Chapter 7

With a huge explosion, the whole Strawhat ship turned into one of Jora's art pieces. Everything looked misshapen and deformed that it almost made me sick just by looking at it. Chopper screamed with a horrified expression along with Nami, the recently awakened Brook and Momonosuke.

"Franky will cut our asses off and hang it above the fireplace!" Nami shouted.

"We don't even have a fireplace! Oh no, I bet he'll build a fireplace just so he can han our asses above it!" Brook said morbidly.

"No, guys. You're forgetting the worst thing." Chopper said with a grim expression. "Luffy will scold us."

The three of them shuddered.

"What's wrong with Luffy scolding you? That's normal right? He is your captain after all." I said with a curious expression.

"No, Rin!" Chopper cringed. "It's not that. Can you imagine that idiot lecturing us about responsibility and carelessness? Uggh."

"We have to do something before the others see this. I don't want to be on the receiving end of Luffy's lecture." Brook said.

Wow, they really don't want Luffy to nag them huh? I guess I should do my best then. I want to earn their trust as quickly as possible since they seem to be my only hope of getting out of here.

"I can help you with that." I said with a mischievous grin.

The four of them simultaneously looked at me with disbelief. Wow, don't they trust me? Well, I guess they still don't and it's reasonable too. I am the sister of the mastermind of all the problems their facing.

"Okay, guys. I know it's hard to believe this but I'm on your side now, okay? And I'll be useful too! I know these guys like the back of my hand. I've been studying their powers since I was a kid in the hopes of escaping this place." I said.

"You've tried to escape before?" Chopper asked. "Must be a really bad place to be."

"It is. And not just because it's a prison. I know what Doffy did to the people of the land who tried to start a rebellion. I know what he did to get this throne he currently sits on. And I know he's not above killing or any crime just to get his way." I said. "But before I could escape, a certain someone ruined my plan."

"Who?" Brook asked.

I remember that day like it was just a moment ago. I stood there, on the edge of the shore with a boat ready to take me away to freedom. But someone pulled me back. I struggled desperately and everything turned into a huge blur. But if there is one thing I am certain of, that is the fact that I saw the ship I was supposed to ride… get cut cleanly in half.

I know who it was. And I fully intend on giving him a piece of my mind once I am free of this place.

"Oh, no one important." I replied. "Anyway, if my plan succeeds, you'll have to pay me with something."

"Something?" Nami asked suspiciously. "I'm the best at striking deals here. So I'll decide. What's your price for this so-called plan of yours?"

"Well, Nami. It's not just a 'so-called plan'. It seems to me like we're in a really tight situation here, you know what I mean?" I said coyly. "Well, I am one of the most important members of the Doflamingo family and losing me would be just about the biggest heartbreak my brother would experience, wouldn't you agree?"

Nami stared at me in realization while Chopper and Brook just stared cluelessly.

"And if it just so happens that I would be held captive by not-so-friendly pirates... Now wouldn't that be just unfortunate for them?" I continued, hoping that Chopper and Brook would just catch on.

"Huh?" Momonuske muttered.

"For Pete's sake!" Nami shouted. "We're gonna pretend she's a hostage to make Jora return the ship to us and make it go back to normal!"

"Ohhh!" Brook and Chopper clapped happily at Nami's explanation.

Well, some of these people are just ... unbelievable.

"Oh, if that's the case, then I'll go with her plan!" Brook said.

"Yeah! Yeah!" Chopper said enthusiastically. "Me too!"

"And I think it's a smart plan." Nami said.

"Do I get to vote too?" Momonuske asked. "Because I vote yes."

They actually trust me? I can't believe it. My plan could only work fifty percent but they were putting their lives in my hands anyway. I stood there in shock for a moment before breaking out into a huge smile.

And so the plan to take down Jora begins.

On the other hand, Jora was pacing on the deck of the Strawhat ship.

'My god,' she thought as she stared at the waters below the ship. 'My reflection, as distorted as it is by the ocean's surface, still looks as beautiful as a mermaid's!'

Then she looked far out into the waters and squinted. What were the Strawhats doing with Lady Rin? Was the Lady planning something to infiltrate the Strawhats? Was she on the pirates' side? Well, the first option seemed more likely. Rin had always been quite the prankster. Jora remembered that time when Rin glued her fake glasses to her face and replaced the lens with colored paper. She was helpless like a blind man that day.

She hated that kid with a burning passion.

But of course, she had to be nice to Lady Rin. She was the young master's only sister and she was certainly treasured. So protected, in fact, that she was never allowed to go beyond the castle walls. Sometimes, Jora thought that Rin had developed her prankster attitude to make her own life more interesting. Being cooped up in that huge castle must have been driving the Lady insane.

And today, Lady Rin finally cracked.

"Get me a den-den mushi." She ordered one of her servants. "I must inform the young master of Rin's position."

"Are you sure you want to do that Jora-sama?" one of them asked. "He might lash out on us if we tell him that."

"Just do it." She said sternly. "By the way..."

"Yes, Lady Jora?" asked the servant.

"Did you just call me a mermaid?"

Meanwhile, Buffalo and Baby 5 were desperately searching around the arena for any signs of Rin but they couldn't find her anywhere. After a while, the den-den mushi started ringing again which caused them to jump.

"I don't want to answer that-dasuyan!" Buffalo said. He tossed the den-den mushi to Baby 5.

"Don't look at me! Neither do I." Baby 5 said with panic leaking in her voice. She tossed the phone back to her companion. "What are we going to do? That brat totally outsmarted us!"

Maybe they should pretend they had died? They might as well be dead anyway. Protecting Lady Rin was a big job, after all, and they had screwed it up. Big Time. My god, she was having a horrible day.

"Uhmm… why don't we pretend we're having a really bad reception?" Buffalo suggested. The den-den mushi kept ringing.

"Uh… well, Buffalo. That's just plain stupid." Baby 5 said pointedly and Buffalo looked down in shame. "Do it!"

Buffalo raised his head and nodded before slowly taking hold of the phone. Well, at least he lived a nice life, right? Mushimushimushi… ka-cha.

"Hello-dasuyan!" Buffalo said. Then he remembered he was supposed to be making static noises to make it seem like he was losing connection. "Ccchhhkkk"

"What's going on over there?" Doflamingo's cold voice managed to chill Buffalo to the bone. "Is Rin okay?"

"Ccchhhhkkk… Tcchhhhkcc … We seem to be having some problems-dasuyan! We will call you later, young master! Oh, and Rin is perfectly fine and well. Yep, she's right by my side-dasuyan. Bye!" Buffalo said before haging up.

For a long moment Baby 5 and Buffalo stared at each other.

"We're alive-dasuyan!" Buffalo said, relieved.

"I can't believe that actually worked." Baby 5 said. "But we won't be alive for long if we don't find her. Let's go!"

Doflamingo was perched precariously on the edge of his chair, without a care in the world. He was anxious. Rin still hasn't called him and it was getting on his nerves.

'This is the first time I send her out and she blatantly disobeys me.' He thought. 'If she wasn't so damn valuable…'

Well, it doesn't take a lot to imagine what he would do. Rin was an indiscriminate pranker. She had tricked him horrible a few times before.

Once, she had stolen all of Doflamingo's clothes and dyed them pink. When asked about it, she said it was his color. He didn't want her to think he was affected by that prank so he kept at least one article of his clothing pink. Which was always his pink feather coat.

Doflamingo grew to like it eventually anyway.

Mushimushimushi...

He thought it was Rin who finally called so he answered it immediately.

"Young master…" surprisingly, it was Jora's voice at the other end of the line.

"What is it?" he asked nonchalantly.

"It seems as if Lady Rin has escaped and allied with the Strawhats."

"What?"Doflamingo asked once again.

"Young master, I am sorry."

"Repeat what you just said." He ordered, eyes narrowing into dangerous looking slits.

"Rin has betrayed us."

Wow, I haven't updated this story in a while haha forgive me. I'm waiting for the new OP episodes to come out because I don't want to be such a spoiler and take out all the excitement in Dressrosa arc. Anyway, in the next chapter, shit's about to go down. ;)