The Sky Stalker

"Chigau, chigau, daijobu…" the semikami murmured, waving him off.

Ace.

Luffy understood something then. Maybe she was afraid something would happen to her. That he wouldn’t get there in time and something bad happen. Or that he would be too late to save her. Like Ace.

Then, she gently pressed her forehead against Luffy’s, catching him by surprise with the intimate distance — her mouth only a fraction of an inch from his own. “Nn…” she breathed, relishing in the contact. It felt… really nice… in fact, she was even getting a little sleepy now…

But suddenly, an unfamiliar grunt made her eyes snap back to awareness.

Vera blinked… then her cold eyes trailed over to the Billions leader.

Somehow, he was still conscious after getting his face broken by Luffy’s initial punch; conscious and obviously in agony. The semikami only stared coldly at his bleeding features, though. She was sure he was in far more pain right now than she was. But the cut in her face stung like a mother. And her tongue throbbed.

Luffy didn’t know why he felt like this, but it must have to do with Vera. Luffy closed his eyes and embraced Vera.

But then the Billions Leader grunted and caused to Luffy to swiftly turn around. Luffy looked at the pathetic leader, his face broken from the punch. Luffy couldn’t stand to look at him. Just the thought of him hurting Vera made him sick.

"If you know what’s good for your health, you’ll stay down…." Said Luffy as he looked down at the leader.

The white spark flickered and went out.

Vera blinked — then felt a shiver of fear tremble in her gut — and with a sigh, let her fingers slide away from the weapon as her rubber captain grabbed it up and tossed it away, muttering crossly in Japanese.  She buried her face back in the crook of his neck and muscular shoulder, breathing in his scent.  “Isshou ni… kairu zo?” she murmured, vaguely sounding out the phrase she remembered from Enies Lobby.

As he did that, he felt Vera put her face on his shoulder. He got a small smile on his face and nodded. “Yeah. C’mon, lets go back.” He said keeping close to her as they left.

She planted a tiny kiss on the bottom of his chin.  A thank you.  An apology.  A dedication.

WHAT JUST HAPPENED HERE?! Vera demanded, nearly having a seizure when a happy “shishishi!” vibrated through Luffy’s chest and a warm, rough hand cupped the back of her neck, deepening the lip contact.  She couldn’t bring herself to call it a kiss.

He was a pretty bad kisser if it was, though.

In the complete shock of the moment, Vera found the tiny piece of her brain that was still functioning properly had distanced itself, gazing down on the contact with a calculating eye.  He had no sense of tact or even simple spooning.  He was just pushing his closed lips on hers with enough power to actually hurt a bit; when she opened her teeth to keep them from bruising the inside of her mouth - Luffy blinked, seeming puzzled by this new development - then, with a clumsy motion, cocked his head and poked his tongue through.  The semikami actually gasped and grabbed onto him for support as she felt the oddly stretchy, curious muscle exploring her “mystery cavern.”

OH LORD!!  "Mystery cavern?!"  What the HECK AM I THINKING?!!

Midway through the kiss, he felt that Vera had opened her teeth a bit. Luffy was still puzzled by kissing but decided to keep kissing. Except he added tongue. Probably not a good choice for him being an inexperienced kisser.

After a few more seconds, Luffy realized he was practically carrying Vera. “Huh. I wonder whats wrong.” He thought.

Vera scrambled for a reply, but she wasn’t entirely sure what he’d just yelled.  “I… uh…!” she stammered, then decided: What the heck.  This dream was screwed all to hell now anyway. 

Just be honest with yourself~! Fangirl cackled, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.  You liiiiiiked it.

SHUT UP! both Vera and Inner Vange barked. 

Their host bit her lip, flustered.  I just can’t stand yet!

Oh, stuff it.  You’re living a fangirl’s DREAM~!  You just got FRENCHED by Monkey D Luffy — no matter how bad he was at it — but that’s even cuter and sweeter BECAUSE he doesn’t know how to do it yet!!  Makes you wonder what’d happen if you wrapped your legs around his waist and see just how far it’ll go…! 

KYAAAAAAAA!

Vera sucked in a deep breath, her cheeks still flushed a dark pink at the R-rated imagery that sentence invoked.  Heck no! she squeaked.

Inner Vange looked slightly impressed.

The semikami girl took a calming breath, then let it out and opened her eyes. 

She looked up.  Luffy was still staring at her with his wide, concerned black eyes.

Vera snorted quietly.  This wasn’t about her wants or needs, she realized, or even his.  He really was innocent, and probably had no idea WHAT he was doing; if this crack-version of the rubber man really did like her, Luffy always went ahead on instinct, without a second thought.  If she really did encourage him at this point… mating was a human instinct, too.  It was also one of most life-changing points of no return a person could ever experience.  Vera didn’t want the weight of, uh, well… in a way, knowingly ambushing and stealing Luffy’s virginity!

What is it, a rabbit? Inner Vange asked incredulously.

If that were true it would’ve been killed a long time ago!  I’d say it’s more like a friendly Sasquatch, Fangirl commented.

ENOUGH WITH THE IMAGERY! Vera yelped internally.

"Oi, daijoubu?!" Luffy demanded, obviously confused by her long silence and sporadic blushing.  Lord, if only he knew…

Vera sighed.

After a few more seconds she finally said “Itai wa Choppa?”

"Chigau, chigau, daijobu…" the semikami murmured, waving him off.

Ace.

Luffy understood something then. Maybe she was afraid something would happen to her. That he wouldn’t get there in time and something bad happen. Or that he would be too late to save her. Like Ace.

Then, she gently pressed her forehead against Luffy’s, catching him by surprise with the intimate distance — her mouth only a fraction of an inch from his own. “Nn…” she breathed, relishing in the contact. It felt… really nice… in fact, she was even getting a little sleepy now…

But suddenly, an unfamiliar grunt made her eyes snap back to awareness.

Vera blinked… then her cold eyes trailed over to the Billions leader.

Somehow, he was still conscious after getting his face broken by Luffy’s initial punch; conscious and obviously in agony. The semikami only stared coldly at his bleeding features, though. She was sure he was in far more pain right now than she was. But the cut in her face stung like a mother. And her tongue throbbed.

Luffy didn’t know why he felt like this, but it must have to do with Vera. Luffy closed his eyes and embraced Vera.

But then the Billions Leader grunted and caused to Luffy to swiftly turn around. Luffy looked at the pathetic leader, his face broken from the punch. Luffy couldn’t stand to look at him. Just the thought of him hurting Vera made him sick.

"If you know what’s good for your health, you’ll stay down…." Said Luffy as he looked down at the leader.

The white spark flickered and went out.

Vera blinked — then felt a shiver of fear tremble in her gut — and with a sigh, let her fingers slide away from the weapon as her rubber captain grabbed it up and tossed it away, muttering crossly in Japanese.  She buried her face back in the crook of his neck and muscular shoulder, breathing in his scent.  “Isshou ni… kairu zo?” she murmured, vaguely sounding out the phrase she remembered from Enies Lobby.

As he did that, he felt Vera put her face on his shoulder. He got a small smile on his face and nodded. “Yeah. C’mon, lets go back.” He said keeping close to her as they left.

She planted a tiny kiss on the bottom of his chin.  A thank you.  An apology.  A dedication.

WHAT JUST HAPPENED HERE?! Vera demanded, nearly having a seizure when a happy “shishishi!” vibrated through Luffy’s chest and a warm, rough hand cupped the back of her neck, deepening the lip contact.  She couldn’t bring herself to call it a kiss.

He was a pretty bad kisser if it was, though.

In the complete shock of the moment, Vera found the tiny piece of her brain that was still functioning properly had distanced itself, gazing down on the contact with a calculating eye.  He had no sense of tact or even simple spooning.  He was just pushing his closed lips on hers with enough power to actually hurt a bit; when she opened her teeth to keep them from bruising the inside of her mouth - Luffy blinked, seeming puzzled by this new development - then, with a clumsy motion, cocked his head and poked his tongue through.  The semikami actually gasped and grabbed onto him for support as she felt the oddly stretchy, curious muscle exploring her “mystery cavern.”

OH LORD!!  "Mystery cavern?!"  What the HECK AM I THINKING?!!

Midway through the kiss, he felt that Vera had opened her teeth a bit. Luffy was still puzzled by kissing but decided to keep kissing. Except he added tongue. Probably not a good choice for him being an inexperienced kisser.

After a few more seconds, Luffy realized he was practically carrying Vera. “Huh. I wonder whats wrong.” He thought.

Vera scrambled for a reply, but she wasn’t entirely sure what he’d just yelled.  “I… uh…!” she stammered, then decided: What the heck.  This dream was screwed all to hell now anyway. 

Just be honest with yourself~! Fangirl cackled, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.  You liiiiiiked it.

SHUT UP! both Vera and Inner Vange barked. 

Their host bit her lip, flustered.  I just can't stand yet!

Oh, stuff it.  You're living a fangirl's DREAM~!  You just got FRENCHED by Monkey D Luffy -- no matter how bad he was at it -- but that's even cuter and sweeter BECAUSE he doesn't know how to do it yet!!  Makes you wonder what'd happen if you wrapped your legs around his waist and see just how far it'll go...! 

KYAAAAAAAA!

Vera sucked in a deep breath, her cheeks still flushed a dark pink at the R-rated imagery that sentence invoked.  Heck no! she squeaked.

Inner Vange looked slightly impressed.

The semikami girl took a calming breath, then let it out and opened her eyes. 

She looked up.  Luffy was still staring at her with his wide, concerned black eyes.

Vera snorted quietly.  This wasn't about her wants or needs, she realized, or even his.  He really was innocent, and probably had no idea WHAT he was doing; if this crack-version of the rubber man really did like her, Luffy always went ahead on instinct, without a second thought.  If she really did encourage him at this point... mating was a human instinct, too.  It was also one of most life-changing points of no return a person could ever experience.  Vera didn't want the weight of, uh, well... in a way, knowingly ambushing and stealing Luffy's virginity!

What is it, a rabbit? Inner Vange asked incredulously.

If that were true it would've been killed a long time ago!  I'd say it's more like a friendly Sasquatch, Fangirl commented.

ENOUGH WITH THE IMAGERY! Vera yelped internally.

"Oi, daijoubu?!" Luffy demanded, obviously confused by her long silence and sporadic blushing.  Lord, if only he knew...

Vera sighed.

"Chigau, chigau, daijobu…" the semikami murmured, waving him off.

Ace.

Luffy understood something then. Maybe she was afraid something would happen to her. That he wouldn’t get there in time and something bad happen. Or that he would be too late to save her. Like Ace.

Then, she gently pressed her forehead against Luffy’s, catching him by surprise with the intimate distance — her mouth only a fraction of an inch from his own. “Nn…” she breathed, relishing in the contact. It felt… really nice… in fact, she was even getting a little sleepy now…

But suddenly, an unfamiliar grunt made her eyes snap back to awareness.

Vera blinked… then her cold eyes trailed over to the Billions leader.

Somehow, he was still conscious after getting his face broken by Luffy’s initial punch; conscious and obviously in agony. The semikami only stared coldly at his bleeding features, though. She was sure he was in far more pain right now than she was. But the cut in her face stung like a mother. And her tongue throbbed.

Luffy didn’t know why he felt like this, but it must have to do with Vera. Luffy closed his eyes and embraced Vera.

But then the Billions Leader grunted and caused to Luffy to swiftly turn around. Luffy looked at the pathetic leader, his face broken from the punch. Luffy couldn’t stand to look at him. Just the thought of him hurting Vera made him sick.

"If you know what’s good for your health, you’ll stay down…." Said Luffy as he looked down at the leader.

The white spark flickered and went out.

Vera blinked — then felt a shiver of fear tremble in her gut — and with a sigh, let her fingers slide away from the weapon as her rubber captain grabbed it up and tossed it away, muttering crossly in Japanese.  She buried her face back in the crook of his neck and muscular shoulder, breathing in his scent.  “Isshou ni… kairu zo?” she murmured, vaguely sounding out the phrase she remembered from Enies Lobby.

As he did that, he felt Vera put her face on his shoulder. He got a small smile on his face and nodded. “Yeah. C’mon, lets go back.” He said keeping close to her as they left.

She planted a tiny kiss on the bottom of his chin.  A thank you.  An apology.  A dedication.

WHAT JUST HAPPENED HERE?! Vera demanded, nearly having a seizure when a happy “shishishi!” vibrated through Luffy’s chest and a warm, rough hand cupped the back of her neck, deepening the lip contact.  She couldn’t bring herself to call it a kiss.

He was a pretty bad kisser if it was, though.

In the complete shock of the moment, Vera found the tiny piece of her brain that was still functioning properly had distanced itself, gazing down on the contact with a calculating eye.  He had no sense of tact or even simple spooning.  He was just pushing his closed lips on hers with enough power to actually hurt a bit; when she opened her teeth to keep them from bruising the inside of her mouth - Luffy blinked, seeming puzzled by this new development - then, with a clumsy motion, cocked his head and poked his tongue through.  The semikami actually gasped and grabbed onto him for support as she felt the oddly stretchy, curious muscle exploring her “mystery cavern.”

OH LORD!!  "Mystery cavern?!"  What the HECK AM I THINKING?!!

Midway through the kiss, he felt that Vera had opened her teeth a bit. Luffy was still puzzled by kissing but decided to keep kissing. Except he added tongue. Probably not a good choice for him being an inexperienced kisser.

After a few more seconds, Luffy realized he was practically carrying Vera. “Huh. I wonder whats wrong.” He thought.

Vera scrambled for a reply, but she wasn't entirely sure what he'd just yelled.  "I... uh...!" she stammered, then decided: What the heck.  This dream was screwed all to hell now anyway. 

"Chigau, chigau, daijobu…" the semikami murmured, waving him off.

Ace.

Luffy understood something then. Maybe she was afraid something would happen to her. That he wouldn’t get there in time and something bad happen. Or that he would be too late to save her. Like Ace.

Then, she gently pressed her forehead against Luffy’s, catching him by surprise with the intimate distance — her mouth only a fraction of an inch from his own. “Nn…” she breathed, relishing in the contact. It felt… really nice… in fact, she was even getting a little sleepy now…

But suddenly, an unfamiliar grunt made her eyes snap back to awareness.

Vera blinked… then her cold eyes trailed over to the Billions leader.

Somehow, he was still conscious after getting his face broken by Luffy’s initial punch; conscious and obviously in agony. The semikami only stared coldly at his bleeding features, though. She was sure he was in far more pain right now than she was. But the cut in her face stung like a mother. And her tongue throbbed.

Luffy didn’t know why he felt like this, but it must have to do with Vera. Luffy closed his eyes and embraced Vera.

But then the Billions Leader grunted and caused to Luffy to swiftly turn around. Luffy looked at the pathetic leader, his face broken from the punch. Luffy couldn’t stand to look at him. Just the thought of him hurting Vera made him sick.

"If you know what’s good for your health, you’ll stay down…." Said Luffy as he looked down at the leader.

The white spark flickered and went out.

Vera blinked — then felt a shiver of fear tremble in her gut — and with a sigh, let her fingers slide away from the weapon as her rubber captain grabbed it up and tossed it away, muttering crossly in Japanese.  She buried her face back in the crook of his neck and muscular shoulder, breathing in his scent.  “Isshou ni… kairu zo?” she murmured, vaguely sounding out the phrase she remembered from Enies Lobby.

As he did that, he felt Vera put her face on his shoulder. He got a small smile on his face and nodded. “Yeah. C’mon, lets go back.” He said keeping close to her as they left.

She planted a tiny kiss on the bottom of his chin.  A thank you.  An apology.  A dedication.

WHAT JUST HAPPENED HERE?! Vera demanded, nearly having a seizure when a happy "shishishi!" vibrated through Luffy's chest and a warm, rough hand cupped the back of her neck, deepening the lip contact.  She couldn't bring herself to call it a kiss.

He was a pretty bad kisser if it was, though.

In the complete shock of the moment, Vera found the tiny piece of her brain that was still functioning properly had distanced itself, gazing down on the contact with a calculating eye.  He had no sense of tact or even simple spooning.  He was just pushing his closed lips on hers with enough power to actually hurt a bit; when she opened her teeth to keep them from bruising the inside of her mouth - Luffy blinked, seeming puzzled by this new development - then, with a clumsy motion, cocked his head and poked his tongue through.  The semikami actually gasped and grabbed onto him for support as she felt the oddly stretchy, curious muscle exploring her "mystery cavern."

OH LORD!!  "Mystery cavern?!"  What the HECK AM I THINKING?!!

"Chigau, chigau, daijobu…" the semikami murmured, waving him off.

Ace.

Luffy understood something then. Maybe she was afraid something would happen to her. That he wouldn’t get there in time and something bad happen. Or that he would be too late to save her. Like Ace.

Then, she gently pressed her forehead against Luffy’s, catching him by surprise with the intimate distance — her mouth only a fraction of an inch from his own. “Nn…” she breathed, relishing in the contact. It felt… really nice… in fact, she was even getting a little sleepy now…

But suddenly, an unfamiliar grunt made her eyes snap back to awareness.

Vera blinked… then her cold eyes trailed over to the Billions leader.

Somehow, he was still conscious after getting his face broken by Luffy’s initial punch; conscious and obviously in agony. The semikami only stared coldly at his bleeding features, though. She was sure he was in far more pain right now than she was. But the cut in her face stung like a mother. And her tongue throbbed.

Luffy didn’t know why he felt like this, but it must have to do with Vera. Luffy closed his eyes and embraced Vera.

But then the Billions Leader grunted and caused to Luffy to swiftly turn around. Luffy looked at the pathetic leader, his face broken from the punch. Luffy couldn’t stand to look at him. Just the thought of him hurting Vera made him sick.

"If you know what’s good for your health, you’ll stay down…." Said Luffy as he looked down at the leader.

The white spark flickered and went out.

Vera blinked — then felt a shiver of fear tremble in her gut — and with a sigh, let her fingers slide away from the weapon as her rubber captain grabbed it up and tossed it away, muttering crossly in Japanese.  She buried her face back in the crook of his neck and muscular shoulder, breathing in his scent.  “Isshou ni… kairu zo?” she murmured, vaguely sounding out the phrase she remembered from Enies Lobby.

As he did that, he felt Vera put her face on his shoulder. He got a small smile on his face and nodded. “Yeah. C’mon, lets go back.” He said keeping close to her as they left.

She planted a tiny kiss on the bottom of his chin.  A thank you.  An apology.  A dedication.

"Chigau, chigau, daijobu…" the semikami murmured, waving him off.

Ace.

Luffy understood something then. Maybe she was afraid something would happen to her. That he wouldn’t get there in time and something bad happen. Or that he would be too late to save her. Like Ace.

Then, she gently pressed her forehead against Luffy’s, catching him by surprise with the intimate distance — her mouth only a fraction of an inch from his own. “Nn…” she breathed, relishing in the contact. It felt… really nice… in fact, she was even getting a little sleepy now…

But suddenly, an unfamiliar grunt made her eyes snap back to awareness.

Vera blinked… then her cold eyes trailed over to the Billions leader.

Somehow, he was still conscious after getting his face broken by Luffy’s initial punch; conscious and obviously in agony. The semikami only stared coldly at his bleeding features, though. She was sure he was in far more pain right now than she was. But the cut in her face stung like a mother. And her tongue throbbed.

Luffy didn’t know why he felt like this, but it must have to do with Vera. Luffy closed his eyes and embraced Vera.

But then the Billions Leader grunted and caused to Luffy to swiftly turn around. Luffy looked at the pathetic leader, his face broken from the punch. Luffy couldn’t stand to look at him. Just the thought of him hurting Vera made him sick.

"If you know what’s good for your health, you’ll stay down…." Said Luffy as he looked down at the leader.

The white spark flickered and went out.

Vera blinked -- then felt a shiver of fear tremble in her gut -- and with a sigh, let her fingers slide away from the weapon as her rubber captain grabbed it up and tossed it away, muttering crossly in Japanese.  She buried her face back in the crook of his neck and muscular shoulder, breathing in his scent.  "Isshou ni... kairu zo?" she murmured, vaguely sounding out the phrase she remembered from Enies Lobby.

"Chigau, chigau, daijobu…" the semikami murmured, waving him off.

Ace.

Luffy understood something then.  Maybe she was afraid something would happen to her. That he wouldn’t get there in time and something bad happen. Or that he would be too late to save her. Like Ace. 

Then, she gently pressed her forehead against Luffy's, catching him by surprise with the intimate distance -- her mouth only a fraction of an inch from his own.  "Nn..." she breathed, relishing in the contact.  It felt... really nice... in fact, she was even getting a little sleepy now...

But suddenly, an unfamiliar grunt made her eyes snap back to awareness.

Vera blinked... then her cold eyes trailed over to the Billions leader. 

Somehow, he was still conscious after getting his face broken by Luffy's initial punch; conscious and obviously in agony.  The semikami only stared coldly at his bleeding features, though.  She was sure he was in far more pain right now than she was.  But the cut in her face stung like a mother.  And her tongue throbbed.

Luffy ran frantically through town, knocking over multiple things and people in search of his lost nakama.

He used his Kenbunshoku haki and tried to locate Vera realized another thing. That wouldn’t work either.

"Argh! How am I gonna find if I can’t locate her-" he cut himself off as he sensed someone else. The presence seemed suspicious and that was just Enough for Luffy to shove the figure in an ally-way.

…

The sack was yanked off her head, taking a couple long brown hairs with it. 

“OUCH!” Vera yelped in protest, but before she could say much more she was pushed roughly by the man who had brought her here.  She staggered forward, fell, and landed hard on dank concrete.  Thunk!  “Ow!  Itai, itai…!”

The semikami grit her teeth, indignantly rubbing her sore scalp as she glanced around.  From what little she could see of her surroundings, her captor had taken her to an abandoned warehouse of some kind; full of shadows, old and broken crates, the dripping of filthy drops into stagnant pools and the ever-present skitter of rats to and fro across the cold, rough floor.  As her eyes adjusted, Vera noticed the shadows of men, too.  Lots of them.  Nothing Luffy couldn’t handle, obviously, but a regular old seventeen year old girl with weird crack abilities she didn’t even fully understand yet?  Ummm… no.

“Mmmm?  Dare kore?” came a raspy voice.  Who’s this?

Vera heard her name spoken by the brute who’d brought her here.  A soft exclamation went up among those assembled; a feeling of uneasiness came over her as she saw her bounty poster pulled from a stack and passed around.

“Oretachiha yutaka ni narimasu!” someone cackled.  All she caught was oretachi: ‘we.’

“Ichi oku beri…”

Vera quickly got to her feet, pressing her back to an old crate as several converged on her.  She’d heard that figure – a hundred million, for crying out loud! Why did she even HAVE that large a bounty?! – often enough to know they were talking about the price on her head. 

Bounty hunters.  And she didn’t even need to breach a language barrier to tell they weren’t exactly the don’t-resist-and-we-won’t-hurt-you type like Johnny or Yosaku.

More like the wanted-alive-doesn’t-mean-undamaged type.

Inner Vange popped up on her shoulder.  I think this is the part where you RUN, IDIOT!! her voice of common sense yelled.

“I can’t!” Vera muttered to herself anxiously, eyes flickering between the menacing forms that approached her.  “It’s too dark!  Odds are more likely I’d pull a Zoro and get even more lost…!”

But you have to do SOMETHING!

Vera heard a cat call tossed from the back; she grimaced and pressed even further away.  Something?!  Like what, exactly, if YOU’RE the one with all the smart ideas?!

Wham!

A big hunter with fists the size of hams and the worst body odor Vera had ever smelled leaned over her.  He grinned, showing broken teeth.  The semikami cringed back, but tried not to show her fear; people like this could smell fear.  It excited them, like blood entices a shark to prey.

“Domo!” the big guy growled.

Vera avoided his eyes, trying not to gag at his breath.  “D-Domo…” she replied.

“Namae wa?”  What’s your name?

The brunette raised an eyebrow at the ground.  “Hontou?  Watashi no namae?” Vera murmured incredulously in broken Japanese.  “Anata tachi know watashi no namae!”  You all know my name!

“Nnn…!” he purred, sniffing her hair.  Yes…!

The semikami’s skin crawled; Vera’s fingernails dug into the crate behind her, too tense to worry about splinters.  Luffy, hayaku!  she whimpered silently.  Cuz if my ace doesn’t work I’m gonna be in DEEP YOGURT!

“Ki o tsukete!”  Be careful!

Before her dumb courage could abandon her, Vera slapped the smelly man’s hand away and took a full step back, still wary of the other men watching her every move. “Mugiwara no Luffy is my senchou!” she warned them, even as her stomach trembled like jelly in terror of what might come next.  “When he finds out you guys took one of his nakama, he’s gonna kono bu to basu ALL your butts!  So hanashite” —that was the word for let me go, right? — “and he might go easy on you!”

She wasn’t sure how much got through… but Luffy’s name certainly invoked a response. 

I’m sorry, Baroque Billions! he thought.  But I’m way more scared of Mugiwara then I am of you…!

..ooo..

The smelly, muscled, broken-toothed thug scowled.  “You think we don’t know that?!” he snarled.

He jerked his head forward.  Before Vera could react, two big men lunged out of the shadows, grabbing onto each of her arms.  The semikami shrieked in protest, flailing like a madwoman until a cruel hand fisted in her hair and yanked it back.  “Nnn… ow…!” she gasped — but went still.  Moving would just hurt her more.

…

Our chances of getting out of this unscathed are dwindling into single digits, now! Inner Vange murmured from her hiding place behind Vera’s shoulder, pupils blown wide.

LUFFYYY…! Fangirl wailed.

Shut UP, you two!! Vera commanded, twisting her wrists in her captor’s grip.

…

The boss came forward, gripping her jaw in sausagelike fingers to make her look at him.  “Are you screwing with us?” he barked.  He smirked with ill intent.  “NO one’s coming for you.”

He reached into his pocket.  “See, your hundred million is just a bonus.  Two years ago, your CAPTAIN destroyed our entire syndicate… Baroque Works.  The Billions are all that’s left.  Truth is, we’d rather have Mugiwara in your place right now, but we’re not idiots.”

A switchblade flashed in the dim.  “So, we’ll just have to settle for teaching him a lesson THIS WAY.”

…

Vera’s eyes widened at the sight of a knife.  “Uso!” You’re kidding!

…

"Far from it."

He grabbed her hair and pulled her face forward.  “Don’t worry, I’m not gonna kill you,” he smiled nastily.  “Just make you… a little less pretty.”

…

Vera swallowed.

Then, she inhaled… and sighed.  No point in resisting at this point.  It’d just give him satisfaction.  “Ii yo,” she whispered, pressing her knees together.  Trying to fool herself into thinking this would be ‘fine.’

"…?!"

Vera was stunned beyond words as the cold steel blade… actually cut her.  Her shock was so great it even numbed the slash of blazing pain that came from slicing through the countless sensitive nerve endings in her sinuses.  Hot blood rolled down her cheek.  “Ah… ah!!  W-Wait a sec!!” she gasped, squirming against her captors.  She didn’t even care what language she was speaking.  “You aren’t actually supposed to HURT me!  What do you think you’re doing?!  Someone’s supposed to come in before you actually draw blood!  You aren’t DOING this right!!  NONE OF YOU ARE DOING THIS RIGHT!!  LUFFY TACHI ARE GONNA —!”

A tic pulsed in the knife-wielding Billion’s temple.  “URUSAI!!”

WHACK!

Vera’s vision flickered black as she was slapped across the face harder than she thought was humanly possible.  Her knees gave out; if not for the two goons holding her up, she would have hit the ground face-first.  She lost track of where everything was located in her skull for a second… but when she found her senses again, her mouth was full of blood.  She’d bit her tongue.

Owwwww…!

…

“‘Luffy and the others?!’  You’re too noisy!” the smelly man barked angrily.  “If they were lax enough to let you be taken in the first place, what makes you think they’d come BACK for you?!”

He bent her jaw back again.  “Now, shut up or your tongue goes next!” he threatened as he placed the edge against one eye.

…

Vera pressed the ends of the rupture in her tongue back together, sucking painfully through her teeth to put pressure on the wound and swallowing the salty copper liquid.  That’s right… she thought.  Maybe I can’t depend on how the episodes go. 

A furious, humiliated tear slipped down her cheek, burning against the wound.  But still… THEY SHOULDN’T BE ALLOWED TO DO THIS!

Suddenly, without warning, a feeling of rage cold as ice filled her chest. 

A white spark flickered around her eyes, like the ball on a roulette table under the knife hovering a hair’s width above her iris.  Just once.  A bizarre pulse vibrated through the air.

But then suddenly —!

KABOOOOM!

The door practically exploded inward.  The nest of bounty hunters shielded their eyes, some yelping in protest as powerful white sunlight streamed in.  The knife-wielding man cursed violently and took the knife away from Vera’s face to shield his own, squinting through the blinding light.

At a horribly recognizable straw-hatted silhouette.

Vera blinked.

Then… she grinned at her stunned assaulters through tears and bloodstained teeth.  “Told you.”

…

"Vera! Your oka-" Luffy stopped talking when he saw the cut on her face and the blood coming from her mouth. Luffy’s facial expressions changed from happy, to pissed off within seconds. Luffy looked around and saw the man holding the knife.

The Billions leader stood almost speechless. He didn’t think or plan that Strawhat Luffy would show up!

Before another second passed, Luffy’s fist was already sinking into the leaders face, breaking his nose and shattering teeth. “-Jet Pistol!!!!”

The Billions leader was down on ground before anyone could blink. Then after taking out the leader, Luffy turned to the other Billions in the room.

The other Billions started freaking out, and trying to escape before Luffy could get to them, but it was no use.

Vera smiled, too, even if the motion made her tongue twinge in pain.  “I know, right?!”

Inner Vange looked disapprovingly down at both of them as her host and her mental counterpart watched with delight, bouncing on the concrete floor, fistpumping, and yelling “Go, go, Luffy!  L-U-F-F-Y~!” while the furious Strawhat captain opened a big, smelly can of whoopass on the fleeing Billions.  It’s like mowing down daisies… she muttered.  You almost have to feel sorry for them.

The semikami chuckled quietly, nonchalantly touching his fingers as they grazed the corner of her mouth.  “You were late!” she teased in English, her voice a little slurred by her swelling tongue.  “Any later and I coulda become Zoro’s lookalike!”

She gestured awkwardly at her face.  “Y’know, with the eye and all…?”

"I’m just glad got here in time!" He said with a toothy grin. His smiled went down a bit to a regular smile as he looked at her face. He really was glad he got there on time. He got mad just at the thought of letting something happen to her.

Suddenly dizzy, she turned away from his concerned expression.  Oh geez... she thought, pressing a hand to her head.  Every part of her was starting to tremble uncontrollably; the very real danger, the very real fear of pain and violation she had felt, it was all starting to bubble back up to the surface.  All the blood rushed from her face.  Her skin felt cold even to her.

"Luffy...?" she whispered.

Vera stared -- dark eyes enormous and scared, the blood from her wound stark red against bone-white skin -- up at her captain.  "I-I know... th-that you'd never intentionally leave me..." she said shakily.  Her teeth were starting to chatter.  "B-But I know that bad things can happen even when you don't intend them!  So please.  Onegai."

She touched his frilled red sleeve with trembling fingers -- then clutched at it desperately.  "Chikoku shinaide...!" she choked.  "Futatabi ja nai!"

No Gender go here

Luffy ran frantically through town, knocking over multiple things and people in search of his lost nakama.

He used his Kenbunshoku haki and tried to locate Vera realized another thing. That wouldn’t work either.

"Argh! How am I gonna find if I can’t locate her-" he cut himself off as he sensed someone else. The presence seemed suspicious and that was just Enough for Luffy to shove the figure in an ally-way.

…

The sack was yanked off her head, taking a couple long brown hairs with it. 

“OUCH!” Vera yelped in protest, but before she could say much more she was pushed roughly by the man who had brought her here.  She staggered forward, fell, and landed hard on dank concrete.  Thunk!  “Ow!  Itai, itai…!”

The semikami grit her teeth, indignantly rubbing her sore scalp as she glanced around.  From what little she could see of her surroundings, her captor had taken her to an abandoned warehouse of some kind; full of shadows, old and broken crates, the dripping of filthy drops into stagnant pools and the ever-present skitter of rats to and fro across the cold, rough floor.  As her eyes adjusted, Vera noticed the shadows of men, too.  Lots of them.  Nothing Luffy couldn’t handle, obviously, but a regular old seventeen year old girl with weird crack abilities she didn’t even fully understand yet?  Ummm… no.

“Mmmm?  Dare kore?” came a raspy voice.  Who’s this?

Vera heard her name spoken by the brute who’d brought her here.  A soft exclamation went up among those assembled; a feeling of uneasiness came over her as she saw her bounty poster pulled from a stack and passed around.

“Oretachiha yutaka ni narimasu!” someone cackled.  All she caught was oretachi: ‘we.’

“Ichi oku beri…”

Vera quickly got to her feet, pressing her back to an old crate as several converged on her.  She’d heard that figure – a hundred million, for crying out loud! Why did she even HAVE that large a bounty?! – often enough to know they were talking about the price on her head. 

Bounty hunters.  And she didn’t even need to breach a language barrier to tell they weren’t exactly the don’t-resist-and-we-won’t-hurt-you type like Johnny or Yosaku.

More like the wanted-alive-doesn’t-mean-undamaged type.

Inner Vange popped up on her shoulder.  I think this is the part where you RUN, IDIOT!! her voice of common sense yelled.

“I can’t!” Vera muttered to herself anxiously, eyes flickering between the menacing forms that approached her.  “It’s too dark!  Odds are more likely I’d pull a Zoro and get even more lost…!”

But you have to do SOMETHING!

Vera heard a cat call tossed from the back; she grimaced and pressed even further away.  Something?!  Like what, exactly, if YOU’RE the one with all the smart ideas?!

Wham!

A big hunter with fists the size of hams and the worst body odor Vera had ever smelled leaned over her.  He grinned, showing broken teeth.  The semikami cringed back, but tried not to show her fear; people like this could smell fear.  It excited them, like blood entices a shark to prey.

“Domo!” the big guy growled.

Vera avoided his eyes, trying not to gag at his breath.  “D-Domo…” she replied.

“Namae wa?”  What’s your name?

The brunette raised an eyebrow at the ground.  “Hontou?  Watashi no namae?” Vera murmured incredulously in broken Japanese.  “Anata tachi know watashi no namae!”  You all know my name!

“Nnn…!” he purred, sniffing her hair.  Yes…!

The semikami’s skin crawled; Vera’s fingernails dug into the crate behind her, too tense to worry about splinters.  Luffy, hayaku!  she whimpered silently.  Cuz if my ace doesn’t work I’m gonna be in DEEP YOGURT!

“Ki o tsukete!”  Be careful!

Before her dumb courage could abandon her, Vera slapped the smelly man’s hand away and took a full step back, still wary of the other men watching her every move. “Mugiwara no Luffy is my senchou!” she warned them, even as her stomach trembled like jelly in terror of what might come next.  “When he finds out you guys took one of his nakama, he’s gonna kono bu to basu ALL your butts!  So hanashite” —that was the word for let me go, right? — “and he might go easy on you!”

She wasn’t sure how much got through… but Luffy’s name certainly invoked a response. 

I’m sorry, Baroque Billions! he thought.  But I’m way more scared of Mugiwara then I am of you…!

..ooo..

The smelly, muscled, broken-toothed thug scowled.  “You think we don’t know that?!” he snarled.

He jerked his head forward.  Before Vera could react, two big men lunged out of the shadows, grabbing onto each of her arms.  The semikami shrieked in protest, flailing like a madwoman until a cruel hand fisted in her hair and yanked it back.  “Nnn… ow…!” she gasped — but went still.  Moving would just hurt her more.

…

Our chances of getting out of this unscathed are dwindling into single digits, now! Inner Vange murmured from her hiding place behind Vera’s shoulder, pupils blown wide.

LUFFYYY…! Fangirl wailed.

Shut UP, you two!! Vera commanded, twisting her wrists in her captor’s grip.

…

The boss came forward, gripping her jaw in sausagelike fingers to make her look at him.  “Are you screwing with us?” he barked.  He smirked with ill intent.  “NO one’s coming for you.”

He reached into his pocket.  “See, your hundred million is just a bonus.  Two years ago, your CAPTAIN destroyed our entire syndicate… Baroque Works.  The Billions are all that’s left.  Truth is, we’d rather have Mugiwara in your place right now, but we’re not idiots.”

A switchblade flashed in the dim.  “So, we’ll just have to settle for teaching him a lesson THIS WAY.”

…

Vera’s eyes widened at the sight of a knife.  “Uso!” You’re kidding!

…

"Far from it."

He grabbed her hair and pulled her face forward.  “Don’t worry, I’m not gonna kill you,” he smiled nastily.  “Just make you… a little less pretty.”

…

Vera swallowed.

Then, she inhaled… and sighed.  No point in resisting at this point.  It’d just give him satisfaction.  “Ii yo,” she whispered, pressing her knees together.  Trying to fool herself into thinking this would be ‘fine.’

"…?!"

Vera was stunned beyond words as the cold steel blade… actually cut her.  Her shock was so great it even numbed the slash of blazing pain that came from slicing through the countless sensitive nerve endings in her sinuses.  Hot blood rolled down her cheek.  “Ah… ah!!  W-Wait a sec!!” she gasped, squirming against her captors.  She didn’t even care what language she was speaking.  “You aren’t actually supposed to HURT me!  What do you think you’re doing?!  Someone’s supposed to come in before you actually draw blood!  You aren’t DOING this right!!  NONE OF YOU ARE DOING THIS RIGHT!!  LUFFY TACHI ARE GONNA —!”

A tic pulsed in the knife-wielding Billion’s temple.  “URUSAI!!”

WHACK!

Vera’s vision flickered black as she was slapped across the face harder than she thought was humanly possible.  Her knees gave out; if not for the two goons holding her up, she would have hit the ground face-first.  She lost track of where everything was located in her skull for a second… but when she found her senses again, her mouth was full of blood.  She’d bit her tongue.

Owwwww…!

…

“‘Luffy and the others?!’  You’re too noisy!” the smelly man barked angrily.  “If they were lax enough to let you be taken in the first place, what makes you think they’d come BACK for you?!”

He bent her jaw back again.  “Now, shut up or your tongue goes next!” he threatened as he placed the edge against one eye.

…

Vera pressed the ends of the rupture in her tongue back together, sucking painfully through her teeth to put pressure on the wound and swallowing the salty copper liquid.  That’s right… she thought.  Maybe I can’t depend on how the episodes go. 

A furious, humiliated tear slipped down her cheek, burning against the wound.  But still… THEY SHOULDN’T BE ALLOWED TO DO THIS!

Suddenly, without warning, a feeling of rage cold as ice filled her chest. 

A white spark flickered around her eyes, like the ball on a roulette table under the knife hovering a hair’s width above her iris.  Just once.  A bizarre pulse vibrated through the air.

But then suddenly —!

KABOOOOM!

The door practically exploded inward.  The nest of bounty hunters shielded their eyes, some yelping in protest as powerful white sunlight streamed in.  The knife-wielding man cursed violently and took the knife away from Vera’s face to shield his own, squinting through the blinding light.

At a horribly recognizable straw-hatted silhouette.

Vera blinked.

Then… she grinned at her stunned assaulters through tears and bloodstained teeth.  “Told you.”

…

"Vera! Your oka-" Luffy stopped talking when he saw the cut on her face and the blood coming from her mouth. Luffy’s facial expressions changed from happy, to pissed off within seconds. Luffy looked around and saw the man holding the knife.

The Billions leader stood almost speechless. He didn’t think or plan that Strawhat Luffy would show up!

Before another second passed, Luffy’s fist was already sinking into the leaders face, breaking his nose and shattering teeth. “-Jet Pistol!!!!”

The Billions leader was down on ground before anyone could blink. Then after taking out the leader, Luffy turned to the other Billions in the room.

The other Billions started freaking out, and trying to escape before Luffy could get to them, but it was no use.

Vera smiled, too, even if the motion made her tongue twinge in pain.  “I know, right?!”

Inner Vange looked disapprovingly down at both of them as her host and her mental counterpart watched with delight, bouncing on the concrete floor, fistpumping, and yelling “Go, go, Luffy!  L-U-F-F-Y~!” while the furious Strawhat captain opened a big, smelly can of whoopass on the fleeing Billions.  It’s like mowing down daisies… she muttered.  You almost have to feel sorry for them.

The semikami chuckled quietly, nonchalantly touching his fingers as they grazed the corner of her mouth.  "You were late!" she teased in English, her voice a little slurred by her swelling tongue.  "Any later and I coulda become Zoro's lookalike!"

She gestured awkwardly at her face.  "Y'know, with the eye and all...?"

Luffy ran frantically through town, knocking over multiple things and people in search of his lost nakama.

He used his Kenbunshoku haki and tried to locate Vera realized another thing. That wouldn’t work either.

"Argh! How am I gonna find if I can’t locate her-" he cut himself off as he sensed someone else. The presence seemed suspicious and that was just Enough for Luffy to shove the figure in an ally-way.

…

The sack was yanked off her head, taking a couple long brown hairs with it. 

“OUCH!” Vera yelped in protest, but before she could say much more she was pushed roughly by the man who had brought her here.  She staggered forward, fell, and landed hard on dank concrete.  Thunk!  “Ow!  Itai, itai…!”

The semikami grit her teeth, indignantly rubbing her sore scalp as she glanced around.  From what little she could see of her surroundings, her captor had taken her to an abandoned warehouse of some kind; full of shadows, old and broken crates, the dripping of filthy drops into stagnant pools and the ever-present skitter of rats to and fro across the cold, rough floor.  As her eyes adjusted, Vera noticed the shadows of men, too.  Lots of them.  Nothing Luffy couldn’t handle, obviously, but a regular old seventeen year old girl with weird crack abilities she didn’t even fully understand yet?  Ummm… no.

“Mmmm?  Dare kore?” came a raspy voice.  Who’s this?

Vera heard her name spoken by the brute who’d brought her here.  A soft exclamation went up among those assembled; a feeling of uneasiness came over her as she saw her bounty poster pulled from a stack and passed around.

“Oretachiha yutaka ni narimasu!” someone cackled.  All she caught was oretachi: ‘we.’

“Ichi oku beri…”

Vera quickly got to her feet, pressing her back to an old crate as several converged on her.  She’d heard that figure – a hundred million, for crying out loud! Why did she even HAVE that large a bounty?! – often enough to know they were talking about the price on her head. 

Bounty hunters.  And she didn’t even need to breach a language barrier to tell they weren’t exactly the don’t-resist-and-we-won’t-hurt-you type like Johnny or Yosaku.

More like the wanted-alive-doesn’t-mean-undamaged type.

Inner Vange popped up on her shoulder.  I think this is the part where you RUN, IDIOT!! her voice of common sense yelled.

“I can’t!” Vera muttered to herself anxiously, eyes flickering between the menacing forms that approached her.  “It’s too dark!  Odds are more likely I’d pull a Zoro and get even more lost…!”

But you have to do SOMETHING!

Vera heard a cat call tossed from the back; she grimaced and pressed even further away.  Something?!  Like what, exactly, if YOU’RE the one with all the smart ideas?!

Wham!

A big hunter with fists the size of hams and the worst body odor Vera had ever smelled leaned over her.  He grinned, showing broken teeth.  The semikami cringed back, but tried not to show her fear; people like this could smell fear.  It excited them, like blood entices a shark to prey.

“Domo!” the big guy growled.

Vera avoided his eyes, trying not to gag at his breath.  “D-Domo…” she replied.

“Namae wa?”  What’s your name?

The brunette raised an eyebrow at the ground.  “Hontou?  Watashi no namae?” Vera murmured incredulously in broken Japanese.  “Anata tachi know watashi no namae!”  You all know my name!

“Nnn…!” he purred, sniffing her hair.  Yes…!

The semikami’s skin crawled; Vera’s fingernails dug into the crate behind her, too tense to worry about splinters.  Luffy, hayaku!  she whimpered silently.  Cuz if my ace doesn’t work I’m gonna be in DEEP YOGURT!

“Ki o tsukete!”  Be careful!

Before her dumb courage could abandon her, Vera slapped the smelly man’s hand away and took a full step back, still wary of the other men watching her every move. “Mugiwara no Luffy is my senchou!” she warned them, even as her stomach trembled like jelly in terror of what might come next.  “When he finds out you guys took one of his nakama, he’s gonna kono bu to basu ALL your butts!  So hanashite” —that was the word for let me go, right? — “and he might go easy on you!”

She wasn’t sure how much got through… but Luffy’s name certainly invoked a response. 

I’m sorry, Baroque Billions! he thought.  But I’m way more scared of Mugiwara then I am of you…!

..ooo..

The smelly, muscled, broken-toothed thug scowled.  “You think we don’t know that?!” he snarled.

He jerked his head forward.  Before Vera could react, two big men lunged out of the shadows, grabbing onto each of her arms.  The semikami shrieked in protest, flailing like a madwoman until a cruel hand fisted in her hair and yanked it back.  “Nnn… ow…!” she gasped — but went still.  Moving would just hurt her more.

…

Our chances of getting out of this unscathed are dwindling into single digits, now! Inner Vange murmured from her hiding place behind Vera’s shoulder, pupils blown wide.

LUFFYYY…! Fangirl wailed.

Shut UP, you two!! Vera commanded, twisting her wrists in her captor’s grip.

…

The boss came forward, gripping her jaw in sausagelike fingers to make her look at him.  “Are you screwing with us?” he barked.  He smirked with ill intent.  “NO one’s coming for you.”

He reached into his pocket.  “See, your hundred million is just a bonus.  Two years ago, your CAPTAIN destroyed our entire syndicate… Baroque Works.  The Billions are all that’s left.  Truth is, we’d rather have Mugiwara in your place right now, but we’re not idiots.”

A switchblade flashed in the dim.  “So, we’ll just have to settle for teaching him a lesson THIS WAY.”

…

Vera’s eyes widened at the sight of a knife.  “Uso!” You’re kidding!

…

"Far from it."

He grabbed her hair and pulled her face forward.  “Don’t worry, I’m not gonna kill you,” he smiled nastily.  “Just make you… a little less pretty.”

…

Vera swallowed.

Then, she inhaled… and sighed.  No point in resisting at this point.  It’d just give him satisfaction.  “Ii yo,” she whispered, pressing her knees together.  Trying to fool herself into thinking this would be ‘fine.’

"…?!"

Vera was stunned beyond words as the cold steel blade… actually cut her.  Her shock was so great it even numbed the slash of blazing pain that came from slicing through the countless sensitive nerve endings in her sinuses.  Hot blood rolled down her cheek.  “Ah… ah!!  W-Wait a sec!!” she gasped, squirming against her captors.  She didn’t even care what language she was speaking.  “You aren’t actually supposed to HURT me!  What do you think you’re doing?!  Someone’s supposed to come in before you actually draw blood!  You aren’t DOING this right!!  NONE OF YOU ARE DOING THIS RIGHT!!  LUFFY TACHI ARE GONNA —!”

A tic pulsed in the knife-wielding Billion’s temple.  “URUSAI!!”

WHACK!

Vera’s vision flickered black as she was slapped across the face harder than she thought was humanly possible.  Her knees gave out; if not for the two goons holding her up, she would have hit the ground face-first.  She lost track of where everything was located in her skull for a second… but when she found her senses again, her mouth was full of blood.  She’d bit her tongue.

Owwwww…!

…

“‘Luffy and the others?!’  You’re too noisy!” the smelly man barked angrily.  “If they were lax enough to let you be taken in the first place, what makes you think they’d come BACK for you?!”

He bent her jaw back again.  “Now, shut up or your tongue goes next!” he threatened as he placed the edge against one eye.

…

Vera pressed the ends of the rupture in her tongue back together, sucking painfully through her teeth to put pressure on the wound and swallowing the salty copper liquid.  That’s right… she thought.  Maybe I can’t depend on how the episodes go. 

A furious, humiliated tear slipped down her cheek, burning against the wound.  But still… THEY SHOULDN’T BE ALLOWED TO DO THIS!

Suddenly, without warning, a feeling of rage cold as ice filled her chest. 

A white spark flickered around her eyes, like the ball on a roulette table under the knife hovering a hair’s width above her iris.  Just once.  A bizarre pulse vibrated through the air.

But then suddenly —!

KABOOOOM!

The door practically exploded inward.  The nest of bounty hunters shielded their eyes, some yelping in protest as powerful white sunlight streamed in.  The knife-wielding man cursed violently and took the knife away from Vera’s face to shield his own, squinting through the blinding light.

At a horribly recognizable straw-hatted silhouette.

Vera blinked.

Then… she grinned at her stunned assaulters through tears and bloodstained teeth.  “Told you.”

…

"Vera! Your oka-" Luffy stopped talking when he saw the cut on her face and the blood coming from her mouth. Luffy’s facial expressions changed from happy, to pissed off within seconds. Luffy looked around and saw the man holding the knife.

The Billions leader stood almost speechless. He didn’t think or plan that Strawhat Luffy would show up!

Before another second passed, Luffy’s fist was already sinking into the leaders face, breaking his nose and shattering teeth. “-Jet Pistol!!!!”

The Billions leader was down on ground before anyone could blink. Then after taking out the leader, Luffy turned to the other Billions in the room.

The other Billions started freaking out, and trying to escape before Luffy could get to them, but it was no use.

Vera smiled, too, even if the motion made her tongue twinge in pain.  "I know, right?!"

Inner Vange looked disapprovingly down at both of them as her host and her mental counterpart watched with delight, bouncing on the concrete floor, fistpumping, and yelling "Go, go, Luffy!  L-U-F-F-Y~!" while the furious Strawhat captain opened a big, smelly can of whoopass on the fleeing Billions.  It's like mowing down daisies... she muttered.  You almost have to feel sorry for them.

Luffy ran frantically through town, knocking over multiple things and people in search of his lost nakama.

He used his Kenbunshoku haki and tried to locate Vera realized another thing. That wouldn’t work either.

"Argh! How am I gonna find if I can’t locate her-" he cut himself off as he sensed someone else. The presence seemed suspicious and that was just Enough for Luffy to shove the figure in an ally-way.

…

The sack was yanked off her head, taking a couple long brown hairs with it. 

“OUCH!” Vera yelped in protest, but before she could say much more she was pushed roughly by the man who had brought her here.  She staggered forward, fell, and landed hard on dank concrete.  Thunk!  “Ow!  Itai, itai…!”

The semikami grit her teeth, indignantly rubbing her sore scalp as she glanced around.  From what little she could see of her surroundings, her captor had taken her to an abandoned warehouse of some kind; full of shadows, old and broken crates, the dripping of filthy drops into stagnant pools and the ever-present skitter of rats to and fro across the cold, rough floor.  As her eyes adjusted, Vera noticed the shadows of men, too.  Lots of them.  Nothing Luffy couldn’t handle, obviously, but a regular old seventeen year old girl with weird crack abilities she didn’t even fully understand yet?  Ummm… no.

“Mmmm?  Dare kore?” came a raspy voice.  Who’s this?

Vera heard her name spoken by the brute who’d brought her here.  A soft exclamation went up among those assembled; a feeling of uneasiness came over her as she saw her bounty poster pulled from a stack and passed around.

“Oretachiha yutaka ni narimasu!” someone cackled.  All she caught was oretachi: ‘we.’

“Ichi oku beri…”

Vera quickly got to her feet, pressing her back to an old crate as several converged on her.  She’d heard that figure – a hundred million, for crying out loud! Why did she even HAVE that large a bounty?! – often enough to know they were talking about the price on her head. 

Bounty hunters.  And she didn’t even need to breach a language barrier to tell they weren’t exactly the don’t-resist-and-we-won’t-hurt-you type like Johnny or Yosaku.

More like the wanted-alive-doesn’t-mean-undamaged type.

Inner Vange popped up on her shoulder.  I think this is the part where you RUN, IDIOT!! her voice of common sense yelled.

“I can’t!” Vera muttered to herself anxiously, eyes flickering between the menacing forms that approached her.  “It’s too dark!  Odds are more likely I’d pull a Zoro and get even more lost…!”

But you have to do SOMETHING!

Vera heard a cat call tossed from the back; she grimaced and pressed even further away.  Something?!  Like what, exactly, if YOU’RE the one with all the smart ideas?!

Wham!

A big hunter with fists the size of hams and the worst body odor Vera had ever smelled leaned over her.  He grinned, showing broken teeth.  The semikami cringed back, but tried not to show her fear; people like this could smell fear.  It excited them, like blood entices a shark to prey.

“Domo!” the big guy growled.

Vera avoided his eyes, trying not to gag at his breath.  “D-Domo…” she replied.

“Namae wa?”  What’s your name?

The brunette raised an eyebrow at the ground.  “Hontou?  Watashi no namae?” Vera murmured incredulously in broken Japanese.  “Anata tachi know watashi no namae!”  You all know my name!

“Nnn…!” he purred, sniffing her hair.  Yes…!

The semikami’s skin crawled; Vera’s fingernails dug into the crate behind her, too tense to worry about splinters.  Luffy, hayaku!  she whimpered silently.  Cuz if my ace doesn’t work I’m gonna be in DEEP YOGURT!

“Ki o tsukete!”  Be careful!

Before her dumb courage could abandon her, Vera slapped the smelly man’s hand away and took a full step back, still wary of the other men watching her every move. “Mugiwara no Luffy is my senchou!” she warned them, even as her stomach trembled like jelly in terror of what might come next.  “When he finds out you guys took one of his nakama, he’s gonna kono bu to basu ALL your butts!  So hanashite” —that was the word for let me go, right? — “and he might go easy on you!”

She wasn’t sure how much got through… but Luffy’s name certainly invoked a response. 

I’m sorry, Baroque Billions! he thought.  But I’m way more scared of Mugiwara then I am of you…!

..ooo..

The smelly, muscled, broken-toothed thug scowled.  “You think we don’t know that?!” he snarled.

He jerked his head forward.  Before Vera could react, two big men lunged out of the shadows, grabbing onto each of her arms.  The semikami shrieked in protest, flailing like a madwoman until a cruel hand fisted in her hair and yanked it back.  “Nnn… ow…!” she gasped — but went still.  Moving would just hurt her more.

…

Our chances of getting out of this unscathed are dwindling into single digits, now! Inner Vange murmured from her hiding place behind Vera’s shoulder, pupils blown wide.

LUFFYYY…! Fangirl wailed.

Shut UP, you two!! Vera commanded, twisting her wrists in her captor’s grip.

…

The boss came forward, gripping her jaw in sausagelike fingers to make her look at him.  “Are you screwing with us?” he barked.  He smirked with ill intent.  “NO one’s coming for you.”

He reached into his pocket.  “See, your hundred million is just a bonus.  Two years ago, your CAPTAIN destroyed our entire syndicate… Baroque Works.  The Billions are all that’s left.  Truth is, we’d rather have Mugiwara in your place right now, but we’re not idiots.”

A switchblade flashed in the dim.  “So, we’ll just have to settle for teaching him a lesson THIS WAY.”

…

Vera’s eyes widened at the sight of a knife.  “Uso!” You’re kidding!

…

"Far from it."

He grabbed her hair and pulled her face forward.  “Don’t worry, I’m not gonna kill you,” he smiled nastily.  “Just make you… a little less pretty.”

…

Vera swallowed.

Then, she inhaled… and sighed.  No point in resisting at this point.  It’d just give him satisfaction.  “Ii yo,” she whispered, pressing her knees together.  Trying to fool herself into thinking this would be ‘fine.’

"...?!"

Vera was stunned beyond words as the cold steel blade... actually cut her.  Her shock was so great it even numbed the slash of blazing pain that came from slicing through the countless sensitive nerve endings in her sinuses.  Hot blood rolled down her cheek.  "Ah... ah!!  W-Wait a sec!!" she gasped, squirming against her captors.  She didn't even care what language she was speaking.  "You aren't actually supposed to HURT me!  What do you think you're doing?!  Someone's supposed to come in before you actually draw blood!  You aren't DOING this right!!  NONE OF YOU ARE DOING THIS RIGHT!!  LUFFY TACHI ARE GONNA --!"

A tic pulsed in the knife-wielding Billion's temple.  "URUSAI!!"

WHACK!

Vera's vision flickered black as she was slapped across the face harder than she thought was humanly possible.  Her knees gave out; if not for the two goons holding her up, she would have hit the ground face-first.  She lost track of where everything was located in her skull for a second... but when she found her senses again, her mouth was full of blood.  She'd bit her tongue.

Owwwww...!

...

"'Luffy and the others?!'  You're too noisy!" the smelly man barked angrily.  "If they were lax enough to let you be taken in the first place, what makes you think they'd come BACK for you?!"

He bent her jaw back again.  "Now, shut up or your tongue goes next!" he threatened as he placed the edge against one eye.

...

Vera pressed the ends of the rupture in her tongue back together, sucking painfully through her teeth to put pressure on the wound and swallowing the salty copper liquid.  That's right... she thought.  Maybe I can't depend on how the episodes go. 

A furious, humiliated tear slipped down her cheek, burning against the wound.  But still... THEY SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED TO DO THIS!

Suddenly, without warning, a feeling of rage cold as ice filled her chest. 

A white spark flickered around her eyes, like the ball on a roulette table under the knife hovering a hair's width above her iris.  Just once.  A bizarre pulse vibrated through the air.

But then suddenly --!

KABOOOOM!

The door practically exploded inward.  The nest of bounty hunters shielded their eyes, some yelping in protest as powerful white sunlight streamed in.  The knife-wielding man cursed violently and took the knife away from Vera's face to shield his own, squinting through the blinding light.

At a horribly recognizable straw-hatted silhouette.

Vera blinked.

Then... she grinned at her stunned assaulters through tears and bloodstained teeth.  "Told you."

...

Luffy ran frantically through town, knocking over multiple things and people in search of his lost nakama.

He used his Kenbunshoku haki and tried to locate Vera realized another thing. That wouldn’t work either.

"Argh! How am I gonna find if I can’t locate her-" he cut himself off as he sensed someone else. The presence seemed suspicious and that was just Enough for Luffy to shove the figure in an ally-way.

…

The sack was yanked off her head, taking a couple long brown hairs with it. 

“OUCH!” Vera yelped in protest, but before she could say much more she was pushed roughly by the man who had brought her here.  She staggered forward, fell, and landed hard on dank concrete.  Thunk!  “Ow!  Itai, itai…!”

The semikami grit her teeth, indignantly rubbing her sore scalp as she glanced around.  From what little she could see of her surroundings, her captor had taken her to an abandoned warehouse of some kind; full of shadows, old and broken crates, the dripping of filthy drops into stagnant pools and the ever-present skitter of rats to and fro across the cold, rough floor.  As her eyes adjusted, Vera noticed the shadows of men, too.  Lots of them.  Nothing Luffy couldn’t handle, obviously, but a regular old seventeen year old girl with weird crack abilities she didn’t even fully understand yet?  Ummm… no.

“Mmmm?  Dare kore?” came a raspy voice.  Who’s this?

Vera heard her name spoken by the brute who’d brought her here.  A soft exclamation went up among those assembled; a feeling of uneasiness came over her as she saw her bounty poster pulled from a stack and passed around.

“Oretachiha yutaka ni narimasu!” someone cackled.  All she caught was oretachi: ‘we.’

“Ichi oku beri…”

Vera quickly got to her feet, pressing her back to an old crate as several converged on her.  She’d heard that figure – a hundred million, for crying out loud! Why did she even HAVE that large a bounty?! – often enough to know they were talking about the price on her head. 

Bounty hunters.  And she didn’t even need to breach a language barrier to tell they weren’t exactly the don’t-resist-and-we-won’t-hurt-you type like Johnny or Yosaku.

More like the wanted-alive-doesn’t-mean-undamaged type.

Inner Vange popped up on her shoulder.  I think this is the part where you RUN, IDIOT!! her voice of common sense yelled.

“I can’t!” Vera muttered to herself anxiously, eyes flickering between the menacing forms that approached her.  “It’s too dark!  Odds are more likely I’d pull a Zoro and get even more lost…!”

But you have to do SOMETHING!

Vera heard a cat call tossed from the back; she grimaced and pressed even further away.  Something?!  Like what, exactly, if YOU’RE the one with all the smart ideas?!

Wham!

A big hunter with fists the size of hams and the worst body odor Vera had ever smelled leaned over her.  He grinned, showing broken teeth.  The semikami cringed back, but tried not to show her fear; people like this could smell fear.  It excited them, like blood entices a shark to prey.

“Domo!” the big guy growled.

Vera avoided his eyes, trying not to gag at his breath.  “D-Domo…” she replied.

“Namae wa?”  What’s your name?

The brunette raised an eyebrow at the ground.  “Hontou?  Watashi no namae?” Vera murmured incredulously in broken Japanese.  “Anata tachi know watashi no namae!”  You all know my name!

“Nnn…!” he purred, sniffing her hair.  Yes…!

The semikami’s skin crawled; Vera’s fingernails dug into the crate behind her, too tense to worry about splinters.  Luffy, hayaku!  she whimpered silently.  Cuz if my ace doesn’t work I’m gonna be in DEEP YOGURT!

“Ki o tsukete!”  Be careful!

Before her dumb courage could abandon her, Vera slapped the smelly man’s hand away and took a full step back, still wary of the other men watching her every move. “Mugiwara no Luffy is my senchou!” she warned them, even as her stomach trembled like jelly in terror of what might come next.  “When he finds out you guys took one of his nakama, he’s gonna kono bu to basu ALL your butts!  So hanashite” —that was the word for let me go, right? — “and he might go easy on you!”

She wasn’t sure how much got through… but Luffy’s name certainly invoked a response. 

I'm sorry, Baroque Billions! he thought.  But I'm way more scared of Mugiwara then I am of you...!

..ooo..

The smelly, muscled, broken-toothed thug scowled.  "You think we don't know that?!" he snarled.

He jerked his head forward.  Before Vera could react, two big men lunged out of the shadows, grabbing onto each of her arms.  The semikami shrieked in protest, flailing like a madwoman until a cruel hand fisted in her hair and yanked it back.  "Nnn... ow...!" she gasped -- but went still.  Moving would just hurt her more.

...

Our chances of getting out of this unscathed are dwindling into single digits, now! Inner Vange murmured from her hiding place behind Vera's shoulder, pupils blown wide.

LUFFYYY...! Fangirl wailed.

Shut UP, you two!! Vera commanded, twisting her wrists in her captor's grip.

...

The boss came forward, gripping her jaw in sausagelike fingers to make her look at him.  "Are you screwing with us?" he barked.  He smirked with ill intent.  "NO one's coming for you."

He reached into his pocket.  "See, your hundred million is just a bonus.  Two years ago, your CAPTAIN destroyed our entire syndicate... Baroque Works.  The Billions are all that's left.  Truth is, we'd rather have Mugiwara in your place right now, but we're not idiots."

A switchblade flashed in the dim.  "So, we'll just have to settle for teaching him a lesson THIS WAY."

...

Vera's eyes widened at the sight of a knife.  "Uso!" You're kidding!

...

"Far from it."

He grabbed her hair and pulled her face forward.  "Don't worry, I'm not gonna kill you," he smiled nastily.  "Just make you... a little less pretty."

...

Vera swallowed.

Then, she inhaled... and sighed.  No point in resisting at this point.  It'd just give him satisfaction.  "Ii yo," she whispered, pressing her knees together.  Trying to fool herself into thinking this would be 'fine.'