Chapter-Specific Warnings: Blood, gore, character death, this chapter is long as hell, lots of messy emotions abound, we're starting to get to the heavily AU part of this, chapter skips around a bit.

Author's Notes: The last chapter of the Arabasta arc, before we get into the raging clusterfuck that is Skypiea! This chapter introduces one of my absolute favorite OCs that I've made for this story. Seriously, I love her so, so, so much.

I know in canon that Pell didn't die, but this really is not the sort of story where someone without an absolute shit ton of power (or a really powerful Devil Fruit) can just walk away from Ground Zero of a borderline nuclear explosion.

I adore Pell a lot (and I mean, a LOT), but in the terms of this particular story, he could not have survived that explosion, and I needed to establish that.

Chapter Twenty-Four:

At the End of the Day

They found him in the early morning, in the cell where they had put him after his arrest.

Well, they found what was left of him, if truth be told.

Blood splattered the walls, pooled and coagulated along the floor. Strips of flesh heaped into a mound that might have once been a human lay half on, half off the destroyed remains of the cot, surrounding by slivers of bone. And a pair of sea-stone handcuffs lay on the floor, cracked and bloody.

The woman who stood in the middle of the room didn't seem to care about the blood staining her low-heeled boots, or the foul stench that had already made a dozen of the low-ranking Marines helplessly ill.

She was a beautiful woman, with a long mane of white hair and icy blue eyes. She carried herself as a fighter, for all she was a woman some years past her prime, lines from both age and battle creasing her pale face.

She knelt, and pulled a golden hook out of the heap of meat.

The woman wrinkled her nose, shook her head, and stood, carrying the hook carefully in her gloved hand. She walked out of the room into the dark and dingy hallway, and stopped by the man waiting by the door.

He was a tall man, though not so tall as her, and wore the uniform of a Captain in the Marines. His skin was dark and he had a calm, watchful way about him. He held a marine coat over one muscular arm, and nodded to her.

Another woman appeared from behind him, wearing the uniform of a Lieutenant, her short crop of black-brown hair only a shade darker than the color of her skin. She wore a tiny gold stone in the middle of her forehead.

The ice-eyed woman turned to the three Marines who stood on her opposite side.

"This cell will need to be cleaned, and everything within it destroyed, am I understood?" she said, her voice quiet, but no one could mistake the implicit order in her words. "You be the ones in charge of cleaning this, and you must be suited in protective gear from head to toe. I would advised high-powered hoses, if such is available. It must be scoured, is that clear?"

"Yes ma'am!" the men said in unison.

"And take care to mention this to no one," she said, stripping her gloves off after passing the golden hook to the other woman. "If any pertinent details get out to the public, I will not be pleased."

She turned her gaze back on the men, and they flinched as one, before snapping their heels together in a brisk salute.

"You are dismissed," she said, and the men left. She took the coat from the man, who helped her into it, and strode in down the hallway in the opposite direction of the men. Her two subordinates flanked her, easily matching her pace.

Another man stepped out of the office that she had commandeered for her own use while on the island, and saluted.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku wishes to speak with you," the man said.

The woman nodded, and stepped past him into the room. The dozen or so Marines working and standing around snapped to attention as she did so, and she waved her hand, spotting the ringing Den Den Mushi.

"Clear the room. I will speak with the Fleet Admiral alone," she ordered, and her soldiers quickly obeyed.

"Would you like us to leave as well?" the man at her side asked, and the white-haired woman nodded.

"At the door. I want no one to disturb me, Faraji," she said to him. "Also, Udira, I want you to melt that hook down, and study what you find of it when we return," she said to the woman. "You can keep the purified gold," she added, noting with amusement the gleam in the younger woman's eyes.

Her subordinates saluted, before leaving as well.

She sat at the chair behind the desk, and pulled the receiver to her mouth.

"Hakuryū here."

"Is it as bad as was reported?"

She sniffed.

"Let's just say I understand why you pulled me away from watching that man to come here. It will be taken care of, though."

"Is it them?"

Hakuryū sighed and rubbed her chin. "Yes."

"Will we have any trouble?"

"I believe not. That idiot entered into a Contract with them, and paid the price. A debt was owed, and it was collected upon. We should have no trouble with them any further."

"Good. You will return to your duties."

"And what of the pirates rumored to be in Arabasta? I have heard that Portgas is one of them. It would be a simple matter to deal with it now."

There was a silence as she waited for her superior to speak.

"Do nothing. They are not a threat to us as of yet, and we cannot have this out, Hakuryū. We do not need attention brought to us, or to you. As far as the public will know, Crocodile will have killed himself, using a poison he carried for such a purpose."

"Understood," the woman said, and after a brief exchange of pleasantries, she hung up the receiver.

The woman leaned back, looking at the wall behind her and the map of the prison island far south of Arabasta that hung there. No, it wouldn't be a good thing if anyone learned of the details behind Crocodile's fall, and the pirates who had orchestrated it. And it would be even worse if anyone found out the truth behind his death.

She hummed a faint tune as she folded her hands behind her head. Still, it was a fun thing getting to stretch her legs for a while, even if it was by terrorizing mousy Marines and standing in a room full of reeking death.

It certainly beat the cold war she and her men had been entrenched in with the Revolutionary Army, in any case.

Several days later…

The air was brisk, the sun's rays just starting to poke out over the horizon. The chill of the previous desert night still lingered, but it bothered none of the figures who stood on the sand.

A duck dressed in the colors of the Super Spot-Billed Duck Squad stood a little off to the side of the two it had ferried to this spot. Curled around it were two immense felines, one with the coloring of a tiger, the other of a panther.

The panther's eyes were carefully locked on his Mistress and her lover, who were saying goodbye before he would leave Arabasta.

"Will you be all right?" Kelly asked Ace, as he unfolded his boat to full length.

"Have you gone to see Luffy yet?" he asked by way of a reply, and Kelly scowled. First Zoro, now him?

Luffy had woken up yesterday morning, and Kelly had spent the rest of the day studiously avoiding him, and any of the other Straw Hat pirates, much like she had done ever since they had arrived at the castle the evening after the war had ended.

Zoro had been the only one who had succeeded in finding her, and that had been a stupidly awkward conversation she wasn't keen on repeating. She wasn't the slightest bit interested in feeling like a shamed child again, for all Zoro had been far too understanding for her own comfort.

She'd nearly killed his captain, and yet he'd…

He'd…

-…His hand lands on her shoulder for a moment, and she looks down at him in confusion. It squeezes, very briefly, a gesture of comfort she certainly had never expected from him, before he lets go, and steps back.

Her shoulder is almost painfully warm, and she feels the strength of his hand even after it was removed.

Then he's off, wandering down the hallway in the wrong direction, and she doesn't have the wit to quip about his lack of directional skills…-

Kelly sighed, and rubbed a hand down her face. He'd told her to go talk to Luffy. Just that. And not because she needed to say sorry, the swordsman hadn't said a word about it, though surely he must have thought it.

"Will you go talk to him?" Ace asked, and she glared down at him as he stepped closer. She had noticed that she was still growing, and it didn't seem liable to stop any time soon. Probably just another side effect of being a Snake.

"…yeah, I will," she promised with a groan, and Ace grinned, all boyish joy and laughter.

She didn't resist the urge to pull him to her and kiss him, feeling his smile against her mouth and greedily claiming it. His arms came around her neck, and they stayed like that for several moments, until Ace pulled back.

"I need to get going," he said regretfully, and Kelly nodded.

He moved away, and hopped up on his boat. It would be a straight shot to the ocean from here, and he would get there long before the Marine blockade. But then again, the blockade she remembered had been just barely able to hold the Straw Hats.

And Ace was…well, he was Ace. He didn't have that 500 million bounty for nothing.

That reminded her. "Ace," she said, and the pirate stopped.

"Ciel, I'm not taking you along with me," he said, and Kelly scowled at him, remembering their talk two days ago.

"That's not what I meant, dumbass," she snapped at him, but then sighed.

Kelly looked at him, and thought of him bowed in chains, with the stupid, stupid belief that he wasn't worthy of a war, that his brothers and father should have never come for him, that they should have let him rot, and she thought of Teach's awful laughter.

"Remember what I told you," she said seriously, and held his eyes with her own. She thought about all she had told him of Blackbeard's powers, and hoped, prayed, it would be enough. "And kick Blackbeard's ass into next week, will you?"

"Of course," Ace said, but then paused, and leapt back off the boat. "Ah, wait, I forgot."

Kelly folded her arms over her chest. "If you left something back at the palace, I'm not going back to get it," she told him severely.

The man laughed. "No, that's not it."

He crossed over to her, and pulled the circle of ruby beads he never took off up over his head.

Kelly blinked, and then Ace was slipping it over her head. The necklace nestled against the skin of her throat as though it had been made to rest there.

"A present," Ace said with a grin, and went back over to his boat.

Kelly touched the beads, feeling how soft and smooth they were, and fought to find words behind the vicious tangle in her throat. She looked at him, as the light of the rising sun haloed his frame from behind him, and still couldn't find them.

"See ya later, Ciel!" Ace called as his legs turned to fire. "And if my brother lets you out of his sight, stop by the Moby Dick. Pops and my brothers would like to meet you!"

And then he was gone in a cloud of dust and heat, leaving Kelly standing there feeling as though someone had whacked her across the face with a particularly large fish.

"Did he just…did he just ask me to do the pirate equivalent of meeting his parents?" The Magus said numbly, and both of her Familiars giggled helplessly.

She shot them equally annoyed looks.

"Do you like the necklace, Mistress?" Gin asked, stretching out like any ordinary housecat.

Kelly touched the beads with one hand, and couldn't help her stupidly dazed smile that spread across her face. She had Portgas D. Ace's necklace. He'd given her his necklace! She'd had a copy of it back home, one she had worn every single day without fail (because she was just that particular brand of weird) and now she had the original!

She breathed slowly.

"Ace gave me his necklace," she said in quiet wonder.

Kelly walked over to her Familiars and the dozing Duck, and dropped face first onto the sand. The three animals watched her.

"This has been a lovely day," The Magus's muffled voice said, her legs kicking up in glee.

"You still have to go talk to Luffy," Gin reminded her, and her legs flopped back to the sand.

She groaned.

Kelly stood before the door that led into the room where the Straw Hats had been staying during their time in the palace. Her hand had been resting over the door for the past five minutes as she tried to find the strength to enter. She heard their voices, she'd seen Igaram's wife (whatever her name was) pushing the cart of food in, and then bringing it out…

But it felt as though there were hands curling like vices around her arm, keeping the motion from happening before it could become fully realized in her muscles. There was a coldness, a nauseating one, in her belly, and a light trembling along her limbs.

She was scared.

Kelly breathed slowly, her teeth grinding.

Gin brushed against her legs, Ace's necklace brushed against the skin of her collarbone, and then she was pushing the door open. The voices died away as she stepped inside, and found herself in the center of attention.

"Ciel!" Luffy was sitting up in bed, his hat perched on his head, a hunk of meat rapidly disappearing down his throat. His eyes were clear and bright, and he looked perfectly fine, for all she knew that he'd been gravely injured.

"Ah," she said, fighting hard not to fidget. The other pirates were all watching her, and her scars were itching horribly. But she had made a promise to Ace, and she would keep it.

Though nothing on earth (on any earth) would convince her to look at any of the other people in the room.

"It is good…to see you awake," Kelly said lamely, inwardly wincing at how stupid that sounded. Gin and Shere stuck close by her ankles, looking warily at the pirates around them.

"Mm!" Luffy agreed, and held out the remaining stick of meat. "Want some?"

Caught flat-footed, Kelly could only stare at him.

"No…?" she tried, confused, and Luffy scoffed.

"Wasn't talking to you, silly. Shere Khan, y'want some?" He asked the cat curling around Kelly's legs.

Shere stopped, and blinked at him. For the second time today, Kelly felt the words twist up inside her throat, unable to get free. Her Familiar looked up at her, asking for permission. The Magus nodded.

"Go ahead, darling," she said softly, and couldn't help the tension that threaded her fingers and curled them into fists, as her Familiar walked over to the bed, and jumped up onto the sheets before Luffy's crossed legs.

Her shoulders were tense almost to the point of pain as she watched her Familiar carefully move closer to Luffy. The pirate gave her a big smile, and set the hunk of meat down in between them.

"'m sorry, Shere," he said, very seriously, and the cat looked up at him warily.

He reached out a hand, and held it out to her. Shere looked back at Kelly, a question in her eyes and the Magus nodded slightly, unable to do anything else, her heart in her throat.

Shere leaned into Luffy's hand, and the pirate gently stroked her fur for several minutes. Then the two of them turned their attention to gnawing on the meat with gusto.

After Luffy had demolished the rack of meat he had been eating, he turned back to Kelly. And his eyes narrowed, as if he remembered only then what she had done to him, what she was capable of, what she was.

"I'm angry at you," he said bluntly, and Kelly went still. It took a great deal of effort not to stiffen, not to let the Magic coil down her arms in preparation for a blow, a strike, anything-

"That's why…" she gritted her teeth, and kept on. "I came to apologize. For hurting you."

It did not hurt, did not sting near as much to just say the words right out – I'm sorry – than it did to simply admit that she needed to apologize.

Her pride was something else, even now, and she felt Gin's disapproval like a distant touch in her mind.

Luffy's face screwed up, twisting in confusion, and it was weird to see someone actually breaking the laws of physics in front of her-

"That's not what I was talking about!" Luffy said, looking at her like she was being deliberately stupid.

Kelly stopped.

"What?" she asked, feeling confused. "But I tried to kill you, why-?"

"You were protecting your precious nakama," Luffy said, dismissing her words with a wave of his hand.

As though her nearly ripping his throat out didn't mean anything. As though the fact that she would have killed him, had Zoro not gotten in the way, didn't mean anything.

But then his face creased into a truly terrifying glare, all folded-down eyebrows, dark, furious eyes, and a mouth that was a thin, white line.

And it was only her own sense of pride that kept Kelly from taking a step back and away from the ferocity of that look, even as her mouth went dry with distant fear.

"Ace told me," Luffy said, and he sounded every bit as pissed off as he had when he had faced the Straw Hats' enemies, and those times when he had seen his crewmates in pain. "Ace told me that you wanted to join his crew and leave us and become his nakama."

Kelly blinked, caught really off-balance this time.

Well, yes, she had asked Ace if she could go with him, but he had wanted to go alone to hunt down Teach, and she respected that, even if it chafed at her to let him go alone.

But she wasn't planning on joining any pirate crew, and she had decided that she wasn't going to hop ship…just yet. After all, the Straw Hats were guaranteed to get out of Arabasta, even with the Marine blockade. And since she'd not gone with Ace, they were her best chance at getting out of the country.

"I wasn't going to join up with him," she protested. "I'm not going to become the-the nakama of a bunch of pirates, for fuck's sake, why are you pissed about that?"

Kelly could feel the way the others in the room stiffened at that, and she saw the annoyance that joined Luffy's anger. But why did it matter to any of them?

"But you did," Luffy said, as if he was explaining something to a particularly dumb child. "You're our nakama, baka-Ciel."

Everything froze.

Well, it didn't, not really, but it felt like it did.

Kelly stared.

"Wha-"

Luffy rolled his eyes.

"Ace told us you probably didn't know. But you're stupid if you didn't," Luffy chided. "You're our nakama, baka-Ciel. Ours. Not his, not nobody else's. And we're not letting you go, not for nothing."

"I-I don't, why-" The words wouldn't come out properly. She didn't even know what the words were. "Why, you-you know what I am…"

The words were weak, confused, and she hated it-

"Yeah!" Luffy said, looking confused. "You're our nakama! Sure, you got some scaly bits, but Chopper's got fur, so I don't care. It's pretty cool!"

It was suddenly very hard to breathe.

"But…" and her voice sounded weak and ragged. "But I tried to kill you, so why-?"

Luffy sighed again, obviously very put-upon.

"Because you were protecting your nakama, baka-Ciel," he said irritably. "And you're not going with Ace! So don't try it. Or we'll come and drag you back."

Kelly bristled. "Who the fuck are you, telling me what to do?" she snapped.

Anger was good. Anger was better than that-that weak, floaty feeling in her belly. She clung to it, even as it burned her insides like fire. She didn't like people telling her what to do, patronizing her-

Luffy sighed, and shot out a hand, latching onto her arm.

"What the f-"

And she went flying as Luffy pulled her over to him. Shere got out of the way as Kelly crashed into the boy's lap, snarling in fury as he wrapped his arms around her like a rubbery vice.

"I'm your captain, baka-Ciel! And you're my precious nakama, so hush."

Kelly thrashed, pulling her anger up and through her in an attempt to burn out that fluttery little part of her that wanted to lean into the hug, to put her forehead into the crook of Luffy's neck and never move.

"MONKEY, LET ME GO!" she thundered. Luffy giggled.

"Nope!" And his fingers began to move up and down her sides in a very familiar motion. Oh, no he wasn't-

"I'LL KILL YOU-FUCKING CHRIST STOP TICKLING ME ARRRRRGH!"

"Not until you say you'll stay!"

The laughter was bubbling up inside her, and she was inches away from giggling, actually giggling. God, if that happened, her dignity would never recover.

She thrashed harder, and Luffy was giggling delightedly now, his laughter almost infectious as he tickled her mercilessly.

It occurred to her, rather distantly, that if she really wanted to get out, she could have done so. Easily. She was a Snake and a Magus, and Luffy was still hurt, still exhausted from his fight, she could smell it on him. But she…

How long had it been, since anyone had actually played with her? Since anyone had teased her without trying to hurt? Since someone had touched her so freely? The fact was-

-she didn't want to get free.

"I hate you so much," she grumbled, settling down. Luffy giggled.

"Love you too, baka-Ciel," the boy said, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Luffy, you shouldn't be moving around that much," Chopper protested, and Kelly suddenly remembered that there were more people than just her and Luffy in the room.

Fuck. That was embarrassing.

She growled halfheartedly.

"Lemme up, asshole," she said irritably.

"Not until you say you'll stay~!" Luffy said, tightening his grip, warm and soft.

Kelly groaned, even as something inside her tried to relax.

"Fine, you goddamn octopus. I'll stay. Happy now?"

"Shishishishishi!" Luffy giggled, then released her.

The Magus quickly slipped off the bed, and hurried over the window, Shere and Gin at her feet. She opened it and leapt out, not even bothering to pause as someone inside - someone who wasn't Luffy - called her name.

She couldn't stand any more of this.

(She couldn't bear it any longer.)

When she had discarded the partial face mask and rolled back her sleeves to enjoy the warm sea breeze, she couldn't help the quick look she shot to the others lazing on the upper deck. The scales on her neck and around her wrists were clearly visible.

But there were no looks, no strange glances, and no upturned noses.

Zoro had raised a single eyebrow at her, before turning back to the others who were shouting something about Vivi.

Kelly's shoulders relaxed as Zoro snapped something at them. She thought about the blue-haired princess, grinning at the memory of the private goodbye the woman had given her.

-…"Ciel, wait!"

Kelly turns, and sees Vivi walking down the hallway towards her, dressed in fine clothing, draped gold and turquoise jewelry. It suits her, suits the Princess of this glorious country. Kelly looks closer, and sees the faint redness around her eyes, and knows what she felt during the explosion is truth.

Pell is dead.

She shakes the knowledge away – he died defending his home, he died a hero - and smiles at Vivi.

"I wanted…I wanted to say goodbye, before you left. And to give you back something you gave me," the princess says, and smiles, soft and warm at the edges. But there's something coy, about it.

And Kelly remembers that this is the girl who became a Baroque Works officer (a lower-ranking one, sure, but still an officer). This is not a girl to underestimate.

"What did I give you?" Kelly asks, cocking her head to one side. She doesn't remember giving the princess anything-

Warm lips press against hers, and Kelly blinks, startled. Vivi's arms curl around Kelly's neck, and it's…

It's…

Vivi pulls back.

"You gave me a kiss," she says impishly. "I thought it only right I returned it."…-

Kelly grinned, and looked out at the sea, resting her arms on the railing. Gin and Shere were asleep, the day was warm, and she could feel-

The door to the kitchen opened. A scent that was terrifyingly familiar drifted out. And Nico Robin stepped onto the deck, dressed in Nami's clothes, that utterly calm, utterly placid smile on her lips.

Kelly whirled around all the way, her back hitting the railing. Her fingers – claws now – dug furrows into the wood, and cold shivers spiked down her spine.

No no no no-

Panic, fear, rage spurted up so high and fast that it took every inch of her control to keep from leaping over the side of the boat and into the water, to escape.

Gin and Shere Khan snarled and grew, leaping to the ground in front of her, full size and pissed off, and Kelly couldn't even begin to pull back on the emotions thrumming down their connection.

"I was wondering when we would be off," Robin said, smiling serenely, though Kelly saw the way her attention twitched to her and the cats, who snarled.

Kelly had known that Robin would be joining the crew, she'd known that-

But-

"…I do wonder how much an adult Sea Snake would be worth on the slave market these days…"

Robin smiled as the rest of the crew freaked out, but Kelly knew that one eye was on her and her cats at all times, even as the Straw Hats ran around like headless chickens. (Or horny ones, in Sanji's case)

Someone who'd survived being hunted by the World Government for years wouldn't take her eyes off the greatest threats on the ship.

Something inside Kelly curdled like sour milk-…"You know how much money we can make off a scale of hers? Hold the bitch down, and we'll get her ready for market!"…- and she couldn't breathe-

"Allow me to join your nakama," Robin said, and Kelly went still.

-…"…how much a Sea Snake would be worth…"…-

"You forced me to live when I wished to die," Robin said, as she sat back, folding her arms behind her head. "I have no place to go to, nor to return to. You should take responsibility."

Kelly could feel herself trembling, but she couldn't stop it. Of course Robin would join the crew, Robin was one of Luffy's nakama (well, she would become one), and Kelly didn't have any right to express her fear.

Robin had more of a right on this ship than Kelly did, after all.

But that didn't stop the fear. That didn't stop the terror. She'd looked into Robin's eyes and seen what Kelly had seen in so many others – you are lesser than me, because you are not human – and it was terrifying.

But then…there was Luffy's voice, sounding…annoyed? What-?

"Why the hell should I do that?" he asked the woman. "You hurt Ciel!"

There was silence for several seconds after that, long and awkward and Kelly felt her mind slow down, moving like oil around the words.

You hurt Ciel.

Something fluttered in her stomach, light and soft, and she…it was…this was…

Robin looked startled, to say the least. Her eyes flickered over to Kelly, and back to Luffy. All of the Straw Hats were dead silent.

"I am sorry," Robin said, very quietly.

Luffy huffed out an impatient breath. "Not to me, stupid," he said.

Robin turned to her, and Kelly couldn't help the flinch that shook her. Robin paused, something flickering across her face like quicksilver, but then there was a green wall between the Magus and her.

Zoro stood there, arms crossed over his chest, not letting Robin take a step closer. Shere and Gin flanked him on either side, tails thrashing, muscles coiled and bunched.

They…they were…

A lump rose in her throat.

They were protecting her.

Kelly breathed in deep, swallowed the awful stinging in her throat, and firmed her shoulders. She was better than this, and stronger than this. And it didn't matter what she felt, when it came down to it.

Robin had to join the crew, and that was the end of it. Her own feelings needed to be set aside. The Magus laid a hand on Zoro's shoulder, just as he had done to her several days ago, and looked at Robin.

"I am sorry for my words," Robin said softly, and for a moment there was something painful in her eyes.

"It's all right," Kelly said, even though it wasn't, not really.

Robin had more right on this ship, Kelly thought, and managed to look the other woman in the eyes. There was a burning in her eyes and throat, and she needed to find a private place to be, right now.

"I accept your apology," The Magus said, and quickly hurried past Zoro, and through the door that led to the lower levels.

She hurried to her small room, Gin and Shere right behind her, and quickly shut the door behind her. A flick of her fingers activated the seals on the walls, granting total privacy from anyone who may try to listen – though she would need to renew them soon.

Kelly stood in the middle of room for a long moment before her knees buckled.

Gin and Shere crawled into her arms, purring fiercely, even as tears poured down her face.