Aoi's POV

"No." I said.

"Why not?" Kaiyo pouted.

"Because it wasn't the right time. Plus it isn't healthy for someone to be losing that much sleep." I said. Kaiyo huffed in to her bangs.

"You mortals are such odd creatures." She said. I sighed.

"We could say the same about you." I said. Kaiyo smirked at me, a few strands of dark blue hair falling in her face.

"I guess by perspective, you are correct." She said. I rolled my eyes and went back to my books. She seemed to be just a little more cocky and confident today. Maybe it was just me, but she seemed like she knew something.

Suddenly, the whole ship shook.

"What the hell was that?" Kaiyo asked.

"MARINES!" I heard Teach yell. I bolted up from my chair and turned towards the deck.

"Stay in here." I said. Kaiyo cocked an eyebrow at me.

"Do you honestly believe I can't handle a mortal battle?" She asked.

"I know you can, but if you join us in battle and the marines see you, you're going to have a bounty on your head." I said. She thought for a moment.

"I see your point. Go on and fight for your love." She said. I rolled my eyes.

"This isn't that battle." I said and ran out to the deck, summoning my water armor, shield and sword as I got closer.

I ran out on the deck as Marines touched down on the deck.

"Thatch, above you!" I called, throwing my shield at the Marine like I was Pyrrha Nikos from RWBY. The shield bounced off the man's head and then came back to my arm.

"Thanks, Aoi!" Thatch called. I nodded and slashed more marines as they came at me. My eyes darted around, looking for a very specific flame.

"Fire Pillar!" A pillar of fire rose and took out a giant marine that had been coming up behind me. I felt a bare back touch my water armor.

"There you are." I said.

"I didn't expect to see a woman like you in a battle like this." Ace said. I smirked at the code. Ace and I had special codes for public.

I was worried when I couldn't find you. Is what he said.

"I was on my way to a bigger one. Thought this would be a nice warm up, Commander." I said. No need to worry about me. I can handle it, Ace.

He grinned at me over his shoulder as I sent a water spear through a Marine.

"Well, I don't expect you to hold back." Ace said. Better come out of this alive.

"The same to you. I could do this all day!" I said. Same to you. I will make it out. He blasted a marine coming up on me and then looked me in the eye.

"Kick ass, Aoi." He said. I love you, Aoi. I grinned at him.

"Kick some ass, Commander." I said. I love you, too, Ace.

I separated from Ace and darted around, slicing through marines as if they were butter.

The fight wasn't difficult or long. We defeated many marines before the started to retreat. As soon as that happened, I ran all over the place, helping my injured brothers.

"It's just a hairline fracture. Stay off of it for a few weeks." I told Shigeru. The man smiled at me.

"Thank you, Aoi-chan." He said as I finished for the night. I smiled back at the man. After making sure he was in a proper bed for the night, I stood and stretched, then returned to the library where Kaiyo sat.

She sat at the table with her eyes closed. I could have sworn she was asleep. I began to clean the table when my book on devil fruits fell open to a page that I hadn't read yet.

But oh boy did it catch my eye.

"The Copy Fruit,
The Devil Fruit known as The Copy Fruit is a rare fruit, indeed, however, it is possible for more than one copy fruit to exist at one time.

"The reason for this? Quite simple. The Copy devil fruit is merely a copy of another devil fruit that may have already been consumed. The copy fruit is made when a devil fruit user has a close call and is brought back from the edge of death.

"Example: if the use of the Gum-Gum Fruit were to almost meet death, to see the other side, then be pulled back, a Copy Gum-Gum Fruit would be made.

"However, if the user of a Copy Devil fruit were to die, the fruit would not regenerate.

"A fruit much like this would be the Rift-Rift fruit. It has been theorized that the Rift-Rift Fruit was made when a copy of the Time-Time Fruit and the Tremor-Tremor Fruit combined. This is the reason why the Rift-Rift Fruit will not regenerate after its user dies."

I blinked a few times before everything turned white, signifying a vision.

"Oh? But how can there be a Flame-Flame Fruit if Ace is alive?" Luffy asked.

"It's a copy fruit." I said.

"A what?" Zoro asked me.

"The Copy Fruits are made when a devil fruit user almost dies, but are pulled back to life just before they crossover fully. Since Ace had a close call a while back, the Flame-Flame Fruit in this colosseum is actually a Copy Flame-Flame Fruit. But everyone thinks it's the real thing because no one knows that Ace is alive." I explained. Luffy grinned.

"Well, let's go get it, then!" He said. I smiled to myself.

"Oh. Well then..." I whispered. I ran my hand through my hair.

"Geeze, does that mean I save Ace, but just barely?" I thought. I sighed as I finished cleaning.

"You might want to strengthen your bond with Ace before I leave, Aoi. Or you will lose him." Kaiyo said, her eyes opened ever so slightly, watching me. I sighed and plopped down in my chair.

"This again?" I groaned.

"I mean it, Aoi. While you see probabilities, I have the joy of actually seeing what is closer to what will actually become. If you form this deeper bond with Ace, there is no possible way you will loose him." She said.

"Then explain the future I just saw." I said.

"That, I can not do. Revealing the future to you will change it and not in a way you will like." She said. I groaned and hit my head against the table.

"So basically, I will be able to save Ace, but not with out him taking the hit?" I asked.

"If it comes to that, leave that part to me." She said. I looked up at her.

"How would I do that?" I asked her. She reached out and I watched as a necklace formed in her palm.

"This will keep me closer to you at all times. If there is ever a moment you need me, you can summon me by clutching this in your palm and willing me to appear." She said. The necklace in her palm was shaped as half a yin-yang symbol with dolphins inside it. (Pictured above.)

"Okay? I mean, I'm not much of a jewelry person.." I said. She scowled at me.

"That's not the point of this." She said. I sighed as I took the necklace and put it on.

"Thanks." I said.

"But, seriously, Aoi-" she started.

"I'm not letting you pressure me in to having sex with Ace!" I said. She blinked at me. I sighed and ran my hands through my hair.

"I know the risks that could happen with this. And while I would absolutely love to have Ace's baby... Just.. Not while I'm 19. And especially not with the risk of what could happen. I mean, if it comes down to it, I would throw myself in the way and take the hit for him." I said.

"Are you willing to die for him?" She asked.

"Of course I am." I said. I felt something cold press against my neck. I looked down and saw Kaiyo holding my water sword to my throat.

"Even now?" She asked. I looked in to her eyes.

"You won't kill me." I stated. She glared at me.

"That doesn't answer my question." She said.

"How about instead of pretending to threaten my life, you just look at the memories from when I was certain I was going to die?" I asked. She lowered the sword and touched my head.

Flash back

I reached back for my second dagger, but decided against using it.

"I am prepared to die." I whispered, finally believing it. Holding my dagger tight in the hand that didn't have the sea stone cuff on it, I ran forward to the girl I was fighting.

"And I'm taking you with me!" I yelled.

Flashback ends.

"So you would truely give your life for him." Kaiyo stated. I nodded even though it wasn't a question. She sighed.

"You are far braver than many men on this ocean." She said. I looked at her.

"You already have a deep bond with Ace as it is." She said. I stood and finished cleaning the table.

"It's late. We should get some rest." I said. Kaiyo yawned.

"This mortal body does exhaust quite easily. Though, I do find what you mortals call sleep enjoyable." She said.

"Most of us agree with you on that. Save for the people that hate sleep." I said.

Time skip

About noon the next day, I noticed a small group of the guys all gathered around something. Thatch and Ace were in the middle.

"Huh, a peculiar spectacle over there. I wonder what has them so entranced." Kaiyo said.

"I'm going to go find out." I said. I walked up the the group of guys.

"What's got you guys so captivated?" I asked as I leaned on my boyfriend's back. Ace grinned up at me.

"Check it out, Aoi!" Ace said and held up a piece of paper that had been enclosed in the newspaper.

WANTED! Dead or Alive.

"Water Knight" Aoi.

I read. The picture was of me during the fight the other day. I was clad in my water armor. My eyes trailed down to the next thing on the paper that stopped my heart completely.

1,000,000 beri.

"Pretty amazing, right?" Ace asked me.

"That bounty is higher than what my starting bounty was." Teach said. My blood ran cold.

"It's about as high as Ace's starting bounty. That just proves it, Aoi. You're one tough cookie. And you are our tough cookie!" Thatch laughed. I struggled to breath.

"Aoi-chan? Is something wrong?" Kaiyo asked. I couldn't stop stairing at my bounty.

"Hey, you look kinda pale, are you feeling alright?" One of the other doctors on the ship, Rikuto, asked me.

I turned and walked away, feeling tears prick at the corners of my eyes. I waited until I was inside before I broke out in to a full out sprint, heading for my room. I barely heard Marco say my name as I ran passed him. I was sure he saw the tears running down my face, but I didn't care. I just had to get to my room.

I slammed the door shut, then went to throw myself on my bed, but I over shot and landed on the floor on the other side. I pressed my back against the bed and brought my knees to my chest. Words from the past echoed in my head and brought sobs past my lips.

Everyone was right about me.