"Fine." To everybody's surprise, Smoker moved back and leaned against a building wall, shielding his face from the storm.

"What?" Valier asked, his arrogant tone disappearing to show confusion. Smoker shrugged.

"Go ahead, Valier. If you think you're enough to defeat the two, I won't stop you," he replied, nonchalantly puffing his cigars. Kill two birds with one stone. Simple enough, he thought.

Valier sneered. "Ku-ku-ku-ku, don't think that I don't see what you're trying to do, Smoker," he chuckled.

"Oi, Valley, do I have to kick your ass or what?" Luffy yelled. Sakura wanted to bury her face into her hands.

"It's…Valier, you punk," Valier growled, an ugly grimace on his face, "Though…I am quite surprised. Never would I expect a pirate to be so adamant about helping out a random street rat."

"She's my nakama," Luffy calmly replied. Sakura stared at him. He had said it so casually, almost like it was second nature.

"Nakama…?" she murmured. Valier's eyes bulged.

"Ku-ku-ku-ku...nakama? You think she's your nakama?" he cried as he burst into laughter, "Ku-ku-ku-ku! How laughable! She's nothing but a cowardly little sneak!"

Sakura shifted her gaze to glare at Valier. She moved to step forward, but to her surprise, Luffy held out a hand, stopping her.

"What did you call her?" he asked quietly, his voice carrying a threatening undertone. Sakura looked at him curiously. She had come to see Luffy as an idiotic little kid who constantly needed somebody to look after him and could barely recognize the figure that stood in front of her now. Valier grinned, obviously enjoying their reactions.

"A little cowardly sneak," he repeated, laughing as he did so, "Ku-ku-ku-ku...Honestly I don't know why you even bother helping her out, even if you're just pirate scum." He let out a cruel laugh. "You probably think she's so wonderful, don't you, Straw Hat?" he continued, "But do you really know who she is?"

"Stop...Shut up," Sakura whispered.

"The little brat who came to Loguetown almost seven years ago," Valier yelled, scorn and disgust in his voice, "Chased by a group of pirates! What kind of past have you been hiding, little rat? Did you rob them, huh? Pretend to be all friendly before stabbing them in the back and running off, just like you plan on stabbing these idiots in the back?"

"You don't know anything about me!" Sakura screamed, yet she could still feel a sickly guilt in her stomach. In the end, wasn't that all she was? A lousy street rat who did anything, tricked anybody, just for the sake of her own life?

"A little girl affiliated with pirates!" Valier continued, "Nothing good could possibly come out of that! Tell me, what sick things have you done in the past that have caused you to become the corrupted, vile thing you-"

Whatever Valier had been planning to say next was cut off by Luffy's fist smashing into his mouth, sending him flying into the side of a building.

"I don't give a damn who she is or what's she's done in the past!" Luffy roared, "She helped me and my crew out today! Because of that, she's my nakama, too!" Sakura stared at him with wide eyes, her mouth open but unable to form coherent words.

Valier emerged from the rubble of the building, his whips lashing out to randomly smack at the stones and ground.

"Brainless scum backing up other brainless scum," he spat, "Pirates and sneaks! Your very titles label you as criminals to the world," Sakura watched as Valier slowly raised his right hand whip, preparing to attack. She raised her hands to make a shield but Luffy shoved her out of the way and ran forward.

"Luffy, no!" Sakura started to run forward, ready to help him out.

"Sakura, stay back!" Luffy screamed. Sakura watched helplessly as they engaged in combat.

"Gomu Gomu no…..Pistol!" Luffy shot out his fist, aiming straight for Valier. It would have been devastating blow, but at the last second, Valier darted to the side, and Luffy's arm shot harmlessly into the wall. Valier leaped up, flicking his wrists, causing his whips to lash forward.

"Thorn Wrap!" The whips looped around Luffy's stretched and vulnerable arm and tightened, the thorns digging into Luffy's skin. Roaring, Valier tugged his whips back.

"AAAGHHHH!" Luffy screeched, as he was sent flying into the air, before crashing back onto the ground.

"LUFFY!" Sakura raised her hands, ready to do something, anything, to help out Luffy. Before she could however, Luffy staggered upright, clutching his arms.

"A little crash can't stop me from kicking your ass, Vader!" he yelled defiantly. Valier gritted his teeth.

"It's Valier, godammit! Let's see how cocky you are when I shred your arms up," he snarled, "Prickly Strike!" He lashed out his left whip, but Luffy ducked underneath and darted forward.

"Gomu Gomu no...Bullet!"

It went on and on. Sakura watched as Luffy and Valier traded attacks, sometimes hitting, sometimes missing. Surprisingly, Luffy seemed to be holding his own. Valier, whom she thought to be incredibly strong, looked extremely frustrated.

"What...the hell?" she murmured. Never had she even thought of the possibility of Luffy being such a strong fighter. After several minutes of continuous fighting, both men sprung back. Blood dripped down Valier's whips and his face was covered with bruises. Luffy panted, his fists tightly clenched despite the numerous cuts on his hands and arms.

"I'm..gonna...kick..your ass," Luffy gasped, struggling to regain his breath.

"Pirate scum like you couldn't possibly go up against a marine commander like me," Valier growled, struggling to maintain steady footing. With a yell, he leapt forward, his whips flying behind him.

"I fight for justice! For the good of mankind!" Valier roared, "And you fight for a sneaky little brat who has deceived and hidden in the shadows her whole life! Someone who will continue to do so for as long as she lives! Who has the better reason!?" He swung his whips forwards, both of them aimed directly at Luffy, who did nothing to dodge them.

"Fatal Slash!"

Sakura watched in horror as Luffy stood rooted to his spot, not even trying to move out of harm's way.

It happened in a instant. As Valier's whips lashed out, Luffy raised his arms, his hands open, and caught both whips, preventing Valier from retracting them. Sakura stared at the standstill, the whips taut between the grips of the two men.

"Don't talk about Sakura that way!" Luffy screamed.

"Let...go!" Valier roared, but to no avail. Luffy stayed rooted to the spot, stubbornly holding on to the whips despite the thorns digging into his hands.

"What she has done before has no say in what she will do tomorrow, or in a year, or in ten years!" Luffy screamed, "Her past does not decide her future!"

Luffy whipped his head around to face Sakura, who had been crouching right behind him. "I don't care what you've done before," he yelled, looking directly at her, "It's what you choose to do now that matters!"

Sakura stared back. She thought about the night when her life shattered, and she entered a world of nightmares. She thought of all the suffering and pain she had gone through, the blame and anger she had for herself for everything. The hopelessness and defeat when she couldn't find the will to live. It had been years, and not a day had gone by she didn't beat herself up. She thought about it all, and suddenly, the pain and suffering within her morphed into something different, an emotion she had refused to let herself feel for seven long years. Hope. The possibility of a new start.

An hour ago~

"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.

"What are you gonna' do?" Raoul asked, his eyebrows raised. Sakura turned her head, unwilling to look him in the eye.

"Mind your own business, old man," she replied curtly. Raoul chuckled.

"I'm the closest thing you've had to a guardian all these years. Don't you think I deserve to know a little?"

Sakura clenched her fists. "You're a friend and that's it. I've been taking care of myself and that's what I'll continue to do."

"Cut the crap," Raoul said brusquely, "You would have been dead if it hadn't been for me. I'll rephrase my question. See if it's easier to answer. What are you gonna' do after you help out the Straw Hats?"

"That's my problem and I'll take care of it myself," Sakura growled as she headed for the doorway.

"Are you gonna' stab them in the back and rob them? It won't be the first time you've done that to some pirates."

"Shut up…"

"Are you gonna' see them off with a tearful goodbye and go back to living how you always do?"

"I said shut up…"

"Do you plan on living your life as a street rat, stealing and spying in this little town like a little sneak?"

"I SAID SHUT UP, YOU GIANT YAM!" Sakura roared, turning around and staring daggers at Raoul, who looked calmly back at her, "SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!"

Raoul watched as she leaned against the wall for support, her whole body uncontrollably shaking. "You're holding yourself back, like always," he said softly, "Why can't you listen to what your heart wants?"

"Stop..pretending...that you know..what I want," Sakura hissed, a tremor in her voice. Raoul moved until he stood side by side with Sakura.

"I've watched you grow up for the past seven years," he said, staring at the ceiling, "I've see the hate you have for yourself. Not a day has gone by where you don't remember your past and blame yourself."

Sakura said nothing.

"I know you want more than this," Raoul continued, "You were born for adventure, Sakura. Your very dream is to explore the world for your sister, not to sit and listen to conversations in a town for the rest of your life. Yet, you hold back because you're afraid, don't you? The sea has brought nothing but pain to your life. You're scared of what could happen if you try to leave. Am I correct?"

Sakura conitinued to remain silent. Raoul gently placed his hand on her shoulder, a kind smile on his lips.

"Your past is a tragic one, nobody can deny it," Raoul said, "But you can't let that rule your life. The only thing you can do now and go forth and change the future. You couldn't help your sister and your town, fine. But that doesn't mean you can't help the Straw Hats. Rise up from you past and start anew, Minori Sakura. What do you say to that?"

Sakura stared at her shoes. "I'm gonna' go on a little trip," she said slowly, "It'll be a long one, but...that's what I'll do."

Raoul chuckled. "Then go, and create your destiny."

Sakura took a long look at Raoul, a multitude of emotions showing in her eyes. With a nod, she exited the bar. Raoul leaned against the wall, chuckling.

"You took your stuff with you," he murmured, "You wanted to go with them all along, haven't you?" He looked at the bar entranceway, a soft smile on his face, "I suppose those kids will be your greatest help to taking your first steps forward."

Sakura rose to her feet, the palm of her hand glowing with a radiant pink light. She locked on to the memories of life that made it worth living and moving forward. The glow of Keri's smile. Secret winks with Garu behind the bar. Cautious but friendly exchanges with Raoul. And….the pure and simple happiness she had experienced with the Straw Hats.

"I can't change my past," she murmured, "but I can change my future. With this." Sakura sprinted forward, a brilliant ball of energy on her left palm. She leaped into the air as Luffy wrenched the whips back, sending Valier flying straight forward. With the weight of her pain, suffering, hope, and love behind her, Sakura struck.

"Love's Suffering!" The ball of energy on her palm crashed straight into Valier's head. She continued to press on, releasing her rage into the attack. Valier slammed onto the ground, cracking the pavement. A whirlwind of pain erupted within him. Valier could feel such large amounts of anger, regret, and loss swirl within his chest. It was worse than any physical pain he had felt. He could feel his own emotions being called forward, and his mind slowly shredding apart from how overwhelming it all was.

I...I can't be defeated by mere emotions! He thought angrily, before blacking out.

Sakura spun in midair to land in a sprawling mess a few feet away. Luffy, who had been blown back by the impact force, managed to stagger to his feet. The two of them peered down at Valier, who was stuck into the pavement, completely unconscious.

"Nice work, Sakura!" Luffy cheered.

Sakura stared at the Valier's crumpled form and Luffy's impossibly wide grin. "You...you said a lot of stuff to Valier. About my past...and my future."

Luffy scratched his chin. "Did I?"

Was his memory really that bad? Sakura slowly put out a hand, and watched the raindrops splatter against her palm. "When we first met, you said you had a dream. To become the next Pirate King."

"Yep! That's why I'm going to the Grand Line!"

An unfamiliar feeling of warmth bloomed in her stomach. "Your dream...That's the future you've decided for yourself. I used to think that...because of where my past had put me, all I could ever expect for my future was to live here and survive as a street rat. If...If I have a dream too, could I make that my future, too?"

Luffy gave a nod of agreement. "If that's what you want!"

"Then...that's what I choose," Cold droplets of rainwater did nothing to quell the warmth the spread through every fiber of Sakura's body, "I choose to be more than my past lets me be...and I choose to follow my dream."

Luffy's laugh was loud and clear. "Really? Then you should join my crew! We're going to the Grand Line!"

Sakura stared back at him. Could she really do it? Become a pirate?

"Impressive."

Sakura and Luffy whirled around to see Smoker, who had been sitting some distance away, smoking his cigars. "To think that you brats were strong enough to defeat Valier. Quite impressive."

Luffy cracked his knuckles and took a fighting stance. "Yosh, you're up. Sakura got to beat the Valor guy's ass so you're definitely mine!" he declared.

"Don't get cocky just because you took out Valier. You'll find that I'm a much more difficult opponent," Smoker replied as he slowly got to his feet. Sakura raised her hands, a determined expression on her face.

"Luffy might not be able to hit you, but I certainly can, even with your Logia power," she warned. Smoker grinned around his cigars, his fists morphing into smoke.

"If you two can't best me, you stand no chance in the Grand Line," he threatened, before charging straight at at them. Sakura concentrated her emotions and let them loose.

"Love Shield!" A giant wall of energy sprouted from her palm, shielding her and Luffy. Smoker continued his charge.

"If you hide behind your Devil Fruit, I'll just defeat you by endurance," he growled as he smashed full force into Sakura's shield. Sakura resisted the urge to scream as pain blossomed throughout her body.

I can do this. It'll be fine. she thought reassuringly to herself. Beside her, Luffy gritted his teeth.

"Let me at him, Sakura!" he yelled. Sakura furiously shook her head.

"I'm the only one here who can face up to him," she said, her hands shaking from exertion. She released the shield and leapt forward.

"Love Flare!" The energy in her hand flew forward, but Smoker darted out of the way. They stood, sizing each other up.

"You rely on your devil fruit for power," Smoker noted.

"I don't see why that's important," Sakura retorted.

"Can I kick his ass now?"

"No, Luffy, stay out of this."

Sakura watched as Smoker unstrapped something from his back. It looked like a narrow metal rod with an extra fork sprouting from the handle. A jitte. Strange, after so much time spying on him, Sakura had never actually seen Smoker use the weapon, and she didn't like the feeling of not knowing her enemy's secrets. Screwing her eyes in concentration, she created huge shield between Smoker and her. To her surprise, Smoker smiled grimly.

"I have a bad feeling about this, Luffy," Sakura murmured as she continued to eye the jitte.

"Huh?" was all she got in response. Great. With an almost alarming speed Smoker gripped his weapon and sent the tip straight into her shield. Sakura gasped. Instantly, her legs felt like jelly and her mind became muddled. With a cry, she was forced to dissolve the shield, and Smoker's jitte slammed into her chest, smashing her so hard into the ground that the road cracked.

How the hell did that little thing do that?! she thought. She had been able to withstand much stronger things in the past without breaking her concentration and shield. Why had the jitte been able to break through so easily?

"SAKURA!" Luffy screamed, as he moved to aid her. Smoker flicked his arm out, and a plume of white smoke smothered Luffy's body, preventing him from getting closer.

"I'll deal with you later, Straw Hat," Smoker growled.

Sakura's limbs felt like noodles and her head spun in circles. She was vaguely aware of Luffy screaming out curses a few feet away, and could feel the jitte pressed against her. Oddly, it almost felt like the weapon was sapping her strength away. She could just make out Smoker towering over her, calmly continuing to smoke his cigars, and let out a weak cry when he put his foot on her stomach, preventing her from moving.

"Funny. It was Valier who seemed to make it his top priority to kill you. I've always viewed you as just a troublesome nuisance," he growled, "But your support for Straw Hat makes you a threat. Any last words, brat?"

"HOLD UP, SAKURA, I'M GONNA BEAT HIS ASS AS SOON AS I GET OUT! WE'RE GOING TO THE GRAND LINE NO MATTER WHAT!" Luffy screeched, his limbs flailing around in the smoke.

Despite the pain and weakness in her body, Sakura managed to crack a smile.

"Go to hell, Smokey," she croaked out, satisfied when she got a scowl from him in response. She watched as he raised his jitte, and tried desperately to call on her powers. All she got in response a twitch in her finger. Super.

I refuse to die from this shit! She thought angrily, screwing her eyes shut and bracing herself for the jitte's impact.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

Huh? Sakura slowly opened her eyes to see the tip of the jitte hovering only inches away from her wide eyes. She slowly lifted her gaze to see two different hands grasping the handle of the weapon. One belonged to Smoker, who seemed both shocked and annoyed, judging from his frown. The other belonged to a cloaked figure who hadn't been there seconds before. Sakura stared up with wide eyes. As a flash of lightning lit up the dark street, she could easily see the face of the stranger. It was the man from before who had given her directions. Even Luffy had gone silent, completely confused by the present events.

"The government wants your head," she heard Smoker growl. The cloaked figure smiled grimly.

"The world is waiting for our answer," he replied. What's that supposed to mean? Who is he, anyway? Sakura thought, completely vexed.

"Who're you?" Luffy asked, his curiosity temporarily stopping his struggling.

Suddenly, the heavy downpour ceased, and the raging storm quieted down. Sakura watched in confusion as the sky became tinged with a bright green, and a huge wind came howling down. She was swept away from underneath Smoker's feet and crashed straight into Luffy, who had somehow escaped the confines of the smoke.

"WHAT KINDA' FREAK STORM IS THIS?!" she screamed as she desperately clung on to him to prevent separation.

"Urghhh blrughhhghh aghhh," Luffy choked out, unable to breathe with Sakura's arm wrapped around his neck.

They flew through the air, narrowly avoiding a barrage of barrels and scraps, and slamming into a good number of walls. Then, as quickly as it had started, the wind died down, sending the two flying into a heap of trash cans.

"Somebody get a scientist to explain that," Sakura moaned as she shoved a trash can cover off her head.

"Shi-shi-shi...That was fun!" Luffy exclaimed, excitedly springing up from his crash landing. The rain had started again, and pretty soon, the two of them were soaked to the bone.

"Who was that guy in the cloak?" she wondered aloud, "Was he the one who caused that wind or something? That was too much of a coincidence."

"Hmmm…..dunno!" Luffy exclaimed, "But somehow we got away from that smoke guy…"

"Guess we gotta' thank that cloaked dude for saving our lives."

"Meh...I could've just kicked the smokey man's ass."

"Shut up, Luffy."

"Hai, Hai."

Sakura looked around. The heavy wind had blown the town into disarray, and random pieces of rubble and wood littered the street. However, only a few feet, clear as day, was the rough, churning ocean.

"This has got to be a miracle," she muttered, "Oi, Luffy! We landed right at the harbor!"

"Cool!" Luffy yelled as he ran towards the ocean. Sakura watched as he peered through the heavy rain. "There's my ship! Over there!"

Sakura could hear faint calls from Luffy's crew over the storm. So they had all made it back safely, huh? She smiled. "You better hurry before they drift too far away."

Luffy turned around to face her. "Don't you mean we better hurry?"

...Oh yeah.

At a loss for words, Sakura stared at him with an open mouth.

"You really meant it?" she asked, her voice barely louder than a whisper. "I can join your crew?"

Luffy snickered. "Of course! C'mon, join my crew!" His face suddenly became a little more serious, though the smile still remained. "If you really want to change your future like you said..."

Sakura stared back. A chance to move forward. It was a luxury she had never let herself have, believing herself to be unworthy of such a dream. She had had so many fears of returning to the ocean, and so many doubts about herself and whether she was more than what her past showed her to be.

Rise above your past, and start anew, Minori Sakura. Raoul's words echoed in her head. If she really could...

"I don't like pirates," she began, and Luffy's grin turned into a frown of confusion, "But I do like you guys."

A silence fell between them as Sakura toyed with the words at the tip of her tongue.

"All right...Captain," she finally said, an unusual strength in her voice.

Luffy chuckled. "Yosh! Let's go, then!"

"But how are we-"

"Got it!" To Sakura's surprise, Luffy ran to the side, heading further away from the ship.

"What are you-" Sakura began, fear in her voice.

"GOMU GOMU NO….." Luffy leapt and grabbed onto a broken stairwell handle. His body continued flying forward why his arms stretched. Realization of his plan dawned on Sakura.

"Wait...you aren't going to...?" she stammered nervously.

"ROCKET!" Luffy shot back, slamming straight into Sakura.

"MMMMPPPHHHHHH!" she yelled, her face completely buried into Luffy's shirt. They sailed over the ocean and smashed into the ship's sails, before falling down into a clumsy heap. So much for an epic entrance.

"Luffy! ...And Sakura!?" Nami cried.

"Yo…" Sakura managed to choke out.

"You...Oi Luffy! What is she doing here!" Zoro yelled.

Nice to see you, too Sakura thought.

"Shi-shi-shi! Guys, meet our new crewmate!"

"CREWMATE?!"

"Nice reaction," Sakura muttered sarcastically.

"Oh, my dear Sakura-chan! To be blessed with another female in our crew!" Sanji twirled around her, making her feel awkward and slightly violated.

"Oi, ease up, Pervy Cook."

"What did you say, mossball?!"

"Oi, you two idiots. Shut up," Nami ordered before turning to Sakura and smirking, "And it's nothing too surprising. I...kinda' expected it."

Sakura wasn't quite sure if that was a good thing.

Oh well.

"Why did you help them, Dragon?!"

The hooded figure slowly turned to face the marine captain before resuming his gaze to the sea.

"What reason is there to stop them from sailing the seas?" he asked. Both Smoker and Dragon watched the small pirate ship sail further into the horizon. A mass of injured marines stood behind Smoker, unsure of what to say or do.

"Get me a ship. I'm going after them. That Straw Hat and that brat, Sakura. To the Grand Line," Smoker ordered to a nearby marine. The soldier hesitated.

"B-but Captain! Your jurisdiction is on this island!" he protested weakly.

"Are you trying to order me around?" Smoker growled, "Valier was right about that brat Sakura. She'll grow into an even bigger threat if we do nothing to stop her."

"I will go, too!" Tachigi emerged from the mass of soldiers, tightly grasping her katana, "What Roronoa did to me is unforgivable! I will capture him with my own hands!"

Dragon stood silently, listening in to their conversation.

The wind howled, and lightning flashed.

"Woah! It feels like the ship is gonna' turn over!"

Sakura clung tightly to the ship railing, sweating despite the cold air when she heard Luffy's declaration. It had been less than two minutes, and she was already wondering if she made the right decision. Despite that, the others seemed surprisingly calm and accepting about it. Well, there was one minor exception...

"Already scared, chibi?!" Zoro taunted. Sakura glared back at him.

"Call me that again and I'll slice you through with your own katana," she retorted.

"Ah! Sakura-chan is so lovely when she's so fired up!" Sanji cooed.

"I'm definitely scared! Sakura, help me!" Usopp wailed. Nami pointed off into the distance.

"Look at the light!" she cried.

"The island's lighthouse?" Usopp yelled back.

"That's our guiding light," Nami continued, "It points to the entrance of the Grand Line!"

"The Grand Line, huh?" Sakura muttered, "That'll be the perfect start for me!"

"But are we really gonna' go in that storm?" Usopp cried as he clung to the mast. The grins and nods from the rest of the crew unfortunately reassured him that they would.

"Let's have a launching ceremony to mark the importance of our voyage and celebrate our new nakama!" Luffy declared, pumping his arms above his head.

"Let's do it!" Nami agreed as she grabbed Sakura's wrist, "C'mon Sakura! This is for you after all!"

Zoro rolled out a huge barrel and set it in the middle of the ship. The crew gathered around it, though Sakura wasn't quite sure what they were planning to do. She watched as Sanji strode forward and set his leg on the top of the barrel.

"To find All Blue!" he declared. So they were declaring their dream or something? Interesting...

"To become the Pirate King!" Luffy cried as he stuck his foot on top of the barrel.

"To be the greatest swordsman!" Zoro said, a grin on his face as he followed Luffy and Sanji's action.

"To draw a map of the world!" Nami added in as she placed her foot across from Zoro's.

Usopp hesitated. "Uh..I-I'm uhh…." he stammered, "To be a great warrior of the seas!"

They turned to look at Sakura, the last crew member. With a confidence she never experienced before, she walked forward, her hand brushing against her necklaces. No more drawings of Loguetown. No more living on the streets and hiding in alleyways. From now on, she would travel the Grand Line and discover new places, and she would do it all with Keri at her side.

"To show my sister the world!" she cried out, almost like a challenge. The crew grinned at each other, envisioning the times to come.

"LET'S GO TO THE GRAND LINE!" Luffy declared. With a yell of approval, the crew lifted their legs and smashed the barrel, reducing it to an explosion of splinters and water. Sakura let out a laugh of sheer joy.

"Welcome to the crew, Sakura!" Nami called out. Sakura gently gripped the her necklace charms, and a small smile spread across her face.

"Sa-chan…" she murmured, "You can call me Sa-chan...if you want."

Usopp and Nami gaped at her while Sanji twirled around in circles screaming, "SA-CHWAAANN!"

"Is it really ok?" Usopp asked, nervously eyeing her, "I mean...well..you know." Sakura raised an eyebrow. Were they scared because of how she had reacted before? Or was it...no...Raoul couldn't have..

"What exactly did you talk about with Raoul when I was out?" she asked, suspicion in her voice.

"Nothing!" Nami and Usopp cried out. One look at their nervous faces was all Sakura needed. She shook her head in mock disappointment and smiled.

"Of course the old man would tell you," she muttered, though her light tone showed that she wasn't angry. She smiled softly at the crew, "It's true that that name is connected to some bad stuff in my past." Everybody but Nami and Usopp looked curiously at her.

Sakura glanced at Luffy, who grinned right back at her. "Though I've been told more than enough times today," she continued, "That I shouldn't let my past decide my future."

Nami and Usopp looked at each other before turning back to Sakura. "Well then, Sa-chan it is!" Usopp boldly declared.

"Whatever, you're still just a chibi to me," Zoro said, earning a glare from Sakura.

"SA-CHWAANNNN! OH, I'M OVERJOYED SA-CHWAANN!" Sanji cried out.

Luffy chuckled. "Welcome to the crew, Sa!"

Sakura gently brushed her fingers over her necklace charms, a smile on her face.

A new start. Yeah, that was exactly what she needed.

"TO THE GRAND LINE!"