The stare from Ann was so intense that Kidd felt a hole drilling through his heart. He ignored it. In contrast, Strawhat's looked innocent and filled with curiosity, like a child staring at something new. Even after discovering her identity, Kidd still couldn't believe that one of the dangerous and craziest Mafia leaders was this innocent-looking woman. A thought passed his mind. These women are dangerous.

"If you try anything. And I mean anything. I will be here to put a bullet through your skull." Ann spat, glaring daggers at Kidd.

"She's serious. But go on. We'll be here." Luffia grinned, opening the door to let Kidd in. She might be smiling, but her eyes contained danger in them. The threats should have pissed him off, but he was occupied with pressing matters. Without uttering a word, he stepped inside the room and closed the door. His eyes darted to Sab sitting on the bed, looking pale but otherwise alive.

Kidd took the empty seat not far from the bed and stared at the woman whose impact almost in his life drove him into insanity. He kept his silence, letting Sab break the deathly silence enveloping them, but she kept her silence as well, with her eyes focused on whatever she was doing with her blanket.

A stolen glance gave Kidd a glimpse of her state - shaking hands, clenching jaws, and an occasional bite on her lips - told Kidd how nervous she must be in this situation.

"You must have your questions." She said.

"Isn't that obvious?" His voice turned sharp. "Start talking Sab." He sounded desperate while looking at her, willing her to meet his eyes. When she did, Kidd finally saw the intensity of her emotions that he refused to read. Now is not the time to read emotions but to hear them from her.

"What do you want to know?"

"Everything."

"I don't know where to start."

"You don't know? To hell with that, Sab! Why don't you start telling me about the twins?" Sadness washed over Sab's eyes when Kidd mentioned the twins. It was nothing but a painful memory to her. She wanted nothing more than to refute his statement, to change the topic while preparing herself to open the wound she kept in her heart but looking at Kidd, she knew she deserved to know about them more than anyone in this world.

How painful must it be for him to find out he lost his children?

"I l-lost them." Her voice cracked.

"Did you ever plan on telling me about them? From the looks of it, you don't. Why, Sab? Do you feel that I don't deserve to know about them?"

"I couldn't. How do you expect me to tell you when I failed to protect them?"

"It wouldn't have happened if you told me your damn plans!" He shouted, letting his pain soar. "You could have told me, Sab! You could have told me yet you didn't! You could have told me you were Blue! I would have helped you with whatever you needed! I would have gone to prison for you!"

"And that's exactly why!" Kidd huffed in frustration while looking at Sab's determination. "I knew you would say that. For God's sake, Kidd! Don't throw the world at my feet!" She shouted in frustration, letting a few tears escape from her eyes. It was gnawing in her heart to know that Kidd would throw everything at her feet if she wished.

The gears started to break in Grandline. It will be a storm that Sab wanted Kidd to avoid at all costs. The danger will be nothing they had before, and she was afraid to bring him along in this storm, knowing she might die at any time.

Death does not scare Sab. She and her sisters were prepared to die anytime if it meant achieving their desires, their revenge. What scared her the most was watching others die with her.

"And what is wrong with that?" He almost whispered, standing from his seat to loom over her beside the bed. "What was wrong with doing that Sab?"

"Damn it, Kidd. You don't understand!"

"Then, help me understand! Make me understand why you did it Sab. Why did you throw me away? Why did you pretend that you betrayed me?!"

"I was throwing you out of my hellish life, Kidd! Everything in my life is hell! And it will be more hellish the longer you stay!"

"And you think my life is heaven? What? What was hellish in life that made you throw me away? Was it because you are part of the Revolutionary Army?"

"No, Kidd." She swallowed the lump in her throat and met his reddish-brown eyes. "My identity is what will make things hell for you. You must be wondering about it. I did not join the Revolutionary Army because of some noble reasons. I am here to seek revenge. This is the path I chose, Kidd. I chose revenge over you. My path was carved by blood, bloodier than you could imagine. And this is not a simple war between Mafia groups. This is a war that involves the entire streets."

"You know damn well how selfish I can be, Sab. To hell with it! I don't give a damn if the world becomes hell. I will do what I want. No one can change my mind. Not even you, Sab." His statement proved to Sab how stubborn he could be. As much as Sab wanted him to abandon her, she can't help but feel happy. "Who were you seeking revenge for?"

"My parents." She said in a cold voice, making Kidd shiver. For the first time, he witnessed her eyes transition from the smart and intelligent kind to a blood-thirsty animal. "They were driven by the world to their edges. Betrayed by one of their own. My sisters and I vowed to make those people pay with their lives. This path shall lead to carnage, Kidd. You and your small group have no business meddling in this affair."

"Don't you think you're exaggerating? You're underestimating me and my group Sab just because you are part of the Revolutionary Army? Just because your sisters are Firefist and Strawhat?"

"No, I am not. This is not simple revenge from an orphan girl, Kidd. This is the revenge from the daughters of the late Mafia King."

The mention of the Mafia King had Kidd's eyes widen from shock. Sab was hoping that Kidd would steer clear from involving himself with her if he had known of her origins.

"Gol D. Roger is your father?"

"Yes."

Sab cannot make out the expression Kidd had. His eyes remained stern while looking down at her. Perhaps he was weighing the information and how it will affect him.

Good. She thought.

"Do you realize now, Kidd? It is the life I chose to live. The enemies of my father are everywhere. They will stop at nothing till we are dead. It will be bloodier than you thought it would be."

The silence dreaded between them. Sab thought she convinced him to avoid involvement in this mess, but she was wrong.

"So?" He casually asked, looking like Sab had insulted him.

"So? Do you not understand?!"

"I said, so what?! I don't care if your parents are the king and queen of this world. I don't give a fuck. You think this reason convinced me to let your sins go?"

"No. I don't expect you to, Kidd. What I've done was unforgivable and I am not asking you to forgive me - "

"Yes. Because I haven't, Sab."

" - but I expect you to be smart enough!" Her voice raised once again, raging at his stubbornness. "The emperors. The Cipher Pol. The World Government and all Mafia Groups will be pointing their fangs at me."

"You want revenge, right? Don't you think I want one for myself as well? For the children that I did not get to meet. For being imprisoned!"

"That was my fault, Kidd. I betrayed you. I chose my path over you. I couldn't let go of that opportunity and sacrificed you in return. Then, I end up losing them." Memories of that night flooded her mind. She could still remember the pain she went through while looking at the holes in her stomach and the blood dripping from them. "I couldn't forgive myself either."

"Do you know what, Sab?" She looked up only to see Kidd's sad eyes looking at her. "It's not like I don't understand your reasons. I damn well know and I may not have experienced what you went through because of your parent's death, but I get it. Your father is the Mafia King after all. Your enemies are everywhere and you gave me a way out."

The more Sab looked at Kidd, the more she felt how she hurt him.

"Do you know what's more painful than your choice? It's the fact that you chose to give me a way out because you think I'm weak. Is that how little you think of me? Do I look that weak in your eyes for you to decide without telling me anything?!" The frustration must have been too much to handle that Kidd had to vent it out, by kicking the chair. The noise startled Sab but remained silent otherwise.

"And you're telling me you want to wage your war while I was pushed to the side? What? You expect me to stand still, drink my wine and watch the chaos happening?! Is that what you want me to do? To sit pretty and do nothing?! Did you think that I built my group just to do nothing? Do you think I am doing nothing but a child's game?! Dangerous?! Sab! I've been to many dangers than I can damn hell count, so don't you dare tell me that you did this to give me a way out!"

The silence was Sab's only answer. She could not find the courage to refute him, not when she could see the pain in his eyes.

"I am used to the people underestimating me. I am used to them looking down at me and my capabilities. But not from you. I expected better from you, Sab. I didn't imagine you think less of me. Congratulations. You made me feel the most worthless person in this world."

"K-Kidd..."

"And because of that, you made your choice. Your choice brought us to where we are now, Sab. Had you told me, I wouldn't have spent two fucking years in prison hating you and resenting myself! I fucking resent myself because, despite that betrayal, I still couldn't find it in myself to kill you! I could have asked my men to do it! And I hated myself!"

"I... I'm sorry." That was all Sab said. Her emotions were a mess. So many things were going through her mind, including regrets, guilt, and the realization that perhaps, her choice was what fucked things up for the worse.

Seeing her cry, Kidd had the urge to wrap his arms around her, but at the same time, he felt conflicted because of the pain he was going through. It was like the eye of the storm hitting him where he was vulnerable. It felt like his world was shattering to pieces.

"Damn it!" Overwhelmed, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut and leaving Sab crying inside. He could not bring himself to look at her now. He was too hurt to process anything, not even the stares that came from Ann and Luffia.

"Kidd..." Kidd ignored Killer and left the villa. "Kidd, wait!"

Kidd did not answer. He got into his car and drove as fast as he could to escape the suffocation he was feeling.

===XXX===XX===XXX===

When Kidd left, Ann and Luffia quickly got inside the room only to see Sab crying. Neither of them asked why. The conversation they heard was enough for them to know what happened.

It's been a while since they saw Sab this vulnerable. The last time she cried was the day she lost her twins.

"Was I wrong?" She asked no one in particular. The question might have been directed to herself rather than getting answers from her sisters.

"Your what ifs won't bring back what was lost in the past. You didn't know how it would affect everything. You did what you think was the best." Ann stopped Sab's doubts. A smile graced the blond's face, but it was not bright enough to mask the sadness and grief in her eyes. "What are you going to do now? It's quite dangerous for us to leave that information with Kidd."

"He won't rat me out." The confidence in Sab's voice made Ann a little jealous, wondering if she could have the same confidence should Marco find out about her real identity. "But I don't want him to be involved in this."

"No matter what you do, he's already involved. Even if you won't admit it, he will serve as your weakness." Ann answered.

"Won't bringing him to our side more beneficial?" Luffia suddenly asked, prompting Sab to glare at her. Leave it to Luffia to suggest the one thing she was preventing since two years ago.

Luffia didn't elaborate on her thoughts. While she had a feeling that Kidd is not that petty to announce their identities to the world, the fact that their masks were slowly peeling off made her worry. The more people knew about them, the more likely that Zoro would find out too.

Now, how should she prevent that from happening? There was no answer as much as Sab didn't have one for her situation.

===XXX===XXX===XXX===

Killer was constantly stealing glances at Kidd whose silence remained unbroken since they left the villa owned by Strawhat. The redness in his eyes matched that of his hair, proving the conversation with Sab had been a heavy hit to his emotions.

Sab's real identity shocked Killer. He knew she was part of the streets but he never thought how deep her connections were. Not only that, the revelation of the late Mafia King's children in the identity of Strawhat and Firefist was even more shocking.

The rumors flew that the late Mafia King's children were all men and they died on the island where the Mafia King died. To have survived till today, the secret they kept must be well-guarded.

Their direction gave Killer an idea of where the destination will be. The silence in the car remained as Killer was afraid of breaking the fragile atmosphere by asking unnecessary questions.

After an hour of the ride, they arrived at one of the prominent locations in Grandline, a territory ruled by one of the Emperors, Shanks.

"Why are we here?"

"To ask something from my brother." The frown came too soon to Killer's forehead, wondering what could have been that Kidd wanted to ask given he just found out a shocking revelation. All this time, Kidd never went to see his older brother unless he had to. He kept his surname as Eustass instead of Leroux to hide their relationship. The younger redhead never wanted anyone to think that he was all talk because of his connection with his brother.

But now that he thought about it, it made sense for Kidd to go to Shanks. After all, the current Emperor used to be under the late Mafia King's group. Shanks' officers knew about Kidd, and that information was well kept within that circle.

They entered the mansion, earning a few raised eyebrows from some of the men who have not seen Kidd yet. They attempted to stop him from going inside but the officers stopped them, letting the younger redhead into the base.

Kidd cared less what the others think. All he can think about was confronting his brother.

Inside the mansion, Shanks must have been alerted by his men upon Kidd's arrival seeing him smiling like an idiot older brother that he is.

"Kidd! It's been a while since you visited! Years! You never visited me here. Did you miss this older brother of yours? Hahaha!" The frown on Kidd's face intensified from the carefree attitude of Shanks.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you? About what?"

"About her." The smile on Shanks' face slowly faded, understanding what Kidd came here for. He signaled Kidd to follow him while Benn ushered some of their men outside, letting the brothers have their privacy.

Shanks took them to one of the rooms, shutting the door and locking it safely to avoid any eavesdropper.

"You were talking about Sab, aren't you?" Shanks was asking the obvious.

"You knew! You knew about who she is, and never told me?! I was in prison for two fucking years!" The anger soared once again. He roared like a dragon in pain.

Shanks' eyes soften upon looking at his younger brother, acknowledging the pain and confusion he must be feeling now.

"It wasn't my place to tell, Kidd." Shanks' voice was soft as if he was asking for Kidd's understanding but the younger redhead was beyond the grief he was feeling.

Confusion. Pain. Betrayal. It was a mixture of emotions and he didn't know where to begin.

"Fuck that! You knew about us all along. You knew who she was!"

"I did. Poking my nose into that situation wasn't right."

"And it was right to leave me in the dark?!"

"No, it wasn't. Kidd, I didn't tell you because it was not my right to do so. And I didn't tell Sab about our connection. I figured it will complicate things more. Granted, had I known about her pregnancy, I would have taken action. But it was too late, I'm sorry."

"Weren't you helping them? And don't you dare deny that!"

"I am. But my help with them is limited. They won't accept any more than what they deemed necessary. When they first came to Grandline, I was one of the people who knew about it. Initially, it was only Benn and me."

Shanks can still remember getting a letter from Rayleigh about the sisters' identities. It was shocking to know that they survived. Their survival can either mean peace or war. It was dangerous for them should their identities be revealed prematurely. Not when the Grandline's waters were murky. They didn't know who they can trust. Even Roger's officers were suspected of betrayal because of what happened years back.

Earning the sisters' trust didn't come naturally. They were wary of him except for Luffia who treated Shanks like an older brother she never had. When the three of them were beginning to build their footing in Grandline, Shanks helped them through the process, but it was limited given the secrecy of their connection. Should anyone find out their connection to Shanks or that Shanks was helping them, traces might be directed to their relation to Roger.

The moment Shanks found out about Sab and Kidd's relationship a few years ago, he was happy for them, silently cheering them on in the background, hoping that whatever they had, will blossom. Sadly, it led to tragedies.

"You stayed silent all this time, doing nothing."

"Had I helped you get out of that prison, what would have felt? You demanded a promise from me to never poke into your affairs. I regretted not doing anything at that time, but there was nothing I can do anymore."

"And when I got out of the prison?! You had your chance to tell me! To do something! Anything!"

"Had I told you about Sab the moment you got out of prison, it won't change anything, Kidd. It might have made things more complicated if the truth came from me. Again, it's not my place to tell you."

Shanks can tell the hatred in Kidd's eyes. It wasn't just the hatred. There was the unbearable pain that he was going through. Truth be told, Shanks was too overconfident that Kidd will be fine in that situation. It wasn't like he wasn't keeping track of them. The moment he found out that Sab was getting Kidd out of the prison, Shanks shook his hands off the situation, not digging further. That was his mistake. When he disregarded the situation, he failed to find out about Sab's pregnancy and things escalated from there.

The helplessness made Kidd dreary. It was an uncontrollable situation that no matter how loud his voice was, or how frustrated he becomes, there was nothing to be done. Everything was in the past. What he was confronting were the present and the future.

Without a word, he left the room, slamming the door shut. Shanks was left with Killer whose eyes were following the trails that Kidd left behind.

"Killer." The blond stopped right in front of the door and looked back at Shanks. "Don't leave him alone. He is confused. Don't let him make a mistake he will regret forever."

"You don't have to tell me. It is my duty and retribution."

===XXX===XXX===XXX===

When she calmed down, Sab decided to take her mind off things. And what better idea than to face the two Cipher Pol agents? The conversation with Kidd took a toll on her so she might as well let out the frustration.

In the basement, she was surprised to see the level of torture the two had to go through. It was not gruesome as she expected, but she can tell from their faces that what Kidd did to them was hell judging from their pale faces and bruises. And missing toes. That made Sab wince. Not like she has sympathy for them after what they put her through.

There was never any fairness in this world.

"You both looked fantastic. Enjoying your stay here? I hope you won't take the treatment against us, your hosts." The sarcasm in her voice was evident. Her sisters used to say she was always annoying whenever she pull that tone of hers. And it worked its magic. The two were growling at her, ready to pounce at any chance. Good thing the chains were strong enough to hold them off.

The series of curses rained down upon Sab. It was hard getting out the information she needed from them, but her patience was long enough to psych them into telling her what she needed.

Kalifa was a hard shell to crack but Jabra wore his mind and heart into his sleeves. Sab was able to pry into him, targeting his weaknesses, turning the conversation into a one-sided flare.

The two were quite greedy. That greed placed them where they are now. They thought that presenting Sab by themselves, and getting information out of her would they get the promotion they wanted. They were not wrong. Had they been successful, their efforts will not go unrewarded.

Sadly, that didn't work out. Their plans came to bite them.

"They didn't tell anyone. A good thing, but we cannot trust what they say. Who knows what kind of backup plans they had." Sab told Luffia who waited for her in the living room.

"Had they told anyone, we would have been discovered a long time ago," Luffia said, making Sab nod in agreement. Still, it was in her nature to be distrustful of their enemies. It never hurt to be careful.

"Where's Ann?" She asked.

"In her room. She was concerned about her encounter."

"What encounter?" Luffia gave her details, as much as she can remember from what Ann told her. Their conversation was cut off when Ann came back, fresh out of the shower.

"It's dangerous to leave Big Mom alone. More than ever." Ann took the seat next to Luffia and let the idea sink into Sab. "They knew who I am. They will use that to their advantage. We have to move to get her out of the picture."

"That's easier said than done. They were not called Emperors for nothing." Sab argued.

"I don't mind getting my identity revealed to everyone. I am prepared for this. The possibility of your identities being revealed is what I am worried about. That will be detrimental to everything we've done." It may look like Ann was taking all the heat and becoming the sacrificial lamb, but they had to admit this was the best option should worse come to worst. Ann had no groups to worry about. She had no members to protect. She portrayed herself as a sole vigilante for years.

"It's not going to be easy. You took some of their commanders down, but that did not shake their foundation. Not one bit. Destroying some of their properties only hurt them, but that was just a drop in a bucket. There are more things we have to consider if we are going to bring them down. Our original plan was to slowly deteriorate their groups till we can have a more solid plan on how to kill them. With things as they are now, that goal has become more complicated than it is."

"We stick to the plan," Ann said. "You will still gather all information you can get from the World Government. Destroy them, lure out their leaders. I will work with Big Mom, stirring troubles everywhere till she will get out of her hiding. Luffia will be our backup."

The plan sounded safe enough. They thought they can pull it off, only did they not consider the possibility of Big Mom's next moves that will change the tide in Grandline.