"So, did you do any preparations for setting sail before recruiting me, Captain?" Cassy asked, still hugging Cliff, still on the shore with gentle waves lapping at their feet.

"Sure did! Got my own clothes packed and ready to go. Got my sword next to my clothes so its easy to grab." Cliff answered.

"I see. I see." She nodded along and looked towards him for more. Seeing nothing more coming from him she asked him, "Is… that it?"

"Yep!" he answered cheerfully.

"You mean to say you were ready to set sail with just your clothes and your sword?" she asked him with a very measured and calm voice, almost emotionless.

Cliff nodded along a little less cheerful now, seeing no need for that voice now. That voice whenever used always ends up with him beaten black and blue by Cassy. And it was being used now.

"Are you kidding me?! What made you think that that was enough to set sail, huh?!" She asked her voice rising in volume and heat. Slowly, ever so slowly as her anger rose so did her hair, naturally forming nine clusters that swung around like tails.

Cliff seeing her current state just got PTSD about the time he called her a flat chest. After that beating, he perfectly understood (it was beaten into him, literally!) that she was just growing up and that SHE DIDN'T HAVE A FLAT CHEST!

His PTSD prompted him to solve the problem in front of him to avoid that pain he knew was coming. He thought furiously as to why she was angry.

1 second.

2 seconds.

5 seconds.

10 secon-

"OH SH-" realization hit him just as her fist interrupted his thoughts. With his right cheek red and likely swelling up to form a lump, all he could do was pray for mercy as she barrelled into him fists first.

…

…

…

2 hours later, a black and blue Cliff with lumps all over his face slowly limped towards the village trying to keep pace with Cassy as she stomped all the way to the diner.

…

…

…

TIME SKIP 10 DAYS~

Cassy was on the way to the dock when she was pulled back by someone into the woods. Just as she was released, she turned and jumped back ready to fight but relaxed seeing Sara.

"What are you doing pulling me in here like this?" Cassy questioned.

"What does it look like? I pulled you in here cause I wanna talk to ya." Sara answered just as easily.

"Talk?" Cassy intelligently spoke.

"Yes talk." Sara rolled her eyes. Seriously just because she didn't interact with them much lately, doesn't mean she couldn't interact with them. "So the brat chose to become a pirate, didn't he?"

"Ye- How did you-"

"You're going around asking about boats, the brats going around packing food and water. It ain't hard to figure out what's happening. Reckon I ain't the only one either."

"Alright fine, so he did decide to become a pirate and he did recruit me as his first mate. So, what?"

"Now that you're going out on the sea, I guess I can finally give it to ya! Follow me!"

"Wait wha-… wait for me!" Cassy shouted after Sara as she hurried to catch up.

Once they both got to latter's house, Sara ushered Cassy in to a small room. There Cassy saw a sword mounted on the wall with a black sheath.

Sara walked to it, held the sword by its handle for a few moments before she turned around and presented it to Cassy.

"What? Are you giving it to me?" Cassy asked Sara with an emotional voice.

Sara seemingly ignored her as she spoke, "This sword served me well when I sailed the seas. My captain sailed all 4 blues before we moved for the grandline. Went a little in it too… before captain ordered us back to the South Blue after receiving a letter. Turns out he had a girl hidden here, waiting for him. It was her letter and he came back running. This sword, it was his gift to me. Now I'm gifting it to you." She hastily wiped her tears off with her shirts sleeve and shoved the sword in Cassy's hands. "Anyway, this sword may not be good enough to be a Grade (Wazamono) sword but its better than any you'll find in the 4 blues that isn't atleast a Wazamono." This time Sara's voice was noticeably more cheerful than before as if trying to hide the longing that it held before.

Then when she was sure Cassy had a grip on the sword and wouldn't just drop it, she started pushing Cassy out and before any protest could be made, she shut the door on Cassy's face while shouting, "Don't think about giving it back. It's a gift, means you gotta keep it. Oh! And good luck to you and the brat out on sea! WHAM!"

As the door shut, Sara slid down the leaning on an adjacent wall, looking longingly towards where she knew her old, no-now Cassy's new sword was before smiling fondly.

Outside, Cassy took some time to process what happened before resuming her journey to the docks now deep in thought, thinking not only of her new sword that was hanging off the left side of her waist but also about what Sara just told about herself. She knew Cliff didn't know of this but at the same time she also knew if Sara wanted Cliff to know she would have done it herself. She was conflicted on whether to tell Cliff or not, but ultimately as the docks came within sight just shrugged and decided to let it happen as it would. If he asks, she'll tell otherwise, she won't. Simple!

She made it to the docks and perked up seeing Cliff sitting in a boat. It was an average wooden dinghy with a pair of oars with a mast in the middle having a sailcloth tied to it via ropes.

"So, you found a boat? How much did it cost?" she asked.

"Nothing. I got it for free." He said as she jumped onto the dinghy.

"Free?" seeing her confused he chuckled slightly before stating, "Its free because I stole it. And before you start, Pi~ra~te!"

She just sighed and loosened the rope keeping the dinghy tied to the docks and then let loose the sailcloth to catch the wind and propel the boat forward.

As they started drifting towards open ocean, they heard a commotion behind them and turned around.

They saw the entire village standing on the docks waving at them. Then they heard what the village was saying among themselves and to the 2 sailing away.

"So proud of them! You hear me I'm proud of you!"

"I'll keep looking for your bounty!"

"Have fun out on the sea!"

"Don't forget us will ya?"

"Open my gift when you have a ship, not before you hear me, Cliff?"

"Hey that's my boat! That's my boat you brat? Give that back!"

Hearing all this and more Cliff started chuckling before it turned to full on laughter, "Rahahahahahahahaha…"

He then turned to the village, gave them one last wave and shouted, "You got it! I'll get myself a bounty soon and I'll only open that gift of yours after I get a ship and No! Old man you ain't getting this boat back!"

And with that he turned back around still laughing this time joined by his first mate.

Back on the shore Sara sat on the roof of a building, watching the 2 teenagers sailing into the horizon. The boy wearing light blue shirt with the top few buttons left open tucked into his black trousers. Alongside this he wore black shoes and had his cutlass sheathed and hanging round the left side of his waist. All of it looked good on him especially with his brown hair and eyes. The girl among the two was wearing a white shirt that like her companion a few top buttons left open but she had bandages on her chest underneath. She wore dull red coloured trousers that seemed to be a tight fit but looked good on her especially with her red hair and green eyes.

She cast them one last look before turning away whispering, "Good luck to you brat. Surpass your old man will ya? I'm proud of ya and I'm sure your parents are too…"