Disclaimer: I do not own One-Piece nor any of it's characters. Those belong to Oda Eiichiro.

Nunya Bizniz

Chapter Five: Jewel Tree and a Name

Two weeks at sea later, Missy and Rachel finally arrived at Water 7. Rachel grabbed her rope and tied the handles of the wave runner to it. Holding the free end, Rachel jumped into the water and swam to the island next to the city. After pulling herself up she pulled the runner closer and tied that to a big rock. Rachel stood at the waters edge while Missy tossed her a line for the speed boat. Once Missy was on dry land she started shaking her head. "You couldn't wait for me to pull up next to the shore and help you?" she asked.

"We've been eating bread and cheese for two days," Rachel said. "Forgive me if I'm a little anxious to get to a restaurant."

"I thought you wanted to look into building a bigger boat first."

"Priorities girl," Rachel waved her finger. "Fruit and veggies first, then looking for information on a ship." The two quickly pulled casual clothes over their swimwear and headed for the entrance to the city. They rented one Yagara and headed out to their first destination.

After the two were sufficiently satisfied of getting their 'green' fix they stood next to the water and where their Yagara was docked. "So do we head for the docks or what?" Missy asked this time.

"Let's see, how much money do we have?" Rachel returned with a question.

"We have two hundred and fifty million," Missy said. "Those last two jobs on the way here filled the gap and more some."

"That's actually a good thing," Rachel nodded. She motioned for Missy to follow her into an ally for a private conversation. "Here's the thing though, we know that Franky won't build any other ship besides the Sunny. We can't risk him not building that. However, he's the only one that knows how to get a hold of the wood we want to use for our ship. Here's what I suggest: we get him to order the wood, but we take it to be built at Dock 2 of Galley La."

"Why Dock 2?" Missy asked. "Dock 1 is the best and that's where they handle all of the special jobs."

Rachel glanced around to make sure that no one was listening. In a whisper she said, "That's also where the CP 9 agents are undercover at. Our ship design is unlike any we've seen floating on the sea here. We can't afford them thinking that it's one of the special weapons that are described in ancient texts. Besides, we're only letting them build the frame to our specifications. The hull and engines will be our project. We need the dry dock to do all of that. I can't see Dock 1 just letting us use their space no matter how much money we offer to rent. While the frame is being built we can work in the lower districts, putting in some solar power and security."

"You don't want to offer security to Galley La? They would pay a fortune."

"CP 9," Rachel deadpanned.

"Point. Okay, so we go and see Franky. What makes you think that he'll even agree to giving us the info on where to buy wood from the Jewel Tree?" Missy had her hands on her hips.

"It's a matter of money," Rachel said. She pinched her thumb to her index and pointer finger, rubbing them together. "We offer him a decent amount for a finders fee and he'll jump at it. Especially since he wants to buy one of his own. I would say twenty million would be worth it."

"That will leave us with only thirty million," Missy snapped. "What do you propose we pay Galley La with?"

"It will take a while for the wood to be delivered," Rachel pointed out. "We buy a house to set up a work shop. Then we start our business right away. It won't be long before Aqua Laguna gets here. We'll play on that for a selling factor. The security will help against looting and make the buildings more stable against the current."

Missy stood and blinked at Rachel. "You're reasoning once again astounds me," she pointed out. "How is it that you come up with all of this before me?"

"Let's face it Missy," Rachel shook her head. "You have good ideas, I'll give you that. You have a strength I don't. I can't remember things like you, nor do I have the ability to remember everything that I read. You're a logical thinker and go by the textbook. You can't deny it, how many books have you read compared to me?"

Missy fidgeted a little and looked up at the sky. "I can't help it that I like to read," she defended.

"I'm not saying it's a bad thing," Rachel said. "I'm trying to give you a complement. It gives you a big advantage against someone like me. However, it is also a huge disadvantage against me."

"How do you mean?"

"You have a good imagination thanks to those books," Rachel reasoned. "However, my imagination works over time and I don't need to rely on books to ignite it. I might not think in a logical perspective, but I do think out of the box. You see something and think about what it is and what it does. I look at something and see what it can be. That's why we're not always on the same wave length, but it's also what makes us friends. Think about it, you're three years older than me, how else could we have become friends? Of course we're related, so we knew each other that way. But we would have just been related otherwise. No one else in the family really understands either of us."

"Very true," Missy nodded.

"So now let's get moving," Rachel started towards the water. "I think we should start with finding a house and lodging. It'll be best to get our stuff secure before we do anything really serious. If we can't find anything before dinner we'll have to rent a hotel room."

~It took the women two days to find a building that suited their needs for both lodging and their business. They wasted no time in getting their stuff moved and settled in. By noon on the third day they were ready to start. It was voted that Rachel charm the Franky Family into getting them in touch with the Black Market. Missy would get started by getting supplies and starting the business. If Rachel returned in time, then she would help Missy get the business up and running.

At the Franky House, Rachel took a deep breath and knocked. A tall man with long, purple hair and goggles opened the door. "What do you want?" he asked.

"I was hoping to speak with Franky," Rachel said. She reached into her pocket and flashed some money. "I have a proposition for him."

"Gimme a minute," the man said. He closed the door on Rachel. She assumed that it was to go and ask what he should do. A minute later he opened the door again. "You can come in," he said. "But no funny business, we're keeping an eye on you."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Rachel smiled. She stepped inside and followed the man to the back of the main room. Along the back wall, on a slightly raised stage was an elaborate chair, almost like a throne. Sitting on the chair was Franky wearing his mask and cloak. On either side of him were Muzu and Kiwi in their own cloaks. 'Talk about over the top,' Rachel thought. 'At least I don't have to see them walking around half naked.'

"I was told you have a business proposition," Franky broke the silence. "You got a ship you want us to dismantle?"

"Not at all," Rachel shook her head. "It's quite the opposite really. I'm actually looking to build a ship."

"Then you're out of luck," Franky said. "I don't build ships, I take them apart."

"You misunderstand," Rachel put a hand on her hip. "I'm not asking you to build a ship for me. Let me frank with you, I'm looking to get in touch with people in the Black Market. I'm looking for special material to use. I was hoping that you could point me in the right direction."

"What makes you think that I know that?" Franky asked. He leaned forward a little, wanting to hear her explanation.

"Everyone in Water 7 knows that you have quite the reputation," Rachel said. Putting it that way was putting a gentle spin on things. "Given that, it doesn't take too far of a stretch to believe that you have dealings in the Black Market. If you get me in touch with someone that can get me what I'm looking for then I will pay you a finder's fee of twenty million. You will be paid a percentage now and the rest upon delivery of my purchase."

Franky relaxed in his seat, hearing the reasoning made him relax. "Before I agree to this, what is it exactly that you're looking for?"

"I'm looking for wood from the Jewel Tree." Rachel saw no point in lying. There was a chance that he would want to be there when the purchase was delivered. As a top notch shipwright Rachel was sure he would immediately recognize the wood. It was far better to be upfront right from the start.

"Why would you need something like that?" Franky asked. "You plan on making a ship that's indestructable? What kind of trouble are you planning on getting into?"

"It's nothing like that," Rachel said. "My partner and I have a plan for a ship. It's way outside the normal realms of ship building. As such, we need a piece of wood for the keel that's up to the challenge."

"Now you've peaked my interest," Franky said. "What kind of ship are you planning on? Can't you have Galley La build it?"

"They wouldn't know how." Rachel silently took a deep breath. It was time to sink or swim at this point. "The shape and design of the ship is not within the normal realms of sea faring vessels. All normal research points that this is a pointless endeavor and that the ship will sink once we set it in the water."

"You would waste your money that way?"

"We're certain it will work," Rachel said. "We've done testing on smaller, similar shapes on model ships or toys. It's unconventional, but it will work."

"What kind of shape is this?"

"The bottom will be pointed," Rachel admitted.

Franky stood up at that point. "It's no wonder you can't get a shipwright to build it for you," he said. "I don't care what you've done to prove it will work, I guarantee you that your ship will sink right to the bottom of the sea."

"You're wrong about that," Rachel argued. "This ship will be built and it will float."

"I would rather not see such a fine piece of wood just sink to the bottom of the sea," Franky sat back down. "As such, I'm not going to help you."

"I'll make you a wager," Rachel put in. "If you're right, I'll pay you eighty million instead of just twenty. If I'm right and this works then you have to give me my money back. If you're so sure that you're right then put your money where your mouth is." Rachel decided to play on his gambling nature and manly pride. Charm wasn't quite working at this point.

Whispers spread around the room as Franky stood once again. He slowly approached where Rachel was waiting. "You've got yourself a deal," he held out is hand.

Rachel took the hand and shook it. "Then that's it," she said. "It's a pleasure to be doing business with you."

~Missy scowled at the shady man standing in front of her. "I'm not paying you jack," she said. "You can forget about it."

The man was dressed in a pink three piece business suit and wore a pink hat. He had curly black hair and a beard. On either side of him were two similarly dressed men in white suits. "Now let's not be hasty," he said. "To do business in this area you need to pay a protection fee."

"You mean that I have to pay you to keep you from damaging my store," Missy accused. "I'll take my chances."

"Now that is a shame," the pink man said. "Then I can't be responsible for what these men do to you or your shop." The two men in white started to move forward. One pulled out a gun and pointed it to Missy while the other picked up one of Missy's wrenches. He was about to start smashing stuff with it when the leader called back. "Wait just a minute," his voice panicked.

All eyes turned to look at him again. Missy smirked when she saw that Rachel was standing behind him and off to the side slightly. Her left arm was hidden by his back. Behind her stood the Franky Family. "How about you nice gentlemen put that stuff down?" Rachel asked in an all too sweet voice. "That way I won't have to waste a bullet going in your bosses spine." The men slowly did as Rachel said after she flashed them a view of her gun.

The men edged their way past Rachel and the others, not turning their backs on them. Once they were a distance away, Rachel shoved the first man away from herself. "Now you goons get lost," she seethed. "I would hate to waste my ammo on such worthless opponents."

Franky chose that moment to step forward. "I better not hear about you coming back and bothering these two," he ordered. "They're now under the protection of the Franky Family." Once the men were sure they were safe they took off running.

Rachel turned and smiled at Missy. "What have I told you?" she asked. "I have an incredible sense of timing... and great hair."

Missy rolled her eyes at that. "At least you didn't come back empty handed," she said. "At least I hope not."

"We just came to pick up the money that we need," Rachel announced.

Missy nodded and went into the back. She came out carrying two suit cases. "Here's the money we've saved. It better be worth all this time we invested."

"It will be," Rachel nodded. "With this we should be fine until we've reached our goal."

"What is your goal?" Kiwi asked.

"I'm sorry Muzu," Rachel said. "That's a little too personal. Also none of your business."

"I'm Kiwi," Kiwi corrected. "She's Muzu."

"Sorry."

~It took three days for the Jewel Tree wood to arrive. There was a bustle at the station as the Franky Family took charge of it. "It's going to Dock 2 of Galley La," Missy ordered. She was giving directions to the guys. "They'll shape it the way we want and let us rent the dry dock as long as we need." Then under her breath she muttered, "As long as we have the money." The day before they had worked out the deal with Dock 2. They had wanted to give the job to the foremen of Dock 1, but Rachel and Missy insisted that it wasn't needed. They didn't want to bother the famous members of Galley La for something so trivial. It was agreed to once they told the shipwrights in charge that they wouldn't actually build the whole ship. Like Franky, they didn't agree to the shape that the keel would be cut in, but the two women were adamant and wouldn't budge on this issue.

Once they arrived with the delivery the dock workers immediately began setting up a dry dock where they could work the wood. It was to be long enough to support a ship that would be fourteen hundred feet in length. The blue-prints also showed that the width of the ship would be seven hundred feet. That was as much as anyone was allowed to see.

Once that job was complete, the dry dock was handed over to Rachel and Missy. Rachel took over this portion. She worked with metal more often than Missy did anyway. She brought with her a team of metal workers from around Water 7. It was quite a sight for the dock workers and citizens to see a team like that walk into the Galley La docks. As they worked the metal to the interior structure of the ship something caught Rachel's attention. She turned off her torch and gave her job to the man working next to her.

Rachel took off her goggles and thick leather gloves as she walked. Standing to the side of the dock was Iceburg, Kalifa, Lucci, Pauly and Kaku. Rachel muttered under her breath about how this was the last thing she needed. Getting close, she smiled brightly towards them. "Good afternoon," she called out. "I didn't expect to see the owner of Galley La visiting us."

"You must be either Rachel or Missy," Iceburg greeted.

"I would be Rachel," she nodded. "I guess you must be curious about all this."

"It doesn't make any sense," Pauly cut in. "Why would you build a ship out of metal? It's just going to sink the second you put it in the water."

"We have a theory on that," Rachel said. She was tired of explaining this. First to Franky, then to the dock workers. "We believe that the shape and height will keep the ship afloat despite the weight. We've done a few tests on models and it appears that it's sound reasoning."

"What if you're wrong?" Kaku asked. "You'll be wasting a lot of expensive material that we could have been using for things more suitable, like nails."

"Now that would be a waste," Rachel disagreed. "Such fine steel should be used for something grand, like a new ship."

"It's an intriguing prospect," Iceburg said. He surprised Rachel, instead of trying to point out their folly like everyone else he just showed curiosity. "I would be interested to see if such a design will float let alone travel the seas. I don't imagine that sails would be too effective on moving such a weighty vessel though."

"We have a plan for that too," Rachel said. "Although, that one will have to wait until the ship is nearly complete."

"I have a request," Iceburg changed the subject. "Should your ship actually work, would you consider allowing me to see the blue print? A ship like this could revolutionize the way we travel the sea."

"We'll have to think about," Rachel said. "It's not just my decision to make. My partner and I worked on the ship's design together."

"There's no need to rush," Iceburg said. "I would like to see if the ship actually floats first."

"We'll be sure to let you know when we launch," Rachel smiled. Iceburg nodded and the group left. Rachel's smile faded as she turned back. "Of course, I can't guarantee when you'll actually get the message."

~Over the time it took for the ship to be built Rachel and Missy took turns manning their shop. The solar power and security system was a big hit with the middle class people. The lower shops couldn't afford the luxury they offered. Rachel sent fliers to the upper town, hoping to gain some more business from them. They had some money saved up to pay for the dry dock rental, but it was draining. With a continued income it wasn't draining as fast, but they were still paying out more than what they were earning.

Rachel walked into the shop from her day at the dock. "We've reached the last stage," she announced. She didn't care if anyone else was in the shop. She was grubby from all the work and welding she had done, so she was a bit ripe. Missy leaned back as Rachel approached her. "I don't care what I smell like right now," Rachel said. She had noticed the way people had avoided her. "I can't do the last step." Rachel lowered her voice so only Missy would be able to hear her. "The engine is your kitty. I'll take over the shop and write up appointments for you to make installations, but you have to finish the ship."

Missy nodded, understanding what Rachel was getting at. Rachel's expertise was in guns and metal work, not engines and power. "I'll head over first thing in the morning," Missy agreed. "Now go and take a shower."

Rachel smirked and disappeared in the back. It wasn't long before she was back, refreshed, and began helping out in the shop. The day was fast approaching when they could leave and no longer have any worries about money. In fact, selling the shop could go a long way in helping with that.

~Rachel was checking out a potential new customer. They wanted an assessment of cost for power installation. Rachel was at the building, checking it's size and what would be required to set everything up. She was in the back ally when footsteps drew her attention. Glancing up from her notepad a sweatdrop appeared on her head. 'I just don't believe it,' she thought. 'If ever there was a time for rabid crabs it would be now.'

At the docks, Missy shuttered as she worked. "I'm gonna kill her," she muttered.

In front of Rachel stood two pre-teen boys. They both wore similar outfits, but they looked nothing alike. They had yellow shirts with their names on them. Over top they wore what Rachel would describe as Hawaiin shirts. One was red while the other was blue. The red shirt boy also wore white shorts while the blue shirt wore green shorts. With a sigh, Rachel put her pencil behind her ear while the hand holding the notepad dropped to her side.

"Can I help you boys?" she asked.

"This is a dangerous neighborhood," the squarehead started. "It's not safe for a girl to be out alone." Both boys pulled out something from their backpacks. One carried a ruler while the other had a recorder. "Who knows what could happen."

Rachel's eyebrow lifted as she studied them. Her lips then moved into a slow smirk. "You're absolutely right," she said. "It is a dangerous place. How about you two stick around to protect me?"

The boys stopped their approach, not expecting that. "What do you mean?" the other boy asked.

"Not for free of course," Rachel continued. "I would pay you for your help, just like true bodyguards would be." The two boys looked at eachother, wondering what they should do at this point.

Rachel found herself in front of a slightly run down house later that day. The two boys led her to their house so that she could talk to their 'mom'. The two walked right in while she stopped at the entrance. Rachel knocked on the doorframe. "May I come in?" she asked. A large group of kids stared at her while only one adult female walked towards her. "I have something I would like to discuss with you about your sons."

"What have those two idiots done this time?" the woman demanded. She sent a glare to the two boys.

"It's nothing like that," Rachel spoke quickly. She put her hands up in an action meant to show she had no ill intentions. "They actually helped me quite a bit today."

"They did?"

"I would like to offer Michael and Hoichael a job for the remaining time that I'm here in Water 7," Rachel said. "They would be my assistants for an hour or two out of the day. They would be paid for their help."

"What exactly would they be doing?"

"I would have them sending messages or running small errands," Rachel explained. "They claim to know the streets here like the back of their hands."

"Please let us Mom," Michael begged. "She's already given us some money for helping her today. Plus, she's a really nice lady."

While the two boys begged their mom to allow them to work for Rachel, she felt something tug at her pants. Rachel looked down to see one of the babies had made it's way to her and was trying to either pull himself up or gain her attention. Rachel bent down and scooped the baby up in a practiced move. "Hi there little one," she said. "What's your name?"

"That's Hoshi," a girl with a ponytail said. "My name is Yoko." She then pointed to the other kids in the area. "That is Yuya, Shun, Iako and Akihito."

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," Rachel smiled. She handed the baby over to Yoko when she heard the begging stop. She was being stared at by the boys and their mom. "What?"

"Hoshi has never gone up to strangers like that," Michael announced. "He's the shiest of the three babies."

"You're awfully good with babies," Aunty pointed out.

"I've had practice," Rachel announced. "My older sister, back home, has two boys. I used to babysit for her all the time."

"So what happened?" Hoichael asked.

"My other sister and I decided that we wanted to see the world," Rachel lied. It was the common excuse they gave while on the Grand Line.

"Then you can think of us your family," Aunty announced.

"Ummm," Rachel started.

"You're going to be looking after my boys after all."

"Only for an hour or two," Rachel corrected. "Plus, I'll be leaving Water 7 soon."

"That doesn't matter," Aunty interrupted. "You're family while your here."

"Oh boy," Rachel muttered.

~Missy stood up while she wiped her brow. "Finally finished," she sighed. The last wire to the engine was connected. "Now it's time to test it out." Missy left the engine room and climbed the stairs. She found herself on the deck floor of the cabin. She climbed a ladder to reach the bridge of the ship. It was spacious enough for a few people to stand or sit around comfortably. Missy went to the helm. Her hand hovered over the ignition switch. "Please work," she prayed under her breath.

Missy pushed the switch into the start position. Missy heard the engine start to churn, but then it died. She let out a sigh, it was only the first try. It wasn't used to power, nor had any stored up to just readily start. Steeling herself, Missy tried it once again. It took two more turns before the engine finally turned over and stayed on. "Woohooo!" Missy cheered and threw her hand up into the air. She then did a quick system check then turned the engine off. She didn't want to draw too much attention.

Missy rushed out of the cabin. She locked the door and headed for the ladder. Once on the scaffolding she did a check of the ship. The propeller was hidden by another scaffold and tarp. Not many were allowed to see it. Taking a deep breath, Missy rushed out of the dock and to the shop. Time was of the essence now. They had to furnish the ship and get moving before the people of Galley La knew they were finished. They had paid rent up until the end of the week, Missy set that as a goal to get out of there.

The first stop was the 'real estate' agency. There she put the shop up for sale. It was a shock to their original agent. They had only been there for two months and they were already getting ready to leave. Missy then stopped at a supply shop. She began ordering everything that they would need. This included a refridgerator, stove, chairs, lounging supplies and ecetera. She ordered only what could be delivered the next day. If they found that they needed anything else then they could get it at other islands along the way.

Rachel was just arriving back at the shop with the boys when Missy ran up. "It's all finished," she announced. "Give me the info on the installations. I'll get them all done as soon as I can while you get everything moved."

A look of understanding crossed Rachel's face. She began plotting on the fastest way to do things. "Michael, Hoichael," she got their attention. "Your last job for today is to go and tell the Franky Family to come here." She then handed them a couple of bills. "You better get a move on so you're not late getting home."

The boys saluted her and ran off. Rachel took her notepad and handed it to Missy. "Here's all the information that you'll need," she said. "Don't forget to collect the money from them. I'm going to close up the shop and start packing." Missy nodded and the two began to work on the last of their jobs at Water 7.

An hour later seven members of the Franky Family showed up. Among them were Franky and the girls as well. Missy was off at one of the installations, leaving Rachel to explain things to them. "We need your help moving things," she announced. "The ship is done and we want to head out as soon as possible. At the latest, we want to launch by the end of the week. Although we're hoping to be able to launch tomorrow afternoon."

"That's really soon," Muzu pointed out. "Don't you at least want to stay to celebrate if your ship does work?"

"That would be nice Muzu," Rachel said.

"You finally remembered!"

"But we have a personal deadline that we need to meet," Rachel continued. 'Like leaving before the Straw Hats arrive,' she added to herself.

"That's nonsense," Franky put in. "After all this time you and Missy have become the youngest members of the Family."

"For you and everyone else apparently," Rachel muttered.

"What?"

"That's a nice gesture," Rachel said instead. "But it's really important to us that we leave as soon as possible."

"Why is it that important?" Kiwi asked.

Rachel almost told her it was none of her business, but stopped. "Well, we just don't want anyone else to have a ship like ours." Rachel then chose another path to get them to understand the need to leave. "The people of Galley La are interested in the ship and to see if it will actually float. Iceburg himself has said that he wants to see our blue prints and try to make his own. We like the idea of having a one-of-a-kind ship."

"That's a good idea," Franky said. "It makes your creation all the more special. Okay, we won't stop you from leaving. But you have to promise to come back so that we can have a good and proper party. If your ship floats, that is."

"I promise that we'll try," Rachel said.

"Good enough."

Instead of bringing the things from the shop to the new ship, Rachel had the Franky Family bring the things to the speed boat and dingy. "I thought you had a bigger ship built to carry all of your things," Franky pointed out. "Why are you loading up these row boats?"

"We don't want to draw attention from Iceburg by loading the new ship just yet," Rachel explained. "That's almost like inviting him to ask us for the blue prints all over again. We want to be well on our way before he's clued in." Franky didn't answer this time, he just nodded his head.

~The next afternoon the ship was ready to launch. Rachel handed Hoichael a note. "Give that to Iceburg," she instructed. "When ever you feel like."

"When are you going to launch?" Hoichael asked.

"In just a few minutes," Missy answered. "We need to make sure that everything we loaded is secure. Once in the water, we need to make sure there's nothing leaking. Particularly our side docking area."

"What's that?" Michael asked.

"We've got a few other, smaller boats," Rachel explained. "They're very important to us so we wanted to make sure we could bring them with us. There's a section of our boat designed specifically to carry them." Both boys made an 'oh' sound.

"Will you wait just a bit, big sis?" Hoichael asked.

"We want to see the launch too," Michael added. "But there's something that we have to do."

Rachel looked to Missy, who shrugged. "We can wait a little longer, but you boys need to hurry up."

"We will," they chorused as they ran. Rachel and Missy began to secure things down and nail furniture to the floor while they were gone.

It wasn't an hour before they returned, Aunty and their siblings in tow. The Franky Family had shown up not too long after that. "Now it's a circus," Missy muttered.

"Those are fun," Rachel grinned. "Just as long as they don't have any crabs."

"Shut up."

"You kno..."

"If you start that I will leave you here."

"Never mind."

"I thought so."

Aunty made Rachel pose with her and the kids in front of the ship while Missy took their picture. Then Aunty got out of the scene and took another picture of just the kids and Rachel, with Rachel holding the babies. The Franky Family then wanted their picture taken with the girls as well. It took an hour before the girls were finally allowed to start the launch.

Missy was aboard the ship while Rachel stayed on the dock to hit the release lever. Everyone waited with baited breath as the ship slowly slipped into the water. It bobbed up and down with the waves it caused, but it didn't sink. Franky stood there with his mouth hanging open. He snapped out of it when Rachel snapped her fingers in front of his face. Once she had his attention, she held out her hand. Franky grumbled as he handed Rachel back the twenty million that she had paid him for his help.

She stuffed the money in her pocket as she went to the dock. She got to the closest point of the ship and jumped across. She landed on the deck in a crouch. Once she straightened she noticed that Aunty was taking her picture again. Rachel shook her head and then headed below. She still had to make sure that there were no leaks. Franky came aboard to help them. He was stunned at everything in the ship. The girls didn't mind if he saw everything. He knew that he wasn't going to be getting any of their blue prints.

Back on the deck they tied the ship off. Missy and Rachel then turned to everyone. "We'll be going to get our other boats now," Missy announced. "Once we have them docked on board this one we'll be leaving."

"You're forgetting one very important detail," Franky said. "You can't set sail without it."

Rachel and Missy thought for a minute. "I can't think of anything we're forgetting," Rachel shrugged.

"Neither can I," Missy agreed.

"You need a name," Franky pointed out. He was now pointing towards the ship. "Any decent vessel needs a name. It's bad luck to set sail without one." Both girls blinked at him.

"How about the Cutting Edge?" Missy asked. "We basically designed her to cut through the water after all."

"Too common," Rachel dismissed. She scrunched her face in thought. "I've got it, we'll call it the Nunya."

"The Nunya?" Muzu and Kiwi asked in unison.

"That's right," Rachel nodded. "The Nunya Bizniz. That way if people ask where we got it and what it's name is we can answer both questions at once. 'It's Nunya Bizniz'." Franky let out a loud laugh at that. Missy shook her head in exasperation, but she didn't disagree.

"Nunya Bizniz it is," Franky announced. "In that case, we of the Franky Family wish you both a safe voyage and smooth sailing. Or whatever it is you call it without any sails."

"Sailing works for us," Missy shrugged. "But we do need to get going. We'll see all of you later." The group bid their farewells as Missy and Rachel headed for the speed boat and wave runner docked at the island.

Once they were near the water the two stopped dead in their tracks. "Of all of the rotten luck," Missy said. In front of them was the 'Going Merry'. Out of the corner of her eye, Missy could see Rachel looking around. "Are you looking for the crew?" she asked.

"No, I'm looking for the crabs. OW!" Rachel rubbed the back of her head from where Missy had hit her. "You asked," she whined.

Rachel shook her head and straightened. "This is actually good for us," she said.

"What are you talking about?"

"Think about it," Rachel started. "The crew is here to look into getting their ship fixed. The only one on board is Zoro." She stopped as she noticed people going towards the ship. "And a few members of the Franky Family. I think us using the Jewel Tree put a bee in all of their bonnets, they might go after the Straw Hats more viciously now that I think about it."

"Then we didn't mess things up," Missy said.

"Anyway," Rachel got back on subject. "Iceburg was giving Luffy, Nami and Usopp a tour of Dock 1. He and the foremen are too busy with that to notice what has been going on with Dock 2. We can make a clean get away without anyone the wiser."

Missy didn't say anything, she just jumped into the speed boat. Rachel untied her line from the boulder and tossed it to her. Missy pushed off, started the engine and was on her way to the Nunya. Rachel was putting on her life vest when the sounds of shouting drew her attention. It sounded like Zoro was awake and beating the crap out of the Franky Family that had boarded the ship.

Rachel took the last line from the boulder and headed towards the runner. "It's good to see you're not running into people."

The voice stopped her in her tracks. She looked over to see Zoro leap out of the Merry and head over to her. 'Well crap,' she thought. 'I can't just leave without looking like I'm out right avoiding him. I am, but that's not the point.'

"What are you doing here Rachel?" Zoro asked. His head then snapped like he thought of something. "For that matter, what were doing in Alabasta?"

"Sight seeing?" Rachel asked. The raised eyebrow she received proved that Zoro didn't believe her. Rachel sighed and slumped her shoulders. "Okay, well, we were here to get ourselves a better ship. Now that we have it, we'll be heading out."

Zoro waited for a few seconds before he spoke again. "That's fine, but you still didn't tell me why you were in Alabasta."

"We were trying to earn money for a ship," Rachel answered. She let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding when he nodded.

Zoro pointedly looked at the wave runner. "I've seen you riding that thing at Loguetown. What is it exactly and how does it move?"

Rachel looked over her shoulder to the runner. She smiled slightly, thinking of the look Zoro had on his face that one time. He had looked completely flabbergasted. "It's called a wave runner," she finally said. "It's mostly just a toy, you could say. It's not really meant for what I've been using it for. Not that I had much of a choice until now."

"How does it work?"

"It uses an engine," Rachel admitted. She smiled wider at the confused look on his face. "Come over here and I'll show you." Rachel went to the waters edge and got down on her knees. Zoro stood behind her as she bent towards the water. Sticking her hand under the water towards the back of the runner she started speaking again. "Right here is a propeller system," she announced. She didn't notice that Zoro was hardly paying attention, a blush on his face. "The engine turns the propeller, which in turn pushes the runner forward. The speed that the engine turns determines the speed the runner goes through the water. The faster the propeller turns the faster it goes."

Rachel leaned back and looked towards Zoro. When he noticed her turning to look at him, he turned his face away. Rachel's eyes widened at his red ears. 'Was he checking me out?' she asked herself. 'Oh shit, this isn't good. Better pretend like nothing happened.'

"So, do you understand?" Rachel asked. She was fighting a blush of her own, but she hid it by smiling brightly and tilting her head to the side. Zoro only cleared his throat and nodded his head. "That's great then," Rachel stood. She moved the runner so that the back was facing the shoreline. "I should get going now though." Rachel scooted herself onto the runner. As she sat there she took the rope off the handles, she then reeled the rope using her hand and elbow. She left a little slack to thread the end around the majority of it so it would hold the circle shape and not get tangled. After she placed the rope under her left foot she put the safety key on her wrist and started the engine.

The noise startled Zoro and drew his attention. He found Rachel looking back towards him. "I guess I'll see you around," she said. Zoro watched her right hand move back slightly. The handle grip moved as well. The water behind the runner appeared to boil, according to Zoro's eyes. Then the runner started moving away.

Zoro watched as Rachel picked up speed. She stood as she started to turn. She leaned away from the water to keep from tipping. It wasn't long before she was out of Zoro's sight.

Rachel found the docking system of Nunya open. She slowed down and carefully aimed the runner to it's docking spot. She gunned the engine a little and she was quickly approaching the Nunya. The ramp had a set of built in wheels that the runner rolled up as it came out of the water. However, Rachel didn't gun the engine enough so she didn't make it all the way up. She got halfway up and started rolling backwards.

Rachel was laughing when she hit the water. "I guess I need a little practice," she said to herself.

"If you're done playing," Missy's voice called. Rachel looked up to see her looking down from the deck. "What the heck took you so long anyway?"

"Same reason as always," Rachel smiled. Missy rolled her eyes and disappeared.

Rachel moved the runner away from the Nunya and tried again. She was almost to the top this time before she started rolling back. "Oh no you don't," she hissed. With her hands on the handles, Rachel jumped off of the runner. Her feet firmly planted on the ramp, she pushed the runner up the rest of the way. Once she was inside she raised the ramp.

On deck Missy was waiting for Rachel. Once she got there she started in on her. "I had time to dock the speed boat, board Nunya, lower the ramp, get in the speed boat and then load it into the Nunya. What could have taken you that long?"

"I told you, same as always." Rachel shrugged her shoulders, trying to dismiss her. Seeing Missy tap her foot she gave in. "I got stopped by Zoro. He was asking me some questions. It would have been rude to just leave."

"Admit it," Missy started to accuse. "You were procrastinating, hoping that he would see you and come talk to you." Without waiting for an answer, Missy started for the bridge.

"I did not," Rachel yelled after. She then put her finger to her chin in thought. "No I didn't, did I?"