A/N: I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season! This is the longest chapter thus far and I'm going to strive to have the next one up sooner rather than later. On with the story!

Chapter 6

"Wow, Akali, you're so cool!" Laura gushed as she watched her new companion practice her fighting techniques.

Akali had no trouble adjusting to her new surroundings, having joined Laura and Remi on their journey. The trio had been sailing for two days and Laura had quickly regained her strength after their battle with Killian. Although she had a few lingering pains, her energy was back and she was happy to be out at sea again. The residents of Akali's hometown, which was called Yukana, had been thankful that the Raider Pirates were no longer a threat and had given the trio a farewell present. They were gifted with enough food to last a while and some medical supplies in case of any more injuries. The three were currently gathered on the upper deck enjoying the favorable weather of the late afternoon.

Akali didn't respond, unsure of how to take the compliment. She hadn't experienced much interaction with others her age outside of training and the idea of socializing was a bit foreign to her. As she finished up her morning exercises, a jade case fell from one of her pockets and landed on the deck with a thud.

"What was that?" Remi questioned from his position at the helm, having heard the noise.

"A parting gift from my grandfather," Akali said hastily as she bent down to retrieve the object. "Hopefully I'll never need to use it."

Laura could sense that the topic was a sensitive one and decided not to press her for any details. Instead, she changed the subject, not wanting an awkward silence to fall upon them.

"Hey, Akali, I noticed your arms are wrapped in bandages. Why is that?"

"It's a part of my training," Akali explained while looking down at her covered forearms. "They're to protect my joints and bones."

Laura leaned in closer, interested in learning more. "Do you always train like that?"

"Not always, but it's an important part of the art. However, mental training is just as necessary as being adept physically."

Akali wasn't sure why she was beginning to share so much with Laura, but her new ally seemed to have that effect on people. Laura's smile was contagious and her positive attitude was strangely refreshing. Laura's friendly behavior helped her feel comfortable however and although Akali wouldn't admit it, she was starting to enjoy her company.

"So, this is what it's like being out at sea," Akali remarked quietly as she walked over to the ship's railing. "I could get used to this."

"I felt the same when I first set sail with Remi," Laura said, her mind drifting back to when she and him had met.

"You didn't give me much of a choice," Remi grumbled, remembering the day quite well. "Laura here forced me into letting her come along."

"Alright, I'm not proud of what I did," Laura admitted sheepishly, a pang of guilt hitting her. "But I wouldn't change anything. My actions brought us together, and I'm glad we all crossed paths."

"There is something you should know though, Akali," Remi commented, his tone becoming serious.

"What's that?" Akali asked curiously, her attention shifting to him.

"Laura and I are on the run from the Marines," Remi explained, his gaze still focused ahead. "If we're caught, it probably won't end well."

Akali considered his words, but she was not afraid of the risk. "I'm not concerned about the Marines. If they try and capture us, they'll have to deal with the consequences."

"That's the spirit!" Laura exclaimed, pleased that Akali had been accepting of the danger.

"Yeah, but don't get too confident." Remi cautioned, knowing the strength of the military, "It's not an easy thing to evade the Marines, especially when they have a whole fleet."

"You worry too much," Laura teased while playfully punching his arm.

He rolled his eyes and sighed before responding, "Someone has to."

"Where are we going anyway?" Akali suddenly questioned, realizing she didn't know their destination.

"The Grand Line," Laura replied immediately, the thought of the adventure making her giddy.

"The Grand Line?" Akali questioned with one eyebrow raised, "Why there?"

Laura pondered her question for a moment as she also was unsure why they were headed there. She was following Remi's lead and although he had a goal, she had no idea what it was. Laura turned to him and gestured for him to explain.

"We're going there because it's the fastest way to reach the New World," Remi answered, his tone casual. "I'm going to chart a map straight to the legendary treasure One Piece."

"One Piece?" Akali echoed, her curiosity piqued.

"You don't know about it?" Laura asked, not expecting Akali to be unaware of the legend.

"Well, I've heard the stories, but I never thought they were real," Akali responded, her gaze drifting back to the sea. "I always believed it was just a myth."

"There's nothing mythical about it," Remi stated while adjusting the wheel. "There may be a lot of mystery surrounding it, but Roger's treasure is real."

"So, that's your dream?" Laura responded with a thoughtful expression.

"What about you?" Akali inquired, turning back to face her. "You never mentioned yours."

"It's simple really," Laura stated with a grin. "I want to travel the seas and meet people all around the world."

"Is that all?" Akali questioned, a little disappointed.

"Well, maybe I'll become the Pirate King," Laura added jokingly.

"I don't know about being the Pirate King, but you could be the Pirate Queen," Akali suggested, causing Laura to giggle unintentionally.

As Laura's laughter faded, she smiled warmly at Akali and Remi. Despite the uncertainties that lay ahead, she was confident in her abilities and the skills of her traveling companions. Although she didn't know where exactly their adventure would take them, she knew they could handle whatever the world threw their way.

Meanwhile...

"You mean to tell me that you were defeated by a mere girl and her friend?!"

Killian and his crew were aboard their ship and the captain was in his quarters having a conversation over a transponder snail. He was currently speaking with an accomplice who had paid him to carry out his raid on Yukana. The call was being received by an officer of the Marines and the man was not happy that his services had been rendered useless.

"Listen, I didn't expect to run into anyone with a Devil Fruit," Killian explained, trying to defend his loss. "And the other girl was a skilled fighter. I'm not sure what else you were expecting."

"I expected you to be competent!" The Marine snarled, his tone clearly irritated. "You were supposed to raid the town long enough for me to swoop in and save the day. Now that you failed, the locals will not need the Marines."

"Well, sorry to disappoint you." Killian retorted, his anger beginning to surface.

"You're damn right, you've disappointed me!"

Killian scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Don't act so high and mighty. We both know you had selfish reasons for wanting the job done."

"That's none of your concern," the Marine said curtly. "This is why I hate working with pirates. It's like dealing with children."

"I'm not the only one who's to blame here," Killian argued, growing tired of the man's insults. "You should have already been on that island!"

The Marine ignored Killian's rebuttal and continued speaking. "Do you have their identities at least?"

Killian hesitated as he recalled the day of the incident. Although he was not proud that he had been bested, he was still interested in learning more about Laura. She could have left him to fall into the sea, yet she had chosen to save him. For some reason, his heart began beating faster at the thought of her face and he feared that the Marine would hear it.

"Killian!" The Marine barked impatiently.

The pirate captain snapped out of his trance. "No, sorry. They got away before I could find out anything."

"Hmph, useless."

"I'm hanging up now," Killian stated abruptly, his patience running thin. He had dealt with enough stress for the day.

"What?!" The Marine squawked. "I'm not-"

Killian quickly hung up the receiver, his hand lingering for a moment. He had a lot on his mind and he was not looking forward to hearing from the Marine again. He had been defeated by two women and now he feared his reputation was at risk. He exited his quarters and walked up to the deck and when his crew noticed his arrival, they became quiet.

"Listen, I know I lost," Killian admitted as he looked around at his crew. "But we're not going to let that stop us. We're going to train and get stronger, and we're going to prove that we can win any fight."

His crew began cheering and pumping their fists in the air, their morale boosted. Killian smirked and turned away from them to face the open sea. He was certain that he would cross paths with Laura again. After all the two had unfinished business. The only mystery was what would happen next time they met?

Remi and Akali were below deck in the kitchen, the former showing the latter how to prepare a meal. The two were getting along quite well, perhaps due to their similar personalities. She admired his survival skills and he respected her dedication to becoming a better fighter. He initially did not want another companion, but now that he was becoming familiar with her, he didn't mind having her around. It was also a plus to him that she didn't complain about the small living quarters, the lack of privacy, or the constant sound of the waves.

"I'm surprised you know how to cook," Akali commented as she watched his movements closely.

"Yeah, well, I've picked up a few tricks over the years," Remi replied while flipping a piece of fish in a frying pan. "I'm no chef though."

"You know, you're not what I expected."

He chuckled slightly at her words. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I just thought you would be a bit more serious," Akali responded with a shrug.

"Oh, trust me, I can be serious. I'm not usually this cheerful," Remi admitted while giving her a side glance. "Things have changed though."

"How so?"

He was taken aback by the sudden inquiry and he was momentarily at a loss for words. He hadn't expected the conversation to take a personal turn, but he decided to answer anyway. "I'm finally on the path to achieving my dream."

"Achieving what?"

The two turned to see Laura standing in the doorway, a curious look on her face.

"Aren't you supposed to be watching the ship?" Remi asked, surprised that she had left her post.

"I was, but I was worried about the smell," Laura replied with a playful smirk.

Akali frowned at Laura's attempt at a joke. "You're not funny."

"I'm a little funny," Laura stated as she entered the room. "By the way, there's an island up ahead."

"That must be the place that we need to stop at," Remi noted while setting down his utensils. "Akali, can you watch the fish? I'm going to go take a look."

"Sure, no problem," Akali assured him, picking up where he had left off.

Remi walked out of the kitchen and ascended the stairs leading to the upper deck. When he reached the helm, his eyes scanned the ocean and he soon spotted a landmass in the distance. Pulling out his map, he examined it and saw that the coordinates matched their current location. He needed a special item before they entered the Grand Line and it would be easier to obtain here than anywhere else.