I'm so sorry for the long wait. I know this chapter is definitely not one of my best ones. But I had all the other chapters planned out except for this one, because I had no earthly clue what to do about Robin, Chopper, and Brook. That's the honest truth. I know I'll definitely come back and edit this chapter later, but I just want to get the crew one hundred percent together before anything else major happens.

On that happy note, enjoy. R&R

Chapter Updated: Sunday, July 22, 2012

Reunited – Part 2

Nami

Nami, Usopp, and Franky raced up to the top floor of the prison, emerging into the main facility of the marine base. The three pirates glanced about, completely confused as to what to do next.

"Do either of you have any idea where they might be?" Nami asked.

Both Usopp and Franky shook their heads, frowns creasing their faces.

Nami sucked her lips, crossing her arms and staring down both sides of the hallway. There was no possible way that the other Devil Fruit users would be anywhere near their current location. Even with sea prism stone shackles and possibly cell bars, they were still incredibly dangerous. The best solution to at least get a general idea was probably to interrogate another marine they captured, but there was no telling if the marine even knew where they were.

Then again, Nami had with her the best, or maybe worst, liar in the world. It takes one to know one, so if Usopp couldn't detect a lie, then it was probably the truth.

"Well," Nami concluded. "I suppose we should just refer to the default: beat the answers out of somebody."

Franky's raised his arm, the wrist sliding open to the side to reveal the arm to be hollow. A small circle in his palm opened, and the homing device began searching for a target with a small beep, beep, beep sound. "Super idea."

"A-are you sure?" Usopp moaned. "I mean, I'm sure there are plenty of other options to finding them. Like, maybe if we, ya'know, just look for a map or… or…"

"Or what?"

Usopp's gaze fell. It was obvious he had no other solutions either.

"Alright. Let's go!"

Nami, Usopp, and Franky repeated the random running throughout the stronghold she and Luffy had just performed. Nami still couldn't distinguish which corridor from which, and still had no idea where the hell she was going. There were no marines in the hall, which Nami suspected as a sign that all units had been sent to guard the remaining Straw Hat Crew with all their might. Fabulous.

The three pirates eventually came across two glass double doors with a view of a large grassy garden through it. Nami suspected this was the main entrance to the marine base.

Beyond the large plot of grass lay a harbor with about four marine warships docked there. Nami counted only about twenty patrolling marines, their guns resting at their shoulder. Other dockworkers roamed about on deck, loading cannons and swabbing the decks. The Thousand Sunny was nowhere to be found.

Franky did not seem very pleased at not knowing the whereabouts of his beloved ship. He pressed his face against the glass paneling of the doors, his eyes roaming frantically across the harbor, searching for the boat that wasn't there.

One of the patrolling marines noticed the shipwright pressed firmly against the glass. He shouted out a warning, summoning the others to his side. They cocked their guns and aimed for the blue-haired cyborg. Nami grabbed Usopp's arm and yanked him out of the way, pressing herself and the sniper against a wall and out of the line of fire.

The marines fired, their guns bursting to life simultaneously. Glass shattered with an ear-splitting crash, raining over the linoleum floor like new fallen snow. Small pieces splintered over Nami's feet, slicing open her skin and causing her feet to bleed. Small particles cut across the arms she held over her head. Through the sounds of continuous gunfire and shattering glass, Nami could hear the sharp click of the bullets bouncing harmlessly off Franky's metallic front side.

Finally, the gunfire ceased, and an eerie silence fell on all ears. The remaining pieces of glass clattered to the floor, and lay still. All she could hear was her own heavy breathing and what she suspected was Usopp's teeth chattering in fear. Nami waited a few seconds before slowly lowering her arms to observe the scene.

The double doors had been completely annihilated. The black frame was riddled with smoking bullet holes. Glass littered the corridor, and Nami could see several destroyed pieces of shrapnel lying within the mix. Franky stood amongst the damage, still staring around for his ship, completely oblivious to all the debris. There was not a scratch on him.

Nami and Usopp stood up and moved delicately into the view of the marines, careful to step gently around the rubble. Nami wasn't wearing shoes, and she refused to have Usopp carry her. The marines were murmuring among themselves in horror, staring at the man who had just been shot and stood there perfectly unharmed.

"I don't see the ship anywhere," Franky said finally. His voice was downcast, and Nami was afraid he'd start singing.

To interrupt the shipwright's lament, Nami pulled her Climatact from underneath her shirt, fitting the pieces together into the long blue pole. The marines took aim again, their guns cocked straight towards them.

Nami took careful note of the wind direction before releasing several Cool Balls and Heat Balls. The gentle breeze from the sea carried the spheres of cold and heat toward the nervous marines, colliding and condensing above their heads. Now knowing what it feels like to be electrocuted, she didn't' feel comfortable condemning these men to having their nerves on fire, but there was no other way.

"Thunder Tempo!" she cried as she released the crackling gold sphere into the large cloud that floated above the men's heads. One of the marines tried to warn his fellow comrades, but it was too late. The lightning flashed, and the men yelled out in pain as the electricity passed through their bodies. They collapsed one by one, smoke curling from their mouths.

One man didn't allow himself to fall; he merely fell to one knee, his head bowed, breathing heavily. Usopp pulled a small red ball from his pouch and aimed it at the fallen man as Nami approached him cautiously. When she was near enough to touch him, she kicked the rifle from underneath his hand and knelt so she could look him in the eye.

"Hello," she said sweetly. "You wouldn't happen to know where the three Straw Hat Devil Fruit users are, would you? A woman with black hair, a small raccoon-dog, and a very tall skeleton." She didn't mean to call Chopper a raccoon-dog, but there was no way this marine was going to refer to him as a reindeer, so she had to speak in his language.

The marine looked up, his icy blue eyes boring deep holes in her own. "Like I'd tell any of you, filthy pirates," he snapped.

"Looks like he'll need convincing," Franky stepped forward, pounding his fist into his palm.

"That won't be necessary," Nami said quickly. "I can get the information out of him. Just give me five minutes." She grasped the marine by the cuff of his shirt and dragged him around the corner of the building, out of sight of the sniper and shipwright. I'm so sorry. I was saving this for you, but…

Nami returned a few minutes later, and informed her companions Robin, Chopper, and Brook were in another building all together. All they had to do was run around the perimeter of the building until they found a large silver box set into a rocky cliff face. Find a way inside the box and good luck with locating their comrades.

"That's amazing, Nami!" Usopp praised. "How'd you get him to talk?"

Nami's body suddenly felt very heavy and her cheeks flared up. "A girl has her ways," she said simply. "Alright, let's go rescue Robin!"

The marine hadn't said which direction they should run around the base, so Nami decided to run in the opposite direction of where she left him leaned against the wall, holding his hands to his mouth with his eyes bugging out of his head. She didn't want her comrades to see the results of her… interrogation.

Her heart pounded painfully against her chest with every breath. The guilt weighed down on her like one of Zoro's dumbbells had attached itself to her body, slowing her pace. She had been saving that move especially for a certain person, but it didn't matter anymore. She would never have another one like it ever again. He shoulders sagged at the thought, pressure building up behind her eyes. She shook her head, refusing to cry. This was neither the time nor the place to show weakness.

Nami was so lost in her thoughts that she kept on running even when Franky and Usopp had stopped. Someone grabbed her arm and yanked her backwards, and she fell hard on her butt. "What the hell –" she stopped speaking, staring at the scene she had almost run headlong into.

Just as her prisoner had said, a huge silver-colored box-looking contraption thing was set into a cliff that semi-circled around the back of the stronghold. A few sets of stairs led up to a small door positioned at the very end of the box. Surrounding the entrance were about a hundred and fifty marine soldiers, each man armed with a gun and a pocket full of grenades. Some cannons were also surrounding the entrance, with two marines manning them. Three huge men walked amongst the marines, each with a huge coat around their shoulders that identified them as captains or Vice-Admirals. Nami instantly recognized Garp and Ramius among the three. The third she didn't know.

Usopp's teeth began chattering. "I think I have we-shouldn't-attack-all-those-marines-at-once disease!"

"How the hell are we going to get in there?" Nami thought aloud to herself.

"We should just charge right in," Franky suggested.

"How about not?" Usopp returned.

"That's a very Luffy sort of move," Nami agreed. "In fact, if he were here, I'd say he would be out there already."

As if on cue, a familiar yell bounced through the ranks. The marines tensed, cocking their guns and flinging them around from side to side. The cannoneers stood at the ready, awaiting orders. A few seconds passed, during which Nami was silently screaming curses to the sky. Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit….

A sudden explosion sent smoke, dust, and small pieces of brick flying in every direction. Nami, Franky, and Usopp peered around the corner to behold a large hole in the wall to the main base. Three figures could be seen amongst the rubble. They stepped forward into their field of vision.

"Oh, wow." Luffy said, running a hand through his hair. "Looks like the short cut didn't work."

"I told you, shit-head!" Sanji immediately turned on Zoro. "It was a left at the picture of the freaky dude with a beard!"

"We went left, you stupid cook!" Zoro shot back.

"No, we went straight. Right through the wall. And look where we are now!"

Nami facepalmed for the second time that day. There was no point in hiding herself from the marines now that the monster team had appeared. She stepped out from around the corner of the building, Franky and Usopp behind her.

Sanji spotted them first. "NAMI-SWAN!" he cried, his eyes forming little hearts inside his head.

The marines murmured among themselves as the group of three became six.

"What the hell are you doing here, Luffy?" Nami said, trying to sound like she hadn't betrayed herself half an hour earlier.

"Oh, about that." Luffy put on an embarrassed sort of grin. "We got lost trying to find the kitchen and old chef guy."

"It's this marimo's fault," Sanji muttered.

"Eh! You wanna go, Love-cook?"

"Alright you two, shut up," Nami said, her tone becoming dangerously annoyed. "Robin, Chopper and Brook are in there." She pointed at the silver box. Zoro's expression changed a bit as he stole a glance toward the entrance. "Those guys need to be dealt with." Her finger moved to the marines. "Can you three handle that?"

Zoro placed his bandanna over his head, drawing his three katana and placing the Wado Ichimonji in his mouth. Sanji began to spin on one foot, faster and faster, and when he came to a stop, his left leg was quite literally burning red. Luffy's skin turned shiny, wisps of steam curling off his body. "Aye." They said simultaneously.

The monster team was a whirlwind of flying colors. Each member easily took at least five marines with each blow. Cannons crumbled under Sanji's kicks, mortars fell in halves to the ground at Zoro's feet, and bullets ricocheted from Luffy's rubber body. It wasn't long before only Captain Ramius, Vice-Admiral Garp, and the other high-ranking officer remained on their feet.

"You want a rematch?" Luffy challenged Captain Ramius. Nami was curious as to why the most powerful of the Monster Trio would attack the lowest ranking officer of the bunch, but then it occurred to her that he had already fought his grandfather earlier that day. Despite Luffy being a pirate and Garp a marine, they were still family, and she could tell Luffy didn't want to fight his kin unless deemed absolutely necessary.

Zoro's eyes narrowed as he took his Oni Giri stance against the mystery officer, who drew a thick broadsword from the sheathe slung over his back.

Sanji dropped to a runner's position as he stared Vice-Admiral Garp in the face, a cigarette limp in his mouth. "Have a light?" He asked the Vice Admiral, who gave a low growl in return.

As the pirates and high-ranking officers clashed, the other Straw Hats skirted around the outside of the scuffle and broke in the door to the prison. The far wall was made of hard rock. From the door, a path led to the left, followed soon by a flight of stairs going down. The pirates stepped into the path tentatively, still on the lookout for traps.

Nami, Usopp, and Franky reached the bottom of the staircase, observing their surroundings. They stood in a long, dimly lit corridor. The walls were made of the same rock as the cliff, so Nami quickly assumed they were inside the mountain. Large cells lined the walls, the bars placed close together. There was no way to tell if the cells were of sea prism stone, but it was highly probable.

"Alright, we'll split up," Nami said. "Look in every cell. Don't miss a single one! We need to get them out as quickly as possible."

"Right."

XXX

It was Franky who located their missing crewmates. It was ten minutes by Nami's guess, but it was impossible to tell time in the prison. The shipwright called for the navigator and sniper, and they rushed quickly to assist.

Chopper was in an uncomfortable position. His entire body, except for his head, was encased in this white-grey material with small stones embedded in it. He was slumped against the wall, his eyes droopy. One of his horns was chipped. When he saw Franky, Usopp and Nami, he immediately started to cry with joy.

Brook had been tossed into the corner, with just a thin iron ring clamped around his skeletal neck. He gave a cheery yohohohoho as they appeared, throwing in a cheery wave.

Robin appeared to be asleep. She sat with her head leaning up against the wall, turned gently to the side. Her hair was matted and tangled, hanging limp over sagging shoulders. Her skirt was frayed and torn, and her top was ripped at the seams. Her feet were bare, and Nami could see small cuts around her ankles. The archaeologist was otherwise unharmed, which Nami found curious, but good.

Usopp pulled lock picks from his pouch and set to work on the mechanism, breaking it open within seconds. Nami pulled Chopper free from his straitjacket while Usopp set to work on Robin and Franky ripped apart Brook's neck brace.

"Yohohoho! That brace was heavy; I thought my skin would completely rub off! Ah, but I don't have any skin to be rubbed! SKULL JOKE!" Brook was back to his old self.

Robin slowly awoke as Usopp finished the last sea prism cuff around her wrists. "Miss Navigator. Long-nose. Mr. Shipwright."

"Robin," Nami smiled. "Are you alright?"

Robin nodded slowly, using Usopp as a support to stand. "I've been sitting for a long time and my joints are stiff. But I'm alright, and I'm ready to help in our escape."

"Sanji, Luffy, and Zoro are outside holding off the marines," Usopp explained the situation as the six pirates moved slowly back down the corridor to the exit. "They should be about finished by now."

Chopper had changed into his four-legged reindeer form, and was clopping along next to Franky. "What now?"

"What now?" Nami thought for a moment. "We need to find the Sunny. And then we'll leave this place behind!"

"To the Sunny!" The six pirates' voices reverberated up and down the prison, the volume bearing down on their ears. But it was worth it, because the voices were so full of confidence, Nami was sure they would have no more problems.

"To the Sunny!"

There! Finally! Completed! I know the ending is a bit sudden, but I haven't had Internet for the past week, and I finally got some at a café, so I wanted to wrap it up and post it before I had to leave. This chapter will definitely be edited on a later date, so check back when the next chapter is posted.

So the chapter was updated; later than I thought it would be. I didn't change much of it, mostly a few choice wordings and actions. As I go through these chapters, I find myself needing to "fix" less and less. I guess that's a good sign, right? :)

Coming Up: Chapter 7 - Destination