"You know you're going to have to start looking Luffy in the eye again." Rayleigh's sword was in his hands. It had taken months for him to finally acknowledge the growth in the girl's power. Now, Rayleigh actually had to put effort in blocking her swings.

"I look him in the eyes!" She replied a bit too quickly as her swing missed her mark. "Do you really have to go?"

"I need to make sure everything is ready for when his crew returns," he managed to grunt out, as her next downward thrust of the upper blade of her voulge found his sword. "And no, I've never seen you hold his gaze."

Annagi barely blocked Rayleigh's counterattack. Since the night she cried on Luffy's shoulder, she hadn't wanted to look him in the eyes. Thinking back on the moment only made her more embarrassed, though she did take his advice. Whenever Luffy was around, she never smiled the smile he hated; for him, she only smiled when she felt like it. And she kept her word that she'd be honest with herself and with him. Talking with Luffy had always made everything better, whether or not he understood what she was talking about. In her conversations, she would never look at him directly, but out of the corner of her eye, she did see relief on his face that she came to him when everything overwhelmed her. It even helped her out with her vendetta against the world. With a clearer sense of purpose, devoid of the fury she had before, her organization flourished in the dark as she made better decisions.

"And last night I saw you come home with a few less roses than you usually do," Rayleigh went on, smiling at her silence. He knew how to rile her up. She would make mistakes and open herself up to attacks when she was angry.

Annagi gripped her voulge a little tighter. Rayleigh always knew how to push her buttons. Maybe it was a sign that she actually had gotten stronger that he resorted to taunting her. The Spade Pirates had wanted her to be the one to collect the information gathered since they were all heading separate missions. It was just an excuse to get her to meet handsome men in romantic places under the guise of being inconspicuous. They said that no one would bother what seemed like two lovers on a date. If they weren't scattered over the seas, she would have boxed every last one of them for their not so clever ploy in hoping she would find someone else. As if anyone could even stand in Ace's shadow without being swallowed up whole. Thankfully, most of the men were too intimidated and fumbled for their intelligence, or were a little too bold and touchy and left with a black eye or a sore jaw. Slowing down her breathing to calm herself, she smirked at him. "Oh no, don't think that the men my idiot crew sent didn't think I was good enough for a bigger bouquet of flowers. I actually gave a couple roses away to a certain pink haired marine."

"Oh?" Rayleigh arched an eyebrow. He was surprised that his goading didn't work. It usually did the trick. It was time that he went on the attack.

"He helped me out after the man practically forced himself on me. Pirates have no idea what a woman looks for in a man. My beloved idiots thought I'd like him because he was the most handsome one yet." Annagi parried Rayleigh's sword with more ease than she had before, though it still took all her concentration to perceive his movements. "You should have seen him sweeping in like a knight in shining armor. He's done it a few times before too. You'd do well to learn a thing or two from him, you old pervert. He's a bit naïve, but really sweet and you know what –" She disappeared from view, catching Rayleigh by surprise for a fraction of a second, before she reappeared again. "He's taught me a few things." She brought down on the man's back, though he moved just as fast she did to escape.

Rayleigh felt a little tear on the back of his shirt. She was getting better. "Roshiki? He taught you Soru? Somehow, I don't think it was intentional."

Annagi moved with lightning speed, her voulge spun with the force of a tornado as she hurled it at him. "Like I said, he's naïve. I've toyed with him so many times that I was a little disappointed that he didn't recognize me."

The pink haired marine was Coby, she found out from Luffy during one of their conversations. After what he did at Marineford, Annagi had much respect for him even though he was a marine. When she saw him again during one of her forays onto to a marine base, she couldn't help but want to spar with him. He wasn't as weak than she thought he would be, but was thoroughly surprised at his secret techniques. Whenever she found him on her missions, she teased him into fighting her so she could observe his movements and after much practice, she could recreate them. Annagi knew that by sparring with him, he'd get stronger; she made sure she increased the difficulty of each of their spars. In a way, she wanted him to become admiral like he wanted. Maybe he could be the one to change that horrid organization.

"Somehow, I don't think that he didn't recognize you." Rayleigh dodged the voulge with ease and threw down his own sword grinning like a wolf. When the metal found the ground, the two of them charged at the other. Their spars had become routine. They started with weapons until one or the other lost theirs and then went seamlessly into hand to hand combat. Annagi might have had a small frame, but she was surprisingly a scrappy fighter. She was like a rabid dog hell bent on meeting her objectives.

Blow after blow landed and were defended between the two. They were like blurs, moving with such speed beyond any normal human movement. Their exchanges that impacted sent a great output of force, causing the tree the rustle among them.

"You tend to be as oblivious as Luffy to the string of hearts you have wrapped around your fingers." That was enough of a taunt to cause to lose her composure of a moment. It was all he needed as his kick connected with her stomach.

She grunted and staggered back. Annagi didn't fall down this time.

"ANN!" Luffy screamed so loudly, she and Rayleigh rushed back to their camp. "ANN!"

"Is Max ok?!" Annagi fell to her knees after making it back, Rayleigh right behind her.

Luffy laughed as Annagi looked up, her face immediately changed.

"Dada!" Max was walking by himself towards Luffy. Luffy's face lit up at Max's word and his tentative steps.

Annagi beamed, her hand clasped over her mouth, tears flowing down; she didn't miss her son's first steps. She had been so afraid that she wouldn't be there when he took them. Happiness washed over her and she smiled broadly, as she got up and stood behind her son, making sure that he wouldn't fall. She watched as his little legs moved bit by bit to close the gap between himself and the man he called his father.

When he reached Luffy, the pirate caught him up in his arms. Turning him around, Max saw his mother, the same pair of eyes looking at each other.

"Mama!" Maximilian took his little steps, this time a little more confident as he squealed happily at this new thing he was able to do with his body. Falling into his mother's arms, Annagi didn't want to let him go, but he struggled to break free and walk again.

Rayleigh watched Roger's grandson walk between the man who now owned his former captain's straw hat and a woman Roger couldn't even begin to dream of for his son with a smile on his face, more certain that the future wouldn't be as grim at it seemed. The future was in good hands.

Luffy and Annagi played with Maximilian for the rest of the day. He walked and fell and got up and walked again. It was one of the happiest days of their lives. They looked like a picture perfect family.

"I finally got him to sleep." Annagi sighed, lying down next to Luffy as they looked up at the stars. It had become a welcome routine for the both of them at the end of a day. "He really is a pirate's son. Ace always fell asleep when I sang Bink's Sake as a lullaby for him too."

Luffy began to hum the chorus, before Annagi's hand covered his mouth. Luffy stared at her confusedly. His insides were in knots every time his friend was so close, though he couldn't figure out why or when that horrid feeling began.

"He's going to wake up!" The girl finally looked him fully in the eye before stifling a small laugh. "And your voice isn't the most calming."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He pouted as she removed her hand and went back to watching the stars.

"I like when you sing it though," she replied. "It always sounds so happy. Very pirate like."

Luffy felt heat rising from his face, hoping he wasn't getting sick. He cursed the feeling in the pit of his stomach as if there were animals inside fluttering around. Pushing the thought out of his mind, he changed the subject. "Ray said he'd be leaving in a few months. We don't have a lot of time left either."

"But I think you've made a lot of progress," she mused. "You can use Haki so much better now. It's a bit unbelievable that you didn't know how to use it at all before."

"I guess," he sheepishly replied, ears turning red at her praise. "And you've become so much stronger too! I mean you were pretty good before, but now, it's a whole different story."

"But I still can't beat you," she pretended to whine. "It's not fair!"

"I wouldn't want to face you in a real fight anyways," Luffy tried to cheer her up. "You're super scary when you want to be!" For some reason beyond his comprehension, it made the situation worse.

The rest of Rayleigh's time on the island flew by after that night. Everything got busier when Maximilian started to walk on his own; he was shockingly fast for child just starting to walk and always finding himself out of anyone's reach. Max seemed to relish everyone chasing after him as he laughed happily as he ran away from them. That in itself was a lesson in keeping patience and calm. Luffy was the only one that enjoyed running after him.

In those months, both of Rayleigh's students achieved the milestones he set for them by leaps and bounds. There was nothing left to teach them. He was not an easy man to impress and an even harder teacher, but his students exceeded his expectations.

"Alright, you little brats." Rayleigh held Roger's grandson for the last time. "I'm heading back to Saboady now. Luffy, you know what you have to do. Annagi, just stay out of his way and keep up with your own training."

They both nodded. He had given them their instructions many times before. Luffy was survive without any help and Annagi was to continue training her body.

"You cannot help him at all, Annagi," the white haired man reiterated his warning. "No matter what happens. If you help him now, you'll cause his failure down the line."

"I know!" Annagi had told him she wouldn't interfere. She took Maximilian back from the Dark King. "I wouldn't help him if he was in the belly of the boss of this island."

Rayleigh grinned at her as Luffy's face fell. "Good to see the Avenging Angel living up to the ruthlessness of the stories I've read."

"I seem to remember them calling me demon when they last fought me." A wolfish smile flashed across her face. She knew it would give him the reassurance he needed and to convey the gratitude she had for his training. "I think that suits me better as a student of the Dark King himself."

Rayleigh nodded to the both of them before jumping into the ocean, swimming away with the grace and strength of a fishman.

"We'll see you in six months!" Luffy called after him. "Thank you for everything, Ray!"

As Rayleigh disappeared into the sea, Annagi thought nothing more of Luffy's comment about how they would see him in six months.

The days after Rayleigh left made for an uncomfortable adjustment period. Since they were a man down, Maximilian couldn't stay on the island while they both trained. Annagi's Gramps had become a frequent visitor, taking Max for the day and bringing back in the night. Neither she nor Luffy liked being away from the boy, but they knew it was the best option for the both of them. As difficult as their days had become, their nights were equally happy. Maximilian's laughter filled the air as they sat under the stars telling him bedtime stories until he fell asleep.

The last two months were as gloomy as it could be with the onset of the winter weeks and the absence of Max as he stayed with Garp. The former marine had insisted that he babysit on his vacation. As painful as it was for Annagi to leave her son with him, she knew that it was for the best that she focused on the last months of her training. Max loved Garp as well and she knew that he was in capable hands. Seeing the man partly responsible for raising Ace making silly faces at her own son, warmed her attitude towards him. She wondered if he made those same faces for Ace when he was a baby.

Luffy and Annagi rarely saw each other during the day. They both had different training regimens and Annagi knew she had to stay out of his way. She on the other hand did her usual physical training and then went off the island to find sparring partners. Whether they were her subordinates in Vengeance or unknowing marines she happened across. She took training the members of her group as seriously as Rayleigh did with her. When she popped in on them, each man would look at her as if the devil himself had come from hell. As the time to leave approached, Annagi found herself on more intelligence gathering missions than she would have liked. At least she had hoped they would be women she was meeting instead of men, though her luck fell short. As much as she didn't want to cast suspicion on her men, part of her knew that it was a form of payback for the hellish training she put them through.

Nightfall came and the usual lying beneath the stars was a sure death sentence in the frigid cold. Instead, the two of them would sit in front of the fireplace of the house they had renovated and drink the tea that Annagi made.

"How was your day?" Annagi asked, like she always did.

Luffy let out a long sigh.

Annagi laughed. "So, there's another one you can't eat."

Luffy had unintentionally made friends with several of the creatures he defeated and found that they followed him faithfully. When she heard it the first time, she thought it was a joke until Luffy almost cried at losing a source of meat.

"It's ok though! Sanji will make us the best food when we get back to the Thousand Sunny!" Luffy's eyes lit up, a bit of drool forming out of the corner of his mouth.

Annagi looked down into her cup, staring at the ripples in the tea as her hands trembled ever so slightly. Luffy assumed that she and Maximilian were going to with him at the end of the month. As the days counted down, he told her how they would all be happy to have her and Max and how Max would have all these new people to play with. The sound of his voice as he talked about Brook singing Max to sleep or Usopp telling him bedtime stories or even Zoro teaching him the sword in a few years was filled with so much excitement that she didn't have the heart to tell him any differently. Annagi sometimes let herself be swept up in his imagination, wondering what it would be like to be part of a normal pirate crew again. More than that, she let herself imagine how happy they would be if she, Max, and Luffy continued to spend their days together, whether it be on the Thousand Sunny or anywhere else for that matter. Every night, she convinced herself that she would break it to him the next night. He was so happy and when he smiled like that, she felt happy too. She couldn't take that away from the both of them.