Sorry for the double alert...

Freckles
chapter 15

"Did you see that ?" Luffy was showing off his freshly printed wanted poster to his amazed crew. "50 millions beli !"

"50 millions and ONE beli." Eli pointed out. "Don't you think that's an odd number ?"

Luffy turned the poster around to examine it thoughtfully. "No..."

Ace smiled looking at the said poster, his smile turned into a smirk, which turned into a roaring laughter.

The crew watched questioningly the young laughing man convulsing on the ground, hitting the deck with his fist.

After about a minute seeing that he had calmed down Eli cleared her throat. "Ok... What now ?"

"Bro." Ace wiped the tears in the corner of his eyes and rested his hand on Luffy's shoulder. "They gave you 1 beli more than me !" And there he went for an other round of laughing fit.

Eli hit the palm of her hand with her fist remembering Ace's bounty. 50 millions beli ! The marines must have given Luffy 1 more beli since he was the captain, she thought.

"They did not !" Luffy screamed, diving at his brother frantically.

Usopp caught the flying poster. "Look ! I'm on the picture too !" he boasted pointing a corner of the picture.

"TAKE THAT BACK !"

Eli leaned forward and narrowed her eyes to study the picture, and there he was, a small Usopp. Well more the back of his head than actually him but that was enough to annoy Sanji.

"Never hahaha !"

"It's just a picture of your back..." the cook pouted chewing his cigarette.

"GOMU GOMU NOOOO-"

"Don't you get it ?!" Nami yelled bewildered hitting harshly the two wrestling brothers on their heads. "Now marines and bounty hunters are going to hunt us down !" She sighed holding her forehead.

But the rest of the crew didn't seem to care as they started jumping up and down happily on the deck. Now their captain was wanted, his bounty was the highest in East Blue, and with Ace's the Strawhats value was over 100 millions beli and for new pirates that was quite an achievement.

"Oi ! There's a marine ship coming at us." Zoro informed impassively.

The crew looked at the said ship, it was small and rather worn out, and definitely coming toward the Merry.

"I'm here to arrest you Strawhat !" a marine officer yelled pointing a threatening finger at Luffy. He was tanned, had pink hair, wore a stripped suit, and had knuckle dusters on both his hands. "Let's go men !" he ordered his small crew.

The marines stormed the Merry with a halfhearted war cry, and as soon as they set a foot on the pirate ship they were 'welcomed' by Luffy and Zoro.

Sanji sneered looking at pink haired marine. "You came back for the second course ?" he said before sending him flying with a powerful kick.

Eli turned toward Ace. "Old friends of yours ?" She hopped backwards to avoid a flying marine.

Ace nodded. "We met at the Baratie."

About a minute later the marines dove in the sea and swam away for their lives, leaving their ship behind.

"What are you doing Eli ?" Usopp asked watching the girl jumping on the marine ship.

She turned around with a smirk. "Pirating duh !"

Since Nami decided to leave all of loot from the marines for the villagers of Cocoyashi, Eli was pretty much penniless, and this might be a good opportunity to get some money.

Sanji and Ace followed the girl on the marine ship. The cook went to the kitchen, while Ace and Eli investigated the rest of the ship.

"Haha" Eli beamed finding the captain's quarters. Searching the room meticulously from top to bottom, she managed to gather 88.016 beli. That wasn't much, but she was still highly proud. "Look Freckles..." she trailed off seeing the young man sleeping on the floor.

Feeling all thiefy today, she stole his hat and walked happily to the kitchen. "Found anything Sanji ?"

"Cheap wine, and strange living organisms." he replied examining the refrigerator.

Eli joined him and looked at a plate containing a strange green hairy dish. "Ew !" She winced stepping away.

"Looks like Zoro's hair." Sanji jested closing the refrigerator. "What about you Elisabeth ?"

"88.016 beli !" she said proudly swelling out her chest with her hands on her hips.

"That's wonderful !" He clasped his hands and gave her his famous loving eyes. "By the way you look absolutely stunning with this hat."

"Don't I ?" she smirked walking back to the Merry. "I think it likes me better than his previous owner."

Sanji jumped on the railing and offered his hand for her to get on the ship. "It suits you way better !" he complimented, his cigarette producing heart shaped smoke.

"Knew it !" She grinned.

Eli was sitting against the railing, trying to write a letter to Hiyoko. Trying, that was the word but something was bothering her, and since she couldn't figure out what it was she couldn't focus on her letter.

Looking around for some answer, she watched the rest of the crew and their daily routines. Nami was sunbathing while reading the newspaper. Usopp was carefully preparing some ammo. Luffy was on the Merry's figurehead doing absolutely nothing. Zoro was on the upper deck doing his usual inhuman training. And Sanji was guarding Nami's tangerine trees, that the crew had received from Nojiko.

Something was missing in the picture.

Hearing the girl growl Usopp turned to her. "Hey how come Ace hasn't claimed his hat back yet ?"

Eli blinked rapidly her jaw slowly dropping to the ground.

Usopp cocked an eyebrow. "What ?"

An hour later, the crew finally approached the marine ship. Ace was on its deck, his arms crossed taping rapidly his bicep.

The crew was having a laughing fit looking at the fuming young man.

Seeing his angry stare on her, Eli hid behind the mast of the Merry. "Just so you know I am the one who found out you were missing." she fended shakily.

He jumped on the deck and walked slowly toward her, his dark eyes piercing her soul.

"And it's your fault after all... I mean, YOU fell asleep right ?" She ran to the bow of the ship.

Their little hide and seek game made the crew laugh even more, which wasn't really helping the poor girl. She ran from one side of the ship to the other, but Ace wasn't giving up. Damn you stupid sea, she cursed examining her thin fleeing options.

"NOW !" Ace shouted.

She felt something wrapping around her, looking at her chest she saw Luffy's rubber arm twined around her thin body.

Her eyes widened seeing Ace slowly drawing near.

"LUFFY YOU TRAITOR ! LET ME GOOO !" she yelled frantically.

"Nope." He grinned.

"Luffy... Have you ever wondered if Eli was ticklish ?" Ace sneered.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"

"Ahoy island !" Zoro yelled pointing a dark shape in the distance. Standing up Eli wondered if the swordsman was actually the only one paying attention to the ship course.

"Must be Loguetown." Nami informed, she got up and rested her hands on the railing. "Loguetown... The city of the beginning and the end. The city where the legendary Gold Roger, the Pirate King, was born and executed..."

The crew stared the island with a feeling of awe, the only sound heard was the waves softly rustling against the ship.

In the corner of her eye Eli noticed that Ace was facing the other way. She looked at him over her shoulder, he was looking at the sky, his dark eyes lost in the distance. When she nudged his shoulder questioningly, he turned his head to face her locking his eyes in hers.

"Hey..." she said softly trying to read the look on his face. "What's up Freckles ?"

He sighed giving her half a smile. "Nothing."

"I want to see the execution place !" Luffy declared his arms crossed resolutely.

"I need to go to the shipyard." Ace sighed fixing his hat.

"I'll check the grocery stores." Sanji lit a cigarette. "We have a long trip ahead of us."

"I'll go buy some tools !" Usopp declared with his hands on his hips.

"I have to buy new katanas." Zoro said bringing his hand to his chin. "But I don't have money."

Nami sneered. "I can lend you some. Only 300% interest." She winked mischievously.

300 % ! You're a crazy woman ! Eli though looking incredulously at the money lover.

Zorro frowned angrily. "300% ! You greedy wench."

Nami shrugged walking away. "Well do as you want..."

"Wait ! I guess I have no other choice..."

Nami swung around smirking victoriously. She gave the poor swordsman 100.000 beli, and grabbed the Eli's arm. "Eli come with me, we'll buy some clothes !"

Eli looked at the girl questioningly, she never had girl friend before, and she didn't really know what to expect. She could handle the boys pretty easily, they were all so basic, simple-minded, careless, and fairly easy to understand. But girls...

Girls are way more tricky and especially this one, Eli thought sighing deeply.

Nami dragged the girl into a high class store. She was frenzied, in less than a minute she picked a dozen of pieces of clothing to try on, and entered the fitting room to try them on.

Each time she got out wearing a different, more outrageous, outfit the salesman complimented the girl. "Very beautiful !" "Very classy miss." "So sexy !"

Nami frowned at Eli who was sitting boringly on a chair. Eli blinked, did she have to say something too ? "You're very pretty Nami." She smiled.

"Try this on Eli !" Nami ordered giving the girl a dress. "I'm sure it suits you !"

It was a dark tight dress with a hip high slit on one side. "I'm not sure Nami... I'm pretty satisfied with the clothes I already own..." Eli trailed off looking curiously at the dress as if it was the first she had ever seen.

"Oh come on, just try it on." Nami insisted pushing the girl in the fitting room.

"Aye aye." Eli sighed.

When she got out Nami examined at her from hair to toe. "Wow.. You actually look like a girl !" she said mischievously sticking the tip of her tongue out.

Eli's face darkened, she clenched furiously her fist, and as she was about to get wild Nami laughed loudly patting the girl's back. "I'm just kidding Eli, you look really nice."

Eli made a series of growling sounds taking the, stupid stupid, dress off.

"So you will buy all these right ?" the salesman inquired clasping his hands.

Nami grinned. "No, we wont buy anything." She walked to the door pulling Eli. "We want something more casual."

Since she wasn't used to this kind of frantic shopping after almost an hour Eli was fed up to the teeth. Nami had managed to make her buy a thick coat, three pairs of shoes, a dozen of t-shirts, seven different shorts and two swimsuits, even though the girl couldn't swim. She was now pulling the poor thing in a lingerie store.

Eli didn't complain this time, Nami wouldn't dare to pick underwear for her... Would she ?

She picked up a dozen of items and as she was about to pay for them Nami inspected her picks. "You didn't take any bra ?" she asked searching through the stack of panties.

"Nope. I don't wear bra."

Nami gawked as if she just had told her that Luffy had become vegetarian. After a few seconds, she managed to get over the shock. "You could try push-ups !" she said cheerily.

Eli turned slowly her head toward her, dark flames in her eyes. "I could kill you Nami..."

"Haha you're so funny Eli, come on just try this one on." She held out a pink padded bra.

At this moment Eli wished she had Ace's devil powers, so she could burn the lacy bastard with her eyes. "Ok that's it I'm leaving Nami !" She snatched her shopping bag from the chuckling saleswoman, and stormed out of the store slamming the door behind her.

Walking down the street, Eli tried to calm down picturing all sorts of torture she could inflict to the evil redhead. Somehow, that wasn't helping.

She won't be the boss of me ! Eli thought determinedly.

"Hey sexy !"

Eli swung around like a shot fearing that Nami had followed her. A sigh of relief escaped her mouth seeing that wasn't the case.

"We're talking to you cutie." Three smirking badass men walked to Eli, and quickly surrounded her.

Must be a prank, Eli thought looking around quickly to see if she could find one of her crewmates.

"What's your name cutie ?" one of the men asked with lust in his eyes.

"Eli..."

He gave a low whistle looking at her from hair to toe. "Leggy leggy leggy Eli..." He sneered.

As one of the men grabbed her ass she kicked theirs light speed, sending them flying in different directions.

Eli smiled walking bouncily toward the docks. Hehe they called me sexy.

to be continued

I actually loled at my fic leaving Ace behind. Poor poor Ace... (mwahahaha)

Just so you know Eli doesn't always look like a boy. But sometimes people get mistaken, it often depends on her outfit. Hiyoko, for example, saw her with Sanji's vest, and the fact that they met at night didn't help.

Oh and about the bounty, Art-sama and I had a short discussion about it, and we concluded that since Ace was already wanted, Luffy should be considered as a bigger threat for the marines.

6 reviews again ! I might get it tattooed (or maybe I should wait to see if I can get more).
OH NO 7 reviews !! Damn I love you so much I might cry.

Thank you thank you my dear reviewers.

See Shibo26 and gaaralover100, not EVERYONE thinks she's a dude, ok those 3 badasses might not be the more honorable bunch, but still !
I'm glad you love my fic so much ThexWhitexPhoenix :D
Well Eli might already be attractive to someone Art-sama huhuhu.
I don't know what your talking about iBeautifullyBroken ? Who is this secret admirer ? (mwahaha)
Yup no bounty yet SilentEchoXx, thank you for loving my story.
Captain Riley, I don't follow the original storyline simply to make something different. When Eli came into his life it changed his destiny :)