Chapter 29
AN- Bloody hell. This was a way longer endeavour than I'd expected. I'm not gonna bore you with excuses. Its pretty much the usual: school, writers block, my muse pushing me to exploring other ideas (Coincidentally, anybody up fancy another SI One Piece story to read? Also, probably been looking into Jumpchain way too much), and real life just generally writing-blocking me whenever I actually had the opportunity to sit at the keyboard.
Still, before I start this chapter up, I want to give a round of applause to you, my audience. Last chapter we breached the 250 review boundary, which makes me immensely happy. We're a quarter of the way to the one goal all fanfic writers hope to reach- 1000 reviews! So here's to the next big goal!
Disclaimer: I own my original characters and plot. But not the canon. The despairing tears of my readers and the crushed hopes of my reviewers more than makes up for this. Truly, its a good day to worship George R.R Martin Sempai~
Beta: The Handsome Twin was here.
I had probably gotten far too used to getting knocked unconscious, because when I finally woke up next I only felt like Mostly Shit, rather than Utterly Shit.
"Urghh... I should stop doing this. I feel terrible," I groaned.
"With good reason, ya brat."
I cracked open one eye and regretted it immediately. I was in a cave of some kind, lying atop a sandy surface, but there wasn't much cover and the sun was already up, so it was too bright for my eyes to adapt immediately. To my side was Kureha, casually drinking from her bottle that literally never ran out, while, to my other side, Nick was sleeping.
I sighed and rubbed my eyes, before pushing myself upright. I still felt drained, almost empty, but I couldn't afford to sit around complaining. I never have been able to, always preferring to be more productive. Either way, I needed answers.
"Okay, give it to me straight, granny. I'm in too bad a mood for masses of exposition, so let's cut to the chase," I told Kureha.
"Who'd ya think you are, ordering me around like that?" Kureha's fist met my stomach, and I fell back to the sandy surface of the cave.
"What was that for?" I asked almost angrily, but mostly resigned.
"For being a brat. And for wrecking my ship. And for being rude. And for generally being a pain in the ass."
I blinked. "As good an answer as any. Can I have some answers, then... if its not TOO much trouble." that sounded polite, right?
The witch doctor shrugged, putting aside her alcohol for the minute. "That still sounded sassy to me, boy, but I'll let it slide, just this once. We've got more important things to worry about."
"Thank the RNG I have somebody here with enough common sense to just give it to me straight, rather than dancing around the issue." I got back up. "So. Answers?"
"Alright, then. I'll run through pretty much every issue we've got." Kureha took a deep breath, then launched into her long list.
"You've only been knocked out for a day. Your demons took us to the shore before dispelling, and then Nick dragged you to this cave we found. We've got no ships or supplies because you crashed my ship, while local critters nabbed mosta what we salvaged. Nick's practically dead to the world from taking guard duty last night and fighting the occasional gang of Demons that attacked us, so he's probably gonna be asleep for awhile. You're in fine physical condition, but whatever you did to wipe out those ships literally emptied your magicky reserves, and even with my aid you're gonna have a Bad Time for a day or two. The dumbass duo are off guarding the perimeter. I'm pissed with you, and since you ruined my ship and have had so much medical care, I've basically put such a life debt on your head that the kids who'll call you granpappy are gonna be my bitches when they're seventy. And I'm pretty sure that we'll die of dehydration before too long because of the whole 'lack of supplies' thing."
I sat there silently for a moment and just absorbed all the info I'd been given. On the one hand, I was glad that I hadn't had to sit through a long and annoying conversation where the info was funnelled to me bit by bit. On the other, that had basically just been an info dump instead, which was just as bad.
"Okay then. So nobody's dead, we reached Alabasta fine, Nick's out for the count, you'll probably be alive and kicking and holding my debt above my grandchildren's heads when you no doubt should have dropped dead centuries ago, I should stop Casting from my HP (or at least try not to fire spells off when I have no MP) and we're all going to die if we don't find water or civilisation soon."
Kureha nodded, confirming everything that I said. "Yep. Sounds about right."
"I should probably be freaking out about the fact that I have something even worse than a student loan to pay off now, but I honestly don't care," I decided, rising to my feet and brushing the sand off my clothes. "Anything else I should know?"
The old woman raised a single manicured finger to her chin in thought. "Well, your arm did try to murder me again, since we found it half unwrapped when we saved your ass."
Well, of course that arm was going to be a pain even when I was knocked out. As if the universe didn't hate me enough already.
"That sucks." I was going to have to be extra careful with making sure my arm was wrapped up, since I hadn't even meant to loosen the bindings when I was drowning. It had just happened. "So then, time's a-wasting, and we should move before we lose the daylight. And our lives. You know, due to the dying of thirst thing."
"Makes sense," she agreed, getting to her own feet.
"I guess we should get the whole group together. Speaking of the group... you said Nick was out of it due to staying up all night to fight off Demons, and that the duo are off guarding, but where exactly is Vivi, though?" I was a bit surprised that she hadn't been waiting for me to wake up purely so she could lecture me. Or do that hugging thing again. That would have been just weird.
"Oh, snap!" Kureha snapped her finger absent mindedly, as if she'd only just realised that she'd left a cake in the oven and now the house was burning down around her. "I just knew I'd been forgetting something."
"Going senile in your old age?" I inquired.
"You wish, kiddo." She frowned. "No. It's probably a bit more serious than that."
I rolled my eyes. "Well, spit it out, then. One more problem on the conga line of trauma isn't going to do anything to make this day worse."
The witch looked around hesitantly. "If ya say so. I guess I'll just do what I do best and be blunt about it." She took a deep breath, then said the six words which did make things even worse. "The princess dumped us. She's gone."
XXXXXXXXXX
Elsewhere, somewhere in the vast country of Alabasta, a bare-chested man in an orange hat was sleeping off a hangover. His sleep was broken by a sound loud enough to cause him to partially awaken.
"A shout?" he muttered. With one alert ear he listened out for a repeat, but after nothing happened he went back to sleep.
Ace was sure he was just imagining the very distant sound of a man shouting the word 'fuck' very loudly.
XXXXXXXXXX
Seconds passed after my very loud, very irritated shout. Kureha raised one eyebrow, shoved a finger in her ear to flick some wax out, then let loose a long whistle. "Hoo boy, you've got a good setta lungs ta you when you need 'em, don't you?"
I said nothing. To be honest, the single word I spoke was probably enough to summarise the situation.
Vivi was gone. Which was terrible. To be honest though, I really should have seen it coming. In canon didn't Vivi specifically try to lead the Straw Hats to Katorea after her childhood friend until Luffy's sheer stubbornness forced them to Rainbase?
"So yeah... that's that. Vivi's gone." Kureha shrugged. "Not a lot to do about that, though, is there, brat?"
"I guess not," I accepted. "Did she say why she left, or tell you anything?"
"Nah. She left in the night, though she did leave this for you." She reached into the folds of her purple blazer and plucked a simple, plain envelope. I reached out a hand, and after a moment she capitulated and handed it to me. I almost ripped the envelope apart to get to the message within.
Nathan,
I'm sorry. That's the thing I want to say the most at this point in time. I am honestly sorry. For forcing you to accept me into your group. For getting you involved in my nation's war. For everything. But most of all, for leaving without saying this to you directly. I know that you've planned for me to accompany you now to Rainbase but... I just can't. I know what Crocodile is doing, and I refuse to accept the needless loss of life if a war breaks out. Maybe stopping Crocodile is the only way to end the root cause, but if I can't stop the fighting between the Loyalists and the Rebels then it doesn't matter because my people will still die. I can't accept that outcome. Not when I can do something about it.
It's my intention to go to Katorea. I will take my findings to Kohta, the head of the Rebels and my old childhood friend. I dearly hope that he can see reason. If he opposes the war, then, no matter what, Crocodile loses. If he refuses to listen... well, I'll deal with that later. Try to broker peace with my father, perhaps? Either way, if I had stayed with you I would have only gotten in the way. Perhaps it's for the best that I'm not with you to interfere with your plan, no matter how much I would have loved to accompany you. It was selfish of me to put my own feelings of friendship ahead of my duty to my nation, for even a second. I'm sorry.
From your friend, Vivi.
I wanted to scrunch the letter up into a ball and throw it away, but I wouldn't, because Vivi wrote it, and her feelings saturated the page. I could feel her genuine sadness at leaving and her stubborn refusal to accept a death she could prevent. I knew she had written this from the heart. That she had the best motives. That she was sorry.
That didn't change the fact that Vivi was still being a massive pain in the ass. "RNG damn it, Vivi! You're going to get yourself killed!" I angrily stated. "Really, branching off from the group to go traipsing through the desert -the evil-DEMON-infested desert- is just asking to get attacked! Hasn't she ever seen the horror movies or played the games?" Silly question. Of course she hadn't. "You don't split up the party."
Seriously. Nick spent most of the night fending off Demon attacks and now she was going to travel through the fields where those Demons waited... alone. She didn't stand a chance! Together we might have been fine, but alone and with only her peacock slashers, she'd never survive the trip! And then what happens when she dies? Alabasta loses an heir, nobody stops the armies from fighting, and I have to deal with that sinking sensation in my gut (probably guilt) for months to come!
"If she dies, I swear that I'll delve into the Dark Arts of Necromancy resurrect her ass, if only so I can kick it myself because she's a stupid friend who insisted she tag along with me, make me change my plans to accommodate her, then think I'd be okay with her running off on a suicidal journey of solitude. News flash - I'm not."
The good doctor gave me an honest grin. "You're gonna go after her, ain't ya?"
"Damn skippy I am, grandma!" I probably earned the punch she delivered to my stomach which left me gasping for air.
"Ohhhh maaann~" a tired but enthusiastic voice said. "We're going to have to go head back into the desert, aren't we?"
"Nick, since when did you get up?" I asked. I'd figured he'd be out for the count for hours to come if he'd been up all night.
"T' be fair, I was listening in shortly after I heard somebody shout really loudly." The blacksmith laughed nervously, scratching his neck. "It was kinda distracting. Plus, there was no way in hell I was staying asleep when I knew you were finally up!"
"Thanks." I gave him a slight smile. "I wouldn't have minded if you'd slept in."
"Nah." He waved it off. "I'd much rather be up with you. Without me to look out for you you'd probably end up doing something really stupid and self-destructive."
"True." I couldn't really deny it. In my defence, terribly difficult levels find me, not the other way round.
"Hey, guys!" Yosaku greeted, entering the cave with the other one following behind. "I heard that boss man was up!"
"Didn't I tell you a while back that I didn't want you to call me that?"
"I think so, but it honestly rolls off the tongue better." The swordsman seemed genuinely happy that I was up and active, though. "I'm glad that you've healed up, boss."
I gave him that Look. I still knew he wouldn't stop. "Well, anyway, I think it's time for us to start packing up camp. We've got things to do, places to go, people to see."
"Doctrine didn't read out that letter Vivi left, what'd it say?" Johnny asked.
"The usual. 'Sorry. Gone to Katorea. Deal with it'. That kinda stuff."
"Oh... we following her?"
"Well, we're going to bloody well have to, aren't we?" I snapped irritably. "Everything we're working for is pointless if Vivi dies." And I really didn't want her to die. That would definitively count as a Bad End to me. "So now we need to trawl around in the desert looking for her, then head to Rainbase to try and salvage what's left of the plan if we have time."
"That's not the only option, boss," reminded Johnny.
I frowned. "I hope you aren't implying what I think you are?"
"What?" He figured out what I meant. "No! Just... no! I didn't mean abandon her! A real Bro would never do that! I just meant... we don't have to go to Rainbase, we don't have to randomly search, and we don't all have to go after her."
"You mean either change the plan, ditch the original, or split up," Kureha inferred. He nodded.
I briefly considered it. I could abandon my plan, but I was loathe to do so. After putting so much effort into it, and considering the scale of what I'd win if I was successful, it would be a shame to give it up before I even started. Unfortunately, the first step to do it began in Rainbase. Without that step, the following ones were far less feasible.
Splitting up was better, but also had problems. My gang wasn't strong. If anything, we were mostly underleveled due to Johnny, Yosaku and Vivi (When she had been around). Me and Nick were the only real competent fighters I could rely on, since Kureha was a wildcard that I couldn't really account for.
I'd planned for us all travel together (a party united equals easy monster slaying), so if we did split up it would be far tougher for all of us...
"Well boss, what do you think?" Johnny asked eagerly.
"Still thinking." I reminded, only to figure that as his superior I'd better give him some bone to chew on. "Good idea, though."
I'd clearly said the right thing, as his grin was obvious.
So then... if we were to split up, then there would be two teams. There would be one which would pursue the objectives at Rainbase, while the other would go after Vivi. I'd obviously lead Team Rainbase, but Team Vivi was another matter entirely. I was one half of the Competent fighters, so Nick would have to go into Team Vivi. Then for the Duo I'd either have to split them up, effectively rendering their presences pointless (Since they obviously counted as a single piece on the field, working as one), or deploy them on one team while leaving the other one understaffed.
Hell, if Kureha doesn't accompany anyone, then one of the two teams would literally consist of one person.
"Kureha, I need to know. What are you going to do?" I asked, absolutely serious. "You only agreed to give us a lift here, but now your ships gone. Are you going to stay with us, go off alone, help us or just leave us be?"
She gave a toothy grin. "I guess that I could stick around. You have that massive debt to pay off after all, and even I, as fragile and dainty as I am, would prefer not to be out here alone."
"But will you help?" I stressed the last word. "I plan to split up, but I can only rely on Nick to deter Demons. I don't claim to have any ability to command you." Mostly because I didn't, and if I dared say so she'd beat the stuffing out of me until my HP was in the red. "But if I asked you to go with one of the groups, and at the very least keep an eye on it and make sure they didn't die, would you do it?"
Her smile turned sadistic. "Say please."
Oh for the love of- she couldn't be serious!
"Go on..." She leered. "Say please."
Now, come on, Nathan. Swallow your pride. Do it! It doesn't cost anything, and will only help. It's not DIFFICULT.
"P...please."
"Say it like you mean it!" Kureha seemed to be enjoying herself... "And do it on your knees, bowing before me, worm!" Enjoying herself almost too much. Sadistic witch!
Her grin widened, as if she could actually see my train of thought.
You know what? Maybe her aid isn't worth it! Heck, I punched out a Devil King! I'm sure I'll be fine!
"Come on... brat. We ain't got all day."
"You are a terrible, terrible person, and I hope you gain a Poison status and slowly collapse into your shallow grave," I whispered.
"Boy, I asked ya to bow before me, not compliment me!" And of course she'd take something like that a complement. "Still, after such a lovely comment I'll let you off. So be grateful that I'm such a benevolent and generous young lady!"
"Young?" doubted Yosaku.
"Generous?" responded Johnny.
"Waffles?" conferred Nick.
"Yes! Generous!" With a quick motion, the witch bopped all three of them on their heads.
"So you're up for this?" I confirmed.
The woman, who was old enough to be my great-great-grandma, lost her jovial look, if only for a second. She often hid it, but the fact that the old were able to live long enough to reach their age in this world was proof enough of their hidden depths. Kureha was a Badass. She'd lived through the birth of the Pirate King and through his death, seen the birth of the Age of Pirates, wandered the Grand Line on her lonesome and she was still alive and kicking at over 100. She could recognise the seriousness of a situation if she had to. "Yeah, I'm up for this. I don't want the death of a nation on my hands, or the blood of a girl like Vivi on 'em. For now, you can count on me."
"Thanks." I nodded solemnly, glad that there was now a second person I could really count on (no offence to the Sword Duo).
Now I had five of us to definitely work with, and three main fighters to divide across the two teams.
"Okay then. We're going to split up into two teams. I'll lead the first team, Team Rainbase, and head to Crocodile's homebase to get the stuff I was originally planning on doing done. Most of what I need shouldn't include too much combat, and, if shit hits the fan, I think I can manage a fighting retreat. Therefore, I'll take Johnny and Yosaku with me, mostly because I need blockheads to do heavy lifting and they fit the bill."
"Hey! We resemble that remark!"
"Which leaves me and-"
"No," Nick interrupted the Doctor.
"I'm sorry?" She turned on him.
"I said no," Nick said gruffly.
"Look, I don't know what the issue is," I said. "Team Vivi is heading into the desert, so obviously it'll face the most heavy and regular combat. It literally needs the heaviest hitters here. You and Kureha are the only people I can trust to survive the desert and get Vivi through it unharmed."
"I said... NO!" He snapped, stomping his foot. It would look petulant and childish if I couldn't see the anger on his face. "I refuse to leave you be, Nath-man! You get me!? Last time I left you, when you told me to go, was at Whiskey Peak!"
Oh. Ohhhhhh...
"When I was off at the ship waiting for you, you DIED. I'm not a fucking idiot. I act like I'm thick, and I am, but I'm not stupid. We left you for dead, and you did die, and the fact that you came back makes me so happy! But I won't let it happen again!" he declared. "You have a stupid habit of being a moron, Nath! You dive headfirst into danger, and that was fine before! But then you just had to drop dead! So no, Nathan. You. Will. Not. Go. Off. Without. Me!"
Nick took a deep breath, and resolutely declared his intention. "I WILL stay by your side! When you dive back into hell, I'll have your back! So even if you call me an idiot, or look down on me, or act like you don't like me when you do, I don't mind! Because I don't care as long as I'm able to stand with you!"
"Nick..." I was lost for words.
He carried on, not stopping. "Make your plans, Captain. Just don't forget that I'm your guard dog, not Vivi's or anyone else's. I'm not a Pawn to be sent across the battlefield to do your bidding. My place is next to you, keeping you alive! So don't ever do something as stupid as put me in another group again, okay!?"
I wasn't good with people, and I had to admit I sometimes forgot about Nick. But I couldn't deny that his constant loyalty was a blessing, and I was lucky to have him as a friend. I didn't know what I'd done to earn him, but if he felt this strongly...
"Okay, then. You're with me," I accepted. If Nick refused to work as an isolated piece after his guilt about leaving me to die in Whiskey Peak, then so be it. It'd be hard... but if I could plan for Johnny and Yosaku effectively acting as one piece, then I could also plan for having Nick trail after me like a dog.
That annoying puppy was all grown up and growley, it seemed.
"K! Thanks, Nath-man!" Nick exclaimed happily, throwing his arm around me affectionately.
And suddenly my good cheer was gone. "Get off, Nick." I sighed, trying to push him off, but he refused. Eventually Johnny took pity on me and used his sheathed sword to pry him off me.
"So then, Captain, what're the groupings now?" asked Kureha mockingly.
"It's pretty obvious, you old cow," I retorted. "Nick and I will serve as Team Rainbase. The Sword Duo will instead accompany you as Team Vivi. Do you understand, Kureha? You'll be the strongest one there. I'm relying on you to get the job done and keep those two alive."
"Who the hell do you think I am? I'm 139, not incompetent! I can handle those two, and take care of that job you need me to do. Although... let's just say it'll cost you." Toothy smirk, eye waggle.
I rolled my eyes. "My grandkids are already penniless and indebted to you. I doubt I'll earn any more of their hatred if I make my great-grandkids just as miserable."
"You're a pretty horrible person sometimes, Boss-man," Yosaku noted.
"I know," I agreed. "So, here's the actual plan. I'll summon up one of my Demons to carry the three of you across the Desert. It'll be a flier, or at the very least a quick ground traveller, so you'll be moving faster than Vivi and should reach her eventually. While we don't know the path she's taking, we know her destination, so just travel for Katorea and make sure to keep an eye out for her. I recommend you stop by Yuba, or wherever the hell that oasis place is. She might stop there to resupply, if she gets that far. When you find her, keep on travelling for the rest of the day, then command my Demon to dispel, since I doubt one Demon will every be strong enough to ferry four people. "
"I'm assuming you're only giving us one for a reason?"
"Indeed, Kureha. My whole combat requires my Demon summons. I can only use two, so I really need at least one that I can work with or I'm screwed. Giving you one and keeping the other is the best option all round. Especially since when you dispel the Demon it will alert me that you've found her, or at the very least are in danger. Based on how long it takes I can guess how far away you are, and start my own desert journey."
"So you're using it as an early warning system for when to move out and regroup? Smart one, kiddo." The good doctor actually sounded like she was legitimately complimenting me, for a change.
"Moving on... your other main goal is to try and persuade Vivi to head to the capital instead. That is where all the real shit will go down, and we can't afford to tip our hats to Crocodile by letting his spies in Kohta's group figure things out."
"How am I supposed to 'persuade' her?"
"How the hell do you think?" I snorted. "Use your imagination. Worst case scenario, tell her that Baroque Works plans to smuggle a massive bomb into Alubarna's clock tower, and that you're too much of a bitch to go tell the King yourself."
Kureha nodded. "That's believable. I am that much of a bitch."
"Yes. You are!" we all agreed, nodding our heads.
"If you can't persuade her, though, head to Katorea to placate her, then get to the capital, ASAP. Like, faster than the Flash, fast."
"So the two of us'll meet them at the capital, then?" Nick asked.
"Yeah," I concurred. "We'll be travelling via Demons, so while Team Vivi is leaving earlier, we should quickly outpace them." I turned to Kureha. "When we get there, we'll do the final bits of prep, and wait for you. Hopefully the fact that you got the Demons first will quicken you enough that I won't have to wait too long for you to arrive."
"Fair enough." Kureha shrugged. "It's not a perfect plan, but it's passable. I guess that we'll split up then, and meet up in Alubarna."
I smirked, and inclined my head respectfully. "I suppose we will."
XXXXXXXXXX
Years of planning. Thousands of recruits. Hundreds of operations. 13 sets of agents. And all for one goal: Operation Utopia.
Crocodile had been so close to victory that he could taste it - a flavour far better than any cigar he had ever sampled.
Yet now it seemed further away than ever. It was amazing how only a single added factor could cause him so much difficulty, and lead to so many other problems.
"I have called you all here for a reason," The Shichubukai announced as he swung his swivel chair round to address his agents. He was dressed as sharply as ever, and appeared only more menacing now considering his ire. Yet, despite his appearance, not one agent flinched at his identity.
After all, they'd know for the last month or so whom they had been working for. Rather, the Officer agents of Baroque Works knew - all of the Frontier agents were deemed too unimportant to be told the truth, and Corcodile had determined that even informing his best agents of who he was had been a bit too much of a risk. It was only the fact that desperate times called for desperate means, and Demons could inspire desperation in anybody.
"The last time we met, I informed you of my goal and our objective. This has not changed. However, the method has."
"Oho?" asked Mr 2 casually. "In what way, Zero~"
The warlord held back the urge to remind the okama just whom he was speaking to, but ultimately held back. He was a smart man, and Mr 2 was competent, despite his demeanour.
"Initially, it was our intent to use your abilities to kickstart the aggressive nature of the rebels and manipulate them into assaulting the capital," informed Miss All Sunday with an enigmatic smile from her position next to Crocodile. "but that plan had been dependent on there only being the two factions in the Civil War."
"Come on! Come on on on!" Miss Merry Christmas smacked her hand on the table loudly. "We already know all that! We were here for the last brief, you know!"
"Pppllllaaaannn?" Mr 4 dumbly asked.
"Yes, the plan Mr 4! We already know this! We went over this already!" she rapped her fist against his forehead.
Now there was a woman so annoying that Crocodile almost wanted to break his 'no murdering useful employees' rule.
"Indeed. I will skip to the chase. With the Demonic presence to the West and the greater Marine forces to the south, it is foolish to proceed with the plan we discussed last time, as we had hoped that the Marines would have tackled the issue by the time today arrived. Unfortunately, they haven't. It appears they have been unable to achieve their goals," She smiled almost cheerfully at the knowledge that they had failed, even though it in turn had made her job harder.
Crocodile always had felt there was a vicious streak a mile long within his partner, and the World Government always had a way of the bringing it to the surface. Though even without them she could still be a real bitch, and had earned her place as his 'partner'.
He rose from his seat, drawing the attention of everyone else sat around the table. "You do not need to know why things have changed, only that they have. There have been new orders provided for you."
At his prompt, Miss All Sunday reached into her pocket to pull out new slips of folded-up paper, which were handed along to their respective addressees. Each operative opened the slip secretively, and quickly memorised the contents before incinerating them using the candles helpfully placed in the middle of the table.
Crocodile felt there was no need to worry about the orders being leaked. He himself had been the one to write them, and he was the only one to know the full contents of the plan. That was the best way to safeguard it from internal personalities; he'd even made sure to write them when his partner had been decisively proved to be out of range to use her Devil Fruit powers to watch in, while he was also certain that the mistrust he had allowed to flourish between the teams of agents would prevent them allowing their own orders to be uncovered.
"Follow these orders, and victory is assured," he arrogantly assured, putting on the confident mask necessary to maintain their respect. Crocodile was less confident at his odds, but this didn't mean he was going to show them that. Even if things went exactly as planned (which was unlikely to occur), victory would still be an extremely narrow thing.
'All of my work to put the odds in my favour... wasted,' he spitefully mused. 'Even so, I refuse to give in. I've worked too hard for this! Everything is riding on this, and it's not like similar events haven't occurred before.'
Hell, even the other Shichubukai had been able to accomplish similar things. Boa Hancock had her own nation, Jinbei had effectively made Fishman Island of limits, while Doflamingo had conquered a kingdom for himself and then used confidential information to prevent it being reclaimed. Crocodile's plan had just the right level of similarity to theirs to ensure that if he pulled it off successfully he would probably be left alone. Once Pluton was his, there was no way the World Governent would dare interfere with his nation, as in the seat of his power, in the centre of the desert, protected by his Superweapon, he would be invincible.
'Yet that was before. Now the odds are far, far greater, and the consequences of failure much higher'
Crocodile just realised that he had been lost in thought, and chided himself. Luckily, he had only lost his place for a moment, and he was sure that only Nico Robin and Daz Bones had caught his slip. "Follow them to the letter," he reiterated. "Failure on your part will not be tolerated." Several sets of eyes wandered to the pane of glass that he had installed beforehand to give his men just the occasional glance of his giant pet, the symbol of what would happen to those that disappointed him.
"What about the Demons?" asked Miss Doublefinger brazenly. He noted that she was still intimidated by him. She was just confident enough in her own skills to know that he needed her, and that she was good enough to not need to worry about this. "My orders account for Marine intervention, but not theirs."
The warlords sole remaining hand clenched in anger, as he had been unable to stop himself. Those Demons were truly the Wildcard, the thing that would always complicate his plans! Even if he could make the Royal Army and rebels slaughter each other, then kill the rest by detonating Alubarna, even if he could also kill the Marines station on Alabasta once they realised he had taken over - after all that it would all be meaningless if the Demons showed up the next day and burnt everything to the ground.
Ruining it.
That was why Crocodile had been forced to change his plan. Because he was gambling everything on Operation Utopia. Because the only way he could win this was if he somehow wiped out every other player on the battlefield at around the same time. Because if he didn't adapt, he would be devoured by a predator greater than he was.
'The desert is merciless, and the game of leadership and thrones even more so.'
"Hmmm, so is there anything else to tell us, Zero~" Mr 2 prompted teasingly. "Or shall we get ready for the big day?"
He shook his head. "No. Today, you will prepare for your roles. Tomorrow, our forces will begin to move out. The day after, Rainbase will be sacrificed, and the final preparations concluded. Then on the last day, the Cold War between the Rebels and Loyalists will end. And so the history of Alabasta will change forever..."
There was nothing more to say after that, and nothing else to do but wait. He had played his pieces and put the final pushes into motion. He had lit the fuse on the gunpower barrel which was Alabasta, and soon it would all come together in one final, destructive explosion. He could only hope that he was the one that would remain standing at the end of it.
AN- Now that was so much FUN to write. I've been looking forwards to writing from Crocodile's POV for awhile, as he has always been one of my favourite villains. I hoped to expand upon his motivations a bit, and show his thought process a bit more. Because honestly, the guy was good enough to orchestrate the entire Alabasta Saga- he's a badass. And with all the changes to canon made, it was obvious that he wouldn't be stupid enough to stubbornly stick to his plan without adaptation.
My reasoning is simple- Crocodile's plot was based off the similar accomplishments of his fellow Warlords, and was in fact a direct parallel of Doflamingo. Both Warlords, both tried to take over a kingdom, both wanted to maintain control due to knowing or possessing something the government didn't want to get out, while both were taken out by Luffy.
So yeah, my Crocodile is a bit more adaptable than canon, and has had months to see the effect that Demons have had on the situation in Alabasta, and has consequently changed his plan. Good luck figuring out all of his plan though. I haven't mentioned everything that he's doing...
Other things to note: I managed to turn what should have been a chapter of exposition to Nath into something waaayyy shorter (Seriously sick of having to explain things to Nath after he inevitably knocks himself out, but its still quicker than showing all of it), and then filled out that wordcount by unnecessarily explaining team choices.
Still, this chapter did its job. Nath's party will be split into two teams for the rest of the near future, and soon you might actually start catching glimpses of Nath's Master Plan. Next chapter expect Nath shenanigins, and maybe a snapshot of what the Marines are doing too during all this (Heck- why not? Already showed what the Demons and Croc was up to). Anyhow, I'm done for now. I'd better actually revise for my exams now (Gasp! Shock horror!). Leave a review or something. Or don't. Your choice. Undying Soul out.
