So much writing... So much reading... So. Much. WORK.

DAMN IT, GWENYTH, WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO MUCH FUN TO WRITE!?

"W-W-WHAT!? H-How did you know!?"

"I knew something was different about you," Nami shouted, leaning into the alien girl for a closer look. "Though, I never would have guessed you were an angel!"

"WHAT!? ANGEL!? I'm no angel, and you know it!"

"Well, that's what the doctor said!"

"The doctor?" She paused. "Doctor who? Doctor Yamata?"

Nami nodded. "He told us while you were out looking for your grandparents with Luffy. He said that you were from a city of angels in another world."

"I told them to stop calling it that..." Gwenyth growled in annoyance.

"So it is true!"

Gwenyth stared at Nami, who had stars in her eyes, then looked away; filled with an odd sense of guilt. For not telling her friend, perhaps? She rubbed the back of her head and shuffled her feet before turning back to the star-struck navigator.

"Kinda..." She replied softly. "But I'm no angel! The people on Tabi Island just like to call it that; The City of Angels. But it's only the literal translation. We're normal, greedy humans, just like everyone else. Maybe even more so!"

Nami nodded with interest. "Sure, sure. What else? What's it like?"

"Uh... Well..." Gwenyth thought for a moment. "Sunny. REALLY sunny. Like, 340 days outta the year, if not more. And crowded! Dear lord, is it crowded. I think there's at least a million people who live there."

"A MILLION!?"

"Or... wait, was it two million?"

"T-T-TWO!?"

"... Possibly three... Hm? Nami?" Gwenyth looked over to see a dizzy navigator.

"H-How is that even possible? Three million people in one city? Are you sure?"

"Positive." Gwenyth giggled.

"How do you live like that?"

"Crowded together, obviously. Though, it's not as bad as I'm sure it could be."

"What is?" Zoro asked from behind them, setting down two large barrels.

"HOLY SHIT, WHERE THE HELL DID YOU COME FROM!?" Gwenyth was ignored.

"I was just asking Gwen about her angel city. Turns out, she's not really an angel after all."

"EH?! YOU'RE AN ANGEL!?" Usopp and Luffy shouted together, dropping their barrels in shock.

Gwenyth sweat-dropped. "No."

"Eh? Really?" Zoro asked walking up to the girl. "So you're really from another world?"

"EH?! YOU'RE FROM ANOTHER WORLD!?" Usopp and Luffy shouted together again. Nami shot up and hit them, tired of their noise already.

Gwenyth nodded. "Technically, I guess. Seeing as how I've never heard of the things here and no one here's ever heard of the things there."

"Makes sense." Usopp nodded.

"A mystery angel! A singing mystery seamstress angel that's a part of my pirate crew! SO COOL!" Luffy shouted jumping up and down.

"Don't call me that." She deadpanned. "Anyway, what's with the barrels?"

"AH, YES! It's oil!" Usopp shouted, gladly taking the attention away from her and putting it on himself. He walked over to a barrel, pulled out the stopper, and leaned it onto it's side. "The plan is to attack 'em while they're slipping and sliding down." The guys poured out more oil from the other barrels while the girls watched from a clean, safe distance.

"How are we supposed to attack 'em without slipping ourselves?" Gwenyth asked aloud.

"Just keep a weather eye on where you're standing. It'd be pretty dumb to get caught in our own trap." Nami answered. The seamstress nodded.

"You sure came up with a slick plan!" Luffy laughed at his own corny joke. Playing with the oil while the others eyed the horizon dangerously. Gwenyth clutched onto the back of his shirt to keep him from slipping. She had no doubt at least one of her comrades would fall, and she didn't want it to happen before the pirates even arrived. That would just be suicide.

"NATURALLY! When it comes to daring ideas and this slingshot, I have absolute confidence!" Usopp stated proudly as the sun began to rise.

"Here they come..." Gwenyth mumbled pulling Luffy into a standing position. They waited, as the sky glowed in an ominous, and agonizingly slow fashion. And waited, eying the shoreline carefully. Annnnnnd waited. Gwenyth sighed obnoxiously loud, putting her hands on her hips, wondering what on earth could be taking the pirates so long. Different scenarios running through her head, some of which involved giant squids. Others booze. And a select few involving a different shoreline.

Luffy kicked the ground impatiently. "Where are they? It's already dawn."

"Maybe they over slept?" Zoro offered while Nami turned away.

"Do you guys hear that?" She asked putting a hand to her ear. "I think I hear some yelling..."

"Hey, Usopp..." The seamstress called. "I've been wondering... Earlier you said this was the only place they could land, right? 'Cause of all the cliffs on the coastline?"

"Y... Yeah, that's right..."

"Well, what about where we docked?"

"EHHHH!?" The group shouted in realization.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SOMETHING BEFORE!? WHAT GOOD'S AN ALIEN ANGEL IF THEY DON'T TELL YOU THESE THINGS!?" Usopp spazzed.

"DON'T BLAME ME WHEN IT'S YOUR ISLAND! I THOUGHT YOU KNEW WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT!" Gwenyth retaliated. "AND DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

"Either way, they had their meeting here so I just assumed..."

"We gotta stop 'em before they attack the village!" Luffy roared, ready for battle. "Which way should we go?"

"If we run straight North, we should get there in about three minutes. There's a pass similar to this one. We can stop them there!"

Nami suddenly gasped. "OH NO! THEY'LL STEAL MY TREASURE!"

Gwenyth followed suit. "MY PICTURE! THEY'LL DESTROY IT!"

"I'll be there in twenty seconds!" Luffy assured, bursting off at top speed. Usopp cursed the waste of his brilliant plan before charging after. Gwenyth held her arm and ran as well. She couldn't see Luffy anymore, and Usopp was in the far distance. She had great difficulty keeping up. The lack of arm usage and overwhelming emotions messed with her balance tremendously- which in turn messed with her coordination and speed.

"Damn it!" She cursed, nearly tripping for the third time. If the pirates found Nami's stolen goods, they'd find her picture. It didn't have any worth at all in terms of money, so there was no doubt they'd just toss it away. Maybe even walk all over it trying to find more treasure.

Of course, she was worried about the village as well; there were innocent lives at stake. But at the same time, it wasn't her village. It wasn't her treasure. It was Usopp's. He would naturally care more about it than any of the outsiders, no matter how much they empathized. Usopp was their friend and they wanted to help protect his home, but it wasn't precious to them like it was to him. Everyone had that special something that meant more to them than anything. And no matter how anyone tried, no one else would care for it the same way that person did.

For Gwenyth, it was her picture. She cherished it beyond belief. And why shouldn't she? It was one of the few things that kept her connected to Tabi Island- her true treasure. Not only that, it helped link the two worlds in her mind. Reminding her that neither she nor her cousin were crazy; this was really happening. This world was just as real as her own, and that time would continue to move forward in both. To simply look upon it, and see the people she'd grown to love smiling back, gave her solace.

When Gwenyth finally reached the Northern coast, Usopp was already there, spewing forth nonsense. She released her shield into its offensive setting, ready for anything. Down below were at least forty pirates, all but one with black cat-ears on. But no Luffy insight.

"That's my treasure!" Usopp suddenly shouted. "But I'll let you have it all!"

"DON'T SAY THAT, MY PICTURE'S IN THERE, ASSHOLE!" Gwenyth shouted running up to him. "Not to mention, Nami would kill you if she heard you say such things about her treasure."

"Well, what do you want me to do about it!? I'm trying to save my village here, if you don't mind!"

"I don't mind, but don't go offering things that don't belong to you!"

"Okay, fine!" Usopp turned back to the pirates, rolling his eyes. "I'll give you all that treasure, except for the picture, if you leave right now!" The seamstress crossed her arms in annoyance as best she could. That wasn't what she had meant, but she guessed it was the better alternative.

"Are you daft?" The only non-cat-eared pirate asked, his heart shaped sunglasses glimmering in the sunlight. "Of course we'll take the treasure. But why should we leave?"

The teens shared a glance. It seemed to say, 'Oh, right. These guys are serious pirates. Damn.'

"Now, when I say 'one, two, Django', you'll step aside." The man said, showing off a circular blade on a string. He began to swing it from side to side, like Gwenyth had seen in a magic show as a child.

"Is it a trick?" She asked herself. The man was about to say the final word when Gwenyth screamed. Usopp had been whacked on the head out of nowhere and sent down reeling. "Nami, you scared the shit outta me!"

"THE TREASURE ON THAT SHIP IS MINE! And I'm not giving up ONE Berry!" She shouted at the pirates before turning to a head-cradling Usopp. "And what's the big idea trying to give away my treasure!?"

"I tried to tell him."

"DON'T ACT INNOCENT! YOU TRADED IN MY TREASURE FOR YOUR STUPID PICTURE!"

"NO I DIDN'T, USOPP DID! WEREN'T YOU LISTENING!? AND DON'T CALL IT STUPID!"

"Anyway," Nami huffed, returning her attention to the pirates. "I forgot to tell you guys, but don't look at that weirdo's ring when he starts counting. He's a hypnotist!"

"Ooh~ I've never seen a real hypnotist before. Coolbeans!"

"NOT COOL, THEY'RE THE BAD GUYS! AND WHAT DO BEANS HAVE TO DO WITH IT!?"

"Right, sorry!" Gwenyth smiled at the two, scratching the back of her head. Did she just have a Luffy moment? That reminded her... "By the way, do you guys know where Luffy and Zoro are?"

"Well, I think Zoro's a little caught up at the moment," the navigator said with a sly look. "But I have no idea where Luffy is. Didn't he charge off before the rest of us?"

Gwenyth nodded. "Do ya think he got lost?"

"Probably." Nami sighed. "That idiot. Just when we needed him, too!"

"Well," Usopp intervened, "I think the two of you can take 'em! I'll back you up!"

"FUCK NO!"

"WHY US!?" Nami screamed. "WE'RE ONLY TWO LITTLE GIRLS, WHAT CAN WE DO AGAINST AN ARMY OF CUTTHROATS?!"

"I'M NOT LITTLE, DAMN IT!" Gwenyth shouted back.

"YOU EXPECT ME TO DO IT JUST CAUSE I'M A MAN?!" Usopp squealed in a higher voce than both girls. "LOOK HOW SCARED I AM! MY LEGS ARE SHAKING!"

"WE'LL LOOK AT ME! I'M ABOUT TO CRY!"

"YOU'RE DRY AS A DESERT!"

"THEN I'LL FIGHT 'EM!" Gwenyth screamed. "I MIGHT BE A CRYBABY, BUT AT LEAST I'M NOT A SCAREDY-CAT, LIKE YOU TWO!"

"That's fine. We'll be right here if you need us." They smiled sweetly.

"YOU ASSHOLES!" Gwenyth glanced down the hill and saw the pirates begin to charge. All withdrawing their weapons with loud battle cries and smug smile's on their faces. "WE'RE GONNA DIE!"

"W-Wait, I just remembered!" Usopp shouted hurriedly searching his bag. "I have some caltrops in here!"

"Cal-whats?"

"Gimme, gimme!"

Usopp quickly passed Nami some small, metal spike balls. Gwenyth glanced at the objects as the navigator readied to throw them. She ducked down immediately and covered herself with her shield, fearing that she might somehow get hit.

"Take this!"

"Caltrops Torture!"

The spikes went flying. Gwenyth only knew because a number of them rained down onto her shield. She felt a drop of sweat roll down her head. What kind of shoddy aiming was that? Gwenyth was practically behind them, for crying out loud! Once she heard the pirates holler out in pain, she knew it was okay to lift her shield and survey the damage.

"It worked!'' Gwenyth and Nami shared an exuberant high five. Both only realizing it was Gwenyth bad arm after the damage was done. She tearfully shook out the throbbing limb, waving off the over-apologizing redhead. While this was happening, Usopp took the time to shoot down an oncoming pirate with his slingshot. Childish, but very effective, as the man flew and tumbled all the way down the hill.

"Whoa... Awesome."

"You're doing a great job! Keep it up!" Nami cheered, patting Usopp's back in support. "We're gonna take a breather."

"BUT YOU/WE HAVEN'T DONE ANY FIGHTING YET!" Both sniper and seamstress complained. Nami nevertheless pulled Gwenyth along for a break, only to stop and gasp.

"What's wrong?!" Usopp, who had resumed firing, asked.

"There are caltrops back here, too." She sobbed.

Gwenyth shared a sweat-drop with Usopp. "You mean, you didn't even watch where you were throwing them? No wonder so many hit me. Come on, Nami, you're better than that."

"Sorry..." she said pitifully.

"OUT OF THE WAY LUBBERS!" A pirate with crazy hair and pants shouted. The three teens only fully taking note of him when his caveman-like hammer slammed against the back of Usopp's head.

Nami gasped and Gwenyth gave a short scream as Usopp fell to ground. She had never actually seen someone get hit like that before. Sure, she'd seen a number of injured villagers. But that was different. She hadn't actually watched the villagers get hurt right in front of her eyes; only the aftermath.

It was true that she had caused quite a bit of damage to those men on Tabi, but Gwenyth had lost herself that night. Most of the fighting was missing from her mind, almost as if subconsciously erased so she could be without guilt. She did however remember feeling indifferent towards the lives of those pirates; they were trying to destroy something precious. Living or dying wasn't important because she was protecting her home. But to see so much blood come from her friend, to see him collapse like that... Gwenyth was frozen.

"Let's go men!" The caveman-pirate shouted, proud of his apparent kill. "Captain Kuro awaits us!" Gwenyth's eyes widened when Usopp's shaky hand grabbed at the man. He seemed to notice the interference as well. "Huh? You want some more, kid? Let go!" He shouted banging his rocky hammer against Usopp's head again. Gwenyth wanted to charge him, but Nami held her back.

"NEVER!" Usopp shouted, stopping all the commotion. "I'LL NEVER LET YOU PASS! MY LAST TALL TALE WILL BE TRUE! THIS WILL BE ANOTHER BORING DAY FOR MY VILLAGE!"

Gwenyth took this moment to burst from Nami's hold, heart pounding in her head. The navigator began to cry out for her when she bashed her shield against the caveman's head. She felt the crack before he went flying down the slope. She knew he wouldn't be standing any time soon, if at all.

"You heard the Proud Captain. So piss the fuck off." She said dangerously.

"Blasted wench!" Another, faster pirate with a sword shouted charging at her. Gwenyth dodged and scurried up the slope in a hurried motion, not noticing Nami come to her defense; slamming her rod relentlessly against the back of the swordsman's head.

"You'll pay for that!" A large, round pirate threw his sword down on the navigator. She blocked it, but he simply used the force to smash her into the cliffside.

"NAMI!" Gwenyth screamed.

"FOOLS!" The weirdo captain bellowed. "Forget about them! If we don't sack the village soon, Captain Kuro will cut all our throats! DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT!?"

Gwenyth felt the entire air around the pirates change. They no longer held that badass, cut-throat ego from before. No. They had turned into fearful kittens. Each and every one of them terrified by the thought of facing their mother's claws.

"HURRY!"

"TO THE VILLAGE, QUICK!"

All of the pirates began to run up the hill. Gwenyth stood at the top still trying to process of the sudden change in attitude. They weren't running into battle. They were running from death. From their captain's anger like fearful children, tails between their legs. The blonde quickly came back into the moment. Nami and Usopp were down. She was the only thing protecting the village now. Even though Usopp was trying to grab at their legs, it wasn't enough.

The few faster pirates came upon her, perfectly ready to bypass her without a fight. As if she would let them. With the brim of her shield leveled horizontally, Gwenyth did a quick, powerful spin; keeping herself heavily grounded. The rim slammed against and into several pirates, all of whom fell back. Knocking a few of their comrades over in the process, some of which fell back to the bottom of the hill. Though, not as many as Gwenyth would have liked.

Another, larger wave of brutes came at her. She heard Usopp shouting something, but she was focused on a single, air-born pirate's battle cry. His blade above his head, ready to be brought down upon Gwenyth's. She screamed and dropped to her knees, readying her shield for the blow. There was way too many of them!

"PLEASE STOP! PLEASE! DON'T MASSACRE MY PEOPLE!" Usopp bawled at the top of his lungs. Gwenyth began to sob from the intensity piercing into her own heart.

She braced herself for the attack, shaking from the tears, but it never came. In fact, the pirates should have passed her by now. Blinking away her blurry vision, Gwenyth peeked past her shield. All of the pirates, all of them, were flying back down the slope. None of them seemed to know what had happened. Gwenyth sniffed and blinked in confusion before turning her head around. The cat-eared pirates began to scream about demons as her captain and crewmate entered the scene. And, boy, did they look pisssssssssssssed...

"What was that?" Zoro questioned, absolutely livid.

"How should I know? I'm in a bad mood!" An equally angry Luffy replied.

Gwenyth blinked and sniffed again, though she had already stopped crying. She had never seen Luffy so pissed off. Actually, she'd never seen him angry in general. How odd it was not to see him smiling, or at least pouting. It suddenly reminded her that he wasn't a small child, but somehow a young man. Which just blew her mind for some reason.

Zoro began shouting at Nami, and Luffy began shouting at Usopp. Gwenyth was able to gather that Nami had been caught in the oil and used Zoro as a scapegoat. (Which she had no trouble believing.) Also that it was somehow Usopp's fault Luffy had gotten lost, since he hadn't told him which way was North. (She had no trouble believing that, either. Nor did she have trouble face-palming at the group's childishness.) Were these really the people she had entrusted herself to?

"Talk about a bad call," She grumbled.

"Hm? What are you doing on the ground, Gwenyth?" Luffy asked, his anger having suddenly disappeared.

"Oh, just the usual. Questioning my life choices, and all that."

"You're weird." He said hoisting her up with one hand. Staring intently at the pirates below who now surrounded their captain.

Gwenyth followed his line of vision, eyeing them as well. "Says the rubber man."

"Says the mystery angel."

"I told you to stop calling me that."

"ARE YOU GUYS SERIOUSLY BICKERING RIGHT NOW?!" Usopp shouted at them from his place on the ground.

"We're not bickering." They insisted, not taking their eyes off the man with the weird glasses.

"LIARS!" Their comrades countered.

"What's that guy doing?" Luffy pointed, changing the subject.

Nami glanced down the hill at the cat-eared pirates. "Hypnotism. He's trying to make them believe they'll become stronger."

"How'd you know that?" Gwenyth asked impressed.

"You would have heard him if you and that idiot weren't arguing!"

"We weren't arguing."

"WHATEVER! Gwenyth give me a hand here, will you?" Nami shouted, motioning to the injured Usopp.

"Sure," the seamstress mumbled, putting her shield back into its small, standard setting. The girls each put one of his arms over their shoulders and hoisted him up. Gwenyth could feel the strain in her left arm, but told herself it was just unused muscles finally getting back to work.

"DJANGO!"

Sudden, thunderous howls erupted from the enemy down below. The pirates, who just moments ago had been pitiful and wobbling, were jumping and screaming. Running and thrashing around, anyway to use their newfound energy. One of them slammed his arm against the cliffside. In an instant, a large crack ripped through the stone causing it to crumble and fall. Naturally, the girls (and Usopp) screamed bloody murder.

"IT WORKED!? HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE!?"

"THAT WAS ONLY ONE OF THEM, AND THERE'S A WHOLE HORD!"

"WE'RE GONNA DIIIIIIIIIE!"

"You three wait at the top of the hill!" Zoro shouted at them. "Luffy and I'll deal with 'em!"

"Roger that!" Gwenyth scrambled her way up the slope, pulling the other two with her. She didn't consider herself a coward, but she certainly wasn't stupid either! There was no way she's survive a fight with those loons! She had just passed the boys when a low growl reached her ears. Curious, she turned around while Nami continued to pull Usopp on her own.

"Luffy?" No response. "Luffy?" She asked again, carefully putting a hand on his shoulder. Something was off about him. "Hey, are you okay?" She screamed and snatched her arm away when he suddenly roared, just as insane as the men down below.

"HE HYPNOTIZED YOU, TOO!?" His friends all shouted in disbelief.

"That feebleminded fool! The hypnotist wasn't even aiming this way!" Nami complained.

The cat-eared pirates were coming upon them, screaming in their wild, animalistic fashion. Luffy began to charge at them, mimicking their battle cry. He screamed something else before reeling his arms back and then throwing them forward. Stretching and hitting the Cat-Ears at an incredible speed; knocking them down easily.

"His arms..." Usopp began in awe, unable to finish his sentence.

"HOLY CRAB CAKES, BATMAN!" She shrieked. "THAT'S SO COOL!"

"GWENYTH, STOP OGLING AND HELP ME!" Nami screamed at her.

"I'M NOT OGLING!" She shouted back, rushing to help her with Usopp. Not able to take her eyes off their captain, who was now chasing the tearful Cat-Ears down the trail. The girls let the sniper down gently on a patch of grass and Nami instantly plopped down next to him. Gwenyth simply stood, totally not staring at Luffy with her mouth totally NOT wide open.

Luffy rushed right passed the scardy-cat pirates and completely ignored the flinching captain. He ran straight for the front of their ship and slammed into it. Gripping both sides he started pulling, making odd noises as he did so.

"What the hell is he- HOLY SHIT!" The muscle in Luffy's arms seemed to double and large cracks began to echo from the ship. The wood on the sides of the stempost (that's what the Cat-Ears were calling it) was splitting.

"GO LUFFY!" Nami cheered.

"L-U-F-F-Y! Luffy, Luffy! He's our guy! Goooo~ Luffy!" Gwenyth shouted in a cheerleader-like fashion. The Cat-Ear's were less enthusiastic- most of them crying. The girls squealed for joy and amazement while the men screamed in horror as Luffy successfully ripped the stempost off of their ship. The Cat-Ears begged their captain to do something.

"On 'One, Two, Django', you'll fall asleep!" Gwenyth heard him shout. "One! Two! DJANGO!"

Luffy promptly passed out, his super strength no more. He dropped forward and the stempost fell upon him, then slammed onto scrambling Cat-Ears. Gwenyth flinched inwardly when Luffy was crushed, but had a feeling he would be okay. Because, hey, he fell down a cliff in his sleep before, right? Just how different was that from being crushed under a stempost? Gwenyth held confidence in her logic, regardless of its complete lack in reasoning.

"Good. He wiped most of them out." Nami sighed in contentment.

"But now he's smashed under the stempost!" Usopp shouted with worry.

"He's fine. He's rubber." Gwenyth said simply sitting down beside Nami. Trying to convince herself as much as she was trying to convince Usopp.

"Just tend to your own wounds." Zoro insisted from his place on the slope.

Was that a smirk on the swordsman's lips? Possibly. The antics of their captain were pretty funny. A pair of voices rang out loudly from the ship, though Gwenyth couldn't make out what they were saying. She did note however that the surviving Cat-Ears seemed pretty confident all of a sudden.

"What are they up to?" The seamstress wondered aloud.

Okay. This is like 4,000 words. I seriously need to stop now or I'll just keep going and going and going and suddenly we'll be in Alabasta. Sweating our ass's off without the slightest inkling as to how it happened.