Through the dusty streets of Alubarna went the two men, wrapped tightly in robes and headscarves, their features obscured to the crowds of people that swept by them. Not one passerby paid much attention to this pair, nor noticed the faint outline of weapons hidden beneath the folds of their clothes; after all they dressed like most others and bore no insignia or medallions that might indicate their military origin. So undisturbed they walked through the city, passing through the markets and its stalls, under arches and houses both grand and humble. They walked on and on until it seemed they would leave Alubarna all together. But just at the fringes of the city they left the busy main streets for a far less frequented avenue, where the few souls to see them were ragged and uninterested. No one noticed the men turn off even from this street, disappearing down a dark alley further hidden from prying eyes. The alley was narrow and the two men could hardly stand shoulder to shoulder as they walked. So when they finally broke free from this suffocating backstreet and into a small, hidden courtyard filled with men and women dressed just like them, the two were greatly relieved.
A woman, noticing the new arrivals, disengaged herself from the waiting group and went over to greet the two men. "Commander Shirei, Sergeant Gurep, you've come at last. The informer is waiting in the safe house as we speak," said the woman as the two officers approached.
"Thank you Corporal, we'll take it from here. You wait on guard outside," said Commander Shirei, hurrying past with Sergeant Gurep to the only door that offered itself in the courtyard. Opening it up and walking inside they were presented with a single corridor, at whose end lay a door guarded by alone soldier.
"Sirs, he's all ready for you," said the guard, who saluted and opened the door. Nodding their thanks to the watchman, the two men entered and found an almost bare, dusty room. The only thing contained within this room was a window, a single table and a couple of chairs, upon one of which sat a tired looking man. Stopping in the doorway of the safe room, Commander Shirei took in their strange guest.
He certainly was an odd fellow, the Commander found. Dressed in a glaring pinstripe suit and a bowler hat, the man seemed out of place in the humid weather of Alabasta. The motif of the number 6 also lent to the enigmatic nature of the man, with the digit being embroiled in a number of locations on the stranger's foreign clothes. Who the hell have I got here? Shirei asked himself.
"Finally someone of authority, someone who can actually do something about the insidious plan being hatched," said the man covered in 6's, looking through red eyes at Commander Shirei and Sergeant Gurep as they entered the room.
"Bah, why couldn't you have told us what you have to say in the palace? The streets are almost deadly on market day," said Sergeant Gurep, stalking behind the suited man.
"Because you fool, the palace is compromised! They'd hear, and then they'd have us all killed!" said the suited man, placing his head in his hands and letting out a groan.
"My men say you keep talking about this they, why don't you tell us about them?"Said Shirei, taking a seat opposite their guest.
"Of course," said the man, suddenly becoming animated again and lifting his head up. "I know this sounds crazy, but you have to believe me. The Kingdom, well...it's been infiltrated by a secret organisation that calls itself Baroque Works".
From behind the suited man Sergeant Gurep burst out laughing, the biting noise filling the barren room. "What? A secret organisation, what sort of crazy theory is this?"
"I'm telling the truth damn you!" said the suited man, turning to the laughing soldier behind him. "We even have secret code names. Mine for instance is Mr 6". Despite Mr 6's apparent sincerity, Gurep continued to laugh, doubling over and wiping tears from his eyes.
"That's enough from you Sergeant," said Shirei sternly. In truth this Mr 6 seemed to answer in good faith. After all, the Commander told himself, wasn't his clothing covered in the number six? And certainly this strange man did seem as if he thought himself in danger, twitching and jumping at every sudden movement. "Now Mr 6, why don't you tell us what this Baroque Works is all about, you said they have infiltrated the Kingdom, why is that?"
"They have a plan. You see they claim to want to build the perfect country, where crime doesn't exist and everyone can live happily ever after. But here's the thing, this is no more than a mask, a drawn curtain that obscures their true cause, to subjugate the entire Kingdom of Alabasta to the rule of their leader. Why, they want nothing more than to overthrow the King in some sort of coup," said Mr 6, his voice shaking as he finally delivered his desperate news to Commander Shirei.
"Oh come on! Sir are you really going to believe this lunatic's ramblings. Most probably this guy's just some nut who escaped from the local asylum. I mean just listen to what he is saying" snarled Gurep, looming over Mr 6 and sneering down on the self-proclaimed agent.
"It's true, and if you don't act soon the King, even the Kingdom itself, will be in danger," said Mr 6, still facing Shirei with an imploring look in his eyes.
"Tell me Mr 6, who is the leader of this Baroque Works," said Commander Shirei, leaning in over the table.
"Damn it I don't know, the company keeps its agents identifies well, especially its president," said Mr 6, letting out a long sigh, "But I do know his codename and it is Mr 0, the man you never see."
Shirei took this all in. A secret organisation, a man known only as Mr 0, this was beginning to sound more and more farfetched by the minute. Yet the commander couldn't shake the feeling that this suited man was telling the truth, despite what his Sergeant said.
"Please Commander, you have to believe me, I...," began Mr 6, before a thud sounded from the courtyard outside. Mr 6 flinched and looked at the two men in the room with him. "Their here, by God their here and there's nothing we can do." He pushed himself to his feet and hurried over to the window in the back of the room.
"Mr 6 please calm down. This place is old and there are always sounds erupting from nowhere," said Shirei, watching as the scared man peered outside the window.
"No! You don't understand how ruthless Mr 0 can be. My God the things he wanted me to do. I just couldn't live with myself if I had gone through with what he wanted. Hell I may be a sword for hire, but I still have some morals you know"
"Sergeant Gurep, I think it's about time we called in the Clerk, he should have the confession papers prepared by now," said Shirei to the old veteran.
"Wait, what? We're actually going to believe this guy? Sir, please see reason!" said Gurep, looking to his superior in surprise.
"That was an order Sergeant," warned Shirei, never taking his eyes of Mr 6. For a moment it seemed as if Gurep would argue back, but eventually his military discipline kicked in and grumbling the Sergeant made his way from the room.
"I believe you Mr 6. Many times in my career as a soldiering man I've had to rely on my gut instinct, and right now it's telling me to trust you," said Shirei once he had heard Gurep close the door. Standing up he went to join Mr 6 by the window, gazing out with him over the courtyard beyond.
"If we don't succeed here and now Commander, then Alabasta seems set to enter an age of ruin it may never escape from," said Mr 6, watching the group of congregating soldiers outside. Just as Shirei was about to assure the man that such a fate would not come to pass, he heard the door open behind him. Turning he saw Gurep enter with the Clerk, a batch of papers clutched in the new arrival's hand.
"Here we are Mr 6, all you have to do is sign the confession papers and we can bring this dire news to King Cobra himself," said Shirei, gesturing to the two men. Nodding, the informer turned to do as the Commander asked. But then the most peculiar of things happened, Shirei saw Mr 6 recoil, an expression of fear appearing on his face. "Mr 6, what is it?"
"Th...That's no Clerk. Oh God please, just leave me alone!" said Mr 6, pressing his back against the wall and trembling in fear. Alarmed, Shirei took in the man who Mr 6 seemed so afraid of. As far as he could see nothing had changed about the Clerk. He still wore those damn sunglasses, still had that cocky attitude and messy hair. What then was M 6 so afraid of?
"Mr 6 explain yourself, why are you reacting in such a way to a clerk of the King?" said Shirei, wondering if Gurep had been right when he had talked of madness.
Mr 6 shook his head and pointed an accusing finger at the man who held the confession papers. "That's no Clerk! It's Mr 5, the bomb man!"
"Nonsense, this official has been in our service for months now," said Shirei, turning to the Clerk, "Isn't that right?"
"Actually Commander Shirei, I'm afraid your informer is right, I am Mr 5," said the man, turning to Sergeant Gurep and motioning with his head towards the door.
"Sergeant, what is the meaning of this?" said Shirei, noticing the action, horror beginning to envelop him like frigid water.
"It's nothing personal Shirei," said Gurep, not looking the Commander in the eye, "Just that you know too much, that's all." With that said the Sergeant left the room again, shutting the door quietly behind him.
"The boss is very disappointed with you Mr 6," said Mr 5, who began to approach the two other men, his footsteps echoing in the bare room. "He's sent me to personally deal with you. Hell, did you really expect to give us the slip so easily?"
"Stay back!" said Shirei, drawing his sword and pointing it at the approaching man.
"No, no, no, no! It's too late for us, we're done for!" cried Mr 6, pressing as hard as he could against the wall, tears streaming down his cheeks.
Mr 5 came to a stop by the table and placed the confession papers he still held flat on its surface. "I want you to know that it's already too late for the Kingdom of Alabasta. Mr 0's plan is already in motion, and in just a few years time this backwater country will be ours!" said the Bomb Man, raising his fist and bringing it down hard on the papers. A great explosion filled the room, obliterating the tables and chairs and even the walls of the room too. Both Commander Shirei and Mr 6 were blown clean from the safe house, to land in charred heaps in the centre of the courtyard, before the Commander's horrified soldiers.
"What the...," said the soldiers in their stupor. Looking up to try and work out the source of the explosion, they saw a man standing in the hole created by the blast. He was picking his nose.
"Hey you, stay where you are!" called out one the soldiers, making to draw her weapon.
"Oh, you're not the one who gives orders here. Do you know why I am? I am an Officer Agent of Baroque Works. Mr 5 to be exact" said Mr 5, taking his finger from his nose and rolling up the unsightly speck that had come with it. "Now die! Go Nose Fancy Cannon!" The Bomb Man flicked his snot turned projectile at the group of soldiers, and another explosion sounded, blowing away the cluster of men and women in a shower of pavement shards and bits of armour. Then there was silence, with just the faint sounds of city life drifting in from the distance.
Mr 5 stared out over the scene of destruction before him and shook his head. People would be coming soon, to see what caused the black plumes of smoke to rise above the city's skyline, and he needed to make sure that there was no evidence waiting for them. Glancing up to the sweltering sun, set above in a sprawling blue sky, the Baroque Works' agent decided that it was going to be a long day.