Author's Note: Well, here we are. It's the 99th chapter, and it's the Episode of Yuki-Rin! This is a special episode (err... Chapter) where a bit of Yuki-Rin's past will be revealed. The stuff going on in this episode will kick-start the events of this arc and maybe stuff in future arcs as well, so stay tuned.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece of the idea of having episodes like Episode of X, since Eichiiro Oda and the One Piece anime team have those ideas already.

Ch. 99: "Episode of Heathcliffe and Yuki-Rin!"

A couple of days later, the Capricorns were still trying to wash the healing slime from their clothes.

"Who knew this healing slime could be so hard to get out?" Yuki-Rin asked Hana as she scrubbed her shirt.

"Somebody should've told us this beforehand so we could've gotten rain ponchos or something," Hana explained as she hung up Kartik's shirt on the clothesline next to her. "And, besides, we got the slime out of half of the clothing we're washing, so we're making progress."

A mail bird then landed on the clothesline.

"The mail bird? This late in the day?" Yuki-Rin wondered out loud as she dug around her pocket for a few Beri coins. Yuki-Rin gave the coins to the mail bird, who gave Yuki-Rin a letter. "Thank you."

The news bird flew away. Yuki-Rin looked at the letter, which was addressed to her.

"A lettter? For me?" Yuki-Rin asked.

"Who is it from?" Hana asked Yuki-Rin, who opened the letter.

"It's from Julietta. And it looks like she has some urgent news," Yuki-Rin said. "Mind if I go read this inside?"

"Go ahead," Hana said. Yuki-Rin took her letter inside to her room. Sitting down on her bed, Yuki-Rin read the letter, which said the following:

Dear Yuki-Rin,

Please stop whatever you are doing and read this letter, as it is very urgent. If you have been reading the newspapers over the past week or so, then you'll know what's going on in the East Blue. If not, then I will just say it up front – An uprising against the Tenryuubito of the East Blue has started. Saint Worthington has died in the uprising, and the wife of Saint Sarutobi II has been captured by the rebel forces. So far, I have no word on Saint Ayame, but I have heard false rumors that she has died or been captured. If you hear news about Saint Ayame, please make sure it is from the East Blue Reader, the Grand Line Times, or Pirate News Network. If you can, you may wish to go back home to Goa Kingdom, and I will give you passgage on a Kairoseki-lined cruise ship that will sail from the Calm Belt to Goa Kingdom. But, still, I hope for the best in regards to you and the Capricorns.

Your Friend,

Julietta (1)

Yuki-Rin sat there for a moment, thinking about the information she just received. Not only did she have to break the news to Molly, but she would also have to tell the Sarutobi brothers about what happened to their mother.

A few moments later, Yuki-Rin got up and went to the library, where Kartik was reading.

"Oh, hello, Yuki-Rin. I didn't hear you come in," Kartik said.

"Kartik, do you still have today's copy of the Grand Line Times?" Yuki-Rin asked Kartik.

"Funny you should mention that. There was an article I wanted you to read," Kartik said before he handed a large clipping from the newspaper to Yuki-Rin.

"Wife of Saint Sarutobi II murdered in captivity! Saint Ayame and husband put on house arrest!"

"Unbelieveable…" Molly commented as she read the article.

"What do we do, Molly? My mother – well, my mother and your adoptive mother – was one of the reasons why we ran away from home to become pirates. Now, there's a chance that she could die in this," Yuki-Rin asked Molly.

"Wait, are you sayin' that… You WANT to go home?! Are you feckin' daft, Yuki-Rin?!" Molly cried.

"Well, I'm just saying that if my parents die in this uprising, I believe we should go back to the East Blue. It would be a much safer East Blue for us," Yuki-Rin explained emotionlessly. Molly sighed as she handed the article back to Yuki-Rin.

"Maybe you do have a point…" Molly said. Yuki-Rin got up from her bed.

"I'll be right back. I need to go break the news to the Sarutobi boys that their mother has died," Yuki-Rin said before she left the room and entered Heathcliffe, Holden, and Soren's room.

"Hey, Yuki-Rin! Why the long face?" Heathcliffe asked Yuki-Rin, who sighed.

"I have some news for you three, and I'm not sure how you're going to take it," Yuki-Rin explained.

"I can take it, IF it doesn't involve Aki," Heathcliffe explained. Yuki-Rin took a deep breath.

"Your mother has died in an uprising against the Tenryuubito."

The Sarutobi brothers grew silent.

"Our… Our mother?! No way!" Holden cried. Yuki-Rin just handed the newspaper article to the boys, who read it over.

"Oh, my God…" Heathcliffe said in almost a whisper. "I can't believe that this is happening."

Soren sighed.

"Although she wasn't the kindest mother on Earth, this is still some shocking news," Soren commented. "What are we going to do?"

"I was actually considering… Turning back and going back home. With the fall of the East Blue Tenryuubito, it would be a much safer Goa Kingdom for myself, Molly, and you three. Even if I don't make it to Raftel – or Sabaody Archipalego, for that matter – and I have to turn back, I will be forever grateful that I have such wonderful nakama and that I went on such an epic voyage," Yuki-Rin explained. Heathcliffe sighed.

"If you say so…" Heathcliffe said sadly.

"Heathcliffe, eat up. It's spaghetti, and you love spaghetti."

Heathcliffe looked up. It was now dinnertime, and he was still reeling from the news of his mother's death.

"May… May I be excused?" Heathcliffe asked his nakama.

"I don't see why not. You need some peace, Sarutobi-kun," Aki said. Heathcliffe got up and left the room as the Capricorns continuted to eat and chat. A few moments later, Yuki-Rin got up.

"Where are you going?" Kazuma asked Yuki-Rin.

"I want to talk to Heathcliffe. He's not the only Tenryuubito's child who has to watch this uprising from a distance," Yuki-Rin explained.

"Go ahead, Yuki-Rin. I'm sure you and Sarutobi-kun can talk things out," Aki said. With a nod, Yuki-Rin walked to the Sarutobi brothers' bedroom, where Heathcliffe was sitting on his bed and idly strumming his guitar.

"Mind if I come in?" Yuki-Rin asked Heathcliffe.

"Sure," Heathcliffe said as Yuki-Rin entered the bedroom and sat on Soren's bed. The both of them grew silent.

"Looks like it's an end of an era for us," Yuki-Rin commented.

"Yep. At least we'll get an era of freedom out of it for us," Heathcliffe said. "When Holden, Soren, and I were little, our father would take us to these monthly meetings of the Nobles. Of course, we weren't allowed to go into the meetings, so we stayed with the other Nobles' kids. All of the kids seemed to be amazed with all of the Nobles there."

"It's a funny thing, you know? We were so amazed with our parents and our friends when we were little, but then when we saw their cruelty and their true nature, our innocence was taken…" Yuki-Rin explained. "And, come to think of it, there was a meeting of the Nobles that always stuck out in my mind."

"Oh, really? What happened there?" Heathcliffe asked Yuki-Rin.

*Begin Flashback, Ten Years Ago*

A younger Heathcliffe, Holden, and Soren stood in a large playroom in the mansion of Saint Ayame, looking for kids to play with while the adult Nobles had their meeting.

"Soren, I don't want to wear this stupid outfit!" Heathcliffe whined. He was wearing a white, collared shirt, khaki, knee-length shorts, suspenders, and black, dress shoes, just like his brothers.

"I look like a dork!" Holden cried.

"You don't look like dorks. You look like the sons of pirates."

A six-year old girl with wavy, shoulder-length, brown hair walked up to them. Unlike the other kids who wore dressier clothing, the girl wore a red, turtleneck sweater, blue jeans, and forest-green sneakers. This was the younger version of Yuki-Rin.

"Thank you!" Soren said.

"You're welcome," Yuki-Rin said before she held up a large, pirate ship playset. "Wanna play pirates? I'll be the captain!"

"We can't play that at home. Our daddy says that we can't play with toy pirate ships because he thinks pirates are bad," Heathcliffe explained.

"My mommy said the same thing. When I told my teacher about why I can't play pirates, she let me take this ship home for the weekend! She's so nice!" Yuki-Rin explained. Heathcliffe, Holden, and Soren looked at Yuki-Rin like she was crazy. "It will be lots and lots of fun!"

After spending a few more moments, Heathcliffe stepped forward.

"I'll play with you," Heathcliffe said. "Who can I be in your pirate crew?"

By the end of that night, all three Sarutobi brothers were playing with Yuki-Rin, and they were having a lot of fun, despite the fact that they had evil parents. Sadly, it was time for the Sarutobi family to leave.

"Dad, we don't wanna leave!" Holden cried.

"Don't worry, son. We'll be back next month," Saint Sarutobi told his sons.

"Promise, dad?" Heathcliffe asked his father.

"I promise, Heathie," Saint Sarutobi told his son as he ruffled his hair. Heathcliffe then turned to Yuki-Rin.

"Here, take this. We're nakama now, right?" Heathcliffe asked as he gave Yuki-Rin a necklace of a small, silver, pirate sword. Yuki-Rin nodded as she put the necklace on.

"Thank you," Yuki-Rin said.

"Bye-bye!" The Sarutobi boys yelled as they exited the mansion.

"Bye! See you soon!" Yuki-Rin yelled back.

*End Flashback, Revert to the Present*

"…And, that's what happened," Yuki-Rin said. "Sadly, I was so busy having fun, that I forgot to get the names of those three brothers. They never came back, because I heard their parents got a nanny to watch over them."

"Yuki-Rin… Those brothers you played with that night were me and my brothers," Heathcliffe explained. Yuki-Rin's face turned to shock.

"That was you?! I met you ten years before you joined my crew?!" Yuki-Rin cried. Heathcliffe nodded.

"It's a small world, Yuki-Rin. That memory also happens to be a memory I remember the most from my childhood. Although I never got your name that night, I got your name when I was welcomed with open arms into the Capricorn Pirates," Heathcliffe explained. "Do you still have that necklace I gave you?"

"Hold on, let me check," Yuki-Rin said before she left the room. A few minutes later, she returned with the same pirate sword necklace Heathcliffe gave her ten years ago. "I can't believe I still have it. I always had this fear that my mother would throw it away because of the fact that pirates use these swords."

Heathcliffe looked at the necklace.

"This thing survived for ten years? After I stole it from my mother's jewelry box on a dare from Holden?! Incredible!" Heathcliffe commented. "But, anyway, do you like it?"

"Actually, no. In my opinion, I think it's pretty tacky now," Yuki-Rin explained.

"Well, it looks like we're gonna have to go out and buy something to symbolize the power of nakama, especially ones that meet again by coincidence ten years later," Heathcliffe said. Over in the hallway, Kazuma overheard the story of Yuki-Rin and Heathcliffe.

"What a small world we live in…" Kazuma commented to himself.

(1) - The East Blue Reader and The Grand Line Times are both newspapers. Pirate News Network is a T.V. station. And, yes they do have T.V.s in the One Piece world. They were used in the Marineford Arc to broadcast Ace's execution.

Anyway, the long-awaited 100th chapter is next chapter, so write your 100th chapter predictions in your reviews!