Author's Note: Happy New Year, everyone! Here are some statistics to consider about this fic before you read:

Male Capricorn of 2011: Heathcliffe. He seems really popular with female readers.

Female Capricorn of 2011: Yuki-Rin. This one doesn't surprise me. XD

Most-Hated Villain of This Fic for 2011: A tie between Roscoe and Yuriko.

Late Christmas omake will be at the end of the chapter as a year-end treat to my readers.

Disclaimer: Eichiiro Oda will continue to own One Piece in 2012 and beyond.

Ch. 46: "Mai-Yee and Me."

Within minutes, Yuki-Rin was sitting across from Enlai in the modest kitchen of the Li household. The wanted posted of the Dragon Lady lay on the table in between the two.

"Before we begin, do you want anything to eat or drink?" Enlai asked Yuki-Rin.

"No. You can begin your story or whatever this is," Yuki-Rin answered.

"Alright, then. My story actually starts before the Dragon Lady came into our lives – It starts seven years ago, when Mai-Yee was born," Enlai explained, beginning his story.

*Begin Flashback, Seven Years Ago*

A fourteen-year-old Enlai and a seventeen-year-old Ling sat in the waiting room of the local hospital, awaiting news on their mother, who was giving birth. Enlai slept as his sister read a magazine.

"In the days leading up to Mai-Yee's birth, the entire family was excited to have a baby sister. Our friends and neighbors were excited, and they brought us many gifts and sweets for the family and their new baby. When Ling and I met Mai-Yee, we weren't aware of all of the sorrow that was about to consume our lives like a hungry cat."

Enlai's father entered the waiting room, holding Mai-Yee in a bundle of blankets and looking like he hadn't slept in days. Ling elbowed Enlai, who slowly woke up.

"Wha – What is it?" Enlai asked groggily.

"Enlai, Ling, meet… Meet your new baby sister, Mai-Yee," Enlai's dad explained before dissolving into tears of agony and sorrow, not joy over having a new baby. Ling picked the baby up and placed Mai-Yee into her arms.

"Look at her, Enlai. Isn't our mei-mei precious?" Ling asked Enlai, who moved in closer to Ling for a better look. (1)

"Hi there. I'm your Gege, Enlai," Enlai introduced himself to Mai-Yee, who grabbed Enlai's finger with her tiny hand. (2)

"Look, Enlai. Mai-Yee likes you," Ling whispered, her voice cracking as she was about to cry out of happiness and wonder.

"It was the next day that we found out that our mother died giving birth to Mai-Yee. The whole family knew that mama would either have a hard time giving birth or that the baby will be born sick, due to mama's age and body compostions. As we mourned, we made offerings to our ancestors in heaven, hoping they could watch over and protect Mai-Yee."

Five Years Later…

Enlai, now nineteen, sat in the same hospital waiting room where he found about about Mai-Yee's birth and his mother's death those five years ago.

"Mai-Yee's first five years on Earth were healthy. She was smart and curious about the world, she liked to play outside with butterflies and animals, and she had a calm disposition. But, as the days after her fifth birthday passed, Mai-Yee grew weaker and weaker."

Ling, now twenty-two, entered the waiting room.

"Any news on Mai-Yee?" Enlai asked.

"They say it's a disease in her lungs that takes years to build up," Ling explained sadly.

"What… Does this mean Mai-Yee's going to be –" Enlai asked worriedly before Ling cut her off.

"They're going to run some tests on her. They're saying that if she's lucky, Mai-Yee will live to about thirty," Ling explained. Enlai's face darkened.

"Our ancestors… Why haven't they been watching over Mai-Yee? Who is left in the world that can watch over a sick little girl?" Enlai asked himself.

"Months passed, and Baba, Ling, and I did all we could to make sure Mai-Yee could get better. Dad worked overtime at the Katsuragi Trading Compound – which was around the time Wolfgang got control over the company since his dad retired – and Ling got a job as Wolfgang's secretary. Then, one day, our lives changed even more." (3)

A knock at the door was heard just as the Li family was sitting down to eat dinner.

"I'll get it. Ling, Enlai, don't start eating without me," Enlai's dad said before he got up and answered the door. A couple of minutes later, their dad returned.

"Enlai, Ling, I'll be right back. I just need to go into town because somebody just offered us some money to help us take care of Mai-Yee," Enlai's dad explained nervously.

"Why do you sound nervous, Baba? This money's going to help the family," Ling asked her father.

"Well, it's the person who will be giving us the money. It's a business partner of mine I don't exactly trust," Enlai's dad explained with a nervous gulp.

"Don't worry, Baba. If you suspect something's up, go kung-fu on his ass," Enlai re-assured his dad has he put his hand on his dad's shoulder.

"I will, Enlai. Well, I'm off," Enlai's dad said.

"See you, Baba!" Ling and Enlai said. Three hours passed, and Enlai's dad wasn't home yet.

"Enlai, do you think we should go into town? Baba's not back yet," Ling asked Enlai.

"He's probably haggling with the business partner with the payment and whatnot," Enlai suggested. Ling just sighed.

"Well, we should go out there, just to be safe," Ling noted as she grabbed her coat and put it on. Enlai grabbed an umbrella and the two left the house, braving the pouring rain to go search for their father.

"There's a lot of Marine activity here on Xinjin Island. Do you think it has to do with the Whitebeard War that happened just a couple of days ago?" Enlai asked Ling as he looked at the Marine ships docked at the shore, illuminated only by distant lightning flashes.

"Possibly. But, I would rule out that the person Baba is talking to has ties to Whitebeard," Ling explained as they entered the main drag of the town, where people where surrounding a large, elegant, pagoda-like building.

"Everybody, stay back! We have a dead body here, and the murder is on the loose!" A Marine yelled.

"Excuse me, sir, we need to get to our dad! He's been gone for three hours, and we don't know where he is!" Enlai pleaded.

"Are you sure he wasn't going to the Golden Lotus brothel tonight?" The Marine asked Enlai, giving Ling time to sneak past the Marine and into the crowd.

"No. He was trying to see a co-worker of his about a money transaction, and –" Enlai explained before Ling's screaming cut him off. "Oh, shit! Ling!"

Enlai ran into the crowd, trying to find Ling. His only sources of light were the dimly-lit lanterns of the pagoda and the occasional lightning.

"Enlai, over here! Baba, he –" Ling yelled before screaming out of fear.

"Ling, what is it? What's going on?" Enlai yelled as he pushed back various people, including a couple of Marines and Pandaman. It was only when he got to the edge of the crowd when he saw who the dead body was – His own father, who had mutiple stab marks covering his back.

"Baba? What the hell, Baba? I told you to use kung-fu if this happened! What the hell did you do? What will happen to Ling, Mai-Yee and me? Who's the bastard responsible for this? I'll –" Enlai yelled before somebody put their hand on their shoulder.

Enlai turned back to see a beautiful woman in a tight cheongsam. Mai-Yee was on her shoulder, with her hair in pigtails and wearing Chinese-styled silk pajamas.

"Enlai!" Mai-Yee yelled.

"Why do you have my sister?" Enlai angrily asked the woman, who began to stroke his face.

"I've been paying for your sister's medical bills, medicine, and operations. Unfortunately, he could not pay me the money I asked for. So, he paid with his life and his young daughter," The woman explained. Enlai grabbed her wrist.

"Don't touch me!" Enlai yelled before throwing the woman's wrist down and punching her across the face. The woman just smirked.

"Until your father's debt is paid off, Mai-Yee will be working as my little foot servant. She's very cute, I might add," The woman said seductively before walking away.

"Enlai! Ling!" Mai-Yee yelled.

"Mai-Yee! Baba!" Ling yelled out to Mai-Yee.

"Get back here and give us our sister back, you bitch!" Enlai yelled. But, the woman continued to walk as if she were ignoring them.

"Baba lied to us. He wasn't making any deals at all. He was going out to try and negotiate his debt he owed Shenhua Jiang, the notorious Dragon Lady."

*End Flashback, Revert to the Present Time*

"Do you see why Ling doesn't really trust pirates and why we keep speaking of a sick sister?" Enlai asked. Yuki-Rin nodded. "Now, I want you to help me with this one favor I have for you – The Dragon Lady is back in town. Help me rescue Mai-Yee, no matter what the cost is."

"I'll do it. But, in return, will you help us get Daisuke back from whoever has him?" Yuki-Rin asked Enlai, who answered without hesitation.

"Yes, I'll help you get your friend back. There is also a chance he is with the Dragon Lady, so we need to be on our guard," Enlai explained sternly.

Omake: Merry Belated Christmas!

It was the morning of New Year's Day, and everyone on the Hyperion was asleep, save for Kazuma and Sebastian.

"So, Kazuma, what was your hatsuyume?" Sebastian asked Kazuma. (4)

"I dreamt that when docked at the next island, Yuki-Rin and I got seperated from you guys, and we ended up at a castle full of okamas," Kazuma explained. (5)

"That's odd. I didn't have my first dream of the New Year yet," Sebastian said. Kazuma's eyes grew wide.

"Damn! I forgot to give Yuki-Rin that book she wanted about dreams!" Kazuma cursed.

"You mean that book where people go into other people's dreams and steal their secrets or give them ideas?" Sebastian asked Kazuma.

"Yep. She read it at a library when we were on the last island. All I can remember was that there was this business man trying to get home to his family, a guy who could put people to sleep with his Devil Fruit, and something having to do with sea trains," Kazuma explained. Sebastian got out some duct tape. (6)

"Need some help wrapping this?" Sebastian asked. A few minutes later, Kazuma was putting the wrapped book in Yuki-Rin's room.

"Santa forgot to give you a Christmas present. Merry belated Christmas, Yuki-Rin," Kazuma whispered before he set the present down next to Yuki-Rin, kissed her, and left.

Ending Note: It's gratuitous footnote time!

(1) - "Mei-mei" means "Little sister" in Chinese.

(2) - "Gege" means "Older brother" in Chinese

(3) - "Baba" means "Papa" in Chinese

(4) - In Japan, a "hatsuyume" is your first dream of the New Year. You write it down on paper, and if you see Mt. Fuji, an eggplant, or a hawk in your dream, you get lucky.

(5) - Kazuma's dream is basically the plot of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

(6) - The plot of book Yuki-Rin wants is the basic plot of my favorite movie, Inception. (Which I got as a late Christmas gift! Yahoo!)

Review if you want Daisuke back.