Author's Note: Well, looks like this arc will end in the next chapter or so. The Prince's Rebellion Arc and the Airship Island Arc will be our last two arcs in this saga before we move on to the... Water Seven Saga! Personally, I'm excited for the arc in Water Seven, since I'm planning some epic things involving Kartik and Matsu.

Disclaimer: Eichiiro Oda still owns One Piece.

Ch. 53: "Goodbye, Yulia?"

On the Hyperion, Yuki-Rin was helping Aki train with her new spear.

"So, think this is fun?" Yuki-Rin asked Aki as she blocked some of Aki's spear jabs with her katana. Aki stopped to catch her breath.

"It's hard work, but it's pretty fun," Aki explained as Daisuke, Heathcliffe, Kazuma, Gareth, and Apple arrived. "Sarutobi-kun! Watch me train!"

"Not now, Aki. Do you know what happened to Yulia?" Heathcliffe asked his girlfriend.

"Yulia? Come to think of it, I saw her while I was out shopping," Aki explained.

*Begin Flashback, About an Hour Ago*

Aki was returning the the Hyperion, shopping bags in hand.

"I hope Sarutobi-kun likes what I bought," Aki throught to herself before Yulia ran past. "Hey, Yulia, where are you going?"

Yulia stopped and turned around.

"It's none of your business. You don't need to get involved," Yulia explained coldly.

"Yulia, what's going on? Something's going on on this island, and we need to know what happened," Aki explained.

"As I said, YOU don't need to get involved. This doesn't concern you," Yulia explained. Aki grabbed Yulia's hands.

"Yulia, we're nakama. You can tell me anything you want," Aki pleaded. Yulia just glared at her.

"Fine, I'll tell you something – I may never see any of you again. Goodbye," Yulia explained before walking away. All Aki could do was open her mouth.

"Oh, dear," Aki commented.

*End Flashback, Revert to the Present*

"Yulia quit? What the hell?" Daisuke cried. "She can't quit! She said we could be together!"

"Daisuke, calm down. All we need to do is –" Yuki-Rin explained before Ageha cut her off.

"I think we found Yulia," Ageha said. A few minutes later, all of the Capricorns were gathered around the ship's DenDen Mushi.

"What's going on? Is Yulia okay?" Daisuke asked Ageha.

"I'm not sure, but the DenDen Mushi has picked up something and I can hear Yulia," Ageha explained. Daisuke picked up the DenDen Mushi.

"Yulia? Can you hear me? It's me, Daisuke! Come back, please! We're all worried sick about you, and we want you to come back to us. Don't you want to come back to the Hyperion and sail with us? Please, Yulia… Be our nakama again!" Daisuke pleaded before breaking down into tears. Daisuke handed the DenDen Mushi over to Gareth. "Gareth, take over. I don't think I can do this."

"Yulia, it's me, Gareth. I know I've been sailing for only a couple of weeks, but you've become one of my nakama. Just… Come back safe," Gareth said sadly before handing it over to Kartik.

"Yulia, we're all worried about you. Please, come back to us. We don't want you getting hurt or killed over whatever is going on. Just remember that you've got nakama to come back to," Kartik explained as he wiped tears from his eyes. Matsu grabbed the DenDen Mushi.

"Hi, Yulia. It's me, Matsu. I speak for everyone on the Hyperion when I say this – Come back, please. We're all worried about you, since we heard of this 'Project Mei' thing. We hope you can come back okay! We're pulling for you to come back!" Matsu said, breaking down into tears as she said the last words of her plea. Kartik grabbed Matsu as Matsu handed over the DenDen Mushi to Yuki-Rin.

"Yulia, can you hear me? This is your captain, Yuki-Rin, speaking. I have just one thing to say – We're gonna find you and bring you back, no matter what! Your captain and your crew refuse to leave you behind! Just tell us where you are, and we'll come find you!" Yuki-Rin explained. Then, the DenDen Mushi spoke, but the voice of an old man came out.

"Very well, then. If you want your Yulia back, you're gonna have to come here – Which place serves as both a safehouse and a danger zone?" The DenDen Mushi asked the silent Capricorns.

"That doesn't tell me anything! Give us a specific place!" Daisuke yelled.

"I said, which place serves as both a safehouse and a danger zone?" The DenDen Mushi asked again.

"A safehouse and a danger zone? Hmm… I think he's describing a Marine headquarters," Yuki-Rin said.

"That must be it. Follow me there, it's not that far," Aria explained as she sprouted red fox ears. Everyone sweatdropped.

"Aria, why do you have fox ears?" Heathcliffe asked Aria.

"Remember when I was forced to eat that Devil Fruit? Yeah, that's the Devil Fruit's power," Aria explained.

In the abandoned Marine base, Yulia stood in a cell. Mitchell and an old man with long, silver hair, a silver beard, and closed eyes stood outside of the cell. All the old man wore was a Marine commodore's uniform under a black cloak.

"General Pasternak, I believe that we should begin Yulia's execution now," Mitchell explained.

"Very well then… Yulia Tadase, you are guilty of comitting treason against your superiors during the attack known as "Project Mei" six months ago," General Pasternak – the old man – explained.

"I have my reasons as to why I did that. All you need to know is that I refused to take orders from a quack ex-Marine any longer," Yulia explained. Mitchell just opened the cell door without any word. The two then led Yulia to the rooftop of the Marine base.

"Mitchell, bind her hands so she doesn't escape," General Pasternak ordered as he gave his minion a rope. Mitchell tied Yulia's wrists together.

"Now, Yulia, tell me – How would you like to die? By gunshot?" General Pasternak asked as he got out a rifle.

"So your death can be quick," Mitchell added.

"By stabbing?" General Pasternak asked as he got out a knife.

"So your death can look like a suicide because you've always hated this world," Mitchell added.

"Or, by poison?" General Pasternak asked as he got out a vial of poison.

"So your death will look painless, yet suspicious," Mitchell added.

"So, what will it be?" General Pasternak asked Yulia, who bit her lip.

"I… I don't…" Yulia choked out.

"You don't what? Answer me, or I will pick how you die!" General Pasternak demanded.

"I want to –" Yulia choked out, but she was cut off.

"Yulia will not die!"

Yulia looked down, and she saw all of the Capricorns and Apple. Yulia just smiled.

"Looks like you've all come to save me. That idiot probably started it," Yulia said, holding back tears.

"Shut up! I'm not an idiot!" Daisuke yelled from down below.

"Doesn't matter. If you really want the girl to live, you're gonna have to fight us," Mitchell explained. Daisuke smirked.

"Challenge accepted! Now, let's get Yulia back!" Daisuke yelled as the Capricorns charged into the building.

"That idiot… I guess he really cared enough to save my life," Yulia commented to herself.

Ending Note: Review if you want to see Yulia's rescue.