Another Nakama Omakes
Disclaimer: One Piece is owned by Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, Shueisha, Shonen Jump Manga and Eiichiro Oda. No money is being made from this story.
Ms. Goldenweek's Operation: Free Baroque Works Pt III
-x-
"Uuugghhh..." Ayako groaned and clutched her hands over her mouth to keep from throwing up as she laid across the seat in the carriage being pulled by Banchi the turtle. The turtle in question was showing incredible un-turtle-like speed as it raced across the Sandora Desert.
"Hey, are you okay?" her odd travel companion Mr. 2 asked.
"Uugghh... I get m-motion sickness..." Ayako whimpered, "When I got on this turtle... I thought it would be... uughh... slow..."
"Normally it is," Mr. 2 assured her, "But Ms. Valentine and Mr. 5 chased us a third of the way into the desert! I had Banchi go at Top Speed! If we hadn't gotten attacked by that pair of Sandora Dragons they'd probably STILL be after us! I suppose I could get him to go slower..." Mr. 2 stood up and opened the side door to the carriage, "ALRIGHT BANCHI! YOU CAN SLOW DOWN NOW!"
The large turtle finally stopped running and slowed down to a more acceptable turtle speed. Ayako still felt light-headed but she managed to sit up.
"You still look a little green, dear," Bon Kurei noted. "Do you always get sick like that?"
"All my life," Ayako answered, "I never could handle moving at a fast speed. I'm fine on a ship because they move slowly enough. I can ride slower animals. I absolutely hate flying and I don't run much either. That's why I've always been very laid-back, my body can't handle being active."
"Well then I guess we'll make the perfect pair," Mr. 2 decided, "I'll handle the fighting, you can deal with that pesky planning and provide support. So, what's the first step of your lovely plan to free our fellow Officer Agents?"
"My plan... right..." Ayako mumbled, she wondered if this was actually her idea or just Mr. 2's. "Well, we need to find a way to get to the prison without arising too much suspicion."
"Best way to do that would be to acquire a Marine ship," Mr. 2 supplied.
"I've got my paints," Ayako said, "Once we're on the ship, I can hypnotize the crew. But we still need to figure out how we're going to get on the ship in the first place. I don't know... Mr. 3 always did all the planning... He always thought of me as a tool. Maybe he was right..."
"Don't say that!" Bon Kurei exclaimed, "You've just never had a chance to before! I can tell there's no love lost between you and Mr. 3."
"He's a jerk," Ayako stated, "After we lost to Luffy, he fled Little Garden on his ship and left me, Mana and Jun for dead." She left it unsaid that Mr. 2 would have been the one to kill them.
"Think then, girl," Mr. 2 encouraged her, "How do we get the Marines to come to us?"
"Well, we're wanted criminals..." Ayako reasoned, "If one of us pretended to be a bounty hunter that captured the other... They'd take the prison onto their ship... Then the other one would have to sneak on as well..."
"I believe out of the two of us, I am the better at pretending to be people and infiltrating places," Mr. 2 pointed out. "So what if I take the guise of a bounty hunter and pretend to capture you, once the Marines come to get us, I'll replace one of them and slip you your paints on the ship so we can take control of it."
"That could work..." Ayako said, "But wait... they know that Mr. 3 and I are a pair..."
Mr. 2's wide grin got even wider. "Have some tea, dearie." Ayako glanced at the cube-shaped wicker basket that was on the seat next to her. She opened the lid to reveal a tea kettle, two cups, and a sugar bowl. They had all been strapped down to the bottom of the basket to keep them from falling over on the ride.
Ayako pulled out the tea kettle and poured herself a cup of tea then added three quick spoons of sugar. She took a sip. "This is Earl Grey," she noted. "This was... Mr. 3's... favorite..." She trailed off as she stared down at the cup then took another long look at the china kettle and sugar bowl. "This is Mr. 3's tea set!" Ayako turned to stare at Mr. 2, "What's going on here?"
"Weeeell," Mr. 2 replied, "After Sanji defeated me, I made my escape from Alubarna on Banchi. I took him back to Nanohana so I could get in contact with my men that I left stationed there. When I arrived, I ran into your former partner as he was attempting to escape the island on that wax boat of his. I failed to accomplish my mission to kill him so... I'm afraid I couldn't resist..."
Gulp! Ayako swallowed hard. "Couldn't resist... what?" Maybe she shouldn't have agreed to this.
"Ms. Goldenweek, if you look under your seat you'll see a big sack," Mr. 2 Bon Kurei explained, "Your former partner Mr. 3 is inside it..."
Ayako peered down over the edge of her seat and spotted the large sack that he had mentioned. The sack wiggled and Ayako let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. Okay, Mr. 2 hadn't killed him. She didn't particularly care for Mr. 3 but she would have begun to seriously question this trip if her new partner in crime had murdered her old one.
This wasn't exactly a meeting that she was looking forward to so Ayako wasn't surprised when her hands shook as reached down and pulled the sack opened to reveal her bound and gagged former partner Mr. 3. The sculptors eyes widened in surprise at the sight of her.
"Hi, Mr. 3," she greeted him as she reached down and pulled his gag off.
"Ms. Goldenweek!" he exclaimed, "Oh thank goodness! Quick, girl, untie me! We've got to get away from that lunatic. Baroque Works has fallen but you and I can still strike out on our own."
Ayako took a deep breath then answered, "No."
"Wh-what?" Mr. 3 sputtered. He was so used to bossing her around that he was caught off guard when she not only talked back to him but outright refused his instructions. "Don't be silly, get me out of here and the two us can form our own artistic venture. It'll be just like old times."
"Not that you ever cared but I never liked those old time," Ayako told him. "Mr. 2 and I are going to break the other Officer Agents out of prison."
"WHAT?" Mr. 3 shrieked, "ARE YOU CRAZY? DON'T BE A FOOL GIRL! You're talking nonsense! Stop being a lazy lump and untie me!"
Ayako bit her lip, "A lot's changed since you left me to die on Little Garden, Mr. 3," she stated. "I'm not that little girl you can order around anymore! I never wanted to work for a criminal organization and take over a country. I'm going to pursue my dream! I'm going to be real artist!"
"HOOHOOHAHAHA!" Mr. 3 laughed. "Good luck with that! I've seen your work, it completely lacks structure and form!"
"OOOH! NO HE DIDN'T!" Bon Kurei gasped. Ayako glared down at him, it was one thing to call her lazy but she'd damned if anyone insulted her art.
"Oh yeah?" she snapped, "Well your sculptures are the most uncreative excuses for art that I've ever seen! Your only original design is that silly candelabra that you use to cover other people in wax because you're not artistic enough or talented enough to actually create your own work!"
Mr. 3's eyes widened in shock while Mr. 2 laughed, "GAAA HAHAHA! YOU GO GIRL!"
"I... I created the Candle Champion!" Mr. 3 insisted, "Even Straw Hat thought it was cool!"
"It was cool," Ayako agreed, "Because it was my idea! Remember how that conversation went? I said, 'Hey, Mr. 3, when your wax gets hard it's as hard as steel right?' and you were snooty and said 'Even you should have realized that by now'. I ignored you and said 'Well you know what would be cool? If you covered yourself in wax and made a huge suit of armor!' Then you said, 'You know, that doesn't sound too bad. Perhaps you're useful after-all'. And let's not forget that your first suit of armor looked like a potato with arms and legs! You took your actual design from an armored warrior painting that I made!"
"Well... um... maybe I was a little dismissive of your abilities at first..." Mr. 3 admitted. "But... MPPHHMFF!" Ayako stuffed the gag back in his mouth.
"I'm not stupid, Mr. 3," Ayako informed him, "I went along with you because I didn't realize that I could do other things. But now I do and I'm never going back to that life." She also didn't go against him because the punishment for betraying Baroque Works was death. She knew she wouldn't be able to live her life for long if she had a vicious group of assassins after her.
Ayako looked over Mr. 3 at Mr. 2, "Alright, let's do this," she resolved, "You'll change your face and pretend to be a bounty hunter and turn me and Mr. 3 into the Marines then sneak on board the ship disguised as one of them. Once we've set off for the prison, you slip me my paints and I'll hypnotize the Marines into helping us break into the prison. We'll grab the other agents that actually have dreams and make our escape." Ayako lowered her gaze and glared down at Mr. 3, "But we'll leave him behind."
"GAAA HAHAHAHA!" Mr. 2 laughed, "That's a great plan, girl! I knew you had it in you!"
-x-
'Till Next Time...
Peace!
