it.' She said taking out her backpack. 'I have the Eternal Pose but we need to go now. If the Marines see the ship we won't be able to lose them.' She said handing him the Pose. 'Look, I know you haven't known me for very long but you need to trust me.' She said when she saw his hesitation. She looked at him with pleading eyes.

'Alright…I trust you.' He said finally. She gave him a grateful smile, startling the crew. It was the first time the crew had seen her show any emotion other then anger, annoyance or pure hate.

As the Heart pirates changed course, Law caught hold of Mariko's arm before she disappeared below deck. 'How did you know about the Marines?' he asked curiously. 'Oh, I smelt them.' She replied casually.

There was an awkward silence.

'You… "Smelt" them?' he asked in disbelief. 'Well… yeah… Yukio's been training me to use all my senses to their full potential. When the wind picked up, I smelt a mixture of black coffee, gun powder and laundry detergent. That usually means there's a Marine battleship.' She explained seeing the confused look on the crew's faces. Law smiled, the girl was proving to be more and more interesting every day.

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Law awoke suddenly. It was late and he'd been asleep until something woke him up. He rolled over. Mariko was gone.

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Mariko stared at the Red Line, how many years had it been since she'd seen it?

'Yukio~ what's that?' the little girl from her memories asked. Yukio smiled down at the girl. 'That's the Red Line, it divides the world.' She explained. 'It's SO big! How are we going to get to the other side?' she asked, filled with wonder. 'There's three ways to get there. The first is through the so called "Holy Land" Mariejois. The second is through Fishman Island and the third way,' Yukio said with a smile. 'Is where we're going.' The little girl grinned at her. 'I can't wait to get there! I'm so excited!' she said giggling, she was giddy with happiness.

'Mariko,' Yukio said calmly, putting her hands on the girl's shoulders. 'When we get to the other side, you need to promise me a few things.' 'What?' the girl asked. 'The route we're taking, you can't tell anyone about it.'

'I promise.' she said.

'You can't tell anyone where you came from or who you really are.'

'I promise.' She said a second time.

'And even though we're far from home, obey our rules.'

'I promise.' She said a third time.

'And finally I need you to promise me one last thing.' 'Yes?' Yukio hugged her and whispered in the girl's ear.

'Live…'

'Mariko?' She snapped out of her reverie. She turned to see Law walking towards her. 'I couldn't sleep, so I came up for some fresh air.' She explained. 'May I join you?' he asked. She nodded. He stood beside her in silence.

'I was born in the New World.' She said suddenly. 'You were?' He asked, this was the first time they'd had a normal conversation. 'Have you ever heard of the "Gem of the New World"?' she asked casually. 'No. Is it famous?' he asked. She shrugged. 'Not really.'

They stood together in silence, looking at the moonlit Red Line.

'It's late, I'm going to bed. Oh but before I go,' she said smiling. She gave him a quick hug. 'Thanks for trusting me… I'll let you live a little longer.' She whispered.

She turned and left, leaving Law to wonder if the conversation had ever happened.

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'Umm, Mariko, are you sure the Eternal Pose is working?' 'It's working all right. This is the place.'

Law frowned at Mariko and stared back at the Red Line. The Eternal Pose was pointing directly at the Red Line. 'So where's this entrance of yours?' he asked, keeping his eye on the Eternal Pose. 'It's a secret entrance, you can't expect it to be right out in the open where anyone could get at it, do you?' she answered. 'Ok, so how do you open it?' he asked skeptically. 'Just watch quietly while I work.' She said smirking.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Then, she began to chant. It was soft, yet clear. She sang the wordless chant as it drifted like mist over the waters. Powerful energy swirled around her. The air became warmer. The Red Line seemed to quiver and bend, and, as if an invisible veil was lifted, a cave materialized.

A gasp broke the silence and Mariko opened her eyes. She turned to Law and gestured to the cave. 'There's your entrance.' She said, her voice sounded tired. 'I'm going to have a nap. If you follow the Eternal Pose you should reach the island.' She stumbled she turned to go below.

'I've broken two of the rules Yukio,' she thought darkly, 'and I'm not stopping there.'

Law looked at the Pose, it was still pointing straight ahead. 'Set sail!' he yelled, as the ship was swallowed by the darkness.

-This is a time/scene skip…this is the only way Fanfiction'll let me divide things…Ignore this-

They travelled in almost complete darkness, the only light came from the entrance. They could only rely on the Eternal Pose to guide themselves to the island…if there was one.

'Are you sure about this captain? Can we really trust Mariko?' Jean Bart asked cautiously. The light from the entrance was fading and soon they'd be in total darkness. 'I trust her, in order to gain her trust. I need to give her mine.' Law replied eyes fixed in the Pose. 'Well when are we going to get to this island?' Jean Bart continued. Even if the Pose was right, if they couldn't see the island then they'd crash into it. 'I haven't the faintest idea when we'll get there, only she does. If you're willing to wake her up, than be my guest.' Law replied.

'No need, we're almost there.' Jean Bart looked in surprise to Mariko, who'd somehow appeared beside him. 'How can you tell?' he asked bewildered. She pointed into the darkness. Jean Bart focused on the direction she'd indicated. A strange, otherworldly glow flickered in the distance. 'What is that?' he asked unable to tear his gaze from the eerie light. The light grew clearer and larger every minute.

'That's the island. What you're seeing is a jewel that glows only in complete darkness. It's also a bit of a test.' She said calmly. 'How is it a test?' Bepo inquired. 'Would you go into a dark cave if you didn't know there was something in it? Most people are afraid of the dark, so complete darkness would probably freak them out.' She explained. 'So this is your way of finding out how brave we are? That's a bit cruel, don't you think?' Law asked smugly. She laughed. Law smiled, 'Another first.' He thought.

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They reached the island after about 30 minutes. The "jewel" was more like a great glowing mountain sitting in the center of the island and the "island" was more like a big flat rock. Law frowned when he saw it. He'd been hoping that it would've been more interesting.

'How long will it be before the log sets?' he asked, hiding his disappointment. 'About an hour or so, it doesn't take very long.' She replied. Law sighed in relief, he was afraid they'd have to stay on this boring rock for the rest of the day. She rolled her eyes. 'You know, being a little bored won't kill you.' She said. Law grinned, which earned him another eye roll. 'Maybe so, but it sometimes feels that way.' He said laughing.

Jean Bart was staring at the glowing mountain. 'What kind of stone is this made of? I've never seen anything like it.' He asked. Mariko shrugged. 'I don't know, maybe it's a mystery stone.' She said, she sounded unconcerned. Jean Bart sighed and went back to examining the mountain.

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After about an hour (as Mariko predicted), the log was set and was pointing towards the next island. Law didn't even try to hide his relief that they were leaving.

'And back into the darkness we go~!' he yelled to his crewmates. Mariko looked back to the fading glow.

The girl screamed. Yukio held her close. 'Yukio~! You didn't tell me it was going to be dark!' the girl whimpered. Yukio laughed. 'What, are you afraid of the dark?' she teased. The girl cried louder. 'Yes I am!' the girl screamed louder. 'Honestly Mariko, don't be such a coward.' Yukio said laughing.

Mariko smiled, 'I wonder if the New World has changed as much as I have?' she quietly wondered.

-This is a time/scene skip…this is the only way Fanfiction'll let me divide things…Ignore this-

That night, the Heart pirates had a feast in celebration of their arrival at the New World. There was lots of food and drink being passed around, and everyone was laughing and enjoying themselves.

Mariko sat in a corner and watched. She felt a bit out of place. Every now and then, she had the urge to join them, but she'd talked herself out of it each time. 'You're not one of them. You're only a slave.' She'd say to herself.

'May I join you?' a voice asked. She nodded stiffly as Law sat down beside her. 'Your pride is going to kill you one day.' He said handing her a plate overflowing with food and a cup filled to the brim. She took the plate and cup with a wordless thank you. 'You can't tell me you'd rather watch the party. I know you're not that anti-social.' He coaxed. She took an apple from the plate and bit into it.

'Come on, join the party, you'll have lots of fun.' He said. 'Don't you have anyone else to piss off?' she asked glaring. Law laughed. 'I'll leave when you stop acting like an ass and loosen up.' He replied. She groaned in annoyance.

'Fine I'll go, but I won't have fun.' She said standing up. He grinned. 'Stubborn little girl aren't you?' he teased. She pushed him away in mock anger, he stumbled. 'Law, you're drunk.' She said as he regained his balance. He laughed. 'And I'll have one Hell of a hangover tomorrow.' He sang. 'And I'll have to listen to you groan all day.' She said sighing. He grinned and laughed making her wonder how much alcohol he'd drunk and how much longer it'd be until he collapsed. 'That's the plan!' he yelled. 'Asshole,' she said, she couldn't help but smile.

'Yukio,' she thought as Law took her hand. 'You'd better have a good reason for giving me to these idiots.'

-This is a time/scene skip…this is the only way Fanfiction'll let me divide things…Ignore this-

Yukio shot a man through the forehead. 'Bastard! Stop wasting my time with these pawns and fight me like a man!' she screamed. The man smiled. 'Why should I? Getting tired?' he mocked as Yukio killed another one of his men. 'The only thing I'm tired of is you annoying voice! It's really pissing me off!' She yelled back. The man laughed.

'Dear Yukio, you knew it was only a matter of time before we found you.' He said darkly. 'Just tell us where the girl is, and we'll let you go.' 'I already told you! She's not here! She's been gone for days and she's not coming back!' she yelled, stabbing another man in the stomach. The man smiled. 'Pity, and you could have been spared. No matter, we'll find her eventually.' He drew his sword. 'It pains me to do this to a beautiful lady with such status.'

'Burn in Hell you bastard.' She said spitting at him. The man smiled at her defiance, and raised his sword.