Chapter 8

[Crew POV]

"Avast, me hearties! Land ho!" Rex called comically, "I've always wanted to do that."

The Straw Hats were journeying smoothly from Orange Town to their next destination, filled with excitement for the upcoming adventure. They were ahead of schedule and would reach their new destination in the next hour. They got to know each other and discussed the plan to get a ship.

"Man, I'm hungry. I want meat," Luffy whined in his typical manner, which grated on the nerves of Rudy, Coby, and Nami. However, the others were not as bothered by his complaining.

"Luffy, I'm only going to say this one more time," Rudy said, annoyed through one big inhale. Then shouted, "Portion your food!" Nami, at the same time that Rudy finished, had gotten up to hit this rubber-brained fool in the head. Who knows? It could help him gain some common sense.

After the back-and-forth argument on why they should use their resources sparingly, they reached their destination.

"Are you ready, guys? Let's go get us a better ship." Luffy said, stepping on land.

They didn't get too far when Zoro noticed they were being watched. It was instinctual yet almost caught everyone off guard, except Nami, who, for whatever reason, has a supernatural ability to feel around atmospheric pressure. Rudy felt compelled to research the people of this world. They just seemed too evolved for a world mainly composed of water.

"Guys, be prepared to be being watched. It appears that it's not just a singular person."

Emerging from his thoughts, Rudy caught a glimpse of brunette hair and instantly recognized who it was. This surprised everyone, especially Mark and the guardians. Rudy sprinted towards the figure, shouting, "Amanda!" Mark and the other guardians were relieved. It was clear to everyone how much Rudy had missed her as they traveled together. Amanda also seemed to have missed Rudy, and she quickly rushed up to him and kissed him. This sight made Luffy and Nami blush for some reason. The guardian trio, now a quartet, wondered why Amanda was sent so far away from them. Not that they were going to get answers to that.

The two lovers separated, with blushes apparent on their faces. Amanda was the first one to speak up when she realized what she came down to converse about in the first place.

"Wait, your pirates?" she asked, uneasy how she should feel about that. "Also, what's up with the extras? I didn't know we were recruiting." But before Amanda could finish, Luffy cut her off by saying, "They decided to join me until they can find a way home." Not that he knew what their home was like.

"Hey, you in the bushes over there, you're Ussop, right? I know Yassop." The boy in question was shocked for the second time that month. This had to be the most eventful month of his life easily. First, he found a woman who appeared like a girl, who, as it turned out, was a beast when it came to strength. Then, this seemingly dense and nonchalant guy comes out of nowhere, claiming to know his father. He'd pass out from excitement if he weren't still jostling off the fear of pirates being this close to him.

"You know my father? Is he okay?" Ussop asked simple questions but was filled with the utmost passion and respect one could have for someone else. It was easy for the crew to tell that this Yassop guy was an essential figure in Luffy's childhood, but the same can be considered with this new character.

"Why don't we go get something to eat? We can talk about him once we get there." Luffy suggested food, of course, as his top priority.

"Oh well, I can't stick around. I have to go to work. So I'll just meet you later, or..." Amanda started suggesting, "You could stop by Lady Kaya's. She would be more than willing to have guests over for dinner." The suggestion itself caught Ussop off guard. He didn't think Amanda would go that far to invite pirates to the estate. Ussop believed she must be crazy.

"You did not just suggest that; you know how frail Kaya is. If she gets too excited, you could be putting her life in more ways than one," Ussop said, most definitely considered. "I can understand why you can trust your friends, but what about these other guys? Can we trust them?"

"We'll have a great chance to get to know them, especially with my friends here. I've told you about their strength and experience." Amanda confidently said, assuring Ussop that everything would be fine.

[Kaya's Estate]

It was a pleasant change of pace to a building of this stature. It reminded Mark and the others of the White House. This building in front of them was grand, even if it wasn't on the same scale.

"Man, this reminds me of home. I don't know how to feel about that." Mark was trying to figure out whether he missed Earth. He knew he missed his family and friends, but what lies beneath these feelings?

"You ought to know a few things before we head inside. First and foremost, mind your manners. Second, don't talk about the lack of staff; most importantly, don't bring up parents. She doesn't need those reminders; they can break her," Amanda said while peering over at Rex. That was mostly for you, Rex. I know how insensitive you can be."

Rex was baffled and couldn't believe she would say that about him. He's changed, right?

"Hey, I'll let you know I can be sensitive about stuff," he said, looking like he had been caught red-handed.

"I want food." Everyone peered in Luffy's direction, unsure if he had listened to what Amanda had just told them.

"And you thought I was bad!" Rex shouted, his voice echoing with newfound regret and anger over his past behavior.

[Kaya's POV]

Kaya's month had been going great. She made a new friend who seemed to care deeply for her, and now she was just informed of the guest they would be hosting. It was honestly fantastic, perfect even. Ever since she lost her parents on the sea, things haven't been going well. To make things worse, her staff keeps quitting for no apparent reason. She must ensure everything goes well, as her ability to use social interaction is crucial for her recovery. Soon, a man wearing a black suit with glasses knocked on her door.

"Lady Kaya, the guests have arrived."

"What delightful timing!" Kaya was thankful for everything Klahadore did for her. "If you mind escorting me, I would be grateful."

The diverse array of individuals standing before her was rather intriguing. Through conversations with them, she had an idea of what Amanda's friends were like. However, she was still curious about the four others who seemed to be accompanying them.

"So, what brings you to my estate on this fine day?"

The crew was having fun. Luffy was eating, of course, and when Kaya asked her question, he almost choked when he went to answer.

"We need to find a huge boat to sail in the Grand line?" Luffy said, trying to convince Kaya and seemingly succeeding until her butler made his opinion known.

"The only people who head to the Grand Line are fool pirates who are way ahead of themselves," Klahadore stated in his most serious tone. "Are you, perhaps, a pirate? Because you certainly don't bear the resemblance of a wandering merchant." He finished in a highly conceiving voice. "We don't deal with the latter," he said, glancing between Ussop and Luffy.

Sure enough, Amanda spoke first, "Klahadore, that's enough. You should learn to be less protective. Kaya's a big girl, sensitive and sickly, sure, but she makes the calls, not you." Kaya had not been surprised that Amanda would call Klahadore like that. The two of them didn't get along at all.

"She's right, Klahadore. I make the calls, not you. I certainly can respect your protectiveness. That, however, does not give you the right to be such a jerk." Kaya said, emboldened by her new friend.

Klahadore was displeased and simply stated that he would be taking a walk. He would only return once the 'Pirates' were gone.

Kaya could tell Luffy and Ussop were holding back their anger from being called out. Without Amanda's intervention, things could have ended worse. Her respect for the woman just keeps growing. After the confrontation, things went smoothly, and the dinner was uninterrupted for the remainder of the time. Eventually, they had to leave.