A/N Hey everyone :D Here's my PaulyxOC story I've been busy writing. Water 7 is my fav arc and hey, Pauly's so awesome that he gets his own story XD So, read and review, and flames will be used to make smores. Oh, and I know Pauly's name is more commonly spelled Paulie, but it was spelled Pauly in a fan poll so I'm sticking to that.

Mmkay, randomness in the beginning. First chapter is where the setting is laid out, next two is Tallie's past and such (more like you see Tallie and Iceburg interact a lot), then the ones after is the story finally beginning. I was gonna have Iceburg be a small character, but he's too fun and I love writing Nmaa every other line or so XD

So, enjoy :D

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, because if I did, there'd be a lot more Water 7.

A lone figure stood at the middle of the many steps above Dock 1 in Water 7. One could tell it was a girl looking over at the people of the city fixing houses and other buildings after the Aqua Laguna had hit almost a week prior. But what she was really looking for, with a hint of fear in her eyes someone could see only if they were looking for it, was a certain person from the Galley-La Company.

"You better not be dead," she said to herself out loud then rubbed her eyes, "stupid Pauly."

::One Year Earlier::

"I'm gonna kill him," I mumbled angrily as I wandered around Dock 1, feeling the midday sun beating down and hearing the squawks of seabirds. "Where's my damn sketchpad?" As I got up from looking behind a wooden crate only to see that my sketchpad was nowhere in sight, I brushed the few pieces of wood shavings off my green fitted tee and dark blue bermuda shorts. Reaching into my pants pocket, I pulled out a short black pencil, maybe four or so inches long, and began to twirl it absentmindedly between my fingers.

"I wish I hit him," I muttered aloud as I wandered around the dock, thinking about the person who kidnapped my pictures while I was drawing a ship being built. I guess he was about my age, seventeen.

"Looking for something?" I heard a conceited voice from behind me as I was looking in a coil of rope.

Whipping around, I came face to face with the thief. His fair brown curls swirled in front of his boyish face. "Give it back," I growled.

He just laughed cruelly and put the pad in front of my face, taunting me. "I don't think so," he said, pulling it away when I tried to grab it. "You'll have to get it yourself."

I narrowed my eyes. "What do you mean by that?"

"What I mean is, you have to be able to catch me is you want your precious drawings back." He then took off, me following closely behind. People and ships whizzed by as we ran passed. Suddenly, he tossed the sketchpad in the air and continued off, leaving the fate of the book to me.

Don't fall in the dirt, don't fall in the dirt, I thought as I reached up in the air, hoping my drawing didn't slip through my fingers. Please don't fall in the dirt.

"Got i-ack!" My yell of relief turned into a scream of surprise as I collided with something and tumbled to the ground. Well, as I collided with someone that is.

"You alright?" the person asked after he stood and came to where I fell to help me up as well.

"Yeah, I think so," I took his outstretched hand and got to my feet. He was tall; the top of my head only came up to his chin. His shoulder length blond hair was brushed back with a pair of orange goggles on top of his forehead. He wore a blue denim jacket, with dark reddish purple flames on the bottom of the sleeves, over a yellow shirt with a swirl in the middle, blue jeans with pockets on the sides and black boots. Hanging off to his right side was a brown pouch and he had a cigar clenched between his teeth.

"You almost dropped this," he said as he handed me my sketchpad. "Landed on me when we fell." My eyes lit up when I saw that it was unscathed.

"Thanks," I said, twirling my pencil again, this time in excitement, "but I've got to go before the ship leaves, or else I'll never finish." I sprinted off back towards where I began, leaving a confused shipwright behind me.

"Nmaa, I see you've met Tallie," a man asked said shipwright. He was a bit older and had dark blue hair with a small curl at the end. Inside the breast pocket of his red horizontal stripped jacket was a small, white mouse. "Though, you've met her before," he said, a finger on his chin.

"Oh, hey Iceburg-san, but, what're you talking about?" the younger man asked, clearly confused; it was apparent he couldn't remember meeting the odd girl.

"Nmaa, she might not remember either," Iceburg shrugged. "She most likely wanted to forget Dock 1 when she was little."

"You're not making any sense," the shipwright said blankly to the other man.

"It doesn't really matter." And with that, Iceburg walked away, leaving the shipwright wondering what had just happened.

It was the next day, about late afternoon, and I was yet again wandering around Dock 1. This place is too big, I thought, blaming the size of the dock instead of me not knowing where to go.

Where's Iceburg-san? The sun didn't seem to be as hot today, and it was getting even windier. Storm might be coming, I thought as I continued to meander. All of a sudden, I saw the shipwright I had bumped (more like crashed) into.

"Hey...you!" I called out, realizing I didn't actually know him. It was apparent he hadn't heard me either, so I ran up and tapped him on the shoulder. Well, I would have just tapped him if I hadn't tripped over a rock (which is really quite pathetic), causing me to fall straight into him, knocking both of us over yet again.

"I'm really sorry," I groaned as he stood up. "I was trying to get your attention and I, uh, tripped."

"S'okay," he replied as he dusted himself off and came to help me up for the second time in as many days.

"So, uh, do you know where Iceburg-san is? I need to give him these." I waved a small packet of paper.

"Ah, yeah, he was just here a second ago," he answered, looking around distractedly, then, apparently seeing something, pointed off to where a nearby ship was being repaired. "He's right there. Seems like he's seen you though; he's walking back over here now."

"Iceburg-san!" I called happily to the thirty-seven-year-old when he got closer. "I finished the pictures." I passed over the bundle to him.

"Nma, these are excellent," he said after he looked at each one while I grinned at his praise.

"Thanks." Before he turned to talk to the other shipwright (who I refuse to run into again, because three times is just creepy), I reached out for Tyrannosaurus, Iceburg's pet mouse that could always be found in his suit's pocket. He handed the small, white animal over (to which I smiled, petting the mouse's head) and said, "Nmaa, Pauly, could you do me a favor and bring these over to Kalifa at HQ? She has frames for the pictures to go in."

"I'm gonna go too Iceburg-san," I told him, tipping Tyrannosaurus into his breast pocket. "I left one of my sketchpads there."

He nodded, then put a finger to his partly smiling lips, as if hinting me to be quiet. "Just don't tell Kalifa that you saw me. I decided to ditch today."

I couldn't help but laugh, "No problem." Waving goodbye to Iceburg, I turned around and followed the blond haired man. "Pauly right?" I asked, falling into step with the older shipwright, though only by a few years from what I could tell.

"Yup. Iceburg told me you were Tallie I think."

"The one and only," I smiled, tucking my fair, brown colored bangs behind my ears, then fluffing the rest of my short jagged hair, only about three or so inches long. "I've no idea how you know where you're going around here."

Pauly just turned and looked incredulously at me, signature cigar between his teeth. "You're kidding right? It's basically all one path straight to Galley-La Headquarters." My mouth hung open from the obviousness of it as I looked around. Sure enough, the areas I though were hard to find my way around easily led to the main path.

"No way," I dragged. "I'm...retarded. I got so into drawing I never realized how simple the layout was."

So caught up in my (very stupid) realization, I didn't notice how I had lagged behind. That was, until I felt cold metal against my throat.

"Uh, Pauly, I think we've got a situation."

"We've got a situation," he heard, though it was too far behind him than it should have been for someone who had, a few seconds before, been trailing on his heels. Turning around, Pauly saw Tallie had been taken captive by the pirate captain whose boat he and the others just fixed.

"Silence girl," he hissed, pressing the dagger a fraction closer to her neck, "unless you feel like dying."

"Oi!" Pauly called to him, placing the pictures on a nearby pile of wood. "What do you think you're doing?"

The pirate just grinned at him. "Well, I don't feel like paying. So, I thought of the grandest plan when I saw this girl walkin' by, head in the clouds. Only question left is, what do you want more? Payment or this kid's life?"

"You're an idiot," Tallie stated. "Either way, you're getting your ass kicked. Killing me has no point, since I'm basically your shield."

"You don't value your life much, huh girly?" that captain said, pushing the knife so that it cut into her neck. Pauly could see that, despite Tallie's evident nonchalance, her eyes showed the real terror she felt.

Ah, just the person I need.

"Rope Action: Top Knot!" he yelled, ropes rapidly snaking out from the sleeves of his jacket, spiraling up and around Tallie and the pirate, who dropped his dagger out of surprise. "Kaku," Pauly then called to the long, square nosed man who had arrived a few seconds prior, "make sure she doesn't hurt herself."

And with that, he pulled the ropes back.

I definitely don't ever recall spinning this fast ever in my life. I don't think I want to experience it again either. But, a split second after Pauly pulled the ropes and sent me spinning like a top, another person came out of nowhere and brought me to the ground gently to let the dizziness pass, rather than me falling on my face.

Apparently, the pirate had no such luck. At least I assumed so since I heard something heavy fall to the ground. My eyes were safely shut so I didn't have to see the world spinning around me.

"Are you well?" I heard a voice, so I unwillingly opened my eyes. It was the long nosed guy. He had orange hair from what I could see under his cap, and an orange and blue shirt with a high collar. Pauly was standing a few feet away, picking up the pictures again.

I sat up and groaned, "If you didn't just save me I'd probably barf on you. Question answered?"

He just lightly laughed.