A.N.: Hello readers! I'm taking a short break from the main storyline to give you my first ever Christmas/Holiday special! It's not exactly Santa Clause and reindeer, but try as I might I couldn't think of a plot where Karmen saves Christmas. This chapter and the next are all canon, they just take place a little further in the future than where we currently are.

Also, it was brought to my attention that I forgot to write a section from Ch. 105. I am working on resolving this little lapse. I appreciate your patience!

Enjoy and we will resume our two-year gap in February.

Long green fronds stand perfectly still in the calm, windless Calm Belt morning sunlight. Karmen frowns down at the tall grass covering the surface of the island. "This makes it hard to walk," she muses. "But I don't want a bunch of grass clippings lying around, especially with no wind to carry them away."

"So what do you think should be done with it, if anything?" Pierce asks, running his hand across the tops of it all. He plucks a blade and sniffs it, giving a satisfied hum.

"I don't know. I'm not a gardener," she retorts. That was it! A gardener! Karmen rushes off through the tall grass, letting the stalks whip at her legs as she plows through them. Eventually, she comes to a wide chasm that holds the vegetable garden. Without physically looking, she leaps off the top and lands lightly on the gravel path between the beds. "Camilla, dear, I came to pick your brain."

-You certainly picked an entrance.- The teenager is crouched near a long row of carrots that rest proudly in the ground, displaying frilly green leaves. Just like everything else in the garden, they grow healthy and strong under Camilla's gentle care. The girl herself glances up as if she expects Pierce to drop in any second. -Pick away.-

"There's too much grass up top. If we were to cut it all down to lawn level, can it be used for fertilizer or compost or something?" Karmen asks, rubbing her chin as she tries to come up with ideas. "I don't want it to just sit there stinking up the island as it decays."

Camilla sticks her hands back into the dirt as she digs out a stubborn weed. When she's determined that Pierce has decided to stay topside, she speaks openly, though in a low voice that doesn't extend far past the chasm walls. "We have enough compost to last us a good while," she says, scratching her nose with the back of her clean wrist. "But if you want to cut it all down, why don't we dry it and let the kids make dolls out of it?"

Karmen looks back at her blankly. "Make dolls out of grass? People actually do that?" She thinks of the dolls that she'd had as a child. They were all made from the finest porcelain, silks, and glazes. She can't remember any of the little girls in Syrup village having straw dolls either. All of theirs had been at least made out of wood and cotton at their most meager. She tries to imagine one made out of straw and finds the image hard to conjure. "Like… a scarecrow? Or the things Basil Hawkins makes with his Devil Fruit powers?"

The slow rise of Camilla's eyebrow tells her that she's missed the mark entirely.

"I was raised by Dragons, Camilla. Forgive me if I'm… uncultured." Karmen finds her cheeks growing warm and has to focus hard to keep her arms from crossing defensively.

"I can teach you," she says. For a moment it seems like the sultry girl is attempting to hold back a laugh. "Maybe you can get Winston to make clothing for them. The kitchen staff might even be able to get some pigments out of the food."

Karmen's eyes widen into a sparkle as she talks. "We can have Winston give them a workshop on sewing miniature clothing. It will be so cute." She can imagine the little shirts, pants, socks, shoes, and hats that the children will be making. She pulls Camilla to her feet and grasps her dirt-coated hands. "You have to teach me!"

At that moment there is the sound of a blade slicing through something above them. They both look up and see grass raining down over their heads. Karmen lets go of Camilla's hands and syncs with a crab that she senses beneath the water resting against the distant beach.

With pincer-like motions she's able to catch every blade. She shoves these at Camilla excitedly. "Please?"

Camilla silently takes a bundle of grass from Karmen's arms and cuts it into smaller strands with her trowel. It's only now that Karmen notices that the girl has sharpened the edges of the tool. While it seems wholly unnecessary, she has to give the girl credit for being prepared for anything. And if not that, then tool care at least.

She takes one strand of grass and ties it around a handful of grass and reverses it around the shorter end, tying it again to make the shape of a head. She then ties it at the waist and divides the bottom to make legs, tying them off at the ends. She then ties a separate, smaller, and shorter bundle at both ends and slips it through the chest to make arms. "See? Simple."

Karmen's eyes get even wider as Camilla lays the doll on top of her grass bundle. "Wow. People are so creative."

"Yeah. Creative," she says softly. She scratches her cheek, leaving a smear of dirt. She tries to brush it off with the back of her hand, but this just smudges it across her face.

"How did you learn how to do it?"

"Mom taught Jade and I when we were younger," she says softly.

Karmen sobers significantly. "You don't talk about your mom much. What was her name?"

"Fiore."

"That's a beautiful name."

"Thanks."

"Do you want to talk about her?"

Camilla glances up to where Pierce remains out of view and shakes her head. "Another time, maybe."

"Alright. We can go have tea in the Whist Room when you feel up to it. No hurry," Karmen says softly. "Would it be alright if I asked you to help teach the children how to make these?"

-As long as I don't have to talk.-

"Great! I'll let you know the details after I talk to everyone else." She cups one hand around her mouth and calls up to the surface. Her voice echoes around the stone walls, making Camilla cringe slightly. "Pierce, would you mind cutting the rest? We can recruit you some helpers if you'd like!"

"That's alright. It's been a while since I've trained with my blades," he calls back. "I'll have it all cut and bundled to dry by nightfall." There's a leathery snap of wings and his presence fades high into the air and swoops low over the ground with the sound of blades over and over again.

Camilla takes the fresh grass from Karmen, ties it all together at one end, and hangs it on a protruding tree root. Karmen moves to the interior of the island carrying her newly made grass doll. Her bouncing steps echo down the tunnels as she smiles happily. She bounces herself straight to Winston's workshop and lands in front of him with both feet hitting the ground at the same time.

The man looks up at her entrance with curiosity. "You seem to be in a good mood today."

"I have a project for you!" she proclaims with a big smile on her face. "How do you feel about having a tiny-clothes workshop with everyone?"

He gives her an elegant smile that brims with restrained excitement. "My dear Karmen, I am always more than willing to sew and teach people to sew. What's the occasion? Did you rescue a race of dwarves?"

Karmen laughs. "Nothing of the sort, my dear." She holds up the grass doll to show him. "We're going to let the kids make these."

He examines the doll closely and takes a few quick measurements. "I have plenty of scraps that I was going to turn into quilts. They'll be perfect for this." He looks up at her, eyes gleaming. "Might I make a few fabric requests for your next outing?"

"Always."

As he writes out a list of materials, she digs through his scrap pile. Selecting a cherry blossom pattern and begins sewing a small yukata for her doll. Her fingers are quick and deft. She notices Winston watching her technique out of the corner of his eye. He clearly has some pointers for her, but he keeps his mouth shut, clearly not too upset by the results. When she's finished and her grass doll is dressed with a little obi holding the outfit together, she holds it up to him.

"The kids will love these! Camilla mentioned that the kitchen staff could make dye from food."

Winston nods. "It's not the best technique, but it will do for the purposes you want to use it for."

She gives him a small side hug. "You're the best. Thanks for your help, as always, dear."

Karmen tucks the doll into her belt and makes her way to the kitchen and finds the head volunteer chef, Elen. She's a stout woman with salmon-colored hair pulled back in a tight bun. She's not a pretty woman by any standards, but she has a certain charm about her and a gift with an oven that leaves Karmen envious.

It takes her a moment to get the woman's attention because she's rushing about barking orders and getting ready for the day's lunch. "Elen, dear, if you're not too busy, could I have a moment of your time?"

Elen finally turns in Karmen's direction and shoves a large ladle into her hands. The other patients that are helping all grow very pale at the sight. "If you're going to stand in the kitchen while we're working, then you can help out while you talk. Stir that pot there if you want me to hear you out, miss Karmen."

Karmen looks nauseously down at the ladle but cautiously does as she's told. There's a large stew on the stove full of chopped vegetables and some kind of bird meat. Surely just stirring a pot wouldn't invoke her culinary curse. She sticks the spoon in, begins stirring, and hopes for the best. After a few seconds, she decides that the entire stove is not about to burst into flames and finally decides to breathe in so she can talk.

"We're going to be doing a special project with the children in a couple of days and I was wondering if you and your helpers could make some dye from the vegetables you're using for our delicious meals."

Elen gives such a glaring look that Karmen would have cowered beneath it if she hadn't been raised by Dragons. Still, she finds it hard to maintain her composure in this woman's presence. She missed Sanji's welcoming, homely environment. And his food. Not that she would tell Elen that. Few people could match Sanji's art and anything beats meal after meal of raw fish.

Finally Elen sighs. "Since it's for the children, I suppose we can put in some extra work," she says. "But I expect you to find me a few more dish volunteers and people to help us out while we do this for you."

"Of course," Karmen says. "I'd hate to inconvenience you when you give us such wonderful help. Really, the island would fall apart without you all."

"You're darned right it would," she growls. "Now give me back that ladle before you scald the stew."

Karmen happily relinquishes the utensil and the kitchen volunteers all give a hefty sigh of relief. "Thanks again. I'll leave you to it."

"Extra dishwashers," Elen calls after her as she makes her retreat. "Don't forget!"

"Not on my life," Karmen promises.

She moves out of the dining hall and back up toward the surface. When she reaches the intake chamber, she passes Aniyah coming out of the bathroom. "Miss Karmen!" Her eyes grow wide as she notices the doll hanging from the woman's hip. "You like dolls?"

Karmen pulls the doll from her belt and holds it out for the girl to examine. "Camilla made it for me. Do you like it?"

She nods with large motions. "She made it and just let you have it? Just like that?" she asks.

"Mm-hmm," Karmen responds. "It was more of an example than a gift. Would you like to keep it?"

A wide, unnatural smile spreads across the girl's face. "What do you want for it, miss Karmen?"

The woman gives her a careful, soft smile. "You don't have to do anything to keep it, dear. It's a gift. Haven't you ever been given a gift before?"

She thinks, smile unflinching. "Once I got a turkey leg that was only half-eaten. That was the best meal me and the other slaves got that week."

"Didn't your parents ever give you anything special when you were still living with them?" she asks.

Aniyah shakes her head, smile widening. Karmen's heart shatters into a million pieces. She crouches next to the girl and takes the doll from her gently. She seems to relax once the item has been removed. "You can keep it if you'd like," she says, making the doll dance in front of her. "The only thing I want in return is to know that you'll have fun playing with her. Nothing more."

The smile finally softens with confusion. "You don't want anything else?"

"Not a thing, dearie," she promises, offering her the doll again.

Aniyah takes the doll, gives it a cursory look, then throws her arms around Karmen's neck in a tight hug. "Thank you, miss Karmen!" she says around her grin. "I'll take good care of her."

Karmen squeezes her back gently, then gives her a little pat back toward the interior of the island. "Off you go. Have some fun today, ok?" She watches the grinning girl leave and follows her down the tunnel with her haki.

She's still standing there when Pierce lands beside her, sweating and wiping green fluids from his tonfa. He pants somewhat heavily as he saunters up to her with a cheeky grin. "The lawn is mowed and bundled, My Lady," he says triumphantly. He notices the stiffness of her muscles and sobers. "What's going on?"

"Pierce," she says softly. "Isn't there a holiday coming up? Some festival we might have overlooked?"

He thinks for a moment and counts a few days on his fingers. "Not unless I've lost count."

"I think you must have. The Bear Festival is coming up very soon. We need to start making preparations."

He gives her a curious expression, then begins to catch on. "I see. We'd better get on that then," he says, a soft smile spreading across his face.

"Thank you for taking care of the grass," she says, finally looking at him. "Did you get good training in with it?"

"Definitely," he says. "And it gives me a good idea for a festival show."

She gives him a broad smile. "You're the best. You know that?"

He gives a cocky shrug. "I have my moments."

They walk back up to the top and she notes the evenness of the short grass that he had left behind. A couple of grasshoppers that are looking extremely lost. "You did a great job, Pierce."

"I left a few taller areas on the other side of the island," he says. "There's a herd of deer over there that I didn't want to disturb. I also discovered that our boar population is getting a little large."

"We don't have any predators on the island, do we?" she muses.

"Only the ones you've brought," he comments. "We could have a hunt for our festival feast."

She sets her hand to her chin. "So what components do festivals usually have?" she asks.

"Yukata, lucky charms, fortunes?" he offers.

"Games, oni masks, thrilling shows, and contests," she adds.

"Food," he concludes.

"Gift-giving," Karmen finishes. "That's a lot for just a couple of people to organize, and I don't think we can get lucky paper. Maybe we should narrow things down."

"We could make a lucky charm out of paper," Pierce says. "A Vivre card, to be specific."

"Oh you're a genius," she praises. "And we can grab enough food from other islands to let everyone eat their fill. We even have some barrels of apple cider fermenting in the pantry."

"When have you had time to make cider?"

"Sometimes when I can't sleep and I can't make poisons, I stomp fruit with the patients in the middle of the night."

"I see," he says. That makes sense, I suppose. We can also have a contest to see who can eat the most of your survival food and survive."

"You're so mean. I love it," she states. "Masks might be a tall order. "We can have stingray races. I'll judge."

"You'd better because no one else would beat you," he comments. "Do you think they'd let us scoop them like goldfish?"

"Maybe the babies, as long as we put the dears right back. They enjoy getting their bellies tickled."

"The kids will love that," he says.

"We can also set up a knife-throwing contest in the workout chamber. I want the patients to have fun with their self-defense," she says.

"Are you going to perform a special dance?"

"Of course. I was thinking of getting tuna and the squid involved," she says.

He gives her a curious cock of his head. "How so?"

She presses her index finger to the side of her jaw cutely. "That's a secret."

"What about… wishes?" he asks.

"We can tie streamers to the apple tree and have the patients hang wishes from there," she says. "What are you going to wish for?"

He pokes her forehead lightly. "If I told you that, it might not come true." He leans back and smooths his ponytail. "You mentioned gifts earlier. I know the kids will exchange dolls, but what about the adults?"

"I was thinking they could make plates, cups, and bowls to exchange. Maybe flower pots. They have some options."

"When will you tell them about it?"

"Tonight at dinner," she decides. "We'll need to give them time for their gifts to be dried, fired, and glazed before the festival."

"Sounds good. What do we need to do to arrange all this?" he asks.

"I need to talk with Camilla and Elen again," Karmen states. "And Bhoden, Saaresto, and Iona."

It doesn't take long to find Saaresto. He's in his examination room checking his records. Karmen taps her nails against the rocky entrance and he looks up with his one good sparkling eye. Karmen explains her ideas and asks him to round up his musically inclined patients for festival practice. He agrees heartily and moves off to find them. Bhoden is outside on the cliffside watching the ocean. He also readily agrees to be in charge of the games and has people in mind to help him run them. She finds Iona taking inventory in one of the storerooms. She comments that they currently have an excess of supplies and agrees to oversee the decorations for the festival. Elen is frustrated at first at the thought of all the extra work she'll have to put in to make a feast, but after Karmen explains that it's a grand opportunity to show off her prowess as a chef, she accepts the challenge wholeheartedly.

Lastly, Karmen drops down into the garden from the opening of the chasm for a second time in the past hour.

Camilla looks up with surprise, then feigned annoyance. "There is a gate, you know," she says.

"Now would I be the secretary of the future greatest pirate crew in the world if I did things like a normal person?" Karmen asks.

"Probably not," she responds. "You look like a woman on a mission."

"You said you wanted to recruit some women," Karmen says. "Who are they and can they dance?"

Camilla blinks. "Um. The women I've picked out so far are Knights Pixie, Stanley Yasha, Phan Tala, Clayton Caprice, Rosales Izzie, Austin Wendy, Irving Nadia, Wheeler Evie, and Quinn Traci," she says. "As to whether or not they can dance… that's yet to be determined. You're the only one who really dances around here on a normal basis."

Karmen frowns deeply at this. "Oh, we'll have to fix that. In fact, I think we should fix that right now. I'm planning on having a festival on this island here in just a couple of weeks and I'd like your help with it. How would you feel about having your first leadership opportunity?"

There's a spark of excitement in her eyes, but it's overtaken by deep suspicion. "By dancing?"

Karmen nods. "I want to see three things from these women. One, that they are graceful, lithe, and athletic enough to keep up with the two of us. Two, that they can follow orders from someone that I've given authority. And three," she softens her voice, "that you are feeling up to taking that bit of leadership. I'm willing to give you some rope to run with if you think you can work it into something grand."

Her fists ball against her knees. "But to have me out there… dancing in front of everyone…"

"If you'd like, I will join them on the dance floor and follow your lead on this," Karmen says. "I know it was a source of pain for you in the past, so I won't force you to do it. But you yourself said that you wanted to turn that poison into a weapon. I'd like to see what fire burns in your veins."

Camilla looks up, her dark eyes glistening with emotion. "I'd like to think about it and give you my answer at dinner if that's alright," she says tightly.

"Of course, dear. Take as much time as you need." Karmen turns and begins walking out through the gate, like a normal person.

"Either way," the soft voice calls after her from behind, "thank you for having faith in me. It… it means a lot."

Karmen gives her a gentle, familial smile. "You're capable of great things, Camilla," she says. "I know that when you're ready to embrace that power and face the darkness that haunts you, you'll come away from it stronger."