41~ Family Bonds

Mira

Zoro and I walked hand in hand around the bazaar. I admired all the shops while tugging him along. People were selling some pretty amazing things, and others I had never seen before. All the sights and new smells were making me very excited. If Zoro wasn't with me, I wouldn't be able to contain myself.

The group had decided to wander close to the area in hopes of finding Luffy somewhere. We all split in different directions to see where he had gone.

"Where do you think he went?" I asked as Zoro tightened his grip when I saw a fish market.

"Who knows?" He shrugged. "He could be anywhere there's food. We just gotta keep our eyes open."

"That's true," I pouted as we walked past the fish stall.

Excited voices to our left drew my attention. Usopp and Chopper were standing before a man holding a yellow apple. I pulled Zoro to a stop to watch.

"Are you for real?!" Usopp gaped at the man. "It's solid gold?!"

"You can live for a thousand years?!" I smacked my forehead and sighed as Chopper got a closer look.

"And you found it in ancient ruins?!"

"Yep, sure did!" The man stepped closer to show case his golden apple. "It's a legendary artifact of an ancient civilization!"

"And you're certain one bite will allow us to live one thousand years?!" Chopper, you should know that's not medically possible...

"Should we help them?" I whispered to Zoro.

"Give them another minute," He waved at me.

"Yep! It's the truth! I give you my word!" He stepped closer, knowing he had them hooked.

"Now?"

"Not yet,"

"Awesome!" The two of them jumped around like little kids.

"You two seem to have a very sharp eye," A glint crossed the shop keeper's eye. "In that case, I'll part with it for a one time price of 1,000 Berries."

"It's a deal!" The two began to reach for it.

"Okay, someone's gotta stop this crook."

"Mira-"

"Does it protect against bullet wounds?" I asked as Usopp stopped reaching for his money. "Will it stop me from bleeding out? What if I get stabbed through the heart? Or does it only work against a natural death?" I stepped closer as I heard what sounded like fists hitting heads.

"Well, I, uh..."

I got right in his face and smirked. "How do you know it does everything you've promised? Have you tried it yourself? Can you even be certain one bite will keep you from dying? How do you know it's a thousand years?"

"There was... ancient writing..."

"And you just so happened to be able to read it, hm?" My smirk widened. "You've got a lot of nerve for lying to these suckers."

"Honestly, what were you two thinking?!" Nami shouted at them.

"I wouldn't take him seriously if I were you," I maintained eye contact with the man as Zoro pulled aside a curtain next to the stall. Behind the curtain was a man painting apples gold with paint.

"Tell me again where you got those apples."

The man flinched and hid behind the counter. "Sorry, we're closed!" He shut his tarp covering the shop.

I dusted off my hands, satisfied. "That was fun. Shall we?" I took up Zoro's hand and followed behind Nami dragging Usopp and Chopper.

"Let go, let go!" Usopp shouted as he struggled to stand. "I was just about to pay 1,000 Berries to live a thousand years!"

"Quit wasting time and help look for Luffy!" She snapped back, refusing to let them go. They looked like upside down turtles trying to get back on their feet. "We're done shopping, so we need to head to the next town the minute we find him!"

"Where did he run off to?" Zoro asked with an irritated sigh. He suddenly pulled me to a stop as Nami kept shouting at Usopp to stop struggling.

"Zoro?" I waved a hand in front of his face. "Hey, you still okay in there? Did the heat get to your head?"

He took my hand and stared down a pathway. "He's..."

"He who?" I stepped in front of him and tried to free my hands. "Honestly, what's gotten in to you? Who do you see?" I stared down the path, not sure who I should be looking for.

My eyes zeroed in on a man who looked very different from all the others. He was a couple stalls down from us, wearing only cargo shorts, a red hat, and a knife on his hips. He had a tattoo going down his left upper arm and other across nearly his entire back.

"Have you seen this man?" I heard him ask.

The man in the stall leaned forward a bit. "Monkey D. Luffy?"

I stiffened. Why is that guy after our captain? My eyes narrowed.

"He might be here in town," The man asked as he adjusted his green bag. "I've been looking for him for a while now."

I held back a growl. "He better not be here looking for trouble."

The man in the stall leaned back and shook his head. "Never seen him. Oh, but if you're looking for someone, try asking the restaurant ahead. The owner there knows a lot of people."

"Much appreciated," The man bowed and took a piece of paper with him; most likely Luffy's wanted poster. He mumbled to himself as he began walking away.

"Who's that?" Chopper asked as our group stared after the mysterious man. "He looks really strong."

"Why's he looking for Luffy?" Usopp tapped his chin.

"I don't like it," I freed my hands and crossed my arms. "He could be with Baroque Works."

"Maybe he's a bounty hunter?" Nami asked, a bit worried.

"No," We looked up to Zoro. "He's not with either organization. That mark..."

"What is it?" I tugged on his arm.

"As a former pirate hunter, there's no way I wouldn't recognize it," He clenched his fists.

"Well, spit it out!"

His eyes darted away from the man for a split second. Whatever he saw made him flinch. "No, it couldn't be!"

"What now?" I looked back the way the man had gone. I gulped and flinched, feeling my tail puff up a bit. "Shit... it's her..." Why is Tashigi here?! She was arguing with a merchant, most likely about a sword she had in her hands.

"It is her!" Zoro held me closer and took a step back.

"Zoro, we gotta hide!" I began trying to push him, but he wouldn't move. "We can't be seen by her!"

"What is that woman doing here?" He groaned as he kept his feet planted.

"Less questions, more moving!"

"Guys, what's wrong?" Nami asked, but we didn't pay attention to her. I was trying to move my wall of a boyfriend while he continued to be glued to the ground. He only moved when she started to turn our way. He scooped me up and hid us behind a large clay pot.

"What're you guys doing?!" Nami asked as she and the other two walked right up beside us.

"Why are you hiding?" Usopp knelt down beside us.

"Sh! She'll find us!" I hushed them and tried to shoo them away. Zoro carefully peeked out from around the pot.

"Hey, Tashigi." Oh crap. That guy looks like trouble. He wore a fur lined jacket over his prominent muscles and dark blue pants tucked into his leather boots. Two cigars hung out of his mouth as he carried two knocked out pirates over his shoulders.

"Captain Smoker!" Tashigi stepped closer to him, a smile in place.

He dropped the pirates at her feet. "Small fry pirates. They thought they could act like big shots around me, so I took care of 'em."

She placed her hands on her knees as she got a better look. "Even in a distant land, your distaste for pirates is unfaltering!"

He waved her away. "If you have time time for pointless chit-chat, have the royal army take care of them."

"Y-yes sir!" She saluted him.

"There doesn't seem to be any word yet of Straw Hat Luffy coming here to this country." Smoker slowly looked around. Great, now we have three people after our captain. "But don't let your guard down! They will show up. I'm sure of it." At this point, the others were now hiding with us behind the pot.

We ducked away. "That's Smoker, the Navy captain from Logue Town." Nami whispered to us. Zoro looked as if twenty years were shaved off his life.

"Are you saying he followed us all the way here from Logue Town?!" Usop gasped as he took another quick glance.

"It would seem so..." Zoro grumbled. "And then there's that man... Things could get ugly quick. Where is that idiot?!"

"I keep telling you, he's probably stranded in the desert," I sighed and looked back to Tashigi and Smoker. He was gone, and Tashigi was having royal soldiers take the pirates away. "If he doesn't show up soon, we can't go anywhere and we'd be sitting ducks. I didn't have the pleasure of meeting Smoker back in Logue Town, and I don't plan on it!"

"We just have to be careful and keep searching." Nami looked with me as Tashigi started going off in another direction. "Let's check all the restaurants again. We'll meet back up here. Hopefully one of us will have Luffy in tow."

We split up once more in hopes of finding our captain. Zoro and I checked on the restaurant that man went to. Luffy wasn't there, but the man was eating. We walked past the place to try another.

After walking around a third time, my ears perked up at a distant sound getting closer. It echoed around the bazaar, making people stop and turn to find it.

"Is that... someone shouting 'food place'?" Zoro and I stopped to listen.

It clicked and we nodded to each other. "Luffy."

"He sounds like he's on the other side of the bazaar," I turned to pinpoint him. "Hmmm... it's hard to tell with so many other people around."

"Well, guess we gotta check the restaurants again." Zoro shrugged and we headed back the way we came. We came across the shop the man had stopped at and found a hole through the back wall. It went through three other buildings.

I grimaced. "That looks like something Luffy did... Hey, Owner."

He looked up. "I can't serve anyone right now."

"It's fine." I shrugged him off. "Did a guy with a straw hat come through here? Like, literally through here?"

"Eh, kinda..." He peered down the holes in the walls. "Why?"

"Thought so," I pulled out my wallet. "How much was his bill?" He gave me the amount and I paid for the meal.

"Let's go,"

"Wait!"

"Hm?"

"Did you know the other guy that was here?" The owner asked. "The one with White Beard's mark? Captain Smoker was after him."

"White Beard?" I asked, confused. "Who's-"

"I know of him," Zoro answered for me.

"Ah, then can you pay his bill, too?"

I shook my head. "Sorry, we don't actually know him." We left the restaurant to go meet up with the others. After a brief explanation as to what happened, we decided to meet back up with Sanji, Vivi, and Karoo back at the starting point.

"Oh! Nami-chan! Mira-san!" Sanji called out to us.

"This is bad!" Usopp stepped over, ignoring Sanji's lack of greeting. "It feels like we'll be in big trouble if we can't get moving soon!"

"Big trouble?" Sanji adjusted himself as we sat down behind the wall.

"The Navy is here," Nami responded.

"Also, Luffy made a huge mess again and I had to pay for his meal." I sighed and sat against the wall.

"The Navy?!" Vivi gasped as she stood.

"And a strange man," Chopper added.

"They're both after Luffy," I explained.

"Let's just find Luffy as quickly as possible and get out of here!" Nami urged us to get back up.

"Hide!" Zoro shoved us all back down.

"What for?" "What's wrong?" Nami and Chopper protested.

"Get back here!" A distant voice shouted. "You won't get away!"

Zoro growled. "The Navy!"

"Sounds like a big commotion!" Usopp leaned over Zoro to try and get a look.

"Don't let him escape!"

"After him!"

"Some idiot pirate is probably running around town, or something." Sanji didn't seem phased as he lit a cigarette.

"Hey, wait..." They all looked to me. "Isn't there one idiot pirate stupid enough to cause a huge commotion with the Navy?"

"There is!" Everyone gasped.

"Get back here, Straw Hat!" The Navy shouted, sounding closer now.

"It's you!" We shouted as we watched him run past our hiding spot.

He stopped. "Hey! Zoro!" Luffy spotted him first. "Oh! Is that where you guys are?!"

"You idiot!" Zoro waved his arm at him. "Get rid of them first!"

"Is he leading them here?! Of course he is, what am I saying?" I grabbed some of our stuff to get ready to run.

"There's the Straw Hat Crew! After them!"

"So, what should we do?" Usopp asked as they got closer.

I shoved a bag at him. "Gather as much as you can and get ready to run."

"To the ship!" Nami ordered as we grabbed everything we had and ran.

"What're you doing?!" Luffy asked as he ran past us. "Let's head back!"

"Hey!" We snapped at him and soon followed closely behind him.

"Stop!"

"Don't let them escape!"

"Straw Hat is mine!" I glanced back to see Smoker quickly gaining on us.

"Holy shit! His body is made out of smoke! Guess Smoker is a fitting name. I thought it was because of his habits and-"

"Mira, come on!" Zoro shouted to me. "You're falling behind!"

"R-right!" I faced forward once more and quickened my pace.

"Yikes!" Luffy yelped as he glanced back. "Here he comes!"

"White Blow!" Smoker threw his arm back and launched it forward with a smoke trail behind it.

"Uh-oh!" Luffy was soon leaving us in the dust.

"There's no escape!" Smoker shouted behind us as we tried to move out of the way of his attack.

"Heat Haze!" A new voice sounded a little ways beside us. I looked up to see the man from before shoot fire right at Smoker's flying fist. I felt the heat radiate through the air as the attacks collided. I risked a glance back to see Smoker had come to a stop.

We all stopped, mouths agape, at the fire that consumed Smoker's smoke. I watched as the flames around the two retreated and swirled around the man.

"Give it up," I could hear the smirk in the man's tone. "You may be smoke, but I'm fire!" The flames danced off his body, ready for his next move.

I stared in awe. "So cool... I mean, flaming."

"A fight between your power and mine would never end," The man adjusted his stance, ready to fight.

"He had Devil Fruit powers?" Zoro wondered aloud.

"Well, you shoulda known that, Mister former bounty hunter." I poked his side.

"Hey, I knew he was from White Beard's crew, but I didn't know exactly who he was!" He snapped back.

"That's not important right now!" Usopp interrupted our bickering. "What's important is who is he, and why is he helping us?"

"Ace?!"

"Luffy, you know him?" I faced our captain.

The one called Ace looked over his shoulder at us. "You haven't changed a bit, huh Luffy?"

"Ace? Is that you, Ace?" Luffy took a couple steps forward. "You ate a Devil's Fruit?"

"Yeah," He grinned. "The Flare-Flare fruit!"

"He's so hot." I felt Zoro's intense glare aimed at me. "What? He's literally on fire! His body is hot from all the flames!"

"You didn't have to say it like that!" He snapped.

"How else was I supposed to say it?!"

He didn't get to respond. "Captain Smoker! We're securing the perimeter!" Marines soon blocked off the area, trapping us in.

"We can't chat like this!" Ace faced the Marines once more. "You guys run! I'll catch up! I'll hold them off!"

Luffy was the first to move. "Let's go!" We raced after our captain and away from the action.

"But, Luffy!" Nami gasped as she matched his pace.

"Who is that guy?!" Sanji finished her question.

"We deserve answers!" I chimed in.

"Oh, him?" Luffy chuckled. "That's a funny story."

"Luffy, who is he?!" Nami asked again.

"Is he an acquaintance of yours?" I grabbed a couple of Vivi's bags to help her out.

"Yeah!" We could hear Luffy's grin. "He's my brother!"

"Oh." I said to break the silence. "I can kinda see the resemblance."

"Brother?!"

"I told you it was funny!" Luffy chuckled as we ducked and dodged around people. "Older brothers are always trying to help their younger brothers out of trouble!"

I sighed to myself. "Maybe he should be around us more often. You're always getting in to trouble." He just laughed more at that.

After a while of running, we stopped as what looked like a mini fire infused tornado rose into the air. People panicked and stared worriedly at what we saw.

"What in the world is happening there?" Chopper took a step closer to Zoro.

"It's a fight between fire and smoke!" Usopp trembled in his boots.

Sanji gulped, a bead of sweat dripping from his brow. "He did say he ate the Flare-Flare fruit..."

Nami placed a hand on Luffy's shoulder. "Luffy, is it true he's really your brother?"

"Yeah!" He grinned back at her. "His name's Ace!"

"You having a brother isn't that surprising," Zoro shook his head. "But what's he doing in the Grande Line?"

"Ace is a pirate!" Luffy stated proudly. "He left the island three years before me to find the One Piece!"

We stared at him, shocked. "Well, I guess finding the One Piece runs in the family."

"Anyway," We focused back to Nami. "We should really hurry back to the ship! Let's escape before anyone comes after us."

"Yes, Nami-san!" We all stared to turn away from the smoke and fire.

I glanced back and stopped. "You coming, slow poke?!"

Luffy was staring in amazement at the fight in the distance. "Yeah," He retreated backwards, not wanting to miss anything. The flames and smoke grew bigger and brighter as the explosions made the air around us shimmer. The heat was intense, even from this far away.

"I never thought I'd get to see Ace in a place like this!" Luffy began falling behind.

"Luffy, catch up!" I shouted back to him. "We need to go! Now!"

"I know, I know!" I could tell he wanted to stay and watch the fight.

"The road splits up ahead!" Nami called out to Usopp. "Take a left! Everyone hear me?!"

"Yes, Nami-san! I'll follow wherever you go!" I groaned internally at Sanji.

I glanced around to count everyone. "Oh, god damn it! You guys go on ahead! I gotta grab Luffy!" I have no idea if the others heard me as I turned back and headed for the split. I found Luffy not too far down the way.

"Luffy, you idiot! We went the other way!"

He was still running backwards, not paying attention. "Cool! The fire ball's gotten even bigger!"

"Are you even listening to me?!" I snapped at him.

"Yeah, everyone went this way!"

"No, I said they went the other way!"

"Right, this way!"

"Oh, for the love of- this way!" I pulled us to a stop in an alley. I gasped for air, hands on my knees.

"Huh?" Luffy glanced around. "That's weird. Why are we the only one's here?"

"Because you went the wrong way!" Luffy recoiled from my shouting and sat on the barrel he found.

"You're the one who brought us down this way," He stated as he crossed his arms. "You got us lost."

I inhaled sharply through my nose. "I got us- I got us lost?! You're the one who went right instead of left!"

"But I did go left." He picked at his ear. "I went to my left."

"That's because-! You know what, never mind." I took a deep breath to calm myself. "Let's just agree that both of us went the wrong way and try to catch up with the others."

"You're the one who brought us down the alley,"

"Shut it!"

"Sheesh! I guess me letting you escape was pointless." I looked up to see Ace on the roof of a building. "Yo!"

"Ace!" Luffy beamed up at his brother.

Ace jumped down from the building and stood tall before us. "Haven't seen you in a while, Luffy!"

"You too, Ace!" They grinned at each other, happy to be reunited. I stood, arms crossed, waiting to go.

Luffy suddenly got off the barrel and faced Ace. He was full of determination as they clasped hands and rested their elbows on the barrel. I rose an eye brow at that.

"How many years has it been?" Luffy asked as their fists tightened around each other.

"Didn't you just say three years?"

"Good question." They both ignored me. "But it still looks like you go at your own pace. Just like you did since you were a kid."

"You too, Ace!" Their bodies began to tremble, yet they remained in place. "I was surprised you ate a Devil Fruit! Besides that, you're the same!" Their free hands gripped the side of the barrel.

Luffy's hand began to move Ace's. "Like when you'd sneak into the field and eat a hundred watermelons!"

"Is that possible?"

"And then spit out all the seeds like a gun and run!"

"Again, is that even possible?"

Ace began to move Luffy's arm back at to the other side. "That wasn't me! That was you!"

"And then you got big bumps right here!" Luffy motioned to his head.

"Again, that was you, not me!" Ace grunted. "I watched and laughed!"

Luffy began using his other hand to shove on Ace's to get it to move. Both of their faces were turning red as they glared and growled at each other. Their hands swayed back and forth. I stood, confused.

"Okay, what is even the point of- holy shit!" I jumped back as the barrel suddenly burst, spewing water all over the ground.

"I guess we're still the same!" The smiles returned as the two stood once more.

"Yeah," They released each other's hands and switched arms.

"This brings back memories," Luffy's smile widened.

"Say, weren't your friends looking for you?" Ace asked as he stepped back. "Oh, is this one of them?"

"Yeah, that's Mira. She's a Neko."

"Oh yeah?"

I gasped. "Luffy, you idiot! You can't just blab that aloud to a stranger!"

"But he's not a stranger!" He protested. "He's my brother!"

"But he's a stranger to me!"

"I do apologize for my brother," Ace bowed to me. "Mira, was it? It's a pleasure to meet one of my brother's friends."

Wow, he's very polite and the opposite of Luffy. "O-oh, uh, it's alright."

"Now, about your other friends?" Ace turned back to Luffy and grabbed something from his bag.

"Right," Luffy stared at Ace, smile gone. "But Ace, what are you doing in this country?"

"Oh, you mean you didn't get the message I sent to Drum?" Ace uncapped the container and drank from it.

Luffy tilted his head. "Drum?"

"Yeah, but it's no big deal or anything." Ace shrugged it off. "I'm just in these waters on minor business, so I thought I might look you up."

"Minor business?" Luffy is just full of questions.

Ace took another swig. "I'm a member of the White Beard Pirates now." He wiped at his mouth.

"Who?"

Ace turned to me and blinked. "You mean you haven't heard of White Beard?" I shook my head.

He passed his canister to Luffy, who juggled and almost dropped it. "Why are you with him?" He asked when he got a hold on it.

Ace turned his back to us and pointed at his tattoo. "This is the mark of the White Beard Pirates. It's my pride. Surely you've at least seen it, Mira."

"Looks more like a mustache." I noted.

"I'll take that as a no," He grumbled. "Anyway, Luffy, won't you join the White Beard Pirates?" I'm sorry, what? "Your friends can come, too, of course."

"No." His answer was solid as he removed the canister from his lips.

Ace let out a hearty laugh at how blunt the answer was. "I figured not. Just had to ask. White Bread is the greatest pirate I know. I wanna help him to become King of the Pirates."

I imagined this guy who seemed larger than life. He sounds like he'd be a great person.

"I'm not helping you, Luffy." I snickered and hid it with a cough. That was funny.

"That's fine!" Luffy smirked. "Then we'll just have to fight! I'm going to be King of the Pirates!" They stared into each others eyes, as if sealing a silent deal. Luffy broke eye contact to drink more from the canister.

"Hey! Don't drink it all, Luffy!" He snatched it from Luffy and passed it to me. "You gotta share!"

"Oh, come on! There's plenty in there!"

"It's empty." I tipped it upside down, not even a drop of water coming out of it.

"Damn it, Luffy! Water is scarce around here!"

"How was I supposed to know?" Luffy whined. "I was thirsty!"

"It's a desert, you moron! Water is going to be hard to come by!"

"Hey, not to rain on your reunion, but shouldn't we get going?" I asked as I motioned to the way back to the ship.

"She's right," Ace cleared his throat. "Let's go find your friends. Getting spotted by the Navy is always a pain."

"They might've gone back to the ship," Luffy said as he began to walk the wrong way.

"Luffy, this way." I said as Ace picked up the things I was carrying.

"I knew that..." He said with a pout.

"Which harbor is your ship in?" Ace asked as we began to walk.

"Actually, I can't remember at all," Luffy tapped his chin.

"Oh, geez..." Ace sighed.

"I know where it is," I began walking ahead. "Just follow me."

"Pirate ship captains usually remember where their ship is docked." Ace poked at Luffy.

"Not this one..." I mumbled. I suddenly stopped. Something doesn't feel right...

"You okay, Mira?" Ace asked as he came to a stop behind me.

"I... don't know..." I shook my head. "Maybe I'm just imagining things." I shrugged to myself and lead the way.

"Say, what kind of crew do you have?" Ace asked to lighten the mood.

Luffy began listing us off. "A swordsman who wants to be the greatest swordsman in the world, and he's always wearing a haramaki. I've also got a navigator who likes maps and tangerines and money!"

"Ah, yes, the Money Demon," I smiled.

Ace couldn't contain his laughter. "Oh, that's priceless. Go on."

"Then there's a cook who makes really yummy food," Luffy continued. "Oh! And there's a liar, too!"

"He's a sniper, and a coward most of the time," I explained.

"We also have a reindeer, who is our doctor! And then there's Mira with a complicated backstory, who happens to be a Neko!" Luffy concluded.

"So, are you really a Neko, or is it just for show? If you don't mind me asking,"

"Nah, it's real," I lowered my cover and wiggled my ears. "I am an honest to god Neko with ears and a tail."

"It looks funny when you scare her!" Luffy chuckled.

"Shut up!" I shoved him back.

"That's quite a variety you've got there," Ace noted as I covered my ears back up.

"We also have a princess and a duck now!" Luffy grinned.

"Oh?"

Luffy walked ahead of us and waved his arms excitedly. "They're all so exciting!"

"I'd say you're probably the most exciting," Ace noted with a chuckle. "Still, only a handful of people for a pirate crew; that's just like you."

"I also want a musician!" He beamed.

I went to say something, but was stopped by people coming out of no where. "Stop right there, Fire Fist Ace! As you can see, there is no place to run now! Fire Fist Ace, your head is mine! Prepare yourself!"

I slowly looked around to see about a dozen men surrounding us. Do they seriously think they're going to intimidate us? Feet shuffled above our heads. I looked up to see even more men on the buildings above. They also came out from hiding from barrels and crates. No need to panic; they're not really worth our time.

"Fire Fist Ace!" The leader of the group spoke up once more. "Your bad luck ends here!"

"I don't know, he's been pretty lucky today," I picked at my nails. "He escaped Captain Smoker, and got reunited with his brother."

"Don't talk back, girl!" The tip of a blade came into view. "Or else you'll be next!"

"Yeah, yeah, sure," I pushed the blade aside. "You guys are nothing, really. This is boring."

"I said, watch what you say!" I met his blade with my own.

"Hey, wait," I glanced over to one of the men. "Isn't that Straw Hat Luffy and Elmira Hojosen?"

"Now that you mention it..." Another got a closer look at us. "He's worth 30 million Berries! And her 20 million!"

"Talk about luck!" The leader snickered as he pulled his blade back. "Fire Fist Ace, Straw Hat Luffy, and Emira Hojosen! Once I have your heads, promotion is just a hop, skip, and a jump away!"

"Ah, you're with Baroque Works." I readied my blade. "You better hope and pray that-"

"Anyway, let's go find your ship," Ace and Luffy continued walking. "You coming, Mira?"

"Wait, you guys are just gonna walk away from this?!" I seriously can't believe this.

"Hey, she's right!" One of the men snapped. "Hold it right there!"

"You bastards..." The leader growled and turned. "Get them!"

"So rude," I mumbled as I crossed my arms.

"I know, right. Hey, wait!" I ducked to avoid his blade. "We're supposed to be attacking you! Why are you making casual conversations with the enemy?!"

I shrugged. "I dunno."

"You bitch!" I met his blade with mine. "You're just trying to lower my guard so you can attack me!"

"Hey, good plan."

"You!"

"What the?! His arms just stretched!" The leader turned his head from our fight. "He has Devil Fruit Powers?!" The men started shooting at Luffy.

"I'd stop them if I were you," I said to the leader.

"Oh yeah? And why's that?" He faced me once more and pulled back to swing at me again.

"You'll see." I parried his attack and took a couple steps back. Judging by where Luffy is hanging on the clothes line... Perfect.

"Don't scare me like that, you jerks!" Luffy stretched his body back into shape. The bullets shot back at the ones who fired at him. A couple got close to me, but didn't actually hit. I've gotten better at judging his distance.

Luffy jumped back down. Most of the men were laid out, down for the count. Only a few left and the leader were still standing.

"You okay, Luffy?" I called over to him.

"Yeah," He wiped at his nose. "The bullets may not hurt, but they still scare me if I'm not expecting it."

"Don't just ignore us in the middle of a fight!" The leader charged at Luffy, blade ready. He swung at Luffy, who didn't have enough time to catch his balance each time.

"Hey, your fight's with me, bastard!" I ran after him to try and help Luffy.  I slid to a stop and stared, amazed. Ace had calmly grabbed the blade of the sword with two fingers. He lit his fingers, his flames burning the leader.

Luffy turned back around and grinned. "Gomu-Gomu no..." I took a couple steps to the side to avoid his arms being slung back. If I know Luffy, he's gonna go for a...

"Bazooka!" Called it. He sent the leader sailing down the road and clear out of sight. A tiny spark glinted in the sky above some sand dunes in the distance.

"Oooh! Nice one, Luffy!" I cupped a hand over my eyes.

"Shall we?" Ace turned back down the way we were heading.

"Yeah, let's go." I took up the lead once more so I could show them the way.

"Don't let them scare you!" Someone behind us shouted after a few moments. "The rank of Number Agent is riding on this!"

I sighed and shook my head. "They just don't know when to quit."

"After them!" We just kept walking, ignoring them.

"Oh, the ocean!" Luffy suddenly stopped and ran for a set of stairs.

"See your ship?" Ace asked as I followed Luffy. I scanned the horizon. They're not here, or back where we docked.

"There's no escape!" The voices shouted as they caught up to us.

"They should be around here somewhere..." I mumbled as I stared harder.

"You guys just never learn," Ace sighed, irritated.

"Oh, there is it!" I followed Luffy's finger.

"Merry!" I smiled brightly. "There they are! Hey!" I waved my arms, hoping they'd see us.

"Hey! Guys! Over here!" Luffy waved his arms and shouted with me.

"Go ahead, Luffy- Oh, never mind."

"Luffy, wait!" I called after him as he raced along the shore. "Thanks for your help, Ace."

He smiled. "This won't be goodbye for long. Oh, here's your stuff."

"Thank you." I bowed and hopped over the wall. "Luffy, damn it, I said wait for me!"

He stopped at the edge of the stairs and waved his arms some more. I conked his head. "I said wait! I had to get our stuff back!"

"That hurt!" He whined as he rubbed his head. "It's not like we wouldn't see him again!"

"Still!" I huffed. "Okay, we found the ship. Now what?"

Luffy wound his arm back and shot it forward. "We go to them!"

"Wait, what?" His arm latched onto the ship. His other snaked around my waist, "H-hang on, Luffy! I think I'd much rather freeze time and walk on the water aga-AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!" We shot forward at a blinding speed towards the ship.

"Sanji! Take one step back and two steps to your right! Chopper! Take two steps back and one to your left!" Too late. We crashed hard into them.

"We're back!" Luffy grinned brightly as he chuckled.

"Sanji-san! Tony-kun!" Vivi gasped at our crash landing. The two laid under us, swirls in their eyes.

"Oh, come on!" Usopp sighed.

"Not again..." Zoro grumbled from the other side of the ship.

"At least it wasn't you this time!" I snapped. "Ow, ow... I think I landed on my tail wrong..."

"Sorry about that, Sanji, Chopper!" Luffy sat up and laughed.

"Do you not know how to learn your lesson!" Sanji snapped and shook Luffy by his collar. "I oughta gut you whole! Mira, darling, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm okay..."

"Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused?" Nami scolded him. "At least try to act like a captain! And you!"

"Owowowowowowowow!!!"

She pinched my cheek and brought me to my feet. "Why didn't you say anything about running off?! You caused just as much trouble as he did!"

"I thought you heard me!" I whined as I tried to free my cheeks from her fingers. "Why am I getting in trouble?!"

"Because a certain swordsman was about to tear this place apart looking for you!" She finally released me.

"It's not my fault Luffy went the wrong way!" I pouted as I rubbed my cheek. "I thought I was helping!"

She held her forehead and sighed heavily. "Honestly... I feel like I have to babysit everyone..."

"Oh, yeah! Ace!" Luffy leaped to his feet and leaned over the railing.

"Your brother was with you?" Sanji got to his feet and dusted off.

"Is it okay to just leave him there?" Usopp asked as he and Zoro joined up with us. I went right to Zoro and hid behind him.

"I guess he'll be okay," Luffy turned to face us and leaned against the railing. "Ace is really strong."

"He's strong?" Chopper asked with wonder in his eyes.

"Yeah!" Luffy smiled. "He hadn't eaten the Flame-Flame Fruit that long ago, but I still never beat him in a single fight! He's real strong, Ace is!"

"You mean there's a flesh and blood person you couldn't beat?" Nami asked, shocked.

"I guess the big brother of a monster is an even bigger monster..." Usopp shuddered.

"That's right! I lost all the time!" He sounds so proud of that fact. "But I'd win now if we tried!"

"But it was a draw when you guys had an arm wrestling competition." I came out from hiding.

"Hm, that is true."

"So I'll assume that's another groundless claim," Zoro wrapped his arm tightly around me.

"Who can win what now?" A voice called from the waters. Luffy gave a startled cry as Ace landed right behind him on the railing.

"Oh, Ace!" Lufy said from his spot on the floor. "This is the crew I was telling you about!"

"Oh! Thank you all for taking care of my little brother!" He smiled and stood.

"Eh, oh, not at all." The others said as I smirked.

"He might be a little much to handle, but..."

"Nope, not at all," Okay, them talking in unison is starting to freak me out a bit.

"Take good care of him." Ace bowed his head to us. "Oh, Mira! I see you got back safely as well!"

"As safely as I could with this numbskull."

"I do apologize for him,"

"It's all good." I waved him off.

"You probably have a lot of catching up to do," Sanji said as he pulled out a cigarette. "Why don't you come in? I'll make some tea."

"Uh, no, it's okay. Don't do it on account of me," Ace pointed a finger and lit Sanji's cig.

"Oh, talk about unexpected."

"That's for sure." I tried to ease some of Zoro's tension by rubbing his arms.

"I would've expected him to be as reckless as Luffy." Usopp stated as he stared.

"Eh, he has his moments," I moved to massaging Zoro's shoulders, which seemed to help more.

"No, this sensible man can't possibly be Luffy's brother!" Nami said in denial.

"He's a nice guy who cares about his brother!" Zoro still seems a bit stressed. I climbed up onto his back to get a better hold on him.

"Brothers can be so wonderful!" Chopper sniffed.

"The seas are full of surprises," Sanji took a drag of his cigarette. Can no one really believe that Ace is Luffy's brother? There is some resemblance, and they can both be just as reckless; I saw what they did to that poor barrel.

"See? Aren't these guys neat?" Luffy grinned at his brother.

I looked up, my eyes popping wide. I patted Zoro's head and pointed. He looked up to see what I had seen. Baroque Works ships pulled out of no where and began to close in.

"Those are the Billions ships!" Vivi clenched her fists and glared at them.

"Fire Fist Ace, Straw Hat Luffy, and Elmira Hojosen! Don't think you can get away!"

"Oh, great. Not these guys again," I rested my arms on Zoro's head and rested my head on them.

"You met up with them?!" Vivi gasped as she spun to face me.

"Yeah, but not for long," I shrugged.

"We'll show you just what Baroque Works Billions are capable of!"

"Ah, shut your trap," I yawned. "Don't be too worried, guys. Luffy took down the leader in a snap, with Ace's assistance."

"Luffy," We turned to Ace. "Let me clean them up." He jumped off the railing. I climbed off Zoro and headed for the railing. I got there as he raced off on a small boat for one person.

"What's he gonna do in that little boat?" Usopp asked in a whisper.

Zoro draped an arm over me. "Let's see how skilled this Second Division Commander of the White Beard pirates really is." We all huddled around the front of the ship as Ace headed right for the five ships. From what I could see, he was powering the ship with the flames coming off his feet.

As he got close, he jumped off his boat and sent it under water. Nami gasped. "He jumped! Is he gonna make it?"

"F-fire!" One of the men shouted as Ace caught his whole body on fire. He spun gracefully in the air. "Shoot him into the ocean!" His little boat popped back up from under water just in time for Ace to land on it. We watched in amazement as he flung his arm out.

"Fire Fist!"

"Ah, so that's how he got his name." I nodded in understanding.

That single, powerful punch blasted through all five of the ships. Nothing stood a chance as smoke billowed from the wreckage. Our mouths hung open in awe as Luffy struggled to stay seated.

Ace headed back over to us and attached his ship to us. The crew greeted him with cheers and booze.

"Woohoo! Ace is one of us now!" Usopp held up a tankard. "Cheers!" He, Luffy, and Chopper clanked them together.

"Who said I was joinging you?!" Ace snapped from his seat.

"Here's to delicious drinks," Usopp ignored him. "Cheers!"

"Cheers!" The three of them clanked their tankards again. I rolled my eyes and sipped from mine. They're a bunch of goofballs. I lowered my head covering and shook my hair out. My ears twitched and wiggled at their freedom.

"Don't worry about it," Nami grinned. "They're always looking for an excuse to drink to."

"Medicine is horrible!" Luffy shouted.

"Cheers!"

"Luffy's an idiot!"

"Cheers! Hey! That's not nice, Mira!"

"You cheered! It's official!" I took a big gulp of my drink.

"That's not fair! I'm not talking to you anymore! Ace!" Ha, I win. "Are you sure you won't join us?"

"I'm chasing a certain man," He responded. "His name's Black Beard."

"Black Beard?"

"He's the pirate who attacked Drum Island." Vivi explained to Usopp.

"He used to be a member of the Second Division of the White Beard pirates," Ace continued. "One of my men. But he committed one of the worst possible sins on a pirate ship: he killed a crew member and jumped ship."

I nearly choked on my drink. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah," He stared into his drink. "So as the commander, I gotta find and get rid of him."

"So that's why you're chasing after him?" Usopp asked around a bite of food.

He nodded. "I came here because I caught wind that he was seen here in Yuba."

"Then your destination is the same as ours," Nami piped up as she looked to Vivi.

She pulled out a map. "We've just entered the Sandora River. First, we'll land in Erumalu, then head into the interior of Alabasta to reach Yuba here." Vivi traced our route on the map. "The leader of the Rebel army is in Yuba."

"I see," Ace scratched his chin. "So you're heading to Yuba next. To try and stop them."

"I'll follow Nami-san and Vivi-chan wherever they go!" I rolled my eyes at Sanji and leaned into Zoro.

"Get lost, love cook," I chuckled at Zoro and snuggled closer.

"Why you-"

"Anyway!" Vivi shouted over them. "It looks like we can travel together for a short while."

"Yeah, yeah! His brother is more than welcome here!" Usopp nodded vigorously.

"You just want another person to hide behind."

"N-not true!" He stuttered.

Luffy laughed and raised his tankard. "Let's have a fun time, Ace!"

"Yeah!" We all stood and clanked our tankards together.

Now let's just hope nothing goes wrong.