One Piece 1. This is gonna be one heck of a day

Chapter 1: This is gonna be one heck of a day...

* * *

Margaret Silver sighed. It was another Monday morning and her daughter was still, supposedly, asleep in her room. It was either that, or the possibility that she had her nose in another one of those annoying Japanese comic books.

All of _her_ bets were on the, "annoying-foreign-graphic-novel" theory.  
Ever since Emerald's father, Jonathan Silver started a new top-secret project with his company, he had been constantly traveling back and forth between America and Japan. Hence why Emerald had so many _One Piece_ volumes.  
"EMERALD!" Margaret called up the stairs, "EMERALD GET UP! YOU HAVE TO GO TO SCHOOL! REMEMBER?"  
There was no response.  
"For Pete's sake..." She stormed up the stairs.  
Emerald D. Silver, huddled under her covers and still in her PJ's, flipped through her new volume of _One Piece_. She absolutely adored the series, and the sense of magic portrayed in each and every one of Echiiro Oda's characters. The book that she currently held in her hand was a point in the series in which, the Straw-Hat Pirates meet up with Nefeltari Vivi, the princess of a desert kingdom, and quickly learn that her homeland is in grave danger. Vivi, Luffy and the crew search frantically for the man behind it all. This man went by the alias of Mr. 0, but was publicly known as-

Suddenly, the bedroom door knob rattled.  
"EMERALD."  
The door flew open and in came her mother, blond bed-head, and blue eyes piercing like sharp knives.  
"Wake up! It's already 7:00! You're going to be late for the bus, again!" She prodded at the lump under the covers. "Emerald Diana Silver, get your butt out of bed and into the shower, right now! Are you even listening?"  
"Mum! Knock it off. I'm coming."  
"Then come out from under there."  
"I will..."  
A few minutes passed in silence.  
"_NOW_, Emerald."  
Emerald didn't respond.  
"Emerald, are you reading those stupid comic books again?"  
Still no response.  
Frustrated, Mrs. Silver ripped the blankets up off of Emerald.  
"HEY!" Emerald shouted in surprise.  
"Emerald. Stop reading those stupid picture books. Besides aren't they for five year olds?" she snatched the book from Emerald. "Give me that..."  
"Excuse me? A: They're called Mangas, and B- HEY! WAIT! I was reading that!"  
"And you can read it later when you get home this afternoon and finish your homework."  
"MOM-"  
"I don't want to hear it Emerald. Now get yourself out of bed and get ready."  
Emerald pouted in frustration and jumped out of bed.  
"Stupid uncultured mother..." She grumbled.  
"What was that, Missy?" Her mother snapped.  
Emerald felt a sudden wave of arrogance wash over her. "You heard me."  
"Emerald!"  
"I don't have to listen to you."

Her mother bit her lower lip. Margaret Silver was famous for biting her lip whenever she felt angry or upset. "Give me your phone and your car keys. You're taking the bus."  
"No."  
"NOW. GIVE THEM TO ME NOW, EMERALD."

"Well maybe I don't want to."

"Well maybe you're going to. I don't want to ask you again."

Emerald groaned again and threw the keys to her mother.  
"I'm so sick of you always taking control of my life! You do realize that I'm seventeen now, right? I think I can handle myself and my problems on my own, don't you think?"

She stomped down the stairs to the bathroom and slammed the door shut. Her fuming mother followed.  
"EMERALD, THAT IS NO WAY TO TREAT YOUR MOTHER! OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!"  
"I DON'T HAVE TO!" Emerald shouted through the door.  
"EMERALD I WILL COUNT TO THREE AND YOU BETTER OPEN THIS DOOR." Her mother was enraged now. "ONE."  
"I'M NOT THREE MOM! YOU REALLY THINK THAT'S GOING TO WORK?"  
"TWO."  
"ALL YOU DO IS RUIN MY LIFE! I CAN'T HAVE ANY TIME TO MYSELF OR EVEN TAKE CARE OF MY OWN PROBLEMS! DID YOU EVER WONDER WHY THAT HAPPENS?"  
There was a cold silence.  
"Is that really what you think of me?" Margaret spoke in an icy tone. "After I take you, and your brat-friends out every single day. I drive you around and never get anything in return. And then on top of it all your father comes home with these stupid books to distract you from your chores. THEN I'm the only one left to do all the work around the house. I clean your room. I do the bills. I wash the dishes. And what have you done? What do you do in return? Absolutely nothing!"  
"That's a load of Bull," Emerald retorted. "You always complain that your life is boring and you go out all the time. We always go where YOU want to go. And also since when do my Manga books and Dad have anything to do with this? Mom, do you have any idea how unbelievably hypocritical you sound-"  
"Just take your shower and get ready."  
"Ooh. Looks like Mamma's giving up." Emerald taunted in a sarcastic tone; she couldn't seem to stop herself. "Come on you want say something else?"  
The air grew still on both sides of the door.  
"Until you learn to grow up, I suggest you say goodbye to your precious little picture books..." She muttered.  
"I told you their called-"  
"But until then they'll find a great home in the garbage can." Margaret interrupted.  
Emerald whipped the door open. "You can't just do that! Besides those books have nothing to do with this!"  
"Watch me."  
"MOM-"  
"Get in the shower, Emerald, you're going to be late for school."  
"IF DAD WERE HERE, HE WOULDN'T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIS INSANITY!" Emerald flung the door so hard that it almost crashed though the framing.  
She whipped the shower on and pulled the curtain shut. Grabbing the shampoo, she squeezed a flowery-scented liquid into her hand and frantically scrubbed her hair. The suds cleansed her anger and the sweet smell calmed her as well. Sometimes she liked to pretend that the shower was a hot spring or a secret spa that she only knew about.

The hot water melted her emotionally and washed away the remaining suds.  
After turning the shower nozzle again she stepped out of the showers short steamy trance and immediately recalled her frustration.  
In her towel, she ran back up the stairs to her bed room to finish getting ready.

Clothes were flying everywhere as Emerald ripped out her draws to find a suitable outfit for school.  
She stopped. Something dawned on her.  
Why did she always have to look nice for school? Why did she even have to worry about her studies?  
Everyday she'd come home and stress constantly over her work.  
If she missed one day, it wouldn't make much of a difference. Not once had she taken a sick day off of school, so why not take one off today?  
But, her mother was probably frustrated enough, and wouldn't fall for a faked illness. Then again, what if she pretended to go to school?

It _was_ a beautiful day. "Such a beautiful day shouldn't be wasted." She slyly whispered to herself. "I think I'll take a walk to the dunes at the beach."  
Emerald emptied all of her text books, binders and supplies out of her backpack, stuffing them under her bed, then searched around her room for items to take to the town beach. Keeping an eye on the time, she slipped on a red, two-piece bathing suit, jumped into a pair of jeans, and threw on a blue and white striped hoodie over the bathing suit. By the time she finished getting ready, the clock read, "7:00 AM."

She ran downstairs, and without her mother noticing, Emerald grabbed the _One Piece_ book she had previously been reading. She flew out the door like a shot and headed down the street towards the beach.


	2. Storm

Chapter 2: Storm

Kuragari sprinted furiously down the streets of Province-Town looking for someone. An individual with whom her boss had requested a meeting. She stopped, and looked down at the written assignment he had given to her; It gave a vague description of what the mystery client looked like, but it wasn't much help.  
A small breeze danced through her black shoulder-length hair as she sighed in frustration. If she and the other agents had been allowed to meet with their boss, then their job would have been far easier than it currently was. Looking up and down the street for possible witnesses, she continued down the sidewalk.  
The vice president had warned Kuragari before the mission not to make a scene. For if she did, the consequences would be dire. NONE of the agents were allowed to expose their true identities and code names to anyone outside of the organization. Any simple pedestrian could be considered a potential threat to the Boss' plans.  
Suddenly, there was another set of footsteps moving rapidly toward her. Kuragari was barely able to look up when a blond girl with bright green eyes, looking the other way, ran straight into her.  
Both seventeen year-olds hit the ground with a loud, 'THUD!'  
"O-OH MY GOSH! I'M SORRY! I'M SO, SO SORRY! Are you OK!" Emerald got up immediately to help Kuragari up. "Please excuse me I didn't mean to-"  
"Watch where you're going, you klutz." Kuragari spoke in an annoyed tone. "I'm late for something important and I don't need you to delay me any further."  
Emerald frowned. She was about to say something back when she looked at the girl's eyes. "...Are those some kind of weird contacts or something?" She asked, curiously noting Kuragari's bright red irises.  
"It's my natural eye-color, moron. Now if you'll excuse me, I've wasted enough time here." She sneered as she quickly pushed past Emerald, and took a corner.  
_What's her problem?_ Emerald thought to herself.  
A hissing noise in the distance made her jump. Emerald whipped around to notice a bus pulling up to one of the houses down the street. Immediately, she turned and rushed in the opposite direction.

About twenty minutes later, Emerald reached the edge of the town. Houses became progressively further apart, and there were fewer shops. Finally she arrived at the edge of a large sandy dune, relaxation was just a short walk away. Emerald slipped off her sneakers and placed them in her backpack. She figured that if she had left her footwear on the edge of the dune, another person that she knew might recognize them and become suspicious.  
Taking her first step, she dipped her toes into the warm, soft sand. A gentle breeze skimmed the top of a nearby dune, releasing a small shower of grainy flakes that danced through the air. The crashing of waves on the shore echoed in the distance.  
No matter what beach it was, Emerald always loved the ocean. She wasn't sure why, either. Her family lived in the heart of Province Town, a small, cramped city on the very tip of the United States. Although she could just walk to the ocean, she never had time to because of school and work. But, whenever she had a moment to herself, she would immediately drive to her favorite beach. It was a place of peace, and a special place of her own.  
A sunny spot between two dunes near the shore called out to her. It reminded her of a small sandy shelter.  
Placing her belongings on the ground, she unzipped her back pack and pulled out the _One Piece_ Volume. Then, she finally began to read. This time, there would be no distractions.  
As, she opened the book, a bright glow emanated from the cover, then faded away. Concluding that it was most likely the sun hitting the cover, she dismissed the sudden phenomenon.  
She continued to read, until a sudden feeling of fatigue hit her. The waves and the quiet, soothing sounds of the sea were lulling her to sleep.  
"Maybe I'll close my eyes and meditate for just a few minutes." Emerald yawned, and curled up in the soft white sand.

It must have been one of the most bizarre dreams that she had ever had. Emerald found herself standing in a room of flawless, pure, white marble. The entire room was perfectly symmetrical, there were no designs, doors, or windows, and each wall was the exact same length as the other. The only part of the room that stood out was the one wall that held two large flags, side by side. Emerald studied each flag carefully and gasped; The first flag was a simple Jolly Roger flag with the skull and cross-bones. It didn't phase Emerald too much because she was always dreaming about pirates.  
But it was the flag next to the Jolly Roger that sent a shiver down her spine. The second flag was white and had a blue symbol on it that must of resembled a seagull. Below the symbol was the word "MARINE."  
The emblem was the exact same Marine emblem from _One Piece_.  
"Impossible..." she whispered, "I usually never dream about-"  
Suddenly, man's booming laugh broke the silence and shattered the haunting serenity of the marble room. It was an evil laugh, a strained laugh, and Emerald recognized it all too well.  
"Emerald D. Silver, you've made it this far..." The voice taunted her. "I'm surprised that you haven't gotten yourself killed yet."  
More laughter shook the room. Emerald didn't understand what he was talking about. She tried to shout back, but no sound came from her lips. The walls began to crumble and the two flags ignited. Again, Emerald tried to scream but it was no use. Shielding her head with her hands, she squeezed her eyes shut and dropped to her knees. Chunks of marble fell all around her, there was nowhere to run. Tears streamed down her cheeks, she knew that she was about to die. Then, everything went silent.

Emerald awoke to the sound of crashing waves and the harsh whipping of the wind. Sweat rolled down her face. The dream, unlike her other ones, had felt so real.  
Putting it aside she looked up at the sky in horror. Black clouds covered the once bright blue sky and the warmth of the bright shining sun. Thunder rolled in the distance.  
_What the hell is going on! _Emerald panicked._ It was sunny just a little while ago! How long was I asleep for!_  
She looked down at her watch. It read 8:00am, she had only been there for a half hour, it was impossible for a storm this huge to appear out of the blue. The wind picked up and hurled waves of sand in all different directions. Thunder roared again, but when Emerald looked up, no lightning was to be seen. In fact, it wasn't even raining.  
She listened again to see if she could determine the direction in which the thunder was coming from. Again it boomed, this one louder than the others. She followed the sound, turned, and shrieked. The wind was moving rapidly now at an impossible speed, so much so that it lifted the sand and started to form a sandstorm.  
_"What!"_ Emerald screamed. The poor girl was completely beside herself. She came to, immediately grabbing her items, and scurried in the direction of the town.  
But, she was missing something.  
_My book..._  
Emerald rushed back to the spot where she had slept and searched frantically in the sand for her Manga. A bright light glowed from one spot in the sand. Triumphant she dug it up and started to stand, when a sudden blow on the back of her head knocked her back down.  
She hit the sand hard.  
A buzzing noise rang in her ear and her head began to throb. Warm liquid slowly dripped from the spot where she had been struck.  
Blood.  
Everything started to get blurry.  
Emerald tried to scream, but the roar of the storm drowned out her voice.  
When she thought that it couldn't have gotten any worse, a strong arm seized her by the waist and lifted her into the air. No matter how hard she kicked and struggled, she couldn't break their grasp. The figure held her tightly, and didn't plan on letting her go anytime soon.  
Were they trying to save her, or were they trying to attack her?  
The way they handled her told Emerald that this individual was definitely not on her side.  
Sounds of the sea faded, and the roar of the sandstorm became only a whisper. Emerald's vision was failing her. She began to limply dangle in her captor's arms, and she lost her grip on her belongings, dropping them into the sand below her. Feeling her position shift, the person, it was definitely a man, whispered the chilling words in her ear, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Emerald D. Silver."  
Emerald slowly closed her eyes. Her body let go.  
Finally, everything went black.


	3. Familiar Faces That Ive Never Met Before

Chapter: 3- Familiar Faces That I've Never Met Before

All of it had to be a dream, in no time at all Emerald D. Silver would be once again asleep in her bed. Besides, if she _had_ been kidnapped, would she ever see her family again? Fragments of the event echoed in her memory; the kidnapper, the grains of sand scraping against her face, and the strange phenomenon of the illuminating manga book. It wasn't possible, but then again, could such a dream be as detailed and sophisticated as hers had been?

Two voices, a man and a woman, interrupted her thoughts.

"Tashigi, what's happened here?" His voice was deep and husky.

"Captain, we found her outside of the marine base. It appears that our victim had been mugged." The female sergeant, Tashigi, replied. "There's a wound on the back of her head."

"Do you have any idea where she came from?"

"No. She wasn't carrying any sort of identification with her. Just a few personal items, and a book."

"What about the harbor incident, did you recover anything else?"

Tashigi adjusted her glasses.

"No sir, I just sent a few more men to scout the area."

"I see..." The man walked over to the couch where Emerald lay. He gently touched her shoulder.

Emerald didn't stir. She figured that the two voices were another part of her never-ending dream.

"Hey... Miss, wake up." he muttered softly, then turned to Tashigi. "She seems to be breathing normally."

"Oh! That's wonderful!" Tashigi cried.

Emerald opened an eye, only to catch a glimpse of the man, then squeezed it shut as he turned back to her. He was very tall and had a muscular build, but wore a very business-like expression on his face. His eyes were an intense gray. Between his teeth, he held two large buck cigars. But, the feature that stood out the most was his short, pure white hair.

"Well, it appears that our guest is awake." The man addressed Emerald.

Emerald squeezed her eyes tighter, but that only made it obvious that she wasn't unconscious anymore.

"Open your eyes kid." The man said. "What? Do you think we're stupid?"

Slowly, she opened her eyes.

"N-No sir-" Emerald began.

She kept staring at the man sitting in front of her. "Uh, sorry if this sounds kinda strange, but, have I met you somewhere before?"

He cocked his head to one side, "No, miss. I don't believe I've ever seen you before. In fact, do you even live here?"

"That's just it," Emerald answered, "where is '_here_?'"

Tashigi joined the conversation, "You're in the city of Nanohana in the desert country of Alabasta. You _have_ heard of it before, haven't you?"

Emerald uncomfortably shifted in her seat, laughing nervously, "Oh yeah... I know the name all too well..."

Their blank expressions made her anxious. They looked serious.

"If you know so much about the country then why not tell us where _you're_ from?" the man began to question her.

"Captain Smoker, I don't think we need to interrogate her she's only a passerby-"

"Hold on a second!" Emerald blurted out; her head ached as she did so. "Did you just call him Smoker?"

Tashigi nodded.

"And just a little while ago, he called you Tashigi, correct?"

"Miss, I'm not sure if I'm understanding you correctly-"

"Oh god. I'm dreaming. I must be dreaming." Emerald panicked. "I'm gonna close my eyes and I'm gonna wake up in my bed back at home. That's right. This is all just one wacky dream."

She laid back down and shut her eyes. Both puzzled, Smoker and Tashigi looked at each other.

"Well, Tashigi, looks like you picked up another maniac..." Smoker muttered and shook Emerald again. "Wake up, already."

"My apologies, Captain-"

"AH!" Emerald jolted. "YOU'RE STILL HERE! ….I must be really tired. Maybe I need to try harder!"

Determined, she scrunched up her face, and, again, flopped down onto the sofa.

Massaging the bridge of his nose, Smoker closed his eyes and exhaled.

_This might take some time..._

It was painful enough watching her struggle to "awaken". Somewhere, he felt a spark of pity for the girl.

Five minutes passed, and Smoker's lack of patience got the better of him.

Emerald's face was practically purple when he seized her by the shoulders and sat her up. Emerald yelped in surprise.

"Enough of that. I don't know how you know us or why you're acting so foolish," he grumbled, "but I don't have the time to deal with you, got it? So if you'll calmly explain how you got here and just who the hell you are, I'll kindly help you get back to... wherever you came from."

Frightened by his sudden change in mood, she quickly shook her head, and obeyed. "Um... My name is Emerald D. Silver..." She began.

"OK, Ms. Silver, that's a good start. Now where are you from?" he took a seat on a nearby stool.

"Um... excuse me?" She tried to sound confused.

"Where. Do. You. _LIVE?_"

"Like, specifically describe where I live?"

"Am I asking you any differently?"

"Er...No sir..."

"Then tell me."

"Um..."

She wanted to tell them everything that had happened to her. The dream, the storm on the beach, the mysterious captor who dropped her in the middle of nowhere. But there was no explanation for it all.

Sweat rolled down her face again. It wasn't a dream, and she knew it. Whoever had nabbed her from the beach, must have used some sort of illusion. Maybe, he was a magician, or possibly a teleporter?

No, teleporting was illegal in the United States.

And, by the time she had reached high school, everyone knew that magic didn't exist (and only a few knew about the teleporting Swiss-folk, but that's another story...). Anyone who even mentioned the phrase, "wanna see a magic trick?" was laughed at. P-town was full of Drag Queens, Human Statues, break-dancers, and other street performers with strange acts, yet none used 'magic' for their performance. "Save it for the whack-jobs up in Salem!" they'd say.

Magic or not, Emerald found herself in a disturbing situation.

Truthfully, she didn't know how it all occurred or why. The very last thing that she ever expected to happen, happened. What was clear, the only thing that hardly made sense, made her nauseous;

She was no longer in America. In fact, she no longer stood on the face of the Earth. This world wasn't anything like hers. Here, the impossible happened; fiction became non-fiction. Where was here? Emerald swallowed hard.

Nerves tightened, as one phrase played over and over in her head.

It was no illusion, _she was in a comic book._

And, not just any comic book, she was in _One Piece_.

"Are you just going to sit there and look down at the floor like you're about to puke or are you going to start giving me some information?" he cut in. "This is the last time I'll ask nicely."

"I'm...I'm from West Blue." Emerald lied.

In _One Piece,_ the world was divided by a long strip of land called the Red Line. Similar to the Earth's Hemispheres, it had four different oceans; The North Blue, the South Blue, the East Blue, and the West Blue. Also, there was the Grand Line, which was a current that posed as an equator. It was a deadly current that crossed with the Red Line. Some thought it was hell, others thought it was paradise. But for one to truly know, one had to travel there themselves. Alabasta, according to Emerald's knowledge of the story, was an island on the Grand Line.

Although she wasn't the greatest liar, she made her best attempted, but reasonable, fable. True, she didn't have to fib, and she didn't want to; Emerald usually hated fibbing. But, if she told them the truth, would they believe her? Did Captain Smoker and his subordinate even know about the real world? If not, it was likely that the marines would capture her as a fugitive, erasing all paths that led back home.

Was there even a path home?

_Arghh! Stop thinking like that! Pull yourself together Emerald! Just keep it simple. You don't need to complicate things. _She quietly encouraged herself.

"What island in West-Blue did you say you were from?" Smoker queried.

"Uh... That's classified sir!"

_So much for not complicating things..._

A light breeze picked up outside and brushed against the window, making a soft whistling sound that startled her.

"Tashigi," Smoker ordered, his stern eyes fixed on Emerald, "you can leave the room. I think I can handle this one."

"Yes, Captain Smoker." Tashigi shot a worried glance at Emerald, then walked out of the office.

The door clicked shut.

Emerald was shaking, her palms moist with sweat, and her heart beating loudly like a drum. Avoiding his eyes, she kept her gaze focused on the floor tiles underneath her feet. One excuse after another sprouted vigorously in her head as she tried to pick the one that would cease her interrogation. It made her headache worse.

Smoker rose from the stool, making Emerald feel like a little child about to receive a lecture.

"Ms. Emerald, do you know what my biggest pet peeve is?" Smoker suddenly asked.

"I-I'm honestly not sure what you're trying to say, Sir..." Emerald shivered.

"I assumed you wouldn't." Smoker exhaled. "Let me put this simply. I despise pirates. They're the bilge-rats that inhabit the darker parts of this world, and I intend to bring justice to every single one of them; if you catch my drift..."

"I think there's been a misunderstanding, Sir, I'm not a pirate..." She spoke defensively.

"Then how were you able to travel all the way from the West-Blue to the Grand Line?"

"You saw me! I had been mugged!"

"Wrong answer. You should know that Tashigi's horrible at guessing. Besides, you still have your valuables."

"That doesn't prove that I'm a pirate! In fact, it doesn't tell you anything! And for your information, I don't have _all_ of my valuables." Emerald grew tense.

Smoker took notice and smirked. "A ship was spotted twenty miles off the coast of Alabasta the other day. This morning we found a row boat docked in the harbor, it must have arrived over night. We found this inside of it."

Smoker held up a green and yellow striped bag.

Emerald's eyes widened; he caught the change in her expression.

"So this does look familiar to you, eh? I figured it would be yours."

"Th-that's my purse...my...purse..." She trailed off.

Smoker tossed it to her. "It's kind of odd that a girl would end up in front of the Marine base overnight around the same time an abandoned row boat would appear at the docks."

Emerald gawked at the bag then back at Smoker. "...It was you?"

"I'm sorry?"

"You brought me here."

"What the hell are you talking about? I'm asking YOU how YOU got HERE, remember?"

"But how would you know about my purse...?"

"I didn't- ...Were you even listening? The base is about a quarter mile from the docks! I was making an educated guess! Is it not that obvious? Why else would an empty row boat appear overnight, and some unconscious girl just happens to be out in front of the Marine Base _at the same time?_"

"But-!"

"For Pete's sake I don't even know who you are! How would I know how you got here?"

"...My purse-"

"Enough about that damn purse!" Smoker rumbled in frustration. "Where's your crew?"

"My _what_? I told you I'm not a pirate!"

"Come on! There's no way that you, a young woman, could have possibly traveled from West-Blue to the Grand Line in a _dingy_!"

"I could have."

"If you were a pirate..."

"But I'm NOT a PIRATE."

* * *

Outside of the office, two Marines pressed their ears against the door.

"They've been going at it for a while now..." The first one with dark curly brown hair whispered.

"I don't think I've heard the Captain this annoyed before..." Agreed the second, who scratched at his light short brown hair.

"Can you see her?"

"Nah."

"I wonder if she's pretty~?"

"She might be~! I caught a glimpse of her as they took her in~!"

"Lucky~!"

Tashigi spotted the two eaves-droppers and ended their fun immediately. "Hey you two! Get away from there! The Captain's discussing some important business with a client, don't interfere!"

The two ensigns jumped and saluted simultaneously. "YES SARGEANT TASHIGI!"

Tashigi shook her head as they scurried off. "Those two..."

* * *

Smoker examined the young Silver girl. Never in his life had he met someone so clueless and unbelievably stubborn. Minutes passed and he was losing his patience.

The feeling was mutual. Emerald, now both terrified and annoyed, had no way of escaping the Marine base. Not unless she told him why she was _really_ there. No. He wouldn't know about her world. Besides, he was only a _manga character_, right?

But, he could be her only chance.

She took a deep breath.

"OK." She explained. "First off, I'll make this absolutely clear: I. Am. Not. A. Pirate. Understand?

Second, can I trust you to keep a secret for me?"

Smoker frowned. "That all depends if I can trust _you_. Why do you suddenly decide now that you want to tell me the truth?"

"Look, I'll explain everything. Just please promise me. And don't laugh."

Smoker's expression softened. "Alright."

Emerald smiled, then touched the back of her head. "_Ouch...!_"

The wound started to throb again.

Without any effort (or warning), he scooped her up off of the couch and headed for the door. "But first, let's examine that injury of yours."


	4. New Recruit

**Chapter 4: New Recruit**

Emerald awoke the next morning gasping for air. Another bad night's sleep, another nightmare. She'd been recovering in the infirmary for over two days now with positive results.

The Head-Nurse entered the room: about twenty years of age, she had short wild aqua-colored hair. She always wore a sweet reassuring smile that could calm the strongest of hurricanes and ran a 'no-funny-business' clinic. Her name was Verena.

"How are you feeling this morning, Ms. Emerald?"

"Alright." she murmured sleepily.

"Is your head feeling any better?"  
"Actually, yes it is, thank you so much." she grinned.

"Not a problem." She rolled in a hospital cart with a few medical instruments laid out along the surface. "Please put out your arm."

Obediently, Emerald rolled up the sleeve of her hospital gown and gave Verena her arm. The nurse examined it for a moment then wrapped a Velcro instrument around Emerald's arm. She pumped air into the wrap until it fit tightly around the blonde's arm, cutting off circulation.

"Good." She muttered and removed the arm band.

Next she pulled out a tiny flash light and brought it to Emerald's eyes. "Look straight ahead at the wall behind me."

She did as the nurse asked.

The little light flickered back and forth in the corners of her green eyes; she fought back the urge to follow it.

"Excellent," the nurse placed the little flashlight back onto the cart, "looks like you're all set for now."

"Thank you Head-Nurse." Emerald nodded politely.

"Please, I told you to call me Ms. Verena. 'Head-Nurse' makes me feel old. "

"Oh err...Sorry! Thank you, Ms. Verena."

"Anytime, dear."

The sound of heavy foots steps broke the impending silence as Smoker entered the hospital room.

"Oh! Good morning, Sir..." Verena stood up straight and saluted her superior.

Smoker gave her a nod in return.

His gesture served as her cue to leave.

"Well, it looks like I've got quite a busy morning. Ta-ta!" Verena quickly picked everything up and pushed the cart out the door. She called out as she left, "Let me know if you need anything else, dear! Oh, and if you'd like something to drink I left a fresh pot of coffee on the table across from you."

"I will! Thank you, again!" Emerald called back.

Smoker lit a couple cigars then walked over to the window. "Only two days and you're already making friends."

Her smile faded. The young woman shifted in the bed to face the doorway. "Yeah."

She felt his eyes observing her every move like she was a dangerous fugitive, which, in some cases, wasn't completely illogical.

'_Random girl appears at a Marine Base with neither identification nor any knowledge of the land around her; I'd be cautious too._'

Reluctant to speak, she kept her gaze away from the marine. "Okay, so you're here. What do you want?"

"Just came to see how you're doing."

"Of course." She glared at a wall. "And then you're going to arrest as soon as I'm completely healed, right?"

There was a pause before she heard a discernible grunt behind her.

"Whatever." Emerald scoffed.

It was nice of the Captain to have her treated, but Emerald knew that she wasn't welcome there regardless of her condition. Her stay was only temporary, after that she'd be on her own ('On her own,' meaning she was going to be held prisoner immediately after).

"Why else are you here?"

He shrugged. "I wanted to hear that story of yours."

"Oh please, that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard-" His words sank in. "Wait, what?"

"I promised you, didn't I?"

"Yeah I guess so…"

"So tell me."

"I thought you didn't care…"

"I don't. I'm just curious. That's all."

Emerald crossed her arms pouting. "Oh. Well, thank you for your concern."

His sharp gray eyes met hers. "Just tell me the damn story, kid."

She hesitated. "Fine. You won't laugh?"

"I don't ever, usually."

"Well then, pull up a seat, it's going to be a long one."

The Captain seemed to be listening intently. Emerald swallowed hard trying to come up with the best way to start. "It started when my dad went on this business trip with his company…"

Frantic footsteps echoed down the hallway stopping her in mid-sentence. She whipped her head back to the door in time to see two young soldiers stumbling through. Smoker jumped to his feet. "Eh?"

One fell on top of the other and they both hit the floor with a loud 'THUD!'

"Moe, Costello, what the hell are you two doing?" Smoker barked.

The one, whom Emerald presumed to be Costello, stood up and dusted himself off. He was stout, but sturdy, and had dark curly hair. His eyes were small tiny brown orbs that peaked out over his round nose.

Moe, his foil, remained on the floor sputtering curses and complaints at his partner. Unlike Costello, he was tall and slimly built. He had sandy-brown hair and his eyes, big and blue, were hidden beneath thick, dark eyebrows.

"Watch it next time, Gorilla." Moe grumbled.

"Sorry, Moe…" Costello peeped.

"Um, I'm sorry, but who are you two?" Green eyes blinked curiously at the two bumbling fools that had entered the room. She hadn't ever seen them before in _One Piece_, in fact, she never knew they existed.

'_I guess Oda has a name for everyone in the series…_'

Costello bowed awkwardly, almost falling over himself. "Ensign Costello at your service, Miss. And this here is-"

"I can introduce myself, dimwit." Moe huffed, then turned to Emerald. "Call me Ensign Moe."

Costello twiddled his fingers sheepishly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both."

"Likewise!" Costello beamed. "It's an even greater pleasure that we get to work with you!"

"Huh?" Emerald inquired and looked at Smoker. "What are they talking about?"

Smoker sighed and massaged his forehead. "You weren't supposed to know that until later…"

She sat up, prepared to jump out of bed. "Know _what_? Hold on. All of you… _what's going on here?_"

"Calm down, kid."

"_Stop calling me that!_"

Moe intervened before things took a turn for the worst.

"Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have opened my big mouth." He walked over to a freshly brewed pot sitting on a counter-top and began pouring himself a mug of coffee. "Emerald is it? Whatever… we're on your side, okay?"

"That still doesn't explain anything!"

"What he's trying to say is," Smoker walked over to the hospital bed, "you'll be working for me for now. I made a request and the Marine Headquarters permitted it."

Emerald could barely mouth the words. "Why?"

"Don't thank me or anything…" He muttered gruffly, then, without saying another word, headed out the door.

"What's up with him?" Costello whispered.

"I can't say for sure." Moe furrowed his brow. "Ever since this girl got here he's been acting funny."

The curly-haired man shook his head. "Forgive the Captain, Miss Emerald. We've recently caught wind of some major news that could be threatening to this country and its people."

She found it kind of frustrating that after two days most of the soldiers were able to address her by her first name. "That still doesn't explain why he spontaneously recruited me."

Moe took a slug of coffee. "Let's just say, that's how our Captain operates. Sometimes, _we're_ not always certain of his true motives."

Emerald frowned and stared out the window. _'Great. That's just great…'_

"Is there anything we could do for you at the moment?" Costello asked.

"No thank you." Emerald played with the soft sheets of the bed, and then quickly added. "But, I appreciate the offer."

He smiled, ready to leave the room unlike Moe who had already walked out with his morning mug. "Sure thing."

"Um… wait…"

"Yes?"

"About that 'major news' you were talking about…"

"What about it?"

"What is it exactly?"

Costello paused, his smile dropped. "I can't tell you much. But, I will tell you this: If you can stay out of the conflict by any means necessary, you'll be better off."

She gave him an inquisitive look. "Conflict? With who?"

The thick marine sighed and strode over to the bedside. He leaned in and then beckoned her over to his mouth. "We're not completely certain. But, we think we might be dealing with one of the seven warlords…"

Emerald's eyes widened as Costello finished the sentence.

"_His name is Sir Crocodile._"

* * *

**FINALLY! I FINALLY ADDED ANOTHER CHAPTER! It only took me a year... (pshhhh...).**

**Expect a few edits here and there. Again I apologize that this took so long. A lot of things were put on hold over the past year which sucked especially when it came to writing newer chapters for this fanfic. I plan on doing a reboot of it minus everything One Piece so I can actually write a book of my own (and maybe one day publish it, but who knows...). I appreciate all of you who have been patient and those of you who've commented and left positive reviews. It truly means a lot. **

**I will be working on a few Hetalia fics along side this one just for yucks, as well as a few original stories (perhaps... I may be getting ahead of myself...).**

**As always Reviews are most welcome here as long as they're positive and constructive criticism, suggestions, or even just a friendly comment. If I made any minor mistakes (especially with grammar), please notify me via private message so I can fix them. **

**Expect the next chapter to come out sooner rather than a year later. :) **

**Thank you! **


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One Piece, Adventure, Fantasy