Beachhead
The Going Merry sailed into a sandy shallows, and I recognized an old training ground. My homeland inspired conflicting emotions. The smells of the desert, the hot, dry climate; ah so nostalgic. Nervousness at setting myself against one of the great Warlords of the Sea, fear I'd arrived too late for the Nefertari dynasty, made me uneasy. On top of those layers rested happiness at returning, an enjoyment of growing beyond childhood, an accomplishment of completing my self-appointed mission.
While I could handle more powerful forces after years desperately seeking knowledge of the legendary six arts, clumsily recreating what I could not learn… my preparations, would they be enough?
Soon, I'd be tested.
We anchored - using the anchor Wapol had eaten the arm of - and I made everyone wait while I greeted my old teachers, the Kung-Fu Dugongs. As per tradition, I kicked their asses, establishing dominance. The assembled pod bowed, and I bowed back, an acknowledged master. Luffy wanted to fight too ("That looks like fun!" He'd said.), but instead, I asked my animal friends a favor: protection of the Going-Merry.
Well I'd told them "Do it bitches!" and they waaarked at me in respectful agreement.
Everyone disembarked onto the sandy beach shore. We supplied for desert travel, and Carue was flaring his feathers at me as I loaded him, dissatisfied with how much weight he'd be carrying. I looked into his eyes.
"You could also carry Usopp and Nami too." I said. Carue quacked in misery and stopped his pissy martyr act. It was obvious to us both who the dead weight was. I patted Carue on his bill and whispered, "Don't worry, I'll make them walk until they throw-up." This made my super duck happy, and he nuzzled my cheek with his, avoiding contact with my lips out of practice.
He'd lost pinfeathers to my indiscriminate dissolving face when I was a kid, and did he ever quack about THAT.
Usopp - two hours… Nami - seven hours (she received a second wind after the noontime rest break, and her strange blue walking staff helped). Carue was satisfied. We had desert lizard, the bigger-than-a-horse kind, for dinner when the foolish beast failed in determining the apex predator. It tasted gamy and succulent, though the others found it tough and chewy. My silvery mouth had no trouble. Our grueling pace achieved excellent time, and we set-up camp in the North where the oasis river leading into Dugong's Lagoon forked.
Well, except Zoro, who had gotten lost in the first hours. I hadn't believed the stories of my crewmates regarding the swordsman's horrible sense of direction until my own plans went awry.
"Zoro can take care of himself." Luffy shrugged.
"He'll need to, this desert can be unforgiving." I did my best to put Zoro out of my mind.
This was my show. Tomorrow I'd be going east with no-bounty Usopp, toward Nanohana, where the Marines based themselves, to see if my incriminating information on Crocodile might get the World Government on the Royal House of Nefertari's side. Mr. Prince and Miss Princess (Sanji and Beth) would be traveling farther east on Carue to Katorea, where they'd be in contact with the rebellion, led by my old minion Kohza. I had written a letter and included an unmistakable token [Carue]. They carried copies of my evidence. Luffy, Chopper, and Nami (in charge for her sense of direction) would visit Emralu, Yuba, and other desert towns I'd highlighted on the map Nami had drawn under my careful instruction. Their job was counter-insurgency - making sure Crocodile hadn't installed puppet raiders across the countryside, with instructions to heal citizens of the resistance. I planned on meeting them at the City of Dreams, Rainbase, where the premiere headquarters of Baroque Works lurked.
Our separation was like a party. Sanji grilled another desert lizard, and used the nectar of a cactus as a unique, delicious sauce. We laughed about what Arabasta offered the pirate tourist - sunburn, sand, and silent predators. Nami took her team away first, stretching Luffy's ear out about ten feet before he followed. I reclaimed my chopsticks and seastone straw from Sanji, and dragged Usopp off.
Though I gave my super duck one last hug and whispered, "Don't be too difficult with the blond haired idiots. Make sure they stay on mission and don't stop for booty calls." A quack and a ducky wing salute meant Carue understood and wished us luck.
"Come on, Mr. Useless, let's get moving. A run in the morning builds endurance." Usopp shuddered, but followed my easy, ground devouring pace. He managed a whole extra hour before his body betrayed his breakfast. This brought his record to three hours.
"That's the spirit!" I told him, still running as he vomited. "Remember, if you can't keep up, I'll leave for the lizards."
Usopp tried to say something, but only threw up in his mouth.
"You know the reason I'm helping you Usopp?" My companion gestured, conveying he didn't believe my help had beneficial aspects, miserable but not willing to be abandoned.
I gave him a lecture about fitness, and the general fighting ability of third-rate pirates who die off yearly on the Grand Line, finishing with "I heard you believe yourself a sniper. If you aren't able to run away and fight from distance, you're dead."
Personally, I had promised myself that I'd keep Usopp alive, which is why I took him and was trying to season him. If he ran into an Executive Agent from Baroque Works… they'd break his hands, fracture his skull (the long nose was a great target), and leave him for the buzzards. With medical attention, he might be OK after six months, but I doubted Luffy would haul an invalid down the Grand Line.
I did my best to make an impression on Usopp, stressing, "The only people who keep getting back up are storybook heroes. You aren't invincible, and if you get hurt, you don't have special healing powers. If you find yourself outclassed, run away or play dead!"
Perhaps I made an impression. I'd like to think I did. We stopped for a siesta during the noontime heat, but I made Usopp stretch before he could rest. I didn't want him stiffening too much. In the afternoon, I went slightly faster. We passed settlements, and moved onto a stone road. (Easier than sand for traveling.) That evening we arrived, having covered an exceptional distance.
Off the sands, our pace improved. Nanohana approached, close enough for Usopp's telescopic goggles to see.
"Vivi, it looks like a disaster bomb exploded on that city." Croaked Usopp, with panting, exhausted hesitation.
"I'm going ahead. I need to estimate the damage impact and perhaps rethink. I'll wait on the road ahead; don't slack off."
I used my full speed, stopping at a hill overlooking what once was the mighty port of Nanohana.
Half the city was gone, and the place smelled of wood smoke and expensive, mellowed cigars. Stone building had burned into slag, and half the waterfront looked gutted by fire. As a topper, the mother of sandstorms had inflicted itself upon poor Nanohana. The damage focused on upper areas of buildings, which told me a story of battle. In contrast, an unblemished marine fleet anchored in Nanohana's harbor.
A family with their worldly possession stowed in a wooden cart pulled by an evil-looking camel came up the hilly road, as I made my observations. I hailed them and exchanged empty pleasantries.
"What happened here?"
"A billion belli battle of the devil's logia." The caravan leader spat off the side of his cart and reigned the camel, which bared teeth. "The world-class criminal Fire Fist Ace decided to have a drink at the same bar as Marine Captain Smoker. Smoker decided on bounty hunting, and they got into it in the middle of Nanohana."
"Fire Fist Ace wouldn't endanger people for no reason. He'd go into the desert and avoid collateral damage. As pirates go, I heard he isn't evil." Luffy had told the crew a story or two about his brother.
The man's wife spoke up. "My cousin Spikey Jeb's sister-in-law was at the bar when the fight broke, got burned fierce. I heard third-hand that Ace wanted to move, but Smoker refused. In the desert, there ain't anything to burn into smoke."
I flinched.
"The man made of Fire fought the man made of Smoke." Said an adolescent child in stained clothing, head poking out from underneath a tarp covering salvaged furniture on the cart. "They were destroying everything. It lasted hours, until Crocodile, our savior, came!"
The man in charge's face wrinkled up, annoyed the kid was stealing his thunder. He smacked the brat on the head and continued.
"When the mighty warlord appeared, he finished the fight in ten minutes, smothered both the smoke and the flames in an avalanche of sand. He was mighty angry too. Took the troublemakers prisoner, and word is he's holding Smoker until the Marines pay for repairs. Said he'll turn in Fire Fist for the bounty after they pay up, too. Me, I'm not waiting around homeless for bureaucracy." The man spat again.
"Isn't that a Marine fleet waiting in the harbor?" I gestured at the ships.
"Yeah, it is. They want Smoker back, won't pay a damn thing. Won't lift a finger to help. Didn't show until three days after the battle."
"Thank you for the news." I waved at the caravan as they headed off, toward relatives in another town. Usopp limped up a minute later, exhausted. I filled him in on the news and my decision to set up a tent off the road outside city limits.
"But Vivi, what about an inn? They have baths!" He begged me, with shining eyes.
"I don't want to be recognized, and I'm sure no vacancies exist in this disaster. Half the town is wrecked!" My decision stood, and I found us a sheltered campsite without much trouble, though Usopp groaned at walking back over seven sand dunes. Our dinner consisted of leftover lizard.
Up with the sunrise, I let Usopp sleep during my morning warm-up, limbering muscles which pleasantly burned from yesterday's travel in Paper Drawing practice. Then we headed into Nanohana, straight for the anchored fleet. Having the World Government on Alabasta's side could be a game-changer, and now the Crocodile held Smoker, they had an excuse for involvement in local politics.
We headed straight for the anchored fleet.
My overtures did not go well. Diplomatic abilities I possessed in depth, but the marines had their orders. The negotiations failed for a silly reason - the woman in charge intensely disliked me, after one of the random grunts said to me loudly "You're prettier than Captain Hina!"
Finally after sweet words failed, and a cowering Usopp was begging me to leave, I snapped.
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." I said. "Don't the Marines of the World Government espouse justice as an ideal?"
"I'll show the dumb desert princess how we do justice. Hina teaching!"
I tensed. Combat ready.
Inside of a fight, we were led into the brig area, Usopp snivellling about how he was a law abiding citizen and totally not a pirate captain in charge of 20,000 desert raiders. "Don't lock me up!" He wailed.
Even Captain Hina realized I was babysitting and made no comment. I left Usopp outside with some evil looking, pirate-hating marines. They had crackled their knuckles as a welcoming intimidation. Usopp had yelped. I'd commented "Play nice now!" and went inside. Maybe he'd learn something from his new friends.
Inside the brig, the captain saluted a tensed yet strapping Marine prison guard (well, he was attractive) and opened the fortified prison cell. She gestured dismissively at the prisoner.
"We fished this dirty Okama out of the ocean after his crew attacked our Marine partol vessel. Hina digusted."
A chained and extremely tall man dressed in a pink swan costume sat dejectedly inside the jail cell. Two huge white balls decorated his ears, while swan heads overlooked his shoulders from a flamboyant pink jacket, and he wore an obnoxious amount of blue eye-shadow and pink cheek mascara. His make-up had not gone runny. Looking harder, since the man had been immersed in seawater, his facial markings weren't actually make-up, but a permanent tattoo. The prisoner hugged his face to his knees in abject misery, but looked up when I started speaking.
"Ah yes, Mr. 2 is indeed a despicable specimen of pervertedness, but we'll need his cooperation if we are to save my country and find your missing Captain Smoker."
"Celebration-chan you are such a wet firecracker, wa yo! I refuse to have anything to do with whatever you are plotting!" Mr.2 two stood, lifted one of his legs above his head, and began spinning like a demented ballerina. He wasn't able to spin far with Hina's ringed chains, but he settled for constantly changing directions back and forth. It was upsetting to watch, the pot-like and extremely round blue striped undergarments he wore were being flashed at us constantly. Ugly.
"He hates you. Hina puzzled."
The captured scum provided the diplomatic breakthrough I'd been looking for. Suddenly we were on the same side - both against Mr. 2.
"It's because she rejected my friendship! She's a bitch, a heartless bitch." Mr. 2 stopped spinning, eyes wide, the shock of revelation on his face. "Oh no, you're a heartless Marine bitch too! I refuse, wa yo! I will not let you ravish me - either my beautiful body or my fierce loyalties!" He switched legs and began spinning again with a river of persecuted tears running down his face.
And Mr. 2 was helping. Not on purpose.
"Mr. 2 reviles me because I never let him touch me. His awful personality of taking what he wants and re-interpreting events with himself at the center is responsible for my general dislike of Okama." I explained.
"Okama enjoy being asses and touching asses entirely too much. Hina understanding."
"I thought you were a boy! A cute ninja boy. I know some Okama aren't picky about asses, but I only like pretty boys!" Mr. 2's defense of himself impressed neither of us.
"He annoyed all of the executive agents in Baroque Works just by being himself. Miss Valentine tried to flatten him at the last Christmas party. He scared off her date."
"So misunderstood, wa-yo." Said Mr. 2, twirling faster.
"Hina prepared to offer your entire crew their freedom in return for your own cooperation and promise of surrender, ugly Okama pirate trash. Hina generous." Captain Hina nodded.
"But I never go back on my word! If I promise that, I'll be imprisoned at Impel Down. No way-yo!"
After this impassioned and empty protestation on the part of the prisoner, I took Hina aside and we talked. It went much better than before. Plans were made, and we returned to interrogate Mr. 2.
"Because I owed you something as a former co-worker, I've gotten Captain Hina's promise your men can go free with your pirate ship if you cooperate. Otherwise you'll be sent to different prisons. Surely there's some famous and disgusting Okama at the prison you'd like to meet? Maybe you'll fall in love?"
"Iva-chan." Muttered Mr. 2, looking far into the distance and blushing. "Alright, wa-yo, I'll help you. You have my word, but not my friendship!"
"We don't want that!" Captain Hina and I said it together. I think that moment of shared connection is when we truly became friends. This friendship… without it the coming storm of events might have overwhelmed the royal dynasty of Nefertari .
Author's World Building Notes:
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Attributed to r. Martin Luther King, Jr.
I spent some time comparing Alabasta vs. Arabasta, as to which is more appropriate for this story. Alabasta is 'strong canon' as a reviewer pointed out.
Since this is the Arabasta Arc, I thought I should explain my reasoning. 'Alabasta' represents the color alabaster, a white marble hue, which calls to my mind wide open Grecian marble temples located in desert climate zones. That isn't really part of Vividness.
The ara-mitama (a tama is an aspect of spirit, like how I picture to the mimicry aspect of Vivi's devil abilities) is a (mi)tama with the power of ruling, recognized by the Japanese religion Shintoism. This, more than anything, is why I picked *Ara*basta as the spelling of choice. It is meant to be an oblique reference to Vivi having eaten the Mystery Mystery fruit, a fruit which cannot rule them all, but can copy the best ones. (In theory, if it doesn't kill you for eating it.)
The Arabasta Arc consists of three chapters - Beachhead, Swirling Sands, and The Perfect Sandstorm. It has taken me a long, long time to find the inspiration and begin this portion of Vividness. Expect the rest of it soon.
Author's Resolution: In 2015 I want to at least double the length of this story, hitting ~60000 words.
