A/N: As some of you may know I had to have carpal tunnel surgery at the beginning of March, so I just got my stitches out, here's hoping I can get back on track with updating.
Chapter 11: Smile! The Cat's Out of the Bag!
Beyond a great door that used to be a symbol of oppression and prejudice that struck terror into the hearts of most men, the Fleet Admiral of the Marines, tall, imposing, and terrifyingly strong, sat behind his desk shuffling through reports: this island had that trouble, that fleet was scheduled to be deployed there, and other minutia of the day to day life that was what was left of the world's biggest military organization.
He raised a hand to his chin, pulling gently on the pale pink braid that was just long enough to cross his palm. Most of what he was looking at simply needed his approval. A signature along the bottom noting that he'd read it, but then something tucked behind most of the massive stack of paperwork caught his eye.
"The All-Blue, huh? I wonder what they're up to this time." Releasing his beard, Coby opened the envelope and had to read the missive twice. His eyes went wide, "Helmeppo!"
The blond Admiral threw the door open, his sunglasses perched on the top of his head for once. "What?"
"Ready the fleet."
"WHAT?!"
"Sanji-san has just informed me that the Bellamy Pirates have revealed themselves. They cannot remain unpunished." The Fleet Admiral rose to his feet and pulled his coat around his shoulders. "Several members of that crew escaped judgment at the end of the Great War, and now that they have acted out once again, it is time we put an end to them."
"B-but isn't that the Pirates job now? Part of the agreement to allow us to take back Marineford was that anything that happened from here to Raftel was under their jurisdiction." Though he didn't look or sound it at the moment, the Admiral really was one of the most powerful men in the military.
The slightly shorter man sighed, "Yes, we did, but among that crew is one Marine deserter named Fullbody. He has a death grudge against Sanji-san, made worse by the actions Luffy-san and company made during the Great War. The scuttlebutt is his lover was killed in action, but that's beside the point. Before then he had been a lieutenant and was given a second chance after a disgraceful incident regarding the Baratie. However, when the World Government fell, he fled the scene." The pink-haired Fleet Admiral's eyes grew hard, "We're going to catch that deserter and show him why he was a fool for allowing pride to cloud his judgment so horribly."
Helmeppo nodded, still nervous. "Aye, aye, Sir."
"Dismissed." Coby bent over his desk for a moment, retrieving the message and jotting down a quick note to respond to the chef. "Now if only we could get the damned mushi back up and running, I could actually take a day off and visit them."
He sighed, rubbing his temple, then turned on his heel with the letter in hand and left his office, making a mental note to check in with the researchers in what was left of Dr. Vegapunk's lab. If anyone knew how to fix the snail-like communications system, they would, or if they didn't, they'd find out.
As it always seemed to be, when the Marines and Pirates knew something, so did the third ruling power. Though there was nothing to be 'revolutionary' about anymore, the name stuck with those who had followed Monkey D. Dragon against the World Government during the Great War and all of the conflicts leading up to it. So, with their headquarters having taken over Mariejois, now renamed Ryuunosu, the Revolutionaries controlled the Red Line. Their primary goal these days was to eradicate lingering traces of the previous government's corruption and prejudices. Consequentially, what had once been a primarily military movement, now focused on education and information, though not without a significant peacekeeping force.
Thus, word of the conflict brewing within the ranks of the Pirates came flying into Ryuunosu on the wings of a messenger bird. Uncertain who it should deliver its letter to, the hawk landed on the first friendly arm it found, a young boy, barely out of childhood. He took the rolled up envelope and scanned the front, giving a startled shout that scared the bird. Then, before the avian could get a second grip on him, the boy took off running towards the main building complex.
"President Dragon! President Dragon!" He shouted bursting through doors, and past people.
Answering reprimands of "Hey! Watch it! Look where you're going!" followed him as he tore through the capital city.
"Sorry!" He called, looking over his shoulder, and as such didn't see the wall of man that he crashed into until his nose was meeting solid muscle. He bounced off, landing on his rear end, hands flailing for a moment. Then he looked up, in awe and a bit scared, "President Sir!"
Dragon, a tall, intimidating man, still had the diamond tattoos on his face that made him look even more fierce than his long black cloak and generally forbidding expression did. However, since achieving his primary goal, he tended to smile a bit more, and it was then the D relation was obvious. They all had the same all-consuming smile as Gol D. Roger, and that smile made an appearance as a heavy hand reached out and picked up the boy by his collar, setting him back on his feet.
"Hello to you, child. Were you looking for me?"
"Y-yes, sir! A letter! From the Fleet Admiral." He held it up, rubbing his behind a bit. "Was just delivered a moment ago."
"Mm, I see."
The smile disappeared just as abruptly as it had appeared, and he took the letter and opened it up to read. His son's Nakama was under attack, hm? He'd notify all troops. They'd need to be sure to stay far out of his way, in the process of destroying the enemy Luffy sometimes caught allies and innocent bystanders and dragged them into the fighting. They'd have to be sure to try and avoid that… maybe have Sabo and Koala relocate the civilians north of Reverse Mountain, Hack could probably oversee the mobilization of people as well—his mind was pulled from the preparations he needed to think about by seeing 'P.S.' at the bottom of the sheet. Blinking, he trailed down to the post script—
His eyes went wide just half a second before his knees buckled, and he crashed to the floor in a dead faint, the letter fluttering on top of his chest to display the elegant script.
"S-sir?" The boy blinked a few times, "A-are you alright?"
He looked down at the missive and had to blink several more times at the precise lettering, 'It also appears that you're going to be a grandfather. Sanji-san mentioned Nami-san is pregnant in his letter to me. Congratulations.'
King Cobra of Alabasta stumbled into the hallway just then. He and his daughter had arrived to speak about rebuilding the Ohara Library. It was yet another of the great tragedies committed under the reign of the previous government that the Revolutionaries were fighting to correct. Upon discovering the president's senseless form and the bewildered boy, he took several purposeful strides towards the pair, intent on discovering what had happened. His eyes landed on the page in the boy's hand, and with a curious expression on his face, he leant down to scoop up the missive.
"What is... oh my. Nami? Pregnant? But- but- but, how, if she's married to—oh my. The Pirate Queen is pregnant. The Pirate King has an heir! VIVI! VIVI, I HAVE GREAT NEWS!"
He went running to find his daughter in an entirely unbecoming display of unbridled joy to share the good news, never suspecting anything amiss. If anyone could perform a miracle, it was his firm belief the Strawhat crew could do it. He didn't realize that the walls, even here, had ears, and this information could be harmful to the Pirates who had saved his kingdom.
In the shadows, on the opposite side of the wall where the free-spirited monarch had just rushed by a cloaked figure with a hard cast to her features adjusted the set of her wire-rimmed glasses. She had to play this information carefully. The superior she told first had to believe that she was firmly working on his side, but without giving away too much information so as to undermine her true leader. In a small fountain of bubbles the slender woman literally slipped away from the wall. When she approached a certain door, far in the dark recesses of the governmental palace, she twisted a special key given to her by one master to help in deceiving the other. It was designed with technology that was similar to her co-worker's devil fruit power, and only the ones he trusted could use it. So, opening the door, she stepped through that non-world to exit from her personal cabin on a ship that was the best of Thriller Bark and the worst of Sexy Foxy. This master called it the Mad Hatter, and the woman had to admit, it was a fitting name for all the twists and turns that led absolutely nowhere.
Striding quickly through the corridors for the 'tea room', an audience chamber where the crew met with their captain, styled to look like a large dining table where tea and other hot beverages were constantly available. Though some of the concoctions offered were both disturbing and not particularly safe. Luck of the draw appeared to be one of the captain's favorite games these days. She shuddered minutely, displacing the movement with a couple of well-placed bubbles.
"Bellamy-senchou, I bring news from Ryuunosu." She spoke clearly, her heels clacking on the tile floor.
The Hyena's eyes sparkled dementedly as he let his chair thump to the floor, the bright pink shirt he still wore, painful on the eyes as he turned that feral, frightening grin on his newest, and most amusing, spy-tool.
"Ohh yeeeeahhhh? Well doooo tell," he sing-songed, slamming a fist on the table and making the china rattle, swiping one before it hit the saucer and downing it. Hmm. Twice-brewed coffee and a dash of cleaning solution, not half bad. Better than the used dishwater he'd gotten last time.
"It appears that the Pirate Queen is expecting. I'm sure you know as well as I what that must mean, seeing as how the 'King'," She used an emphasis on the word to sound derisive, "is like yourself, a Devil Fruit User, and she is not."
The evil way his mouth spread impossibly wider was uncomfortably like the man whose flag he still flew, and he crooned, leaning back in his hair with a snicker. "Ooohhh, yes I indeed doooooo. My… my my my… someone has been a nauuuughhtyyyy little sssslut~! And that's just to my advantage, mmm yes it issssss. A suitable man from the crew to claim fathership should dooooo the trick! Get them alllll fightin' against each other. Divide and Conquer, juuuuust like Doflamingo-sama."
He stroked his pink shirt with a sort of lingering reverence for the man. He couldn't hate him. His training, his breaking, had been much too thorough. Lost in his own twisted thoughts for a few moments, he leaned back, tipping the chair up on two legs, petting his shirt. Then, suddenly, he slammed forward again, the chair banging the floor with a resounding echo.
"Any worrrrrrd on the longnose? After all, his wife's been suuuuuch a delight." He grinned at one of the seats across from him, where the woman had been forced into a dress and seated in the place reserved for 'Alice', hands and legs bound to the chair and metal across her mouth to keep her from speaking.
"Not from Ryuunosu exactly, though the whisper down the line is that the Strawhats are gathering from across the globe. Dragon discovered the pregnancy from a missive he received from the Fleet Admiral, which leads me to believe that they plan to strike back. Whether that means the sniper survived, or not, is uncertain." Her answers were short and concise, even a bit cold, but then, that was her appearance. "Shall I inform the others?"
He giggled in a sort of hysterical manner. "Ohhhhh yes, doooo~! Their reactions will be mmmmmost amuuuusingggg! Yehahahahahaha!"
He swiped one of the 'eat me' biscuits and munched on it carelessly, still giggling uncontrollably. It would be fun if the sniper survived, and fun if he died too, so he didn't care either way, that wasn't the important part. The pertinent information, he already knew!
"I'll be on my way then." She bowed, the light shining across her glasses, then turned on her heel and left the room again, withdrawing her special key.
This trip would take longer and be more informative, so she made certain to actually lock her cabin door before stepping through Blueno's corridor again. Exiting the other side brought her out of a cabin into bright, warm, sunshine somewhere between Marineford and Alabasta. She didn't know exactly where, and didn't want to. That way the information couldn't be extracted from her. She took a moment to compose herself before stepping between lines of hanging laundry.
"Lucci." She called, knowing they were the only inhabitants of the island.
Instantly, like a demon of legend, he appeared before her, sharp eyes glancing all around. "Kalifa."
His hair was wild, still growing back after being chopped short, but his familiar beard was back, trimmed neat and close to his skin. However, his hat was missing. Probably because he was running himself wild trying to keep Nami both entertained and fed. Her cravings were getting harder to fill, even with the use of Blueno's door, at this stage of the pregnancy.
The soap woman adjusted her glasses, again the light glinting off the lenses, her jaw hard, "He knows."