The Life of a Loved One 1: Mona vs. the World

What happened here was a clash between ideals and the opposition between corrupt order and rejuvenating chaos; the destined location being an otherwise unassuming island situated near the first half of the New World, located close to the Red Line. Rewinding the events back to its source, everything began thanks to one individual.

NEWPORT; NEW WORLD

Among the streets of the small island of Newport, a young woman walked at a casual pace; blending in well with the ordinary islanders nearby. She appeared to have black hair and Caucasian skin; wearing her hair in a ponytail in the back while the rest of her hair remained flat and long on nearly every side of her head. She wore glasses which indicated she must have had poor vision for some reason or another, and she wore a purple Hawaiian shirt with a golden yellow palm tree print which she kept buttoned up to the collar. Going alongside her shirt were her loose pink shorts and open toed sandals which each possessed a thick, one inch high heel. As each heel clicked against the ground with every step, the woman continued to study the map she held up to her face, much to the danger of herself and those around her. From the looks of things, she was either lost or not even native to Newport at all. And so she walked with map held firmly in front of her face, with the hopes she could arrive at her destination in time.

After walking in a straight line for a good while and scanning the map for recognizable locations nearby, the woman finally let out an audible sound of some kind.

Woman: Hmmm...

Still clearly in thought, the woman seemed to be a bit too focused on her map, as she was hardly aware of the accident just waiting to happen. The accident in question coming in the form of an innocent black cat crossing the woman's path. And true to the superstition as it is, the woman was met with awfully terrible luck, as her foot got caught under the stomach and rib cage of the cat, which managed to both trip up the woman and spook the cat at the same time. As the cat freaked out and ran off, the woman found herself robbed of her balance and was starting to fall over.

Woman: Ahh! Wa-Waaahhh!!

With her eyes widened and mouth hung open, all she could do now was continue to lerch forward and swing her arms in a desperate attempt to regain balance. Within seconds however, the woman found herself falling face first into the ground, doing so quite literally. After her face slammed into the ground, she bounced an inch or so and rolled through the air until she fell on her back and stayed there. With her glasses knocked off and face hurt, the woman began to cover her eyes with her hands and wail in pain.

Woman: Aaaaaaaaaaaghhhhh!! Ow ow ow ow ow!!!

In her distress, she was now rolling back and forth sideways along the ground and flailing her legs in the air. Justifiably, this scene caught the attention of many witnesses close by; one of which, a kindly looking, partially bald and white haired elderly man with complimenting white mustache, came over to the woman. Looking concerned and confused, he noticed the woman's glasses were nearby. As if by instinct alone, he grabbed the glasses and immediately went to handing them to the injured woman.

Elderly Man: Um, excuse me miss, but are you alright?

The woman, hearing the man's words despite her rather loud complaining, paused in mid-tantrum. While her body was no longer rocking and flailing, she still kept her hands attached to her face. She immediately started to sit back up while she rubbed her face and groaned.

Woman: Uggghh... Yeah, I'm OK I guess.

Elderly Man: That was an awfully bad fall you had. Um, and I don't mean to pry, but are these your glasses?

Woman: Oh!

Without so much as a warning, the woman swiftly snatched the glasses from the man and placed them back on over her eyes. Adjusting them with her fingers and after checking for damage, the woman turned to greet the kind old man with a grateful smile.

Woman: Yeah, these are mine. Thank you so much for getting them for me!

Elderly Man: Oh, it was no problem.

As the man closed his eyes and rubbed the back of his head (seemingly feeling good about what he had done,) the woman started to jerk her head all over the place in search of something. Once she spotted her map on the ground close to her though, she rushed to reclaim it. Seeing this, the elderly man spoke up once again.

Elderly Man: You know, it isn't exactly safe to be reading and walking at the same time. That's a good way to get yourself hurt. I'm just glad all that happened was a minor fall.

Woman (grinning sheepishly and rubbing the back of her head): Hehe, yeah, guess that was kind of silly of me, huh? Guess I'm just more eager to check out the palace than I thought.

Elderly Man: The palace? Why would you wanna go there?

In mid-discussion both the woman and man began to pick themselves up off of the ground and stand back up again. They faced one another dead on, with the man looking puzzled as the woman retained her cheery disposition.

Woman: Well I'm kind of a tourist and all, so I thought while I was stopping by here I could check out the palace too. Besides, I've always loved the romantic charm of a palace; the power, the history, the sophistication. Ahhhh...

The woman began to cup her hands together and stare off into space as her eyes glistened in a dreamy-like manner. Her elderly acquaintance however only raised an eyebrow in response.

Elderly Man: Uhuh... Well, I'm sure I don't have to tell you this, but just in case, I will. Royalty are quite a few notches or so above us common folk; so for you to get any farther than outside the palace gates would be a miracle. Not to mention the fact you're an outsider to this nation and all.

The woman seemed to snap out of her daydream upon hearing the man's response.

Woman (disappointed tone): Oh, right.

Elderly Man: Sorry to have to break it to ya.

Woman (calmer): No, that's OK.

Elderly Man: So what're you gonna do now? Do you still need help getting your bearings around here? Despite being a small kingdom, Newport can be pretty confusing for newcomers I suppose.

Woman: Well I suppose I'd just like to get out of this neck of the woods. No offense, but I'm getting tired of wherever this is. So if you could just tell me where I am and how to get out of here, I'd appreciate it.

Elderly Man: Heh, of course, consider it done. Now let's see here...

The man took a hold of the map and began to pinpoint where exactly their current location was; a feat he managed to pull off in only a few seconds.

Elderly Man: Oh I see, you've probably been going around in circles near the marina.

Undoubtedly shocked, the woman could hardly contain herself as she shouted and her eyes widened to even larger sizes while her mouth hung even wider.

Woman (shocked): YOU MEAN I HAVEN'T EVEN LEFT THE PORT YET?!!

Elderly Man: I'm afraid so. But if you take this route here instead, that should take you west to the nearest town close to here. If you're sight-seeing, then Dock Town's markets ought to be fun to explore.

To ensure optimum clarity, the man directed the woman by moving his finger across her map. The woman nodded in assurance as she watched him carefully.

Woman: OK, sounds like a plan to me. Thanks.

Elderly Man (smiling): Don't mention it. Just try and not to trip on any more cats, OK?

Woman (smiling): You got it.

With everything finally sorted out, the two waved farewell as they went on with their lives. The woman took her intended route to Dock Town, which she found to be a more easily navigable town than the prior marina she was in. Now with her map tucked away and her eyes glued to the street she was on, her thoughts started to drift off elsewhere.

Woman (thoughts): It's a bit of a detour, but this should still get me to the palace in time.

Her face, which up till now looked carefree, cheerful or even confused and spacey, now looked thoughtful and serious. It was almost as if she were a completely different person all of a sudden.

Woman (thoughts): ''Judging from what I've seen of Newport so far though, it's definitely small, just like I was told. The people seem nice and friendly, so I suppose the kingdom might be a pleasant one; hard to say though, since there can be exceptions to the rule for any nation or people, so I guess I'll keep playing it by ear until I see the king for myself. And judging from the large marina back there and this huge market, not to mention all these awesome and exotic goods, this place is definitely living up to our expectations.''

Feeling a bit tired and finding a bench to rest on over on the side of the street, adjacent to a small street shop selling produce, the woman decided to sit down and rest for a while. As she did, she started to dwell back on her voyage to Newport, as well as the crewmates she sailed with along the way. In her mind, she could picture the wooden ship in fine detail and recall the voices of her fellow sailors. The flag used to represent who they were was a simple triangular flag with a dark red coloration to it.

(Flashback)

Male Sailor 1: OK, everyone remember the plan?

Male Sailor 2: Yeah.

Male Sailor 3: Yep.

Male Sailor 1: How 'bout you?

Woman: I got the whole thing memorized, don't you worry about me.

The same woman traversing Newport was now seen standing aboard a ship, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose with a look of calm readiness on her face.

''Woman: We'll arrive at Newport and check out the area to see if it can be taken or not. Afterward, we'll regroup and head back to HQ to give in our report of the situation before we take immediate action.''

Male Sailor 1: Good, that's the gist of it at least.

''Male Sailor 3: Hey, you sure that getup's good enough? I can still recognize you.''

''Woman: Don't worry! I'm a pro at this sort of thing! No one will even notice it's me!''

''Male Sailor 1: For our sake and his, let's hope so. Everything rides on missions like these you know.''

''Male Sailor 2: Yeah, he's got a point there. Plus, you have that nasty habit of making us worry here and there.''

''Woman: Geez, you guys are acting like I'm a screw-up or something. I've done this sort of stuff hundreds of times before, and Newport's a teeny-weeny little island, so I'm sure this'll be over before anything could go wrong. Just have faith in me!''

For emphasis, the woman slammed her right fist into her chest in a bold display of confidence.

Male Sailor 1: ...

Male Sailor 2: ...

Male Sailor 3: ...

''Woman (insulted): HEY! I SAID I CAN DO THIS, DAMN IT!''

(End of Flashback)

Woman (thoughts): Right, I should do this quickly like I said I would.

Feeling motivated once again, the woman stood back up and looked over to the horizon covered by people, a street and plenty of shops selling all kinds of things. She analyzed the location carefully as her eyes glanced from one side to the next.

Woman: Guess it can't be helped. Though everyone seems distracted here, so I could possibly get away with this...

After determining every possible option she could fall back on, the woman began to bend her knees and drop low to the ground. She watched a nearby shop's roof carefully and stayed in position for a few seconds. After holding her position for a while, she finally let loose like a tightly coiled spring; leaping with such intensity and speed that she seemingly vanished into thin air, leaving only wisps of dust behind. On the various shops and stalls lining Dock Town's streets, the same dust wisps could be seen, which could only imply the woman was now hopping from rooftop to rooftop at tremendous speed.

It was now a short time after the woman was last seen in Dock Town, before she oddly disappeared without anyone noticing. Like nearly anywhere else in the kingdom, Newport's palace appeared calm and peaceful. It stood proudly and magnificently in the center of the capitol city; overlooking the citizens whom relied on the authority and power of the ruling royal family. It also appeared well guarded, considering how many royal soldiers there appeared to be at the gates to the palace. One could only assume there may have been more inside. Within the private space of the palace, there seemed to be impressive, well lit halls halls spanning for what would feel like miles, but probably seem more like a a few hundred feet or so. Lining the walls of any given hall would be the usual decor; polished suits of armor worn by royal soldiers and knights alike, and paintings of illustrious rulers past and present alike, as well as the occasional artwork of the island's landscape. Nothing too out of the ordinary here. And yet footsteps could be heard penetrating the stillness of one particular hall.

???: Gah! You'd think they'd make maps for palaces by now! This is ridiculous!

Striding down the hall was the same woman from earlier. Her eyes darted from side to side, as if looking for something.

Woman: First the confusing towns and now this maze of a building; for a small nation, this place can come off looking bigger than it really is sometimes. Just hope I can find what I'm looking for before someone spots me.

In order to focus, the woman came to a stop to rest. Standing there, she vacantly began taking off her glasses and placing one end on her lips in a thinking gesture of sorts.

Woman: Alright, no time to get flustered here; if I was a secret room, where would I be?

She looked up and noticed the hall was just about to end, with a three way intersection up ahead leading to a new hallway that spanned from her left to her right, or vice-versa.

Woman: Hope it's somewhere beyond one of those corners; I'm tired of going down halls with nothing in 'em.

Moving the glasses from her lips and keeping them firmly in hand, the woman strolled down the hall and came to the intersection. She cautiously peered her head out and scanned both ends of the corridor carefully. Seeing as the coast was clear, she pulled back and went back to making her decision.

Woman: OK, so here's a new problem; which path do I take? Hmm...

Once again vacantly placing her glasses to her lips, the woman stood and pondered which course of action she should take next. Whatever this "mission" she was on is, it appeared to be much more important than she was leading on. She stood there for a few seconds, humming simple "hmm"s as she thought and tapping her glasses against her lips. Her eyes were once again darting side to side as she continued to struggle with her choice. Feeling enough time had passed already, and anxious to get going, the woman finally lost her patience.

Woman (holding her head with both hands and grimacing impatiently): Rrrrr!! How the hell am I supposed to choose when all these halls look the same?!

Desperate to make a choice, a thought struck her, which seemed to be evident as her face lit up in an instant.

Woman: Oh yeah! I forgot! I can just leave this up to fate!

Now inspired with her odd-sounding idea, the woman rocked her head frantically every which way as she looked for something she could rely on; all while smiling happily and seemingly proud of herself. Eventually, her eyes fell upon one of the suits of armor nearby, which was holding a sword upright in a dignified manner. The woman approached the armor with glasses once again at her lips. She inspected it carefully as she gave her idea some thought.

Woman: Hmmm, if I remember right, people used to throw sticks and boil leaves to figure out the future. I think it was called "divination"? Anywho, it may not be a stick exactly, but I suppose it's close enough.

She shrugged as she pulled her glasses away and got herself ready to take the "knight's" sword. Just before she made a single step, another thought occurred to her.

Woman (looking at her glasses in amusement): Wow, no wonder people put these things to their lips to think; these work really well.

After her brief observation, she placed her glasses back on over her eyes and proceeded to "borrow" the sword from its rightful owner. Surprised at the weight of the object, the woman grunted a bit as she tried to keep the sword from dragging along the floor as she carried it. With her teeth gritting and muscles swelling in response to the weight of what appeared to be a classic broadsword, the woman made her way to the hall's intersection. Without any hesitation, she then threw the sword forward and allowed it to fall to the floor. Unfortunately for her, it did something she wasn't expecting: When it made contact against the floor, it made a very noisy "klang"-like sound as it bounced upon impact and rattled before finally resting. The woman grimaced again; now realizing how horrible this idea really was. But there was little to no time to worry about it now; the sword had given her the answer she was looking for.

Woman: Alright, I go right!

But just before she could head down the right passageway, she heard a very unwelcoming voice behind her.

Male Voice: It came from here!! Hurry!!

Woman (panicking): Aw crap, guards!!

Wasting no time and certainly not wanting to get caught red-handed, the woman beat a hasty retreat down the path to her right. By the time the guards had arrived at the sword on the floor, the woman appeared to be long gone, leaving the men behind to scratch their heads and wonder what could have done this. In the right corridor, just a bit further up ahead from the guards, the woman sprinted for her life. Once she felt she had gotten far away enough however, she came to a stop and rested her hands on her knees as she bent over and panted to regain her breath. Once fully rested, she turned around to look back and analyze the situation.

Woman: Well, bad idea or not, at least I got away. Though this probably ruined my whole stealth operation...

She turned herself around to face her current direction, now seeing there were doors lining this hall, much to her delight.

Woman (smiling happily): Glad no one will ever know about that though. And to think they said I make them worry...

Proceeding down the hall, the woman paid careful attention to each door she approached. She scrutinized the detail of the doors, and when one didn't catch her interest, she would move on to the next one. It went on like this for a short while, until the woman noticed a certain door that was different from the rest. It looked large, ornate, golden and decked out in jewels. It was clearly important, and one could easily assume it must have been a royal throne room at least. But for the woman, she wasn't quite so sure just yet. As she came closer to inspect the door in finer detail, she noticed another pair of guards standing directly outside it, with spears in hand. The woman, justifiably shocked and nervous, ducked as fast as she could behind another suit of armor.

Woman (thoughts): ''Shoot!! More guards! Did they hear that crash earlier?! Is that why they;re here?!''

The woman peered around the armor to get another look at them.

Woman (thoughts): ''Whatever the reason, I need to be careful now. It's a miracle they haven't spotted me yet. Now, how do I get close to that weird looking door without them suspecting anything?''

The woman took her time to formulate a new plan as she hid behind the armor. In the meanwhile, the guards stayed motionless in front of that door; not allowing a single person to come in without clearance of some sort. Being the vigilant protectors they were, it came as no surprise that they soon spotted another person approaching them. It appeared to be someone in a full suit of armor, walking rather unusually at that too. The armor clanged and rattled with each footstep, as if the suit itself was too loose for the person inside. Watching the strange fellow carefully, they observed the armored figure approach them and stop once within feet of their guarded position.

Guard 1: Hey, who are you?! That doesn't look like our armor! In fact, it looks kind of familiar!

Guard 2: Are you responsible for the noise down the hall just now?!

The armored fellow simply raised its right arm and gave an awkward salute to the guards.

??? (feminine voice trying to sound masculine): Don't need to worry about me, I had nothing to do with that. I, um, just came by after checking the sword out, and it seems whoever was responsible is gone. I think this place might be haunted or something.

Guard 1: Don't make jokes with us. If you're not guilty, then why don't you lift that visor and show your face?

??? (still saluting): Because I look cooler this way, sir.

Guards 1 and 2: STOP SCREWING WITH US!!

??? (still saluting): I simply came by to let you know your shift is over and I'll be filling in for you now.

Guard 1: OK, now I know something's up here.

??? (still saluting and sounding nervous): Uh, you do?

Guard 2: Yeah, between you in that weird but familiar getup, showing up just after that weird noise, not wanting to show your face, and on top of it, you don't exactly sound like one of our guys either.

??? (still saluting and nervous): I, uh, well, I have a wicked bad cold, um...

The strange person in the armor proceeded to finally lower their right arm and pretend to cough.

???: Yeah, so, I can't lift my helmet and my voice is screwed up. But I refuse to let the king down, so I came to work anyway!

The guards simply exchanged unfazed glances with each other; totally unconvinced with the act this person was putting on.

Guard 1: We're not falling it. Either surrender and reveal yourself now, or else.

The guards raised their spears and pointed them towards the figure in the armor, who simply raised their hands over their head in response.

??? (thoughts; inner voice sounding like the woman from earlier): Aw damn it...

The room appeared to be lit by the sunlight pouring in through the beautiful arched windows lining the left side of the throne, with a very concerned and worried king sitting upon his royal seat. He appeared somewhat old, or at least reaching the later years of his lifespan, given the graying hair and wrinkled cheeks and forehead. He seemed to have a short mustache crossing the entirety of his upper lip, which wrapped around his mouth and met traveled down in a thin, narrow line to meet the short gray beard on his chin. Said beard in turn had spread out to become sideburns on his cheeks, which traveled up into the hair growing around the lobes of his ears. While the majority of his hair couldn't be seen under his red elaborate crown, what little there was appeared to be sticking upward in a spiky, haphazard fashion and growing over the ridge of his ears. For a royal outfit, he wore what seemed to be nothing less than a cliche, standard kingly wardrobe; with red satin robe and golden yellow scepter in hand, as well as his definitive crown.

Sitting next to him, left of the king, appeared to be the prince, his son. The prince in turn looked youthful, somewhere in his adolescence at least, if not a young adult already. He had short blonde hair that barely grew past his forehead and ears, and wore a very nice looking white suit studded with golden decorations on his shoulders and chest. The suit was complimented with a neatly taken care of red tie, as well as equally white pants and well polished black dress shoes. He may not have been as decorated as his father, but Newport's prince still came off as quite handsome and dignified nonetheless. Together with his father, the king, they sat in anticipation of what was to come. Something seemed to be amiss today, which came as quite the sharp contrast to the otherwise blissful afternoon the father and son were having. They sat in silent anxiety, with their eyes glued to the door in front of them.

Seconds felt like minutes as each one passed by as slowly as it could. The room was dead silent too; so much, you could practically hear a pin drop. And so naturally, when the large door leading to the throne room burst apart in a loud, chaotic frenzy, it nearly gave the king and prince a heart attack as they jumped in their seats. Adjacent to them was now a splintered mess of wood and a pair of badly dented golden metal doors, both of which were no longer connected to each other. And standing among the rubble was none other than the strange fellow in the armor, with the two guards sprawled out against the floor, unconscious. The king and prince were much too shocked to say much of anything, since they were still trying to register that some... thing, barged into their private throne room and made a mess of things. Oblivious to her havoc, the feminine figure began to remove the helmet above her head. As it came off, it was now clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was the same "tourist" woman from before. Somehow, someway, she managed to get in; even if it wasn't in the most pleasant manner possible.

Woman: Argh, screw those guys; I can so act!

Seemingly unaware of the monarchs before her, who were now staring in even greater disbelief, the woman disrobed her armor and let it fall to the floor. After all, she already made enough noise as it is; what's a little more noise now?

Woman (scoping the room): OK, so from the looks of things, this is a pretty important room. Hmm, doesn't seem to be an armory for weapons, and I don't see gold and loot, so I guess treasury's out of the question...

As she turned around to see more of the room, that's when she finally caught glimpse of the thrones before her.

Woman (paused): ...

As she stayed put to take in the fact she was in the throne room of all places, she couldn't help but look up to notice that the pair of legs she saw was attached to the king. The woman silently exchanged quiet looks of shock and surprise with the king for a short while, until one of them abruptly began shouting.

Woman: ...

King: ...

Prince: ...

Woman: OH CRAP, IT'S THE KING!!

King and Prince: JUST WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!!

That's when the woman snapped back to her senses. She couldn't lose her composure here; not here, not now. And so she fell back to what she had been planning the entire time. Behind her glasses, the woman's brown eyes narrowed into a fierce look of serious determination.

Woman: ...

...Only to be undermined by what she would do next.

Woman (smiling sheepishly while rubbing the back of her head and blushing in embarrassment): Oh, whoops, sorry about that. I've never really been all that coordinated, so when I saw those guards out front, I freaked out and-

King and Prince: Get to the point!!!

Woman (scared): O-Oh, right!!

And just like that, it seemed the woman had reverted back to the same socially awkward demeanor she had at the start. Her body language started to show signs of submissiveness, thanks to things like nervously avoiding eye contact or rubbing her skin softly, among other usual key signs of nervousness and fear.

Woman: Um, you see your highness, my name's Lisa and I'm a foreign tourist who wanted to do some sight-seeing in your country.

LISA

QUIRKY INTELLIGENCE GATHERER / "TOURIST"

Prince: That's ludicrous!! What tourist breaks into the royal palace of a foreign kingdom and destroys their property?! Let alone assaulting the royal guards!

Lisa (tightly shutting her eyes and slightly bowing her head): S-Sorry!! I just got carried away, I swear! All I wanted to do was take a tour around the palace, but when I saw your guards, I got scared and went overboard!

King: And you think a simple excuse like that will absolve you of what you've done here today? Do you understand the gravity of your actions?

Lisa (still keeping her head lowered): Y-Yes sir, I know what I did was horrible, and that's why I'm so very sorry. That's why I'd be more than willing to work off the debt to pay for the door and injuries to your guards. Just please don't kick me out just yet!

Lisa then folded her hands together in a prayer-like fashion as she attempted to plead for her forgiveness to the king.

Lisa: I admit I'm a little clumsy, but I'm also a hard worker; I can do anything you'd ask of me, and the stuff I can't do, I'll learn! Just please! I haven't gotten to see everything yet and your palace is amazing!

The king stroked his chin as he tried to think of what his next response should be.

King (in thought): Hmmm...

Prince: Father, is it wise to accept her offer? Even if she's telling the truth, what gives her special rights to stroll around our palace when no one else in our kingdom is allowed to?

King: You do have a point there; she is a foreigner after all.

Lisa winced as she heard them think out loud; the thought of being kicked out so soon was starting to unnerve her. Not to mention the things her crewmates would say if they found out she botched the plan.

King: Therefore, with so many facts against your favor as it is, I'm afraid I see no other option other than to have you removed from the premises; and that's the generous outcome to all this.

Lisa (still wincing and looking pitiful): Aww, c'mon...

King: Enough, I have made my decision.

Just as he said that, the sound of footsteps charging closer could be heard. In a mere matter of seconds, Lisa found herself sandwiched between a growing crowd of guards behind her and the clearly displeased king and prince before her.

Guard 1: Sir! We came as soon as we heard the noise!

King: Excellent; see to it that our trespasser and vandal is evicted from the palace. If she resists, you are allowed to use force; but I shall promise to spare her life for now.

Guard 1: Yes sir, I'll see to it at once.

More pressure was being placed upon Lisa now. The guards were coming in closer from all sides; each ready to escort her out of the palace and ruin her objective. Lisa frowned as she looked all around her; seeing nothing but well armed guards surrounding her. As the pressure continued to build, she couldn't resist the urge to clench her fists in desperate irritation.

Lisa (muttering in an upset tone): Damn it, looks like there's no other choice...

Guard 2: Now come quietly, you...

Just as one of the guards came in to grab Lisa by the arm, she vanished in a blur, which took everyone in the room by shock.

Guard 2: What the-?!!

King: ...!!

Prince: What just happened?!!

A few minutes or so after Lisa had vanished, the throne room had now become occupied by a large mass of knocked out soldiers; all now laying on the floor, hardly knowing what had hit them. Standing calmly among them was Lisa, who looked a little less than pleased that she had to fight against the royal guards; let alone blow her cover in front of the royal family. As she stood there with her eyes closed, seemingly in thought, she began to remove her glasses.

Lisa: What a disaster; I was hoping I wouldn't have to fight anyone while I was here. Though now that you've forced my hand, I guess I can finally be myself.

The king and prince watched in astonishment as Lisa pocketed her glasses and started to undo her ponytail; letting it fall freely against her back; albeit they were more amazed with Lisa's fighting skills than with her change in appearance.

Lisa (undoing her ponytail): After all, an actor who breaks character has effectively ruined the whole show, so there's no need to keep up the charade. Though I bet I'm gonna get my ear talked off for this one...

With what seemed to be a disguise now effectively undone, Lisa stood boldly with her hands on her hips, staring down the king and prince of Newport.

King: Just... who exactly are you?

Lisa: Well, sneaking around and lying didn't really work as planned, and now that you've got a good look at my face, I may as well be open and honest this time. Now I'm not sure if you've heard of me or not, and I don't particularly care if you have, but my real name is Jolly D. Mona.

King: No, I can't say I've heard of you before. Should I have?

Mona (sighing and looking disappointed): Aw geez, even with a decent bounty on my head, there are people who still don't know me? The Marines are pretty bad at their job, huh?

Prince (surprised): Wait! That name does sound a little familiar!

King (curious): Oh? How come?

Prince: Remember father? At the last Reverie, the nations of the world got together and discussed the threat of the Revolutionary Army. At the time, I had gotten together with other nobles and discussed the individual members of the revolutionaries who were actively known at the time. I figured it'd be safe for Newport if we knew our enemies ahead of time, so I memorized each revolutionary with a bounty on their head as best I could.

King: Oh, very clever indeed my son. So you're saying this woman is a member of the Revolutionary Army?

Prince (looking dreadful): Yes, and if the name she mentioned is accurate, this must be the one known as "Double D. Mona," worth a grand total of 200,000,000.

DON

JOLLY D. MONA

OCCUPATION: REVOLUTIONARY

Mona (looking impressed and clapping her hands): Ooh, very nice. Glad to see someone's doing their homework.

King (looking dreadful): Enough games! Why are you here?! Is the Revolutionary Army planning an attack on Newport?! Are you declaring war on us?!

Mona (calmly): Relax, don't get all wound up there. I can safely say we're not really planning anything yet, but what we are doing here is classified I'm afraid.

Mona simply shrugged in indifference, seemingly taking the situation in stride now that the original plan was over.

Mona (smiling sheepishly and rubbing the back of her head): Honestly, barging into your throne room was a total mistake on my part. I was looking for something else, and then there was the whole issue with your guards, and then one thing lead to another...

King: If you're not planning an invasion, then what exactly are you doing?!! Why show yourself to us?!

Mona: Sheesh, you're a bit hard on hearing, huh? I said that stuff's classified.

At that moment, the king was starting to lose his composure. With his patience nearly lost, he lerched forward in his seat and threw his hands out forward, looking as if he was about to throttle Mona. The prince, understanding how delicate the situation was, rightly held onto his father and tried to pull him away from a very hasty decision.

Prince: Father, you must calm down! Don't let her get to you!

Mona: Though I can share why I dropped the whole Lisa act. Like I said, an act is no good if the actor breaks character; I mean, what good is lying to you if you know it's a lie in the first place? Of course, I wouldn't have had to do that if you didn't sic your guards on me. So the way I see it here is, I could have kept up the act and been booted out, which would make it harder for me to sneak back in after you've seen "Lisa" and all; or I could just be Mona and go with the flow. And honestly, it's not like you were going to listen to anything Lisa had to say anyway, so I may as well be Mona again. Besides, I think Mona's much cuter; don't you think?

Upon mentioning her looks, Mona playfully winked at the king and prince and smiled at them, which only caused them to blush a bit in return.

King (calmer and blushing as he returns to his seat): Yes, well, it seems we've reached an impasse. We require information on your intent on being here and you refuse to cooperate.

Mona: Yep, that sounds about right.

King: If that is the case, then can you at least tell us what you plan on doing next? It seems being undercover was a part of your plan, was it not?

Mona: Yep, it was.

King: So, what shall you do now that your cover is blown?

Mona placed a hand to her chin and closed her eyes for a few seconds as she figured out exactly what to say next.

Mona (in thought): Hmm...

Once a thought finally came to her, she reopened her eyes and prepared to speak her mind.

Mona (looking serious): I suppose I'd like to have a chat with the both of you.

King (confused): Huh...?

Prince (confused): ...?

And so it began; Mona, a wanted criminal and member of the infamous Revolutionary Army, began sharing her thoughts with the king and prince of the small New World nation of Newport.

Mona (serious): Now firstly, I have to ask you something, your majesty. How much do you trust the World Government?

The talk lasted for quite some time; lasting for what felt like hours, albeit the exact time itself is unknown. Both Mona and the king and prince exchanged deep seated views of the world and of politics; discussing the ethics of the World Government's actions and ideals, as well as the true nature of the Revolutionary Army. When all was said and done, the two sides ultimately ended their debate in a stalemate; each still holding on strongly to their core beliefs. Satisfied with what she had done, Mona had calmly walked out of the mess of a throne room and bid farewell to the now unsure king and prince. The two watched with dumbfounded looks as a dreaded revolutionary simply left them be and proceeded to exit the royal palace. Granted, there was now a broken door and many badly injured royal guards on the floor, but in the end there was no declaration of war, no kidnapping and no attempts at the king and prince's lives. This strange revolutionary woman merely broke in, revealed herself to them and shared her personal world views before leaving. It was a bit too surreal for the father and son to take in. All they could do was sit there and stare off into space for a while; wondering what had just happened, as well as pondering on the words Mona had left them with.

King: ...

Prince: ...

After a while of silence, the prince quietly turned to look at his father, who still seemed to have his mind drift off somewhere.

Prince: Father...?

The king acknowledged his son's voice, but he couldn't seem to bring himself to look at the young man just yet.

King: Yes, my son?

Prince: What exactly do you make of all this?

The king lowered his head and closed his eyes.

King: Honestly, I'm not all too sure just yet. This has been a very odd day indeed. I'm just not sure of anything at the moment.

The prince stared at his confused father for a while; surprised to see his powerful, wise and intelligent father, the king, become shaken up to the point of doubt and bewilderment. In silence, the prince looked away and down to the floor as he too tried to piece everything together.

Outside the palace, Mona walked with the carefree attitude of a Sunday stroller; as if everything that had happened in the palace were nothing. Granted however, she was no longer hiding her appearance, and so in order to avoid trouble, she began taking detours throughout the island. Back streets, forest paths, whatever it took to avoid anyone alerting the authorities that the revolutionary, "Double D. Mona," was in Newport. As she attempted to make her way through the kingdom, she found herself humming happily and enjoying the pleasant weather of the day.

Mona (cheerful expression): Well that went better than expected. I thought they were gonna do the usual "arrest her!" routine.

Upon saying "arrest her," Mona went as far as to imitate the usual authority figure she would encounter in her line of work by extending her arm and pointing forward, as if pointing to herself or some vague woman in general.

Mona (in thought): Though I do wish everything went according to plan. All we know so far is that Newport is a small kingdom in the New World, located near the Red Line. Because of its size and location, it's sustained itself for this long by acting as a trading hub for sailors who've just entered the New World. That explains the large and numerous ports along the coast as well as Dock Town's huge markets and exotic goods. Compared to other kingdoms, Newport is pretty harmless and acts more as an important supporter to both visiting sailors and the World Government. After all, in the world of economics, trade is a vital life-blood, and all that profit from trading can be used to keep the World Government strong and active...

As she continued to think out loud to herself, Mona failed to realize there was a crowd of people ahead of her. Unfortunately, Mona couldn't see them due to being too focused on her thoughts at the time.

Mona (looking thoughtful): That's why it's mandatory we learn as much as we can about Newport; so the Revolutionary Army can liberate it from the government and make it an independent nation; or better, our ally.

Mona, now reflecting on her failed espionage work, started ruffling her hands through her hair as she grew upset with herself.

Mona (frustrated): Aaaaaaaghhhhhh!! And I totally screwed it all up! All I had to do was scope out the palace and see how Newport's run! Its defenses, its army, how its run...!

Mona then began pounding her right fist against her skull as she grew more upset.

Mona: Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

She sighed as she tried to let her feelings go before they absolutely consumed her. By this point, she had now began walking past the crowd of people ahead of her; luckily not bumping into anyone this time.

Mona (sighing): ...Hopefully, sharing our revolutionary ideals with the king will make up for my failure. If we're lucky enough, he may even break away from the World Government entirely.

As she left the crowd of people behind, they suddenly came to a stop in mid-walk. One of the people in this crowd, a man roughly somewhere in his thirties or fourties, began to speak.

??? (disdainful tone): If it comes down to that, this entire nation will ultimately be erased from the map.

This was enough to catch Mona's attention, who was only a few feet away from the group of people. Her mood having gone from disappointment to cautiousness, she kept her back turned to the man and his group; Mona's guard starting to rise as she grew wary of the people behind her.

Mona: Is that so? Is the government that fearful of the Revolutionary Army?

???: It's simply common sense. Much like when one is bitten by a venomous animal, you have to cut off whatever's been poisoned by the blow in order to preserve the whole. If a single nation becomes infected with the revolution's poisonous ideals, then it must be cut off from the government entirely.

Mona: A little drastic, don't you think? There is such a thing as anti-venom, you know. You'd really be willing to throw away the lives of all these innocent people, just to protect a withering, old, outdated world view?

???: That world view is the very foundation of order and justice. The innocent lives you see all around you today can smile and be at peace because the government takes care of them. If the Revolutionary Army were to have its way, then it'd be because of them that all these lives would be lost.

Mona tightened her right fist; simply hearing anyone talk bad about the revolutionaries, no matter who they are, was enough to get on her bad side. But to also defend her sworn enemy, the government? The same organization that had hurt her and her loved ones years ago? The same organization that nearly ruined her entire home nation and all the people who live in it? It was more than Mona could take; and yet she still struggled to control herself. She desperately wanted to not be the loose cannon her fellow revolutionaries had pegged her for.

Mona (irritated): Those smiles you see, they're not real.

???: Hm? And how so?

Mona: I know from past experience what a real and fake smile looks like. It's seared into my mind. And these smiles you talk about? They're lies. The only reason the people of the world smile and laugh is because they're ignorant. The government would love nothing more than to have their willing slaves spread the lies they were fed; believing the government loves them and looks out for them. It's complete bull****; people with immense power in their control will undoubtedly become drunk by it. They'll fall in love with their power and hoard it for themselves; leaving the rest of the world to fight, scrape and beg for what little else they can get.

???: And you think that's how the world is, do you?

Mona: I believe it. The true poison here is power. All we're doing is applying the anti-venom, since we're not as fond of amputation as you Marines are.

The man behind Mona, who appeared to be wearing the standard Marine uniform, closed his eyes, frowned and tipped his head ever so slightly downward.

Marine (looking displeased): ...It seems we've reached an impasse, though I hardly consider that shocking. You criminals are so hard headed and blind to reason.

The Marine seemed to be wearing the usual suit and tie with a coat hung over it, with the word "justice" written on its back. Albeit oddly enough, the writing looked as if it were recolored to be blue as opposed to the usual black. His long, beautiful white hair fell down over his neck and back, resting somewhere down along his spine and partially covering the writing on his coat. On his left hip, attached to his white pants, was a blue scabbard with silvery decor, which only meant he was a swordsman as well, with a sword already in his possession.

Marine: Which only further implies that like all the others, you won't be coming in quietly at all.

The Marine began to reach for his sword and pull it out as his fellow Marines moved away from him to give him room.

Mona (smirking confidently as she cracks her knuckles): Yeah, sorry to burst your bubble, but I like my freedom. Besides, I'm not so sure prison stripes would suit me.

Marine: Again, it seems we agree to disagree...

Mona: Yep...

And with that, the Marine made a vicious swing at Mona while her back was still turned to him; only for his broadsword to cleave through nothing but air as Mona bent backward, with her hand son the ground and her face looking up at the Marine above her. Within a split second, Mona retaliated by swinging the lower half of her body back up, feet first, to meet with the Marine's torso. The counterattack seemed effective, as both feet planted firmly into the Marine's chest and forced him to skid backward, kicking up dust along the ground in the process. In the meantime, Mona pushed herself off the ground with her hands and made a graceful landing with both her feet back on solid ground.

Marine 2: Whoa!! She dodged it!

Marine 3: Sir, are you OK?!!

The white haired swordsman simply gritted his teeth as he forced himself back up into an erect posture. As Mona turned around to face him head on, she could make out that his hair fell neatly on all sides of his head, with his bangs coming close to his eyebrows. And while they were hard to see underneath his white locks, Mona could almost make out what appeared to be pointed ears on each side of his head. His suit was white, with the shirt underneath matching it as well. The tie appeared to be blue and the coat was adorned with the usual golden epaulets. Going along with his white pants appeared to be equally white shoes. Needless to say, this person appeared to be very attached to the color.

Mona (wincing in disgust): Egh!! What's with all the white?! You're blinding me over here!

Marine: Hmph, don't you have any common sense? White and blue are the colors that symbolize the Marines, and thus they symbolize justice. I would never be caught dead wearing anything black; that is the color of a pirate flag, which stands for evil and cruelty.

Mona (still displeased): Yeah, well, it couldn't hurt to throw in something else other than blue. I swear, that's the tackiest wardrobe I've ever seen.

Marine: Enough of this nonsense; I didn't come here to discuss clothing. I arrived due to an emergency call that alerted us of the Revolutionary Army being present in this country. Needless to say, it seems we've found our target.

Mona: Yeah, gotta say I'm pretty surprised to see you guys here; that can't be coincidence.

As she said that, Mona's thoughts temporarily drifted towards trying to figure out why Marines would be in Newport; even after her and her fellow revolutionaries were sure there were none on the island at the time.

Mona (thoughts): ''Who could've called these guys over? I'm sure none of the citizens saw through my Lisa act earlier... Wait, that's it!! I revealed myself to the king and prince back there! Did one of them call for the Marines?''

Her opponent on the other hand, wasn't willing to wait for Mona to engage him in battle again.

Marine (pointing at Mona): Men, subdue her!!

With the command given, the Marines who possessed guns at the time began to open fire on Mona. Shaken from her thoughts, Mona started leaping side to side and weaving her body nimbly as she tried to avoid the swarm of bullets coming her way.

Mona (thoughts): ''But it couldn't have been them! I saw them clearly the entire time we were talking, and neither of them pulled out or used a Transponder Snail! So who brought the Marines here?! And how'd they arrive so quickly?!''

While continuing to try and figure things out, Mona ducked to her right to avoid another spray of gunfire.

Mona (thoughts): Wait, was it...?

Mona thought back to her conversation in the throne room. During her "chat," she had at one moment sworn she heard something move along the ground, but when she would stop to look around, all seemed still and motionless, so naturally Mona assumed nothing of it and went on with her discussion. But looking back on it now, things were starting to appear a bit fishy to her.

Mona (thoughts): ''That's it! That's gotta be it! I bet one of those guards wasn't totally knocked out yet! He probably squirmed off somewhere to call for help. That would explain the weird noise I heard and how the Marines could get here so soon. They were sailing here while I was talking with the king! Damn it!!''

Mona snarled in frustration as she dwelled on her mistakes; but the Marines she was facing off against wouldn't give her the time to lament for long. More bullets were being shot at her, and she couldn't afford to get hurt in the line of duty, let alone be arrested. Dodging another set of ammunition, Mona tried to recollect herself and focus on defeating the enemy, or at least escaping them.

Marine: You cannot evade us forever, revolutionary! There are more of us than there are of you!

Mona skidded to a halt along the ground as she avoided the latest set of bullets; with her left knee bent and her right leg resting on the ground, while her right hand laid upon the ground and she looked up to boldly stare down the swordsman.

Mona: Yeah, but I can sure as hell fight better than all of you combined!

Upon saying her retort, Mona vanished into thin air once again, and like last time, leaving a blur of her appearance behind. Within a second or so, she had quickly reappeared in front of the Marine swordsman with her right fist outstretched in an attempt to punch the man; only for him to block the blow with the blunt side of his sword. The resulting clash creating an audible clang as flesh and bone met steel, as well as a slight breeze blowing out all around the two combatants.

Marine: Is this what you consider "fighting better"?

Mona: Quit acting so high and mighty; you haven't seen me at my best yet!

Marine: And it seems I never will...

Just after saying that, Mona found herself surrounded on all sides by Marines; each holding a rifle or sword directed at her. The white haired swordsman before her smirked smugly; feeling clever and proud of himself for this maneuver.

Marine: Men, attack!

The subordinate Marines all prepared their weapons and kept their focus glued on Mona. Just as the assault seemed to begin, a voice called out from the crowd.

Feminine Voice (eagerly): Yeah!! Let's get her!!

Without any warning, Mona had slipped herself into the huddled group of Marines and seemed to have raised herself out of the messy crowd in order to imitate the Marines themselves. Judging from the wide grin on her face and how she held one hand to her mouth while the other was raised in the air, it seemed Mona was enjoying herself amidst what should have been a serious fight. Not satisfied with her playful outburst, Mona sunk back into the crowd, only to reappear elsewhere with the same level of enthusiasm.

Mona (eagerly; imitating the Marines): Show that sexy, hot revolutionary who's the boss!!

Once again, she sank into the crowd and raised herself out of it elsewhere.

Mona (eagerly): Damn, I wish she was my wife!! Just look at those boobs!!

And once more...

Mona (eagerly): Enough talk!! Let's take down Mona!!

The Marine subordinates, seemingly easily fooled by Mona's trick, began to blush as they started imagining her sex appeal in detail. And likewise, upon Mona's final words of encouragement, the gang proceeded to charge in recklessly and attack someone who was no longer even there.

Marines (pumped up): YEEEEEEEAAAAAAAH!!!

With neither Mona or the swordsman in sight, the Marines started indiscriminately attacking one another; still believing one of their own had encouraged them to go all out. Those with rifles started to accidentally open fire on fellow Marines, and those with swords, other weapons or simply using other means of combat began beating the others senseless. By the time any of them realized they were tricked, it was practically too late. The mess of a riot Mona had started now left multiple Marines wounded on the ground; some looking worse off than others. Some Marines who were still standing were either staring each other down in combative stances, or holding the other by the collar and wailing on them without remorse.

Marines (confused, then surprised): ...? ...AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!! SHE TRICKED US!!

Mona and the swordsman however, seemed to be long gone.

Mona (highly amused): Hahahahahahaha!! I can't believe that worked!

Now far away from the Marines, Mona began traversing a remote, wild area of the island; a spot where civilization hadn't reached. It appeared to be sparsely forested, as there weren't too many trees huddled together, and yet there were still plenty enough to be seen. For the most part, it appeared to be a grassy clearing of some sort, with a small nearby river flowing through it. And walking beside that river was Mona, looking very pleased with herself.

Mona: That was pretty fun! Maybe I should do it more often.

As she cheerily strolled alongside the river, she began humming a happy tune; no doubt glad to have eluded the Marines.

Mona: Alright, so now all I gotta do is follow this river to the coast and then walk around the coast until I find our ship. Seems easy enough for such a small island.

That's when she saw it; just ahead of her was the craggy coast of Newport. It didn't seem to have any nearby ships, but that didn't bother Mona too much. As her mouth formed a joyous grin, Mona raised her left hand over her forehead in an effort to get a clearer view of the horizon.

Mona: And speak of the devil, there it is! Alright! Phase one, complete!

In celebration, Mona performed something of a reverse fist pump, where she took her raised right fist and jerked it down a little.

???: Speak of the devil indeed...

Mona's happiness was abruptly cut short by a familiar voice. With her eyes widened, she quickly turned around to find where it was coming from. To no surprise, she could see a brilliantly white clad figure stand out among the dark shade of a nearby cluster of trees. As he stood out into the sunlight, his features became more pronounced.

Mona (displeased): Oh great, it's you again.

Marine: I have to admit, I'm shocked to see you pull off such an underhanded trick after showing such valor on the battlefield. But I suppose I should've expected as much from criminal scum.

Mona: Hey, don't go getting mad at me, you big eyesore. Not my fault if your men are perverted idiots.

Marine: Watch your tongue, woman. I won't stand for anyone mocking the purity of the law.

Mona (shocked, dull tone): "Purity"?!

Marine: Indeed; the only reason those noble men would fall for such a thing is because you seduced them with your evil ways.

Mona (shrugging calmly): Well, I gotta hand it to you there at least...

In mid-sentence, Mona began doing something completely unexpected. Her hand moved to the buttons on her Hawaiian shirt and started to casually undo them one at a time. The Marine watched in slight confusion as Mona undressed herself before him.

Mona: When it comes to seducing others, I'm the best.

Marine (dumbfounded): You take pride in that?

Mona: Of course I do. I never asked to have this kind of body, you know; I was just born with it. All I care about is staying as young as I can for as long as I can, and if that means having a drop-dead gorgeous body and super cute face, then so be it.

As she undid the last button, her shirt parted to both sides of her torso and chest, revealing not only the namesake of her epithet, "Double D. Mona," but also a pink bra which did what little it could to retain her modesty, and a black belt around her waist with a yellow buckle in the shape of a D. Smiling comfortably, Mona placed both hands on her hips and stared down the Marine before her.

Mona: It's like I always tell people; if you've been blessed with an awesome gift, you should share it with others. So even if you're a total eyesore and my enemy, I'll at least be kind enough to share my blessings with you.

She then momentarily dropped her head and closed her eyes while still smiling proudly.

Mona: That's what it means to be Double D. Mona.

The Marine however, looked less than impressed with her. There was hardly even a trace of blushing or a nose bleed to be found on his face; it was as if he was immune to Mona's charm. Instead, he simply looked blankly at her, in total disbelief at what he had seen and heard.

Marine: ...Are you finished?

Mona nearly flipped her lid when she heard this; her calm, cool exterior exploding into shock and appall.

Mona (insulted): WHAT DO YOU MEAN "FINISHED"?!! YOU UNGRATEFUL BASTARD!!

Marine: How can I be ungrateful when I do not desire such lewd behavior as yours?

Mona (confused): Wait, what?

Marine: I'm not interested in women willingly stripping themselves before me. It is beneath me.

Mona (in thought): Ohhh, so you're into dudes then.

Marine (blushing): I am not!

The Marine cleared his throat and attempted to regain his cool.

Marine: It's simply because I have seen something far more beautiful, and that alone keeps me content everyday.

Mona (displeased): Is that so?

The Marine, in a flamboyant act, took his right hand and flipped his long white hair carelessly into the air.

Marine: Indeed; when one possesses inhuman beauty as I do, how can he look at women the same way again?

Mona (unimpressed): Yeah, whatever; you're still an eyesore.

This was enough to make the Marine blush in embarrassment and irritation. He clearly did not like having Mona belittle his looks.

Marine (insulted): Shows what you know, you shameless woman! You even possess black hair!

Mona: What does that have to do with anything?!!

Marine: It's as I said earlier! Black is the color of evil! Your black hair gives away your very nature! As does the pure innocence of my white hair!

Mona: How stupid can you be?!!! Hair is just hair, Eyesore!!

Marine (frustrated): And I am tired of you calling me that!! My name is Junketsu; not Eyesore! My name and appearance are the very symbols of justice, order and purity!!

Mona: And here we go with that again; you Marines sure do love this whole "we're the heroes and you're the villains" routine, huh?

Junketsu: Because it is the truth!

Mona: Ya know, no matter how many times I hear it, it still amazes me how black and white you guys are.

Junketsu: That's because we're enlightened as to what the nature of the world is! There is good and there is evil! The government wants nothing but the best for the world, so it stands for good and justice! You revolutionaries, as well as pirates and other criminal low-lives want nothing but to antagonize, destroy and tear down peace and harmony! That is why you are evil! You want only death and destruction!

Mona: That's because some things need to be destroyed!! For example, that black and white morality you have! You really think the world is that simple?! Can you really label entire groups of people and expect them all to behave as you predicted?! What if someone kills an innocent person to protect something as precious as another person's life?! Does that make them a bad guy?! And what if the same happens, but this time it's a Marine who kills a person?! Do the rules change just because it's a different group of people?!

Junketsu: Shut your insolent mouth, wench!!!

Mona: The world is large, vast and expansive!! Because it's so big, there have to be lots of people to inhabit it!! And everyone deep down is unique!! Can you really ignore individuality because you value harmful rules above everything else?!!

Junketsu: You know nothing about the world!!!

Mona:" LIKE HELL I DON'T!! IT'S YOU WHO DOESN'T HAVE A CLUE!! YOU'VE BLINDED YOURSELF SO MUCH THAT YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE WHAT HEROES AND VILLAINS LOOK LIKE ANYMORE!!

DON

Finally, neither one of them could hold back their intense feelings anymore. The next thing either of them knew, another fight had broken out.

Junketsu: THEN I'LL JUST HAVE TO SHOW YOU WHAT TRUE HEROISM IS!!!

His sword drawn and ready, Junketsu charged like an angry bull towards Mona with an intent to run the entire sword through her body. Just as he came in to stab her with the tip of his sword, Mona jumped above the strike and planted a firm kick into Junketsu's face with her left foot. Junketsu reeled back as a small trail of blood trickled down his mouth. Once he regained his balance, he wiped his mouth to check for damage, only to see his pure white sleeve was now tainted by red blood. Grunting angrily and slanting his eyebrows, Junketsu readied himself for another clash against the revolutionary, who looked equally raring to go.

Now taking the initiative, Mona vanished once more in a blur of speed, which momentarily took Junketsu by surprise. However, he seemed strangely ready for Mona this time, as by the time she reappeared behind him to land a right punch to the spine, Junketsu pivoted in place and swung his sword down to meet Mona head on.

Mona (shocked): Waahh!!

With little time to react, Mona made a hasty leap to her left, which was in the direction of the river. While she managed to slide along the ground intact, she still let out a slight groan. Wincing as she leaned herself up against her elbow, Mona could see she was sliced diagonally along the stomach; leaving a shallow red slash on it, as well as damaging her shirt, which now revealed more of her stomach and waist. Without a moment's waste, Junketsu lashed out at Mona again; swinging his blade down at her as she barely managed to leap away.

Mona (even more shocked): EEK!!

Mona proceeded to roll along the ground, her head less than an inch near the edge of the river, as she escaped one powerful downward slash after another. Just as Junketsu was about to re-position his next swing so it would slice apart where Mona was going to be, Mona used the delayed reaction time to spring herself forward by her hands, so all Junketsu chopped up was the ground. Now back on her feet, Mona looked back at Junketsu, who was now quite frustrated and also glaring back at her.

Mona: How did you even see me coming?! That was way too fast for a normal person's eyes to see!

Junketsu: It's because it's a simple feat to predict an easily predictable opponent. You use that high-speed technique so often, it hardly surprises me anymore.

Mona: Hmph, hypocrite. All you're doing is swinging your sword around, so it's not like you're that hard to read either.

Junketsu: True, it's a bit stale of me, but I'm not quite fond of close quarter brawls as you are. Such barbaric fighting is hardly worth my time. I prefer the use of my sword, as it keeps me a safe distance from brutes like you, and it can keep your blood off my hands.

Mona: Oh, so you're a coward and an eyesore. Man, I don't envy you at all.

Junketsu: The feeling's mutual. Though I suppose if you're that bored of my sword, I can show you something else I've kept hiding up my sleeve.

Mona (intrigued): Huh...?

As Mona watched in bewilderment, Junketsu raised his right arm towards her. And as if by magic, both his arm and hand began glowing. At first, it seemed rather dim, but as more time passed, it started to glow brighter and brighter.

Mona (shocked): What in the hell?!!

Junketsu: You may be fast, but only a select few have proven themselves to be faster than this next attack; and sadly enough for you, it seems you aren't them.

Upon reaching the height of brightness, where his arm was now nothing short of a dazzling, blinding yellow-white light, Junketsu unleashed the truly unexpected; a laser fired from the palm of his hand and rocketed toward Mona. With hardly any time to react to the lightspeed projectile, Mona now found herself engulfed in the all consuming light as a burning shockwave ravaged her body. The resulting explosion, albeit no bigger than a few feet in diameter, was enough to give off an audible "boom," as well as illuminate whatever shady, darkened spots remained among the battleground. Standing still with his right arm extended and now dimming, Junketsu stared blankly at what was once Mona.

Junketsu (dull, disappointed tone): Foolish woman...

Junketsu lowered his arm and continued to observe the smoking crater his laser had left behind. Still, Mona could not be seen anywhere for the time being.

Junketsu: No matter how fast you may be, even you cannot outrun the speed of light. And now you'll face the same end as the others who dared to face me in battle.

With the smoke and dust clearing, Junketsu took this as the perfect opportunity to deal the final blow to Mona. Now advancing at a casual pace, Junketsu kept his broadsword firmly held in his left hand at his side. Upon making it to the crater, Junketsu looked down to inspect it more carefully, and just as his hunch suggested, the smoke finally swept away to reveal a badly injured and knocked out Jolly D. Mona, laying helplessly on her back before Junketsu. The Marine stared down with a steady dull look on his face as he took notice of the revolutionary's condition. Mona herself seemed to have been roughed up rather badly by that single attack; in addition to the slash across her stomach, she was now bleeding from the corners of her mouth and her eyes had become wide, blank saucers, probably due to the complete shock from taking such a blow. Her body looked a bit bruised too, given her skin appeared damaged along her arms, face, legs and so on. In this injured state, all Mona could do was lay there, on her back, with her arms outstretched to her sides and her mouth hung open in a surprised manner. And still, Junketsu appeared completely unfazed as he took note of all this.

Junketsu: How pitiful; you manage to talk a big game, but when push comes to shove, you fall apart as easily as the rest. You criminals sure are a tiresome and unamusing lot...

Ready to put this behind him, Junketsu gripped his sword's handle with both hands and began to raise it above his head; intending to hack Mona to death to ensure she was dead for good.

Junketsu: Now to be rid of you, you annoying, ignorant, loathsome villain.

As Junketsu finally swung his sword down with all his might, Mona's ears began to oddly perk up and twitch. Just as Junketsu's blade was about to cleave Mona into pieces, the revolutionary's body instantaneously sprung to action; almost quite literally. Placing her palms behind her head and onto the ground, Mona pushed herself back into what looked like it would be a handstand, only to stop midway through and lift her feet up to catch both ends of the blunt side of Junketsu's sword with her heeled sandals.

Mona (enraged): RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Junketsu (shocked): What the-?!!

Mona: JUST WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING "OLD SOME"?!!!

Junketsu (confused and shocked): Wha-Wha...?!!

With a powerful kick from Mona, and by leaping back from her to keep his distance, Junketsu was pushed back by a few feet as he continued to stare in complete bewilderment. Mona meanwhile had used the momentum of her kick to complete her handstand and turn it into a mid-air flip so she could land back on her feet. Still unbelievably outraged at Junketsu for some questionable reason, Mona glared fiercely at him from a distance while raising her left fist in anger.

Mona (enraged): I'll have you know I'm still in my mid-twenties, you ugly eyesore jackass!!!

Junketsu (confused and shocked): Wha...? What in the world are you talking about?! How are you even still standing?!!

Mona: OH, don't play dumb with me, pretty boy!! Sure, I was knocked out pretty damn well thanks to that sneak attack of yours, and my ears were ringing, but I know for a FACT that you said "old some"!!

Junketsu: What...?

Trying to understand just what kind of nonsense she was going on about, Junketsu replayed the last few moments that had unfolded in his mind carefully.

(Flashback)

Junketsu: Now to be rid of you, you annoying, ignorant, loathsome villain.

(End of Flashback)

Junketsu (dumbfounded): WAIT, THAT'S WHAT GOT YOUR ATTENTION?!!!

Mona: DAMN STRAIGHT IT WAS!! YOU RUN YOUR MOUTH TOO DAMN MUCH!! NOW I'M GONNA MAKE YOU EAT THOSE WORDS!!!

Junketsu: YOU ABSOLUTE MORON!!! I SAID "LOATHSOME," NOT "OLD SOME"!!

Mona: DON'T TALK YOUR WAY OUT OF THIS! YOU'RE GETTING A BEATING WHETHER YOU WANT IT OR NOT!!

Obviously getting frustrated and annoyed by these silly circumstances, Junketsu sighed while he placed his right hand on his forehead in the near-universal sign of dismay. His right eye attempted to refrain from twitching and his mouth slanted into a slightly frustrated frown throughout this display of exhausted disbelief.

Junketsu: Look, you said it yourself, didn't you? Your ears were ringing, correct?

Mona paused for a brief moment, but she still kept her feisty, angered guard up. This was an odd question and it seemed to come out from nowhere for her, which caused the momentary pause in the first place.

Mona (irritable): Yeah, so? What does this have anything to do with it?

Amazed at her thick-headed stubbornness, Junketsu practically flipped out once again.

Junketsu: SO YOU MISHEARD ME BECAUSE YOUR EARS WERE IMPAIRED, YOU DUMB TWIT!!!

Simply proving his point more and more was Mona, now picking her left ear with the delicate dexterity of her pinky finger. In the meantime, her left eye was shut as she focused hard on dislodging whatever was in her ear.

Mona (distracted tone): Huh? You say something, Eyesore? It's still kind of hard to hear out of this ear.

Junketsu was now at the end of his rope, as far as his patience with Mona was concerned. She had insulted his appearance, insulted his world view, posed a threat to the safety of Newport and the structure of the World Government, humiliated his subordinates and was now simply pushing him even farther with her nonsensical foolishness. Words failed to sum up how Junketsu felt by this point, so he could only respond with erratic vocal noises and odd mannerisms.

Junketsu (gritting teeth, eyes widened and fingers squirming): Nnnngh-gh-gh-gagh!!!

Seeing as he was momentarily distracted, Mona took her finger out of her ear and went back to taking her opponent seriously; with a look of eager determination lighting up her brown eyes.

Mona: I have to admit though, that glowing trick of yours really was effective; didn't even see it coming at all. But now you're at a disadvantage. See, now I know to avoid that sword of yours and be ready whenever you start glowing. So even if I have no clue what's going on, it doesn't even matter. The more of your tricks I know, the easier it'll be to counter them. Meanwhile, you've only seen one of the many awesome things I can do, so you have no idea what to expect. That's what I call strategy.

To cement her mini-lecture, Mona playfully stuck her tongue out at Junketsu and smiled; clearly quite amused with the situation at hand. Naturally, Junketsu didn't share the same outlook Mona did, and was now only growing more annoyed.

Junketsu (frazzled): Why you cheeky, arrogant...!

Before he could get his act together, let alone finish his thoughts, Mona had disappeared into a blur again, which took Junketsu by surprise.

Junketsu: ...!!

In nearly no time at all, Mona had reappeared within inches of Junketsu, with her right fist sunk into Junketsu's chest. With a look of shock and pain on his face, Junketsu was blown backward by the force of the impact and sent hurdling feet away from Mona. Mona meanwhile, kept up a fighting stance where she kept her right leg ahead of her left leg, both bent at the knee cap, and with her right fist bent upward and held out where it struck Junketsu, as her left fist was kept closer to her hip. A proud smirk accompanied the ferocity in Mona's eyes as she stared down the blown back Junketsu.

Mona: And that's for using the "O word" around me.

Junketsu (hurt): Oof...

The wind beaten out of him but far from defeated, Junketsu tried to pick himself up off of the ground as he rested on his right side. It was slow and clumsy at first, but as the strength in his muscles returned, he could feel himself being re-energized. Getting to his feet, his eyes scanned the ground for his fallen sword, as it had been knocked out of his hands when Mona struck him.

Mona (confidently): I may not be as fast as light itself, but if I don't even need my top-speed to knock you around, then who cares?

Junketsu (glaring at Mona): Grrr, don't get cocky just yet, you revolutionary trash. That was still only the second blow you've landed on me all day, and I've far from exhausted my bag of tricks to use on you.

Mona (confidently): Fine by me; just keep showing off and I'll keep shrugging off everything you throw at me. And while you're at it, please keep running your mouth too; it's annoying to hear you talk, but it's surprisingly helpful too.

Junketsu (gritting teeth angrily and twitching eyebrows): Grrrr!! Don't you go getting smug with me!!

Without even thinking about it, Junketsu raised his right arm once more, and like before, it began glowing. Once fully charged, Junketsu released yet another laser upon Mona; believing this to be his only chance at properly damaging her. And as before, the ground erupted in a fury of light and sound, with dirt and dust kicked up into the air. Junketsu, still steaming, watched the blast site carefully as he had done before. He was sure that if he acted quickly and carefully enough, he could finally slice Mona to ribbons once and for all and be done with her annoying gestures and behavior.

However, something peculiar had just happened. Instead of a repeat of last time, Junketsu found himself struck in the face by something hard. Without a shadow of a doubt, there was Mona in all her unbridled fury, right fist extended as far as she could reach, and seemingly hovering in midair. From the implications of it, Mona somehow survived the attack and reached Junketsu in time to leap to his side and give him the hardest punch she could deliver to his face. And like last time, Junketsu was sent flying, albeit with some saliva escaping his mouth this time. With gritted teeth and a burning passion in her eyes, Mona became a blur once again.

Just before Junketsu could slam head-first into the ground behind him, Mona arrived once again. Now directly ahead of his trajectory, Mona delivered a violent upward kick with her right foot to Junketsu's upper spine, which only sent the Marine flying skyward. Hardly capable of doing anything but to fly wherever Mona sent him, Junketsu was now reduced to nothing more than a sports ball of sorts. As he flew up high and reached the peak of his ascent, he began to be dragged back down to the ground, and a patient Mona, below. Just before Junketsu could make impact though, Mona took the initiative again.

Mona: Mabataki...

As Junketsu came within reach of Mona, the revolutionary seemingly became surrounded by the same dusty wisps that had accompanied her earlier; only this time, the wisps were encircling her midsection. And along with these phantom wisps was another odd surprise; Mona's right leg, which had been resting on the ground earlier, now somehow teleported itself up into a bent angle, looking as though Mona were about to kick something or someone. Her timing couldn't have been any better, as Junketsu's head was now only inches away from Mona's toes. With a steely resolve in her eyes, Mona delivered a fierce kick to Junketsu's shoulderblades, which as usual, sent the Marine flying farther away from her.

As Junketsu soared once again, hardly knowing what had hit him just now, Mona slowly lowered her right leg back to the ground as she watched Junketsu finally make contact with the ground. As Junketsu landed, dust was spread up into the air and it seemed he bounced a bit as his face slammed into the earth. After tumbling for a bit, Junketsu finally found rest face-first on the soft grass. Mona simply continued to watch with an almost uncharacteristic seriousness about her. She only stood there and waited; wondering what would become of Junketsu now. After some time had passed, Junketsu's body began to tremble as he slowly tried to push himself back up off the ground.

Junketsu (injured): Ugh... ngh-gh...

With a surprising level of willpower, Junketsu had finally gotten back up onto his own two feet, albeit he was now awfully dirty and dusty after being kicked into the ground a few times. His clean white clothing was smudged with filth and his handsome face was now smeared with streaks of blood from his nose and mouth, whilst his hair became somewhat disheveled. Panting to regain his breath, Junketsu slowly turned about to face Mona, with a confused but calm and displeased expression on his face.

Mona (serious): Guess that makes thirty-five blows I've landed on you today.

Junketsu (confused): ...? Just what... are you getting at...?

Before any response at all could be made, Junketsu felt an odd sensation occur on his back, in the same exact spot where he had been kicked twice so far by Mona. It was slow to react at first, but within a second or two, a strangely familiar imprint began to take shape on Junketsu's coat. It looked somewhat like a foot, as if Junketsu had been freshly kicked or stood on by someone, and yet no one was behind him at the time. However, there wasn't any time to wonder about this afterward, as right after the imprint formed, Junketsu was now being mercilessly assaulted by a barrage of impacts that seemed to come from nowhere. And they kept coming, with hardly any end to it in sight; each blunt, invisible strike followed directly after another; all the while causing great pain to Junketsu and forcing him forward towards Mona with each attack. Mona in the meantime closed her eyes and waited for the strange phenomena to end; oddly unfazed at the oddity before her.

After a few seconds of nonstop onslaught, the final blow was struck and it sent Junketsu gliding towards a calm, unimpressed Mona.

Mona (calmly; eyes closed): ...Thirty Kicks in One.

Without hesitation, Mona responded to the oncoming Junketsu by raising her right elbow to meet Junketsu's face head on.

Mona: Damn, seems I forgot about this part. Ah well...

And as predicted, Junketsu made a very painful slam into Mona's elbow, causing more blood to gush from his nose, as well as forcing Junketsu to fall backward and back onto the ground.

Mona: You know, you lightspeed types are getting pretty overrated; first Kizaru, then Nova, and now you. There should be more teleporting types like Kuma and me.

As Junketsu fell onto the ground, Mona kept her stance all the same, as if the entire event was planned somehow.

Junketsu (in pain; holding his face): AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! YOU BITCH!!! WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!!!

Mona hardly acknowledged the insult, and even briefly felt indifferent to Junketsu's query. Lowering her elbow back to her side, she proceeded to casually walk past Junketsu with her eyes still closed; calmly treating the situation with little to no regard by this point.

Mona: ...I just told you; I hit you thirty-five times. Those last thirty were at top-speed too.

While Mona continued to walk away from Junketsu, the beaten up man rolled to his left side while still clutching his hidden face with his hands. He then began coughing for a bit; possibly due to the thirty-something strikes to his back having done something to his lungs and heart at some point.

Junketsu (weary): No... person should be able to move that fast... Are you... some kind of Devil Fruit user...?

Mona: Nope, just a good brawler. If you train your body hard enough and learn to master it and its functions, then anything can be possible; even moving so fast that no one can see what's happening. Those thirty kicks to your back that you felt? I landed them on you when you were still falling from the sky. That's the power of Mabataki: Thirty Kicks in One; an attack so fast that if you blink, you'll miss it.

Junketsu: You... You're not what I thought you were...

Mona: That's why I said you were blinded earlier. You can't see anything other than those messed up ideals of yours. I suggest reflecting on what happened here and learn from today; if you Marines are even capable of that.

Mona was now a good number of feet away from a humiliated and wounded Junketsu. As she kept walking, Junketsu could feel his embarrassment turn to frustration; thinking only of how the same woman he had written off as trash and a nuisance had now defaced his good looks and beaten him badly; even going as far as to somehow avoid his strongest attack, the laser blast. This frustration started to fester inside of him and grow stronger, and soon enough, he could feel the battered and tired muscles of his body be reborn with strength as the anger of his adrenaline began to flood into him. Now motivated more than ever to win, Junketsu raised himself back onto his feet.

Junketsu: Ungh... Ugh...

Hearing his grunts and groans, Mona stopped in her tracks and stood still. Junketsu was now standing erect, albeit his face was still hidden underneath his left hand.

Junketsu: Well then, if you're so smart, explain to me how you escaped that last attack of mine. No one, barring the two names you mentioned earlier, could ever get away from that in time.

Without ever turning around or opening her eyes, Mona responded calmly and thoughtfully.

Mona: Actually, anyone can escape a super fast attack if they can read their opponent's actions properly.

Junketsu: ...?

Mona: It takes time to charge up that laser of yours, doesn't it? With each second, no, each moment that passes by, that gives the enemy time to think and react. True, I was only inches away from the explosion when it went off, but since I knew what was coming, I just got out of the way while I still could.

Junketsu merely let out a slight, audible growl from the back of his throat; clearly displeased to see his attack could have such a glaring weakness to it.

Mona: I'm not really sure just what you are, since no normal person can fire lasers from their body like that, but I guess if I can avoid getting hit by them, then that's all that matters.

Junketsu: Why you... ...Is that so? Care to put your theory to the test then?

Mona (sighing): Seriously? You're just gonna keep using the same attack over and over? Now who's predictable?

Junketsu proceeded to wipe his face with both hands, which for some odd reason, caused a squeaking sound to occur every time his skin rubbed against itself. He then fixed his hair with his hands as well and went about dusting himself off. Overhearing the commotion, Mona finally reopened her eyes and made a slight turn of her head to her right; hoping to peek over her shoulder to see what all the noise was about. Clearly Junketsu was cleaning himself, but the squeaking was what really caught Mona's attention.

Once Junketsu was done, all traces of blood seemed to vanish from his face; albeit his face was still bruised from the two blows he received from Mona. With a silent look of determined, tranquil fury on his injured face, Junketsu stared down Mona from a safe distance. The fight appeared to be far from over, much to Mona's displeasure.

Junketsu: Hmph, keep acting all high and mighty as you wish; it'll make my victory against you all the sweeter in the end.

And as to be expected, Junketsu once again raised the same right arm towards Mona, who still had her back to the man the entire time. And once more, Junketsu's arm glowed as he charged the attack. As Mona watched carefully, turning around to keep Junketsu from firing on her blind spot, she couldn't help but notice something shine in the peripheral of her vision. Once fully charged, Junketsu smiled confidently.

Junketsu: I assure you, this time you won't be seeing my attack coming.

Mona: ...

An uneasy pause occured between the two; with both sides almost hesitant to make the first move. After a short standoff, Junketsu figured it was either now or never, and so he took the initiative.

Junketsu: Dodge this, revolutionary!!

Mona's muscles bulged in anticipation; she was ready to sprint away just a few seconds before Junketsu fired the laser. However, while she was prepared for his attack, she truly didn't see what Junketsu was really preparing next. With a grunt, Junketsu opened fire once more.

Junketsu: Hmph!!

Albeit this time, light did not travel from his palm, but rather from the widened eyes on his face. From his pupils, Junketsu released a pair of laser eye beams at Mona, which did indeed surprise her as Junketsu had hoped.

Mona (shocked): Ah!!!

However, acting accordingly, Mona tried to get away from the smaller, more precise beams by weaving to her left. Albeit what looked to be dodging seemed to be something else entirely, for Mona returned to her upright position, now holding the fallen broadsword that Junketsu possessed. Holding it horizontally and having its blunt side facing the beams, Mona forced Junketsu's attack to reflect off the sword and return back to its source: Junketsu. In another strange turn of events, Junkeysu hardly showed any sense of shock or fear, but rather, he looked more unamused and unsatisfied than anything else. Just as his eye lasers made contact with him, they seemed to reflect off of Junketsu as well! Deflected into two different directions, one going right and the other going left, Junketsu stood calmly in place; displeased with Mona and her strategy.

Junketsu: Well now, seems we both were planning to deceive the other.

Just as he had said that, a set of explosions went off in the background; each coming from the same directions the lasers had flown off into.

Mona (surprised): What the? The eyes too? OK, seriously, just what are you?

Junketsu: I'm a Marine and an elf, though to be more precise, I am also a Devil Fruit user; the owner of the powers of the Gloss Gloss Fruit.

Mona: Gloss?

Junketsu: Indeed; the Gloss Gloss Fruit has now permanently altered my body to become glossy. Thanks to that, I am now a reflection man. Not only does dirt and grime, even my own blood, become easy to wipe off of my skin, but I can reflect and deflect light at will. Because of that, I can no longer be harmed by lasers or light based attacks; I am now the ultimate weapon to be used against people such as Kizaru.

Mona: What? Reflection's one thing, but that doesn't mean you can just start glowing whenever you want! Sure, it's a nice, sunny day today, but the sunlight shouldn't be enough to cause lasers! That doesn't make any sense!

Junketsu: True, this amount of sunlight is far too weak for what I'm capable of, but the powers of the Gloss Gloss Fruit can allow me to intensify any light that comes into contact with me. By doing so, I can strengthen that light and transform it into a laser at will. Albeit, the problem with doing that out here is that I'd only end up creating a massive explosion where we stand if I intensified the sunlight all around me; and as a Marine, I should avoid carelessly destroying an island in a fight.

Mona: So just what the hell is going on here then? How come you can fire lasers?

Junketsu: Because there's one last thing I should mention about myself. Aside from being a Marine, an elf and a Devil Fruit user, I am also a living weapon.

Mona (shocked): A what?!!

Junketsu: Yes, a Zeppin to be exact. As I'm sure a stooge like you isn't aware of them, I'll try and explain as best I can. The Zeppin themselves are an assortment of weapons and armor crafted to possess qualities of living creatures; be they human, giant, fishman, plant, animal, and so on. Thanks to the powers of the Donor Donor Fruit, a dead organism's physical attributes can become grafted onto anything else the craftsman desires. This has also opened the door for wonderfully bizarre new opportunities, such as living Zeppin. These are still living people and creatures who possess the attributes of a dead organism. In this case, I am one of them; a living Zeppin.

Mona (amazed): So, you're saying you have the abilities of someone who's dead?

Junketsu: Precisely. Granted, Zeppin are quite costly, so I had to use my hard earned money wisely. But if it's for the sake of justice, I will gladly do whatever is necessary to my immaculate body in order to get the job done. For example, upon realizing what my Devil Fruit powers were, I desperately sought out a way to make them more useful to me. Upon hearing of the Zeppin, I requested the craftsman to alter my body so I could make the most of my abilities. In the end, I was given the same properties that allow fireflies to emit light at will. In other words, I now possess bioluminescence; I can naturally generate light from any part of my body whenever I desire, much like a Logia Devil Fruit user. On top of that, when my light interacts with my glossy exterior, I can intensify its glow under controlled conditions; seen most obviously by the light growing brighter, what you call "charging." Upon reaching the right level of intensity, the light escapes my body and flies off into any direction I aim it at, becoming a powerful laser. That is the source of my unique power.

Mona: So in other words, you're just a freak of nature that takes advantage of the dead. And to think I thought the Marines couldn't sink any lower than they have already.

Junketsu: And you're a buffoonish exhibitionist who seeks destruction and chaos; the epitome of the Revolutionary Army.

Mona's eyebrows lowered in response; complete with a look of determination and readiness.

Mona: Alright, I've had just about enough of you. I'm gonna send you flying and then return to my friends.

Junketsu: And that's assuming you can actually defeat me. Once I'm through with you, the other revolutionaries scampering about on this island will be next.

Mona: That won't happen.

Junketsu: And what are you going to do about it?

Mona, still holding Junketsu's sword, sunk the blade into the ground to the left of her before responding.

Mona: I'm going to kick your ass; simple as that.

The two exchanged silent glares at that point; with both of them now tired of this prolonged battle and of each other. Neither one seemed to stay down for long, and so they both knew they would have to go all out or else they would never see the end of this. The first to take charge was Junketsu, who was charging up his right arm again.

Junketsu (mockingly): Are you going to reflect this one too?

Mona: ...

Junketsu: I suppose we'll just have to find out then.

His hand had now reached the peak of its intensity; with his hand and arm glowing as bright as ever, Junketsu did the unexpected and proceeded to run towards Mona head on. Mona on the other hand decided it was safer to keep her ground than to try and recklessly intercept Junketsu, and so she stood firmly with a loose fighting stance as her preparation for combat. Upon reaching Mona, Junketsu thrusted his right palm out at her, with the bright light illuminating her face and upper torso. Just as it seemed Junketsu as about to strike, Mona used her Mabataki to vanish into thin air, leaving behind her signature wisp. About a second later, Junketsu's palm released the light as a laser, and it was sent flying into the distance before exploding.

Right after that, Mona reappeared, now behind Junketsu with her right leg bent back for a swing. However, before she could strike him, Junketsu performed another unexpected move; within moments, his entire back had flashed a glaring, dazzling light at Mona without warning. The light came so quick and was so bright that it blinded the revolutionary. As if by reflex alone, Mona tried to shield her eyes with her hands, which only helped in obscuring Junketsu from sight. Seizing the opportunity he had made for himself, Junketsu grabbed hold of his sword nearby, pulled it out of the ground and swung around to have the butt of the hilt meet Mona's midsection. The force of the strike seemed great enough to cause Mona pain, and even to send her flying backward.

Mona: Oof!!

After soaring a few feet away and hitting the ground, Mona used the momentum of her body's bounce against the earth to skid to a halt on her feet and hands. Ignoring the pain in her stomach and ribs, she gritted her teeth as she looked up to see Junketsu rushing for her with sword in hand. Acting fast, Mona got to her feet as Junketsu came within slashing distance and attempted to swing his blade down upon her. Undoing her belt as quickly as she could, Mona held both ends of the piece of leather in each hand and kept it raised upright at Junketsu's sword, so that when it came down to meet Mona, its momentum would be slowed by the belt. Just as contact was made, and before the sword had a chance to cleanly slice through the belt like butter, Mona's hands danced around the edges of the blade and wrapped the weapon up in her belt. Pulling on each end, Mona tightened the noose she had created around Junketsu's sword and used that as leverage to push the sword back without directly touching it. Needless to say, this didn't last long, as the weight and sharpness of the blade was already making quick work of the belt. Continuing to think on her feet while Junketsu pressed down on her, Mona went in to kick Junketsu's stomach with her right foot, which succeeded in pushing him away from her. Undeterred, Junketsu swung his sword once to cut away the ensnaring belt.

Still raring to go, Junketsu once again relentlessly charged Mona with his sword prepared for usage. Once within range, Junketsu started swinging to and fro in an endless attempt to cut up Mona. Likewise, Mona was now kept busy with backing up away from Junketsu's blade while also weaving and bobbing wherever she could to get away; making for what looked like some sort of bizarre dance of survival. It went on like this for a while until Mona came to a decision and decided to use Soru to dash to her right, which allowed her to escape Junketsu's wild assault. Reappearing just a handful of feet away, Mona charged Junketsu in order to punch him in the face, only for Junketsu to face her and emit another blinding light to halt her.

Mona: Ahh!!

Once again shielding her eyes from the harmful light, Mona was left utterly defenseless and at the mercy of Junketsu. With his light dying down, Junketsu went in to vertically slash Mona down the middle. Knowing how grave the situation was and feeling desperate without the aid of her eyes, Mona used Mabataki to make ample distance between her and Junketsu; thus causing Junketsu to only cut air once more. Junketsu's eyebrows lowered in frustration as his most recent attempt proved to be as futile as the others. Just as desperate to put Mona down as she was to get away from his sword, Junketsu fired another couple of eye lasers at her while she tried to regain her sight. The lasers made direct contact this time; striking Mona in the head and causing a very minor explosion, hardly one to warrant much light or noise. However, the impact was powerful enough to knock Mona off her feet and send her tumbling backward onto the ground. Knowing this wasn't enough to keep her down for long, Junketsu figured he'd now barrage Mona from afar, by constantly firing concussive eye lasers at the fallen revolutionary.

In return, as her sight slowly started to come back to her, Mona was now frantically hopping around in an attempt to avoid another direct blow. While the lasers themselves were weaker than the palm variant, a large amount of them would be enough to eventually wear her down and inevitably subdue her, so she couldn't be too careful with this opponent. On the other side was Junketsu, still hopelessly firing laser after laser from his eyes as he stood and kept his ground. The situation seemed to now be in his favor, seeing as Mona was running out of tricks and was unable to fight an opponent she couldn't see. It could very well be likely that it would only be a matter of time until she was slain by Junketsu.

However, with her sight finally regained, Mona could now at least see the relentless volley of lasers coming her way, which while it wasn't much, still gave her a better chance at defeating Junketsu. After a while of avoiding laser fire, Mona vanished once more in a wisp of Mabataki, which undoubtedly put Junketsu on guard. With his aggressive pressuring interrupted and with Mona capable of showing up anywhere, he had to be sure he wouldn't be taken by surprise again.

Junketsu (looking around): Resorting to that again, are we? Have you forgotten what I'm capable of?

After a second or two had passed, Junketsu caught a glimpse of Mona from the corner of his eye. Reacting as fast as he could to prevent a counterattack, Junketsu flashed Mona with a blinding ray of light from his eyes, only for Mona to quickly vanish once again. It was clear to Junketsu that Mona was becoming more clever and resourceful as she kept being pushed into a corner; a trait that seemed to worry Junketsu a little. Regardless of his nervousness though, he continued to scan every inch around him for Mona's presence. Just as he thought he saw her again, he would try and blind her once more, only for Mona to escape into thin air again. It was obvious now; Mona was using her advantageous speed to try and find a way past Junketsu's blinding barricade. Junketsu, with each failure, was starting to see he couldn't always rely on blinding Mona anymore, and was soon growing all the more wary of her with each encounter.

It seemed that as one Mona would appear, she would just as quickly disappear, only for another Mona to show up close by. It almost looked like a circle of mirages, closing in on Junketsu from all sides. Now having given up on blinding her, Junketsu found himself on the hopeless side of things; seemingly awaiting an inevitable brutal beatdown from Mona.

Junketsu (looking around; growing frustrated): Rgggh, show yourself already. This grows tiresome.

Mona (voice from all directions): Alright, if that's what you want...

On cue, Mona revealed herself to Junketsu. ...In more ways than one. Standing before the Marine was Mona, looking confident and ready to go as ever, if albeit a little worn out from all the exercise. Junketsu however, was in for a big surprise. As he turned his gaze over to Mona, ready to face his opponent head on and engage her in conflict, he was just as suddenly taken back by shock and disbelief.

Junketsu (surprised): WHA-WHAT IN THE WORLD?!!!

Indeed, Mona may have been standing in front of Junketsu, but she wasn't fully clothed anymore. All that kept Mona from being stark naked now was simply a pink bra and pink panties; not that Mona minded at all though.

Mona (teasingly): What? This your first time seeing a gal in her underwear? You did say that I should "show myself" after all. <3

Feeling playful, Mona made a cute wink and smile as she finished her sentence; even capping it off with a humorous tone in her voice. And unlike most men, instead of being aroused, Junketsu looked more disturbed and dumbfounded. Never before has ANYONE he fought done something like this to him, and he simply had no idea what to make of it.

Junketsu (shocked): I didn't mean it that way, you...! You filthy harlot!!

Mona's eyes, which previously lit up with a playful, cheerier tone, now darkened as she got serious once more.

Mona (serious): That's some gratitude; guess I'll have to beat some manners into you now.

Upon saying that, Mona lunged forward towards Junketsu, who was still trying to mentally recuperate from the shock of Mona's disrobing. As she came in, Mona positioned her body so that her breasts could be much more clearly seen to Junketsu, who did in fact take notice of them. In the meantime, Mona arched her right arm behind her in preparation for a punch.

Mona: Breast Bomber!!

With psychological warfare on her side, Mona successfully managed to not only break through Junketsu's guard, but to also land a hard blow into his face and push him back. Unsure whether he could even believe what he was experiencing, let alone do much of anything else, Junketsu could only fight against falling over as he stepped backward a fair distance. Not ready to give him any mercy just yet, Mona charged in for another attack. This time, she pulled back her left arm and delivered another pounding to Junketsu's face; and then a right swing of her leg to his ribs; and then she pivoted on her left foot in order to smack his head with the sole of her right foot; followed shortly by another right punch to his chest; and then finally finished by an upward facing kick to the stomach and waist, which gave a clear view of Mona's private regions (not that Junketsu could get a good look anyway.)

Mona: Panty Punt!!

Junketsu was sent battered and beaten into the sky as had happened to him before, while his mind continued to try and make sense of everything going on at once. To him, it may have well been nothing short of a bizarre acid trip, albeit a glossy elf swordsman which can shoot lasers was no less strange in comparison. As Mona took time to catch her breath from the amount of effort she put into her assault, Junketsu fell like a rock back onto the ground; hitting the earth on his back with a noticeable thud. He was now bleeding profusely from the mouth due to his horrible internal injuries, and his bruised skin looked even worse than before. While it may not have seemed obvious to them at first, the fight was steadily wearing away both combatants' stamina and was also taking a toll on their physical conditions.

Mona (looking tired): I told you I still have some tricks up my sleeve. That's what you get for being haughty.

Beaten but not knocked out, Junketsu once again dug deep down to gather what little energy he had left inside him to keep going. This time, he had to use his own sword as a makeshift crutch to help him get up. Not wasting time with keeping up his appearance, he proceeded to get straight down to business.

Junketsu (looking exhausted): Ugh... Ngh...! ...You little... I can't believe you'd push me this far... I have the superior powers... I have justice on my side... I, my ideals, my abilities, they're all pure and untainted... Whereas you run about like a coward while using cheap tracks... and frolicking about in your underwear... You're an evil, shameless woman... with not a single scrap of modesty nor purity... You're absolute filth... You and all revolutionaries... A complete contamination to the entire world and the purity of its laws...

Mona (glaring silently): ...

Junketsu: So why...? Why is it that an imperfect wench like you can do this to an unblemished, pure, whole, perfect person like me...?

Mona: ...Suppose it's because I'm imperfect. Only reason I ever got this far was because of the pain and hardships I endured till now. I learned new things, made wonderful friends and grew stronger from my experiences. The same experiences your purity and perfection keep you away from. You've isolated yourself in a glossy bubble and won't allow yourself to grow from the benefits of this dirty, messy world; that's why you're so predictable and easily fooled. You may think you're better than me and everyone else because you've distanced yourself from what you see as filth and contamination, but really, that barrier you've made around you only limits how far you can go. In the end, your limitations will give out and you'll have nothing else to rely on, while the rest of us have a whole, dirty, ugly world to grow from. So the way I see it, even if you are perfect, you have no one but yourself to blame for losing to me, while I have a lifetime of experiences and countless loved ones to thank for helping me get to where I am now. Guess that makes you a pure idiot.

Junketsu's face twisted into an expression filled with pure hate and disgust. Hearing someone he thought was beneath him, someone he thought was a detrimental factor to society, mock him and his ideology was more than he could bare. He was hurt, and on top of that, he was tired and losing energy. When push came to shove, Junketsu figured he'd have to end this, no matter the cost, and no matter what he had to do. Mona had to be stopped before it got more out of hand.

Junketsu (upset): That's it, I said I wasn't going to do this, but now I've changed my mind. In the name of justice itself, and for the sake of people everywhere, I'm going to eradicate your entire existence. I'll remove your dark, evil presence with the unparalleled light and wholeness of justice.

With that, Junketsu stopped leaning on his sword and took an unusual stance; with his arms crossed over his chest and his head slightly lowered. As Mona watched him, she could see his entire body begin to glow; starting off rather dimly at first, and steadily growing in brightness over time. This peculiar mannerism intrigued Mona. She stood there with a dull look of curiosity on her face as she tried to figure Junketsu's actions out.

Mona (confused): What the...? What's he up to now?

Junketsu (smirking): Hehehehe... This is the end of the line, Double D. I'm going to unleash my strongest attack; I'll wipe out this entire area with my light. There'll be no place to run or hide, and with my light fired off at its maximum charge, even you won't be able to survive the full brunt of my power.

Mona's face lit up with shock and panic as she caught on to Junketsu's plan.

Mona (worried): Wait, no!! Don't do it!!

Junketsu: Hehehe, must be such a heavy burden for you criminal low-lives; to be wanted dead or alive. Unlike bounty hunters, we Marines needn't worry about such trivial matters when it comes to you run of the mill types. You'll be dead whether we take you in or kill you on the spot. If anything, this is an act of mercy on my behalf. You better be thankful to me.

Mona grunted in frustration; it was clear Junketsu was going to unleash a massive light-based explosion any minute. All Mona could do now was try and disrupt the attack any way she could. Now just seconds away from a fully charged Junketsu, Mona charged the elf as fast as her legs could carry her; all the while screaming at the top of her lungs.

Mona: YOU'RE NOT GONNA DO ANYTHING! CUZ I'M GONNA BEAT YOOOOOOUUUUUU!!!

Junketsu: YOU'RE THAT SUICIDAL?!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! BEATING ME IS WORTH RISKING YOUR LIFE, IS IT?!!

Mona: NO!!! WHAT I'M BETTING MY LIFE ON IS WAY MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOU!!! FOR THE SAKE OF THE WORLD, FOR THE SAKE OF MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS, I'LL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO CHANGE THE WORLD!!!

Junketsu: PURE DESTRUCTION!!!

Mona: '''I'M GOING TO MAKE AN IDEAL WORLD!!! ONE WHERE MY LOVED ONES CAN LIVE IN HAPPINESS AND PEACE!!!'''

DON

With that, Mona vanished once again, just as Junketsu's omni-directional dome of light spread out to ravage the calm, tranquil landscape. The greatest explosion ever seen in this fight occurred; one loud and bright enough to be seen miles off the coast and miles inland too. The light was too blinding for anyone to make out anything at all, and the deafening blast made it impossible to hear anything too. It truly was "Pure Destruction," as Junketsu said. And due to the damage being done at the speed of light, the dome disappeared practically as soon as it had came. All it left behind was ugly, charred earth everywhere. Even the river seemed to evaporate into nothing. Smoke and dust rose into the air, covering much of the ground from above. To onlookers, every second may as well have felt like minutes passing by while the land attempted to recover from the horrific blow dealt upon it by Junketsu.

Finally however, a gust of wind generously blew away the obscuring cloud of dirt around the area. All that could be said of it now was that it more closely resembled a barren, rocky wasteland. Any signs of vegetation and life that could be seen were painfully scarce and spread too far apart from one another. Among the devastation stood two figures; each within inches of one another. Upon closer inspection, it was none other than Mona and Junketsu, whom had both somehow remained standing despite the terrific explosion that occurred all around them. While junketsu still stood facing the coast as he had before, Mona could be seen standing directly behind him, with her right fist extended forward and her body drooping over, as if she were about to fall. A few more seconds passed and complete silence dominated the battlefield.

After a suspenseful pause in the action, someone finally stirred. It seemed to be Mona, who despite being blackened and burnt by the explosion, along with the fact she was now covered in immense bruising and bleeding wounds, and the fact her mouth was spilling blood all over her lower jaw, still somehow found the inner strength within her to keep moving. Albeit, "moving" in this case appeared to be more along the lines of weak, exhausted shambling, given Mona could hardly keep herself balanced most of the time, let along move her feet faster than a snail's pace. Even despite her awkward movement, Mona continued to head off, away from Junketsu. She turned around and walked past him as he vacantly stood like a statue; with neither one even acknowledging the other's presence anymore.

As Mona walked further away from Junketsu, a familiar event unfolded. An imprint of a fist started to morph itself onto Junketsu's face, shortly before a messy barrage of punches wailed on him from the front. And like last time, it took quite the toll on Junketsu, as blood flew from his face, his head rocking to and fro, and his whole body being easily pushed back by the accumulating force put upon him. And like last time, the final blow was enough to launch his weakened, battered body clear off into the distance; this time looking more akin to that of a tremendously powerful punch, given Junketsu traveled at least a good fifty feet away before colliding into the barren wasteland he had created and sliding to a stop. This time however, Junketsu wouldn't make any kind of response what-so-ever. How could he? He was hardly even conscious anymore. All he could do was lay there in sound defeat, as well as bleed onto his self-made wasteland.

Mona however, just kept walking aimlessly forward; now not even interested in Junketsu anymore. All that mattered now was finding a good place to rest and heal. Or at least, that's what she had planned before she felt her body give out. Her eyes rolling into the back of her head, Mona fell face forward onto the ground, only in her pink, ruined underwear, and promptly laid unconscious on the filthy ground. And yet, if one could listen closely enough, they could have possibly heard a voice shout just as Junketsu was sent flying into the horizon...

Mona's Voice: MABATAKI: FIFTY PUNCHES IN ONE!!!

Some time had passed since then; not a whole lot of course, but just enough to notice that the sun was setting and painting the sky a beautiful orange hue. The area near Newport's coast was still ruined, and what the locals made of it had yet to be seen or known. Nearby, a familiar form slowly but steadily trekked across the rocky wastes leftover from Pure Destruction. The form, heading towards the sunset hanging over the nearby sea of the New World, had its shadow strewn out along the ground like a massive silhouette as it marched forward. It was a quiet march however, as the form, or rather, person, appeared to not be all too talkative at the moment. All that could be heard was the person's footsteps as they clapped along the ground underneath.

After a while of this marching, the silence was finally broken by a cry from the distance.

???: HEY!! YOU!! PLEASE, STOP!!

The person came to an immediate stop as requested and patiently stood there, waiting for whoever called out to this figure in the sunset. The newcomer, who didn't look all that new anymore, appeared to be the prince of Newport. He, in his familiar white suit and pants, rushed to the person ahead of him in an eager hurry. Once within reach, the prince's hands fell to his knees as he tried to catch his breath. The figure nearby turned slowly to face the prince and silently watched him for a while, at least until he spoke again.

Prince: Th... Thank you... I, I needed to speak to you one more time.

???: What is it? I've made a huge mess of your island and I should really be getting back to my ship soon. If you're here to ask me why this place is destroyed, or to arrest me-

Prince: No!! None of that came to mind!! Granted, I am deeply concerned about what happened here, and yes, I will hold you accountable for your actions, but it's not like my royal guards were any match for you earlier...!!

The prince pointed to the feminine sounding figure ahead of him.

Prince: "Double D. Mona"!!

Whether surprising or not, it seemed Mona did indeed return to her feet and progress further along her journey to the coast of Newport. She had made it so far by now that she could see, smell and hear the water nearby; albeit her physical condition hadn't improved any, if at all. Her clothing was torn and barely hanging on by a thread, her hair was messed up and filthy, and her skin was covered in bleeding cuts, bruisings and burn marks. However, it seemed she managed to wipe away much of the blood that fell down her mouth earlier, due to its noticeable absence on her jaw and chin.

Mona (weary and curious): If that isn't why you're here, then that's up? What could you want want with me?

Prince: I...!

The prince looked down for a brief moment as he collected his thoughts. Satisfied, he looked back up to stare back at Mona, with a confident determination in his eyes.

Prince: I want to know for sure! The stuff you said back at the palace; about the World Government and the revolutionaries. About the state of affairs our entire world is in right now. You're absolutely sure you're in the right? You're sure you're simply not indoctrinated with lies and treachery?

Mona, in her tired and beaten (and half-dressed) state, simply stared at the prince with a mysterious silence about her. She tried to think back to what had happened earlier today; the talk she had with the king and prince...

(Flashback)

In the throne room, surrounded by beaten up guards and with a busted door behind Mona...

''Mona (serious): Now firstly, I have to ask you something, your majesty. How much do you trust the World Government?''

''King: Excuse me, but do you realize who you're speaking to? I am a king after all. If you're here to waste my time with silly rhetorical questions-''

''Mona: It isn't rhetorical. You'd be surprised how easy it is to misplace trust in someone. I once trusted my own kingdom a while back too, only for it to betray and use me, and cause nation-wide suffering unlike anything we had seen before. It was a living, waking nightmare for more than ten whole years. And it was a betrayal on the part of those sided with the World Government.''

''King: Well that is tragic, but you cannot compare one nation with another simply because of their ties with the World Government. The government does its best to regulate and control what happens in each respective kingdom, but even they aren't perfect; so of course tragedies like this will occur. It's how you handle them that matters.''

''Mona: So that's your answer? You're willing to put your life and your son's life, as well as the lives of all these innocent people in the hands of an unreliable government? You said it yourself even, the World Government is doing its best to control every country it possesses; doesn't that worry you?''

King: I believe you're twisting my words now; when I say they're trying to control their countries, I mean it in the same sense a business would try to control its product, marketing, funds and so on.

''Mona: I understand where you're coming from, but it sounds more like you're avoiding my original question. I mean, pay careful attention to how you're describing these people; funds? Product? Are the lives of others so easily expendable to the World Government? Can you really defend something so obsessed with control and power over others?''

''King: And why should I care about anything you tell me? Remember the situation here: You're a wanted criminal and a member of the Revolutionary Army, a force that naturally opposes the government. And my son and I are chosen representatives of that same government you oppose; the same government that has done nothing harmful to Newport for hundreds of years. The same government that has kept the world stable and calm for as long as possible.''

''Mona, frustrated with what she saw as a conversation that was going nowhere, closed her eyes and grunted slightly in irritation. She already knew from the start that trying to persuade those sided with the government was far from an easy task, but she had at least hoped some grain of truth would have slipped by. After a second or two to recollect herself, she opened her eyes and faced the royal family again.''

''Mona: So then let me get this straight: So long as Newport's fine, that makes the government good? And just because we're on opposing sides, that automatically makes it alright for you to brush me off? This is the same one-sided view the government has, you know. And thanks to that viewpoint, suffering will continue to exist in a world that's supposedly protected by the people you serve. For example, because the World Government gives special privilege to those who side with it, the Celestial Dragons are allowed to get away with anything they please. Are you aware that they make a habit of traveling to remote auctioning houses to buy slaves?''

King: And what proof do you have of that?

''Mona: It seems you've forgotten who you're talking to now. The Revolutionary Army isn't stupid, you know. We've been paying careful attention to the actions of the World Government; trying to learn about our enemy until we've come to know them as well as we know ourselves. And the World Nobles? They're not exactly all that great at hiding their disgusting behavior. I mean, Tequila Wolf in the East Blue? That sort of stuff isn't exactly easy to hide, and neither is the slave labor used to build the bridge.''

''King: Well, even if you are correct, that still won't sway me from my beliefs. If anything, you have only managed to waste our time with unnecessary babbling.''

Mona: Then you trust the World Government a lot, don't you?

''King: Yes, that is my answer. I have seen no harm done by the government as of late; only harm brought about by revolution and piracy. Is it not obvious to you revolutionaries that the world is fine as it is?''

Mona: Are you for real?

King: Now look here-

''Mona: You're basing your point of view solely on what you see and not what you think. Hasn't it occurred to you how dangerous that is? What's next, you're gonna say you don't believe in the wind because you can't see it? Or you don't believe in God because you can't see Him? Sir, with all due respect, you need to shake out of your complacency while you still can. You and your people are being used like puppets by a distrustful government!''

''With that sole outburst, the room fell quiet for a moment. Both Mona and the king and prince stared at each other from across the room; both not wanting to budge an inch in their beliefs of the world.''

''King: I'm sorry, but no matter what you say, it'll only sound like propaganda from a band of people who want to ruin our way of living. If you're unhappy with how things are, take care of it yourself. Don't drag the entire world into your personal issues.''

''Feeling she was reaching the end of her rope here, Mona did the unthinkable. She had to show her feelings and concerns were genuine and sincere, and not the ideology of a foreign enemy.''

Mona: YOUR HIGHNESS!!

''With that, Mona dropped to her hands and knees and bowed to the king and prince without any hesitation. Both the king and prince widened their eyes at this unusual sight; never before had anyone heard of a revolutionary willingly bowing to the authority of a nation before. It was a bit surreal to the father and son.''

''Mona: PLEASE! YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE WELL-BEING OF EVERYONE IN THE WORLD IS MY CONCERN!! THE WORLD GOVERNMENT IS DOING UNSPEAKABLE THINGS BEHIND YOUR BACK!! EVERYTHING YOU THINK AND KNOW IS WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO BELIEVE!! PLEASE!! I DON'T WANT ANYTHING BAD TO HAPPEN TO THIS KINGDOM!! THERE ARE WONDERFUL PEOPLE HERE! I WANT THEM TO BE OK! SO PLEASE! AT LEAST CONSIDER THE THINGS I'VE SAID HERE! TRY AND DO THE RESPONSIBLE THING FOR YOUR COUNTRY! FOR YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS! FOR THE PEOPLE OF NEWPORT! FOR THE WORLD!! I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO CHANGE EVERYTHING RIGHT AWAY! JUST PLEASE AT LEAST ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT I'M TELLING YOU! I'M NOT LYING! I SWEAR!!''

''The king and prince sat in silent amazement for a while as Mona kept bowing herself to them; refusing to even lift her head to see them. The two thought they had seen and heard everything today, only for Mona to surprise them yet again with this unusual emotional outburst. Even the tone in her voice sounded more sincere than any act they had ever heard in their lives. It sounded desperate, almost sad even, as well as worried.''

King: ...You care that much for a kingdom that isn't even your home?

''Still, Mona refused to lift her head; even when responding to the king. She was determined to show respect to him in the hopes that it would prove her case.''

''Mona: Yes; even if you can't see the logic in comparing one kingdom to the next, it doesn't diminish how strongly my past has haunted me. I swore I would never allow anything like what happened to me happen to anyone else again. So if not for the world, then at least for Newport's sake, will you at least humor me for a while?''

''King (eyes closed): ...I suppose. But don't think I'll simply believe anything you tell me.''

Mona (nodding): Of course, sir. All I want is your consideration; I won't ask anything more than that.

King (eyes opened): Well then, it'd be best if you explained this "situation" to me on your feet, don't you think?

Mona (smiling): Yes your majesty.

Mona rose to her feet as requested, now with a renewed sense of hope that she could at least make a change on this island; even if it was a little one.

''King: Now then, you say the World Government is still allowing slavery? Even after it has been outlawed?''

''Mona (nodding): Yes; while slavery is forbidden to anyone else, including monarchs, the government has allowed for special permission to be granted to the Celestial Dragons, since as you may know, they hold a very special seat within the structure of the World Government. It's much the same way as how they've outlawed piracy, and yet they're willing to give pardons to certain exceptional pirates in the hopes these select few pirates will fight for their cause in return.''

King: The Seven Warlords of the Sea...

''Mona: Yeah. See how the World Government operates? So long as it's convenient for them, and so long as they can keep a hold on the world and its people, they'll do anything to have their way. Even the doctrine of Absolute Justice that the Marines believe in is overlooked by the government, simply because it's all done in the name of justice. The government won't care who gets killed or how many lives must suffer in order for their goals to be completed. In the end, the World Government believes itself to be above good and evil; to be more important than anyone else. This single organization is the most evil thing in existence, and it must be dealt with before the world falls farther into ruin.''

''King: Hmm, I suppose I can understand your dismay towards the Marines' creed of Absolute Justice. Even I've found some of the things they've done to be a bit distasteful. Though because of how busy I am as king of Newport, I guess I tend to forget about such things every now and again.''

''Mona: And that's just scratching the surface. From what I've heard, there may be some kind of conspiracy regarding the Void Century too. I'm not very knowledgeable on the subject, mind you, but I find it unsettling how strict the government is about researching or looking into that era of history. Don't you find it suspicious too?''

''King: I've never really thought much about it, to be honest. What if something truly horrible happened back then that's being kept secret for our own good? What good would bringing up old horrors prove?''

''Mona: To be honest, I couldn't care less what happened then or what will happen if the secret's revealed. All I care about is why the government is protecting that secret. The more suspicious they act, the more worried I am of them and their actions. Which brings me to an odd issue I have regarding Ohara and its scholars...''

(End of Flashback)

That's where Mona's memories began to drift off; the day was long enough as it was, and if she tried to remember anymore, it'd undoubtedly cause a headache or something much worse. Still, the prince had returned to her and asked for verification of what she had said back there. She felt he at least deserved a genuine answer, even if he wouldn't believe her in the end.

Mona: Am I sure about all that? ...Yeah, I am. That came straight from the heart; what more do you want?

Prince: It's just, I gave it some thought and, well...

Mona: ...?

Prince: I just want to know; if the Revolutionary Army does tear down the structure of our world, what will happen to us then? Isn't the devil we know better than the devil we don't? Or are you so hurt from your past that all you want is to destroy the world and everyone in it?

Mona once again took her time to answer his questions. At first, she stared at the young man with her weary, tired eyes; and then, unexpectedly, she turned around to face the orange sunset facing the both of them, as well as the sea of the New World.

Mona: ...It's true; I'm so angry and hurt inside over what happened back then, that all I can think of these days is how to bring an end to the entire world. I just want it all to go away.

Prince (concerned): Wait, are you for real? You really are that petty?

Mona: Hey, what do you think of when you hear someone say that kind of stuff? About bringing an end to the world, or wanting to destroy it?

Prince: Huh? Where's this coming from? What about my questions?!

Mona: I'm getting to that. First, answer mine.

Prince: Well, when you put it that way... I guess, I think of the whole planet blowing up, or just disappearing. Or even everyone in the world dying or vanishing into thin air. It's hard to imagine something so atrocious...

Mona: Yeah, it's hard to imagine ending the world that way. I don't think it could ever be done, to be honest.

Prince: Then, why did you say all that before? Isn't that what you want?

Mona: My world coming to an end sounds a lot different than your world coming to an end. When I look at the world around me, I don't see oceans or islands. I don't really see much of anything.

Mona's eyes drifted down to the lapping waves in the distance as she continued her train of thought.

Mona: The world I see is a mix of light and darkness. Good and evil. The more horrible things people do to each other, and the more frequent it becomes, the more darkness and evil I tend to see. And yet, the more kindness and love I see, and the more fun and happiness I come across, the more my world becomes brighter and filled with goodness. But lately, my world has become more and more swallowed up by that dreaded darkness. It's the point that it seems I'm almost always living in the world of darkness and evil. It's hard to accept sometimes, and there are days when I almost want to die to escape it all.

Prince: ...

Mona: And yet, there are days when I'm reminded that I shouldn't give up. That I can make a difference and push back the evil world that surrounds me. When I get motivated like that, I tend to tell myself "I want the world to finally end once and for all." You get what I mean?

Mona's eyes now once again lifted back up to watch the falling sunset before her.

Mona: That's the world I want to end and destroy. The world of evil created and controlled by the World Government. I have no interest in your material world, so you can relax, OK?

The prince stood in awe; despite being an awkward, almost insane and scantily clad woman, not to mention an enemy to his home kingdom, Mona seemed to stir something up inside of the prince. Was it respect? Admiration? Not even the prince could be sure what was going on. All he knew was he found himself feeling impressed and awestruck by Mona's thoughtful response. After a while of simply standing with his mouth slightly open, he recalled he had another burning question to ask the revolutionary.

Prince: Then, if you're not out for destruction for destruction's sake, or anything of the sort, then what are you going to do when this evil world disappears? How are you going to have a good world if there's no one to guide it? I mean, I don't approve of harming and controlling others, but without a proper system of government or some kind of authority, the world will fall into a state of chaos. So many lives would be lost to those who'd take advantage of a lawless society. Murder, theft, torture and all sorts of unspeakable acts will be done without someone to regulate society. Is that your "good world"?

And as if on cue, a calm, pleasant breeze blew through the air; causing both Mona's and the prince's hair to wave gently in the air.

Mona: No, that's not the kind of world I want to see. I want a world where those sorts of things don't have to exist.

Prince (still concerned): Then what's going to happen to us? What happens after the end?

Mona wasn't quite sure how to answer this next question, so she took her time again. She stared at the sunset some more and gathered her thoughts. And after a while, it finally dawned on her.

Mona: ...Hey, what happens when the sun goes down?

Prince (comically upset): DON'T GO SCREWING WITH ME!! ANSWER MY QUESTION!

Mona: Doesn't a rising moon come after it?

Prince (calm yet intrigued): ...Uh, yeah, it does.

Mona: And what happens when the moon sets? That's the end of a whole day too, right? Nothing should come after that.

Prince: Well, not really. After the moon sets, a new day begins and the sun rises back into the sky.

Mona: And what about the seasons?

Prince (confused): Huh?!

Mona: Fall, winter, spring, summer. If spring is when trees and flowers bloom and life is born, and winter is the end of it all where everything green and lush dies under a blanket of snow and ice, then that's the end, right?

Prince: No, that goes in a cycle too. After winter comes spring.

Mona shut her eyes and tilted her head down for a while; having gone mysteriously quiet for some reason. This only prompted the prince to pry even further.

Prince: What does this stuff have to do with my question? Or with the World Government and the world?

Mona picked her head back up and slowly reopened her eyes.

Mona: Isn't it obvious? If you look closely, the world seems to work in weird little cycles. Spring begins and winter ends, only for spring to begin anew. The same goes for the solar and lunar cycles; hell, even our lives work this way. We're born, we age, we die, and then we're reborn into an afterlife, right?

Prince: ...?

Mona: Then why shouldn't the same apply to governments? Revolution is a word that comes from the base word, "revolve," meaning to circle something or a cycle. So when you stop to really consider it, revolution is never simply the end of something. Revolution is the natural cycle of things. Governments are formed, they grow over time, and once they have become old and outdated, they are torn down in order for new governments to be born. Even Newport, as wonderful as it is, will someday go through a revolution of its own. But for now, it still seems to be enjoying the summer of its youth. Wouldn't you agree?

The prince was once again awestruck, if not even more so now than before. Before him no longer stood a quirky trespasser and foreigner, nor even a member of the Revolutionary Army. To the prince, this insightful woman was more akin to a social philosopher, or some kind of wise sage. Hidden underneath the silliness, teasing, and childish behavior was a wise, observant and thoughtful woman. It made the prince strongly consider, more than ever before, if he should look more into the Revolutionary Army's knowledge of the World Government, as well as what kind of ideals they possess. Though that was for later; for now, he simply wanted to appreciate the grandeur of Mona's world view. It was as illuminating as the setting sun before them.

Prince (nodding slightly): Yeah, I think so too. Newport's got a long ways to go before it's reached its winter.

Mona: That's why I won't be forcibly taking it, and I hope the same can be said of my comrades. Granted, the Revolutionary Army does have its eyes set on Newport, so be on your toes when you suspect a revolutionary has appeared. You may never know what else you may learn from us, or if the day will come when we'll try to save this island from the government's oppressive control.

Prince: I understand; thank you.

Mona: Speaking of, did you get what I meant about governments and cycles?

Prince: Yeah, don't worry. I caught on.

The prince, feeling more and more comfortable around Mona, took a few steps closer so that he may stand next to her and enjoy the sunset with her.

Prince: You're putting a stop to a powerful, deep seated evil, and once that's through, the world can begin anew; and hopefully for the better.

Despite being tired and worn out from the events of the day, simply hearing the prince see her side of things was enough to crack a smile across Mona's lips. Finally, perhaps there was a chance to redeem this island after all. It just took the inquisitive mind of the next generation to get the ball rolling. With that in mind, Mona informally placed her hand on the prince's head, taking him by complete surprise.

Prince: Huh...?!

Afterward, she gently ran her hand across his hair back and forth, as if the two were good friends or something along those lines; all while still smiling contently at what she had done today.

Mona (smiling): Yeah, that's what I'm hoping for. And it's a kind of hope I'd be happy to die for if need be.

After looking at Mona with a confused look on his face for a while, the prince simply decided to let this informal action slide and enjoy her company while he could. He returned his gaze to the ocean ahead and smiled contently as Mona had.

Mona: So what are you going to do after hearing me out? Do you still plan to support the government?

Prince: Well, yes, though just for now. I am still a prince and the nation does still need me; plus my father won't be so easily swayed and will require my support and assurance. But, I'll try and share what you have told me with him. He and I were equally unsure of what to make of your performance in the throne room earlier today, so that's why I sought you out here. I had assumed the tremendous explosion from earlier would have been your handiwork, and it seems I was right.

Mona (bluntly): That was a Marine.

Prince (shocked): WHAT?!!

The prince, realizing he was allowing himself to get off track, cleared his throat and tried to return to the matter at hand.

Prince (calmly): Yes, well, no matter who did what, the important thing here is that I received valuable insight from you and will gladly try to explain things to my father when at all possible. You have my word, Ms. Mona.

Mona closed her eyes and smiled once again.

Mona: Thanks, I appreciate your help.

And with all said and done, the two decided to spend the new few moments or so together, watching the sunset fall beyond the horizon.

Once again, time had passed. It wasn't too long since Mona last saw the royal prince, given the sun had yet to fully fall behind the horizon of the New World ahead. They had apparently waved goodbye and bid each other farewell on good terms, and upon reuniting with her friends, Mona was interrogated as to what the explosion was about and why she had stripped her clothing again; let alone why she looked beat up and injured. One way or another, the truth got out and Mona explained the whole story to them, which only provoked them into verbally punishing and disciplining Mona for her mistakes and irresponsible behavior and attitude, which Mona naturally tried to shrug off with her girlish charm and playful spirit. Regardless of the situation at hand, Mona and the rest of her fellow revolutionaries figured it was best to leave the island before more Marines appeared to hunt them down, and so they set out to sea on their ship and began their voyage back to Baltigo, the headquarters of the Revolutionary Army.

On the way back to the ship, Mona had managed to pick up a copy of today's newspaper, and so with more than enough time to read it in between her long periods of rest and healing, Mona spent her ship ride catching up with the events of the day. As she scanned the paper for relevant or interesting articles, a familiar sight caught her eye. Taking careful note of it, she read the events of the article with the keen observation of a hawk; not missing a single word or punctuation mark. Once finished with the article, Mona leaned back and smiled happily.

URGENT REPORT REGARDING THE GAMBLING ISLAND-SHIP, LUCKY 7!

LUCKY 7 UNDER INVASION AND ATTACK FROM THE JOLLY PIRATES!

WORLD GOVERNMENT HAS DECLARED THE ACT TO BE A DECLARATION OF REBELLION FROM THE PIRATES!

And next to the summation of the events at Lucky 7 were a series of wanted posters regarding the crew of pirates; each of them being labeled with what seemed to be their most recent addition to their overall bounties. In particular, the captain, Jolly D. Chris, was given a rather respectable 200,000,000 bounty for his efforts; marking him as highly dangerous and threatening within the waters of the Grand Line, given the standard bounties usually averaged around 100,000,000 at least. For Mona, the news simply put her on cloud nine. Her eyes practically sparkled as they lit up with what appeared to be pride, amusement and joy. Her smile grew wider until it was nearly from ear to ear. All she could do was stare at the paper, Chris' poster in particular, and take in the fact that these pirates had dealt an irritating blow to the World Government in some way.

As she continued to look at the paper by her lonesome, a few sentences escaped her smiling lips.

Mona (happy): 'Atta boy, Chris; you and your friends keep on going, till you've reached the ends of the world. And someday, I'll meet up with you again when we get there. We'll be together again, in the world of our dreams.

TO BE CONTINUED (END OF STORY)