Chapter 14: The Plan
Back on the Going Merry, Kaku was explaining Aqua Laguna.
"Every year there's a very powerful high tide." He explained, "It consumes the lower parts of the city in fact."
"Man… what a crappy time to visit this year…" said Franky.
"By the way…" said Kaku, "Why is he here?"
"That's none of your business!" said Franky.
"Well if these four trust him I guess I can sort of understand why he's here." Said Kaku.
"Thanks… I think…" said Franky.
Kaku turned to Merry.
"Will you answer the questions now?" he asked.
"Um… maybe another time…" said Merry.
"But you don't' know how much time you have left…" said Kaku, "I won't get another chance."
"I don't know…" said Merry.
"Anyways since Aqua Laguna is coming I have a place to put her until it blows over."
"Thank you Franky!" said Merry.
Meanwhile with Setsuna.
"Sanji! Zoro! Can you hear me!" she called out while she roamed the streets.
"Setsuna!" called out Sanji.
Setsuna turned to see Sanji riding on a bull, the bull swam towards Setsuna.
"So what's going on? Did something happen?" asked Sanji.
"Iceberg conscious." Said Setsuna.
"That's great." Said Sanji.
"I don't know what he and Robin talked about, but he knows something." Sighed Setsuna.
"I see." Said Sanji, "Hop on."
"We have to find Zoro first." Said Setsuna.
"Knowing him he got lost and probably ended up back at the ship." Said Sanji.
"His sense of direction isn't that bad." Said Setsuna.
"Why have you met someone with worse?" asked Sanji.
"I've heard stories of this one man…" said Setsuna, "The stuff I heard was worse than Zoro's."
"How long ago was that?" asked Sanji.
"Before the Great Cataclysm." Answered Setsuna.
"Did he live?" asked Sanji.
"I don't know." Answered Setsuna.
"So you think…" said Sanji.
"I doubt he is Zoro's ancestor." Said Setsuna.
Back on the Going Merry, Robin arrived.
"Oh your back." Said Kaku, "Perhaps I should return to Galley-La."
He turned to Merry, "I hope we meet again." Said Kaku.
With that Kaku jumped away.
"That guy is weird…" said Chopper, "And why does he look like Usopp."
"Hey!" yelled Usopp.
"Where Setsuna?" asked Nami.
"She went to look for Sanji and Zoro." Said Robin.
"What did Iceberg want to talk about?" asked Nami.
"It's not that important." Said Robin, "But he knows about the Silver Crystal… or at least that whoever is after it."
"Silver Crystal?" asked Franky.
"It's not that important." Said Nami.
"Yeah it's not…" said Merry bushing it off.
"That Silver Crystal thing must be the reason for the spirit…" whispered Kiwi.
"I know…" whispered Mozu.
"We have to go to Iceberg's mansion to plan everything out, but he's sure that they'll return tonight." Said Robin.
"All right let's do this!" said VesVes.
"Hold on." Said Nami, "You four aren't officially part of the crew yet… "
"What?" asked VesVes.
"Come on!" yelled JunJun.
"It's true though…" said Merry, "Luffy's the captain of me… so that means you can't join unless he gives the okay…"
"Well then who's the first mate… in times like this you should have a first mate right." Said CereCere.
There was an awkward silence.
"Luffy never appointed one." Said Nami.
Franky, the Square Sisters and the Amazoness Quartet all stared at Nami.
"Seriously!" yelled Franky.
"When you rescue Luffy… you are sorting that out…" said CereCere.
"I know…" sighed Nami.
"Still I do need someone to look after me." Said Merry, "Also the cats might need that too."
Luna and Artemis glared at the ship's spirit. However the Amazoness knew the cats could talk and knew that was just an excuse.
"All right!" said Nami tacking charge, "Let's go to where Franky wants to hide the ship then look for Setsuna, Sanji and Zoro." Said Nami.
That was when they heard a yell, "Damn it! Where's the place where you rent the bulls!"
They turned to see Zoro, looking irritated and confused.
"You got to be kidding…" muttered Nami.
"Doesn't that remind of that guy we ran into that one time…" laughed PallaPalla.
"Kind of…" sighed VesVes.
Usopp and Chopper helped get the Going Merry to a hiding spot, while Nami, Robin and Zoro (with Nami keeping a close eye on Zoro) went to see if they could find Setsuna and Sanji.
With the group involving the Going Merry, they got it safely in a very old work shop that was hidden under a bridge.
"Thanks for hiding the Merry." Said Chopper
"Hey I want to figure out a way to transfer her soul as much as you do." Said Franky.
"Will you be all right in here?" asked Usopp.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine…" said Merry, "This place seems safe enough… don't worry."
"You two should head towards the mansion." Said CereCere.
"I know…" said Usopp.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine…" said Merry.
Usopp nodded and he and Chopper left.
When they were gone.
"So you're really going to join them." Said Franky.
"It's not because of Setsuna is it?" asked Kiwi.
"No it's not." Said CereCere.
"It's hard to explain." Said VesVes.
"Then get explaining." Said Franky.
"They didn't give us permission to tell." said CereCere.
"It's a secret." Said PallaPalla.
"Seriously?" asked Franky.
"It's probably better if you don't get involved, because it's really weird." Said JunJun.
This made Franky and the Square Sister sweat drop.
"Fine… don't tell us." Said Franky.
"Good…" said CereCere.
"Is anyone else hungry?" asked PallaPalla.
"If you want to go out, you can." Said Merry.
"Will you be fine on your own?" asked Franky.
"I'm an inanimate object in human form…" said Merry, "I've been left alone plenty of times."
"Oh right…" said Franky.
"Come on let's go to Blueno's." said Franky.
"If you're treating." Said VesVes.
They left the workshop, causing the cats to sigh in relief.
"Do you think everything is all right?" asked Artemis.
"I don't know…" said Merry, "I keep getting the feeling that the worst isn't over yet."
"I hope you're wrong." Said Luna.
"I do too." Said Merry.
Elsewhere in water 7, Nami and Zoro shared a Bull as Robin had one to herself. That was when they heard Sanji call out "NAMI!"
His bull swam towards them.
"Oh good you found moss head." Muttered Sanji.
"He ended up back in the ship." Sighed Nami.
"You were right Sanji…" said Setsuna with a massive sweat drop.
"We should get back to the mansion." Said Robin.
They headed back to the mansion, were Kalifa left them in. They went to a room where the five Foremen were waiting for them.
"So where are the other members?" asked Paulie.
"They went to hide The Going Merry." Said Nami.
"Why?" asked Paulie.
"We'll show when this is all over." Said Nami.
"Trust me, when you see it you won't believe your eyes." Said Kaku.
"TELL ME! I WANT TO KNOW!" yelled one of the foremen named Tilestone.
"Can you please not yell…" said Nami with a sweat drop.
"We've tried telling him but he won't stop…" said Lucci through Hattori.
They decided to wait until Usopp and Chopper arrived before discussing plans.
Chopper looked rather grumpy.
"What's wrong?" asked Setsuna.
"The secretary thought I was the pet!" said Chopper.
The five foremen stared at Chopper.
"That's not their pet" all of them thought.
"Chopper being out pet aside." Said Robin, "We really have to talk about it."
"All right." Said Kaku, "The five of us will wait outside of Iceberg's room. If we need youth help we'll give you a signal…"
"Even then the mansion will be surrounded by the rest of Galley-La's shipwrights." Said Lucci through Hattori, "We'll just have to see if they can get passed them…"
"Hey… is anyone else weirded out by the talking bird." Said Sanji.
"It's not talking." Said Zoro.
"How do you know." Said Sanji.
"Shut up!" yelled Nami, "This isn't the time for this!"
The two were quiet.
"Hopefully we'll be able to find out where your captain is…" said Kaku.
The crew nodded.
Meanwhile at a place called Blueno's bar, Franky, the Square Sisters and the Amazoness Quartet arrived.
That was when they saw an old woman at the bar having a drink with a rabbit and little girl by her side. It was Kokoro (the woman that gave the Straw Hats the letter).
"Oh Franky long time no see." Said Kokoro, "And you're those girls they found a year ago."
"Yeah…" said CereCere.
"Has it really been a year?" asked VesVes thinking about it.
"So I take you heard about Iceberg." Sighed Franky.
"I did." Said Kokoro.
"They still don't know who did it." Said Franky.
"I have a hunch." Said Kokoro.
"Really now?" asked the bartender named Blueno.
The four members of the Amazoness Quartet froze when he spoke.
"Hey Blueno the usual." Said Franky.
Blueno nodded.
"What do you girls want?" asked Blueno.
"Nothing right now…" said CereCere.
"Yeah…" said PallaPalla.
"But you're the one who was hungry." Said Kiwi.
"I think I lost my appetite." Said PallaPalla.
"So tell me, have you ever heard of the CP9?" asked Kokoro.
"CP9?" asked Franky.
"Well officially there are only 8 Cipher Pol or CP, the government agents." Said Kokoro, "However there is rumored to be a ninth one. One that's for assassination."
Franky looked at her.
"I don't think it's anything like that." Said Blueno, "Bedsides why would the World Government want with Iceberg?"
The four members of the Amazoness Quartet stood up.
"Blueno… you did it… didn't you?" asked CereCere.
Blueno's eyes winded.
"Why would you say that…" said Blueno.
"For one thing you didn't disguise your voice." Said PallaPalla.
Blueno gritted his teeth.
"I thought they knocked you out." Said Blueno realizing his cover was blown.
"We were conscious the whole time." Said VesVes taking out her whip.
"Where's Usagi!" yelled CereCere unknowingly using Luffy's past life's name.
"I don't know if that a pet name you have for him, but you're not getting him." Said Blueno.
"So you're the one who tried to take out Iceberg muttered Franky glaring at Blueno harshly.
"It doesn't matter, because after tonight it will be all be over." Said Blueno.
That was when the air opened up like a door and Blueno escaped by closing it quickly.
"What the hell just happened!" yelled Mozu.
"Granny! Granny! Blueno just disappeared!" yelled Chimney (her granddaughter).
"I saw…" said Kokoro who seemed to be sobering up.
"Great…" muttered JunJun, "We let him get away."
"By the way… why did you call Straw Hats "Usagi"…" said Franky.
"No reason…" said CereCere putting her hands up.
"Seriously…" sighed VesVes.
"I would have thought PallaPalla would make such a mistake." Said Kokoro.
"All right!" yelled a random bar patron, "Spread the word! Blueno was the one who attack Iceberg."
Most of the bar cheered, while Franky knew they had to make a call.
Knowing that it was better to let the Amazoness Quartet be the one to make the call they did it.
"Hello?" asked Kalifa answering the Snail Phone.
"Hey… we have news about the culprit." Said CereCere on the other end.
"It's Blueno! He was the one who attack Iceberg!" said PallaPalla, "And he kidnapped Luffy!"
"Really?" asked Kalifa who was shocked, "I'll go get the foremen and the pirates."
She told them about the call and Paulie was the one who handled the call.
"All right so what happened?" asked Paulie.
They told the story about what happened at the bar and how it was confirmed when Blueno disappeared into the air itself.
"Wait did you say he disappeared into a door in the air?" asked Paulie.
"It's probably a Devil Fruit." Said Kokoro taking over the call, "I wouldn't be surprised."
"You girls okay?" asked Setsuna taking the speaker from Paulie.
"Yeah, we are… he didn't even try to attack." Said JunJun.
"I'm guessing it was because the bar was too full." Said PallaPalla.
"Be careful, just incase he tried to attack." Said Setsuna.
"You be careful and pay him back to last night." Said JunJun.
The Snail Phone fell to sleep.
"That could explain how he was able to get in." said the shipwright named Lulu.
"Remember we have to take him alive!" said Nami, "It's the only way to get Luffy back."
They all nodded… and so that night with the powerful Aqua Lunaraging out the assassins would attack… but the real question was if they could save Luffy from them and stop them from finishing the job on Iceberg.
Next Time: The mysterious assailants begin their attack. Will they finally find out about Luffy's condition? However something surprising happens as well.. what is it? Find out next time!