Though the grass she was sitting upon felt real she knew more or less that this illusion was anything but. The scenery was rich with trees as the slow brush of the passing breeze flew through her hair, and yet she knew deep down that this world was foreign. This, adding on to the fact that her fever and Keki and Bepo were nowhere to be found, troubled her.

Quickly she got up and made her way out of the forest clearing. She was apprehensive about everything here and only wanted to find Keki and Bepo and perhaps even Law if she could. The grass that crunched beneath her shoes felt real which was daunting considering that it would be difficult to pull apart fantasy from reality.

The path laid out before her was suspicious as she continued to follow it. All Ginger wanted to do was leave this clearing and end up somewhere that made sense. So far all she saw was an endless array of trees on either side of the path. The sun above was warm on her skin which caused a shiver to go down her spine.

Just how real is this world?

The more she looked around the more suspicious she felt about her surroundings. Even if Law and the others ended up in the same trap who was to say they shared the same world? It could be something completely different for each of them.

All the evidence—from the fake world, to the clothes, and her sickness disappearing—added up to the same conclusion. Whatever this devil fruit might be it had to do with illusions of some sort. There was no way someone could've contrasted such a world physically while ridding of the clothes and her flu without it. This was a devil fruit power based on illusion and perhaps sleep alone. The thought caused Ginger to shiver again, feeling how wrong this was to be trapped at the mercy of someone like that.

The longer she walked the more it felt as though it would be endless. Ginger folded her arms, keeping her frown in place as she looked around and shivered involuntarily now and then at the breeze.

"This sucks," she mumbled. "My first day in the New World—conscious—and I end up trapped in a fake reality." A sigh escaped her lips. "I just hope I find Law and get out of here. His powers would still have to work here, right?"

No response was offered which made her shake her head. Talking to herself was never weird for her but she didn't want to make a habit out of it.

She noticed suddenly that the path was beginning to clear out. The trees on either side of her ended and just as quickly a harbor was before her. A ship was docked on the other side while the port seemed to be bustling with life. It was a peculiar sight and Ginger seemed to end up with more questions the longer she stayed.

The ship didn't look familiar as she moved about, merging among the people while earning questionable glances from said people. Ginger suddenly bumped into a man who merely offered his apologies as he went about his business. Her hand reached up to touch her shoulder as her mind reeled with more and more questions.

This can't be a dream. This has to be real. The farther she walked into the bustling town the more her senses began to cloud. Calm down, she told herself, you're no good frightened.

One by one the people she passed gave her wary glances probably due to the clothes she was wearing. Her arms were kept against her chest as she moved about desperate to get away from them. She wondered where Keki and Bepo were and hoped they were alright. If they were pulled into this world then she was determined to find them at any cost. If Law happened to be here too then she would perhaps feel safe, knowing he would assess the situation and figure a way out.

A hand suddenly came to her shoulder and began to steer her left into an alley. She protested, trying to break free only to have another hand grasp the back of her neck. She was forced to bend over as her and her captor fled into the alley. Not one person turned to see the commotion going on and in that moment Ginger feared the worse. Once basked in the shadows the narrow space provided she was released and managed to hit the brick wall face first.

"What are you doing?" The familiar monotone made Ginger snap her eyes to the left as her hand pressed against her forehead. "Don't look so surprised."

"Law," she muttered, rubbing her forehead as the ache subsided. Her eyes drifted down and noticed that he was wearing clothes similar to her own. "What happened to your clothes?"

"Why are you asking me that?" He muttered, making sure they were hidden in the shadows as the people continued to walk by unfazed. "You're wearing the same thing."

She began rubbing her arms at the thought of whoever it was who captured them undressing her outside of this world. "I know and that's freaking me out!"

He remained stoic, choosing instead to watch the people with caution. Though he wore the same medical scrubs as her his hat was still present upon his head. The tattoos on his forearms were visible allowing her to see the different patterns that adorned them. DEATH was still printed proudly on both knuckles. The days leading up to entering the New World had seen Law clothed in a black dress shirt with the yellow symbol of their jolly roger decorated on the left breast pocket. Even then she couldn't see the tattoos on his arms, and often times wondered just how many were on his body.

Ginger grew warm at the idea of seeing him without his shirt on and promptly thought of something else. No, no way am I going to be attracted to him. She had always taken her duties as an officer seriously and never found the time to date like many of her female colleagues had. Perhaps because she wasn't even interested at the thought. She couldn't lie and say that she had been trying her best to win his attention—not out of desperation but rather out of acceptance. The thought once again caused her to get warm at the idea.

"Why didn't you just grab my arm?" She questioned, hoping to divert her attention to something other than Law's appearance.

His face was expressionless as he said, "You would've put up a fight in the middle of those illusions which in turn would've ensured our death."

"What do you mean?"

"We're in a devil fruit power induced illusion probably brought on by sleep. I'm assuming this person can manipulate dreams and craft a world with little effort. At least that's what I gathered."

"Then, Keki and Bepo…" She trailed off.

Law turned to her while closing his eyes in irritation. "You brought them here?"

"Keki insisted! Bepo and I came along with her rather than having her come alone!"

When he opened his eyes he remained impassive as he looked over his shoulder at the bustling people who passed by. His eyes then looked up before they returned to Ginger. "We have to be careful. I suspect whoever is controlling this world has implanted several ways to spy on us."

"What exactly happened to you guys?" She questioned and leaned against the wall.

"We stumbled on this building but we didn't go inside," he answered, his hand reaching for his hip only to find that his weapon was no longer by his side. Law would often lean his nodachi against his shoulder whenever he was thinking. It was a habit she noticed during her time with him. He frowned before he continued, "Somehow though we still came under its effects. Snow started to fall and Shachi fell first before Penguin followed then Jean Bart before I finally did. I woke up sometime in an alley with neither of them in sight."

Ginger shivered. "That's similar to us. Except we went inside thinking you guys were in there."

Law sighed perhaps frustrated that they had even left the submarine to begin with. Though he said nothing she knew that was exactly what he was thinking. It wasn't very hard to decode his moods considering that they had been on even ground for months now. He didn't give her back her heart, but she assumed she was closer to it than before.

Speaking of. She clutched at her chest as she locked eyes with the captain. "What about my heart? Will my body be okay?"

"Assuming we stay on this island you'll be fine."

Her face fell flat at his answer not at all pleased at the idea of being transported away from her heart. Law saw this as a wry smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. The bastard. He's toying with me. What a vindictive—

"We need to figure out what's going on here," Law said. "The sooner we do the sooner we can move on."

"I agree. I'm assuming we're on track to Punk—" He held up a finger and placed it at his lips, silencing her. Of course, we're being watched I'm sure and he's overly cautious in unknown territories.

Law suddenly stepped forward just as she turned around to see what it was he saw.

The woman behind her was tall and thin similar to that of a ballerina with shoulder-length brown hair. The scent of pomegranates hung in the air. A familiar scent that made her blood run cold. The woman's brown eyes swept over the two before settling on Ginger.

Her hand reached out, grabbing hold of Ginger's shoulder, her eyes narrowing. Ginger's breath caught in her throat as she and the stranger locked eyes. When Law moved to intercept them she held up an arm to stop him.

Instead he asked. "Who are you?"

The woman looked at him before her gaze returned to Ginger. Her features softened but her face remained forlorn. Ginger's hand grasped her arm—nails scrapping against the skin as she appeared to be trying to place a name to the face.

With bated breath she said, "Aubrey, it's you, isn't it?" Ginger's hand went limp at her side when she nodded once.

Ginger embraced her suddenly which caught Aubrey off guard. Her arms gripped the other woman tightly, fearing that this dream they were in would abruptly end. A swirl of emotions began to stir within her—emotions that she thought were long forgotten. Though the memory of her mother and her crew were ever present she never once mulled over the idea of possibly ever coming into contact with them again. It took all of her will to not cry though she was on the verge on doing just that. Aubrey even smelled the same. Sweet-smiling Aubrey with her tales of the East Blue and her undying kindness for Ginger as a child was here. Alive, and she hadn't aged a day—still appearing to be twenty-seven.

Unlike the two of them Aubrey was dressed differently which only served to raise more questions.

"What are you doing here, Ginger?" Aubrey questioned.

Ginger pulled away. "We landed on the island," she replied, raising an eyebrow. "Do you know what's going on?"

Her arms fell to her sides as Aubrey smiled weakly. "You're on Waverly Island, one of the many uncharted areas in what is the New World. You're trapped in one of the many realms the good doctor has forced you in with her Neru Neru fruit powers."

"We're at the mercy of a devil fruit eater."

Aubrey nodded. "This world she created can hold many people. It's curious that we ended up together. Then again, there are more patients here who are in their own little Gardens of Eden."

"What is this place exactly?" Ginger asked, crossing her arms as she waited. Aubrey's face darkened then. "What is it?"

"This is one of the islands the World Government has dominion over. Of course that being said they hold influence over it but someone else runs it and deals with the trouble for them. The doctor on this island deals with criminals the World Government brands as Level 1 threats. In other terms, not very dangerous."

"But that means-"

"I was captured and brought here against my will a month after Greta was executed." Ginger closed her eyes and regretted asking the question. Aubrey sighed, "Don't look like that. It was my fault. Ty and Dane wanted me to go with them and I refused thinking I'd make it back to the East Blue."

"So you're saying there's no way to get out of here," Law said with a pointed look.

Aubrey's head snapped towards him. "Don't you think I've tried? I've been stuck in this never-ending nightmare for years! Having to relive my old life day to day and accepting that the familiar faces I've seen are not real."

"You mean my mother and the crew?" Ginger mumbled softly. The lump in her throat tightened at the chance of seeing her mother again. It would be an illusion and nothing like the real Greta but even so her appearance would fool her eyes.

"It's not safe for you here. We need to get away from this area. Then I can tell you more."

Law motioned his head from where she had appeared. "Lead the way."

Ginger walked beside Law as the pair followed Aubrey away from the port. Her feelings had begun to overwhelm her before she scolded herself and took control. She learned how to mask her face and her feelings during her time as a Marine whenever someone decided to bring up her mother. In this case, she didn't know how to react.

A hand was felt upon her shoulder and from the corner of her eye she saw Law lean toward her ear. "This could be a trap, and if it is we're at a disadvantage. My powers are useless here."

"You could be an illusion too for all I know."

Law's eyes flickered to her and narrowed at her remark. "Just keep your guard up, Ginger-ya." He stepped away from her. The hand at her shoulder dropped even though she could still the warmth from it.

"The good doctor creates projections with simple instructions. They're not as complex as you think." Aubrey looked over her shoulder at Law. "I'm not an illusion."

He frowned but said nothing at her revelation perhaps too busy figuring out a way to one up the person in question.

"We're not gonna try and find the others?" Ginger asked.

"It's more than likely they ended up in another realm," Aubrey answered. "They should be fine for now. I think she has her eyes set on you."

"Who is she?"

They emerged from the alley and began taking the back streets to wherever she seemed to be leading them.

Aubrey sighed while scratching the back of her head. "I know she's pardoned by the World Government. It could be she used to work with a man named Vegapunk. I don't know though. That's what I gathered from the other prisoners here."

The name was lost to Ginger but judging by the way Law clenched his jaw at the mention she assumed he knew more of him. She nearly had the urge to ask him but refrained from doing so. His warning was at the back of her mind, and although Aubrey seemed like the woman she used to be she wasn't entirely sure on whether or not she could be trusted. It was horrible to admit, but Law did have a point.

"I've never heard of Vegapunk."

"He's a scientist employed with the World Government, but that's all I know about him."

It was then that they reached another harbor away from the one Ginger had found Law in. The area was secluded with a single ship docked at the port. The people (or rather illusions) were busy stocking the ship with various boxes and as they reached closer Ginger realized the ship was an exact replica of The Fortune.

The lump in her throat returned as he gazed up, expecting to see her mother leaning on the banister of the deck. Aubrey, sensing her apprehension, merely offered an apologetic look. "We have time before the loop continues and the others come. We can talk inside the ship. It's safe."

Law looked at Ginger before his eyes looked back up at the sky. She nodded and followed Aubrey in with him. "I realized once I knew I was trapped in my own mind that it was possible to keep her out. I managed to gain use of my haki and coated it with a shield. With me, you're safe from her peeking in. She won't be able to find you." They entered a room on board as she quickly shut the door.

"What do you mean by using your haki to create a shield?" Ginger asked, sitting on the chair as Law pressed himself up against the wall beside her.

Aubrey tensed at her question but quickly gave her a smile. "Let's talk about you. It's been years since I last saw you!" She tilted her head taking in Ginger's appearance. "You look just like your father though."

She noted the way Aubrey had dodged her question but instead ran a hand over the ends of her hair. "Oh, yeah, I actually had my hair dyed during my time with the Marines. Marigold said it was better that way."

Her smile dropped as she raised an eyebrow at her answer. "You…were with the Marines the whole time?"

Ginger shrugged. "Yes. I snuck off the ship and stayed on the island hoping to see mom again."

"You're saying you were never with Francie at all?"

The question confused her as she shook her head. Francie had been on board with Aubrey and the others. How would she have ever ended up with her? "Francie never came for me. No one did." The way Aubrey diverted her gaze to the floor made her catch herself. The tone she had used sounded as though she blamed them for how her life turned out.

"This doesn't make sense!" Aubrey exclaimed as she turned away, shaking her head to and from as she paced back and forth. "She said she had her! She said she was in her possession. No, no, no that's not right!"

Ginger sat up now more confused than ever by her sudden behavior. "Aubrey, what's wrong?" She assumed that Francie must've sent her a letter when Aubrey parted ways, saying that she was in her care. That had to be the only reason.

Aubrey turned to her, and it was then Ginger saw that her eyes were brimming with tears. "Francie told me she had you. She said it! She said it right before they put me in chains and carried me off to the ship."

Law remained quiet throughout the whole ordeal. Silently watching it unfold as he stood against the wall with his arms folded over his chest.

When Ginger connected the dots she was horrified and what she made of the information. "Francie sold you out."

"Francie lured me back and handed me over to the Marines, yes." After confirming Ginger's fears she suddenly leaned forward and grasped her shoulder once more. "Ginger, do not trust Francie. Whatever you do, even if she is still alive, do not trust her. I found out after I left that she was working for someone with a higher standing than Greta."

Ginger swallowed down the lump in her throat. She didn't want to hear it but she knew that at this point what Aubrey was saying was likely the truth. "Was it the World Government?"

Aubrey's face remained apathetic as she shook her head. "No, she was working with the Donquixote Pirates."