Lest Ye Become The Monster Chapter 37: It Begins, an one piece fanfic

Wow! This chapter took me a while to finish, mainly because after proofreading I decided to rewrite the last third. But it's done the way I wanted, so that's all that matters. And it's long, so I feel like the length makes up for the wait.

In personal news, I passed my licensing exam, so as soon as the state cashes my check, I'll be fully licensed & will have officially accomplished my main life's goal. I want to thank all of you who read this & who read my previous story. Writing is one of the things that kept me sane between college, work & all the family issues going on. Back when I worked on All That Glitters, there was a time I was living in a hotel because things had gotten so bad at home I couldn't stand it anymore. At the risk of sounding melodramatic, not wanting to disappoint my readers was one of the few things that kept me going during that time. So I wanted to thank all of you.

In less serious news, I finally got a Twitter account. It's mostly dedicated to my gaming blog, but I do plan to start another blog for my other artistic projects. So if you're curious about the other projects keeping me busy, you can check it out GamerDamePress.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. I only own my original additions. This story is for entertainment purposes only.

Warnings: Violence & Language

After the delay with Scorpion, the crew had to pick up the pace a bit if they wanted to reach Yuba by nightfall. Normally hustling in the desert wasn't really a good idea, but with their abundant supplies and the desire to not sleep out in the cold for a change, most of the crew managed to put up with the discomfort. After all, what was a little sweat now in comparison to civilization sooner? Even Luffy and Usopp managed to keep up with the pace, and complained a lot less than usual. Heck, even Chopper did his best to tough it out, trotting along beside the others.

The pirates trudged along, barely stopping long enough to eat or take a water break. But their hard work paid off, as they managed to travel a long way by the time the sun started to set. For all her growing hatred of the desert, even Abel had to admit the desert looked pretty during sunset. The sand shined a warm gold and scarlet, making it seem less desolate than usual. But frankly, Abel would be glad when they could get back to the sea. Shore leave was all well and good, but this was no vacation. And it was slightly irksome to put in so much effort and for it to still feel like there was no progress.

"Hey, Luffy..." Usopp panted, breaking Abel from her morose thoughts. When Luffy gave a tired grunt, Usopp continued, "What was that thing your brother gave you?"

"I dunno," Luffy replied simply. Pulling the paper out from his coat, Luffy stared at it again. Nothing but a blank white page stared back at him. "It's just a scrap of paper."

"It's just paper?" Chopper asked, tilting his head.

Abel held out a hand to Luffy. "May I?" she requested. Looking curiously at the hunter, Luffy willingly handed over the paper. Facing the sun, Abel held the paper up so that the sun shone through it from the back. She didn't see even the slightest imperfections, as the paper was uniformly white. Nor did she see any pressure markings on it. Abel hummed thoughtfully. "There are a number of common objects that, when diluted with water, can make a sort of home-brew invisible ink."

"Like milk, or lemon juice," Sanji suggested knowingly.

"Indeed," Abel agreed. "Unfortunately, such tricks can only be revealed by exposing the paper to a direct heat source, like a candle or oven. So for now..." Abel handed the paper safely back to Luffy. "It's best to just hold on to it. Leave it as a mystery for another day."

As Luffy started to put the paper back, Nami came up to him. "Give me your hat, Luffy," she suddenly said.

Luffy frowned. "Why?" What did Nami want with his hat all of a sudden?

Glancing at the paper in his hand, Nami explained, "If it's that important, I can sew it to the underside of your ribbon."

Luffy's eyes lit up. "Oh! Good idea!" Since the hat was his treasure, and Luffy was never without it, that meant Ace's paper would always be with him, too. Hastily shoving his scarf down, Luffy passed his hat and paper over to Nami's waiting hands. "Sew it good!"

"Yeah, yeah..." Nami snorted good-naturedly, flipping part of the ribbon over so she could sew the paper in a pocket on the underside.

As Nami worked, the others still puzzled over the significance of a blank piece of paper. "What do you think it means?" Chopper asked.

Sanji shrugged carelessly. "Who knows? Ace seems to enjoy being mysterious. He could've just explained it before he up and disappeared like that."

Abel tried hard to keep a straight face and fight the blush that wanted to show itself whenever she thought about Ace's kiss. Abel was no stranger to physical affection, but the suddenness of Ace's actions almost demanded a sort of embarrassed giddiness. It wasn't every day someone randomly kissed her. And even if she didn't return Ace's feelings, it was flattering to know someone thought of her in such a way. You're lucky you're so cute, Abel thought. She wouldn't let just anyone get away with a stunt like that.

Coming out from her musings, Abel felt someone staring holes in the back of her head. Turning her head, Abel discovered Zoro unabashedly watching her with an unreadable expression. "Thoughts on the matter, Chief?" she asked, unsure what that expression meant. He didn't look angry, but he certainly didn't look happy. Most of Zoro's expressions were some variation of a scowl. I need to name them, Abel randomly thought. If she had to name this expression on the fly, she would call it Zoro's thinking scowl. Like he thought if he stared at Abel for long enough, some secret of the universe would become clear.

Zoro barely gave a grunt in response, even less of a reaction than Abel anticipated. And he just kept staring! Was this some form of interrogation? If he was trying to make her nervous, it was working. Abel didn't like being stared at.

So Abel did what she normally did when she felt uncomfortable: Deflect and distract. With not quite enough force to be considered a slap, Abel placed her hand against Zoro's forehead. Whether from the force of her hand on his forehead or just the unexpectedness of the action, Zoro's expression changed to one of surprise. Smiling disarmingly, Abel answered his unspoken question. "You'll be a wrinkly old man if you keep frowning like that." Zoro stared at her again, but at least this time she recognized it as a dumbfounded stare.

"There!" Nami chirped, drawing Abel's attention away from the baffling swordsman. "It's all done!" Snapping the end of the thread with her teeth, Nami handed the hat back to Luffy. "Here you go!" she said with a smile.

"Thanks!" Luffy placed the hat back in its rightful place with a pat. He grinned. "Now I don't have to worry about losing it!"

"If there wasn't anything written on it, what's the point of hanging on to the thing?" Zoro asked somewhat testily.

Luffy frowned stubbornly. "Ace told me to keep it, so I'm keeping it!"

"Your confidence isn't based on anything," Sanji grumbled.

"So what?" Luffy huffed. "It's right a lot!" What difference did it make what his judgments were based on so long as they were right?

The others gave various responses of disbelief. But Abel placed a supportive hand on Luffy's shoulder. "Pay them no mind, Boss," she said. "They've simply never had the privilege of experiencing the sibling bond like we have. They're not bad people- merely ignorant." Abel tried not to laugh at the ugly looks thrown her way.

Luffy, however, beamed up at the woman. "Do you think we'll run into your sister one day?" he asked.

"Maybe," Abel answered, noncommittally. "It's a big world, and stranger things have happened." She would very much like to see Caine again one day, but who's to say she'd ever be that lucky. Between the two of them traveling the world, it would take nothing short of the hand of fate for them to happen to be in the same place at the same time. Then again, Caine was also a monster hunter, so perhaps their calling would bring them together again.

The conversation ended abruptly when Vivi called ecstatically, "You guys!" All the pirates looked up, at first concerned by the shout. But when they saw the huge grin on Vivi's face, they knew whatever the news was, it was good. Smiling so wide her cheeks hurt, she informed them, "Yuba is just over those big rocks! Let's make one more push to get there!"

"YEAH!" Luffy, Chopper and Usopp cheered, while the others gave happy sighs of relief. Almost there. What a beautiful phrase.

They didn't quite run, but came pretty close to it. One last push, Vivi had said. Abel saw the big rocks Vivi had mentioned, just off to their left. A landmark. The thought that this was almost over, for now at any rate, gave everyone a burst of stamina.

Well, almost everyone. "Carry me, Zoro..." Usopp whined, limping along, pulling up the rear.

"Suck it up," Zoro retorted unsympathetically.

"Hey! Carry me too, Zoro!" Luffy chimed in.

"Morons!" Zoro snapped. He was no one's pack mule, dammit!

In another part of the desert, not too far south, another group of travelers was also nearing their target destination. And while the company was very different from the pirate crew, they were no less rambunctious. "Un, deux!"

"Ora!"

"Un, deux!"

"Krah!"

Miss All Hallows Eve didn't even bother looking back to see what her partner and his lackeys were up to. She'd learned that the only way to tolerate Mr. Two's flamboyant behavior was to just ignore it. As long as he didn't try to make her start dancing, it was all good. Not that he ever asked her to. It was unnecessary, he always said. Mr. Two insisted that Miss All Hallows Eve moved gracefully enough on her own.

"Be light on your feet!" Two instructed the men trailing behind him in a ballet conga line. "You must flow like the river... float like a monarch on the breeze! Just like Miss Eve!" Two never called her by her full title, saying it was too long and cumbersome. He said just Eve fit her better, anyway.

"Sir!"

Two's voice faded behind her. His voice must've lowered from its usual pitch as he began waxing poetic. Normally Two's higher octaves filtered through, but when he was trying to be "delicate" he sometimes faded out. Eve was grateful for the moment of silence. It afforded her the chance to absorb the environment. Crazy partners aside, the desert was peaceful. Desolate. It was essentially one giant cemetery in disguise. How many people had died in just this spit of sand alone? The thought thrummed through Eve's being.

Ahead, a small building with a single lit window awaited them. The out of the way location was no coincidence. This was a place the criminals had visited many times in the past. The Spider Cafe. The name amused Eve. Had anyone unwittingly stumbled across this place to their doom? Lost in this sandy grave, thinking they'd found a bit of salvation, only to fall prey to the monsters that lurked within. It brought a smile to Eve's face pale.

"I'm such a pretty dancing boy!"

Ah, Mr. Two... so full of life he was practically bursting at the seams.

"Switch foot!"

"And up!"

"And now... leap away!"

This was how it had been since they left the ship. Hell, this was how it had been since they'd become partners. Eve just ignored it. She was certainly in no position to judge how someone chose to live their life. At the very least, Two never gave Eve any grief for her abilities and... quirks. The pot and kettle, indeed.

Upon reaching the Spider Cafe, Two leapt ahead of Eve, opening the door with a flourish. "Greetings!" he shouted, rolling his r. Two bowed low, allowing Eve to silently slip around him and into the blinding light of the cafe. In comparison to the heat outside, it was as cold as a tomb inside. A welcomed change. Wearing something other than black might've helped in that regard, but it seemed inappropriate.

Eve was vaguely aware of the cafe's owner, Paula, saying something to Two. Something rude, most likely, given Two's response of, "I am not a freak, Paula! I am merely a talented dancer practicing my craft!"

As Two argued with Paula, Eve silently took a seat at the bar and pondered their latest orders from the Boss. Mr. Zero had ordered all the officer agents to meet at the Spider Cafe by eight o'clock, sharp. Eve suspected Mr. Zero had something big in mind if it required all the agents to meet in this country so full of death it was intoxicating to someone like Eve. Glancing around the small cafe, Eve noted that nearly everyone had arrived. Well, everyone that was left, of course. Mr. Five and Miss Valentine were out of commission, and Mr. Three and Miss Goldenweek had vanished. Unless they were fools, they'd stay that way. Two and Eve had been ordered to track Mr. Three down and eliminate him for betraying the Boss, but had been called back. Hence why Eve suspected something major in the works. Failure wasn't usually tolerated.

Wordlessly, Paula placed a cup of strong coffee with a touch of witch hazel in front of Eve. Paula, the owner of the cafe, looked deceptively willowy, with bushy blue hair always tamed in a ponytail and colorful bandana. But Eve wasn't fooled by appearances. Death practically dripped off the woman like water. Eve never asked, and Paula would never tell, but Eve knew Paula wasn't as simple as she appeared.

"How nice..." Two grumbled, only his proximity to Eve allowing her to hear him. "The fatty and the old hag are here."

Eve didn't turn, but she saw Mr. Four and Miss Merry Christmas reflected in the mirror behind the bar. Mr. Four was a large potato of a man, with a disproportionately long torso and short legs. He reminded Eve of a blimp. In contrast, Miss Merry Christmas was a shrew. A short, frumpy old lady with a bushel of red hair. Eve often wondered if Mr. Zero put the agents together not only so their abilities complimented each other, but their personalities and appearances.

"Shut your trap, you!" Eve had little trouble hearing Miss Merry Christmas snap, even if she did talk a little on the fast side. The woman could be an auctioneer. "Pipe down, you're hurting my back!" Eve found that unlikely, with Mr. Four's meaty hands massaging her back.

With nothing better to do to pass the time, Eve pulled out her tarot cards. She always found it amusing to see what the cards had in store. It also made for a good cover story. Shuffling the cards with practiced ease, Eve eventually spread the cards out across the bar in front of her. Thinking about what might be in store for their next mission, Eve chose three cards at random. Deftly scooping the remaining cards into a deck, Eve flipped her cards over one-by-one.

On the first, a skeleton dressed in knights armor, riding upon a white steed stared back at her. The Death card, upright. A symbol of endings, beginnings and change.

On the second, a hand emerged from the clouds, holding a golden coin with a pentacle carved in it. Only the card was upside down, as if preparing to drop the coin to the earth. The Ace of Pentacles, reversed. A warning of lost opportunity, or lack of foresight.

Finally, a body lying prone, with ten swords long swords sticking in its back. Or, as the card was reversed, perhaps the body had thrown itself on the swords. The Ten of Swords, reversed. The mean was more ambiguous than most cards, as on one end it could mean recovery and regeneration, while on the other it could mean inevitable end.

Eve studied the cards before her, trying to tease out their meaning. Whatever is to come, the outcome is not for certain yet, she thought, mind stretching at the implications. One wrong step, and all is lost. Very interesting. Now Eve was actually looking forward to eight o'clock.

As night began to fall, and eight o'clock neared, tempers started running high. It was bound to happen with so many unscrupulous, strong personalities in one room. "Just looking at you hurts!" Christmas yelled as Two had been spinning in place to amuse himself.

Two made a high-pitched sound that pierced through Eve's hearing. "What's your problem, you old hag!?" he snapped back. "Do you wanna fight!?"

"Do you really think you can handle me!?" Christmas threatened.

The rest watched the chaos unfold with varying degrees of approval. Four was red-faced with laughter, and Paula looked to be trying to calm them down. She probably didn't want anything to happen to her cafe.

Ironically, the place ended up being damaged regardless. Not by the dueling duo, but by a very rude person kicking the door in. Actually, they broke the door by throwing several limp bodies through it. Tensions instantly snapped to high alert at the new, potential threat. "H-hey now!" Two gasped, recognizing the bodies on the floor as his own men. "What happened to you guys!? Why'd you come bursting back in here!?"

"I don't think they had a choice," Eve murmured, speaking for the first time since she arrived. A chill went through the cafe.

Lifting her gaze from the injured men to the culprit responsible, Eve saw it was a tall, intimidating man. He was as broad as he was long, with very long arms and fingers, almost like claws. His head was shaved so that just the barest of his gray hair stuck out, making his angular face appear even harsher. He also had the kanji for "one" tattooed across his chest. Overall, his appearance was that of a man not to be trifled with.

Glancing back at the men, Eve knew they would recover. They weren't dead, or even close to dying. She felt their souls still firmly planted in their bodies.

Wiping his chin, the man spoke, but his voice was too low for Eve to make out. However, she felt the deep rumble of his voice in her ears. He looked unmoved. Unconcerned. Whatever he said, it only irked Two further. "These men are my subordinates!" he squawked before lunging at the man, no doubt the mysterious Mr. One.

For all his oddness, Two was a competent fighter. He swooped in, aiming powerful, elegant kicks at Mr. One. The bigger man stayed a step ahead, and attempted to return the kicks with punches. However, in terms of physical aptitude, the two were evenly matched. It was almost like watching a dance, the way the fighters weaved around each other. At least until Two changed his stance and kicked out, catching One in the chest with his pointed shoes.

The force was enough to send One flying back, but he didn't look hurt. If anything, it just looked like he'd taken the brunt of the attack on his forearms. As he neared the wall, his long hands reached behind him. And instead of crashing through the wall, the wall... was cut. That was the only term for what it looked like happened. A perfectly sized hole cut from the side of the building, knocked out when One hit it.

"What the-!?" Christmas gasped. "He slipped through the wall!? No! He shattered the wall!?"

Landing easily outside, One stood, looking ready to murder Two. He stretched his arms out to the side...

Paula stood before him, blocking his way with one arm. And even though One could've easily pushed her aside, he didn't. In fact, Paula stood with a stronger air of authority than before.

Eve didn't have time to ponder this, though, as her she had to control her own partner. Disagreements aside, if they messed up the boss' orders, they'd all pay. And as fascinated as Eve was with death, she wasn't ready to experience it herself. Therefore, before Two could lunge again, she placed herself between the two men. Two ended his kick far sooner than normal. Eve didn't flinch as his toes barely missed her nose.

"Miss Eve!" Two shouted, looking betrayed. But Eve just stared back. Two sighed heavily, quickly relenting. He knew that, for all her waifish appearance, when Eve got something in her head, she was as immovable as a mountain. But that didn't stop him from glowering at One over her shoulder. "You'd better be glad our partners are here, buster!" One just scoffed.

"Enough!" Paula snapped, for once her voice high enough for Eve to hear.

When Eve turned, Paula was no more, replaced by her true persona - Miss Doublefinger. Her frizzy hair flew free in a puffy mass around her head, and her black leather outfit looked more fitting on a dominatrix. When she spoke again, Eve focused to hear her, knowing this would be important, and the crux of why they were all here. "We're headed to Rainbase, the city of dreams," Doublefinger informed them, standing with her hips cocked at a dangerous angle. "The man we call boss, the man whose face we've never seen, is waiting for us there."

The sun had just disappeared beneath the horizon when the crew finally caught sight of their destination. "Up ahead!" Vivi said encouragingly. "I see a light!"

"Did we make it to Yuba!?" Luffy asked, shielding his eyes. The wind had picked up, blowing the sand around. It wasn't bad enough that they couldn't travel through, but it did block their sight several feet ahead. Luffy squinted. "I can't really see with all this sand."

But behind the sand, Abel could just make out the silhouette of buildings in the distance. It helped that there was still a little light from the sun peeking from the horizon, backlighting the city. But based on the cloudy visage, the city suffered from the same wind. In fact, it almost looked like a blanket of fog covered the city, though that couldn't possibly be right.

Instead of leading the crew onward, however, Vivi paused and stared hard at the city. "Something doesn't feel right..." she murmured, eyes narrowing as she tried to see through the sand. "The city doesn't look right." Everyone fell silent, patiently waiting for Vivi. And in the distance, they heard a familiar roar. "A sandstorm!" Vivi gasped, "The entire city is being struck by a sandstorm!"

"We should wait until it passes before trying to enter the city," Nami suggested. And while no one wanted to wait when their goal was so close, they didn't want to get blown away either. Fortunately, as with most sandstorms, this one passed quickly. When the winds finally settled, the crew practically ran towards it. Vivi ran ahead of the others, frantic to see the damage the storm had inflicted.

Their pace slowed when they finally got close enough to see the state of Yuba. It looked... devastated. Sand piled high on the tops of buildings. Palm trees bent at weird angles, coated in sand like dust. Doorways and windows were choked with sand. Yuba looked more like ruins than a proper city. It looked almost as bad as Erumalu, though for some reason Abel had the impression that the damage was fairly recent. Worse still, the city looked abandoned. One would expect that, after such a storm, the citizens would be out making repairs and shoveling sand. But it remained unsettlingly quiet. Their own footsteps in the sand echoed disrespectfully.

"This can't be..." Vivi muttered numbly, on the verge of tears when they reached the city's center. Roads were covered. Worse still, the central aqueduct was gone, swallowed by sand. The oasis was, quite literally, gone.

"This doesn't look good," Zoro muttered, shifting Usopp's unconscious form on his shoulder. Dead beat had passed out a while ago, and Zoro was convinced it was deliberate. Scanning the city, Zoro noted, "It doesn't look much different from that Erumalu town."

"Where's the water!?" Luffy asked, tongue hanging out dramatically.

"Wasn't this supposed to be an oasis city, Vivi-chan?" Sanji asked, trying not to sound disrespectful but he couldn't help being a little disappointed.

"The sand has raised the ground," Vivi whimpered, heartbroken. "The oasis has been swallowed up!"

As the crew stood around, silently wondering what this meant for their goals, Abel thought she heard something. "Digging?" she asked aloud.

Curious, Abel traveled a little further into the center. It was definitely movement, whatever it was. As she reached where the central route of the oasis should have been, she came across a small, handmade gully. And inside was a withered old man, stubbornly digging at the sand. He must've heard her, because the man looked up from his task. Looked up, but never stopped. He was unhealthily skinny, almost emaciated, and his skin the texture of rawhide. But for all his roughness, he had a kind face. Maybe the puffy gray mustache helped softened the harsh angles. "Are you travelers?" he asked, voice dry and scratchy. "You must be exhausted from your trek through the desert." He paused only long enough to catch his breath before digging again. "Sorry, but this town is a bit dried up. But you're free to rest here if you want. We may not have much water, but there are plenty of inns. They're this town's pride, after all."

Trying not to draw attention to herself, Vivi adjusted her headscarf so it shielded her face. She didn't want to be recognized. At least, not right now. Stepping to the edge, Vivi began, "Umm, we came because we heard the rebel army was in this city-"

The man's head jerked around, eyes crazed. "What business do you have with the rebel army!?" he growled. In a complete one-eighty, the man started throwing anything he could get his hands on at the group. Sand, rocks, even barrels. Standing safely behind Eyelash, Abel had to wonder where the man got all this ammunition from his little hole in the ground. "Curse you!" he shouted. "Don't tell me you're hoping to join the rebellion!"

"You're very lively for a withered up old prune," Abel commented, this time only being half-sarcastic.

Whether from Abel's random statement, or just being tired, the man did eventually stop trying to nail them. He settled for huffing and going back to work. Abel couldn't help thinking he needed some gloves or his hands might fall off. "If you're looking for those fools, they left town long ago."

"They what!?" Luffy shrieked.

"No!" Vivi groaned, as if that would change reality.

"I'm sure you noticed the sandstorm that just hit the town. But it certainly wasn't the first. After three years of no rain, the land has become increasingly dry. Sandstorms became a regular occurrence here. Little by little, the oasis of the past was swallowed up, leaving what you see now. With the town's flow of supplies gone, not even the rebel army's protracted struggle would have worked out. So the rebel army moved its base to Katorea."

Vivi's eyes widened. "Katorea!?"

"Where's that, Vivi?" Luffy asked. Abel flinched at Luffy unthinkingly used Vivi's real name. But the woman in question didn't notice, and the old man didn't give any indication he recognized it, so she let it go. Maybe it would slip by unnoticed so long as no one mentioned it. "Is Katorea close by?"

Vivi's voice was tight as she explained, "It's an oasis next to Nanohana."

"So... essentially this entire trip was an exercise in futility and we need to go all the way back to where we started," Abel drawled. Vivi looked ready to cry, and Abel completely understood her feelings. They'd wasted, what? Four days? And it would take another four days to get back? With war on the horizon, would they have time?

Before they could bemoan their situation more, they noticed the old man approaching with a stunned expression on his face. His eyes dead-set on the princess. "Vivi?" he breathed harshly. "Did you just say Vivi?" So he hadn't missed it. Vivi flinched, watching the old man approach with apprehension.

Realizing his mistake far too late, Luffy tried to fix it. In his usual way of making things worse. "Wait, old guy!" Luffy shouted, waving his arms around frantically. "Vivi isn't the princess!"

Smooth, Abel thought as Zoro punched Luffy in the head.

In a daze, the old man asked, "Vivi-chan? Is that really you?" When he was close enough, he grabbed her shoulders. But not in hostility. He seemed... in awe. His withered face tightened. "You're alive! Thank goodness!" Seeing the princess' lost expression, he said, "It's me! Don't you recognize me?" His eyes watered. "I suppose I can't blame you. I did lose some weight."

Vivi choked out a name as she finally recognized the man behind the withered face. "Toto!?" She covered her mouth with her hand in shock. "Is it really you?"

Overcome with emotion, the old man smiled. "That's right!"

Abel watched the exchange closely. Toto? The man from Sunshine's story? Kohza's father?

"It can't be..." Vivi whispered. How could this be all that was left of the plump, jolly old man she knew?

Clutching Vivi's cloak tightly with boney fingers, Toto rasped out, "Whatever it's worth, Vivi-chan, I still have faith in you and the king. He's not someone who would ever betray the kingdom. I know it!" The tears that had clung to the corners of his eyes finally fell, creating a track through the dirt on his face.

His expression was so open and sincere that it struck Abel. Here he was, suffering. And instead of taking the easy way out and blaming someone else for his problems, he still clung to his beliefs. He wouldn't abandon them just because things got tough. He has character... Abel thought, instantly filled with respect for this man. It wasn't easy to believe in something when there was no proof to believe.

That's why it broke Abel's heart when this grown man fell to his knees, crying in the sand, in the midst of his deserted town. Tears fell from his face to the ground, likely the first moisture this ground had seen in a long time. And behind the sadness, there was anger. "This rebellion is ridiculous!" Toto shouted, voice rough as sandpaper. "A bunch of faithless fools! So what if it hasn't rained for a mere three years? I have faith in His Majesty. Most of the country still does, in fact." He shook his head. "So many times... so many times I tried to stop them. But they won't listen to anything I say. The rebellion won't stop. Their strength is at its limit, too. They intend to settle things once and for all in the next attack. Their backs are to the wall..." Given that his son was behind all this, Toto was both grieved and scared. "They're prepared to die!"

Toto looked imploringly at Vivi. "Please, Vivi-chan! Stop those fools before they tear our country apart!" Toto cried for his son. He cried for everything that had been lost, and what would be lost if the rebels didn't see reason.

He only stopped crying when something pressed against his cheek. Jerking back, Toto saw it was a handkerchief. Following the hand holding it gently to him, Toto met Vivi's kind face and reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Toto."

"Vivi-chan..."

"We will stop the rebellion." Such a simple statement, yet spoken with all the certainty of commenting on the sky being blue.

It both gave Toto strength and moved him to tears again. "Thank you!"

Giving Toto a chance to regain his composure, Nami asked gently, "What do we do now, Vivi?"

Standing back up, but not before laying a comforting hand on Toto's shoulder, Vivi glanced at the others. "What other choice do we have? We head back the way we came. Back to the ship. From there, we'll sail back to Nanohana and travel on foot to Katorea."

Choosing not to point out that they did in fact have other options, however unviable they might be (like saying "screw this" and leave), Abel suggested, "I recommend we rest here for the night then. That way, when we leave, we'll be back to full strength, thus making the journey in reverse quicker." Abel looked to Sanji. "How are our supplies holding up?" It didn't look like they'd be stocking up here unless Sanji knew how to cook stone and sand.

Casting a trained eye over all the bags, Sanji declared, "It'll be tight. We'll have to ration everything conservatively." He cast a meaningful glance Luffy's way.

"Good," Vivi said, nodding firmly. "Then it's decided. We'll rest here and leave early in the morning." She smiled down at Toto. "If that's all right with you, of course, Toto."

"Of course!" Toto quickly agreed, having calmed himself. He smiled warmly at the princess. "As I said, we don't have much in the way of supplies, but there are plenty of hotels to choose from. You have your pick!"

"Awesome!" Luffy exclaimed, quickly running off, eagerly exploring the desolate town. "Which one!? Which one!?" Seeing Luffy so excited over something as simple as picking a hotel room helped ease some of the tension this unexpected turn had caused.

The crew spread out, lazily trying to find a room that had enough space for all of them. Normally a bit of privacy would be called for, given how much time everyone had spent together, but since they had to leave in a hurry in the morning, it was best to stick together. Abel peeked into a few rooms before she found something that caught her eye. Bunk beds. A room where three-quarters of the walls were lined with bunk beds. Abel's eyes lit up, and she hurried into the room. "I call top bunk," she said to no one in the otherwise empty room as she climbed up to the top.

"You say something?" Zoro asked, looking in to the room. He stared, confused, as Abel sat cross-legged on the top row of beds with a look of childish delight.

Smiling, Abel explained, "Caine and I used to have bunk beds, but she never let me sleep on top. She always asserted that, as the eldest, she deserved the top."

Zoro didn't say anything in response to Abel's little story. Instead, he just leaned out the door and shouted, "Hey! Abel found a place!" The room was more than big enough for everyone to have their own personal space. Across the town, the others shouted various acknowledgements.

Satisfied that they'd eventually make their way here, Zoro entered the room. The first thing he did was drop Usopp's unconscious body unceremoniously onto one of the beds. With that burden taken care of, he sat on a bed across the room, sighing at finally having something soft to sit on. Zoro could sleep anywhere, but that didn't mean he didn't prefer a nice bed when one was available. He rolled his head, letting his neck crack with a satisfied groan.

"Problem, Chief?"

Zoro looked up, startled to find Abel on to bunk above him, watching him with curious concern. Had he unconsciously sat down right below her?

When he just stared back with a confused expression, Abel elaborated, "You've been broodier than normal, even for you."

Zoro scowled. "I don't brood."

Abel gave a condescending snort. "And I'm not socially awkward." When this didn't loosen Zoro's tongue, Abel laid down on her stomach, leaning over the edge just far enough for her head to stick out. "I find that just saying what's on your mind can make you feel better."

"What would you know about saying what's really on your mind?"

Abel frowned slightly, not in offense at Zoro's words like most people would, but at the words themselves. "Why the sudden hostility?" she asked instead. "I thought I was your favorite person on the ship."

Zoro scowled. Even now, Abel had to deflect. But maybe she did have a point. A small one. Maybe if Zoro just put what was going on in his head to words, he'd understand his feelings a bit better. Plus, Abel might set the record straight. "You and Ace..." he trailed off, unsure where to go from there.

"Very good," Abel said encouragingly, like a teacher to a small child. "You've got a subject, now how about a verb? Me and Ace... what?"

"I saw you and Ace kiss," Zoro said quickly, turning his scowl toward Abel. He tried to measure her reaction, hoping it would tell him what she was thinking. But instead of looking embarrassed or guilty, she just looked confused. Like she genuinely hadn't expected that to be Zoro's problem.

In truth, she hadn't. Because no one said anything about the kiss, Abel had assumed no one had seen it. She certainly didn't expect that to be his problem. Although it did explain why he kept staring at her, and the way he bristled any time anyone mentioned Ace's name. She felt the tiniest bit of... guilt? But that was ridiculous, because she hadn't done anything wrong. Gathering herself, Abel stated with a detached, logical air, "Firstly, you didn't see me and Ace kiss." Zoro started to open his mouth to protest, when Abel quickly cut him off. "What you saw was Ace kiss me."

Zoro frowned. "How is that any different?"

"It's different in that what you said implies mutual feelings, whereas what happened in actuality was a one-sided expression of affection." Seeing that the swordsman was completely lost, Abel explained slowly, "I don't like Ace. At least not in the same way he liked me. And the only reason he didn't end up with a bolt to the groin was because, however unrequited those affections may be, they were genuine." Abel gave Zoro a curious look then, almost suspicious. "Now let me ask you something. Why does this bother you so?"

Zoro's head snapped down. "I don't know!" he snapped irritably. That was the thing that ticked him off the most. It wasn't so much that Ace had kissed Abel (as she put it) but that it bothered him at all. Why did he care? Why was it any of his business? Why did hearing another man held Abel's heart just piss him off? Zoro didn't understand any of this, and he didn't like not understanding his own brain. Zoro was always one who accepted his instincts and feelings without question. For them to suddenly be a mystery to him was unsettling. Zoro felt unarmed... and he hated that feeling.

Abel watched the turmoil work across Zoro's face with keen interest. It seemed that Zoro truly didn't understand why he was so bothered. It was on the tip of Abel's tongue to tease that he was jealous - and that probably was what he felt. But Abel suspected if she did, it would just make Zoro clam up. And she didn't want that. Because, if anything, this showed that perhaps Abel's own affections weren't unrequited. Zoro just didn't understand yet. And if that was the case, Abel had to be careful about how she handled this.

Leaning forward, Abel reached out and gently took the sides of Zoro's face in her hands, tilting his head back. Zoro followed easily, caught off guard when he found himself staring up at Abel's upside-down face. Abel felt very tempted to just close the miniscule gap between them and kiss the man. She was eye-level with his mouth, after all. And it was a very sexy thought. Abel had never kissed anyone upside-down before. What would it feel like? What would kissing Zoro feel like? Were his lips hot, like the rest of him? Were they chapped from the sun and salt air?

Zoro stared, eyes wide, as Abel hovered at what had to be an uncomfortable angle over him. He found his gaze lingering to Abel's lips, so close to him. They parted slightly, as if Abel were planning to do something, before she bit slight at her bottom lip. Idly, he wondered if they were soft. Zoro's never touched a woman's lips before, but he'd heard.

Embarrassed by his own thoughts, Zoro jerked his gaze down to meet Abel's. But wait? Had she just been staring at his...?

Before he had time to question it, the lips he'd just been staring at quirked, smiling at him with such unabashed fondness. Like in that moment, there was no one else Abel would rather see. It made Zoro's chest feel like jelly. Carefully, Abel told him, "You're not getting rid of me so easily."

Was Abel... reassuring him? Had his irritation truly come down to an unconscious fear that Abel would leave? Was that what she was trying to say? Because... it did sort of make Zoro feel better. She wasn't outright dismissing his feelings, even though they were based on unfounded thoughts, but rather salving them. It made Zoro wonder just how much Abel saw and understood, but never bothered to mention. She was always so casual and irreverent. It was easy to think she didn't see to the heart of matters. But maybe she did. Maybe she simply chose what was worth acknowledging. And Zoro was worth acknowledging. The thought sent a flush to Zoro's cheeks, though he could just as easily have blamed it on their proximity.

"Look!" a tiny, cheerful voice shouted from outside, causing the two to jerk away. At her stretched out angle, Abel nearly fell face-first off the bed. Fortunately, Zoro caught her by her shoulders, supporting her awkwardly.

The two gawked as Chopper hopped through the door, spry as a rabbit. "Real beds!" he shouted with glee, oblivious to everything except the fluffy, comfy beds.

Sighing, Abel leaned back until she was in a safer position on her bed. She watched as Chopper cuddled into one of the pillows. She might be mad at him for interrupting the moment had he not been so damnably adorable.

The others meandered in, chatting idly. Mostly about getting a good night's rest. As everyone staked a claim on the beds, Zoro tried to get his blush under control under the pretense of removing his headscarf. He had a strong suspicion that Abel enjoyed flustering him. Then again, he couldn't honestly say he disliked it...

"Good work today, boys!" Everyone looked up at the unexpected voice. Usopp had conveniently just woken up... in time to go right to bed again. Cheerily, he said, "Let's take a little rest to replenish our strength for tomorrow. Goodnight!" With that useless bit said, Usopp threw himself onto a mattress, ready to snooze away.

But some people took offense to his casual behavior. "You were sleeping the entire time!" Zoro growled, flinging a pillow at the sniper's head.

"Of course I was, you jerk!" Usopp yelled back. flinging the pillow and hitting Zoro squarely in the face. "I was exhausted, dammit! I'm not a monster like you guys!"

Slowly, dramatically, Zoro pulled the pillow off his face. "Now you've done it," he growled.

But before he could retaliate, Usopp threw a pillow at poor Chopper, who had just been minding his own business. Funnily, the pillow was almost the same size as Chopper, so it was like a full-body slam. "And you're king of the exhausted, blue-nose!"

Peeling himself off the wall, Chopper cried, "I can't stand the heat!"

Vivi tried to skirt around the three, but came up short when she discovered someone in the bed she'd chosen. She blinked, confused. "Sanji-san, that's mine..." she said hesitantly.

Smiling slyly, Sanji pulled the covers back invitingly as he replied, "Yeah, I figured you didn't want to sleep alone tonight-" Subtly, Abel tossed a pillow, hitting Sanji on the top of the head. He should be grateful that was all she hit him with. Glaring across the room, Sanji demanded, "Hey, which one of you jackasses just threw that thing at me!?"

Abel knew she could've ended the entire thing by owning up to it, but she was feeling a bit mischievous. Besides, she had the sense everyone could use a little stress relief. "He did it," she lied, pointing to Usopp, who was too busy trying to shake Chopper off his shoe where the reindeer latched on like a leech.

Scowling, Sanji grabbed the offending pillow. "You're goin' down, punk!" He leapt at the clueless sniper, wielding the pillow like a war hammer.

It wasn't long before all of the guys were in a pillow brawl in the middle of the room. Abel watched the chaos with more than a little amusement. It amused her how, even in the midst of a pillow fight, their fighting styles came through. Zoro wielded a pillow in each hand, allowing him to strike two targets at once. Usopp had the best accuracy with the pillows, though he also seemed to take the most damage, drawing everyone's ire. Sanji, surprisingly, didn't kick the pillows at anyone. That was probably a good thing, because as the speed Sanji kicked, even pillows could be dangerous. So he held himself back. Chopper also didn't shy from the fight, using his entire fuzzy body as a weapon... and getting tossed around a bit himself, either deliberately or because one of the guys mistook him for a pillow.

Abel didn't exactly help matters. At least not in the sense of helping end the fight. While she managed to stay out of it, and not get hit, she'd throw back any stray pillows that got launched out of bounds, usually hitting someone, spurring them on. Hey, it was free entertainment.

Not everyone was so amused, however. "Don't you guys understand the meaning of the word 'sleep"!? Nami shouted, for once her anger not breaking through the chaos.

"What's wrong with a little stress relief?" Abel asked. "You should try it sometime." She threw a pillow at Nami, not hard enough to be anything more than an annoyance.

Casting a sidelong glance at the hunter, Nami threw the pillow back. Abel caught it, but there was definitely some force behind the throw. "Not bad," Abel complimented. The redhead rolled her eyes, but Abel caught the tiniest smile before she laid back down, determined to ignore the fighting.

But even through the commotion, Abel noticed someone missing. It wasn't hard to figure out. Things would've been much worse if they were around. "Where's Boss?" Abel wondered aloud, doubting anyone else heard her.

But someone did. "I saw him outside talking to Toto," Vivi informed her.

"Ah, good. At least he's not out wandering in the desert."

While one crew was winding down, another crew was growing increasingly impatient. "How long is he going to make us wait!?" Mr. Two demanded, standing up in his chair, ruining the otherwise stately opulence of the room they were seated in.

Miss All Hallows Eve watched with her usual detachment as Two began to amuse himself by twirling on his toes... in his chair. Between his antics, Mr. Four laughing, Mrs. Merry Christmas yelling, and Ms. Doublefinger chastising them all, Eve was grateful she could barely hear them. She could've easily read their lips, a tactic she'd picked up early to deal with her problem, but felt little need to know what they were saying.

Instead, she focused on their new surroundings. After Doublefinger revealed herself, the group of criminals caught a ride on a tortoise-drawn carriage for Rainbase, Alabasta largest and most profitable city next to Alubarna. A gambling town. But they didn't enter the usual way. Instead, the tortoise had taken them behind the city, to a single door cleverly disguised as part of the stones. From there, they traversed a long hallway until they arrived at the room they now found themselves in. It looked like a combination of formal dining room and board room. The long table, complete with high-backed chairs, crisp white table cloth and lit candelabras, dominated the room. The tall white walls and general sense of isolation gave the room a sterile feel. If the view from the windows was to be believed, they were actually underwater. Eve could sense the ill intent that lingered in the room like stale perfume. Had it not been for the current company, Eve might well have felt at home here.

Eventually, the sound pressure on her ears wore on even her nerves, so Eve finally spoke up. "Be silent." Her voice, although neither harsh nor demanded, instantly caused the others to still. Eve almost smiled. She rather enjoyed the effect she had on people.

Christmas' face scrunched up, like she wanted to retort. But before she could, someone entered the room. Eve didn't hear it, but she sensed the new presence. She also saw everyone else turn toward the far end of the room. Miss All Sunday approached, with the politely distant smile she always wore, along with a long, fancy white trenchcoat. "Oh, Sunday-chan, how are you!?" Two greeted enthusiastically.

"I said shut up, ya duh!" Christmas snapped.

Even focused her attention on reading Miss All Sunday's lips. She had a feeling this was important. "Thank you for enduring the long journey to come here," All Sunday began, as formal as ever. Eve had to admit, of the few times she'd met All Sunday face-to-face, the woman made her curious. Not something that usually happened with people. To Eve, it felt like All Sunday wanted to embrace death, willingly welcoming it, yet she simultaneously clung to something, preventing her from fully giving in. As if, with the right motivation, All Sunday could be persuaded to die. Not a common feeling from most people. Humans instinctively clung to life. But All Sunday... didn't care, was the best way Eve could describe it. She didn't care if she died, they died, or anyone else died. Cold, like a knife.

Back to the present, All Sunday continued, "Having all of us together will ensure our victory."

Eve felt One ask something, his deep voice disrupting the air pressure. "Oh, that's right," All Sunday replied to whatever he said. "Bunchie took you in the back door. You're probably familiar with the town, where people dream of getting rich quick by gambling. The dream town, Rainbase. And the building you are in right now towers above the oasis in the middle of Rainbase. The greatest casino in town, Rain Dinners." Eve was about to tune out, when All Sunday placed her hand on the table. "If there are no questions, we'll continue."

"Yeah, let's go!" Christmas shouted, banging her hand excitedly on the table. Weren't old people supposed to slow down? Or was being so close to death making her impatient? "Start, now! Now start!"

Smiling indulgently, All Sunday said, "But before that, I must introduce the boss you haven't seen yet." Everyone at the table tensed. This is what they came for, after all. "Until now, I have acted as his private face in giving you orders. But there is no more need to do so... Understand?"

"It's about time..."

Everyone, even Eve jerked at the newcomer. And while Eve didn't "hear" the voice in the normal definition, the fact that she could sense it distinctly enough to clearly make out the words spoke to the tremendous power and will of the one who owned said voice. They snapped around to gawk at the large chair on the other end of the table. It had been there the entire time. Had the boss...?

"Plan Utopia," the deep, powerful voice began, the owner dramatically turning in the chair like a proper villain making an entrance. "That is the final plan of Baroque Works."

The scarred face and slimy grin was instantly recognizable to everyone seated. "Crocodile!?" Their surprise seemed to amuse him.

"You mean we've been working for a pirate!?" Two squawked.

Crocodile's face darkened. "Any complaints?" Instantly, everyone sat back, biting their tongues. The consequences of disobedience were well known to them all. After all, they'd dished out that punishment often enough.

Simply, Eve asked, "Can you blame our surprise?" Crocodile was a Shichibukai. A government sponsored pirate. And while it was now clear why he'd kept his identity secret, it didn't answer the big question: Why?

Crocodile allowed the comment, leaning back in his chair. "What I want is not money nor status. It's military force."

"Military force...!?" Two repeated, remarkably subdued. Not that Eve blamed her partner. Crocodile would be intimidating even without his title.

Crocodile pulled out a cigar and lighter. "Allow me to explain in good order," he began logically, jamming the cigar in his mouth and lighting it. "First my objective, then the details of Baroque Works final plan."

Crocodile explained his plan, and the agents listened with rapt attention. By the end, everyone was excited, though probably for various reasons. "Something like that really exist in this country?" Two asked, giddy. "And we're going to steal the entire country along with it? This is giving me such chills!"

Indeed, the sheer scope of Crocodile's plan left even Eve impressed. Eve cared little for things like power and prestige, as they were fleeting at best. But... to have a hand in the death of a country? It appealed to someone like Eve on a fundamental level. She'd seen the deaths of many things, but never the death of a world. And to see something of her own making rise from the ashes... Eve gave the faintest shadow of a smile.

Eve felt One ask something, but by the time she turned to read his lips, he'd already finished. Regardless, Crocodile responded, "That is correct. Every job you've performed since Baroque Works was founded has been a part of this operation." As he spoke, All Sunday placed a folded sheet of paper before each agent. Nodding to the papers, Crocodile explained, "And those are the last orders I will entrust you with." As they read their last orders anxiously, Crocodile smirked. "The time has finally come for Alabasta Kingdom to disappear."

Eve was slightly disappointed that hers and Two's orders wouldn't require the use of her special abilities, but she was somewhat placated by thoughts of the battle to come. Mayhem was so enjoyable to watch. One of Eve's favorite past times, in fact.

With the orders read, they all burned the papers, leaving no evidence of their plot. "When you have all completed those orders, the kingdom of Alabasta will destroy itself from the inside out," Crocodile gloated. "The rebel and royal armies will have nowhere to go, and will tragically fall into Baroque Works' hands. In a single night, this land will truly become our utopia." Crocodile gave the agents a stern, warning look. "This is the Baroque Works' last and greatest operation. Failure will not be tolerated. We begin tomorrow at noon." Standing, Crocodile concluded resolutely, "Meeting adjourned." He grinned wickedly. "Pray for victory."

The crew woke up bright and early the next morning. Abel lay there for a long moment, simply enjoying the soft mattress beneath her. Part of her didn't want to get up. But Abel knew better than to allow herself to remain idle for long. Burning daylight, as the saying goes. So with more reluctance than she cared to admit, Abel forced herself to sit up. Thankfully, the bunk wasn't so high up that she had to worry about cracking her head on the ceiling.

Glancing around the room, Abel grinned when she noticed that most of the guys had passed out on the floor, lying at awkward angles to their actual beds. Abel shook her head. How they managed to sleep at such odd angles was beyond her. Why even bother with the beds?

Thanks to the glaringly bright desert sun peering in through the windows, the rest of the crew had little choice but to get up. Everyone seemed to move a little slower than usual. Abel had a strong hunch that this was because they knew they were going to have to go all the way back to their starting point. Eight days without making any real progress, aside from learning where the rebel base had moved to. Abel wondered if they could've saved a bunch of time and suffering if they'd simply asked around Nanohana. But they hadn't even known the plan at that point, other than Vivi seemed to know where to go. So the blame was equally distributed.

After scarfing down a quick breakfast, the crew gathered to leave. But not without saying goodbye to the last remaining man in the city. "We're going now, Toto," Vivi informed him as the man came out to greet them from what Abel assumed was his own home. He looked even dustier than yesterday, but in much better spirits. He also carried a small keg with a strap on it.

Giving a bittersweet smile, Toto replied, "Yes..." before focusing on their captain. "Luffy, please take this." He handed the small barrel to Luffy.

Curious, Luffy shook the keg, listening closely as the contents sloshed. His eyes widened. "Wow, water! You got some!?" So he had managed to dig up some of the canal.

"Right after you fell asleep digging last night," Toto explained, looking both pleased and grateful. "We made it to the water level. I managed to squeeze out the water and distill it."

Luffy looked at the keg in awe, like it was the most precious gift he'd ever received. And that wasn't far from the truth. It wasn't the gift itself, because the crew was doing okay on their water levels, but the effort Toto went through, only to give it to him. "Wow, sounds difficult!" Luffy breathed. "Thanks, I'll drink it carefully!"

Abel staggered slightly, and Zoro glanced at her. "What's wrong with you?"

Dramatically, she clutched one hand to her chest and the other to Zoro's shoulder. "Boss handling a food item with care? When do the locusts and frogs show up?" Zoro snorted in response to her dramatics, but Abel caught the faintest hint of a smirk on his lips. Abel was glad to see Zoro back to his old self.

Back the main conversation, Toto was apologizing, "I'm sorry that's all I can give..."

"You've done more than enough to help us," Vivi reassured.

The two shared a hug before the crew turned to head south again. Before they lost sight of the city, Vivi paused once more to look back, waving cheerfully at the old man. Hopefully he could hold out a little longer.

The trip back began reasonably well. At least this time around they knew what to expect along the way, Abel told herself. No surprises. Or at least that's what she thought until Luffy decided to be Luffy. In other words, act weird and random.

They'd been walking along just fine, when Abel saw Luffy suddenly sit down in the sand, leaning back against a scrawny tree. Abel, the only one who noticed his odd behavior, paused to stare down at him. For a brief moment, she wondered if he'd come down with a sudden care of narcolepsy like his brother. But no, Luffy was completely awake. He just sat there, arms crossed behind his head with a surly expression on his face. The expression looked completely out of place on their usually cheerful captain. On Luffy, though, it was less intimidating and more adorable. It reminded Abel of a stubborn kid throwing a silent tantrum. But what for?

"Guys..." Abel called, before the rest of the crew got too far.

Pausing, they all turned to face Abel. When they saw Luffy, a few of them snapped, "What are you doing!?" It was too early to take a break.

Rather than answer, Luffy just frowned and stared off into space. Coming back around, Vivi asked worriedly, "What's wrong, Luffy-san?"

The answer was quite unexpected. "I quit."

A stunned silence fell over them. "You quit...!?" Nami repeated, unsure she'd heard him right.

"What do you mean, Luffy-san?" Vivi asked, growing nervous. Had it all become too much? Had he finally decided they'd done enough for her? Vivi hated to admit it, but she wouldn't blame them. Even if the thought of continuing on her own was scary.

Not everyone was so quick to let things slide, however. "We don't have time for you stupid games now, Luffy!" Sanji snapped impatiently. Puffing out smoke, the cook stomped over until he towered over Luffy. "Now get up!"

Undaunted, Luffy stated, "We're going back." It wasn't a question.

Frowning, Sanji grit his teeth as he tried to explain things simply to their simple captain. "Yeah, we're using the road we took to go to Katorea and stop the rebellion." Seeing how Luffy remained unmoved, Sanji added impassioned, "If one-million citizens of this country clash, it's all over! This is for Vivi-chan! C'mon, let's go!" Sanji tugged on Luffy's shirt, but the pirate didn't budge.

"Boooring."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?"

Fortunately, Abel was there to literally step in before Sanji kicked Luffy across the desert like a volleyball. "Cool your jets, Bullseye," Abel admonished, stepping between the two, blocking Sanji off. The man continued to fume, but Abel knew he wouldn't harm her just to get to Luffy. Calmly, Abel explained, "As addled as he might be sometimes, we all known there is a method to Boss' madness. Perhaps we should let him explain what's going on in that head of his before tying him to Eyelash. Hm?" Sanji didn't look placated, but he at least remained silent for Luffy to explain himself. Abel just hoped the answer was good.

"Vivi," Luffy called, his voice an octave lower than usual. His serious voice, Abel realized.

"What?" the princess asked anxiously.

"I wanna kick Crocodile's ass," he stated plainly. "If we stop the guys who are rebelling, will we stop Crocodile? We can't do anything, even if we go to this place. We're pirates. You'd be better off without us."

Silence reigned again. Abel was impressed at Luffy logic. Stopping the rebels was all well and good, but they were just a periphery problem. A symptom, as it was. Just like with treating an illness, you had to get to the root of the problem to actually cure someone. And the root of this country's sickness was Crocodile. Every problem the country faced in some way linked back to the Shichibukai. Even if they stopped the rebels, Crocodile would still be free to concoct some other scheme. And who was to say he didn't already have a back-up plan?

"He can really get straight to the point without thinking sometimes..." Sanji murmured.

"That's Luffy for you," Usopp admitted. His simple-mindedness helped him see right to the heart of the issue sometimes.

"Well..." Vivi stammered.

But Luffy interrupted. "You just don't want anyone to die in this war. The people of your country, or us, or anyone!" Vivi frowned, but held her tongue.

Closing his eyes, Luffy continued, "You're talking about a fight against one of the Shichibukai, in which over a million people will be in battle, and all you want is for no one to die." Slowly opening his eyes, he gave Vivi a firm look. "That's naive."

"Stop, Luffy!" Nami yelled. "Can't you think of Vivi's feelings-"

"Wait, Nami-san..." Sanji interrupted, holding out an arm to block Nami from lunging at the boy.

Nami glared at Sanji. "But...!"

But Vivi didn't need anyone to get angry for her. She could do that fine on her own. Matching Luffy's cool gaze with a fiery one of her own, she demanded, "What's wrong with that!? What's wrong about not wanting people to die!?"

In comparison to Vivi's temper, Luffy's attitude was as cold and cutting as a knife. "People die."

Vivi let her fists give a retort, knocking Luffy several feet back. "STOP TALKING LIKE THAT!" she shrieked, glaring at where Luffy lay. "Don't you dare say that again! That's what we're trying to stop! You can't blame the rebels or the army for this! Why should anyone die!? This is all Crocodile's fault!" It was on the tip of Abel's tongue to point out that was why they needed to focus on Crocodile, as revealing his schemes would render the rebellion moot, but she held back. This was for Luffy and Vivi to work out.

"Then why are you risking your life!?" Luffy shouted back, catching Vivi's cheek in a nice roundhouse punch.

"That's going too far, Luffy!" Usopp shouted. Apparently it was okay to punch Luffy, but not the other way around?

"Dammit Luffy!" Sanji fumed.

Watching as Vivi recovered quickly, pouncing on Luffy and knocking him to the ground, Abel drawled, "I think Sunshine is holding her own just fine."

Vivi wailed away on Luffy's face, using all her fury at both him and the situation to turn him into her own punching bag. And all the while, Luffy kept talking, further enraging her. "Even I can tell what this country needs the most just by looking at the situation!" Luffy managed through bruised cheeks.

"What!?" Vivi demanded.

"You think risking one life is enough!?" Luffy asked.

"Then what am I supposed to risk!?" Vivi shouted. "There's nothing else I have to-!"

Luffy sat up suddenly, pushing Vivi back. But before she fell, Luffy grabbed her harshly by the shoulders. Abel thought he might shake her, but instead he screamed, "WHY DON'T YOU TRY RISKING OUR LIVES, TOO!? I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS!"

Vivi made a sound like Luffy had physically struck her. Her eyes watered, and she yanked a hand up to cover her mouth, holding in the sob. As Luffy's eyes burned into her, Vivi lowered her head. She felt the tears she'd held back for so long finally let out. She held them back when Igaram was killed. She held them back when she heard of the impending war. For so long she'd held them back because she had to. But now, just like opening a dam, there was no way to stop the tears from falling.

"Look at you," Luffy murmured gently. "You're crying."

Vivi shook her head, pulled her headscarf down to cover her face. She didn't want anyone to see. She had to be strong. So much depended on her.

Leaving Vivi, Luffy silent stood and wobbled over to his fallen hat. Dusting it off, he said, "You're the one who wants to kill him the most."

Abel watched as Nami went to comfort the princess who cried so much she shook. The two were actually so much alike it was scary. Nami probably understood better than any of them what Vivi was going through. To be so selfless and selfish at the same time. To think she could handle everything all on her own. To refuse help. To not want to lose or risk anything else precious to her. Pride comes before the fall, Abel thought. Hubris. Extreme self-confidence, to the point of overestimating one's own competence. It was a common theme in old plays... and it never ended well for the person in question. Vivi likely didn't mean for it that way, but sometimes life requires a sacrifice. And what did you offer when your own life wasn't enough?

"Tell me," Luffy said, firmly yet not unkindly. "Tell me where Crocodile is!"

Only the sounds of Vivi's stifled sobs echoed for a few tense moments. The rest of the crew stood by patiently, but a little awkwardly. It was never comfortable watching someone cry. At least not for Abel. Maybe because she preferred to deal with strong emotions on her own, it felt like she was intruding on a private moment. But sadly, they didn't have the luxury of giving Vivi space.

Eventually, the sobs quieted, until all that was left was Vivi snuffling. She sat up, and Nami leaned back to give her some space, watching the princess intently. Sniffling a few more times to rein her emotions in, Vivi finally relented, "Luffy-san is exactly right. I've made up my mind now." Vivi paused to wipe her face with her sleeves before steeling herself. "Change of plans; we're going to find Crocodile."

"Hopefully that involves not traveling another four days in the desert?" Abel queried, partly to break the tension of the moment.

Vivi gave a coughing laugh, throat feeling strained by her outburst. "No," she replied, pulling out her trusty map. As she placed the map on the ground, the crew gathered around. Pointing a city north of Nanohana, Vivi explained, "This is the capital city of Alubarna, where my father rules." She pointed to a small oasis a fair distance southeast from Alubarna, slightly northeast of Nanohana. "The rebel army is camped here, getting ready to invade Alubarna."

"So we need to take care of Crocodile before that can happen," Sanji summarized.

"Crocodile is here," Vivi continued, pointing at a city north of Yuba, and almost directly across the Sandora River from the capital. "Rainbase."

"Rainbase..." Usopp muttered.

Vivi nodded. "It's about a day's journey north of here."

Abel wanted to say how glad she was they were only going to travel for another day, but instead decided to point out something more helpful. "Assuming the map is accurate to scale, it should be possible to reach Rainbase before the rebels can reach the capital." Rainbase was closer on the map to Yuba and Katorea was to Alubarna. Plus, they had less people, which meant they could travel faster.

"Is it dangerous there?" Chopper asked nervously.

"It's a gambling town, separate from all the fighting," Vivi explained. While it wasn't exactly "safe" since Crocodile was there, the town itself wasn't involved in the conflict.

Nami's eyes lit up. "Ooh, gambling!?" she exclaimed, rubbing her hands together.

Zoro eyed the navigator warily. "Oh no. What are you thinking?"

"I guess there are towns like that even in Alabasta," Sanji thought aloud.

"Especially in Alabasta," Abel corrected. "I'm sure the citizens are desperate for a little escapism." To forget their problems for a bit. Everyone dreamed of striking it rich, right?

"Gum-Gum No Way!" As rubbery arms stretched over their heads, everyone followed the arms back to their master, who was busy playing keep-away with Usopp.

Abel didn't know why Usopp was so insistent on getting Luffy's water. Had he drank all of his? Sanji had divided the water out among everyone. Regardless, Luffy refused to give Usopp a single drop, stretching his arms all over the place. "All you have to do is give me one sip," Usopp cried. "He gave us that water to use...!"

"No way!" Luffy protested stubbornly. "Old Mr. Sandy-guy gave us this water after digging all night long! We can't just drink it right away, you moron!" Usopp whined some more, but it was apparent that Luffy wasn't going to budge on the matter. When he believed in something, nothing could dissuade him. So Usopp had no choice but to limp away.

Resting her hands on her hips, Nami eyed Luffy appraisingly. "So you really can restrain yourself when you need to," she mused.

Letting the keg rest around his neck again, Luffy huffed at the comment. "Of course I can! How rude!"

"All right, already," Zoro interrupted impatiently, standing. "Let's just go." Zoro started to walk off... in the wrong direction as usual.

Before he could get too far, Abel jumped up and spun him around by the back of his cloak, despite his very verbal protests. Smirking up from behind once she got him turned in the right direction, Abel teased, "If we're going to storm off, perhaps we ought to storm in the correct direction." Zoro's face turned red, and he stomped off, this time going north like they were supposed to. Chuckling to herself, Abel couldn't help thinking Zoro was too adorable for his own good. And maybe one day she'd tell him that if she ever thought it wouldn't result in losing her head.

Funny how a new outlook could alter the mood so radically. Whereas before the crew had been resolutely upset about traveling all the way back to Erumalu, now everyone's spirits were lifted. Knowing their destination was only a day away cheered everyone up. Even though it still sucked traveling through such a barren and unforgiving wasteland, knowing it would all be coming to an end soon gave them something to be happy about. The light at the end of the tunnel. The finish line. And all those other clichés. But it was no less true.

Of course, that didn't stop some of them from continuing to do really annoying things, like pant like dogs. "I thought I told you two to stop doing that!" Nami snapped at Luffy and Usopp, who continued to pant obnoxiously.

Abel had finally gotten to ride on the camel, mainly because Vivi wanted to walk to get rid of her excess energy. Sometimes physical activity helped relieved stress. Not bothering to look back, she commented, "It sounds like being stalked by really lame zombies." Just this constant moaning behind her.

Taking offense, Usopp glared up at women. "Shut up! You're riding on the camel!"

"Yeah, let us ride too!" Luffy chimed in.

"Camel-woman," Usopp called.

"Nami-camel," Luffy added.

"SHUT UP!"

Abel just grinned, letting them bicker. At least it took their minds off things. Abel was tempted to point out that if they really needed a lift, they could probably ride on Chopper. But she didn't, because that just seemed cruel to the poor doctor.

That being said, Chopper seemed to be doing far better today that he had previously. Perhaps he was building up immunity? Today, he marched with resolve in his full reindeer form between Sanji and Zoro. No cart needed today. Abel wasn't the only one who noticed, because at one point Zoro stated with a slightly proud smile, "You aren't all wiped out today, Chopper."

"Nope," the deer huffed, keeping his eyes forward. "I'm sticking it out today."

"Good for you," Sanji complimented while lighting a cigarette.

"Luffy-san..." Abel's ears perked at Vivi quiet voice calling to their captain. She watched intently, yet discreetly, as Luffy looked tiredly back at the princess. Since their decision to change plans, Vivi had been mostly silent, lost in her own thoughts. Abel was very curious as to what she would say now.

Simply, "Thank you. I never could have made that decision without you." Vivi silently admitted she'd been so wrapped up in what she thought was best that she never considered looking at things from another perspective. But Luffy could look at things from the outside. Be objective. Even if it hurt.

"Really?" Luffy asked. "Then feed me."

Vivi blinked. "What?"

Turning to face forward again, Luffy panted, "Once I whoop Crocodile, you gotta feed me until I explode."

Vivi chuckled. "Okay. I promise!"

Ahead, Abel chuckled. "You may have just bankrupted your nation, Sunshine."

The crew pressed on, traveling through the day and night. Whether from the eagerness to reach their goal or restless energy for the battle no doubt awaiting them, no one felt like stopping to sleep. A few times someone dozed off, but it never required the crew to stop. Abel noticed a couple of times Nami or Vivi slipping off for a short nap atop Eyelash, but the camel kept on going. She also noticed Chopper shrink back into his half-human form and climb on Zoro's back, snuggling into the swordsman's neck and drifting off. Even more adorably, Zoro didn't seem to care. Yeah, he definitely had a soft spot for the doctor.

As for Abel herself, she felt too wound up to sleep. There was little doubt in her mind that events would unfold rapidly once they reached Rainbase. It was a little unnerving, because they had absolutely no idea what they were walking into. Although they knew Crocodile planned to let the nation tear itself apart, they couldn't be certain Crocodile didn't plan to take a more active role. Abel doubted he'd show his face directly, but who was to say he didn't have contingency plans to ensure everything went exactly as he wanted? He didn't seem like the kind of man who would come this far just to leave everything to chance. Abel would bet money he had sleeper agents within the rebel and royal army ranks to help spur on the conflict.

The thoroughness of his conspiracy chilled Abel as much as it impressed her. Again, she came back to what his motives for this conflict were. The man had everything. Money, power, prestige... what else could he need? Surely it wasn't as simple as just taking over a country. With all the fighting, Alabasta isn't as profitable as it once was, Abel reasoned as the pirates trudged through the dark, bundling her scarf closer to fight off the cold. If he wanted to conquer a strong, wealthy nation, he wouldn't have gone through the trouble of destroying it. So why Alabasta specifically? It still didn't make sense to Abel. A less powerful nation would be easier to take over, yet he'd done so much to tear Alabasta down. With all the towns drying up and the citizens running off to war, the economy had suffered. Ergo... There has to be a specific trait about this nation that Crocodile wishes to have at his disposal.

Furthermore, what did he plan to do after? The government let the Shichibukai do pretty much whatever so long as it didn't interfere with their rule. Surely they wouldn't just let Crocodile declare himself king or whatever, even if it did seem like he was stepping in for a doomed country. Crocodile is too clever and careful not to foresee the government will come after him. He must plan to gain something tremendous in his last, fell swoop to justify showing his hand. Not knowing these things bothered Abel. But, Zoro had so efficiently pointed out, not knowing wouldn't stop them from beating him. Crocodile was the linchpin to all of Baroque Works' plans. If he fell, so would the organization.

Thanks to Abel's active mind, she passed the silence of the night quickly and with plenty of energy to spare. By dawn, they reached their destination. "I see it!" Vivi exclaimed, standing up slightly on Eyelash's back to peer over the dunes. "That's Rainbase!"

The top of a garish, golden statue peeked over the dunes. As they climbed, the rest of the city revealed itself. Rainbase, the city of dreams. Gambling aside, Abel had to admit it fit the slogan. A prosperous, bustling metropolis smack dab in the middle of the barren sands. It was like a dream, or a mirage. Even at that distance, Abel heard the commotion of civilization. It sounded so foreign now, given their experiences with the decimated cities previously. Even Nanohana hadn't been this loud.

"We made it!?" Luffy gasped. "Yes! Crocodile, your ass is grass!" he shrieked.

"Water!" Usopp and Chopper added with just as much enthusiasm.

"Shut up already..." Zoro grumbled.

Approaching the city, Abel's eyes landed on the most prominent building. A giant pyramid with a garish crocodile statue on top dominated the skyline. Gee... Abel thought, mouth twisting. I wonder which building could possibly be Crocodile's...

Focusing on more pressing matters, Abel sidled up to Usopp. "Sparkplug," she said, catching Usopp's attention. It amused Abel how quickly everyone just accepted their nicknames. Leaning close, she asked, "Did you finish it?"

"It?" At first Usopp looked confused, until Abel raised her brows. "Oh! That!"

Their little exchange had caught some of the crew's attention, particularly Nami's. Abel hadn't missed how, every time she and Usopp talked in a secretive way, Nami watched them like a hawk, eyes shining with anticipation. It was very endearing. With the others watching, Usopp beamed up at their navigator. With a flourish, Usopp pulled the blue steel rods from his pack. "Look!" he declared. "This is your new weapon! The Clima-tact!"

"Clima-tact?" Nami repeated, taking the rods from Usopp. She examined the weapon, rolling the steel between her fingers.

"Yeah," Usopp continued. "At first it looks like your old one, but these are totally different! The attack changes based on how you put them together."

Seeing Nami's expression, equal parts confused and curious, Abel added, "It's a Tempo Bo." Abel still preferred that name, as it actually suggested what the weapon did.

Nami's eyes lit up. "Wow!"

Fishing around in his pack again, Usopp pulled out a slip of paper. "I went ahead and wrote down the combination we've already discovered. Sort of like a cheat sheet." Nami took the paper eagerly, already practicing sliding the various rods together. Abel felt pride at how easily Nami handled the rods. Abel was glad Usopp had finished tinkering with it. It made her feel more secure knowing Nami had a way to defend herself now. Not that Nami couldn't hold her own against the average pirate before, but these weren't average pirates they'd be facing.

Not everyone in the crew was as happy, however. "Hey, don't give Nami-san any dangerous weapons, Usopp!" Sanji protested. "Nami-san, Abel-dono and Vivi-chan don't need to fight, 'cause I'll protect them! Just call me Prince!" Abel just chose to ignore Sanji, as did most of the crew.

Except one person, who would never let anything stupid Sanji said go. "Pipe down... Bullseye."

Sanji bristled like a cat. "Shut the hell up, dammit! That's Abel-dono's special name! Only she gets to call me that!"

Zoro snorted. "So you don't mind women insulting you?"

Abel blinked, unsure why Zoro would call her nickname for Sanji an insult. But it quickly struck her that the nickname fit the cook for reasons other than the one drew from. His eyebrows... or eyebrow, more accurately. Tilting her head, Abel admitted, "I honestly never considered that. I just noticed he makes an excellent decoy."

Going back to ignoring the fuming cook, Zoro asked, "Hey, do you think Baroque Works knows we're here in this country?"

"It's a safe assumption," Abel replied, mind coming back to the task at hand.

Vivi nodded. "We met Mr. Two, and we know Mr. Three is here..."

"Even if Mr. Two didn't realize we were enemies before, I'm certain Mr. Three has caught them up to speed about us," Abel added. Mentioning Two brought back thoughts of his partner, Miss All Hallows Eve. Abel felt a cold finger run down her spine. Officer Agents might have Devil Fruit powers, but Abel suspected that woman had something else.

Ever the slow one, Luffy asked, "So what?"

Frowning, Usopp explained, "They know our faces. We can't do much of anything while we're in Rainbase."

"How come!?" Luffy demanded, sounded offended for some reason.

Usopp gave a longsuffering sigh. "We have no idea where Baroque Works agents could be hiding. There's no way we can get to Crocodile if we're caught first."

"Assassination is their specialty," Zoro agreed. If they weren't careful the agents might get the drop on them.

But forever missing the point, Luffy just shouted again, "Okay! Crocodile, your ass is grass!"

"Were you even listening to me!?" Usopp yelled, slapping the back of Luffy's head.

Unexpectedly, a protest came from the most unlikely source. "Actually, Usopp-san, I... I agree with Luffy-san!" Vivi interrupted, catching everyone off guard. Staring ahead at the city, she explained, "Everything is about to happen now. We don't have time to think."

Smiling disarmingly, Abel commented, "If nothing else, Boss can draw the agents' attention away from us." Usopp seemed less than pleased with that idea.

"Usopp, are you scared?" Nami teased, causing the sniper to puff up.

It didn't help his mood when Chopper proclaimed, "I know I'm not!"

Pouting, Usopp just muttered, "Shut up..."

Upon entering the city proper, the crew discovered it to be even more lively than they originally thought. Despite being so early in the morning, tons of people flooded the streets, getting a jump on the day. Deciding not to go to the heart of the city just yet, the crew stopped near the stables on the outskirts. This would give them time to regroup without drawing attention to themselves. Baroque Works agents could be anywhere. However, Abel had noticed most of them had the habit of wearing the company logo somewhere on their person, thus making them easy to pick out. And she saw no such logos in their area.

As Nami and Vivi slid from Eyelash's back, Abel asked, "What's the plan?"

"Plan?" Luffy repeated. "We're gonna kick Crocodile's ass, that's what!"

Resisting the urge to sigh, Abel responded, "Yes, but how? I mean, whether we're going to be sneaky or go balls to the wall, I think it's preferable for us all to be on the same page here."

"It's simple," Luffy argued, actually having the gall to look at Abel like she was slow. "We go in, beat him up, and leave."

Abel opened her mouth to point out how they at least needed a plan to reach Crocodile before the ass-kicking could begin, but Nami broke in, "Luffy, why don't you and Usopp go and buy us a few barrels of water? Our supplies are starting to run low."

Ever easily distracted, the duo perked at the idea of water. "Yeah!" they both cheered.

Abel watched with more than a little suspicion as Nami actually handed the boys a small sack of berries to cover the cost. Cheerfully, the two ran off to find a restaurant to buy water from. As they disappeared into the morning market crowed, Abel gave Nami a knowing look. "Bait and switch?"

Nami smirked coyly. "It'll be easier to talk about planning without him around," she reasoned.

Off to the side, Sanji snorted. "So long as it ends with Luffy getting to beat Crocodile up, he won't care what we decide."

"True," the others agreed.

Glancing at the princess, Abel asked, "Well, Sunshine?"

Vivi frowned, mentally running the options through her head. "Well... I do kind of agree with Luffy-san about just biting the bullet. But that might be a little reckless..." Vivi's tense expression suggested she was more than eager for all this to be over with, which was completely understandable.

Leaning back against a fence post, Abel mulled the idea over. "The concept of busting in, guns blazing so to speak, isn't without merit. Assuming word has reached Crocodile of our survival, I highly doubt he'd expect us to just show up. He's probably expecting a bit of subtlety. So perhaps in this case it would be best to do the unexpected." Abel's lips pursed. "However, it might be problematic to announce to the city that we intend to challenge Crocodile. He is the country's 'hero' after all." Abel used the term sarcastically, with air quotes and all. "I'd hate to think we'd have to fight civilians."

"Not necessarily," Vivi disputed. "With his title, it isn't uncommon for other pirates to challenge Crocodile. They might just see us as another random pirate crew and stay out of the way."

Abel hummed, considering Vivi's words. "True..." she murmured. With the civilians' confidence in their "hero" they probably wouldn't think the Straw Hats were something he couldn't handle on his own.

Randomly breaking into the conversation, Sanji worried, "Can we really count on them?" With him staring into the city, there was little doubt who he meant.

"It's only an errand," Nami dismissed. "They can manage."

"I dunno," Zoro drawled. To amuse himself, as strategizing wasn't exactly his forte, Zoro poked Eyelash in the nose with a bit of twig. Eyelash, eventually growing annoyed, snapped at Zoro's fingers. Fortunately for the swordsman, his reflexes were faster. Glancing toward the town, Zoro asked, "I bet they'll manage to screw it up somehow. It is Usopp and Luffy. I'd start getting ready to run if I were you." Nami and Vivi winced, hoping Zoro was wrong.

A few seconds later, Sanji, who'd be acting as look-out, perked up. "Here they come."

Glancing in that direction, Abel saw that the two boys were indeed on their way back, Luffy with two barrels of presumably water on his shoulders. But... "Why are they running?" No sooner than she voiced that question did the answer become clear, as a group of very angry Marines chased after them from around a corner. Abel couldn't saw she felt surprised. "Ask a silly question..." Was Luffy just incapable of going off on his own and not bringing back trouble?

"Are you kidding me!?" Nami squealed. "So why are those idiots running this way!?" She'd kind of already answered her own question, and the others didn't have time to reply.

The crew clambered to their feet, ready to make a mad break for it. Again. "Wait!" Vivi shouted. "Tony-kun isn't back yet!" The reindeer had wandered off not long ago in search of a bathroom. If they just left without him...

"Leave him," Zoro said. "He'll be fine!" The Marines wouldn't think to chase a reindeer.

Nearing the group, Luffy shouted, "Hey guys! I think the Marines are here!"

"What gave it away?" Abel asked sarcastically.

The others didn't even wait for Luffy or Usopp to catch up. They just started running. "You're the one bringing them here!" Zoro angrily pointed out. Too late to make a difference.

Running past the stables, the crew headed for the center of the town. It would be easier to lose the Marines in a crowd. Behind, Abel heard the Marines shouting, "Make sure you catch them this time!" Did they seriously not have anything better to do? Were there no other pirate crews out today?

To say that they were creating a ruckus would be an understatement. As they barreled through the streets, people screamed as they jumped out of the way. If they had planned to be subtle, that plan was long gone now. "This isn't good, people!" Usopp shouted. "Baroque Works is gonna spot us if we run through the city!"

"I think it's too late," Zoro grumbled. Glancing at where Zoro was looking, Abel saw several thuggish, armed men looking intently between a set of papers and the crew as they ran by. And while she hadn't stopped to get a good look, Abel was positive she'd seen the Baroque Works logo on them. So their photos had already been distributed to the troops...

"Let's go then!" Luffy declared.

"Wha?"

"To where Crocodile is, Vivi!"

Accepting that the time for tact had passed, Vivi nodded. "Okay." She pointed at the tacky pyramid Abel had noticed during their approach. "Over there!" she shouted so everyone could hear. "Can you see that building with the crocodile on top!? That's the casino that Crocodile owns, Rain Dinners!"

Abel saw they were approaching a fork in the street, with two flights of stairs on either side of a small coliseum-style building. "We should scatter and regroup," Abel suggested. Hopefully by the time they met up at the casino, they'd have lost the Marines.

"Yeah," Zoro agreed.

"Okay! We'll meet back up at the Croc's house!" Luffy ordered.

Acting on the unspoken signal, the crew split into three groups. Sanji, Nami and Usopp ran up the stairs to right. Zoro, Abel and Vivi took the stairs on the left. And Luffy bounced up, going straight through the middle. Behind them, the Marines gave a startled cry before they split off to chase the pirates in different groups.

People dived dramatically out of the way as the trio tore through the town, zigging and zagging around buildings. Glancing behind them, Zoro counted the number of Marines chasing them. It was a manageable group. Stopping suddenly, Zoro drew two of his swords. When his companions halted as well, Zoro urged then, "You two go on ahead. I'll deal with these guys and meet up with you at the casino." If he could take care of them now, they'd have less to worry about when they reached Crocodile.

Vivi opened her mouth to protest, but Abel beat her to it. Though, with a slightly different logic. "Are you certain you can find the casino without a chaperone?"

Zoro scowled, but didn't take his eyes off the approaching Marines. "The building's visible from everywhere," he pointed out. The crocodile statue towered over all the surrounding buildings. Zoro could find it so long as he could see it.

Abel, however, didn't look convinced. But they didn't have time to argue about it. Well, they did, but she had a feeling the Marines wouldn't just stand there politely while they did so. "I'll hold you to that," Abel drawled, before tugging on Vivi's arm to get them moving again. Vivi followed, but not without reluctance.

Rounding a corner, Abel heard the sounds of steel clashing, indicating that Zoro had met the Marines. However, it didn't sound as if anyone was behind them. Abel trusted that Zoro wouldn't let anyone through without a fight. Even if someone did sneak through, Vivi and Abel would be long out of sight.

"I hope Bushido-san is all right..." Vivi worried beside her.

Abel was about to retort that Zoro could handle himself against some Marine peons, when she noticed something ominous ahead of them. "Perhaps we ought to be more concerned for ourselves."

The two women came to a halt as they found their path blocked by several unfriendly looking gentlemen. They looked even more motley than mercenaries, carrying a variety of swords and rifles. "It's nice to finally meet you, princess," one of the men sneered as his fellows encircled the two women.

Noticing the giant "BW" on his jacket, Abel couldn't help asking, "If you're supposed to be part of a secret organization, why does everyone have the company logo emblazoned on their person? Why not just write 'I'm a criminal' across your forehead?" Beside her, Vivi sweatdropped at how nonplussed the hunter was.

Her question threw the spokesman off, but he quickly recovered. "You and your friends should've known better than to stir up a scene in town. We'll be taking your heads now!"

Before the man raised his rifle, Abel was faster on the draw, sending several bolts into various places on his body. The man scream and collapsed, trying to clutch at his wounded limbs but finding the wounds too many. Undaunted by the heated glares surrounding her, Abel commented, "If you're going to kill someone, kill them. Don't stand around talking about it."

Vivi tensed as the man closed in, for some reason opting to try intimidating them instead of just killing them, when she heard Abel ask, "Why so concerned, Sunshine? Weren't you higher status than them? I think it's time to start pulling rank."

Vivi blinked, finding odd comfort in Abel's strange way of putting things. But she was right. She'd been a Frontier Agent. Only the Officer Agents had proven themselves stronger. I won't die here! Vivi thought, pulling out her Peacock Slashers and letting them swirl around her.

Smiling at Vivi's battle stance, Abel decided to get things started. They were on a bit of deadline. Swiftly pointing her crossbows out to the side, she fired on the agents. "Tri-bolt!" Three bolts shot from each crossbow, each piercing a man in the chest, knocking them back.

At that, the others fell into action. They lunged at the women, swords and rifles at the ready. A streak of blue beside her made Abel raise her arm slightly as she stepped back, allowing Vivi to rush forward. "Peacock Slasher!" The sharp jewels cut into the approaching man's face, sending him staggering back.

Leaving the princess to hold her own, Abel spun on her heels, bringing her crossbows down right in the face of an agent trying to sneak up behind her. The man balked, staring down the barrel of the crossbows, but didn't move back in time. His only mercy as that Abel decided not to shoot him square in the face, instead getting him in the chest and arms.

Sensing a shadow behind her, Abel instinctively ducked and slid to the side, narrowly avoiding having her head taken off by a broadsword. Spinning on her heel, Abel swung her arm in a wide arc, her crossbow striking the man solidly in the ribs. The collapsible arms folded in so they didn't break, leaving the blunt side of the barrel to bow him over. As he clutched his side, winded, Abel followed through with her other arm, pistol whipping him across the face, sending him sprawling. Abel's lips pursed as she heard the man's hard skull rattle her crossbow. They were sturdy enough to take a beating, but that didn't mean Abel liked using them like a billy club.

A pained cry captured Abel's attention. Her head snapped around to discover an agent looming over Vivi's form where she appeared to have been knocked over by a strong blow to the face. Vivi grit her teeth as the man taunted her, barrel of the rifle at eye level. Quickly, Abel fired two shots. Simultaneously, they struck him in the small of his back, about kidney level, and behind his knee. The man staggered. As he did, Abel rushed over, grabbing two handfuls of the back of his jacket. Using her own back as leverage, Abel tugged, pulling the man backwards over Abel's shoulder, and slamming him face-first into the dirt. Vivi panted, trying to catch her breath from the scare.

As more men pressed in (did they start reproducing when Abel wasn't looking?), shots echoed through the air, sending several men scattering. Vivi stared at Abel, but the hunter looked just as confused of the source of the gunfire. More bullets fell from the sky, stopping just short of Abel's feet, taking out a swath of agents along the way. Abel's head snapped skyward, eyes widening in surprise at the source of the gunfire. A bird. A very large bird, a falcon by the brown markings across its feathers, dived towards them. It was huge, bigger than a human even, wearing a white headdress with a purple star motif and matching cloak. But most surprising was the two gatling guns tucked under its wings, which it used to rain down destruction. I've heard of falcons dive-bombing prey, but I never knew they took it so literally, Abel thought, unsure what to make of this development. Was this some new species? Her experience with Alabasta's animal kingdom certainly supported it.

Distracted from the women by the killer bird, the agents began to panic. "Where did that bird get those gatling guns!?"

"It's huge!"

"Crap! Shoot it!"

The falcon swooped in low, so close to the ground that Abel had to duck to avoid being brained. Some of the agents weren't so quick. Hearing a gasp behind her, Abel looked back in time to see the falcon scoop Vivi up. Fearing why this bird might kidnap the princess, Abel quickly trained her crossbows on it. However, rather than making off with her, the falcon gently set Vivi down on the roof of the nearest building. Safely away from the agents, Abel realized. "Pell!" Abel heard Vivi exclaim, her happy tone assuring Abel that this bird was a friend, at least.

The bird straightened, and its body slowly morphed, changing into a human man. Then it's just Devil Fruit... Abel thought, disappointed. Always taking the fun out of life. Abel wasn't sure when Devil Fruits had become so benign to her, but she'd been hoping the falcon was some super intelligent bird, like a roc or something. Nope, just Devil Fruit. Mystery solved. Boring.

The man responsible for disappointing Abel appeared to be in his late twenties or early thirties. He had pale skin for being a desert dweller, and his face reminded Abel of a stone mask - harsh and featureless. The dark purple face paint under his eyes, trailing down his cheeks, brought to mind Kabuki masks. Even ignoring the long sword strapped to his right hip, Abel would know this man was a warrior.

"Pell...!?" one of the agents gasped.

"Was that Pell the Falcon!? The strongest warrior in all of Alabasta!" His sudden appearance had made them temporarily forget about Abel, which suited her just fine.

Facing the men, Pell transformed once again, this time into what Abel assumed was his half-bird form. He looked like the falcon from before, but this time his arms didn't fully transform into wings. Rather, they grew sharp raptor talons, like a proper bird of prey. Slightly smaller wings from before stuck out from under the arms of his cloak. "The Bird-Bird Fruit, Model Falcon," Pell explained. "One of only five types of flying powers ever discovered."

The agents fired at him, but Pell was too fast for them to keep up. Even Abel had a hard time seeing him as he swooped back down. Abel shielded her eyes from the tremendous gust of wind as Pell sliced through the air, streaking just above her. Abel followed the gust as it whirled between the agents. Falcons were the fastest birds, and this carried over to the Devil Fruit. The men might as well have been shooting at a banshee. "Flying Talons!" Pell's talons allowed him to slice through the men easily. By the time he landed a few feet away, only Abel was left standing.

Morphing into a human again, Pell turned and gave Abel a hard look. "I saw you defending Princess Vivi," he said, his voice smoothly regal. "Are you one of the people who brought her home?"

"Well, seeing how I haven't tried to shoot you..." Abel drawled. She knew she ought to be a little more formal to "the strongest man in the country" but she couldn't help herself. Pell didn't seem to mind, either way, his expression softening somewhat. He seemed like one of those people cursed to always look stern and angry, no matter his expression. Still, Abel didn't miss the gratitude in his eyes. If she had to guess, Abel figured he was a soldier for the crown. Perhaps even with an official rank.

Above, Vivi shouted gratefully, "You saved us!" It was on the tip of Abel's tongue to point out she could've handled things, but she didn't really care if someone else wanted to fight for her. So long as it wasn't a monster. Pell had just sped up the process. "Now, we must hurry to where everyone else is!"

"Yes. Exactly what I was thinking."

Abel jerked at the cold, familiar voice. "Miss All Sunday!" Vivi exclaimed, staggering to her feet to face the other woman.

Running away from the building far enough to see the top, Abel watched All Sunday strut casually to the ledge, just behind Vivi. Around her, the few agents still conscious muttered, "Vice... president...!"

"Who?" Pell asked, watching the scene with growing suspicion.

"A very bad woman," Abel summarized for him.

Ignoring the princess for a moment, All Sunday smiled at Pell. "How magnificent... the first time I've ever seen a human that could fly." She tilted her head coyly, which seemed to be her baseline expression. "But, I wonder if you're stronger than me."

Randomly, Abel queried, "Is the whole wearing a fur coat in the middle of a desert solely for the sake of looking evil?" Seriously, even if it was white, wasn't she hot? Maybe that's why she wore just a miniskirt and bustier underneath. Regardless, Abel's question finally drew a response from the older woman. She barely raised a delicately sculpted eyebrow at the huntress. She looked amused... then again All Sunday always looked amused.

Behind her, Abel felt a killing intent slowly building. "Princess Vivi..." Pell growled, his voice grating. "Are these the people you were talking about? The ones who are threatening to destroy our country!?" Even Zoro couldn't muster up such an angry glare.

"Better yet," Abel answered, since she knew All Sunday wouldn't. "That's their second in command." All Sunday should be glad Pell didn't possess the Evil Eye, or she'd have exploded from the look he sent her.

Abel gave the woman credit, she didn't seem to care in the slightest. When you worked with criminals, you probably got used to it. "Now I can't use them anymore... my precious employees."

You sound so heartbroken... Abel thought, but didn't say. Instead, she decided to hold her tongue in favor of letting the two argue while she tried to climb up the building undetected. Watching carefully to ensure All Sunday wasn't paying her any attention, Abel carefully moved toward the building. All Sunday kept her eyes firmly on Pell, and didn't appear to notice the hunter's movements. Moving around to the side, out of direct view, Abel carefully started climbing up the wall. If Vivi or Pell noticed her actions, they didn't say, though Abel suspected they were too busy watching All Sunday.

Abel hoped to sneak up on the woman, at least enough to get Vivi away from her. All Sunday made Abel nervous, but not for the same reason as she made others nervous. Abel couldn't predict the woman. At times she seemed detached from their actions. Other times she seemed cruel. Abel still didn't know why All Sunday tried to help them before... or if she'd been trying to help at all. Still, the woman was an accomplice to an attempted coup on a nation. It was safest to assume the worst of her intentions. Not to mention the strange powers she displayed, resembling psychokinesis.

As she climbed along the windows, thankful that Pell had chosen to perch Vivi on a tiered building, Abel listened to them banter. "If you don't mind, I'd like to take the princess to our mansion and introduce her to my friends. What do you say?" All Sunday asked, like this was just a simple business meeting.

"Don't ask such pointless queries," Pell growled. "That's out of the question."

"Oh," All Sunday murmured, obviously having expected such a response.

"Stop screwing with us!" Vivi snapped. Abel heard the whirl of her Peacock Slashers, and guessed Vivi tried to attack All Sunday to no avail.

Over the sounds of Vivi struggling in the woman's grip, All Sunday taunted, "Oh my. Princesses shouldn't be so unladylike, Miss Wednesday." Abel wanted to tell Vivi to ignore All Sunday, that she was just deliberately goading her into acting irrationally, but she couldn't. Not without drawing attention to herself.

"How dare you do that to Igaram!" Vivi choked out, ever emotional.

"Igaram?" All Sunday questioned, as if she didn't know the name. But Abel knew she bloody well did. "Oh... Mr. Eight."

"You did something to Igaram!?" Pell demanded.

"What are you so angry about?" All Sunday queried calmly. "How is that different from what you just did to my employees?" Vivi let out a gasp. "What a joke!"

Abel reached the top and peered over the ledge... just as All Sunday thrust her arm through Vivi's chest! Abel's eyes widened as she saw All Sunday's hand sticking out of Vivi's back, almost to the elbow. Vivi gasped and twitched, frozen in All Sunday's grip. "PRINCESS VIVI!" Pell screamed from below.

As All Sunday carelessly tossed Vivi's body aside, giving Pell her undivided attention, Abel dropped her plan to catch the woman off guard in favor of checking on the princess. But before she could fully pull herself up onto the roof, she felt something grab her wrists. Looking down, Abel stared at the hands hold her by the wrist. Human hands... sticking out of the building. They held her tightly, preventing her from moving from that spot. Abel just stared. It was so strange, she couldn't even process it at first. It wasn't like the stone had changed to form hands. These weren't hands of stone. They were warm... alive.

But then she realized something. The long, slender limbs, long fingers and pale skin... they reminded her of something. Or rather, someone. Meeting All Sunday's eyes with a questioning look, All Sunday smiled. "Naughty," she teased just before the hands shoved her backwards. A cry caught in Abel's throat as she tilted back, unable to regain her grip on the building. Her stomach plummeted as she started falling, headfirst.

But then her body jerked, stopped by a sudden, unknown force. As she dangled in midair, Abel shook her head, trying to process what the hell was going on. Her heart beat so loud she could barely hear anything else. The hard ground loomed beneath her. Trying to stay calm, Abel peered down at her feet... or up, in this case. Another arm grew from the side of the stone wall, holding Abel securely by her ankle, leaving her dangling like a freshly caught fish. ... okay then... Abel thought, deciding it was best not to question why the wall-hands that had just tried to kill her were now saving her.

"DAMN YOU!" Pell screamed, launching himself at the roof. "I'll turn you into Alabasta sand!"

"Tres Fleur!"

It took effort to keep her head up, but Abel managed to strain her neck enough to watch Pell, in half-bird form, fly at All Sunday- only for three arms to suddenly protrude from his body. That was the only way to describe how they appeared. They just grew. Sprouted. Like flowers or pesky vines. And if Abel was surprised, that was nothing compared to Pell's reaction. Understandable. It wasn't every day you suddenly grew new appendages.

Moving on their own, or on command, the two arms on his back wrapped around his wings, clutching hands together, preventing him from flapping his wings to stay aloft. The third, in the middle of his chest, shoved the sword he'd been drawing back into the sheath. Unable to control his wings, Pell missed All Sunday completely, collapsing in a heap on the roof, out of Abel's sight.

"Pell!" Vivi unexpectedly shouted. Abel felt herself calm somewhat at hearing the princess' voice. She didn't sound like she was in pain.

"Princess Vivi!" Pell exclaimed. "Are you unharmed!?"

All Sunday giggled. "Did it look like I killed her?"

Yeah, because that wasn't your intention, Abel mentally groused, more angry with herself at falling for whatever sleight of hand All Sunday had performed. Though, now that she thought about it, All Sunday had probably known she was there all along.

"What the hell did you do!?" Pell demanded.

"Don't be so angry," All Sunday chastised lightly. "I'm just having a little fun."

Staring at the stone street three stories below her head, Abel murmured, "I'd hate to see what you do when you're in a bad mood."

"You have Devil Fruit powers!?" Pell concluded.

"That's right. I ate the Flower-Flower Fruit. The power to make body parts blood like flowers. That is my ability."

Abel noticed the faint scent of flowers on the breeze, and wondered if that was a side effect of All Sunday using her powers. Rather poetic name for a Devil Fruit. I suppose Limb-Limb Fruit just didn't have the same ring to it, she thought, glancing at the hand hold her from her doom. Still, why isn't she killing us? Not that Abel wanted to complain. She liked living. It just made for confusing enemies if they kept saving her when they had no reason to.

"As long as my body is willing to grow anywhere, I will never let you escape from me." So maybe All Sunday just wanted them alive to take to Crocodile.

"Escape!?" Pell spat. "Ridiculous! I will avenge Igaram right here!"

"Really... I'm sorry, then," All Sunday drawled, almost sounding bored. "I'd love to stay here and play with you some more, but I just don't have the time."

"World domination doesn't leave a lot of free time, I take it," Abel commented, partly to keep herself conscious as the blood kept rushing to her head.

"Don't worry, you won't need any!" Pell shouted, and Abel heard him charging at All Sunday.

Calmly, All Sunday said, "I don't think you understand. Seis Fleur!" Pell made a strained sound, like he was being choked. Given All Sunday's powers, that was entirely possible. Her voice finally showing some emotion, All Sunday spoke with a sharp edge. "Power. Speed. They mean nothing to me. Clutch!" Pell made a gasping, choking sound, as if he hadn't been conscious long enough to actually scream. From her position, Abel winced when she heard a popping, cracking noise. She knew the sound of a broken back when she heard it. As Pell struggled to breathe, his body fell with a heavy thud.

All was silent until All Sunday laughed humorlessly. "So much for the strongest warrior in the kingdom."

"Pell!" Vivi shrieked. "No!"

"Now... shall we go?" All Sunday asked, her voice back to the usual cold casualness. "The boss is waiting for you, along with your friends at Rain Dinners. In a cage." Why wasn't Abel surprised to hear that? Couldn't let them out of her sight for a second...

Abel had been trying to keep her head upright as much as possible in her position, but eventually the strain became too much for her neck, and she had to lower it. Unfortunately, this meant all her blood was rushing to her brain, and her vision began to go blurry. Hold a hand over her eyes, as if that would somehow stop the blur, Abel complained, "Unhand me." And yes, the choice in words was deliberate.

All Sunday smiled down at the dangling hunter as she stood from gathering Vivi. She held Vivi with her arms behind her back, and no matter how hard she struggled, Vivi couldn't get free. As skinny as All Sunday looked, she had strength. Or at least more strength than the princess. Smiling coyly, All Sunday replied, "As you wish," before commanding the hand to release its grip on Abel's ankle.

Without the hand holding her, Abel plummeted the three stories down, crashing noisily into a cart of boxes. "Abel-san!" Vivi exclaimed in panic as Abel landed hard enough to collapse the cart to one side, sending broken bits of wood covering her.

Unmoved, All Sunday said, "Come. We don't want to keep the rest of your friends waiting now." Her rich voice rolled with cold amusement as she pulled the princess along with her.

On the ground, Abel groaned, lying motionless as she assessed the damage. Her back and side ached fiercely, and her head felt rattled. Carefully, she used her uninjured hand to run along her throbbing side. It didn't feel like anything was broken, and she kept full movement of her limbs, which was always a good sign. Rolling sluggishly onto her stomach, Abel pushed herself onto her hands and knees and surveyed the damage. Shattered bits of wood lay scattered about her. The boxes in the back of the cart had shattered upon impact, and one wheel had popped off, causing the cart lay tilted at an angle. Thinking on it, the boxes had probably saved Abel's life by breaking. Some of the energy from her fall had transferred into them, so she hadn't struck the ground at full force. Holding her side as she stood, Abel thought, I'm not sure this qualifies as lucky, but I won't complain. She'd have a nasty bruise later, which would probably make it look like the cart had run over her, but that was better than what it might have been.

Shaking such unproductive thoughts from her mind, Abel focused on the task at hand. Glancing at the roof, she figured All Sunday and Vivi were long gone. She worried about Pell, but didn't have time to check on him. Besides, it was best if she leave him be for now. She couldn't exactly get him down with his potentially broken back on her own. And he was a soldier in the army, so hopefully he had allies in town.

No, the only course open to Abel right now was to go to Rain Dinners, as was their original plan.

Stumbling into a run, Abel made for the garish casino. It wasn't difficult to find, by any means. They actually hadn't been too far from it. Pausing a safe distance from the entrance, Abel took everything in. The casino consisted of a green-and-gold striped pyramid with a gold alligator on top. A moat surrounded it by a wide berth on all sides, making the only way to actually enter the casino without getting wet via the front door. Abel's eyes narrowed as she caught sight of All Sunday leading Vivi into the casino. She held the princess by one arm to appear less threatening, and Vivi seemed to be going along without a struggle. Then again, if All Sunday was taking Vivi to Crocodile, the man she hated most in the world, she probably wouldn't fight her.

I doubt I can just waltz in, Abel reasoned as the duo disappeared inside. As tempting as it was to follow them, Abel suspected they were going somewhere Abel couldn't easily follow. If the others had been captured, which Abel had no reason to believe they hadn't been, it wasn't like Crocodile would keep them on the ground floor for easy access. No, there had to be a back way.

With this thought in mind, Abel paced the perimeter of the building, along the rim of the moat. But even after going all the way to the back of the casino, Abel didn't see any other entrances. "Mmm..." Abel hummed in thought, crossing her arms as she considered her next move. There are windows on the back... perhaps I can sneak in from there? It was worth a shot. At worst, she'd been thrown in the same cage with the others if she got caught.

Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, Abel slipped into the moat. Taking a deep breath, she ducked under, not wanting to draw attention to herself. However, when she did so, Abel was shocked to see that the pyramid extended deeper than it first appeared. The moat was so deep Abel couldn't see the bottom. Under the pyramid, a small, rectangular room lined with windows lay hidden under the water. Stone pillars supported the casino from below, along with a very wide glass pillar at the center that ended in a dome with four openings. A glass domed walkway extended from the back of the secret room across the moat, and exiting out somewhere below the city. An underwater lair! Abel realized with a start. It fit perfectly. A secret part of the casino where Crocodile could conduct his business without notice, and potentially keep prisoners.

Surfacing long enough to get another breath, Abel swam toward the secret base. Or at least she did until she spied a shadow in the water. Abel would've gasped had she not remembered she was underwater when a hulking creature swam by one of the pillars in the distance. A giant alligator! Easily big enough to swallow her in one gulp. It had a distinct yellowish shade, with a banana-like growth sticking out from the skulls. It swam lazily off, not noticing the tiny hunter.

Now that she'd seen it, Abel realized there was several more swimming about, and she spotted a few sleeping on the bottom of the moat. Maybe she should've checked if the water was safe first. Then again, Abel never would've expected to find alligators in the freaking desert. No doubt a gift from Crocodile.

Abel glanced around in the water, checking to see if any of the creatures had noticed her. While she could probably fight off one if she needed to, she didn't want to deal with the whole nest. Thankfully, for the moment Abel was in the clear.

With renewed purpose, Abel swam toward the room. Coming up from below the window, in case someone was looking, Abel cautiously peeked inside. Inside she found a large, opulent room, lined completely on all sides with (probably reinforced) windows. Abel quickly noticed two key features. The most prominent feature was the large cage lowered from the ceiling... with several members of her crew inside. Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp... and Smoker. Well, at least now maybe he'll understand why he needs to relent on his pursuit for a while, Abel thought. She felt relieved to see that, aside from the obvious distress of being imprisoned, everyone was fine.

The second feature she noted was someone sitting at a dining table in the middle of the room. Despite the huge table beside it, this more intimate table had clearly been set out for the purpose of enjoying their little prison. Abel saw the back of a figure seated at the table, but because they sat in a high-backed chair, she couldn't make them out. All she saw was a dark fur coat. If Abel had to guess, she'd say that was the infamous Crocodile.

Hearing the sound of water moving behind her, Abel tensed, her head snapping around. She froze, remaining perfectly still as an alligator swam by. Hoping these alligators matched their smaller brethren, Abel tried not to move even as she hovered in the water. At least underwater, alligators and crocodiles tended to be attracted more to movement. Just like with sharks, they could sense changes in water pressure. Abel silently prayed that her heartbeat wouldn't be enough to attract attention, as she was the only potential source of food in the moat.

Fortunately, the alligator took no notice, swimming past her and toward the surface. Briefly, Abel wondered how Crocodile kept the alligators from exiting the moat. But she dismissed such thoughts to focus on the task at hand.

Looking back inside, Abel noticed the door on the far side of the room swinging open. It lay at the top of an impressive set of stairs beside the cage. Vivi and All Sunday emerged, meaning that must lead to the main casino. Can't go that way, Abel thought. At least not if I want to be subtle. Glancing toward the secret tunnel, Abel decided to see if she could find a way in. Checking to ensure the coast was clear of alligators, Abel returned to the surface, refilling her lungs before submerging once again.

Hovering along the glass ceiling, Abel discovered the tunnel began at a large set of doors and ended on the far side of the moat, likely outside the city. Not particularly helpful in this situation, because Abel doubted the others had time for her to exit the city, find the hidden entrance, and return. Abel frowned tightly, eyeing the tunnel. She could probably break the glass or loosen a window, but that would cause the room to flood. And while that may work in killing Crocodile, it would probably kill the others, too.

Pondering what her next step ought to be, Abel's eyes ran along the tunnel's interior when something caught her attention. Leaning closer to the glass, Abel narrowed her eyes to see better. She could just make out faint lines along the floor, in the shape of a large rectangle. Is that... a trapdoor? Abel wondered. Leaning back, Abel mentally calculated the size of the tunnel, and realized that it was big enough for one of those giant gators to fit in. What other reason would there be to have a trapdoor there? How many prisoners did Crocodile leave in that secret room to be eaten by his monstrous pets?

But that didn't matter to Abel right now. All that mattered was that it was a potential entrance. Swimming down, Abel located the place where the trapdoor ought to be. Running her hands along the bottom, she felt for the edges of the door. Her fingers felt the indentation, and she gave a tight smile. Experimentally, Abel pushed up against the door. But being underwater, she had no traction, and just ended up pushing herself away from it. Abel frowned, realizing she'd need another way to force the door open. With it leading to an empty room, the differences in pressure inside versus out should make it fairly light. She just needed a grip.

Pulling out her ever handy throwing knife, Abel jammed the end into the crack and wiggled it around until it was firmly implanted. Holding the handle with one hand, Abel pushed against the door again with her free hand. She gave a mental cheer when she felt it give a little.

Slowly, inch by inch, Abel pushed the trapdoor up, jiggling her knife up as the gap between the stone increased. When the door pushed up far enough to create a gap between it and the water, Abel paused to greedily suck in air from the tiny bubble before pushing on.

When Abel saw a crack of light above her, she quickly jammed her free hand into the space, her fingers gripping the edge of solid ground with glee. Now with a proper hold, Abel had little trouble shoving the trapdoor up just enough for her to pull her body through the opening. Carefully letting the door back down, Abel paused to catch her breath and shake out her arms. Glancing around the empty tunnel, Abel felt a chill run across her body. Being underwater, the room was freezing. And her soaked clothes didn't help. Clutching her cloak close, Abel hustled down the tunnel toward the secret base.

The stone masonry amplified sounds, meaning Abel heard Crocodile's boastful laughter long before she even saw the end of the tunnel. "What do you think, Miss Wednesday?" he asked, voice slimy with ill-gotten mirth. It had a rasp to it, like the man was a smoker. "The operation you once participated in has now blossomed. If you listen carefully, I bet you could hear the shouting all over Alabasta! They all scream the same thing; Protect Alabasta. Protect Alabasta. Protect Alabasta."

"STOP IT!" Vivi shrieked, voice cracking. "How can you be so cruel!?"

Crocodile just laughed wickedly. "It's heartbreaking, isn't it? Love for one's country is what will destroy it in the end."

Approaching the doors, Abel slowed her run. Hoping to take advantage of the darkness, she drew the cloak and scarf around her as she gently pulled one of the doors open. Light streamed in, and she peeked through the crack. The man she assumed to be Crocodile stood facing her way, and Abel felt a brief flash of panic that he'd seen her. Fortunately, the man was too busy gloating over Vivi to pay attention to the door Abel hid behind. As she suspected earlier, he did wear the long, black fur captain's coat draped over his shoulders. Both his appearance and stance was that of a businessman. Slicked back hair, stylish orange-checkered dress shirt, complete with a blue ascot tucked in, black trousers and black loafers. However, the scar running horizontally across his entire face and the shining golden claw replacing his left hand marred the professional image. If such a thing as a pirate businessman existed, then Crocodile personified it. It gave a roguish professionalism Abel didn't expect, but it suited the man.

Abel barely dared to breathe, adopting a stance she would take if she were waiting silent for her prey: kneeling close to the ground, body tense, arms drawn in near her center. She watched everything with sharp eyes, waiting for the slightest hint she was in danger.

From the cage, a familiar voice shouted, "That bastard! If only this cage weren't here...!" Abel felt Luffy's frustration, and silently wondered why he couldn't escape. From what she saw, the gaps in the bars ought to be enough for Luffy to squeeze through. She couldn't actually see from that angle, as all sides except the front were solid concrete. At the very least Smoker should be out, trying to fight Crocodile, given his hatred of all things pirate.

Turning away from the tunnel, Crocodile faced the cage. Abel used the opportunity to quickly glance over the rest of the room. She saw Vivi slumped in a chair at the table, bound and broken. All Sunday stood not far, passively watching the scene. Abel checked to make sure there were no stray hands lurking about.

"I can remember all the hassle I had to go through to get this far," Crocodile reminisced. "Collecting up members... scraping up money to buy the silver necessary to produce the dance powder... stirring up towns on the brink of destruction... teaching my employees how to carry out false acts of army corruption... slowly eroding the people's trust in their king and increasing their frustration..."

Have we passed the part where you tell us all your plans in detail? Abel thought blandly. Clearly the man didn't expect any of them to survive if he was going to bother explaining things. You didn't tell your plans to people that would live to stop them.

Turning to the princess, Crocodile asked, "Do you know why I want to control your country so badly, Miss Wednesday?"

"As if I'd understand anything inside your rotten head," Vivi shot back.

Crocodile hummed. "You've got a pretty sharp tongue for a princess."

As Crocodile stalked around the table to Vivi, Abel glanced at the cage. A gear-operated system that lowers from the ceiling, she observed, noticing the hole in the ceiling from which a column extended the cage down. Empty bottom, intended to spring down on unsuspecting enemies. Her lips pursed in thought before she nodded. I can take it.

A sharp crack echoed through the room, drawing Abel's attention instantly from her musings. Crocodile had backhanded Vivi across the face. Fortunately he used his real hand. That hook would've really smarted. The smack sent the princess tumbling over, chair and all. But ever refusing to give in, Vivi tried to inch her way to the stairs like a worm. "Whoa there," Crocodile called. "What do you think you're doing, Miss Wednesday?"

"We can stop you!" Vivi shouted, voice ever hard with determination. "We can still make it in time! If we just go to Alubarna directly east of here...! If we can get to Alubarna before the rebellion does, there's a chance that we can stop them!" Vivi shouted. Dignity didn't matter at this point. Only surviving.

"Ooh..." Crocodile said indulgently. "What a coincidence. We were just going to go there, as well. Straight to Alubarna. To ask you daddy one little question..." Abel silently bristled. She hated when people used the term "daddy" so derogatorily. Maybe because that's what she still called her own father, and she didn't like being mocked for it.

"What!?" Vivi gasped, heading snapping in Crocodile's direction. "Now what are you going to do to my father!?"

Rather than answering, Crocodile asked his own question. "Which is more important to you? The people or your father, Miss Wednesday?" From her hidey-hole, Abel watched as Crocodile reached for something under his cloak. "If you want to come with us, then go right ahead."

With his back turned to her, Abel couldn't see what he held out to the princess. Helpfully, she gasped. "A key!? Is that..."

"A key!?" Luffy shouted. "For this cage!? Gimme that, dammit!"

Vivi wormed her way to Crocodile, eyes intent on the key. But Abel was suspicious. She doubted Crocodile would just hand over the key to the cage like that, not without triggering something even nastier. Hell, that might not even be the real key. No, Abel was resolute that she'd find a way to free them once the two left.

With a chuckle, Crocodile dropped the key. In slow motion, Vivi lunged for it, her struggling having loosened the binds on her arms. But before it hit the ground, Crocodile stamped his heel against the floor, and a trapdoor opened, conveniently underneath the key. The others could only watch in dismay as the key disappeared into the hole. It must've been awfully deep, because Abel didn't even hear the key hit the ground. "Go and get it, Miss Wednesday," Crocodile dared smugly. "Of course the clash between the army and rebellion can be avoided. There are about eight hours left until the killing begins. But I don't think you have the time... It would still take longer than that to get to Alubarna from here. If you want to stop them, you'll have to leave right now, Miss Wednesday. Or else..." Crocodile laughed unpleasantly. "Hundreds of thousands will die!"

Isn't psychopathy supposed to be rare in the population? Abel thought, feeling sickened listening to this. Then why do we run into them so frequently? Occupational hazard? That was really the only explanation.

"Of course, it's up to you whether or not you save these fools," Crocodile continued, inclining his head toward the cage. "You can go ahead and open the cage. Oops... too bad I dropped the key through that hole in the floor, though."

"Into the bananadile lair...!?" Vivi croaked, gaping down the hole.

"You could call it that..."

Abel recalled the glass dome with four entrances into the moat she'd seen. So that's where the tunnel led, she thought, remembering the vertical tunnel connecting the two rooms. And what a fitting name for those creatures.

"Whoa!" Luffy exclaimed. "Whoa, look at that! There's a crocodile growing out of that banana!" One of those beasts must've swum by the window.

"Th... those crocodiles are enormous!" Nami squealed, speaking for the first time.

"Wha!? This room is underwater!?" Usopp gasped. Abel guessed they'd been too busy to bother looking out the window.

"Weird bananas," Luffy murmured, transfixed.

"Look at them, you dumbass," Usopp griped. "The bananas are growing out of the crocodiles. They're weird crocodiles."

There was a growl from below, and Vivi made a startled noise. "A crocodile just...!"

"What's wrong, Vivi!?" the others asked.

"One of the bananadiles just swallowed the key!"

Luffy screamed so loud the cage rattled. "What!? Chase it down, make it spit the key back up, and get us outta here, Vivi!"

"I can't do that!" Vivi yelled back, temporarily forgetting about the Shichibukai's presence. "Bananadiles are ferocious! They eat sea monsters, you know!? It'll eat me up the second I get close to it!"

"Oh... I'm very sorry..." Crocodile said, not sounding the least bit apologetic. "Those guys think that anything I drop down there is food. Besides, now you can't tell which one ate it."

"What!?"

"I can't believe this guy!" Nami growled, rightfully enraged.

Abel heard the chink of Zoro unsheathing a sword. "Damn!" he cursed, probably mostly at himself. "If we could just get out of here I could handle those reptiles."

Luffy snorted. "You're so dumb, Zoro! We can't get out because the key got eaten."

"I know that!" Zoro snapped irritably.

Abel's eyes widened as Crocodile and All Sunday approached the doors she hid behind. Were they planning to leave this way? Most likely, as it should let them exit unnoticed. Abel shuffled away from the door, listening intently for approaching footsteps. "Well then..." Crocodile's deep voice rumbling.

He snapped his fingers, and the doors in front of Abel squeaked to life. Abel would've been impressed with the sound activated commands, had she not been busy shuffling out of the way. Her heart raced as she followed the doors, silently thankful they opened inward. As they slid open on their own, Abel pressed herself against the wall near the hinges. They groaned to a halt just far enough that if she used her dark clothes to blend in with the shadows, they might not see her. Just don't give them any reason to look back here, Abel told herself.

With the hunter wedged in hiding, she had to settle for listening. "We're going to take our leave now. Oh, and this room will automatically destroy itself in one hour. It served me well, but it's no longer of any use. Soon water will flood into this room and turn it into part of the Rainbase Lake." Crocodile paused, likely for dramatic effect. He certainly was a very theatric villain. "One million innocent citizens, or a mere four pirates with no future? It's time for you to choose. Though to be honest the odds for both a quite low. I hope you like gambling, Miss Wednesday. Because just like the tables upstairs, you're going to have to roll the dice." Crocodile laughed, clearly getting off on the pain he caused. He spat hatefully, "With so many fools in this country, this was such an easy job. The juvenile rebels and the old man digging in Yuba, for example."

Abel's eyes narrowed. How did Crocodile know about Toto?

Luffy must've had the same thought (which was kind of scary) because he demanded, "You mean the dry old guy!?"

Crocodile snorted. "Of course. Even though everyone else has abandoned it, that old man keeps pecking away at an oasis long dead. He keeps at it, even as he's plagued by constant sandstorms."

"Shut up!" Luffy growled, enraged by Crocodile's dismissive attitude.

"Tell me, Straw Hat," Crocodile said, calm in the face of Luffy's rage. "Do you think sandstorms can strike towns perfectly time after time?"

It took a second for the meaning behind Crocodile's question to sink in. Wait... is he implying he was behind the sandstorms this entire time? Was such a thing possible?

Abel heard Luffy suck in a breath. "It was you!" he growled, voice rumbling. "You did it!"

On the other side of the door, Abel heard the wind pick up. This, given that this entire base was underwater, shouldn't be possible. She felt the air grow drier, and smelt the dustiness of sand, something she'd come to recognize in their time in the wastes. And all the while Crocodile laughed evilly. Abel wished she could see around the door, but it was pretty clear that Crocodile had some power over sand. It shouldn't be that surprising. All the other high agents had Devil Fruit powers, and few pirates climbed the ranks like the Shichibukai did without them. He really was behind it all from the beginning, Abel thought. He hadn't just taken advantage of a bad situation... he was the very cause of it! Crocodile had killed so many to orchestra whatever scheme he was after. It both boiled and chilled Abel's blood. Just how deep did his machinations go?

"I'll kill you!" Vivi shrieked.

Brushing off such idle threats, Crocodile and All Sunday moved toward the tunnel without further ceremony. Quickly, Abel pulled her cloak and scarf to hide every inch of her, melding with the shadows. She kept her breathing even and soft as the two passed by the open door, even as she heard more doors open inside and water begin to flood the room. Her muscles twitched to move and Usopp started pleading with Vivi to do something, but she knew she had to wait for the bad guys to leave. Her instincts told her things wouldn't end well if Crocodile spotted her. Abel kept her eyes riveted on the duo as they strolled casually down the tunnel without a single glance back. She dared not look away, on the chance one of them glanced behind them.

Inside the room, Vivi weighed her options frantically. "The country... or my friends!?"She could either spend time trying to save the others... or doom them in favor of rushing off to intercept the rebels. But Vivi knew better than to think it was that simple. "But he's not going to give me anything back anyways! He's going to have me killed before I can get to Alubarna!" Even if she did run, Crocodile would just have her killed, thus she would kill her friends for nothing. "I know that nothing will end unless I kill you! And you don't know anything! You don't know anything about the history of the people... or the way that they live..."

Abel heard the sound of metal scraping the ground, following by something whipping in the air. She could only assume Vivi had raised her weapon. For a long moment, there was nothing except the sound of whipping and the duo's retreating footsteps. Suddenly, the chain clattered loudly on the stone floor. From the shadows, Abel's heart broke to hear Vivi choke back tears of frustration. Just a little longer... she silently urged. C'mon... walk faster you prats. What, is this a leisurely takeover? Weren't they on a deadline? Or were they just basking in the suffering they caused one final time?

"Vivi!" Luffy called, breaking through the veil of moroseness. "Do something! Get us outta here!"

"Luffy-san...!"

"Luffy," Usopp repeated, sounding stunned. Their captain never showed fear.

Abel mentally cursed the rubber man as Crocodile and All Sunday paused. "Finally starting to beg for your life, Straw Hat Luffy?" Crocodile asked. But at least he didn't turn around. "But it's only natural. Everyone is afraid of dying."

"If we die here, who's going to kick your ass!?"

Abel pressed herself against the corner, knowing what was about to come. Slowly, Crocodile glanced back at the cage menacingly. "Don't get too conceited, little man..." Too fixated on Luffy to notice her.

"No, that's you! You're the little one!"

Nami and Usopp squealed. "That's one of the Shichibukai, you fool!" Usopp whimpered. Then again, how much more could Crocodile do to them?

Quite a bit, apparently, as with the snap of his fingers, the trapdoor Abel had entered through opened. Idly, Abel wondered if she could've opened the door that easily had she known that little trick. But she had more important things to worry about right now. Like the massive bananadile climbing up. It's huge form took up most of the space in the tunnel. But it ignored the criminals in favor of waddling toward the room. Again, Abel pressed herself into the corner. She didn't think crocodiles hunted via smell, so she should be safe so long as it didn't see her. Theoretically.

"If you're going to abandon them, now's the time to do it, Miss Wednesday," Crocodile said. "You want to stop the rebellion, right?"

Abel should've been happy that the beast waddled by her, oblivious. But that just meant Vivi would have to deal with it. At least until Crocodile left. She heard Vivi stagger to her feet and whimper, "It's enormous..."

"Vivi! You show that gator!" Luffy shouted encouragingly.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Usopp balked. "It's too big! Run away, Vivi! You can't fight it!" Usopp quickly added as an afterthought, "B-but save us, too!"

Now Luffy snapped, "You're the one being ridiculous!"

"Hey, look out the window!" Nami said.

Abel couldn't see from her position, but Usopp was nice enough to narrate, "They're all lining up!"

"Waiting their turn for food," Zoro suggested, the only crewmate not in a blind panic.

Crocodile sneered. "So you want to fight... fine. Kill all of them, and the key will be in one of their stomachs."

Abel could do nothing but listen to the fight inside. But at least the villains had continued leaving. Hopefully Vivi could hold out just long enough. Abel heard the bananadile growl. "Peacock String-" Vivi cut off abruptly when something loud collided, probably the bananadile hitting her. She felt the foundation shake and heard stone breaking, but didn't hear any screams of the princess' name, so she assumed Vivi hadn't been eaten.

"It's so fast!" Usopp screamed.

"It crushed the stone staircase in one bite!" Nami observed. "Those jaws must be insanely powerful!" If it caught Vivi...

Abel then heard something large whipping through the air before Vivi screamed. "Vivi!" Luffy yelled in concern, so Abel guessed the bananadile had struck her again.

"Dammit!" Usopp cursed. "That monster's unbeatable! Where's Abel when you need her!" That was a bit of a blow to the hunter's ego. She fingered her crossbows, eager to help, but knowing she had to wait. She had to have patience. She had faith that Vivi at least wouldn't let herself be killed that easily.

"Run Vivi!" Luffy shouted, trying to rouse the woman.

"Get up!" Nami added her voice.

"It'll eat you!" Usopp warned as its maw neared.

Then, a strange noise broke through the chaos. A sort of "buda-buda-buda" tone, repeated over and over. It was so strange, that even the bananadile stopped growling to check.

Down the tunnel, Crocodile and All Sunday paused. Abel wasn't sure if she should be grateful for the distraction or annoyed at the delay. Checking her coat, All Sunday pulled out the source of the noise. A baby den den mushi. Den den mushi were strange snails born with natural abilities to send and receive psychic brain waves from others of their kind. Thus humans had adapted them to communicate, creating a symbiotic relationship with the little creatures. There were many different kinds of the den den mushi. The version All Sunday held, a baby, was only useful for short-range communication.

Pressing the switch on the transponder inserted into its shell "woke" the snail up. "Yes?" All Sunday asked, holding the den den mushi to face her.

"Hello?" a male voice asked. "Hello? Can you hear me?"

"Yes, I hear you," All Sunday answered. "You're a Millions, right?"

Ignoring the question, the man asked, "Hey, is this getting through? I ain't never used one of these baby den den mushi... Hello?"

"What is it?" All Sunday asked again.

"Oh. Okay, I'll just talk like this," the man announced. Abel's eyes narrowed as she watched the duo. She was a very auditory person, so she knew she knew that voice.

Quickly growing impatient, Crocodile demanded, "Hey! Spit it out already! What happened?" If one of the Millions was calling, it had better be important.

For a moment, the voice paused. "Oh, that voice..." he murmured. "I've heard that voice before... Welcome, sir. This is the Shitty Restaurant." Abel raised a brow at the dry, playful tone. Shitty Restaurant? Could there be any doubt as to who was on the end of that line?

Crocodile's scowl deepened. "Shitty Restaurant...!?" he gasped, remembering that odd phrase quite well.

The voice chuckled. "Nice... you remembered. I'm so happy."

Even at a distance, Abel saw Crocodile's mind reeling. "Four of the Straw Hat Pirates are locked up in that cage. And Miss All Sunday said she took care of the other woman. So all that's left is their pet. Does this mean there are others?"

Abel heard whispering from the cage, right before Luffy started to scream, "Sanj-"

He cut off quickly. Not so much that he stopped talking as someone covered his mouth. "Wait, Luffy! Maybe he doesn't know about him..." Usopp whispered harshly. Sanji hadn't been on the deck when they'd met Mr. Two, nor had he been in the sketches the otter made, so Baroque Works had no reason to think he existed. Which meant he was still free to act.

Crocodile was not amused. "Who the hell are you!?" he demanded.

"Me?" the voice asked coyly. "I'm Mr. Prince."

Crocodile scoffed, and even Abel rolled her eyes. "I see, Mr. Prince. And where are you?"

"Can't tell ya. If I do, you'll come to kill me, won't you?" The voice laughed. "Well, whether you can or not remains to be seen. I don't give out information easily... unlike you, Mr. Zero." Per usual, Sanji had a knack for knowing how to get under people's skin. Crocodile looked livid.

Before Crocodile could give this Prince character a piece of his mind, Usopp shouted, "Prince! Save us! We've been captured! We don't have much time left!"

Mr. Prince chuckled. "Know who that sounds like? My crew. Very well, I'll just be-" Before he could continue, gunfire exploded near the receiver deafeningly loud, followed by a pained groan and something heavy hitting the ground.

The crew felt the cold hand of dread grip their stomachs as a different voice came on, laughing. "Pesky bastard..." it panted, as if just involved in a struggle. "Hello?" he asked. "What should we do with this weirdo?" There was another groan over the line.

"Sanji-san!?" Vivi whimpered, fearing the worst. "No..."

"Where are you?" Crocodile demanded. "Speak up."

"Yes sir. At the front of the casino called Rain Dinners in Rainbase."

"That useless idiot!" Zoro cursed. "He better still be alive!"

"Sanjiiiiiii!" Luffy screamed.

Usopp made incomprehensible sounds of panic, while Nami whimpered, "Our only hope...!"

As the line went dead, Crocodile guffawed loudly. Things had gotten out of hand for a moment, but as usual his planning had solved a problem before he even knew he needed to deal with it. "Fine. Let's go to the front gate." Her turned back toward the room, and Abel mentally cursed, once again pressing herself into the shadows. She didn't care which direction they left in, so long as they bloody left!

"Are you sure?" All Sunday queried. "The Millions still don't know who their boss is."

"I'm not going as their boss," Crocodile dismissed as he brushed past All Sunday. "We haven't showed ourselves to anyone other than the number agents. What's so odd about Crocodile, the casino owner, coming up to the front door to see what happened?" It would only be natural that the owner would want to see what the trouble was about. With that said, the duo continued down the tunnel, confident that any attempt the pirates might have made to escape had been thwarted.

Hurried footsteps drew Abel's attention, and she focused her hearing inside the room. It could only have been Vivi running around. Abel heard the bananadile growl and break something heavy. "What are you trying to do, Vivi!?" Luffy screamed at the princess. By this point Crocodile and his accomplice were just before the door.

"We still have some time until the room fills with water!" Vivi explained in a rush. "I'm going outside to call for help!"

"That's right... maybe that didn't really kill Sanji!" Usopp commented. Sanji was tough, after all. He'd probably just been captured. "If Vivi can free Sanji somehow..."

"And Chopper's still outside," Nami reminded. "He might be able to do something!"

The crew may have been too distracted urging Vivi on to notice, but Abel had a front side view of Crocodile's powers. She watched in awe as Crocodile's left hand and arm transformed into a trail of sand before shooting forward, across the room. "Hey! Look out!" Luffy warned.

With the villains back in the main room, Abel felt safe enough to peek around the edge of the door. She looked in just in time to see Crocodile's golden hook wrap around Vivi's throat. The princess gagged as the hook pulled her back, smashing her into the ground. Abel was very grateful she'd kept herself hidden. With powers like that he could've grabbed her at any moment. It was the same class of fruit as Smoker's, which meant physically fighting Crocodile would be an exercise in futility.

"Enough of your nonsense!" Crocodile growled, standing over the unconscious princess. He only stepped aside when the bananadile focused on the easy meal.

"Vivi, open your eyes!" Luffy screamed.

"The croc is coming!" Usopp's warning fell on deaf ears.

Abel tensed, keeping her eyes on the two while watching the bananadile out of her periphery. Just a little longer... she thought. As soon as those two were out of sight, she'd take care of that bananadile.

Easily climbing the broken stairs so they could exit through the casino properly, Crocodile paused at the door. Glancing over his shoulder, he sneered, "If you love your friends so much, then you can die here with them. The water's already filled the crocodile feeding room and will soon submerge the entire room." He smirked. "I think I'll bring that punk Mr. Prince here, too... as a corpse, that it!" The man laughed like he'd just told the funniest joke in the world. Leaving the pirates and princess to their slow fate, Crocodile and All Sunday let the door slam loudly behind them, punctuating their doom.

As soon as she heard the door click, Abel flew into action. Popping out from behind the door, she drew her crossbows and fired several rounds into the bananadile's hide. The beast, having been poised to finish Vivi off in one gulp, roared angrily. It's thick hide prevented the bolts from lodging deeply, but it still had to smart. "Abel!" Luffy, Usopp and Nami cried in pleased surprise.

Pushing herself up on shaking arms, Vivi stared. "Abel-dono!? You're all right!?"

Abel gave an easy, lopsided smile, all the while never taking her eyes off the growling reptile. "I just walked it off."

Vivi sweatdropped. But that was a three-story fall...

"Just how long have you been lurking there?" Zoro asked, sounding more suspicious than relieved. That was a pretty convenient entrance.

"Long enough," Abel replied vaguely. "I would've shown my hand earlier, but somebody decided it was a good idea to goad the megalomaniac. And I don't particularly enjoy being caged." Her eyes flicked to the cell briefly. "Why are you still imprisoned, by the by?"

"Smoker says these bars are made with something called Kairoseki, which essentially acts like the ocean, draining Devil Fruit users' powers," Nami explained in a rush.

"Ah," was all Abel said in response. Seastone, huh? Made sense. The Marines had to have some way to keep Devil Fruit users locked up.

The bananadile grew impatient, and decided to shift its focus to the one causing it pain. With a deep warning growl, the beast lunged at Abel. It was far faster than she'd expect for a creature of that size, but Abel knew her stuff. She was well-versed in the biology of many creatures. Therefore, she knew that on land, crocodiles and alligators were ambush predators. They could lunge in a straight line like lightning, but were too long to turn easily. Knowing this, Abel dodged to the side, ending at a right angle to the beast's belly. As she anticipated, the bananadile couldn't correct its trajectory, and crashed nose-first into the wall.

Unfortunately, the force of such a massive body ramming into it shattered the windows along that side of the room. Now water poured in from two sources. "Things just went from bad to worse!" Nami cried.

"At that rate, we won't have even an hour left!" Usopp panicked. "We'll be lucky if we have twenty minutes!"

"Good thing I don't get performance anxiety," Abel drawled, before turning toward Vivi. "Sunshine, high-tail it up those stairs and see if you can get to Bullseye before Mr. Sandman does."

"What about you?" Vivi asked,

Abel smiled. "Leave the gecko to me."

Vivi looked hesitant, but realized she wouldn't be much help against this monster. The best thing she could do was get Sanji, and maybe Chopper. Nodding with a serious expression, Vivi scurried up the broken stairs. "Hang in there a little longer!" Vivi called as she ran to the doors at full tilt. "I will bring back help! I promise I won't abandon you!"

By now, the bananadile had lumbered to face Abel again. "Get 'em, Abel!" Usopp cheered. "Kill 'em and gut 'em until you find that key!"

But instead of shooting, Abel glanced their way. "Do you have a wrench on you, Sparkplug?"

Usopp blinked. "What?"

"As much as I'd like to brag about my prowess in combat," Abel began, "I can divert that machinery faster than I can wade through reptilian entrails." Why bother with finding the key when she could just override the system?

"Yeah?" Nami asked, hopefully. "You think?"

Abel didn't reply, instead making a break for the cage, the bananadile following behind. With a squeak, Usopp began fumbling around in his pack. Even if they were inside a cage, seeing such a massive creature running at them with its mouth open was terrifying. "Uh... uh...! Here!" Usopp fished the tool from his bag just as Abel reached them. With a quick thanks, Abel snagged the wrench and bounded up the cage wall. She jumped into the opening in the ceiling, narrowly avoiding the snapping jaws. The cage rattled fearfully under the bananadile's weight, causing Nami and Usopp to shriek. But that cage was made from some heavy-duty materials, because it didn't even crack under the strain.

Let's see now... Abel thought, examining her surroundings. An intricate network of gears and pipes stretched before her in the remarkably spacious pocket. On a whim, Abel snapped her fingers, only to be met with nothing but an echo. Guess it was too much to hope it would work, she told herself. Looking over the gears with a trained eye, Abel realized that the system was at rest in its extended state. She'd have to apply whatever type of energy this thing ran on to get it to retract. It ought to be a simple matter of following the pipes, Abel told herself.

Hearing growling from close below, Abel looked to see the bananadile standing on the cage, trying to stick its maw in the opening to get at her. Looking unimpressed, Abel fired a bolt into its mouth, striking it in the tongue and gums. "Down, boy." The beast howled, and jerked its face away. As it tried to scrape the bolts out of its mouth with its claws, Abel commented, "Even a dog learns not to stick its nose where it's painful," before returning to the task at hand.

Wrench at the ready, Abel squeezed behind the gears, following the pipes back to the source. It led toward the back of the room, if Abel's calculations were correct. She knew she was on the right track when she saw pipes running along the ground, coming from the walls. Hydroelectric? It made sense. They were underwater, after all. There must be a turbine, then. Sure enough, at the very back of the opening, Abel spotted the cylindrical device. Jackpot. Hurrying over, Abel examined the turbine. Her eyes instantly landed on the failsafe valves, glistening red on the pipes attached to the turbine.

As she began unfastening the valves with the wrench, Abel heard Luffy shout from below, "Abel! Hurry up! We're gonna die!"

Never pausing, Abel responded, "If you have the oxygen to scream like that, you're clearly not on death's door." She thought she heard Luffy say something vaguely derogatory, but she honestly wasn't paying attention.

Loosening all the valves, Abel heard water rushing through the pipes. She heard the turbine begin humming to life as the water turned the blades inside, slowly building up a charge. Around her, the gears groaned to life, clanking like a rhythmically marching army.

Down below, the others gave a start as the cage jerked. They held their breaths, almost afraid to hope. But slowly the cage creaked as the gears began to raise it. "You did it, Abel!" Nami cheered. She told herself she'd hug the hunter when they got out.

"Freedom!" Luffy shouted enthusiastically. And although they didn't scream for joy, both Zoro and Smoker gave inaudible sighs of the relief.

Unfortunately, their joy had made them forget about something rather glaringly large. "Wait a second! The gator's still there!" Nami realized. Indeed, the beast must've figured out what the raising cage meant, and sat before them, waiting patiently. "It'll be like taking the cover off a meal!" Nami shuddered at the thought.

"Don't worry!" Luffy assured. "I'll just go under and-" Luffy dived under the water, intending to squeeze under and deal with the bananadile, but clearly forgetting how the water would affect him. As soon as he was submerged, his strength waned. The others waited until they saw bubbles on the surface before Usopp scooped the boy up, shaking and yelling at him for being so stupid.

"Abel! Lower the cage again!" Usopp pleaded while holding Luffy up as he regained his strength. "Take care of the crocodile first!" Unfortunately, Abel couldn't shut the system off, because she'd removed all the fail safes. She struggled to get back through the gears, but she couldn't exactly run through the narrow spaces.

She stumbled slightly as the squeezed past the last gear, running for the opening. But before she reached it, a calm voice chided, "It's really impolite to make a lot of noise during mealtime." Abel jumped down onto the rising cage in time to see the bananadile fly into the air, a figure in black below it with one leg poised toward the sky. "Anti-Manner Kick Course!"

The shockwave off Sanji's kick made waves in the water, dousing those still in the cage. Gracefully lowering his leg, Sanji brushed the ash from his cigarette. "Hey guys," he greeted casually. "Been waiting long?" Abel resisted rolling her eyes, figuring she didn't have any right to complain about dramatic entrances today. So she settled for sliding from the cage's roof into the water.

"Mr. Prince!" Luffy and Usopp cheered.

"Thank goodness," Nami sighed.

The rest of the crew could barely wait to duck under the rising cage bars and into the open, still flooding room. Now that they were no longer trapped, the steadily rising water didn't seem like that big a deal. They could just leave now, after all, and the water was only thigh high.

"Nami-san!" Sanji swooned, all coolness gone as he did some strange noodle dance. "Do you love me now?"

"Yeah, yeah," Nami half-heartedly agreed.

"He is one love-sick idiot..." Zoro murmured.

"Aww..." Abel teased. "You mean you wouldn't act like that if you were in love?"

Zoro gave the hunter a look like he was considering cutting out her tongue for even suggesting it. "If I ever act like that, you have my permission to put me down," he settled for saying instead.

"Vivi!" Luffy yelled. "Way to go!" He tossed the princess a thumbs-up. Beaming, Vivi returned the gesture.

As much as Sanji wanted to gloat on his daring rescue, he knew there was little time for that now. On the way, Vivi had filled him in on everything. "Let's get moving. There's little time," he urged.

"Yeah," Nami agreed. "I'm sure the first route they took is toward Alubarna."

"But isn't that where the bananadiles are?" Vivi asked worriedly. The trapdoor was still open, and they'd seen the bananadile lining up outside for their chance at food.

"I believe 'were' is the correct tense in this case," Abel said with a smile, pointing down the hallway.

Vivi gaped at the sight of Zoro and Luffy standing over the defeated bodies of dozens of bananadiles. "Aren't there anymore!?" Luffy shouted, full of gusto now that he wasn't going to drown. "That wasn't enough!"

"And after I had that much trouble with one of them...!" Vivi cried, hiding her face in shame. Yet they'd taken the entire nest out in a matter of seconds.

"No!" Usopp protested, trying to comfort the princess.. "Don't be so hard on yourself. Those two just have crazy-abnormal strength."

Stomping back over the rejoin the crew, Luffy fumed, "Dammit! I can't go all-out soaked in water like this!"

Abel was prepared to respond that it was probably for their best that the two didn't go all out. But apparently just thinking that was enough to jinx them, because no sooner than she opened her mouth, a distressing cracking sound echoed around them. The crew froze, watching in horror as cracks began forming in the ceiling near the tunnel and along the glass. All of the windows shattered, and whole chunks of the walls began falling in.

"This place is falling apart!" Luffy shrieked, panicking as more water rolled in.

"Yeah, we can see that!" Sanji growled as Luffy continued to scream.

The weakened structure of the tunnel shuddered before finally giving in, the glass covering the walkway imploding. "The passageway is crumbling, too!"

"Then find a hole and make for the surface," Abel advised, clutching her scarf as she prepared for the waves to hit them.

To Be Continued...