"You really made me worry back there!! You! You!"

"Usopp, stop it you baka!" I scold, slapping his hand away from repeatedly poking Luffy's injured face. He nurses his "wounded" finger, whimpering as he looks down at our comatose captain. He collapsed not long after being declared the winner of the final round, and Chopper had Zoro bring him off the ship and down to level ground so he could work on him.

He looks like a mummy, with his entire chest bandaged, his forehead wrapped up. Chopper placed a pad of gauze on his cheek with medical tape, making me remember that he patched up Zoro and Sanji not too long ago. It's scary how battle-scarred these three became in the space of a few hours.

"I was scared too," Nami admits, eyes flicking worriedly to Luffy. "All that talk about the afro making him strong..."

"Nami-swan, the afro does make you strong!" Sanji insists, smoke curling away from him, drifting into my face. I swipe it away, swallowing a cough. "What made him strong," I choke out, cursing the damn smoking habits of a certain pervert, "was his desire to keep all of us safe. Not some cheap gimmick"

Sanji still looks unconvinced, so I just sigh and shake my head. "They're all bakas, " I mutter under my breath.

"Ah! He woke up!"

I pull my knees to my chest and wrap my arms around legs, dropping my chin onto my knees. I smile faintly as he looks around frantically, worry and confusion etched onto his face. "Huh! The game?? What happened to the fight?! Didn't I win? Was a dreaming?!" he demands, eyes searching all our faces.

"Relax. You won," Zoro tells him, and he flops back onto the grass, releasing a long, drawn-out sigh. He's totally exhausted, and rightly so. I have never seen someone take such a beating and continue on, all for the sake of their nakamas. It makes me incredibly proud to be a Straw Hat.

"That's good," he breathes, a happy-go-lucky smile lighting up his tired face. Nami only smiles softly, while Chopper gushes like normal.

"I wasn't worried for a second," Usopp informs us.

"My ass," Sanji grumbles.

"I thought about it," Zoro says, making me turn to him curiously. "If I left this ship, I'd have no point in being a pirate anymore."

A sly grin pulls at my lips as I look up at him. "Admit it Swordsman, you love us! That's why you couldn't ever leave!" I chirp, causing his brows to furrow as he scowls down at me. He doesn't respond, though I get the feeling he wants to snap at me. My grin widens, taking this all as a "You're absolutely right Raya! I love this crew more than Sanji loves bikini-clad women!" Yes, that's exactly what's going on in Zoro's head right now....

"Hey. Straw Hat!" 

"Eh?" I look away from my suddenly battle-ready crew and spot Foxy making his way over to us, a large portion of his crew following after in concern.

"It's all because of you that I've lost my perfect record," he says. "Not bad. Brother." I blink as he reaches out a hand, which Luffy grasps, before changing demeanor and trying to flip my captain over his shoudler. Too bad for him, Luffy's arm only stretches, and he remains seated on the ground as though nothing happened.

"Idiot," I snicker, not bothering to hide my obviously mocking tone.

"Fine!" Foxy snaps, stalking towards his own crew. "Let's just get this over with. What do you want?!"

"That's right! The last part of the game still needs deciding!! The winner, Captain Straw Hat, gets to take a new crew member!! They seem to be looking for a carpenter!"

I jump, having already forgotten about the craptastic announcer. I scowl, wishing I could shut his trap for good. But that would be cruel, and I don't really love my sadistic side, so I'm trying to keep it under wraps, so to speak. Which means I'm forced to listen to his over-excited voice for however long he decides to use it. God dammit all.

"In that case, will they take the leader of our fifty-man mechanic team, Sonieh? Or will they pick the battle-ready mechanic, Donoban? Or~~~~ the down right sexy carpenter, Gina-chan?!"

Cue Sanji's nosebleed.

"Only the captain can decide who to pick! Now please decide."

All eyes turn to Luffy, who for once looks like he's actually thinking. His eyes scan over the entirety of the Foxy crew, before they flick up, and I see him smile. Ah, so that's what's he's got planned.

"I choose you flag," he states.

"WHAT?!?!"

"Hey, Luffy! Isn't sexy Gina-chan a lot better?!" Sanji presses, getting in our captain's face yet again. "You won't get another chance at this!!"

"If we had fought for something like that, it wouldn't be worth it," Luffy replies, making Nami breathe a sigh of relief, alongside me. If Sanji got another woman on the crew who openly proclaimed her sexiness, I might honestly throw myself overboard.

"You're.... evil!" Foxy cries, pointy brows turned up in shock. "You didn't give it a thought and you want to rob us of our pride?!"

"I don't want your sail, just your flag," Luffy explains. "Otherwise you won't be able to leave, right?"

"Heh? How thoughtful..."

"But our symbol is on our sail too! We won't be able to use that!"

"Yeah! Stop pretending to be nice! Just take everything!"

"Drama Queens," I mutter, letting my fingers play with Honoo's hilt to occupy my twitching hands. I just want to get out of this place and sail on. I honestly believe anything is better than this island, which I've now dubbed "Hell on Earth". For the time being anyway.

"Ok, ok,' Luffy says, staring up at their sail determinedly. "I'll just erase your symbol for you. Then I'll give you a new one. That way you'll be able to use your sail."

"Straw Hat... you're... so nice," Foxy sobs. I smirk to myself. Wait till he sees Luffy's drawing skills....

It takes Luffy maybe twenty minutes in all to finish with their sail, and immediately every member of the Foxy Pirates slumps down in a depression rivaling that of their Boss'. I laugh a little, unable to hold all of it back.

The symbol is atroscious on every level conceivable. It looks like a two-year-old decided to draw a fox using mashed potatoes or something. Alright, that makes zero sense. But Luffy's depiction of a fox is pretty horrid. I'm just glad we had Usopp to properly draw our symbol, otherwise we'd be just plain ridiculous.

I pick myself up off the ground, vaguely realizing that they've now packed up all their carnival crap, and that the island is once again bleak and boring. I walk back to where the others are standing, all watching the Foxy Pirates pile into their massive ship. One of the steel paws trapping Merry retracts, and Usopp lets out a cheer that nearly blows my eardrum. I'm gonna be deaf before Luffy becomes Pirate King, I know it.

"Hey! Straw Hat!" Foxy is calling to Luffy, waving his arms to grab attention. Porche, that bitch, and Hamburg the giggling primate, are beside him, looking smug. Or as smug as a cackling behemoth can be, anyway. "I'll get you for this!!" He shouts the last words as loud as he can, making sure we hear him as the ship sails into the distance. 

"He'll never learn, will he...?" I mumble, raking a hand through my hair. It's becoming unmanageable again, and I'm considering just lopping most of it off. But I can't bring myself to do it just yet. Since learning about Shanks being my father, I've treasured this hair. And just cutting it off.... It's stupid, but I feel like I'd be damaging my link to him if I did that.

I turn to look at Luffy, who has his eyes on the Foxy flag held under his arm. "Say, Cap'n," I say. "What are you going to do with that thing, anyway?"

He smiles, revealing nothing, and I just shrug. Least it seems he's got some sort of plan.

"Who's the old guy?" I whisper to Usopp. Luffy's led us to a long, round little home, settled among the shifting grass and towering trees of this island. Outside it, are a.... horse? Either that or a giraffe with a saddle. And an old guy sitting next to it.

Usopp quickly tells me about the old guy and his wanting to set a world record for the tallest set of stilts and what not. Long story short, he got stuck for like a decade and had to survive by eating the fruit off the trees around him, till Luffy knocked him down. 

"We kicked their ass," Luffy announces proudly, handing off the hard-won flag to the strange old man with the floppy hat. He looks over my captain, seeming just a bit shocked at his appearance. "You're hurt pretty bad, yourself," he comments.

"Nah," Luffy says with a grin. "This is nothing!"

"...Thank you!" the old man smiles, showcasing his pebble-like teeth that make me cringe against my better judgement.

Chopper trots over to the horse lying down on her (I think it's a girl, anyway) side and begins unwrapping her bandages. I blink when I spot the wound underneath. Did she get shot?

"I see.... So this is why you accepted the challenge," Nami says thoughtfully, before adding, "But an idiot like you would have accepted either way."

"Hey! Respect your captain!"

"Why don't we take you to your people on our ship?" Nami suggest, referring to the fact that this man is a nomad that travels around the ten islands that make up this one. His people change islands every three years, and since he was trapped here for ten years....

"No... these ten islands are the same one," Usopp reminds her. "The Log Pose won't point to them individually."

"No problem, no problem!" the man laughs. "I'm an easy-going guy. I'm not in a hurry."

He stands and starts around the side of his weird house, moving towards what I'd guess is the front door. "Let's see.... these must be your friends? Since you're all here, allow me to treat you with something nice!"

"What do you have? That cheese again?" Usopp asks uneasily. Cheese... that's been sitting in a house for ten years...? Dear God, tell me they didn't eat it?!

The old man starts to reply, but is cut off when he smashes face-first into.... Uh, is that a human being?

"Wha... What is that?!"

"It's a person!"

"Was he there the whole time?!"

It's a huge man that looks almost double my captain's height, with darker skin and black, curly hair that puffs out on either side of his head. He wears a tailored white suit, with the jacket held loosely in his arm, showing off the equally white vest that would be underneath. He also has a deep-purple dress shirt and a bright yellow tie with black lines running along it. What's weird, though, is that he's wearing a sleep mask, and appears to be dreaming right now. Or, two seconds ago anyway.

"Huh?" he mutters in slurred speech indicative of either the tired or the drunk. "Who the heck are you?"

"That's what we were asking you!!"

"I thought you were a tree," the old man throws in helpfully.

"Freak," I mutter, turning away from him with a tired scowl. I don't feel like dealing with people who might end up being crazier than Foxy. I narrow my eyes when I spot Robin, her face paler than usual, sweat beading down her brow. She lets out a strangled gasp and falls backwards, her rear hitting the dirt roughly.

"Robin!" I drop down beside her, studying her wide eyes in worry. The rest of the Straw Hats act swiftly, kicking into attack mode, you might call it. "What's wrong, Robin-chan?!" Sanji demands, looking between Robin, and the giant man she can't take her eyes off of.

He finally lifts the sleep mask up, settling it around his forehead, and smiles eerily at my nakama, making her flinch back.

"Ararararara.... You sure have grown into a fine young woman.... Nico Robin."

They know each other?!

"Robin, what's going on?!" Luffy asks, still standing only a few feet in front of the man, whose face is starting to look familiar to me. No, I don't know him, but that face... On a poster back on Maya, maybe? "Do you know this guy?!!"

"We met once before..." the man replies vaguely. Robin is still in a state of shock I've never once seen from her before. She looks too scared to speak, and her heart is pounding so loud I don't need to strain to hear it in the least.

As everyone takes up battle-ready positions, besides myself, as I'm trying to calm Robin down, he laughs again. "Ararara.... Chill, chill.... Little boys shouldn't be so aggressive. It's not like I was ordered to come here. I'm only here for a walk."

"Ordered?" I echo under my breath, glaring up at him through slitted eyes. It kills me that I have to crane my neck back to meet his eyes. Zoro's on the same train of thought that I am, it would seem.

"Ordered? Who do you work for?!" he demands, his cursed sword slid halfway from its sheath.

"The Marines..." Robin says softly in a hoarse voice. I look at her, breaking my gaze with the man. "He's a Supreme Admiral of the Marine Headquarters."

"SURPREME ADMIRAL?!?!"

Well, this explains why I know his face a little. Damn Marines worshipped this guy back on Maya. I'm surprised it took me this long to figure him out.

"Sup.... Supreme Admiral... as in.... the highest ranked fighters of the Marines?" Sanji asks in shock.

"In the entire Marine Navy, there are only three people with that title," Robin says. "Akainu, the Red Dog.... Aokiji, the Blue Pheasant.... Kizaru, the Yellow Monkey.... The only one superior to them is Sengoku, the Commander in Chief. Those three men are crowned the titel 'Ultimate Assault Force' by the World Government, and he is one of them!"

"What is someone like him doing here?!" Usopp shouts, cowering behind Zoro. "There are plenty of pirates worth more than a hundred million! Go get them!! Just leave us alone!!"

If he was any more threatening, I'd have peed my pants by now. 

Note the heavy sarcasm.

"Ooh, what do we have here? Another sexy lady!" Aokiji says, bending down to look at Nami, who starts in surprise. Thank God I'm still next to Robin... "Are you free tonight?"

"What the f*ck do you think you're doing?!" Sanji roars.

"Pay attention to what I say, dammit!" Usopp shouts at the same time.

Aokiji holds his hands up in a placating gesture. "I told you to chill, kids... You are the ones who should learn to listen. I told you I'm only here for a walk. No need for so much hostility. What I'm trying to say is that you guys are.... I forgot, oh well."

"You're not making any sense!!" Usopp and Sanji exclaim.

"Are you sure you're not mistaken Robin? There's no way that someone like him can be a Supreme Admiral of the Marines!" Usopp says, pointing a finger at the aforementioned Marine.

"Hey, hey, don't judge people by their cover," he says in his natural drawl. "I always uphold the model of 'uptight with absolute justice'."

"I CAN SEE THAT!!"

"Oh well... my legs are tired from standing. Time to rest," Aokiji says, lying down right there on the ground with his jacket as a pillow. Why the hell was he sleeping while standing up then? What's with this man?

"Anyways," he continues once he's situated comfortably, "I don't intend to arrest you... so chill. I'm only here to confirm the whereabouts of Nico Robin after the Alabasta incident... Oh and Flynn D. Raya, daughter of Shanks."

"Eh?!" I look up sharply. Does everyone know about that now?! Damn, Ace was right! Stuff about the Yonko travels fast! Even among the freaking Marines...

His half-lidded eyes flick over to me, and I barely manage to keep myself from flinching back. Damn, it's like with Mihawk that time... I can already tell none of us would be a match for this guy. I'm not even positive all of us together could handle him.

"You were originally reported as a member of the Red-Hair Pirates," he drawls in a sleepy voice that very much contradicts his title of Supreme Admiral. "But some Marines said they saw you with the Straw Hats when Shanks was in the other half of the Grand Line, so I decided to see if you were really with this crew."

"Ah.... great," I mutter, holding my head in one hand. I have a Supreme Admiral checking up on me. How lovely.

"I'm only going to report the discovery," he goes on. "So they can recalculate the bounty for your group. Two more people will increase it by.... 160 million plue 79 million and 50 million..... Too hard to count... It's roughly the same amount."

"Er, no it's not," I think to say, just as Zoro says, "Too lazy to count?"

"Gum-Gum--"

"No Luffy don't! Don't do it!!"

Luffy has to be restrained by both Sanji and Usopp, as he's trying to take a swing at the relaxed Marine still lounging in the grass.

"Let me go! Let me go!" he shouts.

"Don't start unnecessary fights!" Sanji warns him.

"He's a Supreme Admiral for God's sake!!" Usopp adds frantically.

"So what?! I still won't let him take Robin and Raya!"

"You're mistaken," Aokiji says, waving a hand at Luffy in an attempt to calm him down. "I already said I don't plan to do anything...."

"I'M GOING TO SEND YOU FLYING!!"

Two minutes later, Luffy has resorted to ordering the man to leave. "Go take your walk elsewhere! You're not welcome here!"

"You're overreacting...." the Marine says, sweat dropping.

"Why does it feel like Luffy is winning the argument...?" Nami wonders aloud. I roll my eyes. Luffy really never does cease to amaze me.

"Ok, ok, I'll leave," Aokiji consents eventually. "But I overheard something while I was napping. You." He points to the old man, who blinks in surprise. "I wasn't in a deep sleep, so I heard what you said. Pack up and get ready to move."

"Don't listen to him!" Luffy shouts. "He's from the Marines!! The Marines!!'

........................

"Why not?" the old man asks after an incredibly long stretch of awkward silence.

"Oh! That's right. You can listen to him. Normally the Marines are the good guys and we're the bad guys," Luffy laughs, dropping his fist into his hand in a eureka moment.

You know, he's right. But it's kind of funny. As far as I know, the Straw Hats have never openly done something wrong. We've gotten rid of tyrants several times, protected innocent lives, saved countries and beaten off vicious pirates.... How exactly are we bad, anyway?

"Basically, you want to catch up to the people who moved when you were stuck here," Aokiji says, ignoring the bickering of my captain and sniper completely. "You plan to rush the third island after this one and that you need to wait until low tide to ride your horse across? But that horse's leg is wounded, correct?"

"Yeah! And that's why moving is impossible right now!" Usopp interjects.

"It'ss be fine," the Marine replies.

"That doesn't sound convincing at all....!"

"It's true." I jump, practically having forgotten that Robin was kneeling beside me all this time. "With his help, it's possible."

"How's that?" I ask curiously.

"Ok, we're here," Aokiji announces as we approach the docks of this island. I can't believe this tiny speck of land has a dock in the first place. If we'd approached from this end, I wonder if we would've met the Foxy Pirates?

The old man has his belongings packed into an overflowing cart, with Sherry, his horse, kneeling at the front because of her wounded leg. 

"The tide will subside once a year, and a road will appear when it doea, yes?"

I stand back with Robin and Nami as Aokiji walks up to the edge of the water and dips his hand into. Everything seems to go in slow motion, as we wait for him to make a move. 

And just then, a lizard-like Sea King happens to pop out of the water, looking like it enjoys the taste of giants to the extreme.

"Ah! It's the Sea King that lurks around here!" the old man, whose name I'll probably never know, shouts as shirlly as Usopp. 

"Get away from it!" said sniper urges.

"Watch out!"

"Ice Age."

My eyes widen, barely to take in the scene in front of me. One minute, the Sea King was rearing to strike, and the waves were crashing and slapping against the sure. Now.... everything is frozen. Not in time, but literally covered in thick layers of ice. The frozen expanse stretches for as far as I can see, and most likely much further. The Sea King resembles a meticulously carved statue, fangs glistening in the afternoon light, while the rest of the icy wonderland shimmers and sparkles just as spectacularly. 

I'm speechless.

Everyone gapes, the most shocked, astonished faces staring out at the frozen ocean, that has always seemed so untameable to me.

"Devil Fruit!!" someone shouts.

"The sea.... froze over!!"

"Elemental class: the freezing power of the Ice-Ice Fruit," Robin murmurs. "This is the extent of the power of an Admiral of the Marine Headquarters."

Aokiji stands, and even though he too is covered in ice, the frozen water is slowly breaking off him, turning to glittering dust and sparkling as it disappears. "The should hold for about a week," he says to the old man as he passes him. "You can take your time. Good luck locating you village. It's a little cold, by the way, you should wear more clothing."

The man is ecstatic, along with Sherry, and the crew is right there with him. But me... I'm not really on the same wavelength. I track Aokiji with my eyes as he continues walking up and away from the frozen ocean, lifting a hand when the old guy calls out a very heart-felt thank you to him. I barely pay attention when everyone shouts their goodbyes, and the man leaves, walking across the ice while pulling his cart along. 

I can tell something in Aokiji's attitude has shifted, as he sits down cross-legged in the grass, leaning his head on his palm.

I take a seat a good five or so feet away, staring  at him through hooded eyes. He looks back calmly, raising an eyebrow. 

"Yeah?"

"Did you really come all this way for the sole purpose of checking up on me and Robin's whereabouts?" I ask, crossing my arms over my chest. "It seems a little unlikley. And how'd you even know where we were?"

"I told you, I was just taking a walk," he says in reply. "But I realized I was heading for Long Ring Long Land, and remembered this was where you were supposed to be. So I decided it would be worthwhile to make certain this was where Nico Robin and Flynn D. Raya had really ended up."

"Didn't answer the second question," I mutter lowly.

"Ah, right. Well... I forget."

"Just how lazy are you, you bastard?!" 

"You're a little more hot-headed than your dad, aren't you?"

"I'd rather not discuss my dad with a goddamn Marine, if you don't mind," I growl, narrowing my eyes at him dangerously. He shugs, then looks past me, just as I hear the footfalls of my friends.

"Raya!" Luffy shouts out, and I can imagine him grinning, even though I don't want to take my eyes off Aokiji. "The ice is so fun! You should try it!"

Aokiji lifts his head from his hand, using it to scratch at his hair like he's trying to figure out a way to break bad news.

"....What?" Luffy says, walking up just behind me.

"How should I say this?" the Marine says. "You and your grandfather are really alike, Monkey D. Luffy.... Is it openminded...? Or absentminded...?"

"G-Grandpa?" Luffy chokes.

I'd add in that until now I didn't think Luffy had any family besides Ace, but Aokiji's temperment seems to have shifted again, and it's giving me a really uneasy feeling.

"I dealt with your grandpa a long time ago. Even though I only came to see Nico Robin and Flynn D. Raya....." He pauses, lifting his face to meet all of our suspicius gazes. I swallow back a gasp when I see that he's no longer the lazy, droopy-eyed man from only a moment ago. He looks... dangerous.

"Maybe all of you.... should just die here and now."