In Five (Final) Pieces

Written for Aoihand's Multiverse Challenge.

Note: Since I started this thing I figure I might as well finish it properly. (Just look at what your challenge has meta-morphed into, Aoihand!) So here is the final installment of the Straw-Hat Supernova AU drabbles.

I've tried to reply every review I get, but a couple of questions keep popping up, so I thought I'd address them here in case you were curious:

Q: How did Luffy get the Going Merry without Usopp?

A: After Gin escaped from the Baratie, he wandered into Syrup Village and stole it from Kaya. He then used it to meet up with Don Krieg. When Don Krieg was defeated, it was the only good ship left in his fleet, so Luffy and Bonney claimed it as theirs.

Q: Why didn't I have Zoro join in at the beginning as per canon?

A: It certainly would have been easier, which is precisely why I didn't take that approach. This is supposed to be a writing challenge after all, and it was more fun to explore the dynamics of him having joined at the end instead of the beginning. I'm a strong believer in that Alternate-Universe stories should try their best to shake up the status quo, and while there are many many stories out there with Zoro as the first mate, I'll bet there aren't as many starring Bonney as one!

Q: Binks Sake... The REMIX?

A: Ask Apoo about his dream sometime...

Anyway, it wouldn't be right if I didn't do the whole word limit thing, so here we have... trebbles! (300 words) I am so predictable, right?

And just in time for the celebration of the latest chapter (whee! Supernovas!). Without further ado: Enjoy!

AU Scenario: If the Straw-Hat crew were comprised of members of the 11 Supernovas instead.


11th Piece: The Courtyard of Sacrifice

"You bastards... had better make sure... you finish him off," gasped Kidd shortly before he passed out.

Bodies were littered around the courtyard, a testament to the fierce battle that had raged. It had not been in vain, because the shichibukai was on his knees and missing one arm.

But he was going down fighting, and was mouth-lasering at a desperately-dodging Drake. But his concentration left him open to attack from another source: Law, who buried his nodachi deep into Kuma's neck. The resulting explosion caught the doctor and threw him onto a twisted piece of metal which impaled him through.

"LAW!" yelled Drake, now the only active combatant left.

"It would appear that this is the end." Somehow, Kuma still retained his awareness.

Drake approached the dying Kuma. "For you, maybe."

"Your crew is severely injured, and your doctor fatally wounded. Let me make you an offer."

Reptilian-like eyes narrowed. "Which is?"

"Deliver a final message for me, and I will transfer the damage inflicted on your doctor to yourself, so that he can save your nakama."

Drake hesitated, but only briefly.

"Let me choose the place."

Five minutes later, a fully-restored Law watched as Drake prepared to fulfill his part of the bargain.

"This'll be your funeral," warned the doctor, holding on to Kuma's message.

"Law?"

"Mm?"

"If I do die..." Drake steeled himself. "You're not to experiment on me, clone me or reanimate my corpse, is that clear?"

"All right..."

"Also, you are not allowed to dissect my body."

"Oh come on!"

"...or remove my organs and put them in a jar on display."

Law's face looked as though he had swallowed a particularly sour mango.

"Spoilsport," he huffed.


12th Piece: The Infirmary of Evil

"Welcome back to the world of the living!" greeted Law brightly as Drake opened his eyes. He was lying in the most terrifying place in the whole of the Thousand Stormy: Law's Medical Infirmary/Laboratory/Dissection Chamber.

"In case you are wondering: everyone survived. You missed the party; we didn't save you any cake. Also, we've left Thriller Bark but being without a navigator we've been sailing rather aimlessly around in circles."

The patient attempted to sit up, but winced and quickly aborted this idea.

"Aaaand... during your recovery I found substantial data suggesting that Zoan-Type devil-fruits seem to impart significantly increased regeneration abilities. Groundbreaking discovery, don't you think? Which reminds me... and how do you feel?"

"Ow."

"Excellent. I shall go inform our galley wench that she may commence with your liquid diet which shall continue for the next few weeks," said Law, smirking as he headed for the door. "Oh, and I wouldn't worry too much about the kidney... you've still got the other one left."

Drake looked blankly after the departing figure of the dark doctor. Then the meaning of the parting shot sunk in.

He snatched up the sheets and checked. To the right of his abdomen was a long surgery wound closed by a neat row of stitches.

His anguished wail could be heard all the way up to the crow's nest.

"Oh for..." Bonney groaned in the galley. "Law! What did you do to him?"

"Nothing?"

It could not be said that anyone believed him.

"Trafalgar Law..." Bonney said ominously after a trip below deck. "Why is there a loose kidney in a jar on your desk?"

"Oh, it's not Drake's, don't worry."

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!" Bonney bellowed. "STOP TRAUMATIZING OUR NAVIGATOR!"


13th Piece: Sarbaody Archipelago

Waiting outside a cartographer's shop had been the height of boredom, until a Tenryuubito had decided to sully the street with his presence.

Bonney abhorred the world nobles, but knowing full well that any incident would bring a marine admiral down, she had been forced to orchestrate the death-scene of a green-haired swordsman who by some insanity, tried to kill one.

While she was busy berating the fool, Drake emerged from the shop. There was the sound of falling maps clattering.

"Mr. 6!"

"Mr. Vice-President- No... Former-Vice-President."

Funny how she'd forgotten Drake used to be a Baroque Works officer. As for that swordsman...

"You!" She gasped. "You were at Whiskey Peak!"

The first Grand-Line town they had arrived at had welcomed them with an eating competition. She'd been two plates of pasta ahead of Luffy when a ruckus outside had put the entire eating competition on hold.

A lone man sat on top of the building, silhouetted by the moon.

"This is unacceptable," said he. "Resorting to food and trickery to catch a bounty."

"M-Mr. 6!" stammered their hosts, "these two were too dangerous and it was the only way..."

"Not good enough," said Mr. 6. "I... am going to test my new swords."

She'd fled with Luffy from the nest of bounty-hunters in the resulting chaos.

"So you're still with that idiot captain of yours?" the former Mr. 6 asked.

Bonney looked put out.

"I'll have you know—" she said frigidly, "—that our captain, while an idiot, still has more sense than you, which is: he KNOWS you just don't attack a Tenryuubito!"

Meanwhile, in the human auction house, Law and Kidd watched idly as their captain sent a Tenryuubito flying across the room, triggering a catastrophe.


14th Piece: Impel Down

Hannyabal was antsy. With the infamous Fire-Fist Ace incarcerated there at the moment, and several new pirates besides (Kizaru had sent 500 their way the other day), Impel Down was on high alert for just about anything.

Curiously, a pirate ship had suddenly appeared in the waters off Impel Down and was ominously staying just out of shooting distance. It made no attempt to approach... it just stayed there.

Naturally the Impel Down staff were in a frenzy trying to figure out what it was after.

"Vice-Warden, maybe you ought to listen to this." The surveillance team proffered a black den-den mushi, which was busy eavesdropping on the pirate ship's communications.

"...go in from the front, and I'll take the back...

"...make sure she stays in position..."

"...relax boys, I'm not moving an inch..."

"...tight fit in here..."

"...no no NO NO! You just don't stick it in the first crack you see... gotta line it up right..."

"...be gentle... do you want your equipment damaged?"

"...that's it... now you can increase the thrust..."

Hannyabal was about to turn to the sentinel to ask which dodgy channel they'd gotten this from when the one manning the screen gave a scream of horror.

A portion of the wall in Level 5 had come crashing down to reveal intruders. They had drilled right through the underwater wall, were using some sort of odd bubble space devil-fruit ability to keep the water from flooding it while the rest freed the four new prisoners who had all been worth more than 100 Million.

"...mission accomplished, Bonney!" crackled the black den-den mushi. "You can move the Stormy now, we'll rendezvous in the sub as agreed."

Hannyabal hyperventilated. It was going to be a bad day.


15th Piece: Marineford

Buggy the pirate had experienced many things in his long life, so he really shouldn't have been so surprised when in the midst of his flight from the Whitebeard war, a coated ship suddenly rose from the ocean.

"Hey you! Bring Luffy over here! " a pink-haired girl was hollering from its deck.

"We'll take it from here," a furry-hatted man added. "Leave him to me, I'm a doctor!"

"Who..." Buggy gaped. "...are you?"

All of the crew-hands immediately looked affronted.

"WE'RE THE STRAW-HAT PIRATES, DAMNIT!" they yelled in unison.

"Stupid... attention... hogging captain..." grumbled Kidd, after their captain was safely on board. "Showing off on...broadcast screens..."

"Although without them, we wouldn't have known where to go." The newest member of the crew, Roronoa Zoro, commented. He and Capone had been recruited in after the disaster at Sarbaody; it had been with their help that they'd managed to rescue their other four comrades from Impel Down.

"Luffy gonna make it?"

"Depends on Law."

"Ok, he's doomed."

"I HEARD THAT!" came the annoyed cry from the infirmary.

Bonney was still crying. "I can't believe Whitebeard is dead."

"Things look bleak," Drake said wearily. "With Whitebeard gone, the New World will become a sea of churning blood as the factions fight for control."

"And with Blackbeard, I see a great darkness in the future," Hawkins predicted, his face impassively grim. "A darkness so complete we are only flickering lights within."

Zoro slammed his sword into the ground. Everyone turned to look at the swordsman.

"If Blackbeard is the darkness, then we'll be brighter and stronger. " He paused, grinning wildy. "We'll be the light of a thousand suns!"

"We'll be... Supernovas."


THE END... For Now

A number of people have expressed interest in seeing this concept expanded into a full-blown fic. I admit I'm tempted to do it, because it is seriously so much damn fun, but I'm already in the middle of another AU fic (yeah the Kuina one) and honestly there isn't enough information out there about the Supernovas for my liking to do this now. I'd rather wait until Oda reveals more about the Supernovas before I actually attempt anything that ambitious.

But you can put "In Five Pieces" on Story Alert if you like, if I ever get around to expanding this I'll update this fic with an addendum so that those of you who are interested will get to know where to find it.

Thanks again for reading. Feel free to guilt-trip me into writing faster by leaving a review (haha) and as a bonus for reading all of my rambling here's some extras I cut out from the earlier drafts either because they were too long or didn't sound right:

Outtakes:

12th Piece: Alternate Ending

"LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWW!" The anguished wail could be heard all the way up to the crow's nest.

"Oh for..." Bonney groaned in the galley. "Law! What did you do to him?"

"I WAS JUST JOKING!" Law protested.

But when the cook went to reassure the traumatised navigator that yes, he still had all his organs, the rest of the crew broke down in a mass of hapless laughter.

"Law..." wheezed Kidd, in-between fits, "You are an evil, evil, man."

12th Piece: Alternate Ending 2

"Oh for..." Bonney groaned in the galley. "Law! What did you do to him?"

"I told him you ate all the cake," Law joked.

"Poor Drake got no cake..." hummed Apoo.

"Why..." grumbled Bonney to herself as cries of babies filled the galley behind her. "Am I the only other one with any common sense here?"

12th Piece: Alternate Ending 3

"Trafalgar Law..." Bonney said ominously after a trip below deck. "Why is there a loose kidney in a jar on your desk?"

"Oh, it's not Drake's, don't worry."

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!" Bonney bellowed. "STOP TRAUMATIZING OUR NAVIGATOR!"

When she had left, Hawkins, who had been sitting at the table laying out cards, raised an eyebrow at the doctor.

Law tried to sound brisk. "Burst kidney. Operation and removal most necessary."

The eyebrow went even higher.

"I made sure it was safely disposed of."

The clairvoyant's eyes narrowed.

Law sighed. "All right, you got me." It was hard fooling people who relied on mystical means of information. "As in, disposed of... in my safe."


An addendum to the crew roles:

Zoro = Scout (Yes you read that right)

Capone = Treasurer (Easy embezzling, for sure!)

Ok this is really the end now. Serious. *waves* Ta!