The days came as quickly as they left on Sabaody.

That morning found Ginger walking through the halls of the submarine, charting the turns to memory as she passed them. Her hand glided across the walls as she went while the clicking of her heels reverberated off them. She asked Shachi, before he left with Law, where exactly the bathrooms were located to which he replied that they could be found on the second level. And so here she was, walking aimlessly down the halls, occasionally passing the empty doorways glances here and there.

It wasn't until she reached the last doorway that she found them. Hastily, she stepped inside and made her way towards the first available shower. She set her bag down beside the bench and reached in to remove a bottle before placing it on top. Carefully, she removed her shirt leaving her in nothing but the undershirt she wore underneath. She started the shower, waited for the water to run warm, and opened the bottle. Her fingers combed through her hair, taking the time to make sure it would cover every inch of black as she worked. The gentle feeling made her close her eyes, sighing in content as she lathered. The splint she was supposed to be wearing was no where to be found, and much to Law's mild annoyance she never did keep it on.

During her outing days before, Ginger came across a shop that sold beauty products. She was reassured by the owner that the product would do the trick. She thanked her with a smile and a friendly warning that if it didn't she would come back and demand a refund with interest.

The strange aroma filled the showers. The scent of mint with a hint of something she couldn't quite describe caused her nose to scrunch up. "If this doesn't work I'm going to burn down that store." She was thrown forward as a sudden force moved the submarine from its usual dormant place. Her face met the tiled floor of the shower, making her immediately get back up while ignoring the dye running down her back and shoulders. "What the hell?"

The steady rocking of the submarine continued as Ginger finished off by rinsing her hair underneath the water. She carefully opened her eyes, watching as the black dye merged with the water before disappearing altogether down the drain. She was relieved in a way to wash the hair color away grateful that she never had to touch another dye bottle again yet at the same time she mourned the loss.

The towel beside the bag was now upon her head as she gently massaged it through her damp hair, squeezing the strands every now and then to rid of the excess color. She walked towards the mirror that was hanging above the sink and wiped the steam from the surface. Staring back at her, with familiar gold eyes, was her own reflection though the image nearly became unrecognizable when the damp auburn strands came into view. Her mother's eyes stared back at her, but the hair that accompanied those pair most definitely belonged to her father.

Upon realizing the sudden irony she frowned.

It only took her minutes to reach the main level, and when she did she found that it was currently in disarray. The towel hung loosely over her shoulders while she gripped the bag in one hand. The crew were too busy going back and forth to notice her.

"Bepo." The bear in question scooted to a stop in front of her. At first he appeared confused but immediately recognized her when she smiled. "What's going on? I thought there were still repairs to be done?"

He blinked once. "Didn't you know? There's something going on at Marineford."

Ginger's grip on her bag tightened at his response. "What are you talking about?" Her question came out as more of a demand. "What's going on?"

Bepo looked up, scratched at his nose with one big furry paw, and said, "The Whitebeard pirates and Straw Hat showed up at Ace's execution."

As soon as he answered she suddenly spun on her heel and turned only to slam her shoulder against the wall of the hallway. A curse slipped past her lips as she rubbed it and made her way back to her shared room with Keki. She ignored Bepo calling to her, choosing instead to quicken her pace with each step. She needed to process this information alone. Once she reached her room she slammed the door shut and threw the bag upon her bed before collapsing upon it.

Things had escalated so quickly in these past days, and now that a war was likely to begin it only added to the chaos that was slowly building. All she knew was that Portgas D. Ace had been arrested and set for execution by the Marines. She didn't know anything about Whitebeard showing up to stop it until just now. It made sense in a way considering that he was known for being fiercely loyal to his crew and vise versa. This would definitely tip the balance of power, but to what side Ginger had yet to find out.

Of course, she thought to herself, For someone as infamous as Ace the Marines would take every precaution to prevent his execution from being disrupted. They would call all of the Warlords, the Admirals, and every Marine available in anticipation for Whitebeard. That means—

Marigold's face came to mind almost immediately. She wanted nothing bad to happen to her, but considering that she held the rank of Captain then perhaps she would be okay.

How irony loved to play the part of innocent in all things.

I have to call Mari-sama, I have to...

What exactly would she say once, if even, she got through? Would she wish her good luck? Telling her that she was safely tucked away on a submarine miles away while Marigold got to fight against Whitebeard's pirates? It was a ridiculous notion to even think Ginger would get the chance to get in touch with her. Out of everything that happened, why this? Why now? Would it be the end of Whitebeard or the end of the Marines?

The issue raised so many questions but Ginger failed to have an answer.

The sudden knock upon her door caused her to jump in surprise. "Who is it?" She hoped it wasn't Law.

"Shachi." She quickly crossed the room in two strides before opening the door and seeing him standing there waiting patiently. "Captain's waiting on you."

Her hand came to the side of her head, fingers pressing against it as she smiled yet again, noticing that he was looking at her more intently than before. "My natural hair color." The thought of explaining it to everyone on board seemed to push the migraine forward.

"Right," he said, still unsure. "Follow me, Ginger."

Reluctantly she did so, following behind him with the towel still hanging about her shoulders. In less than a minute they reached the open area that served as the living area. The rest of the Heart pirates were already there, and sitting among them on one of the couches was Law. Just as he always looked he sported a relaxed carefree smile with one leg resting upon the other. Shachi stood beside Ginger as they waited for the captain to speak.

"Are you caught up on the current events?" Law asked, directing the question at her.

"Bepo didn't specify those current events." The bear gawked at her while she avoided his gaze; no doubt certain that if she looked him in the eye she would feel guilty for throwing him under the bus. It came naturally for her to be so flippant while keeping her emotions in check. She learned to do so after his earlier interrogation and was not surprised that she managed to do it so well.

Law waited, choosing then to elaborate on the situation. "We're going to Marineford. I want to see this for myself. The Marines were broadcasting it but they ultimately control what gets shown to keep themselves in good-standing to the rest of the world. No doubt Whitebeard's test of loyalty was their doing." Ginger noticed that he was relaxed when he spoke of it. Whitebeard was naturally every pirate's enemy, but that didn't mean he wasn't respected among them. Much like Red-Haired Shanks he was a force to be reckoned with. It was almost surprising to hear that Law didn't believe whatever he had seen during the broadcast, considering that it had painted Whitebeard as some sort of traitor to his crew. "Maybe we'll see the outcome in time."

"Is that really the only reason?" she asked, noticing that the crew looked her way so suddenly. "How will we even get past the Gates of Justice?"

He clicked his tongue then as his steel grey eyes locked with hers. "You don't have a place here yet to ask those questions." His retort was harsh to say the least. Ginger didn't have to say anything to know that he was right. At the moment she was currently in limbo when it came to being in his good graces. Trust was not nonexistent, but it wasn't what they had—it was more of a civility among acquaintances who weren't exactly sure of each other.

The dull ache in her chest proved that.

Ginger cupped her left elbow, fingers tracing along the lines as she held her tongue. Smart-mouthing him now would get her no where. She wanted the mutual acknowledgement to remain between them in order to affirm herself in his crew. She was twenty-three, a grown woman who was mature enough to handle situations that didn't turn out in her favor, and she would remain so and prove to him that she had a place there.

"Captain," Keki spoke up. "Do you have a plan?"

Law's eyes snapped from her and to Keki in one move. "Ah, we won't be getting involved directly. I have something else in mind."

Her fingers slid down her elbow to gingerly grasp her arm. The ache in it confirmed her suspicions that it hadn't fully healed as of yet. Her mouth was set into a firm thin line as she listened to the details of going into Marineford. The words easily slipped into one ear before creeping out of the other, none having any effect on her as she unintentionally leaned against the door frame of the room.

Her mind once again drifted back to Marigold, wondering what she was doing at this very moment. Her alliance had shifted so easily once she went rogue and decided willingly to become a pirate. Perhaps she should've known better; perhaps if she hadn't been a coward she would have immediately went back to base and face the consequences like any noble marine would have.

That's not me.

Greta's blood ran thicker than she initially thought with her father's mixing in to add to it. She had been born to be a pirate from the very beginning despite what Marigold had said about changing her future. Her mother and father were pirates, the only difference that separated them was the fact that Greta was a captain while Stede served under another. In fact, Francie once mentioned that Whitebeard himself invited Greta and her crew to become apart of his to which she respectfully refused, citing that she was born to lead. What his reaction had been, Ginger never found out.

Shachi tapped her shoulder, bringing her out of her deep thought. "Everyone's wondering why you look so different."

When she looked from him to the rest of the group she found that they were closely watching her. Law, out of all them, showed little to no interest in her sudden change of appearance. "I took the black dye out of my hair." She held a strand loosely between her fingers, holding it up for them to see. "Before you ask my mother named me after my red hair." She finished flatly, not finding it amusing having to explain.

It was Bepo who begun laughing once he put two and two together. Once everyone else realized it there were collective laughs save for both Law and Jean Bart who simply appeared amused at the small fact.

"It's not even original!" she suddenly stammered when the laughter didn't die down. "She was just being a smartass!"

One of the engineers eagerly chimed in. "You have to admit, Ginger-chan, it's gonna be twice as funny to say your name now."

She placed her hands on her hips when the laughter eventually fell into failed hushed snickers among them. It wasn't all that funny to begin with, it really was just irony playing a cruel role in Ginger's life. It was simple really; the moment Greta saw the red hair she knew immediately that being named something close to it would serve to remind her of her parentage. It started off as being a harmless joke, but her mother had failed to even bother coming up with another name. This, Ginger heard from her herself.

All of a sudden she found herself smiling despite it all. No one in the marines knew that she had been born with red hair so the joke would've been lost on them. Now, she had nothing to hide from the Heart Pirates. She was free to be who she was. A fact that she nearly forgot.

"Keki," Ginger called, turning to the older woman. "I have a favor to ask."

"All of it?"

Ginger swiftly shook her head. "No, just up to here." She held a finger up to the side of her neck, tilting her head to the left in order for Keki to see. Her finger was located just an inch or so below her chin. "I want it short. Something that won't make someone think twice once they see me."

Keki unofficially held the title of hairdresser among the Heart Pirates. It was something she never sought until Ginger asked fully confident that she was the only one who could pull it off. The older woman was unsure, for her eyesight wasn't as up to par as it had been years ago. "I don't want to cut it and then find out you blame me for it."

"I won't," Ginger reassured her with a smile. "Just grab it and cut it off like I said."

"You're going to regret it."

"I'm sure you're exaggerating."

Keki snorted. "I need to tell you about the time Penguin sported an uneven haircut for a month." She took the scissors and snipped through the auburn hair, chuckling as she went while keeping her grip steady. "He begged me to cut his hair and when I didthat was the result." The strands fell upon the floor and on Ginger's lap as she sat still, listening with a smile.

"We'll see."

Once she was done she held the mirror for her to see. Ginger took it tentatively, turning it here and there as she inspected Keki's work. She wasn't unrecognizable, but the bob hairstyle would take some getting used to. She ran her hand through one side as loose strands gathered around her fingers. Ginger smiled again. One side was slightly longer than the other but she could fixed that right after. All in all she enjoyed the new shorter hair she was sporting, finding that it would serve her new identity well.

"Thank you, Keki-san," Ginger said softly as the cook looked taken aback, "it's exactly what I wanted."

The cook said no more as she watched her comb her fingers through her hair. The shine of the auburn color glistened under the light. She continued to watch her curiously, saying nothing as she combed out the strands of hair that were loose.

The memories of what happened years before threatened to surface the longer Keki stared at her. The fleeting memory of serving the condemned woman her last meal while informing her the news of her child. The flicker of regret that passed behind the mother's gold eyes was as vivid as ever, branding the image into her mind from that day on. Keki recalled that she had a big appetite on the eve of her execution not at all bothered by the guards who watched her do so. She recounted the way her hand swiftly worked the fork to her mouth at alarming speeds, caring little of the scraps of food that covered her face.

"I've never seen a woman eat so much and so fast at the same time."

Greta peered up at her. "Death has a funny way of making you hungry."

"Keki-san?" The woman realized that Ginger was staring at her, eyes furrowed in confusion. "Are you alright?"

She quickly waved off her concern. "I'm tired." The look Ginger was giving her now showed that she didn't believe her. Keki nearly had half a mind to tell her the truth, considering that she was Greta's daughter. However, Law warned that she didn't have his full trust yet and thus they shouldn't trust her. It was a necessary precaution, one that she was going to be well aware of. "I'm tired." She repeated firmly this time.

After a few seconds Ginger shrugged. "Fine, don't tell me it's not like I can force you. I'm under Law's mercy." The contempt was noticeable in her tone so much so that she immediately asked, "How can you serve under someone like him?"

"What do you mean by someone like him? If you think he forced us to be here you're wrong, Ginger-chan. Nobody was forced here, especially not you." Ginger quickly became embarrassed. "Our captain is a difficult man but he has something that makes us follow him on our own free will. He's confident in that he knows what he's doing. You'll see soon enough."

She stood up then with her hands raised. "All right, I see your point. I would hate to jump ship because I didn't like the captain." With that she walked out, leaving her in the room alone.

The walk back to their shared room was short enough for Ginger reached the door in under thirty seconds.

Loyalty was a treasured thing on the high seas, and seeing that the Heart Pirates had plenty with their captain was refreshing to see. She didn't know whether many pirate crews had it, though when she thought back to her mother and her crew she supposed it wasn't as seldom as she thought.

From two doors down she heard the steady rhythmic scratching of pen to paper. She turned then and noticed that the door was wide open with a steady stream of light pouring out into the dimly lit hallway. Thinking back to Keki's words she decided to go towards the room. Once she came to the open doorway she found that Law was busy at his desk. When her eyes gazed up she expected to find numerous hearts encased in their prisons lined up on the shelf but instead books were perched against one another.

"Expecting to find something?" His sudden question made her frown at her previous thought. "I don't keep organs in my room." Law was blunt in his response. It was the type of manner she would take some time getting used to. His eyes were focused on what he was writing down as he didn't bother to check to see if it was her. The winged tip of the pen didn't falter its movements as he continued to write. "What did you want?"

"I just wanted to know where my heart was," she admitted.

"It's somewhere safe."

"Does it have a label with my name on it?"

His eyes snapped to hers before they dropped back to the sheet of paper in front of him. He stopped, letting the pen fall from his fingers as he rested his arm on the back of the chair. His steel gaze was now completely on her while she stood against the door frame. "You knew the condition when I told you." His mouth then set into a firm line perhaps insulted that she couldn't trust him with her heart. "You're the one who can't be trusted." His tone didn't suggest as much, but she figured that he didn't care what she thought of him.

"So you remind me so delicately," Ginger folded her arms. "I'm not used to having my heart outside my body."

A light hiss passed through his teeth at her rebuttal. "Get used to it." She could tell that he would offer nothing more on the subject, but unlike Law she wasn't prepared to drop it.

"I won't die without it, right?" She asked. "I mean, there's no limit to how long it can stay out?"

One of his eyebrows raised at the question. He never had to explain to anyone about the way his power worked for most of his victims laid forgotten when he did defeat them. He supposed it couldn't hurt to answer it while remaining vague about certain aspects of it. "No. You'll be fine. Like I mentioned earlier, if I wanted to kill you I would've done it." She nodded not at all doubtful.

"I suppose you know that I can get us into Marineford." The switch of topics seemed to bother him but regardless he waited for her to continue. "I haven't seen a wanted poster for me yet and with my showing up they would have to believe I'm there to answer the call. Late as it may be." Ginger waited for a response, but all he seemed to enjoy doing was staring at her without a hint of what he was thinking. It nerved her to say the least, Law wasn't the type of person to wear his heart on his sleeve. Then again, not many did.

After a full minute of silence Ginger could hear the audible click of his tongue while his hand reached up to grab a piece of parchment from off his shelf. The paper was offered to her from in between his index and middle fingers. She grabbed it from his hand and nearly ruined it as her fingers crumpled the edges.

There, staring back at her, was a picture of her profile followed by her name and set bounty.

Law's mouth lifted up at the corner at her expression. "The Marines don't seem to think highly of you." Her eyes narrowed at the poster as she tried to ignore him. "That's a low bounty for the 'crimes' you committed."

"That's not funny."

A/N: I wanna thank you guys for adding this story to your favorites and alerts, but more importantly to those that leave reviews. It makes me proud that you guys like Ginger. I've put so much thought into this story that it's nice to get any kind of recognition. I hope you enjoyed! :)

Edit: I'll reveal what her bounty is next chapter! It might seem confusing given her circumstances but you'll see what Law means by "low". :)