Another Nakama Omakes

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Ms. Goldenweek's Operation: Free Baroque Works Pt II

-x-

Ayako sat on the floor where she'd fallen and stared up at Mr. 2 as he flashed her a gaudy grin.

"That's right, it's me!" he announced, "This ain't no joke!"

Ayako peered into the kitchen and saw that Mana and Jun had moved on to temporarily boarding up the large hole they'd blown in the rear wall. They would keep it that way until they got the large refrigerator that they needed to fill the hole. The loud voice of Mr. 2 was drowned out by the louder construction work.

"But... what're you doing here?" Ayako asked as she got up and climbed back onto her stool, "Didn't you escape Alabasta with the Straw Hats?"

"Yes, oh what a touching departure that was!" Mr. 2 nearly cried, "My crew and I drew the Marines away from them so they could go meet the Princess in case she wished to join them. I was so truly touched by such noble dedication that I was willing to give myself and my crew up to ensure their escape! But then One Eye and the swordsman insisted that they wouldn't let me go on my own! They boarded my ship in disguise and along with their battalion of fighting seals they helped me and my men fight off the marines! Both of our ships managed to make a clean getaway, aaaah, such noble pirates!"

"Then if you got away, why are you still here?" Ayako questioned.

"Don't you know the fine art of escaping, little girl?" Mr. 2 inquired, "Once you escape from somewhere, that's the last place people will look for you. I came here because you three, Mr. 3 and Ms. All Sunday are the only other agents not in prison."

"Oh," Ayako said, "But don't you have a bounty on your head? You can't be here. The King wiped our slates clean. We're opening an honest business. I'm sorry but we can't have a wanted criminal-"

"Not so fast, sister!" Bon Kurei interjected, "The King may have verbally cleared your names, but that doesn't mean squat to those nasty marines!" The well-dressed Okama pulled a newspaper out from his pocket. "Here's a newspaper that's actually new for you to peruse! Page four, dear."

Ayako took the paper and flipped to the indicated page. She blinked and stared at... herself. Mr. 3's picture was next to her, Jun and Mana's pictures were under theirs, and Mr. 2 Bon Kurei and Ms. All Sunday were above them. A large headline read 'Baroque Works Agents Still at Large'.

"They managed to capture the Unluckies," Mr. 2 explained, "They used Mr. 13's ability as a sketch artist to get accurate drawings of the six of us."

"Nooo... we were cleared..." Ayako whined.

"Those are the marines you're dealing with, girlie," Mr. 2 pointed out, "They don't care who's guilty or innocent, they just want to complete their full set of Baroque Works Officer Agents. They won't stop until all of us are behind bars so they can cover up for the fact that they did nothing while Alabasta was saved from falling to ruin by our favorite motley crew of pirates."

"Then what do we do?" Ayako asked. "I don't want to be arrested for no reason..."

"Exactly, why should we play by the rules when those Marines won't?" Bon Kurei pointed out, "If they're going to brand us a criminals anyway, then let's give them a reason! I knew there was something I liked about you, Ms. Goldenweek, clearly your time with the Straw Hats rubbed off on you. We'll carry that lovely plan of yours. Just say there word, and I'm with you, my girl!"

"Plan?" Ayako repeated. "What plan?"

"Your lovely plan to give our fellow Officer Agents a second chance to go free and pursue their dreams!" Mr. 2 exclaimed. "We'll free our fellow Officer Agents from prison and give them a second chance so they can pursue their dreams! Ooooh, how lovely!"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Ayako said, "I never said that."

"You were about to," Mr. 2 countered.

"I said someone should do it," Ayako clarified, "Not me! Not us!"

"Think for a second there, dearie," Bon Kurei instructed, "If we don't go then who will? Come now, Ms. Goldenweek, where's your sense of camaraderie and adventure? I thought you learned something from the Straw Hats?"

Ayako bit her lip as she thought about what Mr. 2 was saying. He wanted her to go with him to break the other Officer Agents out of prison. She'd been sitting here moping about being bored, well now this strange man was offering her a chance at an adventure. She'd be dubbed a criminal if she did this but it looked like the Marines had made her one anyway. If she was going to be thrown in prison regardless, she might as well give them a reason. But in the slim chance that they succeeded in this crazy mission, they'd be giving their fellow agents a chance at a new life. She knew that she'd always be grateful to the Straw Hats for turning her life around. Maybe it was time for her to pay it forward by doing the same thing for somebody else.

"Okay, I'll do it," Ayako agreed.

"Atta girl!" Mr. 2 cheered. "Now we just need to get Mr. 5 and Ms. Valentine in on it. I'm sure it'll be easier to break into that prison with those two with us."

"No," Ayako refused. "They stopped a bomb that would have killed a million people. They're heroes and they're happy. Those two at least have people to vouch for them. They're living their dreams right now. We can't ask them to throw all that away so they can spend the rest of their lives in prison if we fail."

"Ah, how noble!" Bon Kurei sighed. "Very well, we'll leave your friends to live their happily ever after! Looks like it's just you and me, ducky! You know, I never had a partner while I was working with Baroque Works, let's see what I was missing out on."

"Wait, you want to go now?" Ayako questioned.

"Of course, there's no time like the present!" Mr. 2 pointed out. Ayako bit her lip. Despite the fact that she'd agreed to this, she was still reluctant. A lot could go wrong here. She was nervous. "I've got tea in the turtle I came her in..."

"Sold!" Ayako chirped. Mana had removed the stove and moved it across the room during her kitchen renovation so Ayako hadn't had tea in days. It would be just the thing to calm her nerves.

She picked up her blue backpack filled with art supplies that she always had nearby - an artist never knew when their muse might strike them - and pulled out her signature pink hat and put it on for old time's sake. She dumped the plate of rice crackers that Mana had left out into her bag then hefted it onto her back.

Ayako peeked her head into the kitchen and spotted Mana holding a board in place while Jun hammered in it and quickly called out to her. "Mana, I'm going out for tea with a strange man!"

"Okay, have fun, sweetie," Mana replied absently.

"You shouldn't have broken it to her that way!" Mr. 2 scolded her as he grabbed Ayako's hand and all but dragged her out the door. He led her up to a large turtle with a cowboy hat that was hooked up to a carriage. "Banchi, here, used to belong to Ms. All Sunday but she abandoned the poor fellow when she fled the county. I've been using him to get around."

They had just gotten inside when they heard Mana's scream, "Wait... WHAAAT?"

-x-

'Till Next Time...

Peace!