Lara's POV;

The island that Koala wants us to drop them off was slightly off course from our wanted one. A time delay of maybe a day or so. I still agreed and we did nothing but train for the next week. During that week Jo also healed Sabo's hands.

Jo got good enough with his fruit that he now can shoot his finger bones off with a speed and force of a throwing knife. By far not enough to compare them with a pistol, but silent and still able to kill.

His training also made it possible for him to harden his own bones and protect himself from breaks. Now he only gets bruised up during our spars. There are some other things he is training on, but those still will need some time.

He also was learning a little bit of dagger fighting from me. Said that his newfound bones daggers were quite good and that he wants to learn how to use them correctly. I gladly obliged, also wanting to refresh my skills with this kind of weapon. They are fast and deadly, even if they lack in their reach.

Still, Jo wasn't the only one who got some training done. I taught Yosaku how to use his strength to send true force blades off and Jonny how he can use piercing attacks to mimic a distance finger pistol. Both of them have not much reach right now, but the fact that they can produce force blades, or in Jonny's case a force shot, are evidence of their rising skill.

Fiara was tinkering and building something that she does not want to talk about. It looks like something that explodes, at least that's what is happening when her tests go wrong. Maybe she will tell us later. Speaking about Fiara, she just now came inside the kitchen, something long was held inside two of her arms and wrapped up in cloth. The other two arms were holding something smaller, but also hidden from sight.

“Guy's, can I speak with you?” The rest of the crew looked up from their dinner and gave her their attention. She jumped up on the table and placed the things down.

She was blushing and her metal claws were clacking together as if they were shy. “I once told you that the last crew I was with used me for inventing weapons and that I don't want to invent you some just so that you can use them against each other. Well, after thinking about it again and about the things we did and how you were nice to me and such good friends who explain things to me and... Anyway, I decided that you won't use a weapon I make against each other or me.

So that's why I used one of the black-dials Lara had put away for something special. These are two weapons I designed for Nojiko.” She pulled the cloth off and two guns were revealed. One was a very large sniper. It was coloured in midnight black and was easily long enough to reach my chest if it stands on the ground.

The other was looking like an assault rifle. The design was pretty modern, like a FAMAS. Both had a shell at their underside, the sniper has had a black-dial and the assault rifle a normal iron-cloud dial. Another shell could be placed on the side as well.

“I named the first one MK-D5, it is an extremely long range anti-material sniper. The black-dial is exchangeable for a normal iron-cloud dial if you want a higher firing rate. This one has a recoil and a strong one at that. But I'm pretty confident in its piercing power. From what I could see I think it should be strong enough to at least be compared to Lia's more serious attacks. Sabo, for example, might not be able to deflect a round of this baby.

There are some drawbacks, it is loud, has a slower firing rate and a heavy recoil, as well as the large size.

That is why I made the MK-M5 as well. This one is designed for firing at close to mid range. Normally it shoots in bursts of three bullets and the ammunition shell can be exchanged with the black dial. Which gives the MK-M5 a lot more penetration power but also a stronger recoil.” She finished with her explanation and looked around. A bright smile on her face and proud of her work.

The receiver of her gifts, Nojiko, was in awe. She picked the sniper up and testily aimed with it out of the window. She pulled the trigger and with a loud bang the sniper fired. Nojiko's arms were flung upwards and she looked to be somewhat in pain.

“This thing might just have given me a bruise”, she said after putting the sniper down. She was also rubbing her shoulder, but the wide smile was betraying anything mean behind her words. “Thank you so much Fiara. I recently feared that I would be left behind by the boys. Sure I am doing well in my Kami-e training and am also able to use Soru and Geppo a little, but I was lacking in my attack power.

With these two babies, I'm back at the top!” She laughed loudly and picked the assault rifle up before firing a few bursts out of the window. This time she wasn't feeling any pain.

Fiara was laughing awkwardly and rubbed her pointy nose with one of her arms. “Ehehe, don't mention it. You all were really nice to me, so giving you something to better defend yourself is the least I can do.” She then blinked and opened her mouth wide. “Ah right, I forgot! There is more, you see the shell holder at the side? You can put another shell inside. A second iron-cloud dial gives the rifle automatic fire, but nothing to the sniper. You could also put an electricity dial or a fire dial inside, they will give your bullet an element and increase the damage.

You can also put an axe dial inside and the bullet will have more piercing power. And, and...,” she took a deep breath,” and you can also put two flame dials or electricity dials inside the rifle. It will then turn into a flamethrower or a stun-gun. If you put two axe dials inside then you will get something like a shotgun that cuts your enemy in an X shape.”, she then looked a little sad and disappointed, “However, that is not possible for the sniper. It only uses are extremely long distance attacks. Sorry.”

She suddenly looked as if she had done something really bad. The desire to pat her like a dog was high. Nojiko hugged Fiara against her chest and smiled at the tiny girl. “Don't be sorry Fiara, these rifles are great. I couldn't have asked for something better.” The hug looked funny, Fiara completely vanished in Nojiko's cleavage.

Still, Nojiko's happy tone brightened the Tontatta girl up again and she was doing a little happy dance on the table, before getting very still and then spinning around to face me. “There are also some things I'd like to build into our new ship.”

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“Sure, I have noticed how you were planning with Noa, do what you two think will be best. I'd like to get surprised with the finished ship”, I replied and gave the now smiling Noa a nod as well.

Her robot arms began to clap in happiness and she turned over to Noa. “Noa, come, we have to go over project steam again!” Her arms then grabbed him and she run out of the kitchen, Noa was carried along.

The kitchen became silent for a moment. It was broken when Nojiko stood up, a wide grin on her face. “I'll have to train, these two are so awesome”, gushed Nojiko over her new weapons. She grabbed both of them and was then also gone.

“Well, nice for her and us I guess”, commented Jo to the whole thing. Yosaku and Jonny shrugged in agreement and continued with their meal. I looked at the unfinished plates of Noa and Nojiko, took their chicken and finished my meal as well. They won't need it any longer.

A day later we reached the island that Koala has said would be their meeting place. It was a small one, with no human presence and some pretty strong animals. There were all kinds of them, from rhinos over tigers to boars and wolfs. And all of them were at least thrice the size of their normal race.

That's why this island would be the perfect place for us to learn how to use the waver-skates, while we waited for the ship that would pick Koala and her friends up. The use of them was similar to normal skates, just way faster. You had to balance a lot in the beginning, but both Lia and I were pretty soon racing around without trouble.

Jonny and Yosaku were no friends of them, however. They had not the balance or the flexibility to use them. So they abandoned the idea of skating pretty early on and vanished into the forest to hunt for some animals.

And while Jo and Noa were able to use them somewhat, they were not on the level of using them during a fight or with high speed. Fiara had made herself a skateboard, the normal skates were too large for her. And she was fairly good at it, she could evade Jo's attacks after some training and was using the board for three-dimensional moves and tricks.

As for Nojiko, well, she was like her sister. She was almost instantly able to skate on them and was the first to be able to drive on water and on the selfmate clouds. She was trying to incorporate the skates into her combat arsenal when Lia and I started to race on the water.

Fiara did tell Nojiko that she could make a black-dial waver-skate pair for her, but Nojiko declined, telling her that she would not be able to handle the fast speed yet. It still, however, was something she would like to have at a later time.

Koala, hack and Sabo were waiting with Jo, Noa, Lia and me at the beach. We were making a barbecue, while Nojiko, Yosaku and Jonny were out hunting. Loud explosions and the crashing of falling trees came from inside the forest. In between was the rapid three burst staccato of Nojiko's new weapon.

They were bringing the hunted game back out for Lia to process and soon we had our fridge filled with meat. There even was a giant bird, it was what we were eating right now.

“Any idea when your friends will be here? I don't want to wait all day”, I asked in between my bites. This four-metre large gastornis-like-bird was tasty.

“They should be here any minute now,” replied Koala while looking into the sky. Are they coming with a ship that can fly? It would certainly be easier for them to evade the Marines that way.

“There is something coming, to the east,” informed Lia us suddenly. And sure enough, a black dot was on the horizon. It came closer and, as thought, was flying. It was also fairly fast and reached the island within five minutes.

A big balloon with a ship strapped underside hovered over our small camp. A pair of ladders was thrown down and three men climbed down. One of the three stepped forward, “ Good evening, I'm Bunny Joe. It's nice to meet you Slicer Lara and your crew of the Kage Pirates. I'd like to thank you for helping Koala, Hack and Sabo.” This Joe fellow had curly brown hair and a bowler with a green feather inside. He had no real weapons, only a pistol but held himself with confidence.

I didn't bother with standing up or anything and just gave him a wave with the chicken leg I was eating. “Hi, sit down and eat.”

If they were taken back by my casual way they didn't show it. All three sat down, Joe inside one of the few remaining chairs and his two friends, who stayed unintroduced and were most likely his guards, on the sandy beach.

Koala gave each some meat and a drink and they began to eat. “This food is great, True Shot,” praised Joe after his first bite. His two friends agreed as well and were already asking for seconds.

Joe was also in the middle of getting his second plate when Fiara jumped at him, her arms were held in a pleading position. “Can I take a look at your ship? Pretty please?”

This time he was surprised and almost fell on his back from her sudden appearance. He looked over at Sabo, who nodded lightly. “Sure, but please don't touch anything. Our flying ships are pretty delicate and can easily crash.” Fiara was gone with a happy shout of thank you over her shoulder, already halfway up the ladder.

He turned back to me, “ Slicer Lara, I'd like to thank you again and would like to ask you to join the Revolutionary Army.”

I answered instantly, “No.”

He in return just smiled knowingly but asked nonetheless. “May I hear the reason?”

I nodded and took another bite of my chicken before answering. “There are a few. The strongest would be that I don't want to follow someone. I don't like it to have someone above me. My crew and I would be under Dragon and have to do what he says.

Then there is the fact that most of my crew are not strong enough to face the enemies we will have if we are associated with you. Joining now might mean serious harm to some of them.

I also don't like Sabo.” Sabo smiled weakly, by now used to my behaviour. I haven't spoken a single word to him in the week and was, if possible, only referring to him as Koala's friend.

“I understand. People like you and your sister have a strong desire to be free. Still, knowing that you are against the Marines is enough”, he said and continued with his own food.

Huh, if he knew. There is something I am planning that he would not agree with. But that's still in the future and not certain to really happen, as it is not fully in my own hands to decide.

“Still, I don't know if they are useable or not, we have, however, found some documents that you might have some use to. We certainly have not”, I then said. Those of the Revolutionary Army were looking at me with interest, while the crew did not really know what I meant.

“And what might that be?”, asked Joe a little warily. I stood up, jumped on board and fetched the documents we stole from Doflamingo a few months ago.

Back on the beach in handed them over to Joe, who skipped over the content. He looked up from then and asked, “What do you want in return for these? They might help us in some cases.”

I shrugged, not really having something I want from them. We don't need money and they don't have much that they could give us and be of use to us. That's when I remembered that they are good at espionage. “I'd like to know about Marine research bases. Especially those that conduct human experiments. And also maybe a number for an informant. We could use some more detailed info about the islands we are visiting.”

He thought about my offer for a moment and then put the documents into his jacket.“I can give you information about bases were we don't have any men. Or about those we want to have destroyed. The info broker can be arranged, but some of them will have to be paid.” Jo, who was listening, was smiling at me thankfully. I nodded as well and we exchanged the numbers for our transponder snails

The rest of the dinner was spent mostly quietly. Sabo and Joe were speaking quietly to each other. Joe's two guards were talking with Jonny and Yosaku about training and Koala was telling Nojiko farewell.

Fiara also came back down. She told us that she has to write some new plans and dragged Noa back into our ship. Soon after the rest finished with their food and we parted ways. They flew off and we finally took a direct course to Water 7.