I DON'T OWN ONE PIECE! NEVER WILL!
Couldn't think of a proper name for this chapter….so I took a shot in the dark……no pun intended….also here's a little teaser/challenge for you all, in this chapter Razz speaks in his native tongue and I'll give you a virtual cookie if you guys guess right on what he says.
Chapter 10: Countdown
Elsa tapped her foot in anger as she stood in the doorway of the room that belonged to the guys, Shan sat on the kitchen counter waiting for Endo to finish getting ready after she woke him up.
Mac was sound asleep on the room's sofa, which is the reason for Elsa angry tapping. Mars laid sleeping in the armchair feet propped up on a table. Now Elsa knew for a fact that Mac and Mars both got in sometime after two in the morning, and Endo stumbled in a little tipsy from drinking a few hour's earlier.
Penny was still sleeping…it was pretty early in the morning and the young girl had a busy day yesterday, Siamon was also still in bed, Razz was at the ship, and Meku left right when the girls got there saying he had a student to torture or something.
But all Elsa wanted to know was why did her boyfriend get in so late, and it didn't seem like the big guy wouldn't wake up so…the black and white clad bunny girl stomped over to the big bear of a man and grabbed his ear.
"Ow…ow…ow…ow…ow! What Elsa?"
"Where were you last night?"
Mac winced in pain as her hold on his ear strengthen…hey he was a strong guy but you can't 'buff up' ears, plus he was sure Elsa would find another way to get him when she was very very angry.
"Why do you care Elsa? You've been pissed at me for a while now." said Mac raising an eyebrow slightly as his girlfriend let go of his ear. Elsa turned around arms crossed in front of her, her face nearly taken over from blushing.
"I-I wasn't worried…I just missed my big Melcom plushy."
Mars smirked as he watched the conversation between the two, even thou they were arguing you could still feel the deep love Mac and Elsa had for each other when they were together. There was a slight giggle from Shan…who if the mime guessed right…had a problem that she hasn't told anyone yet since she's been having mood swings every now and then.
"Elsa, Mac calm down we don't need an animal orgy between two frustrated Zoan user's right now." mumbled Kazuya walking into the room rubbing sleep from his eyes, wearing a plain white shirt and shorts. The Crow also spun and ducked from the pillow and a mime in a recliner which was thrown at him by said angry Zoan's he just insulted.
As Mac and Elsa spouted off curses at the archer Mars stood from were he's been thrown and walked into the kitchen were Kazuya and Shan talked.
"What's the plan Shan?"
Shan fixed her glasses "When I went out to get some supplies I heard Iceburg was shot…"
"Wow really? Who would do a thing like that?" asked a surprised Elsa from across the room, Kaz, Mac, and Mars also wanted to know.
"Don't know but Endo wanted to go check on him…when he gets ready."
The room was quit for a second before Mac stood up and clapped his hands "Well! I'm going to the ship to get Razz, me and him need to do a few things."
"What? Mel hold on-" to late for Elsa the big man was already out the door, three in the room laughed a little until Endo walked in with a bump on his head.
"Endo what happened?" asked Shan
The insane blonde chuckled and rubbed the bump on his head "Yeah I ask Si if he could watch over that doctor until Draco or one of his crew-mates came and got her…but he hit me on the head thinking I was an alarm clock and told me to shut up and let him sleep…."
Shan just shook her head and hoped down off the counter walking over to her boyfriend and kissing the bump on his head while wrapping her arms around Endo.
"Does the bump fell better now?"
Endo's face turned red (seems like Endo can blush.) "Umm it hurts a little lower…"
She kissed his forehead "Better?"
"Well…my lips hurt…" Shan laughed when she heard that and crushed her lips onto Endo's, Endo wrapped his arms her waist and they just stood they enjoying the felling of there lips pressed against each other….but since those two were in there own little world they couldn't hear Kazuya commentating like there kiss was a sports game.
Taking a sip from a beer Kazuya had a hand to his ear like he was talking into something "Well it's seems at the moment Shan has the upper hand in this battle of sucking face, but the master of wood Endo may still be able to coming in from behind-"SLAM! Elsa's scythe crashed down on Kazuya's head knocking him to the ground with a large lump on his head.
"No sexual innuendo Kaz or else!" yelled Elsa before she stomped away grabbed Death Root's leader and the doctor by there shirts….well Shan's shirt, Endo's hair pulled the two apart and started to drag them with her as she walked threw the door as she yelled at Mars.
"Mars! When Kaz gets back up make him go to the ship. Then you watch other that girl till her crews comes and gets her and finally after all that's done and Si and Penny are still asleep wake them up and you three go find that Lucci and talk to him about the job….got all that!?" The mime gave a thumbs up.
"Good. Endo, Shan I'll be coming with you to check on Iceburg…"
Endo grunted and crossed his arms and Shan looked at Elsa "Why Elsa?"
"You two are a couple, and sometimes couples get….distracted… when there alone walking around…don't you two give me that look this is me your talking to."
Endo grumbled under his breath 'Great there goes alone time with Shan…now where being babysat by someone who's younger that use'
"What was that baka?"
"Nothing…" and in Endo's insane mind he thought if his life was a story then the person writing it just loved to screw with him.
----X----
"Razz you know you could help with carrying these…" said Mac who had a stack of crates on each of his shoulders.
"Big guy 'ou know I'm not strong…vell dat strong…"replied Razz pulling the brim of his hat farther down over his eyes. Mac, since the boxes didn't bug him…they actually felt light to him, didn't want to argue looked around at the hotel's.
"So…you do know which hotel the Axe Heads are staying at?"
"Si, y al za Albergo Interdico." Mac just looked at the mariachi confused before he realized what happened.
"Dude, you know I don't understand island's language…."
"Oops 'orry buddy vas thinking of my home….and 'here hotels right there, follow me I know 'here room."
Walking into the hotel…or motel…or whatever you want to call it and to the room they knew the Axe Heads stayed in, Razz knocked on the door a few times and waited. Mac sat the crates down while the two merc's waited and heard some yelling from inside the room before the door was flung open.
Dusty looked at the two for a second before she turned around "Yo, guys we got company!"
They saw the Demon turned around "Don't shout we're right here….what are you guys doing here?"
"Came to see how you guys were doing." before crouching a little and turning sideways so he could enter the room "Damn this place was not made for people my size…"
Yesterday Kazuya ran into Devon who was looking for his brother. Kaz after promising to keep an eye out contacted the rest of Death Root and told them to keep a look out threw there personal baby den den mushi's…which where a dark forest green snail with a black shell that had a small bloody smiley face paint on it with the words 'Have a Nice Day' written under it.
But it seemed a tad to late since Kazuya stopped on the roof of a building just as he saw Devon again pushing his way threw a big crowd toward his bloodied brother and crewmates.
"Were doing fine, thanks for asking." Herman the Fishman "You guys hungry?"
Both already had grabbed something at the ship so they declined "Why are you guys here asking about that, anyway?" Devon asked, raising an eyebrow, "They were our nakama, not yours."
Razz shrugged, "Be that as it may, 'e think of 'ou guys as our nakama,"
"Which means that they're our friends," Mac explained before turning to his friend, "Razz, give them what ya wanted to give them."
Razz walked out of the room picked up a two crates and brought them in, then repeated the process.
"What's in them?"
"Probably a bomb or something...hey, kit, Macleod, go check it out."
"UP YOURS, DEVON!" the two of them screamed.
Mac sweat-dropped being reminded of some of the Death Root members, but he reached down pulled open a crate, revealing many glass bottles filled with dark liquid. Azu the Axe Heads shipwright leaned forward, his eyes wide as saucers, "By the Eight Gods of Zui Quan...is that-?!"
Razz nodded as he walked back into the room "Black Rum, also known as the Blood of the Sea."
"We got plenty on board the ship and we figured we'd give you guys some." Mac grinned, "Azu, you know the stuff?"
"DO I KNOW THE STUFF?!" Azu shouted, "This shit is not only illegal, but it's really strong shit! I've heard rumors of this stuff, but I've never been able to find it! Where in the name of Gold Roger did you guys find it?!"
"Oh, an island," Mac's grin faded and his tone becoming serious after that, "Oh hey, you guys hear about what happened last night?"
Dusty scratched her head, her fox ears twitching, "All I heard last night was some kinda booming noise...must've been thunder or something."
"Uh...okay." She sounds way to much like Penny…and Dusty's around my age! " But anyway, something major happened last night," Mac continued, "Iceburg, the mayor? He was shot in his home last night…."
Razz noticed Azu tense after Mac revealed that little bit of information Seems they knew each other…
"What?" Axe looked up from the paper, "Iceburg was shot last night? Is he alright?"
Mac shrugged, "People around town are saying different things, but the one thing that seems to be common in all stories is that he was found in a pool of his own blood and now he's unconscious. They also say that it's the greatest catastrophe that this place has ever had!"
Azu looked at everyone before he pushed by the two merc's and out the door "Azu, where are you going?"
"I'm heading to the Galley-La mansion," he said quietly, not turning to face them, "I'll be back later."
Mac and Razz watch Azu leave before the musician clapped his hands and smiled "So ve are just going to leave dis 'ere and go! Kay?"
----X----
Outside the mansion and HQ of Galley-La Company, Endo, Shan and Elsa were looking on at the huge crowd of reporters and photographers that completely blocked the entrance.
After hearing about the attempt on his life, they wanted to go and see how he was, but there was no way in and they didn't want to make a scene.
"Man, this is some bad mojo..." Endo murmured, his hair blowing in the morning wind,
"Bad timing, too. We come here to do our job, we talk to this guy and before anything could be done about it, he gets burglarized." complained Endo not wanting to admit that he was actually very close to the mansion when the mayor was shot.
Elsa chewed a fingernail, "How long do we have to wait before finding out if he's gonna make it out or not?"
"I have no idea," Shan shrugged, "All we can do is wait, I suppose,"
As the trio of Death Root members looked at the crowd, a very loud noise made them turn their heads to see a figure running towards the mansion at top speed, screaming at the top of it's lungs.
"Is that...? Azu!" and they were right the dread locked shipwright if the Axe Heads came charging down on of the roads heading strait for the mansion and seemingly ignoring the giant crowd.
Shan sweat-dropped when she heard her lover standing next to her chanting 'Come on…come on.' The drop grew larger when Azu plowed threw the crowd sending reporters and random civilians into the air.
"STRIKE! Ow…." Elsa slammed her fist down on Endo's head as he yelled "…shit Elsa that hurt!"
The rabbit woman was about to retort before Shan decided to play mediator "Endo, Elsa no fighting. At the moment we need to think about are job and what Iceburg wanted us to do."
"I'll do it when I'm sure I'm getting paid." said Endo and the two women looked at him oddly "…What? Were mercenaries now, We work for the money…and sometimes the fun but that's nearly it kay?"
"But Endo-" the violet haired doctor started but Endo cut her off "-That just means we need to see Iceburg."
"And how do you expect us to do that baka?"
Endo just smiled at the two before running off to the side of the mansion, Elsa turned her head to Shan as they followed the woodman "You know this just can't be good right?"
Shan sighed "I know…"
----X----
Siamon growled under his breath as he walked, Kazuya and Mars behind him…and Penny was sitting on his shoulder with Pan on hers. The fish man was slightly ticked because he was sleeping peacefully but then Kaz, Mars and Penny flipped his bed making him hit the ground. Then Kazuya said they all had to go talk about there contract with Lucci.
So now the second in command of Death Root was ticked off…maybe if he was able to have his coffee he wouldn't be in such a bad mood.
"Sooooo Si where's this guy going to be?" asked Penny from his shoulder.
"It seems he works with one of the carpenter group….we start there and see if we can talk to him alone…"
"If he's there that is…" mumbled Kazuya crossing his arms.
"Aw Zuzu-chan why so negative?" asked the little blonde girl floating down from the finless sharkmans shoulder.
"Don't call me that!" And curse Ares for calling me that in front of Penny! " I'm just being realistic, when ever we think we found this guy he's not there!"
"Shut up we're almost there…Penny feet on the ground, Crow ask one of those civilians that are watching which one is Lucci?"
"Yeah, yeah…"
It took a minute but Kazuya got the information and walked back to them "He's not here right now but he's a dude with long black hair in the top hat, and sometimes has a pigeon on his shoulder."
"Good, we'll wait till he gets here…"
"I know where he is also…" mumbled Kaz who earned a smack to the back of the head by Mars. "….ow stupid mime….They said him and a few other shipwrights went to check on Iceburg."
Siamon started to walk away while putting his mask over his face "Si where are you going?" asked Penny.
"To find the guy, Kazuya take Penny and find Meku, Razz, and that bear. Tell them to meet at the mansion, Mars come with me."
----X----
Endo hung on the windowsill that belonged to the window to Iceburg's room, looking in slightly watching Azu and the shipwrights leave to go find Straw Hat Luffy, and the two women, the secretary Califa and some other girl, walked out of the room to make sure everyone would leave Iceburg alone so the mayor could get some rest.
"Baka what are you doing?" whisper Elsa as both she and Shan final found Endo hanging from a window.
"Endo get down!" Shan whisper right after Elsa.
The insane merc just waved his hand "Give me a second…" he said before using a thin piece of wood to unlock the window and flipping into the mayors room and landing on his feet.
"Hey Ice-cube!"
"Nma….Root?"
"The one and only!" Endo smiled and noticing the bandages on the blue haired man.
"What are you doing here? Nma." asked the mayor.
Endo laughed "Well we still need to sign that contract, plus I don't think your friend would have lets me in….sooo could ya get the piece of paper before anyone comes back?"
Iceburg just smiled and pulled out the paper from his draw on his cabinet beside his bed "I had it finished about an hour after are meeting Nma."
Endo sweat-dropped "…and you didn't call for us why?"
"Nma I was busy." Iceburg answered as he signed the contract and handed it and a pen to Endo.
Giving the paper a glance over the blonde signed and tossed it back with a wide insane grin on his face.
"Well Mr. President it looks like we're in business."
----X-----
Well I know this chapter is very…very blah but it is important to get the story rolling. The title Countdown for this chapter I guess means that the role Death Root play's in the events during Water 7 are starting and in a few chapters the action starts and the life's of Root and his team are changed big time yet again….and I'm positive I told most of you what happens anyway…and you heard of what happens in kilnorc's Secret Power….BUT ANYWAY!
Hope ya guys like this chapter, next chapter is the start of the attack!
READ AND REVIEW EVERYONE!