A/N: A big thank you to everyone who took the time to submit an OC! Some of you have quite the imagination and I'm still sorting through the characters I would like to include. I will be contacting many of you later today, but I wanted to get this entry done first. I have filled the roles of Cook - Shyranui, Sniper - LevelNineCPU, and Musician - FangDriver8 so they are no longer available. If you applied for one of these positions you are still welcome to apply for a different one.

Open Slots: Doctor, Shipwright, and Historian

Chapter 2

Several days had passed since Laura and her new companion, Remi, had departed from Port Calico. Her initial excitement about their journey wore off swiftly though due to how he had been treating her. He made it very clear he was not fond of their traveling situation and he spent most of his time avoiding her when he could. He had chosen to speak to her only when it was absolutely necessary and even then he used but a few words.

Laura was bothered by his persistent attitude. She was trying her best not to be a nuisance, but nothing seemed to work. After her attempts at conversation with him had failed, she decided she would remain below deck until they docked.

Maybe I should have turned him in for the reward, Laura thought to herself as she lay on a bed in one of the ship's cabins.

Her mind was so preoccupied that she didn't notice the door open until the other person cleared their throat. She blinked and saw that it was Remi who was carrying a tray with food and water. He seemed wary of entering and Laura wondered why he had brought her a meal.

"Hey," he spoke, his voice almost a whisper.

"Hi," Laura replied still trying to deduce why he was initiating an interaction.

Remi stepped over the threshold placing the tray on the small table by her bed before taking a seat in the chair beside it. He folded his hands together and leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. Laura waited patiently for him to talk again and assumed he had something important to say.

"Look," he began, "I know I've been acting-"

"Rude?" Laura interjected while sitting up to better see him.

Remi released a sigh and he ran his fingers through his messy hair. It was a habit of his whenever he felt conflicted or nervous. "Yes, rude, but it's only because I don't know you."

A small smile appeared on Laura's face and she reached for the tray to take the glass of water. "That can be changed."

He watched her as she took a sip and began to eat, thinking that he had hastily judged her. He figured it was his way of protecting himself and that if he kept people at arm's length he was doing himself a favor. But his strategy had backfired and Laura only wanted to get to know him more.

"So, where are we headed?" Laura asked after finishing her meal trying to fill the silence.

"North. There's an island marked on my map although the name of it is faded." He stood up while taking the tray and glass which made Laura feel disappointed, wanting the interaction between them to continue.

"Can I ask you something?" She asked briskly causing Remi to stop and face her.

"Go ahead."

Laura twiddled her thumbs for a moment as she tried to figure out how she would word her next question. "How did you get a bounty?"

"I pissed off the Marines." He responded casually, a hint of pride in his voice.

"How?"

Remi rubbed the back of his neck as he moved out of the room. "It's a bit of a long story. Another time, perhaps."

Before she could ask anything else he was gone, the door shutting softly behind him. It was a miracle that he had come to talk at all and she was happy about it, even if the improvement in his communication was slow progress. She could only hope that he would willingly share his story and begin to enjoy her company in time.

Later that night, Remi was standing at the ship's helm, his gaze focused on the horizon ahead. The wind was strong and he was thankful for it knowing it would help him reach the next destination sooner. He had spent a good portion of his life sailing which had made him accustomed to weather patterns and how they would affect the journey.

As he guided the ship through the waters, his thoughts drifted back to his and Laura's discussion, wondering what she hoped to gain by traveling with him. Although his current situation was less than ideal, she didn't deserve his cold shoulder, especially considering the fact that she hadn't turned him in. He also had to acknowledge that she was endangering herself by associating with him.

"Remi?"

His attention shifted to the stairway where Laura had just emerged from.

"Mind if I join you?"

He turned away, his focus returning to the sea. "Do whatever you want."

Laura frowned not liking the indifference in his tone. However, she made her way over to the railing near him and rested her arms upon it, the breeze playing with her hair. Not wanting to make him uncomfortable she fixed her eyes on the waves and admired how the moonlight reflected off of them.

Remi had noticed how her apparent love for the water was very much like his own. He wondered if that was the reason she had been so eager to leave her island. Perhaps her small town had become too confining.

"What made you want to travel with me?" Remi asked abruptly, his curiosity getting the best of him.

Laura didn't expect his question nor did she expect him to show interest in learning more about her. She turned her head slightly so that she could look at him though his eyes remained forward. She hadn't realized until recently just how lonely she had been before meeting him. As an orphan, she never had anyone growing up, but the prospect of having a traveling partner was an exciting one.

"My dream has always been to travel the world and meet new people. I didn't really have anyone I could talk to or rely on back in Port Calico. So, I guess you could say I left because I no longer wanted to feel lonely."

Remi felt a tinge of guilt at her words and his guard slowly began to come down. The way she described her life was surprisingly similar to his own. He knew what it was like to be alone because he didn't trust others easily, but everyone wasn't inherently bad. It wasn't fair to judge Laura based on his own experiences. She may have needed a fresh start just as much as he did.

"I saw what you can do at the tavern," He remarked after a moment to lighten the mood. "That ability of yours is something else."

"When I was younger I ate a Devil Fruit called the Iwa Iwa no Mi and now I can control rocks," Laura explained while turning her body to face him. "That's also why I like being barefoot. It helps me to connect with the ground better."

He took a second to look at her feet, remembering how he had originally thought it was odd she was shoeless when they had met. Now he understood why she preferred the lack of footwear. He chuckled lightly causing Laura to make a quizzical expression.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing," he replied, his tone laced with merriment. "It's just you want to be on a ship when your power is more suited for land. A little ironic, isn't it?"

Laura couldn't help but smile at his observation. She didn't consider how her powers would be a disadvantage when it came to her dreams. It was true that her abilities were more advantageous on land, but she was just glad that he was making an effort to converse with her.

"So, are you going to tell me how you got a bounty?" Laura asked after a few minutes.

Remi glanced at her for the first time since she had joined him, the corners of his mouth turning upward. "I stole something valuable."

"What did you steal?"

The anticipation was killing her and after a long pause, Remi finally confessed. "We're sailing on it."

Laura was confused and looked around, her eyes moving from the mast to the sail and to the deck.

"I stole this ship," he clarified, gesturing at the vessel they were currently aboard, "That's why I have a wanted poster. The Marines want their property back."

Despite his admission, Laura was suspicious that there was more to the story. His bounty was awfully high for someone whose only crime was theft. She decided not to push him further for the time being though and instead smiled playfully.

"I guess that makes you...us...pirates then?"

Remi pondered the inquiry and he couldn't disagree with her. He had never thought of his actions as piracy before now, but Laura was right. By definition they were pirates and the notion both worried and amused him.

"Yeah, I suppose it does."

The two fell into a comfortable silence and Laura's attention went back to the water. This was the calmest he had been with her since the beginning of their trip and she was relieved. Although she knew the reason for his bounty wasn't the whole truth, she didn't mind that he still had secrets. They would have plenty of time to learn about one another and she was willing to wait.

"I should probably let you get back to steering," Laura finally said, pushing away from the railing. "Goodnight, Remi."

She started toward the stairs, but his voice made her halt.

"Laura, wait."

She looked over her shoulder at him and his expression mimicked a serious one.

"Thank you."

Laura cocked her head to the side, curious as to what he meant.

"You could have given me to the Marines and gotten the reward, but you didn't. I won't forget that."

She smiled brightly, her heart swelling with joy from his gratitude. "You're welcome."

She returned below deck and climbed into the bed she had been using, the smile never leaving her face. Perhaps it wasn't a mere coincidence that they had met. Fate had a funny way of working things out and it seemed like their paths crossing had been destined from the start.