A/N: Hello, my readers! I hope you all enjoy the chapter! Now, on with the story!

Chapter 12

"It's unfortunate you had to bring these girls into your mess, Deniz."

Remi glared at Shona from the confines of his cell and she met his gaze without hesitation. Although she seemed calm and collected, she didn't bother hiding the displeasure in her voice. The animosity between the two was evident and the girls found themselves wondering how they were connected.

"It's not like I asked for them to come," Remi retorted, his tone filled with annoyance, "None of this involves them!"

"They made their choice when they decided to help a wanted criminal," Shona countered with an unchanging expression, "I can't simply let them leave."

Laura stepped forward, her face hardening in response to the Commodore's statement. "Please, you don't have to do this!"

"Laura, stay back!" Remi yelled, hoping she would listen to him.

Shona's attention shifted to Laura and a flash of shock graced her features. "Laura?"

Laura blinked as Shona repeated her name, confused by the marine's reaction. She was sure she didn't know her, but it was clear that the commodore was alarmed. There was a hint of recognition in Shona's eyes, but Laura couldn't recall meeting her before. "Yes?"

The momentary lapse in Shona's composure was enough to give Akali an opening. The martial artist charged at the distracted commodore and threw a punch. However, Shona reacted swiftly, dodging her attack and grabbing Akali by the arm. With a quick twist, Akali found herself face-down on the floor, pinned under the weight of Shona's knee.

"Akali!" Laura cried out in surprise.

"Don't worry about me!" Akali shouted to her companion as she struggled against the Commodore's hold.

Laura was about to intervene when Shona spoke again, "I wouldn't do that if I were you. Unless you want your friend here to be permanently paralyzed."

Remi gritted his teeth in frustration at the situation before him. If Shona was serious then she would have no problem inflicting severe injury on Akali. He wasn't willing for anyone to sacrifice their well-being for his freedom, but he could do nothing to stop it. "Let her go!"

"This isn't a negotiation," Shona responded coldly as she pressed her knee into Akali's spine.

Akali winced and her eyes began watering from the pain. The sight made Laura furious and she clenched her fists, determined to get the martial artist out of harm's way. She knew attacking a marine would result in dire consequences, but at this moment she didn't care.

Remi seemed to know what Laura was thinking and he quickly attempted to dissuade her. "Laura, don't! You'll only make things-"

His words fell on deaf ears as Laura stomped her foot on the ground, her anger reaching a boiling point.

"Rock Slide!"

Meanwhile...

Elsie remained vigilant as she kept watch from her spot at the helm for signs of danger. The night sky was becoming cloudy and she was grateful that the darkness provided just enough cover to hide the ship. So far, everything was quiet, but she knew from experience how quickly circumstances could change. Despite being a pirate for years, she hadn't allowed herself to travel with others for fear of losing them. Her life had mainly been one of solitude, traveling and training around the Blues until she could reach the Grand Line. It felt odd that she was now part of a team, but she was starting to see the benefits of having allies. If her new companions were willing to risk everything for this mission, she supposed she had made the right decision in joining them.

Suddenly, the corner of her eye caught movement in the air and she turned to squint at the source.

"Now, where did I put my binoculars," Elsie mumbled to herself as she searched her person. "I swear I just had them a second ago."

After a brief moment, she remembered they were hanging around her neck the entire time. She let out a light chuckle before grabbing them and peering through the lenses. She could now see what appeared to be a bird, but it was larger than the average creature.

"Wait a minute..." She whispered to herself, her eyes widening in realization. "Isn't that the bird we followed here?"

Her hand instinctively went to the rifle strapped to her back, but she hesitated to unholster it. She knew her aim was good, especially with a scope, but she also knew that the sound would attract unwanted attention. The last thing she wanted to do was to blow their cover. Instead, she opted to remain motionless, hoping that the bird wouldn't notice the vessel.

"Well, I guess it's nothing to worry about," She concluded as she lowered the binoculars.

"Hey, what are you doing over there?!" A voice called out suddenly, startling Elsie.

A single soldier was standing at the edge of the water and his face was contorted into a grimace. He must've spotted the ship from the shore while she had been distracted. Undoubtedly, he was likely to alert the other marines and she had to act fast.

"Uh, nothing." She replied casually, hoping he would believe her.

"You're not supposed to be here!" He shouted while reaching for his sword. "This is Marine territory!"

"Is it?" Elsie replied, trying not to sound nervous. "Sorry, my friends and I were just passing by."

"Friends?" The marine inquired as he tried to get a better view of the deck.

"Yes," Elsie responded with a smile as she rested both her hands on a pair of her pistols, "Would you like to meet them?"

"Rock Slide!"

A barrage of rocks shot forth from the ground and slammed into Shona, sending her through the nearest wall. Akali quickly rolled away from the rubble now that she was free and looked up at Laura in admiration. She wasn't one to easily express her feelings, but she was starting to have a lot of respect for the green-haired girl.

"Are you okay, Akali?" Remi asked as Laura helped the martial artist stand.

She nodded and the girls turned to face the gaping hole in the building to see Shona lying amongst the debris. Despite the threat she posed, Laura hoped that the Commodore was not seriously harmed. She had only intended to knock Shona away from Akali, but her emotions had heightened the force of her attack. As the girls watched the dust settle, Akali noticed something shining on the ground not far from the marine.

"Is that...?"

Laura also spotted what was glimmering in the moonlight as she exited the room. "It's got to be the key!"

She ran forward, reaching the object in a matter of seconds. She backed away cautiously while keeping her eyes on the Marine then threw the key at Akali, who caught it effortlessly. Shona began moving and the girls knew they were running out of time.

"Hurry and get him out of there!" Laura called to Akali as she turned her attention back to Shona. "I'll hold her off."

"I've never seen it used so effectively," Shona remarked as she rose to her feet, seemingly unfazed by the attack. She brushed the dirt off of her uniform and Laura began to feel uneasy. She had no idea what abilities Shona possessed, but it was clear that she was a formidable opponent.

"What are you talking about?" Laura asked, confused by the marine's comment.

"Your Devil Fruit, the Iwa Iwa no Mi," Shona clarified as she straightened her posture. "I knew its previous user."

Laura felt her chest tighten at the mention of her Devil Fruit. Shona's knowledge of her power was disturbing, but she knew she had to stay focused. She needed to buy Akali as much time as possible to release Remi.

"Well, it doesn't matter who had it before me," Laura answered, doing her best to sound confident, "All that matters is that I'm going to use it to protect my friends."

For the first time since their encounter, Shona's lips curved into an unsettling grin as she heard the determination in Laura's voice. "Alright, show me your strength then!"

A/N: A special thanks to Ghostwriter434! You have been my most consistent supporter and I appreciate your reviews. I just want to add that this isn't the last we'll see of your OC :)