I have got to stop starting up stories whenever I get bitten by a plot bunny. I probably won't update this one too often. I don't have much of a plot in mind yet, but I know where I want it go. So I guess we'll wait and see.

This takes place before Punk Hazard... and also before Alabasta.

How is this possible? Read and find out!


Time: Undetermined
Location: Kāla

Nighttime on Kāla was always disconcerting. The moon never stayed the same phase for more than a night, and the constellations were constantly changing their position. But if you lived there as long as Siobhan had, you got used it. After awhile, she had come to love these disconcerting nights.

Tonight, however, was not one of those nights.

"Tell me if it's true, child." The large man in front of her seemed to sneer and smirk at the same time. "Is this actually the lost island of Kāla?"

Siobhan looked around her cage. "Was the cage really necessary?"

"Silence, you brat!" the man bellowed, waving his torch close to her face. "You are in no position to ask questions, and I have no reason to answer you!... Though considering you bit me five times before my team got you away from me, yes, the cage is necessary."

"Boss!" the mohawk lady snapped. "You did the exact opposite of what you said you were going to do again!"

"Erity, be quiet! Despite popular belief, I do have an idea as to what I'm doing!" the boss snapped right back. He turned back to Siobhan. "Listen girl, we're not going to hurt you. We just need you to cooperate with us until we meet our goal- after which we'll probably be forced kill you though. We can't have you spreading the word about what we do here."

Erity smacked him upside the head. "You did it again!"

The boss shot the mohawk lady a dirty look, daring her to try smacking him again.

"That's all on you guys," a man with red eyes piped up. "I'm not killing a kid."

"That's fine," the boss said, rubbing his now-bumpy head. "I can handle her myself."

Siobhan blew her bangs out of her face. She could not believe she let herself get captured by this moron. And her day had been going so well too. When two ships had gotten caught in the Fog, she had been excitedly anticipating new visitors. How did it go so wrong?

"Sorry about our boss," the man with red eyes said, kneeling down to her eye level. "He's actually not this stupid. He's just a little excited. He's been searching for this legendary island for a long time."

"It is true," a girl in somewhat goth lolita clothing added. "We had to put up with him talking about it when he hired us."

"Yari, there is no need to be rude," the boss scolded. He sighed at Siobhan, rubbing the bridge of his nose tiredly. "Just answer me. Is this island's name 'Kāla?'"

Siobhan scowled. She didn't like these people, but she would not deny the name of this island.

"Yes," she muttered. "This is Kāla Island."

The boss grinned, now less tired-looking. "Excellent. Now, at last after all these years the treasure of Kāla will be mine. The World Government will bow their heads in gratitude, and I will no longer hear my name ridiculed amongst Marine ranks!"

Siobhan raised an eyebrow. World Government? Marines? Some of her past visitors mentioned these things, but they never really went into detail.

"Someone has issues," a young man with a slightly feral appearance snickered.

"Runo!" Boss (as no one had said his name yet, Siobhan decided to call him that in her head) barked. "Erity, Yari, Vaughan! Gather up the men and start searching the island! We will find the treasure, no matter what the cost!"

"Why do we have to search?" Erity whined. "Can't we just ask the kid?"

They all looked at Siobhan, who was whistling innocently in her cage.

"Want me to... convince her?" Runo said with a grin. "She looks weak, but she could easily join the ranks of my new toys."

Siobhan snarled. "Those people are not toys, you sicko! Let them go!"

Runo shrugged. "Maybe I will... if you tell us where we can find what we're searching for."

Siobhan looked away.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Runo turned to Boss. "Well, should I?"

"It wouldn't do any good," Vaughan answered before Boss could. "You were off collecting your 'toys' when Erity and I faced her. Your Devil Fruit abilities won't have any more of an effect on her than mine did. Her will is too strong."

Yari gave Siobhan a creepy smile. "Aren't you an interesting little girl? Tell me, would you like to be one of my new dolls?"

"What did I just say?"

Ignoring red-eyed Vaughan, Siobhan stuck out her tongue and pulled down one eyelid at Yari. That was as good a response as any.

"Enough!" Boss hollered. "This girl is useless in many aspects, but we may need her in order to find our treasure if we can't do so ourselves."

"You do realize you're not going to get away this, right 'Boss?'" Siobhan said in a bland tone. "There's a reason no one's found the treasure yet, and it's not just because this island is so damn hard to locate."

"I think I have a pretty good chance," Boss said. "Don't underestimate me, brat."

"While I think you're a moron, I don't doubt your skills. I can sense you're at least moderately strong," Siobhan clarified. "You're going to fail because others are coming."

Boss's eyes narrowed. "Others?"

"Yes, others. They will arrive at the island after the next daybreak." She closed her eyes. "I can sense them, like I was able sense you and the other people that arrived here today. Call it a gut feeling, but I doubt they'll let you do what you want."

"Do you know who it is?" Erity asked curiously.

"Oh, just more of the same," Siobhan replied vaguely. "The same, but also different."

The group looked confused, except for Vaughan. A slow smile spread across his lips.

"It's like that, is it?" Vaughan asked. "This is going to be fun."

Siobhan looked away, instead focusing her attention on Runo's 'toys,' who were standing off to the side, absolutely still.

I don't know about fun, but things will be getting interesting around here, she thought. Kāla wouldn't reveal itself, much less for the more of the same, for no reason. It will all truly begin when the others arrive...


Next Time:

"What the-!" Chopper gasped.

"It couldn't be!" Sanji shouted.

Vivi's eyes widened. "How is this possible?!"

There were a few minor differences, but there was no mistaking it. They were looking into the unconscious face of Roronoa Zoro.