Crimson Hunter

by Konsaki

Ranma 'awakens' to find herself a child once more, her memories fragmented into dreams of another life. As Ranma grows up for the second time, she regains what remains of her legacy, in this new world of Adventure, Pirates and Marines. One thing's for sure, no matter if it's this world or the next, Ranma is going to become the best martial artist in it, come hell or high water!

3. Chapter 3

Crimson Hunter

A Ranma 1/2 and One Piece FanFiction

Written by: Konsaki

The crimson haired young woman sat there watching the sun set over the distant horizon of East Blue, casting the sky and clouds into a dazzling array of red and violets. She breathed slowly, taking in the calm tranquility that came to the island during the twilight hours. It was times like these, where the Yang of the world gave way to the Yin, that she paused and thought about who she was and where she was going.

That she did so while calmly balancing on a three meter bamboo pole was of no consequence to her.

She thought about herself. How she had grown tall, strong and beautiful over the past two years, so much like her mother but with a dash of her father. How her dreams had gained clarity as the months went by, increasing her fighting skills but also giving her valuable lessons on what not to do in life. How she had coped with what she considered her second failure in failing to stop Ace from leaving the island and abandoning his brother.

Ace…

A smoldering flame of anger still sat in her heart with the thoughts of that man. He was a man now to her, one who had achieved some success in his dreams, if the wanted poster she saw was any indication. A flawed man. One she couldn't trust anymore; for if you could abandon your family, what wouldn't you do?

Abandoned Luffy…

Luffy was crushed… almost broken when Ranma had finally been able to see him. The leg Ace had broken prevented her from going to him, but thankfully her mother had convinced Luffy to come back with her. Being together allowed them to share in their loss and remember the good times they had with Sabo and, with time and patience, Luffy's heart slowly healed.

Healing…

That broken leg was a blessing in disguise, at least to Ranma. Having Doc Green shoving the bone back into place and casting it up struck a dream memory in her. Ki... The internal energy flows only one fully attuned to their body can harness. It had taken long bouts of meditation and self searching but she had plenty of time on her hands. Once she found that tiny spark, though, she focused on rediscovering how to use it and make it stronger.

Her leg was healed in just six days instead of the normal three months.

And every day that past, the island felt smaller and smaller.

The wanderlust had hit her hard just after Ace left the island. Once her leg was deemed healed by Doc Green, two full weeks later, Ranma had taken Luffy exploring the entire island. Garp had never come back after Sabo died, no idea why, but Ranma considered it her job now to train Luffy.

Ranma had to admit, Garp was a hard act to follow.

She'd dreamt up more training that the man in glasses had made up. Most were useful, some were impractical… the rest were idiotic and discarded like a week old catch of the day. Still, even the idiotic ones had a lesson in there for her to learn, so she thanked the panda man, whoever he was.

Where she had grown as tall and stunning as her mother; Luffy was finally growing out of his babyface faze and into a thin but handsome young man. She had to wonder if Grandpa Garp looked like Luffy when he was younger, but with the same grin they both used, it was probably a sure thing.

But the island kept feeling smaller and smaller with each letter her father sent back. All the fantastical locations and strange phenomenon he described fueled the desire to travel. That and the fact that she was always traveling in her dreams.

There was a limit to how strong a martial artist she could be if she stayed on Dawn Island… with her mother.

No matter how she thought about it, every time she considered leaving the island, she couldn't help but compare herself to Ace. She felt like she was abandoning her mother if she left and it was destroying her. Up until they had a mother/daughter talk with a bottle of sake and two shot glasses… it was a long night that she paid for in the morning.

Her mother knew how much the decision of whether to leave or stay was strangling her. The need to better herself was playing tug of war with the loyalty to her family, and she was being stretched thin in the middle.

And Makino told her to go.

Go around the world if she needed to but Makino wanted her daughter to be the woman Ranma needed to grow into, not what Ranma thought her mother needed her to become. Makino did give a suggestion, one which resonated in the younger crimson tressed woman, 'Go find your father when you're ready.'

Going directly to the Grand Line was an insane plan, one fitting the worst of Panda Man's ideas. Instead, Ranma had thought about it and decided to just have a quick trip off island to… break the ice, she guessed.

After talking with a few of the navigators that came in on the merchantmen to trade at Foosha Village, she'd made up her mind and set a date to travel.

Destination: Shimotsuki Village on Dusk Island

Date of travel: 6th of May 1651

Three days away…

oO0Oo

"You remembered to pack a spare toothbrush, right?"

"Yes, Mama." Ranma said in a tired voice, having heard her mother's 'preparedness' questions all morning. "I have a spare toothbrush."

"Spare underwear?" Makino fretted, worrying her hands as she walked her daughter to the docks and the ship she'd sail off on.

"Yes, Mama." Ranma repeated, looking towards the heavens for a reprieve.

"Your monthly supplies?"

"MOM!" Ranma cried out in incredulity, face flushing a bright red.

"Just making sure you were listening." Makino stated with a grin. "Remember, it's a mother's prerogative to embarrass their children."

The scarlet haired young woman just pinched the bridge of her nose while giving a sigh. "Yeah, yeah. I know, payback's a bitch."

Makino just grinned in satisfaction before touching her daughter's shoulder. "Let me get one last look at you before you go."

Ranma stopped and faced her mother, still admiring how youthful she still looked. Sailors who had never berthed in Foosha's harbor had started mistaking them for sisters on rare occasion, which made her mother act like a giddy teenager, much to Ranma's embarrassment.

Makino, though, examined her daughter with a much more critical eye. Crimson hair bound in a long braid, acceptable. No make-up; her daughter was naturally pretty enough to pull it off stunningly, much to Makino's quiet envy. Forest green vest open over a sky blue short-sleeved shirt; practical for travel but still displayed her daughter's generous bust, the vest framing the sides while the shirt showing just a tease of cleavage. Adjustable thick-strapped sandals; didn't clash with the outfit but barely worked with it too.

The navy blue cargo shorts, though… those Makino eyed the most critically. They looked like they were men's cut and big enough to require the black leather belt to cinch them down to Ranma's narrow waist. They did nothing to flatter her daughter's hips but, paradoxically, it seemed to amplify the cute adventurer look that Ranma just seemed to shine with. Makino didn't mind her daughter driving the boy's wild, she wanted grandchildren someday, but...

Ranma gulped in reflex to seeing her mother's deep blue eyes narrow, Makino's hands clamping onto her shoulders to prevent her escape.

"You better not come back pregnant!"

If anything, Ranma's flushed face hit critical mass. "MOTHER!" She exclaimed in scandalized shock. "I'd never… what are you... NO!"

"Of course if you do, I'd love you no matter what happens."

Ranma slumped her shoulders in defeat, her long crimson bangs hiding her face of the same shade. "Mama… please stop teasing me…"

Makino just broke out in laughter, guiding her mortified daughter towards the docks once more. "But it's so fun! Your face turns such a pretty red, it matches your hair and reminds me of your father."

"It does, doesn't it." Ranma agreed, smiling shyly at her mother who beamed back.

It wasn't much longer before they reached the gangplank leading up to the outbound merchantman.

Ranma gave her mother a deep hug, smiling at the love in her mother's teary eyes. "I'll be back in two months, give or take a few days." Leaning in, she kissed her mother's cheek before breaking away. "Love you, Mom."

"Love you, too, Honey." Makino replied with a sad smile, giving a small wave before hugging her own arms around herself. She flashed a quick stern glare before her daughter turned away. "You better write me when you get there, Ohmoto Ranma."

"Aye, aye, Ma'am!" Ranma jokingly answered back, throwing up an absurdly sloppy Marine salute, something Garp had tried to drill into her and the boys when they were younger.

"You better! Have a safe trip and enjoy yourself! See you when you get back!" Makino called up as her daughter finally reached the deck of the ship.

It was one of the hardest things in her life to watch her daughter sail away into the distance, waving from the aft of the poop deck until her small form couldn't be seen. It reminded her of seeing Shanks leave port for the final time almost ten years ago.

Sighing, the green haired woman turned around and headed back towards her bar. If Luffy managed to wake up before noon, he'd probably still be suffering from his after-birthday hangover. Still, it seemed that age really doesn't equal maturity, considering he tried to beat Ranma in a drinking contest… Ranma had to finish his final two shots for him as he lay under the table.

Hiding a small giggle at Luffy's antics last night, the mother decided to be nice and whip up a hangover cure… at least to prevent the childish whining,

When she finally arrived at her business and home, though, she found an unexpected guest, who trilled at her with impatience. Accepting the letter from the Delivery Coo with an appology, the bird flapped off into the sky and to it's other deliveries to accomplish.

Seeing the origin of the letter, Makino couldn't help but let out a small laugh. Actually reading the letter itself, the green haired woman let out a whoop of joy and started dancing in the street, to the amusement of any nearby villagers.

'Maybe I won't be so lonely after all!' Makino thought as she held the letter to her heart.

oO0Oo

"Haul that line like you have a pair!" The merchantman's captain bellowed through his soaked grey beard and over the storm above. Seeing the sailor work harder, he shifted his gaze upwards. "Anytime today with that mainsails, if you'd please!"

"Aye, aye, Captain!" The call came back down.

The captain blinked at the unexpected voice, peering up to see a girl's form illuminated by the storm's flashing lightning. She scampered and ran along the yardarm for the mainsail as if it wasn't slick with rain and rolling in choppy waters.

Turning from the foremast, where the girl was, he grimaced at the relatively slow speed of the mainmast crew and let out a loud bellow. "With the speed of that girl, you dickless weaklings!"

"I'll help them!" The girl called out a moment later from the foremast.

Glancing back, the captain's eyes widened as he witnessed the girl leap from the edge of a yardarm directly to the mainmast before getting to work cinching down that mainsail as well.

Once the ship was tied up to weather out the storm, the captain took the girl down to the gun deck to warm up with some hot cider. "Where'd you learn to do that, girl?"

Pushing the soaked crimson hair from her face, Ranma grinned proudly. "From my father!"

"Who's your father girl and where is he now?" The captain inquired, hoping to find out the secret to training such sailors.

"He's a captain on the Grand Line." Ranma replied, enjoying the shocked look on the captain's face. Deciding to push just a little farther, she added, "Last letter we got said he had just left Paradise and moved on to the New World!"

Apparently the small time captain knew those code words for the 'relatively easy' first half of the Grand Line and the untamed waters of chaotic weather and flows that made up the New World. If you could enter the New World and live to tell about it, you were almost a legend to the sailors who never even entered the Grand Line.

"His name, girl." The captain asked with bated breath.

Ranma just smiled coyly and turned back towards her rented cupboard cabin, intent on changing out of her waterlogged clothes.

oO0Oo

Ranma stood at the bow of the ship, watching the harbor closing in the distance. Glancing behind her at the tromping boots coming in her direction, she smiled mischievously at the approaching captain. "This is your last chance, Captain."

"Blast you and your one guess a day shenanigans." The captain swore, half in jest, at the little game the redhead decided to play. One guess at who her father was per day with no hints and she wasn't allowed to lie if he guessed correctly. "Alright, then. I think I've got it."

"Go ahead." Ranma urged him on with a grin.

Taking a breath, the captain boosted his ego on the obviously correct guess. "Dracule Mihawk."

Ranma just blinked at the grey bearded man before breaking down laughter. The man deflated almost immediately. "Sorry, sorry." She tried to console him. "But Dracule Mihawk isn't even a ship captain! He's just, like, the most famous swordsman out there on the Grand Line!"

She forced herself to tamp down on her laughter at seeing the grown man before her sulking like a young child.

"It's the sword, isn't it?" She asked, jerking a thumb towards the hilt sticking over her right shoulder.

"Aye, it is. I saw it this morning and thought…" He started to explain before trailing off due to his embarrassment.

"Wasn't a bad idea, really." Ranma stated as she patted his shoulder before walking away from the bow towards the mainmast. "Dad always said he was one of the few people who could spar and drink with Mihawk as equals. Well, before he lost his sword arm, that is…"

At that, a flash of recognition entered the captain's eyes but before he could turn around to say anything, the girl had already jumped ship to the docks below. Literally jumped ship, instead of waiting for the tethering and gangplank, the girl had lept the twenty meter distance and walked away like it was absolutely nothing.

oO0Oo

While Shimotsuki Village still held the 'village' moniker, Ranma felt it deserved the 'city' name. It seemed closer to the scale of Goa City instead of her home village of Foosha. Still, it felt good to have solid earth under her feet as the redhead stepped off the wooden planks of the docks and onto the stone harbor seawall.

Sure, Shimotsuki didn't have the tall three or four story buildings lining the streets like Goa City did, as far as she'd seen so far, but it was still both impressive and comfortable at the same time.

Adjusting the weight of the sword on her right and the satchel on her left shoulders, Ranma moved into the rather crowded main street. Dodging around the porters and customers browsing the open market stalls, the young woman stepped onto a relatively clear side street.

Wandering down it for a few minutes, Ranma marked a few businesses to check out later after she had reached the Isshin Dojo. The problem was, while she knew it was in this city, she didn't know where it actually was.

Her irritation at that fact was sidetracked as she witnessed a boy around her age stepping out of an alleyway into the street while grumbling under his breath. That in itself wasn't very noteworthy, but the three swords he wore on his right hip to match his earrings were.

Seeing the moss-green haired swordsman looking up and down the street while scratching his short hair, Ranma decided to speak to him.

"Hey, do you know where the Isshin Dojo is?" Ranma called to him, walking forward.

Blinking, the sleepy looking man's eyes suddenly sharpened as he automatically evaluated the woman walking towards him. Seeming to find something or not, Ranma wasn't sure, he nodded and pointed to the north-west. "Just go that way until you reach the rice fields and bamboo groves."

Not really being able to see anything in that exact direction due to him pointing to a cobbler's business, Ranma had to take his word for it. "Thanks for the directions."

As she started walking past him, he called out to her. "I'm headed for the docks but I took a shortcut…"

Turning back to the swordsman, the martial artist heard the unsaid request but found it a little odd that someone who knew enough to point out the dojo couldn't find the docks, especially when they were so close. "Just head that way and turn right when you reach the main road."

"Thanks." The young man nodded and turned in the indicated direction, his earrings jingling with each step as he laid his right arm over the swords stuck through his haramaki.

Ranma just shrugged and headed in the direction he indicated, or at least tried to. As she made her way farther into the city, she couldn't help but feel lost, really wanting to jump up to the roof of a building to scout around. She didn't though, since that would be inconsiderate to whoever owned it, as her mother had drilled into her head back home.

As the minutes passed and she traveled the streets, still trying to stick to the directions the swordsman had given her, Ranma started to feel bored. The newness of Shimotsuki Village was wearing off for her, starting to just remind her of the few times she'd been in Goa City's common district. Sure, there was the extravagant noble district, but here it was just the normal everyday people's homes and small shops.

A flash of green caught Ranma's blue eyes, a tailor's shop displaying their wares in the window. Pausing in the street, she thought about how the pattern would look as a kerchief for her mother.

"Get back here you brats!"

Hearing the words, the redhead looked over her shoulder to see three boys sprinting out of a alley, just a few feet away, as if their lives depended on it. They flowed around her like a stone in a river, her eyes watching them dart into another alleyway.

She never saw the girl who slammed into her from behind before the impact, making the martial artist stumble a few feet before regaining her balance.

"Sorry!" The thin brown haired girl called back as she chased after the young boys, her aquamarine dress flowing behind her as she cut into the same alley they boys had done seconds before.

'Something was off about this', Ranma felt. Thinking about it for a second, she jerked straight up and patted her short's pockets before screaming in outrage. "That bitch stole my wallet!"

Sprinting towards the same alley the kids and girl had gone into, she found no sight of her quarry. Growling, Ranma decided to throw decorum to the wind, leaping to the rooftops to try and catch sight of the pickpocket. Seeing movement to the east, she leapt the separating street, landing on the flat rooftop before sprinting along the alleyway below.

"Well, there's the runts." She muttered under her breath, trying to stay hidden while looking for the girl in the dress. The boys all looked exhausted but thrilled with their escape, Ranma assumed.

'Either that, or they were in on the job', she considered, deciding to shadow the boys to see where they went. 'Might lead me back to her.'

It took the boys around an hour before they reached what looked like an orphanage, a large two story building surrounded a stone wall with children of varying ages playing in the small courtyard. What looked like the matron, an aging woman in a long black dress, saw the boys enter the gate and seemed to take them to task for something. Looking chastised, they trudged inside the building, the woman shaking her head before entering behind them.

"Well, I guess that's interesting but not really useful." Ranma groused out, clearly unhappy with the situation. Still, something seemed off about the situation and suddenly quite a lot of time on her hands.

After a few more minutes of watching the orphanage, Ranma spit on the roof. "Time to get help."

oO0Oo

"Welcome to Marine East Blue Detachment Seventeen." The twenty something man in the white and blue marine uniform greeted as Ranma came through the entrance. "How can I help you today? Bounty Reports? Applying to the Marines? Report of pirate activity?"

"There's been a theft." Ranma replied, taking the sword from her back as she sat in a guest's seat at the desk.

Removing his cap to scratch at short brown hair, the man sighed. "I'm pretty sure that if it happened in town it's not our jurisdiction, Ma'am."

Waving away his worries, Ranma crossed her legs and leaned back with a small determined grin. "I've already talked with the local police about it and made a report. They suggested I come to you guys."

"So why are you here, then?" The Marine asked, leaning forward with his elbows on the desk.

"I'm hoping you can help me find the thief if I give you a description."

Quirking his brow, the low ranking Marine frowned as he thought about the request. Coming to a decision he hedged an answer. "I can't guarantee anything, of course, but I'll listen to see if it rings any bells, okay?"

Shrugging, Ranma wasn't really expecting to have the Marines sortie for her problems, just a little help to point her in the right direction. "Okay, I can live with that." Seeing a 'go ahead' motion from the man, she sat a little straighter in the chair. "Brown hair, shoulder length; wore glasses but they were smallish. Sea green dress just above her knee with black soft soled shoes. Was chasing three boys who eventually returned to the orphanage on the north side of the city; not sure if they were a part of the theft or just a convenient distraction."

Blinking in surprise, the Marine on desk duty dutifully wrote down the details. "That's an oddly detailed description... well, compared to what my buddy in the police says they get, I guess."

"I really want my money back and if I can stop a criminal from harming other innocent people, that's a martial artist's duty, too."

"Okay, then. Just give me a few minutes to ask around but just keep in mind that we don't need any overzealous vigilantism from well meaning civilians, alright? We don't want either you or someone else hurt cause you tried to take the law into your own hands." The man warned the younger woman sitting before him.

Nodding with understanding, placing a hand to her chest. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna start prowling the alleys at night, beating up every 'bad guy' I find. I'm just trying to find out info about this thief to turn her in for justice and get my money back."

It was around ten minutes later Ranma had a new location in town to search. An off duty Marine had seen a girl matching the description leaving a cafe just a fifteen minute walk from the Marine Detachment.

Ranma got there in three.

oO0Oo

Letting out another yawn, Ranma shifted her seat in the shade of a chimney, finding the stake-out of the cafe from a nearby roof rather boring after the first five or so minutes. Those five minutes had dragged into two hours of boring waiting and, if she was honest with herself, the girl might not even show up today.

"Stupid thief! I had better things to do with my time, dammit." The crimson haired girl grumbled under her breath, picking at her shirt to cool off some. Her position on the rooftops had no shade until the evening sun lowered in the sky, turning the city into a cascade of auburn colors. Some of the street lanterns were already starting to be lit in the shade of the taller buildings.

Traveling her gaze up another of the four roads her target could be taking, if she stuck to the main roads and not the alleyways, her blue eyes flicked from person to person. The important thing was to not to focus too much on any one person, at least that's what Panda Man had told her one time. He said it tunneled your vision to other important details, like when he stole her food right under her nose.

If she didn't know it was all just a dream, she'd be really annoyed at that.

There! A flash of bright blue in the corner of her eye. Making sure to move smoothly and not make sharp movements, to not draw the attention of her prey, she slid to the edge of the roof. Deliberately staying in the shadows, she watched as the brown haired thief calmly strode down the street to sit at one of the cafe's outdoor tables.

Focusing on the girl, Ranma frowned slightly. The girl felt like Luffy did, that strange second power mixing in with her Ki. "She's a Devil Fruit user."

It had taken her almost a year of self study but Ranma finally realised what her dream self had accomplished with his Ki sight. It was definitely impractical during combat, requiring intense focus to perform, but was sometimes useful when examining someone or something. In this world, it made finding Devil Fruit users almost too easy, though it couldn't tell her what type and powers they had. If worse comes to worse, the sword on her back could handle that if it came to it.

Sliding back from the edge of the building, Ranma couldn't help but twist her lips into a predatory grin. Moving to the ladder on the back side, away from vision, she slid down in one smooth motion to the alleyway below. From there, she made her way out onto the street and smoothly strode towards her target.

Approaching the cafe she had to wave away a waiter, instead silently moving up behind the brunette girl from behind and sliding into the seat across from her.

The startled 'Eep!' the girl let out when she looked back and found Ranma sitting there gave the martial artist a warm tingly feeling as it stroked her vengeful pride.

"Let's not make a scene, alright?" The redhead advised, stopping the brunette even as the thief shifted to bolt. "I also have Seastone."

The thief stiffened at that, sweat beading on her brow. After a few moments had passed, she whispered a question. "What do you want?"

"My money back." Ranma calmly answered, plucking the cafe menu from her quarry's frozen hands. "All 70,000 of it."

"Are you ladies ready to order?"

Not bothering to look away from the brown haired girl across from her, Ranma grinned. "Tangerine marmalade cheese cake, please. My friend here told me it was her treat."

There was a twitching to the brunette's cheek, which amused the redhead. The treat Ranma had just ordered was rather pricey at 1600 Beli.

"And for you, Miss?"

"A coffee; two sugars, no cream." Ranma continued to grin. That was one of the cheapest items on the menu.

As the waiter left the two young women alone, the brunette glared at the smirking redhead. "What now? You not going to order the seventeen piece sampler?"

"Well, if you're offering…" Ranma smugly replied, starting to raise her hand to wave over another waiter.

The brunette practically lept over the table to drag it back down. "Are you trying to make me wash dishes all night?!" She hissed towards Ranma.

This caused Ranma to quirk her brow as her blue eyes stared into the brunette's hazel eyes. "You took my 70,000 Beli, remember?

Pulling back to slump in her chair, the brunette sighed. "I don't have it, okay?"

"You don't have it." Ranma flatly parroted before leaning forward with heat in her eyes. "What do you mean you don't have my money?!"

Cringing back, the girl in the aquamarine dress looked down to the table where her hands fidgeted. "Look, it's… complicated."

"Then uncomplicate it for me." Ranma directed, slowly applying pressure to the toe of one of the thief's feet with her own. "How about your name for starters."

The girl held out on answering for a bit but eventually hissed in a breath of pain and let out a choked whisper. "It's Sora… Valke Sora."

Letting up the pressure, Ranma nodded slightly at getting an answer. "Okay now, how about where's my money?"

Glancing around subtly at the nearby tables to make sure no one was listening in, Sora leaned in to whisper. "Little Vinnie has it now, okay?"

"Who's that?" Ranma inquired, not recognizing the name from any wanted signs the Marines had hanging in their offices.

Before Sora could answer, a waiter walked up and deposited their orders, as well as the check, which made the brunette wince. Once it was clear, she composed herself and answered. "He's the new crime boss in town. They say he gained the position by killing his brother in cold blood."

That made Ranma frown but it was incidental to her primary concern. "Why does he have it?"

Sora let out another sigh and ran a hand through her shoulder length hair. "He's holding some kids hostage and told us something 'unfortunate' would happen to them we couldn't pay the ransom. He was 'nice' enough to take it in payments but he added some bullshit 'interest' to it. Cost of the kids' care, he said."

"Why not go to the police or the Marines?" Ranma asked, deciding to cut the small cheesecake into two pieces, hers bigger than the one she slid towards Sora.

Sora smiled slightly at the twisted generosity but used a spoon to eat some. She scowled a second later as she continued the topic at hand. "First thing he told us was that if he even smelled a 'pig' or 'seagull' within two blocks of his hideout, unfortunate things would happen."

Ranma savored the sweetly tart treat while she thought about things. Finally, she pointed towards the thief across from her with the spoon. "The kids are from that orphanage on the north side of the city, huh?"

"How'd you know that?" Sora asked, suddenly apprehensive again.

"Followed those boys back there after I lost track of you." Ranma explained before taking another spoonful of the treat. "Don't worry, they're fine except for the Matron chewing them out."

Sora couldn't stop a small giggle from escaping her lips as she looked in the direction of the orphanage. "Yeah, Sister Freya is like that." Firming her expression, she pleaded with her hunter. "Please leave the boys alone. They thought it was just a game."

Ranma just waved off the concern. "Don't worry about them. Yeah, I'm still kinda pissed at you for stealing from me but I guess you're sorta in a hard spot here."

"Thanks. Thank you, er…" Sora blinked in realization. "Ah, I didn't catch your name…"

"Cause I didn't give it." Ranma stated, grinning at the annoyed look Sora gave her for the smartass response. "Ranma, Ohmoto Ranma."

Taking a sip from her coffee, Sora nodded in acceptance. "So, Ranma, what happens now?"

Ranma's grin tuned slightly feral as she finished of her cake. "Now? Now you lead me to this Vinnie's place so I can get my money back, free the kids and kick his ass for causing me trouble. Probably not in that order but, who knows, I've been a good girl recently."

Sora couldn't help it, the stunned incredulity at her companion's statement faded into a fit of giggling at the absurdity of it all. And most importantly, hope. It didn't stop her from squawking in outrage when Ranma reached over and stole the last of Sora's cheesecake.

oO0Oo

Standing in the shadows, the two young women observed the rather plain white warehouse that was their target. The only odd thing about it was that all the windows were blacked out with paint and sentries patrolled the roof while trying to be inconspicuous.

"Well, this is pretty anticlimactic." Ranma commented, pouting at how unimpressive it all looked.

Rolling her eyes, Sora hissed back in a hushed sarcastic tone. "What'd you expect? A large sign saying 'Little Vinnie's Crime Hideout: To be extorted, inquire inside'?"

Flashing a grin, the redhead imagined the hypothetical sign placed above the plain white building while Marines and Police walked by oblivious to it. She sobered quickly though as she examined the building once again. "Okay, so how are we going to get in? I doubt they'd let us in if we just ask nicely."

"That's where I come in." The brunette responded, holding up her right hand which turned into white cloudy wisps. "I'll slip inside on of the windows using the Sora Sora no Mi and open it from the inside." She blinked in confusion as Ranma leveled a flat look at her. "What?"

"Really? Sora Sora no Mi?" Ranma asked in disbelief, crossing her arms beneath her chest.

Flushing brightly enough to be seen in the twilight shadows, Sora leveled a glare at the other girl and hissed out in embarrassment. "Look, I didn't choose the name, alright! It was an accident! Now can we focus on the task at hand?!"

Still smirking but holding her hands in a placating way, Ranma acquiesced. "Okay, okay. So, you open the window and I get inside. We find the kids and my money and then you lead the kids back out to safety while I go 'talk' with Vinnie."

Sora looked a little wary about the third point but her priority was the kids, not whatever Ranma did to the crime boss.

Ranma glanced up towards the roof before pounding her fist into the palm of her other hand. "Alright! Let's do this!"

Sora blinked at how fast and silent the redheaded girl flowed from the shadows to cross the street, now posted beside their target window. It took her a moment to catch up, matching the stealth of her companion. Once at the window, they shared a nod before her form wavered to a cloudy white before slipping inside the building through a crack.

Ranma tapped a finger against her thigh, waiting for the other girl, before hearing the light click of the window latch. Putting her hands on either side of the window frame, she pushed just so to have it silently slide up enough for her to slip through it. Turning to the now normal looking thief nearby, she whispered lowly. "Where to?"

Sora waved with her hands, leading the martial artist further into the dark, dusty warehouse. Taking it slowly, alert for any patrols or traps, the brunette girl finally heard the soft whimper of one of her objectives. Ranma heard it too, pushing forward with greater speed but the same level of silence, her sandaled feet barely scuffing the dust on the wood floors.

Both girls slid behind some crates when a sharp crack of metal on metal rang through the darkness.

"Quiet down, runt! I'm trying to sleep here!" A gruff man's voice rolled out from up ahead.

The two girls shared a look before Ranma motioned that she was going ahead, which Sora nodded to. She was a sneaky thief, not a fighter that Ranma seemed to be. Playing to her strengths, though, her body turned to white wisps that flowed over a pile of crates to a more hidden spot that she could still see Ranma from.

Ranma had somehow climbed up and was walking along a thin cable running five meters above the ground as if she didn't even notice it was only a centimeter thick at best. Guessing at what she was about to do, Sora flowed into a new position near the cages and managed to gain the children's' attention, motioning for their silence.

The martial artist above didn't know any of this, focused on the slowed breathing of the man napping in a wooden chair below her. She supposed he was wearing a nice suit but the disheveled look of the man made it clear that he was just a mook. Landing in near perfect silence, she jabbed her index and middle fingers into a specific spot on his neck.

The mook's eyes flashed open as he jerked upright but the brown orbs rolled up in his head as he passed out before making a sound.

Smirking, Ranma took the keys from his belt. Then, thinking about it for a second, she looted his wallet and stuffed it into her shorts cargo pocket. Turning around, she saw Sora inside the cage, hugging the two children inside as they muffled their crying into her skirt. Quirking her brow, Ranma padded over and opened the lock. Swinging the door open, she jerked her head back towards the open window before motioning deeper into the warehouse where Vinnie might be.

Sora looked like she had eaten a lemon for a moment before nodding. Softly and carefully, she guided the still frightened children towards their freedom and safety. Looking over her shoulder at the last moment, the brunette mouthed a silent 'Good Luck'.

oO0Oo

"A pair of fives."

"Ha! A pair of eights!"

Groaning, the loser watched as the better dressed man at the table pulled the pile of chips towards him. "Come on, boss. Take is easy on us!"

"If you can't handle the heat, stay out of the kitchen, Bobby!" Vinnie stated, as he brushed some imaginary dust from his black pinstriped suit.

"What do kitchens have to do with cards, boss?"

Giving the speaker of that question 'the look' Vinnie continued to shuffle the cards. "Don't worry about it, Rosco. Just ante up, you're big blind now."

"How about you deal me in." A female voice broke in as she closed the office door.

"Who's there?!" Rosco demanded, jumping up from his chair, knife in hand.

Walking into the light provided by the single bulb burning over the card table, Ranma grinned without a hint of fear. "Just a girl looking for an entertaining night."

Vinnie snorted in amusement, eyeing the candy that just walked in. "Sit down, Rosco. If the broad has the palle, let her join in." Leering at the redhead, he asked, "You do know how to play, right?"

"Does it matter?" Ranma countered, pulling the money out from the mook's wallet she'd pilfered minutes before.

"No, I guess it doesn't." Vinnie conceded, waving for Bobby to divide up some chips for their lovely new competitor. "You're small blind, 400/200."

Ranma threw the required chips into the middle of the table as Rosco followed suit, eyeing the girl warily. Glancing at her cards, she saw an Ace of Spades and a Three of Hearts.

Taking a moment to glance at his own cards, Vinnie threw some chips into the pile. "Call. So, what brings a pretty young thing like you here to my lovely abode, babe?"

Seeing Bobby calling as well, the redheaded girl tossed in 200 in chips. "I'd be lying if I said it was for this game." She smirked as Rosco tapped the board and the Flop came out: Jack, Jack, Ten. "I've actually got business with you, it seems."

Eyeing the two pair of Jacks and Kings he now had, Vinnie chuckled at the girl's words. "And what business would you have with me? Wasn't looking for a bed warmer tonight but I'm game if you are." He tossed some more chips into the pile following Rosco's further tapping.

Bobby just 'tsked' and tossed his cards, leaning back with his arms crossed.

Ranma matched Vinnie's raise, but didn't raise to his taunt. "Well, it seems like you've got a business associate by the name of Valke Sora…"

Vinnie smirked again as Rosco threw his own cards away, trashing the top card then revealing the Turn card; a Jack of Spades. Eyeing the smirking girl across from him, he tossed in some more chips. "Raise 1000. Ah, that orphanage broad. Seems she owes me some money for caring for a few kids that came to me for help."

Feeling Rosco's eyes on her, Ranma pushed all her chips to the pile. "All-In. Yeah, found that out today. Nasty business that, don't you think?"

"Some men fish, some build and some farm. I make deals." The crime boss answered, running a hand through his slicked back hair as he counted up what he'd have to throw in to match her All-In. Deciding that his full house was bound to beat whatever she had, he committed himself and flipped over his Six of Clubs and King of Hearts. "Call. Full House, Kings over Jacks."

Ranma flipped over her cards and calmly waited for the River to be laid out. She watched Vinnie's hand like a hawk as he trashed the top card and then dealt from the top of the deck.

Ace of Diamonds

"Full House, Aces over Jacks." Came the crimson haired beauty's smug response as she sat there, not bothering to gather up the chips.

Vinnie was definitely in a sour mood compared to just minutes prior. There were almost 20,000 Beli in that pile of chips. "Alright, girlie, pleasure's over with, time for business. Why'd you waltz your pretty little ass into my house tonight?"

"Well, Little Vinnie, your little business deal with Sora's made me a little pissed off, what with you having some money of mine now." Ranma sweetly replied, leaning back with her arms crossed over her breasts.

"Oh, and how much is that?" Vinnie asked, quirking an eyebrow in curiosity and fully confident in his two men between her and him.

"70,000 Beli."

Vinnie barked out with a condescending laugh. "Girlie, you could be the best lay in town and you still wouldn't be worth 70,000 Beli." The crime boss grinned with lechery as his eyes roved her body once more. "But, that's neither here nor there, now is it? Now, I'd suggest you play nice and follow Bobby to get changed for tonight's 'entertainment', if you get my drift."

She waited until Bobby had almost put his hand on her shoulder before she snapped out, her back-knuckle strike making sure he wasn't having kids anytime soon. As he bent forward, gasping like a beached fish while grasping his jewels, Ranma grabbed a fistfull of his slicked back hair. The impact of Bobby's face into the corner of the table caused poker chips to fly around the room even as she let him go to drop to the floor unconscious.

Ranma hadn't even had to lift her ass out of the chair.

"Rosco, deal with this bitch!" Vinnie snarled out.

oO0Oo

Helping the young girl through the window, the boy already outside catching her, Sora glanced back into the dark warehouse. Shaking her head, she flowed outside to finish leading the children to safety. It wasn't until they were safely in the shadows of a nearby alley that she let loose the breath she'd been holding and gave the kids a relieved smile. "Just a little more till we're home, okay?"

After the stress filled escape, dodging two sentries inside the warehouse, traveling down the darkened streets of Shimotsuki Village was a pleasant change.

It was only a short five minute jog for her, a desperate sprint for the kids, before they reached the orphanage. Upon crossing the threshold to the property, both boy and girl latched onto Sora's waist crying their hearts out in relief. Blinking away a few tears of joy herself, Sora called out towards the building. "Sister! Sister, I need you outside!"

A few seconds later, the front door opened to reveal the Orphanage Matron, graying hair done up in a tight bun. "Oh dear!" She exclaimed before swiftly moving towards the crying children. "You found them! Thank the heavens!"

"Yeah…" Sora answered, handing off the kids to the aging woman while looking back to where the crime hideout was. "Look, I've got to go back and help… a friend."

"That's fine, dear, I'll handle these young ones. I'm just happy you found and returned them." Sister Freya stated, ushering the still crying kids into the building where the other orphans let out a whoop of joy before the door closed leaving the courtyard dark once more.

Letting out another breath, Sora took a running jump in the direction of the hideout and disappeared into streamers of white clouds.

oO0Oo

"Really? That's it? It was just a love tap." Ranma complained to Rosco's unconscious form slumped up against the wall. Rosco's face looked like a balloon, her one punch wrecking his right jaw.

*Blam*

Twisting her body on instinct, the bullet Little Vinnie fired went through her left shoulder instead of her heart.

"Son of a bitch!" She yelled in pain, clutching the bleeding hole through her shoulder.

"Yeah, I've been called that before." Vinnie replied with a chuckle, dropping the spent pistol and drawing another. "Hate to have to ruin that pretty little face of yours, so how about giving up now?"

Ranma sneered as Vinnie leveled the firearm towards her. Tucking her toe under a leg of the thick wooden table between them, she flipped it up just as he pulled the trigger. The bullet still punched through the table, showering her in wood chips, but it deflected it enough to pass through the bangs over her forehead as she leaned back just so.

Face filled with rage, the crimson haired martial artist snapped back and slammed her right palm against the bottom of the still airborne table with a battle cry. The room flashed blue with the contact before the piece of furniture shot off like a rocket, slamming the crime boss into and then through the brick wall of the building.

oO0Oo

Reforming onto a nearby rooftop, Sora knelt at the edge before looking towards the hideout and any signs of Ranma. Seeing no sign of her companion for the self imposed rescue mission, the hazel eyed girl started to fret under her breath. "Come on… where are you?"

She jerked as a gunshot rang out from inside the hideout, soon followed by another. The sentries on the roof went to high alert after the first shot, forcing Sora to duck down more, as they ran and funneled back into the roof access.

A moment later, an exterior wall blew out into the street in a cloud of dust and rubble. As the dust started clearing, Sora could see Vinnie half buried, a large wooden table covering his lower body. Stepping out of the hole in the wall, Ranma walked onto the table clutching her left shoulder, causing Vinnie to groan in pain.

Flowing down to street level, Sora sprinted over towards her injured companion. "Ranma! Are you okay?!"

"I've had worse." The redhead replied blandly, stomping on the table once more, causing Vinnie to groan again like a child's squeaky toy. "Better off that this bastard."

"But you're bleeding!" Sora exclaimed, taking out a handkerchief from a pocket on her dress to compress on the wound, causing Ranma to suck in air through her teeth. The brunette let out a cry of indignation when the martial artist pushed her away a second later. "I'm trying to help here!"

"You'd better stop if you know what's good for you." Ranma called out, shocking Sora until she realized the crimson haired woman was looking back into the building.

Sora's eyes widened as she saw the four men with firearms pointed at Ranma, stepping back in shock.

"Your boss tagged me with one of those and it just pissed me off." Ranma informed them, trying not to show any weakness from her shoulder wound. Oh, it felt like it was on fire and she didn't know if she could even use the arm effectively, but she didn't want them to know that. Seeing them lower their weapons, she nodded. "Good. Now, if you guys don't want to join your boss, I want my money. You've got till I reach Three." Pausing, she grinned towards the now very tense criminals. "One…"

One of the men dropped his pistol to snatch at Bobby's belt, pulling out a key ring, before furiously trying to unlock a nearby safe.

"Two…"

The lock clicked open and he reached in, withdrawing a bulging satchel. Not even waiting to count it's contents, he threw it at the counting redhead still standing on their boss. The other three men relaxed slightly when her grin became a little more pleasant.

Ranma snatched it out of the air before tossing it to a stunned Sora. "Okay then, two last things." The conscious criminals tensed once more. "One, I'm taking your boss to the Marines, got a problem with that?"

The criminals glanced at each other in silence for a moment before one of them spoke up. "You know, I never really liked Vinnie…"

Seeing the others nod, Ranma got to her second point. "Two, if I ever hear about you guys messing with kids or the orphanage again, I'm gonna come back and I'll actually be mad this time. Got it?"

"Got it!" The four men answered back before pulling the unconscious Bobby and Rosco out of the exposed room.

Letting out a breath, Ranma's from sagged slightly in relief. She flashed a smile towards the still stunned Sora before pulling the knocked out Vinnie from under the table. Dragging him along by the collar of his pin striped suit jacket, Ranma started walking into the night. "Come on, Sora. We still need to drop this trash off to the police."

Shaking herself free of the stupor, Sora caught up and continued fretting over her friend's injury.

oO0Oo

The crimson haired teen let out a sharp hiss of agony. "Gah! That burns!"

"Oh, hush, you big baby." Sister Freya retorted, ignoring Ranma's yelp as she then washed the exit wound with iodine.

Sitting nearby at the table, Sora continued to count up the contents of the satchel. This was the second time she'd done it, still not believing her eyes. Looking towards the topless redhead, she worked her mouth for a moment before the words finally came out. "500,000 Beli!"

"What?!" The grey haired woman cried with a surprised jerk of her hand, causing a cry of pain as she poked the cotton swab into Ranma's bullet wound. "Quiet you!"

"Damnit! That hurt more than the damned bullet did, you crazy woman!" Ranma cried, clutching her shoulder.

Cringing in sympathy, but not enough to ignore the Matron, Sora repeated herself. "The bag they gave Ranma had 500,000 Beli in it! She's rich!"

Wincing as she pulled out the bloody swab, Ranma shrugged and winced again at the action. "Just put 70,000 to the side and keep the rest."

"Are you insane?" Sora cried out in incredulity, waving a hand towards the stacked bills before her. "This is a small fortune and you're just giving it away?"

The martial artist just shrugged again, letting another hiss. Feeling Freya continue her ministrations, she gestured with her right hand towards the room around them. "I just wanted my money back. I just figured you guys could really use the rest, you know?" A smirk flitted to her lips as she tapped the table. "Besides, I still have to talk to the Marines about Vinnie's bounty."

"He had a bounty?" The brunette asked as Freya started wrapping bandages around Ranma's shoulder and chest.

"I guess." Ranma answered, voice communicated the surprise she still held at that fact. "The guy at the desk said that 'cause it was so low and he wasn't a pirate, they didn't have a poster for him. I'll just have to register as a bounty hunter to receive it."

"And how much was it, dear?" Freya asked, double checking her medical work.

"500,000 Beli." Ranma answered with a satisfied smirk.

Sora's shocked look turned into a level glare. "Let me get this straight, you just pulled a Million Beli tonight and you're giving us almost half." Throwing her hands in the air, Sora let out a cry of exasperation. "You really are insane! What's next, you telling us about your famous father or something?"

Smirk still laying on her lips, Ranma's crystal blue eyes twinkled in amusement. "Well, now that you mention it…"

"No! I'm done for tonight!" Sora jumped out of her chair and reached over to jerk the crimson haired girl upright too. "So are you! We're going to bed and we'll finish in the morning."

"Wait, what? Bed? What're you talking about?!" Ranma blurted out in confusion, being dragged along behind Sora's determined steps.

"You're sleeping in my room tonight." The bespectacled girl declared, continuing her trek towards the stairs.

"At least let me get my shirt!" Ranma hissed out with a flush, covering herself with her left arm.

"Don't worry about it, all the kids are asleep and you can borrow one of my shirts." Sora glanced over her shoulder with a critical eye and frowned slightly. "Might be a little tight, I guess…"

Finally, Ranma just gave up and rolled her eyes. "Fine, whatever. How much farther?"

"Right here." Sora answered with a smile, pulling open the door to her room and pushing the flushed redhead inside, closing the door behind her.

Blinking when Sora turned on the reading lamp, Ranma looked around the room as the other girl started rooting through her dresser. It was rather plain, though the bookshelf next to the desk was full of random novels and thick tomes. A stuffed blue dog and brown cat sat on the desk, along with some writing supplies. Really, there was only one issue Ranma had with the room.

"There's only one bed." The crimson haired girl dryly pointed out.

"Oh, hush." Sora dismissed her as she finished hanging up her dress and tossed the topless martial artist a powder blue satin nighty.

Eyeing the fabric in her hand, Ranma cocked an eyebrow. "Not really my style, you know?"

"So don't wear it." Sora blithely replied as she unhooked her bra and slid on her own pale violet nighty.

Grumbling, Ranma slipped the clothing on as Sora climbed into the full sized bed. Sora had been right about it being tight but it still fit, if barely. Slipping off her sandals to get in bed herself, the martial artist was annoyed when Sora stopped her.

"Shorts."

Huffing in irritation, Ranma pulled the navy blue cargo shorts off and dropped them in a heap at the foot of the bed before climbing in.

"Good night." Sora said, turning off the reading lamp to drench the room in darkness once more.

The only answer she got was Ranma's soft breathing, already asleep before her head hit the pillow.

End of Chapter 3

- A/N

First off, the Beli conversion to US Dollar is around 100 B to 1 USD, so the 1M Beli Ranma earned is around 10,000 USD and she just gave around 4.3K to the orphanage. The 70K she had stolen was to pay for the dojo lessons, room & board and the return trip, hence why she wanted it back other than it was a lot of money to her. I think she's fine now, though…

I start school tomorrow, so even though I've pounded out two chapters in four days, don't expect Chapter 4 until next weekend at the earliest. Still, I'm proud of finally being back into the swing of writing… all it took was leaving my high stress job. X_x

For those of you who weren't ready for Chapter 2, which should be everyone… Surprise! XD

Thanks for the happy reviews, guys. Glad I could make your day by continuing this story. I know I've said it in some of my other stories, but I mainly write these to fulfil my creative needs but I'll definitely not turn down the reviews.

Before anyone asks (who am I kidding, someone's gonna do it still), yes, Sora is an OC. For those of you who expect Ranma to steal away any of Luffy's crew, stop it! Yeah, you know who you are… Bill. (you may or may not be called Bill)

to Treant Balewood

- I'll think about updating Crystal Memories sometime in the future. While I have the drive to continue Crimson Hunter, I'm going to ride that wave as far as it'll take me, if you get my drift. Thanks for the compliments, though!

to Dragish

- Sorry it's a little confusing for you, I'm just trying to prevent glut of descriptions slowing down the story. I'd recommend checking out the One Piece Wikia or reading the manga online. The manga is vastly superior than the anime… except for the G8 mini-arc after the Skypia main arc. Definitely watch that.

to Grizzmon

- Yeah, I wrote Ace to be a jerk in chapter 2 cause that's how I saw him during the childhood arc in the manga. I know he grows out of it but I can't help but see him making a poor decision to try and escape the pain of Sabo's loss. In this story, Ranma is there to confront him and call him out on it, though. It is ambiguous if Ace meant Sabo or Luffy at the end, though…

ADDED AFTER CHAPTER POSTING

Some people have asked for the following information for clarity, so here it is:

At the time of Sabo's 'death' these are the character's ages

- Ace = 14 (born 1 Jan)

- Sabo = 14 (born 20 Mar)

- Ranma = 14 (born 4 May)

- Luffy = 12 (born 5 May)

At the start of this chapter, almost 2 years have passed, starting on 3 May, Ranma's 16th birthday (May 4th) and Luffy's 14th (May 5th) are skipped over to May 6th, when Ranma leaves the island.

Hope this clears up any confusion about ages of characters. I know the first two chapters were really time skip heavy but I needed to burn through their childhood years without hand-waving things in the future.