Pointless Report:

Gyahahaha~ I'm back! Had a good vacation and I've *gasp* actually planned the next 5 or so chapters out! XD

I was rereading my first chapter and I thought, 'Wow, it's kinda bad and misleading…But I'm not changing it!' So good job to anyone who's read this far!

Mariko: Hey dumbass! Don't you need to do a disclaimer at the beginning of each chapter?

Me: …Why would I need to do that, I did a disclaimer at the beginning of chapter 1.

Mariko: Yeah but pretty much everyone else does one every chapter.

Me: But they already know that One Piece was created and owned by Eiichiro Oda, and the plot and OCs belong to me. Why would I need to keep repeating that over and over again and waste their time?

Mariko: *deep sigh* Just get on with the chapter.

Me: Fine!

Let the chapter begin!

Mariko stood up and stretched her tired bones. She'd been sitting in the same position for the past hour in the crow's nest. She gazed out onto the horizon lazily. 'At least the view's great, it almost makes up for how damn boring being a lookout is.' She mused.

She looked up at the sky. 'Can you see it too Keiko? Is the sea just as beautiful where you are?' she asked out loud. The wind whistled in her ears in response.

She sighed deeply. 'I should probably go tell Law that we're getting close to an island,' she said wistfully, 'that is if he really is retarded and hasn't already noticed the climate stabilizing.'

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

Law flipped through the newspaper and frowned. He'd been hoping for the latest bounty posters to arrive. 'It's not like the marines to be delayed for this long.' Bepo shrugged. 'Who knows?'

'I don't understand why everyone's always so eager to see them. It only makes gives the bounty heads a bigger ego and makes bounty hunters an even bigger pain in the ass.'

Law looked over his shoulder to see Mariko standing behind him. 'Good afternoon to you too, you seem to be your usual pleasant self.' He commented sarcastically. 'You should really stop that teleporting thing. You'll give the rest of the crew a heart attack if you do it to them.'

She smiled darkly. 'I prefer the term zelig.'

Law chuckled. 'That would be pretty accurate. I suppose I'd get a vague answer if I asked you how you did it.'

She smirked. 'It's good to know we're at an understanding.'

Law rolled his eyes. 'I was just thinking about how you don't have a bounty, a little strange don't you think?'

She shook her head. 'Not really, Father represents Hōseki on the Council of Kings. He probably pulled a few strings with the World Government.'

'Why would he do that?'

'Most likely because he doesn't want the world to make the connection that I'm his daughter. Hōseki prefers to keep themselves to themselves.'

He snorted. 'Just like you, princess.'

Her eye twitched. 'What'd you call me…bastard?' she asked slowly.

He grinned. 'That's what you basically are, isn't it?'

He watched in amusement as rage practically seethed out of her skin. He almost laughed out loud. He knew he'd get a reaction but this was even better then what he'd been expecting.

'Let's get one thing straight Mister Trafalgar,' she hissed, 'a "king" is someone who controls an entire damn country. My father only has control over one city, the capital, that's the only reason he represents the island.'

Law smirked, which only pissed her off even more. 'So don't call me a fucking princess!' she screamed.

He burst out laughing. She glared at him murderously. 'We're coming up to an island.' She barked over her shoulder as she stormed out of the room.

'Thank you.' He called after her.

Bepo shook his head. 'You really love teasing her don't you captain?'

Law chuckled. 'I can't help it. She makes it so easy, besides, it's just so much fun.'

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

Mariko looked glumly at the rags that had once been her gloves. She'd had them for years and it only took a moment of impulsive panic to destroy them. She tucked them into her backpack. Over the years, she'd become a bit of a packrat and couldn't bear to throw them out.

She searched through her backpack and took out some bandages. She sighed as she wrapped them around her hands, concealing her tattoos and scars.

She'd buy some new gloves when they got to the island.

For now, the bandages would have to do. She couldn't risk someone recognizing her symbol. She tightened the knot. 'I just hope I don't get in a fight.'

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

The Heart pirates made landfall on the island. It looked pretty average for an island in the New World. A moderately large village was spread out. There didn't seem to be any marine outposts, which meant they could relax…but then again, the crew could've been able to relax even if there was one. That was just how they were.

Law looked around slightly disappointed. He'd been hoping for a little excitement. 'What do you guys think of staying at an inn until the log resets?' He asked the crew. The crew shrugged and agreed. Mariko rolled her eyes. 'They're all so lax.' She thought to herself.

They made their way to an inn near the edge of town. Mariko couldn't help but feel a little anxious about leaving the ship almost unattended, but Jean Bart had reassured her that most people were smart enough not to go on a Supernova's ship and besides, there were a few crewmen that preferred to stay on the ship.

'Oi princess, catch!' Law called tossing her a small shiny key. 'Don't call me princess! Asshole!' she snapped almost dropping whatever he'd thrown her. She dangled the key in front of her face. "Property of Anzendaiichi Island inn" was written in bold letters on the head.

'Why are you giving this to me?' she asked impatiently. She wanted to go look in the shops and she didn't feel like playing mind games with Law.

He raised an eyebrow. 'It's for your room, obviously. Honestly, what'd you think it was for?'

She blinked. 'So I get my own room?'

'…Yeah~…'

'Yes!' She grinned at Law's questioning gaze. 'I'm gonna go look around, see you guys later!'

'Wait! While you're out, can you find a good bar and get me some sake?' he asked before she could bolt away and disappear for hours.

'Why can't you do it yourself? Or get Bepo or Jean Bart to do it?' She whined.

Law smirked. 'Because you're the newest crew member so that puts you at the bottom of the food chain.'

'Excuse me? I don't remember joining your crew.'

'If you're not part of the crew, then why are you our lookout?'

Mariko opened and closed her mouth making her look, (to Law's increasing amusement,) like a fish that'd been suddenly dragged out of water.

She narrowed her eyes. 'You little rat. You were baiting me… You planned this didn't you?' she asked accusingly.

He smiled cockily. 'Well that's not completely true, it didn't occur to me until after you became an unofficial crewmember instead of just a miscellaneous girl travelling with us.'

She glared. 'What makes you think I can find you some good sake? I don't even drink alcohol, so how would I know what to look for?'

'You have a good sense of smell. Just find the bitterest sake you can find and bring it back to the inn.' He said evenly.

She chewed her lip. 'Fine!' She grumbled stalking away.

'Oh and pick up about 9 bottles, so the rest of the crew can have some too.'

If someone could kill with a glare, Law would've dropped dead, instead of smiling good-naturedly at her.

She nodded stiffly and stormed away.

'Don't lose that key! There's only one copy!' She heard him shout after her.

'Yeah, like I'd lose something this important.' She muttered under her breath. 'Dumbass.'

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

She wandered around the town almost aimlessly. She felt no particular urge to go back to the inn, even after passing several bars that could've easily sold her the sake. Since Law never specified when he wanted his drink, she'd decided to procrastinate for as long as she could just to piss him off.

She slumped down on a bench and examined with tremendous satisfaction her new gloves.

Unlike her old plain black ones, these were cut off half way up the fingers and thumb, exposing some of her scarred skin. A removable silvery rectangle patch on the back, held on with a material similar to Velcro. Depending on her mood, she could tear it off and see her tattoos. But one feature had really caught her attention, one each knuckle was a tiny metal spike. She was also pleased that they were made of leather and not cotton.

'Looks way more badass.' She muttered under her breath.

She smiled darkly as the sunlight bounced off the spikes. She started to wonder how hard she'd need to hit someone before they bled when the wind picked up. A foul and bitter aroma invaded her senses as she clamped her hands over her nose.

'What's that smell?' she thought searching for the source. It was coming for a few blocks away. Curiosity got the better of her as she ran to investigate. It wasn't until she was about halfway there that she noticed a change in the town.

All around her, nothing made a sound. No one was outside talking or selling their merchandise. The atmosphere felt heavy with tension and fear. Mariko slowed her pace until she was walking silently down the deserted streets. She glanced behind her. She could still vaguely make out the bench that she'd been sitting on, now surrounded by a group of kids.

Their voices floated in the wind like half forgotten ghosts. 'It's like walking through a mirror.' She mumbled absent-mindedly. The smell was getting stronger with each step she took and she could make out voices and the distinct clinking of glasses.

She came to a halt and looked at the building beside her. She rolled her eyes, just her luck. It was a bar. She looked for a sign and found a discarded pile of splinters near the entrance. Whoever was in there probably wasn't a group of happy harmless travelers.

She chewed her lip uncertainly. The smell was definitely coming from in there. 'Just go in, buy the sake and get out.' She told herself. She took a deep breath hoping it would calm her nerves. 'Show no fear.' She pushed the door open and slid inside.

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

'Oh shit.' She thought to herself.

A whole crew of blood-thirsty pirates occupied the entire bar. Thankfully, they hadn't heard her come in and were more interested in their drinks. She remembered something Yukio used to tell her when they'd spar.

'When you're in fight against someone equal or stronger then you, don't be predictable. That pretty much gives you a death sentence. People don't know what to do if you don't react like they think you would.'

She straightened herself up and walked boldly towards the terrified bartender.

'Excuse me sir, but can I get 9 bottles of sake please?' she asked calmly. The small man jumped at the sound of her voice. 'Wow, these pirates must really be intimidating. He looks like he's about to piss his pants.' She thought passively as the man murmured in the affirmative and scurried into a room behind the counter.

She could feel a few of the pirates eyeing her as she sat down on a stool. 'Yeah well I don't what to be here either.' She thought to herself ignoring them. The man put the bottles on the counter. Mariko couldn't help noticing his trembling hands.

She looked at him with bored eyes. 'Can I buy a tray or something from you? I don't think I can carry all of these back to-' she paused trying to decide what to call Law. '-my captain.' She finished.

'My captain?!' she thought mentally punching herself. 'Of all the fucking things I could've told him, I had to say "captain".' She silently vowed that after she'd given Law his drinks, she'd wash her mouth out with soap.

The man merely bobbed his head and disappeared behind the counter. She could feel an incredibly strong presence watching her. She resisted the instinctive urge to see who it was.

Before she could stop herself, she heard herself say, 'You don't have to be hostile. I'm not buying the whole stock.' She heard a glass shatter as the room instantly quieted. She felt like slamming her head against the counter. 'Baka! Baka! Don't piss off the psychopathic pirates!' she thought.

She paid the shocked bartender and loaded the tray with the bottles.

'What'd you say to me, girl?' a deep voice near her asked.

She kept her expression blank as she turned to the speaker.

His deathly pale skin made his deep purple lips prominent. His fiery red hair reminded her of actual flames. He wore aviator goggles on his forehead. A furry spiked coat was draped over his shoulders and Mariko could see his shirtless muscular body. Mariko felt like tilting her head in curiosity, the man had no eyebrows.

'He looks like he crawled out of Hell and got his eyebrows burnt off during his escape.' She thought.

'I said, what'd you say to me girl? Are you deaf?' The man asked darkly.

Mariko felt the same urge that she felt when she was around Law, to punch that ego-obsessed bastard's face in! But something felt different about it then when she was with Law. She didn't really have a reason to want to punch Law and he wasn't (she admitted to herself) such a bad guy, but this guy just plain pissed her off. Also there wasn't a doubt in her mind that he'd let her off with just a cocky smile and a mild insult, he'd probably kill her on the spot.

It was too late to back down. 'I heard you the first time. I just wanted you to know that I'm not buying all your alcohol so you don't have to glare at me.' She said icily. She congratulated herself with a mental slap. She silently cursed her sharp tongue.

The man laughed and sent shivers up her spine. She kept her face blank, picked up the tray and headed towards the door.

'I don't think I told you to leave yet girl.' She heard him say behind her back.

'I didn't know I needed your permission.' She countered evenly. 'Shit! Shit! Don't talk back to him!' the voice in her head screamed at her.

'Now that's no way to talk to someone you've just met.' She could hear him get up from his seat and walk towards her.

'I'm sorry if I've offended you.'

'Oh really? How sorry are you?'

She didn't need to turn around. Instinct told her he was standing right behind her. Her heart was pumping so quickly she was sure it'd burst.

A cold sweat rolled down her face. She swallowed the lump in her throat. 'I'm very sorry, I'm so sorry that I'm going to have to use life lesson #2.'

Before the man could process what she'd said, she whirled around, kicked him as hard as she could between the legs and ran like a bat outta Hell out the door and down the street with the tray and drinks pressed against her chest.

She didn't stop running until she was safely onboard the Heart ship and locked herself in the bathroom. Only after she was reassured by the few crew members who stayed onboard that she hadn't been chased by a demon did she come out.

Only after a cup of relaxing tea did she dare to leave the ship and go back to the inn.

'I swear if Law doesn't drink every last drop of this stuff, I'll use him as a punching bag to test my new gloves on.' She muttered to herself.

She couldn't help but feel that she was forgetting something…something important…

Only when she'd given Law his sake did she remember, and she screamed out a long stream of curses and swears into the still night.

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

Eustass "Captain" Kidd used a nearby table to support himself as he got to his feet. Rage flashed in his eyes, he was going to make sure that bitch died slowly and painfully.

Something caught the light and winked at him. Gingerly, he picked it up. "Property of Anzendaiichi Island inn" was printed in bold text on the key's head.

'Oi Killer!' he shouted to his first mate. Killer was already at his feet, long curved blades raised. Killer took one look at his captain and lowered his weapons.

A grin spread over Kidd's face. 'How about we return this?' He asked his first mate.

Killer smirked under his mask and followed Kidd out of the bar.

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

Mariko tried to retrace her steps to where she might have dropped the key, but in her panic it never occurred to her where she was running, as long as it was as far away from that bar and the demon.

'Shit, where'd it go?' she muttered to herself. She glanced up at the dark sky. She sighed in defeat. It was too dark to look for something as small as a key. She didn't really need it to get into her room. She could easily pick the lock. The problem wasn't getting in her room, she realized. It was facing Law and admitting that she'd lost it.

She gritted her teeth. No way in Hell was she going to do that. She remembered when she and Yukio had left Hōseki.

Mariko sniffed and curled into a ball. She had no more tears left in her body. 'I wish I could die.' she mumbled only to receive a slap in response.

'Shut up brat!' Yukio said sternly. 'You're giving me a migraine.'

'What do I have left? Everything I knew and loved was on that island!' She shrieked. She shrunk back as Yukio growled. She braced herself for the hit, but it never came. Instead Yukio sat down next to her.

'You want to know what you have left? I'll tell you, your pride. So don't take any shit from anyone got that?'

Mariko chuckled softly at the memory.

'You seem to be in high spirits.'

Mariko froze. She shifted her gaze to her surroundings.

'Oh isn't that cute? You're trying to find me.'

She could feel her heart beat faster as an unknown terror filled her.

'Look up.'

Slowly, she looked above her head and let out an ear piercing scream.

The figure smiled. 'Found you~! Try and run now little one.'

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

Kidd glanced at the sign and then back at the key. 'This is the place.' He told Killer. Killer nodded wordlessly.

Kidd leered. 'We shouldn't keep her waiting. She's probably noticed it's missing by now.' He chuckled darkly as he pushed the doors wide open.

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

I was looking over my chapters and decided to start this mini translator for the Japanese/other-foreign-language-I-feel-like-putting, words I'll use in my chapters. I won't go back and translate the ones from past chapters because it's a pain in the ass and I just don't feel like it. XD

Hōseki: Jewel

Baka: Idiot…but if you watched the anime you probably already knew that…

Anzendaiichi: Safety first (Oh I love irony!)