Please enjoy this chapter :)

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Soon the drama between the Straw Hats and marines will pick up :o

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Chapter 51: Banding Together

Igaram stared at the empty beds in wonder and shock. He noticed the blue haired princess sitting next to the window in a chair. "Princess, where did they go?" he wondered.

"Igaram, you seem so worried," the princess mused with a sad smile. "They are pirates after all so of course they'd return to the sea and there's no way Luffy would leave his sister."


-Meanwhile-


Hina looked at the captured ship with annoyance. That new recruit, Jango, really struck her nerves. "It took them that long to secure a ship… how disgraceful." She turned towards one of her underlings with a question. "Are the ships prepared?"

"Yes ma'am! The coast of Alubarna is patrolled by thirty marine ships." She nodded her acknowledgement but the minor marine continued. "The Straw Hats ship is missing from where it was previously docked however."

"Do you mean to say they left?" she muttered with rage thickening her voice.

The subordinate shook his head in fear and awe of her beauty. "The whole area is covered. There is no way they could have slipped past."

"Search for their ship at once!" she ordered and turned around to be assaulted by flowers from Jango and Fullbody. "You two, drop those flowers. We're going after Straw Hat Luffy and will attempt to recover the marine Andrea."


-Meanwhile-


The starry, night sky was beautiful and peaceful with the only sound the gentle pitter patter of ducks speeding across the sand dunes. A slight wind stirred through the group and Zoro coughed before leaning backwards and finding a better position on his duck. "This is rather comfortable," he mused as he looked over at the crew.

"I'm sad about leaving this kingdom," Usopp wailed. "I wouldn't be able to forget such an epic battle." The sounds of chewing and piece of meat hitting his face drew his attention to his captain who had his marine sister, Andrea, hung over the backside of the duck like luggage as he reasoned that was the easiest way to travel with her when she was passed out. "Hey Luffy! Are you ever going to finish eating?"

"Food from this country is great!" the rubber man answered happily while chewing on some meat. "Saaaaaanji! Cook some of this later!"

"I asked Igaram's wife, Terracotta, for some recipes and the names of various spices used," the chef answered as he took a glance at Luffy's sister. "Andrea-san said she knows some of the cooking method too but you shouldn't treat your sister as baggage for the duck," he scolded the raven haired pirate who laughed heartily.

Chopper looked at Nami who was being oddly quiet. "Nami, are you ok? Do you feel sick?" he inquired worriedly. The orange hair navigator merely stayed silent and sighed.

Concern gripped Luffy as he waved a drumstick of meat towards her. "I'll give you one of my meats, Nami. But only one!"

Ignoring Luffy's glutton fueled idiocy, Sanji went about attempting to console her. "If you're worried about Vivi, I understand your feelings but it's useless to wonder. Perk up! She wouldn't want to see you troubled over nothing."

Nami bit her lip as she waved her fingers in front of her. "I remembered… I forgot to get Beri reward out of Vivi…" she mused sadly.

Zoro ranted at her in annoyance. "You really are a money loving bitch!" he roared while Luffy had a similar complaint for his navigator.

"You really just were in it for money?" Andrea groaned as Luffy's shouting shifted the duck and made her wiggle in discomfort.

"Money is Nami's fetish," she mumbled softly and a second later, started snoring again. The whole crew heard the marine's quiet words and began to laugh so rambunctiously to the point that Usopp fell off the duck he was riding.


-A little later-


A rather cheerful okama was posing on the mast of the Going Merry when he noticed the Straw Hat crew approach quickly on a group of ducks. "You made me wait so long, darlings! Long time no see! Miss me?" Luffy nodded towards the boisterous okama while his crew unloaded luggage to take onto the ship. He jumped from the mast before tears filled his eyes on seeing their faces. "Good bye! I want to know if we're destined, that we'll be friends." The former Baroque Works agent became annoyed at the lack of response from the pirates. "We're old friends meeting again and I don't receive a good reception!"

"Friends with you?" Luffy scowled as he carefully carried his dozing sister onto the Going Merry. "You're an enemy remember?"

"Psh," the okama waved his hands dismissively. "That's all in the past so don't worry about it. Baroque Works is disbanded anyway so not all of us are your enemies anymore," he explained quickly before the crew would become more agitated.

Luffy put his sister down onto the deck where she curled up in a ball. He turned to address the flamboyant man with a mocking tone. "Enemy or not, I might not let you onboard anyway."

"Such thanks I get for doing you a favor!" the former agent dramatically declared as he sighed sadly.

"What are you talking about?" Luffy demanded in annoyance. His loud voice made Andrea stir slightly before she rolled over.

Rolling his eyes, the okama motioned towards the sleeping marine. "Think about it seriously. If this ship wasn't moved, what do you think would have happened to it? Especially because you kidnapped this marine."

"The ship would have been confiscated and Andrea-san likely unable to see Luffy again." Nami reasoned as she put a blanket over the marine's sleeping form.

The former Mr. 2 rolled his eyes as he moved his hands in the air frantically. "The ship was almost nearly taken. Are you really unaware of the marine activity here? This area is swarming with them and I thought it'd be nice to lend a hand."

Luffy's eyes filled with wonder. "So you saved the Going Merry so the marines wouldn't take it away?"

The okama nodded as he gave a thumbs up. Tears sparkled in his eyes dramatically, "Because, aren't we friends?" Chopper, Usopp, Luffy and the cheerful Bon Kurei danced happily before Zoro burst the bubble.

"So because of the marine blockade, you can't escape either," he reasoned and the okama held his chest dramatically where his heart was. "Isn't that why you wanted help?"

"This is when enemies bond together to escape such situations!" the okama wailed as he danced to the cheering of the innocent members of the crews. Nami shook her head at their idiocy but a slight whimpering noise caught her attention and she walked towards Andrea who began to shake. Her right palm was glowing a deep crimson.


-Meanwhile-


Hina began to pull on her gloves when a marine ran up to her. "We found the Straw Hats ship! Chances are the captive marine is on board also!"

She nodded before addressing her men. "Prepare for battle!" she declared.