Author's Note: And, now, the end of the Time Traveller/Project Mei Arc is here, and the Prince's Rebellion Arc is about to begin! Not gonna lie, but I can't wait to write up the arc.

Disclaimer: Eichiiro Oda still owns One Piece.

Ch. 54: "We Can be Thieves Together."

The Capricorns ran through the abandoned Marine base, looking for a way to get to the roof.

"Ugh! We've been circling this level for ten minutes, and we still can't find the roof access!" Hana cried.

"I hope we can rescue Yulia in time. She made a vow that we would be together forever," Daisuke said.

"I'm not really sure about the "forever" part, but, whatever, man," Soren said as the two ran up to a door which had a rusted sign that said "roof access" on it. "Hey! That's it!"

Daisuke tried to open the door, but it was jammed.

"Goddamn it!" Daisuke cried. Holden said nothing as he shot the door handle off of the door.

"That should take care of things," Holden said, flipping his hair.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, pretty-boy, we get it!" Enlai said before kicking down the door. The Capricorns ran upstairs, only to be confronted with Mitchell holding a knife to Yulia's back and General Pasternak holding a gun to Yulia's chest. All Daisuke did was open his mouth in shock.

"Idiot, come help me," Yulia ordered to Daisuke. Mitchell just pointed his knife to Daisuke.

"Come close to the girl and we will force you to watch her get murdered right before you die," Mitchell threatened. Daisuke laughed nervously.

"Well, then… I'm not THAT afraid," Daisuke said.

"Idiot, you shouldn't say things like that! You –" Yulia cried before General Pasternak knocked her to the ground with his gun.

"Silence, child! You are no longer alinged with your nakama, therefore, you shouldn't speak to them!" General Pasternak explained. Yulia just got up from the ground.

"I can speak to whoever the hell I want. You were never the boss of me," Yulia explained icily. Mitchell and General Pasternak raised their weapons.

"In that case… You won't be speaking to ANYBODY when we're done with you, girlie!" General Pasternak said as his finger made its way to the gun trigger. Daisuke gulped.

"Yulia…" Daisuke choked out, holding back tears.

"Daisuke…" Yulia choked out as the two approached each other.

"Don't die, Yulia. We're best friends for life," Daisuke pleaded.

"I won't, you idiot. You know why?" Yulia asked Daisuke.

"Because you're my best friend?" Daisuke asked.

"That, and… We can be thieves together. We… We can't do this alone!" Yulia cried before breaking down into tears. Daisuke bit his lip, trying hard not to cry.

"Yulia, don't cry. If you cry, then-then… Then that means I cry with you!" Daisuke cried before dissolving into tears himself. The Capricorns and Apple watched in stunned silence.

"Wow… I have never seen Yulia OR Daisuke this broken before. It's heartbreaking," Sebastian said, shaking his head.

"I don't think I can see this much longer. It's too much to bear," Heathcliffe commented. "Apple, use your powers and do something."

"I can't, really. It's not possible for me to stop time," Apple explained as she held back tears. Yuki-Rin said nothing as she unsheated her katana.

"But, there is something we CAN do," Yuki-Rin explained. Without a word, she walked up to General Pasternak and stabbed him right in the upper back.

"What the hell? How could a mere child beat –" General Pasternak cried before he collapsed to the ground. Mitchell glared at Yuki-Rin.

"You brat," Mitchell said before he stabbed Yuki-Rin in her side. But, she managed to stand her ground.

"Like that'll kill me!" Yuki-Rin said as she put the edge of her katana blade to Mitchell's abdomen.

"I'd like to see you try!" Mitchell said before he got his knife ready to stab Yuki-Rin again.

"Yuki-Rin! No!" Yulia cried as she jumped in front of Yuki-Rin, taking the stab hit for her.

"YULIA!" Daisuke cried as he ran up to the pink-haired girl.

"Daisuke…" Yulia said weakly before passing out. A tear slid down Daisuke's face.

"Yulia, wake up! Wake up, Yulia! Please, wake up!" Daisuke cried. Everything seemed to be a blur at this point, because all he cared about was Yulia.

"Daisuke, please let go of Yulia! I need to treat her wounds!" Was what Daisuke sworn he heard from Ageha, but all he could focus on was Yulia.

*Begin Flashback, Six Months Ago*

Daisuke stumbled down the main street of the town, taking in the damage the town sustained during Project Mei.

"My God… I can't believe my best friend did this," Daisuke commented to himself as he approached a very familiar girl who was crying. "Yulia, what's wrong?"

"Get the fuck out of my face!" Yulia yelled through her sobs. Daisuke just stood there, too stunned to do anything.

"I'll… I'll come back for you. Just stay where you are," Daisuke said. A few minutes later, he returned with a backpack filled with supplies and a sleeping bag.

"Didn't I tell you to get out of my face?" Yulia cried. Daisuke ignored her and sat down next to her.

"Yeah, but I'm your friend. Friends stick together, right?" Daisuke asked as he unrolled the sleeping bag and sat down on it.

"I don't need anybody. I have no home and no family to come home to. I guess I'm stuck wandering the East Blue alone," Yulia said bitterly. Daisuke got out a cookie from his backpack. "Why are you offering me this?"

"It's a cookie. Cookies make anybody feel better," Daisuke explained with a smile. After a few long moments of looking to the cookie and Daisuke, Yulia took the cookie.

"Thanks, I guess," Yulia said. Daisuke smiled.

"Cheer up! We can be thieves together!" Daisuke said cheerfully. Yulia tilted her head.

"You… Really mean it?" Yulia asked Daisuke.

"Of course! You're my nakama, even though you killed my grandma, and I forgive you for that," Daisuke explained. Yulia gave him a sad sort of smile.

"Alright, then, if you say so," Yulia said. "But, you pretty much have to do what I say, since I think you're an idiot."

Daisuke laughed.

"Thank you. I get that a lot," Daisuke said, making the both of them laugh.

*End Flashback, Revert to the Present*

The next thing Daisuke knew was that he was waking up in the sick bay of the Hyperion.

"Oh, man. What happened?" Daisuke asked himself.

"You had a panic attack over me."

Daisuke looked to his left, and he saw Yulia in the bed next to his.

"Yulia, you're okay!" Daisuke said happily.

"Of course I am. Like I would leave you alone," Yulia said. Daisuke laughed.

"Now THAT'S the Yulia we know and love! The Yulia we know and love has returned to us!" Daisuke proclaimed triumphantly. Yulia just slapped him across the face.

"Oh, shut up!" Yulia said. Daisuke began to fake cry.

"Why are you so mean to me?" Daisuke cried.

"Because you're an idiot!" Yulia argued back. From the doorway of the sick bay, Ageha watched the two argue and have fun.

"I doubt that these two will ever be apart," Ageha said to herself.

Ending Note: Review if you want to see tons of action AND fanservice in the next arc. (The fanservice is because a beach chapter is next)