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

Nunya Bizniz

Chapter Eight: Crewmember

Missy and Rachel watched the water, looking for either a water snake or a Marine ship with a bunch of Okamas on board. Thinking about it kept causing a chuckle to come out of Rachel. "What is so funny?" Missy asked.

"Where Sanji is going to train," was the answer. Now both women were in a fit of giggles at this point.

"Hold on a second," Missy called. "There's a few waves on the water that's moving against the others." Rachel went over to her side, sure enough there was rippling in the water that went against the other waves. "I bet that's the snake." Rachel nodded in agreement.

She checked her hand gun to make sure that it was loaded and ready just in case there were any misunderstandings. "Shall we go and say 'hi'?" she asked. Just as she was about to follow the snake, the water in front of it started churning. "Or we could just give a friendly shout out." Soon a yellow submarine came out to the surface. Rachel started laughing once again. "Kind of reminds me of a song."

"You bitch, now I'm going to have that in my head all day long."

"Payback for hitting me on the head when I mention crabs." Shortly after the marine ship showed up. Law and his crew came out to the deck of the ship. "You want to draw attention or should I?"

"I'll do it, heaven only knows what will come out of your mouth."

"I can't help it if my mouth filter went on vacation. Just don't start a conversation with 'ahoy'. I'll smack you so hard the boat will capsize."

"You're no fun," Missy whined. "Okay, how about this." Missy then took a deep breath to call out. "Hey ya'all, wus up!?"

"How is that better than 'ahoy'?" Rachel smacked her hand on her face. Well, they have everyones attention now.

"Who are you?" Ivankov asked.

Rachel opened her mouth to give an answer. She had an eyebrow raised, which was Missy's only warning a smart ass answer was going to come out. Before she could say anything, Missy slapped a hand over her mouth. "My name is Missy and this is my younger sister Rachel," she answered.

"Why didn't you let her answer?" Penguine asked.

"Because she's a smart ass and doesn't know when to tone it down." Missy directed the last part to Rachel with a glare. Rachel just laughed, an evil glint in her eye. Before she knew it, Missy was pulling her hand back from pain. "Did you just bite me?" she asked.

"Don't cover my mouth next time," Rachel shrugged. Ivankov relaxed, it was apparent that these two were far too unorganized to pose any threat to them what so ever.

"So you're the two that shot Akainu," Law observed. That caused Ivankov to stiffen and be on his guard again.

"How in the hell...?" Rachel started, then cleared her throat. "I mean, what makes you think that?"

"I saw you pulling the gun back and leaving on that boat," Law informed. "It doesn't take much to put those pieces together."

"Huh," Rachel made a sort of laughing noise. She then turned and looked at Missy. "We miscalculated on not being seen."

"Anyway we would like to offer a deal," Missy changed the subject. "Luffy can't know that Ace is alive."

"What are you talking about?" Boa demanded. "My dearest deserves to know that his beloved brother is safe."

"We're not denying that," Rachel said. "It's just, for the moment, he needs to believe that Ace didn't make it. He needs something to push himself into training and becoming stronger than he currently is. If he believes that Ace is dead, he'll want to do anything that he can to protect his nakama."

"So what exactly do you propose that we do?" Law asked. "I have Ace on an IV and resting. His bandages need to be changed regularly with burn cream applied. Do you have something like that so you can take him?" He looked at their boat then back to them, showing that he knew better.

"Actually we do," Rachel put in. "Not here though. We have a main ship that's equiped with a medical room. Ace can recover there and we can explain to him a few things, like why we did what we did. It's just a matter of getting there. A small detour to Sabaody Archipelago and you can be on your way for Luffy to heal without the Marines breathing down your neck. Or you could leave the IV with us and we'll take him. It won't take us long to reach our ship. It won't be the first time smaller vessels were used to take patients to better equiped ones temporarily and it won't be the last."

"What makes you think that the Marines won't be after you as well?" Ivankov asked.

"We're not pirates," Missy pointed out. "We don't have a bounty and we're recognized merchants on the Grand Line. They wouldn't look twice at us."

"They could have spotted you when you shot that Admiral," Boa pointed out.

"We were too far away for them to get even a clear look through their telescopes," Missy said. "Law says that he saw us, but how much closer to us was he than the marines at Marineford? He only saw us because he was close enough."

"I'm not going to allow one of my patients to just leave without proof that you have the equipment to take care of him," Law said. He put his arms across his chest in a show that he was firm in his statement.

"You know, I bet it's a real pain to find a reliable fuel source for that sub," Rachel pointed out. "I'm sure that not every island you come to has what you need."

"What are you saying?" Law narrowed his eyes.

"What if you had a way to power that sub just by using the energy of the sun? It's a constant source of energy unless there's cloud cover. Given how often we've seen the sun out at sea, I think you won't have to worry that much about it. It will also eliminate the risk of going to certain ports."

"What are you getting at Rae?" Missy asked.

"My sister, here, can install a solar energy system for you in exchange for allowing Ace to come with us. At the very least, she can tell your mechanics and engineers how to do it themselves since we currently lack the tools and material with us. All that is back on the main ship. My sister, however, has a perfect memory and she can draw her schematics for you."

"Now hold on just a second," Missy cut in. "I never agreed to something like that."

Law ignored Missy's outburst as he put a hand to his chin, deep in thought. He weighed the pros and cons quickly in his mind. He finally came to a decision and looked Rachel in the eye. "You have a deal," he said.

"No deal," Missy snapped back. "I never agreed to this."

"Now where's your nakama spirit Missy?" Rachel asked.

"That's not the point," Missy seethed. "Do you know how much money we stand to loose if we just hand over our biggest market item schematics to them?"

"First off, I think we can afford it." Rachel gave Missy a smirk, letting her know that she had already thought of that. "Secondly, why don't you just adjust the blue prints so that it will only work on a sub? Make it to the point that there won't be a way for them to figure out how to switch it to it's primary function and gain profit from it. How many submarines could there be in this world anyway?"

Missy stood there, staring at Rachel for a minute. "You know, there are some days where I really hate you."

"I love you too, sis."

Missy rolled her eyes and turned to Law. "Let me see the schematic of your ship and I'll get right to work," she said.

"You'll have to come on board," Law replied.

"Then you can forget it." Rachel stepped away from Missy as soon as the words were out of her mouth. She saw the way Law's eyes narrowed at the challenge.

Without warning, Law held his hand in front of him. "Room," he said. The submarine and the speed boat were surrounded by a transparent dome. Law looked at one of his crew and smirked. "Shuffle," he made a hand gesture. Before either knew what happened, Missy and the crewmember had traded places. Law had Missy through the hatch before it dawned on her what happened.

Rachel and the crewmember stared at each other. Rachel then let out a smirk as she lifted a bat she kept under the seat. "Try anything and I'll treat your head like a Piñata."

"What's a Piñata?" he asked as he leaned away.

"It's a hollow figure with candy inside that kids beat the shit out of." The man leapt into the water and back to the submarine without another word.

"What is that thing?" Penguine asked from the sub. He was staring at the bat in Rachel's hand. "What do you call it?"

"I call it 'Bob'," Rachel answered.

"Bob?" the crew asked in unison.

"Bat of Beating," Rachel gave them a big grin. The crew let out a shudder at the thought of her coming after them with it. Ivankov surprised her by coming over and striking up a conversation. He wanted details on how she was able to make that shot on the Marine Admiral. Rachel was more than happy to show him her sniper rifle. She went into detail how the barrel and firing mechanism utilized their shape, size and power to gain greater distance.

Missy came out of the ship an hour later. Following her was Law, pushing Ace out on a gurny. He motioned for one of his crew to head over to the speed boat with Missy. Rachel had, at this point, pulled the boat close enough for Missy to just jump in. The crew member started to lay on the floor of the boat when Rachel stopped him. She moved the seat next to the driver side so that it looked like a sort of bed. The crew member laid on that and waited. Law activated his devil fruit powers and switched the positions of Ace and the crewmember.

"You have a way to get him safely into the medical room on your ship?" Law asked. It had already been explained to him by Missy, but he wanted to double check.

"We have someone that can help us," Rachel confirmed. "On top of that, this boat will be docking inside our main ship so he won't have far to be transported." Law nodded and then turned his attention back to Boa Hancock and Ivankov.

Taking that as a dismissal, Rachel and Missy started the boat. Missy was piloting this time while Rachel sat on the 'hood'. Without an available chair it only made sense. She would get seasick if she sat in the seat behind Missy. It would have her facing away from the direction they were traveling. Any other mode of travel she was fine with, going backwards was just wrong.

Rayleigh was waiting for them on board the Nunya. He had been warned beforehand not to coat the docking ramp quite yet. Rachel climbed the ladder to the deck and went inside to the docking ramp. Rayleigh followed close behind, already knowing that they would need him to carry Ace. Once Rachel lowered the ramp for Missy she was on her way once again. This time she was in the medical room. She put fresh sheets down on the only bed they had in there. She left the door wide open so that Rayleigh would have no obstacles. She also set up a hook above the bed for the IV. Law had said that it should be the only one Ace needed if he woke up within a day.

Rachel was brought to reality when Rayleigh walked in. Missy was right behind, holding the IV above Ace. Rayleigh carefully placed Ace on the bed and stepped back. Missy put the IV on the hook Rachel had just finished getting ready while Rachel made sure that Ace was secured to the bed. His arms were left free, they just wanted to make it so that he wouldn't roll off in transit.

"I'll finish the last of the ship," Rayleigh announced. "I should be done before dawn. Then I'll head to Amazon Lilly to meet up with Luffy."

"So you're going to train him?" Missy asked.

"As if you didn't already know," Rayleigh smirked. He was out the door shortly there after.

"You should head for the city," Rachel told Missy. "You'll need to find a ship going to the Redline and then find a way across. There should be enough money for you to get across and buy some meals on the way. I'm not sure how long it will take me to travel."

"You sure you can handle the sails by yourself?" Missy asked.

"You hooked them to the motor right?" Rachel waited for Missy to nod her head. "Then it should be fine. They should act like a blind or curtain, going up or down when I push the right button." Missy nodded and then left. She said her farewells to Rayleigh, then stopped by the bar to do the same with Shakky. She headed for the city to find a way to the other side of the Redline.

Rachel made sure that Ace had everything he needed in case he woke up while she was away from the room. She then left to do a check of the supplies to make sure that everything that wasn't needed was secured. Rachel busied herself with unloading the speed boat then and putting everything away. When night hit, Rachel set up a cot in the medical room and slept in there, still wearing her day clothes.

Rachel's shoulder being shaken woke her up. She blinked blearily at who it was that disturbed her sleep. Rayleigh was looking down at her with a grin. He handed her a piece of paper. "Come with me to the bridge," he said. "I'll explain how everything works. When you're ready I'll release the air under the ship and you'll be on your way." Rachel nodded as she stretched and followed him out.

A half hour later, Rachel was on her way. She watched with some trepidation as the water surrounded the front of Nunya Bizniz and then swiftly covered the whole ship. It was a little unsettling to her. The law of physics would say time and again that this was simply impossible. However, this world didn't seem to have read that particular book.

Ace woke with a start. The last thing he remembered was Akainu's fist starting to pass through his back. He tried to sit up, but found that he was strapped down. With a growl, Ace looked down. His arms were free and the buckle was within his reach. Finding this odd for Marines, Ace began to wonder just where he was. He unbuckled the straps and swung his legs over the side.

Taking a look around the room, Ace noted that it was typical for a medical room on board a ship. Being surrounded by metal, though, was new to him. A cot on the far side of the room had him staring at it. He wondered who had slept there and why. The blankets were off to the side and there was an indent in the pillow. Taking a closer look at himself, Ace saw the bandages wrapped around his torso. They were tight and pushed against him when he breathed. The biggest thing was the searing pain that washed through his back with each breath. "So I didn't dream Akainu punching me," he muttered. Ace pulled the IV carefully out of his arm. He applied pressure to keep from bleeding.

Ace looked around outside of the room. It was a hallway with several other doors lining along it, all made of metal. Off to the side were a set of stairs. They led both up and further down. Taking his chances of finding someone on deck, Ace headed up the stairs. He found himself in a room lined with strange levers. A ladder was along the back wall and a door that led to the deck. Ace went out the door, believing that was where he would find someone to explain things to him. He was shocked that the deck was mostly bare. There was no helm or mast head. There was a mast and a sail, that was normal. Everything else you expected to find on a ship was no where to be seen. To compound his confusion, the ship was surrounded by a bubble and under water. He could only guess that that the ship he was on was some sort of pirate ship trying to pass under the Redline.

Rachel blinked, rubbed her eyes, and then blinked again. Ace was out, walking around on the deck. "Well crap," she sighed. "I was hoping he would be out until Missy rejoined us on the other side." Setting the wheel to hold course, Rachel went to the floor hatch and climbed down. The door to the deck was still open from when Ace went out.

Rachel stood at the entrance and called out. "Good morning," she shouted. Ace whipped around to face her. He didn't immediately attack, that was a good sign. "If you want to talk I'm on the bridge." Rachel pointed up to show where Ace should go. "Otherwise feel free to explore. I'm sure there's food in the kitchen so help yourself. I'm a little busy at the moment though." Rachel went back inside and once again went into the bridge. She was hoping Ace would just go find the kitchen. To her disappointment he had followed her up a few moments later.

"So I'm sure that you have questions," Rachel started. She gestured for Ace to sit in one of the chairs next to her. "For starters, do you remember me?"

Ace thought for a moment, then his face brightened in realization. "I met you back in Alabasta," he declared. "Your name was Rachel, right?"

"That's right," Rachel nodded. "So here's the deal. Right now you're on board mine and my sister's ship, The Nunya Bizniz. You and I are traveling to Fishman Island to reach the New World. My sister is crossing over the Redline. She'll meet up with us on the other side."

"Okay," Ace nodded in understanding. "But, how did I get out of Marineford? Is Luffy okay? Did he make it out alive?"

"Luffy is safe," Rachel informed. "Right now he's under the care of a very talented doctor that hates the government almost as much as you two do. Jinbe is also with him. A friend of mine, Rayleigh, has agreed to train Luffy to become stronger. So right now, we made it so that Luffy believes you didn't survive."

"Why would you do that?" Ace demanded.

"I've met Luffy and his crew," Rachel said. "Well, crew is a bit of a stretch. I've really only met Zoro and Luffy. If the rest of the crew is anything like them then they're all really stubborn." Ace nodded in agreement. "As such, Luffy needs to believe that the only way to protect those he cares about is if he becomes stronger. He needs to believe that he couldn't save you because he was too weak. Growing stronger will help him make sure he doesn't loose anyone else important to him."

"So you kidnapped me?" Ace asked with a smirk.

"You can leave when ever you like," Rachel informed. "You can leave when we get to Fishman Island if that's what you want. But I do have a proposition for you." Ace remained quiet, waiting for Rachel to continue. "Join Missy, my sister, and I as we travel around the New World. We'll help you train and grow stronger. We know a few things that fire does you might not be aware of. You can add more power to your attacks. On top of that, it'll be a great way to hide from the Marines for the time being. Neither of us are wanted by the government. As far as they're concerned, we don't exist. Our ship can out run anything they want to chase after us. You help us train as well and I guarantee that you will meet Luffy again."

"What makes you so sure of that?" Ace asked.

"My sister and I happen to know where he is and where Rayleigh plans on taking him for training," Rachel said. "We'll tell you where in two years, that's how long Rayleigh wants to train him for. You can leave then if you want."

"What do you know about fire that will help me train?" Ace asked instead.

"I'll give you an example," Rachel answered. "Fire feeds off of oxygen. Should a person catch on fire, they don't die from the flames. The fire sucks the oxygen right out of their lungs and they sufficate to death long before the flames could kill them."

Ace blinked at Rachel in surprise. "That's a rather morbid thought," he said.

"That's fire for you," Rachel shrugged. "It can save a life by keeping them warm from the cold, or it can take it away. It's much like the sea. So, have we peaked your interest or do you still need some convincing?"

Ace thought about it for a minute. "Alright then Rachel," he said. "You've got yourself a deal. I'll sail with you and your sister for the next two years. We'll see what happens after that."