It was hard to forget that the things that happened in the past five days actually took place.

Ginger tried relentlessly to busy her free time but found that the memories would present themselves whenever possible. She would sleep when she was able almost expecting nightmares to surface but whenever she awoke she came to find that she had a dreamless sleep. On the fifth night it was no longer strange as she came to welcome not having dreams. She saw it as a sign of some sort and never came to question it.

The Transponder Snail had been disposed of the moment she ended her call with Marigold lest she try to call her back and apologize. She had to go through with this, becoming a pirate was easy enough once you thought of it but actually acting like one was a different story. It would be inevitable that her bounty and wanted poster would be public and as such she braced for the worse.

The sixth morning found them already landing at her destination with the one of the villagers helping her with her belongings. The self-proclaimed captain on board, a hairy man who stood four feet taller than her, helped her with directions.

"Do you know what you're looking for?" he asked, taking a long drag on his equally long pipe while his eyes studied her. "This is the stop before entering the New World...World."

Ginger frowned. "I've no intention of entering the New World," she said calmly, "I only want to find Jax's men is all."

The captain lips pulled inwards as he made a long "mmm" sound just before the gray smoke trailed out of his nostrils. She turned her head away as the smoke seemed to travel towards her. "You said you were going to go rogue. Going rogue means staying away from Marines of any kind. Eventually you're going to have to enter the New World." He tilted his head. "Going alone means you'll be vulnerable...vulnerable." The old man also had a bad habit of repeating the last word of any said last sentence.

"I'm fully prepared," she said, patting the leather holster that held her knives. "No one's going to get the upper hand on me."

He laughed the sound rumbling through his chest while she smiled at him. "Take care. We'll put your ship to good use...use." She nodded at him then before proceeding to leave the docking port in favor of finding directions.

It was hard to believe that a grove of trees made up this non-island even harder to admit that she absolutely never thought she would be in this situation. She didn't know where to go to begin looking for Jax's merry band of misfits. She wished she would've thought longer on this before deciding to become a pirate. So began her short journey of asking for directions, side-stepping many times to prevent people from bumping into her. The brown pack was held tightly over her shoulder as she walked along the throng of people in the section.

She then held out a hand and stopped a man from hurrying past her. "Pardon," she began, her voicing turned light as he passed her a look. "Where would I go about finding someone?"

The man, who was a few short years younger than her, turned and looked around with an uninterested gaze. Ginger waited patiently, noticing that it seemed as if he was struggling to answer her question. It was when she looked away from him and up at the trees that she noticed the number "41" painted upon it. All the captain mentioned was that Sabaody was made up of different groves of trees that held various sections. She failed to ask exactly which she should go to.

"Look, it's alright I'll ask somebody here since it's obvious you're not a local."

"Just give me a minute," he replied gruffly. His eyes scanned the trees while snapping his head toward the shops that surrounded them. "I'm sure I spotted "1" somewhere."

Ginger's eyes narrowed. "Don't you mean "41"?" she sighed, "Nevermind, I'll ask someone else."

"Fine by me." She released his shoulder and they walked past one another.

It was only when she stopped and quickly turned that she suddenly lost her balance. She fell back with a loud thud, groaning at the impact it made on her lower back. A few of the passing people stopped to help which she was quick to shoo away as her eyes remain on his receding form. There was no doubt that she recognized that head of green hair with his signature three swords hanging at his hip. There was nothing she could do about it now considering that she was no longer employed by the Marines. Pirate Hunter Zoro wasn't the person she wanted. If the Strawhat pirates were here then that could only mean that they were seeking passage into the New World as the captain had mentioned earlier.

During the commotion she managed to get directions to head to Groves 1-29 if she was seeking someone of importance, either that or head to the Marine base located in Groves 60-69. She thanked the man who had given her the directions completely oblivious to the fact that he had taken a quick snap of her profile with his camera.

Ginger continued on while occasionally looking up at the trees to ensure that she was still going the right way. Her hand reached up, her fingers touched the patch of colored hair that was tucked underneath, and made a mental note to pick up dye later. Her thoughts eventually drifted back to Sage's Island which caused her to frown at the memory. It was when Trafalgar Law's voice came to mind that the frown instantly thinned out as she became annoyed. Who was he to offer a position among his crew? He claimed he did so because she took down Jax but if that was the case why did he interfere the first time? He had no idea who she was, and was only slightly impressed at the quick work she made of him. If he really didn't care what happened to her (as so he claimed the first time) then why bother letting her finish Jax off? Had he been lying to see if he-

That bastard! He used me as bait!

The more she thought of it the more it made sense. Berserker Jax already held a reputation of being a formidable pirate, why not let him easily crush an Ensign class Marine like her? The thought of being used as bait made her upset, but she calmed once she realized she shouldn't have been surprised. Trafalgar Law was a pirate who would do what he liked until the day he got caught or died.

You have a lot of nerve, Law.

Eventually she ended up in the area she sought out, noticing that shady looking characters were currently running amok. "21" was marked upon one of the trees as she treaded lightly on dangerous territory the further she went. The stares of those she walked past didn't faze her. She held her chin high while her right hand dropped to grip the handle of her knife, passing any who gazed at her a sharp look. To come through unscathed she needed to act like she was one of them already. Her outward appearance would leave some to believe she would be an easy target, however, they would learn their lesson the moment they attempted to do something. Ginger looked down at herself then, and wondered if throwing her uniform overboard had been a hasty move.

She calmly moved to the side, keeping her eyes guarded as she came to a stop. Some of the people here caught her attention as most of them were wanted. Various faces reminded her of the days when she sat behind a desk, handling paperwork on criminals who were either imprisoned or still out at sea. Most of those who weren't captured were here now. Few of them had bounties over one-hundred million beli and posed an immediate threat. I have to be level-headed, she thought, I can't draw too much attention.

She removed the pack from her shoulder and delved into its contents, searching for any wanted posters she might've stuck in it. When she came up empty-handed she chose instead to pick a random person from the sea of people to ask of Jax's crew mates.

"Pardon," the word came out more cordially than she intended. "I'm looking for some people. Do you think you could assist me?" The man who she asked suddenly turned. His eyes narrowed before they seemed to relax; no longer bothered by the intrusion. His postured relaxed as did his demeanor once he got a good look at her. She shifted her feet before opening her mouth to add, "I won't beat around the bush. They belong to Berserker Jax Rackham's crew. I have reason to suspect they came here not too long ago. I need to know if they're here or not."

He raised an eyebrow. "You don't dress like a Marine," he said calmly, "but you speak like one." His fingers came together, tying into one another before pushing his hands outward as the bones in his fingers cracked. It didn't little to nerve her, but she didn't let the action be forgotten.

"I've been around Marines long enough for them to rub off on me." Her lips upturned slightly as she folded her arms while keeping his gaze. "Now, about that question I asked."

He scoffed. "Try the Auction house."

Ginger looked around, spotting small shops and the like rather than the building he referred to. "I don't see it anywhere."

The stranger hooked a thumb at one of the trees and said with a huff, "You're in Grove 21. The Auction house is at Grove 1."

"Thank you." She gave a curt nod before hurrying along to the destination. If it was an auction house as he claimed then the auction had probably begun, and if so it would make her search all that much harder. She couldn't believe that the stranger had been so helpful as she was almost sure he would've demanded payment for the information. Instead, he merely looked the other way as she set off. During that time she heard a rumbling nearby, but ignored it because it was no longer her business if fights broke out. All she cared about was finding this crew and putting an end to them.

Her steps quickened along the way, hoping that the rest of her search would be just as easy.

I need to be careful, she warned herself, nobody on this place can be trusted.

When Keki insisted that she would rather remain on the submarine than walk around for hours on end he had no choice but to leave her behind

Instead, he and a few of his crew members decided to go into the lawless area of Sabaody to pass the time. Keki gave a list of ingredients for Bepo, insisting that the bear be the one to gather the said items because she claimed he knew what to look for. Law didn't care. His nodachi leaned against his shoulder in its permanent position as they walked to Grove 1.

It hadn't been that long ago that they witnessed a fight between Killer and Urouge before it was stopped by Drake in an attempt to prevent it from escalating. It was a disappointment to see it come to an end so quickly, but Law figured there would be a chance to see them go at it again. From what he knew, all three had bounties over one-hundred million beli which in itself was only slightly impressive. His, of course, was second highest only to Drake's.

"I think I got what she wanted," Bepo said, frowning at the bag he carried. "If I miss something she'll starve me out. Again." His small black eyes slid over to Penguin and Shachi. His voice turned monotonous as he added, "I'll have to resort to eating you two."

"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!" They yelled in unison though Law paid them no mind.

He looked up, catching the sight of the number "1" painted on the tree as they passed. The Auction House was just a few more feet up ahead. He wasn't interested in purchasing anything, knowing full well what kind of merchandise was auctioned off at places like these. The thought unsettled him, and yet he wasn't about to make it his mission to rescue anyone either. As pirates, and as a pirate with a bounty over one-hundred, they needed to keep a low profile for the time being to avoid an all out fight with the neighboring Marines.

"Captain," Bepo called. "Where are we going?"

"To the Auction House," Law replied without looking back. "We're gonna observe. Nothing more."

Penguin sighed. "For a minute I thought you wanted to buy a...slave." The word seemed taboo, and it was simply because the very thought of slavery occurring in this day and age was unlikely. To those who knew better, slavery was an everyday occurrence in different parts of the world. Law wasn't oblivious to the fact.

"And if I did?" He didn't have to look to see that three of them had made an effort to put some distance between them. Bepo, who was cradling the bag of ingredients to his chest, looked petrified at the thought.

Shachi was the only one to give a short laugh. "Good one, Captain!" Law didn't reply.

They reached the Auction House and quickly filed in with the rest of the people. It hadn't started yet which gave them the full advantage to find seats and separate themselves from the rest. Law immediately slid in and seated himself on the long benches that filled the rows. Bepo sat behind him to his left while the others quickly took their own seats, making sure that it was obvious to not sit next to the crew.

Law's arms hung off the back of the bench with one leg resting over the other while his nodachi sat beside him. Being close to the exit while being on top served as an advantage to him as he quickly surveyed the large area. The stage was a few rows down with the curtain drawn. As his grey eyes slid over to the right he noticed that many people who had filed in were looking to purchase a slave from today's auction. His usual mask of carefree indifference hid the slight disgust that he harbored toward any who believed they held the right to own any other living being.

More people entered the Auction House but the Heart Pirates paid them no mind. He chose to be observant to those who were already seated, ignoring Bepo's worried cries as he scrambled on the floor behind him, no doubt searching for one Keki's ingredients he most likely lost. Shachi and Penguin on the other hand merely stuck to observing as well.

Law's eyes shifted to the right once more, raising an eyebrow as the person stopped from going further down. It was a woman by the looks of it, considering the fact that she was wearing a two piece pink suit. Much like him she wore a hat though hers was round with a flat top. One hand was on her hip while the other clutched the strap of a bag that hung from her right shoulder. Her back was to him as she looked ahead. The longer he stared with his suspicious gaze the more she appeared familiar to him. His eyes widened slightly but went unnoticed as he closed his eyes.

"Marine-ya, having trouble finding a place to sit?"

When he opened his eyes he saw that the hand on her hip fell to her side and clenched into a fist. Her gaze was on him in an instant, eyes hard as Law stared back with as much intensity.

"I didn't expect to find you here out of all places," she said. "What an unlucky coincidence."

"Sit down or keep walking, it doesn't matter to me. It's amusing to find you here is all."

She sat down beside him with her hands in her lap. By then his subordinates had turned to their captain and the woman with curiosity. Rogiko Ginger, on the other hand, surprised him by leaning back and relaxing in her seat. He would've expected her to sit somewhere else, to be so upset with him that she would avoid him at all costs. That wasn't the case. The Marine in the pink suit merely made herself comfortable as she turned her head to him.

"Why are you here?" she asked, eyes guarded as the insistent chatter in the indoor stadium grew louder.

Law smirked while looking at her. "It's none of your business."

"I should've expected such an answer."

"Why are you in civilian clothes?"

"It's none of your business." Whether she was mocking him or answering his question, he didn't know. Ginger blinked as her gaze went from him to the stage in a matter of seconds. "What kind of auctions do they do here?"

His smirk was replaced by a frown at her question. Not only did she avoid his earlier question but she had the gall to counter with another one. It was strange considering that she was a Marine and should've already known what this place was about. Even an Ensign could dig up information on classified areas if they wanted, going behind certain protocols for the chance to learn something they weren't supposed to. If pirates knew about this place then he figured that the Marines ought to have known too since they were only two sections over.

Ginger suddenly turned back to him. "There are a lot of influential people here." It would only be a matter of time until she put two and two together.

Bepo leaned in and whispered, "Captain, do you know this woman?" Law remained silent.

She continued to look around all the while ignoring how he was patiently waiting for her to come to the realization. In the meantime, he looked over his shoulder to see if anymore people were still coming in, and when he did he saw that Eustass Kid (another pirate with a high bounty) and his crew members were standing near the entryway. He was a Captain too though he had a higher bounty than Law. He stood with his arms crossed while his eyes went from one end to the other. They locked gazes, and Law gave him the finger.

It didn't take long for Ginger to suddenly realize why people of higher stature were talking loudly among each other about their future purchases. From the look of surprise that she had Law figured she was distraught with the new found information. Indeed the potential buyers weren't trying to hide the fact that they had come seeking new purchases to own. She turned to him then and said in a hushed voice, "This is a slave auction!"

The lights suddenly dimmed and the red drapes on stage opened.

The auction had begun.