A/N: Happy Reading! Remember, if you have the time, please leave a review!

"I found Sakura still unconscious while I was taking out the trash. Took her here and patched her up. Been almost seven years since then," Raoul finished, leaning back on his chair. Usopp leaned forward, completely entranced. Nami stared at the ground. So Sakura had been forced into a pirate crew, just like her and the Arlong Pirates. They really were similar in ways.

"So she's been growing up here this whole time?" Usopp asked.

"If you call it that," he said, "All her physical wounds healed, but her mind was never the same."

Six years ago~

"Oi, brat, don't you wanna go out? Your wounds are healing up, and you need some sun," Raoul nudged Sakura, who sat huddled in the corner of the bar.

"Don't want to," she whispered. Raoul raised his eyebrows.

"What kind of little girl doesn't want to go and play? I'm sure there are a lot of kids your age around here," he said. To his surprise, the Sakura continued to furiously shake her head.

"Rather not," she murmured. Raoul pursed his lips together.

"Whatever you've done, you obviously regret it," he said softly, reaching a hand out to Sakura, "Just try and look past it."

Sakura swatted his hand away, stubbornly continuing to look towards the window.

"Deep down, Sakura's probably sick of being alone," Raoul said grimly, "But she still believes she caused her sister's death, not to mention every island that pirate fellow attacked on the way here. Growing up on the streets all these years hasn't helped either."

"How horrible.." Nami murmured.

"No wonder she was so upset over what Sanji called her, when the last one to say that name was her sister. We should apologize!" Usopp cried. Before he could make a move, Raoul chucked a glass straight at his face.

"Ow...what was that for, old man?" he groaned, rubbing his sore nose.

"It took me years to get enough information to piece together her past. She obviously doesn't like to talk or think about it," Raoul warned, "The last thing you would want to do is remind her of it and make her suffer even more!"

The room lapsed into silence, with all three individuals not knowing what to say. Nami cleared her throat.

"So umm..Sakura's a Devil Fruit user? She never told us!" she said, attempting to change the subject. Raoul chuckled.

"The heart-heart fruit. From what I can tell, it allows her to manipulate everything within her that is connected to love, and use it to her advantage," he mused.

"How's that supposed to be powerful enough to take down several pirates?" Nami asked curiously, "I mean, isn't love supposed to be a good thing?"

"There is never love in the world without hate, loss, and pain," Raoul replied darkly, "The agony Sakura feels everyday from losing Keri, her fierce desire to protect what she cares about, she sends it all straight to the core of her opponent. No human being can withstand a direct attack like that. To love is after all, is the most painful thing a person can do."

"That's...terrifying…" Usopp mumbled. Nami nodded her head in agreement. Raoul stood and stretched his arms.

"I'm surprised you haven't asked the questions I was expecting you to ask, though," he said, rotating his shoulders. Nami and Usopp looked at him in confusion.

"What did you expect us to ask?" Nami inquired.

"Well, for starters," Raoul replied, "Why exactly the pirates chose to keep Sakura alive in the beginning."

"You mean she never found out why?" Usopp cried. Raoul silently shook his head.

"She doesn't like to talk about the pirates, so learning more regarding that topic is impossible," he explained. Nami chewed her lip thoughtfully.

"There's something else that's been bothering me, though" she began slowly, "If Sakura went through so much with pirates, why is she helping us in the first place? Shouldn't she hate pirates then?"

Raoul grinned in reply. "That's the big question isn't it? Though it's a question I can't answer either. You'll have to ask her if you really want to know."

A heavy blanket of silence settled in the bar, as the three became lost in their own thoughts. The silence was suddenly broken by a series of muffled footsteps, before the bar doors burst open to reveal a panting Sakura.

"Bad news. Nami, Usopp, you needa' go. Now," she gasped out, struggling to catch her breath.

"Wait wait, what happened now?" Nami asked as Usopp accidentally backpedaled over a chair.

"Your crewmates. The Pirate Hunter, pervert, and Straw Hat. They're heading this way now," Sakura explained hurriedly. Nami furrowed her brows in confusion.

"Isn't that...a good thing?" she asked. Sakura frantically shook her head.

"They kinda' forgot the part about keeping low. They're headed this way now...with a bunch of marines after them," she revealed grimly. Usopp shrieked in fear, causing Raoul to chuck another glass at him.

"Shut up, will ya'?" he muttered, irritated.

"How are we supposed to properly set sail with marines at our tails? We're doomed!" Usopp wailed. Sakura briskly walked over and slapped him across the face.

"If you would stop crying, we could fix this," she cried angrily before turning to Nami, "You guys need to get to the harbor now and deal with whoever's there. I'll go and see if I can help push the marines back."

"Wasn't the whole point of waiting here to meet up with the other guys before we leave?" Nami protested.

"That was if the others could miraculously get out without attracting attention. Since they messed that up, you'll stand a better chance fighting and getting your ship ready now than if you were to wait for the others to come along to," Sakura replied.

Nami nodded quickly before gripping Usopp's nose and dragging him towards the entrance, ignoring his pained wails. Just before opening the doors, she turned back to see Sakura duck under the bar table. She opened her mouth to say something, but in the corner of her eye, saw Raoul slowly shake his head. Discouraged, Nami remained silent.

"You guys go on ahead. I need to grab some stuff," Sakura called out, unaware of the brief exchange between Nami and Raoul.

"Uh..yeah. Ok then," Nami muttered.

"I think I'm coming down with the notorious can't-go-outside disease. It's extremely fatal and rather contagious, you know," Usopp meekly complained as he wrenched his nose out of Nami's grasp.

"Hurry up and go, you idiot," Nami hissed.

"Oi, wait up, the elephant tuna!"

Seconds later, only Sakura and Raoul remained in the bar. Sakura quickly grabbed her cloth sack of possessions and stuffed them into her messenger bag, ignoring how bulky it was. With a leap, she cleared the bar table and made her way to the entrance.

"You gonna' go out, then?" Raoul asked casually.

"Don't worry too much about me, old man," she called out.

"Stop, Sakura," Raoul ordered. Sakura was tempted to ignore him, but there was a new authority in his voice that made her pause and turn around.

With only a few feet between them, Raoul and Sakura faced each other, and tension filled the room.

"Oi, Nami! How exactly are we supposed to set sail? According to Sakura, there should a group of marines at the harbor ready to capture us!" Usopp called out, struggling to make his voice heard above the howling wind.

"We'll just have to do the best we can!" Nami replied back, "It's not like we have any other choice!"

Usopp bent his head, his worry clearly showing on his face. Nami looked at him in curiosity.

"Oi, Usopp, you still with me?" she asked.

"Sakura went through so much because of some pirates," Usopp replied, "And she's still choosing to do so much for us. It's a little strange." Nami lightly smiled.

"It's not like none of us have suffered before," she reasoned, her own past in mind, "And she has no love for the marines either. That could be reason enough for her doing so much."

Usopp shrugged, clearly unpersuaded. "Is it okay to leave her like this right now?"

Nami grinned. "She's been living on these streets as a spy for years. It'll be fine." Usopp nodded in acknowledgement

"Anyway, we can't waste even a second. If we can't get to the ship safely, we'll be no help to the others," she continued.

"Still, this fish is heavy! Can we ditch it?!"

"Of course you can't!"

"Oh, silly me! Of course a fish is worth more than our lives!"

They hurried on.

Sakura raced down the streets, frantically searching for any signs of the other Straw Hats. It had started raining quite heavily and she ducked her head to keep the downpour out of her face, ignoring her soaking wet shoes. She shivered, though she wasn't sure if it was because of the cold.

"Dammit, where the hell are they? That stupid Luffy" she muttered, struggling to see through the heavy rain. Suddenly a flash of lightning illuminated the street, and Sakura's eyes widened as she realized she was not alone. Several feet up ahead, a cloaked figure was slowly walking towards her. She hesitated, her guard instantly up.

"Looking for Straw Hat Luffy, are you?"

Sakura froze. The figure had been too far away to hear her muttering. How could he have known? And...who exactly was he?

"That's none of your business," she replied. The figure grinned. Sakura could just make out a masculine face, with a strange tattoo over his left eye. She frowned. In her seven years at Loguetown, she had never seen anybody like him before. The figure jerked his head behind him.

"They're just up ahead. Keep going a little ways and you'll hear them," he said simply before walking past her. Sakura narrowed her eyes.

"How do I know whether or not to trust you, huh?" she called out.

"That's your decision to make," the figure smoothly replied. Within seconds, the pouring rain covered his tracks. Sakura gritted her teeth. Ah, to hell with it. She dashed down the street.

It wasn't very long before she heard mass shouting and the sound of clashing metal. She turned at an intersection to find a strange sight.

A group of marine soldiers huddled together, murmuring amongst themselves. In front of them, the mossball Pirate Hunter and the other marine lady, Tachigi, were locked at a standstill, they swords tangled up between them. Sakura watched in awe as Zoro easily flicked his katana up, successfully disarming his foe and driving a sword into the wall.

"I can never lose this katana, no matter what," she heard Zoro say as he sheathed his swords. Surprised cries rose up among the marines. Sakura quickly shook her head. No time for admiration. She ran forward, her palms lighting up.

"Love Sparks!" The tiny sparks shot out of her palm and collided straight with the soldiers. In the span of seconds, Sakura, Zoro, and Tachigi were the only ones left standing.

"You again?" Zoro cried. With a scowl on her face, Sakura darted forward, seized Zoro by the collar, and took off running.

"Gotta' go, gotta' go! Nice seeing ya', Tachigi!" she called out, lugging a very angry Zoro behind her.

"What's your problem, you annoying pipsqueak? And where's Nami and Usopp?!" Zoro yelled as he struggled to regain his footing.

Sakura turned around and smacked Zoro's head. "They're headed for the ship. Where's Luffy and the cook?"

"They ran ahea-"

"WHY DIDN'T YOU KILL ME?!"

Sakura and Zoro both turned to see Tachigi watching them, her stiff posture and clenched fists hinting at her anger.

"Jeez man, what did you do to get her so mad?" Sakura muttered. Zoro scowled in reply.

"Is it because I'm a woman? Even though a woman's arm is weaker than a man's, it's humiliating to have someone go easy on you in a duel!" Tachigi continued to yell.

Sakura frowned. "Oh my god, Zoro, are you like a woman-hater or something?"

"What, no!"

"Whatever woman-hater, let's goo," she muttered. She tried to drag Zoro along with her but, to her surprise, he refused to budge an inch. "Oi, Pirate Hunter, what are you doing?!"

"I doubt you'd understand what it's like wishing to have been born a man! I didn't pick up that sword to play around!" Tachigi cried. Sakura watched Zoro begin to quiver in anger. Born a man? Swords to play around? What had they been yelling about? And why had Zoro separated from Sanji and Luffy? What the hell was going on?

"She's trying to tick you off!" Sakura warned, though deep down, she knew her words would have no effect. Still, why was he so upset?

"I can't stand the fact you exist!" Zoro exploded, shoving Sakura aside to look back at Tachigi, "Listen, that face of yours! It's exactly like my friend who died a long time ago! And now you're even saying the same stuff she did! Quit imitating her, you copy-cat woman!" Sakura stared at Zoro, dumbfounded. What?

"Are you mental?!" she hissed. Tachigi stalked up to Zoro until her face was only a few inches away from his.

"What a rude, childish thing to say!" she exclaimed, "I live my life for my own goals! I don't know what kind of person your friend was, but I'm the one who regrets this! Isn't SHE the one copying me?"

"What did you say?!" Zoro roared back. Sakura stared helplessly at the two of them.

"Definitely mental," she groaned, "Sorry, Tachigi, but I'm afraid this'll have to wait!" Looping her arm around Zoro's neck, she heaved him away.

"What are you doing-ack!? Hold up!" Zoro cried angrily. Sakura doggedly ran on.

"Whatever fight you got yourself into can wait," she replied, "There's not much time before it'll be impossible to set sail. We need to catch up with Sanji and Luffy."

"I get it, so hurry up and let go of me!"

The pair continued down the road, bickering with each other all the way. Tachigi stood motionless amid the unconscious marine soldiers before slowly sliding to her knees. Her vision blurred with the onset of angry tears. She punched the ground in front of her in frustration.

"Shit."

"How do you not know which way your nakama went?!"

"I was a little too busy to see, ok?"

"What's wrong with you?!"

"Me? What's wrong with you!?"

Sakura cursed under her breath. "How the hell am I supposed to get you to your nakama if you don't even know where they are?" she asked angrily.

"I can find them by myself! Stop trying to help me!" Zoro yelled.

"You couldn't find your way out of a paper bag if the exit was labelled for you!" Sakura retorted, "And what the hell were you doing with Tachigi back there?!"

"None of your business!" the swordsman snapped back.

"You're impossible," she muttered while staring at the road ahead, desperately trying to scrounge up some patience. "Alright, they should be heading to the harbor, so that's where we'll go-ahh...crap."

They had turned on a street corner to see Sanji and Luffy standing across from a very pissed off Smoker. Sakura instinctively backed up, her hands glowing up with a pink light. Zoro smirked.

"Scared, chibi?"

"Shut up, rice ball."

Luffy, Sanji, and Smoker all remained oblivious to their presence. Sakura silently watched as Luffy cracked his knuckles, obviously ready to fight. "He can't do that. It's won't work," she murmured. Zoro looked her, confused. Sakura ignored him, focusing instead on Smoker's fist, which had dissolved into billowing, white smoke.

"Luffy can't beat him, not like this," she muttered.

"What are you talking about?" Zoro asked, annoyance in his voice.

"The way things are, it'll be impossible for Luffy to even land a hit," she replied, sprinting forward. She pushed Luffy aside, causing him to tumble to the side, and leapt up, her hands in front of her.

"Shield!" The faint energy glow in her hands sprung forward and morphed into a thin, shimmering wall, seconds before Smoker's white fist slammed into it. Sakura flinched, but kept her concentration.

"Ow…" she groaned.

"What the hell is that?!" Zoro exclaimed.

"Sa-Sakura-chan! It can't be...You're an enchantress?!" Sanji cooed.

"Woah! You can do that!? So cool, Sakura!" Luffy cried in awe.

"Glad to see you finally remember my name, Straw Hat," Sakura remarked dryly.

"Criminals attracting other criminals, huh? I should've known you were involved with them, you brat Sakura," Smoker growled. Sakura smiled, despite the pain flowing through her body.

"You won't be stopping them from setting out," she warned. With a growl, Smoker reared back and delivered another shocking punch to the shield. Sakura bit her lip to keep from crying out in pain. Her shield flickered mildly before she was able to retain her focus.

"What the-are you getting hurt?" Luffy asked, alarm on his face.

"My power allows me to create shields out of the emotion of love," Sakura gasped, "It won't create any physical damage, but since he's still attacking a part of me, I take in the pain that would be felt from a direct hit."

"Devil fruit then, huh? Kinda' useless though, apparently," Zoro scoffed.

"How many times do I have to tell you to shut up!" Sakura yelled back.

"OI, you! Don't you dare think that you can harm Sakura-chan and not suffer consequences!" Sanji roared at Smoker. Sakura gritted her teeth, struggling to keep her concentration despite her annoyance.

"He may be made out of smoke, but he's still human, and all humans are capable of feeling love," she spat, "I'm the only one here who can land an attack on him. You guys need to run on ahead."

"We would never dream of leaving you alone, Sakura-chan!" Sanji cried out.

Zoro rolled his eyes. "Oi, chibi, stop trying to play the hero and let me take a hit at him!"

"I told you, your attacks won't have any effect on him, you idiots!" Sakura yelled, her patience wearing thin. Smoker continued to hover in a state between human and gas, searching for an opening. Sakura knew that sooner or later, he would strike, and she had no idea if she was strong enough to keep her shield up.

"Zoro, Sanji, go on ahead," To everybody's surprise, Luffy spoke, the brim of his hat covering his eyes. "Get to the ship."

"Nami and Usopp are there already. They'll probably need your help," Sakura added, though she refused to take her eyes off Smoker. Sanji frowned but nodded, and set off, calling out threats to Smoker as he ran. However, Zoro hesitated, clearly unwilling to leave.

"Trust me, rice ball," Sakura called out, "Let me deal with this." Zoro still looked unhappy, but he nodded and set off after Sanji.

"Oi, you too, Luffy!" Sakura yelled. Luffy chuckled.

"No can do. I don't leave my nakama alone." he said casually. Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Your nakama just ran off. If you don't wanna' leave them alone, you should go after them," she warned.

"But you're also my nakama."

Sakura spun around, her concentration shattering as she stared wide eyed at Luffy. Her shield flickered and died out. What did he say just now?

"Don't turn your back on the enemy," Smoker growled as he dive bombed straight into her. At the last second, she felt something wrap around her middle and jerk her away. She looked down, and to her surprise, saw a long limb tangled up around her body. Slowly, Sakura traced it back to Luffy.

"The hell is this?!" she screamed. She felt the limb's hold around her loosen and watched in shock is it retracted back to Luffy.

"Shi-shi-shi-shi, I ate a devil fruit, too" he explained cheerfully, "I'm a rubber man!"

"Ahhh…" was all Sakura managed to choke out. Luffy grinned.

"We'll fight together, or not at all!" he declared, "That's what friends do!"

Despite the serious situation, Sakura couldn't help but smile.

"Luffy, you're really an interesting one," she chuckled, "Alright then, let's do it.

Together, they faced Smoker, one winding his arms, the other raising her hands in front of her. The battle was on.

.

.

"Ku-ku-ku-ku...I do believe I'm being left out,"

Sakura felt her blood run cold. She whipped her head around, her eyes widening as she saw none other than Valier slowly walk out of the shadows of the alleyway, a cold smirk on his face. She let her palms light up with a bright glow as a warning.

"You stay the hell away from me," she hissed. Valier ignored her and faced Smoker.

"Oh dear, Captain Smoker," he said mockingly, "I do believe that you forgot to inform your marine commander Valier of the threats of such big name East Blue pirates. I've been running around all over trying to figure out how so many criminals were being allowed to wander unchecked. Ku-ku-ku-ku….A careless mistake, don't you think?"

Smoker scowled, his fist dissolving into smoke. "Do me a favor, Valier, and shut the hell up."

Valier's smirk transformed into an ugly glare. "Don't get so cocky, Smoker," he hissed as he tightened his hold on his whips, "We both know who's the better fighter here."

Smoker raised his eyebrow. "If we both know that I'm stronger than you, why don't you learn to respect your captain, Commander?"

"Titles don't mean shit to me," Valier snarled, "I've been here longer than you, Smoker, and the only reason why I chose to stay in a lower position is to avoid extra responsibility. We're both aware that when it comes to justice, I'm the better marine."

Smoker grinned darkly. "Keep thinking that."

Luffy scratched his head. "I don't get it. They both look like marines, so why do they hate each other?"

"They've been like this for years," Sakura explained, her expression grim, "Valier has been stationed here longer, but Smoker has the higher title. Because of that, Valier continues to resent and defy Smoker, but Smoker can't do anything because of Valier has been here longer, and he still gets the job done as a marine, even if his sense of justice is twisted."

"Hmmm...so they're both idiots!" Luffy declared.

"I don't need to hear that shit from you!" both Smoker and Valier yelled back.

"Watch out, Luffy. They're both extremely strong fighters. This'll be hard to get out of," Sakura warned, "Smoker ate the Moku-moku fruit, I believe. He's a smoke man. And Valier uses his thorned whips to fight. They don't show any mercy."

Luffy grinned as he cracked his knuckles. "Good. That means it'll be a proper fight!"