The couple bounded onto the submarine with warm smiles and Melody almost tackled the two into a bone-crushing hug. Fuck her side hurt with that motion. She held back a wince so she didn't worry them.

"God it's been so long," Rebecca Crane sighed happily into Melody's ear.

Melody almost cried out loud at the happiness and relief washing over her.

The shorter woman had black, short and spiked hair and hazel eyes, her skin bore a sun-kissed tan that was faded. She sported assassin's robes as per the crew mandate, hers not as feminine as Melody's, and had an earpiece that she sported that looks otherworldly.

Behind her giving a polite nod, as he smoothed his sandy-blond locks back, not one for more than a handshake (not unlike herself) stood Shaun Hastings. His robes looked much more formal, dark and slick. His glasses hiding his brown eyes, and no doubt the constant bags normally under them.

He gave the two ladies a devious smirk.

"No doubt you've been waiting for an update," Shaun snipped. "And we've been in the area thankfully."

"Update?" she quirked a brow. "I didn't—"

"Didn't have to," Rebecca snorted. "You know how Leonardo is; always a hundred steps ahead. And busy."

The tiny woman slung the package at the taller. Melody's eyes widened as it was heavier than she expected.

"What is it?" Bepo asked softly.

"He can't have…" Melody whispered. "I just considered it hours ago…"

She was quietly agape at the package. She slowly peeled the paper wrapping off and the perfectly tied twine. Leonardo was a perfectionist even in the most extraneous details.

The cloth wrapped around the item within was a velvety blue. Midnight and silky, the moment the paper had torn off the material it flowed like water off the gift and revealed it to the prying eyes of the group around her.

There was a full set of armour. A breastplate, a pair of vambraces and a pair of greaves. The metal was a dull blue that shone that if it was polished looked as if it would shimmer like the sea's surface. To keep it from shining like the sun, it had been intricately engraved like a relief sculpture. The breastplate depicting a shining sun from the center of the sternum outward. The greaves depicted wings like they were attached to the heals of the wearer and the vambraces were carved words in Latin, the language of Maysaf. Her heart thudded in her chest as she ran her fingers over the vambraces.

"Leonardo's outdone himself," Shaun spoke softly.

"What is it?" Bepo asked again.

"It's plutonium armour," she sighed softly, fighting back a smile. "Engraved and custom made for me…."

"Leonardo knew we were going to need it," Rebecca spoke softly but rapidly. "You know he's thinking everything over before we've even seen it as a threat. He's also scary good at predicting our losses….He knew you'd be passing by, so he teleported us here—"

"T-teleported?" Law sputtered and shot Melody a look.

"I gave Leonardo a gift of studying me," Melody shrugged. "After a while of getting comfortable. He conducted a few tests and was able to take a limited amount of teleports from me."

"How?" Law blinked, he sounded curious but irritated.

"Easy," Melody reached into her pocket, pulling out a clear quartz she tended to leave in there. She took a moment and placed both hands over the crystal. She squeezed it tight then threw it to Law. The man snapped it from the air.

"Now," she smirked. "Think of a time, a place and rub it in your fingers. This one will only last for a two-way trip."

"Umm…" Law shrugged and rubbed the crystal between his finger and thumb. He then popped out of sight as if we had blinked during his exit.

"WHAT!?" Bepo howled in surprise and swiped his paws through where Law had previously been. "CAPTAIN!" he howled.

"Relax," Melody shook her head.

Another pop and Law was stood on top of where Bepo lay sprawled on the floor.

"Bepo please," Law sighed at the bear's position. He looked pale and he dropped the crystal to the deck below them.

Melody smirked and scooped it up. "I've given only two crystals in my life. One to.." she hesitated on the name. "to E-Ezio….and the other Leonardo."

"Does Ezio still.." Law asked tentatively.

"I only gave as many as he thought he'd need," Melody shook her head. "It's tied to his life force anyway, only the ones holding them can use them or allow others to use it."

"Which reminds us—" Shaun interrupted and tucked Melody a letter into her hand. "We've got minutes to go, so we're super lucky we ran into you when we could." He then dropped his voice. "You're always welcome back, love. Keep safe; nothing is true—"

"Everything is permitted." Melody smiled back. "And you keep safe too. And Rebecca!"

The tiny woman quirked her head.

"Live free, my brother and sister," she bowed her head in respect.

Rebecca's eyes widened in surprise and nodded. "Die well, sister." Her mouth almost moved without her words reaching her face properly.

The two popped out of existence just as Shaun opened his mouth, his eyes wide in shock.

The deck remained quiet for a pause.

"What did that mean?" Law asked softly but coldly and calculated.

"It's…." Melody mumbled, feeling her stomach churn. "A tribe I admired, they had a fictional retelling of one of their kings rising to power. He and his brothers were assassins. When they went on missions, and swore to the other a goodbye they would always say 'Live free' and the other would respond 'Die well'." Melody fidgeted with the silk from the packaging, embarrassed now that she had to explain herself. "They would also be the final words spoken to each other….I used it as a firm goodbye to Rebecca….she's the closest to being an actual sister…and she's the closest to understanding that, next to Shaun."

"You realllly don't want anyone fighting for you…" Law snorted softly. "Well you chose the wrong crew, because the boys are too chivalrous to not try and protect you, woman or crewmember your screwed either way."

Melody sighed heavily, a smile ghosting her lips. "I was afraid of that." She snorted to herself. Running her fingers over the cold metal in front of her. "Fuck….I can't wait…" she whispered to the armour.

"You can go try it on…" Law rolled his eyes and lay against Bepo. Relaxing his nodachi on his shoulders as usual.

She didn't hesitate and yanked the whole set up and ran for their shared room.

She prepped her regular assassins' garb, the red sash she tucked away and instead dressed it with the dark watery material Leonardo had wrapped everything in. She slowly slipped on the exotic breastplate and secured it. After she strapped it into place, she heard a whirl and she felt herself standing straighter. She twisted to see the back of the breastplate, it had covered her sides and kidneys from cheap shots now, with a full range of movement. Leathery strips hung off the breastplate, perfect for lighting matches or sharpening blades. She slid on her greaves and then the vambraces finally. She flicked her wrists and out came two perfectly gleaming blades, the blades fully rotatable.

She smirked and tapped her feet. She felt her feet and her body feel light as if she hadn't weighed herself down. Must be the greaves, she thought, Leonardo does think of everything.

She teleported to the deck again.

"Holy shit!" Law remarked, standing up. His eyes were wide and his smirk arrogant, he walked around appraising her attire, looking over the back as well. "Your 'Leonardo' thinks of everything huh? Kidney protection?"

He rose a brow at her as he approached the front again. "That's damn impressive," he snorted a little. "But pulling that on and off will be kinda a setback…"

"Eh," Melody shrugged nonchalantly. "Leo's been working on 'Auto-Off' Tech—"

She was silenced by the armour whirling behind near her upper back between her shoulder blades. It felt like her whole body was being dunked in the icy sea. Law grabbed his nodachi and leapt back a little, ready to draw his blade. She gasped as the cold sensation leapt to her throat and she felt instantly lighter again. She hazarded a look down.

The entire armour had whirled up into her necklace, under where her family house key still swung was a blue gem as if it had always been attached to the chain under the key. All that was left of the assassin's garb was her underclothes; shorts and a tank top.

"Holy shit," Melody muttered and felt the cold and weightless gem. She felt the adrenalin pumping in her as her hands trembled in excitement. "THE OLD FUCKER DID IT!" She whooped and jumped around excitedly on the deck. "LEO DID IT!"

She chuckled madly and danced around the deck, much to Law and Bepo's amusement.

"Eh?" came a shout from the shore as they mounted on, it was Sachi. The rest of the men in tow, save the few already on board "Where's the fire?"

"Lemme think," Melody looked to the gem on her chest. "Auto-on?"

The process reversed. Ice cold water feeling drenched downwards from her neck, she watched this time. It was as if someone swapped a paintbrush over her body from the neck down, the armour materializing instantly.

"Fucking sweet!" Penguin shouted over the whooping of excitement from the crew. She smirked at them feeling her body straighten up.

"Amazing!" Bepo whooped.

She smiled and suddenly she felt a chill up her spine that broke it. She saw Law's face drop too.

She could see a glint across the horizon of rooftops of Fishman Island. The way the light shone it couldn't be anything other than a sniper.

"Law, I—"

"Yes," Law nodded.

Melody stared at the rooftop far away and snapped to the location above the sniper. It was a fucking Fishman of the Kingdoms military. She knocked the sniper out and teleported back.

"We need to go," Melody said. "I know the Log-pose rests tonight, but that was the King's sniper…."

"Then we wait below," Law sighed. "And set out at midnight."

Law looked to the men and gave them a nod. "Call anyone back, we're down in 30 minutes."

The men nodded and all but Penguin and Sachi went below.

"Bepo do role please," Law nodded to himself mostly.

The mink bowed his head. "Sorry, Captain."

"Don't be," Law patted his arm.

Melody stood on the deck, landscaping the horizon as the four of them lingered. The sun continuously shone so it was hard to tell what time it was, but they could tell that no one else was lining up to shoot them from where they were docked.

She found herself biting her tongue as she noticed the two boys that weren't Law staring at her new attire. Both had very firm blushes on their cheeks.

"Liking the view, men?" Law said slowly and with venom.

The two started stammering and trying to cover their asses. Melody started laughing softly. God it was nice to hear them bickering. She hummed to herself as she watched the horizon, a few more Heart Pirates dancing arm in arm back onto the Polar Tang.

She let the three men off to the side continue their antics as they entered the sub and she closed the door behind them. Law was now yelling at them about 'respecting your crewmates' and 'respecting women and their bodies'. It was so cute and she couldn't help but find their embarrassment hilarious, seeing as she wasn't wearing anything very revealing.

"Bepo, the rest have boarded," she told the navigator over the comms.

"Okay thanks, I'll warn the rest to prep to submerge then, thanks," she could almost hear the bear bowing.

She hung up and helped Penguin seal the ship's doors. The man's face was red as he listened to Law yelling and berating him and his buddy.

She couldn't help but feel amused as she 'Auto-Off'ed again and the yelling started anew from Law at the boy's expense.

She laughed as she headed to the helm, trying to keep herself from tipping over from the deep stitch in her side from laughing and the other side from her real wounds that were still healing.

Authors Note;

No, I'm not dead, I've been working. I know 'IN THIS ECONOMY'.

I felt the need to post a little something cause it's been so VERY long. If anyone wants to find me on other social media to contact me about posting I REALLY do not mind.

I've been working through all this terrible time we've been dealing with and I thank you all for sticking it through all this. At home or at work we're all in this together. I'm working on posting more so if anyone following this story follows the others, they haven't been forgotten. And neither have you it's just been a busy few months!

Thank you for reading a short one,

Melody