Pointless Report:

GYAHAHAHAHA~!

Well, I did it. I finally released a chapter after…far too long. Sorry about that guys. I know I keep promising to bring out chapters and then…not…

I feel especially bad now because after messing around with the new updated Fanfiction user page, I finally know how many of you actually read my story. I won't lie, I was shocked.

It made me feel pretty lousy because for some reason I only thought that there was about 15 maybe 20 awesome who regularly read my story. So I thought that these awesome people were so awesome that they might forgive me if I missed a deadline.

I won't give the exact numbers…But know this, if the numbers aren't lying to me…there's enough of you to break down my door, kidnap me and force me to meet my deadline. Yeah, it's like that.

So yeah, even if you don't have an account on Fanfiction, you can still leave me reviews! I haven't disabled the anonymous reviews option. So if you guys feel like nagging me about when I'll be done the next chapter or tell me if you liked or didn't like the chapter, just click the "compose review" link at the bottom of the story. Or not, it's your choice.

Alright so! Giant The-World-Didn't-End cupcakes to: SniperKingSogeking0341, Jen567, Assatte and Voler Libre for reviewing!

Just one more quick thing, I made a new poll on my user page, anyone can vote. So yeah, see you guys later!

CHAPTER STARTS NYOW~!

-"~"-

"Madame?"

"Hmm?" Mariko asked pulled back down to earth.

"Are you going inside Madame? You're blocking the door for the other guests." The man in the suit asked.

"Oh, uhh yes I am. Sorry, I'm just feeling a little light headed." She lied.

"There are drinks being served and chairs and tables to sit down in if you so wish."

She nodded her thanks and took a step to the side and leaned against the wall out of anyone's way then went back to staring.

Madame Kousei had really gone over the top for the Main hall. Spacious was an understatement for the size of the room, the high ceiling added to the feel of the room, with a definite regal color scheme. The tall windows let you view the outside world and the small forest nearby. The polished floor reflected the light from the chandeliers like a mirror. The tables were covered in a dark red silky material, a large space had been cleared away, clearly intended for dancing, but for now was filled with a crowd talking and mingling.

And of course there were the guests. The men in expensive suits and the women in designer dresses, they danced with grace and ease as if they had never been meant for anything other than this. Soft murmurs and laugher echoed around the room.

Mariko chewed her lip, uncertain what to do or where to go. She scanned the room desperately for anyone familiar. She thought she might have seen Iceburg chatting with an eerily familiar man, but she lost sight of them when a couple stood in her line of view. She felt a sudden panic in her chest. There were so many people.

She realized how far she'd strayed from the door now. She must have been caught up with the crowd. She wanted to sit down to collect herself but she couldn't see any unoccupied chairs or tables. She closed her eyes and tried to block out the noise around her. She was shaking a little and felt like she was going to collapse.

"Mariko?" a feminine voice said somewhere nearby.

She took a deep breath. "Yes?"

"Hang on a minute, you're going to be fine." The voice assured her.

Mariko felt someone grab her arm, who she hoped was the owner of the voice, and gently guide her somewhere.

She stumbled along and felt herself being gently pushed in what she assumed was a chair.

"I'll go get you something to drink, wait right here."

"You don't have to worry about that, I'm not going anywhere." Mariko said jokingly, making a weak attempt to lighten the mood.

She bent her head down to her knees and took a few more calming breaths. The feeling in her chest diminished and the shaking gradually stopped. She opened her eyes but kept them focused on her lap.

She saw a pair of beige high heels walk into her line of vision.

"Here, I know you don't like alcohol so I tracked down some juice for you. Nice dress by the way."

Mariko mumbled her thanks and looked up to accept her drink when she stopped. She stared at the girl in front of her and her face split into a relieved grin. "Shiana? Is that you?"

The girl smiled back. "What? No hug? I'm your savior after all!"

Mariko laughed and looked her old friend over. Shiana had tried to tame her shoulder length reddish brown hair into a bun, but strands were already making desperate escapes from their bounds. She still had her light freckles dotted along her cheeks and her green eyes still had an observant gaze that seemed to take in the entire world. Her dress was a light teal color with a definite flowery boho style. The strapless dress was light and breezy. A nice change from the tight and constricting dresses Mariko had already caught glimpses of as she'd stumbled through the crowd. Shiana had accessorized with long golden dangling earrings and shell bracelets, in addition to her usual green hoop through the upper cartilage of her right ear.

Shiana handed Mariko her drink and turned to sit down on the seat next to her and Mariko saw a tribal flower tattoo spread along her left shoulder blade.

She must have been looking longer than expected because Shiana started laughing at her. "Nice isn't it? I got it a few months ago when I had a little extra pocket money to spend. Like it?"

"It's really nice." Mariko said, absentmindedly rubbing the back of her hands.

"I was hoping to run into you here."

"Really? And why would that be?"

Shiana looked her in the eye. "Well for one thing I haven't seen you in a few years and secondly I wanted to talk to you about who you've been hanging around with."

Mariko looked at her in surprise. "Who I been hanging around with?" she repeated.

"Yeah, and don't play innocent with me. I know you joined the Heart pirates a few months ago."

"So?" She asked defensively.

Shiana sighed and put her hand on Mariko's shoulder. "Don't take it the wrong way. I'm just a little worried about you. The crew you've joined have done some really awful things, not to mention their captain is one of the most wanted rookies."

Mariko's face softened. "They're not that bad, they get on my nerves but they're a good bunch of guys. I feel…I don't know, safe when I'm with them. Knowing they've got my back if I'm ever in trouble."

Shiana sighed. "And I was going to ask you to be my bounty hunting partner next time I saw you. Guess that idea's gone to the shitter now that you're a pirate yourself."

"Sorry about that. So how's your work been doing lately? I didn't know you were working in the New World."

Shiana shrugged. "When I was in the Grand Line, I found out my parents were keeping tabs on me. I guess they haven't given up on the idea of turning me into a civilized woman and marrying me off to a rich guy. So I got some permission from Mariejois and here I am in the New World. Of course the bounties are bigger here so I had to work harder to make my living but it's been an interesting place."

Mariko took a sip of her drink. "I think 'interesting' is sugar coating it. I've only been to a few islands, luckily nothing dangerous but from what I've heard it gets shittier the further you get and it's like the island is trying to kill you as well. Not to mention the big names and other pirates attacking you."

Shiana was silent for a moment. "Great party so far huh?"

Mariko snorted. "Sort of dry so far, but Madame Kousei probably wants to keep it that way until she makes her grand entrance. Then, this place will really start to get crazy."

"I wish it would happen soon, I'm getting bored. Oh yeah and I forgot to mention, I'm actually acting as a sort of guide for a girl right now. She wants to go to some island and I'm supposed to get her there."

"Oh really, is she here?"

"Yeah, I came down early. She's still getting ready in the room."

"I can't get over Kousei let her tag along with you."

Shiana sighed. "I just had to give her a few extra bits of information, and details on the girl's past."

Mariko took another gulp of her drink. "And? Anything interesting?"

"Not particularly, she comes from a pretty ordinary family. I don't know much about her family but it doesn't seem she got into a fight with them so she might be on good terms with them. She says she wants to see the world, which is understandable, after all, the world keeps getting more interesting every day it seems."

"Will I get to meet her?"

"Probably, she seemed kind of nervous about the party but she was also excited about meeting new people."

Mariko finished her drink and leaned back in her chair.

Shiana scanned the crowd, her gaze jumping from one group to another.

"Looking for someone?"

"Yeah, I'm looking for a hot guy I can dance with." Shiana said in a matter-of-fact voice.

Mariko rolled her eyes. "You're kidding right?"

"No, I want to have some fun tonight. After all, the New World is filled with strong men." She said flashing a mischievous smirk.

Mariko felt her cheeks flush.

"Who knows? Maybe we could even find you a man."

Mariko's cheeks were burning. "I don't want a man. Leave me out of your boy crazy schemes."

Shiana looked at Mariko slyly. "Aww~ does little Mariko have a crush?"

"I do not!"

"I bet it's someone from your crew."

"No it's not!"

Shiana clapped her hands in mad glee. "It is! It is! Oh you're such a terrible liar about these things!"

Mariko muttered some curses and looked away.

"By the end of the night I'll know who he is. So let's save both you and me the trouble and just tell me who it is."

Mariko looked around desperately and saw a white haired girl jumping up and waving at them. "Is that girl waving frantically at you?" she asked changing the subject.

Shiana looked up. "Well what do you know, there is someone." She took a sideways glance at Mariko. "Saved by the bell weren't you?"

Shiana waved the girl over and Mariko assumed this was the girl Shiana had been talking about. The girl was of average height, with long white hair. She wore a long spaghetti strap dark green dress with a sweetheart neck, matched with ivory colored high heels. The girl seemed to have a golden colored bird ornament on her shoulder, which made Mariko wonder if it was just another odd fashion statement she never paid attention to. As she got closer, Mariko noted that the girl's eyes were the same color as her dress.

It reminded her of spring, the green of life hidden under a snowy coat.

"Took you a while to get down here. What were you doing up there?" Shiana asked with a hint of amusement.

The girl blushed and Mariko stared intently on the bird ornament. "I was just trying to find the right makeup."

Shiana looked at Mariko. "Did you get a shitload of makeup in your bathroom, too?"

Mariko nodded, tearing her eyes away from the bird thing. "Yeah, I have no idea what even half of it is called."

Shiana snorted. "Oh right, this is the girl I was telling you about. Meet Mie Mokuseiya."

Mariko stuck out her hand awkwardly. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you. If you don't mind, call me Moku, Miss…?"

"Daiyomondo Mariko," Mariko said.

Moku's eyes widened and she stared at Mariko.

"Is there something wrong?" Mariko asked cautiously.

Moku screamed and wrapped her arms around Mariko and hugged her tightly. "It's you! Oh my gosh I didn't think I'd find you this early! I thought it'd be years before I saw you but you're here!"

"Can't …breathe…" Mariko choked out.

Moku hastily let and Mariko took a deep breath.

Mariko coughed. "Okay, first off, no hugging. It's unwanted physical contact. And secondly," she rubbed her ribs, "I think you might have broken something."

Moku's face dropped. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt I was just…Excited you know?"

Mariko blinked. "Do I…know you?"

Moku nodded eagerly. "Don't you remember? I mean, it was a long time ago but we were kind of friends."

Mariko raised an eyebrow and glanced at Shiana who shrugged indifferently.

"You visited the island I was born on in the North Blue. You were there with your aunt Yukio." Moku said hopefully.

Mariko scratched her head. It sounded familiar, Yukio had once taken her to visit a friend in the North Blue, but they'd only gone once. Mariko looked the girl over trying to place her face in her memory.

"If it helps you remember. Yukio barely let you outside. She kept telling you something about getting sick? I preferred to stay inside so we got talking even though I was a few years older then you."

Something clicked in Mariko's brain. "Oh~ I remember you! You were that big scaredy cat!"

"I wasn't that scared." Moku muttered under her breath.

"Yeah, I remember you! I was stuck inside and so I hung around you." Mariko looked straight into Moku's eyes. "You were really boring."

Moku blushed. "Well, after you left I started getting curious about the world. So in a way, you're the reason I decided to go travelling."

"Why didn't you leave your island sooner? Why wait until now?"

"Well…I wanted to wait until I was 18, when I was considered an adult on my island."

Mariko was about to make a comment when the hall went suddenly quiet.

All heads turned towards the door.

A tall woman stood in the doorway. An elegant soft gold gown clung to her skin, showing off her figure. Her dark blue hair had been slightly curled. Her olive skin looked soft and seemed unaffected by the paling light. Her light pink eyes sparkled with amusement. There was no doubt in the room that this was the hostess. Only Madame Kousei could calm a room so quickly.

When she opened her mouth, she spoke clearly and smoothly. "Thank you all for coming. I know some of you have come from quite a ways away and for that I am honored. I hope you all enjoy yourselves. My servants will be coming out shortly with dinner, so please find yourself a seat."

Shiana pulled out a chair for Moku. "Quick, sit down before someone else comes!"

"Even if she sits down, there are still 3 extra seats." Mariko said dryly.

Shiana smirked. "Then I guess we'll have to be so obnoxious that no one will want to sit here now won't we?"

Mariko sighed and took one last gulp of her drink. Moku was indiscreetly staring at her curiously.

"You have tattoos." Moku said shyly.

Mariko raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "Indeed."

"You know, it's weird. You're younger than me but you've already seen more of the world and just…experienced life."

Mariko laughed dryly. "That's a nicer way of putting it."

Moku smiled and looked down at her lap. Mariko was about to make another comment but the bird ornament on the girl's shoulder distracted her. The ornament snapped its neck and stared directly at her. Mariko almost screamed out loud in shock. The bird, which Mariko had falsely thought was a decoration, let out a little peep and went back to staring vacantly forward.

"You little shit," Mariko muttered under her breath, "if you were real you should have said something earlier."

Shiana jabbed Mariko sharply in the ribs. "It looks like dinner's coming! And it's not just the food that looks good if you know what I mean."

Mariko glanced over to see a dark haired young man walking towards them with a plate heaped with food.

Mariko looked from Shiana's man hungry gaze, to Moku's confused one, to the bird's vacant look and leaned back and sighed. It was going to be a long night.

-"~"-

Daiyomondo Keiko was average, at least by her standards.

She had slightly over protective parents, a nosy little brother and a relatively large group of friends.

She was homeschooled and had a private teacher and did fairly well in her studies and loved to hang out with her friends.

But the thing about normal was that it always got worse.

Take her aunt and her sister for example. She tried not to think about them as she grew up. An older sister who had abandoned her so many years ago, who never came back, and an aunt she'd only seen once or twice.

Those memories were distant, as if they had been viewed by another person. The only solid memories she had of either of them was her sister and herself on the roof, talking and laughing. And sometimes, in her deepest of nightmares, she saw her aunt's cold silver eyes.

Now at the age of 13, Keiko had slipped into her crowd of friends. As far as they knew, her sister and aunt had died years ago. But then her sister had to go and do something stupid like joining one of the most well known new pirate crews, causing enough damage to get her noticed and have the marines post a bounty poster of her.

Thankfully, she didn't think any of her friends had made the connection yet. None of them had known her sister very well and her Father had kept any pictures of Mariko kept away in private. They'd just found it funny that she'd had the same supposed last name as a pirate.

Keiko had laughed and changed the subject. It was easy to pretend they weren't related. Their hair and eye color was different, and Keiko had a tan from being in the sun. She'd always kept her hair at shoulder length in a low pony tail. No, unless you held up the picture up to her face, you wouldn't notice how their eyes were the same shape, or how similar their faces seemed.

Now, Keiko leaned back in her chair staring out into the sunset. No matter how beautiful the sunset was, it wasn't enough to change her mood. She was stuck on this vacation island for the next few days while her parents were off doing some political thing at the next island over. Her brother was off at a different island, as part of a little secret project he was doing. And she was stuck here, instead of being at home with all her friends.

Some "family" vacation this was turning out to be.

Keiko sighed as one of their hired waiters came outside.

"Miss? Would you like something to drink?" he asked timidly.

"No thank you." Keiko said dully. She was bored out of her mind. It was going to be dark soon and she didn't feel like going swimming.

She stood up and brushed off a little sand off her light beige shorts and her light blue tank top. She glanced over her shoulder to see if the waiter was anywhere near her. Seeing no one around, she started walking.

Maybe there was something interesting going on somewhere else.

She wondered if her parents would get mad at her for leaving the house without any supervision but brushed the thought away. She could take care of herself.

Besides, what could happen?

-"~"-

Mariko laughed and bumped into someone. She been a little unsure about the drinks Shiana had ordered for them, and had felt slightly out of her comfort zone when Shiana had convinced herself and Moku to come dancing but now she was high on life and dancing to the beat of the musicians' hypnotic songs.

She caught sight of Shiana and Moku dancing with some young men.

Shiana caught her eye and grinned.

"I'm going outside to cool off!" Mariko screamed over the noise.

Shiana nodded and yelled something back then went back to dancing.

Mariko wasn't completely sure if Shiana had understood but the heat was starting to make her feel dizzy.

She stumbled across the room and left through the door, welcoming the cool wind against her sweating skin.

-"~"-

Keiko squinted her eyes at the flashing lights coming from a nearby estate. Was that a party up there? She'd been walking for a while and figured she was almost on the other side of the island. She saw a group of guys pile out of the house. Based on the way they were walking, she guessed they were pretty drunk.

Feeling nervous, she quietly left the path and continued her walk in the woods. Granted, it might not have been the smartest idea. But all she could think about was avoiding that group.

"Just take a short cut through the woods and then get back on the path." She thought to herself.

-"~"-

Mariko sat quietly in the garden at the estate. The dizziness was starting to disappear and she almost felt at peace.

Almost.

The loud music from inside was clearly audible even from the garden. Mariko stood up in annoyance. The noise was starting to give her a bit of a headache. Shiana would be pretty pissed off if she decided to go back to her room. A quick walk might be what she needed before she went back inside, just to clear her mind.

She looked up at the small forest bordering the estate. In the moonlight it seemed dark and mysterious. She grinned in mad glee. A creepy place like that was just begging to be explored! Taking one last glance over her shoulder at the party she stepped forwards boldly.

-"~"-

Keiko walked nervously, every sound made her twitch. She hadn't been this alone for a while. The music she had heard distantly was growing louder, and it seemed even the air pounded with the beat.

She turned to backtrack when something caught her eye. A figure was walking near some nearby trees and stopped. The figure laughed, its voice carrying into the night air.

"Well would you look at that? This carving looks kinda like Bepo's head!" The figure giggled. "Or maybe it's Law's hat, a really messed up version of Law's hat!"

Keiko felt herself tense up. Was there someone else in the forest? Someone the voice was talking to?

"I'd love to meet the artist! Or maybe it's just a weird natural bark pattern. I wish I had a camera."

Taking a few shallow breaths, Keiko moved closer to the figure, taking note to avoid any dry branches or piles of leaves to avoid detection.

"I hope Shiana doesn't think I ditched her. Or maybe she hasn't noticed yet, she was having some fun with that guy."

Keiko squinted. The cloud had covered the moon, diming the light. The figure was hidden in the shadows. Keiko was close enough to see the figure was a girl, but couldn't tell if she was a teenage or a young adult.

The girl seemed to be solely focused on the tree, stroking a particular spot which Keiko assumed was where the carving was. She looked around and saw no one nearby. Was the other person hidden nearby?

"Man, it's so nice outside. I wonder if it's nice where Law and the Hearts are? I hope so, otherwise they're missing out."

Keiko looked closer and noticed the girl hadn't turned throughout her conversation. The girl was just facing the tree. Keiko thought for a moment. Was the girl talking to herself?

The pale moonlight broke through the cloud and the light cut through the darkness, and Keiko got a clear view of the strange girl and sucked in a breath.

It couldn't be.

Her mind screamed the impossible and Keiko took a hasty step back, moving too quickly and losing her balance. She shrieked in surprise as she fell to the ground.

The girl turned and Keiko was the girl's deep purple eyes widen in surprise.

The girl hesitated before coming closer.

Keiko shuffled back, trying to conceal herself in the shadows. "Don't come near me!"

The girl frowned. "Were you spying on me or something?"

"No!" Keiko said defensively, she was surprised how normal her voice sounded when she felt so frantic inside. Before her stood her older sister, her run away pirate sister, whom had caused her parents so much heartache and had probably murdered several innocent (and not so innocent) people.

The corner of her sister's mouth twitched into almost smile. And Keiko felt a chill run through her body.

When she was younger, she often fantasized her meeting her sister again. In some, she was in trouble and no one was around to help her, but then Mariko would come and save her before she was actually hurt. In another, she was hanging out in the garden and her sister would come out of the woods. In all the scenarios, her sister had been in good humor, a reflection of the person she had once trusted. Her sister had been looking for a redemption for what she had done, wanting to apologize. But now looking at her sister now, it was like reality had just bitch slapped her in the face.

The Mariko who stood in front of her had a hard and cold look in her eye that screamed "Stay away from me!" her arms had scars running in almost every direction and strange tattoos on her hands. There was something about her presence that made her seem dark and slightly moody. She was so different from the timid and slightly cautious girl from Keiko's memories. It made tears want to roll down her cheeks.

She felt like she was looking at a monster wearing her sister's skin.

"Hey? Are you even listening to me, kid?" Mariko asked.

"Don't come any closer!" Keiko growled.

Mariko narrowed her eyes. "Kay well you don't have to freak out or anything." She ran her fingers through her hair. "You'd better not be with the marines. The last thing I need is those bastards messing with me."

Keiko gritted her teeth. Mariko didn't recognize her, she actually didn't recognize her. Before she even considered the consequences, she blurted out. "Don't you know who you're talking to?"

Mariko raised an eyebrow. "No, not really I…" She stopped and looked at Keiko for a while. Her eyes went wide and then after a moment she sighed. "Oh…Shit."

Keiko stood up. "Do you know?"

Mariko covered her eyes with her hand. "Oh, shit. This isn't happening." She groaned.

Keiko felt years of inner resentment and frustration build up. Seeing her sister had caused all her emotions to come tumbling down. "What is wrong with you?" she screamed. "How can you act like this?"

"Look Keiko, I-"

"No! You listen! You disappeared for years! How could you just leave like that? Do you know how long Mother and Father cried for you? It was a nightmare!"

"I didn't-"

"And then you have the audacity to join one of the world's most wanted pirate crews! When your bounty poster came and they saw your picture, it was like you were tearing up old wounds. Why couldn't you have just kept a low profile if you were going to turn into some murdering criminal? Why would you join that creepy bloodthirsty captain?"

"Don't talk about my captain like that!" Mariko snapped.

"Oh! I'm sorry. I forgot how you pirate filth look up to your captains with that sick adoration."

"Don't act like you know what it's like! Law may be a pain in the ass, but he's my pain in the ass. Don't you talk shit about him in front of me!"

Keiko snorted. "How disappointing, I always thought you were better than to lower yourself to being someone's underling."

Mariko forced a grin. "At least I know what the world looks like."

"Whatever, I don't have to take this from you." Keiko sneered. Taking one last look at her sister she left in a hurry.

Her eyes were glazed over with tears and her breath came out in chokes, but she refused to stop. She was running though she didn't remember doing so, her feet crushing anything in her path. In her mind she was screaming and raving and fury burned in her stomach. When she got back to the house she locked herself in her room and sobbed into her pillow. Letting her sorrow consume her, and wished for the sweet relief of sleep.

-"~"-

Mariko stared at the spot where her sister had been standing in silence. The joy she'd felt from the party was gone and replaced with an empty feeling.

She walked numbly back to the estate. Each step she took felt like her legs were made of lead.

"I should have tried to explain." She muttered to herself. "Why the fuck do I always mess these things up?"

She kicked at the grass and crossed her arms. She should get back. Shiana and Moku might be wondering where she was by now. The idea scared her though, having to go back in there. Her usual façade was slipping and she knew that her eyes were probably red from unshed tears. She probably looked like shit, and she didn't want to go back to all those people in case she might be put in the spotlight. The idea of running away was appealing but she couldn't keep running away from her problems all the time, Keiko was a good example of that.

She mentally slapped herself. She needed to get it together. What was done was done. She needed to focus on the present right now.

She looked down at the garden surrounding the estate. It looked so beautiful and peaceful in the moonlight. She cautiously sat down. If she was going to go back to the party, she'd need to have a firm grip on her emotions.

"Hello there."

She looked up and saw a strange young man standing over her. He was dressed in a plain white t-shirt and dark jeans. His hair was dirty blond and looked like it hadn't been combed for a while. Sitting next to him she suddenly felt ridiculously over dressed.

"Hi, uhh~ are you the gardener or something?" She asked, her voice cracking slightly.

The man shook his head. "I was just passing by and saw you come out of the woods over there. It seemed a little off to me so I came over here to see if everything was alright."

She blinked, momentarily at a loss for words. "Why?"

The man shrugged. "Do I need a reason?"

"Well…Yeah, I mean, what if you're some psychopathic murderer looking for his next victim? And you're playing the nice guy and next thing I know you're going to knock me out."

The man looked like he was carefully considering what she had said. "Or maybe I'm just someone who honestly wanted to see if a complete stranger needed some help?" He suggested.

She snorted. "Don't flatter yourself. Nice people like that are only in myths and stories. No one like that actually exists."

"And why is that?"

She shrugged. "Because that's how people are. They're always looking for ways to benefit themselves, their greed, their gluttony, their lust and their pride. At their core, people are really just looking out for themselves."

"Maybe you just haven't met the right people."

She snorted. "Maybe, I don't exactly hang around the let's-save-the-world type of people."

"Do you mind if I sit down?"

"Go ahead. It's not like I can stop you."

The man sat down near her, keeping his distance as if he were near a strange animal that might run away if he came any nearer, which was more or less true in her case.

"So what kind of people do you hang around with?" He asked casually.

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "You seem pretty comfortable asking all these questions to a stranger."

He gave her a half smile. "It's calming you down isn't?"

She stared. It was true that she wasn't on the verge of being hysterical anymore but, what was this guy's game? "You know, you're really not helping that psychopath theory I have about you."

He shrugged, which made her even more curious.

"You're one weird guy." She said finally.

He smiled and stood up. "Well, as much as I'd love to stay here and chat I have some work to do here which, unfortunately has to be done tonight. I hope you'll understand."

She laughed. "Yeah, I'll be so depressed when you leave. I don't know how I'll get on with my life without you."

"Am I still a psychopathic murderer?"

"Yup!" She said cheerfully.

"Well, if you ever see me again. Don't be afraid to come over and talk. Its meeting people like you that really make things interesting."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Yeah well, so long."

He nodded and headed off.

She watched him leave.

"It's pirates, by the way!" She shouted. "You asked what kind of people I hung out with! I hang out with pirates!"

He laughed and waved goodbye.

-"~"-

Mariko walked with a light skip. The conversation with the weird guy had definitely lifted her spirits. She weaved in and out of people as she quickly made her way back to her friends.

It was Shiana who saw her first.

"God, Mariko! We were starting to wonder about you! You disappeared for almost an hour, did you know that?" Shiana shouted.

Moku nodded eagerly. "Where did you go?"

Mariko shrugged. "Sorry, it was getting really hot in here so I went outside. Did I miss anything?"

Shiana and Moku exchanged glances.

"What?" Mariko asked cautiously.

"Well, a little while ago Madame Kousei came looking for you." Moku said hesitantly.

"Which is weird, because normally she normal only makes an effort to talk to the really important people. Like the officials and such. Not really us informers." Shiana mused.

Mariko sighed. "I was hoping to go to bed soon, what a pain. Do you know where she is now?"

Shiana pointed to a small group huddled near the windows. "I think she's with them. Do you want us to go with you?"

Mariko shook her head. "No thanks. It probably won't take that long anyways."

"Well, alright. I guess we'll see you tomorrow." Moku said sipping her drink. "It'd be nice to talk to you again before you leave."

Mariko smiled. "Yeah, I'd like that. You guys know what room I'm in right?"

Shiana smirked. "Of course, I remember. Are you forgetting who you're dealing with?"

Mariko laughed. "Right, sorry about that! I'll see you guys later!"

"Don't die!" Shiana shouted back.

Mariko rolled her eyes and hurried over to the group Shiana had pointed out.

She saw Madame Kousei talking casually with a man in an expensive looking suit.

She stood there, unwilling to interrupt.

Finally, Madame Kousei noticed her standing there and smiled.

"Daiyomondo Mariko, a pleasure to see you. I asked your friends where you were and they said you'd disappeared. I hope you haven't gone and caused any trouble." Madame Kousei said staring directly into her eyes.

Mariko felt her cheeks burn. "No ma'am. I was just outside cooling off and lost track of time."

Madame Kousei smiled, although it never really reached her eyes. "Come, walk with me. I'm interested in what you've been up to lately."

Mariko stammered something and followed the Madame hastily.

The two walked in relative silence, with the exception of the greetings the Madame called to a few chosen people.

"I hope you didn't have any trouble finding your way around?" Madame Kousei asked.

Mariko shook her head. "No, the girl at the reception helped me out so I was fine."

"Ah yes, that girl. She came here from an island in the North Blue. The name escapes me but I think it was something like 'Adanac'."

Mariko looked at her curiously. Still feeling a little anxious as to why the Madame had asked to speak with her.

"I tried to get in touch with your aunt." Madame Kousei said lightly. "I couldn't get in contact with her."

Mariko paused. "Really?" She asked curiously.

"Yes, I tried every source I could, but it's as if she's completely disappeared. Not one of my informants has seen her."

Mariko clued in. "And you want to know if I know where she is?"

The Madame flashed a practiced smile. "You do know, don't you?"

Mariko considered the question and shook her head. "I haven't heard from Yukio in months. Not since I…joined the Hearts."

The Madame pursed her lips. "I see…That's the other thing I wanted to ask you about. The crew you joined has caught my interest recently."

"How so?"

"They're one of the most prominent new crews to enter the New World. They caused quite a bit of trouble in Shabondy, along with 2 other prominent pirate crews. And most impressive of all, they were able to get into Marine HQ and escape with the criminals Monkey D. Luffy and the Ex-warlord Jimbei. On top of that, it's rumored that your captain brought back 'Strawhat' Luffy when he was on the brink of death with his medical skills."

Mariko nodded wearily. "That sounds about right." She thought.

"And now, I have an informant on the inside." The Madame said quietly, as if she were talking more to herself than to Mariko. "A crew like that isn't one to just settle down, they cause chaos until they die. It'll be interesting to see what happens to them in the future."

Mariko felt like a sliver of ice had crawled under her skin. "You want me to spy on them?" She whispered.

The Madame smiled cautiously. "Not exactly, I just need you to inform me if they're planning anything big. And occasionally, I might call and you'll just tell me the status of your crew." She patted her on the shoulder. "Don't think of it as spying, just a little check up. It's not that big of a deal now…is it?"

Mariko smiled, though it seemed more of a grimace. "Of…course."

"Good, well then, you look awfully tired. You might want to go to sleep soon. I hear you'll be leaving us soon. Of course you wouldn't want to be over tired."

"Of course not," Mariko said faintly.

-"~"-

Mariko lay on her bed for a while, staring up at the ceiling.

What was she supposed to do?

It wasn't that big of a deal, but it just seemed wrong what the Madame was asking her to do.

She sighed and kicked off her shoes.

She sat up too quickly and felt the blood rush to her head. She blinked wearily, hoping the dizziness would subside.

She glanced at the Den Den Mushi and than at her watch she'd somehow managed to find under all her stuff lying around on the floor.

She tapped the watch a few times wondering if the watch was fast. It couldn't possibly be that late.

She dialed the number she'd now memorized and waited.

"Hello?" a voice on the other end asked cautiously.

"S'up? Is Law there?" She asked casually.

The other end was silent.

"Hello?" She asked again.

"Do you know what time it is?"

"No." She said truthfully. "Is he there?"

"…He's sleeping."

"Wake him up."

"Are you crazy?"

"Yes, but that's beside the point. Look, is Zeke around? If I can't get through to the Captain can you put him on?"

The voice on the other end grumbled and she heard what she thought was the voice putting the receiver on the table and walking away.

She waited and examined her nails for no particular reason. She drummed her fingers on her leg impatiently. What was taking so long? She heard footsteps and someone pick up the phone.

"Hello?" She heard Zeke ask groggily.

"Hey! What's with you? Did you drink too much?"

"Do you know what time it is?"

"No, but since you're the second person to ask me that question so far. I'm guessing later than I thought."

"Yeah, 'late' is putting it lightly."

"So Law's already asleep?"

"Yeah. He and pretty much everyone else on the ship, I got stuck with your graveyard lookout shift. Jeez, how can you stay awake this late? It's so boring out there I almost fell asleep half the time!"

"I like looking at the stars. Besides, it's the only quiet time I get on the ship." She crossed her legs on the bed. "Is Law pissed off at me for not calling yesterday?"

There was silence on the other end.

"I'm guessing that's a yes?"

"Well…He wasn't…pleased, but he's not that bothered by it. He's got other things to do than wait around for a phone call. He's been pretty busy lately."

"Oh," she said, trying to keep any signs of her disappointment out of her voice. "Well, tell him I called tomorrow morning. Have you guys gotten to an island yet?"

"Not yet, but I think we're getting close. Check back tomorrow afternoon. I think we'll have caught sight of it by then. If not, can you stay there for a little while longer?"

She sighed. She'd hoped for a quick getaway. "Yeah I guess. I'll talk to you later Zeke."

"Yeah, see you later Mari."

She hung up the receiver and flopped down on her bed and promptly fell into a deep sleep.

-"~"-

In her dream, Mariko was standing in the middle of a jewelry store. If her memory served her right, it was the one her mother used to visit. The store was on an island where a family friend lived. She hadn't been there for years. Some parts of the store looked different and newer than what she remembered. But it still had the same feel to it.

Her brother was standing at the counter taking to the elderly owner. In kept pointing to something on the counter and asking something.

The owner said something back and showed him a slip of paper.

Her brother looked stunned for a moment and asked another question.

The owner gave him a curious look and said something back.

Mariko looked around the shop hoping for a dragon or and band of blood thirsty toads crashing in and causing chaos. Something to make this dream more interesting, after seeing Keiko she didn't really feel like seeing anyone from her family, even if it was only a dream.

She moved closer and looked over her brother's shoulder to see what they were talking about. She blinked in surprise. It was her old necklace, the one she'd begged her mother to buy for her and then broke a few days later after they got home. Afraid of getting in trouble she'd hidden it under her bed in her secret box of treasures.

She sighed. She was never letting Shiana choose the drinks again. They must have done something funny to her.

She noticed the slip of paper lying nearby. She stretched her neck to see what was written on it.

-"~"-

Mariko awoke to a blood chilling scream. The scream was followed by several others echoing all around her.

She jumped out of bed and rushed to the door. She threw it open and looked around wildly down the hallway.

A crowd of people were stuffed into the hallway.

She grabbed a man and asked what in Hell's name was going on.

"There have been some robberies and a murder! Apparently, someone broke into the rooms while their owners were at the party. They tore the rooms apart, took what they needed and headed off. One of the guards who was patrolling floor below us, must have seen them and tried to stop them." The man shook his head in shock. "They found the guard with his neck slit open. Now they're interviewing anyone who might have seen anyone suspicious last night."

"Wow," Mariko breathed. "Do they have any idea who did it?"

"Nothing, all they found was some dirt. But it could have come from anywhere on the island."

Something clicked in her memory. She thanked the man for his time and he left.

A guard in a suit came over to her next.

"We're looking for the person who did this. Did you see anyone?" He asked gruffly.

"No sir, I came back to my room early and fell asleep." She smiled sheepishly. "I can't really hold my liquor and I was feeling a little dizzy."

The guard grunted his reply and headed off to go interview the next person.

Mariko quietly closed the door behind her. She sat down numbly on the carpet, staring off into space. But no matter how hard she tried, all she could think of was a young man with dirty blond hair, sitting next to her in the garden under the moonlight.