"I'm home!" An all too familiar voice broke the silence of the unusually empty place you called home. Your eyes lit up with delight, sprang from your seat, throwing the grayscale newspaper to flutter and hug floor, all just to meet your hero who's old tired face became young and inviting to the sight of his daughter bounding towards him, and he hadn't even close the front door yet

"Dad!" You tackled your father as he stood with open arms, entrapping your body snug against his own. The smile you wore began to hurt your cheeks, but you couldn't care less if your cheeks hurt. You couldn't be happier.

"It's so nice to see my baby again," your father let up on the embrace after a moment had strolled right on by. His hands rested upon your shoulders, taking in the sight of your features before pushing a strand of hair out of your face to rest behind your ear. "How old are you now sweety?" And there you frowned.

"Eighteen daddy..." Your father's jolly smile slipped into a miserable frown as guilt washed over him. "My birthday was literally two months ago exactly... I thought you had died in action or completely forgotten about me because you never sent a letter home," you couldn't get past the fact that what you thought was a loving family man had forgotten all about his pride and joy. But no matter what the situation may be, nothing could beat the nostalgic feeling of knowing someone that you loved with every fiber of your body, had never left you after all.

Your father cupped your cheeks, kissing your forehead gently. "I'm sorry for worrying you sweetheart. I was docked at a Marine Base where all communications were prohibited. Letters, transponder snails, newspaper clippings, everything. I never forgot about you," you both embraced again after hearing his heartfelt apology.

Separating some time afterwards, you gasped with delight completely forgetting about your father's mistake for he dug through his Marine jacket that represented Justine in it's finest form, pulling out a slim white box. "Happy late birthday (Y/n)," your father wore a gentle smile. You wasted no time in taking the plain gift from his hands and led him to the dining room where you had slipped the cover of the box off, dropping the flimsy sheet of folded cardboard upon the ground, revealing a sea of white tissue paper. You folded back the decorative paper, heart sinking to your stomach to the contents inside.

Your worst fear had became a reality.

"A Marine uniform..." You tried to sound as excited as possible to hide your true feelings about the gift of white satin. You didn't dare touch the gift, not unless he expected you to put it on. The uniform itself wasn't new, it haunted you that he'd even dare to gift you this piece of memorabilia.

"While I was away, I became a Vice Admiral! That's your brother's first and last uniform." Your father cheered as he pulled two saucers from the kitchen cabinet, trudging back into the main room still smiling ear to ear.

"I'm so proud of you Daddy..." You were proud, but you knew where this conversation was going since the get go.

"Thanks Sweetheart," the burly man chuckled as he uncorked a red bottle of your mother's sake that she stashed away for special occasions such as this, it was his favorite brand of sake after all. You just hoped he'd wait to toast, especially since she was at work at the moment.

"Tomorrow, I'm taking you to the World Government to begin your training. I expect you to outrank me by the end of the year you hear me?" Your father glanced up at you while he finished pouring out the drinks. You forced a smile upon your face with one hand held behind yourself, digging your nails into your thigh to suppress your waking anger, to suppress a scream.

You sighed, "Dad it's a nice offer, but I have plans of my own," your father immediately frowned to your words. "I'll still be working with the government, but not as a soldier, even better than a soldier!"

"Well... Out with it," father grunted.

"I've been volunteering around the globe recently, looking into different government positions, assisting the Warlords and Government Officials too. Sengoku just the other day called me up and offered that I can be his newest photographer. Y'know, the person who collects information on big bounty pirates and captures their mugshot. I'm practically a detective for the Government!" Your smile was true, but sank lower and lower till it was nonexistent realizing your father wasn't pleased with a word you had just spoken.

"Your future was set (Y/n), you are becoming a Marine and that's final," your father forced a disk of sake into your hands roughly.

"Dad!" You dropped the sake upon the table. "I don't drink! And most importantly, just because my older brother died out on the field, doesn't mean you can force me to be just like him! Let me work for Sengoku!"

"Forget it," your father threw his head back and drank the contents of his saucer. "You'll be safer as a Marine."

"Oh yeah, how so?" You retaliate.

"Do you not realize just how dangerous the life of a detective is? The Revolutionary Army will be out to kill or kidnap you at any possible moment. You are becoming a Marine just like father and your late brother."

"Let the fucking Revolutionary Army kill me for all I care!!!" Your outbursts echoed within the little home you shared.

"Fine, fine," your Father was biting his tongue. "You want to be a detective, be a detective. But you are getting on that Marine vessel with me tomorrow. You're at least learning the basics of being a Marine so that you stand a chance in a fight against the Revolutionaries."

"That..." You hesitated, was agreeing to his terms really worth it? "That I can agree to."

The next morning, you packed your bags for the long journey ahead. You 'forgot' your Marine uniform back at home to sit and collect dust upon your bed stripped of all your belongings. To never be used again. To never be used again...

That slip of the mind got you thrown overboard on countless occasions, maybe once a day, made to swim with the sea kings, all under your father's command of course. You knew you pissed off your father, but this was an all new low even for him. To his disadvantage, the crew would often ignore their captain's orders and pull you aboard the Marine ship whenever a Sea King had you planned out for their next meal. Which was practically not even a minute after your body left the deck, and that includes the time it takes to fall into the open sea.

Deep down, all you could wish was that this Marine Ship would make it to the core of the World Government a whole lot faster than it already was. You won't last another day at this rate. And it's only been one week since this voyage had began...

_____

Thrown from your bed, you were left with no other choice but to shoot awake from a heavenly exhausted sleep. An ear shattering rumble of splintering wood and horrific screams broke through the air, a crash that rocked the vessel side to side violently. A cold that slipped beneath your skin to nip at your bones, upon your knees, your body sat within a pool of black that met your chest. "Water?" you rose a pale hand that shivered involuntarily to the glacial water. "The ship is going down," you gasped struggling to get to your feet numb with pain from beneath the water. It did help that it was nearly pitchblack within the sleeping quarters without a candle to light your way. Logically, you followed the walls.

It was as if your eyes were ripped from their sockets, burning from the salty water, blind within the dark. You could still hear almost the entire crew of Marine soldiers scramble upon the deck above, you couldn't make out any words, more guttural terrified screams than anything else that dwindled in volume with each passing second. A sense of dread had washed over you with the realization of the events unfolding. The ship wasn't just sinking, it was being attacked.

"Dad!?" You tread the water that had rose in depth to meet your behind during your moment of intense thought. No doubt the ship was being attacked, but by who or what? Sea kings, Pirates, Revolutionaries? Screw that! It doesn't matter at this point! Survival wasn't an outcome in your mind of perfect logic.

"Hello? Somebody help me!" You continued to tread water in absolute darkness, calling for help of any kind at this point. Just trying to find the stairs that led to the upper deck was already a challenge within itself, just to realize the stairs were demolished by an array of cannonballs not so long ago. Fairly lit by the dull glow of the moonlight.

"Shit," you cursed trying to scale the heap of scrap to safety, giving up since the exit was blocked by even more debris. You leaned up against the debris breathing heavily watching your breath mystify within the air and disappear without a trace. Your body began to freeze at the joints, unwilling to cooperate. Was it fear, the cold? Who knows...

"Help help! I'm trapped! Somebody help!" The icy sea water now reached to just below the pits of your arm. "I'm gonna drown at this rate," even more dread came in and blocked your sense of reason and overall cool. Tears streamed from your eyes and down your cheeks, help had yet to arrive or better yet, no help will ever arrive.

The water elevated, shoulder blades, throat, and lastly your chin, feet no longer touched the flooring, exit still blocked by debris to follow with a deafening silence. "H-help!" You coughed as the call for help had distracted you just enough to go under for that one brief second.

"Did someone hear that?"

"Yeah a female."

Spoke voices of two deep voiced men, their footsteps echoed upon the floorboards of the ship. You struggled to stay afloat, head brushing up against the underside of the deck as the room for error was extremely thin. Five minutes left to escape. That's all you had. "I'm here! Help me!" You hollered out in hopes the men could follow your voice once again falling under the surface. You continued to yell and yell, till your breath was stolen by the sea that had engulfed your body, all you saw was black and more black as your lungs consumed liquid in dangerous amounts. Till your body went limp, death held his arms out for an unusually cold embrace, even colder than the sea.

*cough cough*

"She came to!" water came erupting from your gut to floor. Vision was hazy, nothing recognizable to your eyes upon glancing around once your stomach remained empty. You shivered, whimpered, hugging yourself, heart racing a mile a minute, chest surging in pain for your heaving was heavy. A sheet of warmth was draped over your shoulders, you snatched up the blessing hugging the warmth to your body feeling somewhat whole after the near loss of your own life.

A hand gently rested upon your covered shoulders. "Who are you Miss," a voice of gravel had spoken directly at you in curiosity but most of all concern. You opened your eyes just to learn your vision was still horrible and unwilling to adjust. All you saw was a dark skinned man in what looked to be a large mass, a cloak of green.

What was the point in trying to make him out? I can barely see for shit... "W-who are you? Did you attack the ship?" You asked in return still shivering against your will.

"I did, only because they attacked first though," he spoke with at most clarity within his voice of gravel. "I've taken notice that you weren't in Marine uniform, are you a Marine, maybe a hostage?" There was hope in this situation after all. Leaving my brother's uniform behind had actually just saved me!

Great... I've either been taken by pirates or the Revolutionary Army... You couldn't help but internally complain as this encounter would be the death of you. "Sort of..." You admit within reason. "My... M-My dad is a Marine, he was forcing me to come with him on this journey to become a Marine like him... I never wanted to become one; I guess I'm quite thankful that you saved me from that fate," you couldn't help but smile like an idiot. Saved from such a horrible life that no doubt your father wouldn't let you escape.

"I see..." The man hummed. "I guess you have a few choices then," the man sat down before you. "Either join the Revolutionary Army with me, or I can take you home. But we are on a time crunch with the war at Marineford taking place in maybe... Two weeks. So make up your mind & quick," you sat there stunned hearing what the man had to say. A daughter of a Marine, let off all so easily by the number one enemy to the World Government.

"Holy shit..." You muttered. "Are you Dragon of the Revolutionary Army!?" Dragon grunts an affirmative. The action leaving you next to speechless. "So you're just going to let me go? I don't understand..." You sighed.

"I don't see why not," Dragon replied. "You were technically a hostage aboard that Marine vessel," you nodded your head hearing his claims. "Although I don't recommend you go home after this."

Your eyes widened, straining your vision even more than ever before. "Well why not!?"

"Hearing your reaction, you probably won't hear a word I've gotta say."

"N-No, I'll listen," you confirmed your claim.

Dragon wasn't phased but resumed to talk. "I've lost many comrades, seen many innocents murdered for something so simplistic as having contact with the Revolutionary Army. Remember when Gold Roger was executed?"

Your voice was caught within your throat, looking off to one side. "I... I do. I mean who couldn't?" You weren't even born yet, two years from that important date dark to the government. But you know every consequence that came with Roger's execution being the daughter to a man high within the World Government. "Why'd you have to remind me of his execution? So many pregnant women were murdered all because Roger had a lover. A lover... Not multiple..."

"The same fate awaits you wherever you may live, keep that in mind."

Keep that in mind...

Two years... Two years of torture played through your mind like a long spool of film that seemed to go on forever and ever with no give as to when it'll ever stop. Two years of experiments as punishment for the actions of the Revolutionary Army; all they did was protect themselves in a battle they never wanted to get caught up in. Saving an innocent soul that in the end, wiped out half of their numbers after her escape from hell.

I should have took Dragon's words to heart... If only I did...

Eyes opening to see the wooden cabin, and a reindeer whose large brown eyes were alert with concern. "I never would have ended up like this..."

"(Y/n)!" Chopper gazed into your lost watery eyes. He rested his hoof upon one of your hands, patting it with comfort. "(Y/n)... Did you have a bad dream?"

"Yeah..." Chopper gave you a gentle smile while you pulled your pillow into your chest, embracing the plush tightly for your body began to shut down. "What're you doing awake anyways Chopper? We all should be in bed..."

"Zoro has the nightwatch and he told me that you weren't sleeping all too well so I woke up and came to check on you."

"I see..." You yawned.

"You've been tossing and turning for the better part of an hour, probably longer. You look terrified as if you were running away or fighting off something scary... What was it?" Chopper rocked upon his feet at the end of the mattress, looking as adorable as ever. His charm didn't work in his favor.

"Chopper," you shot Chopper, the look.

Chopper tilted his head head to one side, smiling the largest he has. "Want to talk about it?"

"No..."

"How about a hug?" You actually perked up to the mention of a hug. Since when did I like hugs? I can barely stand being touched, even if it is for a brief second, just thinking of contact gives me goosebumps. But why now? Is my body yearning for attention? I am hugging a pillow... It took some effort, but you had finally gotten your train of thought back onto the rails.

"I can even go get Sanji for you. I know you like his hugs!" Chopper spoke seeing as to how you came back into reality.

"I do like his hugs... Don't I?" You spoke to yourself, Chopper could see the corner of your lips arch into a smile, just barely existent, but still there for everyone to see.

"He is the only person I've seen you hug," Chopper giggled happily, scampering off with a skip in his step. And not all that long afterwards, Sanji stepped within the sickbay with sleep tousled hair all the while rubbing his tired blue eyes with the backs of his hands. Looks like Chopper wasn't coming back huh?

"Is everything alright (Y/n)? I just got a mouthful from Chopper," Sanji stepped to stand just before the bed of where you resumed to lie. He took your silence as an answer, "(Y/n), come on you can tell me anything."

"I'm okay... Just spooked," Sanji awed kneeling down before the bed.

"So a nightmare spooked the most dangerous woman in the world?" The phrase itself was meant to make a mockery out of you, but just by the way Sanji had said it, he truly meant care. Almost as if he understood to an extent.

"A Lot of old yet recent memories came and bit me in the ass just now," you traced a circle within the bedsheets to draw your mind off the topic. "Just please tell me you weren't lying Sanji."

Sanji cocked one of his curled eyebrows. "Lying about what?'

Your eyes met Sanji's blue, still watering with tears that had pained your own. "That you all would go to the ends of the earth to save me if I were to ever get in trouble?"

"(Y/n)," Sanji smiled softly resting his entire body against the bed. "I'd never lie about something like that. Do you think someone is gonna try to hurt you? Cause if there is, don't worry about it and leave the problem to me," Sanji took in the beautiful sight of how truly content you must've felt as you let out tears of happiness wearing the largest smile he's ever seen occupy your face.

"I haven't felt this happy in a long time," you sniffled. "I know we had this talk just the other day but it all felt un real like it was too good to be true. I'm so tired of living my life on the run and the inability to sleep or trust anybody because I'm constantly fearing that I'll die in my sleep or get taken captive. This was the first time I could sleep and have a real dream, my first dream was a nightmare... But it still means the world that I'm dreaming again," Sanji took your hand within his and for once you didn't flinch or shoo him away. It was also as if your crying fit of happiness had taken it all out of your, for you began to drift off to sleep.

"Goodnight (Y/n)," Sanji brought your hand to meet his lips, leaving a deep meaningful kiss along your knuckles. He had sat your hand down upon the mattress, putting the pillow back under your head where it originally belonged. His job was complete, and his bed was calling for the embarrassing love cook.

"Sanji," you hummed opening your eyes once more. Catching Sanji just as he was about to close the door. "Would it be too much to ask if you can sleep with me here tonight? I don't want another nightmare," oh how Sanji never expected a question like that to pop out of your mouth. He never thought he'd hear that question in general from you.

"Anything," Sanji let out a deep breath closing the door behind himself. You grinned faintly shuffling within the bed till you had made enough room for Sanji to join. The blonde had settled in with his chest firmly pressed against your backside with his arms draped over your body. Once you had peacefully drifted off to sleep, he knew he could relax as well.

"I've fallen for a serial killer of all women out there..."