Hello, hello. Sorry for the wait, but here's Chapter 35. Hit a bit of a Writer's Block and life popped up to give me some trouble, but it's all smooth sailing. Let's get back to it.
Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto or One Piece
Chapter 35: Aspirant King and Ninja Vs. Mr. 0
Nami ran through Alubarna's empty streets, eyes peeled for signs of Zoro, mainly property damage.
"Of all the times for him to get lost," Nami groused, her hand tightening around the Baby Transponder Snail held within. She rounded a corner and saw the signs of the swordsman's battle, namely the ruined building. She ran down that road and passed the unconscious Mr. 1, noticing footprints leading away from the downed assassin.
Nami chased after those footprints and sure enough, Zoro was the next street over, a little bloodied, but moving well enough. She called put to him.
"Nami," Zoro said, relief filling his voice, "Great, you're OK."
"Yeah," she replied, "That spike lady didn't conciser me a threat until it was too late. But we need to get moving. Can you run?"
"Run," Zoro repeated, "Yeah I can manage that. Where are we heading?"
"The palace," Nami said, holding up her Snail. Zoro could hear faint noises from it, like someone had left it on and it was picking up on the sounds nearby.
"Vivi called up all our Snails," Nami explained, "Said she was going to the palace to rescue her father. She left her Snail on, so we could hear what's going on around her."
"What about Naruto and Chopper," Zoro asked, "They were with her."
"She didn't say," Nami informed him, "But I guess they'll be nearby."
"Great," Zoro said, retying his bandana to his head, "Looks like I'll be aiming for their boss after all."
(line)
"Pluton," Vivi said, eyes glued to her father, "What's Pluton?"
Crocodile smiled a cruel grin, "Pluton is an ancient weapon. A battleship of unbelievable power. They say a single blast from it can eliminate an island, removing it from the map entirely. Truly it is something that deserves to bare the name of a god."
"Can something like that really be here, in Alabasta," Koza said, disbelief coloring his voice.
"Of course it is," Crocodile said, "Look at your king. His face says it all. It's been the royal secret for centuries, but I was able to follow what clues there were to know it's somewhere in this country."
"And what do you want with something like that," Vivi demanded.
Crocodile shook his head, "Is it not obvious? With that power, I can make this land the leading military power, bringing in all the nearby pirates under my control. My influence will make me the match for the World Government. No I will rise above them and create my Utopia!"
"Do you really think the World Government will just let you do that," Cobra spat out.
"Oh I know they'll eventually become aware of my actions," Crocodile said, "And that's why Pluton is the last piece I need to make my plans come to fruition. Although, given how the World Government hasn't really done anything regarding this rebellion, perhaps I'm overestimating them."
"It doesn't matter," Cobra said, "I don't know anything about it. I doubt if such a thing really is somewhere in this country."
"I had hoped your daughter being here would loosen your tongue," Crocodile said, "But even I had some issues in accepting that such a weapon existed. I will accept an alternative prize, however. Where is the Ponegylph?"
"The Ponegylph," Cobra wheezed out, "The ancient records. Why would you? No, I understand what you want with that. I cannot let you use them to seek that weapon, not anymore than I could lead you to it directly."
"A pity," Crocodile said, "Then, perhaps this will get you to speak: At 4:30 PM, a bomb will detonate in the city square. Isn't that where most of your army is located?"
Cobra looked at that Warlord with a horrified expression, one mirrored by Vivi and Koza, "Are you out of your mind?"
"But it is the perfect bit of leverage isn't it," Crocodile said, "A specially made explosive with a 5KM diameter will make quite the change to the city layout won't it."
"But that will…." Vivi gasped.
"Kill all the royalist forces," Crocodile finished, "Yes it will. I suppose that's one way to stop the rebellion. Of course, that still leaves the rebel army. Having such a violent group around might make things difficult. But I know just how to remedy that. I wonder how they'll react, if after their leader followed the princess into the palace, he shows up dead, hanging from the city's walls!"
Crocodile lunged at Koza, his golden hook aimed for the man's chest. Crocodile malicious grin suddenly turned into a grimace of pain as a translucent yellow kunai pierced through his left shoulder. He twisted around, the action giving Koza and Vivi the opportunity to retreat, and saw Naruto standing atop the palace roof, Chopper and Matatabi flanking him.
Naruto summoned another kunai, "Round two, you knock-off Gaara."
"Rumble," Chopper exclaimed, chomping down on a Rumble Ball, "Jumping Point. Naruto, Matatabi, get on my shoulders!"
The two did as they were told and Chopper used the enhanced leg strength of his jumping form to jump down from the roof, pushing against the side of the palace facade to rocket down to the courtyard.
"Jump off," Chopper ordered as they neared the ground. Naruto and Matatabi did so, giving Chopper the room to change into his Guard Point as he reached the ground. Naruto and Matatabi landed upon his dense fur and bounced safely down, squared up against Crocodile. Chopper shifting into his Heavy Point to join them.
"Hm," Crocodile said, "I expected the king to plead for me to stop, but this certainly is an unexpected twist. But I wonder what you expect to do that your captain couldn't."
Naruto smirked, "You seem sure Luffy's down for the count. Don't count him out."
Crocodile laughed, "Oh, he looked pretty down after I ran him through and left him buried in the sand."
"Why you," Chopper started to say before Naruto held up his right hand to quiet him, the rope tied to his wrist glowing slightly.
"Maybe he was," Naruto said, "Or maybe you're full of shit and trying to screw with us. Either way, you've hurt our friend, so you've got to be taken out."
"Ha ha ha ha," Crocodile laughed again, "And just how do you plan to do that? You can't touch me!"
"Wanna bet," Naruto taunted, pointing a Phantom Kunai at the Warlord.
"Fine. I was planning on killing you all anyway," Crocodile said, sand raising from his body, "Desert Spada!"
"Leaf's Protection," Naruto countered, summoning the defensive spirit around them, anchoring it to Chopper. The blade of sand slammed into Leaf's Protection and Naruto let out a grunt as the sand tried to cut against the armored spirit.
Naruto noticed that All-Sunday had released Cobra from his bindings and had retreated from the area, while Vivi and Koza raced into the Palace.
"Matatabi, Chopper," Naruto said, his voice serious, "Go help Vivi rescue the king. All-Sunday took him into the Palace. I'll deal with Crocodile."
Chopper turned to Naruto, looking uneasy, "You sure, Naruto?"
"Yeah," Naruto said, "I've got a good read on what he can do. Besides, Vivi's dad looks like he's been through the ringer. He's gonna need a good doctor."
"Calling me a good doctor's not going to make me like you, you idiot," Chopper gushed, twisting about happily, an odd sight as he was in his Heavy Point still.
"Naruto," Matatabi interjected, "Are you sure you can handle him?"
"Yeah," Naruto said nodding as he lifted his right hand up, "Let's just say I'm betting on Luffy to show up soon."
Matatabi nodded, "Very well. I trust you have a plan."
"Something like that," Naruto said, "If All-Sunday tries to grab you, use your Lighting thing. She feels pain in the limbs she can make. Oh, and I think she's playing her own game. Some things about her don't add up."
"Noted," Matatabi replied.
"OK," Naruto muttered, "Time to move. Once Leaf's Protection goes down, run."
He sped out from under the protective spirit, darting to the side away from Crocodile's attack. He manifested a Phantom Kunai and launched it at the Warlord. Crocodile calmly shifted out of the way of the projectile, and fired off a stream of sand at Naruto, forgoing maintaining his attack on the others.
Naruto canceled Leaf's Protection and brought out Blazing Spiral to intercept Crocodile's attack, blocking the attack with crossed arms. Naruto ducked around his summon and let loose another Kunai. Crocodile merely grinned and turned into sand to avoid the attack.
Naruto tracked Crocodile's transformed form and launched himself to where the Warlord was beginning to reform. Crocodile's partially formed face looked shocked as Naruto blurred into focus right before him, his right arm raised high. Naruto brought down his arm in a cross body slash, cutting through Crocodile's half-formed body from shoulder to hip.
The Sand Man let out a hiss of pain as the sensation burned in his mind. Naruto did not relent as he unleashed a flurry of slashes against the Warlord, cutting through him with wild abandon, sand flying everywhere.
"Enough," Crocodile shouted as his right arm shot out and grasped Naruto by the neck and began to choke him. He fully reformed and glared at Naruto, "If that's all you have to offer, then I can see why someone as weak as Straw Hat would have you as a subordinate. Like attracts like, after all."
Naruto let out a strained laugh, "And what does that say about you? We've been beating your followers since entering the Grand Line."
"'My followers'," Crocodile repeated, "Are just means to an end. And my elite agents are the ones in this city. I doubt your crew has fared any better than against them than you did here."
"I'll take that bet," Naruto growled bringing his left hand to close around Crocodile's arm, "Spirit Gaze!"
Naruto's yellow aura surrounded them as both he connected his spirit to Crocodile's. He saw the Warlord's ambition, stretched like blackened vines throughout Alabasta and beyond, strangling all he came across until it bent to his whim and discarded when no longer useful. And somehow, Naruto got the impression that Crocodile was stretched beyond his limits, carrying a heavy burden.
Crocodile was also assailed by visions, though his more a montage of memories. He saw, from Naruto's perspective, flashes of the Straw Hat crew, both as they fought and in their leisure time. Crocodile laughed as the vision ended.
"What was that," he taunted, "A last flash of your memories? Did you expect that to make me hesitate in killing you or your little friends?"
"No," Naruto said, "But I wanted to see what I could learn from you."
"Whatever you've learned won't matter once you join your captain in death," Crocodile said as he tightened his hand on Naruto's throat and began to extract the moisture from him, slowly.
"Luffy's not dead," Naruto said as his body began to dry out, "And he's gonna kick your sandy ass."
"Ha ha ha," Crocodile laughed again, "Only one of us walked out of that desert. I made sure of that when I ran him through."
Naruto closed his eyes for a moment and let his mind drift to the link he'd forged through the ropes carried by his friends. He felt all of them, all moving, some towards him, others away. One moving far faster than the others was nearing him, quickly and from above.
He couldn't keep the smile from breaking out upon his face and a laugh bubbled up in his throat. Crocodile looked at him like he'd gone mad.
"And what's so funny," he asked, "Has your impending death caused you to lose your mind?"
"No," Naruto gasped out as he saw something blot out the sun above him, "You may have walked out of the desert, but Luffy flew."
"Gum Gum Pistol!"
Luffy's fist shot out as he jumped off of Pell as the Falcon Man flew over the palace courtyard. It slammed into Crocodile's face and knocked the Warlord back and to the ground, removing his hold on Naruto's neck.
Luffy landed with a bounce. "Naruto," he said, his tone serious, "You OK?"
Naruto coughed, his throat dry, "Yeah, I'm good. You sure know how to make an entrance." Naruto noticed the barrel strapped to Luffy's back, and the water dripping form his still balled fist. His eyes flicked to Crocodile, who was picking himself up, blood dripping from a cut lip.
"Little bastard," Crocodile growled as he glared at Luffy, "How the hell did you escape that quicksand, with those wounds?"
"I've still got to kick your ass for hurting Vivi," Luffy said, "That's how."
"That's not really an explanation, Luffy," Naruto remarked, "But it looks like you know how to hit him."
"Yep," Luffy said, "He broke the barrel that Gramps in Yuba gave me. And I could touch him after that. Water makes him punchable. That's why he took away the rain. He's afraid of it."
"Afraid," Crocodile spat, "No. Cautious, perhaps. But not afraid. Even if you can touch me, I'm still hundreds of times more experienced than you. Your little trick won't win this day for you."
"Less talking," Luffy said, using the hose attached to the barrel to re-wet his hands, "More fighting."
Crocodile shook his head, "I will give you credit for surviving your injuries. But you have to realize that some wet eared rookie can't compare to one of the Seven Warlords."
"So what if you're one of the Seven Warlords" Luffy said, "If that's the case, I'll just become the eight Warlord!"
"That's not how that works either, Luffy," Naruto said as he summoned Blazing Spiral, "You want to play this like how we handled Smoker in Nanohana?"
Luffy pondered the idea for a moment, "Yeah, that sounds good."
"Alright," Naruto said, "I'll go and run down All-Sunday."
Naruto bolted away, vanishing into the Palace. Crocodile chuckled as Luffy squared up alone against him.
"Was that wise," he taunted, "The two of you may have been keep up with me. But alone, you don't have a chance, Straw Hat."
"We'll see about that," Luffy shouted, "Gum Gum Pistol!"
Luffy fired off a soggy punch at the Warlord, who simply moved to duck under the attack.
"See," Crocodile said as he wrapped his hand around Luffy's arm and began to absorb the moisture, "Still so inexperienced."
"I don't thing so," Luffy shouted as he pushed himself towards Crocodile, using his contracting arm to boost his speed, "Gum Gum Bullet!"
Luffy's attack slammed into Crocodile's side and launched him into Palace's facade. Luffy then quickly took a drink from his reservoir to restore his withered arm, before he poured more water onto it.
"You know," Luffy said, "That drying up thing you do is a pain. But I just thought of a way counter it. Gum Gum Pistol!"
Luffy fired off another long range punch, and after it traveled about halfway to Crocodile, he shook his arm, "Shotgun!"
His arm now took on an erratic path, one that Crocodile barely dodged.
"Spada," Crocodile declared as he fired a blade of sand. Luffy dived back, narrowly avoiding the attack, which tore a deep crevice in the courtyard. Luffy hadn't recovered his footing when Crocodile launched another, small blade of sand at his back. Or more accurately, at the barrel he carried. Luffy scrambled as best he could away from the attack, but the sound of cracking wood filled his ears. He wrenched the barrel off his back and saw a small crack near the bottom, water already beginning to flow out.
"Things aren't that different from our earlier bout," Crocodile gloated, "Without that water, you would be no better off. And now your one advantage is running out."
"You're right," Luffy admitted, "But I've got an idea."
Luffy pulled out the hose to the barrel and began to drink the water, quickly emptying the contents into his stomach, which ballooned out as he did.
He threw the empty barrel away and glared at Crocodile, "Alright, now I'm Water Luffy! Although, ugh, I don't think I'm supposed to drink that much water at once."
Crocodile glared at Luffy. "Stop joking around, you little bastard," he yelled, frustrated that this nuisance was not taking thing seriously. Luffy's response was to spit out a blob of water and drench the Warlord.
"Who's joking around," Luffy shouted, "I'm always serious! Gum Gum Bazooka!"
Luffy slammed his hands into Crocodile's abdomen, launching him backwards. Before the Warlord could crash into the Palace, Naruto shot out from the shadows, right arm alight as Blazing Spiral formed next to him.
"Twin Maelstrom!"
The two spinning punches tore into Crocodile's back as Naruto and his summoned spirit launched him back towards Luffy. At the halfway point, Crocodile exploded into a flurry of sand, his momentum halted by his impromptu sandstorm.
He reformed in a crouched position, more blood flowing from his lips as he regarded both pirates with boiling rage shining in his eyes.
"You two," he growled, "are the most annoying gnats I've ever had to deal with with. I should have gone for the kill instead of playing with you. Ground Secco!"
He slammed his right hand onto the ground and began to draw away the moisture. The plants in the courtyard withered away in an instant and soon the stone began to crack and become sand.
"Luffy," Naruto called out as he lept across the crumbling terrain, "Hit him with water!"
"On it," Luffy called back, even as he was forced to balance between two rocks, as the ground collapsed around him. He launched two large blasts of water at Crocodile, who merely raised his right hand and absorbed the attacks.
"You seem to be confused," Crocodile said as he saw Luffy's shocked face, "Did you think water negated my powers?"
He turned towards Naruto, who was in mid jump, arm alight as he moved to attack.
"Sables," Crocodile shouted, releasing a sandstorm from his outstretched hand. Naruto was blasted away by the torrent of sand and wind, sailing over the walls of the courtyard an into the city below.
"Naruto," Luffy shouted.
"You should have more concern over your own safety," Crocodile taunted, returning his hand to the ground, "than to be worrying about your crew mate. Before my powers, everything turned into sand. Ground Death!"
Crocodile's technique rapidly turned the once idyllic courtyard into a dry wasteland, reducing even the statues to sand.
"Ah, my sandals," Luffy cried out as his footwear crumbled away. He jumped away from the desiccated land, stretching his arm to grab the roof of the Palace, "Crap, he turned the whole lawn into a desert. And he blasted Naruto away. Where'd he go?"
Luffy looked down at the newly created desert, straining his neck to pinpoint where Crocodile was.
A stream of sand shot up and reformed into Crocodile atop the roof.
"Can't believe I had to waste so much time and effort on a pair of rookies," he growled as he glared down at Luffy. He brought his hand down around Luffy's neck. Luffy fired a defiant blast of water before the Warlord could fully close his hand around his neck, but Crocodile deftly avoided the final attack.
"You missed," Crocodile said with a sneer, as he began to draw the moisture from Luffy, "And you lose, Straw Hat Luffy."
He took a moment to revel in his victory, "Its a pity I have to order my men to redirect the bomb to fire towards the Rebel Army. You'll just have to be content with being buried here. So rest easy and know that so, I'll be the new king of this sandy kingdom."
He tossed Luffy down, and looked out over the city, "I've wasted to much time. Nico Robin took the king. She should have gotten him to reveal where the Ponegylph is, at least. She can be quite persuasive."
His plan set, Crocodile turned once more into sand, flying through the air, looking for signs of his second in command's passing.
Matatabi and Chopper ran into the Palace, the crew's doctor in his Walk Point to better track Vivi's scent.
"Her scent goes down here," Chopper reported as they drew up to an opening in the wall.
"Another secret passage," Matatabi noted as they passed into the dark tunnel. The pair kept up a quick pace, and before long they turn came to it's exit. They emerged onto Alubarna's streets and continued to follow Vivi's scent.
They found her, and Koza, lying on the ground unconscious. Near them, a number of Marines were likewise incapacitated.
"Vivi" Chopper shouted in panic, shifting back into his Brain Point to examine their fallen comrade.
His ministrations roused the princess and she coughed as she opened her eyes.
"All-Sunday," she gasped out, "She's taking my father to the Royal Crypt. We have to…."
"I will stop her," Matatabi said, gauging the time by looking at the shadows around them, "We do not have long until that bomb is set to detonate. You know the city, know where such a device could be hidden. You can motive the Marines to help you. Leave to fighting to me."
Vivi looked ready to argue, but schooled her features as she realized the merit to Matatabi's words. She nodded began to stand and Chopper began to tend to the others.
"Mata-sensei, Doc, Vivi," Myukuru yelled as she and Usopp ran towards them, "What's the situation? I thought Vivi and Doc were with Whiskers stopping the Rebels?"
"Things developed. Naruto is fighting Crocodile," Matatabi replied to her pupil, "Myukuru, Usopp. Crocodile has a bomb somewhere in the city. You need to help Vivi find it and dispose of it."
"A bomb," Usopp cried, "And where are you going?"
"To retrieve the king," Matatabi said, Electro sparking around her.
And cut! Crocodile took a little beating, but he's a crafty one. Time's ticking away. Can Vivi find the bomb before it blows? Will Matatabi find Ms. All-Sunday and rescue Cobra before Crocodile rendezvouses with his partner? Will Naruto and Luffy recover in time to stop the Warlord? Well you'll have to tune in next time.
On another note, I'm thinking of bringing in the Spin from JJBA Part 7. Not all of it, just the idea of spinning steel balls as weapons. Let me know if that's something you might want to see.
See ya next time!