•Black Hat•

•21•

The same day that the three of them, Jinbe, Rayleigh and Luffy returned from Marineford, Rayleigh took Luffy with Hancock's fancy ship to an abandoned island northwest of the Maiden Island, named Ruskaina. I didn't even have the time to talk to Luffy and ask him how he was feeling. Rayleigh had pushed me away telling me that Luffy needed to be alone in order to train probable and stop mourning over what he had lost. He also requested that I staid at Amazon Lilly and lived there under the Warlord's, (Hancock's) protection.

The request was reasonable and if I was dump enough to believe that Hancock wouldn't kill me when all of them left I would had followed his instructions, but what he meant was: Stay Away From Luffy. After asking Jinbe I learned that he would spent two years training his Haki and fighting skills before returning to the outside world and reuniting with his crew. I gave all this information a second thought and in the end I concluded to a decision. After several hours of begging Jinbe and following him around where ever he would go -I even jumped inside the sea and almost got eaten by a sea king- I persuaded him to take me to Ruskaina at night, when Rayleigh would leave.

With my blades in hand and my Haki scanning the place for potential danger I arrived to where Luffy was sleeping. He had lied down next to a weird tree where he had also placed his hat. I couldn't hear him snoring but I wasn't sure whether he was awake or not.

"Luffy" I whispered and he jumped up as if he was terrified.

When he saw me his facial muscles relaxed and his features took an expression of relief and happiness.

"Pearl!" He said and I walked close to him impatiently.

"Are you okay?" I asked as I sat right next to him. Luffy fell back and looked at the sky. He didn't reply but I could understand from the way he gazed at the stars that he would be alright. I allowed myself to lie next to him, share the same scenery and live a moment I would probably never be able to experience again.

Everything was quiet, the animals I had previously spotted with my Haki seemed to have fallen asleep and the only sounds one could hear at that opening of Ruskaina's jungle were the rustle of the leaves as from time to time a light breeze blew between them, the wash of the sea at the soars of the small island and our breaths. I could have fallen asleep, everyone else in my place and Luffy's would have fallen asleep, but I didn't. Neither did Luffy.

"I'm going away!" I said after some time.

"Where to?" He asked not surprised, but as if he was expecting me to say that.

"Somewhere... wherever I can. I want to see the world Luffy! I want to see what I didn't see all the years in Impel Down, I want-"

"I'm not stopping you." He interrupted me and i returned to being silent again. "Pearl" Luffy spoke my name clearly. "Will you be my nakama?" He asked me.

"I gave an oath. An oath to Ace that I would protect you" I said and it was the first time after all these days I had spoken his name in front of Luffy. "but I have to be strong in order to do that"

"Later?" He asked but I didn't reply.

"You don't know me Luffy, or else you wouldn't want me to become your nakama".

"Do you know yourself?" He returned and I bit the inside of my lip nervously.

"I do".

"You don't". He said firmly. "The next time I'll ask you to be my nakama you won't turn it down, you'll know yourself by then" he said. His words were plain, a child's words. But what he meant with them was deep. Back then I laughed and raised my hand to point at a shooting star.

"Make a wish" I told him trying to ignore what he had said. Luffy closed his eyes and when he opened them he smiled at me.

"Will you come to visit me here?" Luffy asked me.

"I will... I'll definitely come!"

"I'll be meeting with my crew in two years from now in Sabaody Archipelago. I hope they're all doing fine..." he muttered and I grinned.

"I'm sure they are. To be part of your crew they must be incredible". I assured him.

"Oh yes they are!" Luffy said and his eyes lit. "Zoro is great with his three swords and Nami draws the best maps you'll ever see! Then there's Ussop, Sanji, Chopper, Robin, Franky, Brook! They are all perfect!" He said happily and continued to explain what everyone did best and how they fought.

"I'd love to meet them!" I told him.

"But you will! They will definitely like you, we always needed a..." he stopped. "another girl in the crew". He said uneasily.

I started laughing and I noticed him sighing relieved that I wasn't offended. But why would I? I was nothing. I didn't have a particular way of fighting in which I was extremely good, nor knew how to do things like, cooking, making weapons, or fixing the ship.

"Don't worry Luffy, you didn't upset me, I know that there would be nothing for me to do on that ship."

"I wouldn't mind if you just existed on Sunny."

I smiled at him and got up.

"Goodbye Luffy, good luck with your training." I said and got out my hand for a handshake.

"Good luck with your training too!" He said and stood up ignoring my hand. Instead he gave me a hug and a pat on the back. "I'll be waiting to see you again!"