Once again, sorry about the wait! Yesterday wasn't great for me, couldn't finish this in time.

I might have to take next week off, but I'm not sure yet, so the next chapter will be on the 13th if I do.

Quick note: "Paon" is French for "Peacock." Therefore, "Paondemonium" is just a pun which might mean "Peacock chaos."

Rain Dinners, Alabasta

"CROCODILE!"

Vivi's hands clenched in fury around her weapons as she stared fruitlessly to where Crocodile and Robin had vanished.

"Uh, Vivi?" Usopp called. "We can get Crocodile later! Y'know, as soon as we're not dead from giant bananagators!"

"Those stupid bananas are gonna get what's coming to them!" Luffy exclaimed, seizing the bars, only to slump to the ground yet again. Nami hoisted him up, handing him off to Usopp, who held Luffy above water with shaking legs.

Vivi let out a kind of strangled scream as she sank to the ground, barely aware of the deadly reptiles around her. "That evil man—!"

"Vivi!" Nami yelled. "Hurry!"

Vivi looked up, but just as she began to refocus on her surroundings, something small and dark fluttered towards her . . .

"Something's there," Smoker said abruptly, his voice startling Usopp's whimpers into silence. "That butterfly doesn't look natural . . ."

"Butterfly?" Luffy and Zoro said simultaneously, looking outside.

"Oh, this isn't good," Luffy whispered. "Vivi's . . ."

The moth touched upon one of Vivi's peacock slashers, instantly turning it violet, and her head snapped up, mouth locked in a sneer as a disembodied voice spoke to her . . .

"Princess Paondemonium, hear my words. I am called Tigermoth. I will grant you the power to seek revenge on the ones who have hurt you and your dear Alabasta, but in return, you must do me a small favor: Take the Miraculouses of Ladybug and Chat Noir."

Vivi's sneer turned into a grin.

"Alabasta will be free."

She stood, arms spread out as an ugly purple light dripped over her body. Once it faded, she was left standing in a stunning royal blue gown, decorated in colors imitating peacock quills. Her legs and arms were decorated with a skin-tight covering of peacock blue, and her peacock slashers, including the violet one, had formed bracelets upon her wrists. Her hair hung loose from a headband displaying vibrant gold feathers, and her eyes were decorated as if she wore a mask.

"Excellent," she murmured, flexing her fingers. The bananagators around her had paused in confusion, and they were just getting ready to attack again when one began making choking sounds, causing the others to turn to it in annoyance.

"Vivi?" Usopp exclaimed. "Vivi, don't tell me—?"

Vivi turned to the cage with a wicked smile. "Do not call me by that name!" she declared. "I am now Princess Paondemonium, and I will free Alabasta!"

"Oh, Vivi," Nami breathed.

"What's happening?" Smoker demanded, keeping an eye on the water level. "Does the Alabasta princess have a hidden power?"

"Not quite," Zoro said, keeping an eye on her as that bananagator continued to wheeze. "She's—"

"What the heck is that?" Luffy exclaimed, distracted from Vivi's plight by the interesting object which the bananagator had managed to hack up.

The wax ball burst open and Mr. 3 jumped out. "I survived!" he cried gleefully. "You can't get rid of me that easily, Mr. 0!"

He looked down and screamed when he noticed the water, opting to stand on his broken wax ball rather than drown.

"Oh, it's just Three," Luffy said flatly. "I guess he's alive."

Mr. 3 looked around, assessing the situation.

"A strange woman in a costume," he warbled. "Pirates and a Marine in a cage. Deadly bananagators all around. Right! That settles it! I am out of here!"

"Mr. 3," Vivi said sweetly, approaching him through the water, "you're just in time. I need someone to get rid of these bananagators for me."

"Excuse me?!" Mr. 3 cried as the bananagator who had spit him up recovered and the others began licking their chops. "I only just escaped one, you strange woman, and I intend to leave this place!"

Vivi held up her left hand, extending the first two fingers.

"Contrôler!"

Her fingers glowed a pale green as they touched Mr. 3's forehead. Instantly, his shoulders slumped and he fell to one knee.

"How may I serve you, my princess?" he inquired.

"Huh?!" Usopp cried. "He was—now he's—?!"

"We gotta get out of here," Luffy said. "Soon as possible."

"Yeah," Zoro muttered, arms folded. Under his breath, he hissed something and the movement in his haramaki stopped. Luffy adjusted his hat with a murmured, "I know," prompting a quizzical look from Usopp.

"Mr. 3," Vivi said, "keep these bananagators back."

"As you desire, my lady," Mr. 3 declared, standing with a smile, his small eyes oddly green. He turned to the bananagators and began producing iron-like walls of wax, successfully keeping them at bay.

Vivi approached the cage in the center of the room, holding herself almost haughtily as she eyed the trapped ones.

"Vivi, snap out of it, please," Usopp exclaimed, nearly dropping Luffy—he opted for throwing Luffy over to Zoro, who caught him with a snap to be careful, though Luffy only climbed atop Zoro's head like a monkey. "This isn't like you, you don't need this—"

"Didn't you hear me?" Vivi said in a tone so cold it froze Usopp's voice. "You are to refer to me as Princess Paondemonium!"

"Is that a pun?" Luffy stage-whispered to Zoro.

"If it is, I've got no clue what it means," Zoro hissed.

"But you all have been rather useful thus far," Vivi added, making them look up again. "Perhaps you can be useful in other ways. Mr. 3!"

"Yes, my lady?" Mr. 3 exclaimed, turning around. The bananagators began putting cracks in his walls—they would not be detained for long.

"Come here and open this cage," Vivi ordered. "I know you can make a key."

"At once, my princess," Mr. 3 said, nearly tripping in his haste to get to the cage. He found a plank of wood to stand on, avoiding the water, and formed a key on the tip of his finger, carefully inserting it into the lock and opening up the cage door.

"Don't worry, Nami-san, Vivi-chan, your prince has come for you!"

The company turned to see Sanji leaping down the shattered stairs with a big smile. "And the rest of you losers, too, I suppose, but—hang on, what's going on?"

"Oh?" Vivi said, approaching Sanji with Mr. 3 standing at attention behind her. The others snuck out of the cage while she was distracted, Luffy riding on Zoro's head and Smoker turning into a plume until he landed on top of the cage. Luffy and Zoro muttered half-baked excuses to each other before Luffy rocketed behind one of the wax walls and Zoro crept behind the cage.

"Oh, no," Nami exclaimed. "Sanji-kun, don't let her get close!"

"What?" Sanji said, looking around. "No, wait, Nami-san, really, what's going on? Where's Vivi-chan?"

"Look in front of you!" Usopp yelled.

Sanji focused on the approaching regal figure and his eyes widened.

"Vivi-chan?" he said, stunned. "What—? What happened—?"

"You are to call me Princess Paondemonium," Vivi snapped, one hand on her hip.

"She's been—I don't know the word, but it happened to Mr. 9 and that round giant!" Nami exclaimed. "Wait, you weren't there for either of those—"

"The word's 'akumatized.'"

Everyone turned to see Zoro, decked out in his suit, crouched behind Smoker.

Smoker narrowed his eyes. "Who the hell are you? Where did you come from?"

"At least, that's what I was told," Zoro continued, ignoring Smoker as he leapt down. "Why don't we get this flashy charade over with, Princess Whatever?"

"Yeah, that's the word," Nami said, nodding. "Wait, Chat Noir?! When did you—how—where—?!"

"Chat Noir!" Usopp exclaimed in delight. "Oh, thank god, you can save us, can't you?!"

"Oh, I'm here before Ladybug," Zoro said, his tone a touch pleased. He glanced at Sanji. "Hey, blondie, I don't care what you think about women, you'd better get away from her if you want to keep your own mind."

Sanji stared at him. "Uh . . . right," he said as if dazed, stepping away from Vivi.

"Hey, am I late?" Luffy, dressed as Ladybug, leapt out from somewhere, landing next to Smoker. "Chat, you're here!"

"What now?" Smoker snapped.

"Long story," Nami said shortly. "You two—you'd better save her! She's our friend!"

"Yep," Luffy said. "No problem. Only, there is a problem, because the water's getting higher, and I can't swim."

"Oh, that's just great," Zoro said under his breath.

Usopp looked back to Vivi and cried out loud.

"Sanji—!"

Sanji turned just in time for Vivi to murmur, "Contrôler," as she touched his forehead with glowing fingers.

He sank to one knee and uttered reverently, "How may I serve you, my princess?"

"Oh, for god's sake," Nami hissed.

"Aw, man, not Sanji," Luffy muttered. "Hey, Chat, I took out those bananagators, so we don't have to worry about them."

"When did you do that?" Zoro muttered.

"Earlier."

"Come to think of it, where's Luffy and Zoro?" Usopp said, hiding behind Nami as Sanji looked up at Vivi, his eyes oddly green. "They didn't get eaten?"

Before Luffy or Zoro could come up with excuses, Vivi said, "Sanji, Mr. 3; make sure those two hold still for me." She gestured to Usopp and Nami.

"Yes, my lady," they exclaimed, and turned to Nami and Usopp, whose eyes widened as they backed up.

"Guys, get up here!" Luffy called, slinging out his medallion into Mr. 3's head and knocking him into the water, where he lay still on his back. Nami and Usopp scrambled to get to the cage and accepted Luffy's hand. Sanji began going after them, but Zoro ran forward and punched him in the face, sending him stumbling back.

"Wow, that felt great," Zoro exclaimed. He glanced over. "You guys okay?"

"They're fine!" Luffy called. "Hey, Nami, Usopp, stay up here, okay? Unless you wanna help."

They shook their heads. "We'll cheer you on," Nami offered.

Luffy grinned. "Got it! Smokey, keep them safe!"

Nami and Usopp eyed Smoker nervously as he scowled. "Why should I listen to you?"

"You're staying up here anyway to avoid the water, aren't you? Nami and Usopp have to stay up here, too, so you might as well keep them safe while you're at it," Luffy said cheekily. "Have fun!"

He leapt down, landing on Zoro's shoulders to keep out of the water.

"Bastard," Smoker said under his breath. He eyed Nami and Usopp, who edged away nervously. "It's not like I can arrest you right now, even if you two had bounties . . ."

Vivi held herself haughtily, facing Luffy and Zoro.

"It's in her bracelet thing, right?" Luffy said, pointing to it. Zoro nodded.

"I got this," Zoro muttered, grabbing his staff. He extended it towards Vivi, but Sanji came leaping out of nowhere and seized it, using it to fling Luffy and Zoro up and far over himself and Vivi. Zoro caught Luffy bridal-style just before he landed in the water, successfully crouching on the ground.

"Hi, kitty," Luffy said, holding Zoro's neck with a grin.

"Don't make me drop you!" Zoro snarled. "Can you take care of blondie while I get Vivi?"

"Yeah. Be careful!"

With that, Luffy climbed up on top of Zoro's shoulders and leapt towards Sanji with a battle cry, landing on his head and forcing him to come to a halt, trying not to lose his balance. Zoro darted around Vivi and stood at the entrance to the cage door, water lapping up near his hips.

"Hey, Princess Peacock, come get me!" he taunted, waving his hands. "You want my Miraculous, don't you?"

With a glance at Sanji and a sneer, Vivi hopped on broken stone over to Zoro, doing her best to stay high and dry. But just as she reached out to his forehead, he used his staff as a means to vault himself over her and pushed her into the cage, shutting the door with a click.

"Nice!" Luffy called, still keeping Sanji distracted. "Grab the bracelet and we're done!"

Zoro seized Vivi's left wrist through the bars, but before he could snap up the bracelet, she yanked her hand upwards and touched her fingers to his forehead.

"Aw, no!" Luffy exclaimed.

Zoro slumped and knelt before Vivi, ignoring the water lapping just above his hips.

"How may I serve you, my princess?"

"Let me out of this cage," Vivi ordered, "and get me out of this water!"

"As you wish." Zoro, his eyes now oddly green rather than grey, straightened up. He flexed his hand, and with a cry of, "Cataclysm!" he destroyed the bars.

"Chat Noir?" Usopp cried. Zoro picked up Vivi, holding her above the water.

"Well, shoot, this is a problem," Luffy mumbled, ignoring Sanji's muffled yells. He stood on Sanji's shoulders and did a flip over to the cage's roof, landing as he threw his medallion with a call of, "Lucky Charm!"

He caught the item and examined it.

"Tape?" Usopp muttered.

"Now's not the time for a craft project," Nami snapped.

"I don't get to pick what it is," Luffy protested. He eyed Vivi. "But I think I know what I can do."

"Sanji!" Vivi exclaimed. "Seize Ladybug immediately!"

"At once, my lady!" Sanji exclaimed, but then Luffy jumped down, swinging around his medallion. He roped up Zoro in such a way that Vivi was dropped with a small shriek, and Zoro was left with his arms and legs wrapped up like a burrito.

"Gotcha!" Luffy exclaimed, clinging to Vivi's back as she straightened up and holding her arms captive with his legs. He peeled off some tape and stuck it on her mouth, muffling any further orders she might have given.

"Sorry, Vivi," he whispered. Vivi struggled to get him off of her as Zoro fruitlessly wriggled under the string tying him up.

"How dare you?" Sanji snarled, striding forward.

"Huh?" Nami called, exaggeratedly putting a hand to one ear. "What was that?"

The others looked around at her.

"Oh! Sanji-kun, can't you hear that?" she exclaimed. "Your princess is telling you to take that purple bracelet off her wrist!"

"What?" Usopp cried exaggeratedly. "Why, Nami, how could you say such a thing? If he does that, Ladybug will surely be defeated!"

They winked at Luffy, who grinned widely.

"As you command, my lady!" Sanji declared, hurrying to Vivi and gently removing the bracelet from her wrist. With her mouth taped shut, Vivi could not stop him.

"Hey, Sanji," Luffy said. As soon as Sanji looked up, Luffy beaned him with the tape roll, making him loosen his grip enough so that Luffy could lean over and snatch it up. With a hard yank, he shattered the string, and the moth came fluttering out.

"Awesome!" he exclaimed. He pulled on his medallion, sending Zoro spinning in place like a toy top, and managed to catch the bug. Once it was released, it fluttered away.

"And . . . there!"

He grabbed the tape roll again and flung it into the air. It vanished, and the damage was undone—Sanji and Zoro were freed from the spell, the cage's bars rebuilt themselves, and Vivi fell to her knees, Luffy still on her back as she reverted to her own self.

"Thanks!" Luffy added to Nami and Usopp as they hopped down from the cage roof, Smoker eyeing them.

"What's . . . going on?" Vivi murmured, straightening up and inadvertently sending Luffy toppling into the water.

"What happened?" Sanji muttered, rubbing his head. "Oh! Vivi-chan—"

He hurried to her, but Nami and Usopp got there first, Usopp throwing Luffy to Zoro and Nami hugging Vivi.

"Nami-san?" Vivi exclaimed.

"Thank god you're back," Nami said, smiling. "Are you okay?"

"Back? What—" Vivi looked around. "Ladybug-san? Chat Noir-san?"

Zoro frowned at Luffy as he caught him. "I got hypnotized, didn't I?"

Luffy nodded.

"I'm sorry. That was careless."

But Luffy just grinned. "It's okay, kitty."

He kissed Zoro on the cheek.

"You're still really cool!"

Zoro's eyes widened and he nearly dropped Luffy as Usopp gave a shout of surprise.

"You two are—?" he exclaimed, pointing from Luffy to Zoro.

"Are what?" Luffy said. "Huh? Chat, are you okay?"

"You—uh—"

"What? Oh, do you not like being kissed? I won't do it again."

"Ladybug?" Sanji said. "Chat Noir? What the hell happened?"

"It's not that I don't like—" Zoro struggled to find his words. "I just—uh—you—"

"I'm about to change back," Luffy announced. "I think you are, too?"

"You're right," Zoro said, relieved for a change of subject. He glanced up. "What the hell are you staring at, blondie?"

Sanji jumped. "Nothing! I just—"

"Hey, you two," Nami said, still holding Vivi around the shoulders, "I have questions for you!"

"Think you can ask them next time we meet?" Zoro said. "This water's—"

And the glass burst open completely.

Alabasta Desert

In the chaos, no one had seen Luffy and Zoro turn back, and everyone made it successfully above ground. Once Luffy had hugged Vivi and assured her everything was going to be okay, Crocodile had tried to kidnap her, and Luffy switched himself with her just in time.

The Strawhats sans Luffy now rode upon Pincers, Zoro lifting Lashes like a weight.

"What happened back there?" Vivi said at last. "The bananagators were surrounding me, and then . . . ?"

Nami and Usopp glanced at each other.

"Should we tell her?" Usopp stage-whispered.

"Maybe it's better for her not to know," Nami stage-whispered back.

"I can hear you," Vivi murmured.

"You were akumatized," Zoro said bluntly. "Like what happened to your partner on Whiskey Peak, and the giant from Little Garden."

Vivi's eyes widened. "What?! Something like that happened?!" She looked around. "Oh, no, did I cause you all trouble? I'm so sorry!"

"Don't be like that," Nami said, waving a hand. "Whoever attacked us, it sure wasn't you."

"I attacked you?!"

Nami rolled her eyes. "It's okay. I'm sure it could happen to anyone."

"You didn't cause us trouble at all, my princess!" Sanji declared, taking her hand lovingly.

Usopp narrowed his eyes. "Are we sure he's not still hypnotized?"

"What's going on?" Chopper said, looking around. "Did something happen?"

Nami sighed. "Vivi got akumatized and Ladybug and Chat Noir showed up."

"Ladybug and who?"

"Oh, yeah, you haven't met them yet!" Usopp exclaimed. "They're these super-awesome heroes who save the day!"

"What?! Heroes?!" Chopper cried.

"Yeah, totally!" Usopp waved his arms around. "I dunno where they went, but they're definitely okay! Anyway, Vivi was being controlled by something, and they saved her!"

"Oh, they did?" Vivi exclaimed. She bowed her head. "I'd like to thank them . . ."

"That's so cool!" Chopper cried in delight. "I wanna meet them!"

"We might see them again," Usopp said wisely. "Oh, and Ladybug actually kissed Chat Noir! Do you think they're a couple?!"

Zoro dropped Lashes, who snorted in anger and turned away from him.

"By the way, Zoro," Nami said, "where did you and Luffy go during all that?"

"Luffy was probably trying to avoid the water," Zoro said, still facing away, "and I was watching from behind the cage."

"You're never around when they show up," Usopp muttered. "You're missing out on everything!"

"I can watch from afar," Zoro snapped.

Sanji raised a hand. "Quick question. Why don't I remember what happened?"

"You were under a spell," Nami said.

Sanji slumped where he sat. "I missed the fight . . . ? Again? And I didn't even get to talk to them . . ."

"Don't tell me you're a fan, too," Zoro muttered.

"What—? Of course not," Sanji protested. "Sure, those two are pretty cool, and I do like Chat Noir's hair, but a fan? Don't be—don't be ridiculous!"

"They sound really cool," Chopper whispered, quivering in excitement.

"Mr. Bushido?" Vivi said in surprise. "What are you doing?"

Zoro had laid himself flat and facedown on the crab's back.

"Zoro, don't be weird," Usopp muttered.

"Tell that to all the weird things happening today," Zoro muttered, voice muffled.

Alubarna

"What I want to know," Nami said, staring out the window at the pouring rain, "is where Ladybug and Chat Noir were while we were fighting."

"Huh?" Usopp said as Zoro pretended not to hear her, focusing on Luffy instead (he was unconscious in bed for the second day in a row).

"If they want to play hero, shouldn't they have helped somehow?" Nami said impatiently. "I know it all ended up working out, but a little help would have been nice!"

"They probably had really important hero stuff to do," Usopp protested.

"Like what? We know they're in Alabasta, or at least they were—"

"So maybe they were helping keep citizens safe in the streets while we fought Baroque Works," Zoro muttered.

"Do you think so?" Vivi murmured, adjusting Luffy's hat on the small table to keep herself busy. Karoo squawked softly.

"I didn't see them," Sanji muttered as if peeved.

Grand Line Sea

"Is he always so relaxed?" Robin murmured.

Nami jumped, eyeing Robin, who had crept up behind her. She turned her attention back to Luffy, who had passed out in a peaceful nap against the railing, still wearing his blue robe from Alabasta.

"I suppose so," she said at last. "You can always count on him in a proper fight, but he tends to let his guard down on the ship when we're around."

Robin smiled. "I see."

As they watched, Zoro passed by Luffy, having just finished his workout. He glanced to him, sighed, picked him up, and settled against the railing, pulling Luffy into his lap with his arms wrapped loosely around him. He, too, fell asleep within seconds.

"They're peas in a pod," Nami muttered, heading away. "I'll be indoors."

Luffy curled up against Zoro's chest in his sleep.