Being in the Auction house made her aghast with the reality of the situation.

She was appalled by it and was disgusted with the fact that no one was stopping this. Ginger opted to stay silent, seething about this wasn't going to make the problem go away. The announcer continued to praise the auction they were having today with a smile on his face and perhaps too blind to see how selling slaves was wrong. She turned to Law and found him preoccupied with watching the man on stage with a lazy smile on his face and without a care in the world. A quick sweep of the area around her found that a large bear was sitting behind them but on Law's side while two others sat in front of the bench they were on. She didn't find it peculiar in the least.

The announcer kept talking, claiming that the prizes being auctioned off were one of a kind with a very special prize being saved for last. Ginger didn't understand how the Marines allowed this to go on, but then of course it dawned on her that there were wealthy people among them.

"I thought you would be miles away at a Marine base." Her eyes tore away from the scene of a person being forced on-stage in favor of looking at him. Law didn't spare her a glance but he acknowledged her nonetheless with a small grin. "Not in a place like this."

She frowned. "I came across some information."

Being obscure was necessary since Law was a pirate. She certainly didn't need him jeopardizing her plan. Her vague answer didn't warrant any reaction from him as he kept his eyes solely on what was happening on stage. The people around them shouted out prices which caused her skin to crawl at the very thought of being bought by them. Desperately wanting to stop this clashed with her reason for being here as she needed to remain unknown if she wanted to get the upper hand. Fortunately for her being covert was her specialty, something she took pride in. She was often given praise for being silent when taking down lesser known criminals often raising alarm at the very last second when her knife was on a critical point on the body. Working in the shadows had been her preferred way of dealing with certain situations, and though she never was tasked with going undercover she took this moment to treat it as so.

This will all be over soon. Mari-sama will praise me for this.

Law took his eyes off of the auction to shoot her a look of warning which Ginger countered with her own. "What kind of information would lead you here, Marine-ya?"

"My name is Ginger," she retorted.

"I don't care. You're no ally of mine."

When she turned to look away from him she found that the poor individual had been bought as property. Inwardly she continued to seethe but remained discreet about her revulsion with this shady business. She felt Law's eyes leave her after a moment of lingering on her, turning instead to watch another auction take place. She didn't understand why he suddenly seemed so bothered. Was it the fact she rejected his offer in the first place? It couldn't have been, yet he didn't necessarily act like she was his friend. To say he hated her was also another lie so perhaps cold indifference was his opinion of her?

The white gloves on her hands were removed as she folded them together and placed them in her bag.

From behind where they sat, near the entrance, she heard a group of people talking among themselves. She took no interest in their conversation, assuming that they were here to simply buy a life like the rest of the denizens. The longer she sat the longer time seemed to gradually move. Her eyes shot from one area to the next not quite sure who it was she should be looking for. Jax's jolly roger was a mystery to her as was the face of his crew. The thought of asking Law if he knew came to mind almost immediately, and yet it was clear by the air around him that he wasn't going to bother with her anymore.

At least, that's what he thought.

Ignoring the sounds of the excited cheers from around them, Ginger leaned closer and asked, "I suppose you wouldn't know Jax Rackham's crew?"

Law remained unfazed. "I might." The curiosity lingered as he took a long pause. "What's the information worth to you?"

"I have a sufficient amount of beli. I'll give you all that I have. This is urgent." She stressed, hoping on a small sliver that he would give her what she needed.

Instead, he kept his expression void of anything aside from the fictitious interest he had in the auctions taking place. "You want me to tell you about them? What if I want to recruit more crew members?"

"What makes you think they'll join? They're a rag-tag team of mis...fits." One of his eyebrows perked up. "I need them to answer a few questions. After that you're free to do what you want."

The long wait was filled with shouts of different amounts of currency, each person around them wanting to bid on the person that was being showcased, not at all caring how wrong this seemed. By this time, Ginger had turned her body so she was facing him, obscuring her face to those who sat on her right. The pillbox hat she was wearing did well to hide her hair since it was pinned underneath it. It was during this time that the bear had leaned back to look at her, and when it did she looked at him, offering a small smile to be polite. The bear merely turned his head the other way, out of embarrassment or dislike she didn't quite know. What she did know was that Trafalgar Law was taking too long to answer. His eyes never glanced at her but remained on what was happening on stage.

At this point her patience was still unwavering as she was going to refrain from begging. It annoyed her that he was taking so long to give her a straight answer, but figured that he was torturing her by not giving her what she came here for.

"You made it clear that you wouldn't accept a pirate's help," Law finally turned to her. "Isn't it hypocritical of you to ask me for help now?"

Ginger was taken aback by his tone, noting how his face portrayed him as being cool and calm yet his tone of voice suggested he was threatening her in a way. He made sense for it wasn't that long ago that she refused his offer to join his crew in favor of staying loyal to the Marines. Even now, though, she didn't know who to trust. If the Marines were as loyal to her as she was to them then they would've been inclined to hear her side of what really happened without needing evidence to judge her. She wouldn't have to go sneaking around them to prove her innocence, though it was likely they already made up their mind and found her guilty of the crimes. It was fear of being executed that sent her down this path as well as the fear of being her mother's daughter.

Rogiko Greta's reputation was everything she aspired to prevent from becoming, and yet that very aspiration lead her down to choosing the dishonest way of going about this situation. There was no guarantee, however, that being truthful of what happened would help her in the trial if there was ever going to be one in the first place. Jax Rackham had made a deal, twenty-four Marines were dead, and she was on the run. She somehow suspected that the Marines sent out to Sage's Island wouldn't question the citizens. Her thoughts drifted back to the island and the events before. If it had been Jax's intention to frame her, why exactly had he done it? Or if there was a third party, who put him up to it in exchange for immunity? Or had it all really been a bad case of misunderstanding on her part?

"Do you want me to say I'm sorry?" she questioned, ignoring the look he gave her. "Do you want me to get on my knees and beg for the information? I'll tell you right now that's not gonna happen. Ever." Her tone was light with an underlying hint of a threat. She wouldn't show fear to him, and if he insisted on a fight then she would fight him without a second thought.

Her muscles tensed when Law suddenly hooked a thumb to his left. She followed it and her eyes immediately found the heads of five men all sitting down near the front of the stage. They were a burly bunch and oddly enough kept quiet when the rest of these idiots shouted out their bids on the person who was being shown. "They're here waiting for Jax I assume even though it would be much more fascinating to watch you fight among yourselves."

Ginger turned her eyes back on him. "You're not lying to me, are you?" she deadpanned as his hand went back to hanging off the back of the bench.

"Take it or leave it."

For the first time in days she smiled. She had no reason to trust his information, but it wouldn't hurt to investigate them a bit more before she acted. Slowly the weight was lifting off her shoulders, and she sat back with one leg tucked underneath her. What would she do if they turned out to be the ones she sought? Would she kill them or turn them in? And if she did, would the Marines accept it? Her smile turned into a frown at the thought. If they didn't, she would be dead. She didn't want to die so early on in life not when there were things to still be discovered. Perhaps she could put her skills to use? Or settle down on an island, find a husband, and perhaps have a few children. The thought made her sick when she remembered she didn't like kids. Not one bit.

The commotion around her broke her from her train of thought. Coming down the steps was a man in a full body suit with his head encased in a resin bubble. Ginger didn't have to look to know that Law was watching him as well. He was going down the steps at a slow pace, and just by the mere sight of him it was obvious that he held himself at a higher stature than the other people here including herself. She made sure to keep a blank face as he kept on not stopping to spare a glance at anyone seated on their level. She knew who he was right off the bat and once again carefully hid her hatred for his kind. Celestial Dragons is what they and others called them but they were better known as World Nobles to many. He and his kind were disgusting in every shape and form so much so that she wanted nothing to do with any of them.

The disgust caused her to attempt to get up but she was stopped instantly by a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes snapped to Law and found him giving her another warning look. Ginger calmed herself and leaned back while his hand left her shoulder almost as fast as he had brought it. It was clear in that look alone that any little thing would be seen as disrespect in that World Nobles's eyes. She was grateful that Law decided to stop her when he had.

He finally took his seat in the area designated only for people of his kind, and despite this the auction was still going on.

"Thank you." Ginger murmured, folding her hands in the lap of her skirt as she begrudgingly watched the next auction taking place.

Law's arm fell across his lap as he closed his eyes. An indication on his part that he heard her. It would do her no good to suddenly be singled out by a World Noble especially now considering her circumstances. She twisted her fingers this way and that as the auctioneer took one bid from the other. It wasn't until that man shouted out his bid that the rest gave up on the prize being won. The murmurs around her signaled their defeat, yet that didn't make the situation any better.

She thought about joining Law's crew. The thought coming to her as she continued to doubt her current plan. From the very beginning she must've known that taking on the daring task of going rogue was destined to fail from the start. Perhaps that's what she wanted. She allowed herself to stay within the Marines out of respect for Marigold taking care of her for so long. Now, she was a woman of twenty-three who was far more curious about the world than what rank she should strive for next.

Ginger was about to open her mouth when the lights on stage created a bright glow. Earlier, she had tuned out and couldn't care less what the auctioneer was saying, but that was until a large sphere like object which was covered in a tarp was rolled onto the stage. She noted the people around her suddenly take a special interest at what was being brought forward. Her curiosity caused her eyes to stay solely on what it was that being kept secret from them.

It was only when the tarp was pulled by the man that it revealed a creature. For the second time that day, she was taken aback. The sphere was in actuality a tank that held what seemed to be a mermaid. She leaned closer, eyes widening slightly despite her being in opposition of what took place here. The poor creature seemed deathly afraid of her cage, but was even more fearful of the possible candidates who would bet for her life.

"Do you see the collar around her neck?" Law asked. "If she were to try and take that off it would explode. Killing her instantly. That's what all these slaves wear to ensure they don't oppose or try to escape." His explanation caused her mouth to part slightly.

"How horrible," she murmured. "To be bought and sold like property."

The loud conversation from behind her returned, sounding as though they were talking among themselves eagerly to try and buy the mermaid. Upon coming to that conclusion Ginger turned to look at them from over her shoulder. A woman with bright orange hair was the most enthusiastic one, and though her tone of voice resonated as much her expression told a different story. She was determined to buy her at whatever the cost. The men in her group seemed to agree.

Disgusting, she thought with a twist of her mouth. This entire business was wrong, and yet she could still do nothing to stop it. She was powerless and that made her upset. If I could stop this somehow then it would be worth it, she told herself.

Ginger's eyes remained on the mermaid in the tank, sympathizing with her but being unable to do anything to help. The last remaining funds she had would only stretch for so long, and she was sure it wasn't enough to reach the minimum bid for her. As she looked from the people to her right to those on her left she found herself trying to figure out what ulterior motive Law had in mind. Why else would he even be in here? She shouldn't have been surprised since it was a possibility more pirates aside from him and Jax's crew were here as well, buying or selling slaves to make a profit.

"Trafalgar," it came out quietly, almost lost among the excited cheers that surrounded them, "what are you even doing here?"

A smile curved his lips. More so amused than annoyed that she would take it upon herself to question him in such a way, but his answer granted her no possible way of ever finding out.

"I'm just watching a show."

A/n: Thank you guys again for the reviews! They're very encouraging! I have things planned out so hopefully this story will come along nicely!