•Black Hat•

•28•

Pearl had disappeared once again and Luffy didn't want to let her go. But enough time had passed already and his match was about to start. So he ran downstairs and entered the arena. Meanwhile Pearl or Kuro as the people in Colosseum addressed her, walked down to the dungeons where she and the rest of the gladiators slept ate and rested until their next match would come up. She was one of the top in there so she had her own cell.

Before she even reached the floor of that level she clearly recognized the pink mass of Rebecca's hair. She didn't call out to her; she simply walked by and sat down on the floor near her. Rebecca was sitting down with her hands over her knees pretending to listen to what a beaten up gladiator was telling her.

Pearl interrupted them.

"Rebecca, mind my words!" She said and leaned a bit forward as the pink haired girl turned around to look at her. "I'll win the fruit!" She hissed and the girl didn't change her expression. It's possible that she had heard that too many times already.

"But you're not going to eat it Kuro-san, what do you want it for?" She asked.

The way Rebecca addressed the girl was funny in a way. There were almost the same age but Rebecca seemed so pure and young while Pearl was rough and cold. The room was silent the gladiators in there cages weren't speaking a word and neither did the young girls.

Suddenly someone fell down the stairs and Pearl unconsciously rushed to climb to the ceiling, people rarely stared up there. No other gladiator was fighting in these matches so no one else was supposed to enter these dungeons.

"I'm hugryyyyy" the person whined and pearl breathed out. Luffy had won the match.

"Lucy-San!!" Rebecca shouted and ran towards him. "Are you alright?"

"Foood! I want fooood! But I don't have any money". Luffy said.

"Stay here I'll get you some!" Rebecca replied and ran off.

To the sound of these words Luffy stood up reenergized. He walked around the dungeons for a bit not going far away from the stairs so that he could immediately spot Rebecca when she would come down with his food. When suddenly he stopped; and stared at the ceiling.

"There you are!" He muttered.

"Just go away". Pearl whispered as well.

"I won the match. I'm not such a weakling am I, Pearl?" Luffy asked as he kept staring at her.

"I am Kuro!"

"You gave an oath!"

"An oath to a dead man!" Pearl hissed.

"An oath is always an oath!" Luffy shouted. "And if I'm weak then come and protect me, keep your word to him!"

"He's dead Luffy! Ace is -"

"Then why are you fighting for his fruit? Why do you wear his hat? Why did you come to Sabaody-?"

"SHUT UP!" She screamed in a really high pitched voice that made Luffy stagger. "I'm just burdening myself with them! With his hat, his fruit but I can't burden myself with his little brother as well, nor can I handle that oath!"

They both remained silent for a bit.

"He never asked you to bear his hat. Nor did he ask you to keep his devil fruit safe! All he asked you was-"

"Then why do you want it? Why do you want the fruit if you can't eat it-"

"Lucy-San!" Rebecca showed up in the entrance. Pearl took this as a chance to disappear and leave Luffy staring at the door as she swiftly exited the room.

"Damn it!" Luffy said and threw down his hat, which he almost immediately picked up regretting his action and cleaned it.

"What happened Lucy-San?"

"Nothing did you bring foooood?" He said grabbing the dish from her hands and started eating.
"Do you know anything about that girl called Kuro?"

"Kuro-San? Yeah she's pretty strong and she has a weird but efficient fighting technique. She hasn't really talked to me about her life. Usually am the one who does the talking and she listens".

"When did she come here?" Luffy asked.

"One or two months ago?" Rebecca paused to try and remember. "Anyway, she said she had a deal with Donflamingo, that as long as she keeps winning at the Colosseum he would keep her safe, but I can't really understand how fighting here keeps you safe..."

"I see. Why does she need to be kept safe?"

"She never told me".

Luffy left the dungeons and wondered around when a green haired man fell on him.

"Luffy senpai!" He stuttered as he was trying to catch his breath.

"Do I know you?" He asked confused but the man called Bartolomeo according to his tab dragged him along.

"Zoro-san told me to fetch you! He's waiting for you outside the colosseum, you can talk to him through the windows." He panted. Luffy followed him in confusion, too troubled to give his words a more thorough thought and only realized what he meant when he found himself standing in front of Zoro and Kin'emon

"Luffy" Zoro said. "Wait I'm going to call the rest of them!" He said taking out a den den Mushi.

"What are you doing here?"

"You know, we have a mission?" Kin'emon reminded him.

Pearl for some reason had followed him. This time she had concealed her presence so that he wouldn't notice her and was spying on them from the ceiling, like a spider

As they talked with everyone about the plan, and Franky was telling them how he had decided to help some dwarfs he had found to beat Doflamingo and Sanji agreed to bring Sunny back so they, the protection team would help as well, a ruckus rose near the colosseum. Pearl dropped from the ceiling soundlessly and hid behind a column. Next to her was on of the barred windows that allowed her to take a look at the city and see what was going on.

And almost immediately, before he even exited from the mist of sand and dust that had risen she was able to see him. Law.