One Piece 1. Into the Great Beyond!

The Pirate King and the Rose Queen

Chapter 1

~Into the Great Beyond!~

I heard stories when I was young, stories of men with ships that sailed the seas looking for adventure and thrills untold.

However, I did not have an easy childhood like most children of my time. The only memory I have, or I think have are very short and very vivid.

_...blood...tears...good-byes...gunshots..._

The only thing I have of my parents are an antique ebony flintlock pistol and a locket that holds rare lipstick inside.

Two key items to my predeccessors, you see, I grew up in place called the Islands of Loana with my two best friends, Nova Catalina and Alexander Digger.

I know this sounds bad but,...we're pirates.

When I turned 16, I inherited a ship called the Rose Queen that used to belong to my mother. She held the title of the Rose Queen, A Ruler of the Other Seas and thensome, I heard she was quite beautiful when she was living.

I have been journeying the Loanan Seas for three years now with my best friends and a crew of great men and women all brave and all loyal.

Some are in it for the money, some for fame, others just for adventure but all of them are loyal to me equal.

However, the only problem is...I have never left the seas of Loana, ever.

What kind of freakin pirate am I? I'm supposed to be a terrorfying and widely-known pirate, not a stay at home cabin boy!

"Spade! Get over here!"

**Alexander "Spade" Digger, he's a 21 year old man and I've known him all my life, we grew up together. His parents were killed when some burglars invaded the house, i'm the one who taught him how to survive on the streets. He had black hair and green eyes. His skin was always pale, though. He's my First Mate and Navigator.**

Spade walked over to me with his usual glum disposition.

"Captain?" he responded to me in his normal, respectful manner. I was his captain so I don't expect any less.

"Get the crew ready for sail. I wanna go somewhere..."

"Where exactly are you planning on going, Captain?" A feminine voice appeared from my right as I looked on from the bowsprit.

**Nova Catalina, she's a 19 year old woman, she came to the Islands a few years ago. To her surprise, the Islands were quite something and wasn't like where she was from. She told me her parents abandoned her when she was 16 so she came here to the Islands and we've been friends ever since. She has curly blonde hair and blue eyes, her skin was pink and always looked sunburnt. She was my Second Mate and Chef. **

"We've only ever explored the Loanan Seas, doesn't that bother you?" I ask Nova her opinion expecting a clear answer, she shrugs.

"Nah, not exactly. I've always liked the Loanan Seas, they're always calm." Alexander slightly chuckles at her answer, knowing where my mind was.

"That's the problem, it's all too calm. I wonder how wild the seas can _truly_ get."

"Captain, what do you suggest?" Nova questions me as Spade hands me a map.

"_This_, Captain, is a map of the _Red Line_...It's north of the Islands of Loana but on the downside, it's on the other side of the sea." The wind's sweet crisp scent swept my nose as I looked at the Red Line.

Is this what the seas of the Red Line smell like?

"Hmm, it seems interesting." I said with a smirk and my hand at my revolver strapped to my waist. Spade nodded and chuckled, he turned to the crew.

"Prepare yourselves for sea!" Spade shouted, my crew then began to scramble and move. I turned to my men who were excited and at the same time scared, I laughed.

"Jeffrey, tighten that sail, I don't want her slipping! Niala and Tony, check both topsails and make sure they are ready. Bobby, if those booms ain't right, I'll kill ya! And you two!" I turned to my friends and mates.

"Nova, check the rudders for waxy finish!" "Right" Nova nodded and went on her way.

"Spade,...start navigating..." I ordered, Spade bowed to me and opened up the map.

"Peter and Paul, when we're ready to sail, steer'er straight and true!" Spade said.

"Yes, sir!" The men responded to Spade's order as I looked off the bowsprit.

The sound of sails in the wind, the shuffle of boots on the deck, and the smell of waxy finish..._Sigh..._this is gonna be good.

_Meanwhile, on the Red Line..._

"You'll do great, General!" Supporters of the Marines all shouted to their hero as he prepared to embark on a journey no man has ever even tried to fathom.

Near the docks of the Red Line's Marine Headquarters, people are gathering to say good-bye to a Marine General who has been proclaimed a hero in their eyes.

Pirates conceal themselves from the Marines, some are afraid of them and some just don't want the trouble.

However, in a dark alley away from the scene, a boy with black hair and his navigator are watching the General being cast off.

"Hey, what's going on over there, Nami?" the boy asks, the woman turns to the scene with surprise.

"Whoa! That's the general that took Rudy Blackshot down."

"You mean that uppity bandit lord?"

"Yup!"

"Huh!...Wanna follow' im?"

"Nah, besides he's going on an around the world trip. We don't have supplies for something like that..."

"Aww! Oh well! I bet he'll meet some fun people on the other side of the world." The boy chuckles.

The General gives out his final farewells, his ship prepares for sea and takes off.

On shore, the boy was still wondering what the General might find because for some reason, the palms of his hands felt really warm like something was heating' em up. His hands wanted something, wanted to touch something desperately but that something was on the other side of the world.

But no worries, he thought, that something is coming straight to him by none other than the seas.

**After three days at sea, the General found himself already halfacross the world and was quickly reaching the other side. He began seeing abandoned islands and new waters of brighter shades of blue. The smell of the mist was filled with the scent of rosewater. The seas were aromatic and calm until he reached the Seas of Loana. **

"First Mate Zachary, where are we?" The General asked, his skinny and timid navigator scurried to him.

"W-We appear to be in the seas of...L-..Loo...Loana, sir." The navigator shivered in fear of his captain, the General growled and snatched the map from him.

"Hmph! What kind of hick country is this?!...Ha! If i'm the first one to find this place then I'll be a worldwide legend! Let's go, men!"

The General ordered his men to speed the boat up, they did as he asked but it wasn't long before the General saw a rather large, rosewood ship approaching them.

"Halt!" He yelled as the men scrambled to stop the boat. "Not you, you idiots! Them!" The General points to the ship that was passing them on the ocean.

Another marine came with a megaphone and yelled out to the boat, "By the authority of the Marines, we order you to stop your vessel and prepare for to be boarded!"

**On the Rose Queen Ship, however...**

"Hmm, they wish for us to halt...Oh well, do as they say. I don't feel like getting into an open sea battle yet." I ordered my men to halt the ship while the _"marines" _ were getting ready to board us.

After about five minutes, they finally docked us and boarded. The Marine General was a tall and arrogant man, I could see it in his eyes that he thought very highly of himself. I turned and saw that even the men of my crew saw that in him.

But I do not accept pomposity or pride on my vessel, pride gets people killed unnessacarily.

"Hello, I am a General of the Marines. What is the name of this vessel?" The General spoke with a deep voice as he looked at me.

"This ship is titled the Rose Queen. We are her crew and caretakers, general." I talked to him with an eloquent and calm voice, something that men like him aren't too used to.

"And who are you?" He asked, I took off my hat and revealed my face. My appearance shocked a few of his men, he chuckled.

"I mean,...where is the captain of this vessel? I wish to speak with him." The General said, I put my left hand to my hip.

"I am she."

There was a awkward silence, after two seconds, the General and his men all laughed blatantly in my face.

"What's so funny?" I crossed my arms and put one foot forward, the General could barely contain his laughter.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! You? A Captain of such a fine ship! Be serious! No woman can sail the seas, especially such a petite young thing! Ha ha ha!"

The General and his men continue to laugh, I turn to my crew with eyes of anger and vengefulness but I kept by subtlety in the eyes of my peers.

All the people in my crew are Loanan, in Loana, to be laughed at is an embarrassing act so not many jokes are thrown around. My men did not understand the language that the General spoke so I made it clear to them.

"Tsien koho, le generales, mienta ha. Kehl hem..." My men picked up their swords and nodded to me, the General noticed the hostile aura too late.

It wasn't long before my men wiped out his, I stood on the quarter deck and watched the small battle and sighed.

"Take his ship down as well! He will not leave this place!" Nova ordered as her bomb squad jumped on the Marine Ship, they went into the ship's hold blasted away the bulkhead making the entire boat collapse on itself.

The general was in awe of the teamwork and swiftness of my crew. He glared at me, realizing that he was losing. He turned to the forecastle deck and tried to take the wheel of the ship.

Alexander stopped him by beating him upside the head with his oak cane, it's an oak cane so it wasn't likely to break.

Enraged by the attempted hijacking, my men tried to kill him. But when the time came, I did not allow them to kill him.

"Stop!" I ordered, "This is a matter between captains." I slowly stepped down from the quarter deck and walked up to the unnamed general. He stood tall and angered but was too tired to fight back.

"When I told you I was the captain of this ship, what did you expect to happen when you revolted?" I spoke to him as I steadily walked around him in a circle.

"I expected..._to win_." The general growled, I chuckled.

"And how is that dream coming along?" My joke made my crew laugh but only for a second, this man dared to defy my authority. He must be dealt with.

"Do you know who I am, General of the Marines?" I looked into his green eyes and twirled my finger around his orange hair.

"No, I don't know who you are...But I am not just a general of the marines, I am Ste-" I quickly put my boot to his chest, making him silence himself. I put my right pointer finger to his pink lips.

"Shh. After today, you will not be remembered, anyways." I chuckled.

"You whore...Who are you?" The man gasped for air, I laughed.

"I am the Rose Queen of the Loanan Seas,...I am Cereza Ann Lucrezia and I am the _woman_ who killed you." I took in another breath and through the heel of my boot, a small bullet penetrated the General's body. Blood splattered on the ground made the smell of metal being burnt. My crew cheered silently as I blew away the smoke from my pistol heel.

"Boys, take what you want of this man's body but all gold and jewelry belong to me. After your done, throw him overboard, I don't want him stinking up my beautiful ship." I ordered, my men did as I asked and threw the general's dead body over the rails of the ship.

"The rest of you, back to work." I said, the men went back to tightening the shrouds and my cabin boy, Elliot, started cleaning the blood.

"Elliot, after your done, scrubbing the blood, rinse it with rosewater so it doesn't rot the wood." Nova instructed the boy, Elliot nodded enthusiastically.

"Y-Yes, ma'am!"

I yawned, "Spade, run warm water for my bath, I feel dirty all of a sudden." I turned and walked into my captain's cabin, Spade bowed to me.

"Yes, ma'am. I will prepare it immediately."

I stepped in front of my wall mirror and undressed. My tan body was already covered with scars and bruises from previous fights, my black hair...

I sighed, it used to be so long but since blood kept getting into it, I had no choice but to cut it into this smooth bob. I took off my bandana to check my edges, nothing was too bad I suppose; I wrapped myself in my robe in front of Alexander, the man has such bad nerves, I doubt he's even so much as kissed a woman.

I stepped into the warm water of my bathtub and dunked my head under the water.

I sighed, my usually cold palms were suddenly heating up but only the middle, I growled. This was not good.

"Spade, send a warning note by raven to the World Government's Marines. They'll wish to know that their 'hero' is gone. I want to give them proper time to mourn before I arrive there."

Spade bowed to me, "Yes, ma'am." Spade turned from me and left to the forecastle where we held our messenger bird, Ravie the Raven. Suckish name I know but Nova's the one who named him...Yes, it's a boy raven named Ravie. I groaned.

Spade wrote the note, strapped it to Ravie and let him loose to the north where the Grand Line waited and where the Fleet Admiral, Akainu, received the note.

"Hm?...?!...What?" Akainu instantly took offense at the letter and dispersed ships to protect the Grand Line, but this was not a matter of war as he figured out. This was a heads-up, a warning.

"What?! General Stewart Evans has been killed?! By a woman, no less!" Another general was outraged by the turn of events, Akainu scoffed.

"We must not let this get out, if the people knew, they'd only lean more into the favor of the pirate life." A general spoke, but in the corner, a inconspicuous maid was cleaning and could not _wait_ to get home that day.

As all rumors start, the maid went to her husband who told his co-worker who told his brother who works with the newspaper and boom, word instantly spreads of the hero general, Stewart's death.

People were outraged, sad, and excited because it was a woman who killed the infamous general. But this woman was on the other side of the world, preparing to arrive at the Red Line, this was recorded as the one of the most scandalous things to ever happen on the Red Line besides Gol D. Roger's execution.

In a tavern, not too far from the shore, a boy and his crew were looking at the newspaper in awe.

"Man, I bet she slept with him and _then_ killed him." The yellow-haired man with weird eyebrows said, the navigator growled at him.

"No! I bet it was a clean shot as extremely arrogant as that general was, I don't think he would've fell for that trick!" She exclaimed, the swordsman yawned.

"Jeez, to get killed by woman that's something-" "She wasn't _just_ a woman, Zoro. It says here that the woman is said to pirate and even the captain of ship called..._the Rose Queen_." The navigator stopped the swordsman in his sentence, the sniper was awestruck but the yellow-haired man was not amused.

"Oh please, flashy ship names don't get far. I bet this is nothing but a hoax!" he said, the straw hat captain chuckled.

"I don't think so you guys, this seems pretty real. My palms are practically on fire just hearing about this girl, I wonder what kind of woman she is to kill a general without a fight! I bet she's going to be prettier than any girl you've dated, Sanji!"

"Don't get your hopes up, Luffy, it's probably one of those androdgynous things. It's a guy dressed as a woman." Sanji spoke to his captain.

"Whatevs, I still wanna meet the captain of this ship, the Rose Queen. It's like fate, ain't it, Nami?"

Nami, the navigator, rose her face up to Luffy, everyone turned to him in wonderment.

"Hey, Luffy, what's up? You seem happy for some reason." Zoro spoke to Luffy who was smiling and swaying around all giddy-like. "Whaddya mean fate? this newspaper is lying." Sanji tried to make sense of the paper's words, Luffy just shook his head in disbelief.

"It's like fate. The Rose Queen and the future Pirate King, it's like it's meant to be or something!"

"That type of talk isn't like you, Luffy." Nami worried, Luffy nervously laughed as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Sorry, you guys, I just feel good about this!" Luffy chuckled. Everyone sighed and laughed with him but the warmth in the palms of his hands did not fade, as the days went on they became hotter and hotter.

**People began to doubt the newspaper, some even waited at the shores of the Red Line just to get first look at the pirate ship. But none arrived so most of them just gave up. Everyone has forgotten the Rose Queen, all but Luffy. He still believed that somewhere, a Queen was visiting and he was going to get front row seats.**

Author's Note: Hi! Thanks for reading the Pirate King and the Rose Queen, this isn't my first go around with OC x Canon stories so i'm actually pretty good at this.

This story is an AU/AT story so to be clear, this is after Portgas D. Ace dies but in this world, Akainu never meets Luffy and Luffy doesn't get cut. I haven't watched the whole series since i'm just now starting to watch it.

Just enjoy the story and I promise it'll be worth your time.

Reviews = Chapters so give me some of your words to think on, Luffy and Cereza will greatly appreciate it!


	2. A Rosy Arrival!

The Pirate King and the Rose Queen

Chapter 2

~A Rosy Arrival!~

It's been a week since the papers released that information on General Stewart Evans, apparently, he's been murdered by a pirate vixen she's been called but it's already been a week and nothing's happened.

Not even a single boat is out at sea right now, Dammit, maybe Sanji was right. Maybe it _was_ just a hoax.

_**A rose petal dances and blows by Luffy's face on the wind's current.**_

Or maybe, i'm just getting impatient...

Luffy laughs as he looks out to see with a telescope.

**Meanwhile, on the shores of a small town on the Grand Line. **

A little boy plays with his ball in the middle of the ocean, his mother and little sister building a sandcastle behind him. He smiles but he feels something trickle near his leg.

A single rose petal...

The boy picks up the rose petal in his hand and gazes upon it with promise and wonderment until two more petals come drifting to him.

A confused look drapes over his face as four more replace the two that just arrived.

The boy looks to the ocean to see that the water is filled with thousands of rose petals.

"Wah! Mama!" The boy quickly runs out of the ocean, a man who was looking at the scene noticed the roses as well.

"What is this?" a woman asked as she picked up another petal.

"Don't touch it!" A marine commanded, "Get away from the ocean!" A squad of marines pushed the spectators back, another marine went and reported the occurrence.

"Could it be them?" The marine questioned, the Marines all gathered together their men and a few cannons near the shore.

Soon, the air reeked of bamboo water and rose petals. It was nearly intoxicating. People were starting to pass out by how strong it was, the area was soon evacuated but four inconspicuous pirate stayed behind to watch the scene from their hotel room window.

A General named Albert Wolfstein came forward, he takes up his telescope and looks to the horizon to see that pirate ship wasn't too far off. He also saw that the ship was dumping rose petals for some ungodly reason.

Albert scoffed, "Who is that?" he questioned himself.

_"It's the Rose Queen..."_ from his bedroom, Luffy answered the question in his head.

**Meanwhile, in the distance, there sail a ship with a flag of aeternaliter elegantes.**

"Cereza, we see land ahead, should we pursue with caution, ma'am?" My crewman noticed the "Red Line" ahead, the men all scrambled to the front of the boat to see it. I chuckled, our first journey completed and with little to no casualties.

"I see that, Aiden." I replied, "Jeffrey and Tony, stop pouring out those therapeutic petals, they'll make everyone all loosy goosy!" I ordered, the men stopped dumping and got back to work.

"Here's what we do, we're going to keep going at the speed we are now and make them wait. I have no doubt that they're just _choking_ to meet us." I laughed, Nova patted me on the back.

"Cereza, don't get cocky, we don't know what their capable of."

"Yes, Cereza, we need to make a plan. I mean we did kill their general, they'll want to give us retribution." Alexander said, they were right. We can't just walk up to them and expect a warm welcome. Ugh, there is definitely going to be a fire fight.

"Okay, then. Hold on, I have an idea. Cereza, you go to the captain's cabin and get all gussied up." Nova said, I nodded and went to the back to put on newer garbs.

"Alexander, go back there with her, i'll be there in a second!" Nova ordered, Alexander followed behind me.

Nova turned to the crew and grinned.

"Stop dumping those petals, you two, we're gonna make this flashy..." Nova chuckled.

**After an hour of intense waiting and anxiety, the Rose Queen was finally beginning to port. The Marines scattered and scrambled to come together a formation, Albert was glaring at the detailed ship with anger. The ship was very large, it was easily the size of a galleon killed Stewart with such ease, he thought. The ship let down an anchor which marked that it was fully halted. A marine firing squad captain stepped forward with a megaphone.**

"Would the captain of this vessel please step forward." The people were anxious to see who the captain was of the immense ship, especially the women. Perhaps, the captain was gorgeous man with long hair and abs, they thought.

They waited for a few minutes before a door to the Captain's Cabin opened, Spade stepped out of the captain's cabin and flipped his black hair like the eloquent pansy he is, the women swooned over his appearance.

"He's so handsome!" They yelped, most of these women were married so their husbands didn't seem to like Spade very much.

Spade stepped to the forecastle deck and looked at the firing squad captain with uncaring eyes, "A-Are you the captain of the vessel, sir?" The captain asked Spade who scoffed at him with anguish.

"No. I am the first mate of the captain of this ship who is currently busy eating a delicious and nutritious meal that I took time out of my busy schedule to prepare so if you will wait another thirty minutes or so, I am sure the captain will be out." Spade then quickly turned and scurried back into the captain's cabin.

"H-Hold on! Wait a _minute_! Come back here, I call on the captain of blasted vessel! Immediately! You are hereby ordered by the Marines of the Red Line to step out of this vessel or be blown out!" The women chanted and cried for Spade to leave the ship peacefully, but to no avail, no one immersed from the cabin.

After five minutes of waiting, the captain grew impatient.

"That is it! I will fire the main cannons in five seconds if you do not depart your vessel immediately! 5...4..." The women all screamed for the captain of the beautiful ship to leave his lair.

"3...2...1-" Before marine captain could hit one the Captain's Cabin door swung open. Darkness was the only thing that was beyond the door.

The only thing that could be heard was the clicks and clocks of the captain's boots that were heavy against the wooden floor.

After a few painful and anxiety filled seconds of hearing the captain's boots, I step out of the Captain's Cabin dressed in black and with a large antique hat that covered my face because it was tilted over my eyes.

"Kyaa!" The women all shrieked and screamed for joy, I appeared as a tall, dark, and handsome man that finally protruded from his lair. I chuckled, what a hopeless bunch they were.

**Somewhere else, Luffy and his crew watched the "man" dressed in black. Sanji was steadily taking bets while Nami was drooling over the Captain of the Rose Queen but the only person who still looked on with interest was Luffy. Somehow, Luffy could tell who that person was on the bowsprit, it wasn't a man that's for sure...But for some reason,...it wasn't a woman either.**

Cereza walks highly to the bowsprit and puts one boot forward, "What do you want, Mariner?" I speak with a deep voice to trick the captain, he scoffs.

"Are you the captain of this vessel?" the marine captain asked with a slight shiver going up his spine.

I glared at the captain, "I am."

"Are you the man that killed the Hero General, Sir Stewart Evans?"

**A few seconds passed after the captain spoke his question, something in Cereza seemed to snap or fluctuate. She took in a deep breath, ran to the top of the bowsprit and hopped. The women below were shocked ad screeched fearing the worst. However, Cereza made it to the balcony where Albert stood, shaken and angered. **

**She put her hand up to her ear.**

"Say again?" I asked.

"A-Are you the man that killed the Hero General, Sir Stewart Evans?" the marine general was shaking with each word that passed his lips.

**Cereza chuckled, she turned around by her waistline ad hopped back onto her ship, amazing the crowds once again. She turned back again from the forecastle deck.**

"Yes and No. Yes because I am indeed the person who killed the General, Sir Stewart Evans. But no, I am not a man."

**Cereza removed her hat, showing her long, silky, black hair that caught the sun's rays and the wind's gentle whisper. The women below were both shocked, angered and disappointed by Cereza's reveal. Nami was dumbstruck while Zoro and Usopp were beating Sanji to take back their money. But Luffy...his heart was practically beating out of his chest. The Marine Captain was outraged by this revelation.**

"Dammit! Who are you?!" The captain exclaimed to me, I laughed at his rage and looked him in the eye.

"I am Cereza Ann Lucrezia the Sixteenth, I'm the Rose Queen and Ruler of the Loanan Seas. I own this ship and I lead it's brave crew of men and women. And I am the _woman_ that killed Stewart Evans of the Marines! Now, are there any more question or can I finish my breakfast?"

**After two minutes of an intense staring contest, Albert hesitates.**

"F-Fire cannons, shoot!" Albert yells out his commands, but unprepared a young mariner fires a cannon without aiming.

**The cannon ball glides through the air like a missile, only barely scratching the Rose Queen. However, this ship is precious to Cereza, so much as a scratch is a death penalty. But these people were to be her first audience, they would be the ones to spread her appearance throughout the loud. **_**Gotta make it flashy**_**, she thought.**

**As it turned into a fire fight between the Marines and the Rose Queen pirates, she nodded to Alexander who took out a whip of bull's hide. Spade was an agile man, he hopped out of the Rose Queen and to Albert, the captain took out his pistol but Spade latched his whip around the barrel of the gun and broke it from Albert's grip with a snap of his whip. **

**Albert tried to tackle him but was smacked in the forearm by the silver tip of Spade's whip. Alexander chuckled as he galloped back into the Rose Queen.**

"Coward!" Albert clenched his bleeding arm with frustration and I quickly took his injury into account.

"Cease Fire!" My voice echoes throughout the port and dock, my men ceased and so did the Marines, they turned to me.

"Your captain lays incapacitated. We will continue this confrontation with words, not violence. I will surrender for now but until the Marine Captain's arm has been healed, I will retire to my ship. Send word by messenger if I can be of further assistance." I gracefully bowed my head to Albert who scowled angrily at me, I turned my back but out the corner of my eye, in a alley below, I saw a inconspicuous boy with a straw hat glaring at me. He was rather intrigued by me.

No matter, I returned to my cabin until the Marines mustered enough strength to come for me.

This visit has been very fun so far but I must keep this going, I fear that the worst part is only just beginning.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Oh my gosh! This is getting awesome! Shout outs to my first few reviewers! Thanks to Shadowlein, PurplePunklette, Hunter-Eve-Storm and xcookiethiefx. This was all possible, thanks guys for the awesome reviews XD but don't get lazy! Reviews = Chapters! ^_^


	3. Cereza, The Wo-Man!

The Pirate King and the Rose Queen

Chapter 3

~Cereza, the Wo-Man!~

**It was well into the afternoon, the Marines were outraged by Cereza's revelation and her crime. But as a woman, she was not going to get special treatment, she knew this even before she killed Stewart Evans. **

**This was about notoriety to her, morale for her crew and her peers. She planned to make her appearance the beginning a new era, A Great Pirate Era, but little did she know that the Great Pirate Era had already started long before her arrival. **

**However, in a tavern near the shores of the Red Line, Luffy, Nami, and Zoro all relaxed in a table full of empty plates and glasses. **

**The news of the Rose Queen pirates was very known now, everyone in the town knew about Cereza's appearance and how she went back into her ship's cabin, completely disrespecting Albert Wolfstein. **

**It interested Luffy how she acted, though. She was a woman with breasts, full lips, and hips and everything but why in the world did she act like a guy?**

**Did she not know she was a woman? Maybe somebody should tell her, he thought. He looked off into the orange sky and noticed the Rose Queen's flag. **_**Aeternaliter elegantes **_**was the words that they lived by. Luffy turned to his friend, Nami.**

"Hey, Nami, what does aiton nalighter elephant mean?" Nami looked at Luffy wierdly and looked into the direction that he did and laughed.

"Luffy, that says aeternaliter elegantes, it means eternally elegant." Nami explained, Zoro chuckled.

"A flashy name for a even flashier crew, did you see that chick? She jumped across gap of 14 feet! That's a lot even for a human." Zoro said as he sipped his tea.

"It's not impossible! But she didn't need a running start, so I guess it is a bit unreal." Nami put his finger to her chin and started thinking, _That guy with the dark hair was kinda cute though! If I see him again, I'll just work my womanly charms and before too long, him and that gorgeous ship'll be mine! Ho ho ho!_

"Hey, you guys think that lady was actually the captain of that huge thing?" Luffy questioned as he picked his nose.

"Nah, no man in his right mind would follow a woman with that type of ship." Zoro said cattily, Nami growled at Zoro's male chauvinistic ways.

"What's wrong with a woman having a ship that size exactly?" Nami questioned Zoro who chuckled and got in her face about the fact.

"It's stupid, a woman could never handle that much ship, ever." Zoro said, Nami scoffed.

"Oh, yeah? Well, if a man had a ship that size, I bet he'd be compensating for something!" Nami cut Zoro deep with her words of wisdom.

"Oh, really? I bet a woman could never even pilot a ship like that, she'd be too dainty, too fragile, and _way_ too _soft!-_" Luffy smacked his fist on the table in anger at Zoro and Nami, he glared at them both.

"Zoro, it's rude and cruel to put a female pirate in a fragile seat like that. It's disrespectful to Nami and to me. Nami, just because you feel something must be said doesn't always mean it should. A pirate is a pirate no matter the gender or race." Luffy was completely serious, he was upset that his friends put a fellow pirate on the bench like that and it reminded him of when certain people thought he too wouldn't make it as a pirate.

Always follow your dreams, even if they sound impossible!

**In the Captain's Cabin of the Rose Queen ship...**

"Kyaa! Kyaa! Oh, Spade! You are so handsome and muscular! Kyaa! Kyaa!" I laughed as Nova blatantly copied how the women of the Red Line were drooling all over Spade, he sighed off the jokes and shtick like a hard ball.

"They didn't even sound like that, matter of fact, they didn't even want _me_. They were more interested in Cereza!" Spade removed the attention from himself to me, I chuckled.

"Oh please, with that big black hair, nobody could've guessed that Cereza was a woman! Wow, Cereza, you looked so cute as a guy! If I wasn't in my right mind, I'd date you myself!" Nova laughed so hard she could barely contain it, Spade chuckled silently in a corner.

It's not like I meant to crossdress, I liked that hat. I don't see the big deal in it though, I mean is being a female pirate captain that bad. If so, I wonder how my mother made it through times like these.

I mean, I _have_ breasts, but...they are kinda small, but still! Anybody could've noticed I was a woman by checking under my hat!

"I don't really care, you guys. It's not like i'm a woman who wants to be a man. I'm fully satisfied with the way i've been portrayed today. I think this is the beginning of a very fun time here on the Red Line. Maybe, we'll get some type of rare jewel here! Ha ha ha!" My friends and I laughed together as we drunk brandy from Loana.

I sighed as I looked at my mother's locket around my neck, I miss my home terribly. But I am a grown woman now, I can't let foolish things deter me from my dream.

I _will_ become the Pirate Queen and I _will_ become the most notorious woman in the pirate world! Everyone will hear my name and say _here he comes_-I mean, here she comes!

I laughed as I thought of the immense riches that would befall us with our up and coming victory of the seas, Nova turned to me in worry after Spade left to get more brandy.

"You know, Cereza, you _are_ still a woman. Nothing has changed." Nova scratched the back of her curly blonde hair and looked at me with a sad expression as I took one last sip of my brandy.

"Of course, i'm a woman, Nova. I know that. I was just joking to frighten Spade, that's all." I stood up from my captain's chair and laid down on my bed.

Nova scoffed, she walked over to me and held me down lightly by my wrists, I looked at her with an intimidating but careless expression.

"What are you doing?" I asked with a demanding voice, Nova sighed.

"One day, a man will have you in the position and there will be nothing you can do. You are a woman, it's natural that you are weaker but you think that there is no difference between the two and that is where you are wrong!" Nova stated to my face the weakness of being a woman, something that I didn't exactly _feel_ like getting into with her.

"Look, I'm strong, Nova. You know that! I'm stronger than any and _every_ man on the sea! Even Spade! You can't honestly believe that I'd be overtaken by some scrawny wimp like that Albert guy!"

Nova looked at me with a disbelieving and amazed expression, a _she's crazy_! look.

"That's not what i'm saying! Even for Spade who is so close to you, any grown man can easily reach out to you! You are a petite girl, Cereza! You ain't no full-figured Bonny Anne!" I chuckled at Nova's comparison to me with the Great Bonny Anne of the Neabbirac Seas, she was a great and well-known female pirate and was known for her curvaceous body, I scoffed at Nova.

"Oh please, Nova, I know i'm not the _fullest_ girl at sea but come on, Bonny and I have nothing in common!" I pouted, Nova groaned and sat on my legs.

"Ugh! That's not what i'm saying! Even Bonny Anne flaunted her body to get what she wanted at sea! She was full woman of Neabbirac Islands, you are a Loanan woman, you two aren't that different! Our bodies are small! You are 5 feet 4 inches so don't lie and say that you can take the weight of 220 to 300 pound guy!"

"Oh, please! I'd have killed a guy at 300 pounds!" I exclaimed, Nova facepalmed herself.

"ARGH! Cereza! You! Are! A! Girl! Act like it!"

"What do you mean?! Do you mean that if a guy holds me down, I can't get loose?" I kick Nova off my legs, making her fall off the bed with a thud. I stand up and walk back to my chair; I put my legs up on my desk and sigh.

"I am strong, Nova, I can beat any guy I want to and hell will freeze over the day a man sends me runnin!" I laugh with great pride but Nova seemed disappointed by my words, she walked off to the doors and turned back to me.

"You aren't as strong as you think are, Cereza...We are women, this world is cruel to us and you say you'll never fall in love-"

"I never said that! I said i'll never let a man beat me!"

"No, Cereza...If you keep acting like a guy, someone will come around and start beating the facts into your head!"

"I'll beat the facts into their head first!" I stood from my desk and glared at Nova, why was she acting like this?

"I'm just saying...One day,...a genuinely serious guy will come along, see you and when you show him that manly façade, he will break it down with every ounce of his strength-" I stomped my foot on the ground and beat my hands against my desk.

"Whoever it is, wherever it is and whoever it is, I will do it! I will beat down any guy that dares to get fresh with me! I will never break cover and I will not be a weakling!"

**Cereza banged her fist on the desk and turned from Nova angrily and with a childish temper as she crossed her arms and hid her face. Nova sighed with a tired expression but before she could leave, Cereza asked her a question in a small and ill tone.**

"Why would a guy want to do that to me? It's not fair..."

**Nova chuckles at Cereza's fear of change.**

"Because for one, people only put up walls to see who's brave enough to tear them down and two, because any guy that's willing to go through that much can almost certainly love you."

"Like a brother?" **Cereza turned to Nova, she shook her head. Cereza was quick to put herself on even grounds with even an hypothetical man.**

"No,...as a lover." Nova chuckled as she left the cabin room, I was duly angered, frustrated and sad.

"_I am not weak..._" I spoke to myself as I wept into my hands, I am not a weak little girl! I will not be treated as such! That's it!

I refuse to be treated as a second-rate pirate just because of my gender! I will become a Pirate Queen and rule the seas with an iron fist! Just so I can prove them wrong!...All of them! A woman can do _anything_ a man can do! It's easy! Just a little hard work and determination! It's easy!

**On the forecastle deck, Nova and Spade treated themselves to some Loanan brandy while they talked about Cereza's fear of being outcasted and changed by a man.**

"It's understand, I believe. The girl's spent most of her life without a hand to guide her and with the way that Loana is set up, a woman her age should've been married a long time ago." Spade said as he sipped his brandy, I laughed.

"True, but because she has no parents, she's neither here no there. She couldn't be with the boys because she was girl and she couldn't play with the girls because she acted like a 's been apart of both worlds, separately I told her that one day, a man will come along and change all of that. It won't be confusing anymore, she'll know she's a girl and not a mixture of the two."

"That's the truth, Cereza's weaknesses lie in her mindset, she truly does believe that she can _do_ it all. But she's been like this for so long, it can no longer be called being a tomboy. She's a woman who believes she can operate as a man when needed but become a woman if she needs to." Nova nods her head in agreement with Spade.

"Yes, Cereza thinks that it'll be easy as a women if she just acts like a man. But her face and body won't allow it to her, she is a woman and that shall ever change. She has a good body and very pretty face, I know that as soon as we hit that town, she'll be treated in a way that she's never been treated before. I think it'll be funny to see how she reacts." Nova chuckles, Spade grabs her wrist and shakes his head in disagreement.

"No, Cereza has a horrible temper, she'll kill a man and won't think twice!"

"So?_ I'll _kill a man and not think twice!" Nova chuckles, Spade sighs.

That's not the point i'm trying to make, though, Cereza is a very problematic woman, her anger is paralleled and she is impatient.

I feel the worst when it comes to her, I pity the fool that falls in love with her...

* * *

Author's Note: This chapter and 4 and 5 was originally a complete 20 page document, but I was like NAHHH that's too much to read! XD

This was a great time to upload too, three chapters in a day! Awesome! XD

Remember, everyone Reviews = Chappies!


	4. We Need A Medic!

The Pirate King and the Rose Queen

Chapter 4

~We Need A Medic!~

**In the middle of the sea, Spade and I still continued our conversation...**

"But, you _both _like men!" Spade exclaimed.

"Whatever! What are you saying, you act like a woman, Spade? Or are we more man than you?" I started laughing so hard I could barely contain myself!

**While Spade and Nova are laughing, Cereza steps out of the Captain's Cabin with a captain's hat on and a long trenchcoat.**

"Nova! Spade! What's up with this? It's already nightfall and those marines haven't done anything!" I state the obvious to them, they take one last sip of their brandy and come to the side of the shrouds and notice that _no_ marines are at the docks, only civilians.

"Well, gosh! I wonder what's going on down there." Nova covers herself in a white shawl and docks the boat.

"H-Hey! We can't just go down there! What if they-"

"Oh, hush, Spade! Just follow along! It'll be fun!" Nova stops Spade in his worries as I jump off the boat by the railing, trying to be a smartass, I laugh.

I turn to see Spade helping Nova down the steps of the ramp by taking her hand and guiding her down,...like a gentleman.

_That must be nice..._

I-I mean, how gross! She could've done that herself, spoiled thing! Hmph!

I strutted away from the scene and into the crowd of people.

"Hey, are you that woman that jumped from the top of that galleon?" A excited man asked me.

"Uhhh..." I froze up, Spade come up behind me and took my shoulder.

"She's with me, sorry." Spade spoke to the man with a matter-of-factly tone in his face and a cheeky smile, the man groaned and left the scene.

"Hey, I can speak for myself!" I tossed Spade's hand away and slithered away.

What was up with that man? Couldn't he see me and Spade on the ship before? Why was he acting so sly, the old crone!

**Nova laughed at Cereza as she catwalked away from a dumbstruck Spade, she patted Spade on the back and they continued to the Bazaar of the town that was full of talkative people, lights and all kinds of food.**

"Wow! This place is amazing!" I was in awe by the creative and outspoken noises of the area, I turned and saw that a bunch of random men were flirting with Nova and looking at like she was piece of meat!

Spade walked up behind me.

"It must be nice, huh?" Spade said, I punched him in the crotch for his rude outburst, "H-How unlady-like! Urgh!" Spade fell to his knees as I walked away angry.

**Cereza was walking through the Bazaar trying exotic foods and drinks while Spade and Nova were being flirted with by random strangers, something that Cereza thought was uncouth and disgusting. But she was very scary to some of the townsfolk so it wasn't unexpected, but Cereza had a kind heart still...**

**A little boy was crying a little ways away from Cereza, she glanced at him and saw that he was crying because his candy apple broke on the cobblestone ground. She turned to see that his father was too busy talking to women to notice his son was in distress. **_**Damn adults,**_** she thought as she scoffed. She took out a small pouch from her back pocket, she walked up to the vendor and bought a candy apple.**

**She kneeled down to the boy and gave him the apple, his eyes light up as he ate the treat, Cereza smiled as she patted him on the head and took her leave.**

**The people in the Bazaar were very confused to why she did that for the boy, Spade and Nova even more so. **

**Cereza walked up to her confused friends and laughed.**

"What's wrong with you two?" I asked, Spade chuckled.

"What was that?" Nova said, I turned to see that the little boy and his father were talking as they walked off.

"The boy was crying so I fixed it. Nothing more to be said." I explained the situation to those two but they still wanted to piece things together, it annoyed me how nosy they were but sometimes nosy is required at sea.

Just then, somebody tapped me on the shoulder. I turned to see that it was a Marine.

"Hey, are you Cereza Ann Lucrezia?" The marine questioned, I bowed to him and nodded.

"Indeed I am, what do you want, Mariner?"

The marine stood up straight and gulped.

"I am Staff Sergeant Allen Ten, ma'am! I am here to apprehend and arrest you on the grounds of thievery, murder and above all else piracy! Come silently and you will not be har-"

**In mere seconds, Cereza put her boot heel to the sergeant's adam's apple with angry grimace on her face.**

"And what makes you think i'm going _anywhere_ with you quietly?..."

The marine chuckled, "Because you are without a crew and..."

**The sound of marching men surround the Bazaar, screams of women and the growls of men filled the air as a small marine fleet surround Cereza and her friends.**

"...because you're surround. Give up silently or prepare to be killed."

**Cereza turned to her friends who had faces of pride and laughter. She chuckled as they did.**

"Well, then..." Spade said, Nova continued "Today is a great day to die!"

**Spade took out his whip and in no time at all, twenty of the marine squadron fell to Spade's silver-tipped whip. **

**Nova was no better, she pulled out her compact sword staff, Tsuki-Shiromaru, and like a bullet cutting the wind, Nova sliced five marines with each step she took. **

**But Cereza was a killer at heart, she danced through the squad of marines, with each pose she shot three men and with each kick she shot seven. Cereza opened her locket and applied her mother's lipstick to her lips...**

**She kissed a marine on the cheek and before the other's eyes, his skin started to burn, deteriorate, and burn.**

**She turned fiercely and glared at the frighten marines as a few retreated but the sergeant became frustrated. He called in riflers, after a few minutes, about fifty rifle carrying marines came ready to kill.**

"There's too many!" Spade explained as he snapped his whip against the face of another enemy.

"Ugh! Cereza, orders!" Nova growled as she impaled three more men on her staff.

**Cereza cursed as she shot another marine in the chest with her boot, she scoped out the area and scoffed.**

"We can't stay here, we must-"

**A marine shoots his rifle, the bullet misses Nova's head by inches but it ricoquets off of a pole and hits Spade dead in the stomach. Cereza's face drains of color as Spade hits the ground with a thud.**

"ALEXANDER!" Cereza screams out as she runs to her friend, Nova curses the marines as she quickly helps Spade up.

"Cover us, Cereza!" Nova scurried off with Spade on her back.

**Cereza agressively turns to the marines and starts dancing to a mental rhythm, she dances and kills as she is steadily holding the men back but one of the marines get close enough to punch her square in the face knocking her hat off and revealing her face.**

**The men ooh and aah at Cereza's appearance.**

"She's a woman!" One said in surprise, another licks his thumb "A beautiful woman at that!" The men chuckled as they looked at me with weirdly offense expressions, what in the world was this heat in the air?

Was this...what it's like to seen as a woman?

What the hell is up with this new level of danger?!

**Cereza was amazed and froze up at the treatment that was being presented to her. She quickly stood up and ran, for the first time, she ran from a man's eye.**

**This was a new feeling to her but it didn't feel bad, it felt instinctual, it felt...obvious.**

**Cereza caught up to Spade and Nova, they shook off the marine squad, Cereza took up Spade's other arm and they held him up the best they could. Was Spade always this heavy?, she thought.**

"There! A tavern, we have to get a medic!" Cereza yelped, but Marines started to reappear pass the alleys.

"Crap! Take him into the tavern, i'll distract them!" Nova glared at the marines as she pulled her staff back out.

I took on Spade's full weight with amazement, either he was fat or I was weak...he did have a bit a lovehandle, though.

**Cereza walked up to the tavern and opened up the door slowly, however from the other side, a man clad in a black cloak steadily carried in another man on his back. The tavern owner was drying out cups and a few other pirates were glancing at the cloaked man. **

**Luffy's eyes widened when they caught the man's appearance, **_**he already knew...**_

**Zoro, Sanji and Usopp were watching the man silently while Nami was sort of drooling.**

"Please, help him. We need water, please!" The man pleaded with a light and high-pitched voice, the man lifted his head and he turned out to be a she.

The other guys were amazed and shocked, the bartender nodded and gave the woman a cup of water. She hunched over and put down an injured man, he wasn't noticed until she put him down.

Zoro stood up and walked to her.

"Need help?" he said, the woman glared at him and shook her head as she poured the water over the man's wound. Maybe that was her lover?

"Don't worry, Spade...everything'll be fine. I promise, as your captain, I promise you that your story will not end today." The woman cried as she pulled a bullet out of the man's stomach. I stood up and scurried to her.

"Here, apply pressure to his wound to stop the bleeding." I ripped my shirt and pressed it on the man's stomach.

"W-Who are you?" The woman shakily said.

"The name's Nami! Nice to meet cha!" I said, she didn't smile, she just nodded. She was very cautious and watched me closely as I touched this guy, gosh, he's been hurt real badly.

**As Nami bandaged Spade, Luffy sat in his chair watching...He didn't look directly at her, just out of his peripheral vision. Luffy's heart was racing even when Cereza sat only inches away from him. He glanced at her and the first thing he saw was her eyes, they were glassy like she was about to cry. **

**At that moment, he learned that those glassy eyes would prove to be his greatest weakness...**

I stared down the pale hands that handled Spade, this woman, Nami...she seemed to know what she was doing so for now, I will trust her.

Just as I was glancing down at Spade, I noticed that there was a guy sitting at the table, he wore a straw hat and he kept looking at me.

What were they planning? Are they with the marines?

Just then, Nova ran through the door covered in blood and cuts, I gasped and ran to her.

"Are you okay?" I exclaimed as I helped her into a chair.

"It's not as bad as Spade, how is he?...Who is _she?_" Nova glared at Nami with anger and caution.

"That's Nami, she's helping Spade..." I silently explained, Nami sighed and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"We have to take him to the Thousand Sunny, he needs rest." Nami says, the man in the green bandana picks up Spade, Nova and I gasp.

I draw my pistol quicker than lightning and point it at the man in green.

"Where are you taking him?" Nova said, I kept my finger on the trigger, were they on the marines' side?

"We're taking him to our ship to get properly treated-" Nova pointed her staff to Nami's neck, Nami yelped.

"No, thanks. We can handle him from here-" Nova said, but another man came up and took her wrist, she glared at him but then her eyes seemed to melt.

"Hey, i'm Sanji and I promise you that nothing will befall your friend in Nami's care. You can't go back to ship because it's likely to be guarded by the marines right now and you can't just wander, you'll get caught faster that way." Sanji explains but Nova growls and jerks her wrists away.

"No matter! We'll make it, give him to us immediat-"

**Before Cereza can finish her sentence, in what felt like mere moments, Luffy appeared before her and grabbed her by her pistol. Cereza gasped and stepped back.**

"Who are you?!" she yelled.

**Luffy glanced to her with eyes of determination and an innocent lust, he smiled at her...**


	5. Be My Queen, Cereza!

The Pirate King and the Rose Queen

Chapter 5

~Be My Queen, Cereza!~

**The boy smiled at Cereza uncaringly but warmly at the same time...**

"Don't be stubborn. We'll take your friend to the Thousand Sunny and get him fixed, until then, let's not fight."

**Luffy speaks to Cereza with a calm but controlling voice, the type of man gives to a woman when he's trying to explain something clearly. Cereza is impressed by this and decides to trust them.**

**Spade is carried by Zoro and Sanji back to the Thousand Sunny, but on the ship, Nova and Cereza's feelings changed. They were silent and sat on the rails of the ship away from the others but not far enough to where they couldn't watch over Spade. Zoro notices Nova's hesitation and mild worry, he walks up to her.**

"Hey, name's Zoro, what's yours?" Zoro speaks to Nova kindly but she remains cold as expected.

"That's okay, you don't have'ta talk to me. But I give you my word i'm not a bad guy, I just want to start meaningful conversation." Zoro stands next to Nova, she chuckles.

"There is no such thing as man that simply wants conversation, my name is Nova...Nova Catalina, it's nice to meet you, Zoro." Nova introduces herself.

As Zoro and Nova began to speak, I look up to the dark blue sky that seemed like it was encrusted with diamonds because of those stars. Then I saw him, that boy in the straw hat. He seem very complacent before, was it something I said?

Maybe I was being too weary of Spade's health, he's been my friend forever so it's only natural.

That guy, Sanji, walked up to me with a cup of juice.

"Here, it's orange. I figure you've been out at sea for a while, nothing sucks worse than scurvy." I nodded and took the juice from Sanji and drank it sip by sip.

After a few more minutes, Sanji began to speak.

"So,...you killed Sir Stewart?...If I may be so bold as to ask, how did ya kill'im?"

The ship became silent, apparently, this information was greatly wanted.

"That Evans man was arrogant and he deserved his death by my heel against his chest, nothing more, nothing less."

**The ship was little bit disappointed by Cereza's answer but that's not the thing that interested them, it was the way she said it. She spoke with a false voice, like a man. Everyone on that boat sees that she is indeed a woman but she's speaking with a man's voice, deep and masculine.**

**Luffy immediately found this out when they were still in the tavern, she spoke like a man and stood on her toes to be tall, she's in fact two inches shorter than Luffy! **

**Spade yells out in pain which makes Nova and Cereza move to his location, then Luffy noticed something else. **_**Everything**_** about her was boyish, the way she worried, the way she dressed and even the way she walked! It all resembled a man, it confused Luffy.**

**After Spade comes down in pain, Nova and Cereza leave his side to go speak with Zoro and Sanji again, they seemed to be getting along fine. But Spade was waking up, when he opened his eyes he found something very beautiful waiting for him...**

"Ugh...Hmm...C-...Cereza...No-...Nova!" Spade groaned and called his friends in agony. I took a warm washcloth and put it over his head to calm him a little bit.

"Don't worry, you're safe." I pat the arms for muscle tenderness, I went to his chest and he grabbed my wrist reflexively.

"Eek!" I yelped when I did, his eyes snapped open and glanced at me.

"Who are you?" Spade whispered out of lack of strength, I gulped.

"My name's Nami...I-It's nice to meet you, Spade..." Spade's eyes widened.

"How do you know my name?" He squeezed my wrist, I hissed at the pain.

"I know your friends, Nova and Cereza. They brought you here, honest!"

Spade looks at me with empty eyes that were full of a strange malice, he sighes and lets me go.

"No matter, leave me. I must rest." He turns over on his side, _What does he take me for?! Some type of maid! I could've let him die! The least I could get is a thank you!_

"You're lucky I helped you at all! You would've been toast had I not came along with my medical skills and genius!" I chuckle proudly, _what a doofus! I bet he's never even seen a girl as amazing as me! Ha ha!_

"If your genius is what's currently keeping me alive, than I have more to fear that I thought."

...

_WHAT HE SAY TO ME?!_

"How dare you? I'm the one who saved you!" I growl at Spade, he turns over and glares at me.

"Ugh, are women from the Red Line as loud as you? What horrible luck!"

"You are disrespectful!"

"You are annoying!"

**Spade and Nami growl at each other like cats and dogs, but it isn't long before Sanji steps in.**

"Hey, now! What's going on here?" Sanji says, trying to calm the situation down. I can't believe that bastard spoke to me like that! I'm the one who saved his sorry ass! Grr! I'll get him back for this!

**Spade scoffs at Nami as he dresses himself, he walks out of the cabin to see that Zoro is steadily flirting with Nova. A type of jealousy comes over him but he turns back to an enraged Nami and gets a feeling that takes away his jealousy and turns it into power. Cereza and Nova see Spade is safe and well-rested, he doesn't tell them about the spat between Nami and himself. Cereza chuckles as Nova pokes Spade mockingly in his still aching gut.**

"So, why exactly did you guys want to come to the Red Line?" Sanji cuts the fun and games with his question, I turn to him hesitantly about to answer the question. I glance at Spade, since he's fine, I guess that can be trusted.

"Well, I inherited the Rose Queen ship about three years ago. A few weeks earlier, we felt that there must be more that just the Loanan Seas out there, so we decided to set sail and see what we could see."

"That ship is _inherited?_" Zoro seems to be amazed, my ship was rather large so it is uncommon for something like that to be passed down.

"Yup, it belongs to my mother, she held the title of Rose Queen before me and her mother before her and so on and so forth." I explained, Nova cleared her throat.

"We all created the Rose Queen crew while just sailing around one day." Nova chuckled.

"But there's only three of you, what about the rest of your crew?" A man named Usopp questioned.

"We only need a chef for food and a navigator so we don't get lost, that's all we've needed in the past. Too many people and it becomes a drag." Spade explained.

"So, Cereza, what kind of sea is the Loanan Sea?" Nami asked, I laughed.

"It's...calm and tranquil. During the Newnteht Holiday, the ocean will turn color some times...I've only seen it in lavender, though."

The other crew seemed shocked, "Turn colors?" they exclaimed.

"Y-Yeah! But not really, it only turns colors because fifty years ago, some of the elders poured in a few gallons of Newnteht poweder in the sea so whenever the sun hits the ocean a certain way once everywhere yeah, it's turn colors because the powder is shifting." Nova says, Nami and the others seemed impressed.

"It's nothing big, of course...Ahem...Well, I guess since Spade's all fixed, we'll be out of here." I rubbed the back of my head awkwardly, Nami was a bit disappointed that were leaving.

**The Straw Hat pirates said their farewells to the Rose Queen and her crew, but on the top foremast, Luffy wasn't ready to say goodbye. Matter of fact, he had somethings he wanted to state. **

**Luffy jumped down from the top foremast and landed right in front of the Rose Queen, Cereza was taken back by his sudden appearance and prepared for the worst.**

**Luffy slowly looked up at her with the same innocent lust and determination-filled eyes.**

**He brought his arm up and pointed at her.**

"You are woman!" Luffy shouted, Cereza has a shocked and angry look on her face, Luffy continues "You're a woman, right? Why do you act like a man?"

**Cereza's face turns beet red but then she is quickly angered by Luffy's statement and accusation, she feels disrespected but it's obvious Luffy doesn't know what he's talking about, she thought. He looked dumb and retarded in that hat and that empty-headed expression didn't make it any better. Cereza chuckles.**

"I'm sorry but you have me mistaken, if you talk to me in such a tone again, i'll break your neck. Got it, little man?"

**Cereza threatens Luffy and lets him off with a warning. As she tries to walk past him, he takes her by her forearm, Cereza stops abruptly and glares at his hand.**

"I'm not finished talking yet..." Luffy excuses himself but Cereza is still angry.

"As long as i'm not listening, as far as I know, you are! Now, unhand me, ruffian!"

**Cereza's deep voice cracks underpressure, making Luffy bring her all the way back.**

"Get outta my way, dumbass, before you get hurt!" I put my hand over my waist where my pistol was cased, Luffy glances at my hand and smirks.

"My name is not dumbass and it ain't ruffian. My name is Monkey D. Luffy and I said i'm not done talkin to ya yet!" Luffy states, Nami steps up with worry.

"Let the woman through, Luffy!" Nami exclaims, "What's your problem?" she asks.

Luffy tips his hat on his head and crosses his arms, "Sorry, I just think it's a waste for a girl like her to ruin her image by acting like a guy."

**Cereza is automatically outraged by Luffy's statement, she quickly draws her pistol and points it into Luffy's face, Luffy takes no offense to it and neither does his crewmembers.**

"Kya! Cereza, calm down!" Nova steps up behind me and tries to pat my back in order to cool me off, but there's no turning back now. He's gone _too _far! How dare he insult my honor!

"It isn't worth it, Cereza, it's just words, they don't mean anything!" Spade edges towards me, I put my finger over the trigger. They know what that means, i'm ready to kill this guy!

"Any last words, monkeyboy." I taunt Luffy before his imminent death.

**Luffy glares down the Ebony Lion's barrel and scoffs, he glances at Cereza as he slowly takes the barrel in his hand and points at his center, he licks his lips and winks at Cereza.**

"Hm...Oh well, you would've suffered less if it was the head but so be it."

**Nova and Spade look away...**

**In quick and subtle motion, Cereza pulls the trigger...**

**A loud, thundering roar comes from Cereza's pistol, The Ebony Lion.**

"W-...WHAT THE-?!" Cereza shrieks.

**Luffy's body stretches out as the bullet is trying it's **_**best**_** to penetrate him, Luffy yells out as he tightens his body and thrusts his chest forward making the bullet **_**bounce**_** off his body. **

**The copper bullet zooms pass Cereza's head by mere inches and hit the boat in a rail on the opposite side.**

**Cereza's mouth is agape as she slowly turns and sees that the rail has been **_**completely**_** destroyed, but Nova and Spade are even more surprised.**

**Never before had they even seen a bullet **_**ricochet **_**off of somebody's body! It was unheard of!**

**Cereza's slowly turns to Luffy with wide eyes and racing heart, she sees that he is grinning as his straw hat covers his eyes from view. She turns to the rest of his crew for confirmation, Nova and Spade are speechless.**

"What...the flapjack just happen?" Nova squeaks.

"My name..."

**Cereza whips her head to a slowly panting Luffy that was glaring at her with a gaze that's never frightened her so **_**good**_**.**

"...is Monkey D. Luffy, and i'm gonna be the Pirate King!"

**Luffy points at Cereza abruptly.**

"...and I'm gonna need a queen..."

**Cereza freezes at the last word that passes Luffy's lips, her face turns from mortified and to pricelessly laughable.**

**Cereza breaks out laughing uncontrollably, Nova and Spade look at each other quickly knowing what this meant.**

**Cereza smacks Luffy's hand away sharply and points back to him.**

"My name is Cereza Ann Lucrezia the Sixteenth, I may be the Rose Queen but that will _never_ make me your queen!"

**Cereza applies pressure to her heels, she jumps in the air with the power of small cannons pushing her up and dives back to the dock. Zoro and Nami see that Nova and Spade are no longer on the boat.**

**Luffy runs to the rail but before he makes to the port, Cereza is already long gone with only a dethorned rose left in her wake.**

**Luffy slowly walks up to the rose and picks it up.**

**He laughs...and turns to the starry sky.**

"...that's what _you _think_..."_


	6. Oh, No! The Ship!

The Pirate King and the Rose Queen

Chapter 6

~Oh, No! The Ship!~

**Cereza was running faster than a panther through the dark alleys of the town, the wind blew through her hair and her warm breath became visible in cold night air.**

**Cereza was fiercely angered up to the point that she couldn't even see Nova and Spade struggling to keep up with her.**

"Spade, are you pained?!" Nova yelled out to her friend, Spade nodded.

"Not pained enough to stop running!" Spade answered back.

**Nova was worried about Cereza, but she was more amazed by that guy! The bullet bounced off of him! He was like rubber or something! Cereza was very upset; her honor has been punched in the gut. Every time she thought about how Luffy claimed her, it made her mind burn.**

**Cereza stopped dead in tracks, she started thinking about him…how he grabbed her arm, she looked and saw that there was a bruise on her forearm where Luffy snatched her.**

"Dammit,…Goddamn him! ARGH!"

**Cereza yelled out to the heavens, she pointed her gun to the skies and started shooting it into the stars as she wept quietly, with every gunshot she screamed.**

"Damn him!... Damn him!... Damn him!... Damn him!..."

**Cereza cursed Luffy as his image constantly found its way back into her head, Nova and Spade finally caught up to Cereza and see that she was angered and highly irritable.**

"Now, now, Cereza…Look, that guy was inhuman! The bullet bounced off of him, you saw it! Any normal person would be bleeding out on the ground by now!" Nova tried her best to calm me but it was of no use! I was royally pissed! I've never been treated that way! Even the men of _Loana_ treated me with more respect that that bastard monkey boy and that's saying something!

"That bastard dare to claim me?! I am a woman of Loana! I will not be humiliated! I will kill him! Tenma zoko, tsien koho diaktoeht! Ugh!"

**Spade walks up to Cereza and slaps her across her face, Cereza is taken aback by this at first but then she angrily glares at Spade with eyes of pure anger and hate.**

"What's your problem, Spade?"

**Cereza's voice sounds like the growl of a lion and the hiss of a snake, Spade scoffs at her rage.**

"As I recall, Nova has already told you that this type of guy would come around one day. Are you stupid, there is no way a woman like you is going to be without a man for too long. You are pretty, Cereza, but you act as a man and that is disrespectful to those who actually _are_ men! For this era, the way you act is wrong. For our _culture_, the way you act is wrong. Everyone realizes this but you…" Spade explains.

**Cereza's face flushes of color, she then looks back at Spade and a smirk crosses her face. Cereza quickly pistol whips Spade across his head, she misses because Spade knew what she'd do. This wouldn't be the first time he's pissed her off.**

"Don't get cocky, you bastard! I am the ruler of the Loanan Seas, I will not be disrespected by some skinny punk in a straw hat nor will I be harassed by one of my best friends! You are either with me or against me, make your choice, fool!"

**Cereza turns from Spade with her shoulders cutting the air like daggers; Spade whips his head to her.**

"_You_ don't act so cocky! Even as you act like that, do not forget what Chieftess Almirierre said! That type of guy is _destined_ to you; you both have the same determination to go for your goal! That guy had the eyes of the Ebony Lion, the same eyes that Almirierre predicted-"

Cereza sharply turned her head to Spade, her eyes were infuriated and her expression was pure annoyance and anger.

"Don't talk to me about that bitch, Almirierre! I do not believe in her predictions and neither do I believe in her authority, so don't you think I know that?! Do you think that I ran away because of his eyes, don't be stupid! I ran away because of his _strength! _His _determination_ rivals that of even the great Ebony Lion! So don't think that I'm that ignorant! I know!...I know…"

**Cereza continues to walk away from Spade but her legs start to feel heavy, she kneels to the ground…**

"I just…I didn't expect for such a person to appear so _soon…_"

**A tear flows down Cereza's cheek and onto the pavement, Nova walks up to her and pats her on the back.**

"Hey, don't be too beat up about it. How do you think I feel? You got the Ebony Lion while I was bound to _a man of Asura._"

Nova mocks Almirierre's prediction to cheer me up, when I thought about it, her prediction was significantly more…_dangerous_ than mine.

I mean to be predicted a man of Asura, that's pretty rare for Loanan women…There are only three known men of Asura on that island and they are all taken.

But even though her mocking made me laugh a tiny bit, I already know why she even came along with me to the Red Line.

She wants to find him, her man of Asura…a man with six arms and three heads…It doesn't sound too attractive.

"Listen, Cereza…Chieftess Almirierre gave us these predictions eight years ago, but still…she also told you that women of Loana are _easily_ noticed on the Red Line."

**Cereza's eyes widened as Nova spoke, she remembered what Almirierre said…How would she know that Cereza was going to the Red Line **_**eight**_** years before she does so?**

"I know…She told us that on the Red Line, we are nearly _too_ different…The women here are light while our skin is dark…they are tall when we are short…But, you are different, Nova…you didn't come from the Islands of Loana yet…You share the same blood as me."

"That's true, I came from the East Blue…It's strange but…I feel like I was meant to come to the Islands of Loana, if I hadn't come to you guys, I probably would've died." Nova said. Spade laughs.

"You girls are so pitiful,…you two are the only girls on Loana that actually minds of their own. Your blood is Loana yet your minds are both so different than those of our predecessors. I am sometimes proud of the things that have happened in my life. If my parents hadn't left this world, I would be complete wimp-"

"Yup." Cereza and Nova nod our heads into agreement.

"H-Hey! Don't be so quick to agree!"

**Cereza, Nova and Spade laugh as they dust themselves off and continue to walk back to the docks. The sun was already coming up so nobody got any sleep and it appeared that Cereza was about to be put to a gruesome test.**

"EHHHHHHHH?! M-MY SHIP! MY BEAUTIFUL SHIP! WHERE DID SHE GO?!" Cereza screamed as she walked to an empty dock where the Rose Queen once was.

Nova yelped as she pointed to the north, "T-There it is, Cereza! Way out there!"

Cereza screeched as she tried in vain to swim to her ship, she quickly came back to the shore when Spade dove into the water after her.

"Calm down, Cereza!" Spade yelped but Cereza was wigging out extremely, she's never been without that ship. Ever! This is one thing that is too weird to be seen, Cereza without the Rose Queen? That's like Spade having a girlfriend, it just can't be!

"Ha ha ha! I see our little rebel has finally regretted her actions!"

**The trio froze, turned and saw an arrogant marine captain along with a rather large squad of marines. Cereza glares at them fiercely.**

"Where's mah ship, you basterds…" Cereza's mouth was numb from the anger of losing the Rose Queen.

"Don't you see it, it's out there! Going someplace you'll _never_ find it! That's what you get for murdering Sir Stewart and injuring Captain Albert! Not so hot anymore, huh?"

Like fools, the marine squad mocked Cereza, an act that they'd soon regret.

"What about my crew? Jeffrey, Tony, Aiden and the others?"

"They were arrested on the grounds of piracy and accessories to murder of a marine official." The marine explained, Cereza's hand was already hovering over her pistol.

"You really are a fool! Do you think you three pirates can stand up to the might of a complete marine squadron?! Huh? Huh?" Another marine dared to open his mouth and speak down to us. I felt my staff hand twitching, that ship meant everything to us. How dare they put their filthy,…putrid,…disgusting hands on it?

**Nova unlocks her Tsuki-Shiromaru and gets into a fighting stance, only listening for Cereza's orders as her signal. Of course, Spade's whip was unsheathed moments before the marines even started speaking but Cereza wanted to resolve this as much as she could with words…**

"Why did you take…my ship?" Cereza spoke with her hand still shaking over her pistol.

"Because you are now a criminal of the law. We've been given special permission to kill you if needed so-"

"Permission?" Cereza chuckled, "Permission?" she said. "Permission, you say? I don't think pirates ask for permission when they decide to kill you and I don't think that I'll ask for permission either. I guess that shows how weak and arrogant the marines are, who the _hell_ asks for permission to kill somebody else!?" Cereza yells out, the marine captain chuckles.

"I think it's good that some people ask for permission for things, why if we didn't ask for permission, we wouldn't have _those…_"

**The marine captain points to the sea behind Cereza, they turn and see that there are three huge marine ships all for them.**

"One…for…each of you. Do you think that after all the hell you raised, we wouldn't come back prepared? You fools will never get out of here unscathed! Prepare for retribution! Ha ha ha!"

**The marine squad laughed as Cereza, Spade and Nova all prepared to fight them. **

"No!"

**In a split second, nearly the entire squad of marine is completely wiped out while the three marine ships are bombed and sink to the bottom of the sea. When the dust clears, the figures that appear shock Nova, Spade and above all else, Cereza… Three people that the Rose Queen pirates weren't expecting so soon arrived like angels from above…**

"The only fools here are _you…_" **Nami…**

"So, you're the ones who'ad better prepare yourselves…" **Zoro…**

"Cause Imma about to beat you like a ragdoll."

**…**

**Luffy…**

* * *

****Author's Note: OH SINNIGITY SNAP! This is so effin tense, you guys! Shout outs to mah reviews on the last chapters but don't forget you salty sea-dogs, Reviews = Chapters! XD


	7. Cereza's Plea! I Am No Fool!

The Pirate King and the Rose Queen

Chapter 7

~Cereza's Plea! I Am No Fool!~

**Cereza and her crew were baffled and dumbfounded as the Straw Hat pirates, Luffy, Nami, and Zoro fought to the last marine until reinforcements came, Zoro abruptly turned.**

"What are you doing?! Get outta here! This is a rescue!" Zoro ran up to Nova and helped her up, I stood up with Spade. We turned to Luffy, he looked back at me and smirked. "Get going!" He yelped.

I nodded to my crew, we began to run away from the marines. I looked back as Luffy uppercut one of the marines in the jaw, he looked back at me and our eyes met.

Those eyes of his,...they really do resemble the Ebony Lion.

"Keep moving! Cereza! Eyes on the prize!" Nova yelped as we sped up, the marines began to chase us but that long-nosed guy, Usopp, threw down a smoke bomb and it helped us get away.

**Cereza, Nova, and Spade got away safely and ran back to the tavern where the originally met the Straw Hat pirates, Cereza tried desperately to catch her breath. It was only a few hours before Luffy and the others caught up to him, there was an awkward silence but Nami broke it.**

"Hey!...Uhh, are you guys alright?" Nami asked, Spade nodded.

"Yes, we're fine. How about you?" Nami nodded to Spade, "We're doing okay, I guess."

**Then there was more awkwardness...Luffy pointed at Cereza.**

"I told ya I'd make you my queen..."

Everyone gasped, "Ehh?!" they shrieked. I smacked Luffy's hand down, bastard. He's already getting arrogant! Damn him! I could've taken them myself! No problem!

"Don't get uppity, you monkey boy! I could've _easily_ taken down those ships! I didn't need your help!"

_"_Is that so?" Luffy speaks in a matter of factly tone, I scoffed at him. "Yes!"

**Luffy stares blankly at Cereza for a few minutes; the air is filled with tension. Nova nervously laughs and bumps Zoro's shoulder.**

"Thanks for helping us, Zoro. I really appreciate it." Nova said, Zoro chuckled.

"Don't worry, if I had a nickel for every time a girl as pretty as you actually _thanked_ me for something, I'd have 5 cents right now."

**Nova blushes madly and turns from Zoro with her face beet red. Spade shakes his head in disbelief; everyone apparently begins to ignore the staring contest between Luffy and Cereza.**

"Hey, what's your problem, Spade?" Nami asks. Spade looks at her half-heartedly.

"Nothing, it's just…The Rose Queen's been taken from us, we have no way to get to her and without a ship, what kind of pirate crew are we?" Spade complains, Nova glares at him.

"Hey! We are still Loanan pirates! We are still the Rose Queen's crew even if we don't have the vessel itself! We'll find a way easy!" Nova tries to cheer Spade in vain.

"Where are we going to get a ship, anyways?" Spade questions, "Hey, don't worry about that. You can ride with us. We'll help you get your ship back." Zoro responds, Nami's face lights up as she hopes that Spade will agree.

"Meh, I don't know. It all depends on Cereza so I couldn't care either or." Spade sits on a bar stool with his arms crossed, Nova dumps him in the arm.

"Don't get sassy! We need a ship and these guys are pretty strong! Let's go with them!" Nova pleas with Spade, he sighs.

"Ugh, fine…I'm in, but still we have to see what Cereza thinks." Spade insists.

"Right! So, whaddya think, Cereza?"

**Nova enthusiastically turns to Cereza, they all do, but Cereza is still glaring at Luffy and Luffy is still shooting that same empty look at her. Cereza sighs and groans.**

"We are not going with-"

**The entire room goes silent when Cereza is stopped in the middle of her sentence when Luffy grabs her by the back of her head and kisses her.**

"EHHHHHHH?!" Everyone yells, Nova is mortified, Spade is shocked and Nami and Zoro are both surprised!

**Cereza starts to scream as Luffy is still kissing her, but after two minutes, Luffy releases his grip. They stop their kiss with a pop and Cereza falls back on the floor, screaming and yelling and using every cuss word there is. She pulls out her pistol, points it at Luffy but she just falls on the ground from shock.**

"UGH! EWW! YOU DISGUSTING BRAT! GROSS! ARGH!"

**Cereza is shocked, disgusted and angered by Luffy's sudden smooch; she glares at Luffy looking for an explanation. Luffy simply smiles at her and licks his thumb.**

"Mm, you taste yummy, Lucre." Luffy chuckles as he walks away, "STOP!" Cereza yells as she grabs his shoulder. Luffy takes her hand and spins off of it, releasing himself from her grip.

"GET BACK HERE, YOU…YOU!...You!...you…ugh…" Cereza falls back and hits the ground.

"C-Cereza!" Nova yelps, Spade is still in shock so he can't really move. Nova tries to get Cereza up but it's no use, she's fainted.

**Zoro follows Luffy angrily; he didn't like the way Luffy was acting towards Nova's friend, Cereza. He wanted a good explanation for his actions and if he didn't have one, he was going to beat some sense into him.**

"Stop, Luffy!" Zoro orders, Luffy stops in the middle of his stride and looks at him with the same goofy, uncaring eyes as usual.

"Yeah, Zoro? What's up?" Luffy asks. Zoro just chuckles and looks at him with a disbelieving look.

"What's up? I should be saying the same thing. Luffy, what you just did was disrespectful and very rude! You need to get some manners!" Zoro complains, Luffy's expression became defensive against Zoro.

"Oh? And the way she acts _isn't_ disrespectful. That little lip action didn't _hurt_ her; she's just overly-dramatic because that was probably her first one. Besides, she's my queen now. I have to do that type of thing." Luffy explains, Zoro facepalms himself.

"Luffy! Nothing is set in stone! I want to know right now, why you even _want_ a 'queen'. It's not you, what's going on?" Zoro asks, Luffy stares at him for a minute and then shrugs his shoulders.

"I don't really know. I just want her. That's all." Luffy answers, he turns and walks away. Zoro spits at the ground, what's going on? Why's Luffy so damn interested in Cereza?

"H-Hey! Zoro, we need help in here-! Ack!"

**Nova is pushed out of the way of the door by Spade who is pushed by Cereza who has just now gone into Ebony Lion's Frenzy, the warrior instinct of the Ebony Lion to kill the person who's wronged her, same as the legends of his journeys go. **

**Cereza runs out of the tavern and glares at Zoro, he's shocked to see Cereza in this state so he unsheathes his blade. Cereza glares at him but Zoro notices that her attention isn't on him, it's on **_**Luffy...  
**_

**Cereza speeds right pass Zoro, it sounded like the heels in her shoes with clicking so fiercely. A worried expression for Luffy draped Zoro's face as he turned towards him.**

"LUFFY! WATCH OUT!" Zoro yelled out to me, Luffy turned around to see why he was so upset, "Huh? What's going on?"

**Luffy turned around and saw that Cereza was running at him with her pistol drawn and her eyes filled with rage, Luffy sighed as he tilted his hat down a bit.**

"When are you gonna learn?"

**Luffy waited for Cereza to get close, she prepared to pistol whip him but he grabbed her wrist and twisted her on her back. Cereza stood up quickly and kicked Luffy three times in the stomach with her heel. She then began to randomly punch him and kick him all over his body, Luffy was uncaring over her meager attacks until she tried shooting him. **

**Luffy got annoyed so he took the gun from her but her whining to have it back was even more annoying. Cereza jumped away from Luffy, she prepped her lips with her Sweet Dreams poison, a poison made from white loanan roses that was kept in her mother's locket around her neck.**

**She then ran at Luffy. She grabbed him by the collar and instead of a kiss on the cheek, Luffy spinned her and kissed her poisoned lips.**

Cereza pushed away from him and chuckled, Spade yelped.

"You fool! You've sealed your fate!" Spade yelled but it was too late, I chuckled as I carefully wiped the poison from my lips. I glared at Luffy hoping that his face would soon melt or start burning at least. Luffy turned to me, after a few seconds, his pink stained lips began to sting then they burned. Luffy yelled.  
**  
**"ARGH! HOT! HOT! HOOOOT! URGH!" Luffy fell back screaming as he clenched his lips in his hands, Zoro and Nami gasped and ran to him. Spade and Nova was mortified but already knew Luffy was as good as dead.  
**  
**I just laughed my brains out, he's such a fool! That's what you get when you mess with the Rose Queen, you get the thorns, sweetheart! Ha ha ha!

"Luffy! Luffy! What's happening?!" Nami yelled, Luffy just screamed "HOT! HOT! OUCH! URGH!" Nami glared at Cereza who just crossed her arms with a "what are you going to do?" look. Nami got into a fighting position, but Spade stepped in front of Cereza.

"Do not forget, we are not on the same team. I will kill you ifnecessary." Spade took out his silver-tipped whip against Nami, then Zoro stood in front of Nami, but with that Nova stood against Zoro with her staff unlocked.

"Let's not make this bigger than it has to be. Captains of crews are killed every day, it's no big deal." Nova tries to reason but Zoro scoffs.

"Shut up, Luffy isn't dead so you can't say that. You attacked our captain, we have to defend him. Prepare yourselves." Zoro unsheathed his sword, Cereza laughed.

"Don't be foolish, swordsman. I can very much confirm that your little friend over yonder is very much dead, there's no antidote to the Sweet Dreams poison. It's a potent mixture of white loanan roses and the thorns of a Giselle bush. Since he depicts it as hot, I bet there's no doubt that it's probably burning his ugly face to ashes. It's his own fault, he opted to kiss my lips instead of me kissing his cheek. It would've been less painful that way. He's made his death painful out of his own doing, it's not my fault that he'll die screaming and crying for help." I laughed hysterically, Nami was pissed at me. I could tell by the anger in her eyes. I could care less what that orange-haired bimbo had to say to me. I won! I killed that monkey boy and successfully defended my honor.

Luffy continued to toss around and scream as his lips burned from his face, god, I wish I could see the painful burning process he was going through.

It seemed only right and it seemed I was right as well. If he really was my man with the eyes of the Ebony Lion, he wouldn't have died so easily.

Luffy finally stopped his futile struggling and he stopped moving as well, Nami and Zoro were shocked as they looked at his lifeless body. I laughed at their grief, "Come on, let's get out of here. I think I hear some marines nearby." Spade said, we followed him a few feet away from the mortified Nami and Zoro.

**As Cereza walked away, she started thinking about Luffy's death and how he originally treated her. She began to think maybe she was a bit hard on him, but no matter, he's dead now so there's no need to regret. **

**But she did, if she could do this again, she'd do it in a different way. Maybe, she'd try talking to him instead of being unkind and misunderstanding. **

**It was wrong the way she treated him and she finally realized it, but she was still happy about killing him with Sweet Dreams. Oh well, she thought, no need crying over spilt milk.**

Then Nami screamed out in agony as she held Luffy's body in her arms. Zoro was angry as he gripped his sword so hard that his palms began to bleed, he glared at Cereza as she walked away but then he looked at Nova. He seemed disappointed, she was so perfect, he thought.

Luffy's straw hat covered his face, the wind picked up and blew through his vest...

"WHOA! COLD! TOO COLD NOW!"

**That entire dock froze, Cereza, Spade and Nova turned around and looked back at Nami and Zoro...**

Cereza was mortified, completely and utterly mortified.

_...No way...There's just...no way..._

**There Luffy stood, shivering from the wind's cool breeze. His lips...only slightly red. His face...still intact. Luffy looked at Cereza who jumped at his gaze, is this boy some type of monster?!, she thought. First, her pistol and now her poison?! This was too impossible, Cereza thought.**

**Luffy smiles at the love of his life, Cereza.**

"That was one spicy kiss! Thanks, honey!" Luffy's arms stretch out towards Cereza, they wrap around her and pull her to him. She screams but Luffy steals one or two more kisses from Cereza before he immediately lets her go.

"Ugh! What are you doing?!" Cereza carefully wipes off her lips, frightened that the poison will kill her. Luffy licks his lips and laughs.

"That spicy stuff on your lips, what was it? It tasted yummy, or maybe that was just your lips I was tasting?" Luffy questioned himself, Cereza quickly stood up and took out her pistol against Luffy. Luffy notices her shocked and disturbed face and realizes what she just tried to do.

"That stuff...was poison, wasn't it?" Luffy looked emptily at Cereza but it felt like a glare even if it didn't appear as one, Luffy put his arms to his sides. He once again pointed the barrel of Cereza's gun at his center.

"If you want me to do so badly, don't use such lame and half-assed tactics. Have some dignity and fight me, because I won't let you kissing me become a touchy subject for everyone around us."

Cereza gasped, "H-how would something like that become..._touchy?_" Luffy pointed at Nami and Zoro, "When I kiss you, I want the world to know that that's natural and that it's not something that must be taken highly. If I kiss you, I kiss you. If you kiss me, you're trying to kill me. Shoot me, get that rage out and then let's talk. You need a ship and a crew, I got both."

Cereza is originally hesitant at shooting Luffy, she didn't want to kill him anymore. It was useless. It won't work. She started edging the gun away, she turned from Luffy and put her gun back into her holster.

"I want my ship back, will you help me?" Cereza asked bluntly, Nami got angry. "What?! Help you? You just tried to kill Luffy and you think-"

"Sure! We'll help." Zoro stops Nami, she's shocked at both Luffy and Zoro. "Hey! Did you guys already forget what just happened?" Zoro pulls Nami aside to explain the situation.

"It's clear that Luffy likes Cereza besides it's obvious to her now that she can't kill Luffy with normal means. So, she's going to get her ship before she deals with Luffy. But it's likely we'll never find her ship since it's been seized by the Marines. This was I can spend time with Nova and Luffy gets his time with his girl, feel us?" Zoro explains, Nami growls.

"That's a stupid plan!" "Oh? Don't forget you get to have time with Spade." Nami freezes with Zoro response and blushes, she agrees to the plan immediately.

"So, what now?" Nova asks, Cereza shrugs and looks at Luffy.

"We're gonna go to the Thousand Sunny and introduce everyone! Come on, let's go!" Luffy runs off, but the walk back was rather awkward between Nami and Cereza.

**The day was winding down and coming to an end for Cereza and the Rose Queen pirates when they finally came to the Thousand Sunny, Luffy explained the situation and the other members of the Rose Queen pirates were rather upset that Luffy decided to bring Cereza aboard. **

**The days became weeks and the weeks became months and there was still no sign of Cereza's ship, however. Somewhere else...a former king was brewing up a plan to come together with his heir, a **_**Kingsley**_** to be exact.**

**On the Island of Mercy, near the great Islands of Loana, there was a kingsley planning revenge of the coldest yet sweetest kind with his crew of marauders and thieves...**

"So, Oberon,...you got them to take the ship, right?" A man wearing an eye patch asks as he drinks his potent brandy. Oberon, the captain, laughs.

"Yeah, they should be coming here soon but I doubt she'll find it soon." He response, another man answers. "Why is that?"

"If she's anything like _she _was, she'll be rather stubborn and won't catch a clue for at least another few weeks or so. So, we'll sit here and let that bastard, Thomas, do his thing. I don't want anyone causing trouble or I swear I'll kill you." Oberon commanded as he smokes a cigarette.

**The wind came through the forest where they sat and the gleam of the sun revealed that this man, Oberon, and his crew has killed over a hundred men and the bodies have been scattered along the beach of Mercy.**

**The wind blows the hood from the man called Oberon, he smiles.**

"Be prepared, darling, daddy's coming for ya."

* * *

Author's Note: YO! Another fantastic chapter finally squeezed out! Phew, this one was _really_ out there today! I'm glad so many of you like it! Thanks for reading but remember reviews = chapters! ^_^


	8. We Are Fine Like This!

The Pirate King and the Rose Queen

Chapter 8

~We Are Fine Like This~

I looked over the railing of the Thousand Sunny, in vain. I was trying to see if I could spot my beloved Rose Queen, I could just hear those marines scuffing the wood with their boots and oh god! What if they aren't keeping her waxed?! Rosewood gets horribly dirty out at sea!

I turned when I heard a blast of laughter coming from the deck. Zoro, Nova, Nami, Spade and few others of Luffy's crew were laughing up a storm. But here was Luffy, squatting down on the rail next to me, staring at me as usual.

I sighed, "Why are you staring at me?" I asked.

Luffy scuffed his nose, "What are you thinking about?" he asked, I groaned.

"It's rude to answer another question with a question, Monkeyboy." I said, Luffy laughed.

"I kinda like that name you've given me, it's like a tense-thing, right?" Luffy said as he laid back on the rail, I walked around him and to his side.

"What do you mean, tense-thing?" I was curious, over the months, I didn't really hate Luffy as much as I used too. Here's what I've found out about him.

He comes from a place called Foosha Village in the East Blue, his straw hat was given to him by his mentor of sorts, Red-Haired Shanks. I also know about all his friends like Zoro joined him while they were fighting marines and he helped Nami to get her independence from a fishman named Arlong.

It all sounds seriously unbelievable, I mean, come on! Fishmen? But Luffy is so straightforward, I can't believe him and he speaks with a stern and strong voice, very hard to forget his face too.

Luffy looked at me with those strong eyes of his and laughed, "I mean once you trust me, you'll start calling me Monkey_man_ instead of Monkeyboy." Luffy explained with that same goofy grin on his face, I laughed.

"We'll see once I get my Rose Queen back..." I lean against the rail beside Luffy, he looked at me kind of worriedly and sadly.

"You still want that ship, huh?" Luffy folded his arms behind his head as I nodded in confirmation.

"Yup, I love that ship, Luffy. It was my mother's so was this locket of Sweet Dreams poison. This pistol was my father's as well." I pulled out my pistol and showed it to Luffy, he pouted a little bit when he looked at the pistol.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked, "Well, it's just that..." Luffy sighed, "Where did your parents go?"

**A sad and shocked grimace came over Cereza's face, she sighed and looked at Luffy.**

"My parents...I don't know _what_ happened to them, my only memory of their faces is when they were running from me, my mother was crying and giving me many kisses before she ran after my father. I remember blood being splattered on the orange sand and then I remember someone laughing...that laugh gave me nightmares for years."

Luffy growled at my story, "Is that why you don't like to laugh, Cereza?" I shockingly turned to Luffy and shook my head, "I like to laugh, Luffy, it's just that...I haven't found a reason to laugh for years now."

"What if _I_ made you laugh, would that be a decent reason?" Luffy questioned me honestly, I smiled and scoffed. "Sure, try your luck, Monkeyboy." I looked at him with one hand on my cheek.

Luffy sighed, he gave me a serious look and then seconds later, he started making the cutest but the funniest faces I had ever seen, on one of the them, he wrapped his tongue around his head. That one made me start laughing. "Kya ha ha! Uh-hoo-hoo!" I started laughing too hard so I covered my mouth to calm it down, Luffy made me put my hands down so I'd look at him, I kept laughing every time. I turned to my right and he made me look at that funny face, I couldn't contain how hard I was laughing.

He held my hands down, he tried to speak but it was muffled. He stood on the rail and stretched his arms up.

"Woo! Theretha Thmiled!" He celebrated my laughing, he did a flip back onto the ship. It made me laugh to the point that my sides were hurting, he took my hands in his and I let my head fall into Luffy's chest and then I heard it...

His heartbeat...

It was warm and without a delay, but the weirdest thing is...

I touched my chest and listened,...his heartbeat matched mine.

I gasped and backed off of him, Luffy put his tongue back into his mouth.

"W-What's wrong? Did I do something bad?" Luffy said, I shook my head no and smiled to reassure him. "It's nothing, my lungs started hurting. Nothing too serious, I think-" Luffy took my arm and pulled me back into him, he hugged me tightly.

"There's always a reason to laugh, even if you're about to die." My eyes widened as I was shocked at Luffy's words, I looked up at him and he was serious. Wow, I thought, this guy is more straightforward than I originally thought.

I smiled and wiggled out of his arms, "Thanks, Luffy." I walked pass Luffy and my hand slid off his arm as I walked away. I went down to the forecastle to sit down for a little bit.

**Luffy diligently and cheerfully watched Cereza as she walked away from him, he even checked her out a few times.** **Zoro, Nova and the others looked on with happy relief.**

"Wow, Luffy's some guy, huh?" Nova said, Zoro nudged her shoulder.

"Nah, just the opposite. Luffy has an uncanny ability to make others want to do their best and give their best in return, I guess, that's the magic of Luffy."

**Luffy blushed and smiled as he stretched to the topmast. Luffy looked at the blue sky and the clouds, they all reminded him how Cereza laughed, he couldn't keep the large smile off his face, he was so happy.**

_Cereza laughed with me, that's so awesome! I bet if I keep this up, I might just get her to fall in love with me! _

_Hee hee hee! Don't worry, Cereza, I promise you...I'll always be the one that makes your smile shine the hardest._

**Luffy laughed out loud as his smiled** **over his no resolve, however in the forecastle, Cereza was intensely thinking about Luffy and his weird heartbeat.**

I put my hand to my chest and sighed, "What a day..."

"Tell me about it." Nova walked with some tangerines, she tossed me one but I dropped it, not a norm for me. "Wow, you must really like Luffy, huh?"

My jaw dropped, I blushed and punched Nova in the arm, "No. I don't like Luffy. He's sweeter than I thought he was, that's it."

Nova was slightly surprised and then she smiled gently, "Zoro told me that he reminded me of the sun. Bright and warm but hard to look at. He says he has to double take so he doesn't go blind. I'm not sure that was an insult and I'm not sure if that was compliment."

"What do you mean? Why does Zoro cross your mind so?" I cross my legs and took a bite of my tangerine.

"Zoro has a special technique called...Asura." My eyes snapped to Nova who's face looked quite melancholic, "And? How does that make you feel?"

"It makes me think that...the end is near. That maybe...once Zoro and I get together, that'll be the end of all these great adventures. It's been gruesome with the Rose Queen getting taken. But I still feel that I have so much to do in my life besides be on the arm of some guy."

I was shocked by Nova's words and laughed, I bonked her on the head. "Now, you know how I feel! Look, I'm gonna put it to you the same way you've put it to me. You have no choice, he's your one and you have no reason to doubt the predictions of Almirierre."

Nova growled as she glared at me, "Fine! You win." I nodded, "But still, do you think even with Almirierre's prediction, that maybe Zoro and I can actually become a thing?"

"Oh, of course. But that mostly depends on Zoro, I don't believe that he's the type of guy that really likes to be in relationships. He probably has a reason for even being on this ship."

"So, what do you think I should do?" Nova asked me my opinion, that's strange. She hasn't asked me for my opinion since Tienlun Camp back at Loana when she wanted to know if eating a beached sea squirrel _way _past its prime was a good idea and just like back then, I will not give her a bad answer. I'll give her a good one and instead of following my advice, she'll probably do the exact opposite.

"Well, Nova, how serious are you about Zoro?"

"W-What do you mean?" Nova asks, I sigh, "He flirts with you, you guys have a giggle, a little chat and then you go on about your ways. Notice anything wrong there?"

Nova shakes her head, "No...Where's the wrong?"

"Nova, the guy likes you. He's using cheesy pick-up lines, he's making you laugh, he's staring at you and let's not forget the oh-so important sharp eye look when you talk."

Nova was shocked because she realized I was right but as usual she decided to ignore it, "I don't know what you are talking about but...tell me, don't those sound familiar in your case as well?" Nova strutted out the room, I groaned as I laid back.

What? She asks my opinion and throws it back at me? What kind of mind fart is that?! What is she talking about anyways? Luffy does _not_ use cheesy pick-up lines on me!

He just makes me laugh...he doesn't look at me with sharp eyes but he does stare at me. But so what, Luffy's pretty slow!

I sighed as I looked at the top of the forecastle, I really like Luffy. He's kind and hard-headed. I don't like him because of any stupid prediction either! I like him because he treats me like a girl even when I act like a guy, it's sweet and very new to me. He makes me feel girlish and excited.

I looked at my palm, the heat has subsided from them. If I was to make the choice, I would definitely like to be at Luffy's side regardless of what was said. But still, I am a captain of the Loanan Seas and I am also the Rose Queen...

A title that is not taken lightly on the Loanan Seas.

The Rose Queen, a family name passed down from generation to generation. My mother was a Rose Queen so was my grandmother who was the original. They all married men they loved and not men that they were told to be with.

Maybe, I really am just following suit and Luffy isn't the man of the prediction. I'd hate to think I believed this theory out of spite against Almirierre, there's nothing to be gained by living in the past.

I decided not to follow orders and that mistake got my crown taken from me, I may be the Rose Queen but...my crown has long been cut from me. That reminds me of those legendary beads from that day too...

About five sets I think, if I remember correctly...

The red sets were called the Beads of Belias Degigas, a four-handed chimeran lion monk that brought destruction and passion to the battlefield with the Staff of Demetrik as a conductor for his power.

The blue set were called the Beads of Fymfreet, an ivory bear that brought famine and plague to crops but has the ability to give great fertilization to soil with the water of Lake Tiadolma, a lake of the spirit world, that he carries in an iron jug he keeps on his back.

The green set was called the Beads of Tashmil, a huge lion with three sets of paws and elephant tusks who fought with a silver axe in the War of Disadia when the Goddess of Light, Gwelfric no longer wished to follow the Grand Gods.

The yellow set were called the Beads of Diendensa, a former king of the spirit world brought down to earth by Fymfreet when he hit him over the head with his iron jug, the king is also called the Pirate God because it was his wind that guided adventurous souls out to sea.

The silver set were called the Beads of Barishklamal, the beads are said to be made from a substance of the same name and that they are beads that the Goddess of Light, Gwelfric wore to the War of Disadia when she sent the Grand Gods to the realm of Dutchman, a place where all pirates go when they die at sea. The king of the spirit world, Diendensa, broke the beads from Gwelfric's neck when he fell to earth. They say that the beads fell to earth like comets.

I remember there being more to that story though...that day...

**Cereza felt her hair and sighed as she swept her fingers through her tresses. That day…Cereza remembers it vividly…**

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Author's Note: Again, you guys, so sorry if the previous chapter sucked, I wasn't exactly happy with it either but I had to make a time bridge from the ports to the scenes here. Sorry!


	9. The Bed-Wetter and the Beads

The Pirate King and the Rose Queen

Chapter 9

~The Bed-Wetter and the Beads~

_**~Flashback, Ten Years Ago, Islands of Loana~**_

Nova and I were tigerfish-hunting near the River of Riaola, the sun was going down and it was time to bring in our catches to Chieftess Almirierre. She'd give us money for the fishes we caught if they were good.

I remember that day being one of my better ones because that day Spade told me that he had found enough spare wood to build a raft off of Loana, I was so happy that we were finally getting off that island.

Nova and I rushed to the Den of Mitiella, a huge mead hall that doubled as place where people gave their blessings to Chieftess Almirierre in hopes of having a good harvest that month, I believe it was Ivalice Prayer Day. It was an important event, not one for children like me and my friends.

But no matter, we went into the Mitiella and snuck into Almirierre's room which wasn't a first for us. We were always stealing money from her but we always made sure it was the blessings and dreams of others.

Almirierre found us sure enough, she laughed that fake motherly laugh and gave us our money. But back then, I was quite the greedy little girl no more than Almirierre was, so I went back and claimed that Almirierre down paid us in front of the entire crowd.

People started to doubt Almirierre's fairness when they too started to check their pocket, I had no idea back then but, Almirierre really _was _low-balling people out of their cash. There was an uproar, I got out of there fast with Nova and Spade but the next day, Almirierre summoned us.

We were given an audience with her and only her, no guards and no sentinels to be seen.

Almirierre came at us with the truth, something about not having enough to give to the gods, of course I didn't believe her initially but I was a kid and I was a freakin idiot so I gave her back the money at the very loud protest of my friends.

Almirierre grinned and took the money, I wanted to be a good girl for once and give back what I had stolen. But a week later, I go into Almirierre's room and see her doing away with an entire buffet of food and whatever she didn't eat was thrown away!

Back then, times were rough for the people of Loana, I couldn't even afford to steal! Almirierre let it slip that she was using the "prayer" money to buy new junk, that the people of Loana were the greatest payday her family ever had.

I got pissed so I went around town telling people the truth, a few believed me and a few didn't. Almirierre is a saint they said, she'd never do _anything_ like that. But apparently saying that you saw it wasn't enough, they thought I was just lying like I always did but this time it was for real.

Almirierre took care of me until I started to do good on my own, true. But I'll be _danged_ if she eats better than my friends and I do.

So, I took this matter to the village elders and they brought out Almirierre who could barely explain herself but I'll be darned if she actually does and those old farts _believe_ her! Almirierre had enough of my accusations and labeled me with treason against her, Nova tried her best to vouch for me and so did Spade since his word meant a lot more.

Almirierre wasn't having any of it, I was a proud girl and she saw that. What better way to rid a woman of her pride, honor and vim then to take away what gives her the most of each?

Almirierre held me face down with some sheers, and in two quick snips, she took off two feet and a half of my once long and beautiful black hair. I was mortified, Nova was furious and Spade was mostly dumbfounded.

In Loana, a woman's hair is her crown and glory. To see a woman with short hair is rare, even for a baby!

Almirierre forbid that I ever grow my hair out ever again and if I did, I'd be banned from the Islands of Loana. Nova was so angry that she punched Almirierre straight in the nose, Spade dragged us both out of there...

_**~Flashback End~**_

A lot of time has passed from then and now, Almirierre and I speak more often when I'm there but there is always that slight twinge of anger...

_...Bitch, how dare you cut my hair?!..._

But I calmed down from back then, I was treated completely differently when the people saw my tresses but nonetheless I still have that same old anger still raging on inside of me. So, I promised myself that if I was to ever release this brand of anger, it'll be on the one who created it.

I decided to at least _try _to calm down my anger when I went out to the open sea, the smell of the salty water, the misty air, the smell of petrichor and for reason to have my friends and crew laughing in the background.

It all made me happy and bright but that anger came out of me very easily when I tried to kill Luffy, I'm upset now that it didn't take much. I made a fool out of myself and hid it with selfish excuses. Honor my butt, that was unacceptable!

I stood up from the bench and went back up to the deck to see that Spade and Zoro were in the middle of a fist fight and Nova was trying in vain to break them up, I gasped and growled.

"Spade! What the flapjack are you doing?!" I yelled, Spade glared at me and immediately backed off of Zoro. Zoro scoffed and backed off for Nova's sake.

"Cereza, this freak show dared to talk down to me because of my whip!" Spade explained angrily, Cereza's eyes slightly widened as she glanced at Zoro. Zoro looked at her and she just sighed.

"Look, Zoro, you aren't a part of my crew so you aren't in my jurisdiction. But let me tell you that if you were a part of my crew that I'd probably be giving you an old-school scolding right now. _Both of you_..." Cereza looked at a pouting Spade and groaned.

"Where is Luffy? I'll let him deal with this."

Nami pointed to the bowsprit where I saw that Luffy was fast asleep, ugh, I'd hate to wake him but these types of things have to be resolved immediately. I tapped Luffy lightly but he continued to snore the day away, then I took his straw hat which covered his eyes away from him.

His eyes snapped open right as the sun hit his face, he was calm and he looked at me with a fully awake expression. He snorted two times before he spoke.

"Hey...I like you a lot and all Cereza but next time, you should ask before taking my hat," Luffy gently grabbed his hat from my hands and covered his face, "It's special to me and I don't want you to get it all dirty." Luffy snorted once more and lay back down. I took in a deep breath and sighed heavily.

"Luffy,...Spade and Zoro got into a fist fight on the deck, I can't really punish Zoro since he isn't a part of my crew and I'm not his captain. So, I want you speak with him about fighting with Spade. Kay?" I stood up and took my leave, "Wait a minute!" Luffy shouted making me freeze in my steps..

Luffy yawned as he sat up and jumped down from the bowsprit, he rubbed his eyes. He took my side and pulled me close, "You're a part of this crew just as much as Zoro is. I don't really care about what went down between Spade and Zoro, but if it bothers you, you go fix it." Luffy pat me on the back and went back to his nap on the bowsprit.

I took in a deep breath and went back down to the deck, Nami was waiting for me there. "Welcome to the crew?" she asked, I laughed. "Yeah, nice to be here."

I turned over to Zoro who was talking to Sanji and Spade who was complaining to Nova about her boyfriend, "Spade...dude, Zoro. L-Lemme talk to ya in the hull." I said as I questionably scratched the back of my neck, Zoro scoffed at Spade who notably didn't make eye contact with Zoro for fear of punching him in the face.

We all sat down at the table in the hull, Zoro sat to my left and Spade sat at my right.

"Well, boys,. What was the big idea on the deck? What was said? Who threw the first punch and who caused it?"

Both men were silent for a few minutes, "He started it." they both accused.

"What?! Me?" Zoro complained, "That's right, you dimwitted dolt! Cereza! This fool thought it would be funny to get all_ suave_ on Nova's backside!" Zoro was surprised.

"Oh, really? I thought this was about me calling you out on trying to look up Nami's skirt?! And besides, I wasn't getting _suave_ or whatever you call it on Nova! She was in the way and I had to slide behind her to get my honing stone!" Zoro explained himself loudly.

"A likely story! And I was not trying to look up Nami's skirt! I saw a beli on the ground and I feel trying to get it and Nami just so happened to be there standing over me!"

The two men began to argue over what was true and false, I was quite disbelieving of both of them, actually. Spade claims he fell and Zoro claims he was just getting his honing stone.

"Enough!" I bang my palms on the table and they both silence themselves, "I don't care what's true or false. The only thing I have a problem with is...how you two dare fight on this vessel?!" I brought my voice down to a whisper, "Despite what you may think of me, I know the truth. Zoro, Spade has a crush on Nami. Spade, Zoro likes Nova. Okay?"

The two look at each other in a new light and I smile, "So, since we're all crew family now, how about a handshake and meat?" Zoro and Spade laugh as they shake hands, I chuckle and leave the premises.

However, after Cereza leaves, Zoro and Spade glare at each other.

"So, you like Nova?" Spade said, Zoro closes his eyes and chuckles as he glares at Spade. "Yup,...she's a lot of woman and sassy." Zoro chuckles again, Spade sighs.

"And you want a slice of Nami, is that right?" Zoro says. Spade shakes his head and looks at him, "Nope. I want the whole damn cake." Zoro laughs at Spade's metaphor.

They then looked at each other seriously, "Nami's a hardheaded woman and she's greedy. She might be using you to get that ship of Cereza's." Zoro explains.

Spade chuckles. "I know that and she is. She talks about the ship way too much not to be. But I don't care, I'll make her want me soon enough... But I'll warn you, Nova is a Loanan woman even if she's from the East Blue. She's a very monstrous thing and is easily angered just like Cereza but she's more kind with an little bit of arrogance mixed in."

**Zoro laughs with Spade over the women that they love, Cereza stands outside the door with an amazed but glad face. She chuckles as she takes her final leave. Luffy is still lying on the bowsprit taking a much needed nap, but he begins to dream...**

...A white rose garden...blue birds going through the sky...the smell of bamboo water...

...Cereza washing her long hair in a lake...she notices me...she smiles..."Luffy!"...what is it?..."Come on over, the water is great!"...her laughter sounds like the chirp of a bird...she splashes water in my face...

...A ocean current splashes my face hard and Cereza's face vanishes...the Thousand Sunny is in stormy seas...the sky is black and the ocean is dark...Nobody is on the ship but me...I hear Cereza's screams but I can't find her...

...Cereza!...Cereza!..."Please, Luffy, I'm so scared!"...Cereza is in the hull crying...Why are you crying?...It's just a storm..."We're all gonna die! We're gonna die! Luffy, it's pointless!"...

In his dream, Luffy doesn't know what to do when Cereza is hopeless afraid. Luffy's experiences with women do not help the matter at hand, he tries to hold Cereza but she continues to cry. He thinks harder, he tries to kiss Cereza but she only cries louder. Luffy is then fed up with her cries, he stands up and Cereza looks up at him with glassy eyes filled with tears...

"I promise I'll make this storm go away! Stop crying while I go kick this storm's ass!" Luffy punches his palm and goes back up to the deck, he hops onto the bowsprit as the storm still roars and rains over his hat and ship.

"Hey, you stupid storm! Stop making all that racket! You're making Cereza cry!" Luffy yells at the storm but it continues to rain, he turns around and sees that Cereza is still weeping, he becomes angry and yells out.

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy! King of the Pirates! And I say shut the hell up!"

_...the sky becomes blue...the clouds have left...the sea is sparkling while the air is new..._

Luffy is very proud to have gotten rid of the clouds, he turns around and sees that his friends and family are all fine. A strange person taps him on the back...a woman.

She smiles at him as she flips her long black hair out of her eyes, she looks at him with a kind gaze and laughs. "Thank you for watching over her." The woman smiles at Luffy who is very confused at what he saw...

Next thing he knows, he's in his hammock laying down...It's night-time and everyone's asleep but him. He turns to his right and hears a voice, "_Oh, Luffy?..._" a highly seductive voice that comes with a warm aura. Luffy turns back again to see Cereza wearing a red silk spaghetti strap dress and a robe that was barely covering her body... Luffy gulped, his cheeks and nose felt hot at the sight of Cereza in her new..._attire._

"W-What's this about, Cereza?...Everyone's trying to sleep!" Luffy objected only to see that he and Cereza were now alone in a big room filled with candles, he was officially blushing now as Cereza sat on top of him.

"C-C-Cereza! Hold on! I have to use the bathroom!" Luffy exclaimed, Cereza leans down on him, "Go ahead..." she kisses his cheek and Luffy goes into a ghost-mode as he faints.

"EW! LUFFY! THAT'S GROSS!" Nami screams.

**Luffy snaps out of dream state and sees that he's on the Thousand Sunny's bowsprit...in a puddle of his own pee. Nami goes off disgusted, Zoro comes through and is equally disgusted.**

"Aww, man!" Luffy complains as he gets out of his lake, Sanji sighs. "Don't worry, there's an island not too far from here. You can wash your clothes there."

Cereza walks up to the forecastle deck and to the bowsprit, sees Luffy's mess. Luffy is embarrassed by his puddle but, "Don't worry, the sound of the sea is probably was set you off. It happens to the best of us."

"Yeah, right, when you're two or three! This is so gross!" Luffy complains, Cereza laughs. "Don't be so hard on yourself. We'll be at that island soon enough, until then, just try to air-dry until we get you to a proper pond or something." Cereza walks off from an embarrassed Luffy, Luffy slightly thinks about his dream but the only part he really thought about was the end. Luffy never thought about something so hard before as the end of a dream he barely remembers.

Luffy was dumbfounded and couldn't find a reason for such a weird dream.

I like Cereza and all but not like that! It was way too weird and way too impossible! There's no way that Cereza would wear something so inappropriate! It wasn't her, it couldn't have been! Cereza is a pretty cute girl even if she wasn't wearing all that whorish stuff! She's pretty no matter what she wears!

**Luffy ranted to himself over the dream he had while Nova and Zoro were talking on the side of the ship.**

"So, why did you hit Spade? He's my friend, Zoro." Nova said.

Zoro blushed, "I'm sorry, I just got annoyed. I didn't mean it besides me and he patched things up earlier. How have you been doing? Is the Thousand Sunny good enough for ya?" Zoro asks.

"Yeah, it's nice. But I want to know something, why do you have three swords?" Nova questioned him innocently, Zoro looked at his swords and sighed.

"Nova,...these swords have a lot of history in them. They are dear to me and...Nova, why are you a pirate?" Zoro asked straight out. Nova laughed at his modesty.

"Well, Zoro, I come from a very strict background. Pirates are the best lawbreakers there are so...I decided to become a pirate so I could be free and make my own decisions, use my own voice. I hated the way women were treated on Loana, it was oppressive and passive aggressive."

"That was a lot of -ives." Zoro comments, making Nova laugh at his observation. Zoro and Nova walk to the other side over the boat and continue talking alone. Zoro gets close to Nova and she notices the Look, the look all men make when they are checking a girl out.

She blushes and looks away from Zoro nervously, he notices she's unbalanced. Zoro chuckles when he realizes why she was being so closed.

"Don't think I'm just playing you, I like you, Nova." Nova turns to Zoro, shocked at his statement, he continues "You are beautiful and very fiery. I like watching you walk around the ship all high and mighty but I notice that a part of you is longing for something else. You want something from me, don't you first?"

Nova tried to walk away from Zoro but he took her wrist and pulled her into him, Nova gasps. "I want to know you...Whether or not you want me, I think this is the beginning of something real sweet between you and me." Zoro whispers into her ear.

In the distance, Cereza calls on Nova "Hey, Nova! Get in here! Help me with this, girly!" Cereza's voice cradles Nova in relief and happiness, she takes in a deep breath. As she escapes Zoro grip, he pinches her arm, she turns and he winks at her. Nova escapes with her face beet red and with her heart pounding like thunder.

"What's wrong with you?" Cereza asks, Nova shakes her head desperately, "O-Okay..." Cereza smiles at her nervous and traumatized friend.

**That day was very surreal for everyone, but soon their lives and truths will all be tested when they see mercy and the lies it holds.**

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Author's Note: Woo! That was awesome! I just felt like writing today! I know, I spoil you guys but still! Reviews = Chapters! So start reviewing before Luffy gets morbidly obese! XD


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One Piece, Adventure, Romance