You couldn't be more happier to drop these spoiled, entitled aristocrats off with Admiral Kizaru. Since he was an Admiral technically these people should've been on his ship a lot sooner, but he just couldn't be bothered about it, until Garp got in his face about it. Which is why Garp made sure to drop them off with him before we docked at our next destination.

You docked at a rather large port town with a rather large Marine town along with it. The locals and Marines co-mingled and a lot them seemed to be married with families. You liked seeing kids. Especially kids who weren't rich and spoiled. You were watching them from the railing and smiling as they waved at you welcoming you to their home.

"Finally those jerks are gone!" You heard the familiar voice of Grount behind you, and removed your smile from your face before turning to him. "Hey you look different. Relaxed almost."

He commented on your appearance. You had your hair in a lose pony tail, loosely fitted black pants, and a simple white t-shirt.

"I'm off duty once we dock, and I want to explore the island." You simply stated.

"Oh yeah? Have lunch with me before then yeah?" You were about to protest but you didn't you simply followed him and went to the canteen to eat. Sure enough the atmosphere was a lot better than it had been when the cruise goers were here. No one even paid attention to you two coming in. Something you were grateful for.

"Yo Grount! Y/N!" You saw Helmeppo waving you both over they'd grabbed their share of food and you sat down, across from Grount and Helmeppo right next to Captain Koby. Who seemed to be full of nervous energy for some reason. Had been since that night he'd fallen asleep in your bed. You chalked it up to him being embarrassed for being so tired that he'd not gone to his own room. You hadn't minded though, when he slept next to you, your nightmares weren't as scary.

"So Koby I heard you're going to the festival this island has going on in a few days. You going with someone?"

"Oh um, I think so." That got both other boys to stop eating and just stare at their friend.

"Woah woah, hang on you have a date?" The stupid canary was talking way too loud. It wasn't even a date, you were just fulfilling a promise. You took a sip of your water and just stayed quiet.

"I mean, I don't really think it's a date, and well lets just say I did something I shouldn't have and now, I'm too nervous to see if she still is willing to go with me."

"Who is she?" Grount asked with a mouth full of food.

"She-" he looked up for the first time that you'd sat down. When he did he fell over in his seat and spilled his drink all over himself. "Y Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y/N-San?"

You nodded your head to him. "Hello Captain Koby."

"W w-w-w-w-when did you get here?"

"Just now with Grount."

He blushed then and looked down at the floor. He seemed like he'd rather get eaten by a Sea King instead of being where he currently was. You decided to leave if only so he could feel better about sitting at the table.

"And Captain Koby I do intend to keep my promise and go with you to the festival since I didn't go with you for your birthday. I will meet you in three days at the main gate. I think I'll go have lunch on the island. Good bye." And just like that you left, as you walked out you heard Grount yell.

"Holy shit! What was that?" Causing another involuntary smirk to make it past your lips.

-Day Before the Festival-
<One a Beach opposite of the port>

"Captain, Captain everything is ready for tomorrow night!"

"Good job. We move during the festival."

"Aye aye Captain."

He smirked and walked around the rocks and stared at the lowering sun. Exhaling and inhaling enjoying the moment of quiet. Ever since he became a Warlord, his life had gotten easier in the sense that the Navy could no longer hunt him down, and his bounty stayed the same. Not thathe cared all that much.

"Let us go!" He turned to see two little girls no older than 8 being taken away by a group of men. Probably to be sold.

"Stop your squirming!" The bigger of the two slapped the girl with red hair and pig tails. Before he could move the big guy suddenly went down. And the two girls disappeared. Taking another look, an older girl probably 16 came out, looking rather angry.

"Who the hell are you bitch?"

"Just a passerby." She spoke in a calm demeanor that he could appreciate.

"Where did those brats go?"

"I sent them home to their families where they belong." She didn't move, it didn't seem like she even blinked. "And you bastards are under arrest."

They all laughed, but then something else happened that he didn't see. The rest of the men were taken down. The girl looked just as surprised but then the one who had knocked them all out, stood beside her and it was someone he recognized.

"Captain Koby? How did you-where did you-I mean." She was flustered.

"I was trying to locate you since you left the ship earlier, I tried to find your haki, but you're a little hard to locate today. I ran into two little girls who said that you saved them from being sold." He smiled at her and she looked away, seemingly embarrassed and that was where he turned to walk away. He didn't need to see two teenage marines flirting.

"This makes things extremely complicated. Guys! We need to rework our plan. A hinderance just came up!" Koby of the Marines. The soldier who had been protected by Akagami Shanks and had helped ended the war. His plan was to come and go from Rocky Port without incident.

<Reader's POV>

You were both frustrated and relieved when Captain Koby showed up. You had finally successfully used Soru when you rescued those little girls. You wanted to try your hand at combat considering you'd been training for it since joining Garps unit. But thinking about it again, there were 5 of them, and you got lucky with the leader they were distracted by him suddenly falling over after you hit him in the temple with a big rock. You wanted to yell and throw a fit, telling the boy next to you that he didn't need to interfere. But instead what you said was:

"Thank You, are the girls okay?" You weren't looking at him, but you could feel his goofy grin and eyes directed at you.

"Why don't you ask them. I told them we'd walk them home." He called Helmeppo and told them where to find the smugglers.

When you saw the girls, they ran to you hugging your legs crying.

"Big Sister. Thank you I didn't think we'd ever see our mommy or daddy every again."

You bent down and patted their heads, offering them a slight smile that didn't go unnoticed by the Captain.

"I'm just glad I was at the right place at the right time. But you know Captain Koby here kicked their butts for me." You looked to him with the smile still on your face and he smiled back, causing your cheeks to warm and a slight blush appear on your face.

"Are you two Marines?" You nodded your head.

"That's so cool I want to be a marine when I grow up!!"

Koby chuckled and you all started walking, you were chatting with the girls until you came to their house and explained what had happened to the parents, and they started to warn everyone else on the island.

When you and Koby returned to the ship he was still grinning at you.

"Did you want to say something Captain Koby?"

"You're really good with kids, those girls loved you."

"I like kids." You simply said.

"A new Y/N-San fact I bet no one ever knew." He chuckled and you blushed again.

"AHHH there she is! Hey Y/N Garp has been looking for you. He said to get dressed in your formals and to head to the main dock. Hurry!" Grount had a big grin on his face and you didn't know why. You simply shrugged and started off, trying to shake off the fact, that you had indeed said something about yourself that you probably shouldn't have, Captain Koby was slowly making waves in your heart, and you honestly didn't know how to stop it from happening.

Not 5 minutes later you were dressed in your formal gear and headed to the main dock but before you reached it, there was two soldiers you hadn't recognized before. But both of them were Vice Admirals so before you took another step, you saluted them.

"L/N Y/N reporting sirs. Forgive me but I do not know your names."

The guy with the sharp features and equally sharp hair chuckled.

"My name is Vice Admiral Momonga and this is Vice Admiral Strawberry. We're here to take you to your promotion ceremony." He smiled then but you were simply confused. "Young lady were you not told what was going on?" You simply shook your head no. "Garp I swear, oh well no matter. You just need to stand there listen to the old coots speech and then give an acceptance speech."

I have to do what now? Most of these people hate my guts.

"Yessir." Is what you ended up saying even if it was far from what you were feeling.

You heard a horn and he turned and moved his head in a gesture that meant to follow him. Which you did. As you walked on the deck, the men and women on board lined up on either sides and made an isle. You and the two Vice Admirals walked between them, everyone saluting them as they passed. They sure as hell wouldn't be saluting you. When you got to the stage, they offered their hands, which you took and the led you to Garp.

The old man was smiling ear to ear as you came up. Like a proud Grandpa giving his grandkid a reward. A thought you regretted thinking the minute it formed, considering he'd watched his grandson be killed in front of him.

"Tonight we are honoring a very dedicated soldier and medic. Working with this young lady for 6 months I can say that she has indeed impressed me and many other of her fellow soldiers. She is being promoted from Major to Major General, as a medic that is the highest rank you can achieve." There were whispers from the crowd most in disbelief that you had just outranked half of them in attendance. Your rank was on par with a Lt. rank for combat soldiers meaning, anyone below you would have to follow your orders, or face punishment.

I didn't want this! What the hell is going on.

"She displayed great calm, and organization in the most recent events, when she took charge of the medical staff and placed everyone where they needed to be in and saved all except one. And that is a huge deal. She is direct and to the point, something that is needed in her line of work. many of you don't appreciate the fact that despite what you all say about her, she still treats you with dignity and respect and cares enough about your well-being to tell it to you as it is. I am here to tell you that is a pathetic reason not to like someone. Yes she is gloomy and yes, she doesn't say much but when she does, it's something that needs to be said. L/N Y/N step forward."

You did, not emotion on your face. When Garp pinned the medals to your chest showing your new rank. He pinched your nose and laughed at your face.

"Congrats Y/N. Koby was right you deserve this promotion, it's something I should've given to you a while ago. Now why don't you say something to everyone so we can all go inland and celebrate."

You took a step forward and looked out at everyone.

"Thank you for the opportunity. I will always strive to save everyone as long as I am allowed to do so." You bowed than walked off the stage. Leaving everyone in attendance baffled and confused.

"Is that her way of saying that she won't let anyone die?"
"Does that mean that she'll make sure we're always healthy?"
"What did she mean by as long as she is allowed? Was she going to get canned?"
"Why would they fire a perfectly good medic for a stupid reason like a gloomy personality."
"Don't ask me youngsters these days are way too sensitve."

You heard them all as you walked through them again. These voices were not from your ship. These guys must've come from either Momonga or Strawberry's ships.

That night you didn't go out to celebrate with everyone else. You simply showered and made tea, which was disrupted when a soldier you'd never seen before came in. He wore a funky hat with black dots on it, and his outfit seemed like he had just tried to put it on for the first time.

"May I help you?" You didn't get up, but he came to you. He just stared at you, you couldn't see his face very well, but at the very least he was in fact a little older than you. You stood and gave a bow. "Sorry sir, are you feeling okay, I'm this ship's doctor."

"You?" The disbelief in his voice was prominent. He didn't even try to hide it, and it wasn't like he was disrespecting you he just found it hard to believe. "Why is a doctor self medicating?" He was referring to your tea.

"It's Belladonna and Lavendar. To help me sleep."

"Hmmmmm." He kept staring at you seemingly amused. "Well I just wanted to meet the woman the papers were talking about the one who single handedly saved all those passengers from the cruise ship."

"I didn't save everyone." You whispered thinking about the one soldier who's injuries were beyond rescuing. You still remembered what he said before he died.

I'm just glad I could keep the little ones safe.

A hand was on your head and it ruffled your hair, causing it to become a mess, and the man in question who did it to chuckle at your now disheveled appearence.

"Not as annoying as I thought you would be." With that he left.

"Jerk." Not 5 minutes later you passed out. But before you did you had an insane thought run through your mind.

Will Koby come here again tonight?