Family ties are precious threads,

No matter where we roam.

They draw us close to those we love,

And pull our hearts toward home.

-anonymous

It was in the middle of summer, when the seasons found themselves in Alabasta, the desert kingdom. They had heard of the rebellion brewing against the royal family and wanted to solve the problem discreetly.

Climbing down from their ship, which they had been jumping from island to island with, after quickly folding the sails, they dropped the anchor into the sea, and breathed in the dry salty air.

Looking around the entrance to Nanohana: Alabasta's port town, Natsuki shielded her eyes against the glaring sun. The place reminding her of the wind kingdom in the elemental nations, and of Gaara. She smiled at the memory of a boy who vaguely understood what 'he' as Naruto went through at the time.

"Natsu? What are we going to do first?"

"Can't we have fun once in a while? I want to eat!"

"Me too!"

"Me three!" They hit Haruki on the head, because of a certain argument they had a few days before, something along the lines of Aki yelling, "TOO DOESN'T MEAN TWO! STOP YELLING ME THREE!" but that's a story for another day.

"We don't need to start another argument. Where do you want to go?"

"Can we eat, please? You know who would have to cook if we don't eat out." Uki groaned, pointing at Kanki.

"Excuse you! I make delicious toast!"

"Anyone can make toast. It's TOAST! You toast the bread, and it's done!" She argued back.

"Says the person who over boiled the egg."

"ONE TIME!"

"We get it! Calm down! Geez!"

"Shall we just randomly go to town and look for a restaurant?"

"Why not?" So the six of them just walked around, sometimes popping into stores, buying things they wanted, giving extra tips to shops going poor, in necessary cases.

They arrived at a restaurant named the 'Spice Bean' and sat by the bar. Natsuki smiled when she saw her spaghetti meatballs arrive, blanching when Fuyuki's fried octopus arrived with a bowl of rice. Uki got a club sandwich, and Kanki got a steak. Aki ordered salad along with a kebab, and Haruki got his banana split. They were all eating peacefully, when Natsuki turned around abruptly.

She looked at the entrance, where a man half naked, wearing an orange hat, and a red beaded necklace appeared. There was a massive tattoo of a jolly roger on his back, and another smaller tattoo on his left arm. With the letters, ASCE on it. He sat down next to Natsuki and ordered as much food on the menu as possible, then began to eat.

All the while, Natsuki just stared at him, catching the attention of Fuyuki, then gradually the rest of her crew.

He suddenly fell face first into his food.

She continued to stare.

"Is he alright?"

"Someone's died!"

"He just, dropped dead..."

"You think it's a Desert Strawberry?"

"Yeah, it's got to be..."

"When you get bit by one of those, several hours after the death, the poison spreads throughout the victim's body, so no one wants to get near him."

"Huh!?" he jumped sat up.

"Well..." The man wiped his face in the closest piece of cloth he saw. Rubbing his face clean with a soft green fabric, which vaguely smelt familiar. Soon after, he announced to the world, "I fell asleep."

Natsuki got an irk mark when her favourite kimono was dirtied with gravy. She stood up, vaguely catching the attention of the man.

"What's with you lady? You dress weirdly, and you wear a mask?" He looked at her properly. Her flaming red hair, and blue eyes behind the holes of her mask. Her battle kimono and katana by her waist.

He began to sweat under her glare, when he was saved by a marine grabbing his shoulder.

"What's White Beard's second division commander doing here... Portgas D. Ace?" Whispers broke out within the crowd.

"Hey, I was about to talk to him." Natsuki interrupted the man who had two cigarettes in his mouth, a mean look in his eyes. A marine jacket on his shoulders.

"You... I know you, you're- you're!" He was about to tell the audience her identity, when another person entered the scene, further surprising Natsuki. He rammed into the restaurant, clashing with the officer and Ace, sending them flying through the walls. Natsuki sidestepped the attack and looked at the intruder disapprovingly.

He flicked the rubble off his shoulders and sat down, next to Natsuki. He ate the left overs of Natsuki's meal, and ate Ace's remains as well.

Natsuki's irk marks increased.

She coughed deliberately, but the boy with a straw hat didn't look up.

She tapped his shoulder, but he still continued to eat.

This time, she grabbed his hat, and he immediately went on the defensive.

"Hey! This is my treasure don't... touch... it..." He looked at her for a few seconds, the audience at the restaurant listening in on them. "GEH!!!!" He jumped up, and tried to run away, but Natsuki didn't let him.

"Luffy~? Where do you think you're going?" She slid her mask to the back of her head, revealing her tightly closed eyes and 'sincere' smile. Sweat slipped and dropped down Luffy's back until his shirt was soggy and wet.

"Nowhere?"

"Of course you wouldn't be... After taking your sister's food, you think you'd just get away?" Her crew immediately connected the dots, already promising to go to his funeral.

"No?" The rubble moved, and Ace walked out from the dust fumes. His eyes brightened at the sight of Luffy, but seeing his sister, he looked as terrified as Luffy.

"I have to talk to you two." She finally said, but was interrupted by the raging yell of the smoking marine.

"What a lucky day! I get three bounty heads!"

"Will you shut up!? It's a family reunion for gods sake!" Natsuki shot several of her kunai in the man's direction, and he was stuck to the wall, outlined by the sharp knives. Apparently not learning his lesson, he yelled for another person's name.

"Tashigi!!"

"Yes, Captain Smoker!?"

"Get them!?"

"Who?"

"Check it with the katana you idiot!" The girl with a black bob, wearing thick rimmed glasses took a single glance at Natsuki's katana to exclaim, "THE STRIKING VIXEN!" Natsuki sighed, whilst the crowd grew crazy.

"Yes it is me, now will you excuse us? We need to get going, along with clean my kimono, because someone, thought it was a good idea to wipe his face on a random person's dress, which turned out to be his dear sister's. Good day."

"You're not going anywhere!"

"I'm afraid we are. Sorry to burst your bubble, but as a human being, we must continue to move forward." She replied sassily. "Seasons!" Natsuki grabbed her brothers' and her crew grabbed her.

Tashigi and Smoker jumped onto the spot where they were just a moment ago, and the only proof that they were there, was the sack of cash to pay for the damages and food, as well as the falling rubble and empty plates.

The eight of them reappeared at a random alley.

"Nee-chan! / Natsuki!!" The two brothers hugged their sister dearly, but after a moment of happiness, they each got a punch on the head from her.

"You haven't remembered the manners I taught you at all! Wiping your face on a stranger's skirt? Break a person's restaurant? Eat someone else's food? Oh my goodness..." She rubbed her temples and Haruki sniggered.

"Look at how much of a momma bear she is." He whispered to Kanki, who smirked, but erased it at once.

"Well I'm extremely sorry for worrying about my two younger brothers." She puffed her cheeks up and they all started to smile.

"So, not that she hasn't told us already, but why not an introduction?" Aki suggested.

"Yeah, sounds good."

"Well, my name's Portgas D. Ace. I'm the oldest younger brother of Natsuki. I'm the commander of the second division in the white beard pirates. I can control fire after I ate the flame flame fruit."

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy! I'm the youngest brother of Natsu-nee! I'm a rubber man who ate the gum gum fruit, and I'm the captain of the Straw-hat pirates! I'm going to be the pirate king! Also, I'm hungry." He finished in sync with his stomach growling. Natsuki looked at Aki, and she began her introduction.

"I'm Aki, and I'm Natsuki's forth recruit. I can make things grow rapidly, like this!" She dropped a seed, which she keeps in a pouch by her waist, onto the ground, and it began to grow and grow into a massive sunflower. She then turned to Kanki.

"I'm Kanki, and I am Natsuki's final recruit. I can make things dry up when I touch them, so please don't touch my hands as a joke, unless you want this little midget shout at me and you." He touched the sunflower, and it's seeds fell off as the flower dried up. He gave the seeds to Luffy, who ate it happily.

"Who're you calling midget!? Anyway, I'm Uki. I'm Natsu-nee's fifth recruit, and I can make it rain! I am one of the two devil fruit users in the world who can swim." Uki said smugly.

"Woah! That's so cool! Join my cr-"

"I dare you to finish that sentence."

"Sorry ma'am." Luffy apologised to his sister.

"I'm Haruki! I'm Natsuki's third recruit, and I can camouflage, so I'm invisible when I want to be!"

"Sanji would want that..." Luffy mumbled.

"I'm Kurama Fuyuki, and I am Natsuki's second in command. I can make it snow."

"You guys are all so cool!"

"We can certainly use guys like you on our shi- Sorry ma'am." Ace apologised as well.

"Well, it's good to see you two are well, but why are you both on your own?"

"I'm on a mission." Natsuki flashed a look at Ace, who promised to tell her later, with a look as well.

"I got lost..." Natsuki sighed. He hadn't changed at all. She messed with Luffy's and Ace's hair and sighed.

"Shall we go look for them then? Also, guys, would I sound selfish if I-"

"No you wouldn't Natsu."

"I didn't even finish my sentence!"

"You can spend time with them Natsu. We'll be getting information about the place."

"Really?"

"Of course! Kanki can make friends with the island! They're both as dry as hell after all."

"Not as dry as your sense of humour." Kanki shot back at Uki.

"Oh shu-"

"We get it, we get it. No more PDA!" Haruki joked.

"We are not displaying public affection!" They yelled at the same time, and the rest of the crew gradually walked away from Natsuki and her brothers, and the three siblings could still hear their bickering, until it faded away.

"How are you Luffy? Did you get amazing crewmates?"

"Yeah! There's this guy called Zoro, who wants to be the strongest swordsman in the world! He's only lost in a fight once you know? Only to Eye-Hawk or someone like that!"

"Mihawk?" Ace helped out.

"Yeah! Him!"

"Uncle Mihawk?" Natsuki wondered.

"Hm? Oh he's your mum's brother wasn't he?"

"Yeah, so Zoro's only lost to him?"

"Yep! He's so cool! Then there's Nami, who's my navigator! She loves money and tangerines, and she's really scary..."

"Sounds good." Ace laughed, punching Luffy's arm, who punched Ace in return.

"Hey! Anyway, then there's Usopp, who can hit anything with his slingshot! He's also a good liar!"

"Usopp? As in Yasopp's son?" Natsuki remembered the boy her father's crew mate wouldn't stop talking about.

"Yeah! Then there's Sanji, who makes the best dishes! He's the best chef in the entire world!" Something in Natsuki's head clicked, but she couldn't identify it yet.

"May I request a lunch made by him for my crew? Because of you two, I haven't eaten much." Luffy shrugged.

"Dunno, he doesn't really listen me, he will to you though. He really likes women." She really hoped this, 'Sanji' wasn't a bad influence.

"The rest?"

"Then there's Chopper, who's a reindeer! He can transform into many different shapes when he eats this, thing... I don't know what it's called."

"Anyone else?"

"Nope, but we've got Vivi, who's a temporary crew mate. She's actually a princess!"

"Luffy? Things like that should be kept secret." Ace sighed, knowing it was hopeless to try and teach Luffy how to lie.

"Why?"

"Because things which are important, like that little fact you just mentioned, can be used against you. What if a thousand people attacked you, trying to kidnap her?"

"Then I'll kick their asses!"

"Watch your language Luffy, but that's what I thought you'd say." Natsuki smiled.

The three siblings who were gradually walking closer to the ocean, noticed a single ship in the sea.

"That's my ship!" Luffy exclaimed, and stretched his arms, snapping to the Going Merry, landing on top of Sanji and Zoro. "Guys!"

"Luffy!? Where were you!? We were looking for you for ages!"

"Sorry guys, I was just so thirsty!" He apologised, after getting hit on the head by Nami and Sanji.

"Where have you been?"

"Hm? With my older brother, and my older sister."

"Oh right..."

"Wait..."

"WHATTTTT???????????"