Legal notice: All original One Piece characters, settings and plot belong to Eiichiro Oda. I did not receive any payment for writing this fan fiction. All dream sequences are italicized and underlined for your convenience. Enjoy Chapter 12!

Kigen paced the cabin, his pent-up energy unflagging. Six more days he would have to reign in his concerned impatience. He wanted to see his granddaughter as swiftly as possible and reassure himself that she was safe.

The vessel tilted alarmingly and he stumbled. What the hell was going on? Kigen flung open his door and staggered his way to the top deck. A storm raged above him, the waves tossing the boat wildly. The top deck of the ship was chaotic. Sailors scurried with no direction or order, trying to keep the sailing craft afloat. Kigen grabbed the arm of a panicked crew member.

"Where's the captain? Was he thrown overboard?"

The man shook his head. "Naw, he's just seasick. He's in his cabin."

Kigen immediately took charge after a moment of regaining his composure. Seasick? When in a leadership position, it was imperative not to let weakness impair one's decisions. Such an attitude was only logical.

"Take two men and furl the sails. If they are ripped then we won't go much further. I will talk to the navigator."

"Uh, that's not the navigator. He gets seasick worse than the captain."

Kigen growled. What kind of ship was this? It was a wonder they hadn't sunk already! The sailor quickly did as he was told while Kigen strode angrily towards the wheel.

"You know how to read a Pose, sailor?" he shouted above the gale.

The lad looked startled but he nodded nervously. Kigen glanced at the sky, determining which direction the storm raged.

"Alright, sail opposite of the Pose. If we stay in the outskirts of the storm, it'll tear this ship to pieces."

The impromptu navigator did as he was told. Kigen spent the rest of the night putting order to the chaotic vessel and battling the elements. By dawn, the furor died and the steady rain slowly turned into mist. An older sailor approached him. He nodded in gratitude.

"We don't normally allow passengers to interfere but without your help, we'd probably be goners."

Kigen scrubbed his forehead; energy finally depleted. "I'm talking to your captain and navigator," he paused, "after I've slept."

"Aye," the sailor grinned at him.

Kigen walked back to his room and practically collapsed on the hammock, quickly falling asleep.

…

He caught his breath in the shadows of a dead-end street, the siren slung over his shoulder. He didn't understand why he was being chased but it looked like the Straw Hats were the targets.

"Did anyone check down here?" a person shouted nearby.

Shit!

Zoro thought quickly, wielding his katana and slashing his way through a door. He accidentally used too much strength. Multiple buildings now had stylish matching triangular doors. At a different time, Zoro might have been impressed by how many structures he just altered but right then, he was attempting to hide. He walked into the first edifice, to the darkest corner.

"Oi, someone just entered. Should I kick his ass?" asked a loud whisper.

"No! And be quiet! We don't want to be discovered!" hissed a familiar voice.

"Hey! Look at these cuts! It looks like he sliced his way back to the open streets! Don't let him get away!"

Footsteps pounded against the pavement as a small crowd rushed through the triangular openings. One or two men stayed behind, blinking at the darkness but eventually they left too. Zoro let out the breath he held.

"Robin…" Magina moaned suddenly. "Don't…g-! Save…Ro-!"

"Are you awake, siren? Be quiet, or they'll hear us," he growled softly.

"I didn't know she talked in her sleep. Does she talk in her sleep a lot?"

Zoro felt a poke in his ribs briefly. He jumped, not expecting the sudden physical contact. It only took a moment for him to recognize the shadowy figure beside him.

"How the hell should I know, Luffy? That damn Love Cook doesn't just guard the kitchens at night."

"What happened to Magina?" Nami asked, frowning at him.

"I don't know. I found her in an alleyway. I've been running around trying to escape the angry mobs. So tired…I just want to nap," Zoro yawned briefly and stretched.

A distant shout startled them all.

"There he is! In the first building!"

"Check every corner. There might be more pirates lurking in the shadows!"

Nami smacked her forehead and glared at him before they took off running down the street together, an angry mob close on their heels.

"This is all your fault!" she shouted.

"My fault? It was amazing that they didn't find us sooner!" Zoro yelled back.

"You were the one who let them see you!"

"We'll lose them if we go this way!" Luffy called.

Zoro tried to follow but his rubber captain yanked him around the wrong corner. He growled low in his throat.

"Don't be so upset, Zoro. You always get lost," Luffy chuckled.

Nami halted suddenly. Luffy jogged up to her, still dragging him and Magina in tow.

"Come on, Nami. We can't stop or they'll catch us."

"They won't be able to catch us is they can't find us," she murmured and ran up to a bridge. "Luffy. Stretch yourself underneath the bridge. There has to be enough room for the three of us. Take off your sandals already, hurry!"

Luffy looked slightly puzzled but he did what Nami said. Zoro nodded in understanding when Nami flipped herself over the edge and disappeared from sight. She popped her head out and gestured for him to hand her Magina. Once Nami took Magina, Zoro headed to the other side and also maneuvered himself on the make-shift platform. He was barely out of sight when the yelling became louder.

"Do you see them? They came down this way!"

"Keep looking! They can't have gone far!"

"Somebody check the rooftops. They might try to escape that way!"

Their platform shook slightly. Footfalls pounded on the stone bridge above them.

"Are they gone yet?" Luffy's muffled voice sounded strained.

"Not yet," Zoro answered softly.

A few minutes later, Zoro heard more shouting.

"Let's check another section of the city!"

"Yeah! We won't let them get away this easily!"

Hundreds of feet ran across the stone walkways.

"Now?"

Zoro shook his head. If they revealed themselves too soon, the chase would continue. Nami replied for him.

"Just a little longer."

Another minute passed and things quieted down. Silence descended on the bridge until Luffy suddenly yelped and let go. Kersplash! Water surrounded them. Nami supported Magina. That left him to rescue the hammer. Zoro sighed and dived below, eventually dragging his captain back to the surface.

"Oi, Zoro, Luffy! Over here!" Nami called.

Luffy coughed up some water. "That surprised me!"

"Ah! Sorry, guys. I'm glad I found you though. Something's going on with Robin!" Chopper exclaimed.

Dripping wet, Luffy and Zoro climbed up on the street. Luffy pulled his hat over his eyes, folding his arms seriously. "Yeah. Let's go somewhere safe. Then, we'll figure things out."

Zoro nodded. Being chased all day wouldn't solve anything. Luffy found a quiet roof top. The late afternoon sun slowly dried his hair and clothes. Chopper bandaged Magina while Nami explained what happened with the shipwrights. Chopper recounted his brief conversation with Robin. Zoro listened grimly. Whatever decision Luffy reached, he'd stand with his captain.

…

An agonized scream tore through the silent morning. She clutched her blanket and wrapped it tighter around her head. The knock on the door was muffled by the thick material.

"Magina? Mama wanted to talk to you," Papa called sadly. Another scream nearly interrupted him.

Magina lifted her head from her pillow, panic rising up to choke her. No…no! If Mama talked with her, Mama's song would disappear!

"I'll be out soon. I-I just need to get dressed!" she lied, her voice trembling.

"Alright."

A tear slipped. Poor Papa. He sounded so sad and tired. Magina shakily climbed out of her window and ran. She passed the oak tree. She couldn't hide there today; it wasn't far enough. She could still hear Mama's song dying. She sprinted down the cape, barely dodging shrubs, and buried rocks. Magina couldn't stop her sobs now.

Blinded, she tripped over a hidden root by the cliff. She looked up and saw darkness behind the sparse undergrowth. Magina pushed the branches aside. A large hollow cave was behind the bush. Without even thinking, Magina crawled in and curled up in a ball. She couldn't get far enough away…she could still hear Mama's song growing weaker. Minutes crawled by and then hours. The silence that Magina dreaded finally crashed heavily on her consciousness.

Magina screamed into the empty cave. Nothing answered her desperate cry. Mama was dead. Robin! She had to help save her! Robin couldn't leave her too!

"Robin!" Magina bolted straight up.

"Oh, good. You're awake," Chopper said in obvious relief. "Though you shouldn't move around too much."

"I'll be fine. There's no time to worry about me. We have to save Robin!"

"We still don't know what's going on but we think that she might go back to kill the Ice-Ossan," Luffy said.

Magina calmed herself. Luffy's melody sang with conviction; as clear and bright as a trumpet.

"Then, we're going after her," she sighed in relief.

"You're not going. Didn't you hear Chopper? You shouldn't be moving," Zoro stated.

"He said I shouldn't move much. I can help. I've already met with the enemy," Magina argued. They weren't going to leave her behind again!

"And you obviously couldn't handle it. You should just hide somewhere and rest, siren. Besides, you don't even know where the headquarters are," he growled, scowling at her fiercely.

Magina clenched her jaw. "You're one to talk, you directionally challenged swordsman! I could beat you there, even without knowing where it is!"

"Fine. I'd like to see you try it! Don't be disappointed when you get lost! Come on, guys. Let's go!" Zoro stalked off. The others shrugged and followed him.

"I won't get lost, I'm not like a certain someone who gets confused in their own cabin!" she called angrily.

That man! He frustrated her so much! She wasn't helpless! She felt slightly weak but blood loss wasn't going to slow her down when her nakama was in danger. She limped her way downstairs to the street.

"Miss! Are you alright? Did you need help?" a voice asked behind her.

Magina hid her smirk behind her hand and quietly started to cry.

"Oh…umm…don't cry…W-What's wrong?"

"My brother is a shipwright and he's helping guard Headquarters tonight. Some lowlife pirates beat me up and left me here…" a fake sob caught in her throat.

"I wanted to go and warn him that there might be trouble," Magina sniffed and tried to wipe her eyes delicately.

"What's your brother's name? Is he really a Galley-La shipwright?" the man asked suspiciously.

Magina nodded fervently, her mind racing for a name. She hoped that she looked worried rather than miserable since the memory of the original owner was still painfully fresh in her mind.

"Ryuu-ni has been a faithful worker for the Galley-La company for three years now. It was always his dream to help the best shipwrights in the world."

"Hah! Ryuu, that bastard! Why didn't he tell us that he had such a pretty looking sister?"

"He's very protective of me," Magina answered shyly, secretly wishing the man would just give her directions already.

"Here, I'll let you use my yagara. He knows the quickest way to Headquarters. I should warn you, don't stay too long. It could get dangerous if those damn pirates attack again," the man warned.

Magina grinned as she climbed into the carriage-like seat. "I'll leave right away," she promised.

"Alright, Toki. Fastest route to Headquarters. Go!"

She clung to the reigns as the yagara raced down the canals. It only took five minutes before a tall building came into view. The yagara came to a halt. Magina saw a humongous tree overlooking the building. That might be a good place to hide until everyone arrived.

"Toki-chan, can you take me closer to that tree?"

The yagara nodded happily and gently glided forward. Magina patted him on the head and carefully climbed out.

"Thank you, Toki-chan. Take care of yourself!"

Toki made a sound of agreement and sped away. Magina smiled softly before turning her attention back to the tree. It took some time to climb the tree high enough so that she wouldn't be seen. Now, she only had to wait.

The sky darkened, the sunset fading into twilight until full dusk settled over Water 7. Just as her impatience was about to drive her crazy, the leaves rustled. Luffy and Zoro appeared in between the branches, Nami and Chopper close behind. Magina grinned at the expression of pure annoyance that Zoro shot at her. His dark growl felt like her victory cry.

"What took you so long?"

Hey all! Important announcement: my computer is back! It didn't take as long as I thought to get it fixed. Yay! Hopefully that will mean chapters will be coming more regularly than before. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please review since I can't tell if you like it (or didn't like it) if you don't tell me, lol. Anyway, thanks for reading! I'll see you again for Chapter 13!