I hope everyone's doing well during these crazy times. Aside from working from home and having to do my mom's shopping so she doesn't have to go out into big crowds, things haven't changed too much for me during these past few months. I'm probably the best suited for times like this: I have a job I can do remotely, I don't have kids to keep an eye on, and I already use any chance I get to never leave the house. But for those of you are struggling, either because of health, anxiety, unemployment or whatever it might be, I hope this chapter offers a bit of escape for you.

Uber big thanks to my beta readers this time around. They went above and beyond the call by correcting the German in this chapter, keeping Google Translate in check. I don't translate it directly at any point, but there's always an indirect explanation of what's being said.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. I only own my original additions. This story is for entertainment purposes only.

Warnings: Mild Violence

It was almost eerie how identical the sister's expressions could be. Was it learned from a shared environment, or a genetic predisposition to make certain facial muscle movements? Either way, the twins simultaneously raised a brow at the warning. "Never took you for the territorial type," Caine drawled.

The corner of Abel's lips twitched. "You clearly haven't studied theology enough," she quipped at her sister.

"It is not their doctrine that concerns me for your sakes— not directly, at any rate," Father Jean replied, unfaltering in his seriousness. "Though what I have been able to learn is very worrying. Rather, it's how they choose to act upon their doctrine that concerns me. They may call themselves a 'church' but behave more like a syndicate. There's very little on this island that they aren't at least aware of, and more often than not attempting to sway to their favor. The only difference between them and a crime family is that their preferred currency is fear. Many unexplained deaths or disappearances are attributed to them, whether accurately or not, to instill fearful reverence and compliance among the citizens." Pausing in his warning, Father Jean asked, "You saw the altars left outside the buildings, yes?"

Now it was Robin's turn to raise a brow. "They aren't funerary rites?"

"Not exactly," Father Jean answered. "They're meant to appease the Church of the Starry Sky. The young man buried today was found dead in his bed with no obvious cause. I lack the medical knowledge to say whether his death was natural or otherwise, but given that he had no previously reported health issues, foul play was suspected. His parents are quite old, and he was their only child. This has caused many to speculate that the family is being punished for angering the Church in some way. The bags you saw contain offerings of gold and other valuables in hopes of turning aside the wrath of the church."

"If the gold's a bribe, what's the incense for?" Caine asked. "Show?"

"It's all intended as an offering," Father Jean answered. "The Church is said to practice sorcery and other dark arts to obtain their power. When people go missing, many believe they've become human sacrifices to the Church's deity. Thus, the incense to purify any dark energy that might be lingering. They pray on people's superstitions, but whether their rumored acts are true or not, I can't say. But what I can say is that the people believe in it all. Power, money, resources... they control it all. It's very much an open secret."

"Definitely sounds like a criminal racket," Sanji agreed.

Usopp gave a little shudder. "For such a cheery name, they sound pretty ruthless."

"To people who've never left this sea and never seen the sky without fog, it's a symbol of unobtainable wonder." That made more sense than just a random selection of pretty words. Hell, if they ever saw the actual sun, their heads might explode.

Going back to something Father Jean said earlier, "Who is this deity you mentioned earlier?" Abel asked.

"Thinking of converting?" Caine teased.

"In order to convert, one must have previously held to a religious doctrine," Abel retorted without missing a beat. "Call it preventative curiosity. The previous times we got involved with deities it was either very human but very real psychopaths with a god complex or cursed sentient weapons created by absorbing the hatred of war." Abel held her hands up, as if weighing both sides. "Crazy people or actual supernatural phenomenon... not sure which I'd prefer."

"In my tenuous investigations, I've never heard the name written or spoken," Father Jean admitted. "It's only referred to as The Forgotten God."

"They forgot their own god's name?" Luffy asked cluelessly, earning a groan from the crew.

"More likely they simply don't verbalize the name out of reverence, Boss," Abel corrected. "If you actually paid attention to me, you might recall I've mentioned in the past how names are powerful things when it comes to occult. It's probable the members know the name but keep it from outsiders." Rubbing her neck thoughtfully, Abel said to herself, That does narrow what this "deity" could be... assuming there is actually anything to worship.

"No."

The sudden, firm statement drew Abel from her musings. Father Jean waggled his finger at her. "I know what you're thinking, Abel. It's too much in your nature to not want to investigate this and expose the truth. But please, if only not to add any more grey hairs to this old head, don't get involved with them."

Unable to resist, Abel quipped, "But all your hair is already grey." This earned a deepening frown from the Father.

"Hey, old man," Usopp interrupted, seeming a bit… put off? "Abel can handle some crazy cult dudes. No need to be so worried." Less confidently, he added, "Not that I want to get dragged into some human sacrifice stuff."

Ominously, Father Jean warned, "Do you want to fight the entire island?" His question caught everyone off guard, allowing him to continue by asking the group from earlier, "You saw them, correct? The statues?"

"Yeah."

"I don't know why, but this island is obsessed with twins. Even I can't say if it's the interest of the Church, or some older tradition from before. The birth of twins is both a cause of celebration and grief for families. It's apparently considered a blessing, but in every case they either end up being given to the Church into service... or they disappear."

"They're kidnapped!?" Chopper squeaked.

Father Jean shrugged helplessly. "Who's to say? All I know is that they're never seen again. Perhaps they serve as clergy within the Church, but it's hard to think so positively given all the secrecy. It's always been my belief that any group that can't be transparent about their activities should not be trusted. You only hide that which you're ashamed of."

"I wonder now..." Robin murmured, garnering the room's attention. Looking to Caine and Abel, she questioned, "Do you remember in the city, the movement I spied in the window?" They did. Smiling in her typical apologetic way, Robin faced Father Jean again. "I'm afraid your warning might be late, as it's possible the word is already spreading."

Tilting her head towards her sister, Abel joked, "I guess we're just fated to never get to spend quality time together."

"If that's the case," Zoro spoke up for the first time, "Then it's only a matter of time before they come to us. You can't blame us for fighting back." They might not go looking for a fight with random civilians, but they wouldn't let themselves or their friends just get captured.

"Of course not," Father Jean retorted. "Nor would I ask such a thing. I've never subscribed to absolute pacifism. But no one outside of the Church knows who is and isn't a member. There's no way of knowing if the person attacking you is a cultist or merely an innocent townsperson coerced by fear into complying. Estote ergo prudentes sicut serpentes-"

"Et simplices sicut columbæ," Abel finished. She scoffed at the others' surprised expressions. "Who do you think I learned Latin from?"

"What did you say?" Chopper asked, curious.

"Roughly, be shrewd as serpents and gentle as doves." Addressing the priest directly, Abel admitted, "I don't make promises I can't keep, but I can at least promise we won't go out of our way to rock the boat unless the helmsman is coming for our heads."

"I suppose that is the best I can hope for." Father Jean gave a woeful smile. "I am happy to see you both. The priest in me knows you're capable, but the old man in me can't help but worry."

A sudden, unexpected noise derailed the conversation. "What was that?" Nami asked. It sounded like someone shaking a rag vigorously... from under the couch?

Confused, intrigued and curious all in equal measure, Abel went around the side of the couch, lifting the side skirt. A bemused expression crossed her face. "Get out from under there, you little gremlin." Soon enough, Dogmeat slinked out, shaking his head upon exiting. The sound of his ears slapping against his scalp was the noise they'd heard before. "If you weren't sulking around, you wouldn't get dust bunnies in your ears. And look. You got your new sweater all dusty." Abel brushed some of the dust off his back, earning a look from the beast that told her that was his intention.

"My," Father Jean breathed, startled by the unusual appearance of the dog. "You do collect the most unusual creatures."

"Hey!" Chopper squawked, taking offense at the statement.

For the first time noticing their guest, Dogmeat scowled before stalking forward. He circled around the priest's chair before standing as far away as he could and still stretch his neck out to sniff at the man. Father Jean remained motionless under the dog's examination. Was it at testament to his history with Abel or his own wild adventures that he wasn't questioning Dogmeat's strange appearance? After a tense moment, Dogmeat snorted. This was apparently a signal of dismissal, because the beast soon stalked away, this time pouting under the bar. "Is that good?" Father Jean asked. He didn't speak dog.

"As bad would've been biting, I assume so," Abel answered.

Chuckling, the priest announced, "I'll take that as my cue to leave. Please come by the church for a visit. Or I might see you around town as I carry out my duties."

Showing him out like a good host, Luffy said, "Thanks for the warning. And don't worry; we'll take good care of Abel and Caine."

"I'll stick to you ladies like loving glue!" Sanji crooned. Behind him, Zoro made a face at the sheer stupidity of that comment. "No harm shall befall your beautiful bodies while I'm on duty!"

Abel eyed the man warily. "I think there will be another unexplained disappearance." Her tolerance for the blond might have improved, but she wasn't wholly immune to frustration at his affections. That, or Caine would most certainly kill him.

Father Jean once again thanked them for their hospitality before departing. The crew stood on the deck as he left, his black priestly cassock blending in with the omnipresent dark until even the pristine white of his collar disappeared. "Well, that sure was interesting," Usopp commented once the priest was gone. "Do you think what he said was true? About the town being obsessed with twins, I mean."

"He certainly seemed to think so," Robin answered.

Thoughtfully, Caine added, "People were watching us earlier."

"That might also be due to us being strangers during a time when the people's paranoia is at its worst," Abel was quick to debate. "However, it certainly wouldn't be unheard of if they were, especially if occultism runs deep within its history. Twins hold an interesting position within the zeitgeist, and even more so in mythos."

"Zeit-what?" Luffy asked cluelessly.

"Zeitgeist," Abel repeated. "The spirit of the times. A set of entrenched beliefs. Although the odds of having twins is only one percent, they have a disproportionately large representation within mythology. Exactly why this is depends on the belief system in question, but in general it appears to be representative of the duality of nature. Sun and moon, day and night, light and dark, life and death... nearly everything in nature has an opposite. Thus, when man begins to create gods to explain the world, these forces are often personified as twins."

"I believe the birth of twins can also be seen as a blessing or a curse, depending on the area," Robin added. "Sometimes it's a sign the gods are blessing the people, and the twins will have almost supernatural powers- or they're a sign of impending doom."

"Not that I don't view Abel-dono and Caine-chan's birth as a blessing, that sounds like a dumb way to judge things," Sanji commented.

Ignoring the first part of his comment, Abel replied, "Humans like to understand the world, and the human mind excels at recognizing patterns to predict outcomes. But that also means it sometimes makes connections when there are none. That's how old-foggisms start. Two random events occurred within a short time frame and someone erroneously concluded one caused the other. We humans like to believe we have more control over the world than we truly do."

"Then there's nothing to be worried about?" Chopper asked hopefully.

Abel couldn't help grinning. "Unfortunately, Doc, no. Even if these cultists are nothing more than charlatans taking advantage of local superstition, fear can make people do dumb things. We should at least stay alert."

"Shouldn't pirates do that anyway?" Caine asked.

"You'd think so..." Nami drawled, her gaze shifting to their oblivious captain.

Closing the conversation for now, Abel stated, "Well, as we have time to kill before there's anything worth seeing in town, I have some projects to catch up on. I'll be down in my office if you need me."

As she made for the hatch, Sanji called, "Do you need me to stand guard, Abel-dono?"

"If someone did manage to find me within the bowels of the ship, I'm sure I can manage."

"Isn't that how you got kidnapped last time?" Usopp helpfully asked.

"Say what now?"

Sighing at Caine's tone, Abel hoisted the hatch up. "I believe the blame for that one falls on you guys for not noticing a golem boarding the ship."

"You idiots let a golem kidnap my sister?"

"All right, let us see..." Abel murmured to herself as she set her instruction guide on her desk, resting her jacket over the back of her chair. She pulled the desk top up to standing height, as she'd probably be moving around a lot. "I've got my camera... three measuring beakers... a thermometer... timer... chemicals... reels... container..." Abel pointed at the objects in question as she ran down her checklist. Contrary to popular belief, Abel wasn't an immediate expert on everything she perused, and had learned a long time ago that the best way to master any skill was to start by following step-by-step instructions from someone who knew what they were talking about. She was not so arrogant to think just because she understood chemistry, she could develop photos without guidance. And she didn't want to mess these up, as it wasn't like she could go back to the Stairs in the Woods. Okay, technically she could, but she didn't want to. Not to mention there were some cute crew photos in there.

Abel had already scanned over the instructions briefly enough to understand a few hazards and warnings. The first trick would be getting the film out of the camera and onto the reel... in complete darkness. Even exposure to the amber safelight she'd installed over the sink could ruin the film because it would still react to the light and damage what was already there. Because of that, she wanted to be sure she read the instructions before operating in the dark. "First remove the film..." Simple enough, and something she could do in the light. Her camera had a little handle on top to rewind the film back into the container. With that done, she popped open the back with a satisfying click and pulled the tiny container out.

With her film safely tucked away in the container, away from the light, Abel checked her instructions to ensure she hadn't missed anything, reading parts out loud as she went. "... remove lid... load into reel... place into canister and seal with both lids... Time to flip the lights."

Dousing the room in pitch blackness, Abel carefully made her way back to her desk. She knew the room well enough by now to know the only furniture she might trip on was the ottoman, so she made a wide circle to avoid it. It took some finagling, and Abel's pocket knife, to pop the end of the container off. Tilting her hand, Abel felt the bare roll of film unravel. It felt smooth and slick, and surprisingly thick in her hand. Now free from the container, the end coiled like a snake in the air.

Operating entirely by feel, Abel followed the film to one end, feeling where it tapered. Carefully feeling on her desk for the scissors, she cut the tapered end off. Fingering along the new edge, Abel found the corners. Very cautiously, Abel maneuvered her scissors closer to the end holding film. Using her index finger, she guided the scissors to cut a bit of the corners off. According to her guide, this would make getting the film on the reel easier.

After repeating the process, save the corner-cutting, with the opposite end, Abel put the scissors down in favor of pulling the film reel over. With her eyes adjusting to the darkness, she easily made out the white, circular contraption. That didn't make guiding the end into the grooves any easier, however. With some fumbling, though, she did manage. With the end securely in place, Abel ratcheted the rest of the film onto the spool. From there, it was a simple matter of threading the canister's core through the reel's hole to hold it up in the solution later, dropping it in the canister and securing both lids.

Double-checking the lids were secure, Abel could turn the lights back on. Blinking as her eyes readjusted, Abel reviewed the instructions. "Mix one part developer with one part water. The canister is thirty-two ounces so that would be sixteen and sixteen." Setting the canister aside, Abel pulled over one of the innocuous white bottles. Only the label covering the entire front of the bottle told it was a chemical. Now that she was into the chemistry portion of the procedure, Abel moved to the sink hidden in the space inside her cabinets. The amber light wasn't as warm mixed with regular light, but that didn't matter right now. Removing her fingers from the enclosed ends of her sleeves, Abel rolled her sleeves up as far as they would go before donning a pair of latex gloves.

The liquid was clear as she poured out the correct amount into the first beaker. It didn't really even have a smell. Then again, it was just an alkali, basically salt dissolved in water that would react with the chemicals on the film. After mixing it with the same amount of water from the sink, Abel used the thermometer to measure the temperature. According to her instructions, the time it would take her film to develop depended on the temperature and type of film. The book even came with a handy rubric. Abel already knew the film type, handily labeled on the container. It didn't surprise Abel the liquid was on the cooler side, given the weather, which meant it would take longer to develop. A bit of mental mathematics later and Abel had her time, which she set on the timer.

Ready to go, Abel pulled off the top lid from the canister. This was a simple, red, frisbee-like lid that just slid on and off to seal the liquid in. Below was a screw-on lid that had a hole in the middle for the solutions while still keeping light away from the film. Holding both the canister and beaker over the sink, she poured the developer in. "Now to agitate," Abel said, sealing the lid back on.

Agitate in this case just meant to shake. Or rotate. The guide recommended rotating in an up-and-over fashion. Abel grinned as she did this, feeling like a very bad bartender. In fact, the canister sort of looked like a giant, black, plastic alcohol shaker. Or maybe a giant Yahtzee cup. After agitating for thirty seconds, Abel rapped the bottom against the counter before setting it down, keeping her hands away.

Abel couldn't go far, forced to keep her eyes on the seconds on her timer, as she needed to repeat the agitation process for the last ten seconds of every minute the film processed to keep the development process going. She didn't even have time to check on her previous project because she didn't want to cross-contaminate it with her wet gloves, nor keep taking the gloves off. The only thing she could do during that time was measure out her other solutions to have them ready to go. This was actually a good use of time, as the next two processes didn't take nearly as long. Abel's nose crinkled as she measured out the stop bath, a bright orange solution. She'd have known it was an acid even if she didn't read the label thanks to the vinegar smell. "Good thing I wore gloves," she told herself. She'd have to air the room out when she was done.

Fortunately, she didn't have to suffer to odor for long, as it was time to pour the developer out. As it was a safe solution, she simply poured it down the sink, not having to worry about it harming any equipment or animals later. From there, she poured in the stop bath. Closing the lid, Abel agitated the canister for thirty seconds, and that was all the time needed. The stop bath, as the name implied, stopped the development process from continuing, as otherwise even with the alkali gone it would continue to eat through the film until there was nothing left.

She poured the orange solution back into the beaker before adding the final solution, the fixer. Thankfully mostly odorless, and slightly murky, this solution would affix the photos. It removed any remaining chemicals and preserved the image so her negatives would last essentially forever and no longer be reactive to light. Abel followed the same agitation cycle as before, and in between poured the stop bath back into the bottle, as it could be reused. This also mostly removed the scent from the air.

A few minutes later, and Abel poured the fixer back into its container. She was now almost done with developing the film. With it no longer reactive to light, Abel could remove the reel, along with the core. As she rinsed the reel under the sink, Abel saw faint patterns on the film, giving her high hopes that she'd done it correctly and would have actual pictures to look at later. With the film rinsed, Abel dropped it back in the canister and set it under the sink with a steady but light flow of water into it to complete the rinsing process.

With ten minutes to kill, Abel finally removed her gloves, tossing them in a bin to dispose of properly later. There was one more solution to put the film in at the end, but she planned to just dip the reel in while using the core as a handle. Plus, she realized she didn't have anything to hang the drying strip on. Thinking for a moment, she ducked out of her office, leaving the door open to finish airing out, and went into Usopp's Factory. Rummaging in his drawers, Abel mentally told herself to scold the man for his poor organization skills. If she remembered, she'd buy him an organizing box for all the various nails and screws littering different drawers in no logical order.

Eventually she did find what she was looking for, however, and retrieved a short line of twine and two small hooks to screw into the wall. She met the owner of said equipment as she was exiting. "I'm taking these," she told him, holding up her spoils.

"Okay," was all Usopp said. The two had an unspoken agreement that if one needed supplies from the other, unless it was something big and hard to replace, they didn't need to ask permission. Most of the time the conversation went, "Hey, I'm taking this," merely out of politeness so the other would know why they couldn't find something later or remember to buy more. "Do you need any help?".

"I'll manage."

Usopp tossed her a cheeky grin. "Franky's having me help make Dogmeat's new leg. It's lookin' pretty sweet so far."

Was he taunting her now that he knew something she didn't? Rather than rising to the bait, Abel joked, "I don't know... if this is how he acts with a sweater, he might run away if we try to make him wear a new leg."

Unlike most people, Abel never wanted to ruin a surprise, so sent went back to her original project. Sliding the coil of twine over her shoulder, Abel climbed onto the sofa. Balancing with one foot on the backing, Abel screwed one hook into the wall behind it. Now this odd little nook will have a use, she thought. Tying one end of the twine to the hook, Abel looped it over the other hook and stretched them to the opposite wall. It didn't really matter if the line was straight, but Abel did her best to eyeball when the twine was level before tying it off and screwing in the other hook. She snipped the end to save the unused part of twine. Jumping off the sofa, Abel nodded to herself. "There." Now she had a place to hang the film to dry that was out of the way.

Speaking of hanging the film up, it was time to shut off the water. Turning the faucet off with one hand, Abel pull core up, taking the reel with it. After dumping the excess water out, she filled it with the last solution, called photo-flo, just enough to cover the reel when she dunked it back in. According to the shop she'd bought all this stuff from this part wasn't strictly necessary, but it did help the film dry faster and reduced water streaking, creating a better product overall. And Abel liked to do things as best as possible. A few seconds later, the film was essentially done short of drying.

Excitedly, Abel slid the reel off and opened it, allowing her to remove the finished negatives. Now wet, the film strip fell straight as a ribbon as she shook it out, removing the excess water. Holding it from the top, Abel stretched it out toward the light. The frames were too small to make out clearly, but she definitely saw darker and lighter patches in vaguely distinct shapes. Holding the strip, Abel suddenly realized she'd forgotten to get something to hold it on the line.

As she exited the hatch onto the deck, intent on taking some clothespins from their quarters that they used when doing laundry, Luffy's cheerful voice greeted her. "Hey, Abel! We've been seeing people walking around, so it's finally time to go exploring. Do you wanna come?"

"Let me finish with this, and I will," she assented, gesturing with her full hands.

In and out again, Abel stood atop her sofa, and clipped the strip to the twine, adding another clip at the bottom to hold it straight so it didn't curl up when it dried.

By the time Abel returned to the deck, slipping her jacket on, some of the others were arguing with Luffy. "Are you sure it's safe?" Chopper was asking, forever concerned.

"We'll be fine," Luffy assured them.

Despite his optimism, some of the others weren't convinced. "The last time you went exploring with Abel, she ended up trapped in another dimension," Nami reminded them.

This earned a frown from Caine. "I feel like there's a lot we need to talk about," she drawled.

"You can't be trusted to ensure Abel-dono's safety," Sanji pressed on.

Abel raised a brow. "I'm not sure I like being talked about as if I'm not here. I believe my track record proves that out of everyone here, I'm the least likely to land myself in trouble that I can't just as easily extract myself from." She made sure to quickly add that last part before anyone could protest about her finding trouble quite regularly. "Technically we all have bounties now, so we should all be vigilant whenever entering a city. But if it will ease everyone's conscience, I will concede on two precautions: one, we..." She motioned to herself and Caine. "Won't travel together so as to reduce the temptation of the townsfolk doing something stupid. And two, I will concede to traveling under escort so long as I get to choose said escort." Again, she was quick to emphasize that last point. "Is that agreeable?"

A general murmur of consent answered her back. "Great!" Luffy cheered. "Then let's go!"

"Hold on, Luffy!" Nami protested, feeling they were back at where they started.

"I'll go, too." Standing from where he'd been silent dozing against the mast, Zoro crossed his arms as he ambled over.

He scowled as Sanji scoffed, "I'm not sure I trust Abel-dono to your care."

Feeling that things were quickly spiraling out of hand, Abel interjected, "All I need is someone to look suitably intimidating to discourage any ne'er-do-wells away. I'm sure Chief can manage that."

Pushing down his disappointment at not getting to go, Sanji agreed, "His ugly mug is definitely enough to scare someone away."

"What was that!?"

Partly to break up the impending fight, and partly because it was true, Abel called, "We'd best hurry before Boss gets too far ahead." The boy, mind already made up ten minutes ago, had taken off without them and was running off toward the alley. Abel and Zoro had to leap over the railing and run to catch up.

Fortunately, Abel had a good idea of where Luffy wanted to go, which was just a straight shot through the alley. As she'd predicted, upon exiting onto the open thoroughfare, they spotted their captain making a beeline for the bakery. The streets were as empty as before, but Abel noted a few more lanterns had been lit, making it slightly less dreary. As they came up to Luffy, he was trying the door, again unsuccessfully. This time, however, he wouldn't be deterred, as there was someone inside behind the counter. Luffy rapped his knuckles loudly against the glass door panel, startling the woman inside and causing her to nearly drop the bread she'd been putting away at the storage shelf behind the counter. Spinning around, the woman resembled a frightened cat, ready to leap up to the ceiling. When she saw Luffy's wide grin and eager wave, she relaxed a little. Cleaning flour from her hands with the apron around her waist, she approached the door.

If Father Jean hadn't told them about the townsfolk being paranoid thanks to the cult, Abel would've immediately been suspicious by the woman's manner. Pausing at the door, she peered around, as if checking the streets for hidden intruders. Seeing no one else, she carefully unlocked the door, opening it just enough to speak through the crack, using her body to shield the entrance. "Kann ich Ihnen helfen?" she asked timidly, eyes downcast.

The trio blinked, surprised by the unfamiliar words the woman spoke. It sounded strangely harsh from such a delicate waif of a woman. "Uh... what?" Luffy asked, scratching his head.

"Was denn?" the woman asked back. Her bafflement finally forced her to meet their gazes. The makeup did little to liven up her pale complexion, and the dark shadows around her eyes might just have easily been sleep deprivation as powder.

Quickly grasping what was going on, Abel gave a self-deprecating chuckle. "Of course. Why didn't I assume the owner of a Bäckerladen would speak old Germanic?" Sensing the boys were still out of the loop, Abel explained, "She's speaking a different language than us, Boss."

"Really?" Luffy asked, for some reason very surprised by this. "That's weird."

"While the common tongue is, obviously, the most universal language, it's not the only one to ever have existed. Many islands began developing language separate from others. It was only through the spread of the World Government that a unifying language emerged to make trade easier. It's not surprising that more isolated civilizations might not have adopted such a practice. But I fear we're worrying our host. It would be unnerving for anyone to have strangers on their doorsteps speaking in foreign tongues." Abel offered the woman what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "I'll translate as best I can. I believe she asked what we wanted." Actually, she asked if she could help them, but Abel was paraphrasing.

"Oh! Okay!" Taking everything in stride as he did, Luffy carelessly answered back, "Ask if she's open. Her food looks really good!"

"Ist Ihr Bäckerladen geöffnet? Ihr Essen sieht wirklich lecker aus." Abel wouldn't say her Germanic was the best, as even to her ears it sounded a bit halting and stilted, and probably with an accent, but it would hopefully get the job done.

The baker blinked heavily mascaraed lashes, glancing back and forth between Luffy and Abel's faces, studying for... something. Lies? Danger? She balked a bit as Zoro's perpetual bored scowl, but Luffy's sunny disposition wasn't easily ignored. "You... alien?" she asked slowly, struggling with the words.

"Hey!" Luffy cried. "How rude."

Noticing the woman flinch, Abel corrected, "She's asking if we're Fremde, Boss. It literally means alien as in stranger or foreigner." Addressing the woman directly, Abel said, "Ja. Können Sie uns verstehen?"

"You words like..." She paused, struggling to think of the appropriate term. "Priester."

"Ah, Father Jean," Abel murmured, now understanding. "I guess that explains it."

"You'd think he'd have mentioned this little detail," Zoro complained from the back.

"I suppose he had more pressing intel to impart," was Abel's retort.

For some reason, the acknowledgement that they were foreigners bolstered the woman's courage a bit, and she stepped aside to let them in. Luffy thanked her cheerfully, eagerly rushing to the counter to peruse the confections. When everyone was inside, the woman stepped out for a second to light a large globe just above the door frame. The bell above the door jingled as she closed it. Catching Abel's eye, she pointed up and out as she explained, "Wenn Geschäfte geöffnet sind, zünden wir draußen Laternen an."

"Ah," Abel said in acknowledgement as she took a seat at a small booth inside the store. To her companions, she translated, "When a shop is open, they light a lantern outside as indication."

"Oh, is that why it's so much more lit up outside?" Luffy asked.

"It seems to be the case."

"Cool!" With that mystery solved, Luffy could devote his attention to drooling over the food.

Leaving him to it, Abel took a moment to observe the quaint, almost kitschy store. The old-fashioned, hand-made furniture and trappings made Abel feel like she was in an antique showroom. Several small, intimate booths lined the wall by the plate glass window, though in Abel's mind there wasn't much of a view outside. A large candelabra chandelier lit the room fairly well, relieving some of the stifling darkness that hung over the streets. Abel couldn't help smiling at how out of place the guys looked in the room. Zoro, at least, seemed to feel the same, as he stared uncomfortably at the lacey tablecloth covering the table.

The shop owner matched her store in many ways. Her clothing style was very old-fashioned. Because Abel herself drew inspiration from that particular era, she recognized it as late Victorian era design, though significantly downplayed. One wouldn't exactly wear their fanciest clothes to work in a bakery, even with the apron. Her immaculate white blouse with a high collar and spotless grey A-line skirt might suggest she hadn't done much work in the kitchen, but the flour on her apron combined with the rebellious wisps of hair falling from the tight bun they'd been done up in suggested otherwise. Perhaps she had that in common with Sanji, just that experienced with her cooking that she knew how to make minimal mess. Abel did often wonder how the man managed to whip up such feasts without getting anything on his dress shirts or black pants.

This led Abel's gaze back to her captain, who was still trying to decide what to buy. "It all looks so good!" he half complimented/half complained. "I don't know where to start."

"The first place to start is probably by asking how much money you have," Abel suggested. The hunter was well acquainted with Luffy's penchant for eating more than he had money to pay for... or to assume his companion at the moment had the money to cover his stomach. Poor Zoro had fallen prey to that several times, as Abel had heard. This made Abel question, "Did Red dole out allowances?"

"Yeah!" Luffy answered before his eyes widened. "Oh! I almost forgot." Luffy shoved his hand in his pocket before pulling out a wad of berries. "This is your share."

Abel raised a brow as she took the crumpled bills. "Convenient of you to remember you had my money now." As Luffy double-checked his pocket to ensure he hadn't missed any money, Abel straightened the bills out, ordering and counting them as she went. Using a clip to hold them together, Abel tucked the money in an inner coat pocket. "Tell you what, Boss. To make things easier on everyone, I'll order. I'll even pay."

"Really!?" Luffy's eyes lit up. "You're the best, Abel!"

Ignoring the praise, as he might not think so when Abel refused to order more for him, Abel shoved Luffy in the direction of the booth before stepping up to the counter. The baker looked slightly less nervous now. Perhaps Luffy's exuberant energy scared her, or she was nervous serving someone she couldn't fully understand. As she scanned the handwritten chalk menu behind the counter, Abel asked, "Do you want anything, Chief?"

"I don't like sweets," was his response.

"Doesn't really answer my question," Abel drawled back.

It took Abel a minute to settle on something, simply because most of the items she wasn't entirely sure what they were. Just because she could translate them didn't mean she knew what they were. How was she supposed to know what a "Little Bethmann" was? Food dishes tended to have cutesy names rather than explain what was in it. Sanji might have more insight, but she wasn't going to go all the way back to the ship for him.

Eventually, she did settle on a few items that she knew, and carried the tray over to their table. Fortunately, despite having not adopted the common tongue, the town did use berri for currency. Abel didn't miss Luffy's pout at the, for him, meager portions. But she wasn't spending all her money on food, and they'd eaten not too long ago, so normal people shouldn't be too hungry. Normal, being the key word.

Luffy didn't have any right to complain, however, when Abel set an entire pie in front of him. "For me?" he asked.

"It's a meat pie," Abel answered indirectly. "Steak and ale, to be precise."

Her captain's eyes shined like she'd just told him the key to happiness and eternal life. "You can make pies from meat?"

"Correct. You just use meat and vegetables rather than fruit filling."

Eagerly grabbing his fork, Luffy whispered, "Do you think Sanji knows about this?"

"I'm fairly certain pot pies are in Bullseye's repertoire." Abel almost felt bad for Sanji, knowing he'd be accosted by Luffy's demands for meat pies as soon as they got back.

Leaving their captain to tuck into his newly discovered favorite food, Abel placed a box with three medium-sized spheres before Zoro. The man stared at them, honestly not having expected Abel to buy him anything. Not that he didn't appreciate the gesture, but they looked like chocolate, which Zoro wasn't a fan of. Before he could say anything, however, Abel interrupted, "They're bourbon balls. Made from dark chocolate, which is more bitter than sweet, and obviously bourbon." Zoro raised a brow at the woman as she set a pot of coffee down in the middle of the table before grabbing the remaining plate for herself, with some sort of cake on it. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised to hear about alcohol mixed in with sweets, as he knew the cook used alcohol sometimes- that's why he guarded it so fiercely. Popping one in his mouth before Luffy could steal it, Zoro discovered Abel had been right. Though it was sweet thanks to the sugar in the alcohol and the doughy insides, the burn of good bourbon and the bitterness of the dark chocolate coating cut through it.

"This is so good!" Luffy exclaimed, already halfway through his steak and ale pie.

Watching Luffy eagerly polish off the rest of the pie, Abel pulled her own food closer. Just a simple streusel, pairing well with the strong coffee she ordered. Food carefully guarded against pilfering, Abel turned her gaze past the boys and out onto the streets. For the first time, she noticed a few people milling around, walking briskly to unknown destinations. She couldn't help noticing that most of them wore clothes similar to that of their current host, though somewhat fancier. Definitely Victorian era. Women passed in high collared jackets with way too many buttons and puffy sleeves that tapered tightly around the wrist. A-line skirts over petticoats caused the fabric to sway and swirl as they walked, thinly heeled boots clicking noisily over the general dim of the air. Some women wore bonnets, but all had their hair pulled up. They seemed to favor darker colors, hard to distinguish in the dark. But when they passed under a lantern, Abel saw greys, blacks and deep blues. Occasionally she spotted a bit of white or pastel, but it was usually meant as accent. She'd wager the fabrics were all sturdy cotton or rough wool, very suitable for this cooler climate.

The men, similarly, seemed fancy in comparison to the townsfolk they were used to encountering. It was probably all the top hats and shiny, well-trimmed facial hair. The men passed by, sometimes with a female companion but often in small groups of other men, in heavy peacoats or tailcoats, pressed and pleated trouser legs emerging from below. Checkered and plaid seemed to be a popular choice. Starched white collars poked out from their coats, sometimes showing a vest below or a cravat tied around the neck. A few men, probably more laborer-class, ran by coatless, with flatcaps and suspenders holding up trousers with billowing legs. Handlebar mustaches were all the rage, along with sideburns. We stick out like a sore thumb, Abel thought. All of them except maybe Sanji, but even his bright blond hair was enough to draw attention amongst such dower airs.

Literally licking the pie pan clean, Luffy exclaimed, "That was great!" The baker gave a timid smile back, letting Abel know she didn't need to translate Luffy's gratitude and praise. With the way he wolfed it down, translation wasn't needed.

As they finished the last of the coffee at a more leisurely pace, Abel asked, "Any particular place you intended to visit, Boss? Or is this just an exploratory excursion?"

"Whatever looks interesting," Luffy answered back, as Abel expected.

As the left, Luffy made sure to wave cheerfully at the woman as she began cleaning up the table. "Thanks again for the food!"

With no real destination in mind, Luffy picked a random direction to walk, the others following. Abel couldn't help but smile at Luffy's carefree attitude as they wandered the streets. Despite the general gloomy atmosphere, he still took to everything with a sense of wonder. Anything new was exciting and interesting to him. Not that Abel could blame him. She didn't mind the atmosphere as much as some of the others might. It felt like stepping into an old penny dreadful. She felt the sudden urge to buy a deerstalker and help the bobbies track down John the Tearer. The faint sounds of the water in the distance reminded the hunter of many anight spent alone at the moors, trailing along the flooded banks as she pondered some mysterious tome she'd uncovered among the many stacks left behind by her family.

Heavy clopping and the sound of wheels grinding against cobblestone drew Abel's focus back to the present. Looking ahead, she noticed a large vehicle coming toward them. The guys had noticed as well, and they, as well as anyone else on the streets, stepped out of the way. The small carriage, being drawn by a single horse and rider seated at the back of the cab trotted by, a passenger inside. "Ooh! What's that?" Luffy asked as the vehicle drove past, lantern swaying as it went.

"I believe it's called a hansom cab," Abel answered, having seen illustrations in, again, her penny dreadfuls.

"Well, it is pretty cool lookin', but I don't know about handsome," Luffy replied, earning a chuckle from his female companion and groan from the male.

"Not handsome," Zoro snapped, emphasizing the d. "Hansom."

"Oh."

Shaking her head, Abel explained, "It's a type of carriage."

"I wanna ride in one!" That was no surprise, really. Eagerly, Luffy asked his friends. "Do you think we can?"

"They are intended to transport people around town," Abel answered. "At least in books I've read they either have routes they patrol for fares or congregate in heavily trafficked areas."

"Let's find one, then!" Luffy decided.

Failing to grasp that running around looking for fast transport was sort of against the point, Luffy led them through the streets in a hunt for a hansom. They zigged and zagged until Abel worried they might never find their way back. The entire time, Zoro was mindful to keep his eyes peeled for any suspicious activity. The priest had given them a warning for a reason, so he would at least be mindful. Fortunately, so far they had only attracted mind curiosity. Obviously they weren't locals, so people they passed on the street tended to glance their way, or stop and look, but he didn't sense any hostility from any of them. None of them looked like cultists... then again, everyone here dressed odd to Zoro, so that probably wasn't a good indicator. Though when he thought of cults, he imagined dark hooded robes. But the priest had said no one knew who was actually a member, so they probably didn't wear that out in public.

Eventually, the trio did come across an empty hansom heading their way. "Okay! How do we make it stop!"

"Say stop?" Zoro suggested blasély.

"I believe the proper way to hail a cab is—" Abel stepped slightly into the street, eyes on the cab as she raised a hand, flagging to the cab.

The driver, another man in a heavy coat and top hat, noticed them, and the cab veered slowly toward them. Luffy grinned like a madman as the cab stopped alongside them. The horse pulling the cab was stout and strong, solid back save for a white streak down its forehead. Up close, the design of the hansom was a lot clearer. A single bench sat nestled partially enclosed around the back and sides, but open at the front. The driver sat at the back, atop a seat positioned high enough up to see clearly over the cab. The reigns stretched from his hands through guides atop the roof and onto the horse's halter. A lantern hung near the driver, shedding light on his burly face.

The driver made an unseen motion, and the doors that enclosed the front of the cab popped open, the driver's way of silently granting them access. "Awesome!" Luffy cheered, eagerly climbing the platform and taking a seat.

Abel and Zoro followed, squishing Luffy between them. The cab was clearly only meant to comfortably fit two. With Luffy being both the skinniest of the three and made of rubber, it seemed only fair he be the one sandwiched in the middle. It didn't seem to temper his mood. "Wohinmöchten Sie?" the man asked briskly from the small hatch open in the ceiling of the cab.

"Where to?" Abel repeated in common, though the man's question seemed obvious. Can't take them somewhere if he didn't know where?

It didn't surprise Abel Luffy didn't immediately have a destination in mind, merely wanting to experience riding the cab. "Um..." he thought, looking around for a suitable destination. "Oh! I know!" He pointed to the skyline. "Let's go see the clock tower!"

"Zu Uhrturm bitte." Abel translated, slightly more politely than Luffy had worded it. Satisfied, the hatch closed, as did the gate around their legs. Giving a flick to the reigns, the horse snorted and pulled away, working up to a decent trot.

Having never ridden in any type of carriage before, with the yagara in Water Seven being the closest equivalent, Abel had to admit it was a very pleasant experience. The sound of the two large wheels rolling against the stone punctuated by the sharp, rhythmic clopping of the horse's hooves was oddly relaxing. Abel could tell just by the sound the horse was shod, which was probably for the best on such hard surfaces. Abel was also glad the cabbie didn't need to use the long whip he had, only guiding the horse expertly along the route. Watching the city roll by from the privacy of their little nest, the only real downside was the open face allowing a chilly breeze to hit their faces. Abel brought her scarf up closer around her mouth and nose.

Never one to sit silently when having fun, Luffy leaned forward on the gate, head out like an excited puppy. "This is so cool!" he shouted enthusiastically. To the horse's credit, it barely acknowledged Luffy's shenanigans save for its ears twisting back. The lantern gleamed off its smooth coat, accentuating its form as it effortlessly pulled four fully-grown humans and a bunch of heavy equipment. As a biologist/mechanist, Abel always marveled over the form of creatures when in their elements and how everything worked so perfectly together. Sometimes nature truly did one-up man's best efforts.

Noticing Luffy leaning a little too far out for comfort, Zoro grabbed the back of his shirt. "What are you doing, you idiot?" he snapped.

Ignoring his first mate, Luffy waved at whatever had caught his attention. "Hey! Nami, Chopper, Robin! Check it out!" Leaning over to see through the window in her side of the cab, Abel did see the named trio out and about, standing outside what appeared to be a bookstore. She briefly wondered if Robin was acting as translator, probably the only one with better linguistic knowledge than herself. Even if not, those three were clever enough to navigate around a language barrier.

As they passed, Robin waved at them. "They're having fun," Robin said, chuckling.

"Luffy's supposed to be keeping a low profile," Nami huffed, crossing her arms.

"I don't think Luffy knows the meaning of those words," Chopper replied, awkwardly shifting his backpack without his hands due to being in full-animal form.

In short order, the hansom pulled to a stop in a plaza area near the center of town, if Abel's calculations were correct. The hatch above popped open. After Abel paid the sum through the hatch, the gate popped open, allowing the pirates to step down into their new surroundings. "That was so fun," Luffy concluded, giving the horse a little pat on the shoulder, to which the horse responded by flicking its tail at the boy, knocking his hat askew. Luffy laughed as the cabbie pulled away, in search for new fares.

The area they'd been dropped off at must've been close to the center of town, given the curve of the street and lining neighborhood. It wasn't quite as densely packed as the other streets, with the buildings spaced out to have some elbow room. "There it is!" Luffy declared, pointing at the looming structure he'd chosen as their destination. The clock tower stood tall over the other buildings, easily one of the tallest if not the tallest structure in the city. The clock faces on all four sides glowed yellow like a beacon, more akin to a lighthouse than a clock tower. While the tower itself was freestanding, it stood in the courtyard of what looked like some official building. Serious grey stone and tall pillars guarding the porch leading to a massive double-door gave a very stately impression, as did the faded banners swaying limply in the wind. Given how formally everyone dressed, Abel couldn't say if the people entering or exiting the building were more important than anyone one else.

"I wonder what the view looks like from up there." For anyone else, it would've been an innocuous statement. From Luffy, it meant trouble.

Sure enough, as Abel drew her attention back to the moment, she saw the rubber boy drawing an arm back, backing up to get a good running start. Acting quickly, Abel stuck her foot out, tripping Luffy and causing him to land on his back. "Hey!" he protested.

Unapologetic, Abel leaned over him, blocking his view. "I don't think showing off your rubber powers is the best way to endear yourself to a group of superstitious townsfolk being terrorized by a supposedly magical cult."

"Huh?"

"She means if you throw yourself around people are gonna think you're a demon," Zoro summarized, having said something similar himself when he first witnessed Luffy's powers. "Besides, there's stairs right there." Zoro motioned to the winding staircase running along the inside beams of the tower.

Although using stairs went against his life philosophy, Luffy at least relented this time, even if he bounded up the stairs with his usual excitement. He took the stairs two or three at a time, forcing the others to run to keep up. Up and around they wound, following the bare but sturdy stone legs of the tower. Eventually, they reached the end of the line, the stairs finishing at a heavy steel door. Luffy tried the door, only to pout upon finding it looked. "Ah, man," he complained.

"It's likely locked to everyone but maintenance," Abel concluded. Past that point, the clock tower was completely enclosed, likely housing the complicated gear system that kept the clock running. It made sense they wouldn't let just any random person inside to throw off or- or worse, get crushed by- the gears inside.

Luffy pouted, disappointed he couldn't get higher... at least not with Abel there. "Still, the view's pretty nice from up here," he admitted. While it would probably look even cooler from the very top, and he bet he could see the whole island, this was nice, too. They could see smoke rising up lazily from the multitude of chimneys, mixing with the fog to create the illusion that the shroud was nothing but smoke, and really just giving a nice reassurance of life. More lights were on in buildings now, though scattered randomly about, confirming Father Jean's statement about the strange schedules of the townsfolk. Even with the knowledge of a cult lurking around, the pirates felt above it all from their perch.

Abel smiled to herself as Luffy leaned over the railing, expression a uniquely Luffy mix of enthused peacefulness. She supposed it was moments like this that he lived and became a pirate for. Her smile softened as she felt the weight of a hand rest tentatively on the small of her back.

As nice as it was, they did eventually have to come back down and set off for more exploration. Even without the map, Abel vaguely recalled Father Jean's explanation of the middle ring out from the center being most of the commercial districts, and that appeared to hold true. The inner circle they were at now seemed dedicated to rich living and professional services. The manors and mansions easily stood out amongst the rabble, with enough space to have an actual yard and surrounded by high wrought iron fences. Men stood at the gates as either doormen, guards, or some combination of the two. Literally on the opposite side of the street sat more clustered townhouses dedicated to upscale professional services. Abel recognized signs for accountants, lawyers, doctors, notaries... services that your average citizen probably had little need for.

They also paused to window shop at some of the upscale retail stores. Well, Luffy and Abel did. Zoro mostly just stood around people-watching. They paused to watch a carpenter creating intricate patterns on furniture through an open showroom door. Abel very quickly pushed them past a doll shop to escape the blank, unseeing stare of the porcelain dolls lining the front window. She did pop in for a second at a bookstore, leaving with a folklore book about creatures she'd never heard.

Along the way, Luffy pointed out a particular store to Abel. "Look!" he said, pointing across the street. For once Abel didn't have to translate, as "corset" was the same word in pretty much any language. Rows of torso mannequins, lacking heads, arms or legs, stood at attention before the window showing off the amazingly restrictive power of the seemingly innocent white garments. The woman raised a brow, doubting she'd find anything that suited her, but went inside anyway. It was rare to see a store catering to corsets, as they were usually considered haute couture, or custom made due to low demand. But this store appeared to be selling them like normal fashion. Then again, with what the women wore here, that shouldn't have surprised Abel.

A large, shapely woman was upon Abel the moment the bell above the door rang. "Guten Tag!" she greeted with more warmth than anyone they'd encountered so far. The boys looked a bit flustered at the woman's appearance, and even Abel was taken aback for a second. The woman, who had to be the store owner, looked as if she'd just stepped off the stage of a burlesque. Either that or she was trying really hard to promote her own products. Everything about the woman screamed larger than life, and was such a sharp contrast to the otherwise dour, somber tones of the city. Big hair, jet black and piled atop her head in a slightly messy updo. Big eyes and lips thanks to accentuation by heavy makeup, smoky eyeshadow and lustrous red lacquer. Big curves, barely contained by what admittedly must've been a very strong corset. The lacey red fabric pushed her already large breasts up for viewing pleasure, to the point that Abel worried they'd fall out. Seriously, one wrong arm movement and there'd be a wardrobe malfunction. The only thing small about the woman was her waist, pinched unnaturally thin by the sturdy cinching of the corset, only serving to further accentuate her full hips, causing the short layers of red lace making up what could only generously be called a skirt to sway provocatively with each animated movement. Cut higher at the front, the skirt showed off the black garters holding up dark stockings that disappeared into strappy high heels that Nami would love.

Eyes landing upon Abel, the woman clapped her gloved-clad hands together. "Ein neuer Kunde! Wundervoll! Willkommen bei Fräulein Tanzers Schneiderin." She placed a hand to her chest. "Ich bin Fräulein Tanzer." She peered at the boys through heavy lashes, and suddenly the men felt the need to flee. Forget monsters or pirates or swordsmen; this woman looked like she might eat them up then and there. "Oh mein Gott. Zwei so gutaussehende Männer. Sie müssen dich * sehr beschäftigt halten." She laughed coyly, making the boys feel uncomfortable at both her tone and being left out of the loop.

Coming to her senses, Abel summarized, "She thinks I'm sleeping with you both."

While Zoro obviously got the nomenclature, Luffy was as naive as ever. "Not since the last time we went camping."

Zoro made a choking sound. "She's not talking about that sort of sleeping!" Then again, why would he expect Luffy to know coy ways of referring to sex?

Before Abel could formulate a response, the owner, who'd identified herself as Miss Tanzer, seized the woman by her arms and dragged her deeper into the store. When her head stopped spinning, Abel found herself away from the more proper, everyday corsets and into the seedier section. "Wie Sie sehen können, haben wir etwas, um den Appetit jedes Mannes anzufachen."

Abel rubbed at her forehead. It wasn't uncommon for people to erringly believe whichever male crewman she was out with was her partner. But this was the first time someone clearly thought she was sleeping with two at once. Not only was the thought of sleeping with her captain laughable, but what woman in her right mind would want to be involved with two men at once? How would she get anything productive done? There was a reason true cases of polyandry weren't as common as polygamy.

Focusing on the current baffling misunderstanding, Abel would admit the items on display were very sexy and provocative. Lots of sheer fabric, leather and fur. Definitely stimulating. Yet, "Ich merkte, wenn man Lingerie sehen kann, wird es nicht lang." What was the point of sexy lingerie when, if your partner could see it, it would probably be gone in a second?

Fräulein Tanzer laughed, or perhaps brayed was a more appropriate term. Did she use fabric glue to keep that bust in place? She slapped Abel's shoulder surprisingly hard. "Es ist der grünhaarige, oder? Er sieht so aus, als würde er es einfach abreißen."

Rubbing at her sore shoulder, Abel bit back a retort that she didn't know yet if Zoro was the sort to rip clothes off. Might be a fun experiment in the future...

Luckily for Abel, a timid voice spoke up from behind some of the racks. "Äh... Fräulein Tanzer?" Both women turned to discover one of the locals, a young, meek woman, awkwardly trying to get the owner's attention.

Tanzer's red-lipped smile stretched. "Bitte entschuldigen Sie, während ich mich um diese Bestellung kümmere."

With her attention on the other customer, who it sounded like was here to pick up a custom order, Abel took the opportunity to make a run for it. The cold, foggy air was a welcomed relief to the stifling, overbearing atmosphere inside the shop. Taking a moment to breathe, Abel quickly pointed a damning finger at her two male companions safely outside. "How dare you abandon me to that she-wolf," she scolded. A few men passing by offered Abel sympathetic stares. Apparently Fräulein Tanzer's exuberance was well-known.

A light babbling interrupted the argument, and it was only then that Abel realized someone, possibly the lady inside, had left a covered pram with a baby asleep inside at the door. All three pirates glanced nervous at it as the baby inside mumbled, but relaxed when it didn't cry, instead seemingly drifting back to sleep. In a lower voice, Abel harshly whispered a repeat of her previous declaration. "You didn't get anything?" Luffy asked, missing the mark entirely.

"No," Abel bit back before sighing. "These are a bit too hardcore for me." She pointed at a catalogue picture attached to the inside of the window, illustrating the strength of the corsets by showing a woman wearing one only over a white slip. In the picture, it was clear how the corset unnaturally cinched in the waist, much like Fräulein Tanzer's. Even Nami or Robin didn't have such extreme proportions. "They probably use actual whalebone to push everything up or down to create an exaggerated hourglass shape. The type I have aren't meant for that sort of waist training, and use spring steel, which is more flexible."

"Is that why all the women here look so... waspish?" Zoro questioned. He'd noticed how most of the women they passed had very skinny midsections and disproportionately wide upper and lower bodies. Like the torso of a wasp.

Abel gave a light snort. "That is an appropriate description. To some it's aesthetically pleasing, but it's actually not healthy to engage in that level of tightlacing. It compresses the ribs, constricts the lungs, and puts unneeded pressure on the heart and intestines. It's been suggested the extensive use of corsets in the past is what contributed to the stereotype of women being weak and unable to handle stress. You've heard of women 'coming down with the vapors'?" Abel raised a hand dramatically to her forehead, adopting the common pose seen by women on literal fainting couches. "Well, they legitimately couldn't breathe and would pass out due to how tight their corsets were. And it all came from unrealistic beauty trends."

Luffy tilted his head, eyeing Abel seriously for a moment. "You don't do that, right?"

Abel gave him a reassuring smile. "No need to worry yourself, Boss. I don't engage in tightlacing or waist training. I'm not about to endanger my life for the sake of looking good."

Luffy nodded decisively. "Good."

"We've got the cook for that," Zoro quickly added.

"Now, let's leave before the Fräulein comes back," Abel eagerly suggested. With no arguments, the trio began to leave to explore less hazardous shops.

They didn't get far, however, before a shrill cry made them jump and whirl around to face the banshee shriek. It only took a second for them to realize the screaming was coming from the baby in the pram. And the cause was obvious: a giant rat was in the buggy with it. Abel might not consider herself to have much maternal instinct, but the sight of a rat looming over a defenseless baby was terrifying on an instinctual level. She'd always heard wives-tales about rats attacking babies in their cribs while trying to get to their milk. She didn't know if that was true, but rats could be aggressive, eat whatever they could get, and prone to carrying diseases. They weren't good for anyone, especially babies.

Abel's body reacted on instinct, running back to the pram. In one movement, she dumped the pram over, sending the rat tumbling out, while scooping up the baby before it fell. Obviously, this set the baby off to crying even more, but Abel didn't hear much even as she cradled it awkwardly into her shoulder with one arm. Her attention was too focused on the monster rat snarling at her. The thing was huge! Even by rat standards. It was easily as big as a cat, even bigger than the baby in her arm. What had it been eating? Abel's stomach rolled as she hoped not more babies. It was black as night, reminding Abel of the shadow snakes the basilisk had summoned. From behind it, in a grate in the middle of the street, more beady eyes watched. Looking for an opening?

The rat continued making bold, threatening gestures toward Abel, fearless in its anger and hunger. Little did it know, it wasn't dealing with a normal woman who would raise her skirts and leap onto the couch. Rats were vermin, but nothing in comparison to what Abel had faced. Her crossbow was quickly out. The rat, perhaps sensing the danger, lunged forward. But this only resulted in the bolt intended for its head to catch it in the haunch and spear it to the ground. The rat shrieked louder than the crying baby, and its companions chittered in response. To quickly end its suffering, Abel put another bolt directly through the skull, where it fell silent on the cobblestone.

By this point, naturally, a crowd had begun to form. And it was at this time that the mother, the woman who'd been inside with Fräulein Tanzer, rushed out. At first, she looked like she was going to yell at Abel for attempting to kidnap her squalling baby. But when she saw the giant rat dead at Abel's feet, tears welled up in her eyes and she began babbling incoherently as she pried the screaming baby carefully from Abel. As Abel stepped back, letting the throng of people close in in a cacophony, she had a hard time making out everything being said. The mother was sobbing. Some of the onlookers were trying to pull her arms back so they could examine the baby for injuries. Others still chastised the woman for leaving her baby unattended. From what she could decipher, the rats were a well-known menace. Or maybe it was just common sense not to leave babies on the street. A few offered thanks to Abel herself, applauding her bravery and quick-thinking.

On the fringe of the chaos, with Luffy and Zoro coming up behind her, the voices all became just noise. But one phrase in particular stuck out to Abel's ears, as it shouldn't be part of normal conversations. Die Katakomben. Abel's gaze swept across the ground to the dead rat, on to the grate, now empty and silent. Catacombs, huh?

Luffy, Zoro and Abel weren't the only ones who decided to explore. Another trio set out soon after. Nami hoped to find some cute clothes, and perhaps some cartography supplies (she was running low on ink). Robin was always up for finding some good books, and uncovering a bit of the history of this strange little island. And Chopper similarly was always on the lookout for books or medical supplies. Such simple exploits, however, were proving to be far more difficult than expected. For one, there was the unforeseen language barrier. Robin was able to help with that some. While Germanic wasn't a language she considered herself fluent, or even conversational in, after coming across the shop earlier in the day, she'd taken the liberty of bringing a translation guide with her. Many of the shopkeepers appeared to know a bit of Common, so between that and the book, conversations were a muddled mix of half-correct terms and phrases. Rather than finding this annoying, however, Robin found it an engaging mental exercise. And if she dared to say so herself, she was quickly picking up on the more common terms.

Of course, this also meant that any books they found would be uninterpretable to them unless they wanted to ask Abel to sit and translate them all. That didn't stop Robin from picking up a few for practice, especially ones that looked like history books for the area.

Nami's ventures didn't fare much better. She'd hoped to find some cute, casual clothes, but found the fashion a bit too overdone for her tastes. The dresses were certainly pretty in a somber way, but she couldn't see herself having much reason to wear them unless they somehow got invited to a fancy event. Even then, they were a bit too buttoned-up for her liking. If she had to get dressed up, she preferred someone more striking and eye-catching, to show off her best features— preferably while offering a distraction while she swiped valuable objects or information.

It was Chopper, however, who had the worst time of it. Having spent so much time among the Straw Hats, it was easy for him to forget sometimes that he wasn't human like the rest of them. At most, he might get someone thinking he was a very hairy man or a tanuki, but the shock typically passed quickly. Not so here, it quickly became apparent.

The trio's first stop was the Bäckerladen because, as Robin reasoned, the owner had probably already met Luffy and so wouldn't be as shocked by strangers. They hoped to get some idea of where to head for the best shopping. Nami had the map, of course, but it didn't label the buildings. At first, things appeared to be going well. The baker greeted them with broken Common. "You with... others?" she asked. Good start. It wasn't until she took notice of Chopper, in his everyday small form, that things went downhill. She suddenly stopped moving and just... stared at him.

Somewhat used to this reaction, Chopper timidly offered, "Um... hello!" His cheerful greeting quickly broke off into a cry as the woman passed out on the spot.

Rushing to her aid, Nami held the woman's torso upright while Chopper fetched some smelling salts. After a whiff, the woman began to come to. Her eyes blearily focused on Nami, who smiled reassuringly. "Feeling better?" she asked.

The woman must still have been groggy, because her face scrunched up, brain too fogged to translate the semi-unfamiliar language. It wasn't until, upon casting her eyes around the room to regain her bearings, that the baker noticed Chopper again. A squeak leapt from her throat, and the woman quickly shuffled away from the trio of very confused pirates. The baker didn't stop until her back was literally against the wall, after which she brought her hands up to shield her face, making herself as small as possible in a gesture they all instinctively recognized. If that wasn't enough to complete the image of sheer panic, the woman began babbling almost incomprehensibly in Germanic. Only a few words were clearly audible. Sternenhimmels. Dämon. Gabe.

While Nami and Chopper tried to comfort and calm the woman, it was Robin who gently pulled them away. "Let's leave her be for now," she advised. The other two were reluctant to leave the poor woman cowering in the corner. But seeing that their efforts to help were only making things worse, they eventually followed Robin outside.

"What was all that about?" Nami demanded of Robin, though she wasn't sure if she really expected an answer.

A safe distance away from the bakery, Robin thumbed through her translation guide to double-check her guesses. Dämon had tipped her off. "I suspect she believed Chopper was a demon," she explained.

"What!?"

Gabe can mean both offering and victim, Robin discovered in her book. Why was that term even in here? She couldn't find an exact translation for the first word, Sternenhimmels. "It seems she thought you were a demon sent by the cult, and was either saying she didn't want to be a victim or that she'd paid her offering."

Nami's heart sank when she saw Chopper's little ears droop. Having heard his story from Doctor Kureha long ago, she knew that Chopper spent a good chunk of his years being accused of being a monster, whether by his own kind or humans. He even identified himself as such when they first met. "It's okay, Chopper," she tried to reassure him. "It's not your fault. It's that cult's."

"Do they really send demons to collect people?" Chopper worried.

"The people certainly seem to think so," Robin answered. "Remember that Father Jean said the cult preys on people's fear and superstition... that's interesting."

"What?" Nami asked, noticing something in the book had distracted the woman.

"Father Jean called the cult the Cult of the Starry Sky, but a more accurate translation might be the Cult of Heaven." Based on her book, "sternen" was the adjective form of star, thus starry. "Himmel" meant sky as a noun, but "himmels" meant heaven or heavenly. "Perhaps this Forgotten God of theirs is this heavenly star."

Chopper scratched his head. "What should I do, then?" He wanted to explore the island, but he didn't want to scare people.

"Why don't you pick one of your other forms?" Nami suggested.

Chopper's ears perked. "Oh! That's a good idea, Nami!" Figuring that his Heavy Point might cause just as bad a reaction, Chopper decided to opt for his Walk Point, where he looked the most like a normal animal. When he used this form in the past, most people thought he was just a regular deer. And while perhaps odd in a city, nobody had ever been afraid of a deer. The backpack probably made him look like he was just an eccentric choice for a pack animal.

This, however, turned out to have its own downside. The first shop they went in, a medicinal supply store, quickly booted the deer out. This time it seemed less out of fear and more like the owner just didn't want animals in his store. Which, fair enough, but it didn't exactly help their situation. The women could certainly pick up some supplies, but it was hard to enjoy themselves with Chopper sitting outside looking like the saddest deer in creation.

Sighing as she patted Chopper's hat, Nami glared out at the street. Why did people have to make things so difficult? But then, as her sweeping gaze went by a gentleman's clothing store, Nami had a shot of brilliance. "I know!" he exclaimed, startling her companions with her sudden enthusiasm. Grinning, Nami declared, "We'll dress you up like a normal human!" It would hardly be the first time Chopper had adopted a disguise to cover up his furry form.

Without giving him much time to protest, Nami dragged him over to the clothing store. She paused at the entrance, glancing around to see if the owner was about. She didn't see anyone between the racks of clothing, but she did spy two changing rooms off to the side. "Get ready to change big," she told Chopper. Swiftly throwing the door open, Nami rushed in and tossed Chopper into one of the booths.

She'd just pulled the curtain closed as the shopkeeper appeared, alerted by the dinging of the bell. "Guten Tag."

It was a bit difficult finding clothing that fit Chopper's very large Heavy Point, especially since they wouldn't let the shopkeeper measure him. Ensuring Chopper remained securely hidden inside, Nami did her best to get Chopper's size across to the owner. Robin chuckled as she watched the redhead trying to pantomime their doctor's large stature. The owner looked skeptical of Nami's descriptions until he saw Chopper's hat peeking from above the dressing room.

It took a lot of attempts, but eventually they did it. When Chopper hesitantly stepped out, looking a bit uncomfortable being so covered up, he could pass for a very strange human. The shopkeeper's eyes widened a bit, but that appeared to only be in response to Chopper's size. It would be hard not to look shocked by someone who would have to duck and turn sideways to fit through a door.

They'd found Chopper the biggest, roomiest brown jacket they could, which made his skinny legs look even smaller in his brown pants and oversized shoes. The white button-up and red cravat covered his chest and neck entirely. His pink top hat looked a bit worn in comparison, and some thick glasses shielded the top half of his face, leaving his blue nose somewhat exposed but otherwise he just looked like he needed a good shave. As Chopper fiddled with his fancy white gloves, Nami gave him a thumbs-up. "Nice!" she proclaimed, while Robin hid her chuckles.

After paying the man for his time, Chopper was able to confidently step out onto the street with barely a lingering glance from others. "Thanks for the new clothes, Nami," he made sure to say.

"Don't worry about it," Nami quickly dismissed. "They came out of your money, anyway."

"What!?"

As Chopper flailed his arms in protest, they collided with something. Or rather, someone. Crying in dismay, Chopper quickly knelt to help gather the papers he'd knocked out of the passerby's hands. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" he chirped, feeling himself flush with embarrassment beneath his fur.

"No worries," the person, a man, answered back. "Accidents happen."

Grateful for the forgiveness, Chopper quickly gathered the remaining papers. As he did, Nami stopped him by putting a hand on his arm. "What's that?" she asked, peering intently at the paper in Chopper's hand. "A map?" Finally pausing to look at what was in his hand, Chopper realized it did look to be a map. A hand-drawn one, with lots of notes in the margins and sections highlighted in various colors to denote something only the creator would understand. Brow creasing thoughtfully, Nami pulled out the one Father Jean had given them.

"Aye, 'tis," the man answered, taking it from Chopper to add to the stack in his arms. "Wouldn't be able to do m'job without it." Safely storing everything in his messenger bag, the man smiled at them. "Cheers," he said in parting as thanks for the help before dashing down the street, almost running into someone else as he took the corner too sharply. Seemed not looking where he was going was a common occurrence.

Nami continued to stare at her map before thoughtfully commenting, "It looked kinda like the city, but the streets were all different." The overall layout and shape of the island on the maps were identical, but none of the markings matched. Intrigued, she put her map away before questioning, "I wonder what it was for."

Amused that her companions failed to notice it, Robin replied, "Perhaps if we bump into each other again you can ask him, as he was speaking Common." Her companions' eyes widened comically as they only then realized the man had, in fact, talked in perfect, if accented, Common.

Caine flicked her lighter open and closed in a mindless rhythm, ignoring the disapproving stares from those around her annoyed by the constant "chinking" sound. The stares didn't linger for long, as the massive sword strapped to the woman's back dissuaded anyone from hanging around. Caine felt uncharacteristically bored. Traveling was something she usually enjoyed, even when not on an active job. Seeing new places and people, new ways of life, spoke to her wanderlust that probably formed from being stuck on a little island for so long. And while Ravensburg was certainly very interesting, Caine was finding it hard to get into the groove of exploration. This was primarily due to the language issue. Unlike her sister, Caine never had an ear for language. And while most of the people here seemed to speak a smattering of the common tongue, it felt extraordinarily difficult to get anything done between half understood phrases and gestures. Fortunately, Solomon was a little better at it than her. Even if he didn't speak... what did Abel say it was, Germanic?... his travels had exposed him to other tongues. He was also a lot better with people than Caine. Part of why I keep you around, she often joked.

"Caine-chan!"

The swordswoman sighed. Here comes another reason for her foul mood. If she'd known she'd be saddled with a clingy escort, she'd have stayed on the ship. Maybe waited until Sanji left with the other women to sneak up alone. But no, the blond had insisted on being her guard. Much to her husband's dismay.

The cook must've been immune to scathing stares, as he didn't acknowledge Caine's. Instead, he swooped over, somehow managing to not drop the tray balanced in his hand. Had she not been so irked, Caine would've found it impressive. "I thought you might be getting chilly, so I brought a warm beverage that might help stave off the cold." With the practiced care that only someone who'd worked as a busy server could manage, Sanji proffered the glass mug with the handle toward her, not at all bothered by the hot surface. A dark liquid filled the cup, steam rising as invitingly as the fruity aroma. A slice of some sort of fruit bobbed within.

Raising a brow as Caine merely stared at it like a snake, Solomon asked, "Do you even know what's in it?"

Attitude shifting, Sanji snorted, carefully placing the glass on the table they'd been sitting at. "It's Glühwein, or glowing wine. It's a mulled wine, prepared from red wine, heated and spiced with cinnamon sticks, cloves, star aniseed, orange, sugar and vanilla pods. I might not have recognized the writing, but I knew the fragrance coming from the boiling pot in the bar." Taking his own cup, Sanji breathed deeply, the scent alone warming him up considerably. "I believe this particular recipe has a shot of rum to provide an extra punch." Slightly less carefully, he tossed Solomon a glass.

The Tzigane managed to catch the glass before it fell. While he could certainly do without the man's attitude, and especially his flirting toward a disinterested and spoken-for woman, Solomon had to admit, "I don't think I've heard a pirate speak so knowledgeably about food before."

Sanji gave the other man a smirk, but the gleam in his eye was more excited than arrogant. "Before I joined up with Luffy, I worked as the sous chef in a restaurant called the Baratie. The old geezer I learned under had been a pirate, though."

"So you came full circle," Solomon remarked.

"Guess so." Sanji gazed thoughtfully into the dark red, almost black, drink. "I never in my life thought about being a pirate until Luffy showed up." He snorted. "Y'know that idiot actually busted the place up and was supposed to pay for the damages by doing chores. But given his recklessness, I think we lucked out when pirates showed up causing a ruckus and he paid us back by kicking their asses- with Abel-dono's help, of course."

Solomon gave a lopsided grin. "I can imagine." He could perfectly see the problems having "hired help" like Luffy could cause. He'd already noticed how no one really let him "help" with their jobs on the ship, well-meaning though his attempts may be.

"Looking back though, I can't imagine life being any different than it is now," Sanji admitted, allowing for a moment of wistfulness. "What could be better than sailing the seas with a bunch of beautiful women?" Solomon had to resist face-palming. "Speaking of beautiful women, where'd Caine-chan go?" Sanji only now noticed the woman had disappeared, drink untouched.

Solomon pointed slightly down the street. "She went into that tobacconist." From their position, they could just see through the windows strips of tobacco leaves hanging up to dry.

"She went alone!?" Sanji gasped, standing.

Before he could go charging after her, Solomon yanked him into a chair by his shirttail. "Calm down. You can see the door, so it's not like anything can happen that you can't see. Besides, you can't be in a relationship for as long as I have and not recognize when your partner needs space. Of course, if you want a zweihander suppository, then be my guest and charge in."

In truth, Caine had ducked away as much to see what tobacco the shop had available as for a moment of solace. Smoking was one of the few vices she allowed herself to indulge in, ever since her rebellious years that, honestly, she probably hadn't grown out of. The familiar, heady aroma of tobacco leaves was like a breath of fresh (metaphorically speaking of course) air. "Guten Tag!" the balding man with a thick beard and potbelly greeted cheerfully from behind the counter.

Unable to understand most of what the man might say, Caine instead focused on browsing his wares. The shop was well-stocked, with anything a smoker might need. Stout pipes, elegant cigarette holders, ornately designed cases... many of the items looked too fancy to use. Or perhaps items intended to be passed down through generations like the owner's bad habits. The shopkeep eagerly showed Caine his wares, offering information about each blend that Caine had no hopes of understanding. But her nose still worked just fine, and eventually Caine found a type she liked. Unlike the ones she currently had, mixed with a bit of lavender, these smelled slightly of mint and cloves. The sharp cool fragrance of the mint combined with the spice of the cloves had no real benefit to the cigarette outside of making the smoke smell less acrid. Happy with her purchase of both material goods and peace, Caine exited the store, ready to return to her obnoxious guard dog.

"My... I never expected to run into you again."

Caine didn't know if it was the fact that the voice spoke in common tongue or with unrecognizable familiarity, but it managed to cut through the dim despite the ethereal quietness of it. Barely outside the stoop, she turned toward the voice and stared blankly. Caine didn't recognize the woman in the slightest, and she wasn't the sort of person one would forget. Dark maroon eyes peered out from deep sockets, all the darker and deep for the pale, almost translucent skin of the woman's face. Long wheat-blond hair fell in a sheet behind her, strands occasionally drifting on the breeze. Her attire almost matched that of the locals, except the sleeves of her bodice hung freely and her skirt swirled around bare feet and ankles. The woman stood with such unnatural stillness, only her hair and clothes moving, that it gave the effect of everything around them moving at twice the speed.

It wasn't often Caine could say she found a person unsettling, but this was one of them. She could feel the woman's presence. Like an aura about her. It made Caine wary. "Can I help you?" she asked slowly, hand itching to reach for her sword.

The woman tilted her head, eyes mockingly surprised. "Have you forgotten me already?" she asked, voice as insubstantial yet omnipresent as the fog around them. "I'm hurt." Her expression said more amused than anything. "But I suppose with everything I've heard you and your crew have been up to recently, a mere mortal such as myself is barely a footnote in your growing story."

Caine still had no idea what this woman was on about, but it was quickly becoming apparent that this woman was confusing her for her sister. A very childish sense of annoyance began to rear its head, the inconvenience becoming all too frequent. However, before Caine could correct this strange woman, she heard Sanji shout from behind her, "Caine-chan!" Before she could react, the cook had put himself between the two women in a very defensive manner. "Be careful, Caine-chan. This woman is dangerous."

Said dangerous woman's smile widened. "Ah..." she breathed. "I remember you. Black Leg, isn't that what they call you now, Mr. Prince? So many secret identities... It must be hard to keep track."

Although it went against his code to be outright rude to a lady, even a former enemy, Sanji tried to keep his guard up. "What are you doing here, Miss All Hallows Eve?"

She brought a finger to her lips in a childish gesture. "That name is no more," she deflected. "Not since you and your friends defeated Crocodile."

"How did you escape the Marines?" Sanji couldn't help wondering.

"Much like your friend Miss All Sunday. Most of the men were rounded up and arrested, but I snuck away."

"I'm getting very confused back here," Caine complained, not liking being out of the loop or having someone try to defend her.

Not wanting to take his eyes off the other woman, Sanji explained without turning around, "She used to be part of a criminal organization working under one of the Shichibukai to take over a cute princess' kingdom. Your sister fought with her. I think Abel-dono said she could raise the dead."

Caine's eyes narrowed on the woman, now understanding her strange aura. "A necromancer."

"I see..." the blonde murmured, tilting her head again. She peered hard at Caine over Sanji's shoulder, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine. Such a penetrating stare, she felt it in her bones. "Not just sister. Twin. Perhaps that explains why your souls don't quite fit." She tilted her head further, like a quizzical owl. "But yours is more shielded. Like a cactus. Afraid to be touched? Very curious."

"Keep your prying eyes away from my soul," Caine growled, hand now fully going to grab her sword hilt. Was it the weight of the sword, or the chime of her rosary against the metal that comforted her?

"No need for a fuss," the necromancer dismissed lightly, glancing furtively around. "I did not come to fight. Merely curious."

"Why are you here, Miss...?" Sanji realized he didn't know what to call her other than her codename.

"Names are pretty but fleeting things. If you have need of a title, Miren will suffice." A wistful smile came over her face. "Where better for a necromancer than this City of the Dead?"

"City of the Dead?" the group repeated back.

"Yes. Did you not know? This beautiful city is merely a facade. Decoration for the burial grounds its built upon. Mere feet below us runs a labyrinth of hallways of bone and ash, where the sleeping never awaken." Her smile stretched a bit, appearing thin on her face. "Well, not without a nudge, at least."

While the men were confused, Caine thought she knew what the woman was on about. "You mean catacombs."

"Hardly an appropriate title for such a magnificent hall. But yes, that is what they are named."

"Planning to raise an army?" Caine asked suspiciously.

Miren smiled again. "Perhaps once... but I am merely communing with the dead. I daresay I have never felt quite so at home. You may tell your sister I have not forgotten her threat. I am... behaving myself." The woman stared off into space for a moment, just long enough to make the others want to check what she was looking at, before her eyes cleared and she returned to the present. "While it has been... nice conversing with the living, I find it tiresome. I will take my leave." At that moment, even though she never made a motion, a hansom came to a stop beside her.

As Miren climbed in, she paused for a moment, looking thoughtful. Still hanging to the side of the cab, she asked "Does the name… Haïta mean anything to you?"

Sanji looked confused while Caine looked suspicious. "Should it?" she demanded.

"Perhaps." From her airy tone, it was hard to tell if Miren was deliberately being vague, or simply didn't know. And without even a word to the driver, the cab took off, leaving the group to shake off the chill she left in her wake.

Abel couldn't say if it was the fog or the maze-like layout of the city, but she found it jarring how the sound suddenly cut out once they ducked through the alley and out to the docks, returning to the ship after their eventful day out. It wasn't as if the city was loud normally, but it had begun to sound like people actually lived there. Now, she barely heard the lapping of waves against the wooden dock. Their own footsteps of the creaky planks sounded muffled. "Stop moping, Luffy," Zoro chastised their captain as Abel climbed the ladder. Luffy was in a bit of a mood. He'd wanted to stop by the bakery on the way back and get another meat pie, but had been disappointed to find the lantern doused and the shop closed up. Even taking into account the strange sleep cycles of the city, it didn't seem like the shop had been open long.

Popping onto the main deck, Abel spied Franky and Usopp huddled together, backs to her, hard at work on something she couldn't see. She didn't exactly creep, but neither did Abel make an effort to make herself known as she moved across the lawn. Coming up just close enough behind them, Abel said in a louder-than-normal volume, "Glad to see you keeping such diligent watch." Both men jolted, and it sounded like Franky had hit Usopp with some tool, before they scrambled to cover the item they'd been working on. "It's fortunate for you I'm not a kidnapping cultist," she quipped.

The hunter's lips quirked even further when they obviously hid the item behind their backs. "You both look like children caught raiding the cookie jar."

"I already told you, babe," Franky retorted. "You can't see it yet. It'd ruin the super-surprise."

"Do I even get to see it before I approve of you modifying my dog? Or do I have no choice but to put my faith in your strange, mechanical hands?"

Franky gave a cocky, self-assured grin. "Trust us! It'll be awesome!"

In a teasingly skeptical tone, Abel replied, "If you say so. Just remember, I have a drill, and I'm just curious enough to take apart a cyborg-man."

As Abel meandered off, Franky chuckled nervously before asking Usopp, "Is she serious?"

"Best not to try her," Usopp sagely advised.

Having boarded the ship, Luffy noticed, "Did everyone else go out?"

"Yeah, not long after you guys headed out," Usopp answered. "Franky and me decided to hang back to watch the ship and get some work done in peace." Usopp loved hanging out with Luffy the others, but it did make it hard to get real important work done.

Carefully wrapping up the bundle of what Abel presumed was canine leg, Franky added, "We might head out tomorrow. Looks like there're some factories here. Never know what resources they might have." It was always good to stock up on supplies when they had the chance. The sea was unpredictable.

Usopp, however, wasn't so sure. "I don't know... did you guys come across any crazy cult guys."

"Nope!" was Luffy's blasé response.

This earned a snort from Zoro. "Would you even know what a crazy cult guy looks like?"

Thoughtfully, Luffy tilted his head to genuinely ponder the answer. "They wear black cloaks, right?" Producing his giant sketchbook that he somehow always had on him when necessary, Luffy made a childish drawing of a figure in a black robe. It was slightly better than his usual drawings, if only because it was literally just a big black shape with only vaguely human proportions. "Like this, right?" Luffy asked, holding it up for the others' approval. It looked like someone with a giant black bag over their head. "Oh! Wait!" Luffy made a few quick corrections. "There! If they're crazy, they're probably covered in blood!" He looked rather proud of himself for adding some red squiggles to the black figure.

"That's... just awful, bro," Franky commented, looking rather disturbed at the awful drawing.

Heading for the galley in search of her dog, Abel chuckled. "All of Boss' drawings aren't people you'd want to meet in a dark alley. You should see the one he did of you."

As Franky flipped through the pad, looking equally as displeased with each passing page, Luffy happily reported, "We didn't see anyone like that. But we did see some huge rats!" He made a big motion with his arms to pantomime. "Like baby-eating huge rats! Abel says they live under the city!"

Usopp gave a shudder at the thought. Baby-eating rats? Maybe they needed to get that giant mousetrap they used to stop Luffy from raiding the fridge again.

In the galley, Abel spied the lump under the throw on the couch. "Is there a dog under this lump?" she asked out loud. Reaching out a hand, Abel placed it atop the lump. She felt more than heard the growling, the lump vibrating beneath the fabric. Grinning, Abel removed her hand, only to place both on the lump's sides. More growling. Abel repeated this motion several times, grinning at what sounded like a motor trying to turn over. It sounded like she was literally squeezing the growls from it. In one last pass, Abel playfully ruffled the blanket. This finally provoked movement from the form hidden below, a pointy shape sticking up and flailing around, trying to get out from under the blanket without hands. "It's alive," Abel mockingly called.

Eventually, Dogmeat shook the blanket from his head, audibly snapping at Abel as he went. Undaunted, Abel snapped back with her hands, play fighting along with him. Dodging his teeth, Abel's hand weaved around to ruffle his ears. Dogmeat made a sound that remarkably resembled a huffing, angsty teen before jumping down from the couch. As he did so, the blanket trailed along behind him like the train on a wedding dress. Putting a foot out, Abel held the train down, so that as Dogmeat kept huffing off, he left the blanket behind. Folding the blanket back up, Abel tossed it carelessly onto the couch.

Hearing her name being called, Abel exited the galley to see what the fuss was about. "Abel-dono!" The hunter barely had time to react before Sanji was upon her, wrapping her up in a crushing hug. Abel froze, unused to such close contact with the cook, and baffled as to the reason for it. She was used to Sanji's exuberant greetings, but this was a bit excessive. It was like he hadn't seen her for years.

For her part, Abel simply stood stock still, unsure if this warranted violent action. The guys out on the deck stared in confusion at the scene, and Abel imagined her own expression matched as she stared cluelessly back. "I'm so glad you're safe!" Sanji was saying.

"Why wouldn't I be?" she asked before adding, "Do I need an adult?"

Sanji finally let go in favor of holding Abel out from himself, visually checking her wellbeing. Growing impatient with both the contact and strange behavior, Abel offered a warning stare. "Sorry," Sanji quickly said, pulling his precious hands away before Abel cut them off or something. "I was worried something might've happened. We ran into someone in town... Miss All Hallows Eve!"

"Really!?" Luffy gasped, and even Abel looked visibly surprised.

"She said she wasn't here to cause trouble, but I had to be sure," Sanji continued.

It certainly surprised Abel to hear that they'd run into an old enemy, but she was less concerned about herself and more worried as to why the woman was here, of all places. "Did she say why she came here?"

"Not really," Sanji replied. "Only something about this being a City of the Dead."

"Ah..." Abel murmured, beginning to see.

Pulling herself up onto the ship, Caine complained, "Someone wanna clue us in to what's going on?" That woman had obviously been bad news, with the way power rolled off her in an uncomfortably familiar way. If something was a threat to her sister, she wanted to know.

"She is a former enemy that was part of a criminal cabal attempting to uncover an ancient weapon of mass destruction," Abel summarized as best she could. Casting her gaze to where Dogmeat sat, she continued, "Do you recall when I told you Dogmeat was summoned by a necromancer and should've re-died after they were defeated but didn't for as yet undiscovered reasons? That's who I was referring to."

Usopp, having faced the woman directly after they'd split up, shuddered at the memory. "You mean that creepy woman who could raise zombies? She's here?"

"But wasn't she Bon-chan's partner?" Luffy asked, showing surprisingly good memory for once. "So maybe she's not all bad?" Bon Clay had turned out to be pretty all right in the end, even sacrificing himself to save them.

Zoro wasn't as convinced. "You can't assume just 'cause someone's teammate turned out all right, they all are." For his part, if he ever ran into that Mr. One again, Zoro wouldn't assume the guy was on the up-and-up just because the battle was over.

"Do you think she's here for revenge?" Usopp asked worriedly.

"It sounds to be merely a coincidence," Abel rebutted. Despite the woman's creepy ability to sense her soul, Abel highly doubted she'd been able to follow them for so long, given that their path after Alabasta had included going into the sky. "Most probably, she's here for the catacombs."

"That's what she claimed," Caine agreed.

"Cata-what?" Luffy asked.

"Catacombs," Abel repeated. "Essentially an underground cemetery. It's a practice of entombing the dead in tunnels beneath the earth in what is essentially a mass grave. I'm sure Handy could speak more to the history of the practice, but it's not unheard of, especially in places where land is too scarce to waste it in planting corpses."

Casting a fearful gaze back out at the city, Usopp felt a chill. "You mean that when you're walking around the streets there could be a pile of bodies six feet beneath our feet?" The thought of walking over a body, much less a bunch of them, was very unsettling. Suddenly Usopp had even more reason not to set foot on that island.

Abel stared at the sky thoughtfully. "Mmm... I'm not up to date on the structural guidelines for tombs, though I'd imagine they're probably deeper than six feet to avoid collapsing under the weight of the buildings above it. But yes, for all intents and purposes."

"She said she wasn't here to create an army of the dead, but I don't know how much I believe that," Caine said.

"I might have to look into it," Abel replied. "I did warn her. Though..." she stared back at Dogmeat. "It might be best to keep the dog as far from her as possible. I don't understand how he managed to continue undeath without her influence when all the other zombies returned to death, but I don't want to risk her being able to undo the phenomenon." She rather liked having the dog around, and wasn't going to risk him for the sake of scientific curiosity.

"How'd you know about the cata-whatevers?" Luffy queried.

Coming back to the conversation at hand, Abel answered, "I heard the citizens mention it. Apparently, that's where the rats come from."

Zoro's brow furrowed. "You think they got that big by eating the bodies?"

"It would explain why they have a taste for human flesh."

"As if man-eating rats weren't bad enough..." Usopp muttered. "They have to be corpse-eating rats as well." Being eaten by a rat sounded bad enough, but knowing it had previously been eating a dead body somehow sounded even worse.

Before they could discuss the morbid matter further, a voice called from the dock, "Hey, guys!"

Even without looking, Sanji immediately recognized the voice. "Nami-san! Robin-chan! You've returned! Would you like me to make you some tea?"

Peering down at the final group to return, Luffy let out a laugh. "Whoa, nice outfit Chopper!" Despite his jovial tone, he wasn't being sarcastic. Was it even possible for Luffy to be sarcastic? Regardless, this was the most clothing they'd ever seen the doctor wear since... what, Alabasta? "You could blend in with the locals."

"That's kinda the point," Chopper replied, adjusting his hat bashfully.

Nodding, Nami informed them, "That whole cult thing really has the people here on edge. The poor woman at the bakery thought Chopper was a demon and nearly passed out. I figured if we were trying not to attract attention, Chopper needed a disguise." Climbing aboard, Nami meaningfully eyed Dogmeat. "The same probably goes for you." While his complexion had improved to where he looked more like a strange, hairless dog, Dogmeat's appearance would certainly create a stir.

"Given that your friend is here, I was going to suggest the same," Abel replied, directing her comment toward Robin. When the woman raised an inquiring eyebrow, Abel clarified, "Bullseye ran into Miss All Hallows Eve."

"What!?" Nami snapped. "That creepy woman who could raise the dead!?"

Robin, for her part, seemed more curious than concerned. "Interesting... she must've escaped the Marines rounding up the other officer agents. Not a difficult task in a country recovering from war." She should know. That's how she snuck aboard the Straw Hat ship in the first place.

Zoro tossed the raven a suspicious glance. "You didn't keep tabs on your former underlings?" In the past, that might've sounded like an accusation. Now, Zoro just sounded surprised Robin didn't know something.

Smiling, Robin answered, "After Luffy defeated Crocodile, I knew Smoker would tell the Marines what had happened, and who was responsible for everything. Crocodile himself was arrested on the spot. I left the city as soon as I was able. Other than Mr. Two, I never knew what happened with the others, though I assumed they'd been arrested."

Huffing, Nami crossed her arms. "Great. So now we have to worry about a crazy cult and a crazy necromancer probably out for revenge." She glared at Abel. "You really are making things difficult, y'know?"

Shrugging nonchalantly, Abel retorted, "I figured I'd give Boss a break."

"Um... excuse me?" The soft, hesitant call from over the side of the ship caught everyone's attention. Peering over the railing, the pirates discovered a small, nervous nun addressing them. Only her white veil was clearly visible in the fog, her black habit and robes blending in as easily as Father Jean's had. "The Father sent me to invite you to join him for dinner."

"Is it that late already?" Nami asked, glancing toward the clock. Indeed, surprising as it was, it was verging on late afternoon by now.

Luffy, naturally, had other things on his mind. "Free food? Heck yeah we'll join him!" Luffy threw himself over the railing, beaming at the woman, oblivious to the startled expression on her face.

Abel paused in joining the crew just long enough to instruct Dogmeat, "Watch the ship while we're gone, boy. And if you see anyone that smells like death, make a run for it." She honestly didn't know if All Hallow's Eve would undo her work after so long, but she'd be very upset if she came back and found the dog dead for real.

An escort wasn't really necessary. Robin and Abel probably could have led the way back to the church. Before reaching the main street, keeping in mind that they were theoretically supposed to be keeping the fact there were twins a secret, Abel pulled the back of her scarf up to act as a hood. It was the closest she could get to obscuring her appearance without looking outright suspicious. Those among the crew that noticed didn't say anything, understanding Abel's actions... and those who wouldn't understand didn't notice, too busy chatting up the sister. Despite her nervousness, the woman answered all of Luffy's questions with great patience and forbearance. Maybe she taught classes for the little kids as was used to such childish curiosity.

Where she really got thrown off, however, was when from Sanji's flattery, questions about the meal and incessant offers to help in the kitchen. While all of these were to be expected from him, that didn't stop Abel from groaning, "For crying out loud, Bullseye. She's a nun. Exactly what you're gonna get from her is in the title." The woman wasn't so innocent that the meaning behind the comment went over her head, but she didn't flush either. Merely blinked owlishly, as if no one had ever tried to hit on her before.

Rolling her eyes, Nami attempted to steer the conversation to something more interesting and wholesome. "I'm surprised you speak Common so well." Indeed, the woman seemed quite fluent, unlike most of those they'd encountered.

Smiling, either from pride or simply the change in topics, the sister replied, "Thanks to the Father. In fact, you can thank him for most of the Common spoken on the island."

The pride in her voice was obvious. The fondness and admiration she spoke with made Abel ask, "Were you serving the church before or after Padre arrived?"

"Oh! The church didn't even exist before the Father arrived." She quickly added for clarification, "What I mean to say is that the... body... didn't exist? Is that correct? The building the Father took up residence in did, but it was empty and unused before he began his work. Over the past few years, only a few of us chose to help him continue his work, but many in the city at least respect him as a kind, compassionate man."

Ever curious about history, Robin asked, "Was the building always a church?" Based on the belfry and cemetery, it was hard to imagine otherwise.

"I believe so. You can find many such old buildings that have been abandoned. I don't know much about their history, other than to guess that their congregations were either driven out or absorbed by-" The sister cut herself off as she suddenly grew distressingly pale. Halting in the middle of the street, her hands flew to her mouth, as if to physically restrain herself from uttering the name.

Concerned by the sudden change, Luffy asked worriedly, "Hey, are you okay?"

The sister's eyes darted around the mostly empty street, lingering on the few groups of people idling about, minding their own business. Shoulders shaking as she heaved a sigh, the sister slowly lowered her hands from her face. "Forgive me," she whispered in a warbling voice. "I shouldn't say more on the subject. One never knows who might be listening, even in Common."

As the sister continued on, this time with more urgency to return to the safety of her home, Luffy cluelessly asked, "What was that about?"

Scowling, Nami answered, "Don't you remember the warning Jean gave us?"

"Warning?" Luffy frowned, the gears in his mind slowly turning. When it came to him, a disturbingly long time given the event was earlier that very day, his eyes widened. "Oh! You mean about the-"

Usopp's hand flew over Luffy's mouth. "Shh, Luffy!" he shushed harshly. "Do you want us to get noticed?" Even if he didn't believe in the whole forgotten god thing, the locals wouldn't be scared without reason. He didn't want to get caught up in a human sacrifice, regardless of whether the entity in question was real or not. Death was, either way.

The group encountered no further delays, and reached the old church in short order. The belfry remained silent, but smoke rose from the chimney near the back corner of the building, suggesting someone had a fire going, either for cooking or comfort. The sister was about to open the main doors for them, when they unexpectedly swung open on their own. Startled, the woman staggered back, barely missing having her hand cracked from the force. Rather than being some magic trick, however, it turned out to have a benign cause: a very angry man storming out. The sister paled again, quickly offering a polite bow and saying something in Germanic in greeting. Abel didn't quite catch the breathy exhalation of sound, but it was something-meister. Though "meister" literally meant "master", and could be used to address a wide range of people, from chefs to lords, Abel at least knew this was someone of importance.

Not that she needed to title to guess that, as the man's clothing clearly indicated some type of rank within the community. Rather than being garbed in the fancy "common" attire they'd seen thus far, this man's outfit more closely resembled a uniform. It was something she'd expect to see on a Marine officer, except it lacked the starch whiteness. A dark button-up coat ending with a high collar, accentuated by numerous shiny buttons and clasps up the front, over dark pants and high boots. He even had a fur pauldron over his right shoulder, fastened to a shrug like what Abel had worn during their assault on Enies Lobby. He was an older gentleman, with white hair and a receded hairline, leaving a half-circle around the sides and back of his otherwise bald head. It always amused Abel how people could lose their hair and yet still maintain a full beard, as this man did, neatly maintained along with a mustache. His appearance simply screamed aristocrat, including the way he looked down at them with a sneer of contempt. Though that last part could simply be from whatever had made him angry and storm out.

The man didn't say anything to them, only scowling and marching off. For an old guy, he still carried himself with the stiff command of nobility. Like a tin soldier someone forgot to oil.

Before any of them could ask who that way, the sister had already run inside, her concern obvious. Following, the crew entered into the church's foyer. It was very simple and modest. Doorways led off to either side of the foyer. The left side was closed, but if Abel had to guess led to either closets or bathrooms. To the right side was a small office space, likely for the Padre. A quick glance showed a simple desk with chairs on either side for visitors and a few bookcases. That alone was enough to take up most of the space. Near the stone archway leading into the church proper stood a table for offerings, a donation box smartly locked and bolted to the table to discourage the very scrupulous from stealing alms. A basket sat below the table for material offerings, which at the moment seemed to consist of old donated clothes, some books and a few jars of some type of preserved food. These were less secure, likely as the Padre felt if someone was desperate enough to steal the supplies, they probably needed them.

Following the sound of voices, the group entered the sanctuary. It was simple. Rustic. And very empty. Two rows of wooden pews led to a small, wooden podium at the front, flanked by a large, faded yellow tapestry against the back wall. Abel wondered if the tapestry was for visual appeal, or to cover up some faded icon from the church's past. The walls were tall, sheer stone, with the narrow, opaque windows doing little to let light in. That was primarily the job of the old braziers hanging from the ceiling. Who drew the short straw to climb up and light those? Off to the left of the podium stood what Abel recognized as a confessional; essentially a box separated by a panel in the middle and curtains to shield confessors from prying eyes as they sought atonement. Doors led off to either side of the sanctuary into unseen rooms.

Father Jean and the sister stood near the door on the right. The sister was speaking in Germanic, clutching her hands anxiously. Whatever she was saying, Father Jean's calm countenance never wavered, instead only placing a comforting hand upon her shoulder before raising his gaze to them. "Ah, welcome," he greeted warmly. "I'm glad you decided to take up my offer."

"Who was that that just left?" Luffy asked, ever curious.

"Ah, you must mean the mayor. He stopped by for a conversation."

"Didn't seem like a happy one," Zoro commented.

Jean's visage shifted to one of longsuffering. "Is there such a thing as a happy conversation with a politician?" he quipped. Shrugging off the unpleasant topic, Jean held out a beckoning hand. "Come. Frau Hettie is known for many things, but patience around mealtime is not one of them."

If Sanji was hoping for a delicate woman to offer cooking aid to, he was sorely disappointed. Frau Hettie was one of those farming women who began to resemble the ground they worked; hard and stubborn. Hard living had chiseled her down to stone. She was in many ways the opposite of Fräulein Tanzer. Hard, plain and severe to the seamstress' flamboyant showy zeal. She didn't seem to be a sister, or a member of the church, given her simple peasant's attire and veil-less head. Given the way she barely batted an eye at the additional stomachs to feed and dismissed any offers to help with a threatening wave from the large wooden paddle ordinarily used for pulling bread from ovens, Abel wouldn't be surprised to hear the woman just barged in one day and asserted her kitchen dominance. Sanji offered to help, ever eager to learn from even the simplest of cooks, but had spent enough time around the surly old geezer to know when to step down from the head chef. Instead, he contented himself with watching from the table.

The kitchen itself was cozy but simple. A long wooden bench sat in the middle with various cooking necessities lining the wall. A pot simmered over a wood-burning stove smelling sharply of vinegar. A large brick oven at the very back poured out heat, making the room very comfortable, and no doubt the go-to gathering point. Obviously the first thing to really catch Abel's eye was the large tom cat curled up on one of the burlap sacks in the corner by the stove. Frau Hettie fussed at him as she fetched some potatoes from the sacks, but the cat barely moved, merely opening one orange eye to scan the source of the noise before deciding they weren't worth waking up for.

He reminded Abel a lot of Dogmeat, in that it was clear he'd lived a hard life before occupying the church. He had one "glass eye", meaning the natural orange color had been washed out due to an untreated injury. A busted eye, probably literally. The tip of his ear on the same side had been shorn, and while he had all his limbs, his stub tail had clearly either been cut or bitten off at the end. Abel couldn't tell what breed he was, but he had the type of fur that looked blue and gave him very round features.

Abel wasn't the only one to notice him, of course, and like a moth to a flame, Luffy was over trying to pet him. "Wake up, kitty," he cooed, hand reaching for the cat. The tom peeked his eyes open just enough to glare at the offending hand coming for him. His ears lay back, and his stub tail flickered in obvious cat irritation. Over the bubbling of the pots, the sound of a warning growl issued.

"He's going to bite you, Boss," Abel warned, not wanting the boy to suffer from the cat's needle-like teeth.

"Ah, Charlie," Father Jean said, taking a seat at the table. "He just showed up one day and decided to stay. He's not much for company, but he's excellent at keeping the rats away." Abel wondered if a few of those scars were from the rats. Given that they were almost as big as a housecat, it wasn't out of the question.

Luffy pouted at being snubbed by another animal, but quickly got over it in favor of the delicious smell of food. With an efficiency that could only come from serving large groups of people in a hurry, Frau Hettie had goblets of cold water out for them in a flash. This was a church, after all. And before they could pick up the previous conversation, Frau Hettie doled out plates of brats with sauerkraut and warm potato salad. Like the woman herself, simple yet hearty dishes. Tucking into the meal, Usopp asked, "Why'd the mayor look so angry at you?"

"We have many differences of opinion," Father Jean answered as he cut up his brat. "Specifically, he came to reiterate the nobility's stance that I should stop teaching the lower classes to read and write."

Of all the things they expected, that was not one of them. "Stop teaching people to read and write?" Chopper asked, frowning behind his glasses. "Why?"

Robin answered for him. "It's not uncommon for the upper classes to wish to remain there by holding back the lower classes. And education is one of the main ways a person can improve their lot in life." Sadly, despite the progress being made, not everyone had access to things like basic education. In a lot of the smaller islands it was up to the parents to teach their children. Ohara had been unique in having basically an institution. And look where it got them, Robin couldn't help thinking bitterly. Even the world government feared certain types of education.

"That's dumb," Luffy stated with simple clarity. "Even I was taught to read. I might not like to, but I can."

His straightforward, childish declaration earned snickers from the crew. "Do you think he realizes he just insulted himself?" Solomon whispered to Caine.

A sudden blur of movement next to her made Abel jump, and she soon found herself in a stare-off with the old tom. Making himself at home between her and Zoro, he curled up on the table as cats do and stared at the hunter. Abel stared back, unsure what he was trying to communicate. She didn't speak cat as well as she did dog. But, recalling a book on how feline species communicate with their eyes, Abel softened her gaze, making a slow blink. After a moment, Charlie mimicked her action, blinking slowly before closing his eyes all together, dozing off quickly. Grinning in bemusement, she commented to Zoro, "We seem to have reached an accord."

. Scraping against stone pulled Abel's attention to watch as Frau Hettie used her wooden paddle to pull a pan from the oven. Inside was some sort of dumpling dish. "We've had this conversation many times," Father Jean continued, and it took Abel a second to get her mind back to the main conversation. "My answer is always the same. I consider it my humanitarian duty. I'm not sure if Abel told you, but I grew up poor, having to steal for food. It was only because someone took a chance on me that I'm where I am today. It's as much a part of my vow as aught else."

Having finished garnishing the dumplings with bits of bacon and green onions, Frau Hettie set them on the table before the guests. She fussed again at the cat for being in the way, but again he ignored her. Abel suspected this was a common occurrence in the kitchen. And then, as was strangely common for most cooks, she didn't sit down to eat with the rest of them. Instead, she stood back by the over, leaning against the wall watching her guests.

"Speaking of imparting knowledge," Nami segued. "You failed to mention that most of the people here speak a different language."

Father Jean's eyes widened, and it seemed as if that had completely skipped his mind. "Goodness, you're right!" He chuckled, adjusting his glasses sheepishly. "I must be getting old. Either that, or I'm so used to it I didn't even think to tell you." He offered an apologetic smile that was hard for Nami to stay cross at. Not that she was that mad to begin with. It had been a minor annoyance. Directing his attention toward the sisters, he continued, "But I seem to recall you've studied Germanic. Assuming you kept up with your studies, that is."

Abel cast a knowing glance toward Caine, who scoffed and focused on her food. "It's been fine," Abel replied. "People's tongues are a lot looser when they think you can't understand them. I've overhead a few interesting things. Like killer rats living in the catacombs."

This earned a frown. "So you've tangled with the rats already. Yes, they've become very bold as of late."

Their resident archeologist perked at this. "Catacombs, you say?"

"Yes. As the city began to expand and land was in high demand, no one wanted to use up that limited resource for burying the dead in traditional cemeteries. So they began construction on the catacombs." Leaning back in his chair, Father Jean continued, "I've only glimpsed a map of the tombs once, but if memory serves they're almost as numerous as the streets above."

"That's very interesting..." Robin murmured thoughtfully.

Of course, everyone in the crew knew what that look meant. "Don't tell me you're planning on going down there, Robin," Chopper squeaked, his voice not fitting at all with the larger form.

"I would advise against it," Father Jean agreed, frowning in concern. "The tombs are very old, and in poor repair. It's not unheard of for them to cave in, sometimes even taking parts of the streets above with them."

The implications made Usopp turn deathly pale. "You mean we could be walking along minding our own business and just fall into a skeleton-filled sinkhole!?"

"Yes."

Gulping, Usopp drew his feet up, as if he thought the mere act of touching the floor would cause it to collapse beneath him, swallowing him up into a corpse-filled tomb for eternity. Loudly, he shouted, "Well, it was nice meeting you, old priest guy! But I think it's time we got back to the ship and never set foot on this island again! Thanks for the food!"

"But I wanna check 'em out."

The response, while predictable, caused Usopp to faceplant onto the floor. "Luffy!" he shouted, nursing his broken nose. "Why do you wanna see a bunch of dead bodies and hungry rats!? Do you really not care about getting buried alive, eaten by hungry rats, or worse- buried alive and then eaten by hungry rats!?"

"What's the big deal?" Luffy retorted. "They're just rats. Abel dealt with them before."

"I have to agree with your friend's worries," Father Jean interjected. "The catacombs are very hazardous, and not just for the obvious reasons. It's like a maze down there, and in almost pitch black it's easy to lose your way. Even with a map, many of the tunnels have collapsed or are flooded. Every year young folk go missing daring each other to enter the few entrances that remain open."

"And where might those be?" Robin asked.

"No, I will not say." Father Jean's tone was firm, almost as grave as when he'd given the sisters his warning.

Huffing, Zoro warned, "She'll just find out either way." Robin could be just as bullheaded as the rest of them when she wanted something.

"That may be, but I don't have to make it easy for her." Father Jean's stern expression didn't match his words when he said, "I'm sorry, but I can't in good conscience tell you." Robin smiled politely at his words, in a way Abel had come to recognize as meaning she already had her own thoughts on the matter.

Overtly, Father Jean led the conversation away from such dangerous topics, steering it toward what the others had occupied their day with. Luffy's boundless enthusiasm amused the priest as he spoke of the wonders he'd seen that day. Boundlessly optimistic, that was the most accurate description of their captain. And it was hard not to be taken in by that optimism, especially in a place as gloomy as this. When Luffy talked about climbing the clock tower, Chopper chimed in that he wanted to see it as well, while Sanji dreamed of taking a "romantic" stroll with the ladies there. This, naturally, earned a scoff from their jaded swordsman, prompting an argument. Frau Hettie was the one to end the row, barking sharply in Germanic at them. While they didn't know what she said, her meaning was clear. She didn't tolerate such shenanigans in her kitchen. And that wooden paddle would greatly smart if it whacked them in the head.

While all this was going on, Abel scratched the old tom behind the ears, earning a low purr from him. It was likely thanks to this distraction that Abel noticed Robin silently slipping away from the group during the conversation. As no one commented, she assumed no one else noticed. Abel hid a knowing grin when the woman returned not too long after, a thoughtful expression on her face.

Eventually, the meal ended, and it was time for the crew to depart. "Thanks for the food!" Luffy enthusiastically said.

More politely, Sanji thanked Frau Hettie, "It was a wonderful meal, madam." Although she didn't understand exactly what the blond said, Frau Hettie knew enough to wave off the flattery. Though was that the ghost of a blush on the woman's stern features? Perhaps she wasn't quite as immune to Sanji's charms as she first appeared?

As they headed back to the ship, with certain members more eager to return quickly to safety than others, Abel slipped toward the back with Robin. The woman raised an eyebrow at Abel's knowing grin. "Did you learn anything interesting when you snuck off?"

Robin raised a brow, but shouldn't have been surprised that Abel was the only one to notice she'd slipped away during the table conversation. Seeing no point in denying what the other clearly already knew, Robin replied, "There is an old entrance to the catacombs in the church. However, it was bricked up a long time ago."

Robin described what she'd found while the others were distracted. Outside, in the small cemetery, stood a back entrance into the church. This narrow building housed objects for burials, with wooden coffins of various sizes stacked along the walls. And at the back, where the building ought to connect to the church, stood a tall, bricked up opening. To Robin's trained archeologist eyes, it was clear it was a newer construction when compared to the rest of the building. The bricks and mortar weren't nearly as faded or smoothed as the rest of the building. There was also, suspiciously, a locked iron gate in front of it. A bit overkill if it was just a wall.

"It only makes sense for there to be an entrance to the catacombs at the church, if it's as old as the nun suggested," Robin explained. "My guess is that the gate was the original deterrent from people entering the tombs. Sometime later, the entrance was covered entirely. Perhaps the first time the church fell into disuse."

"Do you think Padre did it?"

Robin pondered the question for a moment before declaring, "I don't believe so. He only arrived a few years ago. The wall was obviously older than that."

"Guess you'll just have to search elsewhere," Abel commented, knowing full well that Robin wasn't about to give up.

When they arrived back at the ship, Dogmeat did his usual greeting, yipping and dancing around, and generally letting everyone in the area know the pirates had returned to their ship. Amusingly, however, when Abel went to pet him, Dogmeat hesitated to let her touch him and instead sniffed at her hand. At first, she thought it might have been the food that had him interested, except the scent of food never attracted his attention before. When he growled and snorted, stalking away with a betrayed expression on his face, Abel chuckled. "Uh-oh. I think he's caught me cheating."

"Cheating?" Nami asked, confused.

"I've dared to fraternize with the enemy." Sensing she wasn't making any sense, Abel grinned. "I pet a cat." In response, Dogmeat gave a warbling bark, which Abel interpreted as telling her off. Or perhaps demanding she go wash.

As night began to draw near (at least according to their clocks as it always looked like night in the sky), the crew began to settle down, making plans for the next day. They did still have eight days before they could consider leaving, so they had plenty of time left to explore to their heart's content. Though from the sounds of it, not everyone was too keen on going ashore with everything that'd been learnt today. Eventually, everyone made their way to bed. All except for two. Dogmeat lay dutifully at the hatch, waiting for his master to reappear. He glared at the hatch that always separated him from his master, wishing he could go down with her. Bad enough he'd had to watch the ship all day.

The dog was in a foul mood to begin with. This... cold was annoying. He vaguely recalled the cold desert nights, but back then he'd had fur to keep him warm or a pack to curl up with. This was a very different sort of cold. It was wet and dreary. It made his muscles feel stiff and difficult to move. Like his own body wouldn't listen to him. The... thing his master put on him helped, but it felt unnatural on his skin, and constricting. And he couldn't get the blasted thing off. He didn't understand how the prey stood to wear such human things. At least it wasn't as bad as that bright yellow monstrosity his master had put on him at that water island.

Not to mention he didn't like this island. He hadn't even gone ashore yet, but he didn't like the way it smelt. Of wet, and vermin, and wet vermin. It smelt old and musty, like those things the black-haired female was always looking at. The faint scent of old death lingered. Just like the thing in the box. Not to mention the tension that rolled off the buildings themselves. Animals were sensitive to energy, and the people here were tense, nervous. Like something bad was always just around the corner. It set Dogmeat's teeth on edge and made him want to bite at something.

Suddenly, his ears perked and his head jerked upright. What was that?

Downstairs, Abel wanted to check on her film before heading to bed. She felt immensely pleased that, despite the cool temperature, the film had dried properly, the extra weight of the clothespin helping keep it straight. Unclipping it, Abel sat back in her chair and held the film aloft. Turning the negatives into proper photos would have to wait for another day, but she still wanted to check out what she had. Following the instructions in the book, Abel clipped the negatives into shorter strips and would store them in a protective sleeve. But before that, she held the strips up to the light.

It was a bit weird looking at the film. As the name implies, the photos were negative, or inverted. Areas that should be brighter were darker, and areas that were darker were lighter in the film. It was just the way photography worked. Darker areas meant the film had been exposed to more light which reacted with chemicals more. If she understood correctly, this would be the same process for making the final photograph. But this time when the light went through the negative onto the photographic paper, more light would go through the lighter areas (dark objects) causing a greater chemical reaction and thus creating darker images. From a chemistry standpoint, it was quite fascinating. At least to Abel.

For now, though, she merely peered at the negatives. She smiled when she saw the ones she'd taken on the ship with the crew, their smiling faces visible even through the tiny frame. She'd be sure to make full photos of them, as she'd promised Luffy. But the ones she was really interested in were the ones from the forest.

Eagerly, Abel held the strips up to the light, only to find herself somewhat disappointed. The photos were... well, it was hard to say. There seemed to be nothing. Almost completely whited out. Leaning closer, Abel observed the line of white frames. For a brief moment, Abel worried she might've messed up the development process, before recalling that it was only these last frames that were like this. If she'd messed up, say by accidentally exposing the film to light during the developing process, all the frames would've been impacted. And they would've been completely dark.

Come to think of it, the flash didn't cast a shadow on the trees. Abel recalled how, during one of her tests with the camera in the forest, the light seemed to go straight through the trees, which had hinted to her that they weren't real. Perhaps this was truly a reflection of what had been in the forest: nothing. While disappointing, the thought that a camera might react (or in this case not react) to supernatural phenomena intrigued her.

As she slid the remaining strips of film along her fingers, she was so deep in thought that she almost missed when the photos changed. Doing a double-take, Abel's eyes widened when she realized that the last few photos did show something. The field was still mostly white. But then a small dark figure appeared near the center of one of the frames. Though small, it stood out in the sea of white. With each passing frame, the figure grew slowly but steadily, taking up more of the photo. Abel couldn't explain why, but she felt an unusual sense of dread welling up in her chest as the form grew bigger— No! Not getting bigger. Getting closer. In each from, the dark shape drew nearer and nearer, as if it were bleeding onto the film. Tearing through space until it was front and center, reaching out into the room, close enough to touch—

"BARK! BARK! BARK!"

Dogmeat's sudden barking jolted Abel so badly she bashed her knee on the desk, causing her to drop the film. She quickly sucked in a sharp breath, holding her aching knee. Of course she had to hit it right on the corner. Abel had half a mind to yell at Dogmeat for the interruption, had it not dawned on her that this wasn't Dogmeat's usual barking. No, it held a viciousness that only existed when he felt there was danger. Something had upset the beast.

Hobbling as fast as she could, Abel climbed onto the deck just as the others were coming out of their rooms, disgruntled and frazzled as Abel from the rude awakening. Dogmeat neither noticed nor cared, too busy barking and snarling at something on the dock. He stood on his hind legs, front paw balancing on the railing as his teeth flashed in the dark. Quickly coming up behind him, Abel followed his gaze in time to see something disappear into the alley. It was too dark to say for sure what it was, but it was definitely in a hurry, scared off by Dogmeat's warning.

Carefully, Abel laid a hand on Dogmeat's shoulders. His muscles tensed, and Abel feared he might leap over the railing to give chase, so she grabbed the back of his sweater to hold him. The canine vibrated under her hand, anger barely restrained. "Good boy," she said gently, trying to ease him down.

"What did he see?" Luffy asked, having been in such a hurry he'd forgotten his hat.

Growling and snorting, Dogmeat stepped down from the railing, only to begin pacing anxiously, as if he felt the need to patrol his territory for more threats. Ears perking, Chopper helpfully translated what Abel assumed was angry rantings, "He saw someone dressed in black watching the ship."

Gazing back in the direction of the vanishing figure, Abel mused, "So much for keeping a low profile."

To Be Continued...