Another Nakama III
Disclaimer: Ricky has enlisted Robin's help in locating and recovering the disclaimer. I'm sure they'll have it in no time.
The Brig:
-x-
"Listen up, men!" Ensign Christopher addressed his gathered units of marines outside the base. "Among the Straw Hats that have been captured, one was impersonating a Marine Officer. So if we're going to capture any of those pirates, do not worry about reports or paperwork! If you see an unidentified person, ARREST HIM IMMEDIATELY! DON'T LET THOSE BRATS GET AWAY!"
"SIR!" the marines chorused.
-x-
At Dock 88, Mekao surveyed some of Usopp's patchwork on the mast of the Going Merry.
Tink! Tink! Mekao tapped the metal plate with his hammer.
"Did you hear?" one of the other shipwrights asked two others down on the dock. "That long nosed guy that was snooping around here was a crew member of the Straw Hats."
"…" Mekao stayed silent as he moved around the mast and tapped it again. Tink! Tink!
"I wonder what he was doing nosing around this dock," the other shipwright remarked.
"Yeah," one of the other shipwrights replied, "There's an entire harbor full of ships that are way better than this sad little hunk of junk."
Mekao continued his work. Tink! Tink!
"He could have hopped in any of these ships and sailed away."
Tink! Tink!
"Pirates are dumber than I thought."
"Me too. And I already thought they were pretty dumb to begin with."
Tunk! Tunk! Mekao frowned at the different - almost hallow - sound as he tapped on the mast again.
Without a word, the old shipwright left the Going Merry and climbed down the metal stairs that they had going alongside it.
"Hey, Mekao," one of the other shipwrights called out to the old man. "You already calling it quits for the day?"
"Cut this old geezer some slack, will ya?" Mekao replied as he walked out of Dock 88.
"Did he say 'geezer'?" the shipwright asked the others in surprise.
"We must have heard wrong," one of the other said before they all laughed. "Hahahaha!"
-x-
A marine hummed to himself as he pushed a cart of wooden crates down a hallway into the base.
Klunk! The cart jerked to a stop when it hit something. The stack of crates fell off of the cart and dropped onto the obstruction. KRASH!
"Aah!" the marine yelped in surprise as he stared around the cart at the body of the real Commander Shepherd. Of course, since he had no coat or identification and was stripped down to a purple undershirt, he just looked like a suspicious man.
The marine turned and ran off.
"Uugghh…" Commander Shepherd groaned as he finally woke up. He opened his eyes and pushed the crates off of him as he sat up. He gingerly held his arm that Robin had brutally twisted before she'd knocked him out on the metal wall.
CLICK! "What the—" Commander Shepherd sputtered as he suddenly found himself face-to-face with the barrel of a rifle.
"Don't move!" a marine barked as he and four other stood around Shepherd and aimed their guns at him.
"Good work, men," Ensign Christopher addressed the marines as he joined them in the hallway. "Looks we've found one of the Straw Hat's this time!"
"Straw Hat?" Shepherd repeated. "I'm Special Inspector Commander Shepherd! I demand that you take me to your commanding officer so I can have you court-martialed!"
"Well, I certainly don't want to be court-martialed, Shepherd," Christopher remarked. "And I'll have you know, that Special Inspector Shepherd has already checked in with Vice Admiral Jonathan. From where I'm standing, you're an imposter. Take him to the brig, men! This'll show the Vice Admiral that I can keep up with those two upstarts!"
"WHAT! NO!" Shepherd protested as the five marines grabbed him and carried him away.
-x-
Robin stood behind one of her marine escorts in the Navarone Library and archives. The marine pulled a book off of the shelf in front him and handed it back to the Special Inspector.
"Here," he told her. "This book should have a map of the base in it."
"Very good," Robin replied as she pried the book opened and paged through it until she came to a large map of the base that spanned across two whole pages. "This will do. Let's continue with the inspection."
The two marine escorts led Robin out of the library as she continued to survey the map.
"It appears that there's only one way out of this base…" She thought to herself as she stared at the gateway out of Navarone that was depicted on the map.
-x-
Down in the brig, Master Chief Petty Officer Todd stuffed Shepherd into the cell with Zoro and Usopp and slammed the door. KLANK!
Ensign Christopher stood behind Todd with a mini-Transponder Snail.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Shepherd yelled at the two officers. "DO YOU IDIOTS KNOW WHO I AM?"
"Yeah, yeah, you're Special Inspector Commander Shepherd from HQ," Todd retorted. "You already said it three times since you walked in."
"IF YOU VALUE YOUR JOB, GET ME OUT OF HERE!" Commander Shepherd yelled. "I HAVE TO SPEAK TO VICE ADMIRAL JONATHAN IMMEDIATELY!"
"Commander Shepherd…" Usopp thought to himself as listened to the new arrival yell at the marines outside the cell. "This must be the Marine big-wig that Robin was pretending to be. Those guards think he's one of us. In that case…" Usopp smirked. Time to lie.
"That's enough, you're embarrassing yourself!" Usopp called out to Shepherd. "A man's gotta know when he's done for. Struggling will only make it worse. Good to see ya, Condoriano."
"C-Condoriano?" Shepherd repeated. "Who is that? What are you talking about?"
Usopp smirked as he walked over to Shepherd, "Hey now, stopping kidding around old buddy, old pal," Usopp said as he annoyingly poked the side of Shepherd's face with his long nose. "Don't tell me you've forgotten your own name and my beautiful face!"
"GET AWAY!" Shepherd shouted as he shot to his feet and knocked Usopp away from him. "I'M NOT YOUR BUDDY!" He turned and yelled at Todd and Christopher who were both watching silently. "OFFICERS! I DON'T KNOW THESE MEN!"
Usopp pushed himself back up, "What… happened to you?" he asked. "Did the fall damage your fragile brain? Oh no! Say it ain't so! How-how sad!" Usopp stood up and addressed the marine officers outside the cell. "I'm begging you! Please let this wretch with the broken mind out of here! He's not the same Condoriano that I once knew!"
"Well… that settles it," Todd reasoned. "I guess there's no point in interrogating him."
"Wha-what do you mean that settles it?" Shepherd sputtered.
"We've got to report this to Vice Admiral Jonathan, Condoriano," Christopher announced.
"Wait-what!" Shepherd exclaimed. "GET ME OUT OF HERE! I'LL HAVE YOU ALL COURT-MARTIALED!"
"Hey Condoriano!"
Shepherd turned and found himself facing Zoro. The swordsman suddenly lunged forward and smashed his hard head into Shepherd for a vicious headbutt. WONK! Shepherd was knocked backwards into the cell bars. WHAM!
"Con… doriano…" the inspector mumbled and he dropped to the floor unconscious. FWUMP!
"I think we've had just about enough of that crap," Zoro resolved.
"Nice move, Zoro!" Usopp praised him. Usopp turned away from the marines and laughed to himself. "Ahahahaha! It worked! Ricky and Robin owe me big time!"
"Stop it Usopp," Zoro instructed, "That face is creeping me out."
"Vice Admiral," Ensign Christopher spoke into his mini transponder snail. "We've captured another one of the Straw Hats. He claimed he was Special Inspector Shepherd but the two in the cell recognized him and called him 'Condoriano'."
-x-
Vice Admiral Jonathan stopped in his tracks and listened to his Transponder Snail.
"Vice Admiral, we've captured another one of the Straw Hats. He claimed he was Special Inspector Shepherd but the two in the cell recognized him and called him 'Condoriano'."
"Condoriano?" Ricky repeated as he stood nearby in his Chief Petty Officer Natsu disguise.
"Very good Ensign," Jonathan replied. "Stay in the brig and use your units to guard those three. We've captured three Straw Hats, located a fourth in the brig, identified a fifth that is still at large and I believe we're closing in on the final two…"
"Yes sir," Christopher replied on the other end of the snail.
"Thanks guys," Ricky thought to himself, "Now he thinks he has all seven of us accounted for."
"There are two Commander Shepherds?" Vice Admiral Jonathan thought to himself before he turned to Petty Officer Natsu and the other four marines. "Well men, looks like we've captured another Straw Hat. Let's see if we can continue our good fortune in the dining hall."
Vice Admiral Jonathan put his snail away in his coat and continued the trek down the hallway to the green double doors of the dining hall.
"Um, sir, if you don't mind me asking," Ricky spoke up. "I heard a rumor about you and was wondering if it was true…"
"Oh, what's that?" Jonathan inquired.
"Some of the men were staying that you're Admiral Akainu's protégé," Ricky said.
"That's true," Jonathan confirmed.
"Really?" Ricky questioned. "It's just… I've heard about Akainu's reputation and his dedication to Absolute Justice. You don't seem to have that in common with him, sir."
"That's how most people see Admiral Akainu," Jonathan admitted. "A vicious hell hound that's hell-bent on Absolute Justice. But when they look at him that way, they often overlook that fact that he's a skilled strategist. Akainu saw that I had the same gift for strategy and took me on as his apprentice. We exchange weekly letters where he asks me for my take on some of the situations he's been encountering. I'll be sure to mention you in next week's letter, Natsu."
"Oh gee… thanks…" Ricky replied. The last thing he wanted was to gain Akainu's attention.
-x-
Ensign Christopher, Master Chief Petty Officer Todd and the other marines that were guarding Zoro, Usopp and 'Condoriano' in the brig tensed when they heard the door opening. Kreeek!
Tmp-tmp… tmp-tmp… Foot falls echoed through the brig as someone came down the steps.
A figure in a jump suit with wild hair appeared at the end of the hallway.
Whish! Ensign Christopher waved his hand.
SHINK! "WAAAAHH!" Mekao yelled in alarm as he suddenly found himself surrounded by marines with sharp swords pointed at him. He old shipwright stuck his arms up in the air.
"Mekao?" Master Chief Petty Officer Todd questioned. "What's he doing here?"
"Huh? You mean that guy from the docks?" Ensign Christopher questioned.
Todd approached Mekao, "What're you doing down here, old man?" he inquired.
"I came down here to ask a question, that's all!" Mekao insisted. "There's no need for those swords! Put 'em away!"
"What's your question?" Ensign Christopher prompted.
"It's not for you," Mekao told him. "I need to talk to long nose in that cell over there."
"What? You can't just walk in here and start talking to the prisoner!" Christopher protested.
"Sir," Todd whispered. "What if we let him? If they're talking honestly we might be able to get better information than we would with an interrogation."
"Hmm…" Christopher grunted, "Very well. I'll give my approval. You can-GAH!" He yelped in surprise when he realized that Mekao hadn't waited for permission and had walked right passed him to the cell.
Mekao sat down in front of the cell and greeted Usopp, "Hey!"
"You're that guy from…" Usopp realized. "Did anything happen to the Merry? Is she alright?"
"Don't worry," Mekao reassured him. "She's in good hands for the time being. I promise. Your ship is okay."
"Ah, what a relief," Usopp sighed.
"You're the one that does the repairs on that ship, right?" Mekao questioned.
"Huh… yeah… well… sort of," Usopp answered.
"You've gotta do something about those mast plates," Mekao told him. "If you nail steel plates down without applying a proper splice the mast will snap like a twig at the first sign of a strong wind."
"A splice?" Usopp repeated in confusion.
"You don't know what a splice is?" Mekao asked.
"Actually… I have to admit, I'm not really a bonafide shipwright," Usopp confessed. He thought back to the 'ghost' that he'd seen repairing the ship on Sky Island. "The one who fixed the ship is uh…"
"Did he do all the repairs in just one night?" Mekao inquired.
"Yeah, it happened in a place called Sky Island," Usopp explained. "Its miles and miles above the ocean."
"Hm, miles above the ocean?" Mekao questioned.
"Yeah, yeah, it's okay if you don't belive me," Usopp replied. "I mean, who would?"
"Hm, well, come to think of it, your ship did fall out of the sky, didn't it," Mekao reasoned.
"You mean you're not gonna call me a liar?"
"I might have thought you were pulling my leg if I didn't see it with my own eyes," Mekao said. "But considering the angle that it came down, it looks like your ship fell from a considerable height."
"It was crazy!" Usopp gushed. "There were Gods, priests and angels! We saw things up there I never even dreamed of!"
"Gods and angels?" Mekao repeated with a chuckle. "Aheh heh. Sounds to me like you died and came back to life."
"Well there were close calls," Usopp admitted, "But I don't think I actually died."
The two laughed together while Ensign Christopher glanced at his watch in irritation. "They're talking nonsense now…"
"Alright, about what you were saying earlier," Mekao resolved. "Think back to the night that the mystery man repaired your ship. Tell me, did he appear from the mist late in the night?"
"Yeah, he did," Usopp confirmed. "How in the world did you know that? Hold on-Do you know who this guy is?"
"I think I know what you saw that night," Mekao told him.
But that was when two marines came over and grabbed Mekao's arms so they could pull him up to his feet.
"Huh? Hey! What's going on?" Mekao protested.
"Enough of your nonsense," Ensign Christopher announced. "Time's up, old man. I've got prisoners to guard. Show him the way out."
"Yes sir," the two marines agreed as the mostly carried Mekao away from the cell.
"No! Stop!" Mekao complained.
"WAIT!" Usopp called after him. "Mekao! Told me what it was that I saw that night! Please! Tell me!"
"I didn't get a chance to tell you the most important thing of all!" Mekao said as he was carried towards the stairs. "When you make repairs to the ship, always pay special attention to the parts that you normally wouldn't bother with. Those are the areas that need it most. If you treasure that ship half as much as I think you do, you'll do well never to forget that! Did ya get all that?"
The two marines had reached the end of the hallway and now were carrying Mekao up the stairs and out of sight.
"Yeah! I got it old man!" Usopp answered. "And I'll always remember that!"
"Hmph," Ensign Christopher grunted as he surveyed Usopp, the silent Zoro and the still unconscious Condoriano.
-x-
The two marines pushed Mekao through the outside doorway to the brig.
"Aheh heh…" Mekao chuckled to himself as he made his way down the metal stairs.
-x-
"Here you go," Head Chef Jessica announced as she pulled the lid off of a plate that was piled high with vegetables and a little bit of meat.
Vice Admiral Jonathan had finally made it to the dining hall and was seated in his personal dining room. He looked dubiously down at the veggie-filled plate.
"Uh… Jessica…" Jonathan said, "This is the same dish you always prepare for me… isn't it?"
"It sure is," Jessica replied. "Is there a problem?"
"Well, my men keep carrying on about the food prepared by the new cooks from Mariejois," Jonathan explained. "Don't get me wrong. I love your cooking. But I'd really like to try something from these new guys."
Jessica leaned on the other side of the desk and smiled at him, "Are you saying you don't like it? The Head Chef herself personally took the time to prepare a meal for you and you don't like it? Would you rather eat the same food as the grunts? I'll have you know that this meal was made with love and care just for you."
"I really appreciate the love and care in my meal," Jonathan assured her, "But I don't so much like the broccoli and carrots."
Jessica smirked. "Have you forgotten our base's credo?"
"No, I'm eating! I'm eating!" Jonathan insisted as he speared a carrot and quickly ate it. "See? It's good! Mmmmm!"
"I'm so glad you like it," Jessica said, "But I'll tell you what. If you finish all your vegetables, I'll get you a plate from the other cook too," Jessica leaned across the table and pecked her husband on the cheek then pulled back and sauntered out of the personal dining room.
"…" Ricky stood awkwardly beside the door. His face was bright red.
Jonathan looked up and saw the flustered marine, "Say Natsu, how do you feel about broccoli?"
"Uh sorry sir," Natsu apologized. "But I came here to investigate… not to eat. I'm afraid you'll have to eat your own vegetables."
"Oh bother," Jonathan muttered as he turned his attention back to his plate.
"Um, if you don't mind me asking sir," Ricky spoke up, "If you don't like vegetables… why do you put up with that?"
"Well, when you love a woman, these are the types of sacrifices you make to keep her happy," Jonathan explained.
"But… what if she doesn't seem to appreciate the sacrifice you're making?" Ricky inquired.
Jonathan's eyes narrowed, "I thought you said you weren't married, Natsu?"
"Oh, I'm not, sir," Ricky quickly assured him. "There is… was… this girl back home. I broke up with her… to protect her. She doesn't seem to understand that. There are monsters out there. I broke up with her to keep her safe. But… she was still hurt… and I don't know if she'll ever forgive me for it."
"Well, you need to remember why you're doing what you're doing," Jonathan told him. "You didn't leave her so she would acknowledge the sacrifice you're making for her. I don't eat these plates full of broccoli and carrots so Jessica will acknowledge it, I do it because I care about her. You didn't leave her so she would acknowledge your sacrifice. You left because you wanted to protect her because you care about her. And you know what? The reason that she's so upset is because of how much she cares about you. So as long as you still care about each other and your feelings for each other don't diminish, there's still hope. You still have a chance."
"I… thank you, sir," Ricky replied. "You've given me a lot to think about. Enjoy your meal. I'll begin my investigation of the dining hall." With that, Chief Petty Officer Natsu spun to the side and slipped through the double doors out of Jonathan's personal dining room.
"Hmm…" Jonathan mused to himself as he continued to eat his lunch, "He's a good kid."
-x-
Showdown in the Dining Hall
-x-
"Whoa! It's like a buffet of deliciousness!" Luffy exclaimed as she shoveled food into his mouth from the table filled with plates of dishes that were meant for the marines outside the kitchen. "Keep up the good work guys! You're doing great!"
While Luffy continued to eat most of the marine's food, Sanji continued cooking it as he stood in front of a stove with Shinpachi.
"What's up with that other guy?" the marine cook wondered. "He's just been inhaling the food non-stop."
"Don't mind him," Sanji replied, "His job is taste testing."
"It doesn't look to me like he's tasting anything," Shinpachi stated as he looked back and watched Luffy indiscriminately stuff handfuls of food into his mouth. "And he sure isn't a good cook…" Shinpachi turned back to Sanji and smiled. "You, on the other hand, are a clear master! A true talent! And you're getting very popular among the troops."
"Hey, thank you," Sanji said. "I'll be sure to write down some of my recipes."
Sanji and Shinpachi were jolted out of their conversation when Jessica walked over.
"I have an order for Table 8," Jessica called out, "And make it snappy."
"Aye-aye, SIR!" Sanji swooned he put on a burst of speed and readied a special dish for Jessica. "For a woman that strong and beautiful I'd go through any culinary torture to make her happy!" A moment later, Sanji spun around and presented Jessica with a plate of meatballs. "Done!"
"SO FAST!" the Navarone cooks gasped.
"HEY! LOOKS GOOD!" Luffy shouted from the back of the group. He slipped through the assembled chefs and was standing in front of Sanji a second later. He eagerly eyed Sanji's dish. "I'll be happy to take that for you!"
"HOLD IT!" Jessica snapped at him. "If you touch any of that, you'll be eating the rest of your meals in the brig!"
"Yeah, yeah, no problem!" Luffy reassured her before he took the plate and ran off with it.
"Did he hear anything I just said?" Jessica wondered.
Sanji leaned over to Shinpachi, "Who is this guy at Table 8?" he inquired quietly. "Jessica sure seems concerned about what he's eating."
"She's always pretty wound up," Shinpachi replied with a knowing smirk, "But it gets even worse when I comes to her husband's food."
"Wait! My sweet Jessica's a married woman?" Sanji asked in alarm.
Jessica turned to them, "No time for chitchatting! Get back to work!"
"Her husband is definitely the luckiest guy in Navarone," Sanji grumbled in annoyance. "Maybe even the world."
"She's married to Vice Admiral Jonathan," Shinpachi told him, "The commander of his base."
"Ah! He's the commander?" Sanji sputtered. He'd just made a dish for Vice Admiral Jonathan. And Luffy had just run off to deliver it. "WAIT! LUFFY!"
-x-
Ricky sweat-dropped out in the dining hall as he watched a very familiar waiter run through the double doors to Vice Admiral Jonathan's private dining room.
"That… idiot…" Ricky muttered. He shook his head then pulled his gun off of his shoulder and headed for the double doors. "Guess that means I'll have to clean up the mess."
-x-
Luffy smiled widely as he set the plate of meatballs on the table in front of the Vice Admiral.
Vice Admiral Jonathan idly noted that the big goofy smiled on the 'chef's' face perfectly matched the big goofy grin that was worn by Monkey D. Luffy on his Wanted Poster.
"Eat up!" Luffy encouraged Jonathan.
"Thank you," Jonathan replied. "You're dismissed."
"Right, aye-aye, sir," Luffy said. He scrambled backwards to the doors but didn't actually leave.
Jonathan speared one of the meatballs with a fork and put it in his mouth.
"Mmmm… outstanding," Jonathan remarked. "It's everything they said it was." Jonathan smiled as he speared another meatball and quickly ate it. "It's surpassed all my expectations."
"Mmm, mine too," Luffy agreed as he chewed his own meatballs by the door.
Tink! Jonathan brought his fork down to pierce another meatball but came up empty.
Jonathan looked down at his plate and saw that over half of the meatballs were now gone. He'd only eaten two. Jonathan glared across the room and watched the chef with the oddly shaped hat chew some food by the door.
Jonathan turned back to his plate and went to get another meatball. Swish! The meatball was snatched off of his plate before he could get it. Jonathan went for another meatball. Swish! That one too was whisked right out from under his form.
Jonathan looked up and once again glared at the chef as he ate his meatballs from the other side of the room.
There were now four meatballs left on the plate. Three were close to the edge facing Jonathan while the fourth was in the middle.
Swish! Shunk! Jonathan stabbed the middle meatball and pinned it to the plate just as a hand reached out to grab it. Jonathan looked up and saw that the annoying chef's arm had stretched.
"HEY! I JUST WANT A MEATBALL YOU SELFISH JERK!" Luffy shouted with his mouth still filled with the meatballs he'd stolen off of Jonathan's plate.
"I see you finally decided to show your face, 'Straw Hat' Luffy," Jonathan greeted the pirate.
Jonathan pulled his fork up and Luffy's arm snapped back to him so fast that he punched himself in the face and ended up on the floor. POW!
"Mmm…" Luffy set up and happily chewed the meatball he'd just slammed into his mouth.
-x-
Sanji rushed out of the kitchen but skidded to a stop when he saw a marine leaned against the wall beside the double doors to the Vice Admiral's personal dining room.
The marine looked up at Sanji and the cook instantly recognized him by his dark, slanted eye and his pointed face.
"Ricky," Sanji realized.
Ricky-the-marine raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Snap! Four marines ran in front of the exit to the dining hall and aimed their guns at Sanji.
"What the hell are you doing?" Sanji wondered.
"YOU'RE UNDER ARREST, PIRATE SCUM!" Ricky yelled loud enough to gain the attention of the cooks in the kitchen and the marines in the dining hall. He aimed his own cannon-like gun at Sanji.
Head Chef Jessica walked out of the kitchen with the other chefs. "What is the meaning of this?" she demanded. "This man is one of the celebrity chefs from Mariejois."
"I'm afraid not, Head Chef," Ricky replied. "The chef that's in the Vice Admiral's dining room is none other than Straw Hat Monkey D. Luffy. A pirate worth one hundred million berries. Since these two are working as a pair that can only mean that this man is the skilled cook from the Straw Hat Pirates."
Sanji stiffened and glanced around him. He was exposed and surrounded. Four armed marines guarded the door, Jessica and the assembled chefs blocked his escape back into the kitchen and another hundred marines that he had been feeding had stood up from their seats at their tables.
"CHEF JESSICA! TAKE HIM DOWN!"
Sanji spun around in time to see a fry pan. WHAM! Sanji crashed to the ground.
"Alright boys, arrest him!" Natsu called out to the four marines in his new unit by the door. "Cuff that cook and bind his hands! Don't let him near any kind of knife or cookware!"
Natsu's four marines pried Sanji's arms behind his back and secured wrists with a thick set of wooden handcuffs.
"He didn't have them bind my legs…" Sanji realized. "That means he hasn't turned traitor…"
Natsu turned to the marines in the dining hall, "Don't forget that base's credo! We'd have heard something if he tampered with his food. Clean those plates, men!"
The hundred marines sat back down at the order of the disguised pirate and began to wolf down the remainder of their lunch.
Natsu walked up to Sanji and grinned down at him, "Don't worry pirate," he taunted Sanji. "You'll get to have a nice reunion with your other three crewmates down in the brig. Once we catch Straw Hat, of course."
"Other three crewmates?" Sanji repeated to himself. "Some of the others must have been caught. That means Ricky's gonna bring me right to them. So that's his plan…"
Sanji looked up and flinched when Head Chef Jessica glared down at him like he was scum and to make it even worse, the beautiful Head Chef turned to the one-eyed bastard and smiled at him.
"Bastard!" Sanji mentally cursed Ricky.
"Excellent work officer," Jessica said. "I can see why my husband has grown so fond of you."
"All in a day's work," Chief Petty Officer Natsu replied with a salute before he turned and aimed his gun at the doors of Jonathan's private dining room. "Now let's catch the other one…"
-x-
"I am Vice Admiral Jonathan, the Chief Officer of G-8," Jonathan introduced himself to Luffy as he sat against the door and ate Jonathan's meatballs. "Your sworn enemy. I would rather not resort to violence in the dining hall so please be civil. Just answer me one question if you would be so kind."
"If I answer it can I split that food with you?" Luffy inquired.
Jonathan glanced back at the three meatballs that were left on his plate. He also recalled his obligation to clear it as per the base's credo.
"If you answer the question, you can have all of it," Jonathan told him.
"Really? You've got a deal!" Luffy exclaimed. He stretched his arm out and snatched the plate off of Jonathan's desk and brought it over to him. "Sorry I called you a selfish jerk!"
"No matter how hard I try I can't figure out your purpose here," Jonathan explained as Luffy ate the remaining meatballs. "I heard the reports that Commodore Smoker is the one who defeated Crocodile in Alabasta while your shenanigans there resulted in no discernable gain. They acquired you neither fame nor fortune. Your motives remain a mystery and I want to know why you came to Navarone of all places."
"That's easy, we fell from the sky," Luffy answered. "This is just where we landed."
"Hm?" Jonathan sputtered in surprise.
"Here in the Grand Line it;s just one crazy thing after another," Luffy remarked as he stood up. "I've gotta say, I'm really starting to like this fortress. The food here is great!"
"Hmhmhm," Jonathan chuckled, "You should know that even with your Devil Fruit Powers, you'll find that escape from our charming little fortress is impossible. It would take nothing short of a miracle. You're stuck with no hope of escape Straw Hat Luffy, checkmate."
"I'll leave when I'm good and ready Fortress-guy!" Luffy taunted. "Shishishi!"
"I doubt you'll talk so tough when you hear that we've captured Zoro," Jonathan retorted. "We've trapped him along with two of your other crewmates. We've also located One Eye and have him confined in the infirmary."
"Huh?" Luffy asked. "Zoro? Ricky?" Luffy turned serious. "Alright, Fortress-guy, where'd you put my Nakama?"
"Why do you ask?" Jonathan questioned.
"So I can find them… AND RESCUE THEM!" Luffy snapped.
"Don't be so hasty," Jonathan replied, "You'll see your friends again soon enough. I'll make sure of that."
Tmp! Jonathan took a loud step towards Luffy. The room practically shook.
"Whoa! This guy's like grandpa!" Luffy gasped as he flinched back from the invisible aura that Jonathan seemed to be giving off. "WHAA!" Flinching backwards had thrown Luffy off balance and he ended up falling backwards through the double doors behind him. WHAM!
Luffy tumbled out of Jonathan's personal dining room into the middle of the dining hall.
BANG! WOOOSH! Luffy suddenly found himself trapped in a net.
"Gotcha!" a familiar voice called out.
Luffy looked back and instantly recognized Ricky disguised as a black haired marine officer. Sanji had his arms cuffed behind his back and was being restrained by four other marines.
"HEY!" Luffy started to call out.
SKISH! WHOMP! He was forcibly cut off when Ricky-the-marine launched himself across the room and crashed down on top of him.
"You're under arrest, Straw Hat Luffy," Chief Petty Officer Natsu announced. "We know all about your Devil Fruit Powers. This net is Sea Stone. Now you're as helpless as a little puppy."
Krek! Vice Admiral Jonathan walked out of his dining hall and stood over the trapped Luffy.
"Mission accomplished, sir!" Natsu called out as he saluted Jonathan. "We got him… and thanks to your wife's quick actions, we caught the other impostor too."
Jonathan grinned as he looked down at Luffy then across the hall at Sanji.
"That makes six Straw Hat Pirates that we've accounted for," Jonathan thought to himself. "Roronoa Zoro, long nose, Condoriano in the brig, One Eye in the infirmary, and now our mystery chef and Straw Hat himself. The only one missing is the blue haired escape artist."
"As I told you, Straw Hat Luffy," Jonathan announced out loud, "You'll find escape from our charming little fortress quite impossible. Checkmate."
"Your orders, sir?" Natsu inquired.
"Well, I did tell Straw Hat that he'd be seeing his friends again soon enough," Jonathan stated. "Take these two pirates to the brig." Jonathan glanced at his watch. "And it appears as though this lunch our his just about over. I believe you'll find one hundred off duty marines that will be glad to help you escort these two fugitives to the brig."
"Yes sir," Natsu agreed as he hauled Luffy up off of the ground and onto his back.
The one hundred marines in the dining hall had cleared their plates as Ricky had instructed earlier so as one they all rose and made their way over to the two captured Straw Hats.
"Alright men, let's get these two pirates to the brig," Natsu instructed.
"Yes sir," the marines chorused. They followed Ricky carried Luffy right out the door of the dining hall while the other four marines in Natsu's new unit dragged Sanji along with them.
Two marine stepped forward and pushed the double doors opened for the lead officer and revealed the new batch of one hundred marines that had been gathering for the next meal.
"Step aside men!" Chief Petty Officer Natsu barked out. "Captured pirates, coming through." The new marines split apart and made path for Ricky to carry Luffy through followed by the other one hundred and four marines.
Head Chef Jessica eyed the new batch of marines then looked back at her assembled cooks. "Everyone get back in the kitchen!" she ordered. "We've got another one hundred marines to serve and this time we're doing it without that pirate's help."
The Navarone chef's nodded and headed back into the kitchen while the new batch of marines came into the dining hall.
"Excellent work catching that pirate, Jessica," Jonathan remarked to his wife.
"Your new golden boy was just being modest," Jessica admitted. "He was the one that revealed he was an imposter and brought it to everyone's attention. I just hit him with a frying pan."
"Is that so?" Jonathan inquired.
Jessica hung her head and frowned, "I should have suspected something. That cook was amazing. It's such a shame that someone with skills like that would waste his life as a filthy pirate. Maybe I was just seeing what I wanted to see. I guess it was too good to be true."
Jonathan frowned. "You don't say?"
-x-
Ricky let his entourage of one hundred four marines and two pirates out of the base and up to the Straw Bridge. Luffy was still slung across his shoulders but Ricky could sense the positive air that the other marines had at capturing the infamous Straw Hat Luffy and other Straw Hat pirate.
Ricky grinned and sang out, "I DON'T KNOW BUT I'VE BEEN TOLD!"
The marines quickly responded, "BEING A MARINE WILL NEVER GET OLD!"
"G-8'S GONNA KEEP THINGS RIGHT!"
"IF YOU DON'T LISTEN WE'LL USE OUR MIGHT!"
"HEY! HEY! I wanna chant too!" Luffy suddenly exclaimed.
Chief Petty Officer Natsu stopped in his tracks then spun around and threw Luffy down on the bridge in between him and the other marines.
"You want to chant?" Natsu questioned Luffy.
"Oh yeah!" Luffy replied with a big goofy grin. "That seems really fun!"
"I'll make you a deal, Straw Hat," Chief Petty Officer Natsu announced. "I'll let you out of that net and swap it for some Sea Stone handcuffs so you can march and chant with us marines. But only on one condition…"
"What's that?" Luffy asked.
"You've gotta do it all the way to the brig until you get in your cell," Natsu replied.
"That's it? Sure! Sure!" Luffy happily agreed.
"I'm serious Straw Hat," Natsu insisted. "You've gotta promise on whatever honor you scummy pirates have that you won't fight back or try to escape until we get you to your cell."
"Oh, yeah, sure!" Luffy said. "I promise!"
"That goes for both of you," Ricky clarified as he locked eyes with Sanji, "Don't do anything… until you get to your cell."
"Whatever…" Sanji growled but faintly nodded.
"Sir, is this really a good idea?" one of the marine spoke up.
"How many pirates have you fought, recruit?" Natsu inquired.
"Um… none," the marine admitted.
"They're way easier to deal with if they're content," Natsu told him. "The second we got them into the brig they probably would've started to fight back. Now they've agreed to go along with us so we don't have to deal with any last minute attempts to break out. Remember, this is a pirate that's wanted for one hundred million berries. He might not look like much now but I for one don't want to deal with him when he's pissed off and struggling."
"Oh, you're right sir," the marine realized.
Natsu nodded then withdrew a set of Sea Stone handcuffs out of his pocket and slipped them into the net and onto Luffy's wrists. Klik-klik! Once the cuffs were secured, Natsu grabbed the net and yanked it off of Luffy in one clean motion. WHISH! Natsu handed the net off to one of the men in his unit then hauled Luffy up to his feet.
"Remember your promise, pirate!" Natsu growled.
"Aye-aye, sir!" Luffy answered.
"So you were, men!" Natsu addressed the other marines before he turned around and continued across the Straw Bridge from the coastal ring to the central island where the brig was located.
Luffy smiled widely as he fell into the step with the marines and marched with them.
"If only grandpa could see us now," Ricky thought to himself glanced down at his officer's uniform then looked back over his shoulder at Luffy who was still in his marine chef uniform.
Natsu loudly called out, "I don't know but it's been said!"
"I DON'T KNOW BUT IT'S BEEN SAID!" Luffy and the marines repeated together.
"We fight pirates 'cause we're not yet dead!"
"WE FIGHT PIRATES 'CAUSE WE'RE NOT YET DEAD!"
"Become a marine and you'll go far!"
"BECOME A MARINE AND YOU'LL GO FAR!"
"In suspenders and a bra!"
"IN SUS-penders… and a bra?" the marines trailed off in confusion.
But Luffy continued unhindered and loudly sohuted, "IN SUSPENDERS AND A BRA!"
Ricky spun around and grinned at Luffy, "Got ya."
"Hahahahahaha!" some of the marines burst out laughing. "Nice one, chief!"
Luffy shrugged and laughed along with the marines. "Shishishshishi!" But then he trailed off. "Hey wait, what's a bra?"
-x-
They large group made it across the bridge and down the stairs to the brig with no other incident.
Ensign Christopher scowled as Chief Petty Officer Natsu and his unit marched into the brig with two Straw Hat pirates, one of which was Straw Hat Luffy himself.
Natsu and his unit led Luffy and Sanji towards the cell. Luffy smiled when he spotted his crew.
"Hey guys!" Luffy greeted Zoro and Usopp. "We got caught!"
"Well don't sound so happy about it!" Zoro scolded him.
"Back against the wall!" Ensign Christopher ordered Zoro and Usopp. They complained and backed up against the rocky rear wall of the cell. "And take him with you!"
Usopp slipped forward and kicked the still unconscious 'Condoriano' in the side until he rolled across the cell over to the far wall then reclaimed his spot against the wall next to Zoro.
Master Chief Petty Officer Todd and ten other marines all aimed rifles in the cell at Zoro, Usopp and the still seemingly unconscious Condoriano.
Ensign Christopher unlocked the cell and pulled it opened so Chief Petty Officer Natsu and his unit could shove Luffy and Sanji into the cell with the others.
Natsu stepped back and Christopher slammed the door shut and locked it. KLANG!
"There it is," Natsu resolved. "Five Straw Hat Pirates locked in a cell. Good work, men."
"I'm still in charge here!" Ensign Christopher suddenly snapped at him. "Just because you caught most of them, doesn't change the fact that I outrank you!"
"No need to be jealous there, Ensign," Natsu replied. "This was a team effort. There's no place in this brig for petty individual ideals like jealousy. Besides…" Ricky leaned in and grinned at the flustered marine officer. "At the rate I'm going… you won't outrank me for long. You'd better get ready to start referring to me as Lieutenant Natsu."
Christopher flushed. "BUT YOU'RE NOT YET! KNOW YOUR PLACE!"
"Christopher, calm down," Todd chimed in, "We have to present a united front in front of the pirates and the men."
"DON'T TALK DOWN TO ME!" Christopher rounded on him. "You two brats think out can show me up because you had a lucky day? I'm the ranking officer here, so I'm in command! Master Chief Petty Officer Todd, you and your unit guard that hallway." Christopher spun around to face Natsu again. "Chief Petty Officer Natsu, guard the stairs with your unit." Christopher looked passed Natsu at the marines that were crammed into the stairwell. "As for the rest of you, you're dismissed!"
"Someone's on a jealous power trip," one of the marines remarked as the large group from the dining hall made their way up the stairs and out of the brig.
Master Chief Petty Officer Todd and his unit backed away from the cell and barred the hallway while Ensign Christopher and his two units remained in front of the cell as the active guards. Chief Petty Officer Natsu's four-man unit made their way towards the stairwell.
Ricky glanced into the Straw Hats' cell and gave a faint nod before he followed his unit.
Zoro, Usopp and Sanji all shared a glance, "It's time."
"Phase Two of Plan Get the Heck Outta Here is now complete," Ricky thought to himself. "I've successfully located everyone on the crew. Now to start Phase Three: Break Out." Ricky casually reached up and slid his hand under his cap so he could tickle the ear that was growing out of the top of his head under the pretense of scratching his head.
-x-
"Fufufufu…" Robin let out a light laugh and held her ear.
The two marines that had been assigned as Special Inspector Shepherd's escorts turned to look at the woman in surprise.
Robin smiled faintly, "It seems like the boys are ready to make their move."
-x-
"You know," Zoro said as he stepped away from the wall and smirked at Ensign Christopher, "As fun as watching your little meltdown was… I think it's time for us to leave."
-x-
Vice Admiral Jonathan had returned to his office and was now seated at his desk.
"We've captured the King," Jonathan mused to himself as he stared down at his chessboard "That's checkmate. The game should be over."
"Condoriano…" Jonathan removed the black Queen-side knight. "The talented chef…" Jonathan removed the black King-side bishop. "Straw Hat Luffy." Jonathan knocked over the black King.
Jonathan put the three recently captured pieces down with the two rooks and the other knight. "In addition to Roronoa Zoro, long nose, and their ship… that's almost everyone."
The two pieces remained on the black side of the board: the black Queen and the black Queen-side bishop.
"Why doesn't this feel right?" Jonathan asked out loud. He suddenly remember his wife's words.
"I should have suspected something. That cook was amazing. It's such a shame that someone with skills like that would waste his life as a filthy pirate. Maybe I was just seeing what I wanted to see. I guess it was too good to be true."
Vice Admiral Jonathan eyes widened in abject horror, "NO!"
-x-
'Till Next Time…
Peace!